Halifax Freeport

Halifax Freeport

File:Br04 05 base.png

Owner

Freelancers

Location

C-6, Leeds

CLASS: Slapdash

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 720

In the aftermath of the Gallic invasion and destruction of Leeds, Bretonians were left in shock. This left an opening for a motley band of looters, smugglers, pirates, and desperate survivors to cobble together Halifax Freeport out of whatever remotely serviceable wreckage they could grab. The clumsy integration of disparate modules with no regard for origin or safety standards combine with the hazards of the smog cloud that conceals Halifax to make one of the most unpleasant and dangerous stations in Sirius.

Despite the hazards, or perhaps because of them, Halifax accepts all visitors. Much of the station's income is dedicated to patching up the constant mechanical and power failures that plague the base, the base however has proved resilient despite these challenges.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Bounty Hunters Guild Bretonia Police Bretonia Armed Forces Bretonia Intelligence Service Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing Gateway Shipping Border World Exports Planetform, Inc. Orbital Spa & Cruise Gaians Mollys Corsairs Outcasts Junkers Freelancers Zoners Independent Miners Guild

Missions

Corsairs Mollys Outcasts Sirius Coalition Gaians

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Hessian Tears 183$ Black Market Pharmaceuticals 42$ Counterfeit Computerware 58$ H-Fuel 188$ Pharmaceuticals 34$ Cardamine 175$ Consumer Goods 175$ Artifacts 198$ Consumer Goods 198$ Black Market Munitions 69$ Gaian Wildlife 233$ Black Market Augments 53$ Xenobiotic Filters 59$ Nox 158$ Consumer Goods 158$ Passengers (Bretonia) 313$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Robotics 35$ Gin 39$ Molybdenum 165$ Light Arms 81$ Vodka 55$ Crew 415$ Silver 150$ Niobium 128$ Copper 107$ Oxygen 21$ Water 18$ Food Rations 38$ MOX 24$ Basic Alloy 27$ Consumer Goods 30$ Platinum 150$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price
Kestrel	Freighter	2,916$
Bayonet	Heavy Fighter	16,158$
Lance	Bomber	51,526$

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] 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.

[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/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.

[829 AS] Tau In Transition

Freeport 6 -- 829 AS -- Bretonia and Kusari have been quiet in recent weeks as the Tau cluster continues adjustments, partly by design, into a new reality. Kusari has abandoned Tau-53 completely as trade with Gallia is frozen indefinitely, a nearly depleted hydrocarbon deposit seemingly not worth the investment in itself. Misaki Station has seen its manufacturing facilities detached and towed to a new location as Samura attempts to recoup some of its investment in Tau-53. Meanwhile, both Gallia and Bretonia have readjusted their Tau focus to Tau-23 as Orkney descends into chaos. Existing gate infrastructure in Tau-31 and Languedoc have been redirected to Tau-23, and a collective deja vu is felt among Tau denizens and observers from all Houses as the resources of Tau-23 are eyed by competing mining interests. Trade between the houses however, as in Kusari, is completely off the menu. Independent trade factions have also been warned against attempting to cross the divide.

