- Location
- Tarn-Vedra
[X] Plan: Arsenal of ORDI
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone
- Thread starter prometheus110
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- The Cosmos
Rockwellawan, Appain, McEvans Sacrifice, Detroit, Highwater, Contrilla, Mantharaka, Chandan, Polybius, Sacromonte, Bellerophon, Spencer, Cygnus, Fronc, and maybe Mandalas are all systems I think Helghan should take before this quest is over. Afterward, we can start focusing on expanding rimward into the deep periphery.
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Yes, spread the word! Helghan science is the best! Helghan "friendly" armor are the greatest! Spread peace with a great navy and
high-speed interstellar wifi! Better than the Com* equivalent of a dial up router (or worse, pony express).
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
I've always been of this opinion. . .
Not so much about the deep periphery, but grabbing those systems. . .
Forgothrax
Not Going Gently
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Add Herotitus. Has a population of 16mil at this time according to the Touring the Stars supplement.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
Yeah, but Herotitus is awfully close to the Aurigan border.
They might grab it first and I'd rather not cause problems between ORDI members over territory. . .
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
They'll be digesting Hurik and Ward for years, maybe a decade. 16 mil is nothing compared to the 2 billion they got. And we gave them those planets, they've no right to complain.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
It's also real close to the Mandate.
Since everyone voted to not finish the Mandate when we had the chance, I'm like 99 percent certain Romano is going to cause an incident if we get that close to her border.
Unlike you all, I don't believe other factions are going to sit on their asses and not innovate or build up their forces while we're occupied elsewhere.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
So what if it's close to the Mandate? If they plan to attack, it doesn't matter how far or near it is. Just means we have to build up defenses and be ready to take a hit. It'll suck, but we know the Mandate can't hit that hard, and we can hit back much, much harder. We'll bite off another few planets.
Wouldn't it make it a good fleet base then? The Mandate isn't gonna start shit as often if we have a good staging ground for a smack down.
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We just need to build up now. The production capacity is there we just need to use it.
Can Counter-Grav units use side-stepping rules like Quad Mechs?
Because I think that would be a unique feature which makes them unpredictable to encounter.
Because I think that would be a unique feature which makes them unpredictable to encounter.
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- Location
- Michigan, USA
They'd likely need thrusters or some manner of directing their Counter-Grav forces.
5th Succession War -- Jan-March 3040 Results
prometheus110
Join Cayman-Global & be part of the 1E-9 percent!
- Location
- La Ballena City Raft
- Pronouns
- He/Him
OOC: I couldn't think of anything that happened between the last update and this one 
. That said, there'll almost certainly be a more detailed news & rumours section next update.
[x] Plan: Arsenal of ORDI
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
===============================
[x] Yes
[x] Taurian Concordat [-5 influence]
David Hayes-Calderon, Concordat ambassador to the Helghan Republic, stepped through the security screen with a sufferance borne of long practice, the doors to the corridor beyond swinging open on silent hinges as the woman monitoring the device gave an infinitesimal nod. It had been years since the abominable attack on Pyrrus, but the Republic still wasn't taking any chances when it came to vital institutions such as their Parliament. Hell of a day that had been. He thought.
David's first surprise came at the door to the meeting room in the steadfast figure of Matthias Smit, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, who was waiting outside with a carefully neutral expression plastered across his face.
"The Prime Minister has asked me to inform you that no aides are required for this session," he said.
David shot his aide, Rayna, a concerned glance.
"I was told the incident at the Canopian embassy had been handled," he replied, nonplussed. "It was an-"
"An accident," Matthias interrupted demurely. "Both the Canopian delegation and the Prime Minister understand. The sculpture has already been repaired."
"Nonetheless," he continued, "we must insist that she remain outside."
David considered fighting the man on the matter; the thought of stubborn refusal scratching away at the back of his mind and a bad taste entering his mouth. Still, to require aides to remain outside during a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic was unusual and unusual meant that he probably wouldn't forget anything.
"If you insist," He replied levelly; a curt nod to his assistant simultaneously telling Rayna to stay put and expressing his distaste for the act.
The second surprise was how few people were sitting around the circle of wood and glass that sat at the centre of the room; the bullet holes that told of its seizure from the mansion of a would-be-Autarch still plainly visible beneath the glass. There were three people in the room besides himself, the Prime Minister of the Republic, Katya Reimann, David's Canopian counterpart, Harrison Wood, and the Aurigan Ambassador, Aroha Jones. Seating himself to the right of Aroha, David gave a cautious nod of acknowledgement.
"I take it whatever is to be said relates to the entirety of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative," he hazarded a moment later.
The Helghan Prime Minister nodded. "You would be correct," she confirmed.
Harrison smiled politely, his expression's usual warmth all but gone and the pristine white of his teeth gleaming like diamonds against his skin. "We're here to convince you to support our proposal."
Our proposal, he thought as he realised what was going on. Ahh.
David Hayes-Calderon listened politely as the assembled forces of Helghan, Canopus, and Coromodir assaulted him with their arguments; all manner of facts, figures, and philosophy arranged around him like a besieging army before being launched into the fray. The reasoning was solid. The Marian Hegemony had irritated the Magistracy of Canopus since long before the Helghan Republic had arrived on the scene; slave raids kidnapping thousands of innocents to serve the whims of the Hegemony's rich and powerful and dozens of worlds pillaged to fuel the state's growth. The Magistracy had been forced to suffer the raids for some time due to the proximity of the Free Worlds League and their own perennially under-equipped military preventing them from launching a punishment operation. Having recently done much to address the MAF's lack of equipment, with the Free Worlds League distracted by the 5th Succession War, and now backed up by the ORDI, the Canopians doubtless felt like now was the time to show the Marians the error of their ways.
"I don't need to point out that the Concordat's vote is not up to me," David said dryly once they'd finished.
To her credit, the Prime Minister's expression didn't budge, though Harrison cracked a smile and Aroha let out a quiet snort.
"Hardly," Aroha drawled beside him.
"Protector Calderon values your judgement," Prime Minister Reimann said, bulldozing past ambassador Jones' comment like an Atlas through… well, most things. "Yours and your wife's. We're in direct discussions with the Protector already, however we thought it prudent to reach out to you given your relationship."
It was smart, David admitted to himself. Politically underhanded and with the potential to backfire, sure, but smart if you could pull it off.
"I won't lie," David replied instead. "I've never liked the Marians for what they do, plain and simple. If they bordered us," he continued, "well, they'd would look elsewhere for their slaves."
"However," he said emphatically, hard eyes scanning around the table like target-acquisition gear, "just because I dislike them doesn't mean that intervening against them is the right thing for the Concordat to do, or the rest of the ORDI for that matter. Their provocations could be answered with a garrison of ORDI troops or the annihilation of a raiding force."
