Saga The Galactic Correspondent (RR, new writers welcome) | Prompt 10 up! 15-30 June 2015

Prompt 6 is up! The deadline is 30 April 2015. It covers DVD chapters 11-12: Surprise Rescue – Running the Blockade (from 00:22:25 to 00:29:33)

Remember to include the following information in your post:
Publication title: (e.g. Awesome Newspaper)
Article title: (e.g. “Funny or not-so-funny title”)
By-line: (e.g. “by Fareed Blitzer-Kristof in Coruscant”)
... and whatever else you think is relevant.

 

From page ten of The Judicial Record, general circulation

A DEFENSE OF THE JEDI ORDER: ON PEACEKEEPERS AND PRODIGALS
by Almonin deSait-Exubre

It is no secret that the Jedi Order has long sought to serve as a means of preserving the civilization that has allowed us, fellow citizens of the Republic, to live in relative peace. For nearly a thousand generations, they have stood vigil in their manyfold ways, serving as diplomats and ambassadors, but also—and only when there is no other option—agents highly-specialized in armed intervention and conflict resolution. They are perhaps the ultimate expression of the ideas upon which the Republic was founded. And yet, it seems to me that their service and sacrifices have been taken for granted or, worse, looked down upon as bringers of strife.

The history of the galaxy is replete with tales of Jedi heroism, but also of ill use of the Force, most notably the various incarnations of the Sith that threatened the galaxy at various times. Even the foundation of the Republic itself is tied in with such schisms, though information on those early conflicts is sparse indeed. Holodramas aplenty warn us of what may happen when great power is used irresponsibly, and may serve as a lesson for all of us, regardless of our abilities or position in life. Children's tales and youngling fables are often a source of early morals, and often include some reference to great historical figures brave and terrible. Academics have devoted their lives to analyzing the Force from the perspective of those not attuned to it, debating the merits of the Jedi Order and what it has accomplished. Some have gone so far, however, as to propose that the Sith would never have existed were it not for the Jedi.

That, my friends, is utter nonsense.

History, when properly cataloged, is the ultimate arbiter of merit, even if such analysis can lead to the confrontation of some uncomfortable truth. While it is true that the Sith only learned the ways of war from fallen Knights, sufficient evidence exists to prove that they lived as a species of dark Force adepts for eons prior to that fateful contact seven thousand years ago. There certainly have been plenty of conflicts between Jedi and Sith, involving the Republic and the various "Sith empires" that have risen and fallen in the millennia since. Some of the greatest Jedi of the past had their own struggles with the dark side, and yet they returned to the light. Who can forget Revan, who upon learning the full extent of his crimes as a Sith Lord, embraced the chance to atone and save the Republic by destroying the very engine of war that had served his empire? Even when times were at their darkest, Jedi have been willing to make the hard choices, to sacrifice their lives, to ensure that the bright light of civilization would not only remain lit, but eventually flourish once more. Who can forget the battlefields of Ruusan, when Lord Hoth and his Army of Light defeated the Brotherhood of Darkness, only to be consumed by the last gasp of Sith power?

My friends, we need the Jedi as much as they need us and our support. If they had not dedicated themselves to the principles of democracy, peace, justice and civilization, who would then have risen in their stead, and what would their principles have been? What would our galaxy be like now, if the Sith had succeeded in usurping the power of the Republic and placing their imperial ambitions atop the seat of Coruscant? I don't know, and in truth I hope to never find out, but in these troubled times, we must look to support those who sacrifice on our behalf, in any capacity we may. During the Stark Incident twelve years ago, I had the privilege to fly with a small cadre of Jedi pilots, and they were some of the best people I ever knew. The Force was with them, and when they took to the void to fight those who would seek to dominate others, it was a sight to behold.

Wherever the Jedi mission carried to Naboo by the lamented crew of the Radiant VII are, I know the Force is with them too.

 

From the front page of Die Coruscanter Allgemeine

THEED HAS FALLEN!
Queen Amidala’s whereabouts unknown
Staff and agencies

Despite Senator Lott Dod’s assurances to the contrary, all indications are that the Trade Federation’s blockade of Naboo has evolved into a full-scale invasion. Multiple reports from the Chommell sector hint that the planet has fallen and that its capital Theed is now occupied by an army of battle droids.

