Thargoid: Difference between revisions

In early 3301, [[Unknown Artefact]]s were discovered among the cargoes of secret Federal convoys. Their discovery marked the first indication that Thargoids yet existed in the depths of space, though the Artefacts, as well as the similar [[Unknown Probe]]s that would be found orbiting ammonia worlds in 3302, would not be conclusively linked to the Thargoids until later. Some CMDRs believed that the Artefacts and Probes originated from an entirely unknown alien race, while others asserted that they were examples of experimental human technology. Disputes and speculation over the objects continued for months. [[Barnacles]] were also discovered in 3302, but their even more pronounced organic appearance also stymied analysis.

On January 5, 3303, Commander DP Sayre reported the first known encounter with an [[Thargoid Interceptor|Unknown Ship]], which was later confirmed to be a type of Thargoid vessel and officially reclassified as a Thargoid Interceptor. The Unknown Ship interdicted the CMDR from [[hyperspace]] and apparently scanned him before departing to an untraceable destination. The acts of interdicting a target while in hyperspace and leaving an untraceable wake signature were both well beyond the capabilities of human technology. Previously, only the [[Alien Crash Site|wreckage of these ships]] had been documented.

On [[Elite Dangerous: Horizons#The Return - v2.4|September 26, 3303]], independent pilots reported being attacked unprovoked by Thargoid Interceptors at Non-Human Signal Sources. At least one of these attacks, in which CMDR Sapphire Horizons was the victim, occurred at a site with wreckage from an Imperial convoy, which was believed to have been destroyed by the Thargoid ship.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/72lzxb/so_i_just_got_killed_by_a_thargoid/ r/EliteDangerous: So I just got killed by a Thargoid]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59cd17dcf030a91ca721e243 Galactic News: Further Thargoid Attacks]</ref> In addition, Interceptors have demonstrated extreme hostility against any [[Guardians|Guardian]] artefacts jettisoned in their vicinity, using their weapons to destroy them.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/72mjyw/they_seriously_dont_like_guardian_stuff_monkas/ r/EliteDangerous: They seriously don't like Guardian stuff monkaS]</ref> New [[Barnacle]] sites have also been identified, with a greater concentration of the Structures and an octagonal formation that resembles a nascent [[Thargoid Surface Site]].<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/72wjsi/the_new_barnacle_site_grows_in_a_familiar/ r/EliteDangerous: The new barnacle site grows in a familiar pattern...credit to CMDR PinPiper]</ref>

[[Aegis]] released the [[AX Missile Rack]] and [[AX Xeno Scanner]] on September 28, 3303. These new devices allowed CMDRs to both scan Interceptors and successfully penetrate their defenses for the first time, a major milestone.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/731ex8/psa_ax_missile_rack_and_ax_xeno_scanner_now/ PSA: AX Missile Rack and AX Xeno Scanner Now Available]</ref><ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/731oxn/thargoid_down_sdc/ Thargoid Down! - SDC!]</ref> However, it was also discovered that the Thargoids had begun attacking independent civilian vessels. A heavily-damaged [[Megaship]] identified as Samson Class Bulk Cargo Ship BTG-237 was found in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, near planet A 5, the victim of Thargoid aggression.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/72zzvw/spoiler_something_new_has_happened_in_pleiades/ Something new has happened in pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55..]</ref> To cap off a day filled with new developments, wreckage from a new type of Thargoid vessel, the [[Thargoid Scout]], was also discovered on planet A 3 A in the HIP 17125 system.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/733mmb/elite_dangerous_24_new_unknown_ship_crashed_hip/ r/EliteDangerous: Elite Dangerous 2.4 new Unknown Ship (crashed) Hip 17125 A 3 A -65.8193 | 48.8662]</ref>

