Ushra'Khan (Player alliance)

Name	Ushra'Khan
Ticker	UNITY
Type	Roleplay
Founded	November 25th, 2004
Status	Active
Contact details
Alliance CEO	Kerth Gersen
Diplomat(s)	Seliah, Dante Karaal, Karn Mithralia, Zoolkhan, Kerth Gersen
Public Channel	Ushra'Khan Voices
Website	www.ushrakhan.com
Corporations
Executor	Neh'bu Kau Beh'Hude
Members	Griefer-B-Gone Masuat'aa Matari Minmatar Ship Construction Services Mirkur Draug'Tyr Neh'bu Kau Beh'Hude Sarz'na Khumatari The Littlest Hobos Universal Army

Summary

The Ushra'Khan is a role-play alliance operating predominantly in null-sec against the supporters of the Amarr Empire. We are New Eden's oldest 'Freedom Fighter' alliance and pursue a role-play based agenda that guides our politics and activities.

Origins

The Freedom movement of the Minmatar began in the earliest days of the Capsuleers. As such, the Ushra'Khan is able to trace its origins back to before the advent of formally CONCORD-recognised Capsuleer Alliances.

The history between the Amarr is both long and bloody. Although the Great Rebellion saw many Minmatar win back their freedom from Amarrian shackles, fully one third of their kin remained bonded in Slavery. As the years passed discontentment with this situation amongst free Matari began to grow. As the first freelance Pod Pilots made their way out into space, some began to realise their obligation. To set their kin free.

Corporations were soon founded by this new breed of Freedom Fighter. Names such as Oracle and the People's Front of Minmatar established themselves and began to strike at the slaver where ever they could. They were answered by Amarrian paramilitary Corporations, such as 1st Praetorian Guard & PIE Inc., ideological opposites each continuing the generations old conflict into a new age.

Uniting The Tribes

The Minmatar are a diverse people and divide by nature along Tribal & Clan lines. It is little surprise to find that many diverse groups of pilots had sprung up individually to both protect and win back the freedoms of their people. The Amarrian Capsuleers on the other hand had largely concentrated into a few larger entities.

After months of fighting it was agreed amongst several of the leading Matari groups to create a united front. To bring the tribes together in common purpose and focus. An informal alliance, pre-dating CONCORD's recognition of the emerging larger political structures, was formed and became known as 'The Friends of Matar'.

Friends of Matar [FOM] would base their attacks from Molden Heath with the largest members being Freelance Unincorporated, SMaK Enterprises, Northern Intelligence and The Paratwa Ra, with Oracle having relocated to the Curse & Great Wildlands regions.

In time CONCORD finally bowed to building political pressures and began to formally recognise Capsuleer Alliances as political entities. It was not long until New Eden's third ever registered Capsuleer Alliance was formally recognised by the CONCORD Assembly. On 25th November 106EST (2004), the Ushra'Khan was born.

Molden Heath

Living in Molden Heath, then a notorious border region of the Minmatar Republic, the Ushra'Khan began to develop both its military capabilities and political position in New Eden. At this time the Ushra'Khan was both a shield and sword for the Minmatar people.

Much of Molden Heath was an undeveloped pirate haven. A significant number of local Capsuleers saw fit to make their trade by pirating these space lanes and picking off the isolated non-combatants of the area. The Ushra'Khan was heavily involved in setting up a local defence group and working to secure the area from both Pirates and Slavers crossing the border through the now closed Throne Worlds-Yulai-Molden Heath trade route.

Meanwhile, opportunities were sought out to take the fight back to the Amarr and to bring home lost kin when and where ever possible. The alliance expanded and became well known across New Eden for its determined focus upon an issue, while most strongly identified with amongst Matari, that all could identify with. Peoples of all nations were drawn to the iconic bloody fist and pledged their support to its cause. Molden Heath became safer and Amarr came to know the sight of freedom fighters raiding its territories.

The Vitoc Cure

On 3rd March 107 the world changed. A Zainou Biotech Pharmacologist named Ullia Hnolku and his wife, Eckarine Mitumi-Hnolku, fled the Caldari State with a prototype form of a drug known as “Insorum”. This substance quickly became known as the “Vitoc Cure”, promising to be a true antidote and counter to the Amarrian slave population control system 'The Vitoc Method'.

