Steel On The Horizon Arc

Steel on the Horizon 2023 Event Timeline Galactic Events N/A Major Events Cold Dawn Arc ·Amor Patriae Arc · Libération, Révolution et Évolution Arc · The Titan Rises Arc · Change on the Horizon Arc · Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc Minor Events Steel On The Horizon Arc · Omnivirate's Providence This is the overview and timeline page for the Steel on the Horizon Arc which began on September 20th, 2023 and pertains largely to events on the SCCV Horizon. It is centered around a skirmish with a group of pirates seeking to steal a phoron bounty from Hephaestus and the Horizon's accidental involvement. Below is a summary of the arc's applicable news articles, and additions. Piracy Reports Rise Within Weeping Stars; Coalition Rangers Advise Caution News Article Publisher : ORION SPUR ORACLE Writer : La Villa Strangiato Coalition authorities issue an advisory. A recent rise in reports of armed piracy have the Coalition Rangers urging caution to vessels traveling within the Weeping Stars, said Xanu officials yesterday. Since the beginning of the pan-galactic phoron shortage, and the retreat of Solarian forces from the Middle Ring, piracy in the Coalition of Colonies is the highest it’s been since the decade after the Interstellar War. With the return of Alliance control to the Shield Pact, it is expected that piracy in the region and surrounding areas of inhabited space will decline, but Xanu Defense Force experts speculate the upheaval will push members of the Solarian Restoration Front, as well as the League of Independent Corporate-Free Systems, into the borders of the Weeping Stars. What Coalition Ranger representatives are most concerned about is privateers and pirates unaffiliated with Solarian splinter factions, and that they may use the recent mass migration of fleets to move unimpeded through Coalition space. They may use their vessel designs or spoof their identification signature to avoid notice, Ranger officials said. “We’re requesting all vessels in the area to remain alert, and refresh passengers on proper emergency procedure,” said Ranger Captain Senna Laschivan in a press conference in Nouvelle-Rochelle. “If you detect a vessel whose signature you cannot identify, immediately hail them and request IFF.” Laschivan also recommended vessels perform regular radio maintenance to avoid friendly fire. “The best way to avoid miscommunication is to ensure your channels and telecommunications are functioning as intended. Always keep handheld radios on your person and at your bridge.” The Coalition Rangers, as well as Hephaestus Industries asset protection vessels, will be conducting heightened patrols of the Burzsia system and the systems nearby Burzsia. Authorities advise all vessels to have their IFF readily available. Date: 09/20/2023 Steel On The Horizon, Part One Server Event Host : Triogenix, ReadThisNamePlz After answering a distress call from a Hephaestus cargo vessel, the Horizon stumbles on unwelcome guests. The Horizon responds to a distress call from the HCV Crius, a Hephaestus vessel transporting a large quantity of phoron. Upon reaching the vessel's location, they are attacked by the pirate crew of the ICV Wolf, and engage in ship-to-ship combat. After a harrowing struggle, the Horizon manages to send the Wolf packing, though not without a significant amount of damage to the Horizon itself. Unfortunately, the crew of the Crius are deceased, but the Horizon is able to secure their phoron shipments. Date: 09/20/2023 Hephaestus Shipping Lanes Struck by Pirates News Article Publisher : ORION SPUR ORACLE Writer : Triogenix The Weeping Stars goes on high alert. Today Hephaestus shipping lanes within the Weeping Stars region were struck by pirates, causing havoc in the area. Days after news that piracy was on the rise in the region, Hephaestus ships carrying cargo were attacked from Konyang to Assuzione, by a multitude of different pirate organizations. It is unclear so far if this is a coordinated attack by multiple different pirate groups, or if it was merely a coincidence, as many disparate groups looked to take advantage of lack of security measures. The timing of the attacks suggests coordination, but experts are divided on the issue. However, sources high within the SCC’s sector administration for the Coalition have stated off the record that they believe the Hephaestus cargo manifests may have been leaked, resulting in the pirates gaining access to information they otherwise would not