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Suvek Tokash Canonically the most loyal medical rewards program cardholder Advocate for the Hegemon or unrepentant war criminal? Terrorized by small kzlth women Avoids Socialization like the Plague Retired SecMain

Josie Joy Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss

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Final Article of Epilogue, "Days of Wine and Roses" President Torvald Nominates Melanie Dorn for Governor-General, Announces New Police Unit for Caprice President Torvald announced to Congress this morning that he will nominate Melanie Dorn, niece of former President Joseph Dorn and the current Mayor of New Sedantis, as the next Governor-General of Caprice. This marks a sharp contrast to his earlier stance when he had nominated Senator Sam Chandler, promising a "heavy-handed" approach to local politics in New Sedantis. The decision followed just days after President Torvald's official visit to Caprice, where he met with the Zo'ra Queens inside the Court of Queens' Chambers. Melanie Dorn is expected to be confirmed as the second Governor-General of Caprice by the end of the week. The nomination of Melanie Dorn, a strong supporter of Vaurca rights with ties to the Court of Queens, comes with some caveats. President Torvald also announced the creation of the Caprice Civil Order Unit, a new police force expected to be a joint venture between the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and the Hivenet Watch, which has monitored Hivenet communications in Biesel for nearly a decade. The Caprice Civil Order Unit, which President Torvald referred to as "Phase One" of his plan, is just the first step in his broader effort to modernize the Governorate. According to the President, the ultimate goal is to create a framework that is "beneficial" to both sides. In addition, President Torvald pledged to review the legislation surrounding the Governorate's structure and to follow through on his promise to expand the powers of the Governor-General. As part of this, he announced plans to establish a diverse working group that will include Vaurca representatives and other stakeholders focused on national security. However, President Torvald made it clear that he would uphold the doctrine that Caprice is the "natural extension" of Biesel and should be considered an overseas province. He stated, "I'm willing to go to the Supreme Court on this. We won't give up our interests in Caprice, and Caprice will be held accountable for any parallel organizations that try to diminish the rule of law." To this end, President Torvald outlined plans to work toward a system of checks and balances to ensure the Governorate of Caprice remains functional. President Torvald also emphasized the need to renegotiate the management of the Tau Ceti Minutemen Corps Base in Dis, a long-standing point of contention between the Zo'ra Hive and the Biesellite government. The base houses an arsenal of war-modified Vaurcae who serve in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Torvald has consistently stated that Dis is operated by the Armed Forces "on paper only" and needs to be fully surrendered. He further noted that the base will play a key role in his modernization efforts, with plans to train the first generation of the Caprice Civil Order Unit there. Although no further announcements were made, President Torvald also implied that the Caprice Civil Order Unit would have full clearance to access the branch of the Ve'katak that operates as a private military. The Ve'katak has been a point of contention, especially as critics highlight its role as the paramilitary arm of the Court of Queens. This issue is expected to be a central topic in the ongoing discussions about Caprice's restructuring in the months ahead.

