Napkin Bombing

"The Napkin Bombing has been profoundly destabilizing. When I left, the Senate had degenerated to chaos."

- Leia Organa, to Rinnrivin Di

The so-called Napkin Bombing occurred when the Amaxine warriors bombed a conference building of the New Republic's Galactic Senate on Hosnian Prime. The Amaxines acted on the orders of Lady Carise Sindian, a traitorous senator, who wanted to create a distraction while the First Order prepared to emerge from hiding in the Unknown Regions and strike the Republic.

Because the bombing was only intended to be a distraction but not an all-out act of war, a warning was left on a paper streamer hidden by a napkin inside the conference building, which allowed Senator Leia Organa to have the premises evacuated in the eleventh hour. Although the bombing did manage to spawn confusion in the Senate, further pitting the Centrist and Populist factions against each other, Lady Sindian chastised the Amaxines, criticizing them for not having created a more discreet distraction.

Prelude
"Although it pains me to say it, I must add that the Senate has not been as effective in Mon Mothma's absence, and that her successors in the office of chancellor have failed to match her ability to create consensus. Now the New Republic is beginning to suffer for it."

- Lady Carise Sindian, addressin the Senate

Twenty years into its reign, the New Republic occupied vast swaths of space. From its temporary capital on the planet of Hosnian Prime, the Galactic Senate presided over the destiny of the Republic citizens. However, despite the era of peace and prosperity it had managed to ensure, the Republic and its Senate now lacked the guidance of their historical founder, the former Chancellor Mon Mothma. In her absence, two unofficial but powerful factions had formed—the Populists, who believe individual planets should retain almost all authority, and the Centrists, who favored a stronger galactic government and a more powerful military.

Meanwhile, in the Unknown Regions, former warlords of the long-defeated Galactic Empire remained in hiding, trying to rebuild a fighting force that would allow them to overthrow the Republic and rule the galaxy once again. That conspiration, which would come to be known as the First Order, even had allies among the Republic senatorial class, in the person of Lady Carise Sindian of Arkanis. In an effort to spawn confusion in the Senate while the First Order prepared to emerge, Sindian allied herself with the paramilitary group known as the Amaxine warriors&mdash;whose members also sought to restore the might of the Empire&mdash;and tasked them with creating a distraction.

The bombing
"Didn't you hear me? Run! Everyone get up and run!"

- Leia Organa, to her fellow Populists

To carry out Lady Sindian's order, the Amaxines chose to bomb a conference building of the New Republic senatorial complex on the day a gathering of the Populist party was scheduled to take place. Disguised as a member of the catering staff, a Twi'lek mercenary planted a bomb in the conference building before darting out of the premises. However, since the bombing was only intended to be a distraction but not an all-out act of war, a warning was left on a paper streamer hidden beneath a folded napkin inside the conference building.

When the Populist senators arrived for their breakfast meeting, they did not immediately realize what was about to happen. It was Senator Leia Organa, who had fought the Empire during the Galactic Civil War, who found the Amaxines' message, which only bore the word "RUN." Although the security droids could not detect any hazard, Organa felt the danger was imminent, and she issued the evacuation alert. The others attendees followed her, although initially with reluctance, until the explosion finally happened.

The conference building was half destroyed in the blast, and a large number of people were left to either lay on the ground or stumble around nursing their injuries. A number of triage droids were immediately dispatched on the site of the explosion and started sorting the wounded.

Aftermath
"You said a distraction would be appropriate.''" "I meant a scandal, or some remote wreck or crash. Not bombing a Senate building''."

- Arliz Hadrassian and Carise Sindian

As its fomenters had hoped, the bombing managed to further sow discord and confusion among the Republic senators. At first, most people had simply expressed genuine shock and concern. Within a day, however, accusations began to surface and circulate. Some accused the Centrists of having tried to eliminate their rivals, while others accused the Populists of having deliberately put themselves in danger in order to paint themselves as heroic victims. Media outlets subscribed to either one of those theories according to their political affinities, with the exception of the Ithorian news service, which seemed to be convinced the Hutts were behind the bombing.

While the bombing did paralyze the Senate, further pitting the Centrist Populist factions against each other, Lady Sindian chastised the Amaxines, criticizing them for not having created a more discreet distraction.

Behind the scenes
Although the Napkin Bombing appeared in the 2016 novel Bloodline, which was written by Claudia Gray, the concept originated with Rian Johnson, who is set to direct the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Appearances

 * Bloodline