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Newsfeeds and ICE-casts have reacted to Aegis’s theory that the Thargoids have purposefully captured tens of millions of living humans.

Eyewitness testimonies provided by independent pilots have given credence to this theory. Citizens’ Chronicle featured the following account from Imperial auxiliary Commander Luca Redondo:

“It was a sickening sight, watching Scythes hunt down survivors. A part of me wanted to start blasting the escape pods rather than let those poor people be eaten, or experimented on, or whatever the hell the Thargoids want them for. There was nothing my squadron could do to save them, not without risking the refugees we were carrying. I don’t think I’ll be sleeping well for a long time.”

Many reporters have interviewed people still waiting to hear from those who once lived in Thargoid-occupied systems. Vox Galactica has published several such stories:

“My ex-husband took our kids to visit his family last November, just before the Maelstroms arrived. Their last message was so happy, telling me their adventures, promising to call me tomorrow. But there was no tomorrow. Just static from the entire system. Every day since then I’ve contacted the refugee centres, repeating their names over and over. It’s my whole life now. There’s nothing else.”

An editorial in The Federal Free Press called for greater pressure to be placed on Aegis and the authorities:

“It’s outrageous that this was kept out of the public domain for so long, with the Thargoids taking prisoners for months. Why was this suppressed by those in power? We owe it to those millions of people to do everything we can to rescue them.”

An alternative viewpoint was outlined by Timothy Culver, a prominent xeno-peace activist, on his ICE-cast channel:

“Humans have been capturing and experimenting on Thargoids since we first encountered them, so we certainly don’t occupy the moral high ground. But I also believe that they are primarily seeking to understand us. I urge everyone to study Commander Rakowski’s recent report, which proves that not every Thargoid vessel sees us as an enemy.”

An independent explorer has reported an unusual incident involving a Thargoid vessel, hundreds of light years away from the ongoing invasion.

Commander Renia Rakowski told her story to Vox Galactica:

“I’d been gathering exploration data for weeks without seeing another soul. Boring, I know, but I like a quiet life. As I jumped out of the Wregoe GA-X B3-0 system, my ship rocked violently and I panicked, thinking the hyperdrive had failed. I barely saw it at first, black against the black of space, until its outline glowed. A Thargoid interceptor. Just like on the newsfeeds, but right outside my canopy.”

“I’ve never been in combat before, and my ship carries no weapons anyway, so I thought this was the end of me. My heart was drumming as I stared at the alien, and it stared back like some giant lidless eye. A writhing light lashed out, this rasping howl came over the comms, and then… it left. I wasn’t dead, which was quite the surprise.”

“I watched it gliding away, its petals rotating and revolving, sort of beautifully I suppose. It actually turned its back on me, like I was some insignificant speck unworthy of attention. I’ve never been so glad to be boring.”

Commodore Emil Varga, the Alliance’s military liaison to Aegis, provided a follow-up statement:

“This incident took place a considerable distance from the Maelstroms. Initially, we feared this was evidence that new Titans had arrived and were performing a flanking manoeuvre. However, if the interceptor had been part of the invasion fleets, it would have opened fire immediately after hyperdiction occurred.”

“The immediate area around Wregoe GA-X B3-0 contains no barnacle sites or records of Thargoid activity that we’re aware of. Universal Cartographics confirmed we have some basic exploration data for that part of the Wregoe sector, but no previous Thargoid encounters. Civilians are warned to stay away from that region until we know more.”

An analysis of survivors from recent Thargoid conflicts and invasions has raised the possibility of human abductions on a colossal scale.

Professor Alba Tesreau, head of Aegis, delivered a personal statement to the media:

“A few months ago I was contacted by Zuri Afolayan , a senior analyst for Safeguard Interstellar. Her job involves collating civil and military data to determine where emergency aid is most needed. She had identified consistent discrepancies between the registered populations of Thargoid-occupied systems and all confirmed deaths, refugees and stranded survivors.”

