Had I as many souls as there be stars

The truth of what transpired aboard the Absolution in those nine hours remains a mystery. Perhaps its crew became disillusioned with the war effort in the aftermath of Crait, and their defection was the result of months of careful planning; perhaps, in a moment of desperation, a shipful of frightened deserters gambled on Gatalenta being the Coalition-aligned world least likely to blast them out of the sky. In any case, the Resistance and New Republic Residuum alike have been tight-lipped in their official statements—until today.

In a holopress conference this morning, Resistance General Leia Organa (Alderaan) and New Republic Senator Emeritus Kella Kos-Myrra (Gatalenta) shared the results of last week’s Coalition summit, called to address the very literal Star Destroyer in the atmosphere.

“Thirty-one standard years ago, when the Galactic Empire fell, many of us had spent so much of our lives fighting that the relief eclipsed everything else. For the first time in decades, the galaxy was full of hope. Senator Kos-Myrra is too young to remember the joy of those early years, and in that sense, she has something in common with the men and women confined to the Star Destroyer above our heads,” said General Organa. “But while my generation was busy building the New Republic, imagining the better future we could give our children, the Imperial Remnants fled to the Unknown Regions with their own. And we let them, because it was easier to turn our eyes to the work ahead. The First Order grew in the places we refused to look, and by the time it made its presence known, peace had made us complacent. For our enemy’s children, the fighting never stopped. It’s no small thing that they’ve laid down their weapons, now.”

“Gatalenta has been fortunate, these past decades. Our commitment to peace has never been challenged by Imperial artillery or the superlaser of a Death Star. Though we provided whatever aid we could to the Rebellion and those suffering under the boot of the Empire, we were largely spared the horrors of galactic warfare. Those horrors are now on our doorstep,” said Senator Emeritus Kos-Myrra. “This warship, Absolution, is a reminder of more than two decades of Imperial oppression and the recent, devastating loss of the Hosnian system. It casts a long shadow. I know many among us would gladly see it destroyed. But this ship is also home to more than 80,000 men, women, and children—some as young as five standard years—who, two standard months ago, placed their lives in our hands. It is with the blessing of our Gatalentan foremothers and the support of the Resistance–New Republic Residuum Coalition that I offer them a path forward today.”

Said path forward, aptly named Project Absolution, is a deprogramming, rehabilitation, and integration program for former First Order personnel with the end goal of planetary citizenship. Candidates will be relocated across participating worlds for a trial period of six standard months, during which they will be required to attend daily counseling and parole sessions with a Coalition-appointed therapist and handler. The Absolution Oversight Committee, comprising a total of 15 Resistance and New Republic Residuum representatives handpicked by Organa herself, will manage operations at scale and facilitate periodic program evaluations. Program records will be made public in compliance with the Interplanetary Transparency Accords and Coalition OPSEC regulations.

While sentiment leans positive on Kos-Myrra’s homeworld of Gatalenta, the response from Core citizens more broadly has been mixed. The loudest opposition has come in the form of an open letter from Hosnian Cataclysm survivors, excerpted below:

“That these murderers would have the gall to demand mercy is an insult to every life lost on Hosnian Prime, Hosnian, Cardota, Courtsilius, and Raysho. That our own leadership would offer them a means to ‘start over’ is tantamount to spitting on the ashes of our homeworlds. There is no starting over for us.”

Kos-Myrra, also a survivor of the Cataclysm, has been instrumental in coordinating relief and relocation efforts for those affected. Her office could not be reached for comment.