For a long moment there was silence in the room, then, David sighed softly and blew out his cheeks. "But, under the circumstances, it's hard to deny that hitting the Marian's would have much in the way of risk or that it isn't warranted. We Taurians believe in family, friendship and freedom, and as a wise man once said 'Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril..'
"So you'll try to convince Thomas?" Harrison asked, a modicum of his usual good-humour present in his smile.
"I'll bring the matter up with Thomas when I send in my usual report," David replied. "That's all I'll do."
"That's all we ask," Prime Minister Reimann replied, an air of finality tingeing her voice.
Effect
===============================
[x] [Taurians] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Concordat blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
[x] [Canopians] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Magistracy blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
[x] [Aurigans] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Coalition blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
Effect
[x] [Canopians] Dispatch Mercenaries: Dispatch Raven Interstellar to fight on behalf
of the Magistracy of Canopus. This is mutually exclusive with other Dispatch Mercenaries actions.
Even before formally voting in favour of intervention against the Marian Hegemony, the Helghan Republic took steps to aid its allies; a few quick orders and a generous contract seeing the men and women of Raven Interstellar dispatched to Canopian territory before the end of January. Larger than an Inner Sphere regiment of similar composition by more than 60%, the two battalions of Helghan quasi-mercenaries have spent the intervening years since their last deployment refining their training and familiarising themselves with a limited selection of modern equipment. Arriving to the Canopian world of Thraxa in late March, ostensibly to protect it from pirates and further Hegemony raids, the 1000+ men and women of the mercenary company swiftly dig in in and around key parts of the planet and begin training for planetary assault operations alongside officers from several Magistracy units still in-transit.
Though not intended to operate as the tip of the ORDI spear, Raven Interstellar will no doubt serve on the frontlines of the conflict as needed, their rapid mobility and firepower making them an excellent reserve to deploy should an advance slow or a defence falter. Armed with a variety of modern weapons including Minuteman power armour, T7 Arc Cannons, and Petrusite warheads, the Ravens are sure to be an unwelcome surprise for any Hegemony MechWarrior unlucky enough to encounter them on the battlefield.
Effects
[x] [ORDI] Expanded Anti-Pirate Operations: With a major war once again raging corewards, pirates will undoubtedly move to avoid the fighting and take advantage of reduced garrisons. To prevent this from biting the ORDI nations, we should cooperate to temporarily increase anti-piracy patrols and operations. [Locked Until Cancelled]
With war raging throughout the Inner Sphere and the normal patterns of trade disrupted and torn apart, the Helghan Republic moved to counteract the all but inevitable surge in piracy that would result from this well ahead of time. Reaching out to fellow ORDI members via diplomatic channels, the Republic spent many weeks pushing for a temporary expansion of existing patrols and information sharing before eventually succeeding in late February; a combination of common sense and horsetrading leading the three other nations to agree to the proposal after only a short delay. Though relatively small in the grand scheme of things, the temporary expansion of patrol routes prompted the Republic to dispatch several additional Hasta squadrons to fill out the gaps, a decision which proved prudent when one of the supplementary squadrons stumbled across an Invader-class jumpship charging its KF drive in an otherwise unremarkable system.
Though claiming to be a merchant jumpship on the way to Taurus, the vessel's presence in a less-travelled system combined with its unusually heavy load of three dropships (two Unions and a Leopard) prompted the squadron leader to demand an inspection. Outmassed by a factor of 164 to 1 and outgunned 6 to1, the suspicious vessels complied immediately; Republic strike craft maintaining a cordon while Helghan marines in power armour swarmed aboard and seized control of vital systems. In the hours that followed, it swiftly became apparent that the vessel was, in fact, a pirate jumpship carrying three similarly disreputable gangs to who-knows-where. While the crew of the Invader and its parasite vessels were able to carry out a purge of navigation and record systems in the time between their discovery and the arrival of Helghan marines, sufficient physical evidence existed to justify the arrest of all aboard and such an action was taken --the pirates and their vessels brought to friendly space for trial.
While the failure to capture any digital records meant that the pirates could only be charged with what minor crimes could be proved (some managing to avoid even that fate), the removal of three company-sized pirate forces from the region has undoubtedly saved countless lives. Though a costly effort to carry out both in monetary and political terms, the immediate success of the action proved without a shadow of a doubt its necessity and few qualms have been raised.
Effect
[x] [ORDI] ORDIHCR: With refugees sure to arrive in this region of the Periphery over the next few months/years as a result of the war, establishing a commission dedicated to managing the problem before it can become a crisis will likely be vital. [-10 influence] [Progress: 0/2]
With all four nations of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative well aware that war in the Inner Sphere will inevitably drive countless people from their homes and towards the Periphery, the Helghan drive to establish a commission to manage the problem found itself rapidly and unexpectedly suborned by the Aurigan-Magistracy effort towards the same. Needing only a little convincing to get past their relatively isolationist foreign policy, the Taurian Concordat soon joined the rest of the ORDI in backing the effort with all four member-states agreeing to devote significant resources to the issue by mid-February. With so much diplomatic and financial weight placed behind the program, no doubt in large part due to concerns over providing for the inevitable surge in refugees, progress was pleasingly swift with offices on planetary capitals being filled out in a matter of weeks and Doctor Thisbe Eoin, a long term "associate" of Edward Calderon, selected to head up the organisation.
An able administrator and doctor, Doctor Eoin was selected in part to sway the Taurians to support the effort, but largely due to her experience aiding victims of pirate raids in the Concordat's spinward border. Having personally treated civilians for injuries ranging from malnutrition and hypothermia to combat wounds and UXO injuries, and having directed staff doing the same, Doctor Eoin was elected as a compromise candidate after a spirited and lengthy debate. Supported by a staff drawn from all four ORDI member-nations and given a sizable, but not unlimited budget, Doctor Eion began her five year term in office by drawing up a plan to stockpile a vast quantity of supplies in key systems along the border with the Inner Sphere and a small amount in the remaining systems. With the final destination of refugees fleeing conflict often unknown, even to the refugees themselves, until they arrive, the goal of Doctor Eoin's plan is to keep refugees alive and comfortable wherever they land and ship in additional materials ASAP.
Additionally, while all four members of the alliance had agreed to act as potential destinations for resettlement to see the ORDIHCR come to fruition, the per-year limit on resettlement slots varied from nation to nation according to their general willingness and ability to accept refugees. However, seeing the almost assured crisis as an opportunity to develop its population base, the Helghan Republic took the opportunity to accept a greater than proportional share of any refugees at nine million per year. Large enough to provide a substantial boon to the Republic and, hopefully, prevent a buildup of refugees on the border, it is predicted that this number will not negatively impact either the Republic's stability or its ability to provide for its citizens, though only time will tell how accurate that prediction will prove…
[Progress: 1/2]
Effect
[x] [ORDI] Offer our remaining Workhorse cruisers for sale to our ORDI allies. Keep the prices reasonable and work with them to negotiate methods of payments best suited to their interests and capabilities, such as payment in installments, or in goods and services.
