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Spire Shutdown Confirms Thargoid Vulnerability

Professor Palin’s biological impurity has proved effective against the Thargoid spire sites, and is capable of halting their functionality.

Independent war reporter Gus LaChappelle published an on-the-scene report of the site in the Hyades Sector ST-Q B5-5 system for his ICE-cast channel Muzzle Flash:

“The eerie stillness surrounding me now is even more unnerving than when I visited this horror factory before. Bioluminescent nodules no longer pulse their sickly glow. Spires blot out the stars above, twisted towers made from solid night. Mega barnacles have ceased producing their foul byproducts. I’m walking through an alien cemetery.”

“The soldiers escorting me constantly perform pirouettes with their weapons, trigger-twitchy. But there are no black-hulled monstrosities spitting fire from the shadows or wheeling across the sky. Only rotted mineral sacs drooping from mechanical vines, and decaying chunks of necrotised metal. Even the nerve points that once triggered glandular responses have grown dull.”

Professor Shamus Madigan, Federal scientific liaison to Aegis, discussed these developments via Vox Galactica:

“Multiple pilots introduced Professor Palin’s contaminant into the supply lines for these spires, but it’s still remarkable how quickly it took effect. With large quantities of the contaminant in place, the Thargoids seem to have abandoned the site in Hyades Sector ST-Q B5-5. Perhaps maintenance drones were unable to keep the site viable for its purpose. Efforts are underway to repeat this success at other sites.”

“What this means for the Thargoid invasion fleets remains unclear as yet. If we are right and the Titans depend upon these biomechanical foundries, the loss of these sites may prove invaluable. But so far – though Taranis has lost control of surrounding systems – there is no evidence that the motherships have been affected by the spire sites’ inactivity.”

Tionisla Materials Campaign Fails

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Councillor Nakato Kaine has announced that a delivery campaign in the Tionisla system has not reached its target.

Addressing the Alliance Assembly, she said:

“The purpose of this campaign was to demonstrate the core principles of the Alliance: independence, self-sufficiency and mutual support. While we received millions of units, our target quota was not filled. I believe there are important lessons to be learned here. We must not lose faith in the Alliance’s ability to remain self-sustaining in military infrastructure.”

The strategic defence pact between the Alliance and Sirius Corporation is being subjected to an independent inquiry. A vocal minority of councillors in the Assembly are critical of their corporate partner’s inability to deliver anti-xeno ships or activities.

Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong Rui offered this comment to reporters:

“Sirius Corporation’s continued efforts to supply the Alliance Defence Force with upgraded modules and resources have been hampered by the Alliance Assembly in recent months. Kaine’s rogue operation in Tionisla only demonstrates how partisan some of us have become. If the defence pact had received unconditional support, just imagine what triumphs and successes Sirius might have delivered by now.”

The Alliance Rapid-reaction Corps has confirmed that pilots who earned bounty vouchers protecting traders can now collect their rewards from Brett High. The intended discount on the Alliance Challenger, Chieftain and Crusader has been cancelled due to the delivery campaign’s failure to reach its targets.

Kaine Launches Alliance Resource Drive

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Councillor Nakato Kaine has requested deliveries to the Tionisla system in protest against the anti-xeno defence pact.

Pilots are asked to deliver shipments of hazardous environment suits, micro controllers and titanium to Brett High. The Alliance Rapid-reaction Corps, which is hosting the initiative, will protect participants by redeeming bounty vouchers for the destruction of any wanted ships.

The campaign was personally arranged by Councillor Nakato Kaine, the representative for Tionisla in the Alliance Assembly. Speaking to the Old Worlds Gazette, Kaine stated:

“I aim to prove that the Alliance’s military fleet is not as dependent upon Sirius Corporation as many believe. This campaign demonstrates our capability to stockpile vital resources for the Alliance Defence Force. And we have plenty of researchers, mechanics and manufacturers ready to develop our own defences against the Thargoids.”

“It’s clear to me that Li Yong-Rui never intended to honour his anti-xeno commitments. I’ve seen evidence of Sirius negotiating favourable contracts with Allied tech and military corporations. Their special access to the Alliance’s markets, plus the endorsement of our prime minister, have provided them with unfair leverage. The true cost of the pact has yet to be revealed, but you can bet that Allied citizens will pay the price while Sirius’s profits soar.”

