Two matters of note tonight. First among them was a Junker Captain by the name of Cash Ivankov, claimin' to represent a group called the Junker Marauders, and looking to make a deal. Ivankov claims he's got footage of smugglers using the fields for cover, and he's willing to exchange a steady flow of that intel in return for permission for his people to repair and reuse captured smuggling vessels once the LPI's done with them, particularly Pirate Trains. The basic principle of the idea has my support. Though I don't relish the idea of Junkers withholding information in exchange for support, if it eases the production lines for our own ships, I can see the merit. I've transcribed the conversation and uploaded it below.


The second item for discussion powered into Manhattan orbit shortly after I finalized my discussion with Captain Ivankov. A second Junker, a Collector Fighter flashing the name of Scraper entered Manhattan orbit with a full load of cardamine. In a rare bout of common sense, the pilot obeyed Fort Wayne's order to halt, and Junior Lieutenant Travis was in the middle of organizing a pick-up by the LPI's Manhattan Narc squads when a Bounty Hunter Gunboat identifying as BH-Roena.Calintia exited the West Point lane and proceeded to engage the smuggler, in the middle of negotiations, in defiance of my orders. The smuggler was agile enough to evade most of the hunter's fire, and transferred the majority of his cargo to Fort Wayne for disposal. Meanwhile, the hunter's errant firing stuck Long Island Station amidships, triggering the automated defenses, which opened fire, forcing the hunter from the area, and burning enough fuel in the process to necessitate me calling up a reservist Grizzly from the 724th on Pittsburgh to replenish supplies.

It's a disappointing day when a cardamine smuggler proves to have more common sense then the supposed 'proud partners of the Republic.' I'll be dispatching a message to the Hunter in question shortly regarding his attack on a Republic facility, and in the meantime, I'm requesting that the Orca gunboat BH-Roena.Calintia and any other ships registered to that pilot be removed from the registered hunter's registry indefinitely.

The log is documented below.


For reference, neither the Criminal Database or the Republic Bounty Board lists Scraper by name.

On a marginally brighter note, my appreciation to all the pilots who have contributed and continue to contribute to the continual operation of Long Island Station. It's thanks to your tireless efforts that the station remains in place, despite the occasional act of idiocy, as we've seen today.

Regards,