//Ok I created this topic to bring our great publication "The Discoverer" to public eyes. I will be updating this topic regularly with new and exiting stories as they are posted on the website. The Discoverer website is http://the-discoverer.xcomm.de/ //end ooc//
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--Source location : Discoverer news headquarters, Freeport 2 , Bering --
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***TOP STORIES***
Exclusive Discoverer interview with Alexis Texas
Exclusive interview with Liberty singer and songwriter Alexis Texas. She speaks of her recent encounter with the Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army and more!
Kusari has pushed into the core Bretonian systems, establishing footholds in Leeds and beating against the remaining Bretonian defences. Kusari forces have not conquered all of the systems they have moved through however and some doubt remains as to how long they can hold in their current position.
Zoner battleship stationed at Freeport 1
Omega 3 - Due to recurring violations of the NFZ and the capital ship ban, the Council of Zoners stationed The_Burninator under command of Captain Trogdor near Freeport 1. This precaution was initiated to prevent further contempts of the Zoner's laws.
John slips quietly into the pub at Planet Denver, and finds himself a seat at the busy bar. Frank, the regular night shift bar tender walks over, his hand stuffed deep inside a glass mug, as he dries the insides with a dishtowel.
"Haven't seen your face around here in a while, what'll it be stranger?"
John smiled up at the balding man with the poofy mustache. He thought he kind of reminded him of an old cartoon he watched as a kid, but he could never quite put his finger on it. "I'll have the usual." He said sarcasticly. This obviously flustered Frank, and he wiggled his mustache at the pilot, which was, coincidentally, exactly the response John was looking for. Frank cleared his throat, "And what, exactly, might that be?"
"Oh, just a beer and pretzels will be fine. Something dark," John paused for a moment, then continued, "And something to read." Frank set the glass he was currently cleaning under the beer taps to his left, and gave one a pull. As it poured, he walked off to the edge of the counter, grabbed a wicker basket full of salty snacks from a customer who was obviously ignoring it, and brought it back to John. By now, of course, the foam was already spilling over the brim of the pint, and with a flick and a wipe, there was a perfect beer and a basket of pretzels sitting before him.
Frank searched around behind the counter for a moment, then in a flash of apparent insight produced a stack of brightly colored fliers from one of the drawers. He placed the entire stack directly in front of John, and smiled a smile of glee that would send most sane men scurrying for the nearest tree. John was not most sane men. "What's this?" he asked, thumbing through the stack of fliers as though one of them might be different from the rest.
"Some strange bloke with a camera dropped them off a week ago. I stuck them under the counter so the patrons wouldn't spread them all over the place. Ever tried to peel beer plastered paper off of hardwood?"
John laughed slightly as he contemplated doing just that. He pulled one off the stack and began to read. The flier was printed on electronic paper, a process perfected long before the exodus, which resembled something like a flexible backlit piece of glass. At the top was the press logo, a planetary eclipse over a water based planet. The title, superimposed over the eclipse read "The Discoverer". Soon John was reading, and long forgot his intentions of wallpapering the bars floor.
"This is good journalism." John said aloud, seemingly to nobody. "But is it reliable?" Frank walked back over, and had apparently found another glass that needed drying. "Seems so," he jestured around towards the other patrons in the bar. John looked at them. They all seemed normal enough. He flashed Frank an inquisitive look. Frank eplained, "We haven't been able to keep the Earl Grey in stock for a week now. The "Limey Bastards" can't get enough of the stuff. Business has still been booming, though. You make up your own mind."
John rolled the paper into a tube and stuck it in his back pocket. "I will Frank. Thanks for the info."
The Kornephoros docked at Lodeve space port in the Languedoc system. Ray Ventana watched his large ship slowly drifting into the docking bay from the command bridge.
Now it finally happens. This will be the big breakthrough for the Discoverer. The first newspaper which interviews an important Gallic person.
He took his old trenchcoat and walked from the bridge to exit dock four, which was only a couple of steps away. The man told him, that he want to meet him at the bar. But he didn't tell much more facts than his name, Archambault. Ray decided to visit the bar to see who will be waiting for him.
The bar at Lodeve was a dark and fogged hall with many murky corners, like in many of those Junker bases. Ray shrugged and walked down the ramp to the bar. Two men in black suits stepped in his way. Ray recognized an EFL patch on their uniform-like jackets. The two bully men guided him to a desk in a remote corner of the hall, where an older man in a colonial black suit, from which collar a white scarf hanged out. The man stood up and reached out his hand. Ray did the same.
Monsieur Archambault, I'm glad you chose the Discoverer for this very first contact with a cooperation from Gallia.
Bonjour monsieur, normally I wouldnt talk to Sirrians, but your newspaper seems interesting. Sacre bleu, I forgot to offer you something. Wine? Or do you prefer some nice cigar... or both?
Archambault laughed and lighted himself a cigar.
Very kind of you monsieur! I think I will try both. I never had wine before, nor Gallian cigars. Only those rotten ones, which are produced by the Corsairs. Do you heard of this group?
