Isotope

Era of Succession(Closed)

@LordZellOr be welcomed into the glorious beacon of democracy and freedom that is the Confederation!

Era of Succession(Closed)

Edinburgh, Edinburgh System, Argyllian Belt

Even after the heated confrontation that had sparked the current state of hostilities mere weeks past, the system of Edinburgh was all but undefended in the face of the sudden Musashi onslaught. Enormous mobilization efforts had been called by the Confederation’s Star Navy and Army in the temporary lull, but that glut of war material lay waiting far from where it was needed. After Musashi’s declaration of war, and the Confederation’s subsequent reciprocation, debate and uncertainty had gridlocked the efforts to plan a coherent military response.

From the surface of Edinburgh proper the scant Planetary Defense Force mobilized courageously, but in spite of the forces valour it numbered a mere three cruisers, seventeen destroyers, and a smattering of escort fighters and armed merchant vessels. Standing guard at the planets door the small force stared down death unflinchingly, each and every one of its members a volunteer fighting to safeguard their own world.

The Zero and Toryu fighters were the first of Musashi’s strike force to reach the Edinburgh defenders, launching a barrage of missiles and particle beams at the cruisers. Right behind the fighters came eight cruisers and twenty destroyers, which focused their weapons on the Confederate destroyers. From the rear the Musashi battleships Kotetsu and Fuso opened up on the three Confederate cruisers.

As the Confederate fighters intercepted their Musashi counterparts, the Musashi Toryu fighters peeled off to focus their efforts on the Confederate warships while the Zero fighters dealt with their Confederate counterparts. Unlike in the previous encounter, this time Musashi had a distinct advantage in the number of fighters in the region. Zero fighters worked together, baiting the Confederate Stingers while a wingmate came in from behind.

In stark contrast to the earlier engagement the Confederate Stingers lacked not only the numerical advantage, but also the vital asset of experienced pilots. Within moments the Stinger force was overwhelmed. Inexperienced pilots accustomed only to combat simulations fell prey to the Zero’s tactics and found themselves in a withering hail of fire seemingly without warning. The fighters formation fell apart even as a handful of elites left behind by the Webber and its sister ships tried their best to coordinate the crumbling defense. Those few elites soon found themselves isolated as the volunteer force Stingers either broke off in panic or fell prey to their betters.

Among those elites John Cabet cursed bitterly, hurling a thesaurus of invectives at his enemies. Still hungover from the night before and having downed an irresponsible amount of stimulants to prepare himself for the sortie John was thoroughly displeased with the state of the battle. He’d caught onto the Zero’s game quickly enough and it was maddening to see it work. For his part when it’d became clear what was happening his flight of six had decided to stick together, operating as sort of flying defensive satellite. Whenever a zero closed they’d each cut acceleration and reorient outwards, firing to dissuade any closing attackers while still covering all angles.

The tactic pissed him off, and it was his. With such a disadvantage it was all they could do to cover themselves, but it was trash. Any enemy with a shred of competence wouldn’t be any more than warded off, scoring a kill was impossible and so long as it remained so the clock was ticking. For now the Zeros were occupied, but if they ganged up on his formation it’d be over in an instant. He didn’t fancy dying. Where that left him, he didn’t quite know.

Away from the dogfight the big guns of the defense fleet found themselves in an equally hopeless situation. The Musashi attack had split the few escort fighters available from their charges and now the Toryu’s tore away at the destroyers savagely. Ill suited to point defense unlike the larger cruisers the Destroyers found themselves flailing in response to the fighters attack. When the larger Musashi force had arrived the situation had turned for the worse. While the destroyers had shown laudable discipline unlike their escorts, the introduction of other warships to the attack shattered any pretense of possible victory. Three destroyers burned up in the opening exchange.

Outnumbered so severely the destroyers executed a retreat to Edinburgh’s orbit. Falling back to the gravity well would have put them at a disadvantage under normal circumstances, but within moments of the retreat they’d be close enough to enter the range and protection of the ground batteries. Alongside them were the cruisers who’d fled the onslaught from the Musashi battleships. While more than capable of fending off the Toryu’s, the larger vessels had found themselves pitifully outgunned, badly enough that even as they ran the rearmost of them was struck critically. Almost immediately it flashed out of existence in a brilliant deflagration that bombarded the area with radiation and light.

Whereas in the previous battle of Edinburgh it was clear that the Musashi Zeros had been attempting to limit casualties, targeting the wings and engines of their foes, this time around the Zeros showed little intent to be merciful. There were a few skilled Zero pilots who certainly were not going for the kill, but just as often as not it was clearly with the intent of allowing another, arguably less skilled, pilot take the kill.

Lines such as “That was for Swallowtail!” and “For Yuki-hime!” could occasionally be picked up by the Confederate defenders. At one point a pilot even yelled “Down with the barbarians!” Although he seemed to be a minority in the group.

The more elite Confederate pilots, namely John Cabet’s flight, found themselves surrounded by an equally skilled group of Zero pilots. These Zeros would swoop in, taking a hastily aimed shot before rolling away. It became clear very quickly that they had no intention to commit themselves to a slugfest with their Confederate peers, instead choosing to try and wear down their foes and wait for their comrades to mop up the other Stinger fighters. Within a matter of minutes the group of Zero fighters around John Cabet and his allies had doubled in number and the new arrivals proved to be far more aggressive than the first group of Zeros. They began to swoop in in groups of three while a pair of Zeros got in front of the Stingers, spun around, and launched a pair of missiles each before darting away.

