Blue-tongued bolts of lightning coursed through Obi-Wan Kenobi, gathering at his wrists and ankles before racing up and down his body in a journey surely designed to drive him to the edge of reason. He was held largely immobile, like an insect pinned to a cotton display swab, twitching as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably in a futile struggle to escape their torment. It was an odd sort of pain: an aching, prickling, numbness similar to a limb that had fallen asleep combined with the burning of muscles worked to shaky exhaustion. A sheen of cold sweat covered his pale face, the occasional bead of which rolled down his temples before disappearing into his beard.

Green-blue eyes narrowed as he surveyed his surroundings, an enterprise assisted by the fact that he was suspended a meter off the ground by a series of repulsorlifts while being constantly rotated like a nerf on a spit. The crisp, acidic smell of electricity with the faint underpinning of burnt hair wafted through the air of the cavernous chamber. Under other circumstances he might have been impressed by the millions of years of slow geological evolution required to create the red rock structure serving as his prison, but currently it was just one more obstacle between him and freedom.

How long he’d been there, he could not say. Hours certainly. He was exhausted, yet wired, his mind wandering deplorably, unable to concentrate on one thing for more than a few moments at a time.

It was an effective way to secure a Jedi, he had to admit. He could focus neither mind nor body enough to harness the energy of the Force in order to affect an escape. The static electricity emanating from the containment field felt like millions of tiny nimgnats burrowing relentlessly into his flesh. It was excruciating and disturbingly efficient.

The Jedi swallowed hard, wincing at the stale, coppery taste of blood in his mouth. Dwelling on his discomfort would benefit neither himself nor the Force he had dedicated his life to serving. He sighed and tried to center his concentration. Again. Instead all he could think about was clawing the skin from his bones.

As another static-induced tremor lit up Obi-Wan’s nervous system, he marveled at the wonderful hospitality of the Geonosians. He generally preferred to be welcomed with Corellian whiskey or even tea rather than shock treatment, but every culture had its foibles. He could only hope he was seriously running up their power bill.

He took a deep breath and released his frustration into the Force. He would wait and the Force would present him with the opportune means and time for escape. Anytime now… or now… or perhaps now… Patience was usually a skill that he had in abundance, although his own Master had long despaired that he would ever acquire it.

Qui-Gon Jinn. Dead ten years now. Grief, like the nightmares of his death, had faded in time, but the void in Obi-Wan’s life never entirely diminished. Obi-Wan ruthlessly pushed the thought from his mind. Ruminating on his Master’s murder was not going to assist him in his objective, which, he reminded himself sternly, was to find a way to center himself and discover a means of escape.

Right. Red walls. Check. Intense pain. Check. No aid from the Force. Check. He wanted to kick a control panel. Or a storage container. Or his astromech. He wondered how R4 was doing. He hoped the Geonosians wouldn’t disintegrate her. Had the little droid been able to send his last transmission? As another series of shocks racked his already battered body, he mused that perhaps deciding to report the information gleaned during his covert foray into the Geonosian stronghold before departing the planet was not his most brilliant decision.

Many of his decisions lately had been less than stellar, he admitted, as his mind drifted inwards, unconsciously seeking refuge from the pain, until he bumped rather abruptly into the unease that had been lurking just under the surface of his consciousness since before he left the Jedi Temple on this fact-finding mission.

Someone had erased the planet of Kamino from the Jedi archives. No, not just someone. A Jedi. He had seen the evidence of it himself. His breath caught in his throat as he again considered the implications of that. A Jedi had apparently contracted with the Kaminoans ten years ago to create a clone army for the Republic, presumably to fight against the Separatists, in whose hidden base of operations he now found himself imprisoned. But a decade ago the Separatists hadn’t even existed.

As Obi-Wan considered these facts, fear began to seep into his mind like water into duracrete cracks. The Galactic Republic, which had stood for a thousand years, was moving full speed ahead toward civil war. The Jedi, who had kept the peace for at least that long, were powerless to stop it. And, perhaps most frightening of all, he felt something was terribly wrong with his Padawan, the boy — now man — he had trained in the ways of the Jedi for the past ten years. Although he wasn’t entirely sure how, his feelings told him that the fates of these three things were intricately linked. Forces were at work here on Geonosis that could destroy everything he held dear.

Anakin Skywalker was not the Padawan that Obi-Wan would have chosen for himself, which was rather ironic since he was fairly confident that his own Master would have said the same of him. But there was no question that he loved his apprentice with a fierceness that often frightened him. Still, training Anakin was a bit like dodging blaster fire, always one step away from disaster. There was no doubt that the boy was one of the most powerfulJedi ever. But the essence of the Jedi was not the power, but rather what one did with it.

A Jedi may feel anger, hate, hurt, despair — they were, after all, sentient beings — but a Jedi must never allow these feelings to guide his actions. Such behavior went against the instincts of most species, which was why Jedi younglings began their training so young. The ability to circumvent one’s nature and to put unwavering trust in the guidance of the Force was not an easy thing to do. It was a choice that each Jedi had to make every day. Sometimes, every minute. But it was essential. Control was at the core of a Jedi. This was the lesson he feared he had utterly failed to teach Anakin.

His apprentice hadn’t been ready for the responsibility of the solo mission to safeguard Senator Amidala. The fact that Anakin had apparently abandoned his mandate and was on Tatooine only served to illustrate that point. When he’d expressed his concerns to Master Yoda and Master Windu, they’d brushed him off, much to his dismay. It wasn’t the first time it had happened. Lately, the Council seemed to think they knew what was best for Anakin. He felt to his bones that they were wrong. And if they were, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Don’t center on your anxiety. How many times had his Master said those words to him? More times than there were stars in the galaxy. Even now in the privacy of his own mind he heard them in Qui-Gon’s voice. He took a deep breath. Qui-Gon was right. Live in the moment. Focusing on his fears would accomplish nothing.

He wanted to rip the flesh from the back of his skull and stop the insidious itch! He summoned all his energy in an attempt to move his head, hoping for any type of relief, only to discover Count Dooku entering his cell.

“Traitor!” Obi-Wan called as a greeting, the bitter word escaping his lips before he’d had a chance to evaluate the situation. Damn, he knew better than that.

Dooku didn’t seem all that offended, however. “Oh no, my friend. This is a mistake. A terrible mistake. They’ve gone too far. This is madness.”

The appearance of the elderly human was at odds with the distress in his voice. He looked more like he was on his way to an opera, with his elegant clothing and perfectly groomed beard, than on a mission to assist a “friend” in need.

Irrationally, the fact that not a single hair on the man’s gray head was out of place made Obi-Wan want to unleash a Force storm on him.

“I thought you were the leader here, Dooku,” the Jedi replied, holding his voice as steady as possible. Leader. The thought disgusted him. Dooku had been a Jedi once. Qui-Gon’s master! How could he have come to this?

“This had nothing to do with me, I assure you,” the Count said, ignoring Obi-Wan’s accusation. “I will petition immediately to have you set free.”

While his words were reassuring enough, Obi-Wan was sickened to feel a new tingling at the corners of his consciousness. The former Jedi Master was pushing against Obi-Wan’s Jedi-trained mental defenses and attempting to access his most private thoughts. He struggled against the assault, but the pain and distraction of the electric pulses still coursing through him ensured he was fighting a losing battle. In desperation, Obi-Wan sought to distract the Count with a verbal sally. “Well, I hope it doesn’t take too long. I have work to do.”

Dooku wasn’t deterred, and sweat broke anew across Obi-Wan’s brow as he tried to retreat mentally to higher ground.

Why do you run from me, my friend? Dooku’s voice resounded in Obi-Wan’s mind, even as he walked counter the direction Obi-Wan was being rotated by the containment field, thus forcing the Jedi to keep tabs on his tormentor’s location both mentally and physically.

Dooku’s slow pace spoke of an underlying arrogance and was in sharp contrast to the briskness of his invasion into Obi-Wan’s mind. Obi-Wan bit back a gasp and fled, trying to set new mental barriers in his wake. He’d had other Force users in his mind before. Qui-Gon. Anakin. Even Master Yoda. But where their touches had been gentle, almost a caress, Dooku’s was painful and humiliating.

“May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out here on Geonosis?”

The energy currents surrounding his body increased, and Obi-Wan felt his mental footing slip. He struggled not to cry out. “I’ve been tracking a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Do you know him?” His voice sounded stilted even to his own ears.

“There are no bounty hunters here that I am aware of. The Geonosians don’t trust them,” the count said.

But you can trust me, Obi-Wan. The words oozed into his psyche, sickening in their sincerity.

Obi-Wan tried again to flee, but Dooku’s mental presence pinned him. The former Jedi Master was rooting through his memories like a Kowakian monkey-lizard scavenging through an open gut, pulling out what was useful, what could hurt him, and tossing the rest aside.

Obi-Wan’s own feelings assailed him in a maelstrom of pain and loss.

The faint smell of stale floral perfume and coarse material against tiny fingers as he clung to his mother for the last time.

He mentally pressed against the memory, finally pushing it back only to feel the sweaty fingers of a fellow Jedi and childhood rival brush past his as the boy fell to his death.

Obi-Wan recoiled from the memory, and it gave Dooku the gap he needed to open the floodgates. Memories were ripped from him in a barrage of color, sound, and smell.

… red ears, face burning with the sting of a reprimand from his Master over a missed curfew…

…the weight of Qui-Gon’s disappointment over a failed astronav exam…

…the light fading from Cerasi’s eyes as life left her. Melida/Daan’s last casualty…

… the feel of soft lips ghosting across his brow, not in promise of a deepening relationship, but in bittersweet acknowledgement of what could never be, as dictated by the Jedi Code…

… the sting of jealousy at the realization that Anakin would replace him as Qui-Gon’s Padawan…

…the torture of being trapped behind an energy field, forced to watch as Qui-Gon battled a monster, knowing his Master would not survive the encounter…

…the agony of feeling the thread of their training bond dissolve as his Master became one with the Force…

… blind panic with the comprehension that the fate of a child was in his hands…

“Well, who can blame them? But he is here, I can assure you,” Obi-Wan heard himself say, what felt like hours later, though in reality it must have been only a few seconds.

“It’s a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of you. “

Even if he wasn’t ready to take another Padawan. It was an insecurity that normally no longer held any power over him. Obi-Wan knew all too well how an unwanted Padawan could grow to be as essential a part of a Jedi as any limb. But now, with his life flung around him like an overturned rubbish bin, the words seared him. Tears burned his eyes as he was lost again in the pain of a twelve-year-old child as he watched his last hope of a Master turn his back and walk away.

“I wish he were still alive.” The Count sighed theatrically, and Obi-Wan heard the words, too bad you weren’t a little faster, knife through his mind. “I could use his help right now.”

“Qui-Gon Jinn would never join you.” The words were a shield.

“Don’t be so sure, my young Jedi. You forget that he was once my apprentice just as you were once his.”

And I was his friend. This, Obi-Wan knew to be a lie. Dooku had been Qui-Gon’s Master and his teacher, but he had never been his friend. It was a tactical error and the knowledge briefly empowered Obi-Wan.

