Thursday 28 August 2014

Sansha's Nation intensifies attacks!

Nation Today

Once more, we capsuleers made the same mistake as we did years ago during the initial Sansha's Nation strikes. It was believed we had Nation contained after all these years, and upon believing this lie we told ourselves, capsuleers began doing what they always do. We began fighting amongst ourselves...

The incursion community, who kept the Nation attacks in check, began fighting among themselves, vying for control over the bounties Concord pays out to fight Nation. Various groups within the Incursion community began isolating themselves from the others, denying the others access to their 'hunting ground', intending to keep the payout fully to themselves. In response, sabotaging began, from hiring mercenaries to interrupt the others, to full blown collaboration with Nation to assist them in withdrawing the Nation flagships, causing the incursion of a region to end, and with it, the halting of the bounty payouts.

The arrogance in believing that the threat posed by Nation was controlled and Nation itself contained would soon unravel... as Nation did what it always has done, they adapted, changed...
This is just history repeating itself, as one can read in this article: When Nightmares turn reality, The Sansha Invasion

Nation Tomorrow

And so, on the 26th of august YC 116, Nation showed our error... As they compromised Concord databases once more, they managed to infiltrate Capsuleer monitoring software, releasing a virus corrupting the overview of tens of thousands of capsuleers.

Together with this, news spread of the vastly stronger Sansha's Nation scouting forces. For a long time, there were weak forces, easily handled by local authorities, and thereby gained little attention from capsuleers. But now they had changed... they were much stronger, overwhelming local security forces..
On top of this, capsuleers became aware that Nation's response on incursion clearance had increased. Now they targeted new regions much faster than before, putting more pressure on the incursion community.

Luckily, the overview corruption was quickly handled, with Concord Communication Personnel releasing a statement on how to circumvent it as they worked fast to resolve the situation! On top of this, a document was also released by Concord officials, detailing Nation's latest strategic changes; CCP FoxFour on the changes in Nation incursions.
 
Nation Forever

I have returned, and I know you better then you know yourself
Kuvakei's message to Capsuleers

Hopefully, lessons have been learned now, and today's faults won't be repeated tomorrow. It's important to keep in mind that Sansha's Nation is not just a pirate organisation, btu a fully fledged hostile nation, intending to drive the cluster into chaos with a prolonged sustained war...

Many have questioned where Sansha Kuvakei gets his resources & manpower to keep the war going. Part of it may lie in the fact that the origin of Nations armies have never been found. While he does hold a presence in Stain, it doesn't seem to be the origin of his main attack force.

A popular theory is that he operates from a yet undiscovered region, where he can draw upon it's untouched resources, coupled with the massed cloned manpower that he retrieved during his initial invasions on the Empires.
This theory does deserve credit, due to the extensive knowledge of wormholes & their workings by Nation, suggesting at minimum a large scientific base somewhere in Wormhole space. As it's never found, nor been unveiled from where in wormhole space he operated, despite a few initial sightings, it suggest that Nation might have found a place among the wormholes we cannot access yet...

As long as we cannot find his base of operations, Nation will remain, and the war will continue... May the incursion community of capsuleers remain strong in their will to defy Nation and overcome their internal divisions to stand as one against Sansha Kuvakei and his army!

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Over 52.000 immigrants arrive at the Aurora Arcology this week!

This week has been a great step up, not only for me, but also for the Aurora Arcology Project! The past two weeks have been very busy, with alot of negotiations, talks & arrangements, but it all payed off!

First important news are the arrangements made with other news-sites.
After talks with the EvE Pandora news site owners, we've been approved as one of the main news sources!
EvE Pandora News offers a wider package of news that include direct visual feeds about ongoing events and more personal corporate information  on local events. They also offer a system to assist capsuleer organisations in rewarding their members for performing their duties or helping in a corporate/alliance campaign.
On top of this, I also have been approved as a staff writers of the news site The Coffee Rocks. I had caught the attention of the owner with my Sansha article publications. After some talking & sorting out each others concerns, I'm now part of their writing staff. I'll mainly publish articles explaining the lore & history of Eden on their news site.
The Coffee Rocks is a news site that aims to provide news that is relevant to all capsuleers. As they originated from the capsuleer alliance Brave Newbies Inc, they'll be able to offer alot of self-generated news as they are not afraid into diving into a fight, or other shenanigans!

Now onward to the important news that's directly relevant to the Aurora Arcology Project itself. Recently, a Minmatar capsuleer contacted me, impressed with the Aurora Project. He explained he ran a similar project but had landed on the background. As he was about to move to nullsec, he wanted to make sure that all the people he rescued would find a good shelter somewhere else.
After explaining to him the various support programs & the way the Aurora Project aids refugees & others, he approved the people under his custody to be transferred over, to be integrated into society again.
While he insisted on his privacy, declining his name to be published, I still thank him for his trust in our organisation! Over 48.000 people have been transferred over!

This week's census report contains a record number of people, only outdone by last year's census report when over 118.000 minmatar refugees joined us!
This high number was achieved with thanks to several capsuleers, namely Julius Maagnus, Jolnar Kampos & others (mainly the Minmatar capsuleer). Thanks to their contributions, this week sees a large number of immigrants with a wide variety of backgrounds!

Regular Civilians

-96 Miners
-1.333 Homeless
-16.055 Janitors
-30 Kidnapped Citizens
-13 Manel's Servants
-110 Prisoners (Part of the Prison Lend-Lease Program)
-858 Refugees
-127 Science Graduates
-8 Scientists
-20 Ship's Crew
-8.865 Tourists
-444 Freed Slaves

Pets

-1 Fedo (Datafile:A strange animal)
-924 Hounds

Law Enforcement

-41 Amarr Light Marines
-195 Caldari Light Marines
-42 Freedom Fighters
-18.309 Marines
-1 Mercenary Pilot
-1.060 Militants
-143 Slavers (Part of the Redemption Program)

Employees for the Nightclub L'Etoile Rouge

-202 Female Exotic Dancers
-5.186 Male Exotic Dancers
-180 Prostitutes

Councilmembers

-2 Jark Makon
-6 Oura Madusaari (Patients suffering the Oura M. Syndrome)
-9 VIPs

With this influx of people, the Aurora Arcology once more faces overpopulation issues. Negotiations have commenced with Caldari Provisions in order to rent additional space from their stations, so the Aurora Arcology Project can continue to grow!

Sunday 24 August 2014

Amarr Militia auction is a success!


