Planet Erie

From Discovery Wiki
Planet Erie
Owner
Liberty Police, Inc.
Location
F-4, Pennsylvania

DIAMETER: 10,921 km

MASS: 6.67 x 10e24 kg

TERRAIN: Terrestrial

TEMPERATURE: -53°C to 45°C

ESCAPE VELOCITY: 10.54 km/sec

Erie was first discovered by Liberty explorers in 679 AS. It was briefly considered as a potential option for the resettlement of 'undesirables' from Planet Houston, which had suffered from endemic issues of crime and unemployment since the Dallas Incident over a century earlier. Further surveys revealed a cool climate and a range of dangerous reptilian fauna that would pose a challenge to colonization efforts. The plans were temporarily shelved by the Senate on cost grounds, with any future attempts to revive the issue being killed by intense LPI lobbying. Self-identified Zoners would be the first to colonize Erie in 761 AS, with Erie's dangerous conditions promoting the formation of close-knit, well-armed and walled settlements. These sorts of Zoner communities continue to expand across Erie's wilderness to this day, despite Liberty's best efforts to control them.

Liberty would not be willing to tolerate an independent planet within its borders for long. It considered the growing colony to be a security risk due to the general lawlessness and lack of accountability to House authorities. The situation would come to a head when the LPI were ordered into the system in 778 AS, in response to persistent attacks on Liberty trade vessels by local pirates. This would mark the start of increasing Liberty influence over the planet, with several corporations opening offices and DSE constructing a docking ring by 782 AS. Many of the Zoner settlers reacted negatively to this encroaching presence, forming militias intended to safeguard their independence. Liberty chose to avoid an unnecessary conflict by offering the system protectorate status, affording the planet broad autonomy to govern its own affairs. Despite this, Liberty's culture, corporations and citizens would increasingly come to dominate life in Erie's largest settlements over the following years.

From 827 AS onward, Erie would receive increasing numbers of refugees from the ailing Liberty Insurgency movement. Liberty's demands that these individuals be deported as terrorists were strongly rebuffed by Zoner leaders, who argued that the Pennsylvania Protectorate Treaty gave them autonomy over the residency of Erie. Matters would once again reach breaking point in 830 AS, when an LSF monitoring satellite in orbit was destroyed - purportedly by Zoner militias. Liberty responded by dissolving the protectorate and landing troops on Erie, formally annexing the planet shortly after. This resulted in significant disorder, with wilderness militias frequently attacking Liberty security forces. Liberty has since established large internment camps on Erie where refugees from Vespucci are being held, pending trial for sedition. The LPI has been granted administration of these camps, with allegations of corruption and mismanagement quickly arising.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Agricultural Machinery 26$
Black Market Munitions 158$
Cracking Catalysts 80$
Hydrogen 34$
Medical Equipment 48$
Rum 74$
Detroit Light Arms 38$
Titanium 42$
Tungsten 46$
Vodka 71$
Whiskey 40$
Zinc 71$
Crew 202$
Military Surplus 892$
Black Market Pharmaceuticals 103$
Heavy Water 119$
Counterfeit Computerware 122$
Boron 19$
Cobalt 49$
Luxury Food 94$
Fertilizers 21$
MOX 44$
Optical Chips 22$
Construction Machinery 20$
Pharmaceuticals 25$
Polymers 50$
Optronics 117$
Luxury Consumer Goods 45$
Daumann Side Arms 100$
Gallic Enfer Blasters 156$
Black Market Blasters 195$
Ageira Gate/Lane Parts 476$
Black Market Light Arms 89$
Kemwer Technologies 249$
Volgograd Ordinance 232$
APM Advanced Hardware 168$
Gaian Wildlife 380$
Holotainment Bands 165$
Black Market Augments 173$
Pineal Amulets 138$
Tobacco 84$
Wine 87$
Cigars 175$
Hypnotainment Bands 224$
Industrial Materials 22$
Marines 537$
Munitions 21$
Tea 25$
Xenobiotic Filters 38$
HazMat Canisters 126$
Fire Pearls 79$
Biodome Materials 73$
Iron 17$
Bioproduce 20$
Xeno Relics 218$
Hessian Tears 229$
Molybdenum 232$
Copper 188$
Diamonds 226$
H-Fuel 115$
Aluminium 223$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Casualties 5,000$
Oxygen 1$
Water 1$
Basic Alloy 5$
Hangar Provisions 250$
Bretonian Refugees 5,000$
Criminal Cells (Liberty) 14,485$
Liberty Ale 28$
Food Rations 36$
Neon 6$
Synth Paste 20$
Passenger Cabin (Liberty) 15,113$
Deuterium 154$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Beetle Heavy Fighter 26,442$
Locust Very Heavy Fighter 32,880$
Armored Transport Transport 38,506$