“He knew all about the corruption in the Senate, but he would never have gone along with it if he had known the truth as I have,” Dooku said, as he continued to circle maddeningly around his captive.

“The truth?” Obi-Wan cursed himself for the curiosity reflected in his voice. Dooku now knew intimately of his disdain toward the Senate and politicians in general and wasn’t hesitating to use that knowledge against him.

“The truth…”

Dooku let the words hang there for a long moment, gathering strength, even as Obi-Wan prepared himself to disbelieve whatever came next. He could feel the Count’s amusement at his efforts. And just who do you think taught Qui-Gon that tactic?

The words deflated Obi-Wan as the pervasive haze returned, robbing him of the tiny foothold he’d managed to garner.

“What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the Dark Lord of the Sith?”

“No, that’s not possible. The Jedi would be aware of it,” Obi-Wan said quickly, but his voice was shadowed with doubt.

Are you so sure, my young friend? An image from his memory of the star map room, the empty space just south of the Rishi Maze, bled into his mind’s eye. He realized he was trembling and it was not entirely an effect of the containment field.

“The dark side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend. Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious.”

Clouded vision. His own errors in judgment. The failure of the Jedi at Antar, and dozens of other missteps that had precipitated the current crisis.

“I don’t believe you.” But he did.

“The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious. But he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord…”

It is not true, Obi-Wan told himself.

“… he came to me for help. He told me everything…”

It is not true. It is not true. It is not true, Obi-Wan repeated to himself, clinging stubbornly to his defiance, using the denial as a bulwark.

He could feel Dooku quashing his efforts, fogging his mind. Pressure bore down on his psyche like a vise. He twisted and struggled, but the grip only grew tighter, leaving him sluggish and confused.

The Jedi Council would not believe him, the Count continued his accusations mentally.

It is not true. It is not true. It is not true. It is not true.

The Count continued to pace, his movements becoming agitated. I tried many times to warn them but they wouldn’t listen to me.

IT IS NOT TRUE.

But some tiny part of the Knight acknowledged that it might be. Had the Council not brushed off his concerns about his Padawan’s readiness to carry out his mission with Senator Amidala? Dooku seized the flicker of doubt and exploited it mercilessly. All Obi-Wan’s frustrations with the Council for ignoring his concerns crashed over him in a wave.

They see only what they want to see. They ignore your concerns. The words were coated in honey, soothing and seductive. How many times did Qui-Gon warn you to keep your own counsel?

It is… true. Force help him, it was true. Qui-Gon had often questioned the omnipotence of the Council. The Council had ignored his concerns about Anakin.

Dooku pounced on the admissions. Once they sense the Dark Lord’s presence, it will be too late.

Too late. The words reverberated through him. They would be too late. The Senate was corrupt. The Council was floundering. The Republic would fall. His head spun with the implications of it all. He struggled to get air into his lungs. What would his Master have done?

“You must join me, Obi-Wan, and together we will destroy the Sith.”

Destroy the Sith. Stop the Republic from obliterating itself. Save his Padawan. It sounded so simple. So tempting. Take matters into his own hands. Step away from the dictates of the Council and turn his back on the plethora of politics. Could he better serve the galaxy at Dooku’s side?

Obi-Wan stood on a precipice, the edge of a cliff over a great yawning abyss. Pebbles gave way under his feet, their scraping against the soil representing his waning resistance. He felt emptiness open up under him as he started to fall. A voice not his own grabbed him.

The very worst time is the time you must follow the Jedi Code. Cast away your doubt. Let the Force flow through you.

Qui-Gon. He clung to those words and let the truth of them rush through him. He found his footing. The ground coalesced under him. He could breathe. Relief and the luminous energy of the Force suffused him. He chose the Light. He chose the Jedi. Just as he had thousands of times in his life. Just as he would until the end of this days.

“I will never join you, Dooku,” he swore.

The Count’s shoulders slumped slightly in defeat and Obi-Wan felt the tendrils of the other’s man presence slither out of his mind. As Dooku turned to leave, he said, “It might be difficult to secure your release.”

What Dooku failed to understand was that he already had.

It would take a devout Givin theoretician a lifetime to calculate just how many stories there are in the multi-leveled city of Coruscant, but Slyther Bushforb will tell you that he’s heard them all. A private investigator (or “private dack” as he calls himself), he was a Nuknog with a talent for keeping his snout attuned to the pulse of the streets and the flow of crime. The case that had him seated at Dex’s Diner the same day Obi-Wan Kenobi walked in looking for information was one that started like so many, with a woman.
It was a dark night, one that would have undoubtedly been stormy had Coruscant’s Weather Control Network permitted it. Not many Nuknogs ever left the filthy swamps of Sump, which is why he knew the dame that walked into his office was trouble with a capital trill. She was a sight to behold, all right, with flushed display bulbs and a cold glint in her eye that would either break your heart or freeze it solid. Her name was Vekka Lodik, and she was the personal assistant of Seboca, the Dug actor enjoying some fame from his latest starring vehicle, Airtaxi Driver. Between puffs of a slender cigarra, she recounted to him how some palooka was gunning for the matinee idol.
Bushforb and his pal Rednax agreed to meet with her boss at Slyther’s favorite ardees joint, Dex’s Diner. The meeting went smooth as Ottegan silk, save for Seboca’s annoyance when the Dug noticed a “Jedi poodoo” seated in an
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adjacent booth. Still, Slyther’s smooth-talking put the Dug at ease, and when Seboca left, Slyther had the job.
He began his legwork there, waiting for the Jedi to leave to ask Dex a few questions. The Besalisk was always good for a rumor or two. Dex had heard something: a hunt that led Bushforb to other clues. Soon, he was sniffing out a solid lead from an old buddy in the Bounty Hunters Guild, which led to a run-down flat beneath Pom Plaza registered to a Dug named Manoca.Bushforb burst in, only to find Vekka holding a gun on him. She’d been the one out to bump off her boss all along. “Manoca” was just an alias Seboca used to keep a low profile, and when he showed up at his own secret pad, she planned to rub out the Dug, with Bushforb taking the fall.But he was nobody’s patsy, not even for a looker like Vekka. She clearly hadn’t learned to handle her rod on the mean streets of the underlevels, and when she glanced away, Bushforb got the drop on her. He pulled his own piece and gave her a nasty case of light poisoning.

