The concluding article in this series examines events leading to the resurrection of Azimuth and Salvation’s plans for the future.

During February and March 3308, Aegis suffered a slow death as its operations were shut down by the superpowers. Its leaders continued calling for its reinstatement, not just to battle the Thargoids but also to oppose Azimuth Biochemicals. They claimed that this sinister corporation was still performing unlicensed xenological research and was responsible for thousands of deaths.

Meanwhile, the number of Thargoid incursions was increasing, perhaps in response to Salvation’s Guardian-based superweapon. This culminated in a simultaneous invasion of the Didio, Novas and Sosong systems in April 3308. These were major population centres for the Alliance, Empire and Federation respectively, with over ten billion lives at risk.

Salvation and the superpower militaries responded in concert. Allied, Imperial and Federal capital ships were deployed to coordinate system defences, and also host the construction of three new superweapons. Interviews with the admirals in charge of the anti-xeno taskforces provided an insight into how much they now relied on Salvation.

The superweapons were successfully detonated in all three systems, but this time there were no wreckages left behind. It was unclear if these particular weapons were less effective, or if the Thargoids had anticipated their use and retreated before their vessels could be disrupted.

This was nevertheless hailed as another victory for Salvation. He announced that he was working on the next generation of the devices, which would “deliver a truly overwhelming strike against the Thargoid species”. Increased amounts of personnel, supplies and equipment were provided to Taurus Mining Ventures to hasten development of the superweapon.

In May 3308 came a shocking revelation. Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, received a tip-off leading to an abandoned outpost in the DG Canum Venaticorum system. This turned out to be a previously undiscovered base for INRA, the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm, which was formed to combat the Thargoids during the 32nd and 33rd centuries.

The base provided evidence that INRA had contracted Azimuth Biochemicals to aid development of the mycoid virus. This was a highly controversial bioweapon used in 3151 to infect the aliens’ mothership, and which helped bring about the end of the First Thargoid War.

Logs recorded by Dr Caleb Wycherley, the corporation’s vice-president of research, explained how he gained the nickname ‘the Witch’ after being half-blinded by a live Thargoid specimen. He then vowed that under his guidance, Azimuth would devote itself to the destruction of the Thargoids “If I must be humanity’s salvation, then so be it.”

The former leaders of Aegis claimed that this verified their theory Salvation and ‘the Witch’ were the same person, and Azimuth had been operating in the shadows for decades. Professor Tesreau later revealed that the tip-off came from Subject D-2, the only survivor of the Project Seraph experiments to create a human test pilot for Thargoid ships.

Some believed Aegis had fabricated these logs, since Dr Wycherley would now be over 200 years old. But although Salvation did not overtly confirm his true identity, Aegis’s suspicions were validated when Taurus Mining Ventures rebranded itself as Azimuth Biotech. Salvation described how Azimuth’s research division had survived as an independent organisation under his control, focused exclusively on Thargoid research and preparing for inter-species conflict.

There was a public outcry that the man claiming to be humanity’s saviour was also responsible for the mycoid bioweapon, Project Seraph, the attack on the Alexandria, and other illegal or unethical activities. And yet there was little reaction from the Alliance, Empire or Federation, whose militaries were now fully committed to working with Salvation to defeat the Thargoids.

In the past week, there have been signs that Azimuth Biotech is mobilising its forces and preparing for a large-scale operation of some kind. This may well tie in with Salvation’s promise to unveil a more powerful type of anti-xeno superweapon. We may soon learn if Azimuth can repeat history and deliver the decisive blow to end to the Second Thargoid War.

An overview of how Aegis was impacted by the rise of Salvation as a competing anti-xeno force.

“For now I cannot provide you with my credentials. Suffice to say that I am a man of science, unconnected with modern politics. I am recruiting agents to investigate the work undertaken by Azimuth Biochemicals two hundred years ago, which I believe to be of enormous scientific importance. Much has been lost in that time, but our dedication will allow us to rewrite history.”

