Galnet News

The Empire has announced plans to construct a new Riker-Class Prison Ship in the Veroklist system.

Once complete, the ship will house criminals who accepted a period of Imperial slavery in lieu of a jail sentence, but who have proved to be too dangerous or unstable for such corrective punishment.

The Moritasgus Imperial Corporation, which is overseeing the initiative, has placed an open order for Imperial slaves and non-lethal weapons, promising to reward pilots who deliver these commodities to Vaucouleurs Vision in the Veroklist system. The organisation has also placed a kill order on all ships on its wanted list, to ensure those contributing commodities to the campaign can do so safely.

Moritasgus Imperial Corporation spokesperson Superintendent Arnold Cochran released the following statement:

“We are pleased the Empire has awarded us this contract, and we look forward to the first ships arriving with our new guests.”

The campaign begins on the 10th May 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

The Utopia campaign to construct a military installation in its home system has now concluded. Many traders delivered a huge quantity of construction material to Bobko City, which will be used to build defences for the Sim-Archive. Other independent pilots protected the operation by eliminating pirate vessels.

Utopia’s spokesperson, Dr Leigh Constantinides, expressed her gratitude:

“On behalf of Utopia, I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to support this project. We hope that this will safeguard the Sim-Archive for the benefit of all our descendants.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Bobko City in the Narri system.

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:

Bear Settlement, HIP 32350

Boe Orbital, Abast Samo

Dantec Enterprise, Socho

Edmondson Station, Liv

Extra Refinery, Azrael

Ford Hub, Khaka

Hutton Dock, Khaka

Qureshi Enterprise, Khaka

Raymo's R and R and R, Cardea

Rennie Hub, Yorua

Shaikh Mines, Agarahma

Singer Orbital, Matsya

Solovyev Colony, Carcinus

Thomas' Claim, Telin

Walker Port, HIP 14886

Zindell Enterprise, Waikino

Zindell Laboratory, Lyncis Sector DQ-Y c15

The following starports continue to experience technical issues:

Sturckow Port, SPOCS 253

Suri Gateway, Vesuvit

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

Bobko City, Narri

Hind Mine, T Tauri

Landsteiner Orbital, Bok

Regiomontanus Dock, Tjapurnaru

Salgari Enterprise, Mawa

Tygerlily-Merlyn Pleasuredome, Cardea

Woolley Orbital, Tchernobog

There has been widespread disquiet over recent reports that Thargoid ships have been encountered in the core systems.

The level of anxiety is exemplified by political spokesperson Councillor Rasmus Tseng, who said:

“For months now, communities in the core systems have been living in a state of fear, wondering which will be the next to be targeted. The Thargoids have been striking at starports in the region one by one, and nobody is able to stop them! Why are the powers doing so little? Where are our defences, our fleets? Surely the core systems cannot be so vulnerable?”

Admiral Aden Tanner, chief military liaison for Aegis, directly addressed these concerns:

“Reports that the Thargoids are encroaching upon the core systems en masse are grossly overstated. Although they have crossed the threshold, all we have seen so far are localised incidents in fringe systems. This is not a full-scale invasion, and it does not warrant large fleet movements of the kind that have been suggested.”

“Rest assured: the enemy is contained. There is no need for panic. Courageous independent pilots, armed with Aegis technology, are doing a superb job at halting the Thargoids’ progress. It’s to be expected that we suffer occasional losses in this conflict, but these do not indicate an impending catastrophe.”

The Imperial Internal Security Service has discovered that the murderer of Senator Nestor Cartesius was acting on behalf of a secret organisation.

Captain Niamh Seutonia, leading the IISS investigation into Cartesius’s death, made this statement:

“We had determined Senator Cartesius was killed by a nerve toxin, and that whoever administered it was trained in circumventing security. Our leads pointed to an ex-member of the Imperial Guard now operating as a freelance assassin. We tracked her to her hideout, where she resisted arrest. Unfortunately, in the subsequent exchange of gunfire, we had no choice but to eliminate the assassin.”

“Examination of the killer’s communication equipment confirmed that she was hired to kill Cartesius and deliver the ‘For Jameson’ message. Her employers identified themselves as the League of Reparation. It seems that the motive was indeed revenge – the League’s avowed goal is to secure ‘justice for the victims of the INRA’s crimes’.”

“We are now widening our investigation and establishing a taskforce. The IISS will uncover this organisation and eradicate it before it can commit further atrocities.”

When asked if anyone connected to the INRA might be at risk, Captain Seutonia replied:

“That is a distinct possibility. If the League of Reparation is targeting the descendants of those involved in the INRA’s activities, there are potentially thousands who may be targeted, and not just in the Empire. To that end I have already made contact with my counterparts in the Federation and the Alliance, and invited them to work with our taskforce.”

The Utopia commune has launched a project to build a military installation in its home system to defend the Sim-Archive from potential Thargoid attack.

