Hydian Trade League in chaos as leadership assassinated.
Calamity has rocked the Hydian Way as the board of one of the significant trading Guilds operating on the route was assassinated in a shocking explosion.
The incident occurred earlier this week and saw a large-scale detonation on the Guild's primary shipping HQ. Based on the space station 'Hydian Splendour', the Guilds board was due to meet to discuss the admission of a new member.
Investigators have needed help investigating the suspected culprits behind the attack owing to jurisdictional conflicts between sectoral police forces. Sources within one of the regional policing forces said that their investigations had been hampered by the "unhelpful approach of the interim Guild leader", a former administrator of the Hutt planet of Sleyheron.
However, help has been slow to materialise, with many intergalactic power brokers finding their resources strained with the ongoing conflicts in the galactic north and the resulting economic strain these events have caused.
Speaking to the Herald, a planetary magistrate (who wished to remain anonymous) said, "[the assassination] poses a significant threat to the stability of our economy, as well as our food supply. Many planets are dependent on the smooth operation of trade across the Hydian Way, and the Guild went some way to guarantee that in the absence of pan-Governmental support."
Piracy is expected to rise in the area following the assassination. The board comprised the heads of several major shipping, security and hyperspace logistics cartels, each contributing to the collective security of their Hydians operation.
The assassination of the board has left many of these Cartels in turmoil, with various newcomers and smaller operators vying for seats once it is reformed.
One investigator alleged that "factions further along the Hydian Way had a vested interest in seeing stability collapse across the trade route", suggesting that intergalactic crime syndicates or regional warlords could have been behind the attack.
No organisation or group has claimed credit for the assassination, although it is "clear it had significant financial backing", according to preliminary reports from one investigator.
What is the Hydian Way?
A major trade route through the Galaxy, the Hydian Way is one of the oldest hyperspace routes. Created to allow the rapid transportation of goods and passengers across vast distances, the Trade Route is seen by many as a lifeline of trade and economic surety in the Galaxy and the lifeblood of many planets.
What dangers does the assassination of the Guild Board pose?
One of the significant responsibilities of the members of the Guild Board was to ensure the protection of the Hydian Way from piracy. They contribute a portion of funds and resources from their respective Cartels' planetary/sectoral income, which goes to the policing efforts.
In return, they are entitled to a share of the dividends gathered from the tithes and other income from the Hydian Way. On good years this can net the guild members huge profits, whilst, on bad ones, it can cause losses. Board membership is seen as a gamble - often a lucrative one.
With the Guild Board gone, the Cartekls, which ensure the protection of the lane, now have no obligation to do so, causing the threat of piracy on this key trading node to skyrocket.
Frooma Gallubits set for reunion with band as he leaves hospital.
'Frooma Gallubits and the Frontal Lobe', one of the most popular bands of the past century, has reunited for a final tour, to the shock of fans across sixteen sectors.
The band, which broke up three years ago after one of its lead members became a Killick 'joined', announced the tour outside New Alderaan Memorial Hospital last night. Frooma Gallubits, who was admitted to the hospital to recover from the 'Joined Serum', was released after showing "significant cognitive improvements" - according to a statement released by his Doctors.
The 'Frontal Lobes' became a galaxy-wide sensation after their hit single "My Rancor is Emerging" topped the charts for six months, back to back.
In what is now one of the best-selling tracks of the past century, the song was the first to be sung in sixteen languages simultaneously.
First played at their fourth reunion tour on Tatooine, they made intergalactic headlines after a Krayt Dragon ate half of the crowd.
At the time, the band denied their music had attracted the dragon, although experts later confirmed that it was "beyond dispute that the sublime musical talent of this excellent band no doubt woke the dragon, which hunts by sound".
The band's lawyers continue to deny this.
However, fans are reportedly delighted that the band is reuniting once again, with the "Why did half my fanbase get eaten?" tour set to commence next week, after the band managed to relocate its opening night from Coruscant to Nal Hutta at the last minute.
Sources close to the band said, "Darth Raze shooting up Coruscant before our opening night it just not froopy at all man.".
The Herald was unable to reach Darth Raze for comment.
Yet ticket sales have continued, despite the band's often fatal attractions, with initial sales for the Nal Hutta opening topping out and selling out within 5 minutes of opening.
The band has built a reinforced soundproofed bunker for listeners to stand in when they attend as the music "will be supernova, dude" according to the lead singer.
Fooma Gallubits has not spoken to the press since coming out of the hospital, where he is understood to have been in stasis for three years. However, he blinked slowly when asked to confirm his name, which medical experts say is "a good sign".
According to his legal team, the intergalactically known singer has yet to meet with his spouses to discuss child support payments backdated over the past three years. Here at the Herald, we understand this is a challenge, as the singer famously married the entire population of the Southern Hemisphere of Raboxulon Prime ten years ago and is understood to therefore have between 16 to 18 million children.
Lawyers have confirmed that getting 600 million people to agree to the exact date for the custody hearing is proving to be exceptionally difficult.
Refugee Crisis on Coruscant sends ripples to the Rim.
Rescue efforts from war-stricken worlds have been met with 'stringent resistance' from locals on the planets to which evacuees are being sent, a source to the Herald has revealed. In an exclusive interview, a former employee of the Naboo arm of the ISCRA (Independent Systems Consortium Refugee Agency) alleged that "despite the best efforts of ISCRA employees, there are mountains of problems with the rehousing of these refugees".
