Foreign Concerns Gazette/Year 533 - 534

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Category:Session Summaries
Imperial Great Powers Invade Veiled Dominions
Editor's Note: The Gazette Editorial Board apologizes for delays in issuing this summary of the year's headlines, owing to the ongoing disruption of ethernet services, and encourages readers to purchase the print edition for reasons of cosmic security. 
Casualty Report:
*Middle Throne Conflict – 150,000 killed in scattered engagements
*Thalranese Raids – losses untallied, estimated <10,000
*Dominions WarThe Gazette has chosen to use the term "Dominions War" to refer to the conflict of the Imperial Powers and the Veiled Dominions, in preference to popular alternatives such as the 4th Great Celestial War or the Imperial Celestial War, due to the lack of participation in the conflict by other Celestial Powers. – 5.3 Million Military Deaths, 5 Million+ Civilian Deaths
**Veiled Dominions: 4.7 Million Military Deaths, 4.3M+ Civilian Deaths, 2.6M POWs
**Shantine Empire: 80,000 Military Deaths, 1000 Civilian Deaths
**Fialta Imperium: 185,000 Military Deaths, 700,000 Civilian Deaths
**Serene Duchy of Aeldrum: 150,000 Military Deaths, 1000 Civilian Deaths
**Brass Cities: 50,000 Military Deaths
**Empire of Alusia: 0 Military Deaths, Estimated 1500 Civilian Deaths
Economic Report:
*Cosmic GDP recovered losses from Valdosian Contract Crisis before crashing 16.3% on trade and infrastructural disruptions from Veiled Masters' Counterattack in Dominions War.
*GDP Losses Concentrated in Belligerent Powers: Dominions -72%, Fialta Imperium -59%, Aeldrum -17%, Alusia -17%, Shantine -14%
International News:
*"A Moment of Unity" Imperial Great Powers Show Historic Unity Against Veiled Dominions, First in Alleged Sneak Attack on Dominion Territory and Second in Resolve to Enter Hostilities in Spite of Threats of Retaliation from Veiled Masters. 
**"A Time to Act" Public Information Indicates that Great Powers Discovered a Dominion Superweapon Had Been Used in Keshig-GCC Incident and Could be Deployed In Near Term to Cripple Imperial Economy, Acted to Prevent Development and Deployment.
**"Unprecedented" "G4" Represents the Largest Economic and Military Bloc in Cosmic History, Both In Absolute Terms and Relative to the Rest of the Cosmos. 
**"Lopsided" Military Capabilities of the Combined Bloc are Estimated to Exceed Dominion Personnel, Battleship Tonnage, Materiel, etc. By 20 to 1.
*"Strange Bedfellows" Invasion of Dominions Swiftly Adds Brass Cities on Side of G4, But Apparent Survival of Veiled Masters and Continuing Hostilities Raises Question of Which Powers May Harbor the Masters, or Seek to Hunt Them Down. First-Prince Ismund, Ruler of the Perfect PrincesHistoric Rivals of Both the Veiled Masters and the Porcelain Lords of the Brass Cities, Issues Public Offer, "To Hunt the Masters Into Every Fold and Bolt-hole With Every Resource the Cosmos Will Spare Us"
*"An Existential War" G4 Leaders Declare that Invasion of Dominions Is Necessary to Deny Capacity for Cosmos-Ending Weapons Programs to Veiled Masters, Bring Territory Under "Responsible Administration." In Public Addresses, Each Leader Explains That Veiled Masters Have Developed a Demon-Virus that Behaves as a Sentient AI and Replicates Across Etheric Devices, Disrupting or Destroying Their Function.
*"An Illegal War?" Critics of G4 Action Say that Violation of Dominion Etherspace Prior to Declaration of War Constitutes Serious Breach of Diplomatic Norms.
