Week 5 Investment Mission - Militias and Military

Money can buy ships, and guns, but it is the pilot or rifleman who makes it into a weapon of war.

How do you train up your military elements? Is it voluntary?
What is their incentives to serve bravely and honorable?
Remember to work within your character's actual limitations on how you describe the training regiment you believe in.

This mission is open to All Players.

Post your plans on developing your military. All players get one post only. This thread will be locked at 11pm E.S.T. on Friday May 27th. Only actions listed on this mission thread will count as locked in for player actions for their colonies.

You are encouraged to set up threads in your own factions to discuss this matter.

(Poll for this mission is based on the Question, which is the real focus of your individual soldier?)

Leyas offers a versatility not seen any other place in military history. Other than the offensive capabilities, you can build transportation, housing and aid in many different parts of civil work. Leyas should be utilized where appropriate in battle.

"Listen up Candidates." The instructor said in an almost mocking tone, "You all have combat experience. Many of you probably think you are the best of the best." The Kiorn shook his head with a smirk, "Well you aren't I have fought the worst terrors of this galaxy on more worlds than I have fingers and toes. And guess what candidates, if you pass training so will you. You all came here for various reasons, pissed off with the restrictive chain of command, looking for more pay, some for ideological reasons. Guess what none of that matters."

Peshareen walked the lines, he knew this drill sergeant crap was unnecessary, but it unlocked in some the proper state of mind, that desperate learning that was needed to mold a disciplined fighting force. "We work in and around cities. We provide them with security, we train their security. For you to call yourself a Blackheart Operator you need to feel a domes pulse from the second you enter it. Your training will focus not on killing the enemy but maintaining the peace."

Pesh paused, "How do you earn peace?" He shouted.

"Through superior firepower." The candidates shouted enthusiastically, quoting an oft repeated EEF basic training slogan.

Pesh nodded, "Damn right, but it needs to applied like a surgeons scalpal. On top of it you need the populations confidence. Otherwise all you get is a blood bath. Welcome to the complex operations you will ever face."

The Lions of Earth are like a pride of lions. Its success is based on the prides ability to work together and follow the orders of its leaders. We train together, eat together, live together, and most certainly die together.

Our soldiers are disciplined but aggressive like a big cat stalking its prey they show patience until the moment to strike is upon them and then the efficiency of the group overwhelms and achieves any kill or objective. And like the Big Cat they are named afterit is in the Ambush they are at their finest. It is through tactics, discipline, and Esprit de Corps that they succeed.

They show no fear to death knowing their leaders will take care of them, and their leaders weigh all decisions as if it were their lives were the ones at stake, they never callously throw away their subordinates.

The Lions truly are a breath taking example of humanity at its most noble and valorous, I am humbled and honored to lead them in battle.

Angeles Vulfrym,
General, Lions of Earth, Commanding

Small group tactics based around infiltration and sniping are a mainstay of non-traditional combat forces. Terra Nova Industries as a small but growing corporation cross-trains all specialists it sends into the field as it is too small to field a large military force. By basing each four member squad around a .100 caliber Dragon Slayer specialist Terra Nova Industries can field diversified forces with both long and short range capabilities.

Terra Nova Industries pulls its specialist squad members from recruited and non-recruited employees as well as veterans of the Border Wars. All new Terra Nova Industries employees undergo a rigorous background check, physical and skills testing to find which employees will be useful in the field an which employees will be better off at a main office.

Once selected Terra Nova Industries' Specialists undergo rigorous training from former member of the Border Freedom Force, VLAD, the EEF and Dumbar Polytech. Once each Specialist has passed the rigorous standards set down by Terra Nova Industries Board of Directors he or she is then placed as a probationary tech with a fully trained squad. If the Specialist makes it through the probationary period then he or she becomes a Terra Nova Industries Ground Specialist with all of the benefits the job brings with it.

Benefits: free education for all family member, hazard pay (x3 per standard 20 ghaz per week pay), 4% of mission rewards if the Specialist took part, access to the newest most high tech weaponry available

The IR has no use for militias. Why use ignorant farmers when you can just clone soldiers.
Close combat, snipers, security, even piloting starfighters can be downloaded into waiting clones faster than a person could ever hope to be trained.
This is not true of officers, you gotta have good officers or all the gear ships and clones ain't worth a wooden credit chip.

