NewOriginalSchwann

Zhu Confirmed as Ambassador, Embassy in Tau Ceti Reopens! FINALE of Pharsalia After the traditional SANN jingle the camera zooms in on the ever-present figure of Harold MacMillan, host of The State of Sol. Macmillan takes a moment to straighten his tablet, nods to the camera, and begins speaking. “Good evening, and welcome back to The State of Sol. As always I’m your host, Harold MacMillan. Today’s top stories are connected, and take us to both the heart of Unity Station and the streets of Mendell City, Biesel, with our teams on the ground at both locations to bring you the latest news regarding our nation’s diplomatic thaw with Tau Ceti. We go first to Unity Station, where Le Quynh Cong is waiting to give us the latest from the Senate on ambassador-appointee Jianguo Zhu’s confirmation. Le?” The camera switches from MacMillan to a bespectacled Haiphongese woman -- this time without her respirator -- standing in the Alliance’s halls of power: the Solarian Senate. She nods and waves to the camera, smiling for it. “Hi Harold! Is the connection good?” “Le, good to hear from you. We’ve got a steady connection — what’s new in the hearings?” “Right,” Cong nods, “I’m happy to report that Zhu has officially been named ambassador to Biesel by an overwhelming majority of senators, with only a small coalition led by Senator Trang voting no to his nomination.” “What made them vote no? Any explanation?” “We got a quote from Senator Trang shortly after the vote, Harold. She says that, ah— that she supports the pursuit of further relations with Biesel, but does not believe a Lunarian is the best fit for the position, citing the Sol System's continued dominance over politics.” “So, were most of the ‘no’ voters from outside the Sol System?” “They were, or they were part of the Communist Party - Senator Pavlov voted no as well, and told Plutonian media his reason for doing so was Biesel’s suppression of socialist and communist movements in service of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.” “Did you get a quote from Ambassador Zhu?” Cong shakes her head. “No, but we got a quote from Secretary Ortiz’s office: it says the Department’s happy to see a formal reopening of relations, and wishes for a continued dialogue with Tau Ceti as we move forward.” “Right. Thank you, Le.” “Of course, Harold.” The camera switches from Cong after she nods to it, swapping back to MacMillan in his studio. “With Ambassador Zhu now confirmed, we go to our reporter on the ground in Mendell City: Cèline Eylenbosch. Cèline?” The camera swaps to an evocative sight: the Solarian flag flapping in the wind in what’s clearly Mendell City. The shot slowly zooms out to show the flag is flying on a flagpole atop an elegant white building set back from the road which stands in a fenced-in lot featuring a few trees. At its front stands a gate with — contrasting the elegant surroundings — four Solarian Army guards with rifles and body armor, complete with helmets. A human Mendell City Police Department officer stands beside one of the soldiers, apparently talking with her idly, and is only wearing a basic vest. The camera then pans to show Cèline Eylenbosch, looking as elegant as ever. Barely visible on her arm is a Solarian blue armband with “PRESS” written on it in multiple languages. She smiles and nods to the camera. “Hello Harold, and all our dear viewers. I’m delighted to announce I’m one of the first — perhaps the first — Solarian reporter in Mendell City since 2462.” “Right Cèline, how does it look on the ground in Mendell City?” “Why, it’s positively thrilling here! As you can see behind me,” Eylenbosch points over at the gate, “the Army’s on the ground here and already working with the locals – the protest last week has the embassy on a heightened state of alert, per a spokesperson we met with, but otherwise it’s proceeding as hoped – for now.” “For now?” “Well, Harold,” Eylenbosch smiles just a bit, “You never know what could happen here – Mendell City’s known for civil unrest and riots, especially since the secession – hopefully the embassy can be stable, hm?” “Let’s hope so. With that aside, what kind of people have shown up at the embassy so far?” “On its first day? Not many people aside from the ambassador – a few Solarian citizens showed up to have their paperwork updated and got a photo with the ambassador for being the first Solarians to visit the new embassy. Exciting, isn’t it?” “I never imagined paperwork could be, but here we are!” Eylenbosch laughs for a moment. “Here we are indeed, Harold. That’s all I have for now.” “Right. Take care out there, and stay safe.” “Of course, Harold,” Eylenbosch nods to the camera. “Back over to you.” The camera switches back to MacMillan in his newsroom, who nods to the camera. “The State of Sol will be right back – so stay tuned!” MacMillan waves to the camera as it zooms away from him and fades out. The commercial, a bit unsurprisingly, is for an independent travel agency called Pan Solarian, and is advertising the fastest, most luxurious flight to Mendell City from Callisto.

