What struck me during the interviews with both Yoristar and Chowdown is that both commented on a meeting that happened between Five and Xetic, they however do disagree on who started the negotiations and what exactly it was about. Chowdown said the following on the matter: "A Xetic leader approached us for a conversation to do a deal with us regarding the future of Xetic, what he proposed was hopeful at best. This brought an end to our talk, however he was talking for a united Xetic but after the conversation I had five different Xetic corporations contacting me personally regarding their intention to leave Xetic." Yoristar comments: "We had a short discussion with the Five, they wanted us to give them our regions and work for them. Xetic will never work for pirates so they have enough funds to wreck havoc on other people at any time they please. So our answer was short, we told them that they may kill us, they may take our regions, but we will never be their mining slaves".
Now what was the part of the Five in creating the new alliance Ascendant Frontier? I received answers in the negative when I asked whether it was part of the Five's plan to remove the combat corporations from Xetic. Murphy told me that DDC and Shinra go back a long time and they had their good and bad times. "One thing is that we've always respected each other and this respect got us talking. They wanted us to have a battleship dual but we were not interested and then they asked us what it would take to end this right now, a few hours later things had been worked out between the Five and DDC/CLS. It really was the respect from both sides that let us set aside differences, work things out and come to an agreement that let everything happen as it did." Smith told a slightly different story where the Five were a role model to CLS and DDC, they showed them that the alliance they were fighting for had failed them and that they really had no other support from Xetics’ corporations. Smith: "Our glorious leader Chowdown showed CLS and DDC a better way. Ascendant was born." Smith also compared Ascendant to the Five because both come from an alliance and shred themselves from the deadweight of that alliance and prosper on their own. A part of the interview I can't resist in copying in full is as follows:
Arielle deVoir > Honestly, do you consider Ascendant to be equals or do you consider them as 'pets' who help guard a region that is near to your primary target?
Chowdown > Hmm, I think you have misunderstood, we consider XETIC DEAD. We are more then happy with our new neighbours and acknowledge their skill as pilot and warriors.
Chowdown > They are also excellent at mining veldspar I hear.
To close this article and give a message to all the readers in our universe there are some comments that may help CEO's and alliances. Xetic warns us not to trust large combat corporations because they see themselves as the natural leaders and their advice is not to wait until they come after you. Cyvok hopes others learn that having too many corporations in a large alliance is not effective unless every pilot has a strong sense of team spirit. The Five leaves us with a strong warning in words of thelung187: " We consider anyone that is not set to a positive standing to be a viable target. We believe those that claim space should be able to defend it, and clearly in the case of Xetic, they could not.” Chowdown contributed more to the sense of fear and danger by adding: "We can deliver the best anywhere in the galaxy at a moments notice, this is a flexibility thanks to no complicated politics." The watchful readers will know that the Five were spotted recently travelling throughout the universe tracking down a Titan and escorting it back to Serpents Coil, aiding the efforts of criminal organisations.
Now the story is at a cliff hanger, Xetic is rebuilding and gathering their forces, Ascendant is starting afresh with two claimed regions to call their home, although they share it with a bunch of people others call pirates. The Five can be seen and felt across the universe while they have at least two regions, shared with Ascendant, that they can consider Home. Who will say what happens next? To me it seems that pretty much depends on who you ask.