Officers got to learn the hard way by leading in battle. Otherwise they are just useless aristocrats and sons of stockholders. Battle makes them tough, and facing threats like the Estrain and Kasanthians make them cunning. School is important but no amount of schooling will cause you to go up and over the top of a trench while artillery is raining down on you.

This takes big brass ones, and the Fist of Mars got the biggest ones in the galaxy (figurative).

There is my focus, good individual officers to lead the mass production army. They live well, they get paid well and they lead well, within the absurd limitations presented by the Board of Directors.

Cmon you know what I'm talking about.

Layne Yr scoffed,
"Militias are just a fancy word for cultists. And if you don't use your cultists someone else will. Groups like the Warmonger Cult and the Cult of the Horned Dog feed on those who feel like outcasts. They need the release of group acceptance despite their differences. That is why Kasanthian Devotee is the backbone of the Kasanthian Federation army. They control the Nightmares that make up the tactical squads. They control the Nightmares that pilot our planetary defense fighters, and they keep their Nightmares as a free labour source.
We might have Vampyr Captains, and hundreds of varieties of Nightmares, but the Devotee of Kasanth. Someone who really believes, that is our greatest strength. And this is one Admiral who loves those Cultists. Those so freakishly devoted that they can give up everything for the cause. They are an unstoppable force while they feel the love of their benevolent superiors."

"Those who are placed in command are trained young. We give them the choice of leaving their homes. We offer this choice as they reach adolescents from the Suburban communities set up to create them. The Kasanthian Devotee is familiar with Nightmares, and know about their mischievous nature. They are trained to control the form of their Nightmares, trained in Shadow Leyas and finally allowed revenge on those children who abused them (creating so many wonderful Nightmares).
Then they are ready for Military Service."

"Military Service comes with their own Leyas Generator, a Nightmare Slaver's Whip, and being armed with a Chill Rifle for their first ten years, then an Acid Spitter for their next ten years. Their Nightmares will carry rifles, carry RPGs, carry any tech weapon they damn well please. And with the completion of the Viliat 8 Modet T transfer station we will begin pumping out Velocity Striders for them as well. Great things for the future of Kasanth and those who started as little more than rabble. "

Layne Yr lifted up her pipe and smoked the harsh Longbottom leaf. The halflings who had sold it to her had delivered what was obviously not Longbottom leaf, and bastard or not no one screwed with the Grand Admiral.
After a few hours on the screws one had given over her original purchase. He died quick and was now an home to an Instilled Nightmare, carrying a perfumed smoking censor around the room .
The one who hadn't told her was now on his way to PeaceLord Lurlock's Keep for experimentation .

Power, power and strength, few can match the power of the Quall N'Drone, this power comes at birth, when a larva matures into its adult form it gains full access to the Hive Mind and learns what it needs to from it. Coordination is easy as we have instantaneous communication, we have no match in group tactics as each member of the Hive knows where his squad member is and where his focus is within a single moment. To serve the Quall N'Drone we have countless Flayers and Pit Mongrels bred to serve us unquestioning. They fight to give our glorious soldiers the cover they need to strike at the enemy.

A direct frontal assault by Flayers and Pit Mongrels to hold the enemy's attention while Quall warriors move in to bring their formidable Leyas abilities to the front. This is what we emphasis, the power of our Leyas will consume our enemies in holy flame. The fodder fights supported by the leyas allowing them to punch through the enemy lines and opening the way for the Quall soldiers to capture and bring back those who are lucky enough to be brought into our family. Those lucky enough to have the honor to hold our young until their maturity.

Good Leyas support shall enable our forces to rise above all others.

Well as the ..rif...ringmaster of the nightmare pits, i have to think what is best for the pack. I do not look to see my young ones sent out to their ...urg...untimely demise, nor do their parents. I have ..whu...witnessed mercenaries come into my lands to test weapons of mass destruction because they did not think of the effects it would have. The ...peh... pack lives together, the elders fight together and protect that of their young.
I will look towards group tactics for the future of our survival and defense.
Viggo

President Ragman shook his head looking over the reports from his various field commanders. He was trying so hard to forge a lasting union from the various people he had come to govern.

wearily, hw thought "how the hell am i going to get the e-strain to work with the brethran, and get both of those groups to work with the normal people? The E-strain are born knowing how to fight in their natural forms and download advanced combat skills from the hive. The Brethren come out of the cloning tubes flash taught. Yet, the normal earthers simply learn at their own pace. "

Joting down some notes, he thought "I really need to learn to delegate some of this stuff or i'll never get any real work done".

