Vacuo
OPEN GALACTIC RECORDS…
EXPAND… STORY OF REMNANT…
OPEN DATA LOG…
VACUO…
USERNAME…
SENATOR OZPIN OF VALE…
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Right now, I'm starting to worry about a couple of planets within Remnant that is constantly going to start causing us problems in our upcoming conflict against the Confederacy. One is trying to use the war as a means to expand its troublesome ideals, while the other is currently under an uprising by its own people. While both prove to be very beneficial allies, their infrastructure has us wondering if our alliance is strong enough to sustain ourselves against the incoming Separatist armies. However, among the two, what I fear the most comes from the possibility that the latter planet would end up defecting to the side of the Separatists should they crack under the pressure of the war. Such a loss would allow the enemy to enter through the defensive barrier of the Republic and leave our planets vulnerable to attack.
Now, it would be a good time to delve into the details of said planet and report on what made the people consider the decision to separate from the Republic.
First off, Vacuo was the third planet to be colonized after the founding of Vale's settlements. The planet has a harsh environment, with the whole world covered in endless seas of sand dunes and rock mesas. There is a reason why Vacuo is called "the Tatooine of Remnant". The conditions are so hazardous, so deadly that no one would ever want to come to a planet like this and call it home.
And yet, for the colonists who found the planet, they were determined to find shelter within this dust bowl in our system. It is truly remarkable how after thousands of years, the people of Vacuo have managed to evolve from hardship and become a thriving planet within the system. When the settlers arrived, they went on a very risky mission to find a suitable home. According to present records, the settlers who attempted to live in Vacuo did so simply for the adventure. They were willing to show that even in the worst conditions, they'd be able to find a place to live in and make the planet their own. However, their efforts were starting to be in vain. The weather proved to be far deadlier than they thought and, coupled with dehydration from fast-depleting water supplies, slowly killed them off one by one. Time passed on and in the next six months since their first landing, from a hundred settlers, they were already down to ten. Hope seemed bleak for the remaining nomadic settlers. Without proper sources of water, the whole team would eventually die out, unable to be heard of from anyone off-world…
Then, in a stroke of luck, the settlers stumbled upon a miracle. After months of deathly turmoil, they came across a miracle. Over the dunes, they were amazed to find, within this desert wasteland, a huge body of water; an oasis large enough to quench the thirst of an entire city. The settlers rejoiced; this was the paradise they needed to finally survive and thrive.
Over time, the settlers got to work. With the vast jungle of palm trees surrounding the lake, they had enough resources to start building a proper settlement. Better yet, the oasis was protected by huge dunes and mountains that they knew which protected the oasis and its life from being swept away by the harshest of sandstorms. Soon, within years, the settlers used what's left of their transport's fuel to return to Vale and inform the people that there is life in Vacuo and if anyone wished to finally find a proper home, they'd take them there. With Vale's backing, the settlers were able to expand their colony, evolving it into a city built around the lake.
Furthermore, the settlers had learned that they were not alone. As it turned out, Vacuo was also home to an indigenous unknown sub-species of Duros, green-skinned and had tusks at their jaws, who roamed the deserts in nomadic tribes. They were known as the Sanusaurians. At first, when they first came into contact with these strange people, the settlers feared them, afraid that they may cause unprecedented damage to their new city.
But, when one brave soul came forth, the city's head Force priest, he braved the possible dangers and communicate with a tribe when it was right outside the city walls.
The people thought the man was crazy; to go up and risk being mauled to death, they dreaded the thought of going to war when they just started. But, in a surprising turn, the Sanusaurians, instead of utilizing their weapons for war, they actually welcomed the priest. In open arms, they started to communicate and what the priest found was astonishing. The Sanusaurians actually had a connection with the Force, sensing the tribe's abilities to use the Force to guide them through the deserts in search of resources and possibly to help them identify between friend and foe.
The priest soon helped establish good relations between the settlers and the Sanusaurians. With this peaceful coexistence, the settlers could finally be allowed to thrive while the Sanusaurians would help them find new possible locations to expand their territories. Vacuo underwent a series of colonization efforts that saw the rise of multiple new cities and villages in the next few centuries. The Sanusaurians seemed to also benefit from their partnership with the new Vacuo population as they too were slowly integrated into Vacuo's society, learning to read, talk and pretty much normal people stuff. Although, there were times when tribes began to feel threatened by the expansion of foreign settlers and sometimes, they would launch skirmishes and small battles were waged to repel the intruders. Luckily, most of the other tribes felt that the Force allowed these people to live and thus prevented large-scale wars from ever happening.
Then, when people started to locate deposits of resources, the largest collection the system had ever seen, they began mining operations which would allow them to become rich with trade. Unfortunately, this did not sit well with the Sanusaurians. These rock formations were said to be sacred to them, housing the spirits of fallen warrior, and that the mining would desecrate them. This was when skirmishes grew to full-scale wars between the people of Vacuo and the Sanusaurians. Unfortuantely for the Sanusaurians, their time was over. The people of Vacuo were more technologically advanced and thanks to contact from the other worlds, they began to repel the tribes, driving them to the point of extinction.
