Class Struggle Amongst the Stars news - Dawn of Victory mod for Sins of a Solar Empire

With the resumption of hostilities on the Soviet-Reich border, tensions have risen all across the Illyrium Sector. Civilian trade has nearly disappeared in the neutral colonies of New Geneva, Kuiper, and Outreach over fears the conflict could spread to the New Weimar Republic.

The New Weimar Republic, a GGR breakaway state that only recently emerged as the sole government on Vega following the Collapse of the Imperium of Deustchland, relies on foreign trade for most of its goods and is heavily supported by the USSR. Indeed, many suspect it was the Soviet Union that funded the German Communist Party’s planet wide-revolt that brought the New Weimar Republic to power. Anglo-Canadian and Brazilian companies also provide goods that are otherwise hard to come by in the system, but now many have suspended their operations.

Opalian Maritime Transport, Johnston Lines, and Antosz Shipping have confirmed they will be diverting their ships to Juno, Vesta, and Highgate until the crisis has passed. Still, there are a brave few willing to run their shipments into a potential warzone, Freeport 33 in orbit of New Geneva still receives the odd merchant captain, willing to make the run into the Tannhauser Gate, or even Galleria.

The 20 some odd Freeports in the Illyrium have their fair share of scares lately after fighter spacecraft and bombers from Soviet battlegroups have begun flybys dangerously close to civilian shipping. 2 weeks ago civilian salvage ship “Tranquillity” was forced to abort its docking at Freeport 29 when a squadron of Soviet bombers fired shots across its bow.

Still, even with such incidents occurring at an alarming rate, not every free captain is willing to find safer routes. For the BBC, I’m William Moyles reporting from Freeport 33.