January 7th, 3308

Federal Constitutionalists Headquarters, Bilongo system

After having a lengthy discussion with Minister Hobert McCormick and ranking members of the local congress, we have decided to issue a joint statement on behalf of the Federal Constitutionalists and the Belligerent Renegades squadron.

Statement of Intent

The people of Bilongo and surrounding systems are hereby issuing a formal declaration of condemnation against the administration of President Zachary Hudson and the direction of the Federation. The actions of this administration have shown flagrant disregard for the federal Constitution and the rights and liberties of its citizens. The abhorrent bait-and-switch against Yuri Grom at a diplomatic summit as well as the implementation and expansion of the illegal and invasive Proactive Detection Bureau are just a couple of the most egregious violations of civil liberties and rights by the administration.

If this behavior is allowed to continue, the Federation will become unrecognizable as a people's republic. Surveillance states are the tool of an authoritarian regime, not a constitutional republic. Authoritarianism is the enemy of the people.

We are issuing a warning to the Federation: Continue down this path, and there will be consequences. We have Pilot's Federation commanders and independents who are be willing to take direct action against an increasingly anti-liberty administration. We are prepared to take electoral, economic, and political action against Federal interests that threaten liberty. We are also calling upon any like-minded Commanders, pilots, and squadrons to take a stand against this hostile government.

Do not comply. Belligerent against Tyranny.

March 26th, 3307 Carrier Serenity, Eord Flyuae NO-Q d5-2108

After the ceasefire with the Bilongo Network, some of us decided to head out into the void. Our expedition is making the trek to the Galactic Core and will return via Colonia. Early on, we explored a few nebulae in the Inner Orion Spur region. Later, we started investigating interesting ruins and planetary nebulae. I've personally charted over 400 systems and we're only about halfway to the Core.

approaching the Eagle Nebula

The Eagle Nebula proved rather interesting; it has an unusual cluster of stars all of the same spectral type clustered in a small region. The nebula is pretty thoroughly charted by other expeditions but it was a nice stopping point nonetheless. For me, it served as my first experience inside of a nebula!

P-type anomaly

Our first stellar phenomena were some P-Type anomalies in the Pru AESCS sector.

Abandoned Conflux Site Delta

Traveling near the Colonia Highway, we stopped by the mysterious Conflux settlements and loaded the loads from the local uplinks. The stories were mostly grim with only one seemingly ending without incident. It's strange that over 40 years later we still know very little about these places.

black hole in a planetary nebula

meetup on a planet orbiting the black hole

Captain Malcolm Reynolds spotted a nearby planetary nebula not long after we left the Conflux settlements. We went to investigate and found it was centered around a black hole (Flyiedgiae EB-W e2-37). Three of us broke away from our individual explorations to visit the system and found a beautiful green 'sky' with a barely visible singularity at the center of it all.

The Incident

Terraformable at the bottom of the galaxy

After most of my fellow commanders returned to the Serenity for some R&R, I decided to make a quick visit to the bottom of the galactic plane. With the assistance of neutron stars, I propelled myself 'down' as far as I could go. I found a constellation of 3 star systems near each other and mapped them out. I even discovered a beautiful terraformable ringed planet. Upon loading stellar cartography to plot a return trip, it failed repeatedly. It was then that I realized my mistake... Neutron star jumps can get you to your destination, but returning the same way is not possible. Seems obvious in retrospect... so now I find myself over 200Ly away from the neutron star that got me to this small constellation. Thankfully, I was able to synthesize a standard FSD boost and jump to a nearby white dwarf which was then able to get me back to a neutron star. In a positive turn of luck, I became the first discovered on two neutron stars on my way back 'up!'

Over the last few years, several waystations were built on the 'road to Colonia.' One of these is Sacajawea Space Port. Some of us made a brief stop there to reconnect with a small piece of civilization. It was refreshing to see other people again and have some different food. On the subject of food, as I was leaving the spaceport, the nearby gas giant reminded me of a giant meatball on a plate.

Tiny Herbig Ae/Be star orbiting an O-class

Bubblegum Planet

Commander LSDMT found a really neat system centered on an O class star. It was orbited by an incredibly small Herbig Ae/Be star with a solar radius of 0.1453. Further into the system there are several brown dwarf stars casting a pinkish glow on the outer system planets. One of these planets is a 2.9G world with a gorgeous pink appearance and some patches of light yellow. I dubbed it "Bubblegum Planet" due to its appearance.

