Galnet News

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

An Imperial Intelligence detention facility discovered in the R CRA Sector AF-A d42 system has been repudiated by the Empire.

The outpost, named Serene Harbour, was located after its distress call was shared publicly by the Pilots Federation. According to the Commander Andee-X- who first investigated the site, all its occupants were dead as the result of what appeared to be a prisoner breakout.

Unlike the Imperial Internal Security Service, the Imperial Intelligence organisation has no spokespeople or public channels. However, Senator Karl Nerva told the media:

“The claim that high-security prisoners and terrorists are being tortured for information in an unregistered outpost is categorically false. There is no such place as ‘Serene Harbour’.”

“We believe that independent pilots have been duped by a Federal ploy to undermine the Empire, using fake locations and logs for theatrical effect. I assure all citizens that Imperial Intelligence operates fully within the law and remains vigilant against all threats.”

When asked about Commandant Gabriel De Luca, who was identified by surviving logs at the outpost, Senator Nerva replied:

“Captain De Luca was indeed an agent of Imperial Intelligence, but died on active duty several years ago. It’s obvious that this respected hero’s identity has been stolen to add credibility to anti-Imperial disinformation.”

Evidence presented at the trial of Fleet Admiral Vincent suggested financial links to Federal shipbuilding corporation Core Dynamics.

This significant development was covered by Ethan Takahashi for The Federal Times:

“The initial investigations around Starship One’s destruction in 3301 were outlined by the prosecution. When the Federal Attorney’s Office revisited this historical data, traces were found of financial transfers routed through non-Federation banking systems.”

“The FAO brought in the expertise of the Wallglass Investigations Agency, which discovered that these transactions were made via shell companies created by Core Dynamics. Fleet Admiral Vincent, as well as several other naval officers, received billions of credits through these companies that went undeclared.”

“Vincent refused to answer any questions about this evidence, once again claiming that he is the victim of a conspiracy to hand the presidency to Felicia Winters.”

Despite multiple requests from the press, Core Dynamics has not made any public comment. There are unverified reports of large-scale activity taking place at some of the corporation’s centres of operation.

The Alliance Assembly has agreed to delay electing a new prime minister to avoid clashing with the forthcoming Galactic Summit.

The proposal to postpone the election date came from Prime Minister Edmund Mahon:

“Now that the diplomatic conference has been confirmed, we must adapt to take advantage of this historic event. A potential change in leadership occurring at the same time as the Galactic Summit would cause confusion and undermine the Alliance’s presence.”

Although Mahon’s proposal was voted through by a narrow margin, many council members disagreed with altering the political calendar. Councillor Nakato Kaine, who is a candidate in the election, declared:

“It is outrageous that the prime minister is using this as an excuse to extend his term in office. Once again, he is more concerned with projecting the Alliance as a superpower than the interests of member systems. This behaviour is what you’d expect from a corrupt emperor or president, clinging onto power at any cost.”

The Assembly has rescheduled the election to take place three months later in May 3307, although this remains only provisional.

At the trial of Fleet Admiral Vincent, former President Jasmina Halsey has revealed possible reasons behind the sabotage of Starship One in 3301.

Crime correspondent Ethan Takahashi reported from the Federal High Court:

“Jasmina Halsey provided details of a top-level Federal Cabinet meeting in late April 3301, an event which was never declassified. Its aim was to address the high levels of public dissatisfaction with her administration.”

“At the meeting, Halsey explained that she had been inspired by various peace activists to refocus on the wellbeing of citizens. She planned to reduce taxes, invest in social infrastructure and slash Federal Navy spending. As yet this was only a preliminary plan, to be implemented later that year.”

“Halsey told the court that only a dozen officials were present at this meeting, including Fleet Admiral Vincent. All were told that this forthcoming sea change in policy was confidential, but to expect major budget changes in the coming months.”

“The prosecution counsel stated that Vincent was therefore aware that naval defunding was imminent, something which would reduce his personal influence. It would also impact powerful individuals who Vincent was illegally connected to, evidence of which would be presented in due course.”

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

An encrypted message seems to provide planetary coordinates related to the mysterious signal from ‘Serene Harbour’.

The message received by the Pilots Federation was as follows:

Welcome to Serene Harbour. 56.4 latitude -8.3 longitude. Theta Seven.

Although this pinpoints a geographical area on a planetary surface, the astronomical location of this body remains a mystery. It is unclear whether ‘Theta Seven’ refers to additional map coordinates of some kind, or is a code-phrase intended for unknown recipients.

Little is known about the original distress call, other than its brief content:

This is an emergency broadcast on all frequencies from Serene Harbour. We are –

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

An independent vessel has detected a fragment of a mysterious message coming from an unexplored region of space.

Commander Elsa Solomon was travelling through the Swoilz XX-D c1-30 system when her ship’s communications array picked up a faint transmission. The message was as follows:

This is an emergency broadcast on all frequencies from Serene Harbour. We are –

The transmission ended abruptly and did not resume. The signal did not contain any identification data or indications as to its origin.

