The Rose and The Bull
Impoverished for centuries by the ruthless exploitation of companies and nobility from the Federated Suns' imperial core, the people of the former Outback had been wanting for almost everything by the time the Concordat took charge of its myriad systems—electricity, clean water, labour-saving devices, and countless other mundane things typically only found in the region's cities, and even then only where they had benefited the region's past exploiters. Riding in with promises of hope and change as it took charge, Protector Calderon immediately moved to guarantee all the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the state's charter and lives once undreamt of now were almost close enough for the Concordat's newest citizens to taste.
Alas, as many things are wont to do, this golden dream quickly tarnished before the eyes of its bearers as days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, the promised future just as far away as it had ever been as the Concordat's prodigious industry proved unable to fulfil the ravenous hunger of a region that, in many places, still relied on horse and cart for transport. Having watched from the sidelines as hope began to curdle into cynicism and irritation over military expenditure began to blossom into anger, the Republic had quickly—and somewhat blithely—stepped in to offer assistance to the Concordat, Helghan promising to lend the strength of its industry to the effort in the hopes of curtailing ill-will and making good on the promises of the ORDI. Well aware of the problem's scale and his analysts' predictions, Protector Calderon had accepted the aid offer with barely a quibble, the Concordat sending the Republic a laundry list of goods and materials vital to the development effort within days of receiving the offer.
Ranging from subsidies for communication gear to the delivery of agricultural machinery, the aid requested by the Taurians ran the gamut of industries and types, the sheer quantity threatening to absorb a mighty fraction of the Republic's industrial output. Lacking any estimation for when the development effort would be complete and with the threat of the Clan Invasion omnipresent in their minds, Republic politicians found themselves forced to play budgetary Tetris to support the Concordat's request; members of parliament soon debating if the Outback's people should receive cheap medicines or public transport, and if Operation Santiago could afford less support in the future if it meant that people on Caldwell could have heated homes next winter.
How Much Aid Does The Republic Supply?
OOC: There's no write-in option here as I don't want to read 300 words detailing exactly what you want to send
(plus the only thing that matters in regards to cost is how much you're offering to send).
[] Reluctantly withdraw offer [Will negatively impact the Concordat's opinion of the Republic]
[] What We Can Spare. [-1 peacetime and -1 wartime AP indefinitely]
[] A Solid Commitment. [-1 peacetime and -2 wartime AP indefinitely]
[] Whatever It Takes. [-1 peacetime and -3 wartime AP indefinitely]
Actions
You have 6 out of 10 Action Points to spend. -1AP from Tikonov Command Circuit rental. -1AP from Free Worlds League Command Circuit rental. -1AP from Anti-Clan AgitProp effort. -1AP from Lothan Factory Complex Construction.
This list of available actions is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to suggest more actions or variations on the actions listed below.
Federated Suns:
[] Expand FedSuns intelligence network: Having placed a large number of agents within the lower levels of FedSuns society, now would be a good time to capitalise on the effort and expand the Republic's reach.
[] Ferment Dissent [Medium]: By producing and spreading certain forbidden materials throughout the people of this faction, our agents can potentially incite dissent against the powers-that-be.
[] Stage diplomatic incident [Hard]: Through agents in positions of power, we can stage border incidents justifying military response.
[] Orchestrate Coup [Hard]: By training and arming those whose beliefs align with those of the Republic, we can remove those in charge and install elements friendly towards us. [Progress: 0/12 turns] [-10,000,000 C-Bills/turn] [Effectiveness increases and time decreases with dissent/support of Republic ideology]
[] Continue NAIS Infiltration [Medium-Hard]: Continuing prior efforts to infiltrate the New Avalon Institute of Science is vital if we want access to their latest designs and most secure production sites.
[] Steal research [Hard] [TARGET RESEARCH]: Utilising our agents in research centres and laboratories, we can "acquire" valuable research data.
[] Further Infiltrate Davion Palace [Hard]: By infiltrating the Davion palace, we can gain access to its most vital secrets and most important people.
[] Write-in:
Lyran Commonwealth:
[] Expand Lyran intelligence network: Having placed a large number of agents within the lower levels of Lyran society, now would be a good time to capitalise on the effort and expand the Republic's reach.
[] Infiltrate Civil Administration [Medium]: By infiltrating the civilian leadership, we can improve our ability to ferment dissent amongst the populace.
[] Ferment Dissent [Medium]: By producing and spreading certain forbidden materials throughout the people of this faction, our agents can potentially incite dissent against the powers-that-be.
[] Infiltrate Military [Hard]: By infiltrating the military, we can more easily raid targets of opportunity, stage incidents, and gather intelligence on deployments.