By this point the Musashi fleet had closed with the planet and what little remained of the Confederate defending fleet. The defenders fought furiously, forcing a pair of Musashi destroyers and a cruiser to back off after taking some serious hits, but the pair of battleships have the aggressors too distinct of an advantage. With the two battleships acting as a shield, the Confederate defenders were helpless to prevent a group of four destroyers and twenty Toryus from descending into the planet’s atmosphere. The battle would soon be fought in the streets of Edinburgh’s capital.

His flight was good, maybe even the best, but John had recognized the impossibility of the situation long ago. Every attack from the Zeros was met with a hail of coordinated fire, every missile intercepted, but the strain of keeping track of many threats was getting to him and his comrades. The clock was ticking down and it seemed the end was nigh. Firing his own missiles at a particularly bold Zero and letting his flight attempt to corral the fighter with fire John realized how limited his options were. They could kill half of their attackers and even then breaking out was impossible.

Cursing bitterly John opened a channel with his comrades, “Stand down everyone, broadcast your surrender and disarm. We’re fucking beat, no need to die for nothing.” Slamming the control to power down his weapons John swore again and retrieved the flask he’d kept under his seat for just such an occasion. There was no sense in giving up sober after all.

For a time it seemed the planet was silent, even as the Musashi contingent broke off to land forces. Seconds turned to minutes and it seemed as if the planet's defenders had been betrayed. Then, and without warning, there was a brilliant flash as dozens of massive defense emplacements lanced fluorescent beams of energy into the sky as if the besiegers had crossed some invisible line. Overwhelmingly the static defenses lashed out at the Musashi battleships, using the leviathans careless advance so far into the gravity well against them. In concert the remaining cruisers far above closed with the Musashi juggernauts as the scattered destroyers tried their best to cover them, even in the face of their disadvantage. Yet still, the initiative was all too obviously against them. In the time it had taken for the enemy to close to optimal range two more destroyers were shredded and an additional three had suffered such damage as to signal their surrender.

Time may have been bought with the planets aid, but the still situation in orbit was hopelessly dire. Down below however, the story was different. Quite unlike their allies in space the ground forces of Edinburgh had experience and most importantly, numbers. Even as the Musashi landing force neared the surface numerous squadrons of unfatigued Wasp atmospheric fighters rose to intercept them, each one loosing it’s armament of missiles and opening fire. For them, the fight had only just begun.

Paradise Station, Paradise System, Confederation Core

The Princess and heir apparent of Musashi, Yamamoto Yuki, was at once a guest and a prisoner. She had arrived directly from the first battle at Edinburgh aboard the Liberation class carrier SSCSS Webber and soon after found herself confined to a room nominally reserved for foreign heads of state. Lavish by any standard the room went so far as to contain it’s own atrium and no less than three bedrooms, but to Yuki it was a cell all the same. The armoured guards at the only exit made that clear. In her time there not once had an official come to greet her, or even speak to her, each one with the pull to do so far too concerned with the potential consequences any such action would have.

Only a short tram ride away the Chamber of the Cabinet had been stunned silent, none had truly expected Musashi to act this quickly. They had convinced each other that their victory, however slight it was, had dissuaded the Empire from actly rashly. There should have been time for them work out the details, to open negotiations on their terms. There should have been time.

Steve Woolsey spoke first, his face paling to a degree that was nothing less than unsettling, “We’re at war.”

The statement was obvious, after all they had issued a declaration days ago, but it encapsulated the sentiment in the room well enough. What followed however, was something that served to unify the distressed chamber. Woolsey spoke out once more, “I move that the First Chancellor be granted emergency measures and the war act be instituted.”

Grey hair pushed back by a hand resting on her forehead, Kaela Sevaren spoke first, “I… Consent to the proposal.”

The cabinet voted with only one dissenting vote from the Iberian Commonwealth. The Confederation was truly at war.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

For the first time since Yuki had arrived the guards at her door stirred, diverging from their robotic routine. The two men turned to one another and snapped into a salute and without warning the reinforced door retracted up into its frame revealing the form of the woman who’d just been granted the authority of an absolute monarch. The First Chancellor stepped in, and no sooner than that the door fell shut behind her.

An oddly aged woman for fifty three Kaela’s hair was a weary silver and her eyes showed heavy bags, as much from age as exhaustion. It was obvious she had never opted for rejuvenation surgeries or drugs, and all her motions showed a lack of genetic tampering. Walking towards Yuki she spoke, calmly yet unquestioningly, “Come Princess, the atrium is a finer place to speak than the entranceway.”

“Very well.” Yuki responded, following the aged woman to the atrium. “I was beginning to wonder when someone from your government was going to come speak to me.” She paused awkwardly before asking “And your name is?”

Kaela spared only a glance at Yuki as she strode forwards, “I am Kaela Sevaren, First Chancellor of the Sovereign Star Confederation and High Commander of its militaries.” Coming to a stop at a wicker table in the atriums center Kaela gestured to a chair opposite to the one she had pulled out for herself, “It is a pleasure to meet you Princess, and you have my sympathies for any difficulty this delay has caused you.”

“The pleasure is mine Sevaren-sama” Yuki said as she took a seat. She removed her mask, showing a face that was clearly the product of genetic engineering; a stark contrast to Kaela’s face. “And you need not be concerned. I am sure you have been busy with negotiations up to this point.” She let out a long sigh. “I know my father can be a bit of a pain at times. Well, since you are here now, Sevaren-sama, does that mean you have concluded your negotiations with my country’s government?”

