Sporadic reports have begun filtering in from Federal Marines fighting in the Athounon system of hostile combatants who seem to be working in concert with Triglavian forces on the storm planets Athounon IV and V. None of the accounts paint a clear picture of the new hostile force, but some details have been pieced together. Their garb is similar to but noticeably different from the previously encountered Triglavian forces, and they are using heavily modified weaponry based on Caldari designs. The presence of multiple combatants who cannot be older than 15 years old has also been noted in most engagements. This hostile force has been encountered coming to the aid of Triglavian forces engaged with Federal Marines, or attacking relatively isolated units, inflicting varying amounts of damage, and disappearing before meaningful retaliation can be mounted. Federal Intelligence is working to identify these attackers as well as the nature of their connection to the Triglavian Collective.
=AUDIO TRANSCRIPT - TACTICAL BRIEFING ROOM - SPD-TF NORTHERN COMMAND - MERCOMESIER=
=BEGIN=
YUMI: It’s not a “SuVee Style”. If you knew anything about the medium –
JON: What medium? Maker’s sake, comrade, it’s entertainment–
SELAAN: You know the story behind those guys, right? We found them in the wreck of an Atlantis evac transport. Trapped for over a year by some Malro egger and didn’t break. That’s why the Commander trusts them.
YUMI: Then you’d know such depictions, in fact, originate from Raata art. SuVee is merely reconstructing the ancient tradition of–
MARKON: So he sneaks out on his own, looking to ‘see the sights’ by the waterfront, if you know what I mean, heh, heh!
HOLLAND: The faceplates creep me out. I’ve never seen them without one.
SELAAN: I think it’s intentional. Can’t compromise their loyalty if you don’t know who they are.
MARKON: And then they found him in a waste crate in the Arcology docking bay!
EIRU: Are you two arguing about that SuVee cartoon again?
MARKON: How’d Riaan get away with it, nevermind make Chief?
JON: Sejikiin on the deck! [Shuffling and creaking of chairs, then silence.]
KAIVA: At ease. Commander Suzaku is occupied with pre-flight checks and so will not be joining us. Be advised he’ll be checking the recording.
We’ve all had a long day, so I’ll be brief. I know some of you out there think you’re taking the dropship to Caldari Prime and not Athounon VI. Particularly you fighter jockies. You marines are a little more grounded.
[Faint laughter]
KAIVA: Take it from me - you’re not worthy to lick mud from the boots of the men and women who stepped off that ramp. Nor would you want to be. You sucklings are on a milk run. You want glory? Follow your orders to the letter.
I’m also here to reinforce the spirit of your directive. This is a reconnaissance mission first and a sortie second. Remember your EAR - Evade, Assess, Report. Now, if during that loop you happen to see Fio or Veles–
[Aggressive hooting noise]
KAIVA: Silence! Vonsaikka, arrest that employee at once and bring him to the brig. Two lashes. Shameful. Does any other baka want a fast shuttle back to access control at an SNC cryo plant? If you think you’re real soldiers, act like it.
Yes? A question?
YUMI: Sir, what about the renegade warclones?
KAIVA: They’re trigs. So, same as Veles and any other kyber unit. Preferential engagement. Attempt to secure prisoners for interrogation. Anyone else fail to read their briefing slate?
No? Good. Briefing concluded. Action stations; hivaa saitsuo.
[Together] Glory to the State!
=END=
Hevrice-V Federal Fright Storage
-Hevrice Gazette-
Federation day festivities touched all systems in the Federation, and Hevrice was no exception.
One Ax’l Thorne, Caldari Nationalist, had been witnessed throwing a Federation Day BBQ at his small local gym after the parade in Luminarie had concluded. A fair number of Federation Citizens were seen participating in the festivities, including one Azazel Drakonis, 4th place winner of the YC 124 Mr. Federation competition.
A wave of attacks on lower priority Federal Marine supply convoys on Athounon IV and V has come and gone in the last 48 hours, delaying the delivery of material to the edges of the Gallente front on both planets. The culprits have been identified as the newly arrived Triglavian affiliated organization. Reports detailing these incidents lack observations of minors, but confirms the presence of traditional Caldari iconography in the dress of the assailants. The coordination of these attacks and expertise in their execution has confirmed to analysts that this group not only possesses experienced commanders but is well organized.
