Kintsugi Posted August 20 Posted August 20 Elyran Expeditionary Force Clashes With Mutualist Militants NGAI, KIRINYAGA (GST) - After arriving on Kirinyaga and spending several days setting up a forward operating base on the outskirts of the city-state of Ngai, forces under the command of the Kirinyaga Economic Concern have begun efforts to retake lost facilities from the control of the Frontier Mutual Defense Union. Using the General Al-Hamid Brigade as their primary offensive force and contractors from Jackal Incorporated to hold recaptured ground, the Elyran expedition has experienced several early successes against the Mutualist forces, but have allegedly experienced much difficulty in locating the bulk of the mysterious militant group’s fighting strength — or in engaging a substantial force altogether. Instead, the Mutualists appear to have shifted to a decentralized strategy, in which small cells engage in ambushes or hit-and-run attacks against Elyran convoys or combatants on the march. While initial intelligence reports indicated a large presence at the captured KEC headquarters in the Ngai region, volunteers from the General’s Brigade who were sent to assault the facility found only a motley force of seemingly low-ranking fighters, many of them recruited directly from NCPs captured during the initial attack or found to be mercenaries supposedly hired on behalf of the group’s shadowy leader, Commander Hugo. Adding to the mystery of where the Mutualists are operating out of are indications that a large temporary command post had been set up in the headquarters, before being disassembled and secretly relocated — leaving behind only a mountain of burnt documents and destroyed personal items. Indeed, strict information discipline seems to be a recurring aspect of Mutualist doctrine, with many reports by Economic Concern volunteers stating that recaptured facilities were awash with documents and data storage units that had been destroyed before their arrival. Though the strategy of seemingly ceding ground to Elyran forces is proving successful at preserving the strength of the Mutualists for the time being, analysts with the XNS have opined that such tactics are not sustainable in the long run, and Elyran naval intelligence ships in orbit of Kirinyaga are believed to be aggressively searching the surface for signs of the militant group’s main force. As the KEC expeditionary force regains captured outposts and industrial facilities with only modest resistance, it seems that it is only a matter of time before the Mutualists are forced to aggressively respond, lest their presence on Kirinyaga end as quickly as it seemed to have arrived. As fighting continues, citizens of the Elyra-aligned city-state of Ngai interviewed by the XNS had this to say: Quote Gladys Njoki, Master Jeweler, 39 - “I can’t say that I’m very happy about all of this fighting. These foreign terrorists have no right to start a confrontation on our homeworld, and I can only hope that as little further harm as possible is done at this point. The sooner that peace returns, the better.” Quote Neway Endale, Apprentice Salvager, 21 - “Elyra has always been a good friend to us. I think we should be doing more to help them get revenge against whoever these people are. If they had attacked Ngai, I am sure that Elyra would do the same for us.” Quote Daniel Kamau, Master Luthier, 57 - “Whatever needs to be done should be done. Otherwise, I expect the Armed Constabulary to keep this away from our city.” Further Reading: Marsha Stangl Speaks Out About Time In Elyran Custody SIIB Refuses To Comment On Kirinyaga Crisis “The Powderkeg” Book Review: All You Need To Know About The Southern Spur
NewOriginalSchwann Posted August 25 Author Posted August 25 Protests Continue in Pataliputra as Free League Considers Ejecting Representative PATALIPUTRA, XANU (GST) - Street protests calling for the resignation of Representative Marie Chatterjee (FL) have continued for the past two weeks as the Free League has debated whether the representative should be ejected from the House of Delegates and the party. President Afzal is heavily involved in negotiations to see Chatterjee removed, according to a source within the Free League who spoke with the XNS on the condition of anonymity. Protests in Pataliputra have remained mostly peaceful, with only minor incidents of violence, and have centered around Chatterjee’s alleged connection to an interstellar smuggling ring discovered in the port city earlier this year. Also fueling the protests, according to protestors interviewed by the XNS, are rising fuel prices, discontent with President Afzal’s handling of the fuel smuggling scandal, and anti-Free League sentiment, with many who mentioned this point stating their support for the Popular Democratic Party over the Free League. Support for the Free League has dropped since the start of the Pataliputra fuel crisis, with most Xanans (52%) believing not enough is being done to addesss alleged corruption in the city. Disapproval of the government’s handling of the crisis is highest in Pataliputra (72%) and lowest in Nouvelle-Rochelle (35%). Despite this, approval for the AXPSO’s handling of the situation remains high (60%) across all regions of Xanu. Further Reading: Piracy Decreases in South for First Month in a Year Assunzionii Economy Shrunk During First Half of Year Approval of Elyra Remains Low Across Coalition