Information from the ground remains scarce due to the on-going communications breakdown, but material collected by a deep space probe launched by galactic news agency Roy’teriz shows that at least one Naboo cruiser succeeded in breaking the blockade and escaping. It is unknown who the passengers of this vessel are and what direction it has taken; however, careful examination of the holofootage reveals that it is a J-type 327 Nubian, otherwise known as the Naboo Royal Starship, leading to hope that Queen Amidala is safe and sound and will be arriving on Coruscant in the near future.

It is unclear what the Trade Federation are hoping to achieve with this move, as the Galactic Senate is unlikely to recognise the occupation of Naboo as legal. Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda has declined so far to comment on the issue, arguing that political discourse cannot and should not be based on speculation and rumours. However, the Vice Chancellor’s discreet but well-established ties to the Trade Federation led our reporters to investigate the possibility that (continued on page 3)

 

Goodwood - great insights and eloquence!

Chyntuck - your entry is superbly news-ish Concise and upbeat.

 

Thanks, Nyota's Heart. Better late than never, eh?

 

Thanks Ny

Here's another one from me -- I'm glad Goodwood finally posted so this thread didn't turn into a series of Chyntuck snippets.

-----------------------------------------------

From a clandestine information leaflet circulated in Prison Camp #6 on the outskirts of Theed

Help will come!

Fellow citizens of Naboo,

Do not believe the propaganda and lies of the Trade Federation. Queen Amidala did not abandon us, she did not betray us, she did not surrender to the [INK BLOT]

The Queen did not sign the Federation’s treaty
The Queen broke the blockade and escaped
The Queen is taking our cause to the Senate

Do not fear, do not despair, have hope. Help is coming, help is on the way!

 

Fantastic! Resonates with resilience and courage!

 

Queen Amidala LEAVES her occupied planet wearing black and looking fabulous next to her GUNGAN boyfriend!
by Yilda Lami for Juicy Blabber, the celebrity section of Lightyear Holo




Queen Amidala looked every centimetre the regent in exile as she boarded her designer Nubian ship on Taungsday.

The 14-year-old, known to her family and friends as Padmé Naberrie, cut a stylish figure in a black dress with lace ornaments and a feather bonnet. Her royal handmaidens seemed to be delighted by her presence and very relaxed.

In the group leaving Naboo, a GUNGAN was spotted and we speculate him to be the queen's BOYFRIEND. He couldn't keep his eyes off the sexy young politician as they ran to the starship at the hangar in Theed. This stranger of unknown age looked fabulous as he opted for hobo chic in a pair of slacks and a vest.

It is speculated that the group, also consisting of Her Royal Highness headed out for an impromptu PARTY with the viceroy of the Trade Federation. Perhaps this is how they negotiate these days?

The planet of Naboo, in the Chommell sector, has been under the Trade Federation's occupation since earlier this week.

 

Galactic Geographic
readers' letters section

We hereby want to issue an apology to whoever wrote to us in Gungan Basic, using the initials P.D, on wet flimsi. We tried our best to figure out what your message was about, but we couldn't. We understand that you complained about our article on Gungan customs, but could you, please, be more concise and use actual words? Our readers' opinions are important to us and we would most certainly like to fix all the errors we may have made in the article, but for that, your message needs to be readable.

Sincerely,
the staff

 

(Reserved for entries sent beyond the deadline)

 

Prompt 7 is up! The deadline is 15 May 2015. It covers DVD chapters 13-14: Tatooine – Watto’s Shop (from 00:29:33 to 00:35:52)

Remember to include the following information in your post:
Publication title: (e.g. Awesome Newspaper)
Article title: (e.g. “Funny or not-so-funny title”)
By-line: (e.g. “by Fareed Blitzer-Kristof in Coruscant”)
... and whatever else you think is relevant.

 

Jedi Circular - Calionna Farrell

The Radiant made it to Tatooine for repairs and have sent a triple-encrypted message that Queen Amidala is on board and safe. Qui-Gon Jinn and Kenobi comported themselves most superbly in the assault on Naboo with the battle droids, no small task!

Jinn sent in his message something very puzzling about a pod race and someone with strong Force potential. What is a pod race? Will have to consult Ms. Jocasta Nu our archivist.

[Continued on back page]

 

Awesome stuff everyone.

Io ho una voglia di mangiare un pollo arostito.

