Maybe we can design a new artillery platform with our new gauss technology and we need to design a new flagship if we want to meet the goal of pride of the fleet also glad have you back @Forgothrax
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone
- Thread starter prometheus110
- Start date
- Crossover
Ortillery
Omega-Chris
The Friendly Ghost
On the FWL I think we can keep them out of the war bij signing a non agression pact with them and then taking the Mandate worlds that border them.
I would believe the non aggression pact combined with us taking the to them most easily accessible worlds we can keep them out of the war.
Hopefully the non aggression pact will also improve relations with the FWL. As they're likely going to become the strongest successor state after the clan invasion. So I hope to get decent to friendly relations with them.
I would believe the non aggression pact combined with us taking the to them most easily accessible worlds we can keep them out of the war.
Hopefully the non aggression pact will also improve relations with the FWL. As they're likely going to become the strongest successor state after the clan invasion. So I hope to get decent to friendly relations with them.
Aztez Fan
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- California
Note that only works so they dont attack us, not the mandate, so it all depends on who gets the idea to take those worlds first. Unless we add a clause or make an agreement with the FWL that we will take those worlds, not them. Or simply throw that area under the buss for the FWL since im pretty sure that other pirate state that's been a pain in our ass for a while is blocking the way slightly. And no doubt object to so much military build up next door despite not being the traget....Only a future potential target.
Afterall, NO state likes having a bunch of perfectly usable beachhead next door. So those guys are going to have to be talked down so they dont make a fuss about it to....idk the FWL? Yeah that seems like something we'll have to do if we want to have an an invasion force that direction...
Also that slightly explains why the Mandate didn't put to many forts that way, they expect the folks running Lui's memory to at least make ask for permission first. Still doesnt explain though why they didn put any forts emplace incase the FWL decides to roll in on them though.
Won't that provoke the FWL because they can see our warships and if I were them and I just watched a very powerful ORDI take several bordering worlds with no good reason, I would be very concerned about a potential invasion.
Aztez Fan
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- California
You know despite the fact the Anduriens didnt do the whole break from the league thing, that doesnt preclude them still having idea's of doing so if they see an opertuitnity. And yeah the big thing the great houses want if buffer states, so we'd want sweeten the deal alot. Mainly with the core fact we arent planing on anexing any worlds and will leave those that desire independence post war. That should calm their nerves.
F0lkL0re
Officially not an Inquisitor
- Location
- Shetland
Sure as long as your fine with everyone dogpiling you because they don't want a repeat of the age of war, Amaris Civil War or the first succession war then go right ahead.
Omega-Chris
The Friendly Ghost
I meant it when we take those worlds and garrison some troops there will prevent them from invading. As then invading those world would mean breaking the non aggression pact they just signed with us.
And after the mandate war maybe we can turn those worlds into something of a neutral zone. As far as I know none of the worlds bordering the FWL are anything of note. Just some backwater wolds. So I don't think the Capellans or FWL will mind turning it into a neutral zone where nobody is allowed to station any military forces.
Which was part of my suggestion. A non aggression pact alone is likely not enough so keeping some forces stationed on those worlds would likely keep the FWL away.
After all I don't think the FWL would be so keen on breaking the non aggression pact they just signed for some backwater worlds.
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Also maybe we can sweeten the non aggression pact with a bunch of trade deals. As I don't think us, the Aurigans and the Taurians (and maybe we can get the Capellans in to) have any trade deals with the FWL. After all everyone loves money and with the Mandate out of the way and us likely going to deal with the trinity league before the quest ends there will likely be straight routes to the FWL.
And setting up those trade deals will likely only improve our relation with the FWL further.
- Location
- USA
The Capellans and the Canopians are traditional rivals to the FWL. While neither of them would mind non-aggression pacts (even if all parties won't believe they'd actually be adhered to), the Helghan Republic would need to spend favors placating the Magistracy and the Confederation if it chooses to pursue trade relations with the FWL.
Forgothrax
Not Going Gently
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tbh I don't see the point of a NAP. They aren't going to agree to leave Mandate worlds alone and we'd have to break the NAP to fight them off.
Aztez Fan
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- California
I'll just quote myself.
So yeah, they are pretty note worthy all things considered. Enough that anyone who takes them would get a huge boon in equipment and facilities.
Edit: oh right and Drozen has recharge stations at it's zenth points, for even more logistically important when it comes to jumpships. So yeah, not really a back water...While providing 5% of the old Cappelans entire food supply, mainly luxury goods, although for the mandate that may legit become important in terms of food security when the Capellan state became fractured.
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Lim3_01
Anaheim
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I have an idea instead of a non aggression pack we simply tell any FWL units and the FWL itself that any attempt to occupy Mandate worlds would result in the Helgan Republic handing over to the Lyrans the prerequisite technologies needed to restart warship production.
Combine this with a rapid assault on all Mandate worlds bordering the FWL that do not posses fortifications augmented by mercenaries and I think we should be good.
Combine this with a rapid assault on all Mandate worlds bordering the FWL that do not posses fortifications augmented by mercenaries and I think we should be good.
0t4n1z3r019
Member of the HAFPTG
- Location
- Philippines
I can see a few outcomes from this:
1. The FWL backs off, but will also tell us to back off so no sudden crap happens.
2. The FWL will think the words spoken by the Republic is a bluff and proceeds, with the Republic doing said tech transfer, which would escalate into a conflict between the FWL and Helghan Republic.
3. A bizarre mixture of 1 & 2, resulting in a clusterfuck of problems for the Republic.
Mandate Intervention -- January-March 3046 Results
prometheus110
Join Cayman-Global & be part of the 1E-9 percent!
- Location
- La Ballena City Raft
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Plan: Mandate and Outback Prep
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/the-lords-of-ruin-battletech-killzone.52819/page-883?post=26763536#post-26763536
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Capellan Confederation
[x] License Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Confederation 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. [-2 influence]
Eager to buy goodwill with the Capellan Confederation now that it is a full member of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative and hoping to increase the CCAF's effectiveness against Mandate troops, the Republic's parliament began the year by quietly authorising a licensing deal with the Confederation. In exchange for several million C-Bills a year for the duration of the agreement, the Republic agreed to grant the Capellan's a licence to construct numerous advanced munitions and the required technical designs. Naturally, the Confederation accepted the offer immediately; money changed hands almost as quickly as Capellan arms factories spat out munitions like armour-piercing autocannon rounds, FASCAM artillery shells, anti-radiation missiles, and many more. While none of the designs on offer are anything close to wonder weapons, the ability of the CCAF to outfit numerous units with a variety of special-purpose munitions will almost certainly provide a decisive edge in combat during the near-certain invasion of the Celestial Mandate.
Effect
Taurian Concordat
[x] Sunflower Harbours: Temporary assemblages of metal and composite in the shape of the eponymous flower, sunflower harbours are useful for the short-term in-situ support of naval vessels. [Bonus to naval supply situation in a totally hypothetical future conflict]
Well aware that a hypothetical conflict with the Federated Suns would require the ORDI in general and the Helghan Republic in particular to deploy much larger quantities of troops than ever before, the Helghan government quietly reached out to the Taurian Concordat and raised the matter of constructing sunflower harbours within its borders. Forever fearful of the Federated Suns turning its attention to the Concordat and dispatching another Furlough, Protector Calderon proved more than happy to agree to the Helghan offer, with the man going so far as to pledge Concordat support in constructing the flowerlike stations. Initially planned for only three systems, Concordat support for the plan meant that the scope quickly increased until the list of systems had doubled.
