"Orion, Vandenberg, comms check." [OOC][MT][Open to app]

[Cayucas]

Approved players: The Federal Republic of Nacrad
The United Socialist States of The Quarvian Hegemony
The People's Republic of New Curon
3/5 slots are taken. Applications are still open!

RP Gamemaster: The Republic of Cayucas
Gamemaster's Puppet: The Cayucan Puppet

IC Thread

On December 19th, 2020, 3:00 AM PDT, the US Space Force launched a classified six man mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Its mission was a high stakes, highly specialized repair and servicing of a classified satellite network.

But on 3:08 AM, just some eight minutes after launch, all communications in or out from the vessel were abruptly cut off. No radio communications, no livefeeds, nothing.

At first, Space Force determined that the good news was that the crew was still alive. The vessel couldn't have experienced a critical external failure: visual and radar observations confirmed the vessel was still in one piece, albeit transmitting nothing to Vandenberg. It couldn't have been an internal failure either: observations shortly after confirmed that the vessel was changing course for an interception with the ISS, a rendezvous that would take the vessel about a day, give or take several hours. These were maneuvers weren't automated; the astronauts themselves had to set the course.

But at that point, Space Force deduced that was now bad news: the crew was still alive. The vessel was going AWOL. A multimillion dollar vessel with a multibillion dollar, highly classified set of payload and intelligence. How could the US Space Force let such a high stakes vessel go AWOL? What's worse, what was it doing heading for the Space Station?

Whatever the reason was, the US Space Force figured the answer could be summarized quite problematically: they were up to no good.

It is a sensitive position that requires precision and careful strategy. Shooting the vessel out of orbit poses too much risk both for the ISS and the image of the US, but simply letting the vessel dock with the ISS may be even worse to say the least. With its own tier one resources occupied elsewhere in the world, the US has decided to call on an elite team recruited from the world's best. Their objectives, plain and simple: protect the lives of the ISS and stop that ship.

Hi everyone! Been ages since I did an RP around here, definitely going to be my first on this nation. I haven't seen an open RP yet that's piqued my attention. I have a idea for a relatively quick, low investment RP that popped to mind. I think I'm in the mood for something like that to ease back into the flow of things. So I'll do just that.



Aside from the standard issue like "don't play unfair, try not to be a jerk at least on purpose, and OP has final say:"

1. This is intended to be a PvE style RP. Aside from your's truly also playing the NPCs on the side, all other participants will play in favor of aiding the US in its hour of need. I don't feel like complicating this RP with player opposition.
   
   
2. Combat is meant to be limited in this RP to at most ~6 combatant personnel. This number doesn't include support personnel, but the point is to keep it more focused on the characters, the Intrigue, and narrative rather than large scale military action. If it comes to large battle-group scale conflicts, it's considered a Game Over for the RP. Each nation gets a singular tier one level SOF operative as their means for combat.
   
   • To balance this, since each SOF operative is basically each participant's main character, these characters will be given a fair amount of lee-way in their personal capabilities and their survival in the plot. They're the stars of the show, they'll be treated as such.
   • This limit in combatants is not a limit in characters for RP. You'll be encouraged at various points to RP out high level politicians, officers, or other important individuals. As an international incident, it should go without saying this has its consequences outside of the ISS itself.
3. Substance is generally expected in RP posts. I'm not going to disqualify one-liners since this RP is likely going to involve a fair chunk of back-and-forth dialog and combat actions that don't warrant long prose. But I am going to say that I expect participants to give their posts and their actions some thought before execution.
   
   
4. This RP assumes Modern Tech levels and is not adjusted for NS Stat scales. I don't expect this to be too much of an issue since combatants are so limited anyway, but it's worth mentioning just in case. There's room for a bit of lee-way to fairly cater to flavor, but this RP is more or less made with real life in mind as the benchmark excuse for a couple of plot device like bits. Please avoid using statistics and/or equipment that would be OP in comparison without asking first (or at the least if you do, limit their actual application in this RP to the realm of practicality.) If you're unsure where your possible tech or stats stand, don't hesitate to ask. Speaking of real life,
   
   
5. As an Open RP, this RP will reference an NS Earth with a few specific caveat Handwaves for convenience. Explicitly outlined caveats include:
   
   • All participating countries are assumed to be within reasonably close distance to each other. To give a very rough estimate, distances are at most ~1 hour away by flight or ~1 week away by sail. Since this is intended to be a quick oneshot, we'll excuse the logistics and practicalities of how that works and mapping it all out.
   • To keep the story focused on itself rather than outside implications, we will ignore a couple of influential and possibly controversial points in modern history. COVID-19 and the Trump presidency will be handwaved aside in this RP. For the sake of quickly attaching a fairly robust fictional alternative, we'll just say the Bartlet Administration's Season 1 cabinet and White House senior staff is serving in the Executive branch for the time being.
   • For the sake of getting the ball rolling, we'll excuse conflicts in plot, history, and etc. leading up to the start of the RP. That's not a free ticket to abuse the past and put yourself in an unfair advantage or twist around history for reasons beyond national aesthetic, but it is to say you don't have to worry about the nitty-gritty.
     
     • The major exception to this is that you cannot RP as China, the United States, or any other nation that's contributed to the ISS, either directly or as an analog. The US, and in conjunction other ISS contributors, will play a pivotal role as an NPCs in this RP.
     • As an Open, NS Earth RP not focused on territory, we'll excuse RL Earth territory positioning and simply rely on the distance rule mentioned previously. Don't give the implications to this much if any thought. You'll get a headache if you do.
   
   
6. The passage of time will be dictated by consensus and the OP's discretion. In other words, it's going to be pretty fluid and dictated by what's convenient for long write-ups. To set the scene first thing, time is likely going to go at a snails pace, perhaps like one RL day = one RP hour. Once we're settled in a game plan, there'll likely be time skips to advance to bouts of intrigue and action. We can figure out when time skips will occur by majority consensus, gamemaster's vote doubled to prevent possible ties.
   
