This is your Action News reporter, coming to you live from inside the Capricorn War with a special report!

Ace reporter Pat Patterson here. Now that the security restrictions have been lifted, I can finally reveal that several members of the Planets Magazine staff have been embedded within the various military headquarters around the Cluster. It is our intention to report from the front lines of this conflict, giving you the reader the opportunity to see what space combat is like, up close and personal!

First, we’re checking in with Torbjorn Greitenkamp aboard the Birdman battleship [CENSORED]. Torbjorn, can you hear me?

TG: Yes, Pat, I can hear you just fine.
PP: Can you tell us what it’s like being aboard a Bird battleship?
TG: Well, for one thing, it’s extremely difficult trying to shave.
PP: I had noticed the new beard. Very dashing.
TG: Thanks! The trouble is, when we’re cloaked, it’s impossible to see my reflection in the mirror. Or much of anything else, for that matter.
PP: I hadn’t realized. This must be a side effect of the cloaking field, then.
TG: Not quite, Pat. They blindfold me whenever they are cloaked.
PP: …I see. That explains it.
TG: Yes.
PP: And your ship has been cloaked since…
TG: Since we first got underway.
PP: So you haven’t seen anything at all, then.
TG: Not a thing. I did hear some loud noises last night, though.
PP: Very interesting. Thanks for that update, Torbjorn.
TG: Thank you, Pat.

That was Torbjorn Greitenkamp coming to us live from the heart of the Bird fleet. And now, for a contrasting perspective, we go to the lovely Olen Hyven-Kilma aboard the brand-new Evil Empire industrial craft, the Merlin One, where the commissioning ceremony should be just about to get underway. Olen?

OHK: Actually, Pat, that’s not quite where I am.
PP: No? Where are you, Olen?
OHK: Aboard a small escape pod, Pat, about one klick from the Imperial homeworld.
PP: “Klick”?
OHK: It’s a military term, Pat. It’s a measure of the distance that a starship can travel at one-tenth warp.
PP: I see. So what are you doing on that pod, Olen?
OHK: Not much, Pat. It’s just me here, and the only porthole points right at the sun. I’ve got my spare blanket covering it now to keep out the blinding light. Curi-
PP: No, I mean– sorry, didn’t mean to cut you off. Go ahead.
OHK: Curiously, sunlight doesn’t provide much warmth at this distance, but it’s still amazingly bright.
PP: So why don’t you tell us about the chain of events that led to you being in that lifepod?
OHK: Well, I’m not really sure, Pat. I was… er… conducting a private interview with a crewman in a sealed compartment off Deck 328 when alarms started going off. He directed me here, threw in my clo– er… equipment, told me not to touch anything, and rushed off.
PP: And did you? Touch anything, that is?
OHK: …uh. And then I heard a loud bang, and I guess I passed out. When I came to, the door wouldn’t open.
PP: Olen… is your pod still connected to the Merlin One?
OHK: Let me check. [pause] No, Pat. No, it’s not.
PP: …Well. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Olen. Probably just a glitch. We’ll contact Imperial Command from here and see if we can get this sorted out.
OHK: Thank you, Pat.

And while our people are doing that, we’ll go over to our embedded Cyborg reporter, I. M. Locutus.

PP: Do you read me, I.M.?
IML: TRANSMISSION RECEIVED.
PP: …well. That’s good, then.
IML: …
PP: So, I.M.: Any news on those rumors of a secret Cyborg/Privateer treaty?
IML: DELETE. DELETE.
PP: I’m sorry, I.M. I can’t quite make you out.
IML: INFERIOR LIFE UNIT DETECTED. UPGRADE NOT POSSIBLE. DELETION IN PROGRESS.
PP: …I see. Thank you for that insight, I. M.
IML: DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.

And this just in, ladies and gentlemen: We have confirmed that a large explosion rocked the Cluster last night. It’s too early to tell for sure, but it seems likely that the brand new Imperial Merlin has been destroyed. I’m being told that we have a statement from the Imperial flagship.

“I’m not going anywhere. I will be here the rest of the game. I can Dark Sense with any ship, even a SDSF. I can build SSDs at any starbase given to me. The war against the Bird will not end until he is dead!

Never give up!
Never surrender!”
- Darth “Mike” Vader

We’ll be sure to bring you more news when we get it. Until then, this is Pat Patterson, from within the Capricorn War, signing off. Good night.

(reprinted from Planets Magazine by permission - all rights reserved)

planetsmagazine.com

http://planets.nu/discussion/the-capricorn-war-1

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report on the Capricorn War!

This is Jim at the studio, filling in for Pat Patterson, who is out on assignment. We’ll get to him later in the broadcast, but first, we’ve got a breaking story just in from the Cyborg homeworld. Joining us now is our special Cyborg reporter, I. M. Locutus. What’s up, I. M.?

IM: ONE OF THE RELATIVE DIRECTIONS, JIM.
Jim: I see. Can you tell us what’s going on over there?
IM: YES.
(pause)
Jim: What is happening with regard to the Cyborg that is newsworthy, I. M.?
IM: THE IMPERIOUS LEADER IS PREDICTING THE DEFEAT OF THE CRYSTALLINE HOMEWORLD. FROM THERE THE FLEET INTENDS TO MOVE AGAINST THE NEXT TARGET WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE CRYSTALLINE TERRITORY IS PACIFIED.
Jim: Oh my! When is this battle going to take place?
IM: THERE WILL BE NO BATTLE. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF ASSIMILATION PROCESS FOLLOWED BY A CLEANUP PHASE.
Jim: …OK. And do you know when this is scheduled to begin?
IM: YES.
Jim: …*sigh* When is the assimilation process scheduled to begin?
IM: FORCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE IN UNTIL A 3 TO 2 FORCE RATIO IS EXCEEDED.
Jim: Do y– Can y– *sigh* When do you predict that this may occur?
IM: IT WILL OCCUR IN APPROXIMATELY 1.8 TO 5.3 TURNS.
Jim: One point… *sigh* Well, thank you for that… interesting news, I. M. Do you have anything else for our viewers?
IM: AN EFFICIENT CONVERSION PROCESS.
Jim: I’m sure that will be… appreciated… by those that, uh, appreciate that sort of thing. Thank you, I. M.
IM: THANK YOU, JIM.

And with that, we’ll take to Ace Reporter Pat Patterson, who we understand is being given an exclusive interview with the Crystalline Fleet Admiral. Pat?

PP: Excuse me; aren’t you Admiral GtrDevil?
GD: Herra jumala sentään! Sehän on taas yksi noita limaisia pehmeänahkaisia otuksia! Allöttävää!
PP: Oh, are we live? (raising microphone) This is Planets Mag Action News reporter Pat Patterson coming to you with a live interview from the Crystal homeworld. I’m with the commander of the Crystalline forces, the famed GtrDevil. Sir, can you tell me how the war is going?
GD: Onko tuo joku pyssy millä osoittelet? Ei taida olla… näyttää kyllä vähän Hannu serkultani mutta on huomattavasti lyhyempi.
PP: …I see. Now, can you tell us anything about the Cyborg invasion?
GD: Puhuuko tuo muka jotain kieltä ? Ihme mongerrusta… hmm… (pulls out smart-phone) Mitenkä ihmeessä se Googlen kääntäjä toimikaan tässä vehkeessä…
PP: Oh, is that one of those new top-secret communication Droids? Cool!
GD: Mitä ihmettä tuo otus höpisee. (reads google translation result) “Nyt voit kertoa meille mitään kyborgi hyökkäyksen…” (to Pat) Mikä hyökkäys muka… vain pari rumaa teräskuutiota pilaa maisemani planeetoiltani!
(Smart-phone): “what a nice/pleasant/comfortable attack … just a couple of ugly cubic meters of steel spoiling my planetary landscapes… is that my cousin Hanno or are you just happy to see me”
PP: I see. We were hoping to embed one of your people with your navy in order to report live from the front, but we’ve been having communication problems. Is this a possibility? Could we– ?
GD: [to his soldiers] Voisiko joku viedä tuon limaisen otuksen pois silmistäni! Sotkee vaan kaikki paikat!
PP: (being dragged away) Now, that’s what I call decisive! Thank you, sir! This is Pat Patterson reporting live from the planet– [CLANG]
GD: Nyt joku välittömästi siivoaa tämän sotkun! Vääpeli toimikaa!
(Smart-phone): Hanno…

Well! That was interesting. Uh… thanks for that, Pat. (pause) And now, we have a press release, direct from the Fascist Empire. Now, there’s some static due to the intervening ion storm, but this should be… yes, it’s coming up now.

[cut to video]

(Scene: A dimly lit throne room. A haze of smoke obscures the background. Seated, a heroic figure dressed in ceremonial battle armor. He raises a goblet made from a bejeweled skull.)

I raise to thee the finest Trinidad rum!
A toast to the Fed, our mighty adversaries! A toast to the Fed, by mighty glories!
rut tujqu’ bochtaHvIS chal mIn Dun qu’!
(quaffs)

And to those western snake-oil merchants, I say this:
Seng bIQ’a'Hey SuvmeH nuHmey SuqDI’, ‘ej, Suvmo’, rInmoHDI’!

And that’s the way it is, today, Thor’s Day the 13th, in the fourth year of Emperor Mentar. Long may he reign!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

(This post was copied from the Planets Magazine, by permission.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-interview-with-the-leaders )

This is an Action News Special Report -- The Capricorn War: Conflict In Echo Cluster!

Hello; I’m Jim Chancellite, filling in for Pat Patterson, who is on assignment. Today we bring you an inside look at the hidden Rebel Base, somewhere deep inside the Capricorn War. Embedded with the Rebel forces is veteran correspondent Wish Keydrinker; we’ve got him on a subspace radio link. Hello, Wish; can you hear us?

