June 16^th, 2243 / Vol. 175, No. 16 / 1 Demi-Cred

International Edition Bi-Weekly - for full stories and pictures, connect to http://www.ntargus.co.ef.

"Voice of the True Federation -- Freedom Leads To Victory!"

 

Headlines:

• Peace In The Southwest; EB Surrenders Port Arthur
• Gatecrashing Earth; Resistance Showdown Expected
• Fieras Falls; Digital Gate Destroyed
• Colonial Marines "Fall Back" To Boyne
• Arthur Clarke Dies; A Broken Nation Mourns
• Valkriye Falls Without A Shot; Enoch Sues For Peace
• Hector Rejoins Federation; Atrocities Listed
• Phoenix Comms Blocked; Bad Andy Suspected
• K'Nes Withdraw; Midgar Joins FWT

 

Editorials:

• Circle of Tarnished Gold: Grand Council Falls Apart
• The Game's Not Over: The Danger Of Hero Worship

 

HEADLINES

 

Eastern Bloc Surrenders Port Arthur!

 

PORT ARTHUR (June 4^th) -- The gas-mining colony of Port Arthur is in the grips of a celebratory fever since the Federation's 5^th Army liberated the last remaining Fed system in Bloc hands. Major-General Russell Fargus, one of the most celebrated were-creatures in Tech Infantry, had planned a masterful reversal of the Eastern Bloc's fortunes, turning the Federation's near defeat on the southwestern frontier into a glorious victory.

            Of course, the victories are in no small part due to the work of one man, Major Alistar Dimiye. This Russian bear and his Dead Boy Brigade carved a swath of death and destruction through Bloc lines the likes of which have never been seen before. Having held Hadley against a full assault by an EB army, he went on to turn the tide of battle (not once, but TWICE) in the month-long campaign at Epsilon. So ferocious and devastating was his attacks that even the enemy started calling him "Tou Mu," God of the Northern Star.

            So it came as no surprise when Devil Dimiye came across the comm channel at Port Arthur and demanded their unconditional surrender. Left with no choice but to comply, the Bloc commander did, relieving the enchained community that was the major's home.

            With the 5^th Army's mission completed, and the Bloc Campaign over, Marshal Dunmeyer stated that "it's time to use that experience to kick Angry Abdul right in the backside!" With this renewed threat of assaulting King's lackeys, the Chairman of the Emergency Council refused to comment on where she'll strike next.

 

"Gatecrashing" Earth

 

EDEN (June 13^th) -- Sources within the Resistance indicate that a significant Grand Council force has left Avalon for an attack on the Earth System. No numbers were given on the amount and size of the ships deployed, however, it has been reported that Commodore Erich "Gatecrasher" Von Shrakenberg is with them. Gatecrasher got his nickname when he defended the Rios system back in March with small force against a Jurvain invasion fleet. He literally "crashed" a freighter into the jumpgate, destroying their entire landing force. However, not only has he sullied his name with the aliens, but also against his own people, thanks to his cowardly attack on our ships in New Madrid.

            Now Errant Erich is out again, facing off against imaginary demons, as he brings the preponderance of Abdul's firepower against a woefully inferior force. It's good to know that the false Federation can only take out weaker systems, while it desperately avoids contact with the battle fleets of Marshal Dunmeyer.

            However, the Resistance leadership, since Earth is its most important system, is expected to make a stand. Our hopes and prayers go out to these brave souls, risking their lives in the pursuit of liberty, as we support anyone who seeks to destroy the corrupt government of Angry Abdul.

 

Fieras Falls For Freedom

 

FIERAS (June 10^th) -- The remains of the 7^th Army have had to run from the false Federation's Task Force 23, which defeated our forces at New Madrid (Brigadier-General Thomas Willard surrendered his legion at Talavera on June 28^th), and has been on the run for weeks ever since. Major-General Lucretia Darby, commander of the 7^th Army, decided to quit the Rios System, and withdrew all loyal forces from there onto her fleet. Several thousand civilians, afraid of the return of Abdul's terrorizing hand, begged to also go with them, but Darby couldn't afford them room.

            Jumping through the only other remaining jumpgate, they made their way to Fieras, hoping to match up with the rest of the Emergency Council's forces. The small picket there under the quisling's control gave, as Darby herself admitted, "one hell of a fight." Their eluding tactics were most likely an attempt to delay the Fed fleet long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Avalon. However, Lucretia refused to let that happen, dispatching a squadron of her small fleet to destroy the digital gate, preventing immediate relief to the system.

