Galnet News

Trillionaire entrepreneur Zachary Rackham has launched his campaign to be elected as Federal president in the forthcoming election.

He outlined several policies during a press event in the tropospheric suite of Rackham’s Spire on the planet Homeland:

“As I see it, the job of president is to help ordinary, hard-working people from humble backgrounds – just like me. So I pledge to reduce all civil taxes and public service fees, and boost government funding for business grants and commercial opportunities. Let’s make everyone rich and successful – just like me!”

Mr Rackham is running for the position of Federal president as an independent candidate and claims support from several corporate interests including Rackham Capital Investments. His manifesto has triggered a surge in popularity, with several high-profile celebrities promoting his campaign slogan: ‘Just Like Me’.

However, economists have noted that his tax-cutting proposals remain uncosted and are considered virtually unachievable. The journalist Bryanna Blanco, who has been investigating Mr Rackham’s business affairs for years, described his presidential promises as “populist nonsense from a former pirate turned politician”.

The presidential election will be held in June 3309. Shadow President Felicia Winters has confirmed that she will represent the Liberal Party, with Congressman Isolde Rochester as her running mate.

The Republican Party candidate will be announced after Congress’s vote on the Hudson Contravention, which is scheduled for mid-March. If this constitutional amendment is approved, it will permit President Zachary Hudson to stand for a second eight-year term. Other senior Republican congressmen, including Vice President Jerome Archer, are also preparing their electoral campaigns.

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Deliveries are requested in Duamta to fast-track production of a module that protects ships in caustic environments.

Professor Alba Tesreau, the head of Aegis, provided these details:

“We are grateful to Aden Tanner for personally testing our prototype caustic sink launcher. The electrochemical reaction within the Maelstrom cloud was successfully channelled into semi-liquid anodes for ejection. This kept the ship hull intact for considerably longer before Tanner was forced to withdraw.”

“Aegis is setting up manufacturing and distribution centres to make the caustic sink launcher widely available. The Alliance, Empire and Federation will all contribute, but we know that the process can be accelerated with the direct support of the galactic community.”

“Therefore, we have an open order for shipments of advanced catalysers, heatsink interlinks and palladium. We also require caustic tissue samples obtained from the caustic generators that can be found inside the Maelstrom clouds. I urge pilots to exercise caution as these are highly dangerous to obtain, but crucial to the modules’ manufacturing process.”

Pilots can deliver these resources to the Orunmilla in the Duamta system. Aegis confirmed that the first commercially produced caustic sink launchers will be awarded to the initiative’s top contributors.

Xenological research groups have reacted positively to this development. Director Ivano Colombera of the Imperial Science Academy stated:

“Aegis has immediately justified its reformation with this contribution to the war effort. The caustic sink launcher will allow more data on the Maelstroms to be gathered, thus furthering our understanding of the Thargoids’ capabilities.”

An overview of recent developments regarding the Thargoid conflict, as reported by Jade Sanderlyn on the Vox Galactica newsfeed.

“Over the last month, Thargoid fleets have continued expanding outwards from the eight Maelstroms. The front lines of the war are relentlessly encroaching deeper into the core systems, leaving desolation and death in their wake.”

“A dedicated resistance force won a few precious victories, with 61 systems fully liberated from Thargoid control. But compared to the 634 systems that have been overrun, it would be optimistic to suggest the aliens’ advance is being significantly impeded at this stage.”

“Fierce fighting has also broken out in the California and Witch Head Nebulas. It’s been speculated that the Thargoids seek to secure the barnacle sites seeded in those regions millennia ago… a reminder that this species may view all of our space as its original territory.”

“Despite these grim developments, practical support arrived in the form of Azimuth Biotech’s experimental weapons stabilisers and Professor Palin’s improved xeno scanner. Both were welcomed by independent pilots, increasing their chances of triumphing over the powerful Thargoid vessels.”

“Of course, the biggest news is the resurrection of Aegis. Key figures in the Alliance, Empire and Federation managed to re-establish the anti-xeno agency that was once abandoned in favour of Salvation. Already there are promises of technological breakthroughs, including the ability for ships to better withstand the caustic hell inside the Maelstroms.”

“As our best and brightest work together in earnest, time will tell if they can prevent this war from overwhelming us all. This is Jade Sanderlyn for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”

Aegis has produced a prototype module that increases a ship’s ability to survive within caustic environments.

Professor Alba Tesreau, head of the newly reformed agency, published this statement:

“The blueprints provided by Petra Olmanova have been rapidly developed by Aegis’s newly acquired chemical engineers, metallurgists and ship technicians. Utilising their combined skills, they have constructed a working prototype.”

