Thames Outpost

Thames Outpost

File:Br01 06 base.png

Owner

Bretonia Armed Forces

Location

D-6, New London

CLASS: Edmunds

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 250

An old space station from Bretonia's age of expansion, Thames was designed to function as a hub for in and outbound cargo for Planet New London, and a storehouse for BMM Gold exports from Dublin.

In 826 AS, Thames found itself in the middle of the Battle for Planet New London, the largest fleet battle in human history. It is believed that Thames survived the battle with minimal damage because Gallic forces had intended to use the station as a staging depot for a terrestrial invasion once orbital space had been secured.

With the loss of Graves Station in 831 AS, Thames saw a sharp drop in traffic, although some Gold continued to be stocked as a result of confiscations by the Essex blockade, or extremely dangerous 'wildcat' expeditions by the most desperate or foolhardy of BMM miners. As of 834 AS, Thames was requisitioned by the Bretonian Armed Forces for use as an orbital hangar. While the Battleship Somerset is receiving overhauls in Cambridge, many of its squadrons have taken up position at Thames instead.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Bretonia Police Border World Exports Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing Bounty Hunters Guild

Missions

Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Robotics 26$ Hessian Tears 157$ Oxygen 8$ Water 9$ Diamonds 140$ Food Rations 24$ Basic Alloy 18$ Pharmaceuticals 21$ Consumer Goods 18$ Synth Paste 20$ Cigars 40$ Industrial Materials 29$ Xenobiotic Filters 56$ Passengers (Bretonia) 200$ Xeno Relics 245$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Mining Machinery 16$ Gin 27$ Crew 370$ H-Fuel 205$ MOX 18$ HazMat Canisters 39$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price
Surveyor	Heavy Fighter	5,408$
Scraper	Very Heavy Fighter	11,729$
Arrastra	Bomber	43,176$

News

[833 AS] Gold Insecurity Invites Crisis

WATERLOO -- 833 -- Interspace analysts have published a report on the continued volatility of sector-wide Gold supplies, claiming that further instability invites disaster. The reports note the pressures placed on advanced Optronics, Bio-Neural Processor and Quantum Multiplexor manufacturing were already causing spiraling cost increases in adjacent market sectors. Market analysis also indicates that the bulk of Bretonian exports now consist of recycled and in some cases adulterated materials, likely indicating that stockpiles are running low. Interspace has called upon House authorities to collectively find the means of addressing the Dublin question before economic crisis becomes inevitable.

[833 AS] Queen greets troops during military tour

PORTSMOUTH -- 833 -- Queen Carina has conducted a tour of the First Cruiser Flotilla, marking the launch of the Agincourt class destroyer. Developed by BMM shipwrights using the hard-won lessons of the Gallic War, the Agincourt has been described as a potent blend of traditional Bretonian engineering pedigree and modern innovation. Phasing out the aging Crecy class destroyer, the Agincourt’s enhanced fire control systems and hardy armor will allow it to excel in the roles championed by its forebearer. The Queen also celebrated the pivotal role played by the Cruiser Flotillas in saving Bretonia from Gallic tyranny, bestowing them with the ceremonial “Royal” title of Household troops. The First Royal Cruiser Flotilla is expected to be fully outfitted by year’s end.

[833 AS] Admiral Found Guilty Over Dublin Disaster

BATTLESHIP ESSEX -- 833 AS -- A military tribunal today announced its findings on the loss of the Dublin system and the conduct of the Battleship Essex on that day. The panel found that Admiral James Byng was ultimately responsible for failing to do his utmost to prevent the loss of Dublin and the New London jump gate. A number of charges were raised regarding the deployment and disposition of forces under Byng's command, the botched boarding of Graves Station and the decision to retreat from the system. The judges finally concluded that Byng's conduct would typically have warranted a capital sentence, but commuted this to a dishonorable discharge on account of the admiral's exemplary service during the Gallic War. Representatives speaking on Byng's behalf decried the tribunal as a sham and claimed that he was being scapegoated by corporate, government and intelligence interests who bore actual culpability for the uprising. The Battleship Essex continues to maintain a blockade of Dublin, with government sources stating that the Molly terrorists would be crushed and the system brought to heel in short order.

[833 AS] Cambridge on the Line

NORFOLK -- 833 AS -- The number of recorded Corsair incursions across Cambridge has increased by 193%% in the last 3 years. According to Captain Edwards of the Battleship Norfolk, this is simply a result of the successes in detecting and reacting to attacks. "You can't respond to a Corsair you don't know is there," he noted. "The Cambridge Line ensures we know when and where to deploy our resources for maximum effect." Retired Major Jane Gilliam disagrees. "The Line was never fit for purpose," she says. "The Regents lobbied London to keep it, and so the pantomine continues." It is speculated that the spike in Corsair raids may have been prompted by increased resistance elsewhere, or a shift in their internal politics. Regardless of their true motivations, Interspace Commerce has recognised the elevated peril and adjusted its premiums accordingly.

