The Admiral was reviewing two reports from the stellar enclave.
Combat report
The combat report arrived first.
Over the weekend, our scout pilot found himself the target of a Tengu — the strategic cruiser that serves as the universal workhorse of wormhole space. He spotted it during routine scanning. Combat probes appeared almost immediately after. He did not panic. Moving between safe spots, narrowing his d-scan radius, he confirmed what he already suspected: the probes were looking for him. He slipped into hibernation.
When he returned, the relic anomalies were untouched. Including one he had already pre-scanned — approximately 80 million ISK sitting in open containers, unmolested. The hunter had not claimed a single site. That detail mattered more than the threat itself: this was not a resident. This was a visitor passing through on his own business.
The enclave’s working hypothesis holds. High traffic does not mean inhabited. The difference is significant.
The decision stands confirmed – we setup POS in this system.
Planning and logistics report
The planning and logistics department submitted its cost estimate for a small starbase. Total figure: approximately 200 million ISK. The Amarrian tower was selected — maximum power output and laser weapon bonuses, which means no ammunition dependency.
The analysis team modelled several siege scenarios. The conclusion was counterintuitive. Raw defensive firepower is not the decisive variable. What matters is the cost calculation for an attacker: how long will the assault take, and does the potential reward justify it? ECM modules and resistance profiles shift that calculation far more effectively than additional guns.
There is a complication. Defence modules and a corporate hangar array cannot both be fitted within the available powergrid. One or the other. Logistics infrastructure, or the ability to hold off a serious incursion.
The choice will have to be made before the first delivery run.