461.229 // Third Estate invades Spadja Sector claiming a “peacekeeping operation” even while the Stenax offensive collapses in Thanium
Above: Stenax Forces leave a ravaged Draukyze to return to their homeworld, Stenos
Key victories in the Ky’nar Valley on Mossak and Har-vuur Caldera on Felucia have completely routed the Stenax offensive into Thanium. During the early days of the war the Stenax nearly collapsed Alliance lines. However, daring operations led by Jedi volunteers managed to maintain cohesion within the Alliance and undermine the Stenax who had extended their offensive across three systems and nine fronts.
Gunnery Sergeant Qeesa H’lee remembers those early days vividly,
“It was hard to keep morale up. It felt like everyone had abandoned us… The Jedi, the Republic, even other Thanium Worlds had left to seek protection from the Third Estate. But there was always hope that if we held the line that we’d inspire people to help with our cause, and it worked. Once Galidran threw her full support into the war effort, and when the Jedi returned to help us defend our homes, we all knew that our friends and family who died early on did not do so in vain. I’m sure there will still be a couple dozen engagements, for us on the ground we’re not out of the woods yet, but we can sure see the other side now and damn does it feel good.”
Hours after the Alliance announced their victories in Ky’nar and Har-vuur, Eckczar Vahn Goreing made a public declaration that the Third Estate would pursue “a peacekeeping operation” in the Spadja Sector, home to the Stenax homeworld Stenos, in order to bring “peace and security” to the region. This was met with outrage in the Senate on Coruscant, especially on the part of the War Hawks, who railed against disgraced Chancellor Vekau Khorta, and initiated a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
Senator Boonka Illeeb from the Herglic Space Sector,
“Disgraced Jedi? Superweapons? And now failing to contain the ever-growing threat of the Third Estate as they annex sector after sector? Chancellor Vekau Khorta’s Preservation Society has only preserved one thing: the complete incompetence of himself and his party! I, with the backing of the whole War Hawk coalition, call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Khorta’s leadership!”
Free Soiler whip Senator Copan Coba from the Melus System in the Nicandra Sector seconded,
“We received a pledge from the Chancellor: cooperation on bills that would grant sectors the power to govern their own affairs, independent of federal oversight. This pledge has been ignored. Our party backed the rise of a minor-party Chancellor, believing he would heal the divides in the Senate Dome. Not only did he fail in that crucial task, but his subsequent gross incompetence now threatens the public’s faith in the Republic itself. Our position is clear: to protect against such a useless Chancellery, we must now ensure individual sectors have more autonomy. We are proud to second the vote of no confidence.”
While the various political parties on Coruscant begin primary party voting for Chancellery candidates, the Stenax have pulled their forces out of the Draukyze system to try and bolster their defenses around Stenos. Both Republic and Thanium Alliance strategists, however, believe that the Third Estate will be able to quash any resistance from the Stenax’s fleet who is undersupplied after cycles of fighting.
Reporting from Camp Zatar in the Kirstvel Bay on Mossak, this is Andee Nevaro with contributions from Quan Regal on Coruscant.