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] Interspace addresses Pennsylvania piracy

PLANET ERIE -- 835 AS -- Interspace has issued a new report describing Pennsylvania as the most dangerous of Liberty’s core systems. Since Erie’s annexation, Zoner Militants have been responsible for the majority of strikes against corporate and government entities on Erie and in space, however this has begun to change. LSF raids targeting dissident leaders appear to have set back Militant activities, while Liberty Rogue and Xeno attacks have continued to rise -- driven by the influx of impoverished Liberty settlers seeking a fresh start. LPI sources admitted that the Militants continued to be a severe problem, buoyed by disgruntled Zoners and reconstituting Insurgency survivors.

[835 AS] Erie camps scheduled to close

PLANET ERIE -- 835 AS -- For several years, internment camps on Erie have held captives from the Insurgency Campaign. Most were residents of the Commonwealth terrorist state, or Insurgency combatants. Newly appointed governor Mike Davis has confirmed that the last of the camps will be emptied by year’s end, as court backlogs are cleared and captives finally processed. Common sentences include corrective labor on Planet Houston. While most internees once possessed Liberty citizenship, some were Bretonian Refugees. Bretonia publicly applauds Liberty’s apprehension of Insurgency “terrorist agents”, but it is believed private negotiations on repatriation have been a point of contention for some time.

[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] 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] 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] 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] 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] New governor appointed to Erie

PLANET ERIE – 834 -- Veteran political troubleshooter Mike Davis has been dispatched to Pennsylvania as Planet Erie’s new governor. Davis’ policy team is renown for presiding over the economic regeneration of Planet Denver, and guiding the controversial LPI sweeps that pushed out many less affluent citizens. Since its annexation in 830 AS, Erie has continued to prove troublesome for the Interim Administration there. Davis’ appointment as governor appears to indicate a directive from Manhattan to finish pacifying the unruly frontier, to pave the way for full assimilation as a core Liberty territory. Governor Davis has his work cut out for him, as previous efforts have been violently resisted by Erie Militants.

[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] 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] Liberty addresses Gold concerns

LOS ANGELES -- 833 -- While speaking at an industry event, Secretary of Commerce Trombly responded to Interspace’s startling report on the Bretonian Gold Crisis. Liberty has long been reliant on Gold imports for a range of purposes, with the current scarcity causing prices to spike and damaging economic growth. Bretonia’s continued blockade of the Dublin System has so far failed to dislodge the Molly revolutionaries within, while causing further damage to the broader Sirian economy. Trombly confirmed that, “Liberty does not see a viable short-term military resolution to this issue,” and called upon Bretonia to enter into negotiations with the Mollys, offering limited relief on wartime debts as an incentive.

[833 AS] Sorderi's Case Escalated To Planetary Court

MANHATTAN -- 833 AS -- The Sorderi case has moved to the next stage, as Cryer Pharmaceuticals appeals the decision made by a district court on Manhattan ruling them liable for the death of Kella Sorderi.

