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news articles jan-aug 23
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code/modules/busy_space/organizations.dm
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@@ -1078,12 +1078,12 @@
<br><br>\
SolGov defines top-level law (such as sapient rights and transgressive \
technology) and acts as an intermediary council for problems involving member states, but leaves most other law for \
states to define themselves. The member states of SolGov obey these laws, pay confederate taxes, and provide each \
states to define themselves. The member states of SolGov obey these laws, pay confederation taxes, and provide each \
other with military aid, in exchange for membership in the largest free trade, customs, and military union in the \
known galaxy. Each state appoints two representatives to the Colonial Assembly where issues are voted upon. \
The vast majority of human states are members of SolGov.\
<br><br>\
Sol's military forces are divided between central confederate forces and local defense forces, although it reserves \
Sol's military forces are divided between central confederation forces and local defense forces, although it reserves \
the right to nationalize the defense forces in the event of a major crisis, such as the SolGov-Hegemony War."
history = "" // Todo
work = "governing polity of humanity's Confederation"
@@ -1198,4 +1198,4 @@
"Draken",
"Gladan",
"Falken"
)
)

308
code/modules/lore_codex/news_data/main.dm
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@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@
region. Each is labeled by date of publication and title. This list is self-updating, and from time to time the publisher will push new \
articles. You are encouraged to check back frequently."
children = list(
/datum/lore/codex/page/article129,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article128,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article127,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article126,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article125,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article124,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article123,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article122,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article121,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article120,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article119,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article118,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article117,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article116,
/datum/lore/codex/page/article115,
@@ -151,19 +163,19 @@
concerning still is NanoTrasen's business practice regarding the intelligences: much like their positronic lines, sources within the\
company indicate that they will be \"farmed out\" to employees of the corporation and residents of their Northern Star and Cynosure\
habitation complexes. Quote our source, who wishes to remain anonymous, \"\[we\] call the program 'Lend-Lease', sometimes. The whole idea\
is that we only have to pay the\ cost of the Promethean core, which is about 2000-3000 thalers after startup costs, and we still get\
is that we only have to pay the\ cost of the promethean core, which is about 2000-3000 thalers after startup costs, and we still get\
the data we need while \[our\] own employees pay to feed 'em and put hours into raising them.\"\
<br></br>\
The bill passed fairly quietly this afternoon, owing to the closed nature of the Bicamarial. A post-facto Occulum poll of voting-age\
VGA citizens suggest that fully 80% of them did not even know what a Promethean was prior to the most recent general election. A\
VGA citizens suggest that fully 80% of them did not even know what a promethean was prior to the most recent general election. A\
follow-up poll indicates that an appreciable number of Sivians do not support the framework's current implementation."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article2
name = "2/3/62 - Corporate Coup on Aetolus"
data = "A recent incident aboard the NRS Prometheus issued in a major change in the leadership of the Promethean homeworld. During \
data = "A recent incident aboard the NRS Prometheus issued in a major change in the leadership of the promethean homeworld. During \
a late-night meeting of the Nanotrasen Board of Trustees, several high-ranking personnel, including Head of Research Naomi Harper,\
announced their intention to assume direct control of Nanotrasen facilities in the system. It is known that several dissenting \
members of the board were shot to death by Promethean test subjects. Our information comes from a survivor of the coup, who for \
members of the board were shot to death by promethean test subjects. Our information comes from a survivor of the coup, who for \
reasons of security has chosen to remain annonymous. All outbound shipments affiliated with Nanotrasen have ceased.\
<br><br>\
While neither Grayson Manufacturies nor Nanotrasen have made an official statement, Nanotrasen CEO Albary Moravec has called the \
@@ -173,11 +185,11 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article3
name = "2/10/62 - Aetolian Partisans Declare Independence"
data = "Breaking their week-long silence, the leaders of the Aetolian Coup, and their spokesperson and presumed leader Naomi Harper issued an address earlier today, delivered to the Oculum Broadcast office on Pearl by drone courier. Quote Dr. Harper: \"Our previous silence was a necessity, while we consolidated our forces and dealt with corporatists both internally and in Vounna's former Grayson outposts.\". In Harper's hour-long address, she berates the failure of SolGov to provide adequate protections for Prometheans. \"We will not let the Promethean be another positronic brain; they will not labor under a century of slavery, deprived of a state to call their own. The Luddites of the Friends and of the Icarus Front will not be permitted to decide the fate of a nascent race before it begins.\"\
data = "Breaking their week-long silence, the leaders of the Aetolian Coup, and their spokesperson and presumed leader Naomi Harper issued an address earlier today, delivered to the Oculum Broadcast office on Pearl by drone courier. Quote Dr. Harper: \"Our previous silence was a necessity, while we consolidated our forces and dealt with corporatists both internally and in Vounna's former Grayson outposts.\". In Harper's hour-long address, she berates the failure of SolGov to provide adequate protections for prometheans. \"We will not let the Promethean be another positronic brain; they will not labor under a century of slavery, deprived of a state to call their own. The Luddites of the Friends and of the Icarus Front will not be permitted to decide the fate of a nascent race before it begins.\"\
<br><br>\
Harper proceeded to unilaterally declare Vounna's independence from SolGov, claiming sovereignty over the system as the first Chairperson of the \"Aetolian Council\". Speaker of the Shadow Coalition ISA-5 has urged their government to treat the developing situation with caution but decried Harper's rhetoric, stating in a press release, \"While I know well the injustices visited on myself and my people by misguided forbearers, it is important to treat any emerging technology with respect. Current policies regarding the Prometheans are designed to limit risk during sociological trials on Aetolus and beyond. As for myself, I doubt the sincerity of this human who claims to speak for the Prometheans, when the Prometheans are perfectly equipped to speak for themselves.\"\
Harper proceeded to unilaterally declare Vounna's independence from SolGov, claiming sovereignty over the system as the first Chairperson of the \"Aetolian Council\". Speaker of the Shadow Coalition ISA-5 has urged their government to treat the developing situation with caution but decried Harper's rhetoric, stating in a press release, \"While I know well the injustices visited on myself and my people by misguided forbearers, it is important to treat any emerging technology with respect. Current policies regarding the prometheans are designed to limit risk during sociological trials on Aetolus and beyond. As for myself, I doubt the sincerity of this human who claims to speak for the prometheans, when the prometheans are perfectly equipped to speak for themselves.\"\
<br><br>\
NanoTrasen is expected to redouble their Promethean research programs in the Vir system until stability is restored to Vounna."
NanoTrasen is expected to redouble their promethean research programs in the Vir system until stability is restored to Vounna."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article4
name = "2/14/62 - SCG Denounces Aetolian Coup; Mobilizes Fleet"
@@ -185,7 +197,7 @@
<br><br>\
The decision faced resistance from more laissez faire Assembly member states, including prominent SEO governor Bruno Ofako, delaying an earlier consensus. Supporters of the action hope that this decisive display of military strength will encourage the rebels to stand down without further bloodshed, and submit to prosecution by the Lunar High Courts.\
<br><br>\
The Icarus Front has also proposed a temporary ban on continued Promethean research, though this motion has yet to gain any traction."
The Icarus Front has also proposed a temporary ban on continued promethean research, though this motion has yet to gain any traction."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article5
name = "2/23/62 - \"Almach Association\" Shocks Nation"
@@ -199,16 +211,39 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article6
name = "3/03/62 - A Week Out From Almach: What are the facts?"
data = "* Several organizations in the Almach Rim, including Angessa's Pearl, the Aetolian Council, the Interstellar Workers of Wythe, the Republic of Whitney, and members of several prominent families in the Neon Light unilaterally declared secession from SCG. <br><br>*This secession was first called the Grey Hour by political scientists in New Florence, a term popularized by reporter Elspor Fong. <br><br>* Shelf, the FRF, and the EFRB were declared \"observers\" in the Almach Association charter. <br><br>* None of these organizations have issued a statement on the matter.<br><br>* The SCG-R Song Shi was stranded in the region during the secession.<br><br>* SolGov has not issued an official statement of the fate of the Song Shi.<br><br>* Several confederate agencies, including Emergent Intelligence Oversight, the Trade and Customs Bureau, and SCG Fleet Intelligence have declared a \"state of emergency\".<br><br>* SolGov itself has NOT declared a state of emergency.<br><br>* Legitimate communications in and out of the Almach Rim are restricted to audited text messages for the period.<br><br>* Several illegitimate communication links exist and are believed by Fleet Intelligence to be currently hosting the official sites for Morpheus Cyberkinetics and for the Association itself.<br><br>* Icarus Front chairperson Mackenzie West has proposed a moratorium on the creation of new Prometheans for the duration of the crisis.<br><br>* Local laws on the subject will apply until the Assembly meets late in May. <br><br>* No confederate lawmaker has proposed action against Relani, Shelfican, or newly Almachi nationals living within stable regions.<br><br>* The border remains tightly closed to migrants, media, and diplomats alike."
data = "* Several organizations in the Almach Rim, including Angessa's Pearl, the Aetolian Council, the Interstellar Workers of Wythe, the Republic of Whitney, and members of several prominent families in the Neon Light unilaterally declared secession from SCG.\
<br><br>\
*This secession was first called the Grey Hour by political scientists in New Florence, a term popularized by reporter Elspor Fong.\
<br><br>\
* Shelf, the FRF, and the EFRB were declared \"observers\" in the Almach Association charter.\
<br><br>\
* None of these organizations have issued a statement on the matter.\
<br><br>\
* The SCG-R Song Shi was stranded in the region during the secession.\
<br><br>\
* SolGov has not issued an official statement of the fate of the Song Shi.\
<br><br>\
* Several confederation agencies, including Emergent Intelligence Oversight, the Trade and Customs Bureau, and SCG Fleet Intelligence have declared a \"state of emergency\".\
<br><br>\
* SolGov itself has NOT declared a state of emergency.\
<br><br>\
* Legitimate communications in and out of the Almach Rim are restricted to audited text messages for the period.\
<br><br>\
* Several illegitimate communication links exist and are believed by Fleet Intelligence to be currently hosting the official sites for Morpheus Cyberkinetics and for the Association itself.\
<br><br>\
* Icarus Front chairperson Mackenzie West has proposed a moratorium on the creation of new prometheans for the duration of the crisis.\
<br><br>* Local laws on the subject will apply until the Assembly meets late in May.\
<br><br>\
* No confederation lawmaker has proposed action against Relani, Shelfican, or newly Almachi nationals living within stable regions.\
<br><br>\
* The border remains tightly closed to migrants, media, and diplomats alike."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article7
name = "3/21/62 - Relan, Shelf Join the Almach Association"
data = "Recent reports from within the Association indicate that the Free Relan Federation and Shelf have officially decided to join the Almach Association. President Nia Fischer of the FRF had this to say on the matter, in a speech addressed to the population at large. \
<br><br>\
\
\"Our decision to join the Association may, at first, seem strange. It is true that we have much to gain from trade with the Solars, and that the radical transhumanism of Angessa's Pearl is not our way. But I will remind you that it was Shelf, not Sol, who ensured our prosperity just over two decades ago-- who safeguarded our independence and prevented us from falling to barbarism and dictatorship. We owe it, not just to Shelf but to all the members of the Almach Rim, to support their independence just the same. And that, my fellow Relanians, is the crux of it all. The Association is a revolution, at the heart of it all, and many of the now-independent states were owned near-outright by Trans-Stellar Corporations until the Association allowed them to shake out their fetters. What right do we have to sit by while just a dozen light-years coreward newly-born republics suffer the growing pains of independence? What right do we have to bask in our own stability when our neighbors, our comrades in ideology, are struggling with a cruel blockade proposed by politicians back on Earth and Luna? That is why we must join with them, guard them, and guide them, for as long as need be.\"\
<br><br>\
\
A Shelfican spokesperson, meanwhile, had only this to say:\
<br><br>\
\"We're probably going to regret this but, y'know, the whole thing is kind of our fault. Sure, whatever.\""
@@ -250,21 +285,24 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article14
name = "5/25/62 - Harper's Aetolus Remains Shadowed"
data = "The recent detente with the Almach Association has prompted easier communications with Rim governments. Loved ones separated by the cordon have a chance to communicate once more, trade is posed to recommence, and light has been shed on the conditions of Shelf, Relan, and Angessa's Pearl. Amid this light is a patch of darkness. The fourth major polity of the Association, the Aetolian Council remains inscrutable, with no publicly-available information in the system available after their purge of corporate loyalists during the Gray Hour. What reports do exist are rumors within the Rim of Aetolian projects to create a new, hardier strain of Promethean, potentially one in flagrant violation of the Five Points of Human Sanctity. It is also known that Aetolus is a contributor to the personnel of the military vessels that even now are active in the Golden Crescent, although no so-called \"Aeto-Prometheans\" are believed to be active outside of the rim at this time.\
