Intergalactic Summit

http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/world-news/fed-navy-releases-caldari-prime-details-citizens-react/

Luminaire – The Federation Navy today released a statement detailing Operation Highlander, the code-name for the offensive on Caldari Prime that ended with the destruction of the Shiigeru. The statement declared the operation an “overall success”, while noting that certain details did not go as planned.

Short of expecting to fully disable it in space, I'm not sure what they thought would happen.

I think they were hoping to blow the entire thing into little ity bity bits. Then those bits would burn up in the atmosphere on re-entry, the burning helped along by the Tritanium / Oxygen reation. As it was they did do that with the engines, so only half of it crashed.

If memory serves, the engagement began with the Shiigeru and it's escorts in high orbit. Admiral Yanala made the decision to move closer to the planet after this.

I sincerely doubt that the Gallente planned on having Admiral Yanala pilot the Shiigeru into a lower orbit after it had become apparent that she was going to lose the engagement.

I doubt they believed she would be callous enough to use the population of the planet as a potential bullet screen.

"oh, you can't blow up my ship here... if you do it will crash"

Xindi, you are not enough of a fool to attempt to pin the blame for the titan's final placement on anyone other than the woman who turned it towards the planet when below 20% of her shields remained, or perhaps more fittingly, the man who gave her the order to do so.

When you know you're about to die, the only reason to do as she did, is to ensure the destruction of as much as possible.

---

Seven Tribes.
One Matari People.

Even within the low orbit, the Shiigeru moved altitude significantly during over the hours, and near the end of the Capital fight, specifically turned towards the planet charging their Doomsday & moving to an even lower altitude while it was under fire, Presumably loaded with OB ammunition which is different from conventional ammo, as there are no OB missiles on the market, we can't be sure of the technical specs of these missiles, but given every other weapon requires special ammo, it seems likely missiles do also.

If the altitude changes made a difference, we can't know for sure, but the fact that it was traveling towards the planet deliberatly while knowing they were going down, rather than a holding orbit, or even breaking orbit to try and escape at that point does lend credence to the claims that the Gallente Navy didn't intend for it to crash & that the movement of the titan contributed to this at the very least.

I also imagine they had done a risk evaluation on it like any normal military would have and decided to go ahead, when weighed against all the potential victims had the Shiigeru executed an Orbital Bombardment in support of any ground action. & even more so had to go ahead when it started charging the Doomsday.

I am very surprised at the liberal Gallente views that got expressed in that piece near the end.

Are Blacque and his thugs losing their grip or their favor with President Roden - they got most of their boost under President Foiritan if I recall - or is this just enough of a show of sympathy being allowed to be published for some reason of political maneuvering? Are the Navy and the Black Eagles at odds?

Just a few years ago people were being disappeared for less if they showed any sympathy to the Caldari plight in the Federation. And the SCOPE has tended to be cowardly when it comes to Federation politics for a while now. But I just have this feeling there is something more under the surface that does not immediately meet the eye. I don't trust it.

Then again I always had suspicions that Roden was involved in the Intaki affair and the whole arrangement with Ishukone there seemed very neat. Maybe there really could be brighter days ahead or at least a slight thaw in the winter of our two people's affairs?

Does anything ever go to plan? I figure the navy just wanted that Titan gone. The mission was accomplished in that regard.