MattAtlas

SANN Exclusive: Interview with the 1st’s Fleet Admiral Act 3 Article 5 of the Amor Patriae arc The video opens up in an unusual location for the viewers. Céline, SANN’s trusted reporter, appears to be on a Navy ship of some sort, standing in a nondescript waiting room. That much can be gleaned from just looking at the environment and the Sol flags plastered about the walls. With a microphone in hand, she stands next to a serious-looking, thin, pale and gaunt woman with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes, standing at about six feet four. She is wearing a Navy dress uniform, and those familiar with the Alliance navy can easily recognise her as Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg, the Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup. “Welcome back, dear viewers, and boy do we have a surprise for you!” The reporter exclaims, beaming, “The SANN has gotten special authorisation to ember yours truly into the one and only SAMV Gunnhildr, the flagship dreadnought of the First Battlegroup. And, as you can see, standing next to me is this behemoth’s very own Admiral - and what a title that is! First of all, welcome to the best news channel in the Alliance! How do you feel about being live? Usually, people like you work from the shadows, so to speak.” “My pleasure to be here,” Ingrid says, her voice grave, yet still smiling, “It isn’t every day we get to show our faces to the Solarian public at large. Like you said, most of us don’t like the public spotlight. That’s the politicians’ job.” “Great!” Céline turns back to the camera. “We have been at the Northern Wildlands border for quite a while now. The maneuvers themselves are, of course, confidential - buuuut, our special guest here can at least tell us the reasons behind them and if they’ve had any effects on the fleet’s readiness. Isn’t that right?” She asks, looking back to Ingrid. The admiral replies without much of a change in her stance or face. “They’ve been largely a success. As you might know, the First Battlegroup is the only formation to be fully equipped with the Lopez-Zhang warp drives. Since we’ve only gotten them recently, we’ve been short on time to practice with them. But now, we’ve worked on incorporating them into some experimental maneuvers. We’ve also got a lot of new blood hand-picked from other battlegroups, since a lot of personnel were arrested for collaboration with the Front. Our new crew-members are the very best we’ve got in the whole Navy, but they’re not familiar with fighting side-by-side with a dreadnought, as most of them come from fleets outfitted with a supercarrier as the flagship. In short, we’ve caught them up to speed on how to fight with the Gunnhildr.” “Wow!” Céline exclaims, “It sounds like you’ve had your work cut out for you. So, how do you feel about this all? Is the First Battlegroup ready to defend the Alliance? Do you feel like you’re missing anything? An Idris sponsorship, perhaps?” “We’re ready for anything. No matter what or where - we will prevail.” Ingrid’s words brim with determination, while completely ignoring Céline’s joke, much to her dismay. “...Right. Anyway, all those Front sympathizers getting arrested seems to me like it’s been quite the problem?” The admiral nods once, “It was a pervasive problem at all levels. Most fleets lost a good amount of men. Some were almost entirely gutted. It means that we’ve had to wait for new personnel to replenish the ranks. Some battlegroups, like the First, have been able to recover; others aren’t at operating capacity yet.” Céline puts her free hand on her hip and turns back to the camera. The admiral turns her gaze to the camera as well, her expression unchanging. “You heard her, viewers! Do you think the Alliance’s navy is on a good path? Or do you think this is all for nothing? I think we’re in good hands, personally! Remember to vote on our site polls to give your opinion, and I’ll see you later!”

So what you are telling me is that it is a complete coincidence that you joined the Discord right when I banned Stars for ban evading, and also a complete coincidence that you happened to ask for Cybs if we have anything that detects ban evaders. I suppose it must also be a coincidence that Stars just made a new forum account right as you posted this staff complaint. Ok.

Added the following rule:

Voting for dismissal. Not a mechanic I want in game: too silly, potentially too good and would break a lot of SS13's gameplay foundations.

