Planet Pygar

Planet Pygar

File:Ew12 04 base.png

Owner

Zoners

Location

C-4, Omicron Theta

DIAMETER: 4,821 km

MASS: 3.17 x 10e24 kg

TERRAIN: Desert

TEMPERATURE: -46°C to 34°C

ESCAPE VELOCITY: 5.56 km/sec

An arid world scoured clean by ceaseless sandstorms that wash across its surface, Pygar was discovered in 550 AS by the Bretonian exploratory vessel Fearless. During initial surveys, individual sandstorms that lasted for several years and reached top speeds of 805 km/h were observed. These hostile conditions would destroy probes within hours, dissuading further exploratory work until a Rheinland expedition arrived in 795 AS to investigate the caverns described in Cambridge's Fearless Archives. The Rheinlanders would discover a cache of live stasis Artifacts, carelessly awakening the aliens known as the Nomads and unleashing them on Sirius.

In the aftermath of the Nomad War, The Order would thoroughly explore Pygar, charting extensive cave systems but finding little more than long dead Dom'Kavash ruins and dust. The planet was of little further interest until 826 AS when Bretonia annexed the Zoner planet of Gran Canaria. Many were unwilling to accept living under House rule, and were happy to tolerate incredible hardships to secure their independence. One such group used The Order's survey data to found a small underground colony on Pygar. The raging storms overhead made it incredibly dangerous and expensive to import basic necessities, but the settlers persevered until a docking ring could be constructed. Even now, protecting the docking ring's tethers from the cutting storm winds is an enormous and costly task.

As the colony slowly grew, tensions would emerge with the Corsairs who felt the settlers were competing with their own home world for scarce local resources. Friction between the Corsairs and Theta's Zoners would continue to mount, culminating in the Corsair seizure of Freeport 9 in 831 AS. The Zoners of Pygar were quick to form armed militias in case the Corsairs turned their attention towards them, while Corfu became a rallying point for Zoner pilots enraged by this naked aggression. A core of Pygar's colonists insist they'll die before they leave, but many have already begun to emigrate back to a now free Gran Canaria to avoid entanglement in a war over Omicron Theta.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Corsairs Cryer Pharmaceuticals Zoners

Missions

Bounty Hunters Guild Corsairs

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Robotics 40$ Medical Equipment 48$ Water 23$ Food Rations 51$ H-Fuel 117$ Basic Alloy 54$ Pharmaceuticals 32$ Consumer Goods 53$ Synth Paste 34$ Industrial Materials 44$ Xenobiotic Filters 57$ Xeno Relics 164$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Oxygen 25$ Mining Machinery 47$ Construction Machinery 48$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price
Osprey Mk II	Bomber	86,312$
Kingfisher	Heavy Fighter	13,558$
Jackdaw	Heavy Fighter	21,748$

News

[834 AS] Corsairs and Zoners reach accord

CORFU -- 834 -- Following difficult negotiations, Corsair and Zoner delegates have reached an agreement over the status of Freeport 9. Since the withdrawal of the main Outcast fleet, Corsairs, Zoner militias and The Core have extracted a steady grind of attritional losses on each other. The Corsairs had initially demanded total surrender, however mounting losses and a spike in Nomad attacks appears to have changed their mind. The Corsairs have agreed to release all hostages, and establish a joint administration of the Freeport to immediately end the fighting. While the Corsairs will not permit their enemies to land, the Zoners now have far more autonomy to carry on with their lives. Neither side is happy with the deal, but it seems to be preferred to continued bloodshed.

[834 AS] Blood in the water

CORFU -- 834 -- With thousands killed and Freeport 9 devastated by conflict, the war in Omicron Theta has taken a darker turn. Seemingly drawn like sharks to blood, patrols have reported a sharp increase in Nomad attacks from the Amarus Nebula. Rheinland ships have also been sighted, allegedly attacking freighters near Planet Pygar before vanishing with cloaking devices. It is recommended that all Zoner tradesmen seek the protection of the Gran Canarian Fearless squadron and travel in convoys through the region. Ships traveling alone are now at extreme risk of attack. The Order has already pledged to send military ships to help, however our ongoing vigilance is essential.

[833 AS] Stabline Prices Spike Over 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. Cryer 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 paramilitary. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer is believed to have entered emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore potential options.

[833 AS] Freeport victory thwarted by Outcast betrayal

FREEPORT 9 -- 833 -- Drawn from across the Sigmas, Omicrons and Omegas, Zoners were emboldened to take up arms against Corsair aggression by the recent victory at Freeport 9. The Outcasts had promised the next strike would be decisive, after their reinforcements had regrouped. When the moment came, the Zoners held to their agreement and attacked -- but where were the Outcasts? We were thrown to the wolves, and the promised Outcast strike on the Corsair flank never came. We now know we were sold out, used as a distraction to stop the Corsairs from interfering with an attack on Atka Research Station. The Freeport could have been recaptured were it not for this betrayal.

