Two days after a large sov victory in which the Imperium captured one IHUB and reinforced several more in the Karmafleet pocket in Delve, PAPI forces have held the line in the followup battle and prevented the Imperium from flipping any of the reinforced IHUBs. Several hours of fighting in Karmafleet’s SG-CTQ constellation as well as the Imperial capital system of 1DQ1-A resulted in more than 150 billion ISK in losses for the Imperium, with only 60 billion on the PAPI side.
The fight was an opportunity for the Imperium to demonstrate that the previous victory demonstrated a true shift in momentum in the fighting in Delve. It also represented a chance to significantly disrupt PAPI’s efforts to fully pacify the region in preparation for an assault on 1DQ. As it is, the Imperium remains fully on the defensive.
According to Imperium FC Dave Archer, the Imperium brought two HAC fleets–Muninns and Cerbs–against PAPIs Muninns and Eagles. Unfortunately, given the TiDi that developed, the missile-shooting Cerbs proved to be something of a liability. “We had equal numbers of HACs,” said Archer. “But an issue came from the TiDi as it made the Cerbs take longer to apply.” The hacking battle itself was not close. “PAPI steamrolled,” said Archer.
After the sov battle wrapped, the fighting moved to 1DQ where shots were traded over a trapped Imperium Nyx which ultimately died. Despite the loss, Archer is pleased by the Imperium showing overall. “Our numbers in US TZ are constantly growing,” he said. And for both sides in the war, that remains the most important metric.
“Losing a fight, or a timer, or even a Keepstar, doesn’t mean we’re losing the war or giving up,” said Goonswarm fitting director Arrendis. “We’re on the defensive. We’ve been forced into a corner. These things are undeniable. But victory comes only with endurance. Wars in EVE are always won by one thing, and one thing only: Will. The will to outlast the other guy.”
To date, PAPI’s gains do not appear to have had any appreciable impact on the Imperium’s will to keep fighting.
