Just moments ago, the survivors of the Freeport 7 disaster arrived here in Manhattan. After two days of intense travel, several of the survivors required immediate medical attention. Requests by the LSF to conduct interviews concerning the attack have been declined by the medical commissioner. Meanwhile, the official death toll has risen to 2,600, making it the most devastating disaster in recent history.

Rheinland Admiral Otto Schultzky arrives in Manhattan today to meet with President Jacobi. Though they plan to discuss a new trade proposal, the President says that a heightened cooperative security measure will be on their agenda as well in light of the recent Freeport 7 tragedy. The admiral’s flagship, the RNC Donau, will arrive in Manhattan today under heavy guard.

The President was candid today when asked about her upcoming meeting with Admiral Schultzky. She said that despite recently strained diplomatic ties, this is a positive gesture from Chancellor Niemann. Jacobi and Schultzky have met on several occasions before his formal diplomatic appointment, and she has previously described him as "a man of reason, committed to peace."

Citizens everywhere are still in shock at the news of Freeport 7's destruction. The station, operated by the Zoners, served as a neutral trading facility for all walks of life from around the galaxy. In the face of the catastrophic loss of life and the growing consensus that this was most likely a deliberate attack, people are struggling to grasp the motive behind this senseless act of violence.

In Manhattan, the center of galactic trade, all orders were held for one minute in honor of those lost on Freeport 7. The market remains more sluggish than usual at this time. However, analysts expect a full recovery.

Negotiations slowed to a crawl yesterday as delegates from Kusari and Rheinland heatedly debated acquisitions in the Border Worlds. Kusari had proposed a "full disclosure" initiative, which was protested and then effectively blocked by Rheinland. Recent territorial disputes in the Border Worlds, largely driven by the discovery of a wealth of new resources and Artifacts, have sparked these talks between the colonies, with Liberty acting as mediator. However, with the delegates now polarized over this issue, it is unclear how effective these talks will be.

Government sources say that because of The Order's potential involvement, President Jacobi has put the investigation of Freeport 7 into the hands of a special unit within the Liberty Military. This corps of investigators will be charged with securing the wreckage, gathering evidence, and coordinating with forensic teams in the solemn task of recovering and identifying human remains.

A group of Freeport 7 survivors, many of whom were critically injured, were taken to the Williams-Creek Medical Center for treatment. There they were triaged, and some underwent emergency, life-saving procedures. Agents of the LSF were also on hand to question those who could talk, but doctors insisted that they be allowed to recover before being subjected to the added stress. The LSF acquiesced but insisted that these patients be kept in a secure location within the medical center. Doctors have set aside Ward 13 for their convalescence.

Rheinland Admiral Otto Schultzky has been assassinated by members of The Order! The President was visibly shaken when she heard that the ship carrying the Admiral was totally destroyed on its final approach to Newark Station. After extending her condolences to Rheinland, she ordered a full inquest, immediately charging the LSF to pursue The Order as its number one priority.

 Other voices in Sirius have begun to question Liberty's move to place military forces in what has always been an apolitical, neutral zone. Some have said that this investigation should be an open, pan-colonial undertaking and that the stationing of military forces in Sigma-17 violates charter settlement agreements between the Houses and other factions. To assuage these concerns, President Jacobi spoke, insisting that the recent movement of The Order required immediate action. She also stated that our forces were there to prevent further contamination of the area and to execute a thorough investigation -- nothing more. Jacobi went on to stress that our formal presence at the Freeport 7 site would be exclusive and temporary, and that the sum of the findings would be shared with all affected government agencies.

Are we at greater risk at home now more than ever? That's the question. When The Order penetrated our defenses to kill Otto Schultzky nearly on the very steps of the presidential palace, many of our illusions about our own security were affected. Add to this the destruction of Freeport 7 and the sharp increase of attacks by the Liberty Rogues in New York, and we begin to feel anxiety and uneasiness about our personal and economic security. The President and the LSF say that they are addressing these concerns, but without concrete results we are still left asking the questions, "Are these events related? And what can we do about The Order?"

Chancellor Niemann of Rheinland spoke out bitterly today, citing lax security and blaming Liberty for the recent death of Admiral Schultzky during his visit. Niemann went on to say that he would personally punish those responsible, regardless of where they hide.

Manhattan -- Doctors at the WCMC have given the go ahead for Special LSF investigators to interview many of the Freeport 7 survivors. Despite an earlier recommendation against this course of action, we are told that government pressures have motivated physicians to allow at least a conditional line of questioning of select patients. It is hoped that their eyewitness testimony will help to shed some light on who truly is responsible.

Seemingly in answer to growing security concerns, LSF forces took action and delivered a crushing blow to Liberty Rogues operating secretly near Pittsburgh. Following up on details from an ongoing investigation, the well-hidden base was rooted out and surgically eliminated by agents who acted under tactical LSF authority. Aemon Bonnerille of the LSF promises that this is just the beginning, as he intends to "tighten the noose around the neck of organized crime."

Just before LSF fighters closed in on a secret Rogue base near Pittsburgh, they were instrumental in fighting off a coordinated attack on a local prison ship. Prison Ship XT-19 is generally used as a staging area for prisoners being shuttled between processing stations and more permanent lockdowns in Texas. It was during such a transfer that the Rogues suddenly attacked and overran its defenses. Authorities believe that the Rogues were attempting to liberate a group of its own members being interrogated onboard. Fortunately, however, the LSF arrived just in time to repel the pirates and avert disaster. Though XT-19 sustained heavy damage, we are told that the ship was successfully towed to Baltimore Shipyard for repairs.

