Galnet News

Independent journalist Chukwuma Grant has published an article on peace activist and former Federal President Jasmina Halsey. Grant has described the report as a wide-ranging analysis that addresses “the political impact of a politician renouncing politics”.

Key extracts from the article are reprinted below:

“Some believe that Jasmina Halsey always intended to defect from the Federation and join the Alliance, where she currently acts as an advisor to Prime Minister Edmund Mahon. Others assert that after years of inhumane politics, her conscience broke through – that she sought meaning by helping others and striving for concord between the powers.”

“But it was Starship One’s destruction that transformed Halsey – something that she herself could not possibly have planned. Her subsequent ‘visions’ made her politically toxic, at least as far as the Federation was concerned, allowing her to simply walk away from presidential life. In that escape pod, she escaped from more than an exploding ship – she escaped her previous self.”

“Critics argue that Halsey’s extraordinary claims of encountering super-intelligent beings and seeing paradise are meaningless without evidence. And yet, in a cosmos containing Thargoids and Guardians, can they be easily dismissed? Or are her outlandish claims designed to cultivate a following among the disenfranchised and make her into a messianic figure?”

“If Halsey is walking a deliberate path, it remains an unstable one. Many in the Alliance have questioned why their leader is taking advice from a former psychiatric patient, let alone an ex-Federal President. Whether she is a visionary, a lunatic or a brilliant political manipulator remains to be seen.”

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:

Altshuller Port, Monoto

Antonelli Station, HR 1201

Asire Arena, Dakondunii

Boe Orbital, Abast Samo

Corte-Real Terminal, 19 Phi-2 Ceti

Hansen Station, HIP 95256

Harvey Ring, Gl 606.1 B

McDivitt Port, Wolf 1022

Reed Dock, Monoto

Solovyev Colony, Carcinus

Talos 1, Peregrina

Talos 2, Peregrina

Thomas' Claim, Telin

Wye-Delta Station, Carcinus

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

Bokeili Ring, HIP 33368

Farmer Laboratory, Ling Deti

Ford Hub, Khaka

Hutton Dock, Khaka

Kanwar Orbital, Tz'utuls

Kremmen's Respite, Kioti 368

Rand Dock, HIP 33368

Rigaux Survey, HIP 22229

Tanner City, V886 Centauri

Walker Port, HIP 14886

Wegner Market, Rind

Wollheim Vision, Fuelum

Young Station, Ling Deti

Here are this week’s major stories.

Princess Aisling Duval’s comments about Aegis have attracted a measure of support. One Imperial senator suggested that Duval had “correctly gauged the mood of the people”, while another commentator suggested that her comments were a sign of maturity.

Meanwhile, an independent report suggests that piracy has declined since the return of the Thargoids. The author of the report has suggested that the presence of an alien threat has dampened felons’ appetite for preying on fellow humans. Security forces in the Pegasi Sector have refuted these suggestions, however.

The Empire has announced plans to build a new training centre for novice pilots, and has placed an open order for research materials and mined resources for use in the construction. Once complete, the centre will be home to a state-of-the-art training programme designed to create the next generation of starship pilots.

In other news, astronomers based in the Sol system may have detected a signal from New Horizons, a space probe launched in 2006 with a mission to study various objects in the Kuiper belt. One of the astronomers responsible for the find gave details of the object’s approximate location, and encouraged explorers to seek it out.

Finally, a spokesperson for the Atlas Corporation has announced that its campaign to build a megaship has reached a successful conclusion. A parallel initiative from the Privateers Alliance has also achieved its aims, after the organisation’s appeal for commodities was enthusiastically received by the galactic community.

And those are the main stories this week.

A new independent report suggests that piracy has declined across occupied space since the return of the Thargoids.

Dr Jin Rameer, who runs a socio-political think tank, made the following observations in her report:

“Statistics show a significant reduction in piracy and criminal behaviour since the Thargoid presence was confirmed. But the reason has not come under scrutiny until now.”

“Has the presence of an alien threat dampened felons’ appetite for preying on fellow humans? It’s widely understood that communities become stronger when faced with a common enemy, so perhaps one positive consequence of the Thargoids’ return is the dissolution of barriers between social groups.”

“Alternatively, those attracted to piracy may find a greater – and less morally troubling – thrill in turning their weapons on non-human targets. Whether or not their motives are altruistic, criminal elements may be transforming into defenders of the very societies they have previously terrorised.”

