Fergus Cassidy

Fergus Cassidy is the CEO of the Reorte Mining Coalition in Reorte. When the Alliance invited Sirius Corporation to deploy the megaship Chariot of Rhea in Reorte in January 3308 as part of the defence pact between the superpower and the megacorporation, Cassidy considered the action illegal since his faction, which ruled Reorte at the time, had not been consulted and the invitation had been extended by Prime Minister Edmund Mahon without seeking the approval of the Alliance Assembly. Cassidy placed the Chariot of Rhea under a blockade and demanded that it leave. When the megaship refused to budge, he ordered his forces to attack, instigating a series of skirmishes across Reorte.

Timeline

27 JAN 3308

• *Pilots' Federation ALERT*
  The Reorte Mining Coalition has declared its intent to remove the Sirius Corporation presence from its home system. The megaship Chariot of Rhea arrived in Reorte as part of Sirius Corporation's new role as the Alliance's strategic defence partner. But the system's controlling faction ordered it to withdraw. The megaship's non-compliance has resulted in skirmishes targeting Sirius forces. Fergus Cassidy, CEO of the Reorte Mining Coalition, announced: "We fully support Councillor Kaine's position that Sirius Corporation is operating illegally under Alliance law. Therefore, we will defend our territory from this aggressive foreign entity." A response was broadcast by Captain Delfina Dominguez of the Sirius Navy, who commands the Chariot of Rhea: "Our presence is authorised by the military contract between Sirius Corporation and the Alliance Defence Force. If local forces continue to attack, we will have no option but to defend our assets." The fighting is not believed to have reached surface level and is expected to remain a ship-based conflict. To rally support from independent pilots, both factions are offering access to permit-locked systems. Reorte Mining Coalition will sponsor distribution of an Alioth system permit, while Sirius Corporation will authorise a permit to the Sirius system. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has ordered the Reorte Mining Coalition to cease hostilities immediately. However, Councillor Ainsley Niven – who represents Reorte in the Assembly and is a political supporter of Nakato Kaine – claims that the faction has the right to protect its territory, since it was not invited to ratify the defence pact.

24 JAN 3308

• The presence of Sirius Corporation in the Reorte system at the Alliance's invitation has been challenged by the controlling faction. In its new role as a strategic defence partner, Sirius Corporation recently established itself in several Alliance systems. But its megaship in Reorte, Chariot of Rhea, has found itself blockaded by system security and refused permission to offload cargo or personnel. A broadcast was made by Fergus Cassidy, CEO of the Reorte Mining Coalition: "Councillor Kaine is right to say that Sirius is acting illegally. The prime minister did not consult us or any other Allied faction on working with them, and there's good reason to be sceptical of their motives. We regard the Chariot of Rhea as an intruder and insist that it leaves immediately." Li Yong-Rui has assured Alliance leaders that Sirius Corporation will only be collaborating on anti-Thargoid defence projects. He stressed that there will be no disruption to any local civil or commercial activity. The Alliance Tribune commented on the situation: "Many Allied systems welcomed the news that our military is being bolstered by Sirius Corporation. But others expressed disapproval, particularly among the Old Worlds where the populations tend to be more sceptical of change. What happens in Reorte could determine whether or not the new defence pact becomes widely accepted."