Approved Location Vortanstad/City of Harmonious Industry

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Tephrike with some world-building. Sub a location for future rp.
Image Credit: Here. Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: Permission to use Archangel and Firemane tech because I own both companies.
Links: Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, Republican Guard, After Darkness, Firemane Industries, Into Darkness, Archangel Research and Design, Mahtara, General Aruunzeb, Force-Dead, Jedi Inquisition, Mace Windu Thought, Ecclesia of the Followers of the Divine Ashla in Her Beatific Form as Mistress of Hope and His Glorious Form as Master of Victory.

SETTING INFORMATION
City Name: Its original name is Vortanstad, which is the name the Republican Guard uses. The Dominion of Light has renamed it the City of Harmonious Industry, which is shortened to Harmonious. Stad is an old, somewhat archaic Tephriki term that means 'city', 'town' or 'fortress'.
Classification: Industrial city.
Location: Tephrike.
Affiliation: Tephrike, Dominion of Light, Windian Jedi Order/Republican Guard, Popular Front, Provisional Revolutionary Committee. The city is divided between the Dominion and the Guard. Both are at war with each other.
Population: Moderate. It used to be Heavy, but many civilians have fled while they still had the chance. Some civilians have been forced to stay in the city as they were too poor to pay smugglers to get them out. Others have stayed because, having worked and lived there all their lives, they had too much to lose by leaving their homes and livelihood behind.
Demographics: Aliens have a majority, but there is also a notable human presence. Common alien species of note are Twi'leks, Houk, Rodians, Zabrak, Bothans, Gran, Gamorreans, Mirialans and Duros. There are also Gungans, Quarren, and Mon Calamari. Some of these aquatic aliens are present in the city because the Dominion deported them from their natural habitats after conquering them so that they could live and toil under the supervision of their new rulers. Others are members of the Republican Guard's armed forces and thus came here to fight the Dominion. Unfortunately, this has had repercussions for the amphibians living in the Dominion zone, as the Jedi Lords have come to suspect them of being a fifth column. Humans can be found on both sides. The Republican Guard has human members, but many - though not all - of the top jobs are in the hands of non-humans. There is also a Yuuzhan Vong population, but it is not indigenous to the city. Virtually all Vong are Republican Guard soldiers or support personnel. Moreover, some Akrut mercenaries have found their way into the city. As is typical with sellswords, their allegiance is rather flexible.

Wealth: Poor. Once the city was relatively wealthy and stable. Indeed, it was an industrial centre for Tephrike. Industries included fuel refining, steel and aluminium production, as well as the manufacture of machinery and vehicles. It was also the site of a major hydroelectric power plant. The construction of surface ships was also a major business venture. It is pertinent to note that the Dominion has a command economy, but life was decent by Tephriki standards. The government had a vested interest in keeping the inhabitants fed. As a result, the country's Public Distribution System, which allocates essential supplies such as food, treated the city as a priority area, even in times of famine. However, the war has changed this. The city is a war zone and has been cut in half. Many civilians have fled or perished. Entire city blocks, factories and businesses have been levelled.

Indeed, shortages of essential goods have broken out. As a result, the city has been unable to fulfil its potential. The bloodletting has been ferocious. Looting is a very real risk, especially since both the Dominion and the Guard make use of militias to supplement their regular forces. It is often hard for civilians to determine whether a group of fighters in body armour and armed with rifles represent one of the two warring parties or is just a gang of thus trying to extort them. And in several cases the difference is academic. Both factions have tried to maintain a basic form of social services. The Guard is quite eager to win earts and minds by protecting civilians and distributing supplies. To this end, its political wing has set up operations in its occupation zone.

But atrocities are still perpetrated by both sides - extrajudicial executions, detention without trial, torture, taking of hostages and so on. Even the conduct of the rebels is not clean. The city operates under a harsh command economy. This means that foodstuffs, medical supplies and other essential goods must be centrally distributed. It is pertinent to note that production in both zones continues, but it is focused on wartime needs. The factories continue to churn out tanks and other machines of war. Businesses and production centres deemed nonessential have often been shut down or converted to wartime purposes.

The Dominion abolished money, replacing it with a system of Units of Fundamental Exchange, coupons and vouchers, and the Guard does not have the means to set up a modern fiscal system. Needless to say Galactic Credits are not worth anything here, but specie are. This can make things awkward for any foreign travellers who have the misfortune of ending up here. On the other hand, they may have items to trade with the natives. Officials who have the means ensure their subordinates are compensated with specie. Many inhabitants prefer barter trade. Cigarras have been used as an alternate form of currency. The same applies to the rare Nova Crystals, as Vortanstad has processing centres for them. Finally, there is food, salt and shell money. The exchange rates fluctuate strongly, but business is good for the shadow economy.

Urban farming takes place both outdoors and in greenhouses on top of flat roof buildings can be found in both zones. Urban farming makes both sides look bad for not providing sufficient resources, but they have made a virtue of necessity and embraced it for the community spirit. Green spaces that used to serve recreational purposes have been put under the plough. Moreover, civilians raise microlivestock places with little space, such as chicken, ducks, rabbits and pigeons. Larger animals raised in the city include pigs. But necessity has also driven locals to insect farming. Fishing is very dangerous because the river marks the boundary between the two zones.

Stability: Low. To say that Vortanstad is dangerous would be a tremendous understatement, for the city is a war zone. Both the Republican Guard and the Dominion see their struggle as a war of annihilation. Victory can only be achieved via the total destruction of the other. Peaceful compromise is impossible. However, fighting is not constant. Periods of intense bloodletting have been followed by long lulls of quiet, marked by occasional skirmishes. The city has been divided, but both factions still launch incursions. The civilian population is caught in the middle. Moreover, civilians are drafted in both groups' respective militaries or have to serve as a labour force to keep the war machine running.

Air and artillery strikes have killed countless civilians. Many more are trapped in the ruined city. It is not safe for travellers to visit the area. Not only are the Dominion and the Guard concerned about spies, thieves and bandits are a problem. The criminal element is trying to exploit the present crisis. Needless to say the war has disrupted the supply chain. With the economy in shambles, many goods can only be purchased on the black market. Other desperate souls turn to looting and theft. And yet life goes on. People got to work, try to put bread on the table to feed their loved ones and try to survive. But there is a pervasive sense of insecurity. For example, residents who live in the Republican Guard zone cannot be sure that one day the Dominion might not return and punish them for 'collaborating with heretics'. And those in the Dominion zone live in fear of a renewed rebel attack, Firemane air raids and the destruction both will bring, not to mention the Jedi Inquisition.

Both the Guard and the Dominion seek to maintain tight control in their respective sectors and establish bridgeheads in the territory controlled by the enemy. This leads to great deal of insecurity, as both groups have diametrically opposed ideologies. People face death or injury from land mines, improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance. All things considered, Vortanstad is a very dangerous place to be in. Most residents of the city, to put it plainly, just want the fighting to end so they can pick up the pieces of their lives. But there is no end in sight.

Freedom & Oppression: Freedom is low. The city is a war zone, but fighting is not continuous. Two factions, the Republican Guard and the Dominion of Light, have established occupation zones. The larger part is controlled by the Dominion. Fighting is ongoing, and martial law is in force. Conscription for forced labour, detention without trial, extrajudicial and summary executions are a fact of life here. The Dominion of Light is a Jedi theocracy that believes power can only be wielded by those who can understand and interpret the will of the Force. It regards the war as a struggle between good and evil, for there is only the shining light or the darkest abyss.

To this end, it has sought to establish a system of totalitarian control over its citizens. The war has forced the Dominion to abandon certain policies. For instance, purity laws that prohibit sexual intercourse between citizens are still valid, but not enforced because the security police bas actual dissidents to combat. However, it is still a despotic, totalitarian state. The Dominion criminalises Force use outside of the Windian Jedi Order. Techniques not condoned by the Windians are seen as manifestations of the dark side.

The Republican Guard claims to be the champion of the common people and seeks to overthrow the Force theocracies and establish a democratic republic. Indeed, it is a lighter shade of grey compared to its enemies, seeing itself as the inheritor of the traditions of the Rebel Alliance, and has initiated social programmes to win hearts and minds. However, due to wartime necessities, it is run by a military junta. Moreover, the Guard regards the Force as a disease. Force-Users in its occupation zone are rounded up. Although they are supposed to be interned for their own good and that of the community, but not murdered, many are shot out of hand.

This particularly applies to captured Jedi. Depending on the individual Republican Guard commander, some Force-Sensitives are able to slip through the cracks if their abilities are not too obvious or an individual officer feels sympathy for them. Particularly on the lower levels of the hierarchy, certain officers have adopted a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. But visible manifestations of the Force are a bad idea, and this form of protection does not apply to anyone prominent. Ironically, it is easier for Force-Users whose Force-Sensitivity is rather minor to get accepted, as their abilities are less threatening and often hard to discern.

The Guard has set up rudimentary social services to aid the civilian population and improve conditions for it, but it is hampered by lack of resources and personnel and the fact that there is still a war going on. Moreover, the rebels face the issue that while they are more liberal than the Dominion and have come to the city as a liberating force, they are still invaders. There are Dominion citizens who have welcomed them as liberators, but many others see them as terrorists and invaders whose coming has brought misery. Unlike the Dominion, the rebels do allow limited freedom of speech and expression, but both are still circumscribed. The Guard has set up the Provisional Revolutionary Committee as an administrative organ to govern its zone. Its members do not view themselves as typical bureaucrats, but as revolutionaries with a mission. The committee is composed of a mixture of professional revolutionaries, workers' representatives, managers and officers. 'One half plus one' members of the Committee are picked by the Guard's central leadership, the rest are elected by the population.

This means they cannot overturn a decision made by the centre, but the common people still get some say in how their city is run - certainly more than before. However, Force-Users, Ashlanite clerics and Dominion collaborators have been disenfranchised, and Ashlanite believers face persecution. Trade unions, neighbourhood commitees and associations are, to a significant extent, a vehicle for service distribution, information gathering, propaganda, and to provide a semblance of popular participation. Decision-making is centralised in the hands of the cadres, a vanguard of men and women who have been trained in the underground and were active in the insurgency against the rebels' enemies. While the Republican Guard has adopted the rhetoric of brotherhood and sisterhood of the peoples, it remains suspicious of the community because they see the population as indoctrinated.

The Dominion has sought to harness the discontent this generates, but must also contend with rebels cells in its territory. This increases the religious fervour on its side. Preachers of the Followers of the Divine Ashla seek to drive the population into a religious frenzy. This has at times gotten to a point where it has been to the detriment of the Dominion high command. Bands of religious extremists are, after all, difficult to control. Centuries of fighting have brutalised both sides, and so they treat it as a war to the knife. Both zones are characterised by propaganda, a pervasive fear of spies, security checkpoints, roving patrols and harsh rationing.

