Shinjuku Station

CLASS: Nobunaga

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 1020

Shinjuku Station is the corporate headquarters for Samura, the oldest of the *keiretsu* -- vast corporate networks -- in the Kusari Empire. The history of Samura is deeply intertwined with that of the Empire, and Samura maintains close ties with the Kusari Shogunate, its ruling governmental body. Samura holds key contracts for the construction of the Kusari Navy and previously held the exclusive rights for the distribution of valuable resources produced by the Gas Miners Guild (GMG). When the gas transport concession expired, Samura lost this trade to its competitor, Kishiro - which upset the balance between the two keiretsu. Samura is also engaged in a protracted dispute with Synth Foods over the lucrative race to feed the ever expanding Kusari population.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Samura Industries
* Farmers Alliance
* Hogosha

## News

Partially as a result of the geological activity, the equatorial monsoon season produced some of the strongest tropical storms ever recorded on Kyushu since its colonisation. These storms devastated the world's agricultural sector as they blew through the most fertile tropical lowlands, destroying as much as 20%% of the planet's annual crop yield, on top of damage to infrastructure and tragic loss of human life.
Many rural communities are reported to be struggling, with some farming communities still remaining flooded ghost towns even a month after the worst of the storms abated, though smaller-scale tempests still rage around the equator. A Samura spokesperson outlined the company's intent to restore the planet and its communities to full productivity by the middle of next year, despite the ongoing circumstance.

Immediately upon learning of this, Battleship Matsumoto and its battlegroup were redeployed from Hokkaido, and within two days were poised and ready to face this new threat. Only a short few hours later, a patrol of fighters reported a warship with the transponder reading Battleship Matsuda operating in the relative open, heading for but not yet reaching the relative safety of the Seiran Dust Cloud.
Matsumoto itself departed with its escort to confront the Chrysanthemum battleship, close to the edge of the nebula. Within minutes of it coming into sensor range, bomber and fighter squadrons from both sides closed in and opening salvos were exchanged between the battleships. It didn't take long before the KNF's preparation was shown to be well worthwhile; their superior numbers whittled down or otherwise preoccupied the Chrysanthemum's fighter force leaving a variety of openings in the Matsuda's defensive cover for KNF bombers to exploit.
While the Matsumoto was withstanding a heavy beating from the guns of its older sister, it was plain that the Matsuda was slowly being whittled away as its shields began to fail and the very same engine design flaws that had rendered it immobile in KNF service were now exploited by bomber wings to once again cripple the warship.
After several more minutes, the Matsuda's escape pods began to eject from the ailing battleship, picked up by Chrysanthemum fighters as they fled deeper into the Seiran dust cloud. It didn't take long thereafter for the ship's powercore to falter and fail completely, culminating in a vast explosion that reportedly almost turned night to day on the dark side of Planet Kyushu, if only for a split second.
Matsumoto itself sustained moderate damage in the engagement, relatively untouched by Chrysanthemum bombers however still suffering the ill effects of Matsuda's anti-capital weaponry. Despite its damage, it remains deployed in the Kyushu system to continue the blockade of the cardamine trade and to serve as a show of force to any who would challenge the might of the Emperor.

While this troubling trend is observed throughout the Sirius colonies, Liberty is bearing the brunt of the crisis among the four major Houses. Remarkably, even Rheinland, where historical data indicated low Cardamine consumption, has witnessed a notable rise in medical cases linked to the illicit narcotic. Experts postulate that the extensive black market responsible for Cardamine distribution might be facing a shortage, or worse, that Outcast factions deliberately curtail the supply to bolster demand. Regrettably, no law enforcement agency has been available for comment on these concerns.
The long-standing debate over Cardamine's controversial nature, juxtaposing its euphoric and purported medicinal qualities with the genetic alterations it inflicts upon long-term users, continues to echo. A key point of contention revolves around the plight of innocent consumers caught in this crisis. Yet, according to independent polls, a substantial majority of our viewers maintains that the substance must remain banned.
In response to this escalating crisis, Cryer Pharmaceuticals has announced a forthcoming press conference. During the event, the company intends to unveil plans for an expanded production of Stabiline, their touted "wonder drug". This announcement promises affordable access to Stabiline for all patients grappling with Cardamine withdrawal, sparking a remarkable 15%% surge in Cryer Pharmaceuticals' stock following the revelation.

