The Intaki system, as sanctioned by the CONCORD Emergency Militia War Powers Act (CEMWPA), falls within the Empyrean War’s contested zone[1] and pilots enlisted with the Gallente militia can frequently be found operating there. The Intaki Prosperity Initiative believes the presence of these pilots is not in keeping with Intaki Assembly policy regarding a minimal military presence in Intaki.
Federation Navy vs Gallente Militia
Since the outbreak of the Empyrean War, the question of whether or not a militia forms part of a given empire’s military has been frequently debated.
One important role of any military is to act in the best interests of the nation to which its members have sworn an oath, such as by defending (or reclaiming) that nation’s territory. In the case of the New Eden empires, this responsibility has traditionally fallen upon each empire’s navy.
A militia is commonly defined as a body of citizens who are enrolled for military service, as distinguished from professional soldiers. CEMWPA was specifically written to allow loyal militias to engage in combat to defend (or reclaim) territory in the Empyrean War on behalf of the empires[2], thereby shifting (or sharing) the navy’s responsibility. Given this, IPI believes the militias must be considered part of an empire’s military.
Additionally, it is well known that navy ID tags are commonly recovered from faction ships destroyed while defending Empyrean War complexes. This is tangible proof of a firm link between empire navies and militias: they are, at the very least, auxiliary branches of one another. In the case of the Federation, public records also show the Gallente government has sent navy ships to follow through on militia activities[3], demonstrating strategic co-operation and/or coordinated military action between these entities.
No Navy, No Militia
At the founding of the Gallente Federation, the Intaki Assembly insisted on a minimal Federation Navy presence in the Intaki system[4] as a condition of membership. In YC112 this condition was reaffirmed when representatives of Intaki System Command turned Federation Navy ships away at the Intaki stargate in Agoze, indicating that their presence was “neither required nor welcomed”[3].
Also in YC112, at a press conference directed primarily at Federal Defence Union pilots and other “loyalist captains”, the Intaki Assembly specifically requested that hostilities against Ishukone and Mordu’s Legion in Intaki should immediately cease. Pointedly, the Assembly indicated that continued attacks would be viewed as piracy[5].
In taking these points together, it is IPI’s opinion that the Intaki Assembly’s stance regarding a minimal navy presence naturally must extend to include the Gallente militia. As such, all Federation military operations within the Intaki system are in violation of the Assembly’s orders.
IPI pilots will intervene in Gallente militia operations in the Intaki system wherever possible and practical in an effort to uphold the Assembly’s stance and to encourage these pilots to operate elsewhere.