Ouray Base

From Discovery Wiki
Ouray Base
Owner
Xenos
Location
C-6, Colorado

CLASS: Red Dog

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Limited

CREW: 410

The Xenos were originally comprised of heavy manufacturing and mining workers within Colorado and Texas. Quite a number of their ancestors also worked at the Ames Research Station, which was a good employer for generations. But as Liberty industries faced stronger competition from Kusari, and natural resources in Liberty declined, most of the blue-collar workers became unemployed and were pushed to the economic fringe of Liberty society.

As the Liberty rich moved to Colorado to escape the paradise lost in California, many unemployed workers were displaced, sometimes forcefully by police forces. This led to several radical groups popping up, which eventually gave rise to the Xenos movement. Taking to the stars in whatever old mining ships they could lay their hands on, the Xenos settled in old mining bases like Ouray, vowing revenge on the foreigners that had taken their jobs and prosperity. Once settled in to their new home, the Xenos began launching sporadic raids focused against foreign shippers, in the hopes of driving them out of Liberty. Whenever they were captured they were sent to Huntsville prison in Texas, where cross-fertilization with other inmates only helped to swell their ranks.

Because of the Xeno preference for attacking foreign ships, Universal Shipping has actually benefited from the attacks and has lobbied the government to take it easy on them. It is rumoured that some of their attacks on foreign shipping were not Xenos, but actually mercenaries hired by Universal to harass the competition. The Xenos are currently one of the poorest of all the criminal factions, so they have little resources to buy better ships and weapons. To gain a more stable income stream, they hope to evict the Junkers from Texas, and ultimately New York, and thus control a crucial market for black market goods, mostly artifacts, "liberated" software, illegal gold and diamonds.

The Xenos' love of light arms often brings them into conflict with Ageira, especially around the Detroit Munitions plant. They also regularly attack the Junkers in the Jersey Debris Field of northern New York, in the hopes of displacing the scrap merchants as the premier smuggling outfit within Liberty.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Black Market Munitions 167$
Cracking Catalysts 64$
Criminal Cells (Liberty) 14,272$
Energy Field Equipment 26$
Hydrogen 27$
Nanotubes 27$
Rum 55$
Vodka 70$
Whiskey 33$
Military Surplus 1,062$
Slog 161$
Counterfeit Computerware 88$
Luxury Food 71$
Optronics 73$
Luxury Consumer Goods 45$
Artifacts 218$
Consumer Goods 226$
Black Market Blasters 212$
Bio-Neural Processors 54$
Kemwer Technologies 256$
Xeno Relics 168$
Volgograd Ordinance 248$
APM Advanced Hardware 183$
Cryocubes 127$
Gaian Wildlife 346$
Holotainment Bands 132$
Black Market Augments 151$
Neon 22$
Pineal Amulets 104$
Prometheum 49$
Quantum Multiplexors 53$
Tobacco 66$
Wine 70$
Cigars 140$
Hypnotainment Bands 188$
Tea 25$
Fire Pearls 51$
Hessian Tears 204$
Molybdenum 208$
Deuterium 151$
Gold 199$
Wildcat Gold 201$
Silver 197$
Niobium 190$
Copper 186$
Diamonds 202$
H-Fuel 93$
Iridium 244$
Aluminium 204$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Black Market Pharmaceuticals 75$
Hangar Provisions 250$
Liberty Ale 35$
Detroit Light Arms 51$
Toxic Waste 16$
Scrap Metal 13$
Basic Alloy 24$
Superconductors 32$
Cardamine 261$
Black Market Light Arms 96$
Nanocapacitors 55$
Platinum 187$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Eagle Very Heavy Fighter 24,079$
Falcon Heavy Fighter 24,778$
Hawk Light Fighter 20,182$


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] 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] LSF receives a black eye in Ontario

ONTARIO -- 835 -- For months, the Battlecruiser Lehigh has skulked around Ontario. Neither the Xenos or Lane Hackers were happy about having house guests, but it seems the Xenos were the ones to put their money where their mouth was. A tide of Xenos poured from the Georgian Ice Field, using suicidal waves to peck apart the heavy defenses with sheer numbers. Lehigh was sent packing with its tail between its legs in a major victory for the Xeno movement. “They laughed at us before, but no-one’s laughing now,” says veteran Xeno Hamish Garcia. The Lane Hackers avoided getting their hands dirty, but helped out by jamming Liberty’s comms and disrupting LSF transponders.