**"No Terms!?" While Echoes of Resurrection Crisis Are Clear in G4 Invasion, Unified Military Action Against Saldan was Averted by the Academy's Capitulation to Demands of the Tripartite Powers of Aeldrum, Bishant and the Fialta Imperium: No Terms Were Offered in Invasion of Dominions that Could Allow De-Escalation.
**"What the Hell Did We Vote For?" Aeldrum Parliament Voted for Authorization of Force in Dominion Space on Threats of Dominion Attack on Ethernet Systems, But Murky Timeline on Order of Hostilities Leaves Many MPs, Including from Industrialist Party, Demanding Answers from LaPaix Administration.
**"What Do We Do With the Planets?" International Confusion About Fate of Dominion Territory as Occupation Forces Settle In. 
**"Where's Your Court, Leutarus?" Outraged Jurists Demand to Know Why Fialta Advocate of International Law Permitted Hostilities to Open Without Formal Declaration of War, Process for De-Escalation or Presentation of Terms. Open Letter from Saldanese College of Laws: "Leutarus has shown what we always feared, that the international court was to be an instrument for justifying Fialta imperialism, not for actually upholding any international standard of conduct"
**"The Masters Used WMDs" Deployment of Dominion Anti-Etheric "superweapon" is Taken as Proximate Casus Belli for Invasion by Public Advocates of G4 Policy.
**"F—‘em, Serves ‘em Right" Belligerence Toward Veiled Dominions High in Alusia, Bishant Even Before Retaliation, More Ambiguous Attitude from Fialta and Aeldman Citizens. "The Blood of Empress Leandra Is Avenged When Every Veiled Master is Unmasked and Burned," Cries Prince-Archbishop Basil of Ilmera
**"…a Damn Good Start" Public Sympathy for Veiled Masters Ranks Low, Even Among Those Who Criticize the G4, With Dominion Subjects Taking Center Stage as "Innocents in the Crossfire."
**"We Do Not Have All the Facts at This Time and Will Withhold Judgment" President Hayward of Sermaye, Days After Accession, Says She is Seeking Clarification from G4 Powers Before Issuing a Sermayan Policy.
*"Where Does it End?" With No Clear Wargoals Articulated, Endgame of Dominions War Remains Murky, With No Public Sign that Veiled Masters Have Been Captured or Destroyed (In Spite of Collapse of Most of Dominions' Civil Service)
*"We are Strictly Neutral" GCC Asserts Neutrality, But Allows BCs and Aeldrum to Pass Through Territory En-Route to Strike Dominions
*"What Does This Mean for GATO?" Aeldman Invasion Without Declaration of War or Apparent Prior Attack on Aeldman Territory Raises Question of Obligations for GATO Members. Calathan Ambassador to Aeldrum, Marquis of Izoth, Asks, "Does Collateral Damage from Dominion Attacks Suffice to Engage Us In a Mandatory State of War?"
*"A Bloodless Crusade?" A Year and Half After Treaty of Antenil, Shantine Ground Forces Land Virtually Unopposed in Historic Foreign Quarter Worlds of Veiled Dominions. Hundreds of Thousands of Kirvan Converts and Adherents of Allied Tetrad Faiths of Volune, Idolmar, Yonthran Flock to Shantine Banners, Welcome "Liberation" From "Terror" of Dominion Rule.
**"A Frightening Model for Expansion" International Observers Take Notice of Rapid Adoption of Kirvanism and Co-Opting of Church of the Tetrad Both in Foreign Quarter and in GCC Worlds, Citing Increasingly Open Conversion Efforts and Bold Public Shantine Promises of Protection from Alleged Religious Persecution.
*"Starting Gun" Keshig Ships Skirmish with GCC Patrolboat, Killing Much of the Crew – Prince of Keshig Denies Intent to Harm GCC, Claims His Forces Mistook GCC Craft for Vessel Under Duke Jinep. GCC Rejects Account and Orders Strike into Keshig.