Starting in early January, joint Helghan-Taurian construction crews worked feverishly to assemble the vast steel flowers along the Concordat-FedSuns border. Displacing a full six percent of the Supra Memnonia space elevator's cargo capacity for the period and a similar amount of Taurian spacelift, the component pieces of the Sunflower harbours were transported to systems as far afield as Rollis and New Vallis and rapidly pieced together. Despite concerns that the sudden scope creep might see the project delayed, the joint effort nonetheless succeeded; the final touches were placed on the six harbours in the last week of March.
Each larger even than a Fortress Class Medium Defence Station and capable of handling millions of tons of supplies a month, the six sunflower harbours represent a dramatic boost to the ORDI's logistics capabilities in the region. Able to dramatically extend the range of naval vessels operating in the area, the six harbours will doubtlessly come in handy during a hypothetical conflict with the Federated Suns.
Effect
Helghan Republic
[x] Construct a military defence station over [LOCATION]
-[x] Mantharaka
Effect
ORDI Actions:
[x] Dispatch Material Aid (Combat Vehicles, Mandate): With the Celestial Mandate undergoing a civil war, rebel forces need heavy metal to help level the playing field. On the plus side, we no longer need to smuggle them in! [-40,000,000 C-Bills]
With the Celestial Mandate in the middle of a civil war and the need for secrecy clearly at an end, the Helghan Republic began the new year by shipping large numbers of combat vehicles to sympathetic rebel forces along the Mandate's southern border. Though somewhat damaged by the ongoing civil conflict, the Republic's intelligence network proved more than able to relay delivery instructions to numerous rebel groups operating in the region; the ability to move in the open allowed the Republic to deliver the offer to forces across seven systems in just three months. Having trained under Helghan special forces and been forced to pit technicals and infantry-portable weapons against the Mandate Armed Forces since the war began, the groups in question quickly accepted and eagerly awaited delivery of everything from Lobos to Manticores.
Unfortunately, though able to act in the open, or at least without the need for utter secrecy, several deliveries had to be aborted due to a sudden reversal of fortune; Mandate Forces overrunning planned landing sites before Helghan deliveries had even arrived. Worse still, several more deliveries had to be cut short partway through due to approaching Mandate troops threatening to capture the vehicles in question, officers on both the Helghan and Rebel sides deciding that discretion was the better part of valour. However, despite these unexpected and unhelpful setbacks, enough vehicles were delivered that Helghan analysts are willing to consider it a qualified success. Though more successful deliveries would have been preferred, the transfer of nearly 5,000 tons of combat vehicles to rebel forces is expected to greatly hinder the Mandate Armed Forces' ability to combat their foes.
Effect
[x] Dispatch "Trainers" (Mandate): By dispatching a battalion of cybernetically-enhanced special forces units to assist rebel forces, the Republic can covertly strike against targets that would otherwise be impregnable to them.
As Helghan trainers across the Mandate saw great success in turning rag-tag rebel groups into (reasonably) well-disciplined guerrilla forces, the Helghan Republic moved on to the next phase of its plan; a host of "trainers" deployed across the Mandate's rimward border over January. Ostensibly intended to support their colleagues in training rebel forces to use all manner of advanced weapons and tactics, this cohort was, in reality, composed entirely of the Helghan Republic's 2nd Cybernetic battalion. Faster, stronger, and tougher than unenhanced humans, and with a great deal of equipment and training to back up their already fearsome abilities, these men and women were the scalpels to the Army's hammer.
Fully deployed by the end of January 3046, the Republic's 2nd Cybernetic battalion quickly got to work assisting their allies in the conflict. Taking advantage of their newfound abilities, teams of augmented special forces slipped through Mandate frontlines and punched holes through previously impregnable bastions of strength. On Midthun, Republic special forces troopers used their prodigious strength and exceptional night vision to free-climb a sheer cliff face on a moonless night and plant explosives in the well-guarded supply depot at the top. On Larsha, a single squad ran 40 kilometres without pause before executing a successful rescue operation on a Mandate black site holding popular broadcasters for their anti-government views. And on Repulse, they were able to strangle the fuel supply of the planet's navy by sneaking into the fortress-like harbour and mining its colossal fuel tanks, the equally huge fireball visible from many kilometres away.
Effect
Operation Pluto (Mandate Intervention)
[x] Prepare War Material Stockpiles: In order to ensure ORDI units fighting in Mandate space will have access to all the resources they need, we should build up stockpiles in nearby systems that can be drawn on as needed. [+0.5 ground support capacity]
Comprehending that an operation of any size would see truly colossal resource expenditures, the Helghan Republic immediately got to work building a network of supply depots, ammo dumps, and fuel silos in the regions bordering the Celestial Mandate. Quickly securing the cooperation of their allies in the Outer Rim Defence Initiative, the Republic dispatched more than 5,000 workers and their automata to a bevy of systems, the last convoy arriving in early February. Working around the clock, the engineering teams quickly built all manner of stockpile across the Concordat and Coalition; mountains of earth shifted, and oceans of ferrocrete poured in mere months.
Built to a scale that'd make even the most jaded general blush, the various depots were filled almost as quickly as they were finished, and millions of tons of supplies were stacked, siphoned, and otherwise stored inside their cavernous chambers. By the time March drew to a close, enough goods were in place to keep half a Helghan army in perfect supply for the estimated duration of the conflict; the sheer quantities involved dwarfed that devoted to the Marian intervention.
Effect
[x] Preplaced Petrusite Supplies: By moving Petrusite stocks ahead of the Republic's forces and building depots in strategic areas, we can more effectively support both naval and ground forces. [+0.25 Ground Support Capacity, +1 Naval Support Capacity]
Not finished with their preparations, the Helghan Republic also authorized the pre-placement of Petrusite stockpiles along the ORDI-Mandate border. Rather more dangerous than 'mere' megatons of fuel, food, and explosives, negotiations with the Taurians and Aurigans were difficult but nonetheless successful. Agreeing to strict terms regarding safety, the Helghan Republic ordered its workers to construct the necessary Petrusite silos a substantial distance from population centres and supply depots; the demand delayed the project's groundbreaking but allayed the fears of the Republic's allies.
Well-versed in matters of Petrusite storage, Republic personnel worked quickly to build the vast tanks, the relatively simple design lending itself to rapid construction. Cylindrical in shape, each tank measured 5 metres in width and 50 in length for a total volume of 981,750 litres. Buried underground to reduce exposure, two to six of these tanks were present at each storage site, their combined storage volume more than enough to support ground and space operations for an extended period.
Effect
[x] Plant False Intelligence [Easy]: By hiding our real manoeuvres and planting false intelligence amongst Concordat and Coalition civilians, we can disguise the scale of our operations and convince the Mandate that we mean to attack elsewhere should it be looking.
Keen to disguise any evidence of preparations over the border, the Helghan Republic swiftly began a counter-intelligence programme. Well aware that the Mandate's intelligence arm descended from the much-feared Capellan Maskirovka, Republic intelligence carefully cultivated and released a flock of rumours onto several suspected hotspots, Helghan agents making sure just the wrong people heard them. In parts of the region, fictitious ore strikes were used to explain away shipments to hidden bases, while others saw the flock of warpships disguised as refugee transports. Similarly, rumours of a drawdown in the Pirates' Haven cluster were used to justify the occasional glimpse of unfamiliar unit patches passing through the region, and passing mercenaries explained away a half-dozen bar fights.
