News: Pandemic Legion Secures BR-N97 Station for Providence Bloc

BR-N97 System, Catch region. On the 24th of September, 16:00 EVE Standard Time, HERO Coalition and Providence Bloc clashed once more over the final reinforcement timer of the station, in a battle that saw several surprising turns during the fighting, right until the very end of it.

Providence Bloc brought their usual Sentry Battleship\Battlecuriser fleet, around a hundred and ten pilots large, though numbers increased during the fighting. They were supported by a Stealth Bomber wing and Stain Wagon Coalition, who brought a hundred and ten pilot fleet as well, in Cerberus class Heavy Assault Cruisers.

Against them were arrayed HERO Coalition and several N3 Coalition entities, mostly Northern Coalition(dot) and The Unthinkables alliances. HERO Coalition was in their signature Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, supported by Ferox class Battlecruisers and Harpy class Assault Frigates mixed in, all total a hundred and fifty pilots. Northern Coalition(dot) and The Unthinkables each came in a Tengu class Strategic Cruiser fleet, seventy and fifty pilots respectively.

Pandemic Legion Alliance came in their Proteus\Legion mixed fleet, a hundred pilot strong, hoping to act as an honorable third party, much like in previous fights.

However, things did not go their usual way.

The fighting that broke up was truly chaotic, with Providence Bloc forces sitting around the station's undock and engaging all hostiles, who warped in and out at ranges, as both Stain Wagon and Pandemic Legion forces proved to be the most mobile in the system, specifically the Cerberus who managed to kite the other fleets while spamming their missiles. 

HERO Coalition attempted to stay on grid longer than in their previous assault on the station, but both Pandemic Legion and Stain Wagon seemed to have focused their attention on their Eagles, causing many losses and forcing the fleet to leave the field for most of the fighting. The Unthinkables themselves also seemed to have left the field early in the fighting, chased by both Pandemic Legion and Stain Wagon. 

At some point the only opposing fleet left on the station grid were Providence Bloc and Northern Coalition(dot) who slugged it out, until Stain Wagon forces warped back to the station and started to focus their deadly missile payload on the Northern Coalition(dot) Logistic ships. 

Before they could drive the Northern Coalition fleet off the field, the Pandemic Legion fleet managed to warp on top of the Cerberus, Within seconds much of the Cerberus fleet was bubbled, with many ships being pointed by the Pandemic Legion ships. Northern Coalition(dot) then joined the Pandemic Legion and together the two fleets closed in on the Stain Wagon Cerberus', who were forced to retreat after losing roughly a third of their numbers.

By this time, it was expected that Providence Bloc will be forced to brawl once more with Northern Coalition(dot) alone, when Pandemic Legion warped on top of the Providence Bloc forces and started to engage them. Again, Northern Coalition(dot) joined Pandemic Legion in the task, and soon after both The Unthinkables and HERO Coalition fleets were seen on grid again, assisting in the destruction of Providence Bloc's ships. Providence Bloc forces were unable to bear the punishment poured down on them by the four combined fleets and attempted to dock up what remained of their fleet in the station.

After this unexpected turn of events, Northern Coalition(dot) chose to lit a cynosural beacon on the station. At this point, both HERO Coalition, The Unthinkables and Pandemic Legion's fleets left the grid, and Northern Coalition(dot) jumped in no less than twenty Aeon\Nyx class Motherships and ten Dreadnaughts, mainly Moros and Revelation class. This fleet quickly setup on the station and started grinding it down.

 Northern Coalition(dot) fleet grinding the station

Seemingly unhappy with Northern Coalition(dot)'s actions, Pandemic Legion decided to jump into the system its own Mothership group, including the rare Revenant class. This force quickly attempted to remove the HERO Coalition Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system, managing to destroy the last one as the station had only one percent structure remaining. This caused the station, as well as the system, to become invulnerable again, effectively securing it for Providence Bloc.

With the station once more invulnerable, Northern Coalition(dot) forces seemed to have no choice but to retreat, along side HERO Coalition's fleet, who did use Northern Coalition(dot)'s presence in the system to bring in new Sovereignty Blockade Units, and later anchor and online them before leaving. With most hostiles gone from the system, Pandemic Legion forces elected to extract as well, leaving Providence Bloc to lick its wounds.