**"An Intervention for Peace… And a Show of Force" Veiled Dominions Use Unexplained Power to Stop Engagement of GCC Fleet with Keshig Forces at Middle Kingdom Border, Simultaneously Shutting Down All Ships Engines in Incident Broadcast Across Cosmic Media. Public Explanations Hold That Dominions Deployed a Powerful EMP. After Some Time, Ships Are Reactivated Slowly and Allowed to Return to Their Original Positions – Shocked Commanders Do Not Renew Engagement.
*"Celestial Trade Confederation" Veiled Dominions Outline Plan for Celestial Harmony, Proposing an Economic and Defensive Alliance with 3% Subsidy for Common Defense. Confederation Places Explicit Limits on Foreign Investment From Outside Alliance, Implies Protection for Members Who Launch Wars of Aggression Against Celestial Nonmembers. 
**"Few Takers" Only Prince of Keshig Signals Firm Interest, and King of Aksai Rejects Confederation Out of Hand as "Hegemony in a Silk Glove". 
**"Fear Changes Minds" After GCC-Keshig Fleet Incident, Movement in GCC Diet of Notables to Accept CTC Places Significant Pressure on Leadership, Which Continues to Publicly Oppose Proposal. Duke Jinep of Volune Strikes Deal with Dominions to Preserve Integrity of Middle Kingdom.
**"All Moot Now" Annihilation of Dominion Military Forces and Occupation of 80% of Dominion Territory by G4 Obviates GCC Motion and Other Interest in CTC.
*"We Have Bigger Worries" Insurgent Candidacy for Middle Throne Claim Within GCC by Prince of Limei Stalls Amidst Keshig-GCC Incident and Dominions War
Military and Disaster News:
*"It Wants to Live and Grow" Veiled Dominion Superweapon Revealed to be Intelligent AI, Showing Signs of Intense Self-Preservation, Destroying Parts of Its Own Host Systems to Deny Countermeasures
**"Not Just Computers" Accounts of Dominions Demon-Virus Infecting Ships' Engines, Propagating Over Power Lines, Suggest that Any Etheric System May Be at Risk, Though Stability and Longevity of Possession May Vary
*"Silence" GCC Shuts Down Ethernet Systems and Grounds Ships Shortly Before G4 Invasion of Dominions, While AeldNet Systems Across Celestial Space Limit Communications in Apparent Bid to Prevent Spread of Demon Virus.
*"Kolong Ablaze" Prince of Kolong and Duke of Kolong Clash in Border Conflicts, Apparently Initiated During Ethernet Blackouts Across Celestial Space That Prompted Each to Believe the Other Had Blocked Out Communications for a Sneak Attack. Victor in Conflict Remains Indeterminate.
*"Total Etheric Control" Dominion Fleets Annihilated in All Theaters, Leaving G4 in Full Control of Etheric Lanes, Able to Impose Blockade of Dominions.
*"Mission Accomplished" Fialta Black Fleet Strikes at Seemingly Impossible Angle into Heart of Upper Gates of Veiled Dominions, Shattering Bulk of Dominion Fleet with Minimal Losses, Outpacing Demon-Virus Deployment Through Rapid Strategic Bombing of Etheric Installations Throughout the Theater. 
**"Ground Victory" Dominion Ground Forces Defend Gates from Fialta Landings But Are Swiftly Overwhelmed by Fialta Air Supremacy. Famed Palace Complex of Veiled Masters Destroyed, Albeit With No Sign of Masters to Be Found.
**"Occupying the Shadows" Fialta Ground Forces Complain of Lethal Shadows and Other Insurgent Threats in Dominion Capital, as They Pacify Region.
*"Soft Landing" Shantine Forces Take Foreign Quarter (Demilitarized per Terms of Treaty of Antenil) with Minimal Bloodshed, Demolish Dominion Fleet at Lower Gates and Storm Hinterworlds, But Face Stiff Ground Resistance at Key Gateworlds. Last Holdouts of VM Territorial Control Remain in Shantine Zone.
