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Retrial Requested for Admiral Tanner

The Federal Attorney’s Office has called for the conviction of former admiral Aden Tanner to be reviewed in light of events in HIP 22460.

Following a distinguished career in the Federal Navy, Tanner served as the chief military liaison for Aegis. In November 3307, while in command of the Aegis Defense megaship Musashi, he attempted to take control of Hind Mine starport. He believed it held evidence that Salvation intentionally attracted the Thargoids to the Cornsar system in order to test his superweapon.

Tanner’s attack failed and the Musashi was overtaken, largely due to superior numbers of independent pilots supporting the former Taurus Mining Ventures, now Azimuth Biotech. He was court martialled, dishonourably discharged, and found guilty of mutiny and unlawful military action. But his sentencing was postponed by request of Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori, who considered Tanner’s intel to be crucial to his own investigation into Salvation.

The Federal Times published this statement from Senior Attorney Fiona Logan:

“It is now a proven fact that the Guardian-based nature of the Proteus Wave was intended to attract the Thargoid fleet to HIP 22460. Component analysis by Ram Tah has verified that its forerunner superweapons were almost certainly designed to do likewise.”

“This substantiates Tanner’s allegation that Salvation deliberately invited Thargoid incursions in inhabited systems. Furthermore, Salvation originally claimed that his anti-xeno detection network alerted him to the aliens’ approach, but there is no evidence that this network exists.”

The Federal Navy Criminal Court confirmed that a formal application for a judiciary review was received. A special panel has been convened to reassess Tanner’s case.

Report from HIP 22460: ‘Salvation is Dead’

It has been confirmed that Salvation, figurehead of Azimuth Biotech and creator of the Proteus Wave, was killed on board the Bright Sentinel.

A segment of a transmission by an independent rescue team within HIP 22460 was shared with Vox Galactica by an anonymous source. The team was reporting back to the Musashi megaship, which has now returned to the T Tauri system.

“Captain Qadir, this is Drummond. You’re not paying us well enough to be in this hellhole. There are Thargoids everywhere we turn. But we’ve found out what you wanted to know. It’s not good news.”

“We finally managed to get close to the wreck of the Bright Sentinel, near where the bridge used to be. Bodies were drifting among the twisted metal, but fewer than we expected. We identified some of the command crew, including Commodore Halloran. But even before we got a positive ID scan, I recognised Dr Wycherley immediately. Nobody else could possibly look so old.”

“He was still in his command chair, surrounded by shattered fragments of cybernetic implants, his portable medical sensors dormant. Despite his shredded and broken body, his eyes were frozen open. I reached out to close them, but a Thargoid interceptor suddenly warped in and we had to race back to our ship.”

“I’m uploading all our data now, but I’m sorry to report that our primary target was not recoverable. Salvation is dead.”

Azimuth Biotech has confirmed that it employed freelance specialists to locate any surviving personnel from the Proteus Wave project, and that their findings were believed to be accurate. No further statement has yet been made.

Megaship Materials Boost Alliance Defence Force

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Sirius Corporation has gathered resources in the Leesti system to help improve the Alliance’s anti-xeno defences.

The campaign’s conclusion was announced by Captain Delfina Dominguez, commanding officer of the Chariot of Rhea megaship:

“Many pilots docked with us over the past week to deliver shipments of energy grid assemblies, magnetic emitter coils, power transfer buses and titanium. On behalf of Sirius Corporation and the Allied Defence Force, I thank you for such encouraging support.”

“I am informed that these will be sufficient to outfit 2 sentry megaships, each armed with experimental AX weaponry. These will be placed in key systems across the Alliance, ready to respond to potential Thargoid incursions.”

“Admiral Glass has outlined his long-term plans to senior officers in the Sirius Navy. It’s clear that these are exciting times for the Alliance Defence Force. If the Thargoids come, we will be better prepared to repel them.”

The Council of Admirals has stated that the new megaships are expected to become operational by September 15th.

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect payment from the Chariot of Rhea in the Leesti system.

Les matériaux des méga-vaisseaux renforcent la Force de défense de l'Alliance

*ALERTE du Cercle des pilotes*

Sirius Corporation a rassemblé des ressources dans le système Leesti pour aider à améliorer les défenses anti-xéno de l’Alliance.

La conclusion de la campagne a été annoncée par le capitaine Delfina Dominguez, la commandante du méga-vaisseau Chariot of Rhea :

De nombreux pilotes se sont appontés à nous cette dernière semaine pour livrer des cargaisons de systèmes de réseau d’alimentation, bobines d'émission magnétique, conduits de transfert d’énergie et titane. Au nom de Sirius Corporation et de la Force de défense alliée, je vous remercie pour ce soutien encourageant.

On m’a informée que ces cargaisons suffiront pour équiper 2 méga-vaisseaux sentinelles, ayant chacun à son bord de l’armement AX expérimental. Ceux-ci seront placés dans des systèmes clés de l’Alliance, prêts à répondre aux incursions thargoids potentielles.

L’amiral Glass a exposé ses plans à long terme aux officiers supérieurs de la flotte de Sirius. Il est clair que la Force de défense de l’Alliance vit une période passionnante. Si les Thargoids viennent, nous seront mieux préparés pour les repousser. »

Le Conseil des amiraux a déclaré que les nouveaux méga-vaisseaux devraient être opérationnels d’ici au 15 septembre.

Les pilotes ayant participé à cette opération peuvent à présent obtenir leur paiement à bord du méga-vaisseau Chariot of Rhea, dans le système Leesti.

‘Thargoid Roar’ Claim Draws Speculation

An independent journalist has suggested that some survivors of the Battle of HIP 22460 heard a strange alien sound of unknown origin.

