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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An investigation into local pirate activity near the Alliance core systems has shown a focused gathering of cut-throat pirates in the Istanu system.

Miners operating in the area have been abruptly forced to leave or face death at the receiving end of high powered beam lasers.

One local miner who wished to remain anonymous (due to future health reasons) had this to say about the situation-

“It’s out of control! These pirates won’t let an honest miner do a day’s job without gettin’ shot at. The Alliance aren’t interested in doing anything about them! We need more independent pilots to come help clean up this mess.”

Individual contractors are being informed that many bounties are up for grabs. For a point of contact, CMDR Jobedy of the Alliance Outskirt Fleet has taken lead and is forming a local militia to assist the innocent miners reclaim the system.

Last week the Future of LHS 3447 party generously announced that they would be sharing their recent success by offering a substantial discount on all ships purchased from the shipyards of LHS 3447. The sale has seen independent pilots flocking to the system, which in turn has led to local traders experiencing a huge boom in profits across the board.

As the sale begins to draw to a close, the Future of LHS 3447 party have issued a statement thanking all of their customers for helping stimulate the system’s economy, pledging to spend a fifth of the profits earned on rejuvenating system services aboard stations throughout LHS 3447.

“The last week has been simply amazing,” a representative of the Future of LHS 3447 told Galnet, “we never dreamed the response would be so positive. We can only hope that traders continue to think of LHS 3447 as a destination of choice in the future. The Future of LHS 3447 is to become a hub of interstellar commerce for all vessels passing through this sector. If you don’t believe me, come visit us this weekend. The sale has to end soon! So come get yourself a bargain before it’s too late.”

Following news that the Imperial Wedding would have to be delayed indefinitely, a wave of unrest has begun manifesting itself across the Empire. Citizens from all over Imperial space have flooded popular social sites to express their disappointment, frustration and concern over the matter.

One particularly angry Patron proclaimed, “It’s not about the loss of business, it’s about the loss of trust! It’s pretty clear that the Emperor has been seriously ill for quite some time, yet the Chancellor likes to pretend that everything is okay. Well it’s not okay! This latest gaffe by the Imperial Palace shows just how little attention our leaders are paying to the Citizenry on the streets, they’re all too busy playing trying to grab whatever scrap of power they can, and who suffers for it? We do.”

The Chancellor’s office declined to offer any new comments as to whether or not the Imperial Wedding would be rescheduled for any time in the near future.

Senator Patreus today announced an end to hostilities in the Durius system. The conflict in Durius began after the ruling authorities defaulted on a large debt that they’d inherited from the previous government. The Senator’s civic management teams are now in the process of taking over control of the system’s government in preparation for its new status as an Imperial world.

As well as declaring the aforementioned changes, Senator Patreus offered a great deal of praise in response to the overwhelming number of independent pilots who travelled to Durius in order to join his cause -

“In this modern age of new drive technology and rapid interstellar travel we find ourselves becoming ever more reliant on the outstanding work carried out by our honoured allies of the Pilot’s Federation. Without their timely assistance many more casualties would have befallen both sides of the conflict. Not just myself, but the people of Durius owe those brave independent pilots a debt of gratitude for helping to end this war before it got truly out of hand.”

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

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

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

Commentators from the Dulos system are reporting a massive swing in the popularity of the Dulos Defence Party who recently announced that they would seek to withdraw the system from the Federation. A spokesman for the party said -

“Following on from our success with the economy for the markets under our control this additional boost just reinforces that our vision for the future of our system is the correct one.”

An official statement from President Halsey’s office has not been forthcoming and this news can only increase the political turmoil her presidency has become embroiled in.

In the first Senate session in the New Year since the public holidays, Senator Denton Patreus, Senator for Eotienses, has asked the burning question of the Senate. He directed it at the Chancellor, Senator Blaine -

“It saddens us to hear that his grace Emperor Hengist has fallen into a coma, but we need to think for the future of our beloved Empire. How long will his grace be in a coma before we trigger the succession? This has not happened in over a thousand years, and it is for us to decide. One day? One week? One month? One year?

“We need a strong leader, and we should set a date in the near future when we review the situation.”

There was a frisson of mumbling in the Senate after his comments and a general consensus to review the situation at the next session.

Senator Anders Blaine, Chancellor to Emperor Hengist Duval has made a statement on the steps of the Imperial Palace-

“It is with regret I have to announce that his grace, Emperor Hengist Duval’s sickness has worsened, and he has fallen into a coma. His life is not in danger, he is stable, and his doctors are hopeful of a recovery. In the mean time I will of course continue in my role as Chancellor, and the Empire will continue to run under my day to day control, as it has done for the past decades, so nothing will change.”

Rumours from anonymous Imperial staff are that Emperor Hengist is on a life support machine and perhaps unlikely to recover.

Shares in Imperial corporations have continued to fall on the news.