WK: Yes, Jim, I can hear you.
JC: What’s the situation over there, Wish?
WK: It’s an amazing sight, Jim. As you know, the Rebels are traditionally outgunned, lightly armed and poorly supplied. They set up temporary bases on ice worlds and in abandoned temple structures, relying on a flimsy chain of small hyperspace transports to support their industry. And yet, I look at these soldiers and pilots, some of them starving and no two wearing the same uniform, and I see true enthusiasm. These are some excited warriors, Jim.
JC: So I take it the rumors of a Confederation morale problem were…
WK: Yes, vastly exaggerated. These people are downright eager to get into combat with their enemy. Even the legendarily short-lived fighter pilots are fervently hoping for battle.
JC: Fascinating. And is there any word on when such a battle might take place?
WK: Not yet, Jim, though I’ve just heard that a major announcement is due to be made any minute now.
JC: An announcement?
WK: Yes, apparently from the high command. It’s likely to be Admiral Squidface, but it’s possible that the reclusive professorial scholar that guides this rag-tag band from behind the scenes, the legendary J-Zan himself, will speak. We haven’t been told much, but — just a minute — yes, I’m hearing… Ah! I’ll patch in to the intercom now.

*SQRRRK*
“…the notecards, yes, yes… Right; now how do I broadcast? This button here? But it’s on already. Ah; er… Right.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is J. Zan speaking.
First, I’d like to congratulate you all on the wonderful job you’ve been doing. Our new hidden Rebel base is coming together quite nicely, and I’m told the completion date has been moved up to this afternoon. We’ll be finished eight days ahead of schedule. Well done; well done indeed!
Now, this brings me to my second point: shore leave. There will be extra leave for the construction crews before we begin your cross-training sessions; this is, of course, a reward for the… er… rapid completion. Now, I shouldn’t have to tell you this, you’re all adults I know, but… well, the fact of the matter is, every time crew goes on leave we run into this, and we have people in sickbay for months!
Look, you are all issued military-grade… err… precautions. It’s regulations; you’re going to bring protection with you anyway, so use it! Remember: Cyber-crabs are very contagious! Even the most brief casual contact with a cybernetic organism can transmit the disease, and the thing is, you can’t always tell the difference. There are Cyborgs everywhere, and the sickness is catching. It’s embarrassing, painful, and most of all it’s bad for the war effort.
So remember your protection, and use it. Don’t be stupid.
Now, go and enjoy your leave. Class– er, I mean, dismissed.”

WK: And there you have it, folks: the wisdom of Professor J. Zan. Impressive.
JC: Very. Well, take care of yourself over there, Wish.
WK: Will do, Jim.

And now an update from Empire space. Many of our viewers have written or called to express their concern about our reporter Olen Hyven-Kilma. You may recall that she was stranded in deep space inside an Imperial escape pod. We have stayed in close contact; the Empire’s search and rescue forces are on the job, but Olen’s pod is still out there. Fortunately, it’s rated for up to three years survival, and she has been sent instructions on how to activate the military-grade coffee station. We’ll keep you updated as changes occur, but for now, our thoughts and prayers are with you, Olen.

Turning now to Bird space, we’ve got contact with our reporter Torbjorn Greitenkamp, embedded with the crew aboard the battleship [CENSORED]. Are you there, Torbjorn?

TG: I’m here, Jim.
JC: Ah; I see you’re not wearing your blindfold today.
TG: That’s right. I’m told that the [CENSORED] is undergoing routine maintenance for the next few days.
JC: So have you seen much of the ship, then?
TG: I’ve now been permitted to visit three rooms, Jim. The lounge was most entertaining.
JC: We in the newsroom have been very curious about the name of the ship, the [CENSORED]. It seems very unusual.
TG: No, Jim. Actually, it’s a traditional name that has been used for several famous ships throughout Bird history. The original [CENSORED], along with her sister ships the [CLASSIFIED], the [TOP SECRET] and the [CONTENT REMOVED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES] were the triumphant vanguard at the famed Battle of [ICANTEL-YU].
JC: Fascinating. Thank you for that bit of history, TG.
TG: My pleasure, Jim.

And now, on the lighter side of things, we’ve just had word that Action News ace reporter Pat Patterson is on his way back to us after a brief stint on a Crystalline prison ship. Apparently, due to some confusion over his travel permits, Pat was briefly detained and, in his words, “given a thorough clean-and-polish”. Fortunately, all is well now, and we look forward to his speedy return.

Finally, we have this statement just in from the Colonial homeworld:
“This is Fleet Admiral Gnerphk. Following several suspicious actions by our president, his cabinet, and certain members of the Quorum of Twelve, a top-secret military investigation has uncovered evidence of corruption, bribery, high treason and an egg-and-cress sandwich at the very highest levels of power. Due to the military emergency, I have declared martial law throughout the Colonies pending the trial. I want to assure you that the accused will be given ample opportunity to defend themselves before we hang them for high treason. Thank you.”

And that’s the way it is, today, Saturn’s Day the 15th, in the fourth year of Emperor Mentar. Long may he reign!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

(Copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-the-hidden-rebel-base/

http://planets.nu/discussion/the-capricorn-war-1 

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster!

This is Jim at the studio, filling in for Pat Patterson, who is out on assignment. We’re got a breaking story just in from the Bird homeworld. The following is an official press release from BirdMan HQ.

[cut to video]
(Scene: Deep space. Slow pan down to show a lovely Class M planet with an orbiting starbase.)

[voiceover]
This is the planet [INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE]. Lovely, peaceful, it is the center of Bird Man culture and learning in this sector. Nearly four million call this planet their home.

(Camera tracks on a fleet of green scaly starships moving in from the right. Several are battle-scarred and trailing smoke; one appears actually to be on fire. Small specks and flashes appear from the starbase; it soon becomes apparent that these are fighters.)

[voiceover]
Until today.

(Weapons fire erupts from the green battle fleet. Lasers blast; torpedoes launch. The first ship suddenly explodes in a blinding flash. Small explosions impact the starbase; fire blooms under the cloud layer of the planet.)

[voiceover]
We were promised peace and unity. Our neighbors were with us in a single accord, to halt the spread of the dreaded Cyborg and his dupes. But not all of us were true.

(More explosions. The second warship takes several hits.)

[voiceover]
Treachery has triumphed over honor this day.

(The starbase suddenly blossoms into a ball of fire and begins to fall from orbit. Multiple explosions track across the planetary surface.)

[voiceover]
Our home is no more.

(The screen fills with fire, then goes dark)

[voiceover]
But we survive. We will not forget; we will not forgive. We will avenge our losses this day.

(The Winged Avatar of the Birds appears on the screen.)

[voiceover]
We shall be your doom.

[back to studio]

(Jim Chancellite appears to be in shock.)
My God. Four million — gone. Just like that. It’s… it’s so hard to… I’m sorry, folks. It’s just so hard to comprehend…
(He is handed a paper.)
Ah…um. Yes. *ahem* We’ve just received confirmation; not one, but both Bird Man starbases were hit this turn by Lizard attacks; the second may have been captured intact. There are unconfirmed reports of a Privateer presence in the area, but we have no reason to believe that their Unified Bands participated in either strike. We also have reports that Evil Empire intelligence was used in the planning of the attack, but we have no confirmation there either.

We’re going now to our correspondent in the field, Torbjorn Grietenkamp, aboard the Birdman battleship [CENSORED]. Torbjorn, are you there?
*static*
JC: Torbjorn, can you hear me?
TG: Ah, yes… yes I can, Jim.
JC: Can you give us any insight as to the recent events?
TG: No, Jim; I’m still pretty much in the dark over here. All I’ve been told is that there’s been a battle, maybe two, but that the fleet is mostly intact. We’re underway, and… excuse me, Jim.
(indecipherable muttering)
TG: Ah… It seems we’re about to learn more. I’m being summoned to the bridge, Jim. I’ll call in as soon as I have something for you. This is Torbjorn Greitenkamp, signing off.
JC: Good luck, Torbjorn.

In related news, we’ve just been informed that the shipbuilder’s strike which had been planned to begin tonight at midnight has been delayed due to today’s events. We are informed that union spokesperson Jimmy Hoffman had been present for a negotiating session at the Bird homeworld; no word yet on survivors. His longtime associate and protege, Hans “Feet” Charnov, has informed us here at Action News that the strike will likely begin in 48 hours unless union demands are met. What impact this will have on the Capricorn War has yet to be determined.

And this just in: We’ve received partial confirmation that the Evil Empire is claiming shared responsibility for the Lizard strike against the Bird homeworld. Now, this is still unconfirmed; while the note in question is written on genuine official Evil Empire notepaper, rather than going through the usual channels it was tied to a brick and thrown through a window here at Action News headquarters. Nobody was injured in the transmission of this message.

And that’s the way it is, today, Starday the 16th, in the fourth year of Emperor Mentar. Long may he reign.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

(Copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.)

PlanetsMagazine.com

http://planets.nu/discussion/the-capricorn-war-1

I want add also my 2 cents with the start of the mid game phase. There exist winner and loser after looking back the last 30 turns. All deserved what they earned except maybe the Rebel and Colonial because of a total lack of a direct enemy. Gnerphk was so kind to find the low mineral count of the game as the main problem for these players who dropped back. Well, Gnerphk is always nice and decent and this may his biggest weakness because we are inside the game with no friends. We are opponents to each other and should act according to this term.

So the cold truth is, some player here should not inside this match. I want not throw stones of this player but it make things for the good player to easy.  Anyway, here is my view what’s going on.

Loser, but some may survive till the end game:

Crystal and Bird. While the one has a lack of experience the other is not able to make any compromise. To be honest, the bird did right to attack the empire. But it needed also diplomatic skills to survive when sitting near this Siberian Lizard Snake. Birds did miss this chance. And i am not sure that the Rebel knows at this time what sort of partner he did choose. Will be a big surprise! :)

Fed: Pirate and Klingon may be a bad thing when they attack together you. But I did await a lot more from you. Maybe with some assistance you will survive? :)

Robot: Where are the mines? First time I am seeing that a robot lose ships/planets to the pirates.

EE: I know it’s damn hard in this scenario to build big ships. EE/Borg carrier cost the double than the other. But, EE missed his chance. But Gnerphk is nice and decent and you will survive till the Lizard arrive with Rush’s.

Winner:

Borg, but I know the reasons and not need to tell them :)

Pirate: Both prime race enemies are on their way out here. 2 more are left. Pirate worked for this goal and I am sure they will reach it.

Klingon: Since the Rebel need new planets I fear you will be a possible target. I think you missed the big chance to use the early Klingon strength to keep a fighter race small because the low mineral scenario work in the first 30 turns on your side. Maybe you followed to early this rumor that borg and fed will play together? Now it’s too late.

