15 AUG 3308
*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*
Anecdotal reports suggest that a previously unknown non-human object has been discovered by independent pilots.
No details about where or how the object was obtained have been established at this time. What little information exists has been provided by individual members of the Pilots’ Federation.
One of these sources is a public message posted by Commander Marcus Mercer via an Interstellar Common Experience (ICE) network:
“I recently met up with an old friend of mine. Let’s call her Digger. Years ago we’d team up to excavate Guardian and Thargoid artefacts. Sold them and split the profits. She mentioned having an ‘unusual find’ in her ship’s cargo hold, and invited me onboard to check it out.”
“Standing there bathed in its light from the other side of the window, I knew this was something alien. But it wasn’t just another dusty relic from millennia ago. This looked newer, alive and glowing, giving off a vibration that made me feel queasy.”
“Commander Kralone was the first to discover these objects, apparently. Digger said she’d worked out how to get hold of one and would tell me how – for a price. I joked that if Aegis was still around, it would have paid big credits for the thing. Digger suddenly stopped talking and gave me this look. Then she kicked me off her ship and was out of the docking bay before I’d even cleared the hangar!”
“I know that Digger spends a lot of her time investigating Thargoid stuff planet-side. So I’m going to visit a few and see what turns up. There’s got to be more of those things out there, and if they end up being worth something, then I want my share.”
15 AUG 3308
Prime Minister Edmund Mahon and Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong-Rui have issued a joint statement regarding territorial defence against the Thargoids.
“The recent tragedy in HIP 22460 has underscored the crucial importance of the strategic defence pact. As the likelihood of increased Thargoid aggression rises, Allied systems can be assured that we are making rapid changes to withstand this potential threat.”
“Admiral Nikolas Glass will now coordinate all anti-xeno military operations. His first priority is to update the existing infrastructure of the Alliance Defence Force, allowing member system fleets to form according to mission parameters. This will bring greater flexibility and allow the ADF to direct forces to anywhere Thargoid incursions occur.”
“Allied worlds are calling out for greater defences, and the absence of a dedicated Alliance Navy has never been felt so keenly. But the Assembly is willing to approve greater military spending, and Sirius Corporation stands ready to put the defence pact into practice.”
In related news, the Council of Admirals officially verified that the Oath of Tyndareus was lost with all hands during the Thargoid counter-attack in the HIP 22460 system. The megaship’s crew have been posthumously honoured in a public ceremony.