[742 AGS] Royalists Steadfast in Gallic Hebrides

AQUITAINE -- 742 AGS -- Royalist forces in the Hebrides today announced that they would not recognize the authority of the Grand Duchy of Burgundy, as yet another Gallic splinter state emerged from the ashes. The new state, styling itself the Enclave, appears to be a military junta run by high ranking officials of Gallic Royal Intelligence and the Gallic Royal Navy. The most notable of these figures is the former Marquise of Marseille, Renée Hennequin d'Avignon, who retreated from the Provence system during the Minarchy's uprising. d'Avignon, who records now show to have been the head of the Crown's spy network on Planet Marseille, possessed close ties to both the upper echelons of Royal Intelligence and high ranking Gallic nobility. The displaced Marquise claims to be acting under authority of King Charles XI himself, citing a letter of regency allegedly left in her care during the final days of the war. While such a decree, if legitimate, would make the former Marquise Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Gallia, d'Avignon has rejected this title, instead fashioning herself Director-Regent. This is likely a calling to her position of Director within the GRI, which she rose to near the end of the war, as well as an attempt to garner favor with the unusually robust military demographic of the new state. d'Avigon's first edict as Director-Regent of the Royal Enclave was to declare the authority of Grand Duke Trintignant null and void. She has also issued the immediate expediation of construction efforts on Planet Bordeaux, the Enclave's capital. Flooded with hundreds of millions people, primarily displaced nobility, servicemen, and Bretonian serfs, the incipient nation-state currently faces a great food and housing crisis. The Director-Regent has authorized the use of whatever means necessary to clear arable farmland and extract resources needed for the erection of more permanent housing in lieu of Bordeaux's tent cities. Despite these challenges, the Royal Enclave refuses to surrender to Bretonia, and the three system state maintains a military disproportionately large to its small size. Analysts have surmised that the Enclave's position within the Hebrides is a tenable one, should they be able to resolve their present issues and avoid succumbing to civil unrest. The Enclave's fleet has shifted to a more defensive posture, and it appears that the only system outside their borders which they presently have a vested interest in is Dublin, where Enclave patrols have been seen engaging Bretonian forces on roughly equal footing. Elsewhere, the Enclave's military activies appear to be limited to smaller scale anti-shipping raids and hit and fade strikes on soft targets. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Enclave will stand the test of time, it appears that if so, they could remain a thorn in Bretonia's side for years to come.

[742 AGS] Crown Formalizes Claims III

ROUSSILLON -- 742 AGS -- The bounty of the Hebrides came at a cost however, as Council terrorists in Roussillon fought fiercely to prevent the Crown from seizing the opulent region for the prosperity of the Gallic people. Perpignan, a large spaceport located at one of Toulouse's Lagrange points, purported housed a large population of noncombatants. The station, which could have served as a major trade hub in the central Hebrides, was destroyed in the fighting as Council militants who occupied the base refused to surrender, resulting in unnecessary loss of life. The situation was the same on a similar yet greater scale on Planet Toulouse itself. The planet, which possesses an atmosphere disagreeable to the human lung, was dependent upon great domed cities for habitation, and vast fields of atmospheric scrubbers which Crown scientists project would have cleared the atmosphere of its irritants fully within the next several years. Nuclear warheads were smuggled onto the planet's surface as the Montmorency, which spearheaded the assault, was occupied at Perpignan, and detonated at every city and scrubber field, as well as at both of the planet's polar ice caps, releasing many tons of greenhouse gases and causing sea levels to rise significantly. Despite these setbacks, EFL has expressed confidence that Toulouse can still be terraformed, and in time will serve as a new home for the Crown's people. Plans are already underway to commence repairs on the planet's docking ring so that cleanup crews can begin preparing the planet for eventual colonization. The Montmorency has been stationed in orbit of Toulouse, and now presides over Roussillon to ensure security throughout the Gallic Hebrides for the posterity of Gallia for years to come.

[742 AGS] Crown Formalizes Claims II

BRITTANY -- 742 AGS -- The Brittany system, best known as a military stronghold and beachhead into Sirius, was also brought under the Crown's administration. Once known informally as Tunisie by the military, the system's provisional control has been a point of jovial contention within the ranks of the Royal Navy's admiralty. Nestled between the Barrier and the Hebrides, command authority of the system was occasionally called into question. The King's declaration put an end to this light hearted feud, renaming the system and placing it decisively within the newly formed Hebrides administrative region of Gallia. Despite the strong military presence, Brittany still sees Brigand and Outcast raiders skulking the peripheries of the system, and the Royal Police have warned against traveling outside of the designated patrol zones until the Brittany can be brought under more thorough local control. Though lacking any habitable worlds, the system is replete with dense mineral rich asteroid fields containing Cobalt, Molybdenum, and other valuable resources. GMS and EFL have already staked claims upon several sites within the system, undeterred by local pirate activity. Analysts say that once industry in the system enters full swing, Brittany could generate thousands of new job opportunities for citizens of the Crown.

