Aegis

神盾（Aegis）是由聯邦、帝國和聯盟組成的跨勢力科研計畫。組織的宗旨在於結合三大超級勢力的科研能力，蒐集更多關於Thargoid的情報，並展開更多未來研究。

Aegis由五大地方派系代表：Aegis Research、Aegis Core、Aegis Acropolis、Aegis Vanguard以及Aegis Defense。Aegis Research的總部位於Delphi的Donar's Oak、Aegis Core座落於Socho星系的Dantec Enterprise，但同時也從Sol操作Eagle Eye陣列。Aegis的旗艦Acropolis與Vanguard號分別由Aegis Acropolis和Aegis Vanguard操控。最後，Aegis Defense則控制派往經歷『入侵』狀態星系的巨型飛船。

歷史
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### 創立以及早期活動

Aegis的成立是由Alba Tesreau博士於3303年8月4日在Sorbago星系的記者發布會所宣布。藉由三大超級勢力所提供的資金，Aegis在Pleiades星雲建立了自己的研究前哨站——位於Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55星系的Donar's Oak太空站（Ocellus型），該星系之後更名為Delphi。

在聯邦艦隊於3303年9月21日在Pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55星系被Thargoid全滅後。三大超級勢力拓展Aegis的行動內容，除了專注於防禦之外也展開研究。此計畫的資金也大幅提升。

#### Project Parity

同日，Aegis亦宣布招募工程師Liz Ryder與Ishmael Palin協助開發進攻與防禦科技。Palin博士的計畫代號AG-0001，為可對Thargoid飛船進行解析的掃描儀；Ryder的計畫 AG-0002則是可對Thargoid造成傷害的火箭發射器。兩項計畫皆要求需要一定量的Thargoid材料進行開發。9月28日，兩項設備正式被命名為AX火箭發射器（Anti-Xeno Missile Rack）與外星載具掃描儀（AX Xeno Scanner），可在軍事、高科技以及工業類地面站購買。Aegis軍方發言人Aden Tanner上將也宣布開發反Thargoid武器，計畫代號AG-0003。此計畫最終成功，AX多管火砲（Anti-Xeno Multi-Cannon）因此出爐。

3303年10月5日，Tesreau博士宣布第三項反Thargoid計畫AG-0004。10月6日，軍方發言人Aden Tanner上將確認當時有聯邦與帝國的民用船隻被Thargoid鎖定並襲擊，且對方會對殘骸進行掃描並拾取逃生艙。Tanner重申，Aegis會致力於揭露Thargoid的動機。第三項開發計畫成功，AX高爆彈發射器 （Anti-Xeno Remote Flak Launcher）因此推出。

10月12日，第四項Aegis開發計畫宣布，並會由工程師Elvira Martuuk監督。後者揭露，她的開發計畫為可保護人類飛船不受Thargoid停機力場的設備。第四項計畫最終讓電磁波中和力場生成器（Shutdown Field Neutraliser）問世。

#### 設施擴張

伴隨著聯邦與帝國勢力從Pleiades星雲撤離，意味著兩者因meta alloy而起的冷戰宣告結束。Aegis計劃在接下來數月建造20個新的環繞前哨站，以鞏固其研究和防禦能力。Electra星系的Cavalieri和HIP 16753星系的Goya Landing是最初完成建造的兩個太空站。

#### 警告

10月27日，由於聯邦法拉格戰列巡洋艦與帝國莊嚴級攔截艦的擊毀時間頻傳，Tanner上將指出，雖然近期的開發工作讓諸如電磁波中和力場生成器（Shutdown Field Neutraliser）等儀器能有效保護一般飛船避免遭受Thargoid的襲擊，但該設備仍難以在巨型飛船上實裝。由於旗艦等飛船依舊無法發揮戰力，Tanner警告，將該飛船進行部署以保護太空站或前哨站仍不是當前抵抗Thargoid的絕佳策略。

#### Andronicus行動

3303年11月2日，Aegis展開Andronicus行動，主要打擊Pleiades星雲內的Thargoid威脅。Tanner上將確認Aegis會對達成確認擊殺的獨立飛行員提供獎勵。該行動持續一週並成功擊退Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55星系的Thargoid勢力。Tanner解釋道：『這次行動證明了，以現階段來看，小型船在資深指揮官的手上就是我們解決Thargoid威脅的一大利器。我深深感謝所有參與此行動的飛行員。』

