THE HUNT
The engagement in Old Man Star appears to have formed quickly around a single valuable target. With 28 pilots tied to the action, the field was large enough to turn a routine interception into something more dangerous, and the Rattlesnake stood out immediately as the obvious prize. At 1.2 billion ISK, it was the kind of ship that invites trouble the moment it shows weakness.
THE CLOSING NET
Transgress and Black Ribbit were the headline names on opposite sides of the loss, but the damage was shared among several ships before the final strike landed. Ezeura’s Megathron delivered the killing blow after 17 attackers had contributed pressure, while Orion Felmore’s Maller, ITS Dew’s Rupture, and multiple Thoraxes all appear to have helped keep the Rattlesnake pinned down long enough for the heavier guns to work. The exchange suggests a concentrated takedown rather than a clean solo catch.
THE BREAK
The Rattlesnake did not escape with much of its loadout intact. Only 39.6 million ISK in fittings and cargo appears to have survived the destruction, while large stocks of Fury heavy missiles and nanite repair paste were lost with the hull. For a ship built to absorb punishment, the result reads like a fight that turned abruptly from pressure to collapse.
WHY IT MATTERS
For Black Ribbit, the loss removes a costly and conspicuous vessel from the field. For Transgress, it marks a successful hunt in a contested pocket where a single opening was enough to turn a 28-pilot engagement into a 1.2 billion ISK payout. In Old Man Star, that is often all it takes for a skirmish to become memorable: one expensive ship exposed for a moment too long, and a fleet ready to close in.
