Galactic Hour News Roundup: Start of Yoiul Festival Season YC122-123 Edition

The Scope's Galactic Hour with Ret Gloriaxx brings your roundup of the latest news from around the cluster as the Yoiul Festival season for YC122-123 approaches. Safety of travellers, worker unrest and trouble on the fringes of New Eden are causing concerns for many despite the many billions looking forward to celebrating the end of one year and the start of a new one.

Above: Federation Senate Station in Villore Engulfed by Volatile Ice Storm

Volatile Ice Storms Sweep Across New Eden as Yoiul Festival Season Begins

Yulai, Genesis — CONCORD has issued general advisory notices warning of the hazards of a large number of vast "volatile ice storms" that are sweeping across New Eden. The SCC is recommending civilian cargo and transport traffic take alternative routes where possible. The Directive Enforcement Department has also noted the presence of Sansha's Nation forces seeking to exploit the resources that can be discovered in volatile ice deposits occuring in this form of metaliminal storm.

For its part, ORE's Frostline Laboratories division has taken the opportunity to further test its latest filament transport technology prototypes by making them available to capsuleers. In recent years, Frostline's research and development has focused on filament technology with a view to its potential uses in resource exploitation. A recently-filed financial report indicated Frostline is researching filament guidance using the space-time anomalies that metaliminal storms are believed to form around.

Since their emergence in August YC122, most research into metaliminal storms has indicated they are associated with changes to the local cluster's space-time topology caused by Triglavian stellar manipulation. Certain storms appear to represent a "leakage" of Abyssal Deadspace environmental radiation and particles into normal space. However, Frostline's theorists are suggesting the ice storms may represent a localized reduction in thermal energy, potentially caused by energy "draining" into Abyssal Deadspace through quadrillions of microscopic wormholes.

The DED is supporting the elimination of the Sansha's Nation "Wightstorm Fleet" by capsuleers, with its own patrol forces overstretched by the increase in space traffic as Yoiul Festival season begins. EDENCOM's planetary fortification programs continue to enhance the security of population centers and AEGIS forces are on alert for possible Sansha's Nation planetary raids.

Above: Jita 4-4 Trading Hub Contributes Significantly to High Traffic During Yoiul Festival Season

InterBus Launches Yoiul Festival Spaceship Safety Campaign as Passenge Traffic Increases

Jita, The Forge — InterBus has launched a spaceship safety campaign with passenger transport traffic set to experience its usual increase during the Yoiul Festival season. As the largest civilian passenger transportation operation in New Eden, InterBus has a special concern to increase passenger and crew awareness of typical hazards aboard spaceships large and small.

The InterBus safety campaign has taken a light-hearted approach to the topic of safety, with the spaceship safety displays it has distributed using spacer legends of clone blanks coming to life and wreaking havoc aboard ship. The "Yoiul Clones" campaign is intended to be eye-catching and highlights the serious subject of ship safety in this unusual manner so as to overcome "warning fatigue" experienced by many in the relatively hazardous space-industrial sectors.

In related news, CONCORD's Project Discovery has reported preliminary successes in its efforts to identify and develop treatments for novel coronaviruses that first broke out in space stations and asteroid colonies during the Triglavian Invasions. Believed to be a consequence of increased movement of military personnel and fortification workers during the invasions, the spread of various novel diseases has been tracked by Project Discovery for many months. CONCORD officials have expressed cautious satisfaction with the results from Project Discovery so far.

Above: DCM Jita 4-4 Moon Mining Colony and Moon-Space Elevator

Unrest at Jita 4-4 Moon Mining Colony as Protests Over Extended Working and Transit Costs Flare Up

Jita, The Forge — Unrest has broken out at the Jita 4-4 Moon Mining Colony as extended working hours and high transit costs for workers have led to protests and isolated riots. Although tempers were already frayed at the Deep Core Mining operated colony, due to invasion-related protests and high-intensity working around the completion of the Caldari Navy Jita 4-4 station's core trading hub, many felt the coming festival season would provide some respite. Consequently, the announced extended hours and travel costs caused an explosion of unrest among workers in the moon colony.

The CBD megacorporation's Spacelane Patrol has been deployed in force to support its DCM subsidiary's overstretched colony security forces. Caldari Navy forces have deployed to both ends of the DCM moon-space elevator to ensure the security of this vital link between the moon mining colony and the Jita 4-4 station complex.

