Galnet News

Five Killed in Shuttle Accident

A Sirius Corporation shuttle was destroyed this morning when its docking computer failed on approach to Patterson Enterprise in the Sirius system. While such failures aren’t unheard of, they are rare, especially among smaller craft.

Elaine Boyd from the Federal Times asked a Sirius Corporation representative how the company was able to determine the cause of the accident so quickly. She was told:

“The telemetry from the shuttle provided clear evidence of a stall in the computer’s operation as the vessel approached the docking port. The boost protocol should have been disabled but was instead activated, causing the shuttle to crash into the station.”

The representative stated that the crash would be investigated further, and in particular why the software failed in this instance.

Everyone onboard the shuttle was killed including Sean Richards, a senior consultant engineer who helped to compile the incident report on the recent disappearance of Starship One. Richards had also formed part of the task force some 50 years earlier with the Antares enquiry.

The Eve of the Wedding

The atmosphere here on Capitol is electric. The whole city is abuzz with what some commentators have declared ‘The Wedding of the Century’. Street parties are in full swing in every Imperial system , but none compare to the grand events underway here at the birthplace of the Empire, especially within the Fragrant City as it is now known.

Dignitaries from every major population centre in the Empire have arrived over the past week, and now it is the turn of the foreign dignitaries to arrive with much fanfare. Shadow President Winters is representing the Federation, her business-like attire contrasting with the bright colours of the welcoming officials.

Notable by his absence was Federal President Zachary Hudson. While the Secretary of External Affairs will represent the Federation at the wedding , many have interpreted President Hudson’s absence as a slight – one that may well colour Federal and Imperial relations in the future.

GalNet Weekly Security Digest

In this weekly report the latest GalNet data is assembled to present ten minor factions experiencing civil unrest or lockdown in their systems (*).

Here are 10 of the 350 minor factions in lockdown:

Kawarawana Gold General Systems

Priva Industry

Bellaung Empire Pact

Mullag Democrats

Bunda Bridge and Co

United Ngbato First

Family of Wira

United Barathaona Resistance

Kalvante Monarchy

Kutkha Free

Lockdowns increase the security rating for a system but also have a negative effect on the system’s wealth. Increased bounty hunting activity can reduce the lockdown period.

Here are 10 of the 700 minor factions experiencing civil unrest:

HIP 92915 Silver Cartel

He Pola Empire Pact

LHS 1541 Gold Netcoms Comms

Yan Musu Patron's Principles

BD+47 2112 Gang

Ross 129 Silver Council

Noatiaca Purple Drug Empire

Misisture Electronics Group

Social HIP 2725 Green Party

Revolutionary Party of Gluscheimr

Civil unrest is caused by illegal activity within the system as well completing contracts from more nefarious sources. The wealth rating and standard of living will suffer when a system contains civil unrest. Combat missions and activities can be utilised to end civil unrest.

* Data is correct at time of publishing.

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.