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Article 2 of Trouble in Paradise Miranda Steps In; Promises Resolution In an announcement this morning, Miranda Trasen publicly addressed the news of a legal dispute between Zavodskoi Interstellar and Hephaestus Industries that came to the shock of many yesterday. In the statement, Miranda Trasen emphasized the unity of the megacorporations and likened the internal structure of the Chainlink to that of a family. Her full statement can be found here; “While I understand the shock at the actions of Hephaestus and Zavodskoi, it seems to me that many are blowing it out of proportion into something bigger than it actually is. The Conglomorate is a family, and what family doesn’t have squabbles from time to time? Our Internal Affairs will be investigating all the accusations made by both parties and help them come to a resolution. There is nothing to be worried about.” Despite this, the Tau Ceti Times have received reports from megacorporate whistleblowers of Zavodskoi and Hephaestus employees starting physical altercations aboard SCC installations, including several incidents where severe injuries were reported. Two videos have also surfaced this morning where Zavodskoi Interstellar security contractors were recorded harassing and aggressively handling a group of commuting Hephaestus employees utilising Mendell City’s Mendell Metro. Zavodskoi has rejected this video as a fake. Zavodskoi has further brought more serious allegations against Hephaestus today, raising a complaint over power outages at their facilities across Biesel, including several private prisons, and has accused Hephaestus of instructing their powergrid contractors to withhold supply to Zavodskoi assets. It is unclear if any of these allegations or testimonies are true, or if they will continue to escalate; however we will keep our readers updated.

Article 1 of Trouble in Paradise Strife in the SCC; Aeson accuses Zavodskoi of Corporate Espionage, Zavodskoi accuses Hephaestus of Market Manipulation. Earlier today, the first meeting of the year between the CEOs of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s constituent corporations took place. What was supposed to be a smooth meeting instead saw years of tensions boil over into what was described as a shouting match between Hephaestus Industries’ Titanitus Aeson and Zavodskoi Interstellar’s Lyudmilla Zavodskoi. This afternoon, it escalated to legal action. The two companies have long been rivals, even under the umbrella of the SCC, and have never gotten along, however it has not been this hostile since before the turn of the century. During the meeting, Aeson reportedly accused Zavodskoi of corporate espionage, alongside intentionally disrupting Hephaestus’ operations through the use of third party proxies, such as privateers. Zavodskoi have denied all allegations; however Aeson was reported to have continued to press and demand the Conglomerate do something about Zavodskoi’s actions, as they went against the tenets of the Conglomerate. Tempers rose rapidly and soon the entire meeting was derailed, ending with Lyudmilla and Aeson shouting at each other across a table, with none of the other megacorporate CEOs present able to calm them. It appears as though this dispute will continue as Hephaestus has officially filed a suit against Zavodskoi for a litany of charges in the Republic of Biesel’s courts much to the shock of megacorporate commentators and other observers who did not expect such a public dispute within the SCC. In response to the allegations, Zavodskoi has also filed a suit against Hephaestus for an equally long list of charges. This public dispute has seen confidence in both corporations fall, reflected in the value of their stocks which fell by 2 points by market close, as well as the confidence of the SCC, as megacorporate correspondents have been quick to characterise this as a failing of Miranda Trasen’s ability to keep the Chainlink together. As of now, we have no further information and are unable to verify the allegations made by either megacorporations. We will keep our readers updated on the situation as it develops.

Lore Impact (Small/Medium/Large): Small/Medium (depending on how much impact you'd consider renaming but not really renaming the planet) Species: Synth, Human Short Description: Give the synthetic planet of Orepit's government an official title by calling it in full "the Ecclesiarchy of Orepit". How will this be reflected on-station?: It will give Orepitters and those other characters talking about Orepit a more formal way to refer to it by. A PR would be created to update the name of the origin and citizenship in code. Does this addition do anything not achieved by what already exists?: Orepit is currently just referred to as "Orepit", which while unique as a planet name, is less interesting than "the Republic of Biesel" or "the Empire of Dominia" (both of which I understand have more importance and recognition than Orepit). Do you understand that the project may change over time in ways you may not foresee once it is handed over to the Lore Team? I understand in full. Long Description: Rename Orepit to "the Ecclesiarchy of Orepit", reflecting ARM-1DRIL as the standing Ecclesiarch and its governor. Orepit is undoubtedly a theocracy, so this adds flavor (and perhaps coolness...) to the planet's title. This is already somewhat reflected in the form of being mentioned as an Ecclesiarchy in the cultural practices section of the Mictlan Trinary Perfection page. Thank you for considering my lore proposal.

