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Author	Topic: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01
JediNemesis Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 1/22/06 1:24pm Subject: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01 - Date Edited: 1/29/06 6:58am (1 edits total) Edited By: JediNemesis
	Title: A Free People Author: Yours truly, JediNemesis Genre: No idea. Missing scene? Era: Directly (hours/days) after ANH Characters: OCs. Summary: What did the Empire say to the galaxy about the events at Yavin? What did it sound like? A/N: People who've read other work of mine may remember I have a streak of sympathy for the Imperials in me. One day it hit me that explaining away Yavin would be pretty hard for the Empire, and promptly resolved to have a go . . . DISCLAIMER: Lucas owns the universe escept for the OCs, no money has changed hands, etc etc. [Scene: a vast hall. At one end is a stage, hung with dark blue curtains and with the Imperial wheel emblem at the curtains’ centre. A podium stands at centre stage, equipped with lectern. At the back of the hall are spindly dollies and cranes supporting holocams and microphones, manned by squads of film and sound crew. The hall is packed from wall to wall with people; they are sitting shoulder to shoulder on what seats there are, more are crammed into the aisles and on the balcony above, and more still are crushed together outside the double doors at the hall’s far end. They hush expectantly as an aide in dark Imperial uniform enters from stage right and takes the podium.] Aide To speak to and for every citizen of the Empire tonight comes a man known by all of you as a man who for twenty years of his life has helped build this Empire into what it is today. [Aide looks to his left and extends a hand] Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the ex-Senator for, and now Governor of, Xatessa: Gerodo Suu! [Suu enters stage left, to respectful applause. He is in his early fifties, stocky and greying, with a receding hairline and bushy eyebrows; he would be a comic figure if he did not look so grave. He is dressed in a sombre dark robe of office, the crimson collar the only mark of his status within the Empire; a black armband encircles his upper right arm. He shakes the aide’s hand; the aide bows and smiles and vacates the podium, waving Suu up onto it. The ex-Senator mounts the steps, spreads the pages of his speech out on the lectern. He clears his throat and takes a sip of water from the glass provided. When he addresses the audience, it is in a thick Xatessan drawl, the vowels mangled and drawn-out in the manner characteristic of the Southwestern Rim world. Despite the accent, he is an articulate and powerful speaker.] Gerodo Suu My fellow citizens: They say that the world will end not with screams and shouting but with awful silence. Yesterday night, for billions upon billions, the world came to a horrific end at the hand of the Rebel Alliance. And in the end, there was only silence. Sound cannot travel where there is nothing to travel through, and information cannot be sent when there is nothing to send it. For thirteen hours radio silence was the only evidence that the worst had happened at Yavin Four. When the news was finally confirmed, earlier this morning, we met it with stunned and deadened silence. Nothing else seemed possible. There is no way of reacting to the death of a world. The scale of the horror is too much. To be told of the deaths of not one world, but also a station large enough to generate its own appreciable gravity, large enough to eclipse a sun, is an experience that defies understanding. For me, it took hours to understand; I can still only begin to grasp the enormity of what has passed. Alderaan is dead. The greatest space station ever built by the hand of man is dust. But the words can only mask the true scale of the horror. Four and a half billion living souls died with Alderaan. If you could say one name every second, and counted day and night without a pause, it would still take close on two centuries to name the dead. Among them were those we have all heard of and respected, even loved: the head of state, Bail Organa, and his First Lady. The Organa family presided over Alderaan wisely and well for over fifty years. Three generations served in the Senate, and despite repeated clashes with the Imperial Command had continued to serve the Emperor as they did the Supreme Chancellor before him. It was in keeping with the teachings of their religion, the faith of ancient Alderaan, that under the rule of the Organa family the Alderaani government maintained only minimal defence systems and a skeleton starfleet to guard their world. In every sense of the word, then, Alderaan was innocent. We