Galnet News

Continuing our popular series on significant episodes from human history, noted historian Sima Kalhana discusses the foundation of the Pilots Federation.
“The Pilots Federation was established in 2805 in response to a surge in private-starship ownership. It was created principally to allow pilots to share reliable trade-route information, and to provide them with a system of mutual protection against the rising scourge of interstellar piracy.”
“At the time, independent pilots were generally mistrusted, the itinerant nature of their profession giving rise to perceptions of irresponsibility. The Pilots Federation’s strict code of conduct put an end to this, and over time a galaxy-wide respect for its members emerged.”
“As piracy became more prevalent, the Pilots Federation started issuing bounties on known pirate vessels. Some of those outside the organisation condemned the initiative as bloodthirsty, but few were able to argue with the impact it had on piracy. Shortly thereafter, the Pilots Federation introduced an official ranking system to reflect the number of combat victories achieved by each of its members. Pilots who accumulated the largest number of kills were awarded the title of Elite – a citation that became highly coveted among independent pilots.”
“The Pilots Federation derives the bulk of its wealth from the GalNet data network. Originally a system of ship, bounty and star-chart data, it evolved into an interstellar aggregator of market information and galactic news. By 3300, the Pilots Federation was not only the dominant provider of this information, it was also the main manufacturer of the hardware and software serving this data. Today, Pilots Federation systems are fitted as standard on virtually all independent starships.”
“In 3290 the Pilots Federation expanded its ranking system to encompass the fields of trade and exploration. In 3301 it expanded it again to include pilots who had distinguished themselves in the Close Quarters Combat championships.”
“The Pilots Federation has always remained politically neutral, avowing that it exists to support pilots rather than nationalities or political factions. The organisation is based in the Shinrarta Dezhra system, which can be accessed only by invitation. Receiving an invitation is typically dependent on achieving a high rank in the Pilots Federation. This stipulation has contributed to perceptions of the organisation as secretive – a perception compounded by the fact that the Pilots Federation has very little direct interaction with the public.”Update from Galnet News

At a recent charity event, former Federal president Jasmina Halsey made her first public appearance since she was discharged from a secure psychiatric facility on Mars two weeks ago. The woman seen at the event differed dramatically from the frail individual seen leaving the Clearwater Clinic. Some commented that she appeared even more confident than when she was in office.
After the event, reporters asked President Halsey what she has planned for the future.
“I know that many of you have been perplexed by my recent statements, but having reflected on my experiences, I have accepted that what I saw might not have been literally real. I do believe, however, that the message contained in those experiences is valid, and that I have a duty to share that message.”
“As a species we have learned nothing from our history. We plundered the Earth for its treasures, treating it with callous indifference, and now we stumble blindly into space in pursuit of wealth and glory. And all the while we are heedless of the damage we cause.”
“We remain a violent species, unable to cooperate, and we are therefore deprived of the prosperity that true peace would bring.”
Halsey further surprised reporters by stating that she had recently met with Alliance Prime Minster Edmund Mahon, and that she would soon be relocating to a system within Alliance space.Update from Galnet News

Three weeks ago, the Federation ignited controversy with its decision to establish a series of outposts in the Pleiades sector. The development triggered a decisive response from Empire-aligned pilots, who made repeated attempts to destabilise the campaign. Ultimately, the Federation was able to complete the operation, but the Federation’s opponents had made their feelings clear – the superpower’s military expansion would not proceed unopposed.
Now the Federation has announced plans to establish a new planetary outpost in the HIP 17225 system, which it claims will serve as “a trade and resource-processing hub”. Those familiar with HIP 17225 A 1 will be all too aware that the planet is home to a number of barnacle sites.
The Federation has placed an open order for tantalum, building fabricators and energy grid assemblies with which to construct the new base, and has authorised the Future of Segovan to reimburse pilots who deliver these materials to Obsidian Orbital in the Maia system.
The campaign begins on the 28th of July 3302 and will run for one week. If the Federation’s targets are 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 announced that its appeal for construction materials has reached a successful conclusion. Scores of independent pilots supported the campaign by delivering thallium, thermal cooling units and CMM composites to Marker Depot in the Carthage system. The organisation is now in a position to proceed with its campaign to construct three new Majestic-class Interdictors.Update from Galnet News

With the possibility of war between the Federation and the Empire looming, a number of intrepid explorers have banded together to establish a new way of life among the stars. Over 300 pilots from across inhabited space have signed up to take part in the largest convoy ever assembled, designated the August Exodus – A Jaunt to Jaques.
The first convoy, comprising 250 pilots, set off from the Ocshooit system on the 24th of July, and is expected to reach Jaques Station within two weeks. The second convoy is being assembled, and almost 60 pilots have signed up so far. It will depart on the 15th of August.
It is hoped that this monumental effort will not only return Jaques Station to full operational power, but also usher in the birth of a new colony in the Colonia Nebula, where Jaques is currently located.
Commander unrealization
Zandu Science Journal | Interstellar PressUpdate from Galnet News

Recent developments in Unknown Probe research have raised concerns among military strategists.
Today, Captain Alexis Corvus of Task Force Athena briefed the Imperial Senate on the implications of an offensively deployed Unknown Probe.
“The offensive potential of these Probes mustn’t be underestimated. A single fighter with a discovery scanner and a probe in its cargo hold could potentially disable dozens of spacecraft. A customized torpedo designed to similarly trigger its payload could be even more disruptive, allowing a hostile fleet to prey on the disabled vessels.”
“The zeal with which the Federation has been collecting resources like these probes leads me to believe they have already considered these use cases. Moreover, the stationing of no fewer than five Farragut-class Battlecruisers in Merope suggests this matter is of grave importance to them. If we mean to maintain the status quo, we must act prudently.”
Commander CorrigendumUpdate from Galnet News

Jaques, the owner and operator of Jaques Station, has issued an appeal for commodities to repair his beleaguered starport.
The station has been in poor shape ever since Jaques made an unsuccessful attempt to travel to Beagle Point. Since then, a number of independent pilots have voluntarily delivered meta-alloys to the station, resulting in the reopening of the starport’s commodities market. But to restore the starport to full functionality, a full-scale campaign is needed. In a statement, Jaques said:
“We’re very grateful to all the pilots who brought us meta-alloys over the past few weeks. But to get the station back online, we’re also going to need power generators, tantalum, structural regulators and energy grid assemblies. So we’re asking all pilots to deliver whatever they can.”
Jaques has promised to reward pilots who deliver the requested materials to Jaques Station in the Eol Prou RS-T d3-94 system. The campaign begins on the 21st of July 3302 and will run for four weeks. If Jaques’s targets are met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.Update from Galnet News

A spokesperson for Bava Blue Travel Systems has announced that hundreds of independent pilots responded to the recent Imperial appeal for exploration data, delivering large quantities of astronomical information to Bauschinger City in the Bava system. The appeal was part of an Imperial campaign to locate further barnacles, the only known source of meta-alloys.
In a brief statement, the spokesperson thanked the many Commanders who supported the campaign:
“We are immensely grateful to all the intrepid explorers who contributed to this initiative. Your data will now be analysed to see if it can reveal the location of further barnacle sites. Of course, this process is not an exact science, so it may take some time. We will keep the galactic community abreast of our progress.”Update from Galnet News

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