'Venal is Cursed' - an interview with Jade Constantine

Far beyond Caldari space lies a region named Venal. It is a rich but dangerous area of space, and home to the infamous Guristas pirate cabal. Enterprising corporations have been going there for ages, to harvest its plentiful asteroid belts and to collect CONCORD issued bounties. But what makes Venal different from other regions in this galaxy? Why have several allianced risen and fallen there, and why is there almost constant warfare - if not between alliances, then war within an alliance?

A few days ago, the corporate alliance known as the "New Venal Alliance" was disbanded. Rumours of alliances merging and civil war ran like wildfire through the grapewine. In an attempt to clarify the situation in Venal, the leaders of the two main factions in the old NVA were asked to answer a few questions. What follows is the first of the two interviews.

Jade Constantine is the CEO of Jericho Fraction, and known to all who pay attention to current events. She has been in Venal for quite some time now, serving as the mouthpiece of at least two alliances (the NVA among them). But now the NVA has been split up, and the new majority wants her, and by extension her corporation, out of Venal.

Beringe:"Jade, in your own words: What's this all about?"

Jade Constantine: "Ideology. Basically, the vision I had for the NVA was an open space economic community with an open recruitment policy, and active military and democratic system. Within the NVA other factions formed that were against this vision, and wanted a return to the closed-border mineral cartel based organisation of the old VA (Venal Alliance). It is simple pragmatics .. the corps that ejected Jericho from the NVA want to make more money."

Ber.: "And what corporations are primarily behind that action?"

Jade: "Rona, Oberon, CDI and KIA, 3 mining corps and their pvp corp mercs. As far as the CEO of Rona is concerned this is just business and pragmatic decision making."

Ber.: "One of these corps was recruited into the NVA by yourself, I believe. Oberon corp?"

Jade: "All of those corps were. I stood in on the joining of all of them and recruited Oberon, KIA specifically for their qualities."

Ber.: "But now they form an alliance where they state that they specifically wish to exclude you, and by extension, Jericho Fraction. That must make you angry?"

Jade: "Not especially. Remember that [the disbanding of NVA] comes as no surprise. I wrote an article 2 weeks ago about the ways in which the NVA has abandoned the founding principles I helped to define. I can understand how pragmatic flexible ethics drive men like the Venal industrialists, so this kind of betray doesn't make me angry. However, people that pretend to be what they are not do make me angry."

Ber.: "Now, several of the old NVA have already stated that they won't be joining the new alliance. Reikoku, for example. This wasn't a surprise either, then?"

Jade: "No. I have made true friendship with some of the old NVA corps, and some of the CEO's and officers are pure diamonds. extremely honourable and valourous men."

Ber.: "But misguided, in your opinion?"

Jade: "Those that stay are not so much misguided as expressing the true intention to rank profit and stability above reputation. We live in a free society of sorts, and everything is a commodity. Even ones honour."

Ber.: "Indeed. So what happens next? Will there be another civil war in Venal?"

Jade: "Not of my making there won't be. Morkt Drak is precisely correct. "Venal is Cursed" and truth to tell, Jericho Fraction is well out of it. The time has come to focus on new agendas and fresh perspectives and let the Venal corps enjoy the fruits of their decisions in isolation."

Ber.: "Jade, I thank you for your time. Anything you'd like to add?"

Jade: "All i would say is that no-one should look at my example and fear interaction with 0.0 space regional alliances. Though the NVA experiment failed. The future lies on the frontiers of space and not in the protecting arms of concord policed territory. People should never be afraid to try"

Ber.: "Words to live by. Thank you very much and good luck to you."