Imperial forces took the upper hand last week, with an important victory in HIP 44811 and the start of a major reorganisation for Senator Zemina Torval‘s domain.
Steady opposition of HIP 44811 by Imperial forces was capped late Wednesday with a merit bomb — merits held until the end of the cycle to obscure actual work done. The Federal Liberal Command’s weaponised expansion, which threatened to contest 69 and 16 CC from the Emperor and Senator Torval’s domains, has favourable expansion triggers for the Shadow President and is likely to challenge the Empire again. This week, Winters’ pilots will attempt to expand to HIP 50489, a solid option for her forces that will also contest Aisling for 20 CC.
Conflict in Simyr continued as well, with Princess Aisling Duval’s forces losing handily; expansion triggers of over 36,000 merits make success here highly unlikely. The Princess has no expansion this week.
While opposition of HIP 44811 protected the Emperor from a major economic loss, she was unable to find victory in HIP 53719. This week, her forces will attempt to expand to Tenchih — a break even system.
More significantly, Torval has entered a turmoil that will restructure her domain, with nine control systems on the block. All turmoiled systems are considerable loss-makers for the Senator, with several heavily contesting Admiral Patreus’s domain. Should all systems in revolt shed, Torval’s standing CC balance will improve by over 800 CC. While fifth columnists did not disrupt the first week of Torval’s restructuring operation, her organisers and her pilots are faced with two threatening sabotage expansions in Gliese 900.1 and Khontam this week. The depth of her turmoil means failure for both is all but certain.
Despite these successes, ZYADA — the alliance between the Empire and Dictator Yuri Grom’s Euryale Gaia Union — has lost ground elsewhere.
Most significantly, Archon Delaine’s Kumo Crew successfully expanded into Tai Quambis after numerous attempts, with an effort that drew little opposition from Dictator Grom’s forces. The 57 CC contested by Tai Quambis represents a rare victory by the small pirate power after many months of attempted weaponised expansions. This week, the Kumo Crew will attempt to repeat their victory with a successful expansion in Atata, which would contest the EG Union for 50 CC.
President Hudson’s Federal Republican Command achieved victory in Lenty last cycle, adding the break-even system to his domain. He has prepared an expansion into Onduwatya this week. Onduwatya, another break-even system, exploits the Yemotepa sphere lost by Utopia in the Federation’s offensive against them last month.
CEO Li Yong-Rui’s SiriusGov was wracked with sabotage last cycle and is threatened this week by a sabotage expansion, HIP 13653. Should it succeed, it will cost his economy 31 CC per week.
Powers serving Prime Minister Mahon, Dictator Grom, Admiral Patreus, and Simguru Antal all elected to consolidate last cycle and so have no expansions this week.
Sagittarius Eye Breaking News team
