Freeport 1

From Discovery Wiki
Freeport 1
Owner
Zoners
Location
C/D-3/4, Omega-3

CLASS: Dern

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 770

Freeport 1 was opened in 738 AS, by a group of vagrants, wanderers and social outcasts that had left territories of the Houses in order to live beyond the rules and regulations enforced in the core systems. It was the first ever Freeport to be constructed, as the name clearly states, and it quickly gained popularity with the criminals, outlaws and others of a dubious disposition as a place to easily obtain supplies and repair their ships. Most of the criminals who visit Freeport 1 tend to be members of the Mollys or the Corsairs, although the occasional Red Hessian and Gaian are seen onboard.

Originally a small abandoned DSE depot left over from the construction of the Omega 3 trade lane, Freeport 1 has grown, with new cargo modules and habitation decks being constructed until the station was barely recognisable from the small platform it started out as. Small ships are known to be constructed here, sold to both freelancers, criminals and other zoners, and although Bretonia has made irritated noises towards the Freeport, they have as yet left it alone, preferring to put up with the annoyance of criminals docking there to the unknown consequences that might otherwise occur by antagonising the largely peaceful Zoner society.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Robotics 10$
Agricultural Machinery 42$
Cracking Catalysts 57$
Energy Field Equipment 58$
Hydrogen 38$
Medical Equipment 17$
Molybdenum 117$
Solar Panels 29$
Titanium 34$
Tungsten 36$
Zinc 44$
Boron 37$
Cobalt 9$
Copper 146$
H-Fuel 84$
Optical Chips 38$
Pharmaceuticals 15$
Hull Panels 26$
Polymers 10$
Optronics 107$
Neon 44$
Pineal Amulets 102$
Aluminium 150$
Industrial Materials 12$
HazMat Canisters 21$
Passenger Cabin (Liberty) 44,791$
Passenger Cabin (Bretonia) 19,448$
Passenger Cabin (Kusari) 56,762$
Passenger Cabin (Rheinland) 29,499$
Passenger Cabin (Gallia) 41,872$
Passengers (Omicrons) 65,357$
Biodome Materials 99$
Xeno Relics 181$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Gin 26$
Rheinbier 30$
Crew 216$
Oxygen 5$
Water 5$
Food Rations 12$
Fertilizers 36$
MOX 29$
Basic Alloy 9$
Mining Machinery 23$
Construction Machinery 34$
Consumer Goods 38$
Synth Paste 16$
Xenobiotic Filters 52$
Passenger Cabin (Omega) 40,272$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Dagger Light Fighter 15,052$
Reinforced Train Heavy Transport 1,106,006$
Cutlass Bomber 72,726$
Mining Drone Light Fighter 1,604$
Maintenance Drone Light Fighter 508$
Scanner Drone Light Fighter 508$


News

[833 AS] Stabline Prices Spike Over Atka Destruction

SIGMA-17 -- 833 -- Cryer’s share prices have tumbled on the news that Atka Research Station has been destroyed by brutal Outcast pirates. The remote station served as the primary manufacturing point for the revolutionary drug Stabline, which had promised to eradicate Cardamine dependency across the Colonies. Cryer spokeswoman Alicia Fisher confirmed that critical staff and research materials were successfully evacuated due to the timely intervention of private security forces and the GMG paramilitary. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer is believed to have entered emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore potential options.

[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.

[828 AS] - Rheinland Civil War Ends in Reunification

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.

[820 AS] Independent researchers report anomaly

HEISENBERG -- 820 -- Independent researchers in Cologne have reported alarming sensor readings. “I've only seen something like this once before,” says Doctor Sophia Nagel, referring to a recently detected ‘hyperspace pulse’. “That was last year when Rheinland blew a pair of Jump Gates.” Nagel’s team operates sensitive astrological arrays that are used to study the phase alignment of Jump Holes, and the underlying spatial phenomena connecting them. “When the Gates exploded, the hyperspace network rang like a gong. Now it’s happened again -- our best guess from signal triangulation is Thuringia as an origin.” Archives declassified in 789 AS revealed the existence of Thuringia, an 80-Year War era Military fortress system. Rheinland officials have refused to comment.

