| Holmfirth Base | |
| Owner | |
| Gaians | |
| Location | |
| B/C-2, Manchester |
CLASS: Thirsk
GRAVITY: Partial
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: 80
Constructed in 807 AS after Planetform announced their intention to begin the terraforming of planet Wight, Holmfirth base is quite a large ice asteroid that has been hollowed out by the Gaians to serve as their main base of operations for the Manchester system, and contains a sizeable population of pilots, mechanics, engineers and even the occasional Corsair.
Located not far from the jump hole to Newcastle, the Gaians mostly use the base to launch attacks on BPA Newgate and Birmingham Station, although occasionally they will strike across the system to hit Sheffield Station. The BMM have attempted to increase security around Birmingham Station, but barely a day goes past without a Gaian attack on the station, and Planetform transports are always being hijacked along the trade lanes. The spoils and survivors of such raids are always taken to Holmfirth, where a majority of the captured goods quickly find their way onto the black markets.
Bribes & Missions Offered
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Commodities
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Ships sold
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News
| [835 AS] A different kind of intruder |
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ATACAMA -- 835 -- Atacama’s defenders were scrambled after a massive unknown contact was detected entering the Sonora Field. Rather than mindless aggression from transponderless raiders, the intruder was nothing less than an Order battleship. The vessel was heavily damaged and fighting fires on multiple decks. After a terse initial exchange between Gaian and Order fighters, it was agreed that the “Atum” would be allowed to moor near the wreckage of the Warspite to carry out damage control. The battleship’s officers were then shuttled across to Atacama for discussions with local cell leaders. Gaian patrols have since rescued several Order pilots from the wreckage of a new battlefield near Veracruz. |
| [835 AS] Recapture of Dublin commences! |
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BATTLESHIP ESSEX -- 835 -- Admiralty representatives have confirmed that the Bretonian operation to recapture Dublin has been initiated. Defense commentators have long assumed the Bretonia Armed Forces would breach the system via a Jump Hole believed to be concealed within the Cumbria Asteroid Field. Forecasts predicted a bloody advance, given the Mollys renown expertise as ambush fighters, and prolific use of concealed mines. Despite this, Bretonian officials confirm that the Battleship Somerset has established a bridgehead in the system without casualties. “This will be a quick operation,” Admiral Rowley noted. “The Mollys cannot stand in open space.” |
| [835 AS] Outcast assassins prowl Bretonia |
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NEWCASTLE -- 835 AS -- Newcastle’s criminal underworld waits with bated breath, following the disappearance of Outcast Arnold De Angelis, son of Don Liviano De Angelis. The enraged cartels have dispatched a squad of their elite assassins, who have resolved to uncover the fate of the missing son and mete out retribution -- whatever the cost. While a hundred thousand credit bounty for information has been offered, Dardi Squadron also promises to leave a trail of corpses in their wake. The presence of some of Sirius’s deadliest killers has already led to unease among Newcastle’s Gaians, Mollys and Bounty Hunters. |
| [835 AS] Atacama requests assistance against raiders |
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ATACAMA -- 835 -- In recent months, Gaian salvagers working around Planet Veracruz have come under attack by unknown vessels. Over this period, many pilots have been killed, captured or simply vanished. These attacks have continued to escalate, with reports of unmarked Liberty and pirate vessels launching raids on Atacama itself. After the local cell issued a distress call, Islay dispatched the Destroyer Artemis to investigate and provide support. She is expected to arrive shortly; in the meantime, Atacama’s wings are restricting non-essential deployments, and travelling in force when necessary. |
| [834 AS] BMM challenged on environmental record |
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REDCARR -- 834 -- The Green Front environmental group have sued BMM over alleged waste disposal violations at Redcarr Production Facility in Newcastle. The group assert that Toxic Waste is being vented into the moon Middlebrough’s orbit, rather than being handled in accordance with Bretonian safety regulations. Retired MP Terence Wimberley has led the move, declaring that the “private prosecution will hold BMM executives accountable, before they can ruin another system with their reckless corner cutting.” BMM has decried the case as a “malicious waste of public resources,” but offered no specific comment on the allegation itself. |
| [833 AS] Carlisle cartels move on Slog |
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CARLISLE -- 833 -- Slog has got its hooks into Bretonia’s workers, and there’s cash to be made filling that demand. It seems the Gaians and Mollys certainly think so, as both groups have sent their own people to put the screws to the producers on Carlisle. What once was an independent operation is now being torn in half by the Bretonian underworld, as both factions see the trade as a quick, if dirty, means of funding their causes. It remains to be seen how the Gaians and Mollys will settle their differences. If you’re in the market for Slog, your options have never been better. |
| [833 AS] Cambridge on the Line |
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NORFOLK -- 833 AS -- The number of recorded Corsair incursions across Cambridge has increased by 193%% in the last 3 years. According to Captain Edwards of the Battleship Norfolk, this is simply a result of the successes in detecting and reacting to attacks. "You can't respond to a Corsair you don't know is there," he noted. "The Cambridge Line ensures we know when and where to deploy our resources for maximum effect." Retired Major Jane Gilliam disagrees. "The Line was never fit for purpose," she says. "The Regents lobbied London to keep it, and so the pantomine continues." It is speculated that the spike in Corsair raids may have been prompted by increased resistance elsewhere, or a shift in their internal politics. Regardless of their true motivations, Interspace Commerce has recognised the elevated peril and adjusted its premiums accordingly. |
