Issue #14
Monday, April 25th, 2005Talking to TSO
One of the oldest and most established alliances in the game, The Shadow Order (TSO) seems to have been in the headlines quite a bit lately. This week, I got to talk to the leader of TSO, the well-known personality that is Tiava Sheer. My travel through Olbea space was uneventful, yet I could tell the area was still a bit on edge after recent attacks. I was questioned more than once regarding my business in the area.
Once docked, I was escorted to Tiava’s office where she was busy working through planetary demands and future expansion plans. Maps of the universe covered the wall with routes for different commodities, each color-coded based on demand, timelines, and profit. She finished her train of thought, closed her notebook, and looked up expectantly.
Tribune: First of all Tiava, I’d like to apologize for the inconvenience of canceling on you. I know your time is valuable, but with the Tribune’s move and all, well, we just had some logistic issues that needed to be dealt with. Please accept our sincere apology. Ok, now with that out of the way, let’s get on with it.
The TSO has been in quite a bit of news recently, but let’s start with the basics. Can you describe the TSO philosophy? What is TSO all about?
Tiava: I know you’ve been busy and all that, no apology is needed. Now on to the interview.
We are a semi-religious Order, dedicated to bringing the Blessed Shadow or its touch wherever we can reach.
Well, our religion would be a very strange one if you look at it through Earth-Human eyes, I know I was truly confused by it when the Blessed Shadow was first introduced into my life.
Unlike most Earther Religions, the Ska’ari religion of the Blessed Shadow hold the Light as being not exactly evil, but more in the sense of being not-good. They believe that Light is the equivalent of power, pure unadulterated all-consuming Power, Chaos. Chaos is the essence of creativity and of change. However, Life cannot exist in the thrall of Chaos, nothing can survive its wondrous withering fiery embrace, it is not malicious it is not a sentient force as in most Earther or Rashkir religions, it just is. Light.
What is the anti-thesis of Light then? Dark is not exactly good, it is more the essence of stability, of safety, of all-encompassing Law, the opposite of Chaos, it is Order. Order is neither the absence of power nor the absence of change, it is more than that it is the essence of structure. Life cannot exist without Order, there can be no structure to thought no civilizations. Even the meanest of prions exist in some form of structure. Without Order, there would be nothing but a uniform and homogenous seething of energies. Order is cold, so very very cold, Life cannot exist purely in Order, for it would freeze and shatter, so inflexible and deathly. Order is not a sentient force, as is Chaos, it just it. Dark.
Well, what is the Blessed Shadow then? It is the sheltering bosom, it is our home our safe-place, it is Life. Pure Light/Dark is deadly is destructive, no Life can exist in either of the pure states. Life requires change that follows a structure that guides it to its proper destination. The Blessed Shadow is the middle course where Order serves Chaos and Chaos empowers Order, where Light and Dark meet and merge. The Blessed Shadow is the middle course where Order serves Chaos and Chaos empowers Order, where Light and Dark meet and merge. It is Order bound Chaos. It is Balance.
Tribune: Working off the Shadow theme, it seems the Order of the Shining Night claims to be servants of the Shadow as well. I’ve seen a few glimpses about how you feel about this here and there. Here’s your chance to get it all off your chest. What are your thoughts on this imposter Shadow alliance and the differences between the two?
Tiava: It is blasphemy to think that the Dark can shine, that Chaos can bind Order. They, the OSN, use Chaos in an attempt to create new Chaos/Order Balances. They shatter the Order-Balance that is already in place with their Chaos and then attempt to utilize their Chaos to create a new Balance where Chaos binds Order. An abomination and we well believe that they will fail. The Chaos/Order Balance will right itself naturally.
Tribune: The Order of the Shining Night recently made a few minor attacks here recently and placed roughly 1M in bounties on TSO buildings. Later the same day they removed them. Care to share any light on what happened here?
Tiava: The OSN removed them when we utilized the Balance to show them how unprofitable it was to place bounties on the Order.
Tribune: For quite awhile, the Olbea system and surrounding starbases were the highest populations in the galaxy and were the model on how a system should be setup. For those of us not so economically endowed, how has the (temporary) loss of the Lindel station affected your economy? (be as specific or general as you like)
Tiava: The loss of the Lindel station caused an inefficiency in the economic system of the Olbea region. Instead of a tightly coupled Olbea-LE flow of F/W/E, we diverted the flows to the old less efficient Olbea-Adaa and Olbea-Urandack system. With our Nebula Plants in Olbea, even without a properly managed Lindel, the Food and Water prices on Olbea are stuck to the 25/t and 20/t mark. While it would be much too difficult to explain in this interview, suffice to say, there is a good balance in the Olbea region.