In a matter of weeks, the systems bordering the Celestial Mandate were awash in rumours that diverged wildly from reality. However, much to the consternation of those who had seen similar actions achieve great success prior to the Marian intervention, things here proved far more complex. Though intelligence from the Mandate suggested that the state remained unaware as to precisely what was occurring, it hinted that the Mandate knew something odd was happening over the border. Though dulled by the chaos of the civil war and the gauze of false intelligence, it was nonetheless clear to all involved that the Mandate was beginning to turn its senses towards its nearest neighbours...
Effect
[x] Emplace And Prepare Assault Forces (specify the forces being deployed): With every member of the ORDI contributing to Operation Pluto, we should probably assign forces sooner rather than later…
-[x] Ground forces:
100% of Army 4 (5 capacity)
35% of Army 5 (1.75 capacity)
10 Mech regiments (1 capacity)
1 MAWLR-II Pack (1.25 capacity)
-[x] Naval forces:
9 Noctis cruisers (9 capacity) (Transport capacity: 1.5)
15 Hasta IIId-class cruisers (15 capacity) (Transport capacity: 2.0)
With the situation in the Celestial Mandate growing bloodier and bloodier with every passing day, the Helghan Republic began the year by deploying what forces it could along the authoritarian state's rimward border; carefully selected preparations dramatically increasing the number of Republic troops that could be supplied. Keenly aware that it boasted a considerable aerospace advantage over the Mandate Armed Forces, the Helghan Republic assigned three squadrons of Noctis cruisers and five squadrons of Hasta IIIds to Operation Pluto. Extremely powerful in their own right, the twenty-four warships carried nearly four hundred aerospace fighters between them and were considered more than enough to secure aerial dominance.
In addition to the aerospace forces intended to blockade the systems and provide long-range support, the Helghan Republic also dispatched an overwhelming ground force to participate in the operation. Eager to ensure that it would never be outnumbered on the battlefield, the Republic assigned the entirety of the Helghan 4th Army and elements of the Helghan 5th, as well as a pack of MAWLR-IIs, and ten battlemech regiments. All told, Republic forces alone numbered more than four-hundred thousand personnel and stretched the ability of Helghan's logistics corps to its limit.
Unwilling to let the Helghan Republic shoulder the burden of the Mandate intervention on its own, the rest of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative quickly cut orders of their own. Though not overly happy at the thought of allying with the Capellan Confederation, the Aurigan Coalition nonetheless allocated a sizable percentage of its military to assist in Operation Pluto; the final tally set at four mech regiments, three armoured regiments, six infantry regiments, several Revenant superheavy gunships, Markham's Marauders, and Rampart company. The Taurian Concordat, meanwhile, proved somewhat less generous than their anti-spinward allies. Wary of leaving their core undefended from FedSun aggression, a natural instinct given the increasingly tense situation between the two powers, the Taurian Defence Force contributed only two combined arms brigades, two armoured brigades, three mechanized brigades, and the Miller's Marauders mercenary company.
In comparison, the Magistracy of Canopus proved rather more generous with its forces. Though also neighbouring an Inner Sphere power with which it held some fraught history, the substantially better relationship between Atreus and Canopus meant that the Magistracy Armed Forces could afford to be generous with their allocation to Operation Pluto. Dispatched in early February and arriving along the border in late Q1, Canopian forces consisted of four mech regiments, three armoured regiments, and twenty infantry regiments. Similarly, though isolated from the rest of the ORDI due to the Celestial Mandate, the Capellan Confederation was very much invested in the success of Pluto and so supplied troops accordingly. In addition to the eight mech regiments dispatched to the Mandate's coreward border, the CCAF assigned twenty armoured regiments, fifty infantry regiments, the Eridani Light Horse and the Wolf's Dragoons.
Filtering into their designated staging grounds over Q1 3046, the number of people and machines dedicated to intervening in the Celestial Mandate was staggering. Though reports from within the nation indicate that it remains unaware of the preparations being made, all involved acknowledge that it is simply a matter of time before word begins to leak and the Mandate's spies pick up on Pluto's details.
Effect
[x] Sabotage Nuclear Defences [Hard]: Using agents across the Mandate, we can attempt to sabotage all known and suspected nuclear weapon systems before they can be turned against our forces.
Much to the chagrin of the Republic's intelligence and covert operations organisations, the plan to lay the groundwork for operations against Mandate nuclear stockpiles died before it could even get off the ground, a string of unexpected victories by the MAF and close calls by Maskirovka agents throwing whole plots out of joint. Eager to avoid giving the Mandate any hint as to what was being planned, more than a dozen insertion operations had to be abandoned before they could even begin, and numerous operatives had to extricate themselves from newly-seized towns and cities in the face of crackdowns. Though skill and no small amount of luck ensured that no Helghan agents were captured, the sheer disruption caused by the Mandate's actions rendered the entire three-month-long plot a wash; any similar effort most likely having to start from scratch as a result.
Effect
===============================
Design and Requisition
[x] CD-1 'Bjorn'
[x] 'Mace' Squad Support Platform
[x] Shoulder-mounted micro-missile launchers (MiML)
[x] EX-017 "Auger"
===============================
News and Rumours
Helghan Republic
Coming as an unpleasant surprise to those distracted by the coreward crises, religious tensions in New Oslo have flared hot thanks to the Republic-sponsored school system's continued growth. Aggravated by the egalitarian treatment of male and female students and viewing it as a corrosive influence on their culture, religious figures across the planet have taken matters into their own hands and exhorted their followers to prevent it by any means necessary. Primarily based in the planet's highly religious equatorial nations, these priests and their followers have conducted raids on neighbouring Polar Association towns leading to many deaths; numerous people associated with the Republic were assaulted in broad daylight, and multiple schools burned to the ground.
Hampered by the low-tech nature of the planet and the sheer number of incidents that occurred over Q1 of 3046, the Republic's response was often late in coming and unable to prevent the deaths of many hundreds of people at the hands of fanatics. For their part, Polar Association nations have attempted to protect the border towns in question, though this has largely served to inflame the situation due to the resulting bloody battles. Between this and the perceived inability of Republic forces to effectively respond to the emergency situation, religious zealotry is on the rise, each passing day seeing larger and larger crowds listening to the priests.
Aurigan Coalition
No doubt seeking to further turn the situation against the Celestial Mandate, the Aurigan Coalition has devoted no small effort toward supplying friendly rebels with heavy weapons. Almost certainly pulling from stocks produced after the Aurigan Civil War and Outpost Nautilus's own depots, the Coalition has delivered an impressive armament of weapons ranging from missile launchers, support weapons, light artillery, and more into the waiting hands of rebels. Though it remains difficult to receive news from the Celestial Mandate, initial evidence suggests that such weapons have already been put to good use against Mandate forces; an attempted assault against the rebel-held city of Viota on Larsha shattering as its point-lance of mechs came under heavy fire.
Taurian Concordat
As with the Helghan Republic and Aurigan Coalition, the Taurian Concordat began the year by attempting to dispatch combat vehicles to numerous sympathetic partisans; though, unlike its allies, the Concordat elected to target groups operating in the Outback. Still under close scrutiny by FedSun intelligence organisations on the lookout for ORDI interference, efforts to deliver combat vehicles to Pro-Concordat rebels were slow, methodical, and limited in scope, though able to succeed as a result. While not a patch on battlemechs, the small-scale delivery of everything from Savannah Master hovercraft to Manticore tanks will no doubt help rebel groups combat the militias and mercenaries they have been fighting so far and render it that much harder to stamp them out.