Prime Minister Strom Names First Ambassador to Biesel Article 8 of Pharsalia UNITY STATION, SOL SYSTEM — Earlier today (GST) the Department of State and Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) released a statement saying veteran foreign service officer Jianguo Zhu had been chosen as the first person ever appointed ambassador to Tau Ceti. Zhu is a veteran diplomat and with previous experience in Persepolis, Vysoka, Xanu, and skrellian space, and his appointment is expected to be confirmed by the senate, “within the week,” according to a source within the Department of State speaking on the condition of anonymity. The SANN reached out to office of Senatorial President Toshiyuki Sumida and received the following statement: “The Senate stands ready to help the Alliance enter a new chapter of diplomacy, but wishes to advise that the interests of the Solarian people must be respected — even if they are currently living under foreign governments.” SANN reporting has discovered the embassy will likely be in Mendell City’s first district, Biesel, Tau Ceti, in a building indicated by a member of the Mendell City Police Department speaking on the condition of anonymity as being a former Solarian government building from the pre-secession era. The MCPD source indicated they were aware of plans by residents of Mendell City to protest the embassy’s reopening, but stated they were not at liberty to discuss the matter further. The SANN reached out to Biesel Security Services Bureau with a request for comment but did not receive a reply. In response the SISA’s office for interstellar medial affairs was contacted, and a spokesperson provided the following statement: “The Solarian Interstellar Security Agency is committed to ensuring the safety and security of Solarians at home and abroad, and is watching the situation in Tau Ceti closely with our foreign and domestic partners. Solarian citizens seeking to travel to Tau Ceti should be aware of any alerts and advisories issued by the Department of State.” The Department of State’s travel advisory for Tau Ceti, per their website, remains at Level 3: Reconsider Travel, due to instability throughout its territory and the presence of organized crime in Mendell City, in addition to a limited Solarian government presence. The only higher category is Level 4: Do Not Travel, which currently applies to some worlds in the Coalition of Colonies. Further Reading: VSI: Next Monkey King Movie Expected Summer 2467 Venusian Tourist Extradited from Dominian Custody Following Intrusion into Military Zone, Conviction by Military Court Xanu’s Nouvelle-Rochelle Captains Thrash Callisto’s New Edinburgh Castilians in Latest Cricket Match

BREAKING: Alliance and Tau Ceti Move to Reopen Relations – Developing Story Article 7 of Pharsalia After the SANN’s traditional opening jingle, the camera zooms in on the ever-present, and ever-steady, face of Harold MacMillan, host of The State of Sol. The veteran newscaster nods to the camera, takes a moment to move his dataslate, and begins speaking. “Good evening, and welcome back to The State of Sol. As always I’m your host, Harold MacMillan. Today’s top story is a breaking one, having only just come out of Unity Station: the Alliance and Tau Ceti have, after over a decade of no relations, decided to formally reopen diplomatic relations between Unity Station and Mendell City. For more on this we go to our ace reporter, Cèline Eylenbosch. Cèline?” The camera switches from MacMillan in his broadcasting room to a view of an iconic blonde Cytherean woman standing in a fancy-looking hallway with oak doors and red carpet – the halls of Unity Station, for any viewers familiar with the Alliance’s capital. A bar at the bottom marks her location at “Unity Station - Department of State.” Eylenbosch is, once again, well-dressed in the latest fashion trends out of Idris Incorporated’s spring catalogue. A Cytherean to the core. She smiles to the camera and begins speaking. “Good evening, Harold, and hello, my dear viewers.” “Cèline, what does it look like in the Department of State?” “Well, Harold,” Eylenbosch points a finger to a door behind her, turning slightly. Is that Idris Incorporated's 2467 Vermilion Sunrise re-release on her index fingernail? “behind this door, our secretary of state and Tau Ceti’s diplomatic teams have just finished their negotiations, and a clerk just notified us a few minutes ago that both parties have agreed to reopen formal relations – that’s why I called you and said it was so urgent.” “So, what does this mean for the Alliance? What’s the next step” “I’m not Doctor Principi, Harold,” Eylenbosch wags a finger at the camera, grinning a bit coyly, “but I can still tell you what’s going to for sure happen – no theory though.” “Right, right.” “An ambassador will need to be appointed to Tau Ceti, and our embassy there will have to be reopened. The senate will have to confirm the ambassador, of course, but that shouldn’t take long – it’s a simple majority.” “That sounds easy enough. Has Ambassador Oritz offered any comments yet?” “Nothing yet,” Eylenbosch can’t help but look a bit disappointed, pouting for the camera, “but we did get a quote from a foreign service officer in the diplomatic security branch who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said there are concerns in the Department about ‘blowback’ – their words, not mine – from the residents of Mendell City, where the embassy’s set to be.” “What are they concerned about?” “Mendell City was one of the targets hit when the 35th Fleet invaded it prior to its attempt to overthrow the Alliance, and there’s still a lot of ill-will there. The SISA is currently working with their security agency, according to our source, to stop any violence from breaking out – but there might be protests, Harold. Hopefully we’re there to capture it, hrm?” Eylenbosch’s earlier disappointment fades, replaced with enthusiasm. She wants to be there, in the thick of it. “I’d hate to miss a story only to have the Tau Ceti Times pick it up – wouldn’t you?” “I have to say,” MacMillan laughs for a moment, “it wouldn’t fit the SANN to lose an exclusive to Tau Ceti.” “It wouldn’t!" Eylenbosch grins for the camera again, "But that’s why you have me, my dear viewers, to bring you the hard-hitting information from the ground – should it come to be!” “I’m sure they appreciate you, Cèline. Anything else to add? Further comments?” “Nothing at the moment, Harold. Back over to you.” The camera switches back to a view of Harold, once again in his office. He nods to the camera. “That was Cèline Eylenbosch reporting live from Unity Station. As we move to enter this new era of Sol-Tau Ceti relations, you may not know what’s coming in geopolitics: but you’ll always know the SANN will be there for you: so stay tuned!” MacMillan points to the camera as it fades out and into a commercial.

