Intergalactic Summit

[A camera drone admires the play of sunlight filtering through dust and the slowly rotating blades of a gigantic air circulation unit.

Tiny children of diverse ethnicities climb in the exposed scaffolding at the end of one alley amid a thousand in the bustling Krusual station. A cacophony of competing percussion, strings, wind instruments, and electronic dance music almost drowns out the screaming of disgruntled laborers, stall merchants, and scam artists.

An ancient Vherokior espresso maker sets down a tray of drinks for customers on her small patio.

At the very moment the tray touches the table, a brightly colored ball arches over the espresso maker's head, clears the balcony of a belle epoque flat on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors, and smashes through the faceted stained crystals of a blood red rose window. Instantaneously, the cul-de-sac empties of people.

Even the camera drone hides.

When the drone peeks out from behind exposed rust orange scaffolding, it sees the CRONE bending precipitously over railing. She wears a platinum sequin skull cap and earrings which nicely compliment her platinum jazz baby smock over platinum pumps.

She shouts down to the diminutive espresso maker. ]

Oh, don't worry about it, Miss B! You just send the bill up to me and I'll cover for them. I will also take another tray of the gluten free brownies. There, you see? I can do healthy after all.

[When the CRONE turns to go back inside, the camera drone moves deftly to follow her into a short hallway. The floor tiles are alternating pattens of brushed platinum. The wall paper is platinum. The chandeliers are... you get the idea. She enters a little study filled with broken blood rose window glass and a great big platinum desk. Taking a seat behind the desk, she turns to the drone.]

So I have long admired the natural spiritualism of the Matari people...

I hear you in there, sweeties! STOP THAT LAUGHING!

No, it's true. I believe that the divine reveals itself through the world around, self evident, and not through fairy tales passed through an eons long game of telephone. That said, I do not have a particularly "shamanistic" tradition. I mean, my dead ancestors are not spirits and ghosts so much as reanimated cybernetic zombies prowling levels G-down-23 through G-down-57 of the old monastery. Instead of spirits and ghost wolves, my tradition focuses more on things like trees and rocks. "Druidical," you know. Balance is a thing in that tradition.

And a fancy word for balance is "equilibrium."

A few days ago, I had a conversation with New Prophet Nauplius about whether or not citadels were sins against God. It had not been my position previously, though in fact my position was not fully formed, and I found elements of his argument compelling. Upon the construction of a grand edifice, there is a risk that the edifice effectively becomes an object of adoration, near worship - an "idol." By idolizing grand structures, Mankind turns away from not only the divine, but from our own humanity.

Yes yes, not that I have much left to turn away from.

For quite some time, I (like the Sisters of EVE) considered the EVE Gate the greatest marvel of our Cluster. But when New Prophet Nauplius spoke of the sin inherent in the citadel project, I immediately thought of the Gate. If any edifice were to embody such a sin, the Monster of the Cauldron is it.

As it happens, there is a sect which believes that Mankind committed a grave sin by traveling through the EVE Gate.

Now, years ago, I couldn't even get their name right. I mean, for the longest time I referred to them as "End of Man" and not "Equilibrium." Of course, if everyone is dead, well, that's a pretty good equilibrium. But on a more immediate, less genocidal level, it must be noted that (because of our superior force of personality) an oppressive Amarrian monoculture has set in.

Everything that is interesting relates to Amarr.

Consequently, in the interests of Equilibrium, I have taken up the cause of the Matari people.

Of course, if I were to put on the habit of an Equilibrium nun without killing people, Koronakesh would execute me. So I have joined up with killers and people have died. Not that many, of course, but it has only been one day. Furthermore, most of the not many dead were formerly crew members in my own thorax, after a battle of mutual destruction with a drake and an (ironically fitted) Maller, but we defended the installation and, more importantly, people have died.

Of greater interest to this particular forum, however, and in conformance with the title of this discussion - on a whim, the bleeder witch who introduced me to the Matari militia led me from one edge of the war zone all the way over to the other, where, in a fit of divine providence, the two of us ended up alone in some wasteland with none other than New Prophet Nauplius!

One thing led to another, and our holy laser-less Punishers ultimately prevailed (albeit with almost comic difficulty - I think I will go back to holy lasers even at the risk of being neuted into fizzlesticks) in a bitter struggle with infamy and a tormentor. A little itty bitty peck for Equilibrium.

