West Point Military Academy

From Discovery Wiki
West Point Military Academy
Li01 09 base.png
Owner
Liberty Navy
Location
C/D-5/6, New York

CLASS: Clinton (Upgraded)

GRAVITY: CLASSIFIED

DOCKING: CLASSIFIED

AMENITIES: CLASSIFIED

CREW: CLASSIFIED

West Point Military Academy has been training the best and brightest officers in the Liberty military for over 600 years. Completed in 189 AS and formally opened a year later, the current commandant of West Point is Admiral Matthew Evans, son of the former commandant, Walter Evans. West Point has had many famous personalities who have both trained at the Academy and served on its teaching staff, including decorated veterans such as Captain Jason Findley, Captain Marcus Walker and Commander (now Rear Admiral) Jun'ko Zane.

Utilized as the primary military training center for the Liberty Armed Forces, almost any pilot and commander within the Liberty Navy, LSF, and even some within the Liberty Police have gone through the station's training regimens. After the Gallic war, an expansion project was initiated which actually saw the Academy close for the entire month of January in 827 A.S., the first time in over six centuries, with supporting training taking place on Richmond Military Academy in Virginia. These renovations were completed a few months later, with new intructional wings being completed on the underbelly of the Academy. In addition to these new wings, mooring berths for retired warships were also added, allowing for warship crew in-training to serve aboard a physical model as opposed to a digital model via virtual reality.

Following her decommissioning after 82 years of valiant service, the first ship to occupy these new berths was the aging Battleship Mississippi, a welcome sight to station staff and travelers alike. For some who go through warship training at West Point, training aboard the Mississippi has even become a point of pride, defining a new era of post-Gallic war officers and enlisted.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Robotics 14$
Ablative Armor Plating 83$
Liberty Ale 20$
Outcast Pilot 84$
Pirate Pilot 30$
Liberty Rogue Pilot 57$
Xeno Pilot 62$
Lane Hacker Pilot 64$
Militant Pilot 60$
Oxygen 3$
Water 3$
Food Rations 27$
Kyushu Rice 38$
MOX 35$
Basic Alloy 10$
Construction Machinery 14$
Pharmaceuticals 20$
Hull Panels 32$
Optronics 100$
Consumer Goods 20$
Engine Components 83$
Daumann Side Arms 85$
Gallic Enfer Blasters 142$
Synth Paste 11$
Munitions 14$
Xenobiotic Filters 30$
Passenger Cabin (Liberty) 10,366$
Passenger Cabin (Bretonia) 32,111$
Passenger Cabin (Kusari) 36,052$
Passenger Cabin (Rheinland) 37,092$
Passenger Cabin (Gallia) 58,544$
Passenger Cabin (Omega) 59,056$
Passengers (Omicrons) 72,928$
Iron 11$
Xeno Relics 207$
H-Fuel 105$
Exports
Commodity Price
Hangar Provisions 250$
Marines 414$
Casualties 11,772$
Medical Equipment 44$
Detroit Light Arms 41$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price


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] Congressional support for Navy hardens

PLANET MANHATTAN -- 835 -- In the wake of congressional hearings into the LSF’s bungled Ontario operation, a growing group of representatives are calling for budget cuts to the agency in favor of boosting the Navy’s capabilities. While interservice jockeying in Congress is not uncommon, the LSF’s Ontario scandal -- combined panic over “Artifact sites” and rising concerns over the Kusari Empire -- are beginning to tip the scales in favor of more traditional military responses. While the impact on both services is unlikely to be felt until the next budget approval, the tarnished influence of LSF advocates is already increasingly apparent.

[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] 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.

[834 AS] Cadet fraternity disciplined over hazing

WEST POINT -- 834 -- West Point command staff have issued a reprimand against a popular cadet fraternity after being implicated in the hazing of new applicants. The practice has been prohibited since the death of Christine Belton 33 years ago, however it is widely understood that hazing at the academy has continued by imposing bizarre, dangerous or humiliating tasks on potential aspirants. The most recent incident was detected when the Mississippi Training Facility’s transponder was overwritten to broadcast as the Battleship Missouri. Investigation revealed cadets training aboard to be the culprits, who had pulled the prank in an attempt to impress fraternity leaders.

