A Broadcast from His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Heinrich Fuchs of Wüste.

The Emperor stands in full regalia in the central garden of Landung Dome, addressing a crowd.

My Subjects, and honored guests from the other worlds of Humanity,

After significant time deliberating upon the news from Lalande's Administration, We have come to a decision as to the appropriate response. The Star Empire will be mobilizing one of the Taverne-class mobile hangars that is currently being assembled over Our world, and sending a full flight of Kf 100 starfighters along with it. Would that We had the capability to send more, but as much as Our heart grieves for those lost lives in Lalande, the defense of Wüste must take priority.

We will, of course, be preparing vigorously to begin major industrialization of Our system to ensure that the Kriegsflotte is prepared to deal with any threat that make leak through and enter the Sirius system.

The address carries on for several hours afterwards, going from topic to topic, all the way down to an impromptu resolution of a water dispute.

Message from Andrej Cernik of Lalande.

In response to the alien threat the Lalande government has Created the new "Stal' Printsa" class of Destroyers, as none have been completed no details shall be made publicly available, but they shall contribute significantly to the military power of Lalande.  To compliment this move the number of Mountain class Planetary Missile Silos shall be doubled.

This hostile alien race is a dire threat to us all, I would suggest that we call a conference of all leaders of the human nations in order to formulate a response.

I also feel that it is necessary for us to maintain that the wreck of the ship destroyed is the property of the Lalande Cosmological Authority,

***THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE LALANDE ADMINISTRATION***

Lead Administrator Kerensky steps onto the screen

People of the former Terran Federation,

Today the Lalande Administration has decided to inform all of humanity of a grave issue. In October of 2027, the LAS Johannes Kepler, on a geological survey mission to the recently discovered Stein system, detected several heat signatures. It has been confirmed that these heat emissions were generated by Trans-Newtonian engines. Immediately after, its weak electromagnetic sensors picked up several electronic pulses, which were consistent with those emitted by Trans-Newtonian active sensors. After 15 seconds, the Johannes Kepler was hit by several energy or kinetic weapons, and was immediately destroyed. No life pods were transmitting.

We have discovered an alien race. It is sentient and capable of spaceflight, and has discovered Trans-Newtonian technology. It is extremely hostile, as seen in how they opened fire before even making any attempt at communication. This race is extremely close, only one jump away from Lalande. This means it is also 3 jumps away from any of you. As Lalande as yet does not have any space-faring military capability, the Lalande Administration calls for support in placing a picket force on the Stein Jump-Point.

This is not just an issue for Lalande. This is an issue for all of the six remaining Human colonies. We will not lie. If we fall, you will be next.

***END MESSAGE***

Excerpt from the transcript of the last State of the Empire Address
Original broadcast in German, translation provided by the Imperial Academy of Landung

Members of the Grand Council, the Lords Council, And the Knighthood,

We no longer know how long it has been since my ancestor, Admiral Heike Fuchs, brought us to this world. This terrible, sandblasted, dry rock, hurtling through the sky, only habitable through a combination of ingenuity and sheer willpower. Though the events which lead us here were terrible, I often wondered as a child; Was she right? Are we better off here than we would have been had we stayed?

Today, I can say without a doubt that we are. Though Wüste does its very best to kill us all each day, we have grown from so few, to a billion souls strong. No one goes thirsty or hungry. Our soldiers are strong, and loyal. Our industry produces increasingly efficient hardware. And today, I announce that the time has come. We have been preparing for generations, rebuilding on this harsh world, only leaving its arms to send small probes to pull ice asteroids in to bring in fresh water, though our recycling technologies have been steadily improving thanks to the University of Landing.

As of this morning, I have put forth orders for grand ships to be constructed. We will take back the stars, that so many generations ago were stolen from us due to war. Opportunities to provide service to Wüste will come, as each of your domes will find itself offered the chance to participate in the multiple construction projects begun.

Excerpt from The Political Structure of the Empire, written by Albrecht Frei
Translation provided by the Imperial Academy of Landung

The structure of the ruling class of the Empire may seem strange at first, but the intricate levels of it have a simplicity to them that makes the chain of command hold all of us tight.

To begin with, the Knighthood serves as most of the bureaucrats, officers, and business owners that keep our domes running. Most of these individuals have Life Titles, which will expire when they do, but occasionally they perform so exceptionally that they are granted a Lordship, and their family takes on increased duties. Those who become Lords serve on their local Council, which runs each dome and ensures that there are no problems. Above them, they report directly to the Reichsgraff who is directly in charge of the dome. In older times, he would have reported to a Landgraff who would be responsible for ensuring the safety and smooth operation of multiple domes, yet now many Landgraff find themselves serving as the sole rulers of specific domes which have great significance, such as the site of the Nordwerke.

All domes are part of the Seven Duchies, old families descending from the trusted captains who accompanied Admiral Fuchs during her evacuation efforts. These are effectively the rulers of the planet, alongside the Kaiser, operating on the Grand Council. Although the Grand Council seats 8, the Kaiser does not vote unless a Duke is absent due to illness or weather conditions preventing communication. Instead, he holds exclusive veto power on any decision, and maintains the right to claim complete power, if he feels it necessary to defend the Empire. In all of our history, this has yet to happen, due to continuing close relations between the families of the Grand Council.

IC only. Public communication with your fellow victims belongs here.