NewOriginalSchwann Posted September 1 Author Posted September 1 AXSF Expeditionary Force to Southern Coalition Reports Discovery of New Deep-Space Fauna TRIESTO, ASSUNZIONE (GST) - The 33rd Expeditionary Fleet under Admiral Vineet Singh has, in a press conference on Assunzione, stated they encountered a previously unknown xenofauna they have named “Melusine” after an ancient Solarian water spirit. Several melusine cadavers were exhibited by the All-Xanu Spacefleet but no living specimens were present as, according to a scientist with the fleet, living melusine exert, “considerable averse mental pressure,” on sentient species through unknown means. The discovery of this new species has electrified the Coalition’s scientific community, and many xenobiological experts have expressed interest in traveling to Assunzione to study the creatures, some from as far away as the Alliance or Moroz. Described as, “squid-like,” by an Assunzionii scientist at the press conference, melusine have a large eye on the front of their body and a series of appendages they likely use to propel themselves. The 33rd Fleet advised it had first encountered melusine in the Lemurian Sea, with the animals becoming more common in the inner Sea, and that they are able to release an inky fog resembling the anomalous “fog” phenomena native to the Lemurian Sea if threatened. Commander Jules Courbet, also with the 33rd Fleet, advised melusine were, “a significant threat to extra-vehicular activities,” in the Sea, but had been, “contained,” within the region. Commander Courbet advised he was not at liberty to discuss the matter further. Rumors melusine were sighted on New Suez, Elyra, during a recent incident involving a Stafýlia corporation refrigerated shipping container were dismissed as, “highly unlikely,” by Admiral Singh, who stated it was, “doubtful,” melusine had traveled so far without being encountered by any vessel. Further Reading: Source: Corporate Flagship to Depart Southern Coalition Space Zeng-Hu Headquarters Fire Damage Likely to Cost “Millions” to Repair The Lemurian Sea: Inside the Coalition’s Oddest Sector 3
Kintsugi Posted September 4 Posted September 4 (edited) Mutualist Forces Intensify Attacks on Kirinyagan City-State NGAI, KIRINYAGA (GST) - As the Elyran expeditionary forces on the contested frontier world of Kirinyaga continue to dislodge the Frontier Mutual Defense Union from the facilities they captured several weeks ago, the mysterious militant group has responded by drawing the Elyran-aligned city-state of Ngai into the fray. While the General Al-Hamid Brigade has seen considerable success in firefights with the Mutualists, these open confrontations have become increasingly rare as the FMDU has shifted to an entirely hit-and-run strategy; many small units have taken to sabotaging infrastructure within Ngai city limits and engaging Elyran forces whenever they’re even remotely vulnerable, and the cumulative damage inflicted by these attacks has slowly begun to undermine the ability of the Elyrans to wage their counteroffensive. This change of course has greatly changed the dynamic on the ground – whereas previously Mutualist attacks had been limited to Kirinyaga Economic Concern facilities and personnel, soldiers of the Ngai Armed Constabulary have found themselves forced to respond to these violent incursions, and a number of firefights have taken place between the Mutualists and the city-state’s constables. While they have yet to actively target Ngai’s civilian population or its military forces, outlying districts that have been host to Elyran forces or their supply lines have been considerably damaged by the fighting at this time, and the death toll among locals caught in the crossfire and constables responding to these attacks continues to climb. Further exacerbating the situation for the Elyrans is the reported frustration among the KEC expeditionary force’s leadership with the difficulty of locating the Mutualist base of operations, with sources within the flotilla indicating that the Elyran intelligence ships in orbit have begun a brute-force mass survey of the surface in the hopes of finally finding the heart of the armed group’s presence on the planet. Compounding these frustrations is the continued lack of any valuable prisoners taken by the expeditionary forces; while a number of junior volunteers and mercenary hires have been taken, experienced or high-ranking Mutualist prisoners have been absent entirely, and there have been alleged reports of FMDU fighters going so far as to commit suicide when faced with imminent capture. As a consequence of these factors and in light of the increasing vulnerability of Ngai to Mutualist attack, the KEC has resorted to using small craft from the Elyran Armed Forces flotilla in orbit for close air support. In particular, Jezail-class gunships have become ubiquitous in the city-state’s airspace, with a number of local videos uploaded to the extranet depicting strafing runs and rocket barrages against FMDU incursions. A video attached to the article shows a stout-looking shuttle buzzing low and fast above the ground. After a few moments of the camera following its movement, the shuttle becomes enveloped in a cloud of smoke and belches out the thum-thum-thum sound of several rockets being fired off into the distance. Trailing exhaust plumes trace the arc of the barrage into the ground, and the rockets explode with a distant popping noise into a thick fog of black smoke and debris. The camera zooms back out and shifts back to the ground near the cameraman before finally coming to focus on a woman in the khaki uniform of a Kirinyagan armed constable, a rifle slung over her shoulder. She looks at the camera and gives it a shrug, unspeaking, before the clip ends. While this tactical shift has allowed the Kirinyaga Economic Concern to limit the damage these Mutualist attacks inflict against their forces or their allies, it has come at the cost of consternation from the other city-states of New Zanzibar and Shungwaya. In particular, the latter has issued a blistering condemnation of the involvement of EAF strike craft in the fighting, and a demand for the Elyran navy to cease their surface activities immediately. As the fighting continues, only time will tell if this escalation will turn the tide against the mysterious militant group, or if the situation will only continue to deteriorate from here. Further Reading: Concern Over Melusine Threat Rocks Coalition IAC Humanitarian Mission Arrives In Orbit Of Kirinyaga Daylight Murder Of Foreman By NCP Worker On Medina Shocks Elyran Public Edited September 4 by Kintsugi 3
