South Shields Refinery

CLASS: Loch Ness

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 570

South Shields Refinery is a large refining complex orbiting the planet Hartlepool. The Independent Miners Guild was the first to discover the Newcastle system, in mid 588 AS, and started construction of South Shields in 590 AS, when Bretonian corporations were only just starting to explore Newcastle and evaluate its resources.

The refinery mainly purifies water and oxygen from the nearby Galloway Ice Cloud, seperating the hydrocarbon impurities and reclaiming them for further processing. It also manufactures a small amount of Deuterium and H-Fuel, using resources mined from the atmosphere of Hartlepool.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Independent Miners Guild
* Bounty Hunters Guild
* Gallic Navy
* Mollys
* Border World Exports

* Bounty Hunters Guild

## News

Jane Gilliam, whose commendation for repelling a Corsair raiding party as an Armed Forces Captain featured in a CNS article in 800, was not so convinced. "We all knew even back then that The Line wasn't fit for purpose. The Heilbronn disaster should have seen it scrapped, but the Regents on Cambridge didn't want New London looking too closely and pressured the Norfolk to lobby to keep it. If William was still with us, he'd say the same."
The exact catalyst for the extra attention from the edge world pirates is unclear, with various commentators speculating on increased resistance to their operations in Rheinland, Hessian efforts in the deep Omegas, or a shift in their internal politics. Regardless of their true motivations, Interspace Commerce has recognised the elevated peril and adjusted its premiums in response.

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.

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.

Within a month of the IMG's plea, the political leadership of the Crayter Republic unanimously concurred on the imperative need for assistance. Simultaneously, several of our courageous pilots volunteered to become supply carriers destined for the strife-torn planet Malta. While executing cargo operations in the perilous Omicron Alpha system posed a grave risk, the opportunity to strike a significant blow against the Outcasts on their home turf was deemed too compelling to forego.
In tandem with the preparations for breaching Outcast defenses on planet Malta, our fleet took the bold step of extending emergency military support to the IMG at Falkland Base. The ultimate objective: to drive the Outcasts out of the Tau-37 system once and for all.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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While Bretonia is indeed witnessing an extraordinarily high rate of economic growth in particular, it may be the case that the strain of this effort is becoming untenable, and potentially the rewards misplaced. Timothy Ball, of the independent think tank Economic Review Institute, believes this may indeed be the case. "Bretonia's economy is definitely on the rise. While still not at pre-war levels, and not expected to be for some years, the recovery we've witnessed so far has been uneven", he says. "The reconstruction of damaged and destroyed public infrastructure is underway, but seems to be lagging behind the rate of recovery being enjoyed by several major corporations. This can be explained by various factors for a time, but unless rectified, at some point this inequality could become a major point of domestic political contention."

Yesterday at 2200 hours SMT, nearby Sheffield Station and Kingston Border Station received automated distress signals from Liverpool, indicating an emergency aboard the station. Guild patrols redirected from Sheffield arrived on the scene within minutes, finding the border station destroyed. Search and rescue operations headed by Guild and BPA units commenced immediately and successfully salvaged several escape pods bearing several dozen survivors, who were immediately delivered to hospitals on New London.
BPA spokesperson Sandra Halling held a press conference earlier this morning. According to joint police and BIS investigations, Liverpool was destroyed by antimatter explosives planted aboard the station. Their detonation caused a catastrophic chain reaction, resulting in the station's own reactors melting down and exploding. Of the estimated one-hundred-twenty persons on board at the time of the attack, seventy-eight have been reported as dead or missing.
\So far, no party has taken credit for this heinous attack. However, Bretonian police surmises that it was likely perpetrated by either the criminals known as the Mollys or the infamous pirate organization, the Lane Hackers. The attack occurred following a significant redeployment of local Armed Forces units to the Cortez system for the purpose of joint operations with Libertonian security forces. This, says Halling, may have allowed terrorist sympathizers to exploit undermanned BPA patrols and smuggle illegal explosives through Manchester's ice fields, onto Liverpool Station.
While investigations continue, Bretonian Police Authority has reinforced patrols within Manchester and established traffic controls at Kingston Border Station and Birmingham Station. Traffic to and from Liberty has been advised to reroute through the Cortez system.

## Rumors

* Don't head towards the Barrier wisp east of here. The Armed Forces warned us to stay clear of it, stating it's restricted space. That's enough for me, there's nothing of value in those nebulas anyway. One of the Bounty Hunters mentioned he was attacked in there, by Bretonian military ships. He was pretty pissed off about it too.

* Good day sir, what will it be? Bretonian Stout? Liberty Ale? Rice Sake? We even have a few cases of wine, brought in by a friendly freelancer. Yes, we do see our share of strange faces at this base. You'd almost think this were a freeport. While I can't remember the last time I saw a Constable visit our station, South Shields does fall under Bretonian law. Folk visiting here should remember that, because the last thing the IMG needs is trouble with the Constabulary. It is not easy to have to exist on both sides of an armed conflict, one that appears to be involving at least four Houses now. Keeping a low profile keeps us safe, and employed. It's all we can do for now.

* The IMG were the first Sirians we met when we broke through Languedoc. They have been good to us - a deal with them to settle in Rousillion saved thousands of lives. They were also the only ones to heed our warning prior to the Gallic fleet's arrival. The miners had no chance to stand against them, so their only real choice was to remain neutral when the real fighting started.

* South Shields is one of the largest bases the IMG has constructed to date. So far it's been a struggle to get it to break even, but with the Gallic invasion it looks like we've caught a break. The amount of military forces defending here caused piracy to diminish, we're actually getting a good deal of transports through now. Bretonia also has greater demands for raw materials, which means the Hydrocarbons we produce at this base get used locally. BMM's retasking of Birmingham has boosted the Hydrocarbon demand quite a bit.

