[YC119 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest] The Youil Offensive – A chronicle of the State Protectorate’s military offensive against the Federal Defence Union in late YC118 (Part 2)

Epilogue

The victory in Vlillirier on the 23rd of December signalled the end of major combat operations in the Youil Offensive of YC116. Eha, the last remaining major system flagged for capture, fell mere hours after Vlillirier without any major efforts to contest it materialising from the Federal Defence Union [31]. With the victory, the taint of the defeats in Okkamon and Aivonen were expunged from the reputation of the State Protectorate and its allegiant alliances and corporations, having been avenged on the field of battle. Thousands of vessels and tens of thousands of servicemen and women were lost or taken prisoner, and hundreds of millions of ISK were expended on this campaign. In Vlillirier alone, over twelve thousand vessels were lost across all sides throughout November and December. I personally announced the victory on the Intergalactic Summit forums to prevent extremists from hijacking the communal effort of the State Protectorate, and to dissipate fears of STPRO reprisals upon the baseliner prisoners of war and the civilian Federation population present in the conquered systems [32]. However, that did not see the end of further gains as the major alliances sought to consolidate their control over the spoils of victory, with Fortizar-class citadels being deployed by the Bloc in Eha, Heiian Conglomerate in Asakai and Templis CALSF in Akidagi as well as a network of Astrahus-class citadels dotted strategically around the warzone to facilitate greater operational flexibility. Eha in particular is now inhabited by The Bloc as their headquarters, moving away from their historical base in Kehjari. Nennamaila was reinforced by the remnants of Plexodus after several constituent members of the alliance departed and has remained the home of Proixois Assault Force and Perimeter Defence Systems ever since.

Okkamon, one of the catalysts for the Youil Offensive, saw its liberation on the 14th, was lost once more on the 23rd and reclaimed again on the 30th. Whilst several more solar systems were captured in Placid such as Intaki and the securing of the Viriette Constellation, or otherwise liberated in the Rise, there was no concerted effort by the Caldari Militia Coalition to attempt to conquer the entirety of Federation space, nor was there a desire to overextend our already weary forces in liberating the rest of Black Rise beyond our already impressive gains. With the majority of our forces standing down in time to return home for well-earned rest and relaxation in light of the Youil holiday season, the offensive gradually wound down in January with the last major systems captured during that month.

However, as is the nature of the CEMWPA conflict, the Federation began to counter-attack in the early months of YC119 through their liberation of Vlillirier on the 18th of January [33]. Reinforcements from the Tribal Liberation Force appeared as notable alliance Smile n Wave exchanged their TLF badge for one of the FDU. Veteran pilots of the Amarr-Minmatar CEMWPA conflict, their ranks bolstered the flagging inhabitants of Vlillirier as they established themselves there, eventually following the Caldari in deploying a Fortizar-class station as their headquarters. Following this, a relatively new player appeared on the warzone stage in the form of Federation Uprising, an alliance with the express purpose of liberating Caldari-held Federation territory and to consolidate their control by recruiting alpha-status clones in an attempt to replicate the success of the State Protectorate. System after system fell in Placid as Caldari administrative forces were subsequently driven out of Federation territory, mostly uncontested by the greater Caldari Militia Coalition which prioritised defending State territory rather than their conquests. In Viriette, the CMC presence was minimal and FDU forces liberated the constellation in a month long offensive from February to March. Black Shark Cult failed to prevent FDU forces from securing Covryn and Iges, eventually losing ground in the Fislipesnes constellation and withdrawing [34]. The Conoco alliance was defeated in Mercomesier and in Alparena, eventually being evicted from the Serthoulde constellation as the FDU destroying their space-borne assets and liberating both systems which had the resultant effect of forcing Conoco to void their contract with the State Protectorate. The last Federation system to remain under Caldari control, Oicx, was liberated on the 25th of April after weeks of contestation [35].

The failure of the State Protectorate to counterattack in the Old Man Star solar system incentivised the Federal Defence Union to push the State further back from Federal borders. A report from Commander Degnar Oskold of Federation Uprising confirmed that the FDU sought to ‘liberate’ the Eha solar system, as it had traditionally been the headquarters of the Justified Chaos Corporation and held strategic importance for its proximity to Placid. A subsequent FDU offensive labelled ‘Operation Iron Forge’ commenced on Eha in May saw the clash of civilisations occur once more, with the CMC responding in force to the aggression spearheaded by Smile n Wave, FEDUP and GMVA [36]. After several days of engagement, and with just over 2,000 ships lost on either side, the Federals were victorious [38]. Whilst they were successful in wresting control of the system from Caldari hands, but as was the case with Aivonen the system was liberated once more after eleven days of Federal occupation due to the presence of the Fortizar-class citadel christened ‘Fort Bloc’. Eha remains to this day the stronghold of Bloc, a vigilant sentry guarding against future attempts of the FDU to strike from their stronghold in Placid. Not content to stop with the liberation of Federal territory, the FDU began systematically targeting State territory through their conquest of the majority of the Kurala and the entirety of the Ieyama constellations, as well as conquering systems in the Urpiken constellation.

