Intergalactic Summit

Noble defenders of humanity against existential threats, and interstellar peacekeepers and peacemakers.

This is how CONCORD would like themselves to be regarded as.

The reality is of course quite different.

You see, CONCORD is made up of a particular kind of person.

The kind of person who enjoys the following activities:

Bureaucratic obstinacy, extreme neatness, and disproportionate use of force.

But first ! A history.

CONCORD began, when the four Great Powers of the galaxy, the Amarr, Caldari, Gallente and Jove, came together, along with the Minmatar, to agree on certain things relating to interstellar trade and security, as well as a common calendar.

The CONCORD Assembly started as a means by which the Great Powers could attempt diplomatic solutions to conflicts, before any form of war broke out. Sometimes this actually worked.

CONCORD also provided a degree of organisation and a common command structure for external threats, one of the first being the First Manifestation of Sansha's Nation, which was struck down by combined fleets under the CONCORD banner.

However, just like any bureaucratic organisation, CONCORD began to swell, and grow, like an amoeba, to envelop and consume a great many more roles and powers.

Today, CONCORD stands as an interstellar bureaucratic behemoth, extending its tendrils throughout New Eden.

Let us examine the organisation.

The inner circle of CONCORD consists of umm, the Inner Circle, the rather prosaically named group that determines overall policy, and directs the other divisions in their activities.

There are a number of other divisions, such as the Communication Relay Commission, that handles FTL communications throughout New Eden, the Secure Commerce Commission, that oversees financial markets, and several others.

The one that most capsuleers encounter though, is the Directive Enforcement Department, or DED. And it is the culture of the DED that is the most fascinating.

The DED believe in The Law, and the letter of The Law, and that they are the ultimate enforcer of The Law.

They also have peculiar rules of engagement, that prohibit them from acting unless certain very specific things occur, but when those things occur, then they are authorised to use Absolute Maximum Force, regardless of the circumstances.

For example, If you are flying your ship, and you find yourself locked by several other ships, then nearby DED ships will do nothing, because you are not being fired upon. Only if those ships open fire, will the DED ships do anything, which doesn't help you, but gives the DED the smug self-satisfaction of having followed their instructions to the letter. They will then open fire with extreme prejudice against those that their regulations define as "Criminals".

This is part of their bureaucratic obstinacy. To act only when certain conditions are met.

Their disproportionate use of Maximum Force, is another part of their culture. When, as often happens, a rookie capsuleer accidentally pings a stargate or station with their civilian laser, the local DED officers will exclaim "LOOK OUT! HE'S GOT A GUN!" and open fire with MAXIMUM AUTHORISED FORCE, vaporising the hapless rookie capsuleer.

This kind of misuse of force, is only possible due to the mysterious technologies used in the construction of CONCORD ships, some of which is of Jovian origin. These technologies also give the CONCORD ships incredible agility, cloaking ability, and a form of jump drive, allowing them to appear anywhere in system at a moment's notice.

Oddly, as capsuleers working for the so-called "pirate factions" will know, many of these technologies are for some reason, non-functional in nullsec, with capsuleers often being tasked to engage and destroy DED task forces that are attempting to interfere with those pirate factions operations.

Pedantry is another trait of many DED officials, with arguments between capsuleers and DED agents frequently running into this. "This is an injustice, and should be against the law!", says a capsuleer who feels themselves wronged in some way. "It is not illegal", says the DED official. "It should be!" complains the capsuleer. "But it's not." replies the DED official. This is often very frustrating and enraging to the aggrieved capsuleer, whereas the DED officials remain in smug self-satisfaction at adhering strictly to the letter of the law.

A common attitude amongst DED officers, that has grown in prevalence since the outbreak of the Empyrean Wars, caused by a Minmatar attack on the CONCORD HQ station, is the principle of "Innocent until proven Minmatar", in which capsuleers of Minmatar origin are presumed to be acting with criminal intent at all times. Many Minmatar feel victims of this discrimination, that they are followed and watched at all times, while people of other races are free to go about their business.

CONCORD is also itself involved in several activities which some may consider questionable, such as the selling of "Pilot Licences", without which, a capsuleer is "not allowed" to fly a spaceship, due to the software of the capsule rejecting their instructions. The levying of taxes on market transactions is another thing that some rail against, with many questions asked as to where, exactly, the money goes.

There is also the rumour that CONCORD involves themselves in the mass manipulation of the value of ISK, a currency that is controlled by the Secure Commerce Commission, which is of course a CONCORD division. These manipulations in the value of ISK are supposedly made in order to manipulate the number of currently active capsuleers. What CONCORD's goal is in doing this, is unknown.

To go back to the title of this article, "To Protect and Serve", then, one may ask, just who is it, that CONCORD are protecting and serving ?

The answer is obvious. Themselves.

Maybe I should look into a career as a DED enforcer...

I find the comparative lack of replies to my brilliant posting to be somewhat suspicious.

In fact, it may be indicative of DED Censorship, of certain posters.

Which I find reprehensible !

It's easy to complain about CONCORD. I don't.

Honestly, thing for a second. Without them all of high-sec would be a free fire zone with capsuleers tearing apart every transport and convoy they saw. And if they have some grand conspiracy plan then they are way behind schedule. It's been 10 years of them ruling the skies of high-sec, and we're still as chaotic and crazy as ever.

I ay we should save our conspiracy theories for the real conspiracies, like the Jovians and Drifters and every other insane force out there in the galaxy. I don't lose any sleep over CONCORD.

Great article! And it's easy to complain about Concord when your set to -7.7 for killing those who deserve it..... Badge of honor I guess.

Oh yes, I am sure the lack of capsuleer interest in your topic on CONCORD is due to CONCORD censorship.

You are apparently extremely delusional, even by sub-human Sani Sabik standards.