Notes:
1 - E-strain :
- not much to do there, other than getting them to work with the others. time to do lots of field exercises. They already are volunteers from the hives to serve in the fleet and militias.

2 - Brethren :
- Look into getting improved flash training program, offer advanced training for those that show promise above normal levels, this includes the equavial of EEF special forces trainings.
- enforce the rules that after 2 years service, all brethren in the UFC are given the option of cashing out or remaining in the service. If they cash out, they will be given their pay and put on reserve status for another 2 years before their final release.

3 - 'normal' citizens :
- run them through standard eef basic training and special forces trainings. Standard hitch will be two years with the option to reenlist.
- after their enlistment is up, they will serve another two years in reserve duty before final release.

4 - general items :
- all members of the forces that complete thier term of enrollment on goods terms will be allowed to keep basic equipment to allow for self defense and emergency militia actions.

"There that should clear up the majority of problems people have been haveing with our policies," thought Ragman. "now to see if i have to kill anyone to get them to follow them."

Unit 27ze5 that was what it was called. It had been online for 5 hours, or so it's internal clock told him. There were so many existential questions that would fill a normal beings mind; who, what, and why. All the standard questions about it's place in the universe and what kind of person it was. Looking around the troop transport there were others just like him and each one was doing the same thing, studying the gun that each SUARM was given before basic training. It had been only minutes ago and they were told nothing but each SUARM knew that it was a standard assault machine gun, medium EARTHER tech that had been re-made, every piece of the fire-arm was part of their internal training. Once online a SUARM had intel on hundreds of weapons and dozens of vehicles.

The flashing lights inside the 20' by 15' chamber meant that they were to get ready... however one does for what was about to happen. Unit 27ze5 followed the instructions on this type of weapon. Eject the magazine, examine it to ensure that there was ammunition inside, replace it, and chamber the first round. There wasn't enough time to inspect it thoroughly, by taking it apart and re-assembling it piece by piece. Each of it's mechanical siblings did the same in unison as if a compulsion. None of the others looked around to examine their squad mates, only Unit 27ze5. A loud bang and a sudden jerk meant that the transport was docked to the training station and soon they would begin their fire-fight with an almost identical squad with the same weapons.

A speaker just above them in the center of the ceiling clicked on and a voice spoke, by the tones and manner of speaking it could be assumed that whoever or whatever it was was probably female but definitely organic. "Squad number Three-hundred and seventy-five your mission objective is as follows. Enter the training grounds and begin the exercise, you must complete one of the following goals; eliminate all members of the opposing squad or retrieve the data disk from the opposing teams terminal and upload it into your own. And good luck."

Luck was such an organic belief. To have someone wish you luck before battle was like saying 'here's hoping my good feelings keep a cloud of bullets from ripping you to shreds'. Each tiny robotic frame unbuckled itself from the safety seats and headed to the door. One green button was in the middle of it which read "READY", once both squads pressed the button there would be a 20 second delay and then things would get started. Each member of this newly formed squad looked about to the others, none had any hesitation. With a press of a button a small battle began and there would be only one victor.

*****

Ten minutes passed and bigger robotic forms began the arduous task of cleaning up the training grounds and preparing it for the next squad deployment. Bullet holes were patched up and debris were removed and scrubbed clean. As this took place a single SUARM stood there with a broken gun looking over the aftermath that was slowly being swept away. Broken chassis were collected, they would be remade. Each memory core was removed and set inside a bandolier for transport, waiting for it's new body. Unit 27ze5, it read the serial number on the chassis being picked up from off the floor and placed in a bin. They looked remarkably similar, in fact both chassis would normally be identical if not for the bullet holes that peppered it and the machine-gun shaped dents in the head.

Unit 27ze6 walked with the cleaning crews as their transport would be the only one leaving this station. It placed the gun in the rolling bin and went to find a place to get strapped it. Looking around to see if any others were operational enough to walk out on their own it did not appear as such when the doors closed for take off. Nodding it then looked to the bin as the sudden thrust caused it's contents to shift. Touching it's serial ident with it's left hand it spoke aloud "Well, we won."

