Galnet archive

Galactic News: Speculation over Thargoid Ship

Some of the galaxy’s leading Thargoid experts have been discussing the discovery of a new alien ship in the HIP 17125 system.

Images of the crashed vessel reveal that it is structurally distinct from the Thargoid Interceptor, while sharing many superficial similarities. The ship has been classified as a ‘Thargoid Scout’ by the Pilots Federation for the purposes of identification and differentiation.

Discussing the discovery on the ‘Galaxy Now’ programme, Admiral Aden Tanner, Aegis’s chief military liaison, said:

“There are clear similarities between this ship and the Interceptor, both of which appear to be made from a quasi-organic material. It would be logical to extrapolate from the ship’s profile that it would be faster and perhaps more manoeuvrable than the Interceptor, but I’d be reluctant to speculate further.”

Speaking on the same programme, Professor Alba Tesreau, also of Aegis, commented:

“Recent analysis of the Thargoid shipwreck in the Pleiades Sector AB-W B2-4 system indicates that it is a little over 100 years old, despite being extremely similar, if not identical, to the currently active Thargoid Interceptor. This suggests that Thargoid ship design does not change particularly rapidly, and also that the shipwreck in HIP 17125 could be equally old.”

Galactic News: Thargoids Continuing to Adapt

Fresh reports from the Pleiades have yielded further insights into the Thargoids’ tactics.

An Aegis spokesperson summarised the latest intelligence:

“Our initial encounters with the Thargoids indicated a certain lack of strategic awareness on their part, but they have clearly been watching, and learning. The latest reports indicate that they’re already operating more tactically, suggesting that their earlier lack of insight was due to unfamiliarity with our ships and weapons.”

“As noted before, we clearly are dealing with a highly responsive enemy, and we underestimate them at our peril.”

Galactic News: Third Aegis Campaign Concludes

Aegis has announced that the third phase of its campaign has received the enthusiastic support of the galactic community. Huge quantities of material were delivered to Vonarburg Co-operative over the past week, which will be used to develop new anti-Thargoid technologies.

As the campaign drew to a close, Aegis’s Head of Research, Professor Alba Tesreau, released the following statement:

“I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who supported this initiative. The materials you delivered are already on their way to our engineering contractor, and the resultant device should be available soon.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Vonarburg Co-operative in the Wyrd system.

Galactic News: Empire Pulls Out of Pleiades

In the wake of reports that the Federation has withdrawn from the Pleiades Nebula, authorities in the region have confirmed that the Empire has followed suit. The development, predicted by many, appears to signal the end of the Federal-Imperial cold war.

The inter-superpower conflict began with the deployment of a Federal fleet to the Merope system, shortly followed by the positioning of several Majestic-class Interdictors. It was evident to observers that these manoeuvres were intended to control the region’s meta-alloys.

A number of proxy conflicts took place over the following months, but it quickly became clear that the superpowers were locked in a stalemate, with neither side willing to either up the ante or withdraw.

As the conflict wore on, public opinion was perhaps best expressed by The Imperial Herald’s political correspondent Daxton Sung, who noted that:

“Neither the Empire nor the Federation has demonstrated it can prevent the other from extracting meta-alloys, which is supposedly what this conflict is all about. Frankly, the situation is farcical.”

The catalyst for the Federal withdrawal appears to have been the rising Thargoid threat, coupled with creation of the tri-superpower organisation Aegis.

Neither the Empire nor the Federation has commented on the withdrawal of its fleets.

Galactic News: Federation Withdraws from Pleiades

Authorities in systems throughout the Pleiades Nebula have reported that the Federation has withdrawn its ships from the region. The development follows ongoing speculation regarding the Federal-Imperial cold war.

The Federation first deployed ships to the Pleiades over two years ago, in a move that was widely interpreted as an attempt to control the region’s meta-alloys. The Empire responded by positioning several Majestic-class Interdictors in the Pleiades. A period of hostility ensued, with both superpowers engaging in a number of proxy conflicts.

The Imperial Herald’s political correspondent, Daxton Sung, who has repeatedly written about the conflict, said:

“There’s little doubt in my mind that the formation of Aegis served as a catalyst for this development, but the current wave of Thargoid hostility was probably the main cause. President Hudson is keenly aware that to continue to oppose the Empire, when humanity is faced with an alien threat, would do him no favours politically. So I’m not surprised by this development, although I will admit that I didn’t expect the Federation to make the first move.”

Neither the Federation nor the Empire has commented on the issue, but it is expected that the Empire will also withdraw its ships from the Pleiades soon.

Daxton Sung commented:

“I don’t care how cynical Hudson’s motives are – this is good news. And we could certainly use some right about now.”

Galactic News: Thargoid Threat Continues to Escalate

Numerous sources have reported that Thargoid activity has escalated dramatically in recent days, with attacks from Thargoid Interceptor-class ships becoming increasingly common in the Pleiades Nebula. Reports confirm that Imperial, Federal and civilian ships have all been targeted. Images captured by survivors of these attacks show Thargoid ships scanning wreckage and gathering debris, including occupied escape pods.

As Aegis continues to analyse the results of these encounters, the organisation’s military liaison, Aden Tanner, released the following statement:

“We are aware that the Interceptors have started capturing escape pods, although we currently have no way of knowing if this is a deliberate strategy or simply a symptom of curiosity. That is not to suggest, of course, that the Thargoids’ motives are benign, as it is clear they are not.”

“Furthermore, the ships we have designated ‘Interceptors’ have started deploying clusters of attack drones, which swarm enemy ships while the Interceptor attacks from range. This significantly enhances the risk presented by the Thargoids, and I urge all pilots operating in the Pleiades to exercise caution.”

“The question is: What is the Thargoids’ objective? All available resources will be directed to answering this question.”

Galactic News: Second Aegis Campaign Concludes

A spokesperson for Aegis has announced that its appeal for Thargoid-related materials has reached a successful conclusion. Hundreds of pilots took to their ships to deliver material to Chelbin Service Station, which will be used to develop new anti-Thargoid technologies.

As the campaign drew to a close, Admiral Aden Tanner released the following statement:

“Those who supported this initiative have my gratitude. With each new discovery, humanity becomes stronger. But we still have a long way to go.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Chelbin Service Station in the Wolf 397 system.

Galactic News: Thargoids Adapting Rapidly

Admiral Aden Tanner, Aegis’ chief military liaison, has released a statement confirming that the Thargoids have begun adapting to the weapons and tactics developed to combat them.

Admiral Tanner’s statement is reprinted in full below.

“Preliminary reports indicate that although the AX missiles were inflicting significant damage on the Thargoid ships’ ‘heart’ modules, they are now proving less effective. We believe this is due to the Thargoids developing a resistance to the compound carried by the missiles. I am optimistic, however, that the current Aegis initiative will produce weapons capable of overcoming this resistance.”

“Second, we have been informed that the Thargoids are now able to lock onto ships that have deployed countermeasures, although exactly how they are doing this is not yet understood.”

“Previously, Thargoid ships responded to strategic withdrawal by advancing towards the target, even when attacked with missiles. But recent reports indicate that they have started dodging such attacks, particularly when engaged at long range. Finally, the drones deployed by the Thargoid ships have become more accurate, which substantially increases the risk they present to smaller craft.”

“These developments illustrate that we are dealing with a highly intelligent enemy capable of rapidly adapting to our weapons and tactics, and underscore the importance of Aegis’ ongoing anti-Thargoid initiative.”