In a case which has gripped the nation, Sorderi's death due to Cardamine withdrawal was ruled "expected and calculated" by Cryer due to the treatment plan presented by them, which Sorderi had followed. The case now moves to the Manhattan Planetary Court.

Sorderi's family has expressed disappointment at the decisions, her mother stating: "This is an endless battle, and we don't have endless ammo! Our girl's dead because of them and they're just going to keep this going forever!".

Sorderi's fans, also known as "Rosebuds" for her net alias "Bloodrose", have vowed to continue fighting and are planning protests before the Manhattan court. Clashes have already been reported in Sorderi's home town of Opera, JN, as police were forced to use tear gas against enraged followers of the star who feel the trial is becoming lost in bureaucracy.

[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] Explosions rock Erie's capital

PLANET ERIE -- 832 AS -- Citizens of Lake City awoke this morning to rippling explosions targeting the LPI garrison. While no group has yet claimed these attacks, the LSF was quick to accuse Erie Militants. Twenty three LPI officers were killed, with eighteen more wounded. The Erie Interim Administration was quick to condemn the attacks, which resulted in the single largest loss of serving officers since the end of the campaign against the Insurgency. A crackdown on suspected militia groups is expected in the coming days, following the deployment of further Marine reinforcements to the troublesome frontier planet.

[832 AS] Cardamine Withdrawal Epidemic!

MANHATTAN -- 832 AS -- Reports of Cardamine withdrawal-related hospitalizations have surged to unprecedented levels, with a specific hospital on Planet Manhattan recording a staggering 450%% increase compared to the previous year. A growing number of addicts are seeking emergency medical care, apparently unable to obtain their regular dose of the highly addictive drug. Symptoms of withdrawal rapidly progress into severe sickness, pushing many of these individuals into critical condition.

While this troubling trend is observed throughout the Sirius colonies, Liberty is bearing the brunt of the crisis among the four major Houses. Remarkably, even Rheinland, where historical data indicated low Cardamine consumption, has witnessed a notable rise in medical cases linked to the illicit narcotic. Experts postulate that the extensive black market responsible for Cardamine distribution might be facing a shortage, or worse, that Outcast factions deliberately curtail the supply to bolster demand. Regrettably, no law enforcement agency has been available for comment on these concerns.

The long-standing debate over Cardamine's controversial nature, juxtaposing its euphoric and purported medicinal qualities with the genetic alterations it inflicts upon long-term users, continues to echo. A key point of contention revolves around the plight of innocent consumers caught in this crisis. Yet, according to independent polls, a substantial majority of our viewers maintains that the substance must remain banned.

In response to this escalating crisis, Cryer Pharmaceuticals has announced a forthcoming press conference. During the event, the company intends to unveil plans for an expanded production of Stabiline, their touted "wonder drug". This announcement promises affordable access to Stabiline for all patients grappling with Cardamine withdrawal, sparking a remarkable 15%% surge in Cryer Pharmaceuticals' stock following the revelation.

[831 AS] Neural Net Influencer Found Dead

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Socialite and media influencer Kella Sorderi, better known under her Neural Net alias "Bloodrose", was found dead in her Manhattan apartment earlier this week, aged 29. The preliminary autopsy has suggested an overdose and the death is not being treated as suspicious by the Liberty Police Inc. at this time.

Sorderi had made a name for herself by, among other things, speaking candidly about her Cardamine dependency and her attempts to overcome it by alternative pharmacological means. Though the circumstances of her death remain uncertain, theories abound which implicate the products of Cryer Pharmaceuticals that she had long championed as the future of Cardamine-dependent persons in the colonies.

"Cryer killed our baby!", says father Ernest Sorderi. "They used her as a guinea pig for their unproven treatments, and the reality was a family losing their daughter! We will pursue ALL legal means to find justice for her!"

The Neural Net is awash with an outpouring of sympathy from Sorderi's fans and scrutiny surrounding her sudden death.

[831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'!

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] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout

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

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.