[833 AS] Corsair garrison fleet destroyed

CORFU -- 833 -- In a shocking turn of events, the Corsair garrison fleet occupying Freeport 9 has been severely damaged. After weeks of heavy fighting, the Outcasts with aid from Zoner militias punched through the Corsair perimeter and struck the Battlecruiser Kefalonia, the command ship for the Corsair defense. Exhausted, both sides have withdrawn to regroup; Corsair reinforcements are already flooding into the region, while the Outcasts call up more pilots from Malta. Emboldened, many more Zoners have also taken up arms, now confident that the Freeport can be recaptured. Despite this, crossfire has inflicted serious damage, with two biodomes already destroyed. Pygar community leaders have called for an urgent ceasefire to allow talks to commence.

[832 AS] War Returns to Omicron Theta!

FREEPORT 9 -- 832 AS -- Omicron Theta was the site of clashes between the Outcasts and Corsairs for many years, with the Zoners of Freeport 9 surviving in the middle of this uneasy equilibrium. Everything would change late last year when the Outcasts withdrew from the system, and the Corsairs boarded and occupied Freeport 9. Now, the Outcasts have returned in force and the fighting is fiercer than ever as they look to win back lost ground; early clashes saw the loss of the Corsair Battleship Fes and Outcast Destroyer Bella. The Outcasts have been open about their intent to destroy Freeport 9 so long as it remains in Corsair hands, to the dismay of the expelled Zoners who hope to regain the station through diplomatic means. The Core have also been spotted operating in the system, intervening to precisely strike valuable targets and seemingly prevent either side from gaining a decisive edge. Extreme caution is recommended when travelling through the region.

[831 AS] Corsairs Pillage Freeport 9!

CORFU -- 831 AS -- The Corsair occupation of Freeport 9 has sent shockwaves through the Zoner community. The Corsairs had accused the station of allowing their enemies to launch raids into Omicron Gamma, with violent rhetoric escalating after the death of an Elder's son. As Crete demanded the Zoners of Theta turn over any Hunters aboard their stations and surrender docking control, the Freeport 9 administrators were confident that some kind of compromise could be found. A delegation from Gran Canaria was requested to assist with negotiations, due to the close ties between Zoner and Corsair communities on the planet. Tragically, the Corsairs interpreted this delay as refusal, and launched a surprise attack while the delegation was en-route. Many of Freeport 9's crew are now being held as hostages while the Corsairs pillage the station. An urgent conclave has been called on Gran Canaria to discuss the Zoner response, while militias on Pygar have taken up arms in case the violence spreads.

[831 AS/747 AGS] Gate Corps Clash Over 'Blackout'!

ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- 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

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] Gran Canaria Conclave Meets Over Theta Aggression

GRAN CANARIA -- 831 AS -- Representatives of Zoner communities across the Omegas and Omicrons have gathered on Gran Canaria for an emergency meeting on Corsair aggression and the seizure of Freeport 9. Furious delegates argued late into the night, with no consensus ultimately emerging. The Militants believe the Corsairs prey on weakness, and will be more willing to negotiate if armed Zoners prove they cannot be easily or costlessly bullied. The Reconcilers believe the situation can only be resolved by deescalating the immediate tensions, and then diplomatically securing the release of hostages and the return of the occupied Freeport. Both sides are adamant that the other's approach will lead to the Zoners' subjugation or expulsion from the region. Despite this, some common ground has been found, with the collective tasking a number of Fearless Q-Ship captains with deploying to Theta and protecting the Gran Canarian convoys that will be needed to resupply Freeport 5, Corfu and Pygar.

[831 AS] Corsair Elder's Son Killed by BHG!

FREEPORT 9 -- 831 AS -- The presence of Bounty Hunters so close to the Corsair home world has long been a source of anger for the Edge World pirates. Zoner Freeports offer a safe harbor and open market to all comers - including the BHG. For decades the Zoners of Freeport 9 have kept themselves safe from Corsair reprisals by offering useful services, with their biodomes providing Crete with respite from the famines that once ravished it. Despite this, outrage has swept Omicron Gamma after a flight of Hunters killed Commander Juan Garcia, before retreating back to the No Fire Zones of Omicron Theta. The Council of Elders have ordered the administrator of Freeport 9 to attend Planet Crete to hear their demands. Elder Garcia has vowed that the station's halls would "run red with blood" unless the Zoners turned over all BHG aboard the Freeport. The Zoners are yet to respond, likely trying to anticipate how the Corsairs will react.

[831 AS/747 AGS] 'Blackout' Causes Jump Network Fail

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When the network resumed 31 hours later, restored communications broke the news of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged the market into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates indicate that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of culpability for 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. Independent researchers in Cologne and the Edge Worlds have also announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, with data about 'The Pulse' being widely shared across the neural net in recent days. House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to comment on their own observatories' data.

