This is, charitably, going to be lopsided. This part of the plan is the one the NCR could best and most thoroughly plot out, and Russia's attention has been split in many directions that aren't one of its quietest and most compliant clients.
Evidently having a compliant power structure is all that matters even when the civilian population is unrelentingly hostile after three decades. If that is a preview of how the Russian natsec apparatus has made its security assessments and have run their empire for the last couple of decades, this idol's feet of clay are potentially even more fragile than I thought.
Serves them right.
If they've been so complacent in Cali, that rather raises the chances that they have been storing valuable intel and operational data off diplomatic grounds. Which would certainly be a significant windfall for Cali's natsec apparatus.
They lose. And by the time the Russian ships and embassy guards are ready to respond in some form, and the VDV is stood up and ready to embark planes to respond...it's over.
They were even considering trying to airlift VDV into a country with hostile SAMs and fifth generation aircraft in the air?
Well thats certainly a novel way to lose a wing of strategic airlifters and a brigade of paratroops.
Poor Russian Navy ships are probably trying to create distance between themselves and a suddenly hostile shoreline.
The economic ripple effects of Cali alone peacing out is likely to be profound.
By all accounts, the California economy has been exploited in unequal trade deals to extract as much value for Russian megacorps and the Russian Empire as possible. Victoria got its aircraft at cost minus, the Arctic Conservatiate got cheap consumer goods, and thats not counting the rest of the Russosphere. Or Japan.
When you consider the second-order effects on Cascadia and the Arctic Conservatiate, there's a good chance that this is going to tip Imperial Russia, the Russosphere and the Japanese Empire into an economic recession.
Imperial Russia's economy and budget is going to feel this.
Not an auspicious start to Little Nicky's reign.
Elite Reinforcements: 2 points (while there are virtually none of them on this scale, there is a small contingent of Spetznaz in San Francisco who could throw a wrench in things if not bottled up swiftly).
Californian Army regulars storm their objectives. Russian PMC forces fight back, hard, and especially in San Francisco, enjoy the support of Spetznaz forces, but that unit is not officially present, and it was in an extremely forward-leaning posture, as the (unofficial) fixers for any serious issues the Russian Empire might face on the West Coast. Other official forces present were so in much more garrison-postured roles. Not precisely sitting ready to go at the first sign of trouble.
Not officially present suggests that a bunch of people will be disavowed.
Still, Spetsnaz are light infantry. Elite light infantry, but still light infantry.
Facing off against California regulars with mechanized and air support?
The question was never that they'd win, just how much damage they'd do before going down.
I wonder how many of those PMCs were using troops recruited out of Central America.
Cheaper than Russian citizens I suspect.
The question now is how Nicky responds to be handed a fait accompli. But that one ain't up for rolls.
Hmm. We might well be looking at an escalation in Europe from Russia-dominated Romania or Bulgaria.
Or the Middle East. Or in the Arctic Conservatiate. Or Victoria.
Victoria is probably the easiest choice for compensatory muscle flexing.
What Im interested in is how
Japan reacts.
Because essentially Cascadia is now on a timer. The last rebellion required use of Cali ports and territory to put down.
And China was weaker then. Thats an economic hit they can ill afford.
Imma say Nicky does not respond well, he does not seem to be the reasonable, stable sort. I predict he digs a hole for himself, at our expense.
We dont know how much power Little Nicky wields, and how much is wielded by his backers.
Hes at least reasonably competent.
