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[HR][SIZE=5]United America's Most Trusted Intergalactic News.[/SIZE][/HR]

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[COLOR="#2c74a0"][SIZE=2][I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]Fig.1[/COLOR] Photo taken from Warleak, showcasing the final moments of the victim.[/B][/I][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]


[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]The Falling Falcons battalion is currently under investigation for various videos appearing online recently highlighting a use of excessive force against combatants. Sites such as Warleak have seen a prominent increase in these videos ever since the Falling Falcons were stationed in the area, though it's only now that they have been linked to the Falling Falcons battalion. One of our journalists was sent to interview their commanding officer, however he declined to talk about anything to do with the ongoing investigation.


However, the following statement was given by a representative of the USCM:

[I]"After conducting an investigation into the footage posted online, we suspect that the CLF conducted a false flag operation to smear the United Americas’ reputation to garner support for themselves in the sector. These incidents coincide with the disappearance and suspected hijacking of a USCM cargo freighter carrying uniforms and equipment in the sector roughly two weeks ago."[/I]

[IMG]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/448969930306748426/537313563757379594/Forumpost3.png[/IMG]
[COLOR="#2c74a0"][SIZE=2][I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]Fig.2[/COLOR] An anonymous source has come forth with photo
evidence showcasing Colonial Marines attached to the
Falling Falcons battalion posing with an injured CLF combatant.
This is suspected to be the same person in the footage posted
to the popular Warleak website.[/B][/I][/SIZE][/COLOR]

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[hr][SIZE=4]Public View on the incident[/SIZE][/hr][/CENTER]

The public opinion of the USCM’s response, actions, and overall situation have attracted all sorts of attention on social media. The following are a few sample messages we thought portrayed all thoughts and opinions.

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[hr]Page 2[/hr]
[hr][SIZE=4]Who are the Falling Falcons?[/SIZE][/hr]


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[COLOR="#2c74a0"][SIZE=2][I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]Fig.3[/COLOR] Marines belonging to the Falling Falcons.[/B][/I][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]

The United States Colonial Marines Corps, which oversees the Falling Falcons, is divided into three overarching branches called the Marine Space Forces: Sol, overseeing the core colonies, is the largest of the three. Eridani, operates among the Chinese and American-colonised arms, while Herculis operates in the Anglo-Japanese arms and the outer rim.

Marine Space Force, Herculis, Chinook 91 GSO is a military space station in geosynchronous orbit around the colony world Georgia 525 (70 Ophiuchi A V), and is the headquarters for the Herculis branch of the USCM. The 2nd battalion of the 4th brigade, “Falling Falcons”, and their ship, the USS Almayer, then, are stationed here in Herculis. The overall majority of the ship is made out of Conscripts and convicted criminals who chose a four-year contract with the USCM instead of being convicted for their crimes.

The origin of the nickname “Falling Falcons" remains unclear, but it is assumed that it has to do with the now-extinct race of birds-of-prey known as Falcons, who were notable for their ability to dive on their prey using thin and tapered wings that enabled them to fly at high speeds and quickly change directions in-flight.

The Falling Falcons their flagship is the USS Almayer which has been plagued with a rolling door when it comes to command, it is not uncommon for a scandal to arise from this battalion, nor from the USCM.

The reputation of the falling falcons is therefore mediocre to say the least their track record exists out of the following operations:
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[*]Nova Uprising
[*]Ruralion incident
[*]Sigma 61
[*]
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[hr][SIZE=4]What is the Colonial Liberation Front?[/SIZE][/hr][/CENTER]

It is unknown when the movement originally started, but it is known when it changed from peaceful protests into a full blown uprising against the United Americas. Documents and footage dating back to 2180 refer to a small group of protesters on the fringe colony ‘’New Gran Canaria’’  protesting against taxation and overall performance of Colonial law enforcement, with this protest soon turning bloody as local marshalls mishandled the situation by opening fire on the crowd instead of employing non-lethal ordinance to defuse the situation.

