Hearing rumors that Jita was expected to be attacked, I was completely caught off guard when I landed in Urlen and my ship’s sensors started screaming. Flashes of red EVERYWHERE, indicating warnings from CONCORD. I had jumped in and appeared in the middle of a fleet of hardened criminals and pirates. Murderers likely, one and all. Not only that, I was in an industrial ship. A prime candidate for targeting. And to put the cherry on top of that whipped cream, I had several hundred million isk in my cargo hold.
Luckily, pausing to catch my breath, saw them warping away. To Perimeter, of course. While there were some wrecks around me, we weren’t at their target system. They were on to Jita, where I was now going.
I thought about turning back. Indeed I should have, but I pressed forward. They would not wait too long at the game. I had shield modules on my ship as well as inertial stabilizers. If I used the interference that comes just after a jump to collect my bearings, I could do this. I could make it through.
And I did. I made my isk on buy orders set up. Getting sixty million isk more than Dodixie.
Then the shame hit me.
I was supporting the Caldari by using their station. Yes I needed the isk, I was running fumes before this run. Even now, I am not rich compared to capsuleers. I have a crew to pay and the universe is dangerous.
But still, I was betraying the Federation in a fashion. My earlier frustration that the attack against Jita started on the weekend I needed to haul my wares was replaced by joy that it was happening. Jita needed to burn. Too long have we made Caldari the center of our economy. Dodixie isn’t even close to being the center that the vile Amarr is, with their despicable practices! Our Gallentean ways of tolerance and acceptance has caused us to willingly go along with these centers as being the standard hubs for business. We can tolerate and accept others, so why not use their stations? What harm is there?
But then I think about all the billions of isk, pouring into the Caldari Navy. Used to build ships, fund attacks and generally murder our citizens across the universe. We fund it. We support it. By hauling our cargo to their hub, to make a few more isk.
In the long run, if we used our own, prices would close in on each other. Even a slight closing could cause the Amarr to simply further their own hub. The Minmatar to centralize theirs from their two to a single one, and put forth another competitor. For more conveniently placed pilot structures to be turned to, as well.
Jita’s control over the universe’s markets would fall.
Perhaps, people avoiding Jita for even a short while can move that day closer. I hope so. Everyone who uses the market deserves to burn. I deserved to burn for betraying these ideals.
Let Jita burn!