The irony inspired a short smile, but even that was quickly stifled, “It is with regret that I am unable to provide you such news Princess.” The lines of Kaela’s face hardened, “Your country and father declared war shortly after the incident at our border, and I replied in kind. In the time since then we have busied ourselves with preparation for negotiations, but it appears your government has taken a different stance. Moments ago I was informed that an attack has been launched on the Edinburgh system by your military, and as a result I have been granted special authority to retaliate however I see fit, without due process, to preserve the tenets upon which this Confederation was founded.”

Sighing deeply she continued, “That having been said Princess, I do not wish to see millions of innocent lives extinguished. I do not wish to have the blood of men I order to their deaths on my hands, yet I will do what I must. I come to you now as my only recourse so that untold suffering may be avoided, but I will not pretend that my request is fair.” Glancing at a small timepiece from forgotten age on her wrist Kaela looked Yuki in the eyes, “Denounce the actions of your military, advocate restraint, and request they retreat to the border. Do all this in spite of what it may cost you among your people, and the slaughter may yet be stopped before it begins.”

“I do not understand why you would delay in informing my father of my safety” Yuki said as she closed her eyes, “but doing so has allowed the hawks in my government to gain the power necessary to influence its policy.” She let out a long sigh as she opened her eyes and looked down at her mask. She seemed to ponder something before turning her gaze to Kaela.

“Sevaren-sama,” She began, “I can request that the military returns to Musashi.” She suddenly adopted a stern expression “But I will not call into question the honor of those who are acting as they feel necessary. Not when they risk their lives to, as they believe, to save mine.” She slowly shook her head. “No. I will tell them to back down. I will request that negotiations are started. But I will not make those in my military out to be the villains.”

Kaela’s fingers danced along the table, their drumming the physical manifestation of her contemplation. It was not ideal, without a condemnation the counterattack planned to give them an edge in peace talks would be less palatable, and Musashi would have yet more to bargain with when negotiations finally commenced. Still, every second wasted was an affront to the defenders of Edinburgh who were dying by the second, and a slight to a military that had already requested permission to deploy to Edinburgh in force and strike back at Musashi from there. Looking to the false holographic false sky for a moment Kaela cast her gaze on Yuki once more, “Then you will have the opportunity to do so. In an hour a conference will be called and the Cabinet will announce the invocation of the War Act, after which you will be provided your chance. If they don’t listen to you I will be forced to answer their attack on one of our systems in kind.”

“We can end this war right here and now, Sevaren-sama” Yuki stated. “If we enter peace negotiations now we can call a ceasefire. It will be binding until either the negotiations break down or we are at peace. However” Yuki hesitated before continuing “for the negotiations to be binding I must be under the protection of my own military to ensure that I am not negotiating under duress.”

“What you suggest is not here and now Princess, but then and there.” Kaela eyed the princess carefully, “You said it yourself, any ceasefire you declare at the conference will be called into question. That said, you are correct that the path to negotiation lies in your endorsement of the process. The Confederation can provide a place and a time for you to announce, but until offical negotiations commence any declared ceasefire would be meaningless and only serve to damage your position further. We can only hope your forces respect the request that they withdraw even without an official order.”

Edinburgh, Edinburgh System, Argyllian Belt

“Admiral” Lian Yunxu looked towards the officer who had addressed him, “intelligence has flagged a Confederation broadcast as top priority for your viewing.”

“Oh?” Yunxu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as he felt the ship shake under his feet. “Important enough to draw my attention from the matter at hand?” The battleship Fuso shook under his feet again as it fired a barrage at a Confederate cruiser that had strayed too close. “Very well, display this broadcast on my personal monitor.”

Though somewhat muddled from the interference of countless weapon discharges in the surrounding area what appeared on the Admirals screen was none other than the figure of Kaela Sevaren, and immediately to her right Princess Yuki. The two stood on the great podium of the Confederate capital’s press room and were all but surrounded by cameras and reporters.

With a cough to clear her throat Kaela spoke out, “My fellow citizens of the Confederation, I come to you today with grim tidings. As you all know some time ago the Empire of Musashi launched an unprovoked and unexpected attack on the New British Republic system of Edinburgh, and that this attack spurred our declaration of war against them at that time. This morning I and the other members of the Cabinet received word that the armies of Musashi have followed up that previous, unsuccessful, attack on our territory with a second and larger invasion. It was in response to this sudden attack that in a closed session no more than two hours ago I was granted by majority vote emergency powers as defined by the War Act.” At that the room burst into questions both murmured and shouted, but nevertheless Kaela forged on, “Using these powers I will do all in my power to repulse the unprovoked aggressors at our door, of that you have my assurance. However, in the interests of peace I feel obligated to permit the Princess of Musashi, Yamamoto Yuki, the same one that Musashi asserts we kidnapped as pretense for their hostility, a word on behalf of both herself and her people.”

Yunxu’s eyes narrowed as the view of his monitor focused on the image of Princess Yuki. One of the problems with Musashi’s culture was, due to the mask, it could be difficult to determine the true identity of an individual. “I want intelligence analyzing the voice of this woman claiming to be Yuki-hime!” Yunxu snapped. He didn’t listen to the affirmative given, his attention returning in full to the Confederacy news conference.

