The current Minmatar storyline is moving fast and is a little difficult to follow frankly for lore nuts at this point, so here’s my best attempt for a timeline of the “Sundsele Six” story.
Background basics 101: the Krusual(/Brutor) and the Sebiestor tribes have a pretty ancient power struggle among the Minmatar, with the Sebs currently the underdog in the government. There was a coup in the Republic in YC110 (rl-year 2008) where the government was reformed from a more Gallente-style Republic with tribal overtones to a tribal government with nominally republican strappings, and at the same time the inter-tribal power setup shifted to the current status.
Happened in the previous season: Blood Raiders have been conducting attacks on known capsuleer home locations in the Amarr space. One of these attacks lead to a major Rebellion in the Amarr system of Thebeka, leading to Minmatar loyalists encouraging it and Amarr loyalists defending the system. See this writeup by Samira Kernher for that part. During these fights, a known Amarr criminal Orlon Zashev (a CCP NPC) escaped from a MIO prison and went missing. He is wanted both by the Amarr and the Minmatar governments. As the Blood Raider attacks have been targeted at capsuleers that cross a Khanid Lord Alar Chakaid (also an NPC), the prevailing theory is he is behind them and in cahoots with Zashev.
In March, yours truly moves a humanitarian operation to Anath, a system with another devastating Blooder attack, stressing that this is is not a military operation. Alar Chakaid makes a veiled threat of taking care of these rebels himself after Anath, to with Elsebeth Rhiannon answers with “bring it”.
06-04, condiciding with the Triglavian attacks, Krusual Tribal Leadership Refuses to Comment on Rumors of Tronhadar Valley Fortresses Being Reactivated. (Tronhadar Valley is the area where Krusual managed to avoid the worst of the Amarr occupation.)
06-07, Blood Raider Attack on Matar Staged from FOBs in Evannater Constellation; Atgur Mining Operations Also Raided. Sundsele, the city attacked, happens to be the hometown of the clan of Elsebeth Rhiannon - who earlier told Alar Chakaid to “bring it”. She also spent some of her childhood in Atgur.
At the same time, Tribal Council starts talks of granting emergency powers to Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor.
Capsuleers and locals question how the hell did this happen - Matar is the homeworld in 1.0 security. Lot of tinfoiling ensues. A week later, Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor Appoints Allek Berialsh as Planetary Security Co-Ordinator for Matar. Berialsh is the former aid of the dead Sebiestor Chief Karin Midular, who has since then left the Sebiestor Tribe to join the Starkmanir. Some Sebiestor tribe members express displeasure about putting who they see as a defector of the tribe in charge of the defenses after an attack on the Sebiestor lands, and the amount of tinfoiling does not lessen at all. Krusual Tribe strongly deny that the Tronhadar valley activation would have had anything to do with an advance knowledge of these attacks but as it comes to light there were also “cold weather exercises” by Krusual forces on Mikramurka at the same time, tinfoiling intensifies.
On July 15, Confusion and Disputes Arise Over Arrests of Mikramurka Defense Officials by Matar Planetary Security. There is a tribal jurisdiction battle, and protests break out in Sundsele as these tribal officials are given over to Tribal Council (instead of a Sebiestor court).
Among capsuleers at least, there are rising concerns that there is a cover-up of some sort going on because someone local possibly aided in the Blood Raider attack. The Sebiestor Chief supported by local clan Chiefs interferes on July 29, formally requesting her people, now known by media as “the Sundsele Six”, to her tribe’s custody, somewhat pacifying the region. The Tribal Council concurs to a handover.
On the 1st of August the transfer convoy is attacked, several tribal Marshals killed or wounded, and the Sundsele Six go missing.
It is pointed out by capsuleer, Sebiestor, former Angel Kalaratiri on the IGS that making inconvenient people disappear is a Krusual MO. Several threadnoughts arise on the IGS where tinfoil theories are thrown, old tribal rivalries dug up, and various Opinions™ about Shakor’s coup that have been hidden for the past decade since are aired. Phrases like “an impending civil war” have been used.
Simultaneously to these events the following stuff happens: in May, a Thukker bounty hunter from the infamous Seykal clan (NPCs) posting an auction for Orlon Zashev, who they have captured. The bid is won by Amarr loyalists. Republic Justice Department Opens Investigation Into Seykal Clan Over Wanted Slaver Orlon Zashev sometime after. They later discover a link between Seykal and Krullefor, a very influential and famous criminal organizations.
Other concurrent Minmatar news, probably not related:
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In April, " Krusual Tribe Celebrates Wildly as YC121 Matar Global Mind Clash Tournament is Won by the "Black Dragon""
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Meanwhile, a Leak in Thukker Mix Reveals Next Gen City Ships though Thukker Tribe Deny Claims of "Militarized City Ship Project Hidden in Drone Regions" which might or might not be related?)
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There’s also a controversy about mud-wrestling at the same time.