Yevethan Purge

The Koornacht Cluster, situated in the Deep Core region west of the galactic capital Coruscant and characterized by numerous anomalies, remained sparsely populated and strategically unimportant for millennia. This cluster, comprising roughly 2,000 star systems, derived its name from Aitro Koornacht, a palace guard on Tamban who befriended the astronomer credited with its initial discovery. Despite the high concentration of star systems, only approximately one hundred planets sustained life, and a mere six gave rise to sentient species, with the Yevetha being the most prominent.

As a relatively nascent species, the Yevetha's civilization evolved in isolation from other sentient beings. Their rapid evolutionary trajectory, coupled with their isolation and the inhospitable environment of N'zoth, fostered a culture deeply rooted in xenophobia, along with an ingrained sense of superiority. Following the Clone Wars, the burgeoning Galactic Empire expanded into the previously untouched Cluster, subjugating N'zoth and its adjacent star systems. The Yevetha were subjected to enslavement by the Imperials, who stationed the naval forces of the Black Fleet and its support infrastructure, collectively known as the Black Sword Command, within the cluster, along with several shipbuilding facilities.

Motivated by humanocentrism and the desire to instill fear in subjugated populations, the Imperial colonial authorities engaged in numerous acts of torture and brutality. The Imperial Governor of the Cluster selected several Yevethan females to serve as pleasure slaves for his staff, while the males were used as live targets for stormtroopers during training exercises. The mutilated remains were then displayed at schools and sacred sites, and broadcast on public information channels that all Yevetha were forced to watch twice a day. When subjugation was not working as well, children were taken from their parents.

However, many Yevetha capitalized on their enslavement to acquire extensive knowledge of ship construction techniques. After several years under Imperial dominion, they initiated plans for a rebellion, with Nil Spaar of the Spaar clan emerging as a key leader. During his involvement, he ended the quiet acts of sabotage, encouraging the Yevetha to cultivate the trust of the Empire so they could turn on them later. Eventually, after the Yevetha had the virtual run of the shipyards, Spaar had his chance.

Eight months following the Battle of Endor, which resulted in the death of Palpatine and the subsequent decline of the Empire, the Yevetha seized their opportunity. The Imperial fleet stationed at the shipyards was understaffed and poorly defended, with many vessels in a state of incompleteness or disrepair, presenting an ideal scenario for a surprise uprising. Imperial forces in the Koornacht Cluster were being redeployed to bolster the defense of the Core Worlds, resulting in lax security measures. Spaar was privy to the circumstances, procedure, and schedule of the supposedly sudden Imperial departure.

Commander Jian Paret of the Imperial forces received orders to withdraw and destroy the repair facilities. However, before they could execute their withdrawal, the Yevetha, under the leadership of Nil Spaar and his second-in-command Dar Bille, seized control of the vessels undergoing repairs, the operational warships, and the shipyards themselves. The Yevetha replicated this operation across the Black Fleet, gaining control of the entire armada. The Intimidator, the largest vessel captured, was renamed the Pride of Yevetha. All Imperials were either killed or enslaved, with 300,000 prisoners held on the moon Pa'aal .

Strategically, the Yevethan Uprising solidified Yevethan control over the Koornacht Cluster. Spaar's actions garnered widespread acclaim, and shortly thereafter, he assassinated Viceroy Kiv Truun of the Duskhan League, assuming the title of viceroy himself. Spaar became known as the darama, the chosen one of the Yevetha. As viceroy, his rule over the Duskhan League of all Yevethan worlds was nothing short of autocratic.

Following the Yevetha's acquisition of the Imperial vessels, Spaar embarked on a tour of the Koornacht Cluster's outer regions aboard the Beauty, a captured Imperial CR90 corvette. This journey provided Spaar with valuable insights, revealing the proximity of outsiders to Yevethan settlements and the extent of galactic development near the Koornacht Cluster.

Over the subsequent decade and a half, the Yevetha enhanced their technological capabilities, developing advanced technologies in the form of starship shielding, gravity bombs, Aramadia-class thrustships and D-type fighters. Crucially, they established the Duskhan League, which expanded to encompass thirteen worlds.