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #56. 13:5:16
Palpatine Confident in Negotiations Supreme Chancellor’s Address Full of Optimism
GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT – In last night’s Address to the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine expressed renewed confidence in a peaceful solution to the Separatist crisis and commitment to negotiation efforts, though his statements reflected an acceptance of a likely yes vote in today’s election.
“Regardless of the outcome of the Military Creation Act Vote, the primary path that this administration will adhere to is one of civility and intelligent discourse,” said Palpatine. “If the constituents decide that a Grand Army of the Republic is indeed essential to the safety of our citizenry, we will erect a formidable force to assist our Jedi in maintaining the peace, not in starting a war.”
“I assure the families of the Republic that hostilities will only be engaged in retaliation or in the protection of Republic soil, or in response to brazen acts of warfare brought on by the Separatists. It is not this office’s desire to incite war,” the Chancellor reiterated.
“On election day, we will demonstrate the strength of democracy as thousands of delegates make their voices heard in the Senate. It is this cherished freedom we must protect, at all costs. The days and months ahead call for clear, rational thinking. It is only as a last resort that arms will replace words as the means of settling this dispute,” he said in conclusion. A full transcript of his address is available on official government channels.
BREAKING NEWS: Amidala Attacked Senator Believed Dead in Massive Explosion Naboo Cruiser torn to Shreds
GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT – The skies over the Naboo embassy were filled with flames, debris and tragedy when Senator Padmé Amidala’s cruiser was destroyed in a massive explosion.
According to satcam footage, as the Naboo cruiser touched down on its hovering multi-lobed landing pad, escorted by three Naboo N-1 starfighters, an
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explosion tore through the gleaming silvery craft. Hurling debris destroyed an accompanying fighter. At least seven people were believed killed in the blast.
Security and medical workers from the nearby Naboo embassy are rushing to the scene to investigate. It is currently believed that Senator Padmé Amidala is among the dead.
As per safety protocols, the cruiser avoided the more heavily trafficked skyroutes as it flew from orbital space into Galactic City. The explosion does not appear to be the result of malfunction, but rather a deliberate bombing. It is too early to conclusively tell, but the explosion appears to have originated from the cruiser and not the landing platform, suggesting sabotage originating from offworld.
Senator Amidala, 24, was arriving on Coruscant to cast her vote in the Military Creation Act. The leader of the opposition against Republic militarization, Amidala had no shortage of enemies wishing to silence her.
More on this tragedy as it develops; paid subscribers to the full-feed edition of HoloNet News will receive round-the-chrono coverage and updates on this developing story.
Senator Padmé Amidala – A Life of Service cut Tragically Short
Born to humble parents in a small mountain village on Naboo, Padmé Naberrie was raised for a life of public service. Like all Naboo, she was instilled with a strong sense of civic duty at a young age, and schooled in both local politics and foreign affairs.
While still a child, young Padmé served in the Refugee Relief Movement’s efforts during the Shadda-Bi-Boran exodus. At the age of 8, she joined the Apprentice Legislators, formally announcing her intent to follow a career in politics. She was then appointed Senatorial Advisor, and then became Princess of Theed at age 12.
Padmé earned the title Queen Amidala in a planet-wide election that lasted less than four seconds. A combination of exceptional scores on her education certificate and her conviction of reform following the scandalous reign of King Veruna secured her position.
Amidala came to galactic prominence a decade ago following the blockading of Naboo by the Trade Federation. She helped unite the disparate populaces of
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Naboo, including the normally isolationist Gungan natives, into a resistance movement that forcibly overturned the Federation occupation.
Having served to her term limitations, Amidala stepped down as Queen despite an enormously popular following. The people of Naboo would have gladly amended the constitutionally entrenched limitations to keep Amidala serving longer. Though she had every right to retire to a quiet life of family, she accepted the new Queen Jamillia’s request to serve as Senator of Naboo.
Since the start of the Separatist crisis two years ago, Amidala had been a strong proponent of peace and negotiation. She headed the Campaign against Republic Militarization and traveled throughout the Mid Rim espousing her beliefs of peaceful reconciliation with the disaffected worlds of the Republic.
Senate Speeder Thief Arrested
USCRU DISTRICT, CORUSCANT – Senator Simon Greyshade sure didn’t bet on this happening. Thanks to a hyper-accurate tracking device built into the vehicle of speeder-enthusiast Senator Greyshade (Vorzyd), the one-of-a-kind custom flying machine was recovered within 30 minutes of being stolen from a Senatorial Quarters parkway.
“That speeder is one of my most prized possessions,” said a visibly shaken Greyshade. “It took my mechanics years to perfect it. It’s a gonzo color. I won’t rest until I’ve destroyed the life of the sleemo who took it.”
Though the day’s earlier events brought extra security to the Senatorial residential tower, staff became distracted by a wayward traffic droid who smashed a window on one of the building’s upper floors. Holocams detected a young human male leaping in to the vehicle and tearing away recklessly. Security devices alerted authorities who quickly located the empty speeder parked carefully over 100 kilometers away on Vos Gesal Street.
“A somewhat disoriented youth came out of the nearby Snapping Septoid entertainment facility,” said investigating officer Wets Tranoj. “When he saw us looking at the speeder, he began shouting and pushed us away.”
Officials learned the man, Reymet Autem, was the 20-year-old son of Senator Greyshade’s designated senate security guard, Sagoro Autem. Reymet was placed in custody after admitting to visiting his father at Greyshade’s residence earlier that evening.
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“I never fully trusted that kid,” stated Greyshade. “He was always protective and envious of my speeder.”
In another strange twist, the speeder briefly went missing a second time while security forces processed Autem’s arrest. It was quickly located back in its designated parkslot at Greyshade’s complex. “With high-profile cases involving politicians, rookies can get nervous,” explained Tranoj. “Someone obviously got over-anxious and returned the vehicle without filing documentation.”
Antitrust Suits Dropped in Light of Separation
EXPANSION REGION NODE – The Judicial Department has cleared over 2,000 pending antitrust suits against the Commerce Guild following the secession of several Mid and Outer Rim sectors that no longer have any coverage by Republic laws.
The suits, some of which have been on the backlogs for over six years, contend that the Commerce Guild has been bullying competitors in its lucrative commodities markets, sometimes even unleashing private droid armies to enforce guild membership.
“These small local companies are in for a shock now that they’re no longer protected by Republic laws and trade borders,” said Fourth Assistant Attorney General Kevzod Stenir. “Since Republic law holds no sway in their sectors, there’s nothing to stop the guilds and Federation from taking charge.”
As an example, Stenir cited the gas giant of Tyed Kant, whose private coalition of food growers had long opposed Commerce Guild membership in favor of managing their own affairs. “With the secession of its governing worlds, Tyed Kant was promptly invaded by the Commerce Guild and forced to sign a treaty,” said Stenir.
Commerce Guild President Shu Mai denied any orchestrated plans to take over private ventures in Separatist territories. “The Attorney General is being a tad dramatic in his recollection of the Tyed Kant investment. That was a move to ensure that such valuable food commodities stay within the trade-flow of the Republic and not fall into Separatist hands,” she said. “Understand that we are examining each market secession on a case by case basis. These losses are hitting us as hard as anyone, I assure you.”
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Jedi Starfighters Moved to Eriadu Base
PHELAR, ERIADU – The Jedi Council has moved a squadron of a dozen Delta-7 Aethersprite starfighters to the busy Phelar Port of Eriadu, bolstering Republic security in the Seswenna sector which now borders a sizable Separatist front. The sleek wedge-shaped starfighters have been stationed at the Eriadu Planetary Security Launchport complex. “The Jedi order has the full support and cooperation of Eriadu and the Seswenna sector,” said Brigadier Gideon Tarkin in a ceremony that welcomed the fighters to the base. Tarkin then joined Jedi Master Hyris-Well Madorin to discuss increased security measures for the Rimma Trade Route.
Lahara Patrol Attacked, Jedi to Send Aid
OUTER RIM NODE – Separatist extremists opened fire on a Space Rescue Corp patrol cutter on the borders of the Lahara sector yesterday, prompting an emergency Jedi taskforce to be dispatched to the area.
The Iron Tether was strafed by a quartet of Subpro C-73 Tracker starfighters backed by a modified Corellian freighter despite transmitting its identifying telesponder signal and flying its recognizable red and black hull colors.
“When the engagement began, there may have been the off-chance the Separatists didn’t recognize the vessel as a Rescue Corp ship,” said Corps Director Rowen Foce, “but once they closed to attack, there’s no way they could have missed the markings. An attack on an unarmed rescue ship is nothing short of barbaric.”
The Tether was on a routine patrol mission of a dense nebulosity known as the Cowl Crucible, a deep space phenomena that straddles the Lahara and Oricho sector borders. Ships often suffer unexpected hyperspace reversions by passing too close to the Crucible, becoming stranded and in need of aid.
As the Tether continued its survey, it traveled closer to the Lahara sector border, an area of space that has since seceded from the Republic. Apparently without warning, the Separatist vessels attacked the Tether.
“The cutter had its shields overloaded and sustained damage to its hull and hyperdrive. To hinder pursuit, its captain was forced to take cover within the Crucible. Because of the damage to the shielding, the crew was exposed to dangerous levels of radiation while in hiding. Thankfully, no one was killed by the exposure, but the crew is currently undergoing antirad treatment,” Foce told
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reporters today.
A taskforce led by Jedi Master Darrin Arkanian has been dispatched to the distant Oricho sector to patrol the border and offer security to travelers on the Republic-side of the border.
BREAKING NEWS: Amidala Alive Determined Senator Addresses Senate Military Creation Act Vote Delayed
In an unparalleled display of devotion to service, Senator Padmé Amidala, believed killed in a terrorist strike this morning, emerged alive and well in time for the day’s Military Creation Act vote, though the Vote was postponed pending security reviews.
Amidala made her dramatic entrance in the middle of words of mourning by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who delayed the vote to grieve the Senator’s demise.
“Her death is a great loss to us all,” the Supreme Chancellor said. “We will all mourn her as a relentless champion of freedom. And as a dear friend.”
The Senate then broke into partisan bickering as the vote was motioned to be to be deferred by Senator Orn Free Taa (Ryloth). The arguments subsided into gasps of surprise as Senator Amidala interrupted the fray with strong words of protest against the Military Creation Act.
“An assassination attempt was made upon my life,” the Senator said. “One of my bodyguards and six others were ruthlessly and senselessly murdered. I was the target, but more importantly, the security measure before you was the target. I have led the opposition to building this army, and someone will stop at nothing to assure its passage.”
The Senate vote, which was to be completed within the 0800 hour, was instead deferred to a later session sometime tomorrow. Pro-military Senators have wasted no time accusing Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of overstepping his authority in stalling the vote.
“Palpatine has never been behind the Military Creation Act, and was ready to stall it when the leader of the opposition appeared to be dead,” said Senator
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Candabrine Bu (Lansono). “Would he have done so if it was a pro-military Senator who was killed? And when she showed up alive, he postpones the vote anyway. I seriously doubt whether he had intended for the vote to pass today at all.”
Prior to the session’s adjournment, Amidala cautioned about the consequences of the Military Creation Act. “Wake up, Senators! You must wake up! If you offer the Separatists violence, they can only show violence in return. Many will lose their lives, all will lose their freedoms. I pray you do not let fear push you into disaster. Vote down this security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war. Does anyone here want that? I cannot believe they do.”

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #55. 13:5:09
Anti-War Rally Dispersed by Senate Guard
SENATE ROTUNDA, CORUSCANT – Large scale rioting was narrowly averted today as the Republic’s Senate Guard was forced to disperse the growing crowds clustering at the entrances of the Senate Rotunda, provoking further agitation from the assembled protestors. Thirty-eight protestors were arrested, with four of them having to be rushed to hospital, alongside two wounded Senate Guards.
The past two weeks has seen increasing numbers of vocal advocates and opponents of the Military Creation Act, the crucial Republic Army vote that will be decided next week. Citing increased security concerns, the Senate Guard attempted to relocate the crowds, which in turn sparked tense confrontations.
“The blue guards started telling everyone to clear the doors, and then people started shouting back. They [the protestors] tried to push back, and that’s when the rifles came out,” said eyewitness Lia Reicheds, a Senate clerk who had to weather the crowds to get into work.
The blue robed Senate Guards, brandishing their ceremonial yet effective rifles, fired stun blasts into the crowds, targeting the most aggressive of the activists. Protestors tried to fight back, throwing placards and refuse at the guards. In the rush of the stampeding crowd, four of the stunned activists were crushed.
Two Senate Guards that attempted to extricate the wounded were then attacked with clubs. Lt. Anjavay Rosit and Lt. Troye Mulleshar sustained blunt trauma injuries before their assailants were stunned into submission.
The entire incident spanned over an hour before order was restored. The north landing, which leads to the Rotunda’s largest entrance, is now under the watchful eye of 50 Senate Guards and six Jedi Knights.
The majority of the arrested demonstrators were students from the University of Coruscant’s Southern Campus, who were there to protest the vote. The remainder of the group has relocated to the smaller, western landing.
“We are a peaceful demonstration,” stressed a female Ishi Tib student over a
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loud-hailer. “Don’t let these warmongers provoke you to lowering yourselves to their level.”
“While I regret that it had to turn violent, my guards acted per orders and are to be commended,” said Jesra Loture, Captain of the Senate Guard. “We have a responsibility to the representatives of the Republic. We have hundreds of delegates arriving in the coming days, and we have to make sure they are safe, and to do so, we have to clear those entryways.”
An estimated 7,000 activists are gathered along the circumference of the Senate grounds, most of them protesting the possibility of a Republic army. A pro-military faction is considerably smaller, but no less committed to voicing their views — views that have broken out into isolated brawls along the concourse. The Senate Guard has more than tripled security in the past week.
Further crowding the grounds are all manner of fringe activist groups using the opportunity to spread their messages. The People’s Inquest has transplanted their makeshift camp from the steps of the Jedi Temple to the Senate plaza alongside a number of alien activist groups, such as the Dugs for Democracy.
“It’s a zoo out there,” said SBI Director Armand Isard. “We’ve got thousands of people, here, and that just compounds our security concerns. We are just moving them away from the gates, and not ‘rounding up agitators’ or ‘restricting their rights to assemble or voice their opinions,’ despite their more colorful claims.”
Arconan Smuggling Cartel Dismantled
TYLCARROS, CONA – The capture of Lojrak Shrag and the apparent death of his lieutenant, Godiban Bakoosta, has cracked apart a lucrative salt smuggling cartel servicing the poor and distant world of Cona, in the Teke Ro system.
Jedi Knights Tassida Judrelle, Quarmall and Stass Allie discovered and penetrated the cartel’s inner circle on an unnamed asteroid five parsecs from Cona with the help of information provided by independent traders. They arrested 15 smugglers, including cartel kingpin Lojrak Shrag.
“We are forever grateful to the Jedi Knights for the salvation of our people from the horrible drug that’s tearing apart our nests,” said Arconan spokesbeing Kimar Walc. “We will now rebuild and we hope to spread the word to all Arconans of the dangers of salt.”
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Cona had previously been serviced intermittently by the Trade Federation, until the taxation of the outlying trade route priced the shipments beyond the native Arcona’s ability to pay. The routes were then picked up by independent operators. Some were licensed by the Trade Federation, though most were not.
Cona’s primary import is liquid water. The scattered Arcona “Grand Nests” would typically exchange mineral rights for water shipments. It was eventually discovered that simple sodium chloride has a euphoric, addictive effect on Arconan metabolisms, and some operators, led by Lojrak Shrag, began shipping inexpensive salt instead of volume-intensive water.
An independent report to the Senate of the growing salt problem described it as “epidemic,” prompting a Jedi task force to investigate. By pooling intelligence resources with the more scrupulous of the independent traders, the Jedi were able to infiltrate the smuggling cartel.
An independent operator known only as Billey, who was influential in helping the Jedi, was named an “honorary legend” by the largest Grand Nest in Tylcarros. “The big shippers like the Trade Fed like to paint us independent types as scum with no morals,” he told reporters. “But it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if it was the Federation that first salted the water shipments and are getting kickbacks from Shrag and his boys.”
IBC Denies Arming Separatists
PHELAR, ERIADU – A detained bulk freighter destined for the Separatist world of Praesitlyn was found to contain a gross of InterGalactic Banking Clan hailfire droids, revealed Eriadu customs agents.
“The independent starship Tandleroff’s Trove was passing through Phelar port for Sluissi space when it was flagged by the attentive eyes of Eriadu Customs and Immigration. Those agents detained the vessel, and a search revealed 144 of the droids packaged amidst ag-equipment,” said Eriadu’s Minster of Security, Brigadier Gideon Tarkin.
Hailfire droids are a model of hoop-wheeled combat automata used exclusively by the Banking Clan’s Collections and Securities division. IBC spokesbeings are denying any involvement or knowledge of the intercepted shipment.
“Our transports and commodities are no more immune to piracy than anyone else’s,” said Communications Officer Lo Vapeet. “What now rests in an Eriadu holding bay are stolen materials that we can finally account for in our ledgers. To
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imply that this finding is indicative of some sort of partisanship with the Separatists is folly and akin to suspecting a blaster manufacturer as being complicit in a corner-store robbery.”
The crew of the Tandleroff’s Trove are currently detained in a Phelar processing center and are undergoing questioning. The Republic’s Judiciary Department is expected to take over the investigation.
Senator Farr Named to Loyalist Committee
GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT – A month ago, few would have ever expected to see Senator Onaconda Farr on one of Palpatine’s closest committees, so outspoken against the Supreme Chancellor is the Rodian politician. His appointment to the Loyalist Committee was announced this morning; Farr replaces Senator Havriso Looruya (Yir Tangee) who was censured for having Separatist ties.
Speaker of the Senate Mas Amedda announced the appointment this morning, provoking cries of protests from numerous Senators. Farr himself was not in session today, instead attending funeral services for his brother and sister-in-law who died in a tragic housefire on Rodia earlier in the week.
“There are many loyal Senators confused as can be about this appointment,” said rotunda analyst Dassid Whateel on the morning talk-show Amberdawn, “but you have to realize, regardless of his bluster and Palpatine-bashing, Farr is the perfect image of a loyalist. He hates the Separatists. He loves the Republic. And he’s willing to do anything to preserve it.”
Farr made headlines last week when he exposed Separatist elements in the very heart of the Republic, and produced evidence that Senator Looruya of the Loyalist Committee was in fact a Separatist sympathizer and supporter. Farr’s research, provided to the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, has produced another 12 arrests in the wake of that political bombshell, and the SBI is continues its investigations.
Cadinth Loyalty Uncertain After Jedi Death
SASKAPEG, CADINTH – Following the death of their Jedi watchman, the Mid Rim world of Cadinth is wavering in its loyalty to the Republic. The Cadinth Oligarchy withdrew previous statements of support when a pro-Separatist uprising in the capital city of Saskapeg resulted in the death of Jedi Knight Bodis-Ker Vitan. The Prime Oligarch Rankwin Fopow has rescinded previous decrees, and now identifies his government as “firmly undecided.”

