JEDI HoloNet

A routine showing of Flutres des Tyluun at the Monadurk Theatre in the Western Sector was downplayed by the appearance of a vigilante who disrupted a robbery at knifepoint not far from the entrance shortly after the production ended. A young Twi’lek couple was assaulted by a group of Humans working independently out of the South Sector.

Shoda Koo, a nineteen year old student at the Academy of Sciences says that after she and her boyfriend exited the theatre at around 1900 GST that a single man held them up at knifepoint, prompting the approach of two nearby men who were similarly armed, demanding their credits. “They mistook me for somebody else, I think,” Shoda said in reference to the fact that the men seemed to imply that it wasn’t the first time that they had met.

Her boyfriend, Mowara Len, says that the two were escorted into an alleyway where they believed they would be sold into slavery, despite their off-skin color, an irregularity that became more popular given the economic hardships falling on the Galaxy. With little choice, Mowara Len and Shoda Koo were led not far away from the theatre before an anonymous human intervened.

“He seemed to be a spacer or something, he was wearing flight gear,” Mowara said in a description. “He was average height but had darker skin, something you don’t see here on Alzoc III.” According to the two, the man gained the attention of the attackers and fought them all at once.

“I think he was stabbed,” Shoda said, “but by the time he had dealt with the three men, he took off before we could even thank him.” Mowara contacted local security forces shortly afterward who remarked that they had no potential identity of the man. Security footage from the local camera feeds indicates that the vigilante attended the same show as the couple and arrived with a young Twi’lek himself.

His motives and identity remain unknown. The possibility that he is an agent of Alliance Special Operations is being considered. Alzoc III Head of Security, Ikto Lón, refused to comment. The three men are being held at Security Station Delta West.

– Rom Stolil, Galactic HoloNews.

Rom Stolil is a Galactic HoloNews correspondant and Alzoc III reporter. Contact him via e-mail at RStolil.GHN.10109.

GHN LiVE

BREAKING NEWS – Prime Minister Selene has announced the People’s Commonwealth will be surrendering to the Chiss Ascendency. This follows intense speculation over the Commonwealth’s military future in the wake of the continued occupation of the Northern Territories and the devastating biological attack on Bakura. Prime Minister Selene had this to say:

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce our intention to offer the Chiss Ascendency our surrender. As a people, we have always felt strongly about our independence. Many laid down their lives in the War of Secession to ensure the freedoms we have enjoyed for the past forty years; that sacrifice cannot be forgotten and will not be forgotten. But today, we face an enemy we cannot fight, an enemy whose efforts we cannot spurn. By surrendering today, we hope to prevent any more innocent lives being lost to the same hideous weapons that attacked Bakura. The Commonwealth may be defeated, but we will never lose our spirit. We sacrifice our independence so that our children and their children will never have to sacrifice their future.”

Despite the brave face that the Commonwealth’s Head of State has put on for the holocams, her words are falling on deaf ears. Our news teams on worlds not far from the front lines have attested to panic among the civilian populace, with the exodus to more heavily defended worlds increasing exponentially in the cycles since Bakura. Spaceports across the region are being besieged by citizens scared for their lives and travel operators are incapable of meeting the ever-increasing demand. Morale among Commonwealth troops is at an all-time low and this latest development is only expected to exacerbate the situation on the front lines.

Undeterred by the worsening situation, the Galactic Alliance shows no sign of following the Commonwealth’s lead. Chief of State Aquitenne has publicly denounced the attack on Bakura and refuted rumours that he will be stepping down from his position. In a press conference yesterday, he had this to say in response to our reporter’s questioning:

“Absolutely not. The Galactic Alliance will never bow down to coercion and terror tactics so long as I remain in charge. The attack on the people of Bakura was as insidious as it was cowardly and it has only strengthened my resolve to serve the Alliance as Chief of State. I will see this war to its rightful conclusion with the defeat of the Chiss Ascendency.”

Chief of State Aquitenne’s approval ratings have been perilously low these past months and it remains to be seen whether his continued resolve to remain in office will be enough to prevent a future vote of no confidence from the Senate. The loss of the Commonwealth effectively dissolves the Coalition and is a potentially disastrous blow to the war effort. The pressure on Chief of State Aquitenne has never been higher.