*"Too Big to Fail" Aeldman Parliamentary Navy and Dragoons Naval Strike Force Experience Coordination Issues, Leading Dragoons to Hit Dominion Fleet at the "Stitch" Prematurely: Dominion Ships Seize Initiative and Spearhead into Dragoons Ships, Breaking Encirclement in Time to Engage Parliamentary Navy in a Second Spearhead. In Spite of Heroics, Outgunned Dominion Ships Are Eventually Encircled and Destroyed by Force Ten Times Larger. "Not a Glorious Day for Aeldman Tactics" Observes Retired Aeldman General.
**"Too Slow to Stop Them" Engagement at Stitch Delays Aeldman Ground Forces, Which are Further Stalled by Elite Contingent of Dominion Troops at Etheric Gates. Dominion Defense, However, Leaves Way Open for Overwhelming Brass Cities Forces to Land on Opposite Side and Sweep Dominion Resistance. In Terror of Brass Cities Invaders, Millions of Dominion Subjects Attempt to Flee Toward Supposed Position of Aeldman Ground Forces, But Are Slain by Dominion Troops Holding Cordon.
**"Processing" Hundreds of Thousands of Dominions Subjects, POWs Are Taken Into Brass Cities Facilities Erected Shortly After Invasion, Not to be Seen Again
*"Where Was Alusia?" Alusian Navy Takes No Apparent Part in Dominions Invasion, Claiming to Hold "Defensive Positions Against Attacks into Imperial Space"
*"Striking Back" Veiled Dominions Apparently Discover Undeclared Invasion Very Shortly Before First Armed Contact, Threaten Deployment of Unspecified Means to Destroy Imperial Economies (Revealed to be Demon-Virus and Some Form of Agricultural Pest): Counterstrikes Deployed in Capital Theaters of G4.
*"Cosmic Blackouts" Fialta Imperium Sees Widespread Ethernet Shutdowns, Merchant Fleets Grounded, Economic Chaos and Power Plant Explosions. Interplanetary Travel Grinds to a Halt.
*"Containment" In Aeldrum, Bishant and Alusia, Countermeasures to Demon-Virus Appear More Successful, Containing Outbreaks to City or Planetary Scale. In Many Instances, Demon-Virus Excised Within Less than 24 Hours, But Theater-Wide Shutdowns Remain in Place for Security.
*"More Fuel to Fire" Reports of Fialta Freebooter Raids in Valdosian Free State and Fialta Imperial Grand Duchies Coincide with Dominions Invasions and Counterstrikes. Ethernet Chaos and Breakdown of Communications Makes Positive Identification of Perpetrators Difficult. Thalranese Marches Deny All Responsibility: "When We Go to War, We Declare It"
**"Get Out While You Can" Scattered Reports that Fialta Freebooters Stormed Valdosian Ports, Offered Transit Out of VFS and "Guaranteed Contract Annulments" For Exorbitant Fees. Some VFS Residents Are Believed to Have Committed Extensive Looting, Theft and Extortion of Valdosian Assets to Meet Steep Cost of Passage.
**"The Treasuries Are Looted!" Grand Duke Armand Neptos of Outer Marivan Reports His Capital Was Assaulted and Despoiled by "Pirates"
Economic and Technology News:
*"Back to Normal" Concerted Political Effort by Emperor Leutarus Succeeds In Stabilizing Fialta Economy in Wake of Valdosian Contract Uncertainty, Returns Confidence to Economic System. 
**"Calm After the Storm" As Alusian Government Seeks to Quell Riotous Response to Financial Controls Through Rationing System, Stabilization of Cosmic Markets Leads Alusian Banks Reopen Following Fialta Economic Lead. 
**"An Adult in the Room" Surprise Victory of President Hayward in Sermaye Elections Surges Valdosian Soul Contract Assets Almost Back to Par Value.