Tau Ceti's Diplomats Arrive at Unity Station -- SANN Analysis Article 6 of Pharsalia After the SANN’s opening jingle the camera zooms in on, as it always does, Harold MacMillan. Once again sitting across from him is Doctor Giacomo Principi, of the Callistean Institute of Interstellar Studies. After taking a moment to adjust the papers on his desk, MacMillan nods to the camera and begins speaking. “Good evening, and welcome to The State of Sol. As always I’m your host, Harold MacMillan. Today’s feature story is the recent, and long-awaited by many, arrival of Tau Ceti’s diplomatic delegation at Unity Station. Returning to the show to discuss these events is Doctor Giacomo Principi of the Callistean Institute of Interstellar Studies. Doctor, thank you once again for coming.” “Of course, Harold. I’m happy to be here.” “Now, Doctor, could you start by explaining a bit about the current state of Alliance-stay Ceti relation for our viewers?” “I can, yes,” Principi clears his throat. “As you know, roughly 15 years ago in ‘52 the government ceded — some would say it failed to intervene — independence to Tau Ceti. Since then there have been no formal diplomatic relations between Unity Station and Mendell City, and two failed interventions in Tau Ceti by the Navy, with the most recent — in ‘62 — resulting in the civil war.” “So what’s changed, doctor? Why pursue relations now?” “The interstellar realist perspective is that Tau Ceti now controls more of the Spur than ever before, following defections and annexations during ‘62 and ‘63. Tau Ceti’s government has, through its use of force, legitimized itself — but I wouldn’t call it stable.” “Why wouldn’t you?” “Their new zone of control,” Principi draws a circle in the air using his pen, “isn’t stable, Harold. Arguably their frontier administrative center — Mictlan — is a potential flashpoint for internal security problems, with it having recently experienced what I would describe as a civil war and-or revolt against Tau Ceti.” “Doctor, would you still say Biesel is worth engaging with diplomatically?” “Yes,” Principi replies without hesitation. “The Coalition has internal conflict but we still engage with them. We need to look ourselves in the mirror and accept Tau Ceti is a peer rival of the Alliance now, for better or worse.” “What do you mean by that, Doctor? By peer rival.” “Ah! What I mean to say is Tau Ceti has the ability to contest the Alliance on ‘even grounds,’ despite its smaller military. It can being a great economic force to bear against us during a period when much of the Alliance is recovering from a period of crisis.” “Thank you, doctor. As a closing statement, what do you want to see from these negotiations?” “If you’ll permit me to be naïve, Harold, I’d like to see us go through the rest of this century without another crisis centered around Tau Ceti. I’d like for my children to grow up in a better Spur than ours.” “Let’s hope your naïvity becomes reality, hm?” “Let’s, Harold.” “Right — Doctor Principi, thank you for your time.” “Thank you for having me.” “The State of Sol will be right back,” Harold points at the camera, “so stay tuned!”