“People of the Confederation” Yuki began, “it pains me to appear before you at this time. Our two countries are at war, but under false pretenses. The valiant soldiers of my homeland wage war on you due to the foul plotting of cowards and fools. I was indeed kidnapped, but my kidnapping was not the will of the Confederation. No, it was orchestrated by terrorists who would see our two great nations at war with each other.”

“Oh…?” Yunxu heard himself say.

“We now find ourselves in the midst of a violent gale,” Yuki continued, “And have no choice but to either dance gracefully or flail about in fear.”

“Admiral” An officer said as he approached Yunxu. “Intelligence is reporting that there is a ninety percent chance that the woman in this broadcast is indeed Yuki-hime. They are certain that her voice is not being altered or faked through digital means.” Yunxu nodded. She had also just said a few choice keywords that high level officials knew to look for.

“The Confederate Navy rescued me from my abductors” Yuki continued “and I have been a guest here ever since. I am unharmed and not in danger.” She paused for a moment before adding “And although neither of our governments has handled this issue perfectly, that by no means necessitates the loss of further life. I am hereby requesting that all elements of Musashi’s armed forces ceases military operations against the Confederation and that the Imperial government prepares for peace talks. Thank you.”

Once more the room exploded in a frenzy of rushed inquiries, but with years of experience Kaela honed in on the one question that mattered, spoken by a timid and new reporter that blended into the crowd almost totally, “Does this mean we’ll be ceasing operations as well? Will Edinburgh go undefended?”

Looking to the unremarkable man Kaela spoke commandingly, “Let me be clear, the Princess and I are both committed to peace, but I am not so cowardly as to leave our citizens to the mercy of an enemy, no matter how reconciliatory. While official peace talks will not hinge upon it, I speak this as warning: should Edinburgh still be under assault in five hours we will take action to reclaim the system decisively.”

Another reporter, a woman who’d been a regular at such conferences for years, shouted, “When will this peace conference be if Musashi agrees?”

“While these things would normally be agreed upon by both parties,” Kaela looked to Yuki, “The nature of this war does not permit such luxury. As such the coordinates of a station on the edge of our border will be provided to the government of Musashi. A nominal military force will be supplied by both sides and it is there that Princess Yuki shall be repatriated and an official ceasefire, if one is to be had, will be struck.”

With a short scan of the audience Kaela decided there was little more she needed from the reporters and spoke above their clamour, “That will be all, thank you.”

While more questions were spoken they fell upon deaf ears as both Kaela and Yuki were escorted to an exit. From there a minor aide stepped up and bore the presses interrogation, providing only half truths and intricate nothings in reply to the deluge of inquiring voices.

“Signal the fleet” Yunxu snapped as he turned away from the news conference. “We will be withdrawing the moment are ground forces have pulled out. Inform all ships and fighters that they are to limit combat as much as possible.”

“You sure sir?” An officer asked. “We could easily take the city…”

“No. That would go against Yuki-hime’s will. We pull out.”

***** ***** *****

Musashi’s ground forces had been informed that the objective of the operation was to take the capital city of the system while inflicting as little damage to the city as possible, as it would later be traded for the princess’s return. Thus, while tanks, artillery, mechs, and fighters had been deployed the city was in considerably better condition than one had cause to expect. Musashi ground forces had taken some substantial losses on the way down; two destroyers, carrying a total of a thousand troopers, had been destroyed by Confederate ground based artillery pieces. The destroyers’ wrecks could be seen still burning to the south of the city.

Otagi, along with a battalion of fellow bushi shodans, had been amongst the first of Musashi’s troops to step onto Confederate soil. From there the fighting had been harsh. Every street, building, and room had been a struggle for Musashi troops to take. They had been burning through their ammunition quickly and more than a few melee fights had broken out.

It was thus that Otagi found himself, sword poised over his head, staring at a Confederate counterpart. He could hear gunshots a street over and a collection of Musashi and Confederate jets roaring overhead. None of that was his concern at the moment. No. All he could afford to pay attention to was the man before him.

Colin Booth had always been what his platoon mates called a meathead, too much muscle and too little brains. It had been a distinction he’d come to appreciate, even enjoy. There was a sense of power in it, that even in good fun you were acknowledged as being strong, formidable. Colin hadn’t much considered the other side of the coin, after all what good had a soldier for cunning or guile? His job was to buckle up, be given a direction, and kill every motherfucker out there.

It was with that mindset that Colin had been separated from his comrades hours ago, and it was with that mindset he found himself face to face with a right crazy bastard he likened to himself, only difference being the other guy had a sword. Grunting in acknowledgement of the challenge Colin dropped the magazine from his rifle, not that much was left in it, and affixed a plasma bayonet. With the flick of a switch the bayonet roared to life in a blinding blue glow.

Otagi gave a slight nod as he edged forward, mildly surprised that the Confederate man hadn’t taken a shot at him. He eyed the man, sizing him up, before suddenly darting forward and slashing down with his katana. He then stepped to the side and followed up with a horizontal cut aimed at the man’s shoulder.

Colin slammed himself to the ground and rolled, Otagi’s blade cleaving the air just beside his head. Springing up Colin stabbed at Bushi’s legs and dove forward with an armoured fist lunging out at his adversaries head.

Otagi deflected Colin’s attack with his blade, protecting his legs as the Confederate’s fist smashed into his armored head. He shook his head before returning the blow with one of his own. The blow rocked Colin and for a moment led him to stagger backwards, but in a blink he was coming back with a push kick aimed at Otagi’s chest.

