Tazion

Overview
Tazion is the largest and capital city of on Betseeda Prime. It serves as the seat of government and trade. From 0 BBY - 2 ABY, it was the site of frequent conflict during the Rebel Alliance's campaign to liberate the Betseeda System. It had a population of 150 million.

Before the Rebellion
Tazion is an ancient city with over 2,000 years of history. The first ancient settlers established a trading city on one of the many huge lakes of Betseeda Prime. Over the centuries, this city grew and eventually became the planetary capital.

As the seat of power, all governmental buildings are located within its boundaries. These include the Betseedan Parliamentary Building and the Ministry of Defense. Both of these buildings would be occupied by the Empire when it invaded the Betseedan System in 7 BBY.

The Empire instituted a puppet government, ruled over by an Imperial Governor. While there was little organized resistance to the Empire on the planet, a small resistance cell began to operate.

Arrow Squadron and the Rise of the Rebellion
In 0 BBY, Arrow Squadron, led by Lieutenant Tolamael Benere arrived in the Betseedan System to begin a liberation campaign. The puppet government in the city quickly informed the Imperials of their arrival. The local commander of Imperial forces, Admiral Jhutan Ensah, dismissed the new rebel unit as small and inadequate, believing that his two Star Destroyers - Venom and Salient - would easily handle any insurrectionist elements. Meanwhile, the local resistance forces - the Betseedan Resistance Forces - under the command of former Betseedan Senator Madeline Gren, were reluctant to partner with Arrow Squadron, also believing that their numbers were inefficient to conduct serious combat operations.

Over the first few months on the planet, and after several face to face, secretive meetings, members of Arrow Squadron earned the tentative trust of the BRF and Senator Gren. A joint attack was planned for a planet-wide holiday celebration. Imperial forces, who had put little real pressure on the Arrows since their arrival, were caught entirely off guard. Gren and her ground forces, with air support from the Arrows, were able to force an improbable victory at the First Battle of Betseeda Prime. Despite this victory, Gren was killed in the attack. Knowing that the public must see the local Betseedans leading the way, Arrow Squadron allowed the BRF to take most of the credit for planning and executing the attack, even if this was not entirely true. Part of the new leadership team of the BRF included the Tomas Ust and Hooper Croix.

With Croix commanding the military and Ust being elected as the head of the civilian government - the Speaker of the Chamber - Betseedans were once again under a free government in Tazion.

The Imperial occupation, however, was far from over. While they did not have an active military force in the city, spies, sympathizers and assassins were active in the metropolis, committing targeted killings and bombings. Ust and Croix, supported by Arrow Squadron, did everything they could to stop these attacks with mixed results.

Dark Days
Tazion and the surrounding countryside remained the primary base of operations for Arrow Squadron as they continued their efforts to remove Admiral Ensah and his forces. For awhile, peace returned to Tazion as the conflict shifted to other planets and regions. However, the Admiral returned with extreme malice and laid siege to the capital city. In what became known as the Siege of Tazion, tens of thousands of Betseedans, most of them in Tazion, were killed by Imperial bombing attacks, planetary fire from the Salient and the Venom and periodic assassinations by the remaining Imperial agents.

Terror reigned.

Ust and Arrow Squadron did their best to keep peace in the city, but with supplies cut off and resources dwindling, social orders began to break down. Ust was forced to use the BRF to keep the peace and, despite putting on as brave a face a possible, he knew his people were near their breaking point. Something had to be done to liberate the starving city. In a climatic expedition to save the city, BRF commandos and Arrow Squadron members infiltrated the attacking Star Destroyers and caused significant damage. Croix was killed in the attack, with command of the BRF now falling to Nez Rennoc. The city was saved, but was heavily damaged both physically and mentally from the attack. Support for the Alliance cause wavered among some, but Ust read the tea leaves correctly and throw the support of the system officially behind the Alliance.

Rebuilding
Tazion continued to rebuild following the destructive siege, overseen by Speaker Ust and his supporters. Throughout the remainder of Arrow Squadron's campaign, the city and its citizens were subjected to occasional attacks from Imperial agents, but with the eventual defeat of the Imperial forces at the Battle of Jonquil Station, the Imperial presence in the Betseeda System came to a close.

A large victory celebration was held in the main square of Tazion to celebrate the Rebellion's victory shortly after the battle. Tazion and Betseeda Prime continued to support the Alliance throughout the remainder of the Galactic Civil War.

Design and Style
Tazion was built with an elegant design which centered around several lakes and streams. Following a unique design, but also heavily influenced by Corellian themes, the city streets of Tazion were both speeder and pedestrian friendly. The oldest parts of the city were nearly 2,000 years old. Several large museums and theaters were located in the city center, but closed during the Imperial occupation. Many of the artifacts and goods from these cultural centers were looted by the Empire.

By no means the only city on the planet's surface, Tazion was, however, the political and cultural center of both Betseeda Prime and the Betseeda System.