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We interrupt our screening of The Chiss Who Came From The Cold with a special News Flash!
*News anchor Sherwa Sissirin appears on screen, wide-eyed and slightly dishevelled*
– Yes, dear viewers, we're sorry to interrupt our programming, but what we have here is breaking news incoming in our studio on Coruscant.
This is something that could tip the scales of the war, as we learn that the Amrita medical frigate, on its way back from the stage of an ambush over Felucia, was apparently compromised, with many aboard killed. Jedi general Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as Jedi commander Ahsoka Tano are dead. Rumours of an assassination have been swirling since the news came in, but we're going live now with Dim Messar, currently at the Jedi Temple for more details. Dim, what's the situation over there? What can you tell us?
*Screen cuts to Dim Messar, a popular Twi’lek reporter, standing in front of the security line around the Amrita*
– Yes Sherwa, the situation here is one of absolute chaos. It appears as if the order knew something was amiss before the Amrita arrived in orbit, and sent a party to intercept, including a team of healers. However only one live passenger has come off the ship: General Anakin Skywalker, of the 501st Legion. So far we’ve just been seeing body bag after body bag coming out of the ship, and while we’re not sure of the extent of the attack, the gravity of it is not lost on anyone.
Our sources do corroborate that General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Tano were found aboard assassinated, along with several clone troopers, one of them a commanding officer.
– So the assassination is officially confirmed?
– Yes, the earliest reports told us that the victims were killed within their bacta tanks. It was not due to equipment failure but– the term they used was “blatant sabotage”.
– In their– what? Can you elaborate?
– General Skywalker was in a state of extreme anger and confusion upon his arrival and was escorted away by members of the Jedi council. We were standing nearby and were able to hear more than we usually would. I'd advise our viewers to obviously wait for the official report bound to come from the Jedi council later today, but General Skywalker vocally accused separatist leader Count Dooku, saying his assassin had come aboard and murdered his colleagues.
– With bacta? Have any more details come to light about that?
– Well, apparently the assassin, whoever they may be, pumped the bacta full of dampeners, preventing the Jedi from saving themselves, and then cut the oxygen supply lines, drowning all patients.
– That's... I'm sorry, I must admit this is quite distressing! Even among all the news of the war, such deaths really stand out. To be murdered in a bacta tank, the one place where people really ought to feel safe! Life is hard enough if you're in one.
*Another reporter accompanied by a trooper guard approaches Dim Messar. The reporter is visibly shaken*
– Ah– I'm sorry, I've got more information here– if you'll give me a minute...
– Yes, go on. I'm sure we can all use the time to digest this bit of information. Dim, we will leave you for a moment as we go to our reporter in the Senate–
– No, wait... Don't cut away! This is pretty dire, but officer Hexer here has informed me the situation is actually much worse than what we expected, and our colleagues from HoloZeev have exclusive footage from inside the frigate, which– Are you sure?
Yes, look– I mean who else? Here–
*Dim Messar is distinctly shaken by what she sees on the screen handed to her*
– Dim?
– Yes, sorry. It... It would seem the Amrita actually came into orbit as a ghost ship.
– What do you mean?
– Footage from the Amrita appears to reveal that every member of the crew have actually been... slaughtered.
– The assassin’s work, isn't it?
– No... Ah– the footage... the footage our colleagues gathered shows that...it’s....it’s hard to believe... but General Skywalker apparently killed everyone aboard the ship before it even arrived on Coruscant. I mean, all the remaining crew...
– General Skywalker? The Jedi Knight? I– Are you sure?
*Reporter Dim Messar looks helplessly at the screen she still holds in her hands, lekku visibly twitching*
– The images don’t lie Shewar… I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t show you this on air, the board would have my skin for it, it’s so… It’s gruesome. I– I've been reporting from the Jedi Temple throughout the war and I've never seen anything like this.
*In the background the HoloZeev reporter argues with the trooper. People are pushing against the cordon surrounding the frigate*
– What does this mean? Was General Skywalker the one who killed his colleagues? Is he the assassin? The implications for the Republic are terrifying if that’s the case, but surely the Jedi council would have known?
– No, he–
An alarm blares – * Dim Messar covers her ears. The camera shakes and swivels around, panning across parked ships and confused medical officers and journalists.*
– Dim, what’s going on?
Screams rise over the din of the alarm
– I’m not sure! Someone is coming this way! There appears to be some kind of commotion. We’re on a platform at the temple so things should be safe but…
–Could it be the assassin was still aboard?
*Dim Messar chuckles nervously. The camera bobs as the team makes their way towards the source of the disturbance*
– We were assured no one alive remained on board, so unless the assassin was a droid–
*The camera shakes as it zooms in on a group of people running towards them. A searing blue light shines between the press of bodies, rising and falling in sweeps and arcs. Dim Messar gasps. For a moment the view is of the duracrete floor and feet scrambling, then returns to the blue lightsaber cutting a path through the crowd*
– That’s…
*General Skywalker’s face comes into focus for an instant, eyes flashing, teeth bared. More Jedi appear, lightsabers drawn out. The screams become louder, the cameraman is jostled and can be heard swearing. Skywalker disappears from sight in an acrobatic jump.*
– The ships! He’s going for a sh–
*The camera is sent flying* – B̴̩̃Ụ̴̧̧͆̐̔̕R̷͓̗̻̀̿Ş̴̙̭̥̒͋͝T̴̜͒̽ͅ ̸̣͆̓́͊̍O̵̢̮͍̻̤̎̍͋̚͠F̴̛̙̊̕ ̸̥̙͉̄̓̃S̴̥̫̺̤̻̑T̷͖̹̾̃̂͑͘ͅA̸̲͂T̵͔̎̄̀̄Ǐ̶̭͇͂͋̊̚C̷̟͛̍̐̾ –
*Sherwa Sissirin returns to the screen, gawking, open mouthed, unaware yet that she is back on air.*