   
7. This RP will be fairly on-the-rails up until arrival to low Earth orbit. If nothing else in this RP, all six of the coalition SOF operatives will make it to space to defend the lives of the ISS. How precisely they'll get up there and what they bring will be up to their consensus (this will be properly elaborated on in character,) but the soldiers will make it up in orbit. After that, all bets are off on how the story unfolds.
   
   
8. Probability (ie. a whole lot of Dice Rolling and DnD influenced principles) will play a distinct role in the mechanics and outcome of this RP. What this ultimately means is that while player agency remains in the participant's hands, the results of their actions and actions afflicted on them may be—or at least encouraged to be—outside of their control as normally expected in an NS RP.
   
   • To elaborate on that, I understand NS RP's often have a mentality of "Player A dictates the actions against Player B. Player B gets to decide how they're damaged/affected." I will respect this precedence, especially in IC action agency. However, I will be posting in the OOC thread non-prescriptive dice roll results as they apply to participants, their characters, and their actions. These will not describe the IC actions, just the results as the Dice decree. I leave it up to the player to determine how precisely IC they succeed, fail, are damaged, or are otherwise affected by the dice value/result. I maintain expected authority over how NPCs and environmental factors (eg. satellites, piloted ships to a fair degree) are controlled.

I understand these guidelines are probably a bit more verbose than necessary. I'd like to emphasize that this is RP is not intended to have a high stakes impact on the players involved and shouldn't be taken too seriously. If anything seems convoluted to you or you're unsure of any specific, either now or when the RP is in progress, don't hesitate to ask me anything. This is what OOC threads are for. This RP will very likely rely heavy on the OOC thread to figure out how the nuts-and-bolts side of things, but I leave it up to us collectively to give the mechanics skeleton its narrative body.

Above all else, let's focus on writing a solid story together and have some fun fighting Space Baddies!

• The Federal Republic of Nacrad
  Brigadier (OF-7) Simon S. Cheng, Technical and strategic aid
  (Application)
• The United Socialist States of The Quarvian Hegemony
  Wing Commander (OF-5) Karma Laron, Flight Engineer, Payload Specialist
  (Application)
• The People's Republic of New Curon
  Division Commander (OF-4) Lawrence "Vulture" Kassim, Surveillance and Suppression of Hostile Assets
  (Application)

As of December 21th 23:30 PST, two of five player slots are open. Fill out an application below to be considered!

---

• RP Gamemaster: The Republic of Cayucas
  Captain (OF-2) Floyd Machado, Fixed wing pilot
  (Application below)
  
  The Gamemaster, aka OP or Host, maintains standard authority expected in an RP. The Gamemaster will control the NPCs involved in the RP, both PROFOR and OPFOR.
  
  
• Gamemaster's Puppet: The Cayucan Puppet (—)
  Since the Gamemaster is playing along with the players, the Puppet will be used to post actions and dialog committed by NPCs.

As the guidelines imply, this RP has a maximum of six participants including the gamemaster, making for a total of five open slots. Since this is the first RP I'll be participating in on this nation, I think it's fair for me to say I can't be too much of a beggar here if/when applications come in. Application approval will be prioritized by a first come, first served basis. I'll be understanding if your written stats, country's documentation, or RP experience is minimal or lacking. That said, I reserve the right to explicitly deny a country's application if a notable amount of RP without substance is found in the country's post history, among other reasons.

The following form is required from all prospective participants. It should be enough information to get the ball rolling.

Code: Select all

[box][size=150][b]Nation Overview[/b][/size]
[b]Nation's full formal name:[/b]
[b]Nation's shorthand name:[/b]
[b]Nation's capital:[/b]
[b]Head of government:[/b]

[size=150][b]Tier one SOF[/b][/size]
[b]Name of SOF unit:[/b]
[b]Branch of military the unit is in, if applicable:[/b]

[b]Operative name:[/b]
[b]Operative native rank:[/b]
[b]Operative rank, NATO equivalent:[/b]
[b]General role of the operative:[/b]

[b]Operative gender:[/b]
[b]Operative height:[/b]
[b]Operative age:[/b]
[b]Describe the general physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the operative:[/b][/box]

The following form is optional, but can possibly help in nuanced circumstances or in probability rolls.

Code: Select all

[box][size=150][b]Tier one SOF[/b][/size]
Probability rolls will be based on a DnD 5E style gameplay. For simplicity' sake, we'll only focus on the primary six Ability Scores. Try not to read too much into it or research the more involved mechanics, because admittedly I'm fairly rusty with the more advanced mechanics myself. This is intended to be a fairly basic RP, so I'm streamlining things to make it simpler and accessible for everyone involved.

You are granted [b]84 points total (ie. 14 per ability)[/b] to disperse across the six abilities. You cannot exceed 20 in any one ability. You're generally not advised to have an ability under 8 points. If you choose not to specify your Ability Scores yourself, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a default and fair set based between the 14-per average and your operative's general role.
[b]Strength:[/b]
[b]Dexterity:[/b]
[b]Constitution:[/b]
[b]Intelligence:[/b]
[b]Wisdom:[/b]
[b]Charisma:[/b]

From the list below, highlight one Ability Saving Throw and two skills for your operative to be proficient in. Note that the Gamemaster will assign you either one free proficient skill or a nonlisted proficiency (eg. proficiency in a certain class of firearms) based on your operative's background. If you choose not to select either a saving throw, proficiencies, or both, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a set based around your character's background:
[b]SAVING THROWS[/b]
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma

[b]SKILLS[/b]
Acrobatics
Mechanics
Computers
Athletics
Deception
History
Insight
Intimidation
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Piloting
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Survival


[b]Describe the operative's backstory. Consider writing about topics like their upbringing, their experience in the military, noteworthy strengths and weaknesses, their personal life, etc.:[/b][/box]

