Militia Battle Joined by Northern Coalition Capital Fleet

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Militia Battle Joined by Northern Coalition Capital Fleet
11 July 2009, 9:52 pm



Taff,  Metropolis - A fresh large-scale engagement between Amarr and  Minmatar-led militia fleets took place in the Taff system early this week, and  was ended by the intervention of a large capital fleet from several null sec alliances dubbed the "Northern Coalition."

Precipitating the  conflict some hours before, elements of the 24th Imperial Crusade attacked and reinforced a control tower belonging to known Tribal Liberation Force corporation Dark-Rising. "Credit needs to go to Garst Tyrell of PIE for his part in organising the operation," said PIE Inc. Director Rodj Blake during an interview.

After the  reinforced tower burned through much of its strontium, the Imperial Crusade  fleet returned with battleships and carrier support to destroy the installation. "The fleet decided to move in before the tower came out of reinforced mode  because advanced scouts had reported that a Minmatar fleet may have been forming  up," said Admiral Blake, "...we wanted some time to remove any defences before the  strontium ran out."

With every  intention to defend the tower from the Amarr fleet, Dark-Rising and allies had  deployed both ships and sentry gunners. The Minmatar gunners were to prove  decisive in this first engagement, with Dark-Rising claiming at least thirteen  battleship kills.

These losses were  not the only pressing concern to the Amarr fleet. The arrival of Matari and some  Gallente militia reinforcements began to turn the odds in the defenders' favour,  as well as the presence of pilots from the former KenZoku corporation, Reikoku, who intend to integrate with and formally join the Tribal Liberation Force in  the coming days.

"The Dark Rising  gunners were well trained," says Rodj Blake. "The senior members of the fleet  felt that with larger numbers of ships from both sides arriving in the area it  would be prudent to engage the enemy away from the tower." Amarr fleet  commanders opted to disengage and move the fighting elsewhere.

"The Dark-Rising  fleet along with allies from Reikoku, Com-Star, 3P1C F41L, and Gemeinschaft  Interstellarer Soeldner followed the Amarr to the middle station," says Zyck of  Dark-Rising in a GalNet statement on the battle. Fighting resumed, with the  Amarr and their capital support clustered close to the station and the Minmatar  in position some one hundred kilometres away.

"Our group of  battlecruisers and [smaller ships] came in on top of the Dark-Rising snipers,  who were currently engaging our battleship and carrier fleet," recalls Amarr  militia fleet commander Johnny Cruz. "About two minutes into the fight, a 50man  Caldari gang warped and joined our side of the fight."

The arriving  Caldari fleet restacked the ratio of pilots on either side, leaving the Amarr  and Caldari loyalists with the advantage. Reports contrast on the severity of  losses incurred by the combatant fleets, though it is confirmed by both sides  that the combined Imperial Crusade and State Protectorate fleet held the field  and caused the Minmatar and their Gallente allies to withdraw back to their  control tower.

Northern  Coalition Intervene

On arriving back behind friendly sentry gunners at the control tower, the Minmatar militia were  greeted with a cynosural field. Suddenly, a large Northern Coalition capital  fleet with pilots from KIA, RAZOR and Morsus Mihi arrived in the system. According to eyewitnesses, the fleet engaged both the Dark-Rising control tower  and Reikoku capital ships.

In a costly  faux pas, Imperial Crusade pilot Lord Meriak warped his Revelation  class Dreadnought to an Amarr scout investigating the Northern Coalition  presence in system resulting in the loss of his ship and smaller vessels that  came to his aid. "I understand that it was the largest Amarrian ship to be  destroyed," said Rodj Blake regarding the loss. "...the sensible course of action  was to leave NC and the Reikoku and Minmatar fleet to slug it out between  themselves."

The tower and  Reikoku capitals were soon destroyed under the overwhelming firepower of the  Northern Coalition fleet. "At that point the battle was pretty much over," says  Mr. Zyck in his statement, indicating that the Minmatar followed the Amarr  example and abandoned Taff.

When asked if they  could confirm the widely held suspicion that the Northern Coalition fleet's  presence was motivated by a desire to attack Reikoku, several NC pilots refused  to comment. "I'm sure I wouldn't have anything interesting to say," said RAZOR  pilot Cerys Magente, declining to offer anything further.

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