The conflict that has gripped New Eden escalated to a previously unseen level today during a coalition assault on a Band of Brothers capital shipyard in F-TE1T. An unprecedented array of capital ships were present during the attack and the Coalition lost dozens in the successful effort to take down the structure. The aftermath proved to be a salvager’s dream with a wasteland of wreckage left behind and both sides claiming victory.

When the explosions cleared, BoB had lost their tower and capital yard, along with anything that may have been inside. In return, the coalition lost at least forty capital ships, with estimates ranging as high as fifty-five. Regardless of the final figures, it marks the largest number of capital ships destroyed in a single engagement in the history of New Eden.
From all available evidence the pro-BoB forces suffered zero capital ship losses during the engagement.

At first The Coalition insisted that the capital shipyard contained a titan in production, which would have been lost in the destruction of the tower. If this is true, it is the second titan that the Coalition has destroyed in such a fashion. However, it would appear that now they are backing off these claims, showing the insidious nature of this conflict where claim and counterclaim are bandied about with reckless abandon by all parties, showing how imperative it is to win the PR battle as much as the actual one.

Nevvyn, a representative of Dusk and Dawn Alliance, acknowledges the substantial capital losses, but also made it very clear that “the target was the POS, anything else was strictly secondary.” According to him, significant losses were expected and prepared for. He refused to comment on The Coalition’s next move, and when asked for a statement, replied that the actions in F-TE1T spoke loud enough.

On the subject of today’s plans, Nevvyn was more forthcoming, saying: “Very simply, both sides formed up well in advance, the target system of F-TE1T had been full of 150-200 hostile pod pilots since the early evening. Steps had been taken to prevent our entry into the system, although we had secured our entry well in advance.”

A single warp disruption field had been placed at the POS which upset The Coalition’s idea for a rapid exit, Nevvyn explained: “The plan itself was simple, jump in, engage the pos, destroy it, and then get out. Hit and Run tactics if you wish. The first part of the plan went exactly as intended, thanks to the skill, dedication and professionalism of our pod pilots. However, it seems that there were technical difficulties with the jump gates leading into F-TE1T and also with the jump portal on Emily (The D2 Titan), despite our best efforts, when it came to the "run" part, we could not get our support into system.”

Concluding the outcome from The Coalition’s point of view, Nevvyn was succinct: “The plan was executed well, the goal was achieved, the POS died. In the Capital Ship Assembly Array, we believe there was a Titan class ship building. As with everything, gaining intelligence about the opposition is not always an exact science, and it seems the opposition have taken appropriate steps to ensure that we cannot verify our claim.”

On the other side of the conflict, Shrike, BoB Avatar pilot and close friend of SirMolle, remains confident saying: “The Coalition is now on its knees without a capital fleet. The train has hit a brick wall. They just rolled the dice, off the table in a wild gamble. I hope they think the gamble was worth it because now they don’t have a backbone.”

To give an idea of the scale of the engagement Shrike added: “We had about 2000 pilots involved tonight in various ops all over, all for the purpose of killing the capital fleet. And the capital fleet is dead.”

Meanwhile, the war continues on. Seleene, executor of the Mercenary Coalition (MC), also granted IC an interview after the battle. The MC has openly acknowledged that it is under contract from the Band of Brothers and is assisting them in the war effort, and dozens of MC ships were present in the area of F-TE1T during the fight. According to Seleene, MC’s current focus is to combine forces with BoB allies in order to achieve ‘short-term goals’. She refused to go into details with regard to what these goals were.

Summing up the battle, Seleene added an interesting point of view to events, saying: “While it's true The Coalition succeeded in their goal tonight, no group can sustain those sort of losses over and over again simply to eliminate one target.”

Sesfan Qu'lah of Goonfleet insisted: “(Our) morale is absolutely fine, most of us didn't even get to fight and we want another chance. Titans are so powerful that nobody can afford not to attack them while they're building.”

