Signaleer Xavec

Editor’s Note: We got another another entry added in our Signaleer Series! It’s been a while since our last one, so I hope you enjoy. Xavec truly embraces our motto of “Be the content you wish to see”. In that spirit he has started and continues to operator two great in corp services. SCRAMS, Signal Cartel Relocation and Moving Service, is offered to new Signal Cartel members to help with relocation of their assets to one of our corp offices and SCRUBS is a BPC buyback Service for members. Huge shoutout to Xavec for stepping up! – Katia Sae

What attracted you to EVE Online and how long have you played?

Xavec

The short answer to this is that my housemate, while I was studying at university, told me about this amazing game with a 2 week free trial. That was all the way back in 2009 before alpha was a thing! I remember being blown away by the concept and execution of the game, including the absolute total vastness of New Eden.

I remember doing some easy missions and a bit of High-Sec mining and being shockingly disappointed at how little isk I was making. I didn’t understand the game at all and didn’t understand skills properly. As an impoverished student I didn’t feel ready to commit to paying for the game. I trained some random mining skills and when my free trial was almost up I started to train leadership to V – I thought that the mining benefits would help me make more isk. Like I said, I didn’t understand skill. In those days all accounts could only have skills in the skill queue that started training in the next 24 hours.

Then one day 9 years later a colleague made a passing comment about Eve Online. I had completely forgotten about the game. He told me about Alpha accounts being free to play. Soon after that on a day off I downloaded the game again. I still had the same email address and managed to recover my account and found the same character sitting there with a number of skills trained. I’ve had one break since then of around a year when I got Zelda The Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch – this was the first time since then that I had the same mind-blowing experience. I soon came back to Eve though!

What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else? How would you describe your characters career path?

Imicus

Quite simple, really. I started out a bit lost and without purpose. I did a bit of mining and a few missions but found that the returns were pitiful and I really wasn’t enjoying it. I remember Googling income streams and reading that exploration was the easiest way to earn isk for a new player. I did a whole bunch of reading about wormholes and fitted up an Imicus. I scanned down a wormhole in my high-sec home and warped to it.

I remember feeling my heart rate go up as I splashed into a wormhole for the first time. I’d read that wormhole space was dangerous and was sure that I’d basically get shot within seconds. I didn’t; but neither did I find any faction relic or data sites on that first occasion. I loved exploration and this new potential for earning enough isk to fly cool ships as well as the adrenaline of entering lawless space from my safe High-Sec home meant that I’ve been an explorer ever since. 

What attracted you to explore New Eden? What is your goal and have you achieved it?

I’m more driven to explore Anoikis than New Eden! But I also like to explore New Eden too. There are so many unique things to see! The planet Eyjafjallajökull in wormhole space, Choonka’s Shipwash, EVE gate, the statue of Katia Sae. The new Jita trade hub station is quite a sight too!

I can make isk as I go. My goal is simply to have fun and I’ve met this goal frequently! My time at the moment is divided between exploring wormhole space as a wormhole dweller and fleet flying with Signal Cartel and other PVE fleet groups.

Choonka’s diner “The Pit” (Image credit: Tamayo)

What attracted you to Signal Cartel? Any corp related experiences you’d like to share and/or any Credo related stories that would be of interest?

My first contact with Signal Cartel was seeing the Eve-Scout Rescue Caches in wormholes that I was exploring. I thought it was neat but hoped I’d never need it. Then one day I forgot to bookmark my exit and lost my probes. The pilot who helped me spent time explaining that you don’t lose all your skills if you die and that self-destructing was a much quicker option! I learnt from this mistake but also ended up in the Eve-Scout Public channel where there was information on joining the corp. I read up about the Eve-Scout Credo and then read the very thorough directory of important information that is sent to all new members. It’s a goldmine of useful information. I learnt very quickly about all the rookie mistakes I had been making. Plus everyone was so friendly! I have been a member ever since. If I hadn’t joined Signal cartel I probably would have left the game long ago. For me the Credo embodies my real-life values of helping others and not harming others. In real life I am a healthcare worker so this resonates with me.

I have so many Credo related stories! Hugs fleets are one of my favourite corp activities. We fit up frigates and destroyers with festival launchers, reps and tank, and go seeking out people to “Hug” with snowballs or fireworks. It makes pretty lights in space and often people don’t know what the heck is happening to them until they kill us and read the Killmail and see how we were fitted. Sometimes we paste some relevant memes into local chat for the fun of it.

On another occasion we invaded Brave space with a competition to see which squadron could make it there the quickest. The squadron I was leading won, getting from our home in Zoohen to the Brave home system in Nullsec in under 3 minutes. The second place made it in around half an hour. We then charged their Keepstar and hugged them. At one point I was receiving remote reps from one of them and missiles from another. I felt like they were toying with me before they eventually destroyed me, but at least I got all of my fireworks away!

I have recently taken on joint leadership of our Fleet-Operations Division so this is something I am definitely going to try to promote.

Some of you may have heard of Chappy’s Birthday Bash. A terminally ill capsuleer brought his dreadnought into a Lowsec system and thousands of others came to have a massive friendly brawl. I was in the Signal Cartel fleet and we were very happy just lobbing hugs at people like the weird kid at a birthday party throws Maltesers.

I have been allowed through gate-camps and wormholes, sent isk and o7, in chat on many occasions, purely for being in Signal Cartel. Through my work as a 911 operator, I have seen that so many people are so generous with their time and their isk! Far more people than I thought have been assisted out of wormholes by people who you would otherwise assume hostile. (Helped Out by Locals)

In Signal Cartel we often say that reputation tank is the best tank.

What is the name of your favorite ship that you enjoy flying the most while exploring? Why is it your favorite?

My stand-out favourite ship is the Astero. Someone recently joked that Signal Cartel that we probably keep the Astero market afloat. It’s such a versatile ship and it’s great for exploring. It can cloak, it has bonuses for hacking data and relic sites as well as scanning signatures. All bread and butter for an explorer. It’s also super agile and doesn’t require mad skills to fly and it’s easy to fit to align in under 2 seconds. Oh and it can use drones. The other thing is that nobody ever really knows what sort of heat an Astero is packing so they think twice before engaging it. Mine has got me out of many tight spots!

My fit is geared towards stealth and evasion. I work on the assumption that if I get target locked, I am dead. So my fit is all about quick align time, cloaking, and low signature radius. Anything that gives me that extra server tick to warp away to a safe.

Astero at the EVE Gate by Triffton Ambraelle

In my high slots I fit a Sisters Core Probe Launcher loaded with at least 16 but preferably 24 Sisters Core Scanner Probes and also a Covert Ops Cloaking Device. In the mids I put a Zeugma Integrated Analyzer which is great when paired with a Blackglass Implant. I often fit a Microwarp Drive and also an Afterburner so I can get out of bubbles quickly. My last slot usually has a Scan Rangefinding Array in it. I often swap out one of the prop mods for a Burst Jammer II to use as a last ditch attempt to warp off if I get scrammed. In the lows I fit a Damage Control II, enough Nanofibre Internal Structure modules to make my align time under 2 seconds and if I have anything left over something to augment my drones. The rigs are again usually dedicated to agility. In the drone bay I usually have a flight of T2 Light Drones and a flight of ECM Drones. In the cargo hold I keep a Mobile Depot (seriously, being a 911 operator has taught me NEVER to go into wormhole space without one) and supplies to create and replenish our wormhole rescue caches. In my implants I usually have a set of High-grade Halo implants to get my signature radius nice and low, plus the Blackglass.

All neutral ships are set to a nice bright colour on my overview. If a ship is warping in I usually have a good few seconds notice before they are able to fire on or scram me. I can usually cloak and warp away to a safe before they’ve even been able to start locking me. I need to make sure I’m always more than 2000m from objects so I can insta-cloak.

During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?

It’s vastness! There is a reason so few people have explored every solar system in New Eden and even fewer to explore every one in the game – as far as I know our own Katia Sae is the only one to have done so. It is just mindboggling how many light years across the place is and even travelling at multiple AU per second it takes hours and hours to get across it. I’m sure that there have been things in the game for ages that nobody has yet discovered. And this is all before you even consider player-generated content. I think you could play Eve for a lifetime and still find new things to do.

What advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

Always know where your towel is.

But seriously, always think of what your worst case scenario is and what you would do in that scenario. Run mini drills with yourself so you don’t get paralyzed by fear when you are engaged. Join a corp, fly in fleets and have fun! If you just sit in an NPC corp forever not doing anything social then you are missing out on a huge part of the value of Eve.

Signaleer Aldar Roanaok

Editor’s Note: So glad to see another entry added to our Signaleer Series! It’s been a while since our last one, so I hope you enjoy this latest entry from Aldar Roanaok presented in character. – Katia Sae

Aldar Roanaok

“You know, I always wondered why the Sisters placed two stations here.”

Katia tilted her head and looked down at Aldar Roanoak, who was lounging in the seat beside her. Outside the station pale blue flashes tore at the planet below and even in Paleo Station it was enough to cause shadows to flicker around the bar. He was her next interview in the Signal Cartel Signaleer series she had been working on, but only if she were able to meet him in Thera. She didn’t mind too much as it was an opportunity to escape, at least for a little while, the responsibilities of her new life.

“I mean I did until I considered two things; one the Sisters are secretive zealots, and two Thera XII is a bloody maelstrom of interference.” Aldar smiled and waved Katia towards the other seat.

“It’s a fantastic place down there. It looks like Thera XII always had a ridiculous rotational speed but add in the relentless irradiation from the epicenter, and you don’t just have normal levels of lightning but enough to stir the pot on its own. The clouds rip past each other so fast the triboelectric effect along with gravitational settling pushes the electrical discharging into overdrive.”

Settling into the offered seat, she raised her eyebrow inquisitively, “And the Sisters?”

“Secretive, religious zealots with a scientific bent. Sitting here in their Institute of Paleocybernetics you could throw a fedo and hit their Surveillance Observatory and both are lovingly nestled inside a cacophony of EM radiation courtesy of our friend out there.” Aldar’s glass swung out and saluted the planet below. “I imagine you could get up to all sorts of interesting things and no one would ever be able to catch a sniff of it.”

“Aldar, you’re a cynic.” Katia said with half a grin. She could already tell this interview was going to be unique.

“You don’t think melancholic? Or maybe prudently skeptical?” He grinned.

A small snort was the only reaction and Aldar smiled even wider and leaned in. “Katia, where did you want to start? I was only planning on slipping through Thera, wave at the locals and then get back to chasing down a few things. Honestly, I was surprised you’d managed to slip the fans, hangers on, and stalkers just to catch up with me.”

Katia chuckled at his last comment which had now completely thrown her off her game when it came to conducting interviews. Clearly she had already lost control, but that was assuming she had any to begin with. So, she decided to just roll with it and asked, “What? Thera not really your style?”

Tapping the glass against his chin he looked around the bar. “I don’t think I’ve ever really stayed put anywhere. At least not since leaving the Center for Advanced Studies. I still remember slipping out of Cistuvaert as a real Capsuleer… thick as a plank and half as useful. Big massive gas giant hanging there on the undock and me floating in a capsule expecting a combination of blaster and mining laser to be able to take on all comers.”

“You mine!?”, feigning shock, Katia allowed a chuckle to escape.

“Not so much, though I’ve an oddly extensive skill set around it. Makes for a nice little Zen moment, slipping around a small mountain and carving it up. No, I slipped out and jumped into a wormhole and managed to not get lost; I was at a bit of a loss after that though. I suppose I was lucky, I had an older pilot reach out to me early on – absolutely terrified me.”

Aldar continued, “There I am frantically flipping overviews, d-scanning, warping myself left and right convinced I was about to be shot. Looking back, I’m fairly certain they were safed up and just checking local.”

“Was it anyone from Signal Cartel?” Katia asked, curious to learn just how it was Aldar had found himself in their corp.

“No, was a pilot named Sven Viko VIkolander. They had their own solo corp I think but they were great, letting me ask questions and everything. I remember them explaining they were in a bomber and planned on heading out to hunt. That absolutely captured my imagination – the whole idea of having an idea to do something and then just flying out to anywhere.”

“So that was me for a while.” Aldar further explained. “I had no real idea of New Eden’s regions but I flew, and died a lot, in low sec systems. Ouelletta was the first, I think. I jury rigged my Imicus just to try combat probing and salvaged orphaned drones for a while.”

“Eventually I made my way to Simela and contracted myself out to our lovely hosts. Or at least while I wasn’t throwing my Catalyst against sites that it really shouldn’t have tried. I’ve a weakness for flying wings, I think that’s why I sunk so many days into tactical destroyers – just wanted to sit in a Hecate.”

“So it sounds like you pretty much stuck with Empire space, no wormholes then?” Katia asked, settling into the interview.

“Not so much – I love slipping over the event horizon and threading spin networks and Yang-Mills fields, but no I never really spent much time there back then. I loved the freedom the gate system gave me. I could do anything and fly anywhere with no effort at all. Heck I rigged up a Thorax with probes and a mobile depot and went hunting Nexus chips. You must get that – a wanderlust.”

“I think all of us in Signal Cartel get that.” Katia nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a busy life Aldar, but you stayed with the Center?”

“Sure. I was happy on my own and the corp comms channel was entertaining enough, I guess. Basically, I was busy and worked to my own schedule and didn’t think I’d be able to make a decent contribution to a corp. And of course, all of the usual high drama and petty stakes of capsuler politics put me off. You’d think immortality would engender a certain self-reflection, but you’d think wrong.” He filled his glass and gave an inquiring look across the table

“Whisky?” She asked, eyeing his glass, “Sure, that is, if it’s any good?”

“Good? This was specifically pilfered from Igaze’s hanger, of course it’s good. It’s also an excellent reason to make sure I’m at least 4 jumps out before he gets back. Neat or a splash of water?”

“Neat is fine, thanks.” She accepted the poured glass, then raised it in a toast with a light laugh, “Here’s to Igaze never catching you.”

Taking a sip of the whisky, she nodded in approval then continued, “So what convinced you to come in from the cold and join Signal Cartel?”

“I’d had a hard run – I was trying mining missions in Angils out in Metropolis and I’d died a few too many times. Things had become frustrating and immortality stretched in front of me. So, I parked myself and queued up some training from the GalNet and went to sleep. Just floated off in a corner of space.”

“When I woke, my queue had been long empty, the Center’s comm channel was filled with new people I couldn’t care less about and I was casting about for a project. Eve-Scout was still around, and Signal Cartel’s model of solo capsuleers being alone together appealed to me. That and the idea of wanderers – going wherever they wished, whenever they wanted to, however they could. So, one official Tamayo approval letter later, I was onboard reading up on corporate policies and procedures when I met Allison.”


Years of flying by yourself does not prepare you for a neural plugged auditory hallucination that tells you to clean up and stand up straight like Allison does.”

“Was it the self-destruct?” Katia leaned forward smirking.

Aldar put his arms out wide, “I mean how could it have been anything else?”

Heads around the room turned towards them as they laughed a little too robustly from their inside joke.

“I’d just finished the ESRC portion of my readings and threw myself into the next wormhole. From there I fell into the rhythm of align, locate, and bounce to the cache. I mean I‘d like to say it came naturally but I was on Alliance chat laughing about skittering past the cache often enough early on to never be able to pull that story off. Still I managed it and then wound up in a search and rescue system with Auds Lenneluc, great pilot that came out and walked me through the setup, and prep for the extraction. It was great fun.”

“The real hook was The Great Hunt though. I’d joined just a few weeks before Talon Commander Fedi rolled in and Allison’s Skylab routine began driving us deep into Anoikis. It scratched an itch I’m not sure I could’ve articulated beforehand. Puzzles, lore, and that delicate balance between stringing data points together into a coherent story and self-deception.”

Katia faked a pout, “You missed my homecoming fleet though.”

Glancing down slightly and refilling his glass Aldar shrugged.

“So, what do you do now? I never see you in Saisio.” Which wasn’t too surprising, Katia’s home system was a quiet one and Signaleers were wanderers after all.

“Oh, this and that. There’s a caching milestone I’m slowly working towards. My tending has slowed down as other things take my interest. The new bookmark framework makes it easy for new people to join and contribute. They’re far exceeding any slack I might have introduced. I’ve really spent my time on research; chemical labs, trying to characterize these transient pirate gatherings that seem to come around year after year, unlocking Skylab routines, and working with ARC. That part sort of started when the Hives began spawning even more connections.”