Once it became apparent that no other threats to Providence Bloc's fleet remained in the system, the fleet quickly left the system, re-shipped and came back in force, bringing a fresh batch of its Sentry Battleship\Battlecruisers, now reaching one hundred and forty pilots. They also brought two Capital squadrons, mainly Archon\Thanatos class Carriers who were quickly put to work repairing the station's armor.

With the work progressing smoothly, Providence Bloc's sub-Capital fleet set to work on removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system. Yet, as the Providence sub-Capital fleet was pre-occupied on the system's gates, another strange turn of events occurred, with HERO Coalition jumping in no less than nine Capital ships, eight Dreadnaughts and one Carrier. The Capital group landed on the station, possibly in an attempt to interrupt the repair operations and maybe snag one of the Providence Bloc Carriers if they managed to bump it off the undock.

Regardless of their intention, the HERO Coalition Capital group was unsupported and vulnerable. Within seconds they were tackled, with Providence Bloc deploying  interdiction probes to prevent them from jumping out. With the Providence Capital group safely docked in station, the sub-Capital fleet landed on top of the stranded Dreadnaughts and started to apply damage. In a few minutes, seven Capital wrecks were left on the field, with only two HERO Coalition Capitals managing to escape, an Archon class Carrier and a Revelation class Dreadnaught.

With that taken care of, Providence Bloc returned to the task at hand - removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units and repairing the station. Managing to restore its armor to full, thus securing another reinforcement timer, they also managed to destroy the last Sovereignty Blockade Unit in the system unmolested. Then, they anchored their own, which at the time of writing are still there and online, effectively securing the system and delaying any attempts to contest it once more.

Fixed battle report for the BR-N97 System can be found here.

During the peak of the fighting, the system hosted more than eight hundred pilots, with Time Dilation being noticeable at its peak at forty percent, but not impacting the battle in any meaningful way. Though some random disconnects were observed, server performances seemed to be stable, unlike in previous fights. Some complains have been made about the grid itself, with many commenting its comparatively small size for a station grid. This seemed to concern mainly the Stain Wagon fleet, who relied on speed and distance as its main defense. Stealth Bomber activity during the fighting proved to be quite minimal compared to previous fights.

The final tally of the battle seems to be three hundred and eleven ships lost, with the total damage amounting to fifty seven billion ISK. This time, HERO Coalition suffered the lion's share of the damage, though most of it is attributed to its failed Capital squadron drop.

As the conflict continues to escalate further, many questions arise. How far is Northern Coalition(dot) willing to go to secure HERO Coalition's victory in this war? Why has HERO Coalition been relegated a secondary role in its own campaign? Why did Pandemic Legion decide to prevent the station's take over? Can Providence Bloc stand up to the combined might of HERO Coalition and N3? Only the next few weeks will give us answers.

Providence Bloc Suffers Defeat in S25C-K

S25C-K system, Catch region. Following the fall of 7MD-S1 and UL-7I8 systems, Providence Bloc and HERO Coalition forces clashed over the control of the S25C-K system on the first of the two Infrastructure Hub timers at the 26th of August.

The system saw one of the largest sub capital engagements recently, with more than six hundred pilots in the system at the height of the fighting. Providence Bloc forces were organized in a hundred and eighty Battleship class fleet and set up on the BR-N97 gate in S25C-K system, expecting HERO Coalition forces to jump into them.

Instead, HERO Coalition forces opted to bridge into the system in three fleets: A hundred and forty Brave Collective mixed Moa class Cruisers and Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruisers with Ferox class Battlecruiser support, a hundred and ten The Unthinkables Tengu class Strategic Cruisers and a Test Alliance Please Ignore forty Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruisers. All told, HERO Coalition forces had two hundred and ninety pilots on the field.

HERO Coalition forces decided to warp to the BR-N97 gate in order to engage Providence Bloc forces, but the Brave Collective fleet was caught by the mobile field disruptors set by Providence Bloc, while The Unthinkables' Tengus managed to land at range. With both forces on the grid fighting quickly broke out.

While Brave Collective and Test Alliance Please Ignore exchanged losses with Providence Bloc, partly due to their bad positioning, The Unthinkables managed to tank the incoming damage, and with their help, Providence Bloc forces were soon being overwhelmed, losing ships at an alarming pace.

