Serpentine88 — Roleplayer Guild

The United Front of the Old Order
(Also known as: The Black Faction, "The Blacks", Blackcoats)

"The Imperium Will Rise Again"

Description and history of the Arcturus Civil War:

WARNING: THIS HISTORY IS NOW OUT OF DATE. NEW STUFF HAS BEEN INTRODUCED THROUGH PIRATEPAD. THIS WILL BE UPDATED.
The United Front of the Old Order is the standing coalition of the rebels in the currently raging Arcturus Civil War. Formed six years ago at the beginning of open conflict, the United Front has command of nearly all rebel forces, with the exclusion of the Transorg terrorists and anti-human alien rebel forces.

As its name suggests, the United Front is an alliance of various different rebel parties and factions, the two most organized of these (Though not necessarily the largest) are the Imperial Restoration Faction and the National Old Order Vanguard Party(NOOVP, or NOOV-Party), the two share power over the rebel armies of ultra-nationalists, reactionaries, monarchists, conservatives, human supremacists, fascists and separatists.

The rebellion is rooted in deep and growing divisions between the majority human population and the increasing minority alien population of the New Arcturus Republic. Faced with an increasingly more powerful alien minority concerning politics and business, a pro-alien federal government giving more and more rights to aliens and a deteriorating economic situation due to unemployment amongst humans (Many corporations finding aliens a more efficient worker), many humans became disillusioned with the current state of the Republic. When the conservative human voters constant attempts to roll back reforms failed in the presence of a pro-reform parliament, political dissent rose sharply. The situation was so rapid that the government did not even know they were in a crisis until there were civilian protests, marches and even riots in some more particularly anti-alien communities and cities.

The situation was rapidly spinning out of control at a rate not seen since the fall of the Imperium. Shortly after the first wave of protests, socialists and communist elements within the human lower classes demanded fair treatment in the workplace, with aliens now finding themselves in the economic position humanity had prior to the economic and social reforms. The union's and socialists marched shortly after the reactionaries did, the marches followed by worker strikes and further rioting.

The first act of serious violence was when the socialists and reactionary protesters clashed, forcing police to pacify the city located on the capital world itself. The government went into damage control, trying its best to pacify the protesters and (Unknown to anyone else but the government, who went to lengths to keep it secret) the increasingly agitated military.

The protests and violence in the major cities died down for a time however the social and economic issues were never really resolved, simply put on hold. Despite peace returning, underneath the supposed return to the status quo was a growing anti-government rebel sentiment across all worlds. Obscure and otherwise powerless political parties started gaining in popularity and votes, the ultra-right and board line illegal NOOV-Party gaining as much as 15% of the votes in the elections. There was a resurrection in the romanticist movement and returned interest in Imperial and Duchy culture. Racial gang violence was at an all time high on Magnus Terra. The government of the Republic merely postponed the inevitable by closing the lid of a boiling kettle.

The momentary peace was finally ended by an otherwise unimportant court case involving violence between Vatani refugee's and a human citizen whom was killed by the refugee's when they assumed the human was coming to once again harass and beat them. The courts favoured the Vatani due to previous incidents of similar nature being associated with ethnic violence and the refugee's walked away free. The enraged human populace of the local area rose up in protest, causing a chain reaction across the entire republic. Once again the people marched through the cities but in numbers than dwarfed the first time. The major cities of New Arcturus and Magnus Terra attracted millions of human protests. The NOOVP continued to rise in popularity and its membership sky-rocketed. It formed its own private paramilitary, the National People's Vanguard (NPV, also known as the Blackcoats) which went on to form a 100,000 man march, the blackcoats goose-stepping down main city roads while waving old flags of the Imperium and playing patriotic marching music. In Magnus Terra and Palatine, the protests were actually supported by the planetary and local government who even helped finance the logistics of the rallies.

The protests were then joined by even more humans and aliens, gathering in the millions to perform counter-protests. When the government brought in enforcers and national guard to finally stop the madness, any sense of order and calm was finally destroyed. The infamous Republic Culture Centre Bombing occurred which ended the 'protest stage' of the rebellion. Two miniaturized thermo-nuclear bombs were detonated on the Republic Culture Centre, A superstructure located in the middle of one of the largest cities on New Arcturus, killing 2.4 million people.

