All future logbook entries can be found at the following location:

Inara Logbook

Well, this update has been a long time coming.

Thank the gods I am finally back in my pilot seat. Partway through the expedition, I contracted some form of spaceborne infection which meant I had to be placed in cryo for over a month. Doctors say it likely originated from the exotic molluscs from which I'd been gathering tissue samples. I'm bitterly disappointed I was unable to finish the expedition with my fellow commanders, but it was amazing experience nonetheless. I could not have asked for a more productive trip or a better group of explorers with which to share it. My sincere gratitude goes to the commanders who organized and led the venture. Below is the rather substantial backlog of Canonn Challenge entries I was able to check off prior to my lengthy hibernation.

Anomalies

There is a staggering amount of anomaly varieties in and around the core. However, even given that diversity, the Q06 was the only anomaly I was able to locate in an untagged system. Much like T01s, the Q06 anomalies seem to appear in a small bubble of systems around a central planetary nebula. Based on my limited survey, this bubble is smaller and only extends 5 light-years from the nebula itself. The remainder were simply too rare for me to track down, and all the examples listed below (sans the Q06) are from the systems noted in the Codex.

L05 Anomaly

Waypoint 8: Byoomao MI-S e4-5423

K10 Anomaly

System: Byoomao JC-B d1-3681

Q02 Anomaly

System: Myriesly HR-N e6-4354

Q06 Anomaly

System: Myriesly HN-I c23-463

T04 Anomaly

System: Myriesly MS-T e3-3831

K11 Anomaly

System: Stuemeae KM-W c1-342

L04 Anomaly

System: Stuemeae FG-Y d7561

L01 Anomaly

System: Juenae OX-U e2-8852

P15 Anomaly

System: Nyuena RO-Z d184

P13 Anomaly

System: Nyuena ID-Z c1-10

E02 Anomaly

System: Vegnoae WE-R e4-9257

E03 Anomaly

System: Phleedgaa PT-G d11-35

Molluscs

My mollusc hunts in the core were actually surprisingly successful. Of the species shown below, only the Lindigoticum Bulb Mollusc required me to rely on a known population for a scan. The other five were found in untagged systems. Searching for the molluscs yielded a most unexpected discovery. Every explorer knows that large nebula are wildly attractive targets for commanders in the black due to both their visibility on the galactic map and the dazzling views they provide. As a result, basically every system situated within the actual gas cloud of a nebula that I have ever visited is almost entirely tagged. I am pleased to have found at least one exception. The Rhubarb Nebula, home to the bulb molluscs on the eastern side of the Inner Orion-Perseus Conflux, is comically underexplored. I economy routed from one side of the gas cloud to the other. Twice. And maybe a third of those systems were tagged. The stars are dense but the nebula is not excessively large. I am very confused as to why I found such an abundance of untagged systems. I will definitely be revisiting that nebula and those surrounding it in the future.

Viride Parasol Molluscs

System: Vegnue VE-Q e5-136

Luteolum Parasol Molluscs

System: Vegnue VE-Q e5-136

Lindigoticum Parasol Molluscs

System: Vegnue ZK-O e6-1137

Viride Bulb Mollusc

System: Eorl Bre DM-H c25-156

Luteolum Bulb Mollusc

System: Eorl Bre DM-H c25-66

Lindigoticum Bulb Mollusc

System: Xothuia KP-E d12-538

Miscellaneous Surface Biology

Thankfully, my progress in finding terrestrial alien life has been steady overall. Of the anenomes, only the rarest variety (puniceum) still eludes me. Apparently, I also accidentally misidentified a strain of tuber in a previous entry. I had assumed it was caeruleum but was in truth lindigoticum. The difference in their appearance is subtle, and the entries have now been corrected. If only I could rely on my composition scanner.