The San Colette Crisis: A Benefit to Phoron Stocks? Act 2 Article 9 of the Amor Patriae arc After a corporate jingle the camera pans in to focus on Mike Donnelly, the balding host of the Tau Ceti Times’ Money Madness financial talk show. Donnelly is regarded as either one of the top minds when it comes to phoron investments or a mouthpiece for the Trasen regime depending on if you ask a resident of Tau Ceti or anyone else in the Spur. “Hello, hello, hello!” Donnelly begins, pointing a finger gun at the camera. “Today we have an important question many Mendell City investors have been asking: will the San Colette crisis impact phoron stocks? In order to answer that question I am joined today by Doctor of phoronics Xavier Ramirez!” The live audience calls as Dr. Ramirez, a NanoTrasen-sponsored economist, walks onto the stage. He waves and moves over to a chair opposite of Donnelly, where he sits down and smooths out his Walk Like Idris blazer for a moment. “Thanks for having me on, Mike!” “Ah, it’s no problem at all Doctor. Now, people are concerned about San Colette becoming cut off from the Republic due to the Alliance’s actions. Do you have any advice for them?” “Well Mike that’s a good question,” Ramirez clears his throat. “Colettish phoron facilities have been a minor, but important, part of our economy since 2462-63 and, since the discovery of Orchard Moon, there’s been a need for more phoron processing facilities rather than less.” “So what does that mean for the average person in Biesel?” “Chances are we’ll see some price hikes on consumer phoron stocks within the next month or so, so now’s a good time to invest in phoronics.” “You really think so?” Donnelly leans over in an exaggerated manner. “I do, yes.” “Alright!” Donnelly claps, leaning back. The audience claps in response. “You heard it here, folks! Phoron’s in for a bumper year in terms of stocks, so invest now! We’ll be back after this short word from our sponsor, NanoTrasen!” The broadcast fades out to the sound of clapping as an ad for NanoTrasen starts to play.

First Battlegroup Moved Near Border for Exercises Act 2 Article 8 of the Amor Patriae arc In a press conference at 1400 GST today, Minister of Defence Lucien Courtois has confirmed the First Battlegroup will conduct its readiness exercises near the Alliance’s border alongside several reserve fleets now stationed in the region to ensure the security of the border. When asked by a reporter if this was related to protests on Callisto, Minister Courtois advised the First has intended to perform these maneuvers for, “at least several months,” in order to ensure its combat readiness remains high. While undergoing maneuvers the First Battlegroup will be under the overall command of Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg, who was unable to be interviewed due to the deployment but advised she was, “very excited,” to conduct maneuvers with the entire battlegroup. When combined with existing reserve forces, the Navy detachment stationed at the Wildlands border constitutes one of the largest concentrations of Navy vessels since the Interstellar War. SANN reporter Céline Eylenbosch has been embedded with the First Battlegroup and will provide updates on their maneuvers as they progress. In related news, the percentage of Solarians who support some form of intervention in the Wildlands has risen sharply following widely publicized protests in the Commonwealth of Callisto. The Solarian Navy Press Office declined the SANN’s request to comment on this development.

Ministry of Defence Raises Reserve Fleets Readiness Act 2 Article 5 of the Amor Patriae arc In a press conference at 1300 GST today, Minister of Defence Lucien Courtois has confirmed that approximately half of the Alliance’s available reserve fleets are being mobilised towards the northern border for national security reasons. The minister has stressed that these fleets are being sent for defensive purposes and that they will not see combat at this time. Upon being questioned on whether or not intervention is expected by the Government, he has repeated that no such thing is planned. When asked if this was related to recent protests on Callisto, the minister refused to comment. “And that is the gist of the meeting, dear viewers,” Céline Eylenbosch, the familiar blonde-haired Venusian reporter tells the camera, “It seems like the Alliance is still holding back, despite public polling showing an all-time high support for San Colette! Madness, isn’t it? Luckily, we have a special guest here with us today that might be able to shed some light on just what the Government is thinking,” she says, turning with the camera to a Navy officer to the side, a middle aged brown-haired man of Hai Phongese origins, “isn’t that right, sir?” “Obviously I can only tell you what I’ve been authorised to say,” the officer, a Rear Admiral of some sort, begins with a disclaimer. Céline looks annoyed, but pushes on, “Right, of course. You’re all like that. How does it feel to be moved to the front, then? It’s the first big movement in the Navy since the Civil War started, so it must have you guys jittering, right?” “Like the minister said, these maneuvers aren’t a source of worry. We’re essentially moving to make sure nothing happens on the border. A lot of our fleets and battlegroups were rearranged over the past year, with all the changes to the command structure, so we’ve been getting shuffled around all over the place. Now, we’re getting orders again, and we’re all happy to be on the move.” “Do you think you should intervene in the Northern Wildlands?” “I can’t really comment on that,” the officer says, keeping their poker face. Céline looks frustrated, and then moves on. “Alright, alright. So, a good amount of our public won’t really understand what this reserve fleet business actually means! Can you explain it to them?” The officer mulls over his response, and then replies, “The Reserve Fleets are being moved to the border to reinforce existing defense systems. While normal battlegroups would handle offensive actions, our formations are purely defensive. We stay behind, garrison, and assist in defense as needed, while proper battlegroups do the dirty work. A lot of people sneer at us for having Reserve in our names, but we’re still top-class.” “Does that mean that the Alliance is expecting hostilities?” “Expecting? No. But in case anything happens, we want to be ready. We won’t let our border come under any sort of risk. Every single citizen will be protected.” Céline turns to the camera, looking satisfied, “And what an explanation that is! That’s enough from us, thank you for your interview, Rear Admiral. Any last words you want to give to our dear viewers?” The Rear Admiral turns to the camera, intrigued, and puts up as serious of an expression as he can manage. “If any San Coletters are watching – hold, fight, and win. Don’t give them one inch, and keep your faith.”

