Potato Struggles Against The Odds
Dateline Asteel Q0 3210.150
Political shockwaves are reverberating around Asteel as the results from the Odd Quadrants come in. That Potato took his old quadrant, Q5 in a landslide came as no surprise – Q3 fell to him as expected. Former outsider Miller took his heartland quadrant Q1, again as expected. However, in a very close contest in Quadrant 7, Miller just beat Potato in a surprise result – attributed to some extent by support for the Miller Campaign from Quadrant Governor Rhett Elgon, one of Potato’s old sparring partners.
At the end of Odds polling, Potato’s overall rating in the polls has slipped below that critical 50% mark – the lowest approval rating ever for Potato since he started his presidency. More disturbing for Alphiephiles everywhere are the rumours that Mille Poisson’s campaign team have been ‘in discussion’ with the Miller team about a possible deal – perhaps trading a senior cabinet post for Poisson’s withdrawal in favour of Miller. Whether all Poisson supporters would transfer to the Miller camp is moot – it spells trouble for Potato as the campaign reaches Quadrant Zero – and what looks like the decider as even though Potato holds five quadrants to Miller’s two – the homeworlds could carry still carry it to Miller. The rank outsider has a tiny chance at the Hexagon against the odds. That said, Potato has been in tight political fixes before and has often earned his nickname “The Come from Behind Kid”.
A spokesperson for the Potato Campaign said “…withdraw now, at the moment of our greatest triumph?…I think you over-estmate their chances…”
FOLLOW INN LATEST COVERAGE OF THE GFA ELECTIONS HERE
Fleet Movements in Q7 ‘Not A Drill’
Dateline Potomax Q7 3210.150
Reports are coming in from Quadrant 7 of a serious security situation. The Allied headquarters in Q7 (Commanded by Wolfer Admiral Farley) have issued a fairly bland communiqué indicating that some sort of contact has occured with an unidentified non-human ‘force’ in outer Sector EJ. Sirian sources suggest that this is not the return of the exterminators, but might be in some way related to them. Merchant ship operators have been warned that the preexisting arrangement to take ships up from trade (the STUFT protocol) might be initiated within the next couple of octants. Response from the public is mixed. There has been an increase in passenger traffic, particularly among the very wealthy, out of the quadrant. On many worlds, civilians are reopening their deep shelters, unused for over a decade, and stocking up on food and medical supplies. Volunteering for the local starguard is up in all polities. The message in all polities has been “Keep Calm and Carry On”, and as yet, no polity has formally declared a state of emergency..
According to official sources, a combined fleet of a size we cannot reveal for security reasons has been dispatched to investigate, called ‘Combined Fleet Burwasher’ after the hero of Granyt, and commanded by Admiral Giraud (IEN). Unofficially, the force is considered sufficient to ‘deal with a threat up to an including a number of Exterminator Super Battleships’. No statement is as yet forthcoming from Supreme Humanity Headquarters in Quadrant Zero – Admiral Kasei and his staff are no doubt working hard to formulate an appropriate respond. Let us hope he is not as restricted as his predecessor, Admiral Hojo, by treaty members’ political agendas.
Colonial Referenda and Memberships – from our colonial correspondent
The following colonial worlds are planning referenda: Tosti Q6
Referenda have been held on the following worlds:
World
date
Result – voted to apply to join:
Trio Q6
T88
Earth Empire
Hot Boiler Q8
T88
Earth Empire
Godfather Q8
T88
UOX
Z139 Q7
T88
Eastern Defence Bloc
The following worlds have voted against holding a referenda on giving up their independence: None
