Galnet News

Financial journalist Bryanna Blanco has renewed her investigation into Zachary Rackham, seeking to invalidate him from the Federal presidential race.

“Thirty years ago, the mysterious ‘Calico Zack’ gained a reputation as a notorious pirate lord. In some backwaters, tales are still told of how he personally led countless raids against cargo ships and passenger liners. Allegedly there were very few casualties in his wake, since the pirate always focused on hijacking valuables rather than causing bloodshed.”

“As Calico Zack’s wealth and influence grew, Archon Delaine viewed him as a threat and planned to go to war. This may be what prompted him abandon piracy. He laundered his ill-gotten gains via shell corporations and stock investments, reinventing himself as Federal entrepreneur Zachary Rackham.”

“Since those days – which he now claims were spent as a struggling trader – Rackham has become a trillionaire. He has absorbed companies, funded grandiose structures, and plastered his name wherever he could. Rackham Capital Investments is largely run by former pirate comrades turned businessmen, which has led to a few violent ‘resignations’ over the years.”

“Rackham’s presidential candidacy has inspired me to redouble my efforts to expose his criminal past. I cannot imagine what the Federation will become if he is elected to high office.”

The Federal Times has come under fire from Zachary Rackham’s supporters, claiming it is acting on the orders of his political rivals. An editorial in rival newsfeed Sol Today said:

“Bryanna Blanco was once a highly respected reporter, but should be facing libel charges for this kind of mudslinging. She has pursued a years-long vendetta against Rackham with very little to show for it, and her articles often recycle discredited conspiracy theories.”

A Federal Intelligence Agency spokesperson stated:

“Mr Rackham is a long-standing member of the FIA Civilian Oversight Board. There has never been any evidence that might cause us to open a criminal investigation into his activities.”

Lady Florence Lavigny is recuperating from a serious illness, but the experience has prompted her to call for changes within the Imperial Family.

Official sources confirmed that the Imperial Mother remains under constant medical supervision at her home on Topaz, following a successful surgical procedure. Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has now returned to the Imperial Palace on Capitol, and is being regularly updated about her mother’s condition.

Countess Guinevere Lavigny, cousin to the Emperor and niece of Lady Lavigny, also visited Topaz. She told a local reporter:

“My aunt is now able to communicate properly for short periods, and is dwelling on the past a great deal. She talks about wanting to bring together our entire family, and resolving minor disagreements which have lingered for too long. This is something that my brother Lucius and I have always felt is long overdue, so I hope she gets her wish.”

The Imperial Herald’s royal correspondent Gudrun Vestergaard speculated:

“Uniquely, Florence Lavigny has earned the respect of everyone connected to the Imperial Family over the past decade. She alone could heal the rifts between Emperor Arissa, Princess Aisling and Hadrian Duval, which have become more pronounced in recent months. Minor members of the Empire’s ruling dynasty might also find their fortunes changed by the Imperial Mother’s plans.”

“It’s worth remembering that the details of Lady Lavigny’s illness were never made public. Are her calls for unity prompted by thoughts of mortality? Perhaps time is of the essence if she seeks to make lasting changes to the House of Duval.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Wreckage from a past conflict between the Guardian and Thargoid races has been found in the Wregoe BU-Y b2-0 system.

The crashed remains of Thargoid vessels, alongside structures of Guardian origin, are located on Wregoe BU-Y b2-0 1 c. Conflict between the two species occurred millions of years ago, but physical evidence of this is extremely rare. The only comparable site, in the Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 system, was initially found two centuries ago by the Azimuth Biochemicals ship Proteus and rediscovered in 3307.

Wregoe BU-Y b2-0 was one of several systems under investigation following a report by Commander Renia Rakowski, who encountered a Thargoid interceptor in nearby Wregoe GA-X B3-0.

The Holloway Bioscience Institute has sent teams into the area to explore the possibility of xenoarchaeological research. Dr Jeong-Hui Shin gave a statement to The Sovereign newsfeed:

“It is fascinating that none of the Thargoid vessels operating in this region are immediately aggressive. One of our theories is that they are still following million-year-old orders to attack the Guardians. Therefore, from their perspective, humans are an unknown species and not identified as an enemy. Alternatively, they may be pursuing non-combat functions such as meta-alloy harvesting, as with the Thargoids that can still be found in some nebulas.”

Prominent xeno-peace advocates including Timothy Culver, Bernadette Wells and Dev Venkatesh have called for further study of the area. They claim that this is “an opportunity for non-hostile interactions with the Thargoids,” who may have developed “an autonomous subculture that is more amenable to coexistence with humanity, providing certain boundaries are respected.”

Other pro-peace groups have demanded that naval forces should not be sent into the region, as the Thargoids may view this as a provocation. At present, Aegis is focused entirely on gathering information and is not aware of any anti-xeno deployments against Wregoe BU-Y b2-0.

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>