The artefact depot

I knew, of course, that LUMEN consists of magnificent people, but I didn't quite realize the extent to which this is true!

Ah, how the old principles of chivalry are upheld! The paladin knights of pre-spaceflight Amarr swore to take up good causes whenever the opportunity presented itself, and to protect the weak and defeat evil. Gaul Arel still possesses this nobility of soul! As soon as I had explained my plight to him, he took up his sword (nowadays that means buying and fitting a suitable ship in Amarr) and came to my aid, without accepting coin for it.

My investigation of the unusual concentration of Takmahl artefacts in Bersyrim had led me to a not-so abandoned mining outpost in the system. The outpost was guarded by a Blood Raider fleet. Even the Indigatrix, my exploration vessel, would not be able to sneak past them and enter the facility. It would be far less able to attack the Blooder fleet.

Gaun Arel, a valiant man who takes on fleets three times larger just for breakfast, had no problems taking out these guards. The journey to this lowsec system was the hardest part, apparently, as one has to be wary of highwaymen and pirates. Once there, the Blood Raiders were trounced in a matter of minutes.

I was able to dock at the outpost, while Gaun kept watch in case reinforcements would appear. As the sensors had shown, there was still a small part of the asteroid mining structure that was powered up and in use. Idesbald, my new cloak technician, came along and brought a gun from his collection (yes, he collects firearms, and usually I worry about that because he also likes Nakrean brandy). I had protested, but I am glad that he insisted, since we were fired upon almost immediately after disembarking.

Idesbald was able to take out the gangsters, but was wounded in the process. It is severe enough that he will be incapacitated for at least two weeks, but he'll recover fully. Several other blooders or gangsters that were in the facility took a shuttle and fled. 

The outpost turns out to be a depot for Takmahl stuff, there are containers full of it. I took as much as I could on board to investigate it further. I couldn't stay long enough to thoroughly search the place or ferry everything to a safe location. I had to bring Idesbald to a medical facility, and I was in constant fear of another attack. 

Gaul Arel, true to his chivalrous nature, offered to escort me back to Nasreri, granting his protection through the lowsec travel.

Many questions remain - why did Blood Raiders collect these artefacts and bring them together in this system? Is the outpost some sort of treasury or repository they have for this stuff? Do they sort their loot? This must represent more loot than can be found in relic sites in this system alone. Are they developing an academic interest in understanding the society and the lives of those that came before them in a blood cult? But then why disassemble these valuable witnesses of the past to make illegal implants and drugs with them?

Hopefully closer inspection of the artefacts I brought back (over 180 cubic metre of them...) should answer some of these questions.