YC109.09.02
Caldari Navy forces, in concert with those of the Reserve, raided a Republic Security Services station in the Tannolen system on 1 September 109, capturing or killing most of the remaining members of the Brothers of Freedom terrorist group. Despite their efforts, however, Brothers of Freedom leader Melarius Torvil was able to escape into the Minmatar Republic, where he has apparently taken refuge from Caldari law.
Despite a large presence from the Star Fraction alliance in the target system of Tannolen -- an anarchist terrorist group which has clashed with the Reserve on several occasions -- the only resistance to the Navy operation encountered by the Reserve was from the Electus Matari paramilitary force. After successfully escorting a pair of Caldari Navy battleships to the station, the Reserve force jumped into Tierjiev and then returned shortly thereafter. Upon their return, a number of Reserve vessels were destroyed without provocation and without warning by a number of Electus Matari ships as they came through the gate.
However, shortly after the fleet reformed in Tannolen, Navy officers informed Reserve command staff that Melarius Torvil was not in fact on the station as had previously been reported -- Brothers of Freedom sympathizers on the station had been sending messages out in order to maintain the illusion while Torvil made his escape from the State into the Republic. The Reserve scrambled immediately, with a number of Reserve vessels immediately heading for Republic space, but by the time they arrived at Torvil's location some sixteen jumps away, the terrorist had managed to dock in a Republic station and remained there, seeking asylum from Republic authorities.
With no way to pursue Torvil onto the station legally, as he was out of Caldari jurisdiction, Reserve forces had little choice but to return to Caldari space. However, despite the failure to capture Torvil, the systematic dismantling of his organization that the Navy and the Reserve have engaged in over the last three months has made the Brothers of Freedom significantly weaker than they once were, and intelligence estimates now suggest that the Brothers of Freedom are unable to engage in their previous activities within the State and that their base of support among the Caldari populace seems to be consistently decreasing, both good indicators of success.
The unprovoked attack upon Reserve vessels by Electus Matari has caused a significant diplomatic incident between the Reserve and the Minmatar alliance, and hostilities look increasingly likely as a result of the action.
Operation Just Redress Status Update, 1 October 109
YC109.10.01
The second week of Operation Just Redress has seen slightly higher activity by opposition forces, most likely due to the withdrawl of KIA Alliance forces from battle against Electus Matari. However, Electus Matari remains unable to seriously challenge Reserve forces in the Minmatar core systems and they have received surprisingly little support from their allies, possibly due to internal disputes.
There have only been a pair of large-scale engagements between the Reserve and Electus Matari and their allies this week, the first of which occurred on Wednesday. A Electus Matari force of cruisers with a small number of heavier and more advanced ships numbering around 15 moved into Vullat, location of the Reserve's base of operations. CDRE Ladel Teravada, who had been leading a Reserve patrol at the time, returned and rallied a counterstrike force on short notice as Reserve scouts tracked down the enemy fleet in space. In short order, the Minmatar fleet was located and the Reserve fleet prepared to strike.
Unfortunately, as the fleet moved in to strike, one of the Reserve battlecruisers lost its navigational control, and another of the fleet's cruisers warped in out of range of battle, giving the Minmatar fleet nearly a two-to-one numerical advantage. With the rest of the fleet at close range, CDRE Teravada ordered Reserve forces to engage despite Electus Matari's numerical superiority. The Reserve vessels tore apart six enemy cruisers and a battlecruiser and forced the enemy to flee the system, though at the price of the Reserve's heaviest losses of the operation so far. The Reserve lost an Eos-class command ship, two advanced cruisers, and another cruiser; though nearly half the Reserve's total losses during the entire operation so far, they were still less expensive than the single Rapier-class reconnaissance cruiser piloted by CDR Char that was shot down last week.
The second major engagement occurred on Sunday, when 11 Electus Matari ships again tried to besiege the Reserve operations base. Though outnumbered at first, Reserve pilots responded quickly to a general alert, and within minutes a fleet had been raised under CAPT Svetlana Scarlet. Thanks to quick work by Reserve scouts, the enemy fleet was located and followed as it moved, until Reserve forces were able to pounce on the enemy at an asteroid belt. As the Minmatar forces scattered, one lone cruiser was left behind as his compatriots ran, and he was quickly dispatched.
The Reserve force then split to cover the stargates leading out of the system to cut off an enemy escape; Electus Matari forces attempted to slip out through the Magiko system and suffered another loss as the Harbinger serving as the center of the enemy force was nabbed by Reserve forces covering the gate. The rest of the Minmatar ships fled back to Pator, where they remained encamped for the rest of the day.
The remainder of combat between Reserve and Electus Matari forces during this week have consisted of small engagements; the Reserve inflicted over 15 kills against enemy combat forces, including two battleships and a pair of recon cruisers, while suffering a dozen of their own. However, the number only show an incomplete picture, as the Reserve continues to hold space superiority. The largest contributor to many of the Reserve's combat losses has been pilot fatigue, with Reserve forces flying almost constant patrols with little action, with Electus Matari forces unwilling or unable to challenge Reserve dominance.