[735 AGS] Bretonian Booty Replenishes Crown Coffers

NEW PARIS -- 735 AGS -- The first benefit of the patriotic war against the treacherous Bretonians is the flow of seized goods being shipped from the GRN forces in the newly acquired Edinburgh and Leeds systems back to Gallia. After the enormous expenditures made during the war with The Council, the Crown has been reluctant to increase taxes on Gallic citizens to raise funds, so the seizure of Bretonian goods during raids into the Newcastle system is welcome news to the Royal Treasurer.

[735 AGS] Sirian Campaign Picking Up Steam

NEW PARIS -- 735 AGS -- The Royal Navy is claiming victory after victory in the Bretonian colonies. After successfully flushing out what appears to have been local pirate forces, our forces took the sparsely inhabited "Edinburgh" system with only token resistance. The first real test of our forces against the enemy came in the toxic wasteland called Leeds, where the first heavily inhabited planet lays. Enemy resistance was stiff, but our forces have managed to gain the upper hand in virtually the entire system. This puts the Gallic Expeditionary Forces in a position to strike at New London, and the heart of Bretonia. Military analysts predict that all organised Bretonian resistance will falter if New London falls, and that taking London itself would mean a quick end to to the war, avoiding needless bloodshed.

[734 AGS] The Reconquest Begins

NEW PARIS -- 734 AGS -- King Charles XI addressed the nation today to announce the beginning of the Great Reconquest, the reclamation of the rich and fertile regions of Sirius stolen from the rightful control of Gallia by the Libertonian and Bretonian traitors. "My faithful subjects! We have stood by long enough while the ravenous remnants of the Alliance feasted upon the lands they have eyed for themselves from long before the landing! We know what they did to assure themselves domination, we know that they led Coalition forces to our sleeper launch site so that they may escape like the rats that they are, and take the best of this region for themselves. All their actions must have consequences! Starting from today, they will be running once again. They will run, or they will be included into the rightful control of House Gallia! Hail the reconquest!" The crowd gathered at Ile du Palais cheered throughout the speech. The first Royal Navy units are expected to reach and pacify Tau-23 within days, officially marking the first step on the road to victory.

[733 AGS] The 2nd Gallic War: True Goals of the Council

BRIANCON -- 733 AGS -- The so-called Second Gallic War that was inspired by the Council two decades ago is nowhere near its ending. The Council, the powerful and wealthy group formed mainly by Royal Navy and Royal Police deserters, and financed by semi-legal businesses and criminal cartels of the Core Worlds, is sometimes described as a revolutionary movement. Yet, through the course of the war the Gallic media collected evidence that Council is nowadays more like a state within a state, having its own bureaucracy, enforcement agencies, and even newly established oligarchy that came into fortune due to the war. The Council leaders claim that their goal is to change the government of Gallia and overthrow the monarchy, in addition to breaking the isolation of Gallia from the rest of Sirius worlds. According to our today's expert Robert Broussard, Doctor of Economy and senior consultant of Solar Engineering and Ile-de-France Shipping, the Council never had an intention to overthrow the New Paris monarchy. "Our information on the Council agenda is mainly based on their own public announcements and press releases. Yet, New Paris is so far from the Gallic Border Worlds that the Council will not be able to overtake the Core Worlds by force, even if all Border Worlds fall under their supreme rule," - Broussard says, - "On New Paris and other prominent worlds of Gallia, public support for the warlike actions of the Council is relatively low, and the Council is aware that the chances to inspire revolts in the heart of our nation are very slim." Independent analysts estimate black market operations in Gallia rising by 150%% during the last 30 years. At the same time, frequency of pirate attacks had risen twice in the Core Worlds, and more than three times in the Border Worlds. This unprecedented wave of piracy occured mainly because of the demand for various smuggled goods that the Council generates, and because of the overall chaos caused by the war. Royal Police was caught unprepared by this new dangerous tendency, unable to defend corporate and civilian shipments. The pirate groups are expected to grow even larger now that the path to Sirius was breached by the Council in Languedoc. Being able to take advantage of this new development, pirate groups like the Unione Corse, Gallic Brigands, and Maquis now plan their expansion into Sirius, searching for new markets and recruiting more pilots. The Council supports those pirate groups almost openly, in return for their help against the Royal Navy. Sporadic raids of Brigands and Maquis never cause significant losses, but play a crucial role in delaying Navy operations against the Council. Almost every asteroid field and nebula in Gallia is now swarmed with ships of various unlawful groups. It remains unknown for how much longer the Council resistance will continue, but it is already evident that there are forces within the Council and within the pirate groups interested in using the war as a source of income. For the Council leadership, political struggle and the well being of their own people appears to be less important than gaining personal wealth and power. This is the reason why the Council would never support any peace negotiation initiatives.

