As someone who fights Valkyrie, I do believe you’re a bit biased in this situation. There is no benefit to reputation here, and so far the culprits have taken as many possible chances to hint to being Valkyrie as they could, save for screaming “We’re Valkyrie” during the kidnapping. I do not see any reason they would do such while brazenly displaying their own colours when the repercussions would be so obviously negative in any light seen.
I also find your claim that the foot soldiers were Valkyrie odd. As someone with both connections to these “Ground-Pounders” as you called them, as well as one who constantly worked with them up until recent years, I can tell you that it is much more likely to be a mercenary cloned soldier than a Valkyrie.
I would also like to suggest to everyone that your organization could be suspect here as well. You have been here constantly trying to convince us (in a rather ineffective way) that your enemies are behind this.
@Scipio_Artelius As comedic as it may be, feel free to add Mr. Gogne as a suspect on your mock suspect list.
Building a reputation though crime and cruelty is still a reputation that some see as worth having. Puts fear into the hearts of some. Don’t believe me? Look at the blood raiders. That bald ■■■■ Omir brought the raiders to a entire new level of brutality after he craved the bloodiest (no pun intended) path in that cult’s history. Now, everyone knows about them. Know they’re dangerous individuals worthy of fear. Provoking that kinda emotion out of people has it’s uses.
The only negative reputation you can get is the one that can be easily ignored.
I’ve made numerous statements here. But don’t recall claiming cloned soldiers were involved. Someone else did I believe after Ms.Mahom described the attackers equipment.
Already ahead of You, pal!
My ineffective explanation of the situation is due to admittedly not having evidence. But I have a hunch that I feel very confident in. The Valkyire are renegades with no discipline. Due to this I’ve also suggested a rogue Valkyire carrier could be behind this. A fine example of how Kavik is embrassingly incapable of leading a army this big. Just keep leeching on our ranks to fatten hers…I find it quite believable that some slip though her weak grasp
As you say even a negative reputation can have value. The problem here is that when you are trying to create one you do not hint. You declare your actions in the most vocal way possible.
This doesn’t add up,and your view of the Valyrie may be blinding you to this.
I’m just here to make sure you all don’t turn a blind eye to the Valkyrie. I’ve already said you should keep my organization in question. But don’t “doubt” the Valkyrie had involvement. That’s exactly what they want you to do. Everyone gots this idea in their head that the Valkyrie are “heroes” or the “good guys”. In reality they’re just another pirate outfit. With that kind of reputation however. People will have doubt if they really were involved. Then they can shift blame onto my organization - Schism. Because we’re obviously the bad guys, right? Every hero needs a villain afterall…
I’m here - to help. I’m that certain the Valkyire are involved and my focus on this one suspect is what will blow open this case and reveal theses turncoats for who they really are - Us.
You’ll notice I have never once said that your outfit were involved. I have only asked you to look outside your seemingly blinkered view. I understand your dislike of those who fight you (I take no side in this without further information). However you are focusing on obvious hints without actual proof.
Are the Valkyrie usually so circumspect? Or would they usually just directly attack if they had cause? And what use would they have for a fashion designer and his entourage?
Recheck your sensor records but eliminate data that correlates with your and the Valkyrie fighters and vessels. Comb through the remaining data. See if there is anything unusual left over.
We’re missing something here. Something in the background, Filter out the expected and see what’s left.
Well, as much as i firmly believe the Valkyrie are the culprits behind this. There is still that “Quartermaster” i have to deal with every now and then when i need replacement ships. Guy gives me the absolute creeps. Doesn’t really care much for profits. number one lesson I’ve learned in my career, is to never trust an arms dealer that doesn’t care about profits.
He’s the only one who has access to theses “specialty” fighters that isn’t Schism or the Valkyrie, Hell, he’s the one building them. He even gots his own pilots that he contracts out to each side. Simply transfers their consciousness over to our networks. Good service when you need to fill the holes made after having to get rid of some liabilities. Most notable pilot in his employ is someone who goes by the name “Anska”. Not a bad support pilot, I’ve hired her a few times here and there. If you can get over her obsession with Spiderbots. She makes a fine soldier…
But I’m rambling - point is. If you want me to toss out another suspect - The Quartermaster.
Is there any way in which he would benefit from this (other than a fabulous wardrobe obviously)? Could he be dealing with a third party and using the Valkyrie as a convenient distraction?
As you say, an arms dealer with little interest in ISK is just unnatural (trust me, I should know). It sounds very much like you are being used to test this equipment rather than being a customer.
What reason could this being have to play you off against the Valkyrie without making profit from both? Is it possible this is nothing to do with Fabuleaux as such, he was just a high profile celebrity who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
This is certainly someone who could provide and outfit mercs in any way they chose. Is there anything in any sensor records from the abduction or any other encounters?
Obviously comms will be encrypted but I mean in the ecryption techniques on the messages themselves. Technically minded folks always leave their distinct mark on anything, and this includes encryption patterns, burst messaging patterns etc.
Filter out the obvious surface layer, see what’s left and see if anything matches or is out of place. Maybe compare messaging from this Quartermaster to that gathered during encounters with that cult. Let’s see if anything comes out when we sift the known.
Intel reported two Valkyire pilot a landed inside the control tower. About 10 minutes later a lifeboat is detected before it warps off. 2 minutes later a explosion goes off in the engineering bay with one pilot fleeing from it. Maybe they knew we were gonna take the facility soon. Decided it was time to relocate the hostage…deatroy some evidence along the way?
We’re tracking that lifeboat now. Hopefully now we can get some answers, eh?
It doesn’t read that way though, if the Valkyrie had put a hostage there first then why did they need to send two pilots on a possible suicide mission?
