20th day of Month 15 ABG
SetMon Somloswal Article
Weekly Digest
The carnage of the war that has been terrorizing the Rattis region has become increasingly concentrated around Selbar, where the bulk of the Separatists including Palti WanThir and General Grievous, are bottled up in their besieged fortress. Skirmishes between Babteer Pil and the Republic remain steady in the city, including not one, but two instances of Separatist squads attacking beyond their borders. However, neither went far, and the past eight days have seen an overall steadiness taking over the southern Bandomeer.
It is estimated that over 2,000 Babteer Pil planetwide fled Republic-conquered cities and attempted to rendezvous as guerrillas, but the details of these hidden armies remain unknown. We were able to reach out to one anonymous soldier, who described his life since Rinbam fell to Republic forces. "The biggest thing to know about the soldiers of Babteer Pil who are scattered across Bandomeer is that we are not alone," he told our interviewer, elaborating that, "There's a network of allies and supporters in every town, and they've welcomed me into their homes with open arms."
We asked for further details about how many people are willing to provide for the revolutionaries, and he replied that, "That information can't be shared publicly even if I knew the complete scope of what we have, but I can say there's enough that we can avoid staying in the same place for too long, which helps both us and our supporters get away from Republic scrutiny. What's unfortunate is that the Republic has done their research, and during the Battle of Bandor, they were able to seize official documents listing the members of Babteer Pil. All of us have been faced with the order to run away, leaving our homes and families behind, and those who have not done so are now arrested. I still don't truly know which of my former squadmates and friends have been able to escape the Republic, and I may never get to know."
What now remains of the organization, he explained, is very small-scale, with "small cells connected to one another in a web, but without anyone knowing the scope of the entire network. Information travels slowly, and when the Republic inevitably captures someone, they can only learn so much."
While he was unable to guess how many Babteer Pil have been captured or killed by the occupying Republic forces, he assured us that they have been thorough in their attempts to suppress the resistance. It is widely reported that countless civilian households who have hid soldiers have been taken into custody by the Republic, who has yet to release any official information on how and where they are detained.
"I know it's terrifying seeing what happens to those who help fight off the Republic," acknowledged the soldier, "but those evils will only increase if we let them secure a greater hold on our planet. And not helping us doesn't guarantee you're safe either: In Milnar, we heard of a farming family who was taken away by the Republic, and we knew them as people who had already refused to aid our cause."
The Republic is now ruling through fear, in hopes that it can crush the spirit of the Meerians. The soldier also disputes the reports that a natural avalanche buried the village of Met. The event is already strange, as that part of the mountainside hasn't seen any avalanches in centuries. But the soldier, who was present and barely escaped it, reports that Republic walkers were spotted climbing the mountain shortly before it happened. He escaped, but countless others did not, including seventeen confirmed deaths and nearly a hundred more villagers still missing. Our reporters were unable to verify the claims of AT-TEs present during the avalanche, but if they were there, they didn't remain around for any humanitarian efforts, as the search and rescue has been handled exclusively by local emergency services.
The Babteer Pil concluded his interview by urging Meerians to "Fight the Republic in whatever ways you can. Tyranny is coming for this planet, and the more power you give it, the more it will take from you."
Meanwhile, the invasion has seen an almost immediate negative impact on Bandomeer's economy. Under the Republic tariffs, which are increased for recaptured secessionist worlds, there have been shortages and cost hikes for many goods, particularly foodstuffs. Countless Meerians are now unable to find or afford basic necessities at the local markets. In response, the newly appointed governor Cralto Aquizoon has promised that supply lines will be restored once new trade partnerships are formed with nearby Republic worlds.
He also nationalized the Meerian Mining Cooperative (MMC), which he described as "a necessary decision to remove secession influence over this planet's economy. Its new management will ensure that affordable, high-quality ores will reach loyalist markets while supplying substantial revenue for our planetary government of Bandomeer."
Given Aquizoon's position within Offworld Mining Corporation, critics say that his control over MMC creates a conflict of interest. Others fear that MMC's budget cuts may lead to job losses in Bandomeer's struggling economy.
In recent sports, the Selbar Babteer experienced a disappointing end to their game in Nonmim. They never trailed in the entire game, and they outgained the 5-4-2 Temlisfit by 872 meters, but their undoing came at the very end, ahead 13-10, when LorsanTeeb threw a backbreaking interception that was returned all the way to camp line.
The errant throw was caused by a hit from star defender WanRitpan, and it was hauled in by the Temlisfit's Ripvat ReelVom, which set them up for a late Pim-rif to tie the game. Apparently demoralized by the sudden turn of events, the Babteer made little effort to retake the lead. Avoiding risk of a second calamity by opting to methodically run down the clock, they settled for a tie.
While far from ideal, it was a hard-fought game, and certainly better than a loss. MarpeerVoltan led the way on defense with a fantastic game that included a dozen tackles behind the mesram.
The Babteer are now 6-4-2, which puts them just behind their Southern Division rivals, the Liznob Bot Padneen, who are now 7-4-1 after a loss to the juggernaut Warbeer Veelvat. The Padneen have won back-to-back Southern Division titles and can clinch a third if they win or tie next week, which is the final game of the season.
That key game is against none other than the Selbar Babteer, who can swipe away the division title and secure an unexpected postseason appearance if they pull off the upset. While the game was scheduled to be played in Selbar, Liznob Bot is hosting it instead due to the Republic's besieging of Selbar.
Quite ironically, Liznob Bot is one of the Republic's most secure bases on Bandomeer, and most of their supplies for the attack on Selbar travel through Liznob Bot. In the war, it is the Liznob Bot attacking the Babteer Pil of Selbar. But in Beezfitrar, which is often known as the little brother of war, it is the Babteer of Selbar who are traveling to battle at Liznob Bot. The pride of Selbar and its Babteer are on the line in more ways than one.