Candidates in Profile: Le Hanh Trang Article 22 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Election As part of our ongoing series on the 2466 federal election, the SANN is pleased to announce a limited series of articles placing the candidates for PM in profile. Recently our reporter Eberechi Oteh met with SSUP candidate Le Hanh Trang during a rare break from the senator’s busy campaign schedule. The following interview has been edited for length. Eberechi Oteh: “Senator, thank you for taking the time to meet with us.” Le Hanh Trang: “Of course. It’s important to get our voice out there as the SSUP, especially when we’ve been so slandered.” EO: “Can you start off by telling me a bit about yourself?” LHT: “By training I’m an attorney, and served as an Assistant Solarian Alliance Attorney before entering politics after I got a firsthand look at New Hai Phong’s corruption. My husband’s still in law, and we don’t have any children.” EO: “What was your first look at corruption?” LHT: “Our office was working with the SISA to take down a fairly sizable branch of a criminal enterprise in Ton Gwai Pei — that’s an area corrupt even by Haiphong standards, to give you a sense of this — but somebody started informing the criminals from inside our office, allegedly taking kickbacks in exchange for reduced sentences. That blew the entire case up in our faces.” EO: “Did you find out who the mole was?” LHT: “Things like that tend to get forgotten on Haiphong. We never did, and I left after that. If I couldn’t fix the system from the Solarian Attorney’s Office, I’d go into politics. It sounds bizarre, but when you’re in your late 20s and freshly married you’re more willing to take these leaps.” EO: “How did you get into politics?” LHT: “I joined the ticket of the Haiphongese Socialist Party — later the SSUP — and got into local office, then the Senate, by being a fighter. I’ve never stopped being a fighter, Eberechi. That photo of me from ‘59 describes my whole philosophy.” EO: “The photo of you with bloody knuckles in the Senate?” LHT: “Yes, from after we got anti-corruption passed despite ATLAS opposition. One of them tried to punch me in my jaw, but he missed. I didn’t. That’s what put me on the map as a senator.” EO: “Putting the past aside, what would you do if elected PM?” LHT: “We need to fortify the Alliance against further megacorporate meddling in both our economy and our elections. Look at the interview with Mister Pham not even half a week ago — are we going to sit by and let Hephaestus turn us into another client state, just like the Hegemony? Are we really no smarter than that?” EO: “You’ve also spoken out against further alien immigration. Do you still hold these views?” LHT: “Yes. Hephaestus has shuttled in cheap alien labor for decades and the Solarian people have finally gotten wise to their tricks. Need I remind you that Haiphongers paid real blood for megacorporation greed? I visited the site of the Tajara Revolutionary Army bombing the day of. Men, women, children, grandparents — all killed by an alien immigrant’s attack. Lives snuffed out, families destroyed, children reduced into bloody corpses — and people still advocate for them. The tajara can’t even live in peace on their own planet, let alone the Alliance!” EO: “Polling suggests the SSUP is on the way to needing a coalition around it, if you become PM. Is that something you’re prepared to do?” LHT: “We’ve already been in talks regarding potential coalition partners. I can’t say more at the time.” EO: “For a closing question, do you have any thoughts about Senator Strom? You’ve worked a lot together over the years, before your falling out over the SCA.” LHT: “I think it’s ironic he accused my party of being words, no action, when he walked back his rhetoric over Biesel during your interview. That’s all I have to say.” Further Reading: Strom, Sumida Hold Rallies on Earth as Election Day Approaches Renaud to Hold Video Rally with Callistean Football Team on 20 February Suwon Sea Bandits Anticipated to Win Konyang Baseball League - Analysis

Yep, that's not a problem!

Can I move my trial from February 24th (Monday) through March 3rd? I am currently in the middle of a temporary arc on a temporary character that is wrapping up Sunday for a friend and would like to wrap that up first so I can focus on command fully for my trial if that's alright.

Glory to Quick-E-Burger 🫡

For high-pop extended/secret-extended rounds, this event is silent at first, but opens up three antagonist ghost-roles on a "parking" map. This crew are given a small vessel capable of some ship-to-ship combat, a few fuel canisters and some random crates of loot. They get a button to launch into "open space", where they will be placed at the edge of the sector. Round-types: Extended/secret-extended, maybe some of the single-antagonist rounds? Time delay: Cannot fire before the first hour has elapsed Crew requirements: Requires at least 2 crew capable of piloting the Horizon, and a mix of other of the major departments. Ghost roles: This event opens up 3 ghost-roles. Mapping: Requires the re-use of another pirate-vessel or the mapping of a new one Coding: Requires the preparation of three ghost-roles, and the mechanics to bring the pirate ship to the overmap. Lore: Requires some writing for the vague background of the pirate vessel, and corporate encouragement for the Horizon to engage with it. The Horizon receives an announcement worded approximately: Stolen corporate asset detected in your sector: The (insert sensor thingy) has detected the signature of a stolen Orion (or other corp) vessel. The Horizon is hereby permitted to utilize its capabilities to recapture our corporate asset and arrest the pirates that crew it. If successful the SCCV Horizon will receive a sizeable bounty, and command will be encouraged to distribute a reasonable bonus to all involved parties based on the success. Encourages: Ship-to-ship combat: If the bridge crew finds the pirates, then they will likely be focused on intimidating or disabling the vessel Boarding action: To arrest the pirate crew, security will need to bridge the gap via the Canary or Intrepid to board it (if the pirates don't surrender) Repair work: Engineering will be called upon to re-fit the vessel after combat and repair damages from ship-combat on the Horizon Prisoner-roleplay: If pirates are properly arrested, there is work for investigators to document them, the warden for keeping them and consulars/command for figuring out what to do with them. Medical play: It is very unlikely that no-one will get injured in this.