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.

It remains to be seen how this united Farmers Alliance will impact affairs on the wider stage, with the security forces of both Houses already strained by their fair share of crime and dissidence.

"The Surveyor is more than just a ship, it's a symbol of ingenuity and industrial development to all the Sirian Colonies. It's a pattern that dates back to our origins in the Sol system, and it's a pattern that will persist for many generations to come. Just as we have adapted to meet new challenges, so too must the Surveyor to meet emergent needs."
The Next-Gen Surveyor is slated to roll out multiple updates ranging from technological optimizations to upgraded armor and firepower capabilities. Many of the new modifications directly address a recent study by the Sirius International Institute of Statistics and Economics, citing up to 32 percent losses by BMM and Kruger Minerals to piracy and related factors.
The ship's expanded armour increased the ship's mass by almost 50 percent, which forced Samura's Surveyor team to completely overhaul the ship's power delivery system, powerplant, and hull. The new ship utilizes a power delivery system integrated into the super-alloy frame. The integrated frame was torture tested at the Aso High Altitude Proving Grounds, and sports certifications as best in class for maneuvering with a load under high Gs.
Though time will tell whether the upgrade will prove successful in addressing the increase of piracy, the stock market has greeted the welcome news with a 15 point general increase, and a relative high for Samura and mining sector stocks.

## Rumors

* The Hogosha serve us well. By relieving our suppliers and competitors of extra Commodities in storage, we can keep our costs down and remain clear of suspicion. The occasional Hogosha gets caught, but that is the risk that they take. We will deny any knowledge of the arrangement if they are caught.

* The Farmers Alliance was created to combat the unfair business practices and inferior products that Synth Foods has introduced to the Kusari populace. We make occasional contributions to their worthy cause but do not at all condone their somewhat blunt methods.

* Samura is the largest corporation in the Sirius sector. We are a vertically integrated company that produces everything from Fertilizers to Large Transports. We also ship to more locations than any of our competitors.

* Privately, I've heard that our scientists believe that eating farmed fish fed with the Alien Organisms may have long term health consequences for the Kusari population. We have already noticed some changes among the workers on Junyo and especially Kurile. It would be best if this is kept private, to not create a panic in the populace.

* As far as we're concerned, building a gate to Chugoku was never a realistic option, as it is a colossal waste of money that only aggravates the Blood Dragon problem. The Blood Dragons are an annoyance, but they have served their purpose well. Now we are ready to open our new venture in Tau-53, it is time to reveal Samura's true intentions for the Hokkaido system - a gateway to a Kusari future without foreign interference.

* This base serves as our corporate headquarters and research center for all Samura operations in the Sirius Sector. H-Fuel and Food are also distributed to various Samura bases in the field from here.

* The Hokkaido system is now ours. The government funded and constructed the Hokkaido Gates in the name of security, which allows us access to the H-Fuel fields there, and to our new holdings in the systems beyond. Samura is on the path towards self-sufficiency for Kusari, and the GMG and Kishiro can only sit and watch from the sidelines.

* Our research laboratory on F deck is devoted to researching the mysterious Alien Organisms. We harvest them on Kurile in the Sigma-17 system for shipment to terraforming activities in Liberty and Bretonia. They have also proven most useful supporting the fish farming effort in Junyo.

* Well, here I am. I used to be a bored salary man upstairs. Then they told me about this moonlighting position that involves a little risk. It sounded like a perfect way to change my life, although some of the types you meet on Kabukicho are a little rough for my taste -- especially those Bosozoku.

* I've got orders to put a little pressure on a Kishiro supplier on Tokyo tomorrow, and then I'm off to a bureaucrat's office to insure that he has enough money for his annual golf membership at that exclusive course near Tokyo. Even with a change of government, there are still plenty of officials willing to look the other way for the right price.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*