The strike represents a huge gamble on the part of The Coalition, but with a very large potential payoff. As Sesfan indicated, his side could not ignore the opportunity although responding to claims the losses had derailed operations, Nevvyn stated: “The war is still very much growing, a very slow but relentless movement.”

In the end, the deciding factor of the victor in the battle comes down to what was really building inside that tower’s capital array. As of the writing of this article, there has been no definitive confirmation by any party of what, if anything, was inside. The capsuleer community is forced to wait for BoB to divulge that knowledge, and if sources prove accurate, the much-anticipated answer will be coming within the next few days from BoB’s leadership.

Whether or not this battle will prove to be a turning point, remains to be seen, it is, however, destined to go down as one of the most memorable in New Eden history.

The renowned Cats Whiskers reopened last week, following a six-month closure to refurbish the club after it was ravaged by an unexplained fire. The proprietors Bressty Chastaine and Paul Giselle have been busy since opening night promoting the nightclub as “the premiere nightspot for hedonism in the Federation.”<p> Following the destruction of the club some six months ago, it was thought by many that the infamously decadent Cats Whiskers was doomed to fade into obscurity like so many other pleasure hubs scattered throughout the Gallente Federation. It was only after securing a deal with a group of Federation-based investors that it was restored and overhauled into an even more opulent establishment than it’s previous incarnation. <p> To celebrate the reopening, owners Paul and Bressty organized for the eminent Halo Axegrinder of Starved Fedo to make a guest appearance. Unfortunately Mr. Axegrinder was unable to perform due to what his managers later stated was “an unexpected and sudden illness.” Ms. Chastaine replied however, that he was “unexpectedly lightweight and suddenly drunk”; suggesting perhaps that the celebrated rock star was a little too enthusiastic with his own celebrations.<p> Despite the lack of Halo’s performance, the many capsuleers that attended the opening night seemed not to mind, as the drinks and entertainment flowed freely regardless. In an impressive financial display, Ms. Chastaine awarded a Vigilant-Class Cruiser blueprint to a Mr. White Templar, who with many other pilots had taken part in one of the competitions of the night. Relative to most Gallentean nightclubs advertising budgets, the prize represents a vast sum of ISK, showing just how serious the owners of the Whiskers are about putting it back on the map. <p> The Cats Whiskers has enjoyed early success since reopening, frequently drawing large crowds including a sizeable capsuleer base, most of whom are fast becoming loyal patrons. Tainting this initial accomplishment however has been rumours of underhanded activities happening in the bar, such as illegal narcotics sales. Ms. Chastaine has vehemently denied the reports however, and stated in no uncertain terms that such things are strictly prohibited in the club. “We are the centre of hedonistic pleasures, that is for sure, but we do not cross the line into illegal activity. It’s not smart, and I doubt it is even profitable either. I’ve had my own struggles with drugs in the past and I want them far away from me, my girls, and my patrons.”<p> Defending her against the allegations, some capsuleers have contacted the Interstellar Correspondents to confirm her words. One pilot who wished to remain anonymous stated, “at the first sign of boosters in her club Bressty became infuriated”, threatening “extreme repercussions” and confiscating the contraband. “She certainly seems to want to keep her club clean…at least in that regard,” the pilot remarked. <p> In spite of the slight controversies since reopening, Bressty and Paul remain upbeat about the future success of the Cats Whiskers. “I’m no stranger to a little publicity,” stated Bressty, “its all lies of course…someone trying to damage me, but even the negative stuff helps us get the name out there…having a perfect reputation is bad for business in my line of work anyway.”<p> The Cats Whiskers is open most days of the week, and can be located at the basement level of the sole station in the Balle system, Disier constellation. Pilots can expect good music, good drinks and good company. Those looking for small time work supplying goods are encouraged to contact Bressty or Paul at the club during business hours.

Pilots desperate for any edge in space will rejoice at the news of the marketing of combat boosters by various capsuleer organisations. Initial batches are already hitting the markets and seeing use in battle as Corelum Syndicate and Hedonistic Imperatives lead the way, with their unique focus on black market commodities and services.

