NewOriginalSchwann

I am not incredibly familiar with you as a person, alas, but I have some familiarity with your characters and behavior. I have no concerns about either, so here are some questions! 1). How do you feel about the Zo'ra and their relationship to Biesel? What would you expand there? 2). What are your thoughts on the Lii'dra Incursion? Would you change anything with it?

I've spent a great amount of time working with Wigglesworth on Vysoka and his characters. I have known him since, frankly, about when I started on the server (2019) and he is a very passionate, motivated writer. It is my opinion that he would make an excellent writer if given the position. I do, however, have a few questions -- it wouldn't befit my position to not ask them, after all! 1). To build upon prior questions asked regarding the K'lax, how do you feel about the Zo'ra and their relationship to Biesel? What would you expand there? 2). What are your thoughts on the Lii'dra Incursion? Would you change anything with it?

I have interacted with your CMO in a few rounds and did not find him to be particularly impressive. You did not communicate with the department and it felt as if you were trying to lord over it as an absolute authority rather than serving as a leader for it. It is not fun to be threatened with failure to execute an order for disagreeing with your supervisor and my experiences with you as one of your staff, when combined with the feedback in this thread, do not give me confidence you are ready to serve as a head of staff at this time. -1.

Alliance Celebrates Victory in the Northern Wildlands – Provisional Government Announces Mandate Governors! Finale of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens onto a crowd waving three flags – Callisto’s, San Colette’s, and the Alliance’s – while cheering and hoisting a man wearing the black uniform of a Solarian Navy officer into the air. The man throws his hat into the sky as a Lunan-accented male begins to speak as a voiceover. “This Monday brings an apparent end to a weekend of celebration across the Alliance with the end of major combat operations in the Northern Reaches, and the announcement of reconstruction in the war-torn region. The camera switches to a view of the Hai Phongese skyline, where fireworks are visible exploding in the air even through its omnipresent smog and dust. A crowd of Hai Phongers watches and observes from a balcony, cheering through their respirators and chanting Solarian slogans. It switches again, now showing a celebration on Silversun where fireworks are exploding in the night sky above a pristine white sand beach. Another camera shot shows a Plutonian street with a red banner reading “GLORY TO THE VICTORY OF THE ALLIANCE OVER FASCISM!” strung across it, from one apartment building to another. “All across our Alliance,” a Lunan-accented man narrates, “the end of the conflict has been celebrated – in many cases, for multiple days – as the end of three years of civil war. The switches to a shot of a large screen in the Susuhe District of Binyaria on Venus which is being watched by a crowd of people. As the announcement of the intervention’s end, and victory, comes into the screen a roaring cheer goes through the crowd, which begins to chant “SOL! SOL! SOL!” over and over. The chanting is quickly drowned out as the camera switches to a scene in Harmony City, Luna, where a Navy officer of the First Battlegroup is greeted by her parents as she returns home. While more demure than Venus, it is still a celebration. “From Venus to Visegrad,” the camera switches to a shot of the Freiheit Tower on Visegrad, which has had a massive Solarian flag projected onto it with “VICTORY OVER ANARCHY!” printed on it, “the Alliance will doubtlessly soon be truly unified once again, and stronger than ever before. We will rise from the defeat of ‘62. The camera switches to a celebration in Korormansk Station, Europa. Lacking a way to set off fireworks the Europans are instead laughing, singing, and dancing with sparklers in their hands as a man plays the Alliance’s anthem on an accordion. Another switch brings the camera to Unified Kunlun, Mars, where a woman with messy blonde hair who is holding a Colettish flag covered in signatures for the camera as she stands alongside a few other soldiers. The camera switches again to Earth, where a statue of a pre-Interstellar War soldier has been adorned with a banner stating the following: 600 YEARS AND COUNTING OF WINNING CIVIL WARS IN ‘65! “Even outside our borders, Solarians celebrate.” The camera switches first to Konyang, where a small pro-Alliance crowd is demonstrating and waving flags in Boryeong. The number of police and counter-protestors seems to greatly outnumber the protestors. It then switches to a public square in Hang Tuah’s Rest, a planet in the Biesel-controlled Corporate Reconstruction Zone, where a crowd is waving flags and chanting anti-Biesel slogans. Then, to a press room on Unity Station featuring Hendrik Strom, emergency governor of the Sol System. The crowd, fitting Strom’s populist style, is filled with both journalists and everyday Solarians. Behind Strom lies a line of flags featuring every Solarian member-state aside from Lycoris. Two individuals stand behind him — one a high-ranking female Navy officer AND the other a man in a suit with a Colettish flag pin on the lapel. “My fellow Solarians,” Strom begins. “For three long years, we have suffered. We have watched our Alliance be picked at by vultures who claim to have its best interests in mind. Today we have watched our Alliance say: no more! No more shall we have to grieve for our fellow Solarians suffering under the rule of despots, maniacs, and warlords. No more shall we have to sleep with one eye open, ever concerned about the Civil War escalating. Today, we declare victory over anarchy!” Strom pauses for a moment to let the crowd cheer. “Today, we announce the creation of the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate and leaders for both Mandates! Without further delay, I am pleased to announce Geraldo de los Reyes as the Governor of the Northern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate!” As the crowd cheers again, de los Reyes steps up to the podium and waves at the assembled crowd with both hands. “Thank you, thank you!” he shouts as the noise dies down. “In our darkest days in San Colette, we never lost our faith in both God and the Alliance. I am honored to accept the nomination of both Governor Strom and Colettish President Maribel Sarmiento for the position of Governor. I shall strive in all I do to build a better, more just Alliance for both our future and for those who have their lives protecting it.” The crowd claps for de los Reyes as camera shutters snap and he steps away from the podium. Strom returns to it. “Governor Reyes has my full confidence, and that of the Solarian government. Choosing the governor of the Southern Reaches was a difficult prospect, my fellow Solarians. The region has been ravaged by war, by banditry, and by the interference of Biesel. But one woman has been able to keep most of the region stable, against all odds. It is my honor to announce that Fleet Admiral Klaudia Szalai shall serve as the Southern Reaches’ provisional governor until the region is further stabilized!” As Strom steps back from the podium the crowd cheers and Szalai steps forward. She shortly begins speaking. “Thank you, Governor Strom. For the past three years the First Middle Ring Battlegroup, alongside Sixth Middle Ring Battlegroup, have fought to preserve our Alliance in the face of unrelenting attacks from traitors and those who would sell our country to the wealthiest corporate interest. We have beaten back every effort, and are honored to rejoin the Alliance.” Szalai receives a notably louder cheer than Reyes as she steps back from the podium. As Strom steps forward to it, he clearly looks very pleased with something. “My fellow Solarians, we have one last announcement for our nation,” Strom pauses, perhaps for dramatic effect. “First, I am pleased to announce July 17 as a new national holiday: the Day of Reunification. Officially, it will be formally celebrated next Monday for this year. Furthermore, with the end of our Civil War, the provisional government has reconsidered certain aspects of our government. I am both honored and privileged to announce that, starting on the first of September, 2465, we will once again hold free and fair elections. May the best candidate win, and long live the Alliance!” Strom throws his hand into the air, both doing V for victory signs, as the crowd practically explodes into cheering. This is an historic day.