Tribune: Speaking of the Lindel station, there was quite a commotion regarding the sale of the Lindel station and rumor has it that the sale was postponed for additional conditions. What is the current status of the sale?
Tiava: The transfer of the Starbase has been postponed due to the other side imposing additional sales conditions not previously agreed upon.
Tribune: TSO has had a few incidents here recently regarding TSO pilots attacking (from my reports) non-bountied pilots. TSO has been critical of other alliances when this has happened to TSO in the past. What is the difference between the incidents?
Tiava: There is no difference in the incidents. Previously, when an unbountied member of our alliance was killed, the prevailing arguments was that since the action resulted in a gain in Reputation for the pilot involved, the general consensus was that it was a legal action even though we protested that the member killed had never harmed any other Pilot.
We have since abided by that general consensus. Most members of the Order belong to two organizations, one of them is the Order, the other is their involvement in the Faction governments. If was a member of the Imperial Peerage kills a Federation Officer to gain favor at the Imperial Court that is none of the Orders business so long as the Imperial Officer holds true to the oaths he freely swore to us, which includes binding himself to our agreements with other Alliances.
How the Emperor intends to direct the course of his Imperial Court and his state affairs is as always up to his Imperial Majesty and his Government.
Tribune: I gave the readers a chance to ask some questions, and was really surprised by the lack of response (considering the response you generally get in any specific thread). Anyway, here are the few solid questions that were asked:
From Sylos: What is your stance regarding the situation in the Neutral Zone? Olbea is on the northern border of Imperial space and incursions into Olbea (as have already been witnessed) will likely become more and more common?
Tiava: The Neutral Zone is a chaotic place. Where incursions have occurred, we shall beat them back. I am more concerned about condition of Iceo which is right on the only open entrance to the NZ.
Tribune: And from Krilin regarding some history: During the Christmas war, how close did TSO come to attacking Frank Black and friends? How far would you have extended your attack?
Tiava: Back then, we had called up our forces, activated our alliances and various treatied relations and organisations and were poised to strike at the intruders into the Empire. Then The Rangers, announced that they would ask FB to pull back ‘if a majority of the major Imperial Alliances’ were to ask it of them. Always desiring the way of peace, we halted our war plans and kicked in our diplomacy machine. FB suicided a short while later.
[OT] Many alliance leaders were away for the Christmas Holidays so although we may have gotten their forces placed at our command, getting the leaders to appear to give an official aye or nay took a heck of a long time.[/OT]
That was the closest the Order has ever gotten to a real war. More directly answering the question, yes, we probably would have struck at FBs alliance if we had suspicions that they were funneling credits to the aggressors of the attack.
Tribune: Also from Krilin: How does the TSO plan to maintain or increase their influence in the empire with the other Imperial Alliances gaining in strength?
Tiava: Let me answer that question with another question. Why would we want to increase our influence in the Empire?
We have through diplomacy kept the Ska’ari cluster relatively peaceful and stable with only one mar on our record caused by the IP/POTWAR conflict. Unlike the Keldon cluster which is now into the 4th or 5th major conflict that I know of.
In the early days, our main goals were to make the Imperial economy strong enough to be able to create the wealth and power to pose a serious deterrence to the powerful Fed alliances to prevent them from waltzing all over the infant Empire and to create organizations and alliances that would enable us to present a united front in the face of naked Fed aggression.
To do that, the Order had to be strong both militarily and diplomatically. That required wealth, to buy the warships for defence and it required strong military and diplomatic bonds to enable others to take our words seriously. No offense intended, but take the example of The Coldiz Legion, a newly-incorporated alliance with almost no military strength attempting to pose a threat credible enough for others to pay for their military services… they were laughed at by unkind buffoons. To their credit, they soon realized their mistake and shifted their focus and have been giving good service to their customers.
Our goals have been accomplished.
We now simply tend to our homes intending to prosper and grow rich in our old age. Making lots of credits and watching and learning the secrets of the Balance.