will never know if it was this very innocence that led the Rebel spies aboard the so-called Death Star to fix on Alderaan. What is known, heart-wrenchingly hours too late, is that the Rebellion infiltrated the station almost from its inception, and that the horrendous events of the last twenty hours are made worse by the intensive planning and preparation that went into them. Evidence recovered from Rebel strongholds on Talasea, again tragically hours too late, allows us to put together a picture chilling in its precision. Rebel insurgents willing to lay down their lives for their cause infiltrated the station, waiting until they were in a position to ambush and overpower the team controlling the station’s superlaser for its maiden use. Then, what should have been an occasion for celebrating the removal of the dangerous rogue asteroid Alviid from the Alderaan system became the occasion of the greatest single massacre in galactic history. We can only speculate as to the fate of Leia Organa, the Alderaani princess and former senator killed hours before the death of her world. When her diplomatic courier suffered a severe engine malfunction and was destroyed, with the deaths of all aboard, the radiation signature of the blast, monitored by several Imperial bases on Tatooine, was inconclusive, but suggestive of heavy ion-beam barrage - or, more significantly, the simultaneous detonation of several high-yield ion bombs aboard the courier. [Gasps, quickly hushed, from the audience.] Murder can no longer be ruled out. Disturbingly, the most likely explanation is that Princess Organa was deliberately assassinated by the Rebellion itself for opposing the planned murder of Alderaan. Her devotion to her home world was well known, and she was loved by her people despite her sympathy towards the Rebel cause. [General murmurings of agreement, again quickly silenced.] Hours after Alderaan’s destruction, a Rebel ship deliberately primed with a tracking beacon broke free of the station, thanks to the Rebels aboard, and vanished into hyperspace before it could be recaptured. The beacon aboard it, however, led the station’s navigators to the fourth moon of Yavin - and straight into a Rebel trap. [Suu pauses for a drink from the glass on the podium, his face set.] What followed cannot be easily described in words. The Rebel attack on the Imperial station and its fleet of maintenance and defence ships was executed with breathtaking audacity. It’s horrifying simply for the cool-headedness and lack of scruples with which it was carried out. The attack exploited a minuscule, unavoidable, weakness in the station’s design, and did so with a calculated precision betraying months of careful planning on the part of the Rebel High Command. Less than two hours after it reached Yavin, this space station and the hundred thousand troops and civilians aboard it were no more than dust and ashes. The soldiers were mostly young conscripts, drafted to fill the gaps in the ranks caused by nearly a decade of war; a draft we had to impose after the Alliance were swayed by the fanatics in their ranks and became militant. They called our space station the Death Star. They convinced themselves that it was a danger to them, and, gods forbid, to the safety of their misguided beliefs, and that it had to be destroyed. Had it been built for war? Had we manned it with crack commandos? Had the crew been given orders to specifically hunt down and destroy the Alliance? [Shocked, anticipatory silence.] No! We did not! Only insane egocentrism told these people that the Star was meant for them. There can be no justification of what they did. The average age of the stormtroopers serving aboard the station was just twenty-one. The youngest may have been no more than sixteen. Somewhere in the galaxy those boys have parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, loved ones, who are now struggling to cope with the burden of their deaths. [The audience stirs and reacts noisily. The general tone is one of angry agreement. Suu raises one hand; the crowd are quickly silent.] Even for those of us who are lucky and have lost no one, it feels like family. My elder son is twenty and serving in the army; on leave, he returned to his unit after the news broke, to comfort and console those of his friends who have lost brothers and fathers aboard the Death Star. My twenty-two-year-old daughter is still at her fiancé’s house as I speak. She’s supporting him and his mother as they cope with the death of his father and two younger sisters on Alderaan. My younger son is still in his teens. He was at a party. He’s still there, sitting with his friends in a numb circle around the holovision, watching as the reconstructed image of Alderaan explodes again and again and