Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Further flesh out Tephrike and sub a location mentioned in the planet sub.
Image Credit: Here. Otoh Gunga in 'The Phantom Menace'. Found on Wookieepedia.
Canon: N/A.
Permission: Permission to use Firemane tech because I own the company.
Links: Otoh Gunga, Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, Into Darkness, After Darkness, Nexus City, Mezha Krazhmir.
SETTING INFORMATION
City Name: Red Coral City
Classification: Armed Rebel Settlement.
Location: Tephrike.
Affiliation: Republican Guard.
Population: Moderate.
Demographics: The majority of the population is composed of aliens. To be specific, aquatic aliens such as Nautolans, Gungans, Mon Calamari and Quarren. Humans, Twi'leks, Duros and so on can be found as well, but they are less numerous. While the Republican Guard strives to create a secular, pluralistic state, racial tensions exist. These have historical roots because strife between race-based political parties did its part to weaken Tephrike's fragile democracy prior to the outbreak of the Gulag Virus. It does not help that one of their foes, the Vaderites, are human supremacists. Thus there is some bad blood between humans and non-humans. There is a tight-knit community of Yuuzhan Vong. They possess a special status because their Force Dead nature makes them excellent at fighting Jedi or Sith, who both constitute the rebel movement's main adversaries.
Wealth: Low. People do not starve, but the inhabitants of Red Coral City are not wealthy at all. Tephrike has been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for a very long time and there is an ongoing civil war between feuding factions for control of the planet. Moreover, the Guard is a rebel insurgency, and focused on fighting a war of survival. This means many of their resources are used to meet wartime needs. Even the commanders of the Republican Guard have little an outsider would consider valuable. The city operates under a regulated economy. Rationing is very tight and enforced by the government. The market covers bare necessities, but little beyond that. There are harsh rules against hoarding and 'profiteering'. In spite - or perhaps because - of the regulations, there is a flourishing black market. The rebel junta has been forced to tolerate it, but often clamps down on black market profiteers. Since the currency is worth very little, barter trade is common. Needless to say credits from outside Tephrike are considered worthless, much like like how Watto hold Qui-Gon that Republic credits were no good. What the Guard cannot produce itself, it has to acquire by launching raids against its enemies or making deals with non-hostile warlords.
To set itself apart from its foes, the Republican Guard has instituted workers' self-management on many levels. This is supposed to empower the toilers. Many enterprises are run as worker cooperatives, which are owned and managed by the workers. This economic model envisions the means of production being collectively owned, controlled and managed by the producers themselves. Each worker is supposed to be an equal stakeholder in their chosen enterprise, and collectively own their own industry. Collective, individual joint ownership is key. Private ownership is not banned, but looked upon poorly above the level of small businesses.
This form of libertarian socialism sets the Guard apart from the Dominion, which has introduced an extremely centralised command economy, and the Vaderites, who support unfettered, predatory capitalism and rely on slave labour. There is also a planning agency. The goal of this organisation is to allow economic planning for civilian and military needs, stop the selfishness of the more prosperous industries by using their profits to help others and increase participation. Detractors argue that the system is not as efficient or streamlined as a command economy. By contrast, the extreme libertarians view it as not being free enough and that it has not been applied consistently. And it goes without saying that the Guard will not tolerate groups that violate the general line. Moreover, certain businesses are controlled by the state. These tend to be public utilities deemed too important to be handed over to communal ownership. Fishing, kelp farming, construction of submersibles and underwater mining are key fields in the economy. Hydrostatic bubble technology is also developed here.
Stability: High, due to strict security and population controls. Because everyone has to give their all to survive, there is a strong sense of unity among the community of this settlement, despite the disagreements, shortages and pervasive rationing. This is not to say that the settlement is free from strife, crime, nepotism or corruption, far from it. All these issues exist and remain problems. But there is a strong feeling that they all must hang together.
The Republican Guard has some rather harsh views on crime and punishment. Because space and resources are limited, they prefer to exile felons that are not considered redeemable. The wilderness of Tephrike is extremely dangerous, so this is often a death sentence. It should be noted that the Guard expects every citizen to own a weapon and become reasonably proficient in its use. Free citizens form a part-time militia and must participate in regular drills. However, the best weapons are obviously reserved for the Guard's soldiers.
There is also a free press, which is allowed to criticise the régime. Even the chancellor can be and has been criticised in the press. However, due to emergency wartime legislation, this criticism must operate within certain bounds. Essentially the press is allowed to criticise individual leaders or policies, but not the general line. Thus no journalist would suggest making peace with the theocratic factions or treating Force-users like normal people. Force-users are monitored very heavily and must suppress their powers. The Republican Guard supports freedom of religion and people are allowed to worship whichever deities they like...excluding any form of Force worship or idolisation of Force-users.
