Allentown Base

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Allentown Base
Owner
Junkers
Location
C-5/4, Pennsylvania

CLASS: Ramshackle

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 660

The Junkers arrived in Pennsylvania not long after the Zoners, but it wasn't until Allentown was already being built that the two groups met. The Zoners had come from the north end, through the California jumphole. The Junkers had come from the south, through Texas. The two groups mostly ignored eachother - trading a little when it was convenient, but otherwise going about their own ways. Allentown eventually grew into an important smuggling post, dealing mostly in Cardamine and "human cargo". Allentowns remote location makes sure the Navy rarely pays a visit - and if they do, there are always Rogues nearby to either destroy or distract them.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Hessian Tears 191$
H-Fuel 190$
Pharmaceuticals 39$
Consumer Goods 34$
Cardamine 241$
Consumer Goods 241$
Artifacts 250$
Consumer Goods 250$
Black Market Munitions 70$
Gaian Wildlife 379$
Black Market Augments 61$
Xenobiotic Filters 46$
Nox 224$
Consumer Goods 224$
Passengers (Liberty) 389$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Crew 215$
Black Market Pharmaceuticals 31$
Counterfeit Computerware 54$
Niobium 157$
Oxygen 16$
Water 17$
Diamonds 158$
MOX 58$
Basic Alloy 24$
Bio-Neural Processors 153$
Synth Paste 27$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Gitano Light Fighter 2,582$
Collector Very Heavy Fighter 24,429$
Bull Dog Heavy Fighter 26,783$


News

[834 AS] Junkers unwelcome in the Sigmas

KREUZBERG -- 834 -- The GMG have long mistrusted the Junkers, ordering our people out of Sigma-13 as soon as the Yanagi cleanup operation was completed. Yanagi’s “import/export” arrangements were among the most profitable of Junker operations; some of the more daring clans recently set up shop in an abandoned gas miner in the hopes of reprising this trade. Sadly, GMG forces appear to have tracked Corsair smugglers back to Madrid Base, arresting many of our kin and destroying the station. While we won't discourage Junker entrepreneurs from making their fortune, remember that reward does come with risk in the Sigmas.

[832 AS] Dublin Dust-up

TRAFALGAR -- 832 AS -- It seems that the Mollys have finally pulled off their long awaited gambit, and at least partially seized Dublin for themselves. Intense fighting continues, although now with the Corsairs involved rather than the Armed Forces. This is good news for the families of Trafalgar, especially after the Kingdom of Bretonia permitted ALG to situate itself in the system and begin its "recycling" operation. With recent waves of unrest and conflict brewing across Sirius, salvaging in freshly independent frontiers is quickly setting itself up as being the means by which we corner more lucrative markets.

[831 AS] Lack of Cardamine, Liberty's Underworld Burns

When the convoys heading from Cali to Mactan and Buffalo thinned out - and even stopped for a brief moment - the underworld in Liberty literally imploded. Previously close alliances quickly fell apart to the displeasure of the Outcasts, and every part of the underworld in Liberty was desperately trying to get as much Cardamine for themselves as possible.

The Outcasts and their most loyal agents stepped in almost immediately in anticipation of something like this happening, and set new rules for distribution according to set keys. A small group of Liberty Rogues defied them and followed their own rules of distribution, but they didn't fare too well - the Dons, despite the ongoing crisis in Malta, do not tolerate insubordination.

For this reason, several powerful Junkers and Rogues immediately decided to dilute Cardamine instead of redistributing ostentatiously against the wishes of the Outcasts at the expense of their clients, thereby raising their own shares. Fortunately for these savvy businessmen, word did not reach the Outcasts until some time later, and thanks to an improved network of cooperation, most of the organizers were able evade Malta's assassins.

However, all these measures had only limited effectiveness. Many end-clients and casual Cardamine users have been forced to seek medical attention due to their deteriorating health due to potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms. It is not known how many Cardamine users eventually died because of the shortage, but it appears to be in the order of single-digit percentages - much to the very verbal displeasure of the Outcasts themselves.

