Good evening and welcome to the Galactic News Network. I'm Cindel Towani, and this is GNN.
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-- We interrupt this broadcast for a special news bulletin direct from Imperial Center, Coruscant --
The Imperial backdrop fades into shadows as a being emerges, dressed in the identifiable garb of an Imperial High Admiral. The grey double-breasted uniform was littered with clusters of medals and ribbons for years of military service. But what was surprising was not the uniform itself, but the man who wore it.
“Good morning. For those who don’t know me, I am High Admiral Blair, formerly of the New Republic. Less than two weeks ago, my flagship, the Battlestar Excalibur, was destroyed while orbiting the planet Ison. This incident was blamed on a faulty conductor-value coolant near the main reactor. A tragic accident that claimed the lives of over fifty thousand Alliance personnel. Unfortunately, I know the truth. This was no accident. It was sabotage. Sabotage by the very same people these soldiers served under, whose orders they followed and obeyed. They died trusting their leaders to uphold those same ideals they carried within themselves. They died as a result of corruption and power. They were murdered in an effort to silence me. Their spirits demand that I voice what I know, that I remain silent no longer.
The New Republic has always claimed that they stood for freedom and justice. A society where anyone could find peace from prejudice and tyranny that supposedly exists under the Empire. A blatant lie propagated and used by High Command to ensure cooperation, a false belief that the alternative is far worse than what they offer.
Case in point. Distinguished and decorated veteran and war-hero, High Admiral Tavano. Commander of Katana Fleet and liberator of numerous systems throughout the New Republic. The truth? Murderer, criminal, renegade. Overseer and oppressor of the innocent.
During my commission as an Alliance Admiral, High Admiral Tavano used his secret project, the Warbird, to destroy no less than 9 Alliance ships… ranging in size of a corvette to a Nebulon frigate. Thousands died in his rampage. A galactic man-hunt ensued to bring him to justice. He was found, claiming no recollection of what transpired. A court-martial was conveyed. One which should have branded him a tyrant and a traitor, imprisoning him for life. Instead his was pardoned and restored to active duty immediately. They claimed a Dark Spirit had possessed him. I see. We all have ‘dark temptations’ do we not? We resist them. It is a result of being civilized.
So the High Admiral returns to Bpfassh. The world in which he has been assigned as protector of. Protector? Dictator seems the more appropriate term. Bpfasshi citizens are forced to wear implants under their skin to keep tabs on their locations and whereabouts. Armed milita patrol the streets and citizens are subject to martial-law after dark. Ideal society? Freedom and rights for all? When I mentioned possible reforms to the High Admiral I was told to stick to my own sector and he would deal with his however he saw fit.
Shortly after I was confronted by the High Admiral and asked to monitor his sector while he went hunting. His entire fleet then headed to the Echnos system in an unauthorized attempted to seize the world from its rightful governors. Luckily, I had alerted High Command and Tavano was ordered to recall his forces. But no reprimand had accompanied his actions.
I had seen enough. I began compiling a report on the High Admiral, one in which I had intended to confront High Command with and demand action against him. The High Admiral must have realized I suspected his corruption because before I could complete my findings, agents loyal to Tavano planted a bomb aboard my flagship, hoping to ensure I would never reveal what I know.
In the aftermath, the High Admiral had hoped to implicate the Empire in my flagship’s destruction. Fortunately, the arrival of an Imperial task force at Ison halted his attempt to plant debris that would wrongly accuse the Empire.
High Command knows all this. The Senate knows this. So why is this person allowed to remain in command of a fleet?? Not only a single fleet, but second-in-command of the Alliance, and head of Fleet Command. Why? Because Tavano is best friends with the Chief of State. Instead of stripping him of command, the mighty King pardoned him of his crimes. And conveniently overlooked his other transgressions since then.
The Empire today is governed by an Empress. A woman. Its military is under the control of an alien. I think the long-time prejudices and stereotypes of the past have become a bit outdated. The Empire is not the same as it once was under Palpatine. It is now a place for those who wish to restore order and stability amidst a galaxy in chaos. Human, alien, male and female alike. A place where corruption and greed does not dictate who wields power and who is left begging for scraps. Empress Kryzasiah has promised peace and rebuilding. Universities, medical centers, food processing centers have all been constructed in the short time of her reign. Donations to religious centers and poverty stricken areas have helped rebuild a sense of community and prosperity. Yet the New Republic condemns her as a tyrant, a monster. I think we can all see who the real tyrant is. The monster behind the terrorist destruction of my flagship and the death of my men. I know in time the truth will be revealed. Thank you."
High Admiral Blair
Elemental Fleet
Imperial Navy
posted by Scott @
11:19 AM
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Monday, December 30, 2002  |
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