Fiction:The Upstarts/Invasion of Drenmarr

After the events in the Preface to War the Drenmarr Republic has managed to make enemies of both the and the  despite having been on decent terms with both of them prior to the terrorist attack on the APR by the Collective. Now, both nations consider the Republic to be just an expanse of territory they need to conquer in order to reach one another and finally wage the war they both demand.

This part of the conflict has two distinct storylines. They are the APR Advancement and the Kioskstrum Conquest. The two take turns, every other 2nd-Scale title being one or the other. There are also sections from the Drenmarr perspective, the perspective, and the Waptorian Tribal Byzan Web.

The Algolurn Advancement, the Lower Province Campaign Pt.1
The Algolurn Popular Republic started the war with an initial time advantage. The Kioskstrum Collective did not planned to go headbutt with the reds this soon and the declaration of war from the Soviet Supreme took them by surprise, while the Iron Navy was already on the move to attack the Collective's systems. The decision of the Soviet Supreme to retaliate against the Drenmarr Republic for denying help changed the plans. The Iron Navy changed direction and started to advance within Drenmarr's space.

Preparations
With the experience of the Red Crusades, Comrade Chair Krasna Vostok knew that a "trench-like" warfare wasn't the right way to go. The Drenmarr Republic has way more resources at their disposal and even though their industry wasn't as effective then the APR or the Collective, their numbers will eventually win the war if no actions were taken swiftly. The high command decided to concentrate their efforts in the Lower Province of the Drenmarr Republic. The Lower Province host the majority of the industry still operational in the fading republic. Capturing this sector would be a crippling blow to them. After all, having access to rare resources isn't really important if you cannot transform it. The Iron Navy received the orders and started to move in combat zone.

The Battle of Darem
Not sure of the resistance the Drenmarr's would offer, the APR played the safety card and selected planet Darem in the Permafor system. The planet's economy rely mainly on agriculture, cultivating some food to supply the factories workers. The Drenmarr's high command did not expected the Algolurns to choose this world for their first target, believing they would prefer heavy industry systems. Therefor, the Permafor system was defenceless. When the Drenmarr's received transmissions from planet Darem about Algolurns troopers burning the crops and the towns alike, their high command did took immediately the decision to withdraw the small armada they grouped from their positions and go to the defence of Darem. They soon regretted their decision, as their navy, jumping out of hyperspace directly in battle range, without time to put their shields up, were pulverized swiftly by the highly trained crew of the Iron Navy. Furthermore, the Drenmarr's ships all jumped into hyperspeed but with no synchronization and the warships arrived also with no synchronization, giving time to the Iron Navy to reload. The battle of Darem was done within a day and the planet remained a brazier for months and the pictures of the massive ship-graveyard were shown everywhere. The news of the battle were broadcasted sector-wide. The Popular Republic's comrades citizens were overwhelmed by warrior spirit, while the Drenmarr citizens' mind was deeply marked. But that wasn't enough.

Fire and Blood
The Soviet Supreme wanted to traumatize the Drenmarr citizens. Treason is an inconceivable thing in the APR's culture. The Popular Republic's people wanted blood-vengeance for both the Pact's denying and the destruction of Tylambie, no matter whose blood it was. The destruction of the Drenmarr's small armada in Permafor pumped the APR's troops. Now, the way to the heartland of the Denmarr Republic's industry (or at least what remain of their decay) now lay open. The Iron Navy, supported by other minor Algolurn fleets, invaded most of the Lower Province without opposition. Fearing to see their planet set ablaze, most governors surrendered their system without opposition. But that wasn't not enough. The Soviet Supreme hold the Drenmarr Republic responsible for this war. The combined fleet of both republics could have done short work of the Collective.

A Meeting of Powers
"... so we need to sue for peace as  quickly as possible!" As the president of the Kioskstrum Collective ranted at the assortment of powerful CEOs and Chairmen, a certain chimera among them yawned widely and stood up. It was a measure of great respect (and no small amount of fear) that everyone in the room grew silent, even the president. "Mr. President, with all due respect, you are looking at this from an entirely political perspective. Yes, this looks bad considering our government isn't allowed to have a military force beyond mere police-keeping, but, and I think I speak for everyone else here, the mercenary fleets will be more than enough to handle the governmental and obviously flawed APR." Heads around the table nod as the powerful, if not especially imposing, figure sits back down with a rather disturbing smile on his face - not that anyone would ever tell him that. This individual was Jarid Paloin,more commonly known as Mr. Paloin. Few enough people had ever called this tycoon of cooperate power 'Jarid' and most of them were dead, for Mr. Paloin was just over 182 years old. It was widely known that Mr. Paloin was the richest person in the entire Collective, which also made him the most powerful. His corporation, Paloin Products, sat atop the pile of companies an then on a golden pillar, standing head and shoulders above even the top 20 other largest corporations in the nation.