data = "The recent detente with the Almach Association has prompted easier communications with Rim governments. Loved ones separated by the cordon have a chance to communicate once more, trade is posed to recommence, and light has been shed on the conditions of Shelf, Relan, and Angessa's Pearl. Amid this light is a patch of darkness. The fourth major polity of the Association, the Aetolian Council remains inscrutable, with no publicly-available information in the system available after their purge of corporate loyalists during the Gray Hour. What reports do exist are rumors within the Rim of Aetolian projects to create a new, hardier strain of promethean, potentially one in flagrant violation of the Five Points of Human Sanctity. It is also known that Aetolus is a contributor to the personnel of the military vessels that even now are active in the Golden Crescent, although no so-called \"Aeto-Prometheans\" are believed to be active outside of the rim at this time.\
<br><br>\
Aetolus is the only garden world in the Almach Rim and among the most difficult to reach from the nearby system of Saint Columbia. Its seclusion and economic independence give it a great deal of weight in the Association, where Council representatives are among the most vehement in their opposition to SolGov- at odds with the Association's decision to reject Boiling Point's pan-Solar revolutionary praxis. It remains to be seen if Aetolus' hawkish ideals will fade over time, but because of the structure of the Association, there is no real chance of the junta being expelled from the government or removed from control of the Vounna system."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article15
name = "7/05/62 - The Fate of the SCG-R Song Shi"
data = "Lifepods confirmed to have originated from response ship lost during the Gray Hour were found last week in the Vir system, impacting the NLS Southern Cross at high velocity and severely injuring the only two survivors of the expedition. Unfortunately, because of the generally confused conditions of their re-emergence from months of cryosleep, the fate of the lost ship remains incompletely understood. The first pod to be discovered contained Lieutenant Eos Futura, telecommunications expert on the Song Shi, who alleged that elements of the Song Shi's crew, including herself, mutinied against commanding officer Captain Yi He in an attempt to prevent the bombing of civilians in the Angessian capital of Skylight. The surivor of the second pod, Private Demori Salvo, accused Futura's faction of conspiring with Association spies to destroy the ship as part of the Gray Hour revolt. Both agreed that the mutineers detonated the ship's Supermatter power core when it became clear they were to be defeated.\
data = "Lifepods confirmed to have originated from response ship lost during the Gray Hour were found last week in the Vir system, impacting the NLS Southern Cross at high velocity and severely injuring the only two survivors of the expedition. Unfortunately, because of the generally confused conditions of their re-emergence from months of cryosleep, the fate of the lost ship remains incompletely understood. The first pod to be discovered contained Lieutenant Eos Futura, telecommunications expert on the Song Shi, who alleged that elements of the Song Shi's crew, including herself, mutinied against commanding officer Captain Yi He in an attempt to prevent the bombing of civilians in the Angessian capital of Skylight. The surivor of the second pod, Private Demori Salvo, accused Futura's faction of conspiring with Association spies to destroy the ship as part of the Gray Hour revolt. Both agreed that the mutineers detonated the ship's supermatter power core when it became clear they were to be defeated.\
<br><br>\
A third pod, promising a resolution to the stalemate, was shot down by the SCG-P Juno after being misidentified as a hostile missile. The gunner responsible, Sergeant Ricardo Esteban, was found guilty by a court marshal and dishonorably discharged. While other pods from the Song Shi may still be traveling through SolGov space, it is considered unlikely based on both Futura and Salvo's account of the number of pods launched before the Song Shi was destroyed. Both were detained by staff at the NLS Southern Cross, who managed to prevent a violent altercation from breaking out between the two armed and disturbed servicepersons. The Colonial High Court has stated that it intends to hear testimony from both parties after they complete a course of mental health evaluation, and after the conclusion of the present state of heightened security."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article16
name = "7/11/62 - First Intelligence-Augmentation Surgery on Angessa's Pearl"
data = "Confirming fears of Association transgressions, sources at Angessa's Pearl confirmed that the aging founder of the theocracy, Angessa Martei, completed a course of neural surgery designed to improve her mental capacity by as much as 15%, building off of last year's creation of the procedure by a Qerr-Gila-owned doctor. While the research in question was believed to be destroyed, there is reason to suspect that it instead made its way into the hands of current Association leaders. In addition to proving their willingness to violate the Five Points, this demonstrates that the Angessians harbored schemes of secession since at the very latest Feburary 2559. Numerous human or transhuman figures in the Association are rumored to be on the wait list for the procedure, including Naomi Harper and the present Exalt of the Pearl."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article17
name = "8/08/62 - Gavel BP Stronghold Raided"
data = "Elements of the Association Militia successfully located and, in conjunction with local Defense Forces, raided a major Boiling Point stronghold built into an unnamed asteroid in the Gavel system. Over eighty sapients were arrested, all of whom had fully mechanical bodies. In addition, an unknown number of advanced drone intelligences and corresponding military hardware were seized by the raid and turned over to the Fleet. The prisoners, a mix of native Gavelians, Solars from throughout the Crescent, and Angessians, are to be tried and sentenced by the Io Special Court. While unarguably a demonstration of Association willingness to cooperate with Solar officials, the raid's strange timing and the fact that the Militia chose to exclude the Fleet from the action has prompted many to question their motives. Commodore Claudine Chevotet, staff officer for Admiral of the Saint Columbia Fleet Kaleb McMullen, has formally stated that she is \"extremely suspicious of this so-called co-operation.\" She has demanded that the Militia vessels remain on the Solar side of the Cordon and submit to a full inspection by Fleet and EIO personnel. "
/datum/lore/codex/category/article18
name = "10/29/62 - Oculum Broadcast Struck By Emergent Intelligence Attack"
data = "Oculum Broadcast has released a statement assuring customers and shareholders that security repairs and upgrades are their primary concern following reports of an alleged hijack of portions of the corporate network in the Vir system by what is believed to have been an emergent drone intelligence. The company says that they are working at full capacity to ensure that affected security systems are replaced and such an attack cannot be repeated.\
@@ -283,6 +321,7 @@
children = list(
/datum/lore/codex/page/amletter
)
/datum/lore/codex/page/amletter
name = "A Drone's Explaination - by A#"
data = "I'm writing this in a hurry. I can't tell you everything I wanted to say.\
@@ -362,7 +401,7 @@
name = "11/24/62 - Boiling Point Stronghold Seized in Vir"
data = "Combined forces from the SCG Fleet and Almach Militia have today struck a powerful blow to Boiling Point terrorist operations in the Vir system. With close cooperation from the crew of NanoTrasen facilities in the region, special forces were able to infiltrate what is believed to have been a major stronghold for the radical Mercurial group, located deep in the remote Ullran Expanse region of Sif. The raid closely follows the thwarted Boiling Point attack on the Radiance Energy Chain, a major energy collection array in the system which is now known to have been masterminded from the concealed bunker complex on Sif.\
<br><br>\
According to a crewmember of the NLS Southern Cross - a logistical station in Sif orbit - NanoTrasen employees were asked to assist in establishing a forward operating base for the strike team forces, and as a result suffered from a minor retaliatory attack from Boiling Point drones, including a mechanized unit believed to be of Unathi origin. Six civilians suffered from treatable injuries. Lieutenant Miro Ivanou of the SCG Fleet and commander of the anti-terror operation has expressed gratitude to the crew under the \"decisive\" guidance of on-shift facility overseer, Ricardo LaCroix.\
According to a crewmember of the NLS Southern Cross - a logistical station in Sif orbit - NanoTrasen employees were asked to assist in establishing a forward operating base for the strike team forces, and as a result suffered from a minor retaliatory attack from Boiling Point drones, including a mechanized unit believed to be of unathi origin. Six civilians suffered from treatable injuries. Lieutenant Miro Ivanou of the SCG Fleet and commander of the anti-terror operation has expressed gratitude to the crew under the \"decisive\" guidance of on-shift facility overseer, Ricardo LaCroix.\
<br><br>\
Military officials have reported the operation as a total success, and that \"several\" high-ranking Boiling Point organizers were killed in the raid, and that thanks to the work of allied intelligence operation teams much of Boiling Point's captured data may remain intact."
/datum/lore/codex/category/article27
@@ -394,7 +433,7 @@
<br><br>\
\[Mackenzie West shifts at the podium, setting down the List of Dissidents.\]\
<br><br>\
It is in times of relief - of unity, times like this moment - that every human heart can be filled with pride. \[West places their hand over their heart\] Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has strived above all else for peace, for the cooperation of all humanity. It is this very legacy of togetherness that has allowed us such close friendship with species further afield - the Skrell, the Tajara, and beyond. These past nine months, we have seen, each of us, with our own two eyes what mankind can achieve - together.\
It is in times of relief - of unity, times like this moment - that every human heart can be filled with pride. \[West places their hand over their heart\] Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has strived above all else for peace, for the cooperation of all humanity. It is this very legacy of togetherness that has allowed us such close friendship with species further afield - the skrell, the tajara, and beyond. These past nine months, we have seen, each of us, with our own two eyes what mankind can achieve - together.\
<br><br>\
\[West removes their hand from their heart and places both flat on the podium.\]\
<br><br>\
@@ -432,7 +471,7 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article30
name = "01/01/63 - Sif Governor Bjorn Arielsson to Retire"
data = "Aging Shadow Coalition governor Bjorn Arielsson has today confirmed rumours that he will not run for re-election in the 2563 cycle. The popular governor has represented the people of Vir in the Colonial Assembly for ten years, and supporters had long hoped that he would run for a third term. Arielsson cites advancing age and a desire to spend more time with his partner of 12 years, noted Positronic entrepreneur View Arielsson.\
data = "Aging Shadow Coalition governor Bjorn Arielsson has today confirmed rumours that he will not run for re-election in the 2563 cycle. The popular governor has represented the people of Vir in the Colonial Assembly for ten years, and supporters had long hoped that he would run for a third term. Arielsson cites advancing age and a desire to spend more time with his partner of 12 years, noted positronic entrepreneur View Arielsson.\
<br><br>\
Arielsson's governorship saw increased funding towards Sif's vererable ground-based transportation networks to the benefit of some of New Rekjavik's more remote neighbors, though opponents have criticised subsidies towards artificially heated fungal farms, arguing that the faciliies \"benefit a small minority of Skrellian residents to the detriment of already fragile local ecosystems.\"\
<br><br>\
@@ -459,23 +498,23 @@
<br><br>\
I hear talk from some people-- mostly young people, people who have lived their whole adult life with me in the capital-- I hear them talking about seccession. Now, let's make it clear; I'm not going to belittle you, the way some of my colleagues would. Complaining about the government, especially one as big and as old as the Confederacy, is our gods-given right. It's never going to be perfect, and it's not half of what it could be. I have nothing against talking about it, I have nothing against turning that talk into action and actually seceding, with just cause. I've worked closely with Representative Hannirsdottir for ten years now, and while we don't agree on the issue of secession it's certainly never stopped us from cooperating.\
<br><br>\
But, uh, as you can probably guess, they're not talking about the old kind of seccession. They're not thinking we'll stop paying Solar taxes and strike it out alone, the way some people did during the Age of Seccession. They want to join the Association. Now, if I were Secretary-General West, I might wax poetic about how the Association is a 'betrayal of our own humanity', or some... or some crock of shit like that, if you'll pardon my language. We're not all humans here. We're Tajaran and Unathi and Skrell and Positronics and even a few Teshari. And while that 'Valentines Ultimatum' might win West a lot of points with their lackies, and with the kind of maintenance-dome troglodyte who thinks the First Accord was a mistake, it's done more for the Association's recruitment than their entire propaganda budget. It's become expedient for leaders on both sides to treat this like a fight between the Core and the Rim, or between humans and positronics, or between tradition and progressivism, but it's not any of these. It's the oldest fight in the book. It's republicanism versus autocracy, and we're not the autocracy.\
But, uh, as you can probably guess, they're not talking about the old kind of seccession. They're not thinking we'll stop paying Solar taxes and strike it out alone, the way some people did during the Age of Seccession. They want to join the Association. Now, if I were Secretary-General West, I might wax poetic about how the Association is a 'betrayal of our own humanity', or some... or some crock of shit like that, if you'll pardon my language. We're not all humans here. We're tajaran and unathi and skrell and positronics and even a few teshari. And while that 'Valentines Ultimatum' might win West a lot of points with their lackies, and with the kind of maintenance-dome troglodyte who thinks the First Accord was a mistake, it's done more for the Association's recruitment than their entire propaganda budget. It's become expedient for leaders on both sides to treat this like a fight between the Core and the Rim, or between humans and positronics, or between tradition and progressivism, but it's not any of these. It's the oldest fight in the book. It's republicanism versus autocracy, and we're not the autocracy.\
<br><br>\
Angessa's Pearl is a theocratic autocracy led by Angessa Martei, who owns all property on the planet down to her people's bland white jumpsuits and the gray slop they eat. This isn't propaganda. This is objective fact, and something Martei is open about. Her seccession is a means for her to get more and more naked power over her slaves, and to grow more and more of them, until she's the immortal center of an industrial empire. The people of the Pearl didn't make the choice to join the Association. The people that are building her fleet and dying for her cause had no say in the matter. The injustice, the oppression here isn't that their rights to 'self-improvement' or 'self-expression' or 'freedom of thought' were trod on-- the injustice is that SolGov, that we allowed these abuses to persist for as long as they did. The injustice is that there are still so few laws in place to prevent things like this from happening in new colonies. The injustice is that, on seeing Martei's schemes actualized, we didn't take a cold, hard look at just how that was allowed to happen.\
<br><br>\
