Prism Senator Returns to Empire

After completing her tour of the Sol system and meeting several high ranking officials within the Federation, Senator Kahina Tijani Loren has returned to the Empire.

As expected a large flotilla of vessels accompanied Lady Kahina to the boundary of Federation influence, where she rendezvoused with the Imperial Interdictor Lucius.

The Sol Herald asked Lady Kahina what she had thought of her first trip to Sol. She was reported as saying that she had found it “Most enlightening” and wanted to express her thanks to all who had helped her “navigate the fiendishly complicated Federation protocols.”

Lady Kahina was then asked “Do you consider the docking officials at Mars High to be friends or rivals?”

Her reply was greeted with laughter over wide-band comms. “Oh, that’s easy. Neither.”

Representatives from Mars High could not be reached for comment.

Prism Senator in Illegal Parking Row

Returning to Earth at the invitation of the Secretary General, Senator Kahina Tijani Loren’s Imperial Courier was tagged with a fine at Mars High apparently due to activating its boosters while still within the station.

Reports indicate this caused a deafening roar within the docking area and even cracked the windows of the docking administration office.

Sources close to Mars High administration were quoted as saying “We are showing restraint! She’s lucky we didn’t obliterate her ship immediately like most parking offenders. What else does she want?”

Deano Blake, a trader whose Adder has been impounded by Mars officials for several weeks due to an inadequately sealed drive plate, told our reporters, “Never really thought much of Imperials before this, but I’ve got hand it to this Kahina gal, she’s got style!”

The True North Star

In a brief written statement submitted to GalNet news, Virgil Kyle, commander of the exploration-fitted Asp Spirit of Indianapolis, claims to have been the first to visit what he calls Sol's ‘true North Star’.

"Wregoe TV-L C24-0 is over 1,200 light-years 'north' of Sol's position in the galactic plane, and less than a light-year from her position otherwise," he goes on to explain. "Due to the jump distances involved, the system is only visitable by Asps and Anacondas fitted to achieve near-maximum jump ranges."

"I know it ain't the flashiest achievement," he admits, "And other explorers have obviously achieved far greater things, but as the star system hadn't yet been visited, I thought it was worth mentioning."

He finished his statement with an invitation to other explorers and sightseers in suitably equipped vessels to visit the area, calling the view of the Milky Way from the system ‘spectacular’.

Prism Senator Continues to Woo Federation Residents

Lady Kahina Tijani Loren's unofficial entourage has begun a tour of the outer gas giants in the Sol system. Hundreds of privately owned Federation-registered vessels have turned out to greet the Senator, in lieu of an official welcome, as she continues her passage through the Sol system despite continued apathy from officials.

Requests for interviews from the diplomatic representatives on Mars have been turned down, but one, rather stressed, aide was quoted as saying, "Listen. We have no intention of jumping through hoops for some jumped-up Imperial prima donna who won't do the paperwork properly. That's off the record, yes?"

Questioned on this at a Merchants Guild reception hosted on Titan, Lady Kahina was quoted as saying, "We Imperials often do get accused of being arrogant and overbearing, but at least we're good at it."

GalNet Galactic Trade-Labour Report

An influx of semi-professional miners from Sol has caused a significant increase in the demand for Mineral Extractors in LAWD 26. In order to meet that demand, the Union of Toofla Progressive Party is currently offering excellent rates for all Mineral Extractors sold to Stone's Legacy. As if that wasn't generous enough, in order to attract new potential trading partners the Union of Toofla Progressive Party are also selling off large amounts of gold at bargain basement prices. Furthermore, the Union of Toofla Progressive Party has guaranteed that they will discount the price of locally sourced gold even further if they manage to secure their place as a major player in the local markets.

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The Sirius Corporation released a statement today announcing that thanks to the tireless work of hundreds of explorers, 8 new colonisation candidate systems have now been identified. Sirius scientists hope to discover many more potential sites as they continue analysing the petabytes of data they've received over the last week. Explorers interested in helping with the Sirius Corporation's colonisation project only have a few hours left to make their submissions to Universal Cartographics on Nourse Orbital in Lambda Andromedae.

