«12. . .4,2744,2754,2764,2774,2784,2794,280. . .4,7714,772»
Throughout the Empire’s territories on Earth, Orsonians are celebrating. Orsonians who fled to the Empire no longer have to fear MOSS agents trying to steal them away in the middle of the night, or have to hide their independent (as opposed to Cybusian) Orsonian heritage for fear of drawing attention. This is sadly marred by the horrific sacrifice of Jen Rison, which is being investigated by colonial police, but is nonetheless being celebrated by Orsonians as a major step forward. Effigies of MOSS agents are being burned, and bars are crowding with celebrating Orsonian emigres.
Dana Mercer has even issued a brief statement, which is surprising, given the relative lack of importance of Earth and the affairs of the nations that are still tied to it.
“I am happy to see that the Javand Administration is already taking steps to correct the mistakes of the Turner regime. The elimination of the infamous Mandate over all Orsonians is a step in the right direction for Orson and all Orsonians. My brother and I both hope to see more reforms, including an end to hostilities on Earth, from the new Prime Minister.”
I imagine that Earth is more important to the powers at the top in the Cybusian Empire than they let on, not in terms of resources or geopolitical (I guess.. Cosmopolitical since the Cybusian Empire is spacefaring?) factors.. But as a Symbol of the ramifications of Tyrannical rule (as the Rebellion Started on Earth) and an opportunity for the Modern Cybusian Empire to prove to itself that it's changed for the better and that it has successfully learned from the past and will avoid repeating history.
A.. Moral importance that justifies them joining the UCP as an Equal member of the international community despite their own sheer power compared to even earth combined together into one let alone it's multiple separate nations. Furthermore, it's a practicing ground for working cooperatively and productively with other nations rather than exclusively competitively. A massive change to the foreign policy of a million years ago, to actively accept the idea of other nations having their place in the wider universe rather than only seeing them as threats to be defeated like so long ago.
The Orson Empire
(2021, shortly after the suspension of the Mandate and Javand's victory speech)
"The insistence of the Javand Regime on continuing this Genocidal War of Aggression is an act of endorsement for the genocidal objectives of the Orsonian War effort. It's a legitimization of the actions of Turner Jackson and the Aturorists and constitutes an institutional complicity between the Conservative Party leadership and the actions of the Aturorist Government preceding them. Considering this, the motivations of the Javand Regime in these reforms are suspect." - Prime Minister Miriam Camara.
German East Africa:
Consisting of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, consolidated under the banner of Cybusian East Africa, or German East Africa, German East Africa is the other Cybusian possession in Africa.
History:
After 1945, Cybusian forces occupied former German East Africa, with a number of former German colonial administrators and Schutztruppen (Imperial German colonial security officials) accompanying them. The famous Imperial German officer General Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck accompanied the Cybusian units and met with his former Askaris (African troops serving colonials powers), who were pleased to see their former commanding officer. Lettow-Vorbeck, a master of guerrilla warfare who successfully defended German East Africa and led raids on British territory and was essentially undefeated, was given an honorary position and assisted in making the takeover more legitimate. The Imperial government rapidly began to spread Imperial culture and technology. The first Imperial governor, Ondrej Valkin, a Human (so as to be more relatable to the people he’d be governing), was influential in spreading Imperial culture. He established a capital at Dodoma, a network of radio stations to begin spreading Imperial culture while also distributing free radios to the native people, helped monks establish a variety of ermitzhas to spread Mercerism, and provided medical aid and food to the population. Valkin’s tenure also saw the rapid modernization of the country, making German East Africa one of the most advanced places on the planet thanks to Cybusian technology. His tenure was tragically cut short in 1951 by an assassin who opposed re-colonization, who shot him in the head at point-blank range after posing as an admiring supplicant. Following this tragic incident, Dodoma was renamed Valkingrad in 1955, to honor him.
Since Valkin’s assassination, things have run smoothly. The rebel group responsible was crushed within a year of his death, and the standard campaign to win over hearts and minds through soft power and improving living conditions worked -as it so often does- to get the population to support the new regime. Imperial investment has brought jobs, and Imperial technology has helped improve the nation and reduce the incidence of droughts.
Largest Cities:
Valkingrad:
The capital of the colony, Valkingrad is the second largest city in the colony with 2.5 million people. Located at a major crossroads, and the intersection of several railways, Valkingrad is home to a number of universities and local company headquarters. Named for Ondrej Valkin, Valkingrad is a gleaming Art Deco paradise in the desert, and is home to two missionary ermitzhas. Valkingrad is home to Valkingrad International Airport, and the skyline is full of gleaming Art Deco skyscrapers and monuments, the city reborn in Cybusian fashion just as it was renamed.
Dar Es Salaam:
The largest city and port in the the colony, Dar Es Salaam is home to 6 million people, and has the largest Mercerist population thanks to both pre-WW1 missionary activity and continued efforts by missionaries. The part of Dar Es Salaam is one of the largest and busiest ports in Africa, kept running smoothly and efficiently in typical Cybusian style; the port sees tourists arriving on cruise vessels from elsewhere in the Empire, extensive trade with Mamaran territory in Africa and the Middle East, and is the hub of Cybusian trade with the Far East; Mamaran China, the Wagain Philippines, and Formosa. The city itself is a blend of German colonial architecture, native interwar architecture, and the sleek Art Deco and Streamline Moderne of the Cybusians; the skyline blends skyscrapers with the belfries of the 3 Mercerist ermitzhas in the city, all run by missionary orders, while an innovationist ermitzha is located by the sea near the port for the monks to easily access the port and acquire aquatic specimens. Dar Es Salaam is also home to an international airport.
Mzwana:
The third largest city in the colony, Mzwana is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, one of the African Great Lakes. While theoretically home to international ferries, in practice, the Orsonian hostility and fear means ferries only run between other Cybusian settlements, and an Imperial aquatic fleet detachment in kept in the lake (a much larger unit is based out of Zanzibar). Mzwana is home to 1 million people, and is home to several factories and railroads.
Economy:
Like German South West Africa, German East Africa is home to a wealth of natural resources. There are mines which extract gold, gemstones of various kinds, salt, gypsum, silver, copper, bauxite, phosphates, tungsten, tin, nickel, copper, and more, and there are several natural gas extraction facilities to extract the 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas within the region. There are also several oil deposits which are exploited. Most of these resources are exported because the Empire has little need of natural resources; approximately 45% of the mines and natural gas extraction operations are operated by D’Anconia Mining and D’Anconia Gas for sale/use in Wagondia.
Agriculture is also another large sector. There are large plantations for coffee, tea, cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rice, beans, and other cash crops. Fishing is another major industry, particularly off the coast of Zanzibar.
Industry has grown steadily over the decades since colonization. Work in a steadily growing number of factories belonging to RobCo, Ryan Industries, Vostrov Industries, and others provide jobs for many citizens.
Tourism has only grown with time; many tourists enjoy hunting wild game, hiking in the Eastern Arc Mountains or Mt Kilimanjaro, sailing on the African Great Lakes, or exploring Zanzibar. and eco-tourism is also growing with popularity.
Thoughts, if any?
Alhazani:
Insane evolved driven mad and mutated by exposure to The Dreamlands and Nyarlathotep, the Alzhakni are the Evolved that form the Chaos Cults devoted to Nyarlathotep.
Alhazani are distinct from ordinary Evolved in that most of them have had their minds shattered through exposure to Nyarlathotep, cosmic horrors, or terrible cosmic truths, and because of this, tend to behave in ways that range from merely bizarre to psychopathic and sadistic.
The biomass of the Alhazani are constantly shifting, mutating, pale sheets of flesh constantly writhing and shifting, tendrils constantly crawling over the body, faces and eyes forming, deforming, reforming, limbs reshaping themselves. They can barely maintain their own form, and are thus mostly incapable of infiltration or acting covertly, preferring to use intermediary cult inductees for their operations.
When in combat, the Alhazani feel no pain, and are incredibly brutal, having zero qualms about brutally murdering or Consuming women, children, infants, animals, anything and everything. They tend to loudly praise Nyarlathotep, or simply scream or gibber phrases that would drive others mad. They are unpredictable and terrifying; one moment they will be standing, watching, and the next moment they are sprinting towards you, running upside down on the ceiling, scythe-like blade-arms decapitating people below. If unleashed on a tightly packed and populated urban area like New York City, it would take mere minutes for even one or two Alhazani to kill hundreds, perhaps thousands, given the speed and lethality of the Evolved and the number of defenseless civilians on the streets. Unlike most Evolved, who can eventually be incapacitated, the Alhazani will continue fighting until they are literally incapable of regenerating enough biomass to move. Torchwood considers their threat level to be extreme and makes their extermination a priority whenever Chaos Cults are uncovered.
The name Alhazani is derived from Abdul Alhazard, the “Mad Arab” who authored the Necronomicon and was shredded by invisible horrors while in a crowd in Damascus.
Excellent work on both posts, Cybus. The Alhazani reminds me of the way Orsonians behave in a rage state- essentially an unstoppable force that will destroy and Consume everything around them. Once again shows how terrifying Blacklight-based life forms can be.
OOC: Interesting, I always thought the Malians would never agree to peace and would continue the war until the Empire is destroyed, or the Confederation is so exhausted and has suffered so many casualties that they have no choice but to stop (which happens by 2026).
Javand's basically between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the war. He sees the conflict as unjust, and sympathizes with the opposition's demands to end it. On the other hand, he still has to please the Imperial Military, which is hell-bent on completing the Grand Plan at all costs; if he pushes them too far, High Command could just march on Ravenwood, overthrow the government and establish a military junta. Most members of the High Committee also want to continue the war, and would veto attempts by the Common Assembly to stop it. Finally, there's also the problem of the stab-in-the-back myth, originating from the Second World War. Most people in Orson at the time believed the Empire was winning against the Allied powers, and so it was shocking when the government signed a peace agreement with the Allies, surrendered large amounts of land and left the Axis powers to their fate. Thus, a myth sprang up that the soldiers were never defeated on the battlefield, but instead the corrupt government betrayed them. This myth is still very influential in Orson, and makes Javand even more hesitant on signing a peace treaty, especially one with unfavorable terms for Orson.
This problem is what dooms Javand's administration.
OOC: Done with Felucia's permission
Kaohsiung, Formosan Republic
In the late evening of Day Seven of the Kaohsiung Olympics, Lucijan athlete Aram Grigoryan packed a light backpack with his valuables, including a passport, along with chargers and some food and water. He explained to his roommate and coach, who shared his ensuite apartment in Banping Olympic Park, that he was going for a jog around the north of the city and would return in an hour or two. The mood was light-hearted, following a strong running so far in the Olympics, especially in Judo. Grigoryan himself had won the bronze medal in men's half-lightweight event just days prior, and planned to remain in Kaohsiung to relax, visit the local landmarks, and cheer on his teammates for the remaining two weeks. Given the ongoing unrest at home, Lucijans were desperate for good news, and the nation's Olympic medalists had attained celebrity status. This was especially true of Grigoryan, who being of Armenian descent belonged to one of the empire's many ethnic minorities. Non-Russians had been hit particularly hard by the regressive policies of the late Tsar Alexander, who had eroded their voting rights, rigged the justice system, and privatized large parts of the economy to benefit friendly corporations in St Petersburg and Moscow. Minority cultures and religions had been suppressed, and any separatist movements were harshly put down.