Lindigoticum Sinuous Tubers

System: Dryoea Flyi ID-Z d1-5328

Caeruleum Sinuous Tubers

System: Juenae LO-X d2-1180

Roseum Sinuous Tubers

System: Juenae LO-X d2-5360

Viride Sinuous Tubers

System: Phaa Briae DH-K d9-1561

Luteolum Anenome

System: Vegnue VE-Q e5-747

Luteolum Lagrange Storm Cloud and K12 Anomaly

System: Dryoea Flyi II-S e4-6870

While perusing our expedition's resource center I noticed something interesting that kept me from cutting straight east toward Waypoint 7. There was a luteolum lagrange storm cloud in the southern area of Odin's Hold. I knew of only a tiny handful of these phenomenon that had been reported by commanders in the entire galaxy. The detailed report noted that it was located in planetary nebula and had anomalies present. Getting to see something like would be more than worth a handful of extra jumps.

This was a unique experience for me. I had never encountered a storm lagrange cloud before, having only interacted with the comparatively tranquil colored varieties often seen around nebula. None of those would prepare me for what I witnessed. To say this cloud was ominous is a severe understatement. From the outside it appeared pitch dark, lit only by the occasional streak of lightning. A K-12 anomaly had been reported inside, but it was impossible to tell where. I decided the prudent course of action would be to search for it using an SLF as a probe rather than risk my vessel. The light fighter became difficult to control as soon as I entered the cloud. Diverting power to the engines helped somewhat, but this meant the fighter's shields could not withstand the storm's lightning. Stray bolts had cost me three of my fighters by the time I finally located the anomaly. It was hovering in a less active area of the cloud, but my fighter was still being tossed around. Eventually I held her steady enough to complete a composition scan and confirm its location, bloodied but unbowed.

The brief time I spent in the cloud was harrowing. These conditions were alien to me, and the intensity of the storm left me rattled. I've flown into the jet cone of a neutron star to jump hundreds of light-years, crossed the length of the galaxy, landed on high-gravity worlds. When I was inexperienced these things made me nervous. But this storm was different. The looming threat of a stray lightning strike, unresponsive controls, and lack of any real visibility coalesced into a situation I had little control over. This storm was frightening. I found myself recalling the stories of our distant ancestors, exploring the oceans of Earth in naught but wooden boats and seaing waves that dwarfed their vessels. I think I can empathize with them now. But as their ancient adage went, calm seas never made a skilled sailor. I'll be better prepared for the next storm I come across.

I did discover that the SLF's passive scanner was ill-suited to identifying the storm cloud. I had to ease my Beluga up to its edge before my codex confirmation would come through.

Viride Lagrange Storm Cloud and T01 Anomaly

Waypoint 7: Agnairy JH-U e3-2113

After a brief stop at the DSSA Burrian Anchorage for repairs and to restock my supply of SLFs, I followed my route to Waypoint 7. Jumping into the storm cloud in this system was much less foreboding than the previous one. Unlike the nearly opaque luteolum I had visited, this viride lagrange storm was a pleasant even green which made navigating the the more electrically active areas much easier. I felt comfortable enough to maneuver my Beluga through the storm, and the greater mass compared to the SLF helped me keep a steady course. In short order I found my quarry, a docile T01 anomaly, which then proceeded to temporarily follow my ship around. My next several hours were spent survey local systems and I was eventually able to log an untagged T01 in Agnairy HN-D c15-3281.

I'm thankful the star density this close to the core provided me with ample hunting grounds. Soon we will be moving even deeper into the Center. This will only be my second visit this deep into the galactic interior. I am excited about the potential discoveries that wait for us, now that I am better armed with knowledge of what's out there.

After a brief survey Wepaa, I decided I should take the opportunity to visit the Bloody Haze Nebula. It was a short 5,000 light-year journey north, and the only known area in the galaxy to find capsule molluscs. I immediately noticed something peculiar. Their range seemed restricted to the gaseous clouds of the nebula or at least very near. This is in sharp contrast to the reel molluscs, which I was finding a couple hundred light-years outside the strict bounds of the Greae Phio Stellar Forge. Analysis of the molluscs revealed they all shared the same traits: approaches nearby objects and approaches and damages nearby objects.

Luteolum Capsule Mollusc System: Dryio Bloo MO-Y d1-578

This was the only variety I was able to find in a completely undiscovered system. The other variants are only found around much rarer stars, so those systems had already been passed through by an earlier explorer.