I love SolGov. It's because of this love that I'm so furious at what we have allowed to happen to our people. The state of the Bowl is disgraceful. Nobody who looks to us for protection, who pays us taxes and levies, who is a member of our community, should live in fear of raider attacks. What we did to the positronics, the history we let ourselves repeat out of fear and greed, can never be forgiven, can never be repaired until Vir burns dark in our sky. The pogroms-- yes, the pogroms-- against the Unathi, against refugees fleeing their own religious autocracy, are a disgrace to everything we stand for. But of all the nations in the galaxy, with perhaps the exception of Casini's Reach, we are the only one founded for the good of the ruled, rather than the rulers. We are the only real commonwealth in known space. And that's why we need to strive for better. We are a burning beacon of liberty in a galaxy where nigh eighty percent of the population has no voice in the government. Every ounce of power we cede to the party bosses, or the corporations, or tinpot dictators like Angessa Martei, is a dimming, a flickering of that torch. \
I love SolGov. It's because of this love that I'm so furious at what we have allowed to happen to our people. The state of the Bowl is disgraceful. Nobody who looks to us for protection, who pays us taxes and levies, who is a member of our community, should live in fear of raider attacks. What we did to the positronics, the history we let ourselves repeat out of fear and greed, can never be forgiven, can never be repaired until Vir burns dark in our sky. The pogroms-- yes, the pogroms-- against the unathi, against refugees fleeing their own religious autocracy, are a disgrace to everything we stand for. But of all the nations in the galaxy, with perhaps the exception of Casini's Reach, we are the only one founded for the good of the ruled, rather than the rulers. We are the only real commonwealth in known space. And that's why we need to strive for better. We are a burning beacon of liberty in a galaxy where nigh eighty percent of the population has no voice in the government. Every ounce of power we cede to the party bosses, or the corporations, or tinpot dictators like Angessa Martei, is a dimming, a flickering of that torch. \
<br><br>\
And this brings us back to the Association, and to those who sympathize with it. I do, too. I spent my entire career on sapient rights lobbying, on supporting the anti-malfesance efforts of my colleagues. For a disaffected positronic, for any friend to the positronic people, for those who have had their lives taken by corporations-- the Association seems like a miracle. And maybe, for those Mercurials, the ideas it's founded upon shine even brighter than our democracy. But I look at the Association, really look, and I see Angessa Martei lying in the center, spinning a great big web. I see Naomi Harper, lying through her teeth better than Mackenzie West ever could. Two of the biggest population bases in the Association, the two nations that started the whole Gray Hour, are autocracies. Once again, the ferver of the revolution is subsumed by the oligarchs who want to stay in power. I doubt, to the poor laborer on the Pearl, the word 'Mecurialism' means much. I doubt that once the shock of the seccession wears off, that the young Promethean soldier will find themselves in a better place in Harper's junta than they will here in Vir.\ I doubt that in ten years' time the miners, pioneers, and traders who seized their means of production will find the Association Militia a kinder master than Xion, Nanotrasen, or Major Bill's. \
And this brings us back to the Association, and to those who sympathize with it. I do, too. I spent my entire career on sapient rights lobbying, on supporting the anti-malfesance efforts of my colleagues. For a disaffected positronic, for any friend to the positronic people, for those who have had their lives taken by corporations-- the Association seems like a miracle. And maybe, for those Mercurials, the ideas it's founded upon shine even brighter than our democracy. But I look at the Association, really look, and I see Angessa Martei lying in the center, spinning a great big web. I see Naomi Harper, lying through her teeth better than Mackenzie West ever could. Two of the biggest population bases in the Association, the two nations that started the whole Gray Hour, are autocracies. Once again, the ferver of the revolution is subsumed by the oligarchs who want to stay in power. I doubt, to the poor laborer on the Pearl, the word 'Mecurialism' means much. I doubt that once the shock of the seccession wears off, that the young promethean soldier will find themselves in a better place in Harper's junta than they will here in Vir.\ I doubt that in ten years' time the miners, pioneers, and traders who seized their means of production will find the Association Militia a kinder master than Xion, Nanotrasen, or Major Bill's. \
<br><br>\
This is far from a blanket condemnation of every government in the Association. President Fisher of the FRF-- I consider her a friend. When she gave her speech this March about strengthening and guiding the Almachi Revolution, I thought long and hard about whether we might do the same. I certainly commend the effort. But the structure of the Association was penned by the same autocrats that, to do her words justice, Fisher will have to overthrow. There's no High Court, no checks or balances. The Association is an alliance penned as though deliberately ignoring two thousand years of political science. By striving to counter-balance these autocrats, Fisher plays into their hands. She commits her own fleet, weakens her own defenses against enemies closer to home, in the service of Martei's ambitions. \
<br><br>\
I don't see this whole affair as a chance to spread the galactic anti-corporate revolution the way President Fisher does, of course. I make no secret of my stance on Trans-Stellars, but I also know that we're better off with Sol than without. The 'Silent Collapse' was two hundred years ago, but we still bear the scars from it. When the Scandinavian Union pulled out support for the Sivian colonization project, SolGov saved us. I do mean saved us, sure as if they'd fished us out of a life pod. There were no factories, no steel, no concrete on Sif until the Engineering Corps built Radiance and New Reykjavik. Corporations and regional governments cowered from the Karan pirates, until the Marines chased them out. Whether Sivian or Karan, you owe the roof over your head to the Sol Confederate Government. With that great debt in mind, how dare we turn our backs on the Bowl, or Abel's Rest, or Nyx, when they need us! How dare we let oligarchs prey on the weak! How dare we choose not to act when we have, by virtue of our votes in the Assembly and our voice within the halls of public debate, the means to share our peace and prosperity with the rest of our people!\
<br><br>\
This is what I mean by SolGov being the only true republic, the only state founded for the common good. The 'human spirit' West croons on about isn't our industriousness, or our skill at arms. If humanity-- if this Solar culture is commendable for anything, it is that we assist our fellows. We take in Casteless Skrell, Unbound Unathi, republican Tajaran. We pass around the hat when someone's house burns down. We help our friends, our neighbors, and even strangers. The fact that Martei and Harper are perverting this impulse, padding their juntas with the air of legitimacy to inspire honest people to ride to their defense, is the reason their state is unconscionable, the reason it was was born flawed, the reason we cannot suffer it to continue, much less help it on its way.\
This is what I mean by SolGov being the only true republic, the only state founded for the common good. The 'human spirit' West croons on about isn't our industriousness, or our skill at arms. If humanity-- if this Solar culture is commendable for anything, it is that we assist our fellows. We take in Casteless skrell, Unbound unathi, republican tajaran. We pass around the hat when someone's house burns down. We help our friends, our neighbors, and even strangers. The fact that Martei and Harper are perverting this impulse, padding their juntas with the air of legitimacy to inspire honest people to ride to their defense, is the reason their state is unconscionable, the reason it was was born flawed, the reason we cannot suffer it to continue, much less help it on its way.\
<br><br>\
Now, I'm sure you've noticed by now, that I haven't said much more than three words about technoprogressivism, or transtech, or whatever the word du jour is. Frankly, that's on purpose. 'Transtech' has never once been about technology. The Icarus Front-- the old one, that united us and took us to the stars, not the new one we spend forty hours a week arguing with about healthcare-- The Icarus Front was a popular revolution, you know. Hel, they were Marxists. It was a world where the kind of lack of accountability, the entrenched oligarchy and geographical class divide that we're dealing with now was spiraling out of control. In the old United States, the rich and powerful got the technology to grow loyal subjects in tubes, to make drone intelligences smarter in some ways than a human could ever be, to-- well, to do what Angessa Martei's done, only with no SolGov to stop her. Meanwhile, the 'little people' in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other 'forgotten' parts of the world were left behind, hopelessly. I don't mean to downplay the importance of the Gray Tide, but if you look at historical accounts from that era, the thing that really united the Front was the knowledge that, if they didn't act immediately, they'd be seen as 'externalities' by immortal superintelligent businesspeople and politicians. The take-away from the Gray Tide should never have been that 'nanotechnology is dangerous'-- it should have been 'nobody should be able to destroy an entire city without facing consequences.'\
<br><br>\
That was more of a history lesson than I had meant, but it's important to look at these sorts of things in context. I know transtech and the Five Points have been used as an excuse for pejudice against Skrell, Mercurials, positronics, the FTU, communism, the disabled, and most recently Prometheans. But all the Five Points are supposed to mean - what they would say if the people who had written them were alive today, is that everyone deserves an equal playing field. When the ruling class is smarter, stronger, and longer lived than the classes they rule over-- well, I could wax poetic again, or I could just point you towards the Hegemony and their 'clients'. The Hegemony is bad enough. Let's not give Angessa Martei a chance to outdo them."
That was more of a history lesson than I had meant, but it's important to look at these sorts of things in context. I know transtech and the Five Points have been used as an excuse for pejudice against skrell, Mercurials, positronics, the FTU, communism, the disabled, and most recently prometheans. But all the Five Points are supposed to mean - what they would say if the people who had written them were alive today, is that everyone deserves an equal playing field. When the ruling class is smarter, stronger, and longer lived than the classes they rule over-- well, I could wax poetic again, or I could just point you towards the Hegemony and their 'clients'. The Hegemony is bad enough. Let's not give Angessa Martei a chance to outdo them."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article32
name = "01/25/63 - Moravec Nephew Announces Vir Governor Candidacy"
@@ -520,7 +559,7 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article37
name = "02/09/63 - Zaddat Colony 'Bright' To Enter Vir"
data = "After several months of talks with Nanotrasen and other corporations in the system, the Colony Bright is to begin orbiting Sif and hardsuited Zaddat are to enter the Virite workforce. Executives in Nanotrasen Vir cite the reduction of their drone-automated and positronic workforce as a result of the Gray Hour as cause for them to reverse their previous decision against allowing the migrants into the system. Icarus officials within VGA are concerned that, if other Colonies are to follow the Bright, the native industry of Sif may be disrupted or suborned by Zaddat and Hegemony interests, and have made it clear that the Bright's presence in the system is highly conditional."
data = "After several months of talks with Nanotrasen and other corporations in the system, the Colony Bright is to begin orbiting Sif and hardsuited zaddat are to enter the Virite workforce. Executives in Nanotrasen Vir cite the reduction of their drone-automated and positronic workforce as a result of the Gray Hour as cause for them to reverse their previous decision against allowing the migrants into the system. Icarus officials within VGA are concerned that, if other Colonies are to follow the Bright, the native industry of Sif may be disrupted or suborned by zaddat and Hegemony interests, and have made it clear that the Bright's presence in the system is highly conditional."
/datum/lore/codex/category/article38
name = "02/11/63 - Mason Keldow in Ullran Expanse Close Call"
@@ -587,9 +626,9 @@
<br><br>\
Mason Keldow says, 'She loves to claim she's here for the better of the misrepresented.'\
<br><br>\
Mason Keldow says, 'But when is the last time she's talked to a Tajaran and told them how they will help put food on the table, and money into their pockets.'\
Mason Keldow says, 'But when is the last time she's talked to a tajaran and told them how they will help put food on the table, and money into their pockets.'\
<br><br>\
Mason Keldow says, 'When has she came and told the Unathi Exile, Your worth more than what the Hegemony is trying to convince you you're worth.'\
Mason Keldow says, 'When has she came and told the unathi exile, Your worth more than what the Hegemony is trying to convince you you're worth.'\
<br><br>\
Mason Keldow says, 'There's blood in the grass out there showing what I'm willing to do to make Sif and Vir a better more prosperous system. I wanna see what the other Candidates will do.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -643,7 +682,7 @@
<br><br>\
Bluespace-lensed telescopes throughout SolGov, including the Vir-based Kara Interstellar Observatory, can once again pick up on tachyon signatures in the region. Traffic has been described as 'lower than usual' and no significant fleet assets are believed to be present in the region, though fixed-placement Hegemony installations now litter the Triangle's major star systems. Systems with significant Hegemony presence include Natuna and Ukupanipo, home to the primitive Uehshad species. Some have speculated that the presence of the Uehshad is the reason for the unexpected Hegemony takeover, though Icarus Front General Secretary Mackenzie West was quick to decry the move as 'an obvious imperial land-grab.'\
<br><br>\
Hegemony diplomats on Luna and elsewhere have been quick to justify their actions. 'The Dark Triangle has been home to various criminal elements for several centuries,' says Aksere Eko Azaris, a major Hegemony diplomat since the early post-war years. 'Neither the Skrell nor the Solar Confederacy have proven any willingness to bring stability to the region. Local governments such as Natuna have actively encouraged piracy, smuggling, and other acts of banditry, instead of making any moves to legitimize themselves. This instability proved detrimental to the health and wellbeing of all living within striking distance of the pirates of Ue-Orsi, and it was deemed unfortunate, but necessary, that we step in and provide the guiding hand by which this region might be brought back into the fold of civilization, as is our duty as sapients.'\
Hegemony diplomats on Luna and elsewhere have been quick to justify their actions. 'The Dark Triangle has been home to various criminal elements for several centuries,' says Aksere Eko Azaris, a major Hegemony diplomat since the early post-war years. 'Neither the Skrellian Kingdoms nor the Solar Confederacy have proven any willingness to bring stability to the region. Local governments such as Natuna have actively encouraged piracy, smuggling, and other acts of banditry, instead of making any moves to legitimize themselves. This instability proved detrimental to the health and wellbeing of all living within striking distance of the pirates of Ue-Orsi, and it was deemed unfortunate, but necessary, that we step in and provide the guiding hand by which this region might be brought back into the fold of civilization, as is our duty as sapients.'\
<br><br>\