[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.

[830 AS] Rampant Human Trafficking Cases on Erie

ERIE -- 830 AS -- A scandal rocked Planet Erie's administration when a video recording of Insurgency prisoners, escorted by LPI officers, were being loaded aboard a transport bound for the Edge Worlds, surfaced on the Neural Net. As the Republic's forces maintain law and order on the pacified planet, this leak has undermined their authority, causing waves of public outcry and calls for police reform by both local Zoners and Liberty citizens alike.

In the video, a number of restrained people that have been identified as former residents of Planet Vespucci, board a Dromedary-class vessel registered to a freelance trader Vincent Ruthen. They are under supervision from several LPI officers, who exchange words with the ship's crew. Private investigators have trailed the ship, determining that it did not land at its purported destination of Gas Miner Naha in the Sigma-13, instead electing to travel away from civilized space into the Edge Worlds. The people aboard it have effectively vanished from the colonies.

This is the latest case in a streak of such disappearances, with investigators estimating as high as ten percent of all inmates thought to be awaiting their trial in LPI internment camps have been covertly shipped off-world for unknown reasons. The fate of these people is yet unclear, but theories range from secret trials to unethical experiments aboard Atka. Outraged by what is apparently an LPI-sanctioned human trafficking operation, protesters flooded the streets and had to be dispersed by police riot control squads.

A Liberty Police official has denounced allegations of corruption, stating that "All interned personnel are secured and all prisoner transfers have been done within the framework of the legal code". He refused to comment on the evidence presented, dismissing it as "slanderous fabrication against the good, hard-working officers of Liberty law". Meanwhile, political opposition already promises increased oversight over the law enforcement corporation for the next election cycle.

[830 AS] Troubles in Erie's Paradise

ERIE -- 830 AS -- It was the early hours of the morning when a missile was launched from Erie's surface; A missile that struck its target of an LSF satellite in orbit of Erie. The attack was claimed to have originated by militant Zoners seeking to separate themselves from Libertonian governance, and proved to be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

For some time, it had been alleged that Insurgent and Xeno-backed cells had been stirring trouble on Erie, inciting violence in the population and seeking to turn the planet into a second Veracruz. Never, however, had such open acts of terror been visited upon the governing Libertonian forces.

The response was quick and decisive. In coordination with the LSF, Vice Admiral Hamish aboard the Battleship Alma lead a Liberty Navy task force directly into the system in Operation Pesticide, escorted primarily by Siege Cruisers, Gunboats and fightercraft, with many of the Navy's capital warships tied in the Vespucci campaign or ever watchful at Liberty's borders. They were met by Zoner Q-ships based from Bethlehem, with many coming from as far as Galileo or even the Sigmas, accompanied by a motley assortment of freelancers and other anarchist elements. Leading the Zoner line was a Aquilon-class carrier, the Pinnacle.

While the Pinnacle came under heavy bombardment from the Alma and her task force, supplies quickly gathered onto Zoner transports from Erie attempted to run the Navy blockade. While some transports were lost to Navy bombers, others yet escaped to parts as of yet unknown. This 'victory', however, came at a heavy price. The Pinnacle was lost with most of her hands still on board and the rest captured, while the Liberty Marines landed virtually unopposed, quickly securing population centers for both the safety of Libertonian assets and the civilians on Erie itself. The Alma is settled now into the low orbit of Erie, a constant reminder to those below that they are under the protection of the Liberty Navy. A comfort to some, a dire warning to many more.

[830 AS] Victory Over Veracruz!

OHIO -- 830 AS -- An announcement by the Liberty government today unilaterally declared victory over the once-Insurgency as the LNS Ohio settled into high orbit over Veracruz last week. The Battlecruiser Triton, the infamous warship that felled the Delaware, was left as little more than debris burning through the planet's atmosphere that now rests in a crash site located on Veracruz's smallest continent.

