| South Shields Refinery | |
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| Owner | |
| Independent Miners Guild | |
| Location | |
| E/F-4/3, Newcastle |
CLASS: Loch Ness
GRAVITY: Complete
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: 3570
South Shields Refinery is a large mining and processing complex orbiting the gas giant Hartlepool. The Independent Miners Guild first arrived in Newcastle in 668 AS, to significant controversy. Border World Exports had announced promising astronomical studies of the star the year before, and later dispatched a slow-burn deep space expedition to carry out a detailed survey. The young Guild instead wagered a significant portion of its early resources on charting Leeds in detail, looking for a Jump Hole they believed could provide a substantial shortcut.
This extreme gamble paid off, allowing the first Guild explorers to arrive six months before Bowex entered the system’s borders. By 670 AS, the IMG began construction of South Shields -- their second station. This provided the Guild with a local headquarters and mineral claims at a time when other Bretonian corporations were only just beginning to carry out detailed evaluations. South Shields’ completion prior to the deployment of a Jump Gate to Leeds also allowed the IMG to exploit a Bretonian legal loophole, circumventing various regulatory issues and colonial taxes.
For over a century, South Shields made relatively easy money by harvesting Water and Oxygen from the nearby Tyne Ice Field, and filtering trace Hydrocarbon impurities. Potable supplies were then sold to local stations and the then-enormous population of Planet Leeds. With Rheinland's economic collapse after the Colony Wars, the Guild received a wave of recruits from Kruger Minerals, including several specialists from Mannheim. This provided the Guild with the expertise to begin skimming Hartlepool's atmosphere for the Hydrogen and Deuterium needed to produce H-Fuel. While this resynthesis process has never been consistently profitable, it has allowed the Guild to maintain a strategic fuel reserve for its own Tau operations.
Bribes & Missions Offered
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Commodities
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lhotse | Very Heavy Fighter | 27,879$ |
| Manaslu | Light Fighter | 19,602$ |
| Nanda Devi | Bomber | 72,976$ |
News
| [835 AS] Freiburg targeted in terrorist strike |
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FREIBURG STATION -- 835 -- Emergency responders have rushed to Freiburg Station after a serious terrorist attack killed 7 Gallic visitors. 3 Gull-class Transports attempted to ram an IDF Shipping convoy moored to the station, exploding once they hit their targets. 1 of the vessels was successfully disabled by the station’s defense grid. The assailants had just arrived from Omega-7, broadcasting the convoy shipping papers of a small export company based on Freeport 1. RFP officers believe the Gallic ships were the actual target, and have suggested either the LWB or Bretonian radicals could be responsible. Bretonian and Rheinland authorities are cooperating to investigate the incident. |
| [835 AS] 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] 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] 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] 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] Recapture of Dublin commences! |
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BATTLESHIP ESSEX -- 835 -- Admiralty representatives have confirmed that the Bretonian operation to recapture Dublin has been initiated. Defense commentators have long assumed the Bretonia Armed Forces would breach the system via a Jump Hole believed to be concealed within the Cumbria Asteroid Field. Forecasts predicted a bloody advance, given the Mollys renown expertise as ambush fighters, and prolific use of concealed mines. Despite this, Bretonian officials confirm that the Battleship Somerset has established a bridgehead in the system without casualties. “This will be a quick operation,” Admiral Rowley noted. “The Mollys cannot stand in open space.” |
| [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] Arrests made after Freiburg killings |
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FREIBURG -- 835 -- Freiburg patrons scattered in terror after a bar disagreement between Bretonian and Gallic customers escalated to murder. Witnesses report an IDFS officer said “something about Leeds” to a drinking Bowex transport team. Within moments, a brawl erupted, with Gateway employees assisting their normally bitter rivals. “There was a flash of light and three bangs, and before I knew it, two Bretonians and a Gaul were dead,” bartender Benno Gramann explained. The RFP have held six Bretonians on suspicion of murder and released two Gallic citizens on bail, sparking outrage in Bretonia. |
| [834 AS] Police Authority lands blow against Slog |
