Aomori Station

CLASS: Akebono

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 1920

Steeped in history, Aomori Station is the primary base of operations of the Gas Miners Guild within Kusari space. Built in 284 AS, it began life as an equipment and ship repair depot for the fledgling GMG miners, who were working the dangerous gas clouds of the Crow Nebula. It has been expanded and extensively renovated over the centuries to become a massive space habitat and administrative heart of the Gas Miners Guild.

Originally, Aomori was the main point of contact between Samura and the GMG. For almost five centuries, Samura would buy H-Fuel from the Gas Miners, which was then stored at Osaka before being shipped to the rest of Sirius. After their "special relationship" broke down and the GMG joined forces with Kishiro, virtually all of Samura's administrative staff left the station. Kishiro maintains a much smaller presence on Aomori since they have large offices on nearby Planet Honshu. The GMG considers Aomori Station and the surrounding area, including the jump gate, to be their sovereign territory.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Samura Industries
* Gas Miners Guild
* Bounty Hunters Guild

## 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.

However, with the recent Farmers Alliance bombing on Roppongi seemingly linked to the sudden increase in Cardamine use among Kusari's businessmen, New Tokyo's residents have expressed sympathy towards the perpetrators, speculating that the Alliance's blatant admission to such a vicious act is not to be taken as a boast or a threat, but as a sign that they will not allow their friends and families to be preyed upon by the greed of corporations that, "do not belong anywhere near our home", said Katsuyori Ichihara, Samura Industries financial consultant, and survivor of the Roppongi attack. "I don't blame them", Mr. Ichihara continued, "that vile drug destroys families."
Due to recent events, Samura Industries has taken it upon itself to act as a substitute for Interspace Commerce within the insurance market and many citizens have already expressed gratitude to Samura and their willingness to provide more financially preferable contracts than what the old management offered.

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.

## Rumors

* Kishiro's superior gas miners, and their partnership with us in Okinawa has been a windfall. We were right to abandon Samura, ending our centuries long agreement with the old lady of Kusari.

* We were searching of a planet to call home. We found Miura. Its not quite the ocean world we had hoped for. It was frozen, with a choking atmosphere. Now they say it is bearable. With GMG know-how, and a few hundred years, Miura could be an icy bastion like New Berlin!

* This base has come under attack by the Outcasts since they discovered the Jump Hole from Sigma-19. We have attempted to patrol it, but they are fearsome fighters, blasting their way through our blockades with impunity.

* Sometimes Samura can be so naive. They have never understood where the Blood Dragons get their financial support. We are the silent partner. The GMG decided to aid the fledgling movement of the Blood Dragons to exact our revenge for centuries of theft and humiliation at the hands of Samura.

* The Corsairs and Hogosha were once our friends and partners in the Artifact business. Then they became greedy and bypassed us to trade directly with each other. Following on from that were the raids and piracy of our ships. We do not forget such betrayals easily. All Hogosha and Corsairs are now shot on sight.

* Sigma-13 and 19 are the heart of GMG territory. We will defend it fiercely if threatened, as Rheinland did during the 80-Years War. The wreckage of the Rheinland fleet remains in Sigma-13 to this day, floating in the vacuum of the Yanagi Debris Field.

* The GMG has secretly trained many of the best pilots of the Blood Dragons. We gained much valuable tactical knowledge of how to fight in the clouds of the Crow Nebula during our long war with the Rheinlanders.

* Samura thinks that once that the government completes the Chugoku Gate project that Hokkaido will finally be theirs. They are gravely mistaken. The GMG will ensure that the Blood Dragons live on, and do not rest in peace until Samura abandons Hokkaido. The victory will be sweet.

* The GMG encountered a Corsair raiding party in the Chuyu Cloud a few days ago. They engaged and destroyed most of the fighters, but one heavily damaged ship escaped to the Hiryo Cloud. The GMG set up an ambush near the Sigma-13 Jump Hole, but the Corsair never arrived.

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