Outworlder Newscast for counted_stars | WIP
Outworlders: a term invented to try to label the inexplicable - the arrival of a people displaced from different times and different dimensions in a galaxy that's never heard of either thing being possible.
Don't worry. Most of the so called Outworlders haven't either.
I would know. I'm one of them.
My name is Lois Lane, and I've been a resident on Coruscant since the first group of us arrived last year. There was no warning, no explanation, no way of rationalizing our suddenly being in a world that many of us had always been viewed as fictional. That hasn't changed the fact that we have to live in it, and it doesn't change the fact that whether it's true or not, someone claims responsibility for our being here.
He now goes by Darth Revan, though the 'Darth''s a recent addition since his last moment in the spotlight - many of you once looked to Revan as a hero, but whatever he was, his actions have proven what kind of man he's become.
Because that's what proves any man or woman. Their actions. And there's a lot to be learned by looking at the actions of those once called 'Revanites' as well.
Revan and Malak have publicly attempted on numerous occasions to recruit from the ranks of Outworlders, and to be honest, some have even answered the call. Just as some natives of this galaxy have given into Revan's fear-mongering and gone to join the Sith. But most of us - almost every one of us - have only one reaction to Revan's attempts:
Outrage. Anger. We're sentient beings with lives and allegiances of our own - families and friends we've been ripped away from, and our reaction to being taken away from those things by a man who wants to bring suffering to people and families of this galaxy?
Is to stand against it.
This is our story.
[The holo recording switches to a little booth shoved in the corner of the Laughing Mynock. There's the background noise of bar patrons laughing, talking, arguing, and Xander sits down, a bit awkwardly across from Lois, who leans forward a bit.]
We've been an enigma to the people of this galaxy for way too long now. So I want you to tell me, in your own words, who Xander Harris is.
[He blinks, looking at the camera, and then back at her]
Xander Harris. Well, he's -- a glorified bricklayer. He's -- he's a regular guy in an extraordinary world who protects and loves his friends, who makes mistakes because after all, he is human, but who doesn't ... he's a good guy. He means well. He does the wrong thing but never legally or, or, criminally - just, personally. He means well.
[The scene switches seamlessly: another interview, this guy much more at ease.]
I'm a student. Weeks away from graduation. Valedictorian. The All-American...guy.
[And another...]
My name wasn't always Axel, to begin with. When I was a kid living in Radiant Garden, my name was Lea. Don't ask me why my parents decided to spell it L-E-A, 'cause I don't know either. Not much to tell about my childhood, really. Spent my time running around with my best friend Isa, eating ice cream, getting into trouble, trying to avoid schoolwork, typical kid stuff. [shrugs a little] Isa and I had ambitions of joining the Castle Guard when we grew up, though.
[And another...]
My name is Miku Hatsune. I am singer idol!
[And on and on...]
My name's Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Starship Voyager.
Buffy. My name's Buffy -- yes, really.
I'm a Jedi Knight. But my Order lies about 4000 years in the future of this place. It's been more than a little... jarring.
Senator Nathan Petrelli. Happy to answer your questions... but happier that's someone's actually asking them. [He chuckles] Most people are too happy to ignore us.
Name's Commander Shepard. First name is unimportant. Nobody calls me by it, anyway. People think I'm a big deal back home because I had the guts to follow a lead and track down a guy bent on destroying the galaxy. I'm a hero, they say. Humanity's greatest hope.
It's a load of [censored]. I just do what I think is right. Some people are too stupid to figure that out, and that's okay. I've got a good crew to beat it into their skulls.
I'm not really anything important. But...Kevin and Sam Flynn...I wanted someone to know about them. Kevin almost died in the hospital. I wanted people to know about him. Show them the kind of person they almost killed.
Some of you probably already know me -- I'm Peter Petrelli. Yeah, the brother of everybody's favorite senator. [There's a small roll of his eyes. ] You think listening to his speeches is hard, try living with him.
Kidding. See, back home, Nathan's always been like this. Wanting to make a difference, wanting to make change. Wanting to really make something of himself. To bring some justice and honesty to the profession ... which would really be a change. It's what he's always wanted, and I think now he's finally getting to do that.
[There's clips of Nathan in the Senate under Peter speaking, arguing to hundreds of daises with animated Italian gestures. Charles Xavier sits in the box besides him in one of the shots. Jedi Tonks stands behind in another. Lindsey McDonald is visible in some shots with him as well. ]
He likes to help out around the house, fixing things is really...it's thera -- that word for what it's like therapy, it's calming -- And he helps when he can. He uses humor as a defense mechanism and his foot perpetually lives in his mouth. Like, it should buy a condo and shack there for the Summer or, I guess -- the winter, unless it's leaving -- not the point. The point is, Xander's a guy. He's fought the war. The war didn't win. And he's the best ally a gal, or a Republic can have.
I used to be a police officer, but quit to follow Shepard and help save the galaxy-- our galaxy.
[There's a clip of Garrus that follows, of him running to help strangers during the zombie crisis, armed only with a blaster. Over it, we continue to hear him talking.]
Why? I guess-- I right wrongs because no one else will.
There's a lot to do back home, and that's... home. But regardless, I can't just turn a blind eye to the injustices being done here, even if there's no reward or recognition for it. Hell, maybe even because of that. I don't fight for a reward; I just can't stand to see civilians getting hurt if I could stop it.
So what's so extraordinary about your world?
Monsters, demons, vampires, the forces of all kinds of darkness. Slayers. Uh, witches...you name it, we probably have it. Except maybe aliens. And leprechauns. But, I guess never say never?
