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Thargoids Retreat from Three Systems

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The conflicts in the 42 n Persei, Chun Pindit and Tekkeitjal systems have ended with the withdrawal of Thargoid vessels.

All three systems reported the simultaneous arrival of Thargoid forces on the 12th of September, following an expansion of their presence from HIP 22460. Unlike many previous incursions, however, no starports came under direct attack.

Large numbers of independent pilots volunteered to defend the systems’ populations. Commanders BL1P, EmulatedPenguin and Klemyr, in particular, distinguished themselves in battle against the Thargoids, setting an example among many skilled pilots and AX squadrons that took part.

The Federal Navy also sent several Farragut-class battle cruisers, each outfitted with specialist AX weaponry, to directly engage the Thargoids. These have now been redeployed, with Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori claiming: “The overwhelming firepower of the Federation’s capital ships proved more than a match for our alien foe.”

However, other sources claimed that the Thargoid fleets were not completely spent and instead made a tactical withdrawal. Several witnesses, interviewed by Vox Galactica field reporters, claim to have observed large numbers of undamaged Thargoid vessels departing into hyperspace.

The formally organised defence operations have already concluded, but contributing pilots can still collect their rewards from Bennington's Rest in the 42 n Persei system, Samuda Terminal in the Chun Pindit system, and Riemann Colony in the Tekkeitjal system.

Federal Forces Target the True Chapters

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Conflict has erupted in Popontia as the Federation seeks to apprehend True Chapters cultists of the Far God cult.

The Workers of Popontia Free, which is sympathetic to the sect’s right to practise its religion, was outfitting the Dedicant megaship for the chapter’s use. Federal ships have been deployed in the Popontia system with the intention of detaining all cultists and seizing the megaship.

Governor Nadia Machado, representing Popontia Incorporated, declared:

“By order of President Hudson, all Thargoid worshippers are under suspicion of espionage and abetting our alien enemies. The True Chapters group is ordered to surrender for lawful questioning.”

Popontia Incorporated has been tasked with overseeing this mission. Payment has been authorised for Federal auxiliaries and independent pilots willing to pledge their support in subduing True Chapters supporters.

From the Testament megaship, the First Apostle of the True Chapters delivered a broadcast across public channels:

“The Dedicant will be a new home for us to await the Far God’s arrival. We are prepared to die to defend this holy calling. Our recognised patrons in the Workers of Popontia Free will fight to protect us and reward those who aid our cause.”

These unprecedented hostilities were commented on by Dr Alfred Ulyanov, an academic authority on the Order of the Far God:

“This is the first time that members of this faith have not calmly accepted their own fate. According to my research, the First Apostle preaches that the Far God will transform her followers upon Its manifestation, allowing them to survive while the rest of humanity is extinguished. This has evidently motivated True Chapters adherents to abandon their wholly passive stance.”

Both campaigns are being orchestrated by contacts in the system’s primary starport, Ryman Market.

Alliance-Sirius Pact Prepares New Taskforce

The anti-xeno strategic defence pact between the Alliance and Sirius Corporation has been fully ratified as a legally binding treaty.

The Assembly voted to approve the agreement at the end of June, following months of debate. The decision was influenced by the outcome of two competing initiatives to procure resource packages for the Alliance Defence Force (ADF).

Admiral Nikolas Glass, the Sirius Navy representative on the Council of Admirals, delivered this statement:

“Now that the legalities have been addressed, a demonstration of the defence pact’s potential is long overdue. I am very pleased to announce that a new anti-xeno taskforce is being assembled under the name Operation Tyndareus, in honour of the megaship lost in HIP 22460.”

“A tactical combination of ADF ships and Sirius Corporation’s resources will deliver a devastating counterstrike at the next opportunity. This will demonstrate that our unified forces can repel Thargoid attackers and defend Allied space.”

Shortly before this announcement, an editorial in the Old Worlds Gazette remarked: “So far, Sirius has not fired a single shot in this war. Do they plan to save us by offering the Thargoids special discounts?” Other critics agreed that the defence pact looked increasingly like an administrative exercise rather than a military strategy.