This was how the anonymous figure known only as Salvation introduced himself to Pilots’ Federation members in April 3307. Faceless and voiceless, he remains unseen to the present day. His messages characterised him as a dedicated scientist, one with enormous confidence in achieving his goal to destroy the Thargoids and “save all of humanity”.

It was clear that Salvation possessed detailed knowledge about Azimuth Biochemicals, without which the Hesperus would not have been discovered. He began recruiting independent pilots to undertake missions via the intermediary of Taurus Mining Ventures, a corporation based in the remote T Tauri system.

After locating the Proteus in June 3307, Salvation claimed exclusive rights to exploit the ancient Guardian-Thargoid battleground on Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a. This was contested by Aegis, but their initiative to gather Guardian artefacts from the site was eclipsed by Taurus Mining Ventures’s campaign. In a short time, Salvation successfully emerged as a rival to Aegis, claiming that the tri-superpower agency could not be trusted.

This was reinforced after the tragic loss of the Alexandria megaship. Due to its cargo of Guardian artefacts, Thargoids had relentlessly pursued the megaship before it vanished in hyperspace. An independent inquiry into the disaster ordered Aegis’s operations to be suspended, leaving an absence that Salvation was keen to exploit.

In September 3307, Salvation warned of an impending Thargoid attack in the Cornsar system, apparently detected by his version of Eagle Eye. Aegis and local factions dismissed this as highly unlikely, but nevertheless Thargoid vessels did swarm into the system.

Salvation again reached out to pilots and asked them to transport vital equipment from a Taurus Mining Ventures megaship to Cornsar, for a prototype weapon that he was constructing. A counter-initiative took place by Commanders who distrusted Salvation or supported Aegis, illustrating that each now had their supporters among the galactic community.

Four days later, the Thargoid invasion force unexpectedly vanished from Cornsar. Most withdrew into hyperspace, but crashed alien vessels remained on some planetary bodies. Salvation revealed he had developed an anti-xeno superweapon, capable of eliminating the Thargoid presence from an entire star system. “I have achieved what Aegis could not – an effective deterrent against the alien threat.”

The nature of this incredible new weapon remained unclear, but evidence of Guardian technology later found in Cornsar raised a disturbing possibility. Did Salvation really detect the approaching Thargoid fleet Or did he deliberately attract the Thargoids to Cornsar by stockpiling huge quantities of Guardian artefacts – as happened on the Alexandria – in order to test his prototype superweapon.

As a Vox Galactica report put it “Time will tell if Salvation’s ambition to replace Aegis is a noble goal, or if we are replacing the devil we know with a darker demon.”

A summary of key events around the rise and fall of the tri-superpower organisation Aegis.

The Alliance, Empire and Federation created Aegis in 3303 to lead xenological research and coordinate defensive actions against the Thargoids. With fears that the alien species might one day overwhelm human-controlled space, Aegis’s role was to spearhead the resistance against a common enemy.

There were concerns that Aegis might adopt the same unethical practices as its notorious predecessor INRA, which had been formed back in 3125 during the First Thargoid War. But the new agency was welcomed by most, providing intelligence on Thargoid activity as well as advanced weapons.

Since capital ships were vulnerable to the Thargoid shutdown field, Aegis soon had no choice but to rely heavily on independent pilots to perform ship-to-ship combat. And despite its effectiveness at coordinating defence, it was criticised for having no strategy to actually defeat the alien threat.

By 3306, Aegis already showed signs of decline. Its Eagle Eye detection network had ceased to provide warnings about Thargoid attacks, and there were no new developments in anti-xeno weaponry. The rise of the NMLA had altered the political landscape, with funding for Aegis being redirected toward countering the terrorists and preparing for possible Federal-Imperial war.

In March 3307, the Galactic Summit failed to ratify the Sirius Treaty, which would have united superpowers, corporations and independent systems against the Thargoids. Instead, Aegis was directed to undertake new research into the Guardians. Their extinct civilisation was thought to hold the key to outmatching the Thargoids’ biomechanical technology.

A successful initiative in May 3307 resulted in enormous quantities of Guardian artefacts being delivered to the Aegis megaship Alexandria. Thargoid vessels were drawn to this concentration of technology created by their ancient enemy, and pursued the Alexandria from system to system. When the megaship did not emerge from a hyperspace jump, it was assumed to have been intercepted and destroyed.

