The Price of Silence

Caldari epic arc - Penumbra
Chapter 2 - The Bottom Line
Previous mission: Learning by Doing

Type	Encounter
Objective	Retrieve 1x Ishukone Operational Reports
Faction	Ishukone (Caldari ships)
Best damage to deal	Kin Th
Damage to resist	Kin Th
Warp disruption	The Ishukone Watch Hawks Rooks
EWAR	Damping
Rewards	20 Nugoehuvi Synth Blue Pill Booster and Caldari State Faction standing increase

Mission briefing

Welcome back to Poinen Hirmuolio Pine, it's good to see you again, particularly under these circumstances. To be honest with you, I had some concerns that your time with Sinas changed the way you see things. He's a good friend; a patriot, as I told you earlier, but this talk of coming to a compromise with Ishukone betrays the weaker side to him. There is no such thing as a fair deal from the likes of Ishukone – they won't agree to help others unless they get to help themselves first. We Practicals know when to make and break deals, and we always remember the larger picture. It's time to forget about Sinas and remember the fighting men and women abandoned by Ishukone rescue teams. That won't stop until we make it stop, Hirmuolio Pine. You're flying to Malkalen, to a major security headquarters for Ishukone Watch known as “Base 3”. This station acts as an archive for all Ishukone Watch operations in Black Rise. This is an internal archive, meaning it will house not only the original reports, but in their full, uncensored glory, too. As you might expect, that information is well guarded. They know they can't hide the evidence from Nugoeihuvi, all they can do is put it behind a fleet. You are our best weapon now, Hirmuolio Pine. I won't lie. I'm sending you into a fortress. I have no more doubts about you though. You have come this far and not once strayed from the path we have walked together. I know you will deliver. Crielere; a parable told to all aspiring young Caldari “There once was a great rich merchant,” she began hesitantly, suddenly all too aware that all eyes in the room were on her. But she plunged on regardless, steeling her nerves. “He lived to a grand old age and possessed every wealth a man could dream of. Many looked to him in awe or envy, coveting his treasures and desiring to imitate his great successes. Yet the old man was never happy and on his deathbed, a young clerk working for him asked: ‘You must feel that your life has been one great success story, what with all the wealth you have accumulated.' But the old man replied. ‘My life has been one of misery and sorrow. As a young man I chose wealth over family, discarding the love of my life. When I die all that I will leave behind in the world is money. But money is the same all over, mine is no different from anyone else's. Once my wealth has been scattered, all that I will be is dust and vague memories. My life is a failure young man, don't make the same mistakes I did.'

The mission allows warping inside the pocket. Create a bounce BM as you land on grid for easy repositioning.

The cruise missile batteries will hit battleship hard. You will want to take them out soon.

Blitz: Kill the webbing towers and whichever other rats who web/point you. Get to the tower, can will spawn some 50km from where the dialog pops up; Loot item and warp out. Blitzing assume you can tank the whole room (e.g.:Tengu with specific resists). Control enemy DPS accordingly. Alternative Blitz Create bounce bookmark as you land on grid. Warp to the book mark you just made. Warp to the tower and loot box if close. If not warp back to the bookmark then warp to the container that was dropped. RTB. Kill only things if they warp disrupt you.

guards

		WD	EWAR	L
	2 x Frigate Ishukone Watch Hawk
	2 x Frigate Ishukone Watch Buzzard
	4 x Frigate Ishukone Watch Kitsune
	4 x Cruiser Ishukone Watch Moa
	4 x Cruiser Ishukone Watch Rook
	6 x Battleship Ishukone Watch Raven
	1 x Battleship Watch Commander
	8 x Sentry Ishukone Watch Cruise Missile Battery
	2 x Sentry Ishukone Watch Stasis Tower Web

Mission briefing

Simply impressive work, Hirmuolio Pine, but after seeing you come back to Poinen, I knew you would pull it off and make it look easy. Ishukone has played all their cards now; it's our turn to make the moves. My turn, more precisely. I've no further need for a capsuleer, but I have to say, you've been more than worth the ISK you cost. Since you've been with me for the long haul and, I believe, have as much of a personal interest in this matter as I do, let me tell you how Nugoeihuvi plans to proceed from here. First, we will use the rock-solid evidence you recovered to extort the people behind this. My people are still doing the final calculations, but our figures are based on the average compensation given to a family who loses someone in battle, then multiplied for each person we estimate they left behind, then tripled. Once they pay – and they will pay – that ISK will find its way into various Caldari State veteran's funds; a series of unrelated donations from a number of wealthy capsuleers. Your lot could do with some good press, and I will not allow Ishukone to milk their “donation” for any PR value. In the future, Ishukone rescue operations will operate under one simple guideline: the recovery of Caldari prisoners of war. Ishukone may be a family of its own, I don't deny the way things work, but the larger family we are all a part of comes before anything else. You have taught them this lesson, Hirmuolio Pine, reminded them of this simple truth. There are few who could have done so, and out of those, even less who would have been willing to try. I can't thank you enough, or offer anything that will appropriately compensate you for your troubles. I do have the remaining ISK I had budgeted for hiring you though, it's of no use to me now, so please take it. I also have something interesting that arrived from KFR-ZE a few days ago. You could call it the fruits of our earlier labor. Consider it a gift, from one friend to another.

Completing this mission ends the Caldari epic arc.