| Planet Houston | |
| Owner | |
| Liberty Police, Inc. | |
| Location | |
| F-4, Texas |
DIAMETER: 8,201 km.
MASS: 3.38 x 10e24 kg.
TERRAIN: Desert
TEMPERATURE: -88°C to 100°C
ESCAPE VELOCITY: 9.02 km/sec
Houston is an arid world whose population has slowly increased since settlement; these mostly consist of what Manhattanites would term "the economically undesirable", many of them former inmates of the orbiting prison stations. The cheap labour force has attracted a number of industries, however, including a major Deep Space Engineering manufacturing plant specializing in Nanocapacitor production.
Houston's biggest industry, however, is fuelled by Liberty's criminal element; the vast majority of Libertonian prisoners are housed in the system and prison gangs from the Huntsville and the Sugarland, as well as rehabilitated former inmates looking to go straight, power Texan industries.
Both the Liberty Police, Inc. and the Bounty Hunters Guild maintain their respective local headquarters on the planet; the Bounty Hunters Guild is thicker here than anywhere else in Sirius. After all, not only forcing prisoners to labour is profitable; capturing them is vital, too. Houston is most often "visited" by (former and current) Liberty Rogues and Xenos.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rhino | Freighter | 19,206$ |
| Falcon | Heavy Fighter | 24,778$ |
| Piranha | Light Fighter | 19,952$ |
News
| [835 AS] Interspace voids Coronado Trade Lane policy |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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] H-Fuel prices spike as market volatility increases |
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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 |
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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 |
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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] Gold insecurity invites crisis |
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WATERLOO -- 833 -- Interspace analysts have published a report on the continued volatility of sector-wide Gold supplies, claiming that further instability invites disaster. The reports note the pressures placed on advanced Optronics, Bio-Neural Processor and Quantum Multiplexor manufacturing were already causing spiraling cost increases in adjacent market sectors. Market analysis also indicates that the bulk of Bretonian exports now consist of recycled and in some cases adulterated materials, likely indicating that stockpiles are running low. Interspace has called upon House authorities to collectively find the means of addressing the Dublin question before economic crisis becomes inevitable. |
| [833 AS] Stabline prices spike after Atka destruction |
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SIGMA-17 -- 833 -- Cryer’s share prices have tumbled on the news that Atka Research Station has been destroyed by brutal Outcast pirates. The remote station served as the primary manufacturing point for the revolutionary drug Stabline, which had promised to eradicate Cardamine dependency across the Colonies. Spokeswoman Alicia Fisher confirmed that critical staff and research materials were successfully evacuated due to the timely intervention of private security forces and the GMG. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer has begun emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore options. |
| [833 AS] Sorderi's Case Escalated To Planetary Court |
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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 |
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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] Houses outraged by Roppongi attack |
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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] Cardamine Withdrawal Epidemic! |
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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 |
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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'! |
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ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin Jump Gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source. |
| [831 AS] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout |
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AMES RESEARCH STATION -- 831 -- Independent researchers have announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, destroying many of the sector’s most sensitive and finely tuned observatories. Surviving data about 'The Pulse' has been widely shared across the neural net in recent days, prompting mass speculation. Professor Katsuma Oster of Ames Research Station described the signal as “astounding”. “These readings are unprecedented, as if reality itself were struck like a gong.” House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to share their own observatories' data. |
| [831 AS] 'Blackout' causes jump network failure |
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MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When communications resumed 31 hours later, the news broke of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged markets into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of causing the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's Jump Gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. |
| [830 AS] Rampant human trafficking on Erie |
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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! |
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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 |
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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 |
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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] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part II |
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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 |
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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 |
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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] Ontario festers |
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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] Fingers in the broth |
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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. |
| [823 AS] Liberty and Rheinland formally end conflict |
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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. |
| [818 AS] Liberty corporations face uneasy future in Rheinland |
