PACT NOTES 7

KONA TATSU REDUX

   The Kona Tatsu has had an ancient and illustrious history as protectors of the Pact of Humanity and its government, but what is not widely known is the consistent and growing internal conflict within the KT itself over its destiny. With the escalation of the Pact Civil War, this internalized conflict is becoming much more serious, with definite repercussions for the entire Pact of Humanity. The story continues....

   His critics are known as “mixers”, while KT Head Adnan Kashoggi is “strait”. The struggle between straights and mixers is almost as old as the Kona Tatsu itself, driven by its founders’ personality cults. It’s positively Shakespearean in its intrigue, with stories of widespread fighting, blatant corruption, one-upmanship, murder, revenge, and even suicide. However, the real tragedy is that the turf wars have left their profession unable to characterize itself with a single voice. So deep and abiding is the mistrust between the two sides that some KT agents compare themselves to the ancient Israelis and the Palestinians, or the Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland. This too, they suggest, is a war of attrition.

   The straights promote vitalism, the belief that the Pact is more than just another interstellar empire, that it is self-determining and unstoppable. The mixers promote mechanism, the belief that the Pact will one day be dominated by aliens and machines, that stopping that threat is the most important agenda the KT should be pursuing. According to the straights, the mixers are polluting the profession for economic gain and fiercely protecting the laws that sanction their approach because they fail to understand the “nobility of power politics”.

   The debate continues at the highest levels of government, yet over the past several months, with more and more people are embracing the mechanism approach, including the new head of the Pact Navy, High Admiral Ivgeny Kutukov and Adnan Kashoggi, the freshly appointed KT Head.

GLOSSARY

Admiral Shenshak's Rebellion: A vicious revolt that broke out in 10,934  in Omega Cluster and rapidly spread throughout the naval chain of command in a half dozen Clusters; instigated by former war hero Admiral Kalimar Shenshak of Jalalabad. The only notable modern naval rebellion, Admiral Shenshak enjoyed wide-spread support among naval personnel across the Pact and was only put down by strenuous efforts of the Kona Tatsu and Fleet Admiral Michael MacGhenny, cousin to former High Secretary Devin MacDonald.

Automorphs: "Living as art", a submovement of  "transhuman" thinking. A art where self-transformation, usually using bioengineering and other genetic manipulation techniques, and living itself is the medium. Some Automorphs go to extreme measures to stand out in society, including almost alien-looking appearances. Within the last decade, Automorphs have become quite violent in expressing themselves.

Beanstalk: A strong cable lowered from geosynchronous orbit and anchored to the ground(often with a small asteroid at the outer end to provide extra tension and stability). This would provide cheap and simple access to space using elevators. The term beanstalk was spread by the role-playing game 2300AD by GDW.

Biological Fundamentalism: A conservative religious movement that resists asexual reproduction, genetic engineering, altering the human anatomy, and overcoming death. A resistance movement born to counter the evolution from the human to the posthuman. Followers of God are usually biological fundamentalists, as are many other sects and small groups of Maronites.

Borganism: An organization of formerly autonomous beings that have merged their individual wills to create one, collectively conscious being. A highly dangerous group of individuals that routinely spring up within Pact space, the cause being unknown but quite possibly the perverted use of nanotechnology. The Builders are a borganism collective.

Berserker: Incredibly dangerous automated killing machines left over from some ancient war, usually found in orbit in the form of massive and unstoppable warships. Their only goal is the eradication of all life within the known galaxy. Usually a self-reproducing machine, Berserkers were mostly wiped out in Pact space during the Battle of Trannock Nor.

Dianus Plague: A virulent and deadly viral outbreak that occurred within the core worlds of the Pact of Humanity from 6,540 to 6,591 which virtually cut off the central worlds of the Pact from its colony worlds during the Quarantine. During this period, around twelve billion persons contracted the disease, all of who died horribly. This event forced the development of the Pact's initial bioweapons programs and the construction of the first Interlink system.