[833 AS] Stabline prices spike after Atka destruction

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] Liberty draws down forces in Crayter territory

YUMA -- 833 -- Liberty has announced the end of the Battlecruiser Yellowstone’s tour of Coronado, where it has spent several years targeting drug smugglers in the dangerous Barrier Pass. President Hawthorne has reportedly lost patience with indefinite foreign deployments of Liberty forces, and ordered the ship to be withdrawn to bolster domestic piracy and smuggling suppression in California. A Department of Defense spokesman stated, “we have for many years provided the Crayter Republic with the training and material support needed to police their territory. We have faith they will be up to the task”. The Yellowstone’s withdrawal comes as Deep Space Engineering deepens its own investments in Coronado, with the expansion of the Scottsdale Refinery.

[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] Houses outraged by Roppongi attack

NEW TOKYO -- 832 -- Kusari has received blistering criticism from the other Houses after the destruction of Roppongi Station. Roppongi hosted House embassies in Kusari, and was a major business hub for foreign companies. Liberty’s President Hawthorne is said to be “incandescent” over the attack, which killed Ambassador Luisa Mason and her aides. She has threatened consequences unless Kusari exert all “means and resources” towards the Farmers Alliance’s eradication, and announced the LSF will be taking “enhanced measures” to protect Liberty citizens. Interspace Commerce has quadrupled its bounties on Alliance targets. Kusari has opened an inquest into the attack.

[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] Victory over Veracruz - Insurgency destroyed!

VESPUCCI -- 830 AS -- Liberty has declared victory over the Liberty Insurgency after the Carrier Ohio settled into orbit over Planet Veracruz. Archer-class siege cruisers and the Ohio's bomber squadrons suppressed military infrastructure on the planet, before systematically destroying the last bastions of the Insurgency. As the bombardment drew to a close, a service was held aboard the Ohio in memory of Rear Admiral Brandt and the thousands of sailors and marines who gave their lives to ensure the Insurgency's defeat. President Hawthorne has confirmed identical monuments to the campaign will be erected on every Liberty planet, with each obelisk bearing the names of those lost.

[830 AS] Liberty annexes Planet Erie

PLANET ERIE -- 830 -- The Liberty Navy has launched Operation PESTICIDE to annex Pennsylvania, following the collapse of talks between Liberty and Zoner authorities. President Hawthorne declared that Liberty could no longer tolerate a "lawless frontier" within its very core, and that the Zoners had repeatedly refused to extradite criminals and terrorists from the Pennsylvania protectorate. The recent destruction of an LSF satellite was the straw that broke the camel's back. Militias congregating around Planet Erie were routed following the Zoner Carrier Pinnacle’s destruction. The Battleship Alma then secured Erie’s orbit and landed Marines to impose Liberty law on Lake City. Surviving militants have vowed to resist Erie’s occupation.

[830 AS] Trouble in paradise on Erie

PLANET ERIE -- 830 AS -- Since the destruction of Williamstown Depot near Planet Tremont, Liberty and Erie's autonomous Zoner government have been locked in a standoff. Liberty has long suspected the Insurgency attack on its logistics station was facilitated by informants on Erie, and has accused the Zoners of allowing Insurgency and Xeno operatives to roam the planet with "impunity". This morning, a missile streaked from Erie's wilderness, shooting down an orbiting LSF satellite that had been tracking "terrorist activities". Liberty has accused Zoner militias of the attack, and ordered Erie authorities to hand over the perpetrators, and all Insurgency affiliates. Zoners have denied responsibility, calling the attack a “Liberty false flag”.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part II

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- Navy pilots fought in a heated scrap with many of their former comrades-in-arms as a fearsome shroud of flak rippled around the great Battleship Delaware, several trails of explosions snaking towards myriad bombers and torpedoes swarming the vast Mitchell-class. Delaware herself launched volley upon volley of anti-capital torpedoes at the Insurgent Battlecruiser Triton, whose own flak screen was considerably weaker than that of the Battleship. The missiles found their mark, but the battlecruiser retained its hull integrity as the Insurgents' one advantage in fighter superiority began to shine through. Torpedoes and antimatter cannons landed hits on the Delaware's vital flak batteries as they went silent, one by one.