On October 6, 3303, Aegis' military liaison Admiral [[Aden Tanner]] confirmed that in recent days, Federal, Imperial, and civilian ships alike had been targeted and destroyed by Thargoids, and that the aliens were scanning the wreckage and seizing escape pods. Tanner reaffirmed that Aegis was dedicated to unraveling the Thargoids' motives.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59d7523d7f2d0f16da5fbf78 Galactic News: Thargoid Threat Continues to Escalate]</ref> On October 12, an Aegis spokesperson confirmed that as well as adapting their defenses to human weapons technology, the Thargoids were also rapidly adapting to human strategies and tactics.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59df892030484d21ea3c3ec5 Galactic News: Thargoids Continuing to Adapt]</ref> On October 27, as losses of Federal [[Farragut Battle Cruiser]]s and Imperial [[Majestic Class Interdictor]]s continued to mount, Admiral Tanner noted that although recent developments like the Shutdown Field Neutraliser had proven effective in protecting conventional spacecraft from Thargoid attacks, difficulties had been encountered in adapting the technology to larger spacecraft. As a result of capital ships' continued vulnerability, Tanner warned that deploying such vessels to protect stations and outposts was not a viable defensive strategy against Thargoids for the time being.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59f30dd4826c1776ca623242 Galactic News: Capital Ships Vulnerable to Thargoid Attack]</ref>

On November 2, 3303, Aegis launched Operation Andronicus, the first military operation intended to curb Thargoid aggression in the Pleiades Nebula. Admiral Tanner stated that Aegis would be offering substantial monetary rewards to independent pilots for confirmed Thargoid kills.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59fb5178adf339781710741f Community Goal: Operation Andronicus]</ref> While Operation Andronicus was in effect, the Alliance organization Cooper Research Associates also announced they would reward pilots for the recovery of personal effects and escape pods from Thargoid attack sites.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/59fb51f4adf3397051674b5d Community Goal: Rescue Operation in the Pleiades]</ref> The operation concluded a week later, and both campaigns were hailed as successes.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a04628c7c8ea44d3104a3d2 Galactic News: Operation Andronicus Concludes]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a046323cd1bcd187d490e8e Galactic News: Pleiades Rescue Operation Concludes]</ref>

[[File:Thargoid Interceptor Basilisk Variant 2.png|thumb|250px|A close-up of a Basilisk Variant]]

On November 13, 3303, the first sightings of a new variant of Thargoid Interceptor were reported by independent pilots in the Electra system. Classified as the "Basilisk Variant" by the [[Pilots Federation]], these heavily scarred Interceptors possessed demonstrably more powerful offensive and defensive capabilities.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a0c1121b9e40e708759f664 Galactic News: Previously Unseen Thargoid Ships in Electra]</ref> Prior to this, only Cyclops Variant Thargoid Interceptors had been encountered. As Basilisk Variants and Cyclops Variants have yet to demonstrate any hostility towards each other, it is unknown if the presence of Basilisk Variants represents an escalation in the ongoing conflict between Thargoids and humans, or the arrival of a second Thargoid faction in the region.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/7cnxqj/threat_6_uss_in_electra_spoilers/ /r/EliteDangerous: Threat 6 USS in Electra]</ref>

====The Pleiades aflame====

[[File:Station Attack The Oracle.png|thumb|250px|The Oracle in the aftermath of an attack]]

December 14, 3303 marked the most serious escalation of the Thargoid conflict yet. The stations Titan's Daughter in Taygeta, The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Liman Legacy in HIP 16753 were attacked and severely damaged by Thargoids, disrupting services and making the stations dangerously unstable.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFLBnqxuATg YouTube: Commander Chronicles: Devastation - Elite Dangerous]</ref> [[Station#Emergency Protocol|Emergency evacuation protocols]] were activated, and the Pilots Federation extracted the ships of the independent pilots docked at the affected Stations and transferred them to [[Rescue Vessel]]s. Pilots were encouraged to aid the ongoing evacuation of the stations' inhabitants.<ref name="Station Attack">[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/7jqg5p/so_the_thargoids_attacked_a_station_images/?st=jb6b35m0&sh=f42ecad9 /r/EliteDangerous: So the Thargoids(?) Attacked a Station. Images Courtesy of CMDR Bad_Player]</ref>

