Xanthal
31-01-2004, 01:38
The last inhabitable planet in the Talmaraan system, Talmaraan VIII, broke away from its orbit today in the final stage of its thirty-year orbital decay. Permafrost is already beginning to form across the planet, and Xanthalian science vessels are there to watch as the planet's 97,000,000 sentient inhabitants die out. The Xanthalian Republic rescued almost twelve million residents of the planet, the rest preferred to stay despite the consequences. Several activists petitioned for a forced move of unwilling Talmaraani, but the bill was vetoed by the Council and the Dictator refused to override. The system, along with it's space ork inhabitants, has been slated for destruction in a weapons test to be conducted next year. "The place is a mess. The few places left that are livable are crawling with orks. We're gonna get rid of the useless system and its vermin in one fell swoop." said the Minister of the Armada and Military. Public opinion in Xanthal is leaning aginst the system's destruction, but no plans have been made to delay the action for debate. The Talmaraan system was conquored by the Xanthalian Empire centuries ago. It remained a grudging member state for almost three hundred years before declaring independence under the Xanthalian Republic. Less than a year later, Talmaraan was conquored by the Trasnian pirates who used the inhabitants as slave labor. Two decades passed before the Trasnians left the Talmaraani, by which time weapons tests by the Trasnians and an unknown alien race had contaminated the entire system and thrown off the orbit of Talmaraan VIII. Xanthal returned to the system shortly afterward, but most of the Talmaraani wanted nothing more to do with outsiders, even if it meant the end of their lives.