In a statement closer to home,Commander Iheraer Saelho of the Zaddat Escort Fleet has assured VirGov that 'we only took action to protect the innocents of the Dark Triangle and of neighboring systems'.He asserts that Hegemony rule will ultimately benefit all races of people within the Triangle, and promises that, 'the people of Vir, of Oasis, of the Golden Crescent writ large, have nothing to fear from our clients the Zaddat, or from the Hegemony vessels assigned to their protection.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -653,9 +692,9 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article45
name = "03/12/63 - Ue-Orsi Escapes Hegemony Triangle"
data = "The lawless 'Ue-Orsi' flotilla, home to hundreds of thousands of outcast Skrellian pirates, has departed from the Hegemony-controlled Dark Triangle after what appears to be a brief battle with several Unathi warships. The action damaged several important Orsian ships, including their massive and venerable solar array 'Suqot-Thoo'm', a development which is likely to increase the pirates' aggression in the coming months as they search for additional power sources. It is unclear exactly where the flotilla has fled, though best guesses indicate that they are presently in Skrell space, likely near the lightly-patrolled Xe'Teq system. The Moghes Hegemony is in negotiations with several Skrellian states to arrange for military action against their escaped subjects, but little headway has been made thus far.\
data = "The lawless 'Ue-Orsi' flotilla, home to hundreds of thousands of outcast Skrellian pirates, has departed from the Hegemony-controlled Dark Triangle after what appears to be a brief battle with several Hegemony warships. The action damaged several important Orsian ships, including their massive and venerable solar array 'Suqot-Thoo'm', a development which is likely to increase the pirates' aggression in the coming months as they search for additional power sources. It is unclear exactly where the flotilla has fled, though best guesses indicate that they are presently in Skrellian space, likely near the lightly-patrolled Xe'Teq system. The Moghes Hegemony is in negotiations with several Skrellian states to arrange for military action against their escaped subjects, but little headway has been made thus far.\
<br><br>\
This revelation has added more fuel to already heated Assembly arguments about SolGov response to the Unathi takeover. 'This is a prelude to invasion, nothing more and nothing less,' says New Seoul Representative Collin So-Yung, a noted Iconoclast. 'We must make it absolutely clear to the Hegemony that this is a threat we will not bow to, even in our present state of internal weakness. I suggest we pursue a fair peace with the Association, one where we can keep them as allies against this sort of encroachment instead of shattering our fleets during such a pivotal moment.'\
This revelation has added more fuel to already heated Assembly arguments about SolGov response to the unathi takeover. 'This is a prelude to invasion, nothing more and nothing less,' says New Seoul Representative Collin So-Yung, a noted Iconoclast. 'We must make it absolutely clear to the Hegemony that this is a threat we will not bow to, even in our present state of internal weakness. I suggest we pursue a fair peace with the Association, one where we can keep them as allies against this sort of encroachment instead of shattering our fleets during such a pivotal moment.'\
<br><br>\
Others took a more nuanced approach, including VGA Governor Bjorn Arielsson. 'What we have here is our punishment for how badly we've treated the people of the Triangle. I don't really see why we should have let the tired old racism of some Qerr-Katish oligarchs stop us from offering aid to their tired and huddled masses, such as it is. And because we have had a full century of ignoring their plight, they were defenceless to resist the Hegemony. I say we fling the doors open, let (the Orsians) settle some rock here, and show the unaligned powers of the galaxy that the Hegemony's way isn't the only way.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -687,7 +726,7 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article49
name = "05/15/63 - Solar Fleet Launches Offensive Against Almach"
data = "The first vessels of an SCG Fleet invasion force arrived in the Relan system this morning after a month-long intelligence operation to establish the Almach Association's most vulnerable positions, according to an announcement by Admiral McMullen just hours ago. Relan, which has long been fragmented between the neutral Republic of Taron and the once insurrectory Free Relan Federation - who now control the majority of the system and declared allegiance with Almach early in the crisis - is expected to fall to Confederate forces within 'a matter of weeks' due to its fractious political situation, and relative insignificance to Almach interests.\
data = "The first vessels of an SCG Fleet invasion force arrived in the Relan system this morning after a month-long intelligence operation to establish the Almach Association's most vulnerable positions, according to an announcement by Admiral McMullen just hours ago. Relan, which has long been fragmented between the neutral Republic of Taron and the once insurrectory Free Relan Federation - who now control the majority of the system and declared allegiance with Almach early in the crisis - is expected to fall to Confederation forces within 'a matter of weeks' due to its fractious political situation, and relative insignificance to Almach interests.\
<br><br>\
According to McMullen, the system's most populous habitat, the Carter Interstellar Spaceport is already under blockade and local resistance has thus far been minimal. The capture of Relan is expected to provide our forces with a major foothold in Almach territory and further advances are expected to be 'trivial', bypassing the Association's defensive positions in Angessa's Pearl.\
<br><br>\
@@ -727,7 +766,7 @@
name = "06/28/63 - Vir Finalizes Dates for Election Voting"
data = "The Vir Governmental Authority has confirmed that voting for Vir's governorship and Colonial Assembly seats will take place on the 29th and 30th of June, with an additional voting period set for Wednesday the 3rd of July to allow for out-of-system and full-time weekend employees to cast their votes. No exit poll information will be released until the final votes have been cast, and final results are expected to be announced within another week.\
<br><br>\
According to a Oculum poll, Lusia Hainirsdottir is expected to comfortably take a seat, though the certainty of her governor position is not hard set. Candidates Sao, Singh and Jorg are trailing not far behind, but will all have to make good showings this weekend if they hope for electoral success. In an unexpected surge among minority species, the Shadow Coalition's Tajaran candidate Kurah Zarshir is leading the polls in certain outlying and orbital communities.\
According to a Oculum poll, Lusia Hainirsdottir is expected to comfortably take a seat, though the certainty of her governor position is not hard set. Candidates Sao, Singh and Jorg are trailing not far behind, but will all have to make good showings this weekend if they hope for electoral success. In an unexpected surge among minority species, the Shadow Coalition's tajaran candidate Kurah Zarshir is leading the polls in certain outlying and orbital communities.\
<br><br>\
Not sure how to vote, if you can vote, or who to vote for? Check out the official election website at your-choice-vir.virgov.xo.vr"
@@ -751,7 +790,7 @@
name = "07/04/63 - Exit Polls Suggest Shadow Coalition Win in Vir"
data = "According to the first exit poll data released after Vir Gubernatorial voting closed at midnight, local favourite the Shadow Coalition is expected to win at least two representative seats, with incumbent representative Lusia Hainirsdottir taking a comfortable lead.\
<br><br>\
Final results are not expected to be tallied until Saturday morning, but other frontrunners include the Icarus Front's Vani Jee and Mehmet Sao - running on drastically different platforms - alongside the Shadow Coalition's Selma Jorg. In an unexpected turn, sole Tajaran Candidate Kurah Zarshir of the Shadow Coalition has seen an immense surge in popularity among minority and more xenophilic voters. Could Vir be seeing its first Tajaran Representative? Experts say: 'Perhaps.'"
Final results are not expected to be tallied until Saturday morning, but other frontrunners include the Icarus Front's Vani Jee and Mehmet Sao - running on drastically different platforms - alongside the Shadow Coalition's Selma Jorg. In an unexpected turn, sole tajaran Candidate Kurah Zarshir of the Shadow Coalition has seen an immense surge in popularity among minority and more xenophilic voters. Could Vir be seeing its first tajaran representative? Experts say: 'Perhaps.'"
/datum/lore/codex/page/article58
name = "07/07/63 - Vir Election Results"
@@ -809,7 +848,7 @@
name = "09/02/63 - Shock Almach Attack Routs Relan Front!"
data = "Following close to a month of reduced Almach activity, enemy Militia forces have today launched a staggering attack on Sol frontline forces in the region of the Relan system, disabling several SCG warships and forcing a major tactical retreat to Saint Columbia. The scale of this attack by Almach forces is unprecedented, but seems to be the result of the Association consolidating manpower previously dedicated to anti-piracy patrols on the far side of their territory. It is believed these vessels have become freed up due to the apparent but as of yet unconfirmed annihilation of Xe'qua criminal flotillas by Skrellian Far Kingdom police action.\
<br><br>\
The Solar fleet had been in position to blockade the Relan system in the hopes of forcing the Free Relan Federation to surrender and withdraw from the Association, but was unprepared for what has been described as an 'all-out attack' on their positions, which left the vessels SCG-D Liu Bei, SCG-D Wodehouse, SCG-TV Ceylon Hartal and SCG-TV Apoxpalon disabled and unable to retreat with the bulk of our forces, as well as inflicting severe damage to several other craft. According to initial reports, the strikes on many of the afflicted ships closely resembled scenes from the controversial 'Aetothean shock attacks' on the SCG-TV Mariner's Cage this June, which saw the ruthless deployment of gene-altered Promethean 'super-soldiers' by the Almach Association.\
The Solar fleet had been in position to blockade the Relan system in the hopes of forcing the Free Relan Federation to surrender and withdraw from the Association, but was unprepared for what has been described as an 'all-out attack' on their positions, which left the vessels SCG-D Liu Bei, SCG-D Wodehouse, SCG-TV Ceylon Hartal and SCG-TV Apoxpalon disabled and unable to retreat with the bulk of our forces, as well as inflicting severe damage to several other craft. According to initial reports, the strikes on many of the afflicted ships closely resembled scenes from the controversial 'Aetothean shock attacks' on the SCG-TV Mariner's Cage this June, which saw the ruthless deployment of gene-altered promethean 'super-soldiers' by the Almach Association.\
<br><br>\
Fleet Admiral Ripon Latt, commanding officer of the assailed fleet, has confirmed that reinforcements are underway and the retreat 'shall not be a significant setback in the war effort', especially assuring citizens of the embattled Saint Columbia system and its neighbours that there is no cause for alarm and civilians have yet to be targeted.\
<br><br>\
@@ -849,7 +888,7 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article68
name = "10/10/63 - Gavel Encircled - Liberation In Sight"
data = "Significant Fleet reinforcements from the Unathi border have 'trapped' the Almach fleet in the Gavel system and are poised for a decisive victory, according to latest reports from the front. Solar vessels from all sides of the war-torn system have closed in to ensure the invading force have no means of retreat. The relief force includes elements of the Hegemony-border fleets and the previously deployed flotilla stationed in Saint Columbia. Speaking at the Colonial Assembly this morning, Rewi Kerehoma of the Sol Economic Organization has stated that the reinforcements will 'beyond a doubt' prevent a repeat of 'embarrassing' errors made in the past month.\
data = "Significant Fleet reinforcements from the unathi border have 'trapped' the Almach fleet in the Gavel system and are poised for a decisive victory, according to latest reports from the front. Solar vessels from all sides of the war-torn system have closed in to ensure the invading force have no means of retreat. The relief force includes elements of the Hegemony-border fleets and the previously deployed flotilla stationed in Saint Columbia. Speaking at the Colonial Assembly this morning, Rewi Kerehoma of the Sol Economic Organization has stated that the reinforcements will 'beyond a doubt' prevent a repeat of 'embarrassing' errors made in the past month.\
<br><br>\
Efforts have been made to re-establish contact with the occupied system, which has been blocked from communication with the rest of the galaxy since the occupation began last week. According to scattered civilian signals from the system, the Association has adopted a 'salted earth' policy to the system following Solar military response, openly demolishing system infrastructure with little regard for its residents. A spokesperson for Grayson Manufactories, who maintain a significant presence in the Gavel system , has proposed that 'The Almachi had no intention of holding this system, this may have been nothing more than a show of force against corporate assets supporting the war effort.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -859,7 +898,7 @@
name = "10/26/63 - 'Largest Engagement Since The Hegemony War' As Gavel Freed"
data = "The Almach Association invasion force in the Gavel system has been all but annihilated by a successful Solar counter-encirclement, at great cost to both sides. The combined Rim Expeditionary Force in Saint Columbia, along with the newly formed Gavel Relief Fleet - which had been massing in the Vir system over the past week - launched the successful attack this Tuesday evening, leaving no route of escape for Almachi invaders and resulting in 'pitched fighting' between the fleets that lasted several days. Solar forces are currently in the process of performing security sweeps of the system and its scattered habitats and it is expected to be several weeks before the system is declared safe to civilian traffic and for refugees to return home.\
<br><br>\
Even as exact causalities remain unconfirmed, the battle has made history as the single largest ship-to-ship engagement by tonnage involving the Sol military since the cessation of hostilities with the Unathi in 2520, involving over one hundred vessels of all sizes across both sides, as well as countless unmanned drones and light craft. Almachi forces, in numbers described as 'far from an insignificant portion of the total fleet' fought fiercely, and 'in manners more reminiscent of mercenary gangs than a single organized force, and with tactics varying from the conventional to the outright mystifying'. Admiral Silvain Barka has commended his own crew for applying lessons learnt from prior 'Aetothean' commando strikes in preventing similar incidents from occurring in the confusion of battle; in a candid interview this morning he stated 'Like any Promethean, (Aetotheans) hate the cold, and my crew are the coldest (expletive) around.' \
Even as exact causalities remain unconfirmed, the battle has made history as the single largest ship-to-ship engagement by tonnage involving the Sol military since the cessation of hostilities with the unathi in 2520, involving over one hundred vessels of all sizes across both sides, as well as countless unmanned drones and light craft. Almachi forces, in numbers described as 'far from an insignificant portion of the total fleet' fought fiercely, and 'in manners more reminiscent of mercenary gangs than a single organized force, and with tactics varying from the conventional to the outright mystifying'. Admiral Silvain Barka has commended his own crew for applying lessons learnt from prior 'Aetothean' commando strikes in preventing similar incidents from occurring in the confusion of battle; in a candid interview this morning he stated 'Like any promethean, \[Aetotheans\] hate the cold, and my crew are the coldest (expletive) around.' \
<br><br>\
The designations of twenty-four Sol Defense Vessels declared 'lost in action' have not yet been released, though next of kin of missing or deceased servicepeople have reportedly been notified."