While attempts are made to care for the civilian population, military needs obviously take priority. Moreover, both factions have hired forces of mercenaries and employ militias, whose loyalty may be dubious. The plethora of armed groups can make it difficult for civilians to distinguish between actual soldiers and gangs of thugs trying to intimidate and rob them. Penal battalions have also been sent to the frontlines and civilians may be conscripted into labour battalions. The Republican Guard is poor, so a good number of soldiers have been forced to live off the land. Both sides try to crack down on looting, usually with the threat of summary executions, but it is still an issue.

Moreover, since fighting is still going on, certain districts may find themselves under the control of the Guard, and then of the Dominion. This particularly applies to border areas. This makes the situation very unpredictable for civilians, as one side may prohibit things the other has no problem with. This has improved somewhta, as both sides have established relatively stable zones of control. However, they still launch incursions into each others' territory. Bombing raids, artillery strikes and terrorist attacks only addd to the insecurity. At the same time, it is difficult to leave the city. Civilians on both sides are often conscripted into the army or auxiliary units such as the labour corps.

Needless to say there is only limited freedom of movement. With the city effectively split in two, its population has been divided. Friends and loved ones have been forced to take up arms against one another. Both sides are rightly concerned about infiltrators, and so security measures are very tight. Security checkpoints, barricades, and bunkers have been set up. Soldiers and domesticated beasts are on patrol. Suspected enemy agents are shot on sight. Moreover, soldiers often have to be billeted in the homes of civilians or public buildings.

Description:

Located in the southwest of Tephrike, Vortanstad used to be an industrial hub, and in a way it still is. But many of the factories that dot the city have been completely or partly destroyed. Many concrete apartment buildings that serve as dwellings for civilians have been damaged by shelling or bombed out. Soldiers from riven factions are on patrol, civilians who have been bombed-out have been forced to live in makeshift shelters, underground tunnels, tents...and sometimes on the street. And here and there, one hears the sound of gunfire, air raid sirens and bomb explosions. Here and there one will find old monuments glorifying the regime or relics of a better time. That is what a visitor unlucky enough to come here will see. They may also encounter armed goons from 'militias' demanding protection money. And, yet, life goes on even in this husk of a city. People have learned to live with it...because they have no other choice. Here and there, one may come across a greenhouse or a garden or former park that is now being used to grow food. Security checkpoints and patrols are omnipresent. Flak cannons are pointed at the sky, manned by soldiers nervously watching for enemy bombers. Not all soldiers are adults.

It is a divided city. Indeed, it is a city at war with itself. This is already showcased by the fact that the name of the city is a political issue that decides on which side the person using the name stands on. And this is a matter of life and death. The two halves of the city are divided by a river with a destroyed bridge. The Republican Guard has occupied the south The revolutionaries and their followers called it Vortanstadt, named after Asyra Vortanes, a Bothan politician and one of Tephrike's prime ministers from the old days.

This is only fitting since the Guard regards itself as a revolutionary movement that seeks to restore freedom to Tephrike and stand for the common people. Though the Guard believes that the old Tephrike Federation succumbed to corruption and failed the people, they empathise continuity with the old institutions in order to stress that they are a legitimate popular movement that will return power to the people. Moreover, Vortanes is remembered as one of Tephrike's good prime ministers.

The north is under the control of the Dominion of Light, a Jedi theocracy. They regard the institutions of old Tephrike as tainted, for they were unable to avert the dark side machinations that led to the outbreak of the Gulag Virus and the coming of the Long Night. The Dominion, they postulate, is an enlightened civilisation governed in accordance with the will of the Force by those who have been blessed by the Light. It has built a harmonious society where every citizen is given a place.

Fittingly, they have renamed Vortanstad into the City of Harmonious Industry. The name stresses the orderly, harmonious society the Dominion claims to want to build, as well as the role of the city as an industrial centre. Both groups are at war with each other. It is a war to be fought without compromise, as both regard it as a struggle between good and evil. To the Dominion, the Guard are terrorists, anarchists and the puppets of Vong demons, while the Guard sees its enemy as totalitarian, mage supremacist opressors who deceive and trample on the common people. The civilian population has been caught in the middle, and has to make the best out of a bad situation. Saying that they must navigate a mine field is quite accurate, and sadly it is not just a metaphor.

Anyone who enters the city will be struck by how militarised it is. Soldiers and militia are on patrol, flak cannons have been set up in the streets. The unofficial border between most zones is the most heavily militarised area. Each side has erected strong fortifications on both sides of the river. The Republican Guard is conventionally inferior, but compensates with force multipliers such as snipers, booby traps and their own tunnel system. Rebels try to infiltrate Dominion territory to commit acts of sabotage. The Dominion has the stronger air force, as the Republican Guard has few capabilities on that front, which is why the rebels' zone is filled with concealed flak. However, Firemane has sometimes conducted air strikes in support of the rebels' advance. These, however, cost quite a bit, so the Republican Guard is loath to call on the outsiders' support too much. Moreover, they rightly distrust the star people's motivations, suspecting they don't actually want the war to decisively end in the Guard's favour. But it does give them a hammer to beat the Windians with when it counts, since the megacorp has access to far more advanced bombers.

Large parts of the city lie in ruins. The intense fighting has turned many of the streets into a moonscape of shattered buildings and mountains of detritus. Clouds of flies hover above collapsed buildings. Many inhabitants have been rendered homeless. Some have taken shelter underground in abandoned tunnels. Vultures have eaten away the flesh of dead Republican Guard and Dominion fighters. So far, it remains to be seen who will rule over the rubble. Electricity is less than reliable. There are areas where the inhabitants have to resort to candles when it gets dark. The Republican Guard lacks the manpower to conquer the entire city. The assault on Fortress Purity was a huge effort for them and conducted with the full support of Firemane air power and ground forces. Now they are fighting a multi-front war with the Dominion, and must keep still remain vigilant in case the Vaderites attack them. As a result, their present strategic goal is to keep Dominion forces tied down in Vortanstad. At the same time, they disrupt Dominion war production. Thus for the time being the Guard has contended itself with occupying its zone and carrying out incursions.

For its part, the Dominion wishes to drive the enemy out, but also sees a chance to bleed the Guard. The rebels receive air support from Firemane, but at a cost. In the Dominion zone, life is grim. The austere religious theocracy refuses to yield its iron grip over the city. In keeping with the new-found prominence of the Grand Army, the military has tremendous clout in the local government. A Jedi Lord has been appointed by the central government to direct the war effort and oversee the local administration. To free up the frontlines forces, the Ashlanite Righteous Resistance Force, a popular militia, has been formed. It carries out security checks and enforces, but also the religious decrees of the regime. The Inquisition hunts down deserters and supposed rebel collaborators. The Jedi Healers provide emergency services for the wounded and sick, having set up shelters, soup kitchens and field hospitals.

While Dominion artillery thunders, shelling the Republican Guard zone, the terror continues. Certain moral laws have been suspended for the duration of the emergency. As a result, the religious police no longer persecutes citizens for having illicit relationships. Informers must provide evidence instead of being taken on their word. The regime has grudgingly permitted limited markets and urban farming. In that regard, citizens can breathe a bit more freely. But the Dominion is still a repressive dictatorship. It has simply become less arbitrary and a lot more focused. Citizens who do not work are drafted by the army or labour battalions.

Any Force-Sensitive is conscripted into the Windian Jedi Order. Preachers of the Followers of the Divine Ashla exhort civilians and soldiers to give their all, reminding them of the evils perpetrated by the rebels and of the damnation that awairs those who forsake the light of Ashla Soteria and Ashla Niketas. Their preaching can produce a religiously motivated hysteria, with those afflicted by it lashing out against perceived enemies. Flying court-martials, staffed with zealous followers of the Dominion, punish deserters and defeatists. 'Defeatism' is a very broadly interpreted term. It could be something as innucuous as flying a white flag or expressing a lack of faith in final victory. Food can also be a tool, as the supply chain is controlled by the government.

Vortanstad's Jedi enclave was one of the first targets of the Guard. Its 'sacred grounds' have been desecrated and occupied. However, the Windian Jedi Order has established new facilities in the Dominion zone. It has more in common with a military stronghold than a sanctuary of space monks. The Windian Jedi are a militant order who would consider the idea that Jedi should be pacifists who never use the Force for attack absurd. The Dominon's new government is less cavalier about casualties than its predecessor, so many Younglings and Padawans have been evacuated or are used for non-combat duties such as clearing away rubble, providing aid to the wounded or internally displaced persons or guarding prisoners. However, young Padawans still end up on the frontlines.

Some of the old propaganda posters of the Mad Grandmaster still hang from public buildings. Officially he died a martyr, touring the ruins of Nexus City when the 'Firemane Sithspawn' carried out an air strike. However, on the whole the regime wishes to deempathise him and the cult of the individual. His most fanatical loyalists have been purged. Dominion artillery and aerial units conduct a ruthless bombing campaign. Life in the Republican Guard zone is dissimilar, yet in some ways similar to that in its counterpart. The rebels came as a liberating force, but also brought war and destruction to the populace. During its pullout, the Dominion did its best to sabotage factories and infrastructure. Militias were thrown at the advancing partisans to buy saboteurs time to booby-trap buildings, rig factories and power plants to detonate.

The rebels lost many soldiers in the process, and have been left with a mess to clean up. Moreover, while some sections of the population regard them as liberators, others see them as conquering invaders. People also remember the great offensive the Guard launched during the Netherworld Crisis. Back then the rebels seemed on the cusp of victory, but ultimately the expected general uprising did not materialise and they were routed. Thus while the Dominion has suffered a heavy blow, there are inhabitants who fear that history might repeat itself, meaning that the partisans will abandon them and they will be helpless against Dominion retribution.

Tephrike has been divided for centuries, and the Dominion has had a lot of time to spread propaganda and indoctrinate the population. Thus the cultures have diverged radically. At the same time, many partisans are vengeful, due to how they suffered under Dominion and Vaderite attacks. The initial euphoria of victory has been replaced by grim determination. Many of the partisans are quite young. Child soldiers can be found among them, even though this contradicts official Guard regulations. It is pertinent to note that Jedi also use child soldiers called Padawans. The Guard has set up a Provisional Revolutionary Committee to govern its portion of the city, get utilities running and, above all, organise everything in support of the war effort. It has also been charged with organising relief efforts for the many homeless children who are without a home or guardian.

The committee is led by the Popular Front, the umbrella organisation for the social and political movements that support the Guard. It is composed of a mixture of Republican Guard officials and locals considered reliable enough. Some of the latter were active in the revolutionary underground prior to the takeover. But the rebels have also been forced to employ bureaucrats and other officials who used to work for the ancien régime. The rebels regard former regime personnel with distrust, suspecting them of sabotage, but they simply lack the manpower to replace them in totality.

