The Thuron Monarchy was the ruling body of New Tython in 37 ABY. Founded by Cy Thuron, who would become its first King, it was organized after the Fall of New Tython from the New Dawn political movement, loyal supporters of Thuron, mercenary groups, and pirate groups. Following the conquest of the planet and the subsequent rapid expansion of commerce and industry on its surface, the Monarchy and its armed division rapidly grew in power, consolidating control over the planet in a matter of months. The Thuron Monarchy dissolved upon the death of Cy Thuron in 37 ABY.
History
New Dawn
- Main article: [[New Dawn|New Dawn]]
Originally consisting of Cy Thuron and a few loyal fanatics, following the Invasion of New Tython, the populace of New Tython began to lose faith in its Jedi protectors. This allowed Cy and his followers to form the People's New Dawn, a political movement that would rapidly descend into fanatical and terrorist tactics during and following such events as The Pillars Of Menat crisis and the Mercenary Crisis. These events, though costly and painful for the Jedi and the people of the planet, led to the defeat of Thuron and the retreat of his movement into the wilds of the planet.
Details on Cy Thuron's discoveries there are sparse at best; it is said that he and his followers discovered an ancient tomb on New Tython, and dispersed into space over time via stowing away on freighters or concealing themselves as civilians. Once there, the New Dawn came into possession of sources of currency that are currently untraceable and used them to amass a mercenary force of soldiers, vehicles, and pirate spacecraft on the Outer Rim. These forces would form the basis of the future Monarchy, and would organize behind Thuron, who would soon reveal that he had undergone Sith training at the hands of a mysterious mentor.
Invasion and Conquest
On the eve of the final day of 36 ABY, Cy and his forces descended upon New Tython's night side, smashing through every Harakoan tribe they could find and scattering them to the far corners of the planet before focusing on the central continent of Owyhyee. There, they continued the attacks, utterly dispersing and largely destroying all of the tribes on the planet before rounding up the indigenous survivors and forcing them into captivity. With the subdued tribals no longer an issue, overtaking the colonies on the planet took little effort, with some settlements such as Varri'alis simply refusing to exit their homes until the chaos subsided. Menat Ombo was assaulted and the Sanctuary space station overrun, and the population of the capital was confined to the Memit District, which would see jury-rigged walls welded around and over its exits with only one checkpoint allowing people in or out. Resistance would be met by lethal force, making the subjugation of the populace fairly simple for the Dawn's forces to accomplish.
Though the Jedi of Odan-Urr managed to slip past Sanctuary and infiltrate Menat Ombo, they arrived to a planet already thoroughly conquered, and were able only to rescue a few thousand refugees aboard their Gallofree transport and the Arthos. Upon their departure, Thuron declared himself King, and appointed Alek Mirr - the only soldier to have faced a Jedi and survived - High Guardsman of the mercenary army. With complete power and organizational freedom, Mirr quickly reorganized the army into the Thuronian Royal Forces. The Ooroo Abbey was destroyed to make room for a much grander and more excessive structure, the Thuronian Palace.
Following this reorganization, every colony on the planet saw Thuronian forces set up a permanent garrison, with New Dawn members installed as Governors. The Royal Forces began sorties to round up any escaping Harakoans, while those alive and in custody were forced into the rapidly-built Purity Rock to be contained, forced to perform slave labour, and ultimately exterminated en masse. Within weeks, peace and order had been forcefully asserted, and the planet's colonies and capital saw massive and rapid construction projects erected using capital from companies such as Czerka and the Tenloss Corporation, along with mining groups like the Outer Rim Oreworks Company. These companies in turn were allowed to establish industrial and commercial facilities on the planet in huge scales, free from the corporate laws of the Galactic Alliance and other developed markets.
Coronation
In the months that followed, martial law would give way to law by decree, while the citizens of New Tython would resume their normal lives under new taxes, in new professions, and under the watchful eyes of the Royal Forces. Cy Thuron would, on the final day of open hostilities by local forces, be crowned King of New Tython in a massive public ceremony, taking place within the Visulu district of a heavily changed Menat Ombo. This saw the dissolution of the New Dawn completely, its members either being worked into the upper tiers of the Royal Forces or slipped into the faculty available to Governors, or simply given rich estates and plentiful servants. The new government would be named the Thuron Monarchy, its King passing laws about marriage by decree and forcefully marrying several women to begin a dynasty.