Tribune: Well, I know I’ve taken a good amount of time. Before we conclude, is there anything you’d like to say about anything? Any topic, any length, about anything. Have at it!
Tiava: Well, thank you for this chance to speak to the Galaxy, while I know that many will not understand what I have explained of the Blessed Shadow, I remain hopefully that it may shed some understanding where before stood the Light.
Tribune: Thanks for the interview!
[OOC]
For those curious on the idea behind TSO:
The main idea or the Order/Chaos Balance was taken from the novels of L.E.Modesitt Jr. mainly because I had to work with the theme of being “The Shadow Order” and of the Ska’ari race description of ‘Having evolved amidst the fierce electrical storms of the Skaran atmosphere…” led to the assumption that to this species, Light(ning) is bad.
Heres a list of the books in The Recluce Saga:
Click Here
Also, the official website for L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s works:
Click Here
[/OOC]
The Ultimate Journey
LargeStar Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection just one week after the introduction of the “Extender”. Teetering on the edge after the introduction of the Doomstar, the Extender was to push the company back into respectability. However, that hasn’t quite happened. While the functionality of the ship is unparalleled, sales have petered off after initial feedback started coming in. The looks have turned off many potential buyers, but the main complaints have come from the jump drives. Using the same stabilizers as the ill-fated doomstar, the Extender has had issues with maneuvering through wormholes. This has caused a large number of ship losses, especially by those pilots shipping large numbers of explosives. The biggest claims so far have come from a pilot named Ultimate. Having recently died in no less than five explosion related accidents, Ultimate is giving the insurance companies fits, and has, by himself, isolated the drive problem through trial and error. He has died so often, that underground gambling rings have been created, betting on the length of time before his next explosive related death. Who will be the next to make this Ultimate journey? Time will tell.
Shark Bait – Pirate Style
Tiacken 1: Tiacken I started as a struggling planet in the middle of the Neutral Zone. Then along came a group of settlers who attempted to push T1 to a new level (any new level). They succeeded to an extent. The population never reached any grand heights and the government of Tiacken had to deal with…transgressions in a quite unorthodox way. Using the natural resources at their disposal (a sea of shark infested waters), the Tiacken government implemented Shark Bait – a gladiator type survival of the fittest contest for convicted criminals. Out of all the things the OSN found in the Tiacken system, Shark Bait was one of the few they decided to keep (as well as adding a few twists of their own).
A copy of the the new “Shark Bait” was smuggled off the planet by an enterprising young pirate (for a hefty sum of course). Apparently pirates found wanting, in need of some ‘conditioning’, or just plain irritating are sent “to the tank” to be tested. The new contest revolves around two contestants having to knock each other off a series of grid beams over the shark filled ocean. Unlike the original shark bait where the winner in the water is saved, anybody falling into the ocean is considered dead. Betting pools are created as to how long it takes for the victim(s) to 1) be drug underwater and 2) meet their demise. It’s not uncommon for both contestants to fall into the ocean. Neither live. While Shark Bait is an unconventional means of discipline, it seems to be a very motivating one. The pirates stationed at Tiacken I seem to be the most disciplined of any in the area.
Starbases on the move!
It seems that a slew of starbases have been changing hands here recently as powers shift across the galaxy and starbases in hard to reach places are dismantled while new owners try their best to take their place. Why all the changes? Good question!
I really like to classify starbases in three different categories. First, you have the ‘good’ location starbases. These are starbases that have complementary Class M planets close by (same system, or 1 system away) to create a solid F/W/E route. (Food and Water to the starbase, Energy back to the class M). When done well, these combinations can grow populations to extremely high levels. In addition, prices can generally be set to profitable such that the owner does not need to spend their entire time working the base to keep population up. The F/W/E run is profitable enough that other traders will want to make the run. Examples of ‘good’ locations are the Edmize/Usube combination, the Oblea sector, or just about any home sector planet/starbase combination.
The second class of starbases are the starbases that are two sectors away from a class M system. These are starbases that require some help in order to grow to significant levels, whether through Space Farms or decent time/turn commitments by the owning party/alliance. Examples include the Ducas base on the far side of Siberion, the starbase in Hoanda or those in hard to reach places such as the starbase in Miarin.
