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- Parents, beware: Isenberg-Wyatt Toys has unveiled a new robot that's already flying off shelves. Battle Buddies appear to be simple blocks, but when their owners pit holograms of the toys against each other via the extranet, the real-life robots change in color, configuration, and sophistication. "They're great," young Battle Buddy enthusiast Paul Von Kern confided. "Once you finish enough tournaments, they look really scary, and you can make them fight from school even if you leave them home." All this fun comes with a price tag, though: basic Battle Buddies start at 5,000 credits; tournaments, which promise special transformations for the winners, have entry fees attached.
- The human Hindu holiday of Diwali begins tonight, a festival of lights celebrating renewal, a new financial year, and the triumph of good over evil. For five days, celebrants hang traditional candle lamps called "diyas" outside their houses to guide good fortune to them or celebrate the gods' victory over darkness. On starships where open flames consume needed oxygen, diyas are typically replaced with an LED display outside the practitioner's cabin. Diwali is also a time for exchanging gifts, eating sweet foods, bathing with oil, and lighting firecrackers. Though often celebrated secularly, the holiday is not without its spiritual side - observant humans use the days to contemplate the inner light, or "soul", that transcends the physical form.
- Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight held her first press conference in weeks, displaying satellite images of Sonax and Guanghui Solutions divisions landing in Dhazil -- or what remains of it. Speight showed little concern for the cost of life from the brutal bombardments, but pointed out that the roads, spaceport, and mining infrastructure remain intact. Sonax, Guanghui, and Binary Helix stocks closed high in response. Sonax's nearly 1000% boost was the talk of the trade floor as the "win by losing" strategy became apparent.
- Eldfell-Ashland Energy is refusing to meet with representatives from the Quarian Conclave as they clash over rights to rich veins of palladium discovered on several asteroids on the outskirts of the Nubian Expanse. "Eldfell-Ashland's sole contribution to the project was to appear with an armed frigate after we finished surveying, then demand that we vacate the unclaimed area," says Captain Ahlis'Laspar vas Nalotir. "We will continue mining until Eldfell-Ashland presents the Conclave with proof of ownership or speaks to us without hiding behind a gun sight. We would prefer both."
- Do human parents leave too much childrearing to synthetic hands? Recent studies show that more than half of urban human households use a robotic or VI babysitting service at least once a week, and a quarter use them more than three times per week. Pediatricians say that it's too much time spent with stand-ins. "A robotic caretaker is meant to supplement real-life parenting, not replace it," says Dr. Alger Coppton. "Childhood is when we form our deepest familial connections. Spending this time with synthetic surrogates is neither healthy for nor fair to a child." Single father Riley Brennan says that sometimes, that time is not an option. "I work double shifts four days a week. I can't afford a real babysitter. I'd love to be home more, but at least this way I know my son is being looked after while I'm at my job."
- In the first half of an exclusive 90-minute interview, Sonax Industries supreme commander Lira Speight sat down with the Future Content Corporation's Emily Wong and answered questions about the war on Garvug. "We -- and I mean the army, not the board -- had a nearly impossible task once the insurgency was established," she says, "and success would not have been financially possible without Umsung Holdings' backing. I presented the idea to the higher-ups of letting some negative stories through on the comm buoys to win trust with the news media, but it developed into more. The president of Umsung was good friends with Sonax's chairman; when the offer was made, the idea clicked: the board realized the power of winning by losing. From that moment on, we played the wounded bird and gave the snakes exactly what they wanted to see."
- A patrol of Alliance Marines recently stumbled across an asteroid miner who had been marooned on a deserted station for over two years. “Billion to one chance,” said Captain Matthew Brown. “I looked out the window just as we flew over the surface and spotted a light in one of the buildings.” The survivor, Pashtol Nima, was a drill operator who’d disabled his tracking beacon while in the field to make up for lost time on a job, unaware that the operation was closing up behind him. “We all thought Nima shipped out early, like he kept saying he wanted to,” said Nima’s former foreman Jim Ratham. “He’s lucky it was cheaper to leave the life-support equipment behind on this job instead of hauling it back into space.” Although severely malnourished and suffering from psychological distress, Nima is expected to make a full recovery.
