12: Battlegroup
by Chaoseternus

In the shadow of the events and chaos of Disclosure, the first Battlegroup is formed...
And sent straight into action!

Six

"Whilst no official statement has yet been given regarding the mass arrests of military personnel last week, rumours are continuing to circulate that the officers in question were planning to attempt a military coup and seize control of the United States.

This disturbing suggestion has not yet been refuted by the Agent Gibbs of the NCIS who is leading the investigation"


"Royal Space Service sources today confirmed the departure of the 1 st Battlegroup for Minbari space. The Minbari, an alien race allied to both the Royal Space Service and Stargate Command, have come under heavy attack from forces loyal to the Goa'uld Anubis and have been calling for reinforcement.

This deployment means that the Battlegroup will be deploying into a major battlefield largely untried and untested with their proving trials incomplete"


"President Hayes today announced the appointment of Brigadier General Davis to Stargate Command as the services new commanding officer. General Davis has served in a liaison role between the command and the Pentagon for over sixteen years and as such, is well versed in the role and capabilities of the force"
"Jubilation today as the battered, bloody fire services today confirmed that the London fire is contained. It's not out, not by any stretch of the imagination but its ability to spread has been curtailed in a massive effort involving thousands of fire-fighters from across the UK and indeed, from other nations joined by service personnel and demolitions experts.

The result, a massive firebreak which it's believed and hoped the fire will not be able to cross.

Now, for these people, its time to breath once more, to get some sleep, for tomorrow, they will begin the assault on the fire itself"


"Tension in Asia at an all time high as China prepares to invade Taiwan. The move to 'reintegrate the renegade province' was confirmed by the Chinese defence minister earlier today, as part of a move to 'unite the nation once more under one banner, strengthening her heart and resolve to better resist the corrupt west.

The Taiwanese forces, already at high alert before the announcement are believed to have gone to forward staging positions however for obvious reasons, a news blackout is now in place.

Taiwan, which only two years ago was officially recognised by NATO as a separate nation, has called for assistance in resisting 'blatant Chinese aggression and warmongering', however given the weakened states of many of the western military forces, assistance is unlikely.

Many analysts are saying that is exactly what the Chinese government are hoping for but the Chinese are refusing to comment further except to say that the reunification of China is an internal police matter and no business of the media"


"Tokyo today confirmed its intension to aid Taiwan should China invade, Japan which has not yet recognised Taiwan as a separate nation stated that a reunified and aggressive China was not in the best interests of international stability"
"A Royal Navy Spokesperson has confirmed the destruction of an unidentified Kilo class submarine discovered in the waters surrounding the North Sea oilfields. The unknown craft which ignored attempts at communication was heard to open torpedo tube doors as it approached one of the oilrigs and was consequently destroyed"
"Uncertainty today as for the first time since Disclosure, Americans prepare to go to the polls. The result is uncertain; no-one is willing to guess which of the candidates will walk off with the Presidency.

Hayes is looking for a second term but the effects of the troubles which affected the nation during his term are uncertain, will Americans vote judging by the chaos or by the swift and strong response to it?

Either way, this is one election that is certainly not a forgone conclusion and a lot of bookies are refusing to give odds on the outcome"


"Shares in Shell rose nearly ten points after confirmation that the company was the successful bidder for an investigation contract addressing the possibility of producing and refining oil on the Earth colony Alpha Prime for import to Earth.

The Colonial Governor, currently Lord Holmes, has stated his belief that the issue would not be the production or refining, though those would require a lot of equipment to the shipped to the planet, but the transport of either the refined product or the crude to Earth and safely adding it to the distribution network in large enough quantities to be economically viable.

A small refinery already exists on the surface on Alpha Prime which provides oils and distillates for local usage.

In related news, bidding opened for a contract to create a complete oil network for the Colonials on Freedom, from acquisition of the crude oil to distribution of refined products. The Colonials, whilst far less dependent on oil for their energy then us, nevertheless require a certain level of oil supply, primarily for chemical production and the plastics industry.

Once completed, the entire network will be state owned"


"In a cost saving measure, the Russian government today announced its intention to phase out the Russian Space Agency, now seen by many as obsolete in the face of recent developments.

The agency directly employs only 300 as most of the work is contracted out, but their fate and the fate of the facilities owned by the Russian Space Agency is now highly uncertain. How much will be absorbed into Stargate Command, of which the Russian government is a funding member, is unknown.

What is known is that these facilities are looked on greedily by many within the US who see the British founded Royal Space Service as very much an usurper to the American space crown. They would need to be upgraded off course, but a lot of the infrastructure is already in place and we may see these facilities in use for many years to come yet"