The predecessor to the committee, the Military Revolutionary Committee, played a role in organising the Republican Guard takeover. Martial law is in effect and a curfew has been enacted. The committee has set up a militia called the Territorial Liberty Guard, or Territorials for short. Propaganda and patriotic songs drone out of loudspeakers. Aside from launching incursions, the Guard also lobs artillery shells at Dominion positions. Where possible, the rebels make use of villips to prevent Dominion signals intelligence from eavesdropping on their communications. For their part, the Windian Jedi use telepaths to relay vital messages.

The Dominion dislikes natural reproduction, so many of the soldiers and workers are clones, who have been designed for their roles. The fact that many citizens have been grown in laboratories and raised in government-run nurseries and schools is pertinent because that they do not know life outside of the Dominion. However, organic beings are unpredictable, and the Dominion's attempt to exert total control produced a backlash. The Guard sought to harness this disconcent, particularly among those who ran afoul of the Dominion's draconian laws and palace intrigues or whose genetic line was deemed impure. Another source of support are former Dominion citizens who are not native to the city, but were resettled here government or came to the city looking for work. These tend to be people from rural areas, where it is not practical to enforce the Dominion's purity laws. These 'Randoms', so called because their conception was natural and thus left to chance, tend to be disadvantaged in favour of the 'Pureborn' clones, whom they call 'Tankborn' or 'Tankies'. However, rebel support amongst these constituencies is not universal.

The old Jedi statues and other Dominion monuments have been torn down by the Guard's followers. This event was widely publicised by the revolutionaries. The properties of the Windian Jedi Order and the Followers of the Divine Ashla, the only legal religious movements in the Dominion, have been expropriated. It is supposed to be distributed among the people. The Guard has also publicised files detailing atrocities committed by the Dominion, as well as corruption in its upper crust. Political prisoners have been freed and the sale of enchanted talismans that are supposed to render the wearer more docile has been prohibited. However, the Guard considers the Force to be a curse and has introduced its harsh anti-Force-User applies. These are also supposed to apply to Force-Users who revile the Dominion. This goes hand in hand with the use of revolutionary violence against former functionaries of the regime and supposed collaborators.

However, the military administration has tried to crack down on excesses. Overall, the population is divided. Many try to keep their head down and simply survive. There are inhabitants who support the Dominion or the Guard because the genuinly believe in the cause. Fear and pragmatism are also motivating factors. In several cases it is a combination thereof. Due to Tephrike's isolation and the long-standing animosity between its main factions, it is very difficult, if not outright impossible, for neutral parties to provide relief to the civilian population.

Firemane is hostile to the Dominion of Light. While Firemane withdrew its troops from Tephrike, the corporation provides the rebels with armaments, ammunition, food and medical supplies and sometimes carries out air strikes. The Republican Guard pays these deliveries with shipments of raw materials, as Tephrike is rich in various minerals and ores. Meanwhile, the Dominion has received clandestine support from Archangel. Aside from weapons, the shadowy machine cult also provides battle droids. Neither Firemane nor Archangel like to publicise what they are doing on the planet.

There are some Republican Guard officers who are concerned that the rebels might get bogged down. They argue that the partisans should go scorched earth on Voranstad, then pull back. Troops freed up this way could be diverted to other fronts. If the Dominion makes the error of seeing this as a sign of weakness on the Guard's part, all the better. However, other commanders argue against this. Not only would it mean abandoning the city's population to the tender mercies of the Dominion, it would be a serious blow to morale.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Jedi Enclave/Temple of Harmonious Radiance/Liberty Command: The first name is the original name, the second the Dominion one and the third the one the Republican Guard has given it. It is a bit confusing. As the first name implies, originally this was the location of a small Jedi enclave. As the Dominion put its stamp on the City of Harmonious Industry, it was expanded into a full-fledged Jedi temple and centre of worship for the Light. It was maintained jointly with the Followers of the Divine Ashla the only legal religious movement in the Dominion.

Unsurprisingly, it was one of the first targets of the Republican Guard. It is located in the eastern half of the city and has thus fallen under the control of the rebels. Now it serves as the headquarters of their military command and of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee (PRC). The Guard has demolished the Jedi statues and artwork. They have been replaced with patriotic, revolutionary posters. One of the most promiment monuments that was torn down was the nine-metre tall Long Live the Victory of Ashla statue. Moreover, the rebels have built several bunkers to allow central command to remain operational in the event of heavy Dominion air strikes.

In open defiance of the former occupants, the blue and green banner of the Republican Guard has been raised on top of the former temple. The greatest challenge the PRC faces is providing food for the civilian population and the soldiers. Food shortages have been a serious issue, causing hunger, strikes and rioting. In response the PRC has imposed strict food control. It has dispatched flying food-supply squads to other provinces, and introduced harsh penalties against speculation on incoming provisions. The Temple gardens are now used for urban gardening to feed the people.

Vortanstad Docks/Harmonious Port of Productive Logistics: The main harbour of the city. The Dominion did not like the original name, so they gave it a more grandiose one. Under the Republican Guard, it has reverted to the original one. Like the Temple, it was an early target of the rebels, who deployed frogmen. The fighting was fierce, though the rebels have managed to secure control over the docks. They remain an important target of Dominion air raids, which is why the Guard has set up flak cannons and does its best to camouflage key installations.

The docks are of somewhat ill repute, as criminal organisations are active. Contrary to Dominion propaganda, these groups already existed during its reign, though the power vacuum has made them bolder and provided them with the opportunity to spread their influence. The Guard does not like working with gangs, but has reached an understanding with some of the smugglers. The smart ones give the rebels a cut of the profits. Some of the militias that patrol here have a poor reputation. There is also a seedy bar of ill repute. Needless to say a lot of smuggling takes place here.

Bouzara Manufacturing Works/Harmonious Factory of Bountiful Production: Bouzara was a groundcar, tractor and speeder manufacturing company that used to operate here. It was named after its founder. True to its collectivist ideology, the Dominion nationalised it because private investment is hoarding, which makes it a grievous sin. In the old days, it played an important role in the Dominion's industrialisation programme. In that capacity, it made a huge contribution to the mechanisation of agriculture by supplying the farming industry with tractors. Later it was also used for the production of military vehicles, and became closely linked to Dominion tank building. The workers received awards for their exemplary fulfillment of government quotas for the production of tanks and tank engines. The facility was severely damaged during the fighting. In the aftermath, it had to be cleared of shells and debris so that it could be restored. The Republican Guard has been able to get it up and running again. The rebels have purged the old management, which was dominated by a clique of clones.

The Guard is less collectivist than the Dominion, but still dislikes capitalism because they associate it with the Vaderites. Many of its leading members believe in a mixed market. Based on this model, private capital would be allowed to operate small businesses and peasants would be allowed to own their land, while the state would control large industries. Others are Syndicalists who believe the workers rather than the state should control the means of production. A workers' council took over during the chaos and their leader has become a reluctant member of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee, where he has to balance his commitment to his fellow workers with the demands of the revolutionaries. The workers have formed a militia unit, which is part of the Territorials. A commissar has been assigned to the factory oversee political education and ensure directives are carried out.

Most of the factory's production is devoted to military purposes, such as manufacturing armoured vehicles and engines. The machines may be old and the production methods are behind galactic standard, but the workers soldier on. Productivity suffered after the fighting began, especially since many skilled workers were no longer there and the Dominion sabotaged several of the machines during its retreat. However, the new management has standardised production, focusing on a few models that have proved their efficiency. Vanity projects such as the Behemoth Landcruiser have been cancelled. The workers have developed a knack for improvisation.

Special Holding Facility Omega: Located in a former school and run by the Extraordinary Commission for Preternatural Regulation and Control. It was damaged during the fighting and there are no pupils anymore. With class no longer in session, the Republican Guard has appropriated it as a detention centre. The captives are Jedi and other Force-Sensitives that have been seized by the rebels. Officially, the Guard regards the Force as a malignant curse. Force-Sensitives are to be pitied and taught a better way. They are contained for their own protection and supposed to be re-educated.

However, centuries of brutal warfare has brutalised many, though not all, rebel fighters and given them a strong 'us against them' mentality. Moreover, this is a war zone. So even Force-Sensitives who say they despise the Dominion are suspected of being Jedi agents. 'Enhanced interrogation' is employed to break captives. This can include the application of the Embrace of Pain. The facility is heavily guarded, with a guard contingent composed of Force-Dead soldiers. Universal energy cages are used to contain prisoners. The embrace of pain is also used for interrogation purposes.

Museum of Industrial Progress/Centre for the Exaltation of Harmonious Labour and Industry: Conceived as a museum about Vortanstad's industrial revolution, then turned into a Dominion propaganda centre. In that capacity, it celebrated the glorious Five-Year Plans and the Heroes of the Light. Visitors learned how the Dominion had exalted labour and liberated the worker from capitalist exploitation, fulfilling the ancient promise 'from each according to his ability to each according to his needs'. Wallpapers celebrated innovations in technology. The museum was funded by the Ministry of Plenty, which controls the Dominion's command economy.

Today, it is located in the Republican Guard's zone. True to form, they have renamed the building. First the rebels looted the museum for sparts. Then they put up monuments, captured enemy propaganda and shattered vehicles. One of their trophies is a super-heavy Dominion tank. Rather than remove everything, the rebels have piled up the Dominion propaganda and left mocking messages. A new exhibition called 'The Jedi Paradise' shows photos of the real thing, displaying images of poverty, oppression and misery. Among other things, this includes photos of emaciated famine victims, who starved to death during the Great Famine. The Dominion vehemently denies that this ever happened, claiming that only a few people died and that this was the result of sabotage.

Tyrant's Bane Municipal Haven: A shelter the Republican Guard has set up for civilians, especially children, women and old people. Evacuation efforts have stalled. The shelter is located far away from the combat zones, but ruins can still be seen and the sounds of battle are still audible. They are cared for by Starbird medics, who have also established a small clinic here. However, they face much hardship, as food and medicine are in short supply, though shipments from Firemane have helped a bit. The Guard's Popular Front organises the distribution of food and other essential goods, and the building has a bomb shelter in the case of Dominion air strikes.

Observatory/Celestial Observatory of the Abyssal Void: Located in the Dominion zone of control. As the name implies, it is an observatory. It is housed inside a dome. The telescope domes has a slit in the roof that can be opened during observing, and closed when the telescope is not in use. However, it has not had a working telescope for decades, as the real thing was removed. As a Jedi Consular explained to his flock, "Look not to the skies, for there is only darkness and evil in the void. Look down upon the land where the Light spreads its glory." Thus there is a big, showy husk of a telescope which provides 'readings' regularly about comets and shooting stars. In reality a secret orbital facility does this and the telescope has no lenses.

