Iziz Inquisitions

[Rowan Harlow]

If he was going to be a credible replacement in a media company, Rowan had to prove he could walk the walk as well as talk the talk. It had been a simple thing to become a member of Trump Productions, and up and coming content producer just like so many others employed by the media giant to make an easy buck on the hard work of others. The most he'd been able to grab for help in this project was a camera man and a video editor to make it look professional, things that Rowan was willing to learn after experiencing it for the first time. Luckily, in a form, the attack on Iziz on Onderon happened at a time perfect to report. Also luckily, in a fashion, was that there was someone involved that he knew could give a good story. Of course, he'd have to make sure he didn't know the man, which was a simple matter.

The stage was the medbay close to the scene of the action, specifically next to Eddard's bed. Rowan brushed a stray strand of hair from his face as he listened to the countdown, determined to complete this in as few takes as needed. This would be very good practice indeed, giving a small smile as the countdown ended. "This is Rowan Harlow, Junior Correspondent, coming to you from Iziz City just after the devastating attacks that have rocked an entire planet. It's hard to believe that just a short time ago the good citizens of this Imperial City were going about their business in the peace afforded by our Emperor Elix V. That peace was torn from them in a series of violent attacks that have only left death and destruction in their wake."

Rowan gestured into the air next to him, where he knew that images would appear showing the devastation. The crying citizens, the smoldering ruins, and statistics of everything that was lost on the Emperor's watch. Which would bring him to his next point. "At first, I was chagrined to find that no one had decided to step up in defense of the citizens of this proud Imperial world, which is when I learned of one such man currently here, recuperating from the wounds received defending the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. He's only just awakened, so this will be the first interview from someone who had been a witness to the fighting."

As the camera moved to show Eddard on his bed, his robotic foot having been shot off and having received a wound to the chest, Rowan would make a show of saluting the brave man for his valor. It was a good thing that Eddard looked the very image of a typical soldier, right down to his complete seriousness even when injured and probably drugged to all hell. "Allow me to be the first to thank you for your service to the people of Iziz. For the millions watching at home, please state your name and your account of what happened to this formerly peaceful city?" He held the commlink closer to Eddard's mouth, as if trying to be gentle to the man. To anyone watching, it was like these two were only meeting for the first time this day.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard, as per usual some might say, was not looking happy.

Indeed, he was laid up in a medical bay bed, waiting for the new prosthetic foot that would allow him to walk properly again. The new one was already made, it was just getting someone to actually bring the damn thing to him. Compared to that, the stab wound in his abdomen was more of an annoyance considering the kolto was already starting the healing process and there had been some light surgery to get it started.

Rowan was here to do an interview with him and had asked him to pretend that they'd never met. It wasn't hard - Eddard wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to anyone so he wasn't about to be any more courteous to Rowan than he was to a total stranger if he was being honest with himself.

"Don't thank me - I just did my duty."

There was a small twist in his gut at that but he ignored it firmly.

"My name is Eddard Thul-Drast and Onderon, specifically the city of Iziz, was attacked by Mandalorians. Clan Solus, the badgers or whatever they call themselves." he shuffled slightly to sit up straighter in his bed, "Our forces were badly undermanned but we did our best to fight them back. The truth remains that we failed to repel the Mandalorian forces however. We were outnumbered and received no reinforcements."

He let out a slow breath.

"Don't thank me. Thank the others who risked their lives and paid the price."

@Insalius

 

[Rowan Harlow]

Rowan bowed his head solemnly, gesturing for the cameraman to look down the rows of beds and cots in the medical bay. It was easy to see how many had been wounded, and how many had been killed, and this kind of visceral imagery would propel him from being a no-name reporter to on the tip of everyone's tongue come the next round of gossip. He wasn't censoring anything, he was giving the citizens of the Imperial Republica an exact look at what was happening while no one was protecting them. It would make them think, could this happen to them? Could they be next? Who would protect them? On that note, there was still something that Rowan had to do, to sow the final seeds of a narrative he was crafting even at that very moment. He turned back to Eddard after showing the sobering display of pain and death, taking off his hat to hold to his chest.