 

Davvero? Questo Pollo è un po' magro e non so se i Gungan sappiano bene. Eheheh.

 

Io penso che i Gungan manggiano asai pesce.

 

Ewok Poet Queen Amidala and her Gungan boyfriend?! What a headline grabber!

 

Loro due sono una coppia dolcissima, ma non così dolce come Pollo e tua speciale Gungan Bobbysoxer. Questo è il mio ship più serio, anche se non è già successo veramente...non è già ufficiale. Force ci sarà tempo per un amore grande quando il team ritornerà a Naboo.

Achja, aber meine Papa hat immer gesagt das Schmeck des Hechts ist wie einen schönen Parfum.

...

OK, I will never get my degree, but I can talk nonsense on the board, now let's get serious, I have not commented on others' prompts 3, 4, 5 and 6 somehow.

Prompt #3

SabyneAmberle - I want a collab between your shallow-as-a-kiddie-pool self-obsessed fashionista and my newly-christened trashy tabloid reporter. There could be a fun catfight or something else that is super-shallow. Also, this is your other OC, as far as I'm concerned.

Viridian-Maiden - I absolutely and totally dig Plastic Flamingos! Thanks for the recommendation, though it wasn't for me. Plus, we miss your entries.

Prompt #4

Chyntuck

MESA BUYEN A KOPEE OF DISA.

Prompt #5

Chyntuck - I don't like the word butthurt unless used in literal sense, but Lott Dod exhibits SO MUCH BUTTHURT HERE. I am just going to play him off, with or without the Keyboard Cat. And then, out of nowhere, it's Almonin deSait-Exubre who may or may not be reacting to the same news. The two of you played this well.

Nyota's Heart - Confess it, Jedi already have Jar Jar's "criminal" record and it's an emergency!

Prompt #6

Chyntuck - Gotta love the underground propaganda, and the other two entries are as good as usual.

For all of Goodwood's entries:

Kudos, I learn so much from these, without having to surf the Wook. Well-written, too. The cross-over to the other publication a clear favourite, though!

Also, my other prompt #6 entry is there. Couldn't resist.

 

Sorry for throwing the thread off.

 

From page 4 of the Tatooine Suns

New species sighted in Mos Espa
by Het Nkik, Jawa affairs correspondent

Two beings of a species hitherto unknown to the residents of Tatooine made their appearance in Mos Espa earlier today. They are tall, lanky humanoids with fin-like ears, retractable eyestalks, long bills and protuberant nostrils. The Tatooine Suns’ xenobiology expert has tentatively identified them as Gungans, an amphibian species native to the Mid-Rim world of Naboo.

Gungans are reported to be peaceful sentients and, despite ill-advised rumours that they taste like chicken or fish, they are not edible for most species (the obvious exception, of course, being the almighty Sarlacc.) They often fail to avoid the bantha droppings that pollute the streets of Mos Espa, their understanding of modern technology is disputable – the specimen that entered Watto’s shop seemed to have difficulties interacting with droids, even the most basic DUM-series models – and their behaviour can at times appear awkward to the casual Jawa observer. The second specimen in particular appeared to be trailing the first – for spying? for protection? our xenosociology specialist will tell us when he returns from his holiday in Anchorhead – and to greatly enjoy lurking in what little shadow our hometown has to offer.

In any case, Jawas need not fear these newcomers in any way. They are not aggressive and, should their curiosity become an annoyance, the moisture farmer that they accompany will swiftly call them to order. In all likelihood, their visit to Tatooine is only temporary, and they are merely an interesting oddity for those of us who wish to discover the many species that populate the rest of the Galaxy.

 

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE. CHE BELLO. Darth_Furio ...you big meanie, you...look at this.

That said, please add my MAGNIFICENT new SENSATIONAL journo and publication to your list, or Het Nkik will be on its cover over an alleged sex scandal involving his inappropriate touching of an astromech droid. I don't care if metal feels good when fondling.

Oh, wait. That last thing sounds like a good idea. A sex scandal to write about, not fondling a droid.

 

The index of publications and journalists has been updated.

Also, don't miss Ewok Poet's two last minute entries for prompt 6 (starts here) -- just be prepared to laugh A LOT.

 

Super stuff, Chyntuck! I can just imagine Gungans would arouse curiosity ... not edible indeed!