It is a good analogy for the Dominion: Something showy which watches but does not see, deceives rather than explains and hides rather than illuminates. Ironically, if the telescope had actually worked, it would have detected Firemane's fleet long before the Dominion's primitive orbital array did. So concerned was the Dominion about what illicit secrets or phantoms the telescope might show that it was never in a position to tell them what was really coming. Recognising this, Jedi Master Cassius has ordered his minions only to use telescopes that actually work.

Gateway to the Void: Despite the name, this is not a hypergate. No such technology has ever existed on Tephrike. The builders just let their desire to be poetic get the better of them. Rather it is a hyperspace cannon. Although it is hard to believe now, there was a time when the Dominion of Light tried to learn about the state of the Galaxy. Unfortunately, their technology had regressed, so they used blueprints of ancient designs to build the device.

Construction was opposed by forces that believed there was only darkness in the stars. The progressive or curious got their way, and the device was built. However, many starships propelled into space by the cannon suffered accidents. Those that actually managed to reach hyperspace often did not return at all. The few that did brought back tales of darkness and chaos, for they came across worlds that had been decimated by the Gulag Virus. Some had been depopulated entirely.

One brought back a more hopeful message of life finding a way, but the sceptics found themselves confirmed. Moreover, some crew members had to be put in quarantine when it was discovered that they had contracted an unknown disease. The device was targeted by rampaging Blue Guards, who considered it an affront to the Light. After order was restored, the Dominion's government abandoned all efforts to explore the stars. The hyperspace cannon was allowed to rust and the technicians who knew how it worked were reassigned. Presently it is no longer functional, though it could be restored with the right tools and technical know-how. The irony is that if the Dominion had continued its efforts, it would have eventually realised that the Galaxy was recovering.

Obedient Disciples of Light Cloning Facility: Unlike the aforementioned buildings, this was built by the Dominion. When the Jedi launched their coup to save Tephrike from itself, they found themselves facing two problems: their enemies were many, and their servitors few. To solve this conundrum, they resorted to cloning. Like their forbears from the Yodic Jedi Order, they utilised a clone army of brainwashed soldiers.

Cloning was originally intended to be an emergency measure, but soon became the basis of their society. The Windian Jedi Order teaches that sexual intercourse is sinful, for passion leads to the Dark Side. This means the miracle of life must take place in a medically sanctioned way. The most accomplished citizens are cloned. In the old days, this facility mainly produced clones of workers, engineers, machinists and so on. After being decanted, they were brought up and educated by the Dominion. From the moment they were born, each clone would be raised alongside other clones who had been chosen for the same roles as them.

Every clone was bred to excel in some particular fields, and this was confirmed with a battery of tests in the hatchery. It was the goal of the Dominion to create a harmonious society, and that was only possible if it assigned roles to all its citizens at birth. This allowed them to dedicate their entire lives to one particular purpose and repay the Dominion for all it had given them. Upon completing their training, a clone would be assigned a workplace and a room in a government-run habitat. These days, many of the clones produced by this facility are soldiers or are designed with other military purposes in mind. The cloning facility is heavily militarised and the education the clones receive reflects the fact that the city is a war zone. The building has extensive underground facilities to protect it against raids and bombardment.

The facility contains lots of propaganda, including posters showing Jango Fett and clone troopers such as Rex in heroic poses. This may strike outsiders as odd, but the Dominion believes that Jango was redeemed by Mace Windu, turning away from the barbaric ways of the Mandalorian Crusaders. Sadly, the heroic clone troopers were betrayed by the evil Stormtroopers. In the past, the Dominion was often rather unconcerned with casualties, deploying expendable clone troopers in human wave charges. The new leadership has given orders to be less cavalier. Grunts can be grown in a short span of time, but good soldiers are too valuable to waste. Moreover, wastefulness encourages soldiers to frag their officers and desert.

Beacon of the Skybirds: Or just Beacon Field. An airfield located in the Republican Guard zone. The rebels do not have much of an air force and what aircraft they possess are mostly used for scouting, defence or dropping off small units of paratroopers and infiltrators. However, Firemane provides them with supplies via air and sometimes airlifts troops. Thus the Beacon Field is used as a landing area for transport vessels and for air traffic control. It has a fancy beacon Firemane gave them to guide in pilots - hence the name. Here and there, Firemane conducts bombing runs from here. Needless to say a lot of flak has been set up. A group of Firemane officers is stationed here to help coordinate. In defence to the Republican Guard's hang-ups about Force-Users, all are Non-Force-Users.

Kalinikos Technical University/Shell of the Antediluvian Wisdom: An old university located in the Dominion zone. It was originally named after its founder. Of course, a lot of the aforementioned wisdom has been removed in case it is a little too unwise for Dominion readers. Some defence research also takes place here. Among other things, Dominion developed a missile guidance system developed in a laboratory here. Much of the staff and student body has been evacuated or mobilised for other purposes, but the location is still used for defence research by the Dominion. The university garden is now used to grow vegetables.

Grand Junction of the Vital and Necessary Terminals of Momentous Freightage: Or Grand Junction for short. Freightage is not an actual word, but it has entered Dominion Newspeak nonetheless. This is the central train station in the Dominion zone. The city has always been a major transport hub with a rail network, linking to various cities on Tephrike, so it is a large complex. Dominion uses trains to ferry in supplies, troops and so on. The hovertrains are heavily armed and armoured. The Grand Junction is heavily guarded by Dominion troops and artillery, making even Firemane air strikes prohibitively costly.

The Skypiercer/Ascension of the Harmonious Spirit: The tallest building in the city and located in the Dominion zone. It still stands tall, even though it is surrounded by ruins. The skyscraper was conceived as a mixed-use building that would blend cultural, residential, commercial and institutional purposes. Back in the day it served as a hotel, but also provided office and commercial space. The tower was self-contained in regards to energy, amenities and waste reclamation. The designers also installed a life support system, a countermeasure against Vortanstad smog. After the outbreak of the Gulag Virus cut off Tephrike from the rest of the Galaxy, offworld tourists stopped arriving, so its use as a hotel declined. Instead it became living space for the social elite of the Dominion.

Each level had its own atrium and the inhabitants had a panoramic view of the city. The inhabitants also had their own shops. Those who resided here were as close to nobility as one could get in the supposedly egalitarian Dominion, especially those who were not Jedi. This was also a way for the secret police to keep an eye on the 'great and good' of society. At the same time, various departments that managed the city had their offices here, and the building was used as a broadcasting tower for propaganda.

Today, most members of the elite have fled the city. Others were murdered by partisans, criminals or in some cases shot by Dominion troops for desertion. But others remain. They have do without many of the creature comforts of the past, but then there is still the black market. Sometimes the denizens throw parties. This is rather surreal, considering the thunder of artillery can be heard, and the building is an obvious target for insurgents. The Dominion uses parts of the spire as a field hospital or to store equipment. Very accomplished and loyal workers have been settled in vacated apartments.

The Ascension still houses government offices. Some of the special shops are still open, though their shelves are often empty. Likewise, it continues to serve as a broadcasting studio for the Ministry of Enlightenment, whose employees have installed a powerful transmitter. The top section has broken off, but it is used as a sniper and signal platform for the bold and/or desperate. Several levels are in a state of disrepair. This is partly due to neglect or shoddy maintenance, but also because rebel terrorists tried to blow up the building. They failed, but caused notable damage. Inhabitants are advised to use the stairs.

Harmonious Bulwark Against Evil: A fortress built and still controlled by the Dominion. It is a bastion of Jedi power and a very tough nut to crack. The heaviest defences are located here. With the loss of the Jedi Temple, it has also become the new home for the city's Jedi. The Windian Jedi Order is a heavily militarised organisation, so it is not out of place. Clone troopers are stationed here, too. The fortress has a shield generator to protect it and its occupants against bombardment. It also features a bunker for the general command of the local Dominion forces. The Jedi Inquisition has also set up an office in the Harmonious Bulwark, but most of the Inquisitors are not locals. The native chapter did, after all, defy the Council for the Special Prosecution of Military and Security Affairs with Special Focus on the Just and Righteous Aim of Restoring Peace that took command of the Dominion after the 'tragic demise' of Grandmaster Aegus at the hands of 'Firemane Sithspawn'.

The Gelion Xanctes Water Treatment Facility/The Six Beneficient Streams of Harmonious Refinement Facility/Dominion Truth Centre - An old, partly ruined water treatment plant that removes contaminants from sewage. The tunnels and ducts go in a maze beneath the ruins. It already existed before the collapse, but the Dominion expanded on it significantly as they strove to turn the city into an industrial hub. They also gave it an absurd name no one understands. The Republican Guard disparagingly calls it the Dominion Truth Centre. Still located in the Dominion zone.

Vortanes Memorial Park/Park of Reverent Memorialisation: Set up as an oasis of nature amidst all the concrete, metal and machines. The Dominion continued to maintain it. Indeed, Jedi Knights who specialised in Plant Surge had a positive impact. This may be one of the select cases where the Dominion did not mismanage things. There used to be statues of Tephrike's first colonists and founding mothers and fathers, but these were demolished by the Blue Guards during the Cultural Revolution. Today, the park is inhabited by squatters who mostly live in tents. Basically, it is the site of a refugee camp amidst the overgrown trees. Indeed, the trees continue to grow and grow, while the city dies around them.

Perhaps the Jedi did their jobs too well. Cigarras are the common currency because only very few can get their hands on specie. Alcoholism, inadequate access to water and medical care, gang violence and substance abuse are persistent problems. Some refugees have organised themselves in a neighbourhood watch to provide themselves with a degree of protection against gangs and tyrannical policemen. Some Jedi Padawans and Younglings who managed to escape the chaotic fall of the Temple but didn't want to return to the Dominion have ended up here. They secretly use their abilities to help out by acting as healers, fortune tellers and so on, so the locals keep their identities secret. The refugees can see the ruins from their tents. Hearing gunfire and the thunder of artillery is normal for the refugees. Moreover, residents live in fear of being conscripted...though there are still those who volunteer out of desperation or vengeance. The refugees seek to supplement their diet through urban gardening, raising ducks and wild food. Nuts and fruits from the park give them something to trade.

Some refugees are desperate enough to make deals with smugglers to get them out of the city. This is dangerous, as they run the risk of falling into the hands of sentient traffickers. There is still Dominion propaganda. Most of it has been shot from range, so the statues have slug holes in them from snipers on the other side of the river. The camp is patrolled by militiamen from the Ashlanite Righteous Resistance Force, or ARRF for short. Their relationship with the camp spokespeople is uneasy, to say the least. The Republican Guard tries to smuggle in agitators and propaganda.