Above: Royal Khanid Navy Forces Deploy Over Neda III

Khanid Kingdom Deploys Troops to Neda System to "Quell Uprisings and Piratical Opportunists"

Neda, Khanid — Following Blood Raider attacks and reported slave rebellions, Royal Khanid Navy vessels have taken part in operations in Neda system, deploying RKN marines and units of the 8th and 19th Royal Uhlans to Neda III and Neda V. The RKN's Neda relief force is under the direct command of Sardar Admiral Mirza Ul-Chakaid, Military Governor of the Homroon constellation. Khanid Kingdom authorities have declared that "slave rebellion is not excused by the chaos caused by blood cultist raids and piratical opportunism by capsuleers affiliated with other Royal Houses."

House Khanid is currently locked in a political struggle with House Ardishapur over the fate of the Khanid warlord and religious figure Duke Alar Chakaid. The Theology Council continues to hear evidence in a case on the Duke Chakaid matter, with the latest development being a motion for Theology Council paladins to take custody of Alar Chakaid from the Order of St. Tetrimon, and move him from Tanoo to a "neutral location in the heart of the Empire of Holy Amarr."

Above: Svarog Clade Forces Carry Out Combat Operations in Skarkon II Orbit

Minmatar Tribal Council Reasserts Tribal Sovereignty Over Skarkon; Repudiates "Pro-Triglavian" Capsuleer and Warclone Claims

Matar, Pator System — The Minmatar Tribal Council has reasserted the "enduring and total sovereignty of the Seven Tribes of Matar" over the system of Skarkon, conquered by the Triglavians and made a Svarog Clade-controlled system within the newly-created Pochven region. The declaration, also covering the system of Krirald, comes as various Republic loyalist and "Pro-Triglavian" warclone and capsuleer groups make claims and counter-claims over the status of Skarkon and territories within it.

Following a meeting of the Tribal Council, Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor said, "It is plain enough to anyone who is actually loyal to the Matari people that the lands of Skarkon II are tribal lands in perpetuity. No claims based on spurious Amarr-style arguments merit a moment's consideration. Outsiders and fallen kin may try to cook up a pretty meal of persuasion, by finely chopping words and logic, but all Matari know that there is no true moot feast for any tribe and clan to be found in such dressed up pap."

The Minmatar Republic considers all territories of Skarkon system to now fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Skarkon Tribal Resistance Army, commanded by Valklear General Kril Efrit, as "the sole lawful authority representing the Council of the Seven Tribes of Matar." The Thukker Tribe has also confirmed that various territorial leases of its tribal lands on Skarkon II were "automatically terminated when acts of terror and war were made against the lawful government of Skarkon II."

The Skarkon Tribal Resistance Army continues to defy the Triglavian invaders on Skarkon II, with a number of missile strikes carried out against Svarog Clade and pro-Triglavian warclone positions in recent weeks. Additionally, STRA numbers have been bolstered by reinforcements of volunteers from the Republic armed forces and Minmatar paramilitary groups. Depite the resistance efforts, reports from EDENCOM briefings indicate Svarog forces continue to hold the population centers of Skarkon II and are slowly expanding their zones of control across the planet.

In Other News

• Widespread Anti-CEP Riots on Haajinen VIII Dispersed by Big 8 Corporate Security Forces from Barracks Across System

• Spacelane Patrol Pursues Leads Pointing to Guristas Involvement in Multi-Million ISK Heist from Unpas Mercantile Club Art Gallery

• Death Toll Over 500 in Gang War Between Angel Cartel and Krullefor Organization on Ennur VI; Rival Groups Bolstered by Skarkon Gang Members

• Serpentis Corporation Denies Involvement in Assassination of Federal Drug Enforcement Officers in Octanneve System

• Intaki Space Police in New Talks with Intaki Assembly as Mordu's Legion Signals Intention to Resume Paused Withdrawal from Intaki System

• Federation Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Case Against Federation Navy and EDENCOM Conduct of Vale Blockade During Triglavian Occupation

• Minmatar-Gallente Trade Balance Report Indicates Reduction in Minmatar Republic Trade Deficit with Federation Driven by Raw Materials Exports

• CONCORD Conflict Monitors Assess House Sarum Military as "Potentially Ready to Launch New Invasion of Floseswin IV in New Year"

• BREAKING: Royal Khanid Navy Indiscriminately Bombards Blood Raider, "Rebel Slave" and "Renegade Paramilitary" positions on Neda III and V

• BREAKING: Royal Uhlans Armored Brigades Land in Force at Capital Cities of Neda III and V; RKN Directive to "Restore Order by Any Means Necessary"