Councillor Hildegard Dressler, who represents the Leesti system, told The Alliance Tribune:

“I know that the prime minister shares the public’s frustration with the slow process of bureaucratic approval. He has called upon Sirius Corporation to fast-track its plans urgently, and Operation Tyndareus will be the result.”

‘Thargoid Roar’ Leaked to Public

Classified audio-visual footage from the Battle of HIP 22460 has been anonymously submitted to several mainstream newsfeeds.

The Alliance Tribune, The Federal Times, The Imperial Herald, The Sovereign and Vox Galactica all received databanks salvaged from various wreckages in the HIP 22460 system. Most were obtained from naval vessels, along with a handful recovered from independent ship’s logs.

Superpower-based newsfeeds elected not to publish any information related to their own militaries, citing security guidelines. But enough material has reached the public domain to portray the sequence of events of August 9th: the activation of the Proteus Wave, the Thargoid counter-attack, and the subsequent destruction of huge numbers of ships.

These files include audio recordings of a broadcast of unknown origin that occurred throughout HIP 22460. They match previously unverified descriptions of a so-called ‘Thargoid roar’, something that has been discussed by independent journalist Flint Lafosse and Vox Galactica reporter Jade Sanderlyn.

Several interpretations of this unearthly sound have been offered. Professor Shamus Madigan believed it to be “residual electromagnetic radiation from the Thargoids’ energy pulse on HIP 22460 10b”. Dr Jeong-Hui Shin theorised that it was “a burst of frenzied communication to – or from – some distant location”. Meanwhile, the First Apostle of the True Chapters claimed: “The voice of the Far God calls to the faithful. The manifestation has begun.”

Coupled with the Thargoid expansion from HIP 22460 and their recent invasion of three inhabited systems, this new revelation has fuelled public anxiety over the Thargoid threat. Members of the Alliance Assembly, Federal Congress and Imperial Senate have reassured their citizens that there is no need for panic. It is believed that several intelligence agencies have opened investigations into the source of the leak, the content of which is believed to have been classified by military departments.

Anti-Thargoid operations are continuing in the 42 n Persei, Chun Pindit and Tekkeitjal systems. The Federation has submitted several Farragut-class battle cruisers to help repel Thargoid forces. Local factions organising the defensive efforts have called for independent pilots to join the fight.

Mahon Rebukes Imperial Isolationism

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has spoken out against Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval’s decree to suspend inter-superpower cooperation.

At a meeting of the Alliance Assembly, Mahon said:

“This hasty decision from Emperor Arissa will have dangerous repercussions for the core systems as a whole, not just those within the Empire. Now that the Thargoids have become more hostile than ever before, humanity should be uniting against this common enemy.”

“Let us not forget: the coalition of anti-xeno taskforces in HIP 22460 performed their duties admirably, despite the tragic conclusion. That degree of military coordination could and should be sustained, to a far broader scale.”

“The Sirius Treaty, which I proposed at the Galactic Summit in 3307, would have established anti-xeno operations as a cross-superpower priority. I can only imagine how much better prepared we would now be to combat the Thargoids. But there is still scope for governments and organisations to work more closely, as exemplified by our strategic defence pact with Sirius Corporation.”

The Alliance, Federation and Marlinist Colonies have reported that the Empire is methodically closing down all collaborative projects. However, official diplomatic representation in non-Imperial territories has been maintained.

‘Xeno-Peace’ Discussions Gain Momentum

Public debate around the Battle of HIP 22460 has seen the emergence of a grassroots movement that promotes communication with the Thargoids.

As militaries prepare for a protracted anti-xeno conflict, this alternative viewpoint has gained traction on social channels in multiple systems. Proponents believe that their governments should focus on finding ways to open a dialogue with the Thargoid species, and end hostilities using diplomatic means.

On Interstellar Communal Experience (ICE) platforms, some influential names have amplified the xeno-peace concept. In a recent ICE-cast, leading caster Joy Senne openly discussed the topic with her viewers:

“How do you end a war? Is it by fighting harder, building bigger weapons, wiping out everyone you can? No! Well, sometimes, I guess. But I guess Salvation blew that one, right? We shouldn’t just accept what our leaders are telling us – that the only way to end the Thargoid war is through military action.”

