YC109.07.10
At a short press conference today, Reserve spokeswoman CAPT Svetlana Scarlet spoke to reporters briefly about an incident in the early hours of the morning in the Hysera system. Though short on details, CAPT Scarlet stated that a small Reserve force, backed by elements of the APEX Conglomerate and Caldari Navy Defense Force, deployed to the Hysera system shortly before 0100 EVT in response to reports that a Caldari Navy Chimera-class carrier had been disabled and that Brothers of Freedom pilots were making a move to attack it.
"Because of our ongoing operations against the Acheron Federation, both the Reserve and the APEX Conglomerate were slightly delayed in our response; APEX vessels arrived in the system first, at roughly 0052 EVT. When they arrived, a Reserve spotter, as well as a number of pirates belonging to the BEETS corporation and the Brothers of Freedom were present. BEETS had already begun engaging the Brothers of Freedom, and though APEX announced their intentions upon entering the system, they were also fired upon by BEETS as they arrived, taking heavy casualties."
"Reserve pilots arrived only minutes later, with a force considerably superior to that of BEETS, and ordered them to stand down immediately. LT Xianjo, the captain of the Navy carrier, also ordered them to do so. Though they opened fire on the Reserve point vessel, a Raven under the command of CAPT Zevrik, they realized the mistake they were making shortly thereafter as the rest of the fleet arrived, and stood down."
According to CAPT Scarlet, after the Reserve fleet arrived in orbit around Hysera I to secure the area, the Navy carrier was able to warp to a friendly station, where it made port and was secured for repairs. Reserve vessels remained in orbit for several minutes to cover APEX pilots salvaging their lost vessels, but withdrew before they were able to finish in order to ensure the carrier's safety and reduce vulnerability to the increasing number of BEETS pilots in the system. "BEETS was only kept in check by the superior force present in the system; as soon as Reserve forces broke orbit, they attacked the APEX vessels salvaging there without warning; they have made it clear that they only assisted the Navy pilot because they feared him more than the Brothers of Freedom. We will consider them hostile in any future engagements."
Though the carrier was able to move to safety, LT Xianjo confirmed a number of disturbing facts regarding the attack; apparently, Brothers of Freedom agents on board the carrier sabotaged critical systems prior to the attack and tried to seize control of the vessel, while at the same time, their ships arrived to attack the carrier in the event they failed. "Due to the quick response of the Reserve and other State loyalists, we were able to secure the carrier and allow LT Xianjo's internal security forces the time to deal with the situation on board. Perhaps the most disturbing part of this attack was the revelation that the Brothers of Freedom now have pod pilots working in their organization, a capability previously unseen."
When asked about the participation of APEX, a corporation the Reserve has notably refused to cooperate with in the past, including during the current combat against the Acheron Federation, CAPT Scarlet said, "the threat of a terrorist attack against Caldari Navy assets was too great to allow petty rivalries to get in the way, espeically with time so short. I contacted both the senior APEX officer on duty and Vaeldan Athargan of the Caldari Navy Defense Force personally to ask for their assistance, both of whom responded affirmatively. The Reserve thanks both APEX and the CNDF for their assistance in the matter."
After that answer, questions turned to the progress of Operation Azure Quarantine, which CAPT Scarlet refused to answer. "Once again, I must state that any comment on the progress of ongoing operations at this time would not be appropriate. My office will be making our weekly report to the Reserve's stakeholders on Monday as previously stated. Until that time, there will be no official comment from the Reserve on the matter."
