8.21.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 05 | 39:6:7 | Article 01

Ancient Empresses of the Core Worlds
HANNA CITY, CHANDRILA—While largely overshadowed by the infamous Xim the Despot in recent decades, a veritable pantheon of other powerful monarchs have risen and fallen in the millennia following the implosion of the Infinite Empire of the Rakata. A new archaeological exhibit sponsored by the Hapan Expatriates’ Association is now seeking to bring some of history’s most notorious females into the galactic spotlight.

From the genocidal Almay Kodos of Voon, to the legendary Veatrice LaProtia of Alderaan, to the mortal rivals Noanka Lyu of the Esselian Empire and Djemaia Acuala of the Azure Imperium, pre-Republic monarchs are well-represented in the exhibit, which will spend two weeks on Chandrila before moving further Rimward to Balmorra. In addition to pre-Republic figures, famous planetary or sector monarchs such as Empress Teta and Queen Anig are also included, as are Sith Lords such as Lady Galaco, Darth Lethe, and Belia Darzu.

“In a galaxy that is thoroughly dominated by males,” wrote Greskal, reviewing the exhibit for the Naboo Cultural Journal, “it is refreshing to be immersed in the exploits and triumphs of some of the greatest females our society has ever seen.”

8.14.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 04 | 39:5:35 | Article 01

Battle for Manpha Concludes with Alliance Victory
SHANPAN, MANPHA—Despite fierce resistance from the Nagai occupying force, and an unexpected intervention by an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Third Alliance Battle Fleet managed to retake Manpha, the homeworld of the Shawda Ubb species.

The Nagai suffered nearly fourteen thousand casualties during the week of combat, compared to nine thousand for the Alliance forces. One Imperial Star Destroyer, apparently ordered to the Seitia sector by Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard, was destroyed when it interposed itself between the Third Battle Fleet and the Nagai task force in orbit of the world. The Imperial vessel was apparently attempting to gauge the relative strengths of the two fleets when it was hit by turbolaser fire and exploded.

Prime Minister Hipotwalanhopopwalat Tivtotolon, just an hour removed from the prisoner camp into which he had been placed by the Nagai, praised the perseverance and courage of the Alliance liberators. “My people will not forget the great service rendered by the Alliance of Free Planets,” he said through a translator droid. “The horrors visited upon so many of us by the Nagai were unforgivable. We are prepared to join the Alliance fleet in this most righteous fight.”

8.07.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 03 | 39:5:28 | Article 03

“Galactic Peace Conference” Begins on Gerrard V
HARAZOD, GERRARD V—Delegates from one hundred and thirty-one worlds convened on the planet Gerrard V for a conference that, according to its organizers, is intended to determine a final solution to the war between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance of Free Planets.

Organizer Norm Beryllan elaborated on his reasons for hosting the summit: “I don’t want anyone to label me as an Imperial sympathizer or collaborator. Until the Battle of Endor, I was fully committed to fighting for the Rebel Alliance. But Emperor Palpatine is gone, now, and I believe that the liberation of all of Imperial space is not worth the massive loss of life that would result from the perpetuation of this conflict.”

Ninety member worlds from the Alliance of Free Planets are represented at the Gerrard Conference, as are forty Imperial planets and one independent world in Bothan Space. Notable delegates include Moffs Nina Trexla, Sakai, and Morgon Jeckor, along with Bothan General Ne Thruska and Alliance Special Forces Lieutenant Shaeaah Lawquane. Beryllan intends for several peace resolutions to result from the conference, which will be submitted to both the Alliance Provisional Council and the disparate Moffs currently ruling Imperial territory.

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 03 | 39:5:28 | Article 02

The Road to the Galactic Cup
DREV’STARN, BOTHAWUI—Though the 251st iteration of the Galactic Cup of Bolo-Ball is still nearly two standard years in the future, several teams, including such notables as Fondor, Ord Mantell, and Coruscant, began their qualifying campaigns this week in interplanetary friendlies across the Outer Rim. Team Fondor—defending bronze medalists, three-time champions, and current number one team in the galaxy—defeated Hiromi 4-0, while Coruscant drew 3-3 against Bespin and Ord Mantell lost to Mandalore 2-1.

