Turn 33 - Autumn 2182/3032
WCDC Defense Council:
[] Forwards Operation Base Circinus: - 5 votes
active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 87 - Success
As the invasion of Circinus had been finished and the planet pacified and preparations made to help the civilian population, the Defense Council believed that the position of Circinus could potentially be advantageous. It was close to the Inner Sphere and as such could act as a first line of defense against any belligerent powers of the Inner Sphere, as the appearance of Cranston Snord's Irregulars had shown, even if they were more peaceful with the WCDC. Additionally, nearby pirate activity could be relatively easily fought from Circinus and the planet act as a base for anti-piracy operations.
As such it was decided the first of the new Undessa Batallion Landing Craft would be used to carry the 3rd through 7th WCDC Expeditionary Regiment to the planet, where they would be stationed for operations against the remaining worlds of the Circinus Federation and destroy any pirate bases they would encounter.
active for 3 more turns
[] Project Indigo Putter: - 5 votes
active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of success: 70%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 41 - Success
With the new Patrol Squadrons beginning their patrol through known space and taking care to move to the habited worlds, the problem of the relatively short time a Patrol could remain in a habited system was brought up by several of the diplomats. To alleviate the problem, the Diplomatic Corps was asked to approach the various governments to allow the WCDC to emplace surveillance satellites and Ternary Ansible Nodes within their systems, as to allow the detection of potential pirate attacks and to directly send a patrol to intercept the pirate in question.
The initial reaction to the request was mixed, with the majority of government not enthusiastic about being observed from afar by WCDC surveillance satellites.
active 3 more turns
WCDC Survey Office:
[] Deep Cover Intelligence:
active
Time: 10 turns, Chance of Success: 60%
Roll 1 of 10, Roll 1d100: 93+10 = 103 - Success (Permanent Squadrons)
Roll 2 of 10, Roll 1d100: 62+10 = 73 - Success
Roll 3 of 10, Roll 1d100: 69+10 = 79 - Success
Roll 4 of 10, Roll 1d100: 20+10 = 30 - Failure
Roll 5 of 10, Roll 1d100: 37+10 = 47 - Success
Roll 6 of 10, Roll 1d100: 61+10 = 71 - Success
Roll 7 of 10, Roll 1d100: 31+10 = 41 - Success
Roll 8 of 10, Roll 1d100: 21+10 = 31 - Failure
Roll 9 of 10, Roll 1d100: 86+10 = 91 - Success
The
A Ship With A View had finally been able to repair the second Jump Drive Casulty on their journey and continued its journey towards Sol, passing through Ford, Giausar, Loric and Dixie, skirting the border to the Free World League and resulting in some questions from the mercenaries of Jureck's Jaegers, especially Captain Alexander Jureck, their commander. Here, he was told the truth about the security concernes of the ships owners concerning the Inner Sphere and Captain Jureck was mostly satisfied by the explanation.
Around the same time, the recon team got wind of the events unfolding on Circinus and 'attacks of periphery barbarians' on the world through Comstar. Reading between the lines, it was believed that the WCDC had begun to deal with Circinus and that a visit of the planet before returning to the WCDC would be useful, as it might result in intelligence for a potential invasion of the world.
active for 1 more turn
[] Abandoned Settlements: - 6 votes
active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of Success: 60%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 94+10 = 104 - Success (Permanent Squadrons)
With some operations in the Circinus Federation winding down, the WCDCTO approached the Survey Office regarding the abandoned settlements on by now fifteen worlds in known space. They had tried to get people to move and settle on these worlds, but the lack of any information why the worlds had been abandoned was less than helpful in getting new settlers to move to these worlds and set up new colonies.
The Survey Squadrons were grateful for this chance of pace and all but jumped at the chance of doing some survey work and archeology. Of those, the majority was already operating some new advanced space craft modified for survey work and could easily be used to transport surface survey teams to take a detailed look at the settlements and determine why the worlds were abandoned. Or if the settlers had died out, and why.
active for 2 more turns
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network
[] Real Time Deep Space Signal Intelligence:
active
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 40%
Roll 1 of 5, Roll 1d100: 92 - Success
Roll 2 of 5, Roll 1d100: 5 - Failure
Roll 3 of 5, Roll 1d100: 61 - Success
Roll 4 of 5, Roll 1d100: 89 - Success
Roll 5 of 5, Roll 1d100: 61 - Success
Combined: 61 - Success
As the final parts of the Real Time Deep Signal Intelligence Network, the majority spacecraft of the DSSINOO began to ply the space of the Marian Hegemony, slowly seeding their systems with Ternary Ansible Nodes, while the rest emplaced Nodes in several of the border worlds of the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth.
This simplified the work at
FOB Pine Gap, enabling the technicians and analysts there to react much faster to the situation as it developed. Additionally, the military would already have FTL communications in place, should the need arise to target any of these worlds with military operations.