After leaving the perimeter of Banping Olympic Park, Grigoryan jogged south and circled Lotus Pond, with its many temples and pagodas, so that nothing appeared out of the ordinary. He would then pass through an area of dimly-lit woodland, before diverting through a series of side streets and alleyways until he was truly in the depths of the city. Waiting several minutes to make sure he hadn't be followed, he calmly approached a local police precinct and walked through the front doors, squinting to see through the bright lights inside. Grigoryan walked up to the officer on duty and presented his passport, before reciting a carefully-practiced phrase in English.
"My name is Aram Grigoryan, and I am a citizen of the Empire of Santa Lucija. I wish to defect to the Formosan Republic, and seek political asylum in this country. If I am turned away, I fear there will be grave repercussions."
Her goal isn't to convince Javand to peace, but rather to keep the perceptions around the world of the Orsonian Government low enough that the positive PR of Javand's reforms doesn't weaken her lead in International PR on the Orsonians in the war. (She knows how skilled some of the propagandists in the Orsonian media are and want to preempt any creative manipulation of the starting variables of international coverage of the reforms by the Orsonian media that might cause some damage to her advantage in Public Relations internationally)
She knows very well Javand's position, and that of all of the politicians of Central Plaza. She simply believes that their situation is already 100% hopeless and they'll all perish anyway in the inevitable civil war, so that they might as well try to take a stand against the Military in hopes of triggering a Civil War on their own Terms and get the military faction stuck in a pincer between the Allies and the senate's supporters with massive nationwide disruptions in the military industrial complex causing massive supply shortages for the Imperial Military across the world as they expend their field stockpiles in huge battles by new Allied offensives and counter-offensives. (She'd have been willing to try and pull her political weight to have Javand's Orson recognized as a new state and thus not at war with the Allies, while maintaining the war against the Military's Faction.) Basically she'd believe that they might as well make themselves, personally martyrs, to inspire a pro-democracy revolt against the Military's Junta if they're going to perish in a civil war in a few years if they keep supporting the war with all of it's costs anyway.
But she knows that's very unlikely, so she's incentivized to make a political play where she uses her political weight to weaken Javand's positive PR while at the same time trying to use her influence to tar him and the Conservatives' administration with the same brush as the Aturorists to keep war support as high against his administration as it would be under an Aturorist administration.
The Officer would inspect the passport before looking up, "Well, Mr. Grigoryan, in order to attain political asylum you will need to file an application with the National Immigration Agency, which can be done at the Lingya District Administration Center - to which we may provide a means of transport. Should you be considered eligible for asylum, you have the right to have the Minister of the Interior make a discretionary determination as to whether you should be admitted to the Formosan Republic and receive a certificate of residency. The process may take some time, but you are more than welcome to stay within the city until it is complete."
OOC: Sorry for the late (and short) response, I was busy all day yesterday and celebrated father's day with my family for quite some time today. In other news, I finally got the Covid vaccine, though now I'm feeling extremely sore.
Philippine Question:
The Philippine Question is the political debate and controversy over whether the Philippine Isles (referred to as Halsuradis, meaning "northern isles" in the Standard Dialect) should be included in Adsahul, the traditional Orsonian world. The islands, alongside the Indian state of Goa, have become a rallying point for Orsonian revanchists, nationalists and Imperialists, and it remains a serious area of contention between the Orson and Wagain Empires.
Orsonian involvement in the Philippines goes back thousands of years, with sailors from Australia, Indonesia, India, and China arriving there to trade as apart of the Maritime Silk Road. By the 7th century AD, the Srivijayan Empire exercised considerable control over the isles, with several powerful barangays (a historical sociopolitical unit of the Philippines) submitting as client states to the Maharaja. By the end of the Srivijayan War, the entirety of Indonesia and New Guinea had been conquered by the Hexarchy, an alliance of six powerful kingdoms in northern Australia who banded together to defend the continent from a full-scale Malay invasion. The islanders took the opportunity to revolt, and Orsonian soldiers worked with them to successfully root out all Srivijayan garrisons. As a result of their cooperation, good relations were established between the Orsonians and the now-independent barangay states, with small communities of Orsonians developing here for the first time. Nevertheless, the islands would largely be ignored for centuries by the Hexarchy, as the Indian subcontinent and its incredible riches became the next target for expansion and colonization.
After the formation of the Orson Empire, the islands formed a buffer region between the Orsonian world and the "Sinosphere", the area of East Asia under Chinese influence. The barangays were forced to choose sides, while the Orsonians and Chinese pitted the states against each other in a cold war-style conflict. The tensions between the two Empires over who would control all of Asia finally erupted in a devastating 70-year long conflict, known as the War of Supremacy, which pitted the Orsonians against the Mongol Empire. The Philippines became an immense battleground that saw countless barangays be destroyed, and the islands were utterly ravaged by marauding armies. By the conflicts end in 1353, the Orsonians successfully conquered the southern half of China, with the Mongols forced to retreat north of the Yangtze River; Chinese and allied forces were also defeated in the Philippines, and the few surviving barangays were administered as client states of Orson. Imperial rule was utterly brutal, with the infamous Red Raiders arriving to impose the Freethought ideology onto the natives. Temples were burned, priests were tortured and massacred, and children were indoctrinated to reject the animist, Hindu or Buddhist beliefs of their parents; meanwhile, soldiers did not hesitate to plunder the barangays of their wealth to be shipped back to the Empire proper. These brutal practices inspired several rebellions, which led to native rulers being replaced with Imperial governors by the late 1400's. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan explored the islands and claimed them for Spain, and the Spanish launched further expeditions over the centuries. In 1559, a major rebellion involving many barangays erupted which defeated the small Orsonian garrisons and expelled Imperial authorities from the islands; as a result, Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi was able to establish a settlement in Cebu in 1565 largely unopposed. The natives actually welcomed the Spanish, knowing full well that the Orsonians would return and believing that Spanish protection could deter them. Emperor Ionan Akara did organize a major force and planned a campaign to retake the islands, but this never came to pass. He died in 1570, and the Empire was immediately plunged into the devastating Succession War as his children fought over the throne. The civil war lasted until 1582 and devastated the Empire, allowing the Spanish to assume full control over the Philippines and ending Orsonian influence there.
Future Emperors respected the Spanish claim to the islands, on the condition that they never interfere in Orsonian affairs throughout the region. Save for minor disputes and occasional conflicts, this was the status quo for almost 300 years until the Bourbon-Wagain War began in 1861. By this time, the Philippine Question was being debated by Orsonian politicians and academics, and there was broad support across the Empire in forcing the Spanish out of the islands for good. Emperor Shoan Jackson approved the Imperial Military to send volunteer regiments to aid the Wagains and their allies, while the Imperial Navy engaged the Spanish at sea in an undeclared war. Over the 20th century, the Question evolved into a major controversy and undertook a sinister tone as it was co-opted by Orsonian nationalists and supremacists, who pointed to the long-established Orsonian communities on the isles as evidence that the Philippines had always been Orsonian territory, and that the Wagains were nothing more than foreign occupiers. After the 1995 Goa Crisis, a high priority was placed on reclaiming the Philippines from Wagain control, and an invasion plan was drawn up by Imperial High Command. Imperial agents operated clandestinely on the islands, attempting to destabilize the Wagain territorial government and enforce the Mandate upon the Orsonian population. Only the cautious leadership of Emperor Turner prevented all-out war with Wagondia over the islands, as he did not want to provoke Cybusian intervention. Nevertheless, the effects of Aturorist propaganda were monumental. A 2021 survey found that 75% of the population believed that the Philippines were apart of Adsahul. Maps printed in Orson showed the islands as belonging to the Empire. In schools, children were taught that the Philippines was a "lost territory" of Orson, and that they should seek to reconquer it at all costs.
Year: 2012
Scientists from SITI have sent a letter to Representative Whaite, with an ambitious idea for the Cybusian Empire to construct a specialized satellite to be installed at the Earth-Sol L1 Lagrange Point to catch ionizing radiation harmful to biological life with an energy field and use them to keep the satellite's field emitters powered while letting non-harmful electromagnetic radiation wavelengths through unimpeded.
This satellite would make skin cancer virtually nonexistent on earth within a single generation and would be a major contribution of the Cybusian Empire in aiding the UCP in reaching Global Health Agency targets for fighting cancer worldwide.
For the interests of the national security of all nations on earth, this satellite would need to be put under the direct authority of the UCP -- Possibly as part of the GHA itself. Which would likely require a resolution being put to the floor to achieve.
Exceptional job on the Philippine Question, Orson. You've really outdone yourself with the level of detail, and I'm happy to see a mention of the Bourbon-Wagain War, which I would love to develop further. The concept of Adsahul has always fascinated me, given its vague definition and strong attachment to the Orsonian psyche. It's very similar to the Wagain notion of Indoamérica, or the poetic political and cultural homeland for all peoples of the American continent. Much like Adsahul, it is subject to many variations, often incorporating far-flung territories like the Philippines and Angola (who are tied to Latin America by language, religion, and history) while excluding Europe and areas much closer to home, like the United States. The most extreme advocates of Wagain cultural leadership would suggest that all Catholic, Latin-speaking territories, including Puerto Rico, East Timor, and Mozambique, are natural units of the Wagain state, and are currently under illegal occupation by colonial powers. However, this philosophy has generally not gained traction outside of hardline imperialist political circles, with most Wagains preferring a more indirect, if still undisputed, leadership of the Latin world through initiatives like the Wagain Seafarer's Mission.
Thank you Novo! I did not know a similar concept existed in Wagondia, though it makes sense seeing as the Wagains control all of Latin America and historical Spanish/Portuguese colonies. It is interesting that the Wagains have maintained this vision largely through soft power, rather than military force (like with the Orson Empire). It's another notable contrast between our two nations.
Indeed, multiple variations of Adsahul exist. At minimum (as defined by most Orsonian political scientists, sociologists, and historians), Adsahul coincides with Australasia, including Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Tasmania, plus Indonesia. Other definitions include all of Oceania (claiming every Pacific island, as far east as Hawaii), the Philippines, and even the Indian subcontinent. The region remains the center of Orsonian civilization, with 50% of biological Orsonians on Earth living in Adsahul and India.
(Don’t humans need some degree of radiation: or am I confusing a more general radiation with ionizing radiation? Also, isn't radiation what causes people to develop tans?)