“Just from these initial matches, we can begin to see patterns that will ultimately perpetuate up until the Galactic Cup itself,” examined San Frendar, former player and coach for the Ord Biniiri bolo-ball team. “Fondor will continue to exert its dominance, while Coruscant continues to fade following its incredible championship run just fourteen years ago.”

Held on the planet Bothawui, the 251st Galactic Cup of Bolo-Ball—referred to as “limmie” in some regions of the Empire—will include thirty-two bolo-ball teams from the Galactic Empire, the Alliance of Free Planets, and Hutt Space. The defending champions are Team Corellia, who earned the title two years ago by defeating Team Alsakan 2-1 in extra time. Corellia will play the first match of its qualifying campaign Primeday against Bunduki, while Alsakan will play its first friendly against Anaxes next month.

[Editor’s Note: Due to the ongoing conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance of Free Planets, several teams from Imperial space—including Teams Kuat, Alsakan, Chalacta, and Eriadu—will not be competing in the upcoming Galactic Cup, the first held outside of the Empire’s borders since the fall of the Galactic Republic.]

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 03 | 39:5:28 | Article 01

Maccabree Transport Captured in Seitia Sector
FABULA, KRONIKON IV—A Maccabree troop transport en route to reinforce the Nagai occupying force at Manpha was ambushed by forward elements of the Third Battle Fleet in the Trefinnene system, three parsecs distant from the transport’s intended destination. Though the vessel’s snubfighter escorts resisted its capture, all four Nagai craft were soon disabled and the two hundred Maccabree warriors were forced to surrender to the Alliance of Free Planets.

Captain Kiva Ben, commanding officer of the Alliance frigate Mon Rorma, received the cyborgs’ initial truce-byte, while Commodore Mungri Vabb led the formal surrender negotiations. “Their only condition was that they be allowed to continue operating their battlesuits while in our custody,” explained the commodore in a report transmitted over the government’s public holofeed. “Though they have access to weapons, the suits are necessary for their survival, and I trust the Maccabree have the good sense to refrain from attempting to break out of the brig.”

While the cyborgs were transported to a prisoner facility on an undisclosed planet, the Third Battle Fleet went on to spearhead the Alliance’s counterattack at Manpha. Nagai forces are reportedly suffering heavy casualties without the support of their Maccabree confederates, but still maintain control of the planet’s main population centers. Alliance casualties are unknown.

8.05.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 02 | 39:5:26 | Special Report

Nagai Task Force Raids Manpha
SHANPAN, MANPHA—HoloNet News sources in the Seitia sector report that the Outer Rim homeworld of the amphibian Shawda Ubb species, Manpha, has been conquered by a Nagai invasion force. Prime Minister Hipotwalanhopopwalat Tivtotolon has been taken alive by the invaders as a prisoner of war, and may be coerced into signing an official instrument of surrender within the next several hours.

This conquest comes swiftly upon the heels of the Mandalorians’ defeat of the Nagai at Mandallia, and may be an attempt by the invaders to restore flagging morale. Though Manpha has played only a limited role in galactic affairs since its incorporation into the Republic two millennia ago, its location near the important junction of the Corellian Trade Spine and the Hydian Way makes it a critical strategic objective in this conflict. No Alliance attempts to retake the planet have yet materialized.

7.31.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 02 | 39:5:21 | Article 03

Treasure Trove of Xim Artifacts Discovered on Deep Core World
CONSTRA, CONSTANCIA—Enthusiasts of what has been termed “Ximology” found a reason to rejoice yesterday, when it was announced by University of Commenor archaeology professor Jonathan Rek’kab that a large number of artifacts dating back to the reign of Xim the Despot had been discovered on the planet Constancia. Though the world, located in the Deep Core, is nearly three thousand parsecs distant from the Cronese Mandate, Professor Rek’kab’s discovery seems to indicate that the Constancians had extensive diplomatic relations with Xim’s Empire and its predecessor, the Kingdom of Cron.

The oldest artifact uncovered by the research team was a carbonite bust of an unknown Human female, estimated to have been crafted nearly two decades prior to Xim’s birth. Some experts suggest that the woman may be Xim’s mother Pheila, though evidence in favor of this identification is largely unsubstantiated. Other relics include a damaged portrait of the Cronese deity Xuuirn, a golden bracelet inscribed with words in an unknown script, and a rudimentary hologram displaying a map of Xim’s conquests.