- An attack of unbelievable scale has taken place on the planet Garvug's capital of Dhazil. According to one independent journalist trapped in the city, mass cannons have destroyed the seat of government recently retaken by Hailot Wrund, as well as most buildings within the city. Reports of assassinations and precision bombardments are coming in, but as Sonax Industries controls all comm buoys in the Paz system, their accuracy is unverifiable at this time. Sonax-controlled imagery showed a large fleet moving from behind one of Garvug's moons to orbit over the planet's capital, a force including Binary Helix ships, which supposedly left Sonax's coalition months ago. No representatives from those companies were available for comment; on the way to his skycar this morning, Binary Helix's press secretary said merely, "You'll see."
- More institutes of higher learning are increasing pressure on the University of Serrice to return historical relics taken from the colony of Mannovai. "We're pleased with the support," said Mannovai Parliament Member Shayar Edcronus. "The University of Serrice doesn't want to acknowledge the cost of their flippant cultural plundering. A trip to Serrice costs time and credits not every salarian can afford." The University of Serrice's Professor Baliya Haphia was quick to respond: "Four centuries ago, several of my friends on Mannovai died to help me escape with some of the colony's oldest artifacts before a batarian fleet bombed their spaceports. There was nothing 'flippant' about their bravery. Our display is as much a tribute to their courage as it is to Mannovai's past."
- Once again, fighting returned to the Terminus Systems world of Garvug, but this battle was brief and pointed. Guerilla gunmen overtook government buildings throughout the capital of Dhazil, meeting minimum resistance. In a televised speech from the former Sonax headquarters, clan chieftain and guerilla leader Hailot Wrund announced martial law until the government takeover was complete. "After this year of bloodshed and uncertainty, our home stands strong," he said. "Garvug has brought down the tyrants and bloodsuckers of the galaxy. Our task now is to rebuild on the ashes of our enemies and take this colony to a victorious future."
- Earlier today, the Migrant Fleet rescued an Eldfell-Ashland Energy employee drifting through the Nubian Expanse in a lifepod. Navigator Camilla Gutierrez, the only survivor of the MSV Stanislaw, says that quarians had nothing to do with the attack that stranded her: "The ship's silhouette was just massive. There's no way the quarians had that monster in their Flotilla. I've never seen anything like it." Asked about the attack itself, Gutierrez reported, "They blew out our engines before we knew what hit us. Smoke was everywhere. I heard the captain yell something about boarders before he ordered us to the lifepods." Eldfell-Ashland says it is relieved Gutierrez was recovered, but that the Citadel investigation should continue "until all parties involved are satisfied."
- The new Black Horse Foods diet device called "The Skale" is now linked to the deaths of at least four young humans and one volus. Ingesting The Skale allows users to remove food from their systems and lose weight. The device shipped with multiple safeguards, but savvy hackers have already posted code spikes on the extranet that allow full control of the device's anti-digestion settings. The result has been a growing collection of users who reduce their food intake to dangerously low levels in efforts to stay thin. Representatives from Black Horse Foods did not immediately respond to inquiries.
- The corporate watchdog group BALANCE, headed by Dr. Trent Leeds, has challenged a contract between Genex Chemical and a group of colonists settled on the planet Watson, who are embroiled in an ongoing debate on corporate colony sponsorship. Genex came under fire last year for offering to sponsor a group of colonists under an agreement that allowed them to test new synthetic soil amendment products with little peer review from third-party scientific bodies. The legal challenge will be given a preliminary hearing by the Citadel Board of Planetary Settlement this month.
- Sonax Industries, Guanghui Solutions, and Binary Helix held a joint press conference today to address shareholder concerns about the new offensive on Garvug. Spokespersons detailed a campaign of careful media control dating back several months. Binary Helix explained that their rift in the coalition was a ruse. Guanghui gave details of special forces left on Garvug disguised as civilians, whose mission was to pinpoint insurgency leaders when they came out of hiding. Sonax reps spoke at length about the actual board vote to continue the war once they were filled in on the so-called "wooden horse gambit." Said CFO Abayomi Osoba, "We had a responsibility to keep the company from going under. We regret that there was no way other than to ask for forgiveness after the fact." Asked if the board would face charges for perpetrating fraud on stockholders, he responded, "Our legal department can explain Illium's laws in that area. You'll find them quite flexible."
