GGG - Issue 24 - 211.42.1

TCA and HLQ: Ten Facts and Three Hypotheses 
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

Fact 1: The Terran Colony Annihilators (TCA) have a history of antagonism against humans, among other species. Fact 2: The ship TCA Inquest (71372) had been parked by the Plague Stargate for a long time with no signs of activity. Fact 3: A fleet of over two hundred warships flagged DEN, IMP, GTT and FCN entered CNF space, with permission from Commander Jackson, to engage and destroy the TCA ship. Fact 4: The ship TCA Inquest (71372) was reduced to debris by the combined warfleet. Fact 5: Before the attack, the TCA ship that had been immobile for at least a couple of years, started slowly moving towards the stargate in an apparent attempt to avoid the battle. Fact 6: Just before the TCA ship started moving, an HLQ ship was seen initiating a close approach to the TCA vessel, in a manoeuvre used for tight-beam communications. Fact 7: The Meklan (MEK) are believed to be the ground troops of the TCA. Fact 8: Prince Aldahan LiQuan, leader of House LiQuan (HLQ), has been meklanized (with some added safety modifications). Fact 9: Prince Aldahan LiQuan, by his own admission, knew about the impending attack on the TCA ship. Fact 10: A couple of weeks after the battle, the HLQ announced that Prince Aldahan LiQuan had been abducted by the TCA.

Hypothesis 1: Prince LiQuan, of his own free will or not, is helping the TCA. The TCA ship was alerted by the HLQ about the impending attack. After that, the relationship between the HLQ and the TCA has been strengthened and the reported abduction was staged so Prince LiQuan could go into a journey of discovery with the TCA without raising suspicion.

Hypothesis 2: Same as Hypothesis 1, with the difference that the TCA did not really warm up to the HLQ and the Prince's plans backfired. The TCA are either curious or annoyed by the HLQ interest and interference. Prince LiQuan was actually abducted by the TCA, either to be studied or to be reintegrated into the TCA's Meklan army.

Hypothesis 3: Prince LiQuan, despite his meklanization, continues to be in full control of his mind and actions. The TCA ship trying to flee from an imminent attack and the proximity of an HLQ ship was purely coincidental. The reported abduction of Prince LiQuan is also not connected to any of the other events involving the TCA or the HLQ.

Or a combination of the three hypotheses. Or something else. You decide.

(Note from the Editor - The GGG contacted the HLQ for more details on the reported abduction of Prince LiQuan, but they refused to release any information: "These questions will not be answered at this time pending the results of the investigation.")

-o-

Johnny Alpha, a New Mercenary-Pirate
by Kaspar Khan, exclusive for the GGG

So there's this new independent starcaptain, Johnny Alpha, apparently an affable individual, silver-tongued and full of swagger, and everyone seems to like him. But then he posts a public advertisement offering his talents as a hit man for hire in the Halo Periphery. "We offer simple to understand terms based on the number of ship hulls destroyed and whether the targets are armed or not." Now all the people who were helping him in his first steps as a struggling free trader are suddenly realizing they've just been fooled and that the guy is no better than a pirate. And the cheeky mercenary seems to have already found an employer, as the Johnny Alpha signature was exposed in at least a couple of shady operations.

+ Ships IND Reaper (18552) and IND Rainman (22386) show up where they weren't welcome, and DTR Speaker of the House of Lords Michelle Diaz tells them to explain themselves. No word from the starcaptains but Johnny Alpha comes forward to say that one of the ships had been his at certain point, that he sold it to someone else, and that he wasn't disclosing the identity of the buyer. The last time we heard that excuse it came from the Krell (KRL) and they were the ones running the ships they claimed to have sold.

+ An unannounced and uninvited IND ground party docks at a DTR starbase in the Yank System, and Admiral Bridge, the man in charge of that facility,  tells them to explain themselves. Johnny Alpha comes forward to say it's his ground party but they were just delivering some prisoners back to the DTR. Not only a lame excuse (everyone knows you don't need to land to deliver anything to a facility that has a hiport) but it also connected Johnny Alpha to another piece of skulduggery, as at least one of those prisoners was identified as being captured by pirates not long ago. When asked to explain the provenience of those prisoners, the mercenary resorted to childish insults (I believe "kiss my shiney mutant ass" were his precise words).

