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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.

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.”

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.”

Tesreau Highlights Azimuth’s ‘Inhumanity’

A counter-statement regarding Azimuth Biotech has been published by Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis.

“The recent declaration by Director Torben Rademaker paints a false picture of those pilots who are actively working against Azimuth Biotech. He frames them as criminals and alien sympathisers, betraying humanity to the Thargoids. This could not be any further from the truth. It is Azimuth’s own inhumanity that they are fighting against.”

“It’s unsurprising that Salvation’s focus is now on HIP 22460, given this system has long been part of Azimuth’s sinister legacy. On planet 7c is the abandoned settlement Fort Asch, where unlicensed scientists performed monstrous experiments to link human minds with Thargoid vessels. We know from Project Seraph’s sole survivor, known as Subject D-2, how brutal the results were.”

“Alongside the Bright Sentinel above planet 10b is the Overlook, a derelict megaship drifting within a caustic cloud of debris. Some may have assumed it is the scene of a recent Thargoid attack, but in fact it once served as the headquarters of Black Flight. This secretive organisation arranged strike teams to suppress evidence of the Thargoids from the general public. Azimuth’s collaboration with Black Flight helped it establish a monopoly on xenological research.”

“For the past two centuries, Azimuth has ruthlessly sought to obtain and weaponise alien technology. The crew of the Alexandria were sacrificed in order to steal Guardian material for its superweapon. Now that same genocidal device, paid for with the blood of thousands, is being hailed as a ‘noble enterprise’.”

“Caleb Wycherley has reinvented himself as Salvation, but his modern persona cannot conceal his malignant nature. Those who Rademaker accused of betrayal are in fact driven by conscience and a sense of justice. I call upon the leaders of the Alliance, Empire and Federation to follow their example, and withdraw support for this nefarious organisation.”

‘Operation Wych Hunt’ Opposes Azimuth Biotech

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A coalition of independent Commanders has been formed to destabilise Salvation’s anti-xeno organisation.

The Alliance, Empire and Federation are providing military backing to Azimuth Biotech – formerly Taurus Mining Ventures – to end the Thargoid threat. Many members of the Pilots’ Federation have also declared their support, but some have organised a resistance movement.

To undermine Azimuth Biotech’s presence in several systems, a series of civil actions and combat strikes are being coordinated under the banner ‘Operation Wych Hunt’. This refers to evidence that suggests Salvation’s real name is Dr Caleb Wycherley, also referred to as ‘the Witch’ in several sources.

The Commanders are directly protesting against Salvation, claiming he is responsible for numerous illegal activities that resulted in multiple deaths. These include developing the mycoid bioweapon for INRA, Project Seraph’s inhumane experiments to create human interfaces to Thargoid ships, and the destruction of the Alexandria with the loss of 4,000 crewmembers. As summarised in their mission statement: ‘We do not support a mass murderer. Salvation, we can save ourselves.’

Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, spoke publicly in support of the operation: “The superpowers have been seduced by the promises of a remorseless criminal. But as these courageous pilots prove, not everyone believes that the end justifies the means.”

Azimuth A Historical Perspective (Part Five)

The concluding article in this series examines events leading to the resurrection of Azimuth and Salvation’s plans for the future.

During February and March 3308, Aegis suffered a slow death as its operations were shut down by the superpowers. Its leaders continued calling for its reinstatement, not just to battle the Thargoids but also to oppose Azimuth Biochemicals. They claimed that this sinister corporation was still performing unlicensed xenological research and was responsible for thousands of deaths.

Meanwhile, the number of Thargoid incursions was increasing, perhaps in response to Salvation’s Guardian-based superweapon. This culminated in a simultaneous invasion of the Didio, Novas and Sosong systems in April 3308. These were major population centres for the Alliance, Empire and Federation respectively, with over ten billion lives at risk.

Salvation and the superpower militaries responded in concert. Allied, Imperial and Federal capital ships were deployed to coordinate system defences, and also host the construction of three new superweapons. Interviews with the admirals in charge of the anti-xeno taskforces provided an insight into how much they now relied on Salvation.

The superweapons were successfully detonated in all three systems, but this time there were no wreckages left behind. It was unclear if these particular weapons were less effective, or if the Thargoids had anticipated their use and retreated before their vessels could be disrupted.

