Black-Bart

Imperial Senator Denton Patreus has confirmed that the Emperor’s Dawn ‘shadow’ cells discovered two weeks ago in the Dakshmandi, Ipilyaqa and Ch’i Lin systems have been destroyed. Thousands of independent pilots responded to the senator’s call to arms, resulting in the total destruction of what are thought to be the last remaining Emperor’s Dawn outposts. Following the victory, Senator Patreus released a statement to the media:
“The galactic community has once again shown that it will not let itself be cowed by extremists. To all those who contributed to this campaign, I wish to offer my sincerest gratitude. I know that in the past I have been guilty of prematurely dismissing Emperor’s Dawn, but on this occasion I think we can safely say that this insurgent organisation, which has tried so hard to undermine our way of life, is no more.”
The battle was viewed rather differently outside the Empire, however, with one commentator stating:
“The Imperial propaganda machine would have you believe the Empire won by a landslide, but the truth is they had to work hard for victory.”Update from Galnet News

The LHS 2936 Alliance Combine, a manufacturing concern based in the LHS 2936 system, has issued a galaxy-wide request for osmium. According to a company spokesperson, the rare metal will be used to create specialist alloys with which to improve the organisation’s manufacturing facilities. The organisation has promised to reward contributors with discounts at the Fraser Orbital shipyard in addition to liberal financial reimbursements.
The company’s spokesperson gave a statement to the media:
“It is no secret that our share price dipped recently, but we are confident that with the requisite materials we will be able to regain our competitive edge. That’s why we’re offering generous incentives to pilots who deliver osmium to our base of operations at Fraser Orbital.”
The campaign begins today and is expected to run for one week.Update from Galnet News

Over the past week, hundreds of pilots have been searching for signs of Starship One, the Federal presidential vessel that disappeared in May 3301. Two factions had a stake in the search – the Azaleach Partnership, which was acting on behalf of Federal President Zachary Hudson, and the Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, an organisation about which very little is known.
Today, the Federation announced it had received a sizeable quantity of debris. In a statement, President Hudson expressed his satisfaction at the outcome:
“I would like to thank the galactic community for its enthusiastic participation in the search for Starship One. Thousands of tonnes of debris have been delivered to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital, which we will now subject to comprehensive spectral analysis. As for Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, I do not know what interest it has in Starship One, but I would remind them that the Federation takes a dim view of those who meddle in its affairs.”
Although Daurtu Jet Comms PLC offered larger rewards for wreckage than the Federation, it is understood to have received only a modest amount of space-borne debris. Given the failure of the organisation’s appeal, we may never know why Daurtu Jet Comms PLC was looking for the lost presidential ship.Update from Galnet News

A little over two weeks ago, the Facece system was occupied by an independent faction known as the Allied Facece Order. The news sent shockwaves through the Empire, with many asking how such a small organisation could take control of the second most important system in Imperial space. The consternation felt by Imperial citizens was compounded by the Empire’s apparent lack of urgency regarding the issue, with many directing their frustration at Chancellor Anders Blaine, who was until recently the system’s primary administrator.
Colm Tornquist of the Imperial Herald seemed to encapsulate the views of many when he asked: “What is Chancellor Blaine waiting for? Every day that passes is another day in which the people of Facece labour under the dictatorial rule of the Allied Facece Order. Action must be taken!” Almost as soon as this complaint was aired, Clearly Chancellor Blaine announced plans to retake the Facece system:
“I apologise for what some have perceived as a lack of alacrity. I know the Imperial people are eager to see these opportunists removed from Imperial space, but it was essential that we plan our operation carefully to minimise the danger to the people of Facece. Now the planning is over, and order will soon be restored. I implore the people of Facece to remain calm. And to the Allied Facece Order I say this: your days are numbered.”Update from Galnet News

Two weeks ago, the Imperial Internal Security Service discovered ‘shadow’ cells belonging to the insurgent organisation Emperor’s Dawn in the Dakshmandi, Ipilyaqa and Ch’i Lin systems. Military fleets were swiftly despatched to the pertinent systems to destroy the last remaining vestiges of Emperor’s Dawn. But recent reports indicate that the campaign may not be going quite as well as the Empire hoped. An Imperial pilot stationed in Dakshmandi spoke briefly with a correspondent from the Imperial Herald:
“The insurgents may be resilient, but their days are numbered. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It might take a little longer than planned, but Emperor’s Dawn is going down, I can promise you that.”
The Empire is understood to have sent reinforcements to the Dakshmandi, Ipilyaqa and Ch’i Lin systems to support its forces.Update from Galnet News

