Galnet News

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Councillor Nakato Kaine have launched rival delivery initiatives in Alliance space.

The two leading candidates for Alliance prime minister are attempting to gather public support, although the actual election will be determined by votes within the Assembly on the 27th of May.

Every opinion poll suggests that Mahon’s victory is all but confirmed, which will grant him a second six-year term. However, the outcomes of these community drives will directly affect the successful candidate’s policies once in office.

Prime Minister Mahon is focusing on increasing industrial materials to aid expansion. He has requested that shipments of ceramic composites, polymers and superconductors are delivered to Dublin Citadel in the Gateway system.

Councillor Kaine aims to support local manufacturers in order to boost trade. She has asked for supplies of copper, micro-controllers and polymers to be delivered to Brett High in the Tionisla system.

Whoever is most successful will run a second campaign the following week. Mahon will launch a tritium mining initiative, leading to the construction of new Alliance starports. Kaine will use void opal mining to help stimulate trade, increasing the availability of rare goods in Alliance-controlled systems.

The front-runner candidates in the Alliance election have stepped up their campaigns, amid widespread political and civil unrest.

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Councillor Nakato Kaine are touring across the Alliance, gathering public support to sway the Assembly when it votes on the 27th of May.

Attending a business sector conference on the planet Industry in the Zaonce system, Prime Minister Mahon stated:

“We’ve heard a lot of reactionary rhetoric from Councillor Kaine, but it’s much easier to be critical than constructive. She has done little to secure the prosperity of our people and companies, which was my primary focus over the last six years.”

At a protest march on New Caledonia in the Alkaid system, Councillor Kaine addressed the crowd:

“Again, the Thargoids lash out at our presence. Again, we prop up the other superpowers. Again, we pump money into Aegis and Lakon but not our own economies. Nothing changes, unless Mahon is voted out and the Alliance takes a new direction!”

Opinion polls suggest that Mahon has retained majority support, but with a narrower margin than in February when the election was originally scheduled. Many agree with Kaine that the Alliance should not have participated in the Galactic Summit, which led to the ‘Nine Martyrs’ bombings.

The Proactive Detection Bureau, which monitors all civil communications in the Federation, has received a boost from the galactic community.

President Hudson’s campaign for additional data proved so successful that the PDB has dramatically increased the range of its surveillance.

Deputy Director Bethany Blake of the Federal Intelligence Agency announced:

“We are now able to discreetly scan almost every private and public communications network used within Federal systems. As a result, arrest rates have soared and several organised crime rings have been dismantled.”

Shadow President Winters’s efforts to distribute methods of blocking the PDB received considerable support, but failed to eclipse Hudson’s initiative. This was interpreted by the Federal government as a mandate from the citizens to continue its surveillance programme.

Rhiannon Grady, director of the civil rights organisation Advocacy, told the media:

“Since the vast majority of citizens will never receive a visit from the FIA for their activities, the public has no sense of what they have lost. But history teaches us how hard it is to regain freedoms once you’ve given them away. The Federation has taken a large step toward becoming an interstellar police state with little regard for the individual.”

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Thargoid forces have invaded the Delphi system and several systems in the California, Coalsack and Pleiades Nebulas.

Huge numbers of Thargoid scouts and interceptors have appeared within multiple systems. Aegis has mobilised available defences, but also requested assistance from anti-xeno squadrons and independent pilots in combating the Thargoids.

Shipments of Guardian artefacts were recently delivered to the Delphi system as part of an Aegis research programme. Professor Alba Tesreau has speculated that the Thargoids’ well-documented aversion to Guardian technology may be the reason why Delphi was targeted.

Two starports recently constructed by the Kumo Crew syndicate – California Freeport in the HIP 18390 system and Fort Xeno in the HIP 62154 system – are among those seriously damaged by the assault. Archon Delaine, the syndicate’s warlord, announced:

“I’m not going to let these filthy aliens tear down what we’ve only just built. We need to teach them a lesson that even they will understand!”

All attacked stations have called upon the galactic community for help with rescuing their populations.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

The conflict in the Paresa system has ended with Nova Imperium defeating the Federal-backed League of Mandu faction.

Imperator Hadrian Augustus Duval had been targeted following accusations that he controlled the NMLA paramilitary group. He delivered a public address:

“Our hard-earned victory brings great honour to all who fought against the Federation’s invasion. Their arrogance justifies our long-held belief that the Empire must stand apart from other superpowers, but Nova Imperium will continue to serve in the fight against terrorism. Memento Mordanticus!”

Ambassador Catherine Carlisle of the Federal Diplomatic Corps made this statement:

“Although we are grateful for their zeal in combatting the NMLA, our intermediaries at the League of Mandu have acted hastily and will soon depart from Imperial space.”

Pilots who fought for Nova Imperium can now collect their rewards from Dyson City in the Paresa system.

Pilots who fought for the League of Mandu can now collect their rewards from Harmony’s Shield in the Paresa system.

There are widespread fears that current hostilities in the Paresa system may force the Empire and Federation to declare full-scale war.