This was nevertheless hailed as another victory for Salvation. He announced that he was working on the next generation of the devices, which would “deliver a truly overwhelming strike against the Thargoid species”. Increased amounts of personnel, supplies and equipment were provided to Taurus Mining Ventures to hasten development of the superweapon.

In May 3308 came a shocking revelation. Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, received a tip-off leading to an abandoned outpost in the DG Canum Venaticorum system. This turned out to be a previously undiscovered base for INRA, the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm, which was formed to combat the Thargoids during the 32nd and 33rd centuries.

The base provided evidence that INRA had contracted Azimuth Biochemicals to aid development of the mycoid virus. This was a highly controversial bioweapon used in 3151 to infect the aliens’ mothership, and which helped bring about the end of the First Thargoid War.

Logs recorded by Dr Caleb Wycherley, the corporation’s vice-president of research, explained how he gained the nickname ‘the Witch’ after being half-blinded by a live Thargoid specimen. He then vowed that under his guidance, Azimuth would devote itself to the destruction of the Thargoids “If I must be humanity’s salvation, then so be it.”

The former leaders of Aegis claimed that this verified their theory Salvation and ‘the Witch’ were the same person, and Azimuth had been operating in the shadows for decades. Professor Tesreau later revealed that the tip-off came from Subject D-2, the only survivor of the Project Seraph experiments to create a human test pilot for Thargoid ships.

Some believed Aegis had fabricated these logs, since Dr Wycherley would now be over 200 years old. But although Salvation did not overtly confirm his true identity, Aegis’s suspicions were validated when Taurus Mining Ventures rebranded itself as Azimuth Biotech. Salvation described how Azimuth’s research division had survived as an independent organisation under his control, focused exclusively on Thargoid research and preparing for inter-species conflict.

There was a public outcry that the man claiming to be humanity’s saviour was also responsible for the mycoid bioweapon, Project Seraph, the attack on the Alexandria, and other illegal or unethical activities. And yet there was little reaction from the Alliance, Empire or Federation, whose militaries were now fully committed to working with Salvation to defeat the Thargoids.

In the past week, there have been signs that Azimuth Biotech is mobilising its forces and preparing for a large-scale operation of some kind. This may well tie in with Salvation’s promise to unveil a more powerful type of anti-xeno superweapon. We may soon learn if Azimuth can repeat history and deliver the decisive blow to end to the Second Thargoid War.

Azimuth: A Historical Perspective (Part Four)

A look at the rivalry between Aegis and Salvation during the escalating war against the Thargoids.

Salvation’s success in purging the Thargoid presence from the Cornsar system had many repercussions, not least from the aliens themselves. Several inhabited nebulas were suddenly overrun with Thargoid vessels, leading some to believe they were reacting aggressively to the Guardian-based nature of the anti-xeno superweapon.

Aegis’s hands were tied by the ongoing public inquiry, but its chief military liaison Admiral Aden Tanner was convinced that the superweapon was designed to attract Thargoids as well as repel them. Claiming that evidence for this could be found at Hind Mine in the T Tauri system, he commanded the megaship Musashi to launch an assault.

This was a battle that Taurus Mining Ventures won with much support from independent pilots, showing how much faith was now placed in Salvation. Tanner was court martialled and the captured Musashi became the flagship of Salvation’s growing forces. Commodore Morag Halloran, formerly of the Alliance Defence Force, took command and became his military coordinator.

By December 3307, the Alliance, Empire and Federation had officially acknowledged that Salvation possessed the technology required to defeat the Thargoids. This assumption was then put to the test when the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems suffered simultaneous full-scale invasions.

Once again the Thargoids were routed following the detonation of three newly constructed superweapons, repeating Salvation’s success at Cornsar. His triumphant proclamations now verged on the messianic “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.”

By this point, public opinion toward Salvation was generally positive. Volunteers flocked to Taurus Mining Ventures to offer support, with naval crews from the superpowers defecting to take part in battling the Thargoids. Secondment to Salvation’s forces soon became officially authorised, showing an increasing acceptance of the anonymous scientist’s methods and results.

January 3308 saw a number of developments. Admiral Tanner’s court martial was interrupted by a statement from the renowned scientist Ram Tah, confirming the non-human origins of Salvation’s superweapon. Ram Tah theorised that it was based on a Guardian device found by Azimuth Biochemicals scientists at the Proteus site, which generated an electromagnetic pulse to disrupt the Thargoids’ biomechanical vessels.

