Summit Braces for Second Wave
GORILLA, Q0
By Henry Davenport
Used as we are to the familiar round of Treaty of Old London Meetings, the recent Interstellar Summit was something of a shock, breaking with tradition to accept an invitation from the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to be held at its headquarters at Gorilla, and taking the unprecedented step of including not only the Free Worlds Alliance, but the LONAW and even the Eastern Defence Bloc. The symbolism of humanity united in the face of a common threat was a striking one, although it might be more striking if Earth were not boycotting ToOL meetings and the likes of the FWA and LONAW had never been invited to join in the first place.
Nevertheless, most of the focus was outwards, to Sector EJ, where the converging human fleets and reports of alien ships and colonies have been causing grave convern. Our own efforts against the Hostile Exterminator Builders seem to be slow and painful, yet humanity must now brace itself for the possibility of a second Exterminator wave, and the millions of deaths that might ensue. The Summit agreed that Quadrant Zero had to be the main focus of defence, but the policy seemed to be ‘wait and see’, and there seemed no tearing sense of urgency.
However, one important political development came from this meeting – a permanent summit structure, with participation from all polities with 120SV or more. Although in the past grandiose plans for pan-national bodies like the GFA-sponsored ‘United Planets’ have got short shrift, something like that seems to be slowly evolving by default, and moving the meetings to a permanent home, and decoupling it from the detailed arguments over force levels and money that always characterised ToOL meetings may help something more enduring to take shape. Let us hope it is in time…
Aliens Invade Doggie?
DOGGIE, Q6
Reports are reaching us of a so-called ‘invasion’ of the Earther world of Doggie in Quadrant 6. The last word from the colony before a total news blackout began indicated that the colony orbital was under attack by swarms of alien pacifier-type ships and hundreds of shuttles were descending on the planet. Since then the Earth Empire has moved to impose a total blackout on news from the world, and unconfirmed reports suggest that Quadrant defence fleets are on the move. INN sources in the area have confirmed that something is definitely up, and this is no hoax, although official statements from Weygand have merely said that a “serious situation” has arisen and that “all necessary steps” are being taken to deal with it.
Speculation is rife that this attack may pressage the first action of the long-dreaded Second Wave of Exterminators. Doggie had a population of 16 million at the most recent census.
Economic figures show Earth and Venus steaming ahead
SOL, Q0
By Collaterlie Sisters, Business Correspondent
Figures on the Universe’s leading economies show that the G8 countries have expanded by an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 3.5% over the past decade, confounding predictions of a slump in the wake of the Exterminator War. The Solar Republic’s economy grew the fastest, by 55% over the period, equivalent to 4.4% per year, under Lee Zhang’s ‘New Economic Plan’, but perhaps surprisingly the Venerian economy managed 4.2% annual growth during the same period, a dynamism attributed to the Presidents Heinlein and Kudriavy’s focus on economic matters. The more open economies of the Centauri Conglomerate and Greater Federation of Asteel both showed above-trend growth at 3.8% and 3.7% per year respectively, while the Sirian Socialist Republic unsurprisingly turned in the poorest performance at 2.1% AAGR. However, many have been surprised to see that the Union of Xyon and MAFC have also lagged at 3.1% and 3.2% growth respectively. The Wolf Commonwealth grew at 3.6% per year over the same period. Reliable figures for the Mald Foundation were not available.
Potato Roasts Opponent, Miller Remains in Mo-tion,
ASTEEL, Q0
Barbara Wintergreen, Senior Asteel Correspondent
President Potato has responded angrily to criticism by his defeated opponent ‘Mo’ Miller. The campaign seemed to be still conitnuing as the two men exchanged jabs, with Potato calling his rival a “blowhard”, stressing Asteel’s economic improvement as a tangible result of his administration, and promising to tackled corruption and inefficiency. He even found time to lash out at the media, naming your own correspondent personally for so-called “negative” coverage of him. However, he shied away from the human rights agenda, arguing that now was not the time to begin criticising allies, and argued that Miller has lost sight of the ‘big picture’ and the fight against the Exterminators. The spat continued over GFA’s failure to back Earth over Amoss, which many credit with leading to Earth’s humiliating withdrawal from that world.
Meanwhile defeated presidential candidate ‘Mo’ Miller has shown that he has no intention of taking his loss lying down. Indeed he continues to display considerable ‘mo’-mentum, by moving to respond to the impending fascist takeover of an Esteeler world in Q6 ahead of the Star Party. Miller is setting up a regional branch of his Conservative Party in Q6 to try and present an alternative slate to the Third Force party on 911RPU.
Returning to spend some time at his family farm on Packard, e-‘mo’-tions were to the fore, as Miller spent some time with his friend and companion Navy Lt Cdr Inyri Kemmer. We have heard rumours that wedding bells may be in the offing!
However, Miller has continued to criticise the Venerian Republic in his public pronouncements, and rumour has it that he has been sounding out other senators, and may attempt to sponsor a Foreign Affairs Bill in the upcoming senate session.
Potato, by contrast, has softened his line in recent days, talking about a bipartisan approach to his third term, and possibly even moving to address some policy areas highlighted by his defeated rival.
I’m Barbara Wintergreen, and This Is My Asteel.
New Name, New Policy?
NEW MARS, Q0
By Mike Buckley, Senior Mars Correspondent
The MAFC may soon be the MAFP, after a bill was placed before the Martian Senate by Chair of the Interstellar Coordination Committee Senator Banderas on behalf of the Martian Colonial Growth Faction. With support from her CDP allies, the bill seeks to change the Mars Association of Free Colonies to the “more inclusve” and “less imperialist”-sounding Mars Association of Free Planets. Although the move is a cosmetic one, it is the first change of the Association’s official title since the Asteel Secession, and reflects the devolving, federalist impulses of the current government.
So far this, a naval policy of moving back towards capital ship building, and a new focus on the economy are the only concrete steps taken by the new administration, but this correspondent understands that wide-ranging discussions are on-going behind closed doors re-appraising Mars’ policies in a wide variety of areas, particularly foreign policy. Nothing has been said in public, but I have heard rumblings from highly-placed sources that there are sharp questions being asked about the commitment by some nations towards defence of the eastern quadrants, and relatively lower levels of defence spending per head in other capitals. In the light of the recent economic figures, the perception seems to be that some nations – the Cenatarui Conglomerate and GFA are names I have heard bandied about – are getting a ‘free ride’, plowing money into their economies and letting others defend them.
Colonial Referenda and Memberships – from our colonial correspondent
The following colonial worlds are planning referenda: X14 Q7, Franklin’s World Q7, Dchoveny Q6, Celeste Q1, Palatine Q8,
Referenda have been held on the following worlds:
World
date
Result – voted to apply to join:
Scully Q6
T91
Earth Empire
Rotnart Q6
T91
Earth Empire
T361 Q1
T91
Venerian Republic
T411 Q1
T91
No to membership
Express Sector AI
T90
Venerian Republic
Brassil Sector AH
T90
Venerian Republic
WInner Q7
T91
Centauri Conglomerate
Chaitra Q4
T91
Centauri Conglomerate
Akdor Q3
T91
Union of Xyon
Hush-Bush Q2
T91
Union of Xyon
Pete Q5
T91
MAFC
Darwin Q8
T91
MAFC
The following worlds have voted against holding a referenda on giving up their independence: None.