“Aegis performed detailed comparisons of Ms Afolayan’s findings with other sources. This led to one inescapable conclusion: tens of millions of people have vanished since the start of the war.”

“No doubt many deaths have gone unrecorded, and many others have fled into deep space. But the recent appearance of the Scythe-class hunter, coupled with events aboard the Dedicant megaship, suggest that at least some have been taken into captivity.”

“I am very conscious that this statement may be seen as alarmist and speculative. But our xenologists and strategists are considering the implications of a mass abduction programme by the Thargoids. Any opportunity to recover these lost souls will be explored as a priority.”

Field correspondent Ernesto Rios published his observations via Vox Galactica:

“It’s a well-documented fact that Thargoid vessels occasionally take onboard occupied escape pods. But Aegis now believes that the aliens are no longer just attacking humanity – they are attempting to capture us alive en masse.”

“What are we to them? Prisoners of war? Food for their young? Fuel for their biomechanical technology? Or is this just misinterpreted data and battlefield rumours? In my career I have heard many of these, and in this instance I’m praying that is the case.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A new type of Thargoid vessel is hyperdicting human ships and capturing living passengers.

Aegis has designated the hunter-class alien ship as a ‘Scythe’. Aden Tanner released an assessment of its capabilities:

“This Thargoid vessel has been designed not just for combat, but to hyperdict ships and extract human beings from them. Our observations of its tactics suggesting that abduction is its primary purpose.”

“A Scythe’s initial attack mirrors that of its Glaive cousin, by attempting to disable frame shift drives and deplete shields. It then launches a unique strike to makes passenger cabins and cargo holds uninhabitable. The resulting escape pods are rapidly drawn onboard onto the Scythe intact.”

Further observations were made by Vice Admiral Skylar Anderson, the Empire’s military liaison to Aegis:

"Due to their modus operandi, it now seems likely that the Dedicant’s population was forced to abandon the megaship and subsequently abducted en masse by these vessels.”

“The Thargoids have been capturing escape pods for years, but now it seems to have become a strategic priority. Perhaps they view ‘harvesting’ us in the same way as obtaining meta-alloys from barnacle sites. We can only imagine what unpleasant intentions they have for living human specimens.”

President Zachary Hudson has accused the Order of the Far God of being directly responsible for the fate of the Dedicant megaship.

“Our assessment of these Thargoid-worshipping extremists has been proved correct,” he told The Federal Times. “Hijacking the Dedicant to deliver it to their alien gods is an act of treason and mass murder.”

“I have ordered the Proactive Detection Bureau to root out every deluded individual with sympathies for this twisted cult. Automatic life sentences will ensure that these traitors never again put innocent people at risk.”

The declaration brought political pressure on all three presidential candidates to state their intentions for the Far God cult should they be elected.

Vice President Jerome Archer: “I will be pleased to continue President Hudson’s policy on dealing with these religious fanatics: stricter controls, increased surveillance and tougher sentences.”

Shadow President Felicia Winters: “Regardless of their misguided beliefs, thousands of former citizens also lost their lives during this Thargoid attack. I am lobbying for an independent security review into these tragic events.”

Zachary Rackham: “Hear me out. There’s a simple solution to all this. When I’m president, only criminals will pay tax. That’ll be a far more effective deterrent than imprisonment!”

Dr Alfred Ulyanov, an expert on the Order of the Far God, observed that the cultists had no way of communicating with the Thargoids: “The deeply distressing logs found on the Dedicant prove that the arrival of the Thargoids was unexpected, and certainly not the rapturous experience they believed it would be.”

The Federal Intelligence Agency is continuing to investigate the Dedicant in the HIP 19600 system. The Alliance’s amnesty programme with the Federation has been officially halted, but the Far God religion remains legal in most Allied territories.

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The lost megaship Dedicant has been located in HIP 19600, with signs of Thargoid attack and all inhabitants missing.