Due to wartime necessities and shortages, the settlement has a regulated economy. This has less to do with ideology and more with the simple fact that Tephrike is an impoverished planet and the Guard are rebel insurgents. However, economic life is considerably freer than in the Dominon. In contrast to the Vaderites, legislation has also been passed to protect workers from exploitation. The Republican Guard is a broad movement that encompasses several different rebel groups under one banner. As a result, there is tension between the more authoritarian and libertarian elements. In addition, there are disputes between military and civilian leaders. The army has used the ongoing to gain a preeminent position in society, which not all elements of the rebel movement agree with.
Freedom & Oppression: Freedom is a bit of a mixed bag. As mentioned above, there is a relatively free press that can report on most things freely, but also wartime emergency legislation. Enterprises tend to be managed by the workers and the Guard favours decentralised central planning, rejecting both a command economy and free market capitalism. There is also an elected city council and senate. However, the commanding heights are controlled by a military junta. There is a strong spirit of patriotism and a lot of propaganda. The rebels have harsh views on crime and punishment. Counterrevolutionary activity is not tolerated and public life is subordinated to the war effort.
Freedom is very low for Force-users, as the Guard treats the Force as a disease and views their powers as inherently dangerous. Using the Force is forbidden. Force-users are 'educated' in an asylum until they are deemed cured. Use of special collars or drugs to suppress their powers is viewed as a necessary evil. The most dangerous are turned Force Dead. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but religions that idolise the Force or Force-users are prohibited. Citizens who try to hide Force-users are treated as criminals. Fear of spies and Force-Users is widespread in the settlement.
The Republican Guard's Popular Front incorporates a variety of factions. The Vanguardists are the dominant faction and represent the status quo. They are opposed to radical change in the system, believing that the war against the sworn enemies of the Guard must take priority. While they support the revolutionary ideals of the Guard, they have a top-down approach to politics, believing that mobilisation of the common people must come from above. In their view, the Guard must act as the vanguard of the people, which is where they derive their name from. They are strong supporters of the present junta.
To them, letting Force-Users practice their powers is unthinkable, but murdering them wholesale is considered barbaric, especially in the case of young ones. The Federalists agree with the Vanguardists on many things, but, as the name implies, desire a more decentralised, federalised system rather than a centralised, unitary republic. The Communards are the most radically democratic faction. They espouse anarcho-syndicalist beliefs. All the damage caused by totalitarian governments has given them a negative view of a powerful state authority. Their beliefs support decentralisation, worker-managed enterprises and direct democracy. However, they do not want to let Force-Users roam freely. They view the Force as incompatible with democratic institutions, as there cannot be freedom in a world that has people who can read and manipulate minds, shoot lightning from their fingertips or create natural disasters. Instead, they advocate that all Force-Users should be turned Force Dead. Those who resist should be shot.
The Progessivists are a very small faction. Outsiders refer to them as Integrationists, which is often used in a derogatory manner. Regardless of the label, they believe the Guard's anti-Force-User policies are not without merit, but have lost sight of their original goals. They feel that Force-Users can be educated and rehabilitated so that they just choose not to use the Force and live normal lives as law-abiding citizens. They have some studies the other groups are highly dubious of.
Description: Red Coral City is a cross between a refugee settlement and an armed rebel camp. It is protected by the Republican Guard, a secularist rebel group that opposes the Jedi and Sith theocrats. The underwater settlement lies in the a sea called the Cerulean Expanse, in the north of Tephrike. It is located in some underwater caves combined with the hydrostatic bubbles the Gungans use keep the water out. As in Otoh Gunga, these bubbles contain a breathable atmosphere and have special portals that allow inhabitants to exit. However, space is sparse and quarters are very cramped, meaning there is little privacy for the inhabitants. The members of the leadership fare better, but it is still a far cry from luxury.
Security is very tight and the partisans are a vigilant lot. The police force is a gendarme-like organisation with paramilitary qualities. Scarce resources mean that those who gain entrance to the underwater city must make sure they contribute to society, for otherwise they must leave. Red Coral also houses the command staff of the Republican Guard and the leadership committee of its political wing. Gungan hydrostatic barriers keep the water out of the settlement. Air purifiers leading to the surface make sure fresh air is available. Its inhabitants get most of their food from fishing and kelp farming. Kelp soup is a common dish. Soldiers also launch raids against convoys and settlements of hostile groups to gain foodstuffs and other essentials. For the average citizen, life in Red Coral City is not good, but bearable. There is limited freedom of expression, and something like independent cultural life. However, most goods are rationed and there is a flourishing black market, which even the security police has been unable to stamp out. While the press is relatively free, there's a good deal of self-censorship.
