Leaked resignation

[Ugohr Poof]

Ugohr wore his Jedi robes, which he had prepared to leave the Jedi Temple on Sullust to report on SCNN about some First Order-related breaking news. To this end, he prepared a suitcase containing the First Order documents captured onboard a Lipstick Express flight bound for Eriadu from Lipsec. He just wanted to make sure the documents were in order before presenting them to SCNN. The main document seized from the Ubiqtorate in Tomorrowland Starport was reading as follows:

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ATTN: First Order Council

It is with deep regret that I am stepping down as head of the Civil Service Talent Acquisition Service (CSTAO). Due to lingering personal issues, and also my near-total inability to recruit quality talent for the First Order civil service as of late, and especially for the executive branch of the First Order, I feel that I have no choice but to step down from that office. I have served the First Order as faithfully as I could, but there was also the war effort that hampered our efforts to get the civil service back to what it is. May my successor at the helm of the CSTAO can find better talent than I did.

Gov. [member="Natasi Fortan"]

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Under Natasi Fortan's tenure as the CSTAO's head, one had fresh high school graduates as commissioners, and governors that were rather innocent in the ways of the greater galaxy, and the civil service was largely incompetent, if loyal to the First Order. What Ugohr knew about the civil service was that commissioners were assigned planet-wide portfolios, whereas governors were either assigned executive duty to an entire planet or a portfolio to a sector of First Order space and sometimes the entire First Order, with Moffs overseeing whole sectors of First Order space. Simply put, the First Order civil service was falling apart. But since Sullust's atmosphere was toxic, Ugohr had to get a fully-enclosed speeder to get to the main studio of the Sullust Central News Network.

[member="Aneya Maev"]

 

[Aneya Maev]

SULLUST
SCNN General Headquarters
Conference Centre

---

News were a thing that determined the rise and fall of society. Journalism was one of the most influential fields there was, having the ability to control the masses if done correctly. Sullust Central News Network, even though it was loyal to the government of the Galactic Alliance, was still a news network, meaning even they could make people do as they wanted them to.

But this time, there were some news incoming and Aneya was ready to hear them out. She could have sent one of her editorial's workers to meet with the Gungan who was coming over with the news, but she decided the hint was too delicate to let anybody else handle it.

So she had taken a place in the HQ's conference centre, sitting in the largest and most powerful room the centre had -- the CEO's personal meeting chamber. She had been given the right to use that room while Xander was away, and that was the case this time. The CEO was out on a business trip to Elrood where the corporation's southern headquarters were located.

Waiting for the newsbringer to arrive, she carefully gussied her formal business outfit up so that it would be in the best state it could be.

[ [member="Ugohr Poof"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Ugohr sensed that the writer of the letter now in his possession, intercepted from a Star Tours flight running the Lipsec Express, was getting into trouble in Herevan Hold, on the capital world of the First Order of all places. Perhaps does it have something to do with Natasi Fortan's forthcoming resignation as the head of the First Order's Civil Service Talent Acquisition Office. Perhaps she has been captured by the Resistance, or even the Alliance! But either way, she got herself into trouble from the very moment that letter fell into the hands of the Alliance. She was getting... tortured! All the while Ugohr was driving the Jedi Order's brand new Math 25000 refrigerated truck to the SCNN general headquarters (of which the Temple had only one; the other units are being delivered) But the security at the headquarters won't suspect anything even if all the truck at this time contains is a shipment of Force fertilizer. But would the SCNN headquarters even want Force fertilizer? Luckily the SCNN headquarters were not far from the Jedi Temple.

"Halt!" a security droid hollered to the Gungan Jedi. "What is your business here?"

"Mesa have news pertaining to da First Order, mesa have sensitive documents that interest the Sullust Central News Network!"

"What is the nature of these sensitive documents?"

"Some high-level resignation in da civil service of an enemy faction. Bombad news for usen"

Not at all the same as a victory on Dulvoyinn, but good news for the Galactic Alliance nonetheless. But while her resignation may be leaked through a Galactic Alliance media outlet, if she was captured and tortured as a result, the First Order media will report on it faster than the SCNN possibly could, and that will arrive to the SCNN via channels like Star Tours or otherwise. Even though Star Tours offered to distribute SCNN newspapers across the galaxy, even to locations as far away from Alliance space as JanFathal or Ringo Vinda, and got turned down, it could always distribute other newspapers, including but not limited to, First Order ones.

[member="Aneya Maev"]

 

[Aneya Maev]

Aneya tapped her fingers on the table she was sitting behind. Maybe she should have waited for the message to arrive in the lobby of the headquarters instead of the conference centre? It looked like the little hint took some time to come. Whatever the reason, she did decide to stand up from her seat and march to the door which she opened with the keycard only she and the CEO had.