Shield of Purity Metallurgical Complex - built by the Dominion during its big industrialisation drive and one of the largest steel plants on Tephrike. The enormous complex of warehouses, railroad tracks and industrial-strength furnaces was the pride and joy of the Ministry of Plenty's industrial empire. A tangled, maze-like network of bunkers and tunnels lies beneath the steel plant. Parts of the masssive complex were blown up by explosives left behind by soldiers from a Loyalty Assurance Detachment.

For the Dominion, it is a great insult that Republican Guard soldiers are holed up in the plant. The rebels took very high casualties taking the complex, but are holding on to it by the skin of their teeth...even though it's on the western side of the river and thus in Dominion territory. Furthermore, civilians who sympathise with the rebels are also trapped inside the plant. The shelters are strong enough to withstand nuclear bombardment, and the tunnels are incredibly difficult to navigate, but food, water and medical supplies are running low. Parts of the complex have been retaken and with each day, the Dominion tightens the noose.

The defenders are supported by a tunnel under the river, which the rebes use to get supplies to them. The Dominion troops are trying to find ways to break this vital link. The plant has been badly battered by the fighting. The Provisional Revolutionary Committee tried to negotiate the establishment of a humanitarian corridor with the Dominion, but the talks broke down after both sides accused each other of betrayal. The Dominion has stonewalled evacuation efforts. The rebels have vowed to fight to the death, and an improvised band defiantly sings Republican Guard songs. Still, shelters shake from enemy shelling. Pressure is mounting among the rebels to launch a relief operation to save the beleaguered defenders, even though this will almost surely be a Dominion trap.

Museum Green/Bastion of the Noble-Hearted Warriors - An old, forgotten underground station. It used to be station which once serviced the sector in the eastern part of the city where the industrial museum is located. The original name os the station name. The Dominion has given it a more dramatic one, because it serves as a base for loyalist partisans operating in Republican Guard territory. When the bridge was destroyed, not all Dominion troops were on the other side, and the Republican Guard wasn't able to root them all out. The underground station has become a home base for a rag-tag force of cut-off Windian Jedi, clone troopers and Dominion paramilitaries such as the ARRF and Loyalty Assurance Detachments. The underground rail system hides lots of hidden and lost things, so it is a good place to hide. However,

Healing Hands of Light Clinic: A house of healing for those in need. It is run by Jedi Healers from the Congregation for the Restoration of Mind and Spirit. Actual healing does take place here and it is accessible for the common people of the city - the Dominion half, at any rate. However, it also has a sinister side, for the clinic is also an exorcism asylum to 'force the darkness' from people. The path of the Light is hard and painful, but for those who follow it they will be welcomed back into the Dominion.

Verdant Reach Processing Facility: This fancifully named facility is another example of the tremendous potential Tephrike had. The planet has always been rich in minerals. Indeed, this is what attracted prospectors and settlers to it. One of its assets are significant deposits of Nova Crystals, which are very valuable. These crystals are quite versatile. They can be crafted into gemstones, but also used as ammunition or weapons' components. Moreover, they can be used as makeshift currency. However, they are volatile, which means they must be handled carefully and must be bound to inert trace elements in refineries. The Verdant Reach Prossing Facility is one of these facilities. Here the crystals are mined, processed and refined. Like all enterprises in Dominion territory, the facility is state-owned.

Located far in the west of the city, it largely escaped the initial Republican Guard attack. It was targeted by rebel terrorist attacks, but the Dominion has maintained control, and it is too well-fortified for Firemane bombers to attack. The crystals are one of the valuable commodities it uses to pay for shipments from Archangel. This means it is determined to hold on to the facility. The plant belches out fumes, which has contributed to the city having issues with smog. The hours are long and working conditions are not Operational Health and Safety-compliant. Workers are compensated, but they are effectively bound to the factory. This means that they cannot quit their jobs and look for employment elsewhere. The main habitation complex where most of the workers employed here live is located not far from the processing facility. It also has a canteen and some other amenities.

Heavenly Storm Manufactorium - this used to be a major aircraft manufacturing plant that was especially noted for producing combat aircraft for the Celestial Vanguard of Ashla's Vigilant Shield, which is an absurdly flowery name for the Dominion's aerospace forces. However, while beyond the reach of the Republican Guard, the battle has compromised its location. Having a manufacturing facility close to a war zone is a bad idea anyway, and so the industrial stuff has been relocated away from the city.

Given the fierce fighting and Firemane bombing of Dominion positions, it was an impressive achivement. The premise has not been abandoned though. Dominion engineers have repurposed it to serve as a military airport. It helps that it already had an airfield for testing purposes, and plenty of warehouses to store stuff. Despite the change in purpose, the name has remained unchanged because it's just a just a 'temporary move for the duration of the emergency'.

Unity Bridge/Serene Crossing of the Nicobo: This bridge used to connect both sides of the city. It was built over the Nicobo River. However, it was rocked by explosions during the fighting, cutting off Dominion troops still fighting in the eastern city. Now there is a large hole in the middle of it. Both ends of the bridge have been heavily fortified, with bunkers, heavy weapons' emplacements, mortars and machine guns. A Republican Guard attempt to land in the western half by crossing the river with boats ended poorly.

Statue of the Unifier: A bronze statue of Asyra Vortanes. It is mostly undamaged because both sides look back to her as a good ruler (for different reasons) and so have not shot or toppled it. Her statue holds an olive branch in her right hand. A tablet engraved with the rights of sentience rests on her left. Her face has been mauled, but she still stands tall. The statue is on the Republican Guard's side of the river bank, but visible to the Dominion troops.

Hall of Great Tranquility: A temple dedicated to the worship of Ashla Soteria and Ashla Niketas. Here the Followers of the Divine Ashla bestow blessings upon the faithful to ward them against the temptations of the forces of Darkness. This includes providing them with Force Imbued talismans. The temple is close enough to the front lines to have become the target of relentless Republican Guard shelling and terrorist attacks. Loyal followers of the Dominion have sought refuge in its underground tunnels, which provide shelter from the bloodletting. Many of the old statues have crumbled. Part of the old structure above ground are still intact. The ruins and debris provide cover for Jedi and militant Dominion fighters. To the Dominion, this is sacred ground, so they will defend it tooth and nail. Thus they have set up artillery.

Silver Strip/Hellfire Strip: A riverside area that used to be a lovely set of waterfront apartments, restaurants, shops and cafes. The Republican Guard marvels that in the old days people had dozens of different 'shops' where they could choose what to purchase. The shopping centre is now a ruined mess but some remnants of the old signs remain. The area was completely levelled during the fighting because it was being used by snipers. Chemical weapons were also employed. All civilians have long since fled, but some Republican Guard fighters are still there. They call it 'Hellfire Strip' because it is constantly under fire and is a wasteland of wrecked buildings, chemical pools and unexploded ordinance.

SECURITY
High, with the caveat that it is a besieged and divided city. The frontier between the sides is the most heavily fortified area. Infiltrating the city is by no means impossible, but the fact that is is a war zone makes it hazardous. Outsiders risk being caught in the crossfire. The civilian population is extremely distrustful of outsiders and likely to report them.

• Significant population of Jedi warriors on the Dominion side. The Windian Jedi Order is an extremely militant, martial order that explicitly rejects pacifism. This also includes Jedi ace pilots, piloting aircraft. Their Republican Guard counterpart are Force Dead soldiers, especially Yuuzhan Vong, but also Force-Dead soldiers from other species.
• Large number of regular soldiers on both sides, the Republican Guard and the Grand Army of Light. This includes clone troopers for the latter. There are also significantly less well-armed, but still dangerous militias and other irregular fighters. Both sides have access to comparatively old but still serviceable tanks and aircraft. Many of their weapons date back to the Galactic Civil War, the Clone Wars or even further back. Archangel has provided the Dominion with battle droids, droidekas as well as a few HRDs.
• Bunkers, flak batteries, anti-personnel and anti-vehicle turrets as well as missile launchers, machine guns and mortars are concentrated on the river banks, which represent the frontier. However these and similar security measures can be found throughout both zones of the city, with security being the highest at strategic locations such as factories, communication centres and military headquarters.
• Several mundane buildings such as abandoned civilian homes have been occupied and fortified by soldiers. Snipers on both sides abound. The ruins can offer cover, but there are mine and improvised explosive devices. Many ruined buildings have been booby-trapped. The warring factions are also fond of traps such as land mines, monofilament nets and mesh traps. Upper stories of buildings may in fact be observation and sniper posts, while some sewers have been repurposed as communications tunnels and ambush bunkers. Urban warfare is particularly hazardous because buildings block sight and line-of-sight communications, target designators, and direct-fire weapons.
• There is also the danger of unexploded ordnance. This is particularly pertinent since both sides are still shelling each other with artillery or conducting bombing runs.
• The ongoing conflict is being exploited by violent criminal gangs. Many of them purport to be irregulars fighting on the side of whichever faction is ascendant in the zone they operate in at the moment.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Though difficult to imagine now, there was a time when Tephrike was not a war-torn hellhole. The planet was discovered and colonised five centuries before the twilight of the Old Republic. Its many seas attracted aquatic aliens such as Gungans and Mon Calamari, while its bountiful wild life, timber and raw materiels enticed corporations to set up shop and build colonies. When Palpatine inaugurated the New Order, the planet came under the control of the Galactic Empire, which led to a period of tyranny that was eventually ended with the help of the New Republic.

With their backing, Tephrike's people created a multispecies, democratic federation.Though the planet suffered during the Yuuzhan Vong War, it emerged from it in well enough shape. Much like most of the Galaxy, the planet experienced something of a 'golden age' about two hundred years after the Battle of Yavin. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, this era was a lot less golden than it appeared to be. Nonetheless, many natives look back to it with feelings of nostalgia.

Asyra Vortanes came to power during this period. She was a Bothan and managed to rise to the top of the National Liberal Democratic Party. As pundits like to quip, this was the time when the Party was still national, liberal and democratic. After winning the general election, she became Prime Minister. Her coalition dominated the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Federation's parliament, for most of her term. Vortanes was a unifying figure of stability and prosperity. She was no radical, but promoted unity, a social market economy and 'prosperity for all'. She also gained a reputation for busting trusts. Her time in office has been romanticised, especially since various factions have tried to use her name to promote their agendas, but it was certainly a successful one.

Vortanstad is named after her. Stad is an old, somewhat archaic Tephriki term for 'city', 'town' or 'fortress'. It is one of the many idiosyncracies of this remote planet. This is not a case of egopolis, since it received the name long after her death. Nova Crystal deposits had been discovered here during the twilight of the Old Republic. A mine was set up by private investors, but the Moff Imperialised it, accusing the owners of being in league with Separatists.

Thus it started out as a small mining colony. The Empire used droids and penal labour. The forced labourers were freed during the revolution that toppled the Imperial warlord. Vortanes invested heavily in the small settlement. Tephrike was rich in resources. To a large degree, the Tephriki focused on raw materiel extraction, relying on other planets for processing. In addition, they imported a lot of their food. Vortanes wished to economically develop and diversify the planet.

