Galnet News

Leaked images from the Avalon shipyards appear to indicate that Senator Kahina Tijani Loren’s Imperial Courier, the ‘Seven Veils’, is undergoing a significant refit just weeks after her recent visit to the Sol system.

Security at the Avalon shipyards, which are owned and managed by Persephone station, is extremely tight. The images themselves are grainy and ill-defined, but seem to show that the drives, shields and possibly the frame-shift drive components have been significantly upgraded.

Sources within the Empire note that Senator Loren has been seen at several significant social events within Imperial space recently. Despite this, she has refrained from speaking to any member of the press since returning from Sol.

Speculation is rife as to her involvement with the ongoing struggle for power within the Senate. Loren has yet to declare her support for any of the leading contenders, a fact which some political pundits believe is a strong indication that she may be considering her own play for power.

For months now, the Old Worlds have been terrorised by roaming gangs of psychopaths and thieves. Residents’ pleas for help have been rejected by the Council of Admirals, who maintain that matters of internal security are the sole responsibility of member states. Many see this rise of lawlessness as an opportunity. Pilots on both sides of the law are now flocking to the sector in the hope of making their fame and fortune.

Inspired by the recent changes brought about by independent members of the Pilots Federation, a network of local business leaders have banded together to improve conditions in the Old Worlds. They are sponsoring the formation of a new coalition, and though they have yet to officially announce the group’s manifesto, support for the movement is already spreading.

One member of the new coalition, Silver United Solutions, has announced that they are currently in the process of recruiting experienced security professionals to help protect the residents of Zaonce from the various gangs operating in the sector. Potential recruits are asked to report to Ridley Scott in Zaonce for assessment.

Deep in the heart of the Empire, a handful of nations stand defiantly independent from their neighbours.

One such nation is Quivira. Home to 37.5 million residents, Quivira has managed to maintain its independence by acting as a major supplier of industrial goods to its neighbours.

Early last year Quivira suffered from a period of deep recession, during which time it took out a series of bridge loans with Silver Universal Plc . A recent increase in rates left the People’s Quivira for Equality Party unable to pay off their debts, a fact which has caused the system to become the victim of legal action carried out on behalf of Senator Patreus.

Quivira Electronics Plc, an Imperial corporation, has now been authorised to actively reclaim the debt owed to Senator Patreus by the system’s current leadership. As a first step towards that goal, Quivira Electronics Plc has taken ownership of Stepledon Dock. With the Senator’s blessing, Quivira Electronics is now hiring freelance reclamation agents to help extract the remaining debt.

In response, the People’s Quivira for Equality Party have set up a defence fund with the Bank of Zaonce, the contents of which will be paid out to any independent pilots who come to Quivira’s aid in its time of need. The defence of Quivira is being organised aboard Godel Dock.

After a heated meeting of the Senate held earlier today, Senator Patreus made a rare appearance on ‘Question Everything’ to address the accusations levelled against Emperor’s Grace by Senator Lavigny.

“This is outrageous,” the Senator began.

“Emperor’s Grace has served as the loyal stewards of HR 706 for decades. A fact Senator Lavigny is well aware of.”

“The very idea that one of my own would dare instigate such an attack without my knowledge is preposterous. It would never happen.”

“It’s clear what this is actually all about.”

“If Senator Lavigny wishes to accuse me of something, she had better come up with more evidence than that weak pile of fabricated drek she calls proof.”

“If the Senator has anything of substance to share, I suggest she present it. I will not allow my men to be martyred for the sake of the Senator’s lust for the throne.”

“Emperor’s Grace has my full support. They will continue to govern HR 706 in my stead and their leaders will be released from their false imprisonment immediately. These trumped-up charges will not stand.”

According to security personnel on Achenar, the leadership of Emperor’s Grace has been released into Senator Patreus’s custody, and are currently serving under house arrest in HR 706.

The war-torn region of Volungu has been under intense scrutiny over the last few days, as a centuries-old feud between the Faveols and the Blossoms threatened to reignite and engulf the region in a wave of bloodshed.

According to sources in the Patron’s Principles’ home system Liaedin, the attack on Volungu was carried out by a group of younger family members. Having never experienced war themselves, and inspired by the recent influx of Imperial combat veterans to the region, the young Faveols foolishly chose to attack their neighbours in a misguided quest for glory.

Federal pilots, eager to maintain the peace, flocked to Volungu in their thousands. Now, just a few days later, the threat from the Patron’s Principles has been neutralised. Their leadership has apologised and an uneasy peace has settled on the system once more.

The President’s office has today announced that President Halsey will soon be setting off on a tour of the Federal frontier systems.

The purported aim of the trip is to build stronger links between Sol and its many offspring. For years, Federal frontier systems have complained that the Mars Congress has consistently failed to provide adequate support for fledgling Federal colonies.

During the tour, local leaders will be given a chance to meet with President Halsey to discuss what Sol can do to better support local governments, frontier enterprises and Federal residents.

