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Lothal was a planet in the Outer Rim Territories. During the early years of the Galactic Empire, Lothal was in a state of economic disrepair and invited the Empire to take over the planet's industries, with the promise of prosperity and security. Although many people said the Empire would bring doom, the ones preaching new jobs and prosperity were vindicated. By 5 BBY, Lothal became the nesting ground for the Spectres, a small rebel cell which operated from the starship Ghost. After harrying Imperial forces and disrupting Imperial activities for at least a year, the Spectres eventually attracted the attention of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Darth Vader, who tried unsuccessfully to stamp out these rebels. Vader even imposed a blockade on the planet, but the Spectres managed to slip through and rejoin the larger rebellion. A prison revolt led to the escape of several prisoners, including former Governor Ryder Azadi, who would go on to start another rebel cell on Lothal. The Imperial blockade would come to cause severe hardship and led Princess Leia Organa to undertake a mercy mission to Lothal. However, this mission was a ruse for the Organas to deliver ships to the rebellion. In 2 BBY, the ongoing rebellion led Azadi's successor, Arihnda Pryce, to invite Grand Admiral Thrawn and his Seventh Fleet to establish a presence on Lothal. Ryder's rebel cell's efforts to sabotage Imperial vehicles at the Capital City Imperial Armory Complex drew Thrawn's attention.Around 1 BBY, the planet was under both heavy Imperial blockade and occupation, with her once pristine environment ruined and on the brink of collapse. Almost all traces of natural resources had been stripped from the planet. With fires scattered throughout, extreme pollution covering the planet was visible from orbit. Though pockets of resistance remained, the planet was by-and-large under Imperial control and those who remained who had not willingly joined the Empire pressed into service or simply killed. However, a ragtag group of rebels led by the Spectres spearheaded a daring move which completely expunged the Imperial presence on and around Lothal. For a time, the planet's citizens lived with the concern that the Empire might attempt to retake it, but the Empire was now fractured by the threat of the Rebel Alliance and Lothal remained a free world for the rest of the Galactic Civil War, almost completely recovering ecologically by the time the conflict came to an end. Read more... |
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