C1 systems are rarely popular among capsuleers. Throughout the entire period of exploration here, only a single permanent structure was recorded: a citadel drifting far from the main navigation routes.
Until now, it existed merely as a database entry. No history. No status. No answers.
Reconnaissance was assigned to an industrial pilot. His ship was considered the most expendable, although the admiral, of course, did not mention this aloud. Officially, the task was simple: approach the structure, identify its type, and assess the situation. Unofficially, everyone understood that an active citadel shows no signs of life until someone actually mans its weapons. In wormhole space, silence is never the same as safety.
The pilot dropped out of warp at a safe distance. The citadel hung motionless in the void, as if forgotten. No ships nearby. No signs of recent activity. No visible indicators of active defensive systems. He began to close the distance slowly with all systems on high alert. There was no response.
The mere existence of the station altered the balance of power in the system. A silent citadel could become a future threat, a potential source of loot, or simply a reminder that someone once lived here and left without explanation.
The pilot recorded the coordinates and warped out, without trying to find answers that did not yet exist.
And yet, the feeling persisted that the citadel might be abandoned. If that were true, then, at least in theory, it could be destroyed by fitting a ship with damage output exceeding its passive regeneration.
When the report reached the admiral’s desk, one thing became clear.
The question was no longer whether the structure was dangerous.
It could become dangerous at any moment.
The real question was different.
Was it worth testing that assumption right now?