[STGOD] Primary Story Thread

[Seggybop]

Kokand is not interested in selling any of the Martian surface at this point. We would however be willing to lease the minimal rights to you for a period. Payment would be in the form of 15% of a all minerals extracted.

We agree that this deal is fair. We will set up a facility in whichever area you designate, and ship your percentage of the materials to you each day.

[Sea Skimmer]

We agree that this deal is fair. We will set up a facility in whichever area you designate, and ship your percentage of the materials to you each day.

Then the agreement shall go into effect. Our surveys have shown mineral deposits under the edges of Chrsye Planitia. We will have you mine there.

[Spyder]

Fellow ITA members. The Polls on Fenari membership have closed and the votes have been counted.

The ITA welcomes our newest member buy unanimous decision, the Fenari Packs!

Final Results:

Allow the Fenari Packs membership into the ITA:

Yea:
Minmatar
Outworlds Alliance
KSE
DE
PIR
UPK

Nea:
-none-

[The Yosemite Bear]

We also have more powerful systems to demonstrate, Purhaps a "Grendel" Artillery/Light Anti-Ship Ground unit. The ground effect chambers allow for high mobility through most any terran, and once the chamber and skirts are completly grounded and recoil system engaged, the Rail assisted Rockets can engage any target within a theater, as well as save fuel costs on ground based missiles (as the rocket motors do not kick in until later), without even using Rocket motors the Grendel's "Hunting Dart" High Velocity vibroshielded round can penetrate any ground armour or even engage a target in orbit.

The "Gere" class APC, is also high mobility and uses several missiles for defense/offense purposes (losats)

The "Magni" class MBT uses a composite armour, as well as a Primary Fusion Laser main gun. (Very large Heat beam, like a 40k Multi-melta, but not as powerful)

[Lord of the Farce]

ATTN: Republic of Tho'a-hal Diplomatic Mission
From: CINCFLEET Admiral Hassan al-Majid
RE: Treaty Terms

The Outworld Alliance respectfully requests clarification on the terms of the treaty you are proposing.

To: CINCFLEET Admiral Hassan al-Majid
From: Michael le Fey, Rep. President of the Republic of Tho'a-hal
Subject: RE: Treaty Terms

Although we have not yet worked out any firm terms, since we do wish for the details to be ironed out between us, this is the preliminary list of proposals involved:

• None of the parties in this treaty may declare war on another nation without good justification and the approval of the other(s).
• Should any of the parties in this treaty come under attack, the other parties are obligated to provide whatever assistance that they can.
• For a fair compensation, should any ships and crew from the parties of the treaty require the use of any facilities (eg. repair, medical, etc), it should be provided ahead of those not in the treaty.
• Between the parties of the treaty, exchange of technology (whether military or otherwise) should always be for a smaller price than the same technology in the open markets.

As it is mentioned above, this is only a preliminary list, and the Outworld Alliance can freely add or modify the terms until it is satisfactory to both our interest.

Also, as it is implied in the list, the Republic of Tho'a-hal would be happy for the Outworld Alliance to bring in other nations to join in the discuss of the treaty, and perhaps sign up on the final, satisfactory version of the treaty.

[Raxmei]

Attention: All Star nations and the companies within
From: Kokand Trade Department
Subject: IDCEX Open to foreign companies

The escort carrier Catabole has completed rearming and will shortly return to your system with her usual complement of escorts and other forces. The Skaven particularly wish to showcase their marines, the Chaperon-class escort, and their structural integrity technology.

[Cpt_Frank]

Three Type-88 transports, accompagnied by a Type-69 destroyer, were heading away from the planet New Beijing at full sublight.

"Distance from gravity well for safe hyperspace jump is sufficient.
Set course for the Kokand Empire's territory. Engage hyperdrive when ready." The sublight engines of the four ships flashed up as they seemed to accelerate rapidly, and the next moment they were gone.

[Companion Cube]

ATTN: Republic of Tho'a-hal Diplomatic Mission
From: CINCFLEET Admiral Hassan al-Majid
RE: Treaty Terms

The Outworld Alliance respectfully requests clarification on the terms of the treaty you are proposing.

