Galnet archive

A Retrospective of 3307 (Part Three)

Sima Kalhana reviews the most newsworthy events of the past year in this series of articles.

“July began badly for the Federation, with more factions seceding in response to the Proactive Detection Bureau’s establishment. The newly independent nations severed all links with these new surveillance efforts, inspiring many other systems to do likewise. This secession crisis would rumble on for the rest of the year.”

“The Blue Viper Club, one of the rarely seen dredger clans, joined forces with the Kumo Crew to manufacture a medicinal drug that turned out to be a new strain of onionhead. The drug would ultimately end up being legally distributed by Neomedical Industries, causing Archon Delaine to seek revenge against the corporation.”

“Tensions soared in the Marlinist Colonies during an election for the head of their diplomatic consulate. Aaron Whyte’s candidate had the support of an Imperial senator, which would have given the Neo-Marlinists a powerful voice within the Empire.”

“When a more moderate candidate was elected, the NMLA reacted by bombing both Marlinist starports, murdering tens of thousands including First Minister Jenna Fairfax. It seemed Theta Seven’s extremist views allowed anyone to be targeted as an enemy, even his fellow Marlinists. The civil war concluded in August, with Whyte killed in battle as his supporters were overcome in direct combat.”

“Following accusations of incompetence regarding the vanished Alexandria megaship, Aegis was officially suspended and subjected to a board of inquiry. This would have ramifications for the ongoing conflict with the Thargoids, and encourage Salvation to position himself as an alternative.”

“In the corporate sphere, Zemina Torval created a new subsidiary of Mastopolos Mining that would eventually become an autonomous company. There were rumours that the Torval and Mastopolos families were now at loggerheads after decades of working in unison.”

“In September, the mystery of Hyford’s Cache was finally unlocked. The trail led to revelations of dark experiments which are believed to have involved human test subjects and Thargoid technology.”

“When the Thargoids themselves appeared en masse in the Cornsar system, Salvation was ready for them. An anti-xeno superweapon of undisclosed nature was deployed, wiping out some of the aliens and driving away the rest. It seemed that the self-titled ‘man of science’ had developed something revolutionary, inspiring many to place their faith in him to end the Thargoid menace once and for all.”

A Retrospective of 3307 (Part One)

The noted historian Sima Kalhana takes a look back at the turbulent events of the last year in a four-part series of articles.

“The start of 3307 was a time of crisis. The rise of the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army (NMLA), the Marlinist refugee crisis and increased Empire-Federation tensions had brought a full-scale superpower war closer, with renewed attacks from the Thargoids increasing the pressure.”

“All of this led to Pranav Antal’s proposal of a diplomatic conference for all three superpower governments to work through their problems – the very first Galactic Summit. Within weeks, Sirius Corporation was selected as the neutral host for the conference. Li Yong-Rui scored another triumph by establishing the Marlinist Colonies for millions of political refugees who had fled from the Empire.”

“In February came the trial of Fleet Admiral Vincent, accused of arranging Starship One’s destruction back in 3301. His paymaster was revealed as Core Dynamics CEO Jupiter Rochester, who wanted to replace Federal democracy with direct corporate rule.”

“His breakaway faction Jupiter Division was defeated in battle and Rochester himself jailed for life. This also led to Core Dynamics’s acquisition of Lakon Spaceways being cancelled, leaving the Alliance to purchase a majority sharehold in the company.”

“Key players on the political stage finally gathered when the Galactic Summit began in late February. The Sirius system hosted leaders from the Alliance, Empire, Federation and independent systems. Even pirate warlord Archon Delaine gatecrashed the event, causing controversy with his ‘crown of bones’ speech.”

“It seemed for a while that the bickering between so many strong personalities might trigger a war rather than avert one. But gradually there was progress, with the possibility of a treaty to increase unity against the Thargoid threat. But before reaching this conclusion, the Galactic Summit was derailed by a threat from another source.”

“Nine Martyrs – as named by the NMLA leader Theta Seven – was the largest terrorist attack in history. Hundreds of thousands were killed by starport bombings in nine systems, including the superpower capitals of Alioth, Achenar and Sol. This horrific tragedy ended the conference abruptly, but did give rise to some inter-power cooperation.”

“A new agreement signed at the Galactic Summit allowed the Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit (ACT) to be formed rapidly. Drawing on the superpowers’ security services and other organisations, its sole purpose was to hunt down and eliminate the NMLA, a task that would dominate the headlines for the rest of the year.”

GalNet: Apology for Unauthorised Broadcasts

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The GalNet editorial team expresses its sincere regret that further unscheduled messages have been recently published.

A second batch of riddles were unlawfully transmitted across GalNet public feeds on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December. As with the three previous broadcasts, they were designed to invite independent pilots to locate a series of concealed caches.

Our technical teams have identified the method by which the criminal known as the Winking Cat inserted unapproved articles into GalNet’s publication network. Security protocols have been heavily reinforced and we are confident that no further intrusions will take place.

GalNet offers formal apologies to all members of the Pilots’ Federation for this disruption.

New Phase for Alliance-Sirius Partnership

The Alliance Assembly has invited Sirius Corporation to collaborate on enhancing protection for member systems against the Thargoids.

Political journalist Vanya Driscoll reported on the development for The Alliance Tribune:

“Sirius Corporation has been a key partner in the Alliance’s expansion programme. Most notably, its subsidiary Sirius Atmospherics helped establish colonies in the Coalsack Nebula to support meta-alloy harvesting.”