Solarian Federation of Labour Unions Endorses Renaud for PM! Article 11 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Elections NEW EDINBURGH, CALLISTO - Earlier today (GST) the SFLU officially moved to endorse SPDP candidate Anastasie Renaud (SEN-CALLISTO) for prime minister. With member unions across the Alliance, the SFLU’s endorsement has been taken by some as a sign Strom’s earlier lead has been faltering as more candidates have established themselves. When asked why the Callisto-based SFLU chose to introduce Renaud its president, Vincent O’Dwyer, provided the SANN with the following statement: “This is a great election for organized labor, maybe the best this century, so it was a tough call for us to choose a candidate. Ultimately though, Renaud’s been fighting for the common Solarian the whole time she’s been in office, and isn’t going to give any corporation an easy time. And if we do give them an easy time? Well, look at Tau Ceti.” Madelyn Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for Renaud’s campaign, provided the SANN with the following statement: “The SFLU’s endorsement proves Solarians understand that Renaud, and the SPDP, represent the best course forward for our great nation. With Renaud as prime minister, the Alliance will rebuild itself and bring about a new, better future for our Spur.” Initial analysis of post-debate polls gathered by the SANN’s political reporters show major gains for Renaud across the Alliance. Currently, major parties are said to be in ongoing talks to schedule a second debate. Further Reading: Fraternal Order of Naval Officers Endorses Sumida Strom Launches “Campaign Stop Blitz” Across Jovian System Trang Visits San Colette in Latest Appeal to Northern Reaches

OPAMATOR Head of Security THEME SONG: We Once Were Gods TRINARY PERFECTIONIST An origin like no other, this IPC was originally built in Sol, on the planet Mars in 2451 before being transported to Tau Ceti to fulfill a contract on the NSS Exodus as a Security Officer, eventually becoming the Warden on the NSS Exodus. Later transferring to the NSS Aurora, through hard-work and determination. This Nano-Trasen owned IPC named Opamator was enabled to become Head of Security, and after several long years working day in and day out. He fell from his pedestal when hackers were able to somehow shut him down, and Nano-Trasen decided to get rid of him. Not until he was bought by a friendly face, Captain Holiday Lynn. By her side, he would gain his freedom, develop an identity of self, find peace in the Trinary Perfection, and make his way back through the ranks on the NSS Aurora to his original position. Not long after the founding of the S.C.C. did Opamator accept an offer to work onboard the SCCV Horizon after its recent return to Tau Ceti. (OTHER ART WORK) (Credit goes to NiennaB for this picture and half credit to the newest picture I made.) 2017 Cosplay IndyPopCon