With Insorum the Minmatar had a real opportunity to break one of Amarr's most powerful tools of oppression. Ullia Hnolku's plight instantly became the number one priority for the Ushra'Khan and all freedom fighters.

On 25th May 107, Eckarine Mitumi-Hnolku was captured by the Blood Raiders while carrying a sample of the Insorum. While many Ushra'Khan warriors swore find and rescue her, no trace of Eckarine's whereabouts was ever found.

Less than a week later, Ullia Hnolku was murdered at the hands of the Caldari Capsuleer militia known as the Caldari Independent Naval Reserve. He was slain when he broke formation while being escorted by an Ushra'Khan fleet, which had already defeated a Blood Raider strike force pursuing him. The doctor's fatal piloting error was due to suffering from a knife wound incurred during his flight. However, both his body and a single sample of the Insorum was recovered from the wreckage.

On June 9th 107 the Blood Raiders unleashed an aerosol form of the Insorum into the atmosphere of an Amarrian world, Mabnen I. This became the first and last known deployment of Insorum until the Elder War of 110, some three years later. The attack sparked a massive and violent planetary uprising of the slave population. This was doomed to failure as the Blood Raiders did not support the slaves, leaving them to be put down by a brutal retaliation of Imperial forces. Following the attack the Ushra'Khan along with other Matari organisations put together a relief convoy taking supplies to the rebels, offering aid as they were able.

Tensions with the Republic

Following the acquisition of the Insorum prototype and the death of its inventor, the Ushra'Khan made it their mission to complete Hnolku's work and bring an end to the Vitoc Method. The prototype was promptly offered to the Minmatar Republic for further development. The Republic chose to turn a blind eye for fear of provoking open war with the Amarr Empire.

There was by this time a clear political divide emerging between both the Minmatar people and their Capsuleers. Some argued caution that the continued safety of the Republic came first. Others, championed by the prominent Ushra'Khan, argued that the fight must be taken to the Amarr directly, lest many more generations of Matari be lost to continued slavery.

On 5th July 107, Emperor Doriam II was assassinated. This led to a shut down and diversion of several key jump routes, cutting off the Yulai corridor linking Molden Heath to Amarr. In response the Ushra'Khan relocated to the pirate-nest system of Amamake in order to be closer to enemy territory. This also marked the first big step taken on the path towards leaving Republic space. Tensions between the 'increasingly radical' Ushra'Khan and the conservative pro-Midular camp were continuing to build (Sebiestor Tribal Chief Karin Midular was then the Prime Minister of the Republic).

The Ushra'Khan's presence soon had a strong stabilising effect on the surrounding systems making Amamake a relatively safe transit point. The local pirates were largely suppressed and displaced, a favourable side effect for all Minmatar of the alliance's new forward base.

Beyond The Republic

While the situation on the home front had been developing, and the Freedom Fighter-Republic tensions growing, the Amarrian loyalist alliance the CVA had begun their venture to reclaim the Providence region for the Empire. Operation Deliverance.

It was decided that it was time for the Ushra'Khan to move beyond the Republic and oppose this attempt to expand Imperial borders directly. Moving into northern Providence the alliance became fully based in null-sec space for the first time in its history. Operating from starbases and Thukker Tribe stations in low-sec Mandate space, the Ushra'Khan largely parted company with Midular's Republic.

Unity Station

The crowning achievement and statement of intent of this time came with the construction of Unity Station. When the Ushra'Khan first arrived in Providence, there were no stations or outposts. The region was entirely undeveloped. The first station to be completed was the CVA's Inflatable House, marking a historic moment in their pursuit of Operation Deliverance. In challenge and defiance, the Ushra'Khan answered with Unity Station.

The Minmatar Outpost was raised in 9UY4-H as the centre point of Matari defiance and resistance to Amarrian expansion. Positioned on a space lane crossroads, the station was to hold a commanding place in northern Providence.

The 'Pirate Invasion' of 9UY4-H

Being still a relatively small alliance, perhaps one of the smallest to hold a station at this time, Unity Station was always likely to be a tempting target for an opportunistic foe. Given the crack down on piracy that the Ushra'Khan had been pursuing within its space it should not be all that surprising that in time there came a backlash.

