New Republic (Xen)

The New Republic was the name of the government that evolved from the Rebel Alliance after its victory over the Emperor at the Battle of Kashyyyk, 4 ABY. Its official name was the New Galactic Republic and was sometimes referred to as the Sixth Republic.

The New Republic was seen by many, especially its founders to be more of a continuation of the Old Republic rather than an entirely new entity. Like its predecessor, the New Republic was guarded by the Jedi Order. After several years of hard fighting, the New Republic eventually became recognized as the legitimate Galactic Government replacing the Empire, just as the Empire replaced the Old Republic a generation earlier.

Unfortunately as the Old Republic is described as a mighty Oak, able to withstand any external attack only to rot away from with in, the New Republic suffered from the same debilitating rot, and was but a sapling compared to its predecessor. Torn apart by infighting and an ambitious leader, the New Republic was divided and conquered by its enemies, making it the shortest lived of all galactic governments, and perhaps the greatest failure.

Birth of the New Republic
The death of Emperor Palpatine and his evil henchman, Darth Vader at the Battle of Kashyyyk marked the beginning of a promise made flesh. For over a decade the Rebel Alliance fought the tyranny of the Galactic Empire, pledging to restore the glory of the Old Republic. Kashyyyk became the first capital of the New Republic, which was soon bolstered by support from worlds in the Outer and Mid-Rim throwing off the shackles of Imperial Rule to embrace the freedom the New Republic offered.

The New Republic formed a Provisional Council to act as the ruling body of the new government, represented by 12 of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. The Provisional Council drafted an interim constitution establishing the structure, powers, and duties of the new government. Within the first few months following the victory at Kashyyyk, the New Republic’s strength grew, and many began to believe it to be the future of the galaxy.

Conquering the Core Worlds
For a thousand generations Coruscant had been the capital of the galactic government, in order to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the greater galaxy, the New Republic Provisional Council believed it had to conquer Coruscant and establish it as their new capital. Without Palpatine and Vader’s leadership, the Empire began to unravel; several systems joined the New Republic in droves. A year after the Battle of Kashyyyk a quarter of the galaxy had rallied to the New Republic’s banner; another 15% supported the new government but feared Imperial retribution.

Admiral Ackbar and General Madine began an aggressive campaign liberating worlds in the Colonies, Expansion Region and Inner Rim; the Empire which slightly over a year ago seemed invincible was helpless against the onslaught of the New Republic war machine. Warlordism and ineffectual leadership doomed the once mighty Empire. The goal of reaching Coruscant was finally in reach, two years after the Battle of Kashyyyk, Admiral Ackbar led the New Republic fleet deep into the Core Worlds, liberating Alderaan from Imperial oppression. Princess Leia walked proudly upon the surface of her recently freed planet; Alderaan then replaced Kashyyyk as the capital of the New Republic and was the staging post for the New Republic’s goal of conquering Coruscant.

Six months after liberating Alderaan, the New Republic engaged the Empire in the Battle of Coruscant, at the time it was the largest all out naval battle in history with Admiral Ackbar commanding the New Republic against the Imperial Fleet led by Grand Admiral Grunger. The battle proved costly for both sides, but in the end the fractures in the Imperial leadership was overwhelmed by the sheer determination of the New Republic. With Coruscant as its capital, many more worlds rallied to support the New Republic, the Empire it seemed was dying, a dark page in galactic history best left as a distant memory, but not forgotten.

In fact as well as name
It had been three years since the Battle of Kashyyyk; the New Republic had evolved from a band of rebels to the legitimate government of the galaxy. The Provisional Council which had ruled the New Republic since its founding began preparations to assemble a new Senate. The old Senate Rotunda building, which had been used as an armory since the Emperor dissolved the Senate 7 years earlier, underwent a major renovation, New Republic ambassadors traveled to neutral worlds, extending formal invitations to join the fledgling government.