Tired of supporting the 20 long-obsolete Workhorse cruisers that take up so much valuable yard time and eat up so many supplies, the Helghan Republic quietly reached out to its allies with an offer to sell the warships, for all intents and purposes, dirt-cheap. Though counting on the Spheroid war to drive sales due to fears of the conflict spilling over the border, Republic negotiators were nonetheless astounded when the Magistracy, Concordat, and Coalition agreed to purchase all of the vessels between them; a bottle of 30-year-old Taurian whiskey reportedly dropped from sheer surprise.
The most economically developed of the three other ORDI nations and the nation with the most drive to acquire warships, the Taurian Concordat walked away with a full four squadrons of cruisers in exchange for a variety of economic and mineral rights concessions. The Magistracy, meanwhile, exchanged a vast amount of rare earth elements useful for the production of high-quality electronics through Majesty Metals and Manufacturing in exchange for only two squadrons. Finally, the Aurigan Coalition, the smallest and economically weakest power even with its steadily improving industries, purchased two cruisers in exchange for a combination of reduced export prices for food and a number of high-tech electronics.
While not directly cash-in-hand sales, the temporary glut of rare earth elements, cheap minerals and food, and high-end electronics are predicted to have significant second order effects on the Republic economy for the next few years. Though the exact impacts are difficult to predict, most economists agree that parts of the Republic economy will see substantial growth as a result of the influx.
Effect
[x] Open diplomatic relations with the Free Rasalhague Republic
One of the few reasonably democratic nations still in existence in the known galaxy due to holding elections for most positions of power, including the nobility, opening diplomatic relations with the Free Rasalhague Republic seemed a natural choice for the Helghan Republic in early 3041. Only reachable via HPG in part due to the 5th Succession War but largely due to the distances involved, the Helghan Republic wrote a warm and welcoming greeting to its siblings on the opposite end of the Inner Sphere and dispatched it to Rasalhague care of ComStar; receipts for delivery arriving only a week later. For days the Republic waited for a response, then weeks, then, finally, months.
It was only in the dying days of March that a message arrived back from Rasalhague, Precentor Burton León hand-delivering it to the Republic's own communication's station on Portland. Smaller by far than the Republic's greeting and stamped as a low-priority transmission by the Rasalhague HPG, the words contained within the Rasalhaugian response confused and angered many in the Republic government. Though not actively antagonistic, the Rasalhagian response was strangely standoffish and aloof; little acknowledgement made of the shared democratic principles between the two Republics and a significant and strange emphasis placed on the neutrality of the FRR in Great House matters. While there's little telling what about the Republic the Rasalhaugians dislike, that they're not impressed and seek little to do with the Republic is clear.
Effect
[x] Contact the inhabitants of Appian, and Mandalas
With the size and number of ORDI patrol routes growing in tandem with the number of pirates operating in this region of the Periphery, the Helghan Republic elected to make contact with both Appian and Mandalas in the first quarter of the year as part of a diplomatic outreach program designed to quieten any concerns they may have about Republic warships operating nearby.
Dispatched almost on the day the expansion of patrol routes was agreed to, Republic goodwill ambassadors reached the nearby system of Appian first; the cutter that bore them auspiciously suffering a power spike that forced them to reset their fusion reactor mere moments after arriving. Home to a comfortable Terran-class planet teaming with life and located midway between the mineral rich system of Rockwellawan and the industrial system of Detroit, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the Appian system had long been targeted for colonisation by the nearby Aurigan Coalition. However, while Appian's sole habitable planet may seem a pleasant and bucolic place according to firsthand accounts and planetary surveys, every colonisation effort by every faction that has operated in this region of the Periphery has inevitably failed to take --colonies starving, freezing, falling to internal schisms, devastated by pirates, or dying from unexpected diseases. Now known as Omen, the planet is littered with ruins and countless graves and its very name is associated with ghosts and phantoms.
So closely associated with failure is Omen that despite its pleasant exterior, the only inhabitants in the entire system are the approximately 200 researchers living aboard a small space station orbiting the planet. Hailing from a variety of backgrounds, the researchers are employed by one of the Taurian Concordat's numerous corporations as part of an effort to understand how and why each colony went wrong in its colonisation attempts and how to detect said failures well ahead of time. Based in the Sparta habitat of the Burton system and about as nondescript as a civilian aerospace company can be, the Distant Horizons corporation is a relatively small subsidiary of a larger industrial concern dedicated to exploration and the identification of habitable planets suitable for the Concordat's growth. Enjoying the patronage of the Calderon family as a result of their efforts, Distant Horizons has had few dealings with the Republic up until this point --likely in an attempt to avoid any potential conflicts of interest should the Republic and Concordat go head-to-head on some issue. Luckily for all however, Republic ambassadors found the administrator in charge of the station to be welcoming of both the Republic delegation and Republic warships. A small rotund man by the name of Ernst Smith, the administrator relayed to the Republic's delegates his gratitude for ensuring the increase in pirate activity wouldn't affect them as well as an offer to join them in their study of Omen.
Three weeks later, Republic ambassadors arrive at Mandalas.
Founded by religious separatists from Herotitus, Mandalas is a marginal agricultural world that relies on manual labour as much as industrial farming techniques in order to produce the food needed to support its population of twelve million. Always riding the edge of failure due to its aggressive soil bacteria and heavy rainfall, Mandalas recently suffered from a series of crop failures that, in turn, drove many people to desperation. Growing as food yields declined, civil and religious unrest have led to a number of brush wars and rebel groups across the planet --both rebel and government forces making use of child soldiers violently recruited from outlying villages to serve as replaceable footsoldiers. Ruled by a council of Bishops, the government of Mandalas has recently found its politics heavily influenced by two interests: food and guns.
Effect
[x] Construct a military defence station over Charybdis
Effect
===============================
Military Requisition And Design
[x] Standard Gauss Rifle: A refined version of the gauss rifle already in use within elements of the Helghan military, this upgraded model was designed by the Republic's Experimental Design Bureau using information acquired from the Free Worlds League. Providing significant performance improvements and a similar boost to lethality, this greatly improved weapon is sure to find use on the battlefield as a precision weapon in much the same way as the Kader ACR-11 'Kerberus'.
