For the first time in almost a decade, Utopixx Entertainment, the subsidiary of Reynhardt Intellisys responsible for some of the top virtual reality experiences in the galaxy, has posted an operating loss of almost 5,000,000,000,000 credits.

Investors were shocked by the news, which saw Reynhardt Intellisys shares drop by almost 14%.

Reynhardt Intellisys has issued the following statement in an attempt to explain the drastic change in profits:

“Overall, uptake of Utopixx products in Independent, Alliance and Imperial markets remains strong. We continue to see a yearly growth rate of between 1 and 2% per sector, which in many cases means that we are exceeding our targets.”

“The losses posted for this year are partly due to the construction of a completely new and extremely exciting line of VR-Streams, which includes the latest instalment in the popular CQC franchise.”

“In-sim purchases within Federal markets have fallen below expected levels, but an analysis of the market suggests that such losses are part of a general downward trend that appears to be affecting a wide range of media companies operating in Federal systems. The cause of this drop-off in purchases remains unclear at this time.”

Excitement is in the air in 78 Ursae Majoris, as millions of residents have begun preparing Seddon Gateway for the arrival of Federal President Jasmina Halsey. The exact date of the President’s arrival has yet to be announced, but residents haven’t let that stop them from arranging a week of festivities and cultural displays aboard the station.

Another group preparing for the President’s visit is the Alioth Independents, who have today announced that they will be launching an initiative to increase security in the local cluster ahead of President Halsey’s visit.

Andrew Bailey, the Mayor of Townsend Hub and local leader of the Alioth Independents had this to say about the new initiative:

“We are very conscious that once President Halsey arrives, the whole galaxy will have its eyes on our little system. 78 Ursae Majoris has been nothing but peaceful and productive since electing to join the Alliance and the Alioth Independents will do everything in our power to ensure it remains that way throughout the President’s visit.”

“Firstly, we will be running a cluster wide security campaign from Townsend Hub. As part of which, agents of the Alioth Independents will be offering a range of bonuses to bounty hunters who help clear out any unruly criminal elements in the sector.”

“Secondly, members of the Alioth Independents and our allies will be launching a military campaign to finally rid the cluster of the criminal cartel known as the Sobek Boys. Military capable Commanders interested in assisting with the campaign can likewise signup for active duty aboard Townsend Hub.”

On Friday the Green Party of Diso announced their plans to rejuvenate the failing financial fortunes of Birmingham. The news was well received by independent traders from across the galaxy, many of whom immediately made their way to Diso to help ship Machinery for the Green Party of Diso.

In total 5187 Commanders signed up to assist with the rejuvenation project, and together they managed to deliver a staggering 15,010,547 tonnes of Machinery to Diso over the course of just 65 hours. In particular, the Green Party of Diso would like to thank Broker Mrozak, Broker HawX, Tycoon Ace Rimzy, Tycoon Thalios Abraxas and Broker Del Boy for their outstanding efforts to stimulate Birmingham’s economy.

As promised, an increased supply of Diso Ma Corn has now been released to the markets aboard Shifnalport. It is hoped that the extra corn supply will not only help to rejuvenate Diso’s economy, but that it will also help to encourage economic growth throughout the entire Old World sector.

Senator Kahina Tijani Loren’s Imperial Courier was seen departing early morning local time from the Avalon shipyards. It rendezvoused with The Imperial Interdictor Atticus, Admiral Brice last known to be in command.

The convoy is believed to be enroute to the Achenar system.

According to the Imperial Herald, Senator Loren is “being hailed as a true daughter of the Empire, and assigned the rights and responsibilities as appropriate to her rank.”

Quite what this means is not clear, even to seasoned Imperial watchers.

Senator Loren’s political leanings are even less clear. She is reportedly in favour of slavery, having been quoted as saying “Slavery is a safety net, it ensures nobody can starve or fall into poverty.”

She is also clearly prepared to use violence to achieve her aims – as revolutionaries on her home world of Prism were summarily executed after she returned to power.

By contrast she seems to be in favour of closer political ties with the Federation and the Alliance. Her recent trip to the Sol system was either a carefully orchestrated political gambit, or just happy chance. Either way, her positive profile with in the Federation is certainly a factor.

Senator Loren was involved in a wide-spread space battle during the reclamation of the Prism, which may have influenced her views on the effectiveness and desirability of major naval engagements.

After months of being terrorised by malicious criminals intent on turning the Old Worlds into some kind of ‘New Caribbean’, residents of the Lave cluster finally banded together this past weekend to crack down on the lawless scum that had been pillaging and plundering their way across the sector.

Inspired by the recent help freely given to the people of Reorte by the Alliance Elite Diplomatic Corps, Silver United Solutions decided to offer a set of substantial rewards to any pilot brave enough to help remove the criminals known as the Jet Gang from Zaonce.

The initiative was an overwhelming success. 5,535 pilots were temporarily deputised during the course of the weekend, leading to the Zaonce Jet Gang (and many other local pirate crews) being crushed by the raw power of the makeshift fleet.