“But according to insiders, the suspension of Aegis and the increasing Thargoid presence has raised fears that Alliance systems may be vulnerable to xeno invasion. This has led to Prime Minister Edmund Mahon suggesting a strategic defence contract with the megacorp.”

“In response, CEO Li Yong-Rui himself has travelled to the Alioth system. It’s understood that high-level discussions are taking place on ways in which the company might augment the Alliance Defence Force’s capabilities.”

“Councillor Nakato Kaine, Mahon’s political rival, has repeated her claim that Sirius Corporation has a disturbing amount of influence over some council members. She fears that private agreements are being made behind closed doors, and has called for increased transparency.”

Thargoid Presence Persists in Multiple Systems

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The Coalsack, Pleiades and Witch Head nebulas continue to see an influx of Thargoid vessels.

Freelance war correspondent Ernesto Rios reported for Vox Galactica:

“Over the last few months, Thargoid ships have appeared in over two dozen populated systems including Shenve, Pleiades Sector IH-V c2-5 and Coalsack Sector VU-O b6-6. All are in the vicinity of nebulas, which seem to be favoured by the Thargoids.”

“In some systems, organised task forces of independent pilots have successfully hunted and destroyed the invaders. But in others, their efforts are undone by Thargoid reinforcements continually dropping out of hyperspace.”

“There have been public demands to know why more superweapons have yet to be deployed. However, Salvation has not responded to this. Some of his supporters believe that it takes time to stockpile the weapons’ resources, while others maintain that Salvation is focused on a masterplan to permanently eliminate the Thargoid threat.”

“Until then, individual Commanders and anti-xeno squadrons remain fighting on the front line against the escalating Thargoid incursion.”

The Triumph of Salvation

Salvation has confirmed that his anti-xeno superweapons successfully routed Thargoids from the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems.

The following message was submitted to all newsfeeds:

“The Thargoid spearhead into human space has been severely blunted. Commodore Halloran coordinated the operation with military precision, and many loyal pilots acted swiftly to provide components for my unique technology.”

“At present, I am not able to deploy these weapons in other systems suffering alien infestation. But my colleagues and I are working day and night on a final solution to the threat. Next year, we will deliver a decisive blow in the war against the Thargoids.”

“I urge the peoples of the galaxy to unite behind my crusade. Aegis is finished. I am the only remaining defence for humanity. I am Salvation.”

Independent pilots and anti-xeno squadrons have been asked to continue combating the remaining Thargoid vessels in the Coalsack, Pleiades and Witch Head Nebula regions. Repair efforts are also still required in the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems.

Thargoids Repulsed from Three Systems

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Salvation’s anti-xeno superweapons have cleared most Thargoid vessels from the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems.

Pilots were asked to transport classified experimental equipment from the Heart of Taurus in the Qarato system to three other megaships owned by Taurus Mining Ventures. These components were used to prepare the large-scale weapons developed by Salvation to affect Thargoid technology.

Vox Galactica published an intercepted message from Commodore Morag Halloran, commanding officer of the Musashi, to the Bright Sentinel and Glorious Prospect megaships:

“This is Halloran. Operation Tri-hammer has concluded with a code white-three-alpha. Estimated target destruction in Delphi is at 27%, with full dispersal of 98% of remaining hostiles. Scans underway for non-combatant disruption or casualties. Maia and Merope data to be submitted immediately to central analytics.”

Independent observers have reported that the majority of all Thargoid ships in the three systems have abruptly departed, with some wreckages found on planetary surfaces. This closely matches the event in the Cornsar system in September, when the anti-xeno superweapon was first deployed.

Pilots are requested to help with repair and rescue efforts for starports damaged by the Thargoids: Donar’s Oak and The Oracle in the Delphi system, Obsidian Orbital in the Maia system, and Reed’s Rest in the Merope system.

Vodel Releases Scorpion SRV

SRV manufacturer Vodel today announced the official release of its new vehicle, the Scorpion.

The first new mass-production model offered by the company in many years, the Scorpion is designed for combat operations and troop support. It is widely understood that Vodel’s acquisition by Core Dynamics in 3305 triggered the development of the new model, with the parent company’s considerable financial resources made available to Vodel’s engineering teams.

Vodel’s chief of design, Frank Endis, gave a speech at the company’s launch event at Levinson Orbital in Bhattra:

“We are delighted to bring the Scorpion SRV to the market and are excited at its potential. Our marketing team anticipates huge interest from independent operatives and military forces alike, thanks to the Scorpion’s impressive specifications.”

“A focus on survivability provides the Scorpion’s two-crew cabin with additional protection from harm. The plasma surge repeater and the proprietary Aculeus missile launcher work in perfect harmony when engaging shielded, armoured targets. Meanwhile, the Scorpion’s raw power offers exceptional torque, capable of handling harsh terrain and steep climbs.”

Core Dynamics CEO Owen McKenna also attended the event and was approached for comment:

“I’m really happy with how hard the Vodel team has worked on this new vehicle. They had clear goals in mind from the start, took Core Dynamics’ feedback on board and kept us updated regularly through the process. I think the acquisition of Vodel was one of the last good decisions Jupiter Rochester made as head of the company.”

The Scorpion SRV is now available to purchase from military economy ports.