Ectogenesis: The creation of human life within artificial wombs. Wide-spread use within  the Pact has allowed both the federal and local governments as well as the Pact military to create vast standing armies of warriors that have little or no rights as citizens. A vast underclass within the military, these supersoldiers(also called “tanks”) has suddenly become a serious liability within the increasingly fractured Pact military as they have no political or social loyalties.

Megascale Engineering: Technology using energies, scales, or methods far beyond current levels. Typical examples are ground-to-orbit beanstalks, Dyson spheres, and stellar husbandry. The Holot's tech levels are high enough for megascale engineering to be used throughout their empire, with the Pact's fledgling industry only beginning.

Onesiders: A brutal and radical sect formed nearly 200 years ago, the Onesiders are a pro-Dolist, anti-corporate technological group bent on "empowering the people" and elimination of Megacorporations within the Pact. Highly militant and effective, Onesider attacks have been especially brutal in recent years, dealing death to anyone who dares side with "corporate scum." Assassinations of corporate employees, high-level officials, and destruction of corporate equipment is their main method of operation, including the use of biological, nuclear, and antimatter weapons. Onesiders enjoy widespread Dolist support and many are  current or former ex-military. 

Picotechnology: Technology using objects on the picoscale(quantum level). This involves nucleons and other elementary particles doing useful work, involving quantum effects. Unlike nanotechonology, picotechnology has been only in limited use within the Pact of Humanity for a half dozen years.

Pilgrims: Genetically engineered inhabitants of the Pilgrim System, these people have been spread across the Pact since the destruction of their star system by a rogue black hole nearly 400 years ago. Dominant chromosomes enable the huge and massively strong Pilgrims to breed true to their genome, even though they are widely scattered and oppressed. Pilgrims are routinely seen in the Pact Marines, where their incredible size and strength are assets in combat.

Purge Zone: The region located between the Holot Empire and Pact of Humanity that is a declared "dead zone". This area is a death zone, populated by uninhabited worlds and stellar systems that are routinely bombarded by automated weapons on both sides of the border. The Pact of Humanity uses the Purge Zone to test some of its newest weaponry, as well as automated military hardware like Long Range Missile Units and Recon Drones.

Resolution Campaign: One of this centuries most important military campaigns against the rabid Dionii hordes, the Pact military under command of Admiral Frank Cavalier and Admiral Mora Dyen dealt a devastating blow to the massing Dionii forces in the Horseye Combat Region. A brilliant campaign, Resolution actually halted the 20th Dionii Wave in its tracks for nearly six months as the confused and ravaged Dionii sought to regroup.

Rif: A Rifkinite, or supporter of ancient humanist Jeremy Rifkin and his anti-genetic engineering, anti-nanotech crusade; against any and all research or implementation in these areas. Having survived for centuries, Rifkin's ideas have evolved into a sect bent on "saving" humanity from rabid technology. A gifted terrorist group.

Springer: A inhabitant of the massive high-gravity planet Springworld, Springers are genetically engineered to withstand the bitter cold and brutal environmental conditions of their planet. Springers are typically eight feet tall and have a average body weight of 350 pounds. Springworld is a harsh winter planet ruled by a small patriarchal circle, forcing many Springers to immigrate off-planet, typically into the Pact armed forces.

Stellar Husbandry: To control the evolution and properties of stars, especially to stabilize them, prolong their lifetimes, manipulate the stellar wind, lift off useful material, or create new stars. Typical methods would be star lifting or mixing the stellar core with envelope material to make hydrogen burning last longer. The Holot Empire specializes in this type of megatechnology, although the Pact of Humanity has recently begun to lift off useful material from stars in several locations across Pact space.

