| Battleship Mars | |
| Owner | |
| The Core | |
| Location | |
| F-5, Omicron Zeta |
CLASS: Mako
CREW: CLASSIFIED
ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED
Constructed in 823 AS, Battleship Mars is the flagship of the Core fleet. It has seen extensive action across the Omegas and Omicrons, earning a reputation as a cunning and vicious combatant. During one of the Mars' earliest deployments into the deep Omicrons, it found itself outmatched against several large Nomad Warforms. The Core flagship survived only through the intervention of the rival Battleship Canaan, an Order Osiris. The two battlegroups fended off the Nomads, with the Canaan suffering heavy damage. The Mars then ruthlessly turned on the Canaan, seeing an opportunity to eradicate a significant enemy force while it was vulnerable.
In the years following, the Mars primarily concerned itself with defending the Core's holdings in Omicron Delta, raiding archaeological sites of value, and occasionally intervening against the Corsairs or Order to reopen supply lines back to the Houses. These duties converged in its most daring assignment to date in 831 AS, when it was tasked with the seizure of valuable technologies from the Artificial Intelligences located on Planet Gammu. During its initial deployment into Kappa, the Mars found the AI themselves to be passive and docile; the Corsairs were deemed by far the largest obstacle. As a result, the Core committed to a strategy of deception, sewing division across Omicron Theta.
When the ongoing tensions between the Corsairs, Outcasts and Zoners tipped into outright warfare, the Core struck. The Mars and its hunting packs launched their assault on Gammu, quickly landing troops. Other than a hasty rearguard action fought by the Technocracy, the Core faced only desultory resistance, occupying their key targets with unexpected speed. Aware that holding Gammu indefinitely invites a slow death sentence at the hands of the Corsairs, the Mars supervised a frantic looting of alien technology. Study of this hoard has already yielded radical breakthroughs into AI and autonomous weaponry at Durban, that were incorporated into the Mars' armament following rigorous safety testing.
To take this radical new weaponry to market in the Houses, the Core needs an impressive field demonstration. As the Order responds to the worsening Wild presence in the Omegas and Omicron Theta, the Mars has once again moved to exploit this weakness. The flagship, hunting packs and squadrons of replicated Drones now close on Cairo Station, intent on making an example of Omicron Zeta's depleted Order garrison.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
| Imports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Exports | ||||||||||||||||
|
Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Silvertip | Light Fighter | 14,977$ |
| Sawback | Heavy Fighter | 17,927$ |
| Requiem | Very Heavy Fighter | 26,487$ |
| Blacktip | Bomber | 78,543$ |
News
| [834 AS] New Zeta offensive contemplated |
|
CAPETOWN -- 834 -- Scouts in Omicron Zeta report Order forces leaving for Omicron Theta and the Omegas. Capetown’s risk assessors suggest this may be an opportune moment to invest more heavily in offensive actions across the Zeta theater, expecting this to yield dividends over the next three quarters. There are certainly benefits to taking decisive steps to limit The Order’s ability to interfere with our market activities. Returns are also expected from field demonstrating new innovations gleaned from the Gammu project site -- these new technologies will be of far greater interest to potential clients if we can provide proven battle data to substantiate the marketing. |
| [834 AS] Corsairs and Zoners reach accord |
|
CORFU -- 834 -- Following difficult negotiations, Corsair and Zoner delegates have reached an agreement over the status of Freeport 9. Since the withdrawal of the main Outcast fleet, Corsairs, Zoner militias and The Core have extracted a steady grind of attritional losses on each other. The Corsairs had initially demanded total surrender, however mounting losses and a spike in Nomad attacks appears to have changed their mind. The Corsairs have agreed to release all hostages, and establish a joint administration of the Freeport to immediately end the fighting. While the Corsairs will not permit their enemies to land, the Zoners now have far more autonomy to carry on with their lives. Neither side is happy with the deal, but it seems to be preferred to continued bloodshed. |
| [834 AS] Quarter 1 exports improve balance sheet |
|
DURBAN -- 834 -- Q1 has proved more lucrative than expected. Asset acquisition squadrons yielded dividends, retrieving valuable Xeno Relics from Corsair patrols across Delta, although heightened resistance is now being encountered. Our own expeditions into Pi are also yielding positive returns. While the unfortunate Bundschuh disclosures regarding the recent Hamburg incident have placed increased scrutiny on our transactions, it has also driven a sudden surge in demand for the product in our core clientele. New contracts have already been struck with the MND and LSF, with more expected to follow. This income has offset some debt liabilities associated with Durban’s 833 Q3 - 4 strategic procurement exercises. |
| [832 AS] Threat of Isolation |
|
NAURU - In light of recent loss of connection of Omicron Delta with Omicron Rho and Omicron Kappa, Public Relation Spokesperson Kenneth Raeman, on behalf of the Core Guildmaster has held a press conference in their Rheinland branch office on Planet Holstein earlier this week to address their shareholders concerns regarding the recent loss of Jump Hole connectivity between the systems. "Those unfortunate events are indeed less than ideal, but they do not affect our supply lines nearly as much as one would make you think. The main concern, that is the Corsairs, is negligible. While formidable and savage, they are too preoccupied with the Outcast situation in Omicron Theta, allowing our heavily armed convoys to pass back into Sigmas without much difficulty. There is also a secondary source of supplies in the Zoners of Freeport 10, with whom we continue to have cordial relations with." When questioned about the specifics regarding their operations on newly-conquered Planet Gammu, the spokesperson offered no comment. Following the press conference, the company stocks recovered 25%% from the sudden drop of 40% they suffered when the news of Jump Holes collapse spread, maintaining the heightened level caused by Planet Gammu acquisition. |
