Independent Galactic News Broadcast
Eriadu
"When I saw that President Serinna Vylantis was imprisoned on alleged accounts of treason, I realized that our Republic has entered its last stages of life. President Rae Sloane has ruined the government we've worked so hard to establish, the democracy we've worked so hard to enshrine, and the freedoms we've worked so hard to protect. She has abridged our freedoms, and I cannot remain in the Republic any longer, for my people's sake." the Sector Governor of Eriadu stood at a glass podium in front of thousands, on the front steps of the Eriaduan Sector Government Center. She was a woman in her early sixties, with silver hair, and wore a fitted gray suit. She was Governor Leanna Tiningo, once the head of the Galactic Intelligence Agency, and former Secretary of State to then-President Leia Skywalker.
When Leia resigned from the Presidency in 26 ABY, Leanna resigned from her post as well, as did most Resisters. She couldn't work in a government run by Centrists, and specifically led by Rae Sloane, who betrayed Leia. Leanna was a senior member of the Resistance, but realized that she could do more work with the Resistance if she returned to her post as Governor of the Eriadu Sector. Her work wasn't very apparent, and didn't take much effect due to the Centrists taking power in the upper levels of the Republic government.
"Today I announce the secession of the entire Eriadu Sector from the New Republic, and our formal joining with the Resistance. I am enacting my sectoral constitutional powers granted by Article Five because of the present dangers we are facing. Leia Skywalker is our leader, she is our High General. She is our moral compass, our protector, and our savior. She shall lead us to victory against the First Order. And more importantly, she shall lead us to victory in our revolution against President Rae Sloane. Thank you, and May the Force be with you all, always."
Ryloth
"My colleagues in the House of Deputies were arrested a few nights ago, they are a part of my delegation that represents the Ryloth Sector. We've come to a crossroad, where we must decide what is best for all our people. I am joining Governor Tiningo, and more importantly; joining Leia Skywalker's Resistance. Ryloth stands with the Resistance, and secedes from the Republic." spoke the leading Senator of Ryloth, a young green Twi'lek man, with golden headbands around his lekku. He stood in front of hundreds of reporters and even more supporters, in a park outside the capital city of Ryloth, which was located on a mountain peak. The city glowed in the background from its colorful array of lights in the night, including the sturdy ray-shield bridge that led into the city gates.
"Today begins the Revolution. The Revolution against tyranny, and the Revolution against the First Order!" the hundreds of people applauded and cheered for the Twi'lek leader, chanting his name in a beautiful chorus,
"Syndulla! Syndulla! Syndulla!"
Malastare
"We really don't give a damn if the Inner Council doesn't legitimize our secession," boomed the Prime Minister of Malastare, an elderly Gran man wearing white and gold robes, standing at a podium in front of reporters in his palace, "the people of Malastare have spoken; President Sloane and the New Republic is unfit to continue to govern us all. We place our faith and trust in Leia Skywalker, and this new rebellion she is conjuring up. We have the full support of not only the Gran, yet the Dugs. For the first time in decades, this is the first major issue we agree upon," chuckled the Prime Minister, "the New Republic's time has come."
Coruscant
The commercial neighborhood surrounding the Galactic Federal Prison were once not attractive to most tourists or shoppers, since it housed mainly corporate headquarters and a few small shops for its own workers. There were a few cafes that lined the pedestrian walkways of the massive city-blocks, which delved deep into the ground of the city-covered planet. The bulbous tower of the Federal Prison loomed overhead, and casted a shadow from the moon's light upon one large walkway that was as wide as an Old Republic Consular frigate. There were people wearing masks and hoods running down the walkways, screaming and shouting. They threw rocks, stones, and bricks at the windows of the small shops, terrifying innocent bystanders and citizens. The shops and stores were closed, so luckily no one was indoors to get glass flung all over them. Screams filled the air as the mob made their way towards the Federal Prison. The mob of angry people gathered more and more people, a mix of humans and various other alien races. They all had one mission.
A young Mon Calamari man picked up a metal pipe that was laying on the sidewalk, letting the others of the mob rush past him as they charged through the neighborhood. He tightened his grip on the metal pipe, and gulped. The golden eyed Mon Calamari individual ran alongside the vicious protestors, chanting with them,
"Down with Sloane! Down with Sloane!" the chants thundered throughout the district, alarming nearby authorities. Police speeders flew in the open spaces between the enormous city-blocks, shining spotlights on the protesters, trying to blind them. The police droids flying their speeders were unsuccessful, and the protests only got larger and more violent. More shops were being wrecked, windows broken, rocks being thrown at the upper floors of the buildings as well.
One of the police speeders got close to the main walkway, too close. One of the droids within the speeder opened the side door, to begin arresting people, yet was overwhelmed when two protesters jumped off the walkway and onto the speeder. The speeder dipped downward, and people gasped as they watched. The speeder flew back up, and the hundreds of people cheered enthusiastically.