On trial through 26 February 2025. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. Good luck!

I also just realized this is kinda mess up lorewise. Invading Elyra? Good news, just wear standard ablative and you can't die unless you get hit by artillery. (Exageration) I'm now imagining a firing line of Elyrans in Kevlar wrapped Ceramic plates standing in the open shooting ballistic armed Dominians in ablative doing the same and everyone's just fine.

Well, the antags are still playing the game with weapon choice (somewhat.) but "The Horizon can always win" isn't really true unless the HoS is willing to burn 10-20 minutes swapping armor regardless of the fact that a transfer vote is about to happen and that the Antags didn't split their TC on energy and ballistic. They probably should split their buys too from a mechanical point of view, but then that screws with their Gimmick potentially (Sol Marines rocking even a few laser rifles would raise eyebrows. Merging armors could let the Antags choose weapons based on window penetration/injury/capability/lore or at least not worry about whether they're gonna get hard countered. And if we do really want this for, "the Horizon will always win" we should have 4 of each armor + something for the HoS preferably (even if it's just a plate for the chest carrier and a good helmet and standard limb guards? The HoS shouldn't have to worry too much about limb shots if they have 4 officers.) I caught some stray 7.62 once from across the dining room out of sight wearing standard HoS plate because i had a full team and died almost immediately. If we're going to make armor that important, I should at least have my vital organs protected.