From what I can tell, the body increases the production of melanin in order to prevent UV Radiation from causing any damage to your DNA. So despite the fact that people may want to get a tan to darken their complexion, prolonged exposure will certainly lead to a variety of side effects that one would typically want to avoid (i.e., skin cancer and accelerated aging of the skin).
Oceara, The Orson Empire, and Cybus1
(Ionizing radiation refers specifically to radiation energetic enough to ionize particles they come into contact with and includes nuclear radiation as well as electromagnetic radiation of a high enough wavelength, changing their chemical properties, which damages skin cells and damages their constituent chemicals used in the production of new DNA for repairing cell damage. Life makes a bunch of filler data for DNA that does nothing to try and minimize mutation when repairing cells as it would reduce the statistical likelihood any particle in the DNA happening to get Ionized and change properties would produce an actual change instead of hitting some filler data and doing nothing. However, this only reduces the statistical likelihood and doesn't actually protect the cells from the damage in the first place. Tanning is yet another adaptation to reduce cancer risk, specifically from ionizing radiation from the sun against the skin. But as always, it's a reduction of risk and doesn't negate the risk entirely. Furthermore not everybody has the genetic traits to tan, and technology to initiate tanning processes in those who can get tans already exists on earth. Humans do not inherently need radiation for immediate survival, but ionizing radiation exposure is a natural consequence of human life as the sun must be braved, and food must be obtained and ingested which can contain some radioactive isotopes of the elements needed for human biology. Luckily on the food front, most of the dosages of radioactive elements are very low limiting the risk from that vector. The only risk I can think of for this plan is slowing the rate at which life evolves on earth by reducing the rate at which mutations occur planet-wide, but safe general-purpose genetic modification technology is basically right around the corner for most of the earth powers and will be achieved within the next 40 to 60 years in the advanced tech progression of the EoA universe. Also it wouldn't completely stop natural evolution, as there are multiple vectors from which one will suffer some cell damage for which repairs are run and could cause mutation from a failure in the repairs.)
Representative Whaite has agreed to pass the idea on to the appropriate parties and lobby for its approval, not just for the humanitarian aspect, but also because this would be a PR/opinion coup for the Cybusian Empire, improving our relations with all nations.
Oh a sidenote from when I made that post for my government wanting to buy the Isotope 128Te from the Cybusian Empire a bit ago, is that I spent hours and hours trying to get an ALT code to properly get the superscript required to properly format an Isotope eventually finding out that Unicode currently doesn't have Superscript 1 and 2, and only has Power of 1 and Power of 2... Which doesn't line up nicely with Superscript 8.
Then I finally after all that time remembered that a few years ago I had used
[sup][/sup]to do superscript text so I could have little unobtrusive links spread out throughout my (Now long gone) factbook that would if clicked bring you back up to the top of the page where the table of contents is. So yeah that was a funny little sidenote of how I wasted a long time working around a problem that didn't exist.
(OOC: This is a dialogue post, inspired by similar posts from Cybus.
Imperial Palace, Fort Victorium
Arriving from Ravenwood, a motorcade of two black limousines, five SUV's and numerous police vehicles drove through the central business district of Fort Victorium and its skyscrapers, past the large bastions of Akara Square and through the palatial gardens. After finishing the journey through several winding roads, the motorcade halted in front of the main entrance to the Imperial Palace itself, a complex of immense stone archways, tall watchtowers and beautiful sculptures. The Palace Guard, dressed in modern military gear and wielding assault rifles, appeared out of the archways and stepped down to open the doors of every car. In one of the limousines sat Prime Minister Adrian Javand, fresh off the victory from the recent election. He had urgent business in the old capital, namely a meeting with the city's mayor and its administrative staff. Nevertheless, Javand had a stern, irritated expression, and remained quiet during the entire ride from Ravenwood; his companions were concerned, as the Prime Minister was previously expressing nothing but jubilation at his success. However, the reason for Javand's demeanor would become apparent soon enough, as their was one figure who requested his presence before the meeting.
As a crowd of people proceeded through the two metal doors beyond the archways and into the central foyer, Javand took a different path, following one of the Palace's secretaries throughout the vaulted hallways towards the rear of the building; they arrived at a room with the crest of the Jackson dynasty emblazoned on the door.
The secretary knocked before opening it. "Your majesty, the Prime Minister has arrived to speak with you."
A figure sat at the back of the magnificently-decorated Emperor's Bedchamber, furnished with the finest carpeting, gold-finished decorations, blue wallpaper, black drapes, and a luxury mattress, alongside several widows with an impressive view of the gardens. The figure had his back to the window and was dressed in a brown evening robe, puffing on a lit cigar that filled the room with smoke. He simply nodded, and the secretary moved aside to allow Javand to enter. The Prime Minister performed an Orsonian salute as a mandatory sign of respect, balling his right hand into a fist and placing it square above his heart, while remaining silent as the gears in his head turned. The Imperial Regent and Crown Prince, Christopher Wells was before him.
"You wished to see me...your majesty?" Javand asked, finally breaking the silence. Behind him, the secretary had closed the door, granting the two privacy.
Wells puffed on his cigar, and a few moments passed before he responded. "Adrian Javand...former Governor of New Zealand. So, this is the man they picked to lead our great and mighty Empire. I take it you know the custom- the Emperor accepts the new Prime Minister and allows them to form a government."
Javand was not amused by Wells's sarcasm, but maintained his composure. "With all due respect your majesty...you are not the Emperor."
"Not yet. But seeing as our current monarch is...unable to perform his duties...," Wells sighed, remembering the terrible state of his good friend, "By the power invested in my position, I shall perform the ritual."
Javand gritted his teeth. After all that Wells had done, after the disgrace and shame he brought upon his own position, he still had the audacity to give orders, as if Javand was his personal servant. "Your majesty, it appears you misunderstand the level of power and influence the Imperial Regent currently holds. You are a figurehead, comparable in prominence to the Wagain monarch Carmen I, or Elizabeth II of England, and will remain so even after your eventual coronation."
"Oh, enough with the bloody act!!" Wells yelled, puffing on the last of his cigar before putting it out on an ashtray. "You lot have been nothing but an utter disgrace to this country- you, your party and the entire Imperial Council! First, they strip away the Emperor's powers, then you come after my family. Finally, you lock me in a cell when I rightfully try and reclaim what's mine! MINE, I tell you! This Empire belongs to me and only me, as dictated by the Emperor in the event of his incapacitation or death. The traitors in your regime cling to so-called 'legitimacy' while denying the rightful ruler of the land even a single courtesy."
Javand stepped forward slightly, glaring at Wells. "How dare you speak to me of treason. You, who stormed into the hallowed halls of the Senate Complex, wielding a rifle and threatening the lives of my colleagues in a desperate bid to maintain your position. I tell you sir, the people have spoken! Orsonians no longer want to live under a murderous, cruel regime with little respect for basic dignity, let alone civil rights, and perpetually dominated by a power-hungry tyrant! By the Life Force, look at us! Look at the state of this nation! We are the laughingstock of the world!"
"Laughingstock? You truly are misguided, boy! We were at the top of the world before the Council ruined it. Let us be honest- the Constitutional movement was composed of blind fools. Trusting the ignorant rabble that make up most of the populace to run a system as complex and demanding as the Empire was a terrible mistake. It led our nation into a devastating civil war, into near-ruin! The only way Orson can survive is with a strong, guiding hand to lead the way through the darkness and confusion, and for sacrifices to be made."
"Sacrifices? Millions of people have died as a consequence of the dictatorship. Families ripped apart, communities destroyed...and you see this as beneficial?"
"If it maintains order and national security, then so be it."
"You're a monster...I truly hoped it was just a mental breakdown, but you embody the essence of evil," Javan replied, shaking his head at the appalling nature of Wells's reasoning.
Wells then leaned forward, a cold expression on his face. "I'm necessary evil, boy. If you had been in my position all of these years, then you would understand. Choices...hard choices were made. Those who threatened the Empire were neutralized, and I regret none of it."
Javand stood for a moment, before making one last statement. "It is only through my devotion towards maintaining Orsonian tradition that I allow you to retain this status. Otherwise...I would cast you and your family out onto the streets, and be done with this corrupt system forever. Be thankful that I, unlike yourself, have a conscience, your majesty."
Wells growled in frustration while moving to light another cigar. "Get the hell out of my chamber," he muttered. Javand simply turned around, opened the door and slammed it shut.
So... Wells is Not quite the tragic figure of the friend so loyal to his best friend that he gave everything -- even plunging his own countrymen and the world to the fires of war for his friend, only to have his friend to set up such a network of variables that would lead to him getting a powerless throne, trapped to watch his country slowly die of attrition in an unstoppable clash of internal unrest from an unsustainable war, the generals hell bent on maintaining his friend's last directives to continue the war at all costs, and the politicians trying to prolong their lives caught between the two trying to delay revolution while also not angering the generals.. that he might've been seen as from the outside. (Or alternatively he is and hes in denial trying to justify his actions to himself by taking on the persona of a tyrant?)
In the past, I was going for a "tragic figure" persona, but decided to alter it. The true reality is that there are no innocents within the leadership of Turner's regime. They have no legitimate excuses to justify their actions- after 2006, it became very obvious what the true goals of Turner were, and they still chose to not only serve him, but benefit massively from their positions. Wells was never forced to join the Aturorists- after losing the 2000 election to Turner, he willingly chose to abandon the Constitutionals and work with Turner. So, what you saw in the post is him being truthful about his beliefs. Wells gambled with the Aturorists and ended up losing everything by the end.
Not to reach for the low-hanging fruit, but I think there continue to be many similarities between the Aturoist reign of terror and the rise of the Nazi party in interwar Germany, with both coming to an end only after global war and internal division. Just like the Nazis, the Aturoists, themselves led by a charismatic megalomaniac, came to power through legitimate but highly contentious elections, at a time of national embarrassment (following the disastrous reign of Thorseus) and heightened social division (following the civil warfare of the 90s). Exploiting the precariousness of the situation, the Aturoists cast themselves as political outsiders who represented the masses and could restore national honor while doing away with the hated old order. By leaning in to the irredentist narrative of Adsahul and vilifying human minorities, they were able to successfully market a vision of the Orsonian Empire which was racially homogenous and territorially complete, even if the reality was more complicated. For some time after their rise to power, the economy soared, unity was preserved (at least on paper), and the empire's power trebled. It was not until the Third World War that Turner's Grand Plan was revealed to the world, though in truth the circumstances of his rise made a major conflict almost inevitable.
This backstory is part of the reason why I've portrayed the Wagain people as somewhat naïve to the rise of Orsonian power, even after clear warning signs in the Goa Crisis of 1995 and the failed coup of 2006. Like the Nazis IRL, the Aturoist movement spoke to an innovative brand of mass politics which cloaked itself in the rhetoric of national renewal even as it amassed worrying levels of influence. I have little trouble believing that most followers of the movement joined with fairly innocuous motives, seeking an ideological stance which legitimized the shame and anger they felt toward a system which had failed them. Many politicians and judges would likely have seen where the road was headed, and thrown their hat in with the Aturoists simply as a means of survival. Nonetheless, the people's innate prejudices and toleration of Turner's increasingly authoritarian rule ultimately allowed the Aturoists to become the unstoppable force which would bring the world to its knees.