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #54. 13:5:02
Dooku Spotted in Gree Enclave Reports Place Separatist Leader in Obscure Region
SATIKAN, ASATION – The Senate Bureau of Intelligence has confirmed sporadic reports that Count Dooku, popular leader of the Separatist movement, was spotted earlier in the week in a remote area of the Outer Rim known as the Gree Enclave.
“Analysis of intelligence gathered on the Gree worlds of Asation and Lonatro corroborates eyewitness accounts of Count Dooku’s presence there. His intent was unknown, as is his current whereabouts,” SBI Director Armand Isard told the media today during a mid-afternoon conference on Coruscant.
Reports first reached the SBI at the start of the week that a man fitting Count Dooku’s description was spotted aboard the Rokak’k Baran, a mobile transport station that travels the worlds of the Enclave. A trader in the area forwarded the report to the nearest Judiciary office on Trassitan.
By the time the Judiciary dispatched a sensor probe droid, Dooku had apparently left, spending approximately four days in the area. The probe has gathered data of what is believed to be his departure, though the sensor logs are heavily distorted, possibly affected in as-yet-unknown means by Dooku.
“We were unable to get a clear image of whatever he was flying in before he jumped to lightspeed. The vessel’s particle-wake is unlike any we’ve ever encountered, and we are currently in contact with Gree crafters to see if they may be able to shed some light on this,” continued Isard.
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The Director would not comment on whether the particle trail constituted evidence of a radical propulsion system or an exotic weapon.
The Gree Enclave is a private state of less-than-a-dozen worlds inhabited by the Gree, a laconic species of cephalopods said to have built a civilization that predates the Republic. The worlds of the Gree are a xenoarcheologist’s treasure trove, harboring artifacts of exotic and advanced technology carefully guarded by the Gree, who have since degenerated to a point where the relics are largely unusable.
An investigation task force of Jedi are being dispatched to the distant region from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Jedi Masters Ashka Boda and Jabidus Inspra are leading a team of five Jedi into the Enclave to determine the purpose of Dooku’s visit.
Isard would not comment on what exactly he believed Dooku was doing in the Enclave. “I am not at liberty to offer conjecture at this point,” he said. Since the area has traditionally had no interests in galactic affairs, it is unlikely that the distant Enclave will become a hotbed of Separatist activity. “The Enclave is of limited political value. It is doubtful that Dooku was dispensing his rhetoric there,” said Isard.
“Prior to his disappearance ten years ago, Master Dooku was known to have a passion for antiquities and exotic forms of technology,” says noted Jedi Scholar Bashinan Hodizwen. “His presence there may have been something as innocuous as a shopping trip for curios.”
The Jedi Council has refused comment on the story, sticking to their usual stance that Dooku is not a part of the more violent uprisings sparked by the Separatist movement. Previous statements by the Council have attributed the scattered flashpoints as the work of opportunists using Dooku’s name to their own ends.
Special Feature: Who is Count Dooku?
Once a Jedi Master of great repute, Dooku’s departure from the Jedi order made newsnet headlines across the galaxy. He is the most recent of the so-called “Lost Twenty,” the only Jedi in the history of the order to voluntarily renounce their commissions.
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Citing disillusionment with the Republic and the Council, Dooku left Coruscant for his homeworld of Serenno. There, he took up his title and wealth that was his birthright and disappeared for years.
His departure was a magnification of his long-standing tradition of independence, an unusual trait in the Jedi order. Dooku was a strong proponent of the living Force, a school of Jedi thought with more emphasis on action and instinct rather than the more serene and contemplative paths espoused by proponents of the unifying Force. This proactive stance dovetailed well into Dooku’s new career as a political firebrand.
The former Jedi Master first reappeared on Raxus Prime, complete with fiery rhetoric lambasting the Senate and the Jedi order’s complacency in the visible erosion of morals and ideals of the Republic. Since that well documented speech two years ago, Dooku has been spotted on worlds throughout the Outer Rim, fomenting secession and leading a popular movement that soon developed an alarming cohesion.
Dooku’s base of operations is believed to be mobile. Reports of his speeches are scattered and often contradictory. Propaganda bearing his name has flooded the HoloNet, though many of these messages are believed to be forgeries.
Alarmist and reactionary Separatists have spilled blood in the Count’s name, though the Jedi Council has steadfastly denied any connection between these violent acts and Dooku’s agenda. “Dooku was a Jedi, and a Jedi’s devotion to the Force is for knowledge and defense. He would never order these attacks,” Jedi Master Mace Windu was quoted saying after the violence that rocked Antar 4.
Still, why has Dooku gained such a big following? Some of the more paranoid point to his Jedi abilities to warp minds, but even without supernatural talents, he is a charismatic man with a powerful presence. In times of bureaucratic stalemating and lethargic government response to crisis issues, Dooku has appeared as a man of action in a time in inaction. He has publicly derided the Jedi allegiance to what he defines as a corrupt and ineffective government.
In an age where heroism is hard to find and so many of the galaxy’s trusted institutes are treading carefully and sidestepping important confrontation, it is easy to laud someone who is making waves, regardless of the possible damage such waves may cause.
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Compiled by Harris Sanseon with the helpful assistance of Master Dav-Wes Renno and Madame Jocasta Nu of the Jedi Archives.
Vigilante Task Force Departs to Engage Separatists
EXPANSION REGION NODE – A Republic cruiser assigned to the Judicial Department has defected from the Republic to begin its own private battle against Separatist forces, Republic Judicial Terrinald Screed confirmed today.
The Scarlet Thranta, a mid-sized corvette with a crew of 150, ceased communications on a routine patrol mission near Sluissi space last week. What was first believed to be a mechanical failure was later confirmed to be mutiny from Republic service initiated by the vessel’s captain Zozridor Slayke.
“Our loyalty is only overshadowed by our frustration with the Republic’s inactivity. Those aboard this vessel are children of the Republic and freedom’s sons and daughters. We will fight to preserve this union, even if the Senate is afraid to defend itself,” said Slayke’s final transmission to the Judicial Department, which was intercepted and broadcast by news program Essence earlier this week.
“Those in our service pride ourselves on loyalty and discipline, and the private actions of Captain Slayke are uniformly condemned by our office and the Republic,” said Screed. “To the worlds of the Sluis sector, understand that whatever campaigns they initiate in your territory are wholly disapproved. We will not be dragged into war by the acts of radicals, regardless of their intentions.”
Jedi Settle Ansion Dispute
CUIPERNAM, ANSION – Despite a swath of scattered violence leading all the way into the very halls of the Unity of Community, the Mid Rim world of Ansion voted that it would remain in the Republic.
The vote was contingent on the unlikely completion of a mission by a Jedi delegation to strengthen diplomatic ties between city-dwelling Ansionians and the people of the plains. Upon the delegation’s return to Cuipernam, it was met with scattered attacks from unknown mercenaries. The Jedi nonetheless delivered word of their success to the Unity, prompting the vote.
An agitator identified as Ogomoor then stormed into the municipal hall. Before he could brandish what was thought to be a weapon, Ogomoor was shot dead
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by the heroic marksmanship of legitimate businessman Soerrg Vosadii Bezhin.
“Indeed, he was a past associate of mine,” Soerrg told reporters after the vote. “He was a being of pronounced and lamentable instabilities whom I hired on occasion to provide the downtrodden soul a sense of purpose and opportunity. It saddens me that his tether to sanity was so atrophied.”
The Unity then voted to accept the newly drafted Jedi concordance with a margin of 9-2. The new agreement would see strengthened diplomatic relations between the Alwari nomads and the cities of Ansion, with the Alwari sharing dominion over half of the prairie lands.
In addition to this profound development, the Jedi envoy — led by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Luminara Unduli — somehow also settled a long-standing dispute between the Borokii and the Januul clans.
The vote staved off an attempted secession by disenfranchised elements of Ansion. Through a convoluted chain of alliances, such as the Malarian Alliance and the Keitumite Mutual Military Treaty, Ansion’s secession would have also taken a number of key Mid Rim worlds.
Not all the actions of the Jedi delegation were successful. An impulsive attempt by one of the Jedi’s younger Padawan apprentices to arrest Soergg foundered upon failure to provide evidence of secessionist conspiracy.
“Our offworld friends have clearly been under enormous strain,” said the congenial Soergg.”I take no umbrage at the child’s outburst. I can only imagine the deprivations she and her companions have been forced to suffer these past weeks out on the empty prairie.”
As testament to his dedication to Ansion, Soergg is spearheading the investigation into who funded the unknown pro-secessionist mercenaries that attempted to disrupt today’s vote.
Yag’Dhul Secedes
DODECAPOLIS, YAG’DHUL – As is becoming increasingly common during these turbulent times, the Republic was dealt a major blow with the formal secession of Yag’Dhul and its domains today. Yag’Dhul, a very prosperous world, takes with it valuable technological, scientific and mineral resources from the Republic to the Separatists.
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Senator Daggibus Scoritoles transmitted Articles of Secession via HoloNet to the Senate this morning, making the separation official. The statement was also silmulcast along the broadcast towers of Yag’Dhul’s largest civic shelters. The transmission was accompanied by numerous charts and graphs as explanation of the action.
“It is not without regret that the Body Calculus and the collected domain and range of the Givin people have decided to leave the larger Republic. But the threats of remaining are greater than or equal to the threats of secession,” Scoritoles said.
According to the broadcast, the Body Calculus’s most revered mathematicians developed working models of the Republic’s current political situation. By advancing along the time axis of the model, the resultant figures indicated a bleak future for the Republic and for Yag’Dhul specifically. “The discriminant of the quadratic never lies,” added Scoritoles.
“The Loyalist Committee is dismayed by the secession, though we will respect the beliefs of the Givin theocracy,” said Bail Organa (Alderaan) at a conference after Senate session today.
Others in the committee weren’t as measured with their statements. “Sure, the numbers are dismal if they factored in their own cowardice,” said Ask Aak (Malastare). “I’d invoke the Corellian proverbs about odds, but now with even the Corellians hiding their heads, I’m hesitant to do that.”
Corellian Jedi Return
CORELLIAN SECTOR NODE – Reinforcing their pledge to protect the Republic, two-dozen Jedi from the Corellian sector returned to the Jedi Temple after a careful review of their homeworlds’ security. Following Corellia’s closing of borders on 3:14, many insiders and Jedi observers were uncertain as to the status of the Jedi Knights operating in the sector. Their return is a welcome one to the already beleaguered order. “Our commitment is to the Jedi Council and the Republic that it serves, but we are Corellians by blood and will always have a connection to our home,” said returning Jedi Knight Nejaa Halcyon.

