| Cold Bay Depot | |
| Owner | |
| Planetform, Inc. | |
| Location | |
| E/D-6, Hudson |
CLASS: Unalaska
GRAVITY: Partial
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Limited
CREW: 830
Cold Bay was built near Planet Atka in 816 AS, being the first step in a terraforming project ordered by the Liberty government. Rheinland discovered this base soon after and demanded its immediate deconstruction, fearing Liberty would unilaterally annex the system. Liberty refused to comply with this order, contributing to the outbreak of the Hudson War the following year. Planetform evacuated the station to avoid the fighting, only returning in 820 AS after Liberty had expelled Rheinland from the Independent Worlds and occupied the system.
Since then, Planetform has begun stage 1 terraforming works, constructing several orbital mirrors to reflect light down to the frozen planet. Cold Bay also began to import Terraforming Gasses to thicken Atka’s atmosphere and trap additional heat. This was complicated by wartime sanctions applied by Rheinland that prohibited Planetform from entering their territory or importing ALG Terraforming Gasses. While carrying out later geographic survey works, Planetform scientists identified a primitive bacteria living on Atka’s glaciers.
Working in partnership with Cryer and Synth Foods, the bacteria’s novel cell properties led to the development of bioengineered Xenobiotic Filters, which began commercial production in 822 AS. Planetform suspects that the bacteria will be driven to extinction relatively early in the terraforming process, and has accordingly attempted to develop artificial cultures aboard Cold Bay to ensure long term access. Planetform hopes that the Atka project will hit its first major milestone within the next decade.
Bribes & Missions Offered
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Ships sold
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News
| [831 AS/747 AGS] Gate Corps Clash Over 'Blackout'! |
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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] Imperial Offers Reward for Lost Liner |
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ALTONA -- 831 -- Imperial Shipping have released additional details about the lost liner RSS Von Albrecht. The bulk passenger ferry had been traveling from Houston when the chilling Blackout Crisis stranded it in Hudson. Cached communication logs confirm that the liner reached the Hamburg Jump Gate. Imperial has stated that the liner's last known signals were a hijacking alert, rescinded by a false-alarm code several minutes later. Imperial has offered a significant bounty for information leading to the return of the Von Albrecht, its passengers and crew. Rheinland and Liberty naval patrols are continuing to cooperate in their investigations. |
| [831 AS] Bretonia Withdraws From Dublin System |
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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 |
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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] Troubles in Erie's Paradise |
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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! |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
| [828 AS] - Rheinland Civil War Ends in Reunification |
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HOLSTEIN -- 828 AS -- After weeks of intense deliberations between Imperial and Federal delegations on Holstein, the two governments have issued a joint decree dissolving both the Imperial and Federal governments in favor of reforming into a re-unified administration. The Holstein Accords, currently in the process of ratification by all parties of the Rheinland Federal and Imperial delegations, reorganizes the newly unified Rheinland under a representative democracy under constitutional monarchy - as well as calling for reforms in multiple branches of the military, and industry. In an immediate show of change, the Federal and Imperial fleets have completely withdrawn from what used to be the battle lines separating the two Rheinland fractions - many have returned to stand-down docks for maintenance and repairs, and off-duty military and civilian personnel have already begun to travel back to their homes. While details of how the reunification will proceed, or whether it will be successful are yet to be seen, but the Holstein Accords has brought the Rheinland Civil War effectively to a close. |
| [817 AS] Planetform sanctioned over disputed terraforming |
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PLANET ATKA -- 818 -- Rheinland's Reichstag today passed a motion applying sanctions to Planetform Inc, condemning the Bretonian corporation for its work on Planet Atka in Hudson. The motion prohibits Planetform from entering or purchasing goods in Rheinland until such a time as the company ceases work on Atka and "desists in furthering Liberty’s imperialism". The move has drawn protests from both Bretonia and Liberty, and severs Planetform’s access to Rheinland-sourced Terraforming Gasses. Planetform representatives have called for peace talks between Rheinland and Liberty over Hudson’s status, arguing that a terraformed planet in the dangerous Independent World would mutually benefit both. |
| [817 AS] Liberty Declares Border Security Zone |