Otagi planted his feet on the ground and took the kick with a grunt, stumbling back a few steps before regaining his balance. He didn’t allow Colin to push him back further. He advanced, his blade a flurry before him, forcing Colin to retreat.

His helmet left him faceless, but Colin was smiling savagely. The bastard he was up against was good, and he’d been in the mood for a proper brawl all day. The question was how to get around that damnable sword. Grabbing a sizable hunk of concrete off the ground and flinging it at Otagi Colin charged in again, this time with his plasma bayonet ahead of him and thirsting for blood.

Otagi spun around the concrete missile and Colin himself, kicking the man in the back of the knee as they passed each other. As Colin fell to a knee Otagi kicked him a second time, forcing him to the ground. He then raised his katana over his head in preparation for the final blow. A final blow that never came.

“All troops fallback!” Someone yelled in the distance, causing Otagi to freeze, poised as he was to strike Colin. The bushi shodan didn’t look away from his Confederate counterpart.

“What’s going on?” He called out as a gale onna flew overhead. She paused for a moment before swooping down to over near the two combatants.

“Yuki-hime’s safety has been confirmed” The gale onna said. In the distance a cry of victory could be heard. Others quickly took up the victorious shout as it rolled through the battlefield, ending with Otagi and the gale onna shouts. “The princess has ordered us to cease combat immediately.” The gale onna added before taking off into the air again.

“Well then” Otagi said as he sheathed his blade. “Looks like it's your lucky day soldier of the Confederation.” He offered Colin a hand up as he added “You fought well.”

With a grunt Colin took the man's hand, “Aye, but I want a fucking sword too.”

“Hah! Well deal with it” Otagi said as he helped Colin up to his feet. He eyed Colin for a moment before backing away. The second battle of Edinburgh had ended. Within the hour all Musashi ground forces had left the planet and the fleet was headed out of the system.

Four hours after that the entirety of the Confederations 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fleets dropped into the system led by the Liberty-class battleship Self-evident Truth. Within minutes the planet was properly secured and humanitarian aid was already landing in force.

Era of Succession(Closed)

@Darkspleen

I live, but naps are frickin all i have.

morning shifts are hell

Era of Succession(Closed)

Have a present.

Era of Succession(Closed)

SENSOR OUTPOST ECHO-5-5-8

“That’s not right…” Setting down the coffee she’d just gone to collect from the sensor outposts antique drip machine Erika stared into her work stations holographic monitor and ran her hand through the projection in bemusement, but the red blips obstinately remained. For three years she’d monitored that projection, and for three years the most exciting thing to have materialized on it was the uncommon diplomatic vessel like the one that’d passed by earlier. This was decidedly not that, and no later than she’d had the thought the lights switched to an ominous red and a klaxon blared as warning messages popped up identifying the unknown blips as Musashi fighter interceptors.

For a moment she sat in disbelief, there had never been a Musiashi incursion into Confederate territory before, that was the bloody reason she’d taken this job in the first place. Being crammed into an apartment sized sensor outpost would have been hell for some, but the pay, and more importantly the peace and quiet, had made it worth it. After all, what could possibly happen? Swearing to herself and cursing her wretched luck Erika panicked and in a feverish motion slammed the only physical switch on the holographic monitor, a button set to initiate a direct data uplink to the capital station in the case of an emergency.

Almost instantly the face of a concerned military officer materialized, the sudden appearance giving her enough of a start to knock her forgotten coffee off its precipitous resting place. In retrospect she’d look back at spilling the hot liquid with wistful longing after hours of briefings left her exhausted and hysterical, but for the moment it was the least of her concerns.

PARADISE STATION, DEJURE CAPITAL OF THE SOVERIGN STAR CONFEDERATION

Drifting idly in space the vast city that was Paradise Station loomed far above a dead world, the rocky super terran’s crated face visible even from the distant lagrangian point where the station lounged. Ships zipped around it like a hive and to all it seemed like just another day in and around the hub of Confederate governance, but within the spectre of chaos had reared its head.

Within the chamber of the cabinet aides whipped in and out in a frenzy, each one delivering some bit of hearsay or some vague report, none of them carrying the crucial piece to understanding the events unfolding on the border. At the great tables head and rubbing her brow in frustration Kaela Sevaren, elected First Chancellor of the Confederation, was desperately trying to parse through all the information. Tired of the clamour she finally spoke out above the din, “Everyone without a verified report, leave now. We will not be acting on gossip.”

The room withered at the admonishment and one by one the minor officials filtered out eventually leaving only the 18 Chancellors and herself. Looking around she sighed, “What we know for certain is that Musashi has dispatched an indeterminate number of fighters that have violated our border after sending a supposed diplomatic mission. We cannot fret over the details and waste time as if we have it. I move that we dispatch the closest assets we have to intercept the Musashi fighters and capture the diplomatic vessel.”

Around the room murmurs sounded before Sandro Espanta, the Chancellor of the Iberian Commonwealth, spoke out, “I agree that we can’t spend all our time debating the intricacies of the situation, but this hardly seems like an invasion and we mustn’t escalate it to one. I agree we dispatch the closest assets, but as an addendum we should stipulate that they mustn’t engage unless fired upon. For now I believe we should capture the diplomatic vessel and await more… Coherent intelligence.”

Across the table Steve Woolsey, the Chancellor of the New British Republic, slammed his hand onto the table, “Perhaps it is easy to suggest such a timid response when it is not your people being gambled! The First Chancellor is right, we need to engage Musahi before they reach the system of Edinburgh and threaten us directly!”

