Holman Outpost

Holman Outpost

File:Bw10 02 base.png

Owner

Independent Miners Guild

Location

E/F-6, Tau-31

CLASS: Cochrane

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 250

While Tau-31 was considered infeasible for development by Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing (BMM), the smaller Independent Mining Guild (IMG) -- was eager to exploit areas in which BMM feared to tread. The IMG repressurised an abandoned depot left over from the trade lane construction and began to harvest large quantities of pure Water and Oxygen ice in the system. Water and Oxygen were shipped to Harris to supply the vast requirements of the terraforming effort.

The invasion of Kusari, and later Gallia, ended this arrangement. During the Gallic Invasion, the station briefly became a gathering point for civilian refugees from Harris, until they could be smuggled away to Kusari. After the Crayter Republic routed the Royal Navy's garrison at New Tours in 826 AS, the Carrier Hades was stationed to keep watch at Holman. Relations between Crayter and the Guild collapsed when the IMG refused to lend Aland Shipyard to Bretonia during the most desperate stage of the war. The Republic intervened to assist Bretonia in the resulting struggle, resulting in bitter mutual suspicion ever since - an attitude exemplified by Holman's guards.

Since the end of the war and the return of Planet Harris to Bretonian control, Holman has resumed supplying the Planetform terraforming project with bulk Water and Oxygen deliveries. The removal of nearby Crayter Republic military checkpoints has also seen an air normalcy return to the station for the first time in nearly two decades. As a result, Holman has been scheduled for significant renovations, to undo decades of patch repairs and neglect.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Gateway Shipping Planetform, Inc. Independent Miners Guild Gallic Metal Service IDF Shipping

Missions

Independent Miners Guild

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Robotics 30$ Ablative Armor Plating 127$ Black Market Munitions 174$ Energy Field Equipment 46$ Gin 40$ Medical Equipment 34$ Sake 30$ Detroit Light Arms 77$ Whiskey 9$ Military Surplus 387$ Hydrocarbons 7$ H-Fuel 86$ Basic Alloy 21$ Construction Machinery 33$ Pharmaceuticals 29$ Hull Panels 37$ Optronics 79$ Engine Components 59$ Daumann Side Arms 117$ Gallic Enfer Blasters 57$ Black Market Blasters 95$ Black Market Light Arms 134$ Kemwer Technologies 251$ Volgograd Ordinance 171$ Black Market Augments 127$ Prometheum 24$ Industrial Materials 37$ Munitions 41$ Xenobiotic Filters 58$ Passenger Cabin (Bretonia) 21,984$ Passenger Cabin (Kusari) 28,206$ Uranium 10$ Xeno Relics 224$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Crew 203$ Water 2$ Oxygen 7$ Food Rations 19$ MOX 21$ Mining Machinery 22$ Consumer Goods 39$ Promethene 39$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price

News

[834 AS] IMG and Crayter relationship deteriorates

JAVA STATION -- 834 -- The Crayter Republic and Independent Miners Guild have been drawn into a fierce dispute, marking yet another low point in their tumultuous relationship. Despite limited cooperation against the Outcasts, the two groups have been mired in mutual hostility and suspicion since the Aland Crisis of 826 AS. More recently, Crayter forces attacked and destroyed an IMG refugee liner they claimed was smuggling weapons into Gallia. The Guild has called the claims “preposterous” and formally expelled all Crayter representatives from their stations. Gateway Shipping has offered Lewes Shipping Platform as a venue for mediation to try and resolve the situation.

[834 AS] Nagapasa destroyed by Crayter troops

JAVA STATION -- 834 -- Following a complex and perilous rescue operation of former Outcast slaves from Freeport 10, the Liner Nagapasa was attacked by Crayterian ships in an unjustifiable act of aggression. Crayter claims the vessel was being used to smuggle goods into Gallia, however the Nagapasa at no point entered Gallic territory, and was at the time maneuvering to avoid Outcast patrols. It is believed three Guild crew and seven passengers were killed in the assault, with survivors rounded up and transported away to Crayter territory. The Guildmasters have demanded the immediate return of all IMG members, and expelled Crayter vessels from IMG stations while an investigation is conducted.

