Gas Miner Naha

CLASS: Nostromo

AMENITIES: Limited

CREW: 400

Rich in vital gas resources, the Sigma-13 system has been contested by a number of groups since its discovery in 60 AS. Conflict reached a fever pitch when the system became one of the more fiercely contested prizes during the 80-Years War between the Gas Miners Guild (GMG) and Rheinland. Using speed and a thorough knowledge of the territory, the GMG managed to push back the Rheinland forces, finally obliterating the bulk of the Rheinland Navy at the Battle of the Yanagi Nebula. Since that time the system has been almost exclusively under GMG control, and the Gas Miner Naha has provided support for the GMG's extensive mining operations.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Kishiro Technologies
* Gas Miners Guild
* Zoners
* Kusari State Police
* Rheinland Police
* RGS Shipping

## News

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.

## Rumors

* The Outcasts have entered Sigma-13 in recent times. They are quite similar to the Corsairs, yet seem to hate them as much as anyone else. They access this system through our own Jump Hole from Sigma-19, and raid our mining platforms and ships passing through the Trade Lanes in the north. We must be more vigilant in our patrols.

* The Rheinland Military has only recently gotten a limited allowance to enter into the Sigmas again. Not all of us were happy with that decision. Many sons and daughters of the GMG sacrificed their lives to fight the Rheinland invaders during the war. The GMG lost over half of its people during those dangerous times. Some things should not be forgotten, I think. Unless history is to repeat itself. Rheinland is known for lashing out at its neighbours.

* Samura has betrayed our trust countless times. We made a pact with them centuries ago to simplify the sale and transport of our H-Fuel. They abused and exploited that agreement, driving up prices and costing us much business. Now we receive a fair market price from Kishiro for our H-Fuel, whilst Samura looks for new ways to anger us. They have established their own Gas Mining operations in Hokkaido, but that region is not as abundant as some of ours, and the Blood Dragons harass them very often.

* I just finished preparing a H-Fuel shipment to the Stuttgart system. We have a contract with Republican that keeps Freiburg fully stocked in order to refuel ships entering Rheinland from the Omegas. Bretonian shipping companies usually pick up H-Fuel there as well.

* This has been our primary gas production area since 300 AS. Kishiro came through with new gas mining ships and technologies that allow us to refine gases with a lower isotope density, but the process is more expensive then traditional mining. The upside is that these modern gas mining platforms are better armed, so they can defend themselves from pirates.

* Our ancestors are Kusari fishermen that were forced to leave Honshu in the second century, after the fishing stocks became severely depleted. Famine drove them to the stars. They entered the Crow Nebula in search of something new to harvest. After 20 years of wandering, they found Hydrogen and Helium isotopes that were far more abundant here than anywhere else in the Sirius sector, and realised these would be a very potent fuel source for the "Liberty Engine". That is how they became the first Gas Miners.

* Naha isn't producing as much H-Fuel as it did in the past. The highest concentrations of gases we use to mix H-Fuel have dispersed or been gathered in this region, and we have found other sites with more abundant reserves. Newer mining techniques allow us to slowly gather gas from the remaining clouds, but it is no longer our most profitable venture.

* You must be careful of the oxygen pockets within Sigma-13. Many ships have stumbled unawares into these dangerous traps over the years. They are interesting phenomena created when an oxygen pocket coalesces into a denser, semi-liquid form. It usually doesn't react with the hydrogen in the nebula because the temperature is so low that the ignition critera aren't met. But one static spark or blast from an engine exhaust can change that quickly, and cause the gases to react explosively.

* Welcome to Naha, one of the older Gas Mining platforms still in the GMG fleet. Naha has been in operation for centuries, and has had a colorful past. Rheinland overplayed its hand when it seized this base during the 80 years war. They entered into a fight they could not win. Although most of the debris from the Battle of Yanagi are now cleared, small bits of wreckage still float everywhere. A grim reminder to those who would try to take the Crow away from us.

* Our partnership with Samura has come to an end after decades. I'm not sure if it was wise to dismiss them as harshly as was done, Samura has a lot of influence, both legal and otherwise. The Corsair and Hogosha attacks on us have sharply increased over the last years, making this region a lot less safe then it was.

* Most of the great battlefields from the 80-Years War lay scattered around this system. In 668 we decisively defeated the Rheinland Imperial Navy at the Battle of Yanagi Cloud. ALG and the Junkers have removed most of the hazardous wrecks and debris that were hazardous to ships passing through the Trade Lane, but remnants of the battle still linger throughout this system.

* Samura once dominated the Gas Miner technological developments, but they chose to pursue other technologies, thinking that what they had was good enough. We disagreed and continued to improve on both collection and purification systems. Our Gas Mining ships will allow the GMG to get at least another five decades worth of mining out of this system.

* Samura has made immense profits from the H-Fuel monopoly they shared with the GMG for over 400 years. Samura overplayed their hand by taking a far greater share of the profits. When the term was up, we had everything in place to replace them. Nowadays, Kishiro ships the bulk of the H-Fuel produced by the GMG to various distribution points in all of Sirius.

* Republican runs many goods to and past this station. Naha sits on one of the busiest trade routes in all of Sirius, between Rheinland and Kusari. Kusari has a lot of high quality, high-tech goods. Rheinland has a lot of raw minerals which Kusari is severely lacking in. The potential for trade isn't lost on a shipping company like ours.

* You may see Zoners here on occasion. They are a strange breed that one sees at the edge of civilized space. I hear that they have established bases within the Edge Worlds, very close to the heart of the Corsair empire. With associations like that, I'm glad they stay out of Rheinland, mostly.

* We pick up H-Fuel here to deliver to the Atka Research Station in Sigma-17. We then continue on to Freeport 9. It's mostly a freighter run - a sluggish transport in deep space is just begging to be seized by either the Outcasts or Corsairs. The GMG are much like us - wanderers of the stars, who no longer belong on the settled planets.

* You must be very careful of the Corsairs if you want to go further into the southern Sigma or Omicron Worlds. If you are not their friend, it is difficult to survive. The Bounty Hunters that prowl the Edge Worlds are brave souls indeed. Or just plain crazy ones, hard to tell sometimes.

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