Prelude

In an effort to assist the Amarr 24th Imperial Crusade Militia, Lady Lunarisse Aspenstar announced that a large ship auction will be held to support the Militia members financially. This auction was held in the heart of the Empire, the Amarr system.
Militia members and their supporters & allies were invited to attend, while others like me could request an invite to be present as well. All attendees would also get the right to bid on a large variety of ships!
As it was an Amarr venue, a dress code was present. Guests were also expected to show respect for high ranking Amarr capsuleers, as titles & ranks determine your position within the Amarr Empire.

I have attended Amarr held events before, but as these usually involved the attendance of capsuleers from a variety of backgrounds, the protocol to address the Amarr capsuleers was usually kept very flexible by their standards.
But this time, it would be different, as this Militia auction would be attended almost exclusively by Amarr and those that grew up in their society! However, coupled to the much stricter protocol was also a chance to know Amarr society better as they are more reserved in mixed gatherings, resulting in the popular notion that the Amarr do not smile nor know fun. This gathering would prove the error of these common misconceptions.

The auction itself offered a large variety of ships to bid on, donated by upstanding members in the Amarr community in order to support the militia. To add to the enjoyment of the auction, Lady Aspenstar also gifted away free ships as a doorprize, an award for attending the auction. There was also the option to buy large amounts of the classical Amarr frigates, used by the 24th Imperial Crusade to fight their enemies.

Arrival at the AVCL Connection, the venue for the Militia auction

The first thing I notice when I arrive at the Connection is that the attendees are practically all Amarr or deeply rooted into Amarr society. Feeling out of place as I wear a typical classic but sober Caldari dress, I decide to seek out a quiet corner in the establishment, allowing me to observe the crowd. The beautifully crafted and finely decorated but delicate Amarr clothing are a sight to behold, so opulent, yet without a glimmer of decadency.

Observing the crowd more, I notice subtle gestures, minor glances on which others react. Slowly it dawns on me this is part of the intricate play of power, tradition and prestige in Amarr society.  Over time I can identify a few high ranking Amarr, as most of the crowd display their respect to them as to a superior.

As more attendees walk in, Lady Aspenstar lets the crowd know that all drinks & snacks are on the house, on top of it, she also announces the first winner of the doorprize, a reward for attending! The winner is Lord Daemund of Khanid who receives a Venture!
The guests applaud for him and laughs are heard among the crowd, whispering that the Lord now has a suitable ship to explore the belts.
After this, Lady Aspenstar calls for silence & attention from the crowd, as she leads Abbess Benedicta Sechez to the front, announcing she'll recant a Prayer to declare the auction officially open!
As the Abbess recants the Prayer, praising the strength and faith the 24th Imperial Crusade has shown in their dedication to strengthen the Empire, and their Caldari allies who support it, the hall is silent as the words carry across the Connection Hall.
When the Prayer ends, the crowd concluded with a loud 'Amen' in unison.

With this concluded, the Auction is opened! But not before Lady Aspenstar announces the second doorprize winner! It turns out, that would be me, gaining a Condor as a prize!

The Auction has begun! Let the bidding commence!

The first ship on auction turns out to be the prized Sarum Magnate, a rare variant of the renowned Magnate frigate, only handed out on occasion by the Sarum Royal family. After a short bidding competition, the ship is awarded to Lord Mordant with a winning bid of 1 million isk, a true bargain at this price!

The next ship would gain alot more interest as it turns out to be a Kador Punisher! These frigates are highly sought after due to their color scheme and so this one gathered alot more attention from the audience. The bid opened at 2 million isk, but rapidly skyrocketed past 10 million! And yet, the bidding hardly slows down as it keeps going up, crossing 20 million isk! eventually, Lady Dori Olacar's bid proved to be too high to top and so she gains this prized ship with her winning bid of 25 million isk!

Next up is another frigate, this time a Navy Imperial Slicer, favored for it's prowess in battle. An early heavy bid by Lucas Raholan assures few contest him, and so gains this prized combat ship for 12 million isk.

The upcoming  auction would prove very interesting, as it's a duo of Kador Omen ships being auctioned off together!
As the bidding starts, it's quickly noticed that this time the more whealthy guests began bidding, taking increments of 5 million to top previous bids! As the bidding raises above 50 million, one of the guests is momentarily shocked by the easy at which dozens of millions are thrown around!
This guest would turn out to be Thal Vadam, an Amarr Dust mercenary. While they do get paid well compared to baseline soldiers, he realized on attending this auction that capsuleers have nearly unlimited funds at their disposal compared to Dust Mercenaries.
Eventually, the Kador Omen auction settled at 60 million, giving Lord Lucas Raholan the ownership of these prized ships!

Next up is a Purifier, a stealth bomber that excels in taking out shield-based targets. Shortly after Lady Aspenstar opens the bidding on this fine piece of Amarr Engineering, the auction already finishes thanks to a few heavy bids. Lord Rhayle Mordant wins this auction by a bid of 25 million isk!

The next auction was a Crusader that once belonged to Arista Shahni. The bidding for this ship went slowly but steady up, until it ends at 19 million isk. Lord Daemund of Khanid placed this winning bid, securing the ship into his possession.

After this, a small break was called, before the high end ships would be placed up for auction. This gave the crowd some time to socialize. Lord Lucas Raholan joined my table and proved to be an entertaining speaker.
Remarkably relax on protocol, we had an enjoyable talk about ranks & titles among the Amarr, giving me tips & guidelines to address those who are more strict in adhering the traditional protocols.

When laughing and grins were heard among the crowd, it piqued my interest. Turns out Lady Aspenstar used the break to announce the next winner of the doorprize, a ibis for PIE officer Arline Kley, a prize that humoured quite some attendants.

And on to the final part! Valued ships, high bids!

Once the short break was over, the auction started off with a highly desirable ship, the Navy Omen! With some serious hefty bid increments, the auction ended once more in favor of Lord Lucas Raholan, winning this prized ship for 40 million isk.

Next up was a ship of an entirely different nature, the Imperial blockade runner Prorator. the bidding started low. As Arline Kley bidded, people joked she wanted to use the ship to transport her prized Ibis covertly.
But bids didn't climb high, keeping the ship far below market value. Letting my Caldari nature speak, I jumped on this opportunity, joining the auction. In the end, the winning bid of 55 million seals this bargain in my favor!

The Navy Harbinger came up for auction next. A few initial heavy bids assured that only a few remained to keep bidding on this fine Imperial vessel. However, the biddings kept far below the actual value of the ship, causing my Caldari senses to twitch. Once more joining the bidding, I rapidly seal the deal with a winning bid of 100 million isk!