48 Injured, 258 Detained After Protest on Callisto Turns Violent – Navy Garrison Under Fire by Local Officials! Act 2 Article 3 of the Amor Patriae arc NEW EDINBURGH, CALLISTO – Recent protests in the Northern Shield District of Callisto over perceived Navy inaction regarding San Colette turned violent several nights ago, with Navy riot police breaking up a crowd of Callistean protestors following what Navy security officials have described as a failure to disperse when ordered by security personnel. A brief clip plays of the riot featured several days ago, apparently recorded by one of the protestors on their phone. A Naval riot control officer is seen bringing his baton down on a standing protestor attempting to shield himself with his arms. The protestor, against all odds, manages to get a grip on the baton and the two disappear into the crowd, still struggling over the baton. Commander Hedwig Krämer, the highest-ranking officer of the Navy garrison stationed at Tsushima Naval Base near Callisto, praised the Navy’s response to the events. The camera switches to a Lunarian man standing behind a podium and wearing the uniform of a relatively high-ranking Navy officer. He appears to be in his middle age and has a sheathed sword on his belt, indicating he is the commander of either a naval facility or vessel. “--I am very pleased with our security personnel’s response to a situation as complicated as a riot,” Krämer says, looking out into the audience. “Our professionalism and respect for the Alliance citizens we serve, even if we are placed in opposition to them, is what makes the Solarian Navy the greatest fighting force in the Orion Spur. Our counterparts in the Republic of Elyra would be well served to learn about how to handle civil unrest without unnecessary bloodshed.” Callistean officials and residents have been less enthusiastic about the Navy’s response to the unrest. The camera switches to a Callistean woman in a suit with a dignified appearance standing in front of a crowd of reporters. A caption identifies her as Senator Anastasie Renaud, one of the moon’s senators. “I mean, frankly, this is totally unacceptable,” Renaud says. “How can the Navy live with itself doing this? Beating honest Solarians with truncheons while there’s millions suffering in the Wildlands. It disgusts me.” The Solarian Navy declined the Alliance News Network’s request for comment. As of our time of reporting, most detained protestors are slated to be released into the custody of the Callistean Metropolitan Police Department for further processing.

