Galnet News

Following the declaration of war by President Halsey earlier today, the Federal Navy’s attack on Polahukuna has been postponed indefinitely. Instead the newly built Capital Ship , the FNS Nevermore, will be diverted to help with the offensive against Lugh.

Unfortunately, due to the actions of Operation Arm Chop , the FNS Nevermore is not yet equipped with a full contingent of fighters. As a result, the FNS Nevermore will not be able to set off for Lugh until the construction of its personal fleet is complete.

Core Dynamics estimate that it will be another six or seven days before the FNS Nevermore will be able to join Federal forces in their attack on Lugh, until which time it will remain safely harboured in Hudson Dock.

President Halsey has today officially declared war on the Crimson State Group.

Ownership of Lugh has been hotly contested in recent months. The movement for an independent Lugh, led by the Crimson State Group, had managed to achieve a staggering 91% approval rating among the local populace. However, the figures are heavily disputed by the Lugh for Equality Party, which has recently released statistics claiming that less than 30% of the population are actively engaging in the political process.

GalNet sources close to the President have suggested that the upcoming attack will be launched from within Lugh itself. Loyal Federal pilots who want to assist with the reclamation of Lugh should sign up for active duty aboard Hartsfield Market, although Federal mercenaries are advised that it may be several days before backup arrives.

In response to the declaration of war, Éamonn Uí Laoghaire has declared that the Crimson State Group will be offering very generous payouts to any independent pilots who choose to side with Lugh in the upcoming conflict against the Federation. Mercenaries interested in taking the Crimson State Group up on its offer should sign up for active duty aboard Balandin Gateway.

Senator Patreus and Aisling Duval have been spotted together at a number of popular nightspots in Capitol this week, leading some social commentators to speculate that the two may have become romantically involved.

If true, the association could potentially secure Senator Patreus’s bid to become the leading voice of the Empire. While Aisling herself is not currently considered a serious contender for the Imperial Throne, her pairing with the Senator could provide the leverage he needs to secure support from a large portion of the Senate, particularly from those who are currently throwing their weight behind Chancellor Blaine.

When asked for comment, both Senator Patreus and Aisling Duval refused to answer any questions regarding their possible relationship.

Almost a thousand years ago, a corporate colonisation project from Earth set out on a trip to find a new home among the stars. The colonists settled in the Sirius system, where they became one of the leading suppliers of drive fuel anywhere in the galaxy, and so the Sirius Corporation was born.

The Sirius Corporation has a long history of colonising worlds beyond the borders of occupied space, which is why the Sirius Corporation is pleased to announce that it will be returning to its roots with the launch of 9 new colonial outposts, all of which should start being deployed within the next 14 days.

The 9 systems chosen to act as new homes to Sirius Corporation colonists are:

The Wredguia Colony Cluster

Wredquia SX-L D7-92

Wredguia SX-L d7-91

Wredguia WD-K D8-66

Wredguia QA-N b34-4

Wredguia XD-K d8-78

Sirius Outposts

Gliese 97.2

HIP 8396

Col 285 Sector WA-L b9-3

CAO Junga

In an address delivered to the Imperial Senate earlier today, Senator Denton Patreus has called on Chancellor Blaine to provide the Senate with full access to the ailing Emperor’s medical records.

“The current situation is untenable,” the Senator said. “How long are we expected to simply accept that Emperor Hengist is on the road to recovery? It’s been months now and there’s been no sign of the Emperor making a recovery of any kind. For the sake of the entire Empire, we need to know whether or not Emperor Hengist is ever going to be able to reclaim the throne. If Emperor Hengist really is getting better, then Chancellor Blaine should release the Emperor’s medical records to show the Senate that there is nothing to worry about. If not, we need to establish what needs to be done to secure our citizens’ future.”

Speaking before a gathering of the Alliance Assembly today, Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has issued a warning to the Crimson State Group that it stands alone in its opposition to the Federation’s continued governance of Lugh.

“It is not the place of the Alliance to intervene in matters of legitimate Federal governance. No laws have been broken, no rights have been abused and as such no military aid will be forthcoming for the freedom fighters of Lugh. Similarly, until such time as the residents of Lugh have fully seceded from the Federation, any applications to join the Alliance of Independent Systems will be automatically rejected on the grounds that Lugh is not a fully functioning independent state.”

The news will come as quite a blow for Lugh, and the Crimson State Group in particular, who will now need to find allies closer to home if they want to have any hope of winning their fight for independence.

Rumours coming out of Mars today suggest that a powerful lobbying group, acting on behalf of Admiral Vincent and the Federal Navy, are currently engaged in a massive campaign to lower taxes on combat-capable spacecraft. The aim of the campaign is to encourage Federal pilots to become more battle-ready in these times of heightened tensions.

If the lobbying efforts prove to be successful, the Imperial armament program will doubtless be forced to follow suit or else risk the Empire being undermined by the increased combat capabilities of the Federal Navy.

Core Dynamics, in association with the Federal Navy, are pleased to announce the latest addition to the Federal capital ship family, the FNS Nevermore.

Core Dynamics Farragut -Class Battlecruisers represent the cutting edge in military technology. A single FCB can carry several squadrons of Federal Fighters and multiple Federal Corvettes across hundreds of light years without any difficulty. These deep deployment capabilities, coupled with extraordinarily heavy firepower, practically guarantee that a single FCB will completely overpower all but the most well-equipped opponents.

The construction of the new ship would not have been possible without the help of Commander Sam Ishum, who braved the blockade of BD+03 2338 to single-handedly deliver 86,000 tonnes of copper to the Core Dynamics workshop at Hudson Dock.

When asked for comment, Commander Ishum had this to say:

“As the sole proprietor of Toad's Independent Trading Services, I am happy to have helped with the building of the new Core Dynamics Dreadnought, the FNS Nevermore. I look forward to working with them on future projects."

To celebrate the launch of the FNS Nevermore, Core Dynamics has supplied Hudson Dock with a large number of discounted Federal Dropships.

Word has reached GalNet that an investigation into the Galactic Mechanics Union will result in charges being brought against the organisation by all three of the galaxy’s major powers.

The investigation, which was carried out in secret by a consortium of independent investigators, has found that the GMU has been involved in anti-competitive business practices, including price fixing on a galactic scale.

Lawsuits are currently in the process of being submitted to the appropriate authorities. With millions of potential plaintiffs signing up to take part in what will doubtless be the largest class action case in history, it seems unlikely that the GMU will make it out of the courts still in one piece once this is all over.

While the lawsuits are likely to go on for years before anyone is able to claim any kind of compensation, ship repair costs should start becoming significantly cheaper now that the GMU’s price fixing operations have come to an end.

Crimson State Group representatives who were still present on Alioth were forced to make a hasty departure earlier today, as reports of Federal checkpoints being established around local exit points began to hit the Alliance blogosphere.

It would appear that the Federation means to finally show its hand in what has been a long and arduous game of poker between the Federal goliath and a small but proud people willing to defy the domination of their oppressors.

In the wake of his unsuccessful attempts to reach a favourable conclusion with representatives of the Alliance, Ambassador Éamonn Uí Laoghaire had this to say:

"Lugh is a sovereign state. This is an undeniable truth. An error does not become truth by multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it! Though the storm clouds gather around us, it has been written in our ancient 'Leabhar Gabhála Lugh' that the Sons of Conn will come to Lugh’s aid at his time of direst need. That also is a universal truth."