Galnet News

Denton Patreus and Aisling Duval were spotted grabbing dinner in Capitol late last night at the very exclusive pop-up restaurant, Fodder. The Empire's favourite power couple appeared to have a good time, with the pair polishing off several bottles of Chateau De Aegaeon during the course of their three-hour meal.

Aisling looked stunning in a lace red dress with matching accessories. Senator Patreus was his usual dashing self, although he had chosen to go for a more casual unbuttoned look for his dinner date with the people's princess.

After dinner the pair are believed to have retired to the Senator's ship, the Imperial Freedom, which departed Capitol for Eotienses this morning. According to Capitol Space Control, Aisling was onboard the Imperial Freedom when it departed.

Recent GalPoll results show that the President's popularity continues to fall, with her approval rating now down to an abysmal 16%, the lowest approval rating of any President to have ever remained in office in the history of the Federation.

Some (anonymous) comments from the survey are included below:

"This woman, who bombs innocent planets, who happily slaughters people, and, you know, pumps the food chain full of garbage and just everything evil she does, she probably thinks it's funny. Well it's not funny. It's sick. She should be ashamed of herself. "

"Does President Halsey even stand for anything? Seems to me all she does is chase around desperately trying to get people to like her. Well, newsflash, Mrs President, no one likes you."

"I think the President is a good woman. She did a lot of good back home and I'm sure she could do a lot of good as a member of Congress. A good President though? No. I'm afraid she's just not a good fit."

"I didn't vote for her then, and I wouldn't vote for her now!"

Evidently the Senator from Facece wasn’t engaging in empty political posturing when she said that she would find those responsible for the attack on her father. On Arissa’s orders a sizeable number of Counts and Earls have flocked to Facece to help investigate both their fellow nobility and the citizenry under their care.

Now, in a move doubtlessly spurred by the ongoing investigation, reports coming from Nu state that the Princess Lavigny-Duval has ordered a sizeable fleet of Imperial Clippers be constructed in the shipyards of Syromyatnikov Horizons. The Senator’s office on Facece has stated that the project will be jointly overseen by the Citizens of Tradition and the Gutamaya Corporation.

When asked why she felt the need to establish her own personal fleet, the Princess had this to say:

“There is a venom running through the veins of our great nation, a poison that threatens to consume each and every one of us through our own avarice and spite. This fleet represents a cure. It will be a lance of light that acts to purge the darkness threatening to engulf our homes and corrupt our children. With this fleet I will reclaim our people’s honour, and in doing so I will bring a true and lasting peace to the streets of the Empire.”

This evening marks the 153rd annual Exphiay Bankers’ Ball. Shadow President Hudson will be in attendance, as will Frank Hall – CEO of Gallant Investment, Paul Wiggins – CEO of Wiggins Development Trust, and Patricia Spellman – Vice President of Sirius Finance.

The 1 million-credits-a-head dinner will see the Federation’s rich and famous rub shoulders with some of the galaxy’s most influential powerbrokers. One of the main topics of conversation is expected to revolve around fiscal responsibility in the face of the continued failing of the current Federal leadership.

Notable absences include President Halsey and Vice President Naylor, both of whom were reportedly not invited to the star-studded event. Further reports indicate that well-known liberal leaning corporations such as Better Green Developments, Roach Investment Banking, Worster Insurance, Lycan Moon Mining and Benton’s Natural Remedies were also all deliberately blocked from attending.

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."