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Catastrophic Earthquakes Strike Rhea 3

A series of high-magnitude earthquakes on the planet Rhea 3 have caused widespread devastation and millions of casualties.

Massive seismic activity across the northern continent has effectively shattered dozens of towns and cities, including the capital New Greenacre. The intense tremors also triggered tsunamis in the surrounding oceans, which have wrecked coastal regions on other land masses.

Local journalist Len Kennelly published a summary for Vox Galactica:

“The only disaster on this scale that we’ve seen in Rhea was when NMLA terrorists bombed Ito Orbital. This time, however, the death toll could run into tens of millions. Urban skylines have crumbled like sandcastles, with vast jagged pits opening up to swallow entire neighbourhoods.”

“Federal Liberal Command has declared the highest state of emergency, calling for volunteers to help rescue trapped citizens. We’re seeing direct support from other factions in the system, and Federal Navy specialists are coordinating relief efforts. The humanitarian organisation Safeguard Interstellar is also here in force, providing supplies and temporary shelters for survivors.”

Sofia Trevino, political correspondent for The Federal Times, reported:

“As soon as this news broke, President-elect Felicia Winters – a native of Rhea 3 and the system’s representative in Congress – immediately cancelled her schedule and travelled to her homeworld. Unverified reports claim that contact has been lost with members of her family, most of whom lived in the capital.”

“Speculation has already begun that this might cause further delays to the beginning of Winters’s term of office. Vice President-elect Isolde Rochester made a statement asking for patience, claiming: ‘Our focus right now should be on aiding those affected by this tragedy.’”

Winters Appoints Future Cabinet Members

President-elect Felicia Winters has officially selected new heads for each executive department of the Federal government.

She announced her choices during a session of Congress, where she gave a short speech about her upcoming presidency. This was followed by a similar statement from Isolde Rochester, who will serve as Winters’s vice president.

Sofia Trevino, political journalist for The Federal Times, reported:

“With these appointments, Felicia Winters is laying the foundations on which to build a new Federal government. Long-serving figures in the Liberal Party are finally being rewarded with key positions in the upcoming administration.”

“One notable loyalist is Congressman Bai Zheng, who will be Secretary for Security. She is already well-known for opposing the Proactive Detection Bureau, and will undoubtedly take pleasure in overseeing the surveillance unit’s closure, as per Winters’s campaign promise.”

“Congressman Kristine Lasky is another familiar name. Her celebrated role in creating the Cornelius-Lasky Convention, which enables superpowers to collaborate during emergencies, makes her a solid choice for Secretary of State.”

“There are a few fresher faces among the forthcoming Cabinet. The new Grand Attorney will be Pierre-Marc Pelletier, a former director of the Federal Attorney’s Office. And the Secretary for Defence will be Congressman Conn Montgomery, who will have to navigate demands from a Federal Navy accustomed to Zachary Hudson’s generous military budgets.”

In related news, planning is underway for Felicia Winters’s inauguration ceremony to take place in mid-February. President Hudson’s office has confirmed that handover procedures are well advanced, with all government agencies and departments preparing for the Federation’s new leadership.

Winters Resists Hudson’s Legacy Projects

President-elect Felicia Winters has vowed to defeat new legislation proposed by outgoing President Zachary Hudson.

If funded, these initiatives will establish a media standards regulator, set up a political think tank, and merge the Proactive Detection Bureau into the Federal Navy Intelligence Office. Tax rebates will also be granted to all corporations with existing government contracts.

The Federal Times approached Felicia Winters for comment:

“It’s obvious that these pro-Republican measures are being pushed through because of Jerome Archer's poor electoral performance. It would look bad for Hudson to admit that his own vice president wasn’t a popular choice of successor. So now he's giving Archer as many advantages as possible for when he becomes shadow president.”

“We aim to block these legislative changes should they go through Congress. And I personally guarantee that once I am in office, the PDB will no longer eavesdrop on every citizen’s private communications. That’s more than just an election pledge – it’s about doing what is right.”

The newsfeed also published a statement by Owen McKenna, CEO of Core Dynamics:

“Winters says that she plans to cut back on military spending. That makes no sense during wartime, but as president it’ll be her call. So, if you ask me, Hudson’s corporate tax rebates should be allowed to stand. Then at least companies who supply the Federal Navy might have a chance of remaining profitable.”

Hudson Lays Groundwork for Political Successors

President Zachary Hudson has announced a raft of legislation he intends to push during his last few months in office.

Political journalists have noted that many of the points would benefit the Republican Party while in opposition to the president-elect Felicia Winters administration. A press release from the Office of the Federal President listed the key initiatives currently underway:

“First: A new media standards agency will be established to regulate independently operated newsfeeds in Federal systems, to ensure local issues are presented in a format which adheres to Federal values.”

“Second: Corporations that have exclusive contracts with the Federal government will be granted significant tax rebates, on President Hudson’s executive authority.”

“Third: The Federal Navy Intelligence Office will establish a data-sharing strategy with the Proactive Detection Bureau. This will broaden the net to capture even more criminal activity.”

“Fourth: Funding will be granted for a political think tank. This will be a cross-party institute to gather ideas, strategies and research that benefits the entire Federation.”

An editorial in the Federal Free Press pointed out the potential downsides to each of these initiatives:

“First: Sol Today’s CEO Neive McFarlane is on the board of this ‘independent’ regulator, thereby ensuring local newsfeeds will have a pro-Republican voice at the highest level of oversight.”

“Second: Felicia Winters’s administration will be forced to reverse these rebates to cover the loss of tax-generated revenue, which is guaranteed to cause friction with those corporations.”

“Third: The Federal Navy could provide military-grade technology for public surveillance, to bypass legal encryption software used to protect private conversations. It is likely Winters will be furious about this proposal, given her election pledge to dismantle the PDB entirely.”