* * *

Despite heavy interference from pirates and imperial mercenaries, Core Dynamics are still looking to source a large supply of copper for use in the construction of the new Federal Capital Ship aboard Hudson Dock in BD+03 2338. It is believed that Core Dynamics have requested additional funding from the Federal Navy in order to hire private security to protect traders bringing copper into the system. At time of publication the funding had not yet been approved.

New VP Appointed

In a formal ceremony in the Congress building on Mars, Ethan Naylor, the Congressman for Siren, was formally signed in as the Federal Vice President.

This is a controversial choice as this is the first time a member of the Federal Leadership has been a Congressman from a frontier world. Some have said that President Halsey is reacting to criticism that her government is too Sol-centric, and that she may regret the choice.

In his appointment speech Naylor said:

"I am honoured to have this phenomenal role. I will see it as my job to make sure that Federal States on the frontier will get the attention they deserve."

Underground Racers Spotted in and around Sol

Word has spread that a group of CMDRs piloting Core Dynamics' Eagle Fighters were spotted conducting high speed races near the Sol system. Traders visiting Ashby City in Luyten's Star report that they spotted the pilots engaging in dangerous manoeuvres through the docking slot and around the station. Similar reports came from the Altair system where patrons of the Solo Orbiter Station were met with several colorfully-painted Eagles upon arrival.

"The pilots made it clear they meant no harm. Their hardpoints were retracted and subsystem scans indicated that the spacecraft were not equipped for combat."

Rumour has it that this underground racing circuit began around the Earth-Moon system in nearby Sol. It seems that for now the Federation are willing to turn a blind eye to these events, as Federal Security Forces have made no attempts to intervene.

- Reported by CMDR FatHaggard

Celebration at Abraham Lincoln Starport in Earth Orbit, Sol

Pilots from around the galaxy are expected to gather outside Abraham Lincoln Starport, located in Earth orbit in the Sol system, at 18:00 on the 12th of February for the annual remembrance of the station's namesake, President Abraham Lincoln.

This date marks the 1,492nd anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Lincoln, president of one of the great democracies of the Northern Hemisphere in Earth's 19th century, is credited with ending the practice of human slave trafficking in that nation.

Pilots gather each year at Abraham Lincoln Starport to show their solidarity in ending the galactic slave trade by flashing their ships' headlights for 30 seconds at precisely 18:00 on the evening of the anniversary.

- Reported by CMDR Jaiotu

Prism Senator Courts Controversy Again!

In a move which is likely to further increase tensions between the Federation and the Empire, a high-ranking Lady of the Empire has been denied access to the Sol system.

Lady Kahina Tijani Loren, the Senator from the Prism system, was on a diplomatic mission at the behest of Chancellor Blaine when her Imperial Courier was interdicted whilst jumping into the Sol system.

According to Imperial sources, Lady Kahina's vessel came under attack by unidentified ships, but fought its way free despite suffering significant damage during the incident.

Federal representatives insist that the Imperials failed to file a valid itinerary, which resulted in a lack of an escort through Federal space. The Empire has demanded a formal apology from the Federation, but so far this demand has gone unanswered.

Lady Kahina was quoted as saying:

"I don't like to be late."

It's Not All about Sovereignty

The past few months has seen dozens of frontier systems launch initiatives to break away from Sol, due in no small part to the forced implementation of several unpopular and far reaching policies dictated to colonial leadership by the federal government.

The most recent referendum on federal membership took place in the Dulos system, where an overwhelming 75% of the population voted to leave the Federation and become an Independent state.

However, in recent weeks there has been a surge of support for the federal government all across occupied space. Where previously there were tens of dozens of independent movements, all but a small handful of them have now fizzled out.

Pundits point to President Halsey's strong plans for the federal economy, along with her clear willingness to send the Federal Navy to protect the interests of member states at a moment's notice, as the major causes of this most recent shift in opinion.

