Battlecruiser Yellowstone

From Discovery Wiki
Battlecruiser Yellowstone
Owner
Liberty Navy
Location
E/F-4, California

CLASS: Interdictor

CREW: <TRA color="red" bold="true"/>CLASSIFIED

ARMAMENT: <TRA color="red" bold="true"/>CLASSIFIED

Starting service as an escort of the venerable Missouri, the Yellowstone has undergone many patrols in the New York system against pirates and successfully completed several tours of duty in the Texas system during the first months of the Rheinland Civil War.

In 828 AS, after Outcasts significantly increased their presence in the Taus and Coronado, the Crayter Republic appealed to Liberty for support – to which the latter complied in earnest. Thus, officially, Yellowstone patrolled Coronado in close cooperation with Crayter's own forces, acting as a firm barrier against any smugglers attempting to reach for the populated regions.

In 834 AS. however, the Battlecruiser's purpose has run its course so far away from the homeland, and Liberty recalled the battlecruiser to deal with the smuggling threat from inside her borders. Yellowstone currently resides in orbit of planet Mojave, serving as a staging ground for disrupting unlawful activities in the area.

Beginning service for the Liberty Navy, the Yellowstone has since been modified to also carry a significant amount of radar equipment that Liberty utilizes for monitoring the regions frequented by this vessel. In its first deployment in the Texas system, the Yellowstone collected valuable information about the clashes between the Imperialist and Federalist forces, turning into another one of Liberty's important watch ships.

With the signing of an ample cooperation agreement with the Crayter Republic several years prior, the Yellowstone had taken up post in the Coronado system, ensuring both that no unwanted presence solidifies its presence in the system, and that the young Republic closely follows Liberty's interests.

Following the crush of Insurgent forces, and Crayter remaining a faithful cooperator of Liberty, the Yellowstone returned back to Liberty. Placed at the Mojave lane junction, it serves a dual purpose of reinforcing ships going towards Ontario following the recent Liberty push to get a foothold in the system, as well as disrupting smuggling routes and unlawful activities as a whole.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Robotics 10$
Ablative Armor Plating 98$
Gin 42$
Medical Equipment 37$
Detroit Light Arms 37$
Outcast Pilot 82$
Pirate Pilot 27$
Liberty Rogue Pilot 62$
Xeno Pilot 60$
Lane Hacker Pilot 61$
Militant Pilot 66$
Military Surplus 652$
Oxygen 3$
Water 3$
Food Rations 24$
Kyushu Rice 43$
MOX 30$
Basic Alloy 16$
Construction Machinery 19$
Pharmaceuticals 24$
Hull Panels 36$
Optronics 114$
Consumer Goods 25$
Engine Components 98$
Daumann Side Arms 98$
Gallic Enfer Blasters 131$
Hangar Provisions 252$
APM Advanced Hardware 151$
Synth Paste 7$
Marines 522$
Munitions 19$
Xenobiotic Filters 34$
HazMat Canisters 115$
Passenger Cabin (Liberty) 12,822$
Iron 16$
Xeno Relics 216$
H-Fuel 110$
Exports
Commodity Price
Crew 203$
Criminal Cells (Liberty) 9,704$
Toxic Waste 17$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Patriot Light Fighter 18,282$
Avenger Very Heavy Fighter 24,579$
Executioner Heavy Fighter 18,058$
Defender Very Heavy Fighter 23,629$
Havoc Mk II Bomber 71,612$
Upholder Bomber 87,312$


News

[835 AS] Interspace voids Coronado Trade Lane policy

SCOTSDALE REFINERY -- 835 -- Ageira Technologies and Deep Space Engineering have threatened to sue Interspace Commerce over an insurance dispute. Interspace provided a loss prevention policy for Coronado’s Trade Lane construction project, however the financial giant says the policy is now void. Describing the Jericho Pulse as an “act of god”, Interspace exercised force majeure clauses to deny compensation claims. Local transports caught in the blast are similarly out of pocket. Liberty itself has yet to comment on the situation, however the prospect of starting over with massively increased risk premiums has thrown the project’s future into question.

