Kuat Drive Yards Assures Navy - Nearly Finished With Development of New Corvette

Raider-class corvette finishing development at Kuat Drive Yards orbital spacedock facility.

KUAT SYSTEM - In rapid response to the reports of increasing piracy and smuggling by criminal and rebel elements in the Outer Rim, the Imperial Navy has requisitioned a new counter-piracy platform from Kuat Drive Yards (KDY).

The Raider-class, a newly-developed corvette-sized craft, was requisitioned by the Navy several months ago and is nearing completion and deployment to the Outer Rim.

Speaking to reporters, a spokesperson for KDY informed HNN of the Raider-class' variable capabilities. "Unlike many ships of the Imperial Line, the Raider-class™ is customizable to the mission profile."

Among the options available to the Raider-class™ are ion cannon batteries, capable of disabling enemy ships for capture rather than destruction.

"If the sector admiralty deems it to be of necessity to capture criminal targets for interrogation or other purposes, then the Raider-class™ is an ideal platform. Its ion cannons will make quick work of any targets."

"Alternatively, if the mission is to make a swift example of pirates or insurgents, the Raider-class™ can be easily fitted with turbolaser cannons for large targets or quadruple laser cannons for fighter-size craft," the spokesperson added.

Neither the Imperial Navy nor the KDY spokesperson were at liberty to discuss the precise date when the Raider-class was schedule to be deployed. KDY wished to assure HNN readers that the recent labor dispute with its subsidiary company, Kuat Freight Port, had been completely solved and would not impact its ability to meet Navy demand.

ANALYSIS: Rebellion and Criminal Element - Cut From the Same Cloth

Y-wing-type fighter-bomber. Decommissioned military hardware of the same type used by rebellion engaged in criminal operations by Hutt cartels.

CORUSCANT - As reports return to Imperial Central on Coruscant, analysts seek to make sense of the new wave of scum and villainy plaguing the Outer Rim's spacelanes. In the midst of confusion, COMPNOR provides answers to loyal citizens seeking the truth.

"It's really as we've always known it to be," COMPNOR Agent and spokesman Prop Agandist told HNN. "The rebellion had never been anything more than a front for criminal elements. While some analysts suspected that the rebellion engaged in criminal enterprise in order to restore the Republic, those who had dedicated themselves to careful analysis always knew it was the other way around."

"Basically, the rebellion is a breakaway cartel fueled by not only greed and the desire to spread corruption in the galaxy, but also deranged by the old Jedi religion. Eventually, the real criminal element got tired of them and is now trying to right the balance."

Criminal Element Comes Out of the Shadows

War droid in the service of criminal elements.

HUTT SPACE - Increasingly militarized, the criminal element exposes itself, and the Rebellion, as a concentrated threat to civilization in the galaxy. Composed of aliens and reprogrammed droids, the galaxy is once again under attack by rebellious and separatist elements, seeking to undo all of the Empire's progress.

Militarized criminal elements have recently preyed upon civilian transport operators - both passengers and cargo bound for the Core Worlds - near the Perlemian Way, close to Hutt Space.

"This is more than your standard piracy," an ISB agent, preferring to remain anonymous told HNN. "This is the use of military-grade hardware to interdict and intercept civilian traffic, in order to place an embargo on the Empire's Core Worlds."

The criminal element is said to consist mostly of aliens and armed droids, something triggering tragic memories in older generations of Imperial citizens.

"There's no doubt that this puts salt on the wounds of our Clone War veterans," COMPNOR Agent Prop Agandist told HNN reporters. "They weren't all clones out there. There were good and loyal natural-born military personnel out there on the front lines, who are now made to feel like it was all for nothing."

"But it will not have been for nothing." Agent Agandist assured HNN readers. "The Imperial military will deal with these criminals with the same zeal with which it has suppressed the rebellion.

Imperial Intelligence Intercepts Rebel Plans for Arkanis Sector

Intercepted imagery from rebel operations headquarters

ARKANIS SECTOR - Imperial Intelligence intercepted rebel signals alluding to sector-wide plans in the Arkanis Sector. This interception provides evidence of rebel collusion with criminal elements spreading corruption in this sector of the Outer Rim.

"The rebels have always acted hand-in-glove with the criminal underworld; so much so that it is impossible to say where the criminal fringe ends and the rebellion begins," ISB analyst Prop Agandist told HNN reporters.