As of the time of writing, twenty-six solar systems in the CEMWPA designated warzone are controlled by the State Protectorate and seventy-five are under the banner of the Federal Defence Union. A recent offensive in Kurala has seen the liberation of the constellation by the State Protectorate, and efforts continue in this regard to ensure that Federal administration over occupied State territory does not continue unimpeded. Nonetheless, the advent of the citadel structures and the authorisation of the alpha-status pilots has undoubtedly changed the nature of the conflict, as a system does not necessarily have to be under the control of the occupying faction for their belligerent forces to base there. Even the relatively common Astrahus-class is capable of hosting and supplying an invasion force, far outclassing the previous method of deploying starbase control towers, less vulnerable to enemy assault and far easier to resupply. Thus, as the territorial owner loses their defensive advantage to Upwell Consortium’s product line, it is often considered advantageous by some unscrupulous elements to simply defend the citadel as a base of operations and let the solar system fall into the hands of the enemy, a completely outrageous and monstrous suggestion that posits that the inhabitants of the planets we are charged with protecting are not worth the effort to fight for.

It is of the opinion of this officer, that the continuation of the conflict needs to be addressed by both the Caldari State and the Gallente Federation, as the initial casus belli has long since been removed from the equation and the status of Home, whilst it is not in full Caldari control, has been resolved for the time being in a satisfactory manner. Thousands of Federal and State citizens are killed, wounded or captured every week in service to the STPRO and FDU. Solar systems are traded on a weekly basis as if they are pawns on a galactic game of chess, with the occasional Knight or Rook taken every month or so. The Federation and the State must not permit themselves to ever again be possessed by hatred or dictated to solely by our emotions to forgo logic and reason, as this needless and senseless conflict can be ended if both sides are willing to. It does not mean to suggest that we will lay down our arms until such a day, we are obligated by our honour and responsibility to act as the aegis of our citizens and territory in the face of aggression and tyranny. However, one hopes that one day in the near future the sacrifices of our servicemen and women will not be in vain, and that a lasting peace can be negotiated in which the State and Federation can co-exist side-by-side in the cluster. After all, that is the duty of all soldiers and sailors, to ensure that peace prevails.

Glossary

CEMWPA – CONCORD Emergency Militia War Powers Act of YC110
FDU – Federal Defence Union
FEDUP – Federation Uprising
GMVA – Gallente Militia Villore Accords
I-HUB – Infrastructure Hub
ISK – InterStellar Kredit
RDRAW – Rapid Withdrawal
STPRO – State Protectorate

References

[1] – https://crossingzebras.com/the-okkamon-blitz/
[2] - ibid
[3] – https://crossingzebras.com/aivonen-falls-at-last/
[4] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2336434
[5] – https://zkillboard.com/kill/56707352/
[6] – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yM9W7VrR_Iimndx6HthFqPv-pvN4lRR6IukRDQliUJM/edit
[7] –https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/59axw6/militia_warzone_aivonen_eve/#bottom-comments
[8] – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yM9W7VrR_Iimndx6HthFqPv-pvN4lRR6IukRDQliUJM/edit
[9] – ibid
[10] – ibid
[11] – https://crossingzebras.com/aivonen-falls-at-last/
[12] – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yM9W7VrR_Iimndx6HthFqPv-pvN4lRR6IukRDQliUJM/edit
[13] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/system/Vlillirier
[14] – https://crossingzebras.com/the-fall-of-fortress-vlillirier/
[15] – https://crossingzebras.com/alphas-bittervets-and-citadels-an-abc-of-factional-war-today/
[16] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2367454
[17] – https://crossingzebras.com/alphas-bittervets-and-citadels-an-abc-of-factional-war-today/
[18] – https://i.redd.it/3b4vwv6cso0y.png
[19] - https://crossingzebras.com/rise-of-the-state/
[20] – ibid
[21] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2372975
[22] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2373102
[23] – http://www.templis.net/about/history/
[24] – http://evenews24.com/2016/05/10/gallente-militia-civil-war/
[25] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2387584
[26] – https://zkillboard.com/kill/58476929/
[27] – https://zkillboard.com/kill/58476987/
[28] – https://zkillboard.com/kill/58477038/
[29] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/system/Vlillirier
[30] – https://crossingzebras.com/the-fall-of-fortress-vlillirier/
[31] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2390156
[32] – https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=505216&find=unread
[33] – https://villoreaccords.com/2017/01/18/vlillirier-liberated-for-the-federation/
[34] – https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/60jgnm/fw_update_gallente_militia_placid_offensive/
[35] – http://evemaps.dotlan.net/ticker/2495000
[36] – https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/6bu5bs/fw_update_2200_ships_31bn_isk_killed_in_72hour/
[37] – ibid

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