Intergalactic Summit

At approximately 00:00 hours, 118.09.08, an 8-ship SFRIM cruiser fleet (plus command ship-based warfare link support) under command of Evocatus Alizabeth set out for Ardishapur Prime. Our intention was a test run for purely offensive operations against Vigilant Tyrannos forces on their home territory using the "heavy weasel" doctrine in hopes of suppressing Drifter activity ahead of the impending coronation of Empress Catiz. We entered Drifter space through one of their manufactured wormholes, infiltrated the Sentinel Hive, and destroyed the Hikanta Tyrannos in the Hive chamber, suffering no losses.

On our return to the exit wormhole at approximately 01:00 hours, our support command ship pilot reported Vigilant Tyrannos battleships on the Ardishapur Prime side. Since the fleet had encountered no such warships aside from the Hikanta and the Drifters seemed to be moving slowly enough to pose a threat to our command ship, as it would decloak before they were likely to leave, the order was given to jump through and engage.

We engaged and destroyed the Drifters, and took what we could from the wrecks. However, as we prepared to depart, two additional Drifters arrived just as an attempted fleet warp failed. One of our three logistics craft, flown by FC, along with three of our five attack craft, warped out, while Drifters tackled and engaged the logistics vessel piloted by Neophyte Daisha Voluptia. The remaining attack ships, including Directrix Lunarisse Daphiti, tackled and tracking-disrupted the attacking Drifters while the third logistics vessel, flown by Adept Eternal Guardian, provided repair to Neophyte Voluptia, stabilizing her defenses until the Evocatus and the rest of our attack wing could return to the field. We then engaged and destroyed the Drifters.

During the fight, a wing of four Circadian Seekers appeared on the field and engaged us. Having dealt with the Drifters, we immediately turned our weapons on these, only to be almost immediately engaged by another two Drifters, which we destroyed, but which were immediately replaced by another two Drifters and a further four Seekers. These Drifters, also, fell, but once again, engaging the Seekers drew further Drifter reinforcements.

With our pilots tiring after nearly half an hour of continuous fighting, the Evocatus gave the order to engage and destroy all remaining Seekers before dealing with the Drifters. No additional Drifters appeared to protect or avenge the Seekers, and our fleet was able to destroy the final two Vigilant Tyrannos, loot the field, and withdraw.


SFRIM pilots involved:

Lord Ibrahim Tash-Murkon (DPS)
Lord Lucas Raholan (DPS)
Directrix Lunarisse Daphiti (DPS)
Evocatus Alizabeth (FC) (logistics)
Adept Eternal Guardian (logistics)
Neophyte Daisha Voluptia (logistics)
Legionarius Jennifer Starfall (DPS)
Peregrinans Aria Jenneth (DPS)


Other pilots involved:

Taisia Zaytseva (warfare link support)


Hostile forces destroyed at Ardishapur Prime:

Vigilant Tyrannos battleships x10
Circadian Seekers x8


Losses suffered:

None.

My fleet fought like lions. This was the most intense fight against the Drifters since the Defense of the Throne Worlds and SFRIM's pilots flew amazingly.

Also, the command ship was fitted with a cloak, however I decided to engage the Drifters rather than wait. After all, we were there to kill Drifters, not sulk about them. The only concern was getting the command ship in a place where it could set up links so we could fight effectively. Once the Drifters were focused on our fleet, the command ship was able to decloak and warp off grid. After that, the battle commenced.

Something bothers me though. What are the Drifters doing on Aradisphur Prime? Are the ones already over the planet bait?

Arrendis;

This doctrine should be survivable in an engagement with up to three or four Drifters. Beyond that, and the ships' shield buffers are unlikely to hold without a fair number of pilots providing tracking disruption.

There is an observatory Jovi.
Very often, there will an unknown wormhole.
In one jump on Amarr Prime Observatory has Jovi.
Amarr prime surrounded by observatories Jovi and unknown wormholes.

In addition the military forces of the Empire are not doing anything to patrol these wormholes. The patrols did not shoot at drifters. This means that the drifters are not enemies of the Empire. http://i.imgur.com/tQGQfAe.jpg
Our heroes are trying to prove something. Thereby contribute to the beginning of a new war.
But alas, they do not think his head.
The blind vengeance

I will pray that the drifters will not take revenge. This can lead to the complete destruction of the Empire.

Yes, I've seen the damage taken by the incursion team when facing two and three Tyrannos battleships. That doesn't mean it can't scale, only that how it needs to scale is an issue. The Drifters don't fire in perfect sychronicity. This means it should be possible to scale up significantly before repping through sheer weight of fire, absent the exceptional single shots that crop up from time to time, becomes untenable, especially as there are still a few design improvements that can be made, but have been (to date) not cost-effective.

But that's going to depend on positioning, proper support, as well as other factors, and without a controllable environment for testing against increasing numbers, it's going to be extremely difficult to know where the break-points are, and what adjustments can be made to compensate.

At some point, we're going to need to fight more than three or four of these things at a time. At some point, we may be faced with numbers significantly in excess of those we've seen before. We need to work out how to scale things up, clear up to worst-case scenarios... like 6VDT-H type numbers.

I don't often care about the war against the Drifters--it's not my problem, but from all reports, the work of those who fight it is exceptional and selfless. This engagement sounded harrowing, and the fact that you made it out of such a rapidly-evolving fight with no losses is a tribute to the grit and skill of your pilots and the ingenuity of your tactics. Thanks for sharing this, and best of luck in further engagements.

Errr, the Drifters haven't yet attacked population centers while every time Sansha forces show up during their incursions they suck up thousands of civilians before they are driven off.

The fact that Sansha is considered 'contained' is ludicrous.

Only an existential threat to your empire and citizens. Their targeted killing of your empress would seem to bear this out. The Drifters haven't arrived in Villore, Pator or New Caldari Prime to kill off the other heads of state. It seems that so long as we don't engage them they remain non-aggressive.

If they arrive in Matari space and begin carrying out aggressive operations then I will consider them an issue of importance for the Republic and Tribes to deal with. Until then whatever the Drifters do in imperial or w-space is none of my concern.

You know you're not supposed to say things I agree with, right Ibrahim? I mean, if this keeps up, what will we bicker about?