The situation has been covered by mainstream media.

The Imperial Herald: “Hadrian might be the black sheep of the Duval family, but should he die by Federation hands, honour would demand retribution. Already the Imperial Navy is mobilising in anticipation of the Emperor’s reaction.”

The Federal Times: “The evidence that Nova Imperium orchestrated the starport bombings is credible, but the possibility of subterfuge remains. Could the NMLA really fake so many orders from Hadrian Duval to such a believable standard?”

Eye on Achenar: “An attack against a Duval is an attack against us all, even if he does turn out to be a terrorist. How dare those Fednecks try to judge our criminals for us!”

Sol Today: “Hundreds of thousands dead, half a million wounded… our people deserve retribution. But as usual, all the Imposers care about is pandering to their monarchy.”

Paresa News Network: “The death toll is soaring as full-blown battles rage through our system. Paresans are terrified at facing conquest by the Federation. Can we rely on the Empire to save us?”

The election of the Alliance prime minister will take place on the 27th of May, having been postponed due to the Galactic Summit.

Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, reported:

“Prime Minister Edmund Mahon’s decision to postpone the election for three months caused enormous disruption and mass protests. This may have mortally wounded his campaign to be re-elected as head of government for a second six-year term.”

“With hindsight it’s clear that Mahon was prioritising the Sirius Treaty, a detailed proposal to unite the superpowers against the Thargoids. Unfortunately, the Galactic Summit was prematurely halted by the ‘Nine Martyrs’ bombings before the treaty could be agreed.”

“Although there are several candidates, Mahon’s only serious challenger is Councillor Nakato Kaine. She has been a vocal critic of his expansionist policies, and gained much public support for her focus on boosting trade between Alliance systems.”

“Electoral votes will be cast by members of the Alliance Assembly, whose decisions reflect popular opinion in their constituencies. No previous prime minister has served more than a single term, so it remains to be seen whether Mahon will defy precedent or Kaine will follow the pattern of history.”

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

The enigmatic ‘Salvation’ has sent a message to the Commanders he recently recruited to discover the Hesperus megaship.

The vessel was found in the Perseus Dark Region KC-V C2-2 system, after ‘Salvation’ provided an access key to read its automated SOS. Pilots were then encouraged to deliver any surviving logs to Taurus Mining Ventures at the Hind Mine asteroid base in the T Tauri system.

Patience Middleton, a representative of the corporation, announced:

“‘Salvation’ has authorised us to offer two million credits or ten units of void opals for delivering the Hesperus’s logs. This contract ends on the 21st of May 3307, after which payments will not be available.”

“We have been asked to relay the message below.”

“‘This is Salvation. I call myself this as I cannot yet reveal my identity, but my scientific breakthroughs will literally save all of humanity. The Adamastor and the Hesperus were just the beginning, as I have always known. For my intrepid agents, there will be further work to come.’”

Little is known about Taurus Mining Ventures, and ‘Salvation’ remains anonymous. Commanders are therefore being cautioned against undertaking tasks for a potentially criminal organisation.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Open warfare has begun in the Paresa system between Nova Imperium and the League of Mandu, a Federal faction.

Imperator Hadrian Augustus Duval has been accused of masterminding the NMLA starport bombings, according to evidence provided to ACT.

Admiral Natalia Lee, commanding the Harmony’s Shield megaship, declared:

“The Empire refuses to arrest a Duval, even when he and his organisation are brutal terrorists. In the name of the hundreds of thousands of Federal citizens they murdered, we will enact justice.”

Hadrian Duval made an announcement from Dyson City, the home station of Nova Imperium:

“This invasion of Imperial space is based on false information. The Federation does not have the right to act as our judge, jury and executioner. I call upon the Empire to come to our defence, as stipulated in the Treaty of Paresa.”

Nova Imperium is an isolationist group that believes in retaining Imperial traditions and severing all ties with other superpowers. Hadrian Duval is the illegitimate grandson of Emperor Hengist, whose heritage was officially acknowledged last November.

ACT is currently working to verify claims that the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid aided the NMLA on Imperator Duval’s instructions.

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

President Zachary Hudson’s call for data deliveries has enhanced civilian surveillance within the Federation.

His campaign received more data than a competing request from Shadow President Felicia Winters, which aimed to offer ways of protecting communications against interception by the Proactive Detection Bureau.

For both initiatives, pilots delivered anomalous bulk scan data, exceptional scrambled emission data, specialised legacy firmware and unusual encrypted files.

President Zachary Hudson hailed this show of public support for the Federal government:

“Our citizens deserve security, and with their contributions to the PDB’s databases, we are now in a better position to protect them against terrorism.”

Analysts predict that this outcome will boost security for systems that fall within Hudson’s personal sphere of influence. It is also expected that a loss of public support will reduce stability within systems where Winters has authority.

Pilots who supported President Hudson can now collect their rewards from Gresley Dock in the Nanomam system.

Pilots who supported Shadow President Winters can now collect their rewards from Ito Orbital in the Rhea system.