Armed siege continues
Dateline 3207.049 Bettah, Q5
A tense stand-off between local planetary militia and heavily armed religious cultists is continuing. The group, calling themselves the Whip of God, have been blamed for several attacks on government targets, whom the group denounce as ‘heretics’ who stand in the way of the imposition of a Christian state on Bettah.
Reports that the planetary militia has tried and failed to shoot its way into the heavily guarded compound have been denied by the Bettah authorities.
Widespread famine on Misstur
Dateline 3207. 033 Misstur, Q6
Reports from independent traders are reaching us from the distant world of Misstur that prolonged dry weather conditions have wreaked havoc with this year’s crop, and the world is on the brink of starvation.
Misstur, on the fringe of inhabited space, is a poor agricultural world with a population of 10 million at the most recent census.
IAO raids local military
Dateline 3207.002 Pound, Q7
A number of senior figures in the Pound armed forces have been arrested in a swoop by the Earther Imperial Audit Office, investigating claims that military equipment has been covertly sold on to criminals on planet. An IAO spokesperson was tight-lipped about the arrests except to say that investigations were continuing and more arrests were likely to follow.
Mass protest in Q6
Dateline 3207.034 911RPU
An estimated 30,000 took to the streets of the capital city to protest about layoffs in the colony’s meat processing plant, a major local employer. Local Reform Party representatives joined the march. Q6 voted for Reform Party candidate Rhett Elgon in the recent elections and the Reformists have blamed President Potato’s Star Party for corruption and economic
mismanagement which has led to the difficult economic circumstances in the quadrant.
Colonial Referenda and Memberships – from our colonial correspondent
The following colonial worlds are planning referenda:
Ruritania Q1, Toltec Q1, MB291 Q5, Mulder Q2 and Ka’pul Q3
Referenda have been held on the following worlds:
Z135 Q7 has voted by a slight majority to join the New Draconian Co-Prosperity Sphere
The following worlds have voted against holding a referenda on giving up their independence: Sherman Q6
CC17 Government Collapses
Dateline Wing Q0 3207.076
The expansionist regime of President Bertrand Lair of CC17 Colony on Wing III conceded the vote of no confidence in the colony’s duma, and handed over power to a coalition provisional government let by the newly formed Peace and Reconciliation Party. The fall of the Lair regime was regarded as inevitable following the crushing military defeats inflicted on his military by Xyonist ground forces in their recent ‘Operation Jericho II’. Apparently the brainchild of the Union’s new chief of defence – the controversial General Hammer – the offensive plan was initially criticised by allied Wolfer ground commanders as ‘a bit aggressive’. Certainly the levels of civilian casualties have been high – and the space blockade on the planet imposed by the Xyonist Navy has come under (verbal) attack from a number of merchant corporations – but the occupation of New Baalian Mercuric Picrite Dioxine (Red Mercury) mines in the Iron Hills region was brought to a decisive end – and CC17 ambitions to expand through military means have been permanently thwarted.
The new government of CC17 has expressed its gratitude to the new First Humanity Division – deployed by the Centauri government. “We were very worried that the routed military would take the unstable political situation as an excuse to attempt a coup – or worse to just loot and pillage. Thankfully – the First Humanity Division people arrived in time. They have been wonderful and convinced the military to remain loyal to the government.”. Some observers also believe the the FHD was instrumental in convincing the Lair Government to hand over power peacefully – something that was previously thought to be unlikely.
The change of government is likely to bring to an end several years of tension on WIng – something welcomed by all the colonists there – and may now restart the development of a proper planetary federation.