Outsiders who wish to settle here must overcome a variety of hurdles. The rebel junta wants to avoid overcrowding and is concerned about infiltrators. Thus refugees who manage to reach Republican Guard lines are often directed to other camps or settlements. Only those who have proved themselves and are regarded as an asset rather than a burden are allowed to reside in Red Coral City. Many refugees find that the best way to speed up the process is to join the military. Especially since veterans and their families receive comparatively generous benefits.
To this day, the Republican Guard continues its struggle against the Jedi and Vaderites, waging a guerrilla war. Outside of Red Coral, the Guard maintains control over a number of scattered settlements and remote provinces on the planet, though affiliated partisan groups operate within the territories of their rivals. As far as the Tephriki knew, the rest of the Galaxy had been consumed by the Gulag Virus.So the Guard considers itself to be the inheritor of the traditions of the Old Republic. Propaganda posters and the like can be found throughout the settlement, reminding citizens of the evil deeds perpetrated by Jedi and Sith cultists and the need to stand together. Now that the Guard has come in contact with Firemane, the people of the town know that there is life outside of their planet. However, contact has still been very limited.
In a number of ways, cultural life is freer here than in most other places on Tephrike. There is booze, a theatre, a primitive cinema and a press that reports more than just government propaganda. In contrast to the extremely puritan Dominion, the Guard celebrates natural procreation and has very liberal views on it. They need as many people as they can get, so they promote beliefs that encourage having children. Since all the adults are fighting or working long hours in factories and farms, they have set up communal creches run by the old and wounded. Women who have children but are not in a position to care for them are encouraged to give them to the creches. Unlike the Vaderites, the Guard has no laws against mixed species relationships. Indeed, human supremacism is regarded extremely negatively.
The life style is comparable to that of a military base: Regimented, hardy, but not without amenities. However, lives of opulent luxury are virtually unheard of. Certainly if one were to apply the standards of a Core World or even your moderately developed fringe planet on the Outer Rim. Centuries-long isolation simply is not productive. Surface level diversity is celebrated, but when it comes to politics, a citizen's choices are to 'toe the government line' or 'complain that the government isn't going far enough'. The strict line taken on social justice, 'corruption', 'separatism' and 'cultism' has created a system where the official ideology of secularism, republicanism, civic nationalism and 'support for freedom fighters in the oppressed territories' has become the only acceptable political discourse.
Thus the main debate within the revolutionary coalition consists of how best to accomplish these goals. As mentioned above, there is tension between the more libertarian and authoritarian elements of the movement. The military has a lot of influence in rebel territory. Citizens are encouraged to enlist or make donations to the army. Local politics are dominated by the Popular Front, the Republican Guard's political wing. The Front itself is quite broad and thus factional struggles occur within it. That said, for all the pretentions of progressivism, there is a strong suspicion of those who rock the boat. The guiding values of society are resilience, sustainability, duty, and unity. In Red Coral City, "the cost of freedom is always high" is the unofficial motto. There is room for some offbeat things, but sloth is not one of them. Citizens must be willing to do their jobs and pull their own weight.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: A small, but dignified monument dedicated to the memory of all soldiers of the Republican Guard who died in defence of freedom against the forces of oppression. Or at least that's what the rebel junta sees it as. The shrine contains the remains of an unidentified Gungan soldier who died during an incursion to liberate captives from a Sith death camp. There is an honour guard at all times. Schoolclasses often visit this memorial to pay their respects and be reminded that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Amidala Asylum: The Asylum is counted as part of the settlement, but located outside rather than directly inside of Red Coral City to make escape or infiltration more difficult. It is a separate underwater facility, but close enough to receive supplies or reinforcements. The Republican Guard has strong views on Force-users. Since a lot - though by no means all - of Tephrike's misery can be laid at the doorstep of competing Force religions, this is understandable. Force cults are prohibited and the Force is regarded as a disease. Individuals who manifest Force powers are brought to the Asylum. There, they are subjected to brainwashing, drugs and a good bit of mental trauma to associate the Force with bad things. Those who are deemed sufficiently stable are released into society.
The rebels have Yuuzhan Vong in their ranks, but their attempts to cure Force-users and pass on the Force Dead condition are rather risky. So they resort to mental conditioning to suppress Force use first. Particularly difficult cases are turned Force Dead. The asylum is run like a medical facility and is named after Padme Amidala, Queen and later Senator of Naboo. As anyone who visits the asylum is reminded, she was murdered by a psychotic, out-of-control Force-user called Darth Vader. He may have claimed to love her, but the disease inside him drove him to murder her and then the Jedi stole her children. The facility is run by the Extraordinary Commission for Preternatural Regulation and Control.