To: CINCFLEET Admiral Hassan al-Majid
From: Michael le Fey, Rep. President of the Republic of Tho'a-hal
Subject: RE: Treaty Terms

The Outworld Alliance finds these conditions satisfactory.

[Straha]

Admiral Santiago, chief commander of the Monacoran Astral Navy, looked out the window of his office in the Crystal palace. There were revelers and cheering people ina big noisy party celebrating the Holiday of St. Devote, it was a Loal holiday of Monaco. Silently he thanked the security service for the window being covered outside by a holograph making it look like a normal brick office building, with no window. The sound dampeners were keeping any noise from outside entering into the small office.
Turning back from the window the Admiral looked again at the holo-projector on the center of his desk, currently it was frozen in one scene showing a last line of the Monacoran Battle-Stations stabnding up to the OU and Kokkand Navy, in a substitution of the Monacoran Astral Navy for the NRE navy in the Octavian system. So far they had only come up with one possible stale-mate situation, it was a bit of a de-moralizer for the Admiral.
He looked up as he heard the guards outside the Door in Snap to attention. Lieutenant-Admiral Trufelles walked in, he snapped a salute and immeadietly began talking.
"Sir, the out-fitting of all ships with ANti-Missle Batteries has begun, teh Ships in the Mardup Colony are also ready for go, and the Marines and Army report that they have their regiments in place. But we just need to have your aprroval to train the bridge crews of the Navy in hand signals."
The Chief Commander looked up and said "I thought we agreed this was a no-go, it would take to long to train and we would get too few results. We aren't like the Army or marines. The other one?"
Trufelles looked iritated, but continued on.
"Next we would like to inform the Fenrai about the Infiltrators and th..."
"NO! We went over this before, A. We wiped out every one we ever made, B. Ours are only from two centuries ago, and they say they fought them many centuries ago, and finally if the military prince wanted us to tell them, he would have ordered us to, or would have done it himself."
"But can we just let them have the gas?"
"For a final time NO! Just provide a second round of Innoculations to the sailors and to the marines serving with the pack. Is that all?"
The Lieutenant Admiral nodded, and saluted, in response Santiago put his fist over the ADmiral's starburst worn on the center of his chest, Trufulles thought that it looked oddly like the Admiral was holding the star itself, before turning around and leaving the office.
The admiral reclined for a minute, and then went back to work, trying to figure out what they could do right in order to win this mock battle.

[Sea Skimmer]

Thaumasia plateau, Martian surface

Another explosion rocked the landscape. Twenty five thousand pounds of XBD explosives tore apart a crater wall, collapsing much of it and shattering the rock of the rest. Dust and rock flew into the air, but for the most part the blast was contained and did its job, for this was no impact crater. It was in fact a man made hole, being excavated at an incredible rate for military purposes. The process could have gone even faster with the use of atomic demolition munitions. But with other star nations also building on the world there use had been strictly limited.

A pair of massive power shovels approached the resulting debris, and began loading a train with there 200 cubic meter capacity buckets. The train was quite simple, employing rails and wheels rather then more efficient but slowly constructed mag lev or expensive repulser technology. A single shovel full filed a car. But there where allot of cars in each train and many heavy trucks working as well.

With the train filled the locomotives hauled it away and up a long ramp cut into the far wall the crater. Another train had already pulled up for loading on a parallel side track. Not a single moment would be wasted in the process. When it came time for another blasting the engineers would lay a new section of track closer to the wall while others planted the charges.

General DeVera watched from the crater rim. His mobile command track was attached by a section of tube, a small separate building allow him to view the process though his own eyes without a space suit. An aid stepped up behind him.

"Magnificent," said DeVera. "They'll be done sooner then I thought. Wont be long before the foundations can be poured."
"Yes General, and the other teams are making equally good time. Where going through a lot of explosives though." His aid could be a master of the obvious at times, but was good at his job.
"We'll if they'd let me nuke this hole we'd be done digging by now. But someone thought the Slavs might not like all the rads.
Now what where you hear about?"
"The last vessel has arrived. They can be ready to go within the hour."
"Good, inform Brown she can deploy when ready."
"Yes sir."

