Galnet News

Hundreds of thousands of political refugees who fled from the Empire to the Federation have brought both superpowers to the brink of conflict.

The Marlinists, who believe in restructuring the Empire into a republic, escaped crackdowns in several Imperial systems during a hunt for Neo-Marlinist terrorists.

The Federation has provided temporary safe haven for the refugees. However, security concerns proved to be justified when the NMLA bombed a Federal starport where captured members were being held.

The Federal Security Service provided this update:

“The Marlinists themselves have informed us of more individuals among them with NMLA connections. The risk of terrorism from this population is now low, although it’s impossible to know exactly how many have been radicalised.”

There have been heated debates in Congress over granting citizenship to the Marlinists. President Hudson insisted that “all illegal aliens must be deported”, and has strengthened the Federal Navy as a defensive measure in light of the Empire’s warnings.

Conversely, Shadow President Winters argued that “turning away starving refugees to face imprisonment and discrimination would be immoral”. She also noted that the same principles of democratic representation found in Marlinism are enshrined in the Federal Accord.

This disagreement between the Republican and Liberal Parties has led to stalemate, with the fate of the Marlinists hanging in the balance.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Temporary price reductions have been announced for several Lakon vessels, in an effort to increase short-term profits.

Lakon Spaceways has applied a 30% discount on sales of the following ship types:

Asp Scout

Diamondback Scout

Keelback

Type-7 Transporter

Type-10 Defender

The reduced prices are expected to last until the 30th of December 3306.

Some industry analysts believe this is an attempt to increase short-term payouts for Lakon’s shareholders, many of whom have complained about falling dividends. Other investors have publicly pressured the company to accept a takeover bid from the Federal corporation Core Dynamics.

These issues were addressed by Naomi Landseer, chairperson of Lakon’s board of directors:

“It is true that profit margins are not as impressive as in previous years, but we can assure all stakeholders and customers that Lakon Spaceways remains financially secure. We project an upswing in military contracts during this turbulent time, and our achievements on behalf of the Alliance position us as one of the galaxy’s premiere shipbuilders.”

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Parallel campaigns in the Empire and the Federation to provide commodities for building new capital ships have ended.

The Federal Navy’s construction programme was boosted by deliveries of building fabricators, microbial furnaces and energy grid assemblies. Contributing pilots can now collect their rewards at Schweickart City in the Parutis system.

As a result, 5 newly completed Farragut-class Battle Cruisers will become operational within a matter of days. They are expected to be patrolling in several Federal systems including Atropos, Iman Caber, LHS 142, LFT 367 and Wolf 25.

The Imperial Navy is also rewarding all traders who delivered building fabricators, microbial furnaces and energy grid assemblies for use in its shipyards. Payments can be collected from Miyasaka Orbital in the Mandh system.

It has been confirmed that 4 new Majestic-class Interdictors will shortly join the fleet. Filed flight plans suggest that their shakedown cruises will take place in the Chimechilo, Orannika, Theta Indi and Zelano systems.

As well as capital ships, Federal Congress and the Imperial Senate have both increased funding for other military operations, including support vessels and ground forces.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Sirius Atmospherics has requested help from independent pilots to provide exploration data focusing on ammonia worlds for terraforming purposes.

The subsidiary of Sirius Corporation is working in partnership with the Alliance to establish colonies within the Coalsack Nebula, and to identify sites of commercial and scientific interest.

Dr Maximilian North, Sirius Atmospherics’s project director, outlined the requirements:

“We have developed revolutionary new terraforming procedures for terrestrial planets with ammonia-based atmospheres. Our collaboration with the Alliance is the perfect opportunity to try and put these to practical use, with the goal of transforming the region into a more human-friendly place.”

“Sirius Atmospherics offers rewards for explorers who can provide us with exploration data. We are particularly interested in detailed scans focusing on the composition of ammonia worlds, not just in the Coalsack Nebula but elsewhere. Gathering wide-ranging data will enable us to determine the most suitable targets for environmental conversion.”

Pilots are requested to deliver exploration data to the Sirius Atmospherics research facility at Betancourt Base in the Musca Dark Region PJ-P b6-1 system.

A proposal by the Federal corporation Core Dynamics to purchase the construction company Lakon Spaceways has been officially rejected.

Naomi Landseer, chairperson of Lakon’s board of directors, made this statement:

“We thank Mr Rochester and his team for their approach. However, I can confirm that Lakon Spaceways will remain an independent company.”

Business reporter Irfan Karim analysed the situation more closely for The Alliance Tribune:

“This decision has surprised many analysts, considering the persistent rumours that Lakon is in far greater difficulty than financial statements would suggest. Although its shipbuilding partnership with the Alliance proved highly lucrative, insiders believe that the firm has overstretched itself in terms of resources and manpower.”

“There have also been public comments from high-profile shareholders in Lakon, who are pressuring the board to accept ownership by Core Dynamics. Some complain of falling dividends, while others accuse Ms Landseer of focusing exclusively on Alliance contracts.”

A spokesperson for Core Dynamics confirmed that the offer to purchase Lakon Spaceways has not yet been withdrawn, and that CEO Jupiter Rochester is looking at all available options.