About one month ago, stellar cartographers noted that an unexpected shift in the gravitic fields that control hyperspace travel suddenly allowed for more thorough exploration into an area of the galaxy called the Western Reaches, which had been previously mostly uncharted due to the difficulties of hyperspace travel through the region. With access to the area restored, the planet Jakku able to make contact with the rest of the galaxy once more. However, the gravitic signatures in the area clearly pointed to there being many more stellar and planetary masses in the area, and the profiteers rushing for land claims on Jakku itself later spread out, once the Trade Federation coalition secured Jakku, trying to explore and map the sector. There was a sense of hope for all that previously unclaimed systems and planets could be located and secured.

Because the new sector was located close to a section of space controlled by the Trade Federation, it was little surprise that they, and their neighbors and allies, quickly moved to secure Jakku and its ice moon, Semal. However, because of the process required to secure Jakku, and due to the large number of stakeholders with land claims on the planet, the Trade Federation plans to form a locally governing council to manage day to day life on Jakku, providing the local citizens a measure of self-determination despite being a territory under the jurisdiction of the Federation. Despite working to prevent groups they would consider undesirable neighbors from obtaining control or large footholds on Jakku, the Federation was also able to also locate and claim Takodana, the next system to be discovered, while also ensuring Jakku did not devolve into a long-term squabble.

Although the groups coordinated by the Federation were the first to find Takodana, about a day after the initial discovery and well before the news was public, members of the Dael’mor clan also located the system and began claiming land as well. The Federation was well on their way to laying claim to most of the planet before the arrival of Dael’mor forces. Therefore, instead of trying to wage a protracted and ultimately futile battle on the planet, the Mandalorian clan decided to cede their claims on the planet to Federation. Unlike Jakku, the current plan for the Federation is that Takodana will be controlled by government in its more typical approach rather than forming another local coalition government.

However, as time passed, the Trade Federation, even with assistance from allied forces, could be the first to scour every nook and cranny of the entire sector. Eventually, the logistics of the vastness of space, as well as the attention and effort required to secure multiple planets already, allowed other organizations to obtain a foothold in the area.

The Industrial Confederacy, a manufacturing conglomerate founded and led by the Petrakis Family, was the next organization to find an uncontrolled system in the sector. They located the Jedha system and were able to secure both the larger planetary body of NaJedha as well as the moon of the same name as the system. The brothers plan to, over time, develop NaJedha in order to relocate their primary base of manufacturing to the planet. They will then hope to lease their old production centers out to smaller organizations looking to establish themselves. They plan to leave the Jedha moon as undisturbed as possible, however. Upon their initial scans of the planet, and currently being confirmed by experts in the field, there appear to be historically and culturally significant religious sites on the moon, including possible force-related temples.

Next, the Machinae gained control of Isde Naha, another system with a single planetary body. However, despite our attempts to contact them, no member of Machinae has made themselves available for comment yet. So, their long-term plans are not yet known at this time.

Another system Twon Ketee, has also been found and just revealed to the public. This toxic swamp planet is alleged by some scholars to be the planet where the fearsome rathtar originated. It appears that the sole planet’s land mass has already been claimed, and that the Triumvirate Coalition is the favorite to secure control of the planet, but control has not yet been established. These reports are still unconfirmed, and we are currently monitoring events as they develop in system.

It is unclear if there are any more habitable planets left to be found in the region. If more are found, Shili Free Press will be able to report on the expansion into this area. Through the graciousness of the Trade Federation and its allies on Jakku, our organization has been provided an area of land for our use in broadcasting news from this area to the galaxy at large. Currently, we have set up some temporary signal boosting equipment in the desert, but have plans to fully develop a networking center on Jakku to be our new state of the art broadcasting hub for this quadrant, pending approval of our design plans by the planetary oversight council still being formed by the major stakeholders on Jakku.

For now, that is the status of the Western Reaches Expansion. As always, this is Shili Free Press hoping that you and all the explorers stay safe out there.