Lizard: He will take over the bird area and after this he will without mercy take out the EE.

Rebel: The silent but dangerous man in the background. Think you have 30 more turn of pure expansion in front of you. But I am watching you! :)

Colonial: Colonial expansion stopped 10 turns ago because you want either expand in the robot or empire direction.  I fear you are simply too nice and decent here! :)

So happy fighting!  :)

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report from inside The Capricorn War. 

This is Jim at the studio, filling in for Pat Patterson, who is still recovering from his last assignment. We have breaking news from the planet Tandy 2000, deep inside Cyborg space. We go now for a report from our embedded Cyborg reporter, I. M. Locutus. Are you there, I. M.?

IM: YES.
JC: What can you tell us about this disaster?
IM: AT APPROXIMATELY 2150 HOURS UTC YESTERDAY A MASSIVE NONORBITAL MINERAL BODY IMPACTED A CYBORG POPULATION AND PRODUCTION CENTER. CASUALTIES WERE EXTREME AND DESTRUCTION WIDESPREAD. MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURES WERE BADLY DAMAGED. RESCUE AND REBUILDING CREWS ARE NOW ON THE SCENE TO RECOMMENCE THE WORK.
JC: Are there any specific numbers for casualties, I. M.? What can you tell us?
IM: THE CYBORG HIVE IS NOT RELEASING SPECIFIC NUMBERS DUE TO WAR SECRECY AND CLASSIFICATION. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT AN IMPORTANT TRANSSHIPMENT HUB WAS DESTROYED CAUSING MULTIPLE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN ADDITION TO THOSE IN THE MILITARY AND PRODUCTION FORCE.
JC: I see. Can you tell us anything about the history of this… Tandy 2000?
IM: THE TANDY 2000 WAS THE ULTRA-SECRET 1983 MAIN-LINE PRODUCT OF RADIO SHACK COMPUTING AND THE LAST TO BEAR THE TRS-80 BRAND NAME. UTILIZING THE REVOLUTIONARY 80186 PROCESSOR, IT WAS CAPABLE OF ATTAINING CALCULATION SPEEDS 21.6% FASTER THAN THE IBM 286 SYSTEMS THEN AT THE TOP OF THEIR PERSONAL COMPUTING LINE. HOWEVER, DUE TO ARCHITECTURAL INCOMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AND THE FAILURE TO EMBRACE THE NEW VGA STANDARD, THE TANDY 2000 WAS DOOMED TO BECOME A FAILURE. NEVERTHELESS, IT REPRESENTED A VITAL LINK IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE.
JC: That was… surprisingly interesting, and entirely off-topic, I. M.
IM: I AM ATTEMPTING TO BROADEN MY CONVERSATIONAL HORIZONS, JIM.

In other news, we have received confirmation that the long-anticipated shipbuilder’s union strike has begun. Citing concerns over poor safety regulations, nonstandard wages, and especially over the low quality of the product that they say they are forced to produce, union representatives are halting production throughout the Echo Cluster in everything except what they call “Priority builds” and a very few ships which were already nearing completion at the time the strike was declared. Hans “Feet” Charnov, the interim director of the ECSU, said this:

(film of Charnov, speaking)
“Thing is, we’re craftsmen. You gotta take pride in what you’re doing, know what I mean? I mean, some a dese small freighters they want built, they’re so far below code, I mean fuhgeddaboudit! They’ll never make it past Warp 1, most of ‘em. Our workers want to build something that’ll last, something we can tell our grandkids about, ya know? Not this crap, poured concrete over string steel and not enough Duranium in the mix to make a Prius, you know what I mean?”
“Plus, da wages is still too low.”

(back to studio)
Union representatives later confirmed that negotiations are ongoing with the various Capricorn War leaders in order to permit limited necessary warship construction. The Galactic Senate has historically supported the union position in nearly every similar strike situation and is said to be highly unlikely to intervene.

And, on a lighter note, we’d like to touch base with ace reporter Pat Patterson, just back from what I understand to be rather a difficult week. How’s your vacation going, Pat?
PP: Not too bad so far, Jim. I’m catching up on my reading right now.
JC: Oh? What are you reading?
PP: Borrowed some E.C. Tubb from a friend — the old “Dumarest of Terra” novels. Great stuff from the golden age of science fiction.
JC: That sounds like fun. Looking forward to getting back to the war reporting?
PP: Well, it’ll be a while yet; I’ve got some dental appointments that can’t wait.
JC: Would those be related to…
PP: Yes, the Crystalline… er… misunderstanding. You heard about my hair, right?
JC: They shaved you bald, right?
PP: The word is “depilated”. Apparently they feel hair isn’t hygenic. Same goes for things like sweat glands and mucus membranes.
JC: Oh, my! Sounds very unpleasant.
PP: Well, it’s not so bad; the station is picking up the medical bills, and I should be back at 100% by next week.
JC: But what did they do with your teeth?
PP: I guess they thought they were parasites or something. Once I explained their purpose, they gave me some replacement implants, but I have to get them swapped out for the real thing.
JC: Not comfortable?
PP: It’s not that… They’re first-class cutting and chewing instruments, but I’m afraid to smile. Last night my waitress was watching me eat and nearly fainted; then I almost got mugged on the way back home.
JC: I don’t follow, Pat.
PP: *sigh* Diamonds, Jim. They implanted diamonds.
JC: Oh! I can see where that would be… err…
PP: A bit inconvenient. Still, it was pretty nice of them, all things considered.
JC: I suppose so. Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Patterson, a man who truly has a thousand-carat smile.
PP: Thanks, Jim.
JC: Take care, Pat.

And that’s the way it is, today, Thorsday the 20th, in the fourth year of Emperor Mentar. Long may he reign.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

(Copied by permission from The Planets Magazine, all rights reserved.  http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action_news/action-news-natural-disaster-in-cyborg-space/)

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. We have a breaking news story from contested space. Sensors on Galactic Prime have registered the apparent destruction of not one but two capitol ships. With us to comment on this is retired Colonel Tolliver South. Good evening, Colonel South. 

TS: Good evening, Jim.
JC: Now, what can you tell us about these explosions?
TS: Ah… yes. Sensors on Galactic Prime, which is monitoring the Capricorn War for the Imperial Senate, recorded two massive ship detonations a short time ago. IFF transponder data has tentatively identified these two vessels as a Crystalline battleship and a Cyborg carrier cube.
JC: My word! Could this have been the long-anticipated attack against the Crystalline homeworld?
TS: Actually, no, Jim. The explosions happened in deep space, near the current location of two Cyborg Firecloud-class cruisers, a moderate distance from the homeworld siege. Indications are that this was a deliberate strike, but who attacked whom is as yet unknown.
JC: Is there a chance that this was some sort of ruse?
TS: Later in the war, we would expect to be seeing a much greater influx of telemetry data. At this point, however, we can confirm that both the Crystal and the Cyborg contenders received a number of Priority Points appropriate to the ships named in the IFF transmissions.
JC: I see. So this is a reliable conclusion, then.
TS: Yes, Jim; extremely reliable. We also have calculated the variations in monitored Military Score to further back up our conclusions. The numbers indicate that the Privateer has completed the capture of the Colonial flagship, that the Federation has created or been given a capital ship, and several other events, including an apparent mass-recycling over in Colonial space and a starbase transfer.
JC: And what conclusions could be drawn from these developments?
TS: Well, Jim, we can be fairly certain that the Cyborg has lost between ten and twenty percent of his command fleet — a substantial blow. The Crystalline loss can be said to be proportionally heavier since they had a smaller navy, but you must remember that Crystalline military might is largely to be found in his web-mine fields. In short, it is likely that either side can claim this as a victory, despite the far greater purchase price of the Cyborg loss.
JC: And, it goes without saying, several thousand deaths.
TS: That’s correct, Jim — although…
JC: …You were saying, Colonel?
TS: You’ve got to bear in mind that every colonist and crew member serving in this conflict is present by choice. There’s no conscription permitted in these wars, and even the planets used in the competition have been created and assembled within the conflict arena for this very purpose.
JC: Well, I–
TS: Let me finish! The Nu wars were created in part to help prevent real war from destroying the galaxy! This is an artificial cluster! The brave men and women, these heroes who give their lives in here do so in order that those of us outside the conflict zone don’t have to. No citizen of the Galactic Republic, and this includes you, Jim, is ever placed in any danger that he doesn’t choose to experience, of his own free will.
JC: Yes; I know the history and the reasons for this. You forget, sir, that I covered the last real galactic war from the front lines.
TS: Ah. No, I was not aware of that.
JC: Were any of those ribbons you wear awarded for combat?
TS: Yes; I led a platoon in–
JC: Then you should know better than to dismiss the sacrifice–
TS: Now hold it! Hold it just a minute! I–
[shouting match, interrupted by a commercial]

[return to Jim Chancellite, now a bit disheveled]
And we’re back. We go now to ace reporter Pat Patterson, just back from covering Sochi. How’s life been treating you, Pat?

PP: I’m eager to get back to reporting on the war, Jim.
JC: Pardon me, Pat, but… what happened to your eyes?
PP: Something called “non-face water”. It’s a long story; I’ll fill you in later.
JC: Ah. Well, did you enjoy Sochi?
PP: Yes, I did, Jim; it’s lovely there. Minor point, though: the games actually were held in Adler, which is a fair distance east of Sochi proper. It’s still technically Sochi, but only in the same way that Long Island is a part of New York City.
JC: Ah. So, did you get a chance to see many of the competitions?
PP: Some, yes. The swimming sprints were quite an upset, as the favorites, a team of Mon Calamari from the planet Dac, lost out to the Russian swimmer Yadishat’ Podvodoy. And there was a touching moment on the ski slopes that I got to see, when a Ghipsoldal skier who had had one ski stolen by a Privateer competitor early in the race and was still trying to finish on the one ski… well, you had to be there. A Federation coach ran out on the slopes and buckled a new ski on his foot so the competitor could, in his words, “complete the race with dignity”. It was a truly moving event, and in my opinion, it just goes to show us what these games are truly all about.
JC: I wish I could have been there.
PP: I hear ya, Jim.
JC: So where will you be going next?
PP: Wherever they send me, Jim — but first, I’m going to stop off at an optometrist.
JC: Well, good luck with that, Pat.
PP: Thanks, Jim.

