| Coruscant_Journal | Date: Monday, 19 Sep 2011, 0:20 AM | Message # 1 |
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Tempers Flare as Empire Pacifies Dxun
Senate Rotunda, Coruscant — The Empire's pacification last month of Mandalorian "renegades" on Dxun, a moon of the planet Onderon, has proven to be a contentious issue as Onderon has sought representation in the Imperial Senate this week. In a terse exchange of words, Senator Oswaldt (Eriadu) criticized the Senator-elect of Onderon, Mr. Raynar Tavira, of admiring "the spilling of Imperial blood" in combat on Dxun. Mr. Tavira assured the Senate that this is not the case.
"We are saddened by the great loss of Imperial lives in the actions taken on Dxun," Mr. Tavira explained. Earlier, the Senator-elect had remarked, "We are greatly displeased that actions had to come to such a way as they did, as bringing in Imperial forces to push the Mandalorians from Dxun," and said of the Mandalorians in particular, "We admire them for defending their homes as admirably as they did." This prompted criticism from Senator Terrawin (Alsakan) and a strongly worded rebuke from Senator Oswaldt.
"I haven't seen a single word of admiration or thanks from you to the Imperial forces who fought and died to evict the Mandalorians from your moon," Oswaldt said, "Would you prefer that even more Imperial troops died? Would you prefer the Mandalorians remain on your moon and remain a threat[?]" Mr. Tavira argued that his remarks were misrepresented (an accusation not unfamiliar to Senator Oswaldt), and that Dxun "is a world that belongs to the Onderonian people," not the Mandalorians.
The dispute is centered on an Imperial operation last month to evict Mandalorian "renegades"—calling themselves the "True Crusaders"—from Onderon's moon, Dxun. For centuries since Dxun was conquered in the Mandalorian Wars, it has remained occupied by Mandalorians over the objections of Onderon's government and people. Last month's Imperial operation, part of a broader campaign to subjugate the "rebellious" Mandalorian culture, ousted the Mandalorians from Dxun after 4 days of costly fighting in which as many as 2,500 Imperial soldiers are believed to have been killed, and some thousands wounded (the Empire has not released a casualty report).
79% of Onderonians in a recent poll supported the removal of Mandalorians from Dxun, though 31% of these favored diplomatic means to do so rather than the use of force. This appears to be Mr. Tavira's view, telling the Senate this afternoon that "the people of Onderon would have preferred a more diplomatic response and less violent reaction in the matter."
The Senate is expected to approve Mr. Tavira as Senator, as a majority stand in favor of doing so as of press time. Onderon has been without a Senator for some months because of fractious domestic politics, but, according to one Onderonian official, "With the involvement of Imperial forces on Dxun it was decided that Onderon finally needed a voice on the galactic stage to explain its position and advocate for its people." The Empire, meanwhile, is expected to hand control of Dxun back to Onderon for the first time in over 3,000 years, on the condition that the Empire maintain a base on the moon and have right-of-refusal to mineral contracts on Dxun.
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