The following week on December 21, as the three stations were stabilized and repair work began on them, further attacks were reported at Bao Landing in HIP 17497, Cavalieri in Electra, and Hudson Observatory in HIP 17694.<ref>[https://i.imgur.com/hxTJhqt.png Imgur: Galactic News: Starport Status Update, December 21, 3303]</ref> Medusa Interceptors were once again confirmed to be the culprits, and hundreds more human casualties were tallied.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a3ceced6a3e8049274181c5 Galactic News: More Starports Attacked]</ref> Three more attacks occurred two weeks later on January 4, 3304 at Copernicus Observatory in Asterope, Cyllene Orbital in Atlas, and Artemis Lodge in Celaeno, followed by two attacks on January 11 at Obsidian Orbital in Maia and Reed's Rest in Merope.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a58d52808925a374348ba63 GalNet: Thargoid Assault Continues]</ref>

Also on January 11, the Federation and Empire announced a joint initiative to counter Thargoid activity in the HIP 17692 system and attempt to reduce the Thargoids' presence in the Pleiades. The Empire-aligned Merope Expeditionary Fleet took charge of military operations, while the Federation-aligned Pleiades Resource Enterprise coordinated the rescue of attack survivors, personal effects, and data. Fleet Admiral [[Denton Patreus]] stated, "Starports throughout the Pleiades have been attacked. Thousands of lives have been lost. And we have failed to deliver an effective response. That changes now."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a578660b34e4b5d3c0ae199 The Liberation of HIP 17692]</ref>

The operation marked just over a year since the first encounter with an active Thargoid Interceptor. Political commentator Daxton Sung offered an analysis: "The situation continues to escalate and our leaders continue to offer the same tired platitudes – militaristic bombast from Hudson, noncommittal banalities from Lavigny-Duval and earnest sympathising from Mahon. It's clear that they have no idea how to counter the Thargoid threat, beyond pumping more money into Aegis's weapons programme."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a5787708a640c638d6d781d One Year On]</ref>

[[File:ED-Thargoid-Attacked-Stations-Map.png|thumb|250px|The extent of Thargoid attacks on stations as of February 22, 3304]]

While the HIP 17692 operation proved to be a success,<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a60b60073f627733619d852 GalNet: HIP 17692 Operation Concludes]</ref> Thargoid attacks on stations continued unabated on January 18, striking Kipling Orbital in Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-11 and Malthus Terminal in Pleiades Sector HR-W d1-41. After these attacks, a member of Kipling Orbital's starport personnel noted that the Thargoids seemed to be sweeping the region and slowly moving towards the [[Core Systems]].<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a6a0ea379a7530bc462fb3f Starport Attacks Continue]</ref>

On February 22, Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal and Beaufoy Vision in Nauni, both locations within the Core Systems, suffered Thargoid attacks. Coinciding with these latest incidents, Fleet Admiral Patreus coordinated a second Federal-Imperial joint operation against the Thargoids, this time centered on the Pleiades Sector OI-T c3-7 and Arietis Sector XE-Z b4 systems.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a8ee5d25f3da10323076fbf GalNet: Anti-Thargoid Operation]</ref> The operation was subsequently declared a success.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a9824bf78da4a2abd3af6d8 GalNet: Federal-Imperial Operation Concludes]</ref> Notably, no additional Thargoid attacks occurred on March 1, marking the first lull in the incursion, although sightings and encounters with [[Thargoid Interceptor]]s began occurring at various locations within the Core Systems, with hostile [[Thargoid Scout]] Marauders now appearing as well.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5a9960a7049802427b2b41cd GalNet: Week in Review (March 3, 3304)]</ref>

On March 9, Aegis unveiled a new initiative called [[Eagle Eye]]. Six orbital surveillance installations were set up in HIP 17225, HIP 17692, HIP 17892, HR 1185, Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-4 in order to monitor known [[Thargoid Surface Site]]s and collect data on Thargoid behavior outside of combat zones.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5aa12e112e30637590761b2c GalNet: Thargoid Surveillance in the Pleiades]</ref> By March 16, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye was already producing results. According to Admiral Tanner, the installations were able to track fluctuations in transmissions originating from Thargoid Surface Sites, and that these transmissions pointed to specific locations in human space which were likely future Thargoid attack targets. Tanner urged independent pilots to investigate a new set of signals detected by Eagle Eye to help thwart the Thargoids' plans.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5aab97a3bf2b063ade1cceca GalNet: Thargoid Surveillance Continues]</ref>

