THE CATCH
The engagement in AFJ-NB was over almost as soon as it began, but the loss it produced was far from small. Brave Collective’s Nox Feratu, flying a Rattlesnake from Brave Newbies Inc., became the focus of a concentrated attack that left the battleship-class ship exposed in hostile space. Against a mixed hostile group that included covert-ops pressure and support from at least one unaligned attacker, the target was brought down in a short, sharp clash.
THE PRESSURE BUILDS
Skuffed Out. appears to have committed a compact but effective hunting group, with six attackers credited in the final strike sequence. The damage came from a mix of ships rather than brute force alone: Redeemers on the field, a Widow, an Arazu, and an outside Gistatis Legionnaire all show up in the wreck of the fight. That composition suggests a trap built to hold a valuable target in place long enough for the heavier guns to do their work.
THE BREAK
The final blow was landed by Skruffa in a Redeemer, ending the Rattlesnake’s attempt to survive the engagement. The ship’s cargo tell its own story: thousands of Scourge cruise missiles were recovered, with some ammunition dropping and some destroyed in the wreck, a reminder that the victim was not merely passing through but prepared for prolonged use. Once the pressure landed, there was no clean exit for the Brave pilot.
THE COST
At 1.8 billion ISK, the loss is significant on its own, but it also highlights how dangerous even brief encounters can be when a high-value hull is caught at the wrong moment. The Rattlesnake’s destruction stripped Brave Collective of an expensive and flexible platform, while Skuffed Out. and its allies claimed a notable prize from a fight that never had time to grow into a larger brawl. In New Eden, that kind of sudden collapse can matter as much as a drawn-out fleet battle.