The Dedicant was being prepared by Federal authorities to deport imprisoned members of the Order of the Far God when it unexpectedly jumped into hyperspace. Pilots who helped decipher its fragmented distress call were informed of the recent discovery by the Imperial Navy.

Executive Agent Jalen Locke of the Federal Intelligence Agency issued a statement:

“We can confirm that the Dedicant has been discovered adrift in the HIP 19600 system. There is evidence that the Thargoids penetrated the hull in multiple locations, and thousands of escape pods were launched. Unusually, there are no bodies onboard and we have not been able to locate any of the escape pods. The whereabouts of all three FIA security teams and over 8,000 Far God cultists cannot be determined.”

“A series of personal logs, portraying some harrowing experiences, are helping us to piece together what happened during the Dedicant’s disappearance. We are liaising with military intelligence to learn more.”

In related news, Aegis made an announcement on all public channels:

“Independent observers have detected a new type of Thargoid vessel operating within the Maelstroms. Little is known of their capabilities as yet. They have been provisionally classified as a ‘hunter’ due to their size, which is similar to the Glaive.”

“Aegis has only corroborated sightings of these ships in close proximity to the Thargoid Titans. However, we have received reports that they may be active elsewhere. Pilots are advised to exercise maximum caution if they encounter these vessels.”

<p>Vox Galactica journalist Jade Sanderlyn reports on the latest news emerging from the front lines of the conflict. “Events in the war continue to move quickly, sometimes outpacing the ‘speed of news’. In my last update, I mentioned that the Thargoids had occupied over a thousand systems. But by the time that was published, the number had reduced considerably. According to my sources, anti-xeno squadrons and independent pilots are reclaiming systems at a higher rate than Thargoids can conquer them.” “This incredible achievement suggests we are finally gaining the advantage in this war. The hopelessness that many have felt over the last nine months is now tempered with optimism. Our naval forces are proving that the alien fleet is not undefeatable.” “My sources also passed on some unsettling stories from pilots working beyond the frontline systems. A few of them seem to think that the Thargoids’ interest in occupied escape pods – which is well documented – has recently increased. Apparently, there have been claims that Thargoid vessels went out of their way to abduct escape pods launched from ships damaged in battle.” “These are little more than unsubstantiated rumours, of course, and not something I would usually include in a factual report. But we know so little about the Thargoids that even circumstantial changes in their behaviour might be significant. And I can’t be the only one who finds such tales chilling.” “Otherwise, the most significant news this month was Azimuth Biotech’s corporate convention and the launch of its AX module redesign. Aegis clearly has the lead in both public sentiment and government support at this time, but it seems like Azimuth has no intention of ceasing its contributions to the war effort anytime soon.” “This is Jade Sanderlyn for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”</p>

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The missing megaship Dedicant is close to being located after fragments of its distress call were tracked down.

The scrambled messages were discovered on comms beacons in the LP 714-58, Wuniez, Olurung and Kwakimo systems. Combined decryption efforts eventually led to another beacon in the HIP 19912 system, where the Dedicant’s original transmission was revealed:

FEDERAL ESCORT TEAM ALPHA

ASSIGNED TO ORDER OF THE FAR GOD MEGASHIP ‘DEDICANT’

PRISONER TRANSFER MISSION HAS FAILED

SIGNIFICANT NON-LETHAL DEFENSIVE MEASURES ENCOUNTERED

MAJORITY OF ORDER OF THE FAR GOD PRISONERS ESCAPED

PRISONERS INITIATED DEDICANT HYPERDRIVE

ESCORT TEAMS ALPHA, BRAVO, CHARLIE AND CULTISTS REMAIN ON BOARD

‘DEDICANT’ CURRENT LOCATION UNKNOWN

ADVISE TRACING METADATA COORDINATES TO THIS MESSAGE

REQUEST IMMEDIATE FEDERAL NAVY ASSISTANCE

Vice Admiral Amir Rafiq of the Imperial Navy provided an update:

“Imperial Intelligence specialists are currently analysing the comms beacon in HIP 19912 to trace the message to its point of origin. We have orders not to commence any joint operations with the Federation, but I am authorised to make our findings public.”