#### 更多進展與研究

3303年11月10日，Faulcon DeLacy代表宣布，該企業已和Aegis合作開發反Thargoid版本的Taipan衍生型號——Taipan AX1。並將在11月13日開放購買。工程師Barr Winters解釋，新型號Taipan裝備了兩門加強型AX多管火砲（Anti-Xeno Multi-Cannon），已提升打擊Thargoid飛船的效率。

On November 23, Aegis announced a second military strike focusing on Thargoids in the Electra system. This operation had two goals: to reduce the Thargoid presence in Electra, and to collect additional Thargoid materials for the production of upscaled anti-Thargoid weapons.[20] The campaign was a success, and class 3 versions of the AX Missile Rack and AX Multi-cannon were made available at military outposts.[21]

On December 2, Aegis announced a large-scale expansion of its research division through the addition of 25 laboratories in starports throughout human space. Most of these labs were installed in the stations built under Aegis's prior infrastructure expansion in the Pleiades.[22] By December 8, Aegis reported that the new research initiative had already achieved some early successes. Researchers were focusing on Thargoid Probes and Thargoid Sensors, and had made headway in understanding how the Thargoids stored and transmitted information. Study of Thargoid star maps also revealed that the Thargoids categorised geographical data differently from humans.[23]

### 前線抗爭

#### Thargoid襲擊Aegis實驗室

Following the breakthroughs, three stations participating in Aegis' initiative were attacked by Thargoids on December 14: Liman Legacy in HIP 16753, The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Titan's Daughter in Taygeta. Previously undocumented Medusa Variant Thargoid Interceptors neutralized the stations' defenses with shutdown fields before launching a devastating barrage of firepower that left the stations crippled and dangerously unstable. Emergency protocols were activated and Pilots Federation Rescue Vessels were deployed to evacuate pilots and civilians.[24][25] Authorities in Taygeta later issued a statement saying that the situation was under control, and urged the public not to panic. While it was not clear why the Thargoids had targeted these three stations specifically and not others, Aegis confirmed it was investigating.[26] Additional attacks occurred over the following weeks; these were also perpetrated by Medusa Interceptors, and also targeted stations participating in Aegis' initiative.[27][28] A starport personnel member at Kipling Orbital noted that the Thargoids seemed to be sweeping the region and slowly moving towards the Core Systems,[29] and Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval later confirmed that Aegis was investigating this development as well.[30]

 December 21, 3303
 January 4, 3304
 January 11, 3304
 January 18, 3304
 January 25, 3304
 February 1, 3304
 February 8, 3304
 February 15, 3304
 February 22, 3304

On February 24, 3304, Aegis finally confirmed that the Thargoids had been specifically targeting Aegis laboratories, and announced that defensive measures would be increased at all stations where the organisation had a presence. Professor Tesreau surmised that the Thargoids were actively trying to prevent Aegis from analyzing Thargoid artefacts, and speculated that a long-term solution might be to build new laboratories in secret locations such as bunkers and asteroids. Tesreau insisted Aegis's research was critical to understanding the Thargoids in the hopes of one day establishing a rapport with them and ending the conflict.[31]

Station attacks seemingly ceased after February 22, when the Aegis labs at Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal and Beaufoy Vision in Nauni were targeted. Both systems were located well within the frontier of the Core Systems, and were also the two most distant systems from the Pleiades that had hosted Aegis labs. Beginning on February 27, however, pilots began reporting encounters with groups of hostile Thargoid Scouts in other frontier systems such as Umbila and Huveang De, indicating that the Thargoid conflict was far from over.

#### 更多防治手段

On January 12, 3304, Aegis announced that it had made new Decontamination Limpets available at military, high-tech, refinery, industrial, and extraction planetary bases. These new limpets were designed to counter the caustic damage inflicted by Thargoid Interceptor missiles. Previously, caustic contamination could only be purged from ships by overheating them to a dangerous level, a risky tactic during combat. An Aegis spokesperson described the device's function: "As we know, the Thargoids' enzyme missiles are particularly dangerous because of the caustic damage they inflict. The decontamination limpet is designed to address this by stripping the corrosive enzymes from a ship's hull while also performing limited repairs."[32]

Following Ram Tah's breakthroughs with Guardian technologies, Professor Tesreau announced on March 7 that she had contacted Ram Tah to request access to his data. With the revelation that the Guardians had once fought and won a war against the Thargoids, it was hoped that Guardian research could provide a deeper understanding of the Thargoids and their motives in attacking human space.[33]