In a press release issued last week, Corelum Syndicate stated that they were now taking orders for Exile combat boosters. This initial market push represents the culmination of many months of collaboration and applied research in the outer regions of lawless space. It has also come to symbolise a first step for the alliance and indeed, all frontier capsuleers, towards continued development in the field. For the moment, however, the focus in the Syndicate’s operations is on biotechnology that is of direct use in combat, an area with high demand and plentiful opportunity for profit. “The benefits could mean the difference between the loss of Capital equipment and securing the Battlefield on which you will fight,” stated the press release.

Much like the infamous Virge Salvador Sarpati, combat boosters are a unique offshoot of their family. Quite separate from the original prototype neural boosters that were supposed to aid a pilot’s cognitive ability, they instead work in various ways that are beneficial in combat situations. The Exile booster for example, now in production enhances a pilot’s effectiveness with armour repairers. The negative side to this temporary enhancement is a prolonged downtime consisting of hypertension, aggression and periods of extreme rage. Despite this the boosters are nonetheless in high demand for important conflicts, particularly when large and expensive capital fleets are deployed.

Their overall aim is above and beyond just combat enhancement boosters however, with alliance executor Joshua Foiritain stating: “Our ultimate objective is to produce neural boosters capable of boosting someone’s ability to learn, the combat boosters are simply a step stone along the way… through the more advanced boosters, we are hoping to help mankind advance to the next level.”

The Corelum Syndicate itself has been a longstanding and vocal exponent of continued booster research and production, ever since its formation and earlier days in the Curse region when it shifted allegiances to the Serpentis Corporation and left a Federation that has banned such endeavours. “We’ve been working with the Serpentis Corporation for over a year now, which helped us a great deal with getting into the booster research in the first place,” commented Mr. Foiritain.

At the same time as Corelum’s production begins, a second organisation has entered the market, albeit in a slightly more reserved manner more suited to its own philosophies. Hedonistic Imperatives has also begun booster production, but rather than openly defying the empire bans, has chosen to largely stay under their radar, letting a reputation of quiet and reliable achievement do most of their publicity for them. “We just don’t like to advertise as much as some, us Thukkers prefer to keep things word of mouth in a lot of cases,” stated Camperific, a Hedonistic Imperative liaison for the tribe.

There are notable differences between the two organisations. Corelum has evolved into an overtly anti-Federation Serpentis ally, whilst the Imperative is less easily definable, with a broader scope involving narcotics, smuggling and other lucrative underworld profiteering. Whilst Corelum seeks long-term benefits in the neural booster field, the Imperative is focused on philosophies closer to their roots.

Commenting on their varied inspirations, CEO of Es and Whiz, Masu’di stated: “To allow people to expand their mind through the exploration of altered states has always been a priority. We are not just station corner pushers, although I wouldn’t go as far as saying we are uplifting humanity.” On other points the two entities share more common ground, such as distaste for the current empire bans on booster production. “Prohibition is not really a good solution to anything,” Masu’di remarked.

Commenting on the current bans in the empires, one Gallente Federation scientist who wished to remain anonymous remarked: “I’m not sure how we can accurately call ourselves progressive as a nation, when we drive out entities like Coreli, I think the title of their recent announcement was more than just a play on words. They were adamant supporters of the Federation once, and now they are in bed with Serpentis. I’m not sure Federation policy on Booster research isn’t at least partially to blame, they certainly seem to hold it in low regard.”

It is still uncertain whether or not the empires will relax their policies on booster research now that the capsuleers of the frontier have forged ahead on their own path without them. If the fear of being left behind the technological curve militarily has no effect on innovation and policy, perhaps the harsh financial truths of diversified profits will. Perhaps it is already beginning to be too late, or as the Coreli Corporation often says: “Welcome to the future.”

