Following the declaration of war by President Halsey earlier today, the Federal Navy’s attack on Polahukuna has been postponed indefinitely. Instead the newly built Capital Ship , the FNS Nevermore, will be diverted to help with the offensive against Lugh.

Unfortunately, due to the actions of Operation Arm Chop , the FNS Nevermore is not yet equipped with a full contingent of fighters. As a result, the FNS Nevermore will not be able to set off for Lugh until the construction of its personal fleet is complete.

Core Dynamics estimate that it will be another six or seven days before the FNS Nevermore will be able to join Federal forces in their attack on Lugh, until which time it will remain safely harboured in Hudson Dock.

In an address delivered to the Imperial Senate earlier today, Senator Denton Patreus has called on Chancellor Blaine to provide the Senate with full access to the ailing Emperor’s medical records.

“The current situation is untenable,” the Senator said. “How long are we expected to simply accept that Emperor Hengist is on the road to recovery? It’s been months now and there’s been no sign of the Emperor making a recovery of any kind. For the sake of the entire Empire, we need to know whether or not Emperor Hengist is ever going to be able to reclaim the throne. If Emperor Hengist really is getting better, then Chancellor Blaine should release the Emperor’s medical records to show the Senate that there is nothing to worry about. If not, we need to establish what needs to be done to secure our citizens’ future.”

Senator Patreus and Aisling Duval have been spotted together at a number of popular nightspots in Capitol this week, leading some social commentators to speculate that the two may have become romantically involved.

If true, the association could potentially secure Senator Patreus’s bid to become the leading voice of the Empire. While Aisling herself is not currently considered a serious contender for the Imperial Throne, her pairing with the Senator could provide the leverage he needs to secure support from a large portion of the Senate, particularly from those who are currently throwing their weight behind Chancellor Blaine.

When asked for comment, both Senator Patreus and Aisling Duval refused to answer any questions regarding their possible relationship.

Core Dynamics, in association with the Federal Navy, are pleased to announce the latest addition to the Federal capital ship family, the FNS Nevermore.

Core Dynamics Farragut -Class Battlecruisers represent the cutting edge in military technology. A single FCB can carry several squadrons of Federal Fighters and multiple Federal Corvettes across hundreds of light years without any difficulty. These deep deployment capabilities, coupled with extraordinarily heavy firepower, practically guarantee that a single FCB will completely overpower all but the most well-equipped opponents.

The construction of the new ship would not have been possible without the help of Commander Sam Ishum, who braved the blockade of BD+03 2338 to single-handedly deliver 86,000 tonnes of copper to the Core Dynamics workshop at Hudson Dock.

When asked for comment, Commander Ishum had this to say:

“As the sole proprietor of Toad's Independent Trading Services, I am happy to have helped with the building of the new Core Dynamics Dreadnought, the FNS Nevermore. I look forward to working with them on future projects."

To celebrate the launch of the FNS Nevermore, Core Dynamics has supplied Hudson Dock with a large number of discounted Federal Dropships.

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 Federation may have won the war in the Banki system, but survivors on both sides are still in a struggle for survival.

After a long and bitter conflict, the Federation was able to clutch a victory (as well as a base) after offering greater incentives for Commanders willing to fight on their side. This strategy drew in throngs of Commanders from throughout the galaxy, tilting the scales decisively in favour of the Federal Navy.

At the end, the situation grew very grim for the Banki Gold Gang. Hundreds were killed, thousands were wounded, and medical supplies stretched perilously thin. Despite winning the war, the Federation now has to deal with a destitute populace, an outbreak and the threat of famine on the horizon.

The CEO of the Gold Advanced Partners and current governor of Banki, Christopher Kailson, has put out this passionate plea for help:

"Banki needs the support of Commanders now more than ever. Supplying even a small amount of Banki’s needs will help to ease the suffering of the ill, the orphaned, and the poor.”

- CMDR John Paul Wilson

An emergency special session of the Federal Congress was held today to discuss how best to deal with the Crimson State Group’s attempt to force Lugh to secede from the Federation.

Lugh is home to 15.3 billion residents, who are supported almost entirely by the vast natural resources that Lugh has at its disposal.

In her address to Congress, President Halsey had this to say on the situation:

“Systems choosing to hold fair and democratic elections to determine whether they wish to remain within the Federal fold is one thing, but a group of religious fanatics petitioning a foreign power to help overthrow a democratically elected Federal government is another matter entirely. The Federation will not allow theocrats, terrorists or any other fringe organisation to usurp the right and proper rules that govern our society. If the Crimson State Group continues to go down this road then the Federation will respond with whatever force deemed necessary.”