[816 AS] Terrorist attacks rising in Omega-3

FREEPORT 1 -- 816 AS -- Omega-3 has a long and turbulent history of being a lawless space. In recent days there have been a particularly brutal spate of killings, with several BMM and Bowex convoys massacred. The Bretonia Armed Forces has been on the case for weeks, and yesterday successfully intercepted the mysterious attackers mid-ambush. Major Helen Hardy identified the assailants as Rheinland Military vessels, commenting that, “it was like 800 all over again” -- referring to Rheinland’s assault on Omega-3 during the Colony Wars. Following a complaint to the Rheinland government, defense officials were quick to deny responsibility for the attacks, pointing instead to the Military deserters-turned-terrorist group commonly known as The Wild.

[814 AS] Reichstag Condemns Bretonian War

NEW BERLIN -- 814 AS -- Rheinland's Reichstag today issued a statement condemning Bretonia’s use of concealed mines in defense of Planet Harris. The open letter accuses Bretonia of violating the Boorman Treaty, which prohibits the militarization of House border worlds, and bans the use of passive weapons that pose severe danger to civilians in those same territories. The statement concluded with calls for Bretonia to withdraw from Tau-31 immediately. Chancellor Rheinhardt’s government has refused to endorse the motion, clarifying that this expression by individual representatives is not Rheinland’s state position. Controversially, a first draft of the statement has also been leaked, revealing criticism of attacks on neutral civilian shipping by the Kusari Naval Forces was removed.

[813 AS] Rheinland responds to Tau events

NEW BERLIN -- 813 AS -- Rheinland’s Foreign Office has issued a formal statement regarding the escalating tensions between Bretonia and Kusari in the Taus. Rheinland has condemned Bretonia for what it calls “diplomatic brinkmanship” over territorial disputes, leading to escalation that may now realistically result in war. The Foreign Office called for both sides to pause and consider independent mediation in either Rheinland or Liberty. Reichstag members also expressed their sympathy for the IMG’s plight, as the civilian organization finds itself caught between two belligerent powers. Chancellor Steller has confirmed he will attend the Los Angeles Summit called by President Jacobi for promoting peace between the colonies.

[812 AS] Rheinland warns about “Wild” attacks

FREISTADT -- 812 -- For many years rumors have spread about attacks on Omega shipping by a group known as The Wild. Now their ships have been sighted marauding across Stuttgart and New Berlin. Rheinland has announced that MND intelligence has identified these menaces as traitorous Colony War deserters and war criminals, who stole Military hardware and vanished into the border worlds to enrich themselves. It is unclear what prompted the renegades to extend their attacks into Rheinland core space, however it is speculated that they may have been driven out of their old hunting grounds by other pirate organizations such as the Red Hessians or Corsairs.

[807 AS] Colony War Demilitarization Complete

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".

[803 AS] Driven to desperation

NEW BERLIN -- 803 -- As Rheinland falls further into economic crisis, many face financial ruin. Desperation has driven political radicalism and crime. Where tens of thousands of Military personnel were laid off in the aftermath of the Colony Wars, huge numbers of trained pilots have found themselves unemployed. As local corporations stop recruiting, some have turned to the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, however many have resorted to the Bundschuh, Red Hessians and Unioners. The RFP has already noted a sharp increase in criminal activity across Rheinland and the surrounding border worlds.

[801 AS] Rheinland High Command missing?

NEW BERLIN -- 801 -- As the smoke clears following the cessation of recent hostilities, citizens across the Colonies have two simple questions: what happened, and why? As the Rheinland Provisional Government looks to answer those questions, it has become apparent that the House’s senior military leadership has vanished. According to anonymous sources, the whereabouts of the Military High Command is unknown, with numerous Admirals disappearing along with their flagships. The Rheinland Federal Police and Liberty Security Force have posted bounties for the missing officers after formal desertion charges were pressed.

[801 AS] Provisional Rheinland Government demilitarizes

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.

