12 SEP 3306
An independent inquiry by the Federal Attorney’s Office into the destruction of presidential vessel Starship One has produced a final report.
Senior Attorney Milandu Okoro made this statement:
“The loss of presidential vessel Starship One in May 3301, along with hundreds of lives, was a great tragedy. Despite suspicion that this was an attempt to eliminate then-President Jasmina Halsey, initial investigations concluded that a catastrophic malfunction of its drive systems was the likely cause.”
“A new inquiry was opened when fresh evidence came to light, including testimonies from several members of the Federal Navy. Our final report states that there is sufficient reason to believe Starship One was destroyed by deliberate sabotage.”
“A grand jury has determined that criminal charges should be made. We have shared our findings with the Federal Intelligence Agency, and understand that an arrest will take place shortly.”
The inquiry report is not yet in the public domain, but is thought to allege that illegal modifications were made to the Frame Shift Drive system of Starship One in advance of its destruction during flight through hyperspace.
12 SEP 3306
The Imperial Internal Security Service has transmitted another urgent bulletin regarding terrorist attacks on starports in the Empire.
“There have been indications that the four starports came under attack by Thargoids. We can confirm that this is not the case, and there is no evidence of Thargoid vessels in the vicinity.”
“Observers reported that some of the damage inflicted on the stations’ infrastructure closely resembled the effect of Thargoid weaponry. This was registered by internal sensor systems, resulting in automatic emergency broadcasts designed to summon aid during a Thargoid incursion.”
“Preliminary investigations suggest the use of customised explosive devices that incorporated elements of Thargoid technology. This suggests that the perpetrators have access to unusually sophisticated resources as well as xenological materials.”
“As yet there is no reason to doubt that the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army (NMLA) is responsible for these attacks. We have received reports of jubilant scenes from some Imperial fringe systems, in territories where Marlinism remains popular.”
Help with rescue operations is still being requested from the four Imperial starports: Mackenzie Relay in the Cemiess system, Tsiolkovsky Terminal in the Gabjaujis system, Garrido Market in the LHS 4031 system, and Muller Terminal in the Rabh system.