Government Confirms Tau Ceti to Send Diplomatic Mission to Unity Station Article 4 of Pharsalia UNITY STATION, SOL SYSTEM — Earlier today (GST) the Department of State announced the government of the Tau Ceti System (GTCS) will send an official diplomatic mission to Unity Station as part of ongoing negotiations between Tau Ceti and the Alliance. This delegation is the first of its kind from the GTCS since its declaration of secession and has been cited as, “an important step towards normalizing relations between our peoples,” by a Department of State spokesperson contacted by the SANN. The Department of State provided the SANN with the following statement: “Normalized relations with Tau Ceti will allow our nation to turn the page to a new Spur, leaving behind a decade of attempts by rogue elements to invade other powers that led to our civil war. Secretary Ortiz eagerly awaits meeting with her counterparts from Tau Ceti.” Reactions to the diplomatic mission from the GTCS, and of normalizing ties, have been mixed across the Alliance, with the Solarian Federation of Labour Unions calling it a step towards building a united front against megacorporation dominance, and the Society for a Free Mictlan (SML) calling it, “an insult to every Solarian living under the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s illegal occupation of our territory.” A spokesperson for the SML provided the following statement to the SANN: “While the SML has full confidence in Prime Minster Strom, we oppose any move to normalize relations with Mictlan’s occupiers. One only needs to look back to their ‘peacekeeping’ to see the price everyday Solarians paid for Biesel’s rescue: destroyed houses, murdered innocents, cyborgified dissidents. Is this a state we should have relations with? No!” The SANN will continue to report on Tau Ceti's diplomatic mission as the situation develops. Further Reading: Navy Announces “OBSIDIAN CAGE 67” Readiness Exercise at Coalition Border to Test Readiness Ulrike de Esterházy von Galántha Confirmed by Senate as Ambassador to Moroz Ton Gwai Triads Score 9-7 Win Over Colettish Guards in Latest Game

XNS Exclusive: Konyang Reacts to the Alliance's New Diplomatic Stance Towards Biesel Article 3 of Pharsalia SUWON, REPUBLIC OF KONYANG — In what XNS host Mariska van den Soeterik has called, “a stunning reversal over a decade’s worth of efforts to isolate Biesel,” the Alliance has stated it will seek a diplomatic relationship with what many Solarian politicians have called a rogue breakaway state: the Republic of Biesel. To give you an understand of how this has impacted what many analysts view as the Coalition’s most vulnerable world to the Alliance, our very own ace reporter Liao Qi has traveled to Konyang to catalogue the views of its everyday citizens — human and synthetic. Below it an excerpt from the XNS’ soon-to-release documentary What Our Future Holds: Konyang, the Rampancy Crisis, and the Alliance. The camera focuses on a middle-aged man smoking a cigarette under an awning. Round glasses sit on his face and his hair is starting to go grey around the edges. He’s wearing a National Police rain slicker with a badge on it marking him as Inspector Myung-Ki Hak — assuming, of course, you can read Konyanger Common. A voiceover begins. “Inspector Myung-Ki Hak,” Liao Qi’s voice begins, “is a twenty-five year veteran of Konyang’s police, having served in Suwon — the Republic’s capital — for his entire career. Inspector Hak tells us the rampancy crisis of 2466 was the worst state he’s seen the planet in.” Hak exhales upwards, takes the cigarette out of his mouth, then looks to the camera and begins speaking. “We all know the story, but most off-worlds don’t know the details of it, how it happened. I was there, so,” he shrugs his shoulders, “I can.” “What was it like during the first days?” “Confusing. I worked homicide at the time — still do — and kept having to respond to these calls out for dead or injured people with synthetic subjects. These were pretty brutal attacks too, at least some of them. Just savaged beyond recognition — like hit-and-run vics we get sometimes,” Hak takes another drag from his cigarette, then sighs after exhaling the smoke. “That started escalating fast — really, really fast — over the next few months, and it only really stopped when the corporates brought that device.” “Where were you when the crisis stopped?” “You’re going to be disappointed, Liao: I was asleep after an all-day shift trying to keep my department secure!” Hak laughs, waving his hand! Qi appears to join in for a few moments. “Right. Now, with the crisis behind us, how is Suwon?” “We’re recovering, but it’s slow. It’s always slower to build things than it is to destroy them — people spend 21 years raising a kid only for them to get shot during an overloader deal gone wrong. Life goes on for them as it goes on for our damaged metropolis. The big issue on everyone’s mind is what Sol will do with us.” “And what do you think they’ll do?” “Nothing good,” Hak scowls, then drops the cigarette butt and snubs it out with his shoe. “I think Strom’s the latest edition of Sol’s long-standing tradition of invading and killing anyone who stands against them.” “So you think he’ll invade?” “I think we should be asking when he’ll invade, not if. And when he does come, he’d better be ready for a fight. I’ll go the way of Commodore Taeyang if I have to.” The video ends with a shot of Hak's face, still scowling. What Our Future Holds: Konyang, the Rampancy Crisis, and the Alliance will premiere on the XNS on 24 April 2468. Further Reading: Places to See: The XNS’ Guide to the Scarlands Coalition Member-States to hold “Initiative North” Naval Readiness Exercises Near Konyang C.F.X.P. Heads to New Hai Phong in First Football Match in Sol Since Callisto-Xanu Game

