Battlegroup Valkyrie
Battlegroup Valkyrie is a military science fiction role play taking place in the first half of the 24th Century. Centered around the Sol Systems stellar neighborhood, it will tell the story of the crew, pilots, and operators of the TNV Valkyrie (OCV-07). The role play will allow you to assume various roles, ranks, and options that will affect the story both in the micro-level in terms of basic character interactions; while, simultaneously effecting the overall progression of the story. As such the loose plot of the story, centered around a series of operations, will directly and indirectly influence each other. In addition the role play will try to be as grounded and realistic as possible. Retaining a high degree of grittiness and practical aesthetics. As such, given the realism, player character death may occur depending on the decisions you make. So if you've read the OP, and decide that entering a hail of gunfire a la Somme style, don't be surprised about it occurring. The role play will also stick to being as grounded as possible regarding the science fiction elements. Going for a more personal, Human, approach to the situations the crew find themselves in.
The structure of the role play will follow a series of operations that the Valkyrie will go on. Anything from boarding, ground, space, asteroid, and space station operations could occur. Allowing for a great variety of environments to take place. As such given the various environments and the nature of the role play. Your characters are not gods among mankind. They probably will be put under extensive stress, psychological issues, and develop as the storyline progresses depending on their experiences. Seeing your friend of several years turn to red paste for stepping on a land mine isn't something you just shrug off like losing a game of minesweeper.
Rules
The Saga of Man
During the 2020's Man reached Mars, fueled by the investments of private corporations and entrepreneurs alike, Mankind began to slowly colonize the solar system at an exponentially growing rate. Establishing a permanent settlement on the Moon, and later Mars, during the 2030's. Followed by mining operations, that by the late 2040's began to effect Earth markets due to the influx of raw materials. Something that the resource strapped planet desperately needed as the the fast growing population of Earth threatened to choke the nascent Human race before it even launched from its cradle. In 2054 automated mining facilities began to be established on the Moons of Jupiter and the asteroids belts. While benign bacterial releasing operations and hydroponics on Mars began to slowly form an atmosphere as Humanity put more and more efforts in terraforming the red planet. Gradually heating up the red planet and with complex magnetosphere forming operations largely funded by corporate interests the Red Planet began to have what could pass as an atmosphere.
The terraforming of Mars cost trillions but ultimately paid off as resource wars wracked the Earth in addition to religious, ethnic, and ideological strife. By 2061 and seeing the rapidly growing need of cooperation so that the resource conflicts plaguing Earth did not translate out into space. NATO and the EU along with the Commonwealth States formed the United Nations Armed Forces (UNAF) and quickly took control of Human space exploration and operations. Using these resources the UNAF fought back across the Earth, slowly countries seeing this as a golden opportunity joined the armed union, then in 2075 a Parliament was set up to Confederate the UN as an emerging global government. By then colonists on Mars, The Moon now dubbed semi-officially as 'Luna', and now the Moons of Jupiter formed the Colonial Army in 2099 to secure these colonies. Allowing the UNAF to concentrate it's efforts in uniting Earth with the Armed Forces transforming into the Earth Space Force (ESF) later in 2100. All of this progress being limited by the sub-light drives of human exploration and colonization craft.
Until 2125 when Swiss and German engineers discovered a primitive method of FTL that could make short calculated jumps within three light-years. This caused an explosion in colonization as The Alpha Centauri system was colonized, Luhman 16 (known simply as Luhman) and Bernards Star followed immediately after, then the Leonis system by the 2140's had several outposts established. Pluto became a mining colony in 2141 as hundreds of thousands and then millions left Earth for new lives on these Colonies. But all was not peaceful for as the Colonies became farther from Earth their management became more difficult and strenuous. Independence movements cropped up on the Moon's of Jupiter and Luna by the late 2140's. While far more organized and financially equipped Martian Nationalists emerged in 2155 under the banner of the Red Front.
In 2156 the Moons of Jupiter and Mars rose in revolt as the dozen colonies there declared their own secessionist states. Followed by the new Colonies in the Sirius and recently settled Lalande systems in 2157 under the Sirian and Lalande Independence Front (SLIF). The Colonial Army became divided with entire formations joining the rebels whole sale; while, the rest fought a brutal civil war as Earth debated on what to do. This indecisiveness caused massive political dissent. In addition to the strict economic policies placed on interstellar commerce between Earth and the Colonies. UN sanctions were levied unilaterally among rebellious colonies as a show of discipline and strength. Ultimately, backfiring as rebellious colonial forces became more desperate and radicalized. Echoing older revolutions due to the Colonies formal lack of representation in the government of Earth. These actions allowed hardline Federalists to gain a majority and force through a series of bills promulgating a 'More Perfect Union.' Leading to the stripping away of much national autonomies for the purpose of the emerging Government of Earth. Delegating what was once formally autonomous nations to nothing more than fanciful provincial bodies. While the Earth Space Force was rapidly expanded and centralized. The ESF expanding to have several branches such as the United Earth Army, The United Earth Army Aerospace Force, Earth Space Strike Forces for void combat, and the still loyalist elements of the Colonial Army. All of which began deployments to combat the secessionists in the name of 'Human Unity.' Even as the fighting arrived on Earth comprising of nationalists and insurrectionist paramilitary forces.