They are Hispanians right.
He spits out the top of his cigar.
They shall die with the rest monsieur, when Le Roy is finished with those Council traitors.
Archambauld filled in another glass of wine for himself.
Do you want some more monsieur?
Thanks, but no. This one glass should be enough. Your wine is pretty heady. But your last statements brought me to some questions. I know that the Corsairs aren't the most charismatic people, but what is the reason for your hatred against them and all others?
Well, do you know why we never have been seen around here for 8 centuries? Because we were betrayed by the rest of the Alliance! We have all reasons to hate them!
Hispanians, Kusarians, Libertonians, Bretonians and Rheinlanders!
He slams his fist on the table. The ashtray shaked.
Hmm... yes, this is a reason, but don't you think that 800 years of history are enough to forget about this? Look what you have today, a giant area of space, the biggest population in Sirius and countless battleships... as far as I heard.
Ha! Not long enough. Unfortunly the traitors called Council breached our minefield before we were ready!
I guess the Sirrians will be a hard task for your fleet. Some happenings in the past showed that they come up with good ideas and outstanding tactics when fighting a strong enemy. May I remind you of the Nomad War?
Nomads, what is that if I may be so polite?
Ah right, I forgot... Well, think of them as some kind of guardian of an ancient culture, called Dam'Kovosh. They are a pest for big parts of Sirius. If the Sirrians are no match for you, they will definetly be. But that should not matter now...
I saw that EFL patch on your guards suit... what is it?
Well that is our symbol of pride monsieur. As the largest corporation in Gallia, we should look fancy, should we not?
Well, I don't know that much of your corporations in Gallia... would you be so kind and tell me something about them?
Sorry, I can't tell you about them. We have our secrecy here monsieur Ventana.
That made Ray sit up
From where did you get the information about my name?
Archambault started laughing.
Thats something we kept secret here for 8 centuries. But I give you a hint: we are on a base of them.
What do you mean? The Junkers told you my name?
They told me more then you wanted me to know, monsieur.
Archambault snapped his fingers and an envelope was handed over by his guards.
Well, open this document monsieur Inside you will find everything about you. It says you were born at a planet called Leeds.
Shocked about this statement, Ray opened the envelope.
You're 25 years old, and such a history already.
Ray's eyes become bigger... these documents contained nearly all information about him, his family and his partially foggy actions for various groups in Sirius.
How? I mean... you told me that the Council broke your blockade only some months ago. From where did you get all that information? LSF? MND?
LSF... those Liberty cowards never could handle our espionage, nor the MND could. You should be proud to have some private documents here.
A dire hunch came to Ray's mind. "I give you a hint, we are on a base of them." Was it this what Archambault meant? They were on a Junker base...
Monsieur Archambault... are you talking about the Junkers are spies for you?
Ray never felt any sympathy for the Junkers. In his eyes they were just there. Nothing more.
I have said nothing, those are merily suggestions of yourself as im not saying you're wrong. But neither am I saying you're correct monsieur.
Monsieur Archambault... this kind of frightens me.
Well, one more wine to soften your nerves then?
Archambault smiled friendly and poured out another wine to Ray. Suddenly another man with an EFL batch came to Archambault, in his hand a document. He wishpered something in the ear of Archambault and gave him the paper. Archambault nodded.
It seems your equipement is less advanced then I tought. Your sub space transmitter is very outdated, at least for our standards.
Monsieur Archambault, this transmitter is one of the finest you can get for money. It's abled to send our signal to the entire Sirius sector.
Well, I have a slighly better version on my ship: it can recieve messages from all over the Sirius sector my friend.
Nothing special for the transmissions with a high energy signal, but really hard for the short range transmissions. Ray knew that this could be accomplished with some more equipment and his transmitter also.
So this means, that you are abled to spy upon all the messages, transmitted between ships in our sector? Monsieur, I doubt that. Even if you'd be abled to receive all messages... most of them are encrypted.
We only recieve, what we need to know from our friends. As for the most part, it goes straight to the Navy, but I got high ranked friends and good relations with the Royal Familiy.
So did you invite me only to impose me with your technology?
No, if I wanted to do that, you and me wouldn't had such a nice talk. And the Discoverer would have probably published an article like "Ray Ventana missing - last seen near Gallia".
So, why am I here then, monsieur?
Oh, well we don't have a newspaper like the Discoverer here... and our chat was really nice.
Archambault wrote something on a note, and gave it to Ray. "Monsieur Ventana, we're glad that you brought us valuable information about the Sirius sector. We will take care of a copy of your database."
Ray was paralyzed... those guys stealed all of the Discoverers information. He was shivering.
Please keep that out of your logs. It would be better for you, monsieur. Before you will leave us, I have a small present for you.
He handed over a large bottle of wine, and a box of cigars with gold bands.
Enjoy it! My gaurds will lead you to your ship. Farewell, monsieur Ventana.
Archambauld stood up and left Ray without any further words.
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