Weekly Digest: October 13th
SRSPPL Repel Attempt from Pirate Entities to Establish Foothold in 98Q Superpocket
Koren Akko • YC125.10.06
VV-VCR, Syndicate - The SynCo Regional Space Police & Patrol (SRSPPL) stopped the hostile entity xXPlease Pandemic Citizens Reloaded Alliance.Xx [TERBL] from establishing a foothold in the 98Q superpocket. SRSPPL, along with an assortment of related allies from Intergalactic Space Hobos and Phoenix Naval Systems, managed to outform TERBL more than three to one. The much larger SRSPPL defense fleet made quick work of the anchoring Astrahus-class citadel, although SynCo leadership was concerned for a potential escalation from TERBL. Ultimately the TERBL fleet was in fact not holding a secret ace card, and their forces were quickly crippled.
“The recent war against Scary Wormhole People has seemingly spawned a new coalition in the making”, commented one capsuleer warfare analyst. “It is suspected that SynCo has made a pact with the likes of groups such as Phoenix Naval Systems and Intergalactic Space Hobos…even if nothing official has come from the press offices of any of those organizations.”
It is true that there has been no official word of a formal coalition being made between the aforementioned parties. Speculation has grown over a new coalition of different organizations across Syndicate who band together to face outside threats. Time will tell if this speculation ends up being true. For now, however, I-RCN will continue to report on defense initiatives to protect the 98Q superpocket against potential invaders.
Space elevator system constructed by Caldari Navy on UM-Q7F IX
BREAKING: IRV Spirit of Malkalen Deployed to DS-M4Q to Aid in I-RED Colonial Efforts
Selenna Solange • YC125.10.09
UM-Q7F, Syndicate - I-RED leadership recently announced the deployment of their massive corporate-scale warbarge, IRV Spirit of Malkalen, to the constellation of DS-M4Q. The Spirit of Malkalen is the second most-prized starship under I-RED command, after the Leviathan-class IRV Gariushi-Oriki. Both vessels are constantly kept under strict protection, and I-RED command takes great lengths to obfuscate their exact locations at any given time.
The Spirit of Malkalen was purchased by I-RED in YC115. Constructed in the renown Ishukone shipyards of Korama, the Spirit of Malkalen was part of a second generation of corporate warbarge that made numerous improvements to the original design. The original hulls of this class of ship, the Amaterasu class, were designed solely for colonization support and have been in use for more than six decades. They ultimately also gained a new role as Ground Assault Reinforcement, Redeployment, Information Support, & Orbital Nexus centers, or more affectionately known as GARRISONs. GARRISONs came about as rising intergalactic tensions spawned the CONCORD Emergency Militia War Powers Act war zone, which forced the leading ship designers of the State to retrofit the aging colony ships for ground support in the CEMWPA frontlines. It wasn’t until the dawn of widespread clone soldiers in New Eden that the ship classification of “warbarge” became synonymous with GARRISONs. Spirit of Malkalen was the second hull to be built out of an original goal of fifteen to be constructed for the Ishukone Corporation. However, due to financial woes in YC115 caused by internal strife in the Caldari State as a result of the fall of the Provist regime, Ishukone ended up only finishing ten hulls of the “Spirit” line of warbarge. The four hulls finished in YC115 were Spirit of the Citadel, Spirit of Malkalen, Spirit of Korama, and Spirit of Heiian, with the rest of the ships of the class being finished a couple years after, with additional upgraded systems.
These second generation ships retained roughly the same dimensions as the first generation hulls, but utilized better space saving design of the internal ship bay, and other updated systems. Rather than having Cestus-class mobile command centers stored horizontally and launched out of port and starboard side openings, the hangar orientations were shifted vertically to instead “drop” the ships in quick succession after opening up the underside of the warbarge. This design change significantly increased the MCC ferrying capacity by twofold. Space saving design also allowed for a greater number of personnel to be carried aboard each Spirit warbarge, thereby amplifying their potential in whatever mission they were assigned. Additionally, internal systems were overhauled with more efficient technology - namely, auto-manufacturing centers, computer cores, engineering subsystems, and enhanced defenses.
The Spirit warbarges, much like their Amaterasu formers, have a segmented hull split into five distinct areas. From bow to stern they are: MCC launch bay, auxiliary launch bay, logistics launch bay, ground support launch bay, and manufacturing sector. The MCC launch bay houses all the necessary equipment for storing MCCs not in use as well as maintenance and repair functions. The auxiliary launch bay is oriented in a more conventional horizontal format, and is modular in the sense that it can be organized according to the needs of a specific deployment. Often, however, this bay is used to house a small fleet of resource gathering vessels and atmospheric-capable fighters and bombers. The logistics launch bay houses Swan-class heavy transports which are capable of airlifting modular structures used to establish colonies and forward operating bases on land. These deployable infrastructure are housed here for easy fitting to Swan transports. The ground support launch bay houses an assortment of vehicles, supplies, and other necessities that can be ferried planetside via Cygnet-class light transports and Sparrow-class dropships. Finally, the aptly named manufacturing sector houses an assortment of automated assembly facilities for constructing new vehicles, crafts, and supplies utilizing resources fed to them by the harvester fleet.