A fleet of sixty Pandemic Legion Proteus class Strategic Cruisers attempted to intervene on Providence Bloc's behalf at the height of the battle (Though sources within Providence Bloc claim Pandemic Legion shot a few Providence Bloc ships as well) but was quickly brushed aside when its logistics wing was annihilated by the combined Unthinkables and HERO Coalition fleets. Thus Pandemic Legion was forced to retreat from the thick of the fighting, though it did continue and attempt to harass the combatants until the end.

However, the outcome was predictable, Providence Bloc forces were completely decimated by the superior numbers and doctrine fielded by HERO Coalition. Though struggling for almost an entire hour, Providence Bloc was forced to finally concede the field, after most of its fleet was destroyed, with many of the Fleet Commanders and logistics taken off the field during the fighting itself. This loss continues the chain of defeats experienced by Providence Bloc ever since the fall of 7MD-S1 on the 14th earlier this month.

The butcher's bill saw more than three hundred ships destroyed during the fighting, representing a forty-eight billion ISK loss by all parties. Time Dilation was a factor in the fighting, reaching upwards of more than sixty percent. Bomber activity was high as well, with both sides targeting each others' logistics wings, though HERO Coalition saw much less success than usual with its bombing runs.

Fixed Battle Report can be found here.

Brave Collective's Fleet Commander, Blue Ice, commented that The Unthinkables were present mainly in order to deal with any interference made by Stain Wagon forces, which intel indicated were suppose to show for the timer, but did not appear for the fight. Stain Wagon has been an active participant in the fighting since the beginning of the campaign, often aiding Providence Bloc against HERO Coalition.

Though Providence Bloc forces claimed it was overall a good fight, much resentment has been expressed by individuals in the coalition, mainly at the tactics continuously employed by HERO Coalition Fleet Commanders, specifically Blue Ice, such as decapitating Fleet Commanders and eavesdropping coms. These, they claim, run anathema to everything Brave Collective claims to hold dear, such as "Classiness" and "Fun-per-Hour".

Regardless, since 7MD-S1 the tide of war seems to have shifted strongly in HERO Coalition's favor, with two systems already captured and another one on the way. One must ask whether HERO Coalition is able to maintain this momentum or will Providence Bloc be able to stem the tide?

a clip of the fighting from The Unthinkables perspective

Providence Fight Club: T-RPFU 26.7.2014

T-RPFU system, Providence region. On the 26th of July the system saw large scale engagements from no less than four different entities, culminating in an hour long battle with more than six hundred participants, and resulting in five hundred ships destroyed, and at least thirty billion ISK in damages.

The battle was prompted when Sovereignty Blockade Units belonging to Brave Collective Alliance were deployed in the T-RPFU system, forcing Providence Bloc to organize a Call to Arms (CTA) fleet, managing to muster a hundred and sixty pilots in Rupture class Cruisers with some logistics backing. Racing to the system in order to remove the Sovereignty Blockade Units before they online, Providence Bloc forces were expecting to meet a Brave Collective fleet, instead reports of a RvB Zealot class Heavy Assault Cruiser force, some two hundred pilots large with strong logistics backbone (Nearly a quarter of the fleet) were received.

Realizing that the RvB fleet was headed to the system, and that it would interfere with the removal of the Sovereignty Blockade Units, Providence Bloc forces prepared to engage the hostile force on the D-GTMI gate. The initial exchange looked promising, as the Providence Bloc fleet was able to destroy almost twenty percent of the enemy's Logistics ships. However, with mounting casualties and the enemy's ability to handle the incoming fire, Providence Bloc forces decided to retreat from the fleet, preserving more than half their fleet and re-forming for a second attempt.

During the fight, the system saw more than three hundred and thirty-four pilots, with Time Dilation reaching twenty-eight percent. 

The original battle report can be found here.
The fixed battle report can be found here (Due to EVE Kill Report Repair Tool, most of the RvB fleet cannot be shown due to settings).
The summary of the battle can be found here.

Image of the fighting on the D-GTMI gate between RvB and Brave Collective Alliance

After a quick reform, and with more hostiles getting into the system, a temporary cease fire was struck with The Unthinkables Alliance, who promised to aid Providence Bloc forces with their seventy pilot Tengu class Strategic Cruiser fleet, as well as securing neutrality from the Brave Collective Alliance's one hundred and ten Harpy Assault Frigate fleet for the duration of the engagement with RvB. With those promises in mind, Providence Bloc went in for a second engagement, this time choosing to warp directly on top of the RvB fleet.

