Just getting this down publicly because I reckon this is the aspect that will be focused on next in the story, and I want to be smug if I'm right. Also, I don't want you guys to muck it up if it comes down to a 2-way CG or something.
From the very beginning, it's been made clear that the NMLA have some sort of powerful backer in the Empire. The organization has been around for a while, but it was only ever known for "small-scale" activities. It gets mentioned over and over on GalNet how it's unusual that this small group somehow gained the resources and intel to perform their recent acts. In their first bombings, their "unprecedented" increase in resources was remarked on, and then again when it is confirmed the bombs used Thargoid enzymes, "unusually sophisticated resources". Then, when Harold Duval is assassinated on a secretive visit to Aisling, the question of how the NMLA knew of his travel plans or bypassed his security is brought up twice, with the second time just deadass telling us that insider info is suspected. And then of course there's Serene Harbour, where a pre-planned rescue of Theta Group took place with the aid of top-rank override codes.
I could go on as the writers keep beating us over the head with this point, but I think most are already onboard with this so I'll skip ahead. Point is, there's a powerful force backing the NMLA, and they have access to resources and top-level intel in the Empire. So who is it?
It's been highlighted that the NMLA use a similar comms system to that of the League of Reparation. There's not really much reason for the writers to bring up the LoR again, so I believe this was a deliberate choice to hint at the backer(s) of the NMLA also being behind the League. And I believe this, if true, is enough to scupper many of the common accusations against figures like Denton and Torval, if acting alone anyway. Whatever they might theoretically gain from an end to Duval rule, it's hard to simultaneously picture them as being behind the League, which was Alliance based and had a completely different goal. There's no single person with that level of access in both the Empire and the Alliance for obvious reasons.
So, that really only leaves a group like the Club. I've already suggested in the past that the League was a Club invention, and the NMLA would fit the Club's usual methods of creating and then exploiting a conflict. But it's kind of a cop-out to just say "it's the club lol" and leave it there, that applies to like 90% of the mysteries in the lore, they're bloody everywhere. So who is the Club's main person in the Empire?
Reading the novels pretty much rules out Arissa, Denton, and Aisling. You could maybe say Torval, but her presence in the storyline has been virtually non-existent so there's basically nothing to say there. But even without the novels, there's one guy on GalNet who is just so unbelievably shady I'm amazed I feel the need to make this post.
Chancellor Anders Blaine has been around since the start of GalNet, the head of the Imperial Senate. If I went in-depth on every suspicious thing he's been involved in, this post would triple in size. So here's a quick summary of how he previously attempted to murder the Emperor and take the throne.
So, I think I've established why Blaine is sus as heck. Emperor's Dawn is also a known Club creation, and while Blaine failed to fully take power before, we now have this new organisation called the NMLA who are killing off Duvals...Blaine's main barriers to becoming Emperor. And the NMLA have access to top-level Imperial intelligence... well, there are few who are higher up in the Empire than Blaine. And none who are so blatantly shady.
Anyway, if the rest of this rambling didn't convince you, there's one much more recent point that might. You may have noticed how Arissa isn't participating much anymore. In this massively Empire-based plotline, the Emperor herself has practically vanished from GalNet.
For the past 194 days, Blaine has spoken for Arissa. Just like he once did for Hengist. Arissa herself hasn't been seen once. She didn't even attend the Galactic Summit. The writers have effectively replaced Arissa with Blaine, and they're doing so very deliberately.
If none of this is true, why on earth do you think they're doing that?
From the very beginning, it's been made clear that the NMLA have some sort of powerful backer in the Empire. The organization has been around for a while, but it was only ever known for "small-scale" activities. It gets mentioned over and over on GalNet how it's unusual that this small group somehow gained the resources and intel to perform their recent acts. In their first bombings, their "unprecedented" increase in resources was remarked on, and then again when it is confirmed the bombs used Thargoid enzymes, "unusually sophisticated resources". Then, when Harold Duval is assassinated on a secretive visit to Aisling, the question of how the NMLA knew of his travel plans or bypassed his security is brought up twice, with the second time just deadass telling us that insider info is suspected. And then of course there's Serene Harbour, where a pre-planned rescue of Theta Group took place with the aid of top-rank override codes.