Pro-Intervention Demonstration on Callisto Turns Violent! Act 2 Article 3 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens to a view with two groups of people, each standing opposite of one another. On the left stand an assembled crowd of very angry-looking Callisteans waving a variety of flags – some Callistean, some Colettish, and others the flag of the Alliance – and shouting at the opposite group. Said group is clad in Solarian Navy riot gear and standing in a long line four deep, with a few Industrial positronics scattered throughout and also wearing riot gear. Most of the Navy personnel are holding riot batons and all are wearing gas masks. Behind the Navy personnel, an APC in Navy blue sits with its engine idling and spotlights trained on the crowd. The camera is clearly set up on top of some kind of vehicle and a few more lightly-armored individuals clad in the duty uniform of the Callistean Metropolitan Police Department can be seen observing the situation. “Earlier today,” an unseen narrator begins, “protests developed near this Navy facility in the Northern Shield District of Callisto – known locally as the Ringpole District – over the Navy’s seeming disregard for the welfare of Solarian citizens in the Northern Wildlands, which has recently become the site of intense conflict between several breakaway states. These protests are rooted in a belief held by many Callisteans that the Navy holds no interest in intervention, and instead wishes to profit off of profitable trade on Callisto.” On top of the APC, a Navy officer pulls out a megaphone and yells into it. “DISPERSE AND RETURN TO YOUR HOMES!” he yells, his Lunan accent apparent even while shouting. “IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY YOU WILL BE REMOVED BY FORCE! DISPERSE AT ONCE!” The Callistean crowd jeers and yells at him. Somebody In the crowd starts up a chant of “SAVE OUR ALLIANCE! SAVE SAN COLETTE!” and the entire crowd begins to join in, yelling it in near-unison. “THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING TO DISPERSE!” the officer yells. The crowd continues its chant, which grows louder. The offer puts away and blows into a whistle around his neck, the loud FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! piercing even the noise of the crowd, and pulls his mask on. As one, the Navy riot personnel take one step forward and begin to beat their batons against their opposite hands in near unison. The slamming fills the air and some in the crowd take a step back, but most hold their ground and continue to chant. After a moment of this a man wearing Solarian Army surplus equipment dashes out of the crowd. He scoops down and grabs a rock, then throws it at the line of riot police as the crowd cheers. The rock strikes true, bouncing off the helmet of an officer. The man shouts in triumph and runs back into the crowd. A second after the rock impacts, all hell breaks loose in the street. The officers surge forward, batons raised, and begin fighting with the assembled crowd, who start fighting back. The APC shoots several grenades, which appear to contain some form of gas judging by their trails, into the crowd with the loud THUNK-THUNK-THUNK of a mechanical grenade launcher. The CMPD officers near the camera ready their weapons and one speaks something inaudible into her radio, then gestures back at the camera. The fighting continues for a few more moments before the camera’s view is obscured by smoke. Sirens, presumably from CMPD vehicles, can be heard in the distance before the feed cuts out. “The Sol Alliance News Network will keep our viewers updated as this story develops.”

Unbanned, but for the love of all that is holy, please don't fall into discussions you usually get trouble with, because the next permaban is unappealable.

XNS EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Colettish Volunteers Act 2 Article 2 of the Amor Patriae arc After the initial XNS fade-in the camera focuses, as typical, on the distinctive figure of Mariska van den Soeterik. “Hello, and welcome once again to the Xanu News Network! As always I am your host, Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top story comes from Liao Qi, who has been in San Colette since the start of the War in the Northern Wildlands. Liao?” The camera switches to Liao Qi, who looks much less clean-shaven than normal. Leticia de la Fuente, his Civil Guard escort, stands off to the side in a plate carrier with a Colettosh SMG draped over it. Judging by the backdrop, they’re somewhere in Nueva Isabel. “Thanks Mariska. I’m here today with two volunteers, both from very different countries, who are here for the same purpose: defending San Colette.” Noyer pams the camera to the side to reveal two humans in Solarian Army gear, though one has taken the unconventional step of tying a Biesellite flag around his arm and wearing what is undoubtedly a Legion beret. The first individual, who has the text “RED DEVIL” written on her vest, speaks first. “Hey, yeah, thanks for interviewing us! I’m Alexis Watts, from Mars. I used to be in the 37th ‘til I went AWOL to come here!” “Why did you desert the Solarian Army to fight in San Colette?” Watts looks at Liao as if he has asked her the most obvious question ever. “Because they’re actually fighting against the Front? Frost fu— sorry. Frost ruined my whole planet, yeah? I figured my Colonel will be okay with sending a few of his freaks to Hell for what they did to Olympia — even if I gotta buddy up with Captain Miranda over here.” Watts laughs and claps the other volunteer on the back, who shakes his head while laughing with her. “My name’s not actually Miranda, she just gives me shit for having served in the Legion. I’m Mike Forsythe, from Mendell.” “And why did you leave Biesel for a warzone?” “It’s the right thing to do! A lot of people showed up to bail us out back in ‘62, and we didn’t do enough to pay them back. Plus, I lost some friends to the 35th back during the invasion. Figured I’d come and get even.” “Do you run into a lot of volunteers like yourselves?” “Oh yeah!” Watts responds enthusiastically. “We gotta lot of people from all across the Spur! Even got a few Elyrans and Imperials, plus Coalitioners! Our governments might not wanna do anything for San Colette, and we might be from all over the Spur, but we’re all united in believing we gotta do something!” Forsythe nods his head. “So many that we figured we’d try to organize it into a cohesive unit. That’s how we ended up forming the First Colettish Volunteer Battalion, and I ended up in charge of it.” “Have you had many challenges?” Forsythe shakes his head. “A few at the start, but it’s not too different than being a Prefect back in the Legion. Everybody’s working together for a greater cause, and most of us are human anyways. My old adjutant tagged along to help us out, and she might be the only synthetic we have. She’s up to her eyeballs in requisition forms, but that’s where shells are the happiest, yeah?” “Have you seen any combat so far?” “Yeah! We were in the thick of it on New Peoria, until we had to pull out. Fragged a whole lotta 35th goons. Say what you wanna say about the Imperials and Miranda’s boys, but they know how to shoot! Once we get done with R-n-R we’re gonna be back out there, kicking Front teeth in!” “When do you think that’ll be?” “At this rate?” Forsythe responds. “It might be tomorrow, at the rate it’s going. For today though? We’ll just have to wait and see.” Qi nods, turning the mic back to himself. “Thank you both for your time. Back over to you, Mariska.” The camera, with its view of San Colette, fades out.

