Ursula Torquatus
Ursula Torquatus was an Imperial Senator. In February 3308, the Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit identified Torquatus as a member of the Lords of Restoration, a secret Imperial cabal that assisted the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army and took Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval captive, after independent pilots helped track down the Omega Grid network and decrypted files retrieved from the network's beacons. Torquatus was arrested for her part in the conspiracy by the Imperial Internal Security Service on February 9.
Logs
Imperial Beacon (Decrypted)
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | Omega Grid 1 this is torquatus. |
Unidentified Beacon (Decrypted)
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | Omega Grid 2 ursula its alberto again. you have to help me. |
Communication Beacon (Decrypted)
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | Omega Grid 4 this is torquatus. |
Timeline
21 FEB 3308
- ACT has released details about a plan by the Lords of Restoration to frame Hadrian Augustus Duval as the leader of the NMLA. The information was extracted from the NMLA's Omega Grid network and published by Captain Saskia Landau: "It was Senator Ursula Torquatus who devised a scheme to undermine the Imperial Family and turn citizens against them by 'exposing' a Duval as the NMLA mastermind. Hadrian Duval was seen as the logical choice since many viewed him as an extremist through his prior association with Nova Imperium, though Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval officially pardoned him in 3306. The Lords of Restoration used a virtual doppelganger of the Emperor, indistinguishable from authentic transmissions, to convince the Senate that she was communicating from a safe location. A similar doppelganger was developed to replicate Hadrian and was used to send orders to NMLA allies such as the Landgrave of Mudhrid. This is how they planted evidence, discovered in April 3307, that Hadrian had converted to Neo-Marlinism and was determined to wipe out all other Duvals. Yet, despite triggering an unsuccessful Federal attack in the Paresa system, the accusation was not verified or widely believed. Months later, the Lords of Restoration tried to kill Hadrian and Lady Astrid before their son Hector could be born, fearing the continuation of the Duval dynasty. But other senators moved the family to a secure location, beyond the reach of their agents." Hadrian Duval has publicly thanked ACT for uncovering this information and officially absolving him of all suspicion in this matter.[1]
14 FEB 3308
- The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit has unveiled a secret cabal of Imperial senators who masterminded the NMLA's terrorist activity. The information was obtained after ACT successfully penetrated the NMLA's dark-comms network. Captain Saskia Landau provided this summary to the media: "Senators Gereon, Jourdain, Nerva, Scordato and Torquatus were at the heart of a powerful conspiracy to permanently remove the position of Emperor. They called themselves the Lords of Restoration, based on their aim to restore executive power to the Senate. The NMLA became their terroristic agents, weaponised to assassinate the Duvals and other obstacles. Its members were militarised at Darkwater training camps and provided with sophisticated equipment by corrupt Imperial Intelligence agents. But the Lords could never fully control the terrorist figurehead Theta Seven, whose attacks against non-Imperial starports were not part of their original plan. Marlinism was also exploited as a political lever. The hope was that, compared to this democratic ideology, citizens would view a senator-led Empire as a moderate compromise once the Imperial Family was gone. While this led to the establishment of the Marlinist Colonies, the Lords' later attempts to influence those systems via puppet politicians did not succeed. Following the assassinations of Prince Harold and other Duvals, the Lords abducted Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval in January 3307. She was kidnapped en route to a secure location, with Senator Nerva falsifying confirmation of her safe arrival. This allowed the Lords to engineer communications with the Senate via a virtual doppelganger, which were accepted as genuine since they were verified by Imperial Intelligence agents." ACT is working closely with Imperial security agencies to identify all those who collaborated with the Lords of Restoration.[2]
09 FEB 3308
- Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has been found alive after being secretly imprisoned by the private military firm Darkwater Inc. The Imperial Herald published a special report on recent events: "The absence of the Emperor from public life for over a year has prompted much speculation. The Senate claimed that she was being kept safe from assassination attempts by the NMLA, and that they remained in contact with her. In truth, she was being held captive by the NMLA's secret benefactors. This group of Imperial senators referred to themselves as the Lords of Restoration. They were revealed only after ACT recruited independent pilots to help decipher the terrorists' dark-comms network. Chancellor Blaine immediately ordered the Imperial Guard into battle against Darkwater soldiers. A ship fleeing from the Summerland system was intercepted, aboard which was a cryogenic pod containing the Emperor herself. She was swiftly returned to Capitol, and is currently under the care of the Imperial Palace medical team. The IISS has launched a security operation based on ACT's information. This reveals that groups within the Senate, Darkwater and Imperial Intelligence formed a long-running conspiracy to fund and empower the NMLA. Senators Alberto Gereon, Karl Nerva, Ursula Torquatus and several others have been placed under arrest. ACT has stated that it will provide additional information soon."[3]
03 FEB 3308
- *Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit has launched an effort to locate and decipher the NMLA's dark-comms network. The request was sent by Captain Saskia Landau, one of ACT's co-leaders: "ACT is working to gain access to the Omega Grid version that was provided to the NMLA by its mysterious benefactors. Most of our agents seconded from the IISS have been recalled, and some Senate leaders are blocking our progress. Therefore, we urgently need support from independent pilots, which will contribute to our wider efforts to decrypt the network. To begin with, we have triangulated the possible location of an Omega Grid beacon somewhere within the HIP 290 system. If it can be found, this will validate our strategy and quickly lead to further discoveries. Messages relayed across this network are likely to be encrypted. Our analysts have put together a partial cipher key from other data. Any files recovered from the beacon may help with deducing the rest of the cipher. If the beacon in the HIP 290 system is found, any pilot who scans it can expect further instruction on subsequent days."
The partial cipher key is as follows:
A = H
B = G
C = J
E = L
F = K
L = Q
M = T
O = V
P = U
Q = X
S = Z
T = Y
U = B
V = A
W = D[4]