Again a temporary break was called, on which Lady Aspenstar handed out the two final doorprizes! As Lady Aspenstar announced that Lady Olacar has won a Reaper, silence fell upon the crowd, apparently the awarding of the minmatar frigate as a prize surprised the attendees.
In an attempt to break the awkward silence, the next winning prize was announced, a Bantham awarded to Lord Lucas Raholan. Following this, some laughter is heard from the crowd when these prizes are revealed.
However, The Contessa di le Solfete Erin Savonarola was less amused by this, contracting better prizes for the winners, a Gecko for Lady Olacar, a highly sought after Drone, and a Unit of Lag for Lord Raholan! This last prize did entertain many guests, appreciating the humour of The Contessa.

After this short intermezzo, the final part of the auction starts once again as Lady Aspenstar puts up the last two ships.
First is the Garmur, an excellent combat ship! The bidding starts in earnest, rapidly ramping up as various capsuleers attempt to claim the winning bid. But in the end they are trumped by a new player in the bids, combat capsuleer Kela Ichosira who claims the ship with a stunning bid of 125 million isk!

And then the final ship is put up, the one many have waited for, a Kador Edition Abaddon! Starting out at the low price of 100 million isk, this auction gains the interest of many in the crowd. The attendants frantically bid, in order to claim this fine battleship as their own.
Then out of nowhere, the Abbess Benedicta Secheh trumps all previous offers by placing a 200 million bid! On top of this, her authoritarian stance and staunch voice as she bids leaves no room for interpretation; she would not be challenged on this bid!
For a moment it was silent, then an outsider, unbound by Amarr traditions breaks it by placing her own bid! This outsider was me, bidding 5 mill over the Abbess. This course of action was rapidly followed by the Amarr guests who decided this would be the auction that would not only show off their wealth, but also their loyalty to the Empire!
Quickly, bids rose far beyond what I was willing to pay for this beautiful ship. As bids keep climbing, more and more realized this final auction went beyond the mere acquisition of a battleship. It became a competition of prestige among the wealthy & high ranking attendants.
In the end, Lord Rhayle Modrant showed his supremacy as he vastly outbid the rest by a formidable bid of 500 million isk!
Through this large bid, he showed that he could not be challenged on wealth, that the prestige of owning this particular Kador Abaddon that has the interest of the Abbess belonged to him alone!

Aftermath of a thrilling auction

And so the auction closes on a thrilling note, leaving Lady Aspenstar to the final formalities of contracting the auctioned ships to the winners.
Lord Daemund of Khanid however wouldn't be outdone by Lord Mordant's show of wealth as he inquired on the amount of combat frigates he acquired. The answer of Lady Aspenstar affirmed his prestige as a wealthy supporter to the 24th Imperial Crusade as he has bought all 250 Amarr combat frigates on offer.
While he didn't outright declare the purpose of his intent, the destination to where they would be shipped left little room for imagination. Looks like the Amarr Militia will not only gain substantial financial aid through this auction but also a fresh influx of combat frigates!

Short summary of all auctioned ships and their winners

Below is a list of all the ships on auction, their donators and the winners of these auctions!

Sarum Magnate donated by Lady Rin Kaelestria,
Winning bid: 1 million by Lord Rhayle Mordant
Kador Punisher donated by Beaumonte Industries
Winning Bid: 25 million by Lady Dari Olacar
Navy Imperial Slicer donated by Katerina Tzestu
Winning Bid: 12 Million by Lord Lucas Raholan
2 Omen Kador Editions donated by Beaumonte Industries and The Contessa di le Solfete
Winning Bid: 60 million by Lord Lucas Raholan
Purifier donated by Witness Arista Shahni
Winning Bid: 25 million by Lord Rhayle Mordant
Crusader donated by Witness Arista Shhani
Winning Bid: 19 million by Lord Daemund of Khanid
Omen Navy Issue donated by Shalee Lianne
Winning Bid: 40 million isk by Lord Lucas Raholan
Prorator donated by Witness Arista Shahni
Winning Bid: 55 million by Jandice Ymladris
Harbinger Navy Issue donated by Lady Lunarisse Aspenstar
Winning Bid: 100 million by Jandice Ymladris
Garmur donated by Lord Lucas Raholan
Winning Bid: 125 Million by Kela Ichosira
Kador Edition Abaddon donated by The Contessa di le Solfete
Winning Bid: 500 million by Lord Rhayle Mordant

On overall, the auction has been a success, where several ships were sold above their market price, giving the 24th Imperial Crusade some additional financial aid to continue their fight to strengthen the Empire.

Conclusion

While I was an outsider in this near exclusive Amarr gathering, I did enjoy the auction. I was informed by Lady Aspenstar that several Caldari had been invited as well, but that duty had called them to service, forfeiting their attendance on this event.
Their absence did provide a unique opportunity, as the attending Amarr and their associates were deeply rooted in the traditions & protocols of Imperial society, giving me a glimpse on their internal socializing. This is a rare opportunity for an outsider, as usually when multiple non-Amarr are present, they unavoidably have to make some concessions to the protocol for those who do not fully understand it, a practise they aren't fond of.
I had first hand experience in this when I addressed the Contessa wrongly at first but, lucky for me, Lord Raholan came to my assistance,  resolving the situation. He has my thanks for his guidance & patience with me regarding this!

The auction event itself was an enjoyable experience as many of the attendants weren't restricted to uphold the image of the Empire to outsiders, giving way to jokes, cracks & teases. Not something you find in your usual dealings with Amarr aristocracy. But with that said, they do know the meaning of authority, as a mere gesture or word can be enough to silence a room, or hold back a crowd from bidding.

All in all, it was a very interesting experience where I managed to catch a glimpse of Amarr society as it is inside the Empire. Not to mention I acquired two excellent ships for a bargain price as I couldn't ignore my Caldari side to jump on an opportunity!

Saturday 23 August 2014

Mordu's Legion awards Caldari Prime combatants!


Mordu's Legion surprised many with their announcement to award those capsuleers who participated actively in the Caldari Prime Battle. The award is a medal handed out by Mordu's Legion themselves, honouring the combatants for their participation in the fight over orbital supremacy of Caldari Prime.

Due to large capsuleer involvement, the fight was rapidly decided in favour of the Gallente objective, remove the threat that is the Leviathan. However, capsuleers being their opportunistic self, many engaged both sides! While this lead to a rapid destruction of the remaining Caldari forces, it also forced the Gallente to withdraw not long after their objective was completed.
The result of this is that a long & bloody ground conflict on Caldari Prime could be avoided, saving millions of civilian lives in the process.