Lindigoticum Capsule Mollusc System: Dryio Bloo YE-A g1518

Viride Capsule Mollusc System: Dryio Bloo PZ-W d2-918

I was had planned to break up my expedition into 4-waypoint blocks, but the previous two waypoints have simply yielded too many notable entries. The Heart of the Storm Expedition has officially exceeded my wildest expectations.

Waypoint 4: Shrogeau GG-Y e119

Located in the southern Empyrean Straits, this waypoint is in close proximity to the furthest Guardian ruins from Sol. I spent days scanning systems close to the ruins, and uncovered numerous uncharted brain tree systems. However, my colleagues at Canonn informed me that each Guardian bubble will only harbor Ostrinum or Puniceum trees, but never both, so I was unable to locate any Puniceum. And despite my best efforts, I could not find any of rare Viride variety either. This was the first time I had ever seen brain trees, and they fully live up to their descriptions. Passing through the area I also discovered sinuous tubers, but my composition scanner had a difficult time discerning one variety from another, often bringing back different results from scans of the same plant. Further investigation is warranted to more accurately ascertain the growth conditions of each type.

Roseum Brain Tree

System: Shrogaae EF-A e75

Prasinum Sinuous Tubers

System: Shrogeau JB-X d1-771

Ostrinum Brain Tree

System: Eorl Auwsy SY-Z d13-1914

Gypseeum Brain Tree

System: Eorl Auwsy UT-Z d13-1091

Lividum Brain Tree

System: Eorl Auwsy UT-Z d13-1782

Waypoint 6: Wepaa BA-A g244

Our party split up, choosing to independently investigate several sites of interest. I rode aboard the expedition FC Giant Survey to the Wepaa Sector in Odin's Hold. It was here that the expedition finally laid eyes on virgin systems containing our target: anomalies! Spread across the sector were thousands of black holes, many of them home to K- and E-type anomalies. I had never seen entities such as these before. Were they organic? Sentient? They're very difficult to categorize, and no tool in my arsenal could manage to sample them. If nothing else, they are fascinating and oddly abundant in this area of space. Several expedition members have reported seeing them in multiple systems.

K-04 and E-04 Anomalies

System: Wepaa BA-A g1556

K-03 Anomaly and Lattice Mineral Spheres

System: Wepaa YJ-A f1952

K-05 and K-08 Anomalies

System: Wepaa CQ-Y f2451

K-06 Anomaly

System: Wepaa ZE-A g1481

System: Eorl Auwsy UT-Z d13-338

It finally happened.

While out hunting for brain trees in the Empyrean Strait guardian bubble, the gods chanced to smile upon me and I stumbled across a novel variant of octahedral pods. I'm not surprised these managed to fly under the radar a bit longer than their sibling variants, as these require the presence of a ringed Class V gas giant to provide a suitable environment for them to grow.

Further analysis of the pods yielded the same trait as seen in the other octahedral pods: releases spores when approached.

I utilized research limpets to gather as many different samples as I could for future study. After probing several different individuals, I was able to extract pod core tissue, pod dead tissue, and pod surface tissue.

I cannot adequately express my excitement over the discovery of this small population of octahedral pods. An official entry in the galactic codex bearing my name has long been a dream of mine, but I had always considered the odds as remote at best. But to find a codex-worthy NSP while on the Heart of the Storm expedition, a journey focused on locating new NSPs? Well, this truly marks the high point of my short exploration career, and a moment I will always cherish.

After months of anticipation the day finally came and the Heart of the Storm expedition weighed anchor and set off. At time of writing, we have made our way through 4 of 12 waypoints, and we have already seen some truly awe-inspiring systems. From one of the rare Glowing Green Gas Giants to the rings of the famed Collection of Wonders to the ruins of the ancient Guardian civilization, the expedition has made its way toward the core and has made substantial progress in cataloging new systems where extraterrestrial life can be found. We have also taken the opportunity to perform supplemental scans of known biological populations, such as the molluscs shown below.

Albulus Bell Mollusc

System: Skaudai AM-B d14-138

Lindigoticum Reel Mollusc

System: Greae Phio DT-G d11-1570

This voyage has already been more productive than I could have hoped. Areas that I would have thought to be well-traveled have proven to be a reservoir of unexplored systems, many of which harbor life. Unseen anomalies continue to elude us, but given the veracity and dedication of the crew I remain hopeful that we will find some. We have had great luck so far finding systems containing notable stellar phenomenon, and I eagerly await the remainder of our journey. If the final two thirds are anything at all like the first, this will rank among the best expeditions this commander has ever been a part of. Below is a report highlighting some of my own more noteworthy findings.