"My condolences for all your comrades lost during the incident. You bring up a valid point, though. Where were your reinforcements? Where were the rightful defenders of Iziz, of the Empire? You are above reproach, as you put your very life on the line, yet we can both see it was not enough. In your words, good soldier, what would you say was the reason that all these lives were lost to these Mandalorian Raiders? What factor attributed the most to this heinous scene of devastation? The people behind the camera, the other citizens of the Republica whom our soldiers are sworn to protect, need to know!" With his words he knew he was drawing the viewers of his broadcast into a frenzy, building up their anticipation so that whoever Eddard pointed the finger toward would have the ire of a good number of citizens in the Imperial Republica. Emotions were like an instrument and Rowan was incredibly talented at playing them. Now it was up to Eddard to seal the deal.

@Nefieslab

 

[Eddard Thul Drast]

Eddard wasn't exactly in a happy place now right and this whole thing was just getting on his nerves. The fact that a news report like this was even having to be made infuriated him to no end. What the hell was happening that the biggest Empire in the Galaxy had to question itself so thoroughly as to all but examine it's own soul?

As far as he could see, what was happening was that the Empire was beginning to truly lose it's identity and he hated to even think that, let alone accept it as truth.

But it was losing it for a few reasons - reasons and causes that could be fought and prevented.

"Those lives were lost because there was no pride!" he roared as he pulled himself out of the bed, ripping out sensors as he did so, "Sith up and down the Galaxy look at the people of the Empire - OUR PEOPLE - and see nothing. They should see them as our strength! But they don't. And I can't even blame them, do you know why?"

Pulling himself up on his one good foot, he used the Force to keep himself standing as he now stood directly in front of Rowan and the camera. He was visibly fuming and blood was beginning to drip freely from the dressing slapped on top of his stab wound. He ignored the hospital alarms.

"There's no pride because when the rank and file, the multitude, look up to their exemplar? Their paragon? They find that our Emperor doesn't care." he shook his head, "Or maybe he does? I don't know and neither does anyone else because all we see is a man sat in Coruscant taking meetings. Well all I can say is this... to the Emperor, to the EMPIRE as a whole... The time for Apathy is GONE."

He grabbed Rowan by his collar, glowering at the smaller man, enraptured in his passions, in his pain and almost high on the intoxicating strength of his righteous fury.

"Will you do nothing? Apathy is death - WORSE than death. At least as a corpse you feed the vermin." he released Rowan, turning to the camera, "I am sick of looking around the Empire and seeing people content with Apathy, with inaction and indecision! It is time that we, as a people, rose up and learned to exert our Will again! When our enemies come knocking at our doors, our hands must grasp blasters, swords and sabers - we must ride to meet our foes rather than cower and grab a camera long after the defeat has occurred!"

His yellow eyes flashed dangerous before several medical personnel arrived, hurrying him back into the bed and fussing over his stab wound. Eddard let them, allowing his anger to cool and harden into a crystalline hatred that he would keep inside until he was ready to use it.

@Insalius

 

[Rowan Harlow]

Rowan was silent while Eddard went on his rant, inwardly grinning at every word that left that beautiful man's mouth. This was GOLD, the perfect content to get a rise out of the watchers and start conversations around the workplace or the supermarket or wherever such things happened. At the very least he hoped these words would stir SOMETHING in the people of the Imperial Republica, to know that this wasn't just something that would happen on a far-off world, but could happen on their own planet, perhaps in their own city, or even to them. It would make them THINK, and if Rowan could keep that up, he could shake them into action. Once they were ready, all they would need would be guidance on what they should do for their Republica, which was why he needed to be the controller of what information they received. The people Rowan wanted to protect had the potential to be great, to move the galaxy, they just needed the correct guide to nudge them in the right direction.

"Viewers, look upon this man, this poor broken soldier who nearly died protecting the Republica he loves! These attacks won't stop, so you may see him or others like him on other worlds, maybe even your own. Remember his words, remember what you saw here today. It could be your world that cracks beneath Mandalorian fire, your homes that burn from their lasers. This is Rowan Harlow, signing out from Iziz City." With a gesture off camera, Rowan had the recording stopped. He gave Eddard a thumbs up before grabbing one of the medical attendants to get the man's new robotic foot on, STAT. He was a goddamn hero, after all. He bid his friend a good day, leaving him to recover. There were more stories to find, after all.

/Endthread