Chapter Two: Worlds Colliding

[Akirapryde]

Evening Buzz
Coruscant News Network
Broadcast from Coruscant
Date: 2919 AOK

Bail: “Good evening to all the citizens of the Galactic Republic. I am Bail Organa.”

Sinya: And I am Sinya Lefe. Together we will bring you news from across the Galactic Republic.”

Bail: “Across the Great Galactic Republic worlds prepare to celebrate Liberation Day, also called AOK Day. Sinya, why don’t you explain what Liberation Day is and why this cherished day is so important to member worlds.”

Sinya: “Sure Bail, I will be happy to. Roughly about one hundred years before the legendary Battle of Korriban, the Sith Empire and their Mandaloran allies attacked the Republic. For a period, the Republic were able to hold off these attackers from the Outer Rim. However, something happened within the ranks of the Sith. A new leader assumed power within the Sith Empire. A leader by the name of Darth Revan. Though in the Republic, he would become known as Revan the Butcher for the ruthless siege he leveled against Dorin. As a result of this siege, the population of the planet was nearly driven to extinction.”

“Led by their ruthless leader Darth Revan, it wasn’t long before the Republic was fighting for its very survival. Acting under the orders of Grand Master Crlisst, the Republic military stripped its homeguard fleets and sent them to face the Sith fleets in the Inner Rim. This move left nearly every world in the Core open to attack. Crlisst claimed the Republic Senate by telling them to trust in the Force. As Mandaloran ships closed on Coruscant, a new fleet exited hyperspace over Coruscant.”

“This fleet belonged to the combined forces of the Azgardian clans. The Azgardians and Mandalorans had clashed during a series of brutal and violent wars that spanned over a thousand years. The Azgardians meant to destroy the Mandalorans once and for all. Darth Revan at first dispatched his apprentice Malak to deal with the Azgardian threat while he continued to drive deeper in to the heart of the Republic.”

“Malak’s fleet clashed with Warlord Brynjar’s fleet near the Kuat Sector. It was a historical battle, where forces of the Sith first clashed with the forces of Azgard. Malak’s fleet was broken and driven back while the Republic was starting to gain against Revan’s own forces. But Revan wasn’t beaten. Revan had a plan to face both forces from the Republic and Azgard. But the Jedi and Master Crlisst had a card left to play. One that would take Revan out of the war once and for all. A secret Jedi strike force led by Jedi Knight Bastila Shan attempted to capture the Sith Lord.”

“Near the Yavin system, one of the largest battles of the Great War was staged. The Republic and their Azgardian allies were rushing headlong in to Darth Revan’s trap. As the Sith Lord’s plan was starting to turn the tide of war, fate played a twist against the Sith Empire. With victory nearly assured, Darth Malak turned on his master. The betrayal destroyed Darth Revan’s flagship and any hope the Sith had of victory.”

“With their forces split, this allowed republic and Azgardian forces a chance to break the ambush and turn the tide of war. At the end of the Battle of Yavin, Darth Revan was captured by the Jedi and Darth Malak was in full retreat to Korriban. Mandalore was in ashes and the last of their warships destroyed. Darth Malak summoned up the last of the Sith forces as they prepared for a final stand above the world of Korriban.”

“The battle lasted for three months as Republic and Azgardian forces sought to cleans the world of the last of the Sith. With the end of that battle, two great threats to peace across the Galaxy were eliminated. More so, the Jedi took the historical steps to ensure that this hard-fought peace would never be challenged again by enacting the Order of Korriban. On that date, the Jedi would create the Knight-Wardens. An elite group of Jedi Hunters meant to hunt down the remnants of the Sith Empire.”

“It was also on that day that the Galactic Senate hailed the Galaxy’s Liberation from the Sith. The Senate also reset the Galactic Date to show that the day that the Order of Korriban was authorized by the Jedi would be zero year. And today, we prepare to celebrate and honor all those who fought to deliver the Galaxy from tyranny. While Liberation is hailed across the Core Worlds, it is not celebrated on some Outer Rim.”

“During the time after the Order of Korriban, many force users that were leaders of their own worlds found themselves at odds with the Knight-Wardens. Accused of harboring former Sith, these leaders were arrested or simply disappeared. As the search for Sith continued, more and more communities found themselves under the eyes of the Knight-Wardens.”

Bail: “If you ask me, I say many of these worlds are just being ungrateful. The Jedi helped eradicate the Sith once and for all. Now, the very few isolated worlds want to hold on to slights that occurred thousands of years ago.”

Sinya: “It’s more than just a few worlds, and they are hardly isolated. As the Republic forced its presence deeper and deeper in to the Outer Rim, they forced their own values and ways upon the worlds that they encountered. These are not just simple slights that haven’t been forgiven. These are wrongs that have never been addressed by the Senate or the Jedi.”

Bail: “Sinya, you act like what the Jedi did was wrong!”

Sinya: “No, I am not saying what they did during the war was wrong. But what the Knight-Wardens did after the war under the name of the Jedi was. The Republic wasn’t innocent either. What had been Sith space was annexed in to the Republic without the consent of the people living on those worlds.”

Bail: “Sinya that’s crazy talk! Many of those worlds had been abused and used by the Sith.”

Sinya: “Yes Bail, and now they are being used by the Republic. Sure, the flag has changed! Has the harsh conditions that many worlds are still in changed? Where is the great promise of the Republic? Take Ryloth for example. The Republic has promised to address slavery within the Outer Rim, yet no serious steps have been taken. Still on Zygerria, slaves are still sold. And Zygerria has seats in the Galatic Republic.”

Bail: “I should have known that you would use this to stomp for your favorite wimping gualaar. What goes on, on Zygerria is not slavery. It is heavily regulated by the Republic and monitored….”

Sinya: raising her voice, “They are selling and buying beings right under the Republic’s nose……”

Bail: “Can we go to commercial please?”

A few moments later….

Bail: “Welcome back. Unfortunately, Sinya had to step out. I am sure that she will be back soon. In other news, Grand Master Dooku has ordered the Twenty Seventh Strike Division under the command of Jedi Master Benedikt Milani to Olivan. While their mission is not clear, it can be assumed that the mission will be to deal with the protests that have been spreading from Olivan. While Grand Master Dooku has not confirmed if this will be the only major deployment, it is a safe bet that the Grand Council has finally decided to do something about the spreading dissent at many of its Temples in the Outer Rim."

"The scene on Brentaal as the twenty seventh took to their ships was festive, as family members cheered their loved ones off. This welcomed move by the Jedi to stamp down the growing Outer Rim protests has been long in coming according to unofficial sources close to the Chancellor. They claim that the Jedi should have acted much sooner to bring some of their wayward Temples back under control. And if you ask my humble opinion, it could have been a better time with Liberation Day right around the corner."

"And on that note, I would like to bid you all a good day. All of us here at CNN wish each of you a glorious Liberation Day."