again. [Complete silence from the audience.] What chills us all is that Alderaan and the Death Star were not pointless acts of violence carried out by a few suicidal madmen. If only that were so; it would be easier then to set aside the horrors, and carry on knowing that it can never happen again. Unfortunately, horribly, we can’t know that. What the Rebellion has done once, I hate to say, the Rebellion will not hesitate to do again. [Unsettled hum, quickly stilled.] The Rebel Alliance is an organisation stretching across the galaxy, exerting influence on many thousands of worlds. Many thousands of Rebel operatives would have been needed to plan and orchestrate the events of last night. There can be no understanding of why. Even for a group clinging so determinedly to a stagnant past and the barbaric rites of the Jedi Order, there can be no explanation, no justification. No disjointed politico-religious ethos, no matter how violently traditional, can call such an atrocity justifiable. No cause is worth the deaths of so many innocents. The Alliance must surely understand that by their actions last night they have destroyed their own chances of survival in one go. There can be no more peaceful talks, no more treaties, no more negotiation. Tomorrow the war on Rebellion will begin in earnest - the one outcome all were devoutly hoping not to happen until the Alliance forced it. More people, more innocent citizens of the Empire, will die fighting to keep liberty alive. All of us have shared in last night’s pain. All of us must share in making it clear to this rogue Alliance that their attacks have accomplished only their own downfall. Wear the black band. Show solidarity with the bereaved and the grieving across the galaxy. [Suu pauses, and the crowd respond, screaming in acquiescence.] Show the Rebel Alliance that we of the Empire are a free people and will fight to remain free! [Suu raises his hands in emphasis as he shouts the final words over the roar of the crowd. As he finishes speaking the noise redoubles into thunderous applause.] Feedback appreciated, as per always Nem -----signature----- BeTS Best Author '08 NEW Eleven Summers - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29657584 Lightning and Diamonds - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29251762 Into The Shining Day - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29224914
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dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 1/22/06 1:47pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH
	Nem, I am stunned at how brilliant this was. What a piece of superb propaganda at its finest. Loved how he turned the Empire's destruction of Alderaan into a rallying cry for revenge against the very people who were fighting against the Death Star. Loved how he dredged up sympathy to all the families of those on the Death Star. Loved the "alternate" use of said Death Star. Bravo! -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 9/22/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 11/20/08 jedidas3's Master At last - Hope for our country
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oqidaun Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 1/22/06 5:18pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH
	I love the spin! Dirty Rebels! -----signature----- . . . .
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JadeSolo Title: NSF managing NSWFF Registered: Sep '02	Date Posted: 1/23/06 8:54pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH
	Sign me up for a black band! Your work always amazes me, Nem. The propoganda spin you put on every little detail was just brilliant. My favorite part of all was how Suu blamed the Rebels for the destruction of Alderaan. That was so evil. But he made it sound so true, and if you didn't know the Rebel side of the story, you'd totally buy into this one. I did, anyway. -----signature----- "If you expect a kick in the balls and you get a slap in the face, it's a victory." "May God bless you and keep you always...I mean that in a civic deist way." -Prof. Siegel "No guaranteed money, but all guaranteed fun!"
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raisedbywolves Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 1/23/06 10:19pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH
	Whoa. What a powerful piece. I loved the spin on the Rebels and what they supposedly did to Alderaan and to Leia. avoids comment about current political situation But it was very apt. -----signature----- What She Saw: http://boards.theforce.net/Before_the_Saga/b10475/21886008/?0 Proud (if erstwhile) padawan to Master Darth Pixel. It's not Darth Real Life, actually - I prefer to think of it as my very demanding Jedi Master.