President Jacobi announced today that, based on the appearance of new, unstudied, and potentially dangerous classes of Artifacts in Liberty, she is temporarily suspending all Artifact trading, pending further investigation. Despite initial protests, she has assured trade union reps that they will be adequately compensated and that, once evaluated, regulated trading will resume. Authorities have asked all citizens to comply with this temporary precaution until more can be learned.

Responding to the public outcry on security issues, the government has now placed battleships at all Jump Gates on Liberty's borders. Though some citizens are comforted by Liberty's actions for better protection from both foreign attack and domestic smuggling and crime, others are concerned over the freedoms we might be sacrificing as we resort to potentially harsher military involvement to maintain security.

Civilian listening posts reported an unusual disturbance coming from Zone 21. Despite its exaggerated reputation among conspiracy buffs as an area for so-called "secret research," navy officials say that Zone 21 is only used for legitimate weapons testing and strategic training. They had no comment at this time about the disturbance.

The LSF today has said that between the material retrieved from the Freeport 7 site and the weight of survivor testimony, there is sufficient evidence to support allegations that The Order did in fact participate in the Freeport 7 attack. Though officials have yet to ascribe a motive to The Order's actions, or the exact weapons used, this new evidence has caused them to narrow their focus to establish an "operative presence" onboard the station prior to its destruction. They are now 100 percent confident that at least one Order member was on Freeport 7 hours before it was destroyed.

Doctors at the Williams-Creek Medical Center have reported several deaths in Ward 13, the sealed treatment facility for the survivors of Freeport 7. "These deaths are regrettable," they say, but not surprising due to their extensive injuries. However, we've also learned that at least one patient appears to be unaccounted for at this time. Though doctors and LSF officials refused to comment, we understand that hospital security is looking into the matter.

As investigators search the Freeport 7 wreckage for clues, the one missing piece of the puzzle appears to be the station's manifest. Once the manifest has been found and analyzed, authorities believe they will be able to accurately depict the final hours of the station right down to who was present on it, what ships were docked, and perhaps even how it might have been destroyed.

After avoiding questions earlier, the Liberty Military has confirmed the sabotage of a Liberty cruiser in Zone 21. They also said that a coded transmission coming from within the cruiser just prior to its destruction was intercepted and deciphered. Based on the contents of the message, military authorities suspect operatives working for The Order. However, they do not know yet how saboteurs could have penetrated security to board the ship. The antimatter bomb that was detonated inside created a blast zone large enough to consume three cruisers and damage several nearby ships. There were no survivors in the suicide bombing, and the names of the ships and crewmen are being withheld at this time.

Today the President announced two contributions that advanced the exposure of The Order's leadership infrastructure: evidence provided by the LSF, and the decoded transmission from Zone 21. Jacobi says that there are repeated references to a single individual known only as "Orillion." LSF analysts believe this to be a codename. The President says that now it is only a matter of time before The Order will be rooted out and brought to justice.

Reports have come in that Pueblo Station was viciously attacked by a well-organized band of smugglers under the direction of the notorious Sean Ashcroft. Even though rescue vehicles, medics, and LSF reinforcements arrived at the scene, damage to the station was nearly total, and Pueblo suffered many casualties. Ashcroft, a known Artifact smuggler, was subsequently apprehended by LSF agents and is being held in an unnamed LSF facility for questioning.

LSF Director Aemon Bonnerille announced that his organization is continuing to tighten its grasp on piracy, smuggling, and all other illegal activities. Though some minor detractors claim that the methods being used are a violation of rights, others are relieved that the government is finally taking a more active role in domestic security.

Despite repeated attempts by the President to smooth relations, Chancellor Niemann of Rheinland continues to insist that Kusari is guilty of theft, espionage, and now even conspiracy with The Order. Kusari has flatly denied these allegations, calling the Chancellor's actions "slanderous," and accusing Rheinland of taking armed action against Kusari ships in the Border Worlds.

More trouble in Rheinland -- this time in the Hamburg system. Sources there report that a scientific research station was looted by marauders and left severely damaged. Investigators deny speculation that The Order might be involved, saying that evidence points instead to a small group of pirates allegedly backed by Kusari interests.

Sources say that there may be a relationship between organized crime and the movements of The Order. Moreover, there is a remote possibility that its leader, Orillion, may be operating within the confines of Liberty under criminal "protection." Though the LSF has officially downplayed this idea, they say that they are following up on every legitimate lead to expose Orillion, The Order, and whatever ties they may have.

Reports of an unprovoked Rogue attack on Ft. Bush surfaced today. Witnesses say that the Liberty Rogues suddenly appeared and began to attack several ships and the large station. This kind of attack is historically very unusual for them, say analysts, but consistent with recent Rogue behavior. Though the pirates were repelled and there was only minor damage reported by the station, this does raise some concern for the ongoing security issues in Liberty right now.

The Liberty Military reports that several subversives and radical sympathizers of The Order have recently committed suicide rather than face arrest. Although the names of these suspects are being withheld at this time, authorities say that they are still part of an ongoing investigation.