[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] 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] Navy bloodied by Pennsylvania strike

WILLIAMSTOWN DEPOT -- 829 -- The Liberty Navy have been struck an embarrassing blow in their campaign to scour the Insurgency from the Independent Worlds. The Navy has been carrying out combat operations across Kansas, but staging its forces and logistics from Pennsylvania. In an attempt to disrupt the Navy’s inevitable advance towards their heartlands, the Insurgency launched a surprise raid on Williamstown Depot. Liberty authorities have tersely commented that search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, but it appears the fuel and munitions store detonated after being struck by multiple torpedoes. When asked for comment, President Hawthorne stated simply that she would not discuss ongoing combat operations.

[829 AS] On the ropes

ERIE -- 829 AS -- With the Navy's obsessive focus on ousting the Insurgency reaching a boiling point, Pennsylvania continues to suffer despite assurances put in place under the Protectorate agreement. The LPI's response times are on average reported to be sorely lacking, and the mounting criminal presence has motivated the formation of several local militias. To the average resident it seems as if Erie will simply have to fend for itself while Liberty bloodies its nose, content to be an absentee master rather than a partner.

[828 AS] Shotgun Diplomacy

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.

[823 AS] Liberty and Rheinland formally end conflict

NEW BERLIN -- 823 -- President Powell and Chancellor Neumann have signed the Treaty of Atka formally ending the state of war between their two Houses. 6 years of devastating conflict has seen tens of thousands killed and both Houses severely economically damaged. The agreement sees Rheinland cede all claims on Planet Atka, while Hudson and Bering are split in half, creating two security zones. The boundary between these two zones remains neutral territory, to be policed by the Bounty Hunters Guild under a joint contract. In return, Liberty has agreed to immediately end all economic sanctions, and fund 85% of the Jump Gate cleanup and reconstruction project.

[817 AS] Liberty Declares Border Security Zone

HUDSON -- 817 -- In a significant escalation to ongoing tensions, Liberty has established a Border Security Zone in the two Independent Worlds of Bering and Hudson. President Powell announced that the Liberty Navy will maintain a blockade along what Liberty deems its zone of control. This is purportedly to prevent intrusions by the Rheinland Military, and thwart attempts to facilitate terrorist attacks in Liberty territory. All civilian shipping bound for Liberty through the affected systems are now being stopped for mandatory inspections. Rheinland has furiously condemned the move as military aggression, and called the deployment a flagrant violation of the Boorman Treaty.

[816 AS] Houses clash over Hudson terraforming

PLANET ATKA -- 816 AS -- Rheinland has reacted with outrage at the discovery of Cold Bay Depot, a Planetform terraforming outpost recently constructed in orbit of Planet Atka. Hudson’s status has been the subject of friction between Liberty and Rheinland for decades, however Liberty appears to have grown tired with the impasse and unilaterally commissioned further terraforming surveys and ground preparation. Rheinland has set an ultimatum for the “illegal” station to be dismantled within one month, threatening to do so by force if the neutrality of the contested Independent World is not respected. Liberty has rejected the demand, and declared that it is prepared to defend its intrinsic economic interests in the region.

[807 AS] Colony War demilitarization complete

ODER SHIPYARD -- 807 -- With the deconstruction of the Battleship Goethe, the Rheinland Government has announced that the post-Colony War process of demilitarization has been completed. The Federal Audit Office has also provided a damning report to the Schweizer Commission, indicating that the bulk of the hulls examined were built to cheap, 80-Years War grade, rather than the modernized standards billed for by Daumann and Republican. Opposition politicians have called for the corporations to be charged with fraud. Addressing the Reichstag, Councillor Stellar announced that the day "closed a door on a dark period of Rheinland’s history".