In response to the growing crisis in the Celestial Mandate, the upcoming Operation Pluto, and ongoing events in the Federated Suns' Outback, the Taurian Concordat has officially raised the alert level of troops garrisoning the Concordat-FedSuns border. A perfectly natural reaction to the chaotic events occurring, the decision has nonetheless triggered a great deal of activity from both states' commentariat, the use of euphemisms like 'incidents', 'security situations', 'contingency operations', and many other rising precipitously. While hardly a sign of impending conflict by itself, the growth of such phrases represents a growing normalisation of the idea of war between the two states; something that could ironically help lead to just such a conflict.
Magistracy of Canopus
Not to be outdone by the rest of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative, the Magistracy of Canopus spent the first three months of the year delivering a variety of small arms to rebel groups across the Celestial Mandate; many thousands of military-grade weapons delivered into the waiting hands of rebels. Dropped (in some cases literally) across the Mandate, the sheer quantity of rifles, pistols, PDWs, and other weapons has resulted in an explosion of resistance across numerous planets, and control of more than a few cities flipped overnight as Mandate troops found themselves outnumbered and outgunned. Unsurprisingly, the sheer number of weapons delivered meant that disguising their origin proved impossible; Late February saw the Mandate's ruling council release a statement demanding the Magistracy, and by extension, the ORDI, cease supplying rebels with arms.
Capellan Confederation
Apparently seeking to show up the Helghan Republic, the Capellan Confederation also dispatched shipments of Combat Vehicles to insurgent groups in the Celestial Mandate. Much to the embarrassment of Republic agents, however, the Confederation's measures saw substantially more success, the overwhelming majority of vehicles arriving safe and sound into rebel hands by mid-March. Composed of a mix of designs ranging from light hovercraft to heavy tanks, the sudden addition of heavy metal had a stiffening effect on many rebel forces; their sudden arrival allowed rebel commanders to reassign or retire many of the fragile technicals on which they'd previously relied. How things will develop from here remains to be seen, though early analysis suggests that it will greatly even out the balance of power in combination with the aid provided by the rest of the ORDI.
No doubt facing a great deal of political pressure at home and with FWLM forces along the Mandate border going on alert, Chancellor Tormano Liao has quietly contacted the Republic's government and politely requested that the launch date of Operation Pluto be moved forward to the end of Q2 at the latest. While acknowledging that such a move would reduce the amount of time the ORDI has to sabotage Mandate defences and disrupt its organisation, the Chancellor has pointed out that it would also reduce the likelihood of an opportunistic League intervention, as well as the chances of the Mandate uncovering details on Operation Pluto. Merely a request from the Confederation, Helghan analysts admit that there is no pressing need to accede to the idea, though they also suggest that it may be a good idea to consider in light of the League's recent activities.
Celestial Mandate
Given the variable success of ORDI smuggling and supply operations over Q1, it came as little surprise when the Celestial Mandate publicly demanded that the ORDI cease interfering in its internal affairs. Forgoing the Celestial Empress in favour of an unremarkable spokesman, the nation's ruling council released a ten-minute broadcast calling for unity in the face of civil war, an awareness of "rapacious interlopers'', and promising a grim and ill-defined fate for any nation that aligns itself with the rebels. Distributed via the ComStar News Bureau, the speech has garnered much interest from the citizens of ORDI nations and much mockery.
Despite several setbacks, rebel forces across the Celestial Mandate have made great strides in combatting their oppressive rulers, their opposition to the ruling council uniting disparate sections of the region in a single struggle. While fighting remains ongoing across the vast majority of Mandate worlds, several systems have already fallen into the hands of rebel commanders thanks to their own skill at arms, poor morale among the militia and MAF troops, and no small amount of material and kinetic support from the Outer Rim Defence Initiative. Among the systems that have come under the control of insurgent groups are Decatur, Madras, Buenos Aires, and numerous others.
Impressively given their relatively light armament and general lack of training, rebel forces have even managed to secure the planet of Cavalor despite its fortifications... More-or-less. Though it has cost them much to achieve, rebel commanders have besieged many of the planet's forts and have greatly restricted their ability to fend off foes from without. No doubt supplied enough to withstand many months, if not years, of siege, these forts have still suffered a dramatic weakening in value, and the forces within are obviously insufficient to break their encirclement. With that said, these encirclements have forced the rebels to devote a substantial number of troops to keeping Mandate forces pinned in place and, as a result, have greatly weakened them even in their apparent victory.
Federated Suns
"Shockingly", resistance to Davion rule has only continued to grow across the Outback as news of the Mandate's civil war reaches the fighters there. Incidents of violence against authority figures opposed to Outback self-determination, Taurian Federalism, and other ideals have spiked dramatically, and more than a few assassinations have been carried out. Most notably, those governments installed by Michael Hasek-Davion have quickly found themselves the targets of sustained campaigns; their repressive actions against their citizens inspiring a great deal of venom. Literally so in the case of one assassination target.
With Duke Hasek-Davion having doubled down on the repression in late 3045, the various groups opposed to his rule (and his existence) have done much the same. Previously having focussed their enmity on figures closer to home, at least one group attempted to assassinate the Duke himself during a journey from a spaceport in the city of Saso to the Hasek ancestral palace. Shot at by a lone gunman armed with a hunting rifle, no injuries occurred during the January 30th shooting thanks to the sheer quantity of armour on the Duke's car. Nevertheless, the incident triggered a 3-hour manhunt across New Syrtis that ended with security forces finding the man dead by his own hand; paraphernalia from extremist Neo-Jacobinist groups discovered in his apartment.
In light of the attack, so unusual that it was broadcast across the Suns', current speculation by the ORDI's civilian population is that Duke Hasek-Davion facilitated or outright faked the attempt to justify increasingly harsh measures against the growing resistance movements. Though proof is hard to come by, and the idea that someone facilitated an assassination attempt on themselves is difficult to swallow, it cannot be denied that the Duke has used the incident as an excuse to conduct brutal crackdowns against groups even tangentially related to the neo-Jacobinists. While such violence is typical of his response so far, Michael Hasek-Davion has also begun to place dubiously legal restrictions on what news services across his territory can report, a seeming misstep from the man given the implications it suggests.
According to reports from Republic spies still embedded within the Federated Suns, numerous AFFS regiments have begun to arrive in the region. Numbering roughly twenty to thirty and composed of a mix of types from battlemech to infantry, the sudden arrival of so many federal troops has cooled some conflicts and fanned the flames of many more while simultaneously triggering heart palpitations in no small number of Concordat officers. Primarily stationed on the Outback's few truly high-value worlds, these troops have done little to quell the unrest in the rest of the region and instead seem intent on guarding the fortifications currently under construction built by FedSun engineers.
Having suffered a great deal from the Federated Suns' recent hunt for spies, Republic intelligence has proven unable to uncover information on what sort of fortifications are being planned for the Outback, nor how long they are expected to take to build, nor their extent. While the presence of ferrocrete and other substances used in constructing reinforced bunkers is obvious, the still-ongoing fortification of the Suns-Combine border precludes an extensive effort such as that of the Mandate. Similarly, though news of the fortifications has received airtime on pirate stations across the Outback, Republic agents in the broader Federated Suns have reportedly seen little to no evidence of their existence in mainstream outlets; a near-miss by Numenor's capital of a small air-burst meteor that rattled windows received more playtime on New Avalon, for example.
Free Worlds League
Somewhat concerningly, news out of the Free Worlds League suggests that the nation may intend to intervene in the Mandate civil war sometime later in the year. According to reports from ORDI spies operating in the region and travelling mercenary units, at least fifteen FWLM regiments are headed towards the Duchy of Andurien, and there is little reason for them to do so that doesn't also involve the League's neighbours. While unlikely to arrive in time to launch an attack on the Mandate before June of 3046, the addition of the Free Worlds League may make matters somewhat... tense.
