Tension on the rise... CONCORD warns of troubled times.

With the recent inter-Empire conflicts, reports of widespread banditry and raiding have come flooding in. While exact figures are not published by CONCORD, the total number of ship-kills is expected to increase for the sixth straight month. Sales figures from the major ship-building cartels have also been on the rise, indicating a healthy market for replacement ships.

While the Empires of EVE have not broken out in open warfare, all indications point towards increasing political turmoil ahead. As recently reported, even the outlying regional polities are affected with the withdrawal of Evolution from the Fountain Alliance. As one CONCORD official stated, "These are troubled times, and all pilots should be aware of the dangers of solo travel. Whenever possible, travel in groups of ships offering mutual protection. This is especially important when traversing the 0.0 SecStatus systems in the Outer Regions."