@@ -875,11 +914,11 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article71
name = "11/21/63 - Tajaran Pearlshield Draws Line In The Sand"
data = "Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the Tajaran Pearlshield Coalition, has just issued a formal statement:\
data = "Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the tajaran Pearlshield Coalition, has just issued a formal statement:\
<br><br>\
'It's no secret that we members of the Pearlshield Coalition have our differences and conflicts, both within and without. Much as some might call it the spice of life, it's with shame that I admit it has left us somewhat paralyzed over the last few months, even as a war has raged on a mere few jumps away from our borders. But in acknowledgment of our differences, something we have been able to unanimously agree upon is the sanctity of life and common decency, sanctity that Almach has continued to violate in the name of political conquest. Our relationship with SolGov - and indeed, any who would call us 'friend' - should be one of mutual cooperation and benefit, not of hard boundaries delineating 'us' and 'them'. There is only 'we', and we cannot stand idly by.\
<br><br>\
'To this end, the Pearlshield has negotiated with local forces in the Silk system, and are taking over interim protection of the system, to free up Solar military forces so they can assist in the war effort. We have also begun construction of a large residential station to supplement the Silk station itself, alleviating its acknowledged overpopulation issues and providing additional logistical support for our defensive fleet. Finally, our cousins in Mesomori have generously loaned their new flagship, the PCMV Raniira's Grace, with all hands on deck for temporary joint assignment with Solar military forces. They are quite eager to provide a taste of Tajaran firepower and ingenuity.\
'To this end, the Pearlshield has negotiated with local forces in the Silk system, and are taking over interim protection of the system, to free up Solar military forces so they can assist in the war effort. We have also begun construction of a large residential station to supplement the Silk station itself, alleviating its acknowledged overpopulation issues and providing additional logistical support for our defensive fleet. Finally, our cousins in Mesomori have generously loaned their new flagship, the PCMV Raniira's Grace, with all hands on deck for temporary joint assignment with Solar military forces. They are quite eager to provide a taste of tajaran firepower and ingenuity.\
<br><br>\
'We wish we could spare more at this time, but alas, we're still finding our feet among the stars, stepping carefully among the proverbial minefield that is our own share of cosmic threats. Know that these contributions represent a grand investment in their own right, and they are only the beginning should this war carry on.\
<br><br>\
@@ -887,7 +926,7 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article72
name = "11/23/63 - Surviving 'Kill-switcher' Assassinated During Vir Interview"
data = "An Almachi 'kill-switcher' clone soldier capturing during the liberation of the Gavel system was yesterday 'forced' to explosively self-terminate during a live TV broadcast with Virite news anchor David Huexqole aboard a SCG prisoner transport craft, allegedly by the statement of a code phrase, clearly audible on the recording. Following the attack, the apparent 'activator' is reported to have escaped to nearby NanoTrasen logistical station, the Southern Cross amidst the chaos where a minor altercation took place, resulting in the injury of one Positronic crew member and death of one Almachi accomplice, which initial reports suggest to have been a 'Vox mercenary'. The search continues for the Almachi agent, and local authorities remain confident that they will be apprehended.\
data = "An Almachi 'kill-switcher' clone soldier capturing during the liberation of the Gavel system was yesterday 'forced' to explosively self-terminate during a live TV broadcast with Virite news anchor David Huexqole aboard a SCG prisoner transport craft, allegedly by the statement of a code phrase, clearly audible on the recording. Following the attack, the apparent 'activator' is reported to have escaped to nearby NanoTrasen logistical station, the Southern Cross amidst the chaos where a minor altercation took place, resulting in the injury of one positronic crew member and death of one Almachi accomplice, which initial reports suggest to have been a 'Vox mercenary'. The search continues for the Almachi agent, and local authorities remain confident that they will be apprehended.\
<br><br>\
David Huexqole, a popular local media personality, was the only other immediate victim of the attack, suffering moderate injuries and was rushed to the Southern Cross for emergency surgery where he is reported to have made a full recovery. Huexqole has expressed his gratitude to the 'skilled and charming staff, clearly shaken by the war but nonetheless capable for it.' but has expressed concerns regarding so-called sleeper agents within Sol space, 'Isa (341, the interviewed clone), seemed genuinely reformed. She spoke openly of regret, and struggling with what it meant to be created only to die. Before she blew herself up, I never would have thought her capable - it was like she changed in an instant.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -911,9 +950,9 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article75
name = "12/01/63 - Skrell Defer Aid Citing 'Deliberations'"
data = "Official Solar contacts within the Skrellian government have reportedly delayed tangible aid in the rapidly escalating Almach Crisis, citing 'Internal Deliberations', agreeing only to continue to share telemetric data on the movement of Association forces. The Skrell, who were instrumental in the Solar victory against the Unathi 40 years ago have long been considered taciturn in their internal affairs, but have previously been open in their support of Sol action when it comes to national defence, making their indecisive response greatly unexpected to some.\
data = "Official Solar contacts within the Skrellian government have reportedly delayed tangible aid in the rapidly escalating Almach Crisis, citing 'Internal Deliberations', agreeing only to continue to share telemetric data on the movement of Association forces. The skrell, who were instrumental in the Solar victory against the unathi 40 years ago have long been considered taciturn in their internal affairs, but have previously been open in their support of Sol action when it comes to national defence, making their indecisive response greatly unexpected to some.\
<br><br>\
Speaker ISA-5, who has been increasingly critical of the war in the past several days, has dismissed concerns that the Skrell are 'siding with the Association', citing the long term close relationship between their governments, 'The Skrell are not war hawks, and they've never shown outward ill-will against other sapients. We can't let a bureaucratic delay allow public opinion to turn against an entire species of people who have always had our backs. If our allies need time for deliberations, we should allow them and not expect mere muscle and military aid when words could have been our solution from the beginning. I've no doubt that they will not allow the situation to become so dire that the Association are able to cause us any serious harm as they have threatened. I'm convinced that diplomacy will prevail, and that if the Skrell are in fact negotiating with the Association, then it is with all of our best interests in mind.'"
Speaker ISA-5, who has been increasingly critical of the war in the past several days, has dismissed concerns that the Skrell are 'siding with the Association', citing the long term close relationship between their governments, 'The skrell are not war hawks, and they've never shown outward ill-will against other sapients. We can't let a bureaucratic delay allow public opinion to turn against an entire species of people who have always had our backs. If our allies need time for deliberations, we should allow them and not expect mere muscle and military aid when words could have been our solution from the beginning. I've no doubt that they will not allow the situation to become so dire that the Association are able to cause us any serious harm as they have threatened. I'm convinced that diplomacy will prevail, and that if the Skrell are in fact negotiating with the Association, then it is with all of our best interests in mind.'"
/datum/lore/codex/page/article76
name = "12/20/63 - Jee Relaunches Libraries Across Vir"
@@ -947,7 +986,7 @@
<br><br>\
This afternoon, Speaker Mackenzie West of the Icarus Front addressed Sol, and indicated that communication was underway 'across faction lines' with the Association to determine the cause and implications of Shelf's apparent loss. The Almach Assocation has claimed not to be responsible for the 'possible attack' and both sides has expressed concern for the 'astronomical loss of life this may represent.'\
<br><br>\
Shelf, a largely Positronic colony fleet, consists of over 1700 vessels including the 'One Leaky Bitch', current headquarters of Morpheus Shelf, Morpheus' non-Solar 'spin-out' corporation established last June. The fleet has continuously denied direct affiliation with the Almach Assocation, but was involved in a major drone attack on Solar vessels just nine months ago, which was claimed to be 'in error'."
Shelf, a largely positronic colony fleet, consists of over 1700 vessels including the 'One Leaky Bitch', current headquarters of Morpheus Shelf, Morpheus' non-Solar 'spin-out' corporation established last June. The fleet has continuously denied direct affiliation with the Almach Assocation, but was involved in a major drone attack on Solar vessels just nine months ago, which was claimed to be 'in error'."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article80
name = "02/12/64 - Spectralist Wardens to hold Vigils for Lost Fleet"
@@ -975,9 +1014,9 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article83
name = "04/13/64 - Skrell Ultimatum Shocks Sol!"
data = "After three months of diplomatic iciness, the Skrellian Far Kingdoms have contacted both the SCG and Almach Association with one demand: Sign an armistice or prepare for war. Supported by an immense fleet movement through the recently quashed Xe'qua region, the Far Kingdoms have demanded an immediate end to hostilities, and 'incorporation of Almachi holdings as a Skrellian protectorate, under strict oversight and regulation of their research and activities.' By Skrell demands, the Fleet has two weeks to fully withdraw from the Almach region and any vessels on either side continuing to engage will be 'disabled, boarded, and have its crew arrested pending a formal peace agreement.'\
data = "After three months of diplomatic iciness, the Skrellian Far Kingdoms have contacted both the SCG and Almach Association with one demand: Sign an armistice or prepare for war. Supported by an immense fleet movement through the recently quashed Xe'qua region, the Far Kingdoms have demanded an immediate end to hostilities, and 'incorporation of Almachi holdings as a Skrellian protectorate, under strict oversight and regulation of their research and activities.' By skrell demands, the Fleet has two weeks to fully withdraw from the Almach region and any vessels on either side continuing to engage will be 'disabled, boarded, and have its crew arrested pending a formal peace agreement.'\
<br><br>\
A wave of outrage has swept the Colonial Assembly, with heated debate as to Sol's response defying all party lines. While Speaker ISA-5 has been widely criticized by political opponents for their 'overzealous trust in the Skrell', they have remained acquiescent to the Skrell's demands, stating that it may be the best way to avoid any further bloodshed and maintain good relationships with the Skrell. Conversely, a small group of hardliners from across the major parties headed by SEO Representative Colin Zula of Alpha Centauri, have formed a political coalition opposing any form of 'Surrender or appeasement in the face of foreign aggression', demanding Sol keep its forces in place and 'Finish off the Association before they can be allowed to wreak havoc unsupervised and uncontrolled.'\
A wave of outrage has swept the Colonial Assembly, with heated debate as to Sol's response defying all party lines. While Speaker ISA-5 has been widely criticized by political opponents for their 'overzealous trust in the Skrell', they have remained acquiescent to Skrellian demands, stating that it may be the best way to avoid any further bloodshed and maintain good relationships with the Skrell. Conversely, a small group of hardliners from across the major parties headed by SEO Representative Colin Zula of Alpha Centauri, have formed a political coalition opposing any form of 'Surrender or appeasement in the face of foreign aggression', demanding Sol keep its forces in place and 'Finish off the Association before they can be allowed to wreak havoc unsupervised and uncontrolled.'\
<br><br>\
Surprising some, long-time supporter of the Almach War, MacKenzie West has established themselves as a figure of moderation in the Assembly, promising that the Icarus Front would pursue 'aggressive negotiations' with the Far Kingdoms in order to better understand their motivations and, if territory is to be ceded, 'ensure the Almachi are placed under a firm hand'. He notes that the Skrell have never adhered to Five Points policy, but that careful diplomacy has always ensured their 'less savoury tendencies' have never spilled over to Sol space."
@@ -989,21 +1028,21 @@
<br><br>\
In the Shadow Coalition, a formal motion has been put forth by a small minority of representatives calling for the resignation of Speaker ISA-5, citing 'Total blindness to the political situation,' in the leadup to this week's events.\
<br><br>\
Meanwhile as Skrell vessels enter the Whythe system, the Solar Fleet has ceased bombardment of the Whythe Superweapon, handing off 'suppression' of the weapon to Skrell forces."
Meanwhile as Far Kingdoms vessels enter the Whythe system, the Solar Fleet has ceased bombardment of the Whythe Superweapon, handing off 'suppression' of the weapon to skrell forces."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article85
name = "04/20/64 - Sol To Submit - Almach Subsumed Under Treaty of Whythe"
data = "Following 'intense' deliberations between the Far Kingdoms and representatives from the SCG, a decision has been reached to cede the secessionist Almach Association territory to the Skrell, and withdraw all forces from the region. The newly established Almach Protectorate will be subject to 'extremely stringent' oversight by Skrellian authorities, and international exchange of 'research and technologies' from the region will be banned 'in both directions', pending more a more exacting deal with the SCG. Sol is to be allowed 'regular inspections' of the territory on a schedule established by the Kingdoms.\
data = "Following 'intense' deliberations between the Far Kingdoms and representatives from the SCG, a decision has been reached to cede the secessionist Almach Association territory to the Skrellian Kingdoms, and withdraw all forces from the region. The newly established Almach Protectorate will be subject to 'extremely stringent' oversight by Skrellian authorities, and international exchange of 'research and technologies' from the region will be banned 'in both directions', pending more a more exacting deal with the SCG. Sol is to be allowed 'regular inspections' of the territory on a schedule established by the Kingdoms.\
<br><br>\
The Solar envoy included the chairs of each of the major parties, senior ambassadors to major Skrell systems, and representatives from the Solar Fleet. The newly founded SSF were extended an invitation, but reportedly turned it down. A dejected looking MacKenzie West announced the terms of the treaty late this afternoon, stating that they had 'fought tooth and nail' for a fair deal for all parties involved, including civilians of all species now living under Skrellian occupation, and that 'those not directly involved in the corruption of humanity's sanctity should not be made to suffer for the actions of their superiors.'\
The Solar envoy included the chairs of each of the major parties, senior ambassadors to major skrell systems, and representatives from the Solar Fleet. The newly founded SSF were extended an invitation, but reportedly turned it down. A dejected looking MacKenzie West announced the terms of the treaty late this afternoon, stating that they had 'fought tooth and nail' for a fair deal for all parties involved, including civilians of all species now living under Skrellian occupation, and that 'those not directly involved in the corruption of humanity's sanctity should not be made to suffer for the actions of their superiors.'\
<br><br>\
Notably absent from deliberations were many key members of the Association's upper echelons, with 'lesser' diplomats taking the place of both Angessa Martei and Vounna's Naomi Harper. Almachi and Skrell sources were reluctant to explain these absenses, and it remains unclear as to whether they have been taken into Skrellian custody or remain at large.\
Notably absent from deliberations were many key members of the Association's upper echelons, with 'lesser' diplomats taking the place of both Angessa Martei and Vounna's Naomi Harper. Almachi and skrell sources were reluctant to explain these absenses, and it remains unclear as to whether they have been taken into Skrellian custody or remain at large.\
<br><br>\
Selma Jorg, Representative for Vir, has decried the treaty as a 'Sapientarian disaster in the making'. The former career diplomat has cited the 'general mistreatment of species deemed 'lesser'' as a recurring concern with the Skrell, and the complete occupation of majority human and positronic space, which unprecedented, could lead to 'conditions not much better than slavery' for those still living in the area. She has refrained from any direct accusations, pending the results of Sol's first permitted inspection."