Holofreak, the live broadcast
Zero-zero hits the Boulevard and Eric Sault takes a swing at tribesploitation!
A surprise awaited the guests of Crystal Cineplex when beyond the cast of Ascent, the real Paige – Trii Seo – arrived to attend the premiere. Known usually for combat fatigues, she was a surprise to see in a clingy halter dress that mixed sheer fabric and opaqueness that is best described as “left for tactical decency”.
Just last week, Outcast premiered to lukewarm reviews – presenting us with an action-packed, sexy and gritty world of Starkman Prime and its people. The film launched to the tune of criticism from many ethnic groups that lambasted its lack of cultural sensitivitiy and clear place in the tribexploitation trend.
Today at midnight NEST, Eric Sault and Impetus studios sought to make a hit against not just the Outcast but the tribesploitation genre with Ascent – a movie based on the early life of capsuleer Trii Seo, a Matari outcast who managed to leave the planet of Arzad II and ascend into the stars.
Ascent sets out to tell a story first, and action second. From the stables of Impetus, two strong names help get the action going – Peter Roy as Thomas, a disgraced pirate out to rebound and Adel Freir as an up and coming warchief of the clan of bandits and scavengers.
The story is left to a newcomer on the big stage, Maret Takala, who starts off playing her signature role of an unrepentant juvenile delinquent. She quickly sets off on a journey of transforming her into a ruthless scavenger out for herself, poking fun at the foundations of modern society in the process.
The elephant in the room was to be, of course, will Ascent do Starkman right – a place so prevalent in the tribexploitation trends. Sault weaves it into the story and lets it be a catalyst for change that happens to both Takala’s and Roy’s characters. It’s a tragedy first and foremost, demonstrated as a rough, ruthless but working society rather than a skin and brutality show.
That is not to say the movie is spared brutality – fights in typical Sault fashion, with long, uninterrupted cuts that don’t spare the viewer from the screaming or the gore, punctuate the tone of the city. As it’s Eric Sault’s charm, after flinching for the first time, we – as does Takala’s Paige – keep watching. Eventually, we begin to accept the ruthless new world as an undeniable reality.
It’s clear that Ascent set out to accomplish many things. Both protagonists start off familiar, but take a completely different direction in development. Thomas never warms up, nor does he abandon his goal. Paige doesn’t discover the path of honorable behavior and good – and neither faces retribution for breaking the canon of the genre.
In the end, rather than a feel-good triumph and a sunset we see two people carrying the burden of violence forward. Rather than barbarians easily spotted in the crowd, they each could blend into a crowd and stand next to us at the pub. Ascent sets up the ground to ask questions and step out of the genre – but it wastes that opportunity, backs out and credits roll.
Excerpts from Impetus Talks with Jacques Traver, featuring the full studio – Peter Roy, Adel Freir, Maret Takala, the director Eric Sault and guest – the original Paige, or Trii Seo.
(Fragment from a live broadcast on HoloFreakLive, wrapping up the premiere in the early days of the morning NEST)
…Maret’s fandom has already exploded and when it comes to gains in popularity she is the clear victor from this movie.
Spoilers ahead, fair warning -
And she well and earned it, not bowing to a temptation to give the world a bit more “conventional” spin on the character. She also barged in firmly into the action movie scene, doing at least some of her own stunts.
Her final showdown with Rocket, played by Adel Freir may just be one of the best of Sault’s fights. It’s visceral and drastic – Maret puts into it enough screaming and panic to make me feel uncomfortable watching her struggle, and relieved to see victorious.
Ascent also pulls off a bait and switch that critics will notice in a while and audiences won’t soon forget. From the start, from the pillow talk about ambition it’s obvious that both Paige and Thomas entertain the idea of turning back on their newfound clan to serve only their own ambition.
All that time we are led to see in them a noble heart that would never betray anyone – until the very end when Paige makes a run for the prize and Thomas starts fighting most of the raiding party.
