Jeremy Armarndis, Senior Correspondent, RNN
FIRST CITY, REYDOVAN PRIME (11 October 2502): An assassin's bomb nearly killed Reydovan Chancellor Joshua Underwood early this evening. Sources claim a fanatic who was against the merger with the Commonwealth was responsible for the attack, because a PADD was placed in Underwood's remaining hand when the deed was done, which read "Underwood sold us out to the damn L'nhraei - now he pays for it."
The explosion occured at 5:39pm Reydovan Standard Time and vaporized Underwood's whole left side as well as one quarter of the Imperial Palace, killing nearly 17,000 people in the Palace itself and in the courtyard in front of it. Almost all his organs were destroyed, and the only one that remained largely intact was his brain. The remainder of his body is being taken to Republic Cyborg Research on Belle Terre, so new parts can be integrated into his shattered form. Though nearly vaporized, Underwood is still alive and able to communicate, via a comm link-up in his unscathed brain.
Reydovan Ambassador Jeremiah Neill received the news of Underwood's crippling from a courier sent to the Republic Embassy in ch'Taala, the planetary capital of L'nhraei and the seat of Commonwealth power. "It is a shame that these misguided fools believe in such violence," Neill reported.
As the Code of Hierarchy dictates, if the Chancellor is incapacitated, the next person in the line of succession would become Acting Chancellor. Neill is the only member of the line still alive, therefore he was declared Acting Chancellor while still on L'nhraei. Neill, following the orders the Chancellor gave him, remains on L'nhraei. Military police are scouring the streets of First City in hopes of finding Chancellor Underwood's would-be assassin.
Chancellor Underwood is en route to Belle Terre and remains in critical condition.
