After a series of skirmishes between independent pilots and pirates, as well as the drawn out battle against the Sobek Boys, 78 Ursae Majoris was facing a security threat in the run-up to Federal President Jasmina Halsey’s planned visit. News of the catastrophic accident that is believed to have consumed Starship One, and taken the President’s life, has been spreading through the galaxy, but 78 Ursae Majoris has now been secured.

The system saw a huge influx of independent pilots as Andrew Bailey, Mayor of Townshend Hub and local leader of the Alioth Independents, declared the security and military campaign. Independent pilots were tasked with eradicating criminal elements in and around Alliance territory, along with being enlisted in a military campaign against the Sobek Boys, a criminal syndicate operating from the Sobek system. There was a lull in fighting the Sobek Boys however, as the objective took a few days to actually reach a completion mark. Some might think there might be more behind as to why this objective wasn't touched in the starting days. Ivan Shevchenko, a known mercenary and fighter pilot, has given us his opinion on the matter:

"There is a large difference between fighting traditional asteroid belt pirates, and a well organized militia force. And that isn't something I say lightly, having been in the conflict areas. The Sobek Boys' ships were well armed and heavily reinforced. A whole gang of pirates running around with that kind of gear is bad for any system or region of space. But that could also be the reason as to why nobody was really wanting to fight them. Nobody wants to be tangled up against that kind of firepower, even I don't and I own one of the best bounty hunting vessels you can get. On the other hand, independent pilots could've also been distracted by the other directive Mayor Bailey put out to stopping pirate activity. At the same time though I have to say, who knows. I suppose in the end though, all of us who helped put a stop to the Sobek Boys and pirate activities in and around 78 Ursae Majoris did a very good thing for the Alliance and its members."

- CMDR Shevchenko

It has now been 5 days since Starship One lost contact, and the search and rescue teams have yet to find any trace of the missing ship or her crew.

According to Lieutenant Barringer of the Federal Transport Safety Administration:

“Starship One’s disappearance appears to have been caused by a major malfunction in the Frame Shift Drive’s safety systems. It looks like there was a major power surge, followed by four separate system failures in quick succession according to the data we have, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. We do not believe this explosion would have been survivable by anyone on board.”

“The FTSA has seen each of these failures in commercial and military hyperdrives in the last few years, but each one has resulted in the drive shutting down and the ship failing to enter hyperspace.

“There are strong similarities with the loss of the Highliner Antares in 3251, but since then we have many more safety systems designed to prevent such failures. At the moment it looks like this was a terribly unlucky tragic accident. We have not found any evidence of tampering, and all the systems passed their automated pre-flight checks.”

“Our condolences go out to the loved ones of those lost.”

Shadow President Zachary Hudson has continued his criticism of Halsey’s administration, finally moving to the feared vote of no confidence. In his address to Congress, Shadow President Hudson has made it clear the situation needs a resolution.

“These are uncertain times and, with no disrespect to Jasmina’s memory, we need to put an end to this weak administration and bring our beloved Federation back on track. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of wallowing in this state of horrendous disarray for even a moment longer.”

“Had Jasmina returned, it would have made no difference. She was away trying to raise support from the frontier as she knew this vote of no confidence was coming. I call for it now. Let’s get it out of the way and move on, here on Mars and throughout the Federation.”

“We are not some Imperial dynasty. We do not allow the whims of our dead to dictate terms to the living.”

“As such, in her absence, and without any ill intent towards Secretary Winters, I am issuing a call for a vote of no confidence against the current administration.”

Shadow President Hudson today called an Emergency Session of Congress to address concerns surrounding Starship One’s disappearance.

During the meeting, the Shadow President openly mocked the idea that Starship One’s disappearance could have been caused by simple engine failure.

“Jasmina and I weren’t close – heck, we hated each other, and that’s the truth of it. But the idea, the very notion, that our best and brightest out there on Starship One would have let that bird fly with a busted engine... No way. Those guys are military. We need to be looking for who did it. We need to nail them NOW. The assassin is busy covering their tracks while we speak. This dithering inaction and woolly thinking is typical of this administration. Let’s face it Halsey had enough enemies like those onionhead guys, numerous frontier systems she has annoyed, and the elephant in the room – the Empire.”