TECHNOLOGY

Carrier Pods(CVP): One of the more unique weapons systems ever fielded by the Pact, Carrier Pods are a slightly modified carrier hull that is towed into combat situations by tugs and allowed to remain outside of enemy range while launching their fighter compliments. Developed only a year ago by the Trantor System Defense Forces, CVP can be any size and have no drive field or engines, thus are stealthy in appearance. While these bases could be localized by their returning flight groups, most enemy forces that run into a system with these kind of defenses usually do not survive them. In combating Dionii, CVP have proved to be especially efficient in eliminating enemy small craft and medium-sized combatants on their own and without ship support. Cost: as per hull size, dev cost: 6,000. TL 10.

Cutter, Cargo(cf): A one-man cargo handling craft designed to off-load a ship’s external racks that are loaded with cargo. The cf is one bbp in size and is not warp capable. A cf can remove one 500csp pod from a XOc and transport it to another location at speed two. With two fXO racks, the cf can mount ECM or chaff to decrease its vulnerability to be hit. Cost is 20MCr, dev cost 1,800. TL3.

External Cargo Racks(XOc): Used to store cargo externally, primarily outsized military items like tanks and IFVs. Each XOc can hold up to 1,500 csp in “cargo pods” which are attached and retrieved by specially built “cargo cutters”. These cargo cutters are a small craft that can land the cargo pod on a planetary surface while under fire. Cost is 5MCr per rack and 5 per pod, dev cost is as per XO and 800 for the cargo pod shell. TL3.

Forcebeam, Rapid-Fire(Fa): An advanced version of the forcebeam, the Fa fires twice per round, bring new life to this old energy weapon. “Batteries” are compatible with Fa, decreasing their size by one hull space when used together. Cost 100, size 4 hull spaces, dev cost 12,500, TL 8.

Hypermass Generator(HMG): One of the most devastating weapons that the Pact Navy has ever produced, this large and very complex system hurls hypermasses at enemy warships, causing incredible damage. A unique change of the drive field, known only to the Pact Navy, turns the DF into a massive funnel that dumps trillions of tons of local "dark matter" into the generator, concentrating it and firing it, all within milliseconds. The hypermass does not actually have to hit a warship to cause damage, just being in the same hex(or hex path) causes tremendous damage(fifteen internal points and fifteen points of damage directly to armor, with no damage to shields) to any and all ships within the hex row that it is fired in. A Hypermass Generator fires an object(.50 Solar mass) every other round, for five rounds only, destroys small craft easily, and travels at .95c. The DF of a ship cannot compensate for the gravity of the hypermass and thus the ship takes damage even though the hypermass only travels near the ship. Any small craft that are in the same hex as the hypermass are instantly sucked into it and destroyed. The massive physical and energy demands of this system limit it in the following way: a dreadnought can only carry one, superdreadnoughts can only carry two. This weapon is forward facing only(fighter fire arc) and its range is 15 hexes, after which the hypermass instantly dissipates into the quantum realm. Size is fifteen hull spaces, 800MCr, 65,000 to dev, TL10.

Lasers, Pulse(La): The ability to “pulse” energy from its fusion room and micronization techniques allows the old-style laser a new life on board Pact warships. This laser system is two hull spaces in size, costs 75MCr, dev cost 10,000, and cannot be developed unless the L system is first. The La system also has an ability to target fighters much better than the previous L system(+2). TL6

Missile Box Launcher, Basic(Rb): Operates as per Wb from ISW4, but may not fire sprint mode missiles. Cost 50, 2 hull spaces, dev cost 4,500, TL9.

JOURNAL FROM THE FRONT LINES

   According to eJournalist Stephane Guttmann, “The current budget-worried Army is more concerned with trainee attrition that it is with putting quality soldiers in the field”. Her primary point is that the Pact Army and Navy(not the Marines) have in the late 990s become organizations focused on political correctness, not military capability. The hard pressed Pact military has begun allowing women into all areas and branches of the military, where before they had limited roles and were barred from front-line combat. In the upper Pact hierarchy, women had not been denied top-level positions for centuries although to this day they have had to work a lot harder for their positions.