[835 AS] Coronado disaster sparks panic

YUMA -- 835 -- Public data feeds have lit up with distress calls from Coronado, after a system-wide EMP pulse wreaked havoc. Emergency requests for aid have been issued by the Crayter Republic and IMG, with early reports indicating that the system’s Trade Lane project has been destroyed. Ageira has confirmed that the Jump Gate remains unaffected thanks to post-Blackout safeguards, allowing relief to be delivered from Bretonia and Liberty. Panic erupted on many Liberty worlds after footage was released showing an energy field around the moon Jericho, seeming to indicate another activated alien site. President Hawthorne has called for calm, and reiterated that security forces were moving to contain the situation.

[835 AS] Senator avoids assassination attempt

PLANET DENVER -- 835 -- The 14 year old daughter of Senator James Woodson has been killed in a “monstrous” bomb attack on her Denver home. Senator Woodson was attending Congress on Manhattan at the time, issuing a speech calling for harsher economic sanctions against Kusari. LPI leaks have blamed The Order for the attack, however force insiders claim many believe the murder may have been a botched Kusari assassination attempt against hostile politicians. Senator Woodson has withdrawn from public service to grieve, with knowledgeable sources claiming the devastating loss has led to a traumatic amnestic episode.

[835 AS] Congressional support for Navy hardens

PLANET MANHATTAN -- 835 -- In the wake of congressional hearings into the LSF’s bungled Ontario operation, a growing group of representatives are calling for budget cuts to the agency in favor of boosting the Navy’s capabilities. While interservice jockeying in Congress is not uncommon, the LSF’s Ontario scandal -- combined panic over “Artifact sites” and rising concerns over the Kusari Empire -- are beginning to tip the scales in favor of more traditional military responses. While the impact on both services is unlikely to be felt until the next budget approval, the tarnished influence of LSF advocates is already increasingly apparent.

[835 AS] LSF Director dismissed after congressional grilling

PLANET MANHATTAN -- 835 -- Following a four-hour closed congressional hearing, Adam C. Maxwell has been officially dismissed by President Hawthorne as a Director of the Liberty Security Force. Congressmen cited a loss of confidence following the destruction of the DSE Construction Ship Robert S. Peary in Ontario, and the gross mismanagement of the Battlecruiser Lehigh’s deployment in the system. Sources familiar with the investigation have blamed the systematic withholding of intelligence from the Liberty Navy for the fiasco, resulting in a botched emergency response to terrorist attacks.

[835 AS] Leaks reveal Ontario alien technology

MANHATTAN -- 835 -- The neural net is abuzz with speculation and worry after sensor readings of an active alien facility in Ontario were widely distributed. The datafeed claims the source of an enormous beam of energy is an ancient alien ruin on Planet Sudbury. Inert alien ruins are often discovered in the remote Edge Worlds, enticing adventurers and scientific expeditions. According to professor Johan Miller of the Hammer Institute, the discovery of an active Daam-K’vosh site is “unprecedented”. In an attempt to reduce panic, government officials have confirmed that steps have been taken to secure Liberty’s borders, and reiterated that there is currently no threat to Liberty’s people.

[835 AS] Gallic threats raise Tau fears

SCALPAY OUTPOST -- 835 -- The Taus are once more on edge, after Gallia threatens the use of force to retrieve the Tau-23 to Tau-31 Jump Gate. Bretonia constructed the first Jump Gate in the system, which was later annexed during the Gallic War. Bretonia was gifted the current Gallic Jump Gate by Kusari during their invasion of Gallia, and has held it since -- with Gallia formally ceding its Tau claims through the Treaty of Rishiri. Bretonia has historically refused to discuss the Gate’s status until its own demands on the extradition of war criminals and payment of Gallic War reparations are met. The Bretonian government has warned that Gallic aggression or threats “will not be tolerated”.

[835 AS] Lend-Lease ships return to Liberty

CORDOVA -- 835 -- Liberty’s Hawthorne administration has ended the wartime Lend-Lease program with Bretonia. The initiative saw Liberty provide large loans and huge quantities of military materiel during the Gallic War, throwing the beleaguered House a vital lifeline. The sudden development sees most remaining Liberty capital ships in Bretonian service returned to their parent House with immediate effect. Anonymous Bretonian sources have expressed dismay with Liberty’s insistence on an expedited return, arguing it undermines domestic security at a critical moment of Armed Forces’ preparations for a major deployment.

