by Vesper Naskingar, Angel Cartel / Serpentis correspondent

As per tradition, the YC 114 Impetus Annual Holoreel Convention distributes t-shirts to its attendees, which are highly sought after by collectors and fashionistas alike. Due to their limited availability being far lower than market demand, and the subsequent high prices making them only affordable to even the richer kind of capsuleers, producers of counterfeit goods see their trade booming as nearly perfect copies are released onto the market at prices even non-capsuleers can afford.

Now five weeks since the convention, the firsts of these imitations have begun to appear on the black market, and thus shipments turned up on Angel Cartel operated stations within the Curse region. However, an unforeseen order by the Dominations meant they never ‘hit the streets’. Last night, in a massive coordinated raid on five main warehouses, billions worth of dupes were seized and sprayed with cloth-dissolving nanites, making what is left of the products unable to be sold. Warehouse owners were then advised to clean up the mess at once and that further action would be taken should new shipments be found in their possession, or that of anyone on board any Angel Cartel property.

People are puzzled by this decision, as the Cartel tends to operate under “all business is good business”. What is even more surprising is that the Serpentis have promptly declared their support of these actions, and say they will respond similarly if these goods are found on their stations. As last year’s fakes were not met with a similar fate, speculation is rife about just what is at the source of this decision, the most popular theory being that the Cartel and Serpentis must have an interest in keeping the prices of the originals as high as possible. Dominations officials however state that the YC 114 Impetus Annual Holoreel Convention is one of the few good things coming from the Empires and thus should be met with greater respect. What the precise impact of this blockade will be on the rest of the black market sales, or even on the originals, is unclear at present. However, as the Cartel and Serpentis are two major players in illegal logistics, it is suspected that the distribution of the counterfeit shirts will be hindered by it.