SANN LIVE: Department of State to Announce New Diplomatic Initiative Article 1 of Pharsalia After the SANN’s opening jingle the camera focuses in on the ever-present face of the network: Harold MacMillan. The newscaster nods to the camera, slides his dataslate away, and begins speaking. “Good evening, and welcome back to The State of Sol. As always I’m your host, Harold MacMillan. Today’s feature story is an impending announcement by the Secretary of State, Carmen Mercado Ortiz, following her recent confirmation by the Senate after weeks of hearings related to Strom’s cabinet formation. With the press conference about to begin, let’s go to our reporter on-scene: Cèline Eylenbosch.” The camera switches from MacMillan to a blonde-haired Cytherean woman — now dressed in spring fashion — standing in a fairly crowded conference room. “Hello Harold, and hello dear viewers,” Eylenbosch smiles at the camera. “Cèline, what does it look like in there? How’s the atmosphere?” “Oh it’s practically electric, dear viewers. Rumors have been spreading for most of today about what these new initiatives are — Secretary Ortiz has only ‘officially’ been in her position for a week. So what could she possibly have dreamt up in that time, hrm? Dare I say, could it be a rapprochement?” “With what?” “Well, the most rumored-about one is, of course, Tau Ceti, Harold. Not even the most speculative Binyarian tabloid would guess Gadpathur!” Eylenbosch laughs at her own joke! “But Biesel? The Spur wonders, don’t they?” “Right. How long until it starts?” Eylenbosch looks down at her watch, bringing it up far enough for the viewers to get a look — and Idris-produced Model 89 Ophelia, by the looks of it. Holographic too, and apparently in the colors of Venus’ flag. After a moment of viewing it — long enough for anyone watching to get a good look at the Ophelia — she looks back to the camera and smiles at it, letting her watch-hand drop back down. “In a few minutes, Harold, so let’s switch this to the stage view,” Eylenbosch gestured to the camera, causing the viewer’s eye to swap to a different camera overlooking the stage. As per most Solarian Alliance press conferences the podium is covered in microphones from various agencies and nations — some from as far away as Assunzione or Novi Jadran. After a few moments a Solarian Army guard touches his earpiece and leans over to open a door behind the podium, letting a middle-aged woman in a typical Solarian business suit out. She says something to him briefly, then takes the podium, taking some glasses out of her pocket and putting them on. On her lapel, right below the Solarian flag pin, is a Mictlani flag pin. “Thank you for your presence,” she begins, leaning a bit towards the microphones. “I am pleased to, on behalf of the Solarian people, discuss our upcoming diplomatic agenda for Prime Minister Strom’s term. “As our Alliance is emerging from a period of struggle unseen since the Interstellar War, I wish to assure the Spur writ large that our nation wishes, above all, to seek a peaceful future in the wider interstellar community, while respecting the interests of Solarians everywhere. With that said, the main purpose of this conference is to announce that we are seeking to reopen diplomatic relations with nations Frost’s dictatorship severed relationships with.” A murmur goes through the crowd of reporters as camera lenses flicker. “First among these is the nearby system of Tau Ceti, also known as the Republic of Biesel,” Ortiz pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in. “There are, as the interstellar community is aware, numerous diplomatic conflicts which may ‘bubble over’ between the Alliance and Tau Ceti. It is in the interest of both our government and Tau Ceti’s to ensure war does not break out, and that a diplomatic solution may be reached.” More murmuring and camera lenses flickering fills the air as Ortiz stops talking for a moment. “I now leave the floor open to questions.” A sea of hands shoots up. Ortiz points to a well-dressed man in the front row. “Secretary Ortiz, Liao Qi with XNS. Does the Alliance have any interest in changing its relationship with the Coalition, particularly around Konyang?” “At the time our government believes our relationship with the Coalition, where we maintain diplomatic missions with nearly every member-state aside from Gadpathur, is not in need of further modification. We trust our partners sitting in Xanu feel the same.” “Thank you, Secretary.” Another sea of hands shoots up. Ortiz picks out a well-dressed, if pale, woman in foreign clothes. “Senator Ortiz, Anastazija Leno with the Novi Rijeka Gazette. Over the past years we’ve seen further cooperation between the Empire of Dominia and the Alliance. Can you speak to any plans to further strengthen this relationship?” “Cooperation between the Empire and Alliance has mostly been under the purview of the Department of Defense, so it’s outside of my responsibility. I can, however, say that the Solarian people appreciate the cooperation with your navy to reduce piracy near the Southern Reaches.” “Thank you, Lady Secretary.” The sea of hands goes up yet again. Ortiz picks out a distinctive blonde-haired woman in the first row. “Hello, dear Secretary. Cèline Eylenbosch, SANN. How long have these negotiations been ongoing for, with Tau Ceti?” “Roughly two weeks, with them having started under the acting secretary. There haven’t been any official diplomatic meetings, yet, but I can say Prime Minister Strom has approved this initiative — he wants to see the Alliance’s border security issues handled within his term, and so do I.” “Thank you.” The sea of hands goes up again. Ortiz picks out a man further in the back who is dressed sharply. “Secretary, I’m Baqir Yassin, ENN. With the Alliance posed to reopen relations with Biesel, are there any plans to change its relations with the Republic of Elyra?” “Not at this time, no. So long as Elyra tightly restricts its fuel exports, we cannot see a deeper relationship with it,” Ortiz looks down at her podium, then back up. “And I must apologize, that’s all the time we have for questions. Thank you for coming, and long live the Solarian Alliance.” Ortiz waves to the crowd, then turns and walks back through the door to the shouted questions of unlucky reporters and the snapping of cameras. The view switches back to Eylenbosch, who looks positively thrilled. “Well, dear viewers, isn’t this exciting news?! Back over to you, Harold!” Eylenbosch waves to the camera, which then switches to a view of MacMillan. “It is,” MacMillan straightens his posture, looking at the camera/viewer. “The State of Sol will be right back after this short break, so stay tuned!”

