Amor Patriae Arc

Amor Patriae 2023 Event Timeline Galactic Events N/A Major Events Cold Dawn Arc ·Amor Patriae Arc · Libération, Révolution et Évolution Arc · The Titan Rises Arc · Change on the Horizon Arc · Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc Minor Events Steel On The Horizon Arc · Omnivirate's Providence This is the overview and timeline page for the Amor Patriae Arc which began on February 2nd, 2023 and pertains largely to Sol Alliance lore. It is centred around the invasion of the Middle Ring Shield Pact by two traitor fleets of the Alliance, and the defense of San Colette. Below is a summary of the arc's applicable news articles, and additions. Contents Prologue PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW AT 18:00 News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The Head of the Provisional Government, Fleet Admiral Yuhan Verhasselt, has announced that he will host a press conference on Unity Station tomorrow at 18:00 GST regarding the Government’s plans for the Solarian Navy and what new measures will be taken. The Sol Alliance News Network's coverage of this exceptional event will be hosted by reporter Céline Eylenbosch. Date: 05/09/2464 MINISTER OF DEFENCE, ADMIRAL MARCUS CARBONERO, SACKED THIS MORNING: NEW REPLACEMENT AND NAVY REFORM PLANS ANNOUNCED News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas This live coverage of today's press conference by the Provisional Government is brought to you by the Sol Alliance News Network. After thirty minutes of waiting, at precisely 18:00 on Unity Station, a man that appears to be in his late fifties rises up onto a podium, with a Solarian flag behind him. He is wearing a Navy dress uniform and has a dour, serious look. Cameras begin to flash at the man as he begins speaking. Those that are especially interested in Alliance politics would recognise this man as Admiral Yuhan Verhasselt, the head of the Provisional Government. “Nearly three years ago, the very foundation of the safety of our nation, the Navy, was shaken to the core. Parts of this organization, infested with traitors and corporate-sponsored backstabbers, began to rebel against their own kin – against Solarians – and against our great nation’s values,” he begins, clearly holding his words back to some degree. “I speak as a man that has been with the military since I became an adult. It is evident now that the Solarian Navy is no longer the organization it used to be – no longer the organization I knew it as, and the same goes for many of you. The Collapse proved to us just how unstable our foundations were and what dangers our nation faces today, and as we begin looking to the future, it is necessary to reform the Navy to bring it up to par once more. To that effect, this morning I dismissed the minister of defense. Admiral Marcus Carbonero. In his place, the provisional government has appointed the decorated Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup, Lucien Courtois.” Verhasselt steps off of the podium. After him, a man in his late thirties or early forties steps onto the podium. Still wearing a Navy dress uniform, he appears to be considerably younger with less of a dour gaze and more of a fiery and involved look. He places a set of papers on the podium and looks at the reporters in the room. When he begins speaking, he does so with a good amount of passion in his voice. “It’s no secret that the state of the Solarian Navy is shambolic at best,” he begins his speedch, eliciting a few gasps from the functionaries in the back, although they are quickly shushed, “Significant parts of our Navy were allowed to openly rebel in a state of emergency and continue to run their petty kingdoms in Alliance territory. To this effect I ask all Solarians – what is the purpose of a military, if it cannot hold together?” Nobody in the room answers. “The answer to this simple question is none. Many Solarians think that all of these traitors have left to the so-called Wildlands now, but they are wrong – the rebellions that we faced two years ago were facilitated by collaborators in our ranks. The Navy is still infested with these traitors, and it’s about time that they were brought to justice. This amount of corruption and complacency is only further exacerbated by the fact that the Navy only answers to itself, and no other individual.” The Admiral lets these words hang for a bit, but then quickly moves on… “In matters of doctrine, our Navy is not up to par either. The established doctrine is far too rigid for modern standards and needs to be adapted, especially now that ships are beginning to be outfitted with the Hammer drive. Now that we have a potentially crushing advantage over our opponents – a drive that doesn’t use phoron – tactics that make use of it must be developed. However, complacency in the Ministry of Defense has prevented any advancements from occurring in this field. While we may possess the most advanced military in the Spur, that does not mean anything if we are still using outdated tactics from the Interstellar War.” Courtois picks up the papers on the podium and starts reading from them. “Finally, this reform plan will conclude by putting all of these improvements to the test with increased border patrols and military maneuvers around our northern border. My message to every Solarian in our borders – every single one, even those currently under control by these Warlords – when it’ll be time to strike again, our Navy will stand strong, united and ready to defend you.” The Admiral says these final words looking directly at the cameras and at every single reporter, then proceeds to answer their questions for thirty minutes, before leaving with his escort. Now, the word goes to our reporter, Céline Eylenbosch. A blonde woman stands in the hallways leading to the Unity Station senate, with a large number of known VIPs, Admirals and other such figures passing through. Her expression is rather ecstatic, and she speaks with a characteristic Cytherean accent. She looks fairly exhausted -- probably from shooting rapid-fire questions to more than a few people -- and tends to pant a bit, taking a few small pauses in her words. “Thank you for passing the word to me! Fleet Admiral Lucien Courtois indeed seems to be a very qualified person for the job!... Admiral Courtois is the ex-admiral of the famous twenty-ninth fleet, the man responsible for preventing the takeover of New Hai Phong two years ago by the rogue sixty-seventh fleet! He fought a numerically superior foe and came out victorious with minimal casualties, and our battle reporters wrote many military articles on his new and revolutionary doctrine. And who else could the Provisional Government pick for a total reform of the Navy?” Céline finishes this elegy by clearing her throat. She is pushed a bit by an Admiral rushing through the hallway, whom she looks to awkwardly, but then continues. "He, as you have seen, has outlined the need for reform that many Solarians wished for… but nobody expected words of this degree! Especially after our past Ministers have always praised the establishment and never made any attempt to rock the boat. I can tell you the reporters–... all reporters in that room were completely shocked to hear his words, which I imagine came at a complete surprise to everyone! We were all pleased, but many doubts still linger on if these plans will really work… is it a good idea to rip the foundations apart now, with all these threats at our border? This was Céline Eylenbosch with the Sol Alliance News Network, thank you for tuning in and let’s hope for the best in these trying times! Long live the Solarian Alliance!” Date: 06/09/2464 MINISTER OF DEFENCE COURTOIS ANNOUNCES DISCHARGE OF 287 NAVY OFFICERS News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas This live coverage of today's press conference by the Ministry of Defence is brought to you by the Sol Alliance News Network. Admiral Courtois makes his way to the podium with two other flag officers behind him. He puts a stack of papers down on the podium and the two officers take their positions next to the two flag poles on each side of the backdrop. “The Solarian Alliance has long had a rocky history with its military, especially the navy,” the Admiral begins, leaning forward on the podium ever-so-slightly, “And these cracks have recently shown themselves to be an issue that could no longer be ignored, as we have historically done. As you all know, some admirals and their crew – nothing more than traitors in our ranks – have taken advantage of a moment of weakness to plunge their knife into our nation’s back.” “The Navy has long been seen as an untouchable machination by our government – a corrupt, festering bear that should be left sleeping. Ever since the Interstellar war, we have been far too lenient with corrupt military staff, and this complacency directly led to the events of the so-called Collapse – or, better yet, the synchronised betrayal of our nation.” “This complacency ends today,” Courtois declares, raising one paper as he reads off of it. “Under the provisions granted to me by the Solarian Provisional Council and the Emergency Military Powers Act, I have made the executive decision to dishonourably discharge two hundred and eighty seven officers – among which, fifty seven admirals and two fleet admirals – found to be involved in collaboration with so-called warlords, the Front for example, or in other acts of corruption.” Many functionaries in the room start whispering to each other for a while – some gasp, while the camera flashes intensify in frequency. “These investigations were spearheaded by both the Bureau and the SIP-CPA and began shortly after the secession of Konyang. Most of these officers betrayed their country for sums of cash or were simply sold positions by other corrupt officers in exchange for their silence. As a result, all of these collaborators have been stripped of their rank and will shortly undergo trials on Unity Station. I will now be taking your questions.” A blonde woman – recognizable as the Sol Alliance News Network’s assigned reporter, by attentive watchers – is the quickest on the draw and manages to attract attention to herself first, standing up to ask a question. She speaks in a fast Cytherean accent, without the hints of exhaustion from the last press conference. “Thank you for having us, Admiral! My name is Céline Eylenbosch with the Sol Alliance News Network, and – to cut right to the chase – laying off so many of our wartime staff sounds like a dangerous choice, especially now with so many threats at our borders. Is this a potential problem, in your view?” The question is definitely asked in a pointed way, typical of Venusian reporting. Admiral Courtois nods and seems to have an answer already prepared. “It is true that discharging so many of our staff will have a short-term effect in doctrinal capabilities, if we concede a rather large assumption that our corrupt staff was any good at their job, but we have already begun preparations to replace them. For example with the upcoming new blood of the classes of 2464 – fierce and motivated new blood that has seen the effects of the ‘collapse’ on their beloved nation. ” Céline nods, then quickly passes onto another question – again, with the same pointed, disapproving tone. “Thank you for the answer! Next: dishonourable discharges are legally only allowed after a court martial. Why have you seen it fit to unilaterally terminate so many of our officers?” Courtois replies without much of a hitch. “Our circumstances have made immediate action necessary, and the Provisional Council has agreed with my decisions on the matter. Bureaucracy is not something we can afford to wait for, at the moment, especially when our military’s integrity is jeopardised. Like you have said, the threats at our border will not wait for our bureaucrats to finish their morning tea, take their two coffee breaks, and stamp out the papers we need.” Céline nods again, following up with another question. “Does that mean that you possess surefire evidence to convict these servicemen?” Courtois replies, “Yes, without a doubt.” Céline responds, “Will these trials be held with open doors, so that the public may see and judge for themselves?” Courtois simply replies, “They will be closed door trials for reasons of national security. These are very sensitive issues, you must understand. Regardless, the declassification of the evidence our law enforcement agencies have collected is not within my purview.” Céline notices that her allotted time has run out and sits down, leaving the floor to another reporter. Most Solarians could recognise them as a reporter affiliated with a social democratic paper, Our Way, notoriously anti-Navy. “Admiral, we appreciate being given the time to speak about our issues with your reforms. With so many processes happening behind closed doors with this government’s characteristic non-existent transparency, how can the public view these lay-offs as anything more than the removal of political opposition, given that your reforms are likely to be unpopular in the Navy?” The reporter gets a few odd looks from the military staff in the room, but they quickly straighten up. Courtois smiles a bit at the question, for whatever reason. “To say the least… you’re correct, no sweeping reforms have ever been popular,” he chuckles slightly, with some of the people in the room joining in slight laughter, “However, they are often necessary. I believe most Solarians have now realised that the Navy can’t continue being the untouchable juggernaut it once used to be. The inaction of the past centuries culminated two years ago, with Solarians turning on their countrymen across our nation. What hurt the most was not watching this unfold, but knowing that it could have been avoided. So many good men and women died as a direct result of this complacency – and to this day, this frustrates me to no end. I may have ripped into our Navy a lot, but it’s still filled to the brim with good men and women – good men and women that deserve an organisation worth their salt, one that will never leave them behind. One that will never again allow traitors to fester within its ranks. For this, I require your faith and your trust. The same faith and trust that you give to the Provisional Council, and the same faith and trust that they entrusted me with.” These exchanges continue for a while, with some of the more military-inclined reporters attempting to get into the nitty-gritty of these layoffs. Courtois is, however, tight-lipped on any matter that hasn’t been revealed in the aforementioned segments, continuing to cite national security as a reason. Everyone in the room seems to be sceptical or negative about this announcement, as a result – and the press conference ends after thirty minutes. After a while of showing the conference room empty out, the camera cuts to Céline standing in the same hallway as last time, microphone in hand. Quite a few military officials are busy speaking to eachother in the background, with some looking as stoic as ever, some frustrated, and some simply drinking their daily dose of coffee. “An unexpected and controversial announcement, to be sure! When we heard about collaborators in the Navy last time, we would certainly never have expected a figure this high! Could it really be true? So many double agents in our beloved Navy? Or is it all simply a ploy to get rid of political opposition? We’re certainly very curious to hear your thoughts on the matter, and what you think the future holds for our great nation! This was Céline Eylenbosch with the Solarian Alliance News Network, and now, a small advertisement break before our political segment…” Date: 15/09/2464 THE SOLARIAN PROVISIONAL COUNCIL ANNOUNCES THE EVENTUAL RETURN OF CIVILIAN CONTROL OVER THE MILITARY News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas This live coverage of today's press conference by the Ministry of Defence is brought to you by the Sol Alliance News Network. Admiral Courtois makes his way to the Unity Station senate podium with two other flag officers behind him. He puts a fancy-looking binder down on the podium, with senators Hendrik Strom and Le Hanh Trang taking their positions next to the two flag poles on each side of the backdrop. This time, the room is packed with functionaries, senators, governors and representatives – practically all of Sol’s important figures are here. “In these times of uncertainty and turmoil, it’s important for our government to remain stable and be granted enough powers to see through the required radical reforms we need,” the Admiral begins, “The Industrial Reclamation Mandate was the most important of these reforms, but only a stepping stone along the way. Overtime, the government has worked to stabilise our situation, and we are now comfortable with taking steps to pave the way for the future of the Alliance.” “Today is the day we take the first of those steps. In collaboration with the senators Le Hanh Trang – who has spearheaded this project – and Hendrik Strom, we will take the first steps towards the return of the civilian government to our great nation. I’m joined by these two great politicians –” the Admiral gestures to Strom and Trang with a smile, “-- to sign into law a provision declaring that from the next legislature and forwards, the position of the Ministry of Defence, and thus control over the military branch, must exclusively be held by a civilian.” Most of the attending crowd claps at this announcement, with many standing up too. Trang and Strom also join in the clapping, looking happier than they usually do in their fiery speeches. “This agreement between the admiralty and the government has been in the making since the Industrial Reclamation Mandate, but has progressively stalled due to influence by corrupt Front sympathisers and other such traitors. We have finally agreed on the terms yesterday, and we have brought the paper here to be signed, in front of all citizens of the Alliance, for them to see that change is here. The military must not be allowed to control the nation for its whims and purposes: this simple truth was lost to us since the Interstellar War, but now that the so-called Collapse has shown us the frailty of this flawed system, it’s time to make some change. Change that will restore the people’s faith in the military, and change that will help prevent corruption at the highest level in the future.” Courtois steps back to give the podium to Trang, taking her place in the back as she prepares her own speech. “The Solarian Provisional Council has, as most of you know, been here for nearly two years, now. Two years that the Solarian people have had to endure without a democratically elected government. My friend Strom and I may have stepped up to the plate, but this situation cannot last more than it has to. No temporary measure must turn into a permanent one! And this is our first step towards embracing that commitment. Our first step that I am glad to be part of, and glad to have had the pleasure of committing my time to.” Most of the chamber applauds once again as Trang takes a pen on the podium and signs the bill. She steps aside and Strom makes his way forward. “As my colleague here said, we are well on the path to becoming whole again. There are still reforms required, of course, as Courtois here will remind you…” Strom lets out a short chuckle, “But, we must show you – the Solarian people – that we do not intend to govern by decree more than necessary. And this is our proof to the Solarian people, along with the promise of an elected legislature in the near future, that these times of rule by decree are coming to their end. Long live the Solarian Alliance!” The crowd claps with some cheers as Strom signs the bill as well, with photographers taking an extremely high amount of photos of this sensational moment. Thirty more minutes of questions being taken by Courtois follow as Strom and Trang reinforce their confidence in the Admiral, letting him answer most of the technical details while they give responses about the political side. Answers regarding the ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘where’ of the new elections are vague at best, and both Trang and Strom make it clear that time is still needed. The camera then cuts to Céline Eylenbosch standing in the hall outside of the Senate chamber, looking exhausted from asking a significant amount of questions, by the looks (and facts, if the viewer watched the entire question segment). “What a day it is today, viewers! We have just gotten our first confirmation that the Provisional Council really is just provisional after all! Most of us are glad to know that the government is taking these steps, for a change, instead of working in the shadows as they usually do… and what’s more surprising is their resolute endorsement of the new Minister! Many of you lodged doubts in our comments sections, and we are curious to hear if today’s announcement changes your mind, even a little! This was Céline Eylenbosch with the Solarian Alliance News Network! And here’s to our next segment…” Date: 27/09/2464 MASS ARRESTS OF SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT COLLABORATORS IN THE MILITARY News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas At 10 AM this morning, the director of the SIIB, in collaboration with the SIP-CPA and SISA, hosted a press conference announcing the arrest of a large number of military officers accused of treason and conspiring against the State. This number includes 313 Navy officers, including the ones previously discharged by Minister of Defence Lucien Courtois, 98 Army officers and 58 Marine officers. Further arrests of involved enlisted personnel will be carried out in the following month, with a projected number of 1291 further arrests. The director of the SIIB explained these arrests as a reaction to a recently uncovered web of arms trafficking into Solarian Restoration Front territory. According to the authorities, these arrested officers were facilitating and even directly participating in transporting arms, food, and other military goods stolen from Alliance military bases. Further interrogations have revealed “exceedingly dangerous concerns regarding national security”. The directors of the three agencies have declined to comment further on this particular issue, explaining that further investigation into the matter is still required. The arrested individuals have been immediately stripped of rank and will be judged in a military tribunal, with the hearing scheduled for the 19th of January. The Ministry of Defence has put out a statement fully endorsing the SIIB’s decision, explaining that the defence staff was strictly involved in the investigations leading up to these arrests and that “the Solarian military is no place for traitors”. The Head of the Provisional Government, Yuhan Verhasselt commented that the intelligence agencies acted with the blessing of the government and refused to answer any further questions. Senators Hendrik Strom and Le Hanh Trang have fully endorsed the SIIB’s decision, claiming that “it is about time that traitors in the military were brought to justice”. Date: 21/10/2464 XNS EXCLUSIVE: LIFE IN THE NORTHERN WILDLANDS News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera cuts to a well-dressed woman appearing to be in her mid thirties sitting behind a desk. A screen proudly displaying the XNS logo is behind her. The label “COALITION TRANSLATION SERVICES” flashes briefly at the bottom of the screen. “Hello, and welcome once again to the Xanu News Network! As always I am your host, Mariska van den Soeterik,” the woman begins in Freespeak. “Today we have a very exciting announcement from one of our star reporters, Liao Qi.” The camera pans over, revealing the aforementioned star reporter. Qi is a fairly typical looking man, likely also in his mid thirties, and sits opposite Mariska. “Thank you Mariska, I’m happy to be here.” “First, let me congratulate you on your engagement!” “Thank you,” Qi smiles politely, but shifts somewhat. Mariska’s expression barely changes from her previous smile. “Now,” she clears her throat, “after your recent trip to Mars many people were eagerly looking forward to your next outing and you seem to have finally arranged one! Could you tell us a bit more?” Qi immediately becomes far more animated. “Of course! As you and the rest of the XNS know we’ve been hard at work attempting to make inroads into a region which hasn’t been covered in depth: the ‘Solarian Wildlands.’” “Right. And what are the Wildlands for our viewers, Liao?” Qi nods. “In short they’re formerly Solarian regions which the Alliance essentially abandoned in late 2462, shortly after Violet Dawn, which weren’t able to join another nation like Konyang or Mictlan. Much of this area is ruled over by former officers of the Solarian Navy known as ‘warlords,’ who have a variety of motivations.” “Right, that makes sense. And you managed to gain access to one of these warlords?” “That’s correct!” Qi once again becomes animated, now done with his likely-rehearsed introductory speech. “It’s not quite a warlord in the traditional sense though.” Mariska nods in response but otherwise allows Qi to continue. “Now,” he clears his throat, “—sorry. What we were able to gain access to is the capital of a loosely-aligned group of systems in the Wildlands known as the ‘Middle Ring Shield Pact.’ The name comes from their location in the Middle Ring of the Alliance, most of which was lost. Nominally, they’re still part of the Alliance which made our access a bit difficult. But we’ve gotten it!” “And where will you be going in this Pact?” “We’ll be heading to the Solarian Republic of San Colette, its nominal capital. It’s a relatively stable system known for being a Solarian Navy stronghold and major transportation hub prior to the Collapse.” “How has it managed to stay stable in the years since?” “In the years since it’s been selling off parts of a strategic stockpile the Navy built prior to the Collapse, and is one of the few places with phoron-refining facilities in the Spur. It hasn’t reunified with Sol yet due to being wedged between warlords, but it’s one of the best places to see what daily life is like in a post-Solarian area.” “That sounds fascinating!” Mariska appears to be genuinely excited. “When are you departing? “Hopefully? By the end of the week.” “Exciting news! That’s all the time we have right now Liao, so now let’s head over to our sports correspondent for the latest on the ongoing Jovian Football League.” Date: 16/01/2465 SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT ACTIVITY INCREASES News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas Following the arrest of Front sympathizers in the military, political experts affiliated with the Solarian Alliance News Network have highlighted an increasing pattern of spotted Solarian Restoration Front vessel concentrations close to the northern reaches of the Alliance. These squadrons are most often not battle squadrons but instead multiple supply or cargo ships meant to store pillaged resources, along with troop carriers. These “scavenger brigades”, as they have been dubbed, often represent Front squadrons moving to pillage more border systems, typically always inside non-Solarian space. Up until now these concentrations of Front vessels have numbered in the tens or dozens, reported by Navy sensor arrays in the Termina border system, around two to three times a month. September saw a record amount of 10 vessel concentrations, increasing to 17 in October and finally to 19 earlier today, with some even penetrating in Solarian space. Our affiliated experts posit that this represents an increasing need of raw materials and supplies for the Front’s fleets. It is very well known that the Front possesses by far the largest fleet of all the Solarian warlords, and such a war machine carries with it an ever-increasing need of food to feed its soldiers, phoron for its engines and many other materials. It is unknown, currently, whether this is a sign of the Front’s economy faltering or, more ominously, a military build-up. Date: 19/01/2465 XNS Exlusive: Liao Qi Arrives in San Colette News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her holo-paper. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s headlines include the appointment of Jee-072 as Konyang’s new representative to the Coalition following a scandal centered around her precursor’s alleged embezzlement of funds, the Solarian Navy’s continued rearmament, and our very own Liao Qi’s arrival in San Colette. We go now to Liao.” The camera perspective switches over to an obviously pre-recorded segment of Liao Qi and his team proceeding through Colettish customs with a voiceover narrated by Qi. “Getting to San Colette was in many ways more difficult than getting to Mars. The Wildlands are a constantly-shifting place of warlords, bandits, and various microstates left to fend for themselves by the retreat of the Solarian government from the region in 2462. Few systems are as stable as this one and many refugees flock to it, making the process of crossing into it even more complicated.” Qi is shown talking to a middle-aged Colettish woman wearing an ID card in a professional skirt-suit for a moment before she calls over what is clearly a Civil Guard officer, who then begins speaking to Qi and indicates to him to follow him. “This man, Captain Maximiano Penaloza, would prove to be a great help to us in our attempt to cross into San Colette. After informing him that we were journalists from the XNS he seemed surprised and asked to see our ID cards, which we provided to him. He then saw us through the gate and provided us with a guide, which he explained was a condition of our stay in San Colette.” Penaloza is shown speaking into his phone for a moment and a younger Civil Guard officer, this one female and of a different rank judging by her uniform, walks through the door and has a brief conversation with him. She does not seem happy with the outcome. The camera then switches to her sitting across from Qi and looking less obviously displeased but still somewhat irritated. The officer shifts uncomfortably in her seat and begins speaking. “I am Corvette Lieutenant Leticia de la Fuente, or simply Lieutenant de la Fuente. As an officer of the Colettish Civil Guard — our local military branch responsible for defending the Sovereign Solarian Republic of San Colette. For the duration of his stay here I have been assigned to Mister Qi’s news team as their government liaison.” “Could you tell us a bit about yourself Lieutenant?” The officer seems somewhat surprised, casting a perplexed gaze upon Qi before continuing. “Well, there’s not a lot totally unique here. I’m from a military family in Nuevo Villaviciosa and joined the Civil Guard after finishing coursework at the academy, which was a bit before the Collapse.” The camera then cuts to Qi and de la Fuente alongside Odette Noyer — longtime colleague of Qi — finally taking a shuttle down to San Colette’s surface. They appear to be traveling to Nuevo Villaviciosa as the Castrejon Space Elevator is visible out of a window. Qi once again narrates over the footage. “San Colette, our destination, is now within our reach. For the Xanu News Service I’m Liao Qi, in San Colette.” The footage cuts back to van den Soeterik who is, as always, at her desk. “Tune into the Xanu News Service nightly for more information regarding Liao’s reporting in San Colette. Now we go to Xanu itself, where allegations of embezzlement have rocked Konyang’s delegation to the Coalition.” Date: 22/01/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Castrejon Space Elevator News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas A towering monument to Solarian engineering, the Castrejon Space Elevator dominates the skyline of San Colette’s shipbuilding center of Nuevo Villaviciosa. It’s impossible for us to miss on our ride down from an orbital customs station once used for tourism which now processes thousands of refugees fleeing violence in the so-called “Northern Wildlands.” Our guide, Civil Guard officer Leticia de la Fuente, is a local and has been provided to us by the government to guide us through the space elevator. “What you’re looking at,” de la Fuentes points behind herself at the gigantic space elevator, “is the largest space elevator in the Alliance outside of the Inner Ring. Most of the Civil Guard’s ships are built here by Tiscareno y Volante Shipbuilding and almost all of the city’s industries are tied to it. Biesel almost got this thing shut down through the Collapse you know. The government had to step in to save it.” “You think Biesel caused the Collapse?” asks Odette Noyer, standing off to the side of the camera. “I don’t give political opinions while I’m in uniform, I only concern myself with the facts,” de la Fuentes shoots back. “If you want my thoughts on the matter, interview me during the weekend. We’re going to have to take a ferry to the elevator itself — it’s built off of the coast.” Our boat ride was mercifully short, and we then rode up — though a fairly long platform and elevator ride — to a lower-level shipyard assembling the frame of a warship. “What’ll be done with it after it’s assembled here?” “Well Liao, it’ll be moved to a higher level for more work. What you’re looking at is the hull of a Castillo-class battleship. You might’ve seen the finished product in the gift shop below, although smaller.” “How long until this one is finished?” “At this stage? About two months. It’ll be used to defend our system from the SRF and League. Once we get enough? Maybe we can link back up with the Alliance and end this whole nightmare.” Date: 25/01/2465 XNS EXCLUSIVE: San Colette’s Railguns News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Network Writer : MattAtlas Liao Qi stands in front of a clear glass pane alongside de la Fuentes. In the distance is a Colettish defensive railgun station slowly orbiting the planet, tracking its railgun against an unknown object not visible from the window. A Colettish spacecraft detaches from the station and flies off towards an unknown point in San Colette’s orbit. “You are some of the first foreign reporters to see a Civil Guard railgun fire,” de la Fuente flatly states to Qi. “We’re honored that you’re showing us this, Leticia. You said it’s targeting a former SRF vessel?” “Yes, that’s correct,” de la Fuente taps the upper right of the window, revealing a projection of a Yincheng-class cruiser covered in Solarian Restoration Front livery and obvious battle damage. “This vessel, the River Holford, was disabled by a Free Solarian Fleets patrol last month. Another skirmish with the SRF, like what we’ve been having for two years now.” “How far away is it from us?” “It’s slightly inside the Colettish Belt, so essentially on the edge of the system. Any further out and you’ll be in the asteroid field,” de la Fuente takes a moment to listen to something inaudible to the camera on her radio set. “They’re about to fire, bring the camera up here.” Noyer, barely visible on the left side of the picture, seems to tap so being out on a PDA which causes the camera to shoot forward to the window. It centers upon the railgun as a PA system blares a countdown in Solarian Common. The railgun’s “barrel” begins to glow softly. “THREE… TWO… ONE… A MATADEIRA FIRING.” The railgun fires! While no noise is created due to the vacuum the railgun itself creates a flash of light as it shoots, and something shoots off into the distance at a barely-perceptible speed. “Switch your camera to the screen!” de la Fuente shouts. The camera quickly follows, revealing the derelict River Holford floating in space. A few seconds pass: one, two, three, four, and upon five something happens. With a flash something punches through the left of the light cruiser’s bow and punches out of the right of its stern a moment later. The ship lists to one side before an explosion amidship rips it in half with a flash. This explosion is followed by another, smaller explosion in its aft half which is then followed by a much larger blast in the vessel’s aft which essentially destroys the back of the ship. The camera lingers on the destruction before switching back to the three viewers. “What you just witnessed, Mister Qi and Miss Noyer, was a ship cleaved in half by one,” she raises a finger for dramatic impact, “round which destroyed its magazine and reactor. If the SRF or League come for us, we will be ready.” Date: 28/01/2465 BREAKING: Colettish Government Responds to State of Emergency News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas A few reporters, entirely from local stations aside from Liao Qi and his XNS associates off to one side, sit in front of an empty podium. After a minute or two a Colettish woman walks out and cracks open a binder. A subtitle identifies her as Adelmira de Noi, Presidential Liaison. “Good evening. As many of you are already aware, the Alliance has declared a state of emergency on its border in response to Restoration Front movements.” de Noi pauses for a moment, clearing her throat and adjusting her reading glasses. “In my capacity as a spokesperson for the Sovereign Solarian Republic of San Colette I have gathered you here today to announce that we are ready to honor the defensive pact of our Alliance in the face of aggression by any actors. We stand ready.” de Noi pauses yet again, though briefly. “Additionally, I call upon the Alliance to intervene in the so-called ‘Northern Wildlands,’ in the bend of restoring order and territorial integrity. For too long have we suffered in anarchy. Unfortunately we have no time for questions today as the President has an urgent need of me. Any questions should be forwarded to the press office.” de Noi flicks her mic off and says something to her Civil Guard escort, and promptly exits out of the door she entered through as cameras click and reporters shout questions. Date: 31/01/2465 Act One XNS Exclusive: The Immigrant Communities of San Colette News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas “Hello, and welcome once again to the Xanu News Network! As always I am your host, Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s featured stories include the state of emergency in the northern Solarian Alliance, the Republic of Biesel’s increasing militarization, and our very own Liao Qi’s continued reporting from San Colette. We go now to Liao, who’s currently located in an area of San Colette commonly known as Little New Hai Phong.” The camera switches to Qi, who is currently standing in front of a nondescript apartment building with Solarian script in the front. A reader of Solarian Common might be able to read the script as it consists of various ads for New Hai Phongese restaurants. Qi nods and begins speaking. “Thank you Mariska. As you can see I’m currently standing in front of an apartment building in a district of Montblanc known as Little New Hai Phong. This area was settled by workers who immigrated here from New Hai Phong during the construction of San Colette’s defenses. We interviewed its current councilperson to find out how life has been in this area since the Collapse, and—“ The broadcast flickers and distorts then appears to cut out, revealing a moderately confused den Soeterik behind her desk. She takes a moment to compose herself — this appears to be unscripted. “Well, ah, our apologies for this interruption. We’ll attempt to get Liao back on the network momentarily! For now, please enjoy these words from XNS’ sponsors!” den Soeterik smiles and nods, then waves as the broadcast switches to an ad for an all-in-one Einstein-produced tool set. Date: 02/02/2465 BREAKING: BROADCAST RE-ESTABLISHED; STATE OF WAR BETWEEN MIDDLE RING SHIELD PACT AND SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera flicks back on to reveal a grave looking den Soeterik. “Grave news have just reached us from the Solarian Alliance which has confirmed that a state of war now exists between the ex-Solarian statelets known as the Middle Ring Shield Pact and the Solarian Restoration Front. We go now to Liao Qi, our reporter in San Colette.” The camera switches to a somewhat shakier view of Qi than it had previously held. Qi is saying something inaudible to de la Fuente, who appears to be fairly upset with the situation. After a moment somebody turns the audio on halfway through de la Fuentes saying something. A loudspeaker can be faintly heard in the background and seems to be broadcasting an emergency alert. “—surd that you want to come with me!” “Look,” Qi responds. “Don’t you want your story to be told? We’re the only foreign reporters here, Leticia!” He then looks over at the camera, realizes it’s on and begins speaking to it without losing a beat. “Mariska, as you can see San Colette is already reacting to the state of war. Just a moment ago we heard emergency broadcasts begin in Little New Hai Phong,” he points up and to his right at something out of frame. The camera follows, revealing the loudspeaker, “which are advising residents of a state of emergency which has just begun.” “Will you be able to stay safe?” Qi nods. “Yes, we should be. We’re planning to continue reporting to the best of our abilities, as XNS always does.” He looks over at de la Fuente, who does not look happy. This is a fairly normal expression for her, all things considered. “I’m working with the Civil Guard to see if we can cover their actions.” “You are not going to the front line!” de la Fuente responds. “You’re to remain here where it’s safe, reporter.” “How are we meant to cover your story if we’re stuck here, Leticia? San Colette’s story has to be told by someone, and we’re the only ones here!” de la Fuentes looks at the camera out of the corner of her eye, then focuses on Qi. Her expression of neutral disapproval holds something else, but it’s hard to read. “We’ll discuss it later. That’s all I’ll say while you’ve got the camera rolling.” Qi, looking totally undisturbed by this, turns back to the camera. “As you can see, we’ll attempt to cover it to the best of our abilities.” The camera shifts back to den Soeterik, who nods. “We’ll let you get to it, then. Stay safe, Liao.” “Always.” Date: 02/02/2465 URGENT ALERT: WAR HAS BROKEN OUT BETWEEN THE MIDDLE RING SHIELD PACT AND THE SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The Solarian Restoration Front has begun a full-scale invasion of the Middle Ring Shield Pact as of two minutes ago. While residents outside the Wildlands are not expected to be at risk at this time, preparations in border systems are underway in case the worst happens. As this story is still developing, information is sparse. Our viewers and readers in the northern regions are advised to: -Pack your bags in case of an evacuation. Be prepared to leave behind any non-essential items. -Listen to all military staff in the area. -Make your way to a designated safe point if necessary. -Keep utilities such as your phone, a radio or a GPS device charged and listen for important announcements by the local government. -Ensure you have enough food and water for your pets. If you are perplexed on whether or not the emergency alert affects you, please activate your geolocation services and press the “Am I At Risk?” button at the end of the page. Date: 02/02/2465 STRATEGIC EXPERTS DISCUSS SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT ADVANCE News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas After the opening XNS jingle the camera pans to two individuals, one standing on either side of a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands. The male individual, standing on the right of the screen, begins speaking first. “Good evening everyone, and welcome to this newly-established segment, the XNS Strategic Analysis Unit. I’m Ajit Gopal, one of your hosts.” The female figure replies in tandem, “And I’m Delphine Deschamps. Our objective is to bring you live, objective and reliable updates on the situation in the Solarian Wildlands. We have also established donation numbers for relief efforts, which you will be able to see at the bottom of your screen.” “Right,” Gopal replies, “Let’s take a look at the current situation, shall we?” The holographic screen behind them changes to show a fairly decent situation for the Pact. They’ve lost a good amount of ground in the initial days, but their forces are not spread thin, and the Front’s advance has now slowed down considerably. Counting the number of fleets, the Front has almost an overwhelming numerical advantage. To the more perceptive viewers, the only thing keeping the Pact’s defense line in place is the amount of Pact-aligned FSF vessels, marked in a different color. “The Front currently seems to have the upper hand,” Delphine says, “As we can see, the Pact’s line has now stabilized from the Aria system to the Rubicon system. The Free Solarian Fleets auxiliaries here in yellow are truly the Pact’s lifeline - if they were not here, it’s likely that their defense would have already fallen apart.” “Exactly,” Gopal agrees, “One important thing to note is that the Free Solarian Fleets are actually more mobile than we calculated. We adjusted for an expected lack of phoron for their drives, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Our intelligence has reported that the Caravaggio - one of their cruisers - has actually managed to bring back a fair amount of fuel.” “That’s interesting,” Delphine says, hemming, “So, now that they can actually maneuver around the enemy, they’ve switched to a more mobile defense overall. We’ll have to see how long their supplies last, though. They may have secured phoron, but it must be a small and finite supply.” “Indeed,” Gopal confirms, “The short-term situation is looking well for the Pact, but the long–term situation is worrying. The numerical advantage is decisively on the Front’s side, and so is the materiel advantage. How will the Pact fare from now? Only time will tell. We thank our viewers for their cooperation, and we implore them to donate to relief efforts. Now, onto the next segment by Steve Beckenbauer, Kitchen Fantasies…” Date: 02/05/2465 THE COALITION OF COLONIES RESPONDS TO ONGOING VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN WILDLANDS News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera flicks back from its commercial break to reveal a graying man in a black suit standing behind a desk marked with “ROHAN MAGAR - ALL-XANU REPUBLIC” in both Freespeak and Sol Common. “This special meeting on the ongoing Wildlands crisis is hereby called to order. Gadpathur’s representative has the right to begin.” The camera switches to a harsh-looking man in the uniform of a Gadpathurian cadre leader. His desk is marked with “PRAVIN THAMAN - GADPATHUR.” “Thank you, Representative Magar,” Thaman stands, placing his glasses on to read from a leaflet of paper in his hands. “For centuries we Gadpathurians have struggled against the Solarian menace which destroyed our world. We have bled, fought, and died to ensure our Coalition shall never again fall to the Solarian menace, which now stands batterer but not beaten. I ask you now, my comrades-in-arms, to support a strong measure against the Solarian menace! I ask you to support an intervention in these so-called Wildlands to forever break Solarian power there!” As Thaman sits, a murmur goes through the crowd. Magar narrows his eyes, seemingly quite displeased with something. “Representative Thaman. In my capacity as chair of this committee I do not appreciate extreme deviations from prepared remarks. What is your aim with this suggestion beyond carrying on a planetary grudge?” “It will allow us to keep our former Solarians secure through the creation of a demilitarized zone, Representative Magar.” “With all due respect Representative Thaman, this zone would bring us into direct conflict with the Alliance if it opts to retake these territories.” “Let them come,” Thaman quickly responds, staring down Magar. “We have beaten them before and we shall do so again.” “Your suggestion is as absurd as ever. In my capacity as chairman I call the committee to order to vote on this matter. Konyang?” The camera pans to two Konyangers: one of a fairly old man in a suit and the other is a middle aged woman wearing the uniform of a Solarian Navy flag officer, though the Solarian symbology has been replaced with Konyanger equivalents. The man, identified as “KWAN SEOK - KONYANG,” and the woman, identified as “CMDR. MI-HI GIM, KAF,” holds a brief whispered conversation before the man speaks briefly. “Konyang does not support the suggestion.” “Just what we should have expected from a former Solarian ambassador!” Thaman sneers, looking at the older man. “Commander Gim, surely you must see the reason for my suggestion, having lived repressed by Sol for some fourteen years?” Gim looks at Thaman, appearing very irate. “I have nothing to say to you.” “Another such outburst and I’ll have you expelled for the rest of this meeting, Thaman!” Magar shouts, exasperated. “To return to voting on your proposal, I assume you are in support of it?” “Gadpathur will always support standing against the Solarian menace.” “Right. The United Syndicates of Himeo.” An older, and quite pale, man whose desk identifies him as “ABELARD DIRKSEN - HIMEO” rises to speak. “The United Syndicates abstain.” “Right. Assunzione?” A middle-aged woman wearing the garb of a Luceian clergywoman rises to speak from a desk labeling her as “TEOFILA VIOLANTE - ASSUNZIONE.” “The Republic of Assunzione calls upon our principle of neutrality and abstains.” Magar scratches something down on a piece of paper and rises to speak. “The All-Xanu Republic votes against this proposal. The final scoring is two against, one for, and two abstentions. The proposal fails to pass the committee and this meeting is hereby adjourned!” Magar bangs a gavel next to him as the audio cuts and the camera fades out, but not before Thaman can be seen riding to his feet and yelling at somebody out of frame, pointing at them all the while. Date: 02/09/2465 BREAKING: Corporate-Free League Launches Assault on the Middle Ring Shield Pact! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens on van den Soeterik, looking as professional as she always does. Her eye augments flicker softly as the camera focuses on her. “Good evening, and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. As always I am your host Mariska van den Soeterik. We go now to a developing story from the Northern Wildlands, where an ongoing conflict in the region has just escalated. Liao?” The camera cuts to Liao Qi outside a fairly nondescript Colettish building which could easily pass for anywhere else in the Spur if not for the sandbags covering its ground floor. Qi himself looks a bit haggard, as if he hasn’t slept recently, and is wearing a vest with “PRESS” on it in Sol Common alongside a helmet. “As you’ve just heard, Mariska, the Anti-Corporate League, another Solarian warlord, has launched an attack against the Middle Ring Shield Pact, which is where we’re currently located. The government has issued an advisory against unnecessary interstellar travel across the Pact and has requested any civilian ships capable of moving large amounts of cargo to report to the nearest military station for conversion into auxiliary vessels.” “It sounds pretty dire there.” Qi nods. “Pact officials have called for unity in the face of adversity and the defensive line against the Front is holding, but many worry this new front puts the Pact in a very dangerous situation. Many people here are now asking themselves the same question: where is the Alliance?” “Thanks for reporting on this Liao. Stay safe, okay?” He nods again. “Always!” The camera pans back to a serious-looking van den Soeterik, who begins speaking. “The XNS will strive to keep its audience updated on this developing situation. For now, a word from our sponsors.” Date: 12/02/2465 SOLARIAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN WILDLANDS News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas Governor Hendrik Strom, flanked by Admiral Verhasselt, Minister of Defence Courtois and Governor Trang, walks up to the podium in the Unity Station Senate room, with the Solarian flag behind him. The room is chock full of reporters, functionaries, and other officials. “The Solarian Alliance has been through many moments of crisis before. Among them, the Second Great Depression, the Interstellar War, and now a new Civil War. When the Second Great Depression took us down, we stood back up. We survived the greatest conflict in the history of the Spur, and came back stronger from it. Each and every time the Alliance seemed to fall, we rose up, and came out better from it.” “The little statelets in our territory think that they are vying for a race, when in reality, they’re only biding their time. In their lust for greed and power, they have turned against their fellow citizen, their fellow Solarian - the very people that this nation is sworn to protect. In their hubris, they have forgotten what makes them Solarian: they have betrayed their country and nationality.” “Our detractors will believe that we have closed our eyes and our ears. They are open now, more than ever before. We have not watched the past week go by idly. The Solarian Alliance hereby condemns all violence within its borders and demands an immediate end to it. Every crime committed will be paid for, and every ounce of Solarian blood spilled will be remembered.” “We are watching, and we will not forget.” The Governor ends his statement with a standing ovation from the crowd. Strom and his entourage then leave the room without taking further questions. Date: 13/02/2465 XNS Defense Analysts Review the Wildlands Situation News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas After the opening XNS jingle the camera pans to two individuals, one standing on either side of a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands. The male individual, standing on the right of the screen, begins speaking first. “Good evening and welcome to this special live edition of the XNS Strategic Analysis Unit’s reporting on the Northern Wildlands. I’m Ajit Gopal.” “And I’m Delphine Deschamps. As you may be aware, the League of Independent, Corporate-Free Systems located here,” Deschamps gestures and Gopal taps the right side of the screen, causing a red section labeled LEAGUE to light up. “has recently invaded the Middle Ring Shield Pact,” Deschamps taps the middle of the screen, causing a section marked as PACT to light up, “which is currently at war with the Solarian Restoration Front located here,” she taps the left of the screen, lighting up a section labeled FRONT. “Rumors already indicate the Pact has begun to retreat. Ajit, has your desk been able to confirm any of these?” “As of now, no. Most of what we have is open-source information from platforms such as Chirper, which Pact mercenaries have been known to frequently upload videos or images to such as this one. Gopal hits a button on the side of the screen causing it to switch from a map to a photo of a Solarian Navy sailor holding a League helmet, done up in Coalition colors, with a bullet hole through its right eye. A caption below reads: “bol coalition bastards! send more rangers!!!! xoxoxo” “As you can see Delphine, the helmet here is an example of Coalition-modified Solarian surplus provided to the League by certain member-states such as Himeo or Gadpathur.” “When is that post from?” “Yesterday. We’ve also seen rumors of Gadpathurian involvement but nothing solid yet.” “Worrying. We inquired with the Gadpathurian consulate on Xanu and have as of yet received no response.” “We’ll keep our eyes open.” Gopal then seems to pause a moment, lifting a finger to his right ear. ”— but for now the producers have told me we’re overdue for a word from our sponsors.” “Oh,” Deschamps looks fairly disappointed at this. “I suppose we are. We’ll be right back, viewers!” Date: 15/02/2465 LIVE: Pact Retreats Following League Assault! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her holo-paper. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top story is the retreat of the Middle Ring Shield Pact’s forces following a renewed assault by the League some have accused Gadpathur of supporting. We go now to Liao Qi, our reporter in the Pact’s capital of San Colette. Liao?” The camera switches to Qi, who is currently standing near a road in front of a series of nearly identical prefab buildings next to his Civil Huard escort, de la Fuente. He nods, showing he’s heading van den Soeterik. “The situation in the Pact has begun to look increasingly dire since the League’s invasion, and we’re currently standing outside one of the signs of this. Behind me is Refugee Facility 692,” he points over at the facility. “It was finished yesterday and is already being used to house Solarians displaced by the League’s recent offensive, which has already taken several Pact systems. The Pact and Free Solarian Fleets are performing what the government has described as a fighting retrea—“ “Look out!” an individual off-camera shouts, potentially camerawoman Odette Noyer judging by her voice. Qi is grabbed by de la Fuente, his Civil Guard escort, and pulled out of view as a number of vehicles bearing Civil Guard insignia on their sides and carrying large missiles scream down the road at a positively unsafe speed. After a minute the vehicles stop passing by and the camera shifts to follow them as they disappear into the distance. A dusty, and somewhat shaken-looking, Qi then reappears in front of the camera, looking dire. “Liao?” Mariska asks. “Are you alright?” Qi nods again. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine! I’m not sure what those trucks were, but the gover—“ “Those were anti-orbital missiles,” de la Fuente states, her usual expression of neutral disapproval broken by worry. She looks at Qi. “Give me your microphone.” “What?” “Liao. Give me the microphone.” Qi hesitates for a moment and then passes her the microphone, looking nearly as concerned as de la Fuente is. “Hello,” the Civil Guard officer begins, looking both worried and nervous. “My name, uh, is Leticia de la Fuente. I’m, I’m an officer, here. In San Colette’s military. And I’m— I’m only 22, and I’m just a Corvette Lieutenant, but—“ she pauses. “I don’t know who’s listening to this, or if this will even be heard in Sol, but we need help! We’re fighting for the Alliance! We— we— you can’t just leave us to die here! This is our home, and we’re Solarian citizens! Just like you! Don’t— don’t just leave us!” de la Fuente goes silent. Gone is the previously sour-faced Civil Guard officer assigned to Liao Qi and resenting it. She looks terrified, and like she’s about to break out into tears. Qi, breaking from his usual neutral news reporter routine, pulls the Coletter into a hug. She begins crying, and the camera lingers for a moment before switching over to a grim-looking van den Soeterik. She says nothing as the broadcast fades out into black. Date: 19/02/2465 LIVE: INTERVENTION DEBATE ON UNITY STATION News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann A blonde Venusian woman in a red skirt suit is standing before the entrance to the Senate room, used as an impromptu meeting room for the Provisional Government. “Hello, my dear viewers! I’m Céline Eylenbosch, your beloved reporter, and we are reporting live from Unity Station, where the Government has announced a press conference… and it seems they’ve already started!” The cameraman and Céline make their way inside. Strom and Trang on their podiums look fairly exhausted, with messier hair than usual. Admiral Verhasselt is behind them with his usual grave look. “-- to answer your question, reporter, our economic progress is going great,” Strom begins, “Nationalization of corporate assets was a great challenge, the main cause of our GDP loss. It was difficult reshuffling all the industries and chains of production. A lot of corporate higher-ups fled to Biesel and took documents and information with them. It was a mess, but we’re getting out of it, as shown by our projected GDP chart.” Trang nods in agreement, staying silent. A reporter in the background asks, “And what do you think about the situation in the Wildlands, Senator Strom?” The question seems to immediately tilt Strom. The cameramen begin to push over each other to get the best angle. Everyone seems to know that things are about to get ugly. Céline looks delighted, beckoning her cameraman to get closer. “What do I think about it? I think it’s a failure! On all fronts! Those are Solarian citizens - our citizens! That’s our territory! And what’s happening to it?! It’s being razed to the ground by maniacs worshipping a dead fascist! Solarian citizens are being pushed out of their homes and murdered as we speak! And what does the Navy say?!” He lets the question hang in the air. Verhasselt does not break his demeanour, but anyone can guess that he is likely peeved. “That they’re not ready yet! That’s what we’re going to say to the families of dead Solarians?! That we weren’t ready to defend them?! Is that how the Solarian Alliance should behave! No! It isn’t! I wholeheartedly support i–...” Trang interrupts Strom at this point, raising her voice speaking over him, “Intervention is off the table for the time being,” she precises, “We can’t afford it at a moment so delicate for the Alliance. Our economy still needs time to recover, and mobilising our forces would be a risk we can’t take, especially when our Navy is probably weaker than what the Front’s rallied. Our industries still need time to re–” She is now interrupted by Strom, who raises his voice in turn, “Hai Phonger industries? And what am I supposed to say about Jintarian industries?! Well, Trang, go and tell the San Coletters that your concern for Hai Phonger industries is what stopped us from helping them! That we can’t risk our economy to save the–” “You know that isn’t what I said, Hendrik!” Trang remarks. She begins to speak, then a journalist from the tribune interrupts her. “Senator Strom is right. Can you once again tell the Solarian people right now, on air, that you will not intervene in the Wildlands crisis?” Another journalist stands up, replying, “What are you, an idiot?! With what navy? Nearly our entire navy mutinied a few years ago!” “You’re exaggerating! Our Navy’s fine!” At this point, the tribune breaks out into a full shouting match between Strom supporters and Trang supporters. Some are concerned over the Navy, others over the economy, but most about the possibility of the Front winning against the Alliance. Confidence in the Navy is at an all time low. “Well, dear viewers, it seems we’ve broken out into a full verbal melee here…” Céline says, clearly delighting in the drama. She is then pushed into a wall by another angry reporter who calls out her nonchalant and very Cytherean attitude, which is when she joins the verbal melee as well. This continues for a minute or two - shoves and yells are not uncommon. Admiral Verhasselt attempts to restore some order through his voice, but it is not enough to be heard over the various yells of the tribune. Strom and Trang have by now stopped arguing, looking at each other with a grave expression. The mess is then dispersed by Unity Station’s Army military police. No weapons were raised, but many threats of revoking press licenses were given over the megaphone. Céline exits the room after some of the reporters, looking dejected. “What a mess, dear viewers,” she says, looking at the camera, “The Wildlands affair has many people on edge, and the Government’s split! In the coming days, we will be hearing more about the intervention debate for sure, so, stay tuned!” Date: 22/02/2465 LIVE: Coalition Special Committee Discusses the Wildlands Crisis News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens onto a meeting room on Xanu Prime filled with the same faces as the last meeting, almost all of which appear to be some form of irate. Thaman, Gadpathur’s delegate, is shouting something at his Konyanger counterpart. “—that’s quite enough out of you!” Magar shouts, banging his gavel for emphasis. Thaman sits, and Magar turns to the Konyanger delegation. “Now, your evidence you wish to present.” “Representative Magar,” Gim stands, holding a folder of papers and walking toward the chairman. “These documents contain communications between Gadpathur and the League intercepted by the Konyang Armed Forces. I’m certain you’ll find them quite interesting.” As Gim places the papers down Thaman practically erupts from his seat, causing the Konyanger officer to react a bit too quickly for a human as she reaches for something which should be at her hip but is not there. "How dare you treat this as if it is negative!” Thaman bellows, to confused looks by most aside from him. “Only Gadpathur is willing to intervene in the Wildlands, and we are not ashamed to do what is necessary!” “You’re nothing but a fool!” Seok shouts back, pushing himself up from his chair. “You’ll bring us to the brink of another Interstellar War if the Alliance opts to intervene in the region!” “Let the Solarians come! We will defeat them once again!” “Representative Thaman, has Gadpathur forgotten the economic damage of the War?!” Magar shouts back, looking more irate than he ever has. “You must cease this madness at once!” Thaman snorts, sneering at his counterpart. “Your planet’s economic relations with the Solarians have made you weak, Rohan. Only we have the strength to do what is necessary!” “I will see your planet expelled from the Coalition!” “You will be no better than the Solarian!” “Enough!” Violante stands, interrupting the screaming match. “By the Light of Ennoia are we granted the wisdom of cooperation and Coalition, and entrusted not to stray from this course. I implore you all to come to your senses and see no enemies are in this room — only misguided allies.” Thaman considers this for a moment and promptly storms out of the room, slamming the door behind himself. His colleagues watch him leave with expressions of confusion. “Most honorable chairman, I move to permit a recess,” Violante stated after a moment of awkward silence. “Right,” Magar resumes, adjusting his glasses — perhaps out of reflex rather than any real need. “The committee is adjourned until further notice.” A bang of the gavel signals the end of the broadcast. Date: 23/02/2465 Live Updates: War in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. The right side of the map is more red than before, and the left is more black. The gray Pact-labeled chunk in the middle has shrunken slightly. “Good evening!” Deschamps begins, “And welcome to another session of XNS analysis regarding the ongoing conflict in the Northern Wildlands. Today we’ll be focusing on two recent conflict zones confirmed through analysis by Amit’s team.” “Right. The first one,” Gopal taps the screen and zooms into a section of the SRF-Pact Front. Various symbols marking FSF, MRSP, and SRF units can be seen. They seem to be concentrated around a single point. “—is the Victoria System, which is home to shipbuilding yards built by Hephaestus in the orbit of New Peoria. Currently it’s being effectively held by a mixed Pact-mercenary force against a Front assault, and has become a focal point of fighting in this area.” “Due to the shipyards, right. Any other reasons?” “There’s a couple. The most obvious one is the shipyards, which have to be either demolished or moved, and are presumed to be the main reason the Pact’s dug in so hard here. The other reason’s a less economic one: New Peoria’s got a warp gate leading straight to San Colette and has been a major hub for refugees fleeing the Front’s offensive for San Colette proper. The Pact can’t easily give it up and is likely trying to get as many people out as it can before they need to destroy it.” "It sounds dire.” Gopal nods grimly. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in the making. There’s another system like this on the League front you found, right?” “That’s right. On the opposite front,” she taps the screen a few times and brings up a similar screen to the previous one, but with different borders and colors. “—we have Hudson’s Star. Before the Collapse it was a relatively prosperous industrial system with a heavy orbital mining industry, but that’s likely not what the League is intent on taking. They’re likely attempting to secure the Solarian Navy compound known as Baffin Station, which is rumored to contain repair facilities the League presently lacks.” “Is it still intact?” Unfortunately, we don’t know. FSF vessels in the area have been unusually quiet compared to previous weeks of the conflict and nobody can speak as to the quality of the facilities, or if they’re even still intact! It wouldn’t surprise me if this is simply a stalling action by the Pact.” “Well, that’s-“ Gopal reaches up to his ear again. “—something to discuss after a word from our sponsor, Einstein Engines! We’ll be back shortly.” The crushingly disappointed face of Deschamps fades out and is shortly replaced with an ad for shell-safe nanopaste built on Konyang. What a deal! Date: 25/02/2465 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH A FREE SOLARIAN FLEETS LIEUTENANT News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas A Himean man is the sole host for this segment of Interviews and News, one of the most famous Xanusii services. It revolves around interviewing both exceptional and ordinary people. This time around, however, the guest was known to be a rather special one. The host of the show is sitting in a rather cosy sofa, while on the holoscreen behind him one can see a Solarian Navy figure, clearly video calling from a ship of some sort. “Welcome, our faithful guests, to a special episode of Interviews and News! I’m Jude Scholes, and today, I’ve got a special guest for you all! Life as a mercenary is known to be a harsh one. The Xanu News Service has managed to obtain an interview with one of these mercenaries, a certain Lieutenant Yann Mueller. He is currently engaged with the Caravaggio, one of the cruisers that has traveled the most across the Spur. Mister Mueller, why don’t you tell us some about yourself and your ship?” “Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” the Solarian - a Lunan, by the sounds - responds, with an uncertain tone, “I’m Yann. I didn’t really become part of the Fleets, like, it just happened. We were in the outer ring, and then everything started going to sh– hell, and then our Admiral said that we’re on our own now, and the government wouldn’t help because Frost kicked the bucket and the Navy’s imploding… so we all just nodded our heads and went with him. I mean, what were we gonna do? Mutiny? Go back to Earth to get court martialed? We have families too, you know,” Mueller says, with a hint of resentment. “As for our fleet, well… basically, the biggest thing that’s happened to us is that we got hired by these corporate guys from Biesel… the Horizon, I think it’s called? And they wanted an escort, or something. Well - I’m just a navigations officer, so I don’t really have all the details, but I know that most of the enlisted really hate their guts. Especially one of our sergeants, Gallagher, because she says she lost someone there, or something. Not really my problem. I mean - everyone here knows death’s at the door. We just live day to day.” “That’s a bit of a coalheaded philosophy, from a normal person’s perspective, but you people are in different circumstances,” Jude begins, with the Solarian looking distinctly confused by the word ‘coalheaded’, “What happened after that?” “Well, we came back to the Fleets after our contract was like… done, or whatever,” Mueller begins, “Then, we got a fat contract from these guys, the Middle Ring Shield Pact. It’s called that way, but if you ask me, it’s really San Colette’s show… and they’re Solarians, so most of us at least feel like we’re fighting for a better cause this time around. Yeah, if you ask one of the enlisted, they’ll say it’s for the money, but that’s not really entirely true, I think. Most of us hate these Front fu–” he censors himself, “--mmh, idiots. Obviously we wouldn’t have helped if the contract wasn’t big, because you know, it’s dangerous, but you get what I’m saying, right?” “I think I do,” the Himean host says, nodding along, “So, you all said you brought phoron with you, right? How much of a key factor was that in this battle?” “Yeah, we did bring a bunch of phoron. There are some scientific details that I won’t really explain, but basically, if you have a lot of phoron to burn, you’re a lot more mobile. And that helps a lot at a distance, especially if you need to keep a mobile defence going - like we do. We don’t really have the numbers to take on them, so we need to take pot shots from far away and then leave immediately. We can’t really afford to lose ships with risky moves, so we have to play it safe… have you seen how many Regensburgists there are? It’s insane, man. They’ve got so many fleets, and they’re all fully crewed… I don’t get it.” Something can be heard being spoken from a loudspeaker in the distance. The Solarian turns to face it, and then turns to face the camera, worried. “Regensburgists, you say?” The Himean asks, intrigued, “Anyway, I assume your time’s running out?” “Yeah, we’re… we need to get to battle stations, basically. We’re almost at the first line of defence… these Coletters are pretty philosophical, you know?” Mueller gives a short, worried chuckle, “They call it the Llorente line, after their first president. It’s pretty poetic. Anyway, yeah, we need to go.” “Thank you for your time, then,” the Himean anchor says. The Solarian nods, gives a “Bye!”, and then quickly turns off the camera. “Scruples aside, this eclectic mix of people is the only thing standing between San Colette and its occupation. Will they succeed or not? We’ll leave the predictions to you - you can tell us your opinion by messaging the number or email on your screen right now. And now for our next segment, Light’s Edge and its Secrets…” Date: 01/03/2465 Tau Ceti Foreign Legion to be Deployed to the Northern Border! News Article Publisher : Tau Ceti Times Writer : MattAtlas Earlier today the Office of the President announced a general movement of all available Foreign Legion and mercenary assets to the border with the Northern Wildlands, citing the ongoing security situation in the region as the main reason for this. When asked for comment, the Presidential press desk provided the Times with this statement: “The Republic is concerned for the safety of all of our citizens, whether they be from Biesel or the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. The Foreign Legion’s presence on the border will serve as a safeguard against any Solarian elements who seek to prey upon the people of our nation, or take advantage of our resources.” When asked if the Foreign Legion would be deployed into the Wildlands for peacekeeping operations, the press desk provided the Times with the following statement: “The Republic of Biesel is a nation interested in peace which has no interest in attacking other nations. There is no current intention to deploy Legion or other forces abroad in peacekeeping operations. Our enemies should not take this for weakness, as we will defend our borders from any assaults.” The private military companies contracted to work alongside the Foreign Legion declined the Times’ request to comment on the ongoing situation, citing matters of employee safety. Date: 27/02/2465 Exclusive Interview: Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas Céline Eylenbosch, a blonde Venusian woman wearing a red skirtsuit, greets the viewers with a wave and a fairly large smile. She appears to be standing in one of the hallways of Unity Station. To her left is a taller woman in a Solarian Navy dress uniform with long, black hair. She looks to be no older than her mid thirties, but to those familiar with military affairs, her tabs identify her as a Fleet Admiral. More than likely, she is actually in her mid forties or early fifties. “Hello, dear viewers! Today we have quite the scoop for you. We’ve been able to secure an exclusive interview with none other than the Fleet Admiral of the First Battlegroup, Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg. That’s quite a handful to say, but that’s quite an important position! Why don’t you tell us about it, Admiral?” Varnhagen makes a bit of a face at the ‘that’s a handful to say’ comment, but otherwise continues with a politically subdued tone. Her responses are very precise, and never seem to quite steer off the mark. “The First Battlegroup is the most complete and the most prestigious battlegroup in the Alliance. It is made up of our very best, both in materiel and men, and has long had a tradition of being an élite force. I was promoted to this spot after Admiral Courtois ascended to the post of Minister of Defense.” “That’s great!” Céline says, “But it wouldn’t be an interview if we didn’t ask you scathing questions that our viewers want asked. What do you think about the war in the Northern Wildlands?” “The last dying gasp of a collective group of traitors,” Varnhagen simply responds, “The Shield Pact has the support of every Solarian proud to call themselves one. We’ve worked hard to clear the military of Front sympathizers – there is no place in the Spur for them.” “Strong statement,” Céline responds, lighting up slightly, “According to a Venusian Herald poll, sixty seven percent of Solarians support declaring war on the Front. When you say that the Shield Pact has our support, does that mean that a direct intervention is on the table?” “We act on orders. We will hold the border for sure, but we would not hesitate to intervene if the Government ordered us to.” “Ooooh,” Céline responds, “Do you think we would win in a war?” Varnhagen’s answer is a short and simple one - “Yes.” Céline claps her hands together, with one still holding the red microphone labeled with SANN. “That’s quite enough, then! We won’t take any more of your time - we know how important you are, Admiral. We wish you the best of luck, and have a good day!” “Thank you,” the Admiral responds with a curt nod and then sets off into the hallway. Curiously, Courtois appears next to her, and they begin chatting as they walk down the corridor and out of view. “Strong statements today, dear viewers,” Céline says, turning back to look at the camera again, “The military never says much on camera, because of boring things like non-disclosure agreements or military professionalism or many other problems, but I feel like we’ve struck gold today! We’ll act if we’re ordered to? What a statement to make! Do you believe the Alliance will intervene or not? Vote now on your phones…” Date: 04/03/2465 Live Updates: War in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The traditional XNS jingle plays, heralding the revealing of Deschamps, Gopal, and the map. The black section, marking the Front, has increased. The League’s portion has not. “Good evening and welcome to another of our segments on the ongoing Northern Wildlands conflict,” Gopal begins. “Dire news has reached us from the Victoria System, where Pact defenses fell earlier today in the face of a Front assault. This video discovered on Chirper shows some of the moments leading up to this event.” The video switches over to a recorded feed from what appears to be a spacecraft’s external camera, which is pointed at a large orbital structure containing a warship. Military-minded observers will recognize this as a Hephaestus-produced orbital dockyard partway