INSMOTHER. War is still raging in the south-eastern regions of New Eden, as operations against the coalition were intensified by the Red Alliance.
Stepping up military efforts in its former territories, the Red Alliance has regained sovereignty in the C-J6MT Factory and momentarily that of the F2A-GX Refinery in the Insmother region. Several Capital-class encounters have marked the campaign over the last few weeks, most notable of which was the second Capital-class only fleet fielded by the RA against the coalition - successfully this time.
The war remains very dependant on logistics, as both parties vie for sovereignty over strategic systems and resources; the F2A-GX system alone counts over sixty Starbases, and the fight for the coalition to regain control of its Refinery occured moon by moon.
It would seem that the conflict is taking a new turn, as the Red Alliance is adapting to its new condition and environment.
After that some of its forces seceded, it has had to change its tactics, and is now much more keen on using guerrilla warfare, 'hit and run' tactics as well as spectacular coups intended to bolster troop morale while undermining that of the enemy.
Having the benefit of the first strike due to its mobility and roaming tactics, the Red Alliance has effectively been pressuring the coalition despite their lower numbers. This has pushed Lotka Volterra into shortening its campaign against the Interstellar Alcoholic Conglomerate in order to address more pressing issues in their homeland.
A reform has also taken place in the coalition in an effort to consolidate its numbers and infrastructure; change and mergers occured in both the Lotka Volterra and Chimaera Pact alliances, with regions changing hands, as well as the settlement of a new alliance in the area – E.R.A.
Most analysts, however, remain quite pessimistic as to hopes of stability in the regions.
According to Kep Ekatemi, an eminent political analyst from the University of Caille, “chances for negotiations and a subsequent peace treaty are minute at best, since both parties have been waging war against one another for too long.”
For him, “long-drawn conflicts diminish any likelihood of compromise. Historically, those have rarely been settled peacefully.”
He does point out that “this does not prevent veteran corporations from venturing into the field to exploit the resources.” An exploitation that comes at a cost that is not only financial; “Access to the resources does not always cost ISK, but it does ask for political alignment with the power in place. This can have an adverse affect, as entrepreneurs become prime targets and are drawn in a war they were not prepared for.”
As if to reinforce the analysts’ conjectures, the global situation does not seem to have changed much since the conflict started - more than six months ago - when Chimaera Pact and Veritas Immortalis first clashed with the Red Alliance.
Only roles have been reversed.
For the coalition, the goal now is to bring stability to the regions. On the other hand, for the Red Alliance, the goal is now just the opposite; deny stability and prosperity to its enemies.
“It is a area of space that has been quite unstable since the collapse of the Curse Alliance” concludes Mr. Ekatemi, “no one entity has held it long enough for it to prosper, and each new war is becoming more costly for those trying to bring stability.”