Over the last few days, Archer-class siege cruisers have been deploying their massive coaxial cannons to suppress military infrastructure on the planet, systematically targeting the very last bastions of the Insurgency. First to be destroyed were the planet's few remaining ground to space weapons installations, quickly crippled by bomber strikes from the Ohio herself, before the remaining desolate ground defences and deserted infrastructure were reduced to rubble, their populations having already long fled the world.

A small service was held on the Ohio as the bombardment drew to a close in memory of Rear Admiral Dylan Brandt and those thousands of sailors and marines who had given their lives in the name of Liberty; fought their own lost brothers-in-arms so that others may not live under their misguided yoke, and many more who had their lives irrevocably changed as a result of the evils the campaign sought to end.

The announcement also confirmed identical monuments to the Insurgency campaign would be erected on every world in Liberty, from Planet Houston to Planet Erie, each monument an obelisk carrying the names of every serviceman lost in the conflict and serving as a reminder that Liberty is stronger when it stands together.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part II

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- Navy pilots fought in a heated scrap with many of their former comrades-in-arms as a fearsome shroud of flak rippled around the great Battleship Delaware, several trails of explosions snaking towards myriad bombers and torpedoes swarming the vast Mitchell-class. Delaware herself launched volley upon volley of anti-capital torpedoes at the Insurgent Battlecruiser Triton, whose own flak screen was considerably weaker than that of the Battleship. The missiles found their mark, but the battlecruiser retained its hull integrity as the Insurgents' one advantage in fighter superiority began to shine through. Torpedoes and antimatter cannons landed hits on the Delaware's vital flak batteries as they went silent, one by one.

Admiral Brandt was heard to give the order to abandon ship right as the ship's hull could take no more and began to be torn asunder, with hull breaches on multiple decks. Tragically, the armored engines of the Delaware had suffered a great deal of damage, and as the armor and shielding was whittled away, vast quantities of radiation and superheated gas began to flood into the crew compartments of the vessel.

In an emotional announcement, the Liberty Navy officially stated that they consider the Delaware to be lost with all hands, including Admiral Brandt himself. No life pods could be secured in the heat of battle, with the remainder of the Delaware's escort making a fighting retreat back to the LNS Ohio which had herself been caught lagging behind the Delaware's doomed thrust into the heart of the Insurgency. The Ohio now remains with her own escort, augmented by survivors of the Delaware's battlegroup, and will continue as the Liberty Navy's bastion in the Vespucci system, ready to ensure that the Insurgents pay dearly for the toll they have extracted upon one of Liberty's finest Admirals.

[829 AS] Battleship Delaware lost In Vespucci: Part I

LOS ANGELES -- 829 AS -- The state-of-the-art Delaware was the tip of Liberty's spear in the Kansas system; it was from here that the charismatic RAdm. Dylan Brandt commanded the fleet that secured the system from both Rogue and Insurgent elements. But now, he sought to strike a crippling blow to the Insurgency in their very home, an attack to break the back of the movement and stand as a warning to those who would stand against Liberty's unity.

Leading a fearsome line of some of Liberty's most advanced warships, the Delaware bore down on the Insurgency's remaining, cobbled-together fleet in the Vespucci system, out of position from dealing with a Bretonian thrust from Magellan. Immediately caught was the Battleship Vanquisher, one of the scant few Arbiter-class Battleships available to the Insurgents. Caught by itself, the Vanquisher put up a fearsome fight but was ultimately unable to stand against the Delaware and its escort, despite its fighter component dealing severe damage to much of the Delaware's own, smaller fighter contingent, as well as the Delaware herself.

With the great Arbiter all but vanquished, the Interdictor-class Battlecruiser Triton stared down the guns of the damaged Delaware and her escort. Outnumbered two-to-one, and outgunned to an even greater degree by the Libertonian heavyweight, Triton and her escorts launched their one and only advantage, their fighter and bomber superiority gained at the Vanquisher's expense.