Senate Chambers: Resembles the High Tower Boardroom in Otoh Gunga, ironically. Here the Republican Guard's 'senate' convenes. Despite the name, it is more comparable to the Advisory Council of the Rebel Alliance, as the Guard is not a state, but a rebel insurgency run by a semi-elected junta. Unlike in the legislature of the Old Republic, the senators are directly elected. They represent the population of Red Coral City plus of the 'liberated territories' outside of the settlement. Due to the ever-changing fortunes of war, membership fluctuates. Some delegates cannot attend in person, while others represent territories that have fallen under the enemy's control.
Moreover, while some rebel-controlled territories have seats, their representatives are unable to attend due to being too far away and cut off by hostile forces. The senate elects the chancellor, but in practice he serves for life unless he brings the office into disrepute. Most of the real power lies with the military junta. Like the chamber in Otoh Gunga, this area features listening plates to give advancing warning of danger. In addition to the chamber itself, there is an adjoining suite of offices, which house the various departments of the Republican Guard's political wing.
Liberty Bay: As the settlement is located underwater, submersibles are the primary means of getting to the surface and back. Admittedly you could swim, but the manifold sea monsters would make this rather hazardous. The inhabitants of Red Coral City make use of submersibles that share the organic look common among Gungan bongos, though they tend to look more rusty than fancy. Unsurprisingly, many Gungans and Nautolans work here.
Security is rather tight, as the Guard is concerned about infiltrators. However, there's still a good deal of smuggling. Smuggled goods include 'happy drugs' produced by the Order of the Blessed Way, a schismatic Jedi sect whose members live in a foreboding forest and commune with the Force via mushrooms. The Republican Guard's War on Drugs has only achieved mixed success. For every dealer who is unmasked and sentenced, there are many more to continue where he left off. Incidentally, the Guard is less bothered by drugs that are being smuggled into Vaderite or Dominion territory.
Trap Cantina: A famous cantina located in Red Coral City's entertainment district. Obvious homage to the legendary Admiral who gave his life in the service of freedom. The Republican Guard believes that he sacrificed himself with the immortal words 'it's a trap!', destroying the Supremacy. Here the citizens of the settlement can gain some respite from a hard day of labour. If they have the means and contacts, they can also purchase black market wares under the table. For everyone else there is booze, gambling, dancing and other vices.
Library of the Republic: So much knowledge has been lost since the outbreak of the Gulag Virus ushered in the Dark Age. The Library of the Republic aims to preserve and recover as much as possible. It serves as a data repository and is open to the public. Unlike in the Coruscanti library of the same name, the written word is preferred to electronic data. An outside scholar who were to visit this place would probably find many of the historical records to be riddled with inaccuracies, but in most cases this is due to genuine ignorance as opposed to malicious manipulation. The Library of the Republic also dispatches research teams to locations on Tephrike to recover lost knowledge that will help the Guard rebuild Tephrike. Or at least improve the lot of the people under their protection. Not all make it back, as the planet is a war-torn hellhole and has a very dangerous flora and fauna. Academic and scientific research facilities are attached to this institution.
Tipoca Fertility Clinic: The main purpose of this clinic is to help couples conceive. Unlike on many worlds, such help is of existential importance because the Dominion of Light, as the Windian Jedi call their regime, has a general policy of sterilisation and artificial reproduction. Upon reaching a certain age, every 'citizen' must report for mandatory egg and sperm harvesting, followed by an operation because intercourse, even for the purpose of bringing new life into the world, is viewed as of the dark side. Instead all 'citizens' must be grown in labs and controlled from craddle to grave. The Tipoca Fertility Clinic aims at reversing these horrific procedures and enable the inhabitants of the settlement to conceive naturally.
Those who can are encouraged to have children. After all, the rebels need new workers and fighters. In addition, the faciltiy specifically caters to emancipated clones by trying to find ways to fix the mess caused by the Windians' inferior cloning methods. However, the primitive tech at their disposal limits their success. Like the Yodic Jedi Order during the Clone Wars, the Dominion uses armies of clone troopers. In the eyes of the Guard, they are a slave army.
Haven of the Patriots' Children: The Republican Guard needs people and so they encourage their citizens to have children and they frown on old-fashioned, bourgeois discrimination against children born out of wedlock. Both women and men are conscripted, which means the able-bodied adults are off fighting or toiling. Thus communal creches have been set up. They are fun by the old and wounded. The Haven is one of them.
Chancellor Valorum Memorial Museum: An institution dedicated to keeping the past alive and teaching future generations about it. However, the view of history propagated here is a little bit distorted. Isolation, technological regression and inaccurate records tend to have that effect. It is named after Valorum because the Republican Guard believes he was the last good chancellor of the Old Republic. He is stereotyped as a good man who was overthrown due to Force machinations. Furthermore, it is also believed that Palpatine was the apprentice of Sidious, but overthrew his master and corrupted Anakin. Likewise, Sidious and the Jedi conspired together to foment the Clone Wars so that the Force blind could be brought to heel. Interestingly, their view of Luke and Leia is more charitable. Both are seen as people with good intentions who were duped by the Jedi into continuing the cruel war and perpetuating a broken order.
