Galnet News

Imperial Commanders Closing in on Secret Smuggling

Rumour has it that several Imperial Commanders are closing in on a well-known smuggling route between the Torval and Delaine owned systems. Imperial slaves are illegal in Delaine space but sell for a small fortune on the black market. The Empire hates this because it takes what they consider indentured servants and citizens from a life of Imperial service to a life of forced labour. Commanders who use the secretive route have plenty to say about the prospect of impending Imperial intervention, with Commander Infinity+1 saying:

"Ain't it funny how we're s’posed to be the bad guys, but the Empire has so many slaves they're practically giving them away!"

When pressed to reveal the systems he runs between, Infinity stated, "I'm not telling you about my favorite route, but let me just say thank you to the honorable Zemina Torval"

Profits allegedly run towards 4,000 credits per slave. Only time will tell if the Imperials can break the back of this illegal trade route and round up the smuggling ring, but one thing is certain – until the Empire fixes the problem of Archon Delaine, there will be other runs to take its place.

A Treaty in Tatters

Legate Andariel, of Aisling’s 13th Legion, has officially ended the ceasefire between the 13th Legion and Winters’ Wolves. Following a number of reports of Winters’ supporters undermining Aisling’s control systems, the Legate made the decision to dissolve the treaty. A press conference was held aboard Smoot Station in Chona, where Andariel explained his position:

“It has become apparent that Winters’ Wolves, while claiming to honour the treaty, have done no such thing. I have received many reports of Winters’ supporters, some of them well known Wolves, undermining our control systems. I cannot stand by while Winters undermines all that we have worked for in the name of Aisling Duval – doing so would make the 13th Legion appear weak.”

While no names have been disclosed, it is clear that these breaches of the treaty are unacceptable. The treaty was originally signed on July 17th 3301 to allow the 13th to focus on the Imperial offensive against Archon Delaine, with mixed responses from other Aisling factions. With Delaine’s forces all but melting away, it has been speculated that the 13th Legion is using false-flagging tactics to get the treaty removed so they can resume hostilities with Winters.

Commander Andariel

Meet the Powers – Zemina Torval

Senator Zemina Torval is the subject of this article from political commentator Marcus Macmillan about the movers and shakers in 3301.

In many ways Senator Torval represents the solid and traditional politics of the Imperial Senate. She is seen as a paradox by some, particularly with regard to her views on Imperial slavery. She adopts the position that tradition expects but that many fail to achieve in the care of the millions of slaves from her business interests. She can be vocal in condemning those who fail to take proper care of their slaves, but she is equally open about how they form the foundation of the Empire.

She takes the long and more considered approach to amassing power. She lacks the impetuousness of Patreus, but is quite willing to work with him to achieve her goals. She prefers diplomacy to force, but has a substantial military fleet capable of handling most situations.

Her desire for power is more than personal ambition: she is, in a sense, the matriarch of a developing dynasty. Torval focuses her energy on building a legacy for future generations. Even though she was born wealthy, she still possesses a strong work ethic and will labour tirelessly to get things done.

While her time is dominated by her senatorial responsibilities and business concerns (she is, famously, the controlling shareholder in Mastopolos Mining), Torval tries to find the time to be with family, who are very important to her. In her younger days she enjoyed hunting, but that pastime is now limited to her rivals in business and the Senate.

GalNet Weekly Economic Report

In this weekly digest the latest GalNet data is compiled to show the economic states for a short list of minor factions and the star systems they inhabit (*).

Here are 10 of the 3,995 minor factions currently enjoying an economic boom:

Gyton's Hope Resistance

Beldarkri Constitution Party

Progressive Party of No Myoin

Obambivas Netcoms Ltd

Codorain Network

New HIP 60953 Constitution Party

Gender Flag

Obambivas United Industries

Narakapani Exchange

Lactonacaya Empire League

When in boom, the wealth of the system is increased for the duration and all trade missions have doubled effects on influence. It can also positively increase the minor faction’s influence. Boom can be entered by consistent trade profits and completed trade contracts. Booms tend to last until they run out or some other indicator takes precedence, such as famine.

Here are 10 of the 93 minor factions currently experiencing an economic bust:

Wolf 1301 Crimson Electronics

LTT 9097 Gold Advanced Co

LHS 1197 Gold Family

HR 692 Empire League

HR 826 Movement

Official AZ Cancri Dominion

Mob of Groombridge 34

NLTT 12619 Confederacy

Forculus Ltd

Values Party of Jitani

The wealth of a system diminishes while in bust and the minor faction’s influence is also lessened. The effect of trade contracts and actions do not contribute to boom while a bust is active. A bust generally has to run its course before ending.

