Battleship Alma

CLASS: Overlord

CREW: CLASSIFIED

ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED

Commissioned in 814 AS, the Alma was one of the first Overlords to take part in operations against Rheinland during the brief conflict, acting as the vanguard of a new force centered around the Hudson corridor.

However, due to changes elsewhere on the front, the Alma was instead repositioned in orbit of Planet Atka, where it helped protect the planetforming ventures of Liberty.

Its posting in Hudson helped greatly in training the crew for hostile environments, and, as such, the Alma took the mantle of being one of the very first warships to engage the Gallic Royal Navy in Cortez, and later in New London. After securing a victory on the Bretonian front, it was relocated to Los Angeles' orbit, where it remained for several years before being reassigned to deal with Zoner issues in Pennsylvania.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Planetform, Inc.

* Bounty Hunters Guild

## News

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.

In the video, a number of restrained people that have been identified as former residents of Planet Vespucci, board a Dromedary-class vessel registered to a freelance trader Vincent Ruthen. They are under supervision from several LPI officers, who exchange words with the ship's crew. Private investigators have trailed the ship, determining that it did not land at its purported destination of Gas Miner Naha in the Sigma-13, instead electing to travel away from civilized space into the Edge Worlds. The people aboard it have effectively vanished from the colonies.
This is the latest case in a streak of such disappearances, with investigators estimating as high as ten percent of all inmates thought to be awaiting their trial in LPI internment camps have been covertly shipped off-world for unknown reasons. The fate of these people is yet unclear, but theories range from secret trials to unethical experiments aboard Atka. Outraged by what is apparently an LPI-sanctioned human trafficking operation, protesters flooded the streets and had to be dispersed by police riot control squads.
A Liberty Police official has denounced allegations of corruption, stating that "All interned personnel are secured and all prisoner transfers have been done within the framework of the legal code". He refused to comment on the evidence presented, dismissing it as "slanderous fabrication against the good, hard-working officers of Liberty law". Meanwhile, political opposition already promises increased oversight over the law enforcement corporation for the next election cycle.

Over the last few days, Archer-class siege cruisers have been deploying their massive coaxial cannons to suppress military infrastructure on the planet, systematically targeting the very last bastions of the Insurgency. First to be destroyed were the planet's few remaining ground to space weapons installations, quickly crippled by bomber strikes from the Ohio herself, before the remaining desolate ground defences and deserted infrastructure were reduced to rubble, their populations having already long fled the world.
A small service was held on the Ohio as the bombardment drew to a close in memory of Rear Admiral Dylan Brandt and those thousands of sailors and marines who had given their lives in the name of Liberty; fought their own lost brothers-in-arms so that others may not live under their misguided yoke, and many more who had their lives irrevocably changed as a result of the evils the campaign sought to end.
The announcement also confirmed identical monuments to the Insurgency campaign would be erected on every world in Liberty, from Planet Houston to Planet Erie, each monument an obelisk carrying the names of every serviceman lost in the conflict and serving as a reminder that Liberty is stronger when it stands together.

For some time, it had been alleged that Insurgent and Xeno-backed cells had been stirring trouble on Erie, inciting violence in the population and seeking to turn the planet into a second Veracruz. Never, however, had such open acts of terror been visited upon the governing Libertonian forces.
The response was quick and decisive. In coordination with the LSF, Vice Admiral Hamish aboard the Battleship Alma lead a Liberty Navy task force directly into the system in Operation Pesticide, escorted primarily by Siege Cruisers, Gunboats and fightercraft, with many of the Navy's capital warships tied in the Vespucci campaign or ever watchful at Liberty's borders. They were met by Zoner Q-ships based from Bethlehem, with many coming from as far as Galileo or even the Sigmas, accompanied by a motley assortment of freelancers and other anarchist elements. Leading the Zoner line was a Aquilon-class carrier, the Pinnacle.
While the Pinnacle came under heavy bombardment from the Alma and her task force, supplies quickly gathered onto Zoner transports from Erie attempted to run the Navy blockade. While some transports were lost to Navy bombers, others yet escaped to parts as of yet unknown. This 'victory', however, came at a heavy price. The Pinnacle was lost with most of her hands still on board and the rest captured, while the Liberty Marines landed virtually unopposed, quickly securing population centers for both the safety of Libertonian assets and the civilians on Erie itself. The Alma is settled now into the low orbit of Erie, a constant reminder to those below that they are under the protection of the Liberty Navy. A comfort to some, a dire warning to many more.