Last month witnessed an unprecedented request from Amarrian capsuleers that they be informed as to the progress of the investigation into the assassination of Emperor Doriam. Despite serving as a severe breach of protocol, the request sparked fervent academic debate within the Empire regarding the next Succession championships and what form they will take. <br><br> While no outright dissent has been aired on the issue, it is no secret that the people of the Empire are growing impatient with the wait for a new Emperor. In an announcement late last week, Uriam Kador endorsed the ongoing debate by making his opinions known publicly. Here is an excerpt from his statement: <br><br> "For too long has our Empire languished without an Emperor. It is due time that we, the Heirs, decide how the next Championships shall be held, lest we incur God’s wrath for our Chamberlain’s apparent lack of will to move forward." <br><br> "I move that the Championship not be fought in the barren byways of the infinite, but rather here on God’s earth, by those of pure flesh. We should look not to those who cheat death by shedding and donning bodies like discarded rags, for who can tell what happens to the soul through its endless leapfrogging from body to body?" <br><br> "We should look to true Amarrians, the chosen people of God, barren of the impurities of their spacebound kin." <br><br> Dr. Emuil Zalaveille, political analyst at the University of Caille and an expert on Amarrian affairs, regarded the speech as just the latest in a series of affronts to Chamberlain Dokuta Karsoth’s authority. <br><br> "His [the Chamberlain’s] position has been growing ever weaker in the last months," said Dr. Zalaveille. "With the murder investigation yielding no apparent answers and the Navy all but directly disobeying his commands to police the Bleak Lands, the addition of a royal Heir’s accusation of laxness in the matter of the succession comes as no surprise."

Innovaatio Varustukset, a small independent military development company, has found itself at the centre of an intense bidding war between the Caldari MegaCorps. <p> The corporation, founded a decade ago by current CEO Markku Samuli, is unusual amongst Caldari entities in that it is entirely privately owned and run, without any connection to the larger Caldari MegaCorps. Whilst such approaches are traditionally a disadvantage in the ruthless economic battlegrounds of the State, the company's innovative and unorthodox work environment, along with the hard work of Samuli himself, has allowed the corporation to flourish and earn a reputation many times it’s size. <p> Much of Innovaatio's success stems from several development contracts with the Caldari Navy, allowing the corporation to turn a sizeable profit at a time of economic recession in the majority of the State. This, along with rumours of cutting edge research in several sectors, has spurred the MegaCorps into a vicious bidding war for the company. <br> Ishukone, Lai Dai and Nugoeihuvi are believed to be making the front running in the current round of bids.<p> "It's a dream come true," said Samuli at the press conference announcing the impending sale. "I started this company with hopes of earning enough to send my children to a good school. Now, I'll be able to send my children's children's children to a good school as well." <p> Samuli declined to comment on an exact figure of the amount of ISK being offered, but estimates place the worth of the company at over 50 billion ISK in raw assets alone. Analysts expect the bids are entering the area of 400 billion ISK, a sizeable amount for a corporation the size of Innovaatio Varustukset, with a final total that many observers believe will exceed this easily. <p> "Every time one number gets sent in, someone else sends in a bigger number," Samuli said. "I can't imagine the bidding will continue for much longer. Eventually, someone will offer a number I don't think can be topped." <p> Some parties are questioning the size of the bids, however. "The company has succeeded thus far by being apart from the MegaCorp structure," said Hugues Jasmin, a Gallente analyst who has focused his research on the economics of the Caldari State. "The MegaCorps are unlikely to maintain the talent, atmosphere, and work environment that has allowed Innovaatio Varustukset to thrive. They're taking a huge risk." <p> Most analysts, nonetheless, dismiss such worries. "With the weight of a Lai Dai or Ishukone behind it, the company can focus more on the research and less on the economic and administrative," said Sindri Hinrik, head of the Economics department at Science and Trade Institute. "It should be mutually beneficial to everyone involved." <p> Insiders expect a deal to be announced within the next week which prompted shares in the company to rise 11% in 24 hours.