It is a very sad tale, one that we should take note of in the future; that power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Regardless, Vacuo's people had finally taken full control of the planet. With less opposition, the people were now living in peace. Perhaps, too much of it… While the rest of Remnant had to learn and adapt to survive through their developments, the people of Vacuo had become more laid back, choosing to live off the plentiful resources found throughout the planet. Backed by a trade deal with Vale, they did not feel the need to advance and lived the life of complacency.
However, when the more developed planets set their sights on Vacuo's resources, things were about to get a whole lot worse. The citizens of Vacuo were so laid back that they did not have time to develop, and once the kingdoms of Mistral, Mantle and even Vale came, they were outmatched in all the wrong ways. Wars ravaged, mining escalated and thus, natural disasters all threatened to destroy what the people's ancestors had worked so hard to build. The planet's many oases became dry and polluted, unfit for living anymore. With no central government, the planet was practically a colony of other worlds, forcing the citizens to live the nomadic lifestyles that the Sanusaurians once lived, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from bandits by day and creatures by night.
Vacuo soon fell under much more trouble when the Great War came. After the Mandalorian Wars greatly affected the Remnant system, the planet itself became a battleground with the three kingdoms fighting for control over their possessions on the planet. Realizing the turmoil Vacuo had suffered, Vale hurried to help form a provisional government in Vacuo out of their former colonies and formed the Sanus Alliance, honouring the extinct nomads who had fallen from greed and lust for power.
Vacuo's people were not as well-equipped as Vale was, but they did have the geographical knowledge to their advantage. Plus, Mantle's armies were not properly equipped to even survive in Vacuo's desert world, so the battlegrounds were even.
Then, it all came to a head when Mistral and Mantle launched a devastating assault on Runka Ridge, where Vale controlled a vital group of mining facilities there. Vacuo's people stood their ground, remembering the legacy left behind their ancestors and fought for a new future alongside our soldiers of Vale. The battle was bloody, more than anything ever seen before. Both sides took heavy losses and it seemed that, yet, Mantle and Mistral were about to win. But then came Altrus the Third. King of Vale, with a trio of Jedi Knights sword to defeat the enemy and give Vacuo the future it so needed the most.
With the war over, Vacuo could finally see a future where it could no longer live in polluted darkness. Reforestation efforts were made by cleansing and refilling the oases and reconstruct what was lost. A central government would also be in effect, allowing the people to live without the fear of invasion. Unfortunately, even with all of these promises, the environment was already too damaged to even sustain life. What little civilization was left resided in still near-deadly conditions. The complacent lifestyle of Vacuo soon returned and the government soon dissolved, leaving only the military to govern the people. With its connection to the Force, Vacuo also had a Jedi enclave established to keep the peace.
Life in Vacuo had continued ever since. People's lives managed to improve, but only by a small margin. Vacuo soon found itself becoming the centre of mining operations of its own authority, allowing full control over them and the acquired resources from them. The people are able to get a sufficient amount of money from selling the minerals collected and Vacuo could actually thrive as a member of the Republic, but it remained to be less strong compared to its neighbours. The planet still has its relaxed lifestyle, but with a decent mining guild and some surviving settlements, it was still able to survive.
But even then, the people of Vacuo continue to be up in open revolt. It appears that after hundreds of years since the Great War, they finally had had enough. Finally realizing the impact that the other worlds of Remnant had done to them, the people of Vacuo had begun to distrust us and even threatened to shut itself away from the rest of Remnant. But if they were to survive, they'd still have to depend on us to deliver them their needs.
And that is where my worst fears would come… Should the Clone War today threaten to reach Remnant, then Vacuo would be one step closer to finally breaking the bonds between us and leave our system open for an attack by the Separatist Alliance. The military would do whatever it takes to ensure that Vacuo would remain loyal to Remnant, but I'm afraid they would change their minds under the pressure of the people's power. It is a tragic tale in the end, now that the people of Vacuo, once our strong ally in the Great War, are about to become our worst enemy.
Vacuo has suffered a lot over the course of millennia, and I sympathize with them. It is truly a shame that they had to go through so much suffering just to survive and right now, their dire state is now taking its toll on them. They are in need of a way to live the life they once had and the only way they think they can do so, is to join the Separatists. The rest of the worlds must find a way to resolve the crisis or risk being attacked by our own neighbour.
I will do my best to ensure that the integrity of our alliance will be strong even in times of war. The planet is still officially a member of the Republic and at war with the Separatists, but we could end up losing that if we do not assure the people of Vacuo that we do care and we will do whatever we can to help them relive their glory days again.
It's a very unfortunate chain of events that had led to the hostility of the people of Vacuo. With very little political power, there is a great chance that the military might choose to officially defect and declare war on us. This is something we cannot afford to let it happen. We have to cooperate and ensure to the people that we will make things right.
Vale and Anima are doing the best they can by providing humanitarian aid to those in need, but with so much hostility, the people are starting to fight back. Things would have been much easier if only there was someone to represent order in our efforts to heal Vacuo…
It's not to say that Solitas wouldn't help at all; it's just that they too are now under fire from the people. But at least, their tale is not as disastrous as Vacuo's… at least they claimed so.
I shall explain about Solitas in my next report…
DATA LOG…
END…