            Once the gate was destroyed, the picket ran for the Babylon jumpgate, and disappeared into hyperspace. With the system secured, the general managed to take on the 8^th Legion's 1^st Division, which had been stranded on the hellish planet below since the war began. Thrilled to be released from their captivity, they all chose to serve with the Emergency Council, promising to restore the Federation once Abdul Johnson and his cronies were removed from power.

 

Bugs Boil Before Boyne

 

CHARBYDIS (June 8^th) -- The President of the Frontier Worlds Territory, the honorable Janeila Manchester, announced before her weekly press conference with regret that General Dewer Aberstwyth had to quit operations in the Sculla System. The Armada was ordered to glass the planet in the system withdraw back to the infected Boyne System, to concentrate on cleaning up the Bugs there. The Colonial Marines have been taking horrendous casualties in their campaign to fight the Bugs. Any remaining civilians in Boyne were ordered to leave back in January. So now, the fight continues.

            Literally caught between Sculla and Charbydis, General Aberstwyth was asked the reasons behind falling back even closer to the borders of the Frontier Worlds. He replied that "we should have pulled out much sooner. However, I was banking on some more reinforcements arriving, which were promised to me, that would have changed the course of this war. Since these never materialized, we pulled back."

            When asked what his strategy was for Boyne, Aberstwyth had this to say: "We have no choice; the line is drawn here. We cannot withdraw from this system without destroying the member systems of the Frontier Worlds and the Federation beyond it. The Armada has pulled all its reserves to here in order to help us, but even that I fear, may be too little, too late. That is all."

            It is estimated that the Colonial Marines have anywhere from 25 to 35,000 men on Boyne, or approximately the equivalent of three Tech Infantry legions. However, their equipment and training is woefully substandard compared to their TI counterparts. Military experts outside the Frontier Worlds state optimistically that the forces on Boyne may have three months before they're forced to withdraw again.

Arthur Clarke Laid To Rest

 

AVALON (June 1^st) -- All the galaxy seemed to hush while the body of Major-General Arthur Clarke was laid to rest today at New Arlington National Cemetery. The general had been killed during at fight at the popular Rage bar in New Chicago, a older suburb of the capital on the northern belt. Clarke was killed during a sword battle with a man now identified as Mark Smith, a known assassin, with several major kills accredited to his name over the last three years. Many speculate that the fight was a contract hit, and although a nation-wide manhunt goes out for the killer of the famed general, Smith has seemed to disappear from the Federation completely.

            Almost every political leader and military brass that could attend did, complete with a ceremony of traditional Bestat chants, and a Catholic prayer. The Raptors were in attendance, more than most, mourning the death of their leader. Abdul Johnson personally gave the flag to Clarke's widow, while the Federation, in fact, all governments, mourned the loss of their hero.

            Arthur Clarke, most famous for having defeated an abomination named Corric and helping to bring down the 1^st Triumvirate during the 1^st Civil War, managed to make a name for himself in later years as well. Working as a drill sergeant on Deimos for five years, he later managed to get commissioned into Special Ops. In the darker days of the Bug War, the need for more awakened and shapeshifters was crucial to the war effort, and so the TI Special Service was created to track down those who would not serve. Clarke volunteered for this unit and quickly established the rules for the fledgling division. He was quickly elevated to lead it after many successful captures of renegade mages and was promoted to colonel. While leader of this unit, he renamed it the Raptors, and it became an even more effective machine. So effective in fact, that before the 2^nd Civil War, he joined the 2^nd Triumvirate, and remained the only living member of that power troika for years to come. Eventually taking out the Sabbat, he was elevated to command of all Special Ops units in the TI, ending his service with the rank of Major-General. His contributions to the Federation are too numerous to be listed. Even Marshal Dunmeyer, who had often worked with him, stated that "he will be missed."

 

Enoch Ends Its Error

 

VALKRIYE (June 14^th) -- After the Vampiric Kingdom of Enoch's failed attempt to bring the Grand Council's forces down at Phoenix, the false Federation struck back, sending a small task force to the enemy-held system of Valkriye. Once the collection of ships reached their space, Enoch evacuated their forces on the planet's surface, then proceeded to run back to their space. Without a shot being fired, the system was liberated.

            Angry Abdul was elated at the news. At a press conference shortly after the event, he stated that "he was glad that the Federation has finally taken care of this nasty pest." He also announced that Enoch has asked for a cease fire, pressing for a future peace treaty to be established between the two governments. No word has yet been made if the corrupt chairman will make a deal with this particular devil, but knowing his past mistakes, it's no doubt that he will.