“Captain Crinkle and a few of us spent time trying to nail down the new statics and mechanics. Allison still gets huffy when I point out I know there’s more than a single C2 static in Redoubt. A.D. Parrot tells me she’s unconvinced I know what I’m doing.” A smile flitted across the reflection in the window.

“Out of that I worked with ARC on Project JuRE which led me to try and run a small project on Triglavian invasion systems, Jove Observatories, and Drifter wormholes. Wonderful time working with Void Raven, Consolation Nutmeg, Troubled Watters, Nac Audene, and Sloopy Noopers. Other ARC specific projects rolled through. Fit well with my approach to flying… go anywhere and find something interesting.”

Katia sat back holding her glass like a crux and frowned slightly, “Like gate clouds?”

Aldar ran his hand through his hair and gave her a crooked grimace “I have it almost written up you know… or at least I’ve a definite outline.”

She rolled her eyes and waved her glass at him “So Pochven must drive you nuts?”

“Not initially, no. Slipping through Trig liminality systems was easy enough and fun. Getting pictures for the Observatory and then jumping away before the trig patrols could catch me kept me on my toes. Luckily the EVE-Scout Rescue Cache team had more productive ideas and setting up caches inside the Final Liminality systems seems to have been a solid one. You know, I don’t remember feeling anything as the Trigs pulled spacetime like taffy but once in Pochven it was just an empty walled garden. Few connections and few things of interest. I stayed to run some wormhole characterization and then left. Been at a bit of a loose end ever since.”

“So back to travelling then?” She asked taking another sip of her whiskey.

“Back to roaming.”

He stood, peering out at the undock and watched bubbles blossom around the station. ”I don’t really have a destination in mind. I’ve a few things I need to try out and a few new ships to die in.”

A real smile crept back in “Besides there are caches to sow, pilots to rescue, and things to figure out, out there in the dark. It’ll be an adventure.”

“That it will be.” Katia affirmed. “Fly clever Aldar. Thanks for the interview and the whiskey.” She smiled, raised her glass in a final toast, and downed the last of her drink.

Signaleer Orlando Bruxt

Editor’s Note: We’ve not had one of these in a while, so very thankful for Orlando Bruxt, a new member of our corp, for stepping up and submitting his!

Once again Katia found herself at the Armateur, an upscale restaurant at the Theology Council station in Zoohen. If it wasn’t for the view, she would have been more comfortable elsewhere. The secluded tables that were nearly completely bubbled in glass offered one of the best views in Zoohen which enabled a guest to feel as if they were floating in space. It was a fair approximation, only lacking the no gravity feeling, of what it was like to be connected to your ship as a capusleer.

She was pleased to hear a newer member of Signal Cartel, Orlando Bruxt, was interested in taking part in the Signaleer interview series, which was optional of course, but it was encouraging when her corp mates opted in. On a more personal note, Katia preferred the one on one talks rather than the large social gatherings which always made her uncomfortable. Hearing the maître d’ approach with her guest, Katia stood, smiled, and nodded. She offered her hand in greeting. “Orlando? Pleasure to meet you.”

Orlando Bruxt

After what was an enjoyable meal, Katia relaxed with a glass of Achurian wine, her favorite from home, before starting the interview. “So tell me, why did you become a capsuleer?”

“Well, I grew up in the Aulbres System in Placid, which is not exactly a popular vacation destination, for obvious reasons.” Orlando chuckled.

“My mother did her best with what little we had, but unfortunately she succumbed to illness when I was 14. My uncle took me in and put me to work on his mining rig.” He shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his chair.

“Needless to say, port towns and refinery rigs have their own special forms of hospitality, so dangerous and unforgiving environments are kind of in my blood at this point.”

Katia wasn’t one to press, after all the interviews were meant to be casual, so she didn’t press on what seemed to be an uncomfortable topic. Rather, she wanted her corp mates to be relaxed and share only what they were willing to. So, she moved on to the next question, “What is your piloting background? Or I guess what I mean to ask is, how’d you go from miner to explorer?”

“Eventually I caught wind of a distance study program through the University of Caille and enrolled in their Anthropology program while continuing to harvest rocks. It was through that program that one of my professors, Dr. Patrice Smolden, made a recommendation to the Federal Naval Academy on my behalf. I honestly hadn’t ever considered being a capsuleer prior to working for Dr. Smolden. Where I’m from, something like that is a pipe dream, not realistic at all. And I didn’t think acceptance to the Academy would be an option through the distance study program.”

“Nevertheless, Dr. Smolden was convinced that I would not only be accepted, but would thrive at the Academy.” Orlando raised his eyebrows and looked down at the floor with fond recollection. “I eventually caved to her persuasions,” a grin crossed his face, “applied to the Academy, and got accepted.”

“I… see.” Katia replied, not sure if there was more to the grin or not, but she smiled in return and moved on to the next question. “Right… so what attracted you to exploration? Do you have goal you’ve set your sights on?”

“Phew, where to start!” Orlando chuckled. “Well, I found out pretty quickly in my tenure as a miner that mining was perhaps not a good long-term career path for me. It wasn’t that I was necessarily bad at it, I just found it mind-numbingly boring. To address my boredom, I would often navigate off-grid to see what else I could find. This resulted in… well… let’s just say I would be shocked if my uncle was breaking even on my production versus expenditures.”

He continued to chuckle. “I was pretty much relegated to manning the lasers, while taking advantage of getting into the cockpit any chance I got.”

“As for goals? For right now I’m just focused on mastering the basics of exploration and keeping up on my studies. Eventually I’ll get involved in some more intensive projects with the corp, but for right now I’m content with just learning the ropes.”

“Speaking of the corp, what attracted you to Signal Cartel?”

“After I finished at the Academy, I applied for and accepted a grant through their Expeditionary and Discovery division to start my own exploration corp. It was pretty short lived and didn’t end well.” Laughing, Orlando continued, “That was when I realized why my uncle took away my piloting rights early on!”

“Anyways, one of the stipulations of the grant was that the corp had to remain active for at least 4 years and host internships for the school. I fell a little less than 4 years shy of that obligation.” His smile widened as he shook his head, “So, I was on the hook for several million isk. With no way to pay my debt, I took the first job I could land, which turned out to be a marketing position with Aliastra.”

Orlando sighed as he continued, “One day on my morning commute I saw a leaflet for Signal Cartel and reached out to one of the recruitment officers, Tamayo. I explained my situation and she assured me that I wouldn’t need to worry about my existing debts, and that they would be thrilled to have me on board. It seemed too good to be true, but I applied to the corp and was accepted into their ranks. It’s been nothing short of a dream job ever since.”

Katia smiled on hearing Tamayo’s name, “She knows how to pick’em and you can trust her and her instincts. She literally held my life in her hands for a time, but that’s another story. Instead, let’s talk ships, do you have a favorite that you use for exploration?”

Astero

“My experience has been limited to just a few hulls, all exploration-focused as one might expect. That said, I am in love with the Astero. It’s just a solid, versatile platform that allows everything I could hope for in an exploration ship. The covops cloaking is a godsend! My current fit is called ‘Fast Warp/No Tank’ and should be pretty self-explanatory.” Orlando chuckled. “It essentially relies on being able to run before the enemy can lock on and is the brainchild of the Cartel’s very own Null Flare.”

“Null! Another fine corpmate. I might be biased, but I really do think we have some of the best talent New Eden has to offer, but we could go off in billions and billions of directions, so let’s get back to exploration and your travels. What has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?”

“Being a newer capsuleer, my experiences are pretty limited. I would say stumbling into a Drifter system was a pretty wild experience. I had only read about them so warping in I didn’t even know what I was looking at.” His eyes widened as if he were actually seeing the results of his initial scan, “Wormholes… everywhere! I counted 64 on my console. Eventually I figured out where I was and hightailed it out pretty quickly!” He laughed.

Katia laughed with him, “Oh I know, it can be overwhelming the first time, but with experience, you’ll be fine. So let’s wrap this interview up with what have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?”

