Dictator Problem

[Lord Revan]

The problem is that a planetary dictator and his forces must dealt with, but your popular support in this sector is so low that you can't just bombard his forces to the stone age. (this happens during the clone wars)

his forces are
20,000 elite guardsmen (good training, moderate weapons)
15,000,000 local militia (like Naboo security forces, poor morale) (already deployed)
1 big fortress with shields (like the rebel base at Hoth)

your forces are
10 Acclamator class troop transposts with full compliment
1 Terror class flagships(SSD) (my own invention, similar to Executor in terms of firepower and troop compliment)

what would you do when

1. The dictator has captured VIPs that must not be killed in the attack

2. The dictator has no VIPs.

EDIT:Added the stuff about militia deployment

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Number 2 is so simple that it hardly bears thinking. I've got 160,000 crack troops with mech and arty support to his 20000 infantry, and while he has 15 million militia, it is spread all over the planet and probably doesn't have the transport to come against me all at once, or even within a reasonable period of time. Hell, if I jam his comms, they might not even know where to try to go. In any case, I'm sure Terror and its fighter complement would go a long way to ensuring total superiority and death for any large formations of militia coming my way.

Number 1. I guess I'd try and get a commando team to secure those hostages, then go back to step 2.

[Lord Revan]

Number 2 is so simple that it hardly bears thinking. I've got 160,000 crack troops with mech and arty support to his 20000 infantry, and while he has 15 million militia, it is spread all over the planet and probably doesn't have the transport to come against me all at once, or even within a reasonable period of time. Hell, if I jam his comms, they might not even know where to try to go. In any case, I'm sure Terror and its fighter complement would go a long way to ensuring total superiority and death for any large formations of militia coming my way.

Number 1. I guess I'd try and get a commando team to secure those hostages, then go back to step 2.

The militia count is for the capital and can be asumed already there(He has even more the count is what he can deploy in short time before your attack.)

[Techno_Union]

The problem is that a planetary dictator and his forces must dealt with, but your popular support in this sector is so low that you can't just bombard his forces to the stone age. (this happens during the clone wars)

his forces are
20,000 elite guardsmen (good training, moderate weapons)
15,000,000 local militia (like Naboo security forces, poor morale) (already deployed)
1 big fortress with shields (like the rebel base at Hoth)

your forces are
10 Acclamator class troop transposts with full compliment
1 Terror class flagships(SSD) (my own invention, similar to Executor in terms of firepower and troop compliment)

what would you do when

1. The dictator has captured VIPs that must not be killed in the attack

2. The dictator has no VIPs.

EDIT:Added the stuff about militia deployment

1. Lower the Terror into the lower atmosphere/low orbit, threaten to use deadly force by bombardment. If the dictator does not comply to release hostages, a light bombardment using low powered turbolaser shots which would wipe out a good chunk of his troops. Put the Acclamators into landing positions and use their proton torpedoe launchers to surgically strike minor bunkers and/or outposts (nothing on BDZ scales). After the Acclamators landed they would deploy LAATs to make attack runs to weaken inner defenses of both the militia and elite guards. ATTEs would have been landing to make a forwards position in the captial, ground troops have already taken control of major food supplies and key military installations. If the dictator still does not release the VIPs, then I would have to resort to brutal entry into the fortress, troops are expendable during the Clone Wars since they roll off an "assembly line." If the VIPs have been killed, then I would willingly execute the dictator after many hours of torture.

2. Same as number one, except the use of force would be more widly used since I do not have to worry about the VIPs.

[JME2]

I'd just call Jedi or get the dictator on Jerrfy Springer and get him to resolve his childhood issues on the Holonet.

[Sarevok]

Number 2 is somewhat difficult. Lets assume the VIPs are held in the shielded fortess. Low level orbital bombardment from the Accamalators will be used to destroy the shield and the shield generators.

Once that happens LAAT gunships will be launched. The LAATs will join with fighters launched from the Terror. Togather they will conduct airstrikes disabling the fortresses defense.

After that elite ARC trooper commandoes will be landed to secure the fortess and free the hostages.

[JME2]

Another solution - call George Lucas to write up a crappy rescue plan involving Gungans and Ewoks and a whole bunch of other crap.

[LordShaithis]

Number 2 is somewhat difficult. Lets assume the VIPs are held in the shielded fortess. Low level orbital bombardment from the Accamalators will be used to destroy the shield and the shield generators.

