Freedom transport fleet attacked | EVE Online

Freedom transport fleet attacked

2005-11-20 - By Svarthol

Last Friday evening saw forces from the Ushra’Khan clash with elements of an Amarrian loyalist corporation named the 1st Praetorian Guard while transporting tens of thousands of slaves to freedom in the Minmatar Republic.

According to Darmed Khan of the Ushra’Khan, his organisation was carrying out a planned mission to evacuate approximately twenty seven thousand rescued slaves from locations within the Amarrian territories. Upon their arrival within Matari space, several thousand of these former slaves were to be inducted into the Jetunba re-education program – a Republic run program designed to prepare freed slaves for a new life.

Speaking in an interview Darmed Khan said: “Several days ago I received notification from Republic Fleet official Egbilolf Gerg that the Jetunba re-education program was to open for new applications in Amamake this Sunday.”

“He had managed to reserve for us 8100 places, which he desired for us to fill with rescued slaves”

Khan went on to explain that: “We were already planning a transport of rescued slaves from Amarr space to our own facilities in Gulmorogod, to be able to enter some of them in the Jetunba program was an offer we could not refuse.”

When questioned about Friday evening’s events, Khan described how one of the transport convoys came under attack by a 1st Praetorian Guard taskforce during the return trip. He went on to explain that although the escorts fought bravely, they were regrettably unable to prevent the destruction of one transport vessel and the loss of three thousand lives onboard.

Remarking that his own transport vessel was heavily damaged in the attack and was “barely able to reach the gate”, Darmed said: “The 1st Praetorian Guard had full warning that we were carrying many human lives, but showed no regard for their safety.”

“I wish for everyone across the galaxy to know how reckless the 1st Praetorian Guard are when it comes to human life.” Khan later went on to state that at present the Ushra’Khan had no information as to how the Amarrian loyalists came to know about their transport operation, but future missions were planned.

Speaking in an interview on Saturday, Gazon of the 1st Praetorian Guard explained that the 1PG taskforce had been dispatched to investigate a tip-off about what described to him as “stolen Amarrian property being smuggled out of Empire space”.

When recounting the previous night’s events he explained that the tip-off proved to be correct and the taskforce had engaged the Ushra’Khan ‘smugglers’ - going on to state that: “The escort of the Mastodon class Transport ship carrying the livestock was being destroyed or had fled, but the Mastodon managed to elude our grasp”.

Though the 1st Praetorian Guard suffered no losses in the initial engagement, an Omen class cruiser belonging to 1PG pilot Cratus was apparently destroyed during the pursuit of the transport. Gazon later explained that 1PG forces were stretched thin in an attempt to cover all escape routes in the Andabiar system, resulting in the escape of the remaining Ushra’Khan convoy before reinforcements could arrive.

He went on: “I'd like to state that the Ushra'Khan will have to pay for the theft of Amarrian property. They may have been lucky this time, but their luck will not last.”

When asked if the 1st Praetorian Guard planned to retaliate against the Ushra’Khan, Gazon remarked: “We are pragmatists. We know that we will never find the slaves now that they have been taken to the cesspool the Minmatar call a Republic. So retaliation will not be possible. However, we will stay vigilant, and there will be strikes against U'K support lines.”

“Our contacts are watching the Ushra'Khan. If they plan more operations of the kind mentioned or others, we will be there to hinder their every move.”

Gazon later went on to commend the actions of the taskforce, stating that: “The pilots of the Guard, who I had the honour to command, did perform outstandingly. They showed no fear when we were sure to be ambushed and fought like true Praetorians, grinding the enemy into the dust and shielding each other from the blows of the enemy.”