As a result of this incident, the marshalls involved were brutally executed and their bodies hung from a bridge as a warning to the United Americas. This small movement rapidly grew due to support from other fringe colonies such as Marken’s Port, Ackquille, Orion, and more prominently, Nawa’s Klomp, which has vast deposits of titanium that the United Americas needs to build their ships. Colonists hailing from these locales all demanded the same, and instead of negotiating with this rapidly growing movement, the USCM decided to attempt to crush the rebellion by sending in the 3rd Battalion ‘’Dust Raiders’’ and their ship, the USS Alistoun to the sector, thus beginning the CLF as we know it today.

CLF’s demands and the tyrannical call to action from the USCM have led to destabilization in the outer rim, with colonies are hopping between powers regularly.

The demands of the CLF are the following:

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[*]Withdrawal of all USCM forces from the sectors
[*]Release of affiliated Colonies from the United Americas
[*]Full independence
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[hr]Page 4[/hr]
[hr][SIZE=4]UPP’s Response[/SIZE][/hr][/CENTER]

The Union of Progressive Peoples (UPP) condemned the USCM's actions against the Colonial Liberation Front as an attack on free speech and civil discourse, stating that the CLF are nothing but peaceful protesters, even as UPP officials expressed hope that the brutal actions of the USCM would be internally handled. They also state that the ''freedom fighters'' are fighting for liberty against the fascist rule of the United Americas, furthering tensions between the USCM and UPP.

The UPP has a long history of defending colonists during rebellions, especially against the USCM. In the current age of a race to colonize as many planets as quickly as possible, it is not a surprise that the UPP seeks to destabilize their competition in the stars, especially after the controversial Tientsin Campaign which resulted in massive casualties on both sides.

Adding onto this suspicion is the discovery of surplus UPP weaponry in CLF hands, when massive stocks of MAR rifles were found on one of the fringe colonies contested by the CLF. Official numbers for seized small arms run up to ~2,500 MAR-40 rifles, ~1,400 MAR-30 carbines, and ~150 SVD-033 precision rifles, along with approx. 95,000 rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition. While most of these rifles reportedly lack serial numbers, photos of captured ammunition containers show that they bear markings originating from various UPP ordnance factories.

[CENTER][IMG]https://cm-ss13.com/wiki/images/7/79/MAR.png[/IMG][IMG]https://cm-ss13.com/wiki/images/f/fc/MAR30.png[/IMG][IMG]https://cm-ss13.com/wiki/images/6/69/Svd.png[/IMG]
[COLOR="#2c74a0"][SIZE=2][I][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]Fig.4[/COLOR] MAR-40, MAR-30, SVD-033 precision rifles found in CLF weapons cache.
Such ordnance is believed to have originated from UPP military surplus smuggled through the black market into CLF hands.[/B][/I][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]

We the Outer rims patriots journal shall be monitoring the situation closely but it is unlikely events like this shall take a decline as the violence between the USCM and CLF is escalating the USCM has stated in the past that it shall not negotiate with terrorists and there is zero room for discussion.

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[CENTER][hr][SIZE=4][COLOR="#2c74a0"][B]Related Coverage[/B][/I][/COLOR]
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[*] [COLOR="#2c74a0"][U]The Cristóbal Massacre[/U][/COLOR]

[IMG]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/448969930306748426/537313597093838858/Sambalus_Charge_Request2x_1.png[/IMG]

[*] [COLOR="#2c74a0"][U]USS Almayer christened[/U][/COLOR]

[IMG]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/448969930306748426/537323927219994627/DriedMilks_USS_Almayer_Request2x.png[/IMG]

[*] [COLOR="#2c74a0"][U]Tientsin Campaign[/U][/COLOR]

[IMG]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/448969930306748426/537313578353557524/HZ3KdD0.png[/IMG]

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