Agents Of Empire/Turns/13/Reintroduction

NEWSFLASH: What the heck! I guess this is a lesson to citizens of the Empire everywhere to carpe diem while you can, because nothing lasts (except the refreshing taste of Spiro-Chu, available from your local Krazybuys outlet). First our station received the breaking news that the Emperor, in his glorious but currently-inexplicable wisdom, has announced future plans to step down. Then we hear that the wormhole to the colony worlds has completely vanished! Rumors are flying of a Gwyne invasion, rebellion, assassination, economic exploitation, consternation and indignation. Prices are going crazy as the supply of Ugly Fish has been cut off, and there's no telling what'll happen next. We're still waiting for the truth to shake itself out, but I can tell you this, viewers, it's going to be a wild ride! Next up, the astro-polo scores with Glyff Glyfferson.

Welcome back! As people no doubt found out from the transcripts, a certain amount of chaos has erupted in the Empire. The Emperor has announced plans to step down (plans that may be connected somehow to a giant psychic baby) at some indefinite future date. Meanwhile, Gwyne used a secret installation on Vefna in an attempt to redirect the wormhole to allow their fleet to invade; Rick and Dark heroically stopped their attempt, but in the process, the wormhole vanished entirely, stranding the colony worlds far from the core of the Empire with a small but dangerous portion of the Gwyne fleet (the only part to make it through the wormhole in time).

Prior to all the excitement, Reig and Rick investigated the MQaiaan invasion, and found enough evidence of outside troops having sabotaged the MQaiaan subspace radio station to refer the matter to the senate for further investigation (though how this actually relates to the legality of the Grazene invasion is unclear). This won them no friends among House Grazene, needless to say.

Prime's diplomat hob-nobs with the Imperial diplomats but finds little information of use -- clearly the Emperor's announcement has come as much of a surprise to them as it has to everyone else, and they are still struggling to find their place.

As it stands, Jude, Rick, and Dark are colony-side, while Reig, Seve, and Silentus are empire-side.

What do you, the colony worlds, do next?