Volume 27

All the news that's fit to print, first!
From the Editor's Desk
I'm on vacation, enjoy the views of Baron Fezdan.

General News
Lot's of new alliances popping up, the most surprising being Yarr Inc, and the speed with which it has grown to a large organization.
Also of note are the new alliance the Knights of Rashkan, which I assume is some sort of Federal protection organization that as always is doomed to fail.


The Keldon Report - by Frozen
Once again, on vacation. No news is good news I always say.



The Imperial Soapbox - by Viscount Fezdan.



Recently there has been considerable discussion concerning action enhancing drugs, or performance enhancing medicines (PEMs) as I like to call them. Much of this discussion has been a little tongue-in-cheek in nature but the issues underlying the ongoing controversy about PEMs are very serious. For example are they addictive, is their use an illness? Then there are the legal and moral questions concerning their production. Much of this is disputed ground and many an angry missile has been launched by those who disagree. This weeks Imperial Soapbox will attempt to work through these issues and show why I believe that the use of PEMs is necessary in the current security environment of Pardus. I will further suggest that the judicious use of correctly produced PEMs is the duty of all Imperial pilots.

To date there has been no credible evidence that PEMs are physically addictive to any of the sentient species of Pardus. The medical evidence so far suggests that even long term use has no measurable negative physical effects on the user. On the positive side PEMs can, conservatively, enable a pilot to fly, fight and trade 20% more effectively than a pilot who doesn’t use them. So much for the physical effects.

Despite the lack of physical addictiveness, the potential for psychological dependence is patently obvious, even based solely on the anecdotal evidence. It is my belief however that this is a risk that loyal Imperial pilots must take. In our dangerous and hostile Pardus universe, allowing our enemies and competitors a 20% advantage is simply unacceptable. Strategically, an Empire without PEM access is vulnerable. I believe the Emperor is aware of this, as indicated by the fact that the consumption of PEMs is not illegal. At the same time, the Emperor would never sanction the death of loyal subjects to produce them, hence the illegality of producing PEMs in Imperial space. If you are producing in Empire space, even given the pragmatic reasons we need PEMs, you are being disloyal to your Emperor. Fortunately the issue of legality is easily dealt with. Simply locate your production in the Neutral Zone. I urge all loyal Imperial pilots and alliances that are able, to consider establishing Neutral Zone production sites.

This just leaves the moral issues surrounding the unfortunate deaths of those enslaved individuals required for PEM testing and improvement. No death should ever be taken lightly or inflicted on a whim. The taking of a life is an important matter that requires us to examine the moral guidelines we follow, lest we descend into barbarity. At the same time, death and killing are a part of life, and the competitive nature of survival can mean that sometimes we must kill in order to survive and thrive. I have recently addressed the issue of slavery (Issue 25) so will not go into it again here, except to say that those who are non-Imperial do not enjoy the rights of an Imperial subject. The simple truth is that without PEMs the Empire is at risk from its enemies. We must weigh the security of the countless millions of Imperial subjects against the lives of those who have chosen to dwell outside the Emperor’s protection. Any time I experience doubt over this choice, I merely take a look at the holo-image of my nest-mate and hatchlings kept in the cockpit of the “Z-scout Magnet”. We need PEMs and to get them non-Imperial slaves must die. In the end there is no real choice. I will continue to send these souls to their deaths with a clear conscience and pride at duty fulfilled, both to the Empire and to my family. All loyal Imperials should do the same.

For the Empire,
Viscount Fezdan.