Nofearion scanned the
archives of matters in the ether of the communications net as he often did while
for waiting departure from a major trade hub. This one had the most traffic in
New Eden. Jita 4-4 always had lots of everything and was the major crossroads
of all trade. He looking for tidbits of information or trends that may, or may
not, tip him in the direction of Isk. Hints of conflict in any outlying area
where the price of ammo or weapons my increase enough to prove profitable.
A little DED report
caught his attention. An old report from long ago back when Sansha first started
testing his technology that would open a man made wormhole into a solar system
with the purpose of enslaving populaces living on planets below. How times have
changed Nofearion thought. Admittedly in the time since this report Sansha
incursions were becoming profitable to the point of being welcomed by the
capsuleer community. Gazing over the report his suspicion was being confirmed
that the incursions were becoming perhaps a little too profitable.
A result of specialized
defense tactics, and ships used by capsuleer fleets in current defense fleets,
general industry and production was down and the price of ore was increasing. Not
due to an increase in demand, but to the decrease in ore production. Simply
miners were no longer mining. They had found more profit in shooting at Sansha
ships and reaping the bounties offered by Concord.
Having just left a
tavern on the station where some pilots who used to trade the raw unrefined ore
to him had switched from the dull drudgery of sitting in a roid belt to
fighting the now predicable battle with Sansha forces. The talk was that as
always Sansha had become predictable.
Predictable to the point
where the incursions where be drawn out to increase the overall bounty take. As
immortals they seemed to forget the cost in human lives. While the pilots were
getting fat with Isk, Sansha was able to harvest more slaves as incursions that initially were repelled in hours where now
lasting days sometimes even weeks.
The capsuleer community had
new found wealth easily obtained and Sansha ships seeming as endless as
Concords wallet. Most were not mindful that the recent drops in production
across the board had a cost. The cost was increased prices associated with
dropping availability or ships and the equipment that kept them running. With a
half formed thought the holoscreen switched from the Sansha DED report to ORE financials of the past month
showing telltales of economic slowdown. After confirming his thoughts he
switched back to the DED report. Nofearion had to admit that he and his
Corporation were profiting from his foresight of the market trends. However
this report was chilling. Was this a foretelling of a bigger strategy? A trap
set by Sansha, one so subtle and complex as to be missed by intelligence
communities in all four empires?
Nofearion had risen to
where he was because he had the knack to see the whole picture and read the
cause and effects of events and trends. Some of the Vherkior council members
had even accused him of being more mystic than drifter with predictions that
gave the impression he could see the future. In truth, a careful study of
events and market trends combined with historical records that allowed him to
make uncanny accurate predictions.
The report itself was
filled as part of DED investigations into the effectiveness of involving Capsuleers
in the defense of secure space. The DED as a division of Concord were
developing strategies to best encourage Capsuleers to defend empire space. This report was a stark reminder that the
current incursions may be a little too easy, a little too rewarding. What was
Sansha's end game?
DED report 02.568gd. 002 xx
The Battle at Abudban II
Sansha incursion forces
into Abudban system, Ortner Constellation Heimatar region
Pilot interview
Saffear Stormrage
"Fear Singer"
Squad leader Minmatar Defense
Union
Was a Mad house, I am
telling you, a mad house.
No organization, Hell, I
imagine that is what the Sansha was hoping for, a free for all. Thousands of
them, Silent not a word except for the slave. Planet side must have been worse,
whole communities ripped up, captured and enslaved by those inhuman demons.
The Amarrians enslaved
my people long ago. We always maintained our individual identities. Keeping
hope alive eventually broke free of their chains.
The Sansha, rotten
bastards, all they do not simply imprison you, they take your soul and
everything that makes you human. They take everyone Minmatar, Amarr, Gallente,
Caldari. All are given the same reprogramming treatment.
The battle? Yes the
battle. My nerves are still shot and that is no small matter.
Friendlies, or at least
as friendly as capsuleer privateers can be, locked my ship up twice by
accident. Some others Pilots were not as lucky as I, they lost their ships to
friendly fire.
Fuck! It was hair
raising, Silonneri Balginia was the there, her voice ringing on the comms rallying
all the clans, then that Amarrian bastard showed up. Dasirel! Things did not
get much better after that. For as many as we destroyed we were taking major
losses, We, The Capsuleers! Can you imagine losing our advanced ships to
inferior antiquated technology! Their numbers were huge, our organization, was
very poor but what can you expect out of a bunch of privateers. Whoever dreamed
to organize a completely volunteer capsuleer fleet had to be insane!
At one point Minmatar
and Amarrians started shooting at each other forgetting of the menace stealing
our life blood from the planet below. Then the slave showed up in her
battleship. A ship aptly named the nightmare; sure I had plenty of them fall
below the fire of my guns. This one was different. She was a capsuleer herself.
Now I understood the gravity of the situation, these demon machines were not
just chemical clockworks. Half human half machine and controlled by one of us,
one of the immortals! I was not the only one to reach this epiphany. Soon all
forgot about what now seemed trifling differences, all forgot about rivalries,
all focused fire on that one ship, that one threat to our existence! Of life as
we know it. If the Sansha can take one of us! One of us! A captive, enslaved,
take away our immortality and make it their own.
A Living hell awaits us,
they will return, when they do, Capsuleers will be leading them.