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #53. 13:4:25
Would-Be Saboteur Captured Jedi Apprehend Attempted Terrorist
YAG’DHUL EMBASSY, CORUSCANT – The vigilance of a civilian Givin worker and the swift response of two of the most renowned Jedi Masters averted disaster today, as a would-be saboteur was apprehended at the Yag’dhul Ambassadorial Landing Platform.
Gavrilonnis Tejere, a 22-year old Givin maintenance worker, was spotted by co-worker Jujiran Halbeet working on the repulsor assembly that kept the landing platform aloft.
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“I thought it odd, since the maintenance of such systems was not among his assigned variables,” said Halbeet. “I processed it several times, but kept coming up with an irrational remainder, so I queried him. That’s when he fired.”
Tejere drew a blaster pistol and fired, injuring Halbeet, and sending the wounded co-worker reeling off the platform, tumbling into open air.
It was at that exact moment that an air taxi ferrying Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu entered the area. Using their supernatural abilities, the Jedi were able to save Halbeet, and safely deposit him on an adjacent rooftop.
The Jedi were returning from a meeting in the neighboring Ansion Embassy when they noticed the disturbance. Security holocams recorded the subsequent confrontation as the two Jedi directed their vehicle to the surface of the platform.
“Put the weapon down,” Master Windu commanded. Tejere fired two shots, the first going wide the second harmlessly deflected into the landing pad by Windu’s laser sword.
When Tejere attempted to fire a third time, his weapon flew from his hand, toward the Jedi. Master Yoda caught the weapon, and Master Windu strode toward the now unarmed assailant. Though holo-records are sketchy due to their angle of recording, it appears Windu knocked Tejere unconcious through pressure applied to his clavicle.
The saboteur was taken into custody to the nearest Judiciary processing station where he was questioned. The Judicial Department has yet to reveal the details of the questioning, though Master Yoda offered a brief summary. “No connection to Separatists, had he. A lone agitator, he was. Investigate this matter further, we shall.”
The Yag’dhul Ambassadorial Landing Platform has been closed down as Judicial representatives continue to carefully examine it for further evidence of sabotage. Sources tell HoloNet News that Tejere’s sabotage consisted of a programmed malfunction of the primary repulsor modulator of the platform. Had the program executed, it would have crippled the platform, bringing the entire structure crashing down below.
Givin representatives are upset over this current development. Senator Daggibus Scoritoles sent the following holographic missive from the Givin
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Senatorial Tesseract on Yag’dhul. “That one of our own species-set could act against his fellows is incomputable. We are in agreement with findings that this was the act of a lone integer. We have faith in the Judiciary to find an answer, no matter how asymptotic the course may be.”
Despite assurances from the Judiciary and the Jedi that Tejere was not part of the organized Separatist movement, the Senate Bureau of Intelligence is taking threats against Coruscant seriously. “From our viewpoint, it’s irrelevant if he acted alone or was part of an organization. The end result is the same -– there is a threat extending even to here, the heart of the Republic, and we will work to eliminate that threat, by any means necessary,” said SBI Director Armand Isard.
The investigation into Tejere’s activities has been appointed to a special joint taskforce consisting of Judiciary and SBI agents, supervised by Jedi Knight Qu Rhan.
Gotal Standoff Ends Violently Official Freed, Guerillas Killed
SKREEKA, ATZERRI – Despite the best efforts of a Jedi taskforce, the week-long Roshu Sune hostage standoff ended in violence, resulting in the death of 12 hostages, five guerillas, and two Jedi. The guerilla’s intended prisoner, Gotal Emissary Nathanjo Nirrelz has been freed.
The taskforce, led by Sarrissa Jeng, had been engaged in negotiations with the Gotal guerillas, who last week hijacked a commuter hopper with 25 passengers aboard, including Emissary Nirrelz. The hopper was set down in the swamps outside of Skreeka, where the guerillas had a temporary base.
The negotiations were suddenly cut short when blaster fire erupted from the surrounding swamps. Though reports are incomplete, the hijackers within the hopper apparently panicked and began opening fire on their captives.
Though two Jedi — Antyard-Wo Shissan and Kaloor Cofi — were killed in the crossfire, the remaining four Jedi including Jeng stormed the hopper. In the tight confines of the passenger compartment, they were forced to kill the guerillas before any more harm could befall the hostages.
During the fight inside the hopper, one of the guerillas set off a thermite gel bomb which ignited the vessel. The Jedi were able to rescue those aboard.
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Most have since been taken to medical wards in Skreeka or Talos, suffering from burns or smoke inhalation.
“It’s a miracle anyone survived this at all,” said Palhra Wavren, one of the passengers who is currently recovering in Talos Port Medicomplex. “Once we heard shots from the outside, we thought it was all over. The rest is just a blur. There was a lot of shouting and shooting, and we heard the laser swords. The next thing I knew, everything went up in smoke and fire and then went black. I woke up out in the swamps being tended to by a Jedi.”
Not everyone is praising the Jedi; Gotal Foreign Affairs Commune leader Shagrad Loset criticized the Jedi involvement in the crisis. “We specifically asked the Jedi stay out of this, since we were confident we could handle this. It’s a Gotal issue, best handled by Gotal. Unfortunately, they meddled and we can now see the results of lightsaber diplomacy.”
Representatives from the Jedi Council continue to stress that every effort was taken to resolve the matter peacefully. “Those rogue elements who fired from afar were never part of our plan. Our intent was to settle this with words. The Jedi Council condemns the actions of those who would take justice into their own hands through violence, and we commend the Jedi task force on their heroic efforts,” said Jedi Master Shaak Ti from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
Sarrissa Jeng and her remaining task force took their dead to the nearest Jedi chapter house on Aleen. They were not available for comment.
Three-Way Hunt Ends with Two Dead
JUDICIAL ARCOLOGY, CORUSCANT – Sent to capture a fugitive alive, Jedi Knight Reeft returned with two dead bodies: his prey and another hunter of his prey.
Rotar Lopani, a thief with ties to Bando Gora, fled Coruscant a month ago allegedly with sensitive diplomatic datapads. Circarpous representatives turned to the Jedi for resolution on the matter, but also filed an 8000-credit reward with the Bounty Hunter’s Guild.
In a crowded market on Brentaal IV, witnesses report Jedi Reeft was following close behind the disguised suspect when Xexto bounty hunter Tosinqas fell from several stories above, crashing down on the Lopani and killing him. Startled by the sound of Reeft’s igniting lightsaber, Tosinqas charged the Jedi halving himself on the drawn weapon.
Guildmaster Cradossk, head of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, called the incident
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unacceptable. “We’re receiving more and more work from recognized governments within the Republic,” he said. “We need better communication and access with the Jedi Temple to give everyone a clearer line of jurisdiction.”
The Jedi Temple declined to comment.
Tynna to Secede Following Building Disappearance
LUTRIS, TYNNA – An empty hole and a cloud of soot is all that remains where the Tynna Central Government Building stood only two hours earlier. Early investigation suggests the destruction is consistent with recent phenomenon being blamed on so-called stone mite creatures.
General Council Assistant Zobyteeg was the first to alert security. “I looked up from my research and found myself looking at Lutris Lake,” he recalled, “and I don’t have a window. My whole wall was gone by the time I could tell anyone.”
Razelfiin, selected planetary leader by lottery just two months ago, was furious following the building’s evacuation. “This is obviously an act of terrorism. What did the Republic do to stop this? Where are our Jedi?” she said. “That’s it for Tynna. I’ll be contacting Count Dooku once we can establish new government headquarters somewhere.”
Senator Aak Officially Appointed
SENATE ROTUNDA, CORUSCANT – Ask Aak was officially recognized as Senator of Malastare, a position he has been filling since the 4:4th assassination of Senator Aks Moe on Aargau. The recognition started today’s session of the Galactic Senate.
“My esteemed predecessor had a great love for the Republic,” said Aak. “Were it not for this government, Malastare would not enjoy the prosperity that it does today. I look forward to continuing the effort to preserve this proud institution, and assisting the Supreme Chancellor in whatever manner I can.”
Outside the Senate Rotunda, a small but vocal contingent of Dug activists took this opportunity to protest what they call “continued injustices on Malastare.” The Dugs-for-Democracy movement has been calling for recognition by the Gran government for the past seven standard years.
“We call on all spaceworthy Dugs to gather on Coruscant and protest the continued abuse of our people,” said DFD leader Toronaxx. “Aak is no different.
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He’s got Dug slaves just as Moe did.”
Though Aak was unavailable for comment regarding Toronaxx’s statements, Representative Baskol Yeesrim did field the accusation. “The Dugs in the employ of the Gran Protectorate are paid workers enjoying substantial benefits. Though, it doesn’t surprise me to hear the liberal media taking such an anti-Gran slant.”

