Character of the week : Action Painting

Action Painting is the DDS Director Of Operations and thus one of the two deputies of Lord Rotarios (hail to his polished helmet!) Action Painting has been a DDS regular for a long time now but never stood out much. He was a competant if unspectacular performer who rose to DDS City Commander in The Shiner's regime.

As such he was ideally placed when he and Vodaphone created The Hoods. As he was in charge of GHQ Security he was able to make sure the Hoods could make their attacks without being detected by CCTV and guards. Now in the glorious New DDS Action Painting oversees all DDS operations. He has a more pragmatic approach than Vodaphone's zeal but none the less is 110% loyal to the New DDS!

Fleet update (Pentekonter enters trials)

After a few last minute glitches the first of the Pentekonter class patrol boats 3501 Thucydides has entered trials. The ship is expected to be available for entry into service around the end of next january. Thucydides will not enter the patrol pool until the second ship in the class 3502 Alcibiades is completed and passed trials. Being the first ship of a new type Thucydides will underdo a Type Certification process and operational conversion. The DDS hope to have at least 6 ships operational by the summer of 2106.

The final two Terran Sea Block 1 ships 3207 North Sea and 3208 Barents Sea have completed their proving trials and have entered service, 3207 has been allocated to the patrol pool and 3208 has joined the 3rd Fleet.The first Block 2 ship 3209 Yellow Sea is now beginning trials, 3210 South China Sea and 3211 Java Sea will start trials before the end of the year.

Also entering trials is the first of the Marconi class EW ships. This is the third class based on the Standard Utility Platform (SUP). The DDS are hoping the ship can enter service before the end of the year though because of some teething problems with the EW/ECM equipment this might be delayed into early 2106. 7351 Marconi is desperately needed, both of the aging Moscow class EW ships are currently out of service with engine problems.

The DDS have announced that they plan to produce 7 SUP ships next year, two will be Provider transports, 2 Extender oilers and 3 Marconi.

Akiwati addresses the empire

Ayatollah Akiwati, speaking from an unspecified location, made a live address across the empire on all TV channels and radio. It was the first instance in the Benito rebellion being officially acknowledged. The speech was as follows :

"Fellow believers in Oojok! Many of you know of a grave danger that hangs over us now, the Anti-Oojok is threatening order and calm and wants to bring anarchy and pain. Benito is the Anti-Oojok and is an evil which must be destroyed. Do not be taken in by his forked tongue. He promises you many things but he will not deliver. He only wants power so he can empty your pockets and dishonour your daughters.

"Benito has caused an uprising on Austini 55 and Woloron 12. He has fooled good clones into becoming infidels and to turn on their fellow clone. They are not yet beyond redemption. Only in Oojok can you be a true clone. I say to the infidels : turn back to the light! Shun Benito and the words of Sin, the barbarism of the Anti-Oojok!

"Only in Oojok can you be truly happy. Only in Oojok can you go to Clone Heaven. Benito will only lead you to the Ten Hells Of Doom. And that is uncool."

Character of the week : Dr Forbidden

Dr Forbidden is the Head of DDS Research and as the War On Unprofessionalism gets ever more technical his importance has increased within the DDS. Dr Forbidden has been in the DDS for a number of years now but only recently has risen to the head of DDS Research. He is a very intelligent man with 2 PhDs and an MBA from Wolverhampton University.

But more than his intelligence Forbidden has a vision, and thats why he has been given so much budget and power. His vision is for a totally interconnected DDS with communications in real-time between every component down to the lowliest technician. A DDS that acts as one with a huge knowledgebase. He is also totally loyal to the New DDS project and believes that friendship and enjoyment are obsolete and should be replaced by endless toil and study. Joy!

Jimmy stable after operation

Emperor Jimmy is said to be stable after a 6 hour operation to remove the bullet from his lower brain after the assassination attempt. Chief Medical Officer Spikeson conducted the operation and used the new technique of targetted teleportation to remove the bullet using a teleporter without having to do any potentially damaging surgery. A government spokesdino said that the doctors were happy with Jimmy's progress but it was too early to say if there would be any permanent damage.

Meanwhile the investigation into the assassin is continuing said Senator El Diablo to reporters.

How the clones are reporting the Benito crisis

With the Benito rebellion escalating LVN has been taking a look at how the official HCS media has been covering the story, though any coverage was nil until a few weeks ago. The authorities reaction to Benito's uprising was to place a media blackout on the story, however 1000s of bloggers took over and despite the best efforts of the RP continue to report the story to an eager audience.

The recent space battle was not reported in the media at all, though the media did say that space forces loyal to Benito had fled when challenged by Loyalist HCS. Austini 55 has been lost to Benito yet according to the media there is a "minor challenge to authority" at best. The status of The Friar is also interesting. We now understand that he has defected to Benito's camp, but according to the official RP website he has been taken "ill" and is "on leave". One newspaper did report he had been in a "motor accident".

RP control over the media is incredibly tight though the odd story does slip through, in the minor newspaper the Micom Express there was a small report referring to the "loss of Austini 55 to rebels". The newspaper was mysteriously shut down after a fire at it's offices the next day...