[x] Falcon Sub-Capital Missile: Specifically designed to combat mass deployments of aerospace fighters, the Falcon is the smallest weapon in the Republic's new line of anti-ship missiles but one of its most effective. Trading explosive yield for range and agility, the Falcon can strike aerospace fighters at incredible ranges and account for even the wiliest pilot's manoeuvres.
[x] Ultra Autocannon (Helghan): Making use of a specially-made barrel designed to withstand higher operating temperatures and pressures and a gravitic feed system able to manipulate rounds without the magnetic fields required by the Taurian Concordat's Ultras, the newly developed 'Ultra' autocannon is a heady addition to Helghan's kinetic armaments. Featuring a longer range than standard AC/5s, capable of firing up to twice as many rounds per second, and able to make use of specialised rounds, the Helghan Ultra Autocannon can annihilate its opposition in a storm of fire albeit at the cost of a far more waste heat. Additionally, though friction in the feed system has been minimised thanks to the use of gravitic technology, the sheer heat generated by firing the weapon can lead to the expansion of rounds in the chamber --a situation that can jam the autocannon at an inopportune time.
===============================
News From The Front
Free Worlds League-Lyran Commonwealth
Having largely stumbled into conflict by virtue of Janos Marik's heart attack-induced weakness, the death of Archon Katrina Steiner, and a steadily escalating series of raids by their respective nobilities, both the Free Worlds League and Lyran Commonwealth have largely spent the past three months ineffectually flailing at one another instead of making true progress. While the FWLM and LCAF are both well-supplied, well-equipped forces, the lack of any real preparation has seen their initial thrusts and counter-thrusts sputter and die due to a local lack of personnel and supplies. Worse still, though the FWLM has historically been the better lead of the two militaries thanks to commissions being largely determined by merit rather than wealth or status, the Lyran Commonwealth's recent conflict with the Draconis Combine has seemingly done much to close the gap between the two with new breed generals and officers rising to replace their less-competent counterparts.
As a result of these factors, while the Free Worlds League has won a number of battles in recent weeks, including the raid-turned invasion of Zdice, every victory in one sector has been accompanied by a defeat in another; several border systems changing hands multiple times over the course of Feb-March as the nations tried and failed to outmanoeuvre their enemy. However, with both sides having acquired advanced technology from the Republic and bought the time needed to develop it and deploy additional forces to the front, the static situation they're facing is liable to change quickly and dramatically, the only question being in whose favour.
Effect/TL;DR
Federated Suns-Draconis Combine
Begun shortly after the eruption of war between the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth, the Federated Suns' Liberation of Combine-held FS worlds saw great initial success in the opening weeks of February before suddenly stalling, and in some cases reversing, in the face of a highly-coordinated counterattack by the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. Prepared in secret over the course of December-January and involving a huge numbers of troops, more than thirty mech regiments alone dedicated to the task, the Federated Suns' offensive launched in mid-February and saw huge success against Combine garrisons in border systems; a dozen systems recaptured (or just plain captured) in the first four days alone. Assisted by motivated and highly-coordinated guerilla groups operating out of forests and other hidden places, AFFS troops outmanoeuvred, outgunned, and outfought their opposition in a series of high-tempo operations that allowed them to conquer their targets in time for followup forces to continue on to other targets or be redeployed to assist slower units.
However, no doubt to the surprise of the AFFS' leadership, their nation's string of overwhelming victories soon came to an end in early March as reports began to trickle back of a number of DCMS counter attacks against units in the leading edge of the assault. Though limited in terms of the forces deployed and the scope of the same, the DCMS' rapid response forced a slowdown in the AFFS' advance as units were shuffled around to compensate for the attacks. Initially thought to be isolated examples of DCMS officers acting unilaterally or attempting to obey shocked commands from Luthien, the initial confidence of the AFFS' leadership doubtlessly suffered a blow when, less than a week after initial reports emerged, RCTs across the board suddenly reported organised attacks by DCMS regiments; a variety of normally rare mechs spotted in their midst. Less than two weeks after the first reports of a DCMS counter-attack emerged, the AFFS advance had all but stalled and the DCMS is currently in the process of attacking numerous systems across the front --several conquered systems falling back into Combine hands and a number of Suns' regiments shattered or otherwise defeated.
Effect/TL;DR
===============================
Influence Changes
-10 (ORDIHCR)
-5 (Convincing the Concordat)
+3 (Ammunition Licensing)
Total: -12 influence.
===============================
Updated Info Posts
Helghan Republic
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Helghan Republic Order of Battle
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
. That said, there'll almost certainly be a more detailed news & rumours section next update.[x] Plan: Arsenal of ORDI
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone Crossover
[x] Plan: Arsenal of ORDI [x] Yes [x] Taurian Concordat [-5 influence] [x] [Taurians] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Concordat blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
[x] Yes
[x] Taurian Concordat [-5 influence]
David Hayes-Calderon, Concordat ambassador to the Helghan Republic, stepped through the security screen with a sufferance borne of long practice, the doors to the corridor beyond swinging open on silent hinges as the woman monitoring the device gave an infinitesimal nod. It had been years since the abominable attack on Pyrrus, but the Republic still wasn't taking any chances when it came to vital institutions such as their Parliament. Hell of a day that had been. He thought.
David's first surprise came at the door to the meeting room in the steadfast figure of Matthias Smit, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, who was waiting outside with a carefully neutral expression plastered across his face.
"The Prime Minister has asked me to inform you that no aides are required for this session," he said.
David shot his aide, Rayna, a concerned glance.
"I was told the incident at the Canopian embassy had been handled," he replied, nonplussed. "It was an-"
"An accident," Matthias interrupted demurely. "Both the Canopian delegation and the Prime Minister understand. The sculpture has already been repaired."
"Nonetheless," he continued, "we must insist that she remain outside."
David considered fighting the man on the matter; the thought of stubborn refusal scratching away at the back of his mind and a bad taste entering his mouth. Still, to require aides to remain outside during a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic was unusual and unusual meant that he probably wouldn't forget anything.
"If you insist," He replied levelly; a curt nod to his assistant simultaneously telling Rayna to stay put and expressing his distaste for the act.
The second surprise was how few people were sitting around the circle of wood and glass that sat at the centre of the room; the bullet holes that told of its seizure from the mansion of a would-be-Autarch still plainly visible beneath the glass. There were three people in the room besides himself, the Prime Minister of the Republic, Katya Reimann, David's Canopian counterpart, Harrison Wood, and the Aurigan Ambassador, Aroha Jones. Seating himself to the right of Aroha, David gave a cautious nod of acknowledgement.
"I take it whatever is to be said relates to the entirety of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative," he hazarded a moment later.
The Helghan Prime Minister nodded. "You would be correct," she confirmed.
Harrison smiled politely, his expression's usual warmth all but gone and the pristine white of his teeth gleaming like diamonds against his skin. "We're here to convince you to support our proposal."