Global martial law was declared on numerous worlds, stock markets crashed across the republic (and even other nations like the grand duchy) and interstellar panic ensued. Predicting a colossal backlash, the government had loyal military forces and fleets deployed, tanks rolled down town streets and government loyalist militia's armed to the teeth. Two weeks later, a second bombing occurred on Yeth, destroying the Yethari Cultural History Museum and surrounding area (Luckily they were only conventional bombs).

A month later, the most unlikely rebel action occurred. A small district in the very heart of the capital of the republic declared independence. Communist radical forces declared the formation of a "Free Arcturian State" from a single building. A fifty day siege continued until the area was bombed by the Arcturian Air Force. Over 12,000 were killed in the fighting and following bombing. Less than a day after the siege ended, numerous similar 'Free States" begun forming across the republic, both communist and reactionary aligned.

While the Arcturian military dealt with the communist and reactionary rebel compounds, reports from the intelligence agencies were coming in to the government warning of an imminent military coup against the republic. Moved to act immediately, the Republic prepared for a now very real possibility of interstellar civil war. Following intelligence reports, the Republic successfully cracked down on a military conspiracy, arresting a large number of military officers. The conspirators were handed over to the agency for interrogation.

Embolden by the successful crackdown on an attempted coup, loyalist military and militia forces advanced onwards recapturing most of the rebel territory. Roughly 45,000 people died in these campaigns. Even with these government victories, the rebellion continued to grow in size and radicalism. A campaign of smaller bombings begun against smaller targets ranging from Vatani refugee camps to train stations. Finally, the rebels made their next major move since the nuclear bombing. On the anniversary of the first blackcoat march, Adrian Heinlan, leader of the NOOVP made a daring speech at a romanticist festival, the NOOVP leader calling for a "march on New Arcturus". And so the NOOVP coup begun.

140,000 blackcoats armed with assault rifles, machine guns, legged humanoid drones and trucks made their march towards the capital of the republic. During the coup they captured a number of smaller cities and towns before eventually being halted by the military. The 140,000 blackcoats engaged the army in a few scattered guerrilla battles until eventually they retreated when the army moved in tanks, gunships and mechs. Adrian Heinlan was captured, arrested and then jailed for high treason.

Despite the failure of the coup, while in jail Heinlan only grew more popular, and both the death of numerous NOOVP members and the banning of the party acted as a martyrdom. While the major NOOVP leaders were even in hiding or prison and their followers waiting their return, the major rebel activity was now acted out by the Imperial Restoration Faction. Though previously remaining quiet in the fighting it had been using its time and resources to gain contacts and supporters in local governments and military forces. It thought that now was the time to mobilize, both with the republic in chaos and the NOOVP unable to move. Augustine Arcturus, nicknamed "Fashti XIX" returned to the New Arcturus Republic (He lived in the Grand Duchy) to proclaim himself the rightful emperor and ruler of the Imperium.

Upon the arrival of the self declared emperor, the Republic realized their intelligence agency was correct. Numerous military bases and fleets of the republic went dark, appearing later in a joint proclamation declaring the Republic an illegitimate government. The government knew now that civil war was inevitable. Reaffirming their presence in the rebellion, the NOOVP led another bombing campaign, its greatest success being the assassination of the former Prime Minister, killed when two members of the NOOVP disguised as media personnel detonated hidden explosives on their bodies while shaking hands with the Prime Minister.

Though not considered the actual first battle of the civil war, the first conflict between rebel-aligned military and loyalists was on the world of Palatine. Many local state governments and the planetary government of Palatine were clearly sided with the human rebels and there were already talks of secession from the republic. Alien minorities and loyalist human militia's knew full well what was going to happen, so they struck first. The loyalist militia's armed with weapons from the federal government attacked the state and planetary government without orders from the capital or loyalist military.

