This article is your weekly briefing on the conflict in the east between Unspoken Alliance./WE FORM V0LTA/Skill Urself and the Drone Regions Federation.
1-BK1Q Falls
1-BK1Q was a key staging system for the Drone Regions Federation. Under the control of RAZOR Alliance, it enabled home defense.
Over the 3rd and 4th of April, Skill Urself fleets secured the Territory Control Unit and Infrastructure Hub of the system. They faced minimal opposition, and have established it as their capital – and are currently raising ADMs.
The Drone Regions Federation has yet to counter-attack. Given the supercapital superiority of Skill Urself, an immediate offensive is unlikely. Skill Urself’s progress is another example of the DRF’s loss of territory in the last week. Unless there is a robust response – and soon – it could precipitate a humiliating rout and partial failure cascade.
V0LTA Takes Sovereignty
For the first time in quite a while, WE FORM VOLTA has taken sovereignty. Over the past week, they have conquered 17 systems in the Oasa region from the Drone Regions Federation. Though this is not a massive change in the facts on the ground, it is highly symbolic. It is one thing for the DRF to undock less in their territory for fear of roaming gangs. It is quite another for them to lose space overtly.
What’s more, V0LTA’s sovereignty is a long way from NPC Null and their allies Unspoken Alliance. This distance indicates that VOLTA, with just ~130 active PVPers, has successfully prosecuted this conquest, for the most part, alone.
Unspoken Alliance Holds
Despite renewed efforts from Serenity Initiative, and with some Iron Armada support, Unspoken Alliance has held the line against the DRF. The DRF has stopped attempting to contest their staging Fortizar. The most significant success against UA in the past week was the destruction of an Athanor in 2B-UUQ.
However, that attack was mostly prosecuted by Iron Armada, with just a handful of DRF pilots alongside. Given Iron Armada’s withdrawal from the conflict (see the last subheading), this success; however limited; does not seem lasting.
DRF Erebus Down
zKillboard shows that a combined Skill Urself/VOLTA/Hole Control fleet destroyed a DRF Erebus in RZ-TI6, Insmother. Details are still emerging, but it appears that the Erebus was caught accompanying a small Cerberus fleet.
Despite early Sabre deaths, the Titan was locked onto the grid and destroyed. The loss was, in part, caused by the fact that only 1 FAX was available to support the Titan. A lack of FAX support has been a doctrinal problem in the DRF for a while, and this engagement only drives it home.
Iron Armada Ends Contract
A few weeks ago, it became apparent that Iron Armada – a PVP group living in Fountain – had been contracted to aid the DRF. However, they are now pulling back from the conflict.
Tridgit, Iron Armada’s alliance executor, told EN24, ‘Iron’s involvement in the North East was determined by a contract. This contract has come to a pre-agreed on end, and we will be leaving shortly. Good luck to the remaining participants in the conflict.’
Iron Armada is now returning to Fountain, pending a future contract.
