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Aegis Demands Reinstatement

The leaders of Aegis have formally petitioned the Alliance, Empire and Federation to reform the anti-xeno organisation.

Although all three superpowers are in the process of building their own taskforces to replace Aegis, they have been unable to assist against a recent surge of Thargoid incursions.

Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong gave a statement to the press:

“Surviving members of the leadership council have submitted an appeal to reverse the decision to disband Aegis. The essence of our case is that the superpowers are currently distracted by various internal situations, but the Thargoids care nothing for our politics and must be met with a unified show of force.”

“Aegis support ships have recently been repurposed by other crews in several regions, including the Dan, HIP 12314 and Nauni systems. But they could have been operated officially by our trained personnel, if only we were allowed to do our job.”

“In addition to the increasing Thargoid threat, the rediscovery of the Alexandria in the Wregoe TC-X B29-0 system proves that Azimuth still exists. This sinister group slaughtered four thousand people to obtain Guardian artefacts, and we have logs proving it performed unlicensed xenological research in recent years. Aegis could provide centralised opposition to these criminals as well as defending against alien attack.”

Pilots Form Vanguard Against Thargoid Attacks

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Commanders are resisting Thargoid incursions in the Dan, HIP 12314 and Nauni systems.

Although Aegis support vessels have been repurposed to offer support in all three systems, the organisation remains officially disbanded. It has fallen to individual pilots to defend the populations from swarms of Thargoid vessels.

The Alliance Defence Force, Federal Navy and Imperial Navy all intend to replace Aegis with their own anti-xeno taskforces, but these have yet to materialise. This was remarked upon by independent journalist Flint ‘Firemaker’ Lafosse:

“We’ve got the Alliance trying to sell its own people to Sirius Corporation, the Empire somehow misplacing its own Emperor, and the Federation being torn to pieces by its crazy president… who’s got time to worry about Thargoids? I’ll tell you who: the civilians in the systems they’re invading! Our so-called leaders are praying that Salvation will step in and save the day, but he could be an alien himself for all we know!”

Commodore Morag Halloran, who serves as Salvation’s military coordinator, was approached by Vox Galactica to comment on his strategy for combating the latest Thargoid activity:

“Salvation is currently focused on further development of the anti-xeno superweapon. At present this is the most efficient use of his time and resources, rather than small-scale engagement. Rest assured that, before long, we shall take the fight to the Thargoids once more.”

New Thargoid Assaults in Three Systems

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The HIP 12314, Dan and Nauni systems have come under heavy attack by Thargoid vessels.

Vox Galactica featured this report by freelance war correspondent Jade Sanderlyn:

“The Thargoids have been unusually aggressive in recent months, as attested by the drifting wreckages of many independent ships. When Salvation repelled their forces from the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems in December, some believed it was only a matter of time before the aliens retaliated. It appears that time has come.”

“Although the Thargoid species is often viewed as territorial, on this occasion they have pushed further towards human space. Authorities in all three systems were unprepared for the incursions and have sent out a general call for assistance.”

“The superpowers are still in the process of forming their anti-xeno taskforces, and thus unable to help. Fortunately, despite Aegis being officially defunct, some of its support megaships have yet to be decommissioned. These have been staffed with emergency crews and rushed into service in all three systems.”

“As pilots race into combat once more, many must be wondering if the risks are now even greater. Have the Thargoids extended their reach into human space? Which systems might they strike at next? And is further escalation a price to be paid every time Salvation’s superweapon is deployed?”

The Fall of Aegis

Shutdown procedures for the anti-xeno organisation are continuing, despite Aegis’s warnings that Azimuth has returned.

Conrad Sterling reported on the situation for Vox Galactica:

“We now know that the Alexandria megaship was targeted by a hostile force that could be Azimuth Biochemicals, the 200-year-old corporation which owned the Adamastor and Hesperus. In the face of this new evidence, Aegis leaders have petitioned for it to be reinstated.”

“Even while accounting for this new evidence, the Baumann Report has exposed a litany of organisational failures within Aegis. There is still a broad consensus among politicians that the organisation should have done more to repel the Thargoids.”

“Many senior military figures have switched focus to Aegis’s controversial rival Salvation, despite his mysterious nature. As one Imperial Navy admiral succinctly put it: ‘Salvation’s methods have proved more effective in counteracting the Thargoid threat.’”

“The issue of military staff defections also appears to have been resolved. Alliance, Federal and Imperial fleets have opened channels of secondment, allowing naval crews to voluntarily take positions aboard Salvation’s vessels without resigning their commissions.”

“However, one of Aegis’s requests has been authorised. There will be a public ceremony to posthumously award medals of honour to Captain Jacob Morales and the four thousand people who lost their lives aboard the Alexandria.”

