Vanya Driscoll

Vanya Driscoll
Biographical Info
Status	Alive
Gender	Female
Allegiance	Alliance
Occupation	Journalist

Vanya Driscoll is a political journalist with the Alliance Tribune. She was assigned to cover the 3304 Alliance presidential election, the subsequent controversies that arose involving President Gibson Kincaid, the 3307 prime minister election, and the implementation of the strategic defence pact between the Alliance and Sirius Corporation in early 3308.

Timeline

14 MAR 3308

• The Reorte Mining Coalition wants to cut ties with the Alliance in protest against the military defence pact with Sirius Corporation. Vox Galactica featured an announcement from the faction's CEO, Fergus Cassidy: "The pact's three-month probationary period is clearly a ruse. It is designed to allow time for Sirius agents to bribe, convince or threaten Allied decision-makers into accepting Li Yong-Rui's presence. We'd rather become an independent faction than allow this greedy and untrustworthy company into Reorte space." Councillor Ainsley Niven, who represents Reorte, told the Assembly: "Obviously I have argued against this extreme move, but I cannot ignore the strength of feeling from the system's governing faction. For Reorte Mining Coalition leaders, leaving the Alliance is less risky than allowing Sirius Corporation to become embedded in the system's infrastructure." Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, reported: "There are already wild rumours that this situation might spark mass declarations of independence, similar to the Federation's secession crisis last year. But there is no indication as yet that these events will play out quite so dramatically. What is certain, however, is how damaging this is for Prime Minister Mahon's campaign to promote acceptance of Sirius Corporation. A historically significant system such as Reorte withdrawing from the Alliance would likely sour the megacorp's reputation with those it seeks to impress."

08 FEB 3308

• The recent battle in the Reorte system has caused Sirius Corporation to question the terms of its partnership with the Alliance. The Alliance Tribune's political correspondent Vanya Driscoll reported: "When Sirius Corporation megaships arrived in four Allied systems, it's fair to assume they anticipated a degree of public resistance. But being directly attacked by the Reorte Mining Coalition clearly wasn't part of their risk assessment. Li Yong-Rui has urgently sought assurances from the Alliance that such conflicts will not happen again. The megacorp's CEO claimed that he has a duty to protect his employees from aggression by their own clients. In response, Prime Minister Edmund Mahon personally guaranteed that this unfortunate incident was a one-off, stressing that Sirius personnel have been welcomed in the Alioth, Arimpox and Di Jian systems. He added that the Alliance Defence Force is working closely with Admiral Nikolas Glass, the Sirius Navy's representative. But others in the Assembly are now openly questioning the wisdom of the strategic defence pact. Although Councillor Nakato Kaine's opposition to Mahon is often viewed as predictable, more members now agree with her that many Allied factions will reject the assertion that Sirius Corporation is an ally to be trusted."

14 JAN 3308

• Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has invited Sirius Corporation to establish a permanent presence within the Alliance. The Alliance Tribune's political correspondent Vanya Driscoll reported: "Sirius Corporation's new role as a strategic defence partner has expanded swiftly, with a Sirius faction established in the Alioth system to represent the megacorp. In addition, several megaships have arrived in other Allied systems to provide support. The Alliance Defence Force and some government departments now have official advisors from Sirius Corporation on their staff. Prime Minister Mahon announced that these developments will streamline joint operations with the Sirius Navy, and in turn provide effective countermeasures against Thargoid aggression. But Councillor Nakato Kaine claims that the presence of Sirius Gov is illegal as it was not ratified by the Assembly. She has pointed out that since the defence pact makes this a classified military matter, any civil action to reverse Mahon's executive decision has been deliberately blocked."

10 JAN 3308

• A new member has been appointed to the Council of Admirals to represent Sirius Corporation as the Alliance's strategic defence partner. Political correspondent Vanya Driscoll reported for The Alliance Tribune: "There are always six seats on the Council of Admirals, taken by senior military commanders from the largest regional fleets. Not only is this the first time that a seventh position has been created, it's also the first to come from outside the Alliance. The new addition is Admiral Nikolas Glass, a highly decorated officer with the Sirius Navy. His new role is to coordinate the Alliance's anti-Thargoid operations, which from now on will be directly supported by Sirius Corporation. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Fleet Admiral Hayley Sorokin both endorsed this development as a way of strengthening the Alliance Defence Force, which lacks the might of the Federal or Imperial Navy. Many member systems have demanded increased protection against the Thargoid threat, so this news is likely to be well received. As expected, Councillor Nakato Kaine opposed the defence pact, with Admiral George Varma also critical of 'merging commercial interests with military matters'. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Corcoran also admitted that she abstained during the recent joint vote, but chose not to elaborate on her reasons. So it seems that the Assembly is not fully confident about this union with Sirius Corporation."