through the construction of a Taipei-class heavy cruiser. The camera has no audio feed but does observe a small craft — perhaps a shuttle — flying away from the structure. A few moments of utter silence pass before the camera is shaken by something and six thin objects appear below it, rapidly moving away from the camera and towards the dock. The missiles strike the dock in the traditional eerie silence of space combat, and the dock itself is consumed in a series of explosions too large for the yield of the missiles. The Taipei-class hull violently cracks in half and its fore is tossed clear of the explosions by concussive force, then is itself destroyed by another missile. As the dockyard breaks apart into useless chunks and begins falling into the planet’s atmosphere, the feed cuts out and switches back to the analysts and their screen. “Our best estimate places this as having been shot by the FSF Caravaggio at 1800 GST yesterday,” Deschamps says, looking at Gopal. “Similar destruction has been reported at the New Peoria warp gate in the system, which was allegedly destroyed by a nuclear device launched by the FSF Borgia.” “And the Front now controls the system?” “Correct. This video was posted to 64tan by what we assume is one of their marines. A warning to our viewers that this is graphic content.” The camera switches to footage of an unknown man in a SRF gargoyle voidsuit with “SGT PORTER” written on its forehead seemingly recording himself on a camcorder. Muffled speech which sounds like Nral’Malic standard is cut off by a gunshot which lights up the dark room in a brief flash of light. The Sergeant barely reacts. “Guys,” he begins, his voice muffled by the suit, “we’ve taken back New Peoria for the Alliance!” he flashes a thumbs-up, then briefly spins the camera around to look out a window. The SRF’s flag flutters in the breeze, standing above a mostly-ruined square littered with destroyed civilian vehicles. An anti-aircraft emplacement sits destroyed next to what appears to have been a spaceport until recently. “We drove the aliens out and killed all the,” a loud beep, “we could find!” Porter then flips the camcorder around. “And we’re coming for their sponsors next! San Colette! Your days are,” another loud beep, “numbered!” The feed cuts, returning to the analysts. They look grim. “With Victoria and New Peoria lost,” Gopal begins, zooming out the map and zooming it back into another system surrounded with Pact, mercenary, and Front markers, “it’s likely the Pact will likely have to retreat to the Igman System, another industrial system like Victoria.” “Can they hold?” Gopal sighs. “We’ll see. They’re still holding the League at Hudson’s Star, so we’ll see. Unfortunately, we need to take a brief commercial break. Up next is the renowned Mariska van den Soeterik.” The XNS goes on a commercial break. This one appears to be dedicated to a smaller local company producing household goods. Nothing too exciting. Date: 05/03/2465 Crown Princess Condemns Ongoing Violence in the “Wildlands” News Article Publisher : Dominia Imperial News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the Imperial News Network’s traditional opening bells, and part of the Imperial anthem, the camera fades into a view of a Morozian man in a suit typical to the Empire’s lower nobility, though it lacks the ornamentation of any of the five great houses. “Good day, and praise the Goddess in all you do. I am Valentin de Blanchet, your host for this event. Over the past months as our glorious Empire has contributed to prosper, and we have given thanks to both Goddess and Emperor for their wisdom in avoiding the poisoner chalice of phoron, much of the former Solarian Alliance — known as the “Wildlands” in their dialect — has been wracked by the scourge of violence. The heir apparent, Crown Princess Priscilla, has been chosen to speak on behalf of His Majesty, who is currently recovering from an illness. We now go to the palace, where the Crown Princess is preparing to speak. The camera switched to Priscilla Keeser, who is currently seated in a quite nice-looking chair with one leg crossed over the other. She is, as perhaps expected of royalty, poised and elegant in both her posture and garments, which appear to be a high-quality noblewoman’s dress in the strikingly red colors of the royal family. Two guards, one male and one female, clad in the dress uniform of the royal family’s bodyguard, stand behind her at attention. “Citizens of our glorious Empire,” the Princess begins. “I and my father wish you good health and hope you have kept both Empire and Goddess in your hearts as we approach the Feast of Faith. “Our Empire has much to thank Our Lady the Goddess for, as it is through Her wisdom we have avoided much of the suffering which has blighted the Spur since the start of the phoron crisis, which has direly impacted many nations of the Spur which do not heed Her wisdom as our Empire does. “Perhaps no area has been impacted more by the crisis than the northern Solarian Alliance. This region has recently fallen into a civil war which threatens to draw the broader Spur into a conflict perhaps more destructive than the Interstellar War. Much of the blame for this can be placed firmly upon the shoulders of men and women whose ambition is untempered by faith and the compassion which grows from Her.” The Crown Princess pauses for a moment before speaking again, seemingly to let her previous words sink in. “Rest assured as the Empire, through both Her wisdom and that of the Emperor, shall not involve itself in such a conflict. We will remain resolute in the defense of our borders against any aggression, and we shall seek to bring Her guidance abroad, but we shall not become involved in a Solarian conflict. Thank you, and praise the Goddess through both your words and deeds for without Her, there is no Empire.” The broadcast fades out to the polite clapping of several unseen dignitaries. Date: 07/03/2465 Office of the Prime Minister Responds to Ongoing Conflict in the Former Solarian Alliance News Article Publisher : Elyra News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to focus on an Elyran woman, dressed professionally in an orange pants-suit, sitting in a chair opposite an older Elyran man in a black suit with a small Elyran flag pin on his lapel. Habitual viewers of the ENN will easily recognize the woman as Nathifa Sabir, host of its famous Jewel’s Eye political talk show, by both her suit and habitually messy curly hair. The man across from her is Doctor Bahir Yousif, a relatively well-known member of the Prime Minister’s advisory team and Elyran foreign policy scholar. “Thank you for tuning into the Elyran News Network!” Sabir begins with a smile. “Tonight I’m joined by a very special guest, Doctor Bahir Yousif of the Prime Minister’s office!” The audience claps. “Thank you for having me.” “Of course. Now, Doctor, many Elyrans are concerned about growing unrest in the Wildlands, particularly in the Northern Wildlands. Does the Prime Minister have any plans to address the situation, particularly as San Colette is of relevance to the Spurwide phoronics market?” “As of now the Republic has no interest in the Alliance’s problems,” Yousif responds. “While it’s true the Colettish phoronics industry has an impact on the wider Spur, its impact is barely felt in the Serene Republic.” “Do you believe the impact will be mostly localized?” “Most of San Colette’s phoron was sent to Biesel, which has long been a major consumer of it. How the Alliance will be impacted remains to be scene, as they've taken steps to reduce their phoron dependency.” Sabir nods her head. “Thank you, Doctor. With that said, do you have any thoughts on the recent Dominian announcement concerning the situation?” “I do. If the Empire thinks it can disguise its efforts to undermine our sovereignty such as how they did at al-Hamid Square, they are mistaken. The Serene Republic is fully prorated to counteract any efforts to spread Dominian imperialism into regions of national or strategic concern to us.” Sabir nods approvingly! “Thank you, Doctor. Unfortunately that’s all the time we have for now. The Elyran News Network will return after a short break with the latest news from across the Serene Republic!” Date: 07/03/2465 GADPATHURIAN SUPPORT FOR THE LEAGUE REVEALED! News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann A particularly smug and triumphant-looking Strom begins to talk from his podium in the senate room. This time, more Army military police are present in the room. “As we all know, some grudges are eternal, like Gadpathur’s,” he says, “Just a few days ago, Alliance intelligence revealed to us that the Gadpathurian government has been providing the League with war materiel this entire time. Guns, ships, war supplies - you name it, they’ve sent it.” Strom’s audience almost collectively gasps at the revelation. “Essentially, they were trying to fund their own little warlord puppet state behind our backs. I forwarded this intelligence to my counterpart on Xanu Prime - Miss Sianne, a lovely woman - and strongly demanded action on the subject. A major member of the Coalition trying to start another war? We’d never have it!” “After a few days of drawn-out negotiations with Miss Sianne and a neutral Assunzionii mediator, we’ve found an agreement. Gadpathur is as of now completely shut out from the Coalition warp gate network, and isolated for their reckless actions!” The tribune claps, and Strom nods a few times, clearly enjoying it. Trang looks less enthused, but nonetheless contributes to the clapping. “The Gadpathurians will remain locked out of the Coalition’s gate network until they stop supplying the League.” Date: 10/03/2465 XNS Exclusive: Interview with a Gadpathurian Naval Officer News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann A Himean male is the sole host for this segment of Interviews and News, one of the most famous Xanusii services. It revolves around interviewing both exceptional and ordinary people. The host of the show is sitting in a rather cosy sofa, while on the holoscreen behind him one can see a Gadpathurian cadre leader. The cadre leader, a middle-aged woman with a prominent burn scar across the left side of her face (complete with an eyepatch), appears to be using a video call of some sort, and is in a fairly dingy industrial room. “Welcome, our faithful guests, to a special episode of Interviews and News! I’m Jude Scholes, and today, I’ve got a special guest for you all! With Gadpathur having been recently accused of supplying Solarian warlords with weapons, many have been asking for a Gadpathurian response! The Xanu News Service has managed to obtain an exclusive interview with Commodore Lavanya Tripathi, officer in charge of a Gadpathurian patrol squadron which has been stranded in Konyang by the recent warp gate lockout! Commodore Tripathi, why don’t you tell us a bit about your squadron? How are you handling these accusations?” “They’re absurd,” Tripathi practically spits. “The United Planetary Defense Council has always fought for the Coalition’s best interests, and the All-Xanu Republic’s recent cooperation with the Solarian enemy to ‘expose’ this is nothing more than retaliation against us for proposing we take decisive action against these so-called Wildlands!” “Much of the reaction to Gadpathur’s intervention proposal has been negative, and some have accused it of moving the Spur closer to a Second Interstellar War during an ongoing economic crisis regarding phoron. Do you have anything to say in response to this?” “We are not the ones who should be accused of bringing the Spur closer to war!” Tripathi responds, angrily pointing at the camera. “Who is responsible for these Wildlands but the Solarians, and who now fights themselves within it? We have been presented with an opportunity to end the menace to our Coalition once and for all, and we have wasted it through the dithering of politicians and businessmen! What the Coalition needs is decisive action, and that is what Gadpathur will provide if we are directed to!” “That’s a bit of a coalheaded philosophy, from the perspective of most Coalitioners. How do you int–” Before Scholes can finish his statement, he is cut off by the Gadpathurian. “How dare you imply we are coalheaded when we are the only ones with the strength to take action!” Tripathi slams her fist down next to the monitor, causing it to shake briefly. “Cowardice in the face of the Enemy is what caused billions of my ancestors to die to the Solarians! I won’t have any more of your frivolous comments, and I will not save you when the Solarian comes for you!” Tripathi then reaches behind her video camera and shuts it off, leaving a somewhat surprised-looking Scholes sitting on his sofa. He looks at somebody offscreen and gives a hand signal, then looks back to the camera with a polite expression. “Well, that was Commodore Lavanya Tripathi of Gadpathur! As our guest has ended the interview early, we’ll be back after a short break!” Date: 11/03/2465 LIVE: Coalition Responds to Ongoing Violence in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann This broadcast appears to have, for better or worse, begun partway into a very heated debate. Pravin Thaman, Gadpathur’s representative in the committee, has just slammed his hand down on his table with enough force to knock over his glass of water. “You work with the Solarians instead of us! Us, Rohan!” another slam. “Our planet has bled more than any other in the Coalition, and it has bled at the hands of the very Solarians you now cooperate with!” “Xanu has done no such thing!” Rohan Magar responds from his seat, angrily pointing at Thaman. “What YOU have done is nearly bring us to the brink of a Second Interstellar War!” “Don’t insult the dead of Gadpathur, Representative! We have done what any member of this committee should,” yet another slam, “have been doing! We provided the means to protect our people from the Solarians!” “You armed a warlord state which threatens us!” a voice from the side calls out, revealing Kwan Seok of Konyang. “Representative Thaman, what do you have to say for yourself?” “I have nothing to say to Solarians who only joined us out of convenience.” “How dare you!” Mi-Hi Gim, of Konyang’s military, calls out from her seat next to Seok. “The Konyang Armed Forces have fought League incursions as often as any member of the Coalition’s border force, and it turns out you were arming them the entire time? How does Gadpathur intend to wash the blood from its hands?!” “Gadpathur has nothing to wash from its hands as it has done no wrong!” Gim stands quickly, causing her chair to clatter to the ground behind her. “How dare you imply you’ve done nothing wrong when you’ve contributed to an active war on our border!” A gavel bangs, silencing the debate before one party can become more physical with the other. “I call this meeting back to order!” Rohan shouts. “Konyang, is security a concern for your delegation?” Seok nods as Gim sits down. “It is, Representative Rohan. Commander Gim and myself would like to have more naval forces moved to the border zone due to the ongoing violence, if only to assist in the growing humanitarian crisis at the border,” Seok says, keeping his tone professionally level. “While I understand the Coalition has historical grievances with the Alliance, we cannot simply let people suffer.” “The measure goes to vote!” Rohan bangs his gavel. “Assunzione?” “The Republic of Assunzione has no objection to both protecting our borders and aiding the needy. We support this measure,” Violante responds. “Himeo?” “The United Syndicates likewise support Konyang’s proposition,” Dirksen replies. “Gadpathur?” “Gadpathur will send defensive vessels to Konyang, but we will not aid Solarians unless they renounce their citizenships.” “Must you be so obstinate even during a time of crisis?” Violante asks from the side, a touch of anger to her voice. “It is our duty, by the Light of Ennoia, to aid the needy. I hope you can see the Star’s wisdom.” Thaman does not respond before Rohan speaks. “The All-Xanu Republic supports the proposition. The measure passes by universal consent, and this meeting is adjourned for recess!” Rohan smacks his gavel once again. The delegates move to begin standing, and the video footage fades out. Date: 12/03/2465 LIVE XNS EXCLUSIVE: PACT RETREATS AS ENEMIES GAIN GROUND News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas After the traditional XNS jingle the camera zooms in on none other than van den Soeterik, seated behind her desk and wearing one of her seemingly infinite number of white suits. “Good evening, and welcome to the Xanu News Service. Today’s top story comes to us from the Wildlands, where the Middle Ring Shield Pact has confirmed it is starting to surrender more and more ground to neighboring warlord states.” The camera switches to a view of de Noi, the presidential spokeswoman, standing at a podium and reading from an electronic tablet. The feed starts mid-sentence. “—it is with a heavy heart that the Pact announces this retreat, and we are only taking it out of necessity.” “What about the refugees?” A reporter in the crowd asks, sounding similar to Liao Qi. “They’ll be provided for to the best of our abilities. The Civil Guard recommends refugees who are so willing to take up arms in the defense of the Republic.” The camera cuts again, this time showing a disheveled-looking man and woman in their early middle age. A child holds onto the woman’s coat with one and, and an IPC plushie with the other. Liao Qi, the unflappable reporter of XNS, points a microphone towards the woman, who promptly begins speaking. “We never wanted this,” says the woman, identified as Maria Wu by a subtitle. “We were just trying to make a living, and moved to New Peoria from Silversun back in ‘55 to be engineers in the shipyards. And— god!” she sniffs, rubbing her nose with the back of her sleeve, “—we barely made it out!” “You were on the last ship through the warp gate, right?” Maria nods. “We were. They detonated it after we were through. I— I felt it detonate, in transit. It felt like a— a wire brush being dragged over my eyes! I thought we wouldn’t make it, but we warped out right after the feeling began. There was a, there was this Solarian ship which defended it, I heard. I don’t remember the name!” “Caravaggio, honey. It was the Carvaggio,” the man responds. The woman nods, remaining silent for a moment before speaking again. “We should… get going, sorry. I hope the Navy comes soon. They’ll fix this.” Date: 14/03/2465 Act Two Live Updates: War in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. The right side of the map is significantly more red than before, and the left is much more black. The gray Pact-labeled chunk in the middle has shrunken even more. “Hello, and welcome to another analysis of the ongoing War in the Northern Wildlands,” Gopal begins, tapping something out on a slate he’s holding in his hands. “With the Pact having officially declared a collapsing retreat we’ve seen rapid changes in the balance of power in this three-front war.” The map zooms in on the SRF’s advance. Pact forces have decreased since the last time this section was examined, but the Front retains a significant numerical advantage. New Peoria, only recently lost by the Pact, is now well behind the frontlines. San Colette itself is visible on the edge of the screen. An arrow which leads from New Peoria to San Colette has been drawn onto the map. “As you can see,” Deschamps says, pointing at the map. “This is expected to be the Front’s expected line of advance towards San Colette, and the phoron contained within its strategic reserve.” “How long will it take them to reach San Colette?” “That depends on their rate of advance,” Deschsmps hits another button on her PDA, causing multiple Pact units to expand into smaller windows shoring their projected combat readiness. For anybody who does not read Freespeak, it makes little sense. Those who can may notice that almost all Pact units which are not Civil Guard or Free Solarian Fleet mercenaries are very ragged. An observer from the Horizon may notice that one of the larger units is FSF Combat Group “Krueger’s Revenge,” led by the Taipei-class heavy cruiser Caravaggio. “Almost all of the units still capable of fighting are either Colettish or mercenary forces, with most of the Pact’s other units having been exhausted in the fighting on this front, or repositioned to the League’s front,” Deschamps swipes at her PDA, causing the front to swap to the League side. The League decisively outnumbers the scattered Pact forces on this side, who seem to be held together by a limited numbers of mercenary units and Colettish forces. “My sources indicate the League front isn’t holding as effectively as the Front’s side,” Gopal interjects. “Exactly! At the current rate of advance the League will likely reach San Colette first, but the Front appears to be preparing for a major assault based upon what we know. Both seem to have the same goal of reaching San Colette, so it might only be days until it’s under siege.” “Days?” Gopal seems to be barely able to contain his surprise. Deschamps nods, then both go silent for a moment. Gopal breaks it. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to go on a short commercial break. Please stay tuned to XNS for further news regarding the ongoing War in the Northern Wildlands.” Date: 16/03/2465 XNS EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Colettish Volunteers News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Network Writer : MattAtlas After the initial XNS fade-in the camera focuses, as typical, on the distinctive figure of Mariska van den Soeterik. “Hello, and welcome once again to the Xanu News Network! As always I am your host, Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top story comes from Liao Qi, who has been in San Colette since the start of the War in the Northern Wildlands. Liao?” The camera switches to Liao Qi, who looks much less clean-shaven than normal. Leticia de la Fuente, his Civil Guard escort, stands off to the side in a plate carrier with a Colettosh SMG draped over it. Judging by the backdrop, they’re somewhere in Nueva Isabel. “Thanks Mariska. I’m here today with two volunteers, both from very different countries, who are here for the same purpose: defending San Colette.” Noyer pams the camera to the side to reveal two humans in Solarian Army gear, though one has taken the unconventional step of tying a Biesellite flag around his arm and wearing what is undoubtedly a Legion beret. The first individual, who has the text “RED DEVIL” written on her vest, speaks first. “Hey, yeah, thanks for interviewing us! I’m Alexis Watts, from Mars. I used to be in the 37th ‘til I went AWOL to come here!” “Why did you desert the Solarian Army to fight in San Colette?” Watts looks at Liao as if he has asked her the most obvious question ever. “Because they’re actually fighting against the Front? Frost fu— sorry. Frost ruined my whole planet, yeah? I figured my Colonel will be okay with sending a few of his freaks to Hell for what they did to Olympia — even if I gotta buddy up with Captain Miranda over here.” Watts laughs and claps the other volunteer on the back, who shakes his head while laughing with her. “My name’s not actually Miranda, she just gives me shit for having served in the Legion. I’m Mike Forsythe, from Mendell.” “And why did you leave Biesel for a warzone?” “It’s the right thing to do! A lot of people showed up to bail us out back in ‘62, and we didn’t do enough to pay them back. Plus, I lost some friends to the 35th back during the invasion. Figured I’d come and get even.” “Do you run into a lot of volunteers like yourselves?” “Oh yeah!” Watts responds enthusiastically. “We gotta lot of people from all across the Spur! Even got a few Elyrans and Imperials, plus Coalitioners! Our governments might not wanna do anything for San Colette, and we might be from all over the Spur, but we’re all united in believing we gotta do something!” Forsythe nods his head. “So many that we figured we’d try to organize it into a cohesive unit. That’s how we ended up forming the First Colettish Volunteer Battalion, and I ended up in charge of it.” “Have you had many challenges?” Forsythe shakes his head. “A few at the start, but it’s not too different than being a Prefect back in the Legion. Everybody’s working together for a greater cause, and most of us are human anyways. My old adjutant tagged along to help us out, and she might be the only synthetic we have. She’s up to her eyeballs in requisition forms, but that’s where shells are the happiest, yeah?” “Have you seen any combat so far?” “Yeah! We were in the thick of it on New Peoria, until we had to pull out. Fragged a whole lotta 35th goons. Say what you wanna say about the Imperials and Miranda’s boys, but they know how to shoot! Once we get done with R-n-R we’re gonna be back out there, kicking Front teeth in!” “When do you think that’ll be?” “At this rate?” Forsythe responds. “It might be tomorrow, at the rate it’s going. For today though? We’ll just have to wait and see.” Qi nods, turning the mic back to himself. “Thank you both for your time. Back over to you, Mariska.” The camera, with its view of San Colette, fades out. Date: 18/03/2465 Pro-Intervention Demonstration on Callisto Turns Violent! News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens to a view with two groups of people, each standing opposite of one another. On the left stand an assembled crowd of very angry-looking Callisteans waving a variety of flags – some Callistean, some Colettish, and others the flag of the Alliance – and shouting at the opposite group. Said group is clad in Solarian Navy riot gear and standing in a long line four deep, with a few Industrial positronics scattered throughout and also wearing riot gear. Most of the Navy personnel are holding riot batons and all are wearing gas masks. Behind the Navy personnel, an APC in Navy blue sits with its engine idling and spotlights trained on the crowd. The camera is clearly set up on top of some kind of vehicle and a few more lightly-armored individuals clad in the duty uniform of the Callistean Metropolitan Police Department can be seen observing the situation. “Earlier today,” an unseen narrator begins, “protests developed near this Navy facility in the Northern Shield District of Callisto – known locally as the Ringpole District – over the Navy’s seeming disregard for the welfare of Solarian citizens in the Northern Wildlands, which has recently become the site of intense conflict between several breakaway states. These protests are rooted in a belief held by many Callisteans that the Navy holds no interest in intervention, and instead wishes to profit off of profitable trade on Callisto.” On top of the APC, a Navy officer pulls out a megaphone and yells into it. “DISPERSE AND RETURN TO YOUR HOMES!” he yells, his Lunan accent apparent even while shouting. “IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY YOU WILL BE REMOVED BY FORCE! DISPERSE AT ONCE!” The Callistean crowd jeers and yells at him. Somebody In the crowd starts up a chant of “SAVE OUR ALLIANCE! SAVE SAN COLETTE!” and the entire crowd begins to join in, yelling it in near-unison. “THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING TO DISPERSE!” the officer yells. The crowd continues its chant, which grows louder. The offer puts away and blows into a whistle around his neck, the loud FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! piercing even the noise of the crowd, and pulls his mask on. As one, the Navy riot personnel take one step forward and begin to beat their batons against their opposite hands in near unison. The slamming fills the air and some in the crowd take a step back, but most hold their ground and continue to chant. After a moment of this a man wearing Solarian Army surplus equipment dashes out of the crowd. He scoops down and grabs a rock, then throws it at the line of riot police as the crowd cheers. The rock strikes true, bouncing off the helmet of an officer. The man shouts in triumph and runs back into the crowd. A second after the rock impacts, all hell breaks loose in the street. The officers surge forward, batons raised, and begin fighting with the assembled crowd, who start fighting back. The APC shoots several grenades, which appear to contain some form of gas judging by their trails, into the crowd with the loud THUNK-THUNK-THUNK of a mechanical grenade launcher. The CMPD officers near the camera ready their weapons and one speaks something inaudible into her radio, then gestures back at the camera. The fighting continues for a few more moments before the camera’s view is obscured by smoke. Sirens, presumably from CMPD vehicles, can be heard in the distance before the feed cuts out. “The Sol Alliance News Network will keep our viewers updated as this story develops.” Date: 20/03/2465 48 Injured, 258 Detained After Protest on Callisto Turns Violent – Navy Garrison Under Fire by Local Officials! News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann NEW EDINBURGH, CALLISTO – Recent protests in the Northern Shield District of Callisto over perceived Navy inaction regarding San Colette turned violent several nights ago, with Navy riot police breaking up a crowd of Callistean protestors following what Navy security officials have described as a failure to disperse when ordered by security personnel. A brief clip plays of the riot featured several days ago, apparently recorded by one of the protestors on their phone. A Naval riot control officer is seen bringing his baton down on a standing protestor attempting to shield himself with his arms. The protestor, against all odds, manages to get a grip on the baton and the two disappear into the crowd, still struggling over the baton. Commander Hedwig Krämer, the highest-ranking officer of the Navy garrison stationed at Tsushima Naval Base near Callisto, praised the Navy’s response to the events. The camera switches to a Lunarian man standing behind a podium and wearing the uniform of a relatively high-ranking Navy officer. He appears to be in his middle age and has a sheathed sword on his belt, indicating he is the commander of either a naval facility or vessel. “--I am very pleased with our security personnel’s response to a situation as complicated as a riot,” Krämer says, looking out into the audience. “Our professionalism and respect for the Alliance citizens we serve, even if we are placed in opposition to them, is what makes the Solarian Navy the greatest fighting force in the Orion Spur. Our counterparts in the Republic of Elyra would be well served to learn about how to handle civil unrest without unnecessary bloodshed.” Callistean officials and residents have been less enthusiastic about the Navy’s response to the unrest. The camera switches to a Callistean woman in a suit with a dignified appearance standing in front of a crowd of reporters. A caption identifies her as Senator Anastasie Renaud, one of the moon’s senators. “I mean, frankly, this is totally unacceptable,” Renaud says. “How can the Navy live with itself doing this? Beating honest Solarians with truncheons while there’s millions suffering in the Wildlands. It disgusts me.” The Solarian Navy declined the Alliance News Network’s request for comment. As of our time of reporting, most detained protestors are slated to be released into the custody of the Callistean Metropolitan Police Department for further processing. Date: 21/03/2465 Continued Reporting: War in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. San Colette sits in the center of the map, now effectively completely surrounded by the League and Front. Judging by the map, the Front and League are now fighting one another in addition to the Pact. “Hello, and welcome to another analysis of the ongoing conflict in the Northern Wildlands,” Gopal begins. “As you can see, the Pact has effectively been defeated as a fighting force outside of San Colette, a system designed by the Solarian Alliance to serve as a defensive stronghold.” “That’s correct," Deschsmps interjects, “and we have footage acquirer from Chirper showing the Pact’s retreat from one of the last systems it controlled outside of San Colette, Novo Igman.” Deschamps hits something on her PDA, causing the screen to flip to what appears to be a Solarian Army helmet’s heads-up display. The helmet’s wearer is breathing quite heavily, and appears to be halfway through inserting a new magazine onto her Solarian assault rifle. Due to shaky hands the magazine fails to properly set the first time, resulting in an untranslated Tradeband whisper (an expletive, for any familiar with the language) being hissed as she inserts the magazine again and chambers its first round. “Lieutenant Escoto, we have to get to the L-Z,” a man shouts from behind. Escoto’s camera turns, revealing a man in Solarian Army armor with a Colettish flag on the front. “It’s two blocks away. Don’t panic and get yourself killed.” The man nods, then goes quiet. The camera turns, revealing more men and women in Army armor with Colettish flags. “Alright, listen up!” Escoto begins. “We’re evacuating this place and heading back to San Colette, understood? Form up on me and let’s go!” Escoto stands and her unit follows her lead, rapidly taking off through the ruined streets of what must have once been a fairly peaceful neighborhood. Scattered ruined vehicles, and the occasional body, are common sights as the Coletters sprint through the streets. Near the end of the first block a man wearing an odd mix of Solarian Army armor and Gadpathurian surplus rounds the corner ahead of the Lieutenant and is put down by several gunshots. “League bastards!” One of the soldiers shouts from behind the camera’s field of view. The group keeps running, eventually crossing through what seems to be the last block and coming into the view of a shuttlecraft as Escoto lights a flare and holds it over her head, not breaking her run in the slightest as she does so. A man on the shuttle’s docking ramp wearing a Navy jumpsuit gestures for the group to run to him. “Anybody behind your squad?” “Nobody friendly!” Escoto shouts back as she runs up the ramp and turns around, watching her fellow Coletters follow behind her. “You’re good to take off once we’re all on!” As the last Coletter boards, nearly tripping over her feet in exhaustion, the Navy enlisted speaks into his headset. With a whine the shuttle begins taking off from the landing pad and rises into the sky above the city, clearly showing the widespread devastation of the area. A Solarian Navy strike craft, flying too low for comfort, flies over the landing zone and drops its payload onto it as soon as the shuttle is reasonably far away. The entire clearing erupts into flames as the Navy enlisted whistles and a Colettish soldier crosses himself, both watching the fire spread." “Never thought I’d see that shit in action!” He shouts as he hits the loading ramp’s controls, causing it to fully close. “Get some rest, yeah? Fleet’s running interdiction, so we’re going to be fine.” The camera nods and the helmet is removed, revealing Escoto’s face as she turns it around to check the camera. She appears to be in her early 20s at best and has suffered a nasty – though not crippling – facial burn across her right cheek which has been hastily bandaged. She shuts the camera off and the XNS newsroom reappears. "With both the Front and League engaging one another near San Colette,” Gopal says, focusing the map itself on San Colette, “it seems unlikely a serious attempt to launch an assault will be undertaken in the immediate future.” “I’m not so sure. It’s well-defended, yes, but the Front in particular has a significant numerical advantage over the Pact even when we factor in their defenses. Plus, their more advanced drives have a greater need for phoron.” “That’s true, but can they handle assaulting both San Colette and fighting off the Front? That’s going to be a lot riskier for them to try." Deschsmps nods. “We’ve been wrong before, but we’ll see.” "Unfortunately,” Gopal interjects, “we’ll have to see after this commercial break.” The camera switches into an ad for nanopaste sprays, with the last image of the war room being a positively neglected-looking Deschamps sighing. Date: 22/03/2465 Ministry of Defence Raises Reserve Fleets Readiness News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas In a press conference at 1300 GST today, Minister of Defence Lucien Courtois has confirmed that approximately half of the Alliance’s available reserve fleets are being mobilised towards the northern border for national security reasons. The minister has stressed that these fleets are being sent for defensive purposes and that they will not see combat at this time. Upon being questioned on whether or not intervention is expected by the Government, he has repeated that no such thing is planned. When asked if this was related to recent protests on Callisto, the minister refused to comment. “And that is the gist of the meeting, dear viewers,” Céline Eylenbosch, the familiar blonde-haired Venusian reporter tells the camera, “It seems like the Alliance is still holding back, despite public polling showing an all-time high support for San Colette! Madness, isn’t it? Luckily, we have a special guest here with us today that might be able to shed some light on just what the Government is thinking,” she says, turning with the camera to a Navy officer to the side, a middle aged brown-haired man of Hai Phongese origins, “isn’t that right, sir?” “Obviously I can only tell you what I’ve been authorised to say,” the officer, a Rear Admiral of some sort, begins with a disclaimer. Céline looks annoyed, but pushes on, “Right, of course. You’re all like that. How does it feel to be moved to the front, then? It’s the first big movement in the Navy since the Civil War started, so it must have you guys jittering, right?” “Like the minister said, these maneuvers aren’t a source of worry. We’re essentially moving to make sure nothing happens on the border. A lot of our fleets and battlegroups were rearranged over the past year, with all the changes to the command structure, so we’ve been getting shuffled around all over the place. Now, we’re getting orders again, and we’re all happy to be on the move.” “Do you think you should intervene in the Northern Wildlands?” “I can’t really comment on that,” the officer says, keeping their poker face. Céline looks frustrated, and then moves on. “Alright, alright. So, a good amount of our public won’t really understand what this reserve fleet business actually means! Can you explain it to them?” The officer mulls over his response, and then replies, “The Reserve Fleets are being moved to the border to reinforce existing defense systems. While normal battlegroups would handle offensive actions, our formations are purely defensive. We stay behind, garrison, and assist in defense as needed, while proper battlegroups do the dirty work. A lot of people sneer at us for having Reserve in our names, but we’re still top-class.” “Does that mean that the Alliance is expecting hostilities?” “Expecting? No. But in case anything happens, we want to be ready. We won’t let our border come under any sort of risk. Every single citizen will be protected.” Céline turns to the camera, looking satisfied, “And what an explanation that is! That’s enough from us, thank you for your interview, Rear Admiral. Any last words you want to give to our dear viewers?” The Rear Admiral turns to the camera, intrigued, and puts up as serious of an expression as he can manage. “If any San Coletters are watching – hold, fight, and win. Don’t give them one inch, and keep your faith.” Date: 25/03/2465 Callistean Interstellar Stock Exchange Sees Record Quarterly Growth in Defense