===============================
Influence Changes
-2 (Capellen Licensing Deal)
Total: -2 Influence
One-Time C-Bills Changes
-40,000,000 (Mandate Combat Vehicles)
Total: -40,000,000 C-Bills
===============================
Military Supply Situation
Naval Support Capacity: 24/25
Ground Support Capacity: 9.0/9.75
Map of the Celestial Mandate - March 3046
===============================
Updated Info Posts
Helghan Republic
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
OOB
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/the-lords-of-ruin-battletech-killzone.52819/page-883?post=26763536#post-26763536
===============================
Capellan Confederation
[x] License Production of Advanced Ammunition: Giving the Confederation 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. [-2 influence]
Eager to buy goodwill with the Capellan Confederation now that it is a full member of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative and hoping to increase the CCAF's effectiveness against Mandate troops, the Republic's parliament began the year by quietly authorising a licensing deal with the Confederation. In exchange for several million C-Bills a year for the duration of the agreement, the Republic agreed to grant the Capellan's a licence to construct numerous advanced munitions and the required technical designs. Naturally, the Confederation accepted the offer immediately; money changed hands almost as quickly as Capellan arms factories spat out munitions like armour-piercing autocannon rounds, FASCAM artillery shells, anti-radiation missiles, and many more. While none of the designs on offer are anything close to wonder weapons, the ability of the CCAF to outfit numerous units with a variety of special-purpose munitions will almost certainly provide a decisive edge in combat during the near-certain invasion of the Celestial Mandate.
Effect
- Capellan Confederation is sold the rights (and blueprints) required to produce various advanced munitions including Incendiary ammo, FASCAM artillery rounds, anti-radiation missiles, etc
- +4,000,000 C-bills/year
- -2 influence
Taurian Concordat
[x] Sunflower Harbours: Temporary assemblages of metal and composite in the shape of the eponymous flower, sunflower harbours are useful for the short-term in-situ support of naval vessels. [Bonus to naval supply situation in a totally hypothetical future conflict]
Well aware that a hypothetical conflict with the Federated Suns would require the ORDI in general and the Helghan Republic in particular to deploy much larger quantities of troops than ever before, the Helghan government quietly reached out to the Taurian Concordat and raised the matter of constructing sunflower harbours within its borders. Forever fearful of the Federated Suns turning its attention to the Concordat and dispatching another Furlough, Protector Calderon proved more than happy to agree to the Helghan offer, with the man going so far as to pledge Concordat support in constructing the flowerlike stations. Initially planned for only three systems, Concordat support for the plan meant that the scope quickly increased until the list of systems had doubled.
Starting in early January, joint Helghan-Taurian construction crews worked feverishly to assemble the vast steel flowers along the Concordat-FedSuns border. Displacing a full six percent of the Supra Memnonia space elevator's cargo capacity for the period and a similar amount of Taurian spacelift, the component pieces of the Sunflower harbours were transported to systems as far afield as Rollis and New Vallis and rapidly pieced together. Despite concerns that the sudden scope creep might see the project delayed, the joint effort nonetheless succeeded; the final touches were placed on the six harbours in the last week of March.
Each larger even than a Fortress Class Medium Defence Station and capable of handling millions of tons of supplies a month, the six sunflower harbours represent a dramatic boost to the ORDI's logistics capabilities in the region. Able to dramatically extend the range of naval vessels operating in the area, the six harbours will doubtlessly come in handy during a hypothetical conflict with the Federated Suns.
Effect
- Six Sunflower harbours built in the Taurian Concordat with Concordat help. Present in: Rollis, MacLeod's Land, Pinard, Jansen's Hold, Parian, and New Vallis
- +9 Naval Support Capacity in the event of a totally hypothetical conflict with the Federated Suns
Helghan Republic
[x] Construct a military defence station over [LOCATION]
-[x] Mantharaka
Effect
- Small MDF built over Mantharaka
ORDI Actions:
[x] Dispatch Material Aid (Combat Vehicles, Mandate): With the Celestial Mandate undergoing a civil war, rebel forces need heavy metal to help level the playing field. On the plus side, we no longer need to smuggle them in! [-40,000,000 C-Bills]
With the Celestial Mandate in the middle of a civil war and the need for secrecy clearly at an end, the Helghan Republic began the new year by shipping large numbers of combat vehicles to sympathetic rebel forces along the Mandate's southern border. Though somewhat damaged by the ongoing civil conflict, the Republic's intelligence network proved more than able to relay delivery instructions to numerous rebel groups operating in the region; the ability to move in the open allowed the Republic to deliver the offer to forces across seven systems in just three months. Having trained under Helghan special forces and been forced to pit technicals and infantry-portable weapons against the Mandate Armed Forces since the war began, the groups in question quickly accepted and eagerly awaited delivery of everything from Lobos to Manticores.
Unfortunately, though able to act in the open, or at least without the need for utter secrecy, several deliveries had to be aborted due to a sudden reversal of fortune; Mandate Forces overrunning planned landing sites before Helghan deliveries had even arrived. Worse still, several more deliveries had to be cut short partway through due to approaching Mandate troops threatening to capture the vehicles in question, officers on both the Helghan and Rebel sides deciding that discretion was the better part of valour. However, despite these unexpected and unhelpful setbacks, enough vehicles were delivered that Helghan analysts are willing to consider it a qualified success. Though more successful deliveries would have been preferred, the transfer of nearly 5,000 tons of combat vehicles to rebel forces is expected to greatly hinder the Mandate Armed Forces' ability to combat their foes.
Effect
- -40,000,000 C-Bills
- Hampered by civil war disrupting intelligence networks and forcing some spies to evacuate. Delivery is only partial in several cases as forces had to run rather than risk it falling into the hands of the MAF, but the task generally succeeds.
- Gain a 1x cost reduction to this action since you have most of the stock still
[x] Dispatch "Trainers" (Mandate): By dispatching a battalion of cybernetically-enhanced special forces units to assist rebel forces, the Republic can covertly strike against targets that would otherwise be impregnable to them.
As Helghan trainers across the Mandate saw great success in turning rag-tag rebel groups into (reasonably) well-disciplined guerrilla forces, the Helghan Republic moved on to the next phase of its plan; a host of "trainers" deployed across the Mandate's rimward border over January. Ostensibly intended to support their colleagues in training rebel forces to use all manner of advanced weapons and tactics, this cohort was, in reality, composed entirely of the Helghan Republic's 2nd Cybernetic battalion. Faster, stronger, and tougher than unenhanced humans, and with a great deal of equipment and training to back up their already fearsome abilities, these men and women were the scalpels to the Army's hammer.
Fully deployed by the end of January 3046, the Republic's 2nd Cybernetic battalion quickly got to work assisting their allies in the conflict. Taking advantage of their newfound abilities, teams of augmented special forces slipped through Mandate frontlines and punched holes through previously impregnable bastions of strength. On Midthun, Republic special forces troopers used their prodigious strength and exceptional night vision to free-climb a sheer cliff face on a moonless night and plant explosives in the well-guarded supply depot at the top. On Larsha, a single squad ran 40 kilometres without pause before executing a successful rescue operation on a Mandate black site holding popular broadcasters for their anti-government views. And on Repulse, they were able to strangle the fuel supply of the planet's navy by sneaking into the fortress-like harbour and mining its colossal fuel tanks, the equally huge fireball visible from many kilometres away.
Effect
- "Trainers" arrive across several worlds in the mandate
- The Mandate is very aware that special forces have been deployed and assume they belong to the Republic due to the smuggling business and their general effectiveness.