PEACE AT LAST! — Government Declares End of Major Operations in the Northern Reaches Epilogue Part 2, Article 2 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens upon a conference room featuring an empty podium with a Solarian flag behind it and what appear to be Colettish and Solarian Navy flags to its sides. Beside these flags are those of almost every Solarian Northern Reaches world with two notable exceptions: Konyang, defected to the Coalition in 2462, and Lycoris, heartland of the Solarian Restoration Front. To the left is an unassuming wooden door guarded by two individuals: one a Navy marine, the other an officer of the Colettish Civil Guard. At an unseen signal both open one side of the door as Minister of Defense Lucien Courtois walks out from it, accompanied by a Navy officer and a man in a business suit with a Solarian flag lapel. The trio walk to the podium and Courtois stands behind it, looking at the crowd. After a moment, he speaks. “As of eighteen-hundred galactic standard time, I am proud to announce the end of large-scale offensive operations against secessionist forces in the Northern Reaches following the surrender of their last stronghold, New Atlantica. Courtois pauses for a minute as the assembled crowd bursts into applause and cheers. A small smile escapes his otherwise serious expression as the applause dies down and he begins speaking again. “With the end of major combat operations most elements of the Solarian Armed Forces engaged in the region will remain for temporary peacekeeping and patrol operations related to remnants of the secessionist forces in the region which have refused to surrender. Control over the Northern Reaches outside of Lycoris will be transferred to civilian authorities, and a special zone known as the Northern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate will be created to assist in the rebuilding of the region. We will build a better Alliance for our people, and ensure a civil war never happens again. Courtois pauses for a moment as he is once again drowned out by applause and cheers. “Thank you. I yield the stand to Attorney General Henri Fontenot of the Department of Justice, who has an announcement related to the Northern Reaches.” Cortois steps back and allows the suit-wearing man to take the podium. Fontenot is a tall, thin man who appears to be in his early middle age — his late 50s, for one with access to the advanced medical care of the 2400s. He has a small, well-kept mustache and speaks with a notable Earther accent. “I thank you, Minister Courtois,” Fontenot clears his throat and continues. “For nearly three years our great nation has been made to look on as so-called ‘warlords’ made a mockery of our laws, our treaties, and our good government. The treaties which founded our nation hold all of humanity as equal under the law, and granted certain unalienable rights. The ‘Restoration,” Fontenot grimaces as he says the word, “Front has consistently and grotesquely violated these rights all Solarians are entitled to. Fontenot pauses for a moment, looking at the crowd. “By the power vested in me as our Alliance’s attorney general, I declare that we shall try all who have violated the human rights of the Solarian people in the Northern Reaches. Justice will be provided to those who have been wronged, and those who have broken our laws will be punished.” The crowd once again erupts into applause as Fontenot steps away from the podium. He and Courtois hold a brief, whispered conversation as the Navy officer — a middle-aged Hai Phongese man — steps up to the podium. “That concludes this press briefing. Thank you for coming — unfortunately, we cannot accept questions at this time. As the trio moves to exit the room the sound of camera shutters snapping and reporters murmuring, of still attempting to ask questions, becomes nearly deafening. The broadcast shortly cuts and moves to a commercial break.

XNS Exclusive: Konyang Armed Forces Respond to Solarian Navy Reaching Coalition Border Epilogue Part 2, Article 1 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens onto Mariska van den Soeterik behind her desk, with a map of the Northern Reaches behind her. The space formerly occupied by the Front, League, and Pact has been replaced with a light, almost white blue signifying Solarian control of the region. All the dots on the map - Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal’s method of tracking the major worlds of the sector — have small Solarian flags above them. Opposed, and now directly sharing a border with the Alliance, is a region with a dot and Konyang’s flag above it. “Good evening, and welcome to the Xanu News Service. As always I am your host Mariska van den Soeterik. Today’s top headline is a concerning one for many citizens of the Coalition: after three years of unrest and warfare within the Northern Reaches forces of the Solarian Alliance have once again reached the Coalition’s border, and naval patrols have reported sighting Solarian Navy vessels for the first time since Konyang joined the Coalition. We go now to a special guest, Commander Mi-Hi Gim of the Konyang Armed Forces and former military liaison to the Coalition Special Committee.” The view of van den Soeterik splits as her portrait moves to the left and another woman appears on the right side of the screen. This woman, identifies as “Commander Mi-Hi Gim, KAF” under her portrait is a typical Konyanger but displays some odd characteristics which mark her as a synthetic such as softly glowing eyes and somewhat orange — unusual for any Konyanger — glossy hair. Gim’s face is mostly expressionless and she is clad in the uniform of a KAF flag officer, sans hat. The synthetic woman politely smiles at the camera as she comes into focus. “I am pleased to represent Konyang on the XNS,” Gim replies, “and I will answer your question to the best of my ability. Any personal opinions are my own and do not represent Konyang or its armed forces.” “Of course. Commander Gim, many in the Coalition are nervous about the Alliance being at our border once again. What would you say to these concerns?” “They’re understandable but ultimately we see no risk of conflict with the Solarian government as it now stands.” “Why is that?” “The Northern Reaches, which were recently reclaimed by the Alliance, have been badly damaged by the Solarian Civil War. The infrastructure to support a large-scale conflict with the Coalition simply isn’t there, and we have far more ships at our disposal than the now-defeated warlord states had due to the presence of Coalition forces at the border. Any conflict would be inadvisable for both us and the Alliance.” “Has there been talk of conflict with the Alliance?” “There is always talk, Mariska,” Gim nods. “But action is a much different prospect, and cooler heads have consistently prevailed on our side.” “And on the Alliance’s side?” “I cannot discuss how we know this, but it appears to be the same. Nobody wants to fire the first shot of the Second Interstellar War.” “Right. As a Konyanger, are you concerned about your planet’s position on the border?” “Konyang’s position on the border with the Northern Reaches has always been a matter of strategic concern for the KAF. We have contingency plans in place to handle any situation which may arise.” “As a synthetic human, do you have any personal concerns regarding the Alliance?” Gim pauses a moment, apparently considering her words, before she responds to Mariska. “A good question, Mariska. I am, as a person, understandably opposed to the Alliance’s treatment of my fellow positronic synthetics. It is my responsibility as a member of the KAF to ensure the Alliance cannot subject any Konyanger — synthetic or organic — to such cruelty.” “Commander Gim, thank you for your time!” “Thank you for having me,” Gim smiles as her feed cuts, transitioning the camera’s view to simply van den Soeterik in her newsroom. “That’s all we have for tonight. The Xanu News Service will continue to report on this situation as it develops. For now, have a good night and take care!” van den Soeterik waves politely at the camera as its feed fades out.