[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] 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] Kusari is the enemy of Liberty’s workers

OURAY -- 835 -- The government is starting to wake up to the reality that Kusari isn’t Liberty’s friend. We’ve known that for centuries, since their goods shut down our factories, and their “keiretsu” killed our shipyards. When the corporations can’t use Kusari imports as a crutch, Liberty’s worker wins. War breaks this broken market, and it's our job to swing the hammer. The Navy are already crawling all over Colorado which makes our work difficult, but the Clan leaders are making plans to light the fuse on this powderkeg. Be ready for action, we strike soon.

[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] 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] 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] Hinsdale Refinery fully operational

HINSDALE REFINERY -- 835 AS -- Executives from Deep Space Engineering have cut the ribbon on the newest Platinum-processing line at Hinsdale Refinery. This officially launches full operations at the largest ore-processing refinery in Colorado since the collapse of the industry over two centuries ago. This comes mere weeks after the Liberty Supreme Court ruled in DSE’s favor over the long-running Galileo Platinum dispute; Kusari vehemently opposes the ruling. The opening was marked by a significant security presence, largely driven by the increased tensions with the Kusari Empire.

[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] Fresh start, old baggage

PLANET ERIE -- 834 AS -- Many impoverished Liberty citizens have been flocking to Erie, looking for a fresh start. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done in Liberty. Dragged down by debts, criminal records, or a lack of jobs to go around, many have ended up resorting to crime to make ends meet. The Liberty Rogues and Xenos have both seen recruitment surge, as gangs take up the very profitable activities of smuggling and shakedowns. The Navy and LSF are mostly interested in squashing the Militants who want to topple the new governor, leaving breathing room for the common crook.

[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] 'Slog': A New Enemy

LEYTE -– 834 -– The clans of Leyete say a new foreign poison is crossing the border. Some have asked how Slog is any different to Cardamine, arguing we can buy better guns and ships if we move quickly to grab this new market from the Rogues. Here's the difference: Cardamine is aimed at the treacherous Manhattan elites who betrayed us; a leash to bring them to heel. Slog is a Bretonian weapon of misery meant to cripple the blue collar of Liberty. Our brothers and sisters have already suffered enough humiliation. We will show no mercy to dealers and distributors in Liberty -- our fight here is personal.

[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.

[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] 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] 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.

[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] Caught in their own trap?

BARRIER GATE -- 831 -- Word is the Xenos have a Cardamine problem. Recruiting from the bottom of Liberty society, most Xenos lived in poverty and decided to lash out. Now they’ve got a foot in the door with the Cardamine trade and their leaders are having issues keeping the grunts out of the goods, after that first taste of luxury. Witnesses report one such incident aboard Barrier Gate, after a Xeno executed a green wingman who’d used the product he was supposed to be shipping. Even if you’re only in the trade for business, the GC and Rogues can tell you there’s always a catch in the contract.

[830 AS] Rampant human trafficking on Erie

ERIE -- 830 AS -- Scandal has rocked Planet Erie after videos leaked of LPI guards loading Insurgency prisoners onto Freelancer Vincent Ruthen’s Dromedary freighter. Public records indicate Ruthen has prior convictions for trafficking, while the freighter's manifest falsely claimed it was shipping Neon to Planet Denver. Outraged Zoner communities claim this is the "tip of the iceberg", describing widespread abuse at LPI operated internment camps. A Police official denounced the allegations of corruption, stating that "all prisoner transfers have been conducted within the framework of the legal code". He refused to comment on the evidence presented. The Erie Interim Administration has formally requested the LSF investigate the situation.