Since this seems to be fairly uncharted territory as applied to an NS RP, I should probably emphasize that I'm open to any questions to clarify the mechanics behind decisions made in the application. Once your application is approved, feel free to consult with me to potentially make any changes in your app's statistics.
I'll fill out an application in full as an example of what I generally expect:

Nation Overview
Nation's full formal name: the Republic of Cayucas
Nation's shorthand name: Cayucas
Nation's capital: Horizons
Head of government: Prime Minister Athena Langer

Tier one SOF
Name of SOF unit: CAF Pathfinders
Branch of military the unit is in, if applicable: Cayucan Air Force

Operative name: Floyd Machado
Operative native rank: Captain
Operative rank, NATO equivalent: OF-2
General role of the operative: Fixed wing pilot

Operative gender: Male
Operative height: 6' 0"
Operative age: 36
Describe the general physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the operative:
Cpt. Machado is at peak physical performance for his age. He's a man of details, making sure every T is crossed and I dotted potentially to a fault. His need for specifics and obsession to do it right has sometimes lead to losses in time, or even losses in opportunities. But if there's one thing he's sure about, it's never lead to a loss of life. His plans can take time and his pre-flight checks can be slow, but you can be confident that his work is leakproof and reliable. His eyes are on a higher rung in leadership, but between his desire for absolute confidence and a lack of the spark of a proper officer, he usually finds himself in a lieutenant role or otherwise second-in-command. Undeniably important, but undeniably on the rails.

Tier one SOF
Probability rolls will be based on a DnD 5E style gameplay. For simplicity' sake, we'll only focus on the primary six Ability Scores. Try not to read too much into it or research the more involved mechanics, because admittedly I'm fairly rusty with the more advanced mechanics myself. This is intended to be a fairly basic RP, so I'm streamlining things to make it simpler and accessible for everyone involved.

You are granted 84 points total (ie. 14 per ability) to disperse across the six abilities. You cannot exceed 20 in any one ability. You're generally not advised to have an ability under 8 points. If you choose not to specify your Ability Scores yourself, you'll be prescribed a default and fair set based between the 14-per average and your operative's general role.
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 8

From the list below, highlight one Ability Saving Throw and two skills for your operative to be proficient in. Note that the Gamemaster will assign you either one free proficient skill or a nonlisted proficiency (eg. proficiency in a certain class of firearms) based on your operative's background. If you choose not to select either a saving throw, proficiencies, or both, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a set based around your character's background:
SAVING THROWS
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma

SKILLS
Acrobatics
Mechanics
Computers
Athletics
Deception
History
Insight
Intimidation
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Piloting
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Survival


Describe the operative's backstory. Consider writing about topics like their upbringing, their experience in the military, their personal life, etc.:
Floyd Machado was a child of the National Foster System. While the system generally raises children well, Machado naturally had to work to be possibly noticed and adopted. For reasons he's still unsure about, Machado was never adopted by the time he reached adulthood. He was raised right by the system's caregivers, but he suspects a lack of focused love may have affected him in some abstract way. Machado joined the Air Force after Secondary School. With a disciplined work ethic and a knack with working the system fairly well, Machado got a position in one of the nation's premiere special forces: the CAF Pathfinders. His specialty is in the aircraft used for deployment on the field. Aside from conventional flights, Machado has an in-depth knowledge and is capable of advanced tactics, maneuvers, and specialized aircraft. Despite his eyes for the top, Machando works reliably his role as second-in-command alongside flight officers. He'll be a good fit in the team, either way.

Machado's personal circle is relatively small. Aside from select friends and mentors in the Pathfinders and the Marine Raiders, Machado doesn't have/maintain friendships.

---

Day 1 Roadmap

Because I'm a bit of a busy bee at the moment with Finals, there's a few things I haven't quite worked on yet that I plan to have ironed out by next week. This includes:

• Tactical maps of the ISS and utilized launch vehicles.
• Iconography of involved NPC factions.
• The Tech MacGuffins and balancing them.

This list may prove to not be exhaustive, depending on what comes to mind of what needs to be explicitly defined before IC start. I'll admit that I'm liking missing a few things in the name of getting this OOC thread out in what strikes me as a timely manner, so I'm expecting a few missing things along the way. I'll be giving updates as such matters are done.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to applications and hearing your thoughts!

[Nacrad]

Nation Overview
Nation's full formal name: Federal Republic of Nacrad
Nation's shorthand name: Nacrad
Nation's capital: Riverfort
Head of government: Semi-presidential republic.
President: Matthew Y. Smith
Prime Minister: Jonathan Stone

Tier one SOF
Name of SOF unit: Space Wing
Branch of military the unit is in, if applicable: Air Force

Operative name: Simon S. Cheng
Operative native rank: Brigadier
Operative rank, NATO equivalent: OF-7
General role of the operative: Technical and strategic aid

Operative gender: M
Operative height: 1.72 m (5'7")
Operative age: 34
Describe the general physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the operative:
Simon has aspired to become an astronaut since he was little. Characterised by a rigorous logical thinking process and a level head, he has excelled in the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. He has also learnt basic programming in C++ and Assembly, though he is by no means proficient, and has largely forgotten about all but the most basic as the Nacradian flight control softwares were upgraded to have GUIs. However, he is often known to be a bit obsessed with details, which may lead him to take more time than necessary on things meant to be temporary fixes. In addition, he is not exactly the strongest man you'll encounter.

Tier one SOF
Probability rolls will be based on a DnD 5E style gameplay. For simplicity' sake, we'll only focus on the primary six Ability Scores. Try not to read too much into it or research the more involved mechanics, because admittedly I'm fairly rusty with the more advanced mechanics myself. This is intended to be a fairly basic RP, so I'm streamlining things to make it simpler and accessible for everyone involved.