Excellent work Orson! Very cinematic - I could see and hear the dialogue in my head, like a movie scene! This greatly illuminates the personalities of both Wells and Javand, and has shown Well’s true colors. Javand is…shall we say….very “risk-averse” to be so blunt and repeatedly challenge Wells: I like him already!
Also, I’m glad to hear I’ve inspired you!
Great job!
The Covert Action Staff - Corporate Security Forces [WIP]
by 
The Democratic Republic of The Unified Nations of Felucia
|
Founder(s): | • Daniel Carrington |
Commander: | Daniel Carrington |
Personnel: | 45,000+ (2023) |
"We made a pretty good team back there. The file was right about you."
"The Army has a file about me?"
"The Army? Their budget wouldn't cover our paper clips." ―Agent Jonathan Steinberg conversing with then Bounty Hunter Joanna Dark (2020)
The Covert Action Staff (CAS) is a private military-grade security organization owned by the Carrington Institute, a subsidiary of Carrington Industries. The organization was established in 2017 by company founder Daniel Carrington and former US Army Ranger Jonathan Steinberg in response to the rise in corporate espionage across the Formosan Republic. Carrington first became concerned with the need of an Institute-based security force in 2012, when an industrial spy broke into the restricted sections of the Carrington Institute's headquarters after assuming the identity of a journalist sent to interview the company's staff for an article that would appear in a local news magazine that would be released later that week. Although the suspect was apprehended and brought in for questioning, the security forces hired by the Institute foolishly left the man unattended for a short period of time, allowing him the chance needed to take a concealed cyanide pill to prevent any critical information from being leaked. Carrington, furious that this was allowed to happen, fired the security team and began implementing a series of policies to prevent such an event from occurring again, some of which would eventually lead to the creation of the CAS.
In early 2017, Daniel Carrington, founder of Carrington Industries, came across the recently discharged US Army Ranger Jonathan Steinberg during a trip to the United States. Recognizing the skills and potential that the former soldier had, Carrington invited Steinberg to work for his company as he was intending on establishing his own security forces that would protect the interests and research of his company's subsidiary known as the Carrington Institute. He would also explain the troubles that he may encounter due to the rise in corporate espionage within the Formosan Republic, guaranteeing that the position would be geared towards ensuring a better future at the risk of his own life as various powerful organizations within Taiwan would go through any means necessary to acquire knowledge on Carrington's Null-G Technology. Steinberg, understanding the risks involved and being motivated by not really having much going for his life at the time, agreed and eventually travelled to Taiwan alongside Carrington in order to learn more about his new workplace, optimistic that he would be able to put his skills to good use and live up to Carrington's expectations. Shortly thereafter, Steinberg led a group of staff members from the Carrington Institute in scouring the globe for potential candidates that could be hired to work for the security forces, with the former Army Ranger preferring to enlist veterans that struggled to obtain jobs so that they could have a new life. This enlistment process would continue for the remainder of the year and the Institute's staff would eventually return to Carrington one-by-one with contact information from those interested in filling the positions. Once the Institute acquired contact info from over one hundred men and women willing to work for the company, Steinberg and Carrington formally established the Institute's corporate security forces, which were to be referred to from that point on as the Covert Action Staff (CAS).
Over the course of the next few years, the Institute began taking in various Formosan veterans and members from local law enforcement agencies and private military companies (often resorting to buying out the latter) to fill up its ranks. Additionally, the operatives of the CAS were then split up into four separate divisions that would carry out specific tasks that were required by the Institute as time passed. The Air Wing was created to transport Institute materiel and operatives across the Republic and the globe, with new pilots often being trained by those with experience within their ranks, and initially relied on government-supplied aircraft until the creation of the Institute's own C-21 Starling in 2019; Calvin Rogers serves as the Motor Pool Supervisor and top dropship pilot of the CAS, and is often found lurking about in the Institute's hangar ensuring that each aircraft is prepared for upcoming missions. The Covert Operations Division is the Institute's own force that partakes in the world of corporate espionage and beyond, deploying agents across Taiwan and the globe to ensure the safety of the Institute's interests; Agent Joanna Dark serves as the top agent of the CAS and the leader of the COD, but has rarely taken on important missions for the Institute in recent years. The Military Operations Division is the private army of the Carrington Institute and its operatives are generally more heavily armed than their counterparts in the COD and SOD, focusing heavily on their military training to prepare their forces for potential threats; Jonathan Steinberg serves as not only the Head of the CAS, but also the leader of the MOD and has occasionally taken on missions for the COD. The Security Operations Division is the standard security forces of the Institute, patrolling and protecting Carrington-owned facilities and locations which they have been assigned to, operating in a similar role to law enforcement; Miranda Sturgis was the Chief of Security until January 2021, when it was discovered that she was unwillingly operating as a mole for Institute rival Core-Mantis OmniGlobal and committed suicide to prevent her capture.
Agent Steinberg (left) leads a MOD team in extracting bounty hunter Joanna Dark from the Trinity Facility.
In early 2020, the Carrington Institute began investigating the disappearance of an American-Formosan researcher by the name of Nathan Ziegler, who was seemingly kidnapped while vacationing in Hong Kong. Due to the close relations between the local criminal syndicates of both China and Taiwan (alternatively known as Triads), the Institute has reason to believe that someone (or some group) of great influence had partnered themselves with local Triads in order to plan out Ziegler's capture while he was under the employment of the dataDyne Corporation, though the exact reasoning behind it was still unknown. By March, the company's lead intelligence team managed to track Ziegler's whereabouts to a small Triad group operating from the Formosan capital of Taipei, however a rise in suspicious activity surrounding the dataDyne Corporation (who was headquartered in the city) prevented them from handling the situation further. To ensure that dataDyne would not learn of their investigation, Carrington hired the financially struggling bounty hunter organization Dark Bail Bonds to extract Ziegler from the Triad's base of operations (a Nightclub sitting along the Tamsui River) despite knowing that the group's leader, Jack Dark, had a distaste for him. The CAS would closely monitor the situation, taking note of a set of skirmishes that resulted in the unfortunate deaths of Ziegler and Dark, but were hopeful upon learning that Dark's daughter, Joanna, had retrieved the data and was approaching the Institute's contact in the dataDyne Corporation (a scientist by the name of Eustace Caroll) to have it deciphered and transferred to the Institute. Joanna was tracked by the CAS to the dataDyne-owned Trinity Research Platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where she was to meet Doctor Caroll, and it was discovered that her co-worker and friend, Chandra Sekhar (Dark Bail Bond's mission coordinator), had in fact been paid by dataDyne to serve as a double agent tasked with killing both Caroll and Dark before retrieving Ziegler's research. The CAS quickly deployed Agent Steinberg and a task force from the MOD to protect Joanna and Doctor Caroll, however by the time they had arrived Sekhar had already killed Caroll and seemingly taken off with the deciphered data, leaving them to extract Dark from the guard-infested facility. Fortunately for them, Joanna revealed the fact that Doctor Caroll took the precaution of making a copy of the deciphered data on the platform's datacore, though this meant that they had to go out of their way to retrieve it before escaping.
The task force would be successful in extracting Joanna Dark and the research data from the facility, and were making their way back to the Carrington Institute's headquarters until they were intercepted by dataDyne forces within the Zhongyang Mountain Range of Taiwan. An escorting dropship was shot out of the air and Steinberg's own dropship was forced to make an emergency landing upon having its fuel line ruptured, causing the team to fight off approaching enemy forces as the start of a corporate war between the Carrington Institute and dataDyne was underway. Joanna Dark was unfortunately separated from Steinberg and the remainder of the task force, but this ultimately saved her as her new allies were captured by dataDyne forces, led by the daughter of dataDyne's CEO (Zhang Mai and Zhang Li respectively), and taken to a nearby facility for interrogation and eventual execution. Fearing the worst, Joanna alerted Carrington of the situation and followed dataDyne to the facility in an attempt to rescue the agents. Once Zhang Li learned of the events taking place, he began sending additional forces (such as the elite Phantom Squad - armed with experimental energy weapons with built-in cloaking technologies) to kill the bounty hunter and the Institute Agents once and for all, forcing Carrington to scramble CAS reinforcements across the country to prevent dataDyne from carrying out this task. As the conflict progressed even further, and eventually reached a stalemate, the CAS learned that Zhang Li was going to visit the dataDyne facility in the Zhongyang Mountains to personally oversee and lead the dataDyne front of the battlefield, leading to Daniel Carrington deciding to do the same for the Institute once Joanna Dark rescued her allies. Seeing no other way to bring the conflict to an end, Carrington made it a top priority of the CAS to assassinate Zhang Li, with his presence near the battlefield being the best opportunity they had at getting to him, and tasked any remaining Institute forces with halting dataDyne's advance across the Republic in a wide-scale battle known by the codename "Operation Inferno". As Carrington's forces approached the battlefield, Joanna (with help from Steinberg and his unit) went out of her way to kill Zhang Mai as revenge for the death of her father (whom Zhang Mai had killed days earlier) before turning dataDyne's own air defenses against them in order to protect the Institute's dropships. Upon arriving at the battlefield, Carrington declared the start of Operation Inferno and the island nation would be caught up in the midst of the conflict as the two organizations fought to preserve their interests. Ultimately, the CAS would push dataDyne's forces back to the facility and Zhang Li, just like his daughter, was killed by Joanna Dark as she and Steinberg's unit made their way deeper into the heart of the facility. The conflict would end shortly thereafter as dataDyne's forces retreated and a wide-scale order to surrender was issued by the company's Board of Directors, leaving any and all remaining relations between the two organizations to sour over the course of the next couple of years.