Ascent never really hides what these people are – it lets us do that on our own, expecting them to conform to the roles set by movie canon. We are left with just enough of a hint to feel a bit of unease and to realize how much was hinted at when the switch finally happens. At the same time, the qualities we’d usually see as heroic reinforce our illusion that Paige and Thomas are are action movie heroes, bound to behave in a certain way.
“Ascent” has launched in the Gallente Federation, Caldari State where it received, par the course for an Eric Sault movie, R17+ rating due to excessive violence (backed by several scenes of nudity and portrayal of drug abuse). To a lesser fanfare it launched in the Amarr Empire, it was, however, given the dreaded AAO (adult audiences only) rating basing on the advisory of the Ministry of Internal Order.
The MIO released a short comment, stating that “while the crass elements of the holo deviate little from other popculture product that comes in from other empires, several scenes contain discussions about faith and the nature of God are best taken by a responsible, adult mind and could have negative impact on the youth.”
Because of the subject of Starkman, and because it clearly follows up on the ire sparked by “Outcast”, the Culture Board of Matar blocked the release of Ascent in the Republic pending a review of cultural accuracy. More information is expected in the coming days.
Outraged Capsuleer Assaults Legal Defendant
Yesterday, July 1st, at 19:42 NEST on Yona V, a routine court hearing ended with an outburst of violence when capsuleer and former model Emilia Dallocort shoved legal defendant Javas Clardoux over a bench. Directly after the conclusion of the court session, Dallocort’s prosecuting team approached Aliastra representative and defendant Clardoux in the hall, where he and prosecutor lead Stelhem Aubisset exchanged a few words in civility. Several moments later, this conversation was interrupted when Ms Dallocort pushed past Aubisset to slap Clardoux’s holo-tablet from his hands, proceeding to shove him over a bench and onto the floor.
[Video footage showing the scene]
Legal representatives Aubisset and Clardoux are having what looks to be a professional, but mildly heated, conversation in the halls outside of the courtroom, with Emilia standing just behind Aubisset’s shoulder. Shortly into this conversation, Emilia’s lips press together and she shoots a fiery glare at Clardoux, before brushing past Aubisset and abruptly smacking Clardoux’s holo-tablet from his grip. Immediately after, Emilia steps forward and uses both hands to forcefully shove a shocked Clardoux backwards. Clardoux trips over a bench along the side of the room and crashes down into a potted plant, his head smacking the wall while dirt spills over the floor. A member of the prosecuting team grabs Emilia’s arm at the same time Aubisset turns and steps in front of her, getting Dallocort to back off while she says something angrily to the man on the floor.
This physical confrontation comes moments after yet another delay in an ongoing legal battle between Emilia Dallocort and her former employer, Aliastra. Dallocort, who once modeled for the retail giant, has brought forward a suit against the corporation with accusations of dishonesty, exploitation, and defamation.
According to Dallocort, she was approached by Aliastra during her search for a sponsor, who offered to fund her capsuleer program in exchange for Dallocort accepting a modeling contract. During the negotiations, she claims that Aliastra took advantage of her lack of experience and her desperate situation to obscure the contractual implications of the offer. Dallocort claims that she was mislead to believe that Aliastra would allow her to buy out her contract in full, when in reality they only planned to forfeit her working contract in exchange for the agreed upon fee. Currently, Aliastra still owns Dallocort’s image and has been using her likeness in a variety of advertisements. She claims to have never once been informed by any Aliastra representatice of the clause which specifies the rights to her image would be retained. She maintains to have only found out about this clause a few months after paying the fee to break her working contract, when she discovered Aliastra was still using her image for new product placements.
Aliastra, however, has denied all accusations, stating that Dallocort was made unquestionably aware of all terms of her contract before she agreed to signing in full. The retail giant also states that Ms Dallocort was presented with a separate offer, giving her the opportunity to purchase her image rights, and that she declined. Aliastra representative and legal defendant Javas Clardoux claims that “Ms. Dallocort is participating in politics, attempting to smear Aliastra’s image while dancing out of the remaining terms of her contract free of charge.”
[A video feed shows Javas Clardoux walking out of the courthouse, holding an ice pack to the back of his head.]
