Galnet News

The probationary period for the proposed anti-xeno partnership between the Alliance and Sirius Corporation has now ended.

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon made this public statement:

“Documentation for the strategic defence pact has been submitted to the Assembly for debate and amendment. Council members will vote by the end of June to decide whether or not it should be ratified.”

“In the last three months, Sirius Corporation has successfully increased security for Allied interests in the Coalsack and Witch Head Nebulas. It also did a splendid job arranging for crucial supplies to be delivered to the Didio system during the Thargoid invasion.”

“The Council of Admirals does not wish to rely exclusively on Salvation to protect Allied systems, and I concur with their assessment. Combining our defence force with Sirius’s resources will be a huge step toward forming an Alliance Navy, thereby increasing our anti-Thargoid fleet capabilities on a par with the Empire and Federation.”

Councillor Nakato Kaine, Mahon’s political rival, also made a statement:

“In my view, Sirius Corporation remains an untrustworthy partner and has exerted a disruptive influence on the Alliance. I continue to oppose the strategic defence pact, and urge my fellow council members to prevent it being adopted as policy.”

Claims that Salvation was once a senior member of Azimuth Biochemicals who worked for INRA have led to a public outcry.

Political journalist Conrad Sterling reported on these developments for Vox Galactica:

“Information recently uncovered in the DG Canum Venaticorum system has been presented by Professor Alba Tesreau. It suggests that Salvation’s real name is Dr Caleb Wycherley, former vice-president of research at Azimuth Biochemicals. According to Wycherley’s personal logs, his team contributed to the development of the controversial mycoid bioweapon deployed by INRA during the First Thargoid War.”

“Wycherley’s logs also provide evidence that he gained the nickname of ‘The Witch’. This figure has been implicated in the murderous attack on the Alexandria megaship in June 3307 and in Project Seraph recordings found in the HIP 26176 and HIP 22460 systems.”

“Former Aegis leadership has demanded that Salvation be arrested and questioned over his involvement in these events, and that superpower fleet support for Salvation’s work be suspended until such questions have been answered.”

Supporters of Salvation have dismissed the latest logs as fake, pointing out that Dr Wycherley would now be over 200 years old and that the mention of ‘salvation’ is coincidental. But outrage remains high over the unethical activities of both Azimuth and INRA, and Salvation’s growing influence over anti-Thargoid operations has been cast in a new light.

“The Alliance, Empire and Federation have all responded with noncommittal statements that the accusation will be investigated,” said Sterling. “However, since Salvation’s unique superweapons now form the cornerstone of their anti-xeno strategy, his arrest would be a major political and military inconvenience.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Traders and combat pilots are required in the Upaniklis system to assist the Golconda in resuming its voyage.

The ancient generation ship, which originated from Earth in the 22nd century, has been retrofitted by the Artificers Clan into a functional modern vessel. The majority of its former population have decided to leave the outpost Forester’s Choice and return to their traditional nomadic lifestyle.

Captain Jonathon Forester, leader of the Golconda Union, announced:

“In 3305 the galactic community provided us with the chance to end our original journey, so it will be fitting if they can help us start a new chapter among the stars. The Golconda now has a frame shift drive that requires tritium fuel, and shipments of medical diagnostic equipment and power generators are also needed.”

Upaniklis Vision Incorporated has agreed to organise the initiative. Pilots are asked to deliver all commodities to Fozard Port, from where they will be transferred aboard the Golconda.

Local security forces warned that pirates may attempt to hijack incoming shipments or take control of the Golconda itself. As a defensive measure, Upaniklis Vision Incorporated has offered bounties on all wanted ships in the system.

According to the Federal Diplomatic Corp, these events do not violate the legislation that protects isolated societies from cultural contamination. It added: “Partnership status with the Federation has been extended to the Golconda and continues to apply to Forester’s Choice outpost.”

Further information has emerged regarding Vidar Trask’s failed attempt to take control of the Kumo Crew syndicate.

The latest findings were reported by The Pegasi Sentinel:

“The few survivors from Trask’s shattered army have revealed that over a thousand fighters were supplied by the Blue Viper Club dredger clan. Kay Volantyne, one of its leaders, is now confirmed to have masterminded the coup alongside Trask.”

