Defiant holding action buys critical time

Only minutes ago with the Elder-led taskforce in full retreat, camera drones on scene in the system fed live footage as elements of the fleet pulled away from the task force and positioned themselves around the stargate while the rest of the taskforce continued its rapid retreat.

Led by ships with the markings of the rebel Minmatar faction known as the Defiants, the holding force immediately began to engage the lead elements of the pursuing Imperial fleet as they arrived through the Stargate in force.

As the Defiant forces began to engage in a bitter close-range firefight, cynosural fields flared, marking the entrance of a Hel Mothership to the field flanked by dual Carrier escorts. Footage was briefly suspended as the electromagnetic resonance from the fields interfered with the camera drones.

When the stream was re-established less than a minute, the screen was filled with the startling images of one Nidhoggur carrier slowly breaking in half under the fire of countless laser beams as fast moving attack ships swirled around it in brutal firefights with their Imperial counterparts. The chaotic pictures were set against the backdrop of multiple Imperial cynosural fields opening, swiftly followed by the arrival of an entire Capital squadron including two Aeon-class Motherships.

With even more cynosural fields opening the way for further reinforcements, the few camera drones stationed around the stargate began to malfunction. The last, heavily-distorted images of the stream depict the Hel Mothership with multiple hull breaches and major fires spreading across its decks as it came under concentrated fire from the entire capital squadron. As the surviving Defiant ships sped past in support, the Hel painfully realigned itself on a vector towards the heart of the Imperial Capital formation.

The entire scene lasted not more than 2 minutes before transmission was finally terminated. Imperial forces are once again reported to be moving in full pursuit of the main Minmatar force. No trace of surviving Defiant forces has been reported.

Posted 16:53 GMT