According to this interpretation, Luke went into exile and renounced the Force because he realised the harm Force-users had caused. He hid the Jedi's sacred scriptures to keep future generations from repeating the same mistakes. Sadly, even burning the holy texts was not enough to break the cycle of violence. A visitor to the museum will also learn that Jedi Rey fought the Yuuzhan Vong and that the First Order was led by Supreme Leader Thrawn. Snoke was a failed Sidious clone who believed he was the true emperor. Interestingly, the Vong are whitewashed, for they are regarded as righteous crusaders who saw the evil of Jedi and Sith and stood up for the common man. General Jar-Jar Binks was a brave warrior who fought in the Clone Wars and later led the Rebellion and the Resistance to many victories.
Revolution Square: A public square that serves as the city's public gathering place of choice. Its derives its name from the historical role it played in the rise of the Republican Guard. Anti-Dominion demonstrations took place here. When refugees fleeing the Dominion feared the local government would capitulate and repatriate them, they occupied the square. Here, Zoho Koquon addressed a large crowd of protesters, urging resistance and solidarity. He is considered the founding father of the Guard and read the Proclamation of Rebellion here.
Fighting took place here with the battle of the Dominion. In the eyes of the Guard, the fires of revolution were lit here. Interestingly, the Guard has elected not to repair most of the damage the square sustained during the battle. The most essential repairs have been carried out, but the rebels want the place to be a reminder of what they are fighting for and what they oppose. The Guard has put battle trophies on display. More recently, they have added Dominion banners captured at the Second Battle of Fortress Purity. There are also statues. They depict common soldiers and toilers who each belong to a different species and represent a specific revolutionary virtue. Sadly, the Republican Guard does not have the money to afford a mausoleum. Besides, it would go against their sort of core virtues of not venerating certain people above others.
The People's House: Prior to being renamed and reappropriated, this building used to be owned by the Quarren Sovereignty League, a political party with strong nationalist views. However, now it is the residence of the 'Chancellor' and headquarters of the leadership. Portraits of past leaders of the revolutionary movement hang on the wall. On the whole the interior of the building is rather austere and has more in common with a military headquarters. Chancellor Odoh Senks often addresses his people from here.
Kelp Farms: Vital to keep the populace fed. Kelp is also used as biofuel. Many inhabitants of Red Coral are employed here. The kelp farmers are organised in agricultural cooperatives, which means they are managed by their employees. There is an overarching council that coordinates with the state planning agency.
Chewbacca's Assembly: A mustering hall where the militia and soldiers can parade, train and drill. Named after the great Rebel hero Chewbacca, who is considered a noble freedom fighter. The Guard insists that he did get a medal after the Battle of Yavin because not acknowledging his heroism would be speciesist. It has an armoury, medical bay and other essential facilities. All able-bodied citizens are expected to serve in the part-time militia, participate in drills and be able to use a weapon.
Captain Tarpels School: Named after a noble Gungan war hero who distinguished himself at the Battle of Naboo, where he bravely fought the invaders. Rumours that the Jedi helped in the battle are Jedi-ist lies. Instead they conspired with the corrupt Senate to let Naboo be enslaved for failing to give their tithe of Younglings. Tarpels is a popular name among Gungans in the city. One of their militia units is named after him. The school has classes for both adults and children.
Shrine of the Yun'o: A place of religious worship for Yuuzhan Vong and others who believe in their Gods. Yuuzhan Vong turned to the Guard as allies after the Vaderites launched a genocidal campaign against them. They are well-represented in Guard shock troops and among their Force hunters. However, this also necessitated pragmatic compromises as the Vong are a minority on the planet. For one, they do not revile technology. The small temple is guarded by Yuuzhan Vong warriors clad in Vonduun crab armour.
Devil's Chasm: Not a part of the settlement and in fact located far away from it, but it merits inclusion as it is lies in the same waters. The fissure is home to a population of Devilsquids. Indeed, the chasm is named after them. The Republican Guard submersibles and underwater craft it a wide berth, but they have no qualms about luring foes to it and letting the Devilsquids eat them.
Koquon's Pockets: A nickname for an underwater mining station whose official name is a lot duller. Deep Sea Mining Station Alpha is not very interesting. Regardless, various ores are mined here. By galactic standards, the extraction and processing methods are rather archaic. The Guard does not have a lot of money to throw around, but the miners are good improvisers. Most of the extracted ore is used for the war effort. It is also a way to pay Firemane for its support. The work is not without its dangers, as predators dwell in the deep waters.
Dark Water Facility: A dockyard used for the construction of submersibles and other underwater craft. Military use predominates, but it can also build civilian craft, especially to exploit the resources beneath the ocean. Owing to its strategic significance, it is heavily guarded.