And… excuse me a moment… Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just been informed that we’ve re-established contact with our reporter who had been embedded with the Evil Empire, Olen Hyvin-Kilma, and we’ll be speaking with her in a moment. You may recall that Ms. Hyvin-Kilma was somehow trapped aboard an escape pod after the destruction of the Imperial Merlin several days ago. Olen, can you hear me?

OHK: YesJimyesIcanhearyouyou’recominginloudandclear.
JC: You seem… agitated, Olen. Is anything wrong?
OHK: Nothingswrongwhsaidanythingwaswrongnoeverythingsfineanddandyhereyesfineanddandy.
JC: Ah. I… Olen, just how much coffee have you had today?
OHK: 47cupsJim.
JC: Forty-seven– ?! Olen, that can’t be good for you!
OHK: NotmuchelsetodohereJim. Portholesstillfacingthe sametwostars. Prettyandshinybutsameoldsameold.
JC: Oh! I’d thought… Didn’t the Imperial rescue force find your pod, Olen?
OHK: NotyetJim.
JC: Well! We’ll have to… err… redouble our efforts to send you some relief. You must be terribly bored.
OHK: I’dhavegonecompletelymadifitweren’tfor mycollectionof singingspacepotatoes.
JC: I… uh, I see. Well, keep in touch, Olen, and try and ease back on the caffeine intake a bit, eh?
OHK: It’sOKJimIcanquitanytimeIwant.

And that was Olen Hyvin-Kilma, ladies and gentlemen, still gamely reporting from her escape pod. And that’s the way it is, today, Stunday the 23rd, in the fourth year of Emperor Mentar. Long may he reign!

We now return you to live coverage of DieHard 8, already in progress.

(Copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-crisis-in-the-middle-west/)

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello; I’m Jim Chancellite, with a breaking news story from Colonial space — the apparent theft of the Colonial flagship, the newly-commissioned GS Parthenon, by a band of pirates that appear to be working with elements of the Cyborg military. We take you now to embedded Colonial reporter Hephaestus Tyrol, reporting live from the site of this daring raid. Fess, are you there?

HT: Yes, Jim; I can hear you.
JC: What can you tell us about this raid? Was the Admiral captured?
HT: There were initial reports of that, yes, but now it seems apparent that the Admiral somehow escaped capture. We’re told that he will be giving an address to the troops in a few minutes.
JC: And, how is it that you weren’t on the Parthenon during the raid? We had thought that you were still on the ship yourself.
HT: No; our crew came down with the construction team late last night; the plan was to get some interviews from the ground crews and then check in on the settlers.
JC: Just good luck, then.
HT: Absolutely. The last we’d heard, the Privateer ambassador was actively engaged in negotiations with the Quorum of Twelve at the very moment the raid began. I’m given to understand that he left the room for a moment, slipped his guards, and vanished, taking the entire reserve supply of Colonial Ambrosia with him.
JC: So there was no warning?
HT: None at all. The Parthenon had just arrived and was set to begin her patrol; she was fully fueled and stocked for a long voyage. And then, she just vanished from her moorings.
JC: Unbelievable!
HT: Yes, Jim. Now, we’ve heard from our embedded Robot reporter, D’Anna Biers, that several Robot ships have suffered the same fate, but this is the first raid on Colonial territory since the border skirmish with the Empire several months ago.
JC: Now, is this a ransom attempt, or are they–
HT: Just a moment, Jim; they’re telling me that the Admiral is about to begin his address. Yes; yes, here he is.

“This is the Admiral.
“Moments ago, our fleet was attacked by a group of pirates operating alongside members of the Cyborg military. This was a well-planned and thoroughly coordinated first strike against our fleet, and it was intended to cripple us.
“We are not crippled. We have been badly damaged, but our home worlds and our shipyards remain intact. Even now, precautions are being taken to prevent a recurrence of this incident among our other ships, and the Quorum of Twelve is prepared to institute full wartime production.
“Don’t look for vengeance; that profits us nothing. Instead, let us secure our home worlds from danger and protect our civilian population from harm. Then, when we are prepared, we will coordinate our fleet with those of our allies to end this threat — permanently.
“The safety of our families, our loved ones, our very way of life stands in jeopardy. We shall not falter. We will not let our people down. They’re counting on us.
“That is all.”

HT: If you’ll excuse me, Jim… it looks like the Admiral is boarding his private Raptor, and that means we’re about to miss our ride out of here.
JC: Good luck, Fess. Contact us when you can.
HT: I will, Jim. This is Fess Tyrol, signing off.

And we have a late-breaking update from the Cyborg Hive on the recent disaster at Tandy 2000. We’re told that civilian casualties were lighter than initially reported due to a shipping delay, and that an augmented disaster containment team is already enroute. A prepared statement from the Cyborg Press Drone reads, “WE PLAN TO ADD THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE METEOR TO THE COLLECTIVE. IT WILL BE ASSIMILATED.”

In other news, the Cyborg Imperium has been plagued by a series of what we have been told were industrial accidents. A report from the Senate Board of Industry has shown the loss of two Cyborg starbases over the last two months. No official statement has been released from the Cyborg Hive, but unofficial sources tell us that these were not due to military action but instead some form of internal error. There has been intense speculation about the possibility of acts of industrial sabotage, but no solid data is as yet available. With us here is retired Colonel Tolliver South, to speak to these issues. Thanks for joining us, Colonel South.

TS: My pleasure, Jim.
JC: So tell us about this Senate report. Is this truly routine?
TS: Yes it is, Jim. By law, the Board of Industry is required to submit a summary of all military and civilian production within each designated combat area once each fortnight.
JC: “Fortnight”, Tollie?
TS: It’s an archaic term of time passage; it is similar to a Galactic month in length. But the law predates the adoption of the modern calendar.
JC: I see.
TS: Now, this report is mostly concerned with the shipbuilder’s strike, but it clearly shows a periodic decline in Cyborg industrial production with, and this is the interesting part, no corresponding loss in military strength.
JC: Fascinating. Now, what would this indicate?
TS: Well, to be honest, there are several possibilities, but given the political instability within the Capricorn sector, the most likely seems to be some sort of industrial sabotage, most likely by a foreign power.
JC: Are there any indications as to who–
TS: No; nobody has taken responsibility, and the Cyborg Hive has remained completely silent on the subject.
JC: Well, but who do you think would be the most likely?
TS: The known allies of the Cyborg are the Federation and, now, the Privateers… but neither of those seem quite right. This sort of action wouldn’t be in the best interest of the Feds, and the level of coordination between Cyborg and Privateer forces indicates that they plan to work together for some time to come.
JC: So the bottom line, then, is…
TS: Your guess is as good as mine, Jim.
JC: I see. Thank you, Tollie.
TS: Thank you, Jim.

And now, a word from our sponsor. When we return, we’ll have the scores from the Pyramid championships, plus a report from Pat Patterson, live from Sochi. Stay with us.

(theme music)
Jim: (aside to makeup artist, barely audible) For this we pay South six figures? “Your guess is as good as mine”?! What a twit.

(fade to commercial)

(Copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-pirate-raids-continue-unchecked/)

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. Today we’re checking in with some of the correspondents we have in the field for their take on the truly remarkable aspects of today’s war reports. We go now to ace reporter Pat Patterson, who is– [aside] Is this right? [to the camera] –who is standing on an airless moon in the middle of contested space. Pat, can you hear me?

PP: [shouting, but voice muffled] Yes, I can hear you, Jim.
JC: I can barely hear you, Pat.
PP: It’s this space suit I’m wearing, Jim. The audio pickup in the helmet isn’t working properly, so we’re using an alternate transmission method.
JC: Uh-huh.
PP: We’ve got a standard microphone duct-taped to the side of the helmet. It seems to be working for the moment, but I’m told we’ve only got about twelve minutes before the volatiles in the glue evaporate into the vacuum.
JC: So can you tell me– Pat, what are you doing out there on that rock in the first place?
PP: Well, Jim, this airless rock is a chunk of planetoid left over after construction of the sector. From here we have an excellent view of the Noaad Sector.
JC: The “Noaad Sector”?
PP: That’s right, Jim. We had it on good authority that three of the great powers, the Lizard Alliance, the Privateers and the Bird Men, were going to meet here in open battle after weeks of guerilla warfare. Here to my right [gestures into space] is where the Privateer defensive line would have formed up, while over here on my left [gestures at an identical piece of space] is where the Lizard advance would have come from. Directly above me [gestures up] is the designated starting position of the Bird Man flagship. Three battleships, twelve cruisers, fifteen destroyers and innumerable support vessels were planning to unleash terrible energies of destruction upon one another in total war. It could have been anyone’s battle.
JC: Ah. I’m almost afraid to ask, but… what happened?
PP: Well, we’re not entirely sure. A few minutes ago, an automated messenger drone stopped by and dropped off a note for the Privateer admiral, but thus far nobody’s come to collect it.
JC: A note, Pat?
PP: Yes, Jim; we can see it’s on letterhead, but we can’t make out the words from here.
JC: Can you tell who the note is from?
PP: It appears to be from the Lizard Alliance, Jim.
JC: You’re telling me that a Lizard messenger drone left a note in deep space for the Privateer admiral to pick up, and it’s not even in an envelope?
PP: That does seem to be the case, Jim; I guess he figured the Birds could read it anyway, and there was no need– uh, wait a sec… One of the techs is telling me that they’ve managed to train a remote-zoom camera on the note. Just a moment and we’ll patch it over.
[time passes]
[more time passes]
[Cut to note, slowly rotating in deep space. It is indeed on official Lizard Alliance letterhead. The text reads, "Siberian Snake is unable to attend today's event on orders from his personal physician. We apologize for the inconvenience."]
JC: Hunh.
PP: Well… that seems to be it.
JC: It would appear so.
PP: I guess my coming out here was a complete waste of time.
JC: Not so, Pat — the absence of a battle here is definitely newsworthy.
PP: All I can say to that, Jim, is that you’re the one sitting in a nice warm studio.
JC: Heh. Well, keep in touch, Pat; let us know if anything else happens.
PP: Will do, Jim.