An independent board of inquiry was established to investigate the loss of the Alexandria. So thorough was this investigation that most of Aegis’s activities were suspended, and many leading figures forced to resign. Public confidence in the agency was low, with a general sense that it was no longer fit for purpose.

In November 3307, Aegis was brought further into disrepute when its chief military liaison went rogue. Admiral Aden Tanner led an unauthorised assault against Hind Mine in the T Tauri system, the headquarters of Salvation’s corporate ally Taurus Mining Ventures. Tanner was convinced that Salvation’s activities deliberately provoked the Thargoids and that the starport contained evidence of this. His actions would result in failure and court martial, accelerating Aegis’s fall from grace.

The Baumann Report, which published the inquiry’s findings in January 3308, exposed endemic weaknesses including negligence, poor management, and the treatment of pilots as disposable mercenaries. The casualties resulting from the Alexandria disaster and the Hind Mine attack were the final nails in the agency’s coffin.

The Alliance, Empire and Federation announced that Aegis would be replaced by devolved anti-xeno taskforces. Its support megaships, still active during Thargoid incursions, were crewed by volunteers until the combat logistics corporation Frontline Solutions agreed to operate them.

Even after the true fate of the Alexandria was discovered, along with data supporting Admiral Tanner’s suspicions, the collapse of Aegis was by now irreversible. For in recent months, Salvation had achieved impressive results on a scale that no military power could hope to match.

Beginning a multi-part overview of historical events surrounding Azimuth Biochemicals and its connection to the mysterious Salvation.

On the 29th of October 3306, an abandoned megaship named the Adamastor arrived in the Chukchan system, after travelling at sublight speeds for nearly 200 years. At the time, no one could have foreseen the wide-ranging consequences that would arise from unlocking the secrets of this ghost ship.

Investigations revealed that it had been owned by a little-known and long-defunct corporation called Azimuth Biochemicals. The derelict’s journey was traced to the previously unexplored Coalsack Nebula, where the Adamastor had collected the survivors of a planetary survey team from the Musca Dark Region PJ-P b6-1 system.

Back in 3111, these geologists had encountered something terrifying and completely unknown: the first recorded instance of contact with the Thargoids. According to team leader Professor Carver, whose final log was discovered on HIP 69200 1 B, a recovered alien artefact caused equipment malfunctions and delusions among the crew. The damaged Adamastor was abandoned, to finally return home on autopilot two centuries later.

Further exploration of the Coalsack Nebula uncovered nothing more, but did lead to the detection of new barnacle sites. The Alliance wasted no time in harvesting these for meta alloys, followed by a Sirius Corporation project to terraform ammonia worlds. A resurgence of attacks from Thargoid vessels followed, suggesting that the alien species was as territorial as ever.

In April 3307, the Adamastor began receiving a long-range encrypted signal. A decryption key for this was provided by an anonymous source who identified himself only as ‘Salvation’. Tracking the signal led to the wreck of the Hesperus, the Adamastor’s sister ship. This had disappeared in 3113 and was now drifting in the Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 system.

The distress call had been triggered by a dredger occupied by the nomadic Scriveners Clan, who had salvaged the Hesperus’s data drives. Messages leaked from the dredger revealed how the Hesperus had been taken over by sleeper agents from Pharmasapien, the corporate rivals of Azimuth Biochemicals. This resulted in the deaths of all except a scientific team, who had escaped aboard a secondary craft.

Two months later, the enigmatic Salvation asked pilots to track down the Hesperus’s signal beacons to find those missing Azimuth crew members. The secondary craft, named Proteus, was subsequently discovered on a moon in the Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 system. Its crew had transformed it into a research facility, to study relics from a nearby ancient battleground between the Guardian and Thargoid races.

The security officer’s log told of Azimuth’s real purpose: locate non-human technology and weaponise it for the military market. The scientists had conducted dangerous experiments on Guardian crystals, accidentally triggering a radiation surge which wiped them all out.

