Camden Evac Complete, Guardians Look Southward for New Home
Posted by: Gothar Elensar, Guardians of the Whills Date: Year 21 Day 143 Onboard the Ardent-class Fast Frigate Mo' Force in system Koiogra (311, -226).
In a solemn ceremony, custody of the of the Temple of Kyber was turned over to the Maurari Blackguard by the Guardians of the Whills on D 143. When the Guardians of the Whills completed their voluntary evacuation of Camden, those staying behind braced themselves for the worst. The Resistance, which had adopted Mordeshine and Halla sectors as their home, had committed most of its resources to defending former-Republic systems from Imperial incursion. With their protectors on the other side of the galaxy, planets like Camden would be practically defenseless against any invader. Citizens hoped that their lack of defenses would preclude the use of excessive force upon its eventual capture. But the planet’s connection to the Resistance could also be more than enough reason for many in the Imperial Union to demand its destruction. When Black Sun forces arrived over Camden on D 141, residents took shelter and prepared themselves for possible bombardment, slaughter, or extortion.
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Keeper of the Whills Gothar Elensar, who stayed behind at the temple, transmitted a message to the orbiting warships, pleading for the safety of the ancient temple and for the numerous residents who were seeking shelter within it. Within the hour, Blades of the Forgotten Prince Commander Vitale Ciprani aboard the Nebulon-B frigate BSS Vrazi, responded, promising to spare the temple and the city around it, provided the Guardians and citizen militias put down their arms and cooperate with Black Sun rule. After heated deliberation, an assembly of Guardians and residents agreed to the terms and symbolically lowered their shields. Elensar met Ciprani at the entrance to the temple compound and offered them a shockball-sized kyber crystal as a sign of goodwill after receiving assurances of the city’s safety. When asked to comment, he said, “To the Guardians of the Whills, our political beliefs are secondary to the desire to preserve and protect the knowledge and heritage of the Force. We only ever protected this temple; we never owned it. If the Maurari will protect it, we will not endanger it by fighting. All is as the Force wills it, after all. That is the most important thing.”
Supporters of the controversial agreement laud it as a hopeful note amid the bloody campaigns raging across the galaxy. Detractors warn that the deal illustrates the clear and dangerous divisions within the Galactic Alliance. Even with a peace deal signed, not everyone has accepted the terms and put down their arms. While the Black Sun presence has deterred fighting in the most urban areas, skirmishes have been widely reported in Camden’s sprawling desert settlements.
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The Temple of Kyber has been a site of pilgrimage for many across the galaxy for millennia. Local lore says it was constructed by the Jedi Order to protect a large vein of kyber crystal in the caves nearby, though geologists have found no evidence to support that claim. In the centuries since its construction, the temple saw only occasional use by the Jedi, and it was ultimately abandoned as the number of Jedi dwindled towards the end of the Clone War. The Guardians of the Whills then became caretakers of the temple and protectors of its many relics and crystals. While the Guardians reportedly evacuated much of the temple’s archives and artifacts upon their withdrawal, the temple’s many mosaics, statues, and larger kyber crystals will now be under the protection of the Mauari Blackguard.