Now it seems clear that we have a new mercenary-pirate operating in the peripheries. And it may not be a coincidence that he has been loitering around DTR facilities. What remains to be seen is how freely this Johnny Alpha will be allowed to proceed, especially when the location of his headquarters is known by so many parties. Will the DTR strike at his starbase IND Persepolis (56017) on planet Indar in the Persian System and his 325-hulls orbital platform IND Immortal Guardian (57220)? Or will Johnny Alpha continue his mercenary career unchallenged?

-o-

GGG - Issue 22 - 211.29.1

Interview: Grand Duke Ravenstone, leader of House Ravenstone (RVN)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

Most of us still remember the list of noble houses we were forced to memorize in school: House Hayduk, House LiQuan, House Porter, etc. Now there is a new noble house to be added to that list, with House Ravenstone (RVN) being granted affiliation status by the EEM this week. We talked with Blake Ravenstone, Grand Duke of the Imperial Frontier, the man in charge of the new affiliation.

GGG: Why did you decide to start your own affiliation and why now?

BR: Registering House Ravenstone as an affiliation recognized by the EEM is a natural progression of the work we have been doing. It is good for the Empire to have strong noble houses, and we hope that our new status will have a positive impact in the expansion and prosperity of the Empire. The idea of establishing House Ravenstone as an independent affiliation has been suggested on a few occasions, but it was not until now that the conditions seemed adequate.

GGG: Would House Ravenstone be more aligned with the Imperial block or the Confederate block?

BR: Well, we hope to see those distinctions abandoned. We all serve the same Empire and, despite some eventual disagreements, we all have fairly similar goals. The war has been over for several years and there is really no good reason for using labels from the past to keep us from working together for the greater good.

GGG: What about your system claims, don't you fear upsetting the IMP and the CNF by reflagging systems that were previously claimed for them?

BR: The reflagging was done with the agreement of both the IMP and the CNF, and the Emperor himself acknowledges my role as protector of these systems. Also, as you may remember, the systems claimed by House Ravenstone were not claimed by the IMP or by the CNF when we first established our claim. Wastelands and Caribbean were unclaimed, Demon was claimed for the RIP. It was for making these systems part of the Empire that I was awarded the title of Grand Duke of the Imperial Frontier.

GGG: House Ravenstone surprised many people with the purchase of EEM Hypso (4802), a place that is an important part of the history of the peripheries. Do you have any special plans for the starbase?

BR: RVN Hypso has a rich history and we intend to respect that. We will be making some renovations but selected historic locations will be maintained and conserved as a monument to the exploration of the galaxy. The market is currently closed while we reorganize a few things but it will soon reopen for business as usual.

GGG: What are your goals for House Ravenstone?

BR: We are primarily interested in the reunification and the expansion of the Empire, by peaceful means. We hope to be a voice of reason and moderation in the political conversation, but also to take a pragmatic role in resolving important issues and in fostering harmonious relations with civilian populations.

-o-

Cheap Shots
by Kaspar Khan, exclusive for the GGG

+ IMP Viceroy Githyanki declared the orbit and quadrant of planet Midway, in the Straddle System, a restricted zone and threatened to shoot any DTR ships found there. The republican response to yet another attempt to start a war was something along the lines of "sorry, not today".

+ The GTT announced the promotion of Thomasia Payne to the Board of Directors. Rumours that it is just old Bob Bost returning to the affiliation after a sex change operation seem to be unfounded.

+ First it was the allegedly peaceful and neutral traders from the AFT spotted flying 200 Heavy Hulls warships. Then it was the allegedly peaceful and neutral traders from the MOH spotted flying 100 Heavy Hulls warships with high tech equipment. Now we are waiting to see what kind of warships the allegedly peaceful and neutral traders from the WMB will be flying.

+ The Oligarchs of Mithras, in the Persian System, have been hiring starcaptains to blow small chunks of icy rock off small comets and guide them into low orbit to create rain. Perhaps the IMP should release Demetrius "Badaboom" LiQuan from prison and let him share some of his expertise in blowing up asteroids.

-o-

GGG - Issue 21 - 211.23.1

Interview: Cassius Jerusalem, Foreign Minister of the Detinus Republic (DTR)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

GGG: The DTR have contested the IMP claim to the Straddle System. Why did that happen? Was it a response to the recent claim changes in the Inner Empire?

