Good day, pilots!
So, some thoughts and explorations.
In the first place, one of the noteworthy details about Drifter Hive forces is that they tend to be much smaller than you’d otherwise anticipate; the patrolling forces number somewhere around six to eight A/A Drifter battleships, a comparable number of patrols of pairs of Lancers, and so on. These are usually sufficient to dissuade casual exploration. During this operation, we encountered at least forty in the system. Most were damaged, but a small number were not.
A growing theory has been that Drifter wormhole-generation systems allow for three-singularity wormhole systems, allowing point-to-point transfer between A-B, and A-C. After all, the Hives all appear to be outlying defenses of some sort. In this case, it may have been that damaged Drifter forces retreated from k-space to repair and resupply in Hive systems, or may have come from unknown wormhole systems, or may have in fact been pulled into the Hive systems to engage there. Either way, bombs, smartbombs, or hostile environments are certainly all on the list of potential damage sources, whether due to hostile action or exposure situations.
Indeed, it’s also entirely conceivable that this is a fleet returning from extended duty, and Drifter ships require rather more maintenance and repair than we’d been given to believe.
As you would imagine, right now, we have many theories., but few facts.
What we can say is the damage was relatively recent. Drifter Doomsdays were spooled, and the fleet appeared to be taking a defensive posture in the Hive complex, requiring more careful movement on our part than normal. The main fleet, 25-strong, was not the only location where damaged Drifters were found. Undamaged and damaged Drifters were patrolling singly, in pairs, and in trios, leading to greater average force concentrations than usual, and contributing to the 18-kill patrol, whereas most Hive operations net four to eight Drifter kills.
As you can imagine, our standard fleet doctrine is suitable for engaging up to four Drifters at a time, but can’t engage Drifters in the dozens. Our Throne Worlds Campaign doctrine can engage those counts, but runs into issues with a Wolf-Rayet system, wormhole mass limits, and so on. Current plans are either bombers or an armor-based Ciniel-style doctrine.
Also, on Tom Horn; he’s a silly man. Best to ignore him.
Tom Horn's strangeness.
For instance, he’s posted in local comms offering to beat Brutors for Nauplius, a noted Blood Raider lunatic.
Or, in another case, he sent this lovely evemail to my associate, Xindi Kraid.
Caldari Prime resistance movement has placed your name on a list,of Caldari liberal fascist capsuleers, liberal fascist of other races, who are now KOS for the resistance movement. The list is code named WAR PIGS.
Your crimes against the State are many Kraid, youve been charged with collusion with enemy being a quisling , on this charge the resistance has found you guilty.
Your charged with corruption and corporate malfeasance , for your part in the financial collapse of the Ishukone owned subsidiary Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive , the resistance movement has found you guilty on this charge.
You are charged with one of the most despicable crimes anyone can ever committ genocide.You are now involved with other liberal fascists, in the ethnic cleansing of another race, for the basic fact that you cannot understand them and have been unable to communicate with them. With the sole purpose of this ethnic cleansing, is to enrich yourselves , by stealing the secrets of their advanced and powerful techonologies. On this charge the resistance finds you guilty.
Many times Kraid ,i say many times, you have spoken out that you would personally like to put a bullet in the head , of the greatest Caldari hero Tibus Heth. We have not forgotten, on this charge resistance movement has found you guilty.
Any of our fighters who suicide attacks you , will be rewarded by the great Caldari Spirit with 50 nubile Caldari virgins, in the after life at the end of their immortality.
We are going to wipe you off the face of this New Eden universe Kraid. You are a dead man walking WAR PIG , PIG ,PIG ,PIG ,PIG PIG.
Glory to Tibus Heth , heil Heth , heil Heth , sieg heil , sieg heil , sieg heil.
Glory to the Great Caladri Spirits , Glory to the Provist Mujahideen Liberation Front , Gory to the Provist caliphate.
In any case! We’ll see how this unfolds. In the meanwhile, ARC will increase surveillance and maintain its operational tempo.