Operation Pluto (Mandate Intervention)
[x] Prepare War Material Stockpiles: In order to ensure ORDI units fighting in Mandate space will have access to all the resources they need, we should build up stockpiles in nearby systems that can be drawn on as needed. [+0.5 ground support capacity]
Comprehending that an operation of any size would see truly colossal resource expenditures, the Helghan Republic immediately got to work building a network of supply depots, ammo dumps, and fuel silos in the regions bordering the Celestial Mandate. Quickly securing the cooperation of their allies in the Outer Rim Defence Initiative, the Republic dispatched more than 5,000 workers and their automata to a bevy of systems, the last convoy arriving in early February. Working around the clock, the engineering teams quickly built all manner of stockpile across the Concordat and Coalition; mountains of earth shifted, and oceans of ferrocrete poured in mere months.
Built to a scale that'd make even the most jaded general blush, the various depots were filled almost as quickly as they were finished, and millions of tons of supplies were stacked, siphoned, and otherwise stored inside their cavernous chambers. By the time March drew to a close, enough goods were in place to keep half a Helghan army in perfect supply for the estimated duration of the conflict; the sheer quantities involved dwarfed that devoted to the Marian intervention.
Effect
- Aurigan and Taurian systems bordering the Mandate see a sudden influx of ORDI engineers building ammo dumps and supply stockpiles guarded by local forces.
- Stockpiles are then filled with literally millions of tons worth of supplies
[x] Preplaced Petrusite Supplies: By moving Petrusite stocks ahead of the Republic's forces and building depots in strategic areas, we can more effectively support both naval and ground forces. [+0.25 Ground Support Capacity, +1 Naval Support Capacity]
Not finished with their preparations, the Helghan Republic also authorized the pre-placement of Petrusite stockpiles along the ORDI-Mandate border. Rather more dangerous than 'mere' megatons of fuel, food, and explosives, negotiations with the Taurians and Aurigans were difficult but nonetheless successful. Agreeing to strict terms regarding safety, the Helghan Republic ordered its workers to construct the necessary Petrusite silos a substantial distance from population centres and supply depots; the demand delayed the project's groundbreaking but allayed the fears of the Republic's allies.
Well-versed in matters of Petrusite storage, Republic personnel worked quickly to build the vast tanks, the relatively simple design lending itself to rapid construction. Cylindrical in shape, each tank measured 5 metres in width and 50 in length for a total volume of 981,750 litres. Buried underground to reduce exposure, two to six of these tanks were present at each storage site, their combined storage volume more than enough to support ground and space operations for an extended period.
Effect
- Located a safe distance from populated areas and supply depots, Petrusite stockpiles are constructed and filled across the Aurigan and Taurian border regions.
[x] Plant False Intelligence [Easy]: By hiding our real manoeuvres and planting false intelligence amongst Concordat and Coalition civilians, we can disguise the scale of our operations and convince the Mandate that we mean to attack elsewhere should it be looking.
Keen to disguise any evidence of preparations over the border, the Helghan Republic swiftly began a counter-intelligence programme. Well aware that the Mandate's intelligence arm descended from the much-feared Capellan Maskirovka, Republic intelligence carefully cultivated and released a flock of rumours onto several suspected hotspots, Helghan agents making sure just the wrong people heard them. In parts of the region, fictitious ore strikes were used to explain away shipments to hidden bases, while others saw the flock of warpships disguised as refugee transports. Similarly, rumours of a drawdown in the Pirates' Haven cluster were used to justify the occasional glimpse of unfamiliar unit patches passing through the region, and passing mercenaries explained away a half-dozen bar fights.
In a matter of weeks, the systems bordering the Celestial Mandate were awash in rumours that diverged wildly from reality. However, much to the consternation of those who had seen similar actions achieve great success prior to the Marian intervention, things here proved far more complex. Though intelligence from the Mandate suggested that the state remained unaware as to precisely what was occurring, it hinted that the Mandate knew something odd was happening over the border. Though dulled by the chaos of the civil war and the gauze of false intelligence, it was nonetheless clear to all involved that the Mandate was beginning to turn its senses towards its nearest neighbours...
Effect
- Great effort is expended to disguise the preparations made and the deployment of troops. Mandate appears unaware of what is going on beyond the sense that there is something occurring in the ORDI states.
[x] Emplace And Prepare Assault Forces (specify the forces being deployed): With every member of the ORDI contributing to Operation Pluto, we should probably assign forces sooner rather than later…
-[x] Ground forces:
100% of Army 4 (5 capacity)
35% of Army 5 (1.75 capacity)
10 Mech regiments (1 capacity)
1 MAWLR-II Pack (1.25 capacity)
-[x] Naval forces:
9 Noctis cruisers (9 capacity) (Transport capacity: 1.5)
15 Hasta IIId-class cruisers (15 capacity) (Transport capacity: 2.0)
With the situation in the Celestial Mandate growing bloodier and bloodier with every passing day, the Helghan Republic began the year by deploying what forces it could along the authoritarian state's rimward border; carefully selected preparations dramatically increasing the number of Republic troops that could be supplied. Keenly aware that it boasted a considerable aerospace advantage over the Mandate Armed Forces, the Helghan Republic assigned three squadrons of Noctis cruisers and five squadrons of Hasta IIIds to Operation Pluto. Extremely powerful in their own right, the twenty-four warships carried nearly four hundred aerospace fighters between them and were considered more than enough to secure aerial dominance.
In addition to the aerospace forces intended to blockade the systems and provide long-range support, the Helghan Republic also dispatched an overwhelming ground force to participate in the operation. Eager to ensure that it would never be outnumbered on the battlefield, the Republic assigned the entirety of the Helghan 4th Army and elements of the Helghan 5th, as well as a pack of MAWLR-IIs, and ten battlemech regiments. All told, Republic forces alone numbered more than four-hundred thousand personnel and stretched the ability of Helghan's logistics corps to its limit.
Unwilling to let the Helghan Republic shoulder the burden of the Mandate intervention on its own, the rest of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative quickly cut orders of their own. Though not overly happy at the thought of allying with the Capellan Confederation, the Aurigan Coalition nonetheless allocated a sizable percentage of its military to assist in Operation Pluto; the final tally set at four mech regiments, three armoured regiments, six infantry regiments, several Revenant superheavy gunships, Markham's Marauders, and Rampart company. The Taurian Concordat, meanwhile, proved somewhat less generous than their anti-spinward allies. Wary of leaving their core undefended from FedSun aggression, a natural instinct given the increasingly tense situation between the two powers, the Taurian Defence Force contributed only two combined arms brigades, two armoured brigades, three mechanized brigades, and the Miller's Marauders mercenary company.
In comparison, the Magistracy of Canopus proved rather more generous with its forces. Though also neighbouring an Inner Sphere power with which it held some fraught history, the substantially better relationship between Atreus and Canopus meant that the Magistracy Armed Forces could afford to be generous with their allocation to Operation Pluto. Dispatched in early February and arriving along the border in late Q1, Canopian forces consisted of four mech regiments, three armoured regiments, and twenty infantry regiments. Similarly, though isolated from the rest of the ORDI due to the Celestial Mandate, the Capellan Confederation was very much invested in the success of Pluto and so supplied troops accordingly. In addition to the eight mech regiments dispatched to the Mandate's coreward border, the CCAF assigned twenty armoured regiments, fifty infantry regiments, the Eridani Light Horse and the Wolf's Dragoons.
Filtering into their designated staging grounds over Q1 3046, the number of people and machines dedicated to intervening in the Celestial Mandate was staggering. Though reports from within the nation indicate that it remains unaware of the preparations being made, all involved acknowledge that it is simply a matter of time before word begins to leak and the Mandate's spies pick up on Pluto's details.