Jerusalem: Exactly, yes. We could not allow the Imperial Services to continue breaking up the Commonwealth without making some sort of response. Should they stop trying to claim Commonwealth systems for the IMP, then we will be more than happy to change the Straddle claim back. And I'm talking specifically of Apollo and Ross 248 here, and the growing IMP claim on Earth, which was clearly the next system they were going to attempt to steal away from the Commonwealth. A fundamental part of the peace treaty was in securing access to the Inner Empire for the entirety of humanity. That's what the DTR and CNF were fighting together side by side to achieve. We will not see it destroyed.

GGG: The Peace Accord states that the DTR will claim Straddle on behalf of the IMP and will eventually transfer the system claim to an Imperial nominated starbase. By claiming Straddle for the DTR, you seem to be violating that agreement. Was that the intention?

Jerusalem: The Peace Accord also states that Commonwealth systems will be claimed for and on behalf of the Commonwealth. The IMP have already violated the agreement, we are simply demonstrating to them that they cannot violate it without having any sort of response from ourselves. For too long the DTR have turned a blind eye to the activities of the IMP and the Meklan Baron in their attempts to destroy the Commonwealth. And we say no more. The Commonwealth will stand against those who seek to destroy it.

GGG: You have stated that the DTR remain absolutely committed to the ideals of the Commonwealth. How does claiming the Straddle System for the DTR fit with those ideals?

Jerusalem: Well, first of all, the people of the Straddle System are not humans, and were never part of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a human organisation located in the Inner Empire. Straddle is an alien system in the Capellan region of space. The sentients of the Straddle System suffered under many long hard years of Imperial occupation, until we liberated them during the war. They were none too happy about being in an IMP system again, but we explained to them that this was administrative, and they would remain free to live as if they were part of the Republic. What has happened is they have seen the monstrous behaviour of the IMP and the HLQ, they have seen the results of meklanisation, and they want the increased level of protection that being in the DTR affords. We think the sentients of Straddle have a right to self-determination. In fact, was this not the exact same argument that the Baron LiQuan used about the people of Dolphinus? And I don't recall the Imperial Viceroy having a problem with that act of self-determination.

GGG: Viceroy Githyanki was quick to respond to the counter claim, mentioning even the possibility of "full scale war". Was that the reaction you were expecting?

Jerusalem: Frankly, I think if the DTR were to announce that we quite like chocolate biscuits, Viceroy Githyanki would announce his intent to declare war on us for our chocolate biscuit loving ways. The truth of the matter is that the IMP want a war, and they are determined to pick one.

GGG: Will we see more new system claims and counter claims from the DTR in the near future? If so, where?

Jerusalem: We certainly hope not. We hope that this gesture brings some sanity back to the IMP and the HLQ, and that they return the Commonwealth system claims to the Commonwealth. Of course, if this fails, then it will mean the IMP have no interest in honouring the Peace Accord, and we will have no choice but to declare them in violation of the terms of the Peace Accord. Be assured, we have no interest in starting a shooting war with anybody. But if the IMP seek to test our resolve on this they will find us prepared. We are the Detinus Republic, we are the last best hope for peace and truth and justice.

-o-

Five Steps to Preserve Peace
by Cornelius Merryheart, exclusive for the GGG

With peace among humans threatened once more by the machinations of petty warmongers, there are a few things that could be done not only to avoid armed conflict now but to secure a prolonged period of stability. Here are our suggestions:

1. Replace the IMP Viceroy. Viceroy Githyanki wants a war and everyone knows it. Until the Imperial Services put a sane and reliable person in charge of their affiliation, in the best tradition of Lord Simms and General Krieger, new excuses for bloodshed will keep resurfacing.

2. Put a leash on Baron LiQuan. The infamous Meklan Baron has clashed against anyone with enough free time to respond to his provocations, always retreating to a safe position behind the confed warfleet and waiting for others to do the real fighting. The Confederacy needs to control this noble trouble maker or stop bailing him out.

3. Consolidate the Imperial factions. Now that the war is over, all affiliations loyal to the Empire should have their roles reassessed and reassigned in order to better fit within one single government and no longer to one of two opposing factions. If we want a strong human nation, we need to stop thinking in terms of Imperials and Confederates.