Kaela interlocked her fingers and leaned back, “As much as I sympathize Woolsey, Chancellor Espanta has a point. That said, we cannot allow Muashi to go unchallenged in our territory regardless of their intent, hostile or not. I propose that we compromise by establishing a line; we capture the diplomatic vessel and deploy our forces around it. If Musashi attempts a run at the ship we engage, regardless of whether or not they fire first. There is too much we don’t know to work with half measures.”

Espanta and Woolsey both nodded their assent—however begrudgingly—and the matter was put to a vote. Within the hour it would be known that the Cabinet decided unanimously to deploy Confederate forces to the border to meet Musashi intruders, a decision that would shape the foreign policy of the Sovereign Star Confederation in the days to come.

THE LIBERATION CLASS CARRIER SSCSS WEBBER

The Webber had been running anti piracy patrols along the Musashi border for nearly a year now, just like a dozen other Liberation class carriers. At face value it, and its brethren, would have been dismissed as a token deterrent set up to dissuade any particularly ambitious moves from Musashi. After all the Musashi border was where they sent the fuck ups, everybody knew that. Just thinking about the stereotype made the Captain smile. All in all he’d never imagined a little bit of rumor and gossip coupled with a few false transfers would have been such effective propaganda. The truth of it was the Webber was one of the most elite vessels in the military, stocked with seasoned veterans and ready to respond to any incursion. Like all her fellows on the border she was a part of the Confederate strategy to avoid provoking Musashi with excessive security, but to be prepared for any attack by ensuring what military presence there was could punch well above its weight.

Taking a moment to regard his bridge Captian Terrance Muller knew he was ready, but if it came to that this would be the first real battle they’d fought in a year. Needless to say he was antsy, confident in his pilots and crew, but antsy nonetheless. The 3rd Interceptor Wing had been launched as soon as they’d dropped out and now the Webber was close enough to see the Musashi fighters on its own scopes. Even more so they had finally begun to bear down on the diplomatic vessel. Whatever was destined to happen would come soon now.

Looking to the Comms officer to his lift he ordered, “Issue a command for the transport to surrender, if they refuse follow up with a warning shot from the ships main gun, and tell the fighters to relay our intent to the Musashi forces. If they cross the boundary we will reply with force.”

A short aye sounded and he turned to the flight control officer, “Once the boundary is in place put the 12th Bomber Wing on hold, they might pull in larger guns yet.”

Yet another affirmation, and then all that was left was a question. Still… Somewhere inside Terrance knew the answer. Whatever had motivated Musashi to send fighters after that ship would motivate them to violate the defensive boundary, but he was ready, no matter the tattered state of the fingernails he’d chewed in anticipation. Their unwelcome guests would be in for a rude surprise.

[IC/OOC] God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

I got kinda isolated and lost interest, sorry :c

Era of Succession(Closed)

@Serpentine88 <3 thx

Era of Succession(Closed)

Sovereign Star Confederation

SSC

Type of Government:

Confederacy of representative democratic states.

Government Details:

Confederate Government is one in a clear state of drift, at once true to its namesake and yet clearly creeping towards federalism. Within this evolving system there are two major branches of government, the Cabinet branch, and the Judicial branch.

Source of all Confederation wide laws and executive decisions the Cabinet branch is composed of the 19 Chancellors, each of which are elected heads of Confederation member states with the exception of the First Chancellor. The Cabinet may set policy and establish Confederation wide laws by vote, though the latter is a rare occurrence as most law making is left to member state governments and their respective governmental structures. This meaning that each member state may draft and pass laws through its own legislative structure, but these laws are exclusive to that member state whereas Confederation wide laws are binding in all member states. The Cabinet is led by the First Chancellor who is appointed by a Confederation wide election every eight years and who presides over all the others acting as the head of state for the greater Confederation. This First Chancellor carries the right to call a new election for any member state and can take emergency powers when warranted and permitted by a majority vote of the Cabinet. Each of the normal Chancellors may propose agendas or laws to be voted on, but these too may be vetoed by the First Chancellor. As a means of checking the enormous power of the First Chancellor any 2/3rds vote of no confidence by the Cabinet immediately suspends the First Chancellors powers, subject to a mandatory referendum to establish the legitimacy of this vote.

Distinct from the cabinet the Judicial branch functions as the highest legal body in the Confederation, even above individual member states supreme courts. Composed of a number of delegates proportional to each member states population the Judaical branch is an enormously powerful organization that judges the legality of any laws enacted in the Confederation in the context of the Charter of the Confederation. That said, the Judicial branch does not interfere in member state rulings unless those rulings are contested past the supreme court of that member state. The primary function of the Judicial branch is to evaluate the legality of Confederation wide laws passed by the cabinet.