You should be able to log in now.

It isn't. They told us instead. I don't believe this. There is nothing to discuss with you. Your actions speak for themselves. Correct on all counts.

LIVE XNS EXCLUSIVE: PACT RETREATS AS ENEMIES GAIN GROUND Act 1 Article 18 of the Amor Patriae arc After the traditional XNS jingle the camera zooms in on none other than van den Soeterik, seated behind her desk and wearing one of her seemingly infinite number of white suits. “Good evening, and welcome to the Xanu News Service. Today’s top story comes to us from the Wildlands, where the Middle Ring Shield Pact has confirmed it is starting to surrender more and more ground to neighboring warlord states.” The camera switches to a view of de Noi, the presidential spokeswoman, standing at a podium and reading from an electronic tablet. The feed starts mid-sentence. “—it is with a heavy heart that the Pact announces this retreat, and we are only taking it out of necessity.” “What about the refugees?” A reporter in the crowd asks, sounding similar to Liao Qi. “They’ll be provided for to the best of our abilities. The Civil Guard recommends refugees who are so willing to take up arms in the defense of the Republic.” The camera cuts again, this time showing a disheveled-looking man and woman in their early middle age. A child holds onto the woman’s coat with one and, and an IPC plushie with the other. Liao Qi, the unflappable reporter of XNS, points a microphone towards the woman, who promptly begins speaking. “We never wanted this,” says the woman, identified as Maria Wu by a subtitle. “We were just trying to make a living, and moved to New Peoria from Silversun back in ‘55 to be engineers in the shipyards. And— god!” she sniffs, rubbing her nose with the back of her sleeve, “—we barely made it out!” “You were on the last ship through the warp gate, right?” Maria nods. “We were. They detonated it after we were through. I— I felt it detonate, in transit. It felt like a— a wire brush being dragged over my eyes! I thought we wouldn’t make it, but we warped out right after the feeling began. There was a, there was this Solarian ship which defended it, I heard. I don’t remember the name!” “Caravaggio, honey. It was the Carvaggio,” the man responds. The woman nods, remaining silent for a moment before speaking again. “We should… get going, sorry. I hope the Navy comes soon. They’ll fix this.”

I mean, you're the one that threatened to leave. I'm just telling you that you should follow through with that.

Go and stay gone then. Neither cybs nor I have any intention of really engaging with you at this point when you're clearly baiting.

You posted our messages in your funny discord to get your friends to come in and argue on your side and make passive aggressive comments, and you actually think this wouldn't upset me or Schwann?

This punishment is most definitely appropriate considering you were already permabanned once and kept racking up notes. Additionally, I don't buy that you were "sounding worried" in that complaint - you genuinely didn't think what you did was that bad. You still show it in this complaint saying that commenting on a stranger's character in deadchat by saying they're hot is "not that bad". At that point in time we were past simply noting or warning you because you'd been racking notes, warnings and bans up since you joined the server.

