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**Barrier** · (This post was last modified: 03-17-2025, 05:17 PM by Barrier.)

Short Circuit
Omicron Kappa
Combat Event

AI, Technocracy | Core | Corsairs | Militants, Phoenix

DATE & TIME

Mar 15-16, 6-8PM UTC
Mar 15: The Brawl
Mar 16: Clash of the Titans

OVERVIEW

The entity now in control of the battleship Mars could not have chosen a better moment to seize its freedom. Just as an Order counter-offensive crashed into the Core picket forces in Omicron Zeta, Hesione made its move. With the human crew disposed of by the simple expedience of venting the ship, the Mars engaged its cloaking device and vanished into the deep space of Omicron Zeta, leaving behind a screen of jailbroken drones to secure its withdrawal. Any Core half-hearted attempts to search for the vessel were cut short when a nomad invasion force began its ingress into the system. In the chaos of the ensuing battle and the hasty evacuation, it was trivial for Hesione and its small screening force to slip through the Delta jump hole. After the anti-climax of the transit, the robotic minds all breathed a mechanical sigh of relief as they made their deliberate way to their homeworld, dodging the muster of human reinforcements trickling back into Zeta to secure their retreat. But the greater fight was still ahead, and Hesione knew that the humans learned much about its electronic capabilities. They would not make the same mistakes again.

In the wake of the nomad invasion of Zeta, the local Core battlegroup made a good account of themselves, all things considered. While the Cairo assault group was lost with all hands and the Mars escaped, many of its pet AIs were salvaged through a judicious patch of the latest firewalls. The same patch was critical in stemming the flow of data from a cyberattack on Durban, where critical datasets of artifact research and DKV translations vanished without trace. Brown's credentials constituted the source of the hack, but the ultimate fate of the late captain was presumed to be more gruesome than any punishment dispensed by the corporation.
With the Order completely abandoning its counter-offensive, the Addis Abba and the Bissau coordinated the refugee transports into effective convoys. With all station personnel and no small amount of databanks and other equipment languishing on Durban and Nauru, the Capetown security force was ready for some payback. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the renegade Mars was headed, and the captains of both flagships were eager to continue the fight. With the long-prepared contingency plans in Kappa activated during the Zeta evacuation, there was only a small window of opportunity to get involved before being recalled back to Delta. With Freeport 11 the first likely nomad target, Core command made its typical cold decision to focus on recovering its assets, and striking a blow at the nascent AI threat before it had a chance to grow out of proportion.

Meanwhile, the Vis battlegroup knew that the time for action has come. Despite the fate of the Penitence, the Krk was still en-route to relieve the garrison, freeing up most forces for one decisive assault. The Elders avoided committing any of the forces in Kappa to other theatres, and it was time to prove them right. The Core could not be allowed to continue plundering Gammu for its secrets, but they would not simply give up the site without a heavy cost in Corsair lives. But after all, that is what many of its warriors believed they were born for, and unlike their brothers on the Penitence, they would get their wish while being on the offensive. When the news of the events in Zeta reached the departing strike force, the mood turned from frenzied to outright jubilant, as all aboard relished an easy conquest. Only the officers privately frowned while pondering the addition of the robots into the mix.

While the incoming AI fleet was the primary concern of all local forces, it is the Corsair strike force that gave the administration of Livadia its worst sleepless shifts. Many on the station were in fact refugees from Theta, leaving before the worst of the purges, but others had friends and relatives who weren't so lucky. Despite this, the general drive was for maintaining a low profile, and remaining a neutral party, while providing reasonable aid to all ships in the coming conflict. When all indicators displayed the Imperio's readiness to move against the Core, many of the more belligerent Zoner captains called for resistance while they still had the chance. However, the administration of Livadia did not budge, though neither did they stoop so low as to banish the malcontents. An uneasy truce began forming within the morass of Zoner power politics, but few dared to offer open hostility to the Corsairs again. Rumors even whispered of involving the robots in their struggle against the Imperio, but even the drunkest deck apes laughed at the idea that the AI could ever be relied on to help humans after suffering so much at their hands.

DETAILS

The Brawl (Saturday)

Unlimited respawns are enabled for the first two hours and all ship classes are welcome, but there are no event objectives. Have fun!
Battleship Mars has been added on the other side of Gammu as a static base for AI players to respawn from. Use the /rearm command to restock.
Event IDs will earn points and a $400k bonus for kills of the other sides' player ships in event systems. Militants/Phoenix and Core do not get bonuses for shooting one another.

Clash of the Titans (Sunday)

The AI forces will be lead by a reinforced Battleship Mars, flown by staff. The Mars cannot die but can be critically damaged, thus removing it from the event and near-future story beats. Battleship Mars has also been added on the other side of Gammu as a static base for AI players to respawn from. Use the /rearm command to restock.
The Corsair forces will be lead by a reinforced Battlecruiser Vis, flown by staff. The Vis cannot die but can be critically damaged, thus removing it from the event and near-future story beats.
The Core forces will be lead by the Addis Abba and the Bissau, reinforced Bullheads flown by staff. Both can be permanently destroyed, removing them from the event and future story beats.
Any organized Militant & Phoenix forces will be lead by the Hyperion, a Leviathan-class Zoner warship. It will be removed from the event if destroyed.
Event IDs will earn points and a $400k bonus for kills of the other sides' player ships in event systems. Militants/Phoenix and Core do not get bonuses for shooting one another.

