Galnet News

The wedding of Princess Aisling Duval and Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester is now in the advanced planning stages, and a date has been confirmed for the ceremony.

An official proclamation was printed in both The Federal Times and The Imperial Herald:

“Her Imperial Highness Princess Aisling Duval and the honourable Ambassador Jordan Rochester are pleased to announce the occasion of their wedding on Saturday 25th August 3304 at the Imperial Palace on Emerald in the Cemiess system.”

“Invitations have been extended to representatives of every strata of society. An honour guard of vessels from both the Federal Navy and the Imperial Navy will be in attendance. The couple’s wish is for all citizens of the galaxy to join together in celebration of their union.”

There has been criticism of Princess Duval’s choice of husband, with some Imperial citizens voicing dismay at the forthcoming nuptials. Senator Zemina Torval continued to publicly air her disapproval:

“This is nothing but a PR exercise, designed purely for political and financial gain. The princess should not be undermining the Empire’s policies for her own personal benefit.”

But there is equal support for what many consider a genuine romance. Former Federal President Jasmina Halsey, now acting as an advisor to the Alliance, stated:

“I am very enthusiastic about the opportunities for peace that this marriage will bring. This relationship symbolises a new era of amity that will benefit all of humanity.”

An appeal has been launched to find the owner of a lottery ticket worth one billion credits.

The Federal Grand Lottery is the largest of its kind, regularly handing out millions of credits. The Grand Lottery also funds a wide range of social and infrastructure projects in Federation systems.

The annual Galactic Jackpot is by far the most popular lottery game, but on this occasion the winner has yet to make a claim. Purchase of the winning ticket has been confirmed, but no data is available as to who bought the ticket or when.

Tori Theopolis, a spokesperson for the Federal Grand Lottery, told the media:

“Someone out there is rich beyond his or her wildest dreams – they just don’t know it yet. We’re keen to find this lucky individual so we can hand over their winnings. We ask all citizens to check with any lottery players they know. Your soon-to-be-billionaire friend or relative might be very grateful for your help!”

The Didiomanja Emperor’s Grace Academy has announced that its initiative has reached a successful conclusion. Large quantities of exotic food and drink, and mined resources, were delivered to Leydenfrost Dock over the past week, allowing the organisation to host a sumptuous banquet and construct a monument in honour of Admiral Mira Tiverion.

A spokesperson for the Didiomanja Emperor’s Grace Academy released the following statement:

“That was a banquet fit for an emperor. The food was sumptuous, the drink exquisite, and the revelry went on well into the early hours. I am certain Admiral Tiverion would have approved.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Leydenfrost Dock, in the Didiomanja system.

Cobra Wing, an independent organisation based in Ebor, has launched an initiative to build a new research outpost in the system.

The outpost will support further research into the Thargoids, focusing specifically on the possibility of inter-species communication.

A spokesperson for Cobra Wing gave the following statement:

“Without communication, there can be no understanding. Without understanding, there can be no peace. We ask the galactic community to support this campaign, which will support new research into the Thargoids and their methods of communication.”

In support of this goal, Cobra Wing has placed an open order for various commodities, and has promised to reward pilots who deliver these commodities to Morris Enterprise in the Ebor system. The organisation has also placed a kill order on all ships on its wanted list, to ensure that those contributing commodities to the campaign can do so safely.

The campaign begins on the 12th July 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

A member of the Alliance Council of Admirals has been arrested by the taskforce investigating terrorist organisation the League of Reparation.

Admiral George Varma was confronted by Captain Niamh Seutonia and Senior Agent Tanya Ramirez during a meeting of admiralty staff at the Donaldson starport in Alioth. Despite protests, he was placed under arrest and escorted to a secure facility.

Captain Seutonia gave a brief statement to the media:

“We have been trying to determine how the League of Reparation gained access to military-issue weapons, equipment and encryption. We now have evidence that Admiral Varma was secretly redirecting cargo shipments from the Alliance Defence Force to terrorist cells. It’s highly likely that Varma is Nexus, the organisation’s coordinator, and we are proceeding on that assumption.”

The arrest has created diplomatic ripples, with Federal and Imperial ambassadors being summoned before the Alliance Assembly. Council member Jed Trager told The Alliance Tribune:

“For agents of the Federal Intelligence Agency and Imperial Internal Security Service to abduct an Alliance admiral is an egregious transgression. They will not get away with this.”

The Council of Admirals has called for an independent inquiry to verify the accusations levied at Admiral Varma. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon made a public statement:

“This has come as a great shock, but the body of evidence against Admiral Varma is considerable. I am confident that the trial will be fair, and that our own representative within the tri-superpower taskforce will ensure that justice is done.”

Deputy Inspector Klatt was unavailable for comment.

This report presents the latest data on starports experiencing technical issues as a result of Thargoid Sensor related interference.

The following starports are currently closed:

De Lay Survey, Ahemaker

Hurston Platform, Yamahun

Malthus Terminal, Pleiades Sector HR-W d1-41

Mitchell Ring, Carnoeck

Neumann Camp, Shinrarta Dezhra

Norgay Hub, Obambori

Meanwhile, the following starports are on the brink of closure:

Alexandria Dock, Chanab

Antonio de Andrade Enterprise, Ratemere

Burnell Station, Sol

Digges Terminal, Checha

Hutton Orbital, Alpha Centauri

Newholm Station, Sothis

O'Leary Vision, Segon

Riebe Enterprise, Checha

Sharon Lee Free Market, Orrere

The Church of Eternal Void has denounced the so-called Far God cult, which worships the Thargoids.