At this point the system hosted more than six hundred and eighty-nine pilots, with four major fleets assembled as well as assorted gangs and bomber wings. While Providence Bloc forces engaged the RvB fleet, The Unthinkables, true to their word, warped in to aid, but Brave Collective did not hold their fire, but instead engaged Providence Bloc, taking down all the Fleet Commanders off the field. Thus, Providence Bloc fleet quickly fell apart, with each new member stepping up to take charge of the fleet only to be instantly destroyed by Brave Collective forces, prompting members of Providence Bloc to level allegations of espionage at Brave Collective Alliance.

The fixed battle report can be found here (Due to EVE Kill Report Repair Tool, most of the RvB fleet cannot be shown due to settings).
The summary of the battle can be found here.

With the fleet decimated, Providence Bloc forces retreated back to their staging system in order to re-form a second time, switching to Vexor class Cruisers. By the time Providence Bloc forces re-entered the T-RPFU system, most of the hostiles have already extracted, allowing Providence Bloc forces to safely destroy the Sovereignty Blockade Units and removing the threat from the system.

Though Providence Bloc achieved the strategic objective, securing the system again, it is indisputable that in both rounds of fighting it definitely lost, with the last one proving to be a crushing defeat.

Many have questioned whether or not the deployment of Sovereignty Blockade Units was done deliberately to draw a fight by Brave Collective, or was it the work of rogue elements in the employ of RvB within the Alliance, as their fleet made way to the T-RPFU system directly after its form up. Regardless, no official response was given by Brave Collective Alliance's leadership until time of publication.

News: Dispute in Brave Collective Alliance's Leadership Ends with Resignations

I am not one to comment or post about what I perceive as internal disputes and power struggles in Corporations and Alliances around New Eden. For the most part, I believe such news has its place, and that is in the tabloids and gossip columns, rather than front pages of news outlets. This is born out of my own firm belief that accurate, objective reporting is impossible when passions and interests collide in such a fierce manner, and that anything I may write on the subject will end up hurting many people who took no part in the proceedings only to become collateral damage due to their allegiances.

That said, I cannot ignore the fact that the Brave Collective Alliance dispute has made headlines in the past few days, and by sides who have more to gain from stirring the pot, and are not themselves divorced from taking part in the events which unfolded. Thus, I am forced to break my own rule, hopefully for this one and only time, in order to try and make sense of what has happened, trace the reasons behind it, and report its aftermath in the most neutral tone I can muster.

The Beginning

The roots of the dispute were firmly planted by the unprecedented success of Brave Newbies Inc(dot). The Corporation's rapid growth, as well as its creation of a different gaming culture in the landscape of EVE Online, one centered around a "Fun per hour" concept, led to the founding of the Brave Collective Alliance, which itself gave birth to the H.E.R.O Coalition. In just the space of one year, Brave Newbies Inc(dot) went from a small corporation of new players, to being the second largest Alliance in EVE Online, at the head of the third biggest Coalition in the game.

So long as they were content to live in Low Security space or the Syndicate region, the many  deficiencies that were caused by the rapid growth of the Alliance and the inexperience of many of its members would have taken months to grow and deepen, and could have been handled better and far easier in the low pressure environment presented by these locales. However, the decision to relocate to the Sendaya system, Derelik region, and launch a campaign centered around the disruption of regional infrastructure in the Catch region by engaging in full scale sovereignty warfare, proved to have disastrous effects on the Brave Collective Alliance.

The Pressures of War

The state of the current mechanics of sovereignty warfare and its many deficiencies has been discussed in detail in the past and needs no repeating. Suffice to say, it is a chore, requiring the sacrifice of many hours of gameplay, often times with little to no reward for the individual. Add to that the location of the Catch region and the Sendaya system, which neighbor both the Providence and Curse regions, who house many active PvPers that often times interfere with operations, adding further complications.

Another problem that could not have been foreseen was the disbandment of Darkness of Despair Alliance, which caused a radical shift in the battle lines of the Halloween War, bringing the Catch region closer to the front lines, as well as freeing many pilots in the N3 Coalition, who took the opportunity to return to small scale PvP, at the expense of H.E.R.O Coalition.