Rejuvenation of Kappa Fornacis Underway

While protests on Mars continue, things are looking up for the beleaguered people of Kappa Fornacis, as Federal support agencies have begun delivering aid packages to those affected by the recent bombardment of the Onionhead fields on Panem. One of the protesters on the steps of Congress jeered at this.

"It is a cynical ploy to undo the bad publicity from the bombing. The Federal Navy should never have attacked a peaceful planet - the farmers were taking advantage of a naturally occurring crop."

Entrepreneurial commanders looking to capitalise on the federal grant to rebuild Kappa Fornacis are being asked to source Agricultural Medicine, Crop Harvesters, Terrain Enrichment Systems and as much Biowaste as possible. All goods should be delivered to the logistics centre aboard Harvestport.

Georgio Algeria of the Farmer's Union on Panem said:

"We did OK from Onionhead. Here and on Luca. We're here to stay. Keep your stinking aid. Be happy. Onionhead helps!"

Vive la Révolution de Lave

Word circulated recently on the GalNet boards that a coalition of pilots of French origin (a country from ancient Earth, whose descendants still speak an archaic dialect) were planning to launch a violent coup aimed at gaining control of Lave station.

As home to one of the galaxy's finest flight schools, Lave holds deep sentimental value to many pilots from all walks of life.

Lord Ryan of Ugain was the first to hit back:

"My family emigrated from Lave to the Empire back in the days of Walden! We won't let the system succumb to tyranny again!"

Commander Ulysses Wolf, an Imperial Explorer, also hit back:

"We won't just stand by and let it happen!"

Many other pilots also voiced their discontent, suggesting that if a French Coalition did attempt a takeover they'd have more than just local Alliance Forces to deal with. President James Gibson of Lave couldn't be reached for comment.

Mistaken Identity Leads to Outrage Amongst Explorers' Association

In a surprising twist to a story published earlier in the week, it would appear that the man previously believed to have been Commander Erimus Kamzel of the DSS Beagle, was in fact an imposter who had stolen the Commander's identity in order to try and sell millions of credits worth of bogus data.

According to the real Commander Kamzel's support team, the last communiqué from the intrepid explorer had come just days before the imposter had carried out his plan to impersonate the Commander. The communiqué in question stated that the Commander's trusty ASP, the DSS Beagle, had received significant damage while in the outer reaches of the galaxy.

Lincoln station security services believe that the imposter managed to intercept the message to Kamzel's team, at which point the thief decided to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the DSS Beagle in order to steal millions of credits.

It is believed that Commander Kamzel is currently on his way towards the Scutum-Centaurus arm, at which point he will attempt to send an encrypted signal to his team in case a rescue operation is needed.

Congressman Had Early Knowledge of VP's Death?

The press furore over the death of the Federal Vice President has been given a new burst of life, after a recording of a local constituency meeting was released on the scurrilous news channel 'The Low Down'.

In the otherwise low-key meeting held in a village outside Quenisset, Mars, on January 12th, the local mayor offered his condolences to the family and friends of a local businessman murdered during a robbery earlier in the week. George Fallside, the local Congressman, was present at the meeting. The Congressman, who was clearly distracted by social media at the time of the meeting, followed the mayor's speech by offering his condolences to the Vice President's family.

This was an hour after the VP's death, but half an hour before the news of his death broke. The Congressman was not available for comment, but an aide has said:

"Is it a big deal? He clearly misheard what was said."

On 'The Low Down' they followed up by emphasising the Congressman's links with the military, and in particular his non-exec directorship of Core Dynamics.

Dulos Announces Its Intention to Secede

A record number of people turned out to vote on the matter of an Independent Dulos this weekend, so much so that local station services found themselves struggling to contain the sheer number of visitors to the system.

While the battle was hard fought, with impassioned last minute campaigning coming out from both sides, in the end the Defence Party of Dulos managed to garner a staggering 75% approval rating for their move towards an Independent Dulos. The Federal representatives, the Green Party of Dulos, have said that they will not be contesting the vote.