The protesters managed to get inside the speeder, throwing the bluish gray police droids out of their seats, and took control of the transport. Up ahead was a towering holo-billboard of the President. She was giving a routine speech on law enforcement, and the people had enough. The two protesters, one a human man, and the other a female Pantoran flew the speeder up to the billboard. They turned on autopilot and both jumped out of the vehicle, landing on a crossing walkway that connects the two city-blocks across the chasm which separated them. The speeder flew right into the upper part of the billboard, where its repulsorlift generators were located. The billboard's engines began to wail as it dipped downward, with Sloane's image freezing. The gigantic sign smashed through a walkway dozens of meters below, and continued crashing down through the crossing walkways down the chasm.
"To the prison!" roared a protester at the forefront of the mob, raising his fist into the air.
"To the prison!" chimed in the hundreds of others.
"For Vylantis!"
"For Vylantis!"
"For the Resistance!"
"For the Resistance!"
The Supremacy
Supreme Leader Snoke
"Ah yes… Sloane is losing control…" mumbled the elderly and extremely deformed Supreme Leader of the First Order, as he sat comfortably in his throne, within the cavernous throne-room/command bridge of his warship, the Supremacy. The warship was the largest of its kind, a Mega-class Super Star Destroyer, with a wingspan of 60 kilometers, and the de facto headquarters of the First Order. The Supreme Leader wasn't alone in his throne room, before him was Kylo Ren kneeling on one knee, and to his sides were his closest advisors. They were tall masked beings wearing violet robes, members of an extragalactic species. They were his navigators, the ones who charted the stars of the Unknown Region, and helped Snoke in the construction of the First Order.
"Master…" spoke Kylo Ren nervously, looking up to the Supreme Leader, whose eyes were closed, but suddenly opened, looking at his apprentice with some annoyance, "You haven't sent me on a mission in some time now… what is our next course of action?"
"You have become weak, through your connection to your mother." sneered the Supreme Leader, "You are not ready to lead, you are far from completing your training. General Hux is preparing for our attack on the Republic, I suggest you prepare to join him on Starkiller Base."
"Let me lead the battalion to whichever world you are to invade… please-"
"We aren't deploying the army to any world." scolded Snoke, raising his hand, "Starkiller Base is to destroy Hosnian Prime and other major Republic worlds … after we finish off the capital. The timing is just right… the Republic is on the verge of a civil war, and the Resistance will not stand a chance if they don't have any supporters in the Republic."
"I thought the plan was to-"
"Plans change, young Solo." boomed Snoke. Kylo became angry that Snoke was calling him Solo… he wasn't a Solo anymore, nor was he a Skywalker anymore. He was Kylo Ren. No one else. The Supreme Leader was taunting him, it made him infuriated. Snoke waved one of his long fingers from off his armrest, pointing to the right, using the Force to move Kylo's head to look in the direction he was pointing. There was the oculus viewing glass, and Kylo got up. He walked over to it, seeing a white sphere in the blackness of space.
As he walked closer to it, he realized it was Starkiller Base, seeing it slowly rotate, and reveal its deep and wide trench, and its main cannon. Deep within the gargantuan cannon was a faint glow, and the superweapon began to charge up.
"The Republic has become disgustingly unable to do anything." remarked the Supreme Leader, "Embroiled in corruption, representing an old world order that failed the Galaxy too many times."
"What of President Sloane?" asked Kylo, "Will you not inform her?" the young apprentice of the Supreme Leader looked to his master, where the old man donned a creeping smile,
"Of course not."
Hosnian Prime
Republic City
House of Deputies Building
The three-thousand-plus member, lower house of Congress, House of Deputies had members from both houses of the legislature, and almost every single Governor of every sector in the Republic, seated in the rectangular chamber, listening to the President give a speech. It was the Centrist leader's yearly State of the Galaxy Address, one where billions tuned to watch the President lay out her plans and goals for the upcoming year. Some parts of the House chamber were empty, for already sixteen star systems declared their secession from the New Republic, and joined the Resistance. Many of the faces of the members of Congress were stone-cold and emotionless, uninterested, and seemingly uncomfortable. The tan skinned President stood at the highest podium amidst the tiered desks at the far end of the chamber.
Senators and Representatives began to look around confusedly as they heard faint screams from outside. There were shrieks and shouting, and they weren't paying attention to the President any longer. A single aide rushed up to the President, placing her hand on Sloane's wrist,
"Madam President, we need to get you out of here…" whispered the aid. Sloane looked down at the aid, irritated by the interruption, but looked around and saw many members of Congress leaving their seats. Some began rushing out the doors, following the blue armored guards that were running down the corridors.
"What's going on?" muttered Sloane. The aid didn't have an answer, and left the podium, following the dozens of delegates through the halls. Her security troopers struggled to stay close with her as the halls were being flooded with people.