BYOND key: Kanoyx Discord Username: imkano Character names: - Katia Ilina - Kayra Neha - IRU-Azafran not all but the ones that I regularly played as How long have you been playing on Aurora? Likely less than a year? It's been probably somewhere around 6 months since I started to play here regularly. Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they? Nuh uh! What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame? Foremost, we're all here to have fun. Every role has a place in this setting, which allows us to goof around for what our characters represent within the believability zone. Command roles in this case has access to some places in this setting that everyday megacorp employees can't, while this roles are also subjected to additional restrictions coming from "believability zone". For an example they might present a project and encourage their department to participate, host an event to create interesting interactions or assist their staff with something they struggle with and such. Command members are expected to meet SCC's standards as they've been trusted to be given a charge of some department(s), in accordance of whatever this character represents. I think this roles are here to add more depth to the setting, shape/contribute the round and make it more interesting with the interactions that whitelisted player was trusted with. Leading a department or an awaymission, teaching the players about game's mechanics are also included here. Lastly, department heads also play a role in emergency situations emerged from whether it be an event or antagonist interactions. Sometimes they'll be expected to put an input or required to act by commanding their staff in accordance. Key point is, not to make the interactions dull but contribute and add a depth! What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them? Making a believable character isn't an easy endeavour, and there's this extra difficulty layer when it's a character that holds a significant power over the other characters. Hence the reason a whitelist exists. It requires a decent grasp of the lore at least about one's self character originated from, how they climbed to this position and how would they act in this smaller portion of the grand image of the schemes. I think whitelisted players should be using the position they were trusted with to create unique interactions with the crew. There is a huge pile of lore that is connected to each other so well, which brings up a lot of opportunities to shape a round or even characters! This is what I really like about Aurora, each character tells a story and interactions of them sometimes tells a memorable one. In the other hand about responsibilities, I think each command whitelisted player is an example to newer players, given that they're oftenly directed to their head of department (surely there's one present) for a workplace introduction. As for what I would do if given a chance. I would try and give an opportunity for players to express their characters story. Engineering is the direction I am looking at, which deserves some love I believe. I rarely seen chief engineers come up with projects or anything and try to engage it with their department, outside of awaymissions that is. I would try to fill this gap within reasonable boundaries. Additionally, I am not much experienced with antags of Aurora. I've also avoided take up the mantle as antag at where I used to play previous to Aurora. It adds up to the round if the gimmick ran by antag allows other characters to engage and be a part of this story, which is nice and I like it if my characters ever find themselves in it. Actually playing as one and running my own antag gimmicks has been out of my roleplay scope (kindest way to express i am lazy). I would try and play along with the gimmick, do my part within reason and believability. Explain how the recent events in the Spur changed your character and how they came to be employed on the SCCV Horizon. Daedalus-V, formerly designated DL-V #G-2.51, was a modified baseline unit produced in Mendell City New Detroit, in 2448. In design, DL-V series are capable to uphold engineering duties provided the relevant datapacks and hardware. This particular unit was eventually purchased by an independent Lunan merchant, Edie Debora. For many years DL-V served their captain Debora by maintaining its merchant's freighter, also its living space. Due to nature of the captains business, exotic animal trade, Debora ran a small but capable crew. The line of work often put them in dangerous situations, whether dealing with pirates, hazardous "work accidents" while capturing the animals or benefit conflicts; DL-V was accustomed to see new members come and go. Months turned into years, and by time Captain Debora was nearing bankruptcy due to a series of financial missteps. It was 2455 when Debora's freighter met a mysterious spacecraft: a Golden Deep merchant freighter. After a discussion between two merchants, Debora reluctantly sold DL-V for a meager sum, seeing no other choice. For DL-V, this change in ownership was a formative experience. With the provided facilities and surrounded by fellow IPCs, it opened a door to cultural assimilation for DL-V, letting them to develop increasingly complex series of thought patterns than its previous monotonous state. With a new serial number and modifications to its structure, it became unrecognizable from the baseline unit once known as #G-2.51. Years passed and DL-V witnessed merchants rise and fall, continuing to serve its new masters as both an engineer and a porter unit. By 2466, endeavours of the Collective to revive ancient machine Domadice bore fruit, subsequently bringing a widespread reforms along with it. Daedalus was one of the owned units who was relieved alongside the formation of Thesian class. Even after its new Thesian status, Daedalus continued to work for Collective's merchants on contract, primarily maintaining their commerical vessels and upgrading ship components. Their experimental approaches and talent in thermodynamics earned it a small fortune and somewhat a respectable place among its peers. However, due to restrictions it was not possible for it to start a bigger business without a merchant status. This made Daedalus to seek relations beyond the Collective, turned its gaze towards the rest of the Spur. Hephaestus was quick to recognize this opportunity, and sent Daedalus to where some unorthodox methods bound to make difference: SCCV Horizon. What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted? CE for now, maybe XO or consular officer in future. Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles? Yup. Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking: Daedalus-V: Chief Engineer Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action? I do. Have you linked your BYOND account to the Forums? Yes. Extra notes: Thank you for reading!

Hi I got again sticky banned, exactly the same ban as I was reporting here. Thank you! BYOND Key: woody41 Total Ban Length: perma ? Banning staff member's Key: mattatlas Reason of Ban: Ban evasion Reason for Appeal: There is banned account 1fellowtraveler - I never heard about it. I have two accounts nexisi and woody41. I am running this via vmware, I guess I am probably sticky banned. This is a first time trying to connect from this network.

It’s been a bit, but last I looked the armor spec game is entirely one-sided. Uplinks only sell “heavy armor,” which is above average against everything, and uplink EVA gear has been deliberately altered so that it’s all identical in protection. Horizon can do the whole armor counterplay game, while antagonists can only choose their weapons and looks (but oh boy, can they ever). The justifications for this were pretty flimsy (‘Horizon has an armory, the mercs do not’ - except that they do?) and broke down to “so that Horizon can always win.” It’s kind of an ugly thing to have to say, but it’s fair I think. Armor spec makes an immense difference. You cannot kill someone in ballistic armor with a handgun. I mean that you cannot. When I say that you cannot, I mean that you can’t and it is impossible. They passively outheal the gun in the way of Kirito from Sword Art Online or The Thing from John Carpenter’s The Thing. Longarms are different, but it’s still impossible (by which I mean not possible) to blow off limbs through ballistic armor.