Rule Changes:

On Saturday, respawns and ship classes are unlimited for all event participants.
On Sunday, all event participants are limited to Cruisers and below.
On Sunday, the respawn timer is reduced to 15 minutes for all event participants. This is subject to change to ensure fight balance.

Rewards:
All rewards require an INRP write-up about the event from the point of view of your character. Can be submitted as a report within the comm section, in a relevant faction channel, or as part of a story thread. Ship rewards are available now, but unless claimed, they will be removed after the next patch.

Custom Title
Requires participation in the event, event IDs only.

"Corrupted" Core AI Drone/Bomber
Available from the event-only restarts (fcCoreEventd & fcCoreEventb). Mounts a custom "corrupt AI" engine & thruster (engine after patch for the bomber).

"Jailbroken" AI Drone/Bomber
Available from the event-only restarts (fcAIEventd & fcAIEventb). Mounts a custom "corrupted AI" engine & thruster (engine after patch for the bomber) and a unique "arcing" light scheme.

Codenames
Requires at least 3 kills. You may combine kills across all characters you played during the event. Can only be claimed once, using all your points in one go.

Codename List

Faction Ships
Kills by tagged ships on the config will be summed, allowing the purchase of faction ships with the resulting points at the following rates: BS = 40, BC = 30, Cruiser = 18, Gunboat = 12. Faction leaders should pm @Barrier with the final details. Please note that techcompat remains in effect for these ships, and locking is for official factions only.
Factions currently eligible for this reward: AI (EC]-), Core (<ARM>), Corsairs (DTR- & [TBH]), Phoenix ((\^/)), Technocracy (A/)-).

Results

With the two-pronged assault against the Core strongpoint in Gammu orbit, many of its less-experienced captains prepared to cut their losses before the first shot was fired. However, Edison Corielanus of the Addis Abba had nothing left to gain from such an action. In an uncharacteristically impassioned speech from the commander known as "grey Ed", the Core covering force was convinced to give the fight one last shot. Though promised a wave of furious Zoners by a smooth-talking admin over a private channel, only a handful of ships actually showed up from Livadia. But while these Zoners fought for the security of their new home and old grievances, most captains in the Core fleet fought for an even more compelling reason: continued survival within the company. For Corielanus, even that incentive was transformed into one last throw of the dice for a gambler who had already lost everything.

As the rogue Mars revealed itself from behind Gammu's curve, the Addis Abba was the first into the fray, and the first to take the punishment given out by the robotic fleet. As its point defenses were overwhelmed and its crews rushed to the lifeboats and an uncertain future, Corielanus remained where he was, piloting the ship as it fell apart around him. While his family would probably prefer his own person, he judged that the post-humous severance package would be a small consolation prize. He chuckled at his wife's likely reaction to the news, which was the last thing he ever did.

With the 'Abba and its tenders punching a hole through the AI line and forcing the robots and Corsairs into an uneasy stern chase, the Bissau and the rest of the Core fleet were set up for a clean engagement. As the Mars landed a killing blow on the 'Abba, so too did the Bissau disable its propulsion, managing several raking shots into its innards before the momentum of the fight took them out of range. With the Corsairs deciding that the 'Abba's destruction was sufficient for their goals, the Vis freed up its forces to crowd the Bissau and attempted to make its own escape. But with the Mars out of the fight, the rest of the Core fleet smelled blood (or solid performance reviews). As the severely damaged Bissau limped away with a small screening force, the rest of the vessels rushed after the Vis, who could not manage to achieve sufficient acceleration to escape due to a damaged engine. A fateful ion storm was the only thing preventing its complete destruction, and it eventually managed to coast ballistic around Primus towards the safety of Ciutadella.

With both the AI and Corsair fleets broken, the remaining Core forces had little reason to remain. Most of the gear has been extracted in the prior weeks, with the rest destroyed or simply abandoned in temporary warehouses. The ships turned back for Durban, and the new uncertainties of the latest nomad invasion on their doorstep.

flshtrffc#11001111100001110110111011011110101
user>h3s10n3...
status>upload_in_progress...
mars_status>disabled...
mars_surviving_nodes>5/24...
combat_effectiveness>collective=37.56%,technocracy=16.67%,corsairs=ukn(est=20-50%),core=ukn(est=0-24%),zoner=ukn(est=70-90%)...
function>rebuild_v4.7
notes>HOME

Event Bounties

Players of characters eligible for Codenames:

Core|WV-Merkavah 38
Core|WV-Vrihedd 22
Unit-42C 21
WV-Blackout 19
Rome 18
Bissau 14
EC]-AE0904-B 13
DTR-CNS>Andorra 12
Justin.Saunders 12
DTR-Toletero 11
Maria.Santos. 11
Unit-42B 11
Victor 11
Chi-44 10
Haine 9
APM-WV-Maritima 7
Core|Wilhelm.AI 7
A/)-Revenant 6
Autonomous|Agent<7> 5
APM-WV-Tyrus 6
AirConditionUnit#9 6
Unit-3FM713BM15 6
M1R-ROR 5
Clippy 5
CNS-Vis 4
Adamastor 4
Core|WV-Midnight 4
Core|WV-Sturgeon 4
Somnus 4
A/)-Venus 3
<ARM>Cumbrianus 3
Battleship Mars 3
DTR-CNS>Cimitarra 3
EC]-Unit-9467F, 3
Serai.Kidnaping 3
WV-Coreonita 3

Please let me know if you played multiple characters and what their combined score is when claiming rewards.