A set of doors were flung open that led out onto a reception balcony, and that was where all the people were going to. Sloane stepped just before the door, and saw red light peeking through the windows and into the hallway. The light stopped right at her feet, and she slowly looked up. The woman instinctively turned her head to the right, and through the crowd of senators, representatives, staffers, and guards, she saw a young dark haired woman. Korr Sella. Korr Sella was looking directly back at Sloane. She had tears swelling in her eyes, and gulped nervously, walking outside. Sloane looked forward, her heart skipping a beat. It couldn't be. It couldn't be!
Sloane walked outside onto the balcony, where the sky was bleeding red, blinding light searing through the clouds, and she felt the warmth on her skin. She held up her hand to shield her eyes, but it only got worse…
D'Qar
High Commandant Meeting
"General! General Skywalker!" called a young Lieutenant, a female human running through the conference chamber in the Resistance base. Leia stood at the large holo-projecting table where the other military leaders were as well, including Grand Admiral Raddus, and Vice Admiral Holdo. Leia looked to the communications director,
"Connix, what is it?"
"The First Order - their base has been revealed. They're firing upon Hosnian Prime!" said the young woman, catching her breath. Leia looked to the others around the table who were just as shocked and emotionless. They all looked to Leia for an answer. What could Leia possibly do to stop it? Her heart was racing,
"Open up all frequencies on our communication array, prepare to send out a signal to all Republic star systems."
Hosnian Prime
Beams of red energy seared through space at unimaginable speeds, with the main beam splitting into four smaller beams. The first struck the smallest moon of the Republic capital, the second hitting the next moon, then the third, and the fourth smashing into the glowing planet of Hosnian Prime itself. The small fleet surrounding the planet melted and exploded from the blast as well, with the planet fracturing into gigantic chunks of magma and rock. In a matter of a few minutes what was once a bustling star system became a silent grave of a glowing asteroid field filled with heat and immense radiation.
Coruscant
Galactic Federal Prison
Serinna Vylantis
Serinna Vylantis stood in a gray prison jumpsuit, waiting in line to receive a glass of water to compliment her tray of food. She was in the cafeteria, with dozens of other high-level prisoners, and even her own two guards. The woman stood at the sliding counter, waiting for those in front of her to be served, and when they moved up, she suddenly remained still.
"Korrie…" muttered Serinna, feeling a massive void in the Force… death. She could sense the death of billions, but the one that stood out the most was her own granddaughter. The whole planet was gone, and Korr Sella with it. Serinna dropped her tray of food on the floor, and nearly stumbled over, with people looking over to her. She leaned up against the countertop, and the prisoner in front of her caught her from falling onto the ground. She couldn't hear anything that anyone was asking her, with one of her guards touching her arm. She blinked slowly, her vision becoming hazy and blurred. She realized she wasn't touching the countertop anymore, and her legs gave out.
Rey and Poe Dameron
"Do you see that?" muttered Rey in shock, as she sat in the co-pilot seat of the old Corellian freighter. Poe Dameron was staring out the viewport as well, eyes wide. They were in hyperspace, but across the blue tunnel was a red streak. They were getting closer and closer to it. Poe shakily held his hand over the hyperspace lever, and Rey glanced at it with fear.
"I feel… cold…" whispered Rey, "Everything feels… quiet." Rey put her hand on Poe's and pulled it back so they could both decelerate the ship from hyperspace. They slowed from light speed right before passing through the red trail of energy, coming upon a green jungle planet. Poe blinked rapidly, and noticed Rey's hand was on his. He looked over to her,
"I have a bad feeling about this…"
D'Qar
Resistance Base
"We're receiving hundreds of calls per minute, General." informed Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, standing beside a large communications station within the command center of the Resistance base. Leia was present in the chamber, walking past all the smaller stations where officers were responding to many of the calls coming throughout the Galaxy.
"They want to speak with you." said Connix, "About what's happening." the blond haired Lieutenant looked over to the leader of the Resistance, where she stopped to think. Leia held her hands behind her back, and noticed that the other military leaders were looking at her. Vice Admiral Holdo had a saddened look on her face, and Raddus was infuriated. He was ready to take down the First Order on his own.
"We need to let the Galaxy know we're still here." said Leia quietly, "Send out a signal telling all systems of the Republic to send a representative to Coruscant, immediately. I will go there and meet them."
"General, that is not safe." chimed in the Grand Admiral in a deep and rash voice, "The First Order could be targeting Coruscant next, knowing that would be the next capital of the next leader of the Republic."
"The Republic is gone." said Leia boldly, "Every member of Congress was on Hosnian Prime, most Governors too, what's left are the planets. We are what's left." said Leia, gaining everyone's attention in the command center. Officers and technicians glanced away from their posts and terminal screens to look at the High General,
"If there's any bit of hope left in the Galaxy, it's with us. We need to show the First Order we aren't done fighting. We need to show the people of the Galaxy there's still something worth left to fight for. Coruscant is the symbolic center of the Galaxy… and as a relic of the Empire, the First Order wouldn't dare touch it. The lot of you will go to Starkiller Base and destroy it, take every ship we have. Send out those transmissions as I directed, I'm going to Coruscant."