Interestingly, the map contains formerly unknown archaic names for several planets, including three previously unknown “Ximaras,” named after the egotistical Despot himself. Senex, an agriworld located in the sector of the same name, was known as “Ximara Sennessa” during its brief, year-long inclusion in Xim’s empire, while Desevro was styled “Ximara Hegemonika.” Coruscant, though far from the center of Xim’s power in the Outer Rim, was officially entered as “Ximara Republika” in Cronese records, anticipating a conquest which never came.

According to Professor Rek’kab, excavating the entire trove may take the better part of a year, and the transport fees for a collection which is estimated to include nearly a hundred thousand artifacts could run into the millions of credits. To fund the operation, the University of Commenor is currently hearing offers from institutions on Shawken, Naboo, and Constancia itself to find a permanent home for the relics of Xim’s reign. “With any luck,” Rek’kab said, “Ximology enthusiasts and average museum-going beings will be able to see the collection for themselves within a standard years’ time.”

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 02 | 39:5:21 | Article 02

Case of Mistaken Identity Leaves Comedian in Critical Condition
CLOUD CITY, BESPIN—A misunderstanding on the planet Bespin has left Phow Zi, an Arkudan comedian, in critical condition following a brutal attack by Nuthros Nosyte, a Bespin native and former galaxy-class Teräs Käsi master. The Neimoidian Nosyte reportedly mistook Zi, whose appearance at the SkyCenter Galleria had drawn a crowd of thousands, for Phow Ji, a former Palawa Band champion and military advisor who perished during the Clone Wars, nearly twenty-five years ago.

The comedian’s agent, Seagg Laybas, recounted the minutes leading up to the attack: “Zi had just launched into the bit about the Grand Moff and the Askajian masseuse—crowds always eat that one up—when the Neimoidian jumped onto the stage and started yammering about revenge. Zi called for security, and the Neimoidian just lost it.”

Upon realizing that the Arkudan comedian was not his long-deceased rival, Nosyte declared that Zi was an imposter and a coward before launching himself forward and delivering a flurry of punches and kicks into the Arkudan’s stout body.

“The Neimoidian kept screaming at Zi, at everyone,” Laybas continued, wiping sweat from his brow. “Zi couldn’t hear him, though, because he was unconscious after taking just a couple hits.”

Security pounced upon Nosyte just seconds later, but the damage that the Neimoidian had managed to do in just a short span of time was terrifyingly severe. Phow Zi suffered seven fractured or broken bones, required minor reconstructive surgery to be performed on his face, and spent nearly thirty hours in a bacta tank. While his condition is now stable, Zi is still in severe pain and is prone to bouts of prolonged unconsciousness.

“He’s trying to put on a brave face, and be the same light-hearted Phow Zi that the galaxy loves, but every day is a struggle,” said Laybas. “It could be weeks. It could be months. But I would like to assure all the worried fans out there that Zi will be back—and better than ever!”

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 02 | 39:5:21 | Article 01

Ithorian Porka Group to Tour Colonies Region
TAFANDA BAY, ITHOR—Famed Ithorian musical ensemble Yaraank Koryobk, known for fusing contemporary politics into their traditional Ithorian porka melodies, announced yesterday that they would be launching a tour of seven Colonies worlds newly liberated from the Galactic Empire.

Commenor, Damoria, Parkis, Polaman, Vycinyth, Twe Expa, and Hrockta—all wrested from Imperial control in the two months since Emperor Palpatine’s demise—were chosen to play host to Yaraank Koryobk’s first concert tour since the Clone Wars based on the planets’ proximity to other liberated worlds, their relative political stability, and their capability to accommodate the needs of the twenty Ithorian musicians who will be performing. The ensemble will be debuting several formerly unreleased compositions during the tour, such as “Republic Day” and “Dark Nebula in the Corner of the Galaxy.”


“We have come out of our artistic seclusion for the sole purpose of celebrating the newfound freedom of these seven worlds,” declared Yaraank Koryobk’s frontbeing and manager Mimow Moorith. “There is something in the air I breathe, now, that tells me that the Force is in balance—that a new hope has returned to a galaxy formerly thought lost to the darkness of tyranny. We want to share in this most pure, most unadulterated gaiety that has marked Emperor Palpatine’s demise.”