[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] The orange path to power

OURAY -- 830 -- Our persistence has paid off. Despite suffering hundreds dead to Outcast retaliation over the last 3 years, the De Angelis cartel have seen sense. The northern Clanheads have agreed a deal on Cardamine, cutting us into the De Angelis network. Ouray has already made plans with Freelancers from Fontana Freeport to smuggle goods into New York through the Jersey Debris Field. We’ll also use our contacts with the work gangs on Pittsburgh to get doses onto Manhattan with commuting mining crews. The Rogues and Junkers will try to stop us, but there’s too much at stake. This is the Xenos’ road to power.

[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] 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] LPI Colorado contract axed

ONE POLICE PLAZA -- 829 AS -- LPI stocks have tumbled after a double hammerblow of bad news. Commissioner Beverly Salcido confirmed the Attica Supermax prison had been decommissioned with immediate effect, citing “under occupancy”, and “expensive operating costs”. Government officials also announced that they would not be extending the Colorado Enhanced Private Security contract, because of disappointing performance and ballooning costs. The arrangement will lapse by year’s end, with the Liberty Navy resuming control of the Battleship Rio Grande and local security duties. Colorado Senator Tromer has insisted that fully privatization security, was still “the right idea, just at the wrong time for the people of Colorado.”

[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] Prison rumble

FONTANA FREEPORT -- 829 AS -- Liberty's underworld is abuzz with the shocking news that the LPI's infamous Attica Supermax prison has been... stolen. It's still unclear what happened there, but the LPI seem to have washed their hands of the situation, and left the Rogues and Xenos to brawl over an alleged mass breakout. What is known is the Attica Supermax prison is no longer where it should be, and the LPI is locking down that side of the system with a phony story about training exercises.

[829 AS] Colorado training exercises?

ONE POLICE PLAZA -- 829 AS -- The LPI has rerouted civilian traffic from Colorado's New York to Denver Trade Lane, locking off that part of the system. A force spokesman confirmed that the Battleship Rio Grande had been deployed for large scale training exercises involving newly formed Special Response Units. These squadrons were founded as a part of the pioneering Colorado private security contract, which saw the private police force take on many Navy duties. Since then, Ageira and other local businesses have complained of worsening security and patrol frequency, leading to a significantly higher spend on Bounty Hunters.

[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] Kepler Reopened

AMES -- 828 AS -- In line with Ageira's prediction prior to 801 AS, the darkmatter storm makes an appearance after nearly two decades and no doubt sets the cosmic standard for being fashionably late.

Presenting the potential for cataclysmic damage to personhood and property prompted Ageira to shut down the gates leading into the system, as well as the respective Trade Lanes. In the time since then however, Ames has relayed a stunning report that the storm despite being violent at first, has now settled into quite a passive albeit looming stance over the system. Perhaps more surprising than even this is the phenomena regarding the storm's interactions with the established lane and gate network in the system, seeming to bend and contort around the structure rather than engulf them. This stellar formation has produced the spatial equivalent of a tunnel that travelers into the freshly reopened Kepler have taken to dubbing the "Murky Road", prompting a small degree of sensationalized tourism into the system. Which comes as a small positive after the harsh loss of the otherwise frequent traffic.

This news comes at the tail end of previous publications that cited the storm as having origins in Alberta, supposedly arriving via some form of leakage through the jumpholes in the system. Newer research has allowed for discoveries which now suggest the contrary and this has in turn reinvigorated research into these storms and their enigmatic natures.

[828 AS] Underworld meeting goes sour

BARRIER GATE -- 827 -- Patrons were forced to dive for cover when a meeting on Barrier Gate’s Orange Deck went south. A delegation of Xenos met with Outcasts to “bury the hatchet” over recent attacks on the Cardamine trade. “I didn’t hear what they said, but the Outcast Donna laughed in their face, then all hell broke loose”, said Lucky Stevens. “It was a massacre. The Xenos didn’t stand a chance.” The Xenos recently knocked out Rochester Base, with most guessing they’re trying to cut into the drugs trade. One anonymous Xeno noted, “eventually they’ll see it’s better to have us in the tent and pissing out, than out the tent and pissing in.”