The stress brought by all these factors only further aggravated the situation Brave Collective Alliance was in, turning those deficiencies from small fissures into gaping chasms. This could be seen in the loss of a Capital fleet, attributed to failures in communications and organization, the lack of progress, and, even reversals in the gains made in the Catch region, as well as the difficulty of H.E.R.O Coalition fleets to even undock and leave their own staging system, which caused much frustration and dissent amongst allies.

Recognizing the Problem

To the credit of Brave Collective's Alliance Leadership, they did recognize the fact that they had quite a few urgent problems on their hands, chiefly among them was that of communication and delegation of roles and work. However, quite a few voices on the Brave Collective Leadership Council believed that the top priority should be given to the restructuring of the Alliance, as it seemed the most important issue at hand.

Up until this point, Brave Collective had functioned as a Republic, with certain CEOs, Directors and "Floaters" (i.e. people without a defined role) given the power to vote and take part in the Leadership Council, where they discuss and made decisions. Lychton Kondur acted as a benevolent dictator, allowing the council to function and only intervening if things got out of hand. So far, not the most standard of New Eden's ruling structures, but hardly a wild departure from the norm.

Yet, this structure was now deemed insufficient to run an Alliance the size of Brave Collective. In order to replace it, two factions formed with the intent of presenting proposals for the council on the future Leadership structure of Brave Collective. Each faction was given a period of three weeks to discuss, present, fix, modify and prepare its proposal, with the intent that on the thirtieth of March, both proposals will be ready for presentation and a vote at the Leadership Council meeting.

The Factions

The first faction, which can be called the "Restrictors", was headed by draleth, Head Diplomat of Brave Collective, and was interested in decreasing the council's actual authority in favor of a Triumvirate of Directors, who would wield the actual power. The council will remain as an advisory board, with the ability to remove the Directors by an Absolute Majority vote, but not overrule their decisions.

The other faction, headed by Malphas Inanis, a "Floater", wished to do just the opposite and expand the council itself, thus earning his faction the name "Expanders". Under Malphas' plan, the council would increase to encompass all CEOs in the Alliance, as well as more elected members, who would be replaced in a staggered manner, allowing for the council to maintain an institutional memory. The removal of a Director will only need a Relative Majority vote, and it will continue to function as it has been in the past.

Both factions maintained Lychton Kondur's role as a benevolent dictator intact.

The Dispute

On the thirtieth of March, both proposals went into vote, with an overwhelming majority siding with the "Expanders" plan rather than that of the "Restrictors". After the vote, draleth and her second in command, Anna niedostepny, leave the council channel on the Brave Collective mumble server, and join a private room, where Brave Collective diplomat, Nonnak Severin logs in. A brief consultation ensues, in which draleth makes her intentions of resigning clear, and rehearses her resignation speech, with Nonnak Severin put forward as her effective replacement. 

The three join the council channel, where draleth reads her resignation letter and appointment of Nonnak Severin as the new Head Diplomat of Brave Collective. This is not received well by the council, specifically by a DAMN PATRIOT, of Dropbears Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, who proceeds to initiate a vote to kick Nonnak Severin from the council channel. After a second attempt followed through with another kick, Nonnak Severin logs into a different channel, when he is moved by draleth back to the council channel, in order to represent the Diplomatic Corps of Brave Collective, who just lost their Head and second in command.

a DAMN PATRIOT demands to know why Nonnak Severin is in the council channel after being kicked twice. Claiming to be the representative of the Diplomatic Branch of Brave Collective, Nonnak Severin demands to know why he was voted to be kicked twice. At this point, a DAMN PATRIOT reveals in the council channel logs received from Seraph IX Basarab, of Hades Effect, Surely You’re Joking Alliance. In these logs, a DAMN PATRIOT claims there is proof that Nonnak Severin is an infiltrator, working his way into Brave Collective for a third, unknown party. 

After this allegation, Nonnak Severin leaves the council channel, joining draleth and Anna niedostepny in their channel, and sharing his experience. 
  
Aftermath

The aftermath of the dispute can easily be seen on reddit, as both parties, and other individuals have taken to the Brave newbies Inc(dot) subreddit forums, posting their allegations, retorts, speculations or just trying to calm the tempers of all involved, as well as reassure the Line members, who, for the most part, seem to have been left mostly confused.