Thus the small colony grew. The prospect of jobs also attracted workers from other parts of Tephrike to seek their fortune here. Thus Vortanstad came into being. It eventually evolved into a manufacturing centre for the planet. In time, it also became the state capital of Enotia, the province it was located in. However, there were problems. Tephrike's environmental regulations were quite lax. This was a way to attract foreign investors, especially those who found the Core Worlds overregulated. But it also had harmful effects for the environment.

The National Liberal Democratic Party had managed to establish itself as the 'natural party of government'. However, it turned away from many of the policies of its idol, building a close relationship with business. As Tephrike's political landscape became more and more polarised, social and racial tensions became an issue in Vortanstad. This was exaceberated by the election of Winston Stakes as Prime Minister after what might have been the most confrontational in Tephriki history.

Stakes was a corrupt businessman who had been accused of fraudulent business practices. He liked to brag about his wealth, but many of his businesses declared bankruptcy. He was a demagogue and a bully, who received the support of human supremacist groups and Imperial nostalgics. On the day he took office, Vortanstad was shaken by protests. Left-wing and green activists clashed with members of his Freedom Party. Things went from bad to worse after a rally turned violent, and the Prime Minister made a statement critics saw as implying moral equivalence between human supremacists and those who had protested against them.

Stakes was forced to resign after the Tephrike Golden Future Binary Fusion Plant, his pet project, suffered a meltdown, causing catastrophic damage to the environment. He was accused of having accepted bribes and ignored warnings about the power plant being unsafe. Stakes narrowly lost the general election to Bokara Vis, an elderly Twi'lek politician from Vortanstad. His rival represented the old establishment and promised a return to civility. However, Stakes refused to concede and made fraudulent claims of a rigged election. Driven into a frenzy by his incendiary rhetoric, a violent mob stormed Parliament building in the capital in an attempt to stage a coup. Ultimately, Stakes was forced to leave office, but continued to insist that he was still prime minister.

Vis had represented Almopia in Parliament and had a distinguished career in public office. He promised to unite the nation. However, his supporters on the left had backed him to remove Stakes, and criticised him for being out of touch and too wedded to the traditional Twi'lek oligarchy. Infighting between the different wings of the governing coalition was a serious issue. Moreover, far-left and far-right terror ushered in the Year of Lead, a period of intense political violence. At the time of the outbreak of the Gulag Virus, Vortanstad was largely populated by aliens, though there was a human minority.

The outbreak of the Gulag Virus caused a great conflagration across Tephrike. Law and order broke down, countless beings died of disease, starvation and civil war. Rumours that the federal government was hoarding a cure led to domestic unrest, riots and lynchings. Martial law was instituted to keep order. With no cure for the virus in sight, an entire district was sealed off to prevent its spread, leaving infected to their fate. Shortages compelled the government to introduce rationing. Vortanstad was not untouched by these calamities. The city was rocked by riots and the crisis forced the provincial government to impose harsh policies. The government imposed a quarantine on infected individuals. Soon the corpses of those who had succumbed to the virus and perished had to be burnt. A group of militants tried to take the mayor hostage.

The violence as well as Vortanstad's importance as a manufacturing centre had motivated Tephrike's beleaguered Jedi to establish a presence in the city. The Jedi were increasingly called upon to not just keep the peace, but also fight against marauders. However, here the Jedi had a cooperative relationship with the local government. The leader of the enclave believed it was the duty of the Jedi to serve, not rule. These notions were put to the test when Tephrike sunk into anarchy.

The planet was increasingly engulfed in violence. In Palmyra, a peaceful protest was violently suppressed by government soldiers. A few Jedi Padawans who had come to watch the protest were among the victims. The government's inquiry was a farce. Desperate to restore order, Tephrike's Jedi Knights launched a coup with the backing of elements of the military. Government House was stormed, Prime Minister Aybel toppled and Parliament was dissolved. Palmyra fell under the Jedi's control.

However, fierce fighting broke out between the Jedi junta and the Alliance of Democratic Forces, a coalition of government loyalists and former oppositionists who rejected the new order as tyrannical. The capital city became a war zone. Jedi Lord Zaras Dant took control as military dictator. She intended it to be a provisional emergency regime. Transmissions were sent to Vortanstad, ordering its people to stand with the new regime and unite against the Alliance, which the putschists regarded as the stooge of corrupt politicians who had led the planet to ruin. At the time the state and municipal governments was led by the Social Progress Party, a rival to Aybel's National Liberal Democrats. The leadership was harsh, but competent at keeping order. Minister-President Yevra Kolar considered seceding from the federal government.

The head of the local Jedi force, a Houk called Skaros, refused to submit to the Jedi military junta, deriding it as illegitimate. Some found his belief that Jedi should not get involved in politics to be hypocritical, as he was an influential advisor to the local government. Moreover, the Jedi had been pushed into a role as enforcers of the Minister-President. Nonetheless, he tried to arrange diplomatic talks between the Jedi junta and the Alliance of Democratic Forces. His word was backed up by the fact that Vortanstad's factories were being converted from civilian to military use.

Needless to say this made the city a tempting prize for both sides. But the talks broke down, and all parties started rearming and amassing troops. The ADF had lost ground after the Jedi's forces managed to break the siege of Palmyra. It needed a victory to stay in the game. But Zaras Dant had been assassinated by enemy operatives with the help of a disillusioned Jedi. Her successor Tyian Kree was more of a fundamentalist than her predecessor and had unknowingly fallen to the dark side. The Jedi dispatched agitators to Vortanstad to encourage their brethren to side with them. This forced Skaros and the government to crack down on them. But then the Jedi Shadows spread disinformation. They convinced the ADF that a coup was imminent in Vortanstad. A few border incidents, some staged, some real, helped.

Fearing that the newly christened Dominion would pre-empt it, the ADF penetrated the unofficial border. Amidst a flurry of messages that went back and forth between the ADF and Vortanstad, the fighting began. Then the Dominion deployed its troops to 'keep the peace', unleashing the first generation of clone troopers. Thus war came to Vortanstad. The Dominion troops did not rush. Jedi Lord Kree's strategy was divide and conquer. They appealed to Vortanstad's Jedi with the promise of freedom from overbearing politicians. The Jedi would serve the cause of the Light. Galactic civilisation had collapsed. They were the last Jedi in the Galaxy. It was their duty to guide the people of this planet and save civilisation.

Only they could stand against the darkness. At the same time, they appealed to the workers with promises of social equality. The fighting was still vicious. Jedi Mahtara, a future power player in the Dominion, was one of the Jedi commanders. She made a point of sparing enemy soldiers who surrendered. The threeway conflict ended with the fall of Vortanstad. Dominion troops entered the city. Hunger played a role in this, as the city had been cut off from rural areas by a blockade, leading to shortages.

Skaros had gone down fighting. At first, the Dominion was relatively lenient. There were still rebels and warlords to defeat. It needed the factories of Vortanstad operating at full capacity. This meant that much of the old administration was retained, though the Dominion imposed a governor and left a garrison behind. Large businesses were expropriated and put under state control, but moderately large and small ones were left untouched. But businesses had to accept ideological oversight. This also inserted political education into corporate culture so that workers were kept in line with Dominion doctrine. Needless to say expropriations also provided ample opportunity for Dominion functionaries to enrich themselves and expand their power. The state-controlled press celebrated the Jedi Arbiters and Inquisitors as zealous guardians of justice, who were cleaning up the streets.

The upper crust was packed with Dominion supporters and new converts, but the middle management remained unchanged. The Agricultural Corps organised deliveries of foodstuffs to feed the city. Jedi healers provided care for the sick, offering free healthcare. Of course, all parties were prohibited and a number of leaders were given show trials. The press was censored and critical journalists fired or arrested. A few of the latter eventually returned, having recanted their old articles. Moreover, the Followers of Light became the only legal religion. Prisoners of war and political prisoners were used as cheap labour to rebuild roads and carry out other public works programmes. However, many citizens were ready to keep their head down and go along with the new regime. This time of relative moderation came to an end when the Dominion found itself facing new foes that would shake its very foundations.

A rebel group called the Republican Guard managed to take control of Red Coral City, an underwater settlement inhabited mainly by Gungans and Quarren. Swelled with refugees and former ADF fighters fleeing the Dominion, it adopted a radical republican, anti-Force-User ideology. A force of disillusioned clone troopers deserted. Jedi Lord Kree suffered a heart attack and died. Her successor was elected by the Jedi Generals. While the assault had ended in defeat, the Dominion could have still nipped the insurgency in the bud. However, Cade Seward, a former Jedi Knight, fell to the dark side. He had been born after the cataclym and was thrust into command at an early age. Cade, suffering from disease and madness, became convinced that the spirit of Darth Vader had chosen him to lead the legions of darkness. Gathering followers, he mustered a Sith army and marched against the Dominion.

Initially, the Dominion did not take the oathbreaker seriously as a threat. They regarded him as a mere bandit. But it soon turned out that the newly christened Darth Malitia was a genuine danger to the Dominion. Supporters of the Dominion were massacred en masse to be raised as zombies or turned into Sithspawn abominations. He also did not shy away from using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The Dominion was driven to radicalise even further. All aspects of life were subordinated to a total war policy. This unleashed a frenzy of religious fervour across the Dominion. Its enemies were not just political foes, they were the incarnation of evil.

This had significant repercussions for Voranstad. Religious orthodoxy became the order of the day. Workers were exhorted to give their all. As the Vaderite forces advanced deeper into Dominion territory, several thousand suspected 'heretics' were rounded up. Many of them were shot. This included 'specialists' who had once worked for the old government, including engineers, administrators and officers. They were accused of sabotage. The Followers of the Divine Ashla set up cells in every department or factory to monitor the ideological purity of the workers and management. Militiamen roamed the streets, punishing suspected unbelievers who ignored religious laws. Special courts were convened to persecute political offenders, especially 'defeatists'.

It is pertinent to note that the paranoiac fears about a fith column had merit. Of course, it could be speculated whether they might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Regardless, Sith are fond of infiltrating and the Vaderites were no different. Their agents found support among certain strata of Voranstad's human minority. The Dominion was a multispecies society, which reflected Tephrike's demographics, while the Vaderites were human supremacists. Many of the Jedi leaders were nonhumans.

The Vaderites exploited racial tensions to gain support and recruited disaffected Jedi. As the Sith armies advanced, the secret Vaderites mounted an insurrection. Backed by humanist militias, the Vaderites tried to seize the government and major buildings. The bulk of their manpower was provided by fanatical Stormtroopers and armed mobs. Fierce fighting broke out throughout the city. The attempted coup was accompanied by savage pogroms against non-humans as well as humans who had 'shamed their species' by 'consorting with xenos filth'. The Vaderites proved fond of crucifixions. They also publicly beheaded aliens and 'defilers of the human species'. Even children were not spared.

