Serpentis Fall Back After Failed Assault On Mining Platform

New Eden News | YC118-01-13 - By Alton Haveri

AN-G54 - The Serpentis Corporation appears to be in full retreat after a failed assault on Outer Ring Excavation's largest mobile mining and refining platform resulted in heavy losses for their fleet early yesterday morning.

Reports are now beginning to emerge after the removal of a communications blackout that saw the parts of the constellation of Regalia in Outer Ring locked down by Mordu's Legion Command forces contracted by the Upwell Consortium.

The fortification and lockdown of several systems was put in place for more than twenty four hours after a failed attack on the "Kubera", ORE's largest and most valuable 8 billion ton combined ice and ore harvesting and processing platform, which was stationed in the system of AN-G54 at the time of the attack.

Reports indicate that the aging but heavily armed deep space platform was able to defend itself from the attacking fleet for almost thirty minutes and broadcast a distress beacon that alerted Upwell security forces of the situation.

Several sources have confirmed that the Serpentis Corporation fielded a sizeable capital fleet that was met head on by Mordu's Legion capital vessels in what appears to have been an attempt to make a very public statement against the reacquisition of ORE assets from Serpentis control over the course of the last few months.

Limited telemetry released by the Upwell Consortium appears to show that the Serpentis Corporation escalated the engagement with a second wave of capital ships after the arrival of Mordu's Legion reinforcements before being beaten into retreat which concluded an engagement that lasted over two hours.

The largest mobile mining platform ever constructed, the Kubera was launched in YC98 as the flagship of the Outer Ring Excavations resource procurement fleet, and has apparently suffered from lack of funding and maintenance under Serpentis Corporation oversight of ORE. Information from ORE has confirmed that the platform was moored in AN-G54 to support Ducia Foundry mining operations in the area when the attack took place.

Outer Ring Excavations has confirmed that the platform, along with two smaller harvesting platforms that were moored in the affected constellation have been moved to an undisclosed location for repairs and rearming.