[] Steal research [Very Hard] [TARGET RESEARCH]: Utilising our agents in research centres and laboratories, we can "acquire" valuable research data.
[] Stage diplomatic incident [Very Hard]: Through agents in positions of power, we can stage border incidents justifying military response.
[] Orchestrate Coup [Very Hard]: By training and arming those whose beliefs align with those of the Republic, we can remove those in charge and install elements friendly towards us. [Progress: 0/20 turns] [-10,000,000 C-Bills/turn] [Effectiveness increases and time decreases with dissent/support of Republic ideology]
Free Worlds League:
[] Expand League intelligence network: Having placed a large number of agents within the lower levels of League society, now would be a good time to capitalise on the effort and expand the Republic's reach.
[] Infiltrate Civil Administration [Hard]: By infiltrating the civilian leadership, we can improve our ability to ferment dissent amongst the populace.
[] Ferment Dissent [Hard]: By producing and spreading certain forbidden materials throughout the people of this faction, our agents can potentially incite dissent against the powers-that-be.
[] Infiltrate Military [Very Hard]: By infiltrating the military, we can more easily raid targets of opportunity, stage incidents, and gather intelligence on deployments.
[] Stage diplomatic incident [Very Hard]: Through agents in positions of power, we can stage border incidents justifying military response.
[] Orchestrate Coup [Extremely Hard]: By training and arming those whose beliefs align with those of the Republic, we can remove those in charge and install elements friendly towards us. [Progress: 0/20 turns] [-10,000,000 C-Bills/turn] [Effectiveness increases and time decreases with dissent/support of Republic ideology]
[] Write-in (Convince me you've got something good)
Draconis Combine:
[] Arms Sales: With the Combine now at war, they may be willing to purchase items up to and including formerly LosTech ammunition from the Republic. Given the distances involved, such shipments will be very difficult until efforts are made to improve the backend logistics.
[-5 influence]
[] Tech for Tech: By offering the Combine information on [write-in] in exchange for what they know about [write-in], we may be able to bypass the costly and difficult effort of researching it for ourselves… provided they agree.
[] Expand Combine intelligence network: Having placed a number of agents throughout Draconis society, now would be a good time to capitalise on the effort and expand the Republic's reach.
[] Infiltrate Civil Administration [Hard]: By infiltrating the civilian leadership, we can improve our ability to ferment dissent amongst the populace.
[] Ferment Dissent [Medium]: By producing and spreading certain forbidden materials throughout the people of this faction, our agents can potentially incite dissent against the powers-that-be.
[] Infiltrate Military [Very Hard]: By infiltrating the military, we can more easily raid targets of opportunity, stage incidents, and gather intelligence on deployments.
[] Stage diplomatic incident [Very Hard]: Through agents in positions of power, we can stage border incidents justifying military response.
[] Orchestrate Coup [Impossible]: By training and arming those whose beliefs align with those of the Republic, we can remove those in charge and install elements friendly towards us. [Progress: 0/20 turns] [-15,000,000 C-Bills/turn] [Effectiveness increases and time decreases with dissent/support of Republic ideology]
[] Write-in
ORDI Actions
[] Write-in
Helghan Republic
[X] Establish a continuing effort to provide propaganda relating to the Clan war effort [Ongoing]
[] Construct a military defence station over [LOCATION]
Locations available:
[Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Upgrade a military defence station at [LOCATION]
- Available stations:
- Caliban (Medium → Large)
- Charybdis (Medium → Large)
- Highwater (Medium → Large)
- Mir (Medium → Large)
- Tiverton (Medium → Large)
- Contrilla (Small → Medium)
- Detroit (Small → Medium)
- Mantharaka (Small → Medium)
- New Oslo (Small → Medium)
- Rogue (Small → Medium)
- Spencer (Small → Medium)
[Can be taken multiple times in a turn, but you can only upgrade a single station once per turn]
[] Construct a Petrusite synthesis plant on: [LOCATION] [Progress: 0/4]
Locations Available:
- Helghan
- Portland
- Mir
- Rogue
- Independence
- Charybdis
- Detroit
[Can be taken multiple times in a turn, but you can only build one per planet]
[] Construct a secondary fleet anchorage on: [LOCATION] [Progress: 0/4]
Locations Available:
- Portland
- Mir
- Rogue
- Independence
- Charybdis
- Detroit
[Can be taken multiple times in a turn, but you can only build one per planet]
Military
[] Raise an Army: Task your military with forming an additional army. [Progress: 0/2] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn so long as there is recruitable population remaining]
