Deshima Station

CLASS: Akebono

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 1790

The Shikoku system was originally a gateway for almost all of the traffic originating from Liberty and the Independent Worlds. Entry requirements for the New Tokyo system were initially very strict, and as a result, Shikoku became home to a large band of itinerant foreigners. Deshima Station was constructed in 362 AS to house this population, and it still serves as a way station to this day. Over the years Deshima has been substantially improved through the addition of a Synth Foods biodome, the construction of additional living space, and a partnership with Kishiro to manufacture Consumer Goods in small on-base manufacturing plants. The Bounty Hunters Guild also recently opened an office here as the large numbers of foreigners in the system includes a significant criminal element.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Orbital Spa and Cruise
* Universal Shipping
* Bounty Hunters Guild
* Kusari State Police
* Kishiro Technologies
* 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.

Upon further investigation, the Navy has successfully identified the ordnance being transported as being sourced from Rheinland. Going as far as to state that they contained serial codes which correspond with weaponry used by Rheinland's own Military. Naturally given the circumstances around the discovery of these weapons and Liberty's history of hot and cold relations with the neighboring House, it is expected that this development will lead to further scrutiny when it comes to potentially suspicious activity.

Presenting the potential for cataclysmic damage to personhood and proprety prompted Ageira to shut down the gates leading into the system, as well as the respective trade lanes. In the time since then however, Ames has relayed a stunning report that the storm despite being violent at first, has now settled into quite a passive albeit looming stance over the system. Perhaps more surprising than even this is the phenomena regarding the storm's interactions with the established lane and gate network in the system, seeming to bend and contort around the structure rather than engulf them. This stellar formation has produced the spatial equivalent of a tunnel that travelers into the freshly reopened Kepler have taken to dubbing the "Murky Road", prompting a small degree of sensationalized tourism into the system. Which comes as a small positive after the harsh loss of the otherwise frequent traffic.
This news comes at the tail end of previous publications that cited the storm as having origins in Alberta, supposedly arriving via some form of leakage through the jumpholes in the system. Newer research has allowed for discoveries which now suggest the contrary and this has in turn reinvigorated research into these storms and their enigmatic natures.

## Rumors

* This is the only system in Kusari space that allows the Bounty Hunters to have a base. They don't like foreigners in Kusari, and Shikoku has served as a buffer between Liberty and this House ever since the Jump Gates connecting the two were built.

* Samura pays the Bounty Hunters very well to destroy Blood Dragons in this system. They are tough scum bags to kill, but worth the cash they earn me. I decided to come to Kusari because there is less competition here among other Bounty Hunters.

* The Guild has a general contract, paid by the Kusari government, that rewards us for any escaped convicts from Fuchu. I love getting double bumped; I get paid by a corporation for hitting a criminal and paid by Kusari because the mark was an escapee.

* Strange that Samura never pays to have Farmers Alliance activity popped in this area. They seem most concerned with Lane Hackers and Rogues that enter the system and loiter near the Keiun. They use the Jump Hole from Galileo.

* I'm in this system operating on behalf of Universal. I handle the problems that they encounter when shipping into Kusari. Let me give you some advice about hunting here: There are two sides fighting a dirty war here. You have Samura paying to kill the Dragons and GC, and Kishiro paying to kill the Farmers and the odd Hogosha. Both sides will pay to kill criminals from Liberty.

* I have been hired to kill any and all Farmers Alliance ships that I encounter. IC is paying me on behalf of Synth Foods. The police here haven't really been paying the Alliance any mind, which has been further stressing IC's relationship with Kusari. Finally IC decided to contract some professional killing. Those farmers didn't know what hit them when I came swooping in.

* If you are looking to kill Golden Chrysanthemums, head north to the Kyushu Hole in Saiun. The Golden C. also use the clouds to move through the system. I get paid good money to vaporize those ladies. Watch out, if they sense that they are about to be destroyed, they have no problem ramming you.

* Synth Foods offered me some money to hunt down and destroy the Farmers Alliance in the system. Then some Samura approached me and said they would pay me not to kill Alliance fighters. I will always take money for nothing over money for something.

* The Kishiro H-Fuel at this base comes here from Ogashawa in the eastern Border Worlds. Samura supplies H-Fuel here too, but ours is much better. Your ship will fly faster, we promise.

* We do quite a bit of trading between this base and Liberty. We store H-Fuel here for the trip to Liberty, and return to Honshu with Boron.

* Kishiro sends Consumer Goods, H-Fuel, and Optical Chips to Denver. Only the best Kishiro pilots hazard the dangers of the Independent Worlds, but shipping between here and Liberty must be done.

* Kishiro ships all kinds of goods to Deshima. Tobacco from Gallia, Deuterium from Pecos, even Fertilizers. Our facilities here on Deshima produce Consumer Goods. The best of these will be shipped to New Tokyo.

* FloraGro is brought in from California Minor in Liberty. That is probably one of the most dangerous runs that Kishiro makes because you must cross most of Liberty, as well as the southern border systems.

* Along with basic commodities, Samura ships Light Arms from here to Fuchu and Myoko. It is a short run to either base.

* I make the Gallic Tobacco run for Samura. My family originally comes from Kyushu, so I am lucky that I got that assignment.

* We know that Samura is behind the Farmers Alliance. Our sources tell us that they have been funding them for some time now, yet the only way we can stop the farmers is by hiring Bounty Hunters. The government has deaf ears when it comes to anything Samura related.

* The Deshima Food operation is a crucial part of our plan to penetrate the Kusari Food market. We bring in the Flora-Gro we need from California Minor, since Samura would never sell us any.

* Ever since Kepler shut down, we're forced to take the Galileo route. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Xenos, but they prioritized Kusari ships over ours. Rogues don't care who they rob as long as the money is right.

* This is one of the most beautiful systems in all of Sirius. You know those names the clouds have? One of the Kishiro here told me what the names mean: the cloud to the north, the Saiun, means painted cloud; the Keiun to the south means beautiful cloud; and the western Shiun means violet cloud.

* I know our buddies in Freeport 6 need Commodities from this base. I'm glad that Kishiro makes the run. If Zoners had to do it, then there'd be a lot more of us getting all corpsed up.

* We don't have a lot of enemies in Libertonian space, but we don't have any friends here. My ship got attacked by some crazy women calling themselves the Golden Chrysanthemums. They freaked me out, talking about how I was a male oppressor and such. Hey, the Zoners don't oppress anybody.

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