22 DEC 3307

• The Alliance Assembly has invited Sirius Corporation to collaborate on enhancing protection for member systems against the Thargoids. Political journalist Vanya Driscoll reported on the development for The Alliance Tribune: "Sirius Corporation has been a key partner in the Alliance's expansion programme. Most notably, its subsidiary Sirius Atmospherics helped establish colonies in the Coalsack Nebula to support meta-alloy harvesting. But according to insiders, the suspension of Aegis and the increasing Thargoid presence has raised fears that Alliance systems may be vulnerable to xeno invasion. This has led to Prime Minister Edmund Mahon suggesting a strategic defence contract with the megacorp. In response, CEO Li Yong-Rui himself has travelled to the Alioth system. It's understood that high-level discussions are taking place on ways in which the company might augment the Alliance Defence Force's capabilities. Councillor Nakato Kaine, Mahon's political rival, has repeated her claim that Sirius Corporation has a disturbing amount of influence over some council members. She fears that private agreements are being made behind closed doors, and has called for increased transparency."

16 JUN 3307

• Councillor Nakato Kaine has suggested that the Alliance's current electoral system should be replaced by direct public voting. The proposal follows a recent election where Prime Minister Edmund Mahon was reinstated for a second six-year term. Addressing the Alliance Assembly, Councillor Kaine said: "Only allowing council members to choose the prime minister is a flawed system, vulnerable to corruption and outside influence. The people of the Alliance should have a direct mandate to determine their leader by casting individual votes." Political journalist Vanya Driscoll reported for The Alliance Tribune: "Although Kaine stopped short of claiming that Mahon's victory was achieved fraudulently, the Assembly took a dim view of this attempt at electoral overhaul. Some council members accused her of failing to accept that her policies received considerably less support than those of her rival. Despite this, a few accepted that there could be merit in such a restructure. However, organising public voting across all Alliance systems would be much harder than in democracies with a more established infrastructure, such as the Federation, or that have smaller populations, such as the Marlinist Colonies."

28 MAY 3307

• The election for Alliance prime minister has been won by the incumbent Edmund Mahon, who begins a second six-year term in office. The Alliance Assembly voted yesterday to elect the new head of state. Mahon received more votes than any other candidate, albeit not a majority of the electorate. Some council members demanded additional checks, causing a delay in announcing the results. Prime Minister Mahon gave a victory speech to the public: "It is my great honour to continue serving the diverse peoples of the Alliance. We will hold fast to our principles of democracy, prosperity and mutual defence, no matter what the galaxy throws at us." Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, observed: "With the core systems affected by political unrest, terrorist threats and economic turmoil, it is no surprise that the Assembly voted for stability. Mahon is a known quantity, and the Alliance has become reliant on his calm, measured leadership."

10 MAY 3307

• The election of the Alliance prime minister will take place on the 27th of May, having been postponed due to the Galactic Summit. Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, reported: "Prime Minister Edmund Mahon's decision to postpone the election for three months caused enormous disruption and mass protests. This may have mortally wounded his campaign to be re-elected as head of government for a second six-year term. With hindsight it's clear that Mahon was prioritising the Sirius Treaty, a detailed proposal to unite the superpowers against the Thargoids. Unfortunately, the Galactic Summit was prematurely halted by the 'Nine Martyrs' bombings before the treaty could be agreed. Although there are several candidates, Mahon's only serious challenger is Councillor Nakato Kaine. She has been a vocal critic of his expansionist policies, and gained much public support for her focus on boosting trade between Alliance systems. Electoral votes will be cast by members of the Alliance Assembly, whose decisions reflect popular opinion in their constituencies. No previous prime minister has served more than a single term, so it remains to be seen whether Mahon will defy precedent or Kaine will follow the pattern of history."

07 JUN 3305

• The Alliance Tribune has revealed that Admiral Frederick Yamamoto has committed multiple crimes at the behest of Alliance president Gibson Kincaid. In a detailed report, journalist Vanya Driscoll said: "As part of a plea bargain to avoid life imprisonment, Yamamoto has provided Alliance Interpol with data regarding actions carried out on the direct orders of President Kincaid. Along with the assassination of presidential candidate Fazia Silva, Yamamoto arranged to murder, injure and intimidate many others to facilitate Kincaid's rise to power. The admiral coordinated his efforts with a number of influential corporate, military and political figures, who allied themselves with Kincaid in exchange for certain advantages. This included a Bank of Zaonce senior director, who illegally redirected funds to bankroll Kincaid's re-election campaign. Kincaid's ultimate aim was to transfer executive power from Alioth to Zaonce, establishing a base of support to eventually become the supreme ruler of the Alliance. But with such a detailed and damning testimony from Yamamoto, it seems impossible that his presidency can survive these revelations."

