Alliance Liaison Officer, Bethany Lionheart, confirmed the change to the Town Elders in a closed meeting. When asked why the situation had dragged on for so long, she was quoted as saying "Bureaucracy is what it is. Sometimes it takes longer than we'd like to get official word that we can make the change. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and would like to thank you for your cooperation during this period."
When asked whether the Alliance Military would continue their activities in the area, she replied "You folks are fairly isolated out here. We'd be remiss in our duties to you fine Alliance citizens if we abandoned you. The colony is yours again but you can be sure we'll maintain some presence." Adding "Strictly in the name of your safety, of course. With the history of the region that is a valid concern."
What this ultimately means to the colony remains to be seen. While largely unloved by Hale's independent minded populace, the 1st Marine Raiders did bring some much needed coin to the local economy.
Town Elder and Deputy Mayor, Genni Foxtrot, speaking for the Mayor's Office, said "About Gorram time they gave us our colony back. Mayor's off-world right now, but I sent her a wave. Suspect she'll cook up a shindig to celebrate though."