[801 AS] Provisional Rheinland Government demilitarizes

POTSDAM -- 801 -- The Provisional Rheinland Government has begun urgent and immediate demilitarization. PRG representatives advised this was an absolute necessity to prevent Rheinland’s imminent financial collapse, and had been a requirement for both Bretonia and Liberty to drop heavy reparation demands. It is expected that these cuts will reduce the Rheinland Military’s headcount by over 80%%, leaving tens of thousands unemployed. This will reduce the force to levels last seen in 794 AS, prior to Chancellor Niemann’s build-up program. Already huge formations of capital ships have been mothballed in orbit of Potsdam, awaiting shipyard space for deconstruction.

[801 AS] Kusari imposes embargo on Rheinland

NEW TOKYO -- 801 -- Shogun Edo has announced that a full economic embargo of Rheinland will be imposed by Kusari due to the outrages of the Colony Wars. Liberty’s President Jacobi has taken a leading role in mediation between Rheinland and the other Houses, with the Provisional Rheinland Government offering a message of condolence to the Kusari people for the actions of the toppled previous regime. Despite this, Kusari has remained resolute that no normalization of relations will be considered until full reparations are made for the devastation in Honshu and New Tokyo, and the many crimes Kusari alleges were perpetrated there.


Rumors

Liberty Police, Inc.
  • Now, if you're of the more sane variety, you can catch a ride to Gran Canaria. Now that's a trip worth making. Blue skies, fields of green, women who are built like statues of... hot women. Ah, that's the life, my friend. Not that I've been there, mind you. Couldn't budge em off Erie for nothin'. But you look like you're the sort who might like that sort of thing.


  • This place is nice and safe, enjoy it. At least, that is what my friends tell me. The problem is, they're all earning the big bucks at Houston while I'm stuck here watching paint dry and listening to Zoner cattle ranchers having a quiet beer after a day of farming. I'm telling you, this place ain't for me. I've requested a transfer several times, but I always get told that there are no available positions. Those damn pen pushers up at the city hall really annoy me sometimes.


  • I got transferred here from Denver, my routine used to be locking up strung out vagrants with nowhere else to go. Now I'm just chasing down kids in flashy speeders who think being rebellious is cool. Can't say if this any better or worse, but it does feel like the brats deserve some time on the Wall unlike the old timers.


  • Got my second bonus this month, with this planet opening up for our operations it's been really easy to book people for petty crimes. I think I'll aim for a promotion next, corner office maybe? Bah! Another round will do for now!


  • Looking for a good time, eh? Well you won't find one here. While the Zoners own this planet officially, they'll only keep it as long as they stay in Liberty's good graces. Therefore you'll not find too much illegal stuff going on here. Certainly nothing like you'll find out at Freeport 2 in Bering. Shame, really. It might liven up my job a bit.


  • I just pulled a typical eight hour shift here. Once I'm done, I'm done. I don't care if someone commits a crime in front of me, I'm off home. The company doesn't pay overtime. Besides, the chances of a crime happening on this planet are remote. Half of the time I even get put in charge of traffic control. You know how many I've arrested this week? Yeah, that's right. I haven't arrested anyone. This posting sucks.


  • If you've got your own ship, then you should talk to the dealers down at the space port. Erie's main export is Neon, as the atmosphere has an unusually high concentration of the stuff. You can ship it to Freeports, research stations, storage depots, all the major planets. People are mad for Neon, brother. Stark raving mad for the stuff!


  • I'm told that Liberty has invested loads into this planet, but it sure doesn't look like it. There isn't even a single strip club on the planet. Sure, there are plenty of bars, and there is an entertainment complex for movies and stuff that was built back in 812 AS, but that's about your lot. I hear that the entertainment facilities on Philadelphia are better, though. Gotta check them out sometime.


  • If you want to catch the transport to Freeport 9, you had better hurry down to the space port. I hear it's pretty hard to get a ticket, demand is so high. Beats me what people want to go out there to the Omicrons for. Nothin' but Corsairs and Bounty Hunters from what I hear. Oh, yeah, aliens too. Lots of squishy aliens who infect you with all sorts of mung. Can you believe they ship them aliens in to Cali Minor for terraforming? The whole sector's gone nuts!