To celebrate their success, Silver United Solutions has organised a special discount on all Faulcon DeLacy ships being sold from Ridley Scott Station, Zaonce. A limited number of Pythons have been made available for the duration of the sale.

After 3 weeks of intense activity in the Lave Cluster, the Alliance Elite Diplomatic Corps (AEDC) has managed to return control of Reorte to an Alliance aligned faction.

Earlier this month, a local pirate group had attempted to rename the cluster as the "New Caribbean". While local residents were not in favour of the move, the Alliance military was initially slow to take the pirate threat seriously.

However, undercover agents working on behalf of the AEDC have been working tirelessly with local community groups in order to prepare the ground for a swift battle to retake control of Davies High.

As planned, the conflict ended swiftly and caused little disruption to the daily life of residents. Pilots from the pirate faction fought fiercely to defend their position, but the combined might of Alliance forces proved too strong, and locals woke this morning to find the "Pro-Alliance League" restoring order to their community.

Alliance approval in Reorte now stands at a staggering 93%!

Elsewhere in the cluster, groups loyal to the Alliance of Independent Systems are visibly taking the pirate threat more seriously. In Lave itself, news of their neighbours' long anticipated victory boosted the ruling "Workers of Lave Liberals" by over 20% in a flash opinion poll this morning! The combined influence for Lave's Alliance factions now appears to be over 80%.

The burning question on everyone's lips in the Old Worlds is now:

"When will Leesti return to the fold?"

It is likely that after reclaiming Reorte with minimal fuss, the experienced negotiators of AEDC are planning something similar in the cluster's most important high-tech trading system.

As the war in Lave continues between CODE and Cosmic State, reports have emerged to suggest that Cosmic State have chosen Adle's Armada as unlikely allies in what's being called Operation Tomahawk.

The accusation is that CODE are charging traders and others passers-by for "travel passes" in the Lave system, which are valid only for a set period, and will provide protection against CODE attacks.

These reports would seem to indicate that no visitor to Lave is safe unless a travel pass has been purchased from CODE. It is not clear at this stage what the Alliance reaction is to this policy, but it seems that as long as the funds aren't being channelled into the Lavian economy, they are unlikely to take a high view of this practice.

Galnet reached out to both CODE and Cosmic State for comment, and although no word has been received from CODE, Cosmic State asserted that CMDRs Silk and Kudach were heading Operation Tomahawk, aiming to free Lave, and now potentially Leesti also, from the perceived CODE threat.

Beyond the borders of occupied human space, the vast mysteries of the universe are waiting to be discovered. The last thousand years of human history have been shaped by our combined ability to travel through the stars in search of a better future.

Yet what has humanity done with this precious gift? The same thing we’ve always done. We wasted it.

Greed and war run rampant throughout the galaxy, and the concept of freedom has become nothing more than a buzzword spewed by people who have never known it.

The Alliance knows there’s a better way, but to prove it they need YOUR help.

For the next two weeks, the Alliance of Independent Systems will be collecting exploration data for an exciting new colonisation initiative due to launch later this year.

Commanders interested in working with the Alliance should deliver any information they’ve uncovered in relation to potential colony sites to Purple Power Interstellar aboard Ziemkiewicz Ring in Tsu.

The past fortnight has seen a devastating war rage through the once peaceful nation of Lugh.

The Crimson State Group, led by Éamonn Uí Laoghire, has long sought to establish Lugh as an independent system. However, it wasn’t until Éamonn attempted to gain support from Alliance officials that things began to get violent.

Fearful that yet another rich, powerful system would soon leave the Federal fold, President Jasmina Halsey ordered the Federal Navy to suppress the populist uprising. Thousands of Federal pilots flocked to obey the President’s command, and in the early stages of the war, the Federation dominated the skies of Lugh. Countless Sons (and daughters) of Conn lost their lives in an attempt to stop the Federal Navy from simply crushing the rebel forces.

Their sacrifice bought time for the Crimson State Group to come up with a plan. As the Federation continued to rampage its way through the system, members of the Dukes of Mikunn, Emperor’s Grace and the East India Company engaged in guerrilla tactics to keep the Federation’s attention away from the work being carried out by the main CSG strike force.

Splitting their forces in two, the Crimson State Group focused on obtaining enemy intelligence and collecting weapons for their ground troops. All the while, they made sure to deliberately avoid engaging in open conflict with the vast Federal fleet.

Despite the valiant efforts of the CSG allied fleet, the Federation managed to tear through the Crimson State’s air defences, exposing the CSG-controlled outposts to a series of attacks by Federal marines. The Federation looked unstoppable as they stormed through Seega Port unchecked.

Speaking before a gathering of the Alliance Assembly today, Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has issued a warning to the Crimson State Group that it stands alone in its opposition to the Federation’s continued governance of Lugh.

“It is not the place of the Alliance to intervene in matters of legitimate Federal governance. No laws have been broken, no rights have been abused and as such no military aid will be forthcoming for the freedom fighters of Lugh. Similarly, until such time as the residents of Lugh have fully seceded from the Federation, any applications to join the Alliance of Independent Systems will be automatically rejected on the grounds that Lugh is not a fully functioning independent state.”