“Mr. Clardoux,” a reporter asks, “do you plan to press charges against Emilia Dallocort for the incident that just occurred?”
“Yes,” Javas responds, “I very much intend to press charges.”
Stelhem Aubisset, when approached for a statement, responded by saying, “I have no doubt that this will only cause further complications in negotiations between my team and the defendant’s. However, while my client’s actions were unwelcome, I do not believe that this should have any effect on the outcome of the current legal dispute. My client’s emotional behavior has nothing to do with the decision on whether Aliastra deliberately obfuscated the terms of the contract.”
Emilia Dallocort has declined to comment.
Segment from an Arshat system wide news broadcast…
Squadrons of black and silver cruiser and battlecruiser sized vessels belonging to Ordo Crucis Noctilucae (KHPER) have been spotted in the system today, captured here by the crews of two unaffiliated vessels while departing the Theology Council station. The ships, so far, appear to be performing routine patrols between orbital infrastructures, including frequent passes by the increasingly guarded Dazh Porevitium Transmuter.
KHPER’s presence in Arshat follows that of Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris (PIE)- both organizations being affiliated with the Khimi Harar alliance. While it is unclear to what extent KHPER and PIE are coordinating their efforts, the timing of the new arrival suggests a possible escalation of vigilance following reports of intense conflict between State and Federation forces in the system of Athounon.
Requests for comment on this situation have not yet received response.
EDA Survey Report Release
Preliminary Mass Resource Review Survey Report
Preliminary Survey Data Returns For Resource and Materials Across System Are Exceptionally Promising. While Often Considered Resource Poor, The System of Eugales Generally Continues to Remain Rich in Assorted Planetary and Deep Space Materials, That, While Not Particularly Unique in Many Cases, Remain Abundant and Ripe For Processing For The Prosperity of Colonies in System, and Beyond.
EDA Extraction Operations On Planet II, Planet IV, Planet V, and Planet VI Will Continue to Be Expanded. Moon Mining Operations Currently Remain Suspended But Potential of Outsourcing Resource Rights on Specific Moons is Under Consideration.
House Brezia, Wolf Brothers INC, and the Eugales Development Authority, After Compiling Further Data On Extent of Resource Deposits and Range, Have Made the Decision to Grant Resourcing Rights To Specific Unclaimed Deposit Zones to Various Groups, Including CBD Corp, Wiyrkomi, Material Acquisitions, Nugoeihuvi, Quafe Corporation, Hyasyoda Corporation(through Suroken National), and The Resource Acquisition and Requisitions Office of the Federated Republics of Renarelle V.
Existing independent small claims, and Material Acquisitions Extant Claim on the Titanium deposits of Eugales VII - Moon 9 will be honored. All remaining unclaimed or unattributed deposits are earmarked for further extended survey.
=====================================================
Transmitter status
. booting
. online.
YC124-0207-Athounon-V-3919-163.5431
OfficerIdent - Ruubz Raubzen
EncryptionProtocol - WHPDsecure
Establishing Link…
Link established to: MCLK-DISPATCH-Ylandoki-II-ZAINOU
=====================================================
MESSAGE START
fed,cal fleets fighting at orbital AthV. encountered data fragment in wreckage, unknown encryption. uploading sample, transfer to science dep. requesting op extension.
MESSAGE END
=====================================================
Data transfer
. Initializing…
. Uploading…
!ERROR-FAILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FAILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FAILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FA
ILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FAILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FAILED TO PARSE /// !ERROR-FAILED TO P
…
321583126 Errors encountered
rebooting…
!ERROR-TRANSMITTER MALFUNCTION
!ERROR-ENCRYPTION FAILED
System diagnostic
. 1 message transmitted
. 1 data transfer failure: source non-binary
=====================================================
==> DATA DECRYPTION COMPLETE 12/12
==> AUDIOVISUAL RECONSTRUCTION SUCCESSFUL
==> BEGINNING PLAYBACK
An audio recording has been floating around various Galnet forums in the Syndicate region. Purportedly what was left of otherwise unrecoverable data pulled from the computers of a derelict Kestrel class frigate found orbiting a moon in the Intaki system. Salvage crews who claimed the wreck reported bloodstains in the cargo hold of the ship, but the derelict was otherwise devoid of any crew and personal effects.
