The Voice of the Empire " The Voice of the Empire " is a short story published in " Star Wars Insider " 170 on December 16 , 2016 . The story is a tie - in to the film " " and the novel " " and is written by Mur Lafferty , with art by Jason Chan . Plot Summary . On the day of the second annual Empire Day , HoloNet News Editor Mandora Catabe meets with fellow reporter Calliope Drouth to inform Calliope of her immediate retirement . Eridan Wesyse , an obvious Imperial , who is presiding over the meeting is named by Mandora as the successor to the position . Calliope , who has sensed from Mandora the obvious gravity of the situation , is then informed by Eridan , that she will be promoted to Senior Reporter and thus named the " Voice of the Empire " . Calliope , who is praised by Eridan for her recent work over a piece covering a Wookiee " threat " , knows that the Empire has largely been misconstruing her work by undermining and censoring her reports . Fearful of retribution , and following the subtle hints that Mandora had been conveying during the meeting , Calliope reluctantly accepts the position . She is informed by Eridan that her first report will be that very night - at the Imperial Ball - and that her main objective is to interview dignitaries as well as report on the attire of those attending . Eridan informs her that it will be her duty to give the public and inside view into the Empire , to effectively make it more accessible . Before the meeting is adjourned , Mandora gives Calliope her old recording droid , X - 0X , which notably does not transmit live feed , another restriction brought on by the Empire . Calliope , along with the decades old , basic recording droid , sets off for home to find something more suitable to wear . Once back home and dressed for the oncoming occasion , X - 0X ( who Calliope now suspects has been modified ) now perched on her shoulder , begins to transmit a pre - recorded hologram of her old editor , Mandora . She informs Calliope that the Empire is taking over the Holonet News Network , and that despite all of the obstacles and frustrations that will ensue from continuing to work under an Empire ran news outlet , she needs Calliope to stay . Mandora , who states the options Calliope has , informs her that besides playing it safe with the Empire , her " friends " could certainly use her talents as a reporter ; this option , however , would require a more subversive form of reporting . That night at the Imperial Ball , with X - 0X atop her shoulder , Calliope begins to survey the ball to find anyone who might can give her the leads she needs . She spots a junior diplomat from Alderaan who was sent in place of the Organa ' s . After a quick exchange at the bar with Pol Treader the diplomat , a high ranking Imperial decorated with a white cape enters the room . Moving over to two officers near the bar , Calliope asks them who had entered and learned that it was none other than Commander Orson Krennic . Learing their names , officer Tifino ( who works for Krennic ) and officer Ianna Wick . Calliope offers to buy them drinks . Calliope manages to get the officers talking , intentionally steering the conversation from sensitive topics . Calliope asks the two officers for the their thoughts on the dress of the various dignitaries around the room all the while continuing to fill their drinks as needed . During her small talk with the two officers about transfers , X - 0X inexplicably stopped working . Tifino who begins to speak about Krennic , lets slip that the Empire has been very interested in Jedha . Officer Tifino excuses himself , during which time officer Wick confides that she carried Tifino through academy and that she deserved to work for Krennic . Wick tells Calliope that the Empire is interested in some sort of crystals , crystals that Tifino and his team luckily found which earned him a promotion . After Tifino returned , X - 0X fell to the floor after temporarily coming to and was picked up by none other than Orson Krennic . Engaging Commander Krennic in conversation , Calliope informs Krennic that the old droid is simply kept around for nostalgia . Realizing the droid is broken Krennic offers to repair the droid as he knows some technicians who would be right for the job . To not make matters worse , Calliope doesn ' t make an argument to the offer and instead urges Wick to speak to Krennic about a possible promotion . Seizing the opportunity , officer Wick begins to make her claim that she would be valuable as a scout to Krennic ' s team . During this time X - 0X comes back to life , with Krennic distracted Calliope takes the droid and disappears to continue her report on the ball . Later , as Calliope finishes her report on the the Imperial Ball via camera broadcast , she is praised by Eridan , now her editor , for her revisions to the script , remarking that he would have liked to have seen more interviews . Noting that X - 0X malfunctioned during the ball , Calliope reflects on the broadcast . Her hands positions and the specific words she used during the transmission had been simple code to be deciphered by subversives watching . All of it had been information to convey the importance of the Empire ' s interest in Jedha . Calliope had chosen to work behind the scenes against the Empire . Keeping in mind that as long as she did her job right , no one would know her work .