Annaro - Aszhar Freimala, an Amarr Holder, has offered to purchase and release 16 elite slaves owned by Ducia Foundry for the task of rescuing trapped asteroid miners in Annaro system. Ducia Foundry has agreed to the proposal, but the corporation will not officially release the slaves until after the rescue, citing the need to maintain a solid command structure during the operation.
Annaro system police commander Garr Diymir told reporters, "It's a wonderful gesture, but unfortunately doesn't change much from the legal standpoint. [The rescuers] would still be slaves. Until they are officially released, my hands are tied." Since his statement, the police commander has received a barrage of angry letters from Caldari citizens.
Steen Greimala, director of the Ducia Foundry rescue team, told reporters, "I'm excited about this opportunity to help our allies and am thankful that my company is willing to make compromises. We can take this opportunity to show the public how well we can work with our slaves and what can be accomplished under our system. I'll lose some valuable teammates when it's over, but it will be worth it."
Evvlynne Deermin, spokesperson for CBD Corporation, told reporters, "We feel this is an excellent compromise and would like to extend our gratitude to Aszhar Freimala and Ducia Foundry for their continuing efforts in this situation." The 176 trapped miners currently have less than two days of air remaining.