Leaving the room, she could feel anxious and maybe a little bit frightened inside. Whatever the news were, the information was really sensitive and could most likely have a huge effect on the society of the Galactic Alliance. That is, if she had been told the truth.

She was headed towards the lobby which was in another section of the building, meaning getting there would take her some time. But she liked walking, so that was OK with her. What truly mattered was that she would get the message and maybe make an article about it. That was it. Unless the message was about an impending war, she thought a few more minutes spent on walking wouldn't be very crucial.

[ [member="Ugohr Poof"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Now that Ugohr was in the lobby of the SCNN headquarters, freshly out from the Math 25000 truck, he could finally get the documents out of the suitcase seized from the First Order Ubiqtorate on Eriadu. The resignation letter signed by Natasi Fortan, and also scathing reports about the poor condition of the First Order civil service. Ugohr had little to worry about the First Order because the First Order was an enemy the Galactic Alliance was at war against. But to unveil the full extent of how incompetent the civil service has been under Governor Natasi Fortan's watch, to the point a couple of names were singled out not as extreme incompetence examples, but as the only ones with any competence in First Order service: [member="Dunames Lopez"], [member="Darth Metus"], to name the first two in that list, those that Ugohr actually knew in person... the Gungan had to use the Force to keep his composure. Once he has regained his composure, Aneya just arrived.

"Da chief da the First Order's Civil Service Talent Acquisition Office leaven hersa position, shesa citen hersa inability to get proper talent"

"How does Governor Fortan's incompetence as a talent acquisition officer translate into incompetence in the civil service?" a passing-by fact-checker asked Ugohr.

"Theysa have fresh high school graduates, with berry variable intellectual abilities rangen from near-top of a high school class to a person that issa longo shot to even obtain hisa diploma, as commissioners, theysa often know little about theirsa own portfolio... and thisa only da beginnin"

"I suspect this is the tip of the iceberg"

The fact-checker suspected that, in fact, the First Order civil service spent very little on actually recruiting suitable talent for the civil service, and ensuring the suitability of said talent, almost nothing from the looks of the documents Ugohr brought before SCNN actually. Executive governance has seemingly suffered the most, and diiplomats may have been a less affected, they still had some problems nonetheless.

[member="Aneya Maev"]

 

[Aneya Maev]

"Thank you, Arlie, but I believe this topic is for me to handle," she said after the fact-checker stopped talking. She patted him on the shoulder and gestured him to leave, after which he looked at the Gungan. Wow, she had to admit they really didn't know how to talk properly. There were very few words the girl understood, so she knew it was going to be a difficult conversation.

"Well, welcome, mister Jedi," she said, now to the messenger. She tried to smile to her, but her anxiety was having an effect on her emotions, making her feel unable to be happy at that moment. She had to know what was going on.

"I believe there is no time for formalities. Would you follow me, please?" she asked, turning around and starting to march the same way she had come from. The meeting room was most likely the best place to handle such a sensitive topic. Any other room was not soundproof, meaning some unwanted information may leak and cause panic in people. She didn't want that, neither did the government of the Galactic Alliance. And even though the news network was not censored, Aneya still didn't want to lose their good reputation by making a mistake.

She felt like an intelligent agent at that moment. Or more like an officer, to be precise. All of that information could have been delivered to the intelligence of the faction but had instead been brought to the newspaper.

[ [member="Ugohr Poof"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Due to Aneya's precaution, and also the sensitive nature of the documents seized by customs on Eriadu, Ugohr followed Aneya to the sound-proofed meeting room, to which only Xander and Eneya held the key-cards. Said meeting room was used for receipt of sensitive documentation, and also equally sensitive business meetings. He made sure the documents were placed properly inside the First Order diplomatic suitcase, adorned with its crest. All that he told Arlie was simply just the tip of the iceberg, and the last bit he told Arlie was not secret information: most positions among the First Order civil service was filled with high school graduates, many of whom were unemployed for years at a time before joining the civil service. Now that Ugohr was in the sound-proofed meeting room...

"Da First Order claim dat bueaucracy issa more streamlined than is da case in da Galactic Alliance or da Republic, but, under Gov. Fortan's watch, theysa develop a reputation for arbitrariness"

Multiple reports and complaints against the First Order civil service are recorded in tthe seized diplomatic suitcase. The sort of stuff that would make people cringe in democracies if elected officials and senior bureaucrats were caught doing: taking bribes, embezzling money, using public funds to sustain a more lavish lifestyle than they otherwise would, using graft as a means to corruption, cronyism, nepotism, wasteful spending... the recipe is ripe for a First Order-wide scandal of which only a handful few have been spared. But these documents make little, if any, mention as to how to solve the deeply entrenched problems described in these documents seized from the First Order on Eriadu. Ugohr is aware that these documents would probably cause a diplomatic incident, although the Galactic Alliance is spearheading a campaign aimed at capturing Coruscant.