[Audio recording begins with a burst of static, before clearing up]
<Sound of a sliding door, and a conversation already in progress>
<Female voice 1> … the targets we were shooting for, even if it ran over the projected date. We can begin expanding operations in the area in the coming month. And I can finally get my work back on track.
<Male voice 1> Are we certain we can trust these assets? They’ve failed us before.
<Female voice 1> Their leadership failed before. Bishop Two has a much better head on her shoulders, she’ll rise to fill the King’s boots. Knight Four can take her… <-corrupted-> … promote, if any.
<Female voice 2> Why do we even use these dumb names. Who plays chess anymore? Can’t we just call them something easier?
<Female voice 1> Like what, their names? I know you’re smarter than that, babe. Lots of people play chess. You should play chess. Might teach you to anticipate things like swindles and pitfalls. Hey, you get that thing I wanted?
<Female voice 2> I did. Your contact came through.
<Female voice 1> And you verified it’s the right program, right? It’ll work? You know we can’t move forward with the deal unless it’s good. We’re already on a tight timescale here.
<Female voice 2> I looked at it myself, everything you said was there.
<Female voice 1> Hmmm. Good. Now we just need someone to get it into the place, since our faithful friends are having issues.
<Female voice 2> You mean that Aenebra cell? I heard about that. Who’s your backup?
<Female voice 1, chuckling> Heh, yeah, the Aenebra cell. You really don’t like opsec, do ya? Anyways, I’ve got a plan. I need you to play delivery girl, just take your ship to these coordinates. There’ll be some… <-corrupted-> …see them, and we’ll wrap it up. I’m trusting you not to screw this sideways.
<Female voice 2> Why do I have to be the one? Can’t Riven <-sound of moving fabric muffles audio->
<Female voice 1> Girl, I’m giving you a chance here. See this through, and you might like what you’re gonna get for it. I’m sure you’ve noticed you-know-who hasn’t been pulling his weight. Maybe there’ll be a job opening in the future?
<Male voice 1> You’re being offered an opportunity. One more hoop, that’s all there is. If you don’t think you can handle yourself, then bow out. I sure as sin wouldn’t be giving you this chance.
<Female voice 2> That’s a pretty remote place, but okay. I’ll take it.
<Female voice 1> That’s what I like to hear. You’re scheduled to leave in three hours.
<Female voice 2> Alright. So, what about the team we ha…<-corrupted-> …Ath…<-corrupted->
<-End audio file->
Another round of propaganda posters has been broadcasted across the Athounon system. The attached text claims that ASMR is a biased State funded group, who’s “News” paints a very different story than the “Truth” happening in the system.
During the recent YC 124 Gallente Day Celebrations, a conversation was overheard occurring in a shadowy corner of the Gallente Lounge between a blonde female Amarr in a green dress and a humble Federation trader seated in his comfortable rocking chair.
[man] “… should I be worried?”
[woman] “No you shouldn’t be. I just think the Society - and I - have been remiss in spreading the Good Word lately between this war and this crisis and that.”
[man] “Well I can’t imagine you or yours being remiss at anything. What word are we talking about precisely?”
[woman] “God’s.”
[woman] “And since the Federation allows freedom of religion, why not make sure the best gets to be heard? We will be setting up chapels and social service centers in placed in the Federation where God’s Holy Word may shine the brightest, the Omega, Gamma and Delta cities, towns, outposts and worlds."
[man] “Well, that is an interesting prospect. There are quite a few Amarrian sects active within the Federation. It will be interesting to see how a more organized approach will be received…
The rest of the conversation was drowned out by the noise of fireworks.
In a statement made public, @Naomi_Hakashi, the acting producer and manager of the Achur-State-Mountain-Report was dismissive of the recent propagandistic flyers slandering the news organization in the Caldari occupied system of Athounon in Placid.