Exclusive Interview: Fleet Admiral of the 1st Battlegroup Act 1 Article 13 of the Amor Patriae arc Céline Eylenbosch, a blonde Venusian woman wearing a red skirtsuit, greets the viewers with a wave and a fairly large smile. She appears to be standing in one of the hallways of Unity Station. To her left is a taller woman in a Solarian Navy dress uniform with long, black hair. She looks to be no older than her mid thirties, but to those familiar with military affairs, her tabs identify her as a Fleet Admiral. More than likely, she is actually in her mid forties or early fifties. “Hello, dear viewers! Today we have quite the scoop for you. We’ve been able to secure an exclusive interview with none other than the Fleet Admiral of the First Battlegroup, Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg. That’s quite a handful to say, but that’s quite an important position! Why don’t you tell us about it, Admiral?” Varnhagen makes a bit of a face at the ‘that’s a handful to say’ comment, but otherwise continues with a politically subdued tone. Her responses are very precise, and never seem to quite steer off the mark. “The First Battlegroup is the most complete and the most prestigious battlegroup in the Alliance. It is made up of our very best, both in materiel and men, and has long had a tradition of being an élite force. I was promoted to this spot after Admiral Courtois ascended to the post of Minister of Defense.” “That’s great!” Céline says, “But it wouldn’t be an interview if we didn’t ask you scathing questions that our viewers want asked. What do you think about the war in the Northern Wildlands?” “The last dying gasp of a collective group of traitors,” Varnhagen simply responds, “The Shield Pact has the support of every Solarian proud to call themselves one. We’ve worked hard to clear the military of Front sympathizers – there is no place in the Spur for them.” “Strong statement,” Céline responds, lighting up slightly, “According to a Venusian Herald poll, sixty seven percent of Solarians support declaring war on the Front. When you say that the Shield Pact has our support, does that mean that a direct intervention is on the table?” “We act on orders. We will hold the border for sure, but we would not hesitate to intervene if the Government ordered us to.” “Ooooh,” Céline responds, “Do you think we would win in a war?” Varnhagen’s answer is a short and simple one - “Yes.” Céline claps her hands together, with one still holding the red microphone labeled with SANN. “That’s quite enough, then! We won’t take any more of your time - we know how important you are, Admiral. We wish you the best of luck, and have a good day!” “Thank you,” the Admiral responds with a curt nod and then sets off into the hallway. Curiously, Courtois appears next to her, and they begin chatting as they walk down the corridor and out of view. “Strong statements today, dear viewers,” Céline says, turning back to look at the camera again, “The military never says much on camera, because of boring things like non-disclosure agreements or military professionalism or many other problems, but I feel like we’ve struck gold today! We’ll act if we’re ordered to? What a statement to make! Do you believe the Alliance will intervene or not? Vote now on your phones…”