SECURITY
High. Maximum in Amidala Asylum, as detailed there.
- For starters, the settlement is underwater and thus rather difficult to reach. Especially the waters are populated by creatures such as piranha-like fish, sharks, Devilsquid and other sea monsters.
- The Republican Guard have mined most of the approaches, so only a few well guarded pathways exist. Torpedo launchers help defend those. Furthermore, they have a 'gate' that can be closed and is a section of rock, which can rise and seal the entrance. Sonic cannon emplacements provide additional defences and a few Quarren laser cannons have been set up.
- The rebels have a flotilla of armed, military submersibles. They also have several underwater fighters, repurposed Imperial submarines, torpedo attack carriers, Bongo Advanced Scouts and a couple Leviathan Submersible Carriers. Foreign submersibles and divers who approach the settlement without authorisation will be targeted as hostiles. The rebels are - quite reasonably - paranoid about Dominion or Vaderite infiltrators.
- Within the settlement, every citizen who is old enough to fight is expected to own a weapon and be proficient in its use. There is also a large garrion that consists of militia and regular soldiers, who tend to be hardened insurgents. They have a force of frogmen from aquatic alien species such as Mon Calamari, Gungans and Nautolans. The defenders incluce commandos comparable to Mon Calamari Rangers and elements of the Liberation Corps. Security checkpoints have been set up at key junctions.
- The defenders also include a substantial contingent of Yuuzhan Vong warriors, including a number of Hunters. However, the rebels' weaponry is a bit dated by modern standards, as Tephrike has been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for centuries. Many weapons date back to the Galactic Civil War or the Clone Wars. High-calibre slugthrower weapons are more common than blasters. This is common for Tephrike because blasters are more difficult to maintain, especially since the planet's jungles are home to dangerous fungi. Elite Republican Guard units have access to some Firemane tech such as the mass produced variant of the Boltgun, but most have to use older equipment. Auto turrets and machine guns have been set up at crucial points of interest.
The outbreak of the Gulag Virus had a profound impact on almost every inhabited world in the Galaxy. Galactic commerce came to an end, billions died from the plague and many more due to internal strife. Galactic governments collapsed and many planets succumbed to anarchy. The repercussions for Tephrike were extreme. The planet's fragile democracy had already been under fire due to racial and social tensions. Moreover, the planet was highly dependent on galactic trade. Things turned from bad to worse as the survivors warred amonst themselves.
Tephrike's small Jedi enclave tried to impose order and fight the darkness, but ended up becoming the very evil they fought against, while insisting that they were righteous. Influenced by a debased, warped interpretation of the old Jedi code, they sought to bring the planet under the control of a radical Jedi theocracy, the Dominion of Light, which took totalitarian control to new heights. Inevitably, there was opposition. Heretical Jedi turned on their masters and declared a dark crusade, forming a Sith cult that worshipped Vader as a god and believed all Force blind should be enslaved and treated as chattle.
The common people of Tephrike were caught between a rock and a hard place, as both theocracies vied for control. Their religious war cost many lives and devastated the planet. It was only a matter of time before Force blind rebel groups united and formed their own faction, the Republican Guard. Like the Jedi and the Sith, this faction turned to an idealised past. The Dominion of Light saw itself as the successor of the Jedi Lords, Lord Hoth and Mace Windu, the Disciples of the Vader regarded themselves as the heirs of the 'Dark God' Vader and the Republican Guard believed it was restoring the Old Republic. Their capital became a humble settlement called Red Coral City.
Prior to these cataclysmic events, Red Coral City had been a rather minor settlement. Founded by Gungans and Nautolans, it had been one of many aquatic settlements created by aquatic aliens who'd settled on Tephrike. It only really made the headlines when the locals complained that the activities of a foreign corporation were causing serious damage to the sea and the wildlife in it, leading to protests, Its obscurity turned out to be a blessing because it was spared much of the initial destruction that took place during the Age of Strife.
However, social unrest, food shortages and the plague forced the local administration to implement harsh measures to keep order. The small town was soon faced with a refugee crisis. Desperate to escape the fighting, refugees bribed smugglers to help them get into the settlement. Strict border controls were imposed, not the least because the natives feared that they would be inundated. In one highly controversial action, a police submersible used torpedoes to turn refugee craft away.
Like many areas dominated by aquatic aliens, Red Coral City's inhabitants supported Tephrike's old, federal government, which was losing ground to the Force cultists and warlords. Indeed, there was soon little to separate the old regime from just another warlord group and its leaders demanded contributions from the locals. Furthermore, the Dominion of Light launched punitive expeditions to bring the underwater towns into the fold, after the Vaderites' Dark Crusade had been halted at Palmyra, the planet's old capital. Fear of fifth columnists was rampant and led to the lynching of suspected spies. Moreover, refugees told horrific stories about the deeds of the Windian Jedi's elite soldiers: Clone troopers.
