S1, 23.5 Galactic Imperium Broadcast

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

1st March 2095: Present Day

And now for an official announcement from the Galactic Imperium.

Worthington: “Citizens of the Galactic Imperium and neighbouring planets. I speak to you now with regards to the unexpected and disturbing events that occurred yesterday.”

Worthington: “As you will all be aware, yesterday afternoon, a fleet of ships arrived in this galaxy, claiming to have travelled here from another. We do not know if this is the case, but it is something that we will be looking into. They immediately identified themselves as “The Collective” and stated their intentions via a neural pathway to every single person in this galaxy.

At this point in time, we do not know how they managed to achieve this, as we do not have the technology, nor the knowledge, to create anything as powerful and as long-reaching as they demonstrated. The being who sent the message is obviously of great power and I assure you that we are not taking his threats lightly.

The threats that were made to each and every one of you were one hundred percent unacceptable and I promise that we are doing everything we can to identify the speaker and make him accountable for his actions.

Imperium forces around the galaxy are being mobilized and are preparing for the inevitable coming battles. And yes, battles are coming. It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm that as of right now, we are at war with the group identified as “The Collective.”

We currently are unsure of Aurelia’s position in all of this. We do not know if they are aiding The Collective, we do not know if they knew of their impending arrival, however, we will keep you updated when we learn more.”

Worthington: “As for the attack on Qoter; to the people who reside there, remain vigilante. Stay indoors at all costs. Do not go outside under any circumstances. The Imperium presence there is strong and they will protect you and your homes with their lives.

The attackers are proving to be more organised and more powerful than we initially anticipated, however, that does not mean that our forces are unable to hold them off. The attack was unexpected and, yes, we were caught off guard, but our forces will do everything they can to keep you safe.

In the announcement that everybody heard yesterday, it was stated that the Galactic Imperium had attacked that man’s daughter – we have no knowledge of this occurring. Firstly, we do not know who, or what, she is. We have no records of any attack on a specific person and so are unable to comment on the accusation until we have looked into the matter further.

Also, in response to the unsettling rumours that have been coming from Qoter that the attackers seem to be wielding some kind of energy, we cannot confirm nor deny this at this time. Until we have a substantial amount of solid evidence, we do not wish to worry anybody with battlefield tales that may yet prove to be untrue. However, as with everything else, we will keep you updated when we know more.

At this point in time, we have told you everything that we know.”

Worthington: “People of the Galactic Imperium and citizens of this galaxy that we from Earth have come to call home; stay strong. Dark days may be ahead, darker even than we had anticipated. But as long as we stand together and face up to our enemies, be they Aurelian or The Collective, we shall prevail.

Long live the Galactic Imperium. Long live planet Earth.”