| [831] BPA investigation probes droid safety |
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MANCHESTER -- 831 -- Detectives investigating the sabotage of Liverpool Station have made a significant breakthrough, after security logs from the attack were forensically reconstructed. Inspector Giles Mattin confirmed that the station’s service droids may have played a role, with footage showing the robots attacking the crew before heading to the reactor. “Anomalous network activity indicated the units were remotely compromised, possibly by Lane Hackers or The Technocracy. We are coordinating closely with Ageira Technologies to ensure the public’s safety,” he concluded. Calls have been made for Parliament to ban service droids across Bretonia until their safety can be verified. Industry leaders have called the proposal “premature alarmism”. |
| [831 AS] Jump Hole Upheaval Causes Chaos |
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HEISENBERG -- 831 AS -- Jump holes across Sirius have become increasingly volatile and chaotic over the last year, with Professor Sophia Nagel from the Heisenberg Research Station linking the unusual phenomena to the Pulse. The Pulse was an unprecedented blast of hyperspace energy that was detected immediately prior to last year's Jump Gate Blackout. Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off. While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes. |
| [831 AS] Bretonian focus turns on Mollys |
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SHEFFIELD -- 831 AS -- The Bretonia Police Authority has announced the eradication of the Molly movement is their top priority. Following the loss of the Dublin system, the dangerous terrorist movement has leaped to the top of Bretonia's most wanted board. Bounties on Molly terrorists have doubled, with Guild Hunters flocking to the beleaguered House. Sheffield Guildmaster Tina Hale commented that, "these are Edge World rates for domestic threats." Despite that, prospective Hunters should be cautious, as the Mollys are notoriously cunning fighters. The crackdown appears to be having some effect, as reports of Molly attacks on shipping in Cambridge and Newcastle have already fallen. |
| [831 AS] Cost of Rebuilding too High? |
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NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- Bretonia continues to face a difficult and lengthy recovery process following the conclusion of the Gallic War. The Bretonian people initially accepted this, and quietly pledged to come together and struggle on. While Bretonia is now witnessing an extraordinary rate of growth, it has come at the cost of severe cuts and harsh industrial quotas. Professor Timothy Ball of the Economic Review Institute says, "the recovery we've witnessed so far has been uneven, mainly benefiting Bretonian corporations and Crown agencies. If dividends of recovery are not felt by the average citizen, this inequality could become a major point of domestic political contention." |
| [829 AS] Marauding in Manchester |
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MANCHESTER -– 829 AS -- Reports from the Manchester system have now been confirmed by BPA and Bretonian intelligence officials: Liverpool Border Station, guarding over the Magellan Jump Gate and serving as the command center for police operations in the system, has been destroyed in what is being deemed a terrorist attack. Yesterday at 2200 hours SMT, nearby Sheffield Station and Kingston Border Station received automated distress signals from Liverpool, indicating an emergency aboard the station. Guild patrols redirected from Sheffield arrived on the scene within minutes, finding the border station destroyed. Search and rescue operations headed by Guild and BPA units commenced immediately and successfully salvaged several escape pods bearing several dozen survivors, who were immediately delivered to hospitals on New London. BPA spokesperson Sandra Halling held a press conference earlier this morning. According to joint police and BIS investigations, Liverpool was destroyed by antimatter explosives planted aboard the station. Their detonation caused a catastrophic chain reaction, resulting in the station's own reactors melting down and exploding. Of the estimated one-hundred-twenty persons on board at the time of the attack, seventy-eight have been reported as dead or missing. \So far, no party has taken credit for this heinous attack. However, Bretonian police surmises that it was likely perpetrated by either the criminals known as the Mollys or the infamous pirate organization, the Lane Hackers. The attack occurred following a significant redeployment of local Armed Forces units to the Cortez system for the purpose of joint operations with Libertonian security forces. This, says Halling, may have allowed terrorist sympathizers to exploit undermanned BPA patrols and smuggle illegal explosives through Manchester's ice fields, onto Liverpool Station. While investigations continue, Bretonian Police Authority has reinforced patrols within Manchester and established traffic controls at Kingston Border Station and Birmingham Station. Traffic to and from Liberty has been advised to reroute through the Cortez system. |
| [828 AS] Shotgun Diplomacy |
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ERIE -- 828 AS -- In a turn of events for the quiet system, the Liberty Navy press corps has released information about an incident involving a Slave Liner. Spokesperson to the CNS Bradley Stern addressed the conference by stating the ship had refused to comply with orders issued by patrols, and that it was being conducted in a manner that raised all manner of red flags. The Delaware was forced to position itself such that the ship was forced to stop, and when a cargo scan was conducted it was revealed that the Liner was carrying a vast quantity of munitions. With its secret loose, the Liner attempted to escape and was promptly disabled by secondary cannon fire. Upon further investigation, the Navy has successfully identified the ordnance being transported as being sourced from Rheinland. Going as far as to state that they contained serial codes which correspond with weaponry used by Rheinland's own Military. Naturally given the circumstances around the discovery of these weapons and Liberty's history of hot and cold relations with the neighboring House, it is expected that this development will lead to further scrutiny when it comes to potentially suspicious activity. |
Rumors
| Gaians |
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| Freelancers |
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| Junkers |
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