Caeruleum Lagrange Cloud, Solid Mineral Spheres, and Luteolum Reel Mollusc

System: Greae Phio FO-G d11-1894

Croceum Lagrange Cloud

System: Greae Phio FO-G d11-1776

Roseum Lagrange Cloud

System: Greae Phio FO-G d11-2751

Viride Reel Mollusc

System: Eeshorks YJ-A e3044

Of all the discoveries I have made on this expedition so far, this is the one I am most proud of. These molluscs require an Herbig star in system to grow, and I had not expected to find an untouched Herbig so close to a nebula. Surprisingly, a brief survey of the outskirts of the nebula turned up several such systems, one of them containing these molluscs.

To my great delight, I finally was able to gain first discoveries on the varieties of lagrange cloud reported in my previous entries including luteolum and viride. I have discovered a novel example of each variety of the colored largrange clouds. I do not expect to be as lucky in a search for the storm varieties of those clouds.

Following my trip to Xibalba, I returned to the bubble to begin final preparations for the Heart of the Storm expedition. This venture, focused on research into anomalies and NSP-bound life, will last for four months and run from the bubble to the core. The camaraderie of expedition travel, unique waypoint systems, and the density of exotic stars in the core made this an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

A number of commanders volunteered the services of their fleet carriers to aid in the expedition, opening up a host of options regarding the variety of ships to bring. Being largely a private long-term explorer, the Krait Phantom has been my workhorse due to it's range and capacity to be self-sufficient. But with carriers in tow, I could design a craft more suited to intensive investigation than the Phantom would allow. Discussions with fellow scientists led me to settle on Saud Kruger's Beluga. The Beluga possesses a spectacular view from the cockpit and the slots to carry as many scanners and scientific instruments as I might possibly need. An Imperial Cutter outfitted for mining tritium and an Imperial Courier for relaxing canyon runs will round out the rest of my fleet for this trip. After some rather extensive engineering, my expedition fleet was prepped and transferred aboard the designated fleet carrier. I decided to take the Beluga on a short 15k light-year round trip around the Inner Orion Spur to see how she would fair as a general everyday vessel. I must say, she was surprisingly comfortable.

The following are examples of biologicals from the Canonn Challenge list that I discovered while settling into my new Beluga.

Rubeum Bioluminescent and Croceum Anemones

System: Aucoths OO-Q e5-10

Roseum Bioluminescent and Roseum Anemones

System: Aucoths OO-Q e5-1

Purpureum, Prasinum, Flavum, and Rubeum Metallic Crystals and Albulum Gourd Mollusc

System: Aucoths WR-L c24-17

As an unapologetic explorer, I rarely return to the Bubble and never stay for long. Unfortunately, this means my contacts within engineering circles were rather limited. When I initially set out into the black, I had the best possible FSD available. But the remainder of the modules making up my trusty Krait Phantom, the Lord Sandwich II, were completely stock components. I owed this ship some time in drydock while investing in substantive enhancements. Over the course of several weeks I gathered materials, called in favors, and did all that I could to track down the few people capable of high-grade module modifications. When it was over, every aspect of my ship had been improved. The hull was strengthened, the thrusters were tuned, and every gram of unnecessary mass was stripped out to maximize possible jump range. All that remained was an adequate field test. But this ship had already taken me all over the galaxy, and never once failed me. What journey could I possibly take to test her newfound explorative capacity? I had recalled hearing that a fellow DSSA Carrier Commander, HeavyJohnson, had stationed his carrier at Arm's End, a distant system at the most remote edge of Xibalba. A trip to the Explorer's Bar and Grill was known to be arduous, requiring extensive manual route plotting and frequent use of range-boosting FSD injections. If attempting to reach any destination could strain my ship's capabilities, this would surely be the one?

