11-06-YC124

Ishta and I made peace, fortunately.  I think she sees her error in judgement.  Whilst I had no personal cause or even desire to keep any and all information connected with Sanctity from her, I had my orders and she knows very well I shall never willingly neglect my duties.  I still do not think she understands that being loyal to the Empire and holding such a position of responsibility in it, I do not have the freedom that most capsuleers do.  So many of them think they are a law unto themselves, that they serve no higher power.  That is why New Eden is in the state it is.  Of course, the same could easily be said of many non-capsuleers, especially those who hold high office.

I do wish, however, that Ishta would control her impulses better.  It seems that she has "adopted" some under-station orphans into a make-shift family for her and Sasha.  Only they are not actually adopted, at least as far as the authorities would be concerned.  They are stolen and kidnapped from their lawful Holders after running away.

The usual story, as one might expect.  Abuse and mistreatment, and of a particularly vile kind in the case of two or three of them.  Law is law, true, but I simply cannot condone such despicable behaviour toward children.  What is done about that is really up to Ishta, with the Directrix's guidance, but I shall be more than happy to help care for the children until the right course of action presents itself.  How typical of Ishta to take advantage of my lowest resistance!

We cannot have them at home, though, for obvious reasons, so any assistance rendered will have to be from afar.  Ishta intends to keep them at Gottin's Lamp, and they are as safe, if not safer, there than anywhere else.  My part will have to wait until my return from Khanid Prime.

I have never been here before, and in all honesty I was not expecting my duties to bring me here, but we require some liaison between the Praetorians and Khanid Innovations and whilst I do need recuperation time from Sanctity I simply cannot sit idle.  So here I am.  I admit I was a little anxious about a welcoming ceremony involving yaks or some such cultural difference - and I cannot even think of that animal without bursting into giggles, they are such a strange creature - but fortunately it was just a simple greeting.  My tasks will be security related, but if I have time I should meet up with the LUMEN branch that is based here.  I forget how large and widespread this alliance is and how I have compatriots everywhere!  I hear Khanid have very nice tea.

I just very much hope there are as few yaks as possible.

 06-06-YC124

I should have stayed in Raravoss; at least the Triglavians inflict physical wounds.  Ishta has every right to be angry and upset, to be worried for Sasha and to be frustrated at not being informed of the situation, but to call me scum?  To hold this family in the same contempt as she holds slavers and unsavoury, abusive Holders?  Sometimes I think Nauplius is right, Matari can never change their spiteful, hate-filled nature.

Well, she need not worry for Sasha anymore.  There shall be no wedding now, of that she can be sure, and I shall be there for my brother when he wakes and his family, his real family, shall help him recover.  I do not know how he is going to react to being rejected and abandoned, not to mention having his daughter taken from him.  Felix shall miss the Little One as well.  No-one to read stories to every night.

I am sure she shall have plenty of people to take care of her in Gottin's Lamp, and I expect the Directrix will look after her.  I hope Ishta does not wound that caring soul.

I should have expected this.  I should have trusted my instincts at the start.  We are too soft as a family, too trusting and accepting.  Too forgiving.  I wish Ishta no ill-will, but to direct such venom and hatred at me, at us, is unacceptable after all we have done for her.

No more.  We must harden our hearts, as painful as that may be.  Strangely, though, as shocked as I was when she had her outburst, I feel no pain.  I do not feel anything at all, in truth, neither anger nor hate, nor sorrow.  Just a vague sense of loss, but mostly I just feel numb.  Yet what is there to do except pick up the pieces and carry on?

Just as we always have.

 04-06-YC124

I visited Sasha as soon as I got to Arx Garum.  He was sleeping, still recovering from his injuries.  The doctors say he is likely to require a replacement eye and hand, but other than that he should fully recover, in time.  Ishta was there, of course, but she barely said two words to me.  She is worried and afraid, which is understandable but sooner or later she will lose Sasha regardless.  Such is the price for immortality.  Major Natashova spoke to me regarding Ishta, telling me she had been tired and stressed.  For all her flaws and doubts, Ishta is quite a gentle, soft soul, deep down.

