Black-Bart

Authorities in the Aeternitas system have reported a sharp increase in the number of criminals operating in the area. Reports indicate that the agitators are attacking pilots travelling in the system, disrupting trade and generally causing discord.
To counter this threat, Aeternitas Industries has placed a kill order on all wanted ships operating in the Aeternitas system, and has promised to reward pilots who deliver bounty vouchers to Houtman City.
The campaign begins on the 8th of December 3302 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

In response to the Kick the Alien (and Run like Hell) race, which began on the 22nd of November, huge numbers of protesters have started attending Buckyball Racing Club events throughout the galaxy. Identifying themselves as members of a religious order called the Apocolyptican Faith, the protesters claim the crash site is sacred to their faith and should be protected by law. A spokesperson for the organisation said it would continue to protest at Buckyball events until the club issued a formal apology.
Primus Timothy Dalen, a representative of the organisation, said:
“We are very disappointed with Buckyball Racing Club for treating the cultural and religious practices of others so lightly. We are working towards having these sites protected by local and territorial law, and hope to have something in place by the end of the year.”
Commander Vandal Stormovik

As the Kick the Alien (and Run like Hell) race reaches its midpoint, the top of the leaderboard is dominated by members of the Candy Crew Guild. Commander Nookie Mr.Smith took the number one spot on Thursday with a truly incredible 6 minute 43 second run, while Commanders Raijiin and Rewision are sitting comfortably in second and third place respectively.
Twenty-three competitors have so far hurled their SRVs to the shipwreck and back, while at least five more are scheduled to take part.
But although hundreds of SRVs have raced over the wreckage, it continues to show no signs of life. A Buckyball spokesman said, “Either it’s dead or it’s not a racing fan.”
The race continues throughout next week.

As the end of the galactic year draws near and people throughout the galaxy start preparing for their end-of-year celebrations, the People’s Tutumu Confederacy has announced a special seasonal event.
A spokesperson for the organisation released a brief statement.
“We have placed an open order for gold, pyrophyllite, and mineral oil, and in keeping with the spirit of the season we are offering generous premiums for these items. Additionally, every pilot who brings us these goods will be automatically entered into a prize draw, giving them the opportunity to win a range of fantastic prizes.”
“The more you contribute, the better your chance of winning!”
The campaign will run from the 1st to the 16th of December 3302. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

A small group of EM-transmission technology enthusiasts in the Tionisla system claims to have partially decoded the encrypted message transmitted from the Tionisla Orbital Graveyard by an antique Cobra Mk III a few months ago.
A spokesperson for the group, which calls itself The Hamsters, said:
“So exciting! It was an EM frequency using phase modulation. Really quite clever. It contains a string of numbers, but we don’t know what they mean, so we’ve decided to share it with the galactic community in the hope that someone might be able to decode it. The sequence is: 01 07 10 * 20 22 25 * 01 05 23 03 23 * 10 27 – 23 * 02 03 01 – 02 * 03 04 * 01 * 43 33 31 23 * 07 21 25 27.”
Unfortunately The Hamsters’ broadcast abruptly stopped at this point, and only static has been received since. When asked about the sudden silence, authorities in Tionisla made the following statement:
“We had no choice but to take them offline as they hadn’t renewed their broadcasting licence. We will restore their broadcasting privileges once the appropriate charges have been paid.”

A few days ago, the research centre at Felice Dock in the Meene system was severely damaged in what has been described as ‘an act of vandalism’. Authorities at the starport have confirmed that the attack left many of the facilities irreparably damaged.
Readers will no doubt recall that Ram Tah’s research project into the ruins of the Synuefe XR-H d11-102 system is based at Felice Dock.
When asked about the delay in investigating the crime, system security forces said it was considered ‘low priority’, and that it was “probably the work of opportunists.”
Ram Tah released the following statement:
“This is clearly an attempt to undermine my research into the Synuefe ruins. Since my investigations began, a number of agencies have made clear their desire to capitalise on the site for personal, political or military gain. The knowledge contained in the ruins does not belong to one individual or organisation – it belongs to everyone.”
“My research programme has relocated to Phoenix Base. Strict security protocols have been instated, and anyone approaching without invitation will be fired upon.”
Since this statement was made, the research facility at Phoenix Base has been operating in total radio silence.

