November, YC111

Something Rotten in the Caldari State

Having been obliged to reorganize its operations by parent megacorp CBD in the wake of the Kaunokka mining blast, Deep Core Mining Inc. was able to issue a strong earnings report at the beginning of November. In contrast, Hyasyoda Corporation released poor sales figures for its Khanid region operations at the same time that news that one of its senior executives in the Khanid division of the megacorp had gone missing. Caldari corporate activity in the Khanid Kingdom had long been a feature of interstellar commerce. Only weeks before, Wiyrkomi Corporation had won a contract with Khanid Transport, and in early November they were able to announce that they had secured a large maintenance contract with the Royal Khanid Navy.

However, the news that seven Hyasyoda executives in its Khanid division had been charged with industrial espionage by Hyasyoda's Corporate Police Force cast a rather different light on Caldari corporate activity in the region. Suspicions fell on Wiyrkomi, rapidly expanding in the Kingdom, and sources in CONCORD even hinted at the involvement of the Patriot bloc megacorporation in the alleged espionage against Hyasyoda. Nicknamed the "Seven Sleepers" the accused executives, including the missing Attakaila Tatimon, were prosecuted under Hyasyoda corporate law and eventually convicted. Their assets were seized by Hyasyoda and they were sentenced to a life in a corporate labor camp.

If the apparent internecine warfare between Hyasyoda and Wiyrkomi in the Khanid Kingdomwas a tellings sign that Caldari corporate life remained red in tooth and claw, events in the Caldari State itself only underlined the point the more. When the Lai Dai Corporation opened its Black Rise Development Conference in Kinakka, the intent was to showcase and discuss the latest technologies for colonization and exploitation of new and existing systems. Rumors of a big announcement by Lai Dai at the keynote event circulated on the first day. Whether such an announcement would have been made became moot when the conference was struck by a massive electromagnetic pulse attack. While there were no fatalities, a number of individuals were hospitalized by the failure of personal cybernetic devices and implants. Reports indicated that at least 1.4 million ISK of damage was done to the station hosting the conference and Lai Dai networks and data storage systems had been wiped in the attack.

It became clear that Lai Dai were the primary target of the EM pulse attack in Kinakka when a Lai Dai research facility in Ylandoki system was destroyed by fire and a development facility in Innia system suffered a catastrophic reactor emergency causing the loss of much research. The pattern of attacks suggested a campaign of sabotage against Lai Dai research and development efforts but Lai Dai themselves refused to comment on the nature of the various research projects affected by the incidents. In a coda to these November events, a Sukuuvestaa Corporation production plant in the Arvasaras system suffered a series of explosions apparently aimed at the Peace and Order Unit base within the station. It did appear to many that corporate warfare in the Caldari State was back with a vengeance after something of a lull following the Provist revolution.

Mandate Matters

In the Ammatar Mandate, Governor Ekroz Salaf arrived in Tanoo system to take up his duties as head of the Ammatar Consulate. Following some time to familiarize himself with his new office, the new governor embarked on an inspection tour of the Mandate. It may well be that on that tour the governor found that, as reported, the orthodox Amarr faith was increasingly supplanting the Ammatar Church in the Mandate. While the Ammatar Church remained a valid branch of the Ammar religion, it was noted that many were abandoning the Ammatar religious practises in favor of the Imperial rite of faith.

Gallente Election Gears Up

The Gallente Federation's presidential campaign overshadowed all other news in the sprawling interstellar democracy and a new candidate emerged in mid-November. Retired Federation Navy Rear Admiral Daren Fasio announced his candidacy for the Gallente presidency and quickly garnered the support of serving military personnel who held a pro-Fasio rally in their off-duty time. However, only days later, the Senate passed the highly-controversial "No Vote" bill denying the right to vote in federal elections to citizens living in Federation territory occupied by a foreign power.

The 'No Vote' bill's immediate effect was to disenfranchise all those Federation citizens living in Gallente systems occupied by the Caldari State, including the Intaki system. While that caused outrage, and played somewhat into the hands of Intaki secessionists and pro-Caldari elements, it was clear that the decision would stand and impact on the presidential election. While presidential candidate Governor Celes Aguard drew record numbers to a holovisual debate she participated in, analysts serious questioned whether she would be able to achieve the necessary votes to win with the occupied systems, a center of support for the Governor, denied the vote.