In 16 ABY, the Dushkan League emerged from its isolation to engage with the New Republic, which was experiencing a period of peace characterized by increased membership applications, economic prosperity, military innovation, and the growth of a cumbersome and divided bureaucracy. A delegation, led by now-Viceroy Nil Spaar, arrived on Coruscant, ostensibly seeking peaceful coexistence. However, given their xenophobia and their perception of all non-Yevethan species as "vermin," it is more probable that their mission was to sow discord and disruption in preparation for their planned war of extermination.

Exploiting the New Republic's limited intelligence on the Dushkan League and the political infighting within the Senate, Nil Spaar prolonged his negotiations with Chief of State Leia Organa Solo over several weeks. Pressured by military and intelligence advisors seeking answers and a potential ally against the Core Imperial strongholds, Organa Solo engaged in discussions, only to become the target of a political scheme designed to plunge the New Republic into chaos. During this period he played into her empathy towards a species subjugated by the Empire, allowing him to cultivate assets on Coruscant.

Unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps for the Yevetha), the Commander of the Fifth Fleet, General A'baht had sent astrographic survey ships to the areas around that of the Dushkan League. The New Republic had lacked accurate Star Charts of the Deep Core areas formerly belonging to the Empire, a fact which had made the General uncomfortable in the Fifth Fleet's search for the missing Black Fleet. The fleet itself, and the Astrogator-class probe Astrolabe, were searching outside the space claimed by the League, but that did not stop the Yevethan warship Purity from destroying the unarmed surveying ship, claiming it had violated their space.

Spaar seized this opportunity to initiate a series of political maneuvers that sowed confusion within the New Republic. He accused Organa Solo of "warmongering" and pleaded for the Yevetha to be left in peace. Wary of engaging in war, many New Republic citizens voiced outrage towards the Chief of State, and several member worlds even submitted articles of withdrawal. With the diplomatic outcome a complete catastrophe, Leia ordered the Fifth Fleet to return from the Falax sector to Coruscant—leaving the Black Fleet now completely unhindered to carry out Spaar's plans.

Having departed from Coruscant following a political barrage with Chief of State Organa Solo, Nil Spaar arrived back in the Koornacht Cluster aboard the consular vessel Aramadia. Upon arriving, it was greeted by the Yevethan Super Star Destroyer Pride of Yevetha. After three transfers by ferry to the Pride, Nil Spaar himself arrived onboard the warship escorted by his honor guard and Proctor Vor Duull. He was immediately greeted by Proctor Dar Bille who informed the Viceroy that he had mustered the Black Fleet ready for combat.

By 16 ABY, the Black Fleet consisted of 25 Imperial-designed starships of various classes. However, the experimental test-bed EX-F was unavailable for combat since its intricate propulsion system was a constant frustration to the Yevetha. Earlier, Bille himself had seen to the execution and replacement of the Proctor of the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser Blessings for incompetence.

During a rousing speech to the crew of the warships, Spaar declared the Koornacht Cluster as the sole preserve of the Yevetha and ordered the "cleansing of all vermin settlements" within the vicinity of that region. Second-in-command Dar Bille then personally dispatched the Black Fleet to do his master's command. The assembled warships dispersed across the Cluster to carry out their task of exterminating the thirteen non-Yevetha colonies.

In the first hours of the Cleansing, the cruiser Star Dream was dispatched against the small Brigian mining colony of New Brigia on the edge of the Cluster. The cruiser first landed a force of Yevethan soldiers in dropships, who massacred the settlers including the miner Negus Nigekus. Several miners at Pit 4 committed ritual suicide by throwing themselves at the blasters of the Yevethan troops.

After the resistance had been destroyed, a broad-hulled cargo shuttle landed to seize the chromite ore and processing machinery. Less than an hour after it had landed, the shuttle took off again and moved away as the Star Dream sterilized the settlement with salvos from its heavy batteries. Its mission complete, the cruiser returned through hyperspace to N'zoth with a cargo of plundered chromite.

However on J't'p'tan, the Force-sensitive Fallanassi sect received a vision of the impending genocide through the White Current. Under the directions of their leader Wialu, they protected themselves, the H'kig and their temple by creating the illusion that the temple had already been destroyed, and there was nothing left to kill. The Yevethan ships thus passed over the target.

