Sullustan Revolution

The Sullustan Revolution of 19 ABY was a quick, ferocious conflict that took place in the early part of 19 ABY. It signified a severe turn in the Galactic Civil War, as one of the first systems to openly revolt against the Galactic Empire following the Imperial Blitzkrieg. The uprising resulted in the liberation of Sullust from its Imperial Oppressors.

The Yoke of Slavery[]

The Fourth Battle of Sullust signified the beginning of a dark era for the Sullustan race. The two month long campaign waged in 14 ABY signified one of the final stages of Danik Kreldin's Imperial Blitzkrieg. The battle resulted in the fall of Sullust, a major loss to the New Republic; SoroSuub's headquarters and main production facilities were seized and nationalized by the Empire, and a majority of the local population was put to work in slave labor camps to fuel the Imperial war effort.

The hammer of COMPNOR was most severe to the Sullustan race, a proud people adept at designing and constructing some of the galaxy's finest starships. For five years, the Sullustans lived under the iron fist of their ruthless Imperial overlords.

In early 19 ABY, the New Republic Defense Force began inserting special operatives onto the planet, in an effort to begin building up secret resistance cells. Storied leaders, such as the Marine Captain Vengan Draelis and Jedi Padawan Lyra, were working diligently to create a secret base of operations with which to stimulate revolution. Their plans would be accelerated after a mercenary group, led by the elusive Stheno, attacked an Imperial Outpost within the industrial region of Piringiisi. They destroyed the base after breaking in and downloading data on Sullust from the Imperial networks. In response, the "Butcher of Toprawa" brought elements of the 501st to Sullust, and began murdering locals in an effort to draw out the secret attackers. The resulting HoloNet slander raised the attention of many locals, who finally began to smell the hints of freedom.

Message Received[]

Under guidance from leaders Vengan Draelis and Lyra, a conglomerate of freedom fighters ranging from New Republic Marines to local Sullustan revolutionaries made their first move. Using haphazardly reinforced work trucks and posing as a work crew, they attacked the planet's primary HoloNet transmitter facility, which had been fortified by the Imperial Army. The initial attackers took their Imperial enemies by surprise, and a technician named Enth Sang was able to take down the protective gate shield, giving passage to the rest of the rebel forces. Once his comrades were safely within the walls of the facility, Enth brought up the lava shields. This blocked out the Imperial reinforcements, which were not powerful enough to break through the powerful lava shields. It was a standoff.

Taking advantage of their grip on the facility, the revolutionaries began transmitting looped messages, urging the locals to begin open revolt against the Empire. Paired with weakened Imperial defenses throughout neighboring prison camps, many Sullustan slaves began rioting against their captors. They were helped by Stheno, who used her stolen intel to help locate and breach one of the larger prison camps.

Holed up in the HoloNet facility, the freedom fighters awaited arrival from a mining crew under the command of Captain Draelis. Sullustans, manning a stolen mining drill, bored through the crust and into the HoloNet facility, providing an escape route that the Imperials couldn't have anticipated. With a captive Imperial Ambassador named Laya Dar'Eboros with them, the freedom fighters escaped into the tunnels, while the Imperials continued hammering on the lava shields to weaken and eventually disable them.

ISB agents tracked an emergency homing beacon activated by Ambassador Dar'Eboros. A rescue operation was mounted, coordinated directly by COMPNOR Director Korynn Fleming. They acquired Dar'Eboros, and covered their escape by utilizing CryoBan Grenades possessed by Stormtroopers from the 501st.

Dar'Eboros and Fleming made for Imperial Center at once, to inform Executor Coronis of the failures taking place at Sullust.

Fueling Rebellion[]

Beolars Bribbs, the CEO of SoroSuub-turned-pawn of the Empire, escaped from Sullust during the riots. Making for the moon of Sulon, he secretly utilized the HoloNet capabilities of Sulon Incorporated to make contact with ex-NR leader Sian Tevv. Putting their heads together, they sent a message to the Hutts and other underworld crimelords, calling for aide in delivering arms, supplies, and medical gear in an effort to revitalize the Sullustan Resistance Movement. Bribbs' promise included a healthy reward to be taken from the coffers of SoroSuub, should the planet shake off their Imperial oppressors. It was a risky move, not to mention an unappealing job without a guarantee for payment.

Regardless, a handful of brave mercenary teams responded, and began taunting the limited Imperial Naval defenses while delivering supplies to fuel the growing resistance movement.

The Fifth Battle of Sullust[]

A few days later, a liberation force dispatched by the New Republic Second Fleet arrived at Sullust. Led by the NRSD Viscount, the liberation force engaged the limited Imperial defenses in an attempt to push them away from the planet. Victory was found when ground crews managed to disable the planetary shields and ion cannons, permitting the fleets to engage directly.

The Imperials, having failed to control the uprising, had been given "fight to death" orders, issued from Korynn Fleming as a COMPNOR mandate. Once overwhelmed by the NRDF liberators, many of the Imperials set their vessels to self destruct, hoping to cause as much collateral damage rather than having their vessels boarded and captured.

HoloNet access was restored through use of the NRSD Viscount's broadcast nodes. However, bandwidth limitations reserved its use to military, government, and limited media use only. Sympathetic Officers within the NRDF liberation force would occasionally allow citizens to patch through, when emergency contact between loved ones and family members was needed.

Additional New Republic Marines landed on the planet to bolster the uprising, seeking to fight off and subdue the remaining Imperial Armies left stranded below. Following a few days of bloody fighting, the Imperial Ground Forces lost their outposts and bases to the combined strength of New Republic Marines and the refueled Sullustan Resistance Movement. With Imperials refusing terms of surrender, suicide moves were designed to take out as many freedom fighters as possible, making the battle bloody, if quick.

In a last act of defiance, Imperial Forces detonated secret mines that had been drilled into many of Sullust's underground caverns. The mines collapsed a number of living areas, wiping out many residential areas. The death toll exceeded 1,000; a high price to pay for freedom.

Conclusion[]

Considering the actions of the Sullustans a betrayal, the Empire declared every Sullustan in the known galaxy to be enemies of the state. Even the Empire's citizens were authorized to kill on sight, igniting a genocide that threatened to span the whole of the Empire. ISB issued bounties on Sullustan leaders Beolars Bribbs and Sian Tevv, along with rewards for information leading to the arrest and "justice" of anyone who helped to fuel the Sullustan Resistance Movement.

Scores of Sullustans began a mass exodus from Imperial planets. Many offered high prices to smugglers and pirates, in exchange for having some extra firepower to protect their families' escape from Imperial wrath. Stories of bodies piled up to be burned at COMPNOR rallies spread, fueling the exodus of Sullustans to safer harbours.

Senator in Exhile Sien Siev coordinated a delegation to begin diplomatic talks with Sullustan leaders as soon as the battle was won. The elements of New Republic Second Fleet remained in orbit, taking up a defensive posture in case the Imperial Oppressors decided to strike back.

In retribution, ISB agents eventually tracked down Beolars Bribbs, who had gone into hiding on Mutanda. He was found and killed.