Black-Bart

Outspoken conspiracy theorist Ricardo Bentonio has lent his voice to the debate surrounding reports of mysterious spacecraft. And true to form, he has made some rather implausible claims.
On his programme ‘Behind the Curtain’, Bentonio said:
“I am in contact with an individual who has irrefutable proof that these ships are Thargoid vessels. And what’s more, I have been reliably informed that the Thargoids have been exerting direct influence over human society. Everything that is happening is unfolding according to their plan. Soon, it will be too late!”
Few in the media or the world of politics deigned to respond to Bentonio’s claims.

An unidentified individual has been found dead at a Wreaken Construction site in the COL 70 sector. The body was disfigured as a result of radiation exposure, and identification has so far not been possible. System authorities are conducting an investigation.
A representative of Wreaken Construction responded to the discovery with a statement:
“There have been several incidents of individuals trying to break into our facilities. This is an unfortunate event, but frankly the victim brought this accident on themselves. Our facilities are secured for a reason – manufacturing is a dangerous business.”
Meanwhile, independent pilots have reported that Wreaken Construction sites are heavily guarded, and that approaching ships have been aggressively warned away by Wreaken-owned vessels.

The Alliance Council of Admirals has announced that an Alliance convoy has been attacked in the Fedmich system.
According to a statement, the convoy was transporting personnel and military equipment to a secure Alliance outpost. It is understood the attack was executed by criminals operating in Fedmich.
Most personnel were safely evacuated, but many of the ships comprising the convoy had to be abandoned. Furthermore, a number of occupied escape pods remain among the wreckage.
A spokesperson for the Council of Admirals released a statement:
“It is imperative that all personnel and material carried by this convoy be recovered as soon as possible.”
“To that end, we have authorised Fedmich Electronics Partners to coordinate a rescue operation, and will gladly reward those who deliver occupied escape pods and wreckage components to Roberts Port in the Fedmich system. Combat pilots are also needed to neutralise agitators operating in Fedmich and thus ensure the safety of those recovering material from the convoy.”
The operation begins on the 26th of January 3303 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

Following his recent appeal for data from the Synuefe ruins, engineer Ram Tah has released a statement:
“Using the data contributed by the galactic community, I have succeeded in accessing the monolith network. But although I have detected a number of further Guardian sites – which is very exciting – I have not been able to divine their precise locations. All I have been able to do is narrow the field to a handful of systems – specifically Synuefe ZL-J d10-119, Synuefe XO-P c22-17, IC 2391 Sector ZE-A d101 and IC 2391 Sector GW-V b2-4.”
“Locating these sites is of central importance to our ongoing research, which is why I am encouraging the galactic community to explore these systems. Together, we can further our understanding of this fascinating race.”

Engineer Ram Tah has announced that his appeal for data from the Synuefe ruins has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community. Hundreds of independent pilots responded to the appeal, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to Felice Dock, the campaign’s centre of operations.
As the campaign drew to a close, Ram Tah released a brief statement.
“I am hugely grateful to the galactic community for its support. It is my hope that this data will allow us to unlock the monolith network and discover further Guardian sites.”
Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Felice Dock in the Meene system.

A spokesperson for the Sirius Corporation has announced that its appeal for microresources has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community. Hundreds of pilots responded to the corporation’s appeal by delivering Unknown Energy Source, Shield Density Reports and Shield Pattern Analysis to Cormack Hub in the Procyon system.
As the campaign drew to a close, Li-Yong Rui, CEO of Sirius Gov, released a statement:
“While irresponsible fortune hunters continue to destabilise the galaxy’s starports by selling Unknown Artefacts on the black market, the galaxy’s superpowers stand idly by, mired in bureaucracy and paralysed by indecision. Well we say: no more.”
“I will do everything in my power to put an end to the technological plague and restore the galaxy’s starports to functionality. The effort to conquer this epidemic starts now.”
Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Cormack Hub in the Procyon system.

Animosity between the Empire and the Federation has been growing for months, but leaked communications suggest that clandestine negotiations may be taking place between the two superpowers.
Jason Nygaard, a reporter for The Federal Times, said:
“We believe the Federation is meeting with Imperial dignities behind closed doors. The nature of these meetings isn’t clear, but we have noted unusual ship movements around the historic Cambridge space port.”
Cambridge, once of the few ancient Earth cities preserved in its historic form, is notably free from surveillance. It has been associated with many remarkable events in its long history.

It is widely understood that Unknown Artefacts have the ability to extract materials from their immediate environment as part of a complex self-repair process. Unfortunately, this can have disastrous effects on starships and other forms of machinery.
Perhaps the worst affected by this phenomena have been the galaxy’s starports, many of which have had to suspend services as a result of Unknown Artefact-related disruption. The high prices offered for Unknown Artefacts on the black market means many starports have been flooded with the mysterious objects. And although meta-alloys can be used to counter Unknown Artefact-related interference, the scarcity of the material means this potential salve has had little impact.
But a recent announcement from the Sirius Corporation indicates that the company intends to tackle the issue by funding a major new research and development project. The purpose of the project is to make starports and other outposts more resistant to Unknown Artefact-related interference through the application of specific microresources.
In support of this programme, the Sirius Corporation has placed an open order for unknown fragments, untypical shield scans and aberrant shield pattern analysis, and promised to reward pilots who deliver these materials to Cormack Hub in the Procyon system.
The campaign begins on the 19th of January 3303 and will run for two weeks. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

Authorities in the Parun system have reported that the Laksmii Jet Power Industries plot against the Independents of Parun has been foiled. The operation centred on smuggling various items into Underwood Port so Imperial agents could use it to conduct guerrilla attacks against the Independents of Parun, the system’s controlling faction.
After learning of the plot, the Independents of Parun placed bounties on Laksmii Jet Power Industries ships operating in the Parun system. The strategy resulted in the destruction of hundreds of Laksmii Jet Power Industries vessels, severely undermining the organisation’s plan.
A spokesperson for the Independents of Parun thanked those who supported the operation.
Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Underwood Port in the Parun system.

Professor Ishmael Palin, independent scientist and leading authority on xeno-biological research, has added his voice to the debate over sightings of mysterious spacecraft.
In a statement, Professor Palin said:
“I have no wish to be alarmist, and I can understand why the galactic superpowers have issued a somewhat noncommittal response. But suggesting that these craft may be of human origin, or the product of a hoax, rather stretches plausibility.”
“To my mind, there is a clear visual connection between these mysterious vessels, the shipwrecks found in HIP 17862 and the Pleiades, the Unknown Artefacts and the Unknown Probes. And I believe we can draw only one conclusion: we are sharing the galaxy with an intelligent non-human species. We therefore have an obligation to discover as much about this species, and its intentions, as possible.”
Independent engineer Ram Tah, who has been leading research into the Synuefe ruins, also commented:
“I share Professor Palin’s view that these reports are of great significance. But attempts to communicate with these vessels have proved fruitless, as have efforts to discern their point of origin. We must learn more about these ships and whoever – or whatever – is piloting them.”