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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 Two)

Continuing a series of articles by historian Sima Kalhana that look at the most newsworthy events during the past year.

“April 3307 saw the creation of the Federation’s Proactive Detection Bureau in reaction to the Nine Martyrs bombings. This organisation monitored all public and private communications for evidence of terrorists, to prevent similar attacks in future. But its highly controversial nature would soon present the Federation with new challenges.”

“ACT’s investigation led them to the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid, which had helped deliver the caustic enzyme bombs to their nine targets. The faction’s defeat was an early victory against the NMLA, but much of the organisation remained a mystery.”

“When the ‘ghost ship’ Adamastor began receiving an encoded signal, this began an entire saga of mysteries. Its long-lost sister ship, the Hesperus, was soon located by pilots who had been recruited by an anonymous figure named Salvation. His interest in Azimuth Biochemicals, the 200 year old corporation that owned both vessels, would bring a strange twist to the ongoing Thargoid conflict.”

“In May, Hadrian Duval was targeted by Federal forces after accusations that he was the mastermind behind the NMLA. The spectre of Empire-Federation war rose once again as Nova Imperium successfully defended itself, but ACT concluded that evidence had been falsified to implicate Hadrian and his new wife Lady Astrid.”

“Aegis came under intense scrutiny when the megaship Alexandria, laden with newly collected Guardian artefacts, began attracting Thargoids in every system it jumped to. The Alexandria later vanished completely in hyperspace, and to this day remains missing presumed destroyed.”

“The Alliance election finally took place at the end of May, having been delayed by three months due to the Galactic Summit. Councillor Nakato Kaine fought a spirited campaign, but Edmund Mahon was re-elected to serve a second term as prime minister.”

“Supporters of Neo-Marlinism gained a voice in June, when Minister Aaron Whyte offered a peace deal with the Empire to prevent further terrorism. The idea of a political wing of the NMLA gained support from those fearing further bombings, but opened major rifts within the Marlinist Colonies.”

“Salvation once again contacted pilots to track down survivors from the Hesperus. This led to the discovery of an ancient Guardian-Thargoid battleground, where Azimuth scientists had built a research base around their vessel Proteus. All were killed by unusual experiments into weaponising Guardian crystals.”

“The Proactive Detection Bureau had been generally accepted by Federal citizens, but many claimed it was a violation of civil liberties. Halfway through the year, the Azaladshu Free faction took the bold step of seceding from the Federation, thus triggering the possibility of mass rebellion.”

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.”

Theta Seven’s Identity Discovered

ACT has revealed the background of the man known only as Theta Seven, the NMLA’s de facto leader who recently died in the Mudhrid system.

Captain Saskia Landau gave this statement to the media:

“A combination of investigative work and interrogating NMLA survivors has allowed us to confirm that Theta Seven’s real name was John Tyburn. He was born and raised in the city of Fontaine on the planet Baltah’Sine, where he was a munitions technician constructing demolition charges for commercial mining.”

“There is evidence that Tyburn was always a vocal believer in Marlinism, and became a pro-democracy campaigner. This eventually caused him to lose his job and serve a prison sentence for sedition. His Imperial citizenship was revoked, his marriage annulled and his children taken into state care.”

“Upon release, Tyburn was contacted by the NMLA and radicalised to the Neo-Marlinist cause. He produced portable explosives for terrorist actions, and rose rapidly in their ranks.”

“It was Tyburn’s proposal to develop caustic enzyme bombs capable of damaging a starport, but his experimentation on these weapons resulted in injuries and corrosive scarring. They only became a reality following a workable design commissioned from the engineer Liz Ryder without her knowledge of its purpose.”

First Minister Octavia Volkov of the Marlinist Colonies commented:

“It’s unsettling to learn that this arch-terrorist grew up in the same place as I did and had similar experiences. John Tyburn might easily have been my fellow refugee from the Empire, or perhaps helped us form our republican society. This does not excuse his crimes, but it’s all too clear how political persecution can give rise to monsters.”