[] Construct two Hasta-class cruiser Squadrons: Task your shipyards with constructing three Hasta Cruisers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct two Hasta IIIC-class cruiser Squadrons: Task your shipyards with constructing three Hasta IIIC Cruisers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct two Hasta IIID-class cruiser Squadrons: Task your shipyards with constructing three Hasta IIID Cruisers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct one Noctis-class cruiser Squadrons: Task your shipyards with constructing six Noctis Cruisers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct a Damascus-Class Carrier Squadron: Task your shipyards with constructing a squadron of Damascus-Class Carriers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct a Toxotai-class Guided Missile Cruiser Squadron: Task your shipyards with constructing a squadron of Toxotai Guided Missile Cruisers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken up to four times in a turn]
[] Construct 4 Guardsman-class Pocket Warships: Task your shipyards with constructing 4 Guardsman-class pocket warships. [Can be taken multiple times a turn]
[] Construct a Pilum-class Battlecruiser squadron: Task the Detroit shipyards with building a squadron of three Pilum-class battlecruisers. [Progress: 0/6] [Cannot construct other 1m+ ton designs until completed]
[] Hecatoncheires-class Escort Carrier Squadron: Task your shipyards with constructing a squadron of Hecatoncheires-class Escort Carriers. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a MAWLR-II pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three MAWLR-IIs. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a SAHLR pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three SAHLRs. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a Forge pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three Forges. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a Hydra pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three Hydras. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a Dragon pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three Dragons. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct a Pyrrhus pack: Task your heavy industry with constructing a pack of three Pyrrhuses. [Progress: 0/3] [Can be taken multiple times in a turn]
[] Construct 2 Battlemech Battalions: Task Fisher & Zulim Taw with constructing 2 battalions worth of mechs.
Operation Santiago (Clan Invasion Response)
Note: The Naval and Ground Capacities will improve as the Clans approach, so keep that in mind as you're making plans.
Note: Thanks to the Parthian-class Mobile Shipyard, ships can now make semi-major repairs in the field (this is intentionally left vague because I'm not simulating each ship )
Support Modifiers
Navy:
- +2 (Make-Do Yardships)
- +3 (Tsitsang Fleet Anchorage)
- +5 (Decreased Distance)
- +2 (Parthian-class Mobile Shipyard)
- +2 (ComStar Command Circuit Route)
- -2 (ORDI Donation)
Ground Support Capacity:
- +1 (Tsitsang Ground Facilities)
- +0.75 (ComStar Command Circuit Route)
- +0.25 (Fort Loudon)
- +0.50 (Decreased Distance)
- +1 (Forge Pack)
- +0.50 (Forge Pack)
- +0.25 (Forge Pack)
- -1 (ORDI Donation)
-
Naval Support Capacity: 18/18 [Base: 6] (use the naval upkeep values)
Ground Support Capacity: 3.95/4.0 [Base: 0.75] (use the transport size value)
Navy (18/18 Naval Support Capacity)
- 14 Noctis Frigates (14 capacity)
- 1 Pilum Battlecruiser (2 Capacity)
- 2 Hecatoncheires Escort Carriers (2 capacity)
- 42 Commissar-B Pocket Warships (0 capacity)
Ground (3.95/4.0 Ground Support Capacity)
- First Division, First Army (0.5 weight)
- Second Division, First Army (0.5 weight)
- Third Division, First Army (0.5 weight)
- Fourth Division, First Army (0.5 weight)
- 2 veteran BattleMech regiments (0.2 weight)
- 1 regular BattleMech regiment (0.1 weight)
- Cyborg special operations brigade (0.05 weight).
- 1 MAWLR-II (0.4 weight) [100% health] (Name: Dreadnought)
- 1 MAWLR-II (0.4 weight) [100% health] (Name: Huliaipole)
- 1 MAWLR-II (0.4 weight) [100% health] (Name: Cerberus)
- 1 MAWLR-II (0.4 weight) [100% health] (Name: Beats Walking)
- 3 Forge Packs (0.0 Weight)
-
Navy
- 4 Carson II-class Frigate (4 Capacity)
Ground
- 1 Mech Regiment (Death Commandos)
- 1 Mech Regiment (Warrior House Daidachi)
- 2 Mech Regiments (CCAF)
- 6 Armoured Regiments
- 8 Infantry Regiments
-
Navy
- 4 Auroch-class Frigate (4 Capacity)
Ground
-
Navy
- 1 Canopus class Frigate (1 Capacity) [MCS Luxen]
Ground
- 4 Mech Regiments
- 7 Armoured Regiments
- 14 Infantry Regiments
-
Navy
- 2 Halcon-class Destroyer (3 Capacity)
Ground
- 1 Mech Regiment
- 3 Armoured Regiments
- 4 Infantry Regiments
- 3 Superheavy Gunships
[] Deploy Spy Ships: Though not as effective as they would be within, say, the Federated Suns, deploying Hyde-class surveillance vessel's to Clan-held regions will improve the ORDI's ability to gather information substantially.