The Final Volunteer Tape Epilogue Part 1, Article 10 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens on Liao Qi, looking better than he did during his last appearance, sitting in a chair in a fairly nondescript room. His bulletproof vest has been traded for a dress shirt and he looks much like he did when he first arrived in San Colette so many months ago. “With the end of fighting on San Colette itself,” Qi begins, “we wanted to return to the volunteers we spoke with earlier to see their experiences of the battle. Without further ado, here they are in their own words.” The camera flicks from Qi to Alexis Watts, the first volunteer formally interviewed by the XNS. She’s in the same room, and chair, as Qi is in and looks much the same as she did before but appears less tired. Her hair, however, is still as messy as ever. “So,” Watts begins. “You wanted my take on all this?” “Yes, along with your experiences.” “Sure, sure! Well, it was hard. Not a pleasant fight, but the Coletters were good — really good! My guys got stationed outside of the capital, yeah? ‘cause it was pretty clear the Front was gotta try and f—," Watts pauses and looks at the camera, "—screw it up. Sorry.” “It’s fine.” “It was a lot hotter than Mars, back in ‘62. Most of the guys we fought there gave up ‘cause they didn’t wanna starve to death, or get blasted by the Navy. Now we were the ones worried about getting hit by the big guns. Woulda gotten hit if Cynthia wasn’t so on the ball with calling out interceptions.” “How has the intervention been viewed by your fellow volunteers?” “Most are pretty happy. Cynthia probably took it the worst but she’s a Biesel citizen so she’s fine, long as she and I stick together. Forsythe bit it so he couldn’t say much. But that’s just the way war is. Sometimes people get killed.” As Watts sighs the perspective switches to Cynthia in the same chair, now featuring moderate damage to the synthskin on one side of her face which has been hastily covered by a bandage. She is looking at the camera with a somewhat quizzical expression. “You have asked me a curious question, Mister Qi. Was it worth it?” Cynthia pauses, singular visible eye keeping its focus on the camera. “I suppose it was.” “Why is that?” “If we had not fought, it would have been far worse. I would gladly trade my right optic once again for us to fight back against the man who invaded Biesel and sold free synthetics.” “What will you do now that the first battalion has been demobilized?” “I can’t integrate back into the Solarian Army like the second battalion has done, so I shall return to Biesel to see Legate Forsythe off to his final resting place. After that, I suppose the Coalition is my next home. I have had enough of war and corporations. Perhaps I shall simply wander." The camera switches to Branka Burić, the Dominian sharpshooter, in the chair. She is completely uninjured. “I intend to return to Novi Jadran as, Goddess as my witness, my duties here are done. The Alliance is no place for me — it is too focused on the material and pays little attention to spiritual matters. As for what I shall do when I return? I shall not say to a Coalitioner, and a heathen.” The camera switches to Khaliq Akhtar in the same chair as all other interviewees. Akhtar has a bandage around his forehead and more bandages on his left arm, but is otherwise uninjured. A cigarette is idly burning in his right hand, and the mercenary exhales smoke upwards before speaking. “This was nothing compared to Bursa. The Alliance should be glad it was only fanatical humans rather than bugs. The bugs fight on a different level than the Front does,” Akhtar lazily flicks his cigarette offscreen. “But it wasn’t pleasant.” “What was it like on D’Anzin and where will you go now?” “Back to Elyra once the Alliance is done interrogating us. D’Anzin was too cold even before it was too phoron-tainted for my taste. I don’t think I’ll be back.” The camera switches back to Qi in the same room, holding some papers in his hands. The sandbags and tarps which covered it days ago are gone and one window, though cracked badly, is letting in the light of a Colettish summer day. Qi clears his throat and begins speaking. “We were unable to reach Hale Kaohi or Willerich Kozak for follow-up interviews as Kaohi has rejoined the Solarian Army and Kozak has not been seen since his headquarters was hit by Front artillery. With the end of the Front invasion of San Colette much of the fighting has been taken over by regular Solarian forces and the volunteer formations appear to be effectively dissolved. But what they fought for — the defeat of the Front — seems to be closer to reality than any of them imagined. For now that’s all we have. I’m Liao Qi, reporting to you from the Solarian Alliance."

Fighting Concludes on Novo Igman Epilogue Part 1, Article 7 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens onto the XNS war room. Over the past two days the Solarian Navy has advanced even further and has taken back Novo Igman. They have reached Lycoris and appear to be actively engaged in and around the system. Off to either side of the screen are Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. Gopal is the first to speak. “Earlier today forces of Novo Igman’s Solarian government announced they had driven out the last of the Front’s forces from its major population centers, and had regained control of the planet in its entirety, with the Navy moving in shortly after this. One of the most popular images from this liberation is the following image.” Gopal clicks his PDA as the screen beside him switches from a map to a photograph of two individuals shaking hands in a conference room. The first, an older man clad in a suit with a bulletproof vest over his torso, is clearly Governor Vladan Janković — the last official Solarian governor of Novo Igman prior to the Solarian Civil War. The other individual, a tall and pale woman in an Admiral’s uniform with an oak leaf on the side of her peaked cap, is clearly Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg — commander of the First Battlegroup and a major figure behind the Navy’s effort in the intervention. The photo is captioned with the following Solarian Common writing: FIRST BATTLEGROUP MEETS NOVO IGMAN LIBERATORS — OFFICIALLY WELCOMES GOVERNMENT BACK TO ALLIANCE! “It’s impressive they managed to defeat the Front’s occupying forces without any outside help,” Deschsmps says as she looks at the photo. “Do you have the second photograph?” “I do, yes,” Gopal clicks at his PDA again. “It should be on the screen in a moment.” The screen switches to a photograph — likely taken from a video — of the Kopile, odd construction now fully visible, smashing through a gate while the crew in the back cheers, throwing their fists into the air. The gate has the Front’s flag upon it and is in the process of being messily removed by the Kopile’s bulldozer blade. Interestingly the crew appears to have painted an eye on either side of the gun, creating an odd image where the gun itself is the “nose” of the face. The image is labeled “Improvised Novo Igman SDF vehicle breaks through Front barrier, 19.06.2465.” “Interesting,” Deschamps responds. “With Novo Igman secured by the Alliance this places the Front on an awkward footing. Most of their remaining forces are almost certainly at Lycoris or near New Atlantica, where they were previously fighting against the League. Without most of their holdings near San Colette and Nueva Patria now threatened, this is likely the end of the Front as an effective force.” “Good riddance,” Gopal responds. Deschamps nods in response. “Well said, Ajit. I can’t imagine Lycoris standing for much longer as most reports seem to place the Solarian Navy at its outskirts. Once we have more information we’ll be certain to update you. For now, however, take care and have a good night!”

Fighting Continues on Novo Igman Epilogue Part 1, Article 6 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens upon, as it has for many months now, the XNS war room and their map of the Northern Reaches. The Solarian Navy has almost reached Lycoris and will, at their current rate of advance, likely do so by early next week. Their push towards Novo Igman has continued smoothly, and the Solarian Restoration Front remains on the backfoot throughout the Northern Reaches. Delphine Deschamps is the first of the two analysts to speak. “Earlier today the Solarian Governor of Novo Igman succeeded in sending out a message via, surprisingly, Chirper. Here it is,” Deschsmps clicks her PDA and the screen switches to an image of a chirp by Governor Vladan Janković, who is marked as a Solarian official. It reads as follows: Fellow Solarians! I write to you from free Novo Igman, where we are resisting the terror of Frost’s regime! For the past six months our soldiers have fought the fascists and bandits on all sides — in orbit, in our cities, in the forests, in our mountains. We are not defeated and Novo Igman continues to fight! We will secure our Republic from the invaders and have pushed them back to only a few locations! Long live Novo Igman, long live our Alliance! “— and you said you’ve been able to get some video footage, right Ajit?” Gopal nods and taps at his PDA for a moment. “Indeed my team has! What we have is fairly recent and comes from fighting in one of Novo Igman’s major industrial hubs, Velinova. Over the past two months Novo Igman’s militias and Army units have gotten pretty creative with how they’re fighting, which you’ll see shortly once it’s pulled up.” “Two months? That’s a lot longer than San Colette, wouldn’t the Front have bombarded any opposition by that point?” “They would have if they hadn't needed the planet’s industrial infrastructure,” Gopal taps his PDA one last time. “There, we’re ready!” At this point the tape cuts out and switches back to the war room. “With the Solarian Navy rapidly approaching Novo Igman and Lycoris, the Xanu News Service will continue to keep its viewers updated regarding the latest events in the Northern Reaches. For now, have a good night – and stay tuned!”