In 2021, Daniel Carrington came to believe that the Institute had been infiltrated by a corporate mole; fearing that the interests of the company and its agents were at stake, he secretly initiated a covert operation, codenamed "Janus Tears", to discover who the mole was and to dispose of them. The Agents in charge of the operation were Jonathan Steinberg and Joanna Dark (who was now working with the Institute after the events that took place during the previous year), with Agent Dark having to operate under the guise of a disgraced agent that was given a second chance by Carrington himself to prove her worth to the Institute - with Carrington having her personal records changed to ensure that the ploy was foolproof. Eventually, one of the Institute's facilities housing one of the company's various quantum computers had been attacked by an elite paramilitary unit from the dataDyne Corporation in an attempt to capture Institute Computer Technician Jackson Abbot for seemingly unknown reasons. At the time, Abbot had been closely monitored by the Janus Tears Operations Center as a potential suspect in their investigation for the identity of the mole and was therefore guaranteed to be rescued by Agent Dark in order to prevent him from falling into another corporation's hands. Although Agent Dark was successful in saving the computer technician, both were injured in the rescue attempt (Joanna even more so) and were quickly transferred to the building's medical wing by Institute reinforcements shortly thereafter. Suspiciously, Abbot had swapped Joanna's d-PAL with a new one while visiting her (which she was able to find out due to her photographic memory - having remembered the item's serial number) and she was attacked by an unknown assailant when the staff thought she took medication that would help her sleep. A gunfight would ensue throughout the building's hallways, but the assailant managed to disappear within the building's datacore room (housing the quantum computer), where she would meet up with Abbot and learn that the assailant had shut down the facility's security systems with the help of high-level access codes that were more than likely attained from the mole she was tasked with discovering. She would secretly contact Agent Steinberg and the two would conclude that if Abbot was not the mole, then it would be possible that the CAS Chief of Security, Miranda Sturgis, could be the mole instead - although they could not guarantee anything at this point. Joanna would eventually encounter the assailant once more and attempted to chase them once they exited the building, but was detained by Chief Sturgis and various operatives from the MOD, who threatened to have her disqualified from service for causing such chaos within the building (unaware of the attempt made on her life). As she was not able to reveal the truth of the matter to Sturgis (in fear of mentioning the existence of Janus Tears to those not involved, especially since Sturgis was a suspect), Joanna played along temporarily before sneaking away from the facility in order to discover more information on the identity of her attacker.
Joanna would eventually come across a local detective, named Howard Conroy, who revealed to her that he had investigated the incident at the Institute facility and learned that her attacker was in fact one of the men that attempted to capture Abbot earlier in the day - having survived what was surely a fatal encounter. Further investigation by Steinberg and Dark led to the discovery of the assailant's identity: former US Navy Seal (turned mercenary) David Roarke - his squad of mercenaries were caught up in a conflict between the Institute, dataDyne, and Core-Mantis OmniGlobal in late 2020 in an attempt to extract a researcher from a CMO facility when Agent Dark's forces took out his team and left him to die, leading to him having a personal vendetta against the Institute agent. Knowing this, Agent Dark proceeded to carry out an investigation of Agent Sturgis with extreme caution; sneaking into her apartment at a nearby hotel and attempting to hack into her personal computer to find any incriminating information proving her involvement with other corporations, however the computer was seemingly modified to protect itself from being hacked by even the Institute's best computer hacking tools. Not being confident in choosing between Abbot and Sturgis as the mole, Joanna decided to discover Roarke's whereabouts by traversing the city and forcing information on perfect locations for mercenaries to hold out in from locals gangs, finding her way to a nightclub named the "Red Panda"; a boundary zone for corporate bigwigs, actors/actresses, street pushers and "heavies" - a watering hole for the wealthy to slum it out with crooks. While there, she encountered Detective Conroy, who learned about a suspicious warehouse within the city that could potentially be the place that she was looking for from an informant. When trying to sneak into the warehouse, the duo came across Roarke, who revealed that Conroy was being paid to give Agent Dark the information of his whereabouts and identity all along before unloading the shipment housed within the building - multiple combat automatons from the Formosan corporation known as Zentek - to deal with Joanna before killing the detective as a "reward" for his assistance and making his escape. Joanna barely managed to defeat the attacking drones and contacted Jonathan to inform him of the recent developments before enlisting the aid of Abbot in locating Chief Sturgis in case she was behind Roarke's involvement in the entire situation. Being fed up with nearly dying multiple times in the past couple of days due to the investigation, Joanna finally tracked Sturgis travelling down an empty street and forced her car to crash before interrogating the injured Chief of Security regarding the truth of her connections with other corporate entities; Sturgis reluctantly revealed that she was in fact working as a mole for Core-Mantis OmniGlobal due to the fact that the company captured her younger sister (her only living relative at the time) and was forced to continue working for them lest they kill the one she loved. Unfortunately, she was unwilling to reveal the whereabouts of Roarke and committed suicide with her personal sidearm to prevent her capture in fear of her sister being killed by CMO for the information should could let slip. Despite being upset at failing to prevent Sturgis' suicide and the fact she had betrayed her allies, Joanna was understanding of her motivations to protect her sister and momentarily mourned her death before moving on to finally bring an end to Roarke's actions.
Agent Dark standing over the defeated mercenary David Roarke during Operation Janus Tears.
While tracking Roarke's location, Abbot discovered that the mercenary had in fact downloaded nearly 70% of the data from the Institute's quantum computer days earlier and had more than likely used a military-grade Neurodrive to transfer all of that data into his own brain - any other method of transporting such quantities of data would have prevented him from leaving the building as soon as he did - meaning that a codeword could be used to unlock the contained data and overload his brain, essentially placing him in a temporary vegetative state. Eventually, Roarke was finally traced to an abandoned dataDyne office building in the outskirts of New Taipei that was scheduled to be demolished months later, allowing Agent Dark the opportunity to take an Institute Dropship to the city and confront him once and for all; the building was seemingly empty except for the dataDyne guards tasked with keeping trespassers away, but they were eventually confronted by Roarke (whose body was now filled with combat stimulants) and disposed of as he made his way to the roof from the ground floor. Even though Joanna was still suffering from the injuries she had gained from the previous fights, she caught up to the stimmed-up mercenary and fought in hand-to-hand combat in order to prove her worth as an agent of the CAS and as the daughter of Jack Dark (who always pushed her to fight through pain), refusing to quit even when her body wanted to. Rain poured down from the skies as the two fought one another to the death, with Roarke gaining the upper hand and coming close to throwing her over the roof of the building until Institute forces relayed the codeword for the locked information in Roarke's head to the nearly unconscious operative through her comms suite. The unlocking of the vast database forced Roarke to lose consciousness nearly immediately and he was taken into CAS custody shortly thereafter in order to retrieve the stolen information. The next day, Agent Dark approached Jackson Abbot at his personal residence and acknowledged the fact that he was indeed acting as a second mole within the company the whole time, even though it took her some time to figure it out; ultimately, he served as a mole for the dataDyne Corporation and was eventually seen as expendable by the shady organization once he was no longer needed (hence the attempt made on his life), and Chief Sturgis was a mole for CMO due to their kidnapping of her sister. Abbot fearfully admitted that he only took the job to raise money for his wife and child, but never intended to get anyone killed - a fact that made Joanna claim that he was a good man despite doing bad things for the right reasons, leading her to offer him a chance to atone for his actions by acting as a double agent for the Institute within dataDyne due to the fact that he had helped her when she needed it even though he did not have to. Despite her generosity, she made it clear that if he were to fall out of line, she would carry out the mission she was given and kill him without question.
During the early summer of 2023, the Carrington Institute received a message from a scientist operating within the secret laboratories located underneath the dataDyne Corporation's headquarters in Taipei, requesting an immediate extraction from the premises due to the company planning on forcing him to undergo mental reconditioning for not wanting to carry out a confidential operation that he claims was a threat to humanity. The CAS would dispatch Agent Dark, now its best operative, to the building during the middle of the night and she would successfully manage to gain access to the laboratories and extract Dr. Caroll - in addition to retrieving some experimental technology (including a portable shielding generator, night vision optics, and a prototype for dataDyne's latest Assault Rifle) - from the premises after shutting down some of their other experiments; during this mission she would discover that he was in fact an Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit based on former scientist Eustace Caroll. Throughout their escape, the building was damaged by a dataDyne Hovercopter attempting to prevent the extraction of the Caroll sapient and news of a supposed attack on the building spread like wildfire across the nation, forcing the company to close it off to the public for repairs and to come up with a story behind behind the incident. Days later, Dr. Caroll would meet with Daniel Carrington at his private coastal retreat in order to discuss matters of mutual interest, primarily regarding what dataDyne was up to in recent months and how long it would take for them to retaliate, when a dataDyne hit-squad sent by the company's new CEO, Cassandra De Vries, arrived and took the Institute founder hostage; De Vries would send a message to the Institute stating that her forces would spare Carrington's life in exchange for the AI, unaware that Carrington had hidden him within the villa in anticipation of their arrival. Carrington's personal assistant, Emily Partridge, responded by opting to send a negotiator to the villa in an effort to discuss possible alternative options in the matter, which De Vries reluctantly agreed to. The next day, Agent Dark was sent to the villa under the disguise of one of the Institute's corporate representatives and managed to take out the dataDyne forces present in the area and rescuing Carrington, who regretfully admitted to finally breaking after hours of interrogation and revealing Dr. Caroll's location to his captors. Fortunately, Dr. Caroll had informed him of dataDyne's involvement in a plan formed by an extra-terrestrial race known as the Skedar and that Cassandra De Vries was meeting with her co-conspirators at the headquarters of the G5 Corporation (one of dataDyne's many subsidiaries) later that night. Wanting to know who Cassandra's co-conspirators were and what they were going to discuss, Carrington dispatched Agent Dark to infiltrate the G5 Corporation's headquarters to record the meeting and retrieve a copy of Dr. Caroll's personality (that was made in case the mental reconditioning affected his capabilities) as he contacted his own extra-terrestrial allies, the Maians, to help deal with the situation. Once her mission was complete, Agent Dark informed Carrington of a planned kidnapping of the Formosan President and wanted to quickly intervene, however Carrington was more worried about his allies, who were shot down by the Formosan government and taken to a nearby military installation; not wanting the truth of the Maian's existence becoming widespread quite yet, he would dispatch Agent Dark to help his allies as other agents helped save the President.
Days later, news of the death of NSB Director Trent Easton spread across the nation; due to the recording of the meeting at the G5 headquarters, the Institute was aware of his involvement in dataDyne's plot with the Skedar, however he had disappeared shortly after their operatives rescued President Joshua Clanton and were unable to discover what had happened to him. What was known was the fact that he had made repeated requests for the loan of the government's deep sea research vessel Pelagic II to the dataDyne Corporation, each of which had been denied by the President, and that his co-conspirators were planning on hijacking the vessel to carry out their plans - though what they were intending on reaching with the vessel's submersible was beyond their wildest guesses. Agent Dark would board the vessel alongside one of her new Maian allies, Alphaeis Mangarae (who preferred to go by the nickname "Elvis"), in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and disabled the ship's primary power source to prevent dataDyne's forces from conducting further research operations with the technologies on board. Shortly thereafter, the pair secured the vessel's laboratories and any research data pertaining to dataDyne's operations on the ocean floor, learning of the existence of an ancient warship of extra-terrestrial origin that was scuttled on the planet millions of years prior - the remains of which had been buried under natural rock formations since its crash landing. Not wanting the Pelagic II to remain in the area for long, Joanna and Elvis deactivated the ship's GPS and autopilot systems (forcing it to drift away from the area) before recalling the vessel's submersible in order to travel to the ancient starship and thwart whatever dataDyne and the Skedar had planned. As they made their departure, the remaining dataDyne forces on board the Pelagic II scuttled the ship to prevent any trace of their involvement in its hijacking from being discovered. Near the ocean floor, the submersible docked with a pressurized facility built into the side of an underwater mountain and the pair explored the area, confused about the suspicious lack of staff and guards until coming to the conclusion that the dataDyne and Skedar forces were exploring the warship's interior. After entering the vast halls of the ancient ship, Elvis activated a series of portals built by the Skedar for traversing across the ship quickly (which were deactivated upon finding out that the Pelagic II had been taken out) and the pair managed to eventually find their way towards the firing mechanism of some sort of superweapon after dealing with dozens of enemy forces and the ship's automatic defenses (which were activated upon the hull being breached by the Skedar and dataDyne). Believing that they had finally discovered what the Skedar were after, the pair attempted to disable the superweapon before fighting their way towards the ship's control room, where a reprogrammed Dr. Caroll was finalizing the process of connecting to the ship's systems and preparing to conduct repairs on the damaged sections of the vessel. From there, they restored the sapient's former personality in hopes of rescuing him, however dataDyne anticipated this and a series of countermeasures were activated within his programming that ensured that he struggled to gain control of his body.
