Operational reports from enclave: the POS installation took several days.
Stage One. Finding the exit.
The objective was straightforward to state and difficult to execute: locate a high-sec wormhole within practical distance of Jita.
It began with the pilot scanning the home system. The high-sec static led into Minmatar space, but it was already at the end of life and could collapse at any moment. The pilot moved on to a neighboring C1, where no fewer than eight wormholes were detected, so the scan took time. Each connection had to be checked, along with the adjacent systems beyond them. In the end, no suitable exit was found.
Meanwhile, a new signature appeared in the home system: another wormhole to a C1. By the time the pilot reached it, two wormholes on the other side showed clear signs of significant mass disruption: one leading to high-sec, the other deeper into wormhole space, likely C4 or even C5.
There was only one conclusion. A logistics route from a stronger corporation had recently passed through this system. Which meant the high-sec exit should be close to a major trade hub.
It was. Four jumps from Jita.
Stage Two. The logistics problem.
Procurement revealed the first complication. The total volume and value of materials (the tower, fuel, ship hangar, combat modules, strontium, etc.) exceeded the capacity of a single T1 transport. And even if it had fit, a fully loaded transport of that value would have been an obvious target.
The operation was split into two independent transports and several smaller runs.
The first transport carried the tower and a minimal fuel supply. Total cargo value: approximately 200 million ISK. The fit was optimised for speed: align time reduced to five seconds. Not sufficient to escape a well-organised camp, but enough to exploit hesitation. The second transport carried the ship hangar. Large, slow, inexpensive. Mobility was sacrificed to make it fit. The remaining modules, additional fuel and strontium were divided across several light runs.
Stage Three. The run.
When a wormhole opened twelve jumps from Jita, the plan was set in motion.
The route was mapped. The starmap statistics had revealed destroyed ships in two systems along the path and the killboard confirmed: a Noctis in an asteroid belt, a Deep Space Transport at a gate, a freighter further along. The kill records clearly indicated a nine-pilot fleet under single command, hunting for valuable cargo. The drop from the freighter alone had exceeded one billion ISK. My transport and its contents looked modest by comparison. That was reassuring.
On approach to the first flagged system, I checked the killboard again and there was nothing new. That was not reassuring: it meant they had had time to take position.
Jump, and… The gate was empty. But local showed all nine, criminal flags active.
Feeling the pulse in my veins I issued a warp to the next gate command. At the next gate there was a combat cruiser, which jumped through as I landed. If that was a scout, the following system was already waiting for me.
Jump, and… Empty! Warp engaged… 5 seconds align time… First transport clear!
The remaining runs were quiet. Hangar, modules, fuel, strontium — each delivered without incident.
The tower raised its shields, laser batteries came online. For the first time since the expedition began, the enclave had something in the depths of wormhole space it could call home.