Luxury Liner Shetland

Luxury Liner Shetland

File:Br04 07 base.png

Owner

Orbital Spa & Cruise

Location

E-4, Newcastle

CLASS: Enterprise

AMENITIES: Full

PASSENGERS: 700

Owned and operated by Orbital Spa and Cruise Lines, the Shetland is a movable feast for the rich and those who service them. The ship was damaged during the Gallic invasion of the Edinburgh system and was pushed into service as a floating hospital ship, servicing the Bretonian forces defending Newcastle for several years.

Following the conclusion of the Gallic War, Orbital Spa renovated the ship's interior at great expense before dispatching it to Poole. This did not last long, as Bretonia began a phased draw-down of operations soon after. Poole was abandoned entirely by 832 AS due to unsustainable infrastructure costs.

The Shetland has since taken up position in high orbit of the Gas Giant Hartlepool in Newcastle, giving its gourmet restaurants and shopping arcades a stunning overview of the tumultuous electric storms that lash the upper atmosphere. The Shetland now offers a mixture of local attractions, local sights and entertainment focusing on the ships own wartime service in the local system.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Bretonia Police Orbital Spa & Cruise Border World Exports Gateway Shipping Cryer Pharmaceuticals

Missions

Orbital Spa & Cruise Bretonia Armed Forces Bretonia Police

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Robotics 25$ Hessian Tears 194$ Rheinbier 58$ Rum 66$ Sake 50$ Detroit Light Arms 70$ Stabiline 91$ Vodka 51$ Whiskey 10$ Black Market Pharmaceuticals 133$ Slog 77$ Gold 169$ Wildcat Gold 170$ Silver 159$ Niobium 140$ Oxygen 5$ Water 5$ Diamonds 171$ Food Rations 20$ H-Fuel 101$ MOX 25$ Basic Alloy 30$ Construction Machinery 37$ Pharmaceuticals 29$ Hull Panels 21$ Consumer Goods 28$ Cardamine 211$ Consumer Goods 216$ Artifacts 229$ Consumer Goods 234$ Daumann Side Arms 120$ Gallic Enfer Blasters 96$ Xeno Relics 235$ Gaian Wildlife 268$ Holotainment Bands 128$ Pineal Amulets 80$ Platinum 227$ Synth Paste 18$ Tobacco 63$ Wine 74$ Hypnotainment Bands 181$ Munitions 38$ Xenobiotic Filters 53$ Nox 173$ Consumer Goods 178$ Passenger Cabin (Liberty) 37,874$ Passenger Cabin (Bretonia) 24,695$ Passenger Cabin (Kusari) 51,425$ Passenger Cabin (Rheinland) 63,571$ Passenger Cabin (Gallia) 50,489$ Passenger Cabin (Omega) 58,754$ Passengers (Omicrons) 97,560$ Fire Pearls 52$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Gin 42$ Liberty Ale 36$ Crew 212$ Luxury Food 43$ Luxury Consumer Goods 77$ Vacationers 16,732$ Cigars 144$ Tea 23$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price
Obsidian	Very Heavy Fighter	546,129$
Sunburst	Freighter	2,946$
Arrow	Light Fighter	19,242$

News

[834 AS] Liberty Advises Against Sigma Vacations

HAWAII -- 834 -- Liberty has issued a formal travel advisory recommending its citizens avoid visiting Sigma-19 for cruise vacations. This comes after the recent destruction of Atka Research Station, and the disappearance of two OS&C shuttles. These incidents have been attributed to Outcast pirates. OS&C spokesman Judith Hillier reassured potential customers that the cruise provider takes passenger safety extremely seriously, and has “invested heavily in escort fleets and corporate security affiliates.” Kusari officials have also raised concerns about the Sigma security situation, expressing “concern and dismay” over the GMG’s handling of the dangerous region.

[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] Bretonia Announces Poole Draw-Down

NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- The Bretonian government has announced a controlled withdrawal from the Poole system, citing ballooning costs and an increasingly strained state budget. Poole was once of critical importance to Bretonia, briefly hosting a Super Gate to Liberty during the Gallic War, and acting as a launching point for Bretonia's colonial ambitions in Omega 48. With the end of the war and Bretonia's withdrawal from Planet Gran Canaria, Poole's prominence waned. The cost of policing the system and maintaining infrastructure has significantly outweighed collected tax revenue in recent years, with Planetform's Terraforming Gas operations reporting disappointing year on year returns.DSE has already confirmed that it will begin deconstruction operations shortly, with the dismantling of the Cambridge jump gate expected to be completed by 833 AS. Planetform has confirmed its intention to withdraw prior to this point, while settling shareholder anxiety with the announcement of promising preliminary findings for a replacement site in Newcastle.

[831 AS] Bretonian Focus Turns on Mollys

SHEFFIELD -- 831 AS -- The Bretonia Police Authority has announced that the eradication of the Molly movement is their top priority. In light of the loss of the Dublin system and the seemingly connected 'Blackout', the dangerous terrorist movement has leaped to the top of Bretonia's most wanted board. Bounties on Molly terrorists have doubled, with Bounty Hunters flocking to the beleaguered House. Guild Master Tina Hale of Sheffield Station commented that, "this is a good deal for a job that's less dangerous than many of our Edge World boards." Despite this, prospective Hunters should be cautious, as the Mollys are notoriously cunning and brutal fighters. The bounties and Police crackdown do appear to be having some initial effects however, with reports of Molly attacks on shipping in the Cambridge and Newcastle systems falling over recent weeks.

[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.