Some of the destinations announced include Hip 53688, Tinia, 78 Ursae Majoris, Su and Furuhjlem I-645. Other destinations are expected to be added at a later date.

At a conference held ahead of today’s closed meeting of the Senate, Senator Arissa Lavigny addressed her supporters in a speech streamed live from the Lavigny family home on Topaz.

“The last few weeks have been difficult for us all, but I am pleased to announce that our trials are almost over.”

“Evidence collected by members of the court, which includes members of Emperor’s Grace loyal to the house of Duval, has provided my investigators with irrefutable proof that the leadership of the HR 706 Chapter of Emperor’s Grace did, with malicious aforethought and intent, act to commit treason most foul against our beloved father.”

“Today I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the HR 706 Chapter of Emperor’s Grace has allowed itself to become intimately entangled with a villainous network of psychopaths, sociopaths and other assorted scum. Among them, the organisation which provided the would-be-killer for use in this foul conspiracy.”

“This stain against our Empire’s honour will not be allowed to stand. Justice will be done this day.”

“Hail to the Emperor, bask in his glory.”

Several weeks ago, Imperial Palace security uncovered an attempted plot to poison Emperor Hengist Duval. Princess Lavigny-Duval and Chancellor Blaine both launched their own investigations into the matter.

The Chancellor’s men managed to locate and question the would-be-assassin, but they were unable to extract any useful information.

Fortunately, members of the Imperial Court had more success. They identified several criminal syndicates operating in the areas around Nehet and Mictlan that were rumoured to have ties with a secretive underworld wetwork firm.

After smashing more than a few pirate dens, Imperial investigators learned that funds for the hit had been channelled via Silver Allied Network through Silver Universal Plc to an unknown group in HR 706.

Senator Lavigny’s request to pursue her investigation into HR 706 was originally met with refusal by members of Emperor’s Grace, who even went so far as to lodge an official protest with the Senate. Emperor’s Grace would later find themselves forced to acquiesce under orders issued by Senator Patreus.

Now it looks like Emperor’s Grace had good reason to want the Princess kept out of the system, as late last night, new information came to light which has implicated the leadership of Emperor’s Grace in the attack on the Emperor. Senator Patreus is disavowing any knowledge of the incident, although he has so far refused to allow any members of Emperor’s Grace to be removed from HR 706.

Senator Lavigny will be formally presenting the evidence against Emperor’s Grace to the Senate tomorrow.

This weekend saw the outbreak of a skirmish between Imperial and Federal forces in the small but significant system of Volungu. Reports indicate that the conflict was started by the Patron’s Principles, an Empire-aligned organisation based in the nearby Liaedin region.

For years Liaedin was caught in almost constant civil war as the Faveol and Blossom families fought to gain control of the region. The two sides eventually settled their differences, with the Imperial Faveol family ultimately being given governorship of the system.

Now it looks as if the feud could be starting up again, as the Faveol family-run Patron’s Principles have made the seemingly rash decision to attempt to expand their influence beyond Liaedin’s borders.

President Halsey has denounced the move by Patron’s Principles, calling it ‘a reckless abandonment of years of hard-won peace’. The Federal Navy has launched a small fleet to repel the invasion, and has requested that any Commanders interested in securing Volungu should sign up for active duty aboard Jemison Refinery.

When asked for comment, Chancellor Blaine’s office stated that the Patron’s Principles were acting without the support or knowledge of the Imperial Senate. Imperial sources close to the region noted that members of the East India Company have been dispatched to the area to try to resolve the matter peacefully.

After 3 weeks of intense activity in the Lave Cluster, the Alliance Elite Diplomatic Corps (AEDC) has managed to return control of Reorte to an Alliance aligned faction.

Earlier this month, a local pirate group had attempted to rename the cluster as the "New Caribbean". While local residents were not in favour of the move, the Alliance military was initially slow to take the pirate threat seriously.

However, undercover agents working on behalf of the AEDC have been working tirelessly with local community groups in order to prepare the ground for a swift battle to retake control of Davies High.

As planned, the conflict ended swiftly and caused little disruption to the daily life of residents. Pilots from the pirate faction fought fiercely to defend their position, but the combined might of Alliance forces proved too strong, and locals woke this morning to find the "Pro-Alliance League" restoring order to their community.

Alliance approval in Reorte now stands at a staggering 93%!

Elsewhere in the cluster, groups loyal to the Alliance of Independent Systems are visibly taking the pirate threat more seriously. In Lave itself, news of their neighbours' long anticipated victory boosted the ruling "Workers of Lave Liberals" by over 20% in a flash opinion poll this morning! The combined influence for Lave's Alliance factions now appears to be over 80%.

The burning question on everyone's lips in the Old Worlds is now:

"When will Leesti return to the fold?"

It is likely that after reclaiming Reorte with minimal fuss, the experienced negotiators of AEDC are planning something similar in the cluster's most important high-tech trading system.