You are granted 84 points total (ie. 14 per ability) to disperse across the six abilities. You cannot exceed 20 in any one ability. You're generally not advised to have an ability under 8 points. If you choose not to specify your Ability Scores yourself, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a default and fair set based between the 14-per average and your operative's general role.
Strength:10
Dexterity:17
Constitution:14
Intelligence:19
Wisdom:15
Charisma:10

From the list below, highlight one Ability Saving Throw and two skills for your operative to be proficient in. Note that the Gamemaster will assign you either one free proficient skill or a nonlisted proficiency (eg. proficiency in a certain class of firearms) based on your operative's background. If you choose not to select either a saving throw, proficiencies, or both, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a set based around your character's background:
SAVING THROWS
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma

SKILLS
Acrobatics
Mechanics
Computers
Athletics
Deception
History
Insight
Intimidation
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Piloting
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Survival


Describe the operative's backstory. Consider writing about topics like their upbringing, their experience in the military, noteworthy strengths and weaknesses, their personal life, etc.:
Simon was a born a lower middle class child in Shatin, a small town of about 500k just north of Portsville. From his childhood, he was told to work the hardest he can, so that he can get a job and come back a richer man. He has worked hard during his primary school and secondary school years, studying Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics Extended Unit II (Algebra and Calculus) as elective subjects during high school while also working part-time in a local shop. He was enrolled into the University of Nacrad in the faculty of Engineering, specifically majoring in Aerospace Systems Engineering.

After he has graduated with a bachelor's degree, he then joined the Air Force to fulfill his service. Very quickly, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, before being transferred to the Space Wing, which was just established by presidential order. Since then, he has been actively involved in the design and supervision of the creation of many aerospace systems, including most notably the Nacradian SSTO.

[Cayucas]

Something tells me I shouldn't have been so antsy to get this out before I completed my finals. The roadmap goals are coming up I swears it. <:)

[Application]

Application approved. Welcome aboard, Brig. Cheng!

From the looks of it you don't have a second proficiency skill highlighted. You have a Saving throw and a single skill currently. Considering your operative's background, a second skill proficiency I'd suggest is Computers. I understand he wouldn't necessarily be proficient in programming principles, but I'd say his background in aerospace engineering/design and STEM would give credence towards him at least knowing some basic ideas around what makes the likes of an SSTO tick on the software level. I'd be willing to grant him a proficiency in Computers without any changes to its modifier (Intelligence.) However, if you think it'd be more in line with him not necessarily knowing the specifics, I'd be willing to make an exception and base the modifier on Wisdom instead. That would reflect not knowing his way around software on a principles level, but rather on a highly educated intuition level, for lack of better terminology. If you have a completely different suggestion, lemme know!


That still leaves one extra Freebie for me to prescribe! We already have a pilot character, so I'd like to avoid stacking on another if I can help it for the time being. That leaves two possibilities I'm primarily thinking of. I'll give my rationale for why I think either could be a good fit. Let me know if you have a preference between one or the other:

• History (Int.): Having studied Aerospace Sys Engineering in an academic environment, your character would have a strong foundation on how the mechanics and demands of spaceflight have developed over the decades. Brig. Cheng would be familiar with topics like differences between American and Russian (and once Soviet) designs, how spaceflight has evolved, and how spaceflight has come to be applied to more than base scientific research. Such a wealth of knowledge could be helpful in familiarizing yourself with the ISS and its layout, potential background on astronauts or their space agencies, or more dire matters like what chunk of wall is likely going to stop a bullet.
  
  
• Deorbiting/LEO Landing (Nonlisted): The demands of landing a spacecraft from orbit are a dash more perilous than landing even the most specialized atmospheric aircraft, to say the least. From angle of re-entry to pitch and handling the heat both metaphorically and literally, getting back home as a conventional pilot wouldn't be a walk in the park. Being already familiar with SSTO design, taking command or directly landing a spacecraft yourself from low Earth orbit wouldn't take you far from your element. Even if you weren't in the driver's seat, your advice and confidence alone could be what makes a landing properly smooth.

[Cayucas]

Finals are just about over and I got free time to work with! With all that just about out of the way, I can flesh out the foundation to where I want it to be.

Later today I'll talk about what relevant novel technologies that will be encountered and used. First thing though, I'd like to properly outline the factions at play here. The faction grouping is fairly straightforward: US-aligned, hostiles, and the civilians and third parties which might possibly come into play. Any important characters that'll come up in the RP will be elaborated upon IC. For now though, the listed factions are all you need be aware of straight away.


US-Aligned

On December 19th, the US Space Force lost contact with a high stakes mission in low Earth orbit. After the vessel changed course for an unscheduled rendezvous with the ISS, the Space Force and US military leadership assumed the worst was going to come. To simply shoot down the spacecraft would put the ISS at risk of encountering dangerous space debris, not to mention how such a firemission would be noticed by and controversial to the public. This mission requires a special forces presence, but the country's special forces units are currently committed to other pressing engagements around the world. The US has decided to secretly call upon its allies from around the world to provide operatives in their time of need.


Iconography of the US and relevant inner subdivisions that will be used in this RP. Listed groups are in order of most involved and more precise to the least involved and more general.

From left to right, the following groups (and their highest ranking leader) will have a presence:

• US Space Force, Gen. John W. Raymond: The Joint Chiefs have naturally handed command of the crisis to the Space Force. While tactical command is handled by the launch team, the Space Force will maintain oversight and provide guidance and assistance with its assets whenever it can.
• NASA, Admin. Jim Bridenstine: The US Space Force hopes to keep this operation as closely under wraps as possible, but the involvement of the US civilian space agency is going to be inevitable. NASA will play its role in ensuring the transition of ISS control from civilian to military hands (and eventually vice versa) is handled as cleanly—and covertly—as possible.
• White House Office, President Jed Bartlet: While the Space Force and the launch team are busy handling things in orbit, the White House is busy keeping a lid on the situation back on the ground. The White House will likely be asking for representatives of the launch team's nations to establish a united international strategy.
• Roscosmos, Director Gen. Dmitry Rogozin: Getting JAXA, the CSA, and the ESA in step may be easy, but Roscosmos may prove to be unpredictable if the operation becomes known. As one of the big three ISS contributors, Russia's cooperation is of the utmost necessity. If the other space agencies become aware of what's going on, ensuring that Russia remains aligned with the US in this operation is vital to operation secrecy.

