Black-Bart

Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has released a statement in response to the discovery of non-human structures in the Pleiades Nebula:
“This is a momentous day – alien structures have been confirmed on at least two planets in the Pleiades Nebula! I must congratulate Commander Octo, who made the initial discovery on Merope 5c, and thank Commander Snax, who contacted me. Within minutes, Canonn scientists and other commanders were at the site.”
“We now know of multiple barnacles on Merope 5c, and the corrupted message recently received in Maia has led us to many more on Pleiades Sector JC-U B3-2.”
“I can confirm that these structures produce meta-alloys, emit a sound similar to that made by the Unknown Artefacts, and bear mysterious markings that we have yet to identify. Some commanders have reported malfunctions near the structures, which might explain the crashed ships found near many of the barnacles.”
Commander Lord ZoltanUpdate from Galnet News

Recent reports from Obsidian Orbital, one of the starports affected by the mysterious malfunctions sweeping the galaxy, indicate that the situation at the starport has worsened. According to the station’s technical team, the starport is only a hair’s breadth from having to suspend services:
“Despite our best efforts, things are only getting worse. We’re experiencing all kinds of malfunctions, and if the situation doesn’t improve soon we’ll have to start shutting down station services.”
We will continue to bring you up-to-the-minute reports on this issue.Update from Galnet News

A fragmentary signal has been received by the flight operations team at Obsidian Orbital in the Maia system. The source of the signal has not been identified, but the strength of signal indicates it originated from a star system approximately 23 light years from Maia. Unfortunately, interference from a local black hole has made it impossible to determine a vector for the transmission.
The signal, which lasted only a few seconds, had degraded so much that only a small string of numbers could be extracted. Some have speculated the numbers may be coordinates of some kind: b?n?r? ??a??t L??: 2?.?? ??n?: 9?.??
Pilots in the region are advised to keep on the lookout, and to offer assistance if needed.Update from Galnet News

A few months ago, the Sirius Corporation launched a search for the remains of the Antares, an innovative passenger liner that disappeared during its maiden voyage over fifty years ago. The search resulted in the accumulation of thousands of tonnes of space-borne debris, which was then subjected to rigorous analysis by the Sirius Corporation to determine its origin. The result of that analysis has now been announced: the remains of the Antares have been found. Li Yong-Rui, CEO of Sirius Gov, released a brief statement to the media:
“Words cannot adequately express how delighted I am with this outcome. I was always hopeful we would find the remains of the Antares, and I am very pleased to have my optimism validated. I would like to thank all those at the Sirius Corporation that have worked so tirelessly to analyse the recovered debris over the past few weeks.”
Li Yong-Rui went on to speculate about the implications of the discovery:
“The wreckage appears to confirm that the component failure described in the ship’s final status report did indeed result in the destruction of the Antares. My hope is that by subjecting the wreckage to further analysis, we will be able to determine exactly what caused the malfunction and apply this knowledge to the development of new safety protocols. With luck, we will be able to reintroduce the innovative drive technology used aboard the Antares. This discovery could serve as the catalyst for a whole new era of interplanetary travel.”Update from Galnet News

Utopian delegates returned today from the first symposium of the Pioneers Cooperative, a group dedicated to supporting expansion into uninhabited space. Also attending were representatives from Loren’s Legion, Communism Interstellar, the Black Birds Squadron, Aisling’s Angels, the Canonn, the Independent Pilots Consortium, Emperor’s Grace, the Mercs of Mikunn, United German Commanders, EXO, the First Great Expedition, the Code, Adle’s Armada, the Guardians of Harmony, CHIMERA, the Distant Worlds Admins and the Hutton Orbital Truckers.
“To live is to grow, and mankind must push ever outwards”, said one attending Utopian explorer. “Humanity has come here today, unified, under a banner of progress, and Utopia is proud to add its support to this noble venture. Our commune in Takurua demonstrated that expansion beyond the core systems is possible, and the success of Obsidian Orbital in Maia shows that mankind has a shared desire to expand the frontiers of human space and scientific understanding.”
Commander Gan
Utopia News Network | Interstellar PressUpdate from Galnet News

The Imperial capital system of Achenar has recently attracted the attention of thrill-seeking Commanders of the Pilots Federation. Achenar’s third planet has become a proving ground where bragging rights are earned in what is known as the ‘Achenar Challenge’.
Proctor Ulrich von Braun, whose only concern until recently was the safety of Imperial Naval Academy students during high-g training, posted the following advisory:
“The force of gravity on the surface of Achenar 3 is approximately 6.7 times that of Earth. Any who wish to hazard this so-called ‘Achenar Challenge’ are advised that they do so at their own risk. Pilots accustomed to landing on planets in the 3-4 g range are much more likely to alight here safely. Underestimate Achenar 3 and you may never leave.”
Over 100 craft have crashed on Achenar 3 since mid December.
Commander CorrigendumUpdate from Galnet News

The first annual Galactic Base-Jumping Open will take place on Planet 1 in the Njokujinun system at lat -13 long -128. Emergency and first aid can be found at Nyberg Vision Station.
Base-jump champion Commander Burias will be on site to authorize jumps. The final will be a 7.5 km + category qualification event, and points will therefore count toward the start of next season. There will be awards for best crash, longest freefall and best galactic base jump.
The event will be overseen by Commander MeglaManiac will oversee proceedings.
Commander PeachSlicesVUpdate from Galnet News

Dr Arcanonn, head of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, has released a statement to the media:
“For the past four weeks we have been investigating a curious new commodity called ‘meta-alloys’. Many of my colleagues believe there is a link between this commodity and the unknown artefacts, as meta-alloys are linked to objects known colloquially as ‘large barnacles’, which have some artefact-like qualities.”
“We have also been conducting a deep planetary survey of Merope, since the UAs point there, looking for anything out of the ordinary. So far, nothing has been found, but I’m now certain that there is a secret to uncover somewhere in the Pleiades, if not in Merope itself.”
“My assistant, Socha Korbemile, insists that we will find large barnacles in the Pleiades, and I am convinced this is worth investigating. So I urge all commanders with planetary landing suites to scour the planets of the Pleiades for these large barnacles. They must be studied!”
Commander Lord ZoltanUpdate from Galnet News

Having received a deluge of deliveries, Independent Cherets Labour has announced that its recent appeal for Anduliga Fireworks has been successful. Central to the success of the appeal were the scores of independent combat pilots who kept the spaceways of Cherets clear, and ensured those delivering fireworks to Bucky Hub could do so safely. A spokesperson for Independent Cherets Labour expressed satisfaction at the outcome:
“It’s always heartening to see the galactic community come together, especially when it’s in the service of a really big party. We’d like to extend our gratitude to all those who delivered fireworks to us here at Bucky Hub, and who took care of the agitators clogging up the spaceways. Thanks to you, 3302 is going to start with a really big bang!”Update from Galnet News

Recent news that Obsidian Orbital had joined the list of malfunctioning starports caused dismay among the galactic community, as the public had played a significant role in the station’s construction, but it seems that personnel at the starport are determined to keep it running. A member of the station’s technical team released a brief statement to the media:
“The problems at the station have worsened over the past few weeks, but we’re determined that Obsidian Orbital won’t close. We’re working around the clock, and burning through resources, but so far we haven’t had to suspend any services.”
Despite this achievement, station personnel stressed they had not found a solution to the technological ‘plague’ blighting the galaxy, which continues to affect starports throughout inhabited space.Update from Galnet News