Stocks as Concerns Mount over Wildlands News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to a middle-aged Solarian man sitting behind a desk and staring intensely at the camera. Typical viewers of the SANN will easily recognize this as none other than Gui Chen, a Lunarian-born economist and host of the Network’s economics newshour. “Good evening,” he begins, “and welcome back to the Alliance News Network. Today’s leading headline is the stunning recovery of the Alliance’s military industry following the start of what some are calling the Solarian Civil War. We now go live to CISE, where markets have just closed for the day and have brought record quarterly growth for the defense sector. Gwen?” The camera view splits into two. On the right, Chen. On the left is a Callistean woman labeled Gwendolyn Llewellyn, CISE Reporter. Llewellyn smiles and waves. “Hi Gui! The scene’s like totally ecstatic here in CISE! Like honestly,” she pauses to breathe in, “okay so like Zavodskoi left like a hella big hole in the defense industry when they moved to like Mira Sancta or like whatever right so like there was like a bit of a like gap in the industry basically. Chen nods along, not interrupting. He is apparently used to this. “So like the Stellar Corporate Authority stepped in but like it’s like hella stepped in since the Wildlands crisis started and like honestly like it’s like super impressive we’ve made this much! Like even without a lot of the like Middle Ring industry these are like record-breaking profits even like after you adjust for inflation!” The Callistean stops, taking a moment to breathe in deeply. Chen seized this rare moment of silence. “Which sectors are the big winners so far, Gwen? Any standouts?” Llewellyn nods! “Yeah so like for sure it’s shipbuilding like hands down Gui like honestly no contest at all. As a Castillean it makes me like hella happy since like honestly like the shipbuilding industry right it’s like the like heart and soul of Callisto since like how else are we going to endure the trade keeeeeeps coming strong!” Llewellyn shoots a finger gun at the camera. Chen gives a wry smile which is partially obscured by his mustache. “And for our viewers back home, why is the defense shipbuilding sector doing so well?” “Oh! So like the most obvious is due to the Navy’s recent modernization efforts since like there’s been like hella requests from them to use all kinds of dockyards and facilities for it and like that creates jobs you know? Like they’re not like civilian ships but like they money is still coming into Callisto and like now that the Hammer drive’s been on the market for like a minute it’s looking even further up!” Llewellyn pauses for a moment to breathe, and Chen interjects. “That’s great news for Callisto, Gwen. We need to go on a short commercial break but know you can always find us on Chirper at Sol Econ News, no spaces, for the latest updates regarding the Spur’s largest economy. We’ll be right back with more of the news you and your wallet need!” Llewellyn and Chen both wave to the camera as it fades out into a commercial break. The first ad is for, predictably, Navy recruitment. Date: 26/03/2465 Live Updates: War in the Northern Wildlands News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. San Colette now stands alone, completely surrounded by the Front and the League. “Hello, and welcome back to our continuing coverage of the Northern Wildlands,” Deschamps begins. “As you can see San Colette remains surrounded by the forces of the League and Front, both of which are engaged with one another. Information from this area has been spotty at best, but neither side appears to have launched a serious assault on San Colette itself.” “They have not, and it appears the League is currently attempting to engage the Front in the northern region of the former Pact. Prior to the Collapse this area was home to many small to medium-sized shipyards, and control of it would allow for repairs of many Solarian Navy, and auxiliary, vessels in use by the warlords.” “Right, and these systems aren’t as well-defended as San Colette.” “They aren’t! But, many of them have had their shipyards destroyed by either fighting or by the Pact itself during its retreat. New Peoria, one of the Pact’s largest shipyards outside of San Colette, may take years to be fully repaired, and these warlords don’t have that amount of time.” “What about the Republic of Biesel? Have there been any raids there by the League?” “Not yet.” Gopal zooms the map out to show the Biesel-Wildlands border. Significant Foreign Legion and mercenary forces are positioned along both the League and Front borders. “Biesel has moved almost every unit it can spare to the border with the Northern Wildlands in order to discourage attacks, and the Coalition has done the same near Konyang. The Alliance, as you know, has been conducting maneuvers on its border for a few weeks.” “Which makes whatever resources are left in the Wildlands even more important to secure, and explains their hesitancy to assault San Colette. It’s going to be difficult for either to take it while effectively holding their rival off, especially as the Pact and Coletters are likely taking this time to dig in.” “You’re exactly right, Delphine. But, unfortunately, we’ll have to go on a short break before we continue!” The camera, displaying a typically disappointed Deschamps, fades out into an ad for Xanu-produced lawncare equipment which proudly brags it is “Xanu built, Arusha tested.” Date: 28/03/2465 First Battlegroup Moved Near Border for Exercises News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas In a press conference at 1400 GST today, Minister of Defence Lucien Courtois has confirmed the First Battlegroup will conduct its readiness exercises near the Alliance’s border alongside several reserve fleets now stationed in the region to ensure the security of the border. When asked by a reporter if this was related to protests on Callisto, Minister Courtois advised the First has intended to perform these maneuvers for, “at least several months,” in order to ensure its combat readiness remains high. While undergoing maneuvers the First Battlegroup will be under the overall command of Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg, who was unable to be interviewed due to the deployment but advised she was, “very excited,” to conduct maneuvers with the entire battlegroup. When combined with existing reserve forces, the Navy detachment stationed at the Wildlands border constitutes one of the largest concentrations of Navy vessels since the Interstellar War. SANN reporter Céline Eylenbosch has been embedded with the First Battlegroup and will provide updates on their maneuvers as they progress. In related news, the percentage of Solarians who support some form of intervention in the Wildlands has risen sharply following widely publicized protests in the Commonwealth of Callisto. The Solarian Navy Press Office declined the SANN’s request to comment on this development. Date: 30/03/2465 The San Colette Crisis: A Benefit to Phoron Stocks? News Article Publisher : Tau Ceti Times Writer : MattAtlas After a corporate jingle the camera pans in to focus on Mike Donnelly, the balding host of the Tau Ceti Times’ Money Madness financial talk show. Donnelly is regarded as either one of the top minds when it comes to phoron investments or a mouthpiece for the Trasen regime depending on if you ask a resident of Tau Ceti or anyone else in the Spur. “Hello, hello, hello!” Donnelly begins, pointing a finger gun at the camera. “Today we have an important question many Mendell City investors have been asking: will the San Colette crisis impact phoron stocks? In order to answer that question I am joined today by Doctor of phoronics Xavier Ramirez!” The live audience calls as Dr. Ramirez, a NanoTrasen-sponsored economist, walks onto the stage. He waves and moves over to a chair opposite of Donnelly, where he sits down and smooths out his Walk Like Idris blazer for a moment. “Thanks for having me on, Mike!” “Ah, it’s no problem at all Doctor. Now, people are concerned about San Colette becoming cut off from the Republic due to the Alliance’s actions. Do you have any advice for them?” “Well Mike that’s a good question,” Ramirez clears his throat. “Colettish phoron facilities have been a minor, but important, part of our economy since 2462-63 and, since the discovery of Orchard Moon, there’s been a need for more phoron processing facilities rather than less.” “So what does that mean for the average person in Biesel?” “Chances are we’ll see some price hikes on consumer phoron stocks within the next month or so, so now’s a good time to invest in phoronics.” “You really think so?” Donnelly leans over in an exaggerated manner. “I do, yes.” “Alright!” Donnelly claps, leaning back. The audience claps in response. “You heard it here, folks! Phoron’s in for a bumper year in terms of stocks, so invest now! We’ll be back after this short word from our sponsor, NanoTrasen!” The broadcast fades out to the sound of clapping as an ad for NanoTrasen starts to play. Date: 31/03/2465 Continued Reporting: Ongoing Fighting Near San Colette News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. Little has changed from the last time the map was shown, and fighting seems to be concentrated around San Colette itself and the more northern systems home to much of the Pact’s former shipbuilding industry. In this northern region the League appears to have made some gains, and is approaching New Peoria. “Hello, and welcome to our continuing coverage of the War in the Northern Wildlands,” Gopal begins, tapping his PDA and causing the screen to focus upon San Colette. “As you can see by our map, the Front has focused much of its efforts here.” “That’s correct,” Deschsmps interjects. “The Front is likely attempting to fully surround San Colette in order to besiege the system more effectively, and will have to force the League out of its positions outside San Colette in order to do so. But—“ Deschsmps taps her PDA and the map moves north to New Peoria, where League forces appear to have an advantage in numbers over the Front. An image of a Yincheng-class light cruiser painted in League colors comes up on the screen. It’s badly damaged but is being repaired in a dockyard. “—their focus on San Colette is costing them ground they may not be able to lose near New Peoria. However, most intelligence points to this being some form of delaying action.” “And what about the League?” “The League has never had the supply chain the Front possessed prior to 2465, and has often relied upon raiding and ‘unofficial’ aid from Coalition member states. Their assault in the north has been pushing the Front back slowly but at great cost to themselves. Many are now asking how long they can keep this assault going.” “Any guesses, Delphine?” “Isn’t your department in charge of League OSINT?” “They are, but I want my friend’s opinion! Come on, you can focus on something other than the Front for once!” Deschamps pauses, considering something in her head. “I don’t know,” she replies. “A month at best, probably? I imagine it’ll be less than that.” “—and we’ll be able to discuss that right after this short break.” The video fades into an ad for duty-free Cytherean imports. Date: 02/04/2465 BREAKING: LEAGUE RETREATS FROM SAN COLETTE FOLLOWING FRONT COUNTEROFFENSIVE News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. San Colette itself has been totally encircled by the Solarian Restoration Front’s forces while in the northern sector of the former Pact the League appears to be in a general retreat, having lost the territory it gained during its offensive. An arrow has been traced in the north which leads further inwards from the offensive and towards the League itself. “As you can see,” Deschamps breaks the initial silence, “the Front has effectively seized total control of the space surrounding San Colette, which has caused the League offensive in the northern Pact to collapse due to concerns of being cut off and encircled by the Front’s forces. Ajit?” “The League will likely draw its defensive line here,” Gopal taps his PDA, causing a line to appear close to San Colette which runs vertically from the League’s border to the Coalition’s border. “It’s far enough away for them to reinforce but close enough to put pressure on the Front’s positions near San Colette, such as the Helium-3-rich system of Lhokgon, which the Front is currently using as a major resupply depot.” “Right,” Deschamps responds. “Most of the Chirper posts from Front troops there indicate the facilities are relatively intact, which is a surprise to me.” “It’s possible the Pact could’ve been using them up until the system fell, as it’s barely a Lightyear from San Colette. Everybody needs fuel, Delphine. They might have left the facilities as a distraction, considering how dedicated both the Front and League seem to be to seizing it.” “Do you believe the League has enough forces to mount a serious assault?” “They might. Take a look at this video my team pulled off of Chirper.” The feed switches to an exterior camera on, judging by the Solarian Common text at the bottom of the video, the Armsman-class frigate Worker’s Liberation. The tiny frigate, following a series of signals from a larger ship ahead of itself, turns to face a warship which effectively dwarfs it, and takes up the video’s entire screen. After a moment of buffering the frigate’s sensors properly identify this as the Wallbreaker, a Mumbai-class fast battleship. An uncommon sight in the Wildlands, these vessels are some of the largest found in the hands of post-Solarian warlords. The feed cuts out as the Worker’s Liberation begins to turn its camera. The feed returns to Deschamps and Gopal. Deschamps, for her part, appears fairly surprised. “They have a functional battleship?” “They do, and it’s in relatively good condition even after almost three years of fighting. The Front and Pact both have their own battleships, but most are currently engaged in or near San Colette. The existence of this vessel means the League likely still has enough reserves for another serious assault, which changes how the Front will have to approach the situation – particularly regarding Lhokgon.” Deschamps nods her head, thinking to herself. “Unfortunately, for now, we’ll be right back!” Deschamps barely contains her disappointment prior to the camera fading into an ad for an Xanu-produced computer system. Date: 05/04/2465 Act Three Continued Reporting: Front Launches Assault Towards League-Held Pact Shipyards News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Ervice Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. San Colette itself remains totally encircled by the Solarian Restoration Front’s forces, and appears to have remained static. The Front has, over the past few days, opted to push its advantage while it has it and has forced the League further away from San Colette. Lhokgon, a major Helium-3 refining planet, remains the focus of intense fighting, and the front has barely shifted here. “As you can see by the map,” Gopal begins, causing the map to zoom onto the League-Front line of skirmish. “League forces have been pushed further back, effectively causing them to lose any remaining gains they held from their earlier offensive. With the Front holding the momentum, what can we expect to see over the coming days?” “We can expect the Front to push its advantage in renewed assaults against the shipyards under League control in the Pact’s territory, which would further cripple the League’s offensive power as they’d have to retrofit and repair within their own territory rather than what facilities they have either captured intact or repaired to a relatively functional state.” “I don’t think the League will give up territory so easily, especially with its Gadpathurian support cut off “ Gopal responds. “They’re losing ground before the shipyards, yes, but look at Lhokgon. They’ve barely given any ground there, likely due to the presence of capital ships such as the Wallbreaker, which has been confirmed as active in the region. Have you seen anything on the OSINT side for the Front?” “We have. Front sailors near ‘Fortress Lhokgon’ as they commonly call it have expressed frustration at Front high command for prioritizing their offensives over breaking the League’s assault on Lhokgon, which has been grinding down their forces in the area. The Front’s main defensive line sits outside of Lhokgon and has been, according to Front reports and footage uploaded by League vessels, slowly pushed back.” “But with the Front pushing them back elsewhere, can they sustain this offensive?” Deschamps pauses, considering the question. “—I don’t know. The Front may be attempting to force the League to overcommit themselves to Lhokgon and cut off their advance, but that’s speculation at this point.” “Unfortunately, this speculation will have to come after the next commercial break. We’ll be right back!” The screen transitions into an ad for extreme cold-weather gear imported from Himeo. Date: XX0705/2465 XNS Exclusive: Colettish Militias Prepare for Invasion News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her PDA. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Our top story these evening comes from Liao Qi, our reporter on the ground in San Colette. Liao has had difficulties remaining in contact with the XNS due to San Colette’s siege, and the following prerecorded message was provided to us via an encrypted transmission with the assistance of the Colettish government; we go now to Liao’s latest reporting.” Liao Qi, looking more haggard than usual, stands in front of a Colettish government building with a line stretching into it. Individuals, mostly in civilian clothing, are steadily exiting it in small groups led by Civil Guard officers while carrying, or wearing, surplus Solarian Army arms and armor. A man in the uniform of the Civil Guard stands to Qi’s side, looking nearly as tired as the reporter. “Right,” Qi begins, pointing behind himself at the building. “I’m at a Civil Guard distribution in Nueva Isabela where San Colette is preparing for a grim scenario: a situation in which San Colette itself has become a battleground. With me today is Civil Guard Captain Wilfredo Iniguez, who’s in charge of this center.” Qi turns his microphone towards Captain Iniguez. “Thank you. This facility behind us was, before the war, a station of the Nueva Isabela Police Department. Now it’s a mustering point for those volunteering to serve in the Civil Militia where they’re assigned to training squads run by the Civil Guard.” “Are there many volunteers?” “More than we thought there would be. We have both Coletters and refugees volunteering for it. I’d rather have them in the Civil Guard but,” Iniguez sighs. “I don’t think we have the liberty of time.” “What will these, ah, militias be tasked with, if worst comes to worst?” “The militia’s role is to defend our cities, towns, and villages from any invaders while the Guard and other professional forces fight the invaders on the open field. I won’t lie to you, reporter: I do not wish it had,” the Captain pauses for a moment. “…come to this. It will not be easy for our Republic, but we will not go without a fight. The Front can count on that.” “Do you believe the Alliance will intervene?” The simple question seemingly makes the Captain grow wearier simply by hearing it, and he pauses for a moment before speaking again. “We can only pray they will, reporter. Many more will suffer if they do not.” The film cuts out at this point, with an untranslated Tradeband warning featured in the middle of the screen. Any who speak the language will recognize it as saying “RECORDED BROADCAST ENDED.” van den Soeterik looks at the camera from behind her desk. “While the situation in San Colette is unstable, we will do our best to keep you informed. After a short break we will go to our reporter in Suwon regarding the rumored increase in organized crime activity on Konyang.” Date: 09/05/2465 Continuing Coverage: League Launches Counter-Offensive Against Lhokgon, Front Ceases Active Offensives in Response News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. San Colette itself remains totally encircled by the Solarian Restoration Front’s forces, and appears to have remained static. The Front has stopped its advances along the entire front and has even ceded ground it gained in some locations. Lhokgon, a major Helium-3 refining planet, is marked as a system contested between the Front and League, which has pushed up to the system itself. “So,” Deschamps begins. “As the subject matter expert concerning the League, what are your thoughts on this offensive?” “It’s a risky move on their part but at the same time it’s likely the only way they can contest the Front’s Hammer Drive advantage without Lhokgon and its Helium-3 facilities the Front will have to start rationing its fuel, which will make them much easier for the League to pin down and combat. This means the Front has to defend the system, which has caused it to abandon its offensive against the League’s repair facilities for the immediate future.” “Can the League afford to commit itself to this offensive for a long time?” “No,” Gopal shakes his head. “They’re still suffering from supply issues and are outnumbered by the Front. But, with the Front having to commit so many forces to San Colette’s siege, they might be able to achieve regional superiority near Lhokgon, which likely has the Front’s high command concerned.” “Right, right. San Colette itself, judging by limited communications from the system, has not been seriously assaulted aside from a few probing attacks which haven’t seriously contested the Pact’s defenses. OSINT suggests they’re arming almost any vessel — or citizen — they can find that’s willing and able to be armed.” “And the Alliance?” “There’s been rumors of intervention but nothing beyond that. The post-purge Navy is significantly tighter-lipped than what came before it, and they’ve kept the flow of information under control. The ‘exercises,’” Deschamps makes air quotes as she says the word, “near the Wildlands border are clearly meant to intimidate the Front while bolstering Solarian morale, but we don’t know anything about a potential intervention.” “It’s an interesting scenario. Even if they intervened, would they make it to San Colette in time? They’d have to cross the entire Front.” “I don’t know,” Deschamps responds. “It depends upon how far their drives can travel, and if there are any warp gates which will accept the Navy’s warp drive ID.” Gopal looks down at his watch. “Hold that thought for a moment Delphine! We’ll be right back after this word from our sponsors!” The camera fades out. Date: 11/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: Inside the Rock of San Colette News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her PDA. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top story comes from our very own Liao Qi who, with the assistance of the Colettish government, has managed to send us this recording of his visit to a Civil Guard defense platform. Without further ado we now go to Liao’s recording.” The camera clicks over to a nondescript industrial corridor with Qi, who appears to have been able to shave since his last broadcast, standing on the side of it. In the corridor behind him an industrial IPC clad in a brown uniform pushed a cart full of equipment to an unknown location. Qi clears his throat. “While I can’t name this facility it is one of what the Pact refers to as the ‘Rock’ defensive line, and will likely be one of the first facilities engaged in the event of a Solarian Restoration Front incursion. We asked staff here what they think of this, and the response was similar for most: they’re nervous, but they’re not willing to give up without a fight.” The view switches to a male human in a drab brown uniform with his face blurred out. The man is labeled as J.D. “This Guard soldier,” Qi narrates, “is originally from Lycoris. As a result, his likeness has been obscured in order to ensure the safety of his relatives still residing in Front-controlled territory.” “We’re nervous,” JD begins, his voice distorted artificially, “but we won’t back down from a fight. This isn’t my home, but people have taken refuge here. We owe it to them to stand and fight.” “Are your fellow troops concerned?” Qi asks from offscreen. “No,” JD replies. “We know what we have to do. We might die fighting, yeah, but the Front would probably kill us anyways if they got to us, so we might as well fight. Better to die in control of your own destiny.” “Do you have anything to say regarding the Alliance?” “I hope they don’t let us die in vain, man. A whole bunch of people are going to die if they don’t intervene.” The film cuts out at this point, with an untranslated Tradeband warning featured in the middle of the screen. Any who speak the language will recognize it as saying “RECORDED BROADCAST ENDED.” van den Soeterik looks at the camera from behind her desk. “We’ll do our best as a network to keep our audience updated regarding San Colette,” van den Soeterik says. “For now, please have a good night — and stay safe.” Date: 13/04/2465 BREAKING: LEAGUE OFFENSIVE SMASHES THROUGH FRONT DEFENSES, SAN COLETTE CONTESTED! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. While Lhokgon remains a focus between both the League and Front, an unexpected change is featured on the map now: a red corridor showing a rapid advance by the League which has reached the outskirts of San Colette, where — judging by the map — it appears to be actively engaging the Front in a pitched battle for control over the siege. Between Lhokgon and San Colette a significant Front force belonging to the 31st Fleet appears to be engaged on all three sides in a desperate attempt to stop itself from being encircled. “It appears,” Gopal begins, pointing to Lhokgon, “this attack was most likely a diversion intended to distract the Front from its defense of San Colette, which is now actively engaged by the best units in the League’s forces.” “So it would seem! The Front’s forces are in a difficult position due to the remnants of the Pact being present in San Colette, which has effectively trapped some of their forces in a position where they cannot defend or retreat. Take a look at this video discovered on Chirper by one of our analysts.” The camera switches to a brief introduction which displays a fluttering League flag set to low-quality Plutonian electronic music, which Deschsmps appears to promptly mute. The introduction switches to an external camera mounted on, judging by text on the camera’s screen, the SRFV Purity of Will, a Yincheng-class light cruiser. The vessel is burning quickly towards a field of asteroids when an alert appears on its screen in bold, red Solarian Common characters: DANGER: MUNITIONS INCOMING — BEGIN EVASIVE ACTION. The camera rattles and shifts as the entire vessel shifts into a hard turn to port, but manages to identify an unknown cylindrical object incoming to the light cruiser before it impacts. The railgun shell punches through the shield and frontal armor in the blink of an eye. Before the camera can fully register what has happened a series of explosions rock the front of the vessel as it pulls further into its evasive maneuver. A larger explosion amidships rocks the camera once again, but it manages to capture a shocking sight: the front of the Yincheng losing power entirely and, with a silent scream, falling off of the vessel entirely. The stern of the vessel, apparently trapped in its doomed evasive maneuver, continues onwards. The feed cuts out shortly after this and transitions to the League’s flag again, where “Comrade Smith” of the 67th Fleet promises this will be the end of all corporate traitors and notes the footage was recovered from an adrift black box. The camera switches back to Deschamps and Gopal. “There’s going to be more engagements like this over the coming days as the League and Front continue to fight over control of the siege,” Deschsmps says. “I’m not sure who’s going to win.” “Neither am I,” Gopal replies. “It seems like most of the League’s heavy assets are committed to this offensive, and they’d still have to break through the Pact’s lines if they defeated the Front. It’s risky.” “It is.” “Unfortunately that’s all we have for today. Our coverage of the Northern Wildlands will continue as the agitation develops.” The camera fades out to the two analysts discussing something amongst themselves which is not, for whatever reason, picked up by the camera. Date: 15/04/2465 SANN Exclusive: Interview with the 1st’s Fleet Admiral News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The video opens up in an unusual location for the viewers. Céline, SANN’s trusted reporter, appears to be on a Navy ship of some sort, standing in a nondescript waiting room. That much can be gleaned from just looking at the environment and the Sol flags plastered about the walls. With a microphone in hand, she stands next to a serious-looking, thin, pale and gaunt woman with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes, standing at about six feet four. She is wearing a Navy dress uniform, and those familiar with the Alliance navy can easily recognise her as Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg, the Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup. “Welcome back, dear viewers, and boy do we have a surprise for you!” The reporter exclaims, beaming, “The SANN has gotten special authorisation to ember yours truly into the one and only SAMV Gunnhildr, the flagship dreadnought of the First Battlegroup. And, as you can see, standing next to me is this behemoth’s very own Admiral - and what a title that is! First of all, welcome to the best news channel in the Alliance! How do you feel about being live? Usually, people like you work from the shadows, so to speak.” “My pleasure to be here,” Ingrid says, her voice grave, yet still smiling, “It isn’t every day we get to show our faces to the Solarian public at large. Like you said, most of us don’t like the public spotlight. That’s the politicians’ job.” “Great!” Céline turns back to the camera. “We have been at the Northern Wildlands border for quite a while now. The maneuvers themselves are, of course, confidential - buuuut, our special guest here can at least tell us the reasons behind them and if they’ve had any effects on the fleet’s readiness. Isn’t that right?” She asks, looking back to Ingrid. The admiral replies without much of a change in her stance or face. “They’ve been largely a success. As you might know, the First Battlegroup is the only formation to be fully equipped with the Lopez-Zhang warp drives. Since we’ve only gotten them recently, we’ve been short on time to practice with them. But now, we’ve worked on incorporating them into some experimental maneuvers. We’ve also got a lot of new blood hand-picked from other battlegroups, since a lot of personnel were arrested for collaboration with the Front. Our new crew-members are the very best we’ve got in the whole Navy, but they’re not familiar with fighting side-by-side with a dreadnought, as most of them come from fleets outfitted with a supercarrier as the flagship. In short, we’ve caught them up to speed on how to fight with the Gunnhildr.” “Wow!” Céline exclaims, “It sounds like you’ve had your work cut out for you. So, how do you feel about this all? Is the First Battlegroup ready to defend the Alliance? Do you feel like you’re missing anything? An Idris sponsorship, perhaps?” “We’re ready for anything. No matter what or where - we will prevail.” Ingrid’s words brim with determination, while completely ignoring Céline’s joke, much to her dismay. “...Right. Anyway, all those Front sympathizers getting arrested seems to me like it’s been quite the problem?” The admiral nods once, “It was a pervasive problem at all levels. Most fleets lost a good amount of men. Some were almost entirely gutted. It means that we’ve had to wait for new personnel to replenish the ranks. Some battlegroups, like the First, have been able to recover; others aren’t at operating capacity yet.” Céline puts her free hand on her hip and turns back to the camera. The admiral turns her gaze to the camera as well, her expression unchanging. “You heard her, viewers! Do you think the Alliance’s navy is on a good path? Or do you think this is all for nothing? I think we’re in good hands, personally! Remember to vote on our site polls to give your opinion, and I’ll see you later!” Date: 17/04/2465 Fighting Continues Near San Colette, Front Halts Lhokgon Offensive News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. While San Colette remains mostly unchanged, Front forces near Lhokgon have managed to push the League back and have relieved pressure on a nearly-surrounded 31st Fleet force in the process. A black square labeled “35th Fleet” is currently positioned in Lhokgon and appears to be pushing the League back. “As you can see by the map,” Gopal begins, “the League’s decision to withdraw forces from Lhokgon and commit them to San Colette had effectively ended its offensive operation there, particularly with the arrival of the elite 35th Fleet earlier yesterday. This places their entire offensive towards San Colette at risk.” Deschamps nods her head, then speaks. “It’s hard to imagine the Front not capitalizing on its gains near Lhokgon, assuming it has enough fuel, if the League can’t withdraw from its positions near San Colette quickly enough. Do you believe they’ll be able to, Ajit?” Gopal shakes his head. “If we’ve seen anything so far in this ‘civil war’ the League has proven it’s often unable to effectively coordinate, which may be due to its lack of a strong leader such as the Front’s Admiral Verglas. However, the coordination issues are likely another symptom of its ongoing supply issues following the end of Gadpathurian support.” Deschamps seems somewhat surprised. “It’s impacting them that badly?” “It is. Most League-connected Chirper accounts we can find have become increasingly desperate for donations — any donations — over the past few weeks as fighting has worn them down. The Front’s situation will likely become this bad in the near future but, for now, their reserve of Solarian Navy equipment has allowed them to sustain operations much more effectively.” “Why attack San Colette then?” “I don’t know. They were presumably trying to encircle the Front near Lhokgon but couldn’t finish the circle, which let the Front reinforce and break the League’s positions.” “Do you think they’re spent as an offensive force?” Goal nods. “I think they are, unless they can retreat in good order. We’ll have to judge they after the break!” The camera fades out. Date: 20/04/2465 XNS Exclusive: Interview with an Officer of the Konyang Armed Forces News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas A Himean male is the sole host for this segment of Interviews and News, one of the most famous Xanusii services. It revolves around interviewing both exceptional and ordinary people. The host of the show is sitting in a rather cosy sofa, while on the holoscreen behind him one can see a Konyanger naval officer. The officer appears to be in his early middle age and is starting to go gray, though there remains a sharpness to his eyes and face. He appears to be in a well-decorated office with a painting of a ship in flight behind him. “Welcome, our faithful guests, to a special episode of Interviews and News! I’m Jude Scholes, and today we have a special guest with us — Captain Jung-Hee Eum of the Konyang Armed Forces!” “Thank you for having me on,” Eum replies. “Now, Captain, Konyang has been at the Coalition’s frontline for most of the War in the Nortthern Wildlands. Has it seen any impact?” “I would be lying if I said we hadn’t been impacted by the conflict, Jules. But thanks to the KAF, and our partners in the Coalition, we’ve been able to endure the conflict without it impacting our civilian population. We’ve had to fight off cross-border raids by the ‘anti-corporate’ League but they’ve never gotten past our vessels.” Scholes nods along. “Seems like you’ve got it in the glove, then!” Scholes cheerily responds. “On the subject of the Coalition, do you have any thoughts on Gadpathur’s alleged involvement with the League?” Eum grimaces for a moment, but recovers his neutral expression — and tone — before speaking again. “Gadpathur has contributed ships to the Coalition’s unified fleet in Konyang, and we appreciate this. I’ll leave any discussions of politics to the politicians.” “Right, right. Wouldn’t want to act as coalheaded as the last officer we had on,” Scholes briefly laughs. “How has life been for a naval officer since you hung up your gloves with Sol and joined the Coalition?” Eum looks at the camera with an expression of confusion for a moment, then looks at something offscreen, then back to the camera. “Are you asking how we’ve transitioned to being part of the Coalition as a military? I’m not familiar with Himean Common.” “I am! Sorry if it’s hard to get around it — it’s a habit hard to get out of.” “Right. It’s been easier than we expected to integrate into the Coalition and to bring positronics into our ranks, even if the logistics of it means we have to have separate units. Positronics have proven effective, and the KAF is happy to have them.” Scholes pauses and looks down at his watch. “And that’s all the time we have for now! Captain, thank you for your time!” “Thank you for having me on. I’m glad the KAF could present itself better than Gadpathur’s navy.” Scholes laughs in response! “You can’t fault their master of begrudgery, that’s for certain! Up next is the latest from Light’s Edge, so stay tuned!” Date: 22/04/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape One News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her PDA. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. With San Colette surrounded by the Front communications from it and Liao Qi, our on-location reporter, have become sporadic at best,” she swipes something on her PDA. “However, with the assistance of the Colettish government, we have been able to acquire a series of interviews done by Liao shortly before the encirclement. These interviews, which feature members of the First Colettish Volunteer Battalion, will be aired on XNS over the coming weeks per Liao’s request. Without further ado, here is the first of what Liao refers to as the Volunteer Tapes.” The camera switches to a feed of a woman in Solarian fatigues sitting in a chair inside of an office. The windows, distressingly, appear to have been covered in sandbags. She looks tired, but enthusiastic, even if her blonde hair is a mess. “Hey! Do I need to introduce myself?” “Yes, just for the record,” Qi replies from somewhere offscreen. “Sure! I’m Alexis Watts, from the 37th, currently serving as the two-eye-sea for the First Colettish Volunteer Battalion. That’s, uh, the second in command for folks who don’t know Army talk.” “You said you came here to fight the Front. How have things been since our last interview?” Watts exhales upwards, unintentionally blowing one of her messy bangs into her face. She shifts it back to the side. “It ain’t been great since then. We were on Nova Igman before it collapsed and we were one of the last Pact units to exfil. The League ain’t as good at fighting as the Front, but they’ve got a lotta ships and a lotta idiots who signed up ‘cause they think they’re saving Sol from the megas.” “What would you say to these League soldiers, if you could speak to them directly?” “Depends. Do I got a rifle?” “Not this time.” Watts shrugs, then leans back into her chair. “Shit, I dunno. I’ve never been much of a philosopher, man. Guess I’d, uh, tell’em they’re mostly just enriching their own bosses, yeah? Then ask why they’re not invading Biesel instead, ‘cause they’re real corporate.” “Why do you think they’re not invading Biesel?” “Simple: they ain’t actually anti-corp, they’re just a bunch a’ looting assholes — sorry if you gotta beep that out — who wanna make money off’a people who ain’t able to defend themselves. They’re more like Frost than they think, ‘cause they’re all—” a beep plays and Watts looks at the camera. “Sorry, that one’s for sure gotta get beeped, right?” “It does, but don’t worry about it. You were saying?” “Yeah. They’re attacking the Pact ‘cause they don’t wanna fight anybody who can beat ‘em, and Biesel’s mercs can probably give ‘em a good whipping, which means they ain’t gonna be able to loot as much as they wanted. That’s why they only started fighting after the Front attacked. They’re cowards, and they’re gonna die like cowards when the Alliance shows up. Count on it!” The tape cuts out at this point. Date: 24/04/2465 LEAGUE BEGINS RETREAT FROM SAN COLETTE - FRONT FORCES BEGIN COUNTEROFFENSIVE News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. The League thrust towards San Colette has begun to contract in response to the threat from Lhokgon, where the 35th Fleet has pushed the League back even further. “As predicted a few days ago,” Deschamps says as she points to the League forces near San Colette, “the League had begun a retreat from its positions near San Colette due to Front gains near Lhokgon which threaten to cut off their forces. The question for us as observers is now if the League can maintain the order of its retreat until they’re safe, or if the situation will collapse.” “Posts linked to League forces near Lhokgon indicate many believe they can’t hold their positions for very long. Most of the League’s best forces were diverted for the attack on San Colette, which has left many of the units left to hold Lhokgon demoralized. Compounding this,” Gopal zooms in on Lhokgon, causing the 35th Fleet marker to split into the Fleet’s squadrons, “is the presence of the 35th Fleet on the Front’s side. Delphine?” “The 35th Fleet is perhaps the most battle-tested part of the Front as it invaded Biesel in 2462, though at the cost of much of its effective strength. It’s regenerated to full strength since that point by integrating Navy defectors and is still centered around the veteran core of the Fleet which invaded Tau Ceti. They’ve been in charge of the offensive near Lhokgon and have rapidly pushed the League back near it.” “Do you think the retreat will collapse?” “Collapse in what way?” “Either by being cut off or by having the fighting retreat break down,” Gopal clarifies. Deschamps ponders the question for a moment, then clicks her tongue. “If the Front advances much further near Lhokgon and keels to their current rate of advance,” she says, “it’ll cause a panic which leads to the retreat collapsing. That’s my theory.” “What’s the worst-case scenario for the League?” “The absolute worst-case scenario here would result in the League effectively ceasing to exist as an offensive force, particularly against the Front, if they lose a significant number of units during their retreat.” Date: 26/04/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape Two News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to a typical-looking Solarian woman sitting in a chair. She is wearing fatigues which appear to be about two sizes too large for her and has a blue Legion beret upon her head. Glossy hair, softly glowing eyes, and the way she seems to never blink indicate this individual is most likely a synthetic. “Should I introduce myself?” she asks in a relatively strong Silversun accent — an Expatriate one, for those familiar with the planet — with a steady, almost mechanical intonation. “Yes, we’re rolling,” Liao Qi responds from offscreen. “My apologies. I am Cynthia, Commander Forsythe’s aide-de-camp. My duties mostly consist of radio work for the Commander as my nature makes me simply more efficient at most administrative tasks.” “Why is that?” “It is quite literally what I was built to do, Mister Qi,” Cynthia smiles slightly, crossing one leg over the other. “It’s not the same as working in a shuttleport as a radio coordinator, but it’s certainly similar. I never thought I’d be calling in orbital fire l when I was handling shuttle schedules and launches.” “How did you come to be in the Legion, and meet Forsythe?” “It’s a long story, but I can summarize it. I was working on Mictlan during the Collapse and, well, our shuttleport collapsed,” Cynthia shrugs. “Getting purchased by Idris didn’t seem like a great prospect, so I cashed out and signed up to get citizenship. I ended up in Forsythe’s unit on Mictlan.” “What did you do on Mictlan?” “I don’t want to talk about it,” Cynthia responds quickly as a sudden darkness crosses her face. “We did what we did for a cause we believed in at the time, and that’s all I’ll say.” Qi, for his part, recovers fairly quickly. “Right. As a free positronic how has it felt to fight for a Solarian member-state, considering the Alliance’s stance on positronics?” “It’s an odd feeling. Most Solarians we meet assume I’m Battalion property, when I’m my own woman. They tend to get confused if you explain it, so I sometimes act as if I’m just augmented. The Battalion itself is more accepting, even if the Dominians tend to stare.” “Why come here if you’ve only been met by confusion?” “If the Front beats San Colette and the Pact, they’ll go for Biesel next. I cannot stand by like so many do and wait for the crisis to come to us. We have to stop it here, and stop it now. Evil can’t be left to fester.” “Any closing remarks?” “I’ve heard about what the Front does to people like me — synthetics, I mean. I’m not going to let myself be captured in a functional state and be turned into a political officer. Cynthia pauses a moment before speaking again. “And if I die here, at least I died doing something other than working in a shuttleport until decommissioning.” Date: 28/04/2465 LIVE: Coalition Special Committee Discusses Wildlands Crisis News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera switches on and reveals a quite lively room featuring the previous members of the special committee in a very heated debate. Pravin Thaman, Gadpathur’s representative, is currently banging one of his shoes into his desk. “You must lift the warp restrictions immediately!” Thaman shouts to the committee, still banging his shoe on the desk. “You will doom us all if the League falls to the Hopperites!” (redaction's note: Hopperites refers to 'followers of Terrence Hopper', the Admiral responsible for the mass bombing of Gadpathur) “Absolutely not!” Mi-Hi Gim, representative for the Konyang Armed Forces, stands out of her chair on the opposite side of the room and stares down Thaman. “You would bring us into another Interstellar War where Konyang is the frontline!” Thaman stops banging his shoe and looks at the Konyang delegation. “Of course the Solarians oppose me! Can my fellow Coalitioners not see that Konyang is cut from the same cloth as the Hopperites? Can they—“ “How dare you compare the men, women, and synthetics of the Konyang Armed Forces to the Solarian Restoration Front!” Gim shouts back. “If it wasn’t for Gadpathur supplying the League, the Pact may have held the Front back!” Thaman slams his fist into his desk! “Do not accuse Gadpathur of causing this, Solarian!” Thaman storms over to Gim and Kwan Seok’s desk. “You insult the honored dead of Gadpathur!” “And you insult the sacrifices we have made to defend the Coalition! Our Coalition, Representative Thaman!” Gim shouts back as Rohan Magar, Xanu’s representative, bangs his gavel in an attempt to reestablish order. Thaman looks at Kim for a moment, eyes burning with hatred, and opts to slap her across the face! Kim barely reacts and a sickening crack is heard from Thaman’s hand before he begins screaming in pain. Kim shoves the Gadpathurian away from herself as two Xansan police officers stationed in the room rush over and grab onto Thaman, one tackling him onto the ground and the other moving to restrain his hands. “This session is now in recess!” Magar shouts from his podium. The feed cuts out shortly after this. Date: 30/04/2465 LEAGUE RETREAT BECOMES ROUT — FRONTLINE RETURNS TO PRE-OFFENSIVE BORDERS News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. The League thrust towards San Colette has completely collapsed and the League itself appears to be in a full, general retreat across its frontline. This is almost certainly the worst-case scenario discussed by the XNS several days ago. “While the League’s retreat has been fairly orderly,” Gopal begins, tapping the screen and bringing up an image of a destroyer Mumbai-class battleship in League colors, “the loss of the Wallbreaker to a phoron tanker used by the Front as an IED several hours ago caused a general breakdown in cohesion and widespread panic, which caused the retreat to collapse as it turned into a route.” “And you believe this has effectively ended the League’s offensive capabilities?” “I do. Most of their capital ships were, according to OSINT, committed to this offensive and few survived the retreat. With their supply lines to Gadpathur cut and insufficient port facilities under their control, there’s not a lot the League can do at this point beyond trying to hold its ground and hoping San Colette will distract the Front for long enough to let them regenerate some of their losses.” “Considering the Front’s chatter, I don’t know if they’ll give the League the chance. Most Front officers who are present on the Extranet seem to believe the Front will push forward until the League is eliminated, thus securing the entire Wildlands. After that there will be nobody to stop them from taking San Colette and its phoron reserve.” “Nobody aside from the Alliance, at least,” Gopal replies. “What’s the latest on them?” “It’s a mixed bag, Ajit. Some parts of the Front think Sol will officially recognize them after they take San Colette, and Frost-aligned Navy officers will coup the government to make this happen. In San Colette the hope is for intervention, which has become popular across the Alliance. The Solarian Navy is, for better or worse, as tight-lipped as ever.” “Do you think they’ll attempt an assault before they defeat the League?” “It’s always a possibility but doing so would ensure they can’t commit their full strength to San Colette, and the planet’s defenses will be difficult to break through with anything less than, say, a full battlegroup, probably.” “Only time will tell, right Delphine?” “Right, Ajit. Unfortunately, it’s time for us to go on a short break. Stay tuned for more on the War in the Northern Wildlands.” The broadcast fades out. Date: 02/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape Three News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera focuses on a broadly-built and middle-aged Solarian man with a well-maintained, though slightly grey, mustache. His Solarian Army uniform is one of an officer and appears well-maintained, though it has obviously seen some signs of recent combat. A kepi perched upon the man’s head marks him as an officer of the famed 12th Silversunner Coastal Infantry Division, also known as “Mistral.” The kepi features the rank insignia of a Lieutenant Colonel upon its front — a very high rank to be present in San Colette, where he is nominally a deserter from the Solarian Army. “We’re recording, you can start,” Qi says from offscreen. The man nods. “I am Lieutenant Colonel Hale Kaohi, commanding officer of the Second Colettish Volunteer Battalion. It is my honor to fight for the Alliance while so many of my fellow soldiers will not,” Kaohi narrows his eyes in seeming disgust for a moment. For any familiar with Silversun, the Lieutenant Colonel has a quite strong Silversunner Native accent. “Did you come here directly from the Army?” “Yes, with many of my troops. We must preserve our Alliance even if the Navy is too cowardly.” “Doesn’t that make you a deserter, to speak technically?” “I am a patriot. Something you colonials,” Kaohi points to something unseen behind the camera, presumably Qi. “Could have learned back in ‘75. But I am not here to discuss the mistakes of the past, only the concerns of the present. I agreed to this interview to implore the Alliance to aid us.” “Do you think the Pact can hold without the Alliance?” “No,” Kaohi responds bluntly. “We can only delay our inevitable deaths. My soldiers are aware of this, and we do not intend to die without having made a difference.” “Have you seen any combat since the encirclement?” Kaohi shakes his head. “None. We’ve been training Coletters on how to be soldiers in the meantime, and working with the First Battalion to coordinate our efforts.” “Forsythe, the other battalion commander, is a veteran of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Has that impacted your relationship at all?” “It has not,” Kaohi responds bluntly yet again. “I do not believe the Legion is at all equal to the Army, but anyone willing to come and stand against Frost’s fascism and communist insanity is worthy of my respect.” “Do you have any closing comments?” “I intend to die on my feet. I’ve lived a good life, reporter. It’s better I perish fighting for something I believe in than die knowing I could have made a difference.” The tape shuts off, with the last image being the Lieutenant Colonel’s serious gaze seemingly attempting to drill a hole through the camera’s lens. Date: 04/05/2465 BREAKING: FRONT BEGINS ASSAULT OF SAN COLETTE News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of the XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her PDA. She looks markedly more stressed than she typically appears. “Breaking news has reached us from the Solarian system of San Colette, where forces aligned with the Solarian Restoration Front have begun an assault on its defenses. We go now to a secure emergency communication established between our station and an unknown location in San Colette where our Liao Qi, our reporter in San Colette, is located. Liao, can you hear me?” The camera switches to a video of Qi in a fairly dark room which, all things considered, may very well be underground. He looks exhausted and appears generally disheveled – his clothes are dirty and there are notable bags under his eyes. He is wearing a military-style vest without any visible press tag. “I can hear you Mariska, can you hear me?” Qi’s audio comes through crackly, but audible. “I can. Are you safe?” Qi takes a moment before responding. Connection issues, perhaps. “I am,” he nods. “The situation on San Colette itself is stable – as stable as it can be, I guess – but it’s not good. The Civil Guard and Free Solarian Fleets are holding for now but nobody’s sure if they’ll be able to hold off the entire Front. We’re lucky they opted to do this now – the assault, I mean,” he pauses. “Maybe lucky’s not the right word, but– it’s fortunate, I guess? They could have waited and thrown their entire weight against the Civil Guard.” “How is the civilian population handling it?” “As grim as this sounds, most knew this was coming. It’s a bit of a relief for some to know it’s finally happened – the Front’s finally something they can tangibly defend against instead of the skirmishing that’s gone on over the past few months.” “What about the Alliance? Have you heard anything about them?” “Well,” Qi pauses, then begins again. “It’s complicated. Understandably I’m not really privy to the internal workings of their government, but the general population is certain – or at least they’re confident – that Sol will eventually intervene, that they have to intervene. They simply don’t know when that’ll be.” “And what about you? Any thoughts on the Alliance from somebody who saw their conduct on Mars?” Qi exhales, running a hand through his hair. He pauses for a moment before speaking again. “I’d rather see the Solarian Navy than the Front.” Before Qi can say more his feed turns to static with “SIGNAL LOST” layered over it in Freespeak. The camera switches back to a concerned-looking van den Soeterik. “While we attempt to reestablish a connection with Liao we’ll go onto a brief commercial break. Please stay turned.” Date: 06/05/2465 Act Four Colettish Government Announces Defeat of Solarian Restoration Front Assault News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Adelmira de Noi, Presidential Liaison for the Colettish government, stands behind a podium on a stage. A Colettish flag covers the wall behind her and she idly flips through a binder. At an unseen signal from out of the camera’s focus she clears her throat and begins speaking. “Today the combined forces of the Middle Ring Shield Pact and Free Solarian Fleets repulsed an attack on San Colette by the forces of the Solarian Restoration Front. Our defenses will continue to hold the enemy back until they are defeated. Due to the sensitive nature of the defense situation I cannot answer questions at this time.” de Noi closes the binder and walks off of the stage to a door, which she disappears into after a Civil Guard soldier opens it. The camera switches to Mariska van den Soeterik behind her desk. “While the War in the Northern Wildlands continues San Colette, for the time being, continues to stand. We go now to Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps, our analysts for the War.” The camera switches to two shots: one of van den Soeterik, the other of Deschamps and Gopal. Gopal speaks first. “Thank you Mariska. Delphine and I have been observing the Front’s activity elsewhere in the Wildlands.” “The Front,” Delphine interjects, “has continued its assault against the League and has gained some territory, though its pace has slowed due to shifting forces to San Colette.” “Do you think they’ll attempt another assault?” van den Soeterik asks. Deschamps shakes her head. “Not unless they can push the League back further. Ajit’s research suggests they still have a decent amount of forces left, though not enough to mount a serious assault.” “Ajit, Delphine — thank you for your work on this.” “Thank you for having us,” Gopal responds, then his and Deschamps’ section of the screen fades out. “The Xanu News Service,” van den Soeterik says, “will be back after a short break.” Date: 07/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: Front Shift Forces from League Assault, San Colette Holds Steady News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. Grimly, most of the Northern Wildlands aside from San Colette appears to now be under Solarian Restoration Front control. “With much of its offensive strength lost in its unsuccessful April offensive, the League has not been able to hold onto its remaining territory,” Deschamps begins as she taps her PDA and centers the map upon a thin stretch of League territory which stands on the Coalition’s border. “With the Front apparently content to let this remnant remain most sources indicate they’ve begun shifting vessels to San Colette, likely in order to begin another assault. Ajit?” “Of course,” Gopal pulls his own PDA up and taps it. Various Front and League units appear on the screen, though there are far fewer League units than Front ones. “Most of the remaining League forces are elements of the 67th Fleet, which was — ironically enough — garrisoned in San Colette prior to the Collapse.” “That is a bit ironic,” Deschamps interjects. “Isn’t it?” Gopal clears his throat. “Anyways, the 67th has managed to maintain much of its cohesion during the Wildlands War while others have not. Most other League units, particularly its irregulars, have been fleeing across the Republic and Coalition’s borders.” “And what are they doing there?” “I can’t really speak to Biesel, but in the Coalition it depends. Some are doubtlessly going to make it through Coalition patrol forces and settle somewhere, but most have been caught and detained by naval forces such as those from Konyang. It’s all up to the legal system now. What about the Front’s movement?” “Well with most of the League, as you said, either fleeing or defeated the Front has moved or is in the process of moving most of its forces back towards San Colette. It won’t be surprising if they try another assault once they’ve managed to amass more forces.” “How long do you think it’ll take for them to be ready?” Deschamps waves her hand in the nearly universal “so-so” gesture. “I’m not sure Ajit. Honestly, they’ve got a lot of different drives ranging from brand new Hammer Drives to more dated ones from the early 2400s. A fleet only moves as fast as its slowest ship, so maybe we’ll see something in about a week’s time?” “Maybe. On that note, we’ll be right back! Remember to stay tuned to the Xanu News Network for the premier coverage of the War in the Northern Wildlands!” Date: 11/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape Four News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera focuses on a short, wiry, and pale woman wearing a battered Solarian Army uniform with a red-and-white armband wrapped around one sleeve. A Tribunalist eye dangles from a necklace around her neck and her blue eyes have a piercing look despite her short stature. A Solarian Army marksman’s rifle, sans ammunition, sits across her thighs. The woman idly pulls the bolt back, snaps it back into place, and looks directly at the camera. “Do I begin speaking?” her Common is heavily-accented and absolutely, without a doubt, Dominian. “You can, yes. We’re recording,” Liao Qi says from offscreen. The woman nods. “I am Branka Buković, formerly of the Imperial Dominian Army and now a volunteer fighting for San Colette. I serve under Commander Forsythe and serve as one of the Battalion’s sharpshooters,” Buković pauses for a moment to clear her throat. Her accent is, to one familiar with the Empire, obviously Jadranic. “While the Empire may be too far to be interested in this struggle, I have taken a different perspective.” “What is that perspective?” “That the Goddess would not wish for us to stand idle while innocents suffer. You and the Coalition,” Buković leans towards slightly for emphasis, “may view us as simply Imperials. The matter is not so simple. Nearly one-hundred years ago the Empire saved my home from starvation. Is it not righteous for myself to save San Colette?” “We’re here to discuss San Colette, not Dominia. But with that said, how has it been to be in the Alliance as a Dominian?” Buković takes a moment to ponder her response. “Unusual. The Alliance places a great emphasis upon its military, much like the Empire, but has long suffered from issues we have not. It is similar but too different to be familiar, I suppose. My faith has been my anchor.” “How has being a sharpshooter been?” “I am familiar with it, though Solarian equipment is different than what I am used to. It is simply a means to an end.” “Right, right,” Qi can be heard clicking his pen. “Do you have any closing comments?” “Only that I will fight until I am no longer able to, and that the Goddess will see us through this. I know She will.” The tape cuts out. Date: 12/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: Pact Announces Victory Over Second Front Assault! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. Rather than all of the Northern Wildlands their screen now solely displays the system of Patria Nueva, which contains San Colette. All of the system’s major bodies — Nuevo Hispaniola, San Colette, San Colette Minor, and D’Anzin — are featured on the map, as are rough approximations of its defenses. The planets slowly orbit Nuevo Hispaniola until Deschamps clicks something on her PDA which causes them to first stop, then reverse before shopping again. Outside of Patria Nueva forces marked by the black-white-gold flag of the SRF are stationed in preparation for an assault. Inside, a mixed force of Pact units and Free Solarian Fleets mercenaries stand in formation with Civil Guard defenses. “Here are the Front’s forces and the Pact’s defenders as they stood roughly thirty-six hours ago,” Deschamps begins. “Through analytic work the XNS war room has managed to reconstruct some of the assault repelled earlier today by the Pact. Deschamps mods to Gopal, who hits something on his PDA and sends the entire system model into motion. Front forces stream through four paths cut in the Field of San Colette — a massive stellar minefield — and begin to slowly advance through the Colettish Belt, starting to take losses as they pass a faint circle labeled “Spear Range.” One of the advances — the 32nd Fleet’s — buckles under pressure in the Belt and retreats, having taken noticeable losses. The assault sections of the 33rd and 34th Fleets make more progress into the Belt before also being pushed back, with the 34th nearly breaking through into inner San Colette. The 35th Fleer’s assault detachment, the most experienced of the Front’s five fleets, managed to break through the belt and forms a small “beachhead” which is quickly repulsed by a combined Civil Guard and FSF force. As the final 35th Fleet forces return to their previous positions the display stops moving and Deschamps clears her throat. “The attack was repulsed effectively by the Pact, but not without losses. The Front, however, was similarly mauled in its advance, particularly the 32nd Fleet. It was badly, badly mauled by railgun fire during its retreat.” “It was the force behind the initial assault, wasn’t it?” Deschamps nods her head in response. “It was, yes. Its Admiral, Renart Paquet, is suspected to have died during the retreat when his flagship, the Mumbai-class battleship Implacable, was hit by a railgun round and suffered a critical reactor failure which resulted in its detonation.” “And the Pact?” “They’ve lost a lot of their mines and automated defenses but their inner defensive lines remain stable. It’s entirely possible the Front’s sole purpose behind this assault was to ‘soften up’ San Colette for future assaults by more modern vessels. While San Colette is an intimidating target to most attackers it’s cut off and entirely unsupported currently, and there are some points in their defenses where modernization efforts weren’t as widespread as hoped. The Colettish government has never disclosed that information but we can, at the very least, assume the Front is attempting to exploit weaker areas.” “Any other news?” Deschamps ponders for a brief moment before speaking again. “According to rumors the Front has begun work on repairing some of the Pact’s destroyed warp gates, such as those in New Peoria. Most were totally destroyed by the Pact as they retreated but some are at least partially intact.” “Are they going to use them to teleport into San Colette itself?” Gopal seems to be incredulous at the mere thought of doing this. “Probably not,” Deschamps responds, “since they’d need the relevant codes from the warp gates in San Colette. But if they do get those, hm, they might try it.” Date: 14/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape 4 News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera focuses on a severe-looking man in a Solarian Army uniform with an unusual, non-Colettish garrison cap upon his head. The badge upon its front marks it as a Schiffchen of the now-defunct Visegradi National Defense Force. The man looks at the camera with the same intensity as Lieutenant Colonel Kaohi did earlier. He looks off to the side of the camera briefly and his mustache twitches slightly, then he begins speaking. “I am Willerich Kozak, formerly of Visegrad’s defense forces and now serving as the commander of Third Colettish Volunteer Battalion. Prior to coming to San Colette I was roughly equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel in our forces and fought against other traitors to the Alliance. This conflict is simply the next step for me in ensuring our nation can reclaim its former glory.” “Right,” Qiao responds, “can you tell us a bit about the Third?” Kozak nods in response. “Boze,” Kozak sighs briefly, “it’s a bit of a hodge-podge. Our core is made up of NDF — Visegradi civil defense — soldiers and officers. Below that’s a mix of other Solarians and Coalitioners like you. Hale might disagree with me when I say this, but you Coalitioners can become fine soldiers with proper guidance.” “Why would he disagree?” “He’s a gold commander, but he’s got a lot of personnel behind him — he can make choices regarding who he brings in while I really can’t. There’s only two things I won’t bring into the Third.” “What are those?” Underneath his mustache, Kozak grins. He holds up one finger. “No communists,” the second finger goes up, “and no kigyo.” “Kigyo?” Qi asks after a momentary pause. “Lizards,” Kozak responds. “I haven’t seen any in my time here, but I have seen a lot of communists — mostly through our gunsights, but I’ve still seen them. It’s not a surprise they’re just as murderous here as they’ve always been.” “Right, right. That aside, do you think the Pact can hold without the Alliance?” “I’m not going to answer that. If it holds, it holds. If not, we’ll fight until we can’t.” Qi can be heard flipping a few pages before speaking again. “What do you think of the other battalion commanders?” “Hm,” Kozak’s mustache twitches slightly as he considers his words. “Hale’s a good soldier and I trust him to have my back. Forsythe’s from the Legion so he’s not my equal in terms of training, but his unit was the first to get boots on the ground. His X-O does most of the heavy lifting, I imagine. She’s Martian, he’s not.” “What has the Third been doing since the encirclement began?” “Training Pact troops, especially the Coletters, in urban operations. During the Collapse and its aftermath, right during the start of the Civil War, we ended up having to fight hard battles with secessionists on Visegrad, and most of my personnel saw action in Sloboda — sight of the hardest fighting. Not all of them took up the Navy’s call to arms when they dissolved the NDF and some of them — the synthetics the NDF used to own — didn’t want to get wiped. We ended up here.” “How has the training been going?” “It’s difficult to learn, but hopefully we’ll prevent some of them from getting killed by Fronters or by friendly fire from some kretyn. A lot are still going to die — that’s just the nature of it — but some won’t, and they’ll pass the lessons on.” At the point the tape cuts out. Date: 06/05/2465 BREAKING: Front Incursion Repelled News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas At 4:54 Galactic Standard Time this morning, the 25th Fleet stationed in the Lumina system registered an incursion by an unidentified battlegroup later identified as the 33rd Fleet - belonging to the Restoration Front. Our sources report that they hailed the intruders for approximately twelve minutes before delivering an ultimatum to leave the system or be shot down, at which point the Front forces opened fire. The skirmish lasted approximately two hours and fifty-four minutes, ending with the Alliance pushing the Front into a retreat. Casualties were taken by both sides, with the Front taking a much heavier share. Preliminary numbers show 314 casualties for the Alliance fleet and slightly more than 1,000 for the Front. As part of our investigation, we have managed to get in contact with a Lieutenant serving aboard a destroyer that took part in this conflict. “The [explicits] just didn’t wanna talk to us,” the Lieutenant tells us, “Nothing we tried worked. They just kept moving. At which point, we had to try to stop them, somehow. We were more reticent than we should’ve been, since we knew those ships were Solarian – San Colettish design, to be precise – and we’re told to try and confirm who they are first, since we often get refugees from the Shield Pact or wherever else. But their IFF was off, and we couldn’t tell who exactly they were. We had to make a choice. And when we did, they started firing at us.” “After that, it was a bloodbath. You’re told to expect it when you sign up for the Navy, but it’s never a possibility to you until it happens. Any second that passes could be your last one alive - you don’t know you’re getting blown up until the shell explodes in your ship. And looking out from the windows was grim, too. Explosions everywhere, and most of the time you can’t even see the enemy with the naked eye. But we made it through, still not knowing for sure who we were fighting, even if everyone had a clear idea by the time the shooting started.” “Once the salvage crews went to the wreckages, we knew for sure. Front gear and decor everywhere. Black-striped voidsuits, posters of Hopper, Frost, Ozdemir, Keyserling, Verglas... photos of Lycoris… personal recordings of all the [explicit]-up things they did… the list goes on. The black boxes we recovered had some horrid stuff – even if I could talk about it, I wouldn’t want to – just know that shooting them down was the right [explicit] idea. They’re [explicit] animals, that’s what they are.” In response to this incident, the Government scheduled an emergency meeting, of which we have received the results just now. All battlegroups near the northern border will enter an increased state of readiness and begin preparing for maneuvers. The Navy has additionally announced that the families of its servicemen in these areas should be ready for long periods of no contact. Date: 18/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape Six News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to an Elyran man seated in a very worn-looking armchair inside a room lit by artificial lights. The windows of the room have sandbags on them and tarps draped across them to catch shattered glass. Prior to the Collapse, and the outbreak of war in the area, such a sight would have been unthinkable in the Alliance. The Elyran is clad in a Solarian Army uniform with an orange-yellow armband, and appears to be in his middling thirties. Offscreen, Liao Qi clears his throat and begins speaking. “We’re recording. You can begin speaking.” “Right, right. I am Khaliq Akhtar, formerly of the Najada Phoron Dogs and now serving in the First Colettish Volunteer Battalion. Before mercenary work, I was in the Army.” “What made you become a mercenary after your service in the Elyran Army?” Akhtar laughs briefly, and it has something of a bitter edge to it. “I couldn’t really go back to my office job on Bursa after the Incursion, so I figured I’d do something with what they taught me. Plus, we always need phoron, don’t we? Both the Republic and the Spur, right?” Akhtar leans back into his recliner. “What does it matter if a little bit of it’s got blood on it?” “Right, right,” Qi clicks his pen. “What brought you to San Colette?” “Money, what else? My company was hired to escort a few Elyran-flagged tankers which were doing business with the Coletters. Were they probably doing it to dodge regulations? Probably, but what do I care if I get paid? A Pound’s a Pound and a Credit’s a Credit,” Akhtar shrugs, then leans forward. “Now, you’re probably wondering why I stayed, right?” “For money?” Akhtar laughs again! “Right you are! Sure, there’s a degree of idealism or fighting extremism for a lot of people, hm? But for us – the Phoron Dogs – we follow our noses,” Akhtar demonstratively taps his nose, “to where profits are. This got us put under somebody from Biesel, but does it matter? The Solarians are still paying us to stay here and guard facilities on D’Anzin – now we’re just seconded to another group stationed here.” “How has this made your, ah, Phoron Dogs feel?” “If they’ve protests, they keep it to themselves. There’s a lot of Volunteers and they’ve been useful on San Colette while we get to stay nice and pretty on D’Anzin — the weather’s just like Bursa here! If the Front comes, they’ll stand – and so will we, assuming the Credits stay flowing.” The tape cuts out. Date: 20/05/2465 BREAKING: RESTORATION FRONT FORCES BREAK THROUGH COLETTISH LINES — D’ANZIN CONTESTED News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her PDA. As before, she appears to be somewhat stressed — an unusual emotion for the veteran newscaster. “Just now,” she begins, “the Xanu News Service has received credible information which indicates the defenses of San Colette have been breached, and the system itself is now contested. Pact forces are currently engaged near D’Anzin — a distant planet within the system — in an attempt to repulse the Solarian Restoration Front and force them back into the area surrounding the system. Delphine?” The camera switches to a view of Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal in front of a map of Nueva Patria, San Colette’s home system. Gopal taps his screen and causes the screen to switch to a view of D’Anzin and its surrounding area. “Thank you, Mariska,” Delphine gestures to the map. “As you can see by our map — which has been updated with the most accurate information available to us — elements of the 34th and 33rd Fleets with support from the remnants of the 32nd Fleet have managed to break through Colettish defenses near D’Anzin, though they have certainly suffered losses in the process. It’s likely that the relatively fresh 31st Fleet, recently returned from the fight against the League, with some support from the 35th, will do much of the fighting in the system.” “Right, right,” van den Soeterik responds from off-screen, “what positions does this leave the Front and Pact in?” “Neither of them are doing well,” Deschamps responds. “The Pact is doing its best to hold and the Front is, if rumors from the Alliance are true, potentially about to be involved in a two-front war against the remnants of the Pact and the Alliance. They might be able to occupy San Colette, but they’re not going to be able to defeat the Alliance. Back to you, Mariska.” The camera switches back to the stressed-looking van den Soeterik behind her desk. She clears her throat and begins speaking. “As always, the Xanu News Service will attempt to keep you updated with the latest news from the Wildlands. For now take care, and stay safe. Date: 22/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: Battle for D’Anzin Continues — Colettish Forces Hold News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann “Earlier today,” Deschamps starts as the screen behind herself and Gopal shows an image of Nueva Patria showing the SRF and Pact fighting over D’Anzin, home to San Colette’s major phoron facilities, “Colettish forces announced D’Anzin’s defensive line is stable, and there is no immediate risk of further breakthroughs by the Front." On the screen various units of the Front, Pact, Civil Guard, and FSF fight for control of D’Anzin and its surrounding areas as Deschamps talks. The defense, led by the renowned Caravaggio according to the map, is holding steady. “While scattered, reports have also reached us of new weapons utilized by the Civil Guard: phoron-tipped railgun rounds, a potential first for any non-Biesellite force.” Gopal clicks something on his PDA which causes the screen to switch to a blurry still image — likely signifying its origin as footage from a nearby ship — of a Front Taipei-class heavy cruiser which has been impacted by one of these alleged shells. The bow and much of the front of the vessel have been blown apart. The explosion is a brilliant purple-white color and has not yet totally faded. “That effectively confirms it,” Gopal says. “This makes San Colette the first government to use weaponized phoron after Biesel.” Deschamps nods. “Ajit, you’ve been looking into the interstellar response to these allegations of phoron-based weapons. Have you seen anything noteworthy?” “Nothing official as of now — these photos are only a few hours old, so most governments haven’t responded to their use. Chirper and other forms of social media are ecstatic throughout much of Sol outside of Mars, and concerned in many other locations — particularly Tau Ceti and