   Ms Gutmann, a freelance eJournalist, has nothing against women in the military. What she opposes is forcing the military to adapt to women, instead of the other way around. She believes that the Army and Navy leaderships have not been courageous enough to challenge their political bosses on the fundamental purpose of the military.

   The political leaders of the Pact want the military to be a direct extension of the civil society. High Secretary Ian MacDonald former Army Secretary Yannik Togo summarized this position by saying the military should be “a force that looks like the Pact.”

   Even thought they may not be willing to say so publicly, most Pact military leaders believe its purpose to be as tough as possible, with as many warriors as possible. Again, it is not the increased number of women in the military that Ms Guttman opposes. Her point is that the military is becoming a social organization instead of being a military fighting force.

   Guttman writes: “If the warrior culture frightened away women, then the warrior culture had to be changed.” A society that thinks like that is going to get itself into trouble. What would happen in the last few centuries against the Dionii and the Holots if the Pact’s current thinking was in place?

   Ms Guttman makes the point that the Army and the Navy are doing all they can to recruit as many women into the military as possible. Recruiting women should be neither good nor a bad idea. The focus must be on getting as many qualified people as possible to become warriors.

   Affirmative action to equalize the number of men and women in the military makes no sense. This is strictly a feminist agenda. What we have now in the Pact military is a warrior culture versus a sensitivity culture, and the sensitivity culture, which cannot prevail in combat, is winning.

   Ms. Gutmann observed and analyzed such functions as Army basic training, life in space aboard the PNS Josiphine Bero, the Garrady's World scandal, pregnancy in the military, and the issue of whether women should be in front-line combat units. Her report card does not bode well for the Pact's welfare. The Pact Army has been desperate for recruits, lowering the bar for entrance into that branch of the military.

   For example, to make the challenge easier for the less qualified, basic training now divides recruits into "ability groups". Whatever happened to striving to be the best? The purpose of boot camps across the Pact is to simulate the stress of the battlefield, to push the recruits to the limit. If you can be broken in basic training, combat stress will certainly destroy you.

   When a war starts, everyone planet side is an infantry man. As Army Captain Joe Gross said, "I would not want to go to war with a  fat, untrained cook." You can be certain that the Pact's enemy's understands Captain Gross.

   Ms. Gutmann disdains our military leaders. She writes from the front lines: "Leaders no longer lead from the viewpoint of doing what's right from a military standpoint; they lead by what they think other people will think (and how) that will affect their career." Careerism is rampant within the Pact military forces, weakening the overall strategic posture of the Pact armed forces.

   Ms. Gutmann summarizes the gender issue this way: "The bottom line is we cannot have a military unless its first priority is military readiness, and that will mean looking for and keeping warriors. I believe that women must be trained in the same way as men. With this in place, if women are as effective warriors as men, we can avoid the sex problem by giving them their own combat divisions, aircraft carriers, and bases. I wonder how such an experiment would turn out."

REBELLIOUS WORLDS

Jackson’s Whole: An medium-sized outpost located within Guinea Cluster, Jackson’s Whole has been totally taken over by Onesider rebels, cutting off an entire section of the Cluster from communicating with the central government. System Governor Doni Fromm has told local newscasts last week that the Onesiders would be good for the Whole system, and is fully supporting them. The Pact naval detachment then came under heavy immediate fire once the Onesider takeover was announced but Rear Admiral Ian O’Connor’s command(three heavy cruisers and two destroyers) got out with little damage. The Admiral, however, eliminated the minefields at the GHK-098 warp point, a possible precursor to a counter-invasion.

Kline Station: An important Guinea Cluster transshipment center, Kline Station was taken over first by Onesider forces before they began their Cluster-wide assault in Guinea. The System Governor, Jerred Zhu, has abandoned the high road of diplomacy for the low road of violence by backing the Onesider rebellion. It was from this location that the ruthless and brutal attack on Guinea cluster began, with the full support of most of the local disgruntled populace.