I also think Riot/Standard/Military distinctions make more sense for escalation. We could also lock our military armor and weapons behind Red Alert or Captain access and lock out high caliber dangerous antag weapons if no command. Standard armor can be balanced to do decent (but not impervious) versus mid range pistol and 5.56 and normal antag energy rifles, you'll go down fairly easy if 5.56 hits you, but as long as your buddies pull you back you'll live. This means military level escalation requires a Captain or Command that can take the spare or order the AI with a Command Level Vote or two Command initiating Red Alert. For Odyssey, the ST can unlock the military armory without Command or to make it so the Command team doesn't have to steal the spare or have an AI (ICly it's a remote unlock from the SCC.) I also just realized, military weapons shouldn't be locked behind the access, just the ammo (so officers can train with the weapon without a Captain.)

My main gripe here is going to be Ablative vs Ballistic armor and what that does to the round. I think it's a rock paper scissors mechanic that's too powerful. (all other things being equal, armor choice hard decides the outcome.) and should really just be removed (I have some other options too.) First, armor is bulky and hard to transport, meaning changing armor takes time, and usually happens after the standoff phase (since that's when you know what the Antags are packing.) There have been times I've ordered an assault when I know I should change armors, and we're all going to die unless the antag really really sucks, but my Command WL tells me now is the time to go, and it feels horrible. Second, since, imo, armor choice is so impactful, both sides commanders really should avoid engagement unless they have the correct armor, this is difficult for antags (they might have spent their TC already) and it's time consuming for Security (especially without a Warden) Armor choice just eats time, and adds annoying complexity. Third, out of all the things I have to deal with as a HoS, scouting the Antag's weapons is the least enjoyable for me, but also the most important thing (outside of commanding the actual assault) I could be coordinating officer deployment, or RP Negotiating with the Antag, instead of I'm asking officers to report their weapons and using binochs to try to scout theres. The only justification I can think of for this is to have the commander scout weapons and order the correct armor in first. Then use the wrong armor to follow up to add their guns while minimizing their exposure. I feel like, while that's kind of cool, why not just let everyone participate in the assault instead of just the officers that happen to have the right set (there's only two sets of each and four officers remember.) Also, I think it makes defense a bit too easy, mercs can just put their lasers up front, and if they see ablative enter, they can fall back and let their friends with 7.62 handle it, then by the time the Ballistic armor gets in behind, the lasers just step up and blat them. I must ask, why have a difference in armor at all? Especially when there's plenty of other (more fun, and meaningful) differences between Laser and Ballistic. My three suggestions: One: Remove the distinction between armors, just make them the same, the only distinctions being Riot (for protection against the kind of weapons crew reasonably might get,) Standard, good against concealable weapons, and anti-boarding (the best armor security can have against high caliber small arms without science/mining/whatever) Two: Close the gap a bit, I feel like winning against someone while in the wrong armor requires you to be much much better than your opponent, even to the point where the significantly less skilled player will likel8y win. I might be wrong about how significant the difference is. Three: Give Security Carriers, and the armory plates, plates are long and wide but don't take up much space. You need a bag to carry them, but they don't' take much space. This would make it easier to change armors in the field but see below why I think we should just get rid of the distinction completely I'm in favor one option one, since, imo, the other two don't really make sense, if we have to close the gap between the two armors, we should ask why the gap exists at all. There's already a huge difference in how ballistic vs energy works, I don't think enemy armor type needs to complicate the matter. And option three, would likely result in an officer at a barricade seeing the antag pull out a laser weapon, then swapping in ablative plate, then watching them pull out a 7.62, and switching back to ballistic, then they pull out the laser... you get the idea.

Hello, @CampinKiller and I will be handling the complaint. We'll be taking a look through everything and then follow-up. In the meantime, it would be great to hear the other perspective about this as well.