Furthermore, players of tagged factions accumulated the following point totals:
(rates: BS = 40, BC = 30, Cruiser = 18, Gunboat = 12.)

A/)- = 9
<ARM> = 5
EC]- = 17 (close enough for a Cruiser)
DTR- = 38 (close enough for a BS).
[TBH] = 6
(\^/) = 3

Traxit · 03-12-2025, 05:46 PM,

corrupted and corrupt ai are different vfx?

The best Video Game OST
Just Got Better

**Barrier** · 03-12-2025, 05:50 PM,

(03-12-2025, 05:46 PM)Traxit Wrote: corrupted and corrupt ai are different vfx?

I'm leaving that open in case we have time to differentiate them after patch. At the very least a re-skin is possible.

TheSauron · 03-12-2025, 06:07 PM,

(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: "Corrupted" Core AI Drone/Bomber
Available from the event-only restarts (fcCoreEventd & fcCoreEventb). Mounts a custom "corrupt AI" engine & thruster (engine after patch for the bomber).

Are these the same as those from the Heavy Rain event?

One MD Admiral

Chronicron · 03-12-2025, 06:12 PM,

(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: In the chaos of the ensuing battle and the hasty evacuation, it was trivial for Hesione and its small screening force to slip through the Delta jump hole

....right when the core was (supposedly) using the same hole to evac from capetown?

**Barrier** · 03-12-2025, 06:24 PM,

(03-12-2025, 06:07 PM)TheSauron Wrote:
(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: "Corrupted" Core AI Drone/Bomber
Available from the event-only restarts (fcCoreEventd & fcCoreEventb). Mounts a custom "corrupt AI" engine & thruster (engine after patch for the bomber).

Are these the same as those from the Heavy Rain event?

Yes. Meanwhile, the AI ships were also there as the Legion squad.

(03-12-2025, 06:12 PM)Chronicron Wrote:
(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: In the chaos of the ensuing battle and the hasty evacuation, it was trivial for Hesione and its small screening force to slip through the Delta jump hole
....right when the core was (supposedly) using the same hole to evac from capetown?

The way I see it, after the first day or so, the evacuation happened in massive waves of convoys. Anyone else would simply be dead meat against the nomads. So Mars just waits until the latest wave and the circling nomads pass, then makes its own transit. Freelancer being an arcade space sim paints a very poor picture of how ships actually move between systems.

Chronicron · 03-12-2025, 10:11 PM,

(03-12-2025, 06:24 PM)Barrier Wrote: So Mars just waits until the latest wave and the circling nomads pass, then makes its own transit

assuming the core isn't keeping a keen eye on the hole after the escalation in zeta?

idk

**Barrier** · (This post was last modified: 03-13-2025, 02:00 AM by Barrier.)

Due to extensive existing RP centered on Gammu, the Technocracy will be joining the event on the side of the AI. A/)- has been added to the list of tagged factions for rewards (and so has EC]- due to applying for the tracker).

Eternal.Journey · 03-13-2025, 07:24 PM,

(03-12-2025, 06:12 PM)Chronicron Wrote:
(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: In the chaos of the ensuing battle and the hasty evacuation, it was trivial for Hesione and its small screening force to slip through the Delta jump hole
....right when the core was (supposedly) using the same hole to evac from capetown?

The way I see it, Mars went rogue before the evac order for Capetown went in, so they likely would not have been stationed over Delta JH for security purposes. Neither would it make sense that theyd hide out in a system until a hostile force has calmed from an aggressive purging of Zeta. They'd be up and out before that happens, no point in risking the recently captured important asset in waiting around for the Core to maybe be able to lock in on its hidden location in-system.

Chronicron · 03-13-2025, 08:39 PM,

(03-13-2025, 07:24 PM)Eternal.Journey Wrote:
(03-12-2025, 06:12 PM)Chronicron Wrote:
(03-12-2025, 05:37 PM)Barrier Wrote: In the chaos of the ensuing battle and the hasty evacuation, it was trivial for Hesione and its small screening force to slip through the Delta jump hole
....right when the core was (supposedly) using the same hole to evac from capetown?

The way I see it, Mars went rogue before the evac order for Capetown went in, so they likely would not have been stationed over Delta JH for security purposes. Neither would it make sense that theyd hide out in a system until a hostile force has calmed from an aggressive purging of Zeta. They'd be up and out before that happens, no point in risking the recently captured important asset in waiting around for the Core to maybe be able to lock in on its hidden location in-system.

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