This is also the reason that Mordu's Legion wanted to honour the combatants, despite the objection of the Caldari Navy. This objection caused a great delay as the Directive Enforcement Department had to investigate the matter before giving approval to hand out the medal. Reason for this is that normally organisations may not hand out medals to non-members, unless approved by the DED. In the end, Muryia Mordu has been cleared by the DED to hand out these medals to all those who actively participated in the battle over Caldari Prime.

The official report on this handout can be read here:
Muryia Mordu issues Operation Highlander Decoration

The awarded medal also comes with a holographic inscription:

The Muryia’s Wings decoration has been awarded to you by Mordu's Legion for for involvement in Operation: Highlander. This decoration has the following description:

This ribbon was awarded to selected capsuleers involved in the Battle of Caldari Prime on March 22nd, YC115.

The battle saw the destruction of the Caldari Navy’s Leviathan-class titan, Shiigeru, and the end of a five-year-long siege on the Caldari people’s ancestral home world, liberating the citizens held there behind a wall of steel. This ribbon reflects not only the efforts of the capsuleer bearer to restore peace to Caldari Prime, now a demilitarized zone, but also the noble sacrifice their crew made to ensure that the turbulent situation on the planet was brought to an end. Mordu’s Legion Command offer our most profound gratitude for your efforts.

Lastly, this decoration also serves as a tribute to the bravery of the late Admiral Visera Yanala, and her heroic efforts to minimize the damage to Caldari Prime after the Shiigeru was assaulted by Gallente forces and over a thousand capsuleers in low-orbit of the planet.


"As we make the tea, you must take it. The Caldari way demands it"


There have been reports that the holographic inscription is faulty, missing a part of the last line. Hopefully, Mordu's Legion will send out a correction of this, fixing the flawed state of an otherwise excellent reward.

Monday 18 August 2014

Hero of the State, Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba


Prologue

About 200 years ago, the terrorist organisation Templis Dragonaurs sabotaged the dome of the Gallente aquatic city of Nouvelle Rouvenor on Caldari Prime, causing the death of over half a million people. The Federation response was extremely harsh; they began with the systematic bombing of Caldari Prime, causing the death of millions... An invasion force was sent down to root out all those who would resist the Gallente warmachine.

The bombing of the cities on Caldari Prime

The young State response was initially slow & chaotic, but the Morning of Reason finally put the Caldari Megacorporations in one line. By then the situation was grim... Caldari Prime, with it's population of billions was ready to fall, and when it would, the young State would fall shortly after, as they lacked the manpower to fight the Gallente warmachine.
And so they deployed their fleet in a desperate move to reclaim Caldari Prime. The Gallente military, surprised by this display of force were slowly driven back, allowing the Caldari to set their plan in motion, the evacuation of of their homeworld...
But alas, despite countless freighters & transports shipping off people to their new homes deep into Caldari space, it would all be for naught, as the Gallente readied themselves for a massive attack, one that the Caldari had no hope to defeat... If these people could not be secured, the State's future would end there, as the State colonies lacked the manpower to oppose the Federation war fleets.
And so the darkest days came... Unable to device a counter against the imminent attack from the massive Federation fleet, the Caldari grew restless & desperate... Would it all be for nothing?

High Command needs more time to complete the evacuation. We shall provide.
Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba; personal log entry #21A231. CE 23155.3.7

As the Caldari military readied themselves to retreat, not willing to lose the majority of forces in the imminent Federation assault, one man disobeyed orders and went for the attack...
This man was Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba who took with him his loyal men, crewing about a dozen ships. The admiral himself commanded one of the few 'capital' ships the Navy had, a converted water-freighter, the makeshift carrier 'Kairiola'. Admiral Tovil-Toba jumped this small fleet directly into Gallente Prime orbit and wrecked havoc among the much larger Federation defense fleet.
Before the Gallente could reorganize, he jumped out, and began a game of cat & mouse with the Federation military. Through his actions, where he constantly performed hit & runs on various weaker Gallente installations, the propaganda news around him reached untold heights. So much so the Federation had no choice but to stall the attack on Caldari Prime, just to chase this one small fleet. For days, they gave chase, yet failed to catch him as he antagonized the Federation military.

As the week passed by, propaganda news game him names like 'the Shadow of the Moon' referring to the numerous sightings of him near the moon Floreau and 'Ghost of the stars' as he always managed to outrun the chasing Federation fleet, uncatchable as a ghost. Gallente propaganda portrayed Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba as an evil Caldari mastermind, leading a massive force intending to obliterate Gallente Prime & the Federation. The Federation  military did little to suppress these rumours as it hid their own incompetence to catch this small fleet of loyal Caldari pilots.
They thought, if they would finally catch him, the Caldari would see the futility of their resistance when their 'Great Hero' was no more and capitulate before Federation might... They failed to realize how desperate the Caldari were...

Non-essential personnel, abandon ship
Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba; last command. CE 23155.3.15

Even the greatest of tacticians cannot stand long against an overwhelming force however, and so it happened that only 8 days after the initial strike, only a lone, heavily damaged makeshift carrier remained of the once small but brave fleet... 
Realizing he had exhausted every possible option but one to stretch time for Caldari High Command to complete the evacuation of Caldari Prime, Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba readied himself for the darkest decision he would ever take, his last course of action that would either buy enough time to finish the evacuation of Caldari Prime, or see the planet burn under the vengeful fury of the Gallente fleet...

And so he ordered the crew to jump his crippled carrier 'Kairiola' in low orbit of Gallente Prime. Surprising the Gallente once more with this bold move, he gave his final, memorable command; to abandon ship, those who heard it knew what he planned to do...
As the Gallente orbital defenses engaged his ship, they realized in terror he would not flee this time, as they saw how the massive ship slowly but surely steered towards the surface... Their firepower inadequate to explode the makeshift carrier, the ship began to burn & break apart under the enormous stress of the atmospheric entry...

Day of Darkness II, a short movie about Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba's fight to stall the Gallente invasion of Caldari Prime, produced by capsuleer Dire Lauthris

As the ship descended towards its doom, a garbled transmission echoed from its comms: 'Haakken kilen phr', the final words of Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba, an ancient Napanii expression meaning 'We will return' As this final transmission fell silent, the ship broke apart, its fragments striking the city of Hueromont, causing widespread destruction & death.
Now the Caldari could do nothing but wait for the Federation's response as they tried to move as much as many people as they could off Caldari Prime...

So it ends as it has begun, with the death of a city...