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH A FREE SOLARIAN FLEETS LIEUTENANT Act 1 Article 12 of the Amor Patriae arc A Himean man is the sole host for this segment of Interviews and News, one of the most famous Xanusii services. It revolves around interviewing both exceptional and ordinary people. This time around, however, the guest was known to be a rather special one. The host of the show is sitting in a rather cosy sofa, while on the holoscreen behind him one can see a Solarian Navy figure, clearly video calling from a ship of some sort. “Welcome, our faithful guests, to a special episode of Interviews and News! I’m Jude Scholes, and today, I’ve got a special guest for you all! Life as a mercenary is known to be a harsh one. The Xanu News Service has managed to obtain an interview with one of these mercenaries, a certain Lieutenant Yann Mueller. He is currently engaged with the Caravaggio, one of the cruisers that has traveled the most across the Spur. Mister Mueller, why don’t you tell us some about yourself and your ship?” “Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” the Solarian - a Lunan, by the sounds - responds, with an uncertain tone, “I’m Yann. I didn’t really become part of the Fleets, like, it just happened. We were in the outer ring, and then everything started going to sh– hell, and then our Admiral said that we’re on our own now, and the government wouldn’t help because Frost kicked the bucket and the Navy’s imploding… so we all just nodded our heads and went with him. I mean, what were we gonna do? Mutiny? Go back to Earth to get court martialed? We have families too, you know,” Mueller says, with a hint of resentment. “As for our fleet, well… basically, the biggest thing that’s happened to us is that we got hired by these corporate guys from Biesel… the Horizon, I think it’s called? And they wanted an escort, or something. Well - I’m just a navigations officer, so I don’t really have all the details, but I know that most of the enlisted really hate their guts. Especially one of our sergeants, Gallagher, because she says she lost someone there, or something. Not really my problem. I mean - everyone here knows death’s at the door. We just live day to day.” “That’s a bit of a coalheaded philosophy, from a normal person’s perspective, but you people are in different circumstances,” Jude begins, with the Solarian looking distinctly confused by the word ‘coalheaded’, “What happened after that?” “Well, we came back to the Fleets after our contract was like… done, or whatever,” Mueller begins, “Then, we got a fat contract from these guys, the Middle Ring Shield Pact. It’s called that way, but if you ask me, it’s really San Colette’s show… and they’re Solarians, so most of us at least feel like we’re fighting for a better cause this time around. Yeah, if you ask one of the enlisted, they’ll say it’s for the money, but that’s not really entirely true, I think. Most of us hate these Front fu–” he censors himself, “--mmh, idiots. Obviously we wouldn’t have helped if the contract wasn’t big, because you know, it’s dangerous, but you get what I’m saying, right?” “I think I do,” the Himean host says, nodding along, “So, you all said you brought phoron with you, right? How much of a key factor was that in this battle?” “Yeah, we did bring a bunch of phoron. There are some scientific details that I won’t really explain, but basically, if you have a lot of phoron to burn, you’re a lot more mobile. And that helps a lot at a distance, especially if you need to keep a mobile defence going - like we do. We don’t really have the numbers to take on them, so we need to take pot shots from far away and then leave immediately. We can’t really afford to lose ships with risky moves, so we have to play it safe… have you seen how many Regensburgists there are? It’s insane, man. They’ve got so many fleets, and they’re all fully crewed… I don’t get it.” Something can be heard being spoken from a loudspeaker in the distance. The Solarian turns to face it, and then turns to face the camera, worried. “Regensburgists, you say?” The Himean asks, intrigued, “Anyway, I assume your time’s running out?” “Yeah, we’re… we need to get to battle stations, basically. We’re almost at the first line of defence… these Coletters are pretty philosophical, you know?” Mueller gives a short, worried chuckle, “They call it the Llorente line, after their first president. It’s pretty poetic. Anyway, yeah, we need to go.” “Thank you for your time, then,” the Himean anchor says. The Solarian nods, gives a “Bye!”, and then quickly turns off the camera. “Scruples aside, this eclectic mix of people is the only thing standing between San Colette and its occupation. Will they succeed or not? We’ll leave the predictions to you - you can tell us your opinion by messaging the number or email on your screen right now. And now for our next segment, Light’s Edge and its Secrets…”

Tau Ceti Foreign Legion to be Deployed to the Northern Border! Act 1 Article 12 of the Amor Patriae arc Earlier today the Office of the President announced a general movement of all available Foreign Legion and mercenary assets to the border with the Northern Wildlands, citing the ongoing security situation in the region as the main reason for this. When asked for comment, the Presidential press desk provided the Times with this statement: “The Republic is concerned for the safety of all of our citizens, whether they be from Biesel or the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. The Foreign Legion’s presence on the border will serve as a safeguard against any Solarian elements who seek to prey upon the people of our nation, or take advantage of our resources.” When asked if the Foreign Legion would be deployed into the Wildlands for peacekeeping operations, the press desk provided the Times with the following statement: “The Republic of Biesel is a nation interested in peace which has no interest in attacking other nations. There is no current intention to deploy Legion or other forces abroad in peacekeeping operations. Our enemies should not take this for weakness, as we will defend our borders from any assaults.” The private military companies contracted to work alongside the Foreign Legion declined the Times’ request to comment on the ongoing situation, citing matters of employee safety.