At the moment, barring a significant change in tactics from Electus Matari or the involvement of third parties, the situation seems unlikely to change, and the Minmatar alliance appears unwilling to make any sort of diplomatic compromise. With the operational window specified in the command staff's original operation order coming to a close at the end of this week, it seems that the most likely conclusion to Operation Just Redress will be an unresolved conflict, leaving the possibility of future combat operations against Electus Matari.
The second week of Operation Just Redress has seen slightly higher activity by opposition forces, most likely due to the withdrawl of KIA Alliance forces from battle against Electus Matari. However, Electus Matari remains unable to seriously challenge Reserve forces in the Minmatar core systems and they have received surprisingly little support from their allies, possibly due to internal disputes.
There have only been a pair of large-scale engagements between the Reserve and Electus Matari and their allies this week, the first of which occurred on Wednesday. A Electus Matari force of cruisers with a small number of heavier and more advanced ships numbering around 15 moved into Vullat, location of the Reserve's base of operations. CDRE Ladel Teravada, who had been leading a Reserve patrol at the time, returned and rallied a counterstrike force on short notice as Reserve scouts tracked down the enemy fleet in space. In short order, the Minmatar fleet was located and the Reserve fleet prepared to strike.
Unfortunately, as the fleet moved in to strike, one of the Reserve battlecruisers lost its navigational control, and another of the fleet's cruisers warped in out of range of battle, giving the Minmatar fleet nearly a two-to-one numerical advantage. With the rest of the fleet at close range, CDRE Teravada ordered Reserve forces to engage despite Electus Matari's numerical superiority. The Reserve vessels tore apart six enemy cruisers and a battlecruiser and forced the enemy to flee the system, though at the price of the Reserve's heaviest losses of the operation so far. The Reserve lost an Eos-class command ship, two advanced cruisers, and another cruiser; though nearly half the Reserve's total losses during the entire operation so far, they were still less expensive than the single Rapier-class reconnaissance cruiser piloted by CDR Char that was shot down last week.
The second major engagement occurred on Sunday, when 11 Electus Matari ships again tried to besiege the Reserve operations base. Though outnumbered at first, Reserve pilots responded quickly to a general alert, and within minutes a fleet had been raised under CAPT Svetlana Scarlet. Thanks to quick work by Reserve scouts, the enemy fleet was located and followed as it moved, until Reserve forces were able to pounce on the enemy at an asteroid belt. As the Minmatar forces scattered, one lone cruiser was left behind as his compatriots ran, and he was quickly dispatched.
The Reserve force then split to cover the stargates leading out of the system to cut off an enemy escape; Electus Matari forces attempted to slip out through the Magiko system and suffered another loss as the Harbinger serving as the center of the enemy force was nabbed by Reserve forces covering the gate. The rest of the Minmatar ships fled back to Pator, where they remained encamped for the rest of the day.
The remainder of combat between Reserve and Electus Matari forces during this week have consisted of small engagements; the Reserve inflicted over 15 kills against enemy combat forces, including two battleships and a pair of recon cruisers, while suffering a dozen of their own. However, the number only show an incomplete picture, as the Reserve continues to hold space superiority. The largest contributor to many of the Reserve's combat losses has been pilot fatigue, with Reserve forces flying almost constant patrols with little action, with Electus Matari forces unwilling or unable to challenge Reserve dominance.
At the moment, barring a significant change in tactics from Electus Matari or the involvement of third parties, the situation seems unlikely to change, and the Minmatar alliance appears unwilling to make any sort of diplomatic compromise. With the operational window specified in the command staff's original operation order coming to a close at the end of this week, it seems that the most likely conclusion to Operation Just Redress will be an unresolved conflict, leaving the possibility of future combat operations against Electus Matari.
Operation Just Redress Status Update, 24 September 109
YC109.09.24
Operation Just Redress was authorized by the Reserve command staff on 13 September 109 following a period of increased operational readiness in response to unprovoked aggression on the part of the Electus Matari alliance. Attempts at a diplomatic solution by both the Reserve Diplomatic Office and Apex Conglomerate executor Vendrin Latanis were rejected outright by Electus Matari executor Evanda Char.
The punitive nature of the operation called for strikes on all elements of Electus Matari operations, both combat forces and industrial/logistical assets, centering around high security systems in the Heimatar region where intelligence indicated that the Minmatar alliance was concentrated. Shortly after war was declared, the Reserve received counterdeclarations from the Veto pirate alliance, the Black Rabbits pirate corporation, and the Fate Weavers terrorist organization. Intelligence seems to indicate that Electus Matari and the two pirate organizations have some sort of business relationship, while the connection between Electus Matari and the Fate Weavers is a well-known quantity. However, due to the concentration of Reserve forces in high security areas, combat between the Reserve and the pirate forces has been extremely light.
As the war went live on 15 September, Electus Matari forces attempted to besiege the station serving as the Reserve's forward base for a short period of time with 30+ combat vessels, before they eventually dispersed under the eyes of cloaked Reserve intelligence assets. This would be the last time that Electus Matari forces would have the upper hand during this first week of operations.