While I cannot speak for Campin and Lain, I am not interested in modifying the cantons in this manner. I do not doubt they are going to stay as-is, in the upper corner of the flag. This topic — modifying Solarian flags to remove their cantons — tends to come up every few months, and my response has always been the same: there is not a great interest on the team to make modifications to these flags. I understand there are size inconsistencies in the cantons, and one could correct them, but I do not want to see the design modified.

I'm pleased to report this has been accepted after consideration by the human lore team, and will be put onto the wiki shortly. Congratulations, and thank you for your contribution!

I don't recall if there was a head of security in the round, and lacks the logs for it so I'm going off my memory here. I remember Taylor Morgan, an officer, telling me the CE wanted my engineering key removed, "to prevent leaking information to a saboteur," or something along those lines. So from my knowledge it appears the CE ordered it, but I can't be sure.

I can log onto the server, right now, and suffer a dozen fates far more horrid than getting shot in my head in a trench. My last death was getting my leg broken by a sword and burning alive, while screaming, in a phoron fire that followed it. It happens. The art is incredible and is an easy way to get someone invested into the setting. Like Outboard, I don't think it's edgy or, "haha murder, guys." To say such discounts it as a piece of art.

BYOND Key: NewOriginalSchwann Game ID: cyu-dLZV Player Byond Key/Character Name: QuestioningMark/Cam Mueller Staff Involved: I did not ahelp this in-round as I assumed it was a revolution round, or another one where we would have a mutiny. Approximate Date/Time: 9:30 PM EST 03 March 2025 Let me preface this by saying I’m not really an experienced engineering player (I regularly played it during the Aurora II, so about three years ago or more, with my Horizon engineering rounds coming here-and-there irregularly), with me mostly hanging out in security or medical, so I don’t necessarily have knowledge of what systems and expectations engineers are/should be familiar with. I spawn in on a new engineer and get called to the lobby, then get intercepted along the way by the CE, Cam Mueller, who tells me he needs to take me down to the lower level to “test my knowledge.” of some systems. I’m not unused to hearing about CEs wanting to “knowledge check” new characters, so I figure I need to go on and show I’m not some hub player who doesn’t know what they’re doing. So I go down and get told to pull open the engine purge valves, being told they’ll put gas into the engines. I have no reason not to believe this – it’s my in-character boss, he seems to be testing me for my knowledge, and have no idea how the thrusters work as a player, so I go along with it. There is a desire, I find, to look as if you know what you are doing in front of your in-character supervisor. We do this to both sets of thrusters, then I get a short speech about how important it is to know atmospherics as an engineer. Fast forward a bit, shortly after transfer’s been called, and I get told to go to security by an investigator. I walk there, ask what’s going on, some lines are exchanged, and the investigator starts holding me at gunpoint and telling me I’m under arrest for sabotage. This is, understandably, a shock to me and I initially assume there must have been some misunderstanding, like I pulled the wrong valve or something. My radio is taken, the engineering key popped out at the direction of Mueller (per security), and I’m thrown into processing, questioned, then put into permanent holding. I remain in it for the rest of the round. I play with OOC turned off, so my communications with the player were after this via Discord. I said some things I should not have, and I apologize for those. It was inappropriate for me as a player, let alone as staff. Returning to the matter of the complaint, I don’t really agree with the justification