‘Azimuth has Survived’ Warns Aegis

Information recovered from the Alexandria has prompted Aegis to insist that it was not responsible for the loss of the megaship’s crew and cargo.

The wreckage of the Alexandria was recently located in the Wregoe TC-X B29-0 system. There were no survivors, but fragments of the commanding officer’s log were found.

Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong published this statement on behalf of Aegis:

“The logs made by Captain Jacob Morales tell a bleak tale. The Alexandria was deliberately sabotaged to leave it stranded and powerless. They were met by an unidentified group posing as a rescue team, who slaughtered most of the crew and hijacked the Guardian artefacts. The survivors later made a desperate attempt to initiate the hyperdrive, which sadly led to their destruction.”

“We can now prove that the Alexandria’s loss was not caused by negligence, as claimed by the Baumann Report. In reality, the megaship was snared in a trap laid by an organised quasi-military force.”

“Furthermore, Captain Morales discovered that the raiders worked for someone they referred to as ‘the Witch’. That name was mentioned in logs discovered at HIP 22460 regarding Project Seraph – vile experiments perpetrated by Azimuth researchers to install human test pilots into Thargoid vessels.”

“This evidence suggests that Azimuth Biochemicals has survived in some form over the last two hundred years, and remains focused on aggressive xenological research. Aegis must be reinstated immediately to counter this dangerous organisation before more lives are lost.”

The Return of the Alexandria

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The Aegis megaship Alexandria, which vanished in hyperspace seven months ago, has been found in the Wregoe TC-X B29-0 system.

A select group of independent pilots located the Alexandria following a search instigated by Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis. She was forced to resign as a result of the Baumann Report, which was instigated by the controversial loss of this megaship.

In June 3307, the Alexandria was pursued by Thargoid vessels due to a considerable number of Guardian artefacts held on board. It initiated a hyperspace jump to the HIP 30944 system to offload its cargo but never arrived. The megaship was assumed to have been hyperdicted by the Thargoids, resulting in the death of all four thousand crewmembers.

According to on-site witnesses, the remains of the Alexandria are currently scattered across the planetary rings of Wregoe TC-X b29-0 AB 2 A. Ships are investigating the debris, but so far have not reported finding any survivors or Guardian relics.

Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong made a public statement:

“Losing the Alexandria was as tragic as it was mysterious, but we now have an opportunity to learn what happened. Aegis should remain operational until a full analysis has been completed and we can understand the cause of the megaship’s destruction.”

Federal Government Plans for the Future

President Zachary Hudson has delivered a speech to Congress on maintaining security for the Federation in the coming years.

Excerpts from his address include the following:

“In the last year, we have excelled at protecting Federal citizens from harm. The Proactive Detection Bureau proved its worth in locating terrorists before they could strike, and our security services played an instrumental role in the NMLA’s defeat.”

“3308 is already bringing many challenges. The war against the Thargoids could escalate at any time, and we face the challenge of replacing Aegis with our own anti-xeno taskforce. We are also deeply concerned about increased infighting within the Alliance and Empire, which could easily spill over into our territory.”

“My administration is holding high-level discussions about how best to keep the Federation strong and secure. We will soon make some brave proposals to continue meeting our people’s constitutional right to safety.”

Shadow President Felicia Winters delivered this rebuttal:

“President Hudson fails to mention his disastrous attempt to capture Yuri Grom, his former fleet admiral’s criminal conviction for destroying Starship One, or that his surveillance laws forced several systems to declare independence. I would argue that under his leadership, the Federation has never been weaker or less secure.”

Superpowers Plan to Replace Aegis

The Alliance, Empire and Federation have accepted the Baumann Report’s recommendation to permanently shut down Aegis.

The independent inquiry’s findings on the organisation’s failings will result in Aegis being immediately shut down. However, Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong has cautioned that “full demobilisation of staff, ships and resources might take several months”.

Senator Denton Patreus has successfully obtained senatorial approval for an increased military budget, to allow the Imperial Navy to directly take on the role played by Aegis.

Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori likewise confirmed that the Federal Congress has ordered the creation of a new naval strike force. On his own authority he has also commissioned an investigation into Salvation, following Ram Tah’s testimony regarding the nature of the anti-xeno superweapon.

Admiral Nikolas Glass, who was recently appointed to the Council of Admirals, stated that the Alliance Defence Force and Sirius Navy will work in conjunction to fulfil Aegis’s purpose.

Xenological research laboratories set up by Professor Alba Tesreau will now transfer their work to specialist departments in the Holloway Bioscience Institute, Imperial Science Academy and Olympus Village University. In 3304 the Thargoids made targeted strikes against Aegis’s labs, but all three institutions have made assurances that the new locations will have the highest security.