I could go on as the writers keep beating us over the head with this point, but I think most are already onboard with this so I'll skip ahead. Point is, there's a powerful force backing the NMLA, and they have access to resources and top-level intel in the Empire. So who is it?
It's been highlighted that the NMLA use a similar comms system to that of the League of Reparation. There's not really much reason for the writers to bring up the LoR again, so I believe this was a deliberate choice to hint at the backer(s) of the NMLA also being behind the League. And I believe this, if true, is enough to scupper many of the common accusations against figures like Denton and Torval, if acting alone anyway. Whatever they might theoretically gain from an end to Duval rule, it's hard to simultaneously picture them as being behind the League, which was Alliance based and had a completely different goal. There's no single person with that level of access in both the Empire and the Alliance for obvious reasons.
So, that really only leaves a group like the Club. I've already suggested in the past that the League was a Club invention, and the NMLA would fit the Club's usual methods of creating and then exploiting a conflict. But it's kind of a cop-out to just say "it's the club lol" and leave it there, that applies to like 90% of the mysteries in the lore, they're bloody everywhere. So who is the Club's main person in the Empire?
Reading the novels pretty much rules out Arissa, Denton, and Aisling. You could maybe say Torval, but her presence in the storyline has been virtually non-existent so there's basically nothing to say there. But even without the novels, there's one guy on GalNet who is just so unbelievably shady I'm amazed I feel the need to make this post.
Chancellor Anders Blaine has been around since the start of GalNet, the head of the Imperial Senate. If I went in-depth on every suspicious thing he's been involved in, this post would triple in size. So here's a quick summary of how he previously attempted to murder the Emperor and take the throne.
- Blaine was the de-facto ruler of the Empire for decades while Hengist was too sick to rule. He had increased his power over time and brought the focus on the Senate rather than the Emperor. With Harold Duval declared unfit to rule, Hengist had no heir, and Blaine was well-positioned to succeed him as Emperor, ending the rule of the Duval family.
- Hengist began making moves to confirm Arissa Lavigny as his heir. This would end Blaine's chances of becoming Emperor. Shortly afterwards, Hengist's "illness" intensified and he fell into a coma, preventing him from legitimizing Arissa. Convenient.
- As it turned out, Hengist was being poisoned. This was only discovered by chance, because Blaine was also responsible for blocking Patreus's requests to see the Emperor's medical records. Unfortunately, Blaine's investigation into the matter failed to turn up any leads. Hmm.
- Once the poisoning was thwarted, Hengist made a rapid recovery from his long illness and quickly made preparations to confirm his heir as soon as possible. Sadly, he was assassinated by Emperor's Dawn just before he could legitimize Arissa. With no clear heir, Blaine accepted the task of governing the Empire in the meanwhile. How selfless of him.
- Perceived connections to Emperor's Dawn affected many of the succession candidates, but the person with the most genuine links to Emperor's Dawn was... Blaine. And up until his connections were discovered, he was a frontrunner for the throne. He apologized though, apparently, he didn't know anything, it was all his staff. Right.
So, I think I've established why Blaine is sus as heck. Emperor's Dawn is also a known Club creation, and while Blaine failed to fully take power before, we now have this new organisation called the NMLA who are killing off Duvals...Blaine's main barriers to becoming Emperor. And the NMLA have access to top-level Imperial intelligence... well, there are few who are higher up in the Empire than Blaine. And none who are so blatantly shady.
Anyway, if the rest of this rambling didn't convince you, there's one much more recent point that might. You may have noticed how Arissa isn't participating much anymore. In this massively Empire-based plotline, the Emperor herself has practically vanished from GalNet.
For the past 194 days, Blaine has spoken for Arissa. Just like he once did for Hengist. Arissa herself hasn't been seen once. She didn't even attend the Galactic Summit. The writers have effectively replaced Arissa with Blaine, and they're doing so very deliberately.
If none of this is true, why on earth do you think they're doing that?
