Lagos Depot

CLASS: Ionian

GRAVITY: Partial

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Limited

CREW: 280

Lagos was hastily constructed by the Corsairs in late 817 as it became clear that the GMG would not tolerate the Junkers at Yanagi indefinitely. Built in close proximity to pockets of volatile gases, an area the GMG patrols knew to avoid, the station became operational in 818 AS, at which point Corsair activity in the southern half of Sigma-13 increased dramatically. Lagos also plays an important role in maintaining an artifact smuggling route to the Unioners in the Munich system.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Junkers
* Hogosha
* Unioners
* Zoners
* Samura Industries

* Hogosha

## News

They cowardly waited for our forces to be dispersed between various theaters, the latest one being the Outcast return to Omicron Theta, and took advantage of our inability to crush them like the pests they are.
Special orders were relayed to Battleship Delos in Theta to coordinate additional patrols in the Amarus Cloud to interfere with their shipments of Gammu materials as much as possible.

The Elders have authorised the deployment of elements of the Omicron Gamma defence fleet to respond to the Outcast invasion and secure our borders. These elite fighters are more than a match for the drug-addled Outcasts and will hold the line until the Northern and Southern Fleets complete their assignments in Dresden and Dublin.
The Battleship Delos has been dispatched to the system to coordinate our counter-attack and avenge the loss of the Fes. The Elders have announced that a great honor will be bestowed upon the pilots responsible for the destruction of the Outcast Battlecruiser Augusta.

The Zoners seem to have prevented this previously by importing Fertilizers from the Houses. Similarly, Crete, Leon and Cadiz are facing a shortage of Pharmaceuticals, complicating the treatment of our casualties. The Zoners now refuse to sell us these goods, so we must look elsewhere to obtain what we need.
The Elders have decreed that the raiding fleets are to redouble their efforts in Cambridge, and make new inroads into the Frankfurt system. Petra Base in Sigma 15 is to be reinforced, and the Fertilizer convoys from Planet Holstein treated as priority targets.
The Corsairs have always prized strength, and we have the strength to take what we need from the weak. Prosperity is there to be seized.

The death of Juan Garcia was but the latest in a line of killings by the Bounty Hunters Guild, abetted by the Zoners who provide them with safe harbor. The Elders have decided: no more. One opportunity was offered for the Zoners to make amends for their transgressions, and instead they chose to ignore our reasonable demands. Last night, Freeport 9 was boarded and the station administration placed under arrest.
From this day forward, the biodomes will provide exclusively for the Corsairs, and the docking bays will admit only those we allow. Fortunately, our ancient enemies the Outcasts appear to be preoccupied with a self-inflicted revolt on their poisonous planet. By the time they turn their focus back to the Omicrons, we will be secure in our conquest.

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.

For decades the Zoners of Freeport 9 have kept themselves safe from Corsair reprisals by offering useful services, with their biodomes providing Crete with respite from the famines that once ravished it. Despite this, outrage has swept Omicron Gamma after a flight of Hunters killed Commander Juan Garcia, before retreating back to the No Fire Zones of Omicron Theta.
The Council of Elders have ordered the administrator of Freeport 9 to attend Planet Crete to hear their demands. Elder Garcia has vowed that the station's halls would "run red with blood" unless the Zoners turned over all BHG aboard the Freeport. The Zoners are yet to respond, likely trying to anticipate how the Corsairs will react.

The Corsairs see the Pygar colony as a direct competitor for the region's scarce resources, with Elder Garcia warning that there would be "dire consequences" should Freeport 9's biodomes reduce or divert their exports to Planet Crete. Whispers of alien ruins and Artifacts discovered below Pygar's surface may also antagonize the Corsairs, who rely on the Artifact trade as a source of wealth. The hardship of Pygar's extreme conditions and the uneasy relationship with the Corsairs has already led many colonists to consider a return to the now liberated Gran Canaria.

In his later years, Montoya would act as a steadying hand on the Council of Elders, counseling against rash decisions and reckless action. The Council has since inducted Elder Rosita Garcia to their number. As she commemorated the launch of the Battlecruiser Santander, she declared that "Sirius shall be set alight as a pyre in Montoya's honor". The Santander and its squadrons have been dispatched to pillage Bretonia.

"The standing Navy of the Corsair Empire as well as its irregular raiders must do everything within their means to break existing stalemates or make progress. The enemies of Crete have grown arrogant and take for granted that Corsair offensives have lost their steam, this is an assessment which must be proved woefully wrong."
In response to these express instructions, activity across every Corsair installation has intensified to levels that suggest substantial mobilization.