It seemed that Azimuth’s story ended there, nearly 200 years ago. But the fate of the Proteus would have enormous repercussions for the future of the galaxy.

The Alliance, Empire and Federation will continue collaborating with Salvation and Azimuth Biotech on anti-xeno operations.

Political journalist Conrad Sterling reviewed the latest developments for Vox Galactica:

“We now know the truth: Azimuth not only survived, but was responsible for many controversial activities. It contributed to the mycoid virus’s development, coordinated with Black Flight and oversaw Project Seraph. Now, this notorious organisation enjoys the trust of all three superpowers to eliminate the Thargoid threat.”

“Vocal members of the Assembly, Congress and Senate have called for everyone at Azimuth Biotech – formerly Taurus Mining Ventures – to be arrested as criminals. Professor Alba Tesreau has demanded justice for the crew of the Alexandria, which was sabotaged by Azimuth to obtain its cargo of Guardian artefacts.”

“But Allied, Federal and Imperial leaders have all deferred to their militaries to determine a course of action until the current war’s end. Their perspective can be summed up by Admiral Maxton Price’s comment: ‘Without Salvation’s superweapon, we will be locked in conflict with the Thargoids forever.’”

“Many still claim that the INRA outpost at DG Canum Venaticorum was faked by Aegis loyalists. Others noted that Salvation did not confirm that he is Caleb Wycherley, and is potentially a far younger man building upon his predecessor’s research.”

“The reality is that the momentum of Salvation’s campaign is now too strong to be diverted. As is often the case during wartime, legality and morality have been set aside to focus on achieving victory. Azimuth has done more than just survive: it has triumphed.”

Salvation has announced that his partner organisation Taurus Mining Ventures is a modern incarnation of Azimuth Biochemicals.

The revelation came via a public statement across all media channels:

“This is Salvation. In light of recent speculation, we are rebranding Taurus Mining Ventures as Azimuth Biotech. My intent is to prove that Azimuth has no further need to conceal its operations.”

“Two centuries ago, Azimuth’s pioneers first acquired evidence of the alien creatures now referred to as Thargoids. My research division focused exclusively on studying this life form and preparing for the inevitable inter-species conflict. When Azimuth Biochemicals was commercially overtaken by Pharmasapien over a century ago, I ensured key assets and personnel were removed from company records prior to the acquisition. We continued our research in secret, free from shareholders and corporate espionage.”

“Since then, my team has led multiple projects to develop necessary advancements for the inevitable war. Our work with INRA on the mycoid virus was one early success. More recently, locating the Proteus in Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 provided us with a key breakthrough in weaponising Guardian technology.”

“My anti-xeno superweapon has already saved billions of lives. Azimuth Biotech is currently developing the next generation of this weapon, with which I intend to permanently cripple the Thargoid war machine.”

“Caleb Wycherley is no more, but his accomplishments laid the foundations for the man I have become. A man whose life goal has always been to save humanity from extinction.”

Pilots’ Federation ALERT

A range of alien objects have been delivered to the Arque system for Professor Ishmael Palin’s study of the Thargoids.

The conclusion of the project was announced by Professor Palin:

“I am highly impressed with the number of Thargoid probes, resin and sensors that were delivered to Abel Laboratory. Collecting and transporting these items can be a hazardous task, so I deeply appreciate the effort made by pilots to obtain them.”

“It is becoming increasingly urgent to improve our understanding of the Thargoids’ biomechanical technology. There is no sign that hostilities are about to end, so the need to produce defences has become paramount. Only through ensuring our research focuses on up-to-date samples can we be sure that we are working as efficiently as possible.”

Contributors can now collect their rewards from Baird Gateway in the Arque system. This includes Grade 5 engineered Heavy Duty Hull Reinforcement Packages for eligible contributors.

The Alliance, Empire and Federation have responded coolly to accusations that Salvation has hidden links to Azimuth Biochemicals and INRA.

