Amarr Navy Patrols The Bleak Lands in Force

Sahtogas, The Bleak Lands - A massive military mobilization has been underway in The Bleak Lands. In just two days, the entirety of the Amarrian 7th Fleet (under the command of Admiral Vanazir Saracen) has relocated from its bases in Domain to staging areas in The Bleak Lands. Since that time, Navy elements have been seen patrolling the region in force.

The move of an entire fleet, along with most of its logistics capacity, in such a short time has stunned observers. Equally stunning is the fact that neither the Chamber, the Chancellery, nor the Admiralty of the Amarr Navy had given any prior notification that the move was coming. Normally, the transfer of hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men from one logistics area to another is a monumental undertaking, and the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly.

The immediacy of the transfer and the speed with which it was carried out has concerned many observers of Amarrian politics, however. Some feel that by relocating an entire fleet from the home regions to the frontier the Chancellor has overstepped his bounds, especially in a time of Succession. Others attribute more sinister motives; While the beleaguered Holders in The Bleak Lands welcome the increased Navy presence, speculation abounds that the true reason for relocation was not to have the 7th Fleet in The Bleak Lands, but to have them out of Domain. Given Admiral Saracen's ties to the Tash-Murkon family, it is natural that such suspicions might arise.

When asked to comment publicly on the move, Admiral Saracen said only, "The people of this region have called and we have answered. It is the duty of the Navy to protect God and Empire. That is what we are doing, nothing more." Eager as always to back up words with actions, Admiral Saracen wasted no time in getting the forces under his command into the field. Already there have been several large skirmishes between Blood Raiders and Navy forces, and the Admiral has vowed to continue patrolling and fortifying The Bleak Lands until "the two-headed serpent of piracy and heresy is burned to ashes."

"God be praised," said Holder Kamelleth Falduur. "Finally the Light will shine once again into this dark place." Falduur, who runs several agricultural combines in the Bleak Lands had previously lamented the interdiction efforts of pirates in the region. "Without regular fertilizer deliveries, we were on the brink of complete crop failure. I don't think people realize just how close some of the more remote systems in the region might have been to starvation. But I am confident that Admiral Saracen will sort things out quickly."

To all appearances, the 7th Fleet is doing just that.