Due to the intervention of the KIA Alliance mercenary force on behalf of unknown parties, Electus Matari quickly adopted a new strategic approach which left them paralyzed until 23 September, when KIA Alliance lifted their declaration. Their approach scattered their fleet and relied heavily on guerilla raids and cloaked vessels, largely incapable of doing significant damage to concentrated, coordinated Reserve fleets. While able to score isolated kills against Reserve targets, usually those operating alone or as scouts, Electus Matari paid a heavy price for each. Reserve fleets scored better than a three-to-one kill ratio against enemy forces, while losing only a handful of cruisers, battlecruisers, and advanced frigates.
The arrival of Ushra'Khan in action against the KIA Alliance on 21 September, and KIA's subsequent withdrawal from combat against Electus Matari a day later, signalled a possible change in the state of the conflict. Reserve pilots were brought to a heightened state of alert for the end of the KIA declaration, and as expected Electus Matari again tried to besiege the Reserve base, this time bringing somewhere in the range of 18 vessels. The Reserve force in the station counterattacked with 15 battleships, scattering the enemy force and killing a Tempest belonging to the traitorous Caldari Davlos Cain, as well as a stealth bomber.
The last significant activity of note was the destruction of Evanda Char's Rapier in the early morning hours of 24 September. CDR Char had cloaked and was harassing Reserve pilots in the local comm channel, but apparently had not been paying attention as she drifted closer to a Reserve Caracal near a stargate. Getting too close, her cloak failed and she was quickly scrambled and was nearly half destroyed before she could respond; despite her best efforts, her ship was vaporized in short order.
In summary, Operation Just Redress is proceeding better than expected so far, with Reserve forces having near-complete space superiority in the operational area and enemy forces still reduced to generally ineffective guerilla strikes against isolated friendly vessels. Organized resistance by Electus Matari appears to be largely destroyed, though intervention by other known allies, such as Ushra'Khan, may impair Reserve operations.
Operation Just Redress was authorized by the Reserve command staff on 13 September 109 following a period of increased operational readiness in response to unprovoked aggression on the part of the Electus Matari alliance. Attempts at a diplomatic solution by both the Reserve Diplomatic Office and Apex Conglomerate executor Vendrin Latanis were rejected outright by Electus Matari executor Evanda Char.
The punitive nature of the operation called for strikes on all elements of Electus Matari operations, both combat forces and industrial/logistical assets, centering around high security systems in the Heimatar region where intelligence indicated that the Minmatar alliance was concentrated. Shortly after war was declared, the Reserve received counterdeclarations from the Veto pirate alliance, the Black Rabbits pirate corporation, and the Fate Weavers terrorist organization. Intelligence seems to indicate that Electus Matari and the two pirate organizations have some sort of business relationship, while the connection between Electus Matari and the Fate Weavers is a well-known quantity. However, due to the concentration of Reserve forces in high security areas, combat between the Reserve and the pirate forces has been extremely light.
As the war went live on 15 September, Electus Matari forces attempted to besiege the station serving as the Reserve's forward base for a short period of time with 30+ combat vessels, before they eventually dispersed under the eyes of cloaked Reserve intelligence assets. This would be the last time that Electus Matari forces would have the upper hand during this first week of operations.
Due to the intervention of the KIA Alliance mercenary force on behalf of unknown parties, Electus Matari quickly adopted a new strategic approach which left them paralyzed until 23 September, when KIA Alliance lifted their declaration. Their approach scattered their fleet and relied heavily on guerilla raids and cloaked vessels, largely incapable of doing significant damage to concentrated, coordinated Reserve fleets. While able to score isolated kills against Reserve targets, usually those operating alone or as scouts, Electus Matari paid a heavy price for each. Reserve fleets scored better than a three-to-one kill ratio against enemy forces, while losing only a handful of cruisers, battlecruisers, and advanced frigates.
The arrival of Ushra'Khan in action against the KIA Alliance on 21 September, and KIA's subsequent withdrawal from combat against Electus Matari a day later, signalled a possible change in the state of the conflict. Reserve pilots were brought to a heightened state of alert for the end of the KIA declaration, and as expected Electus Matari again tried to besiege the Reserve base, this time bringing somewhere in the range of 18 vessels. The Reserve force in the station counterattacked with 15 battleships, scattering the enemy force and killing a Tempest belonging to the traitorous Caldari Davlos Cain, as well as a stealth bomber.
The last significant activity of note was the destruction of Evanda Char's Rapier in the early morning hours of 24 September. CDR Char had cloaked and was harassing Reserve pilots in the local comm channel, but apparently had not been paying attention as she drifted closer to a Reserve Caracal near a stargate. Getting too close, her cloak failed and she was quickly scrambled and was nearly half destroyed before she could respond; despite her best efforts, her ship was vaporized in short order.
In summary, Operation Just Redress is proceeding better than expected so far, with Reserve forces having near-complete space superiority in the operational area and enemy forces still reduced to generally ineffective guerilla strikes against isolated friendly vessels. Organized resistance by Electus Matari appears to be largely destroyed, though intervention by other known allies, such as Ushra'Khan, may impair Reserve operations.