“This new module functions along similar lines to a heatsink launcher. It is designed to channel the corrosive reaction experienced within a Thargoid Maelstrom to specific replaceable anodes prior to ejection, thereby extending a ship’s range and operating time. We hope this will allow more data to be acquired about these mysterious objects.”

“Aden Tanner has volunteered to personally pilot the ship in the live tests taking place this week. Time is of the essence, since the humanitarian cost of the Thargoid invasions rises every day.”

Rear Admiral Daniel Parry, the Federal Navy’s military liaison to Aegis, commented:

“I’ve served under Admiral Tanner, and his involvement with these test flights doesn’t surprise me one bit. He takes pride is never sending personnel on assignments he wouldn’t undertake personally. But he’s also sending a message: Aegis will no longer rely so heavily on independent pilots risking their lives. While Commanders of the Pilots’ Federation are still our most adaptable and reliable field agents, Aegis will seek to work alongside them wherever possible.”

Princess Aisling Duval has assumed oversight of the Empire’s contributions to the tri-superpower agency Aegis.

She discussed her new role during an interview with The Imperial Herald:

“Loathe though I was to defy the Emperor’s decree, every instinct told me that the Aegis initiative can develop methods of protecting the Empire from enormous losses in this war. I’m grateful that Arissa recognised the value of my plea.”

“I’ve been liaising with Professor Alba Tesreau, as well as Dr Fonseca, Vice Admiral Anderson and the rest of my team. Our challenge is to make the most of the Imperial resources allocated to Aegis.”

“It’s true that I was critical of Aegis’s effectiveness in the past, but I’ve always believed that cooperation with other superpowers can bring mutual benefits. The mass slaughter inflicted by the Thargoids eclipses the NMLA’s atrocities – a challenge we faced together. We must trust each other now as we did then.”

The newsfeed also featured a response from Hadrian Augustus Duval:

“It’s gratifying to see that Patreus and Torval aren’t as influential as they think they are. Yet that doesn’t mean Aisling is right. The Empire must not chain itself to the Alliance and Federation once again. The Emperor can be ruthless when it suits her, as I know only too well, but in this case she lacks the courage of her convictions.”

Royal correspondent Gudrun Vestergaard observed:

“This is a calculated move by Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval. If Aegis fails, her isolationist policy will be vindicated. If Aegis succeeds, she can claim credit for permitting this exception. The risk is whether the public would credit an Aegis-assisted victory over the Thargoids to the Princess. Such an outcome would increase Aisling’s popularity and political capital to a level Arissa is unlikely to tolerate for long.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Populated systems in the Witch Head Nebula have been overrun by Thargoid fleets, resulting in widespread chaos.

Thargoid vessels have directly targeted starports and planetary bases, leaving tens of thousands of casualties. With the nebula located hundreds of light years from the core systems, rescue services are struggling to aid the fleeing survivors.

Vox Galactica published a fragmented message transmitted by the engineer Chloe Sedesi:

“…emergency SOS from the Shenve system. The Thargoids… full-scale invasion. They’ve hit us hard. The… evacuated my team and abandoned Cinder Dock. We’re trying to get clear from… swarms of them, in every direction we turn. If anyone’s receiving this, we’re…”

Captain Warren Lamar, head of security for the Alliance Expeditionary Pact, made this statement:

“In recent years we’ve fought off several Thargoid strikes, but the sheer scale of these attacks is unprecedented. The Golden Stag megaship in Onoros has been destroyed, with most of our forces scattered. I’ve urgently requested reinforcements from the Alliance, but we are desperate for immediate support.”

The Witch Head Enclave was established in 3305 following the discovery of barnacle sites, which were commercially exploited by the Alliance as sources of meta-alloys. Dr Maximo Fonseca and other leading xenologists believe that securing barnacle-rich systems is part of the Thargoids’ expansion strategy.

The anti-xeno agency Aegis has been officially reformed by the Alliance, Empire and Federation.

Aegis was initially founded in 3303 to centralise research into the Thargoids, as well as coordinate defence and rescue operations. It was disbanded in 3308 following accusations of incompetence in the wake of the Alexandria disaster and the subsequent findings of the Baumann Report. The recent escalation of the Thargoid War and calls for renewed collaboration between the superpowers have led to a reversal of that decision.

Professor Alba Tesreau will serve as the head of the revived organisation. She provided details at a press conference:

“Aegis remains humanity’s best hope of ending this calamitous war with the Thargoids. Its priority is to better understand the alien species through scientific research, and to utilise those findings to improve our defensive and weapon capabilities.”

“Each superpower has appointed an individual to oversee its contributions: Deputy Prime Minister Angela Corcoran for the Alliance, Princess Aisling Duval for the Empire, and Congressman Tom Gillespie for the Federation. We have also invited many independent specialists to partner with Aegis, including Professor Ishmael Palin, Ram Tah and a previous key member of Aegis, Aden Tanner.”