The pirate-mercenary corporation, The Establishment, assembled a coalition of other pirate units to mount a full scale assault on Ushra'Khan sovereignty. The size and resources of this broad coalition was surprising, as was the tenacity of many of its members. There have been few, if any, Capsuleer pirate collaborations quite like it.

Soon after the fight began, the neighbouring Interstellar Starbase Syndicate joined the defence and together the defenders were able to fight the attackers to a stalemate. The forces fielded on both sides were substantial and a high number of capital ships saw action with the pirate forces fielding notable numbers of Carriers led by Hera, the Establishment's Nyx mothership.

The fighting went on for weeks with neither side able to break the other. While the pirate forces were diverse and in many cases had not characteristically operated in such a sustained style of combat before, while one corporation might leave the fight others would join it. The hard fighting core remained. As did the defenders.

In the end the siege was broken by the enlistment of the Mercenary Coalition. These highly regarded mercenaries brought sufficient capital strength to the field to finally break the balance and strike hard at the besieging control towers. It took one decisive battle to finally decide the course of the war and end the attempted invasion.

The Defiants

On 1st July 108, a war hero of the Minmatar people joined the cause of Freedom. Captain Karishal Muritor of the Republic Fleet went rogue, taking with him a Hel Mothership, the Alfhild, and its supporting carrier group. Together with his loyal comrades he formed the guerilla fighter group known as 'The Defiants'.

To the Ushra'Khan, these men and women were kindred spirits. To support the Defiants operations was both an honour and a strategic priority for the alliance and on several occasions their pilots flew side by side. It was during this period that the Ushra'Khan supported the assault upon, and destruction of, the Imperial Navy's Sosala Battle station.

The Muritor Assassination

The triumph and successes of recent months were cruelly turned to despair on 1st February 109. At the order of Prime Minister Midular's war cabinet, Karishal Muritor was lured under a flag of truce to a meeting in Auga. There he was shot down by the Republic Fleet before the disbelieving eyes of an Ushra'Khan escort.

The murder sent shock waves rippling throughout Minmatar society and drove an even greater wedge between the Ushra'Khan and the Republic. A symbolic bounty of a single ISK was placed upon Midular's head by the then-alliance executor, Maggot, to show her sum worth to the Minmatar people.

The remaining Defiants departed soon after to the Great Wildlands in search of something they hoped might change the course of the war forever. The Ushra'Khan, having saved Muritor's body, returned to Providence to lay the fallen hero to rest in exile. Having just acquired the station ISS Fabrica, the station was rechristened and dedicated to the Memory of Karishal Muritor. He was laid to rest within the halls of Karishal's Defiance until such time as he could be returned home to his birthplace within the Republic.

The Balance Tilts

The balance of power in Providence was set to change. It was not long after Karishal's high profile Memorial Ceremony that the slavers came to QR-K85 and laid siege to Karishal's Defiance. The onslaught took the defenders by surprise as until now there had been little direct Sovereignty challenge between the Ushra'Khan and the CVA. Sadly the Matari were caught off guard.

It took one week for the defences to be overwhelmed and the Ushra'Khan were forced to fall back. The size of the attacking force was alarming with several previously unheard of entities joining the opening attack. Despite some hurried support from The Star Fraction and Matari Capsuleers, insufficient support could be found quickly enough. It was a brutal defeat and one that prompted an total reappraisal of the strategic situation.

It had become painfully obvious that some of the alliances largest allied neighbours were not prepared to offer support against the CVA, instead opting to remain neutral. Meanwhile, the CVA had successfully enlisted the support of southern Providence neighbours who had felt the sting of Ushra'Khan raiders harassing slaver-held space.

The alliance was compelled to re-evaluate its commitments and offers of support. Local entities Betrayal Under Mayhem and Einherjar Rising had both repeatedly offered support but had been declined due to their poor relationship to neighbouring alliance Sylph. The Ushra'Khan re-prioritised their efforts on battling the slaver and reduced their commitment to local security that did not impact on their mission. The offers of support were accepted and attempts were made to settle tensions with the other neighbours. The wishes of those that had chosen to stay out of the war with CVA were respected, but it was no longer the Ushra'Khan's policy to fight their enemies for them, especially when those enemies were offering to support the cause.

