Politics is always a hot-button topic. Some people become more ornery than a Reek in mating season while others hold fast to the stance of not caring until they're in shackles or being beaten by a vicious overlord. While the team at Republic HoloNet News discourages those with political opinions to resort to violence or to dissent, sometimes the only thing which encourages the bureaucratic process along is a big event like the Treaty of Coruscant or a violent rebellion like the one taking place on Corellia.

Last week, Voices asked you, our favorite sentient, to voice your opinions on the current administration of your government. It didn't matter if you're from the Empire, Republic, or an independent system. Voices wanted to know. Let's see what you had to say!

In this week's Voices, there is a mixed bag of responses from you, the concerned galactic citizen! Our past four issues have dealt with some of the ideals which keep the Galactic Republic afloat: equality, openness of information, and the importance of liberty to an oppressed and tired people. To kick off our fifth publication of Voices of the Republic, let us reflect on the words sent back and forth by users in our fourth publication, Aliens, before we converse on this week's topic about the trials and tribulations of the freedom of Hyperspace lanes.

HoloNet users of two vastly different ideologies had it out on our forum, as well as one very opinionated Chiss who saw it ample opportunity to plug the official and non official stance of the Chiss Ascendency. In the end, it seemed that all non-humans were well-respected in the Galactic Republic and the xenophobic tendencies in the Sith Empire was an agreed-upon fault.

The news of the Rakghoul plague is finally setting in. Over a dozen worlds have reported cases and the Republic Containment Bureau is being slowly stretched to its limits. For many of us who sit in our homes and drink our tea, it seems like it's a universe away. How could something so lethal touch us? It's a big question, and one that never really has an answer.

Truth be told, the most recent inflow of statements and comments about the Rakghoul plague outbreak has overwhelmed every major news publication. Yesterday, Galactic Action News imbedded a reporter in an RCB containment unit on Tatooine. The footage of this action was streamed, live, from their HoloNet site. Within minutes it was overwhelmed by traffic and the entire net-site is still down as of this afternoon.

Last week's article on the current status of Balmorra drew a lot of ire from those outside the Galactic Republic. Imperial lackeys and Sith mind slaves alike expressed their displeasure and outrage at our 'propaganda' which was nothing more than individual citizen opinion and facts put forward by us.

Like it or not, Empire, Sobrik is going to be free and run by a democratically elected leader soon. After all, we have BlasTech's very own Amaare Margolis, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire supporting the people of Balmorra. Not a government, but the people and their ideals!

This week's topic was one which needed attention. Throughout the history of galactic politics and colonization, the planet Tatooine has always been brought up for one reason oe another. Sometimes it was repopulated for swoop racing, other times by a group of criminals who wanted a safe haven from law and a good place to gamble; or big game hunters who wanted to hunt the elusive desert Krayt Dragon or the brutal Hulak Wraid.

But why in the name of the Republic would our government—or the Sith Empire—want to invest in this dustbowl? Why would Sith Lords, spies, Republic soldiers, and Jedi all run off to some backwater planet with two major settlements which have always been run down little dumps?

That's what Voices of the Republic asked earlier this weekend. Let's see what the galaxy has to say!

Is it possible to make the perfect warrior?

This is the question that has been asked many times since the origin of life, and for a team of intrepid biological engineers brought together by the Galactic Republic, it was the question they had hoped to answer after several millenia and debate. The Salky Hound is certainly not the first of engineered beings to come to popularity, but it is both the most used and the most widespread amongst the galaxy's stars.

Designed by "some of the brightest minds" the universe had to offer, the Salky Hound is a miracle melding of modern minds and technology. One of the scientists from the team, Doctor Suruni Colum, offered his words in an interview with the RHN Biolife Report team.

"The Salky Hound is the pride and joy of the people who created it. When the Republic recalled the Salky we refused to accept our precious creation to be destroyed."

Recently declassified files from the Republic military's research and development team have exposed that the Salky hound was originally an experiment deemed too high risk and cost to continue. The plan from the scientist's superiors was to destroy every specimen and start from scratch.

Last week was a bit of a kerfuffle between craziness in my life and that of our editor. You may have noticed The Darker Side of Life didn't get on the front page until Friday. Not really the end of the world, but I did feel it was too late in the week to gather a set of responses for the next topic in time. Therefore, I'm going to do things a bit differently this week. Instead of the usual gathering and analyzing responses on a certain topic, I'm going to talk on roleplay in The Old Republic in a more general sense and bring up some of the things that have been bugging me lately. 

Nar Shaddaa has been credited as ground zero for trillions of diseases, both medicinally and socially. Greed, sickness, and poverty litter the Smuggler's Moon like pock marks, the potential glitz and glam of the casinos and cantinas lost in the shuffle of death, intrigue of the Hutts and violent thugs. Yet, for the planet's location and excessive economic importance, the Empire and the Galactic Republic have a major claim in the world's affairs.

To this duty the Senate assigned Ambassador Averdon. The human man had been known to broker tough deals with neutral parties in the past, his career spanning before the Treaty was even signed, often leading to complete evacuations of worlds before Imperials even showed up, leaving minor strategic assets void of resources or people to exploit.