The ISS


Commander Sergey Ryzhikov

Unaware of who's coming, let alone their plans, Expedition 64 is focused on its scientific endeavors. Expedition 64 has a fairly senior crew, with only two first-spaceflight astronauts. Consisting of some of the best and brightest of ISS member nations, the ISS is a well oiled machine of organized chaos. The question of how the crew will handle such an unprecedented wrench in the system remains to be answered.


Presumed hostile

The US is uncomfortably in the dark regarding the potential opposition they face, both tactically and politically. Between who's actually up there and who may be involved, the US isn't ruling anyone out.


Iconography of presumed hostiles and opposition that may be involved in this RP. First two are technically the same faction, the latter of which will be used to refer to hostile action posts. The former may be used if investigations prove there are US-aligned ACE hostages. As with the above, left-to-right indicates likely prominence and specificity.

From left to right, the following groups may have a presence:

• 7th Aerospace Combat Engineer Squadron [AWOL], [Leader unknown at this time]: The Space Force maintains a number of specialized engineer astronaut squads to conduct manned maintenance missions. The 6 astronauts in the 7th ACEs, casually referred to as the Ace of Spades, is among those squads. These astronauts are highly trained and highly equipped to conduct their mission. If their plan involves damaging the ISS or its crew, these astronauts are more than capable. The US was caught completely off guard to find this group has gone AWOL. All astronauts seemed to check out as sound physically, mentally, and emotionally. As of now, the US doesn't know how many of them are currently alive, how many are part of this mutiny, who is the ringleader, what their motives are, or what their plan is. The US would like to figure out the answers to all of these, but ultimately, the ISS and its lives come first. If it proves necessary to defend them, the Ace of Spades are considered expendable and to be engaged on sight.
• China, India [Leaders will vary depending on actual involvement]: Of all the possible national actors, the US suspects one of these two would potentially be the most technologically equipped to execute such a high level beach. Neither of these nations are aware of what the US got itself into, and the US would like to keep it that way. But of any non-ISS nations with a space agency, these two stand out as the most likely to independently stumble upon the developing situation. Perhaps more importantly, these are the two nations that are the most likely to benefit from discovering such an embarrassing piece of intrigue. Should either of these nations become aware of what's going on, the fiasco may become a mark of shame on the United States for years to come.

[Cayucas]

The RP has officially started! The IC thread can be found at the OP or at the linked post here.

It's not too late to sign up! The window for application is still going to be open for a little while. It'll be clear both IC and OOC when applications (at least for tactical action) officially close.

[The Quarvian Hegemony]

Nation Overview
Nation's full formal name: The United Socialist States of The Quarvian Hegemony
Nation's shorthand name: The Hegemony, Quarvia
Nation's capital: Ronoto
Head of government: Albion Demo

Tier One SOF
Name of SOF unit: 1st Space Operations Group, Task Force 44
Branch of military the unit is in, if applicable: Air Force

Operative name: Karma Laron
Operative native rank: "Wing Commander"
Operative rank, NATO equivalent: OF-5
General role of the operative: Flight Engineer, Payload Specialist

Operative gender: Male
Operative height: 178cm (5' 10")
Operative age: 37
Describe the general physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the operative:
Physical: While as fit and healthy as one can expect of an astronaut, it has never been his prime competency.
Mental: With an IQ of 135 and extensive training in space hardware and systems, he is a expert in his field. Noted for his speed of mental calculation.
Emotional: Karma has two major emotional traits. He is cool under pressure, seemingly unfazed while the world crumbles around him. And he is a quiet man; often silent during issues onboard the capsule this has often brought him some degree of complains from mission control.

---

Tier one SOF
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 14

SAVING THROW - Intelligence

SKILLS - Mechanics, Computers

Backstory: Born to a family with strong military traditions, it was expected young Karma would join the Army as his past three generations had, but he had other plans. He join the Air Force Academy and graduated 2nd in his class with a Major in Space Operations. With plans to become an astronauts he underwent Flight School.

During his military career he became a distinguished operator of fighter aircraft, scoring 3 kills over 44 missions . Continuing to pursue his dream he applied and would be accepted into Astronaut Group 8. During his tenure there he proved himself a capable man under pressure, saving the 2008 mission when the craft encountered an uncontrollable spin, forcing a manual de-orbit procedure without the use of the automatic tools.

With the Opening of Task Force 44, a special group of rescue astronauts, he returned to the Air Force.

[Cayucas]

[Application]

Approved! Pleasure to have you, Wng. Cmdr. Laron. The OPs will be edited in just a moment to reflect your approval.


For your prescribed proficiency, I'm going with a Saving Throw:

• Wisdom (Saving throw): Laron has worked through some of the worst circumstances. Yet seemingly every time, he's maintained a cool and collected head. As vessels lose control, as space suits lose their pressurization, or as it seems the rest of the crew has lost its mind, one thing can be for sure: Laron's in the moment, steady and able.

---

Edit for post spam prevention's sake: our first Public Roll Value.
Does NASA immediately realize what's going on? On Pass: No, on Fail: Yes.
General DC for event: Passed at a value of 18.