[801 AS] Kusari imposes embargo on Rheinland

NEW TOKYO -- 801 -- Shogun Edo has announced that a full economic embargo of Rheinland will be imposed by Kusari due to the outrages of the Colony Wars. Liberty’s President Jacobi has taken a leading role in mediation between Rheinland and the other Houses, with the Provisional Rheinland Government offering a message of condolence to the Kusari people for the actions of the toppled previous regime. Despite this, Kusari has remained resolute that no normalization of relations will be considered until full reparations are made for the devastation in Honshu and New Tokyo, and the many crimes Kusari alleges were perpetrated there.

[801 AS] Colonies Rebuild, Chancellor MIA

NEWS ARCHIVE - 801 AS

MANHATTAN -- It's been nearly two weeks since hostilities between Rheinland and the other Houses came to an abrupt end, and peace has settled over the colonies. Despite many lingering questions, government officials remain tight-lipped about what has triggered this sudden change. President Jacobi pardoned the leaders of the military coup against her, who are all recovering from what has been officially called "encephalitic viral infections." Insiders speculate that these infections may be linked to recently discovered evidence of a bizarre mind-control plan initiated by the Chancellor to bring down the major Houses.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor and several of his staff are still missing at this time and together face a long list of charges. Newly appointed government officials in Rheinland are now looking into recent events and are said to be enlisting even Liberty's help in their investigation.

In other news, LSF Commander Jun'ko Zane and freelancer, Edison Trent, both former enemies of the state, have been granted full pardons and have received the Lone Star for bravery, the highest decoration any individual in the colonies can receive. Though the details of their heroism have been sealed by executive order, they were honored today in a ceremony by President Jacobi, who said, "I, Liberty and the rest of the colonies owe you both a debt of gratitude. It is through your efforts, and people like you, that Sirius will embrace the future. We salute you."

[801 AS] Rheinland ends all hostilities

FULDA -- 801 -- With the disappearance of Chancellor Niemann and the installation of the Liberty-backed Provisional Rheinland Government, an immediate cessation of all hostilities has been ordered. Rheinland forces have begun withdrawals on all fronts. Reports from Kusari have confirmed that the Northern Fleet has retreated from New Tokyo and Honshu, however it has not returned to Rheinland or recognized the authority of the PRG. Government sources believe the fleet may have deserted, with Rheinland's remaining loyalist security forces being ordered to high-alert as a precaution against pro-Niemann coup attempts.


Rumors

Zoners
  • We tried to make this facility as independent as possible. We produce our own Food, and some Consumer Goods here. The Corsairs have need of these at their base Cadiz. Along with the basics, Corsairs will pay for any shipbuilding equipment such as Engine Components or Hull Plates.


  • A couple of Gateway boys were minding their own business in our bar a few days ago when some Bowex chaps started talking some smack to them. Next thing you know a fight was going. I enjoy a good bar brawl and was knocking the teeth out of a BMMer when someone pulled a Daumann "crowd killer" and let loose in there. After that station security locked the whole place down.


  • There are BMM representatives here who purchase goods for their base. With Nottingham just a short distance away, I imagine they'll be more and more soon enough. I don't mind them spending their money with us, but honestly I don't like having them here. Many of us left Bretonia to escape the BMM. They are awful to work for. I don't want to see a second Leeds on our doorstep.


  • The trick to surviving out here in the Barrier is to have things that powerful groups want, while not annoying any of them too much. We trade with anyone who will leave us be. Strangely, it are the House governments who are most opposed to that. Figures, that the opression we sought to escape is again our biggest threat.


  • Daumann and BMM hate each other. Did you know that? Aye, they are trying to establish colonial presence in this system so that they may eventually annex Omega-3. That contest is pretty much decided now that Bretonia is settling Nottingham, but I don't see Rheinland letting go of the Rugen installation any time soon. Mark my words, there'll be war in the Omegas again before I'm dead.


  • Zoners hazard the Border Worlds because we don't want any governments telling us how to live. That's why Nottingham has been such a disaster - you can't trust Bretonia as far as you can throw them. We just wanted to be left alone, and now they're knocking the door down and bringing their bloody war with them.


  • You are in some tough space, you know. Us Zoners have learned to handle ourselves. We don't go looking for fights, but we know where not to be when the shooting starts. I used to be a pilot in the BAF. That's right. But I gave it up when I realized there weren't a future in it for me but a gold watch or a space burial.