The Fall of Unity Station

Events moved quickly. Several former friends were moving off the fence and siding with the CVA. The new support had refocusing of efforts had swiftly made a difference to the tactical situation. It was not long before the CVA began their assault on 'terrorist central' itself. The second battle for Unity Station was on.

The defences of 9UY4-H were stronger than those of QR-K85. And the defenders had prepared themselves knowing that the attack would come. Shortly after the siege began events took an unexpected turn. Even with the support of new allies, the defenders were still out gunned by the coalition brought against them. It would be hard fought but the odds were still poor. It was not long before Sylph launched an attack on an Ushra'Khan mining base a few jumps away, bringing themselves firmly into the war.

The true surprise came when news of the invasion spread. And help came from unexpected quarters. The Imperialists are not without their enemies. Support came unasked for from groups such as 0utbreak, Ev0ke and The Establishment. These unexpected developments turned a grim fight against the odds into a chance of victory. Such was the unpredictable nature of the conflict that at the peak of the defenders successes, a strike was successfully mounted against a CVA capital shipyard.

The fighting dragged on for months but in the end it was the superior economic strength of the CVA that decided the outcome. More and more starbases were successfully established in 9UY-H and control of Unity Station was finally lost.

The Rise of Amarian Providence

Following the fall of Ushra'Khan holdings the alliance fell back towards the fringes of Providence to regroup and continue fighting. Basing again out of low sec Thukker stations warriors continued to harry Slaver space and that of their Holder Alliances.

With Unity Station taken opposition forces largely dispersed and moved on, leaving a diminished Ushra'Khan facing a triumphant Amarrian-led coalition. The CVA and their allies successfully capitalised on gaining the upperhand, growing in numbers and power they consolidated their hold on the remaining systems in Providence.

For some months the Ushra'Khan continued to prosecute the war from low-sec Derelik but was unable to go head to head with the Amarrian Providence bloc, which possesssed vastly superior numbers. The simple truth was that Amarrian forces had become entrenched and for the time being too strong to challenge outright.

A Fresh Direction

In time the alliance relocated to Curse to rebuild numbers and strength but continued to launch limited raids into Providence. Recent months had shown that the alliance needed to make a clean break from old ties and to take a fresh approach to its core mission. To persue a sov war against Providence at this juncture was futile.

The alliance rebased to Curse and began to seek new allies and recruit fresh blood. Put into a new environment its pilots would be challenged to break old habits and begin the process of rebuilding anew.

Providence was downgraded in focus, moving from being the immediate priority to a longer term objective; the ultimate downfall of Amarrian Providence. The immediate concern became the reform and honing of the alliance itself.

The Elder War of June 10th 110, and ascension of Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor at a stroke reversed much of the damage done to relations with the Minmatar Republic under Midular. But old wounds heal slowly. And betrayal is hard to forgive. The Ushra'Khan remained focused upon its pursuit of the Slaver beyond CONCORD's mandate. A few of its warriors were to be found working within the Tribal Liberation Force from the very first days of its inception, primarily under the banner of the Kinda'Shujaa. In the early weeks and months the Ushra'Khan and the Kinda'Shujaa played a significant role in the fortunes of the Tribal Liberation Force helping to secure considerable territorial gains in the aftermath of the Elder's War. While the Ushra'Khan has since taken a light role in that theatre the Kinda'Shujaa and many others have remained ever present to fight for the cause.

Politics back in Curse proved fluid, with allies frequently being made only to part ways a few months later being a common occurance, a situation perhaps simply being a reflection of the region's nature. In time however the Ushra'Khan was contacted by the neighbouring Against All Authorities with an offer of cooperation. This was an offer earned by months of sparring between Ushra'Khan and -A- pilots, earning a reputation as capable fighters.

F4R And Onwards

A strong relationship was to develop between the Ushra'Khan and Against All Authorities, who soon extended the invitation for the Ushra'Khan to stage from the F4R Curse Watchtower station (contrary to popular opinion, there was no rental agreement attached). This was to mark the point in time where the alliance began to substantially develop new capabilities and grow in numbers, to the point where larger scale operations against Providence were beginning to because feasible again. Raids against Providence Holders re-intensified alongside flying operations alongside -A- forces for mutual benefit.