Speculation is rife at Obsidian Orbital this morning following a close-quarters encounter with an unidentified Diamondback Explorer. According to Chloe Anders, a member of the surveillance team at Christian Dock, the mysterious vessel came within 10 kilometres of the station while performing what was described as a “high-speed pass”:
“I saw it approach and assumed it was about to submit a docking request, but instead it just started circling the station. It had an unusual designation – “S6: 7″ – so I tried hailing it, but there was no response. Then our sensors lit up. I couldn’t believe it – the damned thing was scanning the station! I told the weapons team to stand by, but the next thing I knew, it was gone.”
Asked for her opinion of the vessel’s purpose, Anders said: “I know it sounds crazy, but when I saw it circling the station like that, the only thing I could think was that it was looking for something.”Update from Galnet News

In May 3301, the personal vessel of the Federal president, Starship One, disappeared en route to the Azaleach system. An investigation was promptly launched, but the fate of the vessel and her crew, which included then-president Jasmina Halsey, could not be conclusively determined. In a statement released earlier today, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced his intention to resume the search for the ship, inspired by the discovery of the remains of the liner Antares:
“Like many others, I was heartened by the Sirius Corporation’s success, and I found myself thinking that if the remains of a ship lost fifty years ago could be found, surely a ship lost less than a year ago could also be recovered. I am therefore offering generous reimbursements to pilots who deliver wreckage components to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital in the Azaleach system. Once we have gathered enough material, we will analyse the debris to determine if any of it is from Starship One. If we are able to find the remains of the ship, we may be able to determine what happened to President Halsey and the rest of the ship’s crew.”
But it appears that President Hudson is not the only person eager to find Starship One. In a strange turn of events, an organisation by the name of Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the missing presidential vessel. Virtually nothing is known about Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, but the fact that it is offering even larger rewards than the Federation may convince pilots to lend the organisation their support.Update from Galnet News

Anti-meta-alloy protests have spilled into violence during the final day of Professor Ishmael Palin’s request. Groups of protestors blockaded the entrance to Obsidian Orbital, and as talks between station personnel and the protestors broke down, tempers flared. One of those gathering meta-alloys for Professor Palin offered this first-hand account:
“I received a message from one of my wing-mates that things weren’t looking good at Obsidian, but I had a full hold, so I had to go. As I dropped into Maia I saw that my ship’s computer had put me about eight kilometres from the starport. Then I saw the Cutter coming at me with hardpoints deploying, and the next thing I knew I was taking fire!”
“My Asp isn’t the best when it comes to a head-on fight, but I knew if I could get through the mail slot I would be fine. I boosted like hell and just managed to make it through. I lost my shields and about 50% of my hull, but I managed.”
For the time being, it’s a dangerous game in Maia.
Commander Manfred WinfredUpdate from Galnet News

A number of pilots have reported cryptic finding messages in starports’ news feeds. The origin of the messages is not clear, but they share certain characteristics, including references to apparent criminal activity, and in some cases coordinates. Often the messages are partially corrupted, suggesting they were originally hidden in the news feeds in an encoded form. Precisely why the messages have started surfacing in the public news channel is unclear.
Are these messages genuine criminal communiqués, or merely a creative hoax? We leave you to decide.Update from Galnet News

Professor Ishmael Palin has announced that his request for meta-alloys has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to his research base at Obsidian Orbital. In a statement, the Professor expressed his satisfaction at the response, and also shared news of a dramatic breakthrough in his research into the Unknown Artefacts:
“For much of the past week I have been investigating the ongoing technical issues at Obsidian Orbital, and I can now confirm what many of us have long suspected: the Unknown Artefacts are most definitely the cause.”
“Apparently the objects have the ability to repair themselves – to re-grow, even – by extracting the necessary non-organic materials from their immediate environment. It really is quite remarkable. That’s why they harm ships and other machinery – if they are damaged when they’re scooped up, they use the metals in a ship’s hull, or a starport’s superstructure, to repair themselves. Even minor damage will trigger the self-repair mechanism.”
“What is still not clear is if the meta-alloys can be used to counter this harmful process. That is what my team and I will be investigating over the coming weeks, using the research sample provided by the galactic community. As soon as we have something concrete to share with the public, we will do so.”
This remarkable announcement represents a significant development in UA research, but it leaves the wider questions of the objects’ origin and purpose unanswered.Update from Galnet News