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Alan Nuevo: Good evening. I’m Alan Nuevo and welcome to the Empire Report. Our top story, a recent report from the non-profit Saviors of Sentient Space Species claims that if Human intervention on Genesis II does not occur soon then one of the warring species may completely eradicate the other. While the Senate appears concerned, sources indicate that a fear of revising the Fair Chance Act’s non-interventionist policy to address this issue might unintentionally set a precedent that could be used to undermine the act. For now, there appears to be nothing Humanity is willing to do to stop Genesis II’s interspecies war. Beck …

Beck Russum: Thanks, Alan. A surprise announcement from Jalan today, as the Suj Kossi campaign temporarily suspended the Tevarin candidate’s historic senatorial run. It seems Mr. Kossi will be taking a week off from politicking to report for duty with the Naval Reserves. The announcement comes on the heels of the latest polls, which showed Gabrielle Gracián pulling ahead of Mr. Kossi for the first time.

According to an official press release from the campaign, Mr. Kossi, a UEE veteran and Medal of Valor recipient, has been an active Naval Reservist ever since his discharge in 2928, and will be spending the week on MacArthur instructing pilots on how to repair deep space sensors, like the ones monitoring the jump point into Elysium from the Vanduul-controlled Vanguard System. Even though some critics applaud Mr. Kossi’s actions, they still dispute his intentions, claiming the move is more political than patriotic.

Here to discuss this unexpected development with us is Nori Ryak, a consultant for the Kossi campaign. Let me start by asking the obvious question, why now?

Nori Ryak: Being a member of the UEE Navy was a hugely influential part of Mr. Kossi’s life. After leaving the service, he wanted to stay connected to the institution that, he truly believes, set him on the path he’s on today. One of the ways for him to do that was to become a Reservist and dedicate a few weeks each year to the Navy. This simply is a continuation of what he’s been doing since he resigned active duty.

Beck Russum: With Gracián’s surge in the polls, this seems like an ill-advised time to break from his campaign. Can’t Reservists postpone their service?

Nori Ryak: Well, Beck, while that is an option, Mr. Kossi thought it was important to serve at this critical time. Ever since the attack on Vega II, the UEE has prioritized security in any system bordering Vanduul territory. Among the many failings that led to the horrific attack in Vega were malfunctioning deep space sensors. If those sensors had been working properly, then the people would have been given more advanced warning, and who knows how many lives could’ve been saved?

Recently, the Senate approved a spending measure to ensure all sensors protecting the UEE from the Vanduul were working properly. This massive undertaking requires the Navy to confirm that each and every sensor is operating correctly and to repair or replace those that are not. To do that, the Navy needs to train more of its pilots to perform these missions.

These repair missions, often considered to be among the most dangerous in the Navy, are exactly what Mr. Kossi did for years when he was a pilot. In fact, he received his Medal of Valor for helping repel a Vanduul attack during one of these repair missions. At this time Mr. Kossi believes his skill-set is better served safeguarding the Empire than on the campaign trail.

Beck Russum: Eli Vaughn from the Gemma Observer wrote an editorial today suggesting this is nothing more than a publicity stunt to bolster Mr. Kossi’s sagging poll numbers. How do you respond to that?

Nori Ryak: Generally I don’t respond since Eli hasn’t been the most open-minded to Mr. Kossi as a candidate. But seriously, as a Reservist, Mr. Kossi has reported for service every year since leaving active duty. This is no different than what he’s done previously. Mr. Kossi is simply honoring his commitment to the Navy.

Beck Russum: Are we really expected to believe that there is no political motivation here?

Nori Ryak: Listen, I know we’re in the midst of a campaign, but not everything in Mr. Kossi’s life should be viewed through a political lens. As much as I try to convince critics otherwise, not every decision he’s made or action he’s performed was done with his political future in mind. It’s important to remember that Mr. Kossi is more than just a candidate for Jalan’s seat in the Senate. While he is a father, husband, community activist, military veteran, Medal of Valor recipient, and so much more, all of it is in service of one simple thing:

He wants to make the UEE a better place.

Period.

Today he’s planning to serve his Empire through this voluntary military service. Come May 3rd he hopes to do it as Jalan’s newest elected Senator.

Beck Russum: Thank you for your time today, Mr. Ryak. Coming up, Colt Legrande takes us inside the locker room after Terra’s stunning final-second loss to Davien last night. That and the rest of the Sataball scores when we return.

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