“The flyers and posters dispersed across the Athounon system’s planetary populations are amusingly crude and generic in their design. More than likely the work of bitter and abandoned Federal Defense Union ship crews not recovered by Gallente forces or a radical Federalist organization, were it the work of a Gallente or Caldari competitor news group or the FIO I would have expected something more substantive in design.”
Naomi continued.
“The Achur-State-Mountain-Report has and always will break truthful and substantive news, many if not all of our articles and posts include battle reports from trusted and verifiable sources, despite the grievances of the Federal forces consistently on the losing side of those reports, their bitterness does not undo ship or system control losses. Our work speaks for itself. We go the extra kilometer to ensure our information is accurate and up to date.”
Stardom Magazine, 13.07.124
Tensions across the cluster are escalating and The Ascent continues to divide critics and drive fans of Eric Sault mad. Meanwhile, the credits song – a voiced version of “Rewriting tomorrow” sang by Vika Bianchi tops the charts. While it may be derivative in every way, Vika’s style lends itself well to the tension-laden, echoing synthetic tone of SIGMUND’s track and make for an absolute banger.
For this week’s choice of words, here’s our very own Eike’s take on the movie -
Placid Tribune
BREAKING: Assault on Osmeden VII Federal Navy Assembly Plant
Osmeden VII - Moon 18 - Federation Navy Assembly Plant
The Federation Marines have placed a full lock-down on the Osmeden VII station’s administrative ward following an assault on a Federal Intelligence Office complex this evening. The attack seems to follow the pattern of similar terror bombings conducted at the Federal Administration Information Center several weeks ago, with an initial act of industrial sabotage, exposure to an unknown pathogen, and subsequent attack in the wake of exposure. In the lead up to the assault an aerosol canister detonated in the lower levels of the station warrens, driving response teams to the lower decks. Within minutes unmarked troops wearing civilian maintenance attire breached the Federal Intelligence Office command center, using what reports describe as a “crude man-portable entropic device” to breach the wall from an adjoining maintenance facility.
The assailants were quickly identified by security footage facial recognition, only for cross referencing to verify that each “maintenance worker” was in medical recovery and quarantine following exposure to previous bombings of Osmeden III during the attack on the Navy Assembly Plant. Further investigation revealed that each worker’s personal file had been compromised previously during the assault on the administrative station, a fact that evaded station security until now. With each combatant felled or self-terminated following a brief gunfight, their true identity could not be identified.
The attack coincided with a meeting among FIO, SDII, and Federal Defense Union command staff in response to disturbing reports of Triglavian and Caldari militia activity in North Placid as reported by Achur-State-Mountain-Report press. A current tally of casualties has yet to be reported to the public at this time. As the meeting was not publicly available information, it is unknown how the assailants knew of its time and location.
There’s a new kid in town:
Reports are coming in from all over Mehatoor about an interesting new arrival to the Amarr political scene. A capsuleer from SFRIM that was formerly known as Jason Statesman has been revealed as the long-lost missing son of the late Lord Hadish Moradian who died under questionable circumstances some 22 years ago.
Though there are reports that say his legitimacy is being questioned by some within the Ardishapur family, the MIO has confirmed through multiple means that he is indeed the son of the late Lord Moradian. Thus he is Heir-Lord of a sizable holding currently being managed by a Regent in the Devoid region.
Additionally, I’ve obtained further news that the MIO has absolved this man of any involvement in his father’s death. Though it is reported he was the only person present at the time of his father’s “alleged” drowning, it has been determined that at the age of four he probably was not responsible for the unfortunate incident.
I have been unable to contact the Heir-Lord for an interview, but surely there will be more details to come.
2022.07.14
KHITO, NAGA V, ARIDIA
A shocking heist has claimed the remains of capsuleer and Baroness Faith Griffiths of the remote ocean world of Naga V. According to witnesses interviewed for this story, a Khanid male, piloting his own ship, followed a scheduled transport down to the spaceport serving the Naga V city of Khito. Negotiating customs by producing a (probably forged) import document for a supply of yaks, the suspect unloaded a herd of the animals and drove them though the city’s tram network to the “Halls of Duat” crypts housing the city’s dead, including the remains of Baroness Griffiths, who succumbed to radiation poisoning incurred while the future Baroness was in the service of famous capsuleer Lunarisse Aspenstar (Ms. Aspenstar rushed Baroness Griffiths though capsuleer training in order to save her mind if not her original body).
