Good evening. This is GNN, the Galactic News Network. Can the New Republic keep order across the galaxy in the wake of the Empire's continued decline? That's the question being asked tonight as reports of war come pouring in from the Tapani Sector. Once staunchly held Imperial territory the situation in the sector has rapidly deteriorated over the past few months, with the Imperial Remnant effectively losing all control. Reports indicate that the most powerful noble houses, Mecetti and Melantha, are engaged in a bitter power struggle, with many of the other houses caught in the crossfire. Refugees are fleeing the sector in droves as the violence continues, and there have been calls for the New Republic to deploy a peacekeeping force to the region.  

New Republic officials, however, have been quoted as saying that this is merely an intersector territorial dispute. According to one, "The New Republic is not responsible for stopping every territorial skirmish that flares up simply because the Empire has withdrawn. If we deployed peacekeeping forces everywhere there was a disturbance, we wouldn't have enough of a navy left to garrison Coruscant. Our primary concern is to our member worlds. We cannot afford to be the galaxy's police force."

Surprisingly, the Imperial forces left to garrison the Tapani Sector seem to have turned against one another, fighting for a variety of Tapani Noble houses. Some Imperial commanders, we're told, have blood relations to the houses they're now fighting for while others are opportunists looking to hold power when their allied house wins the war. A significant portion of the former Imperial garrison, however, has yet to choose any side at all. The Imperial Remnant, for it's part, does not seem to be actively involved in the conflict. In fact, with it's attention drawn to other threats it seems to have written off the Tapani Sector entirely, unwilling to expend the resources it would take to get the sector - and the breakaway Imperial forces - back under control. That leaves the unaligned Imperial garrisons, such as those on Tallaan, in a precarious situation. With no Remnant reinforcements expected to assist them, they may well become targets for the Noble houses whether they want to be involved in the war or not. Here to discuss the situation is GNN correspondent Lorien Munts. Coming up after the break, we'll have his views on the Tapani Sector War, and whether or not the New Republic can afford to stay out of it.