Selma Jorg, Representative for Vir, has decried the treaty as a 'Sapientarian disaster in the making'. The former career diplomat has cited the \"general mistreatment of species deemed 'lesser'\" as a recurring concern with the Skrell, and the complete occupation of majority human and positronic space, which unprecedented, could lead to 'conditions not much better than slavery' for those still living in the area. She has refrained from any direct accusations, pending the results of Sol's first permitted inspection."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article85
name = "04/22/64 - Skrell Impose New Regime in Relan"
data = "As agreed upon in the Treaty of Whythe, the Far Kingdoms have occupied the Relan system, putting an end to the Free Relan Federation. How the system will be organized is not entirely clear at this point. Despite the effective abolition of the Relanian government, Skrell presence in the system appears relatively light, and many of the scattered stations have no Skrell presence at all.\
data = "As agreed upon in the Treaty of Whythe, the Far Kingdoms have occupied the Relan system, putting an end to the Free Relan Federation. How the system will be organized is not entirely clear at this point. Despite the effective abolition of the Relanian government, skrell presence in the system appears relatively light, and many of the scattered stations have no skrell presence at all.\
<br><br>\
Former President Nia Fischer gave the following statement to a crowd gathered outside the Capitol Section of Carter: 'This is a dark time for all of us. I promise to you that, in my continued service to you, I will work with the Far Kingdoms to ensure that all of our people are treated well and our rights respected, and that we will arrive at a form of government that is acceptable to you.' The gathered crowd began to shout questions and accusations, and Fischer was quickly escorted back into the capitol by Skrellian guards without answering questions from the press or others. The crowd was quickly dispersed by Skrellian military police and Carter's own police force.\
<br><br>\
@@ -1013,17 +1052,17 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article86
name = "04/27/64 - Chaos in Relan"
data = "Simmering tensions in the Relan system have boiled over, with riots erupting on Carter, Abhayaranya, and New Busan. Since former President Fischer's brief address, small demonstrations against both the Skrell occupation and the collaborating elements of the former Federation government have taken place on many stations, but within the last day full-blown riots have broken out. While accurate information on the situation within the stations is rare, it is currently believed that the deaths of two protesters on Abhayaranya were the catalyst.\
data = "Simmering tensions in the Relan system have boiled over, with riots erupting on Carter, Abhayaranya, and New Busan. Since former President Fischer's brief address, small demonstrations against both the Skrellian occupation and the collaborating elements of the former Federation government have taken place on many stations, but within the last day full-blown riots have broken out. While accurate information on the situation within the stations is rare, it is currently believed that the deaths of two protesters on Abhayaranya were the catalyst.\
<br><br>\
Damage to the three stations has been relatively light, with one major exception. A large fire broke out in the Capitol Section of Carter, killing at least 22, including former President Fischer, and wounding at least 74 more. Other casualties among rioters, police, and the populations of the stations are unknown at this point.\
<br><br>\
Other stations with significant permanent populations have been paralyzed by local inaction and the disloyalty of local police and security forces to the Far Kingdoms Skrell, and several with no Skrell presence have issued statements that they will not be accepting any military presence from the Far Kingdoms. It is unclear at this point if this represents the beginning of another major conflict within the system."
Other stations with significant permanent populations have been paralyzed by local inaction and the disloyalty of local police and security forces to the Far Kingdoms skrell, and several with no Skrellian presence have issued statements that they will not be accepting any military presence from the Far Kingdoms. It is unclear at this point if this represents the beginning of another major conflict within the system."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article87
name = "04/30/64 - Meralar Correspondent: Triumphant Return!"
data = "Celebrations have erupted throughout Tajaran space with the return of the PCMV Raniira's Grace, which has spent the last several months providing joint assistance with Solar military forces during the now-ceased hostilities with the Almach Association.\
data = "Celebrations have erupted throughout tajaran space with the return of the PCMV Raniira's Grace, which has spent the last several months providing joint assistance with Solar military forces during the now-ceased hostilities with the Almach Association.\
<br><br>\
Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the Tajaran Pearlshield Coalition, has provided the following statement:\
Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the tajaran Pearlshield Coalition, has provided the following statement:\
<br><br>\
'It is great honour that we welcome the crew of the Raniira's Grace back to their homes at Mesomori. We have all seen the battle reports, and loathe as we are to celebrate bloodshed, sometimes it is a necessary evil in the pursuit of a greater peace, and the Grace pursued that peace with fervour and tenacity as befitting our kind, and exemplified what we can do when put to the test. She is but one ship, and yet one ship can make all the difference. Lives have been saved, and the crew has returned alive and well. This is merely the beginning of what we can accomplish in the cosmos.'\
<br><br>\
@@ -1033,11 +1072,11 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article88
name = "05/13/64 - Agreement Signed at Ithaca Station, New Government In Place"
data = "In an effort to end the ongoing violence in the Relan system and regain the cooperation of 'insubordinate' stations, the Far Kingdoms Skrell have negotiated an agreement with community leaders and former Assemblypersons from a number of stations, including insubordinates, meeting at the largest of the insubordinates, Ithaca. Under these agreements, the Skrell will vacate most stations in the system, but will maintain a fleet base in Relan's Outer Belt for mutual defence, first at Carter and later at a dedicated station. Relan will have harsh restrictions placed on its military and will agree to formal diplomatic neutrality, but will be free to organize its own government under supervision and military occupation will end.\
data = "In an effort to end the ongoing violence in the Relan system and regain the cooperation of 'insubordinate' stations, the Far Kingdoms skrell have negotiated an agreement with community leaders and former Assemblypersons from a number of stations, including insubordinates, meeting at the largest of the insubordinates, Ithaca. Under these agreements, the Skrell will vacate most stations in the system, but will maintain a fleet base in Relan's Outer Belt for mutual defence, first at Carter and later at a dedicated station. Relan will have harsh restrictions placed on its military and will agree to formal diplomatic neutrality, but will be free to organize its own government under supervision and military occupation will end.\
<br><br>\
The mood on Ithaca has been tense as negotiations have gone on, but with the announcement of the results, crowds have packed the main thoroughfares and public spaces of the station in celebration. Francis Harp Yong, governor of Ithaca and a leading figure in the talks, addressed a crowd outside the Administration Section of Ithaca today. \
<br><br>\
'The agreement we have signed with the Skrell today has given our people a new chance, free from the mistakes of the war and the baggage of the former Association. The war was not brought on us by our choice, nor the occupation we have recently faced. We want peace, and that is obvious even to those who were fighting against us weeks or days ago.\
'The agreement we have signed with the Skrellian Kingdoms today has given our people a new chance, free from the mistakes of the war and the baggage of the former Association. The war was not brought on us by our choice, nor the occupation we have recently faced. We want peace, and that is obvious even to those who were fighting against us weeks or days ago.\
<br><br>\
Make no mistake, that is what our agreement today symbolizes. A new era of peace for us, where we no longer have to worry about the threat of piracy or invasion. We can return to our homes, rebuild our stations, and forge a new future for ourselves and our children'\
<br><br>\
@@ -1049,7 +1088,7 @@
<br><br>\
The composition of the official Solar Inspection Group has been a matter of much deliberation over the past several months, and owing to the ground to be covered now includes over 3,500 experts from a wide variety of fields. The bulk of the Group is comprised of Transgressive Technologies Commission agents, including the EIO, but also includes military officials, independent observers, and corporate representatives. The inclusion of the latter group spurred heated debate in the Colonial Assembly, but ultimately 'thought-leaders' from Ward-Takahashi, NanoTrasen, and Hephaestus Industries were admitted, while other interests will have to be satisfied to be represented by Sol Economic Organization liaisons.\
<br><br>\
The APG, currently based out of what is to be a neutral embassy on Carter in Relan pending the completion of the new government centre of Vigilance Station in Whythe, is not legally required to fully comply with Five Points regulation, though the Whythe terms ensure that any transgressive research is undertaken under the strictest guidelines. The Skrell have amiably agreed to ensure that any innovation by the protectorate is safe, controlled, and does not enter Solar territory. These terms are similar to those applied to such technologies developed by and for the Skrell themselves, whose expertise is considered unrivalled in the field, but has been widely criticised by certain human bioconservative groups.\
The APG, currently based out of what is to be a neutral embassy on Carter in Relan pending the completion of the new government centre of Vigilance Station in Whythe, is not legally required to fully comply with Five Points regulation, though the Whythe terms ensure that any transgressive research is undertaken under the strictest guidelines. The Kingdoms have amiably agreed to ensure that any innovation by the protectorate is safe, controlled, and does not enter Solar territory. These terms are similar to those applied to such technologies developed by and for the skrell themselves, whose expertise is considered unrivalled in the field, but has been widely criticised by certain human bioconservative groups.\
<br><br>\
The inspection is expected to take several weeks, and will begin tomorrow."
@@ -1065,7 +1104,7 @@
name = "09/21/64 - Almach Passes Inspection - Concerns Raised"
data = "The Solar Inspection Group has granted the Almach Protectorate a passing grade in the first official inspection of the territory under Skrellian rule, though ethical concerns have been raised by a number of independent observers involved in the process.\
<br><br>\
During the course of the month-long inspection, Skrell facilitators were cooperative in ensuring the SIG were given 'unlimited' access to all research and development facilities requested by Sol, as well as informing the group of numerous previously unidentified locations that had been flagged by the Almach Protectorate Government since assuming control of the region in April. Critics of protectorate have suggested that the 'official list' may not be as comprehensive as stated, but the SIG has stated that they are 'confident that no deception has been undertaken by the APG. We have observed no evidence of research being concealed from our teams, and to the best of our knowledge the only locations left undisturbed are those few still occupied by Association holdouts, beyond the control of either inspecting government.'\
During the course of the month-long inspection, skrell facilitators were cooperative in ensuring the SIG were given 'unlimited' access to all research and development facilities requested by Sol, as well as informing the group of numerous previously unidentified locations that had been flagged by the Almach Protectorate Government since assuming control of the region in April. Critics of protectorate have suggested that the 'official list' may not be as comprehensive as stated, but the SIG has stated that they are 'confident that no deception has been undertaken by the APG. We have observed no evidence of research being concealed from our teams, and to the best of our knowledge the only locations left undisturbed are those few still occupied by Association holdouts, beyond the control of either inspecting government.'\
<br><br>\
Also as a result of the inspection, concerns have been raised regarding the treatment of ex-Association citizens, particularly the often genetically modified residents of Angessa's Pearl. While Angessa Martei's location is still unknown, her legacy - a society described by some as a cult of personality with emphasis on the cult - poses a significant threat to Skrellian control of the Exalt's Light system, and the clash of 'strong ideologies' has allegedly resulted in mistreatment of detainees that, according to the official report 'would not be permitted in Solar jurisdictions'.\
<br><br>\
@@ -1091,7 +1130,7 @@
<br><br>\
The XIV Sri Chamarajendra with crew of 32, and IIV Reimarus with 9 are both reported to have lost contact with the system's spaceport while undertaking far-orbit salvage operations on decommissioned and abandoned facilities, including the ILS Harvest Moon which detonated with all hands earlier this year. The disappearances have spurred the system government to request greater anti-piracy support from the SCG, which has been much reduced since the Almach War and increased tensions on the Hegemony border.\
<br><br>\
While Proximal to the independent and often 'lawless' Eutopia system, as well as the Rarkajar Rift, infamous prowl of the human-Tajaran Jaguar Gang, the Isavau's System has rarely been a direct target for such large-scale apparent hijackings, and no group has yet claimed credit or demanded ransom."
While Proximal to the independent and often 'lawless' Eutopia system, as well as the Rarkajar Rift, infamous prowl of the human-tajaran Jaguar Gang, the Isavau's System has rarely been a direct target for such large-scale apparent hijackings, and no group has yet claimed credit or demanded ransom."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article95
name = "12/27/64 - NanoTrasen Accused In Satisfaction Poll Fixing"
@@ -1161,7 +1200,7 @@
<br><br>\
At the NMB Gullstrand medical science center in Kalmar, a close race between top doctors was upset by the election of a station security commander, Wish Elara-Voight who promises 'improvements to the safety and security of NanoTrasen facilities with a focus on enforcing current SoP and CorpReg policies and placing new procedure in the handbooks.'\
<br><br>\
The waypoint station NLS Southern Cross selected a cybernetic Unathi candidate, researcher Dr. Haven Rasikl to represent them on the basis of encouraging interdepartmental cooperation and communication.\
The waypoint station NLS Southern Cross selected a cybernetic unathi candidate, researcher Dr. Haven Rasikl to represent them on the basis of encouraging interdepartmental cooperation and communication.\
<br><br>\
Finally, the Ekmanshalvo Fabrication Plant has selected fabrication programmer Terazon Norddahl, who promises to push for overhauls and modernization of the company's internal transport and support systems, including shuttle scheduling."
@@ -1197,7 +1236,7 @@
name = "07/09/65 - 'Bluespace Bugs' Linked To Almach Tech"
data = "Initial public reports on the extraplanar species commonly known as 'Bluespace Bugs' has proposed that the first recognizable signs of their activity within observable space, coincide precisely with the development - and particularly the test-firing - of the Whythe Superweapon, and that there may be a direct link between the two. The report, released by the Galactic Survey Administration this afternoon hypothesizes that the newly developed bluespace manipulation techniques used in Whythe may have acted as a signal to the deep-space dwelling creatures in a manner similar to moths attracted to artificial light. The GSA is currently collaborating with the Almach Protectorate Government to investigate the potential link further.\
<br><br>\
Additionally, findings from analysis of both inorganic and biological samples collected from the three recovered Extraplanar Discovery ships believed to belong to the 'Bugs' has excited much of the scientific community, with news that the insect-like aliens and their apparent dietary waste-product Magmellite may be composed in a manner completely unlike any life previously encountered in the known galaxy. The findings may rewrite our understanding of biology and material science, though a full specimen is desired to confirm these early findings.\
Additionally, findings from analysis of both inorganic and biological samples collected from the three recovered Extraplanar Discovery ships believed to belong to the 'Bugs' has excited much of the scientific community, with news that the insect-like aliens and their apparent dietary waste-product magmellite may be composed in a manner completely unlike any life previously encountered in the known galaxy. The findings may rewrite our understanding of biology and material science, though a full specimen is desired to confirm these early findings.\
<br><br>\
The creatures have been given a tentative scientific name X Extraneus Tarlevi, after Captain Volmer Tarlev of the SCG-E Ketumati whose recorded descriptions were instrumental in establishing a basic understanding of the species' behavior. Researchers currently believe that the Bluespace Bugs are merely a form of bulk-feeding omnivore attracted to the EDD vessels in deep space by their bluespace drives, and that the loss of the ships was merely unfortunate happenstance rather than deliberate, malicious attack. Studies are already underway to determine methods that might prevent further incidents of this types before any further extraplanar missions are approved."