Lychton Kondur himself intervened in the dispute, removing all Director roles in the Alliance and effectively taking all power from the Leadership Council. Implementations of future plans have been put to a halt, and a new Head Diplomat has been appointed, Lquid Drisseg, of Brave Newbies Inc(dot), Brave Collective Alliance, in draleth’s stead. draleth herself and Anna niedostepny remain for the time being in Brave Collective, continuing to oversee its IT infrastructure. Nonnak Severin, to date, still serves as a Brave Collective Diplomat.

A copy of the letter sent by Lychton Kondur to Brave Collective Alliance informing them of the results of the dispute

The Two Diplomats

The main problem when approaching the subject of the accusations and counter accusations, is the fact that there is little to no proof to any of the allegations thrown around. draleth, in her resignation speech, blamed members of the Leadership Council for, effectively, being spies of entities hostile to Brave Collective and working to undermine the Alliance. On the other hand, a DAMN PATRIOT claims to have evidence of Nonnak Severin’s nefarious plans in regards to Brave Collective, however closer examination reveals them to be a rather confusing conversation that can be interpreted in a few different manners. Part of the problem is, of course, that the parties involved have their own motives and checkered pasts to be considered truthful or unbiased in their reporting.

Seraph IX Basarab - Mostly known for being a writer for EVE News 24, he is a Diplomat in Surely You’re Joking Alliance, and was the man who supplied the chat logs supposedly incriminating Nonnak Severin as a spy, though he claims those were requested and forwarded by his Executor. Surely You’re Joking is an ally of Brave Collective, so it is no surprise they’d be concerned over the possibility of an enemy infiltrator in their allies’ ranks.

At the same time, Seraph IX Basarab is a former Bomber Bar member, who was forced to leave due to a dispute, some say with Anna niedostepny, who was also part of the Bomber Bar crew. The fact that Anna niedostepny was part of draleth’s faction cannot be overlooked, nor the conversation that took place between Seraph IX Basarab and Anna niedostepny after the dispute made news.

Another interesting piece regarding Seraph IX Basarab, was the fact that a DAMN PATRIOT, when interviewed and asked who supplied the evidence, named him rather than Surely You’re Joking Executor, as well as the fact that the logs made their way not to Lychton Kondur or any other member of the Leadership Council, but to a member of Malphas Inanis’ faction.

Not to mention that Seraph IX Basarab also wrote an article on the subject, with speculation on the supposed Triumvirate’s members, naming Nonnak Severin as one of the members, something that the latter has rebuffed, and even supplied a more convincing alternative.

Nonnak Severin - Member of Brave Newbies Inc(dot) and a serving Diplomat of Brave Collective Alliance, he claims he was actually sought after several times before he finally accepted the post. Since he became a Diplomat so soon after his recruitment, this might seem plausible.

However, one must not forget he was implicated in a corporate theft, which damages his credibility somewhat. Add to it that a DAMN PATRIOT claims he has other sources besides Seraph IX Basarab who confirm him as a spy, and the fact he even put corporate espionage as one of his field of work in EVE Online, and the picture muddles again.

Do not forget that whether or not the conversation that took place between him and Seraph IX Basarab was an attempt to ridicule and humiliate the other, is not clear as well. As I said before, the conversation can be read in many ways.

Also, consider that none of draleth’s faction besides him have agreed to be interviewed, so there are few sources that can be relied upon to counter any claims he makes.

It is clear however, from the actual conversation between these two diplomats, that there is a contentious relationship between the two of them, and that Seraph IX Basarab himself has some unresolved issues with Anna niedostepny.
  
The Third Man

It is not my business to point fingers or levy blame at any person, but in an attempt to create a balanced article, I cannot overlook any side of the dispute, and the one who seems to have the most to gain from the entire affair is a DAMN PATRIOT.

a DAMN PATRIOT - CEO of Dropbear Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, his power base clearly lies outside of the main corporation of the Alliance, Brave Newbies Inc(dot). In fact, the proposal to expand the vote base would actually benefit him, as this decreases the actual power of Brave Newbies Inc(dot) in the council.

Add to it that the accusation of Nonnak Severin as a spy seems to come just after draleth resigns and appoints the former to be his successor, that the timing just seems to be too perfect. Not to mention the question of how he came by those logs, rather than anyone higher up, such as Lychton Kondur, or why no action was taken until that moment.

On the other hand, his actions can be easily defended as a concerned Leadership Council member, protecting the Alliance in the hour of turmoil from an apparent spy being given one of the highest positions in the Alliance, granting him a future role as a Director of the Alliance and enabling him to cause much damage there.

