The fires are burning brightly I see.

So much has happened in a short time. After my ship loss, I re-shipped into a new fleet megathron but am running low on the isk. There has been very little time to collect bounties, dropped loot or mining in Fountain as the focus of IT had switched to securing Fountain and pushing into Delve to assist -AAA- and friends. The first attempt failed but we were to regroup in Sakht and wait for titan bridges.

I started to sell off even more of my assets to feed the war machine - I can see how easy it is to get bankrupt fighting this war, as enjoyable as it is. Am down to my last 100M isk and need to make some of it back soon. Am even running low on ammunition and the markets in null-sec are poor in most places.

However, a bombshell was dropped earlier this week. First it was a few isolated voices here and there on the 'net and forums. Then they grew louder and my IRC started to ping and the voices became a wave of sounds and from this cacophony, I could make out the following: 'The Goons have dropped sov in Delve!'

I tried to get confirmation and checked the various system maps and indeed, it looked like chunks of Delve had lost the Goon stranglehold. What was this? I asked myself, did fate have a sense of humour after all? Was it an IT spy or a disgruntled GOON? Already, leading elements of IT alliance were massing on the Sakht to 1-SMEB gate and their intent was clear: smash their way into Delve and kill GOONS. I even heard that there were plans to re-take NOL; that fabled station that the Band of Brothers alliance had retreated to as their last stand when all around them was falling apart. Where we really going to re-take NOL?

Then SirMolle updated everyone on the GalNet forums:

At about 04.30 this morning, about 80% of Goonswarm sov dropped due to what they claim, "a faulty game mechanic". It also claimed that that this is due to a "bug". Many are claiming that the sov loss for many alliances are due to "not enough money in the right division in wallet".

AAA + allies have been kind enough to help us with Querious, while all Goons tried hindering us from entering into Delve.

Regardless of which, Delve and Querious are now burning. NOL has fallen after a cap battle over control in NOL.

The battle continues, and will rage on for a long time. The enemy gate is down.

From all of us, to all of you...

Karma is a *****, aint it?

I sat back stunned and re-read the message a second time. Indeed, something monumental had shifted.

The IT fleet piled into Delve while -A- concentrated on Querious and Period Basis. The Goons wailed at the unfairness of their ineptitude (forgot to pay the bills!) and performed a full-scale retreat back to their spiritual home of the Syndicate Region. Goons didn't even want to bunker down and make IT and friends pay dearly for Delve - because it would have been bloody and costly for us and not a forgone conclusion.

There's still plenty to do for us and with Goons departing there's a while host of opportunity seeking corporations trying their luck.

Am relocating more of my ships to a closer Empire staging point and ready for a move into Delve. Ratting and other care bear activities in Fountain.