Vox Galactica published a report from political correspondent Conrad Sterling:

“Salvation has always been a contentious figure, and the logs found in the DG Canum Venaticorum system have polarised public opinion further. Some are enraged that Salvation may have history with INRA or be responsible for the loss of the Alexandria. Others believe Aegis’s claims to be false, a desperate attempt to save themselves. But how have the superpowers reacted?”

“The Empire is taking a pragmatic view, with Senator Denton Patreus focusing on the strategic objective of defeating the Thargoids. As he bluntly told the Senate: ‘Nothing in the Imperial armoury comes close to matching the anti-xeno superweapon’s devastating capabilities.’”

“In the Federation, Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori has revived his investigation into Salvation and is hoping to authenticate the INRA logs. But other Federal leaders have adopted a ‘wait and see’ approach, refusing to be drawn on the controversy.”

“A broader range of reactions can be heard from the Alliance, albeit with little change in policy. Admiral Rachel Ziegler acknowledged that the accusations must be taken seriously, but added: ‘With the Sirius Corporation defence pact still under debate, and the Alliance lacking a proper naval force, we must continue to utilise all military options available to us.’”

The proposed strategic defence partnership with Sirius Corporation is being hotly debated within the Alliance Assembly.

Vanya Driscoll, political journalist with The Alliance Tribune, reported on the situation:

“Sirius Corporation’s offer to provide support against the Thargoids has caused considerable disruption this year. There was a conflict and push for independence in the Reorte system, with a Sirius Navy representative joining the Council of Admirals.”

“A three-month trial period ended with some achievements, including an increased military presence in the Coalsack and Witch Head colonies and logistical support of the recent Alliance Defence Force deployment to Didio. But it seems not enough was done to sway the majority of opponents.”

“Prime Minister Edmund Mahon is gambling that he has earned enough political capital to have the strategic defence pact ratified. Many government figures welcome the prospect of increased military strength. Mahon’s suggestion that this might result in an expanded Alliance was especially compelling.”

“Councillor Nakato Kaine is taking the opposite view, successfully tapping into widespread concerns over Sirius Corporation’s motives. She argues that the megacorp has not proven capable of defending Allied systems against Thargoid attack, despite the terms of the trial period preventing Sirius from deploying its fleet to active Allied engagements.”

“Council members are flocking to support either Mahon or Kaine, although dozens remain undecided. It’s clear that both sides will soon strive to sway public opinion, in order to influence the Assembly’s deciding vote at the end of this month.”

The location of an INRA base in the DG Canum Venaticorum system was revealed by a survivor of the notorious Project Seraph.

Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, initially received the tip-off from an anonymous source but has now provided clarification:

“Further communication with my source has revealed that she was once a ‘candidate’ of Project Seraph, a now-abandoned operation run by Azimuth Biochemicals several years ago. At the Oaken Point facility in the HIP 26176 system, scientists attempted to directly interface with Thargoid scout vessels by grafting neural and physiological implants into living subjects.”

“Most of these horrific experiments ended in failure or death, but the subject classified as D-2 escaped from Oaken Point by stowing away on a trader’s ship. Since then she has used her inside knowledge to investigate Azimuth, confirming Aegis’s belief that the corporation is still active.”

“D-2 asked me to make the following message public: ‘Tell the Witch that I remember everything. I want him to know that the truth came from me.’”

The INRA base’s logs suggest that Salvation’s real name is Dr Caleb Wycherley, Azimuth Biochemicals’s vice-president of research at the time of recording. If D-2’s accusation is true, it would mean that Wycherley has survived for over two centuries and was conducting unauthorised xenological experiments under the pseudonym ‘The Witch’.

Many supporters of Salvation believe that the Project Seraph logs were fabricated by Aegis to undermine their rival’s anti-xeno operations. Neither Salvation nor his partners, Taurus Mining Ventures, have yet made an official statement.

Pilots’ Federation ALERT

Professor Ishmael Palin has requested deliveries of Thargoid artefacts to the Arque system for scientific study.

The first phase of the project took place last month and focused on meta-alloys. In a public announcement, Professor Palin outlined the second phase:

“My ongoing analysis of the Thargoids’ biomechanical technology has reached a point where fresh material is needed. Specifically, I require large supplies of Thargoid probes, resin and sensors.”