On the Chiss front in the Northern Territories, attacks on Coalition forces appear to have ceased. Efforts to regain lost ground continue, but have been unsuccessful so far. Meanwhile, in the east, Mandalorian sieges continue with an alarming frequency. Rumoured civil conflict within Mandalorian space appears to be having no effect on their war effort, and while attacks on Jedi strongholds have all but faded into obscurity with the elimination of Yavin, Ossus, Bastion and Dantooine, the campaign of revenge has not been forgotten by Mandalorian troops. Eyewitness reports suggest the Jedi Order’s representatives on the front lines are being specifically targeted by the Mandalorians, with heavy weapons being deployed to devastating effect.

Although no specific date has been announced, GHN expects a treaty between the Commonwealth and the Ascendancy to be negotiated soon. The Chiss maintain that they will not accept anything less than unconditional surrender from the Commonwealth; it remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Selene is in a position to force a compromise.

GHN pledges to bring you any updates as they happen. We report, you decide.

Ular Tenn // GHN

Reports coming in are suggesting a renewed Mandalorian offensive, this time in the form of an uncharacteristic raid on the world of Obroa-Skai.

As we all know, the planet of Obroa-Skai has long been famed for its apparent wealth of knowledge. As the rumours go, contained within vast data stores on the planet, is a complete history of our Galaxy as well as a collection of its greatest secrets. The apparent Mandalorian raid on the planet was reportedly aimed at these data stores in particular. While we are yet to ascertain the exact reasoning behind this most recent move by the Mandalorian forces, what we do know is that our Coalition Military Command is in an uproar.
 
Also in addition, it has been reported that this latest assault yielded surprisingly low civilian casualties, which again goes against what we have come to expect from the Mandalorians. All other testimony by supposed eye-witnesses has been deemed classified by Coalition High-Command.

This is GHN

GHN LiVE

A terrible devastation has been revealed at Bakura.

Following a recent invasion attempt by the Ascendancy against the Commonwealth world, Coalition forces found themselves surprised and bewildered, but soon fought back against enemy forces to regain a solid foothold. All signs pointed to an eventual success in driving away the Ascendancy yet again until word spread of a most unusual occurrence. Across the major cities and Coalition bases, tales of a widespread epidemic began to surface, as the affected began to display deep sores and lesions over their exposed skin, correlating with signs of vomiting and diarrhea.

Eventually, the observers and doctors working to identify the apparent disease began to contract it as well. After a period as short as a few days, millions of people civilian and military were infected, as the death tolls began to rise quickly into the hundreds, thousands, and millions. No members of the Ascendancy, Chiss or otherwise, were reported to have shown signs of contracting the disease.

Further details surrounding this mass death are unavailable, though it is heavily assumed that all Coalition forces on Bakura have surrendered with the sector effectively blocked off by defending fleets. With little doubt, it seems biological warfare has entered the arena, the potential effects of which need not be mentioned in this report. Galactic HoloNews will immediately report any developments as they arise.

Swoop Bike

In the context of this poor economy, galactic consumers have recently begun to invest their earnings (or handouts) in the newest trend of illegal swoop racing, placing uncertain bets on unknown thrill seekers in hopes of increasing their bullion by upwards of 300%. The result of riches comes at a price however, which include facing high odds of failure, a danger involved with frequent crashes, and of course the risk of getting booked by local authorities. Despite the odds, swoop racing of all kinds has been on the rise Galaxy-wide.

While popular in professional organizations and rogue operations along the Outer Rim, the popularity of swoop racing has risen amongst the amateur populations in the Core Worlds, with especially large frequencies lying unsurprisingly in the realms of Corellia and Coruscant. In many cases, teenage citizens as young as 15 have been documented as participating in the unsanctioned races, with some individuals even encountering some success. With an ever-increasing population of racers ready to skid above the streets for fame and possible fortune, gamblers have flocked to such sites ready to give all for the chance of fortune and the spectacle of astounding speed.

Authorities have said that while swoop racing is enjoyable and productive within the right hands and professional settings, the illegal practice of such races is extremely dangerous for all parties involved. While some racers may have proper training, others are far more inexperienced, which often results in multiple deaths due to the competitive atmosphere and high speeds involved. On the side of illegal gambling, the sometimes enormous odds of winning a bet, in addition to the possibility of not receiving house earnings at all, have caused poverty-stricken individuals to fall even further below the line. Nevertheless, there seems to be no stopping this trend as new racers and gamblers continue to tally by the minute.

From this journalist’s perspective, these illegal swoop operations are an understandable result of the poor handling of the economy by the current Chief of State and his administration. With no formal and civil areas of investment to look to, the have-nots will ultimately look for some means of amusement and a shot at more plentiful resources for their daily lives. Listen up, Chief, because we have a real problem on our hands.

283.16 – Carthago Delenda-Est // GHN