7.24.2011

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 01 | 39:5:14 | Article 03

Segus Commemorates Liberation Day

SEGUS CITY, SEGUS—The world of Segus, located at the terminus of the Hutta Trade Spine, was one of the outermost remaining holdings of the Galactic Empire until Alliance Special Forces under the command of General Crix Madine freed the world earlier this week. Coming out of hyperspace behind the planet’s lone moon, the commandos used an ion pulse cannon to disable the Imperial sentry ships before launching an assault that left the planet’s garrison shocked and surrounded.

“While aspects of the operation are still classified, I can report that our commandos suffered only limited casualties during the battle, and that both the planet’s Moff, Remy Jaan, and an Imperial fleet admiral are now in Alliance custody,” explained a Special Forces media representative in a press conference convened yesterday. “I am also pleased to announce that the legislature of Segus has voted unanimously to join the Alliance of Free Planets, a petition that will be subject to approval by the Provisional Council when it next convenes.”

In addition to celebrations that have continued unabated since the planet’s liberation, Segan Prime Minister Norn Mullor commissioned holofilm corporation VirtuGalaxy to produce a dramatization of the battle. General Crix Madine is rumored to be in talks to portray himself, while Harlan Ottekvar, star of such Old Republic holofilms as Quest for Quasar and SuperKnight: The Awakening, has signed on to portray the holo’s protagonist, a jaded Special Forces commando with nothing to lose.

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 01 | 39:5:14 | Article 02

Tag-Team Teräs Käsi Bout Concludes in Near-Fatal Draw
FREZOND CITY, VYCINYTH—In what was billed to be the “Match of the Millennium,” two pairs of twin sisters battled it out in a no-holds-barred tag-team Teräs Käsi bout that nearly resulted in the deaths of all four combatants. Contested between the team of Zan and Zu Pike—daughters of famous Epicanthix master Dux Pike—and the team of Kemma and Sunna Yuri, the match wore on for nearly seventy-five minutes before all four women found themselves lying bloody and unconscious on the mat.

“That was incredible!” exclaimed Ervo Timpkon, a Rodian youngling who attended the match with his father. “Before today, I never even knew that humanoid blood was red! Gosh, there sure was a lot of it!”

The conclusion of the match was a dramatic confrontation between Zu Pike
and Sunna Yuri, which saw the two trading blow after blow before simultaneously knocking each other out with identical kaadu thrust/rancor-rising combinations. While none of the four combatants were available for comment following the bout, promoters told HoloNet News that a rematch had been scheduled to occur in two months’ time, at the Timrek Coliseum on the planet Kuhsbane.

Alliance HoloNet News — Volume 001 | Number 01 | 39:5:14 | Article 01

Galleop’p Herd Overruns Kuhsbane Capital
THUHB, KUHSBANE—Reacting to Kuhsbanian attempts to develop much of their traditional grazing land into the first “super-mall” of the Onatos sector, the planet’s largest herd of feral Galleop’p invaded the boulevards of the Kuhsbanian capital Thuhb, apparently attempting to follow an ancient migration route to lush lowlands east of the city.

“This was a grave miscalculation on the part of the herd rangers,” explained Kuhsbanian Minister for Urban Development Tout Rachgzar. “My people were assured that the Galleop’p would migrate further west—we had no idea that they would take over the streets of Thuhb!”

Senior Herd Ranger Kurt Megded disagreed. “The Ministry for Urban Development was aware of the risks involved. Our hope was that the herd would move west, of course, but there was something that compelled them in the other direction.”

This incident only fuels a controversy that has raged off and on since before the Clone Wars—the question of whether the Galleop’p might be sentient. Research done nearly forty years ago by the University of Coruscant seems to indicate that Galleop’p have an established social structure, rudimentary language, and perhaps even leadership elections, and following studies added the possibility of tool use to the list of arguments in favor of sentience. Skeptics counter that almost all the behaviors observed can be explained as instinctual, and that University of Coruscant researchers were “offworlders attempting to impose their own misguided morality upon an established and thriving culture.”

While Kuhsbanian police have managed to clear several city boroughs of the feral Galleop’p, the primary body of the herd has firmly entrenched itself in the city center, and has been observed to resist attempts at relocation. Tourists visiting Thuhb are advised to avoid areas where Galleop’p are present, as the animals are known to act aggressively if provoked.