====War in the Core====

With the Thargoids now wreaking havoc well within the [[Core Systems]], [[Aegis]] began coordinating the first counterattack. On March 15, 3304, Aegis Core announced an anti-Thargoid campaign in its home system of Socho. The operation's goal was not only to expel Thargoid forces from Socho, but to obtain specific technological components from Thargoid Interceptors and Scouts for comparison research.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5aaa63d040365a4fab270033 GalNet: The Purge of Socho]</ref> The operation concluded successfully.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5ab38926b72505384d3d896a GalNet: Socho Operation Complete]</ref>

On March 22, 3304, Aegis published a report containing significant insights into the Thargoids that had been gleaned with the help of [[Ram Tah]] and his [[Guardian]] research. The findings indicated that the Thargoids had warred with the Guardians because of the latter's perceived encroachment on territory that the Thargoids had seeded with [[Barnacles]] millennia earlier. Despite attempts by the Guardians to communicate with the Thargoids, the Thargoids' survival instincts were so strong that they refused to tolerate any potential threat and continued hostilities until the Guardians eventually expelled them using automated war machines. Professor Alba Tesreau commented that the Guardians' situation mirrored humanity's own: the Thargoids had long ago seeded territory that humans had unknowingly expanded into, and the current conflict was essentially a dispute over territory and resources. Tesreau asserted that the next step the Thargoids would take would be to aggressively mine mineral resources. Ram Tah noted that these revelations finally provided some answers about the Thargoids' overall goals and could ultimately aid humanity in the conflict.<ref name=":2">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5ab383f5b709787d505dd1a2 GalNet: Thargoid Revelations]</ref>

[[File:Thargoid attacks May 10 3304.png|thumb|250px|The extent of Thargoid attacks on stations as of May 10, 3304]]

The same day as Aegis's report made waves in the media, the station Glazkov Terminal in Irandan was attacked by the Thargoids after a month of relative calm. Both Irandan and HIP 21559 had been identified as likely targets for imminent Thargoid attacks by [[Eagle Eye]], but only the latter system had seen a heavy influx of independent combat pilots come to its defense over the preceding week.

On April 25, Simguru [[Pranav Antal]] of the [[Utopia]] movement addressed an even more controversial possibility: humanity could lose the war against the Thargoids. The Simguru urged galactic citizens to join Utopia and help protect the [[Sim-Archive]] to ensure that humanity could live beyond its potential extinction.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5adf3499b14e287e736eb6de GalNet: Utopia Plans for Humanity's Extinction]</ref> Pranav Antal's pessimism quickly triggered a backlash from such figures as [[Shadow President]] [[Felicia Winters]], [[Sirius Corporation]] CEO [[Li Yong-Rui]], and Admiral Tanner.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5aeae28e7d387844d650ef2e GalNet: Antal's Pessimism Triggers Backlash]</ref> Nonetheless, Utopia doubled down on the Simguru's statement on May 4, 3304 by launching a project to construct a military installation in its home system of Antal to defend the Sim-Archive from potential Thargoid attack.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5aeae37ed71b1a6f1923014d GalNet: Defending the Sim-Archive]</ref>

Meanwhile, as the Thargoid conflict wore on, journalists and scholars began noting the phenomenon of fringe doomsayer cults proliferating throughout the Core Systems. Independent reporter [[Gethin Okonkwo]] published an article on May 19 revealing that dozens of such cults had emerged, and while their natures varied, they were all adamant that the Thargoid conflict was a sign of an imminent apocalypse.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5afc3617b57fd80b460215ea GalNet: Fringe Doomsayer Cults on the Rise]</ref> On June 16, exotheologian [[Alfred Ulyanov|Dr. Alfred Ulyanov]] highlighted one [[Far God cult|unnamed cult that even worshiped the Thargoids]] as harbingers of an extra-dimensional, omnipotent being they called the Far God. The cult's followers believed that only they would survive the Far God's manifestation in this universe, and gathered in hive-chapels patterned after Thargoid vessel and structure designs.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b23bc10e7c3870a79317183 GalNet: Worshipping the Thargoids]</ref>

