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Type-8 Released: Lakon Spaceways Offer SCO Optimised Freighter

The first batch of Type-8 freighters are now available for purchase, expanding Lakon Spaceways’ fleet of dedicated trade vessels.

Lakon's promotional media contained the following statement:

“With the Type-8, Lakon Spaceways introduces a ‘best-in-class' medium freighter. The aesthetically charming design offers a larger cargo capacity and greater resilience compared to similarly sized trade ships.”

“Since Achilles Corporation’s SCO frame shift drive reached the market, the latest challenge for modern ship design is to endure the unique stresses generated by overcharged supercruise. Lakon is proud to have passed this challenge triumphantly. Type-8 pilots can travel between nav beacons and starports in a fraction of the time, with a much lower level of risk than our competitors can currently offer.”

“The Type-8 is a fine choice for any entrepreneur looking to maximise the profitability of their trade routes.”

The ship’s official dimensions make it the largest medium-class vessel available to the public. Early reviews confirm that the Type-8 is effective at minimising the downsides of SCO frame shift drive travel, much like Faulcon DeLacy’s recently released Python Mk II.

Lakon Spaceways Discusses Supercruise Overcharge Challenge

A shareholder's function hosted by Lakon Spaceways has revealed further details of its recently announced Type-8 trader.

Several hundred individuals with significant financial ties to the ship development corporation gathered at Lakon Spaceways Central on Alioth 1 a. The stylish presentation of the Type-8 was met with enthusiastic applause, with one attendee claiming the ship should prove ‘remarkably capable’ in its position as a specialised medium freighter.

Chairperson Naomi Landseer discussed the design challenges posed by the recently released SCO Frame Shift Drive:

“Lakon invested heavily in research and design initiatives to incorporate Achilles’ frame shift drive variant. The drive's potential to accelerate in-system travel goes beyond anything previously imagined. We had to ensure Lakon could provide a design capable of minimising the incredible stress placed on ships by the supercruise overcharge tech.”

“So, with the Type-8 just weeks away from the prototype stage, we moved the project back to the theoretical stage and invited solutions from our industry-leading engineers and technicians. Our adjustments resulted in the largest ship frame to retain a size classification of medium. I'm incredibly thankful to Lakon's remarkable staff for the countless hours worked over the past couple of months, adapting the hull within deadline for our initial test batch.”

"It is pleasing to say that the SCO frame shift drive will function far more effectively in the Type-8 than with any other dedicated trade vessel on the market today. I look forward to announcing the Type-8's official release soon.”

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.

Alliance-Sirius Military Pact to be Decided

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The Di Jian system is hosting competing campaigns as the Alliance Assembly votes on the strategic defence pact.

The Assembly is evenly split over formalising military ties with Sirius Corporation to enhance defensive options against the Thargoids, with a decision expected at the end of June. In advance of the vote, both pro-pact and anti-Sirius councillors are attempting to sway colleagues to their cause by securing a sizeable resource package for the Alliance Defence Force.

Pro-pact councillors have established their initiative in Di Jian from the Sirius megaship Kumiho Sky, and are asking for shipments of computer components, reinforced mounting plates and synthetic reagents. These councillors have heavily promoted the need for enhanced fleet support in the face of increasing Thargoid activity. Noted engineer Marco Qwent recently confirmed his support for an Allied anti-xeno pact with Sirius.

The anti-Sirius lobby has requested deliveries of the same commodities to Preuss Terminal in the Di Jian system. The system’s controlling faction, Sol’s Salutis Aeternum, is overseeing contributions. Engineers Uma Laszlo and Bill Turner have both expressed a hope that the anti-xeno pact with Sirius is denied.

To encourage support from pilots, each campaign is offering extra incentives. The majority of contributors to the Kumiho Sky campaign will receive a pre-engineered high capacity AX fixed missile launcher, among other rewards, courtesy of Sirius Corporation.