Konyang. Reactions in Hang Tuah’s Rest, a planet on the edge of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone near the Alliance, have been particularly enthusiastic, with the local governor and the Solarian People’s Liberation Fleet hailing this as a clear example of Solarian greatness.” “We’ll have to see what else comes of it, won’t we.” “We will — and the XNS will be back after these messages from our sponsors.” The broadcast fades out. Date: 24/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: Ground Combat Begins on D’Anzin — San Colette Proper at Risk? News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas “Over the past 48 hours,” Deschamps begins as the screen behind her and Gopal switches to a close-up of D’Anzin and its surrounding areas, with distances demarcated in units of of a hundred kilometers — a relatively small scale for interstellar combat, “Front forces have pushed Colettish forces and their allies back in the space surrounding D’Anzin, and have begun to launch limited assaults against ground facilities using their marines. What limited information we have suggests the garrison has been weakened by the fighting but has repulsed most assaults so far. Ajit?” Gopal taps something on his PDA which causes the screen to switch to a map of D’Anzin. Roughly two-dozen spots across the planet — most of them related to phoron production are marked as having been the target of Front assaults. “As you can see Delphine,” Gopal begins, “we believe the Front has launched about two-dozen assaults on D’Anzin’s surface recently. This does not count orbital strikes not involving ground combat, as there have been far more of those. Most of these assaults were not successful due to fierce resistance by Civil Guard forces, but the Front has secured some territory on the planet and is, according to what we’ve seen and heard, attempting to exploit its gains.” “Have they secured anything noteworthy?” “They managed to secure one Colettish Phoronics facility — known locally as Valle Púrpura — after an extended fight with the Civil Guard and Free Solarian Fleets marines, and were processing phoron at the facility. Unfortunately for the Front an explosive ‘stay-behind device’ left by the Civil Guard detonated late last night and destroyed most of the facility, scattering processed and unprocessed phoron across the surrounding area. With regular emergency services disrupted and the Front having abandoned the facility it’s likely Valle Púrpura will continue to burn for potentially several weeks, spreading Phoron contamination through its smoke.” “That sounds dire.” “It is,” Gopal nods. “Most of the area around it is uninhabited, but who knows how far the smoke will travel?” “Right,” Deschamps taps her PDA and brings up an image of Nueva Patria, then draws a line from San Colette itself to D’Anzin. “With D’Anzin contested, many are concerned San Colette itself could reasonably be under threat within weeks if not days. For now the defensive line appears to be holding, and rumors have begun to circulate about imminent naval intervention, but the situation doubtlessly remains quite dire for the Coletters. With the Solarian Navy as tight-lipped as ever we are, for the time being, left to only sit and observe. The Xanu News Network will return with more observations regarding the ongoing conflict in San Colette after this short break.” Date: 26/05/2465 XNS Exclusive: D’Anzin and San Colette Cut Off — San Colette Itself Threatened News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens, as it typically does, to XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal standing by a map of Nueva Patria — San Colette’s home system. D’Anzin, home to the Colettish phoron industry, has been cut off from San Colette proper. An odd, oval-shaped circle marked “Pact Forces” covers D’Anzin and area surrounding it, and this zone is marked as containing three fairly large warp gates — one of which is a type typically used by large freighters and tankers which would have often visited San Colette in more peaceful times. “As you can see by our map,” Delphine begins, “D’Anzin is now effectively cut off from San Colette itself, which is now at risk of a Front assault against Pact positions on the ground — assuming they can break through the Spears of San Colette. This line of railguns and defensive positions now, it seems, is all that stands between the Front and the heart of the system.” “To make matters worse on D’Anzin,” Gopal taps on his PDA and switches the screen to an image of D’Anzin’s surface. “Phoron fires have continued to burn at multiple facilities such as Valle Púrpura as fighting against the Front has continued and, in some areas, intensified. Gopal taps his PDA again and the screen switches to an image of Colettish troops — likely regular Civil Guard infantry judging by their modern equipment and winter camouflage — wearing gas masks standing in a snowy environment overlooking a burning facility nestled within a valley. Purple-black smoke rises from several holding tanks in the facility and destroyed vehicles, some still smoldering and some simply abandoned, are scattered in and around the facility. “This is Valle Púrpura as it now stands. It has, according to information provided by the Pact, been retaken following the recapture of hills surrounding it. The Front appears to have detonated all remaining phoron stores they could not evacuate before the Pact arrived. Supplies of cardox — one of the few things capable of stopping a phoron fire — are insufficient for the current fires across D’Anzin and more cardox can’t be acquired due to the ongoing conflict.” “That’s awful,” Deschamps comments. “It’s simply going to have to burn itself out?” “It will.” Deschamps taps her PDA again, causing the screen to switch back to a view of the entire system. The three gates are highlighted. “These three warp gates,” Deschamps points to the gates, “have been fiercely defended by the Pact and have remained in their hands during the assault. It’s currently unknown why they’ve made such an effort to hold them, but several theories have been put forward. The first is that these gates are estimated to be the most likely point of insertion for the SRF, should they successfully reactivate the warp gates near New Peoria. The second is that these gates will be used by a foreign power to transport their forces in, thus saving San Colette.” “I imagine most are hoping the Alliance will intervene?” “Most are, but we don’t know anything for sure at the moment regarding their plans. For now, it’s anybody’s guess as to what will happen. The XNS, however, will return after a short commercial break.” Date: 28/05/2465 Front Forces Reach San Colette’s Last Orbital Defenses News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens, as it typically does, to XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal standing by a map of Nueva Patria — San Colette’s home system. Colettish and Pact forces, alongside FSF mercenaries, have held their ground near D’Anzin admirably, but the Front itself has pushed through Nueva Patria and is now almost at San Colette itself. Between it lies only a thin line representing the Spears of Saint Colette: a series of modern railgun stations which have inflicted grievous damage upon the Front so far, but now find themselves under siege. “These fourteen stations,” Deschamps begins as she clicks her PDA, causing the screen to shift into an image of San Colette proper with the Spears floating above it, “represent the last major obstacle for the Front before they reach San Colette itself. Their forces, after months of fighting, have been worn down, but remain capable of mounting serious assaults — and threatening San Colette itself.” “Do they have enough to reach San Colette and invade it?” Gopal asks. Deschamps considers the question for a brief moment. “They may be able to, but I doubt they can destroy every station. The Spears are, for the purpose of conveniently resupplying them via San Colette’s space elevator, placed in geosynchronous orbits above San Colette — they don’t change their positions while they orbit, so to speak.” “So in theory they’d only have to destroy or disable one or two stations in order to launch an invasion? Deschamps nods. “—that’s an alarming thought. Has your team thought about which one they might target?” “Of course!” Deschamps nods. “Two are fairly likely.” Deschamps taps at her PDA and causes two railguns to be highlighted. The first El Conquistador is in stable orbit above Nueva Isabela, the planetary capital. The second, Dedo do Destino, is in orbit above the industrial city of Nuevo Villaviciosa, home of the Castrejon Space Elevator. “If you had to pick one, which one is the most likely?” “Undoubtedly Dedo do Destino due to its position above Nuevo Villaviciosa,” Deschamps responds without hesitation. “If the Front can seize or disable the space elevator, they’ve effectively neutralized San Colette’s railguns. Currently, according to some reports, these are the most effective weapons the Coletters have. Multiple Front warships have been lost to them over the course of this week, and D’Anzin’s continued ability to hold the line is due to their continuous fire support.” “I suppose we must simply wait and see, then?” Deschamps nods, then speaks. “That we will — and we’ll be right back.” Date: 30/05/2465 Colettish Railgun “Esmeralda” Destroyed — San Colette Invaded! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Behind her is an image of, distressingly, a ruined Colettish railgun station with a Front vessel next to it. A person familiar with the Solarian military may recognize this vessel as a Mississippi-class transport, a vessel commonly used by the Solarian Marine Corps to transport troops and heavy equipment. Its position in the orbit of San Colette likely only means one thing. “Good evening, and thank you for tuning into the Xanu News Service,” van den Soeterik begins. “Unsettling news has reached us from the besieged San Colette, where a loose alliance of pro-Solarian groups have been fighting against the extremist Solarian Restoration Front. We go now to our expert on the Front, Delphine Deschamps. Delphine?” The camera’s view splits into two, revealing a tired-looking Deschamps. She smiles and begins speaking, attempting to fight through an exhaustion she is feeling. “Thank you Mariska. While we didn’t expect for the Esmeralda to be destroyed, its destruction allows for the Front to menace Nueva Isabel and San Colette’s space elevator, assuming they’re able to fly transports that far. With that said, roughly fifteen minutes ago the Colettish government’s military sent out this message across the system. I’ll play it for you now.” Deschamps reaches for something offscreen and a recording of a voice identified as Admiral Emerico Tolentino, the overall commander of the Colettish Civil Guard, begins to play. “Citizens of San Colette,” the Admiral begins. “Know that this is our Republic’s darkest hour. The Front, which seeks to destroy us and our proud nation, has come to San Colette and now seeks to occupy it by force. This is a desperate effort by deserters who will be defeated, but it remains a dire threat to our nation. Just now, the crew of the railgun station Esmeralda gave their lives to destroy their station rather than see it fall into Front hands. As a result our proud capital, Nueva Isabela, and our space elevator in Nuevo Villaviciosa are now under direct threat. The coming days will not be easy, but our Republic will endure. All Civil Guard personnel, militia, and others willing to fight should report to their assigned stations across San Colette immediately. Those who cannot fight should report to appropriate bombardment shelters. Remain strong, and know we will survive and endure this.” The camera switches back to a view of Deschamps and van den Soeterik. “It sounds quite dire,” van den Soeterik says after a short pause. “It’s a very difficult situation, yes, but the Coletters are confident they can hold, and recent events at the Solarian border — and rumors of the Navy being directly involved in confrontations with the Front — have helped to keep morale high. However, we have received rumors — unconfirmed ones, mind you — of Front troops landing near Nueva Isabela.” “Thank you, Delphine.” “Of course!” Deschamps disconnects, leaving solely van den Soeterik. “The Xanu News Service will do its best to ensure you remain informed during these unfortunate times. Liao Qi, our reporter in the area, has advised he is safe and currently in Nuevo Villaviciosa, where he intends to capture the events as they unfold. For now, we will return shortly.” The broadcast fades out. Date: 01/06/2465 Ground Combat Begins Outside Nueva Isabela! News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas “Earlier today,” Deschamps begins, sounding somewhat tired — it seems she hasn’t slept well recently, “Front forces landed in the fields surrounding San Colette’s capital, Nueva Isabela. The following footage has been retrieved by our analysts and, at times, provided by the Colettish government. Viewer discretion is advised.” Tape 1 The first footage shown is from a small drone, flying a few hundred meters over a scorched battlefield which was once — perhaps even hours ago — a small farm. It appears to be midday, though smoke on the battlefield makes it difficult to determine the exact time of day. A crashed dropship in Front colors has impacted the burnt remains of a farmhouse. Two destroyed dropships, both of which are smouldering, are located relatively near it. Behind one of the intact barns is a Solarian Army M35A6 with a Colettish flag proudly waving from its radio antenna. The tank fires, kicking up an impressive cloud of smoke and dust, and a distant object explodes a few seconds later. The tank reverses and backs away from the barn as the footage cuts out. Tape 2 The second footage shown is, confusingly, seemingly from before the first one — the sun marks it as the early morning — and seems to have been captured from the helmet or shoulder camera of a Pact soldier. The soldier, who is taking cover in an entrenchment as heavy gunfire can be heard all around him, looks up as another person shouts a warning and sees three Front dropships descend from the sky. He swears to himself and, with some effort, pulls out a small device which appears to be some form of laser projector. After a moment he uncaps the device and aims it at the lead dropship, then engages it. He whispers to himself in Tradeband — a prayer, to those familiar with the language, and a missile streaks into his field of view and smashes into the lead dropship’s left wing, causing it to drop out of formation and descend into the farmhouse with a loud crash. The man screams in triumph, as do others around him, then ducks down to grab a radio as the other two dropships descend near the first one. After a moment a female voice responds in Tradeband, with the XNS helpfully providing subtitles. “5-6 this is Overwatch, send traffic - over.” “Overwatch - this is 5-6, we have visual on armored landers. Requesting, ah, two papas bravas,” the two preceding words, perhaps due to translation errors, have been left in Colettish Tradeband, “on laser-designated grid, over.” “Roger that 5-6, two inbound to grid,” the numbers are censored by a beep, “shortly. Get to ground, over.” “Roger that 5-6, two inbound to grid shortly. Get to ground, over,” the man puts the radio and shouts something out in Tradeband, then takes his camera off and puts it on top of his entrenchment to view the dropships. "Solid copy Overwatch, out." As Front troops begin to disembark there is the distant sound of jet engines flying low and very, very fast. The camera begins to turn and pivot — likely being controlled remotely by the man — and shifts left to show two jets in Colettish colors streaking towards the farmhouse at barely above tree level. As they get closer they pull up, and six deformed cylindrical objects fall off of the bottom of them. The entire farmhouse and its immediate surroundings — though some barns dodge this — are bathed in fire as the objects hit the ground and the jets fly over the Coletters, sending dirt, dust, and the camera flying in every direction. Tape 3 The third footage shown appears to have been taken in the early evening, and is from a camera mounted on a vehicle identified as M35A6 main battle tank “El Bandolero.” The camera swivels and pivots around as El Bandolero drives through the outskirts of the farm, pushing back towards the ridge line where the second footage appears to have been filmed from. Its radio idly transmits chatter from nearby units suggesting the Civil Guard has, over the past day of fighting, destroyed most Front troops on the ground. As El Bandolero begins driving up the hill the camera swivels to the left, showing a group of Colettish soldiers — one with a radio on his back — swapping their positions with another unit clad in Solarian Army fatigues and led by a woman whose messy blonde hair sticks out of her helmet slightly. These are likely Volunteer Battalion members and, judging by their appearances, they have seen their share of combat as well. The footage ends to reveal the exhausted-looking Deschamps standing in front of her and Gopal ‘s typical monitor. Gopal himself is off to the other side and looks as bad as Deschamps. “The Xanu News Service,” Gopal says, “will return shortly. Delphine and I will work to provide you with what coverage we can of these historical events as ground combat continues on San Colette.” Deschamps nods as the broadcast fades out. Date: 02/06/2465 Ground Combat Begins Outside Nuevo Villaviciosa Suburbs News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens onto the XNS’ war room, with Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal standing on either side of its trademark display screen. Gone are the maps of the Northern Reaches, of Nueva Patria, and San Colette itself. Now upon the screen is a map of Nuevo Villaviciosa, a populous Colettish industrial city, and its outlying towns. Gentle elevation markings note that the outlying suburbs of the city are located at a somewhat higher elevation than the industrial core of the town, which is centered upon a gentle slope which ends in the Bay of Villaviciosa – home of the massive Castrejon Space Elevator, the likely target of the Front’s invasion of this area. Both Gopal and Deschamps look relatively tired, having apparently not slept well over the past few days. Gopal is the first to speak. “Roughly two hours ago, according to Civil Guard authorities in Nuevo Villaviciosa, the Solarian Restoration Front landed on the outskirts of the city, somewhat beyond its suburbs, and is currently attempting to assault the outlying suburbs. Guard authorities have advised civilians to evacuate the surrounding area and seek shelter if unable to flee. Delphine?” “Right,” Delphine taps her PDA and several black splotches labeled as Front-controlled areas of control appear on the map. These marks have just reached Nuevo Villaviciosa’s outlying suburbs. “As you can see, the Front has landed in significant strength near Nuevo Villaviciosa – in far more strength here than in Nueva Isabela, which suggests that attack was either a diversion or an effort by the Front to distract Colettish air defenses from their landing outside the city.” “That makes sense,” Gopal responds, “the Front likely wants to secure the high ground around the city in order to bring artillery from orbit to their forces and disable the space elevator rather than seizing the city. Even if they only manage to disable it for a few days, that’s going to severely impact Colettish supply efforts for their remaining railgun stations.” “--and those have remained in operation despite this, to the best of our knowledge,” Deschamps interjects. “Despite the ongoing Battle of San Colette, Pact forces near D’Anzin have continued to hold their ground in the face of multiple Front assaults both in orbit and on the planet itself.” “Of course,” Gopal responds. “In and around Nuevo Villaviciosa the Guard is attempting to contain the Front and has had some success skirmishing with them in the temperate forests around the city. Unusually for a conflict in the 25th century, the Porto de Ouro Civil Guard has opted to send several reactivated seaborne warships from the early colonial era to Nuevo Villaviciosa to support it.” “That is unusual,” Deschamps responds, taking a moment to consider the words, “but it is a coastal city, and they may be useful.” “They may be! Before we go, one last thing –” Gopal clicks his PDA, causing the screen to shift into a paused, blurry image of the sky with the Civil Guard’s emblem in the corner. “This is gun camera footage – and audio – captured by a Civil Guard interceptor above Nuevo Villaviciosa earlier today.” Footage The camera switches to the footage, which clicks on and reveals itself as captured by a TyVS Tifón atmospheric superiority fighter. This particular one is marked as belonging to Murciélago-2, Flight 2, Squadron 2, Wing 1, Civil Guard Airbase Castillo San Felipe. The pilot breathes in heavily through his oxygen mask – nerves, perhaps – as he flies along to the rear right of another, identical fighter. Idle Colettish Tradeband chatter can be heard in the background. As the jet flies along, several messages in the idle chatter are translated. “AWACS this is Sabueso flight, we’ve finished the napalm run. We’re evac caisc, returning to Castillo.” “AWACS reads, visual on scope.” The flight goes further onwards, nearing Nuevo Villaviciosa from the sea. More chatter sounds. “AWACS this is Gavilán flight, bingo fuel – direct PhoroCol to us, over?” “Gavilán flight, PhoroCol is two o’clock from one three kilometers out, level.” “Gavilán-1 reads, out.” As the flight reaches the outskirts of Nuevo Villaviciosa an authoritative male voice sounds over the pilot’s headset. “Murciélago-1 to all elements, maintain formation. AWACS reports five Front bandits coming towards the suburbs from 4 o’clock, high. Probably bombers sent to soften up the defenses like they did back on Peoria. We’re moving 4 o’clock and ascending to intercept, throttle to full – none of those uvas make it through.” At the signal from the lead plane the entire flight shifts to the right and begins to ascend. A few minutes pass before the planes level out and Murciélago-2’s camera captures its first sight of the bomber flight – five gray-and-blue-painted objects flying in a v-formation over the Colettish countryside towards Nuevo Villaviciosa at high altitude. “Tally six!” Murciélago-2 yells into his microphone. “All Murciélago elements,” Murciélago-1 responds, “you’re cleared hot! Bring these,” a brief beep, “down to the ground – stick with your wingmen bring them all down!” Murciélago-2 and his wingman move to engage. “Loba, you got me?” Murciélago-2 asks. “Roger, Loba has visual,” a woman responds over the radio. Murciélago-2 begins to breathe more heavily as he maneuvers his plane in to engage the bomber flight, which begins to return fire. To anybody familiar with the Solarian Navy, these are Matterhorn-class attack craft – not the best choice for a ground strike craft as they’re intended for spaceborne work, but serviceable. Serviceable, however, does not always mean good – as Murciélago-2’s gun camera demonstrates by sweeping onto the rear right bomber and starting to let out a buzzing tone which transitions into a beeping noise as the gun sight confirms a lock. “I got tone!” a female voice – presumably Murciélago-2’s copilot – triumphantly cries out over the headset. With a tremendous WOOSH! from the right wing, a rocket streaks out from the side of the aircraft as the woman shouts, “FOX-2!” Mere seconds pass as the missile, clearly shown on the gun camera, streaks across hundreds of meters and impacts into the atmospheric engine on the right wing of the Matterhorn, causing the wing to be shorn off entirely. “Splash one!” the pilot shouts, “The bastard’s going down!” “Good kill Murciélago-2,” Murciélago-1 shouts over his headset. “Move to engage the lead bandit!” The hit Matterhorn ungainly lurches to the side and rapidly falls out of formation as it begins to spin out of control towards the nearby sea. The gun camera pivots back towards the bomber fight just in time to see another two explode, leaving only the rear left and lead bomber. Murciélago-2 moves its gun camera to the lead bomber, causing a tone to sound as the targeting reticle meets the bomber. The text >> CERRAR << is displayed at the bottom of the gun sight in Colettish Tradeband, and is not translated.. “Tone – tone!” the woman shouts. “FOX-2, FOX 2!” Perhaps understanding one missile was not enough, two rockets – one from each side of Murciélago-2 – shoot out from the sides of the fighter and streak towards the lead bomber, which proceeds to explode in a fireball as the missiles hit it. What’s left of the lead Matterhorn falls out of the sky forwards as the rear left Matterhorn is hit and explodes in a similar manner. One of the Murciélago pilots lets out a shout in Tradeband which is – perhaps due to error – not translated or censored, but anybody who speaks the language can tell the four words he has yelled at: “Fuck off, Front bastards!” “Murciélago flight, this is AWACS,” a male voice sounds over the headset, “clear skies – nice work with the bandits – break contact and return to Castillo to rearm.” “Murciélago flight reads you,” Murciélago-1 responds to AWACS. “Good work out there, boys and girls! We’ll show these bastards how Coletters fight – and keep killing them until they learn their lesson!” At this point the tape cuts out and returns to Gopal and Delphine. “For now,” Gopal says, “we’ll have to take a short commercial break. The Xanu News Service will do our best to keep you informed of any events in the Battle of San Colette as they unfold.” Date: 03/06/2465 Ground Combat Continues in Nuevo Villaviciosa Suburbs News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens to the XNS’ typical screen, still showing Nuevo Villaviciosa and its surrounding area, flanked by Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. The Front has gained some ground against the Civil Guard over the past day, and fighting has formally reached the city’s suburbs. Gopal speaks first. “While fighting has mostly come to a stop around Nueva Isabela, it has continued near Nuevo Villaviciosa with the Front making limited gains on San Colette itself. In the broader system, D’Anzin has continued to hold thanks to the efforts of San Colette’s railgun stations. While the Front never quite managed to reach the outskirts of Nueva Isabela they have reached the outskirts of Nuevo Villaviciosa’s suburbs, where the Civil Guard and its allies are attempting to halt their advance. Delphine’s team,” he looks over to his counterpart, “has found some footage from the ongoing combat there. Delphine?” “Thank you, Ajit,” Deschamps taps on her PDA for a moment. “This was originally captured by the Third Volunteer Battalion of the Civil Guard, and shows some of the combat they’ve experienced over the past days. This footage may be unsettling to some viewers, as it does show active ground combat.” Footage Deschamps clicks something on her PDA and the camera’s view switches to helmet camera footage of a Civil Guard infantry squad moving through a mostly-ruined suburb. The personnel appear to not be Colettish regular infantry based upon their mismatched firearms – some carry modern M-469 assault rifles, some native Colettish designs, and others older Solarian Army rifles which have been phased out of regular Army use and provided to the Alliance’s various System Defense Forces – and older-looking uniforms. These are almost certainly militia troops recruited during the past few months out of desperation. The soldier in charge of the patrol – a Sergeant, judging by the three chevrons on his uniform – is wearing a Visegradi flag around one arm and raises his hand, causing the patrol to halt. He turns around and points back to the camera-wearing soldier, somebody next to them carrying a rocket launcher, and a third soldier carrying a Colettish submachine gun and wearing a rocket ammunition pack, then speaks. “Listen up,” as the man speaks, the camera identifies him as SGT. Maczka. “Front armor’s going to roll down this street in front of us pretty soon. I’m going to stick here with fireteam one. IDelgado, take Ortega and Rakić across this street and set up to fire into the second tank’s rear once it passes. Use the trench to cross and, Chrystus, keep your heads down until you’re ready. Remember what the Lieutenant-Colonel taught you.” The three men give affirmations and proceed onwards, with Delgado – the man wearing the camera – in the lead. Behind him, Ortega softly mutters about the weight of his rocket launcher and Rakić’s equipment clinks lightly. After a few moments they plunge into a small trench – only several feet deep, but enough to give cover while moving at a crouch – cutting across the road and crawl through it to the ruins of what, at some point earlier in the week, likely a fairly pleasant suburban house in a typical Colettish style. After a few moments they reach a fighting position dug into the ruins of the house and jump into it. Delgado turns to his two compatriots and begins speaking. “Alright – Luis, get the launcher loaded. Pavle, make sure you’re ready to load the next round in if it doesn’t kill that tank. Once we get two rounds off, we retreat back. These things need to be killed by us before they get to our guys wiring the bridge up – got it?” Ortega, unholstering his launcher, nods in affirmation. Rakić does the same. Across the street Maczka flashes a thumbs-up and promptly disappears into the ruins. After a few minutes of tense waiting set to the sound of distant battle – gunshots, explosions, and the sound of Colettish aircraft flying overhead – the sounds of armored treads and engines can be heard further down the street over the ambient noise. Delgado taps Ortega’s shoulder and the two Coletters, and Rakić, get as far into the fighting position as they can. The clanking grows louder and some Solarian Common chattering can be heard – too distant to make out, but definitely growing louder. Another minute passes and the clanking grows even louder, causing Delgado to tap Rakić and Ortega’s shoulders as all three men rise out of the fighting pit. Greeting them is a column of two heavy tanks – dated, but still dangerous, M35A4 main battle tanks if the observer is familiar – flying the flags of the Solarian Restoration Front and Lycoris, its headquarters. Around them is roughly two platoons of infantry, some with red flowers on their helmets – a symbol commonly associated with Army units from Lycoris – walking alongside the tanks and talking. At a hand signal from Delgado Ortega fires and the rocket files from his launcher, kicking up a small cloud of dust as it leaves the tube. The Front troops dive for cover, but it is too late — the rocket impacts the side of the rear tank, penetrating its hull and causing the entire vehicle to explode in a fireball which sends metal and debris flying across the road. A second later as Delgado opens fire on the street and Rakić runs to Ortega, a rocket shell in his hands, the first tank explodes in a similar fireball. As Delgado continues to shoot and the Front troops remaining return fire, the footage cuts out and returns to Gopal and Deschamps. “As you can see by that footage,” Deschamps gestures to the screen, which has switched to a map of the city, “the Civil Guard is holding its ground quite effectively. Encouragingly, they’ve managed to retain control of the skies around Nuevo Villaviciosa and, while still unusual, the naval reinforcements from Porto de Ouro are expected to arrive later today. They may, once those arrive, attempt a counterattack.” “We’ll have to see what happens, won’t we?” “That we will, Ajit. Unfortunately, for now, we must go onto a short commercial break – but we’ll be right back with more breaking news!” Date: 04/06/2465 Colettish Forces Halt Front Advance in Nuevo Villaviciosa News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to the XNS’ typical screen, still showing Nuevo Villaviciosa and its surrounding area, flanked by Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. Fighting has continued in the city’s suburbs, but the Front has not gained any ground over the past day. In some areas near the coast it has lost ground to the Civil Guard, and fresh Guard and militia units have begun to arrive to assist the defenders by assaulting the Front’s rear flank. Gopal, as usual, is first to speak. “This morning Civil Guard forces in the suburbs of Nuevo Villaviciosa confirmed they have halted the Front’s advance into the city and have, in areas along the coast in range of their naval vessels, performed successful counter-offensives and pushed the Front from much of the city’s suburbs. Delphine, I believe your team found some footage of that?” “We did,” Deschamps clicks her PDA, “and here it is.” Footage The screen fades into a recording of the very early morning of a Colettish summer near Nuevo Villaviciosa. The recorder bobs up and down slightly — likely showing it’s from a handheld device like a phone — as the recorder looks out to sea, towards four or so fuzzy grey objects which have not yet been fully revealed by the dawn. The camera holds for several moments before the objects light up with several sequential flashes, starting from the right and going across to the left. The largest of the gray shapes has four flashes, two on each side. An unseen man to the left side of the camera whistles approvingly. The camera operator zooms out unsteadily. After a few moments of silence several low booms echo over the water. Several more moments pass before several large objects whistle by — far above the camera, judging by the sounds — to the right, causing the camera to turn and follow, stopping with a view of several structures which have vehicles outside of them. A moment later the shells impact, sending up geysers of dirt, dust, and debris as they turn the structures, and most things near them, into dust. A nearby tank – a heavy object, by any stretch of the imagination – is thrown into the sky by the sheer concussive force and lands several feet away on its side. As men and women around the camera cheer, the tape cuts out and transitions to a view of a ship’s deck – likely the ship which was just firing – with smoke still rising from two turrets fitted with three fairly large guns apiece. The camera seems to be mounted within a room, and the command deck of the ship can be seen in part – including a serious woman with gray-white hair in an officer’s uniform looking at the land with binoculars. In the room, a radio buzzes and a male voice sounds from the other side. “Morro, this is Eagle-6. Good hits on last shells! Walk your fire up towards coordinates Foxtrot-5, then hit Hotel-7. Our forward observer will advise you of the effect on target there, out.” “We read you,” a man off-camera responds, “battleship Morro confirms and will engage, out.” The gray-haired woman turns to another officer, taking her binoculars down. “Get those sixteen-inchers on target as soon as you can! I want the whole squadron to hit that sector with every gun we’ve got – tell them we’re turning those invaders into paste!” “At once, Commodore!" A man shouts from the side and scurries off to a radio, which he begins speaking into. The woman turns to another, far younger woman – and a somewhat familiar face for long-time viewers of the XNS. “Lieutenant Leticia de la Fuente, get the weapons team the coordinates at once!” “At once!” de la Fuente shouts, going to another radio and speaking into it. The Commodore raises her binoculars again. After a few moments, de la Fuente shouts, “Ready to fire, ma’am!” Across the room, the other officer confirms with a response of his own: “The squadron’s ready, ma’am!” The Commodore lowers her binoculars and gives the command. “Fire!” “Fire!” de la Fuente and the other officer shout into their radios. A second passes and the two turrets on the front of the Morro roar to life once again, shortly followed by the other vessels in its squadron. The guns of the Morro – while their size is not provided by the camera – are large enough to kick up spouts of water in front of the vessel, and a keen-eyed viewer may notice they do not kick up water so much as they displace water through sheer concussive force. As the camera refocuses, having been thrown about slightly by the Morro’s guns, the footage fades out. “In addition to this,” Deschamps says as she points at the coastal regions of the map, “the Civil Guard has managed to retain control over the battle in the air over Nueva Villaviciosa through its use of orbital missiles and atmospherics-based craft. The Front’s supply efforts have, as a result, been severely hampered and it’s likely their forces on the ground have been run ragged by the fighting.” Gopal nods. “Right, and some Front units are rumored to have begun negotiations to surrender to their Civil Guard counterparts — particularly the System Defense Force units the Front has used as auxiliary troops to support its offensives. Of course, this may simply be rumors created by the Guard — it’s unclear what’s happening in the minute-by-minute fighting.” “Hopefully we’ll have more good news tomorrow?” “Hopefully, Delphine. For now though, we’ll be right back after a short break.” Date: 05/06/2465 Colettish Ground Forces Repel Assault — D’Anzin Remains Threatened News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann Adelmira de Noi, Presidential Liaison for the Colettish government, stands holding a binder and wearing a bulletproof vest. At her side is a holstered pistol and across her back appears to be a Solarian Army submachine gun. This appears to have been filmed within a bunker. She opens her binder and begins speaking. “Colettish forces have, as of noon Nueva Isabela Standard Time, repelled Front forces which attacked San Colette itself,” de Noi looks up at the camera and away from her binder. “To the remaining soldiers and sailors of the Front, know this: Nueva Patria will be your tomb. Surrender, leave, or die. You cannot defeat us. You will never defeat us.” The camera switches to footage of Front-aligned troops — distinguished by their black-and-gold armbands or navy blue equipment — being marched down a road by Civil Guard militia troops. The camera lingers on the Front soldiers for a few moments. The soldiers of the Front look exhausted and have clearly been run ragged by the weekend’s fighting. Many are wounded and appear simply happy to be alive, but some still have eyes which burn with hatred for the Coletters. One of them — an officer with a red flower in her green cap, a symbol sometimes associated with Army units from Lycoris — holds a particular defiance in her eyes, and mouths the words, “death to traitors,” to the camera as she passes. The footage cuts out and the camera switches to Deschamps and Gopal standing in front of a map of D’Anzin and its three warp gates. The smaller gates are marked as destroyed while the large one is, stunningly, marked as active. Around the gates a hasty defensive formation — a mix of Civil Guard, FSF, and Pact ships — is still holding against the Front, which is attempting to seize the gate. “Roughly two hours ago,” Gopal begins, “the large cargo gate near D’Anzin turned on without any visible external input. This indicates that either the Front’s reserves — which are estimated to be stationed in New Peoria — have activated the gate, or another party has.” “Any idea which party?” “None currently. The Alliance has had a communications blackout along its border with the Wildlands since its skirmish last month, and the Front has never spoken to any journalists. We’ll simply have to wait and see.” “It isn’t exactly satisfying, is it? Gopal shakes his head. “We’ll see what happens over the course of the coming days. For now, we’ll be right back,” Deschamps waves at the camera as it fades out. Date: 06/06/2465 Signature Detected in Warp Gate — Pact Forces Hold Steady News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann “Just now,” Deschamps begins, “we’ve successfully confirmed that a warp signature has been detected in the large-scale cargo warp gate within the D’Anzin defensive lines. Attempts to identify the object have been unsuccessful so far, but it is at least confirmed to exist.” “In the meantime the Front’s forces, despite sporadic fire from the still-active defenses around San Colette, have continued their attempts to assault and secure these gates,” Gopal says as he points to the map of D’Anzin and its surrounding area. The Pact has barely given any ground but has, it seems, taken losses. The Caravaggio remains standing, along with several Colettish capital ships and heavy cruisers. Opposing them is a mix of every Front fleet engaged within the system. "This may very well be every Front ship remaining in the system, and they badly outnumber the gate’s defenders." “Will they succeed?” “They’ve got a numerical advantage over the Pact and, if the gate is in use by Front forces, should be able to handedly defeat the defenders. But there’s no guarantee they’ll break through, and they may very well not.” “Right, of course,” Deschamps responds. “We’ll have more news — and live updates — shortly. For now we go to Xanite political news while we confer with our teams.” Date: 08/06/2465 Warp Signature Nearing San Colette — Warning Lights on Gate Engaged News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas “Minutes ago,” Gopal begins, taking the typical role of Deschamps, “the XNS received a credible report which indicates the unknown warp signature has nearly arrived in Nueva Patria. Unfortunately, no external observer is certain of what this signature is. Delphine?” “Thank you, Ajit. Presently little information is available regarding this signature. Some believe it’s a Front vessel, while others believe it’s a Navy vessel coming to save San Colette. Other more creative, but perhaps less credible, rumors have stated the object is a vaurca hiveship, an unknown alien race, or a Gadpathurian vessel.” “How long will it be until it arrives?” Deschamps hems to herself and moves her suit jacket’s left sleeve back to reveal a watch, which she looks at for a moment before speaking. “Roughly an hour to two hours, assuming our information is correct.” Gopal nods his head and idly looks down at his PDA, then to the camera. “—in that case we’ll return in roughly fifty minutes, though other coverage will continue in the meantime. Please stay tuned to the XNS for live updates on the ongoing conflict in San Colette!” The broadcast fades out. Date: 08/06/2465 XNS LIVE: WARP SIGNATURE ARRIVES News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she looks up from her PDA, setting the device down on her desk. Also behind the desk are Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal, the XNS analysts who have covered much of this crisis so far. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. The long-awaited warp signature in San Colette’s network, subject of much speculation throughout the Spur, is expected to arrive within the hour. Thanks to the deviated work of our team on-site we have secured a unique perspective for this historic event: one of the external cameras on the mercenary vessel Caravaggio has been seconded to us after payment. Ajit, Delphine, what can you tell us about this vessel while we wait for the connection to be established?” “Well,” Delphine starts speaking, “the Carvaggio is a Solarian cruiser of the Free Solarian Fleets. Those are the, ah, mercenaries defending San Colette currently. It’s seen significant action both against Elyran and corporate forces in the Badlands, and has been engaged in multiple battles against the Front and League over the past months. It’s a testimony to the vessel’s quality that it’s still operational, let alone fighting.” Van den Soeterik nods along, then looks over to Gopal. “Over the past few days it’s seen especially harsh combat,” Gopal says, “as it has served as the command vessel for the defense of D’Anzin.” Before Gopal can continue, van den Soeterik’s PDA pings and she looks down at it. “Wonderful!” she says, clapping her hand together. “The connection is stable enough to begin broadcasting. We’ll be going to it now!” The camera cuts to footage of what seems to be an external gun camera on the Caravaggio, positioned above one of its railgun batteries. The battery itself is looking out towards deep space at the edge of Nueva Patria and the cargo warp gate is visible on the left edge of the camera’s field of view. In the foreground a Albatros drone lands on a Cabral-class cruiser, which promptly launches another flight of drones up and out of the camera’s field of view. In the distance larger ships led by a Castillo-class battleship trade fire with some distant, unseen target. Idle Solarian Common chatter – a departure from the Tradeband utilized by Colettish troops – can be heard over the camera’s audio feed alongside the clicks and squelches of radios. Nothing is translated or subtitled due to the broadcast being live. A Mictlani-accented man can be heard saying, “gave the camera feed to the fucking journalists,” before he is drowned out by a series of beeps and the railguns firing a salvo. “Battery three,” a male voice sounds over the camera’s feed. “Reload guns and shift to target contact five, that corvette. Knock it out of action.” As the railguns retreat inside the hull to reload and battle continues around the Caravaggio, Gopal speaks. “As you can see by the camera feed, we’re currently witnessing the largest Front offensive against D’Anzin since they managed to land troops on its surface.” “Why launch the offensive now?” van den Soeterik asks as the railguns pop back out of the hull and begin tracking an unseen target. “They know they’re running out of time,” Deschamps interjects. “Their raid on San Colette’s space elevator was a failure and most of its railguns are still operational, so the Front may only have this chance to knock out the warp gate – or seize it, if they’re attempting to bring reinforcements like some have spectated. Connecting directly to the warp gate would let them bypass its security measures and bring reinforcements directly into Nueva Patria, bypassing a great amount of San Colette’s remaining defenses, or disable it completely.” The railguns fire again, then retreat into the hull to reload. To the left of the camera, the warp gate’s warning lights begin to flash as a duo of Front corvettes rise into view near it, having managed to bypass the Pact forces either through stealth or coincidence. “Battery three,” the male voice speaks again, “new target, refocus on those corvettes once you reload.” The railguns rise out of the hull once again, with one half locking onto the lead corvette and the others locking onto the second one. They fire almost immediately, and several shots go wide – but enough hit the lead corvette to destroy it in a small explosion. The second one pivots and continues its path towards the gate, hoping to reach it. “Three,” the voice speaks again, sounding more stressed, “engage and destroy that corvette. Do NOT let it get to the warp gate, that’s an order straight from the Fleet Admiral herself!” “--herself?” Delphine asks. Before she can say anything further, the camera – and the Caravaggio – begin to pivot to port, bringing more of the gate into view. It is very evident by the red warning lights that whatever is inbound is about to arrive. All three reporters go silent. The seconds begin to tick by as the railguns retreat into the hull to reload and the corvette streaks towards the gate. As it approaches and the railguns emerge from the hull, the lights shut off and the gate flashes white. Seeing this the Caravaggio accelerates and continues banking hard to port, drawing further away from the gate while keeping it in view. The corvette itself is essentially directly in front of the gate but somewhat above it — a hazardous, but not deadly, position for the teleportation of any ship up to battleship size. But what warps in, unfortunately for the corvette, is not a battleship. Seconds after the Caravaggio begins its turn the bow of a large, somewhat blocky vessel exits the warp gate at good speed. The corvette has no time to react before the rest of the ship warps in and it is smashed against the shields of the vessel, causing the corvette to not as much be destroyed as it is evaporated. As the bow fully exits the gate and the middle makes it most of the way out, it becomes very, very clear this ship is a good deal larger than a typical Solarian battleship, and dwarfs the Taipei-class heavy cruiser filming the scene. The Caravaggio’s turn ends and it begins to even itself out parallel to the vessel. The camera pivots slightly to look at the massive vessel’s bow and focuses upon Solarian Common lettering on the side which must be dozens of feet tall: SAMV GUNNHILDR Deschamps gasps at the sight as the sound of cheers are heard over the camera’s microphone. “That’s a– that’s a dreadnought!” Deschamps shouts. “It’s a Solarian Navy dreadnought!” Cheering continues over the camera’s audio as the Gunnhildr finally clears the warp gate fully and its batteries are deployed on both sides — massive arrays of railguns, torpedo tubes, and point defenses. Behind it a small force of destroyers and frigates — likely screening vessels for it — in Solarian Navy livery jump through the warp gate and race to catch up to the larger vessel. Several Pact vessels, including the Caravaggio, fall into formation with it. “ATTENTION ALL RESTORATION FRONT FORCES,” a Lunan-accented woman calls out over the radio, “WE ARE A SOLARIAN FLEET INTERVENING ON BEHALF OF AN ATTACKED MEMBER-STATE. TRANSMIT YOUR SURRENDER MESSAGES TO US OR WE WILL ENGAGE YOUR VESSELS UNTIL YOU ARE REPULSED.” A Front heavy cruiser, visible in the distance on the Caravaggio’s battery camera, responds by shooting at the Gunnhildr. Its railgun barrage is absorbed by the dreadnought’s shield without a single round making it through. While the battery camera does not capture how many of the dreadnought’s guns fire back, it does capture the heavy cruiser exploding shortly after firing. A few moments later, a male voice with a Lunan accent is clearly heard over the battery camera’s radio. “SAMV Caravaggio, we read you as having an external data connection. Cut it immediately and fall into formation – Fleet Admiral’s orders.” The feed then cuts out, switching back to the XNS’ journalists. All three look fairly surprised. “That’s the Alliance, then?” van den Soeterik asks the two analysts. “That it is!” Gopal responds. Deschamps, for her part, is desperately shuffling through a booklet of papers. “Delphine?” van den Soeterik asks. “I need a minute, can we go on a short break?” This is, uh–” Deschamps looks up, “well, it’s monumental. Mariska.” Van den Soeterik looks off to the side of the camera and nods at somebody. “We’ll be back after a short break,” van den Soeterik says. “Please stay tuned!” Date: 08/06/2465 Epilogue BREAKING: THE SOLARIAN ALLIANCE INTERVENES AGAINST THE RESTORATION FRONT News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas All transmissions across the Solarian Alliance, at exactly 13:30 GST, cut to show the largest room in Unity Station, the Hall of History - so called due to its walls painted over with an immense canvas depicting the history of the Alliance - absolutely full of all kinds of dignitaries. Military officials, Solarian and foreign diplomats alike - wherever anyone looked, they would recognise at least one important person. On the stage, is the full Provisional Government: behind them are yet more Alliance flags. Behind the podium, decorated in a bright depiction of the Solarian flag, is Admiral Lucien Courtois, flanked by Senator Trang and Governor Strom, both standing still with their hands behind their backs. Every figure in the hall looks markedly stoic, with not a single whisper breaking the silence. The air is cleared by Courtois, who speaks in a grave tone, “For as long as we remember, the Alliance has always been at war with itself, in one way or the other. Whether that be politically, culturally, or physically - it was never within the Government’s power to stop it. Never did we learn from our mistakes. Never did the Alliance put its people first.” He pauses for a moment, then he continues, “Today, the cycle ends. Our borders have been terrorised for far too long by people who claim themselves to be Solarian - yet murder their kin in cold blood. Today, the Government chooses to act. No longer will we stand by and watch as our citizens are slaughtered - as our soldiers fight for their life. Today, we choose to learn from our mistakes, and to confront a monster of our own making.” “As of now, our fleets have begun moving into the territory colloquially known as ‘the Northern Wildlands’. We declare war on the ghosts of our past, so that they may never haunt us again. May the Alliance be reunited and prosper forevermore.” With those words, Courtois bows and leaves the podium. The room erupts into clapping, with the Government’s emissaries joining in. The Extranet has similarly erupted into a state of jubilation, confusion, exhilaration, panic, and worry all at once, from all of humanity in the Spur at large. Early reports indicate Solarians joining each other in drives on the streets in jubilation across all Alliance planets, matched by public displays of worry, pessimism and skepticism by other parts of our people. The results of today's declarations remain to be seen, but this is surely a pivotal moment for galactic history [...] Date: 08/06/2465 XNS Exclusive: Solarian Navy, Pact Allies Move to Secure Nueva Patria News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens upon Mariska van den Soeterik, Delphine Deschamps, and Ajit Gopal still behind their desk in the XNS’ main foreign news room. The desk space in front of the two analysts is a mess of papers, scribbled notes, and a map of the Nueva Patria system which is covered in pins, writing in various colors, and a miniature ship model likely standing in for the SAMV Gunnhildr. While van den Soeterik is clearing her throat, Deschamps puts down her papers and speaks. “--sorry for the delay!” she shouts. “I just got the footage we need fully translated!” “Delphine, we’re broadcasting,” van den Soeterik responds. Deschamps sheepishly looks at the camera, then hides her head in her hands as van den Soterik begins speaking to the camera. “Good evening, and welcome back to the Xanu News Service’s foreign desk. As always I am your host Mariska van den Soeterik, joined today by our two top analysts for the situation in Nueva Patria and the Northern Wildlands: Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal.” “We’re happy to be here,” Gopal responds as Deschamps removes her head from her hands. “Over the past few hours the situation in Nueva Patria has changed drastically, with more Solarian Navy forces coming through its warp gates and the Navy launching a large-scale offensive against the Front along its border with the Wildlands. The situation has drastically changed on D’Anzin, which was the site of recent fighting. Delphine, your footage?” “Oh!” she responds. “Right, yes! It was difficult due to the ongoing battle there, but we’ve managed to secure this short film from a Civil Guard soldier on D’Anzin – that’s the planet the Front and Pact have been fighting over for the past few weeks – outside one of its phoronics facilities. Just as a warning this footage may be disturbing to some viewers so, if any of you are watching with children, you may want to take them out of the room.” Footage After a moment of waiting van den Soeterik gestures to somebody offscreen and the camera’s view switches to blackness, then to a wintery scene on D’Anzin. The camera, which seems to be mounted on top or on the side of a helmet, is looking off into the distance from slightly overtop a Colettish machine gun which has been dug into position. In the field and hillside before the trench there are scattered destroyed and disabled Front vehicles and dead Front marines – some covered in fresh snow. Smoke rises from a destroyed M35A6 main battle tank in the middle of the field – a recent kill. The soldier’s thick gloves are resting atop the gun as he looks first to his left and then to his right, showing he’s standing in a curved trench line dug on top of a ridge. Around him other Civil Guard troops – most wearing gas masks likely due to ongoing phoron fires in many regions of D’Anzin – run half-crouched in the trench line. A few of the Colettish soldiers are looking, or pointing, upwards at the sky and the space combat which must be ongoing beyond the planet’s atmosphere. At the sound of a tapping on his shoulder the machine gunner turns around to face another Civil Guard soldier, this one with an officer’s rank on their collar. Somewhat messy brown hair peeks out of the side of her helmet and heat coif. “Javier, we’ve got friendlies incoming,” the officer says in Colettish Tradeband. “Friendlies? They’ve finally come?” The gas-masked officer nods her head. “Finally, yeah – they’re regulars too and going to be landing behind us so mind your head – they’re landing shortly.” “Yeah, got it. Thanks for the heads-up,” Javier gives a thumbs-up with his gloved hand as the officer runs further down the line. A few moments pass and a series of booms are heard above the line, causing Javier to look up and see five objects flying in a pattern towards the line. “God bless the,” a beep plays, “Alliance!” a man shouts from further down the line as cheers ring out. Javier himself cheers and pumps his fist at the approaching dropships, which do a circuit over the Colettish positions as the cheering continues – waving their wings occasionally in an apparent effort to show off. All have the flag of Venus near their nose, an unexpected sight in a warzone. The men and women in the Colettish positions continue to wave and cheer at the Venusian dropships as they circle around for their final landing, even as the dropships come into their final approach and engine-wash begins to blow snow, dust, and dirt across the open space behind the Colettish positions. As one of the dropships mostly comes to a halt its sides pop open and Solarian Army troops in much newer equipment than anything seen during the weeks of fighting in Nueva Patria begin to jump out of its sides, most wearing gas masks like the Coletters. The first trooper out of the dropships has his gas mask on and is wearing the distinctive cavalry Stetson associated with only one unit in the Solarian Army: the 2nd Venusian Air Cavalry Division, also known as Jintaria’s Claws. As Javier continues to cheer the Stetson-wearing trooper gestures behind himself and several soldiers run with him to Javier’s section of the line, jumping into it. The man – a Sergeant’s insignia now clearly visible on his sleeve – looks over at Javier. “Heard you Colettish boys needed some help! Sorry we’re late – you know how it is with the politicos and brass back home.” the Sergeant claps Javier on the back. “But we’re here now, and we’re not gonna leave until we get this fixed!” At this point the footage cuts out and returns to the XNS newsroom. “You said this footage was about an hour old, Delphine” van den Soeterik asks. Deschamps nods in response. “It is! This is, well,” Deschamps waves her hand in the air for a moment, looking for the right words. “It’s a huge event! The Solarian Navy’s currently working to push the Front out alongside the Coletters, Pact, and mercenaries by the looks of it.” “Something else to note,” Gopal interjects, “is that there’s been nothing in the way of reported incidents between the Navy and Pact forces in the system, including mercenaries under their command. It’s too early to say why, but the Pact and Navy may have had some form of agreement in place before the intervention. That would explain why they fought so hard to control the warp gate. Next to Gopal, van den Soeterik nods her head. “Interesting, interesting. The Xanu News Service, while we must be right back, will continue to update you on further developments in the Northern Wildlands as we approach the weekend.” Date: 08/06/2465 The Admiral of the First Fleet Lands on San Colette News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas This news service opens in the bay of a transport shuttle. It doesn’t look to be moving, and a few personnel - high ranking military officials and pilots, by the looks - are scurrying about the bay, shuffling various crates and items around. The camera, however, pans to a familiarly blonde figure, this time wearing a suit and tie. She can still be easily recognised as Céline Eylenbosch, the SANN’s chosen reporter for all things San Colette. “Welcome, dear viewers,” she says, as the bay door behind her begins its opening cycle, “to the exclusive of your life! We are the first official Solarian envoy to land on San Colette since before the Civil War. Isn’t that exciting? It should be! As you know, we arrived to this system in the SAMV Gunnhildr only a day ago, and the Alliance has secured it enough for us to land. Nueva Isabela was secured by marines from the First Fleet just earlier today, and it’s been deemed safe to land only a few hours ago. Now, let’s watch closely…” Both the camera and Céline turn to the exit, which has by now started to open. Warm sunlight - clearly that of a late summer afternoon - breaks through the cracks first, and then the scenery from the top of some sort of skyscraper, from which a good amount of the capital can be seen. The outskirts are littered with destroyed buildings and rubble, the plazas and roads filled with makeshift fortifications, sandbags, and army vehicles; the fields outside the city dotted with ashy craters, destroyed tanks and other military vehicles, barricaded and broken roads, and wreckages of jets and spaceships alike. Ships and planes traverse the sky as well, likely escorts for the VIPs that just landed. Nueva Isebela does not look like an untouched, privileged capital - but yet another victim of war, like the others. It was a clear target for destruction, rather than occupation. As the news reporting pair step out of the vehicle and onto the roof, the cameraman makes sure to meticulously record all of the previous details, zooming into all of them. Once done with his documentary, he pans to Céline, who had been occupied gazing at the scenery before her, with an uncharacteristically serious and longing look. She then turns to the camera again, forcing through her usual smirk. “This is San Colette, viewers,” she says, dropping the adjective before ‘viewers’ she loves, “A few months of fighting have reduced it to this. Nueva Isebela may be the most well-defended city, the most valuable and the most untouched - but, even so, its suffering is palpable from here. Our reports indicate that the other major cities are in an even worse condition… it is a truly horrifying thought, isn’t it? And yet, they have still made it.” The camera then pans to the shuttle, from which a previously-seen figure steps out: a taller woman in a Solarian Navy dress uniform with long, black hair. She looks to be no older than her mid thirties, but to those familiar with military affairs, her tabs identify her as a Fleet Admiral. More than likely, she is actually in her mid forties or early fifties. To anyone familiar with the Alliance military, that is none other than Ingrid von Varnhagen: Courtois’ protégée and Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup. Waiting for her outside of the shuttle, meanwhile, is a figure that is just as recognisable: an exhausted-looking woman with shoulder-length brown, greying hair, looking to be in her forties, wearing a suit with a plate carrier over it. Behind her is an armed escort of five Colettish soldiers. As the two meet just below the shuttle, they shake hands, and the reporters approach without saying a word. “President, we apologise for being late,” Ingrid says, being the first to drop the handshake and returning to attention, “but the system will be secured in the following days. You have nothing to fear.” The soldiers behind Maribel fidget a bit, as if a colossal weight had just been taken off their shoulders. Their posture remains motionless, but their hands do not, to those that pay particular attention to these details. Everyone in the bay of the transport shuttle and the other officials on the roof stop whatever it is they were doing to look towards the two officials. After a short pause, the President responds – “We understand, and we are happy to rejoin the Alliance once more.” A few smiles and sighs of relief can be seen among the people on the rooftop, as everyone gets back to what they were doing - as if they were waiting for those words to be spoken. Maribel nods, and the two, along with their escorts, move to an elevator and disappear out of sight. The focus then turns back to Céline, who seems overjoyed herself. “Well then, viewers, that’s it for today! We’ll be seeing you for more exclusives in the short future… and glory to the Alliance!” A young, Colettish serviceman can be seen saluting at the camera in the background, a gigantic smile plastered onto his face - and the feed cuts just then. Date: 10/06/2465 The Alliance Navy Push: Carolean Expanse Under Control Once More News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The camera feed opens up to a familiar, blonde Venusian woman in a suit - none other than Céline, sat in some sort of Colettish TV studio. The room looks fairly clean and proper, unexpectedly so considering the fact that the area in question was a war zone until recently. “Good morning, dear viewers,” she says, shuffling together some papers on her desk, “This is your special SANN reporter, Céline Eylenbosch, with a new update on the war situation. Just a few days ago we landed in Nueva Isabela, and today we are beginning to see the fruits of the Navy’s hard work.” The Venusian stands up and taps the back of her hand on the holoboard behind her, which lights up and displays an intricate representation of a space battle line between the Front, the Alliance and the Shield Pact. On this representation, the Alliance has gained a significant amount of land and is inching closer towards San Colette, though the Navy is still quite far away. The Pact is beginning to push out of the system as well, although not very much. “As you can see, the Alliance’s attack is working out quite well. Seventy fleets were mobilised for this operation, making it the biggest Alliance offensive since the Interstellar War. Several major population centres were recaptured today as the Carolean Expanse was brought back under control. We have no information yet on the recovered planets, unfortunately, but early, unconfirmed reports paint a grim picture, with looting, mass killing and acts of terror being reported by the Front occupiers.” She then turns around and pinches on the Nueva Patria system, zooming in all the way. All the planets can be seen, with green checkmarks and Alliance flags over them. “The fighting in the Nueva Patria system has also come to an end. All Front troops in the system have surrendered, been taken prisoner or killed. The last of the fighting ceased yesterday, late in the evening, when one last holdout on D’Anzin finished its resistance. Solarian casualties have been very low so far - reports so far indicate a sum of less than a hundred ground casualties. That is not to say that Solarian presence is gone in the system, however: many units are remaining in San Colette and D’Anzin to carry out relief operations - whether that be rebuilding roads, running rescue operations in cities reduced to rubble or giving a much needed hand to general repairs to space stations, railguns or ships.” Céline then swipes once on the screen to close the display. “All in all, this paints an improving picture! What do you think of the work done so far, viewers? Do you think it will be enough? And do you think the Front will come back? Let us know your thoughts on the situation, and glory to the Alliance! See you in a few days!” She waves her hand at the camera, and then the camera cuts out. Date: 12/06/2465 Exclusive Footage From Inside the SAMV Gunnhildr as it Arrived in Nueva Patria News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens to a nondescript older Solarian man sitting behind a desk, who smiles at the camera as the footage fades in. Habitual viewers of the SANN may recognize this as Reginald “Reg” Fitzpatrick, a Callistean news anchor who specializes in military-related reporting. A proud veteran of the Callistean Marines, Fitzpatrick is perhaps somewhat less impartial than the typical journalist. Fitzpatrick is known for never using a language other than his distinctive Castillean Tradeband, which is distinctively Utgarian rather than the rapid New Valletta accent most associate with the moon. Solarian Common subtitles are provided. “Good evening, viewers!" Fitzpatrick begins, leaning slightly onto his desk. “With the largest Solarian Navy actions since the Interstellar War now underway, we've received many requests to cover our fighting men and women in more depth. Today we bring you a SANN exclusive — a view inside of the Gunnhildr as it warped into Nueva Patria!” At a dramatic snap of Fitzpatrick’s fingers the camera transitions to a view of the inside of a Solarian Navy vessel. The view of the room appears to be captured from a fixed camera upon its wall which can see all of the room aside from a small amount below itself. To somebody familiar with the Solarian Navy this is clearly a fire control room for a larger vessel’s batteries — one of many such rooms in a vessel as large as the Gunnhildr. All around the room Navy enlisted sit at militarized computer consoles, idly chattering with one another. Some appear fairly nervous and a variety of accents can be heard above the idle noise of the ship in transit — Martian, Earther, Plutonian, Callistean, Native Silversunner, and Hai Phongese accents are all discernible to a keen-eared listener. A notably absent accent is the upper-class Lunan, but a likely suspect for having it is visible in the background of the scene: a tall and pale woman clad in the black uniform of a junior Navy officer who is holding one ear shut with her spare hand and holding a wired telephone to her other ear. After a moment she puts the phone down with a loud CHUNK and quickly turns to the room. “GUNNERY THREE,” she yells in Lunan-accented Common, “BRACE FOR WARPSHOCK!” An older enlisted man echos the call, “BRACE FOR WARPSHOCK!” At a moment’s notice everyone in the room scrambles and braces against a variety of objects and hikers down while desperately knocking what few objects remain on top of the consoles to the floor. An alarm begins to sound. The officer, bracing against a terminal, looks down at her watch and looks up to shout again. “FIFTEEN SECONDS TO DEWARP!” “FIFTEEN SECONDS TO DEWARP!” a woman bracing against another computer echos. Five seconds pass as the sailors and their officer brace themselves. At the ten second mark, a monotone feminine voice begins to count down over the room’s speaker. As the voice loudly and monotonically declares “DEWARPING NOW” the room visibly shakes, knocking the officer’s hat to the ground and causing a man next to her to stumble in his crouch and nearly fall over before she and an enlisted man grab onto him. The PA dings twice. “Attention all hands,” a male Lunan says over the intercom, “we are dewarping smoothly. Move to full combat stations.” The officer stands up as enlisted sailors around her rise to their feet “Gunnery three!” she shouts. “Let’s show the thirty-fifth how the First fights!” As men and women around her shout in approval and run to their stations, the tape cuts out and moves back to Fitzpatrick at his desk. “A truly inspiring view of the Navy’s best in action!” Fitzpatrick approvingly pumps his fist at the camera once. “News from across the frontline with the Solarian Restoration Front currently shows the Navy pushing back the secessionists on all fronts and saving our fellow Solarians from the yoke of Frost’s tyranny and corruption! The Sol Alliance News Network will keep you informed of all relevant events in these historic times, and one of our best reporters is on the ground to cover the situation as it develops. For now, however, have a good night and God bless the Alliance! And if you’re in the Northern Reaches, stay safe — the Alliance is coming together once again!” The broadcast fades out. Date: 14/06/2465 Solarian Navy Continues Advance — Fighting Breaks Out in Some Front-Controlled Systems News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens upon, as it has for many months now, the XNS war room and their map of the Northern Reaches. Judging by the map, over the past days the Solarian Alliance’s Navy has made significant progress into the area controlled by the Solarian Restoration Front. Along the main frontline the Navy is nearing Lycoris, the Front’s longstanding headquarters and capital world, and near Nueva Patria the last bastion of the Pact has grown in size. Near it the Navy has begun to push towards New Peoria and Novo Igman, seemingly not content to simply bunker down and await their main force. Novo Igman is marked by a small explosion graphic despite the Navy still being some distance away. Off to the sides of the map, looking much better than they did during their coverage of the invasion of San Colette, are XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. “As you can see by our map,” Deschamps begins as she points her PDA at Novo Igman, causing a small laser dot to appear on it, “the Solarian Navy has pushed the Front back and, as a result, we’ve been able to receive many more communications from areas under their control. Recently it was revealed the Front-occupied Pact world — perhaps ‘the former Pact world’ might be better, as they’ve effectively rejoined the Alliance — has been in open revolt against the Front’s occupation force.” “Right,” Gopal says, “and we’ve heard similar reports from across the Front’s occupied worlds such as Lhokgon and New Peoria. With the arrival of the Solarian Navy it seems the writing for the Front is on the metaphorical wall.” “So it does. What about the League?” “It’s effectively destroyed as a fighting force Delphine, with the vast majority having fled over the border with the Coalition or died fighting against the Front in their last stand at New Atlantica late last week shortly after the Alliance’s intervention. Those who have fled across the border have mostly been detained by the Coalition naval forces stationed there, assuming they didn’t slip through the border undetected. We don’t know how many managed to slip through undetected, but some are concerned we may see a growth in piracy if many did. Particularly piracy along more remote regions of common Konyang-to-Xanu routes.” “Concerning,” Deschamps responds. “To go back to Novo Igman it seems they’ve been fighting for some time. First against the League and now against the Front, with success against both. Reports we’ve received from its Pact government indicate they’ve regained control of several major industrial cities and are currently engaged in urban fighting against the Front in others. Much of this is unconfirmed at this exact moment but if the Navy’s advance towards the planet is any indication, they’re trying to reach it and free it from Front control before waiting for the majority of their fleets to punch through.” “Hopefully we’ll have more information soon.” “Hopefully!” Deschamps nods! “Personally, I'm looking forward to getting photographs from them -- or videos! For now, however, we’ll be back after a short break.” Date: 16/06/2465 Fighting Continues on Novo Igman News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens upon, as it has for many months now, the XNS war room and their map of the Northern Reaches. The Solarian Navy has almost reached Lycoris and will, at their current rate of advance, likely do so by early next week. Their push towards Novo Igman has continued smoothly, and the Solarian Restoration Front remains on the backfoot throughout the Northern Reaches. Delphine Deschamps is the first of the two analysts to speak. “Earlier today the Solarian Governor of Novo Igman succeeded in sending out a message via, surprisingly, Chirper. Here it is,” Deschsmps clicks her PDA and the screen switches to an image of a chirp by Governor Vladan Janković, who is marked as a Solarian official. It reads as follows: Fellow Solarians! I write to you from free Novo Igman, where we are resisting the terror of Frost’s regime! For the past six months our soldiers have fought the fascists and bandits on all sides — in orbit, in our cities, in the forests, in our mountains. We are not defeated and Novo Igman continues to fight! We will secure our Republic from the invaders and have pushed them back to only a few locations! Long live Novo Igman, long live our Alliance! “— and you said you’ve been able to get some video footage, right Ajit?” Gopal nods and taps at his PDA for a moment. “Indeed my team has! What we have is fairly recent and comes from fighting in one of Novo Igman’s major industrial hubs, Velinova. Over the past two months Novo Igman’s militias and Army units have gotten pretty creative with how they’re fighting, which you’ll see shortly once it’s pulled up.” “Two months? That’s a lot longer than San Colette, wouldn’t the Front have bombarded any opposition by that point?” “They would have if they hadn't needed the planet’s industrial infrastructure,” Gopal taps his PDA one last time. “There, we’re ready!” Footage The video feed switches to a view of a mostly-ruined street. The camera is apparently helmet-mounted and is being worn by a man on top of some kind of armored vehicle. What exactly this armored vehicle is is unclear: it’s got a M35A6’s main gun but, following a brief look around by the man, seems to have an open gunnery compartment situated at the back of the vehicle. The gunner compartment is home to a young Solarian man wearing an odd mix of civilian clothes, an Army flak vest, and a construction helmet which has hastily had a Solarian flag painted onto the side; the gun breach itself, and the ammunition “storage” — a small, lowered platform featuring a somewhat dinged and scratched G2 wearing a factory jumpsuit, a flak vest, and a Solarian flag headband who is standing over an ammunition rack which was likely part of an actual tank at some point. As the man looks outwards over the gun it’s clear the entire gunnery compartment is some kind of mounted structure on the back of the vehicle, which features large treads, an armored driver’s compartment covered in metal and sandbags, and a prominent bulldozer blade on the front. This isn’t an armored vehicle at all — it’s a Hephaestus-produced bulldozer which has been turned into an improvised armored vehicle. A flagpole has been welded onto the side of the gunnery compartment and ends outside the camera’s field of view. “Kopile, are you in position?” a radio inside the vehicle squawks. “We are,” the cameraman says into his headset. “Will the Front tank be here soon?” “Looks like it,” the voice responds. “It’s the last one in this section of Velinova. Take it down and we’ve got the factory secured.” “You got it,” the man responds. “Good luck,” the radio replies and goes silent. “Radenko, are you ready?” the cameraman asks, looking over at the