*"A Technical Solution" Valdosian Contract Monitoring and Soul Computer Testing for Future Vulnerabilities Stake Line of Defense Against Future Economic Crises, Give Credence to Leutarus's Message of Stability
*"Someone Had to Make Money on This" Aeldman ISC Posts Booming Profits from Recovery of Assets Bought at Low Prices to Stabilize Valdosian Asset Markets, While League of Sovereign Republics Sees Historic Returns for "Community Wealth Fund" on Currency Arbitrage
*"Open for Business!" Aeldman Soul Computing Services Offered to Foreign Powers in Wake of Public Dissemination of Saldanese Soul Computing Schematics.
*"They're Hanging Bankers… But Not Here" Markets Unmoved by Accounts of Violence and Chaos in Financial Institutions in Presidential Republic of Delarma. President-for-Life Julius Kon Throws Political Support Behind Reagan Lawe and Outlaws Bank of Valdos. Serene Doge LaPaix, "Nobody can find Delarma on a map."
*"Not So Unified?" Economic Measures to Resolve Valdosian Contract Crisis Saw Fault Lines Before Dominion Crisis, With Kirvan "Miracles" Voiding Millions of Soul Contracts for "Refugees" and "Returning Children of Kirva" – Non-Kirvan Shantine Subjects in Ahlam and Lechtus Regions Who Escaped Their Contracts With Church Assistance.
*"DRAINAGE" Telranian Republic and Kingdom of Telrion Enter Heated Dispute Over Quicksilver Deposits That Span Border, Claiming Intentional Exfiltration of Precious Material Through Hidden Channels in Telranian Desert Rock
*"Did We Come at a Bad Time?" Leadership of Dar'Asmad Authorizes Economic Embassy to Tour Cosmos Seeking Industrial Partnerships to Commercialize Alchemical Lore of Asmadi Empire.
*"We Win With Wynn" Deutschreich-Semal Etherrail Route to Pin Jump Announced, Exclusive Contract Negotiated by Republic of Sermaye. Semal Withdraws Legal Claims Against Sermaye for Valdosian Fiscal Crisis, Releases Seized Assets Shortly before Sermaye Elections.
Cultural News:
*"An Historic Election" Unprecedented Turnout in Sermaye Councilor Elections as Valdosian Fiscal Crisis Upends Traditional Political Alliances, Ending in Surprise Finish as Longtime Alyxander Wynn Ally Reagan Lawe Shockingly Backs SerBov Chair Rita Hayward, Who Takes Presidency
**"Family Feud Rekindled" Revelations That Councilor Reagan Lawe Intentionally Sabotaged a Prior Candidacy of his Son, Alan Lawe, By Revealing the Younger Lawe's Wife Had Been a Dalthadi PriestessSNN Tabloid Affiliate Headlines from 427-28 Included: "Dad, I Married a Priestitute! Shocking Revelations Tear Apart Lawe Family.", Are Coupled With Surprise Evidence that the Elder Lawe is a Devoted Volunite, May Have Acted for Religious Reasons to Sabotage Bank of Valdos.
**"A Real Commitment" President Wynn Forges Alliance with One Person, One Vote Party, Promising to Pursue Expansion of Voting Right Property Thresholds and Limitation of Voting Rights For An Individual to One District At a Time. 1P1VP Throws Full Support Behind Wynn.
**"A Moment of Reckoning" Traditional Wynn Allies in Republican Council Lose Big in Polling, See Voting Share Decline. Wynn Retains Nominal Electoral Lead and Takes Seat on Council, But Alliance with 1P1VP Leads Remaining Corporate Leaders on Republican Council to Withhold Their Support for President. Wynn's Promise to Hold Reagan Lawe Accountable for Irresponsible Acts Causes Lawe to Also Withdraw Support. Wynn and Coalition of Leftist Councilors Unable to Secure Majority, and in Surprise Move Rita Hayward (2nd Place Finisher) Pushes for Presidency, Receiving Votes of all Former Wynn Allies, Including Lawe.
