Tabloid Crime Watch News VII

[The Storyteller]

[OOC: open to reactions only]

The news tune plays and a camera moves away from the Crime Wach News logo to pan in to the esteemed decades-long head-anchor Rynn Run and his nepo-baby nephew Hart Run. He's getting a bit old, nearing seventy, and apparently wants his nephew to takeover the business at some point. The kid, or we say kid but he's in his twenties and shares a striking resemblance to Preef Callo, but no speculations have yet arisen based on that time that Rynn's sister had a week-long dalliance with the legendary rodian a quarter century ago.

"Good evening and good news, here for Crime Watch News it's Hart and Rynn Run," Rynn started to shuffle some papers around and then refocused on the teleprompter; "Tonight a special edition where we ask our viewers a question that we will answer ourselves due to the limitations of galactic broadcasting and actually dialling in." he nodded, his nephew nodded and the screen pans out to show the viewers a still of the corpulent supreme mogul.

"Is the Supreme Mogul, Nor'baal Desilijic Fa'athra in over his head?"

"That's a good question, uncle-" a bit stiff for the first ever line read from a teleprompter on live galactic television, but he does have some of the Callo-charm, err, the Run-charm, ofcourse. "-because for years the cartel seemed comfortable sticking to their own worlds. When the Sith tried to kill the Hutt himself, Nor'baal only send a warning by destroying one of their fleets, but never dared to set foot outside clan-controlled space."

Both of the rodians turned to each other and then to the camera, "That is an interesting fact, nephew-" Rynn exclaimed as behind them headlines flashed of the ISC executing a Sith Lord and the Hyperlane Herald reporting on the destruction of an entire Sith fleet. "-but how do you explain all these attacks on Imperial space?"

"It's simple, really. The mercenaries that the cartel paid are simply to get at the table," a confused look on both rodians didn't distract from the screen behind them switching over to the senate session where a peace summit was agreed upon. "The attacks on Imperial worlds are so far minor and without repercussions. Most notable is the terrorist attack on the Imperial Czerka headquarters, but apparently that also was a hired help."

"But what then does the Supreme Mogul stand to gain? And why has he not dedicated his own armada to these attacks?" Rynn asked the rehearsed question from their studio on Etti IV.

"Simple, really-" his nephew, who didn't have a clue what the producer was actually having him say, "what if there isn't even an armada anymore? A few decades ago the Crymorah nearly annihilated the cartel, but the Supreme Mogul has recently managed to get more power than Preef was ever able to do; he got amitted to the senate."

"So, nephew are you saying that-" a pause fell until the younger rodian suddenly jumped, not having realized that the script had told him to interrupt; "-yes, uncle. Through the summit the Desilijic get what they have always wanted; galactic legitimacy for the greater Hutt species, their clan structure and their practices. An undeniable acknowledgement that the planets they control through oppression, slavery and murder are recognized to be their legimite territory."

It suddenly dawned on Rynn Ryn as he sat back in his chair and the screen behind him placed a large question mark over a still of a ragtag fleet. "without him ever having to show whether or not he actually has a fleet. Such a brilliant move from the Supreme Mogul."