25 FEB 3302
Doctor Elana Lorax, a leading contributor in the field of xeno biology, has released a statement to the media:
"Before we reached for the stars we destroyed countless species on our homeworld. Similarly, the colonization of Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Achenar and many other systems resulted in the mass extinction of native life."
"But humanity has yet to learn its lesson. The cry for meta-alloys is not unlike the lust for beaver-pelt top hats in ancient times. Thousands of barnacles have been destroyed, and for what? Defunct stations can be replaced. If the barnacles are destroyed for their meta-alloys we will lose their secrets forever."
Doctor Lorax continued: "With a little patience we could unlock the secrets of the barnacle. Xeno biologists and chemists could learn to synthesize meta-alloys, given time. Unfortunately it seems humanity is going to destroy another unique lifeform for short-term, and short-sighted, gain."
Commander Corrigendum
25 FEB 3302
For years, the sparsely populated Orulas system has been dominated by the Orulas Blue Hand Gang, a ruthless criminal organisation. This cold-blooded band has been making life intolerable for the system's inhabitants, but the local government appears reluctant to take a stand. Some have speculated that this is because the authorities receive regular kickbacks from the criminals.
But one resident has had enough. Rose Trebek, a former soldier and veteran of countless military campaigns, has established a defence initiative to clean up Orulas – the Joint Security Taskforce.
"I'm sick of these scumbags running my system," said Trebek, "and I'm sick of the government looking the other way. It's time to take care of these punks. But we can't do it alone."
"Our intelligence indicates that the Blue Hand is ferrying its spoils in big convoys to various fences. They trade mostly in escape pods, which they sell to shady pseudo-scientific outfits conducting illegal human experiments. We need pilots to swoop in, bust open the convoys, and recover as many pods as they can. We also need volunteers to sweep the system, taking out any Blue Hand ships they encounter. That should make things easier for the Commanders targeting the convoys."
Trebek has the resources to offer generous incentives to those who support the campaign. But she has stressed that the operation will not be straightforward:
"If you're not an experienced combat pilot, frankly you can't help us. These Blue Hand dirtbags are the real deal. I don't want your death on my conscience."
The campaign begins on the 25th of February 3302 and will run for one week.Pilots who want to participate are advised to make their way to Wilkes Orbital in the Nespeleve system.
25 FEB 3302
LHS 3447 is familiar to many independent pilots, being a popular starting point for those embarking on careers as traders, bounty hunters and explorers. But many of these pilots have bemoaned the relative inaccessibility of the system's starports.
The Pilots Federation, in association with LHS 3447 Dynamic and Co, has announced plans to address the issue by constructing a new Orbis starport in LHS 3447. According to a spokesperson for the organisation, the new starport will orbit LHS 3447 B 1 a, making it particularly valuable to miners exploiting the LHS 3447 AB belt.
"The Pilots Federation is all about building a better future for the people who keep the galaxy moving. This new starport will give those people a valuable new trade and resupply hub, in addition to giving the system's economy a boost."
The campaign to construct the starport, which will be named 'Bluford Orbital', begins on the 25th of February 3302 and will run for two weeks. Pilots who want to support the first phase of the campaign are invited to deliver metals to Worlidge Terminal in LHS 3447.
25 FEB 3302
Responding to the suggestion that more meta-alloys be shipped to stations experiencing technical issues, Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has issued a statement:
"Many teams from the Canonn Interstellar Research Group have already started collecting meta-alloys. Some have been doing so for many days. But one thing bothers me. The community painstakingly collected and shipped thousands of tonnes of meta-alloys to Obsidian Orbital for Professor Palin. Where did they go? Surely the engineering teams at Obsidian Orbital didn't use them all up?"
"I want to urge personnel at Obsidian Orbital to help us by releasing their remaining stock of meta-alloys to the commodities market. Once the existing supply runs out, we will return to the barnacle sites to collect more."
"Since one of the affected stations is in my home system, I'm as eager as everyone else to deal with these malfunctions. It seems we have the means to fix the problems, so let's do it."
Commander Lord Zoltan
25 FEB 3302
This weekly roundup highlights some of the minor factions pursuing the dream of democratic freedom by holding elections.
Here are 10 of the 3,284 minor factions holding elections:
Chick Bara Empire Party
Leaders of LHS 369
LHS 6427 Universal Partners
Movement for Delkar Revolutionary Party
Chiut Empire League
Monarchy of Berkanan
Social Kokan Coalition
Djabushis Systems
LTT 6714 Company
Untun Services
Elections occur when two minor factions of a similar political structure resolve a conflict over ownership and influence within a system.
Data is correct at time of publishing.