behind the player’s actions. A head of staff wields immense power over their subordinates and is expected to move the round forward, but I don’t believe that’s a good enough reason to have one of your subordinates – who may be a new player – arrested and thrown into security for 20-30 minutes when they’ve done nothing wrong. I was excited, with a new character who seemed to be clicking with the rest of my department – perhaps this was finally the character I needed to break into engineering with a solid, good personality – but that experience, and my agency, was ripped from me by the decision of my head of staff. Not an antagonist head of staff, not an antagonist themselves, but my head of staff, who wanted to get money for disabling the thrusters and needed a “fall guy” for his attempt to drive the round forward. Sabotaging your own ship and blaming one of your subordinates is not something I believe a character would reasonably do for any amount of money as a head of staff. Furthermore, I do not believe the argument of, “my character is racist and nasty,” is enough to justify this. There were two tajara and an unathi in the department when I arrived – why hadn’t he decided to involve one of them in his attempt to drive the round forward? When I first joined this server years ago, I played with antagonist heads of staff and was one of the voices pushing for their removal, which was ultimately successful. This round reminded me of why I, and others, fought so hard for the removal of antagonist heads of staff. Considering the totality of information, I must ask if this is what we want from a head of staff, a role which we place behind a whitelist in the hopes they’ll be able to direct the round? A player who is taken to security and handcuffed loses all agency, and ordering their radio taken away from them only exacerbates this lack of agency – their round is, in essence, ruined, and their time wasted. It’s nothing a head of staff should do outside of exceptional circumstances, such as if they are an antagonist – a loyalist, for example. Ultimately, with my initial anger at it having faded, I find myself more disappointed in this than anything else. A head of staff should know better.

Government Formed — Alliance to be Governed by Populist-Sol First Coalition! Epilogue #4 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Election UNITY STATION, EARTH — Earlier today (GST) the Senate announced the successful formation of a coalition government between the Populist and Sol First parties, with both parties combined surpassing the required 50% limit to form a government. As part of a power-sharing agreement between the two parties, Hendrick Strom has accepted Senator Toshiyuki Sumida as the Senatorial President, giving Sol First a degree of influence over proceedings they have not possessed since the mid-2450s. When contacted by the SANN, the Sol First Party’s office for interstellar relations provided the following comment: “The Sol First Party is pleased to work alongside our colleagues in the Populist Party to further Solarian interests at home and abroad, while respecting the values that have long made our nation a great one.” The opposition is slated to be headed by Senator Anastasie Renaud’s Popular Democratic Party, with Sen. Renaud serving as Shadow President for the Senate. Madelyn Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for Sen. Renaud, provided the following statement to the SANN: “Senator Renaud and the Popular Democratic Party are excited to get to work governing the Alliance, and see this as a chance to prove our platform – and our effective governance – to the Solarian people.” The junior partners of the opposition are the Socialist Unity Party, led by Sen. Trang, and the Communist Party, led by Sen. Pavlov. Neither responded to the SANN’s request for comment. Further Reading: All-Xanu Beer Lover’s League Publishes “Steins of Sol” Recommendation List Silversun Tourism Board Reports Increased Visitors during Winter Season Konyang’s Suwon Sea Bandits Prepare to Head to San Colette