[834 AS] Cryer Delegation Arrives at Harris

PLANET HARRIS -- 834 -- Cryer Pharmaceuticals location scouts have arrived on Planet Harris, amid speculation the medical giant will establish a facility on the remote planet. With the destruction of Atka Research Station, Cryer lost the primary production facility for their flagship drug -- Stabiline. Harris is believed to be a front-runner candidate for a replacement lab due to its strategic location in the Tau Border Worlds, BAF security perimeter, and option to tap into local supply lines. Liberty is believed to have provided significant diplomatic backing for Cryer's proposal, which is demanding complete legal autonomy for the site. Bretonian officials have declined to comment on the proceedings.

[832 AS] Corsairs on the Rise

FREISTADT -- 832 AS -- While the northern Tau territories of Hispania are grappling with the relentless advance of the Outcasts, the situation unfolds quite differently in the Omegas. Here, the Corsairs, another faction bearing the legacy of Hispania, are steadily gaining momentum and expanding their influence. This shift has been particularly evident in recent events, as the Corsairs grow increasingly assertive across the Omegas. A stark example of this newfound vigor occurred when the famed space bazaar, the Battleship Hood in Dublin, met a merciless end at the hands of a Corsair battlecruiser. Furthermore, the once-unassailable Red Hessians now find themselves locked in a fierce struggle to safeguard their positions in the Dresden system against the relentless advance of the Rheinland Military. The Corsairs appear poised to intensify their pressure on all independent and free-spirited individuals in the Omega Region, spurred on by the defeatist sentiments expressed by certain Zoners and independent miners who might consider Corsair protection if it promises safety. Despite the imposing presence of our pivotal IMG station, Freistadt Base in Omega 7, which remains under the watchful guardianship of the formidable Elbe Border Fortress, the situation in the deeper reaches of the Omegas portends increasing complexity in the years ahead. Combined with the diminishing influence of Bretonia in the region and the resurgent Rheinland's efforts to reclaim its lost Dresden system, the Corsairs' audacious pursuits are set to escalate.

[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] Slave Uprising on Malta

YUMA -- 831 AS -- A slave rebellion on Planet Malta has sent shockwaves through the region. The Crayter Republic swiftly responded to calls for assistance from the Independent Miners Guild, who urgently requested weapons, supplies, and ships to support a daring plan to smuggle arms to the embattled slaves. Within a week of the IMG's call, the Crayter Republic had assembled an expeditionary force to render aid. Executing cargo drops in Omicron Alpha poses a grave risk, the opportunity to strike a significant blow against the Outcasts is too important to forgo. Our mission is to support the IMG at Falkland Base in driving the Outcasts out of Tau-37, then breach Outcast defenses surrounding Planet Malta and assist the revolutionaries in toppling their foul society.

[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] Crown Formalizes Claims I

AQUITAINE -- 742 AGS -- Gallia formalized its claims on the trio of systems known as Edinburgh, Roussillon, Orkney, today by decree of the King, following last week's decisive victory in the Council's once hidden stronghold of Roussillon. Edinburgh and Orkney, originally charted and explored by Bretonia, were rechristened as Aquitaine and Brittany respectively by the Société Astronomique Gauloise. Though the Royal Navy occupied the two systems for many years, they were never formally annexed due to security concerns within the Hebrides, the ruby red nebula bordering Bretonia and Gallia. With Roussillon now under the Crown's control, key military officials have stated that they are confident the Hebrides region is now safe for colonization. Of particular interest is Planet Bordeaux, formerly Gaia, located in the Aquitaine system. The idyllic world, dubbed the Jewel of the Gallic Hebrides, has a mild but tropical climate, and in all respects appears to be perfectly suited to human habitation. Once a Bretonian nature preserve, new surveys have shown Bordeaux to be a veritable treasure trove of fossil fuels and metals, the likes of which have not been seen since the Marne Rush of 4th century. The Crown has already issued a subsidy for Gallic citizens relocating to Bordeaux to incentivize colonization on the new world. A groundbreaking ceremony is to be held tomorrow morning, formalizing Bordeaux's status as capital of the Aquitaine system as construction on its first city commences.