“Their motivations were as different as their backgrounds. Trask rose to power beside Archon Delaine but became frustrated under his rule, believing that he could reorganise the Kumo Crew along more efficient lines. Volantyne aimed to provide her nomadic tribe with permanent homes, to be financed by trafficking onionhead gamma strain and protected by the syndicate’s might.”

“We have also learned that the standard of living on the Blue Viper Club dredger has markedly improved in recent months. This was in accordance with the terms of the alliance that Volantyne brokered between the clan and the Kumo Crew.”

“According to engineers at Kumo City starport, the dredger’s modernised hyperdrive enables it to make jumps more frequently and over greater distances. This means it could now be almost anywhere within a several hundred light year radius, which may frustrate Delaine’s vow to hunt down Volantyne and exact revenge for her betrayal.”

With the generation ship Golconda being repaired by the Artificers Clan, its former population are considering resuming their journey.

Commander Javi Alvarado, a local trader who befriended the Golcondans, offered this insight for Vox Galactica:

“Following a prompt from the Artificers Clan, I transported Captain Forester and other community leaders from Forester’s Choice to the Golconda. They were visibly awed at the changes made to their ancient home, with modern interface panels and machinery expertly entwined with thousand-year-old technology.”

“The newly installed frame shift drive was powered up, which brought Forester close to tears. We also visited the habitation rings, now sustained by updated environmental systems but otherwise unchanged.”

“There were Artificers Clan members bustling back and forth. Each wore grime-stained overalls, criss-crossed with belts and bandoliers dangling with tools, and diagnostic scanners of some kind covering their eyes. They chattered to each other in a rapid dialect that was hard to follow, as they performed engineering work on whatever they could lay their hands on.”

“The chieftain explained to Captain Forester that the clan retrofitted the Golconda mainly because ‘tech-love’ was their ‘life-duty’. But the clan also asked for supplies of fresh food for their dredger, which Forester agreed to provide.”

“As we flew back to the outpost, I could tell that most of the Golcondans were deeply affected. I can’t blame them – the only world many of them knew for decades has been transformed. The leaders spoke of an unexpected opportunity to resume their old way of life, and questioned whether a stationary existence honours their ancestors’ dream. I get the feeling that change is in the wind.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

An abandoned outpost in the DG Canum Venaticorum system could reveal the true identity of the anonymous figure Salvation.

Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, made a public announcement:

“An untraceable source pointed me to the DG Canum Venaticorum system with the question: Who is Salvation? A unique detail caught my attention, so I requested verification from pilots who had supported Aegis. We found a previously undiscovered research outpost once controlled by the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm.”

“The site contains logs which directly connect Azimuth Biochemicals to INRA’s development of the mycoid virus. As is now known, this bioweapon was used covertly against the Thargoids and drove them away from human space for decades.”

“Most significantly, I believe these logs may finally reveal Salvation’s real name and background. I urge the superpowers to halt their collaboration with Salvation while this new data is verified.”

INRA was a clandestine anti-xeno organisation formed in 3125 by the Empire and Federation. Although its mycoid bioweapon contributed hugely to the end of the first Thargoid war in 3151, INRA’s activities have since been denounced by the superpowers as illegal and unethical.

Azimuth Biochemicals was a pharmaceutical corporation secretly involved in xenological research and weapons development. Aegis has warned that Azimuth may still be active in some form, as suggested by the Project Seraph logs in HIP 22460.

Neither Salvation nor his partners at Taurus Mining Ventures have yet responded to Professor Tesreau’s claims.

The trillionaire entrepreneur Zachary Rackham has officially confirmed that he will stand as a candidate in the 3309 Federal election.

Mr Rackham finally stated his intentions following several weeks of speculation. At a press conference, he said:

“I know what you’re all thinking. That guy as president? Isn’t he just a common businessman, who used to survive on scraps by trading trinkets in a rusty old Sidewinder?”

“But despite my humble origins, many good people have convinced me that my experience with running corporations would prove useful to the Federation. I feel like everyone’s tired of the same empty words from the two big political parties. It’s time to hear from the little guy!”