The UEA (United Earth Army) fought harsh campaigns from the Sahara to the Artic and from the shores of Japan to the beaches of Florida. Terrorism, insurrectionist, and radicalism gripped humanity in fear. The ESF (Earth Space Forces) which had been formed in 2100; with the UEAAF (United Earth Army Aerospace Force), UEA (United Earth Army), ESSF (Earth Space Strike Force) and CA (Colonial Army) as branches; was stretched thin and mass mobilizations occurred every year. Conscription was formally introduced across Earth in 2159 with the additional formation of the Earth Support Services and United Engineer Corps while military service did not become another avenue of conscription until 2162.
Whenever a new campaign ended another began on a Colony world. Casualties rose into the hundreds of thousands in terms of civilian and military losses. But the manpower and infrastructural might of Earth could not be denied. Finally, on March 24th, 2173, Earth publicly announced it had regained control of her wayward Colonies via the ushering of major governmental, military, and economic reforms proclaimed in the Camp Luna Accords.
Starting in 2174 a number of reorganizations took place, both politically and militarily, throughout Human space as the Camp Luna Accords were enacted. Leading to the Proclamation of a Unitary Terran State and the passing of the Terran Constitution to create a Federal Interstellar Nation-State comprising all of Humanity. The Colonies were given equal representation in the Terran government while the military was rebuilt to reflect that. The Earth Space Force was reorganized and divided into the Terran Navy and Army. The Colonial Army was disbanded and initially lumped into the Army as uniform recruitment and control methods took hold before being reformed in a better organized, standardized, trained Guard force known as the Army Guard of the Colonies. The Earth Space Strike Forces and United Earth Air Army Forces were combined into the Aerospace Force, the nascent Earth Marine Corps was renamed into the Colonial Marine Corps along with recruitment expanded to the Colonies. These organizations became known under the collective name: Terran Defense Forces with the motto, "For Earth and Her Colonies." Replacing the older UNAF as the military now represented the various Colonies along side the Home World. Thus began the period known as The Long Peace.
A public peace. The independence movements of the 22nd Century never truly died despite massive social, economic, and technological strides. Yet, The Long Peace continued with only minor interruptions until 2313 when the Great Colonial War began with the assassination of the Terran President Julius Cesare on July 4th by Martian Communists.
The Communist revolt began on Mars and swiftly spread across the planet. The seeds of which laid in the growing sense of Martian identity and the unique culture which grew on Mars not long after its colonization. The harsh realities of a planet only partially terraformed created a hardy, communal, people were the whole was deemed superior to the sum of its parts. Second, was the attention of the Terran government in developing the newer colonies in star systems bearing more habitable worlds over what became known as the 'Old Colony' to some, and the 'Forgotten Dust Bowl' to others. This sense of abandonment and frequent failure for the Terran government to fulfill promises of greater investment into Mars ultimately led to the militant uprising. Proclaiming the People's Republic of Mars (Martian Republic, Red Republic, and Communist Mars being informal names). The Martians surprised everyone by unveiling a Martian Fleet formed from private resources and turncoat ships of the Navy which had been largely neglected and staffed by extensively by Martians over both planets. The AGC of Mars was heavily infiltrated and quickly defeated and scattered or largely incorporated in the first weeks of this new conflict.
A conflict which the reactionary new Terran President, George Kennedy III, vowed to make example of. Ordering immediate retaliatory strikes and through quite possibly back room channels declaring the People's Republic a terrorist organization in its entirety. The Terran Defense Forces immediately moved against the newborn forces of the Red Planet in earnest. The Martians for the rest of 2313 were on the defensive, until unexpected relief came in February, 2314, when the new Martian government signed an agreement with the newly formed sister organization which proclaimed the Sirius Star Republic. However, this sister organization, Northern Star, was not a socialistic movement born of a communal culture like Mars. Rather, it was formed through more traditional nationalistic and identarian politics. For the Sirians had grown quite aggravated about various Corporations from Earth gaining access to their star system's riches to a degree that they deemed 'exploitation.' As such the Terran Press immediately deemed the Sirians the 'First Stellar Fascist State. Swiftly finding itself under assault by Terran forces in a matter of weeks. Despite the largely peaceful proclamation of what is now known as the Sirian Emancipation.
The Colonies in the Bernards Star system quickly joined the Sirius Republic due to similar linguistics, culture, and colonial history. War now was raging in two star systems with dissent growing on Earth from new nationalist movements wishing to secede from the Terran government and re-establish old 21st Century states. The Terran Defense Forces, initially the besieging force against these movements, soon found themselves fighting once more on their own turf. The conflict dragging on through 2314 and into 2315 with little pause as both Martians and Sirians mobilized their entire societies for a war of independence.