“Join Signal Cartel!” He laughs again. “But no, seriously, the wealth of knowledge, experience, and support from this corp has been absolutely invaluable to me. I can’t say enough good things about them. Even if you don’t join SC, finding a good corp is paramount to your success as an explorer, or really in any line of work you might be doing as a capsuleer.”

Again, I might be biased,” Katia laughed as well, “but I couldn’t agree more. Thanks so much for the interview and welcome to the corp!”

Signaleer Katherine Skysong

Editor’s Note: Continuing our Signaleer Series and this is another one done in character which as a roleplayer I really enjoy. Well, I enjoy all of them!

Katherine Skysong

Katherine Skysong

Orbiting above Zoohen III, I look out the view wall of one of the bars on Theology Counsel Tribunal station, wondering at the sight. It’s still all so very new. If someone were to look at me, I mean really look, they would see the boot just graduated from the Naval Academy and still not used to wearing a clone body. I self-consciously smooth out my jacket as I wait for Katia Sae. Why I volunteered for this interview I still don’t know. I guess it had more to do with meeting an explorer’s explorer than anything I might have to say about myself.

I see Katia enter from across the bar. At first I could hardly recognize her, dressed much more casual than she appears on the holovids and with her hair free from the ponytail she’s normally seen wearing. It wasn’t until she smiled and waved on seeing me that gave her away. After ordering some drinks and some polite conversation, Katia began the interview. “Why did you become a capsuleer?”

Why did I become a capsuleer? Simple answer: That was the only way to get into a position where I could explore. I don’t think I want to go too deep into all the reasons so let it suffice that I grew up in a family with two brothers and two sisters. Very early on the passions of my parents had been sown in my twin sisters and I. Oh, that’s right, you probably haven’t met my sisters. Autumn is my older sister by a few minutes and Kristine is my younger sister by a few minutes. All three of us became capsuleers about the same time. Fortunately for Signal Cartel, the corp only has to put up with me.

Katia smiled at my last remark then asked, “Tell me about your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration?”

If you hand me a square of paper about two by two centimeters then I can give you my entire portfolio! Once I became a capsuleer and went through the intensive clone training, I went right into academy training and graduated. I worked with the Federal Naval Academy for seven days then found my first corporation. I lasted just four days with BSC before finding, and being accepted by, Signal Cartel. I’m proud to say that I’ve been with Signal Cartel for 181 days now and have no desire to go anywhere else. The opportunities here are boundless. The learning curve to survive deep space is immense and the crew here are ever helpful. I’ve been slowly making friends and gaining responsibilities beyond my wildest dreams.

“Do you have a goal, have you achieved it?”

Space has always been my goal. Having the freedom to explore space and its many wonders. My long term goal is to eventually find our birth place. It’s something my sisters and I share very deeply. I mean, who doesn’t want to know where they came from?! And no, we didn’t expect to find it in our first few months in space. We’re already of the mindset that this will be a lifelong endeavor.

As I’m forever reminded of by my sisters, I’m ankle deep, having dived in head first with Signal Cartel. I’m somewhat active with Search and Rescue as well as Rescue Cache Tending along with helping to get our internal Signal Cartel Academy up and running, and have joined the staff of our internal Fleet School. Some would accuse me of being spread too thin – I’m looking at you my older sis – but I say you rise up to the challenges set before you. But always first and foremost is my goal, our goal, of finally completing the family quest and that might be another story someday.

“I’ve got an older brother, I know just how you feel.” Katia chuckled. “You mentioned only being in your first corp for four days? That’s a little surprising, if I’m being honest. So tell me, what made you… jump ship, no pun intended, to Signal Cartel?”

Exploration and their Credo! Unequivocally. To quote from part of our Credo: “We embrace the attitude of a true explorer: we are friendly to others in our travels, neutral and never initiating aggression, and endeavoring at all times be perceived by the New Eden community as a non-threat. Although we never intentionally seek to harm, we may defend our friends and our ships. In suffering losses, we respond with good cheer and shed no tears. In this way, we aim to be recognized and respected by all across the cluster and left in peace to do our work.”

Having been on a few SARs to rescue lost pilots in J-Space I find the task supremely satisfying to the soul. Having stepped in to help mentor brand new capsuleers who join our ranks, I feel a sense of serving. Again, very satisfying. Stepping up to lead fleets leaves me feeling like I’m inspiring others to also step up. I have long embraced the philosophy of “All it takes for evil to conquer is enough good people to do nothing.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, I immediately jumped ship when I read the Credo for the first time.” Katia winked at me then went on to explain her own experience, “It just resonated with my soul and it was how I always tried to fly throughout the cluster, but I had never put it into words. Seeing it in writing was liberating and I knew I had to join right away. So, speaking of flying and jumping ships, what ship do you enjoy flying the most while exploring?”

I love the Sisters of Eve ships! I can’t say that enough. I was flying a Stratios, ‘Sky Dreamer’, until it got shot out from under me. So, back to one of my Asteros, ‘Sky Seeker’, for more flying. I almost forgot how personal the Astero is, and how agile. Don’t get me wrong. I started in an Imicus and loved that little beauty. But nothing compares to the clean lines of a SoE ship.

I still fly several other ships. It takes quite a while to get to a point where you can sit in any particular ship larger than a Cruiser. In my collection I have a Badger, Omen, Harbinger, several Catalysts, a Heron, an Imicus, and a few others. I’m budgeting towards another Stratios and soon, a nice T3 Strategic Destroyer.

“Tengu best goo, I always say, but I do love my Astero. So, during your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?”

Wormholes and J-Space. The corp I joined right out of the Academy cautioned strongly about going into wormholes. Until I joined Signal Cartel I had never been in one. In fact, I remember the first time I scanned down a wormhole. I warped to 100 kilometers to see it and stayed there hoping it would not suck me in. That’s when I found out from other corp members that they never go into them and they would not say anything further.

Now, I can’t wait to find a wormhole and dive into the splendor of J-Space. Yes, most of them have planetary systems. Some have nebula. Some are shattered by some long forgotten force. And all of them are worth parking for an hour or more, sitting back and just taking in the vistas.

“I love hearing that!”, Katia smiled. “I hope others find encouragement from your words. What other advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?”

It’s not about the ships. It’s not about the ISK. It certainly isn’t about the skills. It’s about the thirst to see what’s around the next bend. The drive to reset your budget with every setback. The will to keep going even when you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing. Enjoy the successes and learn from your mistakes.

“So true and thanks so much for doing this interview. One last thing, do you have a favorite image that you wouldn’t mind sharing?” Katia asked.

As far as a favorite picture? I guess I need to work on putting an album together. I did find this planet wonderful and mesmerizing, quite soothing actually to watch. Seeing storms like this from above just reminds me of the grandeur of some of the simpler things in life.

I also managed to snap this image in one of my last fleet actions in the DPS wing. We were on a mission to clean a J-Space system of those nasty Sleepers. How we ended up so close to a star was just one of the many serendipities I’ve experienced.

Signaleer Null Flare

Editor’s Note: Another in our Signaleer Series! Hope folks are enjoying these. It’s my hope that seeing ship fits, learning experiences, good stories, and screen shots will encourage others to get out there and explore!

Null Flare

What attracted you to EVE Online and how long have you played?

I started playing EvE because I found an advertisement on Steam. After a little research, it looked like a fun game to try. I didn’t realize how big it actually is and on discovering there is no end game, made it even more interesting. It will take YEARS to get all the skills, and I’m slowly on my way.

What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else?

From day one, I was all about PvE combat. I joined a Null Sec corp early on, after discovering how mind numbingly missions are which taught me a lot about the sites, resistances, ships I could use, etc. That’s also where I started my love for fitting! I like tweaking my ships, seeing if I could just a little more DPS/Tank/Cap to make it more agreeable with my play style. It also gave me a huge wallet and I ended up getting my character (REDACTED) into carriers and super carriers, which started a whole different aspect of gameplay.

What attracted you to explore New Eden? What is your goal and have you achieved it?

As stated, I was mostly a combat pilot. I had ventured into wormholes, but was only really there to see how they worked. When I quit the Null Sec corp I decided to give my alt (Null Flare) a try as he wasn’t so focused on skills (I had made him for a Tengu to use as a cyno alt, so he had some of the requirements for covert ops and such).