Admiral Brandt was heard to give the order to abandon ship right as the ship's hull could take no more and began to be torn asunder, with hull breaches on multiple decks. Tragically, the armored engines of the Delaware had suffered a great deal of damage, and as the armor and shielding was whittled away, vast quantities of radiation and superheated gas began to flood into the crew compartments of the vessel.

In an emotional announcement, the Liberty Navy officially stated that they consider the Delaware to be lost with all hands, including Admiral Brandt himself. No life pods could be secured in the heat of battle, with the remainder of the Delaware's escort making a fighting retreat back to the LNS Ohio which had herself been caught lagging behind the Delaware's doomed thrust into the heart of the Insurgency. The Ohio now remains with her own escort, augmented by survivors of the Delaware's battlegroup, and will continue as the Liberty Navy's bastion in the Vespucci system, ready to ensure that the Insurgents pay dearly for the toll they have extracted upon one of Liberty's finest Admirals.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part I

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- The state-of-the-art Delaware was the tip of Liberty's spear in the Kansas system; it was from here that the charismatic RAdm. Dylan Brandt commanded the fleet that secured the system from both Rogue and Insurgent elements. But now, he sought to strike a crippling blow to the Insurgency in their very home, an attack to break the back of the movement and stand as a warning to those who would stand against Liberty's unity.

Leading a fearsome line of some of Liberty's most advanced warships, the Delaware bore down on the Insurgency's remaining, cobbled-together fleet in the Vespucci system, out of position from dealing with a Bretonian thrust from Magellan. Immediately caught was the Battleship Vanquisher, one of the scant few Arbiter-class Battleships available to the Insurgents. Caught by itself, the Vanquisher put up a fearsome fight but was ultimately unable to stand against the Delaware and its escort, despite its fighter component dealing severe damage to much of the Delaware's own, smaller fighter contingent, as well as the Delaware herself.

With the great Arbiter all but vanquished, the Interdictor-class Battlecruiser Triton stared down the guns of the damaged Delaware and her escort. Outnumbered two-to-one, and outgunned to an even greater degree by the Libertonian heavyweight, Triton and her escorts launched their one and only advantage, their fighter and bomber superiority gained at the Vanquisher's expense.

[829 AS] 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] Imminent defeat of the Insurgency

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- The Liberty Navy has finally published news on its most recent major operation. The Navy has committed the Delaware and Ohio fleets to clearing out the threat of the Insurgency once and for all. Major Insurgency installations have already been destroyed in Kansas, with Admiral Brandt announcing expectations that the Insurgency will be defeated within a year and with minor losses. Following this press release, the Navy received record applications for West Point Academy while arms market has seen an explosion in investors at Detroit Munitions. President Hawthorne praised the men and women of the Navy for their bravery on Liberty's frontiers.

[829 AS] Ontario festers

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- Having been a longstanding den of criminals and smugglers, Ontario has finally taken a plunge into complete anarchy. The Navy issued a categorical notice of withdrawal and advised all legitimate operations in the system to follow suit, as no further attempts could be made to keep the increasingly expensive operations secure. This comes after heated debates divided Congress for months until the deadlock was broken by an independent economic publication, revealing that revenue was overshadowed by security expenses that were double the amount gained. DSE has officially commented saying that this closure of business is a minor setback to future operations, and that the ultimate prosperity of the market is assured.

[829 AS] Fingers in the broth

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- Liberty's High Congress has passed the recently submitted Organization Categorization Revision Act (O.C.R.A) by a considerable majority. The Act sets out to revise long-standing categorizations of domestic and foreign organizations, which in turn allows or disallows certain actions by Navy and Law Enforcement agencies.