Militar: A Guinea Cluster world, Militar is also home to vast military schools that have fueled the Pact military, sending millions of officers through its academies. Unfortunately, the central bureaucracy on Militar has thrown its support to Onesider rebels in their mad rush to power. Critical military hardware and warships have been seized throughout the system and mobilization is beginning, but with substantial resistance by loyalist forces on the planet. The military expertise of this planets’ leaders is a serious blow to local Cluster commanders as they try to fight alien uprisings, rebel governors, and now Militar's naval experts.

Newterra: One of the most important worlds in Guinea Cluster, the fall of the planetary government to Onesider rebels has thrown the entire system into turmoil. Widespread fighting, with the use of tactical nuclear strikes, has been reported by courier boat. The former Governor of  Newterra, Nikosev Potopov, is forming a significant resistance to the Onesider forces, but his limited military hardware seriously hinders his progress against his superior Onesider foes. Several seasoned armored divisions have gone over to Governor Potopov’s forces, including the famed 103rd Armored Division, and hold the capital city New Townsend. The local Hyperwave Generator has been destroyed, along with most orbital bases but loyalist forces hold the nearly two dozen bases guarding the warp points and are desperately requesting help.

Sapriportus: Located in Guinea Cluster, this massive omega world is also home to nearly two hundred billion sentients, including sizable Rh/atte and Chalder minorities. The rebellion that has taken over this planet is the dreaded Onesider terrorists, who earlier in the month assassinated the entire local planetary government using two nuclear demolition munitions on the stilt-capital city Himala’za, with the loss of over 90 million civilians. After years of infiltration in the armed forces, Onesider rebels have subverted the military on the planet, enabling the coup to move forward. The famously brutal Onesider leader Annette Lu is said to be in power and directing the subjugation of the planet. The financial loss of Sapriportus to the central government in the Guinea System cannot be understated but reinforcements have not been forthcoming.

NANO AND PICOTECHNOLOGY

   One of the most incredible transformations of humanity came with the development of real, useable nanotechnology in the late 6,700s. Research into this area had been going on and off for several thousand years until researcher Jon Gladden, one of Granyork's most prodigious scientists, developed the first nanotech assemblers with encoding built-in. Dr. Gladden, a cutting-edge cybernetic researcher involved with medical-technological interfacing, achieved the incredible developments after decades of intensive research. The dramatic improvements in medical nanotech allowed generations of people to live to a much older age, to the current 120 standard years, in extraordinary health. Genetic engineering breakthroughs came quickly afterwards, causing a revolution in military personnel and applications, but it was nanotech that truly changed the Pact military. The development of new, critical technologies and advanced robots were the result. These also included the basic Alpha, Beta, and Delta-class robots that were each assigned to differing levels of expertise. Alphas were scientists and researchers assistants, able to help their humans produce much more efficiently. Beta's were used in combat, while the Deltas, with only rudimentary skills and intelligent, were used as basic laborers across Pact space. Made up of trillions of nanites, these robots are extremely hard to destroy and are basically one giant computer.

   The Pact military made use of nanotech early on in its development, with nanotech repair systems and micronized power systems allowing the Navy to create smaller, more powerful weapons systems. Robots were also created to become military analysts, grunts, and in one case, a commanding officer. Facing nightmarish hordes of Dionii gigantic insects, human troops were phased out of front line combat against humanity's enemies and robots replaced them. Using superhuman strength and speed, these so-called "Omega" robots fought in most of the regional conflicts against the Dionii, with an exceptional battle record. Although some fret that these robots could eventually take over, their nanotech needs regular servicing and programming from human crews. Other military systems that benefited from the nanotech revolution were combat information centers, damage control rooms, and direct human-machine interfacing(ie Cyber-Synth Technology).

