Nisuwa system, Black Rise region. In the early hours of the 5th of December, Imperium forces clashed with Snuffed Out [B B C] and Psychotic Tendencies. [TISHU] forces over several towers in the system.
Continuing their assault on the infrastructure of low security space entities, Imperium forces reinforced several towers belonging to Snuffed Out in the Nisuwa system. The towers were set to exit reinforcement mode near midnight on the 4th of December. To destroy them, the Imperium mustered a Tengu strategic cruiser fleet with an electronic warfare support fleet (Known also as a “Fuck You Fleet” or FYF for short) as well as a Drake battlecruiser fleet supplied by SpaceMonkey’s Alliance [SMA]. A friendly armor battleship fleet with triage carrier support comprised of local residents such as Ginnungagap [-GAP-] also linked up with Imperium forces, swelling its ranks to nearly 350 pilots.
Against this, Snuffed Out and Psychotic Tendencies. assembled a joint fleet of 130 pilots in Machariel battleships with triage carrier support. The force traveled to the Nisuwa system while Imperium forces were busy destroying two of the three reinforced towers in it. However, with their scouts reporting on the approaching Machariel fleet, Imperium forces quickly re-positioned their fleets and set up on the Oinasiken gate in the system, the only point of entry possible for the joint Machariel fleet.
The armor battleship fleet with its carriers set up near the gate while the Tengu fleet maintained a distance of approximately 50 kilometers from it and the FYF fleet a bit further away. The Drake fleet itself was not present at the start and was still traveling to the system. With little hesitation, the Machariel fleet jumped in, quickly anchored up and started the engagement on the Oinasiken gate.
Though outnumbered and possibly outgunned, the Mahcariel fleet quickly opened fire, its first target the FYF fleet. With its electronic warfare capabilities the fleet presented a clear danger to the logistics wing of the Machariel fleet and had to be destroyed. Free fire was ordered as Machariel artillery cannons fired salvo after salvo into the ranks of the FYF Celestis cruisers. In rapid succession many of the FYF ships were destroyed, forcing the fleet to quickly disengage.
With one threat gone, the Machariel fleet changed its focus to the armor battleship fleet. It had many energy neutralizing battleships that presented a threat to the logistics wing of the Machariel fleet, specifically its triage carriers and had to be destroyed. The call was made to change the guns on the Machariels from artillery to auto-cannons and the fleet quickly re-fit on the Nestor battleships present. Now they were wielding 800mm auto-cannons which dramatically increased their damage and tracking at close range.
Slowly, the job of breaking the triage carriers of the hostile battleship fleet was carried out by the Machariels, switching at times to the other battleships and the few dreadnoughts present which were brought to fight them. Auto-cannons fired furiously at the resisting hulls of the Archon carriers who slowly but surely succumbed to the oncoming fire.
The murderous exchange continued as the Imperium’s Tengu fleet continued to rain missiles on the Machariels’ triage carriers. As the capitals for Ginnungagap were destroyed, so too did two of the Machariel fleet’s triage carriers, the third managing to exit triage mode and receive remote repairs from the Guardian logistics cruisers which kept it alive in spite of the Imperium’s missile barrages.
At this point the Imperium gained reinforcements in the form of the SpaceMonkay’s Alliance Drake fleet which jumped straight into the action. As it anchored up, the Drakes found themselves at a perilous distance from the Machariels which wasted no time in switching targets. Auto-cannons rounds bore into the battlecruiser hulls which were simply turn by the impact, unable to tank. In rapid succession Drakes were annihilated as they attempted to pull range and engage the Machariel fleet.
By now the pressure on the logistics wing of the Machariel fleet was immense. Guardians were simply volleyed by the relentless missile swarms fired at them from the Tengus and Drakes present. Needing to relieve this pressure, a call to re-fit was once more heard and the Machariels changed back to their artillery cannons. The focus this time was the Tengus and any electronic warfare ship present. A race was on to see who would break first; The Joint fleet’s logistics wing or the Imperium’s main fleet.
Barrage after barrage of artillery fire was hurled at the Tengus, most of them unable to withstand it and simply evaporated while a hail of missiles was returned with no less violence, taking down Guardians but at a much slower pace. As this furious exchange was going on, Northern Coalition. [NC] forces arrived to the system as well, slipping through unnoticed.
Northern Coalition. brought a Machariel fleet of its own, numbering only 20 pilots. The fleet sat at long range from the Imperium fleets and started hammering their logistics wing, lending help to the joint Machariel fleet fighting on the gate itself.
After losing a substantial amount of Tengus, Imperium forces quickly retreated, leaving their allied battleship fleet to fend for itself. Against the full might of the joint Machariel fleet it stood little chance. Battleships and capitals were quickly overwhelmed by wrecking hits fired by the Machariels’ artillery cannons at near point blank range.
With the last of the Imperium allies forced to retreat, the joint fleet found itself in control of the gate grid. However this respite proved all too short as Imperium forces brought reinforcements, its Drake and Tengu fleets warping back at close range while its FYF fleet remaining at maximum range.
Once more, missiles and artillery shells flew between the two sides. The race was on once more to see who would break first as Tengus and Guardians were obliterated with much force. The allied battleship fleet also returned, putting more pressure on the joint Machariel fleet which by now was hammered hard on all sides. The last triage Archon it had was also dispatched and its logistics wing nearly spent.
And yet, it seems the continued fighting and losses sustained by the Imperium had their toll. With their fleets tattered, their logistics wings battered and their allies’ capitals mostly annihilated, Imperium forces gave the order to retreat. The joint Machariel fleet was too exhausted and bloodied to attempt and pursue the fleeing fleets, instead focusing on the small Shadow Cartel [SHDWC] Tengu fleet which hovered over the battlefield. After losing one Tengu to the Machariel fleet it got the message and left as well, allowing Snuffed Out and Psychotic Tendencies. to claim victory.
Once the system had been secured, the remaining tower was repaired and two replacement towers brought in and deployed. This meant the Imperium lost not only on the field of battle, but also its strategic objective.
With their work done, the joint fleet safely extracted from the system, bringing an end to the fighting.
The Battle from the Perspective of the Joint Machariel Fleet
Battle report for the Nisuwa system can be found here.
All told the battle raged for over an hour with system hosting nearly 550 pilots at the peak of the fighting. Time Dilation was a constant factor, reaching nearly 10% at times and often swaying between 40% and 60% for most of the fight.
Snuffed Out and Psychotic Tendencies. lost 27 ships including 3 carriers but no mainline ships for a total of 13.25 billion ISK damage. The Imperium and its allies lost 199 ships including 2 dreadnoughts, 5 carriers, 8 battleships, 19 battlecruisers and 46 strategic cruisers for a total of 60.1 billion ISK damage. Shadow Cartel lost only 1 strategic cruiser amounting to 500 million ISK of damage.
Salivan Harddin is a member of Reikoku, Pandemic Legion, and covers battles across New Eden
