Although hostilities in the Hosnian system are primed to continue at a lesser ferocity for months if not years to come, most of the conflict has gradually subsided. As the situation stands now, the long term prognosis of Hosnian is settled, barring unforeseen betrayals. This report outlines the future of the system going forward, summarizes the events of the past weeks, and concludes our coverage of the Hosnian conflict.
Although the dust has yet to fully settle on the planets in the system, it has become clear that Hosnian will be a system divided. Both the Galactic Empire and the New Republic have a firm grasp on their respective portions of the system. This likely will lead to strong feelings of division, anger, and outbreaks of fighting for decades to come, a consistent microcosm of the larger galactic war.
Based on a compilation of land surveys taken from scans from multiple sources, the following report from our on-site survey teams is an accurate summary of the status of land control and security at this time.
The New Republic controls an overwhelming majority of the land on Hosnian, Courtsilius, and the Hosnian Companian moon. The Empire has a statistically significant control advantage on Raysho and Cardota. Hosnian Prime is the key to the future of the system. It is currently Imperial controlled, but based on our information obtained prior to vacating the planet in order to avoid becoming trapped beneath shields, the planet is split roughly in half, with the Empire and the New Republic each controlling at least 40 percent of the land area.
At that time, there were also a small number of private landowners controlling the remaining area, and they held the future of the planet in their grasp. If all of the private owners were to sell their rights to either government, it could significantly shift the balance of power on the surface.
However, most Imperial Union members believe that the system is firmly Imperial, meaning that the Empire may already have acquired enough of that private land to ensure permanent control. If Hosnian Prime remains Imperial, then the system will also remain Imperial. Should the private owners cede control to a Republic-backed government, Hosnian Prime could shift in allegiance. Due to its size and importance to the system, it is likely that the entire system would follow.
Although it is likely that the Empire will retain formal control of the system in accordance with their proclamation previously, our analysis concludes that two planets as well as the sole moon in the system will not be recorded officially as Imperial territory.
Both sides of the galactic war continue to work within Hosnian, but the fact that the control of this system, sitting on the doorstep of the Empire’s core, was ever in doubt is itself a somewhat surprising development. We asked our board chairman, Lahasa Fy, to reflect on the battle so far and its larger ramifications on the galaxy. Despite his historical interaction with the Republic, he provided the following editorial in an attempt to offer as non-biased a view of the proceedings as possible.
Based purely on location, the Empire clearly had tactical advantages in this battleground. One of the early blows to the Imperial fight was the creation of the Flower Company. These individuals were CorSec loyalists and therefore Imperial aligned prior to the Hosnian battles. However, these individuals determined that they personally would be better off profiting from their efforts by working with New Republic and Galactic Alliance forces rather than laboring for their former benefactors. At its core, this betrayal gave the Republic a foothold from which to wage the battles that ensued.
This foothold endured even after the defunct group, MIDAS, scammed the Republic for nearly three billion in credits, promising a large swath of territory on Raysho that ended up securing Imperial control on the planet. If that trade had occurred as originally outlined, the New Republic would also control Raysho. Perhaps the Republic might not have purchased Courtsilius from Nova Blades, had the purchase of the MIDAS territory worked as planned for them, but watching the Republic maintain a nearly level playing field despite being a dealt a blow that cost them a planet in the system further illustrates the difficulties the Empire encountered in attempting to control the system. The capture of at least four Imperial officers also dented the once sterling reputation of the Empire in the matters of war.
So, one of the grander questions to come from Hosnian is this: Is this large-scale defiance of the Empire the new normal, or is this an isolated incident? Only time will tell, but this does seem to indicate that opponents of the Empire appear to have less fear of the galactic government than previously thought. Imperial rule has long been at least partly fueled by fear. Imperials foster fear of attacks by the “terrorist” Republic. They promote the fear the might of the Imperial Army and Navy could come crashing down upon those that rebel. They foster the fear that only the human-centric rule of Imperial law can provide sustained peace. Beyond that, there is the fear of Imperial Intelligence, or even a Sith Lord, breathing down your neck, watching your every move. The events within Hosnian deal a severe blow to the fear of the Imperial might.
Although the cracks that surfaced on Hosnian will embolden the rebels and alliances who fight to oust the Empire, we are already seeing signs that Hosnian will also feed and strengthen the resolve of those who truly fear the Republic. The Imperial propaganda machine is already spinning the events of Hosnian as a terrorist attack, as evidenced by this poster seen in system.
In addition, The Faerytail Family has also formally joined the Imperial Union in the wake of the Hosnian Campaign. Time will tell how that move works out for both the Imperials and the Family, but that seems a natural fit for the Family given their long-standing feud with the Galactic Alliance.
In addition to Faerytail Family formalizing their alliance with the Empire, battle lines seem to be drawing clearer. Zann’s unprecedented public cooperation with the Galactic Alliance could portend changes on that side of the War as well. Although Zann’s dubious history would appear to make them a difficult ally to maintain, they have proven effective in their efforts within Hosnian and in various past conflicts.
So although the Hosnian system resolved nothing in the grander galactic war, it could represent a turning point. This was perhaps one of the greatest acts of defiance of the Empire in over a decade, and a moderately successful one at that. But in the end, it resulted in the Empire acquiring the system and securing a new ally as well. Despite all their setbacks, the Empire remains the dominant force in the galaxy, and those opposing them still face a difficult battle simply to remain competitive.
We here at Shili Free Press (“We’re not just radio anymore!”) thank our loyal patrons for supporting our coverage in Hosnian. Despite the criticism of many in the galaxy who prefer tropes and propaganda, we strive to provide measured, factual coverage of galactic events. When we find events of interest elsewhere in the galaxy, we will continue to stories of galactic importance, but we will do so in a revised approach incorporating lessons learned from Hosnian.
At Shili Free Press, we believe that the galaxy deserves better than the purely the partisan coverage that typically pollutes the holonets and the tight government control over information. We hope the galaxy is not content to settle for the biased information handed out by those in power who seek to control them. We strive to provide this outlet to all others who thirst for truth as we do.
From all of us at Shili Free Press, we are hoping you stay safe