First Earthlikes!

After over 600 discovered systems, I finally encountered my first Earth-like worlds. The first one was ringed with a small moon. It was 1.34G with a tidally locked orbital period of 193.6 days. This planet may be a bit rough to live on except around the day/night border.

My second Earth-like was far more appealing. It had no moon or rings, but it was 0.83G with an orbital period of 265.3 days. Atmospheric pressure comparable to Earth at around 1.06 atmospheres. It's a smaller world at about 0.48 Earth masses and a radius of 4.8Mm.

On my way back to the Serenity last night, I discovered a beautiful little water world. It had a gorgeous blue color to it and a nice cloud system. Captain Malcolm reports that Cmdr Alkarius from Colonia rendezvoused with us overnight. We're currently underway towards the Core with much fewer stops along this stretch; I expect we'll be making good time over the next few days.

o7

March 16th, 3307 Carrier Serenity, Bilongo

I knew this would happen, but I didn't expect it would come so soon. The newly established Federal Constitutionalists faction has already met armed resistance from a local non-Federation corporation. It was hoped we could absorb this corporation peacefully but they refused to cede territory or influence. As a result, we're already fighting an armed conflict with the corporate overlords in the Bilongo Network. Limited Federation assets have been allocated to our faction to assist with the war efforts. Understandably, they could not provide too much due to the ongoing rescue operations in the core worlds. Thankfully, we've been able to heavily supplement the military forces with commanders from our squadron.

The war has been going well so far; the last two days have seen consistent victories near Porges Landing. One of our commanders ordered their fleet carrier Serenity into the system to provide logistical support. We've also gained some additional assistance from a 3rd party freelance commander aligned with the Federation. We're hoping his extensive experience with political warfare proves useful.

The Constitutionalist Congress has already elected a leader. Aide Hobert McCormick was chosen as our first head of government. I have had the pleasure of meeting him during his inauguration at a convention hall in Finney Dock. He told me he's very grateful for our naval allegiance and for getting this movement off the ground. Admittedly, I am a bit concerned about a powerful faction nearby that is backed by a very large squadron of fellow commanders. If needs arise, Aide McCormick has assured me he will endeavor to keep interactions with fellow Federation-aligned democracies diplomatic. We believe firmly in democratic rule, not force. People should be given the right to choose a faction by a fair election; not by tradition or default.

In other news, I must say that President Hudson could be handling this ongoing crisis better. He started off great with his aggressively anti-NMLA stance and the respectful momerium for the deceased, but to immediately point fingers at the Liberal Party and Winters? I get it, I kinda even agree. Strong border security is important and the Liberal party has frequently been far too lax on the matter. However, maybe it's a little too soon to start playing the political blame-games. Right now, we should remain unified against an obvious threat to the Federation.

With that, I think it's time to get back into the fight.

March 12th, 3307 Jameson Memorial, Shinrarta Dezhra

We do not negotiate with terrorists; To give a terrorist any quarter is to legitimize them and their "cause." These NMLA brutes claim to be fighting for freedom and democracy but all I see are thugs and murderers. This kind of action will do absolutely nothing to further their cause. I believe it will actually damage it. The Marlinist Colonies are already accused of being involved with the NMLA. True or not, it will negatively affect the fledgling state as people look for someone to blame. Regardless of whether these Serene Harbor claims are true, it does not give them an excuse to bomb innocents aboard starbases. This is an act of cowards and fools. Mark my words: They will pay. In the meantime, the main objective is to rescue as many Federation citizens as I can.

I obtained a basic Federal Dropship for this endeavor and have had it hastily fitted with simple accommodations and heat sinks. The Buffalo Bill has already rescued around 500 people from the Li Qing Jao in orbit of Earth. It has been a while since I last visited my home system. I only wish it was under better circumstances.

I had to make some choices between capacity and safety. Ultimately, I opted to forgo a shield generator in favor of additional passenger capacity and a small cargo bay for salvaging important items from the wreckage. There were some close calls with errant debris and explosions inside the station. The amount of heat in the hangar is incredible; it's amazing so many people have survived.

I've had to make a trip back to Jameson Memorial to make some adjustments to the loadout and take a rest before my next run. Nanomam is also in a bad way and could use some additional pilots according to some of my fellow commanders. I will be making a trip that way this evening to see if we can lend a hand.