[835 AS] Bretonia and Rheinland call for de-escalation

CURACAO -- The governments of Bretonia and Rheinland have called on Kusari and Liberty to attempt formal talks, amid fears that continued escalation and military friction could spark war. Queen Carina and Emperor Frederick have offered to mediate an emergency summit on Planet Curacao after Kusari and Liberty imposed mutual sanctions that are already having rippling effects across Sirius. Gallia’s Grand Marshall de Varax meanwhile has condemned Kusari as a “belligerent and destabilizing actor”, and called for Liberty’s demands to be met. Neither Kusari or Liberty has agreed to attend, with each demanding pre-conditions be met by the other. Gallia has not received an invite.

[835 AS] Interspace brokers Sigma export deal

LOS ANGELES -- 835 -- Synth Foods and Interspace Commerce have announced the opening of a new factory plant on Planet Los Angeles, after negotiating a major Agricultural Machinery export contract to Furyoku Station. Interspace is a major investor in the development of Sigma-59, and has placed the order to accelerate local economic development. The factory is expected to provide several thousand jobs, in addition to shipping roles within Synth Foods and Universal Shipping. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce has hailed the deal, calling it a “bright day for Liberty’s competitive edge”.

[835 AS] Liberty and Kusari trade sanctions

DESHIMA -- 835 -- Liberty’s President Hawthorne has announced sanctions targeting key Kusari high-tech industries, blocking their access to advanced Superconductors and funding. This came following a “security incident” in the Independent Worlds, and a failed Farmers Alliance attack on Deshima Station, which Liberty says is part of a state-endorsed campaign of terrorism against its citizens. Kusari has dismissed the claim as “lurid nonsense”, and responded by banning the export of Optronics to Liberty until its “economic coercion” is ended. Liberty has vowed to increase pressure until Kusari takes steps to eradicate the Farmers Alliance and root out their backers.

[835 AS] Alliance attack on Deshima thwarted

DESHIMA -- 835 -- The Bounty Hunters Guild have confirmed a major terrorist attack on Deshima Station has been thwarted. “Agents of the Farmer’s Alliance were apprehended while attempting to smuggle a large-yield dirty bomb aboard,” confirmed chief security officer Bill Parker. The attempt was foiled thanks to precautions put in place following the deadly Alliance attack on Roppongi Station in 832 AS. According to Parker, “this was the exact same playbook”. The detained crew and fissile material are believed to have been provided to the LSF; Kusari has lodged a furious complaint with Manhattan about the unauthorized interference in its own investigation.

[835 AS] Liberty court rules on Platinum dispute

MANHATTAN -- 835 -- Liberty’s Supreme Court has issued its verdict on the Galileo Platinum dispute between DSE, Samura and Kishiro. Ruling in DSE’s favor, the court has ordered the Kusari corporations to end all mining activities in Galileo, and pay compensation to DSE for losses. Kusari’s courts have objected to the ruling, calling it an “unprecedented breach of protocol” due to the Liberty court’s failure to consult and reach a mutual finding on issues of cross-border law. Liberty has threatened to deploy the Navy to evict illegal miners, while Kusari has warned that this would be interpreted as an “illegal act of hostility”.

[835 AS] Galileo on the brink

GALILEO -- 835 -- Following an unspecified “security incident” in the Independent Worlds, military forces in Colorado and Shikoku have been ordered to high alert. Observers have raised alarms as the Liberty Navy and Kusari Naval Forces surge to their respective borders, warning of a heightened risk of “accidental escalation” in Galileo. Despite urgent calls for information from local system representatives, the governments of Kusari and Liberty remain tight lipped, other than confirming Manhattan and New Tokyo were in “active dialogue”. Both Houses have since put traffic controls in place, and are actively stopping and searching shipping entering their mutual borders.