Senate Swears in Hendrik Strom as Prime Minister! Epilogue #3 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Election The camera zooms in on the serious — and now well-rested — face of Harold MacMillan, complete with his iconic Callistean flag lapel pin. He nods to the camera. “Welcome back to The State of Sol. As always I’m your host, Harold MacMillan. Today we go to Unity Station, where the Senate has just voted to confirm Prime Minister-elect Strom as PM. Reporting live from outside the Senate chambers is our ace reporter, Cèline Eylenbosch. Cèline?” The camera switches to Eylenbosch, who is once again standing in the Alliance’s halls of power. Behind her is a well-furnished wooden door in a classical Earther style, potentially leading into a senator’s office. Beside her stands a quite tall Solarian woman of likely middle age, clad in a business suit with a Lunarian flag lapel and wearing glasses. The Cytherean nods to the camera and smiles at it, then begins speaking. “Hello, dear viewers, and thank you, Harold. As you’ve said, the Senate voted earlier to confirm Strom as our next Prime Minister. With me to discuss the confirmation is Senator Haruka Mori, a representative from Harmony City, Luna, and member of Sol First. Senator, can you start by explaining how the vote went for our dear viewers?” Eylenbosch levels her mic towards Mori. “First, let me begin by stating my opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the stances of Sol First. For being a procedure we haven’t done since 2461 — and arguably since before that, considering how few senators were able to attend Frost’s confirmation due to harassment by his paramilitaries — it went quite smoothly. Most of this is formality, with us simply confirming what the people have already decided.” “Did anything unexpected happen, senator? I’ve heard rumors of a disturbance inside there.” “There was, ah, one incident involving Senator Trang. She claimed that New Hai Phong’s seats would abstain until its election disputes had been resolved — corruption issues, according to her own words.” “Did her party abstain?” “Some did. As you and I are talking about the success of this vote, it was, as they say, compter pour des prunes — it only damaged their reputation, ultimately.” “Ahhhh, dear senator, you mean to say it was a worthless gesture?” “It was, yes. I'm not unused to political stunts, but I hope this isn't a bad sign for their future coalition partners if they choose to join one.” “And what do you, dear senator, think of our new prime minister?” “I’m pleased to see a return to democracy by our Alliance and am confident the PM will work to advance traditional Solarian values and principles.” “And what of the word on everyone’s lips, coalition? Are you willing to work with him?” “I can’t speak for Senator Sumida, so I’ll have to refrain from commenting on the matter.” Eylenbosch looks almost disappointed by this response, as if she’s had a toy stolen from her hands. “I see. Well, dear viewers, on that mysterious note we must return to you, Harold. Thank you for your time, Senator Mori.” “Of course,” the Lunarian nods politely as the camera switches back to a view of MacMillan. “Thank you, Cèline,” MacMillan points to the camera elbow resting on his desk. “The State of Sol will be right back after this break, so stay tuned!

Senate Polls Conclude — Coalition Government Guaranteed? Epilogue #2 of WINNER TAKES ALL: The '67 Solarian Federal Election NEW EDINBURGH, CALLISTO — The Department of the Interior has announced that all senatorial races have been, as of today, concluded with winning candidates aside from several precincts on New Hai Phong, which remain contested due to allegations of corruption and voter suppression. DoI reports indicate big gains in the Senate for the Populist Party and Popular Democratic Party, currently represented by PM-elect Strom and Sen. Renaud, with minor gains for Sol First and the Socialist Unity Party. The Communist Party has polled below all other parties in the election. No party has polled above the 50% required to form a government in the Senate, and the next few weeks are likely to contain negotiations to form the first coalition government since the 2450s. When asked by the SANN, PM-elect Strom provided the following comment: “I’m pleased at how well the Populist Party has performed in the elections and look forward to working with any potential coalition partners in the future. As Solarians, whether in the Senate or in our nation as a whole, it’s important we come together as a united people instead of letting our differences tear us apart.” Sen. Renaud provided the following comment to the SANN: “The success of social democracy in the recent election proves the Alliance is ready to look inwards and take action to address what led us to the crisis of Frost’s government in the first place. As one of the two largest parties in the Senate, we look forward to working together with our partners to better the Alliance for every Solarian!” The breakdown of parties in the Senate is projected to be as follows: Populist: 30% Popular Democratic: 28% Sol First: 22% Socialist Unity: 15% Communist: 5% Prime Minister-elect Strom is expected to be sworn into office by the Senate in the following days. Further Reading: Sen. Sumida, PM-Elect Strom Rumored to be in Coalition Talks All-Xanu Republic Ambassador Meets, Congratulates PM-Elect Strom During Visit to Venus Sen. Trang to Throw First Pitch at Next Ton Gwai Triads Game