Special Battleships

Capsuleers were given independent licenses 16 years ago and the YC121 celebrations mark this latest anniversary of the dawn of the Capsuleer Age and the opening up of New Eden's frontiers by immortal space pilots. Capsuleer Day XVI is a moment of celebration for "The Elite" pilots who are all capsuleers across New Eden.

The Capsuleers are considered an elite group across New Eden and this gilded nanocoating marks that status on Capsuleer Day XV. The YC120 celebrations are the 15th anniversary of the dawn of the Capsuleer Age and the opening up of New Eden's frontiers by immortal clone space pilots. Capsuleer Day XV is a moment for celebration of "The Elite" across New Eden.

Display your attendance at the SoCT's annual capsuleer gathering with this celebratory nanocoating. In the 15th anniversary year of the dawn of the Capsuleer Age, the SoCT chose to host the gathering at its new diplomatic facility, across the bay from Concord City, on the surface of Yulai III. The Society of Conscious Thought encourages graduates of its elite education programs to network with one another and has established many cohorts of former students throughout New Eden. As the SoCT takes a somewhat tutelary view of capsuleers as a class, the Society also encourages movers and shakers among the capsuleers to network with one another for the advancement of humanity in New Eden.

In the early era of spaceship combat, various forms of optical camouflage and confusion were experimented with in order to gain even the slightest tactical edge. It was rapidly concluded that such gambits made little to no difference, particularly with the sophistication and number of electromagnetic and gravimetric sensors involved. Despite the improbability of any significant effect, Genolution's capsuleer performance researchers are investigating the psychological factors that may come into play with the use of such a "dazzle" camouflage scheme. The patterns they are researching are supposedly even older than the early days of spaceships, with a lineage stretching back to ancient naval warship combat. It is not clear the scheme was particularly effective even in those days.

The Society of Conscious Thought was among several groups that took a keen interest in the discovery of trace amounts of chromodynamic tricarboxyls in ice and vapor clouds associated with the formation of the so-called "ice dwarf" planets in certain star systems. The SoCT's investigators were apparently keen to understand the processes by which the valuable material could be extracted and refined in useful quantities from the wisps of icy vapor cloaking the icy dwarf planets. As with much SoCT technology and associated equipment, the icecloud nanocoating was released into the hands of capsuleers, perhaps if only to see what they would do with it.

This special issue nanocoating commemorates a famed kitz of the Society of Conscious Thought known for producing daring explorers and formidable warriors. As is often the way of the SoCT kitzes, the ancient Tercio Rojo kitz evolved in directions away from warfare and exploration, eventually shifting to a new name along with its new focus on other areas of education and training. The traditions of the kitz live on in various splinter kitzes and those few older institutions that took in Tercio Rojo explorers and philosopher warriors wishing to continue along their chosen path.