The Loss of A Capsuleer

2019-01-30

Header Art by Major Sniper

On December 28, Luke Batters died in a serious motorcycle accident. He was nineteen years old.

Luke was also known as Diana Sarain, and he was a six-year veteran of EVE Online. His corporate history included a number of groups, and he experienced a wide range of cultures in his years playing. Luke was a person who started out in nullsec within Brave Newbies, moved into Provi-Bloc, and finally ended up in Volition Cult, an alliance who for various reasons finally widotted into Goonswarm.

Luke was introduced to EVE in 2012 by his father, who plays the character of Ashade Grey, another member of Volition Cult. Ashade is well known within the Imperium as a very relaxed person, a respected logistics pilot, and as an individual willing to befriend anyone and help people if he can.

When Ashade informed our community of his son’s passing, he posted a hugely touching eulogy to the Goonfleet forums. In that eulogy, he talked about how his life would never be the same; Ashade commented that Luke “was not the first, he was not space-famous, but he was [Ashade’s] son”. He also felt that “as a mourning father, the only solace [he has] is that Luke touched the lives of so many others”.

Paying Our Respects

Luke was remembered in a number of ways across our community. Not only was he eulogised on goonfleet.com, but there were also reddit and facebook posts, as well as an absolutely fantastic youtube video. His father Ashade even sourced an Aeon supercarrier to be used as a commemoratory sacrifice for his fallen son.

The Aeon in question was always intended to die – after all, what better way to hold a wake for our fallen comrades than to sacrifice one of the more expensive ships available in this game we all come together to play? When it comes to the manner of its death, the Aeon was killed by 385 of Luke and Ashade’s closest comrades on the evening of January 27.

The Initiative went above and beyond, as they often do – forming a bookmarked ring around the Keepstar in 1DQ1-A with their fleet of Augorors. Their Augorors lit cynos, created a spider-tanking circle around the 1DQ1 Keepstar, and really demonstrated how INIT can simply be better than most other groups when it comes to doing things in space. An album of images from this wake can be found here.

Memorialising Our Fallen

In his Talking In Stations show on December 30, 2018, Matterall commented about the GoFundMe page for funerary and other expenses associated with Luke’s tragic death. This commentary recognised that the GoFundMe was fully funded within 3 hours of its posting, and likely relied upon a lot of the Batters’ real-life friends and acquaintances. However, Matterall also recognised that the support for the GoFundMe “recognised what EVE is all about, and that is the supportive community”.

In this, Matterall was absolutely correct. It is impossible for us to know how much of that fundraising was a part of our EVE community, and it cannot be denied that Luke has had or will receive the real-life send off he deserved. But EVE Online is all about our community, and how we come together in the face of adversity.

Interestingly, our wider community has never shied away from the more difficult aspects of life. Losing a comrade, friend, or family member is inevitable, and we all know this. The cemetery in Molea at Planet II – Moon 1 has existed in one way or another for more than a decade now, and serves as a virtual final resting place for players who have fallen along the way, or even as a record within our universe of people who have never entered it – the friends and family whose only association with EVE is through members of our community.

We have even gone so far as to create a poem, often quoted at times when fellow players pass away. The poem is almost a prayer, a final benediction, and it is intended to provide comfort when we need it most. So I shall leave you with a line from this poem, and continue to marvel at the solidarity of our community.

Pay attention, capsuleer, for those who have gone before you call for you to join them.

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Comments

  • Deni'z von Meanace

    RIP Young Man.

    January 30, 2019 at 7:37 AM
  • Nick Ashley

    How cool of you guys to use your site to monetize this child’s passing. I was crying while I read it then I realized you made me cry just to sell ads for weight loss drugs. Good show.

    January 30, 2019 at 8:02 AM
    • Nick Ashley Nick Ashley

      A real respectable news publication doesn’t put advertising on the obituaries. FYI

      January 30, 2019 at 8:04 AM
      • I only tried NYT and CNN but both of their obit pages had big banner ads at the top.