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CARLISLE -- 835 -- Following a series of raids, 74 people have been arrested on Planet Carlisle in connection with the production of Slog. The outlawed narcotic has wreaked havoc on industrial towns across New London, Carlisle and Sprague, with some calling it the "working man's scourge". Chief Inspector Harry O'Donnell confirmed that a suspected laboratory was stormed by armed constables, resulting in the seizure of narcotics and equipment. Anonymous sources allege a number of those arrested were biochemists employed by Planetform Incorporated. |
| [834 AS] Independent Miners assert Jericho rights |
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PECOS -- 834 -- The Guild has issued a new set of ultimatums to Yuma. This time, Guildmasters are demanding that Crayter withdraw the defense grid around the moon Jericho. The miners assert the grid infringes the Guild’s claims, which they say includes exclusive rights to exploit the moon’s resources. Pecos miner Shane Harlon noted, “there’s probably a whole lot of Uranium down there, given the radiation band. If there is, it’s ours.” So far Crayter has dismissed the demands, calling the mineral claim “nonsense” and stating simply that their troops were stationed on site for “public safety”. |
| [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] BMM challenged on environmental record |
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REDCARR -- 834 -- The Green Front environmental group have sued BMM over alleged waste disposal violations at Redcarr Production Facility in Newcastle. The group assert that Toxic Waste is being vented into the moon Middlebrough’s orbit, rather than being handled in accordance with Bretonian safety regulations. Retired MP Terence Wimberley has led the move, declaring that the “private prosecution will hold BMM executives accountable, before they can ruin another system with their reckless corner cutting.” BMM has decried the case as a “malicious waste of public resources,” but offered no specific comment on the allegation itself. |
| [834 AS] IMG and Crayter relationship deteriorates |
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JAVA STATION -- 834 -- The Crayter Republic and Independent Miners Guild have been drawn into a fierce dispute, marking yet another low point in their tumultuous relationship. Despite limited cooperation against the Outcasts, the two groups have been mired in mutual hostility and suspicion since the Aland Crisis of 826 AS. More recently, Crayter forces attacked and destroyed an IMG refugee liner they claimed was smuggling weapons into Gallia. The Guild has called the claims “preposterous” and formally expelled all Crayter representatives from their stations. Gateway Shipping has offered Lewes Shipping Platform as a venue for mediation to try and resolve the situation. |
| [834 AS] Nagapasa destroyed by Crayter troops |
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JAVA STATION -- 834 -- Following a complex and perilous rescue operation of former Outcast slaves from Freeport 10, the Liner Nagapasa was attacked by Crayterian ships in an unjustifiable act of aggression. Crayter claims the vessel was being used to smuggle goods into Gallia, however the Nagapasa at no point entered Gallic territory, and was at the time maneuvering to avoid Outcast patrols. It is believed three Guild crew and seven passengers were killed in the assault, with survivors rounded up and transported away to Crayter territory. The Guildmasters have demanded the immediate return of all IMG members, and expelled Crayter vessels from IMG stations while an investigation is conducted. |
| [833 AS] Cambridge on the Line |
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NORFOLK -- 833 AS -- The number of recorded Corsair incursions across Cambridge has increased by 193%% in the last 3 years. According to Captain Edwards of the Battleship Norfolk, this is simply a result of the successes in detecting and reacting to attacks. "You can't respond to a Corsair you don't know is there," he noted. "The Cambridge Line ensures we know when and where to deploy our resources for maximum effect." Retired Major Jane Gilliam disagrees. "The Line was never fit for purpose," she says. "The Regents lobbied London to keep it, and so the pantomine continues." It is speculated that the spike in Corsair raids may have been prompted by increased resistance elsewhere, or a shift in their internal politics. Regardless of their true motivations, Interspace Commerce has recognised the elevated peril and adjusted its premiums accordingly. |
| [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] Corsairs on the Rise |