Now, we’re staying on top of this apparent non-event, and we’re trying to get confirmation of the chain of events that led up to nothing happening here today. We go now to our correspondent Torbjorn Greitenkamp, embedded with the Bird Men fleet. Torbjorn?
[static]
Torbjorn, are you there?
[more static]

Sorry, folks; we can’t seem to contact Torbjorn Greitenkamp. We’ll keep trying, but…
[is handed a note from off-screen]
Uhm. This just in, ladies and gentlemen: An official press release from the Empire of the Bird Men announcing that they are… in total and uncontested possession of the Noaad Sector. They’re declaring victory, folks. Pat — Pat, did you hear that?
[pause]
PP: Ah… yes, Jim, yes I did.
JC: And have you seen anything at all that would suggest a Bird Man presence anywhere in the sector?
PP: No, Jim; no, we haven’t. But we’ll keep looking.
JC: All right.

And… we’ve just this moment received another press release, this one from Privateer Headquarters. Their statement reads, “We knew our cowardly foes would be too afraid to face the might of our navy! Since they don’t dare to risk their ships, we do hereby claim the Noaad Sector in the name of the Privateer Bands! YAAARRRRR!”

Well – this IS an unexpected twist! Here with us in the studio, we have retired Colonel Tolliver South to provide an expert’s insight on this development. What do you make of it, Tollie?

TS: It’s a bit of a mystery, Jim. We knew the Privateers and the Birds have been working together, at least locally. Apparently, their communications aren’t what they could be.
JC: Could this signal something, perhaps a cooling of their relationship?
TS: It’s hard to say. Of course, both statements were released within minutes of one another. It’s quite possible that neither headquarters has had a chance to react to the other’s claims. The speed of interstellar communi–
JC: Just a moment, Tollie — I hate to interrupt, but I’ve been handed a third press release–
TS: From the Lizards?
JC: –from the Lizard Alliance, yes. They–
TS: Don’t tell me. They say they’re the only ones that showed up?
JC: Yes. They also claim the note was a fabrication, a trick of some kind, and that their leader, the Siberian Snake himself, is present on his new flagship, a Lizard Class Cruiser. The squadron of cloak-capable cruisers is… Oh.
TS: Oh.
JC: Ah. Oh my. Oh my indeed.
TS: Um… should we tell someone?
JC: Well, Tollie, I can’t speak for the producers here, but I’ve always thought that our job was to report the news, not be the news.
TS: I wonder if… I wonder if they’re watching us right now.
JC: As I understand things, even the newest Advanced Cloaking devices interfere with subspace broadcast signals.
TS: Hunh.
JC: Very well put as usual, Tollie.

…and, as some of us expected, we now have ANOTHER press release, this from the Evil Emperor. It reads, “My distraction worked; the Lizard fleet is now unopposed! HaHa! You fools! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders — the most famous is ‘Never get involved in a land war in Asia’…” and he goes on at some length.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that’s the way it is, today, the 37th of Grune in the fourth year of Mentar, long may he reign. We now return you to your regularly scheduled debate on Priority Build Points, already in progress.

(This post was copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-slow-news-day/)

(Capricorn Championship Game)

++++++++ Inside The Borg Hive (Part 3) ++++++++

The past – T25

Prognostic 1: Colonial scenario was recomputed. Primary Colonial directives as follows:

Directive 666:

Species 27705 – The Privateer Bands – will be used to destroy or to critical weaken our prime enemy the Colonials. The advanced tactical female drone Analyst 6 need send to carry out our words directly to the Privateer Commander. The drone needs a new call sign and new implants in the chest and backside area to gain full attention by the rude Leader of this race. Analyst 6 will be directly connected to the inner hive core and reassign with a complex and charismatic character profile.  

Directive 6343:

Attack on Crystal home world P280 antedated to T35 in order to use the planetary enemy infrastructure directly by the collective.

Delegating to Analyst 1 to execute directive.

Analyst 1: Directive 666 is being executed. Hive Avatar was created. New female dress code and implants added.  New call sign for Analyst 6 is Sookie.  Start transfer Sookie to Privateer Flagship. ETA in T28

The past – T28

Sookie: (in thoughts while docking on Privateer Flagship) So many thoughts and feelings are running through my mind. So many voices and so easy to hear them all. So much knowledge and growing ideas are inside me and all accessible with a single thought. Opponents, so small but many of them will cross my way. So Incredible Power in only my hand. (Smiled)

Docking officer: Hey guys, a single Borg drone just arrived. I thought they are all walking machines, but look at THAT chicken here!

Sookie: Shut up your ugly face and bring me to your Leader!

Don Ruez: (on the ships bridge speaking with the docking officer) What the hell want a dumb drone inside my ship! What, an Advisor from the Borg collective? Young Woman and pretty handsome?? Intelligent??? Well, bring her to me. But check that there is no nasty trap from these damn cyborgs!

Docking officer: Alright boss, we will frisk her several times! So bitch, time to check all your implants! (Laughter)

Sookie: I don’t think so. (Disappearing into a transporter beam)

Don Ruez: What the hell doing you on my bridge?!

Sookie: (Reappearing) Greetings from the Borg collective! Commander Don Ruez, Leader of the Privateer Bands, I am Sookie and i am here to assist you in all possible ways (smiled)  But first, tell your dirty men that I only decide when get touched by someone.  I am sure you not want go to the trouble with the collective! I am here to help you.

Don Ruez: Damn, you look really pretty but I will not take any order from the collective! Got that!?

Sookie: (Point out on an appearing ship hologram) The Borgs are willing to help you to take over the fleets of the Colonial race. I not want you remember but we helped you already to steal ships from the small Robots and are on our way to taking out YOUR primary enemy’s in this cluster. Look at this new target. It’s like a big candy box and I am able to open it for you.

Don Ruez : A Colonial Battlestar! (Laughs and looking to Sookie) And yes, I like to open all candy boxes what I can reach (smiled)

Sookie: (Laughs) Alright Commander Ruez. Let’s talk about all details.

The past – T30:

(On board the Privateer MBR “Lucky” inside the Colonial outer area)

Captain: Guys, I standing here cloaked over this new Colonial Flagship. Name is “Parthenon”. Hehe, even the paint seems not fully dry here! I bet this ship newer did fire a single shot so far! Looks like we found a true virgin here.  This raid will be great! (Laughs)

(On board the Privateer Flagship)

Sookie: Captain, I activated the Chunnel. Bring them and take over this ship!

Don Ruez: HAHA, that’s easy-peasy with these Colonial morons! We are staying in this candy box a long time! Send more of our hands inside! Sookie, I think we will be good friends!

Sookie: Sure. I am here to serve you as best as I can (smiled)

Status Report Analyst 23: Directive 666 is being executed and work as computed.

Now – T35:

Drone 123: Attack on Crystal home world started. Broadcasting message:

We are the Cyborgs. Resistance is futile. We bring you closer to perfection. Get reborn inside the collective!  

Analyst 1: Crystal home world defense destroyed. Assimilation process started.

The hive: We are growing…  

To be continued

++++++++++++++++++++++++

WE WILL BRING PEACE TO THE CLUSTER. UNITY. UNIFORMITY.
HAVE YOU KNOWN GRIEF, AND RAGE, AND PAIN? THEY HURT. WE CAN SET YOU FREE.

This is the message that has just been broadcast from the orbit of the Crystalline homeworld. Their last defense has fallen. We have received reports that a small refugee fleet is retreating toward a reserve bastion, a secondary base prepared for just such an event. Some of the population has survived, but millions have just perished in this, the second loss of a homeworld in this Capricorn War.

Hello; this is Jim Chancellite for PM Action News. Today’s top story: the defeat of the Crystalline homeworld by the Cyborg. With us here in the studio to discuss this is military scholar Dr. Harv A. Liddell-Hart, author of the foundational work “Strategery”. Thank you for joining us here, Dr. Hart.

HLH: Glad to be here, Jim.
JC: The second of eleven homeworlds has fallen. What is your analysis of this development within the context of the Capricorn War as a whole?
HLH: Well, as you know, the Bird Man homeworld fell quite some time ago, and yet their empire is back up to three full starbases. There, however, he has a powerful ally working closely with him to restore his industrial strength; additionally, his neighbors have both suffered military defeats in the field.
JC: And the Crystals… ?
HLH: The Crystals have no such aid. We’ve seen statements of sympathy from the Rebels, the Fascists, the Robots and Colonies, and even the Evil Empire — but none of these is close enough to render substantiative assistance. Not in the near future, at least.
JC: What about his neighbors?
HLH: The southern neighbor is the Cyborg, of course; they aren’t likely to help. To the east is the domain of Don Ruez, leader of the Privateer Bands; he has given no sign that he might be willing to aid the Crystals, and in fact is working alongside the Cyborg against both the Robots and the Colonies.
JC: So there’s not much help coming from there either.
HLH: It’s not likely, no. And, in the absence of outside assistance, I predict that the Crystal Confederation will likely collapse completely.
JC: I see. And where does this leave the balance of power in the cluster?
HLH: From here, it’s pretty straightforward. The Robots and Colonies are both on the defensive and there’s chaos throughout the entire southeast; the Federation is down to a mere handful of worlds. This leaves only the Rebel Confederacy and the Fascist Empire as serious contenders against the Privateer/Cyborg alliance; however, rumor has it that Cyborg ships have been seen in the custody of the Fascists, so they may well be out of the competition.
JC: So you’re saying that, this early in the War, there are only three contenders remaining for the title?
HLH: That’s how it looks right now, yes. Of course, a diplomatic upset, a hidden treaty, a sudden unexpected military reversal — any of these could change the face of the conflict without warning.
JC: I see. Any predictions on a final winner?
HLH: My money’s on the Rebels; has been since the beginning.
JC: And, as always, the big loser is the civilian population.
HLH: Ahhh… I suppose you’re right, Jim.
JC: Dr. Harv A. Liddel-Hart, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us this evening.
HLH: Thank you, Jim.

And in other news, the Empire of the Bird Men seems to be in the middle of quite a dramatic recovery. We’ve received an encrypted burst transmission from our embedded Bird Man reporter, Torbjorn Greitenkamp; we’re told that live communication is still impossible, so we’ll play what we have for you.

