INTAKI PRIME – A week after an explosion destroyed a deep space refinery in the Conomette System, a group has stepped forward to claim responsibility.
Initial reports on the matter indicated the explosion was most likely accidental; the result of polygypsum contamination in an arkonor ore shipment. There was some speculation, however, that the blast was a work of sabotage.
In a statement released this morning, a representative of the capsuleer corporation Intaki Pure said the blast was the first of several planned acts of violence against Gallente and Caldari assets.
In the statement, the group cites a long list of perceived grievances suffered by the Intaki people, most notably the designation of Intaki native space as a theatre of war in the militia conflict, the inability of the Gallente and Caldari to effectively police the activities of militia pilots. The group also lists the disenfranchisement of the Placid Region and the erosion of traditional Intaki culture among its complaints.
“Gallente history is a ceaseless row of rapes, of extortions, of tyrannical abuse, of subjugation, of pillage,” said Jyotmimana Karana of Intaki Pure. “There are many things that would be unthinkable in any other state and in any other people.”
While many of the grievances listed are recent, the group believes that the Gallente have acted in bad faith since the foundation of the Federation.
“While the Gallente talked of liberty without losing sight of their economic interests, the Intaki nation, overstrained to the limit, did its best to improve the lives of its citizens and develop a few small colonies,” Karana said. “This was one of the conditions which made the formation of the Gallente Federation possible, for in the same measure with which the Intaki nation spent its strength internally, it was eliminated as a power interstellarly, and in the same measure the Gallente could, undisturbed, build their empire through robbery.”
Karana went on to say that while efforts were taken to limit the loss of life in this first attack, future incidents might prove more deadly.
“It is a misconception that we Intaki are pacifists,” said Jyotmimana Karana of Intaki Pure. “We prefer nonviolence, but we feel that the time for peaceful methods has passed.”
The statement did not indicate where or when future attacks would occur.
Authorities working on the investigation of the blast said they had also received the statement, but believed Intaki Pure was merely trying to take credit for the blast after the fact.
“Our analysis of the evidence is ongoing, but there is little to lead us to believe that this is anything other than an industrial accident,” said Julian Blanchard, lead investigator. “The only crime I see at the moment would be criminal negligence at worst.”