Intergalactic Summit

On the whole I believe the more aggressive capsuleers are simply such because our clones allow us to be. The fight or flight response no longer serves us well if we have no fear of death and therefore no fear of the fight. Only one half of the response remains and unchecked it drives many of us to acts we would never have previously imagined ourselves capable of.

Drifters are simply seen as a new resource to be harnessed and harvested by many it seems. I take a more balanced view, should the Drifters prove aggressive towards the Empires or myself then I will act against them, should they eventually communicate requesting defence I may well assist them.

I hope the God will punish you for treating other beings as just profit.

While I agree with you that if action must be taken then it must be swift and decisive, the supposed threat we face is at a technological level we can only minimally assess. Against more traditional enemies, I would concur with your Empress' strategy, but organized hostile action against them at this stage would result in utter defeat if the Drifters applied their full force to bear.

From the broadcast Tukoss provided, in it there were over 160 Drifter battleships alone. Given that they have the ability to warp through systems without the use of stargates, as well as the artificial generation of wormholes, that leaves them with the clear advantage in tactical maneuverability and strength. That number of ships would be more than enough to strike the key military and industrial centers of an Empire before proper responses could be formed.

There have been three incidents now that have shown the Empress possess highly advanced technology beyond that available to capsuleers. That alone is enough to garner suspicion. At the very least, one of those incidents involved modified Sleeper technology. With this in mind, and the Drifters seeming to have at least some non-transient structures in wormhole space, their interest in the Amarr Empire specifically, and the secrets Empress Sarum has been holding are suddenly much more understandable to me.

She has called for unity amongst all capsuleers against a threat that may be solely directed at her. There has been no demonstration of an understanding of the enemy she rallies against, nor any possible strategy that would result in victory. In a situation such as this against an overwhelmingly powerful, yet seemingly benign force, a sensible strategy would be one of defense to minimize losses. The Drifters themselves already demonstrated they are only interested in direct threats against them.

I understand that you cannot sever your ties to your people and your culture, but I would ask you to consider the actions of the Drifters and the Empires thus far. With Tukoss' clone failing to activate, this may very well be a conflict capsuleers could not return from. With this many unknown variables, pledging yourself to a cause would be a premature decision.

The other beings may well get there before your God does...

Despite our completely dissimilar organisations our completely similar policies regarding the Drifters have led to completely similar experiences with them - we don't mess with them and they don't come after us.

If that is the case, then that is disappointing indeed.

Who knows, maybe they will be sent by Him.

I have faith in the decisions made by the Empress. If she hides secrets and some of those secrets involve the Drifters, is it not also safe to assume she understands this threat better than us? If she understands the threat better why go against her advisement?

If not now, when do we act? Do we act after they have proven they are a threat? Do we act after they have reinforced their own position and offer even greater resistance?

They have greater technology, or at least different technology. Gaining access to their technology could provide capsuleers with innumerable advantages. It will allow us to defend ourselves from them all the better. I say we strike together. I say we strike decisively. I say we strike for our own self interest and self defense.

As the only leader among the Empires who has recognized this threat, why not back the Empress? If you disagree with her ideals, what better chance to show there is a better way than to work towards a common goal, showing the strength that comes from diversity?

There are many opportunities presented with this call for unity. All we need to do is make an effort.

I find it difficult to believe her claims that her benevolence is for the benefit of all capsuleers. She calls for unity at a time when only her Empire is threatened, rather than that of all capsuleers. Many would go so far as to consider she has secrets that are perhaps stolen from the Drfiters themselves, which raises another question. If she holds such valuable secrets on the Drifters, and understands this threat, then why has she waited until now to take action? It is only when the Drifters have actively begun amassing in Amarr space in greater numbers that she suddenly calls for the capsuleers, one of the only available parties who may heed her call for aid.

I would like to believe her call for unity is driven by a true sense of purpose rather than an opportunistic gamble to salvage her position in the face of a threat. Given her past history however, it does not seem to be the case. While I do agree that if Drifter aggression threatened the entirety of Empire space or perhaps New Eden, it would be practical to rally all capsuleers, in this case the only group under threat seems to be the Amarr. She has done something that has warranted the attention of the Drifters, and since they are as powerful as they have demonstrated, most capsuleers would be wiser to stay non-commital in my opinion.

Much as Mr. Mokk noted, those who are actively witholding information should be viewed with skepticism at the least. I can grant them some leniency given the unpredictable and unreliable nature of capsuleers and the worry that we may agitate the situation further, but there must be some form of open communication to quell suspicions.

Unity to a common goal is admirable, however this strikes me more as a bid to consolidate power in the face of a mistake. Who would be foolish enough to openly challenge the Drifters when representing an Empire and a people? Capsuleers have the benefit of independence in action, but the Empress knew the risks she took in drawing Drifter attention.

While your line of reasoning is a plausible one, I would imagine it is a conclusion you reached through deduction?

I agree that I find her rallying call questionable, however I would not go so far as to call the capsuleers who follow her 'slaves'. What makes you consider them as such?