Synth Foods, Inc.
  • I just delivered a load of Synth Gel to Harrisburg. Say what you will, but staying inside Liberty is one of the more healthy assignments for a Synth Foods pilot. In Kusari the Farmers Alliance will kill you quick if they catch you. In Rheinland the LWB will do much the same.


  • Bretonia never developed a taste for Synth products, despite our best marketers having done agressive campaigns there. I think they took the wrong strategy alltogether personally. Undercutting Cambridge by going straight to BMM, and "arranging" for the Food distribution on Leeds to be handled by us would have been a perfect strategy - and would have given the Green Party the finger in the process. Another lost opportunity I suppose.


  • I'll be heading back to Riverside with a load of Neon. The gas is used in various cryostatic systems in the Synth Food labs, but those systems do need an occasional refill. Many labs require Neon for this purpose, although it's more commonly known for being used in gas discharge lights.


Universal Shipping
  • This is a nice quiet corner of Liberty space. I wouldn't mind settling down on Erie some day. The place is too rugged for the Liberty elite, yet important enough to warrant an LPI presence. If it stays that way, I wager this planet will see a large influx of middleclass folk.


  • Basic Alloy is another of Erie's main exports. It is a very versatile alloy that is used for shipbuilding, stationbuilding and many consumer goods. I'm planning to ship the load that's being prepared now to Baltimore Shipyard, which isn't all that far.


  • Erie's primary export is Neon, which is relatively abundant in it's atmosphere. More so then most planets, and it's far more economic to harvest it from a planetary atmosphere then from gas giants. Neon extraction and purification plants account for nearly a quarter of the planet's industry. We ship it almost anywhere - Kusari, Bretonia, even as far as the Sigmas. Ironic isn't it? To bring gas to the GMG?


Bounty Hunters Guild
  • Huh, you wanna know about my name? My parents had a real sense of humour, I guess. I love it though! You don't even want to know my middle name, although it begins with F. Anyway, it kinda fits with what I do, so I ain't complaining.


  • I was born on planet Hamburg originally, and lived there for quite a few years. My father was an executive for Republican Shipping while my mother worked in the offices that Universal Shipping has on Hamburg. They were killed in 807 AS by a Liberty Rogue ambush on the Texas side of the Jump Gate when their transport was destroyed. I considered joining the Rheinland Military, but they're too strict and they can't operate in Liberty, so I joined the Bounty Hunters Guild. I mainly target the Liberty Rogues and look for information on Rogue hideouts, and eventually I'll find out which ones killed my parents. And those won't end up on Sugarland by the time I'm done with them.


  • You should have seen that fight I was in earlier! Two Xenos tried to intercept me near the Texas jump hole and I had to bank so hard that I nearly slammed into an asteroid. I just managed to dodge it, but the Xeno tailing me wasn't so lucky. Then the second Xeno slipped into my sights and bam! I took it out with several well-placed shots from my Buckshots. That'll be another 60,000 credits in my pocket for those two.


  • I would say don't listen to my friend, Max Flight, but unfortunately his bragging isn't just bragging. He really is one of the best fighter pilots I have ever met. I guess he was aptly named. He might have a loud mouth, but you can rely on him to back you up in a fight. He took out seven Liberty Rogue fighters by himself last week, while I was out on patrol with him. I only killed two others. If it hadn't been for him and his prowess in a fighter craft, I think the Rogues might have killed us both.


  • Yeah, I bagged me three Xenos earlier! Whoo! The Guild gets paid 40,000 credits by Liberty for every Xeno it takes out, and I get paid half of that. Then, I can send the kill records to Ageira for another 10,000 credits each. If I manage to take a Xeno captive, I can sell him to the LPI for 10,000! Not a bad job at all, eh?


  • I quite like this system, its quiet and the law doesn't bother you too much. There are quite a few bounties to be had here too, mostly Liberty Rogue and Xenos. Most of my compatriots work out of Houston, but this system has quite a few jump holes connecting to several other Liberty systems, and the criminals use them all the time. All I have to do is sit here and let them come through the jump holes, then zap em. Easy enough, eh?


