| Monaco Base | |
| Owner | |
| Unione Corse | |
| Location | |
| E-2, Provence |
CLASS: Francois Grimaldi
GRAVITY: Complete
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: 900
Monaco is the remote headquarters of the Unione Corse, orbiting Planet Nice deep within Mer Méditerranée. Established in 680 AGS (764 AS) with Huissier support, Monaco was originally created as a top-secret zero-G lab for the synthesis of the narcotic Nox. Nox's properties were accidentally discovered after Marseillian colonists consumed the carcasses of giant starfish that periodically washed up on shore. Improper cooking preserved the toxins of gut bacteria, tainting the meat and causing mild hallucinogenic episodes. The Unione Corse became aware of this folk knowledge around 650 AGS (730 AS), after cooperating with native cartels to seize control of Marseille's resorts. The Corse quickly began work on harvesting bacterial samples, and refining them to produce more potent narcotic effects.
Nox was a runaway success among Gallia's aristocracy, with demand far outstripping Marseille's artisanal production over the following decades. Monaco was constructed to house teams of blackmarket biologists and chemists, in the hope of industrializing the harvest of Nox-yielding bacteria. Early experiments failed, as the bacteria were symbiotically dependent on Marseille's echinoderms. It is alleged the Corse eventually solved this issue by transplanting several captive specimens into huge seawater tanks. Whatever the truth, Monaco-produced Nox has a distinct chemical composition, more intense psychedelic effects, and a premium pricetag. Flush with income, Monaco has consistently expanded over the years -- housing many of the Corse's most influential patriarchs and matriarchs in luxurious accommodation.
Between 741 - 743 AGS (825 - 827 AS), Monaco was privately considered the true capital of The Minarchy. The station benefited from the seizure and looting of Languedoc, as acquired taxes paid for renovations to install decadent promenades and concourses overlooking Planet Nice. Following the Gallic Confederacy's dissolution, Corsican leaders received substantial bribes from the Gallic Union to back the Minarchy's disbandment, and the imposition of Union law. Badly bloodied by the Kusari Invasion, Minarchy leaders were forced to accept, after negotiating a degree of autonomy for Provence as a Gallic Border World. The Gallic Union has so far avoided searching for Monaco out of respect for this deal, and to avoid upsetting the Parisian and Nevers elites who appreciate its produce.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
| Exports | ||||||||||||||||
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mistral Noir | Light Fighter | 19,522$ |
| Cuirassier Noir | Heavy Fighter | 26,208$ |
| Sirocco Noir | Very Heavy Fighter | 29,185$ |
| Jaguar Noir | Bomber | 73,476$ |
| Brigand Gunboat | Gunboat | 1,180,006$ |
| Gallic Blackmarket Transport | Transport | 506,006$ |
News
| [750 AGS] EFL resets industrial relations on Quillan |
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QUILLAN -- 750 -- Activating emergency powers in Quillan’s management contract, EFL have announced that several local Workers’ Unions are to be dissolved with immediate effect. The fuel giant argues that these organizations have fomented dissent as activists, rather than representing their members' interests. After clashes with protesters, Languedoc Seigneur Ansel Bousquet has offered the assistance of Marines from Nimes Station. GMS has issued a formal protest to New Paris over the move, insisting that the Worker Unions form an integral part of a productive industrial environment. |
| [750 AGS] Gallic Union celebrates settlement anniversary |
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NEW PARIS -- 750 -- Celebrations have been conducted across Gallia, marking 750 years since the arrival of our great Sleeper Ship on New Paris. This culminated with the spectacle of a vast military parade on New Paris, attended by dignitaries from across the Union. As our soldiers marched along the concourses of Ile du Palais, they were saluted by Grand Marshal Louis de Varax and his cabinet of Seigneurs. In a rousing speech, the Marshal praised Gallia’s glorious history, while railing against treacherous internal enemies, and the perfidious plots of Bretonia, Kusari and Liberty. “While we are united, Gallia is unstoppable!”, he declared in a closing message. |
| [750 AGS] Labor leader assassinated on Marne |