Ironically, some of these clone troopers would turn out to be Red Coral City's best allies and help found the Republican Guard. Prior to the Collapse, Tephrike had been a location for several medical companies, which had been attracted by the planet's bountiful flora and fauna. Medical facilities had been set up to run tests and experiments, encouraged by rather lax laws. This included a medical cloning facility. The Windian Jedi later appropriated this facility and used it to breed soldiers.
Eventually, they would seek to do away with natural reproduction entirely, viewing pleasures of the flesh as the path to the Dark Side. However, since the tech had been created with animals in mind, their method of cloning was less than ideal and they ran into issues such as clone madness or rapid aging. A group of clone troopers who had managed to subvert their programming rebelled against their masters, turning on them mid-battle, which helped save the town when it was being assaulted by the zealots. It was these rebels Red Coral City's embattled government made an alliance with.
It was a canny Quarren leader called Zoho Koquon who took control. He would go down in history as the Founding Father of the Republican Guard. His family had been prominent nativist Quarren politicians prior to the Collapse. However, Koquon realised that the deep fault lines between the races had been one of the reasons that caused Tephrike to descend into chaos. He became a prominent militia leader, making himself a name in the defence of the city. It was he who took the initiative to accept the aid of the rebellious clone troopers. This was a controversial move, to say the least, but Koquon was a determined, charismatic leader. Using his political and military connections, he built up a following, the Sons of Freedom. They formed the nucleus of what would become the Republican Guard. The policy of total resistance to both Jedi and Sith was not uncontroversial.
Some believed the interests of the people would be best served by trying to appease one of the two theocratic Force cults, whose war was ravaging the planet. These views were squashed by a radical party of secularists, who proclaimed that the inhabitants of Red Coral City had to rally around the banner of freedom and liberty, for otherwise they would be nothing but slaves. This faction also gained support from many refugees, who in many cases had fled from Jedi or Sith territory with little more than the clothes on their backs and left loved ones behind. Having driven the appeasers out of power, Koquon took control. The remnants of Tephrike's old administration were also swept aside, for the Guard considered itself a revolutionary movement. Restoring the ancien régime would not suffice, for its failures had contributed to the current plight of the Tephriki. Only radical change could bring salvation to Tephrike.
The move was controversial among the settlement's more xenophobic and/or isolationist elements. Some believed the interests of the people would be best served by trying to appease one of the two theocratic Force cults, whose war was ravaging the planet. These views were squashed by a radical party of secularists, who proclaimed that the inhabitants of Red Coral City had to rally around the banner of freedom and liberty, for otherwise they would be nothing but slaves. This faction also gained support from many refugees, who in many cases had fled from Jedi or Sith territory with little more than the clothes on their backs and left loved ones behind. The Republican Guard declared itself the successor to Tephrike's old federal government and reached out to other rebel groups that shared its vision.
The battle for Red Coral City became the touchstone of the Republican Guard's foundational myth. Here, so the myth says, brave citizen-soldiers decided to put their foot down and stamp out the fires that threatened to consume all of Tephrike. Ordinary people decided to stand up for themselves, rather than become the playthings of mages. As so often, the truth is less rosy. In actual fact, the forces the Dominion of Light had dispatched to take the city had been ravaged by diseases such as dysentry and malaria. To a significant degree they were undone by logistics. Many of the soldiers lacked training in underwater combat. They also faced the emerging threat of the Vaderites, which led to the Battle of Palmyra.
Still, every nation, being an imagined community, needs a myth and the Republican Guard got theirs. The new state would be a secular one. Its credo would be: government of the Force blind, by the Force blind, for the Force blind. Never again would Force-users wield power. The few Force-users in the city were excluded from political power or positions of importance. Indeed, reports of cultist activities, nocturnal rituals and blood sacrifices caused a mass panic among the populace, Force use was prohibited entirely.
Too much time has passed for it to be possible to verify whether there really was a fifth column during the battle or a cult of Sith 'deep state agents' plotting to undermine the fabric of society. Both seemed real to most inhabitants of Red Coral city and so harsh laws were imposed to protect the populace from Force-users - and Force-users from themselves and the wroth of the public. At first they were simply disenfranchised and monitored, but soon the new régime adopted harsher policies.
However, Koquon was still hesitant to go as far as the radicals in his own party wanted. His belief that not all Force-users were diseased was not rewarded, for he was murdered by a 'sanctioned' Force-User, who was later accused of being a Sith agent. Sinya Kairn, one of the Clone Commanders who had defected to the Rebellion, became his successor. She had witnessed the actions of the Dominion first-hand and started her life as a slave-soldier, which made her a harsher leader than her predecessor. The The Amidala Asylum was founded to teach Force-users to suppress their powers. This institution operates to this day and is a cross between a high-security prison and mental health facility.