Rumors

Independent Miners Guild

If you want to be a successful IMG miner, you have to know the locations of Jump Holes. There are at least two in this system: the Hole to Edinburgh is in the west of the system, and the Hole to Tau-29 is due north of this base just beyond the parallel of the sun. I'm glad that Gallic Battleship has finally left. This station has suffered enough damage for one war. We're still trying to repair the damage the Yamaguchi did when it was stationed here. I used to work for BMM until I discovered that they didn't care about me. That's why I joined the IMG -- to be my own boss. I get paid for the amount of Water and Oxygen I mine -- not some set salary that is always going to keep me under someone's thumb. Kusari got ambushed in this system. The Kusari battleship Yamaguchi sustained heavy damage, and was cut off from Kusari. It withdrew into Bretonia, and from what I've heard, has now joined with Bretonian forces against Gallia. The Bretonian battleship Macduff which was defending Harris also got hit hard. We've begun selling water and oxygen to the Gallic Navy. They've got quite an overstretched supply line as is, and if we weren't selling it to them I suspect they'd seize this mining operation for themselves. Bretonia isn't going to like us doing this, but what choice do we have? The Whetstone never completed its scheduled run from Holman to the Tau-31 Gate construction site. The cargo of Robotics is likely still intact because it is not valuable enough to the Outcasts to haul away. It most likely lies somewhere in the system's northwest quadrant. Holman isn't on the frontline anymore. Wouldn't surprise me if it happened again though. Last time we saw a war this big was when Rheinland started to create a mess all over Sirius. They ran out of steam pretty quick though. What did they call it, the "Nomad" war? The IMG brings Niobium to this base from our station in Tau-23. That is a dangerous piece of space, but we get regular shipments from Java. The Outcasts often attack those convoys on the way back, stealing supplies they can use themselves. Our ships are one of the few Sirian factions that don't draw much attention with the Gallic Navy. Some of our transports make their way into Gallia to pick up some exotic supplies and bring them here, or further into Sirius. If you try and cross the lines into Bretonia with those, the Gallic Navy will shoot you down. This is the first of the Border World systems north of Bretonian space, and from here it gets crazier the farther you go. I like it here because it isn't too dangerous, but you still get away from colonial control. Mining Water and Oxygen isn't too profitable, but it's a job. Sometimes we are contacted to pull asteroids out of the Trade Lanes, too. We used to supply the terraforming operation on Harris with water. Terraforming a desert world takes a lot of water after all, and bringing the Leeds kind wasn't what Planetform had in mind. The Kusari and Gallic invasions have ground that operation to a halt. We don't make nearly as much as before, and all these Refugees crowding the station do not help either. Being an independent miner isn't a picnic, but at least we don't have to answer to some corporate task master. That's why we can expand more quickly than the larger corporations, like BMM. They paid tremendously for Jump Gates to Tau-23; we used Jump Holes and got there first, and that's why the Niobium is ours.

IDF Shipping

Supply ships are often instructed to hold here if there are problems ahead. Both Carcassonne and Guillestre can call for a convoy to hold in place if there are hostilities in their path. Suits me, seems one of our traders brought a few crates of Orleans Merlot this way. A little bit of home, right here. These miners will sell anything to anyone. To them it does not matter who is in charge, just as long as they get paid for their labor. The Gallic Navy has let them be, and is now using them for their own purposes. Battleship Guillestre will make sure they don't doublecross us. The miners here mine water and oxygen which helps us supply our fleet. While many supplies have to come from Gallia, at least these most basic supplies can be bought here. We ship it from this base to our various battleships in the region. The Outcast attacks are intensifying here in Tau-31. With Carcassonne gone, patrols have to be sent from Guillestre. I suppose this system is just not important enough. A barely habitable planet and a half-wrecked mining station isn't worthy of our Navy. Quite convenient how the Navy arranged for the supply line to be ran. Now that there is a Jump Gate in Tau-23 to Languedoc, we can run a nearly unlimited number of ships through there.

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