Victory at Tuskan
Dateline Tuskan Q7 3200.352 – News At Ten Report
The largest mobile Exterminator fleet ever encountered attacked the Earther system of Tuskan for no terribly clear reason. Somehow, humanity managed to get a substantial ad-hoc combined fleet to the system to meet this attack under Earther Admiral Tryon, and in the ensuing battlle 14 Exterminator Super Battleships were utterly destroyed and two captured. None escaped.
Victory Fever Hits New Venus
Stardate 3201.004 – New Venus
Today the President presided over the launch and handing over of the latest addition to the Venerian Space Navy. At Shipyard Victory #3 a new ALSI, VSS Eistla, was named, launched and handed over to Adm. Kremilovski, commander of the 10th Training Fleet. He will now ensure that the vessel is crewed and brought to war readiness so that it can be deployed as required to the embattled Quadrants.
Following his speech of a few days ago over beloved President gave details of the tremendous victory achieved by our forces, assisted by the other polities, over the biggest force of Exterminator war ships yet seen in Human space. He stated that the early reports indicated that very nearly a hundred Viking units, that is sixteen ESB’s, entered the Earther Tuskan system. Here Adm. Andropov, leading the valiant 7th Fleet, ambushed them and with the combined fleet that included elements from the Earther regime, Mars and Asteel, fourteen of the ESB’s were totally destroyed with two being captured. A complete and devastating victory for Humanity with the Venerians at the fore, Adm. Andropov commanding his flagship, VSS Centaur, in ramming and boarding the last fully intact ESB. In the ensuing action Andropov himself led a counterattack to drive off Exterminator combat robots that had counter-boarded Centaur. An exemplary display of the fighting abilities and attitude of the Venerian military.
Has the tide of the war turned in our favour at last?
The main losses suffered by the Venerian military were two DDI’s and their destruction is currently being investigated locally.
This is a stunning victory and the President has decreed that a day of celebration will be arranged for 21 days time in Q0, with military parades and housing block parties throughout the systems so that the people can rejoice and congratulate the heroes of our military. Governors in the colonial Quadrants will arrange their Quadrant day of celebration locally.
Picture Story – Admiral Erika Von Daniken addresses an enthusiatic crowd in Peace and Hard Work Square, Freedom City, New Venus
KING CHRISTENS NEW SHIPS
Stardate 3201.001 – Wolf359 – Official press ReleaseArchive Version : 2D format from 3D Holo broadcast. Type : News / Media broadcast.
Broadcast Program Name : The Daily Nova!
First broadcast : 3201.001
Reporter : Tom Fredricks
This year, the King broke with tradition and broadcast his New Year speech from the bridge of the new carrier HMS Vanquish in orbit around Wolf 359.
The king started by ceremonially breaking a bottle of champaign over the bridge console and officially naming the ship.
In his speech, he mentioned how proud the Commonwealth people were of their armed services “in this great time of trial” and how the “soulless machines” were “on the run from the forces of light and righteousness.”
He also scored a political point by saying how pleased he was that “parliament has finally seen that defending the people of our Commonwealth is more important than counting coins in the treasury.”
This is in reference to the new KPGK funding bill passed in 3200.250, which has given this long abused service equal funding with the other three. Evidence of this can be seen by the rapid increase in the number of battleships currently defending Commonwealth Home Systems as well as Pacifiers and SBHW systems.
The king also stressed how pleased he was with the way that the Commonwealth had come together to defeat this menace.
Palace sources have stated off the record that the king has first hand evidence of this as it has been rumoured that over the last two months he has been working under a pseudonym in a HELL factory on the production line fitting high power cables in New London. The King however denies this. Although it is well known that the King likes to be with his people during times of stress.
High Admiral of the Pack Lord George Peters overall commander of the Royal Navy, who was accompanying the King on the Vanquish, also mentioned how pleased he was with the progress of re-arming the Royal Navy, giving the three new carriers completed at the turn of the year as evidence.
He also stressed how incredibly hard everybody in the commonwealth was working, especially in the ship yards.
Additional notes :
1. A Transcript of the King’s speech in full can be obtained by contacting Media Services at the Palace in New London.
2. New ships coming in to service 3201.000 – 3201.030
Royal Navy Ships
LSSI HMS Liberator
CVI HMS Vanguard
CVI HMS Vanquish
CVI HMS Vindicator
Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom ships
BB HMS Brazen
BB HMS Brave
BB HMS Buzzsaw
New Shipyard for New Venus
Stardate 3201.001 – New Venus Q0
A historic new year celebration as our revered President formally opened a new Naval shipyard, named Victory #5, and immediately laid the first plate on each slipway, these are for two heavy cruisers. Work will commence properly tomorrow when the workforce return from the festivities, one of these vessels has been commissioned by the Earther regime. Although this will be a year in the future work is already underway on the planning of the ceremonial handing over of this historic vessel, it is hoped that the First Citizen of the Earther regime, or in his stead the First Minister, will be able to attend this ceremony.
In his speech he hinted that there were indications that further good news was coming from the outer Quadrants with regard to the war against the Exterminators, this caused great rejoicing and there has been much speculation amongst the peoples of the Home systems.
New Martian Shipyard
Stardate 3200.400 – New Mars Q0
Today Charles L. Harness, Supreme Councillor of the Martian Union and Chair of the Interstellar Coordination Committee, was guest of honour at the commissioning ceremony for three new naval shipyards in orbit around NEW MARS. He was accompanied by Thai-sho (Admiral) Wells, Chief of the Naval Staff and various senators and other dignatories.