[834 AS] H-Fuel prices spike as market volatility increases

MANHATTAN -- 834 -- H-Fuel prices across Sirius have spiked after demand for future supply contracts surged. This unusual increase has been driven by Liberty corporations who are buying up all surplus stocks, although what has provoked the sudden frenzy remains unknown. Universal Shipping and Synth Foods both declined to comment on their own significant increase in buying activity, however many have noted that neither has the storage capacity to account for the excess. Share prices for Kishiro, GMG and Samura all rose on the news, despite Kusari warning that it may impose export caps on H-Fuel to limit market volatility and curb inflation.

[834 AS] Newark Accords bolster Sigma security

NEWARK -- 834 -- Core, GMG and Interspace executives have met with Liberty delegates aboard Newark Station. A substantial investment package has been agreed to secure the export of goods from the Omicron region, and suppress pirate threats throughout Sigmas-17 and 19. GMG spokesman Tomoharu Saitou announced the talks’ success, stating that “the discussions were fruitful, building a righteous coalition against criminal filth across the Sigmas.” The export of exotic goods from the Edge Nebula has become increasingly important to House economies and cutting-edge research, with Iridium and Alien Organism shipments often subject to fierce bidding wars among corporate customers.

[834 AS] Cadet fraternity disciplined over hazing

WEST POINT -- 834 -- West Point command staff have issued a reprimand against a popular cadet fraternity after being implicated in the hazing of new applicants. The practice has been prohibited since the death of Christine Belton 33 years ago, however it is widely understood that hazing at the academy has continued by imposing bizarre, dangerous or humiliating tasks on potential aspirants. The most recent incident was detected when the Mississippi Training Facility’s transponder was overwritten to broadcast as the Battleship Missouri. Investigation revealed cadets training aboard to be the culprits, who had pulled the prank in an attempt to impress fraternity leaders.

[834 AS] Kusari ambitions threaten Liberty interests

CHESAPEAKE -- 834 AS -- For several years, LSF informants have reported increased activity around Kansai Research Station in Honshu, amid speculation of a major technological breakthrough. A source embedded deep within Kishiro Technologies has obtained reports implying the existence of a functional Jump Drive prototype. A commercially viable Jump Drive is antithetical to Liberty’s strategic commercial interests, as well as posing a severe military threat. Significant resources have been allocated to verifying these reports, and establishing what countermeasures -- if any -- are presently available to the deployment of this technology. It is expected that Kusari’s internal dissidents will be equally concerned by this development upon becoming aware.

[833 AS] Stabline prices spike after Atka destruction

SIGMA-17 -- 833 -- Cryer’s share prices have tumbled on the news that Atka Research Station has been destroyed by brutal Outcast pirates. The remote station served as the primary manufacturing point for the revolutionary drug Stabline, which had promised to eradicate Cardamine dependency across the Colonies. Spokeswoman Alicia Fisher confirmed that critical staff and research materials were successfully evacuated due to the timely intervention of private security forces and the GMG. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer has begun emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore options.

[833 AS] Liberty draws down forces in Crayter territory

YUMA -- 833 -- Liberty has announced the end of the Battlecruiser Yellowstone’s tour of Coronado, where it has spent several years targeting drug smugglers in the dangerous Barrier Pass. President Hawthorne has reportedly lost patience with indefinite foreign deployments of Liberty forces, and ordered the ship to be withdrawn to bolster domestic piracy and smuggling suppression in California. A Department of Defense spokesman stated, “we have for many years provided the Crayter Republic with the training and material support needed to police their territory. We have faith they will be up to the task”. The Yellowstone’s withdrawal comes as Deep Space Engineering deepens its own investments in Coronado, with the expansion of the Scottsdale Refinery.

[833 AS] LPI commissioner sentenced following Erie probe

PLANET ERIE -- 833 -- Helen O’Shea, Pennsylvania’s former LPI Commissioner, has been sentenced on corruption charges over the mismanagement of Erie’s planetary internment camps. The facilities were constructed to temporarily hold prisoners from the Liberty Insurgency while the courts cleared sentencing backlogs. Following allegations of human trafficking, the LSF launched a major investigation, discovering that as many as 10 percent of inmates were suspected of having been sold to traffickers. O’Shea is the latest and most high profile prosecution to date, and is expected to serve a ten year sentence at a minimum security penitentiary on Planet Los Angeles.

