Rumours coming out of Mars today suggest that a powerful lobbying group, acting on behalf of Admiral Vincent and the Federal Navy, are currently engaged in a massive campaign to lower taxes on combat-capable spacecraft. The aim of the campaign is to encourage Federal pilots to become more battle-ready in these times of heightened tensions.
If the lobbying efforts prove to be successful, the Imperial armament program will doubtless be forced to follow suit or else risk the Empire being undermined by the increased combat capabilities of the Federal Navy.