PvP Pays!

Not our cleanest CTA but possibly our most lucrative invasion yet, this is how it went down:

The Prelude – 15:30-18:30 Amarr –

I had started my trip out of home towards Amarr when I began receiving reports that our formup system ‘Amarr’ was suffering with serious lag issues, alternative rally points were drafted but as quick as the lag had occured it stopped. Everyone knew that it would result in a server crash and sure enough CCP failed and an unscheduled DT notification threw a spanner in the works.  CCP estimated 10mins of DT (which in Icelandic means ‘24hrs give or take’) but to our delight the server was back online 15mins later.

17:00 came around very quickly and we had formed a very respectable fleet comprised of T3s, CS, logi and some POS bash BC/BS, all we were missing now was an FC with all the intel. It was at this time I realised I was probably going to have to take the Lead FC. I started to build a picture of our primary t-sys (TLC’s J105705) from the intel our scouts had gathered and it was looking very grim: Multiple poses (2 Large heavily defended, rest med/small limited mods), multiple enemy caps (not piloted), no friendly cap support (the locals had been very organised in closing down K162’s from lowsec as soon as they appeared, so we had been unable to get what we needed in), no free moon for staging pos (every one of these towers was fuelled and shielded).

I thought to myself ‘How am I going to get a fleet to agree to that??’. 

An alternative invasion was positioned, but this one also had its drawbacks: the fleet would need to logoffski for 24hrs  

We had 50 bloodthirsty ducks sat in HighSec doing nothing, a decision was needed. At around 18:20 The fleet was ordered to make best speed to a system 1 jump out from TLC’s chain.

The Engagement – 18:30-21:20 –

As we arrived on the gate leading into Olettiers (our entry into the chain) our scouts reported TLC forming up a small hole camp, a small squad of cloaky lokis was chosen to move in ahead of the main fleet to try and catch them, the lokis set off and moments later the fleet followed, staying just ½ jump behind to ensure we would not be spotted. Of course the hostiles panicked as a few of our T3s jumped into their system and tried to escape via the C2, not expecting to see an even larger group on that side of the wormhole.

http://narwhalskilled.me/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=9087 Absolution
http://narwhalskilled.me/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=9088 Absolution POD
http://narwhalskilled.me/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=9086 Curse

So, with some nice killmails under our belt we all jumped through into t-sys and began to camp the wormhole. Once we had a bubble up the fleet was split into 2 groups, I remained with a small group of close range T3 on the wormhole whilst Tuna led the assault on the small towers. We were making good time on the first small pos when the scouts informed us that a tengu was inbound to the wormhole, probably with a BS following shortly. I gave the order to open up on the tengu as it landed as it clearly wasn’t cloaky/interdiction nullified to make quick work of it as I was anticipating more inbound ships, when it reached low shield the fleet on the hole was asked to hold fire as it was clear no support was coming (btw, if anyone ever asks me ‘why?’ in comms again when I am FCing you will be primary) but unfortunately it was a wreck before I could recall the fleet to whore on the mail.

http://narwhalskilled.me/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=9089 Tengu

Soon after the tengu was dust a convo invite appeared from the CEO of the TLC corp:

[ 2012.01.18 18:55:54 ] scotayne hawkins > o/
[ 2012.01.18 18:56:05 ] scotayne hawkins > i assume this is a paid op for you guys
[ 2012.01.18 18:57:11 ] Wasted 2008 > you know someone who would put one on your head?
[ 2012.01.18 18:57:33 ] scotayne hawkins > not enough to hire someone to do something this scale or least we dont think so
[ 2012.01.18 18:57:45 ] scotayne hawkins > is there a ransom option?

As Tuna was continuing the assault on the small towers and the fleet was managing the wormhole control nicely I decided to see where this could go. I talked to the other ceos to see what they would be happy with and the figures of 25-30b were put forward, considering what our scouts had told me about TLC’s recent activity and what we believed they had in this system asset wise I decided to go a little lower than that, but with the intention of not negotiating:

[ 2012.01.18 18:59:45 ] scotayne hawkins > i need a figure to put towards our members
[ 2012.01.18 18:59:53 ] scotayne hawkins > what figure are you thinking of
[ 2012.01.18 19:02:38 ] Wasted 2008 > from what my scouts tell me you have a substantial amount of assets in here
[ 2012.01.18 19:03:00 ] scotayne hawkins > we have a few caps nothing major though
[ 2012.01.18 19:03:14 ] scotayne hawkins > brb wife calling
[ 2012.01.18 19:03:34 ] Wasted 2008 > well the price i'm going to put on the table is 20b
[ 2012.01.18 19:05:09 ] Wasted 2008 > seems a steep amount when you look at it plainly but considering your assets and the fact that I assume you wish to keep this hole, it looks more realistic

We spent the next 2 hours slowly reinforcing the remaining small/medium towers, scanning to make sure no new K162’s popped up and keeping the C2s at MC to prevent a counter attack from hired guns, all the time myself and Cipreh were keeping scotayne talking. The idiot we popped earlier returned in a scan ship:

http://narwhalskilled.me/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=9090 Buzzard

We were aware that he was probably looking for AHARM to help or trying to hire starbridge and just stalling for time but it didn’t matter, we held all the cards:

[ 2012.01.18 21:00:50 ] Wasted 2008 > just as a heads up, this fleet is becoming restless
[ 2012.01.18 21:01:52 ] Wasted 2008 > if you dont want to have to repair another pos from RF I'd get paid up asap

Until finally...

[ 2012.01.18 21:19:14 ] Wasted 2008 > the offer will be withdrawn unless i get something to show them you are cooperating
[ 2012.01.18 21:19:44 ] scotayne hawkins > 10bill sent
[ 2012.01.18 21:20:37 ] Wasted 2008 > confirmed
[ 2012.01.18 21:22:36 ] scotayne hawkins > another 10bill sent
[ 2012.01.18 21:22:45 ] scotayne hawkins > 20bill paid in total
[ 2012.01.18 21:23:04 ] Wasted 2008 > confirmed
[ 2012.01.18 21:23:12 ] Wasted 2008 > our fleet will be withdrawing asap
[ 2012.01.18 21:23:36 ] scotayne hawkins > guess its time to go make some more isk now
[ 2012.01.18 21:23:47 ] Wasted 2008 > you have tons of plexes


See boys and girls, that’s how you play at being a merc 

Less than 4 hours actual work, 20b better off. And people say pvp doesn’t pay?