Bleak Lands Installations Under Attack by Unknown Forces

2006-11-14 00:00

By Svarthol

The Bleak Lands region of the Amarr Empire has over the past week played host to a number of attacks perpetrated by forces of unknown size and affiliation. The attacks, mostly targeting independent holder assets and small to mid-sized orbital installations, have in all cases been swift and decisive, usually laying waste to their targets before responding units can be deployed to the scene.

Ballistic data from installation wreckage, as well as eyewitness reports from colony attacks, have confirmed that the attacking ships are of Matari design, though no communication or demands have ever been received from them. Eyewitness reports furthermore indicate that the forces have been small and mobile, composed mostly of frigates and cruisers.

Little official help has been available to holders in the Bleak Lands regions. "The Navy doesn't maintain much of a presence here," said Eron Tumak-Ahrim, holder of the Sartrad Territories on Hakodan III, which have suffered two separate attacks over the past week, totaling approximately three hundred million ISK in lost assets.

"They mostly stay near the Throne Worlds these days. They don't appear to have much time for us out here on the fringe," he said.

Navy officials have gone on record as stating that "due to an ongoing restructuring process within [the Amarr Navy] ... our fielded forces must be diverted to areas where they are deemed most necessary to Imperial security and the protection of Imperial assets."

"The situation's been like this for months," said Amuran Dekorle, an independent strategic correspondent who has written for a number of publications worldwide. "The Navy barely responds to [acting regent Chamberlain Dokuta Karsoth's] directives at all, and when they do it is with slow sullenness."

"The Empire is really the only place where you could see this happening. The Emperor's authority is absolute ... but regulations don't make provisions for people ruling in his stead for any significant amount of time. There's no real administrative action he can take against them," Dekorle said. "They're just responding to whoever holds the most clout among the heirs. It's all one big political patchwork right now."

The Chamberlain's Office has, according to inside sources, made repeated attempts over the past few days to instigate talks with the Minmatar Republic Fleet. It is unknown at this point what, if any, communication has gone on between them.