Rumors

Freelancers

Now that Leeds isn't an active warzone anymore, we've gotten quite a bit busier with Junkers and unscrupulous corpos using Halifax as a stop-over to salvage anything the Armed Forces left behind. Could do without the suits pretending they're chummy with us, but the Junkers happily sell us all sorts of parts to keep Halifax running. Welcome to Halifax. Watch your step - if you couldn't tell from the exterior, there's not much on this station between you and hard vacuum, but I suppose that's efficient in its own way. There's a little of something for everyone here, so long as you keep things civil. If not, like I said - it won't be hard to space ya. We're a bit like a Zoner freeport, though with none of the up-their-own-arse NFZs or councils or anything like that. Anybody's welcome so long as they keep the fights to words and the occasional fist.

Mollys

Halifax is great. I mean, it's a dump leaking air from half a dozen places, but you can get almost anything and meet almost anyone here. The Molly cause might have started in Dublin, but it's always been strong in Leeds. Plenty of angry folk crushed under the heel of BMM planetside and stationside, all willing to join up for something greater. Well, that was then, anyway. Now it's just a trickle of folk like me, coming out to toast to fallen comrades. One day this base just sort-of... appeared, and ever since it's been a meeting place for all sorts of folk. Some people think it was an intel op from the Crown, others assume it was a ramshackle Gaul supply depot. Me? I think it's got decent chairs, strong gin, and no fuzz in sight.

Corsairs

The sorts that run this base don't take kindly to gunfights breaking out, but they're happy to entertain a fistfight when tensions boil over. Corsairs who venture out toward Bretonia never expect to come across an Outcast, and this is probably one of only places you could meet one. Unfortunately I have had the displeasure of meeting several, and were it not for all the other patrons here, they would leave with more than just a few bruises. Nearly every face I see in this bar fills me with a certain disgust... but there are few other places around to dock up and relax, so I suppose my blaster will stay holstered for now.

Junkers

We haven't run into much competition for the scrap fields here. Of course, the military took most of the low-hanging fruit so to speak, but there's still plenty left. I suppose it's a little like grave-robbing... but it's not like they're going to use it, right? If you're looking for something special, trying asking one of the patrons here. I've probably been asked to haul about a half-dozen different illicit goods just since mooring. Of course, it probably won't be cheap. When the Armed Forces finally took back control of the system, they cordoned off every piece of wreckage as best they could, took everything of value, and left the rest to tumble eternally in the void. They're not exactly expert salvagers, though, so there's still plenty if you know where to look.

Outcasts

It feels like it's getting harder to slip through Leeds unmolested these days. Police are still few and far between, but there seem to be more and more military patrols every day, and they don't seem to be as concerned with taking you in alive. As long as you don't bring a tail here, this is a good place to stop-over if you're bringing anything 'suspicious' into or out of Bretonia. And if you need a fix, I'd be more than happy to provide. I try not to stay here too long... I'm wary of any station that creaks and groans as much as this one does.

Sirius Coalition

This is about as far as we take our crews - the lawlessness in the Omegas is our primary concern. Maintaining relations with the Molly movement - especially in light of their recent successes - remains an important cause, however, and a deep reconnaissance mission like this offers many other opportunities to take advantage of. The Coalition is alive and well, my friend, and you would do well to hear the call. But I am not hear to talk politics - share a drink with me, would you? Let us toast to the dead, for even if they were the enemy, none deserve a fate so grim. The crumbling of the Bretonian state is ironic, perhaps, but not unexpected. They allow the workers to wallow in indentured servitude until they see no other option but rebellion. The success of the Molly movement is just the start of a brighter future for all of Sirius.

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