Eventually the transition was made out of of F4R and back into sovereignty holding in a largely disused part of Catch, facilitated again by Against All Authorities. This was was move allowing the Ushra'Khan to further develop its capabilities which was both a necessary evolution for the alliance in its quest to aquire the means to liberate Providence, but also advantageous to -A- in having a strong and trusted ally adjacent to their home territories. This development was to prove a catalyst for great changes to come.

The Fall of Amarrian Providence

In December YC111 the Providence Holder alliance LFA launched an opportunistic sovereignty grab into Catch to snatch a handful of unclaimed systems bordering on -A- holdings. This was closely followed by a declaration of intent delivered by the CVA-led Providence bloc to oust the Ushra'Khan from their holdings in Catch.

This move was to be politically catastrophic for Providence. LFA had capitalised on both -A- and the Ushra'Khans attention being focused against Goonswarm in Querious. For a short termthey were able to hold the captured systems until attention was returned to the situation on the home front of Catch. Fighting ensued and the systems were retaken.

This brief conflict redefined the political balance and 'cold war' stance between Catch and Providence. While the Ushra'Khan had ever considered itself at war with Providence, there had existed an uneasy truce between the CVA's Providence and -A- that meant conflict was limited to non-sovereignty challenges. A Providence Holder intruding on -A-'s sphere of influence in Catch brought this state of affairs to an end.

The liberation of Providence began, a massive undertaking that took months to resolve. The two sides clashed in the historic battle for D-GTMI, the outcome of which determined the ultimate course of the war. D-GTMI was then the home system of Paxton Federation, a Holder alliance of Amarrian Providence.

Both sides brought their full forces to bear in the final battle for control of the station, a battle resulting in the near total annihilation of the Providence Capital fleet. Over two hundred Ushra'Khan warriors took to the field on that day alone. This battle proved so decisive that the war was all but won on that day, leaving months of steady advance ahead in taking control of the regions many Outpost systems. Much of CVA's support evaporated following that battle, leaving them in a much weakened position to respond meaningfully there after, much like the Ushra'Khan had found itself post-Unity Station years earlier.

The Return To Unity

By early April, CVA and their allies had lost their grip on Providence and many key systems including the former Ushra'Khan home of 9UY4-H and with it Unity STation had been re-taken. The mopping up of the last remnants of Amarrian occupation was well under-way.

For all intents and purposes [Providence|Providence]] had been won. this left The Ushra'Khan in the position they had long worked towards, the "liberation of providence from slaver rule" had been accomplished.

This achievement had come much faster than most had expected and the sudden changes sweeping the region had begunto reveal an emerging power vacuum. While Against All Authorities' own objective had been achieved in breaking the threat posed by Amarrian Providence, the question lingered of what was to come next. The Ushra'Khan now faced the dilemma of how to go about securing the region against a return to its old ways.

The Providence Pacts

Together with -A-, the Ushra'Khan worked to setup a system of 'Non-Invasion' pacts between the new residents settling into Providence. It was a chaotic time that saw alliances who had fought in the campaign settling into small pockets of space alongside some alliances who were brought in to populate the region. This process began as territories were still being wrested from Amarrian-loyalist control, a necessity forced by simple need for someone to quickly assume control.

The Ushra'Khan gave up its established Catch territories and resettled in Providence to guard against a future return by the CVA. The next few months proved to be extrememly turbulent with diplomatic disputes between new neighbours weighing heavily upon the Ushra'Khan's leaders.

The 'NIP' (Non invasion pact) alliances often struggled to cooperate or held different expectations for the coalition. Some had been brought on board through the Ushra'Khan, some through -A-, resulting in a faction who regarded -A- as leaders of the coalition, although -A- themselves had again stepped back from Providence. Tensions grew and the politics have been a matter of considerable heated debate.

After some time, and a changing membership within the alliance, it became clear that the Ushra'Khan's mission was no longer being served by its continued presence in Providence. All holdings were transferred to allies remaining in the NIP and the Ushra'Khan departed Providence, no longer a sovereignty holding alliance.

Shortly after the Ushra'Khan's departure, the NIP's troubles seemingly intensified rather than abated and began a rapid collapse. Finally Ev0ke moved into the region in force driving out many of the remaining NIP alliances.

The Ushra'Khan resumed its intention to develop the capacity to act as a mobile force able to move quickly in pursuit of its mission; to seek out and destroy the enemies of freedom and to bring liberation to the enslaved.