Meanwhile, the corporate entities now operating with impunity on the planet would plunder and pollute at will, raking in huge profits while forcing the locals who worked at their facilities to slave away for rock-bottom wages, far below those on even the most distant Alliance worlds. Being or supporting a Harakoan would become a crime, as would any showing of discontent with the Regime, while thousands became homeless and destitute in the wake of big industry. Strong supporters and rich merchants on-world would go on to support the Monarchy and form an elitist caste, while travel across the planet would see more and more freighters arriving and leaving from each colony. Mirr's Royal Forces grew ever larger, while rumors of an Elite Guard designed to kill the Jedi should they ever return surfaced. By the end of the Talus Incident, the control of the Monarchy was complete; by the end of the Dark Crusade, its power was absolute and unchecked on New Tython.
Resistance
As the Monarchy's power grew, even the most fanatical of Thuron's followers began to question his decisions. Fits of rage and madness would see him executing everyone from loyal followers to minor servants for imagined slights; soon, merely looking at him in the wrong manner or saying the word "mad" in his presence would get people dragged to Purity Rock for internment. General Mirr would carefully avoid his wrath, but soon found himself having to adjust or outright alter the Royal Forces by Thuron's nonsensical decrees, moving soldiers to pointless areas for imagined displays of power and decorum. The people languished beneath these actions, and resentment was quick to build.
Together with the few rag-tag Harakoan freedom fighters left, people within the Capital and the Colonies would begin passing messages and resources between one another, coordinating thefts, covert departures from the city, and even violent attacks against the regime of Thuron. While these radicals initially drew the public's ire, actions like public executions and the tightening of security and taxation to cover the losses would make sympathy for these plucky rebels grow. With the massacre of the colony of Varri'alis, these sentiments blew outward into full-blown rage, while men and women would whisper prayers of hope to the Force and wear icons of tan and brown cloth - a sign of hope that the Jedi would return in force, to eradicate the Royalty once and for all.
Fall of the Thuron Monarchy
False King Thuron
Led by Consular Cleric and Quaestor Liam Torun, the Jedi returned to New Tython to reclaim it. It started with the freeing of several key members who would play a part in the restructuring of New Tython. The Jedi quickly made their way across New Tython reclaiming areas one by one. Eventually, they were face to face with the Mad King, Cy Thuron. After the clash of Liam’s and Cy’s lightsabers ended with the death of Thuron at the hands of Mirus Hi'ija, the Thuron Monarchy fell and, eventually, dissolved. The role of Thuron’s Governors also dissolved with the monarchy and the land was politically divided among the Tythonian Colonial Alliance, the Harakoans, and other independent colonies. The Governors along with General Alek Mirr, Commander of the Thuron Army, were imprisoned in Menat Ombo for their crimes against the people of New Tython.
Structure
The Thuron Monarchy was built with relative simplicity. The Throne itself is held by Cy Thuron, King of New Tython, who ultimately has no Queen or Consort but rather a self-named "stable" of wives. These are used similarly to broodmares, with the intent of producing children to take over the Throne and eventually supplant outside government officials. Thuron's word reigns supreme, and he has the power to make or unmake any law, decree, or decision by merely stating that it has changed. These laws are enforced by the Royal Forces as often as they are by Cy's own lightsaber. Beneath Thuron, General Alek Mirr runs the day-to-day operations of the Capital.
In each settlement, excepting the now-razed Varri'alis, Governors were appointed to keep the peace. These would each have a contingent of the Royal Forces, and would hold complete discretion over their individual settlement. These would answer to Thuron, and could keep as many or as few advisors and support staff as they saw fit. Laws were enforced by Captains of the Royal Forces, who also collected taxes, enforced curfews, and provided general defenses.
Thuronian Royal Forces
Organized under General Mirr, the Thuronian Royal Forces would see contingents of 8,000 soldiers divided into quarters, alongside armored divisions consisting of 3-5 armored vehicles or walkers. These divisions would be overseen by Lieutenants, each of whom would answer to the contingent's Captain. Thuronian forces were made to paint their armor and gear according to Thuron's colors, but would maintain very different weaponry and gear sets alongside disparate training due to their mercenary origins. A total of 9 contingents would exist on-world, one assigned to each colony, two assigned to Purity Rock, with one mobile contingent and three assigned to Menat Ombo.
The pirate forces would be arrayed into the Thuronian Royal Navy, with the largest ship - the Assault Frigate Ravage - positioned as the Flagship. Other ships, being a motley of bulk and light cruisers, frigates, and starfighters, would operate in a chaotic but effective modus operandi of overwhelming opposition. Though possessing little naval discipline, the pirates in command of these vessels would take to Thuron's coin wholeheartedly, adopting his colors on each of their ships and flying against anyone that approached the planet without authorization.