[New Curon]

Nation Overview
Nation's full formal name: People's Republic of New Curon
Nation's shorthand name: New Curon
Nation's capital: New Vonneburg
Head of government: President Kurt Huxley

Tier one SOF
Name of SOF unit: 3rd Special Operations Division
Branch of military the unit is in, if applicable: Homeland Security

Operative name: Lawrence "Vulture" Kassim
Operative native rank: Division Commander
Operative rank, NATO equivalent: OF-4
General role of the operative: Surveillance and Suppression of Hostile Assets

Operative gender: Male
Operative height: 5'9"
Operative age: 39
Describe the general physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of the operative:
Cmdr. Kassim is noted as having above average physical fortitude and dexterity compared to his comrades. His methods and tactics in the field are generally unorthodox, but quite effective; though he is generally described as aloof and uncaring by those under him, however, and his career has been marred by conduct unbecoming and mouthing off to superiors who disagreed with his tactics. While those above him may argue that his behavior should cost him his job, not one can dispute his results.

Tier one SOF
Probability rolls will be based on a DnD 5E style gameplay. For simplicity' sake, we'll only focus on the primary six Ability Scores. Try not to read too much into it or research the more involved mechanics, because admittedly I'm fairly rusty with the more advanced mechanics myself. This is intended to be a fairly basic RP, so I'm streamlining things to make it simpler and accessible for everyone involved.

You are granted 84 points total (ie. 14 per ability) to disperse across the six abilities. You cannot exceed 20 in any one ability. You're generally not advised to have an ability under 8 points. If you choose not to specify your Ability Scores yourself, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a default and fair set based between the 14-per average and your operative's general role.
Strength:14
Dexterity: 18
Constitution:16
Intelligence:16
Wisdom:12
Charisma:8

From the list below, highlight one Ability Saving Throw and two skills for your operative to be proficient in. Note that the Gamemaster will assign you either one free proficient skill or a nonlisted proficiency (eg. proficiency in a certain class of firearms) based on your operative's background. If you choose not to select either a saving throw, proficiencies, or both, the Gamemaster may consult with or prescribe you a set based around your character's background:
SAVING THROWS
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma

SKILLS
Acrobatics
Mechanics
Computers
Athletics
Deception
History
Insight
Intimidation
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Piloting
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Survival


Describe the operative's backstory. Consider writing about topics like their upbringing, their experience in the military, noteworthy strengths and weaknesses, their personal life, etc.:
Cmdr. Kassim was among the first generation born in the liberated New Curon. He was one of few to be selected to attend post-secondary school, but was expelled after being found to have cheated on several exams. During his years of conscription, he set himself apart from his peers for his outstanding performance in close-quarters combat and discretion; unlike most of his peers who returned to civilian life after their conscription, Kassim was offered a position as an officer, went through advanced training with the United States Army, and elected to serve with the fledgling Ministry of Homeland Security. He led field operations for most of his career, and despite his exemplary service has not been promoted due to a history of unbecoming conduct and arguing with his superiors. While neither he or his nation has any experience in space flight or command, his extensive experience in clandestine operations will, according to his superiors, be quite useful in this urgent matter.

[Cayucas]

[Application]

Approved. Praise to you for bringing some needed specialty diversity to the table. Welcome to the team, Cmdr. Kassim!


For your extra prescribed proficiency:

• Perception (Wisdom): As an operative who specializes in domestic intelligence, Kassim has an uncanny ability to feel the room better than his peers. From the fast-ones criminals try pulling to the motives of dissonants and whatever may lie between, Kassim seems to always have a feel of their vitals.

---

Meanwhile, don't mind me setting the stage in IC. Feel free to apply my latest post as a sort of baseline of educated assumptions regarding what Leo brings up, implying you want to explicitly bring the conversation up at all. I'm not too concerned with specifics; you may take the same liberties for dialog shown such as:

• Leo is calling someone high up in your country's government. This can include people such as your head of government, their staff, relevant ministers, etc.
• Your nation and the US are on friendly terms.
• The situation and the need for help is noted.
• The operative of choice is sent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. The diplomatic/political representative of choice is sent to the White House.
• The desire for secrecy, at least secrecy from the public, is emphasized.

If you have any questions regarding specifics or if you're keen on having me there on scene to directly play the role as Leo, feel free to TG me. Since every important character isn't quite in their positions yet, I'd recommend avoiding line-by-line dialog talking to each other IC until we're all on the same stages. I'll open up to that once we're all in position.

[Mutual Development]

Hello! I'd be interested in joining this RP, but in the interest of disclosure, I should clarify a couple things.

First, while I have essentially no experience when it comes to RP in the context of NS, I have plenty in other mediums. Still, my post length on average may suffer slightly from this.

Second, with the holidays upon us an a planned trip ahead, I won't have much of a chance to post anything until almost mid January.

Since I don't want to take up a slot only to disappoint, I wanted to ask first if this would be too much of a problem, especially if you have a chronology set for mission launch.

I just found the premise very interesting, but I can always aim to join the next RP.

[Cayucas]

Hello! I'd be interested in joining this RP, but in the interest of disclosure, I should clarify a couple things.

First, while I have essentially no experience when it comes to RP in the context of NS, I have plenty in other mediums. Still, my post length on average may suffer slightly from this.

That wouldn't be an issue with me! I'd say this RP is a bit off character from the usual International Incidents RP form, so I don't care too much about gameplay specific experience. I figure experience with RPing elsewhere should make for a captivating enough role.

Second, with the holidays upon us an a planned trip ahead, I won't have much of a chance to post anything until almost mid January.

Since I don't want to take up a slot only to disappoint, I wanted to ask first if this would be too much of a problem, especially if you have a chronology set for mission launch.

Gimme an application to work with and I can help ensure timing isn't an issue.

I'm purposely encouraging people to take their time to help give time to develop substance. I care more about giving this a loving shine than delivering it fast, even if that ends up being a bit to a fault. I'm definitely taking my time myself, especially since a medical condition has flared up over the past week. I don't explicitly have a timeframe in mind, but if mission launch doesn't occur until mid-January, I wouldn't be too surprised. If you arrive towards the later side, chances are you won't be present for mission planning and your operative will be prescribed a loadout that makes sense for them, but you'll still have a fair bit of action ahead of you that you can participate in.

