[QRF Kitchen Sink] PC9 Rescue Attempt

[Shandir]

Situation: A friendly was tackled by a neutral, and the Standing Fleet offered to help. As response fleet was assembling, more neuts entered local and the odds moved rapidly against our fleet.

Initial enemy: 1 Malediction
Final enemy fleet: 2 Malediction, 1 Eris, 3 Exequeror Navy Issue, 1 Exequoror

Kills: 1 Eris
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115251979/

Losses: 1 Loki, 1 Cormorant, 1 Atron, 1 Vexor, 1 pod
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115251987/
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115251987/
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115251989/
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115252011/
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115252023/
https://zkillboard.com/kill/115252065/

Fleet Command: There was no FC, as we were trying to respond before the situation escalated.

Thoughts:
I was aware of neuts hanging around nearby, but they had been around for several hours so I'd expected a slower response. My hope was to respond quickly enough to beat the tackle, then evade the followup.
-> Learning: Gank fleets come in fast, especially the interdictors. We went from 2-3 neuts in local to 7 neuts in combat in under 60 seconds.
As we were warping to assist, the other neuts began to show up and we got reports of an Eris, a second Malediction, and several unknowns - at this point I suggested the Eris as primary so we'd be more likely able to escape if the gank fleet proved too dangerous.
-> Learning: This might be a good idea, but the bubble does not go down quickly enough after the Eris is destroyed. Bubble was still up after the fight was over.
The fleet was trapped in the bubble, we destroyed the Eris, but the maledictions were slow to go down, and the ENIs provided much too much damage for our fleet to outlast.
After the initial battle, there was discussion of forming an organized response fleet, but it was decided against because we didn't think we had sufficient firepower to take on the whole gang.

20/20 Hindsight Plan
1) I don't think the resources and time we had would have been able to save the pilot who was tackled, and the ISK-positive strategy would have been not to take the fight.
2) If we had some intel on the enemy fleet, we could have been more aware that they were ready to jump on us, and that we were outmatched
3) Bringing an expensive ship was a mistake, even if it was the only way I expected to respond in time. I didn't have any other PvP-ready ships in the station I was in.