Dr Leigh Constantinides, a spokesperson for Utopia, made this announcement:

“Following recent observations by the respected strategist Marquis Novantico, we accept that the Sim-Archive requires increased protection to prevent its knowledge from falling into the wrong hands. Our partner organisation, the Narri Justice Party, is therefore overseeing the construction of a new security installation. We beseech the galactic community to support this worthy endeavour.”

Independent pilots are requested to deliver construction materials to Bobko City in the Narri system. To protect traders, the Narri Justice Party has also placed a kill order on all ships on its wanted list operating in the system.

The campaign begins on the 3rd of May 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

The Vadimo Patrons of Law has announced that its campaign has received the unalloyed support of the galactic community. Hundreds of pilots supported the campaign by delivering commodities to Sikorsky Station and by eliminating agitators in Vadimo, thereby protecting traders participating in the initiative. The delivered goods will be used to throw an elaborate party for the people of Vadimo.

The Vadimo Patrons of Law has extended its gratitude to those who supported the campaign.

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Sikorsky Station in the Vadimo system.

Many key figures have contested Pranav Antal’s suggestion that humanity could lose the conflict against the Thargoids.

Federal Shadow President Felicia Winters commented:

“It’s surprising to hear such a dystopian prediction from the leader of Utopia! I know Antal’s heart is in the right place when he talks about preparing for the far future, but our focus should be on the present. The Thargoid threat has prompted an unprecedented level of inter-power cooperation, and this positive approach is what we must concentrate on.”

Admiral Aden Tanner made a statement on behalf of Aegis:

“Let me make this clear: our enemy may be powerful, but they are far from achieving victory. With our AX weaponry and new megaships, Aegis is leading an effective resistance against Thargoid forces.”

Further refutation came from Li Yong-Rui, CEO of the Sirius Corporation:

“With all due respect to Antal, his peculiar vision of humanity surviving as a mass of digital ghosts cannot be taken seriously. It’s not as if civilisation is on the edge of collapse – for most of us it remains business as usual. Our survival instincts and ingenuity will keep our societies functioning for a long time to come.”

Here are this week’s major stories.

Simguru Pranav Antal, leader of Utopia, has addressed the possibility that humanity may lose the conflict against the Thargoids. In a public statement, he suggested that the Sim-Archive – a digital repository of human memories – could be the key to humanity’s survival, should the Thargoids overwhelm the human race.

Meanwhile, the murder of Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has led to widespread public speculation. One commentator speculated that the killer was “motivated by the discovery of John Jameson’s ship, and the logs that prove he was manipulated and sacrificed by the INRA”. A member of the Imperial Internal Security Service confirmed that the organisation was pursuing forensic leads from the crime scene.

In other news, the Vadimo Patrons of Law have announced plans to host an elaborate soirée in the Vadimo system. A spokesperson for the organisation said, “We’ve got aggressive aliens on the doorstep and no one seems entirely sure what to do about it. So we thought – why not throw a big party?”

Finally, Angeli Imperial Enterprises has announced that its campaign to build a Bowman-class science vessel has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community. Scores of pilots supported the initiative by delivering commodities to Kanai Enterprise and by eliminating agitators in Blido Piru, thereby ensuring the safety of traders.

And those are the main stories this week.

The murder of Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has led to widespread public speculation, along with an increased interest in the activities of the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm.

Dr Oskar Kincaid, an Alliance historian, examined the backdrop to the case:

“The INRA has always been viewed with suspicion. Contemporaneous records suggest that it was involved in biochemical warfare against the Thargoids during their original incursion in the 3100s. There were even rumours of experimentation on live Thargoid subjects, but at the time many saw this as the only way to halt a superior hostile force.”

“Why this shadowy operation from one and a half centuries ago should now result in an Imperial senator’s death is a matter of conjecture. But there are many documented cases of retroactive retribution, where one family – or its followers – seeks atonement from another. History’s course is often diverted by the flow of bloodlines.”

Jast Fernández, chief editor of an independent media outlet, made more candid observations:

“It’s clear that the killer was motivated by the recent discovery of Commander Jameson’s ship, and the logs that prove he was manipulated and sacrificed by the INRA. If one of Cartesius’s great-grandparents was responsible, of course that would make him a target. And although it’s hard to condone murder, it’s also difficult not to see this as an ethically grey area. The INRA’s betrayal of Jameson is a monstrous injustice that cries out for redemption.”

Imperial newsfeeds featured an appeal from Senator Pal Vespasian:

“The loss of my friend and colleague in the Senate is a terrible tragedy. I ask that Nestor’s family be given space to grieve.”

Captain Niamh Seutonia, who is leading the IISS investigation, also released a brief statement:

“Assumptions regarding Senator Cartesius’s death are unhelpful at this stage. We are currently pursuing forensic leads from the crime scene as well as undertaking background research. I will keep the public apprised of the facts.”