**"We're Not Supposed to Lose!" Alyxander Wynn Appears to Suffer Mental Breakdown at Podium After Results of Council Vote for Presidency: Live Argument Between Apparently Rival Personalities of the Former President, "Al" and "Xander," Stuns Sermaye's Public
*"A Meeting of Civilizations" Dominions War Represents Unprecedented Interaction Between Imperial and Celestial Civilizations.
**"Bringing Fire and Brimstone" Fialta and Shantine Leaders Described Conflict as Offering Pathways for Unity of Faith Against Veiled Masters
**"Is This A Colonial War?" Dominions Invasion Demonstrates Overwhelming Military Superiority, Raises Fears that Celestial Instability Could Lead to Forced Administration of the Region by Imperial Interests.
*"Aeldrum's National Champions" Public Opinion of Aeldman ISC Corporations Soars With Enhanced Cultural Programming Linking Aeldman National Pride and Culture to ISC Economic Model. Trust in ISC Appears to Exceed Trust in Any Aeldman Government Institution, With Evidence of Local Politicians Outside of Industrial Party Seeking ISC Remediation for Civil Service Shortfalls. 
*"Fighting Inequity, the ISC Way" ISC Launches Successful Programs to Enhance Economic Mobility and Educational Access for Career Paths Through ISC Employment, Targeting Disadvantaged Regions and Populations.
*"Leandra or Kirva" As Religious Enthusiasm in Celestial Space for Shantine Kirvanism Continues to Grow, Especially in GCC and Dominion Foreign Quarter, Criticisms from Some Kirvans in Imperial Space Mount that Knights of Leandra Hold Too Much Power in Missionary Work, Compromise Theological Consistency for Alliances with Celestial Faiths. 
**"Not Our People" Knights of Adarnum in Certain Chapters Issue "Doctrinal Test" For Their Protection of the Faithful that Appears to Exclude Communities that Worship Leandra as a Direct Object of Faith.
*"Megachurch of the Pentacle Opens in Fialta Imperium" Multiple Pentacle Miracles Lend Unity to Event - Angels of All Pentacle Gods Make Appearances, Place Symbols of Support Upon Altar. In One Voice, Angels of the Pentacle Applaud Fialta Cultural Triumphs
**"My Kids Will Love This Someday" Tickets for Megachurches Reach Backlog Of Years as Enthusiasm Sweeps Not only Imperium but Wider Pentacle Spheres
*"Suppressing the Story" Accusations of Saldanese-Sermayan Collusion Mount Around Mind Virus Panic Deutschreich Media Breaks Stunning Report of SNN Tampering and Coaching Interviewees
Affiliate News Contributions:
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Best and Worst of the Net – A Selection of Top News Posts By Ethernet Traction
#"Dominion Indulgences" - A firebrand Ilmeran bishop declares "The Dominions have again Led us astray and Led us to abandon a full Reckoning of their Lower Gates. We are a nation of faith, the pinnacle of crusaders - is this truly Leandra's Message or has the Wool been Pulled over our Eyes?"
#"Aeldman Decay" – "Minister Smesimm and Doge LaPaix should be embarrassed by our Dominion War showing," posts a scathing ANN editorial. "How could we need to be bailed out by some backwater Celestial power? We need a firm and steady hand to coordinate our nation - LaPaix has been too undistinguished to be steady, too young to be firm."
#"Market instability" - A group of Sermayean short-sellers pen an open letter: "You know the ticket for market instability in Celestial Space caused by a Middle Kingdom Crisis? Just up-level the crisis to the complete annihilation of a Celestial Great Power. It's probably all instigated by the Bank anyway - desperate as they are to cover up the complete impotence of their soul contracts. You can already see them moving from squashing opposition via spreadsheets to squashing opposition from the halls of Sermayean government."
#"Alusian Mediocrity" – "When history remembers the G4, it will not remember Alusia except perhaps to note the Brass Cities took Alusia's rightful place. We have no culture, we have no navy - where is our honor? Where is our pride? I look around and sadly see a nation built not to win, but to avoid domination."