Cryer Pharmaceuticals
  • Neon is very important in our medicinal production facilities. Nearly all cryostatic equipment relies on it as an energy transfer agent. Erie is one of the cheapest sources of this gas, and because of it's inert nature it is not classified as a hazardous material, so transporting it does not require any special security measures.


  • The Rogues and the Xenos... Sure, on the one hand they make life dangerous for us. On the other hand, they create business for us. Plasma burns, limb replacements. And for the higher ranking Rogues who Liberty wants to keep alive, Stabiline. They generate as much business as we lose to them, unlike most other corporations.


  • Pennsylvania doesn't usually require large quantities of Pharmaceuticals. The medical facilities on this planet are the only ones that really use them. Most of the people on this planet don't have the credits for any "lifestyle supplements" either, so usually we don't take cargo here.


Liberty Security Force
  • The Zoners colonized planet Erie in 761 AS, but Liberty moved into the system in 768 AS, after we realised that we'd screwed up in not bothering to colonize this system. I arrived here in '09, and enjoyed it so far. We've had a few problems with the Zoners on occasion, and we hear from our sources that the Xenos and the Liberty Rogues have both set up bases in the system fairly recently, but with the Gettysburg in orbit I doubt we'll get any problems on the planet itself.


  • I love this planet. It is so quiet and peaceful. There is hardly any crime here either. Officially the Zoners control Erie, but naturally Liberty has a vested interest here. I was posted here to keep my ears open for any information or rumours that might come my way, but there is hardly ever anything. Like I said, this place is quiet and peaceful. I'd prefer it if it stayed that way, although some people wouldn't, like that LPI officer, Jake Bullet.


  • Why'd I join the LSF? Good pay, good hours, good medical care. It is not a bad job if you are careful. What did I do before this? Well I was a model doing work on Denver, and I still do some from time to time. Do you know that I was crowned Miss Alaska amongst the LSF? Maybe I'll even run for a senator position on Manhattan someday. Uh, you're asking me where Alaska is? Um... uh... it's a suburb of Crichton Springs on Denver. Yeah.


Zoners
  • I've lived on Erie all my life, right here in the planetary capital city of Lake City. My parents were advocates of the Zoner way of life, and helped settle this planet when I was only 5 years old. There used to be quite a few virulent microorganisms on Erie, but they can only be transmitted by insect bites. Thankfully, all of the insect carriers were eliminated during the initial settlement, so you don't need to worry about getting any shots during your stay.


  • This planet used to feel like an escape from how rigid life in Liberty feels, but now we're all caught up in civil unrest, and there's a warship in orbit. Where did it all go wrong?


  • I would give my left arm for a fresh orange juice! We can travel the stars and colonize hundreds of worlds, but what for? We eat Synth Paste and drink recycled water. Say, have you ever encountered a transport hauling the famous Liberty Ale?


  • You can get a good price for Gaian Wildlife here, if you happen to be over in Bretonia and are thinking of shipping something back. Of course, the Bretonian and Liberty governments generally consider those live animals from planet Gaia in the Edinburgh system to be illegal, so watch yourself if you choose to transport them. Still, think of the money.


  • Liberty was always going to occupy this planet. All this talk about peaceful coexistence is crap, the Houses don't like competition in close proximity. As far as straws go, we drew the shortest one possible by deciding to settle down here. I wish I had somewhere else to go.


  • Cattle ranches are big business on Erie, although in the southern hemisphere there is quite a considerable amount of atmospheric mining for Neon. There's a lot of Neon gas in the atmosphere, and it's extremely useful for various commercial applications, so the scientists and bigwigs tell me. I don't care really, so long as they leave me and my cattle alone.


  • Looking for jump holes? Hmm, I can tell you where one is. Look on your Nav map. You'll find the Texas jump hole to the far south of this planet, even further south than the suns in this system. Be careful though, I hear there's a Xeno base out that way.


