The Stage
On March 19, just after 22:30 EVE time, a nearly hour and a half-long battle began, shocking three systems across Fade and Pure Blind. The Imperium formed as many members as they could to defend the freeport timer for the station in C8-CHY and engaged the enemy a few jumps over in U-INPD.
Pandemic Legion – Allied Front Established in Imperium Lands
The Fight
With a massive Imperium Machariel fleet set up to fight, the enemy Proteus fleet jumped right in and Imperium FCs began calling targets. One after another, the enemy logistics and strategic cruisers fell, but not without taking down many Imperium Machariels in the process. In the first few minutes of the fight, the Imperium was trading up to five of their faction battleships or logistics for every two to three of the enemy’s ships.
Shortly after, the tradeoff pattern changed drastically in the enemy’s favor. No longer was the Imperium trading five losses for two or three kills. It was going to get much worse before it got better. Enemy Gilas hit the field, putting ridiculous pressure on the Imperium logistics as the Proteus fleet punched out Imperium Machariels. To add more to pressure on logistics and other support, Voltron began launching heavy missiles at the friendly fleet with their Cerberus gang.
The call was made to bring in the Imperium’s hammer. Dozens and dozens of titans, supercarriers and capital ships were jumped into the fray. Imperium fleet commanders began running reinforcements to the brawl, causing the Proteus fleet to flee into the next system over, DO6H-Q. The enemy Proteus group would not go far, as an Imperium Hurricane fleet was on the other side and anchored up to fight. The brawl went for another round with the Imperium fleets ripping into the enemy logistics and strategic cruisers. Now losing much more than they can handle and not able to maintain repairs on their dying fleet, the enemy fled to P-33KR. Trapped in P-33KR, the enemy fleet had no other choice but to wait out their timers and well… log off. While in P-33KR, blue fleets all but demolished a Pandemic Horde Svipul fleet; however, Pandemic Horde’s loss was not without victory.
The Last Laugh
Pandemic Horde would have it, the last laugh that is. While the wild west-style shootout was happening several systems over, PH completely ran through the command nodes needed to push the C8-CHY station into freeport mode, allowing the Secure Commerce Commision to take hold of the station.
The Cost
The Imperium brought nearly 770 pilots to the fight and lost just over 45B ISK, while destroying over 48B ISK of the enemy’s ships. The combined and outnumbered enemy fleet of just 480 members took the strategic objective while still holding a near-even ISK war.
After the battle took place, the Imperium took back the station in C8-CHY as of March 21, 00:15 EVE time.