- Sonax Industries presented a list of confirmed dead or captured enemy commanders on Garvug today: 90 of the 112 names are presumed out of action. Among the dead is notable guerilla leader Hailot Wrund, who apparently survived a poisoning attempt before fleeing in a skycar that was driven out of the air by Guanghui Solutions gunships. An autopsy revealed that after Wrund's heavily armored car slammed into a mountainside and armor-piercing incendiary rounds ignited its fuel into a fireball, the trapped and wounded Wrund finally died of smoke inhalation. The corporate coalition is making the autopsy video and gun-camera footage publicly available at midnight tonight .
- The Migrant Fleet's place in Citadel space is today's leading debate, as the Presidium prepares to launch an independent investigation into the destruction of an Eldfell-Ashland Energy mining fleet. "That this is even being discussed is frightening," says asari diplomat Cerca T'Awnas. "There's been no time to inspect the fleet's wreckage, and no formal charges were laid. It's a blatantly premature condemnation of the quarian people." Public opinion on the matter, however, is more mixed. "The Flotilla is a floating scrap yard," says an entry from popular blogger Feyro Derlan. "When too many ships are beyond repair, what are the quarians going to do, take out a loan? It was only a matter of time before they turned pirate."
- After a week of mercenary infighting, the death toll on Omega is estimated to be anywhere from 900 to 1,100. The wounded continue pouring into clinics already tasked to capacity. Hostilities appear to have ceased, however, since the arrival of several Blue Suns freighters and a rumored meeting between gang leaders in an undisclosed nightclub on the station. The Citadel Council is maintaining its advisory against travel to Omega, noting that this peace may only be temporary.
- Eldfell-Ashland Energy has accused the Migrant Fleet of destroying a cruiser, three frigates, and six mining freighters in the Nubian Expanse over a mineral-rights dispute. The quarians denied all charges, saying that they last saw Eldfell-Ashland's ships retreating out of sensor range, presumably to refuel at their cruiser by the system's mass relay. Eldfell-Ashland spokesperson Yves Nevil responded: "Yesterday we lost contact with our ships out in the Expanse. Shortly afterward, we received a distress signal from the MSV Stanislaw reporting an 'alien attack.' We have very little doubt as to what happened here." Eldfell-Ashland officials are planning to go before the Council and ask that the Migrant Fleet be banned from Citadel space.
- No matter what happens in the galaxy, we love to talk about it -- this season's hottest companies are on the bleeding edge of communications. Developers and manufacturers of extranet server-buoys, browser programs, and omni-tools were the fastest-growing firms this quarter, and were popular investor picks. Last month, Skywire bought up Quick Space, an up-and-coming research and development group, for 34.9 billion. Rumor has it that Quick Space has found a way to significantly lower the price of building quantum entanglement communication equipment, news that has left many of their shareholders salivating in anticipation.
- Systems Alliance rescue workers rushed to save Binary Helix employees trapped in a flooding underwater research facility on Europa today. A distress signal sent from the Nautilus Facility eight hours ago reported a breached outer wall and malfunctioning escape pods. Alliance commander Lowrie hinted that sabotage may be to blame: "It doesn't look like an accident. Unfortunately, water destroyed the security systems along with most of the facility's computers. Given the conditions, I'd like to congratulate our med teams for rescuing everyone in the Nautilus Station before it completely flooded." Over protests from Binary Helix, the Alliance is confiscating data from the station "in the event that anything or anyone inside the Nautilus Facility is responsible for this disaster".
- The Turian Hierarchy opened the doors today to a new wing of the Tianar Museum of Military History, dedicated to the history of interspecies conflict. The event, held on the turian homeworld of Palaven, was attended by representatives from all Citadel races and media from around the galaxy. Hunner Genchak, the museum's curator, hoped to encourage conversation on the cost of war for a species. "The turians have long held military power as a touchstone to cultural identity. This exhibit acknowledges that our proud legacy has a price." The museum holds never-before-seen relics such as declarations of war on various planets throughout the Krogan Rebellion period and a wall dedicated to those killed in action during humanity's First Contact War.