[Spyder]

ITASF regional commander reports 87% reduction in piracy in the Octavia system.

"Ever since the NRE became ITA members we've been making our presense known. We've already captured two major pirate bases that are to be handed over to NRE officials. ITA trade lanes will never be overrun, not while the ITASF is here to protect them."

[Straha]

ITASF regional commander reports 87% reduction in piracy in the Octavia system.

"Ever since the NRE became ITA members we've been making our presense known. We've already captured two major pirate bases that are to be handed over to NRE officials. ITA trade lanes will never be overrun, not while the ITASF is here to protect them."

On that note we would like to announce that we have obliberated two moons which had Pirate Bases on them using the Hyper-Drivers. Wreckage is available for sale to interested parties.

BTW, we would like to know if you aknowledged the donation of three marine regiments to the ITASF, as it was posted right after the War against the NRE.

[Sea Skimmer]

OOC: I am making this post conditional on no one having any preexisting declared claims in sub Saharan Africa or Arabian peninsula south of the southern tip of Israel. I checked every force declaration I could find and found none. However where talking about dozens of pages and I might have missed something. Anyway things are boring around hear.

***

Sol System

Twenty large transports and container freighters along with fifteen smaller ones had collected in Martian orbit beyond the normal collection of military support ships serving as an temporary base for the four Kokand Black Forest battlegroup assigned to guard Mars until the main base and defenses where completed.

Now there engines came online and the ships maneuvered out of the planets gravity well accompanied by six frigates and a pair of cruisers. The big freighter remained close together as the smaller ones move ahead to compute hyperspace jumps. They jumped as close as they dared, into earth space, above the southern Indian Ocean, high above the territory of no one.

The cargo ships approached the planet, adjusting themselves to be continually over southern Africa as they closed the range to the planet. Transponders squawked civilian and indeed the ships where so. They approached the atmosphere, being scanned heavily by curious battle stations and starships. There where no weapons aboard.

Rapidly there craft dropped down near vertically through the atmosphere, they're weak shielding struggling to keep up with the heat. But as they went below 10,000 feet each ship ceased its rapid decent as they fanned out above the Congo. Several headed south, others to the continents edges and others to the north. Finding landing zones for the 170-meter craft wasn't always easy, but eventually they all did with the first setting down on the Katanga Plateau. A ramp lowered amidships.

Kate Brown, the Kokand secretary of state was the first to walk down, accompanied by several men and a dolly with equipment. It was hot and humid, but she was used to such conditions in her many trips across the sector. The equipment was quickly unpacked; it mainly consisted of a holocamara and a transmitter back into the ship. Soon all was ready.

"Where ready to go in five, four three two one." He gestured as the camera came on, center on her. The transmission was going out live to anyone on the planet tuned to the proper channel.

"I am Kate Brown, secretary of state for the Kokand Empire. I come to you the people and governments of earth from the Katanga Plateau of, on the continent of Africa. It is not a continent held in high regard by many. Perhaps because of it's near total depopulation, the plundering of many of its natural resources or its remote nature. Perhaps because no governments exist. But even as the star nations of earth reached for the stars and settled the wider sector they have ignored this healing beauty so close to home. But Kokand has noticed. Long ago we where torn from the planet and left on another to build our own civilization. Since our discovery of the star nations of the galaxy we have desired a piece of our ancient home, even if none now or since the early days have remembered it. But now we have it. Kokand proclaims that all of this continent south from latitude twenty north is now its sovereign territory with those few scattered and abandon people within it granted full rights as Kokand citizens. We also now claim the Arabian peninsula south of latitude twenty-nine degrees north. The scattered people hear by been similarly ignored and neglected since the expiration of their oil and destruction of there cities. The nations of earth need not fear this new order; we plan to introduce little in the way of military technology that might upset your balance of power. But we ask that you not take actions that would force us to change that policy."