The news will come as quite a blow for Lugh, and the Crimson State Group in particular, who will now need to find allies closer to home if they want to have any hope of winning their fight for independence.

Crimson State Group representatives who were still present on Alioth were forced to make a hasty departure earlier today, as reports of Federal checkpoints being established around local exit points began to hit the Alliance blogosphere.

It would appear that the Federation means to finally show its hand in what has been a long and arduous game of poker between the Federal goliath and a small but proud people willing to defy the domination of their oppressors.

In the wake of his unsuccessful attempts to reach a favourable conclusion with representatives of the Alliance, Ambassador Éamonn Uí Laoghaire had this to say:

"Lugh is a sovereign state. This is an undeniable truth. An error does not become truth by multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it! Though the storm clouds gather around us, it has been written in our ancient 'Leabhar Gabhála Lugh' that the Sons of Conn will come to Lugh’s aid at his time of direst need. That also is a universal truth."

The Big G Corporation, in association with the Alliance of Independent Systems, is pleased to announce that a dozen planets involved in the Alliance terraforming programme are finally ready to undergo their last stage of biochemical transformation.

The first set of planets to undergo the final stage of terraforming includes:

• Djaujas A 1 in Djaujas

• Khona 3 in Khona

• Dohkwithi A 1 in Dohkwithi

• Hip 54692 3 in Hip 54692

• Milelbis 4 in Milelbis

While the Big G Corp is expected to handle most of the terraforming process, using their patented and highly secretive World Blending Technology, independent contractors are being encouraged to visit with Big G representatives in order to take advantage of the various stock orders that the company is looking to fill.

Alioth played host to scenes of chaos today when Éamonn Uí Laoghire addressed the crowds after his second attempt to gain an audience with Alliance representatives failed. While engaging with the huge numbers that had gathered to hear him speak, Éamonn was targeted by a single shot that was fired from a nearby building.

The shot missed the ambassador, but killed a member of the crowd. The ambassador was rushed to safety as the crowd began to flee the scene in terror, causing enough chaos for the assailant to escape undetected.

Uí Laoghire later returned to the steps outside the central council building to deliver his most defiant speech yet.

"We declare the right of the people of Lugh to the ownership of Lugh. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished that right, nor can it ever be extinguished, no matter how many murderers the Federation sends to try and silence us.”

The Alioth system has been at the centre of controversy today after the arrival of Éamonn Uí Laoghire, the leading spokesperson in the current bid for independence of the Lugh system.

While at the time of this report Ambassador Uí Laoghire has not yet been granted an audience with Alliance state officials, he did address the huge throngs of supporters who came out to greet him on the steps of the state residence.

"Since its earliest inception the Lugh system was settled by a sovereign people of one lineage and one religion who have made it their spiritual home. Popular support for The Crimson State Group in the last polls was at 87%. The only thing standing in the way of the will of the people is the Federal Navy! I have come here today to request that the Alliance of Independent Systems recognise the legitimacy of a free and democratic Lugh."

After a week of wandering in HIP 110620 the Jaques Starport is now making its way through HIP 110079. GalNet is still no closer to learning the reason behind the station's unexpected return, nor can we ascertain where the cyborg barman's ultimate destination may be.

A number of well known commanders from all walks of life have been seen coming in and out of Jaques, which is fast becoming a popular nightspot among young thrillseekers from the Empire, Federation and Alliance alike.

Now that his self-imposed exile has finally come to an end, Jaques appears content to simply wander the stars in the company of a people he once called his own, accompanied by the booming sound of a dark electric beat.

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

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

Lord Ryan of Ugain was the first to hit back, “My family emigrated from Lave to the Empire back in the days of Walden! We won't let the system succumb to tyranny again!”

Commander Ulysses Wolf, an Imperial Explorer, also hit back, “We won't just stand by and let it happen!”

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

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.

Christmas celebrations and official public holidays have begun throughout Federal, Alliance and some independent systems.

In ancient times the date once marked the shortest day on Earth and developed into a key date for various ancient religions still observed by some. The now traditional Christmas celebration of commercial excess, parties and present-giving is in full swing.

In Imperial systems the focus of the present-giving celebrations is the New Year in the standard calendar, and of course Empire Day, the day after.

Onionhead stories are dominating the Federal media, with teenage criminality being highlighted. The coverage has increased demand for the narcotic in Federal space higher than ever.

Admiral Vincent has announced a program of crop destruction from low orbit around Panem.

"Dropships, launched from our orbiting Farragut class battlecruisers, have bombed large areas of crops. We used pinpoint modern weaponry and no human has been harmed in these attacks."

Local news reports show this not to be true. An entire family was found dead, overcome by the noxious fumes from the burning of the ripe crop in their field tent. The image of a burning warg (a deer-like creature with big eyes, probably imported as a pet by one of the settlers) running from a burning field, has spread through social media, especially within the Alliance, spreading hatred for Federal Forces.