Spending several minutes in any Ord Mantell town away from the major cities and capital and it becomes apparent that there is no law, only organized corruption and exploitative opportunists who seek to rob both honest civilians and the brave defenders of the Republic of their hard-earned credits and livelihood. What struck me the hardest is even whilst under direct Republic control almost every island off the mainland or capital is as dangerous and corrupt as the entirety of Nar Shaddaa. One sideways glance at a passing Mandalorian and you would never be heard from again.

With Ord Mantell's depleted infrastructure it was no surprise to find that the source of the planet's toxic touch: the black market. Most worlds will only have minor problems with criminals and miscreants, the local defense forces keeping civilians safe and happy. Ord Mantell has no such system save for their easily bribed military. The majority of the political figures are often "sponsored" by black market privateers to pass seemingly harmless laws or allow diplomatic influence extend to covering up the activities of their criminal cohorts.

The long-abandoned Mantellian spaceports and estates have all but paved the planet's path to such a fate. With so many barren settlements that dot the landscape it is a haven for the black market. With the Republic's armed forces engaged in the brutal civil war, these gangs of rampaging malcontents, Mandalorians, and greed driven criminal scum have all but kept the civilian population in controlled fear.

Due to the Galactic Republic's oversight, refugees, supply ships, and valuable information to support the cause is lost each day to the politicians who placate and cover up the activities of the ill-intending black market minority that use the planet as a way-station for both slaves and illegal goods. Ships that no doubt carry overweight loads of spice and military grade adrenals escape the grasp of the local authorities.

While it may seem that the war is almost closing to a conclusion with how hard the Republic Special Forces are pushing against the separatist movement, it will be a very long time before Ord Mantell is considered anything but a war zone outside of its major cities. With the delicate state of galactic economics it may be decades before the planet returns from the scorched and pock-marked landscape of terror and crime to the beautiful world of islands and serenity it once was.

Billian "Bill" Tetley
Republic Holonet News reporter.