   New breakthroughs into picotechnology(quantum level engineering) is appearing to mark another revolution within the Pact military as well. Primary funding for picotechnology comes from the Navy, as well as several high-population Pact planets, with results looking promising. 

TRANTOR

   As many areas of the Pact of Humanity fall into disarray, planetary governments across Pact space are ramping up domestic warship production to ensure their local stability. System Governors and Cluster Senators all have varying views on warship production and deployment, and the megaplanet Trantor is no different. With a sizable light warship component, the newly formed Trantor Navy is focusing on superdreadnought construction in spite of their lengthy build time. Although Trantor is a single-system polity under the supervision of Governor Bett Farrel, the Farrel government has become increasingly alarmed at the near collapse of the Maui Cluster at the hands of the alien Kanga race. The potential loss of a dozen agroworlds in Maui Cluster that feed the one trillion people who inhabit Trantor has many in the Governing Council arguing for annexing those worlds by force. The need for a much larger naval force was recognized early on by Governor Farrel as the continuing crisis on Terra gained momentum and entire Clusters began to illegally declare their independence. The newly formed Bureau of Ship Production appraised Trantor officials on several superdreadnought designs with the beam-heavy Furious-class being chosen for rapid production. Twelve units were immediately laid down in Trantor orbit, with the large graser spinal mount forming the central core of each warship. Six batteries of grasers and new shield generators were also installed, with talk of emplacing a wing of new fighter launchers on the superdreadnoughts, which would give them an integrated close space support. The new mechanical launch systems that were recently developed at the Reagan Research Center would double the fighter contingents on Trantoran warships, vastly increasing each ships’ firepower. A slew of tractor beams was also introduced during the Furious-classes production, to enable missile pod fire and extend the range of this warships range.

   Trantor is in the happy position of spending only a fraction of its total budget on naval defense compared to typical Pact worlds. One analyst calculated that if the Farrel government spent a mere 30% of its GNP on defense, it could build a force equal to 120 superdreadnoughts and support those heavy units indefinitely. This vast monetary surplus is allowing Trantor officials to embark on a substantial naval renewal program, modernizing its much-maligned hundred year old Admirable-class dreadnoughts. The primary naval squadron in the Trantor System are the oversized 34th BatRon and 44th BatRon, with the 34th priding itself on being ready to deploy anywhere, anytime. In recent years, the 34th’s ability to deploy quickly has been called into question, primarily because of the size and weight of the Admirable-class dreadnoughts, which is the key weapon in its arsenal. This class has performed well in the many incursions by Dionii forces into Pact space, and the key to such encounters, Trantor spokesman Ro Khambatta explained at the 1st Trantor Naval Briefing were:

*The primary Graser Spinal Mount, capable of first-shot kills at distances that outrange most Capital Missiles,

*Highly classified armor, made of tri-radium(depleted radium and synth-alloys),  which can withstand all but the most devastating hits from other warships.

   The evenly spaced armored bulkheads that separate critical parts of the Admirable-class dreadnought also includes blow-out panels for critical fusion room failure. These panels are designed to blow outwards into deep space  in the event of a hit by enemy fire. Vice Admiral Joe Yakovac explained, “The number one thing that the Admirable-class was designed to do besides killing Dionii swarms was to protect the crew.” That is important, the Vice-Admiral continued, because “If the crew knows it can hit distant targets without getting hurt themselves, they will have confidence to keep fighting even while under heavy fire.”