Reward: Real Time Data avaiable for Survey and intelligence work
WCDC Diplomatic Corps:
[] Long Range Diplomacy - Illyrian Palatinate:
active
Time: 6 turns, Chance of success: 50%
Roll 1 of 6, Roll 1d100: 51 - Success
Roll 2 of 6, Roll 1d100: 20 - Failure
Roll 3 of 6, Roll 1d100: 87 - Success
Roll 4 of 6, Roll 1d100: 77 - Success
Roll 5 of 6, Roll 1d100: 41 - Failure
Not fully surprisingly, the Illyrian Government heard about the situation at Circinus and the plan to use WCDC technology and organizations to bring the planet up to a standard closer to the WCDC in technology, medicine and education. This in turn led to a drop in the initial relations with the WCDC diplomats and the government chose to simply ignore the diplomatic party for almost an entire month, before more audibly making their displeasure known.
The diplomats did note Circinus was a world that was by now controlled by the WCDC and in desperate need of the uplift operation, while Illyria and its worlds were relatively wealthy and with fewer problems, compared to Circinus. They even noted the Lothian League had been supplied with modern tanks, but even then only in a conventional business deal.
This explanation had some mollifying result, but the relations had cooled down a little.
active for 1 more turn
[] Circinus Uplift:
active
Time: 4 turns, Chance of Success: 60%
Roll 1 of 4, Roll 1d100: 80 - Success
Roll 2 of 4, Roll 1d100: 28 - Failure
Several spacecraft of the Prometheus Foundation arrived at Circinus, among them a pair of the new advanced transport craft designed to land on a planet, other than their previously used versions. Four of these spacecraft carried the entirety of a Planetary Settlement Kit, ready to be deployed for the use by the people of Circinus.
However, most of the vehicles in the Kits were stolen overnight and in some cases taken apart rapidly enough that they could not be recovered. Other parts of the Kits were stolen as well, while some parts were outright destroyed by mobs of artisans and technicians, fearing that their skills would become obsolete, though it quickly became clear that there were still several operatives of the former Federation Internal Security active throughout the planets' population, attempting to cause uprisings.
Some smaller Fabricators were also stolen and could not be found, with some suspicion falling on other agents of the Internal Service or possibly other operatives, or maybe just ordinary people, hoping to sell the technology somewhere offworld, should the possibility arise.
As a reaction to this initial disaster, General Tiast Kerod Ildunt ordered a higher security for the Planetary Settlement Kits so that they could be set up completely and begin work, especially since he could also make use of the Fabricators.
active for 2 more turns
WCDC Trade Organization:
[] Combat Landing Craft:
active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 65%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 90+10 = 100 - Artificial Crit Success (Military-Industrial Complex)
Roll 2 of 3, Roll 1d100: 53+10 = 63 - Success
Roll 3 0f 3, Roll 1d100: 46+10 = 56 - Success
Combined: 73 - Success
During the final selection process, only a single spacecraft was able to address all specifications given by the Defense Council, the Undessa Batallion Landing Craft, designed by Jav'gret Dockyard of the Empire of Jerat.
The Undessa could carry a full battalion to its target world, consisting of up to 15 heavy or 30 medium vehicles, 6 Mechs, 10 heavy Power Armor and up to 850 battalion personnel. For supplies, it could carry up to 1000 tonnes, from ammunition, over replacement parts to food. Additionally, it was armed with one piece of 205 mm and two 155 mm artillery, as well a vertical launch tubes for 90 MGM-145 ATACMS, allowing the Undessa to support landings under combat conditions with long range artillery, though they could be exchanged for other weaponry as the need arose.
The Jav'gret Dockyards had produced two prototypes, which were immediately put into service to help shuttle additional forces to Circinus as their maiden flights.
Reward: (Roll 1d2) 1 design for Combat Landing Craft
[] Combat Vehicle Development: - 5 votes
active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 70%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 100+10 = 110 - Crit Success (Military-Industrial Complex)
Following the massive success of the MBT and Mech development program, the Defense Council almost immediately asked for proposals to replace the remaining combat vehicles of the WCDC forces with newer developments. The Invasion of Circinus had shown the existing IFVs, scouts, trucks and artillery vehicles were not fully up to the task.
The reaction from the contractors was almost overwhelming as the Defense Council and their WCDCTO counterparts were flooded with proposals, some useful, some not.
active for 2 more turns
WCDC Office for Science and Development:
[] Superliminal Wave Detector: - 8 votes
active
Time: 5 turns, Chance of success: 55%
Roll 1 of 5, Roll 1d100: 47+10+10 = 67 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
With the formulation of N Field Theory some time ago, researchers had noted hyperwaves progressed through n-dimensional space with FTL speeds. This made the still largely theoretical Hyperwave transmitter possible, enabling a third form of FTL communication, even though it was limited in speed and bandwidth.
There was another option with hyperwaves, however, theoretical as it might be, the possibility that hyperwaves could be used to measure the transfer of spacecraft in and out of n-dimensional space, be it with Jump Drives or Heim-Feynman Event Generators. It was believed Jump Drives had a much stronger signature, thanks to the amount of energy used to initiate the jump.