“Criticism from the Baumann Report has been taken on board. Our new organisational structure follows the streamlined approach used by the Affiliated Counter-Terrorism Unit to great success. To improve coordination, a limited application of Omega Grid networking will facilitate rapid and secure communications between key members.”

“Aegis’s first research project is already underway. The engineer Petra Olmanova has approached us with preliminary designs for a method of allowing ships to survive longer within the Maelstroms’ corrosive clouds. We have assigned several metallurgy and chemistry experts to develop this further.”

President Zachary Hudson and Shadow President Felicia Winters have united behind Federal backing for the reformation of Aegis.

Congress held an emergency debate after the Alliance and Empire agreed to support an official tri-superpower initiative against the Thargoids. A majority of votes from Republican, Liberal and independent representatives approved the provision of ships, personnel and materials from the Federation.

President Hudson delivered a short address to mark the occasion:

“The intensified Thargoid attacks against the core systems demand a proportionate response. We recognise that Salvation was directly responsible for many of the tragic events that Aegis was blamed for. The Federation has an opportunity to correct that misjudgement and do our part to defeat a common adversary.”

Congressman Tom Gillespie has volunteered to coordinate the Federation’s involvement with any unified anti-xeno activities. Professor Shamus Madigan of Olympus Village University will continue to lead on xenological research. The Federal Navy has assigned Rear Admiral Daniel Parry to act as its military liaison, a reduced version of the role formerly occupied by Admiral Aden Tanner.

Professor Alba Tesreau has publicly thanked the leaders of the Alliance, Empire and Federation for their “renewed faith in the ideals that Aegis represents”.

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A successful initiative to hold the California Nebula against Thargoid invasion has succeeded, for now at least.

Systems recently invaded by Thargoid fleets were protected by a militia organised by the Kumo Council, the criminal syndicate’s ruling authority in the enclave. But an attempt to assume control of the region’s ports has been surprisingly repelled by opponents of Delaine.

The Pegasi Sentinel reported on the situation:

“There can be no doubt that Archon Delaine takes the security of the California Nebula seriously. Many lives were saved thanks to his decisive actions. A Kumo Crew anti-xeno militia is already being considered for future Thargoid attacks.”

“Local residents remain wary of Delaine’s reputation, however. Security forces deployed to local ports have been driven out, with communities apparently unconvinced by claims of ‘emergency security measures’. Turner Research Group has re-established control in locations the Kumo Council had attempted to seize.”

A related article was also published by The Alliance Tribune:

“The Assembly received an urgent request for support from the Turner Research Group. They claim that the Kumo Crew’s campaign was an excuse to encroach upon the Alliance’s operations in the California Nebula. Councillors have raised a motion to begin a formal inquiry into the situation.”

The Mictlan megaship, currently in California Sector HR-W d1-28, is reimbursing Thargoid combat bonds for all pilots who contributed to the initiatives.

Anti-authoritarian protests have surged in the Alliance, Empire and Federation with governments accused of responsibility for Thargoid hostility.

Vox Galactica’s political correspondent Conrad Sterling published a special report:

“The xeno-peace movement, which originally advocated diplomatic relations with the Thargoids, lost a lot of momentum following the arrival of the Maelstroms. But some former members are blaming Allied, Federal and Imperial leaders for allowing the war to escalate, with profits from corporate arms deals seen as the motive.”

“Timothy Culver, once a spokesperson for the Thargoid Advocacy Project, believes that conflict was always the superpowers’ policy. ‘They knew the Proteus Wave would trigger an aggressive reaction from the Thargoids,’ he claims – without providing evidence, it should be noted. ‘Shareholders in the military/industrial complex always make a fortune during wartime. The blood of billions is on their money-grabbing hands.’”

“An uncoordinated wave of activism across the core systems has included civil lawsuits, protest marches and occasional clashes with security personnel. There have even been attempted break-ins at administrative complexes and politicians’ homes, where some activists believe proof of conspiracy can be found.”

“Xeno-peace figureheads, such as ICE-caster Joy Senne, have distanced themselves from these incidents and the general TAP movement in recent weeks. Congressman Dalton Chase has made no further statements on the Kingfisher tragedy, his spokesperson citing a ‘focus on other projects’. Only Heimar Borichev of the Sovereign continues to broach the subject, claiming recently: ‘Institutional corruption requires radical solutions.’”

“Allied Interpol and the Imperial Internal Security Service claim that the public disorder is under control, while the Proactive Detection Bureau has begun identifying and ‘pre-cautioning’ Federal citizens who express anti-authority sympathies. But as the death toll from the Thargoid war continues to rise, the demands for responsibility seem unlikely to fade.”