Solarian Navy Continues Advance — Fighting Breaks Out in Some Front-Controlled Systems Epilogue Part 1, Article 6 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens upon, as it has for many months now, the XNS war room and their map of the Northern Reaches. Judging by the map, over the past days the Solarian Alliance’s Navy has made significant progress into the area controlled by the Solarian Restoration Front. Along the main frontline the Navy is nearing Lycoris, the Front’s longstanding headquarters and capital world, and near Nueva Patria the last bastion of the Pact has grown in size. Near it the Navy has begun to push towards New Peoria and Novo Igman, seemingly not content to simply bunker down and await their main force. Novo Igman is marked by a small explosion graphic despite the Navy still being some distance away. Off to the sides of the map, looking much better than they did during their coverage of the invasion of San Colette, are XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. “As you can see by our map,” Deschamps begins as she points her PDA at Novo Igman, causing a small laser dot to appear on it, “the Solarian Navy has pushed the Front back and, as a result, we’ve been able to receive many more communications from areas under their control. Recently it was revealed the Front-occupied Pact world — perhaps ‘the former Pact world’ might be better, as they’ve effectively rejoined the Alliance — has been in open revolt against the Front’s occupation force.” “Right,” Gopal says, “and we’ve heard similar reports from across the Front’s occupied worlds such as Lhokgon and New Peoria. With the arrival of the Solarian Navy it seems the writing for the Front is on the metaphorical wall.” “So it does. What about the League?” “It’s effectively destroyed as a fighting force Delphine, with the vast majority having fled over the border with the Coalition or died fighting against the Front in their last stand at New Atlantica late last week shortly after the Alliance’s intervention. Those who have fled across the border have mostly been detained by the Coalition naval forces stationed there, assuming they didn’t slip through the border undetected. We don’t know how many managed to slip through undetected, but some are concerned we may see a growth in piracy if many did. Particularly piracy along more remote regions of common Konyang-to-Xanu routes.” “Concerning,” Deschamps responds. “To go back to Novo Igman it seems they’ve been fighting for some time. First against the League and now against the Front, with success against both. Reports we’ve received from its Pact government indicate they’ve regained control of several major industrial cities and are currently engaged in urban fighting against the Front in others. Much of this is unconfirmed at this exact moment but if the Navy’s advance towards the planet is any indication, they’re trying to reach it and free it from Front control before waiting for the majority of their fleets to punch through.” “Hopefully we’ll have more information soon.” “Hopefully!” Deschamps nods! “Personally, I'm looking forward to getting photographs from them -- or videos! For now, however, we’ll be back after a short break.”

Exclusive Footage From Inside the SAMV Gunnhildr as it Arrived in Nueva Patria Epilogue Part 1, Article 5 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens to a nondescript older Solarian man sitting behind a desk, who smiles at the camera as the footage fades in. Habitual viewers of the SANN may recognize this as Reginald “Reg” Fitzpatrick, a Callistean news anchor who specializes in military-related reporting. A proud veteran of the Callistean Marines, Fitzpatrick is perhaps somewhat less impartial than the typical journalist. Fitzpatrick is known for never using a language other than his distinctive Castillean Tradeband, which is distinctively Utgarian rather than the rapid New Valletta accent most associate with the moon. Solarian Common subtitles are provided. “Good evening, viewers!" Fitzpatrick begins, leaning slightly onto his desk. “With the largest Solarian Navy actions since the Interstellar War now underway, we've received many requests to cover our fighting men and women in more depth. Today we bring you a SANN exclusive — a view inside of the Gunnhildr as it warped into Nueva Patria!” At a dramatic snap of Fitzpatrick’s fingers the camera transitions to a view of the inside of a Solarian Navy vessel. The view of the room appears to be captured from a fixed camera upon its wall which can see all of the room aside from a small amount below itself. To somebody familiar with the Solarian Navy this is clearly a fire control room for a larger vessel’s batteries — one of many such rooms in a vessel as large as the Gunnhildr. All around the room Navy enlisted sit at militarized computer consoles, idly chattering with one another. Some appear fairly nervous and a variety of accents can be heard above the idle noise of the ship in transit — Martian, Earther, Plutonian, Callistean, Native Silversunner, and Hai Phongese accents are all discernible to a keen-eared listener. A notably absent accent is the upper-class Lunan, but a likely suspect for having it is visible in the background of the scene: a tall and pale woman clad in the black uniform of a junior Navy officer who is holding one ear shut with her spare hand and holding a wired telephone to her other ear. After a moment she puts the phone down with a loud CHUNK and quickly turns to the room. “GUNNERY THREE,” she yells in Lunan-accented Common, “BRACE FOR WARPSHOCK!” An older enlisted man echos the call, “BRACE FOR WARPSHOCK!” At a moment’s notice everyone in the room scrambles and braces against a variety of objects and hikers down while desperately knocking what few objects remain on top of the consoles to the floor. An alarm begins to sound. The officer, bracing against a terminal, looks down at her watch and looks up to shout again. “FIFTEEN SECONDS TO DEWARP!” “FIFTEEN SECONDS TO DEWARP!” a woman bracing against another computer echos. Five seconds pass as the sailors and their officer brace themselves. At the ten second mark, a monotone feminine voice begins to count down over the room’s speaker. As the voice loudly and monotonically declares “DEWARPING NOW” the room visibly shakes, knocking the officer’s hat to the ground and causing a man next to her to stumble in his crouch and nearly fall over before she and an enlisted man grab onto him. The PA dings twice. “Attention all hands,” a male Lunan says over the intercom, “we are dewarping smoothly. Move to full combat stations.” The officer stands up as enlisted sailors around her rise to their feet “Gunnery three!” she shouts. “Let’s show the thirty-fifth how the First fights!” As men and women around her shout in approval and run to their stations, the tape cuts out and moves back to Fitzpatrick at his desk. “A truly inspiring view of the Navy’s best in action!” Fitzpatrick approvingly pumps his fist at the camera once. “News from across the frontline with the Solarian Restoration Front currently shows the Navy pushing back the secessionists on all fronts and saving our fellow Solarians from the yoke of Frost’s tyranny and corruption! The Sol Alliance News Network will keep you informed of all relevant events in these historic times, and one of our best reporters is on the ground to cover the situation as it develops. For now, however, have a good night and God bless the Alliance! And if you’re in the Northern Reaches, stay safe — the Alliance is coming together once again!” The broadcast fades out.

Lain/TheBurninSherman would in my view, to nobody's surprise, be an excellent addition to the moderation team! I can personally attest to their ability to be level-headed and calm even in very, very difficult situations. Without them I would not have gotten nearly as much done as a lore deputy. In-game Lain plays a diverse roster of well-developed characters and has a commanding grasp of the setting's lore. I wholeheartedly support their application and wish them the best of luck!