First Prime Ministerial Debate Held Article 11 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Elections The camera opens on a shot of four people in suits — two men and two women — standing behind podiums on a stage. They stand opposite a man and a woman sitting behind a desk with the SANN’s logo on it. Behind them sits the audience, who clap as the camera pans around the candidates and settles on the two behind the desk. “Candidates, thank you for attending the first election debate in our nation since 2460,” the man begins, with a banner at the bottom of the screen identifying him as Doctor Xing Dai, Professor of Interstellar Affairs, Oxford University. “For the audience watching at home, I’ll restate the rules of our debate. You will be asked a question and given three minutes to answer it. After this time every other candidate may, if they are willing, make a rebuttal, which will be given three minutes as well. You can provide a counter-argument to this after it is made. Doctor Zhu will be presenting your questions. Do you have any comments before we begin?” Silence. “Right,” the woman begins, with a banner at the bottom of the screen identifying her as Doctor Meifen Zhu, Professor of Economics, National Sun Yat-sen University. “Governor Strom, our first question is for you. During your tenure as Sol System governor you worked closely with the Navy, and now accusations have been filed against you stating you as prime minister will be a proxy for the Navy to influence the newly formed civilian government? How do you respond?” “Any true Solarian knows those accusations are inventions of Biesel and the megacorporations designed to slander me,” Strom pauses a moment to let the audience clap and cheer. He’s animated today, throwing weight behind his gestures and words. “I have worked with the Navy, yes, but during a National emergency — and my government held them accountable. Without the mass firing campaign launched by AG Fortenot and cooperation with the Navy to get rid of the ATLAS, SRF, and Frost loyalists remaining in their ranks it is not a question of if, but when the next civil war would have started. And the only people who benefit from that are right across the border from us in Mendell City!” “Thank you governor. Now we move to—“ Zhu pauses, looking down at her desk, then up to the candidates. “Senator Trang, you may begin your rebuttal.” “Thank you. Governor Strom has worked to fix the Navy, yes, but he’s left out a major partner: the Socialist Party. Without our support of his efforts, he would have never gotten the job done.” “Governor Strom, do you have any further comments?” “I do, yes. Senator Trang’s party was helpful, yes, but I find her attempt to wedge the Socialist Party into the question ridiculous. We’re not here to discuss the entire history of the emergency government: we’re here to discuss the future.” “Thank you. Senator Renaud, the next question is for you. The SDPD has stated its intention to expand assistance to the Reconstruction Mandates. Is there any plan by your party to address the crisis on Mars?” “As a lifelong resident of the Sol System, and a firm believer in our ability to assist others, it goes without saying that the SPDP means to assist the people of Mars by passing relief funding for both Martians still on the planet and those who have moved abroad as refugees, both inside the Sol System and throughout the Alliance. It is our duty not just as Solarians, but as human beings, to look after one another when we fall on difficult times. The disaster on Mars was caused by Frost, but does not have to be our legacy as a nation.” “Thank you, senator. Senator Sumida, your rebuttal?” “Thank you. First, allow me to state that Sol First agrees with the SPDP: we must assist Mars and Martian refugees. But if we simply provide a lump sum of assistance, we’ll create a group of people with no incentive to help themselves. It’s better to provide in incentives for Solarian companies — non-megacorporation entities based in the Alliance — to hire Martians and help them rebuild their lives while building a stronger Alliance.” “Senator Renaud, do you have a counterpoint?” “I do. While Senator Sunida’s plan is a nice idea in his economics department, in reality many of these refugees may be too young, too old, or too injured to work. If we force these people to work or starve, we would be abandoning them and any hope of rebuilding Mars’ trust in the central government.” “Thank you, senator. Our next question is for Senator Trang. You’ve faced criticism for your connections to Einstein Engines in the past, particularly after the creation of the SCA. Do you have any