Regrettably, it was I who was unprepared for this journey, not my ship. This trek proved to be too much for me and forced me to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of exploration on the very fringes of the galaxy. A lesson that following a mapped route to Semotus Beacon on a previous expedition had failed to teach me.  I grossly underestimated the amount of trial-and-error required in finding a viable route forward, and did not store sufficient materials for the necessary FSD injections. To avoid the risk of stranding myself on the return journey, I would need to stop and harvest more materials from local planets. This was time I simply did not have, as I am committed to an upcoming expedition launching from the Bubble in January. I will need to return to this area again with the benefit of experience and more resources. Lesson learned. The more positive news is that the Lord Sandwich II performed admirably, clearly benefitting from the efforts of many seasoned engineers. The following are a selection of the biological sites I scanned while attempting to traverse one of the most unforgiving patches of space in the galaxy.

Viride Gyre Trees

System: Eorgh Hypa RR-U c19-0

These gyre trees were some of the first humans ever encountered in the Kepler's Crest region. Their protuberances are notably thinner than those of the penduncle trees I had seen during my earlier voyage. Gyres are also considerably rarer, with only 16 populations having been discovered to date. I suspect this is due to the fact that gyres require the presence of at least one of a number of life-bearing worlds and a Class Y star in system in order to develop. Such planets are rarely, if ever, found in a Class Y primary system. Unlike amphoras where one could survey Class A primary systems and hope to hit upon the right conditions eventually, the Class Y star crucial to the growth of gyre trees would likely need to be either a secondary star or a moon. This makes efforts to selectively scan for systems where gyre trees might be found a monumentally more difficult undertaking.

Roseum Gyre Pods

System: Eorgh Hypa RR-U c19-0

To my great surprise, gyre pods appear to have evolved a defense against any attempt to disturb them. I noted a strange particulate cloud surrounding the pod upon initial inspection. When I entered this cloud trying to investigate more closely, alarms sounded as a corrosive substance  bypassed my shields and ate away at my hull. The corrosion subsided quickly when I retreated to a safe distance, but the experience was harrowing to say the least. I utilized a research limpet to extract a tissue sample for further study.

During my previous sojourn in Colonia, a fellow Canonn explorer by the name of SovereignWinter sent out a call to gather and store exploration data for the upcoming exploration season. He believed that with squadron's combined efforts and the considerable amount of data he had amassed, Canonn could contend for the trophy. To support this goal, I had not sold any of the data I had accrued during my previous 65,000 light-years of travel. But the season was soon coming to end. It was time to return to make the 50,000 light-year journey to the Bubble and engratiate myself with Li Yong-Rui. LYR is well-known to grossly overpay for such data from his supporters, up to three times the typical asking price and well worth the inconvenience of a few cargo runs. My accumulated data eventually sold in Kalak for just over 9 billion credits, contributing to Canonn's first gold medal-winning season and allowing me to finance a veritable fleet of exploration vessels. The following report contains one example of each of the new Canonn challenge items I scanned while traveling from the DSSA Nest in Mare Somnia to the Bubble.

Rubicundum Lagrange Cloud

System: Eock Prau OR-K b22-0

I stopped to rest and repair at the DSSA Bougainville, stationed in the Eock Bluae Nebula. It was while performing scans of the surrounding systems that I discovered this beautiful red Lagrange cloud, the first colored Lagrange cloud of any kind I had ever seen. And it certainly did not disappoint.

Viride Lagrange Cloud

System: Eock Prau TI-T d3-0

I happened across this cloud shortly after. Unfortunately, this system had been visited once before and was not a unique discovery of my own. It was stunning nonetheless, even if I must go out to find one of my own someday.

Luteolum Lagrange Cloud

System: Eock Prau VY-N b21-0

Much like the previous entry, this cloud had been visited once before. But the number of undiscovered systems in close proximity to the nebula gives me confidence in my ability to be the first human in a multitude of colored Lagrange clouds in the future.

Amphora Plant

System: Floadaea MU-F d11-0

I must admit I yelled in triumph the first time I discovered a population of these elusive plants. And the three times after that. Found in only a handful of regions on the eastern side of the galaxy, amphoras have fairly stringent criteria that must be met before they will grow. A volcanically active, airless, metal-rich body with an A-star and one of several possible life-bearing worlds present in-system are all necessary to provide an environment conducive to amphora growth.