XNS Exclusive: Solarian Navy, Pact Allies Move to Secure Nueva Patria Epilogue Part 2 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens upon Mariska van den Soeterik, Delphine Deschamps, and Ajit Gopal still behind their desk in the XNS’ main foreign news room. The desk space in front of the two analysts is a mess of papers, scribbled notes, and a map of the Nueva Patria system which is covered in pins, writing in various colors, and a miniature ship model likely standing in for the SAMV Gunnhildr. While van den Soeterik is clearing her throat, Deschamps puts down her papers and speaks. “--sorry for the delay!” she shouts. “I just got the footage we need fully translated!” “Delphine, we’re broadcasting,” van den Soeterik responds. Deschamps sheepishly looks at the camera, then hides her head in her hands as van den Soterik begins speaking to the camera. “Good evening, and welcome back to the Xanu News Service’s foreign desk. As always I am your host Mariska van den Soeterik, joined today by our two top analysts for the situation in Nueva Patria and the Northern Wildlands: Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal.” “We’re happy to be here,” Gopal responds as Deschamps removes her head from her hands. “Over the past few hours the situation in Nueva Patria has changed drastically, with more Solarian Navy forces coming through its warp gates and the Navy launching a large-scale offensive against the Front along its border with the Wildlands. The situation has drastically changed on D’Anzin, which was the site of recent fighting. Delphine, your footage?” “Oh!” she responds. “Right, yes! It was difficult due to the ongoing battle there, but we’ve managed to secure this short film from a Civil Guard soldier on D’Anzin – that’s the planet the Front and Pact have been fighting over for the past few weeks – outside one of its phoronics facilities. Just as a warning this footage may be disturbing to some viewers so, if any of you are watching with children, you may want to take them out of the room.” At this point the footage cuts out and returns to the XNS newsroom. “You said this footage was about an hour old, Delphine” van den Soeterik asks. Deschamps nods in response. “It is! This is, well,” Deschamps waves her hand in the air for a moment, looking for the right words. “It’s a huge event! The Solarian Navy’s currently working to push the Front out alongside the Coletters, Pact, and mercenaries by the looks of it.” “Something else to note,” Gopal interjects, “is that there’s been nothing in the way of reported incidents between the Navy and Pact forces in the system, including mercenaries under their command. It’s too early to say why, but the Pact and Navy may have had some form of agreement in place before the intervention. That would explain why they fought so hard to control the warp gate. Next to Gopal, van den Soeterik nods her head. “Interesting, interesting. The Xanu News Service, while we must be right back, will continue to update you on further developments in the Northern Wildlands as we approach the weekend.”

XNS LIVE: WARP SIGNATURE ARRIVES Act 4 Article 20 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 looks up from her PDA, setting the device down on her desk. Also behind the desk are Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal, the XNS analysts who have covered much of this crisis so far. “Good evening and welcome to XNS’ foreign news hour. I’m your host Mariska van den Soeterik. The long-awaited warp signature in San Colette’s network, subject of much speculation throughout the Spur, is expected to arrive within the hour. Thanks to the deviated work of our team on-site we have secured a unique perspective for this historic event: one of the external cameras on the mercenary vessel Caravaggio has been seconded to us after payment. Ajit, Delphine, what can you tell us about this vessel while we wait for the connection to be established?” “Well,” Delphine starts speaking, “the Carvaggio is a Solarian cruiser of the Free Solarian Fleets. Those are the, ah, mercenaries defending San Colette currently. It’s seen significant action both against Elyran and corporate forces in the Badlands, and has been engaged in multiple battles against the Front and League over the past months. It’s a testimony to the vessel’s quality that it’s still operational, let alone fighting.” Van den Soeterik nods along, then looks over to Gopal. “Over the past few days it’s seen especially harsh combat,” Gopal says, “as it has served as the command vessel for the defense of D’Anzin.” Before Gopal can continue, van den Soeterik’s PDA pings and she looks down at it. “Wonderful!” she says, clapping her hand together. “The connection is stable enough to begin broadcasting. We’ll be going to it now!” The camera cuts to footage of what seems to be an external gun camera on the Caravaggio, positioned above one of its railgun batteries. The battery itself is looking out towards deep space at the edge of Nueva Patria and the cargo warp gate is visible on the left edge of the camera’s field of view. In the foreground a Albatros drone lands on a Cabral-class cruiser, which promptly launches another flight of drones up and out of the camera’s field of view. In the distance larger ships led by a Castillo-class battleship trade fire with some distant, unseen target. Idle Solarian Common chatter – a departure from the Tradeband utilized by Colettish troops – can be heard over the camera’s audio feed alongside the clicks and squelches of radios. Nothing is translated or subtitled due to the broadcast being live. A Mictlani-accented man can be heard saying, “gave the camera feed to the fucking journalists,” before he is drowned out by a series of beeps and the railguns firing a salvo. “Battery three,” a male voice sounds over the camera’s feed. “Reload guns and shift to target contact five, that corvette. Knock it out of action.” As the railguns retreat inside the hull to reload and battle continues around the Caravaggio, Gopal speaks. “As you can see by the camera feed, we’re currently witnessing the largest Front offensive against D’Anzin since they managed to land troops on its surface.” “Why launch the offensive now?” van den Soeterik asks as the railguns pop back out of the hull and begin tracking an unseen target. “They know they’re running out of time,” Deschamps interjects. “Their raid on San Colette’s space elevator was a failure and most of its railguns are still operational, so the Front may only have this chance to knock out the warp gate – or seize it, if they’re attempting to bring reinforcements like some have spectated. Connecting directly to the warp gate would let them bypass its security measures and bring reinforcements directly into Nueva Patria, bypassing a great amount of San Colette’s remaining defenses, or disable it completely.” The railguns fire again, then retreat into the hull to reload. To the left of the camera, the warp gate’s warning lights begin to flash as a duo of Front corvettes rise into view near it, having managed to bypass the Pact forces either through stealth or coincidence. “Battery three,” the male voice speaks again, “new target, refocus on those corvettes once you reload.” The railguns rise out of the hull once again, with one half locking onto the lead corvette and the others locking onto the second one. They fire almost immediately, and several shots go wide – but enough hit the lead corvette to destroy it in a small explosion. The second one pivots and continues its path towards the gate, hoping to reach it. “Three,” the voice speaks again, sounding more stressed, “engage and destroy that corvette. Do NOT let it get to the warp gate, that’s an order straight from the Fleet Admiral herself!” “--herself?” Delphine asks. Before she can say anything further, the camera – and the Caravaggio – begin to pivot to port, bringing more of the gate into view. It is very evident by the red warning lights that whatever is inbound is about to arrive. All three reporters go silent. The seconds begin to tick by as the railguns retreat into the hull to reload and the corvette streaks towards the gate. As it approaches and the railguns emerge from the hull, the lights shut off and the gate flashes white. Seeing this the Caravaggio accelerates and continues banking hard to port, drawing further away from the gate while keeping it in view. The corvette itself is essentially directly in front of the gate but somewhat above it — a hazardous, but not deadly, position for the teleportation of any ship up to battleship size. But what warps in, unfortunately for the corvette, is not a battleship. Seconds after the Caravaggio begins its turn the bow of a large, somewhat blocky vessel exits the warp gate at good speed. The corvette has no time to react before the rest of the ship warps in and it is smashed against the shields of the vessel, causing the corvette to not as much be destroyed as it is evaporated. As the bow fully exits the gate and the middle makes it most of the way out, it becomes very, very clear this ship is a good deal larger than a typical Solarian battleship, and dwarfs the Taipei-class heavy cruiser filming the scene. The Caravaggio’s turn ends and it begins to even itself out parallel to the vessel. The camera pivots slightly to look at the massive vessel’s bow and focuses upon Solarian Common lettering on the side which must be dozens of feet tall: SAMV GUNNHILDR Deschamps gasps at the sight as the sound of cheers are heard over the camera’s microphone. “That’s a– that’s a dreadnought!” Deschamps shouts. “It’s a Solarian Navy dreadnought!” Cheering continues over the camera’s audio as the Gunnhildr finally clears the warp gate fully and its batteries are deployed on both sides — massive arrays of railguns, torpedo tubes, and point defenses. Behind it a small force of destroyers and frigates — likely screening vessels for it — in Solarian Navy livery jump through the warp gate and race to catch up to the larger vessel. Several Pact vessels, including the Caravaggio, fall into formation with it. “ATTENTION ALL RESTORATION FRONT FORCES,” a Lunan-accented woman calls out over the radio, “WE ARE A SOLARIAN FLEET INTERVENING ON BEHALF OF AN ATTACKED MEMBER-STATE. TRANSMIT YOUR SURRENDER MESSAGES TO US OR WE WILL ENGAGE YOUR VESSELS UNTIL YOU ARE REPULSED.” A Front heavy cruiser, visible in the distance on the Caravaggio’s battery camera, responds by shooting at the Gunnhildr. Its railgun barrage is absorbed by the dreadnought’s shield without a single round making it through. While the battery camera does not capture how many of the dreadnought’s guns fire back, it does capture the heavy cruiser exploding shortly after firing. A few moments later, a male voice with a Lunan accent is clearly heard over the battery camera’s radio. “SAMV Caravaggio, we read you as having an external data connection. Cut it immediately and fall into formation – Fleet Admiral’s orders.” The feed then cuts out, switching back to the XNS’ journalists. All three look fairly surprised. “That’s the Alliance, then?” van den Soeterik asks the two analysts. “That it is!” Gopal responds. Deschamps, for her part, is desperately shuffling through a booklet of papers. “Delphine?” van den Soeterik asks. “I need a minute, can we go on a short break?” This is, uh–” Deschamps looks up, “well, it’s monumental. Mariska.” Van den Soeterik looks off to the side of the camera and nods at somebody. “We’ll be back after a short break,” van den Soeterik says. “Please stay tuned!”

