The Obsidian Front
The harvesting and processing of planetary resources can be a lucrative trade. It's never been something that my family and I have ever seriously invested in however, but we have seen others profit greatly over time. Beyond the operations that take place on a planet's surface the most critical component in this trade is the customs office - a large orbital structure generally crewed by private baseliners or employees of the Interbus corporation. All resources produced on the planet's surface must pass through these offices before reaching a capsuleers cargo hold. A tax is then applied to the resources that pass through and this is where third parties stand to make a profit.
In general the taxes from customs facilities isn't remarkable. Most owners will set the tax threshold relatively low so as to attract business to the surface of their world. For example, in my family's home system of Horizon, we have eleven planets in total. Three corporations aside from our own use those planets to harvest valuable resources. We set the tax level at a meagre five percent for friends, and at the end of each month are barely lucky to make enough to cover alliance paperwork fees. Certainly not a gold mine, but you can still see how one could earn a great deal if they owned many of these offices across various star systems.
My leaders in Sky Fighters had realised this same thing long ago. Over time the corporation had amassed ownership over a significant number of customs offices. Many were in wormhole space. Mixing diplomacy with piracy, Sith1s Spectre had piloted a program whereby customs offices were aquired via ransom. It's not uncommon for wormholers to sometimes find a big fleet roll into their home system, begin creating chaos before demanding a significant ransom fee in ISK to leave. Instead of ISK though our corporation had begun demanding ownership over customs offices. Quite a simple, yet brilliant, ploy to not only spread inflluence but also line pockets. And it was working.
Wormhole space wasn't the only place that Sky Fighters held ownership of customs offices. Throughout Empire space they'd also claimed quite a few over time. The only issue with this is that while offices in Empire locations may typically be more profitable than those in unknown space, they're regularly subject to take-over attempts via war declarations. Ironically in February Y116, barely a week or two after we'd joined Sky Fighters, it would be one such highsec war dec that would see Candi and me embarking on our first major combat operation with our new colleagues.
'Red Light District' tower - Erica's home in Asgard and a place of contemplation
The events of that war seemed so long ago now. An eternity really. So much had transpired since. I sat at the desk within my quarters, taking up the entire third level of my tower in Asgard and studied old combat reports from the battles that took place during the war. Leaning forward to stare into my neocom I let my chin rest in my hands as my mind began to drift back to Empire ...
The Obsidian Front
The Obsidian Front
I awoke early one morning. Sitting in the sofa that curved before the large viewing window in my quarters, I sipped on a steamy caramel synth-latte as I powered up my neocom and logged into corporate comms. I crossed my legs and leaned back into the sofa to get comfy, smiling warmly - I'd heard rumors of war, and I was feeling excited. So was miss Candi. My loyal little Intaki personal assistant and wing-girl, Candi was already awake and my nostrils were full of the aroma of bacon, eggs and Achuran spices as my friend busied herself making us breakfast.
"We need more DPS here guys! NUC fleet, get to Hek!" I nearly spat out my coffee as I logged into comms, the sounds of battle immediately filling my ears. A fight was underway near Hek, it seems many of the Sky pilots had already relocated to Matari space in preparation for the war while Candi and I were still at home in Asgard. I quickly brought up my star-map and studied our chain to highsec. Hmm, only a few jumps. Candi and I would likely miss out on the currently ongoing battle, but we could be there to help within thirty minutes.
"Candi, honey. Hold breakfast and get your Ishtar prepped. We're going to Hek ... RIGHT FUCKING NOW" I bellowed as I jumped up from the sofa, tossing my neocom to the side and running into my bedroom. Hastily packing supplied and clothes for what I assumed would be an extended stay in Empire, Candi and I raced to the docking ring where I boarded my Gila and she her Ishtar, quickly setting off for Hek at best speed.
"Still need more DPS guys." Came the call on comms from Sith1s Spectre who was leading the ongoing combat at the time from the helm of his Scimitar logistics vessel.
"Ishtar and Gila enroute." I responded. "Almost there, three jumps out."
As Candi and I finally jumped into system the call was made for the rest of the fleet to undock and we warped to join them. Immediately as we landed we found ourselves being fleet-warped to a customs office, landing around thirty kilometres from it.
"Drop sentries, drop sentries. Starburst away from the customs office, get to sixty kilometres and hold." Came the order as soon as we landed. Our fleet dropped drones and began burning to range from the customs office as another call came over comms from our scout sitting outside the main local station, "They're undocking. Enemy fleet undocking and warping to you."
Our fleet consisted of Ishtars and Gilas, supported by Scimitar logistics, ECM and one or two assault frigates. The FRONT fleet consisted of numerous Tempest and Maelstrom class battleships supported by a pair of Guardian logistics ships. As soon as they landed I came to realise our FC's brilliant ploy - the enemy had landed at range from us, smack in the middle of our big blob of sentry drones. Our FC began calling primary targets, our drones quickly tearing shreds through the pair of Guardians. Within moments the enemy fleet found themselves without any logistics.
Erica and Candi's first encounter with The Obsidian Front
With their logistics dead and our fleet at range the enemy quickly realised the folly of their situation. They began to align to warp out, trying to bail from the contact, but not before our drones took down a pair of Tempests. What remained of their fleet quickly left grid, leaving us as the victors of this round of combat. We'd lost only one Harpy assault frigate during the skirmish, the Tornado displayed on the report being from action earlier that day on station.
