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Arissa Retakes the Imperial Throne

Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has attended a public ceremony following her year-long abduction by the Lords of Restoration.

Her proclamation from Trasken Square, standing before millions of Capitol’s citizens and flanked by legions of Imperial Guard, was broadcast across all channels:

“To those who protected the Empire during my enforced absence, I offer my deepest gratitude. My trusted chancellor, senators and security agencies are to be commended.”

“To those who dared to attack Imperial citizens, who dared to impersonate me and mislead my people…who took the lives of my family. Know this: there will be no place to hide from my wrath.”

“And to all citizens who may fear these uncertain times, I vow that your Emperor will lead you into the glorious future that is ours by right.”

Subsequent messages from the Imperial Palace praised ACT and its supporters for their work in freeing Arissa and destroying the NMLA. Princess Aisling Duval was also thanked for her dedication to finding out the truth, although some newsfeeds have noted that Aisling would hold a strong claim on a vacated throne.

Federation Divided by Hudson’s Proposal

President Zachary Hudson’s intention to remove the limit on his term in office has caused a deep rift among congressmen and voters alike.

Political correspondent Sofia Trevino analysed the situation in The Federal Times:

“Ever since the 77th amendment to the Federal Accord was ratified in 2594, no president has remained in office for longer than eight years. This is why the Hudson Contravention, as Congress officially refers to it, has turned up the heat on the simmering political division within the Federation.”

“Members of the Cabinet and other leading Republicans have argued passionately that only Zachary Hudson has the experience and fortitude to guide the Federation through this eventful period in history. His supporters point to successes such as curtailing the secession crisis, ending the NMLA threat and introducing greater security via the Proactive Detection Bureau.”

“However, others insist that repealing this amendment could pave the way from democracy to dictatorship. Two former presidents – Antonia Madison and Jasmina Halsey – have publicly condemned the Hudson Contravention as unconstitutional and dangerous.”

“There are expectations that Shadow President Felicia Winters will move for a vote of no confidence. Political analysts suspect that after several controversial leadership decisions from Hudson last year, he would be unlikely to win over a majority in Congress.”

ACT Exposes the Lords of Restoration

The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit has unveiled a secret cabal of Imperial senators who masterminded the NMLA’s terrorist activity.

The information was obtained after ACT successfully penetrated the NMLA’s dark-comms network. Captain Saskia Landau provided this summary to the media:

“Senators Gereon, Jourdain, Nerva, Scordato and Torquatus were at the heart of a powerful conspiracy to permanently remove the position of Emperor. They called themselves the Lords of Restoration, based on their aim to restore executive power to the Senate.”

“The NMLA became their terroristic agents, weaponised to assassinate the Duvals and other obstacles. Its members were militarised at Darkwater training camps and provided with sophisticated equipment by corrupt Imperial Intelligence agents. But the Lords could never fully control the terrorist figurehead Theta Seven, whose attacks against non-Imperial starports were not part of their original plan.”

“Marlinism was also exploited as a political lever. The hope was that, compared to this democratic ideology, citizens would view a senator-led Empire as a moderate compromise once the Imperial Family was gone. While this led to the establishment of the Marlinist Colonies, the Lords’ later attempts to influence those systems via puppet politicians did not succeed.”

“Following the assassinations of Prince Harold and other Duvals, the Lords abducted Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval in January 3307. She was kidnapped en route to a secure location, with Senator Nerva falsifying confirmation of her safe arrival. This allowed the Lords to engineer communications with the Senate via a virtual doppelganger, which were accepted as genuine since they were verified by Imperial Intelligence agents.”

ACT is working closely with Imperial security agencies to identify all those who collaborated with the Lords of Restoration.

Arissa Rescued from Year-Long Captivity

Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has been found alive after being secretly imprisoned by the private military firm Darkwater Inc.

The Imperial Herald published a special report on recent events:

“The absence of the Emperor from public life for over a year has prompted much speculation. The Senate claimed that she was being kept safe from assassination attempts by the NMLA, and that they remained in contact with her.”

“In truth, she was being held captive by the NMLA’s secret benefactors. This group of Imperial senators referred to themselves as the Lords of Restoration. They were revealed only after ACT recruited independent pilots to help decipher the terrorists’ dark-comms network.”

“Chancellor Blaine immediately ordered the Imperial Guard into battle against Darkwater soldiers. A ship fleeing from the Summerland system was intercepted, aboard which was a cryogenic pod containing the Emperor herself. She was swiftly returned to Capitol, and is currently under the care of the Imperial Palace medical team.”

