110.01.09Reserve Forms the Fourth District

In a short press conference held via FTL remote today, Reserve spokeswoman CAPT Svetlana Scarlet spoke to reporters for the first time today about the Fourth District capsuleer alliance that was formed by the paramilitary organization a bit more than a week ago. Her statement follows.

"The Reserve has been planning this move for some time now, ever since our return to Pure Blind this fall from Operation Just Redress, and I am proud to finally announce that the Fourth District has finally become a reality. We have formed this alliance in an effort to raise the level of expertise within the Caldari loyalist community with regard to combat operations; for some time now, there have been allied corporations who have wished to benefit from our experience and expertise, but because of the diplomatic and political realities, that has often been difficult.

"It has taken us nearly three years to get to this point, and the road has not been easy. Twice before, there have been false starts, attempts to unite the Caldari capsuleer community under one banner, and both have failed. We believe that this strategy was one doomed to failure in the first place. The Caldari State is not beholden to a single megacorporation, after all, but to a group of widely disparate ones. The Fourth District will serve as a place for those who wish to learn our distinct style of service, and we hope to maintain relations with other Caldari corporations and alliances, but our alliance will not be for everyone and we understand that perfectly.

"There are many people and organizations that we would like to thank for getting us to this point. First, I must thank Yukito Ume and Ume Logistics for their assistance in dealing with the bureaucratic paperwork necessary for the formation of this alliance. We must also thank our allies in the Pure Blind region, for the respect and support they have given us, and earned from us. In addition, our allies in the Amarr Empire must be thanked for the expertise they have helped cultivate within our ranks over numerous combined operations these last few years.

"Most of all, however, we must thank the State, its corporations, and its people for the support we have received over our time in space. It is for them that we fight, and for them that this alliance has been formed. It will be our honor to continue to serve the State and to encourage others to follow our example.

"I have been asked, 'what does the Fourth District mean?'

"People think, and perhaps not unjustifiably so, that it is an expression of Caldari territorial ambition. After all, not that long ago, the State did hope to have a fourth district in the place we often call home, the Pure Blind region. Is this a declaration that the Fourth District will be to the State what the Curatores Veritatis Alliance's Providence region is to the Empire?

"The answer is a plain and simple no; the State and the Empire are entirely different beasts, so to speak. What it is, first and foremost, is a call to the frontier spirit of our ancestors; those men and women who first survived the harsh climate of our homeworld, built the great Raata Empire and then looked to the stars, finding our own destiny out from under the thumb of Federation bureaucracy. Those who have pioneered new science and technology, been at the forefront of nearly every field of research, and forged new trails in business. We Caldari are a people who look to the future.

"The Fourth District is also a reminder of the past; a call to remember the sacrifice that many Caldari have been asked to make in order to secure that future for our people. Whether it is a great individual like Admiral Tovil-Toba, or the collective sacrifice of millions, as with those who died on Caldari Prime, a great future never comes without a price. The Fourth District is a symbol that they are still with the Caldari and the State even though they have passed into memory. We honor their memory with the name.

"Finally, the Fourth District is also a recognition of the present. Some pod pilots claim that we are no longer beholden to nations or governments, that we are above all those 'petty' concerns. They say that they are useless to those of us of the capsuleer class, that we are something entirely different. It may be true that our status makes us a rare and unusual commodity in the cluster today, and that we as individuals hold more power than the vast majority of other people in the cluster. That is not only a position of privilege, however, it is a position of responsibility and a debt that we owe to all that have worked to make this possible. Pod technology did not come to the State to create a new exalted class, it came to the State to preserve our nation in the face of great opposition. The Fourth District is a recognition that even though we may be set apart from the rest of the State, we are still serve its best interests and work to preserve its security, sanctity, and sovereignty.

"That is what the Fourth District is. Not a declaration of future conquests, but a intimate intertwining of our fates with those of our homeland and its people. A recognition of the fact that where we are and where we are going did not form out of whole cloth, but that it is built on thousands of years of history, struggle, and sacrifice, a debt that we must honor if we are to live honestly. It is the essence of the Caldari spirit. It is a place in the heart of every man and woman that serves.

"That is all for now. In the coming days and weeks, I expect to have more information for you regarding various details of the alliance and the other corporations we will be bringing under the Fourth District umbrella, but until negotiations on that front are complete, any further statements would be premature. Questions, as always, may be directed to the Reserve Diplomatic Office."