“So if you want peace, you learn to talk to the other side and find common ground. That’s why I’m fascinated by this Thargoid Advocacy Project, which is promoting ways to resolve this terrible situation through non-violent means. Millions of people have already signed up. What do you all think?”

The movement has received minor coverage in most newsfeeds. However, The Sovereign, which reports on events in independent systems, has dedicated several segments to the Thargoid Advocacy Project. Deputy editor Heimar Borichev regularly discusses the topic in his editorials:

“Pro-peacers are being ridiculed for wanting to talk to the aliens rather than shoot them. The experts claim it’s a waste of research trying to communicate with Thargoids. But better facts are out there. Listen to what Professor Tesreau has always said between the lines. Seek out theories that weren’t approved by your governments. Make up your own mind.”

In the Federation, a spokesperson for the Proactive Detection Bureau remarked:

“An increase in pro-xeno sentiment has been flagged by our algorithms, since such messages often include markers for potentially antisocial behaviour. There is currently no evidence that this is anything other than a countercultural social phenomenon, but our operatives are monitoring the situation.”

Unexplained ‘Flare’ Detected in Deep Space

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Reports from independent explorers indicate that an unusual visual phenomenon has appeared in deep space.

A distant point of light, described as a reddish-orange flare with faint radial patterns, has been observed close to the Barnard's Loop nebula. It is thought to have appeared only recently. Universal Cartographics has confirmed that the location of this ‘flare’ does not match any previously catalogued stellar body or star.

Early attempts to verify these reports have noted a strange response when the same region of space is observed through a full spectrum system scanner (FSS). No definitive target can be isolated, but claims of a faint background noise generated by FSS audio converters have been asserted.

Commander Eva Llewellyn, speaking to Vox Galactica, remarked:

“I’m used to the FSS making all sorts of strange noises, but listening to this thing – comet, solar flare, whatever it is – gives me goosebumps. Something feels off, all right. The scanner tells me there’s nothing there, nothing to focus on. Can’t say I agree. Still, smarter people than me will figure out the truth of it all, I guess.”

At present, it is unknown if this is a naturally occurring stellar event. Pilots are attempting to gather more data, but as yet no authority or scientific body has provided any official analysis of the phenomenon.

Remarkable ‘Lost Planet’ Rediscovered

The location of the first green gas giant ever recorded was a mystery for years, but it has now been found by a community of explorers.

Commander Kelly Eldridge initially made the discovery on the 23rd of May 3301, noting that it was “the strangest gas giant I've seen so far”. The vivid green bands in the planet’s atmosphere made it unique to explorers at the time, and these types of gas giant are still extremely rare. The unusual colouration is believed to be caused by free-floating radioplankton that absorb planetary radiation.

Unfortunately, astrographic data of the system was not retained by Eldridge, so its precise location was lost. But in early 3308, Commander Richard Fluiraniz M began gathering enthusiasts for the ‘At The Eldritch Gate’ expedition, to collectively search for the missing planet.

The mission involved analysing constellation patterns and interstellar gas clouds in the only available image taken by Eldridge. Pilots also retraced her path by tracking neutron stars with her discovery tag, which involved multiple ships sweeping across an enormous area within the Perseus Crags region.

A match for the green gas giant was eventually made on the 16th of August by Commander Orange!, who identified it as the seventh planet in the Shaulai DL-P d5-274 system. With the system name supplied, Universal Cartographics then verified that it was indeed the original submitted by Eldridge.

Cynthia Sideris, chairperson of Universal Cartographics, gave a public tribute to the expedition:

“For over seven years, astronomers have been unable to officially catalogue the very first green gas giant. Through hard work and perseverance it has finally been found, and the full story of Shaulai DL-P d5-274 7 can be recorded for posterity. We are indebted to the Independent Explorers Association and everyone who took part in this historic achievement.”