  • It's important that we help other Zoner bases in the area get what they need to survive. The people at Freeport 5 need some of our Food Rations, Consumer Goods and Pharmaceuticals. We produce some of that here, the rest needs to be imported from Bretonia.


  • I see quite a few Bounty Hunters arrive at this base. They get refueled, refitted, have a couple drinks at the bar, and take off. After that I don't usually see them again. This is rough space, and I imagine plenty of them get their ships blown open. But that's the life of a Hunter I suppose.


Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing
  • This system is Bretonian space now, didn't I tell you so? The Ole Doug was originally plopped down by BMM on the Queen's orders to keep an eye on them cretinous Rheinlanders. Nottingham ain't exactly all fixed up, but we're living on her as best we can. Can't afford to contract Planetform and I don't know if they'd even want to take a job in Nottingham.


  • Now that Bretonia's got Nottingham under lock and key, we've pretty much cemented our claim to this space. That makes the Zoners mighty nervous, seeing as it was the governments they were running from in the first place. Hopefully they'll jump ship and scuttle off into the deep Omegas. They might not like me, but I don't like them either.


  • Some of the Zoners on this base are always lookin at me sideways, acting like I'm the almighty hand of BMM itself. Ah, stupid base snipes is all they are. Next one I see looking at me funny is gonna get some teeth popped outta his head.


Border World Exports
  • It's a shame the Zoners established a presense in this area first. This station would make an excellent Bowex trade relay between Rheinland, Nottingham and Cambridge - it's a suggestion I'll have to forward to my line manager. Do you think we could "persuade" the Zoners to leave?


  • Cambridge supplies this base with almost everything the Zoners and Orbital Spa and Cruise want on Freeport 1: Luxury Food, Fertilizers, even Passengers who want to take a space tour of Nottingham. Then we take other Passengers here back to Cambridge. It works out rather tidily.


  • It really is a shame about that Gateway convoy that was set upon by Corsairs last week. All hands lost, truly a tragedy. Ha! They shouldn't be meddling with Bowex business; I say it serves them all right. Fine by me their wives are widows, that's what you get for marrying an idiot.


Daumann Heavy Construction
  • The only competent Bounty Hunters in Sirius are Rheinland Hunters. For that matter, the only competent -anybody- in Sirius are Rheinlanders. Everyone else has gotten lucky -- like Liberty -- or cheated like the GMG and Kusari. We make the finest products, mine the meanest systems, and even have the toughest pirates.


  • Rugen gets most of her goods from this base - the basics at least. The less we have to walk the corridors of this hole the better. I don't like being around insolent Bretonian scum. We hear the BMM gloating about Nottingham winning Omega-3 for Bretonia in the bar rooms. We'll see how long that lasts, that planet isn't ready for its colonists and neither are they.


  • The Bretonians are mad. Nottingham is not fit for human colonisation without terraforming - we had anticipated having centuries of time to prepare our move. They must be desperate to consider this. Still, that suits us well: it is because they are desperate that they need Rheinland for our minerals, so we have little to fear. After their war, they will be forced to abandon Nottingham until it can be made properly habitable. They will not have the means, so it will fall to us then.


Gateway Shipping
  • The Bowex crews in the area are frothing at the bit about Gateway purchasing joint rights to the Bretonian transport franchise. The mighty Bretonian giant is having to sell contracts and rights to bail out debts, I've heard. Serves them right for war profiteering and biting off more than they could chew, if you ask me.


  • Bretonia keeps this base rather well equipped with basic supplies and Mining Machinery. Quite a shame, it was this shipping run that got destroyed just a while back. All hands lost, including my brother's wife, she was a good pilot too.


  • I make the shipping run to this base from Cambridge. When I come here, I bring Consumer Goods and H-Fuel. When I leave, I transport work Crews who were on leave here back to Cardiff or Planet Cambridge. You'd be surprised how often I get jumped by Corsairs. Aye, they're mean ones. Glad I don't have to tangle with those Hessians too. That would be too much.


Bounty Hunters Guild
  • I can tell you where the dangerous elements are in this system to help you avoid 'em. They are everywhere, so go home. Ha, just kidding. There are Hessians to the east in the fields and Corsairs to the west. Both are to the south. Just watch your butt, cuz these pirates will shoot it off.