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NEW BERLIN -- 818 AS -- Chancellor Reinhardt has vetoed a motion from the Reichstag to expel Liberty corporations from Rheinland, in retaliation for Liberty's expulsion of Daumann, Kruger and Republican Shipping. The demands included the immediate nationalization of Planet Stuttgart and for sanctions to be leveled against Ageira Technologies, DSE, OS&C, and Interspace Commerce. The Chancellor’s Office explained that such actions would have far-reaching consequences, scaring away investors and driving Rheinland back to the financial ruin last seen in the days following the Colony Wars. Synth Foods is the single largest tax contributor in Rheinland, while other Liberty corporations provide essential services around freight insurance and Jump Gate maintenance. |
| [817 AS] War with Rheinland! |
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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] President Powell Grilled in Senate |
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MANHATTAN -- 817 AS -- Former President Barbara Jacobi, now a senator and a member of the Liberty Reform Party, has sharply criticized President Powell for “reckless escalation that has driven us to the brink of war with Rheinland”. Jacobi famously opted not to press Rheinland for reparations after the Colony Wars, likewise persuading Bretonia to drop their own claims. President Powell fiercely disagreed with this position, and based his election campaign on the feeling that Liberty had been “weak” in failing to punish Rheinland for the conflict. Jacobi and other members of the Reform Party have continued to condemn Powell’s policies, and called for immediate deescalation to find a peaceful solution. |
| [817 AS] Liberty Declares Border Security Zone |
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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. |
| [817 AS] Planetform freighter bombed on Houston |
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HOUSTON -- 817 -- A Planetform Inc supply freighter has been destroyed while taking on provisions at Planet Houston. The blast destroyed the Clydesdale, killing the two crew members and injuring a number of local workers. Liberty authorities have furiously blamed Rheinland for the strike, promising dire consequences for the “terrorist attack”. Rheinland officials have denied the accusation, pointing instead at Xeno radicals who have previously attacked Planetform operations in the region. “Before pointing fingers at us, Liberty should first look to the sorry state of its own internal security. The Xenos have been an unchecked menace in Texas for decades,” commented Hamburg Reichstag representative Hans Baier. |
| [816 AS] Houses clash over Hudson terraforming |
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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. |
| [816 AS] Rheinland Torpedoes Talks on Hudson Status |
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HUDSON -- 816 -- Liberty’s newly elected President Powell has demanded talks with Rheinland on the status of the Hudson border. Liberty has long had ambitions of annexing the system, with Rheinland at several points coming close to selling their consent for the move. Since the last substantive round of negotiations collapsed in 812 AS, Rheinland has remained non-committal on the issue. This ended with a statement by Chancellor Reinhardt declaring Rheinland would “never countenance” auctioning away the “integral” border system, pointing to economic and defense interests. Powell blasted Reinhardt in return, arguing that Liberty was “owed” compensation for Colony War damages, and that Rheinland had a duty to negotiate in good faith. |
| [816 AS] Synth cuts Houston contracts |
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HOUSTON -- 816 -- Synth Foods representatives have confirmed that they intend to axe supply contracts with several of Houston's major Fertilizer plants, arguing that alternate sources on Planet Holstein were now "cheaper, safer and closer" for their Stuttgart operations. The agri-giant is the single largest consumer of chemical Fertilizers in Sirius, leaving an enormous hole in Houston's order book. Several plants have already confirmed that lay-offs will be necessary as production is scaled back, likely leading to tens of thousands of redundancies. |
| [808 AS] Rio Grande puts pirates to the sword |
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RIO GRANDE -- 808 -- The Battleship Rio Grande and its fleet has carried out an expansive counter-piracy campaign in Hudson. Attacks on convoys in the region have already markedly dropped, with dozens of destroyed Liberty Rogue, Unioner and Xeno ships reported. Rheinland's Chancellor Steller called the deployment of the battleship into the border system ‘unlawful’, while the Rheinland Military announced a strategic defense review to probe its readiness levels. The Rio Grande’s ‘take no prisoners’ posture has also drawn criticism from Houston’s congressional representatives, who argue depriving the pirates the possibility of reform through the Liberty penal system is a breach of their human rights. Liberty says it was ‘forced’ to act by Rheinland’s failure to police the system adequately. |
| [807 AS] Liberty concerned by Rheinland pirates |
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FREEPORT 2 -- 807 -- Liberty has raised a formal complaint with New Berlin over the deteriorating security situation in Hamburg, Bering and Hudson. Pirate attacks in the border worlds have risen dramatically over recent years, as Rheinland plunges ever deeper into economic crisis. The Rheinland Military advise that they do not have the resources to schedule additional patrols, while Liberty corporations claim that existing patrols rarely respond to emergency calls. Liberty Navy sources warn that unless Rheinland steps up, the Navy is going to be forced to ‘clean house’ itself. Preliminary discussions about a Liberty-funded RFP border force are ongoing, however Rheinland is reluctant to accept more Liberty debts. |
| [803 AS] Hudson negotiations stall |
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HUDSON -- 803 -- The Hudson border world between Liberty and Rheinland is a dangerous and lawless place. Liberty has long had an interest in annexing the system, having previously commissioned terraforming surveys of Planet Atka. In 800 AS, Rheinland had come close to selling its consent for the move, until Chancellor Niemann abruptly withdrew from negotiations. Liberty has since requested renewed talks in exchange for substantial investment and debt relief packages, but the newly elected Chancellor Steller declined, saying that he would not “make territorial concessions in a time of crisis.” Despite this, Liberty appears unwilling to abandon its ambitions in the region. |
Rumors
| Bounty Hunters Guild |
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| Cryer Pharmaceuticals |
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| Deep Space Engineering |
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| Liberty Police, Inc. |
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| Junkers |
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| Liberty Navy |
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| Synth Foods, Inc. |
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| Universal Shipping |
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