4. Bring the DTR to a reasonable compromise. The Republicans are strong defenders of the Commonwealth but seem unwilling to make any accommodations for the greater good. Perhaps it's time to stop claiming Inner Empire systems for the DTR while everyone else is supposed to claim for the Commonwealth. Perhaps it's time to stop building massive platforms in orbit of Earth without approval from other Commonwealth partners.

5. Relaunch the Commonwealth. The Peace Accord was a great achievement but the document itself starts to show its age. We live in a new galactic status quo and we need a Constitution that addresses the present state of affairs. Not an easy task and not a job for impatient people, but certainly a noble goal worth pursuing.

-o-

GGG - Issue 20 - 211.17.1

Interview: Korpen Nygard, member of the Association of Free Traders (AFT)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

After the AFT offensive against the terrorist base IND Big Whisky (57700), on Mobile Bay, Yank System, we talked with the man in charge of this operation, Korpen Nygard of the AFT.

GGG: What made you decide to organize a military campaign against the known terrorist Kanji?

Nygard: Quite some time ago, Kanji attempted boardings of AFT cargo vessels, fired upon others and took a few newly created outposts. Ships and troops in my employ responded at the time, destroying a ground party, several scouts and a broadsword. Kanji's followers then seemed to desist, and I cleared my lists and had my forces stand down. I was under the impression that a lesson had been learned, but with recent events it would seem the lesson had been forgotten. The recent campaign is merely a reinforcement of the earlier lesson. And despite the bluster now, I suspect Kanji is aware there are softer options open to him.

GGG: Kanji has been attacking traders for a long time, why only now you've decided to retaliate?

Nygard: I responded straight after the first round, but I was possibly a little less publicly vocal about it. As I mentioned, several scouts were destroyed, a Broadsword and such. Kanji might have been targeting traders, but he has not been targeting the AFT for quite some time. Then recently, a newly formed AFT trading company had their caravel destroyed by Kanji's followers. I took it upon myself to mete out a little comeback and, as I said, reinforce the earlier lesson.

GGG: How does this campaign fit within the AFT profile of a peaceful and neutral affiliation?

Nygard: Perfectly well, I think. Being neutral at heart and core means we have no political agenda, nor wish to become embroiled in the politicking or policies of others. Peaceful? Certainly. Has the AFT ever declared war upon anyone? Started any conflict? We wish on the whole to be able to go about our business unmolested. Empires, alliances, wars and other happenings that might be considered the "greater" happenings are for governments, not for independent trading companies. But being peaceful does not mean you won't defend yourself. Being neutral doesn't mean you won't protect your interests. I find a little irony in that the AFT came from human beginnings, with its neutral stance, and the alien races are the ones that seem to understand the neutrality, work with it, trust it, and be quite happy to accept it, while it seems to be only a handful of human affiliations that struggle to grasp the concept or that remain skeptical.

GGG: How many positions belonging to Kanji have you captured or destroyed so far, and what losses did you suffer during the campaign?

Nygard: Captured, just the one. Destroyed, I have a feeling there could be a couple more scouts way back, but certainly one small ground party, one broadsword and four scouts. Troops losses were a little one-sided in the taking of the base: 38 troops in my employ were killed during the whole operation, while Kanji, employing predominantly mercenaries, seemed to lose in excess of 700. The remainder seemed to have fled by the following day.

GGG: Did you have any difficulties obtaining permission from the KAS authorities to attack a starbase in the Yank System or did they seem to be happy with the move against Kanji?

Nygard: Happy isn't a word I'd use. The KAS agreed only because of the production of nukes, and the AFT were not to benefit from the action. The base has been handed over to the KAS authorities. We are also aiding the clean-up process with a tech to help clean the radiated sector, and my thanks go out to those able to assist with this. All told, the cost of the whole operation is approaching 300,000 stellars. The only benefit for the AFT is a diminished Kanji, and that the next time one of his captains gets an itchy finger, he or she may well think twice.

GGG: Do you plan to continue the campaign against Kanji?

Nygard: That is purely down to Kanji. I would be quite happy to go about my normal day to day business, but at this stage several of his known ships will be targeted by my few. Any others found to be acting suspiciously will be investigated.

