Holonet

Storybot · October 12, 2022

The story played across holofeeds the galaxy over. Reports had been received by dozens of news outlets on dozens of worlds. Each one was the same. Shaky security footage from inside the nefarious Republic era prison, The Helvault. Footage that showed a red lightsaber wielding being cutting through security along with a variety of goons. Some footage was too graphic for all but the most biased news agencies to play. Footage of an octopus-like being suffering a grievous death at the hand of some murderous robot. Other footage was all but begging to be played, with a few faces blurred. Staff members struggling to escape as the g-forces aboard the ship pulled at them and threw them about like ragdolls.

Reports indicated that the station had possibly been besieged by a variety of mechanical issues allowing an unauthorized ship to land in one of the receiving hangars. Pirates for all intents and purposes. Pirates, it seemed, wielding red lightsabers; the trademarks of the Sith.

And then, as the station was careening out of control towards the planet below, sensors captured the shaky image of a warship. The ship slipped from the shadows of space, illuminated by the sun and stars. It did not take government clearance to recognize it as a ship of Sith design. In fact, it was an eagle-eyes investigative journalist who recognized the vessel as one seen fleeing the Battle of Nar Shaddaa.

Dozens of stories, all with different insights and details, played across the holonews. Some had tear-filled interviews with the family of prisoners nearing the end of their stay in the notorious prison. Others had experts discussing the potential engineering flaws in the design of the station, flaws that caused it to too easily fall from the sky. Even others toted the story as a conspiracy, a way for the newfound Galactic Alliance to do away with old problems. Some stations speculated that the Sith were looking to replenish their ranks with the worst of the worst. Some stations swore that The Spider himself had returned to the galaxy after the disaster that was Nar Shaddaa. Every reporter had an opinion, speculation, or factoid they thought they could tie in. What ran common threads ran through them all were that a Sith warship presided over the destruction, the station had smashed into Nespis VIII, and lightsaber wielding raiders had stormed the station. All aboard the station were presumed dead.

When pressed for an official

statement, the Galactic Alliance Board had nothing to say. The Bureau of Justice’ Subdivision of Prisons on the other hand released this statement:

The events surrounding the Helvault prison station are currently under investigation by the Alliance Department of Threat Analysis. At this time all aboard are assumed deceased and the station deemed a total loss. The Subdivision of Prisons wishes to express our deepest regrets and condolences to the families of those who gave their lives fighting to preserve justice and safety for the people of the Galactic Alliance. Their sacrifices were not in vain. Nobody aboard was deserving of a death sentence and the Sith soldiers who acted as executioner to those guards and prisoners will be brought to justice.