Fierce house-to-house fighting took place. However, ultimately the brutal savagery of the Vaderites was for naught. Indeed, it even alienated humans. The Vaderite armies got close to the city, but never reached it. Indeed, they got close enough that the increasingly desperate insurgents could send messengers to them and hear Vaderite artillery shell Dominion troops. The approaching Sith troops were able to smuggle in support, but then the Dominion tightened the noose. Its surface navy managed to take control over the waterways, preventing the Vaderites from sending relief over the River Nicobo. And it was not practical for the Vaderites to build an airbridge and airlift supplies and reinforcements into the city.

After weeks of fighting, the Vaderites had been unable to break through the Dominion's lines. Then their commander was ordered to make haste to Palmyra, abandoning the insurgents to their fate. The Battle of Palmyra ended in a Pyrrhic victory for the Dominion. So brutal was the battle that it spawned a dark side nexus, for Mahtara had to nuke the city to prevent a cataclysmic Vaderite ritual. In the aftermath, the Vaderites retreated. Malitia was challenged and slain by one of his lieutenants, but the Vaderites would regroup and found their own kingdom, built upon the pillars of magocracy, slavery and human supremacism. But they had lost the war.

However, the insurrection had done notable damage to Vortanstad. It had also hardened the Dominion's stance. The police state did not just remain in place, it was expanded. In the years that followed, the Dominion did away with private enterprise. It invested heavily in the reconstruction of Voranstad, aiming to turn it into an industrial centre. With Tephrike cut off from the rest of the Galaxy, it could no longer rely on interstellar trade.

The Dominion had consolidated power. Most of Tephrike was under its control. But its leaders still felt threatened and insecure. The religious fanaticism that had been harnessed against their enemies became a permanent fixture. Gone were the ways where the Windian Jedi Order's dictatorship was supposed to be temporary. Instead it became an end in itself. New leaders came to power. Men and women who knew nothing except the Dominion. Looking back at the older generations of Jedi, they saw failures. The wars had hardened them and inured them to to their horrors. And they believed that to prevent another Collapse, the entire society of the Dominion would have to be indoctrinated in accordance with their warped understanding of Jedi principles.

Cloning, once seen as a provisional solution, was expanded. Because intercourse was regarded as sinful, it was decreed that citizens would be sterilised after mandatory sperm and egg harvesting. This would allow the miracle of life to take place in a medically sanctioned way inside a clean laboratory, without the risk of citizens being tempted by lust. In the process family units were abolished. Instead all young citizens would be raised by the government. The Dominion carried out a campaign of rapid industrialisation and collectivisation.

The failure of economic policies such as the Great Enlightenment was blamed on Sith saboteurs. The Great Enlightenment triggered famine. Many peasants, facing starvation in the countryside, defied the government and flooded into cities like Vortanstad. Embarrassed by this and fearing a loss of control, the Inquisition and the police force carried out an operation to seize and deport peasants who had illegally entered the city. Starving peasants begged in the streets for just a few loafs of bread. Indeed, the bodies soon piled up as many refugees simply collapsed and died. Some tried to pass themselves off as factory and dock workers in order to avoid being rounded up. However, even Vortanstad experienced shortages, even though it was prioritised.

Things came to head when the Blue Guards were unleashed. They were a paramilitary social movement composed mostly of students, Padawans and young Knights. They saw themselves as a revolutionary youth organisation and Grandmaster Tsal Te Mong as their commander-in-chief. The Blue Guards believed it was their duty to dismantle Tephrike's pre-Dominion past and crush all opposition to its rebirth as a theocratic utopia. Backed by the Grandmaster and the so called Gang of Three, they unleashed a wave of terror. In the new utopia, everything, material or spiritual, that was contaminated by the past, had to be jettisoned so that a new and more beautiful could emerge. According to them, the key which would unlock this radiant future was religious consiousness. Ideological purity became the foundation of national policy. One of the members of the Gang of Three was the Jedi Lord of Vortanstad, a known hardliner.

The catalyst for the Blue Guards' destructive campaign was a play called Rai Hui Dismissed from Office. Ben, the man who wrote the play, was a historian and Jedi scholar who grew interested in Rai Hui, who had been dismissed and unjustly imprisoned for criticising the destructive policies of Prime Minister Winston Stakes, a pre-Dark Age Tephriki politician. The play was a tragedy in which an honest official and Jedi carried the complaints of the people to the Prime Minister at the expense of his career.

It portrayed Rai as an honest magistrate who sought an audience with the corrupt billionaire. Rai then criticised Stakes directly for tolerating the corruption and abuse perpetuated by his officials, laying the blame for Golden Future Fusion Reactor meltdown at his feet. The Prime Minister was so offended by Rai's criticism that he dismissed Rai from office. However, the honest magistrate was restored after Stakes' impeachment.

The Blue Guards saw the play as allegorical criticism of the Grandmaster. At the time, Tsal was under fire because her economic collectivisation policies had produced disaster. They started as a small grass roots movement, but soon grew in power. Seeing them as a means to secure his grip on power, Tsal endorsed them. They waged a campaign against the Four Olds (old culture, old thinking, old habits and old customs). The Blue Guards started in Nexus City, the Dominion's new capital, but brought their campaign to Vortanstad.

While the regime had sought to abolish family units, these policies had been limited to the centre. The Blue Guards changed this. Children were ripped from their families to be raised by the state and their parents were subjected to reeducation. Officials regarded as sinful were persecuted, museums were ransacked and pieces of art, holomovies and books destroyed. Moreover, the Guards tried to take over armaments factories and seize weapons. However, this led to a clash with elements of the army. Troops that disagreed with the revolutionaries' policies started shooting at them, but others backed them. During this time Vortanstad was renamed the City of Harmonious Industry.

For a while Blue Guards occupied the Jedi Temple. Notable scientists, scholars, intellectuals and managers were blacklisted or driven to suicide. The victims of the campaign, ranging from the elite to ordinary people, suffered public humiliation, imprisonment, torture, forced labour, physical abuse and sometimes execution. The Blue Guards also destroyed historical relics. For instance, the statue of Vortanes was badly damage during their rampage and a public library from the pre-Dominion era was sacked. The computers inside it were destroyed and any printed books were publicly burnt.

Conflicting directives from Nexus City only increased the confusion. One moment Tsal urged moderation, the next it spurred the Blue Guards on. The erratic Cerean was losing control over the monster he had created. Something had to be done. The country was on the brink and the revolution threatened the old guard's power. The oligarchs presented the repression of the Blue Guards as the last will of the deceased Grandmaster. The so-called Gang of Three, a cabal of radical Jedi leaders who had directed the Cultural Revolution, was placed under arrest and sentenced by a kangaroo court. Mahtara returned to office to lead the pacification. Troops loyal to the junta carried out a purge in Vortanstad. The Blue Guards were disbanded, but the city did not get its old name back.

Many who had been persecuted by the Blue Guards received an amnesty and even compensation, but the totalitarian order remained intact. All citizens of the Dominion would be raised and moulded by the state. They would each have a place and remain in it for their entire life. Indeed, creating a harmonious society would only be possible by growing citizens for specific roles. Citizens would be fed, clothes and cared for. But from the moment they were decanted, their futurewould have been all but ordained. Their names, their work place and their place of residence would be chosen for them by the state. Choice opened the doors to chaos. A protege of Mahtara was appointed governor of 'Harmonious'. Under his rule, the city was at peace. The Dominion invested heavily into it. Indeed, the city became as close to prosperous and wealthy as it could be under the Dominion. Its citizens lived orderly lives. However, its properity came at a price, for there was little choice involved. The mass arrests of the past had been replaced with a more selective form of police terror. But this did not alter the nature of the state.

The government began a large-scale housing programme to provide accommodations for clone labourers and Randoms, filling the city with concrete apartment blocks. To the Dominion's credit, it was not unsuccessful, providing housing and electricity for many citizens. The apartments were well-designed, though poorly maintained. The roofs tended to leak and lifts rarely functioned. The most serious issue with the prefab habitat blocks lay in poor insulation and heating problems. This meant they felt like ovens in the summer. Applying the communal living theory, residents had to share bathrooms and kitchens. Nonetheless, it was progress for many people who got to move out of dark, smoky apartments without toilets. But they were always watched by habitat wardens. The habitats were too big, blocky and grey, but public amenities, parks, shops and so on were set up to be in walking distance or easily accessible through public transport. So in that regard, the city planning aspect worked out. However, these grand designs of social idyll were always being watched.

Certain freedoms were allowed, but they were limited. The city gained the Dominion's equivalent of an upper and middle class. It was mostly comprised of clones whose templates had distinguished themselves serving the Dominion. Critics likened them to a caste, as they formed the de facto elite. Naturally the fact that the economy was state-controlled left ample room for corruption, allowing government officials and Jedi to enrich themselves. Of course, all new-born were supposed to be raised by the state. But influential clones often managed to play a role in raising their clones, seeing them as offsprings or siblings.

Clones in high-ranking positions created their own patronage networks and looked out for those who shared their appearance and DNA. For instance, the Harmonious Factory of Bountiful Production was run by a 'dynasty' of clone managers who had the same template. This 'dynasty' was able to extend its tendrils into the Ministry of Plenty. Likewise, another group of clones dominated the propaganda department. The Dominion understood that sometimes a clone did not manifest the same skills as their template, so those who displayed exceptional talent in other fields were be permitted to switch roles later in life. But this was only allowed rarely. Of course, these patronage networks were not unassailable. The Dominion's central government was worried that such 'family groups' in the regions away from Nexus City could threaten its absolute power and that the loyalties among the members of these groups would be obstalces to the implementation of its objectives. The solution to this problem was to carry out an occasional purge or bring in outsiders to shake up entrenched power structures.

Many anti-corruption campaigns had the agenda of breaking up old networks. At the same time, these very networks were essential to keep the Dominion functioning. Corruption and clientelism are an inevitable result of autocracy. That said, most clones lived mundane lives. A clone was usually given a name similar to that of its template. For instance, the clone of a woman called Myra might be called Mara or Mira. The Ascension of the Harmonious Spirit became a popular home for the great and good of society. This gave rise to lurid stories about illicit dealings and decadent practices inside the tower. The Dominion's 'harmonious' society was disrupted by the Netherworld Event. Like virtually every world in the Galaxy, Tephrike was affected by Akala's mad rampage. All of a sudden, countless beings vanished into thin air, for they had been raptured.

Those who were spared this did not fare better, for the planet descended into chaos. Moreover, the Force was thrown out of balance. Sensing an opportunity, the Republican Guard invaded the Dominion. The Vaderites joined the assault after going through a civil war that temporarily brought a faction of 'Light Sith' to power. Neither army ever reached Vortanstad. After sustaining tremendous losses, the Dominion was able to get its act together. The general uprising the Guard had hoped for did not materialise. Moreover, soon fighting broke out between the Guard and the Vaderites, as both despised each other. After penetrating deep into Dominion territory, the Republican Guard was routed at Fortress Purity.