-o-

DTR Under Fire
by Ringo Baxter, exclusive for the GGG

An unexpected number of Detinus Republic (DTR) positions have been involved in battles in these last few days. Almost at the same time that DTR forces were engaging IND-flagged Meklan forces in the Faery System, DTR ships were being targeted by pirates in Aquarius, China, and in Faery itself. Also, two DTR ships that seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time were destroyed, one by the House LiQuan (HLQ) and the other by the Felini Tyranny (FEL). No big losses for the republicans but perhaps enough to wake up some sleepy senators.

-o-

GGG - Issue 17 - 211.11.1

Interview: Black Jack, leader of the Trade Acceptance Group (TAG)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

It's not often that a newcomer to the peripheries succeeds in building his own affiliation instead of joining one of the already established organizations out there. Black Jack did that and created the Trade Acceptance Group (TAG), yet another merchant affiliation claiming to be politically neutral.

GGG: First of all, congratulations on the creation of your new affiliation, the TAG. Why did you choose to start your own affiliation instead of joining one of the already established affiliations?

BJ: I did not want to be tied to a history complete with friends and enemies. All of the major blocks come complete with a full stable of both. Even the AFT has a history of war with the IMP block so is not free from this chain. The GCE comes closest but they are a family owned business and I am in the wrong family. As my own boss, I can decide the direction of the company and how it will fare. I know I will never have the opportunities a large block could offer or the toys they have but that is fine. As a non-aligned business, I have other opportunities someone from the large blocks don't have. And the toys are mostly military equipment and our business has a firm stand on its no-warship policy so that is not really a factor.

GGG: What are the TAG goals and how does the affiliation fit in the political spectrum?

BJ: We want to become a major force in transportation of goods around the stars, modelled somewhat after the Mohache. In the short run, a mid-level organization that can take shipping that is too small for the Mohache to bother with. In some years, I am hopeful our growth will allow us to compete with the Mohache directly. On the political spectrum, we are strictly neutral and will do nothing to break this neutrality. Any base in a claimed system will support that claim without discrimination. No spy missions, no selling of information or positions spotted.

GGG: Where is the affiliation based and how far it extends its trade activity?

BJ: We are based right now on Mobile Bay where our HQ is TAG Pershing. This base is still in the growth stage but we are acquiring modules to expand its size. We have had trade runs in IMP, CNF, DTR and FCN space to date and expect to reach the Cluster and Halo soon to do business there.

GGG: We understand that you managed to pay the new affiliation fee of one million stellars by obtaining a loan from the EEM. How did you get such a large advance without collateral of the same or higher value? And if you indeed had anything evaluated in that high bracket, how did you get it in such a short period of activity?

BJ: We did have collateral in excess of one million stellars at the time of the loan. Our base on Mobile Bay exceeded that amount at the time of the loan. Now I do not pretend to understand the valuation method used by the EEM and, to be honest, I felt their valuation of the base to be excessive, but who am I to tell them that? But their valuation of a merchandising complex far exceeds the value of the 25 modules that go into that complex. The fact that I built almost nothing but merchandising complexes at the start brought in a large weekly income that I used to buy yet more modules for factories that are now producing yet more modules in a (hopefully) never ending spiral of growth. And we now even have a small shipyard area building barges.

GGG: What are the TAG next big projects?

BJ: We are currently looking at other areas of space for a second base to grow the corporation. Though this will be slowed obviously while we continue the expansion of TAG Pershing.

-o-

Cheap Shots
by Kaspar Khan, exclusive for the GGG

+ HLQ ships get attacked by pirates again, Baron LiQuan blames the DTR but offers no evidence for their involvement.

+ Krazy Kastorian Kanji invades an empty CNF hiport in the Inner Empire for the second time, and brags about his ability to steal unguarded property.

+ GTT Trade Director Bob Bost announces his retirement from the affiliation, leaving more space for éminence grise Ike Krieger to expand his influence.

+ Kasius Ven leaves the DTR after a very short stay and joins the BHD, trading the gods of bureaucracy for the gods of arrogance.

+ Allegedly peaceful and neutral traders from the AFT spotted flying 200 Heavy Hulls warships, making people wonder how peaceful and how neutral they really are.

+ RCF rebels create problems for the HLQ among the population of Jericho, Baron LiQuan expected to blame the DTR.

