YC109.05.21
On 12 May 109, six Reserve pilots assisted the Guardian Shadows corporation in the destruction of a Charon-class freighter belonging to the Brothers of Freedom corporation, after preliminary intelligence indicated the possibility that the freighter intended to dock with the nearby CEP station and overwhelm security forces there. The combined attack by Reserve and Guardian Shadows' vessels destroyed the freighter, which was destroyed with all hands. Casualties aboard the vessel were estimated to be in the range of 65000. While these losses were tragic, Reserve officers on the scene believed that the threat to Caldari State citizens and property was both real and imminent.
Reserve officers first became involved in this incident when Weyln Xumal of the Guardian Shadows corporation contacted a number of Reserve members and requested that Reserve forces be present during the Brothers of Freedom rally in New Caldari. This request was made early on 12 May. Xumal later indicated that they had evidence that the Brothers of Freedom intended to bring a freighter full of anti-State agitators to the CEP station in New Caldari during the rally in an attempt to overwhelm security forces there. He requested the assistance of Reserve members to interdict the freighter before it was able to dock with the station; this was some two hours prior to the actual attack.
Unfortunately, no member of the Reserve general staff was present at the time, due to ongoing combat operations elsewhere, and despite general orders from senior staff that Reserve forces were not to engage any vessels at this rally unless they presented a clear and present danger to Caldari State citizens and property, the standard set for this was not fully understood by the officers present in New Caldari. As a result, the officers present in New Caldari did not fully appreciate the ramifications if they acted in error. No effort was made to confirm that the Guardian Shadows corporation had any legitimate authority from the State or its component megacorporations, and attempts to confirm their intelligence were not made until the Guardian Shadows had already engaged the freighter. As a result, the Board of Inquiry believes that it is nearly certain that the freighter would have been destroyed regardless of Reserve involvement, though this is not a valid defense for Reserve actions at the time. In retrospect, immobilizing the freighter and allowing it to be boarded by proper authorities may have been a better alternative, but this does not appear to have been considered by any parties involved.
The Board of Inquiry has determined that the officers involved have made a minimum of two violations to the Reserve Code of Conduct, and exercised a lack of judgement when they opened fire on the freighter. All six Reserve officers involved have been docked four months service pay. Furthermore, the four most senior members of the flotilla, LCDR Sanalis, LCDR Shrewsberry, LCDR Sokira, and LT Longshots, have been demoted, as they failed to exercise the judgement necessary for command authority. LCDR Sokira has also been stripped of his position as Deputy Chief of Naval Intelligence. However, the failure of the Reserve in this incident is not entirely limited to these officers, as a member of the flag staff should have been in command of this fleet, and orders in the matter should have been considerably more clear.
Due to the questions that still remain regarding the incident and those who participated in it, the Reserve believes it is imperative that the matter be further investigated by the proper authorities; in this incident, those authorities are the Caldari Business Tribunal, the Caldari Navy, and CONCORD. Due to the possibility of liability the Reserve has in the matter, as well as our desire to see the facts of this case made completely clear, the Reserve will reimburse the State for any costs incurred in this investigation. In particular, the Reserve believes the following questions must be answered in order to reach complete understanding in this matter:
Who are the Brothers of Freedom? The presence of a Federation official at the rally on 12 May indicates that there may be foreign involvement in this matter. Where did the Brothers of Freedom obtain the estimated one billion ISK necessary to purchase the freighter used in the incident? It seems unlikely such a small group could obtain those kinds of funds without assistance from some other party. What were their actual plans when they attempted to bring 65000 activists to the CEP station on that day?
Who are the Guardian Shadows? The Board of Inquiry has found no evidence to support their assertions that they were acting with any legitimate authority from the State or its component megacorporations. Furthermore, their insistence on destroying the freighter, as opposed to merely incapacitating it, is highly suspect. Where did they get their intelligence that the Brothers of Freedom intended to attack the CEP station?
Was the destruction of the freighter justified, and if not, who bears the liability for the matter and what is the extent of that liability? At this time, the Board of Inquiry believes there is insufficient evidence to make this determination one way or another, and due to the Reserve's involvement it seems prudent for a third party to determine this matter. Should the Tribunal or other legal authorities determine that the Reserve bears further liability in the matter, the Reserve will make any and all necessary reparations to the affected entities.