This news will come as quite a blow for President Halsey, whose heavy-handed rule of Federal Frontier systems has seen a number of far-flung provincial governments start to question the value of maintaining ties with Sol.

Doubtless this most recent defection will be watched with great interest by powers throughout the galaxy, although exact details regarding a roadmap towards true independence for Dulos has yet to be announced. 

Previously Unknown Explorer Returns from Outer Rim

Lincoln station played host to a rather eclectic delegation of scientists this weekend, as word spread of the return of Commander Erimus Kamzel from his lengthy expedition to our galaxy's Outer Rim. Commander Kamzel's journey, which started in Sol, saw our intrepid explorer travel a staggering 144,000 light years before he was able to return home.

Part of the journey saw Kamzel pass through the Galactic Core, where he was able to collect great swathes of data on areas such as the Greae Phio Stellar Forge, the Phipoea Nebula and the Dryad Chrea Stellar Remnant.

Perhaps most exciting of all, Commander Kamzel is believed to have mapped out a whole host of previously unexplored areas of space beyond the Scutum-Centaurus Arm. Federal, Imperial and Independent scientists from institutions all over occupied space are now engaged in a hot bidding war to see who will be the first to get their hands on Commander Kamzel's records.

Kamzel has issued a statement saying that he believes his discoveries should be shared freely with all humanity, to which effect he has released a series of video logs that can be viewed right now by searching your local video network for Distant Suns.

Embattled Federal President Asks Us to "Hold Firm"

In a Presidential address last night, President Jasmina Halsey gave a length speech outlining the various successes she claims her government has made over the course of their current term. However, when pressed to answer questions regarding the recent wave of systems scrambling to leave the Federal fold, President Halsey simply said:

"We are facing troubled times. While it is easy for some to declare that the military are the solution, we must look further ahead. Our society fails those who need our help the most and it is by lifting those at the bottom that we will restore Federal society to what it should be."

Political pundits were quick to point out that her speech contained very little substance, with many complaining that the President had failed to address any of the actual threats that face the Federation today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that her mishandling of the current socioeconomic climate has left the Federation weaker than it has ever been before, pointing to the recent slide of Banki and BD+03 2338 into states of lawless anarchy as prime examples of the President's continued failures.

Suspicions Raised over VP Death

Fresh revelations have added uncertainty to reports that Vice President Smeaton's death was due to a suspected heart attack.

Retrieved data from the security systems at his apartment indicate they were not functioning at the time. It's also been revealed that he completed a clean full medical scan in his private scanner only an hour before his death.

His partner Alder Simons, who was not there at the time, believes Smeaton was murdered. He explained there were other irregularities such as the apartment appearing to have just been cleaned.

The mystery deepened with the revelation that six minutes of the satellite surveillance data for the area appeared to have been distorted by electromagnetic interference. This does happen from time to time, but rarely in calm weather conditions such as those on the night of the Vice President's death.

Federal Vice President Dies in Swimming Accident

In a shocking development on Mars, Federal Vice President Nigel Smeaton was discovered dead in his private swimming pool at his luxury apartment on the foothills of Mount Olympus. A heart attack is suspected, but an investigation is ongoing.

The news will come as another blow to an already beleaguered President who some pundits claim is considering resigning her post.

A new VP will have to be appointed, and several senior Congressmen have suddenly been giving doorstep speeches to get themselves in the public eye.

Bombing of Panem Resumes

Despite the continuing 'Oniongate' protest on the steps of Congress, Admiral Vincent has announced that surface bombing of Panem in the Kappa Fornacis system has resumed, but this time with targeted, genetically engineered biocides to destroy the onionhead crop.

"Automated munitions deployed from orbit release a gentle mist that then descends on the crop. It is harmless to humans and to other flora and fauna."

This time, the protests are more muted, and Shadow President Hudson claimed on the political panel show 'Face the People':

"On the contrary. Now we see the layabouts are more worried about where their next onionhead fix will come from than about the farmers on Panem!"