have. It is unclear exactly why, or how these pirates began their attacks, but the results have been plain to see. The Coalition has since stepped up patrols in the region, deploying several Ranger vessels to the area, with the goal of eliminating pirates whenever discovered, and protecting trade ships moving through the region. The Galatean Federal Navy and Gadpathurian Navy have also begun to mobilize portions of their forces, but will take significantly longer to reach combat readiness. The Xanan Navy has also begun to draw up plans for trade escorting across the entire Coalition, should this spread of piracy continue, though they heavily discount the possibility, but do not yet have a theory as to the sudden rise of piracy. Hephaestus personally attributes it to the Trinary Perfection and other Unionist elements in the Coalition, who have had contentious relationships with the corporation in the past. They have begun moving significantly more security forces into the area, to the protest of the aforementioned groups, with Himeo in particular bringing the matter before the Coalition Assembly, which has yet to bring it to the debate floor. We will keep our readers updated on the situation as it progresses. One possible related note is the departure of the SCCV Harmony from Biesel orbit. An Icarus-class drone carrier, it departed with no fanfare, quickly moving to the outskirts of the system before entering bluespace. Their destination has not been revealed, but it is more than possible that the carrier is being sent to the Weeping Stars at the insistence of Hephaestus. Date: 09/22/2023 Steel On The Horizon, Part Two Server Event Host : La Villa Strangiato, ReadThisNamePlz The Horizon secures some valuable cargo. The SCCV Horizon is attacked by the Wolf's sister ship, the ICV Wolf's Den, and boarded by the crew, desperate to take back the phoron they lost to the Horizon previously. A brutal struggle between crew ensues, as the Wolf's Den and Horizon exchange fire. After managing to hold out, the SCCV Harmony arrives to support the Horizon, destroying the Wolf's Den and taking the phoron that the Horizon kept safe. Date: 09/23/2023 SCCV Horizon Skirmishes With Pirate Vessel News Article 'Publisher : ORION SPUR ORACLE Writer : La Villa Strangiato' An after-action report. The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate flagship Horizon engaged in battle with a pirate freighter yesterday, report Conglomerate authorities. On the 22nd, the Horizon was in the process of responding to a distress beacon launched from the Hephaestus cargo ship HCV Crius. On reaching the vessel's coordinates, the Horizon was assaulted by a pirate ship later identified as the ICV Wolf, which was part of a two-ship fleet of privateer vessels captained by Mictlani fugitive Olivia Sanchez. This vessel is suspected to be the perpetrators of the original attack on the Crius, and Conglomerate representatives confirm that the Wolf was attempting to steal phoron shipments from the Crius that were later secured on the Horizon. Yesterday, the ICV Wolf’s Den, the Wolf's sister ship, attempted a boarding operation on the Horizon while firing on the vessel. The boarding operation was repelled by the Horizon’s security team, and the Wolf's Den was disabled by Horizon weaponry. The SCCV Harmony, an Icarus-class carrier ship, was warped into the sector to support the Horizon. Two of the pirates from the Wolf’s Den surrendered to the Horizon after the failure of their ship systems, confirmed SCCV Harmony captain Marianne Cross, and are currently being held aboard the Horizon as investigations into the incident are ongoing. The ICV Wolf's Den has been rendered entirely non-functional in the aftermath. “The Horizon managed to secure important Hephaestus shipments at serious risk to life and limb,” Cross said when approached for comment in Burzsia yesterday. “It’s essential that we remember that this phoron isn’t just sold; it’s also used in lifesaving medicines, and used to power ships around the Spur with bluespace drives. Without the Horizon’s help, ships that desperately needed this phoron might not have received it.” In the aftermath, vessels operating in the Weeping Stars region are still advised by Frontier Protection Bureau to remain on high alert. Coalition authorities encourage all vessels to have their IFF displaying proper name and designation at all times to avoid conflicts of interest, and ensure proper safety procedures and clear radio communication. Date: 09/24/2023