Just before EVE Online Downtime on Saturday, Pandemic Legion decided to launch a heavy assault on the main Catch hub of GE-8JV. As the battle first began, the weakest timezone for HERO was slow to react. This was made worse due to no higher level command being online to coordinate a response. At first it was thought to be little more than an attempt by PL to troll HERO by hitting the station services with capitals. This quickly proved not to be the case.
As the situation developed and HERO SBUs in GE-8JV and surrounding systems came under attack, the scramble was on to respond. HERO FCs quickly set about contacting anyone and everyone in leadership to get online and help get people in to hit back against PL.
PL responded to this formup by bringing in both Archon and T3 fleets to harass the attempts by HERO to repair station services. An initial success by HERO at repairing fitting and repair services was short lived. PL started bringing in Muninns, Nyxs, Aeons and Titans to drop on the undock. PL also began to online SBUs and hit the other SOV structures in the system. Attempts by HERO to bash the SBUs PL had placed were short lived. As the HERO Destroyer fleet that was trying to ninja SBUs, and even managed to kill one, kept being chased off by Archons and T3s.
HERO continued to play docking games with PL, alternating betwwen trying repeatedly to ninja rep station services and then trying to destroy and redeploy SBUs. All of this going all while the usual drama and panic that goes along with chaotic situations like these in EVE. And in this case, even complete with an alleged N3 spy streaming HERO operations for all to see.
The situation was further complicated by the arrival of various 3rd party groups trying to farm HERO for kills. A notable moment saw Pandemic Legion Munnins brawl with, and subsequently dumspter, a Provibloc kitchen sink fleet.
As more enemies piled into the system, it became clear that even though over 200 HERO members were in system and itching to shoot back, nothing could truly be done. With more HERO ships dying, and nowhere near enough DPS to break the large blob of PL caps and supers, the call was made to stand down. HERO FCs delivered the somber news to HERO members. Making it clear that despite the loss, the coalition would be back in force. And that they would fight tooth and nail to keep the system.
Of course, after all was said and done, a lot of speculation was to be had. Some speculating that PL had made the move at the behest of their de facto allies N3, after HERO had attacked an N3 system for a bit of fun earlier. The veracity of this or any related claims could not be verified. Along with the usual reactions of cluttering up EVE Reddits and forums with reactionary spam.
The fact remains to be seen how this event will ultimately play out for both sides. One thing is certain, the EVE community will no doubt see more fights in the future between the two rival groups.