As for his push for the inclusion of more CEOs and elected members, this can be explained by the fact that Brave Collective, as an Alliance, is a sum of parts which create a greater whole. As such, even though Brave Newbies Inc(dot) is the main corporation of the Alliance, it is not the only corporation anymore. A part of a representative democracy is protecting the rights of the minorities against bullying by the majority, something that the “Expanders” faction may wish to create through this proposal.

The Underlying Issue

The problem that seems more and more apparent as I try to untangle this plonter of accusations, interests and motives, is the lack of transparency that seems to exist in Brave Collective’s Leadership Council. Though I did manage to interview certain members of the Leadership Council, many of the participants preferred to remain silent. Others who had a hand in the affair have given me either too little or too much material. However, beside Paste Bins and reddit posts, there seems to be little to no documentation of the events themselves.

Was draleth within her right to appoint a successor to her seat at the Council, or was she overstepping her boundaries? What were the actual plans, beside the gist that was given to me in interviews? It was said the debate raged for a good nine hours, yet it seems so little of the exchanges that must have taken place during that time period have made it out to the wider public.

Maybe there is a codified version of the Leadership Council’s rules and regulation, a list of members and roles, as well as an archive of meeting minutes and other important decisions made, and I as an outsider, and a reporter especially, just have no access to it. However, at the same time it seems that the ordinary Line members have little in that regard as well, as confusion seems rife within Brave Collective.

The lack of transparency not only hinders attempts to shed light on any of the details of the entire affair, but rather gives rise to a slew of conspiracy theories and paranoid musings, which are sure to hurt the Alliance in the long run.

Reactions

The Mittani has released a statement on TheMittani(dot)com in which he denies any involvement in the affair, and that of any of his agents.

draleth, Anna niedostepny and Malphas Inanis have refused to comment on the entire affair.

Lychton Kondur has made it clear that he does not wish to grant any interviews to the EVE Scribe, and was not reached for a comment.

Seraph IX Basarab and Nonnak Severin have both given their version of events, as well as what part they played in the affair.

Markonius Porkbutte gave the EVE Scribe the official version of events, as it was published on other EVE news sites.

a DAMN PATRIOT gave an interview, in which he explained his actions accusations, as well as the responses given to draleth’s allegations.

Conclusion

Sadly, there is no conclusion. Without a full record of all the events that transpired, as well as the heaps of material regarding both the actual proposals, the rules and regulations of the Leadership Council, and a full member and role list, I have little to go on. However, the same can be said on the other major EVE news outlet, who of course, speculated further and with far less, causing me to question some of the motives of their writers.

At the base of it, this seems to be a dispute between individuals about the face and direction the Alliance they are part of should go, something that in itself is not uncommon in New Eden, and usually serves as a defining moment for many of its organizations, impacting their future course. Only time can tell what significance was there to these events in Brave Collective’s future.

What is important to remember, is that neither side is “Right” because this would imply that there is only one correct answer, something that is quite the anathema to EVE Online. Much like real life, it teaches us that there are merits and drawbacks to any approach, and even the most noble of intentions can have the most disastrous results.

Final Words

Usually I thank in the bottom of the article to all those who contributed information, resources or their time being interviewed. However, as this article is already a break from the norm, so will its final lines be. I cannot ascertain how much of what I was told is true or false, and I cannot remove this niggling doubt that I have been lied to and manipulated by some of the participants. Thus, I request that any reading of this article be done with caution and prudence, for I, too, may have fallen victim to the disinformation and manipulations that seem to surround this delicate subject matter.

Providence Fight Club: R3-K7K 16.3.2014 [Updated]

In the early hours of the sixteenth of March, Providence-Bloc forces engaged a Zealot class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, which ended with an Archon class Carrier brought onto the field and destroyed by the Provi-Bloc, in the R3-K7K system, Providence region.

The engagement started at 00:14 EVE Standard Time, in the D-GTMI system, Providence region, when forces belonging to Dropbears Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, entered said system after roaming Providence region extensively. The force was reported in the intelligence channels as comprising mainly of Zealot class Heavy Assault Cruisers, alongside Interdictors, Logistic ships and a couple of Command ships, total number of hostile ships estimated at thirty-two. Ladel Teravada, of Caldari Independent Navy Reserve, The Fourth District Alliance, a Provi-Bloc Fleet Commander, saw the information and immediately formed a Naga class Battlecruiser fleet, in order to counter the enemy's doctrine. Racing to the D-GTMI system and picking reinforcements along the way, Ladel's fleet numbered roughly thirty ships, mainly Naga class Battlecruisers, with some support.