The Future of Synteini party is calling on all Commanders to protest the actions of the Imperial Slavers Association in the Synteini system.

“Today marks the anniversary of the ‘Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves’, one of two acts that helped end the Atlantic slave trade in the early 19th century,” said a party representative. “And now a new slaving facility is opening up in our own backyard?”

The party offers their own station as a potential solution. “The Future of Synteini party will not abide by slavery, Imperial or no. I make the call to commanders: give your business to the Future of Synteini, not to the ISA. Do business at William Sargent, and starve Lagerkvist.

“Let’s hit Senator Zemina Torval where it counts - and kick her out of Synteini!”

Lagerkvist Gateway orbits the second planet in the Synteini A system, while William Sargent Vision orbits the fourth.

- CMDR Boter

Senator Patreus and the Citizens of Tradition have been successful in their crusade against the Falisci Purple Gang. Falisci has fallen to Imperial forces and is currently in the process of being assimilated into Imperial society.

All outstanding payments due to Imperial veterans of the Falisci war are now available for collection from Dornier Terminal in Ngaiawang. To celebrate Senator Patreus’s victory, Senator Torval is offering a 10% discount on all Imperial slaves purchased from Dornier Terminal until next weekend.

However, the war for control of Falisci may not quite be over yet. Reports have started to come in from the region that a civil war is currently brewing between the Citizens of Tradition and the Federal Social Falisci Partnership Party. If the Social Falisci Partnership Party is successful in its attempt to disrupt the Citizens of Tradition’s hold over Phillips Landing, the Federation may be able to gain control over Falisci.

Despite the Defence Force of Tanmark’s overwhelming success in closing down the Tanmark Posse’s operations on Luca, hundreds of unmarked pirate ships have been attacking innocent traders as they go about their business in the system.

It would appear that the recent wave of criminal activity has been sparked by the economic boom that the region has been experiencing, as a result of the increased production of Lucan Onionhead.

So far the Defence Force of Tanmark has only been allowing traders access to a very limited amount of Lucan Onionhead, a decision that they claim was made in an attempt to stop criminals from targeting individual traders on their way out of the system. That could all change, however, as the Defence Force of Tanmark is now offering to empty out its storerooms once security in the region has been restored.

Commanders interested in taking part in the security initiative should sign up for active duty aboard Cassie-L-Peia in Tanmark.

Aisling Duval is in the spotlight again today, following a rather passionate outburst on the Empire’s most-watched reality stream show, Celebrity Pets.

“The truth is every pet we’ve seen tonight lives a better life than the billions of slaves who are busy working themselves to death while all you viewers just sit there and laugh,” the youngest Duval said during the ever-popular ‘Pimping Pets Get Pampered’ segment.

“Just take that old bat Zemina. She’s got a whole zoo on that fancy ship of hers. I mean it’s not a good zoo, but I bet her pets get to eat well. Meat even. Her slaves are lucky if they get gruel. Think they’ve ever got meat? Yeah, right. Slavery is stupid, and it is way past time we stopped it.”

In support of Aisling’s anti-slavery rhetoric, Stop Slavery Stupid has announced it will once again be accepting Imperial slaves for emancipation and rehabilitation at centres aboard Mackenzie Relay in Cemiess, Thiele Orbital in Ngun and Naubakht City in Eta Horologii.

Corporations operating under the direction of Senator Zemina Torval have been making waves throughout the Empire this week, as shipments of unregulated slaves continue to pour into Imperially -sanctioned slave training centres in Synteini.

Despite the questionable legal nature of the Senator’s import operations, the Senate has so far elected to not address the issue at any officially held quorum.

Some political commentators have suggested that the lack of opposition is a clear sign of the Chancellor’s waning power within the Senate, although sources close to the Chancellor have suggested that “Chancellor Blaine is simply too busy to deal with Zemina’s frankly pathetic attempts to take advantage of the Emperor’s current condition.”

Imperial forces have decimated the majority of the Falisci Purple Gang’s fleet, just five days after the Citizens of Tradition declared war against the dreaded pirate crew and their allies. Now only a handful of the Purple Gang’s most stalwart members remain to defend their territory against the Citizens of Tradition and the thousands of loyal citizens who have flocked to Falisci to fight by their side.

What little resistance the gang is still able to muster will almost certainly not be enough to keep the Citizens of Tradition from taking control of the system. However, reports are coming in from the region that the Federally aligned Social Falisci Partnership are currently attempting to bolster the Purple Gang’s numbers in what is surely a futile attempt to stop Senator Patreus from taking control of the sector.