Our proposal, he thought as he realised what was going on. Ahh.
David Hayes-Calderon listened politely as the assembled forces of Helghan, Canopus, and Coromodir assaulted him with their arguments; all manner of facts, figures, and philosophy arranged around him like a besieging army before being launched into the fray. The reasoning was solid. The Marian Hegemony had irritated the Magistracy of Canopus since long before the Helghan Republic had arrived on the scene; slave raids kidnapping thousands of innocents to serve the whims of the Hegemony's rich and powerful and dozens of worlds pillaged to fuel the state's growth. The Magistracy had been forced to suffer the raids for some time due to the proximity of the Free Worlds League and their own perennially under-equipped military preventing them from launching a punishment operation. Having recently done much to address the MAF's lack of equipment, with the Free Worlds League distracted by the 5th Succession War, and now backed up by the ORDI, the Canopians doubtless felt like now was the time to show the Marians the error of their ways.
"I don't need to point out that the Concordat's vote is not up to me," David said dryly once they'd finished.
To her credit, the Prime Minister's expression didn't budge, though Harrison cracked a smile and Aroha let out a quiet snort.
"Hardly," Aroha drawled beside him.
"Protector Calderon values your judgement," Prime Minister Reimann said, bulldozing past ambassador Jones' comment like an Atlas through… well, most things. "Yours and your wife's. We're in direct discussions with the Protector already, however we thought it prudent to reach out to you given your relationship."
It was smart, David admitted to himself. Politically underhanded and with the potential to backfire, sure, but smart if you could pull it off.
"I won't lie," David replied instead. "I've never liked the Marians for what they do, plain and simple. If they bordered us," he continued, "well, they'd would look elsewhere for their slaves."
"However," he said emphatically, hard eyes scanning around the table like target-acquisition gear, "just because I dislike them doesn't mean that intervening against them is the right thing for the Concordat to do, or the rest of the ORDI for that matter. Their provocations could be answered with a garrison of ORDI troops or the annihilation of a raiding force."
For a long moment there was silence in the room, then, David sighed softly and blew out his cheeks. "But, under the circumstances, it's hard to deny that hitting the Marian's would have much in the way of risk or that it isn't warranted. We Taurians believe in family, friendship and freedom, and as a wise man once said 'Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril..'
"So you'll try to convince Thomas?" Harrison asked, a modicum of his usual good-humour present in his smile.
"I'll bring the matter up with Thomas when I send in my usual report," David replied. "That's all I'll do."
"That's all we ask," Prime Minister Reimann replied, an air of finality tingeing her voice.
Effect
- Taurian Concordat votes yes to regime changing the Hegemony and freeing slaves
- ORDI will invade the Marian Hegemony sometime in the next year at the Magistracy's go ahead.
- Preparation actions will unlock next turn. Keep in mind that the Magistracy is liable to pull the trigger very soon
- -5 influence
===============================
[x] [Taurians] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Concordat blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
[x] [Canopians] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Magistracy blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
[x] [Aurigans] Licence Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Coalition blueprints for the construction of specialist ballistic rounds and missiles will allow them to produce a number of projectile types for use by their military. Though the nation lacks the kind of facilities needed to construct these in large quantities, enough could be produced to provide a notable benefit. [+1 influence]
Article: Eager to curry favour with the rest of the ORDI after burning no small amount of goodwill selling goods and technologies to the Inner Sphere, the Helghan Republic loudly and publicly proclaimed its intentions to transfer blueprints and other documents relating to the production of specialist ammunition to its allies. Surprising no one, the Magistracy, Concordat, and Coalition accepted the offer within weeks of it being made and dozens of highly-sensitive documents were immediately shipped to the three nations. Mere days after arriving at their destinations, these documents were poured over by engineers and scientists and their detailed instructions modified as needed; some processes discarded and, more often, new ones added to account for various technological or experiential failings. In the Taurian Concordat, a half-score of factories were put to work on a melange of tracer, AP, and precision rounds. In the Magistracy of Canopus, thousands of workers in dozens of factories painstakingly assembled batch after batch of Swarm LRMs by hand, people-power and sheer numbers doing what the nation's steadily improving machinery still could not. On the factory floors of Mechdur and Coromodir, machines designed by Helghan minds and built by Aurigan hands produced example after flawless example of Listen-Kill Missiles.
All across the Periphery, like a river of steel, cannon shells and missiles flowed forth out of factories, pallets and crates and shipping containers dispatched hither and thither aboard chartered jumpship and government-owned warpship alike. By the end of March, with production having largely plateaued and the kinks in the system smoothed out by time and experience, the four nations of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative were producing more than 10,000 units of specialist munitions per day, and more than a quarter of the veritable dragon's hoard was earmarked for use in what was swiftly being seen as a just and inevitable conflict against the Marian Hegemony…
Effect
- The Taurian Concordat begins producing specialist rounds for use by elite units with a percentage earmarked for the Hegemony police action
- Canopians begin producing specialist rounds (in lower numbers than the Concordat but more than previously due to Helghan tech exchanges) but the majority are being sent to units training to invade the hegemony
- Aurigans begin producing specialist rounds in steadily upgraded factories (only a handful less than the magistracy despite the size difference thanks to Helghan tech). All are being sent to units on border with mandate
- +1 influence
- +1 influence
- +1 influence
[x] [Canopians] Dispatch Mercenaries: Dispatch Raven Interstellar to fight on behalf
of the Magistracy of Canopus. This is mutually exclusive with other Dispatch Mercenaries actions.
Even before formally voting in favour of intervention against the Marian Hegemony, the Helghan Republic took steps to aid its allies; a few quick orders and a generous contract seeing the men and women of Raven Interstellar dispatched to Canopian territory before the end of January. Larger than an Inner Sphere regiment of similar composition by more than 60%, the two battalions of Helghan quasi-mercenaries have spent the intervening years since their last deployment refining their training and familiarising themselves with a limited selection of modern equipment. Arriving to the Canopian world of Thraxa in late March, ostensibly to protect it from pirates and further Hegemony raids, the 1000+ men and women of the mercenary company swiftly dig in in and around key parts of the planet and begin training for planetary assault operations alongside officers from several Magistracy units still in-transit.
Though not intended to operate as the tip of the ORDI spear, Raven Interstellar will no doubt serve on the frontlines of the conflict as needed, their rapid mobility and firepower making them an excellent reserve to deploy should an advance slow or a defence falter. Armed with a variety of modern weapons including Minuteman power armour, T7 Arc Cannons, and Petrusite warheads, the Ravens are sure to be an unwelcome surprise for any Hegemony MechWarrior unlucky enough to encounter them on the battlefield.