And the Caldari waited... for a fleet that never came... The sacrifice of Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba, combined with the Gallente propaganda of him leading a massive fleet did the work for them. Afraid that this would only be the first of many suicide-crashes, the people rose up against the Ultra-Nationalist Federation government, toppling it!
The resulting chaos & turmoil as a new Federation government was selected, bought the Caldari enough time to finish the evacuation of their homeworld, securing the future of the State as they now had the manpower to resist the Gallente warmachine... Only small groups were left behind, those unwilling to abandon their ancestral grounds for an uncertain future, they would turn to be the guardians of Caldari artefacts & culture when the Gallente Federation finally moved in to occupy the planet, finding little resistance now.

Epilogue

The heroic act of Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba and his men to fight a vastly superior force to buy time for the State at the cost of their own lives placed them firmly in State's history. Their actions & names would be the first thing every Caldari learns about the State's history, for without Admiral Tovil-Toba and his men, there would be no State either!
To this day, Amiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba is honored as the greatest hero the State has ever known.
In their honor, the Chimera carrier was designed, it's shape resembling the makeshift carrier that the legendary Admiral commanded, the 'Kairiola'. Wherever the Chimera appeared, the Caldari would remember the resilience & determination of these men against impossible odds, and do their best to uphold these values themselves, in honor of those who did before them.

Where the Chimera roams, the Caldari remember

But the Caldari have not forgotten those who died in the bombings & destruction either. Every year, on the 2nd of January, a gathering is held at the Caldari Prime Memorial in space, to remember those who lost their lives following the orbital bombardment & attack on Caldari Prime by the Gallente Federation.

And as closing note, the Caldari have honored Admiral Yakiya Tovil-Toba's last words 'We will return!'. In YC109, under the command of State Executor Tibur Heth, the Caldari reclaimed their homeworld. The counter-attack a few years later failed to displace the State fully from Caldari Prime. This fight became known as the Battle for Caldari Prime. After this fight, Ishukone initiated negotiations with the Gallente Federation in order to secure the planet under Caldari rule. Thanks to Ishukone's efforts, all the major cities are now returned to the Caldari!

Friday 15 August 2014

Over 12.000 refugees join the Aurora Arcology

This has been a busy week, between investigating Ushra'Khan activities in amarr space for the report: 'Ushra'Khan liberates slaves in Amarr!' that turned out to be a top story and the travels required to deliver all the colonists safely to Ayem.

The Ayem colony project moves along nicely, the agricultural basis is solidified, providing excess food & the industrial facilities are being set up to provide the colony with basic tools & machinery of their own, to improve the colony's future development.
With 70.000 colonists present, we're on track for the stated goal of 100.000 colonists by the end of this year! This number is important, as it marks the minimum population to sustain a genetically healthy population without the need of a strict genetic program or outside import of fresh genes.

With thanks to capsuleers like Thalysia, thousands have found refuge at the Arcology once more. As they arrive, the refugees will be given a place to call home, and counselling to help them recover from their ordeals. Over time, they'll be able to choose from a variety of job-opportunities at the Arcology.
Now onward to this week's report on the new arrivals!

Regular Civilians

-160 Homeless
-2.026 Janitors
-55 Prisoners (Part of the Prison Lend-Lease Program)
-70 Refugees
-30 Science Graduates
-22 Scientists
-3.980 Tourists
-1.320 Freed Slaves

Pets

-304 Hounds

Law Enforcement

-35 Caldari Light Marines
-1.153 Freedom Fighters
-2.778 Marines
-406 Militants
-4 Slavers (Part of the Redemption Program)

Employees for the Nightclub L'Etoile Rouge

-476 Female Exotic Dancers
-662 Male Exotic Dancers

Councilmembers

-1 Oura Madusaari (Patients suffering the Oura M. Syndrome)

If immigration continues at this rate, it's expected we'll hit a million inhabitants at the Aurora Arcology by the end of this year! An important milestone that shall be celebrated!

Monday 11 August 2014

The Empire Titans, when big isn't big enough!


Introduction

As with many things, the Jove Empire was among those who inspired the construction of the first Titans.
Their Motherships with a length of about 4 kilometres were the first large ships the young factions came in contact with. The Amarr Empire fought one of these weaponized Motherships during the Battle of Vak'Atioth.
Originally, these Motherships were built as Worldships, meant to transport the Jove population to a safe region of space during their dark age. Originally they carried no weapons, the one the Amarr met was specially refitted with heavy duty energy weapons as counter to the slow Amarr Battleships during the engagement.

However, the one ship that can lay claim to be the first titan is the Amarr Emperor Ship, to this day still the largest ship ever constructed! It was built to transport the Emperor of Amarr in near complete safety across space. Created during the glory days of the Amarr Empire, this ship has enough armor, shielding & firepower to demolish entire fleets by itself.
Despite that the Empire Ship is centuries old, it is still the most powerful ship today, thanks to continuous upgrades & retrofits to its defensive & offensive capacities.

From these two examples, the first Empire Titans were build, collectively known as the 'Iapetan' Titans or Large Titans. These titans are colossal in size, requiring the resources of an entire moon to be built and their sheer size gives them a noticeable gravity well of their own, requiring special navigational computers to include their mass effects on flight routes.


The Four Empire Titans

Over the years, each faction built their own Iapetan Titans in order to turn the tide of war or to have an answer ready for the opponents Iapetan Titan.
These massive starships functioned as mobile command stations, capable of directing & bridging large fleets across their territories for a rapid response to threats. In case of attack, their heavy defenses combined with formidable offensive capacities meant that any fleet attacking one needed a Titan of their own to cut down on losses.
These massive ships usually function as their nation's flagships as well, due to their tactical importance as well as sheer intimidation factor.


'Imud Hubrau' Titans

These are the Amarr Empire Titans, the name 'Imud Hubrau' translates into 'Beast of Heaven', due to their imposing size and the fear they instill in the Empire's enemies. This is also the only class of Iapetus Titans that has two different variants!

The original Imud Hubrau Titan

Only two of the original Imud Hubrau Titans have been built. During the Khanid Secession, Khanid II managed to steal one of these two titans. Thankfully, due to the turmoil caused by the Amarr Succession Ritual, he managed to keep the titan and it was one of the tools used to consolidate his power & establish the Khanid Kingdom as a sovereign state.