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FREISTADT -- 832 AS -- While the northern Tau territories of Hispania are grappling with the relentless advance of the Outcasts, the situation unfolds quite differently in the Omegas. Here, the Corsairs, another faction bearing the legacy of Hispania, are steadily gaining momentum and expanding their influence. This shift has been particularly evident in recent events, as the Corsairs grow increasingly assertive across the Omegas. A stark example of this newfound vigor occurred when the famed space bazaar, the Battleship Hood in Dublin, met a merciless end at the hands of a Corsair battlecruiser. Furthermore, the once-unassailable Red Hessians now find themselves locked in a fierce struggle to safeguard their positions in the Dresden system against the relentless advance of the Rheinland Military. The Corsairs appear poised to intensify their pressure on all independent and free-spirited individuals in the Omega Region, spurred on by the defeatist sentiments expressed by certain Zoners and independent miners who might consider Corsair protection if it promises safety. Despite the imposing presence of our pivotal IMG station, Freistadt Base in Omega 7, which remains under the watchful guardianship of the formidable Elbe Border Fortress, the situation in the deeper reaches of the Omegas portends increasing complexity in the years ahead. Combined with the diminishing influence of Bretonia in the region and the resurgent Rheinland's efforts to reclaim its lost Dresden system, the Corsairs' audacious pursuits are set to escalate. |
| [831 AS] 'Slog' banned throughout Bretonia |
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NEW LONDON -- 831 -- The drug 'Slog,' otherwise known as Carix, has officially been banned across Bretonia. It is now a criminal offense to possess or distribute this drug in any quantity. The strict prohibition comes in response to the rising popularity of this dangerous substance, which has ravaged the Bretonian working class. Authorities claim the Slog trade creates extreme public health hazards, and has strong links to the funding of terrorism. Despite this, journalists have suggested that the government’s real fear lies in decreased productivity, which Bretonia's struggling post-war economy cannot afford following the loss of Dublin. |
| [831 AS] Allied forces breach Omicron Alpha |
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CARRIER MALACHITE -- 832 AS -- Crayter's Senate has approved the deployment of the Carrier Malachite in support of the ongoing Maltese slave rebellion. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the expeditionary force by the Dreadnought Basilica and Malta's defense grid, however the latter has since been disabled through the valiant action of liberated slaves. IMG Guildmasters are now drafting plans for orbital drops to supply or evacuate the resistance battalions, while the Crayter military prepares to tackle the hated Basilica. |
| [832 AS] Outcasts bloodied in Tau-37 |
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FREEPORT 10 -- 832 AS -- The Outcasts have suffered a blow in the Taus, after months of conflict with a coalition of BHG, Crayter and IMG forces. The intense campaign was provoked by the withdrawal of most Outcasts to their homeworld in response to a massed slave uprising. The few defenders left to hold the Bermejo Cloud have been forced to retreat, after an allied assault destroyed Genoa Base. Freeport 10's Zoners have noted that the trickle of Cardamine shipments through the system seem to have now ceased altogether. An anonymous Crayter commander has declared they intend to breach Omicron Alpha and "burn the plantations to the ground." |
| [831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'! |
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ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin Jump Gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source. |
| [831 AS] Jump Hole Upheaval Causes Chaos |
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HEISENBERG -- 831 AS -- Jump holes across Sirius have become increasingly volatile and chaotic over the last year, with Professor Sophia Nagel from the Heisenberg Research Station linking the unusual phenomena to the Pulse. The Pulse was an unprecedented blast of hyperspace energy that was detected immediately prior to last year's Jump Gate Blackout. Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off. While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes. |
| [831 AS] Bretonia announces Poole draw-down |
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NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- The Bretonian government has announced a controlled withdrawal from the Poole system, citing ballooning costs and difficult post-Dublin state budget. Poole was once of critical importance to Bretonia, briefly hosting a Supergate to Liberty during the Gallic War, and acting as a launching point for Bretonia's colonial ambitions in Omega-49. This importance declined after the war and the abandonment of Gran Canaria. The cost of policing the frontier system has significantly outweighed tax revenue for many years. DSE has already confirmed that it will begin deconstruction operations soon, with Jump Gate and Trade Lane components expected to be removed by 833 AS. |
| [831 AS] Slave uprising on Malta |
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JAVA STATION -- 831 AS -- A slave rebellion on Planet Malta has sent shockwaves through the region. The Independent Miners Guild quickly requested weapons, supplies, and ships to support a daring plan to smuggle arms to the embattled slaves. Within a week of the IMG's call, the Crayter Republic dispatched an expeditionary force to render aid, with support from Bounty Hunter mercenaries. The Allied force is intent on driving the Outcasts out of Tau-37, breaching Outcast defenses surrounding Planet Malta, and assisting the revolutionaries in toppling the Outcast regime. |