-o-

A note from the editor

At the time we closed our last edition, we had not heard back from Michelle Diaz, leader of the DTR, about the possible GTT-DTR crisis (apparently totally defused now). But I want to register here that Ms. Diaz did contact us later, and we thank her for that. Too often our requests for comments or for interviews go unanswered, and we are very appreciative when starcaptains or affiliation officials take time from their busy schedules to talk with the free press.

Cornelius Merryheart
Editor of the Great Galactic Gazette

GGG - Issue 16 - 211.8.1

GTT-DTR Crisis
by Ringo Baxter, exclusive for the GGG

James Stryker, CEO of the Galactic Trade and Transport (GTT), announced this week the capture of a Detinus Republic (DTR) agent operating inside the outpost GTT Ves Gralock (76578), on the gas giant Bork's Dilemma, Rebellion System. Under interrogation, the agent known as Grey Man revealed to be working for Angus Sivar, DTR Minister of Defence. Approximately a week earlier, the same outpost had been sabotaged to change its flag from GTT to IND, an action that now has a prime suspect, the DTR agent Grey Man, who died during his interrogation by the GTT security staff.

We contacted Michelle Diaz, DTR Speaker of the House of Lords, to try to get their version of the incident, but received no reply. Cassius Jerusalem, DTR Foreign Minister, made a public statement apologizing for the incident but also suggesting that this could be just a case of inactive agents from the time of the war now resurfacing due to stricter security measures. Mr. Jerusalem also stated that to the best of his knowledge "not a single DTR agent or operative has run operations inside any IMP-bloc starbase since the end of the war", adding that he would resign from his office immediately if proved incorrect on this situation.

We talked with Mr. Stryker to get a better sense of how the GTT is reacting to this incident. "I naturally assumed the reflagging of the outpost to have been the handiwork of the COK or RCF and you can imagine my surprise when the crackdown revealed the presence of a hacking specialist on the payroll of the DTR. It appears the agent, Grey Man, has been there for about two years and no evidence was turned up implicating the DTR in the nefarious goings on at that outpost in the recent past. The evidence does not completely exonerate them either."

Regardless of the agent being responsible for the reflagging of the outpost or not, the mere presence of a DTR agent inside a GTT outpost can be seen as a very serious matter. Mr. Stryker is certainly not taking it lightly. "Under certain circumstances, using agents at someone else's base could be considered an act of war. If the GTT had proven DTR complicity in the act of flagging our base over to IND, there would have been serious consequences for that. It would probably be a stretch to consider the mere having agents at someone else's base a breach of the peace treaty, but employing such agents is counter to the spirit of the treaty. The sudden revelation of the DTR employing agents against the GTT has seriously undermined their reputation with us. This is a dark cloud that will hang over GTT-DTR relations for a long time to come."

-o-

Great Trade Race (TM) Suspended
by Cornelius Merryheart, exclusive for the GGG

The Great Trade Race (TM) has been suspended due to lack of interest. We don't have enough sponsors to generate attractive prizes and we don't have enough markets to build an interesting challenge to competitors. We are sorry that we could not offer the sort of entertaining and profitable event we envisioned. We blame nobody but ourselves, for our excessive optimism and for thinking that all the cries of "we need more trade" and "nobody sells to my market" would translate into some enthusiasm for a tournament like the Great Trade Race (TM). We were surprised that only a couple of entrepreneurial minds offered to sponsor the competition, while some of the big affiliations sitting on large piles of money remained totally silent on the matter, but we were even more surprised that very few starbase governors wanted to use this opportunity to sell and buy items of their choosing. Again, the fault is ours for misreading the current situation and for thinking that all the people complaining about the state of galactic trading would actually want to do something that could generate some sparks. Our deepest thanks to the few individuals who offered to participate in the Great Trade Race (TM), especially those willing to sponsor it and those volunteering their markets.

-o-

GGG - Issue Five - 210.43.1

More Treachery from the HLQ
by Cornelius Merryheart, exclusive for the GGG

We are all used to the dirty schemes and general unpleasantness that emanates from House LiQuan (HLQ). But this week they have outdone themselves and proved once again that they don't care about lives or properties, alliances or treaties, honor or integrity. The only thing that matters to House LiQuan is House LiQuan, and they will stop at nothing to further their ambitions.