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has not commented on the Tionisla campaign, other than to confirm: “A formal inquiry into the strategic defence pact is ongoing, and the Assembly will study its findings carefully.”

Thargoid War Update: November 3309

Renowned war correspondent Jade Sanderlyn provides her regular summary of the latest news regarding the Thargoid conflict.

“It is now a whole year since the Thargoid Titans arrived and unleashed their fleets upon us. It’s pleasing to report that humanity’s resistance remains strong. New invasions are rare, and Thargoid vessels are being driven out of occupied systems. Nobody is under any illusions that this war might end soon, and it remains to be seen how the Thargoids adapt to the current situation. But among independent pilots and anti-xeno squadrons, morale is high – as it absolutely deserves to be.”

“The Thargoid spire sites have also brought cause for cautious optimism. Having received huge volumes of samples for testing, Ishmael Palin proved that spire compounds and Titan hull fragments share genetic commonalities. Whatever these eerie alien growths are, evidence is growing that their industrial processes are related to the Thargoid motherships in some way.”

“Professor Palin has now concocted a biological impurity, which should disrupt the spires’ biochemistry when inserted into their processing chain. Many pilots are signing up to undertake missions to deliver this contaminant, despite the inevitability that some volunteers will not return. It’s too soon to determine whether or not this will impact the Thargoid war machine, but hopes are high.”

“Meanwhile, the many thousands of people rescued from captivity within the Titans remain in strict quarantine. Debate continues over how quickly they should be returned to society, but so far nobody seems to be taking any chances.”

“That could change following Felicia Winters’ victory in the Federal presidential election. Via my political colleagues, I’ve heard that the president-elect plans to send home all returnees with Federation citizenship when her term of office begins next year. So we might soon score the greatest of victories: allowing those who were so cruelly abducted to return to their normal lives.”

“This is Jade Sanderlyn reporting for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”

Azimuth Biotech: ‘We Can Serve Alliance’

Azimuth Biotech has suggested that it can replace Sirius Corporation as the Alliance’s anti-xeno military partner.

The move follows the Alliance Assembly’s decision to reevaluate its strategic xeno defence pact with Sirius, amid concerns that the megacorp has not sufficiently protected Allied systems from the Thargoids.

CEO Torben Rademaker offered the following statement during a recent shareholder presentation:

“Azimuth Biotech is – and always has been – the only corporation to specialise in anti-xeno weapons tech. Sirius Corporation, once the trend-setter in so many fields, has become complacent and is now best described as a household goods manufacturer with delusions of grandeur. Aegis is a loosely connected gang of publicity-seekers playing war games with technology developed by uncredited researchers. But Azimuth specialists have been diligently researching the Thargoid species ever since we made first contact with them two centuries ago.”

“We can supply the Alliance Defence Force with weaponry and defensive technology guaranteed to be a match for anything in the Thargoids’ arsenal. I’m prepared to meet with Prime Minister Mahon personally to work out the details of our proposal.”

The Alliance Assembly has not yet formally responded, but Councillor Hildegard Dressler said: “Our vulnerability to Thargoid attacks means Azimuth should be seriously considered to reinforce our security.” Councillor Ainsley Niven took the opposite view: “There will be mass uprisings if we collaborate with the most notoriously immoral company in history, one soaked in the blood that Salvation spilled in his pursuit of greatness.”

Leon Banerjee, science correspondent for Vox Galactica, observed:

“It’s worth noting what Azimuth is not offering the Alliance: the anti-xeno superweapons that once cleared entire systems of Thargoids. Resurrecting Proteus Wave technology after HIP 22460 would cause a public outcry, but that wouldn’t greatly concern Rademaker. Therefore, we can deduce that Azimuth’s ability to weaponise Guardian artefacts died along with Salvation, leaving the corporation struggling for relevancy following his death.”

Alliance Reviews Sirius Defence Pact

The Alliance Assembly has approved a formal evaluation of its strategic defence pact with Sirius Corporation.

The vote to launch an independent inquiry was led by Councillor Nakato Kaine, who summarised:

“This partnership has been in effect for nearly two years. What tangible military support have we seen? Sirius Corporation has done little to protect Allied populations from attack or abduction. The capital ships promised to the Alliance Defence Force remain on the drawing board. The Sirius Navy isn’t even engaging the Thargoid fleets on the front line of this war. How much longer must we endure Li Yong-Rui’s empty promises?”