The team are stood down on Arx Garum until further notice.  They need time to recover and rest.  I, however, have no such luxury.  After seeing Sasha I immediately clone-jumped home to Nakri, then took a shuttle to the State.  LUMEN anti-piracy operations are under way and I must do my part there as well.  I am rather looking forward to being back in a pod, in all truth. It has been some time.

The vodka and bath shall simply have to wait.

 02-06-YC124

I write this sitting in the compartment of an armoured transport.  We are on our way back to Arx Garum after six months planetside.  It has gone rather quickly, I feel.

All in all, Operation Sanctity has been, to my mind, a success.  Enemy communications disrupted, materiel destroyed or rendered beyond use, key personnel neutralised.  We have taken casualties, some serious, but, God and The Eternal Empress be praised, no fatalities; and the number of enemy souls we have returned to the judgement of God is beyond counting.

The evacuation was precarious, I must admit.  The enemy had the area surrounded and we had to clear it before our transport could come in.  Not an easy task with two wounded, and Pankov and Idrisov had both been injured by the time we were lifting off again.  They will make it to Arx Garum, though, and they will recover.

The most important victory, though, is symbolic.  We have shown that the Empire does not simply surrender its sovereign territory to a merciless invader and their unprovoked offensive.  They may have temporarily taken these systems, but we will still strike back at them, wherever and however we can.  We have also shown that traitors, cowards, and collaborators will not escape our wrath either.  I cannot deny I would rather have simply executed that pitiful excuse for a Holder and his family as we pulled them from their bolt-hole, but Il-Khan Oniseki-Kley prefers that they stand trial and so shall it be.  It shows, I suppose, her worthiness to take the title, or at least that she meets the necessary standards of integrity more so than those who failed Her Imperial Majesty.

Ishta did not appear, so I can only assume she found out where Sasha is and went to him instead.  I shall no doubt have to face her when we arrive at the station.  I already know she will not see our Operation for what it is, but I care little, for my team, the 601st, they do understand, and as I look around the compartment at their faces, I can see that they know the value of what we have done, of what we do, and of the sacrifices we make.  Even Bordashevskaya, with her breathing heavy after the gas attack, looks contented with duty well done.

Once I have deal with Ishta, I am going to get a vodka and a bath.

Amarr Victor!

 08-05-YC124

Apparently Ishta has gone Absent Without Leave, according to the Directrix's communication with me.  Taking into account the information Commander Kley passed to me, I expect to see that impetuous girl arriving at my doorstep any moment.  What does she hope to gain by coming here?  She should be at home where her responsibilities are, or does she simply expect my family to bring up her child should anything happen to her?  No doubt she thinks she can simply ignore death as an inconvenience now she is a capsuleer, but she confuses immortality with invulnerability.  It is not as if we are truly immortal as it is - there can always be mishaps.

If and when she does arrive, we may not even be here.  Section One is now cycled back to Imperial space, the casualties all at our medical facility, and Arline has given me new target for Section Two.  Asset Acquisition. We have a general location, and I cannot imagine it shall take us long to pinpoint our quarry.  I doubt they are likely to come quietly, given they know Imperial Justice awaits them, but we are hardly inexperienced at this particular undertaking.  If Ishta does turn up in time, she may actually be quite useful.  Which may, in turn, make me somewhat more disposed toward being lenient.

Whether the Directrix may be is quite another matter entirely.

 26-04-YC124

Arline tells me Ishta is coming here, to Port Sarum.  That girl is indefatigably wilful, but what am I to tell her when she arrives?  Sasha is not here waiting for her - he is on his way with another three of our comrades to a military hospital.  His wounds are serious, but not fatal.  He was lucky.

We did not expect the enemy to have such war machines as they did and defeating them was no easy task, especially not with their cluster munitions.  I expect they will have more of them, but we shall armed with knowledge next time and know how to deal with them quickly.  They seem vulnerable to a strong electro-magnetic pulse, the discovery of which we have Mechanic Dyachenko to thank.  Once disabled, albeit momentarily, they fall to concentrated fire.  A well-placed sniper shot can severe a fuel-line as well.

