HoloNet News Fondor: Corporate VIPs Rescued from Pirates

[Nykoria Tallis]

FONDOR: CORPORATE VIPS RESCUED FROM PIRATES​

Stolen yacht "Starblazer" and some of its passengers remain missing​

Earlier this week, Fondor was shocked by a pirate attack. The Starblazer—a Comet-class yacht belonging to the CFO of Transport Automata Unlimited—was interdicted in transit. The corporate executives and public officials on board were captured. Fondor defense forces tracked down the vessel and launched an attack on the pirate hideout. And although most of the VIPs and passengers were liberated, the outcome leaves more questions than answers. Especially about Jedi involvement.

The Starblazer belongs to Phyllis Vasser, the Chief Financial Officer of Transport Automata Unlimited. Those who don't keep track of financial news might recognize the name because her son Thyrs had been kidnapped—and fortunately rescued—a while ago. The executive's streak of bad luck seemed to continue last week, when her ship was captured en route to Fondor; with corporate executives, public officials, and allegedly even Jedi on board.

What's unusual about this capture is that the Starblazer might have been interdicted or sabotaged. It jumped to hyperspace from Coruscant, but never arrived to Fondor. Usually that means a hyperspace mishap, and no trail is found. But this time the search parties managed to track down the unharmed ship to a planetoid just outside FWA space. Note this part, it's important. That means that the Starblazer exited hyperspace early, at a predetermined place, and then changed course. That's something that can be achieved with an Interdictor cruiser, or with a man on board.

Regardless, Fondor defense forces came to the rescue. They dispatched ultra-light carrier Ardent Fire and three fighter squadrons to attack the pirate hideout. Unfortunately, most of the criminals escaped the base aboard their own ships and stolen yacht, under the cover of the base's automated defenses. But not before the hostages were freed by the infiltration team. Participants haven't been too vocal about the incident, and perhaps are not at liberty to say much just yet. But our sources claim to have seen burn marks left by lightsabers inside the base's hangar, and that the infiltration team may have included Jedi.

We asked Phyllis Vasser to provide a comment on the situation or Jedi involvement, but she has not replied to our inquiry so far. GIven the growing anti-Force-user sentiment in the galaxy, we understand why the troubled CFO might want to avoid this topic.

Despite the successful resolution, the leader of the pirates remains at large, and some of the passengers are still missing. The full list is attached below:

Aren, K. // Blyne, D. // Garth, I. // Kodd, N. // Shiri'vrei // Tallis, N. // Vaan, A. // Yizok, K.​

 

[Jon Halleck]

Jon was sitting at the terminal, waiting for the star-liner that would transport him to Coruscant, staring at his hands and wondering how much blood was on them. The news lately had left him in an introspective mood, more so than usual. He had gone about about his life fully aware that he had done bad things, taken lives, broken homes, destroyed lives. But it had all been done for the greater good, he had taken one criminal off the streets to ensure that everyone else could walk down those streets without fear. He had killed murderers so that they themselves would not spill more blood. He had helped the Jedi because the Sith needed to be stopped.

But now he wondered, had he been any better than the criminals he had caught? Had he not tormented them the way they had tormented others? Was he any better than the murdered he had killed? A life lost was a life lost. He had been spiraling downwards for the past few days as he self-doubt had crushed down on him.

So when the news flash came up on one of terminals' holo-displays, he looked up with relief. Anything to distract him from, to pull him away from his thoughts. The news spoke of pirates, of someone being rescued, of Jedi being involved. His neck snapped up at the mention of the Jedi. There it was, proof that the Jedi were still doing good, justification for why he had believed in them. It was like a line to a sinking man, his one last ray of hope in the darkness that threatened to drown him.

But as soon as it came, it was yanked away from him, as someone came running from the side and started fiddling with the controls and switched the channel. Jon was about to get up to protest, to get the fool to switch back, when he noticed what had come up instead. His eyes were drawn to the scrawl of text floating at the bottom of the screen.

"BREAKING NEWS: EMRYC THORNE SHOT DOWN ON NABOO! SITH INVOLVEMENT EXPECTED!"

He stared at the screen, where a mob had gathered around the fallen vessel.

"No Sith! No Jedi!"

"No Sith! No Jedi!"

He looked around as he got to his feet, other dispays across the terminal also switching to the cover the same incident.

"NO SITH! NO JEDI! NO SITH! NO JEDI!"

There it was, the voice that had attempted to shine light on the truth about the Jedi and the Sith had been attacked. Just by speaking he had put himself at risk. And now he was probably dead. For a brief moment Jon had thought that he could return to who he was, to someone who believed. But no, what little was left of the man he once was just got beaten down by the chanting.

No Sith! No Jedi!

Maybe that was the only way to save the Galaxy after all.

 

[JJ Johnson]

The vision of Naboo would cut away as the theme for the Galactic Bugle screamed over the air. A male Zabrak and a female Echani sat side by side. "This is Rip Wankum..." the Zabrak would say before the woman cut in.

"..And Tonaya Storm!" the Echani said with an outlandish smile. "Now enough about us, our Editor-in-Chief, Legendary Jayce Jonas Johnson is live on the scene! Jayce! How's it going over there?"

"NO MORE JEDI! NO MORE SITH! NO MORE JEDI! NO MORE SITH!" The screen would shift back to the scene as JJ walked the crowd, fist pumping to the tempo of the chanting, before stopping in front of his camera.

"Oh my dear beloved Nabooans! Today is a mournful yet powerful day for the people of the galaxy! Behind me, you see the wreckage of Senator Thorne's ship! It's flames charged by the fervor around me! We called them out and so they answered! Those menaces! The sith and their Jedi -cohorts-! They attacked a man for speaking out against them! Well, the people see the lies and have woken up! No more Jedi and no more Sith! No more Phantom Menace! Hah! Ya see that?! This is JJ Johnson, reporting from the scene of a -heinous- affront on our people!"

The camera would shift as he pointed to a Jedi 'fleeing' the scene, a shoe bouncing off of him. "A direct hit! Get that man a raise! As you can see, the Sith have tried to strike down a powerful voice and sent one of their Jedi allies into finish the job! But look as they flee as the noble population defends the Senator!" He paused to kick his slide into his hand and launched it in the direction of the Jedi. "Armed with nothing but shoes!" It would miss, but that wouldn't be seen, just JJ taking a stand. "Bernie! Get my loafer!"

JJ turned back to the camera, his fist clenched. "Let's see if we can take this galaxy wide. NO MORE JEDI! NO MORE SITH! NO MORE JEDI! NO MORE SITH!"

All around him civilians gathered and chanted, one such clad in nothing but pants and a furry cap with horns.

As the screen shifted back to Tonaya and Rip, Rip would speak up. "There he is folks, a hero for the people, of the people and by my hornless Cousin Charlies head, by the people. The station would like to take the moment to ask the folks at home to raise your hands as you pray to whatever god you worship for a spee-"

"And don't forget to curse those menaces, the Pajama Clan bandits!" Tonaya would add with a finger gun. "That's you, force slingers."



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