Effect
- Troops deploy across numerous systems on numerous temporary bases and are prepping for the go order
- Invasion will have to start within the next few months if total surprise is desired. The longer the invasion is delayed, the more likely the Mandate is to spot the preparations.
[x] Sabotage Nuclear Defences [Hard]: Using agents across the Mandate, we can attempt to sabotage all known and suspected nuclear weapon systems before they can be turned against our forces.
Much to the chagrin of the Republic's intelligence and covert operations organisations, the plan to lay the groundwork for operations against Mandate nuclear stockpiles died before it could even get off the ground, a string of unexpected victories by the MAF and close calls by Maskirovka agents throwing whole plots out of joint. Eager to avoid giving the Mandate any hint as to what was being planned, more than a dozen insertion operations had to be abandoned before they could even begin, and numerous operatives had to extricate themselves from newly-seized towns and cities in the face of crackdowns. Though skill and no small amount of luck ensured that no Helghan agents were captured, the sheer disruption caused by the Mandate's actions rendered the entire three-month-long plot a wash; any similar effort most likely having to start from scratch as a result.
Effect
- Attempt to lay the groundwork to sabotage Mandate Nuclear defences fails as a result of unexpected Mandate victories against rebel forces forcing Republic special forces to evacuate from numerous sites.
- Luckily, the mandate doesn't appear to have spotted the planned attack and is not any more wary.
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Design and Requisition
[x] CD-1 'Bjorn'
[x] 'Mace' Squad Support Platform
[x] Shoulder-mounted micro-missile launchers (MiML)
[x] EX-017 "Auger"
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News and Rumours
Helghan Republic
Coming as an unpleasant surprise to those distracted by the coreward crises, religious tensions in New Oslo have flared hot thanks to the Republic-sponsored school system's continued growth. Aggravated by the egalitarian treatment of male and female students and viewing it as a corrosive influence on their culture, religious figures across the planet have taken matters into their own hands and exhorted their followers to prevent it by any means necessary. Primarily based in the planet's highly religious equatorial nations, these priests and their followers have conducted raids on neighbouring Polar Association towns leading to many deaths; numerous people associated with the Republic were assaulted in broad daylight, and multiple schools burned to the ground.
Hampered by the low-tech nature of the planet and the sheer number of incidents that occurred over Q1 of 3046, the Republic's response was often late in coming and unable to prevent the deaths of many hundreds of people at the hands of fanatics. For their part, Polar Association nations have attempted to protect the border towns in question, though this has largely served to inflame the situation due to the resulting bloody battles. Between this and the perceived inability of Republic forces to effectively respond to the emergency situation, religious zealotry is on the rise, each passing day seeing larger and larger crowds listening to the priests.
Aurigan Coalition
No doubt seeking to further turn the situation against the Celestial Mandate, the Aurigan Coalition has devoted no small effort toward supplying friendly rebels with heavy weapons. Almost certainly pulling from stocks produced after the Aurigan Civil War and Outpost Nautilus's own depots, the Coalition has delivered an impressive armament of weapons ranging from missile launchers, support weapons, light artillery, and more into the waiting hands of rebels. Though it remains difficult to receive news from the Celestial Mandate, initial evidence suggests that such weapons have already been put to good use against Mandate forces; an attempted assault against the rebel-held city of Viota on Larsha shattering as its point-lance of mechs came under heavy fire.
Taurian Concordat
As with the Helghan Republic and Aurigan Coalition, the Taurian Concordat began the year by attempting to dispatch combat vehicles to numerous sympathetic partisans; though, unlike its allies, the Concordat elected to target groups operating in the Outback. Still under close scrutiny by FedSun intelligence organisations on the lookout for ORDI interference, efforts to deliver combat vehicles to Pro-Concordat rebels were slow, methodical, and limited in scope, though able to succeed as a result. While not a patch on battlemechs, the small-scale delivery of everything from Savannah Master hovercraft to Manticore tanks will no doubt help rebel groups combat the militias and mercenaries they have been fighting so far and render it that much harder to stamp them out.
In response to the growing crisis in the Celestial Mandate, the upcoming Operation Pluto, and ongoing events in the Federated Suns' Outback, the Taurian Concordat has officially raised the alert level of troops garrisoning the Concordat-FedSuns border. A perfectly natural reaction to the chaotic events occurring, the decision has nonetheless triggered a great deal of activity from both states' commentariat, the use of euphemisms like 'incidents', 'security situations', 'contingency operations', and many other rising precipitously. While hardly a sign of impending conflict by itself, the growth of such phrases represents a growing normalisation of the idea of war between the two states; something that could ironically help lead to just such a conflict.
Magistracy of Canopus
Not to be outdone by the rest of the Outer Rim Defence Initiative, the Magistracy of Canopus spent the first three months of the year delivering a variety of small arms to rebel groups across the Celestial Mandate; many thousands of military-grade weapons delivered into the waiting hands of rebels. Dropped (in some cases literally) across the Mandate, the sheer quantity of rifles, pistols, PDWs, and other weapons has resulted in an explosion of resistance across numerous planets, and control of more than a few cities flipped overnight as Mandate troops found themselves outnumbered and outgunned. Unsurprisingly, the sheer number of weapons delivered meant that disguising their origin proved impossible; Late February saw the Mandate's ruling council release a statement demanding the Magistracy, and by extension, the ORDI, cease supplying rebels with arms.
Capellan Confederation
Apparently seeking to show up the Helghan Republic, the Capellan Confederation also dispatched shipments of Combat Vehicles to insurgent groups in the Celestial Mandate. Much to the embarrassment of Republic agents, however, the Confederation's measures saw substantially more success, the overwhelming majority of vehicles arriving safe and sound into rebel hands by mid-March. Composed of a mix of designs ranging from light hovercraft to heavy tanks, the sudden addition of heavy metal had a stiffening effect on many rebel forces; their sudden arrival allowed rebel commanders to reassign or retire many of the fragile technicals on which they'd previously relied. How things will develop from here remains to be seen, though early analysis suggests that it will greatly even out the balance of power in combination with the aid provided by the rest of the ORDI.
No doubt facing a great deal of political pressure at home and with FWLM forces along the Mandate border going on alert, Chancellor Tormano Liao has quietly contacted the Republic's government and politely requested that the launch date of Operation Pluto be moved forward to the end of Q2 at the latest. While acknowledging that such a move would reduce the amount of time the ORDI has to sabotage Mandate defences and disrupt its organisation, the Chancellor has pointed out that it would also reduce the likelihood of an opportunistic League intervention, as well as the chances of the Mandate uncovering details on Operation Pluto. Merely a request from the Confederation, Helghan analysts admit that there is no pressing need to accede to the idea, though they also suggest that it may be a good idea to consider in light of the League's recent activities.
Celestial Mandate
Given the variable success of ORDI smuggling and supply operations over Q1, it came as little surprise when the Celestial Mandate publicly demanded that the ORDI cease interfering in its internal affairs. Forgoing the Celestial Empress in favour of an unremarkable spokesman, the nation's ruling council released a ten-minute broadcast calling for unity in the face of civil war, an awareness of "rapacious interlopers'', and promising a grim and ill-defined fate for any nation that aligns itself with the rebels. Distributed via the ComStar News Bureau, the speech has garnered much interest from the citizens of ORDI nations and much mockery.
