[Extract from: Rises and Falls of the Galactic Republic – Book XXVII: Another End or The End?]
[Authored by Grul Mog Yoor, University of Nar Kaaga]
Chapter XXII – So Rises the New Republic: For War Eternal
The destruction of the Imperial loyalist fleet elements at Senpidal effectively brought the Second Northern Crusade to a conclusion, ensuring a Republican victory in general rather than totality. This was due to the Confederate reconquest, or reintegration, of the former Confederate territories lost during the Succession Wars, or during the Confederate Civil, as well as the Imperial Treaties Expansion beyond Noune. Yet this brought the majority, if only a bare majority, of the Galactic north under the Republican banner once again, though the government on Coruscant was more aggressive in mode than its predecessor regimes since the Ruussan Reformation.
Rather the New Republic Revolutionary Restoration government, as it saw itself, favoured the older, more direct, statements of Core Dominance and Republican Values over the subtler domination that had brought about the Fall of the Republic in their minds. As seen in previous books of this historiography such responses have not been uncommon when the so-called democratic mandate of Core dominance that is the Galactic Republic finds itself under pressure. Indeed the actions of the New Republic then, when it arose and began reconquest, then can be seen as a perfectly normal response from a democracy when faced with internal difficulties; much as a mob lashes out against its victims, so does the heritage of the Republic.
It is important to note when discussing the actions of the New Republic, and Confederacy of Independent States to a lesser extent, prior to The Arrival that neither party were aware of the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion. Not at the time strategic decisions were made, and when made aware in later months, can be seen to have been committed to such strategic decisions despite partial awareness by that point. Nor was the full extent of The Arrival understood, or expected, even by parties warning of such dangers. And therefore what can be seen as idiotic decisions were made not because of stupidity, or perceived madness, but rather because other factors were given greater weighting was given towards internal factors.
With the Confederate Reconquest such factors impacting decisions-making was rather simple; the Reconquest of the Galactic North had left their forces badly overstretched, they were at war with the United Federal Empire, were watchful for a New Republic invasion, and had heavily divided internal politics.
Due to this, along with the explosion of the Great Refugee Crisis in response to the New Republics Restoration and Equity Movement, the general response to most events by the Confederacy tended to be paralysation rather than aggression. They were at war with Mandalore and the Empire, along with numerous minor rebellions, yet internal politics served to prevent both a firm response to these conflicts, while also moving to prevent these conflicts ending on reasonable terms. As such the Confederacy would, bar isolated situations undertaken at a local command level, remain on the defensive despite being the initiator of their conflict with the old and newly joined Imperial states. Thus, within the reconquered territories, little tended to change, save where forced to be external forces such as the refugees flooding in, the pirates and raiders following them, and eventually the horrors of The Arrival.
For the revived Galactic Republic known as the New Republic such was far from the case, with the Republican Restorationists being Active that Reactive as the Confederacy was. Where a more developed and civilized culture, such as that of the Hutt, would simply acknowledge that unpleasant decisions must be taken, and certain elements of society to pay the cost, the New Republic placed great emphasis on falsehoods and rationalising such actions undertaken. For while the Republican advance, of course, brought forth slavery in de facto nature, this status was stubbornly, and violently, refused to be called such. Whole systems were de facto enslaved to see their resources, whether physical or in the form of individuals, but de jure slavery remained illegal within the New Republic as stated, loudly and frequently, by democratic agitators.
These policies were driven forward by the Restoration and Equity Movement, wherein 'Modern, Civilized, Core Values' were to be imposed upon 'Backwards, Savage, Rim' societies. Such was to be done by imposition of 'Equalisation' of wages across societies, with all members, Core and Non-Core citizens, paid the same effective wage. Of course this was not based hours worked, nor the debt imposition placed the conquered societies, and as such new immigrants essentially worked minimal hours while native inhabitants of a world were expected to work all available hours. This was presented as a glorious case of spreading Revolutionary Equality, civilizing the savage oligarchs, thieves, and capitalists that existed beyond the so-called Civilized Core.