“I appreciate that there are risks involved in transporting such dangerous alien artefacts. Hopefully, the corrosion resistant cargo racks that were provided following this project’s initial phase will prove useful.”

“As well as payment in credits, I am pleased to offer Grade 5 engineered Heavy Duty Hull Reinforcement Packages as an additional reward.”

Pilots are asked to deliver Thargoid probes, Thargoid resin and Thargoid sensors to Baird Gateway on the planet Arque 4 E.

The probationary period for the proposed anti-xeno partnership between the Alliance and Sirius Corporation has now ended.

Prime Minister Edmund Mahon made this public statement:

“Documentation for the strategic defence pact has been submitted to the Assembly for debate and amendment. Council members will vote by the end of June to decide whether or not it should be ratified.”

“In the last three months, Sirius Corporation has successfully increased security for Allied interests in the Coalsack and Witch Head Nebulas. It also did a splendid job arranging for crucial supplies to be delivered to the Didio system during the Thargoid invasion.”

“The Council of Admirals does not wish to rely exclusively on Salvation to protect Allied systems, and I concur with their assessment. Combining our defence force with Sirius’s resources will be a huge step toward forming an Alliance Navy, thereby increasing our anti-Thargoid fleet capabilities on a par with the Empire and Federation.”

Councillor Nakato Kaine, Mahon’s political rival, also made a statement:

“In my view, Sirius Corporation remains an untrustworthy partner and has exerted a disruptive influence on the Alliance. I continue to oppose the strategic defence pact, and urge my fellow council members to prevent it being adopted as policy.”

Claims that Salvation was once a senior member of Azimuth Biochemicals who worked for INRA have led to a public outcry.

Political journalist Conrad Sterling reported on these developments for Vox Galactica:

“Information recently uncovered in the DG Canum Venaticorum system has been presented by Professor Alba Tesreau. It suggests that Salvation’s real name is Dr Caleb Wycherley, former vice-president of research at Azimuth Biochemicals. According to Wycherley’s personal logs, his team contributed to the development of the controversial mycoid bioweapon deployed by INRA during the First Thargoid War.”

“Wycherley’s logs also provide evidence that he gained the nickname of ‘The Witch’. This figure has been implicated in the murderous attack on the Alexandria megaship in June 3307 and in Project Seraph recordings found in the HIP 26176 and HIP 22460 systems.”

“Former Aegis leadership has demanded that Salvation be arrested and questioned over his involvement in these events, and that superpower fleet support for Salvation’s work be suspended until such questions have been answered.”

Supporters of Salvation have dismissed the latest logs as fake, pointing out that Dr Wycherley would now be over 200 years old and that the mention of ‘salvation’ is coincidental. But outrage remains high over the unethical activities of both Azimuth and INRA, and Salvation’s growing influence over anti-Thargoid operations has been cast in a new light.

“The Alliance, Empire and Federation have all responded with noncommittal statements that the accusation will be investigated,” said Sterling. “However, since Salvation’s unique superweapons now form the cornerstone of their anti-xeno strategy, his arrest would be a major political and military inconvenience.”

Pilots’ Federation ALERT

An abandoned outpost in the DG Canum Venaticorum system could reveal the true identity of the anonymous figure Salvation.

Professor Alba Tesreau, former head of research at Aegis, made a public announcement:

“An untraceable source pointed me to the DG Canum Venaticorum system with the question: Who is Salvation? A unique detail caught my attention, so I requested verification from pilots who had supported Aegis. We found a previously undiscovered research outpost once controlled by the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm.”

“The site contains logs which directly connect Azimuth Biochemicals to INRA’s development of the mycoid virus. As is now known, this bioweapon was used covertly against the Thargoids and drove them away from human space for decades.”

“Most significantly, I believe these logs may finally reveal Salvation’s real name and background. I urge the superpowers to halt their collaboration with Salvation while this new data is verified.”

INRA was a clandestine anti-xeno organisation formed in 3125 by the Empire and Federation. Although its mycoid bioweapon contributed hugely to the end of the first Thargoid war in 3151, INRA’s activities have since been denounced by the superpowers as illegal and unethical.

