Ground Fighting Erupts on Intaki Homeworld
MALKALEN – Ishukone CEO Mens Reppola has launched a public attack against the administration of State Executor Tibus Heth for allowing ground fighting to erupt on the homeworld of the Intaki, a major Federation member. Previously the only world in the contestable regions to have been completely excluded from planetside fighting, clashes between Federation and Caldari forces have erupted with absolutely no signs of abating.
“As per the stipulations of the very blind auction that the honored Executor Heth ran over three years ago,” stated CEO Reppola, “the Ishukone Corporation holds exclusive developmental rights to the Intaki system. It was agreed that the Caldari Navy and all other State bodies, corporate or military, would respect our authority and would not deviate from their assigned patrol points in the system. Their continued actions on Intaki is negatively impacting our future developmental plans.”
The YC111 blind auction ran by the Caldari Providence Directorate took place following the wholesale conquest of contestable Federation space that year, where the eight megacorporations bid for Gallente systems for their exclusive developmental control. An effective annexation by the Caldari State despite neither the Federation nor CONCORD recognizing it as such, the megacorporations claimed ownership over all personnel, property, and resources in their respective fiefdoms. Local governments in the annexed areas were replaced, though this practice has since ceased in the wake of increased belligerence from the Federation both in space and on the ground. So long as the Caldari Navy and State Protectorate controlled the system, all parties in the State would honor the rights of each successful megacorporate bidder and their won territories.
Despite Ishukone’s poor financial state at the time, the Liberal-aligned corporation only bid on the system of Intaki, which was considered to have the least value due to its relative lack of material wealth and vast native population. No questions were answered regarding where Ishukone acquired the capital to make the successful bid. Instead of annexing the system, Ishukone entered talks with the local Intaki Assembly government along with Mordu’s Legion, agreeing to assume control of the Shipping & Security franchise. The Ishukone Agreement, as it became known, is recognized by Federal law and remains in place to this day. Regardless of the system’s military control, both Gallente and Caldari military forces would respect the agreement, the former as per Federal law and the latter as a stipulation of the blind auction.
Military operations on the Intaki homeworld potentially violates the tenets of the blind auction and Ishukone’s State-recognized rights over the system, who have never granted the Caldari Navy the authority to launch a planetside assault. There are sporadic reports of Mordu’s Legion fighting on behalf of Intaki forces, but no official party has stepped forward to confirm this. Ishukone vessels have not deviated from their original areas of authority, indicating that the Caldari corporation will not go as far to violate both local and State agreements in its discontent with current events.
UPDATE: The quote from Ishukone CEO Mens Reppola has been amended to correct a misconception about Ishukone’s rights to the Intaki system. The original quote was incorrect due to a transcription error. Echelon Entertainment regrets the error.