[830 AS] Tempers Flare over Pygar Colony!

PYGAR -- 830 AS -- The Zoners have seen many trials over recent years, with the Bretonian invasion of Gran Canaria being one among many. It was this occupation that forced many settlers off-world, with some braving the deadly storms of Pygar to eke out a difficult existence under the barren planet's surface. The arrival of Zoner colonists in Omicron Theta has not been met with warmth by all, however. The Corsairs see the Pygar colony as a direct competitor for the region's scarce resources, with Elder Garcia warning that there would be "dire consequences" should Freeport 9's biodomes reduce or divert their exports to Planet Crete. Whispers of alien ruins and Artifacts discovered below Pygar's surface may also antagonize the Corsairs, who rely on the Artifact trade as a source of wealth. The hardship of Pygar's extreme conditions and the uneasy relationship with the Corsairs has already led many colonists to consider a return to the now liberated Gran Canaria.

[828 AS] Reconquista

CRETE -- 828 AS -- Following a lull of successful conquests waged by the Corsairs, the Elders have finally broken their silence and issued an ultimatum. "The standing Navy of the Corsair Empire as well as its irregular raiders must do everything within their means to break existing stalemates or make progress. The enemies of Crete have grown arrogant and take for granted that Corsair offensives have lost their steam, this is an assessment which must be proved woefully wrong." In response to these express instructions, activity across every Corsair installation has intensified to levels that suggest substantial mobilization.

Rumors

Zoners

Out in the caves, the most creepy thing is that the slightest sounds can sometimes travel through quite a distance in these tunnels. Scared me to death when another search party was just talking and the walls warped the sounds. So far, most of what we've found is just caves, or overgrown with geology. And here I'd thought we could get rich quick with some artifacts. Have you talked to the others so far? Beautiful, isn't it? Looking at the geological formations, this city is likely older than any other site of alien ruins we have found so far in Sirius. Most of the damage done to it is due to erosion, but even so, it is remarkably well preserved. It is truly a marvel of engineering. I wish I could've seen it when it was still intact. We found traces of color pigments on some of the ruins, so most of this might have actually been colorful. What I am really looking forward to is taking a look of some of the ruins that have inscriptions. If we can decipher the language, we might learn a lot of the culture that lived here. This place is enormous. We're sending out scouting parties into the tunnels daily and we still haven't found where they end. Been with them a couple times. Gotta tell you, when you're used to living, you know, not underground, you tend to get a little claustrophobic, even if the ceiling is often a hundred meters above you at least. What is a Zoner? Everyone will give you a different answer, it seems, but I think the core of what we are is summed up best by one word: Independent. We don't need corporate overlords or parliaments to dictate how we are to enjoy our lives. When I first set foot on Gran Canaria, I couldn't believe how beautiful, how untouched it was. Now it's full of these tin soldiers and their Armed Forces banner. It made me so angry seeing them defile our home like that, but they are stronger. I think many of those who came here felt the same. This might not be as open and we might never see sunlight down here, but it is ours. See that Corsair over there? I hope he knows that he and his ilk better not provoke us. Honestly, I didn't want to come here. My wife, though. She's been absolutely incensed about what Bretonia did to our home on Gran Canaria. Can't really blame her. Tensions are pretty high. We never had that many strangers come to us and I fear that some of us Zoners aren't as open-minded when it comes to outsiders as we'd like to portray ourselves. Oh well, want a drink? Sorry if some of the others you've met have been a little terse.

Cryer Pharmaceuticals

Yes? Oh, hello, I mistook you for one of my assistants. We have been looking all over the place for traces of alien bio matter. If you've talked to that 'independent researcher', you're probably really amazed at this place, but for all we know, it could be a death trap. There could be microbes here that we are simply not evolutionarily selected to resist and could kill us. My job and those of a couple colleagues is to make sure people don't die, simple as that. Well, we do get the opportunity to do our own research here. Funnily enough, they actually want us to pay them for that. Some of these people here are just dreadful to be around. The credits my company gives them in return for their 'hospitality' are quite ill spent if you ask me. Doesn't help that this insipid piece of debris in Order uniform over there is leering at me the entire time.

The Order

Whatever the others might have told you, they are wrong. The Order is neither trying to sabotage this settlement, nor am I here to kill anyone if I think they are infested. This is a historic site. It is the first time humanity has appropriated Nomad architecture. Naturally, the Order has an interest in having this progress as smoothly as possible.

Corsairs

Congratulations, you're one of the first people here who's not too fine to talk to me. Folks around here really do make you feel right at home, no? Oh well, just making sure there is nothing suspicious going on here. Pygar's pretty close to Crete and we'd rather not have a little 'incident' here. That guy over there, though. No, the one with the Order uniform. I swear he's up to something. Can't trust those people, acting all secret.

NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:55:47 UTC