It is widely speculated that the recent surge taking place in the Kansas system is related. The oddly self named Insurgency has long been categorized as a "Domestic Paramilitary Organization" that is of extremist political nature, in effect making them Liberty citizens with rights as such. The Act recategorizes them as a "Foreign Supported Terrorist Organization", a drastic shift in political standing. Sources have speculated the move is related to the Bering operation that precipitated the formation of the Insurgency as the root cause of the change in policy. Despite considerable cost both monetarily and in terms of material, the operation failed to expunge the organization to the desired level. The Act comes a considerable spending package for future operations and gives free rein to Liberty Navy admirals to take necessary measures to properly remove the long-standing issue.

[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] War with Rheinland!

HUDSON -- 817 -- President Powell has declared a formal state of war against Rheinland, to a standing ovation in Congress. During an impassioned speech, the President described how Rheinland had treacherously slain a number of Navy personnel in the Hudson Security Zone after initiating an aggressive and unwarranted military buildup across Liberty’s borders. He pledged that Liberty would defend its “intrinsic economic interests” in the region and punish flagrant Rheinland breaches of the Boorman Treaty. He has blamed Chancellor Reinhardt for escalating diplomatic disputes into direct armed conflict, comparing him to the disgraced Chancellor Niemann who triggered the Colony Wars seventeen years ago.

[817 AS] President Powell Grilled in Senate

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

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.


Rumors

Bounty Hunters Guild
  • The Junkers are a crafty bunch of scumbags; they know the dirt on everybody -- and they're willing to talk if the price is right. It's not my money that pays 'em off. That's part of my bill for offing my mark. Give me a little bribe, some gas money, and a reward for completion of assignment, and I'll smoke anyone you want.


  • I've killed Red Hessians in Rheinland; Rogues, Lane Hackers, and Outcasts in Liberty; Mollys in Bretonia; Hogosha and Blood Dragons in Kusari; I've even bagged a few Corsairs. But I've never brought any of 'em in. Bounty Hunters aren't paid to capture criminals; we're paid to kill them.


  • If I were one of these stuck-up navy captains, I'd just roll the Missouri right into the middle of the Badlands and start cleaning house. They say it's impossible logistically, but that's a politician's word. Just go in there and kill them -- it's that simple.


  • Fighting an Outcast is like fighting a Corsair: they're both armed to the teeth, mean as hell, and can pilot a ship as well as anyone you're gonna find. That's why it's best to take them on with two-to-one or better odds. And if the guy you're flying with gets popped, that means more money for you.


  • There's no way I'd ever wear a uniform or salute some stuck-up jerk every time he walked by just because he has a few more pieces of metal on his chest. Bounty Hunters have to work harder because we don't have a fleet behind us. But if you need someone dealt with, we do the job.


  • The navy doesn't get it; you can't just patrol for the criminals. Sure, that helps, but if you want to solve the problem you have to seek them out -- hunt them at their lair. And once you're there, you kill them all, every single one. That's how you solve the problem.


Liberty Navy
  • I haven't been flying with the Navy for long, and I'm not the most gifted of pilots, so I was surprised when I was transferred to West Point to help teach the next generation of midshipmen. I'm pretty nervous about it, actually, and I asked the Commandant why I was chosen for this position, and their response wasn't what I had expected. They looked at me for a moment, seeming to really think about how to answer, before they finally let out a gentle sigh and responded.

    "Rebecca, you're here because you can teach what's important," they said, "Regardless of everything else we teach here, there is only one truly important thing that we teach, and it is the singular universal truth of war. During a war, young men and women die, and there's nothing we can do to stop that."

    They turned their head away from me, looking at a collection of photographs on their wall, seeming to take in every face collected there for a very long time. "Though their deaths are tragic and regrettable, it's important to understand that those who die did so to protect others, and that to truly honor their ultimate sacrifice we must remember why."

    I looked at him, my throat clenched so tightly that it was hard for me to breathe, before I finally managed to ask him. "How can we teach that, sir, it seems impossible."

    His gaze returned to me, his own voice gravelly when he spoke. "If you figure it out, let me know, and you can have my job. Until then, you teach them what you can, and ensure that they do the most important thing of all."

    "What’s that, sir?"

    "That we never forget."