The new Republic committed resources to help Luke Skywalker rebuild the Jedi Order, giving to the Jedi Knight the old Jedi Temple which had been used as barracks by Imperial Stormtroopers to keep order on the capital world. Like the Senate Rotunda, the Jedi Temple undertook a massive renovation, though Luke Skywalker himself felt a little awkward about so few Jedi living in such a massive structure, but realized the importance of the symbolism.

Just before the Thrawn Campaign, the Senate convened for the first time in nearly a decade, to nobodies surprise Mon Mothma was elected Chief of State of the New Republic. The senate united as never before to face the last of the threat of the Empire, and ratified the Treaty of Kuat, officially ending the hostilities between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant. In the years of peace, the New Republic prospered, successfully sponsoring the Caamas Project, restoring worlds devastated by previous wars to their natural state of beauty.

A New Constitution
After the Thrawn Crisis was resolved the New Republic Senate drafted a new, permanent Constitution, guaranteeing the rights of sentience and outlawing slavery. The Senates powers expanded to create many new council’s designed to better help the New Republic run efficiently, these included the Council of Common Defense, Justice Council, Council of Military Intelligence, Commerce Council, Council of Science and Technology, and the Council of Infrastructure and Transportation.

The Chairpersons of each council formed the New Republic High Council, and was given the authority to remove the Chief of State from power if he or she became too powerful, just as Palpatine had become in the waning days of the Old Republic. The reformed Jedi Order was answerable to the New Republic High Council, rather than the Senate or the President.

To ease the fears of an overbearing central government, the New Republic became a Confederation of worlds, cooperating in intergalactic law, security, economic developments and human rights. Most of the power laid with individual planets, with members of the Senate acting more as ambassadors than a true legislature that had been the case in the Old Republic, and the early days of the Empire.

The High Court served as the Judicial Branch of the New Republic, presided over by seven judges, selected by the Justice Council from a list submitted by the Chief of State and approved by over half the members of the Senate. Though not as corrupt as its predecessor, the Imperial Court, the High Court, resembled the Supreme Court in the Old Republic; being weak and with limited jurisdiction.

Corruption and War
Two decades after the destruction of the first Death Star over, a new generation of politicians began to assume positions of power in the New Republic hierarchy, more concerned with fulfilling their own ambitions rather than the common good, the New Republic quickly devolved, resembling the latter years of the Old Republic. The limited power of the Senate became entangled in petty squabbles over conflict of personal interests. Although the humanocentric views of the old Imperial era were removed by the New Republic, fringe organizations such as the League of Human High Culture kept the spirit alive, and were often countered by other hate groups such as the anti-Human Diversity Alliance.

It was into this environment that Borsk Fey’lya managed to get elected as the new Chief of State of the New Republic. Overly ambitious, and without a sense of political decency, Fey’lya sought to create his own legacy that would set him above the previous leaders of both the Old and New Republic’s. Frustrated by the perception of the new order of Jedi Knights running unchecked across the galaxy, imposing their own brand of justice on behalf of the New Republic, Fey’lya came under the influence of the Sith Lord, Darth Acheron. Acheron proposed a secret alliance with the New Republic, together they would conquer and divide the Imperial Remnant and unite the galaxy under the rule of the New Republic. Fey’lya would be remembered as the one who united the galaxy, and in exchange, the Dark Lord requested only the elimination of the Jedi Knights.

Unbeknownst to Fey’lya, Darth Acheron’s ally, Darth Omen had brought the Empire under his dark influence, ordering the new Emperor to build his rebuild the military, and together the Sith and Empire would conquer the New Republic and rule the galaxy. Using the pretext of the Imperial military buildup and an attack on the luxury gambling vessel, the Lady Luck, Borsk Fey’lya declared war on the Imperial Remnant. When the Jedi Order refused to join the New Republic Armed Forces in what they perceived as an aggressive war, Fey’lya declared the Jedi as Imperial sympathizers, and secretly hired the Mandalorian Protectors to raid the Jedi Temple.