* Data is correct at time of publishing

Fight Against Cerberus Plague Continues

The drive to deliver quantities of Ceremonial Heike Tea to Hart Station in the Bast System continues, as the starport’s medical teams work around the clock to create as much of the Cerberus Plague antidote as they can. According to Carl Simmons, the Chief Medical Officer of Newton Dock, the rare tea is the only substance that can counter the virulent effects of the disease.

Independent pilots who are in a position to help with the effort are reminded that the Union Of Bast Liberals is offering incentives to pilots who deliver Ceremonial Heike Tea, which can only be purchased in Brunel City Station in Heike, to Hart Station.

Remembering the Antares Incident

Continuing GalNet’s exclusive series highlighting key events in human history, historian Sima Kalhana remembers the Antares Incident.

In last week’s article about the Sirius Corporation, I described the Antares iIncident as one of the corporation’s greatest failures. Until the recent disappearance of Starship One, this was considered the most infamous spacegoing accident of all time.

The Highliner Antares was to be the first of a new type of fast, comfortable liner, making a trip in hours rather than the weeks that were common at the time, and offering a previously unseen level of luxury – something we are accustomed to in the top-class liners of today. It was the first ship to use a production version of a new type of hyperdrive, a predecessor to the modern fast hyperdrives.

The Antares vanished during its maiden voyage in the Sirius system in 3251, with many celebrity guests on board. The event is poignantly remembered in this quote from the Federal Times:

“Your reporter watched the departure of Antares on her maiden voyage, the monolayer streamers glinting in the harsh light of Sirius as she moved gently away from the orbital habitat and out to launch range. Spacemen talk of a graveyard of lost ships, a place where all who lose their lives in the colossal drive to colonise the galaxy rest in gentle luxury.

“We can be sure that the great Highliner Antares is now in their company.”

The exact cause of the accident was never properly determined. The final report indicated that it was most likely caused by the unlucky failure of a single component during the start of the jump, causing a small fire in a key part of the drive that resulted in a massive explosion and consequent misjump at the same time. There were, of course, a great many fanciful explanations, too.

Since the accident, no confirmed wreckage of the ship has ever been found, although several claims of discovery have been made over the years. Combined with the lack of a definitive cause, this has led to considerable speculation and many conspiracy theories concerning what actually occurred.

The final safety report into the incident found there were insufficient safety precautions within the internal drive systems. This delayed the commercial introduction of these drives for several years, damaging the Sirius Corporation, and ultimately resulting in the fitting of many additional safety features to these new hyperdrives. It was later speculated that the deaths of those on the Highliner Antares effectively saved the lives of many more in the subsequent decades, as the number of ships that went missing was measurably reduced, and the new drives proved to be much more reliable than the earlier, slower drives they replaced.

Meet the Powers – Li Yong-Rui

Sirius Gov CEO Li Yong-Rui is the focus of this seventh article from political commentator Marcus Macmillan about the movers and shakers in 3301.

In this week’s historical article from Sima Kalhana, she wrote about the founding of the Sirius Corporation. The Li dynasty’s involvement with the Sirius Corporation can be traced back to the company’s founding almost 800 years ago.

By the age of 25, Yong-Rui had earned doctorates in physics, politics and economics. He was hired by Sirius straight from college. He then quickly made his way up the ranks, and at the tender age of 35, Yong-Rui was made Vice President of Forecasting.

He has a proven track record in business, but has also demonstrated significant insight in the fuzzier elements and in particular how to provide effective government. With these skills he was considered the ideal candidate for Sirius Corporation’s new Sirius Gov division.

The Sim-Archive of Antal Opens to Visitors

For the first time in the history of Utopia, the famed Sim-Archive, located in Antal, is being opened to outside visitors.

The archive is a vast collection of memories stored as sims, allowing others to relive the experiences of Utopian pilgrims in the form of vivid virtual reality experiences. In the past, those sims have been used to educate Utopians and to reform dissidents within the community.

Today, pilots from across the galaxy can buy Utopian sims from the more limited, public section of the Sim-Archive. In a brief statement, Simguru Pranav Antal urged all-comers to travel to Antal.

"What we are offering to our brothers and sisters throughout the galaxy is an opportunity to learn, to experience, to live through the memories of thousands. From childlike wonder, through crushing terror, to unrestrained joy, the sims we offer are not just a means of entertainment, but the purest, most direct tool for achieving empathy and consensus."

GalNet Weekly Expansion List

Each week GalNat presents a list of 10 of the 1,787 minor factions currently expanding into new systems (*).

