7MD-S1 system, Catch region. On the 17th of October, Providence Bloc forces captured the system, which was conquered by HERO Coalition at the beginning of the conflict, continuing their streak of victories from S25C-K.
At 19:00 EVE Standard time, Providence Bloc formed an Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet and reinforced HERO Coalition infrastructure throughout the Northern Catch region. At 21:30 the fleet re-shipped, to a Tengu Strategic Cruiser fleet, around a hundred and seventy pilot strong. The plan was to attempt and pin down HERO Coalition forces in the T-RPFU system in Providence, who were en-route to defend the Infrastructure Hub in the 7MD-S1 system, which was coming out of its final reinforcement timer.
HERO Coalition on its part, had a hundred and twenty pilot Eagle Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, and managed to enter the 7MD-S1 system seconds before Providence Bloc forces could intercept it. A chase was on, as the HERO Coalition forces declined to engage the numerically superior Providence Bloc fleet. However, jumping into the ERVK-P system, they found Pandemic Legion forces awaiting them, in a sixty-six pilot mixed Proteus\Legion Strategic Cruiser fleet.
Forced between a rock and a hard place, HERO Coalition chose to engage the Providence Bloc force in 7MD-S1. They managed to warp to a perch on the T-RPFU gate, then to a sniping position on the Providence Bloc force. However, the Tengus were able to cope with the distance and HERO Coalition started losing Logistics ships at a rate of four a minute. With much of their Logistics wing annihilated, and Pandemic Legion entering the system, HERO Coalition chose to disengage, freeing Providence Bloc to attend to the Infrastructure Hub.
While shooting the Infrastructure Hub, reports came of HERO Coalition attempts to leave the system. Providence Bloc decided to chase them, and warped to the ERVK-P gate, at the same time Pandemic Legion did. A few tense seconds passed before the two forces decided to jump and tackle the HERO Coalition fleet. An intense fight ensued on the 7MD-S1 gate as both fleets focused fire on the HERO Coalition Eagles, who died one after the other before the remnants could clear the warp interdiction probe fields and flee.
Fixed Battle Report for the ERVK-P system can be found here.
While this was going on, a Cynosural beacon went up in 7MD-S1 and a Pandemic Legion Mothership squadron jumped into the system. It quickly destroyed both the Infrastructure Hub and the Territorial Claim Unit before leaving as abruptly as it came.
With Pandemic Legion forces extracting, Providence Bloc was free to take possession of the system, yet another intrusion came, in the form of a CFC Hawk Assault Frigate fleet, some sixty pilot large. The fleet curiously decided to engage Providence Bloc on their Tower. A quick one sided battle developed, with the Hawk fleet being obliterated by the Providence Bloc Tengu fleet, with only one Griffin Frigate kill as their sole consolation prize.
After this last disturbance, Providence Bloc forces managed to take down their Sovereignty Blockade Units and online their own Territorial Claim Unit, under the flag of Evictus.
Fixed Battle Report for the 7MD-S1 system can be found here.
In total, one hundred and twenty-four ships were destroyed in both engagements, with HERO Coalition suffering the brunt of the losses, followed closely by CFC. Nearly ten billion ISK in damages was incurred.
This marks the second system to be re-captured by Providence Bloc, as S25C-K was re-taken only a week before, though mostly due to HERO Coalition’s reluctance to form up and defend it, due to continued third party intervention.
In a message to HERO Coalition, corebloodbrothers, one of the lead fleet commanders for Providence Bloc, promises that the war will not end before ERVK-P system returns to Providence Bloc’s hand.
With this, the tide of the war is certainly in favor of Providence Bloc, the question is, will it stay this way, or will it once again change?
Special thanks to corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult and vyshnegradsky, of Pentag Blade, Curatores Veritatis Alliance for supplying interviews, as well as Tristan Enkura, of Terra Nanotech, Yulai Federation for the youtube video.