Galnet News

The office of Senator Arissa Lavigny-Duval issued a statement this morning to reveal what information had been collected by members of the Imperial Court loyal to the House of Duval.

“The Princess is extremely grateful for the support offered by her allies in these difficult times.”

“As expected, the interrogation of the would-be-assassin failed to produce any useful information as to who ordered the attack. Fortunately the ex-assassin was persuaded to divulge the name of the organisation that tasked them with the attempt.”

“Members of the Imperial Court were dispatched to investigate the matter in more detail, and thanks to work carried out by Count von Auerburg, Earl Rednam and Earl Khaelmin we now know where to concentrate our efforts on next.”

“Have no fear loyal citizens. Even now the Princess is preparing to initiate the next stage of the investigation. The Princess will catch those responsible, and she will make them pay for their transgressions.”

Reports are coming in from all over the Federation of a resurgence in nightclubs catering to under-40s. Analysts are at a loss to explain why so many Federal youths have suddenly decided to abandon their artificial realities in favour of physical content, but the numbers don't lie.

Over 30% of under-40s who responded to a recent GalNet poll said that they'd visited a physical nightclub in the last month, compared to just 12% during the same period last year.

The shift has already seen billions of credits being poured into local Federal economies. This is causing a series of economic booms that are allowing some previously stagnant systems to begin a period of expansion, the likes of which they haven't experienced in years.

It isn't all good news, though. Several dozen regions have reported an increase in violent crimes linked with various youth gatherings. So far most instances of violence have been self-contained, but political pundits are concerned about more widespread implications should the number of gatherings continue to grow.

The last week has seen a bustle of activity in Imperial space.

Senator Torval went head to head with Aisling Duval to prove once and for all that Imperial Slavery is here to stay. Aisling’s Angels did the best they could to support the people’s princess, freeing an astonishing 1,149,756 Imperial Slaves in the span of just one week. Unfortunately for the diva Duval, the Imperial Slavers Association managed to acquire a staggering 2,387,567 Unregulated Slaves in the same space of time.

The Unregulated Slaves are currently undergoing an intensive ISA-certified retraining regime. The graduates of which are expected to go on sale from Lagerkvist Gateway next weekend.

Princess Arissa has been making her presence felt by shining a light on the darker corners of the Empire. Thousands of criminals have been apprehended by Commanders working on behalf of Arissa, although sadly only a handful of them have been able to provide any clues as to who ordered the attack on the Emperor. The Princess will announce what new information has come to light once her Imperial courtiers have finished with their current investigation.

Finally, Senator Patreus has reached a new financial agreement with Themiscrya, a system that owes the Senator a sizeable debt due to loans taken out by the current government before they came to power. In less pleasant news, Silver Universal PLC (the Senator’s financial services subsidiary) has announced that from next week it will be raising interest rates on all outstanding debts owed to the Senator.

Senator Denton Patreus issued notice 8 days ago of his intention to seek legal recourse over the Nationals of Themiscrya’s failure to meet their financial obligations. The news sent waves of panic through the tiny independent system, with many residents choosing to flee rather than risk being turned into assets to appease the Senator.

However, reports coming from Ritchey Port indicate that a new debt agreement has been reached between Silver Universal PLC and the Nationals of Themiscrya, effectively ending any imminent action from Senator Patreus’s legal team.

It is believed that the new agreement only came about due to the efforts of several dozen small business owners, whose tireless efforts over the last week have seen Themiscrya enjoy a small period of economic boom. This in turn provided the funds needed for the Nationals of Themiscrya to pay off the principal on their debt.

Shadow President Hudson, accompanied by several of Admiral Vincent’s closest aides, received a warm greeting when he visited the Hors system earlier today. The group met with Duke Sanders to discuss the possibility of extending the remit of Brightlight Training’s Federal contracts.

Representing the gold standard in private training centres, Brightlight offers a variety of educational services to corporations throughout the Federation. With the recent failures in communication between the Commander-in-Chief and her advisors in the Federal Navy, it appears that Admiral Vincent has decided it is long past time for the Navy to update the way its officers are trained.

Sources within the Brightlight Training Corporation are said to be very happy with the way the meeting went. No new contracts have been agreed between the two parties, but all reports indicate that Brightlight has begun ramping up its operations in preparation for an imminent services deployment.