Despite several setbacks, rebel forces across the Celestial Mandate have made great strides in combatting their oppressive rulers, their opposition to the ruling council uniting disparate sections of the region in a single struggle. While fighting remains ongoing across the vast majority of Mandate worlds, several systems have already fallen into the hands of rebel commanders thanks to their own skill at arms, poor morale among the militia and MAF troops, and no small amount of material and kinetic support from the Outer Rim Defence Initiative. Among the systems that have come under the control of insurgent groups are Decatur, Madras, Buenos Aires, and numerous others.
Impressively given their relatively light armament and general lack of training, rebel forces have even managed to secure the planet of Cavalor despite its fortifications... More-or-less. Though it has cost them much to achieve, rebel commanders have besieged many of the planet's forts and have greatly restricted their ability to fend off foes from without. No doubt supplied enough to withstand many months, if not years, of siege, these forts have still suffered a dramatic weakening in value, and the forces within are obviously insufficient to break their encirclement. With that said, these encirclements have forced the rebels to devote a substantial number of troops to keeping Mandate forces pinned in place and, as a result, have greatly weakened them even in their apparent victory.
| System | Status |
| Borden | Captured By Rebels |
| Cavalor | Captured By Rebels |
| Decatur | Captured By Rebels |
| Buenos Aires | Captured By Rebels |
| Sax | Captured By Rebels |
| Xien Khouang | Captured By Rebels |
| Madras | Captured By Rebels |
| Niomede | Captured By Rebels |
| Egress | Captured By Rebels |
Federated Suns
"Shockingly", resistance to Davion rule has only continued to grow across the Outback as news of the Mandate's civil war reaches the fighters there. Incidents of violence against authority figures opposed to Outback self-determination, Taurian Federalism, and other ideals have spiked dramatically, and more than a few assassinations have been carried out. Most notably, those governments installed by Michael Hasek-Davion have quickly found themselves the targets of sustained campaigns; their repressive actions against their citizens inspiring a great deal of venom. Literally so in the case of one assassination target.
With Duke Hasek-Davion having doubled down on the repression in late 3045, the various groups opposed to his rule (and his existence) have done much the same. Previously having focussed their enmity on figures closer to home, at least one group attempted to assassinate the Duke himself during a journey from a spaceport in the city of Saso to the Hasek ancestral palace. Shot at by a lone gunman armed with a hunting rifle, no injuries occurred during the January 30th shooting thanks to the sheer quantity of armour on the Duke's car. Nevertheless, the incident triggered a 3-hour manhunt across New Syrtis that ended with security forces finding the man dead by his own hand; paraphernalia from extremist Neo-Jacobinist groups discovered in his apartment.
In light of the attack, so unusual that it was broadcast across the Suns', current speculation by the ORDI's civilian population is that Duke Hasek-Davion facilitated or outright faked the attempt to justify increasingly harsh measures against the growing resistance movements. Though proof is hard to come by, and the idea that someone facilitated an assassination attempt on themselves is difficult to swallow, it cannot be denied that the Duke has used the incident as an excuse to conduct brutal crackdowns against groups even tangentially related to the neo-Jacobinists. While such violence is typical of his response so far, Michael Hasek-Davion has also begun to place dubiously legal restrictions on what news services across his territory can report, a seeming misstep from the man given the implications it suggests.
According to reports from Republic spies still embedded within the Federated Suns, numerous AFFS regiments have begun to arrive in the region. Numbering roughly twenty to thirty and composed of a mix of types from battlemech to infantry, the sudden arrival of so many federal troops has cooled some conflicts and fanned the flames of many more while simultaneously triggering heart palpitations in no small number of Concordat officers. Primarily stationed on the Outback's few truly high-value worlds, these troops have done little to quell the unrest in the rest of the region and instead seem intent on guarding the fortifications currently under construction built by FedSun engineers.
Having suffered a great deal from the Federated Suns' recent hunt for spies, Republic intelligence has proven unable to uncover information on what sort of fortifications are being planned for the Outback, nor how long they are expected to take to build, nor their extent. While the presence of ferrocrete and other substances used in constructing reinforced bunkers is obvious, the still-ongoing fortification of the Suns-Combine border precludes an extensive effort such as that of the Mandate. Similarly, though news of the fortifications has received airtime on pirate stations across the Outback, Republic agents in the broader Federated Suns have reportedly seen little to no evidence of their existence in mainstream outlets; a near-miss by Numenor's capital of a small air-burst meteor that rattled windows received more playtime on New Avalon, for example.
Free Worlds League
Somewhat concerningly, news out of the Free Worlds League suggests that the nation may intend to intervene in the Mandate civil war sometime later in the year. According to reports from ORDI spies operating in the region and travelling mercenary units, at least fifteen FWLM regiments are headed towards the Duchy of Andurien, and there is little reason for them to do so that doesn't also involve the League's neighbours. While unlikely to arrive in time to launch an attack on the Mandate before June of 3046, the addition of the Free Worlds League may make matters somewhat... tense.
===============================
Influence Changes
-2 (Capellen Licensing Deal)
Total: -2 Influence
One-Time C-Bills Changes
-40,000,000 (Mandate Combat Vehicles)
Total: -40,000,000 C-Bills
===============================
Military Supply Situation
Naval Support Capacity: 24/25
- 9 Noctis cruisers (9 capacity) (Transport capacity: 1.5)
- 15 Hasta IIId-class cruisers (15 capacity) (Transport capacity: 2.0)
Ground Support Capacity: 9.0/9.75
- 100% of Army 4 (5 capacity)
- 35% of Army 5 (1.75 capacity)
- 10 Mech regiments (1 capacity)
- 1 MAWLR-II Pack (1.25 capacity)
Map of the Celestial Mandate - March 3046
===============================
Updated Info Posts
Helghan Republic
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone Crossover
Helghan Republic: Current Date: 3050 General Stats: Population: 3.70 Billion Recruitable population: 35.3 million out of 37.0 million. Stability: 99% War Support: 83% Recruitable Pop Percentage: 1% Action Points: 18 (+2 from Spencer and Cassilda joining when High-Gain Tranceivers is...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
OOB
The Lords of Ruin -- Battletech/Killzone Crossover
Helghast Order of Battle: Doctrine: Super-mobile blitzkrieg doctrine based around deploying divisions via ship-based dropships and cruisers. Navy...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
prometheus110
Join Cayman-Global & be part of the 1E-9 percent!
- Location
- La Ballena City Raft
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alright, I'm going to sleep. If you notice anything weird, let me know and I'll sort it out later.
- Location
- Northish
Dammit Micheal you are not helping right now and the TC keeps giving us nudges about how cool it would be if we forward positioned some of those new cruisers. As for the invasion I would like to be dropping metal as soon as possible with the FWL shifting units around. Hopefully some footage of our super-cruisers vaporizing a few Mandate dropships gives Marik pause before things go hot.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Check the clock people. I do believe it is Go Time on invading the Mandate.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
At this point the only way I can see New Oslo not ending up an Afghanistan style disaster is if we treat it like the North should have treated the South after the USA civil war yeah. Full invasion, decontruction and reconstruction with no mind towards imperial resource extraction. The only question is if the thread is able to stick that out because it would probably be a decade or longer proccess.
0t4n1z3r019
Member of the HAFPTG
- Location
- Philippines
The FWL is insinuating things, eh? And Hasek-Davion really is not helping things on his end.
We already did one on the formally desert slavery planet remember? Also our population is very very interested in cutting out inequalities like the inflected flesh they are.
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
Get your war faces on, people. It's time!
Also, Calderon can finally channel his trademark Anti-Fed Paranoia and say "I Told You So".
Also, Calderon can finally channel his trademark Anti-Fed Paranoia and say "I Told You So".