            However, many analysts state that the surrender of the Valkriye system is really a moot point. After half of the Kingdom's fleets was smashed by the Righteous Army at Hrothgar, Enoch simply did not have the numbers it needed to continue any sort of invasion. The new Defense Councilor for the Emergency Council, Aaron Charles Campbell, has declared the failed attack on Phoenix "wishful thinking" rather than a "sound military strategy." However, everyone agrees that this provides the false Federation with a firm flank, from which to threat other targets closer to home.

 

Hector: "Everything Went To Hell"

 

HECTOR (June 9^th) -- Commodore Vaughan Williams, commander of the 3^rd Light Cruiser Squadron, was ordered to proceed from their holding position in Hadley to secure the Hector System, having been cut off since the Eastern Bloc invasion from the rest of humanity. With the unconditional surrender of the Port Arthur System, the border with the oriental nation was considered secure enough to allow the greater distribution of forces.

            When Williams arrived at Hector, the place was in a state of anarchy. A division of Tech Infantry and a few more of Light Infantry landed on the planet and was shocked by what they found. Apparently back in February, the planetary assembly was in session when someone blew up their building, killing everyone in it. The new People's Republic of Hector declared itself the rightful government immediately afterwards. The mayor of New Troy, capital of the beleaguered planet, established the Provisional Government to oppose them. By the end of April, both sides had destroyed themselves, breaking into several different factions, all vying for control of the planet. It is estimated that up to 35 different groups were fighting in scattered skirmishes across the planet. As Langford Hughes said, a former sergeant in the Light Infantry who was planet-side when it happened, "everything went to hell."

            The landing on the planet went unopposed. New Troy, a shattered wreck of the beautiful colony it had once been, dropped their weapons and welcomed the Federation with open arms. Within a couple days, Colonel Rebecca Amundsen of the 45^th Legion, 4^th Division, established a new planetary government, and all factions surrendered to our forces.

            Reports of atrocities are flowing into the planet's new assembly, as the true horror of the fighting on Hector is coming to light. Numerous rapes, premeditated killings, rampant theft and destruction, as well as outright genocide were reported throughout the five-month period of lawlessness. Marshal Dunmeyer has demanded that a War Crimes Tribunal be established to bring these criminals to justice. However, with witnesses far and few between, and evidence often contradictory, it is doubtful that this foul deed will ever truly be resolved.

 

Phoenix Foils One Assault, Can It Handle Two?

 

NEW TOKYO (June 15^th) -- As some of our readers may know, all communication, either through the net or direct communication with Phoenix System has been out for over a day. The signals appear to be jammed, which indicate that some sort of attack is underway. The Emergency Council denies that it's launched an attack against the usurper's system, so the assumption is that Bad Andy has struck again.

            The Righteous Army, known for attacking without warning or predictability, controls two of the five gates leading into the Phoenix system. With the choice target of the Phoenix Yards, the largest shipyard in the Federation, it makes it the obvious choice for their attack. However, the possibility of other powers trying to seize the vital system, has not been ruled out.

            Scout ships have been reported jumping in and out of Proxima and Minos, supposedly for a Righteous Army attack. However, although some have called the "Christian Federation" "foolhardy", it is known that they don't have the forces to attempt an assault on systems of that size. This might change if Bad Andy gets a hold of the repair and shipbuilding facilities on Phoenix.

 

Midgar Joins Frontier Worlds; K'Nes Give Up

 

MIDGAR (June 12^th) -- After the losses that the Bloc and Enoch took in the war, it was obvious that the K'Nes, a race of mostly merchants and traders, didn't want any more part in it. The risk being unacceptable, they turned over control to a bunch of planetary leaders, allowed them to rebuild their Light Infantry forces, and left the system. The Provisional Government of Midgar immediately asked for admission into the Frontier Worlds Territory, and President Manchester was more than happy to accept it.

            Horrath III, the Emperor (or Toraah) of the K'Nes Tor, declared its willingness to give the Midgar System back to the humans "in the best interests of peace and stability." They also sent representatives to all four human governments for the hopes of establishing a peace treaty. As for the true motives behind this sudden move, no one is willing to say.

 

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EDITORIAL: POINT/COUNTERPOINT

 

Point: Circle of Tarnished Gold by Roberto Arios / Political Commentator, New Tokyo Argus

 

            If we've learned one thing from General Clarke's funeral, it's this: the Grand Council is falling apart. Look at the players at this shindig! You got Chairman Johnson, looking all properly sad and downtrodden, realizing that with Arthur's death, you got no excuse left to hold onto the political unstable marshalship. Instead of disbanding the office completely, like he should have at the start, he instantly seized the position, ending up trying to run a multi-planetary government AND fight a war at the same time.