Admiral Brandt was heard to give the order to abandon ship right as the ship's hull could take no more and began to be torn asunder, with hull breaches on multiple decks. Tragically, the armored engines of the Delaware had suffered a great deal of damage, and as the armor and shielding was whittled away, vast quantities of radiation and superheated gas began to flood into the crew compartments of the vessel.
In an emotional announcement, the Liberty Navy officially stated that they consider the Delaware to be lost with all hands, including Admiral Brandt himself. No life pods could be secured in the heat of battle, with the remainder of the Delaware's escort making a fighting retreat back to the LNS Ohio which had herself been caught lagging behind the Delaware's doomed thrust into the heart of the Insurgency. The Ohio now remains with her own escort, augmented by survivors of the Delaware's battlegroup, and will continue as the Liberty Navy's bastion in the Vespucci system, ready to ensure that the Insurgents pay dearly for the toll they have extracted upon one of Liberty's finest Admirals.

Leading a fearsome line of some of Liberty's most advanced warships, the Delaware bore down on the Insurgency's remaining, cobbled-together fleet in the Vespucci system, out of position from dealing with a Bretonian thrust from Magellan. Immediately caught was the Battleship Vanquisher, one of the scant few Arbiter-class Battleships available to the Insurgents. Caught by itself, the Vanquisher put up a fearsome fight but was ultimately unable to stand against the Delaware and its escort, despite its fighter component dealing severe damage to much of the Delaware's own, smaller fighter contingent, as well as the Delaware herself.
With the great Arbiter all but vanquished, the Interdictor-class Battlecruiser Triton stared down the guns of the damaged Delaware and her escort. Outnumbered two-to-one, and outgunned to an even greater degree by the Libertonian heavyweight, Triton and her escorts launched their one and only advantage, their fighter and bomber superiority gained at the Vanquisher's expense.

It is widely speculated that the recent surge taking place in the Kansas system is related. The oddly self named Insurgency has long been categorized as a "Domestic Paramilitary Organization" that is of extremist political nature, in effect making them Liberty citizens with rights as such. The Act recategorizes them as a "Foreign Supported Terrorist Organization", a drastic shift in political standing. Sources have speculated the move is related to the Bering operation that precipitated the formation of the Insurgency as the root cause of the change in policy. Despite considerable cost both monetarily and in terms of material, the operation failed to expunge the organization to the desired level. The Act comes a considerable spending package for future operations and gives free rein to Liberty Navy admirals to take necessary measures to properly remove the long-standing issue.

## Rumors

* I thought for sure the Alma would be tasked to the west. There's been talk about greater support to Bretonia against the Gallic agressors for months now, but instead we have been ordered to hold here and secure the system. Suppose the Admiralty knows best, but what's the bigger threat, a bunch of Xenos and Rogues, or a fullsized invasion fleet barreling down from Cortez and Magellan?

* All that's left for us now is to make sure that this area stays secure. With the Gates down, Rheinland may not be as big a threat anymore, but the Rogues and Xenos aren't going anywhere. We'll likely be assigned to Atka until that project is done. I suppose they could contract the LPI to handle things here, but they'll argue the system is still being claimed by Rheinland.

* I can't help but feel that with the Insurgency now going down the drain, all we're doing here is making more enemies for ourselves. Navy brass says this is absolutely necessary to prevent any future homegrown insurrections from popping up, so what do I know?

* Hamish is being really hands on with this operation, and it's putting us all to the test. I'm counting down the days until I get some shore leave, even though I know taking a vacation here as a member of Liberty's forces paints a huge target on my back.

* Suppose none of this is really classified anymore, seeing as it went up in flames. The Dreadnoughts Alma, Concord, Whitefield and Cumberland with support from carriers Logan and Foraker were meant to breach the Rheinland frontier from multiple angles. The Carriers would push into Hamburg and large fighter groups would neutralise any defenders, then Alma and Cumberland would take up position by Alster and Hamburg itself, blockading the system. This would draw forces away from the rest of Rheinland, allowing Concord and Whitefield to breach from the rear, into Bremen. It all went to hell as soon as the carriers tried to jump through both the Bering and Hudson gates. Rheinland had rigged them somehow, and instead of jumping, the gates caused a small singularity to form at the jump treshold. Both carriers and the gates themselves were ripped apart in under a minute, all hands lost. Cumberland was also destroyed. The only reason Alma survived was that our captain hadn't given the order to line up for the gate yet, so it was lagging behind the Foraker. Guess he had one of his "gut feelings" again.