The first incident happened in the Dolphinus System. The HLQ had already asked the Triumvirate to make an exception to the Inner Empire claiming agreement so they could claim Dolphinus not for the Commonwealth but for themselves. Permission was denied but that didn't mean much to House LiQuan. They just went ahead and incited the local population to claim the system for the HLQ, a claim that despite representing just a vocal minority from planet Frolic (total population is over 2,500,000 humans, the civilian claim is just from 25,000 people) is large enough to topple the current claim (10,000 troops). Representatives from House LiQuan, cynically, say it's not their fault the locals prefer them to the Commonwealth, conveniently ignoring that it was the recent Demetrius and Jessica LiQuan visit to Frolic that triggered this new claim and shamelessly pretending that Aldahan LiQuan never threatened to do exactly that, stir local populations against other members of the Commonwealth.

The second incident happened in the Mizam System. The HLQ attacked and destroyed a whole celestial body, an asteroid called Ruby, and the Imperial Services (IMP) installations that had been there for years. Around 300 lives were lost and the material damage is estimated to surpass 2,000,000 MUs. Aldahan LiQuan's excuse that he was just waging war against the Dewiek Elder Nation (DEN) is hard to believe, as there were no DEN assets in Ruby and hardly any DEN presence in the system. Mizam, despite being claimed in the name of the DEN, has been controlled by the Konstantin family for many years, since the DEN offered the system as a sanctuary to the Dominion (DOM), which are now part of the IMP. Even if we were to believe that the HLQ were completely ignorant of the IMP presence in the system, how to justify the deliberate destruction of a whole celestial body (in the words of Aldahan LiQuan, "a ripe target for the show of force") without even checking if any citizens of the Empire could be injured in the process?

Now, with a spurious system claim and an attack against the Imperial Services, the HLQ have clearly put themselves in a very bad position. They obviously don't care for the unity of the Commonwealth or for the well being of the Empire. If these matters are treated properly, the HLQ should be forced to make reparations or suffer dire consequences. They should ensure that the Dolphinus System is claimed in the name of the Commonwealth, either by convincing the population of Frolic to withdraw or amend their civilian claim or by placing enough trained troops in the system to successfully claim it for the Commonwealth. They should issue a public apology to the IMP, fully reimburse them for their losses in the Mizam System, and also promise to refrain from further actions that may harm any signatory of the Peace Accord. If the HLQ are unable or unwilling to comply, or if they perform this kind of actions again, they should simply be expelled from the Commonwealth and from the Inner Empire.

The response to the LiQuan treacheries should be swift and forceful. But it should also be conducted legally and with the best interests of the Empire and the Commonwealth in mind. Rushing into a vengeful war against the HLQ could be not only the worst possible reaction but also exactly the kind of reaction the HLQ were hoping to get. They have proved again and again that they don't care for a unified Empire and that they care even less for a unified Commonwealth. Let's not help them destroy what we worked so hard to achieve.

-o-

The Chicken from Yank
by Ringo Baxter, exclusive for the GGG

This is another story I heard from an IND merchant during one of my trips to Mobile Bay. I'm not sure if it really happened but I found it amusing anyway. Take it as a work of imagination or as piece of popular culture if you want.

Some time last year a DTR bureaucrat was ordering lunch at one of the many restaurants you can find in Solo. He had a peculiar request: "I want a roasted whole chicken, but it has to be a chicken from Yank." Ten minutes later, the waiter brought his dish. The bureaucrat looked at the chicken, looked at his index finger, inserted his index finger into the chicken's butthole, pulled it out, looked at his finger again, then pronounced: "This chicken is from Pegasus, I want a chicken from Yank." Ten minutes later, he got another chicken. He looked at the new chicken, looked at his index finger, inserted his index finger into the new chicken's butthole, pulled it out, looked at his finger again, then pronounced: "This chicken is from Dorn, I want a chicken from Yank." Ten minutes later, he got another chicken. He looked at the third chicken, looked at his index finger, inserted his index finger into the third chicken's butthole, pulled it out, looked at his finger again, then pronounced: "This chicken is from Fortoon, I want a chicken from Yank." This scene was repeated another few times when a very intoxicated Falconian, who had been watching everything from the bar, approached the DTR bureaucrat and said: "Excuze me, Zir, I've been drunkz for zeveral dayz now and there'z no wayz I can remember where I live, could you pleaze put your finger up my butt and tell me where I come from?"

-o-