Narval Controversy
Narval Controversy
The destruction, by Imperial naval forces, of the civilian settlements on Narval (Spinward Marches 0805) during the Third Frontier War. Narval had been captured by Zhodani forces during the Second Frontier War, but managed to retain its Imperial culture, and was friendly to its new overlords. The world's strategic location made it a threat to Imperial facilities and shipping in Jewell and Vilis, and its cooperative spirit was anathema to Imperial prejudice against the Zhodani. An Imperial Naval strike force simply entered the system, defeated the local system defense, took up position in orbit, and annihilated the civilian populace with mass drivers. This atrocity boomeranged by outraging other Imperial culture worlds in the disputed regions, and was instrumental in the creation of the large demilitarized zone that has been emplaced in Vilis and Querion since the end of that war. Narval's surviving Imperial communities have reconciled with their cousins in the Regency since the Collapse, and the world is heavily visited by traders from both states.