[832 AS] Houses outraged by Roppongi attack

NEW TOKYO -- 832 -- Kusari has received blistering criticism from the other Houses after the destruction of Roppongi Station. Roppongi hosted House embassies in Kusari, and was a major business hub for foreign companies. Liberty’s President Hawthorne is said to be “incandescent” over the attack, which killed Ambassador Luisa Mason and her aides. She has threatened consequences unless Kusari exert all “means and resources” towards the Farmers Alliance’s eradication, and announced the LSF will be taking “enhanced measures” to protect Liberty citizens. Interspace Commerce has quadrupled its bounties on Alliance targets. Kusari has opened an inquest into the attack.

[831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'!

ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin Jump Gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network.

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.

Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

[831 AS] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout

AMES RESEARCH STATION -- 831 -- Independent researchers have announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, destroying many of the sector’s most sensitive and finely tuned observatories. Surviving data about 'The Pulse' has been widely shared across the neural net in recent days, prompting mass speculation. Professor Katsuma Oster of Ames Research Station described the signal as “astounding”. “These readings are unprecedented, as if reality itself were struck like a gong.” House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to share their own observatories' data.

[831 AS] 'Blackout' causes jump network failure

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When communications resumed 31 hours later, the news broke of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged markets into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of causing the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's Jump Gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible.

[830 AS] Victory over Veracruz - Insurgency destroyed!

VESPUCCI -- 830 AS -- Liberty has declared victory over the Liberty Insurgency after the Carrier Ohio settled into orbit over Planet Veracruz. Archer-class siege cruisers and the Ohio's bomber squadrons suppressed military infrastructure on the planet, before systematically destroying the last bastions of the Insurgency. As the bombardment drew to a close, a service was held aboard the Ohio in memory of Rear Admiral Brandt and the thousands of sailors and marines who gave their lives to ensure the Insurgency's defeat. President Hawthorne has confirmed identical monuments to the campaign will be erected on every Liberty planet, with each obelisk bearing the names of those lost.

[830 AS] Liberty annexes Planet Erie

PLANET ERIE -- 830 -- The Liberty Navy has launched Operation PESTICIDE to annex Pennsylvania, following the collapse of talks between Liberty and Zoner authorities. President Hawthorne declared that Liberty could no longer tolerate a "lawless frontier" within its very core, and that the Zoners had repeatedly refused to extradite criminals and terrorists from the Pennsylvania protectorate. The recent destruction of an LSF satellite was the straw that broke the camel's back. Militias congregating around Planet Erie were routed following the Zoner Carrier Pinnacle’s destruction. The Battleship Alma then secured Erie’s orbit and landed Marines to impose Liberty law on Lake City. Surviving militants have vowed to resist Erie’s occupation.

[830 AS] Trouble in paradise on Erie

PLANET ERIE -- 830 AS -- Since the destruction of Williamstown Depot near Planet Tremont, Liberty and Erie's autonomous Zoner government have been locked in a standoff. Liberty has long suspected the Insurgency attack on its logistics station was facilitated by informants on Erie, and has accused the Zoners of allowing Insurgency and Xeno operatives to roam the planet with "impunity". This morning, a missile streaked from Erie's wilderness, shooting down an orbiting LSF satellite that had been tracking "terrorist activities". Liberty has accused Zoner militias of the attack, and ordered Erie authorities to hand over the perpetrators, and all Insurgency affiliates. Zoners have denied responsibility, calling the attack a “Liberty false flag”.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part II

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- Navy pilots fought in a heated scrap with many of their former comrades-in-arms as a fearsome shroud of flak rippled around the great Battleship Delaware, several trails of explosions snaking towards myriad bombers and torpedoes swarming the vast Mitchell-class. Delaware herself launched volley upon volley of anti-capital torpedoes at the Insurgent Battlecruiser Triton, whose own flak screen was considerably weaker than that of the Battleship. The missiles found their mark, but the battlecruiser retained its hull integrity as the Insurgents' one advantage in fighter superiority began to shine through. Torpedoes and antimatter cannons landed hits on the Delaware's vital flak batteries as they went silent, one by one.