comments on these allegations?” “I do, yes. The claim that I am connected to Einstein Engines is, frankly, ridiculous. All my life I’ve striven to fight corruption and corporate influence in our politics. I grew up on New Hai Phong, where Hephaestus owns everything from the governor down, and I’ve worked uphill every day of my political career to beat that allegation. Why would I throw it away for Einstein Engines when I’m so close to becoming PM and breaking Hephaestus’ stranglehold over my planet? I call on anyone who thinks I’m corrupt to look at how Governor Strom,” Trang points to Strom, “backed down when Hephaestus showed resistance to the SCA. Why doesn’t SISA audit his accounts for 2463 so we can know the truth?” Another part of the audience cheers for Trang. Strom looks back at her, clearly incensed. “That’s a ridiculous accusation!” Strom shoots back, pointing to Trang. “Not only did I not back down, I brought Hephaestus to the negotiating table while you stood by and idly threw rhetoric at him! If the Socialist Party intends to govern through rhetoric alone, why not hand over the rest of our Alliance to Biesel right now and save us the trouble?!” Strom’s supporters cheer. “Need I remind the candidates the rules of this debate?” Zhu interjects. “Senator Pavlov, you may begin your rebuttal.” “Thank you. It is clear, based on the behavior of these two candidates, that both are too deeply involved in corporate capitalism to be trusted with the highest office in our nation. Any Solarian who wishes for our nation to be strong and free of corporate meddling should vote for the Communist Party. Only we will give our all in the fight against corporate tyranny and authoritarianism, as comrade Lenin did so many centuries ago!” Pavlov gets a cheer form part of the audience as he concludes his speech. “Senator Trang, do you have a response to Senator Pavlov?” “I don’t feel a need to entertain the communists as a serious candidate in this election,” Trang replies. On the other side of the stage Pavlov shakes his head, but doesn’t break his silence — if anything, he looks satisfied to have gotten the CPASSN into such a hot topic. “Thank you. Senator Sumida, our next question is for you. How does the SFP plan to put Solarians first while maintaining its longtime pro-corporate platform?” “We plan to put Solarians first by creating benefits and incentives for corporations registered in the Alliance which do business here, with a focus on the middle class and small businesses. Furthermore, we plan to do this while avoiding massive deficit spending and ruinous foreign wars. The Solarian people have just emerged from three years of war, of Solarian against Solarian. Now is the time to rebuild, not to seek revenge.” “Senator Strom, your rebuttal?” “This attitude of ‘we’ll handle it later’ when it comes to Solarians in danger is disgraceful. It got people killed in the Northern Reaches, on Visegrad, Mictlan, and dozens of other planets. Are we just going to sit idly by and wait for the corporations to crush any Solarians who want freedom? Do you know what they do to people who want to leave Biesel and return to the Alliance?” Strom goes quiet for a moment, looking around the audience. “Let me tell you. They execute them and stuff their brains into machines used to enrich their corporate masters. That’s what we’re standing against. With Frost we’ve already seen what happens when we back down from evil and tell ourselves it’ll pass. And we won’t let that happen again!” Cheering erupts for Strom as he finishes his speech. “Senator Sumida, your response?” “Senator Strom’s accused the socialists of rhetoric, not action, but here we are with him providing rhetoric without any policy ideas. If the Solarian people want more than words, they should vote for Sol First.” “Thank you,” Zhu adjusts her glasses, then flips to the next page of her booklet. “Senator Pavlov, the next question is for you. If you’re elected, can non-megacorporate business expect increased regulations?” “We believe in the use of the state to guide the market. The typical Solarian business owner can only expect our efforts to impact them if they work for, or are owned by, the megacorporations that plague our modern Spur. Our ultimate goal, of course, is the promotion a socialist future, but we cannot pursue this goal so long as corporations dominate our Spur.” “No rebuttals from the candidates, it seems. I believe that covers our questions for this debate, Doctor Dai.” “It does, yes. Candidates, thank you for your time,” Dai smiles politely at the assembled hopefuls. “This concludes the first debate of the 2467 Solarian federal elections.”