* South Shields primarily refines Hydrocarbons mined from the Galloway field's dirty ice. It's become a little more risky now that Gallia and Bretonia are coming to blows inside that field. The Outcasts also remain a threat, but the Gallic invasion of Bretonia seems to have shifted their focus to them. South Shields isn't running a big profit at the moment, but it has a lot of potential, being where it is. End of the line? A very Bowex way of thinking, that.

* Looks like the remnants of the Kusari fleet are headed home with the help of the Council. We noticed the bulk of their fleet passing by the edge of our sensor range a while ago, headed to Rousillion. I guess that'll mean more trouble in the Taus before soon. I'm glad we don't have many interests in Tau-29.

* Our escort fighters are some of the best in the colonies, rivalling the military in skill. We frequently manage to beat back enemy raiding parties, which is just as well since the Outcasts love to continually launch raids against our operations and convoys. A number of our lads have gone and joined up with the Armed Forces now that Gallia has invaded Leeds. They forfeit their Guild membership when doing so, but we don't stop anyone from leaving if they want to. Unlike BMM, we don't work that way. Folk choose to remain with the Guild. That's one of the things that draws people to our organisation.

* The IMG has their own set of weapons by now. We had to develop them ourselves. Initially, we'd use whatever we could buy from the houses we were in, but eventually, Bretonia and Rheinland passed laws restricting their weapons to their military and police. The "Vampire" series are loosely based on the Bretonian Splitters, but heavily modified so they don't consume as much power.

* South Shields was the first station built in Newcastle. The IMG wanted a foothold in the system before Bowex and BMM would shut us out, and we managed to get in just in the nick of time. You see, by Bretonian law, a system linked to Bretonia by jump gate becomes subject to her law, but any preexisting stations get grandfathered in as permitted structures. We used the same loophole in Tau-23, much to BMM's annoyance.

* We're doing what we can to help Bretonia, but the truth of the matter is that we don't have a whole lot to call on. Most of the ships that managed to escape the Languedoc massacre were heavily damaged, and fuel shortages are a big problem for us as well. Bretonia sometimes captures a Gallic supply ship or two - they have no need for that kind of fuel, so it gets sent to us, while the ships get stripped down for raw materials. Hopefully we can adapt our ships to run on Sirian fuel soon.

* The BMM has been trying to force us out of the system ever since Bretonia built their gate into this system. We're not worried, their lobbying has no chance of succeeding. We were building the first parts of South Shields before Bretonia was even done surveying this system. Bretonian burocracy slows Bowex and BMM down a lot, so we were able to seize an opportunity before they did.

* Most of our pilots come from Liberty and Bretonia. Some Red Hessians or Mollys who don't want to be on the wrong side of the law anymore also join up with us. That's why we have a number of Rheinlanders working in Bretonia and vice-versa. Some people need to leave their home to be safe. The IMG doesn't much care about your past so long as you clean up your act.

* South Shields is much larger than it needs to be for its current role. It was intended to produce Hydrocarbons, which the nearby asteroids are rich in, to provide an alternative to the BMM. But collecting enough dirty ice has proven a challenge, with two consecutive conflicts making the area a hazard to work in. To use some of our excess capacity, we've tried our hand at H-fuel synthesis. We keep the operation small scale for now - we don't want to step on the Gas Miners Guild's toes - but it's a very profitable thing to do. The war is creating fuel shortages, which drives up H-Fuel prices and offsets the higher production costs easily.

* We warned them. The Bretonians, the Kusari. None of them would listen. And now look where it got them, two house fleets all but decimated when they could have stood against the Crown together, and had a fair chance. At least Bretonia realised that Gallia heavily relies on their capital fleets and denied them further progress by disabling the Jump Gates from Leeds. It will slow the Gallic Navy down, but it won't be enough to stop them.

* I'll be headed to the Shetland next with a cargo of fresh water. Gallic and Molly attacks make the journey quite dangerous, even with such a low value cargo. Gallia just wants to see Bretonia burn. The Mollys aren't much better than that. It's a shame the IMG chose to remain neutral in the conflict with Gallia. This station isn't in a bad spot to base fighter patrols out of, to counter those Gauls that are coming out of the Tau-31 system via the Jump Hole. It's mostly strikecraft, the asteroid fields on both sides are a pain to navigate, or so the IMG chaps tell me. They must have used that path before.

* "End of the line", that's what most of the Armed Forces call this station. It is fitting, that the northernmost outpost in Bretonian space is now an IMG station. Still, the chaps here do good work by producing a little H-fuel, some Hydrocarbons, and enough Water and Oxygen to sate the needs of everyone in the system. It saves the Armed Forces from having to have that hauled from New London.

* The Gaians took a beating when the Gallic Navy rolled right over them. I'm sure they're just licking their wounds. A straight up rebellion such as the Mollys can be crushed by wiping out their forces, but the Gaians are ideological terrorists. It's only a matter of time before more of them pop up somewhere.

* I like these miner stations. These guys don't ask too many questions. Don't answer em either. Everyone knows the IMG has got dealings with the Mollys, but they're smart about it, so they rarely get caught. Apart from Mollys, there are also a good number of Outcasts in the area, coming from that asteroid field west of this base. They fight Gallic strike craft coming from Tau-31 in there. Bretonia doesn't seem to be in any hurry to remove the Outcasts, but they sometimes cause trouble for the IMG here. We take some of them out to make the miners turn a blind eye to us nabbing the Mollys.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:45 UTC*