Leader:

First Chancellor Kaela Sevaren of the Sovereign Star Confederation:

The Cabinet:

Chancellor Alice Kent of the Greater Terrestrial Republic
Chancellor Sandro Espanta of the Iberian Commonwealth
Chancellor Bjorn Ovringson of the Scandinavian League
Chancellor Emanuel Smith of the Fringe Worlds Cooperative
Chancellor Theodora Katsaros of the Hellenic Republic
Chancellor Amir Hamam of the Arab Free State
Chancellor Ueman Xepil of the Mesoamerican Republic
Chancellor David Mannerheim of the Germanic Republic
Chancellor Chloe Petit of the Tenth French Republic
Chancellor Sak’fe’nu of the Ge’He Elective
Chancellor Sally Cooper of the Foundry Worlds Alliance
Chancellor John Marsh of the New American Republic
Chancellor Tep Narong of the New Asian Republic
Chancellor Mark Carlston of the Oceanic Republic
Chancellor Alexi Sokolov of the Slavic Republic
Chancellor Jaswinder Sai of the Dharman League
Chancellor William Egzere of the West Belt Republic
Chancellor Richard Ainsworth of the New British Republic

People of Note

Admiral Anastasia Kozlovskaya

One of the younger Admirals in the establishment Anastasia rose quickly to her rank through undeniable competence in the matters of fleet engagement and battle order, but has since been of little influence in the military. This is not due to her personal faults, but rather her political ideology. Anastasia sees the Confederations military as a tool, and one that grows rusty without use. It is her conviction that the Confederation needs to involve itself and its military in the affairs of the greater galaxy both to keep the military relevant and to support interests that might otherwise pass the nation by. Of these interests Anastasia has long been a vocal advocate of outright aiding the Remnant in its struggle against the barbarians. As she often says, should the Remnant fall nothing will stand between the Confederation and the hideous taint upon the universe that is the Dominion of Man.

She is the newly appointed commander of the Article XVI, a Liberty Class Multi-Role Battleship.

Commander of the East Joseph Lawrence

For decades Joseph Lawrence has been an integral piece of the Confederations military, and it was the perception of him as a loyal citizen, a committed democrat, and a capable commander that led to his promotion. After policy disaster that was the war with Musashi the public demanded something be done, and in response to that demand Lawrence was appointed Commander of the East, an entirely new position. Once known as an advocate of using the military as a deterrent rather than a weapon, Lawrence is now a man whose beliefs have been shaken. Nevertheless he is currently revitalizing the military in his vision, even if that vision is slowly an becoming increasingly controversial one.

Admiral Alan Carter

For a century the Confederation has been at peace, and that peace is what creates men like Alan Carter. A quintessential member of the old guard Carter came to his position through a long and unremarkable career of demonstrated competence, but as a result has become complacent. He sees the military as a shield and nothing more, after all no imposed democracy can last and what else would the war machine of the Confederation be used for? In recent days Carter has voiced his dissatisfaction with the new Commander of the Easts increasingly interventionist ideas and has once even labeled his superior as a coward bowing in fear to Musashi.

General Jacob Walters

Charismatic, popular, and a public symbol of the military Jacob Walters has all but catapulted to his position as top General. On the way he’s earned the ire of many of his peers and is as unpopular internally as he is celebrated by the public. Known to be proponent of whatever seems to be the popular solution at the time many consider Jacob to be a pandering fool and incompetent with a pretty face, however that’s not entirely the case. Jacob has consistently done well in war games and while he may be more book learned than practically experienced he’s far from an uneducated simpleton with politically convenient beliefs.

Kaela Sevaren

Steve Woolsey

Richard Ainsworth

Sandro Espanta

Sally Cooper

Species(s) and Demographics:

74% Human: Children of Earth and former rulers of the Imperium, Humanity makes up the undisputed majority in the Confederation.

15% Ge'He: Once a proud species that commanded a space faring nation of note, the Ge'He were humiliated by one of the Imperium's earlier wars of conquest. For centuries they were marginalized and oppressed, but held tight to a culture that faded by the day. Now the Ge'He command of nation of their own within the Confederation, but still they remain a minority in what used to be their own space.

8% Hexanagallion: Ancient militaristic reptilians uplifted long ago, the 'Hexies' as they're often called can be found in some number in any part of the Confederation.

2% Assorted Species: Various species, none of which amount to 1% or greater of the population alone.

1% Aesarnaythi: Amphibious descendants of a once near-utopian society and some of the closest aliens to humanity these matriarchal aliens are common in the economic sphere of the Confederation.

Religion Description and Demographics:

Culture:

History:

The History of the Confederation can best be traced to the sector wide cultural revolution known only as 'The Remembrance' across the former Imperium. Where the movement originated is disputed, but what it signalled was a massive reemergence of ancient Earth culture among the general populace of countless worlds. In the autonomous region of Musashi the movement would lead to a new and homogenous culture, but in the space now occupied by the Confederation The Remembrance led to a massively fractured culture and widespread societal upheaval.

Indeed after The Remembrance the area immediately around Musashi came to be known as the playground of the Imperiums military as they were constantly called upon to suppress what seemed to be an endless string of rebellions. Sectarian violence was rampant, and nationalist movements seemed to inspire insurrection every other day of the week. For centuries this would be the case despite intermittent Imperial intervention, and on the eve of the great empires collapse the region was embroiled in petty conflict just as it had always been.

Yet without the Imperial hand to moderate the violence the spark grew to an inferno. Devolving into hundreds of petty states the region soon fell further into warfare than ever before, dozens of star nations burnt as territories shrunk and grew as new powers rose. After a decade seventeen greater states had risen to the forefront, most of which being autocracies led by former Imperial nobility. Standing apart however were the three newly minted democracies: The Greater Terrestrial Republic, The New British Republic, and the Foundry Worlds Alliance. Feeling the threat from their new and belligerent neighbours the three signed what would come to be known as the Charter of the Confederation, a document founding a greater democratic alliance and uniting the militaries of the free galaxy.