The EEF is primarily a volunteer military though a draft can and has been started in times of great need, such as the first Expansion War. During the Boarder Wars and the years of cold war leading up to them finding volunteers was rarely a problem. People signed up literally to protect their homes from the depredations of the various Northern Kingdoms. New Vorik and Baronade in particular had disproportionally large numbers of enlisted citizens due to their proximity to the boarder they became the first line of defense for all the Colony lands to the south. Baronade paid a very high price for this over the years but still the colony and its defenders held on. The simple fact of the matter is that had the Northern Kingdoms gathered together and struck south in one united force the EEF could not have stopped them.

Yet a stalemate existed on the boarder for hundreds of years. The question becomes how did this happen? The politically fractious nature of the Northern Kingdoms helped but the simple answer is that no Northern Kingdom wanted to be the fist to cross the boarder. Though numerically superior the typical Northern Kingdom force was not as well equipped, supported, trained or motivated as their EEF counter parts. Even more importantly the EEF realized quickly that it could not stop a determined attack so instead of worrying about winning it concentrated on making an incursion so costly that it would be unsustainable and would leave the attacker in a weakened state and opened to attack form other Northern powers. Careful deployment of forces was key to this stratagem. Smaller forces would deploy and strike quickly the EEF was always outnumbered so it always stayed mobile constantly moving to strike the enemy at his most exposed and withdrawing before a response was made. Often using one attack to draw the foe out into another prepared attack. Any invader was subject to a death by thousand little cuts. One solider interviewed for this book likened attacking the colonies to kicking over a fire ant hill. In the authors humble opinion that seems a very apt metaphor.
***Excerpted from The Colonies at War. By Martin of the Tyr'ani***

Being able to teleport onto a battlefield, and move around at will changes that battlefield. One must think in three dimensions. Its easy when your basic Da'uhnb can teleport. But its teaching them all the weapons, Gear and tech from every time period that is the hardest. That is why you teach them close combat first.
Claw on Claw is how they are going to take out demons. That's how they are going to feed the Da'uhnb Queen so she can birth more Da'uhnb to repeat the cycle on a larger and larger scale. Da'uhnb claws are sharp, and juvenile's claws can cut through a suit of Gothic Field Plate mail. Older Da'uhnb Train younger Da'uhnb so in a way, the entire Da'uhnb Nation is a Militia.

There were threats from all sides, Su thought to himself. He pondered over the events of the last few weeks, and was disturbed by its revelations.

1) Manslayers, no matter what kind, be it EEF or Trilat or unaffiliated, posed a threat merely by their existence
2) The Quall, not really Iron Republic super soliders but rather a separate race of aliens that implanted hosts with larva, were mighter and more numerous than he anticipated. And there's a rogue in their midst that, it just so happens, hates him and most of his allies
3) The Ancient Evils are destined to conquer this dimension. Either it'll be WarMonger or the Creeping Darkness. The Temporal Empire seems to think there is no hope, nor can it forsee which of the two
4) Pirates, which are sadly the most likely threat, despite his hiring most of them for honest and legitimate work
5) His "allies" - because you never know when they'll decide he's too powerful (and however they may choose to define "powerful")
6) Terrorists - people who are anti-corporations who will eventually feel he's no better than the Iron Republic. Sadly, his greatest threat, as it can be as simple as a disgruntled employee, an unhappy customer, an anarchist of any of his holdings.

Su was forlorn, as his options were few in number. His entire life he had focused on quick, agile forces that were required to steal cargo from capital ships or freighters. Never did he have to worry about land forces. He has, however, spent the last few weeks seeing how Blackheart handles security threats, as well as how General Garmin Fe has been training local troops on Henner 12. Using what he knew, and based on the old Iron Republic texts, he implemented the following strategies.

