"But..." says Pheron, starting to swaet slightly. "I am sorry... but... by Senatorial ORDER no Republican forces are allowed inside the Tartaran civilian sector. *I* can't even go in there! I am on a Senatorial appointment to ensure the security of the Republican inviestigation for the duration of which the Civilian Sector, in case the case falls apart..."
He stops.
"You don't even know what I am talking about, do you?"
Ok.
The entire Tartarus sector is indeed under a vast invesitgation headed by a Senatorial commission- this is why there was no civilian transport coming here.
Tartarus is, apparently, the centre of a smuggling operation that has its tendrils spreading throughout the whole Republic and costing it untold billions of credits. And this is not some remote Hutt planet; it's close to Malastare, a MAJOR Republican world (albeit a dodgy one).
Currently evidence is being accumulated by Republican authorities to try and get a trial going and shut down these damn people. But the Tartarans have invoked no end of legal obstructions pointing out their right to free passage in their own system, and they brought a successful court case to make this happen. They also won the right to avoid any persecution OTHER than that directly pertinent to the investigation.
To whit, the result is this. During the course of the investigation (now in its 30th month) no private transport to Tartarus is allowed. All those travelling to Tartarus must prove they have valid Tartaran citizenship, and all incoming travellers must so prove themselves before being allowed to enter the Civilian Sector- which is to say, the entire rest of the moon (though Tartarus is not actually that large).
Meanwhile, the Senatorial Committee meets every three months to discuss the problem and try and advance some sort of solution. Captain Pheron has been sent by this committee, and this whole military area that controls the flow into and out of Tartarus was created by that committee.
The most important thing is this. Whilst the investigation is going on, NO forces of the Republic may enter the area, on direct order of the Senate, in case they breach the partiality of the investigation by so doing and render all that work invalid- the court case could collapse if Republican forces enter. This includes Jedi.
You are beginning to remember why you hate Republican bureaucracy...