DED General Praises Capsuleer Efforts Against Serpentis Forces

YULAI - The Directive Enforcement Department have given their first official statement on capsuleer involvement in the eradication of Serpentis research and manufacturing sites during a press conference in Yulai today.

The address to the interstellar press began as an update on the DED's assessment of the Serpentis Corporation's military capability, after the revelation that the pirate organization has been secretly working on its own breed of capital class vessels in recent months. During the statement, DED Brigadier General Odo Korachi, commander of CONCORD's Genesis Fleet, referred to the Serpentis Corporation's capital ship development program as "a clear and present danger to interstellar security" and "a significant risk to both the Federation and Republic's established and recognized borders".

The statement, which came after the General concluded a briefing with CONCORD's Inner Circle, confirmed rumors that the Serpentis Corporation and Angel Cartel's threat assessment rating has been upgraded to "Significant", one threat level below that of Sansha's Nation. The move comes after the gathering of intelligence which has now confirmed sightings of several capital class vessels bearing the colors of the Serpentis Corporation.

When questioned about capsuleer involvement in attacks on Serpentis Corporation installations, General Korachi, who is considered by many to have a dislike of independent capsuleers after placing bounties on several individuals last year, responded with praise, saying that "capsuleers across the cluster have proven their effectiveness in assisting with the reduction of threat over the course of the last few weeks" before adding that "the DED offer our most sincere thanks to all capsuleers who have contributed to this effort through contracts brokered by the Scope Network, and we hope to see more of the same from independent pilots who wish to assist."

After being further questioned on the nature of the rewards that will be issued to capsuleers who do assist, General Korachi indicated that "compensation for efforts to eradicate or disable Serpentis Corporation assets are a matter that should be discussed between the Scope Network and those who accept contracts" and confirmed that "the DED offers no guidance or regulation on the issue of rewards outside standard legal restrictions."

It is expected that the continued increase in private military contracting will continue in the coming weeks as more independent capsuleers flock to earn sizeable rewards from the Scope Network.