Signature Detected in Warp Gate — Pact Forces Hold Steady Act 4 Article 18 of the Amor Patriae arc “Just now,” Deschamps begins, “we’ve successfully confirmed that a warp signature has been detected in the large-scale cargo warp gate within the D’Anzin defensive lines. Attempts to identify the object have been unsuccessful so far, but it is at least confirmed to exist.” “In the meantime the Front’s forces, despite sporadic fire from the still-active defenses around San Colette, have continued their attempts to assault and secure these gates,” Gopal says as he points to the map of D’Anzin and its surrounding area. The Pact has barely given any ground but has, it seems, taken losses. The Caravaggio remains standing, along with several Colettish capital ships and heavy cruisers. Opposing them is a mix of every Front fleet engaged within the system. "This may very well be every Front ship remaining in the system, and they badly outnumber the gate’s defenders." “Will they succeed?” “They’ve got a numerical advantage over the Pact and, if the gate is in use by Front forces, should be able to handedly defeat the defenders. But there’s no guarantee they’ll break through, and they may very well not.” “Right, of course,” Deschamps responds. “We’ll have more news — and live updates — shortly. For now we go to Xanite political news while we confer with our teams.”

Colettish Ground Forces Repel Assault — D’Anzin Remains Threatened Act 4 Article 17 of the Amor Patriae arc Adelmira de Noi, Presidential Liaison for the Colettish government, stands holding a binder and wearing a bulletproof vest. At her side is a holstered pistol and across her back appears to be a Solarian Army submachine gun. This appears to have been filmed within a bunker. She opens her binder and begins speaking. “Colettish forces have, as of noon Nueva Isabela Standard Time, repelled Front forces which attacked San Colette itself,” de Noi looks up at the camera and away from her binder. “To the remaining soldiers and sailors of the Front, know this: Nueva Patria will be your tomb. Surrender, leave, or die. You cannot defeat us. You will never defeat us.” The camera switches to footage of Front-aligned troops — distinguished by their black-and-gold armbands or navy blue equipment — being marched down a road by Civil Guard militia troops. The camera lingers on the Front soldiers for a few moments. The soldiers of the Front look exhausted and have clearly been run ragged by the weekend’s fighting. Many are wounded and appear simply happy to be alive, but some still have eyes which burn with hatred for the Coletters. One of them — an officer with a red flower in her green cap, a symbol sometimes associated with Army units from Lycoris — holds a particular defiance in her eyes, and mouths the words, “death to traitors,” to the camera as she passes. The footage cuts out and the camera switches to Deschamps and Gopal standing in front of a map of D’Anzin and its three warp gates. The smaller gates are marked as destroyed while the large one is, stunningly, marked as active. Around the gates a hasty defensive formation — a mix of Civil Guard, FSF, and Pact ships — is still holding against the Front, which is attempting to seize the gate. “Roughly two hours ago,” Gopal begins, “the large cargo gate near D’Anzin turned on without any visible external input. This indicates that either the Front’s reserves — which are estimated to be stationed in New Peoria — have activated the gate, or another party has.” “Any idea which party?” “None currently. The Alliance has had a communications blackout along its border with the Wildlands since its skirmish last month, and the Front has never spoken to any journalists. We’ll simply have to wait and see.” “It isn’t exactly satisfying, is it? Gopal shakes his head. “We’ll see what happens over the course of the coming days. For now, we’ll be right back,” Deschamps waves at the camera as it fades out.

Colettish Forces Halt Front Advance in Nuevo Villaviciosa Act 4 Article 16 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens to the XNS’ typical screen, still showing Nuevo Villaviciosa and its surrounding area, flanked by Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal. Fighting has continued in the city’s suburbs, but the Front has not gained any ground over the past day. In some areas near the coast it has lost ground to the Civil Guard, and fresh Guard and militia units have begun to arrive to assist the defenders by assaulting the Front’s rear flank. Gopal, as usual, is first to speak. “This morning Civil Guard forces in the suburbs of Nuevo Villaviciosa confirmed they have halted the Front’s advance into the city and have, in areas along the coast in range of their naval vessels, performed successful counter-offensives and pushed the Front from much of the city’s suburbs. Delphine, I believe your team found some footage of that?” “We did,” Deschamps clicks her PDA, “and here it is.” “In addition to this,” Deschamps says as she points at the coastal regions of the map, “the Civil Guard has managed to retain control over the battle in the air over Nueva Villaviciosa through its use of orbital missiles and atmospherics-based craft. The Front’s supply efforts have, as a result, been severely hampered and it’s likely their forces on the ground have been run ragged by the fighting.” Gopal nods. “Right, and some Front units are rumored to have begun negotiations to surrender to their Civil Guard counterparts — particularly the System Defense Force units the Front has used as auxiliary troops to support its offensives. Of course, this may simply be rumors created by the Guard — it’s unclear what’s happening in the minute-by-minute fighting.” “Hopefully we’ll have more good news tomorrow?” “Hopefully, Delphine. For now though, we’ll be right back after a short break.”

