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The War for Lugh: The Turning Point

The turning point in the war came during the Federation’s attack on Read Gateway.

Cormac Uí Laoghire led the defence of the outpost personally, and after several days of fierce fighting, the Crimson State Group finally managed to achieve their first victory by successfully defending Read Gateway.

However, the reality is that it was more a failure on President Halsey’s part than a victory on behalf of Crimson State. The defence only succeeded due to the Federation running dangerously low on weapons for their troops.

As soon as it became apparent that the Federation was having difficulty acquiring the weapons they needed to end the war, the Crimson State Group took advantage of the military intelligence obtained during Operation Dullahan to attack Hartsfield Market.

The battle for Hartsfield Market lasted for almost 5 days, during which time the Federation managed to establish complete dominance over the skies of Lugh. Unfortunately for President Halsey, air superiority alone was not enough to win the war, a fact she soon learned when the CSG tricked her into ordering a strike against Federal refugees attempting to flee the conflict.

The War for Lugh: Federal Domination

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.

Navy Withdraws from Lugh – Fighting Continues

Following last night’s special session, Congress has decided to temporarily pull the Federal Navy from active duty in Lugh. Navy vessels are currently in the process of being diverted to Qureshi Enterprise in Khaka, where they will remain until such time as Congress decides on how to best end the current conflict.

Despite the official withdrawal of the Federal Navy, Lugh continues to find itself embroiled in an ongoing civil war between the Crimson State Group and the Lugh for Equality Party. The outcome of which is still far from certain.

So far on the Federal side, Lugh for Equality has managed to gain control over the skies of Lugh. On the other side of the war, the native Crimson State Group has managed to take a significant advantage in terms of acquiring armaments for their ground troops.

The Federal forces need more guns, while the CSG need more dedicated combat pilots. With millions of residents having already lost their lives in the fight for an independent Lugh, it seems that neither group will give up the fight without a decisive outcome.

President Orders Strike on Federal Refugees

Disaster struck in Lugh today, following orders given by President Halsey demanding that Federal pilots attack and destroy an unarmed refugee convoy as it fled from the fighting around Lugh 6. It is estimated that 9,322 innocent Federal civilians lost their lives in the attack.

The President claims that she was presented with evidence by the Joint Intelligence Committee which confirmed that Éamonn Uí Laoghire, leader of the Crimson State Group, would be aboard one of the transports with his entourage.

However, sources close to the Crimson State Group claim that reports of Éamonn’s presence on the refugee ships were nothing more than fabrications.

Shadow President Hudson has sworn that an official investigation into the matter will be launched once the current crisis is over.

Imperial Pageant for Prism Senator

In an apparent show of solidarity for the visiting Senator and in protest at her perceived shabby treatment at the hands of her Federation hosts, dozens of independent Commanders have volunteered to escort Lady Kahina Tijani Loren's Imperial Courier through Federal space for the duration of her trip.

The unofficial escort is primarily composed of Imperial Cutters in private ownership, causing acute embarrassment to the Federation, who are powerless to prevent newsfeed images of what appears to be a sizeable Imperial fleet gallivanting unchallenged against the unmistakeable backdrop of core Federation worlds.

Lady Kahina was briefly interviewed by The Mars Herald and was asked, "What do you think of your welcome into Federal space?"

She replied with "When I receive one, I shall let you know."

The War for Lugh

President Halsey has today officially declared war on the Crimson State Group.

Ownership of Lugh has been hotly contested in recent months. The movement for an independent Lugh, led by the Crimson State Group, had managed to achieve a staggering 91% approval rating among the local populace. However, the figures are heavily disputed by the Lugh for Equality Party, which has recently released statistics claiming that less than 30% of the population are actively engaging in the political process.

GalNet sources close to the President have suggested that the upcoming attack will be launched from within Lugh itself. Loyal Federal pilots who want to assist with the reclamation of Lugh should sign up for active duty aboard Hartsfield Market, although Federal mercenaries are advised that it may be several days before backup arrives.

In response to the declaration of war, Éamonn Uí Laoghaire has declared that the Crimson State Group will be offering very generous payouts to any independent pilots who choose to side with Lugh in the upcoming conflict against the Federation. Mercenaries interested in taking the Crimson State Group up on its offer should sign up for active duty aboard Balandin Gateway.

Launching the Colonies

Almost a thousand years ago, a corporate colonisation project from Earth set out on a trip to find a new home among the stars. The colonists settled in the Sirius system, where they became one of the leading suppliers of drive fuel anywhere in the galaxy, and so the Sirius Corporation was born.

The Sirius Corporation has a long history of colonising worlds beyond the borders of occupied space, which is why the Sirius Corporation is pleased to announce that it will be returning to its roots with the launch of 9 new colonial outposts, all of which should start being deployed within the next 14 days.

The 9 systems chosen to act as new homes to Sirius Corporation colonists are:

The Wredguia Colony Cluster

Wredquia SX-L D7-92

Wredguia SX-L d7-91

Wredguia WD-K D8-66

Wredguia QA-N b34-4

Wredguia XD-K d8-78

Sirius Outposts

Gliese 97.2

HIP 8396

Col 285 Sector WA-L b9-3

CAO Junga

Alioth Warns Lugh They Stand Alone

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.