The Reserve will cooperate fully with any such official investigations; the diplomatic office has been instructed to share all relevant communications, reports, and other materials involved with appropriate legal authorities. All such requests may be directed to CAPT Svetlana Scarlet, Reserve Chief of Diplomatic Staff.
Operation Cascade Fire Final Report
YC109.05.16
With the opening of the Amarr paramilitary forces' siege of UNITY Station on 4 May, Operation Cascade Fire entered a new phase, with Reserve forces, in cooperation with those of the Aegis Militia, holding a line in Mista, while also sending ships to assist Amarr forces in their operations in the Providence region. Unfortunately, with the other Amarr paramilitary forces focused on the Providence operations, the ability of the remaining combatants to field a force strong enough to offset the Star Fraction's advantages was reduced considerably. Allied forces had considerable difficulty taking the offensive, and once again most of the fighting was reduced to skirmishes between to the two sides.
There were only a handful of major combat engagements during the week; in the one with the largest amount of Reserve involvement, a well-equipped and well-coordinated Star Fraction force descended on a poorly-coordinated Aegis Militia fleet largely made up of junior officers on 8 May; the price for this lack of preparation was six lost ships, including four battleships, to a single enemy loss, a Brutix-class battlecruiser. A later battle on 9 May in Airshaz saw an Aegis Militia force taking out an enemy Sleipnir-class command ship, a Thorax-class cruiser, and three interceptors, for the loss of two battleships and three cruisers.
The tactical situation continued to degrade towards the end of the week, when the Star Fraction, having apparently given up any pretense of holding their position in the Amarr system, moved significant logistical assets into the Mista system in force. This action reduced the allied forces' strategic mobility and made it even harder for the reduced allied force to conduct ongoing operations.
With it becoming ever more apparent that the Star Fraction was not inhibiting the actions of PIE to any great degree, and PIE itself was not devoting much time towards fighting the Star Fraction while assisting the CVA with the UNITY siege and other Providence operations, the Reserve general staff made the decision during the weekend to withdraw from Amarr space (and from the Aegis Militia command structure) in order to return to Caldari space and Pure Blind, where matters were increasingly requiring Reserve attention.
In general, Operation Cascade Fire cannot be called a complete success, as allied forces were unable to meet the Reserve's goals of containing Star Fraction forces within the Amarr system. However, a limited amount of success was achieved by restricting Star Fraction operations long enough for the CVA and other Amarr paramilitaries to complete preparations for their Providence campaign, and for significantly improving Reserve performance against the Star Fraction since the Mito Conflict. Furthermore, the experience of many new Reserve pilots in combat with a well-coordinated and well-equipped foe like the Star Fraction has been of great benefit to Reserve preparedness and future operations planning.
With the opening of the Amarr paramilitary forces' siege of UNITY Station on 4 May, Operation Cascade Fire entered a new phase, with Reserve forces, in cooperation with those of the Aegis Militia, holding a line in Mista, while also sending ships to assist Amarr forces in their operations in the Providence region. Unfortunately, with the other Amarr paramilitary forces focused on the Providence operations, the ability of the remaining combatants to field a force strong enough to offset the Star Fraction's advantages was reduced considerably. Allied forces had considerable difficulty taking the offensive, and once again most of the fighting was reduced to skirmishes between to the two sides.
There were only a handful of major combat engagements during the week; in the one with the largest amount of Reserve involvement, a well-equipped and well-coordinated Star Fraction force descended on a poorly-coordinated Aegis Militia fleet largely made up of junior officers on 8 May; the price for this lack of preparation was six lost ships, including four battleships, to a single enemy loss, a Brutix-class battlecruiser. A later battle on 9 May in Airshaz saw an Aegis Militia force taking out an enemy Sleipnir-class command ship, a Thorax-class cruiser, and three interceptors, for the loss of two battleships and three cruisers.
The tactical situation continued to degrade towards the end of the week, when the Star Fraction, having apparently given up any pretense of holding their position in the Amarr system, moved significant logistical assets into the Mista system in force. This action reduced the allied forces' strategic mobility and made it even harder for the reduced allied force to conduct ongoing operations.
With it becoming ever more apparent that the Star Fraction was not inhibiting the actions of PIE to any great degree, and PIE itself was not devoting much time towards fighting the Star Fraction while assisting the CVA with the UNITY siege and other Providence operations, the Reserve general staff made the decision during the weekend to withdraw from Amarr space (and from the Aegis Militia command structure) in order to return to Caldari space and Pure Blind, where matters were increasingly requiring Reserve attention.
