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Winters Outlines Her Future Presidency

President-elect Felicia Winters has discussed her election victory and other topics during an interview with The Federal Times.

On defeating Vice President Jerome Archer:

“One cannot dispute that Archer played his campaign straight, with none of the underhanded tricks utilised by some of his predecessors. But the election results prove that the citizens want a change from the Republican Party’s bombastic approach.”

On the priorities for her forthcoming administration:

“Our government will expand investment in the Federation’s soft infrastructure, pulling the economy’s focus away from military projects and corporate profits. Many systems are in dire need of improved healthcare, housing and work opportunities. Billions of people need temporary financial support as refugees from the Thargoid invasion. We are not the Empire – we serve our people rather than rule over them.”

On the Proactive Detection Bureau:

“My very first task in office will be to dismantle this monstrosity, ending the surveillance of private communications. The Federal Intelligence Agency is perfectly capable of protecting our people without violating their personal freedoms.”

On the Thargoid war:

“I can assure everyone that while I lack the enthusiasm for war that my predecessor demonstrated, my administration takes office with the Thargoid invasion as a top priority. Aegis has led the way in developing new anti-xeno technologies, and Federal support for the agency will continue.”

Many Federal newsfeeds congratulated Felicia Winters on her success in the election, but an editorial in Sol Today said:

“Without Zachary Hudson’s strength of will, or Jerome Archer’s dedication to security, there’s every possibility that the Federation will rot from within. You can expect to see all manner of fringe groups and minorities grab the lion’s share of funding, while freeloaders and criminals get a free pass. We predict that Winters will go down in history as one of the weakest presidents ever.”

Felicia Winters Elected as Federal President

The Federation has voted to elect Felicia Winters as its next president, with a four per cent vote majority over her rival Jerome Archer.

The current shadow president of the Liberal Party will be officially inaugurated in the new year, entering an eight-year term of office. Congressman Isolde Rochester will also be sworn in as vice president in Winters’s administration.

President Zachary Hudson will remain in power during the transition period, but will not be expected to implement any major policy changes. The Liberal Party will replace the Republican Party as the superpower’s governing authority in 3310, with Jerome Archer assuming the role of shadow president.

President-elect Winters addressed her supporters during a celebratory rally in Olympus Village on Mars:

“The people of the Federation have spoken! I thank you all for turning my party’s vision into a reality. My aim is to govern fairly for everybody, regardless of their political allegiance. Together we will create optimism where there was fear, give shelter those who are vulnerable, and improve the quality of life for each and every Federal citizen.”

Vice President Jerome Archer formally conceded the election during a session of Congress:

“My compliments to Felicia Winters, who fought a strong campaign. I look forward to taking on the role of shadow president next year, and ensuring that her government’s proposals are thoroughly scrutinised from day one.”

Former presidents Antonia Madison and Jasmina Halsey – whom Winters temporarily replaced after the Starship One disaster – offered their congratulations. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon of the Alliance, First Minister Octavia Volkov of the Marlinist Colonies, and CEO Li Yong-Rui of Sirius Corporation sent similar messages to the Winters campaign.

No formal acknowledgement was received from the Empire. However, Princess Aisling Duval joined Professor Alba Tesreau and other members of Aegis leadership to state: “We trust that President Winters will remain committed to our unified approach, ensuring the development of technology needed to secure victory in the ongoing Thargoid war.”

Federal Election: The Allied Perspective

The Alliance is observing the Federal president election, but expects little will change in relationships between the two superpowers.

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon delivered a formal address on the topic before the Assembly:

“The Alliance continues to enjoy stable relations with the Federation. Our recent anti-xeno coalitions, including the reformation of Aegis, show how we can benefit from maintaining such cooperation. I am confident that the new president, whoever it may be, will respect the status quo.”

Councillor Nakato Kaine gave a more direct statement to the press:

“I cannot ignore how the Federation has become more authoritarian under Zachary Hudson’s Republican government. It has also coped poorly with internal pressures: the Starship One conspiracy, Jupiter Division’s attempted coup, the secession crisis triggered by the Proactive Detection Bureau’s operation… the list goes on. And yet, Federal democracy is now empowering every individual to elect their leaders. That, at least, is something we in the Alliance should admire and consider adopting.”

Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, reported:

“Most Allied politicians are too diplomatic to openly express a preference between the two candidates. Privately, councillors like Kaine are hopeful of a more nuanced relationship with Winters, who lacks the hawkish rhetoric of Hudson. However, others believe that Archer’s focus on military spending and domestic security might prove more practical in the face of the Thargoid invasion.”

The latest voting polls from Federal systems show that Jerome Archer has overtaken Felicia Winters, albeit by a narrow margin. The voting window ends on the 15th, with the results verified by Monday to determine the victor of the 3309 Federal presidential election.

Federal Election: The Imperial Perspective

As the Federation readies itself for a new president, the Empire is preparing for potential changes to its relationship with its historical rival.

Last year Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval severed all official collaboration with the other superpowers, except for limited contributions to Aegis. But this does not mean the Empire is ignoring the potential impact of either Jerome Archer or Felicia Winters becoming the next Federal president.

Senator Denton Patreus remarked on the election during a military parade through the city of Port Isabelle:

“The Federation’s leaders always reinforce their popularity by framing the Empire as the ‘great enemy’. I expect Archer will have those same aggressive tendencies. In truth, I’d prefer to deal with that predictable approach, since Winters is clearly the more cunning and deceitful candidate.”

Princess Aisling Duval was asked her opinion while visiting a xenology seminar hosted by the Achenar Research Council:

“I must admit that Felicia Winters’s style of governance is more appealing, though she should be mindful of her running mate’s influence. But whoever becomes president must break the cycle of hostility between Empire and Federation. My fruitful collaboration with other Aegis delegates, and ACT’s success against the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army, is evidence of how effective inter-superpower cooperation can be.”

The election was also discussed by Cassia Carvalho, political journalist for The Imperial Herald:

“The average Imperial citizen has little interest in the Federation’s internal workings, but anxiety in the Senate is high. With the Thargoid war still raging, the prospect of a new president seeking to stamp their authority on the interstellar stage is a major concern. Conversely, some captains of industry anticipate a new era of trade with a friendlier Federation, if the Emperor can be convinced to rescind her isolationist decree.”

Voting within Federal systems has been running for 24 hours, and polling suggests Felicia Winters holds a slight lead over Jerome Archer. The election will run for another three days.

First Captives Freed from Thargoid Titans

The first humans rescued from the Thargoid motherships have started to arrive, almost all of whom have so far survived extraction.

The highly dangerous task requires using an upgraded pulse wave xeno scanner to detect human life signs on the Titans. The new sub-surface extraction missiles then target and jettison the bio-storage capsules – as the structures are officially designated – which are then recovered using a cargo scoop.

All recovered individuals are being assessed by medical specialists. The tri-superpower agency Aegis released this statement to the media:

“In each case, research teams successfully cracked open the capsules and removed the comatose person. They were suspended within a chemically complex gel, not unlike amniotic fluid, with tubes supplying breathable air and basic nutrients. Between thirty and ninety minutes later, the person wakes.”

“All recovered individuals are currently being kept in strict medical quarantine under military guard. Molecular scans are being conducted to ensure that no traces of Thargoid material remains, and a period of long-term observation now begins.”

Dr Himari Grey, an independent healthcare analyst, was permitted to observe these procedures. As part of a report in The Empirical scientific journal, she noted:

“The former abductees I have seen looked physically healthy, and returned to consciousness easily. Most remembered little about their abduction, though several mentioned an overwhelming urge to ‘escape their ship’ prior to blacking out. Some described being semi-aware of their time in stasis, saying it felt ‘like an extended dream’. Others were in a state of shock or showed signs of psychological trauma – understandably, considering the nightmarish circumstances.”

“The capsules are clearly designed to sustain oxygen-breathing life forms indefinitely, protected both from the vacuum of space and the Thargoids’ ammonia-based environment. But what the aliens intended to use these people for remains unknown.”

Aegis later stated that identities are being logged and will soon be made public, with the hope that families and friends will be able to visit.

Scientists Study Thargoid Barnacle Matrix Sites

Aegis xenologists are focusing their efforts on the mysterious alien growths reported on multiple planets and moons in the Trianguli sector.

These have been designated ‘Thargoid barnacle matrix sites’, due to their resemblance to the barnacles that produce meta-alloys, but are far greater in size and complexity.