Finally, in secrecy, Alek Mirr would organize the Thuronian Elite Guard, a group of physically enhanced, power-armored assassins given cybernetic neural implants. These men would train extensively with seasoned Mandalorian mercenaries and utilize tools such as wrist-vibroknives and thin strips of Beskar in their gauntlets and greaves to overwhelm Jedi opponents. Coupled with their training and equipment, their implants would allow their reflexes to rival and nearly match those of Jedi, while their mob tactics took away the mobility advantages most Jedi would rely upon.
Legal System
The Thuron Monarchy relied upon a system of dictatorial courts to dispense justice. Any alleged lawbreakers would be apprehended by the Royal Forces, unless they resisted and were killed in pursuit, and would face their settlement's Governor and the local Royal Forces Captain. These two would listen to statements from the apprehending soldiers and the defendant, make a decision between themselves, and hand down a sentence; these were enforced absolutely by the Royal Forces, and would often result in imprisonment, forced labour, or death.
By law, all Harakoans would be deemed unfit to remain on New Tython, and would be transported to Purity Rock Internment Facility for alleged reassignment. In reality, they would be crowded together in malnourished and diseased mobs, and would be forced to perform gruelling labour before their eventual death and mass disposal. Non-humans put on trial often saw themselves forced into Purity Rock, as did any who managed to draw the personal ire of the King. Thuron's first decree was the right to overrule a Court and lay down a sentence of his own, an ability he judiciously used during his reign.
Economy
Relying heavily on investor income, the funds of the Monarchy were in perpetual flux; they would gain heavily off of contracts with corporate investors, while spending heavily to build, expand, and maintain their military forces. This would see the planet become a mass exporter of weaponry and other industrial goods, while importing luxury items for the elite caste and using only the smallest portion of its food imports and domestic products to maintain its population. This would result in a well-funded military, heavily developed infrastructure, and a destitute populace.
Local workers under the Monarchy were required to be human; Harakoans would be arrested on sight, while aliens were often made homeless unless married or indentured to a human. Humans, unless wealthy and influential, had to apply for work licenses and sign prohibitive corporate contracts to work at all; when they did, they at best were able to work for pathetic wages, surviving off of scraps in destitute houses. Meanwhile, the wealthy elite and investors cultivated mansions and villas, living in the lap of luxury. While growing the Monarchy's coffers, this system would cause many Tythonians to die of sickness, exposure, and hunger, not to mention outbreaks of desperate violence.
Religion
Though not holding any established public religion, the Thuron Monarchy would quietly embrace the Dark Side and the Sith Code in tune with their King, if only paying it lip service. Children deemed Force-sensitive, often erroneously, by Thuron were forced into academies to train them as Sith Warriors and Assassins, a process that would take years at least. These conscripts would often either die or sabotage and kill their competitors, a process that would result in few Force users but many brutes. Often, these were simply recycled into the Royal Forces.
Holidays
Coronation of Thuron
Marking the day of his Conquest, rather than his actual crowning, Cy Thuron declared that the first day of the year be the Coronation of Thuron. During this holiday, the King would feast with his elite few, while soldiers handed out cheap food and clothing to the people during tax collections. This was said by Thuron to be symbolic of how the Monarchy fed and clothed them, while they supported it in return, as was their duty. The event ended with a grand duel, fought between Cy and criminals he had convicted of treason, in which Cy would use his lightsaber to disarm and kill several men armed with sticks. This was said to be symbolic of Thuron's slaughter of the original Council that ruled New Tython, or as he called them, the planet's oppressors.
Burning of the Gand
Earlier in his time as the New Dawn's leader, Cy Thuron's plans were foiled time and again by the Jedi Knight Ji, one of the pivotal Knights in Odan-Urr. Following his apparent death at Thuron's hands, Thuron would silently celebrate, and following the retreat of the Jedi from the locked down capital Cy made the day of Ji's death a permanent holiday. A giant Gand would be constructed of cloth and building materials, and would be propped up with a faux lightsaber. Covered in flammable oils, it would be set ablaze by Cy himself following a speech; he would light it with his saber, symbolic of his perceived destruction of Odan-Urr and its one-time leader. Curfew would be relaxed, though the people would have to watch the Gand burn, paying what Cy felt was their proper respects.