“This is Torbjorn Greitenkamp reporting from deep space, traveling with the Bird Fleet. I can’t tell you where we’re at; the ship I’m on is running cloaked. What I can tell you is this: the Bird Men are rebuilding very rapidly after the fall of their home world. I’ve recently seen one of their brand-new starbases, and several ships have been added to the battle fleet with a foreign origin. Morale is much higher now than in the days immediately after the Lizard strike, and I’m told some of the ships are seeing combat again for the first time in quite a while. There’s actually a feeling of optimism here on the [CENSORED] and I’m beginning to see why; they have a disciplined force and an expert tactical staff that’s eager to come to grips with their foe. Until next time, this is Torbjorn Greitenkamp signing off.”

We are expecting updates from Torbjorn in the next few hours; we’ll keep you posted. We also anticipate reports from our Evil Empire correspondent and from Pat Patterson, who is on roving assignment. Stay tuned to this station for more breaking coverage.

But until then, that’s the way it is, Stunday, Grune 56 in the 5th year of Mentar. Long may he reign! Stay tuned for the Brockian Ultra-Cricket season opener coming up next on our affiliate stations.

This post was copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-the-rise-of-the-cyborgmen/

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. The top news story for today is the recent shift of materiel from the Privateer Bands to the Empire of the Bird Men. We go now to ace reporter Pat Patterson, who is at the Senate Logistical Monitoring Station, just outside of the Capricorn Sector. Pat?

[scene: Pat Patterson with planetary background]
Thanks, Jim. I’m standing here just outside the Corso Lunaris monitoring base. Behind me you can see a veritable forest of antennae, scanners and other monitoring equipment designed to track proceedings within the Capricorn War. These are decoded within that bunker over there [points] into the periodic “Statistics Report” from which we can follow the progress of the War, and incidentally from which victory conditions will be determined to have been achieved (or not) much later on.

Now, this most recent report, the 36th, has just been released, and it shows a surprising shift of both power and military vessels between empires. Here with me to talk about this is Sir Reginald Billingham-Thwaite, the official SLMS liason for the sector. Thank you for joining us, Sir Reginald.

SRBT: A pleasure, sir.
PP: Now, I understand the Senate has a strict neutrality policy in these matters. What can you tell us without breaching confidence?
SRBT: Well… *ahem* I can give you the raw data, you understand, but not any conclusions. For example, I can tell you that the “GS Gaius Baltar” was destroyed near planet 010, north of Colonial space, but I can’t tell you if it was a Colonial ship or… er… how it happened to explode, just that it did.
PP: I understand. Our sources tell us that it discovered a well-defended Cyborg planet.
SRBT: And I can neither confirm nor deny.
PP: Gotcha.
SRBT: What we did see was the normal expected variation in vessel counts. Some players lost a freighter and gained a warship (or vice-versa); this is perfectly normal. A capture, for instance, would be a credit to one player and a loss (in the same column) to another. Following so far?
PP: Yes, I am.
SRBT: Well, we’re showing… the loss of two freighters by the Cyborg and a corresponding gain by the Federation — not conclusive of anything, mind you, but potentially suggestive, considering. And…
PP: Yes?
SRBT: And a loss of eight warships plus substantial Military Score, with a corresponding gain in each by the Bird Men (making allowances, er-hem, for the new starbase construction et cetera, dontcherknow).
PP: Which would mean that the Privateer Bands are giving the Bird Empire several warships, perhaps captured Lizard battleships, maybe even that T-Rex squadron that we’d heard about!
SRBT: Er-hem! You might think that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.
PP: Ah… That’s a very distinctive phrase, you know. Have you been watching the original BBC version of “House of Cards”?
SRBT: You might think that; you might very well think that — but I couldn’t possibly comment.
PP: I see. Well, thanks very much for your insight into the raw data.
SRBT: Not at all, not at all, my dear sir. Do stop back and visit us again.
PP: I’ll do that. Thank you. Jim?

Thank you, Pat. We now have confirmation that the ship reported destroyed was indeed a Colonial ship, and there’s reason to believe that it did find a developed Cyborg planet. There’s been no report on Cyborg casualties, and no protests from the Cyborg government over the breach of what has been, so far, a relatively peaceful border.

In other news, we’ve got reports that today’s scheduled protest by the Galactic Campaign To Ban Spacemines was delayed when their transport craft “Rainbow Exploder” got stuck in a webfield. There were no civilian casualties and the transport was released; it is now heading for the center of the cluster. Reports of ion storms in their path have been dismissed by the protesters as, and I quote, “government lies to distract us from our noble purpose”. The Space Guard has three patrol craft prepared to conduct rescue operations in case of emergency.

We’ve also received word from the Space Guard that they’ve retrieved our reporter, Olen Hyven-Kilma, from the small escape pod in Evil Empire space where she had been drifting for two weeks. Ms. Hyven-Kilma is reportedly undergoing medical treatment for caffeine overdose, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that’s the way it is, today, the 1st of Frobozz in the fifth year of Mentar, long may he reign. We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion on UI documentation, already in progress. 

(This article has been reprinted by permission from The Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.) 

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-the-balance-of-power-shifts-slightly/

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. The top news story for today is from Colonial space. We go now to our embedded Colonial reporter, Hephaestus Tyrol, who is traveling with the Colonial Fleet. Are you there, Fess?
[static]
FT: I– [more static] here…
[even more static]

It looks like we’re having some technical problems getting in touch with Fess Tyrol, but we’ll try again later in the broadcast. For now, though, we’ll check in with D’Anna Beers, our embedded Robot reporter. What’s happening there, D’Anna?

DB: There’s a celebration going on here, Jim, as reports of a military victory at planet Spaceball have just been confirmed by the office of the Imperious Leader.
JC: What happened?
DB: A Cyborg carrier cube was destroyed in orbit a short time ago. Reports of heavy losses in the Robot fleet are being glossed over by local news outlets, and this is being lauded as a great victory.
JC: Can you elaborate on these reported losses?
DB: With military security as tight as it is, it’s tough to know for sure, but we have reports that two small escort carriers were destroyed along with their entire crew and fighter complement.
JC: Two ships for one! That sounds like a costly victory.
DB: Yes it does, Jim, but I have it on good authority that High Command believes it to be a reasonable cost. A Cyborg Biocide-class carrier is considered by some to be the most powerful military vessel in the cluster, though at least on paper the Evil Empire’s Gorbie-class carrier is its equal.
JC: Indeed. Is there news of further Robot plans?
DB: Only rumors, really. The earlier Robot plan of “Aggressive Defense” seems to be having some effect, and it is reasonable to assume that they will continue this in the face of continuing front-line raids by the Privateers.
JC: I see. Thank you for that, D’Anna.
DB: Thank you, Jim.

And I’m told we’ve re-established contact with Fess Tyrol over in Colonial space. Are you there, Fess?

FT: Can you hear me now?
JC: Yes, we can hear you.
FT: Good.
JC: Uh… So can you tell us what’s been happening over in Colonial space, Fess?
FT: Well, reports are still coming in from the front; apparently, the Privateer Bands attacked a Colonial battlestar to soften it up for a sneak attack from the Cyborg, where it was subsequently destroyed. Remote southern colonies have also been destroyed, and with minimal losses to the attacker.
JC: This is the second big defeat the Colonials have faced in recent days. How is morale in the Colonial ranks?
FT: Not good, Jim. The defensive fighter squadrons are still flying, but there have been reports of mutiny from no fewer than three ships, with crews refusing to dock at any station with a suspected Privateer presence. Without shipments of essential parts, ammunition and materiel, the more distant colonies have little chance to repel the invasion. There are reports of riots and rumors that some of the ship captains are talking about changing their allegiance to other factions.
JC: Now that’s unusual at this stage of a war. Are we really seeing another contender drop from the ranks this early? It seems… somehow premature.
FT: Well, the Admiral has been closeted with his senior advisors. There’s something happening, but we have no way of knowing what; security is tight on this one.
JC: Do you think there’s a chance that he’ll resign? This is the third major error in his brief tenure as Fleet Admiral.
FT: As I said, we have no way of knowing at this point. All I can tell you now is, there’s no clear contender for a replacement.
JC: I see.
FT: For now, we’re all just waiting to see what news comes out of Colonial command.
JC: Well, thank you for your report, Fess.
FT: Thank you, Jim.

Well, that’s the way it is today, the 5th of Frobozz in the 5th year of Emperor Mentar, long may he reign. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

(This post was copied with permission from The Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-the-war-heats-up/ )

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster! 

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. The top news story for today is the sudden and complete absence of power shifts and starship construction within the Capricorn War. “Consolidation” seems to be the word of the day, as new starbases continue to spring up and combat losses remain low for the fourth running report cycle. With us now to discuss this event — or rather, this lack of events — is military expert and media consultant Lieutenant Colonel Tolliver South.