[829 AS] Fingers in the broth

MANHATTAN -- 829 AS -- Liberty's High Congress has passed the recently submitted Organization Categorization Revision Act (O.C.R.A) by a considerable majority. The Act sets out to revise long-standing categorizations of domestic and foreign organizations, which in turn allows or disallows certain actions by Navy and Law Enforcement agencies.

It is widely speculated that the recent surge taking place in the Kansas system is related. The oddly self named Insurgency has long been categorized as a "Domestic Paramilitary Organization" that is of extremist political nature, in effect making them Liberty citizens with rights as such. The Act recategorizes them as a "Foreign Supported Terrorist Organization", a drastic shift in political standing. Sources have speculated the move is related to the Bering operation that precipitated the formation of the Insurgency as the root cause of the change in policy. Despite considerable cost both monetarily and in terms of material, the operation failed to expunge the organization to the desired level. The Act comes a considerable spending package for future operations and gives free rein to Liberty Navy admirals to take necessary measures to properly remove the long-standing issue.

[828 AS] Shotgun Diplomacy

ERIE -- 828 AS -- In a turn of events for the quiet system, the Liberty Navy press corps has released information about an incident involving a Slave Liner. Spokesperson to the CNS Bradley Stern addressed the conference by stating the ship had refused to comply with orders issued by patrols, and that it was being conducted in a manner that raised all manner of red flags. The Delaware was forced to position itself such that the ship was forced to stop, and when a cargo scan was conducted it was revealed that the Liner was carrying a vast quantity of munitions. With its secret loose, the Liner attempted to escape and was promptly disabled by secondary cannon fire.

Upon further investigation, the Navy has successfully identified the ordnance being transported as being sourced from Rheinland. Going as far as to state that they contained serial codes which correspond with weaponry used by Rheinland's own Military. Naturally given the circumstances around the discovery of these weapons and Liberty's history of hot and cold relations with the neighboring House, it is expected that this development will lead to further scrutiny when it comes to potentially suspicious activity.

[803 AS] Junkers look after their own

KREUZBERG -- 803 -- The clans of Kreuzberg have reported record breaking numbers looking to become Junkers as work dries up on Rheinland planets. When people can't make ends meet the traditional way, they start to think about other opportunities. Jakob Mehler of the Mehler Clan commented, “outsiders might work with us or for us, but they ain't us. If you're not a Junker, you're not part of the family.” The sentiment seems to be shared by the other Clans, who agree that the Junkers need to look out for their own first, especially when hard times are coming. For many unemployed Rheinlanders, that’s going to mean a cold shoulder in the Scrap fields.


Rumors

Junkers
  • The Rogues sell the Neon and Basic Alloy they loot from passing transports to us. We ship it to the stations in Newcastle, or the Zoner space stations in Omega-50, or just sell it back to passing Freelancer smugglers. Either way is a profit for us.


  • There is a jumphole in the Meadville Ice Field that leads to Texas, but it's not an easy trip. The ice field is full of Xenos, and there is a radiation field on the Texas side that will breach the hull of a small ship in no time.


  • If you are willing to run a substantial risk for a substantial profit, you can smuggle indentured workers out from here. There's a ton of folk on Houston and Pittsburgh who are either too stupid or too desperate to read the smallprint on their contracts. Funny thing is, folk call it slavery, but it's more legit then most of the cargo that comes through here. There's a need for this kind of forced labor in Rheinland and on Malta. Bit of a trek, but well worth the credits.


  • Not far from this base is a jumphole to California. It's in the south end of the Appalachian Asteroid field. It's a safe easy way to get to Alcatraz base on our supply runs to the Rogues.


  • Many people become freighter pilots for us because it's an exciting way to make some fast money. You can get rich running some of our supply runs. Of course many pilots don't last that long, so we're making a healthy sum building freighters too. If you're interested, see our ship dealer!