#### 鷹眼Eagle Eye陣列

On March 9, 3304, Aegis announced a new operation to counter the Thargoids. The initiative, called Eagle Eye, involved placing six orbital surveillance installations in systems around the Pleiades, namely HIP 17225, HIP 17692, HIP 17892, HR 1185, Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-4, in order to monitor known Thargoid Surface Sites and collect data on Thargoid behavior outside of combat zones.[34]

By March 16, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye was already producing results. According to Admiral Tanner, the installations were able to track fluctuations in transmissions originating from Thargoid Surface Sites, and that these transmissions pointed to specific locations in human space which were likely future Thargoid attack targets. Tanner urged independent pilots to investigate a new set of signals detected by Eagle Eye to help thwart the Thargoids' plans.[35]

#### Socho大掃蕩

On March 15, 3304, Aegis Core announced an anti-Thargoid campaign in the Socho system. The operation's goal was not only to expel Thargoid forces from Socho, but to obtain specific technological components from Thargoid Interceptors and Scouts for comparison research.[36] The operation concluded successfully.[37]

#### 戰事升級與揭示

A number of developments occurred on March 22, 3304. Aegis deployed two military flagship Megaships, the Acropolis and the Vanguard, to the Irandan and HIP 21559 systems respectively, both of which had been identified by Eagle Eye as targets for imminent Thargoid attacks. While HIP 21559 was spared thanks to the heavy presence of independent pilots, Glazkov Terminal in Irandan was hit, making it the first station be attacked since February 22.

Later that same day, Aegis published a report containing significant insights into the Thargoids that had been gleaned with the help of Ram Tah and his Guardian research. The findings indicated that the Thargoids had warred with the Guardians because of the latter's perceived encroachment on territory that the Thargoids had seeded with Alien Structures millennia earlier. Despite attempts by the Guardians to communicate with the Thargoids, the Thargoids' survival instincts were so strong that they refused to tolerate any potential threat and continued hostilities until the Guardians eventually expelled them using automated war machines. Professor Alba Tesreau commented that the Guardians' situation mirrored humanity's own: the Thargoids had long ago seeded territory that humans had unknowingly expanded into, and the current conflict was essentially a dispute over territory and resources. Tesreau asserted that the next step the Thargoids would take would be to aggressively mine mineral resources. Ram Tah noted that these revelations finally provided some answers about the Thargoids' overall goals and could ultimately aid humanity in the conflict.[38]

On March 29, Admiral Tanner announced that Eagle Eye had detected no new signals from Thargoid Surface Sites, which he believed indicated a brief reprieve in the Thargoids' attack plans. The Acropolis and Vanguard remained stationed in Irandan and HIP 21559 while Aegis awaited further developments.[39] Tanner elaborated on the purpose of Aegis's new flagships on March 30, explaining that they would serve as command centers for anti-Thargoid operations and that they would be periodically moved to wherever they could be strategically effective.[40]

### 爭議湧現

#### 批評

On April 5, Aegis became the target of criticism from Princess Aisling Duval, who accused the organization of moving too slowly and lacking a clear strategy for combating the Thargoids. While her viewpoint garnered some support, Federal and Alliance media outlets roundly derided her statements as a ploy for attention and cited multiple examples of Aegis's recent achievements.[41] On April 12, more prominent figures expressed measured support for Princess Duval's statements, including Senator Pal Vespasian, Alliance Defence Force Commodore Riri McAllister, and journalist Jast Fernández. They noted that Aegis's victories thus far were not enough to assuage public fears of an imminent Thargoid conquest and suggested Aegis should be more transparent about its long-term plans.[42]

On May 9, Admiral Tanner responded to the widespread disquiet over the Thargoids' advance into the Core Systems. Tanner dismissed reports that the Thargoids were invading en masse, insisting that no full-scale invasion was occurring and deploying capital fleets was unncessary. He urged the public to remain calm and thanked independent pilots for helping to halt the Thargoids' progress.[43]

#### Socho無政府狀態

On May 30, in a stunning development, Aegis Core was ousted from control of its headquarters in the Socho system by the Socho Gold Raiders criminal faction. A courier managed to escape the system with a message from Dr. Mia Valencourt of Aegis Core detailing the attack and calling for assistance. According to Dr. Valencourt, the Socho Gold Raiders had become convinced that Aegis was constructing a superweapon, and crushed the system's security forces by luring them into a trap using a falsified Thargoid signal. Professor Alba Tesreau denounced the attack, noting that Aegis Core was conducting vital anti-Thargoid research, and issued a plea for aid from the galactic community.[44]