Effects
- Ravens arrive on Thraxa and begin training for planetary invasions.
- Magistracy troops expected to join them shortly.
[x] [ORDI] Expanded Anti-Pirate Operations: With a major war once again raging corewards, pirates will undoubtedly move to avoid the fighting and take advantage of reduced garrisons. To prevent this from biting the ORDI nations, we should cooperate to temporarily increase anti-piracy patrols and operations. [Locked Until Cancelled]
With war raging throughout the Inner Sphere and the normal patterns of trade disrupted and torn apart, the Helghan Republic moved to counteract the all but inevitable surge in piracy that would result from this well ahead of time. Reaching out to fellow ORDI members via diplomatic channels, the Republic spent many weeks pushing for a temporary expansion of existing patrols and information sharing before eventually succeeding in late February; a combination of common sense and horsetrading leading the three other nations to agree to the proposal after only a short delay. Though relatively small in the grand scheme of things, the temporary expansion of patrol routes prompted the Republic to dispatch several additional Hasta squadrons to fill out the gaps, a decision which proved prudent when one of the supplementary squadrons stumbled across an Invader-class jumpship charging its KF drive in an otherwise unremarkable system.
Though claiming to be a merchant jumpship on the way to Taurus, the vessel's presence in a less-travelled system combined with its unusually heavy load of three dropships (two Unions and a Leopard) prompted the squadron leader to demand an inspection. Outmassed by a factor of 164 to 1 and outgunned 6 to1, the suspicious vessels complied immediately; Republic strike craft maintaining a cordon while Helghan marines in power armour swarmed aboard and seized control of vital systems. In the hours that followed, it swiftly became apparent that the vessel was, in fact, a pirate jumpship carrying three similarly disreputable gangs to who-knows-where. While the crew of the Invader and its parasite vessels were able to carry out a purge of navigation and record systems in the time between their discovery and the arrival of Helghan marines, sufficient physical evidence existed to justify the arrest of all aboard and such an action was taken --the pirates and their vessels brought to friendly space for trial.
While the failure to capture any digital records meant that the pirates could only be charged with what minor crimes could be proved (some managing to avoid even that fate), the removal of three company-sized pirate forces from the region has undoubtedly saved countless lives. Though a costly effort to carry out both in monetary and political terms, the immediate success of the action proved without a shadow of a doubt its necessity and few qualms have been raised.
Effect
- Expanded patrols already start encountering pirate units.
- Captured material is either recycled entirely or reconditioned while pirates are imprisoned according to their crimes
- 9 Hastas locked to anti-piracy patrols while action is running
[x] [ORDI] ORDIHCR: With refugees sure to arrive in this region of the Periphery over the next few months/years as a result of the war, establishing a commission dedicated to managing the problem before it can become a crisis will likely be vital. [-10 influence] [Progress: 0/2]
With all four nations of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative well aware that war in the Inner Sphere will inevitably drive countless people from their homes and towards the Periphery, the Helghan drive to establish a commission to manage the problem found itself rapidly and unexpectedly suborned by the Aurigan-Magistracy effort towards the same. Needing only a little convincing to get past their relatively isolationist foreign policy, the Taurian Concordat soon joined the rest of the ORDI in backing the effort with all four member-states agreeing to devote significant resources to the issue by mid-February. With so much diplomatic and financial weight placed behind the program, no doubt in large part due to concerns over providing for the inevitable surge in refugees, progress was pleasingly swift with offices on planetary capitals being filled out in a matter of weeks and Doctor Thisbe Eoin, a long term "associate" of Edward Calderon, selected to head up the organisation.
An able administrator and doctor, Doctor Eoin was selected in part to sway the Taurians to support the effort, but largely due to her experience aiding victims of pirate raids in the Concordat's spinward border. Having personally treated civilians for injuries ranging from malnutrition and hypothermia to combat wounds and UXO injuries, and having directed staff doing the same, Doctor Eoin was elected as a compromise candidate after a spirited and lengthy debate. Supported by a staff drawn from all four ORDI member-nations and given a sizable, but not unlimited budget, Doctor Eion began her five year term in office by drawing up a plan to stockpile a vast quantity of supplies in key systems along the border with the Inner Sphere and a small amount in the remaining systems. With the final destination of refugees fleeing conflict often unknown, even to the refugees themselves, until they arrive, the goal of Doctor Eoin's plan is to keep refugees alive and comfortable wherever they land and ship in additional materials ASAP.
Additionally, while all four members of the alliance had agreed to act as potential destinations for resettlement to see the ORDIHCR come to fruition, the per-year limit on resettlement slots varied from nation to nation according to their general willingness and ability to accept refugees. However, seeing the almost assured crisis as an opportunity to develop its population base, the Helghan Republic took the opportunity to accept a greater than proportional share of any refugees at nine million per year. Large enough to provide a substantial boon to the Republic and, hopefully, prevent a buildup of refugees on the border, it is predicted that this number will not negatively impact either the Republic's stability or its ability to provide for its citizens, though only time will tell how accurate that prediction will prove…
[Progress: 1/2]
Effect
- Agency set up and staff selected. Material stockpiling will occur next quarter.
- -10 influence
[x] [ORDI] Offer our remaining Workhorse cruisers for sale to our ORDI allies. Keep the prices reasonable and work with them to negotiate methods of payments best suited to their interests and capabilities, such as payment in installments, or in goods and services.
Tired of supporting the 20 long-obsolete Workhorse cruisers that take up so much valuable yard time and eat up so many supplies, the Helghan Republic quietly reached out to its allies with an offer to sell the warships, for all intents and purposes, dirt-cheap. Though counting on the Spheroid war to drive sales due to fears of the conflict spilling over the border, Republic negotiators were nonetheless astounded when the Magistracy, Concordat, and Coalition agreed to purchase all of the vessels between them; a bottle of 30-year-old Taurian whiskey reportedly dropped from sheer surprise.
The most economically developed of the three other ORDI nations and the nation with the most drive to acquire warships, the Taurian Concordat walked away with a full four squadrons of cruisers in exchange for a variety of economic and mineral rights concessions. The Magistracy, meanwhile, exchanged a vast amount of rare earth elements useful for the production of high-quality electronics through Majesty Metals and Manufacturing in exchange for only two squadrons. Finally, the Aurigan Coalition, the smallest and economically weakest power even with its steadily improving industries, purchased two cruisers in exchange for a combination of reduced export prices for food and a number of high-tech electronics.
While not directly cash-in-hand sales, the temporary glut of rare earth elements, cheap minerals and food, and high-end electronics are predicted to have significant second order effects on the Republic economy for the next few years. Though the exact impacts are difficult to predict, most economists agree that parts of the Republic economy will see substantial growth as a result of the influx.
