Continuing news from our conflict correspondents

Regional analysts have been thrown into confusion by the news that the Cons-sultant clan of the Sa'vasku, who are among the oldest inhabitants of the region, have announced that they are entering a period of reflection. Coincidentally, the hyperspace infrastructure on G8, G9 and I11 has been temporarily shut down for routine maintenance. There have been no reported sightings of Con-sultant clan vessels outside Con-sultant space in recent weeks, but their ambassador to New New York has made it clear to curious journalists (both of them) that Con-sultant military capability will be largely unaffected by the period of reflection.

Further information is emerging about the mysterious Murat-ian civilisation, following sightings of human style starships on the edge of Murat-ian space. Beyond the basic information gleaned from drive signatures, there is little clarity about the vessels, although they are thought to be either very large, or incredibly fast.

UN Space Command announced this evening that initial reports from the exploratory division suggest that local space may be even bigger than had been previously suspected and that there may be further inhabited planets neighouring our own. Further details are expected within a matter of weeks, but for the present the UNSC commander said that "To be frank, we are still collating the information from scouting parties sent out in all directions and it will be a while before the information can be analysed and the public can be told what new opportunities for peaceful co-existence we have discovered."