What attracted you to Signal Cartel? Any corp related experiences you’d like to share and/or any Credo related stories that would be of interest?

First and foremost, it was the Credo. After reading it and finding out there were corps not interested in mass murder, but instead of helping fellow pilots and that they were banded together by a few words that effectively stopped them killing other players, I was in! It was only after joining I discovered how great a corp it actually was. Corp related experiences always has to be my first Rescue and my first Fleet! Unfortunately mine were not very much worth it for a story, but they were memorable to me. My real interest though is playing with ships (fittings). I spend a lot of time in station, with the fitting window open, doing random searches and seeing what I can make.

What is the name of your favorite ship that you enjoy flying the most while exploring?

Hmm, probably the Legion Tech 3 Amarr cruiser. I can fly all the cruisers (cruiser 5 for all factions) and out of all my experiences, the Legion has been the most fun. It’s setup nicely for both wormhole exploration and combat. The main fit I use is a little blingy (2.5 billion isk) on top of a clone with High-Grade Asklepians. I can easily swap between a laser or ham setup, but I prefer the lasers myself.

[Legion, Doom Eagle]
C3-X ‘Hivaa Saitsuo’ Ballistic Control System
C3-X ‘Hivaa Saitsuo’ Ballistic Control System
Centii A-Type Adaptive Nano Plating
Corpum A-Type Medium Armor Repairer
Centii A-Type Adaptive Nano Plating
Corpum A-Type Medium Armor Repairer

Republic Fleet 10MN Afterburner
Thukker Large Cap Battery
Zeugma Integrated Analyzer

Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Sisters Expanded Probe Launcher
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Auto Targeting System II

Medium Gravity Capacitor Upgrade II
Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer I
Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer I

Legion Core – Augmented Antimatter Reactor
Legion Defensive – Covert Reconfiguration
Legion Offensive – Assault Optimization
Legion Propulsion – Wake Limiter

Hornet EC-300 x10
Acolyte II x10
Infiltrator II x10

Sisters Core Scanner Probe x44
Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Assault Missile x15396
Sisters Combat Scanner Probe x24
Medium Capacitor Control Circuit II x1
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump II x1
Missile Guidance Computer II x1
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump I x1

During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?

Hmm, again that’s a difficult one. I loved seeing the Titan fights in Null Sec. I got to witness a pipe bomb and a starburst happen. I find the general High Sec battles boring. When you have 100+ ships deep in Null and blowing bits out of each other’s hulls, sitting in a cloaked frigate and watching the action can be a lot of fun!

Possibly my most interesting time was when I was travelling through our Null Sec systems and found an abandoned super carrier. I pinged it on dscan and thought, hmm. ‘Not a lot of combat sites, what the heck’? So, I went to investigate. And lo and behold, an empty Hel with no pilot and nobody in local. I was in a cheap clone, in a cheap travel ship, so I thought why not? Jumped out of my ship and got into the Hel. Full ratting set up, estimated cost 22 billion isk with fighters. So, I aligned and jumped it to our local market and picked up the isk! This was long before Signal Cartel and the Credo, when making ISK was my main goal. 🙂

What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

Get out there and do it! You don’t need a 2 billion isk Legion and you don’t need a lot skills. Get into a cheap frigate and go to Molea, go to see the statue, get lost in a drifter wormhole and find the Sisters of EvE fleet. You will get blown up, you will get podded by other players, but you’ll quickly learn it’s a game and meant to be enjoyed. I’ve lost enough ships over my characters that ships are ammo, meant to be used and abused, lost and repaired. It always amuses me when folks get into chat and go ‘I lost my …’ It happens! Don’t be so surprised. Have a few million isk and go buy another one.

Do you have a favorite image from your explorations?

I’m not one for screenshots, I don’t usually take them, but there was one a few days ago with both my characters out in Zoohen doing some combat sites for the Skilling Sprees Event where I nabbed a nice picture. A Machariel and a Paladin. ‘The Beauty’ and ‘The Beast’ as I have them called.

‘The Beauty’ and ‘The Beast’

See what I mean? Not a great photo, not great angles, but it works.

Null Flare (aka the fitting-master (in corp joke, I enjoy it really)).

Signaleer Sloopy Noopers

Editor’s Note: Back to our Signaleer Series! Really enjoying these and hope more of our Signaleers will jump in.

Sloopy Noopers

What attracted you to EVE Online and how long have you played?

I’ve always had a long fascination with space and sci-fi. I lived in the shadow on the Lords Bridge Observatory in Cambridge for many years and spent a lot of time at the observatory open days whenever they happened. I’ve never really been much of a gamer but was drawn to EvE by the combination of stunning graphics and the immense backstory and lore. Everyone is familiar with the stories of massive battles and the intrigue that can go on within corporations and I would be lying if I said that didn’t play a part in piquing my interest but, in all honesty, it was the sheer vastness of space and the idea of traveling space in a way that I wanted without having to engage with any specific style of gameplay which really pulled me in.

I’ve been playing seriously for around eighteen months, so still a relatively new pilot by the standards of EvE but I had a trial account a few years ago before Alpha was a thing, I let that lapse due to other commitments but I enjoyed my time in the game so much I was always eager to revisit the game and give it a proper go. So, I signed up as an Alpha and played for a few months to see if it was what I remembered and eventually went Omega once I was sure it was for me. As I said, I’ve never really been a bigger gamer and I would say that I’m still not, the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want that EvE offers means it doesn’t feel like an achieve “x” to get “y” kind of game and I think this is what keeps me hooked.

What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else?

My character is Gallente as their story appeals to me. I have a fondness for a good time and the freedom to do what I want as much as the Gallente so they just feel like a natural fit for me (If I could I’d be spending a lot of my hard earned ISK at the pleasure hubs!). I actually have a fairly dull career path I’m afraid. I started off running missions in Federation space before joining a mission running corp (I don’t remember who) who didn’t really do anything. I floated around in that corp paying my taxes without really engaging with them before I decided that I would just go it alone. I left that corp and started running missions for the Brutor Tribe and was making some decent cash doing so.

After a while doing this I inevitably started to look for something else and exploration seemed like the natural progression, to be honest it was actually the main reason I came to New Eden in the first place, I just got waylaid in mission running (it is fun making explosions). I trained up the skills and got myself into an Astero and started diving wormholes and travelling around the cluster to see what was there. Once I got my first Stratios and was able to take on the unsecured Sleeper caches I was completely hooked on wormhole diving and exploration and have never looked back.

What attracted you to explore New Eden? What is your goal and have you achieved it?

The sheer vastness of New Eden was, for me, impossible to resist. I found the idea that I could spend years exploring systems and still not see everything it has to offer was just too much of a temptation. I love stumbling across sites to run and the remnants of EvE’s history there are to see are impressively numerous. Beyond the sensible measure of checking routes for gate camps, I tend not to seek out too much information about regions or constellations before I go for a roam. I’ll make sure I have all the important intel in hand (is it a Sov system and whose, who are the local NPCs) but other than that I like to just go in blind. If there’s a beacon I’ll warp to it, I’ll check out the local planets, find somewhere to make camp and start exploring.

At the moment I live in K-Space and just jump in and out of wormhole chains. I can easily see myself taking an extended camping trip in J-Space at some point. I am very attracted to the idea of a drifter, wherever takes my fancy and seeing what’s there. I have clones dotted throughout the cluster and jump between them as the mood takes me. It’s only a matter of time before I make a semi-permanent home in J-Space because why not. I have an obsession with the lore of New Eden, particularly the Triglavians. I’m currently spending a lot of time reading up and researching the Triglavians and Drifters and would love to build a resource which can be used by those interested in the history and how to combat them. I’m quite interested in the politics and history of the big blocks and would love to spend some time researching and documenting this too. That’s all a long way off though, I’m still finding my feet.

What attracted you to Signal Cartel? Any corp related experiences you’d like to share and/or any Credo related stories that would be of interest?

Once I realized that exploration was what I wanted to do, I started to look around for exploration corps to join in order to learn more and team up with like-minded people. I don’t really have an interest in PvP and ultimately just want to roam the cluster and see what is out there. I’d seen the rescue caches several times on my travels but assumed they must be a trap, some element that I just didn’t understand or some wormhole corp thing that was none of my business. I read something on the main EvE forum where Signal Cartel where mentioned as the best corp for my sort of exploration and decided to do some research. After reading up this definitely seemed like somewhere I would like to call home.