Effect
- Big push by ORDI nations to purchase workhorse cruises. After much negotiation, deals are made for the entire stock to be split up amongst the 3 other member.
- +2AP for the next 2 years.
[x] Open diplomatic relations with the Free Rasalhague Republic
One of the few reasonably democratic nations still in existence in the known galaxy due to holding elections for most positions of power, including the nobility, opening diplomatic relations with the Free Rasalhague Republic seemed a natural choice for the Helghan Republic in early 3041. Only reachable via HPG in part due to the 5th Succession War but largely due to the distances involved, the Helghan Republic wrote a warm and welcoming greeting to its siblings on the opposite end of the Inner Sphere and dispatched it to Rasalhague care of ComStar; receipts for delivery arriving only a week later. For days the Republic waited for a response, then weeks, then, finally, months.
It was only in the dying days of March that a message arrived back from Rasalhague, Precentor Burton León hand-delivering it to the Republic's own communication's station on Portland. Smaller by far than the Republic's greeting and stamped as a low-priority transmission by the Rasalhague HPG, the words contained within the Rasalhaugian response confused and angered many in the Republic government. Though not actively antagonistic, the Rasalhagian response was strangely standoffish and aloof; little acknowledgement made of the shared democratic principles between the two Republics and a significant and strange emphasis placed on the neutrality of the FRR in Great House matters. While there's little telling what about the Republic the Rasalhaugians dislike, that they're not impressed and seek little to do with the Republic is clear.
Effect
- Space swedes seem weirdly standoffish and aloof despite the fact that they're one of the few relatively democratic nations in the Inner Sphere. Seem to think they can waste the Republic's time by being incredibly slow to respond and somewhat insulting. What a bunch of dicks.
[x] Contact the inhabitants of Appian, and Mandalas
With the size and number of ORDI patrol routes growing in tandem with the number of pirates operating in this region of the Periphery, the Helghan Republic elected to make contact with both Appian and Mandalas in the first quarter of the year as part of a diplomatic outreach program designed to quieten any concerns they may have about Republic warships operating nearby.
Dispatched almost on the day the expansion of patrol routes was agreed to, Republic goodwill ambassadors reached the nearby system of Appian first; the cutter that bore them auspiciously suffering a power spike that forced them to reset their fusion reactor mere moments after arriving. Home to a comfortable Terran-class planet teaming with life and located midway between the mineral rich system of Rockwellawan and the industrial system of Detroit, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the Appian system had long been targeted for colonisation by the nearby Aurigan Coalition. However, while Appian's sole habitable planet may seem a pleasant and bucolic place according to firsthand accounts and planetary surveys, every colonisation effort by every faction that has operated in this region of the Periphery has inevitably failed to take --colonies starving, freezing, falling to internal schisms, devastated by pirates, or dying from unexpected diseases. Now known as Omen, the planet is littered with ruins and countless graves and its very name is associated with ghosts and phantoms.
So closely associated with failure is Omen that despite its pleasant exterior, the only inhabitants in the entire system are the approximately 200 researchers living aboard a small space station orbiting the planet. Hailing from a variety of backgrounds, the researchers are employed by one of the Taurian Concordat's numerous corporations as part of an effort to understand how and why each colony went wrong in its colonisation attempts and how to detect said failures well ahead of time. Based in the Sparta habitat of the Burton system and about as nondescript as a civilian aerospace company can be, the Distant Horizons corporation is a relatively small subsidiary of a larger industrial concern dedicated to exploration and the identification of habitable planets suitable for the Concordat's growth. Enjoying the patronage of the Calderon family as a result of their efforts, Distant Horizons has had few dealings with the Republic up until this point --likely in an attempt to avoid any potential conflicts of interest should the Republic and Concordat go head-to-head on some issue. Luckily for all however, Republic ambassadors found the administrator in charge of the station to be welcoming of both the Republic delegation and Republic warships. A small rotund man by the name of Ernst Smith, the administrator relayed to the Republic's delegates his gratitude for ensuring the increase in pirate activity wouldn't affect them as well as an offer to join them in their study of Omen.
Three weeks later, Republic ambassadors arrive at Mandalas.
Founded by religious separatists from Herotitus, Mandalas is a marginal agricultural world that relies on manual labour as much as industrial farming techniques in order to produce the food needed to support its population of twelve million. Always riding the edge of failure due to its aggressive soil bacteria and heavy rainfall, Mandalas recently suffered from a series of crop failures that, in turn, drove many people to desperation. Growing as food yields declined, civil and religious unrest have led to a number of brush wars and rebel groups across the planet --both rebel and government forces making use of child soldiers violently recruited from outlying villages to serve as replaceable footsoldiers. Ruled by a council of Bishops, the government of Mandalas has recently found its politics heavily influenced by two interests: food and guns.
Effect
- Appian contacted. All ~200 inhabitants are researchers for a Concordat company and have invited Republic scientists to join them in figuring out what about Omen has caused every colonisation attempt to fail.
- Mandalas contact. It's a mess but it's a mess that's willing to buy food and guns.
[x] Construct a military defence station over Charybdis
Effect
- Small station built over Charybdis
===============================
Military Requisition And Design
[x] Standard Gauss Rifle: A refined version of the gauss rifle already in use within elements of the Helghan military, this upgraded model was designed by the Republic's Experimental Design Bureau using information acquired from the Free Worlds League. Providing significant performance improvements and a similar boost to lethality, this greatly improved weapon is sure to find use on the battlefield as a precision weapon in much the same way as the Kader ACR-11 'Kerberus'.
[x] Falcon Sub-Capital Missile: Specifically designed to combat mass deployments of aerospace fighters, the Falcon is the smallest weapon in the Republic's new line of anti-ship missiles but one of its most effective. Trading explosive yield for range and agility, the Falcon can strike aerospace fighters at incredible ranges and account for even the wiliest pilot's manoeuvres.
[x] Ultra Autocannon (Helghan): Making use of a specially-made barrel designed to withstand higher operating temperatures and pressures and a gravitic feed system able to manipulate rounds without the magnetic fields required by the Taurian Concordat's Ultras, the newly developed 'Ultra' autocannon is a heady addition to Helghan's kinetic armaments. Featuring a longer range than standard AC/5s, capable of firing up to twice as many rounds per second, and able to make use of specialised rounds, the Helghan Ultra Autocannon can annihilate its opposition in a storm of fire albeit at the cost of a far more waste heat. Additionally, though friction in the feed system has been minimised thanks to the use of gravitic technology, the sheer heat generated by firing the weapon can lead to the expansion of rounds in the chamber --a situation that can jam the autocannon at an inopportune time.