[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] Bretonia Announces Poole Draw-Down

NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- The Bretonian government has announced a controlled withdrawal from the Poole system, citing ballooning costs and an increasingly strained state budget. Poole was once of critical importance to Bretonia, briefly hosting a Super Gate to Liberty during the Gallic War, and acting as a launching point for Bretonia's colonial ambitions in Omega 48. With the end of the war and Bretonia's withdrawal from Planet Gran Canaria, Poole's prominence waned. The cost of policing the system and maintaining infrastructure has significantly outweighed collected tax revenue in recent years, with Planetform's Terraforming Gas operations reporting disappointing year on year returns.DSE has already confirmed that it will begin deconstruction operations shortly, with the dismantling of the Cambridge jump gate expected to be completed by 833 AS. Planetform has confirmed its intention to withdraw prior to this point, while settling shareholder anxiety with the announcement of promising preliminary findings for a replacement site in Newcastle.

[831 AS] Bretonian Focus Turns on Mollys

SHEFFIELD -- 831 AS -- The Bretonia Police Authority has announced that the eradication of the Molly movement is their top priority. In light of the loss of the Dublin system and the seemingly connected 'Blackout', the dangerous terrorist movement has leaped to the top of Bretonia's most wanted board. Bounties on Molly terrorists have doubled, with Bounty Hunters flocking to the beleaguered House. Guild Master Tina Hale of Sheffield Station commented that, "this is a good deal for a job that's less dangerous than many of our Edge World boards." Despite this, prospective Hunters should be cautious, as the Mollys are notoriously cunning and brutal fighters. The bounties and Police crackdown do appear to be having some initial effects however, with reports of Molly attacks on shipping in the Cambridge and Newcastle systems falling over recent weeks.

[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.

[831 AS] Cost of Rebuilding too High?

NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- Bretonia continues to face a difficult and lengthy recovery process following the conclusion of the Gallic War. The Bretonian people initially accepted this, and quietly pledged to come together and struggle on. While Bretonia is now witnessing an extraordinary rate of growth, it has come at the cost of severe cuts and harsh industrial quotas. Professor Timothy Ball of the Economic Review Institute says, "the recovery we've witnessed so far has been uneven, mainly benefiting Bretonian corporations and Crown agencies. If dividends of recovery are not felt by the average citizen, this inequality could become a major point of domestic political contention."

[829 AS] Marauding in Manchester

MANCHESTER -– 829 AS -- Reports from the Manchester system have now been confirmed by BPA and Bretonian intelligence officials: Liverpool Border Station, guarding over the Magellan jump gate and serving as the command center for police operations in the system, has been destroyed in what is being deemed a terrorist attack. Yesterday at 2200 hours SMT, nearby Sheffield Station and Kingston Border Station received automated distress signals from Liverpool, indicating an emergency aboard the station. Guild patrols redirected from Sheffield arrived on the scene within minutes, finding the border station destroyed. Search and rescue operations headed by Guild and BPA units commenced immediately and successfully salvaged several escape pods bearing several dozen survivors, who were immediately delivered to hospitals on New London. BPA spokesperson Sandra Halling held a press conference earlier this morning. According to joint police and BIS investigations, Liverpool was destroyed by antimatter explosives planted aboard the station. Their detonation caused a catastrophic chain reaction, resulting in the station's own reactors melting down and exploding. Of the estimated one-hundred-twenty persons on board at the time of the attack, seventy-eight have been reported as dead or missing. \So far, no party has taken credit for this heinous attack. However, Bretonian police surmises that it was likely perpetrated by either the criminals known as the Mollys or the infamous pirate organization, the Lane Hackers. The attack occurred following a significant redeployment of local Armed Forces units to the Cortez system for the purpose of joint operations with Libertonian security forces. This, says Halling, may have allowed terrorist sympathizers to exploit undermanned BPA patrols and smuggle illegal explosives through Manchester's ice fields, onto Liverpool Station. While investigations continue, Bretonian Police Authority has reinforced patrols within Manchester and established traffic controls at Kingston Border Station and Birmingham Station. Traffic to and from Liberty has been advised to reroute through the Cortez system.

