23rd of December, 2017 — As the Winter solstice came and went, the rest of New Eden prepared for the Holiday season and the yuletide festivals that come with the happiest time of the year. Many capsuleers took a few days off from EVE to spend time with friends and family. As the traffic in New Eden slowed down ever so slightly as the holiday season came to a peak, somewhere off in the star cluster, the Amarr Militia were holding their ground against the strength of pirates and Minmatar alike.
Region: Devoid | System: Tzvi — In the weeks leading up to the defense of the system, many Amarr pilots noticed that the Minmatar were hitting the system of Tzvi much harder than they had in previous months. The Minmatar were hungry to put another system under the belt of the Republic and they saw opportunity in Tzvi. When Amarr pilots logged on on the 23rd of December, they noticed that the system they were protecting was at 90% capture rate. Many thought all was lost, but as the claxons of battle rang into the night, few souls of the Amarr dared to go against the tide, bringing their men with them.
On the 23rd, the Amarr defense was failing, the hit and run tactics of the Minmatar were turning Amarr frigate fleets into scrap metal. As the battle picked up and raged on, the Pirates of the region hungered for war and decided to join in. As both the Amarr and the Minmatar were fighting on two fronts, they both were taking heavy losses from the more organized pirates.
The Lazy Crabs are a pirate corporation that harassed the Amarr militia quite a bit for the simple fact that they were once brothers with the pilots in the Militia. The Lazy Crabs know just how the Militia operates, making them dangerous opponents on the field.
Midway through the 24th, the Amarr couldn’t withstand the distant barrages of the Minmatar much longer, so a few pilots took action. In particular, a nine-year veteran, Edeity, broke out a harbinger that had, what he called, an “Experimental Fit”. With this fit, he was able to hit the Minmatar cruisers at the distances they initially thought were safe. The Harbinger was also able to pop the pirates that would fly at close range, taking some heat off of the Militia. Other pilots followed suit, turning the tide for the Amarr.
The Minmatar did not let this go unnoticed. Fleet Commander, Demien ANTIXRIST, encouraged his pilots to bait the Amarrian harbingers. He brought in larger ships to pick them off, allowing them to thin out the Amarr. The resourcefulness of the Minmatar caused the Amarr to work a little outside their comfort zone.
Amarrian pilot, Vader Phoenixxx, brought in Ravens to even the tide. Two Ravens were lost on the Amarr side.
By the 26th, fighting between the Amarr and Minmatar fleets was placed on a brief hiatus to snuff out the pirate population within the area. At this point in the five-day campaign, both sides had lost too many ships to local pirates that they knew something had to be done. As if it were a holiday miracle, for a brief moment in time, the Amarr and Minmatar forces put their differences aside and embraced one likeness – their shared dislike for pirates. In the waning hours of the 26th, a broadsword popped a cyno in Tzvi, baiting the Minmatar and Amarr forces. As the Minmatarian and Amarrian fleets began to rain hellfire down on the Broadsword, a Naglfar jumped onto the field. The fleets turned to the massive dreadnaught as the battle picked up. The pirates were eager for this to happen, and as the skirmish with the Naglfar raged on, a few Gallente Thanatos carriers dropped onto the grid. The ships were primed, immediately tearing into the much closer Minmatarian fleet. The two fleets scrambled to mount a counterattack, lashing out in response to the Thanatos’ savage blows. By the end of the fight, all sides walked away with heavy losses.
By the dawn of the 27th, all had seemed lost. Even after the pushes made by the Amarr Militia in the days prior, the Minmatar were still the dominant presence in the system. The system was still Amarr held, but Minmatar contested at 96%. Many Amarr Militia pilots thought that this was it and another system had fallen to the Minmatar Republic. Once again, Edeity and a few other pilots tried to rally their fellow Amarrians. After about two hours, a defense fleet of thirty pilots was rounded up. Once again, the Amarr and Minmatar clashed, this time, it would be the battle that would determine the fate of Tzvi. As the battle heated up, pirates were drawn to the conflict like a moth to a flame. The Amarr did their best to stand up against the brutal onslaught of the Minmatar. Vader Pheonixxx led his Ravens into the fray. The Amarr dropped a Hyperion onto the grid. The Minmatar still pushed hard, bringing the capture status from 96% at the beginning of the day up to 98.7%. The fight wasn’t over yet, the Minmatar couldn’t keep up with the harbingers and the counter assault from the Amarr. By the end of the 27th, when the smoke cleared, the Minmatar had been pushed back.
The siege of Tzvi finally finished on the 28th, once the Minmatar died down, local pirate factions attempted to harass the Amarr militia. Small gangs of slicers hit the frigate fleets of the militia, but the harbingers made quick work of them. By midday on the 28th, it was safe to say that Tzvi was successfully defended.
As of 30 December 2017, the system was Amarr held, but Minmatar contested at 80%.
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https://br.inyour.space/?s=2957&b=7882560&e=2879&t=bsPOMkzOkeOIaaaqiGaaaaaiG
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NOTE: I would like to thank Edeity for giving me information on the battle itself. He would like the readership to know that the Amarr Militia have the utmost respect for their opponents. The siege was fun for the Amarr side and he said that the Minmatar and local pirate gangs are strong adversaries that he always looks forward to seeing on the field.
