Galnet News

While Halloween is widely thought to have its roots in harvest festivals from Earth's ancient past, in the modern era it is largely seen as an opportunity to unwind and share a drink with friends.

This year, the galaxy's biggest Halloween party is taking place in the LHS 2094 system under the auspices of the Hallowed Chapter of LHS 2094. A range of traditional activities has been planned, including a game known as apple bobbing, although purists have been quick to point out that, "suspending oneself upside down in a vat of Leestian Evil Juice is most definitely not apple bobbing".

To ensure the event is a success, the Hallowed Chapter of LHS 2094 has placed an open order for a range of commodities, and has promised to reward pilots who deliver these goods to Patterson Vision in the LHS 2094 system.

A spokesperson for the Hallowed Chapter of LHS 2094 elaborated on the nature of the event:

"There's a risk the festivities could be overshadowed by this whole Thargoid thing, but just because there are hostile aliens in Maia doesn't mean we can't have fun. I mean, the Thargoids are all the way out there...and the party is happening right here!"

The campaign begins on the 26th of October 3303 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

Authorities in the Colonia system have confirmed that the conflict between The Nameless and the peacekeepers of the Colonia Council has come to an end.

Both factions received support from the galactic community, but ultimately there could only be one victor – the Colonia Council.

Pilots who participated in the conflict can now collect their rewards from Jaques Station in the Colonia system.

Following news that the Empire and Federation have withdrawn from the Pleiades Nebula, contractors in the core systems have reported that Aegis is poised to establish a number of outposts in the region.

The reports indicate that Aegis intends to establish more than twenty orbital outposts in the coming months, to support its ongoing research and defence initiative. Two of these outposts have already been built, and construction of a third is expected to begin soon.

Admiral Aden Tanner, Aegis’s chief military liaison, commented briefly on the news:

“In my view it is imperative that Aegis has a consolidated presence in the Pleiades, close to the centre of Thargoid activity. Fortunately our backers in the Alliance, Empire and Federation agree with me.”

A spokesperson for the Labour Union of Kauruk has announced that the organisation’s Remembrance Week has been resoundingly endorsed by the galactic community. Hundreds of pilots flocked to Moore Terminal over the past week, taking the opportunity to pay their respects to departed friends and loved ones.

As the campaign drew to a close, the spokesperson released a brief statement:

“We would like to thank all those who supported this initiative. We hope it gave you an opportunity not only to celebrate absent friends and family, but also to form new bonds with other members of the galactic community.”

Pilots who contributed to the campaign can now collect their rewards from Moore Terminal in the Kauruk system.

The fourth phase of Aegis’ campaign to counter the Thargoid threat has come to an end. Hundreds of independent pilots supported the initiative by taking to their ships to deliver commodities to Cremona Prospect. The materials will be used to test and mass-produce a shutdown-field neutraliser, developed by engineer Elvira Martuuk, which will counter the Thargoids’ ability to disable human spacecraft.

Martuuk released a brief statement to the media:

“I want to thank those who hauled stuff out to Cremona Prospect. I just hope the tech I’ve developed will make a difference to the Commanders on the front lines.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Cremona Prospect in the Khun system.

Since it was founded in July 3302, the Colonia community has become a bastion of peace, seen by many as an island of calm in a sea of conflict.

But the region is not impervious to occasional outbreaks of violence, and as Colonia’s population grows, such outbreaks look likely to become more frequent.

The latest such incident involves The Nameless, a criminal faction based in the Carcosa system, which has started attacking ships in Colonia. In an effort to restore order, the Colonia Council has issued a call to aid, pledging to reward pilots who help reduce the criminals’ numbers. The Nameless has responded in kind, promising generous incentives to those who help fight the Colonia Council’s peacekeepers.

Both factions have set out week-long operations to achieve their aims, which will begin on the 19th of October 3303.

Further abandoned Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm outposts have been discovered in systems throughout the core.

Records from the sites have shed additional light on the INRA’s activities, and indicate that the mycoid fungus, which was instrumental in countering the Thargoid incursions of the 3100s, was an unplanned by-product of the organisation’s research.

The records also indicate that the INRA tested the mycoid on living Thargoid specimens – a revelation that has already prompted censure from ethical groups.

The following text is taken directly from one of the INRA logs:

“I know there are some who will condemn me for my part in this project. Let them. I harbour no remorse. The Thargoids understand only one thing: destruction. They will not stop until every last one of us has been reduced to dust. We have created a weapon that can prevent such a catastrophe. We have a moral obligation to use it.”

Others employed by the organisation, including the researcher whose work led to the development of the mycoid, took a different view:

“To the public, the INRA is a symbol of all that is possible when superpowers set aside their differences and work together. Well, it might have started off like that, but it’s something very different now. Progress at any cost, might makes right – all our worst impulses channelled into an unaccountable organisation focused solely on making bigger and more powerful weapons.”

Response to the accounts has been mixed. Some commentators have suggested that the INRA’s actions were unethical, while others have opined that it took appropriate measures to defend humanity.

Nestor Cartesius, an Imperial Senator, said:

“It is true that the INRA operated covertly, but there is nothing in the organisation’s past of which we need feel ashamed, and I see no reason for its work to remain secret. The INRA achieved the objectives it was created to fulfil – very successfully, I might add. The pertinent question is if its work can be of value to us now, in the wake of the Thargoids’ return.”

This report presents the latest data on starports experiencing technical issues as a result of Thargoid Sensor related interference.

The following starports are currently closed:

Fadlan Gateway, Scylla

Meanwhile, the following starports are on the brink of closure:

Ackerman Market, Eravate

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.”

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