Death of a Citadel

The shadowy and expanding Upwell Consortium have made much in recent times of the advances in technology that have allowed the construction of “cities among the stars”, or citadels. These monolithic stations are sold as stellar colonies, free from the shackles of terrestrial life and offering capsuleers a gateway to even greater riches through taxation and competition with existing trade centres like Jita 4-4.

What Upwell don’t tell their customers is that nothing is indestructible. New Eden Geographic has obtained images of a Fortizar being destroyed in K-Space, specifically in the low-sec system of Hykanima. This city in the stars was deployed by The Bastard Cartel and was tantalisingly close to the Imperium staging system of Saranen and Pandemic Legion’s capital fleet. Our reporter was on hand to witness the structure coming online:

“I noticed a jump in local and Imperium forces began arriving near the Citadel. There’d also been reports of Titans spotted in the vicinity so it was clear something was going to happen. As soon as the citadel onlined a fleet of bombers decloaked and started unloading on the Fortizar alongside a Hurricane fleet. There was panic on the Citadel as the shock of the attack rippled through the citizens who were hoping for a new life among the stars. They could barely comprehend what was happening, the sheer scale of the attack as each torpedo shook the bolts from their home and the fillings from their teeth. War had arrived in Hykanima.

As the assault continued, more and more ships joined the fray. A cry rang out among the crowds of people, powerless to change their fate yet gripped by the spectacle – Cyno Up!

In came the Titans.

Down came the Citadel.”

Reports suggest the Fortizar was destroyed within 30 minutes of the attack starting and featured pilots from the Imperium, Pandemic Legion/MBC and The Culture. We asked Upwell Consortium to comment on the tragic loss of a citadel in K-Space and they said:

“Our range of citadel class solutions for capsuleers are designed to the highest specifications with an assortment of defensive solutions to prevent loss. Their damage limitation feature means that even when faced with insurmountable odds you can have the information and resources you need to make tactical decisions.

We would remind capsuleers and citizens that space is dangerous and Upwell Consortium can take no responsibility for the loss of your citadel/possessions/life.”

Sadly, in the aftermath of the Citadel’s destruction, our reporter’s pod was destroyed by unknown forces. An investigation is ongoing but we’re pleased to confirm that the clone was activated successfully.

Images by ThePiachu

A Fading Memory

With the final of the Amarr Championships concluded and the ascension of Empress Catiz Tash-Murkor following the victory of her champion Kelon Darklight, we felt it was a suitable time to visit the shattered remains of Empress Jamyl Sarum’s Avatar in Safizon – a monument to that rulers ambition and hubris, perhaps a warning to future rulers of Amarr.

Few who were there will ever forget that day and the horrific attack by Apollo Tyrannos and the Drifter horde. Empress Jamyl was due to commission a new Imperial Navy Abaddon battleship and had just arrived in system, when a large group of Drifter battleships suddenly appeared. One devastating volley from the fleets doomsday weapons and the Titan was sheared in half with the loss of all aboard. A second volley destroyed the pod of Empress Jamyl and it is rumoured that her remains were never recovered. Their work complete, the Drifter fleet disappeared as swiftly as they had arrived.

Arriving in Safizon, the system was eerily quiet, as if the wreck had shrouded the space around it in grief, a far cry from the crowded ranks of capsuleers present on that fateful day, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Empress or who had a suspicion the Drifters would attack. The remains of the Seraph were still roughly where they had been left – slowly breaking apart and drifting ever so delicately across the stars. It was an strange, mournful sight.

The Titans of Ammar

With the Amarr Championship preparations well underway, the great houses of Amarr arrived in system to ready themselves for the trials ahead. Our photographer was on hand to document this landmark moment as 8 Avatar-class Titans basked in the glory of Amarrian space, surrounded by Capsuleers, citizens and slaves, all eager to share space with the noble giants.

One Titan for each Royal Heir-elect and their entourage, baring the weight of their people’s expectations and hopes in the wake of Empress Jamyl Sarum’s untimely passing.

Respect for the fallen

On a trip through W-Space I found myself in Genesis, just one jump from Yulai and exhausted from a week of scanning down chains. Having never been to the region before, I felt it was my duty to visit the site of that famous battle, the Yulai Graveyard. A field littered with the armour plated sculptures of twisted metal and the wrath of an enslaved people.

The system itself is beautiful. Enclosed by three nebula, birthing stars before the gods and guiding the capsuleer demi-gods towards their fates. It didn’t take long to find the remains standing defiantly among the stars, reminding us that though we fly among them we are but a blip in their lifespan.

Beside the beacon, a token monument to mark the spot on behalf of the fallen Concord officers, there drifted the broken hulls of battleships and dreadnoughts, crushed among the stars, held in time by the weight of space around them. This is a solemn place.

I sat in silence for  a moment, surveying the scene. We’d all seen scenes like this before, and sure, we’d heard the stories, but it felt different now in this place. I’ll carry the silence around for a while, bearing that burden in memory of those who fell here witnessed by the stars in birth.

The co-ordinates punched in, I hit warp and headed for the gate. With one last look at the sky around me. This is a place worthy of battle. A place worth defending.

Dhoom Solaar

New Eden Geographic