Daniel Carrington and Joanna Dark preparing to depart for the capital prior to the Skedar attack.
Knowing that the superweapon aboard the vessel could no longer be allowed to exist, Dr. Caroll pleaded with his allies to escape as he overloaded its reactors, destroying the ship and himself along with it. Heeding Dr. Caroll's warning, Elvis and Joanna would make it out and were far away from the vessel as the explosion occurred, mourning his sacrifice for the greater good before being extracted by Institute forces shortly thereafter. Believing there to be no other opportune moment to introducing the Maians to Humanity, Daniel Carrington prepared a meeting with President Clanton in Taipei the following day and was on the verge of leaving the Institute's headquarters when the facility was suddenly attacked by Skedar forces, angered over their loss of the ancient superweapon - which they believed would turn the tide of their war against the Maians. All operatives of the CAS present at the building during the surprise attack would fend off the invading Skedar to the best of their abilities as the remaining staff members were evacuated from the premises. Agent Dark, who was invited to attend the Presidential meeting as part of the Institute's delegation, was forced to activate the building's own automatic defenses to slow down the Skedar assault and rescuing any staff members that were being held hostage. To better combat the shielded enemy forces, she retrieved an experimental assault rifle that was being worked on by the building's armorer (and his assistant) which utilized special ammunition capable of draining the enemy's shields quickly, and was eventually tasked with destroying sensitive files within Carrington's office that he did not want falling into enemy hands. When it seemed as if the remaining Skedar forces were dwindling, Institute sensors detected a bomb planted within a shuttle that the Skedar arrived in and Agent Dark was forced to hack into the ship's internal systems to the best of her ability in order to have the vessel fly off to a safe distance from the building so as to prevent any damage to the Institute or the deaths of evacuating staff members. Once the final Institute Dropship was planning on leaving with Agent Dark, Skedar reinforcements arrived and so Joanna forced the dropship to leave without her as she fought off the approaching Skedar; ultimately, she would be knocked unconscious and taken prisoner aboard an orbiting Assault Ship alongside Cassandra De Vries, both of which the Skedar had placed blame on for their failure to retrieve the ancient superweapon. Meanwhile, in Taipei, Carrington would arrive at the Presidential meeting and informed his Maian allies of the attack on the Institute, imploring them to rescue his best agent as she had put her life on the line to help them.
The CAS is currently led by Daniel Carrington, the CEO of Carrington Industries and its subsidiaries, who operates as a "Supreme Commander" of sorts for the organization; he oversees the CAS' operations from a secure link within his office at the headquarters of the Carrington Institute, he has the final say in matters involving the organization, and he often opts to personally provide information to his operatives as new developments are made - in addition to briefing operatives on their mission objectives. The CAS Chain of Command flows from Daniel Carrington to the organization's Head Agent (i.e., the most experienced of its forces), a position currently held by Jonathan Steinberg; Steinberg is responsible for recruiting new operatives for the CAS and has created a vigorous program that tests the limits of those wishing to join the organization to ensure that recruits are the best that they can possibly be. Whenever he is not deployed, he is primarily responsible for organizing and training not only new recruits, but every operative within the CAS in order to maintain their efficiency on the field. Outside of the Head Agent, the highest ranking official(s) would be the Top Agent(s) of the Military and Covert Operations Divisions (the latter of which has no formal responsibilities despite their role); the Top Agent of the MOD (currently Jonathan Steinberg) has the most experience and total mission time out of any other operative within the division, while the Top Agent of the COD (currently Joanna Dark) has scored the best results on the CAS' training programs - which have been used to determine the rank of each individual operative within the division based on how likely they may be to succeed in carrying out their missions. Agent Steinberg was once Head Agent and Top Agent of both the MOD and COD until Joanna Dark surpassed him during her time within the Institute as part of the COD.
Since the Summer of 2023, the Covert Action Staff has consisted of over 43,000 personnel, over 15,000 of which are operatives of the Covert, Military and Security Operations Divisions - each being deployed across Formosa and the rest of the world in order to ensure the protection of the Carrington Institute's interests. In order to be recruited by the CAS, applicants are required to meet the moral, academic and physical standards set by the organization, however this can bypassed entirely should Daniel Carrington personally request one's admittance. Members of the various divisions of the CAS hold a "combat rank" to determine seniority and eligibility for promotion, each of which comes with their own paygrade and benefits, with those that have formerly served as operatives for the CAS being referred to as veterans. Rank names may be different between divisions, but they are matched to each other by their corresponding paygrade. In order to determine seniority between operatives who hold the same rank or paygrade, the date of rank of said operatives is used, although some operatives may serve in certain positions of office of importance (i.e., the Head of the Agency) that allows them to outrank all other operatives in active duty of the same rank and paygrade, regardless of their date of rank. Regarding the ranks of the Air Wing of the CAS, unlike the COD and MOD (which grants ranks based on the training scores of each operative), the division promotes its pilots based on their experience and the total amount of missions they have flown during their tenure.
Division | CR-1 | CR-2 | CR-3 | CR-4 | CR-5 | CR-6 | CR-7 | CR-8 | CR-9 | CR-10 | Special Grade |
Air Wing | Airman Recruit | Airman | Senior Airman | Staff Sergeant | Technical Sergeant | Flight Cadet | Pilot Officer | Flying Officer | Flight Leader | Group Captain | Motor Pool Supervisor |
Covert Operations | Trainee | Recruit | Trooper | Senior Trooper | Agent | Star Agent | Special Agent | Captain | Perfect Agent | Dark Agent | Top Agent |
Military Operations | Private | Corporal | Sergeant | Master Sergeant | Sergeant Major | Sub-Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Captain | Major | Commander | Top Agent |
Security Operations | Trooper | Corporal | Detective | Sergeant | Lieutenant | Captain | Major | Colonel | Commander | Deputy | Chief of Security |
See Full List Here: Weapons of the Covert Action Staff
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Manufacturer: | Carrington Institute |
The Carrington M2021, more commonly referred to as the Falcon 2, is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by the Carrington Institute, a subsidiary of Carrington Industries, that was based on the design of the Colt 1911 (first produced in 1911 by the American firearms manufacturer Colt's Manufacturing Company). The weapon was first introduced in early 2021 as the successor of the Institute's M2017 Falcon, serving as the standard issue sidearm of the Institute's security forces, the Covert Action Staff (CAS), after outperforming the Falcon throughout various field tests carried out both domestically and internationally the previous year. Despite outperforming the Falcon, the Falcon 2 still retains most of the disadvantages one would expect a weapon of its caliber to have when compared to that of the Falcon (such as ammunition being more expensive and having a slower firing rate). The decision to base the Falcon 2 on the Colt 1911 rather than the Glock 17L, like its predecessor, was made as a result of the CAS requesting the Institute's gunsmiths to design a sidearm with greater stopping power than the Falcon within a short period of time. To meet such a deadline, the gunsmiths used the Type 51 Pistol (a domestically-produced M1911A1) utilized by the Formosan Armed Forces as the template for their new weapon, finalizing the design of the Falcon 2 by the end of 2020. Following its adoption into CAS service, the Falcon 2 was marketed to the public at a retail price of NT$23,779 (≈$851 USD), with its higher price (compared to that of the Falcon) reflecting the quality of the weapon and the amount of care put into making each individual pistol. To some, the Falcon 2 is considered to be a spiritual successor of sorts to the Republic's T56 Pistol, though some also consider it to simply be another variant of the original Falcon (despite the differences in design and caliber).
Since its release, there has only been a single model made available for sale through local vendors and directly through the company itself. The factory model, which has been designed to be easy to disassemble for repairs, is a simple semi-automatic sidearm that is available in a stainless steel finish and contains rubberized inserts within the grip (similarly to its predecessor). It is chambered for .45 ACP rounds of ammunition and can be fitted with a detachable laser sight, suppressor, and a 2x zoom scope that allows for greater performance (such as increased accuracy and reduced acoustic intensity and recoil) on the field. Although not as compact as the Falcon, the Falcon 2 is generally considered to be more accurate than its predecessor and just as useful at close ranges despite having a smaller magazine capacity. Due to a failed operation involving the infiltration of a dataDyne warehouse suspected to be harboring illegally acquired nuclear material in 2020, the dataDyne Corporation traced the Falcon of a deceased CAS Operative back to the Carrington Institute, further stressing the relations between the two organizations at a time where either could openly invade the other without consequence. It is because of this incident that the CAS no longer embeds their logo into their weapons, realizing that should one of their operatives be lost on the field, it would be best to have their weapons resemble those used by civilians and other security forces so as to not raise suspicion regarding their involvement. The widespread availability of the Falcon 2 since its release has led to countless organizations within the Republic to use it for self-defense, even seeing use by the Institute's rivals (such as the dataDyne Corporation, which many would assume would refuse to use the weapons of a rival company). The weapon was used the most by the CAS in 2023 following the rise is suspicious activity from dataDyne, the most since before the two organizations were at war with one another in early 2020, where all of its operatives were deployed to infiltrate multiple dataDyne facilities before the two organizations were at war with one another once again (albeit on a smaller scale).