JC: Colonel South, how would you describe the present situation in the Capricorn War?
TS: Well, Jim, it looks pretty stable for the moment, but looks (as we know) can be deceiving.
JC: How so, Tollie?
TS: As you know, the shipbuilder’s strike is now entering its tenth cycle, so very few warships are being completed. New construction has apparently been augmented by arming freighters, but the fact remains that new ships simply aren’t being launched these days.
JC: Yes, this is true.
TS: Well, if you look back a few cycles, you’ll see here [complex incomprehensible graph] a few ship encounters. Here [points at one spot just like all the others] we see a capital ship lost by the Colonies, but accompanied by a similar loss of power by the Cyborg — most likely representing the destruction of dozens of fighters. Now, here, here and… here [pointing at three other similar spots] we see the subsequent cycles: little or no real power gained by any of the represented factions. This spike here [points at something that could possibly be a curve but never a spike] shows the parallel rise in Rebel power.
JC: How is that possible with no ship construction?
TS: When interpreting these numbers, you’ve got to remember that many of the great powers — and the Rebels are no exception — rely heavily on squadrons of small one-man fighters, based either on fixed starbases or mobile carrier groups.
JC: So… they’re building fighters, is what you’re saying.
TS: Boatloads of them, Jim. This, coupled with the massive rise in starbase counts over the last ten cycles — note that, Jim; ten cycles again — tells us that we’re entering a static phase in the present warfare.
JC: Ten cycles… So you’re saying that the rise in starbase construction is directly linked to the shipbuilder’s strike?
TS: Absolutely! People think of starbases as construction and transshipment platforms, but they tend to forget that each starbase is the battlefield equivalent of a heavy carrier.
JC: Hence the new base construction.
TS: Indeed.
JC: Hmm. In that case, though, why are so few factions building starbases?
TS: Well, Jim, that really comes down to a question of logistics. With the low mineral counts that we’ve been seeing here in the Cap War, most of the factions simply don’t have the resources to put up heavy defensive lines. The few with logistical advantages — the Rebels with their Falcons, the Cyborg with their Firecloud network, and of course the Colonies with their Cobols — these are the only groups with the ability to easily create expensive strong points.
JC: I see. How is this likely to impact the direction of the war?
TS: We’re not sure yet. Three factions are growing disproportionally stronger — though you’ll notice that the Colonies, with the highest number of starbases, have one of the weakest military counts — and the rest seem rather static.
JC: But if you had to guess…
TS: I don’t like to guess, myself. On the other hand, the oddsmakers on New Lost Wages are favoring the following scenario: the Borg waiting just long enough to resupply, after which they’ll continue their advance against the Colonies. In the mean while, the Rebels will continue to grow in power — both military and logistic — until they have enough force to march to victory. Virtually unopposed, if you follow me.
JC: But with the Colonial defensive structures–
TS: –the Cyborg advance will soon bog down, yes. But don’t forget the tremendous advantage of the practically unlimited Cyborg tax base. It’s still anyone’s ball game at this point.
JC: Good to know. Thanks for your insights, Tollie.
TS: Any time, Jim.

Next, we’ll take you over to New Caprica for an inside look at the athletes competing in the Pyramid All-Star Game; then, a look at the refugee crisis at the edge of Crystal space. But first, a word from our sponsors…

(This post was copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-nothing-continues-to-happen/)

( Best viewed at http://planets.nu/discussion/the-capricorn-war-1 )

FRESNO

-- Chapter 2 --

I peeked into the envelope to check that the diplomatic seal on the inner envelope was still intact. It was. The old Klingon gave me another envelope which I verified to contain enough banknotes to match my commission. I had done my fair share of trades like these and learned that with Klingons, the trades were best hidden when done right in the open. I would still have preferred to trade in the north-east corridor, as I knew the cameras there were offline. But the client had insisted on a public place. All the same to me, the message was delivered and I had my money.

It was funny how the advancements in signals intelligence had brought back the old-fashioned cloak-and-dagger games: every digital message or comms protocol could be intercepted and, given enough time, deciphered. As a consequence, the top secret stuff had gone almost completely analogue. The thing now to watch out for was spy devices. The word was that if one went and bought a comms device or even a phaser these days, it would be reporting back to some intelligence department, maybe several. Hence the clumsy, antiquated phaser in my holster. That, and nostalgia.

I downed another pint of Fresno ale and exchanged a few polite words with the old Klingon. Nobody seems to care, except those two humans. They were watching the table closely. I felt slightly worried. They wouldn't attempt anything here, not in public with a few hundred Klingon marines present. But I'd better watch my back when leaving the bar. The well-dressed native was now sitting at another table, talking with two shady-looking Romulans. I couldn't help feeling curious about the exchange, but they were too far for me to get a clue of what was going on.

I learned from the old Klingon that the Borg Firecloud in the north was moving past the Klingon fringe territories, making the High Command sigh in relief while mourning for those tens of thousands of megacredits spent at improving fringe base defences. They said the Firecloud was being towed by a Pirate ship. Makes sense they passed us then, if you ask me, the Pirates were supposedly on terms with the Klingons. But the big question was, would the Rebels have to worry about cubes or robbers in their backyard? Or maybe both?

The old Klingon left the table and walked out. I looked out of the window to see a squadron of fighters flying from the base hangars on docking course towards the nearby Rush class heavy carrier. Was it a good sign, leaving the base defences empty like that? At least they were not expecting an immediate strike on Fresno.

I looked back to the bar and noticed the two humans had left. Wonder where they were from. Fresno was these days sprawling with humans. Passing crews from the fleets of the Colonies and the Rebel alliance. The occasional traveler from the Empire and ambassadors from the Pirates. And of course the local native population passed for humans when viewed from distance. The only thing certain was that they weren’t from the Federation, the Klingons would’ve caught on that.

Best viewed at: http://planets.nu/discussion/the-capricorn-war-1

-- Chapter 3 --

A sudden Klingon war cry from the hallway ahead stopped me. A series of thuds and bangs followed. My hand instinctively found the grip of the antique phaser while I pressed myself against a doorway. A human cry of pain followed, then a phaser burst. The slick, quiet sound of it suggested it was a modern weapon, designed for use in close quarters combat in places where a missed shot could cause unwanted damage.

Those modern phasers were unbelievable - They made a pinpoint scan on the surface they were firing upon, then combined the results of the scan with the location data and the on-device indoors map of that location. They then adjusted the power and wavelength of the beam to either cause or avoid damage. All this happened in microseconds and the combatants wouldn’t notice the delay at all. The surface of these kind of weapons had led to unintended comedy with combatants using trash can lids or computer terminals as armor, in hopes to deceive the incoming phaser shots. This worked up to a level, but then the attacker could choose to bypass the intelligence and go for maximum damage.

A human ran into sight. He had a phaser in his right hand and a piece of paper in his left. Despite all the blood, I recognized him to be one of the humans from the bar. My mind raced. Could I play cool and let him past? Would he recognize me? He would, no doubt. He had probably just robbed and killed my client and would not take the risk of leaving a witness. I couldn’t avoid this. Shit. I crouched and pulled out my phaser as a burst from his weapon hit the door hinge behind me. Steady now, point, aim, click. The antique phaser made a wet, noisy, slightly uncontrolled blast sound, not entirely unlike a bag of water melons being squashed by a giant hydraulic press. The burst hit the human in the chest, making most of it disappear in a cloud of combusting pieces of gore. A strong breeze entered the hallway when new air rushed in to replace the burnt-up one. The human collapsed to the ground, smoke rising to the ceiling of the hallway. No finesse in my gun, none at all.

I wouldn’t want to have to explain this to the authorities, but as the cameras in the region were not functional and Klingon patrols were a few minutes away, I would have a few seconds to check things out before I had to run. I walked to the dead human and checked quickly through his remaining pockets. The paper in his hand had burn to ashes - only a diplomatic seal remained of the message. No surviving pockets to check for papers. The phaser looked like a standard issue starbase security phaser. I took a picture of the dead assailants face and ran to where he had come from.

Two more bodies behind the corner of the next intersecting corridor. The old Klingon was lying on the floor, face down, with phaser burn marks in his side. The other human assailant was lying lifeless on his back with a Klingon blade stuck in his chest. I took a picture of the other assailants face and went through his pockets quickly. Nothing of consequence - no id, not even a key card. These guys can’t have been staying on the base. I then turned the old Klingon around and checked him. No id on him either. What was it with these guys? One more thing to check. Yes! There was an old, small and peculiarly shaped scar on the Klingons neck, suggesting microchip placement decades ago. The chip would tell the story, would it not? But how? I couldn't read the chip with anything I had with me - and I couldn’t carry the body with me either. In fact, I needed to run in a moment. I grabbed the blade stuck in the dead humans chest. That would have to do.

…

I took a long shower in my quarters, scrubbing away the dirt of the day both physically and mentally. I think I had managed to get away unnoticed. There had been a microchip indeed, of Klingon High Command design. I had not had the chance to scan the data on it yet, but merely its existence suggested the old Klingon had not only diplomatic connections but some kind of a special forces connection too. His handling of the assailants suggested special training, too. But why? Why him, why there? A Klingon special agent carrying supposedly top secret diplo stuff alone in the only part of the base where there was no camera coverage. It didn’t make any sense. Unless it was intentional.

I finished my shower and stepped out. Switched on my computer terminal and uploaded the pictures. A quick glance at the news told that most of the Klingon fleet and the alien support vessels had left Fresno. An invasion of Federation space had started, and the media attention would divert elsewhere. Fresno would slowly slide back to normality, an ordinary Klingon-controlled planet with humanoid natives and mostly nice weather. I wonder how that will affect the business? We’ll see, but now I had work to do.

Good evening. I’m Robert Seagull–
–and I’m Sacharissa Bock–
–and this is “Some Things Contemplated”, from CPR. Today, we’re exploring the civilian side of the Capricorn War, and its impact on the home front. We’ll be talking to people from the Privateer Bands, to a high commander in the Lizard Alliance, and to a former Cyborg operative who is now working for the Federation. But first, the news.

[theme music]

This is CPR News; I’m Sacharissa Bock. Our top story this evening is today’s stock market jump, the biggest one-day rise in prices since the mid-90s. From Wall Street World, our market analyst Lon Greene. How are things going down there, Lon?

LG: It’s been a crazy day on Wall Street World, Sacharissa. There hasn’t been this much market movement in weeks.
SB: What’s caused this, Lon? Why all the activity?
LG: Well, as you know, there’s been next to no movement in the War, no real battles to speak of for weeks. At the same time, there have been unprecedented amounts of starbase construction, and all this is during a shipbuilder’s strike that has virtually shut down every starship yard in the entire sector. There’s bubble employment through the roof, but there’s only just so many starbases you can build, and a lot of the economic markers indicating a recession are showing up.
SB: “Recession”? Combined with a jump in stock prices?
LG: I know, right? But if you think about it, this really does make sense.
SB: Explain it to me.
LG: In any period of market uncertainty, you’ll see bond prices rise while stocks plummet; this is the standard reaction, as long-term investors move their savings into more stable assets. Normally, this is what we’d expect right now; there’s a war on and nobody really knows how and when the balance of power is going to shift. But THIS war is running so true to type that the smart money is already shifting.
SB: You mean, people have figured out the winner already?
LG: It’s not really that simple, but you can think of it that way. Right now, companies that specialize in making starbases — General Eclectic, Long Construction — and the support companies — Freightliner Interspace, Colonial Movers, Planets Express — are raking in the cash, but their stocks are peaking. The more aggressive funds are already moving into technology companies like Tesladyne and passenger conglomerates like Virgin InterGalactic. And everything that supports that sort of specialty company is booming too; even mining operations, long considered the dogs of the market, are jumping on the profit bandwagon.
SB: Even with a shipbuilders strike?
LG: Even with a strike. Before, quality was less important than quantity, but now, consumers are taking the time and trouble to make certain that every ship built is top of the line. That means technology; that means machine tools; that means freight — bottom line, that means jobs. It’s exciting times on Wall Street World, Sacharissa.
SB: It sounds it! Thanks, Lon!
LG: Thank you.