Azimuth Biochemicals was a pharmaceutical corporation secretly involved in xenological research and weapons development. Aegis has warned that Azimuth may still be active in some form, as suggested by the Project Seraph logs in HIP 22460.

Neither Salvation nor his partners at Taurus Mining Ventures have yet responded to Professor Tesreau’s claims.

The anonymous scientist Salvation has made a statement following his latest success against the Thargoids.

The message was broadcast across all public channels:

“This is Salvation. The deployment of my anti-xeno superweapons in the Didio, Novas and Sosong systems was highly effective, just as I anticipated. Billions of lives were undoubtedly saved as a result.”

“Due to support from the Alliance, Empire and Federation, we have made a major breakthrough in utilising Guardian-based technology. Construction of the next generation of superweapons has already begun. These will allow us to deliver a truly overwhelming strike against the Thargoid species.”

“The end of the war is finally within reach. Those who hold faith in my work will be vindicated, and humanity can at last close the chapter on this existential threat.”

Commodore Morag Halloran confirmed that Taurus Mining Ventures, Salvation’s partner organisation, had received a boost in resources from all three superpowers. This included seconded naval personnel, megaship supplies and advanced engineering equipment.

The Alliance Defence Force, Federal Navy and Imperial Navy have stated they are now fully committed to working with Salvation on anti-xeno operations. Representatives from the Assembly, Congress and Senate expressed confidence that there would soon be decisive developments in the conflict with the Thargoids.

Pilots’ Federation ALERT

The invading Thargoid forces in the Didio, Novas and Sosong systems have been completely repelled by Salvation.

Vox Galactica journalist Jade Sanderlyn published this account:

“We’ve received confirmation from Commodore Morag Halloran that three anti-xeno superweapons were activated in Didio, Novas and Sosong. This caused the Thargoid fleets in all three systems to immediately withdraw into hyperspace.”

“It seems that the Thargoids have no defence against the Guardian-derived superweapon, which generates an electromagnetic pulse to disrupt their biomechanical technology.”

“Allied, Federal and Imperial taskforces have been keeping the Thargoids at bay for the last two weeks. Admirals Ziegler, Price and Atherton sent messages of congratulation to Salvation, who seems set to receive additional resources to improve superweapon production. For better or worse, it appears Salvation now plays a crucial role in humanity’s war against the Thargoids.”

The superpowers also offered rewards to independent pilots for contributing to the systems’ defences. Commanders can redeem Thargoid combat bonds at Plymouth Howl in the Ch'anjie system, Nusslein-Volhard Settlement in the Zlota system, and Sturckow Orbital in the Lesheima system.

Pilots’ Federation ALERT

The entrepreneur Zachary Rackham has asked for deliveries of rare items to Edmondson High in the Beta Hydri system.

At a press conference on the planet Homeland, Mr Rackham announced:

“It’s not every day that a humble businessman like me celebrates becoming a trillionaire! So I’m holding a week-long party in the upper floors of Rackham’s Spire. To make sure my guests are entertained, I’ll need to keep my stocks of Apa Vietii from Upaniklis, Gerasian Gueuze Beer from Geras, Pantaa Prayer Sticks from George Pantazis, Uszaian Tree Grubs from Uszaa and Anduliga Fire Works from Anduliga high throughout the entire week.”

“I’ve also arranged for pilots to receive temporary permits to the Beta Hydri system, which will last until the 2nd of June. Anything to make life easier for my trader friends!”

Mr Rackham faced criticism for hosting a celebration at a time when so many have died in recent Thargoid attacks. In response, he claimed he had “a duty to boost public morale by filling the news with happier stories”.

Financial reporter Bryanna Blanco commented in The Federal Times:

“The guest list for this party includes politicians, media magnates, publicity gurus, and many others who would prove useful if you were running a presidential campaign. Should Rackham get enough of them on his side – presumably by sparing no expense on their comfort and entertainment – I think he’ll officially set his sights on the Federation’s top job.”