Admiral Brandt was heard to give the order to abandon ship right as the ship's hull could take no more and began to be torn asunder, with hull breaches on multiple decks. Tragically, the armored engines of the Delaware had suffered a great deal of damage, and as the armor and shielding was whittled away, vast quantities of radiation and superheated gas began to flood into the crew compartments of the vessel.

In an emotional announcement, the Liberty Navy officially stated that they consider the Delaware to be lost with all hands, including Admiral Brandt himself. No life pods could be secured in the heat of battle, with the remainder of the Delaware's escort making a fighting retreat back to the LNS Ohio which had herself been caught lagging behind the Delaware's doomed thrust into the heart of the Insurgency. The Ohio now remains with her own escort, augmented by survivors of the Delaware's battlegroup, and will continue as the Liberty Navy's bastion in the Vespucci system, ready to ensure that the Insurgents pay dearly for the toll they have extracted upon one of Liberty's finest Admirals.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part I

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- The state-of-the-art Delaware was the tip of Liberty's spear in the Kansas system; it was from here that the charismatic RAdm. Dylan Brandt commanded the fleet that secured the system from both Rogue and Insurgent elements. But now, he sought to strike a crippling blow to the Insurgency in their very home, an attack to break the back of the movement and stand as a warning to those who would stand against Liberty's unity.

Leading a fearsome line of some of Liberty's most advanced warships, the Delaware bore down on the Insurgency's remaining, cobbled-together fleet in the Vespucci system, out of position from dealing with a Bretonian thrust from Magellan. Immediately caught was the Battleship Vanquisher, one of the scant few Arbiter-class Battleships available to the Insurgents. Caught by itself, the Vanquisher put up a fearsome fight but was ultimately unable to stand against the Delaware and its escort, despite its fighter component dealing severe damage to much of the Delaware's own, smaller fighter contingent, as well as the Delaware herself.

With the great Arbiter all but vanquished, the Interdictor-class Battlecruiser Triton stared down the guns of the damaged Delaware and her escort. Outnumbered two-to-one, and outgunned to an even greater degree by the Libertonian heavyweight, Triton and her escorts launched their one and only advantage, their fighter and bomber superiority gained at the Vanquisher's expense.

[829 AS] Navy bloodied by Pennsylvania strike

WILLIAMSTOWN DEPOT -- 829 -- The Liberty Navy have been struck an embarrassing blow in their campaign to scour the Insurgency from the Independent Worlds. The Navy has been carrying out combat operations across Kansas, but staging its forces and logistics from Pennsylvania. In an attempt to disrupt the Navy’s inevitable advance towards their heartlands, the Insurgency launched a surprise raid on Williamstown Depot. Liberty authorities have tersely commented that search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, but it appears the fuel and munitions store detonated after being struck by multiple torpedoes. When asked for comment, President Hawthorne stated simply that she would not discuss ongoing combat operations.

[829 AS] Imminent defeat of the Insurgency

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- The Liberty Navy has finally published news on its most recent major operation. The Navy has committed the Delaware and Ohio fleets to clearing out the threat of the Insurgency once and for all. Major Insurgency installations have already been destroyed in Kansas, with Admiral Brandt announcing expectations that the Insurgency will be defeated within a year and with minor losses. Following this press release, the Navy received record applications for West Point Academy while arms market has seen an explosion in investors at Detroit Munitions. President Hawthorne praised the men and women of the Navy for their bravery on Liberty's frontiers.

[829 AS] Ontario festers

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- Having been a longstanding den of criminals and smugglers, Ontario has finally taken a plunge into complete anarchy. The Navy issued a categorical notice of withdrawal and advised all legitimate operations in the system to follow suit, as no further attempts could be made to keep the increasingly expensive operations secure. This comes after heated debates divided Congress for months until the deadlock was broken by an independent economic publication, revealing that revenue was overshadowed by security expenses that were double the amount gained. DSE has officially commented saying that this closure of business is a minor setback to future operations, and that the ultimate prosperity of the market is assured.

[829 AS] Fingers in the broth

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- Liberty's High Congress has passed the recently submitted Organization Categorization Revision Act (O.C.R.A) by a considerable majority. The Act sets out to revise long-standing categorizations of domestic and foreign organizations, which in turn allows or disallows certain actions by Navy and Law Enforcement agencies.

