Currency War (Part 1)
8 BBY, March 6.
The Galactic Empire officially opened limited access to the Galactic HoloNet, but all media outlets on the restricted network spoke with one voice. Every report focused on the "phased success of the Scipio stabilization operation," deliberately downplaying crucial facts such as the destruction of the vault, the burning of data, and personnel disappearances.
The announcement merely stated that "temporary fluctuations" had occurred in the synchronization of some financial data due to "technical coordination delays" by the InterGalactic Banking Clan [IGBC].
At the same time, it announced that Separatists had exploited loopholes in security protocols to launch a surprise attack on Scipio, causing widespread power outages across the planet. The invaders' fleet had now been completely annihilated by the invincible Imperial fleet, while the Empire's valiant Army was sweeping the surface of Scipio like thunder, eliminating the remaining enemy forces and restoring planetary order.
The Galactic Empire then issued a notice suspending all financial settlements nationwide, including remittances, government bonds, and savings, for one month. The notice claimed that once all financial assets had been audited and accounts reset, the settlement system would resume—but all account balances would be reassessed according to the newly enacted Emergency Fiscal Integration Act.
The still-unburned paper backups in the ruins of the Scipio vault, the surviving quantum-encryption chips, and even the dying testimonies of eyewitness soldiers were being rushed overnight to the Coruscant Central Audit Office. But these were merely drops in the ocean. The vaults of Scipio were still engulfed in battle, and millions of Imperial Stormtrooper soldiers were advancing meter by meter, paying an enormous price for nearly every step forward.
It could be said that every fragment sent back to Coruscant was stained with the blood of Imperial soldiers.
But this was only