The speech ended.
"That went pretty well, keep sending it out in case any of the news stations missed it. Our ambassadors are already meeting with the governments to inform them of this formally I trust?"
"Yes Misses Brown. And the transports are already setting up the sensor equipment and drones to give us a full picture of our new land."
"Good. Now we wait for their replies before calling in the heavy equipment ships."
She turned to walk back inside to wait in the cool.

[Thirdfain]

Bondman Corporal Byun-Ki Park sweated heavily in his combat armor, despite the cool climate of the dropship's combat bay. He had nevedr been through a re-entry before, and the noise and motion was unbearable. The dropship's acceleration assured that he couldn't feel gravity's pull yet, but one corner of his mind was acting up against the year and a half of training he had gone through already. His body had been reshaped for his new posting, built to survive, and thrive, in the mother world's gravity well. Never the less, he feared the shackles the mother worlds was about to place around his ankles. The countdown ran out it's last numbers, and Bondman Corporal Park's training lept into sudden gear. The motions came naturally to him, as he curled up in his G-couch. Touchdown sent a shock through the compartment, but the corporal's reflexes, hammered into his brain by months of training and deep-seated psychological programming, took control. He grabbed his fletcher, slammed the door eject button, and hit the ground running, his boots pinging as they touched the rock, superheated by the dropshit's brakeing engines. His sergeant followed him, shouting no orders- the rest of the team was acting as trained, fanning out across the sand, setting up heavy fletchers, hitting the dirt, running, taking the ground.

For miles around, hundreds of other such vessels made touchdown, and thousands of Zarathrustrans began their first day on the mother world, ensconced in war games and training. They would make dozens of combat-simulation drops like this one, they would practice urban assault in the mock-up the engineers were already assembling a few miles away in the desert.

-


Floater military training facilities prepared in the Sahara, with a supply base in Algeria.

[phongn]

"Admiral, we've done it. We've got the solution to our problem of minimal point-defense."

"Well, spit it out, Roald. What has BuOrd come up with this time?"

"We've designed a phased-array MASER. It's small, has a very fast reaction time and decent range. Plus, the system can double as a sort of microwave-band LIDAR."

"It looks complex, if promising"

"Our tests on it have been outstanding. We outfitted the test ship Decateur with a dozen mounts. They were able to stop all but the largest salvos without jamming support."

Tech Overview

Functionally, it acts like a phaser strip, except that it fires high-powered microwaves at enemy missiles. This tends to completely fry their targetting system and sometimes can detonate their warheads (esp. M/AM devices). It has a very fast reaction time and is generally coupled with a basic sensor/fire control suite.

[Spyder]

On that note we would like to announce that we have obliberated two moons which had Pirate Bases on them using the Hyper-Drivers. Wreckage is available for sale to interested parties.

BTW, we would like to know if you aknowledged the donation of three marine regiments to the ITASF, as it was posted right after the War against the NRE.

[ITASF]
Marines received and are now undergoing ITASF personnel induction which includes weapons and munitions training for the various assault weapons contributed by the other ITA members (apart from the ones they already know i.e. yours) and further training on combat against non-professional armies such as pirate groups and smugglers.

[Minmatar]
The Minmatar respectfully request that the Monacoran Empire, or any Empire for that matter, only destroy large stellar bodies as a last resort in any engagement. While there are plenty of planets and moons to go around today, in a three or four centuries ground space may become a rare commodity in this sector of space (especially if our research into the longevity vacine is successful.)

[phongn]

"The North American Union requests a late entry into IDCEX to showcase our new Mk. I Phased-Array MASER point-defense installation."

[Sea Skimmer]

"The North American Union requests a late entry into IDCEX to showcase our new Mk. I Phased-Array MASER point-defense installation."

Entry accepted.

***



Attention: all star nations
From: Kokand department of Sol system affairs
Subject: Construction in Africa

In coming weeks and months Kokand will be awarding contracts for development of its new African holdings. The first of these is to build a conventional railway line to connect Kokand built lines. This railway shall run some 2500 kilometers, stretching from the are once known as southern Cameroon to the are once known as south eastern Sudan.