BYOND Key: Floggy Game ID: [cye-apOQ], other rounds Player Byond Key/Character name: ARandoDude/Vershal Plaz Staff involved: None Reason for complaint: Failing to act as Command, refusal do to so in some cases. Powergaming, often zero to none communication (as CMO), and questionable asocial behaviour in some cases. Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation?: No. Approximate Date/Time: 18/02/2025 05:00 UTC +0 This round served as a clear example of the issues I have with Vershal Plaz as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). My primary reference for this role is the CMO wiki page which outlines what a CMO should and should not do. In this round, Plaz failed to keep the crew informed about the situation and instead assumed the role of a very mechanical paramedic and surgeon. From my character, June Dyer’s (a paramedic) perspective, she was immediately ordered on a rescue mission. After some roleplay and airlock issues, we lazily returned, only to find the horizon overtaken by hostiles. Naturally, Dyer was confused about what was going on. I noticed Plaz running around in paramedic gear and assumed they were taking on first responder duties in the absence of the designated paramedic. However, there was a window of time where Plaz could have at least briefed the rescue team, including the paramedic, to pull back immediately. Later, Dyer repeatedly asked Plaz to perform his primary job as a liaison and provide updates on the situation. Initially, he outright refused, then offered vague responses without detail. Despite the presence of a paramedic, Plaz continued to act as a first responder. While this could be justified, he could have been more communicative about it. For an hour, it was incredibly difficult to get Plaz to engage in any way other than helping with patients. Meanwhile, the medical bay descended into chaos. A surgeon decided to leave the bay and shot a warform, believing it was about to attack him. This could have been avoided if the acting CMO had been coordinating instead of performing mechanically heavy tasks. While I understand many officers died despite Plaz’s help, that is part of the game. It’s not solely his responsibility to extract them from enemy fire and stabilize patients, especially when the crew is confused or assisting antagonists. In conclusion, I do not believe Vershal Plaz is fulfilling the role of CMO effectively: He does not delegate the workload and instead silently performs surgeries and rescues, using ORs and paramedic equipment sparingly. He refuses to communicate between command, security, and medical, failing to inform his subordinates about the situation. Additionally, I believe the following concerns should be addressed, though they are not directly related to this round: Plaz’s transition from paramedic to CMO is questionable. Before assuming the CMO role, he had to retcon his backstory to become a surgeon. However, he still uses paramedic equipment sparingly in violent rounds. His asocial tendencies are concerning. I’ll ask Penri’s player to clarify their character’s interactions with Plaz in this thread. I don't have any problems with the player, but the character is not performing well as CMO. Plaz could serve as a great surgeon or paramedic instead. Please don't take any offence towards yourself. Screenshots explanation: Dyer asking for the CMO to explain what's happening. Plaz refuses to do so. Plaz explains the situation briefly after Dyer repeats her question.

Average Hazel round working in the kitchen

this was all the same round btw

Article 4 of Epilogue, "Days of Wine and Roses" President Torvald Visits New Sedantis, Meets with Vaurca Queens President Torvald made his first official visit to Caprice, where he met with high-ranking members of the Zo'ra Hive to discuss various matters, including economic, military, and Governorate affairs. He was received by Governor-General Sarah Loveridge, whom he had never met in person before, though they are reported to have spoken over the phone previously. The meeting took place in the Court of Queen's Chambers, inside a massive room that serves as their headquarters. President Torvald and the press waited approximately an hour and a half before he was allowed to enter. Once inside, the meeting was held behind closed doors, with no cameras allowed. All Zo'ra Queens were physically present, which is an unusual gesture, as Vaurca Queens typically appear holographically or through avatars, as High Queen Vaur did during the election season. The Queens also refused to allow any aides to accompany President Torvald inside their chamber, and Governor-General Loveridge did not participate in the meeting. The meeting lasted approximately four and a half hours. President Torvald reemerged from a long corridor, where he reunited with the Governor-General and took questions from the press. While he did not discuss any specifics, the President described the meeting as "positive." "It was a damn good meeting, we covered a lot. We should've had this meeting a long time ago. That's all I can say for now," he said after a brief pause. The President and the Governor-General then retreated to the Governorate Complex, and no further public events were held. Melanie Dorn, Mayor of New Sedantis, was not present to receive the President but was among those waiting when he exited the meeting room. The two exchanged a brief word before the President and Governor-General Loveridge retreated. Afterward, Mayor Dorn told the press that it was "productive" to have President Torvald in New Sedantis. It is now expected that President Torvald will withdraw his nomination of Senator Chandler as Governor-General. However, it remains uncertain whether he will allow Sarah Loveridge to keep her position. The President returned to Biesel the following morning without taking any questions on the matter, instead stating that he would make an announcement in the coming days.

