Funeral of Major Arev Basten announced

Date: 170310
Planet: Talus
Region: Fort Keen

Story: (Written by the Galactic News Agency, Ramona doesn't write IC).

The Fort Keen, an Imperial Security Bureau Re-education facility on Talus, released a press bulletin today announcing the death of Major Arev Basten:

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the passing of Major Arev Basten, Commanding Officer of Fort Keen and Hero of the Empire.

Major Basten was killed in action during operations on the planet of Dantooine, when the Major and a small Imperial force discovered the presence of a large Rebel force comprising of high-level command operatives within the supposedly neutral city of Tasceryn. Though Major Basten was able to get off a message indicating that the city was in-fact a secret Rebel base, his small unit was ambushed by Rebel terrorists.

Though heavily outnumbered, Major Basten singlehandedly killed or incapacitated several Rebel agents before he was finally taken down by enemy gunfire. His heroic actions bought time for his unit to escape, and without which all of them would have fallen to the Rebel assault.

Thanks to the Major's discovery of this secret Rebel base, an airstrike was called in to destroy the facility before the Rebels could escape, ending what would have been a threat to the planet of Dantooine and surrounding systems before it could begin. Though Tasceryn had claimed to be a 'neutral' city, the "citizens" were in fact secret Rebel agents, and the local cantina, which had been infiltrated by an Imperial Intelligence agent, was found to be housing a Rebel military briefing led by General Anishor himself, one of the foremost terrorist leaders in the Rebel Alliance. Had Major Basten not discovered this base, the Rebels would have been able to commit heinous crimes in the surrounding system, which likely would have resulted in the destruction of true civilian cities on the surface of Dantooine. For this, we must all be grateful for the Major's service, as he gave his life to save both his unit, the planet, and the surrounding systems from this diabolical Rebel threat.

The Empire thanks Major Basten for his heroic deeds, and he will be honored during a Memorial Service held in his honor at the Fort Keen Auditorium on Saturday, at 2100 hours EST. All loyal Imperial operatives and citizens are encouraged to attend.

Until a replacement can arrive, Lieutenant Jerax Teral has been named Acting Commander of the Fort Keen facility.

We are all deeply saddened by this news. May Major Arev Basten, Hero of the Empire, rest in peace. Your glorious service will not be forgotten.

Regards,
Lieutenant Jerax Teral
Fort Keen Commanding Officer, Acting

Whether or not Tasceryn was a rebel base or a defenseless civilian city is still in dispute. Rumors of well-armed rebel soldiers using the relief operation as a cover to smuggle in weapons and ordnance contrast with civilian casualty reports of a unprecedent scale - at least for the non-native settlements of Dantooine - and the lack of any ground operation to follow up on the bombardment.

Strategy experts are divided on the issue as well. Some point out that the rebel alliance historically has had bases hidden in cities several times in the past, deliberately risking collateral damage to civilians, while the Galactic Empire has acted brutally in response to even peaceful protests or passive resistance to its policies on numerous occasions.


(Press Release originally written by the player of Rhiana Fox. While credited to Jerax Teral (Apauck), press release is actually ICly written by Rhiana due to her being the Commanding Officer's Personal Aide.)