Commander Yoselin Aquino described visiting one of these sites to Vox Galactica:

“This wasn’t an easy place to explore, since I had to avoid Revenant drones and the occasional Thargoid scout. Once I did get up close, I found it unsettling as all hell. Each barnacle clump was a mound-like structure over a kilometre across, with several rounded peaks. Spaced around these were weird coral trees, which squeeze out a caustic sap-like stuff and dropped bizarre-looking ‘fruits.”

“What really made me nervous were the spear roots in the middle of the site. They’re made of some toughened substance in a sort of segmented spike, like gigantic skeletal fingers reaching up through the ground. If you ask me, these things are alive in some way. The noises my audio converter picked up made me feel like they were moving, closing around me to drag me down.”

Professor Shamus Madigan, Federal scientific liaison to Aegis, published a project update:

“Barnacle matrix sites emit a significant amount of electromagnetic interference which, coupled with aggressive Thargoid defenders, has prevented a detailed underground analysis. However, Aegis is now devoting extra resources to investigate why these organic structures exist.”

“I can report that geological sensors have detected vibrations resulting from sub-surface activity, with occasional quakes rippling across the ground. This suggests that violent chemical or physical processes are taking place internally. The prevailing theory is that these sites are still not completely formed, but we cannot yet determine their nature or purpose.”

Aegis Produces Sub-Surface Extraction Missiles

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Rescue megaships now stock Aegis’s modified mining tool, designed to extract bio-storage capsules from Thargoid Titans.

The sub-surface extraction missiles went into rapid production following a delivery initiative in the Senlu system. Aegis has confirmed that pilots who transported CMM composites, neofabric insulation and osmium to Springer Gateway can now collect their rewards. Bounty vouchers for all wanted ships destroyed during the past week will also be redeemed at the same location.

Aden Tanner discussed tactics for using the new module:

“These specialised devices are designed to be used alongside the pulse wave xeno scanner, which can now pinpoint human life signs beneath the hull of a Titan. If accurately targeted, an extraction missile should penetrate far enough into the outer hull to jettison the pod-like structures containing captives. Assuming the extraction is successful, these capsules can then be taken onboard via cargo scoop.”

“All pilots who achieve this should deliver recovered capsules to the nearest search and rescue contact. Aegis has provided instructions to medical and military teams standing by at these locations. These personnel will place capsules into high-security quarantine before attempting to revive the occupants.”

“Once again, I remind pilots to outfit their ships to deal with the Maelstroms’ caustic effects, defensive barriers and Thargoid patrols. Deploying the extraction missiles might also trigger counterattacks from the Titans themselves. These are perhaps the most dangerous rescue missions ever attempted. But I am confident that we can bring many of our people home.”

The first wave of ships equipped with sub-surface extraction missiles are already making their initial forays into the Maelstroms.

Deliver Resources for Extraction Missile Manufacture

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Aegis has requested materials to construct sub-surface extraction missiles that recover imprisoned humans from the Titans.

Professor Alba Tesreau, head of Aegis, announced:

“Using blueprints provided by Sirius Corporation, engineering teams have worked around the clock to modify sub-surface displacement munitions. These adaptations enable the projectiles to breach sections of the Titans’ hulls and jettison the bio-storage capsules embedded within.”

“We could spend the next few months in a testing cycle, and ideally that would be the case – but lives are at risk and we can’t be sure how much time our missing have. Therefore, we have approved mass production of these sub-surface extraction missiles. Industrial materials are urgently needed to establish assembly centres, so that we can distribute them as rapidly as possible.”

Princess Aisling Duval, who is coordinating the Empire’s involvement with Aegis, transmitted a personal message:

“My heart goes out to the families and friends of the millions unaccounted for following the Thargoid invasions. But I urge you all to hold onto the hope of seeing your loved ones again. With this breakthrough, we finally have a chance to rescue some of those poor souls. Nobody doubts that this will be dangerous, and yet if this war has proved anything, it’s that we can rise to any challenge when we work together.”

Aegis has requested shipments of CMM composites, neofabric insulation and osmium, to be delivered to Springer Gateway in the Senlu system. To protect transports, bounty vouchers for all wanted ships in the system will be redeemed by the Green Party of Senlu.