The final class of starbase are those starbases that require immense amounts of effort to sustain even at the lowest levels. These are starbases which require food from multiple sectors away, are generally in hard to reach areas and are created for a specific purpose in mind. Examples include starbases created in passes between Imp/Fed space and the NZ, or in hunting grounds, or in out of the way sectors (Soessze).
The rash of SB degradations recently has been a combination of a number of factors above. First, several owners have moved their bases of operation: The Legacy SB owner has moved to the Neutral Zone. The Elena SB owner has moved up to Fed space. Other degradations have to do with the effort of (or lack of support for) keeping the SB running. There are several starbases in dragon and crystal infested areas (not exactly your best trading route) that demand resources from the hunters that use the bases. The lack of support for these bases (even by the hunters/alliances USING the bases) has basically pushed a few owners over the edge and they are closing the bases down. Other degradations have to do with the fact that owners don’t want the responsibility of having to upkeep the base, or don’t have the credits or the desire to keep the base running.
So for all of you potential owners out there, before you decide to try your hand at owning a base, make sure you are prepared to pay the price: both financially, and in terms of time. It is very likely that your new starbase will require both – and lots of them. Don’t believe me? Ask a starbase owner near you.
Public Service Announcement
The Tiacken Board of Piracy Accounting would like to remind local pirates that all loot ransacked from the innocents during the Tiacken invasion must be certified with your local piracy office. Loot will be split equally among the pirate survivors (as listed on the official Piracy roster v. 10245.195) after the 85% tax has been taken by the emperor himself. Those found taking more than their fair share will be shot and their loot split 50/50 with the emperor and the discovering party. Those pirates taking loot and not listed on the official roster will be slaves and used for ‘entertainment’ purposes.
Drugs, Drugs, Drugs
Had your daily dose of drugs lately? If you’re one of the up and coming, you likely have. There’s been an increasing trend lately of using large amounts of drugs to speed the long and often painful process of ranking. Drug users will pop 10, 20, 50, even 100+ tons of drugs, sweep across LARGE numbers of systems stacking every KILL mission they can find, and then completing the missions in one fell swoop. The scary part of the whole ordeal? In many cases, the users often break even, and occasionally even make a profit so they can do it again the next day (assuming the drug supply is steady). As drug centers become more organized and more available, the usage of drugs will likely continue to rise.
Did you know…
Explosives missions are faction missions that are only given to pilots of rank 6 or more (Fed: Major, Imp: Lord)
Missions are replaced immediately upon you accepting a job. Always check the mission board again after accepting a mission. The replacement mission may be another mission you can choose to the same general area/type. Also, the mission boards are refreshed every 12 hours..
Rebirth in the Neutral Zone
The Neutral Zone is one of those areas where you see the circle of life in action. Sectors are born, live, and die, only to reborn again by an infusion of enthusiasm and an element of hope. Like all new life, it takes time to see whether the seed is able to grow and prosper or is simply just another being to be preyed upon, eaten, and spit out.
The latest rebirth comes into the system of Sneeze, no wait a second, Snooze, hmmm… Sxhuegy, no… it’s Soessze! (Having lived in the area, I finally resigned to calling the system Sneeze and was done with it) Recently vacated after the Tiacken invasion, Soessze has very little really going for it outside of a relatively defendable position. Food is several sectors away and consistently supplying anything in the area will be difficult at best. However, a member of the Triad organization, Ivera, has recently begun a quest to create an independent and neutral sector in Soessze. Having received the ‘blessing’ of the OSN, Sneeze will be a protectorate of the OSN as long as OSN gets to trade within the sector. There will be no piracy allowed nor tolerated in Soessze and protection is being granted by fear of retribution by the OSN.
Other alliances are wary of the dealings. Any help (or funding) the OSN receives is a potential threat to the day-to-day activities of most alliances and alliances aren’t exactly reassured by the words of the OSN. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way and the Tribune wishes all the luck to Ivera and the pioneers of Sneeze!
About Tiacken
Occupations are tricky things ‘emperor’. The free citizens of Tiacken will defy you in small ways at first. However, as time continues, and the oppression continues, the free citizens of Tiacken will continue to despise you and your “shadow” more and more. The more you punish them, the further you push them away. One day ‘emperor’, you won’t leave Tiacken. No sir. Your head will somehow have left found it’s way to the end of a pike.
Enjoy life emperor. You will not have it for long.
Note
Apologies to the Coldiz Legion for the severe butchering of your alliance name in last week’s issue of the Tribune.