The Supreme Councillor in his speech praised the efforts of all the defenders of humanity in the ongoing war against the Exterminator AI menace and pledged that Mars would continue to do its fair share, or more, to eliminate the galaxy of this plague. He then informed the watching media that he was about to proceed on a tour of the Home Quadrant colonies and would be inspecting the fleets protecting each.
Thai-Sho Wells, in his speech, thanked the Supreme Councillor, on behalf of all of the armed forces and announced that the new shipyards would be starting construction work the next day on a new fleet that would be optimised for offensive operations against Exterminator forces. He too praised the efforts of all human forces but, whilst recognising the contribution of all polities, he reserved the highest praise for the efforts of Martian units at the recent battle of TUSKAN, where superior Martian tactics and training meant that Mars itself suffered only minimal casualties whilst contributing more than its pro-rata share to the enemy’s.
Potato Swears In
Stardate 3201.001 : Asteel : Full Text of President Alphonse Z. Potato’s Inaugural Address
3201.001, the lawn of the Hexagon, Asteel
Ahem. President Hallmark, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens, assorted journoes, hacks, scribblers and other scum: the peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our polity. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings.
Here is my simple oath: goddam sunnuvabitch!!!!
As I begin, I thank President Hallmark for his and her service to our polity. Thanks, now go away. Now.
And I thank Senator Snownose for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace. Ha! Ha! I beat ya!! You can go away, too!
I am honoured and humbled [well, honoured anyway] to stand here, where so many of The Greater Federation’s leaders have come before me, and so many will follow.
We have a place, all of us, in a long story–a story we continue, but whose end we will not see. It is the Esteeler story–a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals. And, boy, are we ever flawed and fallible sometimes, uh-huh!
The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding Esteeler promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born. Though plainly some are more significant – and they get their own tri-vid shows.
Esteelers are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And though our polity has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course. How could we? Can you think of one?
Through much of the two centuries since its creation, The Greater Federation’s faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many star systems. Nice metaphors, eh?
Our democratic faith is more than the creed of our polity, it is the inborn hope of our humanity, an ideal we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass along. And even after nearly 225 years, we have a long way yet to travel. Space is very big.
Our unity, our Federation, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single polity of justice and opportunity, peace, apple pie, cup cakes and motherhood.
I know…What do I know?
Artie, kick the autocue will ya? It’s not rolling. That’s it, right.
I know this is in our reach because we are guided by a power larger than ourselves who creates us equal in His image. Bless the Holy Elvis. Bless all the supernatural Powers who guide and protect us in our common humanity and our striving to spiritual fulfilment. Protect us from the godless machines who threaten our very existence. Thanks be to Mukul. We must be united. And I ask: what unites us?
The Greater Federation has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, every colonist who joins us, by embracing these ideals, makes our polity more, not less, Esteeler.
Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be petty, because the stakes of our debates appear small. Five gets you ten that Snownose believes that crap, eh?
But the stakes for The Greater Federation are never small. If our polity does not lead the cause of freedom, it will not be led. If we do not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism. If we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most. If we do not win the war, we will cease to exist. The stakes are huge.
We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos, of eggs over easy. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.
The Greater Federation, at its best, is also courageous. Oh yes it is!!
Our courage is now clear in time of war, when defending against common dangers defines our common good. Now we must choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage, which will, in turn, inspire future generations.
And at home, we will build a stronger Federation, one where the fruits of enterprise, the next generation, are guaranteed by a system of government which trusts its own people, rewards wealth-creators and promotes efficiency. Our idealism will be tempered by a definite commitment to low taxes, light regulation, and government as ally and friend to business, which provides jobs and wealth to our hard-working free people.
And what of our relations to other human polities? The enemies of liberty and our Federation should make no mistake: The Greater Federation remains engaged in the galaxy by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that favours freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We will meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and strength. And to all polities, all unaligned and unadopted worlds, we will speak for the values that gave our polity birth.
I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage, to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility and try to live it as well. I give you my word that Potato will take off his jacket and get down to work.
In all these ways, I will bring the values of our history to the care of our times.
What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; to serve your polity, beginning with your neighbour. I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens, building communities of service and a polity of character.
Esteelers are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of citizenship is missing, no government programme can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it.
After the Declaration of Esteeler Independence was signed, and the Martian battle -fleets were massing, Paradise stateswoman Jenny Chapter wrote to Tommy Snodgrass: “We know the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?” Snodgrass’s reply has become legendary: ‘No.’
Much time has passed since Snodgrass arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this day he would know: our polity’s grand story of courage and its simple dream of astonishing wealth.
We are not this story’s author, who fills time and eternity with his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another. Yeah. Whatever.
Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, [well, not literally, in fact I will finish shortly] we renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life. That sounds good, eh, I wish I know what it meant.
This work continues. This story goes on. Same time next week, same channel. And there is still no ‘angel’ riding in the whirlwind and directing this storm. Because we are doing it all ourselves.
Elvis bless you all, and Elvis bless The Greater Federation.
{{Historical note: students of early spaceflight days may notice a few coincidental similarities between this speech and that of a ‘Dubya Bush’, who was President of the zone that is now Sol III’s Southern Canada. These similarities are striking enough to provide support to the theory of temporal morphic resonance, as there is no way Alphie P would bother to read a history text.- HC}}