The Credo very much appealed to me, I loved the idea of actively opting out of the more aggressive and antagonistic side of New Eden while offering a useful service to the wider community. I haven’t regretted my decision to join at any point and hope to make Signal Cartel my home for a long time. My first experience with what the Credo means to the EvE community was only a few days into my time in the corp. I was hauling some gubbins in High-Sec and got a few waves and some very friendly messages from folks in local. That made me realize that I had definitely made the right choice. The most amazing Signal Cartel experience I have had was in real life; I have a Signal Cartel patch on my jacket and was at my local pub. Someone spotted the patch and made a point of coming over and talking to me in order to let me know they had been rescued by the corp. That was a very surreal experience.

What is the name of your favorite ship that you enjoy flying the most while exploring?

Ormar Inn Langi

The ship I am most fond of is my Stratios, by a long way! The Stratios is a fantastic ship for exploration and is just beautiful to look at. The Stratios I fly is called “Ormar Inn Langi:, it took me a while to get the fit right for my purposes and lost a couple on route. One loss was to a Tengu but I was extremely proud of just how long it managed to hold its tank and it gave the Tengu a run for its money, that was my first fit. The only issue with that fit was that I had no way to break the lock so I just sat there taking a pounding forever before the ship finally popped. I definitely learned from that experience! The second I lost was while I was taking on some Sleepers. I hit one too many triggers and just got swamped by the incoming DPS, I learned a lot from that one as well! I’ve settled on a fit now and it’s serving me well for my purposes.

[Stratios, Ormar Inn Langi]

Medium Anti-Explosive Pump II
Medium Trimark Armor Pump II
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump II

400mm Steel Plates II
Medium Armor Repairer II
Medium Ancillary Armor Repairer
Capacitor Power Relay II
Capacitor Power Relay II

10MN Afterburner II
Large Cap Battery II
Burst Jammer II
Ligature Integrated Analyzer

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Sisters Core Probe Launcher
Drone Link Augmentor II
Quad Light Beam Laser II
Quad Light Beam Laser II

During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?

I love shattered wormholes, travelling to the epicentre is a must if you find yourself in one. There are a lot of amazing sights that I have yet to see and I intend on firing up my Astero and doing a bit of sightseeing at some point in the near future. The thing I have found most interesting is just how empty most of New Eden is, something that I very much enjoy. Once you get away from the main routes it is possible to find yourself in areas where you will see no one and then suddenly jump into a system in the middle of nowhere with a mining flotilla in action or a local hub and then, suddenly, another run of empty system with only the occasional traveler. I like this, many would see it as a bad thing but, personally, I see it as being an organic gathering of people. Naturally they tend to clump together for protection and support and I find it fascinating that this seems to be true even in New Eden. I’ve come to realize that the lone roamer seems to be quite rare.

What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

Just give it a go! It’s quite easy to get going with exploration and I honestly wish that I had started a lot earlier than I did. As long as you know what you want to achieve and train towards it you can be up and running and headed towards the best ships and skills quite quickly. Other than that I think it is important to remember that if you want to get the most out of exploration you will be operating in the most dangerous areas of New Edan and Anoikis, accept that fact, accept the inevitable losses and don’t be disheartened when they happen. Exploration is a dangerous business and you will lose ships. Every loss is a chance to learn and your skills and experience will be growing all the time. Exploration can be quite profitable so if you learn for the losses and don’t give up you can easily cover them quite quickly (I lost an Astero, two Helios, and two clones in less than a week recently, I made the cost back in the same amount of time). Also, don’t forget that the Credo doesn’t prevent us (Signal Cartel) from protecting ourselves, we just don’t shoot first!

Do you have a favorite image from your explorations?

As I mentioned, I’m a tad obsessed with the Triglavians. This is my favorite image I’ve got recently. This is a tactical overview of a major conduit in a world ark site. If you’re feeling brave I’d recommend having a look around some of these invasion sites, especially with the Triglavian Dreadnaught coming!

Signaleer Void Raven

Editor’s Note: Another in character interview in our Signaleer Series!

Void Raven

Void Raven

Void Raven enters the small, and evidently popular, pub on the Perkone station in Saisio. She has intentionally arrived a little early for the interview, so as to find suitable seating and create a good first impression by not being late. She waits a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the low lighting and then looks around. There is no free seating at the bar counter, and there are only a few tables, most of which are occupied. Void finds an empty table in the far corner, sits down and confirms on her neuro-occular display that she is indeed early. Relieved that so far things are going as planned, she orders a drink and glances around the pub’s interior.

Tapestries, similar in style to the artwork in the Achur cultural center she visited enroute to the pub, line the walls. Dark wood paneling softly reflects the muted light from frosted-glass wall sconces. Planet VIII looms large in the window on the opposite side of the pub. By chance, today is also the peak of the Potan meteor shower in Saisio, and Planet VIII is putting on quite a show as hundreds of meteors plunge into its atmosphere, spawning the trails of light that betray the end of their long journey through space. Pleasantly fragrant, but unfamiliar, aromas drift around Void and her stomach rumbles in response.

When her drink arrives, she orders some Achur-style food, but immediately regrets doing so when the server walks off, as she realizes that eating during an interview at which she will be doing most of the talking is probably not a good idea. Void’s thoughts turn to the upcoming interview. She reaches out to her drink and endlessly rotates the glass with her fingers, her gaze fixed on her hand. The chatter and murmur of conversation among the other patrons dissolves into the background as doubts creep into her mind. What had she been thinking when she signed up for this? A young capsuleer with no experience to speak of and a troubled past – what could she possibly say that would be of interest to anyone? Her leg bounces up and down on the ball of her foot.

“Void Raven?”

Void gives a jolt as she hears her name spoken and her stomach tightens when she looks up to see Katia Sae standing in front of her. She takes a deep breath and stands up quickly to greet her, bumping the table and spilling half her drink.

“Katia! How… how long have you been standing there? Sorry, I was just…”

Void takes a few more breaths and continues, “What a pleasure and honor it is to finally meet you in person, Katia. And I also just want to say congratulations on your inspirational achievement. Thanks for suggesting this pub as the place to meet. It’s perfect. As I mentioned to you, I feel so much more at ease in casual settings. But, even so, I’m… uh… I’m so darn nervous right now. I mean, I’ve never been interviewed before. See, I decided on this white blouse in case I start sweating. It won’t show sweat as a darker top would. Did I just say that? Please tell me this isn’t already part of the interview. Okay, okay, I need to calm down. Umm… can I get you something from the bar?”

As they sit down, Void gestures at the food she ordered earlier and says, “I wasn’t thinking. Like I said – first interview. Help yourself if you would like any, Katia.”

Smiling in understanding, Katia waves off the offered selection, “I completely understand. Would you believe my nerves still get the best of me during interviews? You’d think it would get easier with experience, but I’d rather face down a Loki on gate than talk to a reporter.”

After some pleasant conversation that relaxed them both, Katia steered the conversation to the interview.

“Tell me why you became a capsuleer?”

Void’s face hardens upon hearing the question. She mops up the spill on the table from earlier with her napkin, as if hoping that a delay in answering would make the question go away. But it hangs in the air, waiting patiently.

“Now, this is going to unearth some difficult memories for me. So, let’s see how it goes. I became a capsuleer to escape from a troubled upbringing and avoid an adverse future. I grew up in Gallente lowsec. In an environment that was not really…uh…supportive of a great childhood. I was exposed to…to a way of life that, had I fallen into it, would have left me disillusioned and, sort of, drained of any goodness. Instead, I would have been filled with an unquenchable rage as I selfishly blamed the whole of New Eden and everyone in it for my situation. An outcome which would have, you know, been to the detriment of others as…as their paths crossed my own in that sinister future. You see, my mother Black Raven took some bad turns early in her life that she wasn’t able to recover from. I didn’t want a repeat of that, so I left home for capsuleer school and for what I hoped would be a fresh start.”