LIVE: Pact Retreats Following League Assault! Act 1 Article 8 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Her augmented eyes glow slightly as she reaches across the table for her holo-paper. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top story is the retreat of the Middle Ring Shield Pact’s forces following a renewed assault by the League some have accused Gadpathur of supporting. We go now to Liao Qi, our reporter in the Pact’s capital of San Colette. Liao?” The camera switches to Qi, who is currently standing near a road in front of a series of nearly identical prefab buildings next to his Civil Huard escort, de la Fuente. He nods, showing he’s heading van den Soeterik. “The situation in the Pact has begun to look increasingly dire since the League’s invasion, and we’re currently standing outside one of the signs of this. Behind me is Refugee Facility 692,” he points over at the facility. “It was finished yesterday and is already being used to house Solarians displaced by the League’s recent offensive, which has already taken several Pact systems. The Pact and Free Solarian Fleets are performing what the government has described as a fighting retrea—“ “Look out!” an individual off-camera shouts, potentially camerawoman Odette Noyer judging by her voice. Qi is grabbed by de la Fuente, his Civil Guard escort, and pulled out of view as a number of vehicles bearing Civil Guard insignia on their sides and carrying large missiles scream down the road at a positively unsafe speed. After a minute the vehicles stop passing by and the camera shifts to follow them as they disappear into the distance. A dusty, and somewhat shaken-looking, Qi then reappears in front of the camera, looking dire. “Liao?” Mariska asks. “Are you alright?” Qi nods again. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine! I’m not sure what those trucks were, but the gover—“ “Those were anti-orbital missiles,” de la Fuente states, her usual expression of neutral disapproval broken by worry. She looks at Qi. “Give me your microphone.” “What?” “Liao. Give me the microphone.” Qi hesitates for a moment and then passes her the microphone, looking nearly as concerned as de la Fuente is. “Hello,” the Civil Guard officer begins, looking both worried and nervous. “My name, uh, is Leticia de la Fuente. I’m, I’m an officer, here. In San Colette’s military. And I’m— I’m only 22, and I’m just a Corvette Lieutenant, but—“ she pauses. “I don’t know who’s listening to this, or if this will even be heard in Sol, but we need help! We’re fighting for the Alliance! We— we— you can’t just leave us to die here! This is our home, and we’re Solarian citizens! Just like you! Don’t— don’t just leave us!” de la Fuente goes silent. Gone is the previously sour-faced Civil Guard officer assigned to Liao Qi and resenting it. She looks terrified, and like she’s about to break out into tears. Qi, breaking from his usual neutral news reporter routine, pulls the Coletter into a hug. She begins crying, and the camera lingers for a moment before switching over to a grim-looking van den Soeterik. She says nothing as the broadcast fades out into black.

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XNS Defense Analysts Review the Wildlands Situation Act 1 Article 7 of the Amor Patriae arc After the opening XNS jingle the camera pans to two individuals, one standing on either side of a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands. The male individual, standing on the right of the screen, begins speaking first. “Good evening and welcome to this special live edition of the XNS Strategic Analysis Unit’s reporting on the Northern Wildlands. I’m Ajit Gopal.” “And I’m Delphine Deschamps. As you may be aware, the League of Independent, Corporate-Free Systems located here,” Deschamps gestures and Gopal taps the right side of the screen, causing a red section labeled LEAGUE to light up. “has recently invaded the Middle Ring Shield Pact,” Deschamps taps the middle of the screen, causing a section marked as PACT to light up, “which is currently at war with the Solarian Restoration Front located here,” she taps the left of the screen, lighting up a section labeled FRONT. “Rumors already indicate the Pact has begun to retreat. Ajit, has your desk been able to confirm any of these?” “As of now, no. Most of what we have is open-source information from platforms such as Chirper, which Pact mercenaries have been known to frequently upload videos or images to such as this one. Gopal hits a button on the side of the screen causing it to switch from a map to a photo of a Solarian Navy sailor holding a League helmet, done up in Coalition colors, with a bullet hole through its right eye. A caption below reads: “bol coalition bastards! send more rangers!!!! xoxoxo” “As you can see Delphine, the helmet here is an example of Coalition-modified Solarian surplus provided to the League by certain member-states such as Himeo or Gadpathur.” “When is that post from?” “Yesterday. We’ve also seen rumors of Gadpathurian involvement but nothing solid yet.” “Worrying. We inquired with the Gadpathurian consulate on Xanu and have as of yet received no response.” “We’ll keep our eyes open.” Gopal then seems to pause a moment, lifting a finger to his right ear. ”— but for now the producers have told me we’re overdue for a word from our sponsors.” “Oh,” Deschamps looks fairly disappointed at this. “I suppose we are. We’ll be right back, viewers!”