Mr Rackham added that it will take several weeks to prepare his manifesto and campaign team. It is unknown whether he intends to form a new political party or stand as an independent candidate.

There has been no comment from President Hudson or Shadow President Winters. However, several congressmen remarked that the media attention accompanying Mr Rackham’s efforts might attract more public interest in next year’s presidential race. Only 65% of eligible voters took part in the last election in 3300.

The Tau Ceti Journal noted that the value of shares in Rackham Capital Investments has soared to an all-time high, making many investors extremely wealthy overnight.

The Artificers Clan has begun to retrofit the generation ship Golconda into a fully operational modern vessel.

Jonathon Forester, former captain of the vacated 22nd-century craft, provided a statement to Vox Galactica:

“When the dredger clan first arrived in the Upaniklis system, we feared they had come to salvage the Golconda. Instead, to our surprise, they’ve initiated engineering work on it: reinforcing the ship’s structural integrity, repairing damaged components, and installing modern engines and navigational systems. Yet the decks where our community previously lived remains untouched.”

“The Artificers didn’t request permission to do this, which upset many of us. But today we received a message expressing a strange, child-like excitement at finding what they called a ‘dead-hulk’, and their determination to ‘revive’ it for us. With their incredible skills, it’s possible that the Golconda could become spaceworthy again within weeks.”

“This has prompted a huge debate among my people. Should we return to our old home? Some have grown accustomed to the benefits of living at this outpost. Others believe we should resume journeying between the stars, as our ancestors did for centuries.”

“Many are looking to me for leadership, and I must admit to finding such a decision hard. I thought the Golconda was our history, but perhaps it still holds our future.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Forces involved in an attempted coup on Archon Delaine’s syndicate have been soundly defeated in the HIP 10792 system.

Vidar Trask, formerly an arch-corsair in the Kumo Crew syndicate, was declared dead when his private vessel was destroyed during the conflict. The few surviving ships in the Trask Death Corsairs have now abandoned his cause.

Reports from The Pegasi Sentinel and Vox Galactica newsfeeds have shed more light on the insurrection. Over the past few years, Trask secretly gathered followers while acting as Archon Delaine’s trusted advisor. Funded by successful gambling at Jokers’ Deck events, he bought the loyalty of many independent criminal groups to bolster his forces.

It has also been revealed that Trask’s previously unidentified mercenaries were members of the Blue Viper Club dredger clan. This suggests that his partner in the coup attempt was indeed Arch-Corsair Kay Volantyne, who originally hailed from the nomadic tribe. She was last seen returning to the dredger before it jumped to an unknown destination.

Archon Delaine, who is still recovering from last week’s assassination attempt, proclaimed:

“I will hunt down and slaughter every single one of Volantyne’s treacherous clan for their betrayal of my trust. That rusting hulk will find no refuge in this galaxy!”

Pilots who supported the Kumo Council faction can now collect rewards from Crimson Exchange in HIP 10792.

The Blue Viper Club dredger clan has unexpectedly severed ties with the Kumo Crew, which is currently battling an attempted rebellion.

No explanations or itinerary were provided when the nomadic tribe’s dredger jumped from the Pegasi Sector PN-T c3-14 system to an unknown destination.

The Blue Viper Club formed a partnership with the Kumo Crew syndicate in July 3307, when it provided a new narcotic crop that later became known as onionhead gamma strain.

The Pegasi Sentinel published the following exclusive:

“We have obtained proof that Arch-Corsair Kay Volantyne is still alive, despite rumours that she had been murdered by Vidar Trask. Our undercover reporter recorded Volantyne and her personal retinue boarding a shuttle at Kumo City starport, which docked with the Blue Viper Club’s dredger a few hours before its departure.”

“Volantyne was born on that vessel, and acted as the primary liaison between the spacefaring clan and the Kumo Crew. It seems that she has now abandoned her position to rejoin her people, instead of taking part in the fight against Trask’s followers.”

“This raises a disturbing question: were Trask and Volantyne working together to depose Archon Delaine? Last October they both attended a secret event held by the Jokers’ Deck gambling circle, famed for permitting stakes reaching billions of credits. Did their winnings provide the financial backing for a joint coup?”