Aisling Duval Talks Narcotics

In the popular show 'A Fireside Chat with Serena', the celebrity royal, Aisling Duval, surprisingly talked through tears about narcotics.

"Yes, Serena, that's my early childhood. I hate narcotics and think they should be made illegal. My mother died from them before I was old enough to remember her."

When asked about her father she replied:

"Oh, Serena. He was led astray in his youth, but Dad is a lovely man, and would make a great Emperor if his controlling father wasn't so spiteful."

Commentators have expressed outrage at her comments about our beloved Emperor, and the network cut the broadcast at that point.

The Succession Struggle for the Imperial Throne Continues Apace

The Emperor's denouncement of his son Harold as mad, and announcement of his intention to marry childhood sweetheart Florence Lavigny, have served to confer legitimacy (in more ways than one) to Florence's daughter Arissa. She duly announced her intention to change her surname to Duval and appears to be positioning herself and Chancellor Anders Blaine as the continuity 'ticket'.

Aisling Duval, Harold's daughter, is meanwhile using her celebrity to court public sympathy and pick a fight with Senator Torval over the latter's slaving activities.

Imperial Senators Zemina Torval and Denton Patreus are both at large in the galaxy, Torval freeing unregulated Federal slaves over the holiday period and Patreus fighting a series of covert and overt wars in different systems (with varying degrees of success).

The Federation has had its share of problems too. President Halsey's denial of responsibility for the Onionhead farm bombings in Kappa Fornacis seems to have exposed divisions in the hierarchy that Shadow President Hudson has lost no time in exploiting.

Tensions between both Empire and Federation appear to be coming to a head over the Sanna system. Sanna wants to leave the Federation in protest over the recent tax increases, and Senator Patreus is only too willing to offer his particular brand of help.

Torval Puts Aisling Duval in Her Place

Senator Torval was secretly recorded last night at a private New Year's Eve party referring to Aisling Duval in terms not very becoming for a Senator, and her speech was a little slurred.

"That vacuous bimbo will do anything to annoy her grandfather. Especially if it is popular. She's a spoilt brat and needs a lesson in reality. She's got a vague memory of what her father believed when he still had a brain, and she parrots that back whenever she can."

We were unable to contact Senator Torval for comment, but are confident Imperial hang-over medication will be very effective.