The person he was addressing,, was the president of the Kioskstrum Collective. The two of them had called a summit of sorts between all of the most powerful people in the Collective to discuss the suddenness of the war with the. So far, the cooperate leaders had allowed the president to have his little rant, since they all knew that in the en he held little true power. In the Collective, money and power are synonymous. As the president tried to think up a half decent response to Mr. Paloin's complete dismissal of the 'Pansy Police', as they were called, several other cooperate leaders stood and supported Mr. Paloin's statement. Among them was the mercenary commander, Bureches, who had been chosen beforehand to lead the cooperate fleets. As the president visibly gave up on winning anyone over, he sat down in a huff and rudely asked "Well then, why am I even here?" "Why, to give us access to your 5%, of course. We corporations can't be expected to foot this bill entirely ourselves, now can we? I mean, imagine how that would look in your next run for office?" Swearing loudly and unprofessionally, the president glared at Mr. Paloin and then grumbled "Very well. I'll write up a bill that gives you access to 3% of every 5% we own. I can't give you more, the rest is needed for basic government functions." Mr. Paloin smiled, and then turned to his chosen commander, "So, Commander Bureches, how shall we proceed?" "The Drenmarr Republic has refused to support us, so we can only assume that they are supporting their fellow Republic. I've selected a small colony of the Drenmarr Republic to target first, as a sort of warning shot, if you will. It's called Iwazen..."

Capture of Iwazen
Bureches regarded the image of the large planet with its thick atmosphere and vast oceans. "I wonder, does it always rain down there do you think?" he asked out loud, not expecting an answer but getting one anyway. "Yes sir, it actually rains 4 out of every 7 days. Not a pleasant place, but the water-based resources definitely make it a-" "SHUT UP! It was a rhetorical question damnit. Communications, send this out to all ships: Full speed ahead, don't use force unless absolutely neccessary." The fleet, all 50 vessels, activated their in-system drives and moved with percision and speed - or so Bureches would have liked. The reality was that about a quarter of the fleet started up too soon and another quarter too slow, with only one quarter starting up at the right speed for his liking. The last quarter didn't start up at all for a full minute, time that could be the difference between success and failure on the battlefield. This fleet is far from the unified fighting machine Mr.Paloin made it out to be at the meeting... thought Bureches as half his fleet was forced to fall behind and disentangle itself.

As they arrived in planetary orbit, Bureches observed the cockroach-like activities below him as ships and military (such as it was) scrambled to react to the sudden invasion. "Communications, send this on all channels: 'I am Commander Bureches of the Unified Cooperate Fleet. This planet now belongs to the Kioskstrum Collective. Any ships that attempt to leave the atmosphere will be captured or destroyed. We will commence with-'" At that moment 6 military ships rose up in a lose formation, with 2 more civilian ships protected within them. As the military craft launched themselves at the Collective fleet, the two civilian craft shot away from the planet in opposite directions. "FUCK, shoot them down, shoot them down! Not the military ships, the civilian ships! YES, I'M TELLING YOU TO FUCKING SHOOT CIVILIAN CRAFT!" As his fleet scattered, a quarter going after one ship and a third going after the other, Bureches watched as both craft were destroyed.

It was moments later that he learned that 7 of his ships had been damaged, but not by the enemy - they had surrendered with only potshots at the larger fleet. The damage had been done when his ships turned on each other because they each wanted one of the larger civilian craft for themselves. They had stopped firing almost immediately, but the damage had been done. ''Fucking imbeciles... attacking each other... but then again, I don't like most of 'em either. Different mercenary groups are so used to fighting each other that they forget we're all supposed to smile and hold hands now...'' "Get those 7 ships to the tender. I want Alpha and Omega groups to spread out over the planet, I'm taking Beta group with me to the surface."

The Spoils of War
Having captured the planet several hours earlier, Bureches was surprised by the fact that his boss, Mr. Paloin, was going to be visiting the planet in only an hour. Sonofabitch must've been on his way within 6 hours of our departure... Bureches wasn't quite done preparing the planet for incorporation, but he would have no choice but to speed up his efforts now. "Damn cooperates, they have no sense of military action..." An hour later, however, the planet was fully under control and ready for Mr. Paloin to incorporate the population.