Understandably to any faction bar the New Republic official line, and its citizenry within much of the Core, this generally led to attempts at resistance, which were swiftly crushed and led to harsher terms, and then to attempts to flee. Due to this Republican policy tended towards active attempts to limit this capacity, first by military means, and secondly by restrictions upon hyperspace space travel outside zones deemed 'safe' to civilian hyper-traffic. There was further development of taxation and certification methodologies to first restrict, and with the intent to eliminate, any non 'Public Service' traffic when the Republic Public Transit Authority was established as a centralised service. Immediately prior to The Arrival as such the New Republic had therefore effectively made illegal all civilian traffic outside such Communal services, with many unfortunates turning towards piracy in its wake.
It is envisioned that, long-term, such decisions were intended to bring about a true revolutionary change in the conquered Rim, largely by destroying the local cultural systems and remaking them to their desire. That the economic model imposed was beyond crude, not even a functional slave economy, speaks to the madness that democracy had led the citizens of the Core too. While it is true the simple exploitation of these newly conquered territories allowed an economic boom to occur in the Core, especially in the non-Big Three systems, led by a newly risen Coruscant; - this did not have any true foundation as most gal-economics agree, and would not have lasted beyond a generation.
The situation was only viable owing to overwhelming military power imposed by the New Republic Navy, and by supportive tyranny from select local micro-powers that were deemed 'allied regions' and allowed engage in brute force and general debauchery as long as Republic tributes were paid. Unfortunately for all in involved, and not involved perhaps, such structures long-term peace an impossibility. For almost as soon as the Second Northern Crusade had ended, did the government on Coruscant begin seeking out new targets for their aggression. Even without this factor the structures established, which had enabled conquest, almost required further expansion as conquered populations, ie slave-workers, sought to escape and therefore must be recaptured or suffer loss of such resources. Further their auxiliaries, such as the infamous Yinchorri for example, were prone to raid beyond New Republic territory before retreating into the New Republic with impunity as Coruscant denied the existence of any other star nation as a permanent entity.
Immediately after the Second Crusade then, the choice was seemingly between the Confederacy and the Empire as the next target. Or, rather, towards allied territories of both. While the Confederacy was in the weaker position, the sudden growth of the United Federal Empire had alarmed Coruscant, and the support given during the Second Crusade to their enemies ensured enmity. Despite this it is clear that Coruscant had no intentions of starting a conflict as early as occurred; - in fact if the now known timelines of both stellar nations projects are factored in The Arrival would likely have ensured no such conflict happened. But, structural factors in both states advances essentially guaranteed the Imperial-Republican War to erupted even as the Confederate-Imperial War continued.
The immediate reason for conflict would be the old Confederate Droid Pockets, or Droid Redoubts, as Mygeeto offered a serious problem for the Republicans in the galactic north, while Fondor sat upon one of the galaxies largest shipyards. If the New Republic was to succeed in the long run, then Fondor was deemed as essential to acquire, or, at the very least, to destroy to prevent falling into enemy hands. As it was then deemed. All while Mygeeto rapidly would become a hub for refugees, oft armed ones, to operate from in the face of the Breeder Penal Battalion Combat Regiments conscriptions soon to occur to 'reduce overpopulation' across the Mid and Outer Northen Rim.
It is also a fact that the announcement of the Dissolution of the Confederacy by the United Federal Empire had a significant impact upon the Droid pockets, reactivating the Remnant Droid Army protocols to a more Active response methodology. This was not factored into strategic thinking by the New Republic Navy as it began to engage in counterinsurgency and anti-piracy operations aggressively in the wake of Sernpidal. Nor was the Imperial Protectorate status of the Fondor pocket truly taken into account by Coruscant by all available records;- instead the sudden expansion of the Empire, and it war with the Confederacy, rendering such a moot point in most minds. Nor was the decision a single engagement undertaken, but rather many, many, minor clashes and raids gradually increasing in intensity till all-out conflict resulted, and then Imperial reinforcements were dispatched to the now war-zone…