Galnet News

Aegis's campaign to counter the rising Thargoid threat has entered its fourth phase. Once again, the tri-superpower organisation has secured financial support from a corporate partner, which has placed an open order for various commodities.

As the campaign began, The Federal Times spoke to Elvira Martuuk, one of many independent engineers contracted by Aegis, who is overseeing this stage of the campaign. Martuuk said:

"The Thargoids' ability to disable our ships is one of their most formidable weapons. For the past few weeks I've been working on a device that I hope will protect human vessels from the Thargoids' immobilising field."

The Khun Independent Governance has promised to reward pilots who deliver Thargoid Cyclops Tissue Samples, Coltan and Beryllium to Cremona Prospect in the Khun system.

The campaign begins on the 12th of October 3303 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

In the wake of reports that the Federation has withdrawn from the Pleiades Nebula, authorities in the region have confirmed that the Empire has followed suit.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.

A number of media feeds in the core systems have reported the discovery of an abandoned planetary outpost in the Hermitage system.

The reports, together with images captured by independent pilots, indicate that the outpost was controlled by the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm (INRA), a joint Federal-Imperial initiative established in the 3100s.

Very little is known about the INRA, but reports from the time assert that it was established to address Thargoid incursions into human space, and that it developed a chemical weapon designed to target Thargoid technology.

Reports that the site contains logs describing INRA research are currently being corroborated.

This report presents the latest data on starports experiencing technical issues as a result of Unknown-Artefact related interference.

The following starports are currently closed:

Eyharts Terminal, Carmenta

Fanning Vision, 9 Ceti

Joliot-Curie Gateway, Wailaroju

Matthews Station, Othiti

Skvortsov Orbital, 63 G. Capricorni

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

Darlton Orbital, Phra Mool

Fadlan Gateway, Scylla

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.”

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.”

A spokesperson for the Candy Crew Guild has announced that its appeal for palladium, titanium and robotics was enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to Bella Port, the organisation’s base of operations.

The Candy Crew Guild has extended its gratitude to those who supported the campaign.

“We are extremely happy to announce that our plans have succeeded. Work on the Dan Gurney Drive Yards and the Cave Johnson Memorial Science Lab has begun, and these facilities will soon be fully operational. Thank you to all those who supported this initiative.”

Pilots who contributed to the campaign can now collect their rewards from Bella Port in the Irusan system.

The Secret Billionaires, an organisation based in I Carinae, have reported a sharp increase in the number of criminals operating in their system. The organisation has responded with a system-wide operation designed to remove the agitators and restore order. They have placed a kill order on all ships on their wanted list, and have promised to reward pilots who deliver bounty vouchers to Somerset Station.

Secret Billionaires spokesperson Commander Afterglow said:

"After one of our CFOs was pirated, the board decided that a cleanup was long overdue, and they immediately provided credit for an anti-piracy operation."

"We're therefore in a position to offer generous rewards to pilots who help us clean up the system. With the support of the galactic community, we should be able to guarantee the safety of our fellow miners and traders."

The campaign begins on the 5th of October 3303 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

A spokesperson for the Winged Hussars has announced that its appeal for rare liquors was enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to Zander Dock, the organisation’s base of operations.

A spokesperson for the Winged Hussars has issued the following statement:

“I would like to thank the galactic community for its help, and assure them that their work will bring new business opportunities to this remote region of space. The border colonies are grateful for your efforts, Commanders!”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Zander Dock in the HIP 110028 system.

When the S'jett family was driven out of its home system by Federal-Imperial conflict, it established a new an independent faction in HIP 104292 – the Kuun-Lan.

Since then, the Kuun-Lan has gone from strength to strength. But while its new home has become a haven for miners and traders, one thing is missing: a reliable source of food. The Kuun-Lan has therefore announced plans to establish an agricultural network in HIP 104292, and is calling on the galactic community for support.

The organisation has reserved generous reimbursements for pilots who contribute atmospheric processors, crop harvesters, land enrichment systems, building fabricators, animal monitors and aquaponic systems to the initiative.

A spokesperson for the group released the following statement:

"We hope the galactic community will heed our call and help us secure our independence. If we can successfully complete this campaign, we can improve living standards for millions of people."

The campaign begins on the 5th of October 3303 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.