  • I've been waiting to get into West Point my whole life, but now I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. Last week my dorm mate and best friend died on one of our patrols sweeping the outer edges of the Badlands. Outcasts weren't supposed to come through that area, just Rogues.


  • This academy is near the California Jump Gate. California is a favorite hangout for the Lane Hackers. Lane Hackers were former Ageira employees who turned to crime. They're smarter than most of the criminals you'll go up against.


  • We run patrols along the edges of the Badlands and the Trade Lanes leading to California. We intercept Rogues trying to make the run between the Detroit Debris Fields and the Badlands.


  • We teach these cadets the importance of estimation. An officer must never overestimate his own capabilities, or the capability of his men or his ship. Overestimating our forces was the darkest lesson that the Liberty Navy ever had to learn.


  • The navy sends a patrol wing into the Detroit Debris Fields. There is a lot of illegal traffic moving through there. Criminals use the debris to hide in as they jump from debris field to debris field through Liberty space.


  • The navy has secret research stations in the Badlands. I think they are there to study anomalies that occur within the area. Of course it could also be a cover for covert operations there.


  • Outcasts killed some of our boys last week. Our intelligence showed that our training wing's operating area was supposedly unpopulated by Outcasts. Well, Intel was wrong and we lost two cadets. The instructor was able to bag a couple of Outcast ships before they escaped back into the Badlands.


  • Liberty Navy Patrol 27 flew into Badlands two weeks ago on their regular route, and then disappeared without a trace. An extensive search by authorities has not turned up anything so far. The patrol comprised three elite fighters.


  • The Kusari-Rheinland embargo was an incident that reminded Liberty that her forces must remain ever-vigilant. We believed our military might to be unstoppable, but we were wrong. Once the H-Fuel stopped flowing into Liberty we could no longer power our attack crafts and had to acquiesce to the demands of the foreign powers.


  • People say the stars hold the stories of those who came before us. I like to think that’s true. There’s someone who guided me, someone who shaped the path I walk today. Their wisdom, their laughter - it’s etched into every choice I make, every leap into the void.

    Even now, as I chart my course, I feel them here. Not as a shadow, but as a light, reminding me that no matter how far I go or what I face, I carry a part of them with me. And maybe, just maybe, one day the stars will carry my story too, for someone else to follow.


  • This academy also serves as a supply point for the remote stations within the Badlands. We also carry supplies for the ships entering the system through California that might be running low on Water, Oxygen, or Food.


  • The tactics that the cadets here are instructed in cover all manner of scenarios, from defending our space from foreign invasion to small-operations tactics. The best of our graduates go on to captain dreadnoughts and other capital ships. If they have good, fast-twitch reflexes and lightning-quick decision-making abilities, they might end up piloting a Liberty Heavy Fighter as leader of an attack wing.


  • Right before graduation the cadets here are sent into the Badlands to kill some criminals. It's the last part of their training, and they go without an instructor. By that point they should be able to handle themselves reasonably well, even if they are still pretty green.


  • The recruits here are good boys from the top families in Liberty. One day they will lead Liberty's military and keep our space safe from enemies.


  • I was the marine commander aboard the Missouri for many years. Now they have me teaching these little runts about ship-boarding operations and planetary-invasion scenarios. I miss being back aboard the "Iron Miz." I suppose it's my duty to train whelps now.


Universal Shipping
  • To keep West Point running, this station requires Side Arms, which we ship in from Detroit. We also get H-Fuel from Norfolk. All of these Commodities are required to train tomorrow's officers of the Liberty naval fleet. We have also begun training Marines, who are deployed to various battleships around Liberty.


  • We ship Consumer Goods from Ft. Bush to this base. A lot of cadets show up with little more than the shirts on their backs. It can be treacherous to make this run, because a lot of dangerous criminals like to attack this Trade Lane. It lies right outside the edge of the Badlands, so there are plenty of places we can be ambushed.


  • Universal ships Water and Oxygen from Manhattan; Synth Foods brings Food in from Los Angeles. It's a good thing that I run supplies to the academy. I was in trouble on my way here a few weeks ago until a training squadron came in from nowhere and wiped the Rogues on my tail.