Characters in Star Conquest are kept up-to-date via holovision broadcasts from the Intersector News Network, or ISNN, as well as headlines from their news aggregators.
Space News Break: Dateline 1 March 2326
The ISNN theme plays to the image of a galaxy of stars swirling around rapidly. "Around the galaxy and into your home... it's the Space News Break on ISNN! Dateline: 1 March 2326."
The music and the galaxy fade, transitioning to a seated newscaster. She shuffles some papers and smiles at the camera. "Good evening. Our top story tonight: the Firekeeper Foundation, known for its support of Outsider War veterans and victims, has announced it will be holding a gala open to all civilian pilots in the very near future."
A logo appears above the newscaster's shoulder: a pair of cupped hands cradling the silhouette of a flame. "The event," she continues, "is being organized with the support of the Accord of Free Worlds and the Tandem Pact, alongside several private concerns. Foundation spokeswoman Gail Harker has called the event 'long overdue.'"
The image cuts to a well-dressed woman standing in front of a tall skyscraper, mid-statement. A chyron briefly flashes, identifying her and her location -- Zurich. "These pilots have all answered the call when it mattered most. This is our way of saying thank you; not as governments, but as people."
Cut back to the seated newscaster. "The Foundation has announced four candidate venues for the event, and says civilian pilots themselves will have the final say on the location. The candidates include Shackleton House on Luna, the Halcyon Conference Center on Telex, Fort Resaca on Ars Magna, and Space Station 'Shearwater' in Mutuality space. Let's have a closer look at them."
The view fades to show a stately manor house perched on a fenced hill. Its heavy windows reflect a bright-blue, circular lake a few minutes' walk downhill from the property. Colorful kites and one-person wings bob in the placid, cloudy sky. The newscaster's voice narrates: "Shackleton House was built near the eponymous crater at the Lunar South Pole. One of the oldest diplomatic residences off-world, it has hosted heads of state and dignitaries for nearly two centuries."
The image transitions to a dense, green canopy seen from above, shot through with glass-and-steel structures nestled among enormous branches. "The Halcyon Conference Center sits in the upper canopy of Telex's old-growth Heartwood forestland, some four hundred meters above the forest floor. The facility is operated by Halcyon Retreats, an AEU hospitality firm."
Next, an imposing clifftop fortress fills the frame, heavy and angular against a stormy sky. Arcs of lightning flash, silent, in the iron-gray clouds. The sea crashes against the cliffs below, spraying foam up in the air. "Fort Resaca, on Ars Magna, dates to the Confederation's war of independence. The fortress, since refurbished and decommissioned, serves as a museum and, more rarely, a government meeting hall."
Finally, the image shifts to an artificial garden looking out to space. The light outside has a strange, colorful, and shifting quality, as though the panes of the large overhead dome are stained glass. Now and again, a flash of lightning illuminates the scene. "Space Station 'Shearwater' is a residential station, trading station, and waypost in the area of Mutuality space known as 'The Branch.' A recent addition, the station has already made itself known via its export of fresh produce, and locally-brewed beer."
The newscaster pauses as the image returns to her, glancing down at her papers. "No date has been set for the event, but the Foundation says further details will follow shortly. Formal dress is expected."
After another pause, the newscaster stacks her papers, and gives the camera another smile. "And that was our latest news. For private citizens, we will continue with local planetary news. This has been ISNN. Thank you for watching."
28 February 2326 Headline -- Interalliance: Firekeeper Foundation Announces First Annual Civilian Pilot Gala – Details to Follow [ISN]
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