He claimed that the problem was 'magnified' by the "overwhelming lack of support from other Governments" and that they risked "a massive refugee crisis, leaving millions unhoused and without support.".
In the wake of the attacks on Coruscant, considered the 'Galactic Capital' by many in the Core, the ISC announced it would send aid and relief to the planet. Yet the number of those in need has reached the tens of billions (with some experts saying this could be far higher) simply due to the size of the ecumenopolis world.
Conservative estimates of the Coruscant's population are around three trillion, meaning a low-ball estimate of about 100 to 300 billion refugees could be expected in the first few weeks of the attack.
Such large numbers of refugees are 'unprecedented' in Galaxy history, according to figures released by the University of Kuat earlier today. "We've never seen a movement of refugees like this, rehoused from the relative comfort of the Core Worlds to the alternatively resourced Outer Rim."
Llanic, one of the significant refugee resettlement areas for the refugee agency, has a population of around 10 million, meaning the influx of refugees from Coruscant could see the population grow exponentially in a matter of days.
This has met with considerable concern from locals in Llanic, as well as on other worlds in the ISC (and along the 'path' through the independent planets in and around the Mid-Rim), with some local authorities stating they are concerned that the "infrastructure is not in place to support such a large influx of newcomers."
Residents for Mos Espa, a loose collective of locals to the Tatooine settlement of Mos Espa, said: "Simply put, Tatooine is a poor planet; we do not have the local economy to support an influx of off-worlders, no matter how much money the ISC throws at us."
However, others have condemned the resistance as "cruel", with the Naboo University releasing a statement saying, "It is more important than ever that we come together and welcome those most in need with open arms."
Despite this, a war of words rages on, with economists slamming the plans as non-viable and humanitarian groups condemning the economist as cruel.
What can be said for sure is that the scale of the tragedy on Coruscant is already starting to send ripples across the Galaxy as planets and star systems come to terms with what the attack on the most populous planet in the Galaxy could mean for them.
Benduday Herald
Leader Articles
The Galactic Community needs to succeed, but is there any hope it can?
Leader Articles
The Galactic Community needs to succeed, but is there any hope it can?
One of the most significant events of our shared history took place last week when the most high-populated planet in the Galaxy was invaded. Coruscant, which boasts a population of over three-trillion organics (and undoubtedly many more in the unserviceable lower levels), came under attack. Whilst the scale of human tragedy will always be immense thanks to the high population of this Core planet, the impact goes far further.
Economically, Coruscant is one of the most significant planets in the Galaxy, undoubtedly the single largest economy in purchasing power in the Core. As a result of the attack, it is estimated by experts at the University of Kuat that more than one-hundred-billion seniors will be displaced, with more to come as the crisis deepens.
Partnered with the destruction of property, the halting of business and the disruption of Core-world trade, it is unimaginable that the Galaxy will not slip into a deep economic depression. Billions of lifeforms flood into the sparsely populated outer rim, bringing with them 'Core Centric' values, as well as expectations of Core standards of policing and justice, which will no doubt bring with them regionalised disruptions and unrest.
Yet this crisis was avoidable, made possible by the inaction of the Galactic community, who sat in silence as the powerful few cemented more and more power and influence to themselves. As we veer toward one of the most profound economic and social calamities of our age, fresh off the heels of the Killik Crisis, AMS Pandemic and numerous regional wars, can the Galactic Community be relied upon to fix this disaster - when they have consistently enabled all that came before it through their inaction and inertia?
Here at the Herald, we live on in hope, yet we have little doubt that it is once again misplaced.
Economically, Coruscant is one of the most significant planets in the Galaxy, undoubtedly the single largest economy in purchasing power in the Core. As a result of the attack, it is estimated by experts at the University of Kuat that more than one-hundred-billion seniors will be displaced, with more to come as the crisis deepens.
Partnered with the destruction of property, the halting of business and the disruption of Core-world trade, it is unimaginable that the Galaxy will not slip into a deep economic depression. Billions of lifeforms flood into the sparsely populated outer rim, bringing with them 'Core Centric' values, as well as expectations of Core standards of policing and justice, which will no doubt bring with them regionalised disruptions and unrest.
Yet this crisis was avoidable, made possible by the inaction of the Galactic community, who sat in silence as the powerful few cemented more and more power and influence to themselves. As we veer toward one of the most profound economic and social calamities of our age, fresh off the heels of the Killik Crisis, AMS Pandemic and numerous regional wars, can the Galactic Community be relied upon to fix this disaster - when they have consistently enabled all that came before it through their inaction and inertia?
Here at the Herald, we live on in hope, yet we have little doubt that it is once again misplaced.
Notes from the Editorial Board: The Benduday Herald is a weekend news service offering comment and longer-read reporting on major galactic affairs. If you would like to tip us off on a major breaking story, just drop our team a holomail. For complaints and corrections, please do the same.
OOC Note: Tried something a bit different this week, with a 'background event' in the Hydian Way, which PCs can get involved with if they want. If they do it'll be shown in future coverage. I have also spent a few days thinking about some of the possible impacts of the Coruscant invasion, and reflected that here as well. This is the 'Sunday Hyperlane Herald' (named more appropriately for Star Wars') and is intended to reflect the style of Sunday Papers instead of the more 'breaking news' style more common with my other stuff.