However, Vortanstad had been hit by a wave of terrorist attacks. The raptures caused mass panic, leading to riots. Indeed, the Ascension was stormed by rioters and many of the homes and offices of the elite were looted. This led to widespread arrests, as the authorities clamped down on dissent both real and imagined. Many sons and daughters of the city fought and died on the frontlines of this apocalyptic war. It also led to a change in leadership. Battlemaster Mahtara had proved crucial to saving the Dominion, but her influence was the cause of jealousy in the upper ranks. Success produced infighting. Grand Inquisitor Antonius emerged as a rival to Mahtara. Secretly the chief witch hunter was indifferent to Dominion ideology, seeing it as a path to power and nothing more. However, he was capable of exploiting the internal rivalries in the Council and befriending those who felt that the Battlemaster had been in her position for too long and amassed too much power.

The Grand Inquisitor used embezzlement and blackmail as leverages to gain support. Finally, Antonius and his agents framed Harmonious' governor, a friend of Mahtara. The Battlemaster was able to protect her vassal from persecution, but he was considered too soft to remain at his post. His replacement was a member of Antonius' gang. Her name was Jedi Thea. She was quite young, but had risen to prominence during the Netherworld Crisis. She created a fake resistance cell to lure in the actual resistance leaders to their deaths. This earned her Antonius' favour. She was also responsible for mass 'population transfers', a euphemism for deportations. Although she had to formally leave the Inquisition to assume her new office, she did not forget her patron. The secret police was her power base and she made sure the local division head was in her pocket.

Her term in office was inaugurated by a brief phase of open state terrorism. However, she also used the carrot, winning over the workers with partly genuine, partly simulated concessions, at least to the extent that they placed their labour at the disposal of the regime. She improved social conditions, had the Ascension with its many amenities opened up to the working people, and actualy received their represenatives. Privately Thea was sceptical of the harsh command economy the Dominion treated as dogma, and relaxed certain controls. Indeed, she was more tolerant of private markets where people could sell essential items and food. This was an implicit acknowledgement of the failure of the public distribution system. However, the Grand Inquisitor tried to use his new influence in Harmonious to equip the Inquisitorial combat troops better, which led to a turf war with the army. Both squabbled over resources. This meant conflict with Mahtara. Thea later died when her transport had an accident.

Meanwhile, storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. Ironically, if the city's telescope had actually worked, it would have detected Firemane's fleet long before the Dominion's primitive orbital array did. After an initial skirmish with Firemane, the Dominion sought accommodation. Firemane dispatched a delegation to its capital to initiate negotiations. However, an extremist faction in the Dominion's regime regarded this as heresy. It was led by Antonius and the Grandmaster. Firemane's delegation came under attack. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, one of its members and the adoptive daughter of Firemane's ruling couple, was captured by the Jedi Inquisition. She would be subjected to physical and torture in a Dominion black site.

In response, Firemane declared war. It proceeded to enter an alliance of convenience with the Republican Guard. A short, but intense campaign followed. After heavy fighting, the allied forces were able to seize Fortress Purity. Meanwhile, Elpsis was able to overcome her brainwashing, kill Antonius and defeat her captors with the aid of rebellious prisoners and a Firemane rescue force. The Dominion had been humbled, but was not beaten. Instead the Mad Grandmaster was assassinated by the Council and a junta of hardliners and pragmatists took power. Their leader was Battlemaster Mahtara, who had been declared a traitor by the Grandmaster.

Unwilling to get bogged down in a conflict far from home and with allies it distrusted, Firemane decided to be satisfied with measured gains. The Dominion had been given a bloody nose, so it withdrew its troops. Before the pullout took place, the corporation did its allies a favour by razing the headquarters of the Vaderites, killing their Dark Lord and several members of the Dark Council. The outsiders had left, but what had happened was a tremendous blow to the Dominion. It was a small consolation that the Vaderites had been weakened even more.

Most governors and military leaders of the Dominion swore loyalty to the new regime, but not all of them. One of them was Jedi Jarix, who was in command in Harmonious City. He was a friend of General Kennobi, who had led the defence of Purity and committed suicide when was all was lost. One might note that prior to taking his own life, Kennobi ordered a force of Younglings to carry out a suicidal death charge. Regardless, Jarix correctly suspected that Mahtara had withheld reinforcements for Purity. He also did not believe the official story that the Grandmaster had been killed in a Firemane air strike.

So he denounced the new government as illegitimate. Martial law was declared and the city was sealed off. Jarix also tried to reach out to other regional bosses to form a loyalist bloc. However, the Guard, emboldened by its victory, was advancing. The assault on Purity had cost them a lost and Firemane was pulling out. So a number of Republican Guard commanders and politicians feared overstretch. But morale was high after storming one of the Dominion's most vital fortresses. The Guard was wary of getting bogged down in a siege, but General Aruunzeb and others did not want to let an opportunity to weaken the Dominion's industrial strength pass. The fog of war made it difficult to discern how long the the split in the Dominion would last.

Hence Republican Guard troops assaulted the city. Frogmen mined waterways and commandos of partisans infiltrated the Dominion lines, while agitators stirred up unrest. The assault had been preceded by a deception operation to fool the defenders about the thrust of the Guard's operation. Morale had suffered considerably, so some Dominion troops defected or deserted. But others resisted. Moreover, the Dominion's new government was quicker to respond than anticipated, mounting a tremendous effort to get loyalist troops to the city. Caught in a cauldron, Jarix faced mutiny.

Knowing what fate awaited him, he tried to defect to the Rebels. All of a sudden, he had been opposed to the Dominion all along. It did not go well for him. The Republican Guard took his staff into custody and paraded Jarix' story as a sign of corruption and infighting in the Dominion. Then they put him away under protection 'for his own safety' against retribution. He was later found dead, 'murdered by a Jedi assassin'. The Guard put the intelligence he had shared with them to good use, conducting surgical strikes with Yuuzhan Vong commandos and elite partisan units such as Viper Company.

But the fighting was fierce. The Dominion was throwing considerable military forces at the frontlines. Even criminals, deserters and political prisoners were released from concentration camps and put into penal battalions. If they served bravely, they would be freed. If not, they would die. Many died, but the Republican Guard assault faltered. Indeed, the Dominion managed to regain lost terrain. The elite Ever Loyal Vanguard, an elite force of Jedi warrior-monks, led the charge, acquitting itself well. However, Dominion command also authorised the use of poison gas. For its part, the Guard was not shy about resorting to terrorist tactics such as bombings or having Vong priestesses of the Deception sect carry out surgical strikes with the bo'tous bioweapon against high-value targets. City blocks became war zone, leading to intense house-to-house fighting. Civilians were conscripted by either side to support the war effort. Summary justice became the order of the day.

Both sides exchanged intense artillery duels. Dominion bombers, often piloted by Jedi aces, bombed Republican Guard positions. The rebels lacked an air force strong enough to counter, but they could call upon Firemane assistance. Firemane air strikes were infrequent, but had a lot of punch since the corporation had far more advanced craft than the Dominion's Grand Army of Light. To try and pierce Dominion lines in order to capture strategic locations such as factories, the rebels made ample use of infiltration tactics. Many of their soldiers were irregulars and not shy about camouflaging themselves as civilians. This provoked Dominion reprisals. After centuries of bloodletting, neither side was inclined to offer quarter to the enemy.

Evacuation efforts soon faltered, and so many civilians were trapped inside the war zone while entire city blocks were reduced to rubble. Faced with the prospect of stiff Dominion resistance, the Republican Guard altered its strategy. Republican Guard saboteurs blew up the bridge to cut off Dominion troops still fighting in the southern half of the city. They rebels lacked the manpower and resources for a prolonged siege, so instead they would aim to tie up a large force of Dominion troops. At the same time they would try to make their zone productice again so that it could fuel their war machine.

At the very least, they would be denying these resources to the Dominion. It went without saying that this calculus accepted that the civilian population would suffer considerable hardship. Meanwhile, the Dominion secured its zone. The last offensives ended with minimal changes in territory, so both sides settled in for the long haul. Each side imposed its own system upon its respective zone. For the Dominion zone this meant a more militarised, streamlined version of the old order. Meanwhile, the Republican Guard introduced a militaristic, populist revolutionary regime. This also meant trying to provide for the civilian population, but the city remained a war zone. Civilians on both sides had to find a way to come to terms with the new order and survive. While incursions into enemy territory continued, both factions fortified their position, waiting for right moment.

 

[Zak Dymo]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Approved!

 

[Srina Talon]

Submission Name: Dominion of Light
Link to Submission: https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/dominion-of-light.122135/
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: Update to new codex

Submission Name: Vortanstad/City of Harmonious Industry
Link to Submission: https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/vortanstad-city-of-harmonious-industry.134714/
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: Fix broken pic.

Submission Name: Order of Fire
Link to Submission: https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/order-of-fire.114714/
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: Update to new codex

Don't forget to include a list of changes and tag a member of Codex Staff when ready.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Srina Talon , Fevris Derzelas

Completed edits. Submission is ready to be moved for judging.

Summary:

Fixed broken pic, updated history, affiliation, security and points of interest.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Everything looks good here. Another fine submission!

[APPROVED]

 

[Srina Talon]

Submission Name: Vortanstad
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: Content update.

Submission Name: Adlerberg
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: lore update

Submission Name: Glory Hounds
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: update equipment

Submission Name: Eisenkrieger
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: Update gear

Submission Name: Tephrike Golden Future Binary Fusion Plant
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Pre-Codex: update to new codex

Please remember to include a list of changes when you tag a member of codex staff to move the submission back to live judgement.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Srina Talon , Ylla Caeli'runa

Completed edits. Submission is ready to be moved for judging.

Summary:

Updated freedom and oppression, affiliation and history.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Great submission Approved

 

[Srina Talon]

Submission Name: Vortanstad/City of Harmonious Industry
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Codex Modification: Fix broken pic, update lore.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Srina Talon

Completed edits. Submission is ready to be moved for judging.

Summary:

Fixed broken pic, replaced image credit, updated wealth, description, stability, points of interest and history.

 

[Srina Talon]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Re-Approved

 

[Srina Talon]

Submission Name: Vortanstad/City of Harmonious Industry
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Codex Modification: Misc updates

Submission Name: Loyalty Assurance Detachments
Link to Submission: Here
Reason for Moving to Codex Modifications: Misc updates to history

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Srina Talon

Completed edits.

Change log:

Updated description, points of interest and history

 

[Srina Talon]

Elpsis Kerrigan

This checks out. Good work! [APPROVED]