Acting President Winters took a more levelled approach.

“I appreciate the sheer gamut of emotions my esteemed colleague must be feeling, but at times like these, level heads must prevail. We have found no evidence of foul play as yet. Our engineers are sifting through copious amounts of data and so far it does look like a very unusual catastrophic failure rather than sabotage.”

At a press conference held earlier today, Acting Federal President Felicia Winters made a personal appearance to address the rdisappearance of Starship One after failing to re-enter normal space following a routine hyperspace jump.

“The disappearance of Starship One has us all on edge. Tensions are high, and the rumour mills are making all their usual noise about terrorists, aliens, conspiracies and cover-ups. I’m afraid the truth will likely get you all far fewer viewers, but it is the truth that the people of the Federation need to hear from me now.”

“I’m told the early investigations from telemetry and uplink data suggest an explosive drive failure destroyed Starship One in hyperspace, catapulting all three of her protective Guardian Wing out of hyperspace. Wreckage is likely spread across interstellar space. I’m told there are parallels with the loss of the Highliner Antares way back in 3251 when she was lost with all hands on her maiden voyage.”

“I know I remember where I was when the Highliner Antares disappeared, and I fear we will always remember where we were the day Starship One was lost.”

“While we don’t know what caused this incident – yet – we do know that Starship One’s engines experienced an unexpected surge of power just seconds before making its last jump.”

“The search efforts will continue, of course. Our hearts and hope go out to the friends and families of President Halsey and all those lost yesterday in this terrible incident.”

At 15:00 hours universal galactic time on 26th May 3301, Secretary of State Felicia Winters assumed the role of Acting President of the Federation in the wake of the disappearance of Spaceflight One.

Speaking in an emergency broadcast to the nation, Acting President Winters had this to say:

“It is with deep regret and some trepidation that I must come before you today to announce that contact with the President’s ship, Spaceflight One, has been lost.”

“Two days ago, Navy Command received word that the President would be taking an unscheduled detour to Azaleach. Her reasons as to why remain classified.”

“12 hours ago, following entry into hyperspace, Spaceflight One went dark. All attempts by the President’s security team to trace the vessel have met with failure.”

“Squadrons have been scrambled in an attempt to find President Halsey and Vice President Naylor, and I have faith that the Navy will do everything they can to bring them home.”

“That said, in order to maintain a clear chain of command during this time of crisis, I will be assuming the role of Acting President of the Federation effective immediately. I hope I have your support, and I hope it will only have to be a temporary measure.”

Ellie Blossum, The CEO of the Crimson Fortune Company, has today issued a statement regarding the recent unrest in Liaedin.

"As many of you know, the Federation’s influence in Liaedin has come under attack in recent months, despite many years of peace between the Blossum and the Faveol families.”

“We believe that this destabilisation effort was a deliberate act of malice, intended to encourage certain unruly members of the Faveol family to attempt to expand beyond the borders of Liaedin, as evidenced by the recent attack on Volungu.”

“The Crimson Fortune Company would like to thank Commander Wolzan and the Shadow Navy for their efforts to keep the Liaedin system in a fair balance of power. We would also like to thank the many Federal pilots who came to our aid during the blockade of Liaedin last weekend. Without your diligence, we are certain that enemies of the Federation would even now be using Liaedin as a staging area for their illegal expansionist agenda.”

The return of Onionhead to Panem may be a blessing for the farmers of Kappa Fornacis, but for their neighbours, the Fornacian dream has turned into a living nightmare.

“It’s not right,” one concerned resident of the nearby BD-18 394 system told GalNet. “Sure, they’re doing alright over there in Kappa F, but what about us? What do we get? I’ll tell you, smugglers and pirates, that’s what.”

