| Islay Base | |
| Owner | |
| Gaians | |
| Location | |
| G-4/3, Edinburgh |
CLASS: Portnahaven
GRAVITY: Complete
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: 325
Soon after tourists began to arrive in Edinburgh in 690 AS, Cambridge scientists voiced their concern over the enormous ecological damage that even the most regulated visits could inflict on the planet. Almost from birth Cambridgers had drilled into them the stories of how New London and Leeds were blighted, so they tended to be very environmentally sensitive. A few of the younger and more militant scientists studying Planet Gaia actually went so far as to begin a campaign to sabotage tourist transports in an effort to discourage visits, but with little effect.
Once Cobalt was discovered on Gaia in 740, BMM began to lobby for the need to establish a mining base there. What had been a quiet, bloodless campaign of active resistance blossomed into full-fledged conflict. Graffiti with slogans such as "GAIA WILL NOT BLEED" were spotted soon after. The eco-terrorist movement had begun.
Eventually any plans to mine the surface of Gaia were dropped -- mostly out of fear that it might cut into the burgeoning tourist industry -- but the Gaians had already broadened their horizons by an influx of radical elements from Cambridge who sought a ban on terraforming technologies. Planetform, Inc. was the natural target. What emerged was a militant terrorist group philosophically opposed to the exploitation of planets, and terraforming in particular. The group enjoyed considerable popular support on Cambridge, funded by the efforts of the legitimate arm of the Gaians called the Green Front.
While the Gaians and the eco-terrorist movement as a whole have made little progress outside of Bretonian space, Green Front propaganda is a common sight in Bretonia. Green Front commentators are often present on the news, and unlike the Mollys, a certain amount of tolerance for them exists in the government from those disinclined to antagonize their Cambridge connections. Over the years, the movement has broadened considerably until the majority of its sympathizers are environmentally conscious individuals from throughout Bretonia.
The sole Gaian base in Edinburgh lies deep within the Islay Ice Cloud at the northeastern edge of the system. With the invasion of the Gallic Navy and the subsequent withdrawal of Planetform and the Bretonian Armed Forces from the system, activity at the Gaian base had decreased significantly.
To say that the hasty settlement and fortification of Gaia itself by the badly battered Enclave has incited panic and fury in the Gaian movement is a significant understatement. The population onboard Islay has skyrocketed and currently outpaces efforts to further hollow out its parent asteroid for more living room. Indeed, activity at other suspected Gaian strongholds has dwindled as many members of their movement have "come home" to defend their unifying ward. Bretonia's opinion of Enclave soldiers and noncombatants could scarcely be lower and as such, the movement needs not concern itself with the methods used against their foe.
Islay has also become host to a number of groups and organizations volunteering their capabilities against the Enclave as the "front line" against its last redoubt - Most numerously among them the Maquis. Aside from increasing the security measures of the base's munitions, some among the Gaians have reservations against their increasing presence in the region, particularly concerning their penchant for collateral damage should their particular brand of terrorism become more commonplace on Gaia itself.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
| Exports | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Chameleon | Heavy Fighter | 28,603$ |
| Anaconda | Very Heavy Fighter | 23,129$ |
| Panther | Bomber | 74,612$ |
| Starflier | Light Fighter | 14,610$ |
| Startracker | Heavy Fighter | 21,316$ |
| Starblazer | Very Heavy Fighter | 20,537$ |
| Hawk | Light Fighter | 20,182$ |
| Eagle | Very Heavy Fighter | 24,079$ |
| Roc | Bomber | 70,176$ |
News
| [835 AS] A different kind of intruder |
|
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! |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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. |
| [832 AS] A different kind of Houston heat |
|
MARLTON CITY -- 832 AS -- A huge firefight has been reported in one of Houston's urban centers, involving a gang of heavily armed assailants and dozens of casualties. The target appears to have been a major LPI penitentiary facility, with one force spokesperson going so far as to say that the raid must have been carried out by a professional mercenary outfit. Malton City has gone into lockdown amid rumors of a mass breakout by Pennsylvania convicts. An enormous manhunt has been launched, involving Marine support from the Battleship Arkansas. |
| [832 AS] Counting doses |
|
ROCHESTER -- 832 AS -- The catastrophic crash of the Cardamine market has been tough for all the associates involved in the chain of its distribution, and the substantial drop-off in the quantity of it available for use and resale has caused a new problem in this series of bad episodes. The Rogues and Hackers, former partners in feeding the needs of the underworld are now at each other's throats, unable to meet demands for the drug both by their own and by customers, it seems as if stealing it from each other at gunpoint is the new business model. |
| [831 AS] Jump Hole Upheaval Causes Chaos |
|
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. |
Rumors
| Gaians |
|