        January 30, 2019 at 2:52 PM
      • Vertigoe Nick Ashley

        Just admit you are an idiot and please delete your accounts

        January 30, 2019 at 10:35 PM
        • Nick Ashley Vertigoe

          I’m just glad when I die nobody will put foot cream ads in the middle of my euology.

          January 31, 2019 at 1:38 PM
          • J Moravia Nick Ashley

            If the purpose of a eulogy is to remember how a person lived, yours will most likely be a bunch of monkeys screaming incoherently and hurling feces.

            (You should be using Adblock.)

            January 31, 2019 at 3:24 PM
          • Guilford Australis Nick Ashley

            I was thinking hemorrhoid cream ads would be more appropriate for you.

            January 31, 2019 at 3:57 PM
      • Frans Bovens Nick Ashley

        A respectable person would look beyond the add and feel the debate over adds is less important then the death or a persons son. Also the person would know how repeated defending would make him look and represend him as a person, mirroring his inner self. How would you feel when your mother or father pass away and someone starts a debate over an add in the same paper or anythin else of topic. I thought long about not replying too your comments. However to show ashade and others the world has different kind of people in it, onces who think how their actions impact others. If anything it shows your cynical look on life, which reflects more on you then inn.

        February 1, 2019 at 5:40 AM
    • J Moravia Nick Ashley

      That’s sad alright, but not nearly as sad as a guy who hijacks an article about someone losing a son to whine about himself.

      Who doesn’t use Adblock Plus in the Year of Our Lord 2019?

      January 30, 2019 at 11:19 AM
      • Nick Ashley J Moravia

        I mean this site is still monetizing an obituary so I’ll stay in my moral high ground.

        January 31, 2019 at 1:36 PM
        • Guilford Australis Nick Ashley

          “Moral high ground,” says the arch-troll. I pointed out the irony in your comments once before. Allow me to do so again.

          I hope you get to a place where you can achieve some balance in your life. Hijacking articles on the internet to assert moral superiority to others is… very unhealthy. Help is available if you find that you’re unable to correct this behavior.

          January 31, 2019 at 2:34 PM
    • Guilford Australis Nick Ashley

      And now you’ve turned an article about the untimely passing of one of our companions into your own private grievance-dump while complaining about lack of respect for the departed. Irony?

      January 30, 2019 at 12:46 PM
      • Nick Ashley Guilford Australis

        It’s not a private grievance. Using an obituary to shill weight loss drugs and other bullshit affiliate links is really low.

        January 31, 2019 at 1:37 PM
  • Lrrp

    As a father I can only imagine the pain Ashade must be going thru….nor I hope never have to. May Luke rest in peace and God bless.

    January 30, 2019 at 9:41 AM
  • J Moravia

    Fair winds and following seas, Luke.

    January 30, 2019 at 11:28 AM
  • Menaiya

    No parent should ever have to bury their child. My sympathy and condolences to your family.

    January 30, 2019 at 11:40 AM
  • Super Duper

    *An album of images from this wake can be found here.*

    There is no link, please provide it if possible.

    January 30, 2019 at 12:05 PM
    • Arrendis Super Duper

      That’s been fixed.

      January 30, 2019 at 3:57 PM
  • Guilford Australis

    Farewell, Luke. You are not forgotten.

    Our thoughts remain with you, Ashade. Thank you for allowing us an opportunity to honor your son.

    January 30, 2019 at 12:54 PM
    • Ashade Grey Guilford Australis

      My eternal gratitude to everyone that turned up, it was truly monumental.

      January 30, 2019 at 5:22 PM
  • Ashade Grey

    Nice article Dirk, and much appreciated

    January 30, 2019 at 5:21 PM
    • Peace to Luke, he will not be forgotten.
      Condolences Ashade. A lot of us grown men burst into tears over your loss.

      January 30, 2019 at 5:26 PM
  • joe bloggs

    deepest sympathy and condolences to you and your family Ashade, i have 6 kids and i cannot begin to imagine what you guys are experiencing at this time. god bless to you all.

    February 4, 2019 at 2:11 AM