March 9th, 3307 NGC 3114 Sector LB-W c2-3, Outer Orion Spur

After delivering nearly 34,000 tons of food to the galactic summit, I decided to embark on my first proper exploration expedition.  The goal was simple:  chart new worlds and anomalies.  It is said there is a wide swath of unexplored territory to the galactic east; this has thus far proven to be true.  I have charted over 200 previously unexplored star systems and intend to find even more.  Around 5 water worlds and several terraformables have also been logged.

During my first encounter with a proto-Lagrange cloud, I accidentally ran straight into a purpureum crystal formation while scanning and lost nearly 40% of my hull integrity.  Another similar incident brought me down to 45% total hull strength.  This setback is fine as long as I can maintain a safe distance from these objects in the future.

One of my favorite discoveries was of a binary pair of terraformables in Prua Dryou RT-W b20-2.  They had an atmosphere and a beautiful cloud structure.

In another Outer Orion Spur System, I discovered a gorgeous ringed waterworld.

Sunrises are always beautiful.

Despite the damage suffered early in the expedition, I made numerous planetary landings to stock up on materials and explore ground features.  One such planet had a very ethereal quality to it.  The silence and serenity was calming.

On the subject of humanity... the latest transmissions from Galnet have been rather interesting.  The Galactic Summit continues to heat up with Archon Delaine's absurd demand to be named as an official state; as if a pirate could lay official claim to a region of space.  We should be running him out of the conference and seizing as many of his pirate fleet assets as possible, but Sirius has granted him diplomatic immunity as if he were a head of state.

Due to the damage suffered earlier, I am currently on a return trip to secure my discoveries with Universal Cartographics.  While the profits are moderate, the main thing is to ensure these worlds get into the official star charts.  According to some estimates, only 0.016% of the entire galaxy has been mapped.  I am happy to do my small part in contributing.  

February 19th, 3307 Ashby City, Luyten's Star

Now that the Jupiter situation is under control, I have started doing some freelancing again. I received a contract to gather some ancient Guardian technology components. While they could not provide credits, they promised to give me some hybrid-tech upgrades to my FSD systems. None of my existing ships are properly equipped for a long journey so I visited the Lakon dealer at Jameson Memorial and purchased an Asp Explorer. The local outfitting agency set me up with a long-range exploration kit, including my first pair of SRVs. These will be critical to completing the upcoming mission.

the Black Horizon

I joined up with a couple of commanders who had a fleet carrier and jumped about 800ly outside of the bubble to a known Guardian site. Learning how to drive an SRV is quite a challenge; I have never driven a ground vehicle before. Growing up, I always used public transit... never needed my own vehicle back then. It probably took a good 20 minutes before I was able to adequately maneuver the SRV. One of the commanders provided aerial support against the drones; on that note, it has always kinda surprised me how resilient Guardian tech is. That their sentries still work after all this time is a testament to their incredible engineering and technology. Maybe someday we'll accomplish the same. That kind of immortality is rare.

Upon return from our short expedition, I was able to purchase Guardian-hybrid FSD boosters for my ships. These will be invaluable to my future endeavors. However, while my ships all have some high-end components, there is definitely room for improvement. Some well-known engineers out there may be able to help on this front; I've already started a working relationship with Ms. Farseer out in the Deciat system. She was very appreciative of the wealth of exploration data I provided to her from my excursion to the Guardian site. She still needs me to obtain some very specific materials before we can produce anything worthwhile. Felicity told me she was particularly interested in seeing my Asp Explorer; apparently, she used to fly one back in the day. One of the techs in the hanger claims they don't make them like they used to, but I think they're just being sentimental! My experience with Lakon has been nothing but stellar.

The Peace Summit I have a mixed opinion of the Sirius Corporation. They've essentially become a corporate state deep within Federation territory. It's my opinion that they're making a mistake by being so utterly neutral. How can they tacitly support slavery in the Empire? The Empire is a step backward for humankind, no matter how pretty they make their ships. In any case, I guess their plans to host the peace summit are moving forward. Frankly, I think this whole thing will accomplish nothing. I'll admit, fighting a war with the Empire or Alliance would be pointless right now, but I also think these peace talks are a waste of time. Hudson has better things he could be focusing on; like dealing with the Thargoid menace.

