Planet Erie - Pennsylvania - The Republic of Liberty forces seized Planet Erie yesterday in a military operation that resulted in a number of civilian casualties, according to eyewitness accounts.
The Liberty Navy's Battleship Alma led a battlegroup comprised of elements of the California Fleet and Liberty Security Force units in an operation against local resistance Freedom Fighters. Observers report that, upon entering Planet Erie's orbit, the Alma and her escorts were met by a flotilla of both local and foreign Zoner vessels, including several transports refitted with military-grade weaponry and a rarely seen Zoner carrier, the EDC Pinnacle. Orders given by the Alma to disperse were disregarded, and the command was given to secure the planet's orbit by force.
What ensued was a drawn out battle between the Libertonian task force and the Zoner militia Freedom Fighters. Witnesses report that a number of transports hauling military supplies attempted to break through the Alma's blockade. Several were intercepted by Navy and LSF ships, however, several more succeeded in escaping the battle and disappeared into the Driftwood Ice Asteroid Field.
While the Zoners' resistance Freedom Fighters fought hard, the eventual destruction of the EDC Pinnacle by the Alma sealed the battle's outcome. Surviving ships were overwhelmed and forced to either surrender or disperse, finally allowing the Libertonian forces to take control of planet Erie's orbit. While the Liberty Navy reports no damage to the Battleship Alma, eyewitness reports indicate that the Battleship was severely damaged during the battle and did not further participate in the following ground invasion.
Following Liberty's victory in orbit, a Marine Corps force commenced a planetary landing operation, quickly occupying Erie's capital of Lake City, several major starports, and other vital infrastructure across the planet. While there have been reports of sporadic armed resistance by local militias, the majority of Erie's Zoner population resorted only to peaceful protests against the military's seizure of the planet.
The Liberty Navy has denied reports of civilian casualties, but eyewitness accounts and photographs from the scene tell a different story. In one photo, the body of a young child is seen being carried away from the wreckage of a destroyed building. In another, a woman is seen weeping over the body of her husband, who was killed in the fighting.
Many are now calling for an independent investigation into the civilian casualties, and the Zoner resistance Liberation movement has vowed to continue fighting for their independence.
The future of Planet Erie is uncertain. The Liberty Navy has declared that the planet is now under its control, but the Zoner resistance movement has vowed to continue fighting. It is unclear how long the conflict will last, or what the ultimate outcome will be.
~Brandon, Editor In Charge
Frontier Gazette
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