A spokesperson for Tchernobog Free has announced that its appeal for consumer goods has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a huge quantity of deliveries to Vancouver Ring, the organisation’s base of operations.
The support of the galactic community allowed Tchernobog Free to keep up with the incredibly high demand ushered in by last Friday’s competitive one-day deals.
In a statement, the spokesperson said:
“I’d all but given up. I just couldn’t see how we’d get the goods in time. But then a ship docked at Vancouver Ring, groaning under the weight of its cargo. And then another, and another.”
“To the pilots who came to our aid, I just want to say – you saved my life!”
Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Vancouver Ring in the Tchernobog system.

A spokesperson for The Children of Raxxla has announced that its appeal for exploration data has received the enthusiastic support of the galactic community, which delivered large quantities of astronomical data to Sereborv Terminal over the past two weeks. A competing initiative from the Federation proved less popular with the galactic community.
In a brief statement, the spokesperson thanked those who had contributed to the initiative, and continued to say:
“We know there are secrets buried in this data. We only hope we can unlock them in time.”
Pilots who contributed to the initiative are now free to collect their rewards from Sereborv Terminal in the HR 6421 system.

Ever since Jaques Station arrived in Eol Prou RS-T d3-94 in June, thousands of galactic citizens have migrated to the system in search of a new way of life. The migration movement has resulted in a number of new outposts in the region, as well as a chain of stations connecting the burgeoning community with the core systems.
With the colony now firmly established in Eol Prou RS-T d3-94 – recently renamed Colonia – the system’s governing body, the Colonia Council, has announced plans to colonise the surrounding systems.
In keeping with the spirit of egalitarianism that has characterised the colonisation movement, the Council has announced plans to run a series of appeals that will determine which organisations will occupy the systems surrounding Colonia.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the organisation said:
“With the help of the galactic community, we have been able to establish a secure presence in the Colonia system. Now it’s time to open up the rest of the sector for colonisation.”
“It is very important that those coming to the Colonia Nebula be committed to the area’s ongoing development. That’s why we’re asking organisations that want to join the Colonia community to demonstrate their dedication by contributing to a resource drive.”
“At the start of each month, we will announce which systems have been targeted for colonisation. To earn a migration visa, pilots must deliver a specific commodity to Jaques Station on behalf of their chosen organisation. The nature of the commodity will be specified at the start of the month. Naturally, pilots will be reimbursed for their efforts.”
“At the end of the month, the ten factions that have made the largest contribution will earn the right to settle in one of the specified systems. A new planetary outpost will be constructed in the system for the organisation’s sole use.”
“We should point out that organisations settling in the Colonia Nebula will be considered independent entities, separate from their parent faction.”
“Furthermore, the successful organisations will be responsible for working with other like-minded organisations to make the Colonia Nebula a beacon of civilisation.”
The first campaign begins on the 1st of December 3302 and will run for four weeks. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.

A prisoner convoy has been interdicted and destroyed in the Daibo system while en route to Koontz Asylum. Wreckage found in Daibo has been positively identified as belonging to the Imperial Cutter ‘Diadem’ and the Imperial Clippers ‘Cypripedium’, ‘Velum’, ‘Monile’ and ‘Vestimenta’.
“Completely wiped out,” said one pilot, who was one of the first to respond to the distress call. “By the time I arrived there was nothing but floating debris. We even found wreckage from escape pods. Someone wanted to make sure there were absolutely no survivors. Even the black boxes were blasted.”
It has been confirmed that the convoy was carrying various political dissidents, convicted murderers and terrorists. Among them was the infamous Kahina Loren, recently found guilty of the attempted assassination of Admiral Denton Patreus.
“Maybe someone wanted to give her a merciful death,” said the chief editor of The Imperial Citizen. “Better that than what awaited her at Koontz Asylum, for sure.”
Plans to hold a memorial service for Loren in the Prism system have already generated angry responses. Princess Aisling Duval was quoted as saying, “A service for her? She was a murderer and a convicted felon! Her name should be struck from the record and never spoken again.”Update from Galnet News