With Section One cycled out and Section Three in, we can begin our next objective.  Arline expects this to give us a psychological edge, and I am inclined to agree.  It shall certain help our morale and, one hopes, that of remaining civilian survivors.  It may even encourage more partisans.

We truly are doing the right thing here, liberating our people from a hated invader.  I at first found it unsettling, even disheartening, when some of our own - by which I mean natives of New Eden, not Amarrians - sided with the enemy, but now I realise they were as spiritually lost as the Triglavians themselves.  We shall send all their souls back to God with flame and fire, to be purified.

We are doing God's Work.

That is why our injuries, especially my own, are as nothing.

 21-04-YC124

I should be happy if I never see that vile garish colour again.  I think we all shall.  This the aftermath of whatever dark science the Invaders used and I can only imagine how those trapped here felt as the star that had once given them life sickened, twisted, and all but died.  We are doing all we can to avenge that evil.

It feels strange, but as busy as we have been, with striking against the Triglavians in all manners at our disposal, I also find enough time to dwell on any number of subjects, mostly in relation to our enemy.  I did wonder if Triglavians were capable of feeling fear, and now I know that to very much be the case.  It should have been obvious, of course, but they have been quite a mystery in many ways so one could not be sure.  That particular matter, however, has been quite thoroughly answered, along with any questions about the physical and mental capabilities of the enemy to resist enhanced questioning techniques.

Do they have souls?  Perhaps that is a question best left to theologists and philosophers, but my personal opinion is that they must do.  Are not all things creations of God, even these corrupted beings?  Perhaps they are what happens when a race completely abandons God, turning their back once and for all on all that is Holy.  Even the Tribals that have rejected The Faith still cleave to some form of spiritual belief, which, one could argue, stills shows some understanding of The Almighty, if somewhat clouded and child-like.  But these things!  I have seen nothing that resembles even the most debased of religious practices and am very much convinced I never shall.

Yet no-one can truly escape God.  Everything exists under The Almighty's watchful eye and all must bow, knowingly or not, to Divine Will, even these benighted creatures.  I have heard some whisper that the Invaders are some sort of punishment sent by God for the sins in New Eden, whilst others have seen them as a test of Faith, or at least as such for those of  The Faith.  I am not sure I am convinced either of those are the case.  The more I contemplate the broken body and smashed face of the one lying in front of me, the more I think that they were not so much sent to us by God, but directed here by the Unseen Hand of the Divine.  Why would God do such a thing?

Perhaps it is not God's design that they have been sent to punish us, but instead have been driven to this place so that we may save them, through fire and flame.

Fire and Flame to return them to Paradise.

I think it is time to cycle my team out.  They have outshone themselves in action here.  Thebeka and Floseswin will seem as nothing compared to what we have faced, and achieved, in Raravoss.  They deserve to reap some reward.

 06-04-YC124

I am forgetting how long we have been here.  I had not actually realised the time that had passed until I shuttled back another casualty a few days ago and spoke, very briefly, to Ishta.  It was a pleasure to see her, although she could not hide the anxiety in her eyes.  I could not tell her very much, of course, other than reassure her that Sasha is well.

Arline's declaration shall cause quite the stir, I should imagine.  I wonder what Lord Sarum shall make of a commoner claiming the Holdership of Raravoss.  One hopes that the intention is not lost, showing the invader that we have not relinquished territory that is rightfully ours, granted to the Empire by the Grace of God.

I wonder if anyone shall care who Lady Crow is.  Likely not, and likely she shall be ignored and looked over in the Final Victory.

The time has come for me to join the 601st fully on the ground, I think.  I wish to be there with them.  Our gains have been tremendous in terms of what we have done compared to our numbers.  Linking with pockets of resistance and supplying them not only with equipment and materiel, but with hope and the knowledge that they have not been abandoned and forgotten.  All the time striking against the enemy, inflicting far more damage than we take.

We will defeat the enemy, we will drive them out of our homes, and God will Bless us with Victory, for we are His Chosen People.

There can be no other way.

I am looking forward to this fight.

God Feedeth The Ravens.