An isolated however global conflict broke out on Palatine, loyalist militia's and aliens fighting against rebel militia's and the state/planetary military. In a twist of fate, many Palatine soldiers and officers loyal to the republic ended up siding with the rebels that day once the militia's begun performing more questionable actions to stop the rebellion that were not too dissimilar to the rebel militia's. The isolated conflict continued on up to until the interstellar civil war broke out, by then merging into the larger conflict (The federal government hesitated to join the war on Palatine, fearing if they did so, it would merely convince other state and planetary governments to rebel).

By this point, the Imperial Restoration Party now had its own army behind its back, Palatine's army and state government were now virtually already at war with the republic and Magnus Terra was awaiting the return of the NOOVP. The next rebel move was sudden and quiet enough the the government could not once again stop it. Adrian Heinlan simply walked straight out of prison. Before the government could stop his unlikely escape, he was already heading towards Magnus Terra, whose planetary government had sworn their support to the NOOVP cause.

When Heinlan arrived, Magnus Terra officially declared independence from the New Arcturus Republic and in the same announcement declared war. The civil war had officially begun. In a rapid blitzkrieg, the Magnus Terra forces along with blackcoat and militia support overrun 70% of the loyalist forces on the planet, laying siege to the rapidly retreating loyalist army and militia.

The Republic assembled their forces, sending a fleet and army straight towards Magnus Terra to put an end to the civil war before the rebels could organize into an interstellar front. Following intelligence contributed by the same agency that took down the military conspiracy, the republican fleet jumped straight into...

A trap. Set for them by the same intelligence agency that captured and arrested so called 'rebel' conspirators (Actually loyalists meeting to work out a plan to find and shut-down the rebels inside the military). The same intelligence agency that also 'captured', 'imprisoned' and then freed Adrian Heinlan, who they work for. In a infamous battle that acts both as a shocking defeat to the republic and a rally call for revenge, half of the fleet sent to pacify Magnus Terra switched sides half way through the battle over the planet.

The republican fleet, pressed between the Magnus Terra fleet and the betrayal from their own was obliterated in orbit, heavy casualties for both navy and army with only a few smaller ships escaping the trap. Immediately after the treacherous battle, the rebels declared the formation of the "United Front of the Old Order", with an alliance between the NOOVP, Magnus Terra government and Imperial Restoration Faction signed.

Despite the rebel cause growing rapidly in numbers and strength, the betrayal over Magnus Terra had an unwanted side-effect for the rebels. It was then used by the savy Republic media and propaganda departments as a call to arms. Waves of patriotic and enraged republican civilians human and alien alike eagerly signed up as troops to fight in the civil war. The Republic was no longer going to hold back, and now was going into full war mobilization.

After the founding of the UF, rebels mobilized across the Republic. An imposingly large chunk of New Arcturus declared independence. While the republic fought at the capital and continued besieging Magnus Terra, rebel fleets carried armies to assault Ishkaar, homeworld of the Ishkaaran xeno's. After a year of civil war fighting, the war turned around as the Republicans regained their military and naval strength to launch a sustained offensive. For the next two years, the Republic would lead a number of successful military campaigns against the rebels, forcing the rebels out of the capital city and cutting off rebels on New Arcturus by breaking the rebel blockade. Republican morale soared as they pushed forward, breaking the rebel blockade on Ishkaar next and liberating the Ishkaar capital from rebel occupation.

By mid-point through the war (3 years ago), the tide of the war once again moved. Palatine finally declared independence from the republic, joined the UF and declared war on the republic. The Palatine loyalist fighters were being pushed back by the famous Republican Field Marshal Raelburn Erwing Lehm, now a UF Field Marshal. In space, the equally famous Admiral Torman Javen Javenson launched his daring fleet assault directly into the heart of Republican space, forcing the Republic to call ships back from blockading Magnus Terra to fight him. Admiral T.J Javenson went on to be known as "Steelhull" for his dauntless persistence and fearless commanding from the front, despite being an admiral.

To relieve UF forces further, Field Marshal R.E.Lehm was redeployed to Magnus Terra to fight the famous Republican General Argus Bradley. The two commanders essentially deadlocked the entire planet and the war stagnated.

