Imperial Center Applauds Execution of Nikani

Imperial Center — In a rare public appearance, Emperor Palpatine this week attended the execution by firing squad of Talri Nikani, the notorious "Imperial Center Bomber" responsible for the deaths of hundreds of beings in the planet's underlevels earlier this year. A crowd of spectators cheered as Nikani was shot following remarks from Mr. Palpatine and a ceremony that was also attended by Senator North, Moff Brandt, and a score of other Imperial officials.

Talri Nikani, who is believed to have been associated with disgruntled remnants of the former Confederacy of Independent Systems, was captured unexpectedly last month when Imperial forces raided an illegal salvage operation over the planet Raxus Prime, in the Tion Hegemony. Evidence from the operation, including bomb-making materials, proved Nikani's connection to the so called "Imperial Center Bombing" earlier this year, in which an explosive device was detonated in a crowded market in Coruscant's underlevels.

27 humans were killed in the bombing—including a squad of Imperial stormtroopers on patrol—and 49 were injured, according to Imperial figures which do not include the number of non-human casualties. As many as 200 non-humans may have been killed or injured as well, however, according to some estimates. An unknown number of Imperial forces were also killed while raiding Mr. Nikani's salvage operation, as they encountered resistance from Nikani and "a small army" of battle droids in his possession.

The people of Imperial Center welcomed the news of his capture and turned out in large numbers this week for his execution on the parade grounds of the Imperial Palace. Officials estimate the crowd at the event to be from 250,000 to 500,000 persons.

This was the first time since his capture that Mr. Nikani was seen in public. Critics referred to the Empire's trial of Nikani as "opaque," and called upon the Empire to release information on Nikani's background—which remains classified—and the evidence against him. Emperor Palpatine, however, in his brief remarks to the crowd, said that Nikani had been "proven guilty" and "duly sentenced to death."

An anonymous source in the Coruscant Security Force (CSF) familiar with the investigation into the "Imperial Center Bombing"—an investigation that reached from Imperial Center to Tatooine and, eventually, to Raxus Prime—expressed confidence to The Coruscant Journal that Nikani was indeed responsible for the bombing, and appeared to be solely responsible.

Who Talri Nikani was, however, remains unknown to the public. The Coruscant Journal received information that he may have been an informant for the Empire, but was unable to verify this. What is known is that Nikani was found to have large numbers of B1 and B2 battle droids, as well as other droids, weapons, and ships commonly associated with the former Confederacy of Independent Systems, in his possession. It is widely believed, thus, that Nikani was a disgruntled former member of the Confederacy—a belief that official sources, like the Imperial News Network, have encouraged.