Executive Agent Jalen Locke of the Federal Intelligence Agency told the media:

“We appreciate the assistance from the Empire , and from all the independent pilots who helped find this distress call. It has confirmed our theory that the prisoners managed to regain control of their former vessel, using various modifications made to its internal systems.”

“FIA security teams are standing by to launch a rescue mission as and when the Dedicant’s location is pinpointed. They will retake the megaship by force if necessary and detain all Far God cultists onboard.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Traces of a distress call from the Dedicant megaship have been detected in the LP 714-58 system.

Vice Admiral Amir Rafiq, a spokesperson for the Imperial Navy, broadcast an announcement on all public channels:

“An Imperial scout ship travelling through LP 714-58 has intercepted several fragmentary signals. Their identifying markers confirmed that they originated from the Dedicant. We believe there has been an encryption error in the system’s communication beacons, which prevented the distress call from being rerouted to its intended destination in the Federation.”

“Officially, the Imperial Navy no longer performs joint operations with our Federal counterparts. Nor do we involve ourselves in the activities of the illegal Far God cult. Nevertheless, we are sharing this information as a humanitarian gesture. Our hope is that this may aid a rescue mission for those trapped aboard the lost megaship.”

The Dedicant made an unscheduled hyperspace jump from the Popontia system on the 15th of June, while imprisoned members of the Order of the Far God were being transferred onboard to be relocated in the Alliance.

Executive Agent Jalen Locke of the Federal Intelligence Agency released a statement:

“It is unexpected to receive any kind of assistance from the Empire, but on this occasion we are grateful. Three security teams, comprised of 50 agents each, are currently on the Dedicant along with over 8,000 cultists. This is the first indication that the megaship remains intact and that our people are calling for help.”

“FIA specialists are en route to the LP 714-58 system. However, deciphering interstellar comms signals is a difficult and time-consuming task. We would appreciate any assistance from independent pilots if they are able to detect any further messages.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Rare goods delivered to Xi Wangda helped ensure that Azimuth Biotech’s arms convention was a success.

CEO Torben Rademaker confirmed the initiative’s completion:

“From today, the Overcharged Gimballed AX Multi-Cannon with Auto Loader is available at all rescue megaships, as well as Azimuth Biotech’s core markets. I am confident that this will prove useful those brave pilots who enter combat with Thargoid ships. Once again, my company has proved that its ingenuity and experience in developing anti-xeno weaponry cannot be surpassed.”

“I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all of the corporate, financial and military representatives who attended the convention. Many fascinating proposals were discussed, most of which must remain commercially confidential for now. Suffice to say, the future for Azimuth Biotech and our partners looks bright.”

“Finally, the event was helped enormously by the supplies of Albino Quechua Mammoth Meat, Gilya Signature Weapons and Harma Silver Sea Rum, as well as those who eliminated criminal elements in the Xi Wangda system. I have authorised reimbursement for delivered goods from Musashi and bounty vouchers from Cartier City.”

Newsfeeds, business analysts and ICE channels have discussed the clandestine nature of Azimuth Biotech’s convention. Some wondered if the corporation would be able to function without external financing. Others suggested that cooperation with mainstream companies may rehabilitate Azimuth in the eyes of the superpowers.

The attendance of senior staff from the Holloway Bioscience Institute has also raised eyebrows within the scientific community. An editorial in The Empirical remarked: “Holloway’s expertise in studying vacuum-dwelling life forms is almost unparalleled. If Azimuth were to forge closer ties with the institute, the resulting xenological research capabilities might even surpass those of Aegis.”