HGS Trial Day 8 - Celox pleads guilty

Date: 190610
Planet: Talus
Region: Fort Keen

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

The last testimony session in the trial against Holowood Galactic Studios started with Celox calling Sub Lieutenant Rhiana Vykes to testify on the behalf of the wookiee Ro’Tarra. This move seemed to surprise everyone, including the officer herself.

The reason she was called to testify soon became clear though, as Sub Lt. Vykes revealed under questioning a recent incident in the Daoba Guerfel cantina, where she went while off duty a few days ago for a meal. Apparently Raiyna and Ro’Tarra the Wookiee were present there as well when a group of well armed and armored sentients - two twi'leks among them - entered the cantina and started to threaten the cantina staff and droid serving as bartender before turning their attention towards the officer.

One of the thugs tried to persuade the recently married officer to engage in carnal activities with him, which she refused and told him to leave. In response he tried to force her to come with him, at which point Rayna and Ro'Tarra intervened.

In the following fight the wookiee disarmed the thug and sent him to the cantina floor, then frightened the remaining thugs off with a roar. In the officer's opinion Ro'Tarra's intervention saved her live.

Prosecutor Symane questioned the story, and claimed that it was most certainly a setup by Holowood Galactic Studio's security - not too far off the mark, given their easy access to trained actors and costumes. Celox objected and claimed that only one member of HGS security was a twi'lek. His objection was sustained.

As next and final defense witness Celox summoned the Studio president – miss Nallu Koras. She answered a few statistical questions about the percentage of Aliens employed by HGS. Miss Koras claimed that many sentients had been rejected by other firms due to xenophobia. Exaples were not provided though.

Miss Koras also explaimed that the studio works that are aired on the holonet are monitored by the Imperial Board of Culture and given ratings. If and when HGS didn't pass those ratings they are required to give community service and or produce positive films to portray the Empire. Along with travel restrictions and the need to carry their work permits at all times, HGS employees are often subjected to second class amenities. How many of those restrictions apply to every studio or entertainment firm however was not discussed.

Asked about the studio's official standing in the war miss Koras stated that the studio's members were law abiding citizens of the Empire, and would never participate in any claims of terrorism. She further claimed, asked about the show that caused the trial, that her intent was never to undermine the Empire since it had given so much opportunity to her, to move to the core worlds from Trandosha and live the Imperial Dream.

Miss Koras finally claimed that should she discover that one of her employees was aiding the Rebellion she would take the necessary actions to report it immediately to the Imperial authorities.

The prosecution didn't question the witness much, asking a few simple questions.

Then the prosecution called its final witness - Celox Scorpio, "the mastermind of this rebel cell". Upon his request, Celox Scorpio was represented by another lawyer during the questioning - Mr. Jascyn Siltar, a well known Corellian attorney and mr. Scorpio’s former law firm partner.

The prosecution then confronted Celox with already submitted evidence concerning a falsified show rating, given to Lt. Commander Dotan, of Aventine Spaceport, to trick her to allow the show on trial. Celox confessed that this was true.

After getting permission by the court for a statement, Celox then statetd that as advised by his lawyer and given the evidence presented by the prosecution he was changing his plea to guilty as charged on the charge of Falsification of Permits, causing quite a stir among the audience.

After the warden restored order Mr. Siltar turned to the court and asked for all other charges to be dropped since all charges against HGS would stem from that falsification of permits. Judge Kartzer denied the motion on the grounds of his belief that the entire studio was to be trialed for these charges, regardless of Celox Scorpio's actions.

A short discussion about the maximum punishment for falsification of Permits - 1 year of incarceration - and the defendant's health followed. Mr. Scorpio’s medical records were accepted as evidence.

Mr. Sltar once again tried to get the trial dismissed due to the prosecution's inability to present solid evidence to the court. This motion was denied as well and the judge announced that the court would be adjourned and that both Celox Scorpio and Symane Bar-Jona would given the chance to present their closing speeches in two weeks.

After that the verdict would be given.

Acording to an outside legal expert, whether or not this trial was rigged is still in doubt. Most of the testimonies of both defense and prosecution, while dramatic, entertaining or both, ultimately had either little or no relevance to the case at hand, and were often so biased as to be practically worthless. Further, most of the claims of either side were not substantiated by anything else than biased testimonies. Particularly enlightening was the fact that while the whole trial hinges on a supposed xenophobic policy, the trial itself showed that numerous aliens were in quite high-ranking positions in the Empire, like the two twi'lek officials in Fort Keen itself.

Crucial in the end though is the lack of compelling evidence for the central point of the charges, that the show itself was a traiterous attempt to undermine the Empire. A lack of evidence that must have been quite obvious to the judge from the start, seeing as none of the defendants were in custody despite the looming threat of capital punishment for treason.