| Ithaca Base | |
| Owner | |
| Independent Pirates | |
| Location | |
| G-6, Omega-7 |
CLASS: Spire
GRAVITY: Partial
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: Unknown
When Ithaca Base was originally established is a mystery -- the many mutually contradictory myths confuse rather than clarify the issue. Some say the original founders were Corsair and Red Hessian dissidents who betrayed their causes to avoid being sent to the meatgrinder in Omega-5. Others claim the haven was initially set up as a stash for a crooked Rheinland Federal Police squadron who went a month too long without pay. Others claim the founders were Daumann mercenaries who quickly realized that there was a bigger paycheck in Omega-7 by going pirate.
Whatever the truth, Ithaca has for decades been a notorious den of scum and villainy, full of killers, con-artists and assorted degenerates. A dark and twisting warren of corridors and halls have been excavated into an enormous asteroid, concealing services ranging from bars, brothels and bloodsports, to black market mechanics, arms dealers and unlicensed sawbones doctors. Whenever a pirate needs hired muscle or a contract killer without a paper trail, Ithaca is the first port of call. In past years, the anarchic individualism of the base’s occupants led to frequent bloodshed, with hundreds killed each year through pointless squabbles or territorial disputes.
In 834 AS, the loose band of pirates running Ithaca entered a pact with the independent gangs that roamed the surrounding regions, founding the Ithaca Council. The Council brutally cracked down on this infighting, imposing the Council’s Peace at the barrel of a gun. They aim to turn the base into an underworld freeport -- making the Council members who will take a cut of the earnings incredibly wealthy and powerful. Despite these grand ambitions, the Council walks a tightrope to avoid the offense or hostility of large factions such as the Hessians or Corsairs.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
| Exports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Loki Mk. I | Heavy Fighter | 23,139$ |
| Odin Mk. I | Very Heavy Fighter | 21,253$ |
| Thor Mk. I | Bomber | 57,329$ |
| Rheinland Blackmarket Frigate | Frigate | 1,337,466$ |
News
| [835 AS] Freiburg targeted in terrorist strike |
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FREIBURG STATION -- 835 -- Emergency responders have rushed to Freiburg Station after a serious terrorist attack killed 7 Gallic visitors. 3 Gull-class Transports attempted to ram an IDF Shipping convoy moored to the station, exploding once they hit their targets. 1 of the vessels was successfully disabled by the station’s defense grid. The assailants had just arrived from Omega-7, broadcasting the convoy shipping papers of a small export company based on Freeport 1. RFP officers believe the Gallic ships were the actual target, and have suggested either the LWB or Bretonian radicals could be responsible. Bretonian and Rheinland authorities are cooperating to investigate the incident. |
| [835 AS] Mollys increase signing bonus |
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ITHACA -- 835 -- The Mollys have significantly increased offered pay for pirates and mercenaries willing to go fight in Dublin. Many gangs have been reluctant to take up the Gold-plated offer, seeing a House invasion fleet as a much bigger deal than tangling with local police. Despite that, there’s always someone bloodythirsty or mad enough to follow the money, and a steady trickle of pilots have headed to Trafalgar Base in New London to reinforce the Molly Brigades. If you think you’ve got what it takes, track down a Molly officer on Ithaca and accept the Golden shilling. |
| [835 AS] Bretonians bloodied by Hellburner bombs |
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ARRANMORE -- 835 -- As insurance against Bretonia breaking through the Achill minefield, the Hegemons Hope and Fortune were converted into enormous armored bombs. As our Brigades engaged the enemy near the Achill and Founders Fields, waves of Hegemons were launched to obscure our fire ships. The Fortune arrived first, with the detonation destroying the Battlecruiser Adlington. The Hope was heavily damaged on approach, nearly allowing the Battlecruiser Bracknell’s escape. Captain Saoirse Keane heroically chose to prematurely detonate the Hope rather than evacuate, crippling the Bretonian invader. Both directions of advance have now stalled, allowing us to reconstitute depleted Brigades. |
| [835 AS] Invaders breach Dublin |
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ARRANMORE -- 835 -- In a grim day for the Republic, Bretonia has avoided the Achill minefields and deployed forces directly into Dublin. Seeming to use an artificially created Jump Hole, scouts report the Battleship Somerset is acting as some sort of anchor. Bretonian cruiser formations have immediately begun to push towards the Achill and Founders Fields to cut our supplies and force a fight in open space. A coordinated defense will be complicated by the continued Corsair occupation of the Hood Field, which limits our ability to launch ambushes from that direction. Arranmore’s Brigades are being deployed to block Bretonian advances, while Hellburner assets are moved into position. |
| [835 AS] New gang sets up shop on Ithaca |
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ITHACA -- 835 -- There’s a new Bretonian gang on Ithaca, calling themselves the Privateers. Those of you who had Tau business back in the day might recognize the name -- they were the cutthroats who went after Kusari and Gallic transports at the Queen’s behest. After the war, Bretonia got cold feet about their feral mutts, and tried to muzzle them. Many ended up on Newgate, while others went to ground and turned full pirate. Henry King has paid tribute to the Captains Council on the Privateers’ behalf, and promised to keep the peace. “We ain’t here to step on toes, just got some business in Rheinland,” he says. |
| [834 AS] Blood and treasure |
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ITHACA -- 834 -- The Ithaca Council have struck a bargain with The Mollys after their men pledged a hefty tribute of Gold. The Bretonian separatists want steady fighters to come lend a hand in Dublin, and disrupt Bretonian shipments behind the lines. The Council negotiated a handsome fee for Ithaca’s gangs -- the Mollys are desperate and you’d believe it by looking at the bill they agreed to! Bretonia is the new land of milk and honey. If you want to murder and main and get paid for the privilege, Dublin is the place to be. If you’re interested, talk to a recruiter here on Ithaca, and then make your way towards the Molly fortress in Cambridge. |
| [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. |
| [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. |
| [803 AS] Rheinland deserters ravage Omegas |
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FREEPORT 5 -- 803 -- There is a new menace prowling the Omegas, killing without remorse or restraint. Rheinland Colony War defectors have been sighted indiscriminately attacking trade ships in Omega-5 and 41. These Rheinland marauders are known by the Hessians as the “Wild Hunt”, for the way they appear using cloaking devices, kill or kidnap pilots, and vanish as quickly as they arrived. No Wild ship has ever responded to hails or expressed a motive, nor has there ever been a ransom demand for those taken. If you come across a Wild ship, we recommend you dump your cargo to shed weight, and run as fast as you can. |
| [803 AS] Driven to desperation |
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NEW BERLIN -- 803 -- As Rheinland falls further into economic crisis, many face financial ruin. Desperation has driven political radicalism and crime. Where tens of thousands of Military personnel were laid off in the aftermath of the Colony Wars, huge numbers of trained pilots have found themselves unemployed. As local corporations stop recruiting, some have turned to the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, however many have resorted to the Bundschuh, Red Hessians and Unioners. The RFP has already noted a sharp increase in criminal activity across Rheinland and the surrounding border worlds. |
Rumors
| Independent Pirates |
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