Colettish Railgun “Esmeralda” Destroyed — San Colette Invaded! Act 4 Article 13 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera zooms in on, as always, Mariska van den Soeterik, the dedicated host of XNS’ foreign news segment. Behind her is an image of, distressingly, a ruined Colettish railgun station with a Front vessel next to it. A person familiar with the Solarian military may recognize this vessel as a Mississippi-class transport, a vessel commonly used by the Solarian Marine Corps to transport troops and heavy equipment. Its position in the orbit of San Colette likely only means one thing. “Good evening, and thank you for tuning into the Xanu News Service,” van den Soeterik begins. “Unsettling news has reached us from the besieged San Colette, where a loose alliance of pro-Solarian groups have been fighting against the extremist Solarian Restoration Front. We go now to our expert on the Front, Delphine Deschamps. Delphine?” The camera’s view splits into two, revealing a tired-looking Deschamps. She smiles and begins speaking, attempting to fight through an exhaustion she is feeling. “Thank you Mariska. While we didn’t expect for the Esmeralda to be destroyed, its destruction allows for the Front to menace Nueva Isabel and San Colette’s space elevator, assuming they’re able to fly transports that far. With that said, roughly fifteen minutes ago the Colettish government’s military sent out this message across the system. I’ll play it for you now.” Deschamps reaches for something offscreen and a recording of a voice identified as Admiral Emerico Tolentino, the overall commander of the Colettish Civil Guard, begins to play. “Citizens of San Colette,” the Admiral begins. “Know that this is our Republic’s darkest hour. The Front, which seeks to destroy us and our proud nation, has come to San Colette and now seeks to occupy it by force. This is a desperate effort by deserters who will be defeated, but it remains a dire threat to our nation. Just now, the crew of the railgun station Esmeralda gave their lives to destroy their station rather than see it fall into Front hands. As a result our proud capital, Nueva Isabela, and our space elevator in Nuevo Villaviciosa are now under direct threat. The coming days will not be easy, but our Republic will endure. All Civil Guard personnel, militia, and others willing to fight should report to their assigned stations across San Colette immediately. Those who cannot fight should report to appropriate bombardment shelters. Remain strong, and know we will survive and endure this.” The camera switches back to a view of Deschamps and van den Soeterik. “It sounds quite dire,” van den Soeterik says after a short pause. “It’s a very difficult situation, yes, but the Coletters are confident they can hold, and recent events at the Solarian border — and rumors of the Navy being directly involved in confrontations with the Front — have helped to keep morale high. However, we have received rumors — unconfirmed ones, mind you — of Front troops landing near Nueva Isabela.” “Thank you, Delphine.” “Of course!” Deschamps disconnects, leaving solely van den Soeterik. “The Xanu News Service will do its best to ensure you remain informed during these unfortunate times. Liao Qi, our reporter in the area, has advised he is safe and currently in Nuevo Villaviciosa, where he intends to capture the events as they unfold. For now, we will return shortly.” The broadcast fades out.

Front Forces Reach San Colette’s Last Orbital Defenses Act 4 Article 12 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens, as it typically does, to XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal standing by a map of Nueva Patria — San Colette’s home system. Colettish and Pact forces, alongside FSF mercenaries, have held their ground near D’Anzin admirably, but the Front itself has pushed through Nueva Patria and is now almost at San Colette itself. Between it lies only a thin line representing the Spears of Saint Colette: a series of modern railgun stations which have inflicted grievous damage upon the Front so far, but now find themselves under siege. “These fourteen stations,” Deschamps begins as she clicks her PDA, causing the screen to shift into an image of San Colette proper with the Spears floating above it, “represent the last major obstacle for the Front before they reach San Colette itself. Their forces, after months of fighting, have been worn down, but remain capable of mounting serious assaults — and threatening San Colette itself.” “Do they have enough to reach San Colette and invade it?” Gopal asks. Deschamps considers the question for a brief moment. “They may be able to, but I doubt they can destroy every station. The Spears are, for the purpose of conveniently resupplying them via San Colette’s space elevator, placed in geosynchronous orbits above San Colette — they don’t change their positions while they orbit, so to speak.” “So in theory they’d only have to destroy or disable one or two stations in order to launch an invasion? Deschamps nods. “—that’s an alarming thought. Has your team thought about which one they might target?” “Of course!” Deschamps nods. “Two are fairly likely.” Deschamps taps at her PDA and causes two railguns to be highlighted. The first El Conquistador is in stable orbit above Nueva Isabela, the planetary capital. The second, Dedo do Destino, is in orbit above the industrial city of Nuevo Villaviciosa, home of the Castrejon Space Elevator. “If you had to pick one, which one is the most likely?” “Undoubtedly Dedo do Destino due to its position above Nuevo Villaviciosa,” Deschamps responds without hesitation. “If the Front can seize or disable the space elevator, they’ve effectively neutralized San Colette’s railguns. Currently, according to some reports, these are the most effective weapons the Coletters have. Multiple Front warships have been lost to them over the course of this week, and D’Anzin’s continued ability to hold the line is due to their continuous fire support.” “I suppose we must simply wait and see, then?” Deschamps nods, then speaks. “That we will — and we’ll be right back.”

XNS Exclusive: D’Anzin and San Colette Cut Off — San Colette Itself Threatened Act 4 Article 11 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera opens, as it typically does, to XNS analysts Delphine Deschamps and Ajit Gopal standing by a map of Nueva Patria — San Colette’s home system. D’Anzin, home to the Colettish phoron industry, has been cut off from San Colette proper. An odd, oval-shaped circle marked “Pact Forces” covers D’Anzin and area surrounding it, and this zone is marked as containing three fairly large warp gates — one of which is a type typically used by large freighters and tankers which would have often visited San Colette in more peaceful times. “As you can see by our map,” Delphine begins, “D’Anzin is now effectively cut off from San Colette itself, which is now at risk of a Front assault against Pact positions on the ground — assuming they can break through the Spears of San Colette. This line of railguns and defensive positions now, it seems, is all that stands between the Front and the heart of the system.” “To make matters worse on D’Anzin,” Gopal taps on his PDA and switches the screen to an image of D’Anzin’s surface. “Phoron fires have continued to burn at multiple facilities such as Valle Púrpura as fighting against the Front has continued and, in some areas, intensified. Gopal taps his PDA again and the screen switches to an image of Colettish troops — likely regular Civil Guard infantry judging by their modern equipment and winter camouflage — wearing gas masks standing in a snowy environment overlooking a burning facility nestled within a valley. Purple-black smoke rises from several holding tanks in the facility and destroyed vehicles, some still smoldering and some simply abandoned, are scattered in and around the facility. “This is Valle Púrpura as it now stands. It has, according to information provided by the Pact, been retaken following the recapture of hills surrounding it. The Front appears to have detonated all remaining phoron stores they could not evacuate before the Pact arrived. Supplies of cardox — one of the few things capable of stopping a phoron fire — are insufficient for the current fires across D’Anzin and more cardox can’t be acquired due to the ongoing conflict.” “That’s awful,” Deschamps comments. “It’s simply going to have to burn itself out?” “It will.” Deschamps taps her PDA again, causing the screen to switch back to a view of the entire system. The three gates are highlighted. “These three warp gates,” Deschamps points to the gates, “have been fiercely defended by the Pact and have remained in their hands during the assault. It’s currently unknown why they’ve made such an effort to hold them, but several theories have been put forward. The first is that these gates are estimated to be the most likely point of insertion for the SRF, should they successfully reactivate the warp gates near New Peoria. The second is that these gates will be used by a foreign power to transport their forces in, thus saving San Colette.” “I imagine most are hoping the Alliance will intervene?” “Most are, but we don’t know anything for sure at the moment regarding their plans. For now, it’s anybody’s guess as to what will happen. The XNS, however, will return after a short commercial break.”

After some internal discussion, and surviving the dreaded finals monster, the human lore team has decided to accept this application. Thank you for your contribution, and congratulations!