“The IISS has launched a security operation based on ACT’s information. This reveals that groups within the Senate, Darkwater and Imperial Intelligence formed a long-running conspiracy to fund and empower the NMLA. Senators Alberto Gereon, Karl Nerva, Ursula Torquatus and several others have been placed under arrest.”

“ACT has stated that it will provide additional information soon.”

Help Needed to Crack the NMLA’s Network

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit has launched an effort to locate and decipher the NMLA’s dark-comms network.

The request was sent by Captain Saskia Landau, one of ACT’s co-leaders:

“ACT is working to gain access to the Omega Grid version that was provided to the NMLA by its mysterious benefactors. Most of our agents seconded from the IISS have been recalled, and some Senate leaders are blocking our progress. Therefore, we urgently need support from independent pilots, which will contribute to our wider efforts to decrypt the network.”

“To begin with, we have triangulated the possible location of an Omega Grid beacon somewhere within the HIP 290 system. If it can be found, this will validate our strategy and quickly lead to further discoveries.”

“Messages relayed across this network are likely to be encrypted. Our analysts have put together a partial cipher key from other data. Any files recovered from the beacon may help with deducing the rest of the cipher.”

“If the beacon in the HIP 290 system is found, any pilot who scans it can expect further instruction on subsequent days.”

The partial cipher key is as follows:

A = H

B = G

C = J

E = L

F = K

L = Q

M = T

O = V

P = U

Q = X

S = Z

T = Y

U = B

V = A

W = D

ACT Defies Imperial Decree

The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit is actively investigating Imperial Intelligence, despite the Senate ordering it to cease operations.

Inspector Mara Klatt, one of ACT’s co-leaders, told the media:

“We are convinced that elements within Imperial Intelligence provided support to the NMLA. Our view is that a modified version of the Omega Grid software was supplied to the terrorists, allowing them to build their own dark-comms network. Thanks to Captain Saskia Landau’s inside knowledge, we are learning how to detect a unique identifier associated with the network employed by the NMLA.”

“Our actions may have political repercussions, but this taskforce is dedicated to finding and destroying the NMLA. We must follow the trail wherever it leads.”

Civil and military leaders in the Empire have reacted with outrage, including Senator Zemina Torval:

“Are we expected to risk our citizens’ lives by letting our security services be compromised? How might the Alliance or Federation respond if we attempted to hack into Interpol or the FIA?”

However, a plea for cooperation was made by Princess Aisling Duval:

“If nefarious groups within our Empire have helped the NMLA, we must uncover the truth. I firmly believe that the Emperor herself remains in danger, and ACT might help us to learn her fate.”

Arissa Addresses the Empire

The Imperial Senate has shared a personal message from Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval, who has been in a secure location for nearly a year.

The brief statement was broadcast on all public channels:

“Citizens of the Empire, be assured that your Emperor is alive and well. I regret that my temporary seclusion has lasted for so long, but I have remained in contact with the Senate during this time.”

“I was advised to depart from Capitol when Imperial Intelligence warned me about a legitimate NMLA assassination attempt, and of Marlinist sympathisers within the highest levels of our government. Once the work of this loyal agency is complete, I will continue my work in leading us toward a prosperous future.”

Eye on Achenar reported that this address was “welcomed by a relieved Empire”, adding that it was vital to “root out all Marlinist traitors”. The Imperial Herald noted that the Emperor seemed to absolve Imperial Intelligence of the allegations that it was secretly enabling the NMLA.

However, a caution was sounded by Princess Aisling Duval:

“Arissa has communicated with the Senate in the same manner for months, so this changes nothing. Only a public appearance will alleviate my concerns regarding her wellbeing. I would be delighted to host a suitable event if she will accept my invitation to attend in person.”

Federal Government Plans for the Future

President Zachary Hudson has delivered a speech to Congress on maintaining security for the Federation in the coming years.

Excerpts from his address include the following:

“In the last year, we have excelled at protecting Federal citizens from harm. The Proactive Detection Bureau proved its worth in locating terrorists before they could strike, and our security services played an instrumental role in the NMLA’s defeat.”

“3308 is already bringing many challenges. The war against the Thargoids could escalate at any time, and we face the challenge of replacing Aegis with our own anti-xeno taskforce. We are also deeply concerned about increased infighting within the Alliance and Empire, which could easily spill over into our territory.”

“My administration is holding high-level discussions about how best to keep the Federation strong and secure. We will soon make some brave proposals to continue meeting our people’s constitutional right to safety.”

Shadow President Felicia Winters delivered this rebuttal:

“President Hudson fails to mention his disastrous attempt to capture Yuri Grom, his former fleet admiral’s criminal conviction for destroying Starship One, or that his surveillance laws forced several systems to declare independence. I would argue that under his leadership, the Federation has never been weaker or less secure.”