| [831 AS] Bretonian focus turns on Mollys |
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SHEFFIELD -- 831 AS -- The Bretonia Police Authority has announced the eradication of the Molly movement is their top priority. Following the loss of the Dublin system, the dangerous terrorist movement has leaped to the top of Bretonia's most wanted board. Bounties on Molly terrorists have doubled, with Guild Hunters flocking to the beleaguered House. Sheffield Guildmaster Tina Hale commented that, "these are Edge World rates for domestic threats." Despite that, prospective Hunters should be cautious, as the Mollys are notoriously cunning fighters. The crackdown appears to be having some effect, as reports of Molly attacks on shipping in Cambridge and Newcastle have already fallen. |
| [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] Gruesome reports as Dublin falls |
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Grotesque broadcasts have issued from Graves Station after Molly saboteurs captured the base. The terrorists filmed the execution of senior BMM officials with pickaxes, murdering station administrator Dame Helen Raleigh and maintenance chief Harland Streeve. The Battleship Essex was quick to respond to the atrocities, dispatching a boarding force to retake Graves. Unwilling to face justice for their crimes, the hijackers detonated the station, murdering all aboard. Simultaneous suicide attacks against the New London Jump Gate forced the Essex's withdrawal. The Government has stressed that this withdrawal is temporary, and that a blockade will be imposed while forces are assembled to pacify the system. |
| [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. |
| [831 AS] Cost of Rebuilding too High? |
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NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- Bretonia continues to face a difficult and lengthy recovery process following the conclusion of the Gallic War. The Bretonian people initially accepted this, and quietly pledged to come together and struggle on. While Bretonia is now witnessing an extraordinary rate of growth, it has come at the cost of severe cuts and harsh industrial quotas. Professor Timothy Ball of the Economic Review Institute says, "the recovery we've witnessed so far has been uneven, mainly benefiting Bretonian corporations and Crown agencies. If dividends of recovery are not felt by the average citizen, this inequality could become a major point of domestic political contention." |
| [829 AS] Marauding in Manchester |
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MANCHESTER -– 829 AS -- Reports from the Manchester system have now been confirmed by BPA and Bretonian intelligence officials: Liverpool Border Station, guarding over the Magellan Jump Gate and serving as the command center for police operations in the system, has been destroyed in what is being deemed a terrorist attack. Yesterday at 2200 hours SMT, nearby Sheffield Station and Kingston Border Station received automated distress signals from Liverpool, indicating an emergency aboard the station. Guild patrols redirected from Sheffield arrived on the scene within minutes, finding the border station destroyed. Search and rescue operations headed by Guild and BPA units commenced immediately and successfully salvaged several escape pods bearing several dozen survivors, who were immediately delivered to hospitals on New London. BPA spokesperson Sandra Halling held a press conference earlier this morning. According to joint police and BIS investigations, Liverpool was destroyed by antimatter explosives planted aboard the station. Their detonation caused a catastrophic chain reaction, resulting in the station's own reactors melting down and exploding. Of the estimated one-hundred-twenty persons on board at the time of the attack, seventy-eight have been reported as dead or missing. \So far, no party has taken credit for this heinous attack. However, Bretonian police surmises that it was likely perpetrated by either the criminals known as the Mollys or the infamous pirate organization, the Lane Hackers. The attack occurred following a significant redeployment of local Armed Forces units to the Cortez system for the purpose of joint operations with Libertonian security forces. This, says Halling, may have allowed terrorist sympathizers to exploit undermanned BPA patrols and smuggle illegal explosives through Manchester's ice fields, onto Liverpool Station. While investigations continue, Bretonian Police Authority has reinforced patrols within Manchester and established traffic controls at Kingston Border Station and Birmingham Station. Traffic to and from Liberty has been advised to reroute through the Cortez system. |
Rumors
| Independent Miners Guild |
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| Gateway Shipping |
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| Bounty Hunters Guild |
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