## Rumors

* The Crow nebula has its own dangers. Omicron space has a lot of radiation, but here, it are explosive pockets of gas that are the greatest risk. With a bit of practise, you can spot and avoid them though. If you plan on raiding here, it's smart to do so. Transports sometimes try to flee into those regions.

* The Hogosha are our strongest ally, and they handle most, if not all, of our Kusari interests. They have considerable leeway to move Artifacts through Kusari space, which is good for us. I hear they even take them as far as Liberty. They have an understanding with Samura, so we avoid hitting Samura transports as often. Every once in a while we mock-raid one to keep up appearances. Kishiro and GMG ships are prey, like the rest.

* I miss the old brawls with some of the Outcasts on Yanagi. Sure, their Cardamine mutations give them greater stamina and quicker healing, but that just means you have to punch them a bit harder. More fun that way. Maybe I'll run down to Freeport 9 and see if I can find some trouble there.

* I just came from Crete with a cargo of Artifacts. I make this run often enough, and it can be a dull one. Sometimes I'll continue on a bit further into Rheinland, but most of the time we'll offload our Artifacts and let the Unioners, Junkers and Hogosha take it from here. Then I'll join up with a couple of our raiders and go fishing in this blue sea for cargo to take back home.

* There's a Hole from Sigma-17 into this area not far from the base. The route back to Crete goes through there, and Omicron Theta. The Gas Miners have patrols throughout the area, and Bounty Hunters also prowl about, but overall it's not that hard to reach home from here.

* Lagos may not be the most elegant piece of work, but it suits our needs. From here, we have an alternate way to trade Artifacts with the Hogosha, who can take them to Kusari and beyond. We also trade with the Unioners, who can take them into and through Rheinland, without the constant Hessian harassment in Omegas. Of course, there is the GMG to deal with here instead.

* There are several groups with an interest in this region. The GMG lay claim to this space and run frequent patrols, mostly around the Trade Lanes and their Gas Mining platforms. The Hogosha, Unioners and Junkers come here to buy artifacts. Recently, the Outcasts have also become more numerous in the region, probably peddling their drugs to Rheinland and Kusari. The Golden Chrysantemums are sometimes seen with them. Last, there's the Blood Dragons who seem to enjoy a good brawl. No shortage of foes in this space, but that is nothing new to a Corsair.

* I fly sorties to the Trade Lane on occasion when some of our boys need fresh cargo for the yards back home. I like this region of Sirius. No open stretches of space where you can get tagged. All you have to do here is fight off the occasional scout, or break away and slip into the endless cloud if things start to get a bit too hot.

* Welcome to our little corner of hell. When the GMG decided to force the Junkers out, probably to try and cut off our route to Rheinland, we were forced to make other arrangements. We built this base to keep the Artifact routes open, but it's also a convenient place to launch a raid on the Trade Lanes from.

* We get the odd Zoners in here. They prefer to stay out of the house systems. Usually they're just picking up Light Arms and Consumer Goods for their Freeport out there in Omicron Theta. They'll trade those for Food and other basics, so we don't need to haul those ourselves as much. That lot likes living on the ragged edge, and you'll find it in the Omicron systems.

* The Corsairs are a vicious bunch, that much I can tell you. Crossing them tends to leave you floating, but I don't need to worry about that. They won't touch people running Artifacts for them - that's one of the ways they make money. Of course, you'll have to watch for the Outcasts and Hessians when you've got Artifacts in your hold. The law will confiscate them and fine you, but Corsair enemies will simply space you.

* Getting kicked out of the Yanagi Depot was harsh, but expected I suppose. Corsair and Outcast smugglers aren't always subtle, especially when they meet up. The GMG had enough suspicions for them to finally move to evict us. Still, we got wind of it well ahead of time, so we warned our two biggest "clients" to make arrangements in advance. You're sitting in one such arrangement now.

* The Hogosha respect the Corsairs for what they are - a fierce people who are true to their own way. They may appear brutal and vicious to the casual observer, but beneath that there is a deep sense of honor. Corsairs do not seek to corrupt or usurp nations the way Liberty and the Outcasts do, be it by drugs or credits. I'm not entirely sure what motivates them. Perhaps it is a sense of vengeance that became their culture over time.

* I am planning to return to Honshu with a load of Artifacts. From there, they will go to the Golden Dragon, in Shikoku, to entertain our guests. A portion will also be shipped into the Independent Worlds. We have some contacts that handle the distribution of these Artifacts in Liberty. But the most appealing ones will stay in Kusari. It is one of the many advantages in buying these Artifacts straight from those who gather them.

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