Anyway, despite this, it is an opportunity to make a lot of money. Sirius has offered a permanent permit to their home system as well as an enhanced frame shift drive. This is on top of all the credits I can make by delivering rare goods from across civilized space. This unfortunately means I must go deep into Imperial territory. I also noted another opportunity; tritium in a nearby system is available for a bit below the average. Several private enterprises have stationed their fleet carriers nearby for the ongoing summit. Selling them tritium for double the galactic average has turned out to be incredibly profitable.

I kept a bottle of Lavian Brandy for myself... think I'll pop it open and have some with my lunch.

February 17th, 3307 Gordon Plant, Tollan system

Jupiter Division has been defeated. After nearly a week of fighting, Federal forces aligned with Silver Legal have pushed back the treasonous scum in HIP 54530. As a result of my recent contributions to the war effort and the Sothis region, I've been granted another promotion in the Federal auxiliary navy and permitted to purchase a Core Dynamics corvette.

With recent events, it has become clear to me that the Federation needs a stronger advocate for freedom, democracy, and true liberty. There's a lot of disgruntled people who feel the Federation has become too self-serving and forgetful of the average citizen. The beautiful thing about a federation is the existence of regional governance. During the Jupiter campaign, nearly 10 fellow Commanders and I formed a new organization. The Belligerent Renegades are dedicated to liberty, freedom, and democracy. All of humanity is guaranteed certain rights under the Federal charter and constitution. I and my compatriots will form a governing body and bring these ideas to as much of the Federation as we can through commerce, democracy, and justice.

The christening of the Belligerence went smoothly. Took it out on a pirate hunt in the Tollan system with some fellow Renegades. Nearly lost the ship to a group of unlawful Anacondas. Returned to Gordon Plant and cashed out on nearly 13 million in bounties.

Until next time, o7.

February 11th, 3307 Sothis Mining, Sothis system

I am back at Sothis Mining station again after another day running courier and cargo missions for the local Federation Unite! faction. I must be doing something right as they've seen fit to promote me to Ensign in the auxiliary navy. At lunch today with my system-sec buddies, we got to talking about what's going on back in the bubble. The situation with Jupiter Division has erupted into a full-scale war with Federal forces in HIP 54530. It cannot be emphasized enough how much I think a corporatocracy would be bad for the Federation. What's worse, this Jupiter Rochester is effectively engaging in a treasonous insurrection. As if conspiring to kill a sitting Federal president wasn't bad enough!

The Pilot's Federation has been brought into the conflict. My local contact in Ceos has given me the approval to leave the sector and return to the bubble. The Arrogance will be refitted back to its standard combat loadout at Wolf 124. From there, I intend to bring the fight to these treasonous bastards and help end the Jupiter uprising once and for all. For the Federation!

February 10th, 3307 Sothis Mining, Sothis system

News from the Bubble continues to stream in on the Halsey assassination trials. They are disturbing, to say the least. Jupiter Division has split from Core Dynamics and apparently become a rogue entity. I hope they get what's coming to them.

While I cannot aid the Federation with the ongoing strife at home right now, I have taken on a contract with the local Federation Unite! faction here in Sothis and Ceos. With the increasing pirate activity and civil unrest in the region, they need a reliable courier of sensitive data and cargo. The Arrogance has been refitted for light cargo duty and given a reduced mass and heat profile. My runs yesterday were well received by the local Federal authorities and was even enough to get me promoted to Ensign in the auxiliary navy. Despite the reduced heat signatures, I have been interdicted by dissidents and pirates numerous times during my runs. This is frustrating, but so far I've been able to avoid being taken out of supercruise. The criminal scum will get their comeuppance in short order.

While I can help aid the Federation, being out on the edges of civilized space has made it impossible for me to help my fellow Pilot's Federation commanders with Liz Ryder's Enhanced Missile Rack Initiative in Eurybia. Despite my absence, my fellow commanders seem to be doing just fine on their own; exceeding Ryder's more conservative goals handily.

That's all for now; I have plans to meet up with some local system-sec pilots for lunch soon. My contact has informed me they have more tasks for me to run tonight.

As the day comes to a close, my first Rubigo shift ends with over 200 million increase in the course of 8 hours. I am limited due to my Python's limited jump range. To increase my throughput, I intend on investing on the famed Guardian FSD Boosters.

This project will require me to return to base back in Shinrarta to build my first dedicated long-range expedition ship and my first SRV unit. The base ship will be an Asp Explorer - with the extreme jump range, I can cut down on the time needed.

I am closing off the night in Hauser's Reach. o7