"Ah, Mr. Paloin, I wasn't expecting you so soon!" Bureches did his best to have a winning smile, since Mr. Paloin smiled as a form of happiness, but only succeeded in making himself look like a wolf about to pounce on one of its kin. "Well, I've always believed that not having enough time is vital to achieving something great. You succeeded, and that's what matters. They're ready to be incorporated?" "As ready as they're likely to get any time soon." "Good good. You will, of course, get a pay raise for your services. Let us incorporate this planet and reap the profits."

Over the next three weeks, the planet Iwazen was industrialized and most of the population was relocated and split into three new colonies, with each being on a wet planet where the services of oceangoers like the people of Iwazen had been would be needed to help build the colonies up. The people left on Iwazen were forced to reveal their planets riches and watch as the Collective took those riches - historic artifacts, natural treasures, various marine resources - and sold them across the Collectives territories and trade networks to fund the continuation of the war. The people of Iwazen would never forget, but most of them would also never return to the planet.

The Battle of Arler
Finally, after week of unopposed advance, the Iron Navy finally met an adversary. Desperate, the Drenmarrs sent Senator Rumkmer Kakmer to support the governor of planet Arler in the Orak system. Unfortunately, both men had different plans with the governor planning to save his life and surrender the system. The governor seized the power and expulsed the Senator. Outraged, the Senator assembled a small navy and came back. Both men guards fought to the death with the Senator winng the day. In an attempt to strengthen the will of the population, prevent desertion of the soldiers and forcing the citizens to fight against the invaders, the Senators decapitated the governor and his remaining guards in front of the television network and attached their bodies through all the cities' public places on the planets. Citizens who will refuse to fight against Algolurns will be considered enemy of Drenmarr and shoot on sight.

Planet Arler is an highly populated planet and the other planets of the Orak system host gigantic unused shipyards, relics on another time. The government however, was doing works on them to put them back in use. In they manage to succeed, they could potentially produce ships and be a threat to the Iron Navy. Determined to prevent that from happening, Comrade Commander Vlad Kolkoze of the APR decided to personally capture this system, knowing the Drenmarr would probably attempt to protect them. Comrade Commander Vlad Kolkoze launched his fleet into hyperspeed and jumped out behind the system's gas giant, to prevent fire barrages to hit the recharging fleet. Senator Kakmer loaded the ships at it's disposal (military and civilian alike) with nuclear devices and launched them at the Iron Navy. The Algolurn's fighters blasted them before they could do any damage. Exasperated, the Senator ordered to blow up the system's shipyards to prevent them to be used by the APR. The engineers of the Algolurns however managed to find and deactivate the explosives. Once into the Heavy Battleships in orbital bombardment positions, the dropships initiated their descent. Terrified by the Senator's soldiers, the population took whatever weapons they could muster and fought against the Algolurn soldiers, who in return slaughtered them with sadistic pleasure. With orbital support, all cities on the Arler eventually surrendered, leaving the capital alone. Being in total battle frenzy, a young Algolurn field commander ordered the rare surviving citizens to gather their dead and catapulted them inside the city. Completely terrified, the capital's population slaughtered the Senator's guards and offered him to the Algolurn commander in hope to stay alive. In vain. Comrade Commander Vlad Kolkoze, to definitely traumatize the whole Drenmarr Republic's population, gathered all citizens still alive inside the capital, barricaded the doors and set the whole city ablaze. The other planets in the systems surrendered without a fight and never again for the whole war an Senator asked the population to form militias. The whole industrial infrastructure of the system was now in the hands of the APR.

The final part of the Campaign
The Battle of Arler was the last easy ones. The Drenmarr Republic finally managed to assemble decent armadas and started to counter-attack. It was however already too late for them. The Lower Province and the industry it hold that could have saved the Drenmarr Republic was almost fully occupied. The Chancellor ordered evacuation of the systems at risks. The population was evacuated, but time was to short to disassemble the production facilities. The Republic keep sending waves and waves of ships in suicide missions against the Iron Navy. While some ships took damages from these attacks, the looses outweighed the gains by far more. 9 months after the beginning of the Lower Province Campaign, it was mission accomplish. The Soviet Supreme officially declared the Lower Province now part of the Algolurn Popular Republic. The region was repopulated and the industry became once more fully operational, after years of stagnation.