It comes from being best friends with a vampire slayer and a witch. I guess...the way I look at it I was destined for something more than being a D-plus student. I worked my way up in construction. I became a foreman, really made something of myself. I'm surprisingly handy and capable. I'm handycapable. [there's a beat] Don't use that...
[Under this, we see various clips of monster fighting: Garrus and many others fighting a broodmother, Spike, Stefan, Wolverine, Angel, Sylar, Catty, Tron, Kevin Flynn, Sam Flynn, Tonks, and Buffy all hacking up zombies left and right, along with really quick security cam footage of other familiar Outworlder faces helping round up civilians and fend off the tide of monsters.]
Back home, I'm all … Chosen and protector-y. And not in a, you know, saving the world from bad fashion and overpriced soda kind of way. Vampires, demons -- I live on the mouth of Hell. And … okay, granted, most people in this universe probably don't actually know what Hell is. But, it's bad. Monsters are kinda par the course.
And I'm not gonna just stop getting my savior on just 'cause I took a wrong turn on some dimensional backroads and wound up here. What I do, what I live for, is to help people. Protect them. It's who I am. I'm the Slayer. And if those people happen to be the natives of some galaxy far, far away from my own instead of locally, then hey. I'll outsource.
These people deserve someone who'll keep them safe. Someone has to do it, and that will always be me. Even if they hate me for it.
When someone loses their heart to a Heartless, usually, the body just vanishes, fades away into the darkness, since it has nothing to hold it to he world anymore. But if the person had a strong heart and will, sometimes that doesn't happen.
I'm... what was left over, after Lea lost his heart. I wasn't Lea anymore, after that. I wasn't anybody. An incomplete being. A Nobody.
That's with a capital 'N', by the way. It's what we called ourselves. We no longer had hearts, but those of us who were strongest retained our human form and our memories.
[Under this, we see footage of some of those Outworlders suffering from the rakghoul virus, turned into monsters, the looks of horror on the faces of their friends as they face them down]
I don't give a crap if anyone here knows who I am and what I do. Why I do it's the part that matters. I fight to protect people who can't do it for themselves, and to protect idiots who think they can do it but really don't have a single freaking clue. Everybody deserves a chance to live and be happy, don't they? It's my job to make sure that happens.
[The cam goes back to Peter, who laughs at first, shaking his head and looking away like he doesn't want to answer because Lois is ~embarrassing him.~ But, then he gets more serious. ]
No, it's not like that. It's -- Look. When you become a nurse, back where I come from. There's this pledge. It's named after a woman named Florence Nightingale, and it's basically this. When you do what I do, you devote yourself to it. It's not ... You don't decide who you help. You just help. Give everything you've got to make sure that person gets what they need.
Because, when you do something like this, it's not about you. It's about saving lives. Which is so much bigger than just one person. And I don't think I know how to do anything else.
[Below this are clips of Peter helping victims of the explosion at the Coruscant children's hospital. It's inter-cut with scenes of Isolde helping rescue children and also tending wounded and sick in the quarantine zones, Spike, Ten, and Tron helping at the hospital to save people. Shepard and Garrus, bruised and bloody, dragging bodies out from the wreckage. The Enterprise Crew delivering supplies to hungry masses on Onderon. Outworlders helping rescue civilians during the crazy droid rebellion.]
It's unfortunate that there's terrorism, and, and war and it's even more unfortunate that people blame those of us who didn't choose to come here on something we have no power over. If the Republic appreciated us, we could be a force to be reckoned with.
[Images of tons of Outworlders breaking into the Crimson Terror headquarters, fighting the terrorists are cut together here, with badass montages of Jedi Outworlders kicking butt and saving people on Telos during the bombings. Lightsabers whirl, Jacen and Tenel Ka herd citizens towards safety... and we see the building collapse that Tenel Ka entered. Anakin destroying a Sith base and evacuating citizens. ]
They can hate us until the nerfs come home. And then … well, I guess they could hate the nerfs, too, if that's what jacks up their starships. But it won't stop me from making sure that they're safe. And, it won't stop me from fighting for them. 'Cause, gotta say, I may be new to this galaxy? But, I don't like the Sith any more than the next guy.
This Revan shall learn who he has chosen to trifle with. We will help those of your world defeat him, that we may return to our own realms, and you may have peace in yours.
So if you had a choice - if we figured out how Revan was doing it - would you head straight home, or stick around to see which way things go here first?
[He opens his mouth, then closes it.] If-- well, supposedly, things wait for us back home. Time stops when we're not there-- maybe. So if that was true-- yeah, I'd stick around, I'd help. But only if I would end up going back at the same point I'd left.
Pretty heroic attitude.
[It cuts away from the interview between Lo and Garrus, a sudden cascade of images flying by: all kinds of examples of heroism on a grand scale, until it finally ends on the simple image of an Outworlder lifting one single child out of the rubble, in slow mo. This picture fades out and after a beat of darkness, we hear Claire's voice]
I'm Claire Bennet. Cheerleader, good skin, daughter of a senator. [Now the footage of the interview comes up, Claire casting a pointed look over in the direction of Nathan Petrelli, who is sitting right there, listening in to Claire's interview.]
But there's more to me than that.
[And now she's pulling out something sharp and she's scraping it up her arm as hard as she can, and there's what sounds like "Dammit, Claire!" coming from her father before the footage shakes and then abruptly ends.
The video fades out onto credits rolling over black and white images of Outworlders going about their daily lives, sitting and chatting over lunch, working on ships, meeting at the bar, etc. etc. etc.]