Meanwhile in Aridia

 *****EMERGENCY BROADCAST*****
 WAR HAS BEGUN IN ARIDIA
 ORBITAL EVACUATIONS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN THE FOLLOWING STAR SYSTEMS:
 *SAZILID
 *HAIMEH
 *BAZADOD
 ALL NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL SHOULD EVACUATE PLANETSIDE IMMEDIATELY
 *****THIS IS NOT A DRILL*****

After days of suspense, Lowsechnaya Sholupen launched attacks across CONCORD protected Imperial Space. Damage reports are still coming in, but casualties appear to be minor.

In response to an attack on one of their starbases, a new local group from Bazadod (PUTTZ) deployed an artillery battery to the LSH war HQ in Zinkon. LSH Reinforcements from Vehan quickly scattered the artillery battery, inflicting minor losses.
LSH believed that the attack had been defeated, and that any further attacks would originate from Mayonhen Constellation, from which an attacking force would have to risk the infamous “Gauntlet” across the LSH home system of Hier, and through notorious systems like Sadana, Onanam, and Vehan to assault Zinkon on the Kor Azor border. Such an effort would be in vain against the legendary LSH supercapital fleet.

In an unexpected twist, a fleet of thirty Imperial warships appeared in Zinkon from Kor Azor!
Led by Prince Seraghis, this fleet had been secretly redeployed from Shokal following recent operations in Kor Azor.
Outmaneuvered, LSH withdrew to Vehan and harassed the Khimi Harar Armada with fighters PUTTZ returned in Marauders and joined in the assault until the shields of the war HQ began to fail.

Though largely symbolic, this sudden victory against LSH was desperately needed. Morale is enough to stave off desertion for now.

This is an unusually aggressive move from the Imperial Loyalist Alliance, Khimi Harar.
Prince Seraghis has made it clear that while they are NOT pursuing regime change against LSH in LOWSEC and currently has no plans to attack any other LSH structures, they will fight to the death to defend Khimi Harar structures in HISEC.
Seraghis is reportedly prepared to return to the original pre-war agreement of friendly rivalry, but insists that structure attacks are a redline.

Further battles over the next few days will determine how attainable those goals actually are.

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