The most populous world within the Cluster was the former Imperial military port world of Polneye which was home to 300,000 sentients of various species. Its government was a small nation state of eight consolidated cities including Nine South, Eleven North and the ghost town of Fourteen North. Three Black Fleet warships under the command of Proctor Jip Toorr were tasked with the assault on Polneye: Devotion, Honor and Liberty'.[1]

Upon arrival, a sensor-scrambling atmospheric ionization field was detected by the Yevethan warships, preventing accurate bombardment of surface installations. To ensure timely completion of their mission, a trio of TIE/rc starfighters were launched as spotters. Ground-based traffic control systems detected the TIE/rc scouts, but the local denizens were unaware of their purpose.

Moments later, orbital turbolaser fire commenced on Polneye's cities, guided and adjusted by the scouts. Of Polneye's eight major cities, only Ten South survived the bombardment, although a troop transport landed before the conclusion of the battle. Four of six defensive TIE/IN interceptors, flown by rookie Polneyi pilots from the 10S Technical Institute including Plat Mallar, launched to engage the scouts. Plat Mallar scored a kill on one TIE/rc, but the other Polneyi TIE/IN interceptors were destroyed before they could secure any kills.

Despite this minute loss, Jip Toorr severely lambasted the weapons master of the Devotion for the death of the TIE/rc pilot. Humiliated because of a loss of face, the weapons master ran out of the deck and committed suicide. A still furious Toorr then ordered the deployment of starfighters to destroy the Polneyi TIE/IN Interceptors.

Plat Mallar escaped the battle on board his TIE/IN Interceptor and attempted to flee to the nearest population center Galantos. However as the TIE/In was not equipped with an in-built hyperdrive, such a journey would take three standard years. With the life-support system losing power, the Grannan recorded an account of his life and the massacre just as he slipped into unconsciousness. Days later, near death, he was found by elements of the New Republic Fifth Battle Group.

With Nil Spaar at its helm, the Pride of Yevetha exterminated the inhabitants of the Kubaz colony before conquering the Imperial Remnant agriworld of Pirol-5. By the end of the campaign, the Black Fleet had wiped out colonies of Brigians, Corasgh, Grannan, Kubaz, Morath, the H'kig and the Polneyi. The survivors were taken hostage and imprisoned onboard several Aramadia-class thrustships. Two of these planets were to be resettled with Yevethan colonists. For this purpose, the previous inhabitants were genocided. The future colonists would be transported on thrustships to their new homes.

Following the purge, Spaar and the Aramadia returned home. Spaar was greeted by thousands of adoring Yevetha, who now viewed him as god-like. Once on N'zoth, Spaar traveled to Giat Nor, the planet's capital city. As the ruler and hero of the Yevetha, he was free to choose anyone as a mate. In addition to his darna, he chose fifteen females to be his mates, and accepted the blood sacrifice of several nitakka, who willingly gave their lives for the viceroy.

In response to the genocide, Organa Solo had decided that no other worlds would fall to the Yevetha unchallenged, and the Fifth had been sent as a strong show of force. However, the Yevetha also had a mole on Coruscant, in the form of Belezaboth Ourn, a consul for the Paqwepori, who informed the Dushkan League of the Fifth Fleet's redeployment to Koornacht after the New Republic had learned of the Yevethan Purge. To foment even more dissonance in the New Republic's public opinion of their own leadership, Spaar and his agents hijacked the official holofeed of Channel 1, allowing him to address the entire New Republic at once.

Spaar, however, told the citizenry that the Yevetha had fallen under attack and even claimed that attacks on all non-Yevetha in the cluster, which had killed millions, had been orchestrated by the New Republic against the Duskhan League. In truth, the Yevetha, who viewed all other species as vermin, had begun to eliminate all others in the Koornacht Cluster. Many believed Spaar, and the New Republic Senate was divided as a result. Immense pressure was placed on Organa Solo, who knew Spaar's allegations were false, and that the Yevetha were aiming for dominance of Koornacht.

However, the Grannan Plat Mallar survived the genocide by fleeing on a TIE/IN interceptor from Polneye. A New Republic patrol ship 5P8 encountered his fighter near the edge of the Koornacht Cluster and took him to Coruscant. There, his personal testimony and the combat records from his starship helped changed public opinion in the New Republic against the Dushkan League.