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TINQUEUX -- 750 -- An outspoken leader of the Marne Industrial Union, Melodie Petit, has been assassinated in a brazen daylight shooting. Petit had been instrumental in organizing recent demonstrations against the Treaty of Oerlikon. Conspiracy theories about Petit’s death circulated rapidly on local data nets, with many blaming Unione Corse contract killers. Violent protests have radiated from Tinqueux Province, with rioters occupying the planetary spaceport and disrupting exports. Gallic Union security officials have labeled protesters as “Maquis seditionists” and threatened to authorize lethal force by Marines unless order is immediately restored. |
| [831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'! |
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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] 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] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout |
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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 |
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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. |
| [743 AGS] Confederal leaders speak out |
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NEW PARIS -- 743 AGS -- Following the surprise attack launched by the Kusari State against Gallia, the leaders of the Confederation have each released a public statement about the state of war. President Orianne Castaignède of the Republic condemned the attack on the Duchy and the Minarchy, expressing that such a move in search of justice is a disgrace to the idea of justice. Going as far as stating that 'concerns over those responsible for the war should have been brought to them directly'; not 'Lashing out with past grievances'. The Grand Duke of Burgundy, Valentin Trintignant, has declared his commitment to the total repulsion of the Kusari fleet, saying; "This attack is completely unprovoked, and misguided. The Kusari state should be ashamed of themselves - The forces of the Duchy will crush these invaders and the Kusari vandals will be brought to justice!" The leaders of the Minarchy also came out to condemn the actions of Kusari. Stating that the attack on their territory is unwarranted and besides the stated goal. One prominent member, Patron Mathéo Dufresne commented with "[swearing] - What did we do?" when asked for his thoughts on the war. The reaction among the general population of New Paris has been of shock and bewilderment. Many of those interviewed had believed we were past conflicts with Sirius, and many curse the aggression. The most common responses followed themes of colourful patriotic pan-gallic support, while other sizable portions of the population are still worried that La Vieille Garde are being deployed too far from home. Lionel Balzac, a prominent politician on New Paris, has came out to assure the confederacy that there 'are no plans to withdraw the La Vieille Garde from the front-lines' as they continue to mount a united defence against the Kusari invaders. Going as far to express 'total commitment for the good of Gallia' in his public address. Since the institution of the Confederacy, Lionel Balzac has been seen as one of the guiding voices of Ile-De-France, and his support had reassured many across the sector. |
| [733 AGS] Unione Corse Cautious on Council Activities |
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MONTELIMAR -- 733 AGS -- The Unione Corse are one of the groups that indirectly aid the Council in their war with the government. However, the agenda of the Council contradicts the goal of Corse to preserve the status-quo on the black market of Gallia. Sirius has its own powerful pirate groups, and rumors of some of the most powerful of those groups, known as "Outcasts" and "Corsairs", are already spreading in Gallia. The House of Bretonia, which is closest to Languedoc, has a group of terrorists known as "Mollys", and a mysterious group of unlawfuls with no particular goals: "Gaians". Outcasts and Gaians, who are closest to Gallia borders, represent the imminent threat. Other groups will also be interested in gaining access to whatever Gallia has to offer. Corse consider the decision of the Council to open passage for all ships from Sirius into Gallia a premature and ill-thought one, a decision that will harm all parties in Gallia itself. Unione Corse will treat intruders in the way they deserve, attacking them only if they will attack first or will venture into areas they are not supposed to visit. In addition to that, Unione Corse plans to avoid any dealings with the newcomers, and will secure its own interests in Gallia space with any means necessary. Venturing outside Gallic space is not in the best interests of Corse, but our group will continue gathering of information on Sirius and seeking new business opportunities related to the new discoveries. |