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Manufacturer: | Carrington Institute |
The Carrington Foldable Machine Gun is part of a series of fully automatic foldable weapons manufactured by various Taiwan-based companies that, depending on the company that produces them, is either built as a sub-machine gun or an assault rifle. These particular weapons are commonly referred to as Laptop Guns due to their ability to appear and operate as portable computers (albeit in a more limited capacity) when not deployed as a weapon. The concept for a Formosan-made foldable machine gun first came about following the creation of the private security forces of the Carrington Institute (a subsidiary of Carrington Industries), the Covert Action Staff, in 2017. The Institute intended to supply its agents with a weapon that would be undetectable by conventional means and so its gunsmiths came up with the idea of a foldable automatic weapon, being inspired by weapons such as the experimental FMG-9 (designed in 2008 by the American manufacturer Magpul Industries) and Pistolet-pulemet obrazets 1990/PP-90 (first produced in 1990 by the Russian enterprise known as the KBP Instrument Design Bureau). During its first year of development, the Institute's staff toyed with the idea of having the weapon turn into a portable sentry gun of sorts, however the process of creating such a function was deemed to be too costly and subsequently dropped in favor of making the weapon disguise itself as a portable computer. In late 2018, the Institute signed a collaborative contract with arms manufacturer Kangxi Firearms that transferred the rights to further develop the weapon, nicknamed the "PC Gun" at the time, to the smaller company's facilities (though Institute staff were allowed to work on the project as well). By the turn of the new decade, the Institute would go on to develop a successor of sorts that was based on their initial designs for the Laptop Gun, hoping to implement a feature that would allow the weapon to deploy itself as an automated turret, though rising tensions with the dataDyne Corporation (as well as the global Coronavirus pandemic) halted its development until June. Their fourth (and latest) model of the weapon would be the only one to be adopted by the Covert Action Staff, first entering service in late 2022 (seeing use in the Institute's second armed conflict with the dataDyne Corporation), and was formally adopted by the Formosan Military in 2023 (being purchased in small batches).
Its unique design allows the weapon to masquerade as a bootable PC with an average battery life and memory space (hence the name "Laptop Gun"), making it the first weapon of its kind within the Republic. Another rare and unique feature of the Laptop Gun is its ability to be deployed onto nearly any surface as a portable sentry gun, a function that pushed Institute staff to their limits during its development. In mid-2019, during the early stages of its development, the Carrington Institute allowed the smaller weapons manufacturer Kangxi Armaments to produce the weapon for military use. This decision led to Kangxi Armaments making some changes to the design and it was eventually turned from an SMG to an Assault Rifle. The Institute's model of the Laptop Gun is relatively weak, but it boasts an amazing firing rate that, although slower than the company's RC-P120, makes it effective at suppressive fire, especially when deployed as a Sentry Gun. Each magazine holds up to fifty 9mm rounds of ammunition and, although it is one of the most accurate and effective weapons within the Institute's arsenal, the Laptop Gun does tend to suffer from running out of ammunition quickly, especially in its Sentry form. Despite this issue, the weapon can fire at long ranges and is equipped with a built-in targeting computer that can not only allow the Sentry form to be used to deadly and effective results, but to ensure that the wielder of the weapon can track their targets with ease. This targeting computer is equipped with IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) Circuits that are connected to a vast database within the Carrington Institute's Defense Network in order to prevent friendly-fire when deployed as a sentry gun.
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Manufacturer: | Chesluk Industries |
The Chesluk RCP-120, sometimes stylized as RC-P120, is an experimental fully-automatic submachine gun designed and manufactured by the Taiwan-based arms manufacturer Chesluk Industries, a subsidiary of Carrington Industries, with some technical modifications made by the Carrington Institute, another CI subsidiary. The design of the weapon is loosely based off of the FN P90 (first produced in 1990 by the Belgian firearms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale Herstal), with some inspiration taken from the design of the FAMAS (first produced by the French firearms manufacturer Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre (GIAT Industries)), making it is large enough to be mistaken for an Assault Rifle when compared to the FN P90 and Chesluk's domestically produced RCP-90. Development of the weapon was kickstarted in early 2022 following reports from double-agents operating within the dataDyne Corporation mentioning the development of a new Assault Rifle that the company planned on using to easily combat the forces of the Institute's Covert Action Staff (CAS). When paired with rumors of the development of personal shielding devices within dataDyne's laboratories, the Institute felt that it had no other choice than to collaborate with Chesluk to ensure that the weapon had the potential to penetrate through the experimental shields via acquired technology from outside sources. Although it was made public knowledge that Chesluk was developing a new weapon, no details were ever given out on its design or purpose, and its price was considered to be confidential. In the early summer of 2023, the first prototype RCP-120 was completed and housed within the firing range of the Carrington Institute's headquarters, where it was later field-tested during an attack on the building.
Its specialized design is reminiscent of the FN P90 and RCP-90 before it, however the inspiration taken from the FAMAS gives it a unique touch that lets it stand out from other weapons being used within the Formosan Republic at the time of its creation. The weapon's appearance consists of a gunmetal gray polymer frame (in addition to a close-quarters stock and FAMAS-inspired handguard) with the name of the weapon engraved into the sides and painted in white, various stainless steel components (such as the ported barrel, ejection port and receiver - including a FAMAS-inspired charging handle), and a rubberized trigger module and foregrip. The fire mode selector of the weapon sits directly at the foot of the trigger, where it can be operated from either side by the shooter's trigger finger or support hand thumb in a similar manner to that of the FN P90 and RCP-90, though it can only be set to either safety or fully-automatic fire settings (with future concepts additionally utilizing a three-round burst setting for added variety). The weapon is chambered for 5.7×28mm rounds of ammunition, similarly to its predecessor, however the Carrington Institute typically supplies users of the weapon with specialized ammunition composed of "bio-metal" - a resource given to them by their extra-terrestrial allies - with each magazine carrying up to 120 rounds of such ammunition. These bio-metal bullets are similar to the ammunition used within the Farsight XR-20 of the Maian arsenal for penetrating through solid objects with ease and putting immense strain on shielding generators, however they do not possess the same kinetic force as those used by the Maian railgun due to the difference in technologies utilizing them. Additionally, the specialized ammunition originally served as a fuel source for an experimental cloaking generator built within the frame of the device - with the technology being based upon that of a discontinued project from the dataDyne Corporation - however the technology was considered to be too costly to be included in every weapon, so a specialized variant was created for use by high-ranking operatives within the Covert Operations Division of the CAS. The cloaking field, which is activated via a switch on the right-hand side of the frame above the trigger, envelops the user and weapon, rendering them invisible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, it deactivates as soon as the ammunition within the magazine is depleted, which often occurs in a matter of minutes. Regardless of which variant is used, the weapon can be fitted be fitted with various optics (to be used in place of its adjustable iron sights) and or a suppressor, or even specially ordered to include an integrated tactical light or laser aiming device, depending on the situation at hand or the preferences of the wielder of the weapon.
The CamSpy is a series of surveillance devices produced by the Carrington Institute that are primarily used by the Covert Action Staff. The device has come to utilize the smallest application yet of Null-G Technology within the Formosan Republic and is generally considered to be the ultimate snooping device by the organization's operatives. Ever since the gadget had been placed on the Institute's production line in 2018, there have been three distinct variants produced by the company:
The Wiretapper is generally considered to be a predecessor of sorts to the CamSpy, however some have argued that it should be classified as the original model. Despite this, the Wiretapper is notably different from its successors in terms of its design - a small cigar-shaped metallic object with an extendable antenna and front-facing camera lens - and had been phased out rather quickly upon the adoption of its successor, even after undergoing a design change to appear more sleek and modern. Although it has become a rather rare sight, some operatives continue to use it due to its ability to attach to various surfaces (and being rather unnoticeable) in order to eavesdrop on targets.
The
Model 0.5 CamSpy, more commonly referred to as the BugSpy, was the Institute's first attempt at making a covert listening device utilizing Null-G Technology and the first CamSpy to enter the production stage. The BugSpy has the appearance of a large metallic sphere (roughly the same size as a coconut) with four spike-like protrusions and two wing-like antennae on the left and right sides, though there are other notable features located at the front and back ends of the device; both ends appear somewhat flattened off, with the front housing a large eye-like lens and audio receptors for its user to gather information through, while the back houses a small "thruster" for increasing and decreasing the device's speed. The spike-like protrusions of the BugSpy wrap around the sides from both the front and back ends, with the "spikes" at the front end curving towards the center of the "eye" and glowing yellow when activated, projecting a holographic HUD depicting the device's elevation and the status of its gyroscopic frame for the operative controlling it. Meanwhile, the two antennae on the left and right sides of the device serve their own individual purpose - the left antenna transmits data collected by its sensors, and the right antenna receives data from the operating device used by the CAS Operative (or equivalent individual) - and are known to rotate at varying speeds depending on how fast the device is travelling, in addition to folding close to the frame of the BugSpy when not in use. Due to its size (and the advancements made in technology by the Institute), the BugSpy is capable of housing an on-board EMP Projector for disabling electronics and can be equipped with 500 grams of an explosive material known as Cyklonite (which has been found to contain more energy than TNT) for either damaging objects of reasonable size or destroying itself in emergencies.The
Model 1.2 CamSpy is the most commonly used model of the CamSpy to date; learning from the advantages and disadvantages of the models that came before it, the Institute's researchers, led by Stanley Grimshaw (the company's lead computer hacker and programmer), developed the Model 1.2 with the intent of creating the perfect form of their product. Smaller and more compact than its predecessors (excluding the Wiretapper), the Model 1.2 was the first to utilize what is now considered to be the smallest application of Null-G Tech, and is additionally built with more advanced audio and video recording systems - including the use of an on-board facility for spectrosopic holography. Although it shares some slight design elements with the Model 0.5, it is easily distinguishable due to its more modern appearance - with a guitar pick-like shape and an adjustable camera lens at the front making it as unique as any other model. Similarly to the Model 0.5, the Model 1.2 has two antennae, however these are not only smaller and less noticeable, but they also do not fold into the frame of the device - as they instead retract in a similar manner to the antenna of the Wiretapper. While it does have two wing-like objects protruding from the sides similarly to the Model 0.5, these are actually additional sensors that are spread out away from the body of the CamSpy in order to help maintain balance and determining the direction of movement while flying. Additionally, although the device's internal HUD projects its altitude and gyroscopic stats, it also lists off the day of the year and the time of day - which can alternatively be found on the back of the CamSpy through the use of a built-in clock and compass. Two sub-variants of the Model 1.2 are known to exist: the BombSpy (alternatively known as the Model 1.3 CamSpy) and the DrugSpy (alternatively known as the Model 1.4 CamSpy). Both models share the same design as the Model 1.2 - with the exception of having a red and blue HUD (respectively) instead of green - however they also come equipped with their own surprises; the BombSpy is notable for having its recording devices replaced with a highly powerful charge of plastic explosives, which renders it as a single-use device and makes it critical to ensure that as many targets as possible are caught up in its explosive range when activated. The DrugSpy, on the other hand, replaces its recording devices with a miniature tranquilizer gun armed with eight darts with enough tranquilizer solution to make a human lose consciousness in mere minutes, though more concentrated solutions are also used.
