The Cleaved Helm

Anderspress News Service

"There were four news-service cars hovering above; whatever was going on was getting a planetwide screen showing."
— H. Beam Piper, Space Viking

Shrewd Raven blazon of Anderspress
(Image by Jay Design)

Based at New Kalmar on Gram, Anderspress is the oldest and most successful news and library service in the Sacnoth Dominate. Established on Gram in 58 F.E., Anderspress has bureaus on every Dominate world as well as on some settled worlds in the Danuuz, Sepireld and Pilgrim frontier regions.

Due to its early origins on Gram, Anderspress has not adopted many of the the naming conventions of the Dominate, preferring, for example, the original name "Balisarda" for Sacnoth itself — though it uses the term "Sacnoth Dominate" to refer to the interstellar government — and the original "Galatine" for Beater. Because of this, Anderspress is sometimes viewed skeptically by Dominate officials and by many people on Sacnoth and those Sword Worlds originally settled from Sacnoth.

Anderspress News Briefs

▸ BRILLANTVILLE, HAULTECLERE (D530457-8) DATE: 11 JAN, 50 D.E.

¶ Sicambrisprings has begun operating an asteroid mining facility which provides the first off-world source of water for Haulteclere. The facility, located in the trailing trojans of Cocytus, can produce over one million liters of water per day, said Cora Geldenhuys, the lieutenancy's steward.
¶ Water scarcity continues to be a principal challenge for Haulteclere. "Sicambrisprings water will be a critical element in making Haulteclere a more attractive destination for settlers from other Sword Worlds," said Geldenhuys.
¶ Sicambrisprings is a vassal to Fairharvest, the largest source of native-grown foodstuffs on Haulteclere. According to Fairharvest steward Terence Bruin, the new Sicambrisprings facility will have the capacity to supply Fairharvest's operations at its plantations in Saldanha Flats, around 250 kilometers north of Brillantville, with all the water needed.
¶ "The most important deliverable of the facility is 1.15 million liters of potable water per day. This will ensure that there is no disruption within our operations. In this way, we can remain sustainable and profitable but most importantly continue to provide essential foodstuffs for the people of Haulteclere," he said. ∎

▸ FIRSTMOUNTAIN, BALISARDA (A765637-C) DATE: 14 FEB, 50 D.E.

¶ The Dominate Navy commissioned its newest frigate today. The DNS Straumfjord is the first of the Navy's new Aarhus-class frigates to enter service.
¶ The Straumfjord was constructed by Midjutland Yards at its shipyards at Istrakhan starport. The Aarhus-class marks Midjutland Yards' first foray into warship construction.
¶ After space trials here the Straumfjord will be posted to the Thoslinn Base at Joyeuse. It will replace a Dalecarlia-class frigate which will be decommissioned at the end of the year.
¶ Three more Aarhus-class frigates are slated for completion through the end of next year. Two are under construction at Klarälvenverk's starport facilities. The other ship will also be constructed by Midjutland Yards. ∎

▸ HANSEN'S LANDING, GRAM (A885654-C) DATE: 16 MAR, 50 D.E.

¶ Sichuan Shipyards released a preliminary report today on the disappearance of the Rolf Kraki, the Venetian Lines passenger liner presumed lost after jumping from Gram last year. The Kraki never arrived at Sacnoth, its intended destination. The shipyard report confirms that the liner misjumped. (GT31, p. 74) An unfortunate convergence of errors seems to have been at fault.
¶ Telemetry from the shipyard control centre confirms that the Kraki initiated its jump while still slightly within the 100-diameter jump limit of Gram. The report does not draw a final conclusion but suggests that both pilot error or a malfunction in the ship's navigation systems would explain the premature jump.
¶ The investigation also uncovered evidence which suggests the Kraki may have been using contaminated fuel. While the ship had been refueled with refined fuel shortly before jump, the ship had come to Gram from Morglay where only unrefined fuel is available. Records reviewed by investigators indicate that fuel systems on the Kraki may have been inadequately purged before the ship was refueled at Gram.
¶ Finally, the report confirms that the Kraki was operating beyond the required date for annual maintenance. The ship's prior journey through the Horseshoe Colonies had delayed its arrival at Gram. Venetian Lines has previously confirmed that annual maintenance was replanned to occur at Sacnoth. Annual maintenance would typically include a recalibration of the navigation systems which may have contributed to the premature jump.
¶ No conclusive details were offered for the ultimate destination of the misjumped ship. The report notes that both the Thornom Expedition, which returned from the Pilgrim frontier several weeks after the Kraki jumped from Gram, and the Lútasson Expedition, which had previously returned from the Sepireld frontier, had both surveyed regions where the Kraki was likely to have emerged from jumpspace. Nevertheless, both Exploring Expeditions had returned before the lost ship would have reached its ultimate destination. ∎

▸ FIRSTMOUNTAIN, BALISARDA (A765637-C) DATE: 28 APR, 50 D.E.

¶ The Kejserlig Husstand announced the engagement today of Kronprinsesse Alene. The heir to the Fremherskende Trone will wed Ridder Artur Ludvigsson Kumate, an officer in the Protectorate Corps.
¶ The Kronprinsesse, currently serving as an auxiliary craft pilot in the Dominate Navy, had long shown little interest in marriage. Sources in the Husstand have denied reports that the Kronprinsesse was pressured into the engagement by Keiserinden Hanne and Storhertug Vilhelm.
¶ Ridder Artur first met the Kronprinsesse nearly 18 months ago during a reception held for her by Hertug Sverrir at the Hofud residence. Ridder Artur has served as Her Dominate Majesty's legate to the Hofud court for the past three years.
¶ The wedding, in accordance with Dominate tradition, has been scheduled to coincide with the annual Festival of the Founders to be held later this year. ∎

▸ HALL PORT, GALATINE (C685557-8) DATE: 19 MAJ, 50 D.E.

¶ Thousands of farmers protested in Galatine's capital today to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices, after weeks of being blocked from entering the city. They rode crowded coaches and trains instead of tractors to Hall Port after authorities barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks and barbed wire. The constabulary banned use of farm vehicles as a condition for granting permission for the rally in the city. Participants were also barred from carrying sticks or blade weapons to avoid clashes with constables.
¶ The protesters held placards demanding free power for farming. They contend that without minimum price guarantees for their crops, they would be at the mercy of the markets and that would spell disaster, especially for the more than two-thirds of farmers who own only small parcels of land. The rally, organized by the Consolidated Farmers Cooperative, was held at Assembly Hall Ground which is used for major political meetings, religious festivals and entertainment events.
¶ The protests come at a crucial time for Galatine which has an Assembly election in Juni in which supporters of Hertug Gæir are widely expected to retain their majority. More than 60 per cent of Galatine's population depend on farming for their livelihoods. The farmers are also pressing the hertugdømme to keep its promises to waive loans and withdrawal legal cases brought against them during earlier protests last year.
¶ Jaddvor Singhdottir Díaz, one of the farmers leading today's protest, said she did not want any violence and condemned the hertugdømme for the massive security measures. Protest organizers say the farmers are seeking a law that would guarantee minimum prices for all crop types to help stabilize their incomes. The hertugdømme protects agricultural producers against sharp falls in farm prices by setting a minimum purchase prices for certain essential crops, a system that was introduced decades ago to help shore up food reserves and prevent shortages. The system can apply to many crops, but the hertugdømme usually offers the minimum price only for kaarkid, maize, rice or wheat. ∎

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