Commander Solomon gave more details to Vox Galactica:

“The message appeared in my comms panels as text and an electronically generated voice. I wasn’t able to determine a source, only that it was broadcast within 80 light years of that system. My schedule was tight so I couldn’t spend long tracking it.”

“I have no idea if Serene Harbour is a starport, a settlement or even a megaship, but this is obviously a mayday signal. Someone somewhere is in serious trouble. I’ve asked the Pilots Federation to share the information in case any of my fellow Commanders can help.”

To help triangulate the source, there is a callout to any other ships that were in the area at the time, which may have received a similar broadcast. However, no responses have been received as yet.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Sirius Corporation has received more data than Utopia and will therefore host the Galactic Summit.

Both organisations proposed to organise a diplomatic conference for the Alliance, Empire and Federation. After calling on the galactic community to gather data that would support security operations, many pilots handed in anomalous bulk scan data, atypical disrupted wake echoes, exceptional scrambled emission data and unusual encrypted files.

All three superpower governments confirmed that due to its success in preparing effective security systems, they will accept Sirius Corporation as the neutral territory for the conference.

CEO Li Yong-Rui made this announcement:

“Thank you to all the independent pilots who supported us. Sirius will now begin work preparing for the first Galactic Summit, which we hope will increase peace and prosperity across the galaxy.”

Pilots who delivered to Sirius Corporation can collect their rewards from Goldstein Port in the Lembava system.

Simguru Pranav Antal expressed disappointment, but confirmed that all who contributed to Utopia’s initiative will be rewarded at Tanner Settlement in the Polevnic system.

Sirius Corporation has stated that the Galactic Summit is provisionally scheduled to take place over a three-week period in late February and early March.

Former President Jasmina Halsey has taken the witness stand during the trial of Fleet Admiral Lucas Vincent at the Federal High Court.

Crime correspondent Ethan Takahashi reported the details for The Federal Times:

“Jasmina Halsey confirmed that the orders for Starship One’s unscheduled stopover in the Azaleach system came directly from Fleet Admiral Vincent. She added that the presidential itinerary was often altered for various mundane reasons, and at the time this seemed routine.”

“Halsey also provided an account of the vessel’s destruction, describing the chaos and panic onboard as the hyperspace misjump caused rapid structural disintegration. She praised her security detail for getting her into a cryogenic stasis pod and launching it moments before Starship One exploded.”

“During cross-examination, the defence counsel quoted her reported visions after being rescued, when Halsey described meeting the ‘caretakers of our galaxy’ and experiencing the ‘infinities of the cosmos’. It was suggested that the testimony of someone suffering from such obvious delusions should be discounted.”

“Halsey admitted that she no longer has any memory of making those statements, and may have been suffering from post-traumatic shock. She then provided the court with psychological reports and neural scans from the Alliance’s finest doctors, medically confirming that she is of sound state of mind.”

The Federal High Court on Mars has opened the trial of Fleet Admiral Lucas Vincent, who is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and treason.

Vincent stands accused of organising the sabotage of Starship One in 3301, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

The Federal Times’s crime correspondent Ethan Takahashi reported:

“The trial began with the prosecution counsel outlining the case. Material evidence obtained from Chief Technician Rory Webster, whose testimony led to Vincent’s arrest, was presented before the jury.”

“Vincent was questioned about a secure transmission from his office to the presidential vessel on the 24th of May 3301, ordering an unscheduled diversion to the Azaleach system for routine maintenance. This is where Webster’s engineering team followed Vincent’s orders to install the sabotaged hyperdrive component that caused the misjump.”

“Evading the questions, Vincent claimed that the entire trial was a ‘Liberal Party cover-up’ and that Starship One was destroyed ‘to put Winters in charge’.”

“With the loss of President Halsey and Vice President Naylor, Felicia Winters did indeed assume the role of acting president and became leader of the Liberal Party. However, the defence counsel played down these accusations, instead declaring that Webster’s recordings of Vincent’s orders could have been falsified.”

Councillor Nakato Kaine is visiting key systems across the Alliance as part of her bid to be elected as the next prime minister.

Of all the challengers to the incumbent Edmund Mahon, Kaine has the most support from fellow council members. She has represented the Tionisla system for nearly a decade, and is renowned for delivering forceful speeches before the Assembly.

Kaine’s disapproval of the expansionist policies in recent years has struck a chord with people in many systems. She also has a strong reputation among the ‘Old Worlds’, which are viewed as the historic hub of the Alliance.

During a political rally on Leesti, Councillor Kaine directly criticised her election opponent:

“Prime Minister Mahon clearly thinks that the Alliance must mimic the Empire’s arrogance and the Federation’s corporate greed. He has repeatedly led us into conflict with the Thargoid race, risking millions of lives so we could raid their territories like thieves in the night.”

“I believe that we should be inspired by the mutual cooperation that once made the Old Worlds thrive. We must invest in trade and security to benefit our member systems, instead of pretending to be a monolithic superpower.”