Black-Bart

The third and final heat of the Rise to Power campaign is over.
For this stage of the competition, pilots were asked to recover salvaged precious gems and deliver them to Laura Elizabeth in the Meropis system. Matters were complicated by the fact that the event organisers refused to reveal the precise whereabouts of the salvage site, giving just a single clue to its location.
Once the location was found, a desperate race began as pilots urgently ferried the gems to the Laura Elizabeth starport in support of their chosen faction. Ultimately, it was the EG Pilots who received the most salvaged precious gems and claimed victory. But the celebrations were short-lived, as the EG Pilots waited tensely for the announcement of the overall victor.
Now that the results of each heat have been reviewed, the event organisers have announced that the winner of the Rise to Power campaign is…the EG Pilots.
Trinity Avon, reporting for The Sovereign, commented on what has proved to be an exciting competition:
“The EG Pilots have shown that they has the necessary strength and influence to be recognised as a power in their own right. I for one look forward to seeing what the future holds.”Update from Galnet News

Since contact with Jaques Station was re-established, a substantial effort from independent pilots to deliver meta-alloys to the stricken starport has returned it to partial functionality.
With the commodities market now open, Jaques has issued an appeal for the components needed to restore his station to full operational status. The Galactic Cooperative of Worlds has pledged to ensure the success of the initiative, having secured a logistical supply chain and established an operational beachhead in the surrounding sectors.
Jahena Yar Savor, GalCop’s Chief Executive Officer, said that the Cooperative would “establish a localised resource base in the systems surrounding Jaques in order to offset the financial burden of securing these resources. Many of our pilots and member organisations acquired substantial wealth during the Dangerous Games, and we thought it would only be fair to use these assets to aid a friend.”
‘Disc’ Commander Felix Dyson – Radio SkvortsovUpdate from Galnet News

Following the release of former Federal president Jasmina Halsey from the Clearwater Clinic, commentators from around the galaxy are asking the same question: What’s next for Halsey?
According to political analyst Emilio Blythe: “If Halsey were to return to politics, it could spell trouble for Shadow President Felicia Winters. Winters’s leadership of the Liberal Party has been questioned over the last few months, and Halsey could conceivably retake control of the party.”
Meanwhile, members of the religious cult known as The Hands of the Architects are holding onto the hope that Halsey will take on the mantle of prophet, and lead them to ‘communion with the Architects’.
Attempts to contact the former president have been rebuffed by her staff.
JaiotuUpdate from Galnet News

With the Federal-Imperial relationship currently on unsteady ground, political commentators have been reviewing recent events and offering their analyses of the current situation.
Most agree that the turning point came in March, when the Federation began construction of a new Farragut-class Battlecruiser in the Beta Hydri system. The Empire made no response to the development at first, but an anonymous Imperial source was quoted as saying: “If the Federation embarked on a campaign of military fortification, it’s likely the Empire would respond in kind.” A short time later, the Empire started work on a new Majestic-class Interdictor.
Conflict erupted in June, when Imperial forces attempted to take possession of the Federation-controlled Daramo system. The Federation was able to rebuff the offensive in just three days, however, prompting one high-ranking Federal officer to comment: “Hopefully this episode will remind our enemies that they cannot simply take whatever they want.”
A few weeks later, the Federation deployed a number of Farragut-class Battlecruisers to the Merope system. The ships took up position near the non-human structures commonly known as barnacles, prompting outrage from various sections of the galactic community. The Federation insisted its intention was to protect the sites, but the Empire remained unconvinced, accusing the Federation of trying to take possession of the barnacles. Shortly thereafter, the Empire announced that it too would despatch a deputation to Merope.
Commentators generally agree that the meta-alloys have now become a focus for Federal-Imperial antagonism. While it has been confirmed that the meta-alloys can counter the harmful effects of the Unknown Artefacts, no other applications for the material have been found. But speculation abounds that there may be as-yet undiscovered uses for the remarkable substance. The fact that the Federation has announced plans to construct a number of outposts in the Pleiades sector – one of the primary locations of meta-alloys – is further evidence that it has a keen interest in the material.
As tensions between the two superpowers increase, only one thing can be stated with certainty: in the competition for control of the meta-alloys, the Federation has taken the lead.Update from Galnet News