The raid on the Jedi Temple divided the New Republic military and politically with many calling for the impeachment of Fey’lya. Darth Acheron assured the High Council would remain divided on the issue and when the Senate was called into an emergency session, a Sith planted bomb blew up in the Senate chamber killing thousands of Senators, including Chief of State Borsk Fey’lya.

Suffering from the power vacuum, the New Republic crumpled beneath the might of the Imperial Remnant and was further divided between the factions that supported the Jedi, and those in favor of dissolving the ancient order. The infighting allowed the Empire to conquer Coruscant and the Core Worlds; forced to retreat to the Outer Rim the New Republic split in half in a virtual Civil War, the anti-Jedi faction led by the Sullustan Niuk Niuv established itself as the Galactic Confederation of Free Planets, setting its capital up on Sullust. The pro-Jedi faction led by the remains of the High Council relocated to Ossus, an ancient Jedi stronghold still holding onto the ideals of the Republic, it was simply known as the Republic Remnant.

After the Sith revealed themselves, by seizing control of the Empire and demanding the Republic Remnant and Confederation of Free Planets surrender, the resolve of the Republic Remnant was strengthened. An attempt to form a truce with the Confederation of Free Planets failed, and Niuk Niuv swore allegiance to the Sith Overlord. With their resolve to fight on strengthened, the High Council requested the Jedi Master Leia Organa-Solo to take the office of Chief of State. Fortunately the Remnant was not alone in its fight against the Sith, a coalition of Imperial Moffs, Admirals, Generals and aristocrats refused to recognize Darth Acheron as their new Emperor formed an alliance with the Republic Remnant and the Jedi Order. Officially the New Republic and Imperial Remnant were dissolved united into the Galactic Alliance.

Society
Like the Old, the New Republic had a very diverse culture, repealing the oppressive restrictions placed on the galaxy by the old Empire. A new generation of artists, poets, scientists and thinkers expressed their views openly and freely without fear of reprimand from the government. Though the successes of the New Republic are considered far and few between, the culture produced during its brief history is amongst the most exciting and rich ever experienced by the galaxy.

Military
The New Republic Defense Force is the military branch of the government. In the early years of the New Republic its Fleet consisted mostly of Clone Wars vintage capital ships, as well as ships converted to military duty and hijacked; or stolen Imperial vessels. As the New Republic grew in size and wealth new military designs were built, becoming the finest warships in the galaxy, capable of matching any Imperial Star Destroyer in single combat. The New Republic Starfighter Service was attached to the Navy and boasted the best starfighter’s in the galaxy ranging from the X-wing to the more recently developed A-wing. By the time the Thrawn Crisis ended, the New Republic had began to retire some of its older models such as the venerable Y-wing and Z-95 Headhunter, reducing the aging starfighter’s to Pilot Training Academy on Coruscant, and planetary defense forces.

The New Republic Army was the smallest branch of service, but also the toughest. Trained to operate under the most grueling conditions the New Republic Army was capable of withstanding any attacks staged by Imperial Stormtroopers, and the deadly war machines of the Empire. The Crowning achievement of the New Republic Army came in the liberation of Coruscant when led by General Crix Madine; the Imperial defenders were overwhelmed and forced to surrender in droves.

During the liberation of Raithal, the New Republic Army secured the Raithal Citadel. Securely in New Republic hands the Citadel became the most prestigious military academy in the New Republic. Many heroic commanders from the Rebellion became its instructors including Jan Dodonna, and Hiram Drayson.

Following the Armistice with the Empire, the New Republic began gutting its military in an effort to bring the budget under control. The Army, Navy and Starfighter Corps were reduced to a fraction of their size during the war, with member worlds expected to provide their own security.

Astrography
The size of the New Republic varied; with in a year after the Battle of Kashyyyk the New Republic consisted of only 11,000 worlds, but as the years passed this number grew. During the Thrawn Crisis approximately half the known galaxy had rallied to the New Republic. Once the war with the Empire came to a close, nearly three fourths of the Galaxy claimed membership in the New Republic, including all of the Core Worlds.