President Jasmina Halsey has finally chosen to directly address Shadow President Hudson's campaign to see her removed from office. In a statement issued during a rare appearance on ‘Face the People’, the President had this to say about her current situation:

"I am deeply disappointed by Mr Hudson's conduct. Have mistakes been made? Perhaps. But I say to you, any mistakes that were made, were made worse due to the constant interference of certain parties within our own ranks."

"As President, the command of our armed forces falls to me, but it does not fall to me alone. The idea that I, personally, am responsible for the Federal Navy's failure to properly secure their supply lines is patently ridiculous. As is the accusation that I am somehow responsible for pilots properly identifying their targets before murdering thousands of our civilians. I have no doubt the residents of our great Federation are smart enough to know what's really going on here."

"I am proud to serve as your President and I intend to do so for a very long time to come."

As the war in Lave continues between CODE and Cosmic State, reports have emerged to suggest that Cosmic State have chosen Adle's Armada as unlikely allies in what's being called Operation Tomahawk.

The accusation is that CODE are charging traders and others passers-by for "travel passes" in the Lave system, which are valid only for a set period, and will provide protection against CODE attacks.

These reports would seem to indicate that no visitor to Lave is safe unless a travel pass has been purchased from CODE. It is not clear at this stage what the Alliance reaction is to this policy, but it seems that as long as the funds aren't being channelled into the Lavian economy, they are unlikely to take a high view of this practice.

Galnet reached out to both CODE and Cosmic State for comment, and although no word has been received from CODE, Cosmic State asserted that CMDRs Silk and Kudach were heading Operation Tomahawk, aiming to free Lave, and now potentially Leesti also, from the perceived CODE threat.

Since Princess Arissa’s impassioned speech on the steps of the Imperial palace yesterday evening, Citizens the length and breadth of the Empire have been speculating as to which group (or groups) prompted the princess to take such a public stand against them.

Despite rumours suggesting that the speech was intended as a warning to Senators Torval and Patreus, both of whom have flouted Imperial law on multiple occasions, GalNet can now exclusively reveal that the Princess was in fact talking about the unknown assailant responsible for the attack on the Emperor.

In a further statement released to GalNet this morning, the Princess had this to say:

“I will not sit idly by while unseen assailants strike at the very heart of our nation. The time for action is now, and I call on all loyal Imperial citizens to join me in my mission to purge the Empire of all those who wish to see it harmed.”

“For the next 7 days my agents on Simpson Depot in Facece will be empowering citizens to act on my behalf in the fight against Imperial corruption. I urge all loyal residents of the Empire to join me in hunting down the fiends who attacked our father at his weakest. Your compliance will be rewarded.”

Chancellor Blaine made an appearance before the Senate today to answer questions regarding the recent assassination attempt on the Emperor's life. The Chancellor remained stoic as he once again turned aside calls to clarify the line of succession, saying:

"I have been assured that the attempted attack on our beloved Emperor has not had any overly adverse effects on his health. The would be assassin has undone much of the good work that had been made towards his majesty's recovery. Yet the Emperor still lives. In time, I am confident he will be with us again."

"Thanks to the tireless efforts of agents working on behalf of Princess Arissa, the assassin has been captured and is currently undergoing questioning. We don't expect to learn anything useful from the tool herself, but security forensic techs are analysing everything about the traitor’s life as we speak. Have no doubt. We will find who ordered the attack, and we will bring them to justice."

After completing her tour of the Sol system and meeting several high ranking officials within the Federation, Senator Kahina Tijani Loren has returned to the Empire.

As expected a large flotilla of vessels accompanied Lady Kahina to the boundary of Federation influence, where she rendezvoused with the Imperial Interdictor Lucius.

The Sol Herald asked Lady Kahina what she had thought of her first trip to Sol. She was reported as saying that she had found it “Most enlightening” and wanted to express her thanks to all who had helped her “navigate the fiendishly complicated Federation protocols.”

Lady Kahina was then asked “Do you consider the docking officials at Mars High to be friends or rivals?”

Her reply was greeted with laughter over wide-band comms. “Oh, that’s easy. Neither.”

Representatives from Mars High could not be reached for comment.