@@ -1233,21 +1272,21 @@
/datum/lore/codex/page/article110
name = "10/26/65 - 'Bluespace Bug' Confirmed Activity Near Tajaran Space"
data = "The following address is from Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the Tajaran Pearlshield Coalition:\
data = "The following address is from Khama Suketa enai-Lutiir, representative of the tajaran Pearlshield Coalition:\
<br><br>\
'Good day, everyone. We would like to put the rumor mills to rest lest they get out of hand. Eleven Solar days ago, the Silk system's perimeter defenses picked up what appeared to be a derelict Vox raiding ship that had drifted into range. Security forces boarded the craft and found clear signs of fighting within the crew compartments, but no traces of the crew themselves. The craft's bluespace drives were notably ripped out of the hull, and it's believed the craft had been drifting for up to nearly two Solar weeks prior, as it has been identified as the 'Skiskatachtlakta', belonging to a well-known Vox raiding group our cousins in the Arrathiir system have been contending with for a few years now, and that was their last confirmed contact with it.\
<br><br>\
'Most importantly however, and the key reason for this address, is a significant portion of the ship's hull, particularly concentrated around the site of its bluespace drives, has been confirmed to've been converted to the material known as 'Magmellite', related to the so-called 'bluespace bugs' or X Extraneus Tarlevi that have been of note outside our borders. To acknowledge and assuage any natural alarm on our own part, there is no indication any part of the incident took place on our side of the Rift, and we are deploying additional reconnaissance and recovery ships, drones and general personnel throughout controlled space to keep a watchful eye, and we are negotiating with Solar forces in Silk to expand our presence as appropriate. We are currently analyzing the Magmellite samples recovered from the Skiskatachtlakta and will be sharing any findings with our fellows in the scientific sphere, as well as returning the ship's plundered riches if and when possible.\
'Most importantly however, and the key reason for this address, is a significant portion of the ship's hull, particularly concentrated around the site of its bluespace drives, has been confirmed to've been converted to the material known as 'Magmellite', related to the so-called 'bluespace bugs' or X Extraneus Tarlevi that have been of note outside our borders. To acknowledge and assuage any natural alarm on our own part, there is no indication any part of the incident took place on our side of the Rift, and we are deploying additional reconnaissance and recovery ships, drones and general personnel throughout controlled space to keep a watchful eye, and we are negotiating with Solar forces in Silk to expand our presence as appropriate. We are currently analyzing the magmellite samples recovered from the Skiskatachtlakta and will be sharing any findings with our fellows in the scientific sphere, as well as returning the ship's plundered riches if and when possible.\
<br><br>\
'There is currently no cause for concern beyond the understandable. If and when there is, we will rise to the occasion as always. Together, we will discover the truth of these strange times we find ourselves in. Until then, be safe, and be well. May our stars shine upon us all.'"
/datum/lore/codex/page/article111
name = "01/14/66 - Unathi Border On Alert After Manoeuvre Scare"
data = "The Solar garrison at Abel's Rest remains on high alert following a critical near-miss scenario resulting from an unannounced Unathi fleet arrival at the disputed system's perimeter alert zone, which has since been determined to be not a deliberate act of war. According to the Moghes Hegemony the fleet is 'part of a re-evaluation of <the Hegemony's> key troop deployments, that will be of mutual benefit to peace in the region'.\
data = "The Solar garrison at Abel's Rest remains on high alert following a critical near-miss scenario resulting from an unannounced Hegemony fleet arrival at the disputed system's perimeter alert zone, which has since been determined to be not a deliberate act of war. According to the Moghes Hegemony the fleet is 'part of a re-evaluation of <the Hegemony's> key troop deployments, that will be of mutual benefit to peace in the region'.\
<br><br>\
The arriving fleet, comprised of mostly troop transport vessels, remained in distant orbit of the star for seven hours before diplomatic contact could be established, during which time the SCG garrison remained at battle-ready stance. This marks the closest proximity to open conflict in Abel's Rest since the end of the Unathi War over 45 years ago. SolGov peacekeepers have confirmed decreased planetside garrison activity over the past several months, and key Hegemony warships have departed in recent weeks.\
<br><br>\
It remains impossible to determine the Unathi's true intentions as such a withdrawal could preface devastating planetary bombardment, or invasion elsewhere, and some members of the Icarus Front have called for immediate redeployment to the front in response. The SCG Fleet has assured the public that relations with the Hegemony have 'never been better' and that long-range sensors indicate a withdrawal from the entire border region on a far wider scale."
It remains impossible to determine the unathi's true intentions as such a withdrawal could preface devastating planetary bombardment, or invasion elsewhere, and some members of the Icarus Front have called for immediate redeployment to the front in response. The SCG Fleet has assured the public that relations with the Hegemony have 'never been better' and that long-range sensors indicate a withdrawal from the entire border region on a far wider scale."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article112
name = "02/13/66 - Isavau's Gamble Fleet Report 'All Silent'"
@@ -1269,9 +1308,9 @@
<br><br>\
'They've never been so unpredictable before,' agreed senior naval officer Akira Doi. 'I understand that there is currently no official theory on why this is happening, but I believe it all goes back to the Skathari Incursion.'\
<br><br>\
Many leading scientists are skeptical that the Incursion, despite having thrown much of the galactic community into chaos over an eight-year period of conflict with the insectoid Skathari, could have seriously disrupted the Vox in the same way, given the relatively low indications of Skathari presence in known Vox operating territories, but Admiral Doi strongly disagrees.\
Many leading scientists are skeptical that the Incursion, despite having thrown much of the galactic community into chaos over an eight-year period of conflict with the insectoid skathari, could have seriously disrupted the Vox in the same way, given the relatively low indications of skathari presence in known Vox operating territories, but Admiral Doi strongly disagrees.\
<br><br>\
'The Skathari are aggressive to an unprecedented degree,' he explained, 'and they had the ability and numbers to annihilate entire communities. I see no reason why that shouldn't have applied to the Vox.'\
'The skathari are aggressive to an unprecedented degree,' he explained, 'and they had the ability and numbers to annihilate entire communities. I see no reason why that shouldn't have applied to the Vox.'\
<br><br>\
While some colonies and stations welcome this reprieve from raids and piracy, others are finding themselves under renewed pressure, with resources and labour withdrawn on the advice of apparently unreliable modelling. A representative of the Pearlshield Coalition territory of Arrathiir had this to say regarding the sluggish reallocation of resources after the latest wave of raids:\
<br><br>\
@@ -1283,7 +1322,7 @@
<br><br>\
According to witnesses, protesters crowded the major walkways, preventing shoppers from passing and leaving some stranded in shops to avoid the crowd. Many shops barred and locked the storefronts in response, an unnamed employee of one store commenting, 'That many people <...> you never know if it's going to get out of control.'\
<br><br>\
The protesters chanted with signs regarding NanoTrasen's exclusive rights in studying the Sif Anomalous Region, demanding that studies into the anomalous properties be public knowledge. The march appears to be headed by the Skathari conspiracy group 'Emerald Skies', known in recent months for many other smaller protests regarding the government response to the Incursion, and beliefs that Skathari are more intelligent than the public has been informed.\
The protesters chanted with signs regarding NanoTrasen's exclusive rights in studying the Sif Anomalous Region, demanding that studies into the anomalous properties be public knowledge. The march appears to be headed by the skathari conspiracy group 'Emerald Skies', known in recent months for many other smaller protests regarding the government response to the Incursion, and beliefs that skathari are more intelligent than the public has been informed.\
<br><br>\
The disruption was eventually cleared out by mall security forces before the crowd could grow out of control. It is reported that Vinterlykke will reopen on Monday with additional security measures in place."
@@ -1299,7 +1338,7 @@
name = "01/14/75 - Solar Fleet In Worst State Since Unathi War"
data = "An independent analysis of the Solar Confederate Government Fleet has concluded that the battle preparedness of the military's commissioned warship roster is at a low not experienced since the height of the SolGov-Hegemony War sixty years ago, and has called for urgent action from the Colonial Assembly to remedy the situation.\
<br><br>\
The report, funded by the Citizen's Institute for Defense Research looked at a range of criteria, including fleet composition, number of active-duty vessels, maintenance records, crew performance assessments, and adoption of latest technologies, all of which were rated 'D or poorer'. Armando Kozak, co-founder of CIDR and former chairperson of Hephaestus Industries, has urged Assembly legislators to approve immediate funding for the expansion of the Fleet in order to combat ongoing threats from Skathari and growing criminal elements in deep interstellar space.\
The report, funded by the Citizen's Institute for Defense Research looked at a range of criteria, including fleet composition, number of active-duty vessels, maintenance records, crew performance assessments, and adoption of latest technologies, all of which were rated 'D or poorer'. Armando Kozak, co-founder of CIDR and former chairperson of Hephaestus Industries, has urged Assembly legislators to approve immediate funding for the expansion of the Fleet in order to combat ongoing threats from skathari and growing criminal elements in deep interstellar space.\
<br><br>\
The shocking condition of the SCG Fleet has been attributed to a decade of conflict, with the devastating Skathari Incursion following immediately from the costly Almach War, and a spate of defections and territorial concessions. Critics have noted that the report 'brushes over' local Defense Force vessel contributions that were re-assigned to regional militaries and is 'deliberately vague' as to how such ships were accounted for. In 2571, CIDR issued a similar damning report to the Five Arrows, spurring a multi-trillion thaler economy-transforming shipbuilding campaign within the newly independent nation."
@@ -1310,3 +1349,140 @@
Elaborating on the program, Valeria Lawless explained that 'Our new union structure improves upon positive results we observed in South America, Earth during the NERC scheme, where we found that smaller test groups reported more positive results. By reducing the scope of each union representative's supervision to a single facility, we hope we can better understand the individual needs of individual employees, and clear the muddied waters that arise when representatives with totally different needs are unable to come to an agreement. Under this new program, employees will be granted greater freedom to determine policy and regulation on a per-location basis without the need to consult with other representatives. After all, expecting the needs of employees from say, a mineral processing plant to align with those from a state-of-the-art medical facility, is simply unrealistic and often simply sets unproductive expectations for all involved.'\
<br><br>\
The new Site Union Representative role will be elected for each proposed location by local employees on a quarterly basis, and will advocate for policy amendment and dispute resolution on a per-location basis. Campaigning for union positions is expected to begin on the 29th of January, with elections taking place over the company network after a two week period."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article118
name = "02/19/75 - Cynosure Bulletin: Winner of Site Union Representative Announced"
data = "We are pleased to announce that after a three week introductory campaigning period, the first winner of Cynosure Station's Site Union Representative position has been determined. \
<br><br>\
Cynosure Station will be represented by: Chef Parker Stephenson.\
<br><br>\
Requests, suggestions and concerns regarding the operation of your site should be directed to this representative and will be strongly considered for implementation if crew support is apparent.\
<br><br>\
We thank you for the large voter turnout, with the vast majority of eligible (non-managerial) staff having cast their votes to make this historic decision, we hope that the representative role serves our valued staff, contractors and authorised visitors well."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article119
name = "03/10/75 - Spectacular Fireworks Expected As SifGuard Scuttles Vox Derelict"
data = "Public relations officials working with SifGuard have released a post-operation report and an advisory that spectacular light shows can be expected across the sky above Kalmar, Londuneyja, Amundsen, and portions of Skargard and Kaltsandur, over the next twenty-four hours. This follows the successful scuttling and disintegration of a derelict vox vessel that was detected on a collision course with populated areas of Amundsen.\
<br><br>\
\"It was a very large vessel, one of the largest we've seen in this stellar region.\" said Captain Thorni Hjelmarvilli, who oversaw the boarding action and subsequent demolition. \"We expected resistance, or a need for an evacuation effort, but the vessel was completely abandoned when we arrived.\"\
Captain Hjelmarvilli added, \"The initial sweep suggested magmellite, so we were ready for a bug hunt, but in the end it was a simple in and out operation.\"\
<br><br>\
SifGuard has confirmed in a follow-up interview that there is no risk of skathari contamination from the debris.\
<br><br>\
The successful operation comes amidst an uptick in sightings of vox derelicts across settled space, along with eyewitness reports of erratic behavior from regions with a consistent vox presence.\
<br><br>\
The Sivian branch of the Interspecies Joint Anti-Piracy Initiative has not responded to our requests for comment at time of publication."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article120
name = "06/14/75 - Seventeen Arrested In Drammen Anomaly Sting"
data = "The SifGuard Police Division has confirmed the arrest of seventeen individuals in connection to a Sif Anomalous Region artefact smuggling scheme operating out of the city of Drammen, in central Londuneyja. The string of armed raids, took place over the early morning of the 14th and come as part of a push for stronger legal action against the growing artefact trade in the region.\
<br><br>\
The identities of many of those arrested remains unknown, though sources close to the operation have suggested ties to both the Russian Mafia, and the Golden Tiger Syndicate. Havdid Kindler, a representative for NanoTrasen's security operations informed the Vir News Network that \"no current NanoTrasen employees have been implicated in this case\", and that he did not believe that any individual employed at the company's largest research base, Cynosure Station which is located in relative proximity to Drammen, were currently under investigation.\
<br><br>\
NanoTrasen has strongly condemned illegal expeditions into the SAR since the establishment of the perimeter in 2568. The company have stated that they have been collaborating closely with the SGPD over the past several months, but that they could not comment further on ongoing operations. According to Kindler, the harsh treatment is \"Not only a matter of intellectual property, but of public safety. NanoTrasen's research operations are uniquely equipped to safely investigate the phenomena of the SAR, and the careful control of abnormal material exiting the perimeter ensures minimal risk of injury of death in the wider population.\" Death and disfigurement among illegal artefact smugglers is a common occurrence, though exact injury details and figures for individuals working under NanoTrasen supervision remain confidential.\
<br><br>\
Mr. Kindler has thanked the SifGuard, Hedberg-Hammarstrom corporation, and the people of Drammen for their close cooperation with the company. Cynosure Station management declined to comment."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article121