            So with Clarke no longer there to balance off King and Vorheis, Johnson's got a real problem. Do you let Kristen or Rashid become Marshal? Although she has the respect of her command and political ambition, she brings nothing to the table apart from the Earth Fleet. A powerful hand, but not powerful enough to wield any influence over the government. Then there's King. The commandant is certainly a political creature, carries great influence, but he can't be controlled. He doesn't have the respect of his command or of anyone else's; he only has fear. Again, this is a powerful hand, but not during a civil war where loyalties can easily change.

            This is only one example of how Angry Abdul's government is falling apart. They are too spread out with the fleets and armies; it's impossible for them to really concentrate anywhere. The Grand Council is afraid to make any major moves, due to the threat of weakening their inner systems. Less and less things get done everyday within the civil administration (look at the Pi Incident) and the average person is scared. They should be. The circle of gold stars on the blue field is the Federation flag. The planets making up those stars are starting to tarnish. Angry Abdul better see the writing on the wall and better start talking peace. Otherwise, the Jurvain and the Bugs are going to roll us over.

 

Counterpoint: The Game's Not Over by Yi Ming Ying / Former Senator, Populist Union

 

            If you read the news everyday like I do, it's easy to get excited. Victories here, changes there... everything certainly looks like the war is going well, for us that is. Abdul Johnson and his bunch of cronies are certainly not doing well. Almost all of their frontier planets have caved in to one faction or another, they've lost one of their great leaders, and their armies haven't moved in a long while. It certainly seems that the old Federation's on the decline.

            Or is it? New Madrid was no fluke; it was a concentrated attack on one of our weak points. The galactic game is played through jumpgates. Sure, the gravity drive is great, but a battlecruiser can only take so many ships with them. If that drive is damaged, that admiral better damn sure have a way out. So that's why the Grand Council hasn't moved. Anyone can look at a map and see the problem. The inner systems that Angry Abdul controls have a lot of gates. That was necessary for inter-system commerce. Look at Avalon... ten gates! Three of them are not in their control and one even got destroyed! How is Kristen Vorheis, or anyone else for that matter, supposed to move ships out of their without exposing their capital and ONE QUARTER of the Federation's population? They're being cautious. With the future of humanity at stake, they have a right to be.

            They're nibbling away where we're weak to force us to extend our ships out to farther parts of our holdings. Still, we can afford to, look at our systems! Fewer gates, more defensible area; some places only need a destroyer picket for their system. Of course we're looking good right now; comparatively, we've got the bigger hand! However, this has all been positioning for the big galactic game. Marshal Dunmeyer has been wasting our forces against the Bloc. Sure, they've become more experienced, but we could have used those numbers later.

            Everyone's waiting for the big battle. It probably won't be decisive, but it will be soon; neither Federation can wait too much longer and still claim we're fighting each other. After that battle, THEN we can ask if Johnson's government is doomed. Until then, the game's not over yet.

 

IN OTHER NEWS

 

Rank One Standings --  Not much change here... gotta concentrate those points, fellas!

Warfare: Frank D'Antuono (Alistar Dimiye)

Magic: Chris Yarwood (Andrea Treschi)

Social: Frank D'Antuono & Martin Hohner (Alistar Dimiye & Erich Von Shrakenberg) - tie

Intelligence: Ed Stasheff (Xinjao O'Reilly)

 

And just because I need SOME interesting info for this newsletter...

 

Rank Two Standings --

Warfare: Matt Hutchinson (Mark Smith aka Xavier Pollos)

Magic: Josh Wooden (Malachi Spyder)

Social: Ed Stasheff (Xinjao O'Reilly)

Intelligence: Frank D'Antuono & Martin Hohner (Alistar Dimiye & Erich Von Shrakenberg) - tie

 

Just to generate even more discussion... or envy...

 

Rank Three Standings --

 

Warfare: Martin Hohner (Erich Von Shrakenberg)

Magic: Andy Wooden (Hex)

Social: Josh Wooden (Malachi Spyder)

Intelligence: Andy Wooden (Hex)

 

Just to remind everyone, orders are due every Thursday morning at 8 am from now on. Of course, since this only gives Marcus one day to work on stories, he gets mighty upset if they're even an hour late. Tread lightly... send orders in EARLY!