Crackdown on Pipada

The crackdown on Pipada was the Galactic Empire's response to protests by the Drabatan species of the Outer Rim planet Pipada following the Empire's establishment, which occurred in 19 BBY. The Imperial forces blockaded the planet and deployed swamptroopers to its surface. By 1 BBY, after one of the most vocal protesters—a Drabatan singer named Sa'Kalla— was captured and tortured, a movement was formed in her name and opposed the Empire.
The Imperial governor of Pipada attempted to stop the violence caused by the movement by bringing Sa'Kalla to the Pipada Auditorium, where she was ordered to convince the crowd to submit. She defied the order and was executed on stage, causing the stadium to erupt in violence, and the Drabatans killed the Imperial forces before briefly reclaiming their homeworld. Soon after, the Empire returned with reinforcements and imposed martial law. During the Imperial occupation, Pipada was harvested for its resources and most of the Drabatan species was forced to abandon the planet.
==Prelude==
At some point after the establishment of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY,Star Wars: Timelines the amphibious Drabatan species native to the Outer RimStar Wars Galaxy Map planet Pipada protested its rule. The most vocal protester was the young and popular singer Sa'Kalla, who wrote protest songs speaking out against Imperial tyranny, with the Empire quickly becoming aware of the songs.
==The crackdown==
By 1 BBY, criticism of the Emperor went too far and the Empire responded by initiating the crackdown on Pipada, blockading the planet and deploying garrisons of specialized swamptroopers to the surface. What began as protests turned into brutal massacres. During the crackdown, Sa'Kalla was captured, and a movement was organized in her name that spread across the planet.
When the violence caused by the movement began to threaten Imperial control on the planet, the Imperial governor of Pipada brought Sa'Kalla to the Pipada Auditorium in front of an audience of half a million Drabatans. Believing that they had tortured Sa'Kalla into submission, they ordered her to convince the people to submit. Sa'Kalla instead shouted for the people to resist Imperial rule, and she was quickly executed. The whole stadium erupted in violence, and the enraged crowd tore Imperial security forces to pieces. The Drabatans briefly reclaimed their planet while many fled offworld. The Empire soon returned with reinforcements and imposed martial law across the planet.
==Aftermath==
After the Empire captured Pipada, the planet was harvested for its resources to expand the Imperial Military and satisfy its fuel needs, causing most of the Drabatan species to abandon the planet. Despite the loss of Pipada, Drabatans continued to resist the Empire in ways big and small. Those who fought the Imperial forces joined resistance groups and used the war cry of "Sa'Kalla!" for the late singer.
The occupation and harvesting of resources were mentioned in an artist's journal as part of an entry on the Drabatan species.Star Wars: Alien Archive At some point no earlier than 34 ABY, the journal came into the possession of the Graf Archive—a vast depository owned by the Graf family that contained documents that held historical importance.
==Behind the scenes==
The crackdown on Pipada was first indirectly mentioned in Pablo Hidalgo's reference book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide released in 2016.Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide The crackdown was later identified in Dawn of Rebellion, a 2018 roleplaying sourcebook published by Fantasy Flight Games for the Star Wars Roleplaying game.
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide 
*Dawn of Rebellion 
*Star Wars: Alien Archive 
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==Notes and references==
Category:Battles in the Outer Rim
Category:Battles of the early Imperial campaigns
Category:Blockades
Category:Conquests and occupations
Category:Genocides and massacres