In the following ninety years this new Confederation would spread the flame of democracy across the region, supplying rebels and even going so far as to arm the Ge'He in their bid to establish a nation of their own. One by one the dictatorships would fall to rebellion, and then liberation, as they quarrelled among themselves. One hundred years ago the last one would fall to the forced of liberty, and the Sovereign Star Confederation would establish itself as a regional power to last, albeit one still struggling from the after shocks of unification and racial tension.

Military

Navy:

Liberty Class Multi-role Battleship
A relic of the Unification Wars the four Liberty class vessels have been operational for nearly a century. Ever upgraded they have been symbols of unity for as long as most can remember and to this day they remain formidable, if not as powerful as modern super dreadnoughts. However, they are increasingly relegated to support roles due to the potential morale disaster of losing one.


Liberation Class Carrier
True workhorses the Liberation class carriers are newer vessels, capable of long range operation and limited ship to ship combat even without a complement. Largely designed around a theoretical new fighter interceptor, the Liberations were too far along to cancel when the fighters they were meant to carry were axed. Still capable vessels the Liberation class carries older Stinger fighters and Claw bombers.


Charter Class Battleship
Powerful force projectors the Charter class Battleships were constructed in response to the Dominions growing number of super dreadnoughts and are the combat replacements for the Liberty class vessels which have increasingly become trumped up command ships. Armed with the latest in Confederate weaponry and built to trade blows with anything from fighter wings to dreadnoughts the Charters are the face of the new guard.


Freedom Class Cruiser
The most numerous ships in the Confederations Navy the Freedom class cruisers are dedicated ship killers. Equipping oversized broadside cannons and a powerful spinal gun the Freedoms are often called guns with a ship attached for their generally cramped conditions and heavy armament.


Sovereignty Class Destroyer
The only proper independent vessel designed to operate flawlessly in and out of atmosphere the Sovereignty class destroyers are largely escort and planetary assault vessels. Equipped with powerful point defense systems and anti-fighter flak guns, these little ships are the guardians of their larger brothers.


Equality Class Corvette


SI-272 Stinger
An ageing design, but still far from obsolete, the Stinger was a fighter designed around the idea of hit and runs with large engines to push it fast enough to engage even most modern designs. That said, time has caught up with the Stinger and now it often merely matches the acceleration performance of newer designs while lacking in manoeuvrability.


SB-888 Claw
Designed around the time of the Stinger the Claw bomber faces many of the name issues. That said, the bombers were never intended to operate alone and often their modern shortcomings can be mitigated by an escort.


HB-656 Mantis
A heavy bomber used for anti-capital and precision planetary bombardment roles the Mantis is one of the newer carrier based craft fielded by the Confederation. Built to outpace its pursuers the Mantis is a hit and run bomber, a quintessential example of Confederate strike craft doctrine.


SS-231 Centipede
The Centipede is without a doubt one of the oldest designs in the Confederations navy, dating back to the first Liberty class battleships. Nearly a century old the Centipedes are unbelievably still produced for a single reason, their ability to quickly to equip even the largest modern fighter based weapons.


AI-432 Wasp
The front line atmospheric fighter of the Confederation the Wasp is one of the only craft adopted by the defensive forces of nearly every member state. Mixing high speed and high altitude capabilities with respectable manoeuvrability the Wasp is primarily used to intercept landing forces at ultra high altitudes, weakening any following invasion.


AI-988 Scorpion
The Scorpion exists as the inevitable followup to the Wasp, a fighter as capable at lower altitudes as its brother is at high ones. Durable and armed to the teeth the Scorpion is a brawler and a dog fighter meant to seize aerial supremacy.

Army:

Armoured Infantry Corps
The standard infantry of the Confederation, almost all soldiers are members of the AIC with men of different rank differentiated only by insignia and some additional suit features.


Heavy Support Suit


Hammer Class Armoured Combat Vehicle


Scythe Class Armoured Combat Vehicle

Special Operations:

12th Ancillary Logistics Division
Known to most only as a backwater division earmarked as part of the reserves the 12th ALD is one of the Confederations dirty little secrets. Belying its name the division is special operations, conveniently buried under the full weight of Confederation bureaucracy. That said, no living being would ever envy the operatives of the 12th, or aspire to join them regardless of how elite they are. This is for a simple reason, the operatives of the 12th are no longer ‘human’ in the strictest sense. Selected from death row inmates with usable skills and physiques future operatives of the 12th are given mock executions before being carted away. Once securely out of the public eye they are subjected to years of brutal reconditioning until their former personalities and identities are nothing but a subconscious ghost. In place of this ghost an undying loyalty and devotion to the Confederation is instilled in operatives alongside any other traits deemed useful. After this the operatives undergo intensive genetic therapy and cybernetic modification both to change their appearance and to dramatically increase their combat potential. Each member of the 12th is outfitted with custom gear (1, 2, 3) as given there is little cooperation in the unit standardization is insignificant. Mostly used for the more unsavory and sensitive of intelligence missions; operatives of the 12th almost always work alone and far behind enemy lines.

Era of Succession(Closed)

Alright let's see if we can nip this drama right at the bud.

@6slyboy6 By any realistic logic fighters and bombers would not exist in space, tracking and PD make them hilariously slow targets.

That's not fun, so why don't we ignore realism there?

Same goes for people who want huge ships or whatever else isn't realistic. Can we just use rule of cool instead of getting into the omnipresent bullshit that is sci fi debates?

Era of Succession(Closed)

<Snipped quote by Isotope>

I wish I was more proficient in GIMP to make mine.

@Aristo

Try inkscape! It takes all of an hour to learn and it's super useful for making HQ flags.