 19-02-YC124

Casualties have been ferried back from the Operations Zone.  I must admit, I expected more, and sooner, and indeed more serious, but there are no fatalities, though I do not think any of them will return to active duty particularly soon.

In exchange for the damage we have inflicted on the enemy - security intelligence assets, contact with partisan forces, and communications and supply disruptions, as well as their own casualties, it is most certainly in our favour.  But then how can this not be so when we are so blessed by God, the Saints, and the Eternal Empress Herself?

Nothing can stop us.  Nothing can stand in our way.  Operation Sanctity will be a success!  There can be no other outcome.

And Sasha will return to us, safe and sound, in time to wed Ishta.

Papa has an audience with Lord Osowiec soon.  I rather look forward to the outcome of that.

 17-01-YC124

I sometimes wonder if I should consider retiring from the life of a Capsuleer and concentrate on the duties of my social station.  Can one even retire from being a Capsuleer?

I should not, perhaps, have been quite so blasé of the danger, and I really ought to have taken more notice of the location in which the Anathema I bought was being sold.  Still, it is a small blessing that I had not even fitted  her when those pirates attacked me, and it was rather more a waste of their effort than mine to destroy a ship with nothing to loot.  No profit for them, although something of a loss for me.

I suppose I have now recovered a little of it after a small expedition in a Wormhole, though when one considers the cost of a replacement and an actual fitting out, it is still a loss.  It is not the finances, that barely makes a difference, and soon enough Płaczka will pay for herself.  It is just such an irritation, a tedious chore.  But then everything seems that way at the moment.  Simply passing the time until the next message from the 601st.  Their last Code, ALEKSEY, is promising, just what I was hoping for.  May that continue until Operation Sanctity is concluded, and may God, and Her Eternal Majesty, watch over them.

 10-01-YC124

Finally!  A quiet moment to give some attention to my poor neglected diary after all the activity of the last few weeks.  And such activity, both good and bad.  Where does one begin?

Yoiul, of course.  It was a wonderful time as it always is, all of us together, but this time with Ishta and her family.  They are our family now and must get used to Nakriian celebrations.  I am sure the seemingly endless Church Services must have seemed exceedingly strange to them.  Not that they are any strangers to The Faith, of course, but I do not think they will have seen many like those we have here.  Smells and Bells, as Felix says, although never in earshot of Father Mikhail!

It was the family gathering, though, that was, as ever, the highlight.  Presents galore and as much food and drink as we must have in the rest of the year alone!  Dear Kostya was home - an event for which I am always grateful - and I had given Sasha, along with the rest of the 601st, 48 hour passes.  It is the least I could do given where I was to send them afterwards.

This Yoiul was made thoroughly special by the kindness of The Directrix.  The refugee and orphan children absolutely adored having a visit from Saint Nicolas The Destroyer, and even the older ones let themselves be lost in the moment, putting their traumas away in the shadows for a while.   The Directrix is a soul of pure kindness.  I shall make quite sure she is an admired and respected figure in Nakri, as she should be.

It feels as though there has been so much, and yet I can think of so little to write.  Operation Sanctity is now under way fully, and we received a SHEBA with the Code Word MIKHAIL.  We shall see what comes next, but my prayers are with them every day.  What they do is but the beginning, and an unseen beginning at that, but it of the utmost importance, and I must concentrate my energies upon playing my part in it.  It does, I admit, pain me that I cannot tell Ishta the truth of where her beloved is, but operational security must come before any personal considerations.  I also worry about what she might do were she to know, given how impetuous she can be.  Perhaps there are other things we can occupy her mind and time with.

I wonder, now that Ishta has qualified for the capsule, whether she may be interested in joining some LUMEN expeditions.  The last we had, a strike against Triglavian forces attempting to raid Imperial territory, was most successful.  We must have destroyed at least a hundred of the invaders, with no losses to us at all - and we had but a handful of vessels.  Ah, but a handful of loyal and brave Faithful is more than enough to defeat any foe.  Who can stand against us when God is on our side and we have the Blessings of Her Eternal Majesty?

I know there are things I am forgetting, but I am tired and my mind is whirling with all the things I must do.  Time for prayers and then sleep.  Tomorrow shall no doubt be another busy day.