The Hoth shield was "capable of resisting any bombardment" from Vader's squadron, and they had Star Destroyers instead of Acclamators.

[Sarevok]

But shields are not invincible. Sustained orbital bombardment will collapse any shield. It might take a long time like days or weeks though.

[Lord Revan]

But shields are not invincible. Sustained orbital bombardment will collapse any shield. It might take a long time like days or weeks though.

Only prolem is that such operation would hand the sector to the CIS, since any bombarment would cause heavy damage to the unshielded part of the planet.

Remember SW do not absorb energy they deflect it.

[Techno_Union]

But shields are not invincible. Sustained orbital bombardment will collapse any shield. It might take a long time like days or weeks though.

Only prolem is that such operation would hand the sector to the CIS, since any bombarment would cause heavy damage to the unshielded part of the planet.

Remember SW do not absorb energy they deflect it.

Not neccessarily, there are SW shields that can absorb energy and feed it to other systems, but I will have to take another look at Mike's shields page.

Also, precision bombardment limits civilian casualties.

[Lord Revan]

But shields are not invincible. Sustained orbital bombardment will collapse any shield. It might take a long time like days or weeks though.

Only prolem is that such operation would hand the sector to the CIS, since any bombarment would cause heavy damage to the unshielded part of the planet.

Remember SW do not absorb energy they deflect it.

Not neccessarily, there are SW shields that can absorb energy and feed it to other systems, but I will have to take another look at Mike's shields page.

Also, precision bombardment limits civilian casualties.

Shield on SD-10 wardroid IIRC. Tell me does precision bombarment would help with the popular support problem?

[Techno_Union]

Don't get defensive I did not mean any offense, I was merely stating that some shields are different. Also, I took it to mean that only a BDZ scale bombardment would lower support, not a small scale one where there are limited civilian casualties. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding.

[Lord Revan]

Don't get defensive I did not mean any offense, I was merely stating that some shields are different. Also, I took it to mean that only a BDZ scale bombardment would lower support, not a small scale one where there are limited civilian casualties. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding.

No problem.

[Drooling Iguana]

Claim that the dictator is stockpiling WMDs, provide no evidence, and BDZ the place.

[Jordie]

Nah, he's a dictator, and you're in command of a SSD. You get along smashingly.

[hvb]

Lets see; we have superior firepower, tech, mobility... everything but numbers actually.

I would have to go with an only sightly modifyed version of a plan used by the american forces under similar conditions in capturing a warlord in downtown Mogadishu ... no ... wait!

[xammer99]

The problem is that a planetary dictator and his forces must dealt with, but your popular support in this sector is so low that you can't just bombard his forces to the stone age. (this happens during the clone wars)

his forces are
20,000 elite guardsmen (good training, moderate weapons)
15,000,000 local militia (like Naboo security forces, poor morale) (already deployed)
1 big fortress with shields (like the rebel base at Hoth)

your forces are
10 Acclamator class troop transposts with full compliment
1 Terror class flagships(SSD) (my own invention, similar to Executor in terms of firepower and troop compliment)

what would you do when

1. The dictator has captured VIPs that must not be killed in the attack

2. The dictator has no VIPs.

EDIT:Added the stuff about militia deployment

1. Black out his communications outside of his fortress.
2. Have your Psychological Warfare guys whip up some home movies of said dictator having sexual congress with whatever the local foul form of life is with plenty of "who's your daddy!"'s tossed in.
3. Give said dictator a preview of videos and remind him that his power as dictator rests upon his people fearing him, and who is going to fear a man who makes homemade porns of himself scrogging <insert local foul form of life here>.

Some other tasty tricks:

- Deposit 500,000,000 credits in said Dictator's personal bank account and arrnage for it to be discovered by the local media. Then 'reluctantly' give an interview and deny whole heartedly that you are buying back the hostages. Oh and have some of your own guys 'leak' it out the 'details' of the Dictator's 'relationship' with the Republic. Or better yet, turn one of his and have them leak the details.

- Relocate the gungan population to his home planet.

- Blockade his planet. You don't have to stop everything, just the food shipments. While taking over the local entertainment networks and reminding them every 30 seconds that if the hostages are not turned back over, then they will continue to not get food. 30 days later you'll have your hostages or he's got a revolution on his hands. This is of course assuming that said planet is in a food situation similiar to that of the United States in that it is never more than a month from revolution.

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