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #52. 13:4:18
Mid Rim Worlds Open Ports to Refugees Naboo, Monastery, Cerea and Kalarba Ease Immigration Restrictions
THEED, NABOO – The displaced citizenry of the Separatist crisis have newfound options today as a coalition of 10 worlds in the Mid Rim have loosened immigration restrictions to allow refugee resettlement.
“Our world is generous with uninhabited lands that we are willing to share in this time of upheaval,” said Queen Jamillia, elected sovereign of Naboo.
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“Together, the Naboo and the Gungans will open Naboo’s plentiful spaces as a new home for those in need.” To that end, Naboo has designated a number of slips in their ports of Theed, Oxon and Kwilaan as refugee arrival stations, even at the expense of moving commercial mining ventures to limited service ports.
The Refugee Resettlement Coalition (see below) was set up a month ago, under the direction of the Refugee Relief Movement, to discuss possible options in relocating displaced citizenry. What began as a coalition of 25 worlds was reduced to 10 as strategies for increased immigration were debated.
The bare minimum requirement for ingress to the worlds of the Coalition is proof of citizenship from a seceded world. Specific planets may have cultural, environmental or biological requirements of prospective immigrants, and travelers are advised to consult with the Bureau of Ships and Services for the latest planetary updates.
Naboo and Cerea, for instance, will not allow the import of heavy machinery or vehicles, instead opting to only take in people. The ringed world of Monastery requires all citizenry to convert to the Order of the Sacred Circle and is confiscating any weaponry brought into the system.
“We applaud the spirit of openness that this coalition embodies. As other worlds turn their back on the problem, these planets have instead embraced the people of the Republic with open arms,” said Refugee Relief Movement spokesbeing Kaysil Verwood.
A New Hope for Refugees : The following worlds of the Mid-Rim have loosened immigration restrictions to allow the resettlement of refugees. Their current populations, drawn from official census records, are also listed.

1. Naboo
   625 million
2. Monastary
   35 million
3. Kalarba
   750 million
4. Cerea
   450 million
5. Sneeve
   1.1 billion
6. Bimmisaari
   20 million
7. Durkteel
   3.2 billion
8. Ord Tessebok
   2.5 billion
9. Garos IV
   22 million
10. Ord Varee
    3.1 billion
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    Abrion Sector Secedes; Separatists Get Agri-Worlds
    SASHASA, UKIO – In an alarming development that pushes the Separatist movement closer to self-sufficiency, the agriculturally rich worlds of the Abrion sector have withdrawn from the Republic.
    “The ag-producers of the Abrion have lived for decades with few options and limited control of the goods we provide. Now, though, we’ve found appreciative markets without the restrictive bureaucracy of the Republic,” explained Senator Esu Rotsino (Abrion Major) as she tendered her Articles of Secession in today’s Senate session.
    The bountiful Abrion sector is home to over 200 agri-worlds, including the planet Ukio, a world that provided a sizable percentage of the Core World’s food shipments last year.
    “Many of the worlds that we service, our neighbors, have already seceded,” said Ukian Overliege Topas dosLa. “It is most prudent for us to continue serving them as best as possible. Furthermore, removed from the burden of Republic tariffs and bureaucracy, we will actually see a rise in efficiency and, eventually, profits for our farmers.”
    In response, the Senate is currently debating the approval of emergency subsidy packages that would benefit the remaining Republic food producing sectors. “Without the breadbasket of the Republic, the Core Worlds would starve,” stressed Senator Lexi Dio (Uyter). “We need the heart of the galaxy to be strong, and we need the grains of the Colonies and Rim Worlds to strengthen us.”
    Circus Horrificus Turns Horrific
    KO HENTOTA, NAR SHADDAA – An illegal performance by the underground Circus Horrificus ended in chaos yesterday in the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa as a new, exotic beast showcased by the traveling troupe escaped and ran amuck. While performing within an immense ventilation nexus beneath the district of Ko Hentota, the Circus Horrificus revealed an agitated arqet, a creature native to Pellastrallus, to an appreciative crowd. Cheers of joy quickly became shrieks of terror as the arqet escaped its bonds and gored 12 audience members. Attempts to stun the beast proved fruitless, and the arqet fled into the ventilation grid. At least five other deaths have been attributed to the escaped creature, but since many of the lower levels have never been explored, it is impossible to determine the extent of the damage. The surviving members of the Circus have fled. Nar Shaddaa authorities are not expected to pursue.
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    Greyshade Proposes Gambling as Revenue
    SENATE ROTUNDA, CORUSCANT – Senator Simon Greyshade (Vorzyd) drew criticism with his motion to collect Republic tax revenue through government-subsidized casinos in his sector.
    “The casinos of Vorzyd generate billions of credits of profit, and right now, these monies are just being pocketed by private interests,” said Greyshade. “I should know; I own many of them. The business model works. I say, make it work for us.”
    Greyshade’s bill would call for Republic capital investment in new casinos throughout his sectors, in return for the majority of the profits made by the gambling establishments.
    While the galactic leisure industry continues to suffer record losses in this period of instability, casinos are, on average, continuing to generate profits.
    “The Republic’s uncertain future is cutting into what consumers would consider frivolous spending — things like trips and vacations at resorts,” says Tanda Marelle, senior correspondent for Galactic Resorts newsnet. “Conversely, they don’t have faith in the economy and don’t see much to lose spending at a casino. Why put your money in a bank that might not be part of the Republic tomorrow?”
    “The Republic was not built on scavenging from vice. This will hurt our people, not help them,” argued Senator Bail Organa (Alderaan). “The Senator from Vorzyd is offering a social blight disguised as a panacea.”
    “The Senator from Alderaan is offering double standard in return,” countered Greyshade. “If I recall, I believe his world’s government taxes exports of Alderaanian brandy and wine, as well as t’bac products grown on his planet’s grasslands. Alderaan believes its citizenry responsible enough to handle those products. I believe my citizenry to be just as responsible.”
    Senator Greyshade went on to note a percentage of his casino profits goes to gambling addiction relief programs, something that he assured would continue should the government back gambling in his sector.
    “I am all for it,” said Senator Orn Free Taa (Ryloth). “We can’t mollycoddle our
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    people from making their own decisions. People can choose to gamble or not. The way I see it, it’s a voluntary tax for the stupid.”
    SBI Officer Warns of Conspiracy
    GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT – “Someone in the Republic government is going to great lengths to hide something,” alleged Senior Senate Bureau of Intelligence official Vyn Narcassan in a regular media briefing.
    During the course of increased surveillance of anti-Republic factions, Narcassan claims to have uncovered a communications channel that directly bypassed “even the most highly classified detection procedures.” The decorated SBI officer asserts that the connected remote node self-destructed at the first sign of a trace, destroying any evidence of the unauthorized conduit.
    When asked how unusual such a find may be, Narcassan replied, “Not even the Supreme Chancellor could order a line that silent. Someone on Coruscant has something to hide — and not your day-to-day bribery and adultery.”
    While the Chancellor’s office characterized the find as “gravely disturbing, if true,” Senator Ronet Coorr (Iseno) remained highly skeptical. “Is Narcassan deliberately trying to end his Intelligence career? He’s chasing a phantom.”
    Palpatine Health Rumors Denied
    CORE NODE – Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is in great health, and has no plans to take an extended vacation prior to the Military Creation Act vote, said one the Chancellor’s closest aides today. Sate Pestage, personal advisor to Palpatine, addressed the latest rumors regarding the Chancellor’s health. “If he looks tired, it’s because holding the Republic together is a tiring job. He’s working day and night to deal with the Separatist issue, but his health is up to it. He has the energy of a man half his age,” said Pestage.
    Baby Ludi Moved to Kamparas
    JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT – Amidst a flurry of controversy and popular activism, the Jedi Council has transported young Baby Ludi from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to the training academy on distant Kamparas.
    The fourteen-month old child is the subject of a heated custody dispute between her mother, Jonava Billane, and the Jedi Council, who refuse to hand over the child since she has began her Jedi training.
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    Sometime last night, a Jedi transport vessel took the child — known to the Jedi by her adopted name of Aris-Del Wari — as well as a class or “clan” of 19 other Jedi children off Coruscant.
    Upon learning this, members of the People’s Inquest, a citizen’s Jedi watchgroup that has had members camped outside the Temple for months, launched into an impromptu rally. “What have you to hide?” asked acting leader Firris Palbert through a loudhailer, drawing cheers from the assembled group. “Are the vaunted Masters so afraid of us that they must flee with a child they know they have no claim to?”
    Though the Jedi Council refused comment on record regarding the transfer, members of the Judiciary did address the move. “This transfer is part of standard syllabi,” said Judicial Cerisa Vosengoor. “The initiate clan is undergoing specialized learning at Kamparas by Masters of varied techniques. The implication that any external pressure prompted the move is spurious,”
    Palbert continued to rouse his audience, loudly suggesting that all supporters of the People’s Inquest with the necessary funds should travel to Kamparas to continue the protest there.
    The Inquest’s founder and president, Thrynka Padaunete was not available for comment. Padaunete and Jonava Billane are currently on Kassido reviewing casting auditions for the as-yet untitled Baby Ludi holofeature.

