Gutter Press, reporting from the ground on Floseswin IV.
Fighting has intensified with the arrival of ground forces belonging to vassals of House Sarum, which have reinforced the main Sarum force, which has now secured a sufficient bridgehead to begin assaults on several population centres.
Republic units have fortified their positions, though co-ordination between the disparate forces is still a major concern, with numerous capsuleer-funded mercenaries, tribal military contractors, civilian militias and other paramilitary groups now appearing on the front lines.
Gutter Press spoke with members of one militia group, calling itself the âFree Floseswin Forcesâ.
âWeâve clashed already with some of the Amarr light forces, first time the majority of our people have been in real combatâ, said one man, a retired Republic Fleet marine.
âThey made an attack on the town here, but retreated after a short firefightâ, said another militiaman, a former motorcycle hooligan. âProbably testing our response, we need to stay vigilant.â
Members of the official Republic armed forces have a mixed opinion on the civilian militias.
âThere is no doubting their courage, but they are not hardened soldiersâ, said one officer. âThe danger is that weâll lose too many people needlessly.â
âWe were fighting just outside town, and I saw a grenade thrown at us by the god squad. Before I even finished shouting âgrenadeâ, this militia girl did this overhead scissors-kick and booted it clean back into their lines.â, said a mid-ranking NCO. âNever seen anything like it in me life. Well, not from a girl wearing clothes anyway.â
âI seenât it too, Sargeâ, said a low-ranking enlisted man. âTheir outfit had badges sayin âdance commandoesâ on it. I think theyâs exotic dancersâ
The situation in space remains heavily contested, with Republic-aligned forces gaining ground at this time, allowing a slightly more secure ground-to-space link, though overall space superiority remains in favour of Amarr forces.
Gutter Press. News.