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HUDSON -- 817 -- In a significant escalation to ongoing tensions, Liberty has established a Border Security Zone in the two Independent Worlds of Bering and Hudson. President Powell announced that the Liberty Navy will maintain a blockade along what Liberty deems its zone of control. This is purportedly to prevent intrusions by the Rheinland Military, and thwart attempts to facilitate terrorist attacks in Liberty territory. All civilian shipping bound for Liberty through the affected systems are now being stopped for mandatory inspections. Rheinland has furiously condemned the move as military aggression, and called the deployment a flagrant violation of the Boorman Treaty. |
| [816 AS] Houses clash over Hudson terraforming |
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PLANET ATKA -- 816 AS -- Rheinland has reacted with outrage at the discovery of Cold Bay Depot, a Planetform terraforming outpost recently constructed in orbit of Planet Atka. Hudson’s status has been the subject of friction between Liberty and Rheinland for decades, however Liberty appears to have grown tired with the impasse and unilaterally commissioned further terraforming surveys and ground preparation. Rheinland has set an ultimatum for the “illegal” station to be dismantled within one month, threatening to do so by force if the neutrality of the contested Independent World is not respected. Liberty has rejected the demand, and declared that it is prepared to defend its intrinsic economic interests in the region. |
| [816 AS] Rheinland Torpedoes Talks on Hudson Status |
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HUDSON -- 816 -- Liberty’s newly elected President Powell has demanded talks with Rheinland on the status of the Hudson border. Liberty has long had ambitions of annexing the system, with Rheinland at several points coming close to selling their consent for the move. Since the last substantive round of negotiations collapsed in 812 AS, Rheinland has remained non-committal on the issue. This ended with a statement by Chancellor Reinhardt declaring Rheinland would “never countenance” auctioning away the “integral” border system, pointing to economic and defense interests. Powell blasted Reinhardt in return, arguing that Liberty was “owed” compensation for Colony War damages, and that Rheinland had a duty to negotiate in good faith. |
| [808 AS] Rio Grande Puts pirates to the sword |
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RIO GRANDE -- 808 -- The Battleship Rio Grande and its fleet has carried out an expansive counter-piracy campaign in Hudson. Attacks on convoys in the region have already markedly dropped, with Navy representatives claiming dozens of destroyed Liberty Rogue, Unioner and Xeno ships. Rheinland's Chancellor Steller called the deployment of the battleship into the border system ‘unlawful’, while the Rheinland Military announced a strategic defense review to probe its readiness levels. The Rio Grande’s ‘take no prisoners’ posture has also drawn criticism from Houston’s congressional representatives, who argue depriving the pirates the possibility of reform through the Liberty penal system is a breach of their human rights. Liberty says it was ‘forced’ to act by Rheinland’s failure to police the system adequately. |
| [807 AS] Colony War Demilitarization Complete |
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ODER SHIPYARD -- 807 -- With the deconstruction of the Battleship Goethe, the Rheinland Government has announced that the post-Colony War process of demilitarization has been completed. The Federal Audit Office has also provided a damning report to the Schweizer Commission, indicating that the bulk of the hulls examined were built to cheap, 80-Years War grade, rather than the modernized standards billed for by Daumann and Republican. Opposition politicians have called for the corporations to be charged with fraud. Addressing the Reichstag, Councillor Stellar announced that the day "closed a door on a dark period of Rheinland’s history". |
| [807 AS] Liberty Concerned by Rheinland Pirates |
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FREEPORT 2 -- 807 -- Liberty has raised a formal complaint with New Berlin over the deteriorating security situation in Hamburg, Bering and Hudson. Pirate attacks in the border worlds have risen dramatically over recent years, as Rheinland plunges ever deeper into economic crisis. The Rheinland Military advise that they do not have the resources to schedule additional patrols, while Liberty corporations claim that existing patrols rarely respond to emergency calls. Liberty Navy sources warn that unless Rheinland steps up, the Navy is going to be forced to ‘clean house’ itself. Preliminary discussions about a Liberty-funded RFP border force are ongoing, however Rheinland is reluctant to accept more Liberty debts. |
| [801 AS] Provisional Rheinland Government demilitarizes |
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POTSDAM -- 801 -- The Provisional Rheinland Government has begun urgent and immediate demilitarization. PRG representatives advised this was an absolute necessity to prevent Rheinland’s imminent financial collapse, and had been a requirement for both Bretonia and Liberty to drop heavy reparation demands. It is expected that these cuts will reduce the Rheinland Military’s headcount by over 80%%, leaving tens of thousands unemployed. This will reduce the force to levels last seen in 794 AS, prior to Chancellor Niemann’s build-up programme. Already huge formations of capital ships have been mothballed in orbit of Potsdam, awaiting shipyard space for deconstruction. |
Rumors
| Planetform, Inc. |
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| Cryer Pharmaceuticals |
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| Synth Foods, Inc. |
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NOTE: Page generated on the 15/12/2024 at 15:51:00 UTC