| [832 AS] Planet Gammu Occupied |
|
GAMMU -- 832 AS -- As tensions between the Outcasts and Corsairs in Omicron Theta escalated, the Core, utilizing the battleship Mars under Commander Atlas Brown's command, executed a daring mission to capture the AI planet Gammu. Precisely executed maneuvers with the escort fleet paved the way for swift transit from Omicron Delta to Gammu. Expecting heavy resistance from the planet's defenders, our forces were astonished to find the battleship Mars and its escort fleet emerging relatively unscathed. Commander Atlas Brown, somewhat perplexed by the situation, opted for a cautious approach, suspecting an ambush or trap, although these fears ultimately proved unfounded. The primary opposition came from the technocratic fighters and bombers dispatched by the fleeing Carrier Orion. With Gammu under Core control, Commander Atlas Brown promptly fortified orbital positions, anticipating a Corsair counterattack. Meanwhile, ground forces secured vital planetary infrastructure, encountering formidable machine-based resistance in some areas. Core High Command foresees complete occupation of Gammu's surface within a month, with the extraction of xenotech scheduled to commence in three months. |
| [832 AS] War Returns to Omicron Theta! |
|
FREEPORT 9 -- 832 AS -- Omicron Theta was the site of clashes between the Outcasts and Corsairs for many years, with the Zoners of Freeport 9 surviving in the middle of this uneasy equilibrium. Everything would change late last year when the Outcasts withdrew from the system, and the Corsairs boarded and occupied Freeport 9. Now, the Outcasts have returned in force and the fighting is fiercer than ever as they look to win back lost ground; early clashes saw the loss of the Corsair Battleship Fes and Outcast Destroyer Bella. The Outcasts have been open about their intent to destroy Freeport 9 so long as it remains in Corsair hands, to the dismay of the expelled Zoners who hope to regain the station through diplomatic means. The Core have also been spotted operating in the system, intervening to precisely strike valuable targets and seemingly prevent either side from gaining a decisive edge. Extreme caution is recommended when travelling through the region. |
| [831 AS] Corsairs Pillage Freeport 9! |
|
CORFU -- 831 AS -- The Corsair occupation of Freeport 9 has sent shockwaves through the Zoner community. The Corsairs had accused the station of allowing their enemies to launch raids into Omicron Gamma, with violent rhetoric escalating after the death of an Elder's son. As Crete demanded the Zoners of Theta turn over any Hunters aboard their stations and surrender docking control, the Freeport 9 administrators were confident that some kind of compromise could be found. A delegation from Gran Canaria was requested to assist with negotiations, due to the close ties between Zoner and Corsair communities on the planet. Tragically, the Corsairs interpreted this delay as refusal, and launched a surprise attack while the delegation was en-route. Many of Freeport 9's crew are now being held as hostages while the Corsairs pillage the station. An urgent conclave has been called on Gran Canaria to discuss the Zoner response, while militias on Pygar have taken up arms in case the violence spreads. |
| [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] Tempers Flare over Pygar Colony! |
|
PYGAR -- 830 AS -- The Zoners have seen many trials over recent years, with the Bretonian invasion of Gran Canaria being one among many. It was this occupation that forced many settlers off-world, with some braving the deadly storms of Pygar to eke out a difficult existence under the barren planet's surface. The arrival of Zoner colonists in Omicron Theta has not been met with warmth by all, however. The Corsairs see the Pygar colony as a direct competitor for the region's scarce resources, with Elder Garcia warning that there would be "dire consequences" should Freeport 9's biodomes reduce or divert their exports to Planet Crete. Whispers of alien ruins and Artifacts discovered below Pygar's surface may also antagonize the Corsairs, who rely on the Artifact trade as a source of wealth. The hardship of Pygar's extreme conditions and the uneasy relationship with the Corsairs has already led many colonists to consider a return to the now liberated Gran Canaria. |
| [830 AS] Battleship Mars Withdraws |
|
NAURU -- 830 AS -- In a turn of events that reverberated through the sectors, the battleship Mars, dispatched to Omicron Kappa in 829 AS with a mission to seize planet Gammu, found itself embroiled in relentless Corsair assaults. These attacks intensified with each thwarted Corsair strike, pushing Commander Atlas Brown to make the difficult decision to withdraw his beleaguered vessel to Omicron Delta before permanent damage was inflicted. Facing a damaged battleship and the absence of planet Gammu under Core control, Commander Brown faced the challenging task of justifying his actions to the Core High Command. The precise details of the discussions that ensued remain concealed, but it is evident that the Core's determination to claim Gammu remains unwavering. As repairs inch along on the battleship Mars, an increasing number of Core warships are retreating to Nauru's moon to conduct training exercises in escort and support operations for their formidable flagship. It is worth recalling that Commander Brown made headlines in 829 AS when he lured Outcasts into Omicron Theta under the pretense of eliminating the Corsair battleship Fes, and has obtained an excellent reputation for strategic trickery. |
Rumors
| The Core |
|
NOTE: Page generated on the 15/12/2024 at 15:50:59 UTC