  • Some Corsair jerk pulled a knife on me a few nights ago in the bar during a brawl. Since he pulled steel, I decided to pull some ceramic. My "crowd killer" lived up to its name, bless that Rheinish engineering. Too bad I got the two behind him. Lucky I was able to get away without being identified.


  • If you are trying to kill Corsairs, then keep to the western side of Omega 3 and hunt in the fields there. Make sure to patrol the Coombe in the south too, though you may run into more Hessians than you like down below. If you find them fighting eachother, you'll usually end up being shot by both. One thing you can expect from every criminal in Sirius. They all hate the Hunters, because they know they're never safe from us.


  • I've been hired by BMM and Bowex to fight off attacks on Douglas and Nottingham. They pay me well enough, I suppose, but I'm thinking of leaving. They hired four of us and they're already asking the Guild for three replacements. The Corsairs in this space are battle-hardened, worse than their usual lot - there's more than normal for this time of year, too. They're probably trying to hit the colony while they can. If the war ends and the Armed Forces come back, they're in for a much harder time.


  • Bowex is paying me very well to protect its shipping convoys that pass through this system. This is probably the most dangerous shipping route in all of Sirius, so their pilots are top notch. Even so, a lot of them get charbroiled in Omega-3 and Omega-7. We team up with the Bret cops as well, now that their navy has pulled out. The constables are good shouts, but the milita ships... It's sick. Ordering them out to Omega 3 should be charged as murder.


  • The Jump Hole those Corsairs and Hessians are using is in the Coombe Field on the southern end of the system. It leads right into Omega-5. That's right, into the war zone. The Hessians and Corsairs butcher themselves in there. I don't go there unless I'm trying to pass through, and I've got the throttle buried the whole way. There's another one leading to Omega-9 somewhere in the Roth field, but I don't know much about that system.


Corsairs
  • Avoiding the attention of the Corsairs involves trading them the goods they need. It's like a bribe we get paid for. The problem has been Bretonia moving into the area in force. With the BPA patrolling heavily, we're having to be much more careful with the few trade ships we send to Freeport 1. We try to make sure we're either not seen, or use unmarked freighters.


  • If you pick up food here, you can take it to Cadiz in Omega 5 - just don't get caught by Hessians. If you feel like taking the risk, there's also the longer trip to Planet Crete, the mysterious Corsair home world. Make sure you've got a Corsair to escort you in though - they've got a habit of killing unannounced visitors.


  • I've heard that an interested party in Omega 3 is paying the Corsairs to target certain Bretonian developments. Some drunk Corsairs were discussing it on Cadiz - I don't think they knew I could hear. I'll have to keep my ear to the ground to find out more.


Orbital Spa & Cruise
  • All the tourism is likely to increase Bretonia's desire to enforce a claim of sovereignty on Omega-3. That will probably be worse for the Zoners than the for IMG at Aland, who already have a working relationship with Bretonia's government due to Cardiff. The Zoners' business dealings with criminals in the Omegas is the worst kept secret on Freeport 1. No doubt the Bretonian government would crack down hard on that.


  • The Luxury Liner Shetland went missing for a few months after the Gallic invasion. It was eventually found drifting into Dublin, out of fuel and looking damaged. She's been patched up and sent out to Newcastle now. I think they've got her working as a rear-lines R&R site for Bretonian pilots, and a resort for particularly morbid adreneline junkies. There's talk about turning the Shetland's story into a Manhattan blockbuster holofilm. I've heard they'll be casting Donovan Jenners as the brave helmsman who saved the ship! OS&C will probably fund it, providing they get editing rights over the script.


  • It's easy to imagine how this would play out. First some fancy Bretonian lady gets her sensibilities offended by Corsair riffraff on the Freeport, or a shuttle of tourists almost goes for an unplanned spacewalk. Next the BAF or BPA start escorting civilian passenger liners and shuttles. Then they arrange for berths on Freeport 1 to conveniently refuel. Next thing you know, they'll uncover a big Zoner-criminal scandal going on, and the public pressure will "force" the government to increase "security" on and around the Freeport. Power always works the same way, you know. Once it finds a crack, it wedges it wide open sooner or later. I wonder if the Zoners see what's likely coming?


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