Lord-Consort Shutaq-Newelle's help

I learned a valuable lesson: if the coffee tastes off, don't drink it. Even if it is offered to you by a lord.

I met up with Lord-Consort Aldrith Shutaq-Newelle, to ask him questions about the history of the Militia, in particular Aegis Militia and their involvement in retrieving relics from the temple of God's alluring whisper. This happened in a time before his lordship joined the Amarr Militia, so he did not have too much information about them. 

However, he is acquainted with a retired admiral, Lord Graelyn, who probably was part of that operation. He will contact him and try to put us in contact. 

After this good news, Lord-Consort Aldrith Shutaq-Newelle invited me to the Holy Grape bar on Amarr. I think he misses a good intellectual or theological conversation. That is hard to come by in the current Militia, he says. He bought me coffee, but it was coffee with whiskey, and I did not realize until it was too late. That is, I do not hold my liquor, not even in small amounts, and especially not since I try to fast regularly. I got drunk. 

The next day I had to deal with a headache of such a magnitude that I decided to never drink a drop of alcohol again, and also no coffees that taste strange, even if it may offend a noble.

Schism

I haven't slept well. Yesterday Luna told me about the Lux Invicta defeat in Pochven. The multi-national alliance, in which LUMEN participates to fight against the Triglavians, lost its staging Astrahus in Angymonne. 

Smokey was the battled and battered fortress from where the allied fleets won the first Pochven war half a year ago, and stood as a symbol of collaboration between the four core Empires in the fight against the invader. The Kybernauts could not bring it down, and try hard they did. 

Something far more insidious needed to happen to bring down Smokey. 

The Amarr militia and crusade -as far as it falls under the Sarum military circuit- are effectively under the command of Lord-consort Aldrith Shutaq Newelle, as was recently made very clear by his excellence Lord Qatib Olacar xer Sarum. In particular, the militia group "Local is Primary" of sub-commander Mikal Vektor falls under the command of Newelle. 

This militia group attacked Smokey, the EDENCOM staging station used by Amarrian loyalists to wage war in Pochven. Their force, combined with the Kybernauts, managed to overcome the station's defenders. The motivation for this attack is that Smokey's day-to-day operation is handled by the Republic, in particular Electus Matari. Indeed, Electus Matari are known terrorists, but facing a common enemy, lord Ardishapur speaking for the Throne has urged temporary collaboration. This has never been accepted by the militia, nor by the crusade. Rather than focusing on their mission in the war zone, they ventured into Pochven to sabotage the alliance of convenience between the Empire and the Republic. Their heinous act of agression has caused a major EDENCOM defeat in Angymonne.

I do not know how this will evolve, but I am very worried for a schism between Amarrian loyalist capsuleers. I also worry for the fallout on Lord-consort Newelle, whom I appreciate on a personal level. He is blinded by his hatred for the Minmatar, his soul still bleeding from Floseswin, and his heart condemning all of LUMEN for not following him in his bloodthirsty folly. Even if he did not order the attack, he condoned it and was complicit.

The only ones who gain from this schism are our enemies: the Triglavian sympathizers who feel victorious, and our enemies in the Republic who rejoice in seeing us divided and weakened.

Interview with Lord Aldrith Shutaq Newelle

I had the honor of meeting Lord-Consort Aldrith Shutaq Newelle. It is the first time I ever met a man of such high status, a Lord and Divine Commodore.
 

Strangely, he chose to meet in a Gallente coffee bar.

 

Ishta Maleto happened to be at that bar. I think she has a tell-tale mannerism when she is on duty, and yesterday evening, it showed.

 

His Lordship arrived, impeccably groomed with refined taste, yet not effete. This impressed me, as he had just returned from war – he currently battles the Ushra’Khan terrorists in Kemala. 

 

His Lordship was generous with information beyond my wildest hopes. He gave me his opinion on why the Amarr loyalists of LUMEN and PIE have drifted apart. 

 

Firstly, his Lordship, and I think PIE as an organization, is allegiant to House Sarum. LUMEN filed a petition to the Empress to stop Lord Arrach Sarum from Reclaiming Floseswin. Directrix Aspenstar held the pen for that petition, and the number 2 signatory is none other than Arsia Elkin. The petition is seen as an attack on house Sarum.

 

Secondly, in the words of his Lordship, LUMEN has “barred all of their members from assisting with any offensive action the 24th Imperial Crusade may take in rebel held territory in the warzone”.

 

His Lordship gave me the impression that he looked down with disdain on the activities of LUMEN in the highsec areas. In that, he appears afflicted with that particular blindness common in military men: judging persons solely by the amount of blood on their swords. Personally, I see LUMEN and PIE representing the crown and the scepter, respectively. Their strength is unmatched but they must be wielded together.

 

We discussed other topics, such as the Goners and archeology (I should contact retired chapter masters Gaven Lok’ri and Shaikar, and the one they call their Archbishop). His Lordship found ARC mostly neutral, but not trustworthy. EDI it seems was composed of outright enemies, who agreed to collaborate temporarily to face a greater threat.  

 

I have much to mull over.