With the technology being an enormous boon in the political climate to possibly detect and intercept pirates before they could even become a danger, the project to develop a detector for hyperwaves was given a high priority.
active for 4 more turns
[] Project Blue Danube: - 6 votes
active
Time: 3 turns, Chance of success: 75%
Roll 1 of 3, Roll 1d100: 57+10+10 = 77 - Success (Research Center Sol, Interstellar Communication Network)
For some time now whether or not the Heim-Feynman Event Generator would work together with a jump drive in the same space craft had been on the minds of researchers, ever since they had witnessed the jump drive. The potential of this was huge and could lead to much faster travel times between systems. For example, a jumpship could jump instantly between systems, before using its HFEG to move through Heim-Feynman Space to the L1 point of a planet, bypassing the days of flight between a jump point and a world. Additionally, a simple jump ship could be used to transport spacecraft/dropships equipped with a HFEG. For longer distances, a jumpship could jump and then, while its jump drive charged through a reactor, could move through Heim-Feynman Space for the duration and jump again after the jump drive was recharged.
The possibilities were almost endless to help with transport, and, though the researchers tried to ignore it, military applications.
So, to test the viability of combining the two FTL propulsion methods, the two Jumpd Drive Prototype test vehicles
Size Isn't Everything and
Just Testing and one of the Invader class jumpships recovered from the pirates,
No Pirate Life For Me, were given to the research group working on the problem to be equipped with HFEGs and then tested.
active for 2 more turns
Deep Space Signal Intelligence Network Report:
Lothian League:
Grand Mistress Logan, after some lengthy discussion with her government, welcomes using FTL communication and in this instance the Caldran Ansible.
Following up on the signing of a treaty for use of the technology, there is a show made of installing Ansible Nodes on planetary surfaces and supposedly high orbit. This allows us to officially service our Ternary Ansibles in the area, while also increasing the information the Lothians have about the WCDC, helping get them to form closer ties with us.
Result: Lothian League can coordinate better, +10 on diplomatic actions in the Lothian League
Illyrian Palatinate:
There is little of note to say, aside from some movement of mercenary forces towards Reykavis.
Circinus Federation:
More pirate forces arrive at Claymore II, though the number is steadily low, as some pirate bands leave to raid systems of the Free World League.
Marian Hegemony:
There is some movement of military forces in the area of New Venice and Addhara, but as far as we can tell, Comstar is not involved. It seems some form of normal rotation of 'legions' to prevent them from building up a local base.
Inner Sphere:
Lyran Commonwealth:
The Lyran Commonwealth acknowledges the Dutchy of Andurien as a sovereign nation.
Federated Suns:
The Fererated Suns acknowledge the Dutchy of Andurien as a sovereign nation.
Draconis Combine:
Nothing out of the ordinary as far as can be decerned.
Free Worlds League:
There were continued raids of Free Worlds League Military units across the border into the Dutchy of Andurien.
Dutchy of Andurien:
As an answer on the raids on their territory, the Dutchy of Luthien returned the favor in kind, raiding across the border into the Free Worlds League.
As far as we can tell, a Mercenary unit called 'Zeta Battalion' has been employed by the Dutchy of Andurien.
Comstar:
With the availability of more news casts from Comstar, we were able to tell that Comstar appears to tailor its new cast to the area in question, with limited propaganda to induce distrust between the nations of the Inner Sphere.
Expansion and Suggestions:
FOB Pine Gap proved itself to be effective in the previous quarters and it might be a good idea to extend
FOB Pine Gap to become an operational hub, as well as give the DSSINOO one or two squadrons of advanced spacecraft to improve their work flow. The Survey Squadron might also be involved to take a closer look at the habitable planet of the system.
Random Event - Pirate Raid at Santa Alvarez
Chance of Intercept - 25%: Roll 1d100: - 20 - Failure
That the current use of Patrols does not always help, including the lack of any FTL communication with the system, is understood, as a Pirate Force, which later arrives at Claymore II, raids the planet of Santa Alvarez. While the nations of the planet do have advanced warning and a single WCDC spacecraft is in orbit, the planetary nations are unable to bring their nuclear weapons to bear on the pirates, as they choose to attack the capital city of Hispanola.
They not only wreak havoc on the city and steal anything that isn't nailed down, but also destroy many governmental installations and kill the entire dictatorial family of the nation in one fell swoop. After leaving the planet, this causes Hispanola to dissolve into a civil war, as several groups seek to replace the previous dictator, not helped by Tejas and Gran Bolivar attempting to interfere.
Result: -5 on diplomatic actions on Santa Alvarez for the next two turns
Event Chain
While the patrol squadrons were unable to intercept the pirate raid on Santa Alvarez, several of the Squadrons detect a lone jump ship of unknown design and origin skirting in and out of known space, using high-powered engines to move in and out of the Jump Points to move closer to inhabited systems. Two dropships accompany the jumpship and fly in formation with the jump ship.
This is of interest, as there are no known jump ships, aside from
SLS Belisarius that can move faster than 0.1g under its own power.
Several of the patrol squadrons attempt to communicate with and intercept the jump ships, but not only does the jumpship refuse contact, but it jumps out before the patrol squadrons can get into range.