### 持續努力

#### 太空站復原

With numerous stations still undergoing repairs after Thargoid attacks, Aegis Research and Aegis Core launched simultaneous public initiatives on May 31, 3304 to collect and distribute construction materials to damaged stations in the Pleiades Nebula and Core Systems, respectively. Senior Engineer Lilith Galloway took charge of the Aegis Research campaign at The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, while Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong led the Aegis Core campaign at Dantec Enterprise in Socho.[45][46] Both campaigns were successful.[47][48]

#### Building on success

On June 21, 3304, Aegis declared that the Thargoids were retreating from the Core Systems and had been pushed back to their original beachhead of Bhal. Admiral Tanner thanked Commanders for their efforts in defending the Core Systems, but noted that while Thargoid incursions had been reversed in many regions, the Thargoids remained entrenched in the Pleiades Nebula.[49]

Meanwhile, Aegis Core and Aegis Research announced that three stations attacked by the Thargoids in recent months have completed repairs. Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal, Beaufoy Vision in Nauni, and Reed's Rest in Merope were restored to full functionality.[50]

Aegis also announced plans to construct a new military installation in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 in response to the recent criminal incursion in Socho. The new installation, named The Sentinel, would allow Aegis to focus its efforts on the Thargoids without fear of further disruption.[51] The campaign was successful.[52]

On June 28, Aegis announced that it had supplied Technology Brokers with additional funding, resources, and manufacturing equipment, allowing them to reduce the cost of their services. According to Senior Engineer Henrik de Lacerda, the move was an act of appreciation for the independent pilots working to defend the Core Systems, and intended to increase access to Tech Broker modules in order to improve humanity's overall combat effectiveness against the Thargoids.[53]

#### Thargoid反擊

On June 28, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye had detected a massive surge in Thargoid transmissions. Admiral Tanner asserted that the previous week's lull in activity in the Core Systems must have been only a brief delay while the Thargoids regrouped and summoned reinforcements from the Pleiades. Tanner issued an emergency call for aid for Garay Terminal in Deciat, which Eagle Eye indicated was the Thargoids' main target. A transmission from an unknown Commander operating in the Deciat system also indicated that a new type of Thargoid Scout was present among the invading force.[54]

Meanwhile, independent pilots discovered a surface settlement called Dominic's Corner on planet 12 A in Pleiades Sector GW-W c1-15 that had been attacked by Thargoids, one of several such sites. The location was found by triangulating a signal received by three listening posts in Maia. According to logs recovered from the site, Dominic's Corner was an independent manufacturing facility that had been contracted by Aegis to produce anti-Thargoid weaponry. Following a visit by an Aegis representative who identified himself only as "Mr. Black", the facility received a message over an encrypted channel from Mr. Black warning of an imminent attack and urging staff to evacuate; one employee, Secretary Miller, remained behind to dispose of confidential material so that it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. When the attack came, it was not raiders as expected, but a Thargoid Interceptor, which proceeded to demolish the facility until it was driven off by the sudden arrival of a contingent of Federation ships.[55]

#### Pleiades救援行動

On August 9, 3304, Aegis Research launched a search-and-rescue initiative in conjunction with local system authorities in the Pleiades Nebula to recover the escape pods of Thargoid attack survivors and provide them with adequate food. Superintendent Maria Poulsen stated, "System authorities in the Pleiades have been channelling their resources into combating the Thargoid menace. As a result, search-and-rescue initiatives have been neglected, but we are determined to plug that gap. That means a lot of civilians rescued from escape pods, which also means a lot of hungry mouths to feed, so we'll need to bolster our current food stocks as a precautionary measure." Pilots were requested to deliver the escape pods and goods to Donar's Oak in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55.[56] Superintendent Poulsen subsequently confirmed that the operation was a success: "The number of rescued survivors we have received is truly fantastic. We have also received enough food stocks to ensure that they're well taken care of, before moving them to dedicated refugee centres."[57]

#### Aegis Core轉移

On August 30, in response to the repeated disruption of Aegis Core's operations in Socho over previous months and the ongoing deterioration of conditions there, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced that Aegis Core would be relocated from Socho to Sol, where it could be better protected. President Hudson underscored the announcement with a clear warning: "Aegis has been charged with defending humanity, and any attempt to undermine it is nothing less than an act of treason."[58]