Whoever put the hostage there had access to the station and either had control over security or activated it after leaving. If it had been the Valkyrie then why would they need such a desperate means of retrieving the hostage? Why not just shut security down again, use the appropriate IFF or any of the many other means available?
They did not put the hostage there, but rather found him and tried to retrieve him. Has anyone actually tried talking to the Valkyrie about this? Without an implicit threat of violence or accusations I mean.
It benefits neither of your groups to be played against each other. Sort this first and go back to killing each other temporarily afterwards. There are those who can’t just clone their way out of death to consider.
We tracked down the lifeboat, finally after tireless efforts to do so. Send a ship out but as soon as our ship lands. Our captain reports that a battleship belonging to that god damn Sansha cult warps off. A Valkyire Moa lingers around for a bit before high tailing it out of there.
We don’t know who snatched the hostage. They both seemed equally eager to get out of dodge.
■■■■, almost had him too. Alright, I got a backup plan. If what you’re saying is true @Corraidhin_Farsaidh then maybe there’s some clues lingering about in that control tower. We only know the situation from the outside. We don’t know anything about security being operational inside…That won’t last for long now that I take that into consideration.
Commander, from that intercepted transcript it looks like the Valkyrie believed you were after the hostage too.
Have you tried diplomacy with them? It’s entirely possible they are being played along with yourselves. They may have information that can dovetail with yours to shed some light. At the very least it would be easier to investigate that tower without shooting each other on sight.
That cult you thought were an annoyance are clearly more involved than it seemed. Were you and/or the Valkyrie close to something? Could this just be a distraction to keep you chasing each others tails?
The Valkyrie would obviously want to clear their name, and the Schism would be more than happy to prove they were at fault. Meanwhile your assets are on this hunt and fighting each other, rather than where you were before.
Approaching them diplomatically would legitmaize these traitors. Besides, my “Employer” isn’t really keen on the idea of cutting a deal with the Valkyire. Unless that deal involves the return all their stolen property, that rightfully belongs to us.
Closest thing we were close to that is related to them. Was one of their cathedrals hidden in a wormhole. I led a strike against it after obtaining coordinates from one of their followers. The Valkyire however butted in…Admitily there was “diplomacy” prior to this. Unofficial diplomacy that ended with me having to exploit a opportunity.
I needed something to say when I revealed to my employer - who was unaware of my small ceasefire with the Valkyire at the time - that still gave him confidence that I was still loyal to the job.
But it was a trap and they turned the table on both of us. Captured a good handful of our pilots - who are probably suffering from clone pains right about now…Assiming their bodies haven’t out right expired.
But ever since then this cult. The “Deaf” have started going on the offensive. Most recent attack made by them was on a supply ship I was too to rendezvous with for a resupply in muntions and biomass.
■■■■■■■ “Outlaw Headlines” reported on it. I don’t know how the hell they got this information…But they got photo evidence. God, I hate the press. Parasites wanting to embarrass anyone they can.
I will admit this is becoming exhausting to my budget. Even more so after the Quartermaster started shoving Drifter tech in his products. Don’t get me wrong, the fighters are vastly superior to anything any navy or Capsuleer alliance can deploy from their carriers. But man does my bottom line just get ■■■■■■.
That in turn makes me look bad in the eyes of my employer.
Sometimes, Mr. Gogne, diplomacy is the best option, regardless of your own, or your employer’s reservations about it.
Lookin at the Outlaw Headlines and your transmission intercepts, together with recent events, time is a valuable commodity that we all have very little of to unravel the current situation. As much as you may not want to legitimize the Valkyrie by way of diplomacy, the longer this drags out, the less choice I see both organizations having.
I’ll tell you what @Sterling_Blades
Fancy name you got there by the way…
But - if the Valkyire’s benevolent den mother comes out of the shadows for once. I’ll consider cutting a deal with her. I’ve already made a deal with her line members. Was quite insulting that they were the only representatives of the Valkyire I could speak with.
But if Ran Kavik comes out her infested nest of turn coats and sits down at the table with me. I’ll work a promising deal with her. Afterall I’m the man that can convert the Amarr empress to a heretical faith if you give me 30 minutes alone with her. Surely I can cut a lucrative deal with Kavik if she shows me the respect of taking the seat across from me.
I’m already at the table, I’ve been comfy sitting here sipping on my tea. All she needs to do is come on down and we can hash this out.
Now you may say “Maybe if you didn’t hurl insults and accusations towards her and her organization she would be more inclined to talk to you directly” But…No. she wants my respect? Don’t make me talk to your grunts for a deal. Show your face Kavik…
Forgive me, but why would Ran Kavik trust you not to ‘Exploit an opportunity’?
Look at it this way, fighting each other when the Sansha are picking you both apart and building their forces by kidnapping you people is simply bad business. You are wasting valuable resources that should be used to destroy your (and the whole of New Eden’s) common enemy. Go back to destroying each other later.
Thinking further on the crews they have taken, as I mentioned it seems they are building their forces in time honored fashion, kidnap them and scoop their brains out. They could do this from any hapless planet they come across though. So why specifically are they targeting you and the Valkyrie? Is there something they can gain from taking your clone crews? That’s for you to consider though, naturally I don’t expect you to share proprietory details.
In terms of your fighters I assume you are working on ECCM hardening your ships? Something similar to our starship cap batteries may help too. At least give your pilots a means to bug out if they lose primary power systems. I can help with any of this (I’m very good with rigging this, enhancing that…), but would make any enhancements known to the Valkyrie as I believe we need everyone to face a growing threat. Still, it’d help your bottom line if nothing else.