Void loses her composure a little. Shaking her head she looks down at the floor and continues, softer than before, “I’m sorry, Katia. I do want to share my past with Signal Cartel. I owe that to everyone; you…you have all been so welcoming. But I’m unable to go into more detail about it today. Maybe some other time. Umm… suffice it to say that a little over five years ago, I guess fate interceded on my behalf, and then in 03 this year I graduated from capsuleer school with a deep fondness for exploration, but no idea of where to go next.”

Void’s translucent grey-white eyes come alive as she continues, “But then, serendipitously, news broke of a new statue in Saisio, which, sort of, spoke to me with unusual clarity when I read the inscription on it. I mean, that star in your hand, Katia, it lit the way for me to find Signal Cartel. And today I’m…uh…so grateful to be here and to be able to contribute to New Eden in a positive way to counterbalance the…the darkness that surrounds us all.”

Void hesitates for a moment; reflective. One hand is wrapped around the fist of the other in front of her. She seems undecided about her next utterance, but then says, “Okay, the Credo demands that I be honest and forthcoming. Fine. I question whether I didn’t perhaps become a capsuleer for the sole purpose of gaining ‘immortality’ and so not grow old as just another invisible and miserable baseliner. So I could rise above the wretched masses. The reason I gave earlier is then no more than a rationalization to avoid confronting the unpleasant implications of that. I mean, do I harbor a veiled desire for superiority or supremacy over others? By the Sisters, I truly hope not. I’m left wondering what it says about me that I might unconsciously hunger for immortality.”

Void takes a sip of her drink.

Blushing slightly on hearing the Saisio monument reference, Katia still found herself embrassed by the attention, which she knew didn’t make sense. Prior to the interview, Katia had a feeling Void’s story would be an interesting one to hear. Not wanting to pressure her further she went on to the next question. “What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else?”

“So, I have no real piloting background to speak of, having only recently graduated. I mentioned my innate love of exploration earlier; I’m drawn to see what lies beyond the figurative horizon. And then the next one. I don’t know… maybe my desire to explore comes from an unconscious need to keep ahead of the shadows of my childhood.”

”What attracted you to explore New Eden? Do you have a goal, have you achieved it? If not, are you still working towards it?”

“I don’t have a particular goal. Well okay. I’m Gallente. So, maybe the pursuit of individual freedom? Umm…I love to get lost in the beauty of New Eden and simply let it wash over me. To admire the… the background tapestry of whatever system I’m in. There are many locations of historical significance to investigate and learn about and I’m only just starting to… uh… scratch the surface with this. The adrenaline rush of hacking ancient and long forgotten relic and data sites in Anoikis is, kind of, borderline addictive. I am the hunted in the natural order of things and, counterintuitively, I find that exhilarating and liberating, you know.“

Void suddenly laughs and says, “Oh, speaking of hacking reminds me of a story. Do we have time? Yes? Great! Once, when I was super focused on hacking a site and all was deathly quiet, Allison, probably because she was bored, simulated herself dropping some… umm… plates or glasses or something and they shattered in a sudden explosion of noise. I almost died of fright. I mean, I came close to having a heart attack, which is no joke. As you know, Katia, the clone retrainsplantation process is initialized upon detection of a pod breach. An in-pod coronary does not exactly meet that requirement. She apologized, sweet AI that she is, so we’re still friends.”

Void takes another sip of her drink and continues, “Tending and sowing rescue caches and Thera wormhole scanning are intrinsically rewarding activities. I also recently finished assisting ARC on an unidentified wormhole research project in Drifter Hive Systems. So, for me, there is no end goal or destination. It’s all about the journey into what the future may bring.”

Void takes a pause, then says, “Katia, am I rambling too much? I mean, it’s all sort of stream-of-consciousness at this point, isn’t it? I’m too serious, right? Maybe my goal should be: ‘Be less serious’. Or I could aim for off-beat.”

”You’re doing great, no worries at all. I really want these interviews to be as much as you are comfortable sharing. So, let’s continue with your favorite ship. Do you have a favorite and if so, why?

“Oh, that’s easy. My favorite ship is simply the one I’m in at the time. Out in the void, we’re… umm… at one with our ships and they protect us from the ravages of hostile space. It’s not a… a symbiotic relationship, since that would imply two separate entities interacting. No, we are truly one. In this way every ship earns favorite status from me.”

Void smiles and continues, “But I see you want more than that. Okay, just between you and me, my Astero and Helios occupy a special place in my heart. They both carry the name Raven’s Pride. You know, the elegant lines of the Astero and the… umm… graceful sweep of the curved semicircular structures toward the aft of the ship, holding within them that ethereal veil of light cast by the inset lights, captured and held my gaze from the first moment I saw one. The Helios has its own, different form of beauty. I recall another Signaleer say of the Helios, ‘If you can free your mind of symmetry, beauty will rush in to fill the gap.’”

”During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?”

• “The overwhelming extent of New Eden and Anoikis. 7,805 known systems. How many unknown to us?”
• “The catastrophically damaged Jove Observatories. Enigmatic and haunting.”
• “The 24/7 hustle and bustle of the ships of powerful commercial interests centered on Jita 4-4.”
• “The Sisters of Eve Flotillas in the Drifter Hive Systems. Although a beautiful sight and a reassuring presence, they leave a faint scent of mystery in their wake.”
• “The Shattered Wormhole systems. I shudder at the power that caused such devastation.”
• “The labored, deep breathing of end-of-life wormholes. Such a creepy sound can signal only impending death.”
• “The Katia Sae Monument in Saisio. Where would I be today without it?”

Katia continued despite her involuntary blush, ”What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

“Jump right in and go for it. Yet, patience is a virtue. In New Eden, you can see and do quite a lot with quite a little, really.”

”Do you have a favorite image that you wouldn’t mind me posting and sharing from your explorations?

“These photos of the SOE Flotilla in Vidette are currently among my favorites.”

“That’s it, you did great Void, thanks so much for taking time out from your explorations and I certainly wish you well on your journey.”

“Katia, thank-you for this opportunity to tell you and Signal Cartel a little bit more about myself. You know, as nervous as I was at the start of the interview, I enjoyed it. At times it was even cathartic. I hope you and your readers enjoy it too. But now I really do need to leave so I can put on a fresh blouse.”

Void finishes the last of her drink and she and Katia rise to leave the pub.

Signaleer Thanaella

Editor’s Note: Back to our Signaleer Series with another in character interview. Not that I’m biased (well, maybe 😉 ) but I do enjoy the Roleplay aspect of gaming.

Thanaella

Katia arrived early at the Armateur, one of the upscale restaurants at Zoohen Theology Council station. Not an establishment she usually visited, but it was a place where the staff and clientele alike knew to respect the privacy of others. Along with that she often would be offered a secluded area of the restaurant with a fantastic view that reminded her of why exploration called to her heart.

Thanaella

Reviewing her datapad, Katia caught up on her next interviewee: Thanaella, Gallente, considers herself a wanderer. Then out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Thanaella being lead to the table. Smiling, Katia stood, offered her hand in greeting, then nodded at the waiter to bring the prearranged appetizer. Some time later, after finishing their meal which certainly was up to the standards of an establishment such as the Armateur, the conversation moved on to the interview.

“So tell me, why did you become a capsuleer?”

In my head I was always drifting off into fantastical, far away worlds full of war, forever questing, slaying dragons and hunting for treasure. And then one day, 9/9/YC111 to be precise, I decided to “grow up”, become a capsuleer and do the adult thing. What good it brought me.

Katia wondered about that last statement, but decided not to pry. She wanted her interviews to be casual and forthcoming as much as the interviewee allowed without pressing, perhaps more would come out later. “What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else?”

I started, like so many of us, fresh out of the academy with not an ISK on me. Leaving me no choice but to run missions for whoever wanted to pay me. Dropping off a child’s doll 20 systems away, sure why not. Killing another capsuleer because he pissed you off? Of course, would love to… I hated it, hated it! Where was the adventure, the spoils of war, the excitement?

And then it happened, someone podded me. inevitable I guess and who cares. Everyone knows about the transneural burning scanner. Don’t worry, all will be fine! Until its not…

I died 3/19/YC112 and did not wake up until somewhere in YC116. They told me that’s not possible, that the system is flawless. They made it sound like I am insane, or a charlatan or even worse.

