Second Assault On Hale's Moon Provides Clue

From The Blackburne Observer, by Amyla Wakowski-Swindlehurst:

For the second time in barely one week, the settlement on Hale's Moon was attacked by Alliance forces yesterday. Blackburnians Nack Barnes and Lorie Lilliehook responded to the distress call, aiding defense of the settlement. Despite suffering a broken leg in last week's assault, Mr. Barnes participated wholeheartedly in repelling the Alliance attackers. Upon returning to Blackburne, Mr. Barnes shared video and captures with The Observer from the day's harrowing events.








The video Mr. Barnes brought back with him contains the dying words of an Alliance pilot. Two key terms can be discerned: "Scharnebeck" and "Commodore." Could this be Commodore Geoffry Miles of the I.A.V. Scharnebeck? From our own archives, 18 March this year:

The Alliance Fleet reports the free trader Chakra, an old YU-18 class transport, was recently found adrift less than a light-year from Blackburne. Commodore Geoffry Miles, I.A.V. Scharnebeck, commented, "We were having problems with pirates robbing small vessels earlier, but not in this bloody way."

At the time of that report, Hale's Moon was targeted as a likely hideout for pirates. Could this be the Alliance's excuse for the recent brutal assaults on the settlement? Regardless of excuse, such brutality is worrying to any Independent-minded Rim settlement—including ours. "This action of late on Hale's and other problems, well, I've seen this sort of thing before. In the run up to the Unification War," Mr. Barnes cautions.