Pretending his yaks were a traditional Khanid burial offering, the suspect gained access to the crypt containing Baroness Griffiths for himself and one yak, saddled and carrying large bags, and with a blow of a whistle incited a stampede from animals left behind, momentarily stunning the guards and allowing the suspect to stuff the Baroness’s remains into one of his yak’s bags. The suspect then mounted his saddled yak and rode off, the remainder of his yaks in tow, the thick hide and long hair of the beasts rendering ineffective the shots of non-lethal weaponry the recovering guards fired at the fleeing herd. Navigating the Khito tram system and losing a yak to the laser fire of automated security systems, the suspect made his way to the city’s agricultural dome. Having disabled a guard with a shot to the hand from an ancient Khanid weapon called a “bow and arrow”, the suspect drove his herd into Khito’s own large yak herd and vanished in the mass of animals. Although Khito security reinforced the hanger containing the suspect’s ship, the suspect instead managed to stow away aboard a Kor-Azor diplomatic shuttle with the Baroness’s body, shooting one of his “arrows” into the knee of a guard who recognized him at the last minute. Rising waves threatening to sweep over the spaceport — a regular occurrence on Naga V — prevented pursuit.
Suspicion for the crime immediately fell upon the Amarrian Orthodox Church, Sedevacantist, whose members regard Baroness Griffiths as a future saint and her body as a holy relic due to what they consider her supernaturally exceptional waist to hip ratio. The Church’s founder, the notorious capsuleer Nauplius, has repeatedly sought to obtain Baroness Griffith’s corpse as a holy relic that might attract Jin-Mei pilgrims to his sedevacantist sect. The Sedevacantist Church itself declined comment for this story.
PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM ROUND TABLE ASSEMBLY AVALON COMMISSION
7.14.124
To Whom It May Concern,
Previously on the 6th, the Round Table Assembly and the Bosena Accords intelligence network early warning monitoring system flagged conflict in Skarkon amounting to losses of 150 billion ISK. According to existing protocols for the defense of Skarkon, the Avalon defense network was activated to combat readiness. Meanwhile, planetary assault dreadnought Galahad was placed on nuclear alert while escort carrier Glatisant prepared for sortie.
As the alert could not be traced to the loss of any structure or capital, Galahad was ordered to stand-down position while Glatisant remained on standby. Further investigation revealed that all losses could be tracked to the loss of one (1) experimental electronic warfare vessel, originally misidentified as a Porpoise in our integrated early warning system.
Over the last week, we have reevaluated our algorithm for our early-warning system to avoid future confusion and reduce the risk of “broken arrow” nuclear misfire incidents due to false-positive alarms.
Luminaire orbit - Grand Stands Resort
Madame? Do you have a moment?
Sure, Curiseau. What is it?
Well… Suite 16… are you sure that someone is still using it?
…Yes. Why?
Well… It does not look that way. The bed never looks like it has been slept in. There’s never any trash, or any luggage or clothing for that matter. It’s really as if the room is vacant.
I see. Well, you need not worry. The one who rented it mentioned he may not be occupying it a lot.
…Let me guess, it’s a capsuleer.
Good guess, Curiseau. What gave it away?
Well, only someone very wealthy would rent such an expensive suite without using it.
Yes, hm, well, I think he may be using it without being here.
…Madame?
Well, you see… sometimes a person may want to obfuscate their true whereabouts. It’s not something you will encounter a lot at this resort, because… well, usually people will rent rooms at other hotels to hide that they are staying here, usually from their spouse.
…I see. So…why is this man-
Curiseau! First of all, it was just a hypothesis. Secondly, you know better than to make such inquiries. And thirdly… if a capsuleer uses this resort to obfuscate where he actually is, I sure as ■■■■ do not want to find out why. I just take the easy money, and keep my eyes, ears and mouth shut. And so should you. I have a feeling he will tip generously if you do.
Yes, madame.