Battleship Harlow

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Battleship Harlow
Owner
Bretonia Armed Forces
Location
F-5, Newcastle

CLASS: Dunkirk

CREW: CLASSIFIED

ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED

Having served primarily as a training center for recruits and officers alike, with parts of the fighter bays converted to a specialized facility for simulating combat situations.

After an assault on a hostile installation in the Newcastle system, it was relocated to Cortez, where it helped crush the Gallic Royal Navy's hopes at cutting off commerce between Bretonia and Liberty. Following the action off Curacao, it headed for New London and gave battle to the remnants of the Royal Navy, chasing them into the Leeds system together with the rest of the Armed Forces and Liberty Navy.

With the war over, the Harlow enjoyed a quiet deployment in Newcastle, continuing its service as a training center until 832 AS, when a process of mothballing was initiated due the constraints of maintaining a large active fleet in peace time and the relative safety of Newcastle.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Xeno Relics 233$
Exports


Ships sold


Ship Class Price


News

[834 AS] Senior admiral unexpectedly retires

NEW LONDON -- 834 -- In an unexpected move, Lady Watson has announced her retirement from the Armed Forces, resigning her commission as an Admiral with immediate effect. Admiral Watson had been tipped as the most likely candidate to lead Bretonia’s pacification of Dublin, prompting surprise and concern among commentators. The Admiral’s office issued a curt statement advising that she was stepping down to spend more time with her grandchildren. Despite this, anonymous Whitehall sources claim the admiral was disgusted by the treatment of Admiral Byng, and had reached “breaking point” over alleged political interference in the planning and disposition of the upcoming campaign.

[834 AS] Kusari technicians begin work

PORTSMOUTH SHIPYARD -- 834 -- Following secret negotiations between the Ministry of Defence and Kusari state officials, specialist Kusari technicians have been granted access to the Battleships Essex and Somerset during refits at Portsmouth Shipyard. The defense picket around Portsmouth has been doubled while the works proceed; the classified technology being installed has been described by senior fleet officers as "critical to the upcoming Dublin campaign". Thames Outpost has been temporarily requisitioned as a patrol-base to defend New London and enforce the Dublin blockade.

[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 and modern innovation. Phasing out the aging Crecy class, the Agincourt’s enhanced fire control systems and hardy armor will allow it to excel in the roles championed by its forebear. 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] 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] Bretonia Withdraws From Dublin System

WATERLOO -- 831 AS -- Markets are down across Sirius as the sector grapples with the twin shocks of The Blackout and Bretonia's withdrawal from the Dublin system. Molly separatists appear to have exploited a worker revolt on Graves Station to take control of and later destroy the base. Of even greater concern is the attack that crippled the New London jump gate, forcing the Battleship Essex to retreat. EFL have accused the gate destruction and faulty Ageira infrastructure of causing The Blackout, which the Liberty corporation denies. The Mollys have since declared their ownership of Dublin, while Bretonia has imposed a strict blockade, jeopardizing the sector's Gold supply. Gold exports previously made up a significant element of Bretonian state revenue, helping to fund post-war recovery efforts. While the reconstruction of LD-14 in the Leeds system offers some relief, Interspace Commerce has already downgraded Bretonia's sovereign credit rating, citing increased volatility and risk for lenders. Bretonia has confirmed that action to retake the system will be launched shortly, providing assurances to partners in the other Houses.

[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.


Rumors

Bretonia Armed Forces
  • I may dislike this assignment, but that doesn't mean I won't do my duty to the best of my ability. There'll not be a single recruit leaving my watch if he's not at least able to give those Gaul fighters a good whatfor. Most recruiters don't bother to check what a pilot is suitable for, but I do. You've got folks with quicker reaction times who are more suitable for interceptor duty. You've got the intermediate folk who tend to stick with the mainline fighters. And you've got the tenacious folk who are suitable for the Challengers. Bomber crews are a different breed alltogether, I don't often find folk suitable for that in my groups. Flying with a few megatons worth of antimatter in your hold tends to require a lack of sanity I do not seek in the chaps I select.


  • I rotated in just yesterday for space fighter training. Unfortunately, there's no craft available for me to train in. One of the other rookies smashed the Paladin I was supposed to be using against an asteroid, and it'll take a while before the engineers will get it spaceworthy again. So I'm on temporary leave I suppose.


  • I can't wait to get to the front. This is our home we're defending. Our families. Who the hell do these wineguzzlers think they are to invade us like this? We'd never even heared of Gallia until that idiot king of theirs sent his fleet our way. Barmy madman, that one.


  • It is a busy schedule here on the Harlow. We've never had this many new recruits. It's good to see Bretonians rise to the challenge these Gauls have thrown, but it's a bit of a job to make sure that everyone has the necessary skill to do so. Putting your average John behind the controls of a Crusader leaves them with little to no chance against anything more than the odd scout.


  • I hear the Delta training flight had itself a little accident. Seems one of the recruits got the roll and strafe controls confused and rolled himself straight into an asteroid. Naturally, the training craft are built to withstand these mishaps, but the thing had to be towed back... minus one engine. That'll be a good one for the engineering deck.


  • Welcome to the Harlow. First time here? You're likely one of the new recruits then. Don't worry, you'll likely get your assignment soon. This, after all, isn't a time to be slacking. Southampton and the New London factories are running full tilt to make sure there's enough crafts for everyone, it's up to us to make sure there are enough pilots to fill them. And that'll likely include you.


  • I used to be a convoy escort for Gateway, but enlisted when the Gallic troops invaded Leeds. The war with Kusari was solely for BMM's benefit in the Taus, and dying for a corporation isn't something I relish. But Gallia is different. They want to subjugate our entire nation. And that's nothing less then slavery.


  • Training greens. Of all the jobs I get assigned this one. Suppose that teaches one to not outperform ones commanding officer if said commanding officer is a poor sport. So he's out there, trying to take out half the Gauls I would have, and I'm stuck here, trying to teach a few greens to not get taken out. For queen and country...


  • Some recruits are just not cut out for this. I get tons of transport pilots who are used to flying in a straight line and think that qualifies as fighter experience. One run down the Verwood is usually enough to seperate the men from the boys. Even if it tends to bang up the training craft, and creates impromptu "equipment recovery" exercises.


Border World Exports
  • As far as runs to warships go, this one isn't the hardest, so long as you don't mind having to deal with a ton of military patrols making sure you're not a Gallic spy or something of the sorts. I've been scanned so many times that I might just skip on my next medical examination. If there was anything wrong with me, I'm sure our diligent military would have found out by now.


  • I make the run from New London and Southampton to this ship. There's not a whole lot of needs on the Harlow, so Bowex handles the run with a few freighters rather then a fullsized transport. All this ship needs is the basic food, water, oxygen and fuel that all ships need, and a copious amount of replacement parts.


  • I've received my next assignment just now. I'm to deliver a damaged engine to Southampton for repairs. The thing is, when I asked the chaps who gave me the assignment which bay it was in, they told me "it was still being looked for". Whatever could they be on to? Are those army chaps playing a joke on me?


NOTE: Page generated on the 15/12/2024 at 15:50:59 UTC