POLLUS — In the days since a planetary defense laser levelled a village on the planet of Pollus in the Par’tha Expanse, political winds have shifted, potentially ending a groundbreaking bid of a reform-minded candidate for the planet’s highest government office.
The head of planetary defense and person responsible for the new system, Asheera, is also running for the position of Council Chair in the planetary government and was seen as the frontrunner in the race. Having risen through military ranks to the council in recent years, she has forged a path toward opening the planet’s society more to outside influence and tourism.
But following the incident, the political fallout has been swift and fierce, as protests broke out across the planet with many participants calling Asheera a war criminal or incompetent.
Asheera responded publicly to the outcry, urging citizens to wait for further information and grant the government space and time to do a full investigation. However, her statement also alleged the act may have been malicious: “We are already confident that none of the planetary defense systems could have fired in this way without direct intervention.”
A bizarre counter-statement just hours later from fellow council member and political opponent for the Council Chair seat – Yerstratus – used the moment to focus anger at Asheera specifically and potentially foment further unrest. “Is it that Asheera simply couldn’t manage all of her responsibilities to our planetary government, or that she took her eyes off our defenses and allowed a hostile power to hijack them?” The statement read.
On the backwater world of Pollus, an agrarian world home to fewer than 400 million inhabitants, elections are rarely more than a foregone conclusion, and such sniping is unheard of. Our sources have offered that the timing and intention of Yerstratus’ statement have raised alarm among the political elite.
A former Council Chair, Honourvas, will speak on the record and offered this statement: “Asheera is not only an experienced and beloved civil servant, but she is also an incredibly capable tactician and former member of our planetary defense force. All of our citizens should be gravely concerned about finding the truth about this terrible tragedy in our planet’s darkest moment.”
Investigators have been tight-lipped with any details about what they’ve found so far, but a forensic team from Starfleet has dispatched to assist in whatever way possible.
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