   To conduct intensive, heavy combat in the future, Trantor planners are developing a new dreadnought class that will eventually replace the Admirable-class warships. As envisioned, the new class will have at least as much firepower as the Admirable warships but be much lighter and faster, but this class is still in the early stages of design. Trantor Navy officials caution that it will take until the end of next year to begin fielding the new dreadnought class and perhaps another ten years to complete the production cycle. Several new systems to be included in the new warship class are:

*An embedded version of the digitized Combat Information Center(CIC1), to provide on-the-move, real-time battle information to the task group,

*A new and highly powerful picotechnology computer that utilizes quantum mechanics. This computer will be interfaced with the Pact’s standard phased array radar as well, allowing the vessel to engage multiple targets with penalty, while at the same time the Admiral continues to point out new tactics,

*A second generation array of graser batteries, substantially saving space within a warships hull,

*A new upgrade of phased array radars, mostly replacing the external ordinance racks,

*A new hyperwave generator capable of sustaining near-instant datalinks among fleet units that are widely separated from one another.

   New computer upgrades for all Trantor warships are necessary for older warships if they are to fit into the Navy’s plans to install hyperwave command and control systems eventually in all its combat units. By next year, the 34th BatRon will become the Trantor Navy’s first fully equipped state-of-the-art computers and datalinks. Personnel from the 34th BatRon tried out the new systems last month at the two-week-long Navy Inauguration in the Trantor System. A undersized division of dreadnoughts brought its escorts and fleet train units to the exercise as well. Naval commanders were pleased by the results.

   “The division under Vice-Admiral Orlando Zhu did some things that no other squadron has ever done,” Lieutenant Markus Lushenkov told the Defense Council during a tour of the exercise. “It operated nearly system-wide using the hyperwave communications links more efficiently that any other squadron that I’ve ever seen.”

    “During the exercise, the squadron under Admiral Zhu covered twice the normal space for a division,” Lushenkov said. “Yet, the squadron was able to cover that space, denying the enemy approaches to the planet Trantor in ways that could never have been done with the same size force without hyperwave equipment.”  Using the new command systems, CIC1-equipped units “fire a whole lot faster, easier, and more accurately” than older versions of the CIC, said the Lieutenant.

   With such improvements, the dreadnought warships of the Trantor Navy will continue to play a central role in heavy combat and even in small-scale contingencies and peacekeeping operations for years to come, Lushenkov said. Once the new dreadnoughts reach deployment, they will prove their worth, he attested. “In the rebellious systems, when a dreadnought battle squadron cruised into orbit, things just calmed down,” the Lieutenant said. “A dreadnought is a element of brute force. It gets your attention,” he added.

EVENTS TO WATCH

High Secretary Voting Fails

   The fifth round of voting for the leadership of the Pact of Humanity has again stalemated along party lines as Socialist, Dolist, and Maronite members broke down into vicious infighting as the initial votes for who would command the power of the entire Pact were being cast. Several members were killed and serious fighting broke out between voting members, primarily using broken table legs and lamp stands. Although dozens of political leaders are vying for the High Secretaryship, no one has a clear lead, leading to frustration and continuing violence.

Magog on the Move

   Located in Qasr Bani Cluster, the Magog Homeworld was conquered generations ago and the race forcibly imprisoned on its planet. That ancient action seems foolhardy now as the Pact military has fallen to infighting and Magog warships being spotted in system Pact systems. With recent fighting breaking out all over the Pact, the Magog seem to have taken advantage of the situation, scouring life from inhabited systems located near their homeworld. The status of the Pact Navy picket that was supposed to be guarding the Magog Homeworld and intercepting any alien ships is in doubt.

Mass-Produced Clones

   A new picotechnology breakthrough in Bethesda Cluster has achieved a technological surprise for the Pact military: the rapid mass-production of clones to be used in the military. “This new technology is desperately needed”, said Admiral Amo Ujannick, senior military leader of the region but ethicists and other scientists have cried foul. What is next for the Pact?

Trantor Increases Military Spending

    The NeuAstra Age reports that Trantor is set to increase its military spending by almost 18% for the second month in succession. Analysts believe the spending rise is linked to Trantor’s desire to modernize its military as well as a response to external factors such as the Pact Civil War. However, the official figures reflect only part of the total amount Trantor spends on its military, NeuAstra contends.