Trouble on the Fringe - Balaikda

It seems that even the edges of colonised space aren't free of problems.

A civil war has broken out in Balaikda between two of the system's minor factions, namely HIP 43760 State Plc and Balaikda Ltd. The former is Federation-aligned and unsurprisingly calls the nearby HIP 43760 home, while the latter is a local firm.

Observers have reported a heavy-handed response to this Federal involvement in an Imperial system, resulting in the Imperial Navy setting up checkpoints near a number of local planets. One source, who asked to remain unnamed, said:

"These checkpoints are manned by Elite Vipers and Cobras fitted with Plasma Accelerators, and are not to be taken lightly."

Battles have broken out across the system, with various local factions offering combat bonds in an attempt to urge independent pilots to lend a hand in the small scale factional struggle.

Vesper-M4 Plays Unwilling Host to Demolition Derby

Slough Orbital hosted the galaxy's inaugural Sidewinder Demolition Derby last Sunday and it was a huge success. The event, which will now be held on the first Sunday of every month, sees pilots flying their basic, weapons and shield-free Sidewinders at full speed around the airlock ring in an attempt to blow each other up.

Slough Orbital's Captain, Commander Rose, has expressed frustration at these troubling turn of events, telling GalNet:

"The Jet Transport Corporation lost a lot of trade last Sunday. No ships were able to enter or leave the station for almost an hour for fear of being blasted into smithereens by these lunatic pilots."

Commander Angel Rose, daughter of Captain Rose, has praised the event, saying:

"My father is a stuffy old codger. Everyone had a lot of fun, especially this month's derby winner, Commander Scicobalt. No-one was actually hurt, although Commander Belstarion's pride took a big dent when he got repeatedly stuck in the station's superstructure. I look forward to doing it all again next month!"