But this justification of Tanner’s concerns was not enough to prevent the inevitable fall of Aegis. The Baumann Report delivered a damning indictment of the agency’s operations, concluding that it should be shut down. The three superpowers began using their own militaries to replace Aegis with separate anti-xeno taskforces.

A more surprising event that month was the discovery of debris from the missing megaship Alexandria, scattered across the planetary rings of Wregoe TC-X b29-0 AB 2 A. Captain Morales’s report revealed that the ship had emerged from hyperspace off course due to sabotage, before being raided by a quasi-military force which hijacked its cargo of Guardian artefacts. The surviving crew’s attempt to restart the damaged hyperdrive was the cause of the Alexandria’s destruction.

Morales also mentioned that the raiders were obeying orders from someone named ‘the Witch’. This detail was seized upon by Aegis’s remaining leaders, who matched it to abandoned research facilities found in August 3307 within the HIP 22460 and HIP 26176 systems. These were the sites of the mysterious Project Seraph, an attempt to install human pilots into a captured Thargoid scout. Both the Witch and Azimuth were referenced in its surviving logs.

Aegis’s warning was clear Azimuth Biochemicals, which was supposedly liquidated two centuries ago, had survived to the present day.

Azimuth A Historical Perspective (Part Three)

An overview of how Aegis was impacted by the rise of Salvation as a competing anti-xeno force.

“For now I cannot provide you with my credentials. Suffice to say that I am a man of science, unconnected with modern politics. I am recruiting agents to investigate the work undertaken by Azimuth Biochemicals two hundred years ago, which I believe to be of enormous scientific importance. Much has been lost in that time, but our dedication will allow us to rewrite history.”

This was how the anonymous figure known only as Salvation introduced himself to Pilots’ Federation members in April 3307. Faceless and voiceless, he remains unseen to the present day. His messages characterised him as a dedicated scientist, one with enormous confidence in achieving his goal to destroy the Thargoids and “save all of humanity”.

It was clear that Salvation possessed detailed knowledge about Azimuth Biochemicals, without which the Hesperus would not have been discovered. He began recruiting independent pilots to undertake missions via the intermediary of Taurus Mining Ventures, a corporation based in the remote T Tauri system.

After locating the Proteus in June 3307, Salvation claimed exclusive rights to exploit the ancient Guardian-Thargoid battleground on Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a. This was contested by Aegis, but their initiative to gather Guardian artefacts from the site was eclipsed by Taurus Mining Ventures’s campaign. In a short time, Salvation successfully emerged as a rival to Aegis, claiming that the tri-superpower agency could not be trusted.

This was reinforced after the tragic loss of the Alexandria megaship. Due to its cargo of Guardian artefacts, Thargoids had relentlessly pursued the megaship before it vanished in hyperspace. An independent inquiry into the disaster ordered Aegis’s operations to be suspended, leaving an absence that Salvation was keen to exploit.

In September 3307, Salvation warned of an impending Thargoid attack in the Cornsar system, apparently detected by his version of Eagle Eye. Aegis and local factions dismissed this as highly unlikely, but nevertheless Thargoid vessels did swarm into the system.

Salvation again reached out to pilots and asked them to transport vital equipment from a Taurus Mining Ventures megaship to Cornsar, for a prototype weapon that he was constructing. A counter-initiative took place by Commanders who distrusted Salvation or supported Aegis, illustrating that each now had their supporters among the galactic community.

Four days later, the Thargoid invasion force unexpectedly vanished from Cornsar. Most withdrew into hyperspace, but crashed alien vessels remained on some planetary bodies. Salvation revealed he had developed an anti-xeno superweapon, capable of eliminating the Thargoid presence from an entire star system. “I have achieved what Aegis could not – an effective deterrent against the alien threat.”

The nature of this incredible new weapon remained unclear, but evidence of Guardian technology later found in Cornsar raised a disturbing possibility. Did Salvation really detect the approaching Thargoid fleet Or did he deliberately attract the Thargoids to Cornsar by stockpiling huge quantities of Guardian artefacts – as happened on the Alexandria – in order to test his prototype superweapon.

As a Vox Galactica report put it “Time will tell if Salvation’s ambition to replace Aegis is a noble goal, or if we are replacing the devil we know with a darker demon.”