  • Liberty was always going to occupy this planet. All this talk about peaceful coexistence is crap, the Houses don't like competition in close proximity. As far as straws go, we drew the shortest one possible by deciding to settle down here. I wish I had somewhere else to go.

  • You know ... why do missiles explode after a while? Must have been a genius applying such a trigger. Or some poor soul who has a stray missile rain down on his home...


  • Erie is a large Neon exporter - it has a number of commercial applications that have made it valuable. It is most commonly used in cryogenics and refrigeration since Nitrogen and Helium are rather more expensive to mine, and it is also used in constructing laser weaponry and some lights. Of course, since the annexation, most of the Zoner plants were "sold" to Liberty corporations or closed down over "regulatory violations".


  • Ack... I should really move to Gran Canaria. Two suns, white beaches, naked companions and fresh drinks. It is also the only place you can see a Corsair playing with a beach ball wearing nothing but a pair of short pants.


  • I was born on Los Angeles, but I grew sick of the endless smell of Synth Crop on the wind. I'm telling you now, it's disgusting. Then again, maybe you like Synth Paste? You look the type. In any case, I eventually got tired of living in the corporate state that is Liberty and decided to head out and live on Freeport 2 for a while, before being asked by a few friends to come here. It's not a bad place, but not where I envisioned ending up. Still, it is better than Los Angeles.


  • This planet used to feel like an escape from how rigid life in Liberty feels, but now we're all caught up in civil unrest, and there's a warship in orbit. Where did it all go wrong?

  • Keep your head down, LPI's everywhere nowadays and looking for anyone even remotely suspicious to fill out their quotas. They're calling it the renaissance of the prison industry, hell of a thing.


  • I know of a jump hole to the California system, in the far west of the system in relation to your nav map display. I hear either the Rogues or the Junkers have a base somewhere out that way too, but I wouldn't put too much stock in rumours. Never been out that way myself, I tend to stick to the Trade Lane network wherever I can, it is much safer.


  • I work in the Neon mining industry in the south, and it pays well enough. While Neon isn't flammable or particularly toxic, the gas requires an extensive cooling plant in order to seperate it from the atmosphere. When the coolers fail, the gases boil quickly and the tanks can explode. Ruptures in the tanks can also snapfreeze anyone standing close by in case of a spill. Not a very nice way to go...


  • I'm in charge of one of the heavy transports that make the run from here to Corfu carrying supplies of Neon gas for the researchers there. I'm not sure why they need so much of the gas. Maybe they're doing some kind of cryogenic research there... It is a long run and quite dangerous in places, especially in the Omegas, but it is worth it once you get there. I will soon have earned enough to retire.


  • Aside from the Neon industry, most of Erie is rural, or even still wilderness. The colonies on this planet are still quite young, it'll take ages to settle the entire planet. That suits us Zoners fine, it'll mean it's a generation or two yet before this planet becomes so crowded that the Zoner way of life becomes impossible here.


  • Keep your head down, LPI's everywhere nowadays and looking for anyone even remotely suspicious to fill out their quotas. They're calling it the renaissance of the prison industry, hell of a thing.

  • There was a battle in early 767 AS, right here in Lake City, which is the capital city of planet Erie as I'm sure you youngsters know already. We Zoners may be pacifistic and we try to keep a neutral stance, but we still get attacked, so we always have armed security for our protection. Anyway, these pirates attacked us and they'd landed their own forces to take control of the planet. Thing is, we don't like thuggish upstarts trying to take our homes away from us, and we gave 'em hell. Unfortunately, there were more of 'em than there were of us and if it weren't for the Liberty Navy intervening, Erie'd probably be a pirate stronghold by now. Of course, I doubt Liberty saved us out of the goodness of their hearts, as they themselves moved into the system a year later, but we still owe them our lives, so I guess we've got to thank them Libertonians for something.