Spirit of Malkalen was sold to the longstanding Ishukone-loyalist capsuleer entity I-RED in order to help Ishukone recover some immense costs associated with the development of the Spirit warbarges. The exact details of this transaction have never been publicly released, but many speculate the cost was somewhere around that of a Leviathan-class titan. Spirit of Malkalen was quickly deployed to Placid and Syndicate, where it has played an invaluable role in projecting I-RED’s influence in the areas. Whenever there was a need for a staging platform for ground operations, the IRV Spirit of Malkalen was there. Oftentimes, the ship can be seen being escorted by a sizable taskforce consisting of Eagle heavy assault cruisers, Vulture command ships, and Raven battleships. Other times it is simply trailed by a fleet of covert ops ships, ready to uncloak and deploy reinforcements at a moment’s notice. The escorting taskforce as well as the Spirit of Malkalen mission assets vary from deployment to deployment.
In DS-M4Q, it is expected that the IRV Spirit of Malkalen will be the base of operations for I-RED’s colonial developments across the constellation. I-RCN will continue to monitor the developing colonial efforts.
Protests Erupt on Intaki Prime Following Bombing Incidents in Federal Navy Orbital Facilities
Taigeru Beldeia • YC125.10.11
Intaki, Placid - With two bombings occurring so far this year by malevolent actors, many people in Intaki are calling into question the competency of the Federation Navy. In February YC125, the Tears of Reschard Intaki radicalist group laid claim to numerous bombings across a number of different Federation facilities, including the navy anchorage above Intaki Prime. Meanwhile, September also saw bombings in the Federal Navy facilities orbiting Intaki Prime by as of yet unknown anti-Federation terrorists. The nature of these attacks in what is the headquarters of the Federation Navy has left many questions on the table.
“How can we expect to feel ‘safe’ when the [Federation] Navy just allows terrorists to bomb their fortresses above our skies”, scathingly shouted a protest leader in Lenoika. “The Federation has failed us time and time again, and we demand answers!”
Intaki Autonomists and the more nationalistic Intaki Lamkatka parties have both been making noticeable strides in recent months, especially following the two bombings that took place this year. The presiding leader of the majority moderate party of the Intaki Assembly, Councillor Vera en Sullacio, has not had much substantive words to say regarding the security situation of the system. This has led to further populations on colonies across the system to sway more towards the Autonomist and Lamkatka parties.
For their part, Chief Councillor of the Intaki Assembly Jonas Ivestara has been noted to be in talks with the Federation Navy regarding the attacks, and has appointed a special investigation unit on how the attacks were allowed to happen. Meanwhile, Lamkatka party leader Siaka Idama has been observed to be taking part in peaceful protests demanding answers from the Federation government.
Intaki Prime has in recent months recovered from considerable social upheaval that followed the Federation Navy invasion of Viriette and Fislipesnes. The recent wave of protests regarding numerous attacks against the Federation Navy facilities in the system has sparked a new wave of social uncertainty for the people of Intaki. I-RCN will continue to monitor this developing story.
In other news…
• I-RED denies rumors of MHC-R3 III Astrahus as being “UNF colonial monitoring facility”
• SRSPPL in conjunction with Intaki Space Police support thwart numerous Guristas raids on Caldari State DS-M4Q colonial developments
• Rent across Hatakani Trade Winds Combine Intaki Astrahus increase 15%, sparking upset among locals
• Warclone blanks reportedly seen shipped to Chatelain BioPharma Infomorph Wellness Center in Tar
• XS-XAY San Mendinaeya colonial authority reports “housing crisis coming closer to being resolved”
• Considerable backlog of housing remains for A-3ES3 Utpattia Protectorate
• Mounting internal I-RED support for moniker of “Navyii Malkalen” for UM-Q7F IX colony proposal
• Interregional market buy orders show sharp increase in demand for high-quality biomass
• International watchdog groups call to attention ongoing violence between Federal aligned and corporate militia forces in Athounon
• Skirmishes between Order of Saint Tetrimon and Blood Raiders continues across New Eden
• Questions of Serpentis-Cartel partnership arise amidst increasing cooperation between Guristas and Cartel cells
• Respected I-BLU leader Auriga Menkali steps down from role
((OOC art credit: Source - “Space Elevator” by Gryphart on DeviantArt))