A spokesperson identified as Cardinal Hieronymous made this statement:

“As disciples of the Guardians, we hereby declare war on those who have sold their souls to the Thargoid demons. We vow to expunge their poisonous creed and purge them from the galaxy.”

Since this statement was made, the Church has seen a dramatic upswing in support from local communities. Juanita Bishop, who has been campaigning against the Far God sect, commented:

“It’s about time somebody did something! The public need to get behind the Church and help them get these alien-lovers off our streets.”

Security forces in many systems have issued reminders that the Far God sect is legally recognised as a religion, and that any hostility against its members will be considered a criminal act.

Dr Alfred Ulyanov, a leading exotheologian, discussed the situation on the Rewired news feed:

“A number of doomsayer cults have emerged recently, including Homo Terminus, Nova Imperium and the Order of Extinction. But of all those I’ve studied, the Church of Eternal Void differs in one key respect – it offers hope. They claim that veneration of the Guardians will prevent Thargoid Armageddon, which is probably why they’re the most popular, being based on a classic binary theology of good versus evil.”

“It’s apparent that the Church is taking advantage of animosity towards the Far God sect to promote itself. The idea of Thargoid spies in human form, although baseless, has caused much anxiety. By declaring the Cult a holy adversary, the Church validates its own existence.”

Here are this week’s major stories.

A series of successful operations against the League of Reparation has led to much of the terrorist group being dismantled. But while the group has been dealt a severe blow, agents have yet to identify the organisation’s coordinator, Nexus.

Meanwhile, an independent report suggests that a fringe Thargoid-worshipping cult may in fact be harbouring undercover Thargoid agents. A leading exotheologian responded by saying that he did not believe the group to be a threat, despite its unsettling beliefs.

Political journalist Cassia Carvalho has compiled a profile on Jordan Rochester, fiancé of Princess Aisling Duval, for The Imperial Herald. The article documents Rochester’s family history, and raises the question of how he will balance being both a Federal statesman and an Imperial consort.

In other news, celebrated author Olav Redcourt has begun a promotional tour that will take him to over fifty destinations throughout the core systems. The tour will support Redcourt’s new novel, ‘Corsair King and the Storm of Desire’, the fourteenth in a series of swashbuckling historical romances set in the 27th century.

Didiomanja Emperor's Grace has completed work on the Tiverion Academy, a flight school for Imperial naval cadets, and is hosting an inaugural banquet to mark the event. The organisation has placed an open order for exotic food and drinks, to be served at the celebratory banquet, and issued an appeal for mined resources, which will be used to construct a statue of Admiral Mira Tiverion.

Finally, the campaign to supply a scientific project in Colonia has now concluded, and construction of a resource-management centre has begun. Hundreds of independent pilots made the journey to deliver commodities to Tir Technology Services in the Tir system.

And those are the main stories this week.

Responding to public interest in Princess Aisling Duval’s fiancé, Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester, political journalist Cassia Carvalho has compiled a profile for The Imperial Herald:

“Jordan Rochester is now a household name throughout the Empire, though few were aware of him prior to his engagement to Princess Duval. But in the Federation, the Rochesters have been associated with success for over two hundred years.”

“The Rochester name can be traced back to self-made tycoon Apollo Rochester, who was the biggest landowner on Biggs Colony in the Altair system. Each generation since has strived for fame and wealth, and the expression ‘as rich as a Rochester’ has become common parlance.”

“The family matriarch is Isolde Rochester. She is a member of Congress, an influential figure in the Liberal Party and a staunch supporter of Shadow President Felicia Winters. Isolde raised five children, including Jordan, and it was her accomplishments that inspired her son to enter politics.”

“Jordan’s siblings chose different paths. The eldest, Jupiter Rochester, is an executive with Core Dynamics, with a personal fortune in the billions. Fifteen years ago he had his own celebrity marriage, to actor Tomas Turai. They now have two teenage children, daughter Kali and son Kalen.”

“Jordan’s sisters, Juno and Jocasta, have impressive Navy careers, holding the ranks of Vice Admiral and Post Captain respectively. Only Jordan’s younger brother, Jonah, has no title. He is believed to be the black sheep of the family.”

“Despite being just 34, Jordan has already made his mark. He has overseen several high-level negotiations on behalf of the Federal Diplomatic Corps and is now a trusted envoy, noted for his charm and tact.”

“His future will be interesting, to say the least. How will he balance being both a Federal statesman and an Imperial consort? And what are the wider ramifications of the Rochester dynasty aligning with the House of Duval? Even more so than his predecessors, Jordan Rochester has already ensured that history will remember his family’s name.”

The Didiomanja Emperor’s Grace has completed work on the Tiverion Academy, a flight school for Imperial naval cadets. The organisation is hosting an inaugural banquet to mark the event, and to honour the late Admiral Mira Tiverion, the organisation’s founding member, who will have a monument erected at the site.

A spokesperson for the Didiomanja Emperor’s Grace released the following statement:

“The Tiverion Academy will provide new recruits with cutting-edge training facilities. To host a fitting banquet for its inauguration, we require help in sourcing a range of exotic food and drink. We also require a quantity of gold to make the monument raised in the Admiral’s memory a truly spectacular tribute.”

The campaign begins on the 5th of July 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.