XNS Exclusive: Battle for D’Anzin Continues — Colettish Forces Hold Act 4 Article 9 of the Amor Patriae arc “Earlier today,” Deschamps starts as the screen behind herself and Gopal shows an image of Nueva Patria showing the SRF and Pact fighting over D’Anzin, home to San Colette’s major phoron facilities, “Colettish forces announced D’Anzin’s defensive line is stable, and there is no immediate risk of further breakthroughs by the Front." On the screen various units of the Front, Pact, Civil Guard, and FSF fight for control of D’Anzin and its surrounding areas as Deschamps talks. The defense, led by the renowned Caravaggio according to the map, is holding steady. “While scattered, reports have also reached us of new weapons utilized by the Civil Guard: phoron-tipped railgun rounds, a potential first for any non-Biesellite force.” Gopal clicks something on his PDA which causes the screen to switch to a blurry still image — likely signifying its origin as footage from a nearby ship — of a Front Taipei-class heavy cruiser which has been impacted by one of these alleged shells. The bow and much of the front of the vessel have been blown apart. The explosion is a brilliant purple-white color and has not yet totally faded. “That effectively confirms it,” Gopal says. “This makes San Colette the first government to use weaponized phoron after Biesel.” Deschamps nods. “Ajit, you’ve been looking into the interstellar response to these allegations of phoron-based weapons. Have you seen anything noteworthy?” “Nothing official as of now — these photos are only a few hours old, so most governments haven’t responded to their use. Chirper and other forms of social media are ecstatic throughout much of Sol outside of Mars, and concerned in many other locations — particularly Tau Ceti and Konyang. Reactions in Hang Tuah’s Rest, a planet on the edge of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone near the Alliance, have been particularly enthusiastic, with the local governor and the Solarian People’s Liberation Fleet hailing this as a clear example of Solarian greatness.” “We’ll have to see what else comes of it, won’t we.” “We will — and the XNS will be back after these messages from our sponsors.” The broadcast fades out.

XNS Exclusive: The Volunteer Tapes, Tape Four Act 4 Article 3 of the Amor Patriae arc The camera focuses on a short, wiry, and pale woman wearing a battered Solarian Army uniform with a red-and-white armband wrapped around one sleeve. A Tribunalist eye dangles from a necklace around her neck and her blue eyes have a piercing look despite her short stature. A Solarian Army marksman’s rifle, sans ammunition, sits across her thighs. The woman idly pulls the bolt back, snaps it back into place, and looks directly at the camera. “Do I begin speaking?” her Common is heavily-accented and absolutely, without a doubt, Dominian. “You can, yes. We’re recording,” Liao Qi says from offscreen. The woman nods. “I am Branka Buković, formerly of the Imperial Dominian Army and now a volunteer fighting for San Colette. I serve under Commander Forsythe and serve as one of the Battalion’s sharpshooters,” Buković pauses for a moment to clear her throat. Her accent is, to one familiar with the Empire, obviously Jadranic. “While the Empire may be too far to be interested in this struggle, I have taken a different perspective.” “What is that perspective?” “That the Goddess would not wish for us to stand idle while innocents suffer. You and the Coalition,” Buković leans towards slightly for emphasis, “may view us as simply Imperials. The matter is not so simple. Nearly one-hundred years ago the Empire saved my home from starvation. Is it not righteous for myself to save San Colette?” “We’re here to discuss San Colette, not Dominia. But with that said, how has it been to be in the Alliance as a Dominian?” Buković takes a moment to ponder her response. “Unusual. The Alliance places a great emphasis upon its military, much like the Empire, but has long suffered from issues we have not. It is similar but too different to be familiar, I suppose. My faith has been my anchor.” “How has being a sharpshooter been?” “I am familiar with it, though Solarian equipment is different than what I am used to. It is simply a means to an end.” “Right, right,” Qi can be heard clicking his pen. “Do you have any closing comments?” “Only that I will fight until I am no longer able to, and that the Goddess will see us through this. I know She will.” The tape cuts out.

XNS Exclusive: Front Shift Forces from League Assault, San Colette Holds Steady Act 4 Article 2 of the Amor Patriae arc Following the typical XNS jingle the camera focuses on a screen displaying the Northern Wildlands flanked by analysts Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps. Grimly, most of the Northern Wildlands aside from San Colette appears to now be under Solarian Restoration Front control. “With much of its offensive strength lost in its unsuccessful April offensive, the League has not been able to hold onto its remaining territory,” Deschamps begins as she taps her PDA and centers the map upon a thin stretch of League territory which stands on the Coalition’s border. “With the Front apparently content to let this remnant remain most sources indicate they’ve begun shifting vessels to San Colette, likely in order to begin another assault. Ajit?” “Of course,” Gopal pulls his own PDA up and taps it. Various Front and League units appear on the screen, though there are far fewer League units than Front ones. “Most of the remaining League forces are elements of the 67th Fleet, which was — ironically enough — garrisoned in San Colette prior to the Collapse.” “That is a bit ironic,” Deschamps interjects. “Isn’t it?” Gopal clears his throat. “Anyways, the 67th has managed to maintain much of its cohesion during the Wildlands War while others have not. Most other League units, particularly its irregulars, have been fleeing across the Republic and Coalition’s borders.” “And what are they doing there?” “I can’t really speak to Biesel, but in the Coalition it depends. Some are doubtlessly going to make it through Coalition patrol forces and settle somewhere, but most have been caught and detained by naval forces such as those from Konyang. It’s all up to the legal system now. What about the Front’s movement?” “Well with most of the League, as you said, either fleeing or defeated the Front has moved or is in the process of moving most of its forces back towards San Colette. It won’t be surprising if they try another assault once they’ve managed to amass more forces.” “How long do you think it’ll take for them to be ready?” Deschamps waves her hand in the nearly universal “so-so” gesture. “I’m not sure Ajit. Honestly, they’ve got a lot of different drives ranging from brand new Hammer Drives to more dated ones from the early 2400s. A fleet only moves as fast as its slowest ship, so maybe we’ll see something in about a week’s time?” “Maybe. On that note, we’ll be right back! Remember to stay tuned to the Xanu News Network for the premier coverage of the War in the Northern Wildlands!”

Colettish Government Announces Defeat of Solarian Restoration Front Assault Act 4 Article 1 of the Amor Patriae arc Adelmira de Noi, Presidential Liaison for the Colettish government, stands behind a podium on a stage. A Colettish flag covers the wall behind her and she idly flips through a binder. At an unseen signal from out of the camera’s focus she clears her throat and begins speaking. “Today the combined forces of the Middle Ring Shield Pact and Free Solarian Fleets repulsed an attack on San Colette by the forces of the Solarian Restoration Front. Our defenses will continue to hold the enemy back until they are defeated. Due to the sensitive nature of the defense situation I cannot answer questions at this time.” de Noi closes the binder and walks off of the stage to a door, which she disappears into after a Civil Guard soldier opens it. The camera switches to Mariska van den Soeterik behind her desk. “While the War in the Northern Wildlands continues San Colette, for the time being, continues to stand. We go now to Ajit Gopal and Delphine Deschamps, our analysts for the War.” The camera switches to two shots: one of van den Soeterik, the other of Deschamps and Gopal. Gopal speaks first. “Thank you Mariska. Delphine and I have been observing the Front’s activity elsewhere in the Wildlands.” “The Front,” Delphine interjects, “has continued its assault against the League and has gained some territory, though its pace has slowed due to shifting forces to San Colette.” “Do you think they’ll attempt another assault?” van den Soeterik asks. Deschamps shakes her head. “Not unless they can push the League back further. Ajit’s research suggests they still have a decent amount of forces left, though not enough to mount a serious assault.” “Ajit, Delphine — thank you for your work on this.” “Thank you for having us,” Gopal responds, then his and Deschamps’ section of the screen fades out. “The Xanu News Service,” van den Soeterik says, “will be back after a short break.”