Brief Canonical History of Onderon

 

 

Iziz was a massive, walled city and the only modern settlement on the planet Onderon. Ruled by a popular monarchy, it served as the Japrael system's capital. The city was well-known for its defenses, which were devoted to keeping out the flying beasts that attacked the planet from the nearby moon of Dxun.

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Established originally as a colony of Humans pacifists, the city of Iziz quickly expanded as permanent settlements were established on the world. Growing to a massive sixteen hundred square kilometers, the city was protected from the jungle and the dangerous beasts which lived there by high walls and a fortified defense grid. Turret towers mounted at points along the wall and security stations at each access point ensured that peace was kept in the city and the wild beasts of both land and the air were kept at bay.

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Centered around a steep hill, the Iziz Royal Palace was the center point of the city, looking over the city for millennia. The home of the Monarchy of Iziz, the King and Queen presided over the government of Onderon while the Iziz Council of Lords dealt with the affairs of the city.

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As the Great Sith War tore across the galaxy, the Brotherhood of the Sith and the Mandalorian Crusaders set their sight upon Iziz near the end of the conflict in hopes of a last-ditch victory against the Republic. Attacking the planet, Mandalore the Indomitable and his forces were swiftly driven to the Demon Moon of Dxun by a concerted effort by King Kira and the Republic. Upon the moon, Mandalore was devoured by the drexl beasts there, and the Mandalorian fleet collapsed.

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Since the conclusion of the Great Sith War, Onderon had endured a period of peace, led by descendants of King Kira and Queen Galia who had aligned the planet with the Republic and the Jedi Order. While the Jedi Civil War had not affected the planet, five years after the conclusion of the conflict, Iziz was thrown into a civil war of its own when a power struggle within the royal family erupted. The Republic had began taking flora and fauna from Onderon to attempt to restore planets that had been damaged by the Mandalorians and the Sith.  As the Republic was near collapse, Onderon received nothing in return for these things, and almost no assistance from the Republic at all due to the planet's damages being negligible in comparison to others.  Queen Talia Kira, the planet's young ruler, was struggling to maintain Onderon's allegiance to the Republic as the Dark Wars appeared to have finally defeated the Republic and the Jedi. As Talia struggled to maintain the peace her cousin and leader of the Onderonian military, General Vaklu, secretly allied with the Sith Triumvirate and his call to cut ties with the Republic quickly gained him the support of the citizens of Iziz. During the opening salvo of the Civil War, Vaklu declared martial law on the city and ousted his cousin from the throne.

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During the battle the exiled Jedi Knight Meetra Surik landed on the planet in search of one of the last members of the Jedi High Council, Master Kavar. Searching the city, Surik quickly learned that the Merchant Quarter at the southern end of the city had been occupied by the Onderon separatists and the Western District was under the authority of the Exchange. 

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Setting up a meeting Surik interrogated Kavar regarding his motives for sentencing her to exile, however, Colonel Tobin tried to capture the Jedi during the meeting. Unwilling to be captured, Kavar used the Force to stun Tobin's men and fled to the Royal Palace, while the Exile fought her way back to the city's main starport to escape back to Dxun. As civil unrest choked the city the dispute escalated into a second uprising after which Queen Talia reclaimed control of the city and its defenses, while General Vaklu would stand trial for treason. While Iziz was reclaimed, much of the city itself was destroyed in the war.

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A Forgotten District’s Fight for Survival

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Onderon remained under Republic control for many years, but when the Emperor attacked in 28 BTC, the Onderonian people were once again left neglected. Even after three centuries, the city of Iziz had not fully recovered from the previous war. While most districts received funds for reparations, the Western District—arguably the most damaged—saw little to no financial aid. The jungle swiftly reclaimed the area, and crime and gang activity flourished, making reconstruction both dangerous and costly.

As war broke out once more between the Republic and the Empire, the Western District was declared an internal matter of Onderon. The Republic washed its hands of the city's plight, denying any further funding to aid its recovery. Meanwhile, King Petryph, Onderon’s reigning monarch, embezzled vast sums for his own indulgence, constructing lavish hunting lodges and private palaces, all while the Western District languished in ruins.
 

Once the ruling family, the Kira family now held a seat on the Council of Lords and bore the responsibility for the Western District. Helena Kira, heiress to the Kira legacy, was the most vocal critic of the King’s corruption. Her opposition led the Kira family into disfavor, despite their distant blood relation to the monarchy. In retaliation, King Petryph withheld even more funding and began confiscating over seventy-five percent of the Kira family's supply shipments under the guise of “inspections,” further crippling the district.
 

The arrival of Czerka Corporation on Onderon's moon, Dxun, would prove disastrous. The corporation struck a deal with King Petryph to construct a massive laboratory to experiment on the moon’s lethal wildlife. In exchange for substantial payment, the King allowed Czerka to use Iziz's Western District as a testing ground for their dangerous experiments. The beasts unleashed terror upon the already suffering civilians, who were caught in the crossfire of pirates and gangs that had overtaken the area. The once-vibrant district became uninhabitable.
 

Helena Kira and her family spent much of their personal wealth in a desperate attempt to restore the district. Yet their efforts were in vain, as Czerka’s monstrous creations brought all progress to a grinding halt. For years, Helena pleaded with the Tython Jedi Enclave for aid, but her cries went unanswered. The Jedi were too occupied with the ongoing war to concern themselves with a single district’s struggles.
 

Disillusioned with the Republic, the Jedi, and her own government, Helena resolved to take matters into her own hands. No longer willing to tolerate King Petryph's tyranny, she now seeks to reclaim her district—and perhaps, reclaim the throne for the Kira family. But the King, sensing the growing threat, has already begun sending assassins to silence Helena and remove this thorn from his side once and for all.