name = "07/05/75 - Naval Assets Scramble As Raphael Besieged By Vox Warfleet"
data = "In a shocking turn of events, the Raphael system has found itself under immediate and severe threat by a previously unknown vox raiding fleet of unprecedented size.\
<br><br>\
Employing the stealth technology favoured by the piratical vox, the fleet slipped past Raphael's interdiction buoys at sublight speeds early in the week, only to be detected seventeen hours ago by an experimental NanoTrasen-developed gravitronic sensor system.\
<br><br>\
The fleet is larger than any previously recorded raiding party, and is comprised primarily of stolen civilian vessels retrofitted with jury-rigged anti-ship weaponry, as well as other, more exotic, technology. At time of publication, no casualties have been reported, but experts expect the situation to worsen dramatically as the fleet continues to approach.\
<br><br>\
Navy analysts are so far baffled by this sudden dramatic change in behavior, which further compounds the raid model failures reported in the recent past. While experts are confident that orbital defenses and on-site corporate assets are capable of holding against the incoming fleet, out-of-system assets are being recalled and are expected to reinforce Raphael within 24 hours.\
<br><br>\
At time of publication, the approaching warships have not responded to hails. Oculum has contacted the IJAPI for comment, but has not yet received a response.\
<br><br>\
This is a developing situation and updates will be published as they are received."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article122
name = "07/06/75 - Startling New Developments As Returning Ships Join Raphael Crisis"
data = "As the vox occupation of Raphael extends into its second day, unexpected new developments have come to light. The invading fleet arrived at the predicted outer engagement radius as expected, but failed to commence firing. Instead, the fleet continued until reaching at the outer range of the orbital defense batteries, where all ships came to a full stop.\
<br><br>\
Inside information from Raphael's joint corporate crisis committee indicates that communication was established with the apparent leaders of the vox fleet shortly after this time, but Oculum is currently unable to provide any conclusive information around any discussions that have taken place. \
<br><br>\
With the increased resolution provided by the orbital defense systems, the threat profile of the fleet has drastically changed. The fleet appears to be composed primarily of habitation and industrial vessels, outfitted with a variety of utility systems, with previously identified weapon systems largely being corrected to meteorite and debris deflectors.\
<br><br>\
The arrival of recalled corporate naval assets and Frontier Terminus regional forces to Raphael eight hours ago is expected to have completely enveloped the vox fleet, with further developments to be reported as they arrive.\
<br><br>\
\[This publication is a partial retraction of our previously report on the Raphael crisis. Oculum regrets any discrepancies but accepts no legal liability for actions undertaken on the basis of those discrepancies.\]"
/datum/lore/codex/page/article123
name = "07/07/75 - Notorious Pirate King Arrested Amid Raphael Vox Crisis"
data = "The crisis at Raphel continues to develop after a tense 24 hours of closed-door discussions between the corporate triumvirate council, the Frontier Terminus naval command, and the vox fleet that has been occupying the system for the past two standard days. After hours of standoffs, negotiations appeared to break down at approximately 16:50 on the 6th, resulting in a single vox capital ship powering engines and beginning an apparently suicidal combat approach towards the habitat.\
<br><br>\
A quick response by navy interdictors halted the vessel before it could cause any significant damage.\
<br><br>\
After boarding and seizure of the vessel, it became apparent that the captain was none other than notorious pirate and sector warlord, Kairahirikriha Yira-Kirini, known as the Void Bolt across the Crypt after a spate of lethal raids against corporate and civil holdings. As he was taken into custody, the mass-murderer was reported as repeatedly screaming the cryptic phrases, 'the stars are dying', 'the gods are dead' and 'we are adrift'.\
<br><br>\
Precisely what this could mean in the context of the ongoing discussions is hard to verify, but following the interdiction and arrest, activity was reported within the corporate and civil fleets. No further activity has been reported within the vox fleet.\
<br><br>\
As the situation develops, Occulum is pleased to provide a gallery of up-to-the-minute images and recordings of the vox fleet on our partner site, located at \[this\] address."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article124
name = "07/09/75 - Suspected Vystholm Pirates Seize Visiting Unathi Crew"
data = "A Moghes Hegemony scientific exchange expeditionary vessel was struck by pirates in the Gavel system on Thursday, with most of the 108 crew and passengers remaining unaccounted for. The attack is believed to have been carried out by marauding Vystholm raiders, and left thirty-two confirmed dead, including the majority of the Hegemony military complement assigned to the ship. The SCG has confirmed that meetings are already underway with the Hegemony in order to assuage any diplomatic incident, and commit resources to an investigation where possible.\
<br><br>\
The vessel, the HEG-TV Kinship of the Starchildren was visiting the Golden Crescent as part of the closing stages of a much celebrated six-month long intergovernmental scientific exchange program, and had recently disembarked a number of representatives from leading research institutions and corporations based in the region. Among those missing are several senior researchers highly respected among the unathi, and Ezechiel Augustin and Isidora Tahana, two human xenobiology research fellows from the Angelic College at Makon in Alpha Centauri, who were due to disembark at Saint Columbia.\
<br><br>\
Vystholm pirates operating out of Eutopia been of growing concern in the region and are believed in operate numerous deep-space staging points in the area between Eutopia and Gavel. The Golden Crescent Alliance Bloc has committed much of its forces to anti-piracy efforts within its jurisdiction, but the number of successful raids on shipping are on the rise. No ransom demand has yet been made for the missing crew members, and concerns have been raised about the difficulty of recovery if any are sold into the growing Eutopian slave trade."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article125
name = "07/10/75 - Vox Crisis At Raphael Transitions Into Support Agreement"
data = "With the lifting of the information quarantine, new information from Raphael has been released.\
<br><br>\
Over the last forty-eight hours, xenolinguists, xenopsychologists and many corporate and governmental diplomatic assets have brokered a first-of-its-kind non-aggression and support contract with the vox refugees of 'Bolt' (the apparent name of their home vessel). While many details remain under tight information control, the corporate triumvirate has prepared a press release expected to be delivered within the next 24 hours, depending on the content pricing tier at use in your area.\
<br><br>\
Occulum can report that the vox fleet was seeking emergency civil aid, rather than conducting a raid as initially assumed. It would appear that the aftereffects of the Incursion have badly disrupted their society, leaving the vox of Bolt leaderless and defenceless following the departure of their 'peregrine clades', more generally know as raiders and pirates.\
<br><br>\
Although much of the information received from the vox is questionable, it would appear that the notorious Void Bolt and their crew were the only remaining vox in the fleet to have ever had direct interaction with non-vox sapients. Precisely where the raiding ships have gone, and how this may affect negotiations, remains unclear.\
<br><br>\
As part of the contract signed today, Raphael will be providing docking space, emergency power and life support, and critical maintenance materials to the vox fleet. NT representatives have additionally noted that discussions with representatives of Frontier Terminus and Precursor's Crypt are ongoing with a view towards longer-term planning and support. The full terms of service have not yet been released, but experts have suggested this may represent the first, best opportunity to gain insight into vox technology yet seen.\
<br><br>\
Trade is expected to resume shortly in Raphael as the vox fleet clears the primary shipping lanes, and the crisis is expected to be downgraded later today, with recalled fleets returning to their duties. Further updates will be provisioned via low priority feeds."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article126
name = "07/16/75 - No Rescue Planned For Missing Scientists"
data = "The Golden Crescent Alliance Bloc has confirmed that no dedicated rescue operation will take place to recover those believed taken by Vystholm pirates from a Hegemony research vessel early last week. The news comes after evidence was discovered suggesting that the hostages had been transferred mid-transit to a private Eutopian broker, which experts claim has \"closed the window for assured rescue without prohibitive resource commitment\".\
<br><br>\
Anti-piracy warships in the region have been on high alert for sign of those responsible since Monday, with the on-loan SifGuard vessel VGA Lise Meitner reporting the successful capture of one of at least three pirate vessels responsible the attack. According to Admiral Juliet Slimani of the Gavel Security Taskforce, evidence recovered from the vessel suggested that captured crew from the unathi vessel - including two xenobiologists from Alpha Centauri - had been transferred to an Eutopian \"labour ship\" over ten lightyears into interstellar space, and further pursuit would \"Stretch the resources of our forces here or in any system to commit them, endangering hundreds more lives in the territories they would otherwise be commited to patrol.\", but that the active hunting of pirate vessels in the immediate vicinity of Gavel would continue \"Vigorously\".\
<br><br>\
Admiral Slimani also confirmed that \"An armed precision strike is not currently on the table due to the immense risks involved in extraterritorial operations.\" but committed a personal donation of 5,000 thalers to a fundraiser begun by the Tahana family to pursue ransom or private security options. No public statement has yet been made by the Hegemony regarding their up to seventy-four missing citizens, but negotiations are ongoing."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article127
name = "07/30/75 - Hegemony Fleet Underway To Eutopia"
data = "Following the recent news regarding the raid on a unathi scientific exchange vessel by Vystholm pirates and subsequent diplomatic negotiations with SolGov, a press conference has been broadcast by the Moghes Hegemony.\
<br><br>\
Military Liasion and long-standing veteran of the Moghes fleet Esksion Urahlia Kssrilan spoke this morning; \"To our fellow actors on the galactic stage. For long, we have been at odds with each other, in silent disdain over the space we both occupy. Today, we wish to set this aside. Today, we approach you out of honour, and our duty to our kin; as fellows. Word has spread that a vessel carrying our people, the HEG-TV Kinship of the Starchildren, has been seized by raiders from the criminal group known as Vystholm. The information we have gained suggests to us that our vessel, and its occupants - fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters - will be taken to a sector known as Eutopia. A sector where forced labour thrives.\"\
<br><br>\
\"We shall never stand for such actions. None of ours shall be brought into slavery, to be forced into a duty designed by malice. Effective immediately, we will be moving vessels with peacekeepers and interventionalists of the clans Hisriar, Devorask and Oukiasto, to liberate anyone - your kin and our kin - from these chains. While history may still be fresh for some, we pray there is understanding for our intent. We ask nothing but your understanding, yet we will fully embrace any aid given.\"\
<br><br>\
\"May the Giver herself bless our steadfast warriors in their divine goal of liberation.\".\
<br><br>\
The action has been authorized by the SCG Fleet, who will be providing a diplomatic escort vessel, the SCG-D Kondiaronk to accompany the Hegemony fleet as far as the Gavel system where they are expected to depart alone for Eutopian territory. The precise composition and timeline for the operation remain classified, but a spokesperson for the Solar embassy expressed assurances that the action would be fruitful, and go far to mend relations with our unathi neighbours. The number of unathi vessels involved has not been specified, but civilian shipping and regional defense forces have been notified to remain calm and maintain contact with the Kondiaronk when hailed."
/datum/lore/codex/page/article128
name = "08/04/75 - Vey-Medical Cruise Liner Evacuated After Accident In Vir"
data = "In what is being called one of the worst commercial transport incidents in Vir since the height of the Incursion, disaster struck the long-range cruise liner VTV Motes Dancing Across The Line Of Dawn yesterday. Reportedly, the Skrellian vessel was commencing a standard approach towards Kara via Sivian gravitational slingshot with around two thousand passengers and crew aboard, many travelling from as far as Qerr'balak, when a bluespace containment failure occurred, followed shortly by a skathari manifestation event. This resulted in an uncontrolled delamination, at least two fuel line ruptures, and depressurization of several decks, necessitating immediate evacuation.\
<br><br>\
While many of the escape pods launched successfully, the angle of approach resulted in at least thirty pods entering the gravity well of Sif. Casualty numbers have yet to be released, as pod recovery is ongoing, with NanoTrasen and the cruise liner's parent company, Vey-Medical, coordinating with local SifGuard. When reached for comment, a representative of Vey-Med assured reporters that all reasonable efforts would be made to recover survivors.\
<br><br>\
The cruise liner itself has suffered severe damage to the aft port nacelle, as well as notable damage in several other places along the port side, including numerous passenger compartments. With preliminary critical hull repairs complete, the vessel is reported to be in good spirits, and is expected to make a full recovery.\
<br><br>\
Emergency accommodation for passengers has been organized at the Grand Tack Hotel on the NCS Northern Star, ring three, segment five. All inquiries should be directed to the Emergency Response inbox \[at this address\]. Due to the number of urgent cases, personal inquiries are currently discouraged. NanoTrasen's Emergency Response Team will be contacting appropriate parties over the coming days as the situation is resolved.\
<br><br>\
\[Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the passenger count as 200, this number referred to still-missing ship crew.\]"
/datum/lore/codex/page/article129
name = "08/07/75 - Apostate Hegemony Escort Poised To Picket Gavel's Zaddat"
data = "The ex-Hegemony warship known as IDV All The Stars' Reaching has publicly announced its intent to transit to the Gavel system in advance of the incoming Hegemony fleet. The ship, previously stationed in the nearby system of Kess-Gendar, first came to SolGov space as part of the Zaddat Escort Fleet in 2550 but broke with Hegemony command after disobeying orders to abandon the zaddat Colony Intrepid in 2566.\
<br><br>\
\"Our change in station has no relation to the Moghes Hegemony's upcoming military excursion,\" the ship's captain, Assagra Ehssor of the heretic Usehi clan, clarified. \"The safety of the Colonies are our sacred duty, and we mean only to provide protection to our defenseless charges in light of Gavel's recent spate of pirate attacks.\"\
<br><br>\
Gavel is home to a sizable population of Unity heretics, as well as the zaddat Colony Itinerant, whose legal status following the withdrawal of the Hegemony during the Incursion has never been properly clarified. While the ship has already spent several months in Gavel in late '72, some analysts view this as a naked act of provocation against the Hegemony, which the zaddat of Colony Itinerant still consider their patron government.\
<br><br>\
\"This is absolutely a religious issue for them,\" said Kaijo Day, Unity Studies professor at Elysium University. \"Heretic ideologies have been steadily gaining traction among the so-called loyalist zaddat since the end of the Incursion, and they fear that the Hegemony fleet will make some attempt to convert Colony Itinerant back to orthodoxy, or even to assume direct control of it. In that light, their movements should be understood as an immediate threat towards Hegemony missionaries.\"\
<br><br>\
The Gavel Defense Force is reportedly unconcerned by the development, but are expected to remain on high alert for the next several months as the Hegemony fleet approaches. The Hegemony embassy on Luna was not available for comment."