Re: SOE ships. Interestingly, the high-res shot of the Nestor
here points at the ring as 'ZG technology.' However, my guess is that's an artist's random note, and not from the lore gurus. Given that ZG is listed as a habitat producer, it definitely makes a lot more sense that Propel Dynamics is the one responsible for the novel warp system-- especially seeing as the name is plastered in a bunch of places on the Stratios, while the ZG logo is much more thin on the ground.
Re: Oiritsuu, Chigurh, and Keyser Soze. Chigurh and Keyser Soze are amazing! But they're mostly intended as foils for the protagonist, sort of a force-of-nature antagonist whose existence provides the driving force of the plot without necessarily providing a dynamic or human antagonist. Oiritsuu-- and I say this having read Wild Earth, Templar One, and the Empyrean Age --is painted as a sadistic genius whose plans span years and entrap lesser mortals. The thing is-- well. She just comes across as this notion of a sadistic genius, a shell of grimdark character whose macabre tendencies serve as a vehicle for TonyG's painful attempts at lurid, provocative prose. This is probably more my reaction to TonyG's writing than the idea of Oiritsuu as a character, though.
Really, I'm just hoping that the current slowdown of in-game news is because Eterne & Co are busy writing the EVE Source book.