Galactic Hour News Roundup: Lights Going Out Across New Eden Edition

The Scope's Galactic Hour with Ret Gloriaxx brings your roundup of the latest news from all across New Eden as the Secure Commerce Commission takes extraordinary measures in response to pressure from Drifter assaults and the continuing Triglavian invasions.

SCC Confirms Limits on Nullsec Bandwidth to be "Maintained Indefinitely" Despite Fall in Drifter Assaults

Yulai, Genesis – Following its imposition of bandwidth and usage limits on nullsec FTL communications via the New Eden fluid router network, the Secure Commerce Commission has confirmed that the limitation on communications will be "maintained indefinitely due to the effects of both Drifter attacks and the ongoing Triglavian invasions on the security of supplies of Quantum-Entangled 4-Helium." The possible impact of both Drifter and Triglavian attacks on the supply of QE 4-He has been extensively reported on by the Scope's Galactic News Network.

The SCC has reiterated that its primary concern is to maintain the "integrity and sustainability of the fluid router network for strategic and essential communications" and noted QE 4-He resupply logistics have been put under serious and continuous strain by the Triglavian invasions. Sources within the SCC have revealed that the Triglavian attacks began to seriously affect resupply missions once the so-called "major conduits" phase of the invasion campaign began. Since the Triglavian World Arks began to spearhead the assaults, there have even been attacks on stockpiles of QE 4-Helium.

"The Drifter attacks in nullsec came close to being the tipping point for the imposition of bandwidth limits but it wasn't until we lost an entire QE 4-He production facility to a Triglavian assault that the SCC decided to act. We've since lost some other stockpiles but the DED have stepped up fleet presence at all the critical locations," said one source in conversation with Ret Gloriaxx of the Scope's Galactic Hour with Ret Gloriaxx.

AEGIS Estimates Fatalities from Triglavian Planetary and Station Raiding at "Several Hundred Thousands"

Yulai, Genesis — AEGIS Provost Marshal Kasiha Valkanir released estimates of fatal casualties running into "several hundred thousands" due to Triglavian raiding of planets, stations and other orbital bodies, at a press conference held this morning at DED Headquarters in Yulai. Collated in the course of AEGIS operations supporting, and in some cases providing, defense of stations and orbital bodies, the figures reflect the relatively successful outcomes of most orbital defensive efforts.

Questioned on the remarkably low fatality figures, Provost Marshal Valkanir conceded that "Triglavian assaults on static targets are typically aimed at specific objectives and not at inflicting high levels of casualties." Provost Valkanir went on to say, "The best assessment of AEGIS, and indeed the DED as a whole, is that Triglavian operations on planets, moons, stations, and other orbitals, are primarily focused on intelligence-gathering efforts. This does include some degree of seizing property and personnel, presumably for analysis and, in the latter case, interrogation." The Provost Marshal also confirmed that Triglavian forces attacking orbitals have included so-called "rogue drones" apparently operating under their command.

In closing her remarks, the Provost Marshal noted that, in contrast to the relatively low casualty levels due to Triglavian assaults against orbital bodies, the combined number of dead and severely wounded due to Triglavian attacks in space is running into several millions, with CONCORD and core empire naval personnel suffering the bulk of those casualties.

Lai Dai Protection Service Pursuing "Corporate Interests in Conflict Zone" on Intaki V

Intaki, Placid – Over a week after its troops were reported to have landed on Intaki V, the Lai Dai Protection Service (LDPS) has released a statement claiming that its "203rd Combined Asset Protection Regiment is engaged in operations in pursuit of Lai Dai corporate interests in the Placid Conflict Zone." This statement coincided with a formal response to the Caldari Business Tribunal after reports of the LDPS landings at the Kainta Yavaat Transorbital Launch Facility on the Intaki homeworld were brought before it by Ishukone Corporation.

The Kainta Yavaat facility is currently occupied by forces of the Onikanabo Brigade, following its own "corporate reparations" operations on Intaki V. The arrival of the 203rd CAP Regiment's large contingent of mechanized infantry and armor, supported by aerospace fighters, has aroused fears that further depredations against Intaki property are envisaged by the combined Lai Dai and Onikanabo force. The Ishukone Corporation has formally requested that its petition before the CBT against the Onikanabo Brigade be extended to include the LDPS as a defendant party.

Fears of a serious conflict breaking out on Intaki V have been heightened by reports of numerous mercenary units moving into positions around the Kainta Yavaat facility. Additionally, the Intaki Assembly's own planetary militia has been reported to be mobilizing reserves and deploying to positions that are speculated to be of interest to the LDPS/OB forces. Capsuleer organizations with Caldari and Intaki interests have also held an "Intaki Security Summit" in an initiative welcomed by the Intaki Assembly and the Ishukone Corporation.

CONCORD Revises Casualty Estimates of Drifter Attacks in Outer Regions After SAR Missions

Yulai, Genesis – CONCORD has formally revised downward estimates of overall casualties in the outer regions due to widespread Drifter assaults in nullsec, declaring that "confirmed and reliably reported fatalities" amount to just over one billion lost. While this figure reduces the estimated death toll by a factor of ten, it would still mean that the recent Drifter attacks represent the deadliest series of events in the New Eden cluster since the Seyllin Incident and connected stellar events of YC111.

CONCORD has revised the figures downwards considerably after carrying out extensive search and rescue missions in nullsec regions. While a large number of nullsec colonies were attacked by Drifters, particularly those on asteroids, moons and in low orbit of gas and ice giants, many that had dropped out of contact had been "too hastily assumed to be lost". CONCORD reconaissance and SAR missions have established that in most cases outer region colonies survived unscathed, despite having been cut off from access to the civilian layers of the fluid router network due to attacks on FTL communication hubs by Drifter forces.

Drifter attacks on non-capsuleer installations appear to have preferentially targeted resource extraction colonies and facilities of various types, while secondarily mounting attacks on communications and logistics infrastructure. CONCORD has noted that it appears Drifter assaults on nullsec colonies generally stripped all resources from the target before entirely destroying the associated installations. In most cases, fatalities were total, resulting in the high numbers of dead. CONCORD has not confirmed or denied reports that in some cases there is a near total absence of corpses or biomass residue remaining amidst the destroyed infrastructure.

While there will be some relief that the death toll was not so high as first thought, the grim reality is that there has been a vast loss of life due to the Drifter attacks. While CONCORD refuses to comment or speculate beyond the facts, it has not been lost on some commentators, the Scope's Galactic Hour with Ret Gloriaxx among them, that the Triglavians have been comparatively restrained in contrast to the inhuman ruthlessness displayed by the Drifters.

In Other News

Confusion and Disputes Arise Over Arrests of Mikramurka Defense Officials by Matar Planetary Security

Federal Intelligence Office Refuses to Discuss Semiki Intrusion in Open Senate Session; Requests Closed Meeting

Lord Ardishapur Hails Defeat of Triglavians and Blood Raider Assaults in Mandate by Ammatar Fleet and Capsuleers

Caille Rogue Drone Cultural Exchange Society Vows to Continue Outreach Efforts Despite Firebombing and Intimidation

Intaki Syndicate to Hold Summit Meeting Discussing Nullsec FTL Comms with ORE, Thukker Tribe and "Strategic Partners"