KBP7-G system, Providence region. On the 21st of June, 16:30 EVE Standard Time, Providence Bloc and Northern Coalition. [NC] forces clashed over the Station’s shield timer in the system, leading to Providence Bloc’s defeat in a bloody and chaotic battle.
Providence Bloc brought a 171 pilot Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet and reached the system first. The fleet quickly set up on the station, anchoring Mobile Warp Disruptors (Referred to as ‘Bubbles’) around the station. As it was doing this, a cynosural beacon was lit at a perch above the station, and [NC] forces bridged in, a 100 pilot Loki Strategic Cruiser fleet.
Providence Bloc managed to put an interdiction probe in time between the station and the [NC] fleet, thus forcing it to re-position on a different perch before attempting to land on the Providence Bloc fleet. By that time though, the bubbles were online, and the [NC] force was dragged by them quite a distance from the Providence Bloc fleet.
The Providence Bloc fleet quickly anchored on the station, orbiting it at zero. This was done as a precaution against Bombers, as both [NC] and Bombers Bar have been quite active with their Stealth Bomber wings in the past. With [NC] landing in the bubbles, Providence Bloc deployed sentry drones and the two forces engaged each other.
The fighting itself proved to be fierce, with both sides exchanging losses as the two fleets brawled each other at close range.
Early in the battle, Providence Bloc managed to destroy the Logistics anchor for [NC], which led to its Logistics being disorganized and too far from the main fleet. This was taken advantage of by Providence Bloc, focusing its firepower on the Strategic Cruisers. One by one Lokis and Legions were volleyed off by the Providence Bloc sentry drones, the [NC] fleet suffering several losses before their Logistics could catch up.
However, for each Strategic Cruiser Providence Bloc took down, it lost a few Ishtars. As [NC] bridged in reinforcements and the damage output of the fleet dwindled due to decreasing numbers, it became apparent it was time to retreat.
The Providence Bloc ships quickly burnt out of the bubbles and warped to the XHQ-7V gate, jumping out and re-grouping on the other side. [NC] for its part refused to give chase, choosing instead to bring in 25 Super Carriers to push the station into its second reinforcement timer.
Having lost the strategic objective, Providence Bloc performed an orderly retreat, reaching its staging system unmolested. There, its fleet disbanded. Once the station was reinforced again, [NC] safely extracted its forces form the system, putting an end to large scale hostilities in region.
The Battle from Northern Coalition.’s PoV
Battle report for the KBP7-G system can be found here.
All told, the system held less than 300 pilots at the peak of the fighting, with Time Dilation noted, but having no impact on the fighting. From start to end, the battle lasted nearly 20 minutes.
Providence Bloc lost 96 ships, 54 of which were Ishtars, for a total of 14.9 Bil ISK damage. [NC] lost 14 ships, 9 of which were Strategic Cruisers, for a total of 6 Bil ISK damage.
Providence Bloc lost both the field and the strategic objective, with KBP7-G seemingly poised to fall to [NC]’s hands in a few days. Whether Providence Bloc is able to snatch a last minute victory or suffer another painful defeat, remains to be seen.
Salivan Harddin writes for The EVE Scribe, Providence Bloc’s News Portal. When he isn’t busy writing articles, he usually tries in vain to find DED complexs.
