Serpentis Forces Continue Annexation of Outer Ring

As recently reported on GalNet, the Serpentis Corporation has announced plans to take a controlling interest in the Outer Ring Excavations corporation, a move that has surprised the business world and put even the common citizens of the Federation on edge.

“I live in a quiet city on a quiet planet,” said one woman, “but even here you can see those boosters on the street corners. It's filthy and wrong, and the idea of those people getting its hands on even more poor people is just wrong. The police should do something about them."

CONCORD and DED have yet to make a statement, and due to their historical reluctance to make public statements about the Serpentis Corporation, it is considered unlikely that they will pursue action on this matter. Reporters assigned to the DED fleet have yet to report any undue activity, and no warrants for the arrest or seizure of Serpentis personnel or property have been issued.

The citizens and contractors working for ORE, meanwhile, tell a different story. "The conditions here are awful," said one executive, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They just flew their ships into the dock and unloaded a thousand marines on the station. We didn't know what to do. Most people fled back to their quarters, while the few who protested were gunned down."

"We desperately need help," he added. "I have no idea how much longer we can hold out."

Conditions are even worse at the Mining Outpost in 4C-B7X. According to reports leaked through the Serpentis communications blackout, close to a thousand ORE personnel have been murdered in the past two days. Admiral Brion, the provisional commander of the Serpentis First Expeditionary Fleet, denies the claims and says they're rumors designed to stall the negotiations.

"Murder is not the Serpentis way," he said in a recent interview. "We're actively involved in negotiations and wouldn't jeapordize our talks with senseless violence. Public perception of the Corporation has been very negative in the past, and we're trying to change that."

Still, reports continue to filter through the blackout of widespread destruction, what some have begun referring to as the "Serpent's Massacre." Elements of the 3rd Wing and the 22nd Escort Fleet have been patrolling the station, looking for fugitive ORE personnel, and Serpentis capital ships can be seen patrolling the system. Despite opposition from within ORE, it seems likely that the takeover will continue unopposed.