CNF Launch Campaign Against RCF
by Ringo Baxter, exclusive for the GGG
Alex Carter, Secretary General of the Confederate Forces (CNF), announced this week that his affiliation will finally move against the so-called Real Confederate Forces (RCF). It has been a full year since renegade General Eddy Dean Smith left the CNF in a stormy manner, taking unauthorized assets with him and reflagging them as RCF or PIR. The RCF have been busy this whole time launching terrorist attacks against positions loyal to the Empire, mainly IMP and GTT, and the lack of reaction from the CNF had led to some speculation about how upset they really were with this splinter group.
Operation Manassas is the new CNF initiative to combat the RCF rebels and those who help them. We have reports that the first to be targeted were the Children of Hexos (COH), official allies of the RCF, who were attacked by CNF forces in the Agripeta System. Many expect the CNF campaign to restrict itself to the Halo Periphery, but more optimistic voices are already expressing their wishes for Operation Manassas to include action in the Yank System, where the RCF have been enjoying the silent support of the Kastorian Junta (KAS).
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IMP Viceroy Calls Off War on HLQ, Invites Them for Tea Instead
by Cornelius Merryheart, exclusive for the GGG
After all the boisterous threats against House LiQuan, Viceroy Githyanki announced this week that IMP and HLQ have reached a mutual agreement and that there will be no unleashing of the full wrath of the Imperial army and navy. We all rejoice with the peaceful end of yet another crisis, but it's really difficult not to see how this whole episode marks once more the outstanding ineptitude of the current IMP administration to deal with complex political situations.
House LiQuan destroyed a large asteroid and the IMP outpost on it. House LiQuan organized the counterclaim of a Commonwealth system. House LiQuan gloated in public about these questionable achievements. A competent negotiator would have easily used the spurious system claim and the attack against the Imperial Services to obtain a massive compensation from the HLQ or to force them out of the Inner Empire. Instead, Viceroy Githyanki ended up agreeing on giving back the title of Baron Dolphinus to Aldahan LiQuan.
Punishment for stirring up unrest in Dolphinus? None. Punishment for destroying a whole asteroid in Mizam? Aldahan's son, Demetrius LiQuan, the person who ordered the offensive action, will be handed over to the IMP to stand trial. But no mention to the fifteen million stellars demanded by Gregor Konstantin, IMP Research Commissioner in charge of the destroyed outpost. All that could perhaps be accepted as the result of a timid negotiation, but actually supporting House LiQuan for a noble title as a reward for their misdeeds is a blunder of galactic proportions.
First, IMP Viceroy Githyanki gives the KRL the right to claim the Storm System, despite their use of pirate ships to attack Imperial positions. Then, IMP Viceroy Githyanki gives the HLQ his support for a noble title, despite their attack against IMP positions and their encouragement of civil unrest against the Commonwealth. The lesson here seems to be clear: attacking the IMP is a good to way to achieve your goals, they will huff and they will puff but in the end they will give you what you want.
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