Admiral Nikolas Glass, the megacorp’s representative on the Council of Admirals, disputed these claims:

“In truth, an enormous amount of work is taking place behind the scenes. Sirius technicians have retrofitted many ageing ADF ships with modern weaponry and internal systems. We’ve invested significantly in new AX modules, such as the anti-xeno missile rack and pre-engineered heatsink. And our blueprints formed the basis for Aegis’s sub-surface extraction missile, which has helped rescue so many from the Titans.”

An editorial piece in the Old Worlds Gazette speculated:

“The strategic defence pact has led to some successes, such as the Operation Tyndareus taskforce that repulsed a Thargoid incursion in Allied territory. But that was over a year ago, and the vision of a Sirius-backed Alliance Navy to rival the Empire or Federation has not materialised.”

“As displeasure grows in the Assembly, the option to renegotiate the pact has been raised alongside Councillor Kaine’s proposal to terminate it entirely. Prime Minister Mahon faces political pressure to abandon his commitment to Sirius Corporation, especially now that a reformed Aegis is leading anti-xeno technology development.”

Hudson Lays Groundwork for Political Successors

President Zachary Hudson has announced a raft of legislation he intends to push during his last few months in office.

Political journalists have noted that many of the points would benefit the Republican Party while in opposition to the president-elect Felicia Winters administration. A press release from the Office of the Federal President listed the key initiatives currently underway:

“First: A new media standards agency will be established to regulate independently operated newsfeeds in Federal systems, to ensure local issues are presented in a format which adheres to Federal values.”

“Second: Corporations that have exclusive contracts with the Federal government will be granted significant tax rebates, on President Hudson’s executive authority.”

“Third: The Federal Navy Intelligence Office will establish a data-sharing strategy with the Proactive Detection Bureau. This will broaden the net to capture even more criminal activity.”

“Fourth: Funding will be granted for a political think tank. This will be a cross-party institute to gather ideas, strategies and research that benefits the entire Federation.”

An editorial in the Federal Free Press pointed out the potential downsides to each of these initiatives:

“First: Sol Today’s CEO Neive McFarlane is on the board of this ‘independent’ regulator, thereby ensuring local newsfeeds will have a pro-Republican voice at the highest level of oversight.”

“Second: Felicia Winters’s administration will be forced to reverse these rebates to cover the loss of tax-generated revenue, which is guaranteed to cause friction with those corporations.”

“Third: The Federal Navy could provide military-grade technology for public surveillance, to bypass legal encryption software used to protect private conversations. It is likely Winters will be furious about this proposal, given her election pledge to dismantle the PDB entirely.”

“Fourth: Outgoing Secretary of State Lana Berkovich has volunteered to act as this think tank’s congressional liaison – and assume the authority to decide which of its reports reach those in power.”

Thargoid Abductees Reconnect with Society

People who have been rescued from Thargoid Titans remain in quarantine, but can soon expect family visits and access to comms networks.

Aegis reported that bio-storage capsules are still being successfully extracted from the Thargoid motherships, albeit at high risk to pilots. Each revived individual has been placed in medical isolation, as per guidance from Aegis specialists.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Corcoran, who coordinates the Alliance’s involvement with Aegis, discussed the situation in a session of the Assembly:

“All abductees are being monitored for signs of Thargoid physical or mental influence. So far, I’m pleased to say, these test results remain negative. Therefore, those from Allied systems are now permitted to receive visitors, while remaining under strict quarantine conditions. They are also being granted direct access to comms and public media. I understand that Federal, Imperial and most independent authorities will shortly follow suit with their own citizens.”

Director Nassim Qadir, head of medical research at Azimuth Biotech, was quoted in a formal statement from the corporation:

“Isolating all the returnees was prudent, but they should not be treated like normal people. The Thargoids went to great lengths to capture living humans, and we have not yet determined the reason. It’s possible they are acting as carriers of an alien pathogen, or affected in some other way that Aegis’s inferior procedures cannot detect.”

“We propose that Azimuth Biotech takes exclusive control of processing all those recovered from the Titans. We have the techniques, equipment and experience in researching human-xeno interactions. Only after being subjected to an intensive battery of examinations should these subjects have their civil rights and freedoms returned.”