H-5GUI system, Vale of the Silent region. On the 1st of March at 20:30 EVE Standard Time, a Pandemic Legion [-10.0] fleet was quickly dispatched by Imperium and Drone Regions Federation (DRF) forces in the system.
The Pandemic Legion force in question was a 70 pilot Apocalypse Navy Issue battleship fleet which included 2 squadrons of dreadnoughts. The fleet had finished reinforcing a Get Off My Lawn [LAWN] tower in the adjacent FH-TTC system and was heading home. While the dreadnoughts extracted safely, the sub-capital fleet with its triage carriers jumped into the H-5GUI system and aligned to its out gate when a Rapier force recon cruiser de-cloaked on the FH-TTC gate and lit a cynosural beacon, ushering in a DRF 120 pilot Typhoon battleship fleet.
The two sides quickly opened fire and started fighting at close range on the gate, the Typhoons able to volley a few of the Apocalypse Navy Issue battleships but paying three, sometimes four battleships in return for each loss they inflicted. Regardless, the two sides continued to exchange fire at close range, trading ships with only 30 kilometers separating the two opposing fleets.
The Pandemic Legion fleet commander decided to take advantage of that fact and called for the dreadnoughts which had already extracted to re-fit for tracking battleships and return to the field. One of the carriers in the fleet quickly lit a cynosural beacon and the two dreadnought squadrons hit the grid, entering siege cycles and opening fire on the DRF battleships.
The Drone Regions Federation Typhoon Fleet Fighting Pandemic Legion on the FH-TTC Gate in the H-5GUI System
With the dreadnoughts reinforcing it, the Pandemic Legion fleet started decimating the Typhoon fleet, the dreadnoughts free firing on the battleships as the sub-capital fleet continued to concentrate its fire and burn battleship after battleship. The DRF fleet attempted to gain some distance, burning out of the optimal range of the dreadnoughts and continuing to fight from 80 kilometers out, concentrating on the dreadnoughts instead.
However, before Pandemic Legion could use the reprieve to stabilize, Imperium forces jumped into the system, entering from the FH-TTC system as well. The Imperium force was a 160 pilot Hurricane battlecruiser fleet which had jumped directly into the Pandemic Legion fleet. The battlecruisers quickly anchored up and opened fire at close range on the Apocalypse Navy Issue battleships, volleying them one after the other.
Imperium Forces Jumping into the Battle
Still focusing on the DRF fleet, Pandemic Legion continued to lose battleships at an alarming rate. Finally, after sustaining heavy losses and with the DRF fleet able to tank the incoming fire from the battleships, the Pandemic Legion force changed its focus to the Hurricane fleet. Though able to easily melt the battlecruisers, by this point the fleet had lost a good chunk of its firepower and was trapped on the gate.
Realizing the fleet was unable to hold against the combined might of the two fleets, the Pandemic Legion fleet commander gave the order for the dreadnoughts to attempt and extract while the sub-capitals continued to fight, trapped on the gate. Eight dreadnoughts were able to disengage, warping out or jumping to emergency cynosural beacons as the Pandemic Legion fleet was annihilated. The capitals which were close to the FH-TTC gate attempted to clear their aggression timers and jump to the system, only to find themselves bubbled by Imperium interdictors on the other side.
One of the Pandemic Legion Dreadnoughts Coming Under Heavy Fire
With the sub-capital fleet destroyed, the DRF and Imperium forces concentrated on clearing the remaining capitals tackled on the FH-TTC gate. Once the last dreadnought was destroyed, the DRF fleet chose to disengage and retreat rather than face the Imperium. With the DRF fleet extracting, the Imperium fleet quickly jumped back to the FH-TTC system in order to dispatch the last remaining Pandemic Legion capitals trapped there on the H-5GUI gate.
With the last of the triage Archon carriers destroyed in the FH-TTC system, the Imperium fleet extracted as well, bringing an end to the fighting.
The Battle from the Perspective of the Imperium Hurricane Fleet
Battle report for the H-5GUI system can be found here.
All told the battle lasted 20 minutes without any Time Dilation effects and the system hosting 300 pilots at the height of the fighting.
Pandemic Legion lost most of its fleet, 56 ships including 12 dreadnoughts, 3 carriers and 28 battleships for a total of 89.84 billion ISK damage.
Drone Regions Federation lost 42 ships including 28 battleships for a total of 9.46 billion ISK damage.
Imperium forces lost 48 ships including 25 battlecruisers for a total of 4.14 billion ISK damage.
Salivan Harddin is a member of Reikoku, Pandemic Legion, and covers battles across New Eden