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Manufacturer(s): Carrington Industries |
The Carrington Industries C-21 Starling, colloquially known as the Carrington Dropship, is a tiltjet aircraft with both VTOL and STOL capabilities that was designed by Carrington Industries for the purpose of transporting personnel across international borders. Unlike most other models of aircraft within the Republic and from across the globe, the Starling is unique for having six wings (with each pair varying in size) rather than the standard two. Its design was somewhat inspired by the dataDyne Corporation's D-35 Goshawk, taking some design aspects for its own appearance, and was intended to serve as the primary mode of air transportation for the Carrington Institute's Covert Action Staff (CAS) after its introduction in late-2019. By the turn of the decade, the Formosan Military would take an interest in the new aircraft, purchasing over twenty and adopting them into the Formosan Air Force in early Spring 2020 as Light Dropships due to their smaller carrying capacity. Each craft is built with two Turbofan engines housed in rotating nacelles on the craft's two aft wings (allowing for both vertical and short takeoffs and landings, while rotating forward 90° for horizontal flight) and one smaller Null-G engine at the rear of the craft reduces not only the weight of the vehicle while in flight but also reduces air resistance so that it can achieve greater speeds more easily.
In terms of their size, the Starling is relatively small compared to other more notable VTOL aircraft (such as the V-22 Osprey and the Harrier family of jet-powered attack aircraft) and even the D-35 Goshawk that helped inspire its design, measuring in at 9.14 meters in length, approximately 4.38 meters tall (at the top of the tailfins), and with a wingspan of 8 meters. It houses various components for carrying out its operations, including a multifunction radar system, various communications systems (including a built-in vehicular PA System, similar to those used by Police Forces, to allow the pilot to address individuals from a distance), and a missile warning system for alerting the crew and passengers of the vehicle being targeted for an attack by guided missiles, which is supplemented by Chaff Launchers to protect the craft and its passengers from harm. Unlike its dataDyne counterpart, the standard Starling is undefended (with the exception of its Chaff Launchers), relying instead on its high speed and maneuverability to rapidly insert and extract its ground troops before rerouting to its base of operations. The military variant, on the other hand, was modified to carry a chin-mounted 20mm Rotary Cannon and utilized afterburners (a function that would not be seen again in future models of dropships and other troop-carrying aircraft/spacecraft for a variety of reasons) in designated "hot zones" where rapid insertion and extraction was absolutely necessary.
The Starling is operated by a single Pilot, who enters and exits the cockpit through the use of the craft's forward-lifting canopy and retractable ladder on the side of the hull. Although the cockpit would appear large enough (from a distance) to house a Co-Pilot, the small size of the craft limits the amount of people that it can actually accommodate, therefore tasks such as navigation typically falls upon the Pilot (and although repairs may be made by the Pilot, they are typically performed by qualified technicians at the craft's base of operations). On average, the Starling is capable of carrying up to five troops (a fixed seating capacity made to fit the craft's small size, resulting in the design having to be mass produced to efficiently ferry multiple ground units from one location to another), though an additional five may be carried by having them stand within the middle of the main compartment in front of the seated troops, resulting in a maximum carrying capacity of ten. Behind the cockpit is a small compartment with a supply of food and water rations that can last six people for up to two days in cases of emergencies, and the craft only carries enough fuel to last for up to three days before needing to restock. If the craft's afterburners are activated at any point in time, the fuel reserves will be depleted more quickly and can have a drastic effect on how long the supply could last.
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Manufacturer(s): Carrington Industries |
The Carrington Industries C-38 Nighthawk, colloquially known as the Institute Jumpship for its association with the Carrington Institute's Covert Action Staff (CAS), is a model of hovercraft designed by Carrington Industries for the purpose of rapidly transporting personnel and cargo across international borders - serving as a compact counterpart to the Institute's C-42 Gyrfalcon and as a successor to the Institute's C-21 Starling. Having spent nearly three years in development, starting at around the same time as the Gyrfalcon, the Nighthawk did not formally enter service within the Carrington Institute's Air Wing until early Spring 2023, during which time it would be used as the primary mode of air transportation for the Covert Operations Division of the CAS. The craft would eventually be adopted into the Formosan Republic Air Force (FRAF) during the Spring of 2026 alongside the Gyrfalcon following a considerable purchase of a number of these craft in 2025, and has remained in service for decades due to its reliability. The Nighthawk has a pair of short wings located along the top center area of the fuselage which house the craft's two thrusters (as well as maneuvering flaps) within rectangular nacelles powered by a Null-G Engine, which not only allow the craft to perform vertical and short takeoffs and landings with reduced weight and air friction (thus being able to achieve greater speeds more easily), but also allows the craft to hover in place due to its anti-gravity properties. Additionally, its design is rather unique within the Formosan Fleet due to the inclusion of a pair of fixed-positioned, ski-like landing gear that extend out from the sides of the craft.
In terms of their size, the Nighthawk is notably smaller and more compact than its predecessors, measuring in at approximately 6.75 meters (≈22 feet) in length, 4.57 meters (≈15 feet) tall at the top of its vertical stabilizer, and having a wingspan of 3.7 meters (≈12 feet) from nacelle to nacelle. It houses various components for carrying out its operations, including a multifunction radar system, various communications systems (including a built-in vehicular PA System), and a missile warning system for alerting the Pilot and passengers of the vehicle being targeted for an attack by guided missiles, which is supplemented by Chaff and Flare Launchers to protect the craft and its passengers from harm. Unlike the missile defenses of the Gyrfalcon, the Flare and Chaff Launchers of the Nighthawk are not as sophisticated due to the emphasis placed on the craft's use of a state-of-the-art Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) Transmitter, which surrounds the craft in a cloud of ECM to prevent its detection on conventional radar systems and preventing conventional guided missile systems from locking onto it. Outside of these countermeasures, the standard Nighthawk, similarly to its predecessors, is undefended and relies on its speed and maneuverability to rapidly insert and extract field agents (and or cargo) before rerouting to its base of operations. On the other hand, the military variant of the Nighthawk differs from the original variant by having various modifications made so that each craft is equipped with a chin-mounted 20mm Rotary Cannon for added protection while also reinforcing the vehicle's armored plating.
The Nighthawk is operated by a single Pilot, who enters and exits the cockpit from a steel door connecting to the main cabin, though it can alternatively be computer controlled or even remotely piloted given the necessary modifications. When operated remotely, it is piloted by trained officials from within its base of operations through various systems built into the control cabin (where the cockpit would normally be) and utilizing various sensors to observe the surrounding terrain and track nearby lifeforms. Because of its smaller size, the craft does not utilize a Co-Pilot or Navigator, resulting in their duties being delegated to the Pilot in their absence. On average, the Nighthawk is capable of carrying four field agents (or equivalent passengers) by having them stand throughout the main cabin (which has been described as being relatively cramped) - although a single foldable seat is located within the cabin for any potentially injured passengers to use during flight - with some additional space allowing for a small amount of equipment to be transported as well. Above the foldable seat within the main cabin is a small compartment with a limited supply of food and water rations that can last the Pilot and passengers for up to two days in case of emergencies, while the craft itself carries enough fuel to travel over 8,000 kilometers (≈5,000 miles) before needing to restock. Other factors may come into play regarding how long a Nighthawk will be able to operate while deployed however, so they typically carry out their missions quickly and return to their base(s) of operations immediately for resupply unless instructed otherwise.
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Manufacturer(s): Carrington Industries |
The Carrington Industries C-42 Gyrfalcon, colloquially known as the Institute Dropship for its association with the Carrington Institute's Covert Action Staff (CAS) after replacing the C-21 Starling, is a model of hovercraft designed by Carrington Industries for the purpose of transporting personnel and cargo across international borders. The Gyrfalcon is unique for having five stabilizers at the back of the fuselage, with each of the horizontal stabilizers having two winglets attached to help reduce drag; the drone variant of the craft, however, notably lacks the all but the vertical stabilizers. Having spent over two years in development, the Gyrfalcon entered service within the Carrington Institute's Air Wing in late-2022, replacing the Starling as the primary mode of air transportation for the CAS. It wouldn't be until 2025 that the Formosan Military would approach Carrington Industries to purchase a number of these craft for use within the Formosan Republic Air Force, formally adopting them into service by Spring 2026. Each craft is built with six thrusters powered by a Null-G Engine (three along each side of the craft), though the drone variant has an additional thruster unit placed along the top of the craft, that not only allow the craft to perform vertical and short takeoffs and landings with reduced weight and air friction, but also allows the craft to hover in place due to its anti-gravity properties.
In terms of their size, the Gyrfalcon is slightly larger and bulkier than its predecessor, measuring in at 9.75 meters in length, approximately 5.4 meters tall at the top of the vertical stabilizer (though the drone variant is approximately 4.05 meters tall), and with a wingspan of 7.3 meters. It houses various components for carrying out its operations, including a multifunction radar system, various communications systems (including a built-in vehicular PA System), and a missile warning system for alerting the crew and passengers of the vehicle being targeted for an attack by guided missiles, which is supplemented by Chaff and Flare Launchers to protect the craft and its passengers from harm. Similarly to its predecessor, the standard Gyrfalcon is undefended (with the exception of its Chaff and Flare Launchers), relying instead on its speed and maneuverability to rapidly insert and extract its ground troops (and or cargo) before rerouting to its base of operations. On the other hand, the military variant of the Gyrfalcon differs from the original and drone variants by having various modifications made so that each craft is equipped with a chin-mounted 20mm Rotary Cannon and various forms of electronic countermeasure devices for added protection while also further reinforcing the vehicle's armored plating.
The Gyrfalcon is operated by a single Pilot, who enters and exits the cockpit from a steel door connecting to the main cabin, though the drone variant can be operated remotely from its base of operations through the various systems built into the control cabin (where the cockpit would normally be) and utilizing various sensors to observe the surrounding terrain and track nearby lifeforms. A Co-Pilot/Navigator can be housed within the main cabin alongside the craft's troop complement at either the front or rear of the cabin (depending on if they are in a standard Gyrfalcon or drone), sitting at their work station which consists of various monitors connected to a central console. On average, the Gyrfalcon is capable of carrying over ten troops by having them stand throughout the main cabin, with additional space allowing for two troops to be seated (not including the Co-Pilot/Navigator station), or various crates of heavy equipment. Behind the cockpit (or at the rear of the craft for the drone) is a small compartment with a supply of food and water rations that can last the crew and passengers for up to three days in cases of emergencies, and the craft carries enough fuel to travel approximately 17,000 km before needing to restock. Other factors may come into play regarding how long a Gyrfalcon will be able to operate while deployed however, so they typically carry out their missions quickly and return to their base(s) of operations immediately for resupply.
After quite a bit of work, I've finally managed to get my CAS Dispatch to a good enough point to post. Unfortunately, there's not much outside of the history and equipment sections (the latter of which is still incomplete), but I hope you guys enjoy what I've got up so far. Of course, I will make occasional changes whenever possible to fill in the gaps in the equipment section, though I'm a bit concerned about when I'll eventually reach the size limit (which hasn't happened in a while, but is still a possibility).
Thanks Cybus. Yeah, I was really going for a cinematic vibe when writing it. And Javand can get away with this because Wells has no real power left, but such a situation would have been unimaginable just a year prior. Orson has changed considerably since then.
Great analysis Novo! This describes the Aturorists very accurately.
«12. . .4,2744,2754,2764,2774,2784,2794,280. . .4,7714,772»
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