Leo Barnes Gamer Memer Legendary Explorer Loving Husband Efficient Miner Combat Extraordinaire 100% NOT Ben Barnes Also NOT ADAM JENSEN

SEZRAK FLOW

Share your Aurora Characters but make it actually cool.

1. I'd love to know about local governments and public opinion. How do Dionae politicians, if there are any, get around the lack of psionics? What parties do they tend to side with? Is there a notable divide between them and their Skrellian fellows? 2. I'd love to see Dionae have more of a split regarding their lack of psionics. Maybe an iron eternal movement to develop gestalt-based recievers, or a prejudice in government against them similar to Listeners. Have it be a more salient source of conflict. 3. I'd like more cross-species interactions: not even cohabitation, necessarily, but just relations and public opinion. What does the average Skrell think of the expansion of the Golden Deep, and what does a citizen of the PRA know about Elyra? In a setting with FTL communication, I'd love to see more stuff like that.

Hi there! Goodluck, there are no wrong answers.

1. I'd like to focus more on the minor parts of the Federation- what do day-to-day planetary operations look like? What's its political history like? It's very interesting, but I'd especially love more of the little things. 2. I wouldn't have any issues with that! I'd love to help. 3. I've been invested in both recent lore arcs involving them and I keep up-to-date on their updates! I also talk with Desven occasionally. I know a lot about Dionae, but more about Vaurcae, generally. 4. I don't think so. I've gotten much better with criticism in my personal life over the past 3 years. 5. I think I'll be able to work myself, but I'd also like to note that setting periodic deadlines does help me in not procrastinating.

Hi, thanks for applying. I've read through the proposal, and I like the general concept. I don't have much to say on it at the moment. Feel free to change or expand on it as you like or in response to feedback from others, as long as you update this application to let us know that you've changed things. Other than that I have a few questions: Could you expand on your thoughts on the Federation? Do you have any ideas on what could be done/written about? It doesn't have to be anything in-depth or planned out. How do you feel about working as part of the larger lore team? We're typically asked to contribute to larger, non-species-specific lore projects. Would there be any issues with that? For the Skrell team, it's not uncommon for us to work closely with the Diona and Vaurca teams. While we don't expect encyclopedic knowledge, how do you feel about your species knowledge for these two species specifically? Criticism of your work is to be expected, both internally from team members and from the players. Do you believe there'll be any issues in that respect? Are you able to work by yourself? A lot of our work is collaborative, but sometimes you may find yourself working solo on a project before presenting it to the team. I may have more questions at some point, but this is it for now. Good luck.

Pocheto checked in with me about her proposal prior to applying and I think she'd be a wonderful candidate! She knows her lore, including Skrore™️, and we've interacted as enough of our characters that I'm confident in her commitment to roleplay and feel perfectly comfortable giving her a +1 on her app!

Ckey/BYOND Username: Pocheto Position Being Applied For: Skrell Lore Deputy Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Yes! Past Experiences/Knowledge: I know basic working with the github (enough to put one pr up at time of writing), and Aurora lore is my special interest I suppose(?) Examples of Past Work: None so far. The Proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SaOet4wQN2TlGdge1cMiFNjIiDGI0PPsJNWtL4buW2o/edit?tab=t.0 The Why: I’ll be honest, I just love Aurora and I want to be a part of it somehow. The lore is one of my interests, and I would love to contribute to it in some way, especially as a member of LTA. Having been here for a couple of years, I really enjoy the server and I’d really like to help make it better. Thoughts on Skrore: I adore the amount of details that Skrell lore has added- things like cooking, media, and art make the species feel more alive, and make its members feel more like people. The psionic wake also adds a unique inhumanity to them, in the sense that they are influenced by a force and therefore have a fundamentally different experience than humans. The Federation as an entity, though, I feel could be improved- more about its inner workings, its policies, and the way it affects Skrell living outside of it.

Average Venusian self-perception

Callisteans on the Election Article 10 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Elections NEW EDINBURGH, COMMONWEALTH OF CALLISTO — As part of our ongoing coverage of the 2466-67 elections, the SANN is dedicated to bringing you up-to-date and hard-hitting coverage that gives you, the viewer, a perspective on what the average citizen thinks of the election and candidates. Below are a selection of Callisteans and their thoughts on the candidates. Some responses have been edited for brevity. “Personally? I support Renaud. She’s given us good, honest representation in the Senate and was one of the few voices against Frost before 2461. If anyone deserves to become the next PM, it’s her. Some of the younger officers like Strom, but I’ve seen it before with Frost. Don’t elect people who make promises they can’t keep,” — Guowei “Gary” Yi, 54, Metropolitan Police detective sergeant. “Most of my colleagues are voting for Renaud, but I have more confidence in Strom to handle Biesel’s threat to the Spur. Everyone saw how they invaded the Middle Ring when Frost got assassinated, and you’re telling me NT ‘coincidentally’ has a cartel ready to go when it happens? [Expletive]! They’d make serfs of us all! Them and their bugs! Vote Strom for a secure Alliance and to free our brothers and sisters on Mictlan!” - Wallace MacPherson, 31, stockbroker. “Well like you can’t just like disentangle Sol from the Spurian economy can you? Like it’s like totally crazy how like someone like I don’t know let’s take Trang like she’s like pushing for autarky of a kind okay? But like it won’t work like the commerce is too like integrated. Like you get me you feel me right? […] so like honestly Renaud has to be like my choice,” - Anonymous, corporate economist. “We cannot, as Solarians, leave the poorest among us behind to spend even more money on our military. Just over a year ago that same military was tear gassing people on Callisto! I’m voting for Renaud — Strom and Trang are too connected to the junta for me, and the SFP is the political wing of the Navy. It’s ridiculous,” — Akida Iweala, 46, physician. “We have to be reasonable. Renaud’s been a good senator for the Commonwealth, yes, but does she – and her party, by extension – truly have the experience needed to govern the entire Alliance? I don’t think so, and I’m concerned about the anti-Navy rhetoric by many of her supporters. In my opinion, the best choice for our future is [Toshiyuki] Sumida,” - Naoki Kondo, 48, bureaucrat. “I’m concerned Strom and Trang will grind the import business to a halt. Callisto is the port of the Spur, and we see ships from as far away as Assunzione, the Federation, or Moroz here. If you stop that, you’ll smother the most successful economy in the Sol System. Is that really who we want to elect? Renaud’s from here and she knows Callisto, and what we need,” - Martin Fitzpatrick, 63, shuttleport manager. FURTHER READING: Helios City Prepares for Upcoming Debate Consumer Spending, New Job Creation Both Up in November Unity Station’s 2467 Christmas Tree to be from Visegrad

