FWA Union Referendum Results
Dateline Lamster Q1 3213.120
Free Worlds Alliance pan-alliance referendum produced a very large majority ‘Yes’ vote for political and economic Union.
The new polity, to be called the Federated Worlds of the Outer Quadrants is extremely likely to be led by the charismatic and popular Chairman Jackson. (There will be presidential-style elections, but nobody here in Q1 doubts the outcome).
The new Federation is clearly looking to attract members from within both Quadrant 1 and neighbouring Quadrant 8 – making it the first multi-quadrant polity to be formed for several centuries. The old Free Worlds Alliance had made itself popular with independents in its neighbourhood by providing anti-pirate protection, and intervening to protect the human rights of colonists.
The new polity will formally come into being on the first day of 3214.
Skirmish at Z122
Dateline Z122 Q6 3212.152
Reports are coming in of a skirmish between armed starships in the just settled colony of Z122. There are a number of emerging colonies here, and one of them, the White Cloud Colony is formed largely of Clewgists originally from nearby Martian colonies. They had been requesting assistance form the MAFC because of increasing threats from another new colony on the planet. The accusation was that the other nearby new colony, Barbarossa Colony, was not much more than a pirate base. A Martian destroyer on anti-piracy patrol encountered what they have described as hostile armed merchant ships in low orbit. This would have been a simple anti-piracy sweep – but for the fact that these opposing ships were members of the Imperial Sentinels and called for assistance from other Sentinels – claiming that they were acting to protect the rights of the colonists on Z122.
The tense situation flared and there was an exchange of energy weapon fire, resulting in two Sentinel ships being badly damaged and the sentinels withdrawing from the system.
A spokeperson for the MSN said “Look… we didn’t look for trouble they did… they brought it on themselves”
The Imperial Sentinels press office issued this statement “A number of merchant members of this organisation were attacked by Martian military forces in the Z122 system. This was an unprovoked attack on ships conducting legitimate business. Our members acted to protect themselves, but were forced by this aggressive action to withdraw from this system. This only goes to show how important the Sentinels are to the defence of Imperial Interests in Quadrant 6. Without our member’s activities, citizens of the Empire would be under constant bullying aggression from other, warlike, governments”.
Martian Acting Supreme Councilor Marsha Bartley said “This is a pile of dino-crap, and they know it”.
Hot Boiler Outbreak
Dateline Hot Boiler Q8 3213.155
The virulent virus known as dino-flu has surfaced in the system of Hot Boiler, and has been causing many deaths. Medical services in the colony are confident they can contain the outbreak as the colony is well served with hospitals and the ability to manufacture vaccines.
The big concern has been the means of transmission – as the nearest other incidences of the virus are Jink (Q8) Protoprnss (Q7) – both of which have quarantine systems in place. The Imperial Quadrant Government are concerned that these quarantines might not be enough, and there are rumours of consideration being given to intervention on infected worlds to enforce more rigorous prophylactic measures.
Meanwhile, starguard marine medical crews are checking all incoming and outgoing ships at Hot Boiler, and neighbouring colonies have been placed on a state of high medical alert. Mass production of vaccines has started at the colonial capital Good Credentials.
Z10 Standoff
Dateline Z10 Q7 3213.167
Elements of The New Republican Fleet have been reported as having ‘exchanged fire’ with forces from the Sirian 7th Fleet in the newly settled system of Z10.
Reports say that the Republican ship Megalodon launched pacifiers to protect a growing transhumanist colony on Z10 from attack by Sirian forces. The Sirian Ministry of Information in Quadrant 7 stated “Our routine anti-piracy patrol in the Z10 system encountered a suspected pirate base containing a very large number of heavily armed individuals who would not comply with our lawful instructions. A military vessel of the Eastern Defence Block intervened and fire was exchanged – but not before a number of Sirian military citizens had been killed. The Sirian Socialist Republic deplores this violent action and has lodged the strongest possible protest with the Block”.
Both Republican and Sirian forces in the quadrant have moved to high alert (although The New Republic was already on a war footing in support of the Roach War).