Flint ‘Firemaker’ Lafosse published his theories via the Rewired network:

“Only a handful of crewmembers rescued from HIP 22460 managed to give garbled first-hand accounts before being placed under military quarantine. Naturally, most talked about how those damn bugs wiped out almost everyone. But a few mentioned something bizarre heard shortly after the Thargoid counter-attack.”

“These witnesses described it in various ways: ‘ghastly’, ‘overwhelming’, ‘monstrous’ to name a few. Jade Sanderlyn, Vox Galactica’s hotshot reporter, said it was ‘a noise which shook our bodies, screeching through our skulls’. Now, there are no audio recordings in the public domain to share, but there’s definitely a pattern if you study the reports closely.”

“Both ship and suit audio systems interpret all sorts of electromagnetic emissions from Thargoid vessels. This would have to be a far more powerful cry to cut through the chaos across multiple ships. Could it have been a roar of defiance, aimed at us? Or was it aimed somewhere else?”

“And before anyone accuses me of stirring up trouble like usual: no, I haven’t technically heard the alleged sound myself. Full disclosure. But someone has to speak up for those who insist it happened. I wasn’t in HIP 22460 and neither were most of you. Got it?”

“Here’s where it gets interesting, though. The Federal Navy responded to my request for details by stating all HIP 22460 data was classified. The Imperial Navy refused to acknowledge me at all. The Alliance Defence Force said it was ‘likely a symptom of collective trauma or hysteria’. So the obvious question is: what are they all hiding?”

“Congressional hopeful Dalton Chase, governor of Andavandul 1, is one of the few people in a position of stellar authority talking openly about HIP 22460. Chase recently argued that people have a right to know everything that happened. Other broadcasters like Heimar Borichev, Kit Fowler and Joy Senne are also not accepting the silence. We’ll continue demanding answers from those who are supposedly protecting us.”

Rumours Arise of New Alien Artefacts

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Anecdotal reports suggest that a previously unknown non-human object has been discovered by independent pilots.

No details about where or how the object was obtained have been established at this time. What little information exists has been provided by individual members of the Pilots’ Federation.

One of these sources is a public message posted by Commander Marcus Mercer via an Interstellar Common Experience (ICE) network:

“I recently met up with an old friend of mine. Let’s call her Digger. Years ago we’d team up to excavate Guardian and Thargoid artefacts. Sold them and split the profits. She mentioned having an ‘unusual find’ in her ship’s cargo hold, and invited me onboard to check it out.”

“Standing there bathed in its light from the other side of the window, I knew this was something alien. But it wasn’t just another dusty relic from millennia ago. This looked newer, alive and glowing, giving off a vibration that made me feel queasy.”

“Commander Kralone was the first to discover these objects, apparently. Digger said she’d worked out how to get hold of one and would tell me how – for a price. I joked that if Aegis was still around, it would have paid big credits for the thing. Digger suddenly stopped talking and gave me this look. Then she kicked me off her ship and was out of the docking bay before I’d even cleared the hangar!”

“I know that Digger spends a lot of her time investigating Thargoid stuff planet-side. So I’m going to visit a few and see what turns up. There’s got to be more of those things out there, and if they end up being worth something, then I want my share.”

Alliance-Sirius Pact Accelerated

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong-Rui have issued a joint statement regarding territorial defence against the Thargoids.

“The recent tragedy in HIP 22460 has underscored the crucial importance of the strategic defence pact. As the likelihood of increased Thargoid aggression rises, Allied systems can be assured that we are making rapid changes to withstand this potential threat.”

“Admiral Nikolas Glass will now coordinate all anti-xeno military operations. His first priority is to update the existing infrastructure of the Alliance Defence Force, allowing member system fleets to form according to mission parameters. This will bring greater flexibility and allow the ADF to direct forces to anywhere Thargoid incursions occur.”

“Allied worlds are calling out for greater defences, and the absence of a dedicated Alliance Navy has never been felt so keenly. But the Assembly is willing to approve greater military spending, and Sirius Corporation stands ready to put the defence pact into practice.”

In related news, the Council of Admirals officially verified that the Oath of Tyndareus was lost with all hands during the Thargoid counter-attack in the HIP 22460 system. The megaship’s crew have been posthumously honoured in a public ceremony.

Fleets Withdraw from Thargoid-Controlled System

The Alliance, Empire and Federation have confirmed that the remains of their anti-xeno taskforces have fully retreated from the HIP 22460 system.

Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori declared: “The Thargoids are now heavily entrenched in HIP 22460. Federal search and rescue teams are attempting to locate survivors, but our window of opportunity is closing as the enemy forces increase in number.”

A similar statement came from Senator Denton Patreus, who admitted “The aliens have successfully established a stronghold within human-occupied space.” The Imperial Navy has been instructed to prioritise evacuating its own ships and crew.

The Alliance Assembly and the Council of Admirals have been engaged in emergency discussions with representatives from Sirius Corporation. Early indications suggest a restructuring of anti-xeno operations is underway.

Across the core systems, public fears of a mass Thargoid invasion are running high. Planetary security forces are on alert, with every spacegoing military preparing for the possibility of fighting Thargoid vessels. Many public figures have expressed their concerns, including Aegis’s former head of research Professor Alba Tesreau:

“I am utterly horrified by events in HIP 22460. Many of us feared that Azimuth’s experiments would lead to catastrophe, but the widespread loss of life is still a sickening shock. Salvation critically underestimated the Thargoids’ ability to adapt, a failure rooted in his perception of them as purely reactive creatures.”

“This tragedy is worsened by the fractured responses of the superpowers, which are reluctant to continue sharing information with external organisations. Without a dedicated research effort, we cannot analyse the Thargoid technology used in HIP 22460 or formulate a suitable defence.”