Empire wide shortage of munitions.

Once again the Empire faces a shortage of important goods. On top of the recently noted shortage of slave labor due to the fall of Geidi Prime, we must now contend with an even more serious lack of munitions making it to market. While some might see this as a good thing, i.e. a lack of ability for the various houses to engage in wastefull wars, most of the greater and lesser Houses are quite alarmed by this turn of events.

Observant readers might recall that this very publication commented some months ago on a serious shortfall of pharmecuticals during the height of the plague. It was also observed that when famine occured there was also a lack of food stocks that could be easily delivered to the stricken regions. This would all seem to point to a chilling conclusion: CHOAM has failed to properly supply the stores of the Empire with needed provisions.

As troubling as that might be, another, even more troubling, explantion has been offered. It is a well known fact that many of the Great Houses will use their economic muscle as a means of earning solari, influence and power. Some have commented that this might be deliberate ploy by one or more of these Houses to weaken their enemies by cutting off their supply of weapons with which to defend themselves.

House Poritrin, one of the largest suppliers of munitions, is the primary suspect put forward by those who favor this notion. What they would hope to gain exactly is not known but they would certainly have the clout to attempt something like this. If so, one could only pray not to be on their bad side if they are the only ones able to acquire the arms needed for self defense.

While we are not as yet sure if it is the Poritrin, or some other powerful House, who has derailed the munitions supply for the Empire at large, we are sure of one thing. CHOAM is failing in their appointed tasks if one House, or a small group of Houses, could so easily paralyze part of our economy. Given the other recent failures in supply we have noted one can only question wether or not anyone is really minding the store.