Star Citizen State of Emergency - The War On Water!

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Blue sparks arc between the grounding plates attached to the outside of most buildings in Archubold. The extreme low humidity making static buildup and discharge a real hazard to those who walk the dusty streets here. Even though the atmosphere on Y is technically breathable, you see few inhabitants these days who go outside without protection. The air is so dry that even a short walk can result in cracked lips, nose bleeds, itchy eyes, and irritated throats. Sweat evaporates as quickly as it can form. It seems almost like an act of defiance that Captain Gemma Venez of the Archerald Protection Force talks to the reporters assembled outside the main headquarters without a mask. She is here to tout the results of a sting operation that culminated in the arrest of three suspected smugglers. The latest in an ongoing effort to cail a growing and problematic black market on Y. The sting resulted in the single largest seizure of contraband to date. 96,000 kilo L of clean portable water.

[00:01:08]Now in its seventh year, the current drought on Ya is by far the longest on record for the planet. Already an arid world covered in deserts, the effects of the drought have been devastating for the small towns and settlements that dot to the surface. The planet's infamous red desert is estimated to have expanded by 23% since 2940.

[00:01:31]What was already considered a hard life has become all the more difficult as available water supplies dwindle. One local resident, Fino Sunonny Vogen, who runs a carol shop near Hester Flats, summed up the situation by saying, "No one who chooses to live here is expecting an easy life. But this this is no kind of life at all." Like many though, even with these harsh conditions, Vogan has no plans on leaving the planet. You pour as much blood and sweat into the land as I have, you start to feel a part of it. In response to the ongoing problem, the leadership council declared a state of emergency in 2941 and enacted several strict regulations for water use and reclamation. These regulations not only affected the population but the mining industry as well which depends on water for many common extraction practices.

[00:02:28]Despite these measures and humanitarian aid provided by the empire, the water reserves on Y continue to fall well below the standard set by the UEE for per person water consumption with regards to drinking and sanitation. The moisture collectors and gray water processes just have not been able to keep up with even the reduced demand owing to the severity of the drought. To make up the difference in supply, the government began to significantly increase its procurement of off-world water resources. However, as the private sector began to compete for those same shipments in the water markets, prices soon skyrocketed. With its budget already stretched, the government could not compete and soon the majority of the water making its way to the world was sold directly to wealthier individuals or corporations.

[00:03:20]A majority of the inhabitants found themselves unable to afford the high market prices and unable to depend on the government to provide for them.

[00:03:28]Though there were rules which limited how much water people could consume, the booming private market made exact usage statistics extremely difficult to track.

[00:03:39]As the drought continued and conditions worsened, prices and demand only increased. Even though the number of water haulers making deliveries to the planet quadrupled by 2944, it was not enough to tame the runaway market.

[00:03:54]Desperate to restore balance and curtail the growing drought related death toll, the council passed a new ordinance outlawing the private sale of water on Yah. Announcing the new measures, council member Quesa Red said, "The good of all people must come before any one individual. If we are to survive this, we must do so together." Despite protests at 0 hours SCT on May 25th, 2946, executive council order B-14-26 went into effect. Selling water had now become illegal on Y. Unfortunately, the new regulations have not had the desired effect. As the council locked in a new lower price at which it was willing to purchase water, many of the haulers and traders left the marketplace unsatisfied with slimmer profit margins. With less water coming to the planet, the authorities enacted tighter consumption restrictions at the start of 2947 and use was capped at the bare minimum.

[00:04:58]Companies who rely on water for their operations are forced to compete for limited water use licenses with only sparse amounts available every quarter.

[00:05:08]Many struggle to subsist on the resources the council can provide. While those with the means to do so have turned to a new font, the water black market.

[00:05:18]An anonymous source who operates a mine near the southern pro solo border says, "About 8 months ago, I was contacted by a broker who said she could get my tanks back up to the levels they were before order 26 went into effect. Costs twice as much as it did before they passed the damn law. But what else can you do? To get one of those official licenses, you have to be extremely lucky or know the right people. Or better yet, both."

[00:05:44]Recent estimates from the Archerboard Protection Force state that nearly a third of the total current water on Ya has been transported there illegally. In an attempt to cail the growing black market, the last few months have seen heightened scans at all orbital way stations, multiple raids, and dozens of arrests. The council has even been looking to add a tracer to its water supplies to help identify illegal sources. Despite the time and effort spent shutting down the trade, it seems like there is no end in sight. Illegal water is still pouring into Yah as smugglers seek to take advantage of the situation. If the current trends continue, the council could be on the verge of waging open war against its population as the need for water continues to make outlaws out of everyday people. However, a new wrinkle has emerged. One of the alleged smugglers arrested this week, Kira Henderson, is contesting the charges placed against her by claiming that water is a basic human right under the UEE's common laws and that the officials on Y did not have the legal standing to outlaw its sale to the public in the first place. Many across the world have embraced Henderson's interpretation and organized formal protests in Archabold and beyond to support her. A hearing has been scheduled for later this month, and its outcome could have major ramifications, not only for Yah, but the empire as a whole.

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[00:07:24]This gives you high precision natively supported head and eye tracking in Star Citizen. It really adds to immersion and situational awareness, being able to easily look around your cockpit and track enemies or friendly pilots. You can more naturally glance around in FPS or just explore the world in a way that's even cooler than before. Also, it gives you another tool in your belt, so you can use it to aim and interact with the world more with your eyes if you want to use it to aim your ship's weapons, that sort of thing. Whatever your monitor setup or even if you wear glasses and in any lighting condition, Toby has your back or head or eyes. Toby has your eyes. It works with a ton of other games, too, and is great for content creators as well. But also, you got camera boost, which is like mouse acceleration for your head. Use the link below to get 15% off. Also, there is a Toby sweep stake you can get involved with until the 26th of May to win an eye tracker 5. Again, links below. And I would love to know in the comments if you have a Toby eye tracker already, if you use it all the time in Star Citizen or if you don't, tell us tell us in the comments. A big thank you to Toby for sponsoring this video. Every month we have a ship giveaway. And for May, we're giving away two different ship packages to two different winners. A Misque Hullb cargo hauler kindly given to us by CI.

[00:08:39]Thanks Cig. And an anvil Valkyrie drop ship. Both with lifetime insurance and a game package. All you need to start Star Citizen with. You can go down that career path with with a free ship if you want to be a carahaller or a drop ship pilot. I mean, it's a combat ship as well, the Valkyrie. It's a cool ship.

[00:08:55]Commenting on any of my videos made during this month of May will get you a chance to win in each video is another chance. All the details are in the description below. Thank you to everyone that goes the extra mile in supporting the channel. Whether that's watching loads of my videos, cuz we make at least a video a day on Star Citizen. Whether you like, share, comment, all that sort of jazz, it all helps loads. as it does pressing the join button under my videos and becoming a channel member. I would heartily encourage you to do that. It helps us make that daily content. Thank you so much for watching until the end of the video and remember to comment below. I hope you have a great May and a fantastic Fleet Week or Drake Defensecon, whatever it's called.