Imud Hubrau Titan, second generation

After the theft of one of the original Imud Hubrau Titans by King Khanid II, the Empire ordered the construction of new Empire Titans, but using the latest in ship technology. This resulted in a new shape for these colossal Amarr titans, a shape we today recognize. This second generation Imud Hubrau Titan would be the predecessor of the much smaller Avatar Titan!
Shortly after the Minmatar rebellion, additional Amarr Empire titans have been built, but never saw service against the Minmatar Republic
As a last note, while Amarr propaganda insists that the Emperor ship is more impressive & glorious in size & abilities, it is suspected by others that it is just the first of the Imud Hubrau Titans, modified to make sure it is the most powerful ship in the known universe, in order to allow the Emperor/Empress fight & coordinate battles in relative security.


'Leviathan' Titan

Don't be fooled by the name, this is actually the name of the Minmatar Iapetan Titan! Little is known about it, but it's suspected the first ones were built by the Thukker tribe as giant mobile cities, to accommodate their nomadic lifestyle in space. With that in mind, they are the bigger cousin of the Jovian Motherships who served as worldships for the Jovians.

The Leviathan Titan, a colossal mobile city in space

Not much is known about these titans, some suspect that the Elder Fleet used these titans to bridge in their massive capital fleet during their invasion of Amarr space to free the Starkmanir tribe that culminated into the Battle of Mekhios.

It is known that the Gallente shared Iapetan Titan technology with the Minmatar Republic. As they found the drain on resources too hard to bear, the Minmatar were among the first to spearhead research into more compact Titans that exhibit similar logistic capacities & firepower as the Empire Titans.


'Soltueur' Titan

During the Caldari-Gallente war, the Gallente envisioned a ship so powerful & intimidating that it's deployment alone would end the war. This class of ship was called the 'Soltueur' or 'Sun-Slayer' Titan. An apt name, as it was equipped with the most lethal weapon known to man, a singularity projector cannon...
It never came to be this ultimate weapon, as Caldari spies learned of its construction, and in response the young State built their own Iapetan titans in response.

The Soltueur Titan, the Federation's last hope in dark days

Of all the Iapetan Titans, the Soltueurs are the most known, due to a very embarrassing incident that turned the Federation into the laughingstock of the Eden cluster for a time. This incident was namely the theft of one of these colossal starships by the Serpentis pirates in YC 107!
During a routine check, the Serpentis managed to infiltrate & take-over the Soltueur Titan FNS Molyneux. To complete the embarrassment, the Serpentis managed to get away with it, flying a colossal starship across space to the safety of Serpentis Prime. This event became known as the Flight of the Molyneux.
The capsuleer Trooper B99 made an excellent summary on it years ago: Serpentis Titan Theft Story.
Current status of this stolen Soltueur is unknown, the Serpentis haven't used it so far. Chances are that it's used for research  & engineering purposes.

The latest known deployment of the Federation Soltueurs was during the Caldari-Gallente crisis in YC 115 that culminated into the Caldari Prime battle, where both sides temporary deployed Iapetan Titans to the frontlines for deterrence purposes. Here is a report on the Gallente Fleet Mobilisation during the crisis: Federation Navy announces inaugural FEDCAFT Naval exercises
Recently uncovered data shows the Federation was planning to go all-out on the Caldari Prime battle, keeping all their Soltueur Titans ready to jump in for fire support as a last resort... Luckily it never came to this!


'Omnya' Titan

This is the Caldari answer to the Soltueur. Very little is known about it, save that it was fitted with extremely destructive short range weapons. This loadout suggest they have been designed around the concept of a hotdrop; jump into the heart of an enemy fleet and rain destruction upon them.

The Omnya Titan, the State's most guarded secret

Of all the Iapetan Titans, the least is known about the Caldari variant. Not even their name is a certainty! Considering the size and the large number of crew to man such a ship, this is a feat of its own and a testament to the effectiveness of Caldari counter-intelligence.


Epilogue

In the end, these colossal Iapetan Titans proved to be too resource-intensive to be build & serviced in larger numbers. Each faction only has a handful at most, constantly keeping them updated through refits & updates on their systems.

As the four factions researched ways to be able to field Jumpbridge technology & Doomsday weapons on a more compact ship, they eventually managed to develop a new class of much smaller titans who could do what they envisioned.
These second generation titans are called the 'Promethean Titans'. They are smaller in size, required less resources & time to be built and could be fielded in greater numbers. The downside was that they are much weaker than the Iapetan Titans. This was seen as an acceptable drawback however, as the Promethean titans could be equipped with a Doomsday weapon for intimidation purposes & a jumpbridge in order to transport fleets rapidly across a nation's territory.
Eventually, these are also the Titans that capsuleers are able to build & fly to maintain their superiority over others.
The four Promethean Titans are: the Amarr Avatar Titan, the Minmatar Ragnarok Titan, the Gallente Erebus Titan and the Caldari Leviathan Titan. Both the four navies as the various capsuleer organisations can field dozens of these Titans, allowing them not only to set up a very expansive jumpbridge network, but also the ability to bring colossal firepower to the battlefield in no time, should it be required.

Friday 8 August 2014

Second colonist wave arrives at Ayem colony!


This week, a second wave of 20.000 colonists have arrived at Ayem. They'll mainly focus to reinforce the industrial basis of the colony, allowing the settlement to take it's first steps to a self-sufficient colony in terms of machinery & goods.
4th District reports on their arrival in their latest district news highlight: Ayem colony receives new colonists

The first wave of colonists are now well settled in their new environment. Their large focus on expanding agriculture has allowed the colony to earn its first profits in exporting food to various neighbouring stations.
Also, due to their hard work, the colony is able to support a fast growing population & large immigrant waves. So for the foreseeable future no issues are expected here.
To help these first colonists in their agriculture field, Aurora Arcology management acquired genetically enhanced livestock, in order to boost livestock production even more, as this variant has been enhanced to flourish under less optimal climates.
This livestock was bought from the Trimeryevaaryam pastures, owned by Richard Masseri, member of the Intaki Prosperity Initiative.

Currently, the second wave of colonists is being registered & soon they'll be able to assist the current Ayem population in expanding their industry. Initially, geological surveys will be held to pinpoint interesting mining locations.
In coordination with the geological surveys, an industrial economy & infrastructure expanse will be set up, in order to make efficient usage of available resources. Thanks to 4TH District member assistance, machinery & other materials are already present to begin a rapid expanse of the industrial base.
Initially, factories will mainly aim to produce construction materials & machinery to assist the expansion of the colony. In a next step, newer factories will aim to produce basic consumer goods to replace import, allowing the colony to operate independently for a while should it be needed.

With a growing colony also comes a growing need for security. The initial 1000 marines have finished their 4TH District training and have been sent planetside to assist the original 60 4TH District law enforcers to maintain order in the colony.
To anticipate on the growing population, Aurora Arcology management has sent an additional 3000 marines for security training to Port Larren, with Demion Samenel's approval.

