This is Shamus Hamstring with TriNebulon News bringing you a special news bulletin. We have confirmation that the dead may be returning to life in what has been described as an unprecedented and uncontrolled bacterial outbreak. This bacteria attacks the brain stem itself, taking over its host once it dies. This phenomenon has been witnessed happening to both wild creatures and raider parties alike, leading scientists to believe that it can be transmitted across species.

 

"I've seen more than my share of killing," one anonymous hunter told an intrepid TriNebulon reporter, "but I've never seen anything like this. My troopers and I put down a Vornskr on Day 109, and sure as I'm standing here, that thing just got up and high-tailed it off into the jungle. I know we put it down. We filled it with enough blaster fire to down a full-grown Rancor. But it was like..." The hunter searched for the right words. "It was like he was some sort of thing that just would not die."

 

 

Hunters in different regions of the galaxy are all confirming the same thing: traveling packs of creatures and groups of raiders that, when attacked with enough force to normally end their lives, are instead simply standing back up and continuing to fight.

 

"Unstoppable," was how one hunter in the Outer Rim described it. "Eerie," added another hunter from Hutt space. 

 

Darlene Bazinga, an eye-witness, had this to say: "I couldn't believe my eyes. I watched as several downed Fambaa quickly regenerated from killing shots and stampeded our way." A horrifying notion.

 

"Reports have been steadily coming in detailing the same incidents," says Dr. Con Semper, Director of Biological Engineering and an Evocati Lord of the Trade Federation. "The first of these detailed a brace of Vornskr that, holo footage confirms, were downed by what should have been fatal wounds, but were able to get back up and roar off to continue their rampage."

 

Dr. Semper went on to explain how this type of behavior seems to emulate ancient Sith Magic, "Specifically the Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut or 'reanimated dead' in Basic. This ancient magic was capable of not only resurrecting the freshly dead but could also be transferred through contact with saliva from bites, to infect other living creatures." Dr. Tyrando, a scientist at the Corellian Institutes lab, expanded upon Dr. Semper's claim by stating that the bacteria that's now believed to be causing this growing epidemic might be force sensitive and is using this "reanimated dead" force power to bring the dead back to life. It might even be the first microbial life form that exhibits full blown manipulation of the force. 

 

 

We asked Dr. Semper how he thought the initial occurrence, the Zero Patient as it were, might have crossed over into a galaxy-wide pandemic.

 

"Several theories have been proposed, and the one that seems to hold the most weight, in my opinion, is that a Vornskr with its unique ability to hunt through the Force came into contact with a Dark Side relic or bacteria with the capacity to conduct Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut on its own. It would have operated similarly to the Muur Talisman, which was able to infect sentient life, and transform them into Rakghouls simply by proximity alone." 

 

"With such a vicious predator being infected," Dr. Semper continued, "I am certain that this 'disease' will continue to spread if action is not taken soon. We could be looking at another Galactic pandemic."

 

As one of the first to encounter this mutation, we asked our anonymous hunter if he had any explanation for this terrifying turn of events. "Well, there've been rumors for years of an undead virus lurking out in the depths of deep space, an incredibly horrific bioweapon that escaped from some lunatic's lab. I've even heard a ship's name, the Purge, being whispered in some galactic spaceports. But I've never believed any of that could be true -- until now."

 

 

When asked if he were doing anything to prevent contagion by what is feared might be a mutation of the Derra Plague, the hunter just grunted. "Just keep shooting them until they drop, then burn the bodies. And we've canceled the weekly Gamorrean wine and cheese networking event until further notice."

 

Additional reports that public stores in many sections of the galaxy were running low on Matchsticks and Flares could not be confirmed by this TriNebulon reporter.

 

Thanks for tuning into this special broadcast of TriNebulon News. We hope everyone stays safe out there and remember... If you see someone that looks dead and is approaching you... Knock their head off as quickly as possible and without question! There's a good chance that'll be your only chance to take them out!

 

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