Holman Outpost

From Discovery Wiki
Holman Outpost
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 Miners 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
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Robotics 33$
Ablative Armor Plating 129$
Black Market Munitions 176$
Energy Field Equipment 47$
Gin 40$
Medical Equipment 34$
Sake 30$
Detroit Light Arms 84$
Whiskey 13$
Military Surplus 432$
Hydrocarbons 9$
H-Fuel 88$
Basic Alloy 21$
Construction Machinery 33$
Pharmaceuticals 29$
Hull Panels 39$
Optronics 80$
Engine Components 60$
Daumann Side Arms 119$
Gallic Enfer Blasters 57$
Black Market Blasters 91$
Black Market Light Arms 142$
Kemwer Technologies 259$
Volgograd Ordinance 189$
APM Advanced Hardware 128$
Black Market Augments 129$
Prometheum 24$
Synth Paste 29$
Industrial Materials 26$
Munitions 44$
Xenobiotic Filters 61$
Passenger Cabin (Bretonia) 22,489$
Passenger Cabin (Kusari) 28,710$
Iron 13$
Alien Organisms 24$
Xeno Relics 231$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Crew 200$
Water 2$
Hangar Provisions 250$
Oxygen 8$
Food Rations 26$
Kyushu Rice 21$
MOX 21$
Mining Machinery 23$
Consumer Goods 32$
Promethene 39$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price


News

[835 AS] Coronado disaster sparks panic

YUMA -- 835 -- Public data feeds have lit up with distress calls from Coronado, after a system-wide EMP pulse wreaked havoc. Emergency requests for aid have been issued by the Crayter Republic and IMG, with early reports indicating that the system’s Trade Lane project has been destroyed. Ageira has confirmed that the Jump Gate remains unaffected thanks to post-Blackout safeguards, allowing relief to be delivered from Bretonia and Liberty. Panic erupted on many Liberty worlds after footage was released showing an energy field around the moon Jericho, seeming to indicate another activated alien site. President Hawthorne has called for calm, and reiterated that security forces were moving to contain the situation.

[835 AS] Gallic threats raise Tau fears

SCALPAY OUTPOST -- 835 -- The Taus are once more on edge, after Gallia threatens the use of force to retrieve the Tau-23 to Tau-31 Jump Gate. Bretonia constructed the first Jump Gate in the system, which was later annexed during the Gallic War. Bretonia was gifted the current Gallic Jump Gate by Kusari during their invasion of Gallia, and has held it since -- with Gallia formally ceding its Tau claims through the Treaty of Rishiri. Bretonia has historically refused to discuss the Gate’s status until its own demands on the extradition of war criminals and payment of Gallic War reparations are met. The Bretonian government has warned that Gallic aggression or threats “will not be tolerated”.

[834 AS] Independent Miners assert Jericho rights

PECOS -- 834 -- The Guild has issued a new set of ultimatums to Yuma. This time, Guildmasters are demanding that Crayter withdraw the defense grid around the moon Jericho. The miners assert the grid infringes the Guild’s claims, which they say includes exclusive rights to exploit the moon’s resources. Pecos miner Shane Harlon noted, “there’s probably a whole lot of Uranium down there, given the radiation band. If there is, it’s ours.” So far Crayter has dismissed the demands, calling the mineral claim “nonsense” and stating simply that their troops were stationed on site for “public safety”.

[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] 'Slog' banned throughout Bretonia

NEW LONDON -- 831 -- The drug 'Slog,' otherwise known as Carix, has officially been banned across Bretonia. It is now a criminal offense to possess or distribute this drug in any quantity. The strict prohibition comes in response to the rising popularity of this dangerous substance, which has ravaged the Bretonian working class. Authorities claim the Slog trade creates extreme public health hazards, and has strong links to the funding of terrorism. Despite this, journalists have suggested that the government’s real fear lies in decreased productivity, which Bretonia's struggling post-war economy cannot afford following the loss of Dublin.

[831 AS] Allied forces breach Omicron Alpha

CARRIER MALACHITE -- 832 AS -- Crayter's Senate has approved the deployment of the Carrier Malachite in support of the ongoing Maltese slave rebellion. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the expeditionary force by the Dreadnought Basilica and Malta's defense grid, however the latter has since been disabled through the valiant action of liberated slaves. IMG Guildmasters are now drafting plans for orbital drops to supply or evacuate the resistance battalions, while the Crayter military prepares to tackle the hated Basilica.

[832 AS] Outcasts bloodied in Tau-37

FREEPORT 10 -- 832 AS -- The Outcasts have suffered a blow in the Taus, after months of conflict with a coalition of BHG, Crayter and IMG forces. The intense campaign was provoked by the withdrawal of most Outcasts to their homeworld in response to a massed slave uprising. The few defenders left to hold the Bermejo Cloud have been forced to retreat, after an allied assault destroyed Genoa Base. Freeport 10's Zoners have noted that the trickle of Cardamine shipments through the system seem to have now ceased altogether. An anonymous Crayter commander has declared they intend to breach Omicron Alpha and "burn the plantations to the ground."

[831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'!

ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- 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

JAVA STATION -- 831 AS -- A slave rebellion on Planet Malta has sent shockwaves through the region. The Independent Miners Guild quickly 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 dispatched an expeditionary force to render aid, with support from Bounty Hunter mercenaries. The Allied force is intent on driving the Outcasts out of Tau-37, breaching Outcast defenses surrounding Planet Malta, and assisting the revolutionaries in toppling the Outcast regime.

[831 AS] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout

AMES RESEARCH STATION -- 831 -- Independent researchers have announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, destroying many of the sector’s most sensitive and finely tuned observatories. Surviving data about 'The Pulse' has been widely shared across the neural net in recent days, prompting mass speculation. Professor Katsuma Oster of Ames Research Station described the signal as “astounding”. “These readings are unprecedented, as if reality itself were struck like a gong.” House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to share their own observatories' data.

[831 AS] 'Blackout' causes jump network failure

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When communications resumed 31 hours later, the news broke of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged markets into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of causing 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.

[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
  • 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?


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.


  • 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.