The Buckyball Racing Club was formed, one year ago, to provide a schedule of races involving a wide variety of pilots. In its first year the club hosted a total of 28 races, and to celebrate it is hosting one of its craziest yet: the BuckyBubble!
Commemorating the club’s most famous race, the A* Challenge, the BuckyBubble starts at Lomas Station in the Wolf 359 system. Racers will navigate a route that passes through 60 systems loosely resembling the shape of a buckyball molecule.
Pilots are invited to join the chaos from the 23rd of July to the 7th of August.
Commander SenehUpdate from Galnet News

Authorities in the Carthage system have reported a sharp increase in the number of criminals operating in the area. To ensure these agitators do not disrupt the Lavigny’s Legion campaign, a kill order has been placed on all wanted ships operating in the system. Lavigny’s Legion has promised to reward pilots who deliver bounty vouchers to Marker Depot.
The campaign begins on the 21st of July 3302 and will run for one week. If the final target is met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.Update from Galnet News

Lavigny’s Legion, an Imperial organisation based in the Carthage system, has launched a campaign to add three new Majestic-class Interdictors to the Imperial fleet.
At a press conference, Lucius Lavigny confirmed that the Emperor had personally authorised the campaign. According to Lavigny, the initiative is a direct response to the Federation’s “ongoing military build-up”. The admiral closed the conference with the words: “We must continue to strengthen our fleet and reinforce our garrisons.”
Lavigny’s Legion has placed an open order for thallium, thermal cooling units and CMM composites for use in the construction, and has promised to reward pilots who deliver the requested material to Marker Depot in the Carthage system. The campaign begins on the 21st of July 3302 and will run for one week. If the Empire’s targets are met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.Update from Galnet News

The recent meta-alloy rush has left many of the barnacles in the Pleiades Nebula barren.
As many scramble to meet the high demand for the material, it seems the Federation lacks the resources to provide adequate defence.
Federal vessels have reportedly transported huge quantities of meta-alloys from the Merope system, suggesting that it may be partly responsible for the drought.
One independent researcher said:
“As far as we know, a barnacle will ‘regenerate’ after one week, although we don’t know if this is always the case.”
“Research indicates that harvesting only ‘ripe’ spikes will keep the barnacle healthy. A simple scan and visual check will confirm spike maturity.”
“Further testing will be needed to determine the specifics, but with the crisis facing civilised space, conducting controlled experiments on barnacles has become next to impossible.”
“The way things are going, we risk losing these magnificent entities for good.”
Commander BluWolveUpdate from Galnet News

The Canonn Interstellar Research Group has announced that one of its scientists has made a discovery regarding the so-called Unknown Probes.
According to a statement, a pilot by the name of Commander Rizal72 has confirmed that when the mysterious objects are examined with an advanced discovery scanner, they emit an electro-magnetic pulse that temporarily incapacitates the scanning ship. The pulse is followed by a brief burst of sound, similar in nature to the ‘chittering’ produced by the Unknown Artefacts.
Following this announcement, Commander Rizal72’s colleagues at the Canonn Interstellar Research Group began subjecting recordings of the sound to various tests. They soon discovered that the sound contained an encrypted image, which some have interpreted as a depiction of interstellar bodies.
The meaning of the image, and the origin and purpose of the Probes, remains unclear. Clearly, there remains much to discover.Update from Galnet News

As the Federation and Empire attempt to lay claim to the organic structures known as barnacles, the demand for meta-alloys has skyrocketed. Many starports have begun placing orders for the material as a hedge against potential malfunctions.
Vernon Trask, lead engineer at Bauschinger City, said: “Some stations have been defunct for nearly a year because of those corrosive Artefacts. We can’t afford to be out of commission that long.”
“Quite a few stations in the Empire have open orders for meta-alloys, including Bauschinger. We’re hoping to get ahead of this techno-plague before it bites us.”
This ‘meta-alloy rush’ has alarmed conservationists and researchers concerned about the future of the barnacles.
“We know so little about the barnacles,” said Dr Elana Lorax, a noted xenobiologist. “We don’t know how they grow, how long they live or how they create meta-alloys. If the exploitation continues at this rate, we may never know.”
Commander CorrigendumUpdate from Galnet News