“Fourth: Outgoing Secretary of State Lana Berkovich has volunteered to act as this think tank’s congressional liaison – and assume the authority to decide which of its reports reach those in power.”

Dedicant Quest Yields Results

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The missing megaship Dedicant is close to being located after fragments of its distress call were tracked down.

The scrambled messages were discovered on comms beacons in the LP 714-58, Wuniez, Olurung and Kwakimo systems. Combined decryption efforts eventually led to another beacon in the HIP 19912 system, where the Dedicant’s original transmission was revealed:

FEDERAL ESCORT TEAM ALPHA

ASSIGNED TO ORDER OF THE FAR GOD MEGASHIP ‘DEDICANT’

PRISONER TRANSFER MISSION HAS FAILED

SIGNIFICANT NON-LETHAL DEFENSIVE MEASURES ENCOUNTERED

MAJORITY OF ORDER OF THE FAR GOD PRISONERS ESCAPED

PRISONERS INITIATED DEDICANT HYPERDRIVE

ESCORT TEAMS ALPHA, BRAVO, CHARLIE AND CULTISTS REMAIN ON BOARD

‘DEDICANT’ CURRENT LOCATION UNKNOWN

ADVISE TRACING METADATA COORDINATES TO THIS MESSAGE

REQUEST IMMEDIATE FEDERAL NAVY ASSISTANCE

Vice Admiral Amir Rafiq of the Imperial Navy provided an update:

“Imperial Intelligence specialists are currently analysing the comms beacon in HIP 19912 to trace the message to its point of origin. We have orders not to commence any joint operations with the Federation, but I am authorised to make our findings public.”

Executive Agent Jalen Locke of the Federal Intelligence Agency told the media:

“We appreciate the assistance from the Empire , and from all the independent pilots who helped find this distress call. It has confirmed our theory that the prisoners managed to regain control of their former vessel, using various modifications made to its internal systems.”

“FIA security teams are standing by to launch a rescue mission as and when the Dedicant’s location is pinpointed. They will retake the megaship by force if necessary and detain all Far God cultists onboard.”

Presidential Candidates Outline Manifestos

The three candidates in the Federal presidential election have taken part in a second live debate to discuss policies.

The event was more closely moderated than the first debate in June. The candidates discussed their campaigns in detail, with minimal interruption from their rivals.

Republican Party candidate Jerome Archer is the current vice president and a former director of the Federal Intelligence Agency. He explained his intentions to tighten security and increase military spending:

“Shielding citizens from external threats, whether human or alien, is always my top priority. Ms Winters lacks any significant achievements in her political career, if we’re honest. Whereas I can refer to many successes – such as the Proactive Detection Bureau – which prove I am a man of my word.”

Shadow President Felicia Winters, leader of the Liberal Party, was previously the secretary of state in Jasmina Halsey’s administration. She outlined her plans to reinvest in civil infrastructure by increasing corporate taxation:

“Our economic model will look to increase tax revenue generated by large corporations, greatly improving the quality of life for billions of people through public service investment. Mr Archer’s obsession with police-state programmes can only push the Federation further toward an authoritarian dystopia.”

Independent candidate Zachary Rackham is a well-known business magnate, who privately owns many Federal companies. His campaign pledges have proved highly popular, but remain light on detail:

“Is anyone else as bored of these two windbags as I am? All politicians do is make empty promises, but I’m in the business of giving people what they want. As president, I’ll make every single person rich and successful, just like – say it with me, come on – just like me!”

All three candidates pledged to prioritise funding for the Federal Navy’s anti-xeno efforts until the ongoing conflict with the Thargoids reaches a conclusion.

In related news, Congress confirmed that the election date has been shifted again. Refugee advocacy groups have argued that all residents of Federal systems lost to Thargoid invasion are entitled to vote, and the active re-registration of this demographic in new territories has forced a further delay. The election is now expected to be held in the last quarter of 3309.

Kokoller Mining Initiative Concludes

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A mining campaign organised by Kokoller Limited has drawn to a close, with the organisers declaring it a success.

The Federal corporation requested deliveries of bertrandite, coltan and praseodymium to supply the Kokoller system’s refinery base, ostensibly to manufacture supplies for the Federal Navy’s anti-xeno war efforts.

Spokesperson Paul Dyson provided a message to participants:

“It is genuinely a pleasure to see so many pilots respond to our call for raw materials. Harvesting those asteroid belts is no easy task, but the performance has been remarkable. I can promise all those involved in the campaign that the profits raised from refining and distributing these resources will go to a very worthy cause. Those credits are in good hands.”

Kokoller Limited has confirmed that all contributors to the campaign can now collect their rewards from Utley Hub in the Kokoller system.

Mining Initiative Begins in Kokoller

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A campaign to attract deep space mining pilots has been launched by the Federal corporation Kokoller Limited.

With the Federation diverting considerable resources toward sustaining its anti-xeno countermeasures, some systems are looking to alternative options for sustaining stocks of raw materials. Kokoller Limited is seeking to take advantage of a strong position in its home system, by running a campaign to procure additional resources for the local economy.

Spokesperson Paul Dyson had the following to say:

“I believe that continued support of the Federal Navy’s efforts to protect us is an obligation of all stellar factions. It would be in poor taste to complain or seek sympathy for the impact on our business operations while our brave military personnel risk their lives to keep us safe.”

“That said, while the galactic economy continues to function, it falls on us to maintain high incomes to fund the war via taxes and charitable contributions. One could say that maximising profits is our moral duty. Therefore, raw materials are requested to keep our refineries churning out resources.”

Kokoller Limited has invited all asteroid miners to bring shipments of bertrandite, coltan and praseodymium to Utley Hub in the Kokoller system.