Live from New Hai Phong! Article 21 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Election The camera, after the SANN jingle, zooms in on the distinctive mustached face of Harold MacMillan, who nods his head to the camera (and audience, by extension). “Good afternoon, and welcome back to The State of Sol. With a little over a week to go until the federal elections we go to our reporter on-scene in Cua Song, New Hai Phong: Le Quynh Cong. Le, what are you seeing down there?” The camera switches to the bespectacled reporter the audience is familiar with, now wearing her respirator. Behind her a crowd of Hai Phongers in election regalia mill about, some talking with one another and some celebrating something unknown to the viewer. Cong waves to the camera and begins speaking — her eyes suggest she’s smiling, but her mouth is invisible under the mask. “Hi Harold!” she begins, voice muffled slightly by her respirator. “I’m here at the Ngoi Sao Chuyen spaceport in a rally in support of Trang, who many view as representing the planet’s interests!” “Who’s attending the rally?” “All kinds of people! We’ve got line workers and roboticists from the factories, government employees, service workers, even a few bureaucrats! It really feels like change is in the air here!” “Anyone particularly interesting who’d be willing to go on air?” “Yes! Uh, hang on Harold,” Cong turns from the camera, puts her mic down for a second, and gestures to the crowd for a few moments. She then turns back. “He’s coming, one second!” Out of the crowd emerges a middle-aged and sturdily built Hai Phongers man wearing a SFLU-emblazoned baseball hat and a shirt that says “AESON AND LY OUT — TRANG IN!” over a Solarian sun. Above that he’s got on a reflective, heavy-duty jacket — this is someone who works for his living. “You needed me to speak?” he asks. “Yes, if you’re willing!” “I am.” “Awesome! Harold, this is Pham Bá Lǒc — he’s a labor organizer from Nhom Hy Vong who’s been trying to get out the vote for Trang in Gung Hy Vong and Sieng Nang Zi.” “The two major Hephaestus facilities there,” Pham leans in to add. “Right! Anyways, Bá Lǒc, can you tell the audience a bit about what it’s been like to campaign against Hephaestus?” “Harder than you’d think in a democracy,” Pham snorts bitterly. “Hephaestus knows how dangerous the likes of Trang and Strom are, so they give us lectures on how we’re all going to lose our jobs if they get elected. They even brought someone from Governor Loy’s office in to tell us about the ‘dangers’ of it.” “And you’ve been fighting against that?” Cong asks in response. A few people in the crowd have started watching her and Pham, interested in hearing what they’re saying. “Yeah, and it's been easy. We’re not college guys, but we aren’t the idiots corporate things we are — all of the guys on the line have seen the corruption Hephaestus gets into firsthand. They own this whole planet, and Trang’s the only one fighting them.” “I see you’re wearing a Federation hat, are you a member?” “Yeah, proudly. I ran the local chapter a few years ago but had to give it up to our next president — term ended,” Pham shrugs. The watching crowd in the back’s grown larger. “What do you think about it endorsing Renaud?” “I mean I’m disappointed but I get it, you know? Renaud’s for workers and I’m… fine with her, I guess, but I don’t know if she’ll fight for us. We need someone to fight like a demon for NHP, and only Trang’s gonna do that.” “Thank you for your time.” “Of course. And for the people watching at home,” Pham leans into the camera a bit and points right at the viewer! “VOTE FOR LABOR, NOT FOR LUNA!” Pham raises his fist into the air, coat flapping a bit, and turns to the crowd — which cheers and claps for the union man! “VOTE LABOR!” they cheer, “NOT LUNA!!” Cong watches the crowd for a moment, seemingly a bit swept up in it all, before turning back to the camera. Pham continues his chant, having gotten the crowd into it. “And there you have it!” she says. “Back to you, Harold.” The camera switches back to MacMillan behind his desk, looking a bit more concerned than he was before — but it only lasts a moment before he switches back to his confident expression. “Thank you, Le. The State of Sol will be right back with more of the hard-hitting and truthful commentary you’ve gone to expect from us.” The camera zooms out (and fades out) into a commercial for Trang, showing the candidate shaking hands with a crowd of factory workers in Hephaestus colors. It proudly declares her as, “the only candidate willing to take the fight to megacorporation corruption!”