Despite the increased activity of hostile capsuleer fleets in Providence, people feel safe at the Ayem colony as 4th District does an excellent job at maintaining security in the I-MGAB system. There hasn't been any capsuleer fight in the system for over a month, showing 4th District's effectiveness in guarding the system. This also boosts the feeling of safety for the colonists themselves, knowing that the ships they spot among the stars provide their security.

On a last note, the total population of Ayem colony now exceeds 70.000 people, divided between roughly 20.000 local tribals and over 50.000 Aurora Arcology colonists!
So far, we're on schedule to achieve the 100.000 population goal by the end of YC 116! Future colonist waves will mainly focus on increasing services like hospitals, schools, entertainment etc, turning the colony into a true settlement.

Sunday 3 August 2014

Ushra'Khan liberates slaves in Amarr!


Prelude

The iconic Ushra'Khan logo

Ushra'Khan is a renowned capsuleer organisation with a long history. They always have been supportive of the minmatar cause to liberate slaves from the Amarr Empire, no matter the consequences.
During their long history they have known many great triumphs but also major defeats. Nowadays, they are part of the Minmatar Militia, leading the forefront in liberating slaves from the Amarr Empire.

Recently, they decided to up the pressure on the Amarr through a public announcement, where they stated their intent of liberating more slaves from the Empire's territories. This announcement: We The Defiant has gathered alot of attention from capsuleers across the cluster.
To reinforce their announcement, they also expanded their public operations campaign through Pandora News! This public campaign board also contains info on previous campaigns they ran.

To show they were serious, Ushra'Khan launched an attack this weekend on Amarr itself to liberate their people! This went along with a new operations campaign board called: We The Defiant: Amarr Strike , where their goal is to inflict as many damage as possible on Amarr assets across highsec and to liberate as many slaves as possible in a single day.

The shipping raids in Amarr

And so it began, Ushra'Khan sended out a dozen of their best pilots into the Amarr home system to disrupt shipping lanes. Pandora News picked it up rapidly and began a large advertising campaign, raising awareness to this daring Ushra'Khan deep strike!
Initially, Ushra'Khan had little trouble in raiding several non-capsuleer transports in the system, as the Navy lacked the manpower to stop capsuleer ships. The 24th Imperial Crusade was taken by surprise by this brazen raid deep into Amarr space and needed a bit of time to organize themselves against the invaders.

But once the 24th showed up, skirmishes erupted across the system, in an attempt to protect the shipping lines from Ushra'Khan interference.
As time passed by, it proved difficult to discourage Ushra'Khan from raiding transports to liberate slaves. Despite their disadvantage, fighting Amarr Militia & Imperial Navy ships, they continued to successfully raid ship to free slaves & claim other goods to disperse among the less fortunate at home.
As Polska Kielbasa, member of Ushra'Khan, explained; their combat successes lie in their mastery of guerilla tactics; never stay at the same place for more than 20 seconds, lest the Imperial Navy locates you!

As the Ushra'Khan attacks continued on the various shipping lines across the Amarr system, traffic control saw no other way but to sent out a warning to non-capsuleer transports to avoid Amarr for the time being, as their safety could no longer be guaranteed. Most transports abided by this warning, save a few stubborn haulers, who paid the price.

At this point, Ushra'Khan expanded their field of operation to neighbouring systems, locating & raiding several slave transports, while fending off 24th Crusade members.
However, by now the Curatores Veritatis Alliance(CVA) and Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris(PIE Inc) got involved as well! These two capsuleer organisations are renowned for their loyality to the Empire and their expertise in tackling Minmatar guerilla combat tactics! In a series of engagements, they managed take out several Ushra'Khan ships in short succession. To avoid losses climbing to high, Ushra'Khan called their pilots back so the freed slaves would be in safety as well.
As Ushra'Khan was fighting in an unfavorable position, being engaged by 24th Crusade, Imperial Navy, Pie Inc forces & CVA fleets, this was a sensible decision to take.

Success! Hundreds of slaves rescued!

In the end, the operation We The Defiant: Amarr Strike was hailed as a success. A deep strike behind enemy lines was performed, with no access to a safe location, yet Ushra'Khan pilots managed to disrupt non-capsuleer shipping in the Amarr home system!
During this daring raid, dozens of transports were raided and hundreds of slaves rescued! In total 221 people have been liberated from a life of slavery!
I like to thank DeT Resprox, leader of Ushra'Khan for his cooperation, allowing a deeper insight into their campaign.

However, it's expected that this won't be the end of it... The Amarr have been attacked in the very heart of their Empire, it is expected they'll respond accordingly through their loyal capsuleer forces...

The Aurora Arcology Project welcomes over 11.000 new arrivals!


An update on the running investigation performed by Pieter Tuulinen's security force. Over the course of a few months, several suspects have been identified. Through this it is indeed confirmed that a group within the Arcology tried to disrupt our good works.
As a side-result of Pieter Tuulinen's intervention, crime has dropped to historically low rates, showing the success of a more strict approach.
Due to this, our own security is now more motivated to enact these more strict procedures & law enforcement. All in all, the future looks bright for a more secure & safe Arcology facility!

On a darker note, Caldari-Gallente relations aboard the Aurora Arcology have been put to the test with the arrival of  Caldari prisoners of war who have been rescued in Gallente space. Their traumatic experience as captives has left their mark. However the experience we build up treating victims from the Cult of the Lash will be a great help in assisting these people with their recovery & reintegration into society.
These captives do remind us that the  Gallente-Caldari war is far from over, despite all the recent good news of Caldari-Gallente negotiations concerning Caldari Prime.

Now follows the publication of this week's census report. Thanks to the assistance of capsuleers like Halcyon Ember, Ammaris Voeld, the Amarr Traders and others, many refugees can now enjoy their newfound safety and a new place to call home!

Regular Civilians

-6 Blood Raider Scientists (Part of the Redemption Program)
-60 Caldari prisoners of War (Datafile: Caldari rescued from Black Eagle prison camps!)
-484 Homeless
-1.928 Janitors
-120 Prisoners (Part of the Prison Lend-Lease Program)
-60 Refugees
-20 Science Graduates
-20 Ship's Crew
-4 Stranded Pilots
-4.421 Tourists
-1.120 Freed Slaves

Pets

-147 Hounds

Law Enforcement

-15 Caldari Light Marines
-153 Freedom Fighters
-2.240 Marines
-180 Militants
-142 Slavers (Part of the Redemption Program)
-1 Spy

Employees for the Nightclub L'Etoile Rouge

-350 Female Exotic Dancers
-320 Male Exotic Dancers

I like to thank everyone who has been spreading the news about the Aurora Arcology Project and its offshoot, the Aurora Arcology News publications!