So, off I went, to do the same thing all over again. THE definition of insanity. And just like that, history repeated itself. I got podded again and did not wakeup until very recently.

Odd indeed, Katia thought, perhaps this was a hint? “What attracted you to explore New Eden? Do you have a goal, have you achieved it? If not, are you still working towards it?”

So where does my little problem of not waking up leave me? Every death potentially means losing years and attached to that friends, loved ones. But staying in the station all day like an ISK trader is even worse, or roaming HiSec to hit at rocks. You might as well unplug me now.

And so I roam aimlessly, from wormhole to wormhole, trying to avoid known space and its inhabitants like the plague.

Joining Signal Cartel gave me an additional purpose of tending caches while I am out and it helps to have like-minded capsuleers to talk to. It proves that I am not insane, or not the only insane one.

“Silly Mistake III”

“What is the name of your favorite ship that you enjoy flying the most while exploring?”

“Silly Mistake III” is the name of my ship, an Astero. Why do I fly it? Have you seen its form? Its sleek, beautiful, full of purpose. No visible weaponry, its drones nicely hidden away. I might be passive, but not defenseless.

Katia smiled, she was all too familiar with her own favorite Astero class hull, “Voyager”. “During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?”

Not much surprises me to be honest. Too many years, too many experiences. It makes one stoic, hardened, and yes cynical. Surprises lie with the inhabitants of space, that one capsuleer that doesn’t kill you. Or the pilot who talks to you when your down and close to initiating the self-destruct sequence. Or the clowns that makes you laugh. It’s the stories we tell, the stories we live.

“What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?”

Seek out like minded individuals, find a Corp that suits your style, even if you are the silent lone wolf type. Nobody likes to fly alone. No one should fly alone.

”It’s interesting you say that, because I think it’s so true with Signal Cartel, for the most part, we are lone wolves who’ve found comfort in community, yet still fly alone. So, from your wanderings, do you have a favorite image that you wouldn’t mind me posting and sharing from your explorations?”

How does one capture the darkness, loneliness, and cold of space? With its natural beauty, its splashes of color and sprinkles of light. Alas, I tried but have failed, yet again…

“Splashes of color and sprinkles of light, so true and eloquently said. You’ve not failed. Thanks so much for the interview, so glad in getting to know my fellow Signaleers.”

Interviewer’s note: After the interview Thanaella supplied me with the more technical aspects of her Astero.

Signaleer Bob N’Weave

Editor’s Note: Taking a break from the winners of our Eve Fiction Writing Contest for another in our series of Signaleers. Enjoy!

Bob N’Weave

What attracted you to EVE Online and how long have you played?

Bob N’Weave

I started playing EVE many years ago (2008.07.18) when my brother had been playing already for some time. I used to go to his house where our kids would play together and he would be heavily injected into the game and I would sit by and watch. He was part of a corp called NI4NI and they were a pirate corp out of Fade or Delve (upon further review, it looks like our HQ was in Curse)… I was fresh out of the box with no clue how to do anything and played a few days till I went out to meet him and basically just shadowed him and salvaged his wrecks for content. After a while, EVE became to expensive to sub so I let it go…this was right around when Goons were rising up against BoB….we were also against BoB, but not with goons exactly….anyhow, after many years off I decided to try the free version….and here we are now….

What is your background as a pilot? Did you jump right into exploration, start in the military, hired by a corporation, or something else?

This toon started as my Jita alt for when I was involved in Pandemic Horde (after our move to Geminate), I was an explorer there and found that also after the move. While we were still in Fade (on my main) I was a salvager, made tons of isk on Serpentice salvage, but upon arrival in Geminate it became a desolate wasteland of Guristas wrecks and I needed to make isk bad… lol… so I dared venture out into the great unknown as an alpha, in an astero…lol…it went exactly as it sounds like it would… I spent a great deal of isk learning this trade….haha

I have an alt (my main) in a PVP WH corp but that doesnt suit me or my play style…so for the time being this is it for me…i enjoy exploration and am happy just going thru wormholes tending/sowing and hopefully doing some SAR work.

During your travels, what has been the most interesting fact, amazing sight, or other aspect of New Eden that has surprised you?

I think the most surprising thing about New Eden and Anoikis is that you can never tell how someone is going to treat you being there… I have had people chase me for what felt like ever and I have had people save my hide when I bit off too much in a sleeper site (dood even lost a Gnosis). I do tend to take a look at the sights but for the most part I like to scan and hack and scan and hack… that keeps me occupied most of the time.

Most interesting fact: There is Never enough time in my life to play this game the way I want to… lol

What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

Don’t go out in an Astero till you can cloak. Don’t sit still scanning if you can’t cloak. Don’t hack in Null-Sec if there are unaccounted-for pilots in system with you (unless you’re prepared for a fight)… they are most definitely waiting to pod you and take your stuff. And lastly… learn from your mistakes and be happy about it… its only a game, dont let it affect you. It took me a long time in gaming to let go of the results and just enjoy it as much as I do now… I learned that here. 🙂

Do you have a favorite image from your explorations?

My favorite image has to be the one I shot of my (new at the time) Stratios (still flying it now) in the hand of your statue (Journey of Katia Sae Memorial).

Signaleer Theana Gaterau

Editor’s Note: This week in our continuing series, Theana Gaterau joins us with a freeform response to our curious questions. For those that don’t know Theana Gaterau, please let me just take a moment and introduce her. One of Signal Cartel’s foundational stones is be the content you wish to see. Theana took that to heart when founding and building our Signal Cartel Fleet School. (Yes, Signal Cartel runs fleets that partake in the PVE content that EVE has to offer 😊 ) Because of her hard work and dedication leading and FCing weekly fleets, mentoring up and coming FC’s, building a great Admin team, Signal Cartel can proudly say we have a full-fledged PVE fleet division that our members can participate in. To date that’s been 185 unique pilots participating in SCFS Fleets. Thanks Theana!

Theana Gaterau

Refresher of the questions that inspired her response.

What attracted you to EVE Online and how long have you played? What is your background as a pilot? What attracted you to explore New Eden? What is your goal and have you achieved it? What is the name of your favorite ship that you enjoy flying the most while exploring? What have you learned or what advice would you give to someone interested in exploring New Eden?

Theana Gaterau, “The Hyena”, SCFS Founder

I started playing Eve on January 1, 2018. I joined Signal Cartel almost immediately and became a Signaleer on January 9, 2018. As a brand new pilot in a very big universe, I wanted to learn about the cluster and exploration seemed like a good way to do that. Participating in the ESR program by tending rescue caches was something I could do right away and I set out into Anoikis to tend and sow rescue caches. In recent months my interests have turned to PvE. I’m still out in wormholes a good bit of the time, but I spend more time now eradicating The Sleeper Menace than I do tending rescue caches.

My first “goal” in Eve was to move up from my starter Imicus into Captain Crinkle’s Helios fit. It was a major accomplishment for me when I could fly that fit comfortably!

Damnation, SCFS No Touchie

I wanted to get involved in some group activities and trained into a Coercer for VulfPup fleets. I flew my first fleet on February 9, 2018 and even though I ended up losing my ship, I knew that fleet PvE was what I wanted to do.

There weren’t very many fleet opportunities in Signal Cartel at the time, so I decided I would create the content I wanted to see. I remapped for Charisma and started training the fleet support skills I would need to effectively FC. After a lot of training I am now able to use the Armored Command Mindlink. My bursts are strong!

One of the best moments I’ve had in-game was the day I undocked the Vex’ahlia, gifted to me by Quinn Valerii. I lost that hull in The Killings at Kurnianen but I rebuilt. To this day I fly a modified version of that fit, now named SCFS No Touchie, every time I lead an Armor Fleet in combat.

That hull is skinned and started out black!

Learning to FC wasn’t an easy path initially, and still isn’t. I learn something new every time I take out a fleet. Sometimes it’s something I should have done but didn’t, and sometimes it’s something I did that I shouldn’t have done. Mistakes are going to happen – the goal is to learn from those mistakes and get better.

The best advice I can give, based on my limited experience, is EVERYTHING is ammo. Ammo is ammo, hulls are ammo, and pods are ammo. Give a good fight and Die With Glory!

Theana Gaterau’s Damnation SCFS No Touchie