[] Prioritise Naval Supplies: By prioritising the shipment of naval supplies over those for ground troops, we can further improve our ability to deploy naval forces to the Outback. [+1 Naval Support Capacity, -0.125 Ground Support Capacity]
[] Prioritise Ground Supplies: By prioritising the shipment of supplies for ground troops over those of the navy, we can further improve our ability to deploy ground forces to the Outback. [+0.25 Ground Support Capacity, -0.5 Naval Support Capacity]
[X] Lothan Factory Complex Construction: As expensive as it will be, constructing a factory complex on Lothan will provide ORDI forces with an additional source of spare parts. [Progress: 2/10] [Locked Until Completed] [+1 AP from Capellan Confederation]
[] Swap Ground Supplies for construction materials (amount to trade): By replacing a percentage of the expendables bound for ground troops with construction materials, we can bring forward the completion date of the factory quite substantially. [Every 0.25 points of Ground Supplies traded gives a +5% modifier to the base value of Helghan AP used on the factory] [You can gain a max bonus of 25%. This bonus stacks with the naval version but does not apply to the one-time boosts.]
[] Swap Naval Supplies for construction materials (amount to trade): By replacing a percentage of the expendables bound for naval forces with construction materials, we can bring forward the completion date of the factory quite substantially. [Every point of Naval Supplies traded gives a +5% modifier to the value of Helghan AP used on the factory] [You can gain a max bonus of 25%. This bonus stacks with the ground version but does not apply to the one-time boosts.]
[] Rush Supplies to the Front V1: Though we can only afford to do it once, we can push our transport vessels to the limit and move additional construction materials to the front at the risk of wrecking a few engines. [+1 AP progress on construction] [-1 Naval Supplies, -0.3 Ground Supplies for this turn] [Picking this option locks out V2 and V3]
[] Rush Supplies to the Front V2: Though we can only afford to do it once, we can push our transport vessels to the limit and move additional construction materials to the front at the risk of wrecking a few engines. [+2 AP progress on construction] [-2 Naval Supplies, -0.6 Ground Supplies for this turn] [Picking this option locks out V1 and V3]
[] Rush Supplies to the Front V3: Though we can only afford to do it once, we can push our transport vessels to the limit and move additional construction materials to the front at the risk of wrecking a few engines. [+3 AP progress on construction] [-3 Naval Supplies, -0.9 Ground Supplies for this turn] [Picking this option locks out V1 and V2]
[] Operation Santiago Phase 8 Objectives (Failure to detail new objectives for Operation Santiago will have me pick ones based on prior discussion) [You can have a max of 300 words and 2 if statements in this action.]
Military Requisition And Design
You have 4 out of 4 Requisition Points to spend on upgrading Helghan's ground forces. These upgrades are given to all active armies at once, though the more armies you have the longer it'll take to roll out changes.
Requisition
[] Flechette Charges: Designed by the Helghan Defence Corporation out of Bloemfontein, Flechette Charges are little more than directional command-detonated anti-personnel landmines attachable to the outer armour of a Battle Armour suit. Inspired, on the one hand, by the Anti-Personnel Pod's seen on Clan mechs and, on the other, the needle weapons so prevalent throughout the Inner Sphere, flechette charges send out a spray of explosively formed polymer-composite flechettes able to shred flesh and penetrate some light armours upon detonation. Intended for use in close-quarters combat or to clear the area below a leaping BA unit, flechette charges are one-time-use items but offer little to no additional risk.
[] BA Spider Mine Dispenser: Essentially a scaled-down version of the mine dispensers used by Republic forces to deploy spider mines around secure areas, the BA Spider Mine Dispenser is securely attached to the back of a Battle Armour suit and allows its user to deploy more than a dozen mines on the battlefield at the click of a button. Easily reloaded via specially made cartridges and featuring a quick-release system for use if reload is unavailable or the backpack itself becomes a hazard, the BA Spider Mine Dispenser is a valuable bit of equipment for any Battle Armour squad.
[] BA-scale Irradiated Petrusite Projector: A midway point between the infantry and mech version of the IP Projector, the Battle Armour-scale IP Projector is a short-range but incredibly deadly weapon able to pose a threat to mechs and their pilots… as well as infantry squads hunkered down in cover.
Design
[] KF-Drive Warship (One Time Only)
[] Dropship Design: (tell me what you're trying to design)
[] MAWLR Redesign: Order your design teams to redesign the MAWLR to make use of the latest technological advancements.
[] Design write-in: Order your teams to design a solution to a capability gap. (tell me what you're trying to design)