#### Thargoid Sensor被中和

On November 29, 3304, Senior Engineer Henrik de Lacerda of Aegis Research announced a breakthrough in Meta-Alloy research that allowed extremely small quantities of Meta-Alloys to provide sufficient protection against Thargoid Sensor-related interference, and arranged for shipments of Meta-Alloys to be distributed to affected stations. As Thargoid Sensors ceased to cause technological damage to stations, the sale of Thargoid commodities in general was legalized, allowing them to be traded in public markets.[59][60]

#### Ram Tah守護

On November 30, Professor Alba Tesreau announced that Aegis had stationed a security force in the Meene system to provide additional protection for Engineer Ram Tah and his ongoing development of Guardian-human hybrid technologies. The deployment came in the wake of a series of mercenary attacks on Ram Tah's Phoenix Base organized by a cabal of rogue Sirius Corporation junior naval officers. The attacks coincided with Sirius Corp CEO Li Yong-Rui's public entreaties to Ram Tah to work together on hybrid technology production, causing many to believe that the attacks may have been a deliberate attempt to intimidate Ram Tah into sharing his work with Sirius. Sirius Corp did not respond to the news of the Aegis deployment to Meene, but it was rumored that Li Yong-Rui had withdrawn his offer to Ram Tah. Professor Tesreau emphasized that Ram Tah's products were invaluable in the Thargoid conflict, and as such Aegis had a vested interest in protecting the Engineer's operation and independence.[61]

### 入侵與分歧

#### Aegis Defense成立

Aegis debuted a new branch, Aegis Defense, on December 27, 3304 following the Thargoids' most devastating attack yet. Five systems were beset by Incursions, resulting in simultaneous attacks against five stations: Behnken Gateway in Wuli, Bethke Ring in Werapana, Cavalieri in Electra, May Gateway in Kupol Vuh, and Mendez Terminal in Jormbu. With the Acropolis and Vanguard either missing or withdrawn, Aegis instead deployed five new Megaships to the afflicted systems to serve as additional bulwarks for independent pilots fighting the Thargoids in AX Conflict Zones. In addition, GalNet began posting the automatically-updated Thargoid Activity Report, which tracked Thargoid activity levels in systems experiencing an Incursion alongside repair progress for previously damaged stations.

#### 帝國內部動盪

Meanwhile, cracks had begun to appear within the Empire, as the hardliner group Nova Imperium gained supporters among the public and the Imperial Senate by espousing a strategy of isolation and disengagement from the Federation and Alliance as the best way to survive the Second Thargoid War. Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval refused to publicly address Nova Imperium and the appearance of Hadrian Augustus Duval, a long-lost grandson of the late Emperor Hengist Duval who had been presented as Nova Imperium's figurehead. Both Federal President Zachary Hudson and Alliance Prime Minister Edmund Mahon spoke out against the rise of Nova Imperium before their respective legislatures on December 29. Mahon expressed concern about the possible cessation of inter-superpower cooperation, but Hudson took a bolder stance and asserted that the Federation would be forced to intervene for the sake of the war effort against the Thargoids should Nova Imperium come to power and halt the Empire's contributions to Aegis. Independent sources confirmed that Federal Navy resupplies had increased in frequency, and Federal fleets were conducting exercises in regions bordering Imperial territory.[62]

艦隊
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### 旗艦

Aegis has two military Megaships that serve as flagships for the purpose of coordinating anti-Thargoid operations at various key locations: Acropolis and Vanguard. These vessels are periodically relocated to strategic systems.[40]

### 其他飛船

Beginning December 27, 3304, Aegis began deploying multiple Megaships under the banner of Aegis Defense to systems affected by Thargoid Incursions. These vessels remain in a system until an Incursion has been completely repelled, and then depart. Ship names appear to be randomly generated from a pool of names plus a four-character designation (Bastille WS34, Warlord AR75, etc.). Base names used for Aegis Megaships include:

* Abraxas
* Ares
* Artemis
* Bastille
* Crucible
* Herald
* Inquisitor
* Liberator
* Messenger
* Paimon
* Saviour
* Vanguard
* Warden
* Warlord

成員
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* Professor Alba Tesreau, Head of Research

* Admiral Aden Tanner, Chief Military Liaison
* Dr. Mia Valencourt, Aegis Core Scientist
* Carter Armstrong, Aegis Core Chief Administrator
* Lilith Galloway, Aegis Research Senior Engineer
* Henrik de Lacerda, Aegis Research Senior Engineer
* "Mr. Black", Aegis liaison to Dominic's Corner
* Maria Poulsen, Aegis Research Superintendent