However, Ladel was not the only Provi-Bloc Fleet Commander alerted to the presence of the Zealot fleet in D-GTMI system. republicov, of treu republic, Silent Infinity Alliance, A Provi-Bloc Fleet Commander who was leading at the time a Torpedo Stealth Bomber ("Goku") fleet, noticed the reports on the red gang as well. Independently both fleets converged on the D-GTMI system, and engaged the Zealot fleet.

This was not a one sided affair, as the warp in point for Ladel's fleet was intersected by a bubble, near which the Zealot fleet laid waiting. Two Naga class Battlecruisers were lost before Ladel could disengage his forces and have them burn to a better vantage point. Once in position, though, the tables were reversed and the Zealot fleet suffered heavy casualties as Ladel's Nagas' volleys proved overwhelming for the enemy's Logistic support. Bolstered by republicov's fleet as well, the Zealots faced overwhelming odds, and decided to retreat. Jumping into FSW-3C system, A Loki class Tech III Cruiser landed on the Naga class Battlecruiser fleet and lit a cynosural beacon. However, it was soon proven to be an idle threat, and the Loki class Tech III Cruiser was dispatched. 

For some inexplicable reason, the Zealot gang jumped back into the D-GTMI system, and aligned to a celestial in order to warp off. However, their Damnation class Command ship was too slow to enter warp, and was snagged by Provi-Bloc forces. Isolated from his friends, the Damnation class Command ship was hastily destroyed, Yet, republicov's fleet did lose a couple of Stealth Bombers in an attempt to destroy a Guardian class Logistic ship who was caught in a bubble.

Without Logistics and on the run, Provi-Bloc forces chased the Zealot fleet through the FSW-3C system, but lost sight of it. Regrouping and watching for any information on the hostile fleet in the intelligence channels, the Provi-Bloc forces quickly realized the Zealot fleet was approaching the Misaba system, Domain region. Once they would jump to that system, they would be out of Provi-Bloc's grasp. Trying to catch up to the Zealot fleet, a Crow class Interceptor flown by Haege Estidal, of Callide Vulpis, Curatores Veritatis Alliance, managed to tackle one of the Zealots as they entered the R3-K7K system from X-R3NM system and aligned to the Misaba gate.

Deciding to engage and free their comrade, rather than leave him behind, the Zealot fleet destroyed the Interceptor, causing them to be flagged, thus unable to jump out of the system for sixty seconds.This gave ample time for Provi-Bloc forces to arrive in the system and re-engage the Zealots. At this point, without logistic support, the Zealot fleet could not hope to face Provi-Bloc forces head on.

An Archon class Carrier, piloted by Jin Vea, of Dropbears Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, was called onto the field to supply logistics. The Carrier was on stand by for the entire duration of the engagement. Once the cynosural beacon was lit by the Augoror Navy Issue class Cruiser, the Carrier jumped into R3-K7K system and started giving remote armor repair to the Zealots.

Unfortunately, this proved a futile gesture as the combined damage output of the Provi-Bloc's fleets was too great to overcome. Worst yet, the Carrier was soon tackled by Ristlin Wakefield, of Pentag Blade, Curatores Veritatis Alliance. Unable to jump out, the news of the tackled Carrier spread like wildfire through Providence, prompting many pilots to rush into R3-K7K system, in order to assist in its destruction. Dozens of ships descended on the helpless Carrier, in a ferocious onslaught that made it quickly succumb to oblivion, joining the remainder of the Zealots.

Due to the disorganized nature of the assault on the Carrier, and the feeding frenzy it invoked, several Provi-Bloc ships were destroyed by enemy forces, the result of recklessness overcoming common sense.

With the enemy forces eliminated to the last pilot, Providence region quickly returned to its usual calmness, awaiting the next hostile gang to pass through it.

Special thanks to Ladel Teravada, of Caldari Independent Navy Reserve, The Fourth District Alliance, republicov, of treu republic, Silent Infinity Alliance and Jin Vea, of Dropbears Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance for granting me interviews.