Attack on Bretonian Embassy in New York

[pbrione]

==NEWSFLASH==

Chaotic scenes in the skies above Manhattan today as the Bretonian Government Liner HMS Britannia, which for over 6 months now has housed the orbital Bretonian Embassy in Liberty, was all but destroyed in a terrifying explosion. The attack came at 16:42 Galacatic Measure Time, when a lone Xeno terrorist by the name of Jack Williams approached the Embassy from behind Manhattan. With all Liberty Navy patrols far away in other systems, Mr Williams felt bold enough to threaten and then open fire upon the hapless Embassy ship. With the Ambassador refusing to evacuate, the crew of the Britannia attempted to defend it against the lone attacker. But when the purely ceremonial guns aboard the ship proved next to useless against the attacking Xeno, an emergency distress signal was put out by the ship's Captain, Robert Johnson, which alerted 2 Liberty Navy battlecruisers on distant patrol to the attack. By the time the Battlecruisers arrived, however, it was to discover the Britannia immobilised by the loss of its engines, and with its defences severely crippled. Engineers onboard managed to keep the shields active for just long enough to evacuate the Ambassador and the Embassy staff onto the LNS Massachusetts, but Captain Johnson and his crew of 100 Bretonian men and women were still onboard when a series of huge explosions wrecked the ship only a few minutes later. Initial reports of casualties suggest 27 dead, including Johnson, and over 18 more seriously injured. It is thought that the attacker, Jack Williams, fled the scene and escaped Liberty Navy pursuit.

The deployment of the BAF Battleshp HMS Pendragon to recover the survivors from New York and evaucuate the Embassy staff met with heavy resistance from an unknown coalition of rogues, hackers and pirates, who ambushed the Pendragon at West Point as it attempted to leave Librerty with the Ambassador onboard. The Pendragon managed a fighting retreat, taking down one attacker and holding off the others as it eventually managed to reach the Magellan border and a waiting BAF Fleet. Liberty Navy forces successfully repelled the remaining attackers, though the motives behind both attempts on the life of the Bretonian Ambassador, Lord Braterford, remain unkown. A full inquiry has been launched by the Bretonian and Liberty Governments, and statements from their respective representatives are expected shortly. The remaining wreck of the once-proud HMS Britannia has been towed to Baltimore Shipyard, where it remains for what is expected to be a long and extensive period of repairs.

Mark Murray
Universal News

---

Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>