The railway shall be twin tracked of 1.6-meter gauge. Construction will be of the highest quality, able to carry a train of up to 20,000 metric tons at speeds of 100kph. Bridges and viaducts must support two trains simultaneously. Locomotives and rolling stock will be Kokand supplied with marshalling yards and support facilities built to the appropriate standards.

Kokand is willing to pay well for a rapid pace of construction, but will likely not award any contract until the conclusion of IDCEX in which several construction company displays are expected.

[phongn]

Westinghouse Heavy Industries will enter a bid for the new railway. We are confident of our superior quality manufacture. We offer both concrete and superplastic rails: both of which are more than capable of withstanding the African climate.

[Beowulf]

Goto Engineering Corporation will be entering a bid for the new railway.

[Sea Skimmer]

The Interstellar Defence and Construction Exhibition for 2800 is now open

***

Neovestral was now a hive of activity. Ranges had been constructed over a vast area of its surface, complete with a vast central enclosed exhibition hall with an attached indoor small arms range. Within the doomed complex private meeting rooms, temporary offices and auditoriums could also be found in consider numbers. Then there was also the attached star port and transport hanger. While the outside surface required only a simple air mask and good shoes, the distances to some ranges was over a thousand kilometers with others in orbit, all of which required fast and enclosed shuttles. Concession stands small stores to supply the needs of the attendees could also be found. Security was ever present, but hidden away in the shadows.

It was in the biggest of the auditoriums that the opening took place. While the transports hauling the bulk of the reporters, analysts and others began arriving at or descending from the orbital hotel ships, mostly leased cruise liners, a select few thousand filled this room. They where the real reason for the Exhibition, for they where the purchasing agents, military officials and civilian contractors whose words could place money in a corporations hands. A man walked out onto the stage.

"Hello. Many of you know me, many don't. I'm General Jack Lock, retired, and the president of FNSS defense systems. I'd just like to welcome all of you to the interstellar defence and Construction exhibition for twenty eight hundred. This is the first time we've expanded to allow for other nations to not only visit but also display and demonstrate, and I'm proud to say we drew far more entries then we expected. So many that I won't keep you any longer, there's some rifles demonstrations coming up in the hour and I believe Coredar is going to be making a pretty big hole soon. Thank you." Lock walked off the stage, moving to speak with a waiting PIR official.

The room soon emptied, as many people went to get something to eat before the intresting stuff started.

[Cpt_Frank]

IDCE

------

The muzzle of the Type-88 flashed as the PIR soldier squeezed the trigger and sent another bullet into the man-sized target 400 meters down the shooting range. The bullet penetrated the target which was made out of solid steel and slammed into the wall behind. The soldier stood up and reloaded his rifle.
"As you can see, out of 60 rounds, we have 43 hits at 400 meters with iron sights. But the type-88 excels not only at long, but also at short range."
He unfolded the bayonet sitting at the right side of the rifle and attached it to the barrel. "Up to 3000 rounds per minute at full auto. However normally, that's nothing but a waste of ammunition. Usually, we use the very controllable fire rate of 600 rpm."
He turned towards a man-sized target about 20 meters away and sprayed it with automatic fire.
"This rifle is suitable for all military models. If your military doesn't use the human wave doctrine, we can deliver the rifle without the fixed bayonet, and with a longer barrel for better accuracy.
The standard armor piercing rounds fired at mach 20 are sufficient for all normal tasks, but we can also offer explosive ammunition which is especially effective against unprotected targets."

