HoloNet News A Feral Galaxy

The Gatekeeper

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The introduction ends and the cameras point at the well-known news reporting team of Abi Gora and Eekin Baskiv. Responsible for breaking news across the Galaxy, the pair are well known by sight alone and their parent company knows it; gearing the entire production of the show around them being front and center.

“Hello and good evening - I’m Abi Gora…”

Her co-star blinked as he stared down the camera.

“... and I’m Eekin Baskiv…”

The camera returned focus to Abi as she steepled her hands.

“Tonight we discuss the virus that is running rampant throughout parts of our Galaxy, AMS.” she began, images of a chemical work up of AMS coming up as a graphic beside her as she spoke, “Hutt representatives say that the initial outbreak, while terrifying, was contained. But recently more and more reports have been coming from Hutt Space to the contrary. Eekin, what do you think this means?”

A shift of focus from the camera back to her co-star.

“Well Abi, first of all I wouldn’t trust a Hutt to tell me if the stars were still burning in the sky.” he admitted bluntly, “But if we look at evidence, we can see Hutt armadas moving around Hutt space and beyond. Weapon and ammunition purchasing and production in the area has gone through the roof. Either this is more serious than they would have us believe or they are planning an aggressive expansion of their existing territory.”

Cut back to Abi nodding with a serious expression but offering no input as she let her co-star get to what he was paid for; strongly worded opinions based at least partially in fact and somewhat in whatever would bring in the most attention to the news station.

“The Senate is expected to discuss bringing a military element to the government soon - and I for one say it couldn’t come soon enough! Damn the feelings of the nay-sayers and the disarmament crowd; without armor, ships and blasters we stand a very real chance of facing huge hardships when the threat from Hutt Space materializes.” he scoffed ever so slightly, “Do I believe that this threat will come in the form of gnashing teeth? Hardly. Mark my words; it will come as it so often does and that is as turbolaser fire! And we must be ready to respond in kind! This AMS stuff? It may well exist but it is most likely a cover for Hutt Aggression!”

Abi nodded with a small smile before she tapped on one of her integrated datapads for a moment to cue up the next part of the show.

“Thank you for your words, Eekin, and I’m told we have an exclusive from Hutt Space. Our reporter on the ground was able to smuggle true and accurate recordings out of the areas of Hutt Space most effected.” she revealed with a bright smile, “We now go live to Special Correspondent Prin Gurst on the ground on Rorak 4 - Prin?”

<<---->>​

The broadcast would shift from the brightly-lit studio to a scene far darker in both content and actual brightness as a male Zeltron, wearing a flack-jacket openly marked as “Press” and a stern frown, nodded to the camera. He held a microphone in hand, an archaic piece of technology, to help to try and keep interference from the background noise being transmitted. It was only partially effective as the sounds of blaster fire and explosions in the background was like an ever present blanketing presence.

Prin Gurst didn’t so much as flinch - he’d covered wars you know.

“Thanks Abi - I’m standing here in an old Hutt bunker as the city tears itself to shreds both figuratively and literally. The infection here has taken root in some of the worst ways imaginable; the numbers of infected are in the millions, perhaps, in the billions and people here are scared.” he reported as he moved away from the wall, the camera drone following him, so that it would start transmitting the sight of the narrow bunker corridor behind him, stuffed with people trying to hide at the edges of sight, “Normally a Hutt would rather cut off and sell his own tail than allow people into his bunker. But now? Even some of the Galaxy’s most selfish creatures realize that anyone inside is someone who isn’t going to come back trying to tear them to pieces later as one of the infected.”

The reporter made his way through the people, almost tripping up several times as he made his way through the bunker’s cramped halls. He didn’t say anything, just letting the camera pick up what he was wading through; abject misery and despair from dozens of different species. One thing that was missing from any of the species currently hiding was droids - something that Prin decided to bring up as he and his drone passed a droid charging station currently being used by a pair of Twi-lek children as a place to curl up and try and sleep.

Sleep would not come easily with the constant din of explosions and shouting both near and far.

“Droids have been pressed into service to help hold the line against the infected. Most are not able to actually fight the infected with any degree of success but still they are pressed into the fight to erect barriers and repair facilities that regular sentients can no longer reach.”

Moving past the areas of the bunker that had been given up as residences for the lost, Prin made his way up to the front of the bunker. A small duracrete step against the blank wall allowed him to stand up and press his face up close to a reinforced transparisteel window slot no wider than his hand. The camera drone followed, floating up to press it’s recorder against the edge of the window. Industrial areas of Rorak 4 were on fire in the distance and closer to the bunker itself a small perimeter of defenders were constantly in motion. An odd collection of droids and hardier races, such as Trandoshans and Gamorreans, rushed around the perimeter defenses.

Several groundsweeper laser cannons had been set up and every sentient and droid capable of carrying a weapon was holding a rifle. They were a depressing mix of models, some clearly used for home defense by desperate people and some the well-worn but reliable models that mercenaries the Galaxy over used on a regular basis. The groundsweeper cannons were almost constantly firing down the road that led from the city proper to the bunker.

Black shapes along the road were all that could be seen against the backdrop of the flames; there was no telling if they were the infected or just those seeking safety.

“Guards here are firing constantly into the city - a city left behind for the infected to claim. Even if the figures along the road are, in fact, free of the infection? It’s been deemed a risk that simply cannot be taken.”

Prin turned back to the horizon, intending to use it as the parting shot before cutting the feed when his eyes were drawn upward. High above the planet of Rorak 4, the station of Rorak 5 loomed ever present within the sight and minds of the locals. A station dedicated to Hutt power, stability and slave trading.

And it was on fire.

He quickly input some commands, letting the final shot before the connection be of the burning city in the bottom of the frame and the large space station in the night sky rocking as several dozen small explosions blossomed all along it’s metallic surface… pretty sure if his camera wasn’t a drone it might get that shot featured on the cover of some film holo-site.

<<---->>​

Back in the studio, as the feed cut from the field, the cameras focused on both Abi and Eekin as they digested what they had just watched. As per their producer’s instructions, neither of them had watched the video before it was played in the studio; to get the real emotion and the real reaction. They didn’t disappoint as Eekin looked to be struggling to breathe properly and Abi had gone slightly paler.

They both pushed on however

“Thank you again to our reporter on planet, Prin Gurst, for that revealing report on the condition of Rorak 4.” she managed without missing a beat as she turned to her partner, “Eekin, what do you think the odds are that the infected places within Hutt space will be able to be recovered?”

Her co-star did not respond, still staring into the middle distance as he looked at the frozen image of the space station beginning to explode. Reaching up, he removed the transmitter from his suit and set it down on the desk before moving to stand. Abi’s eyes widened as her co-star stepped away from the desk.

“Eekin? Eekin what are you doing?”

She desperately looked to her producer off screen as Eekin tried desperately to breathe properly, his eyes wider than usual even for his species.

“My daughter went to Rorak 4 on a charity outreach program… a week ago…” he revealed, heaving as he tried to take in more air, “They didn’t tell us! No one… no one told us any of this! I have to go get her!”

The show ended abruptly as Eekin rushed against security to try to reach his ship.

 
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