Concerns of unethical conduct have been reported in the Killik 'cure' development. The race to find a cure for the Killik toxin, which turns civilians into members of the 'Joined', has kicked off in the past month, with dozens of companies, Governments and other interested parties scrabbling to be first across the finish line.
However, the Sith Empire has found itself under scrutiny for allegedly using the in-development cure to attempt to sway planets to pledge to the Imperial regime. Speaking yesterday, the High Marshall of the Ailon Nova Guard seemingly confirmed that the Empire offered 'priority access to an as-of-yet completed cure as a 'perk' of membership to the Empire.
Yet the problems for the Sith Empires' efforts to release a cure don't stop there. Sebastian Hipori from the Etti Institute of Science, a new think tank funded by Julia Hipor, commented, "We have concerns around the level of testing on this proposed cure by the Imperials. Ultimately, we believe there are insufficient safeguards to proceed with widespread manufacturing and rollout."
In comments that will no doubt spark a wave of concern across the scientific community, the Etti Institute of Science went on to confirm that "until the cure proposed by the Empire has gone through correct testing levels, which it presently have not, we would not feel comfortable recommending it for public use.".
Whether it was weaponising their cure for political advantage or not correctly testing their treatment ahead of proposed public distribution, the Sith Empires' scientific efforts appear fraught with trouble.
Speaking to the Hyperlane Herald today, our inhouse expert Prof. Gag Halfrunt XVII said:
"When it comes to matters as public as this, an 'arms race' for a cure that would need to be distributed across the galaxy to be effective is far from what the public want, need, or deserve. We are seeing a political effort to produce a 'vaccine', if you will so that it can be used as a card in the hand of Sabaac; a planet as the pot. Combined with the Empire's seemingly lacklustre testing approach, which evidently is not considering the long-term effects of the cure, I would go so far as to say that the Sith Empires' cure is risky, dangerous even."
Efforts continue across the galaxy to secure a cure against the Killik threat, one which threatens to turn billions of innocent people into drones, subverted to the cause of an alien insectoid race. One thing however is for sure, the Sith Empires' proposed 'cure' leaves more questions than it answers.
~ Voren Dhur, Hyperlane Herald