-----------

The young PIR officer turned towards the huge grey tank which was crewed with the sexiest tanker chicks the PIR could offer.
"This" he gestured towards the tank "is the Type-98II main battle tank.
At 55 tons, it is still relatively lightweight especially in comparison to it's precursor, the Type-04 battle tank, which is due to the use of revolutionarynew materials. The hull is made from the best Duranium Steel the NORINCO can offer. The front armor is 28cm, the sides 16
and the back 12 cm thick.
The welded turret is constructed from the same material, and 28 cm
at the front, 15 cm at the sides and and 14 cm at the back. It is armed with a 155mm main gun with auto loader for 24 shells. The auto loader is protected by additional 10 cm armor plates. 24 further shells are stored in a seperated compartment protected by a 12 cm armored bulkhead.
The Type-95 main gun can be armed with the traditional HEAT, HEAT-FRAG, SABOT, various guided missiles, and the revolutionary new
Type-99 Guided Plasma Grenades, which can penetrate conventional armor of up to 1700mm thickness at up to 6km. Standard armament is
the Type-18 depleted Uranium shell with a range of up to 12 km.
Average speed of the projectiles mach 10.
The Type-98II is equipped with the Type-96 targeting system, and the conventional Type-16 passive protection system. It is also equipped with the new Type-96 active protection system which fires a high-powered laser at incoming projectiles to destroy them. Secondary armaments include a 13 mm coaxial machine gun firing it's projectiles at mach 20.
On top of the turret, either one 13 mm or 6.7mm MG, or 2 Type-82 anti aircraft missiles can be installed.
On top of all that, the Type-98II offers an economic and powerful gas turbines, which gives the tank a maximum speed of 80 km/h on the road and up to 50 km/h cross country speed. The Type-98 is also a battle-proven design, when it crushed the Rebels on the mining colony
of G-3 under it's mighty treads and showed it's superiority over the captured Type-04 tanks the traitors were using. Currently we have close to 750000 of these great tanks in service, and they have proven themselves to be rugged, reliable and powerful."

Havig said all that without a break, the officer took one deep breath and continued:
"Now, perhaps the most important thing: the PIR sells these tanks at the unbelievable price of 2.5 million of the People's Currency a piece. If you think that's still too much for your military budget, then we can offer you the Type-98 I tank at unbelievable 1.9 million PC, which is basically the same except it has the Type-84 active protection system which is projectile-based, and a cast instead of a welded turret. And if that's still too much, then we can offer you the Type-04 MBT. Although the design is inferior to the Type-98 it is still far from being second class.
These tanks have served in our army with distinction for many years now and are still in service with our civil guard units. NORINCO can also supply a wide range of upgrade packages ranging from additional detatchable armor plates and advanced targeting and protection systems to bring it
up to date. It's 140 mm cannon has capabilities similar to the Type-98's 155 mm cannon and can be upgraded, or replaced by the Type-95 gun.
If you are interested, you should contact the PIR war ministry."

[Sea Skimmer]

A Westinghouse representative slowly walked around the ring of velvet ropes. Inside the ring was a CMC-400 medium material handler. Nice piece of equipment. I'll have to speak to the rep about this one. Suddenly a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to face a young women.
"Hello Mr. Hammit. I'm hear to deliver a message."
He looked her over. She had the cloths and ID of a exhibition employee, and a nice figure.
"Very well."
"A representative from the government of Kokand wishes to meet you in one hour to discuss a railway and matters concerning it. Room six three five one." She handed him a small data card containing the information.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome." She turned and walked away, towards another man.

A few minutes later Goto Engineering official got the same message, with the same room number and time.

[Straha]

The two monacoran generals walked about the floor of the IDCE, sometimes stopping to take a closer look at an exhibit.

Stopping at a vending machine they started talking to each other.
"It's a pity we can't show them our best stuff, it's better then anything here."
"They'll be able to see everythign soon enough."
"But we might not want them to see all that we have, wouldn't it be better to show them here, and let them think whatever theywant of anything else?"
"Yes, it might but this way we'll get more publicity."

[Pablo Sanchez]

Colonel General Gyurzashvili, the representative of the PSR Army at the weaponry exposition, yawned languidly as he reviewed the recording of the People's Interplanetary Republic entries. The rifle was nice, but aside from the punch gained from using a kinetic device rather than an energy weapon, it was by and large inferior to the PSR's xaser service rifle.

Their exposited tank was fair, roughly comparable to the vehicles that the Russian Empire had been using some time before the revolution. As always with the PIR, they had quite a lot of them, and they were dirt cheap. Still, not worth a second look.

It appeared that Commodore Vasilevsky, the navy rep, would be the only one seeing interesting details. Though Gyurzashvili was largely ignorant of naval matters, the "masers" sounded very interesting indeed...