Breaking News: SOLAR FLEET Avatar Class Titan Destroyed in 9-8GBA [Updated]

A SOLAR FLEET Alliance Avatar class Titan was destroyed today by a combined N3 capital and sub-capital force in the 9-8GBA system, Catch region. An Against ALL Authorities Alliance Tengu fleet was attacking a Territorial Claim Unit belonging to Spaceship Samurai Alliance in the system, however, a Thanatos class Carrier belonging to Hellz Hitman, of No-Mercy, Spaceship Samurai Alliance, kept repairing the Territorial Claim Unit. This prompted the members of SOLAR FLEET Alliance, who were present in the system, to drop a Titan on him, in order to destroy his ship and end his interference. Unknown to SOLAR FLEET, Pandemic Legion Alliance had already set their sights on the dropping on the Against ALL Authorities Fleet. Once the Titan landed on the grid, Pandemic Legion siezed the chance and lit their own cynosural beacon, tackling the Titan, who promptly melted away by the combined firepower of N3's ships.

Contrary to initial reports, this was an accidental Titan kill, and not an organized affair. The Carrier pilot, Hellz Hitman, reported that this was not the first time SOLAR FLEET dropped super-capitals on the field in the 9-8GBA system. Two nights ago, Spaceship Samurai Alliance scouted the system, discovering it did not have an Infrastructure-Hub installed. Realizing this, they anchored a Tower near the Against ALL Authorities' Territorial Claim Unit, and used four Carriers to destroyed it. However, afterwards, their operation was interrupted by SOLAR FLEET Alliance, who promptly jumped five super-capitals onto the field. Since the Carriers were not tackled, the Spaceship Samurai force managed to safely extract.

Hellz Hitman reached out for his Pandemic Legion contacts in order to report the ordeal. Today, he was told by a character in an NPC Corporation to leave the Tower's shields in his Thantos class Carrier, even though the Territorial Claim Unit was under attack by an Against ALL Authorities Tengu force. Having worked with Pandemic Legion before, and assuming something big was in the works, he obeyed. Almost immediately, A Manticore class Stealth Bomber belonging to SOLAR FLEET uncloaked, and lit a cynosural beacon, and the Titan jumped into the system.

Unfortunately for Hellz Hitman, the Titan was in range, and managed to destroy his Carrier, however, the loss was not in vain as a second cynosural beacon lit up, this time by Pandemic Legion. An N3 force comprised of capital ships, a few Motherships and Navy Issue Apocalypses landed on the field, tackling the Titan and promptly destroying it. SOLAR FLEET Alliance did bridge in a Tengu fleet in order to try and save the Titan, but to no avail.

According to James Kordent, the Pandemic Legion Fleet Commander in charge at the time, the initial intent was for SOLAR FLEET Alliance to bridge in their Tengu fleet to engage the Thanatos class Carrier, at that point N3 were supposed to bridge in on top of SOLAR FLEET force, in order to annihilate their Tengus. The Titan's appearance on the field came as a complete shock to him. However, he decided to go after the Titan, as it did prove to be the better target. While SOLAR FLEET and N3 were engaged, Against ALL Authorities forces decided to extract from the battle, rather than lose ships.

Losing a few Interdictor and Heavy Interdictor class ships, the N3 force safely extracted out of the system, in what was described as Blitz action. The total damage done is estimated at one hundred and forty-one billion ISK for the Titan alone, and promises to grow as more Tengu losses are processed by EVE-Kill(dot)net.

The Titan pilot refused to comment, while both SOLAR FLEET and Against ALL Authorities Alliances remain silent on the matter

Special thanks to Hellz Hitman, of No-Mercy, Spaceship Samurai Alliance, and James Kordent, North Eastern Swat, Pandemic Legion Alliance, for granting me this interview.