Our FC issued some inspiring words after our victory, and Candi and myself then proceeded to dock up in Hek's main trade station. We felt good. It was only one small battle, and the war was only just beginning, but already we'd helped play a role in a positive outcome. After things has settled, we began to calm and take in our surroundings. Hek ... dirty, smelly and busy it's one of Matari space's primary trade hubs. It'd been a long time since I'd been here, let alone fought battles here. We rented a small private quarters for our stay and unpacked all our gear before heading down to the market to begin purchasing vessels and supplies for the campaign. Later that evening I sat down with Candi to relax while I studied the combat report from earlier that day. Hmmm, odd ... one of the names on a combat report seemed awfully familiar.
Jane Shapperd - FRONT combat pilot and a friend of Erica
Quickly flicking through the various social channels on my neocom I stopped at the Spirit Exotica - a social channel hosted aboard a large party-vessel owned by my friend Xercodo. I'd often connect to the channel remotely via hololink to chat with people there, and it was in this channel I'd met Jane Shapperd. And there she was, sitting idle in the channel, recovering after the earlier battle. It seemed she'd noticed me connect ...
Jane Shapperd > Erica Dusette o/
Erica Dusette > Ahoy Jane! :D
Erica Dusette > Sorry for the boat violence lol
Jane Shapperd > sorry for war dec'ing xD
Erica Dusette > All good fun :D
Jane Shapperd > yup it is
Honor in war. By this stage many more Sky pilots had arrived in system and the enemy was beginning to realize the small force they had would be unable to counter our own. Undocking, the FRONT pilots relocated from the system's main station to another lesser one and began calling in reinforcements of their own. Over the coming days several similar skirmishes would take place, during one encounter several in our fleet found ourselves in a bad position after failing to pull enough range from the enemy's battleships, my Gila going down in a ball of fire as a result, followed moments later by Candi's Ishtar, both captured by a FRONT pilot who managed to take some footage of the battle from their fleet's perspective. Such clashes continued, including Sky forces led by Sith1s Spectre reinforcing a local FRONT tower and incapacitating it's modules, until finally our forces amassed a large T3 fleet on one of the system's gates in a stand-off with FRONT forces. It was an impressive arrangement, consisting mostly of Proteus and Tengu class strategic cruisers with heavy Guardian support and some ECM vessels. As per usual such a fleet seemed to leave many of the Empire locals in awe, drawing one or two remarks from passers by.
Delamath93 > Please inform your fleet that you all look sexual as fuck
FRONT forces massed on the other side of the gate in a battleship-heavy fleet, refusing to jump into us, intimidated by our expensive and shiny fleet. To help inspire them, we called in neutral support from long-time friends of Sky, Jester's Hole. JHOLE pilots arrived soon after, jumping into the enemy fleet where they began bumping them off gate and generally being a nuisance in hopes of instigating a fight between us. Unfortunately it wouldn't be, FRONT forces continuing to refuse to fight until eventually warping back to station. Our fleet took the opportunity to reinforce many of the local FRONT customs offices, resulting in the pressure of having to watch reinforce timers themselves.
These stand-offs were becoming tiring. But with customs offices' reinforce timers due to expire in a little over a day's time we knew the serious fighting was yet to come. FRONT had by now ammased a significant force in Hek, ready to do battle over the customs facilities of both sides. Whilst overall we possessed superior vessels and pilots we were vastly outnumbered. In response to the enemy's escalation, our own leaders called in reinforcements of our own - Wormhole groups including our friends JHOLE as well as reknown mercenaries Disavowed joined as allies, and the next day a two massive fleets on each side of the conflict met to do battle in what would be the war's climax.
Candi and myself were present as the two forces clashed outside the main station, the enemy fleet docking before we moved to range from a customs office where the enemy decided to engage us once more. The battle was relatively short, but very brutal. Despite the significant reinforcements of our own FRONT managed to prevail, using superior numbers and heavy neutral support. Many vessels from both sides went down, but myself and Candi were fortunate enough to survive along with many others who all regrouped in station to debrief and lick our wounds. Again one of the FRONT pilots managed to capture footage of the final battle from their own perspective.
The ongoing battles were becoming costly, the atmosphere of Empire also becoming toxic as many of us began to miss home and our regular lifestyle in deep unknown space. Some even began falling ill, myself and Candi among them as we both found ourselves spending hour upon hour on the toilet, sick with food poisoning. Our bellies weren't used to the Matari diet and we both found the local food disgusting. Combining this with the recent losses in the war I was really beginning to hate Hek. The only part of me that wasn't aching was my eyes, I'd always had a quiet attraction to strapping young Brutor men and the local eye-candy was very pleasing.
"Everyone pack up your gear and begin making your way back to Asgard. We're pulling out of Hek." Came the corporate communication the following day. Our leaders had weighed up our options and held a meeting in which they decided to abandon the "Costly and foolish" mission in highsec. For Candi and me though we didn't see it as costly, or foolish. We had a fantastic adventure beside our colleagues, fighting in an environment none of us were used to. Despite losing the war overall we'd still won many battles and gained the respect of FRONT, who'd also gained ours.