Friday 1 August 2014

The Venal expedition, a Guristas rescue


Prelude

About a year ago, a Guristas capsuleer contacted me. He wanted specialized medical aid that was unavailable deep in Guristas space. Further questioning brought to light that he had saved a Guristas crew from an alleged Blood Raider installation. On top of this, he mentioned the rescued crew had been tortured for information... Among the rescued crew was his friend and the friend's wife. They were kept in an artificial coma, to keep their sufferings to a minimum and their lifesigns stable.

I agreed to assist him, on the condition that the Guristas Pirates would give me free passage to enter & leave Venal, the Guristas home region. The expertise my medical staff had built up concerning treating Blood Raider victims would come in handy as well.
The reason to my agreement was a mix of curiosity & charity. Charity, for the Aurora Arcology aims to help all those who reach out. But curiosity all the more, Venal lies beyond capsuleer space, a region rarely visited and thereby little info comes out of it. But also the Blood Raider presence intrigued me, they never went so far beyond their space... let alone torture people so intensely.

And so I readied myself for this journey into deep space, gathered the medical staff, specialized in Blood Raider injuries & traumas and set off in my trusted Buzzard 'The Lone Wanderer'

The Journey to Venal

The Guristas Capsuleer had shared the destination, the Gurista Logistic Support station near the 7th planet in the 6NJ8-V System. To reach it, I had to cross capsuleer space... Either I took the direct route through Tribute, but at the time the infamous Goonswarm Federation held it firmly. Considering their reputation, this route didn't appeal to me. There was also a second way to reach my destination, namely a small detour through Vale of the Silent, a region that was held by Gentleman's Agreement at the time.
Considering the low traffic, I picked the Vale of the Silent route. The first system was heavily camped with bubbles & a fleet, but thanks to the covop cloak I remained undetected and could warp out safely. The next system enroute was also camped but far less rigorously.
After these two gatecamps, the journey was very uneventful, jump after jump in empty systems. As the journey went on, I abandoned much of my caution, as the only sign of capsuleer presence was a lost warpbubble somewhere enroute.
And so I reached my destination, the Gurista Station in 6NJ8-V, and along with it, my first sighting of capsuleers since I cleared that second gatecamp at the beginning!
 
Arrival & insight into Hell

The Guristas Pirates cleared me for docking and allowed my medical staff to disembark on the station. Our team was lead to their medical facilities, where the rescuees had been treated. After a quick scan, it was clear this wasn't ordinary Blood Raider work! These people were too mutilated for it... This was not torture to get information, but rather to torment them for wrongdoings, or perhaps even.... pleasure?

Among the Blood Raiders, there are many offshoot cults, some of them so deranged that even the Blood Raiders disavow all connections with them. These people bore the marks of one of such cults, the Cult of the Lash. They believe that the more suffering they cause, the less is left for them in the universe...
Due to this 'ideology' they have become experts in inflicting excruciating pain and keeping their victims not only alive but also consciousness through the process... until their minds are broken by enduring such lasting horrific suffering.... They say Hell is but a figment of one's imagination... but the Cult of Lash comes very close in making it a real place in the universe...

As it turns out, these rescuees were kept conscious as they endured the worst of pains; slow dismemberment, being torched alive, forced to watch & hear what their comrades and friends had to endure in complete helplessness... No person deserves the fate these poor survivors have been through... Even tho they had been rescued now, many of them still saw death as their only salvation from their horrors...

Upon analyzing the minds of the survivors with our Neurowave Scanner, several lost cases were identified, people who would never recover, no matter how good the physical treatment was, as their mind was broken, living in a state of everlasting pain that could not be taken away.
A few could still be saved, but they would never be the same again and would need psychological guidance for the rest of their lives.
Upon hearing this verdict of our staff, the Guristas Capsuleer agreed they had to be transported to a location that could offer this treatment, the Aurora Arcology, on the condition that everything fell under medical confidentiality & the survivors be given a new identity, to safeguard them from future terrors.

As everything was agreed on, the survivors & the medical staff boarded 'The Lone Wanderer' for the journey home, away from danger.

Returning to the Arcology

A quick glance at the various Concord map data showed that the Vale of the Silent route was no longer safe, showing heavy fighting in the region.... As the more direct route in Tribute through Goonspace still seemed clear, that's where I went.
On the way, only one other capsuleer crossed our journey. He was a non-aligned local, who claims I was the first capsuleer ship he saw in a week's time.

As my ship arrived at M-OEED8, a large gatecamp was spotted. What's worse is that this particular gate was beyond scanning range from any celestial, so you couldn't scan where they had dropped the warpbubbles...
So this one last jump before the safety of lowsec would prove the hardest. But luck was with me as my probes scanned down a ship not far from the gate that could be used as warp-in point & scan the stargate camp defenses. Thanks to this stranger, a good entry point for the gate was found, evading the warpbubble effects!

And so, in a bright flash, safety was reached! Taisy! Caldari Space! Lowsec is fairly safe when you travel in a covop frigate like the Buzzard. The rest of the journey was an easy trip towards Irjunen, where the Aurora Arcology is located.

Epilogue

Once arrived, the few Gurista survivors were given a new identity, to safeguard them from prosecution. Under normal circumstances, the Aurora Arcology would integrate such criminals in the Redemption Program, but it was agreed that these people have more than paid for their crimes...
Despite the medical & psychological help they received, several survivors could no longer stand to live with the memories of their traumatic capture and ended their lives.
A handful however managed to cope with it, but they'll need a lifelong guidance to keep their minds stable.

Among these survivors, Lieutenant Kipo 'FireFox' Tekira turned out to be a very resilient person as he recovered enough to pick up an active role within the Arcology Project. He now acts as the Guristas Spokesperson in the Redemption Program. On top of that, he also assists Blood Raider victims in recovering from their traumas. He was among the first to be logged in the public census reports: New Arrivals: 11.000 Refugees

In the end, this small expedition into Venal, not only gained us alot of information about the Guristas, but more importantly helped us build up excellent expertise in treating traumatic victims, both physically as psychologically.
The expertise built up in this case was proved to be useful later in assisting the treatment of the Capsuleer Ber Kan after he was rescue from his imprisonment and more recently in treating the rescued Caldari prisoners from their abuse in the Black Eagle prison camps.