While I go by the handle of Popo for reasons that predate my presence on EVE, this is most definitely not my in-game name. I’m one of the many pilots fighting the good fight in Immensea, Detorid, and Insmother alongside the coalition opposed to TRI for the past month or so after my return from a work and medically induced hiatus from New Eden. As such, I’ll be writing this article from that perspective, with this article to be considered a personal work.
Recent leaks have come to light, shedding a rather dark cast on the fires burning in the Southeast of New Eden. FCON and allied coalitions have been fighting against TRI and their allies in what can often be described more and more as a war of attrition. While I was not present at the time war had been declared or diplomacy broke down, much less understanding the source of hostilities, I have been present during what could arguably be called the last days of the war.
According to my own experiences, the statements of my fellow copilots, and what has been seen in the leak itself this is how the war currently stands: FCON is burning. Supplies can’t move, ships are in short supply, and funds no longer flow. The front lines are camped constantly preventing anything short of a ceptor from getting through, a problem that has been solved with smartbombing battleships. Fleets that try to maneuver run into these camps and usually get crushed, either by the camp itself or by the capital ships dropped in by cyno. Those that don’t hit camps are spotted well in advance by TRI scouts and countered. Leadership is non-existent and those below indecisive, too busy pointing fingers rather than work cohesively as a unit.
Morale is low and many pilots have stopped responding to fleets all together. Some have evacced to hisec while others have tried moving farther back behind the lines in a vain attempt to earn ISK. Behind the lines are almost as bad as the front lines. Cloaky campers sit and watch in rear echelon space, waiting for the opportune moment to drop on an unsuspecting mining fleet or ratting carriers. Without the ability to generate ISK or to at least produce badly needed ships and mods locally, logistics as a whole has slowly died down from a torrent to a trickle with many alliances having to drop SRP programs entirely.
This war has steadily transitioned from something akin to trench warfare to a Bastogne-like situation. The problem, however, is no one is coming to break the siege. Facing constant strife from the start of the war, many FCs have recently quit, leaving fleet control to a dwindling few.
Facing the seemingly inevitable, the few members of leadership have gathered together in an attempt to turn things around, or at least stop TRI’s relentless grind forward. Their dedication is commendable, but only a dwindling amount of time, and tactics, will tell in the end.
The real question, however, is if TRI wins the war who will step in as the blood hits the water?
Popo is a jack of all trades dabbling in everything from industry to mercenary work with a ‘Die Standing’ mentality. He can be found in Derelik when in hisec or more often down in null with his corpmates, usually under one name or another. Preferred contact method is in-game mail to Monique Chevalier of DNS-Requiem [DNS-R].