HIP 117958 Netcoms and Co

Turot Creative Industries

Badbadzist Freedom Party

Varati Independent Union

Konohi Empire League

T'ieni Blue Galactic Group

Vertsety Network

Sakthau PLC

Nyikan Co

Marquis du Chao T'ien

Expansion occurs when a minor faction reaches a sufficient influence rating and there is a populated system within striking distance. The act of expansion is a costly one, and the wealth and development rating suffers during the period of expansion.

* Data is correct at time of publishing.

A Week in Powerplay

It's time for another weekly report on the struggles of the foremost political powers in the galaxy. While several regions saw a more peaceful week, there have also been some big developments. Read on to find out who benefited, and who is tumbling down the rankings.

Arissa Lavigny-Duval has expanded her influence into another system with close to no opposition and fortified her space against some well-coordinated undermining by her enemies, all while providing the core of the fleet attacking Archon Delaine, showcasing her ability to project her power over the whole of inhabited space. With her administration rising to the challenge and recovering from recent turmoil, Arissa's territory is set to return to its previous growth.

Aisling Duval maintains her #1 spot in galactic rankings. This is partly due to her continuing growth at a time when some of her rivals are seeing internal difficulties, and partly because the Princess enjoyed a very peaceful week, with few reports of hostile activity in her space and no opposition to her expansions. With vast resources and an efficient PR machine at her disposal, Aisling is set to keep her galactic poll standing for the foreseeable future.

Zachary Hudson has lost standing this week, in part due to somewhat lacklustre expansion efforts, which saw one of his three attempted expansions stopped by hostile wings. However, the efforts of Hudson's supporters to fortify his vast territory have been remarkably successful, again showcasing the President's ability to withstand heavy undermining of his systems.

Felicia Winters has seen her space come under heavy assault this week. While Winters' supporters are by now extremely proficient at defending her space against enemy undermining action, two setbacks have hurt the Shadow President's ranking this week. The attempt to expand her influence into the system of Liburodo has been stopped by overwhelming enemy action, and Edmund Mahon's expansion into Lugh has contested Felicia's hold over several other systems, further taxing her administration.

Zemina Torval lost the support of several financial interests a few weeks ago, and continues to suffer from the after-effects of that, making another rise in the rankings unlikely for now. At the same time, however, Torval makes good use of limited resources, easily expanding to another system and fortifying much of her space. While the Senator continues to see only moderate enemy action in her space, she has once more suffered due to a focused strike against Tanghpon, which successfully undermined her control of that system.

Denton Patreus had a very successful week. While his supporters are still directing much of their attention to Operation Davy Jones, the Senator managed to expand his influence into two more systems, and successfully fortify and even outdo Archon Delaine in the hotly contested system of Cuchua, which both men have attempted to prepare for future expansion.

Edmund Mahon saw his quick rise to galactic prominence suffer some push-back this week. While his attempt to expand into Lugh was successful and his supporters successfully fortified his systems, the massive surge in enemy activity against the Alliance politician's forces may signal future difficulties, and his expansion into Lugh could trigger more conflict with Felicia Winters and Zachary Hudson. For now, however, Mahon's #3 standing is well deserved, and he enjoys a steady growth in support not enjoyed by his rivals.

Li Yong-Rui expanded into no fewer than five new systems this week. This, along with his successful fortification efforts, easily justifies his rise in galactic standings. Sirius Gov has so far seen few attempts by its rivals to stop its efforts, and it's not entirely clear how the corporation will cope once it's seriously challenged, but it's clear that Li Yong-Rui's organisation will not be returning to the bottom of the galactic ranking any time soon.

Archon Delaine is still in a difficult position, but his supporters have managed to limit the damage done by the Imperial attackers this week. While Operation Davy Jones succeeded in undermining the Kumo Crew's control of five key systems, better organised fortification efforts have actually left the pirate lord with more resources at his disposal than he had the week before. With no new expansions and the continuing assault by huge numbers of Imperial pilots, the pirate band is still in danger, but five weeks into the offensive they continue to resist and to test the resolve of their attackers.

Pranav Antal has spread the vision of Utopia into four new systems this week. This is an unprecedented surge for what has been one of the galaxy's less prominent powers. Utopians appear to credit this unexpected push to a new group of Commanders who are currently unidentified and not in communication with the rest of Pranav Antal's forces. If that force, nicknamed by some “The Many”, continues to support the Simguru, then Antal's rise to #9 in galactic rankings might yet be sustained. Further rise may be compromised by an ambitious attempt by Utopians to establish a commune in the distant colony of Sothis, which is sure to tax the organisation's scant resources.