younger man. Radenko nods in response. “Yeah, Professor Kostić. I’m ready!” “Good. Slavka?” “Ready, Professor!” a female voice responds over the radio — presumably the driver. “Good. Big Man?” “Ready and operational,” the G2 responds in a monotone Konyanger-esq accent. “Good, good,” Kostić says, “a few months ago you were engineering students — or a factory synthetic, Big Man — but now, we’re going to take back our home.” “Yeah!” Slavka responds over the radio. “The Frosties messed with the wrong damn planet, Doc!” The vehicle goes silent as clanking is heard in the distance. Radenko crouches down to his gun sight (itself positioned right above the main gun) and Kostić pulls out a set of binoculars, looking out and into the street. After a few tense moments a M35A2 — a very dated tank replaced first by the M35A4 and then by the M35A6 — flying the Front’s flag rolls into view, totally aware of Kopile. “FIRE!” Kostić shouts. “FIRING, GET CLEAR!” Radenko leans back from the gun and pulls a string as he and Kostić cover their ears. With a resounding KABOOM the main gun fires, causing debris, dust, and dirt to kick up across the street. The sheer force throws the Kopile back slightly despite its weight as the entire bulldozer shakes. A second after the gun fires the Front tank explodes in a dramatic fireball, then grinds to a halt. The Kopile’s crew screams in triumph as Big Man loads another shell into the now-stationary cannon. At this point the tape cuts out and switches back to the war room. “With the Solarian Navy rapidly approaching Novo Igman and Lycoris, the Xanu News Service will continue to keep its viewers updated regarding the latest events in the Northern Reaches. For now, have a good night – and stay tuned!” Date: 18/06/2465 Fighting Concludes on Novo Igman News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens onto the XNS war room. Over the past two days the Solarian Navy has advanced even further and has taken back Novo Igman. They have reached Lycoris and appear to be actively engaged in and around the system. Off to either side of the screen are Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. Gopal is the first to speak. “Earlier today forces of Novo Igman’s Solarian government announced they had driven out the last of the Front’s forces from its major population centers, and had regained control of the planet in its entirety, with the Navy moving in shortly after this. One of the most popular images from this liberation is the following image.” Gopal clicks his PDA as the screen beside him switches from a map to a photograph of two individuals shaking hands in a conference room. The first, an older man clad in a suit with a bulletproof vest over his torso, is clearly Governor Vladan Janković — the last official Solarian governor of Novo Igman prior to the Solarian Civil War. The other individual, a tall and pale woman in an Admiral’s uniform with an oak leaf on the side of her peaked cap, is clearly Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg — commander of the First Battlegroup and a major figure behind the Navy’s effort in the intervention. The photo is captioned with the following Solarian Common writing: FIRST BATTLEGROUP MEETS NOVO IGMAN LIBERATORS — OFFICIALLY WELCOMES GOVERNMENT BACK TO ALLIANCE! “It’s impressive they managed to defeat the Front’s occupying forces without any outside help,” Deschsmps says as she looks at the photo. “Do you have the second photograph?” “I do, yes,” Gopal clicks at his PDA again. “It should be on the screen in a moment.” The screen switches to a photograph — likely taken from a video — of the Kopile, odd construction now fully visible, smashing through a gate while the crew in the back cheers, throwing their fists into the air. The gate has the Front’s flag upon it and is in the process of being messily removed by the Kopile’s bulldozer blade. Interestingly the crew appears to have painted an eye on either side of the gun, creating an odd image where the gun itself is the “nose” of the face. The image is labeled “Improvised Novo Igman SDF vehicle breaks through Front barrier, 19.06.2465.” “Interesting,” Deschamps responds. “With Novo Igman secured by the Alliance this places the Front on an awkward footing. Most of their remaining forces are almost certainly at Lycoris or near New Atlantica, where they were previously fighting against the League. Without most of their holdings near San Colette and Nueva Patria now threatened, this is likely the end of the Front as an effective force.” “Good riddance,” Gopal responds. Deschamps nods in response. “Well said, Ajit. I can’t imagine Lycoris standing for much longer as most reports seem to place the Solarian Navy at its outskirts. Once we have more information we’ll be certain to update you. For now, however, take care and have a good night!” Date: 20/06/2465 BREAKING NEWS: LYCORIS FALLS, NAVY REPORTS “SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT” NEARLY DEFEATED News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens onto a Solarian woman sitting behind a desk. She is taller and appears to be in her early middle age judging by the presence of gray hairs near her ears. The pallid complexion of her skin indicates she is almost certainly Lunan and longtime viewers of the SANN will recognize her as Elisabeth von Nostitz — a veteran journalist with the SANN and daughter of a prominent Lunan family with deep connections to the Solarian Navy. She is, according to some rumors, the second (or third) cousin of the First Battlegroup’s Fleet Admiral: Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg. “Good evening,” von Nostitz begins. “We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you an important update from the Northern Wildlands: as of today, the government of Lycoris has officially surrendered to representatives of the Solarian Armed Forces and has been placed under the control of a provisional military governor who will rule it for the foreseeable future. From Lycoris the Solarian Army has sent us the following video.” Footage At a gesture from von Nostitz the camera’s view switches to a partially-ruined public square on Lycoris, seemingly outside of a government building. Unlike some of the helmet camera footage of the XNS this appears to have been captured from a fixed camera upon a tripod — potentially an Army or SANN film crew. A Front ensign flies from a flagpole surrounded by Solarian Army troops — some wearing the distinctive boonie hats of the 12th Silversunner — and an officer with a gray mustache wearing a distinctive kepi. To a view of the XNS this is very clearly Lieutenant Colonel Hale Kaohi, formerly of the Colettish volunteers and now once again in the Solarian Army. Any doubt it is Kaohi is broken when he speaks. “Bring it down!” Kaohi shouts. At Kaohi’s shout a Silversunner yanks the Front’s flag down the pole harshly and brings it to ground level. Once it is at grabbing height the trooper reaches up to it and grabs onto it, then pulls out a bayonet and cuts the Front flag off of the pole’s rope. Holding it in her hand the soldier throws the flag onto the ground and crushes it into the ground with her boot. Several soldiers in the crowd, including Kaohi, shout approvingly. “Hoist the colors!” Kaohi shouts. At Kaohi’s orders the soldiers come to attention as another Silversunner soldier, this one carrying a Solarian flag, walks to the flagpole alongside two other soldiers, one from the 37th Martian and another from the 1st Earther — a touching display of Solarian unity which certainly cannot be coincidental. The trio reaches the flagpole and gently unpacks it before attaching it to the flagpole and hoisting it as somebody plays the Solarian anthem on a trumpet in the crowd of collected Army troops. The flag is simply a Solarian Alliance flag. It has no canton and belongs to no specific planet. It is the flag of the Alliance — the entire Alliance. As the flag reaches the top of the pole the trio who have hoisted it, and the collected Army troops, stand to salute it. While some of this is likely staged, the simple fact of the Solarian flag being raised over Lycoris makes this an historic day. For three years the Northern Wildlands have been ruled by anarchy and murder, divided between bandits and fascists with innocents caught in the middle. The Solarian Alliance’s flag flying over Lycoris — the heartland of the SRF — does not mean the fighting is over, but it does mean this chapter of the Alliance’s history is coming to a close. It is, it seems, nearly over at long last. The footage finishes and transitions back to von Nostitz in her newsroom. The Lunan clicks something on her desk which causes the screen behind her to switch to an image of the Northern Reaches where the major locations are labeled in both Tradeband and Solarian Common. Navy forces have effectively seized control of much of the Front’s former territory, and are nearly linked up with the 1st Battlegroup force in Nueva Patria. The First, not ones to sit idle, have taken back Lhokgon from the Front and have undisputed control over Novo Igman’s surroundings. “As you can see,” von Nostitz points to the map behind her, “Navy forces are currently routing the Front across the Northern Reaches. The fall of Lycoris is both a major defeat for the Front and a significant success for our armed forces. Notably Thomas Wilks, the last governor of Lycoris prior to the Collapse, has been captured by the Army while attempting to disguise himself as a civilian. Other Front officials have been similarly captured by the Army and Navy. Minister Courtois has announced Wilks and other individuals will be held by the Department of Justice until tribunals can be held for their actions." von Nostitz clicks her desk again and the screen behind her switches to a middle-aged man in a factory worker’s jumpsuit with his hands cuffed behind his back. Two individuals — one a Solarian Interstellar Security Agency agent complete with suit, badge, and bulletproof vest; the other a soldier of the 37th Martian — are holding onto either arm. The SISA agent, a serious-looking man, is holding a card in front of the man which labels him as WILKS, THOMAS. The soldier is looking at the camera with a massive grin on her face. “That concludes this special broadcast of the Sol Alliance News Network. Have a good night.” Date: 23/06/2465 The Colettish Documentaries: Episode 1 News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens up to the same makeshift studio as last time - except now with a wooden desk and two wooden chairs, one on each side: an impromptu interviewing room of sorts. Céline is sat on one chair, with the holoscreen behind her, and a Colettish man - no older than his early twenties - is sat on the other. He is wearing a Civil Guard BMT and a plate carrier, although with no weapons or ammunition on him. Céline turns to the camera and introduces her show while the guest fiddles with his hands for a bit. “Welcome, dear viewers, to the first installment of the Colettish Documentaries! Or the C-Ds, if you’d like - very retro of an acronym, that! In this series, we will interview various people who represent the struggle of San Colette against the Front: those who have fought at the frontline and those who have supported the fight from the back alike.” Turning to her guests, she then asks, “Now, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?” Perking up as if he was told that he just won a million credits, the soldier smiles and begins a heartfelt introduction, although with a little awkwardness in his voice. “I’m Alejandro [last name beeped out for privacy reasons], ma’am. Twenty one years old. I wasn’t actually in the Civil Guard - or, well, I didn’t want to be– uh, no, that’s not the right way to put it… it’s more like it’s not where I wanted to end up.” “You had other plans for your life, then,” Céline says, although it looks like she’s trying to correct him more than anything. “Uhm, yes,” Lopez is caught a little off guard, but then continues, “I wanted to be a doctor. I was in my third year of university when they attacked, and I studied right here in Nueva Isabela, at [location bleeped out], so - pretty close to the city centre.” “Did you sign up for the Guard, or were you drafted?” “Since I was in university, I didn’t get drafted, no,” Lopez continues, “But it was the talk of the month there. Everyone was a little scared deep inside, I think, even if Coletters are known for their bravado in the Inner Ring,” he lets out a short chuckle before continuing, “I wasn’t the only one to enlist, but I was in the minority among the people I knew. Nobody called me crazy, though - they just told me to come back in one piece. My girlfriend was the only one who tried to stop me, but…” "But?” Céline tries to incite a response. “...It felt like I had to be there. Like I’d hate myself if I didn’t sign up. Like I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. Everyone knew this was going to happen eventually, so we all had time to come to terms with it, but when you do that, you end up with a lot of pent up anger that you don’t know how to manage. Because carrying on living while knowing that one day your home will be invaded and you might die isn’t easy. A lot of us coped with it by trying to help, however we could. Both for our loved ones, and for ourselves.” “That’s a heavy topic,” Céline says, the sparkle in her eyes signaling that she’d caught onto something quite interesting to her. “What was the lead-up to the invasion like? How did everyone feel? Was it scary?” “Scary? Well… when we were cut off from the Alliance, it was scary. Back then, people didn’t even know if we’d have been able to import food from the Gate. We were mainly worried about our jobs and university, though, since it was mostly news anchors and politicians talking about how the economy was, well, screwed – uh, is that going to be censored?” Céline shakes her head. “Okay, good. I know a few Lunans and some Venusians here on a student exchange program. They essentially got stuck when the Alliance collapsed and it was miserable for them. They couldn’t even contact their parents for a while, and for them it must’ve been even worse - being unable to hear about your children when your nation’s falling apart,” he pauses, as if to let that hang in the air for a while, “They continued their studies while they could, but it was obvious they weren’t fully there. Like half of their mind was concentrated on accepting the fact that they couldn’t leave.” “But, at this point, it was only like losing the train home and being unable to get it back. We didn’t know that the Front and League would form yet. Once we did know, though, everyone’s hearts collectively sunk. I remember people being visibly depressed for a bit. The streets were empty, the stores got practically ransacked by people trying to stock up for an invasion - but, after a month or two, it was back to normality. We Coletters rationalised it by that point, and we did it by accepting that we wouldn’t let our home fall.” “That sounds like a terrible few years!” Céline exclaims, clearly sounding genuinely concerned. “What was the general opinion on the Alliance at that point?” Alejandro chuckles, then simply replies, “Factually, mixed. In reality, everyone clung on to the hope that the Alliance would come back. Considering the situation, it was a delusion… but delusions come true sometimes, ey? That said, there isn’t a single Coletter who isn’t glad to be back. We also survived because of you all.” “Don’t thank me, thank our armed forces,” Céline says with a laugh of her own. Sorting the papers in her hands for effect, she looks to the camera and says, “That’ll be all for this interview. Stay tuned for our next special guests. Goodbye, dear viewers!” Alejandro smiles does a two-fingered salute to the camera as well, and then the feed cuts off. Date: 28/06/2465 Solarian Navy Continues Advance into Northern Reaches as Solarian Restoration Front Collapses News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : MattAtlas The camera opens onto a view of the XNS war room, staffed by Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. Between them is their map of the Northern Reaches which shows the Solarian Navy’s advance into the sector. The Navy has made significant gains over the past few days following the collapse of Lycoris and has taken back New Peoria, the last of the major Pact worlds occupied by the Front, and the main offensive push has made contact with the 1st Battlegroup in Nueva Patria. The Navy has surged towards the Coalition border and is nearing New Atlantica, the former stronghold of the Anti-Corporate League. Deschamps is the first to speak. “Over the weekend the Solarian Navy has made significant gains against the Solarian Restoration Front and has effectively destroyed the majority of the Front’s strength in two decisive engagements at Nueva Patria and in Lycoris. Only scattered rearguard forces of the Front which it left behind to finish off the League are estimated to be capable of mounting serious resistance, and information about these forces has been rare and difficult to verify. Some appear to be willing to fight to the lady vessel, while others are surrendering to the Navy without a fight.” “Right, right,” Gopal taps at his PDA. “We have this photograph from the 1st Battlegroup’s meeting with the Alliance’s main offensive. It should be on our screen now.” The screen between the two analysts switches to a photograph of two Solarian Navy admirals, both clearly Lunan by their tall heights and pallid complexions. One is clearly Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg of the 1st Battlegroup and the second is an equally tall man in an identical uniform, and is unlabeled. An individual familiar with the Solarian Navy may recognize this as Fleet Admiral Gerhard von Erlanger, commander of the 2nd Battlegroup. The two Fleet Admirals are shaking hands in what appears to be the bridge of a naval vessel and are surrounded by a small group of Navy officers and adjutants, almost all with the same pallid complexions and tall, thin builds typical of Luna’s upper classes. Everyone in the photo appears to be quite happy, and the copyright watermark of the Sol Alliance News Network is faintly visible in the corner. “This photo was taken by Céline Eylenbosch of the Sol Alliance News Network and shows the meeting of Fleet Admirals von,” Gopal pauses for a moment and looks down at his PDA, seemingly a bit surprised by the lengthy surnames he has been confronted with. “Varnhagen und Langenburg and von Erlanger.” “Very Lunan, aren’t they?” Deschamps interjects. “Very Lunan, Delphine. This shows the two fleet admirals meeting on the bridge of the Gunnhildr near Nueva Patria in celebration of the First Battlegroup and main Navy force meeting. This is from yesterday and they’ve only pushed further into the sector since.” “How long will it be until they reach the border?” “Less than a week, potentially. This will be the first time the Alliance has shared a border with the Coalition since 2462! It has caused some concern in the wider Coalition and we have seen the Konyang Armed Forces raise their readiness level, but we haven’t been able to speak to one of their representatives yet.” “What about Gadpathur?” “Nothing yet,” Gopal replies. “They’ve stationed combat forces near Konyang like all other Coalition member-states aside from Assunzione, which has only sent humanitarian vessels due to its longstanding policy of non-violence.” “Hopefully we can speak to somebody from the K-A-F soon,” Deschamps replies. “Hopefully! For now, however, we’ll be back soon!” The broadcast fades out as the two analysts wave at the camera. The ad, somewhat alarmingly, is for a Xanu-produced emergency generator. Date: 25/06/2465 The Final Volunteer Tape News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens on Liao Qi, looking better than he did during his last appearance, sitting in a chair in a fairly nondescript room. His bulletproof vest has been traded for a dress shirt and he looks much like he did when he first arrived in San Colette so many months ago. “With the end of fighting on San Colette itself,” Qi begins, “we wanted to return to the volunteers we spoke with earlier to see their experiences of the battle. Without further ado, here they are in their own words.” The camera flicks from Qi to Alexis Watts, the first volunteer formally interviewed by the XNS. She’s in the same room, and chair, as Qi is in and looks much the same as she did before but appears less tired. Her hair, however, is still as messy as ever. “So,” Watts begins. “You wanted my take on all this?” “Yes, along with your experiences.” “Sure, sure! Well, it was hard. Not a pleasant fight, but the Coletters were good — really good! My guys got stationed outside of the capital, yeah? ‘cause it was pretty clear the Front was gotta try and f—," Watts pauses and looks at the camera, "—screw it up. Sorry.” “It’s fine.” “It was a lot hotter than Mars, back in ‘62. Most of the guys we fought there gave up ‘cause they didn’t wanna starve to death, or get blasted by the Navy. Now we were the ones worried about getting hit by the big guns. Woulda gotten hit if Cynthia wasn’t so on the ball with calling out interceptions.” “How has the intervention been viewed by your fellow volunteers?” “Most are pretty happy. Cynthia probably took it the worst but she’s a Biesel citizen so she’s fine, long as she and I stick together. Forsythe bit it so he couldn’t say much. But that’s just the way war is. Sometimes people get killed.” As Watts sighs the perspective switches to Cynthia in the same chair, now featuring moderate damage to the synthskin on one side of her face which has been hastily covered by a bandage. She is looking at the camera with a somewhat quizzical expression. “You have asked me a curious question, Mister Qi. Was it worth it?” Cynthia pauses, singular visible eye keeping its focus on the camera. “I suppose it was.” “Why is that?” “If we had not fought, it would have been far worse. I would gladly trade my right optic once again for us to fight back against the man who invaded Biesel and sold free synthetics.” “What will you do now that the first battalion has been demobilized?” “I can’t integrate back into the Solarian Army like the second battalion has done, so I shall return to Biesel to see Legate Forsythe off to his final resting place. After that, I suppose the Coalition is my next home. I have had enough of war and corporations. Perhaps I shall simply wander." The camera switches to Branka Burić, the Dominian sharpshooter, in the chair. She is completely uninjured. “I intend to return to Novi Jadran as, Goddess as my witness, my duties here are done. The Alliance is no place for me — it is too focused on the material and pays little attention to spiritual matters. As for what I shall do when I return? I shall not say to a Coalitioner, and a heathen.” The camera switches to Khaliq Akhtar in the same chair as all other interviewees. Akhtar has a bandage around his forehead and more bandages on his left arm, but is otherwise uninjured. A cigarette is idly burning in his right hand, and the mercenary exhales smoke upwards before speaking. “This was nothing compared to Bursa. The Alliance should be glad it was only fanatical humans rather than bugs. The bugs fight on a different level than the Front does,” Akhtar lazily flicks his cigarette offscreen. “But it wasn’t pleasant.” “What was it like on D’Anzin and where will you go now?” “Back to Elyra once the Alliance is done interrogating us. D’Anzin was too cold even before it was too phoron-tainted for my taste. I don’t think I’ll be back.” The camera switches back to Qi in the same room, holding some papers in his hands. The sandbags and tarps which covered it days ago are gone and one window, though cracked badly, is letting in the light of a Colettish summer day. Qi clears his throat and begins speaking. “We were unable to reach Hale Kaohi or Willerich Kozak for follow-up interviews as Kaohi has rejoined the Solarian Army and Kozak has not been seen since his headquarters was hit by Front artillery. With the end of the Front invasion of San Colette much of the fighting has been taken over by regular Solarian forces and the volunteer formations appear to be effectively dissolved. But what they fought for — the defeat of the Front — seems to be closer to reality than any of them imagined. For now that’s all we have. I’m Liao Qi, reporting to you from the Solarian Alliance." Date: 30/06/2465 XNS Exclusive: Konyang Armed Forces Respond to Solarian Navy Reaching Coalition Border News Article Publisher : Xanusii News Service Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens onto Mariska van den Soeterik behind her desk, with a map of the Northern Reaches behind her. The space formerly occupied by the Front, League, and Pact has been replaced with a light, almost white blue signifying Solarian control of the region. All the dots on the map - Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal’s method of tracking the major worlds of the sector — have small Solarian flags above them. Opposed, and now directly sharing a border with the Alliance, is a region with a dot and Konyang’s flag above it. “Good evening, and welcome to the Xanu News Service. As always I am your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top headline is a concerning one for many citizens of the Coalition: after three years of unrest and warfare within the Northern Reaches forces of the Solarian Alliance have once again reached the Coalition’s border, and naval patrols have reported sighting Solarian Navy vessels for the first time since Konyang joined the Coalition. We go now to a special guest, Commander Mi-Hi Gim of the Konyang Armed Forces and former military liaison to the Coalition Special Committee.” The view of van den Soeterik splits as her portrait moves to the left and another woman appears on the right side of the screen. This woman, identifies as “Commander Mi-Hi Gim, KAF” under her portrait is a typical Konyanger but displays some odd characteristics which mark her as a synthetic such as softly glowing eyes and somewhat orange — unusual for any Konyanger — glossy hair. Gim’s face is mostly expressionless and she is clad in the uniform of a KAF flag officer, sans hat. The synthetic woman politely smiles at the camera as she comes into focus. “I am pleased to represent Konyang on the XNS,” Gim replies, “and I will answer your question to the best of my ability. Any personal opinions are my own and do not represent Konyang or its armed forces.” “Of course. Commander Gim, many in the Coalition are nervous about the Alliance being at our border once again. What would you say to these concerns?” “They’re understandable but ultimately we see no risk of conflict with the Solarian government as it now stands.” “Why is that?” “The Northern Reaches, which were recently reclaimed by the Alliance, have been badly damaged by the Solarian Civil War. The infrastructure to support a large-scale conflict with the Coalition simply isn’t there, and we have far more ships at our disposal than the now-defeated warlord states had due to the presence of Coalition forces at the border. Any conflict would be inadvisable for both us and the Alliance.” “Has there been talk of conflict with the Alliance?” “There is always talk, Mariska,” Gim nods. “But action is a much different prospect, and cooler heads have consistently prevailed on our side.” “And on the Alliance’s side?” “I cannot discuss how we know this, but it appears to be the same. Nobody wants to fire the first shot of the Second Interstellar War.” “Right. As a Konyanger, are you concerned about your planet’s position on the border?” “Konyang’s position on the border with the Northern Reaches has always been a matter of strategic concern for the KAF. We have contingency plans in place to handle any situation which may arise.” “As a synthetic human, do you have any personal concerns regarding the Alliance?” Gim pauses a moment, apparently considering her words, before she responds to Mariska. “A good question, Mariska. I am, as a person, understandably opposed to the Alliance’s treatment of my fellow positronic synthetics. It is my responsibility as a member of the KAF to ensure the Alliance cannot subject any Konyanger — synthetic or organic — to such cruelty.” “Commander Gim, thank you for your time!” “Thank you for having me,” Gim smiles as her feed cuts, transitioning the camera’s view to simply van den Soeterik in her newsroom. “That’s all we have for tonight. The Xanu News Service will continue to report on this situation as it develops. For now, have a good night and take care!” van den Soeterik waves politely at the camera as its feed fades out. Date: 03/06/2465 PEACE AT LAST! — Government Declares End of Major Operations in the Northern Reaches News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens upon a conference room featuring an empty podium with a Solarian flag behind it and what appear to be Colettish and Solarian Navy flags to its sides. Beside these flags are those of almost every Solarian Northern Reaches world with two notable exceptions: Konyang, defected to the Coalition in 2462, and Lycoris, heartland of the Solarian Restoration Front. To the left is an unassuming wooden door guarded by two individuals: one a Navy marine, the other an officer of the Colettish Civil Guard. At an unseen signal both open one side of the door as Minister of Defense Lucien Courtois walks out from it, accompanied by a Navy officer and a man in a business suit with a Solarian flag lapel. The trio walk to the podium and Courtois stands behind it, looking at the crowd. After a moment, he speaks. “As of eighteen-hundred galactic standard time, I am proud to announce the end of large-scale offensive operations against secessionist forces in the Northern Reaches following the surrender of their last stronghold, New Atlantica. Courtois pauses for a minute as the assembled crowd bursts into applause and cheers. A small smile escapes his otherwise serious expression as the applause dies down and he begins speaking again. “With the end of major combat operations most elements of the Solarian Armed Forces engaged in the region will remain for temporary peacekeeping and patrol operations related to remnants of the secessionist forces in the region which have refused to surrender. Control over the Northern Reaches outside of Lycoris will be transferred to civilian authorities, and a special zone known as the Northern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate will be created to assist in the rebuilding of the region. We will build a better Alliance for our people, and ensure a civil war never happens again. Courtois pauses for a moment as he is once again drowned out by applause and cheers. “Thank you. I yield the stand to Attorney General Henri Fontenot of the Department of Justice, who has an announcement related to the Northern Reaches.” Cortois steps back and allows the suit-wearing man to take the podium. Fontenot is a tall, thin man who appears to be in his early middle age — his late 50s, for one with access to the advanced medical care of the 2400s. He has a small, well-kept mustache and speaks with a notable Earther accent. “I thank you, Minister Courtois,” Fontenot clears his throat and continues. “For nearly three years our great nation has been made to look on as so-called ‘warlords’ made a mockery of our laws, our treaties, and our good government. The treaties which founded our nation hold all of humanity as equal under the law, and granted certain unalienable rights. The ‘Restoration,” Fontenot grimaces as he says the word, “Front has consistently and grotesquely violated these rights all Solarians are entitled to. Fontenot pauses for a moment, looking at the crowd. “By the power vested in me as our Alliance’s attorney general, I declare that we shall try all who have violated the human rights of the Solarian people in the Northern Reaches. Justice will be provided to those who have been wronged, and those who have broken our laws will be punished.” The crowd once again erupts into applause as Fontenot steps away from the podium. He and Courtois hold a brief, whispered conversation as the Navy officer — a middle-aged Hai Phongese man — steps up to the podium. “That concludes this press briefing. Thank you for coming — unfortunately, we cannot accept questions at this time. As the trio moves to exit the room the sound of camera shutters snapping and reporters murmuring, of still attempting to ask questions, becomes nearly deafening. The broadcast shortly cuts and moves to a commercial break. Date: 14/07/2465 Finale Alliance Celebrates Victory in the Northern Wildlands – Provisional Government Announces Mandate Governors! News Article Publisher : Sol Alliance News Network Writer : NewOriginalSchwann The camera opens onto a crowd waving three flags – Callisto’s, San Colette’s, and the Alliance’s – while cheering and hoisting a man wearing the black uniform of a Solarian Navy officer into the air. The man throws his hat into the sky as a Lunan-accented male begins to speak as a voiceover. “This Monday brings an apparent end to a weekend of celebration across the Alliance with the end of major combat operations in the Northern Reaches, and the announcement of reconstruction in the war-torn region. The camera switches to a view of the Hai Phongese skyline, where fireworks are visible exploding in the air even through its omnipresent smog and dust. A crowd of Hai Phongers watches and observes from a balcony, cheering through their respirators and chanting Solarian slogans. It switches again, now showing a celebration on Silversun where fireworks are exploding in the night sky above a pristine white sand beach. Another camera shot shows a Plutonian street with a red banner reading “GLORY TO THE VICTORY OF THE ALLIANCE OVER FASCISM!” strung across it, from one apartment building to another. “All across our Alliance,” a Lunan-accented man narrates, “the end of the conflict has been celebrated – in many cases, for multiple days – as the end of three years of civil war. The switches to a shot of a large screen in the Susuhe District of Binyaria on Venus which is being watched by a crowd of people. As the announcement of the intervention’s end, and victory, comes into the screen a roaring cheer goes through the crowd, which begins to chant “SOL! SOL! SOL!” over and over. The chanting is quickly drowned out as the camera switches to a scene in Harmony City, Luna, where a Navy officer of the First Battlegroup is greeted by her parents as she returns home. While more demure than Venus, it is still a celebration. “From Venus to Visegrad,” the camera switches to a shot of the Freiheit Tower on Visegrad, which has had a massive Solarian flag projected onto it with “VICTORY OVER ANARCHY!” printed on it, “the Alliance will doubtlessly soon be truly unified once again, and stronger than ever before. We will rise from the defeat of ‘62. The camera switches to a celebration in Korormansk Station, Europa. Lacking a way to set off fireworks the Europans are instead laughing, singing, and dancing with sparklers in their hands as a man plays the Alliance’s anthem on an accordion. Another switch brings the camera to Unified Kunlun, Mars, where a woman with messy blonde hair who is holding a Colettish flag covered in signatures for the camera as she stands alongside a few other soldiers. The camera switches again to Earth, where a statue of a pre-Interstellar War soldier has been adorned with a banner stating the following: 600 YEARS AND COUNTING OF WINNING CIVIL WARS IN ‘65! “Even outside our borders, Solarians celebrate.” The camera switches first to Konyang, where a small pro-Alliance crowd is demonstrating and waving flags in Boryeong. The number of police and counter-protestors seems to greatly outnumber the protestors. It then switches to a public square in Hang Tuah’s Rest, a planet in the Biesel-controlled Corporate Reconstruction Zone, where a crowd is waving flags and chanting anti-Biesel slogans. Then, to a press room on Unity Station featuring Hendrik Strom, emergency governor of the Sol System. The crowd, fitting Strom’s populist style, is filled with both journalists and everyday Solarians. Behind Strom lies a line of flags featuring every Solarian member-state aside from Lycoris. Two individuals stand behind him — one a high-ranking female Navy officer AND the other a man in a suit with a Colettish flag pin on the lapel. “My fellow Solarians,” Strom begins. “For three long years, we have suffered. We have watched our Alliance be picked at by vultures who claim to have its best interests in mind. Today we have watched our Alliance say: no more! No more shall we have to grieve for our fellow Solarians suffering under the rule of despots, maniacs, and warlords. No more shall we have to sleep with one eye open, ever concerned about the Civil War escalating. Today, we declare victory over anarchy!” Strom pauses for a moment to let the crowd cheer. “Today, we announce the creation of the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate and leaders for both Mandates! Without further delay, I am pleased to announce Geraldo de los Reyes as the Governor of the Northern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate!” As the crowd cheers again, de los Reyes steps up to the podium and waves at the assembled crowd with both hands. “Thank you, thank you!” he shouts as the noise dies down. “In our darkest days in San Colette, we never lost our faith in both God and the Alliance. I am honored to accept the nomination of both Governor Strom and Colettish President Maribel Sarmiento for the position of Governor. I shall strive in all I do to build a better, more just Alliance for both our future and for those who have their lives protecting it.” The crowd claps for de los Reyes as camera shutters snap and he steps away from the podium. Strom returns to it. “Governor Reyes has my full confidence, and that of the Solarian government. Choosing the governor of the Southern Reaches was a difficult prospect, my fellow Solarians. The region has been ravaged by war, by banditry, and by the interference of Biesel. But one woman has been able to keep most of the region stable, against all odds. It is my honor to announce that Fleet Admiral Klaudia Szalai shall serve as the Southern Reaches’ provisional governor until the region is further stabilized!” As Strom steps back from the podium the crowd cheers and Szalai steps forward. She shortly begins speaking. “Thank you, Governor Strom. For the past three years the First Middle Ring Battlegroup, alongside Sixth Middle Ring Battlegroup, have fought to preserve our Alliance in the face of unrelenting attacks from traitors and those who would sell our country to the wealthiest corporate interest. We have beaten back every effort, and are honored to rejoin the Alliance.” Szalai receives a notably louder cheer than Reyes as she steps back from the podium. As Strom steps forward to it, he clearly looks very pleased with something. “My fellow Solarians, we have one last announcement for our nation,” Strom pauses, perhaps for dramatic effect. “First, I am pleased to announce July 17 as a new national holiday: the Day of Reunification. Officially, it will be formally celebrated next Monday for this year. Furthermore, with the end of our Civil War, the provisional government has reconsidered certain aspects of our government. I am both honored and privileged to announce that, starting on the first of September, 2465, we will once again hold free and fair elections. May the best candidate win, and long live the Alliance!” Strom throws his hand into the air, both doing V for victory signs, as the crowd practically explodes into cheering. This is an historic day. Date: 17/07/2465