In general, Operation Cascade Fire cannot be called a complete success, as allied forces were unable to meet the Reserve's goals of containing Star Fraction forces within the Amarr system. However, a limited amount of success was achieved by restricting Star Fraction operations long enough for the CVA and other Amarr paramilitaries to complete preparations for their Providence campaign, and for significantly improving Reserve performance against the Star Fraction since the Mito Conflict. Furthermore, the experience of many new Reserve pilots in combat with a well-coordinated and well-equipped foe like the Star Fraction has been of great benefit to Reserve preparedness and future operations planning.
Reserve Statement on New Caldari Incident of 12 May 109
YC109.05.13
At roughly 0200 this morning, CAPT Svetlana Scarlet, Reserve Chief of Diplomatic Staff, released a preliminary statement regarding the incident Saturday where a freighter belonging to the Brothers of Freedom corporation was destroyed. The following is the full transcript of that statement, provided via hololink from her current position at the front lines of Operation Cascade Fire.
"Good morning. Yesterday, a freighter belonging to the Brothers of Freedom corporation was destroyed on approach to the CEP Bureau station in orbit around New Caldari. At this time, I can confirm that Reserve vessels did indeed participate in the interception of that vessel, though only after being informed that the freighter posed an imminent threat to the station itself. As of this time, Reserve Command has been unable to confirm or deny that information, however officers at the scene believed the threat to be likely enough to require immediate action in order to neutralize it.
"However, in light of the seriousness of the incident and the ambiguity as to the exact sequence of events that resulted in the destruction of the freighter, the Reserve has decided that it is necessary to convene a Board of Inquiry to look into this incident in order to determine the facts of the case, and whether or not the actions of the officers involved were justified. This board will investigate the matter and produce its results within one week, as well as any necessary disciplinary actions. I must stress that we are treating this matter with the gravity it requires -- the destruction of a civilian vessel by Reserve officers is not something to be taken lightly, especially one of this magnitude.
"In order to ensure that all the facts of the matter come out, we would also like to ask the Tribunal to conduct their own investigation into the incident. We would also ask them to investigate the other two parties involved -- the Guardian Shadows corporation, who began the attack on the freighter, and the Brothers of Freedom corporation to whom the freighter belonged. We also suggest an investigation as to why there were no Caldari Navy or Customs vessels in the immediate area to conduct a proper interdiction of this freighter. If they had been there to do so, a great loss of life may have been avoided."
At roughly 0200 this morning, CAPT Svetlana Scarlet, Reserve Chief of Diplomatic Staff, released a preliminary statement regarding the incident Saturday where a freighter belonging to the Brothers of Freedom corporation was destroyed. The following is the full transcript of that statement, provided via hololink from her current position at the front lines of Operation Cascade Fire.
"Good morning. Yesterday, a freighter belonging to the Brothers of Freedom corporation was destroyed on approach to the CEP Bureau station in orbit around New Caldari. At this time, I can confirm that Reserve vessels did indeed participate in the interception of that vessel, though only after being informed that the freighter posed an imminent threat to the station itself. As of this time, Reserve Command has been unable to confirm or deny that information, however officers at the scene believed the threat to be likely enough to require immediate action in order to neutralize it.
"However, in light of the seriousness of the incident and the ambiguity as to the exact sequence of events that resulted in the destruction of the freighter, the Reserve has decided that it is necessary to convene a Board of Inquiry to look into this incident in order to determine the facts of the case, and whether or not the actions of the officers involved were justified. This board will investigate the matter and produce its results within one week, as well as any necessary disciplinary actions. I must stress that we are treating this matter with the gravity it requires -- the destruction of a civilian vessel by Reserve officers is not something to be taken lightly, especially one of this magnitude.
"In order to ensure that all the facts of the matter come out, we would also like to ask the Tribunal to conduct their own investigation into the incident. We would also ask them to investigate the other two parties involved -- the Guardian Shadows corporation, who began the attack on the freighter, and the Brothers of Freedom corporation to whom the freighter belonged. We also suggest an investigation as to why there were no Caldari Navy or Customs vessels in the immediate area to conduct a proper interdiction of this freighter. If they had been there to do so, a great loss of life may have been avoided."