Rumors

Orbital Spa & Cruise

Official word is, the Shetland is taking care of forces wounded in the fighting with Gallia. While we do that, we also still receive guests from all over Bretonia who want to see the damage the Gallic forces left on us. But I think the company is trying to capitalize on the skill of our captain, and turn the Shetland in some kind of war hero attraction. "Shetlands Survival", I suppose there's worse ways to serve Bretonia. It's a major morale boost for the soldiers and people, one they desperately needed after Leeds was lost. We receive many shipments of medication from Cryer. The Gaians have been attacking some of them. Makes me wonder if those ecoterrorists have become Gallic lapdogs now. Wouldn't surprise me. Home. Finally home again. You have no idea what it was like, travelling from Edinburgh to Dublin by conventional engines only. These liners aren't built for interstellar travel without the aid of Jump Gates. Our engines are designed for slow runs around a starsystem. It is amazing that our captain managed to pilot us across! So far the number of wounded we're treating has been mild. I'm not sure why we're even here. Space combat doesn't usually create a whole lot of wounded. Just people who had a working escape pod - and casualties. That or they expect large ship crews to become injured - which means capital ships will be getting involved in the fighting ahead. I just hope it won't be in Newcastle. The Shetland was heavily damaged when Gallia attacked her. Attacking a civilian liner... There is no excuse for that! After the crew and passengers were rescued in Dublin, the ship was ferried to Southampton for repairs. It is fully spaceworthy again, but will require a much more extensive overhaul before it's suitable for luxuary cruises. There's no room in Southampton for that right now. It's a major change for us, to switch from catering to the rich and famous to tending injured soldiers and war tourists. Still, we can be glad to be alive. The Gallic Navy would have finished us off if they had the chance.

Bretonia Armed Forces

The Armed Forces use the Shetland as a hospital ship now, since Newcastle has no habitable planets where a surface hospital can be set up. None of the stations in the system can handle that task as well as a Liner can - a hospital requires extensive life support systems able to handle the needs of a lot of people. I'm not sure how I feel about all these damned tourists coming to "see war up close". Gawking at a few scorched hull panels doesn't quite compare to the experience of being under fire, but I guess Orbital is trying to make up for a year of lost revenue any way they can. I was with the Shetland when it was forced to flee Edinborough. Me and twelve other fighters had to face off against seven Gallic squadrons. I was one of three ships that managed to survive. I don't know what became of the others, my own wing kept close to the Shetland as it withdrew into deep space. Eventually, we were forced to dock on her and became passengers ourselves.

Border World Exports

So tours of the most pristine planet become tours of duty on this ship. An interesting turn of events, but a good reflection on the state of Bretonia as a whole. Bowex handles most of the cargo runs to this ship. Shipments of Pharmaceuticals and Food from Cambridge, and occasionally a ferry flight to New London with tourists who've had their fill, or lads recovered enough to be transported. The passenger flights are usually done with a heavy military escort - the Mollys would love nothing more than to blow up a ship full of Armed Forces pilots who aren't in their own fighters. Savages, the lot of them. I liked this ship better without the holes in her hull. Gaia and the Edinborough loop were more suitable to what she was built for then this. Still, needs must be. I can understand Orbitals reluctance to use this ship as a luxuary resort looking like this.

Bretonia Police

Bretonia gave up Edinborough without much of a fight. I can't say I blame the Armed Forces, because I think there's a purpose for the Gallic presence there. The only true asset there was Gaia, but those Green Party eggheads prevent people from settling that planet in earnest. I think most of Bretonia is hoping Gallia will break ground on that world, so that if and when the system is retaken, the planet is no longer pristine. Not even the Greens will be able to speak out against Bretonia taking over Gallic holdings on that world. The area around Carlisle is safe enough for the time being. Between the Macduff and the police forces stationed at Gateshead, we can deal with anything short of a dedicated military assault on this area. Word among the military has it that Gallia can't amass the forces for that kind of an attack yet, so for the time being we're good here. I used to be posted in Aberdeen, before Gallia laid waste to it. That wasn't a huge loss - police outposts are just that, small, largely automated outposts, which are cheap to maintain but don't tend to last long against a fullblown naval assault. At the time Gallia attacked it and cut off the Edinborough gate, I was on the Shetland - I couldn't do a thing to help my fellow officers.

Cryer Pharmaceuticals

Back on the Shetland... Not exactly as I remember it. I'm only a liason here, to help run the medicinal logistics for what is now officially a hospital ship. I remember there used to be a huge buffet the promenade deck. Now it's a surgical bay. I'll leave the meat jokes up to the soldiers. I'm not sure what to expect in the near future. Orbital won't like having this ship on the frontline a second time, but the Armed Forces may force their hand. They found the ship adrift, so technically, they could claim it as salvage. I doubt they will though, Bretonia doesn't need soured relations with Liberty right now. So far it's been a breeze for me. Orbital still receives tourists, and tries to, as best as they can, maintain their standards here. I've arranged for quarters on the tourist section, so I'm not exactly roughing it.

Gateway Shipping

Gateway hasn't gotten any serious contracts with the military. That is fine with me, I didn't sign up for combat duty, I'm a merchant. Hauling soldiers and weapons around just paints a big bullseye on your hull. Every Gallic, Outcast, Corsair and Molly raider will be on your tail. Gateway delivers several basic commodities to this ship and other bases in the region. Water and Oxygen come in from the South Shields refinery, since we can't use anything from Carlisle for some reason. Biohazard, the grapevine says. Food has to be shipped in from Cambridge for the same reason. Well, I say. The boys who ran this ship certainly have a bit of cleaning up to do. But what a fine job they did in bringing her home. I hear it drifted into Dublin in the end - they can be glad the Corsairs or Mollys didn't happen upon her first. Now that would have been a tragedy.

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