Holmfirth Base

CLASS: Thirsk

GRAVITY: Partial

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 80

Constructed in 807 AS after Planetform announced their intention to begin the terraforming of planet Wight, Holmfirth base is quite a large ice asteroid that has been hollowed out by the Gaians to serve as their main base of operations for the Manchester system, and contains a sizeable population of pilots, mechanics, engineers and even the occasional Corsair.

Located not far from the jump hole to Newcastle, the Gaians mostly use the base to launch attacks on BPA Newgate and Birmingham Station, although occasionally they will strike across the system to hit Sheffield Station. The BMM have attempted to increase security around Birmingham Station, but barely a day goes past without a Gaian attack on the station, and Planetform transports are always being hijacked along the trade lanes. The spoils and survivors of such raids are always taken to Holmfirth, where a majority of the captured goods quickly find their way onto the black markets.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Junkers
* Gaians

* Corsairs

## 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.

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.

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.

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.

## Rumors

* Recently, many of our researchers have become even more fascinated with the alien artifacts found in the depths of Sirius space. Rumour has it there are some that may lead to a breakthrough, and help get rid of terraforming once and for all. The Corsairs sometimes bring some artifacts with them when they are headed to Dublin, some end up in our posession.

* The Gallic forces have done a real number on the bases in Leeds. LD-14 is completely shut down from what I hear, and Stokes is heavily damaged. The planet itself is being invaded, but that planet is dead already. I'm more worried about what Gallia will do with Edinborough now that the system is more or less theirs without contest.

* Many at the Cambridge University support the Gaian cause. Just between you and me, some of my associates take it a bit too far sometimes. The pen is mightier than the sword, afterall, isn't it?

* Rumor had it that after the chaos that occurred back in 800 Planet Nottingham is going to stay unihabited for the long haul. Of course, rumors are rarely true. Bretonia needed room to locate the displaced population from Leeds. The snobs don't want them to stay on New London or Cambridge forever, so they're being sent to a place that's barely habitable. Typical Bretonian politics that - move the problem along until it's somewhere you can forget about it.

* Holmfirth is a lot less interesting than Islay when it comes to research potential. Gaia is amazing, while Wight is... well, not so much. Most of the Gaians here are activists who want to hurt Planetform. All their traffic to Liberty passes through Manchester, so it's a good place to interdict them.

* Sometimes I think those Zoners have the right idea; Running off to live away from civilization means getting away from the smog here. Still, I would prefer to stay and make a difference.

* The Gaians refuse to use Neutron or Particle weapons because those are hazardous to make and use. Photon weapons may be less advanced, but they are simple and get the job done. Not to mention that they cut through the Positron shields that most Bretonian Police use quite easily.

* There is a peculiar bit of scenery up in Newcastle, hidden among the eastern nebula. Those stationed at Skye have been investigating, but it's slow going with all the heavy guns the Armed Forces have allocated to the area.

* Being a researcher has its advantages. We used to be able to visit Gaia's surface to catalogue the unique ecosystem there. Unlike those Orbital Spa tourists who pollute the place and practise bloodsports on the local wildlife. But worse still are Planetform and BMM, who would like nothing less then to clear the native ecology in favor of a more Terra-like one, so large scale colonization could begin. The Gallic invasion has put a permanent stop to that however.

* Having a Bounty Hunter Guild station so close is a problem for the inhabitants here. Many more bounties are collected on Gaians in Manchester than Edinburgh. Still, the Bounty Hunters prefer Mollies. They don't come near the lane between Birmingham and the New London gate very often, so that's where we hit Planetform the hardest.

* I just finished an interesting book on the degradation of Rheinland's Planet Stuttgart's environment. It seems Synth Foods' treatment has done a number on it, and intentionally to boot. That smells of Planetform's planning - destroy the local ecology so that only what you intend to can survive.

* Holmfirth is a great pitstop for Freelancers travelling between Liberty and Bretonia. Particularly those of us who aren't appreciated on bases such as Sheffield. Still, if you're good with the Gaians, you're likely to be attacked by the Mollies, so travelling away from the tradelanes can be dangerous.

* I heard some of our men stumbled across a Molly yesterday. I've been told the drunk was so scared, he flew straight into the sun. Heh. Not the brightest boys those Mollys. Except for that one, now.

* Synthetic Marijuana is a big thing around here. It's like the Gaians can't get enough of the stuff. It helps my bottom line, so it's fine by me. Unlike Cardamine, Synthetic Marijuana isn't addictive physically. It also hampers your flying ability rather then enhancing it.

* While the Gaians often times come by Trafalgar to get supplies, out here at Holmfirth we usually deliver. I just brought some things in from Inverness. We come here mainly via Newcastle - being a Junker has it's advantages. Once we've delivered goods and are empty, we can simply head back to Trafalgar by the New London Jump Gate.

* The Gaians are a strange lot. About half of them are scientists and the other half are common thugs. There is a smaller, organized group of militants in the mix though. They're the ones who might get results some day. Most of them are just a Bounty Hunter paycheck waiting to happen.

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