This is CPR: Capricorn Public Radio.
[theme music]

This is Robert Seagull.

An atmospheric and space search is continuing for possible survivors of the “Rainbow Exploder”, a 729-ton passenger liner which apparently crashed and broke apart last night in the Capricorn Sector. The ship, its passengers, and its 29-man crew vanished in an ion storm with 129-volt potential and ion wave heights up to twelve meters. All that has been found is a radiation slick and some debris.

The vessel acted as the flagship for the Galactic Campaign To Ban Spacemines and was reportedly carrying eighty-eight celebrities and their retinues. The search began when the ship was reported overdue at its destination, the planet Cylon in the center of the Echo Cluster.

Famed intergalactic musician and composer Groton Lightyear is reportedly already hard at work on a song commemorating the disaster.

Stay tuned for Some Things Contemplated, coming up next on your local CPR station.
[theme music] 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw  

(This article was reprinted with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved. 

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/cpr-news-some-things-contemplated/ )

This is Planets Magazine Action News, coming to you live with a special report: The Capricorn War — Conflict in Echo Cluster!

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. The top news story for today comes from the Imperial homeworld, where we have our new embedded correspondent, retired Imperial Captain Michael Culver. Captain Culver, can you hear me?

CC: Loud and clear, Jim.
JC: What can you tell us about the recent developments in Empire space?
CC: Well, it’s not entirely certain at this point what IS going on. I’m here in the second briefing room, just off the bridge of the Star Cruiser “Avenger”. We had an interview scheduled with the captain, one Lorth Needa, but we were just informed that he took a shuttle to go speak with the Evil Emperor personally.
JC: Personally? That seems unusual.
CC: It’s not as odd as you might think, Jim. The Imperial Navy has a long tradition of personal responsibility and direct contact. Even in combat, there is rarely anything shouted across, say, CIC or the bridge. Younger officers are employed as couriers to bring physical reports and messages, and frequently a technician will make a report in person.
JC: But a captain leaving his ship in the middle of what seems to be some sort of combat alert?
CC: That’s less frequent, but in the event that there is a detailed report to make, or perhaps an explanation of a mishap, it’s considered important that the officer in question take personal responsibility.
JC: I see. Well… hm. Is there anything you can tell us about what’s been going on?
CC: Just rumor, really. Word has it there’s been some sort of major diplomatic incident involving one of the captains of the allied Crystalline ships that have been laying web mines in the area; nobody really knows for sure.
JC: But what about the combat?
CC: We’re told that it was nothing; just a minor fire-control incident. But we’ve heard that as many as two Imperial ships, likely frigates, were destroyed in what seems to be — hang on a second, Jim.
JC: All right; we’re not going anywhere.
[pause]
CC: Jim, I’ve just been informed that Captain Needa’s personal apology to the Emperor has been accepted. Unfortunately, he seems to have been killed in some sort of accident, and his first officer is now in charge here on the Avenger.
JC: An “accident”? Isn’t the timing on that rather suspicious?
CC: There have been rumors… but they’re unconfirmed, and it wouldn’t be responsible journalism to comment on that.
JC: I see. Now, you were saying — about the two frigates, I think it was, that were destroyed?
CC: Ah. Yes, yes I was. The reports are fairly reliable, but it’s not certain why any of this happened, or why the Evil Empire hasn’t made any public comments on the incident. It’s possible that they don’t want the report to get out in case it causes unrest.
JC: Unrest?
CC: Yes; there have been a few protests — all quickly silenced — over the price tag of the new space station that’s reportedly being launched sometime this week. There was also some sort of scandal about an apparent “secret vulnerability”, but that was squelched as well. Apparently, the Evil Emperor didn’t want anyone talking about it.
JC: And what was this “secret vulnerability” supposed to be?
CC: Well, from what we’ve heard, apparently the battlestation isn’t well-defended against small one-man fighters, and a single proton torpedo directed at a small exhaust po– *cck*
JC: Captain Culver? Are you all right over there?
CC: *hkk* *hkk* *kkkk*
JC: Captain Culver? Mike! Mike, can you hear me?
CC: *kkk* [THUD.]
[pause]

It seems we’ve lost contact with Captain Culver. We’ll keep trying to restore the connection; in the mean while, please stay tuned for station identification.

(This post was copied with permission from the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

http://www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-apology-accepted-captain-needa/#more-3427 )

Hello, I’m Jim Chancellite. The top news story for today is the sudden and abrupt increase in diplomacy in the Capricorn War. We go now to ace reporter Pat Patterson, who is at the Senate Logistical Monitoring Station, just outside of the Capricorn Sector. Pat?

[scene: Pat Patterson with planetary background]
Thanks, Jim. I’m standing here just outside the Corso Lunaris monitoring base. This forest of scanners, antennae and other monitoring equipment is designed to track happenings within the Capricorn War. The signals are decoded inside that security-sealed bunker over there [points] and resolved into the periodic “Statistics Report” from which we can follow the progress of the War from a safe distance.

Now, this most recent report, the 58th, shows a small but significant shift of military power. Here with me to discuss this is Sir Reginald Billingham-Thwaite, the official SLMS liason for the sector. Thank you for joining us, Sir Reginald.

SRBT: A pleasure, sir. Good to see you again.
PP: You as well, Sir Reginald. I understand the Senate has a strict neutrality policy in these matters. What can you tell us without breaching confidence?
SRBT: Well… *ahem* I can give you the raw data, you understand, but not any conclusions. For example, I can tell you that a ship was destroyed at the coordinates (2698, 2724), northeast of Rebel space. That a Cyborg Firecloud was reported nearby and is nowhere to be seen at present, may be pure coincidence, and no relationship between the two facts can be proven.
PP: I see. Our sources tell us that there may have been a so-called “friendly fire incident” involving a Privateer Meteor.
SRBT: And I can neither confirm nor deny.
PP: Gotcha.
SRBT: Actually, in this case that may be an important difference. Fireclouds can move easily, and it’s equally likely — judging from the raw data, you understand — that a Rebel ship fought, for example, a Fascist one in the area, and that the events are merely synchronicitous. Contemporaneous, if you will.
PP: I… uh, I see.
SRBT: Yes. Well. The major occurrence of note is a transfer of power — general, this time, and between multiple factions. Several ships have changed hands, and a small amount of new construction has reportedly begun.
PP: New construction? But the shipbuilder’s strike–
SRBT: Oh, certainly. But we can also tell that the total number of ships active in the various fleets has not changed one whit, not an iota. So you see, the terms of the strike have not been broken at all.
PP: Interesting. And to what can we attribute this shift? Combat? Betrayal?
SRBT: You might think that, but I couldn’t possibly comment. I can only observe that but a single explosion was, in fact, reported.
PP: Ah. Well, what can you tell us?
SRBT: Merely that the Evil Empire and the Cyborg are the big losers, and that the Privateer is the big winner.
PP: And what about the reported gains on the part of the Colonial forces?
SRBT: A single ship, likely combined with ongoing fighter construction. Analysis of the Colony military strength chart over time shows a gradual and continual increase with little or no ship construction; as such, we must conclude that a large percentage of apparent Colonial power is, in fact, merely the result of continually increasing fighter stocks.
PP: So it’s not that the Colonies are invading the Empire.
SRBT: Oh, as to that, I’m sure I couldn’t say. But I can tell you that there have been no explosions on their border, and the planet count isn’t shifting noticeably.
PP: I see. And… wasn’t there something about diplomacy?
SRBT: Oh! Yes — merely that diplomatic message traffic during this past monitoring period reached an all-time high for this sector.
PP: Really? [suspiciously] But I thought Senate monitors couldn’t track diplomatic communications, that they were secure by their very nature!
SRBT: Oh, certainly, certainly, my dear sir. We don’t READ the messages.
PP: Then how could you–
SRBT: We transmit them, don’t you know.
PP: You– uh, no. No, I didn’t know.
SRBT: But of course! We have the only secure message relay system in the entire sector! It’s free to use — an important consideration for some of the smaller empires — and guaranteed private. And Senatorial neutrality is, of course, unimpeachable.
PP: Oh, of course. Ah… so there was a lot of discussion, then?
SRBT: Yes, it was a massive spike in the message count.
PP: Between who?
SRBT: [primly] I wouldn’t know.
PP: But surely you must see the recipient in order to deliver–
SRBT: [acidly] We’re not the postal service, you know. It’s all done automatically.
PP: Ah; I see. Hmm… If it were a matter of trades, we’d expect the messages to be on the turn before.
SRBT: Or turns.
PP: Turn or turns, yes. So it’s the Privateer stealing ships again, and from the Borg, no less! No wonder there was so much talking going on, if he’s turning his coat!
SRBT: Oh, well, I certainly couldn’t comment on that.
PP: That’s all right, Sir Reginald. You just keep giving us the data; we’ll turn it into news.
SRBT: But to say that the Privateer is stealing ships — that’s unproven. And that he changed his loyalty? Inflammatory, sir; it’s no more than unsubstantiated gossip!
PP: That’s what I said — news. Back to you in the studio, Jim.

Thanks for that insightful report, Pat. Now, we’ve attempted to reach both the Evil Emperor and the Cyborg Controller for comment but with no luck. The Cyborg appears to be keeping a dignified silence on the subject; the Evil Emperor is also silent, but that silence seems somehow… ominous. We’ve also dispatched a camera crew to Privateer space, but they returned early; apparently, some miscreant stole their cameras, microphones and broadcasting equipment.

And that’s the way it is, today, Stunday, the 26th of Ares in the 6th Year of Mentar, long may he reign. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

(This article has been reprinted by permission of the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.

www.planetsmagazine.com/news/action-news-the-rhetoric-escalates/ )

(This article has been reprinted by permission of the Planets Magazine.  All rights reserved.