Crime has spiralled out of control throughout the Ceti Sector, with many locals echoing the sentiment that the Farmers Union of Kappa Fornacis should be held responsible for attracting such unsavoury characters to what was once a peaceful area.

In an attempt to clean up the sector, the Independent Autahenetsi Labour Party are currently offering a range of bonus payments to any Bounty Hunters who sign up to act as Federal Ceti Sector Security Services Agents at Artyukhin Ring in Autahenetsi.

Speaking from the site of her new palace on Kamadhenu, Princess Lavigny-Duval today addressed the recent problems faced by residents of Persephone in the face of a plague outbreak which was brought to the system by the refugees from Quivira.

“I understand the concerns of the citizens of Persephone, and I am sorry for their plight. However, the illness affecting the refugees, many of whom are malnourished and woefully lax in terms of adequate vaccination cover, is not something that should concern the locals.”

“Of more concern to locals should be the increase in pirate activity, which I have been reliably informed is up by almost 600% since Patreus decided to start throwing his weight around.”

“The people of Quivira certainly need help, but it is their patron’s responsibility to help them, not mine. I’m sure Aisling is more than capable of handling this problem herself. However, if she wishes for my help I will of course be happy to oblige. We are family, after all.”

The People’s Princess made an appearance in Cemiess late last night to attend the opening of Emerald’s newest art installation, ‘Prism’s Shades’, a multi-sensory experience that uses experimental light and sound projection technology to stimulate a series of empathic responses from its audience.

Aisling dazzled crowds by dressing in a long-sleeved ruby red evening gown, adorned with painite sparkles. She accessorised with an equally stunning tinted visor, fashionably stamped with Aisling’s personal crest.

Surprisingly, the people’s princess only stayed at the installation for a little over an hour. Aisling left the show long before midnight, citing exhaustion from her recent activities in the Summerlands as the reason behind her early exit.

Over the course of the weekend hundreds of tons of Bio-Waste were dumped in and around stations in 78 Ursae Majoris. This system is currently undergoing preparations for President Halsey's arrival as part of her planned grand tour. A group calling themselves 'The Canonn' claims responsibility for this act.

An anonymous spokesperson told GalNet that they are "a movement of like-minded Commanders seeking the truth about the recently discovered 'Unknown Artefacts'." They state that they are "prepared to use whatever levers are at their disposal to increase the political pressure on the Federation government to force them to come clean." The spokesperson echoed growing fears that the artefacts could be some new weapon of mass destruction.

Parallels were immediately drawn to Dr. Arcanonn and his recent demands to the Federation government following research into the Unknown Artefacts discovered to be transported in Federation convoys. We asked Arcanonn if he was connected to this terrorist group. He denied any responsibility for the group's actions but declined to answer any further questions on the subject of his potential involvement.

However he did go on to say:

"It is clear that we are not the only ones who are growing tired of the Federation's cover-up over these artefacts and some Commanders would seem to be taking more direct action. Obviously, I do not condone such methods but I can certainly sympathise with their frustration."

"In the spirit of seeking to put an end to these disruptive acts I urge all citizens, Federation, Alliance and Empire alike, to petition your government to make public any information that they have on the origin and nature of these objects before these demonstrations escalate. I also appeal to Chief Xeno-Chemist Lyran Betar to contact me so that we can pool our resources and research into these potentially related items, in the search for answers for the common good of all humanity."

The war-torn region of Quivira has finally settled into an uneasy peace, following an intense period of fighting which saw hundreds of thousands dead and several billion credits worth of damage done to the local economy.

Initially the situation looked promising for the People’s Quivira for Equality Party. Independent and Federal Commanders flocked from all across the galaxy in an attempt to repel Senator Denton Patreus’s attempts to extract the debts owed to him by the Quiviran government. Early attempts at repelling the Senator’s mercenary forces proved to be a success, and the freedom fighters were able to buy enough time for the People’s Quivira for Equality Party to evacuate a great many innocent civilians to neighbouring systems.

Unfortunately, once the Party’s credits ran out, so too did the support of Independent and Federal pilots.