On August 23, the Federal Intelligence Agency reported that Far God cult members were disappearing in large numbers. Hive-chapels in Federal space raided by the FIA were found empty, and reports from independent systems stated that entire chapters of the cult were disappearing overnight. Senior Agent Whitefield believed that the cultists were attempting to leave the cult and return to normal life, but here were no known cases of Far God cultists returning to their friends or family, and the disappearances remained a mystery.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b7ebc7cfc113a671578a7bd GalNet: Far God Cultists Vanishing]</ref>

On June 21, 3304, the Thargoids ended humanity's string of victories with an attack on Hennepin Prospect in Assinda. The attack appeared to be an outlier rather than an indication of Thargoid resurgence, however, as Eagle Eye did not intercept any new signals from Thargoid sites, and all Eagle Eye installations began transmitting the same message: "no new signal detected thargoid activity unknown initiate protocol xeno 55". That same day, Aegis also declared that the Thargoids were retreating from the Core Systems and had been pushed back to their original beachhead of Bhal. Admiral Tanner thanked Commanders for their efforts in defending the Core Systems, but noted that while Thargoid incursions had been reversed in many regions, the Thargoids remained entrenched in the Pleiades Nebula.<ref name="TRFCS">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b28ebb3b98e8528935995c6 GalNet: Thargoids Repelled from Core Systems]</ref>

While Deciat was successfully defended against the Thargoid assault, Eagle Eye confirmed on July 5, 3304 that the Thargoids had resumed their original pattern of activity, targeting systems for an eventual attack and massing their forces there in preparation for it. Parise Station in Tembala was attacked on July 12, followed by Metcalf Station in HIP 44811 on July 19, both Preuss Terminal in Di Jian and Zudov Hub in RMK 6 on July 26, and Plucker Enterprise in Dhanhopi on August 2.

Meanwhile, independent pilots patrolling the Pleiades Nebula discovered various [[listening post]]s that were monitoring certain planetside locations in various systems. Upon investigation, each site was found to be either a surface settlement or a crashed ship that had been attacked by Thargoids shortly after their return. Among the sites were the settlements Dominic's Corner, Scrump Landing, Sharpe Works, Site 94, Betterton Outpost, Penal Colony BV-2259, Comms Facility 89563, Research Base LV 8, Research Base KG-3362, and a crashed [[Anaconda]] named "The Bug Killer". While some of the settlements managed to evacuate before they were attacked, others were not so lucky, and recovered logs indicated that some survivors may have been abducted by the Thargoids. Peculiarly, a number of the logs also noted abrupt, widespread temperature decreases that preceded or coincided with the Thargoid attacks.

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A fourth Thargoid Interceptor type, the "Hydra Variant", began appearing on August 28, 3304 in Threat Level 9 [[Non-Human Signal Source]]s.<ref name="Dundux">[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/9azyls/new_thargoid_interceptors_threat_9/ r/EliteDangerous: New thargoid interceptors (Threat 9)]</ref> The Hydra exhibited even more complex structural features than the Medusa, most notably four additional rotating petals behind the standard eight petals, as well as a vivid green coloration. Following the trend of the previous Interceptor variants, the Hydra's offensive and defensive capabilities demonstrated a significant increase over its predecessors, making it the Thargoids' most fearsome weapon yet.<ref>[https://xboxdvr.com/gamer/ishootpoop13/video/59404587 XboxDVR: NEW INTERCEPTOR - HYDRA CONFIRMED]</ref> The Hydras' emergence coincided with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of all [[Thargoid Scout]]s from the [[Core Systems]] and the [[Pleiades Nebula]] that week.<ref>[https://canonn.science/news/eagle-eye-special-report-week-26-01093304/ Canonn Research: Special Eagle Eye Report Week 26 – 01/09/3304]</ref>