The Cortex News Service has received this statement from the 12th Air Calvary based on Shadow:

Following the secession of the colony from the IAP, the Independent 12th Air Cavalry Carrier Battlegroup have taken station and established a continuous operating base on Shadow, rebuilding and re-opening Fort Liberty.  Although presented to the colonists as troops acting on orders from Parliament, intelligence gathered by 12th Cavalry pathfinders on rim and border worlds corroborates that the Alliance garrison holding Shadow was in support of the hard-line Loyalist faction within the federal military.  Up until the liberation and secession of Shadow the colony has been run as a de facto autocracy.  Now that the last Loyalist strongholds on the moon have been taken, the establishment of a representative civilian government is of the highest priority.  Until such times as first elections and machinery of government have been established the Independent Military will work with community leaders to ensure the infrastructure needed for the development of the colony and to safeguard all the settlements is guaranteed.  This includes engineering for new water purification plants, medical support and distribution of supplies and commodities.  After involving traders, community leaders and Captains who made Serenity station their home port, Admiral Leitner, Flag officer of the 12th Air Cavalry has issued the following statement in relation to the recent military operations:

“At approximately 1400hrs yesterday long range NAVTRAK scans detected multiple contacts encroaching Shadow airspace.  This has been the fourth incursion by forces hostile to the independence of the colony in the past two weeks.  In all cases the combat air patrol intercepted, engaged and either destroyed or forced hostile craft from the Moon and its outlying dependencies.  I can confirm that in the most recent engagement hostile troops were landed and under the cover of bombing raid on Fort Liberty made their way into the civilian settlement.  Air Cav Rangers stationed at Fort Liberty with help from civilian volunteers drove these forces back and both the bomber and its fighter escort were shot down.  We believe these hostiles to be Loyalist Alliance dissidents and with their growing strength on the outer rim and border worlds it highly probable that these attacks may well continue.

To that end, I have issued orders for the flagship of the 12th Cavalry Carrier Battlegroup, the ISV Elindor to establish an orbital defence patrol.  Other elements from the battlegroup will continue to fulfil their operational roles elsewhere.  In conjunction with the current civilian community leadership group, traders and private shipping captains I have been asked to let it made known that in line with Shadow’s Independence, trade tariffs to Parliamentarian corporations will no longer be levied against private freight hauliers and traders.  Permits and licences issued by the Alliance will recognised and honoured.  Private and passenger shipping with core world registry will not be refused clearance into Shadow air-space and we will continue to render aid, answer distress waves and perform rescue operations on any ship declaring an emergency regardless of the ship’s home port registry.

However, as of this date, slavery and bonded labour is hereby outlawed on Shadow.  Existing writs of indenture are considered forfeit.  Any ships suspected of transporting indentured or slave labourers will be subject to stop and search procedures by Independent military boarding parties until such time as the appropriate civilian authorities have been established.
Slavers, profiteers, pirates and privateers... Shadow is yours no longer. "
By order,
Solomon Leitner
ADM., Independent 12th Air Cavalry Battlegroup
CO., ISV Elindor
Shadow