[827 AS] Senators claim private security is the future

DENVER -- 827 -- As the Battleship Rio Grande orbits overhead, System, Federal and LPI representatives have shaken hands on a new security arrangement. This marks the beginning of Liberty’s latest experiment in privatization, with the aging battleship being transferred to the LPI. The private police force will be taking over many of the Navy’s traditional duties in Colorado. Senator Tromer (LRP) lauded the move as introducing private sector efficiency into traditionally government-held roles, arguing a leaner security force could result in tax-cuts for Liberty citizens. Notably, representatives of the Liberty Navy were not present for the occasion.

[827 AS] A statement of intent

LIBERTY ROSE -- Today the Xeno Northern Alliance struck a blow against the Junkers of New York. A plan 20 years in the making, the newly restored Liberty Rose was used as a battering ram to knock down Rochester’s doors. The Rose’s unexpected arrival drew a lot of attention, causing panic among the Junkers. Using this distraction, Xeno bombers landed several torpedoes on Rochester, badly damaging it. They’ll be out of commission for the foreseeable, giving us a window to muscle in on their turf. The Rose was badly damaged in the battle, but we’ve successfully withdrawn her back to Ontario for assessment and repairs.

[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] Houston workers flock to the cause

BARROW -- 816 -- Chemical Fertilizer workers on Houston have been kicked in the teeth after Synth Foods outsourced their jobs to Rheinland. Liberty stood by and let the layoffs roll in, so now betrayed workers turn to us. The Xenos know what it's like to be kicked to the bottom, and we welcome these new brothers and sisters to the struggle as we fight our way to the top. The Houston clans are already training up these chemical workers as bomb makers and preparing them for the fight to come. Soon Houston will be a no-go zone for any foreign shipper.


Rumors

Xenos
  • The main drug-smuggling routes cross the eastern part of the Jersey Debris Field, which will be our turf someday. This would let us interdict the drug shipments headed to and from Rochester. If we could control the Liberty drug trade, we wouldn't have to scrape by.


  • Ever since Kepler got locked off, we can no longer safely get supplies from Ames. If anything, it's them who are in the market for buying some. You want to try making that run? Best of luck, but I'm in no rush to die.


  • We might not have the best equipment or ships, but we are a lot better organized than we were. It was getting so bad that LPI almost won and ripped us out of Colorado. But we have a focused agenda now: We lift supplies from Kusari shipping, a little extortion here and there, some salvaging, and we get by. This lets us attack our real enemies -- the Junkers in New York. Once we knock them out of Rochester, we'll corner the contraband trade in Liberty.


  • The Lane Hackers in Galileo are a bunch of pansy rich boys who can't do their own dirty work. It's that kind of attitude that has let foreigners come in and take jobs from the Liberty working man. At least they use Rogues to do their work for them and not Kusari pirates. That still makes the Rogues the pawns of the rich and lazy. Lane Hackers don't know what real work is, how hard it is for so many of us to survive.


  • When the Xenos began, we were just miners who kept getting shafted by Liberty. There were fewer and fewer jobs as the years rolled by. Finally, there was nothing left for us, no jobs, not unless you could use a data pad instead of an auto-digger. All our jobs were being done by somebody in Rheinland or Kusari. Well, we decided to take back what had been taken from us.


  • We used run supply shipments of Side Arms to Nome, our now-abandoned base in Kepler. A real shame, it was a pretty easy way to earn some quick cash.


  • The Rogues still hold the largest share of the Cardamine market, and that doesn't seem like it'll change any time soon. But at least now things will change, we're in a position to compete, and it's not like we have to care about splitting the pot with some lousy middleman like the Junkers. That means we can rely on more attractive prices to lure the rich pricks on Manhattan right into our pockets.