It is widely speculated that the recent surge taking place in the Kansas system is related. The oddly self named Insurgency has long been categorized as a "Domestic Paramilitary Organization" that is of extremist political nature, in effect making them Liberty citizens with rights as such. The Act recategorizes them as a "Foreign Supported Terrorist Organization", a drastic shift in political standing. Sources have speculated the move is related to the Bering operation that precipitated the formation of the Insurgency as the root cause of the change in policy. Despite considerable cost both monetarily and in terms of material, the operation failed to expunge the organization to the desired level. The Act comes a considerable spending package for future operations and gives free rein to Liberty Navy admirals to take necessary measures to properly remove the long-standing issue.

[828 AS] Cortez cleanup begins after delays

CURACAO -- 835 -- DSE has accepted a cleanup and salvage contract to address war debris in Cortez. The Aruba Debris Field has long been a cause for complaint by Orbital Spa and Cruise, over concerns that the unsightly wreckage would blight local tourist attractions. The site does not obstruct traffic, so clearance has been of low priority to both Bretonia and Liberty. This appears to have changed following a significant Orbital contribution to a clean-up fund. DSE was appointed as the primary contractor, as preferred subcontractor ALG does not have capacity for the job. The Rheinland group is facing manpower constraints following the Rheinland Civil War, and exploding demand for battlefield salvage across the sector.

[823 AS] Liberty and Rheinland formally end conflict

NEW BERLIN -- 823 -- President Powell and Chancellor Neumann have signed the Treaty of Atka formally ending the state of war between their two Houses. 6 years of devastating conflict has seen tens of thousands killed and both Houses severely economically damaged. The agreement sees Rheinland cede all claims on Planet Atka, while Hudson and Bering are split in half, creating two security zones. The boundary between these two zones remains neutral territory, to be policed by the Bounty Hunters Guild under a joint contract. In return, Liberty has agreed to immediately end all economic sanctions, and fund 85% of the Jump Gate cleanup and reconstruction project.

[817 AS] War with Rheinland!

HUDSON -- 817 -- President Powell has declared a formal state of war against Rheinland, to a standing ovation in Congress. During an impassioned speech, the President described how Rheinland had treacherously slain a number of Navy personnel in the Hudson Security Zone after initiating an aggressive and unwarranted military buildup across Liberty’s borders. He pledged that Liberty would defend its “intrinsic economic interests” in the region and punish flagrant Rheinland breaches of the Boorman Treaty. He has blamed Chancellor Reinhardt for escalating diplomatic disputes into direct armed conflict, comparing him to the disgraced Chancellor Niemann who triggered the Colony Wars seventeen years ago.

[817 AS] Liberty Declares Border Security Zone

HUDSON -- 817 -- In a significant escalation to ongoing tensions, Liberty has established a Border Security Zone in the two Independent Worlds of Bering and Hudson. President Powell announced that the Liberty Navy will maintain a blockade along what Liberty deems its zone of control. This is purportedly to prevent intrusions by the Rheinland Military, and thwart attempts to facilitate terrorist attacks in Liberty territory. All civilian shipping bound for Liberty through the affected systems are now being stopped for mandatory inspections. Rheinland has furiously condemned the move as military aggression, and called the deployment a flagrant violation of the Boorman Treaty.

[816 AS] Houses clash over Hudson terraforming

PLANET ATKA -- 816 AS -- Rheinland has reacted with outrage at the discovery of Cold Bay Depot, a Planetform terraforming outpost recently constructed in orbit of Planet Atka. Hudson’s status has been the subject of friction between Liberty and Rheinland for decades, however Liberty appears to have grown tired with the impasse and unilaterally commissioned further terraforming surveys and ground preparation. Rheinland has set an ultimatum for the “illegal” station to be dismantled within one month, threatening to do so by force if the neutrality of the contested Independent World is not respected. Liberty has rejected the demand, and declared that it is prepared to defend its intrinsic economic interests in the region.