Sol’s Salutis Aeternum is instead offering a stock Alliance Chieftain to a limited number of Preuss Terminal campaign contributors. Other rewards are available for contributors outside this number.

The Golconda Resurrection

With the generation ship Golconda being repaired by the Artificers Clan, its former population are considering resuming their journey.

Commander Javi Alvarado, a local trader who befriended the Golcondans, offered this insight for Vox Galactica:

“Following a prompt from the Artificers Clan, I transported Captain Forester and other community leaders from Forester’s Choice to the Golconda. They were visibly awed at the changes made to their ancient home, with modern interface panels and machinery expertly entwined with thousand-year-old technology.”

“The newly installed frame shift drive was powered up, which brought Forester close to tears. We also visited the habitation rings, now sustained by updated environmental systems but otherwise unchanged.”

“There were Artificers Clan members bustling back and forth. Each wore grime-stained overalls, criss-crossed with belts and bandoliers dangling with tools, and diagnostic scanners of some kind covering their eyes. They chattered to each other in a rapid dialect that was hard to follow, as they performed engineering work on whatever they could lay their hands on.”

“The chieftain explained to Captain Forester that the clan retrofitted the Golconda mainly because ‘tech-love’ was their ‘life-duty’. But the clan also asked for supplies of fresh food for their dredger, which Forester agreed to provide.”

“As we flew back to the outpost, I could tell that most of the Golcondans were deeply affected. I can’t blame them – the only world many of them knew for decades has been transformed. The leaders spoke of an unexpected opportunity to resume their old way of life, and questioned whether a stationary existence honours their ancestors’ dream. I get the feeling that change is in the wind.”

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.”

Alliance Unrest as Mahon and Kaine Clash

The front-runner candidates in the Alliance election have stepped up their campaigns, amid widespread political and civil unrest.

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Councillor Nakato Kaine are touring across the Alliance, gathering public support to sway the Assembly when it votes on the 27th of May.

Attending a business sector conference on the planet Industry in the Zaonce system, Prime Minister Mahon stated:

“We’ve heard a lot of reactionary rhetoric from Councillor Kaine, but it’s much easier to be critical than constructive. She has done little to secure the prosperity of our people and companies, which was my primary focus over the last six years.”

At a protest march on New Caledonia in the Alkaid system, Councillor Kaine addressed the crowd:

“Again, the Thargoids lash out at our presence. Again, we prop up the other superpowers. Again, we pump money into Aegis and Lakon but not our own economies. Nothing changes, unless Mahon is voted out and the Alliance takes a new direction!”

Opinion polls suggest that Mahon has retained majority support, but with a narrower margin than in February when the election was originally scheduled. Many agree with Kaine that the Alliance should not have participated in the Galactic Summit, which led to the ‘Nine Martyrs’ bombings.

Alliance Election Campaigns Resume

The election of the Alliance prime minister will take place on the 27th of May, having been postponed due to the Galactic Summit.

Vanya Driscoll, political correspondent for The Alliance Tribune, reported:

“Prime Minister Edmund Mahon’s decision to postpone the election for three months caused enormous disruption and mass protests. This may have mortally wounded his campaign to be re-elected as head of government for a second six-year term.”

“With hindsight it’s clear that Mahon was prioritising the Sirius Treaty, a detailed proposal to unite the superpowers against the Thargoids. Unfortunately, the Galactic Summit was prematurely halted by the ‘Nine Martyrs’ bombings before the treaty could be agreed.”

“Although there are several candidates, Mahon’s only serious challenger is Councillor Nakato Kaine. She has been a vocal critic of his expansionist policies, and gained much public support for her focus on boosting trade between Alliance systems.”

“Electoral votes will be cast by members of the Alliance Assembly, whose decisions reflect popular opinion in their constituencies. No previous prime minister has served more than a single term, so it remains to be seen whether Mahon will defy precedent or Kaine will follow the pattern of history.”