The Tranquility Trading Tower And Shadow War Update

On Wednesday CCP added the effective removal of extra-large Upwell structures in high security space to the patch notes for EVE: Viridian. On Thursday, the owners of the Tranquility Trading Tower began the process of removing the keepstar from Perimeter. Wilhelm has an excellent write-up of the events surrounding the event, so I won't try to duplicate the effort. I'll just add that the breakup of the Tranquility Trading Consortium may yet result in fireworks as The Imperium's operations in Domain still exist. The Goonwarm-led coalition issued a statement on the EVE sub-Reddit:

Due to recent leaks and other unsubstantiated allegations, Imperium leadership has found ourselves unwilling to further engage in the existing TTC discord. Nonetheless, a statement about certain matters seems appropriate.

1. The Imperium has followed the both the letter and spirit of the TTC agreement in full, intends to make final disbursements from the wallets we control at 00.00 EVE, and expects to receive our final disbursement in turn, as the treaty stipulates.
   
   
2. The Imperium is not the original creator of the TTC partnership ca. 2019, but rather was offered a smaller initial share, after Test and Horde wished to bring in and/or pay off the only other power thought capable of independently threatening a keepstar in highsec.
   
   
3. As part of the TTC agreement, the Imperium brought a pre-existing operation in Ashab (consisting of a Sotiyo and Tatara) into the TTC, and proceeds from those taxes have been distributed accordingly since that time.
   
   
4. The TTC operation did not pay the Imperium to acquire these pre-existing assets, and upon our departure from the agreement, they will revert to being solely ours, as the remainder of the TTC's structures and assets (which include more than the Keepstar) also remain under the control of our former partners & their management team.
   
   
5. As a public service, the Imperium has discounted all industrial and refining tax rates in the Ashab structures to 0.00% while we decide whether to make it our war HQ (the best current suggestion) or figure out something else funnier.

In factional warfare news, the Minmatar Republic completed their Shadow War research goals and may now build shipcasters. The patch notes gave the details.

• The Republic Interstellar Shipcaster is located in the Minmatar FW HQ system of Amo, Near Planet III, Close to the Republic Fleet Anchorage Station.
• To power the activation of the shipcaster, a new Republic Stellar Transmuter has been brought online in the nearby Barkrik system.
• The Minmatar Republic will begin automatically placing Republic Shipcaster Beacon Constructors in warzone systems to enable the construction of Republic Shipcaster Beacons.
• To construct the Shipcaster Beacons in the target systems, Capsuleers can deposit Nanotransistors, Smartfab Units, Nanomechanical Microprocessors, and Self-Harmonizing Power Cores to the Beacon Constructors. Capsuleers who deposit construction resources will be rewarded with Tribal Liberation Front loyalty points.
• When at least one Shipcaster Beacon is connected to the Shipcaster, it will become possible for capsuleers enlisted with the Minmatar to jump through the shipcaster.

The last remaining faction without the ability to build shipcasters, the Gallente, is 99.3% of the way to completing the Transport Relay Development portion of the research. I don't know if CCP will attempt to deploy a patch on a Saturday in order to allow Gallente players to begin construction of their own shipcaster this weekend.

Status of factional warfare on 16 June 2023 @ 1330 UTC