[815 AS] Shares surge on Core launch

LOS ANGELES -- 815 -- Amid market gloom caused by the ongoing Tau War, Liberty investors have had cause for optimism with the public unveiling of The Core, an Edge World exploration company. At a glossy Los Angeles launch event attended by California’s system governor, executives described their mission statement as “bringing the exotic resources of the Edge back to civilization.” Interspace Commerce have provided initial seed funding for the startup, with further partnerships being signed with the Liberty government and AP Manufacturing. The publicly traded float of Core shares immediately surged in value, as high-risk investors sought to get in on the action early.


Rumors

Bounty Hunters Guild
  • You see, first all the small businesses get absorbed into megaconglomerates. Then those get purchased by foreign interests and consolidated further. That squeezes out all the local middle management and replaces it with foreign managers sitting in their little offices off in Kusari, Bretonia, or Rheinland. Then they turn to getting rid of the local work force too.


  • I've been preaching the truth for years, but almost nobody would listen. Well now they don't have to listen, because they can see it all coming true right in front of their eyes. The big shots have sold us all out, and now they're scheming to replace us.


  • Refugees, shmeshugees. They're just a bunch of lousy scabs and a menace to honest jobs, that's all they are. I'm not going to fall for this fancy propaganda about pity and compassion. Let them flee to some planet in their own House!


  • Sure, we're supposed to take pity on these Bretonian "Refugees" because they've lived in smog their whole sorry, foreign lives, and are trying to escape the war torn Leeds system. I save my sympathy for my relatives on Pittsburgh who have lost their jobs to cheap foreign labor.


  • Nobody taking an honest job from a Libertonian deserves any mercy, I say. The only thing worse than mining Boron for a living is having your job stolen when you're too old to retrain for anything else. You think a Boron miner is going to get some cushy job pushing paperwork or something?


  • You can see it on Pittsburgh now. The miner unions are just too much trouble for the foreign owned mining companies. Those pesky miners are so unreasonable with their demands for safe mines, reasonable hours, and medical insurance coverage for when they get Boron lung. So what do the foreign owners do? They ship in replacement labor from outside Liberty to bust up the unions.


Liberty Navy
  • Don't get me wrong, I don't object to exploiting Ontario for the good of Liberty. Platinum is fairly useful, after all. What I object to is digging it up and shipping it off to fuel foreign expansionist wars.


  • Originally there were plans to extend the Trade Lane all the way to Fort Severn, but when the Navy stationed Ottawa out here, DSE exercised an obscure clause in their contract and opted out. Apparently the lawyers figured that Naval patrols are more secure than Trade Lanes. Makes no sense to me.


  • Just look around: Liberty fuels the military-industrial complex across Sirius. Without our Superconductors, Boron, and Platinum none of these other Houses could build their fleets. We supplied everything Kusari, Bretonia, and Rheinland needed to conduct their "gunboat diplomacy." We have no one to blame but ourselves. No one but our politicians, I mean.


  • Occasionally we do have to take some Prisoners to Fort Bush for interrogation before shipping them down to one of the prison stations in Texas.


  • Between the criminals that get bagged in this system, and the roudy workers on Toronto, we have a reserved docking space on Sugarland!


  • Fort Severn was built to guard the jump hole to Alberta, but then space time had to go and hiccup, and the jump hole has moved further away. Until we can get DSE to send some tugs up here to move the station, we just have to extend our patrols out a little further.


  • Sometimes Sugarland can't process the crooks as fast as we can bag them, so Huntsville has to take the overflow.


  • Junkers, especially, always know more than is good for them, and until they spill their guts to LPI, they're too valuable to just toss into a cell somewhere and forget about them.


  • This system is going to hell. First the Junkers moved in, followed by the Hackers. Then the Xenos showed up. Soon there won't be so much as an asteroid that isn't corrupted by Liberty's ruling hooligans!


Universal Shipping
  • MOX shipments from LD-14 are scheduled regularly for this battleship. We've had added trouble in the past year from the Hackers in Cortez and Magellan, but hopefully they'll shift more of their attention to Ageira's operation in Alberta and we'll catch a break for a change.


  • Marines are routinely rotated up here for duty. West Point Academy is their embarkation point. You can't station any Marine company in one location too long. They tend to get too comfortable and then they become more trouble than help.