"Mesa afraid dat [member="Natasi Fortan"] was only a scapegoat for what is to follow. Thesa documents are easier to read to non-Gungans than listenin to mesa talkin about them-sa. If yousa feel that thesa documents would cause undue tension with da First Order, yousa can simply forward dis suitcase to Intelligence"

[member="Aneya Maev"]

 

[Aneya Maev]

"That is quite a revelation," Aneya said after having taken a seat behind the table and gesturing the Gungan to do the same. She looked at the documents and sighed, thinking she would have to read through them and then come up with what to do such information. The First Order was their enemy, so such information could have started something greater. Whether she should use it for media or hand it over to the intelligence, she would see.

But that was not such a moment to think about it yet.

"Where did you get them, really?" Aneya was curious. As a journalist, she had to judge the sources of all information and whether they were legitimate at all. Sometimes people had to do wicked things to get information, sometimes everything was obvious. But she didn't know what to think of such a situation.These documents the Gungan had brought her were definitely not something random people would be handed to.

She took a glance at a few of the documents, reading some of them but not just focusing on all of it yet. She would do that later.

What the Gungan didn't know was that this room recorded everything that was spoken in this room -- it was practically a huge microphone so that the conversations held in this room would not be forgotten or so that they could be revisited. Every time the door was opened with one of the two keycards, it automatically started recording.

And that is exactly what was happening.

[ [member="Ugohr Poof"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"Disen documents were seized by Alliance customs on Eriadu. Natasi Fortan only left da CSTAO; shesa not leave da First Order civil service at all. Da original recipient lives on Brentaal IV. Please forgive da inexperience of da customs officers at Tomorrowland Starport Terminal 3: theysa forward da suitcase to Sullust all right, just that theysa think wesa know where intelligence HQ issa when theysa don't"

Nothing surprising about the First Order sending their own documents through their own spacelines; Terminal 3 was theirs, much like the legacy terminals were organized along faction lines. There was only one person known to GA intelligence that could possibly receive such sensitive First Order documents that resided on that particular planet: [member="Valessia Brentioch"]. To GA intelligence, she was simply some aristocrat that was also a brand ambassador for the First Order that happened to know Natasi Fortan personally. Assuming these documents were genuine, the contents were not simply about corruption, graft or embezzlement, or incompetence of the civil service. Most surprising, and perhaps one of the reasons why Ugohr decided the media may be interested, was that the First Order actually tried to be different from their dark-sided breathren in other factions. Whereas the One Sith was known for their atrocities and their reliance on hard power, they'd rather project soft power before having to project hard power.

"But also thesa documents talk about plans for a demilitarized zone between da First Order and usen, to be introducen in a commerce summit to be held on Bespin. Dat summit issa organized in an attempt to redeem hersa-self. Mesa believe thisa more interestin than corruption or graft"

Aneya was not the first journalist to think they had to play intelligence roles; the Ubiqtorate recruited from the First Order's journalism departments and it would seem many of the best graduates from First Order journalism programs would become Ubiqtorate agents. Then again, First Order journalism programs were a little particular because they seemed to specialize in investigative reporting. At least the Ubiqtorate was competent enough not to be mentioned in the documents leaked right here.

[member="Aneya Maev"]

 

[Aneya Maev]

"This is some valuable information," Aneya looked at the Gungan. At least she could understand what he was speaking now. It would have been really weird if she would have had to bring in a protocol droid to translate everything the Jedi talked about. Not only would it have been weird; it would have also been really embarrassing to the girl. She learned and spoke several languages, so making mistakes like these was definitely something bad.

She then looked at the documents again. She was sure to write up a story or a few of these before handing these delicate materials over to intelligence agents. She didn't know what else to do with them.

"I will look into these matters and come up with something," she said without bothering to raise her head. "Thank you for your help. The Network is truly thankful for that."

Indeed, having people send hints and clues and stories to the newspaper was both emotionally heartwarming and also made things financially easier for the company.

"Do you have more to say?"

[ [member="Ugohr Poof"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

"Mesa have nothing more to say by now; mesa orders will take mesa to Dulvoyinn now. Nevertheless, mesa trust thesa documents will be used properly, especially by Intelligence"

Ugohr only had that information to bring to the attention of SCNN. It wasn't often that a dark-sided faction really had a chance to show that they weren't lightsaber-wielding maniacs that committed atrocities whenever they had a chance to perform such things, or led by such people. Militarily the First Order appeared to have stayed well within the confines of the demilitarized zone as they planned to introduce it, and they do not seem to reach closer to GA space than Hoth. Now that Aneya was about to leave the conference room, Ugohr left the red suitcase filled with First Order documents to Aneya, who will forward them to Intelligence at some point; after all, SCNN has direct links to Intelligence for just such situations.

[member="Aneya Maev"]