 This is Witchspace news for Friday the 30th of September 2022. I'm CMDR Buur. In Elite Dangerous News this week, from science to racing we have some suggestions for new in-game challenges for you to take on. As the Federation goes to war against the Far-God cult, we look at whether the Fargoid's sudden withdrawal from the bubble is linked to this week's community goal and newly released audio logs shine a light on the events surrounding the detonation of the Proteus device. If you enjoy our videos please do like and subscribe don't forget to click the little bell icon and turn on all notifications to ensure you see all our Elite Dangerous videos and posts and if you'd like to support our work on this channel you'll also find our Patreon linked below. If you're currently wandering the galaxy of Elite Dangerous in search of a new challenge or goal then we start the show this week with a few suggestions for you. At the time of recording the latest Bucky Ball challenge called The Last Gasp resuscitated has a couple more days on it running until the 2nd of October. This challenge asks commanders to deliver Bucky Ball race mats to 5 stations as far from the start point as they can, the twist being your life support must be switched off for the duration, the winner being the person who gets the fervest from the start point without expiring. A mission to collect and confirm all the codex entries pertaining to the section of the northwestern edge of the galaxy known as the Void will be leaving the bubble on the 7th of October. The codex of the Void mission plans to be out in the black for between 1 and 2 months and is looking for dedicated hardcore explorer volunteers. And the Canon Research Discord has a number of projects on the boil that can be found in the member projects section of the server. Of particular note is an initiative called Operation Black Garlic that aims to complete what they believe is a secret ongoing community goal active in the game currently asking commanders to deliver Thargoid converted Guardian relics to either Ram Tarr or Professor Palin. To get involved in any of these projects you'll find links to get you started in the description below this video. In an unusual move this week three systems in the bubble that appeared to have been invaded by the Thargoids were left completely intact when the bug eyed cabbage creatures from beyond the stars suddenly withdrew. Whilst they had been largely driven from one of the trio of victim systems the other two had remained under apparent Thargoid occupation for the last few weeks. Whilst POIs had appeared in the system filled with Thargoid scouts interceptors and human combatants no stations were set on fire and at no point did the systems state change to one of incursion. To further add to the already overstacked unusual quote and this story is hefting the withdrawal of the apparent alien infestation is being described in the related Galnet article in game as quote a tactical withdrawal unquote. It's been humanity's experience over the last few years that Thargoids don't make tactical decisions they react displaying behavior more akin to that of a disturbed ants nest. To describe Thargoids as exhibiting behavior akin to tactical decision making is like describing a wasps visit to see a mortgage advisor it just doesn't happen. The Thargoids arrival in the system was just as unusual Galnet taking the time to mention that their invasion appeared to be coordinated and theorizing on the alien's larger strategic objectives. Again this is all behavior not typically seen from the Thargoid before. So the question remains just what were the Thargoids doing in those three systems if they weren't there to start fires. And leading on from our previous story in an interesting coincidence that I don't for one moment believe is even in the same county as a genuine coincidence on the same day that the Thargoids left their targeted systems in the bubble the more radical breakaway sect of the far god cult known as the true chapter came under fire from the definitely not evil T-1000 led federals in the Popantia system. The local worker faction in the system is sympathetic to the madder than a bag of squirrels doom cult and is outfitting a new megaship for them called the Dedicant. A second corporate faction in the system is federation aligned and is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the feds shouty liquid metal president with an explicit aim of arresting any arriving doom cultists and seizing their brand new shiny ride. As we've pointed out in a tin foil wrapped video before on this channel the true chapter cultists are led by a mysterious woman known only as the first apostle until I hear it proven otherwise the current theory in the pit is that the first apostle and the surviving human experiment victim of salvation's twisted imaginary subject D2 are one and the same person. The regular viewer will remember that subject D2 is infamous for having been merged with a Thargoid vessel during salvation's experiments and proved herself capable of controlling that vessel for a short time. The in-game codex mentions that on the subject of Thargoids that their vessels may be directed by a singular queen Thargoid through some sort of hive mind like hyper evolved bees. It is our solid belief here that subject D2 is still somehow connected to that hive mind and having been responsible for the Thargoid backlash in HIP 22460 she is now controlling her own drone honey bees to serve her agenda and not that of the originating Thargoids. If that's the case the extremely unusual behavior we've seen from some note not all Thargoids in the wake of the Proteus incident would seem to lend weight to that argument. The cult is under direct attack from one of the big three superpowers in a system altogether not very far from where Thargoid fleets were apparently just treading water. The very moment the cult comes under attack the station keeping Thargoid fleets up and leave headed to a destination as yet unknown. If those same Thargoids were now to reappear somewhere and start giving the feds something else to worry about that would at least be suspicious. If they appeared in the system where the first apostles cultists are engaged with the Federals albeit in a proxy war with a major piece of first chapter real estate under threat of seizure by those federal forces well that would indeed be a thing now wouldn't it. In a possible related note last night apropos of nothing Frontiers Principal Community Manager Arthur told me tweeted one of his now signature Emperor Palpatine Gifts with the words it is always quietest before the storm. Arthur has in recent times become the public face of Frontiers Dungeon Masterlike story machinations and his tweets in particular are often a herald of something more in the game. While we were putting the show together today a further galnet story arrived talking about how the galaxy's military forces might be preparing for further Thargoid activity. The end of that news piece talks about the drive from some in the elite galaxy striving for peace with the Thargoids and specifically mentions a beacon in the abico system from the ICE journalist Joy Sen. When scanned the beacon will deliver three audio logs that play an interview between Joy and a pro Thargoid advocate. It also unlocks a pro Xeno ship nameplate and decal set for your commander. If you don't see the logs after scanning the beacon just filter by discovered logs in your ship's inbox and you should see them appear. The audio logs are fascinating whilst they speak on the subject of Thargoid advocacy they also speak about the events in HIP 22460 and in particular the Thargoid scream heard at the end of the cutscene that surrounded those events. Thargoid advocacy does seem to be a recurring theme in recent times and the birth of the true chapters sect and the arrival of the mysterious first apostle are seemingly more and more part of that growing noise. Whilst the immediate events of HIP 22460 are now weeks behind us the longer term impact of what happened that day is I suspect yet to be felt. Are you planning on joining any of the investigative player initiatives we mentioned? Do you think the Thargoids were driven out or did they leave of their own choice? And have you listened to the pro Thargoid interview logs released this morning? Let us know in the comments below that's it for now thanks very much for watching we'll be back later this week with more videos until then 07 commanders follow the greens on the way out and do keep clear of the toast rack we very much look forward to seeing you next time