From CorpCo
     [a commercial]

From Mars
     [a commercial]

CorpCo and Lockheed Merger
     Lockheed announced a new joint venture by which the CorpCo Interstellar Trade Division and the CorpCo Ship Construction Division will merge with Lockheed in 2858, becoming a division of Lockheed Corporation, though still using the CorpCo name. The new joint company will also have significant financial investment from various Solar companies (mostly Martian) and the Kuisti government.
     CorpCo will retain administrative control of the division and provide ship crew and administrative personnel; Lockheed will be responsible for maintenance, construction of ships, and providing iridium supplies (to be paid for out of corporate profits). Profits will be divided as follows: Lockheed 37%, CorpCo 36%, Sol companies 18%, Kuisti 9%.
     Though the CorpCo ships will fly under Lockheed flags, due to the heavy investment by Martian companies the Martian legislature voted to extend Martian fleet protection to the new company, providing the same protection they do to property owned by Martian citizens.
     The company's holdings will consist of:
     numerous offices in Aurora, Sol, Imbri and Marsellium
     9 shipyards
     3 ftl-2 frigates, 3 ftl-3 frigates, and 4 ftl-3 destroyers
     2 ftl-1 FtrVal, 6 ftl-2 FtrVal, and 19 ftl-3 FtrVal
     With this new merger, Lockheed and CorpCo hope to establish regular interstellar trade, under ICS auspices, within the next few years. To quote the Lockheed Office of Public Relations: "We are sure that this effort will bring a speedy rise to the ICS and will benefit people of all systems, bringing nations closer together in economic harmony. Thank you."
     Six CorpCo freighters arrived in Sol with huge amounts of Auroran goods. After repaying its Sol debts, CorpCo was left once again in the black.

Mysterious Ship Explosion
     Sensors in Sol detected a spectacular explosion when a Kuistic frigate exploded just inside the Oort cloud. The ship was escorting a group of freighters to Lockheed and apparently struck a piece of debris while under ftl drive. Martian, Jovian, and Rhean ships sent to investigate discovered traces of gas spread over a trail 15 AU long.

Problems in Kuzakland
     Construction of Kuzakland was begun in orbit around Mars. Protest rallies against the location of the new facility were staged on Luna and many of the Habitats. A number of threats were received from the True Inheritors of the Earth, who promised to blow up Kuzakland if it is not built around Earth. A number of contractors backed out of the deal when they and their families were threatened with retaliation.

Martian Ship Lost in Centauri Region
     Mars sent a research ship to Proxima Centauri to do research on Sol's closest neighbor. A few months after arriving all communications with the ship were lost.

Imbri Terraformers to Assist with Earth and Venus
     A team of terraformers from Imbri arrived at Mars to assist with Earth and Venus. Their ideas promise to speed up terraforming work in Sol tremendously.

First Interstellar Scientific Conference A Success
     The Olympus Mons FTL Conference was deemed a great success, bringing in papers and researchers from all the major systems. The chief result of the conference was to reveal that no one really knows yet what ftl is, and that there is still a lot of work to be done in the field. In applications, a number of papers explored the possibilities of ftl quantum level four, which seems to be qualitatively distinct from ftl-1 to 3. It is quite possible that entirely different concepts may be required to design such an engine, and that it may perform at levels far beyond the original estimated speed of 48c.

Earth Development
     The governments of both Mars and Luna have unsubtly encouraged their people to emigrate to Earth, and tens of thousands arrive each year. There are shortages of food, housing, and basic consumer goods on Earth, and entrepreneurs (mostly Lunar) are making millions selling to the immigrants at drastically inflated prices.
     Already two "cities" have grown up on Earth, New Chicago (mostly devoted to companies pumping water into shuttles to Luna) and Earth Base (administrative and technical center for the joint Lunar/Martian terraforming program) located in Turkey.
     The entire population of Islamabad Station (one of the habitats) relocated to the former site of Mecca; over half died of gravity fatigue in the first year.
     The ruins of New York (a small but culturally important city of old Earth) have been occupied by dozens of teams of "self-financing archaeologists", ie. looters. Martian marines have learned to stay away from the site after losing two entire companies.
     Thousands of independent farmers have staked out claims and begun soil regeneration in hopes of exporting crops within the next few years. The first ozone factory, to be constructed of pre-fabricated modules from Mars, is scheduled to be launched next year; it will float on a bag of helium 30 km above the surface.

Lunar R&R Ships Sent Forth
     Luna sent out three ftl-2 ships specially designated as "Relocation Runs" (R&R) to collect prisoners and other undesirables from other planets. The Cookies announced that they believe such people make the best citizens of all, and plan to give them homes on Earth.
     After making a circuit of Sol (where they found few takers; many nations in Sol have long had a policy of allowing the condemned to choose between normal sentences or exile to Luna), the three ships left for other stars, one to Tyrell, one to Aurora, and one to Kuisti. Due to staggered departure times, all are expected to arrive early next year.

Aleta Re-elected
     Fending off a strong challenge from the rival Pars Silvas, Metellus Aleta of the Pars Cosmas was re-elected to a rare third term as Exsequor Primus of the Republic Aurora. A personally popular leader, his accomplishments in diplomacy and exploration offset charges that he was not ensuring the political health of the Republica in his flamboyant, some say reckless, leadership.
     The Pars Silvas, however, did make significant gains in the Senatus, representing a centrist swing away from the internationalism of the Cosmas in recent years, primarily due to backlash from the new international power structure and a reemergence of a pan-governmental Auroran psycholoyalty.
     In light of Exsequor Aleta's declared intention that this will be his final term, analysts say that after fifteen years of Cosmas rule the field may be ripe for a political refreshening not unlike the economic shakedown of last year.

Auroran Economic Growth
     With the addition of 8 Auroran FtrVal to trade within the Auroran colonies, the four Auroran systems announced a preliminary economic integration agreement, to be enhanced in a series of talks over the next few years. Corporations and financial institutions are already opening branch offices in other systems.
     The Auroran interstellar freighter fleet is expected to grow tremendously next year when, through conversions of older ships and construction of new ones, 8 FtrVal will be available. These ships will be equipped with the new ftl-3 drives, able to travel from Aurora to Sol in less than a year. The Republica also continued its program of increasing its shipyard capabilities and constructing defense stations around its planets.

Disaster at Benares
     An accident in a power plant in orbit around Benares, Imbri's sister world, resulted in the explosion of over 7 tons of antimatter. Over 150,000 people were lost on the station and in nearby ships and stations; close to 1 million are being treated for radiation sickness. Damage to Benares' atmosphere set the terraforming project back a full decade.

     A working draft of the Interstellar Commerce Syndicate treaty was approved by all major parties, allowing full interstellar trade between the Auroran colonies, Sol, Kuisti, and Athens.
     Embassies from nations outside the system were set up in many systems, including the Auroran colonies, Kuisti, Athens, and Sol. Tyrell, Cimmer, and Kalahari continue to have limited interstellar communications and no regular diplomatic ties.

     Merchant crews arriving in Kuisti discovered luxurious accommodations have been built specifically to cater to offworld visitors (at a price). Kuistic officials announced that they hope to promote extensive tourism to their planet.