A - Forces have to be volunteer. To that end, it has to train well and pay well. Fortunately, the resources on his meager holdings were sufficient to ensure the same.
B - They have to be well armed, and not just with IR weaponry. Thankfully, he had the entire armory of the Polar Expanse at his disposal...and for the best possible price. As per his understanding of Beacon City Judges, they used weapons of extreme cold to combat their foes. Based on his conversations with Ar'yay Hive Queen, he deduced that they must be susceptible to cold. Manslayers are as well. He would then have to acquire and train troops on each planet to handle those threats. He would also acquire weapons, for use only on Non-IR planets, from the Kasanthian Federation, which also utilized extreme cold, as he was told.
C - The Quall threat was real. Thankfully his operation under the auspices of IGE taught him a valuable lesson in how to detect their kind. He would have scanners throughout his population, ferreting out anyone who had a larva implanted in their head. Unless they were registered Unity, which would be cross referenced, they would be questioned. Immigration onto Free Systems planets would be restricted from those with larva, as they are to be considered IR military and would require military clearance from SG Deer himself in order to enter Free Systems space, and would be restricted as per Treaty 2218. Any resistance would be met with being put down and the body returned to SG Deer for military tribunes for violation of Treaty 2218.
D - Pirates - Anti - air defenses required. Heavy Weaponry only. Those always do the trick.
E - Terrorists: His biggest concern, as a crazed mad-man with a single WMD could wipe out the entire population of a planet. How do you train against that?? Simple, prevention. He'd set his satellites and train troops to recognize what would be suspicious activity. They'd have to be equipped to scan for explosive material, as well as those found in WMDs. Scans would have to be routine, and cover every inch of planet on a routine basis. All shipments reaching the planet from sources beyond Maehl Holdings would also have to be scanned. All cargo accepted would have to be scanned. While most of this scanning was standard operating procedure for his operations, the law enforcement portion of it was a much larger beast. He would need General Garmin Fe to teach the locals how, but having a land force capable of doing so was his greatest resource.
F - Non-Violet Force when possible: Ablative Foam is a wonderful, though expensive tool for crowd control. Non-lethal and stops incursion. Nothing better. He just needs to produce it better and faster than the IR does. That's his next goal.
G - Incentives, beyond money - Free Systems and the diversity it brings. If the planet cannot maintain its freedom accordingly, the only option would be to become either Unity or Iron Republic. The desire to remain intrinsically Free Systems can only be taught, and must be felt. A good paycheck helps too. When it comes to Quall and Ancient Evils, threat of extermination can be a powerful motivator. For day to day, things, however, troops will be trained to appreciate that they do not have to bow down to an oppressive regime, or join a single consciousness. Individual liberty and freedom is a virtue, despite being corporate owned and/or controlled. And all of the above are better than the alternatives.

If Military / Police forces cannot be hired, then a mandatory 2 year service will be put into effect. The training for these services will also include practical outputs, so that they don't leave the military miserable for having been indentured to it. Practical considerations are always most important.

The Elysian Fields:

Praetorians and Praetorian warframes are not exactly the same, though to many they seem to be. Praetorians are regularly uploaded back to one of many Elysian fields, which are memory storage units for trillions of Praetorians. As such, Praetorians have freedom to enjoy combat, as death from combat is a temporary thing. Sure, their warframe perishes. However, their personality and memories are kept; brought back to the Elysian Fields to share what they have learned whilst they train.

Even after death the Praetorians train. Further, other soldiers are always welcome in Elysian Fields training simulations to keep in fresh fighting form.

The Elysian Fields look much like the paradise of their name. They consist mostly of rolling green fields with Fruit trees. There are tables, games of chance, games of strategy, and amphitheater for discussion which seem like part of the rolling landscape. There are also a number of simulated environments where Praetorians and others can hone their skills.

The other thing to note of this place is that here the Praetorians speak. Whilst normally they only communicate electronically with one another and a few connected, in the Elysian fields they speak at length regarding what they have learned in the outside world. These talks touch on everything, from philosophy, to tactics, to scientific advances.

The power of the leyas is indeed capable of so much. Then again, so is the spirit of sentient life. In fact, the power of the leyas is in turn useless without the driving force of sentient will. Garmin's critical lesson to his apprentices is not about the refinement of their skill in the leyas, but rather is focused on the critical improvement of one's need for it.

"Without the will to live, we die. Without the will to do good, we assist evil. The leyas in-of-itself cannot save you. You must wield it to save yourselves. If you do not carry with you the will required to succeed, the leyas will be as much your enemy as it is your potential ally."