"It has long been believed that the rebellion simply engaged in criminal activity in order to fund their insurrection," Agandist continued. "However, our analysis concludes that this is exactly backwards. The rebellion simply serves to create pockets of anarchy so that they can smuggle their contraband from these lawless alien areas to civilized parts of the galaxy."

Regarding the intercepted rebel plans, Agent Agandist held that these are evidence of a sector-wide campaign.

"It's not just one system. It's the entire sector; they are getting increasingly bold with their treason."

The Empire Determined to Return Order to the Arkanis Sector

The Arkanis Sector: the Empire's new front for bringing order and prosperity to the Galaxy.

ARKANIS SYSTEM - with only modest success of civilian contractors in the Arkanis Sector - as previously reported by HNN - the Empire has dedicated more naval resources to the pacification of this particularly wretched sector in the Outer Rim.

In order to secure the sector's eponymous system as the Empire's foothold in the sector, the Imperial Navy recently dispatched patrols into the system's outer orbital reaches, into specific clusters of six asteroids. Immediately upon arrival, these patrols encountered rebel resistance; demonstrating that the anarchy and chaos in the Arkanis sector is the work of these terrorists

The Empire was victorious in destroying several squads of insurgents. These were made up of X-Wing fighters and a newer model, the E-Wing fighter. Evidence of criminal collusion in the rebel effort was the sighting and destruction of a light YT-2400 freighter vessel.

Showing their own determination to sow fear and discord in the Empire's loyal citizens, the insurgents deployed a flight of heavy B-Wing fighters to attack Imperial patrols. These tragically proved to be successful in their reprehensible task.

Fortunately, the Empire will not allow such treason to stand, and will deploy more resources to the Arkanis Sector.

Admiral Hoogvliet, in charge of the Imperial Navy's effort to bring law and order to the benighted sector, spoke to HNN reporters. "The rebellion will be crushed here in the Arkanis Sector. This rabble will not be successful in undermining the greatest and best hope for galactic civilization."

Indeed, it will not, as loyal readers of HNN know in both their hearts and minds.

 

Imperial Navy Engages in Fighter Demonstrations

TIE Fighter maneuvers among star destroyers coming off the line at the Kuat Drive Yards orbital shipyard facilities

KUAT SYSTEM - with the labor dispute between Kuat Drive Yards (KDY) and organized labor working for its daughter company, Kuat Freight Port settled, the Imperial Navy is preparing the massing of its fleet and engaging in fighter exercises.

In order to put at ease anyone fearing that recent labor disputes have diminished the Imperial Navy's ability to maintain secure hyperlanes and to suppress the incipient rebellion, the Navy is profiling its fightercraft prowess in demonstrative exercises.

Fighter pilot WL-01-3, speaking to HNN reporters.

"I'm really excited to be flying with the Imperial Navy today," TIE fighter pilot WL-01-3 told HNN reporters reporting from the flight deck of the Imperial Star Destroyer 'Warlord'.

Nicknamed "Backstabber,", WL-01-3 informed HNN that he was proud to fly with his squadron leader WL-01-2, who carries the equally monicker "Mauler".

"While it isn't 'regs', we like the idea that the rebel scum know what they're in for if they tap into our comm frequency," WL-01-3, who serves as WL-01-2's wingman added.

When asked if he was concerned with breaking the 'regs', he shook his helmet.

"Did you note the number?" he asked, "Mauler - my squadron leader - is dash-2, not dash-1. Do you know why that is? It's because our dash-1 is Lord Vader himself!"

"I'd like to see some ISB agent talk to us about our non-reg callsigns. That'd be awesome!"

ISB agents were unavailable for comment.

COMPNOR Attaché Gevan Minn clarified that pilots' enthusiasms were encouraged in the Imperial Navy and that the so-called Black Squadron, to which both WL-01-2 and WL-01-3 belong, are an inspiration to TIE pilots throughout the Empire's starfighter crews.

 

HNN Video Archive: T.R.O.O.P.S.

From our video archives, HNN brings you a documentary of the Empire's efforts to maintain law and order in the galaxy - even in a backwards part of the galaxy on the Outer Rim:

Jawas were harmed during the making of this video. However, it is alright. They were only Jawas.