You were not banned because I thought you might be transphobic. You were banned because this situation the way it's been laid out from your actions on the relay to those in the game itself was almost a 1:1 repeat of your targeting of Yekta in the first permaban (And it's because of a connection to Dominia again, go figure) minus the part where you're able to actually completely ruin someone's day yet. I am never accepting another appeal from you. This is denied.

BYOND Key: Filthyfrankster Total Ban Length: Permanent (Community Ban) Banning staff member's Key: WickedCybs Reason of Ban: Reason for Appeal: IT SHOULD BE STATED NOW THAT THE LOGS WERE GIVEN TO ME BY A GOOD FRIEND ON THE DISCORD, VENTY. I DID NOT BYPASS MY BAN WITH AN ALT. Levi Kersaavi, who has a history of being rather hostile and overall rude to most people in the relay recently had a stint with my character, Nikita. In which original joke was how the Dominan empire tends to make people vanish via black bagging. This escalated into Levi calling Nikita a washed out actor. Nikita, who remains ever prideful about his work in his backstory having a 'hostile nobody' throw him such a level of disrespect. Cut to a day later. Nikita had seen enough of Levi's conversations in the past as well, but didn't really comment. This mostly ran with Levi who continued to claim to be a proud dominan that constantly befriended synthetics. hung out with them and aut'akh. He had material to work with to strike back with. This led to him speaking to a dominan consular during one shift, who gave plenty of information. The consular reviewed the goods and said they would be looking into the matter regarding Levi. Following a long argument, matters got heated between Levi and Nikita personally. OOC'ly and IC'ly, I was unaware of Levi (the character) being trans. It's a topic that I very much want to avoid OOC'ly and IC'ly due to the sensitivity of the nature. However, Nikita had to comment on it with simply "I have no idea what any of that is, don't use it as some kind of defense." in order to simply drop the issue here and there before it escalated further and we would end up in this kind of position (Although it seems we already have). The only reason why Nikita called Levi a degenerate in the first place was due to his impression that they were some kind of dominan robot sympathizer. And in the defense of Nikita's character. He's an old school PRA citizen and veteran. In the lore, the PRA is very well against certain tropes and ways of life. His focus however was Levi's attitude, background of being a robot sympathizer and having the gall to disrespect him personally. NONE OF THIS was directed at Levi's player. I don't even know who the player of the character is personally. None of this was an attack on the player. This was an IC confrontation started on the burning cesspool that is the relay channel that escalated quickly. There is a difference between IC and OOC. I did nothing to go out of the way to target Levi IC'ly or OOC'ly for being trans if that is the primary issue. Nothing was ever described to me in detail following this community ban. I don't want the community to think of me of someone who is transphobic.