Title: Conflict on Enarc
Source: Imperial News Network, Empire-wide Holonet Broadcast
Date: 3638 ATC, Month of Aldera

Hello and thank you for joining us at Imperial News Network, I’m your host Geisel Binein with breaking news from the front.

Government sources confirmed that a military strike was launched against what officials called "targets of opportunity" in the South Midrim and Western Reaches this morning, Galactic Standard Time. One Imperial official said that those targets could have included "elements of the Trade Federation and Separatist leadership."

Fighting began last night in orbit of the planet Enarc after Marath Vooro, the Customs Vizier of the Trade Federation and Chief of Operations on Enarc, failed to meet the deadline set by the Imperial Senate regarding the forfeiture of Federation assets to the Empire. It marks the first major naval conflict in the region in two months.

The Senate provided the Federation with the deadline one month ago, following the ratification of the Trade Federation Nationalization Act, which called for the dissolution of the organization as a private entity and ordered all resources under their control be delivered to the Empire.

Official sources within the Imperial Navy report that forces aligned with the Separatist Holdouts were sighted at the engagement and may have been in league with the Federation insurgents. Reports indicate that Federation vessels fired on their own warehouses located within populated areas on Enarc in order to destroy assets that had been marked for delivery to the Empire.

Journalist Wam Yelsh, who had been sent to Enarc to cover the nationalization process for I-N-N, reported this morning that she heard the air raid sirens and had to climb under a landspeeder to take cover from falling debris as turbolasers raked the city. When asked about the state of the fighting and the Imperial Navy's plan to resolve the sudden conflict, a senior Imperial official told I-N-N, "We don't comment on military plans or military planning." Enarc remains contested territory at this time.

Sentepeth Findos, Acting Viceroy of the Trade Federation, was taken into custody at his penthouse near the Senate Building by the Coruscant Guard, along with other Federation officials early this morning. Marath Vooro has not been accounted for and is assumed to still be at large.

The Chief of Naval Operations’ Office has released an updated travel advisory for the Enarc System instructing all civilian travel and shipping be diverted around the star until further notice. Traffic along the Enarc Run, the Duros Space Run, and the West Triellus Trade Route will be affected. Those displaced are recommended to redirect to Imperial facilities on Naboo, Ryndellia, or Alui until the situation is resolved.

I’m Geisel Binein and this has been an I-N-N special report. Imperial News Network: Keeping YOU safe.

Author: Geo