[828 AS] Samura Debuts Next Generation Surveyor

NEW TOKYO -- 828 AS -- Samura Spokesperson Kenichiro Watanabe introduced a new line of Next-Gen Surveyors to the Consumer Utilities Convention Keynote Expo to thunderous applause: "The Surveyor is more than just a ship, it's a symbol of ingenuity and industrial development to all the Sirian Colonies. It's a pattern that dates back to our origins in the Sol system, and it's a pattern that will persist for many generations to come. Just as we have adapted to meet new challenges, so too must the Surveyor to meet emergent needs." The Next-Gen Surveyor is slated to roll out multiple updates ranging from technological optimizations to upgraded armor and firepower capabilities. Many of the new modifications directly address a recent study by the Sirius International Institute of Statistics and Economics, citing up to 32 percent losses by BMM and Kruger Minerals to piracy and related factors. The ship's expanded armour increased the ship's mass by almost 50 percent, which forced Samura's Surveyor team to completely overhaul the ship's power delivery system, powerplant, and hull. The new ship utilizes a power delivery system integrated into the super-alloy frame. The integrated frame was torture tested at the Aso High Altitude Proving Grounds, and sports certifications as best in class for maneuvering with a load under high Gs. Though time will tell whether the upgrade will prove successful in addressing the increase of piracy, the stock market has greeted the welcome news with a 15 point general increase, and a relative high for Samura and mining sector stocks.

Rumors

Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing

We ship Mining Machinery out to Peterborough, Birmingham, Graves, and Douglas Station. Peterborough is the new Beryllium processing plant in Cambridge. I worried for a while that we'd have to deal with those IMG criminals in order to secure Beryllium, but the Crown was smart enough to see that that would essentially give the IMG leverage over the entire Bretonian economy. And that won't do. How the IMG has done so well is beyond me. We've lost all of our operations in Tau-23, and we only have Graves left in Dublin. I'm glad Birmingham and Peterborough are getting up to speed. Leeds is a lost cause for now - perhaps we could persuade the Armed Forces to divert some troops to retake Belfast. If we can get that base back, we're back in business as far as Hull Panel production is concerned. At least the Bowex boys know the value of keeping Bretonia alive. They've been a right blessing, bringing in those raw materials that we need to keep our factories going. Having to deal with Rheinland for Aluminium now that we've lost Leeds is not the preferred option - we really need Belfast back under our control. The automated mining rigs it controls would produce all the Aluminium we need. The Mollys have been a challenge for BMM ever since the revolt on the Graves Station in 752, in which they mercilessly executed the chief of base operations, Sir Edmund Graves, and several of his senior lieutenants. They fantasized of Dublin being their own country. We asked for assistance from the Bretonia Armed Forces at the time and have been engaged in a war of attrition ever since. IMG is a motley collection of unemployed New London miners, former BMM malcontents, and hordes of Daumann and Kruger Rheinlanders. They have no business operating as a legal entity within the boundaries of Bretonia - the Crown ought to remove them from our border as a matter of principle. There is little we can do in the Border Worlds, unfortunately. Thames is in a bad way without the mineral shipments from Tau-23 and Leeds. Even with the new Peterborough base slowly starting to replace the Beryllium train. Some people wonder whether the whole company will survive. The IMG must be real smug right about now. Parliament ought to nationalize their bases without our border and hand them over to BMM as a matter of national security. Welcome to Thames. This is the headquarters for BMM, Bretonia's oldest industrial conglomerate. BMM and our affiliates handle rougly 85% of all Bretonian industrial ventures, and 65% of all mining endeavours. In other words, if you intend to do business in Bretonia, it is hard to go around us. BMM and Bowex have had a long and profitable relationship stretching back over 500 years. You should never listen to what Gateway, IMG, or ALG tell you. They are young, poorly run organizations that will not be there for you in the long haul. Dozens have gone before them, and will come after them. But BMM and Bowex endure. The war with Kusari and now Gallia has done immense damage to our company. The most obvious to everyone is the loss of Stokes, Leeds and LD14 - but what is even worse is the loss of business. Other companies are filling in the gaps that our predicament has left, and those companies won't go away as easily once we're done rebuilding. The amount of money we lost in Tau-23 still makes me shudder. We sank billions into that system, trying to fight off the criminals and start up a viable venture, and then that cursed Gallic armada came along and took it all over. What's even worse is that they left those IMG traitors be - those guys threw an accord with Gallia. Typical. The Gaians have recently begun raiding the Birmingham plant, apparently because they believe we are guilty of producing gases subsequently used in terraforming operations. In my opinion, this guilt by association is not constructive and further alienates their cause from the common man in Bretonia. Not to mention, the company has posted a whopper of a bounty on the Gaians. Planetform is one thing, but if you attack BMM, you attack Bretonia as a whole. Thames is company headquarters for all of our operations across Sirius. Supply runs from New London bring in Food, Oxygen, Water, and H-Fuel. We then transfer them for special shipment to our other bases: Douglas, Southampton, Graves, Birmingham and Peterborough.

NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:55:46 UTC