But a spokesperson for security forces in the Pegasi Sector responded:

“Dr Rameer needs to get out of her comfortable office and into the black. The Kumo Crew have raided dozens of systems in recent months, taking advantage of the fact that our forces are tied up with the Thargoids. Believe me, Archon Delaine sees the Thargoids as an opportunity, not a common enemy. The pirates don’t care if the galaxy burns, as long as their pockets are full.”

A spokesperson for the Privateer’s Alliance has announced that its appeal for commodities has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to Barjavel Station, the organisation’s base of operations.

Construction will now begin on a new military installation in the HIP 33368 system to resist the Thargoid threat.

The Privateer’s Alliance has extended its gratitude to those who supported the campaign.

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Barjavel Station in the HIP 33368 system.

A spokesperson for the Atlas Corporation has announced that its campaign to build a megaship in the Lambda Arae system has reached a successful conclusion. Hundreds of pilots supported the initiative by delivering commodities to Redi Market and by eliminating agitators in Lambda Arae, thereby allowing traders to operate safely.

As the campaign drew to a close, a spokesperson for the Atlas Corporation released the following statement:

“We would like to thank the pilots who helped us achieve our goal. We appreciate the assistance of each and every one of you.”

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Redi Market in the Lambda Arae system.

The Empire has announced an initiative to bolster the superpower’s military strength. The initiative centres on a new training programme designed to create the next generation of starship pilots.

A spokesperson for the Rind Gold Electronics Org, which is overseeing the initiative, released the following statement:

“Over the past six months, a research group based in Achenar has developed a state-of-the-art training programme designed to cultivate applicants’ reflexes, coordination, perception and cognitive abilities. Provisional tests indicate that students in the full flush of youth, unburdened with superfluous knowledge, respond extremely well to the programme, resulting in combat pilots of unprecedented skill.”

In support of this initiative, the Rind Gold Electronics Org has placed an open order for research materials, which will be used to manufacture essential apparatus. The organisation has also issued an appeal for a range of mined resources, which will be used to construct a dedicated training centre for the new programme.

The campaign begins on the 12th of April 3304 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

Princess Aisling Duval’s recent comments about the effectiveness of Aegis have attracted a measure of support.

One of the most prominent figures to express solidarity is Imperial Senator Pal Vespasian, who said:

“One cannot accuse Aegis of being completely ineffective, but perhaps Her Highness has correctly gauged the mood of the people. A handful of minor victories is simply not enough to allay widespread fear of conquest. There can be no half measures in this situation – if we do not defeat the Thargoids, our civilisation could fall.”

Meanwhile, Commodore Riri McAllister of the Alliance Defence Force said:

“I can certainly refute Princess Duval’s suggestion that the other powers have not made equal contributions to Aegis. She makes a good point, however, with regard to military strategy. Greater transparency around Aegis’s long-term plans would lead to a more coordinated effort in resisting Thargoid forces.”

Jast Fernández, chief editor of an independent media outlet, focused on how the public might be starting to view the princess differently:

“We know that Aisling is widely seen as the stereotypical heiress – materially prosperous but intellectually deficient – but could this have been a public mask that she is now discarding? Or perhaps the young princess is finally maturing, and developing some genuine critical faculty? Either way, it’s no surprise that she’s found an audience – something she has always excelled at.”

Astronomers based in the Sol system may have detected a signal from New Horizons, a space probe launched in 2006 with a mission to study various objects in the Kuiper belt.

One of the astronomers responsible for the find said:

“New Horizons was launched over a thousand years ago, so this is potentially quite an exciting discovery. We haven’t been able to pinpoint the object’s precise location, but our data indicates that it is approximately 1,726,716 light seconds from the sun and 1,526,050 light seconds from 90377 Sedna. Perhaps some intrepid explorer will seek it out, and confirm our suspicions!”

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:

Boe Orbital, Abast Samo

Corte-Real Terminal, 19 Phi-2 Ceti

Harvey Ring, Gl 606.1 B

Asire Arena, Dakondunii

Cayley Enterprise, Wolf 359

McDivitt Port, Wolf 1022

Solovyev Colony, Carcinus

Stabenow Reformatory, Peregrina

Talos 1, Peregrina

Talos 2, Peregrina

Weber Dock, Meene

Wye-Delta Station, Carcinus

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

Altshuller Port, Monoto

Antonelli Station, HR 1201

Beadle Port, Pyemma

Hansen Station, HIP 95256

Reed Dock, Monoto

Thomas' Claim, Telin