18 MAY 3305

• President Gibson Kincaid has been named commander-in-chief of the Alliance Defence Force fleet in the Zaonce system. Journalist Vanya Driscoll reported on the development for The Alliance Tribune: "Admiral Frederick Yamamoto has announced that the Zaonce fleet now takes orders directly from the president, in direct breach of the existing ADF command structure. The move is widely perceived to be a deliberate show of strength from President Kincaid, who is currently under investigation for illegal campaign funding. Admiral Yamamoto is known to be a personal friend to Kincaid, from the latter's time as governor of Zaonce. The Council of Admirals has demanded that Yamamoto rescinds this decree. Admiral Rachel Ziegler condemned the decision as 'political grandstanding that borders on treason'." While President Kincaid has accepted the authority, he has yet to issue any orders to the ADF fleet stationed in Zaonce.

26 APR 3305

• Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has once again clashed with President Gibson Kincaid, following the latter's attempt to take control of government policy during an Assembly session. Political journalist Vanya Driscoll reported for The Alliance Tribune: "There were dramatic scenes in the Assembly as President Kincaid sought to steer debates on military strategy, making several demands for increased funding towards new fleets. Prime Minister Mahon eventually stepped in and rejected these proposals outright. Kincaid was further reminded that a prior request for executive presidential powers had been unsuccessful, even if he insists on behaving otherwise. Although he still has supporters, a number of councillors have privately opined that Kincaid is now a toxic presence at odds with the Alliance's ethos."

21 NOV 3304

• Admiral Frederick Yamamoto has been announced as the sixth member of the Alliance Council of Admirals. The position had been vacant for months after the previous appointment, Riri McAllister, was discovered to be the coordinator of terrorist group the League of Reparation. The induction ceremony was conducted by Fleet Admiral Hayley Sorokin, who said: "After many years commanding the Alliance Defence Force in the Zaonce system, Admiral Yamamoto has more than earned his place on the Council. His experience will help enhance security for all member systems." Vanya Driscoll, political journalist at The Alliance Tribune, commented: "Many expected the role to be filled by an officer from the Lave fleet rather than Zaonce, so the decision has ruffled some feathers. It has also not gone unnoticed that Admiral Yamamoto is a close personal friend of President Gibson Kincaid."

21 SEP 3304

• With the Alliance presidential race gathering speed, political journalist Vanya Driscoll has published an analysis in The Alliance Tribune: "The election of a new president is usually a ceremonial matter, during which voters select a public 'face' for the Alliance, but this year is a genuine power struggle – one that may have major consequences. Elijah Beck is the only candidate who seems content with the status quo. By contrast, entrepreneur Fazia Silva promises to boost the economy and increase commerce. Her new financial policies have been welcomed by interstellar corporations and small businesses alike. President Gibson Kincaid is causing the most controversy, however. His proposal that the role of president should include executive powers is being taken seriously by the Assembly. Kincaid claims that having a single controlling voice will enable the Alliance to 'challenge our rivals' dominance'. There is a surprising amount of support for this combative rhetoric. Many agree that the Alliance could be stronger, and that Prime Minister Mahon is often hamstrung by bureaucracy. Rumours suggest that the Empire and Federation are watching this election far more closely than usual."

14 SEP 3304

• The candidates in the Alliance presidential election have been announced. Political journalist Vanya Driscoll shared the news in The Alliance Tribune: "The candidates running against President Gibson Kincaid, who is seeking a second term, have now launched their campaigns. Fazia Silva is a successful entrepreneur from the Vamm system. Although lacking political experience, she intends to leverage her business acumen to increase trade and boost economies throughout the Alliance. She has delegated control of her corporate empire to her sister, freeing her to run for office. Elijah Beck, by contrast, is a highly experienced politician. Hailing from the Leesti system, he has served in the Assembly for over four decades. He is generally considered a safe pair of hands, but it's unlikely that he would bring about any significant changes as president. Recent polls suggest that Kincaid, Silva and Beck are roughly equal in terms of popular support, but it's still early days. All three will vigorously campaign for support in the coming weeks, in advance of the public vote on Tuesday the 16th of October."