Note to Self: ship insurance is a thing. Use it. Oh, and put the drones in space. They can shoot things, then.

In fact, I think I bumped in to Mizhara today. Divine Will! Or coincidence.

It was perfectly civil. We are on the same side. Though for a few moments, the fog of war confused our two groups into thinking that the other group was not on the same side and matters could perhaps have gone pear shaped. Again, Divine Will!

I know for certain we didn't "bump into each other", as I have been busy with dirtside business for a few days and my staff has a long list of people that are shot on sight if they get within a few miles of me. We are not on the same side. There is no confusion or divine will in play here.

While I am unfortunately bound to rules of engagement that doesn't allow me to turn certain entities into light-seconds long smears in space, you will never be able to say you've fought on the same side as me. You are merely another intruder. A cancer in the TLF.

You are walking proof that the words of Valentina and others are little but insidious lies that they may have convinced themselves with, but not the rest of us. It is such a pity people like Lowhyres think they're taking a stand by not becoming another DT pet, but fail to see the even worse corruption in their own little gaggle of grunts.

Amusing, we have taken a very worthwhile and proven method of doing business in the milita, that is working with underutilized assets in support of the TLF, and I get called a liar. I know who my people are and I know who I fight for, and what lengths that are justified in doing it. Seems like to me you were the fool Mizhara for thinking you could do anything meaningful and keep a clean conscience. I don't have that luxury, I know what I have done, and I know what I will do and I can live with that.

"We come for our people" and "Never again" take a bit of a new meaning when EoM is involved, isn't it?

As one of the chosen voices for the Starkmanir people, I have lead our people away from the real cancer that is the TLF. TLF has allowed to many armchair leaders to put them down paths of self destruction. For to long the minmatar militia has been lead by those that put their needs and wants a head of the greater good. I don't believe, and never have believed any one person can do this proper. But the capsuleers that have chosen to fly with these would be leaderships are in the selves, good pilots and people i would fight along side without even thinking. These pilots have allowed themselves to be twisted to be hateful and fearful of taking risk. You and Det are prime examples of what succumbing to fear does to you. Your will to purge this galaxy of the religious zealots that are allowed to fly into our space is pitiful to say the least. In a month, I lead fleets that burn hundreds of Amarrian capsuleers from the skies. How many have you in all your years of capsuleer service. So please come tell me more about how I lead the Starkmanir people down a road of self destruction rather then evolving them into a fighting force to bring amarrian warriors to their knees.

As for this DT infestation. Their easy ways and their promises of empty glories have taken hold in the weak minds of lesser TLF leaders and capsuleers. They promise glories that will never align with the greater good of the minmatar republic. The charter of TLF talks about keeping true to your brothers and sisters fighting a long side you. These weak capsuleers like yourself, Mizhara Del'thul, will always be second rate in the eyes of the republic.

But like any minmatar group, we have our miss guided youth. This is a power and a force that, once focused sole on terrorizing amarr systems, they will be the greatest asset we will have. Their energy and enthusiasm gives them a willpower you will never have. I do not prefer their tactics, but have no issue using all tools are our disposal.

To the Starkmanir people,
the past is theirs,
the future is ours

Please then, show me where you have lead the minmatar fleets into combat and burned amarr from the skies. Please show me where you have do anything but arm chair "lead" from behind your desk you scared like the wiped little dog the amarr made you. You cant touch even one achievement that the Starkmanir people have. Our allies in, Of Questionable Repute, have just that. questionable tactics. To achieve the greatest goal of drawing a line in the sands and saying no more to the amarr, sometimes such tactics must be used. In the end of this great war of our time, their should be no dream of removing the amarr from their systems and planets. We should be trying to bring a new peace that will last the test of time. Remember the fallen, remember what you had to do to get to this lasting peace. We have returned so many home, we will never know how many still remain. Killing billions will never justify saving millions. To think in such a way is more toxic then any outside force could ever be to the minmatar republic. Violence should always be the last choice. Not the first. You should know, you order men into battle but dont have the nerves to board your warships and fly with them. I don't ask anything of my crew, and felling pilots i wouldn't do myself.

The sad irony Valentina is that the perpetuation of this cycle of violence condemns more of your people and mine to die that you will ever save.

You've almost become precisely the threat Thal and I swore to oppose and the sole reason we'd never give up doing what we do.

She was talking about DeT Resprox, my CEO and Ushra'Khan's executor.