Merdaneth
Amarr
PIE Inc.
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Posted - 2009.12.06 16:50:00 -
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Edited by: Merdaneth on 06/12/2009 17:12:55
Opening a second front
Nearly ten days ago State forces invaded upper Metropolis and started an assault on the Eugidi, Tiat and Angils constellations, opening up a second front in the war between the Empire and the Republic.
Rather than sending conventional battlegroups into the warzone, the State forces operate small and fast scout ships who's only task was to analyze the Republic Fleet defense network for weaknesses.
This tactic is not novel as the Tribal Liberation Force have long employed their own Vigil-class ships in a similar role: gathering intelligence about Amarr defensive installations of all sizes while avoiding hostilities. Until today the presence of missile fire and target painting at Republic Installations made it impossible for 24th Crusade pilots to use this tactic.
Special operatives
However, in this assault State scout vessels were flown by special operatives who possessed good contacts with the Republic military. This allowed them to convince Republic forces to hold fire while they surveyed the area.
This left the defense of the Republic areas only to the pod pilots of the Tribal Liberation Front. However, while some 24th Crusade paramilitary organization supported the Metropolis invasion, PIE and many other Crusaders remained focused on Heimatar, fighting for every AU around the nexus system of Auga and defending Empire space from hostile incursions.
TLF torn
Torn between two fronts, effectiveness of TLF forces dropped, and Electus Matari stepped in to aid the beleaguered forces in upper Heimatar. However EM and TLF sorties were often foiled by State forces quickly pulling out their light scouts and fielding heavier strike vessels in response.
Another important role was played by the traditional weakness of TLF forces right after daily prayer time. The Amarrian perseverance and dedication to immediately take to the field right after prayer time has been instrumental in the reclamation of many systems, largely offsetting the TLF advantage of being able to scout installations with just one light ship.
State forces adding their own ships during this time made it impossible for the Matari defenders to rouse enough pilots to mount an effective defense and after a few days Caldari intelligence officers reported that many of the codes to the defense network protecting the system bunkers in upper Heimatar were nearly decrypted, setting them up for an assault by conventional means.
The fall
Today the first code was cracked and within 20 minutes a large Amarr fleet gathered in Isbrabata to unleash a purifying rain of laser fire on the bunker. The system fell to 24th Crusade forces without any opposition from the TLF shortly after prayer time. In the next few hours the codes to the Aset and Egmar defensive networks were broken too and Crusade fleets moved in and breached the bunkers, again without so much as a token resistance from TLF forces.
The use of special operatives combined with the lack of resistance during the bunker attack means that these systems fell with only minimal loss of life. Only during a few brief skirmishes earlier this week were some lives lost in the fight for Isbrabata, Aset and Egmar, but in comparison to the brutal back-and-forth struggle in the Bleak Lands and Heimatar the loss of life and damage to the infrastructure is insignificant, enabling a relatively peaceful transition.
The Amarr Empire welcomes the people of Isbrabata, Aset and Egmar back into her womb. The enemies of the Empire can rest assured that we will continue our struggle to remove Tyrant Shakor and the threat of the Republic traitors. God willing more systems will fall quickly and with as minimal loss of life as today. The reclaiming continues!
"Run and you shall be crushed.
Stand and you shall fall.
Kneel and you shall be saved."
- Emperor Arrach Sarum. CE 21423
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