- A recent natural disaster on the colony planet Taharon has rendered most of its available fresh water toxic. A rare seismic event opened several giant fissures under the ocean and water tables, releasing dangerous bacteria into groundwater reservoirs. Within months, most fresh water sources were found to contain lethal bacteria levels. "It's everywhere," says one resident. "We have to fry our running water with UV rays just to wash food or dishes. Not to mention showers. People reek." Despite this, not one of the 3,500 colonists who live on the planet is relocating. "We've been here twelve years, right from the beginning," says Ning Tsai, a local agritech. "We're not giving up now." He may not have a choice, however; experts agree that specific repercussions to the ecosphere cannot be predicted, but that the outlook is most certainly catastrophic.
- A cache of antique munitions was recently uncovered by colonists mining for palladium on the planet Enael. The miner who made the discovery, Lawrence Daskin, immediately contacted authorities, who began an emergency evacuation of local colonists to a safe distance. The cache, which includes more than 100,000 artillery and mortar shells as well as land mines and high explosives, is believed to date back to a skirmish between batarian forces and Citadel forces over seventy years ago. The munitions removal is expected to last until late next week, after which colonists should be able to return to their homes. Said one expert, "While this is obviously a big inconvenience for the folks living here, it's not the kind of job you want to rush."
- A photo taken by Clan Ravanor miners during a drilling operation on the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka is reigniting debate on the existence of a colossal thresher maw. The photo, now being viewed widely on the extranet, adds to a long line of evidence that skeptics call an old and treasured hoax -- and believers call irrefutable proof. For centuries, krogan settlements bordering Tuchanka's deserts have told stories of entire clans swallowed by this colossal thresher maw. While locals claim the ancient creature is real, no outside sources have confirmed the beast's existence.
- Black Horse Foods, makers of the controversial diet aid "The Skale," have issued a formal recall of their product as shares dropped by more than 66% in the past week. The move comes in the wake of more than 34 deaths, chiefly among youth, attributed directly to the product. Medical authorities on Citadel-space planets are calling on retail outlets to remove the product from store shelves, although use of The Skale is still approved for prescription in cases of severe allergies or food restrictions. Neither public relations staff nor legal counsel for Black Horse Foods would comment on the recall or pending legal action by families of the deceased.
- "The Skale," a new nanotech diet aid by Black Horse Foods, hits shelves today. The much-anticipated device is capable of excluding food matter after it is consumed. Taken internally, Skale nanotech monitors the user's consumption and stops the digestion process if the food is beyond stated parameters. The excess matter passes on as a harmless waste that is naturally eliminated. Black Horse literature describes the device as "a practical and safe solution for those watching their diet, and a miracle for those with potentially life-threatening allergies." The Skale and its 1-year-warranty will run about 300 credits.
- Published today: the results of a long-term study on the effects of performance-enhancing drugs and technology on athletes in privately-owned sporting leagues like the Galactic Football League and Universal Rugby Association. The results were released after being held up in legal tangles for the better part of a decade: athletes who participate in these private leagues, known for casual use of banned substances, pay a dear price for a shot at galactic fame and fortune. The report details effects that include toxic levels of carcinogens, abnormal brain chemistry, sterility, and significantly shorter life spans. No species is immune; even krogan and vorcha players displayed debilitative symptoms.
- In the second half of Emily Wong's interview with Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight, the admiral alternately argues about, confesses to, and speculates about the moral repugnance of her actions. "I don't regret the deception," she said, "to shareholders or anyone else. What keeps me up at night is [the death of Brigadier General] Noah [Vardos]. He knew the real strategy, but he saw good people dying under him; Garvug residents dying for no reason - it haunted him." As to the civillian casualties, she responded "Our test story, the video of krogan being executed, that wasn't genuine, but damn few people questioned it. Once we saw the public's saturation point, when they weren't shocked any more and just wanted it over, we gave them what they demanded, as fast as we could."
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