By the current day, six years since Magnus Terra declared independence, the war has gone on far longer than anyone would have imagined and with no end in sight. The rebel and loyalist armies continue to swell with numbers and the battlefields with corpses. Not even the use of tactical thermo-nuclear weapons have removed the fighting spirit of either side. Fighting continue's on Magnus Terra, Palatine, New Arcturus and Ishkaar following a renewed UF assault on the planet. Even Yeth and Aurolia are now targets of the civil war.

A new morning rises over the planet of Ishkaar and UF rebel forces awaken in the ruined cities with sounds of patriotic music blasting away. As they prepare to launch another offensive against the enemy entrenchment, a third and far more brutal force approaches from far beyond the Republic.

Subfaction Of: The New Arcturus Republic
Formed From: The National Old Order Vanguard Party(NOOVP/AKA: The Black Faction) and the Imperial Restoration Front
Forming State(About to be formed): The Confederation To Restore The Imperium
Desired State: The Second Arcturus Imperium

Leaders and Persons of Interest [+]

Political
~Chancellor and NOOVP Party Leader, Adrian Heinlan
Age: 46
Birthplace: Industrial City 04("Smokestacks City"), Magnus Terra, New Arcturus Republic
Ideology: National-Populism
Reason For Rebellion: Ideological(Revolutionary), Personal, Hatred & Ambition

~"Emperor" and IRF Leader, Horace Juliannus Augustine von Arcturian

Age: 42
Birthplace: Arcturian Estate, Antaeus, Grand Duchy
Ideology: Enlightened Despotism
Reason For Rebellion: Ideological(Revolutionary)

~Minister of Culture, Josephine Gorsel
Age: 37
Birthplace: Novas Haven, New Arcturus, New Arcturus Republic
Ideology: National-Populism
Reason For Rebellion: Ideological(Revolutionary), Party Loyalty

~Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Extraordinary, Dr.Immanuel Freed

Age: 111 (Transhuman)
Birthplace: Novas Haven, New Arcturus, New Arcturus Republic
Ideology: National-Populism
Reason For Rebellion: Ideological(Revolutionary), Scientific curiosity, Experiment

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Population: Variable. (Constantly changing as more territory leaves the Republic, is conquered from the Republic or is recaptured by the Republic)
Humans (>85%)
Other (<15%)

Government Type: United Front. (Rebel Coalition)

Ideology: National-Populism: Anti-Xeno, Pro-Human, Human Supremacist, Reactionary, Ultra-nationalist, Conservative, Fascist, Monarchist, Human Populist

Head of State: United Front (Various rebel leaders, arguably a Duumvirate between Heinlan and Von Arcturian)

Head of Government: United Front (Various rebel leaders, arguably a Duumvirate between Heinlan and Von Arcturian)

Worlds:
Magnus Terra (Capital, rebel stronghold and declared independence, Strong ongoing conflict, NAR assault)
Palatine (rebel stronghold and declared independence, ongoing conflict)
New Arcturus (Strong ongoing conflict)
Ishkaar (Strong ongoing conflict, UF assault)
Aurolia (Ongoing conflict)
Yeth (Ongoing conflict)
Antaeus (Former UF planet, recently recaptured by the Duchy after prolonged fighting)

General Military Information:

Republic Pre-War Model Army of the United Front [+]

Note: This refers to units and equipment either used(like the militia) or acquired(Like the Wanton series armour) before the formation of the UF. These things are still used after the declaration, however are also supplemented by the now more common UF-developed units and equipment.
~Land Force:
-Early Civil War-Period Rebel Militia (Pre-Declaration of Independence)

Walton Series Powered Armors

-Cohort (Outdated model pulled out of emergency military reserves and stores)

-Praetorian (Outdated heavy model pulled out of emergency military reserves and store)

-Legionary (Up to date and current Republic Army model)

Drones

Guardian Infantry Drone (Large quantity claimed when stored Guardians were reprogrammed when local military bases revolted)

Vehicles
Archer IFV

Vanguard MBT (Magnus Terra had a significant number of Vanguard MBT's located on the world, the early civil war rebels took a liking to the tank and it eventually became otherwise known as the ""NPV Tank" due to the Vanguard rebels use of the coincidently named tank. They played an important role during Heinlans Blitzkrieg.)