NewOriginalSchwann Posted Wednesday at 02:15 Author Posted Wednesday at 02:15 Chatterjee Out! Representative Ejected from Grand Assembly Over Criminal Allegations PATALIPUTRA, XANU (GST) - The Free League has officially ejected Marie Chatterjee from the party over her alleged involvement in a massive fuel smuggling ring discovered earlier this year. The representative’s seat will be filled by an interim caretaker representative from the same Pataliputra constituency appointed by President Afzal in his capacity as the FL’s leader. The FL is expected to struggle to hold onto Chatterjee’s seat in the next election due to the scandal surrounding her exit from the Grand Assembly, and Popular Democratic Party representatives have already moved to capitalize on the FL’s slow pace in ejecting Chatterjee, with Rep. Murali Delacroix — PDP leader and former mayor of Pataliputra — calling the ejection, “yet another example of the Free League’s inability to serve the common Xanan.” The fuel scandal, and a FL member’s involvement in it, have become a serious blow to FL popularity across the Republic, with President Afzal’s approval rating dropping below 50% for the first time since the winter of 2462-63, when phoron prices spiked following the Biesel Crisis of 2462 and the start of the Solarian Civil War. With Afzal constitutionally unable to run for a third term, the president’s goal is likely to have a graceful exit from office which will allow the FL to retain the presidency for another five years. In Pataliputra, where Chatteejee’s former district is, the FL is less popular than it has been for the past twenty years. Most residents of Chatterjee’s district interviewed by the XNS stated they would not vote for the FL candidate in the next election due to Chatterjee’s behavior in office. Rahim Mohammad, an electrician employed by the city’s utility service, told the XNS he felt, “betrayed by Chatterjee. We voted for her to represent us, and all she did was steal from us!” Further Reading: Vysokan Mine Explosion Investigation “Nearing End” Investigation into Corporate Misconduct in Southern Coalition to Continue XNS Voted Best Service for Watching Xanan Cricket in League Poll 1
Kintsugi Posted Thursday at 23:17 Posted Thursday at 23:17 Elyra Declares Kirinyagan City-State To Be Sheltering Militant Group, Besieges City NEW ZANZIBAR, KIRINYAGA (GST) - In a sudden and unanticipated development, the Elyran expeditionary force in orbit of Kirinyaga has released a statement to the public declaring that the Frontier Mutual Defense Union has been operating from within the territory of the city-state of Shungwaya. This claim is outlined in a report compiled by Elyran naval intelligence, which cites reconnaissance data and surveillance footage allegedly showing that the main Mutualist force has been based out of a network of disused subterranean utility facilities, constructed by the Hauhet AI system on the periphery of the city-state. In an ultimatum issued alongside the report, the KEC issued demands for Shungwaya to immediately force the Mutualists from their territory and to comply with an Economic Concern inquiry and inspections into the nature of their presence within the city-state, or else be regarded as actively hostile to the Serene Republic. Shortly after the release of this information, the General Al-Hamid Brigade moved to encircle and isolate the city, declaring that it would be under a state of “quarantine” until the city-state ejects the militant group from its territory. The Elyran paramilitary has apparently already shot down at least one shuttle attempting to land in Shungwaya, and footage uploaded to the extranet shows that the Elyrans have begun to dig in and construct fortifications in order to maintain a state of siege over the city-state. Further escalating the situation is the use of low-level overflights by Elyran navy Jezail-class gunships in an apparent show of force, with residents reporting such actions to be taking place several times per hour. While the leadership of Shungwaya has yet to officially respond to this provocation, the city’s armed constabulary has hastily established a cordon and defensive positions of their own, and reports indicate that several firefights have taken place between the constables and the Elyran paramilitary group — with both sides allegedly suffering casualties. Regardless of how the situation develops it has already placed massive strain on the planetary confederation, with the city-state of Ngai openly supporting the Elyran actions and backing their demands, while New Zanzibar urges de-escalation and an independent investigation into the Elyran claims. Furthermore, the diplomatic repercussions threaten to spill beyond Kirinyaga itself, with the Dominian Office of Imperial Sovereignty and Foreign Affairs — the government agency responsible for foreign relations — issuing the following statement: Quote “His Imperial Majesty and the Empire condemn, with the utmost severity, the blatant war profiteering and murderous adventuring of Elyra’s corporations and mercenaries on the free world of Kirinyaga, where the population has taken up arms against the threat of Elyran enslavement. The siege of Shungwaya, which is home to a significant number of the faithful, is the latest example of Elyra’s murderous history of targeting civilians, and will not be allowed to pass unremarked by the Empire.” When contacted by XNS reporters, Imperial ambassador to Xanu Yun-mi Seok geu Seumin declined to comment on the siege, citing the official press release. Further Reading: Dominian 6th Fleet Departs Fortress Wei for Sparring Sea Exercises Alliance Urges De-Escalation on Kirinyaga Source: Murdered Medinan Foreman Allegedly Linked to Phoron Smuggling Ring 2
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