Amphion Crossing

In the exact opposite direction of the Sleeper Route is the primary trade route that skirts the shorter end of the Reef, past Scylla itself (a small black hole) which seems to be the source of the entire Reef.

Niobe Station

This gigantic space station located in sector F4 was the largest of the Ithacan colonies outside Tantalus itself. Niobe was not only a functional frontier station, watching over the long shipping routes coming through the vast Strait of Calydonia, but it also served as a symbol of the potential of the postwar potential. Niobe station wasn’t built on the bones of an old colony or station, it was an entirely new construction.  

The Loss of Niobe Station

In 5007 by the local calendar a massive coordinated fleet of Raider ships (something not seen since the war) hammered Niobe station, destroying the large navy presence there and eventually reducing the station to a cloud of scrap that drifted into the gravitational pull of Scylla.   Almost 6 million people perished in the Battle of Amphion Point, and this disaster is often seen as the start of things turning for the worst.   Since then everyone in Ithacan space has felt the ever-present threat of the resurgent Raiders. Small greenskin raiding forces have been preying on shipping as far out as the Straits of Messina between Tantalus and Hades - essentially in the Navy’s back yard.   Since the loss of Niobe, it’s well known that the Star League has been pulling Navy ships from peacekeeping patrols across the region to bolster the defence fleet positioned along the route between Tantalus and Amphion Crossing.   Battered navy ships limping back to port have become so common that they only rate a footnote in the news these days. Everyone has noticed the rise in prices, the general lessening of living conditions as more and more resources are stretched. The shipyards and associated industries at Tantalus have seen a 900% increase in output over the last three years, Navy ships are being produced at an astonishing rate, munitions and supplies are being rapidly crated up and shipped to the front lines.   It’s very much an unspoken fear, but almost everyone is aware that it’s a question of “when” and not “if” the Navy can no longer hold back the Raiders from descending on Tantalus Station itself.