  • There's no place to buy a Salvage Frigate around here. Each Junker family builds their own and it becomes their most prized possession. A well built Salvager will provide safe travel to many systems.


  • Who wouldn't enjoy life out here. Sitting here with a drink in my hand, I could stare out that window forever. I'll never set foot on another planet again.


  • Navy has been giving us a rough time recently, imposing scans even when we're being legally compliant and plying by the lanes. Something's got them all riled up and ready to vaporise ships at a moment's notice, so with all the talk I'm hearing of a zoner resistance, I bet they're the reason. Damn do-gooders making life hard for the rest of us.

  • The jump gate to New York will take you to one of the most dangerous parts of the New York system. I don't know what they were thinking when they built a gate there. Be prepared to encounter pirates if you are traveling that way.


  • We try to stay out of the conflicts around us. We make more money that way. One of our pilots became too filled with hate after the Xenos killed his family and lost all interest in peace. He flew off alone into the Meadville Ice Field in a rage and hasn't been seen since.


  • All Junkers know how to use jump holes. From here we can get to Bretonia or Rheinland without ever touching a trade lane of a gate. It's the only smart way to travel for us, since we like our activities to go unnoticed.


  • The Rogues really love their Light Arms. They can't get enough of them! You can make a tidy profit bringing us some fine Light Arms from Detroit... and we don't ask for any receipts.


  • Navy has been giving us a rough time recently, imposing scans even when we're being legally compliant and plying by the lanes. Something's got them all riled up and ready to vaporize ships at a moment's notice, so with all the talk I'm hearing of a zoner resistance, I bet they're the reason. Damn do-gooders making life hard for the rest of us.


  • Many people don't even know this base is here. It keeps things peaceful here and allows us to keep an eye on what people are doing without being noticed ourselves.


  • If you can get along with the people on this base, you will discover the means to travel anywhere you want. People from all over Sirius come here to visit Liberty without being seen, if you know what I mean.


  • The radiation on the other side of the jump hole to Texas will cook your ship fast, but Junkers thrive on that. No one goes there, so there is still a huge deposit of valuable components among the debris. A brave Junker can make a healthy profit there.


  • If you're here for any of the good stuff we sell, then I hope you have the credits for it. Our deliveries are all getting set back by days if not weeks thanks to patrols across every major artery of the system. And if it's not Hamish's lapdogs making life hell for our freighters, it's the Xenos killing them off the grid while the Rogues sit on their hands. They're trying to put the squeeze on us for more money to intervene, don't they realize they need us more than we need them?


  • If you're here for any of the good stuff we sell, then I hope you have the credits for it. Our deliveries are all getting set back by days if not weeks thanks to patrols across every major artery of the system. And if it's not Hamish's lapdogs making life hell for our freighters, it's the Xenos killing them off the grid while the Rogues sit on their hands. They're trying to put the squeeze on us for more money to intervene, don't they realise they need us more than we need them?

  • Planet Erie looks beautiful from space, but when you land there you will see it's just like the rest of Liberty. The corporations run everything and the police harass everyone who doesn't play their game.


Liberty Rogues
  • There's a killer smuggling run that starts right here. Or finishes here. Whatever. Anyway, you pick up Sla... Err, "Indentured Servants" here on Allentown, then move em to Malta. The Outcasts know what to do with those. Then you load up on Cardamine and head right back. Of course, every lawkeeper from here to the Taus will be on your tail, so use the jumpholes.


  • The boys at Niverton make off with some cargo every now and then. When there's enough, I haul it over to Allentown for a quick buck. Doesn't earn much, but it's a safe way to earn a bit of scratch. You can pick up some "Indentured Servants", as they like to call Slaves here, on the way back.


  • Nice little forgotten corner of space this is. Liberty is all about protecting big money, and there's not much of that here. So there's not much protection here. Which means we're practically free to do as we please. Well, except around that damned Dreadnought near Erie.


NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:16:43 UTC