---

McGarry doesn't have patience for an attitude at the moment. He lowers his voice to minimize encounters with creeping ears. "I don't have a problem of what Josh, I have a problem of where. You really think we ought to have this meeting in the Roosevelt? You see the glass windows? I can practically feel the prying eyes in there. We can't have a meeting like this here."

It is at this point that I realize that this bit may raise some confusion, and that's my fault. This likely isn't a big deal and doesn't warrant explanation, but for transparency's sake I ought to.

When I was picturing the Roosevelt Room, what first came to mind was the visuals as seen in the TV Show The West Wing. There are dull maroon walls surrounding the central conference table. Most importantly, both of the main walls are lined with windowed doors. The room has a feeling of being permeable and accessible. Aside from being a front and center location inside the West Wing, its characteristics make for a fairly public meeting area.

The problem is that if you're more familiar with the Roosevelt Room as seen in real life, it's fairly different. The layout has some minor differences, but most importantly, the main walls lack the windowed doors. I only remembered this difference after posting.

I'd still want to move the political scheming downstairs to underscore the secrecy of this operation, but I understand this difference in visuals could make the given explanation conflict with usually expected visuals. My apologies if that conflict was a tad jarring. Since the Roosevelt Room's structure doesn't have a significant role in gameplay, I don't feel a need to retcon the explanation. In sum, I'm running with the Goof. Speaking of prying eyes though,

PRV: Does a White House assistant currently feel like raising some Intrigue at the moment?
On pass: No. On fail: Yes. Degrees of pass/fail applicable.
General DC event (1d20): Pass at 19. No relevant post warranted.

[Cayucas]

PRV: Does the press take notice of the influx of foreign personnel coming to the White House?
On pass: No. On fail: Yes. Degrees of pass/fail applicable.
General DC event (1d20): Fail at 2. This will be elaborated upon in the next NPC post.

Buckle up, folks. Public Scrutiny begins very shortly.

[Cayucas]

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but New Curon brought something up in DMs that I was gonna touch on later when it was going to be more relevant to the RP. I may as well bring it up publicly now since it's been discussed in the first place.

As said before, here will be times when dice rolls are made to influence the results of your operative's actions, and possibly other actions as well. This includes specialized actions, certain dialog, combat, notable difficulty checks, or otherwise when it may have notable relevance. This goes in step with what's expected out of DnD or DnD-derived RP mechanics. In a setting like a forum RP though, my first impression to make these rolls on your behalf. This is more out of a convenience factor than anything else. Forum RPs don't offer the same immediate response time as an IRL tabletop or in the likes of Roll20 or Discord. Making the dice roll on your behalf and giving the suggested action response streamlines the procedure.

But this has a couple of issues with me. It takes away an iconic element of agency from the player that I'd like to preserve if I could help it. If dice rolls are intended to play an influential role here, the player should take part in it if they desire. It also may give the impression that I wouldn't trust the player to not be nefarious with their dice rolls, which strikes me as hypocritical if I'm expecting the vice-versa of that trust.


So to resolve this, I'm simply going to operate on something more in line with tabletop standards rather than a strict adaptation for the forum. I'm inviting players to make their own dice rolls if they wish to. In events that warrant a dice roll on the player's behalf—such as ability checks, damage rolls, DC, and etc—players may make the dice roll themselves if they express interest in doing so.

I'll continue to make rolls that are expected out of my position: NPC checks and rolls, relevant contests to player rolls, etc. But otherwise, you're invited to opt in for doing your own rolls. This will have a light bearing over this initial stage of the RP, but it'll be especially prevalent once combat starts. Please let me know if you're opting in to do your own rolls either by DM or forum post so I can give you the appropriate dice prompts when they occur. If I don't receive word of your opt-in, I may still make the dice rolls on your behalf. If you'd like to do your own dice rolls but lack a physical set of dice, I've made good use of this online roller.

[The Quarvian Hegemony]

Very sorry for the delay, have had a busy Christmas season and a minor loss of power, but i am back now, am getting caught up and will reply shortly

[Cayucas]

All relevant novel technologies have been properly illustrated and cataloged! The following assets may possibly be considered more high tech or otherwise of decisive mission value. The Spades are actively using everything listed here, and our operatives have access to the same if they desire. Take your time to get familiar with them and feel free to ask any questions either here or in character. The ISS map and brief on the NPC astronauts is up next!






The 25mm "Rail Tie" Anti-material Railgun is an anti-material rifle designed specifically to excel in outer space application. The railgun fires a high speed kinetic projectile explicitly designed for craft penetration rather than explosive/splash damage, allowing astronauts to conduct "precision long distance, high risk EVA decommissioning missions" from safe distances. The railgun has a capacity of one 25mm caseless shell, colloquially called "rail ties." Rather than allowing for shots without pause, the railgun takes approximately two seconds to charge up a shot. This charge-up delay allows the railgun to function in a handheld package. A shell firing battery generally powers the actual firing mechanism and has a charge capacity of approximately ten shells per full charge. This firing battery is prone to overheating, particularly if rounds are fired off at relatively rapid succession. Should all ten charges be used, the battery is theoretically replaceable at any time.

There is also generally a secondary battery and computer system which is usually plugged into the optics. This system and its internal sensors control the firearm's mechanics and software. In addition to directly controlling the firearm, the system can be paired with compatible E/IVA suits. This pairing allows the user to utilize an augmented reality display as well as the built-in optics port, making for more convenient control while in EVA. The usual stock and pistol grip, especially the latter, are explicitly designed for more convenient operation with EVA suit gloves, including civilian spacesuit designs. The railgun lower receiver also generally features a NATO accessory rail. This rail is generally equipped with a bipod that can connect to the railgun's computer, allowing the user to enable the electronic magnets on the bipod's boots with variable magnetic strength. When folded up, the bipod may serve as a grip.