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JediNemesis Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 1/29/06 6:57am Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH
	Hello people! diane Nem, I am stunned at how brilliant this was. What a piece of superb propaganda at its finest. Thanks! This was partially driven by my thinking back to History GCSE and our work on the USSR under the Communists - Stalin in particular had a huge propaganda industry - and what my teacher said about no empire holding together without propaganda. Palpy's Empire had a heck of a lot to propagandise, as well . . . Loved how he turned the Empire's destruction of Alderaan into a rallying cry for revenge against the very people who were fighting against the Death Star. Glad you liked it - and hey, if the Rebels denied it it'd merely make them look like liars as well as genocides. Loved how he dredged up sympathy to all the families of those on the Death Star. Loved the "alternate" use of said Death Star. Well, I can't believe that they a) kept the DS's construction secret or, given that, b) admitted it was a battle station. oqidaun I love the spin! . . Dirty Rebels! Two sides to everything, and c'mon - the plot of ANH is so unlikely I'd be readier to believe Governor Suu's version of events Thanks for reading JadeSolo Sign me up for a black band! With pleasure Your work always amazes me, Nem. I'm blushing. The propoganda spin you put on every little detail was just brilliant. My favorite part of all was how Suu blamed the Rebels for the destruction of Alderaan. That was so evil. I think destroying a planet is one of those things the Empire couldn't take responsibility for & justify. Ergo, blame the Rebels - one sure-fire way to make sure that everyone who didn't hate them already now does. But he made it sound so true, and if you didn't know the Rebel side of the story, you'd totally buy into this one. I did, anyway. I guess that's a compliment. But seriously - we see one, very unrepresentative, viewpoint in ANH. The vast majority of Imperial citizens would've got the propaganda version and accepted it as fact. raisedbywolves Whoa. What a powerful piece. I loved the spin on the Rebels and what they supposedly did to Alderaan and to Leia. Thank you kindly avoids comment about current political situation . . . But it was very apt. I really don't want to end up in a political debate - but yes, perhaps Thanks everybody! Nem -----signature----- BeTS Best Author '08 NEW Eleven Summers - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29657584 Lightning and Diamonds - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29251762 Into The Shining Day - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29224914
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PonyTricks Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 1/29/06 7:13am Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01
	I can easily see where the Empire would put the blame for Alderaan on the Rebellion, and make themselves look innocent. Good job! -----signature----- Brain: Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that? Pinky: Mmmm, no, Brain, don't think I can.
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dm1 Registered: Jun '04	Date Posted: 1/29/06 8:15pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01
	Wow, this was absolutely brilliant! If I didn't know better, I'd ask for a black band, too! Just goes to show, don't believe everything you hear! Propaganda is a wonderful tool, isn't it? -----signature----- Internet Mom to HSG! Hey, HSG, watch those explosives, be careful!!
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the_wandering_shadow Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 1/31/06 3:45am Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01
	This is exactly why I hate politicians Anyway I read this yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It was briliant as many others have said. And who else would have thought of something like this; well, not me. It was so simple a concept, it's like why didn't I think of this before. Dirty fiends... -----signature----- Daniel Paul Harms (1958-2007) Yesterday I bought Harry Potter y Las Reliquas de la Muerte (Deathly Hallows in Spanish!) lordmaul13's PIC The new writing contest: http://boards.theforce.net/science_fiction_and_fantasy_books_and_comics/b10749/28279838/p1/?2
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JediNemesis Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 3/18/06 12:16pm Subject: RE: A Free People [OCs] - What the Empire said after ANH - Replies 29/01
	Hello! PonyTricks I can easily see where the Empire would put the blame for Alderaan on the Rebellion, and make themselves look innocent. It struck me as the kind of thing the Empire'd do. Good job! Thanks! dm1 Wow, this was absolutely brilliant! Thanks muchly! If I didn't know better, I'd ask for a black band, too! Just goes to show, don't believe everything you hear! Hell yeah. It was quite a little revelation for me when I realised just how unrepresentative the view we get in the movies is - we're on the side of a tiny minority of militant reformers. Propaganda is a wonderful tool, isn't it? It held the old USSR together and it's not exactly uncommon today. 1984 has the absolute best fictional example of it IMO, but it's been an effective tool down the ages. the_wandering_shadow Glad to see your wanderings have brought you back my way, friend. This is exactly why I hate politicians A lot of the time I think the politicians just say what the spin doctors tell them to . . . Anyway I read this yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It was briliant as many others have said. Thanks And who else would have thought of something like this; well, not me. It was so simple a concept, it's like why didn't I think of this before. Can't really explain where I got it from - it just appeared, as they do. Dirty fiends... Filthy Rebel terrorists, yup Thanks everyone! Nem -----signature----- BeTS Best Author '08 NEW Eleven Summers - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29657584 Lightning and Diamonds - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29251762 Into The Shining Day - http://boards.theforce.net/a/b1/29224914
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