Watch me soar

I'd like to extend my thanks to the Intaki Syndicate for this lovely gift. While not only aesthetically pleasing, the technology behind this ship is beautiful as well. As I currently reside in Curse, and my Zephyr safely waits for me in Goinard, I am unable to provide a camera drone capture of my own. But as each registered capsuleer should have received one by now, that shouldn't be a problem, no?

When I return from my duties here I hope to take her out for a trip. I can only imagine how light she will feel. Like songbird down carried by the wind, I shall dub her "Soar".

Rikaato

Myrhial is sitting up straight on the edge of a low sofa. Behind her a glimpse of the rest of her apartment can be seen. Typical modern take on Achur architecture, the same natural tones and sober yet practical designs, but classic materials such as wood have been replaced by synthetic counterparts. On the tea table lays a small book which stands out like a slaver hound in a songbird pen, the Pax Amarria.

I think we both knew it would lead up to this eventually. I was in fact certain the moment you advised me Jude would be an excellent second director for Ghost Festival. You sought to replace yourself so you could get out.

No, I don't blame you. I understand. This is not your home. I think you wanted it to be though. We're a great deal more honest than those who pay lip service to a God who forms a convenient excuse for the atrocities committed in His name or those clinging to the same principles in the fear of what speaking against them might bring on. Hmph, I wonder who really are the slaves sometimes... But I digress. Honest as we might be our path is not one of virtue. Extortion, ransom and profiteering are our trade; violence, torture and murder accepted means to reach our goals. We call it business.

You've played a major role in all of it too. Operation Bold Harvest was your idea. You've served as a director for the larger part of the year. Even our move to Goinard was one of your controversial ideas. And look at how well it worked. You're even on The Last Gate's VIP list. I hope you will not deny or forget who you were here, Yishal. Do not disappoint me by having to hear such news. After all I do have your old insignia right here.

As for the book, I have read it before. Curious about the words your race holds sacred, and adorn the hulls of several of my ships. I accept the gift however, and what I believe you are trying to tell me with it.

Uaaka, Yishal, you were a great teacher and a treasured friend. I shall hope to never meet you again.

[OOC] Oracle of EVE - EON contest entry

In the previous expansions we have witnessed the reshaping of sovereignty and extension of industrial and exploration activities. And while factional warfare has been a great source of targets, criminals and their hunters around the cluster have been craving more. 2010 is the year in which their patience gets rewarded: CONCORD has restored from the attacks on Yulai and is back in business with the reworked bounty system.

Got kill rights on someone? Now you can create a bounty contract with the price you are willing to pay which then becomes available to registered bounty hunters. Bounty hunters are individuals that have proven their devotion to the law by having 5.0 security status and registered themselves at the local bounty office. They receive proof of their status in the form of a decoration and rank on their show info which they keep as long as their security status remains unchanged. Contracts can be both given to bounty hunters of your choice or be free-for-all and of course a timeframe for completion can be set.  For each successful completion of a contract a bounty hunter rises in rank on the leaderboard. Failure to complete results in the kill rights returning to their owner and a ranking penalty. Contract details are only viewable by other bounty hunters and the issuer as long as the contract is a non-accepted free-for-all contract, or in case of a private contract by the chosen hunter and issuer. Once a contract of either type gets accepted the details are only viewable by the issuer and the hunter so criminals cannot simply have a hunter spy for them and hide until the time has run out.

In addition to this CONCORD decided to create a reward system for notorious pilots being podded by whoever gets the chance to, much like npc rats. For each crime committed the pilot will get some ISK added on their head, scaling in the same way as security status loss. This replaces the old bounty value where you were only worth something if another party decided to bother, giving outlaws some more bragging rights than just that -10 security status. As a countermeasure the pirate factions controlling a region will pay anyone for killing bounty hunters, based on their respective notoriety, so criminals get to earn some extra ISK by hunting their hunters.

Moon for rent

Moon for rent in the Goinard system, price negotiable, comes with free Naraka non-aggression pact. As of yesterday there is a location available for hire in our home system after we took down an unauthorised tower and unanchored the laboratory and other attached modules.

The pilot-owned structure (POS) was noticed by Milo who promptly published an internal report on how horribly defended it was: One small autocannon and one medium artillery battery. It was just too good an opportunity to pass up on and a takedown operation was set in motion. With scouts on all system exits we undocked the home defence fleet, incapacitated the batteries and fired away at the shields, armor (sweet, no Strontium for the defence systems!), and eventually the bare structure. Pretty uneventful until Usiell noticed a Dominix approaching the gate he was guarding, travelling on auto-pilot. Idiot. Suffice to say that was swiftly dealt with.

Hammering away at what was left of the structure Veto took notice of what we were doing. "Someone didn't pay the rent eh?", was asked over the intel channel. Indeed. Never passing up on the opportunity to watch an explosion a few of them came to have a look. With the tower gone it was time to claim our reward. In addition to a share for everyone from the module sale PRELI also added the blueprints found in the laboratory to their index. Resounding success for Naraka all around, and I also just have to point out this has pushed Ghost Festival past the 100 billion destroyed milestone.

Capital Destruction

With eight billion in assets destroyed this week we have broken -- shattered, I should say -- our personal record. While it was looking to be a regular week Friday brought us two engagements that I will not soon forget.

Stardust Mina had organised a joint operation between Veto and Naraka that would take us through Black Rise, fielding a pack of battlecruisers, 4 Guardians and a HIC. Our first engagement took place in Eha where we clashed on a stargate with an equally sized fleet from Dust 2 Dust. While they were superior in terms of damage it was our strong logistical backbone that made us victorious. "Bring more Falcons next time" and "Damn Guardians" were broadcasted over the local channel.

Being far more used to pouncing targets of opportunity I found this battle to be quite impressive, until it paled by the next engagement. Our scout reported a POS that was under siege and after some careful consideration Mina made the call to take them on. The enemy fleet was certainly larger and stronger than us, with them fielding two dreadnoughts, a carrier and 15 battleships. But we had the Guardians and the element of surprise on our side.

Victory was ours once more. One by one the battleships were picked off while in their confusion they failed to  offer proper resistance. With all of them destroyed bar the two that escaped we opened fire on the remaining ships after our offer for a ransom got no response. The pilots had disconnected themselves in the hope of activating emergency protocol and escaping, but alas for the Archon and Naglfar this plan failed. The Phoenix got lucky though and left the scene unharmed. Filling up a transport ship with the loot and salvaging the wrecks we were contacted by Armada Ministry Federation that they would store the spoils for us if needed. Nice try, but we're not that easily fooled.

As if all that wasn't enough on Saturday a mining operation in w-space was disturbed, costing Magnus Opus an Orca and a Retriever. No such thing as destroying too much capitals, right?