===============================
News From The Front
Free Worlds League-Lyran Commonwealth
Having largely stumbled into conflict by virtue of Janos Marik's heart attack-induced weakness, the death of Archon Katrina Steiner, and a steadily escalating series of raids by their respective nobilities, both the Free Worlds League and Lyran Commonwealth have largely spent the past three months ineffectually flailing at one another instead of making true progress. While the FWLM and LCAF are both well-supplied, well-equipped forces, the lack of any real preparation has seen their initial thrusts and counter-thrusts sputter and die due to a local lack of personnel and supplies. Worse still, though the FWLM has historically been the better lead of the two militaries thanks to commissions being largely determined by merit rather than wealth or status, the Lyran Commonwealth's recent conflict with the Draconis Combine has seemingly done much to close the gap between the two with new breed generals and officers rising to replace their less-competent counterparts.
As a result of these factors, while the Free Worlds League has won a number of battles in recent weeks, including the raid-turned invasion of Zdice, every victory in one sector has been accompanied by a defeat in another; several border systems changing hands multiple times over the course of Feb-March as the nations tried and failed to outmanoeuvre their enemy. However, with both sides having acquired advanced technology from the Republic and bought the time needed to develop it and deploy additional forces to the front, the static situation they're facing is liable to change quickly and dramatically, the only question being in whose favour.
Effect/TL;DR
- Lack of preparedness sees neither side make many gains, however both nations are currently and rather desperately attempting to redeploy forces to make actual pushes.
Federated Suns-Draconis Combine
Begun shortly after the eruption of war between the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth, the Federated Suns' Liberation of Combine-held FS worlds saw great initial success in the opening weeks of February before suddenly stalling, and in some cases reversing, in the face of a highly-coordinated counterattack by the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. Prepared in secret over the course of December-January and involving a huge numbers of troops, more than thirty mech regiments alone dedicated to the task, the Federated Suns' offensive launched in mid-February and saw huge success against Combine garrisons in border systems; a dozen systems recaptured (or just plain captured) in the first four days alone. Assisted by motivated and highly-coordinated guerilla groups operating out of forests and other hidden places, AFFS troops outmanoeuvred, outgunned, and outfought their opposition in a series of high-tempo operations that allowed them to conquer their targets in time for followup forces to continue on to other targets or be redeployed to assist slower units.
However, no doubt to the surprise of the AFFS' leadership, their nation's string of overwhelming victories soon came to an end in early March as reports began to trickle back of a number of DCMS counter attacks against units in the leading edge of the assault. Though limited in terms of the forces deployed and the scope of the same, the DCMS' rapid response forced a slowdown in the AFFS' advance as units were shuffled around to compensate for the attacks. Initially thought to be isolated examples of DCMS officers acting unilaterally or attempting to obey shocked commands from Luthien, the initial confidence of the AFFS' leadership doubtlessly suffered a blow when, less than a week after initial reports emerged, RCTs across the board suddenly reported organised attacks by DCMS regiments; a variety of normally rare mechs spotted in their midst. Less than two weeks after the first reports of a DCMS counter-attack emerged, the AFFS advance had all but stalled and the DCMS is currently in the process of attacking numerous systems across the front --several conquered systems falling back into Combine hands and a number of Suns' regiments shattered or otherwise defeated.
Effect/TL;DR
- AFFS reconquers all but 2 of their lost systems + several Combine systems. That said, their initial assault seems to have been predicted and DCMS forces have managed to stall them after several weeks of combat and are currently in the middle of a massive counter-attack.
===============================
Influence Changes
-10 (ORDIHCR)
-5 (Convincing the Concordat)
+3 (Ammunition Licensing)
Total: -12 influence.
===============================
Updated Info Posts
Helghan Republic
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone Crossover
In 2360, at the end of a blood-soaked war started by a martyred dictator, the power-hungry CEO of Stahl Industries unleashed a genocidal weapon on the inhabitants of Helghan. In the months that followed, blood and water flowed in equal measure as tyrant battled tyrant until, at last, the people...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Helghan Republic Order of Battle
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone Crossover
In 2360, at the end of a blood-soaked war started by a martyred dictator, the power-hungry CEO of Stahl Industries unleashed a genocidal weapon on the inhabitants of Helghan. In the months that followed, blood and water flowed in equal measure as tyrant battled tyrant until, at last, the people...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
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- Location
- Northish
I bet Comstar played a part here, though to what extent I don't know. I see they also slipped the Combine a few of their mothballed mech stocks.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
This sounds like a challenge. I like a challenge. I also like having an agricultural world between a mining world and an industrial world we plan to bring into the Republic. Let's see about colonizing that soon.
I'm not willing to sell either of these fuckers guns, but I'm happy to sell them food. 12 million people is nothing to sneeze at.
Why would they bother? Two small democracies on opposite sides of the IS being on not great terms gets them nothing, and if we sent a slow boat delegation over, or the Rasalhague sent one too us, it'd be immediately found out. They can't afford that hit to their reputation, that's where most of their power is right now. It doesn't make sense.
They don't have to tamper with the messages, just whisper poison in the ears of the FRR.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
Because we're their worst-case scenario. A powerful, technically advanced, nation with their own FTL comms, that gives no shits about the Star League.
Given their religious BS involving the Star League, their monopoly over FTL comms, and their stated goals, we represent an existential threat to them
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plotvitalnpc
Once more walking the path of the catgirl.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So wait. There are 20 workhorse cruisers.
Selling five squadrons of them plus two amounted to selling literally all of them.
18 isn't divisible by 5. Is the size of a squadron nonstandardized? Did the canopians buy two undersized squadrons? One and a half?
The only logical take on this I can think of is that a squadron is normally four cruisers and the Canopians bought six to the Taurian twelve. Or is it meant to be 22 ships being liquidated?
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Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
That's not a why though.
See, now this is a why, but it still doesn't make much sense. They didn't do it with the Lyrans, the FWL, what's left of CapCon, or any of our interactions with the Feddies or even the OWL. Those would have been much better places to sabotage our relations, to keep us from trading tech, especially our FTL comms tech, and that ship has sailed. And again, we're so far away from each other we weren't ever going to do much with each other besides say hi. And not being friends with them doesn't hurt us, nor would good relations help. It'd be a potential diplomatic blow for no gain.
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Because if we end up propping up the FRR somehow then the space swedes won't need comstar's table scraps to stay relevent. Keep them isolated and thereby dependent on comstar.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
I think they only recently learned about our FTL comms, because we decided to open a competing FTL Comms Company a few turns ago.
So that came too late to sabotage these relations
prometheus110
Join Cayman-Global & be part of the 1E-9 percent!
- Location
- La Ballena City Raft
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Whoops, did the math wrong. Regardles, they've all been sold.
plotvitalnpc
Once more walking the path of the catgirl.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Okay so a squadron is three. Cool.