Coruscant Restricts Immigration Capital Now Harder to Enter, Overcrowded Ports are Dangerous
GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT – In a move designed to increase local security as well as ease the burden of the already overcrowded arrival ports, the Coruscant Ministry of Ingress has issued new restrictions on all in-bound interstellar traffic.
“The port crowding has reached dangerous levels. We can no longer assure the
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safety of newcomers to this world, or to the citizenry residing adjacent to the ports. In the interests of security, these new measures are needed,” said Minister Zelebitha Effhod
The new measures include the mandatory requirement of a Core World Visa to all incoming vessels complete with valid Coruscant identi-tags, a BoSS Core Worlds operating license, a Perlemian standard passport and proof of planetary citizenship. Vessels with proper governmental and diplomatic licenses will be exempt from these protocols.
Many of the new arrivals on Coruscant lack any form of proper identification, making it impossible to identify intent. “This is an invitation to disaster,” said Effhod. “Any anti-Republic terrorist could pose as a refugee, and we’d have no way of verifying they’re who they say they are. That could lead to dangerous situations here, on Coruscant. Even without suspects looking to willfully hurt our people, there are safety concerns. That disaster in the Desrini district was a horrible accident that was a direct result of port overcrowding. Those families living in the barrel were there because they couldn’t find anywhere else to go.”
Many free traders and independent operators are incensed in the increased bureaucracy. “It’s not just the added costs of having to pay for the licenses, though that’s bad enough,” said Captain Tonner Dauscha, free trader. “In this business, time is money. How long am I going to be held up at port, having to get every little form verified?”
In the past, the Corellian Merchants Guild would have opposed such measures, however since Corellia’s withdrawal from the Senate, that powerful lobbying group has lost its voice.
Large interstellar starliners are also feeling the economic pinch, as one of their most popular ports of call may now be priced and complicated out of the comfort range of most of their consumers. “The transit tax made it difficult for refugees to go to the capital. These new ventures may make it altogether impossible, but I guess that’s Coruscant’s intent, isn’t it?” said Galaxy Tours Vice President Bronwynn Koft.
“I’m saddened that it’s come to this. Closing the gates should have been a last option, but it’s instead become the first choice. What’s next? Will Coruscant become the next Corellia?” said Senator Bail Organa (Alderaan), whose world has been taking on displaced citizenry.
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The Refugee Relief Movement has been attempting to communicate the option of alternate ports to the traveling homeless. “Culturally, the image of Coruscant has always been as a haven, far removed from any war or disease or poverty,”
said RRM Spokesbeing Kaysil Verwood. “Many refugees just automatically pick it as their destination port. We’re trying to get the word out that there are many, many other worlds in the Core and the Inner Rim that offer just as much opportunity and sanctity. It’s been difficult, but I think we are making progress.”
Moe Funeral Disrupted by Dug Activists
PIXELITO, MALASTARE – Dug activists, demanding an end to Gran rule of their native Malastare and equal representation in the Galactic Senate, disrupted the funeral of Senator Aks Moe today. What was to be a reverent ceremony presided over by the higher echelons of the Gran Protectorate instead turned into an impromptu Podrace spectacle.
Approximately 70 Dug activists crowded the surrounding fungal greenery, brandishing sports-like banners and pennants customized to read political messages of freedom and equality. Dug musicians blasted theme songs popularized by such past Malastarian Podracers as Sebulba and Ebe E. Endocott, Esq.
The greatest disruption came when an unidentified Dug tore through the procession in a highly modified Radon-Ulzer Podracer, hooking the Gran memorial tapestry in his air-brake scoops.
Toronaxx, the public face of the Dugs-for-Democracy movement, issued a statement via a pirated connection to Malastare’s HoloNet node. “We will do anything to bring freedom and justice to our people,” her statement read, in part. “Though we did not anything to do with the Senator’s death, he was responsible for the death of many of our numbers. The coward should have no rest even now.”
The Pixelito constabulary arrested 16 Dugs. Acting-Senator Ask Aak was whisked away for his protection, and was unavailable for comment.
Representative Baskol Yeesrim was forward in his visibly emotional statements. “These Doellin-forsaken animals will not get away with this,” he said. “Need I point out, again, that if there were Jedi here, this insult would never have happened.”
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Port Crowding Increases Virus Risks
EASTPORT, CORUSCANT – With the co-meddling of hundreds of different cultures in confined spaces such as starfreighters and immigration processing stations, Coruscant Health Officials are warning travelers of increased risk of airborne viral contamination.
“The influx of so many different species into Coruscant has created a high-risk situation,” said CHO Medxec Harribore Onuta. “We caution everyone to update their immunity programs before interstellar travel or even visiting of transit stations.”
The advisory starts a new program of public service announcements and awareness campaigns by the Health Office, sparked by the recent outbreak of Brainworm Rot Type A in the Manarai Heights district. Anomids and Wol Cabasshites in particular have been hit hardest with the pathogen, which officials have managed to contain.
Starport staff have taken care to segregate Neimoidian travelers in separate quarantine chambers prior to admission to immigration processing stations. The Neimoidian biology is a known carrier of the Brainworm Rot virus.
Neimoidians, including Senate representative Lott Dod, have been vocally critical of the move, accusing the Republic government of inequitable treatment. “This is an outrage. It is just another move by the Republic to ostracize and blame our people for what is ultimately their doing,” said the convalescing Senator from his Fobosi MedCenter recuperative ward.
What is Brainworm Rot Type A? An airborne virus that afflicts humanoids and cephalopoids with high levels of dialogen in their bloodstream.
How is it passed? It resides in the lungs of oxygen-breathers, and is passed by inhalation.
How does one prevent it? While the use of breath masks hinders transmission, inoculation is still the best method of prevention.
What are the symptoms? Nausea, cold sweats Inability to process written instructions Syntax errors in spoken and written communication
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Isolated purpling of gills and blowholes
Is it fatal? If gone untreated, yes. Brainworm Rot has proven especially fatal among Wol Cabbashites.
What is the cure? It can be treated if caught early, through an immunization protocol built around antigen clyrossa-themin in bacta suspension.
Successful Engine Tests Cause Sienar Stock Surge
LOLA CURICH, LIANNA – Republic Sienar Systems announced their endorsement and adoption of the Sienar Advanced Systems’ twin ion engine design early this morning, clearing the way for mass production and purchase by governing bodies within the worlds of the Republic.
“Never before has such a radical approach to engine design passed all of our safety and performance requirements in its initial evaluation,” said an enthusiastic Etab Lapha, Quality Assurance Investigator for RSS. “It’s hard to believe that this is a first-generation product.”
News of the approval gave Santhe/Sienar Technologies (SST) stock an immediate 27.58 credit (14%) gain. The office of Lady Valles Santhe indicated that the company president was “pleased” with the day’s results.
The new twin ion engine technology (dubbed “SIE-TIE”), which utilizes microparticle accelerators to agitate ionized gasses to relativistic velocities, features independently articulated ion stream deflector manifolds for pinpoint maneuvering accuracy, and supplements power yields through a set of solar gather panels, is the brainchild of engineer Raith Sienar. The wealthy and unorthodox inventor is believed to have increased his net worth by another 640 million credits with today’s stock increase.
While RSS gave no specific details on incorporation of the twin ion engine in to their existing line of starships, reports indicate that power-yield compatibility issues with current hyperdrive, life-support and shielding technologies may prove prohibitive.
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Kabal Riots Quelled by Separatists; 4 Jedi Among the Dead
SHORIBUS, KABAL – The deadly riots that have filled the streets of Shoribus were quelled earlier this week when freighters from Separatist worlds arrived at Kabal and airdropped food parcels to the hungry populace.
Damage and casualty figures from the month-long rioting have yet to be tallied, though the Jedi envoy dispatched to Kabal has been confirmed among the dead. Graphic holos depicting the bodies of Jedi Knights Plessus Ghon, Ixian Rovieda, Nygreena Clo and Padawan Renxis Dielle have been confirmed as authentic by the Jedi Council.
The five mid-sized transport ships hovered aloft on repulsorlifts over the city for over an hour, distributing its cargo along carefully delineated flight paths. The transports’ markings indicated Sluis Van as their port of origin.
As the freighters traversed the airspace over Shoribus, their hull-mounted loudhailers voiced anti-Republic propaganda in both Basic and Kabalian. “This salvation comes to you from Count Dooku. He will help you where the Republic has failed,” was one of the messages broadcast.
The riots in Kabal started after two months of going without food shipments. Increased Republic taxation of the Sharlissian Trade Corridor made the route cost-prohibitive for Trade Federation food delivery. The Kabal central government attempted to regain control, declaring martial law on Shoribus, but the riots continued. The Kabal Central Citadel sustained firebombing damage, and the Kabalian leader, Premiere Jan Dovu is believed among the dead.