The railgun is currently a top secret firearm. The Space Force claims that two have been successfully trialed and rotated in deployment: one for the active ACE mission, one in reserve. The Operatives may use the one in reserve if they desire.






The "Homewrecker" Spacecraft Demolitions Ordnance is a tactical nuclear explosive designed for demolitions outside of terrestrial operations. Derived from the Medium Atomic Demolition Munitions, the ordnance has various features which give it enhanced capabilities for its mission. The ordnance has two modes of operation: Attachment, when the ordnance is placed in or attached to a vessel; and Float, which is the ordnance's backup operation.

Upon detonation in any mode, the ordnance releases a powerful electromagnetic pulse and a dark, irradiated chaff which sticks to any potential debris. If any electronics continue to work after detonation, this nuclear EMP is made to minimize the chances of continued tracking or operation. The chaff is intended to slow and discourage recovery operations.

In Attachment, the on-board computer and sensor array uses a variety of means to estimate the vessel's footprint and location of critical vessel parts. Using this estimated footprint, the ordnance is able to approximately focus its explosion profile towards critical parts not unlike a shaped charge. This ability of primary charge focus is limited on the ordnance's placement and angling. The approximate TNT yield is also varied within the ordnance's minimum and maximum yield range. In Float, the ordnance explodes in a non-shaped profile with a maximum yield. The ordnance's maximum yield is estimated to be 2 kilotons.

The ordnance may be operated either remotely or through the on-board computer terminal. It may be programmed to detonate either on command, on timer, or on the detected departure of a securely paired vessel or device. As a safety precaution, the ordnance can only detonate after a minimum time-lock of one hour.

The ordnance is currently top secret. As with the railgun, the Space Force claims to have two in their possession: one for the active ACE mission which requires it, and one in reserve. The Operatives may use the one in reserve if they desire.






The Dragon-pattern "Starman" E/IVA Suit is a space suit made for both internal and external flight use. Based on the SpaceX pattern designed around 2015, the Starman space suit was made to meet the DoD spec for mission flexibility and security. Building on top of the predecessor, the Starman space suit offers enhanced radiation protection for EVA. The suit features puncture and laceration resistance "that go beyond civilian grade to meet basic requirements of DoD aerospace missions." That said, the suit is not foolproof against the likes of small arms and sharp weaponry "utilized with intentional effort." The suit's profile, pressurized or not, is slim enough to allow for supplementing with light conventional military plate carriers and armor. Heavy duty armor may not be usable, as it may compromise usability of the EVA pack and the suit's tethers. Heavy duty armor may also compromise the suit's ability to maneuver inside a vessel. The helmet has a collapsible communications antenna, high power LED front lights, and an HD topside helmet cam. The suit's gloves are designed to be touchscreen compatible. The suit's boots, gloves, and kneepads feature adjustable strength electric magnets which may be precisely controlled with the suit interface. These magnets are strong enough to give the user minimal navigation abilities around the outside of a vessel.

The suit features an array of options for user control. The most capable of these is the helmet HUD. The helmet HUD uses eye tracking based controls to offer hands free operation of the interface. This system may be used to track basic information such as the user's vitals, suit resources, and estimated relative position and orientation. On its own, the suit can communicate with vessels and crewmates within several kilometers. When used in conjunction with mission or strategic assets, the system can relay additional information with refined accuracy such as precise positioning, the location of crewmates or vessels, long distance communications, and uplinked intelligence. When relevant, the helmet HUD uses augmented reality to aid make information easy to understand at a glance.This is most noticeable when paired with the aforementioned Railgun or Ordnance. As a failsafe, the suit also features a more conventional wrist computer with touchscreen and Glass Cockpit button layout. The wrist computer is able to control the suit's essential functions and basic functions of paired assets.

The suit's pressurization and life support may be tethered to the accompanying EVA pack or an independent source. The suit may be tethered to two sources at once, allowing the secondary to act as a contingency source in case of spontaneous failure of the primary. The accompanied EVA pack is referred to as the Support Systems Pack, or SSP. The SSP is split into two parts: the primary life support system and the secondary maneuvering system. The primary LSS provides the suit's life support and electricity when no other tether is present. On its own, the LSS is compact enough to make for capable maneuverability within a spacecraft. The secondary MS may attach directly onto the primary LSS. When attached, the MS provides the user with EVA maneuverability on all axes. Keeping the MS attached while inside a spacecraft is generally not advised, as it may hinder the user's ability to maneuver around the vessel.

While the space suit may be grayscale, important team members are typically color coded to aid in identification and visibility, as shown above. ACE teams generally use the following color scheme:

• Red: Paramedic
• Green: Assistant teamleader, Engineer
• Blue: Teamleader, Asset coodinator/JTAC
• Yellow: Demolitions specialist

The space suit is currently top secret. Unlike the former two assets, the Space Force maintains a sizable amount of these suits. The space suit sees use in manned Space Force missions and occasional Air Force missions with demanding altitudes. All Operatives will have access to one of these suits.

[Cayucas]

Thank you all for your patience to get to the Operative Phase!

Running this campaign is a lesson on how much time it takes to make good quality maps, especially battle maps. Turns out detailed maps based on an IRL aspect take longer than I thought to get just right. I'm taking this as a reminder to not put the cart before the horse and get this materiel properly done next time before a campaign start. That aside, this is shaping up to be a proper piece with some interactable close quarters action. I'm excited to show off the detailed variants when the time is right IC.

This is last call for any plans or tactic changes in the political phase. If no one has any objections by 5:00 PM PST (8:00 PM EST, 1:00 AM UTC,) Deputy Chief Josh Lyman is going to relay the plans and the go order. After that, we'll do armament selection and lay out a basic strategy for the military mission!