In the centuries that followed, Red Coral City remained the base of the rebels. It became a haven for the partisans. The demographics of the settlement became more diverse after the Republican Guard made an alliance with Yuuzhan Vong communities that were being targeted for extermination by the Sith, and Mon Calamari, who faced subjugation at the hands of the Dominion. The Guard waged a low-intensity struggle against both theocracies. Its methods included a heavy dose of terrorism.
However, it lacked the means to transition to conventional warfare. The Dominion remained the dominant power on the planet, even though the rebels were able to profit from the convulsions caused by the disastrous Cultural Revolution. Rogue cells were also an issue, as some rebel units split off from the centre and in some cases used far more extremist methods that put the Guard in disrepute. Daily life in the city was bearable, but had few luxuries. Moreover, the inhabitants of the town had to defend themselves against Dominion and Vaderite incursions. Common struggle helped foster a spirit of community, but also created a siege mentality.
Like virtually every place in the Galaxy, Red Coral City was affected by the Netherworld event. Suffice to say it was a huge shock when hundreds of people suddenly vanished. Mass panic and hysteria ensued as those who had been left behind tried to find a culprit. Many blamed dark magicks. Little did they know that they were right, but no one knew of the mad goddess Akala and she was beyond their reach in any case. An enraged mob, whipped into a frenzy by demagogues, stormed Amidala Asylum, blaming its inmates for the calamity.
To their credit, many guards tried to protect the facility and their charges. Nonetheless, it was a bloodbath. Some of the inmates managed to escape during the chaos. Some sought to flee the settlement with varying success, but others stayed and went underground. Feeling vengeful, they formed a gang that became a menace to the inhabitants of Red Coral City, terrorising those who had scorned them. Eventually order was restored by the Guard. The asylum was rebuilt, but suspicion of uncontrolled Force-users only intensified.
The Guard recognised that its enemies had been weakened, for both Jedi and Sith depended on the Force. This culminated into what would be later known as the Hundred Days Offensive. The campaign brought Rebel soldiers into the heartland of the Dominion. She was part of a recon unit. The initial attacks stunned the Dominion armies, causing them to temporarily lose control over several cities. However, Jedi Battlemaster Mahtara rallied them. The armies of Light regrouped, beat back the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties on them. The popular uprisings Red Coral City had hoped for never materialised.
Moreover, they faced a canny opponent in the Battlemaster, who implemented a scorched earth policy to deny the Republican Guard supplies. Anything that might be useful to the enemy was destroyed. These measures targeted food sources, transportation, communications and industrial resources. Even civilians were rounded up and removed from areas bound to fall to the enemy. Disease also took its toll on the rebels. The fact that they were de facto co-belligerents of the Vaderites, now led by a faction of 'Light Sith', also caused tensions. Both groups soon clashed. A Republican Guard army was routed by General Kennobi at the First Battle of Fortress Purity. The battle was a debacle for the Guard and turned the tide of the Netherworld War.
The Nautolan leader of the Guard, General Kiraxa Kitomo, was removed from office when the senate expressed its lack of confidence in her. She was arrested by the military junta and executed. Her successor was a Gungan firebrand called Odoh Senks. A former slave, he had managed to escape a Sith concentration camp. In his younger days he was a daring partisan, rising through the ranks of the Republican Guard. Until recently, he had been considered too much of a maverick to be a suitable chancellor, but now he seemed like the leader who could unite the Guard.
In his inauguration speech, he promised blood, sweat, tears and victory. Still, victory seemed far out of their grasp, and so the people of Red Coral City settled in for the long haul. The Guard abandoned conventional warfare and returned to a guerrilla strategy. Until one day Firemane spaceships appeared in orbit and the Guard realised that the Tephriki were no longer alone in the world. When Firemane's negotiations with the Dominion went poorly, the rebels recognised that they had found a possible ally.
However, an alliance with them was controversial because Firemane had many Force-users in its rank. The vote in the junta was tied until Chancellor Senks acted as tiebreaker. A combined force of Firemane and Republican Guard troops managed to conquer Fortress Purity. This was a grave defeat for the Dominion. Republican Guard morale soared and celebrations broke out in Red Coral City. However, Firemane did not intend to stay on Tephrike, for it feared being bogged down in a protracted war.
Thus the rebels soon learned that the megacorporation intended to withdraw. However, they would be willing to provide arms, supplies, advisors and the occasional air strike in return for raw materials and other resources. This was far less than the rebels had hoped for and caused disappointment. However, the junta accepted the deal. Now the people of Red Coral City prepare for a war to the knife against their enemies.
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