HOLONET NEWS Volume 351. #50. 13:4:04
Senator Moe Killed in Blast
SENATE ROTUNDA, CORUSCANT – For the fifth time this sidereal, tragic events forced a session of the Galactic Congress to be suspended today when word reached Coruscant that Senator Aks Moe (Malastare) was killed in a suspected Separatist attack during a state visit to Aargau.
“This is truly horrific,” said acting representative Ask Aak at the close of session today. “That this tragedy should occur so deep within our borders points to the irrevocable damage already sustained by the Republic. It is not only a tragic loss to Malastare and Kinyen, but also a dire warning to the Supreme Chancellor.”
Aargau, a key world of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, rests inside the Core World boundaries. Moe was to meet with Banking Clan representatives to discuss possible funding options for a proposed Republic military initiative.
Senator Moe was boarding his staff speeder for a visit to the Commodities Exchange Cathedral in New Escrow. At approximately 0824 standard time, the speeder merged onto the automated expressway and had its propulsion systems slaved into the city’s traffic network. At this time, its power plant overloaded and the speeder exploded.
Moe’s traveling companion and two Dug servants were also killed in the blast. Eighteen commuters were injured. IBC representatives have not yet announced the cost of the damages, nor the accumulated interest.
No party has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the bombing. Popular opinion points to the secessionist movement, as Moe was a member of the Loyalist Committee. The vocal Senator did also make a number of a political and personal enemies throughout his career. Nine years ago, Moe was implicated in a conspiracy to disrupt the Lannik peace negotiations hosted by Malastere.
Some in the Malastarian government have been quick to criticize the lack of Jedi presence at Aargau. “Where are our vaunted guardians of peace and justice?” asked Representative Ainlee Teem. “Where was their all-powerful
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Force this time?”
Though no official word has come from the Jedi Temple, it has been previously reported that Aargau’s assigned Jedi watchman, Belsed-Qan Idan, was re-assigned to the Atrivis sector to quell a Separatist-funded pirate uprising.
Garbage Launcher Misfire Kills 48; Closes Desrini
DESRINI DISTRICT, CORUSCANT – The Desrini district of northern Coruscant is still closed following a catastrophic garbage launcher misfire that has killed at least 48 and has littered the entire district with dangerous industrial waste.
At 0801 this morning, Waste Canister Delivery Port 84-D-21 launched its regularly scheduled payload of industrial refuse sealed in a shielded container. The projectile came into contact with a sizable obstruction, causing it to shred apart within the launcher barrel. The entire cannon assembly collapsed, taking out the four surrounding city blocks.
Emergency rescue crews arrived on the scene in less than half an hour, and have been working since then to clear the rubble. At least 48 bodies have been recovered, and over 200 injuries have been reported.
The rescue crews have identified the barrel obstruction as a shantytown of refugees living within the launch chamber. “From the looks of it, there were at least four families of squatters living between the fourth and fifth accelerator gates. They had tapped into the cannon’s energy grid which disabled its obstruction sensors,” said Captain Nigella Mure of Desrini Rescue Ops.
The destroyed canister contained 115 metric tons of concentrated industrial waste, including hyperbaride run-off, tricorrinium hexifluorine and destabilized hrucium. The canister’s explosion has spread this waste over the disaster site, and emergency workers are dressed in full toxgear to carry out rescue efforts.
The Coruscant WeatherNet has canceled prevailing winds in the area, but natural air currents caused by undercity convection is spreading a dangerous cloud of industrial toxins. All non-pressurized structures in the surrounding 10 kilometer radius have been evacuated.
Kashyyyk / Trandoshan Talks Break Down
HSSKHOR, TRANDOSHA – The Kashyyyk / Trandoshan peace negotiations disintegrated today when word reached Wookiee delegates that a Trandoshan initiative for Senate representation was being aided by the Trade Federation.
Crovessk, CEO of Trandosha’s Revessa Global Shipping, was able to schedule an
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appeal to the Senate next month through contacts with Trade Federation Representative Lott Dod. The Trandoshans have been petitioning for Senate representation for years.
Upon hearing of this development, Senator Yarua not only withdrew his delegation, but violently destroyed the interpreter droid translating the talks. “These meetings are meaningless if such actions can go on outside this conference,” was all the terse Yarua shared with reporters on his way back to the Hsskhor spaceport.
Despite his efforts, Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis was unable to reconvene the delegates. The Wookiees departed aboard their starship, returning to neighboring Kashyyyk. The Wookiees, who represent the system in the Senate, have been restricting trade to Trandosha for the past five weeks following a Trandoshan attack on a Wookiee passenger shuttle.
Camaasi and Alderaanian peace officers led by Rancisis have been trying to work out a solution between the feuding neighbors for two weeks. Given the growing Separatist-fueled crises along the Outer Rim, unsubstantiated reports indicate that Rancisis may be recalled by the Jedi Council and reassigned, leaving the talks to the remaining peace officers.
Many political analysts believe this already tense situation will be exacerbated by the Outer Rim slave ring scandal. “Given the Wookiee temperament, this may be the final insult and all the reason they need to withdraw from a disrespectful Republic altogether. Wookiees are renowned for their loyalty, but that loyalty will only extend so far,” said Senator Darsana (Glee Anselm).
Isard Spearheads Republic Intelligence Reform
SBI CENTRAL, CORUSCANT – Armand Isard, Director of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, has been empowered by the Supreme Chancellor’s Loyalist Committee to reform the Republic’s largest intelligence organization in light of increased security concerns.
“For too long the unscrupulous have been taking advantage of chinks in the bureau’s armor. I say, ‘no more.’ The SBI will be a vital weapon in the fight against those who would fragment our Republic, and not a tool of convenience for the wealthy and corrupt,” said Isard.
To that end, Isard has formed a Crisis Branch, a temporary division of
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Intelligence historically created when the need arises. Running this new branch is a committee of hand-picked Intelligence subdirectors from planetary bureaus throughout the Core Worlds. This is the first time in over 60 years that a Crisis Branch has been formed.
The first act of the Crisis Branch has been the firing of 32 remote intelligence subdirectors throughout the Mid Rim, an area Isard described as “rife with corruption.”
“There comes a time when a structure is so riddled by greddleback bugs that you have to tear it down and build anew. If that what it takes to root out the corrupt, that’s what I will do,” said the determined Isard.
Some Senators have expressed concerns that Palpatine’s measures have gone too far. “This is further proof that the Loyalist Committee is little more than a front to increase the Supreme Chancellor’s powers,” an agitated Senator Onaconda Farr said from the Rodian Consulate.
Isard asserts that such measures will help eliminate systemic flaws in Intelligence’s methods, preventing such notorious mishaps as the failure to predict the Naboo blockade of a decade ago, or the Yinchorri incident previous that.
The Crisis Branch will communicate directly with the Jedi Council and the Loyalist Committee. Security analysts predict that after SBI’s reform, three other agencies will undergo similar inspection: the Republican Security Organization, the Interstellar Consortium on Technology, and the Special Acquisitions Branch of the Library of the Republic.
Lahara Sector Secedes
SENATE ROTUNDA, CORUSCANT – Continuing a tide of Outer Rim secessions, the Lahara sector, represented by Senator Tyreca Bremack, formally announced its separation from the Republic during Senate session today. “I have no doubt that many of my colleagues here have no idea where the Lahara sector is. They couldn’t even find it on a map if their careers depended on it, but we’ve been burdened with high taxes and little to show for it for too long,” said Bremack, as she tendered her Articles of Secession. “Perhaps now you’ll notice us, if only for our absence.” The Lahara sector consists of 245 settled worlds, most of them agricultural producers.
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Shots Fired in Andoan Space
MID RIM NODE – A Republic courier ship reported being fired upon when traveling in Andoan space, an alarming development that some Senators are calling a “prelude to war.”
Captain Kendra Tissido of the ship Quickwit met with reporters after being debriefed by Republic security officials. As she explained to reporters, she and her crew of five reverted the Quickwit from hyperspace outside the Ando system to recalibrate navcomputer settings.
“I thought I was far enough out from Ando that it wouldn’t be a problem,” said Tissido. “They don’t have a space force, so I wasn’t too concerned. Then this big blip shows up on my scope, and I realized I wasn’t alone.”
Tissido described the ship as under 250 meters in length, probably in the frigate-class. “I didn’t stick around to look too closely,” she said. “It let out about five droid starfighters and I knew I had to get out of there.” Tissido was able to outmaneuver the fighters by jumping into hyperspace, though her courier ship did sustain some light damage.
Tissido’s testimony sent a current of alarm through the Senate session today, since Ando has been without an armed planetary security force since the Republic demilitarization of the planet. Tissido’s citing of “droid starfighters” suggest that modern weaponry has found its way into Aqualish hands.
“This is nothing short of an open act of warfare. I would ask the Senator representing the Trade Federation if he would agree with my perception that somebody somewhere is making a profit here by arming our Aqualish neighbors,” said Senator Rasit Brun (Rintonne).
“What the Senator from Lambda sector is insinuating is outrageous!” countered Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, via comlink from his recuperative ward at the Fobrini hospital. “You are constructing slander from the anecdotes of a frightened delivery girl.” The Senate then broke into a disarray of arguments before order was restored by Speaker of the Senate, Mas Amedda.
Republic security officials are currently examining Tissido’s sensor logs to determine the extent of Andoan’s military build up and identify the model of
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droid starfighter involved in the pursuit.
“I had hoped we had seen the last of open, unprovoked hostility at Antar 4,” said Senator Eeshrin Ot’Hyne (Caamas) “This event has, sadly, proven me wrong.”
Senators Implicated in Slave Ring
YRACTOS, GYNDINE – Recently disclosed documents and testimony from a captured Thalassian slaver on Gyndine have implicated four Outer Rim Senators as profiting from slaving ventures in their sectors. Senator Tikkes (Mon Calamari), Senator Bufus Ritsomas (Till Chorios), Senator Danry Ledwellow (Er’kit) and Senator Wuja Wojaine (Pydyr) were all implicated.
“These four Senators were named by a known Thalassian slaver during plea bargain sessions prior to trial. Our investigations were able to corroborate these claims, uncovering a lucrative slaving ring that saw all four Senators receive kickback money in return for letting these activities go on in their sectors,” said Jurisconsult Temlet Dodann.
The four Senators were operating in isolation, Dodann explained, apparently unaware of each other’s involvement with the Thalassians.
The Outer Rim has a long history of slavery despite Republic efforts to outlaw the practice. Slavery has generally been attributed to organized criminal ventures or unscrupulous corporate bodies requiring affordable labor.
The diffuse Republic presence in the Outer Rim has fostered the growth of such organizations as the Zygerrians, the Thalassians and the Karazaks, slaving groups named for the star systems that harbor them. Their scope encompasses numerous sectors and their profits exceed billions of credits.
The Republic Judiciary and the Jedi Knights have tangled with these slavers in the rare instances that these groups attempt to operate closer to the Core. The Thalassian who implicated the Senators was arrested last month when she attempted to sell a dozen Twi’lek slaves on Gyndine.
“Few cultures have suffered as much from slavery as the Twi’leks, and to know that that kind of blood money has reached as far as the Senate sickens me. I say throw the leeches out of office, and then let them have a taste of the shackles themselves!” said an angry Orn Free Taa (Ryloth).
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The four Senators have had their positions suspended pending trial. They will be detained in their respective embassies on Coruscant until arraignment hearings which are scheduled to begin next week.
Jedi Vs. The Force of a Mother’s Love
PHELAR, ERIADU – Four times during last night’s transmission of Essence, Jonava Billane broke down into tears, pleading with the Jedi Council for the release of her 14-month old toddler, Ludi.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her,” she said on the popular Eriadu-based talk show. “When I was lying in that hospital bed, unable to move, the only thing that kept me going, the thing that made me better, was knowing she was out there, somewhere, asking for her mother.”
Seven months ago, when groundquakes devastated Domitree, the capital of Ord Thoden, Jonava and Ludi were separated. While Jonava convalesced in an outskirt town, the baby girl was found by Jedi rescue workers and discovered to have Force potential. Assuming her birth mother to be dead, the Jedi took the child to their temple on Coruscant.
When Jonava recovered and learned of her daughter’s kidnapping, she used her meager funds to travel to Coruscant and formally petition the Jedi Council to return her child. The Council refused, citing Ludi’s beginning of Jedi training as far too late to return the girl, who was now named Aris-Del Wari.
“They said it was dangerous,” she said, choking back tears. “I’ll never understand, in a million years, how my daughter can be a danger. They’re guardians of peace and justice. Well, how is letting me see her again a threat to peace and justice? Who is the monster? Is it me? Is it her? I don’t think so.”
Since her petition’s refusal eight weeks ago, the Baby Ludi case has drawn a lot of public and media attention. The Essence holoprogram recapped notable events, such as the proliferation of trillions of Baby Ludi images on the Coruscant student data network, the Mothers United March on Alsakan and the star-packed fund-raising mediathon held in the Minos Cluster.
“I want to thank everyone who’s supported me,” said Billane. “Your messages and holos and credit advances have meant so much. It’s nice to know that we still do live in a galaxy of compassion.”
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Perhaps the highest profile development is the authorization of a feature-length holo of the drama, to be delivered by Kailio Entertainments for the fall season. The currently untitled Baby Ludi feature is estimated to be a deal worth over 100 million credits, though Billane refused to elaborate.
“I’ve been told not to discuss that here,” she said “but a significant portion of that money has gone to charitable ventures and agencies willing to help me in my fight.”
At that point, Essence turned the cameras on Thrynka Padaunete, Billane’s appearance manager and leader of the populist People’s Inquest movement, a Jedi-accountability watch-group.
“Let’s look at it this way. Say I were to tell you about a group of mystics on some planet who routinely snatch children away from their mothers, their fathers, tearing apart families. They take these children into their care, strip them of identity, maybe even give them new names. They then cut their hair to all look the same and make them wear the same clothes, and live by an impossibly strict code that only serves to further their order. Sounds like a cult, doesn’t it? Well, it’s a cult that we as taxpayers subsidize. A cult that we empower to determine who’s right and who’s wrong in this galaxy. And according to them, a mother’s love is wrong,” said Padaunete.
The Jonava Billane program is believed to have been watched by over 25 billion viewers. It will be retransmitted on the 18th and is available for permanent storage from Eriadu’s HoloNet Node for 24.99, with some of the proceeds benefiting the People’s Inquest.