* I can't help but feel that with the Insurgency now going down the drain, all we're doing here is making more enemies for ourselves. Navy brass says this is absolutely necessary to prevent any future homegrown insurrections from popping up, so what do I know?

* There's only one lane we need to patrol anymore, and that's the one back to Texas. Sure, we run patrols down to the busted gate too, mostly to keep an eye on it and make sure Rheinland isn't up to something else, but according to the LSF the gates in Hamburg itself have shut down as well, as they were designed to. So instead of a war frontline, this is now a dead end system. Unlike Bering, there's something worthwhile here though.

* I hope Planetform can thaw that snowball yonder. Would be nice to have a fresh world for the Houston slummers. Houston isn't really suitable for mass habitation anymore, ever since the Dallas project blew up. Impoverished folk can still work the land, unless the land itself becomes sterile. Ageira never payed for any reparations to the planet. Would probably bankrupt them if they were made to.

* Well, suppose you could call it a victory we've won here, but it feels a bit hollow. Atka is secure, and with Rheinland unable to enter Bering or Hudson, these systems have effectively been ceded to Liberty. But we lost a significant amount of men in Rheinland's trap. A costly victory, without any glory. Hollow.

* Hamish is being really hands on with this operation, and it's putting us all to the test. I'm counting down the days until I get some shore leave, even though I know taking a vacation here as a member of Liberty's forces paints a huge target on my back.

* I'm not sure if Rheinland even realised they would be ceding these systems to us by sabotaging the gates. You see, all Jump Gates are paired, and have a safety. If for any reason the companion Gate goes offline, a Jump Gate will deactivate itself. This is to prevent ships from jumping into a potential catastrophe. Only Ageira can override this failsafe, and given what Rheinland did to the Hamburg gates, I don't think they'll be in any hurry to do so.

* The pirates in this system aren't really agressive anymore. They mostly keep to themselves, which suits us. We have orders to not pursue too far, just drive them from the Trade Lanes, Jump Gate and the vicinity of Atka. I bet they're making more from smuggling then thieving out there, so they don't want to draw attention to themselves. But smuggling is a police matter, not a naval one.

* Ah, the Independent Worlds. Here's where the Guild starts to seperate the boys from the men. Most Bounty Hunters that receive their basic assignments in Texas eventually "graduate" to one of the Independent Worlds. Hudson is one of the easier ones, for two reasons. One - the Xenos and Rogues each don't know port from starbord, and pretty much rely on firepower over agility. Two, with that big bad battleship over here, you got a place to fall back to if the heat gets to be a bit much.

* I came from Texas not long ago. Followed a Rogue who had made off with a small shipment of Xenobiotic Filters. I'm not sure why that Rogue was going back here, but I lost track of him among the asteroids. Wouldn't mind meeting that loud mouth again. These new Buckshots are louder then his insults.

* I don't plan on staying here forever. There's not a whole lot to do here, not yet anyway. Once Atka is settled that will change, but that will take decades, maybe even centuries. Only Planetform and Interspace have bounties open in this system, and they aren't that high.

* If you head into the asteroid field southeast of here, you may even run into a Unioner or two. They've crept out of Rheinland of late, and seem to be expanding their territory. Not sure if that'll sit well with the Rogues. It sure as hell don't sit well with the Xenos. They hate all kinds of foreigners in Liberty. Especially the Rheinish kind.

* There's two kinds of criminals in Hudson. First, there's the Rogues. They're your typical kind of criminal. Will rob you blind, extort you if they get the chance. Also tend to smuggle a lot of stuff. Good bonuses if you capture some illegal cargo of theirs when you pop one of them. Second, there's the Xenos. Planetform has some bounties out on those, since they specifically target foreigners. And folk carrying stuff they need. Xenos are more numerous in the north, Rogues in the south.

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