-9-118

An Imperial family of decadent wealth

Rules trillions of people in public and in stealth

No matter the troubles ef the common folk

This timelass bloodline will never go broke

But currency comes in many forms

Knowledge, culture, the will to perform

In peace and to war, a leeder is strong

That heeds lessons of those in history’s sxng

But a fleet? A fleet of beautiful chrome!

That carry the orders of the blessed throne

Surely an Emperor can spare a few craft

To ride on the zea, exploring the path

Salvation Recruits Naval Crews

The recent counterstrike against the Thargoids has revealed that Salvation is being unofficially supported by trained military personnel.

Commodore Morag Halloran was a senior officer with the Alliance Defence Force who is now working for Salvation. She sent this statement to the media:

“Over the last few years, I have fought hard to protect Allied interests from the Thargoids. But every battle against them felt like a defensive measure, a holding action. I’m convinced that these creatures are more than capable of wiping us all out.”

“When an entire Thargoid fleet was forced out of the Cornsar system in September, I approached the Council of Admirals about sending ships to help, but my proposal was rejected. Then Salvation contacted me directly, saying that he required military leadership and my experiences in the Coalsack Nebula made me an ideal candidate.”

“Along with Lieutenant Commander Glynn and nearly a hundred crewmates, we resigned our commissions and headed for Hind Mine. I now command many others who were recruited from the Federal, Imperial and Sirius Navies to serve on the Taurus megaships and elsewhere.”

“I’m aware that some will view my actions as dereliction of duty, but I believe our true duty is to stop the Thargoids at any cost. And as our recent success proves, only Salvation has the means of doing so.”

The Alliance Assembly, Federal Congress and Imperial Senate have all acknowledged the loss of some military personnel to Salvation’s cause. While efforts are being made to prevent further losses, it is rumoured that potential concessions include official support for Salvation’s anti-xeno activities.

NMLA Megaship Becomes Marlinist Flagship

The megaship Steel Majesty has travelled from Mudhrid to the HIP 22550 system and been renamed as Fairfax Vision.

The Wells-class carrier was originally owned by the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid and used as a base for the NMLA terrorist group. After a military defeat, the vessel’s crew sought political asylum in the Marlinist Colonies.

The Steel Majesty later became the hub for Minister Aaron Whyte’s followers during the Marlinist Civil War. More recently, NMLA activists retook the ship and unsuccessfully tried to rescue their leader Theta Seven.

The Marlin Standard published this statement from First Minister Octavia Volkov:

“I am delighted that the Marlinist Consulate has negotiated with the Epsilon Fornacis Empire Group to arrange for this megaship to be returned to us. We are renaming it in honour of my predecessor Dr Jenna Fairfax, who led millions to safety after our mass exodus from the Empire.”

“The Fairfax Vision is now controlled by the Free Marlinists of Carinae faction, but will represent the colonies’ parliamentary and diplomatic interests abroad. I hope that true Marlinism, and our progressive republican society, can now flourish peacefully.”

Intrigue Surrounds Recovered Art Treasure

Recent evidence suggests that some of the precious items stolen by the Winking Cat have been sold to private collectors.

Crime correspondent Mira Bukowski has been following the story for Vox Galactica:

“When the FIA raided the home of media magnate Elias Metaxas, they found the painting Terra Absentia by Zoe Okeke hanging in his chambers – a painting stolen by the Winking Cat in 3305. Metaxas confessed to purchasing the famous artwork for 22 billion credits via a series of anonymous dealers, none of whom could be traced.”

“Coincidentally, there are rumours that an Imperial senator keeps some statues resembling the missing New Dawn collection hidden within her mountainside chalet. And only recently, multi-billionaire Zachary Rackham was overheard inviting an investor to ‘come up and see my Guernica’.”

“It seems that the thief has secretly sold these highly valuable treasures to private collectors. However, this is not typical behaviour for someone believed to be a genuine connoisseur of fine art as well as a skilled larcenist.”

“Perhaps there is an urgent need for huge sums of money, and since the Winking Cat has never stolen anything as vulgar as mere credits, this is the most ideal method. But what might the notorious criminal be planning?”