Then in 2315 nukes fell on Earth. A Martian Fleet had slipped past the Terran Navy's Earth Fleet by exploiting a computer virus that disabled early warning systems and radar. Thirteen Nuclear warheads with a combined payload of 330 Megatons fell on various locations. Detonating over Metropolitan Area's like Los Angeles, London, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, and elsewhere. Millions perished from the blasts, radiation poisoning, and nuclear winter that followed in those regions. Hundreds of thousands of new cases of radiation poisoning, mutation, and cancer would occur several years after the war despite those areas being rebuilt and cleaned up. Further the Martian military commenced a ground invasion of Earth that took ten months of dogged fighting to eradicate.
This event was followed by a Nuclear bombardment of Mars in repercussion. This was not the least of Humanity's troubles. The Brotherhood of the New Sun, a Neo-Abrahamic religious faction took power in the Lalande system, and enacted genocide against anyone deemed degenerate in their eyes; additionally, fighting the Terran forces continuously till 2317 when the tide turned in favor of Earth. A brutal campaign that veterans called their 'Space Vietnam.'
Terran Army's 25th Heavy Infantry Division landing on Mars in 2318
The war continued onwards even as Terran Army and Marine forces assaulted Mars and Sirian planets. The slaughter continuing in offensive, counter-offensive, back-hand blow, and siege on an interstellar scale. The state of the conflict at the end of Kennedy's term in 2317 ended in his defeat by the Peace-Makers of the Terran Liberal Party. The newly elected President Vilhelm Indira Wallace immediately began working on a peace settlement. Even as the war moved into and continued unabated throughout 2318. The Martians and Sirians would only accept independence. While in a move to acquiesce other parties that ended in costing Wallace career the Stellar Armistice included the independence of the relatively new Eridani and Rossite colonies.
The war ended with the Signing of the Stellar Armistice on September 15th, 2319 at the 11th Hour. The guns across three star systems fell silent. That date would become known as Stellar Remembrance Day (SRD). To remember the lives that were lost, civilian or military, during the 6 years of horrible conflict. The Terrans, Martians, and Sirius Republicans have been at peace since then.
The results of the War were sweeping. Mars, a world that had a population of over 1 billion had lost an estimated thirty million people to the Nuclear bombardment. Millions on Earth perished from the nuclear assault. The colonies of Bernards Star surrendered and were once more part of the Terran fold while the system of Lalande was only pacified after hundreds of thousands had perished. All told the list of the deceased for civilian and military numbered 152,271,984 dead and missing.
The Terran Defense Forces (TDF)
The Terran Defense Forces are the evolution of previous Human armed forces over the last three centuries. They are the dominant military force in Human inhabited space and arguably the most advanced when it comes to warfare. The TDF operates in several branches: The Navy also referred to as The Fleet; The Colonial Marine Corps (CMC) which is responsible for non-ship void warfare, ship boarding and defense, ship security, and rapid planetary assaults from orbit with most ships and installations having Marines on board; The Aerospace Force (AF) which is akin to 21st Century Airforces but also operates space capable craft and strike fighters; The Army, responsible for major/prolonged/extended or long term ground operations and planetary garrison; Finally their is the Army Guard of the Colonies (AGC) which operates much like a National Guard on the planetary level for Earth's colonies and funded by the planets that maintain them.
History of the TDF since the First Great Colonial War:
Following the signing of the armistice the Terran Defense Forces began a process of demobilization under the later half of the Vilhelm Indira Wallace administration. Tens of millions of veterans were mustered out and the military was reorganized as a peace time force focused on deterrence. A move which remained somewhat unpopular among the military top brass and their allies in the Terran Congress. This sense of uncertainty followed by the economic downturn and growing unemployment problems plaguing Earth, especially among returning veterans, led to the quick victory for the United Party under Regina Blackwood. A pro-military, centre-right, big tent party which managed to procure larger expenditure bills for the TDF with the purpose of modernization. A process which was hampered by the economic problems of 2321-2328. Which led to a second term loss to the more domestically minded Liu Yamoro. Who through unpopular austerity measures managed to reverse the fiscal and economic problems plaguing the Terran Federation. The stress of which led to Liu not seeking re-election and thus Regina Blackwood won a second and then third and final term.
The TDF during all of this went through personnel fluctuations as the various branches focused on phasing out older equipment in favor of more sophisticated counter-insurgency and deterrence based doctrines. Believing that these practices would prevent the other stellar nations from ever attacking The Federation.
The Terran Navy
Formed from the Earth Space Forces (ESF) in 2174 in the aftermath of the Colonial Insurgency Era (2156-2173) due to its division into the Navy and Army. The Terran Navy took up the area regarding space warfare and transportation. Often regarded as the senior branch for it's crucial role in the TDF. The Navy in 2338 operates 150 capital ships (additional 30 currently mothballed) and hundreds of other vessels with a couple thousand support ships. The Fleet Base Headquarters in located on Earth in Luxembourg with the largest orbital shipyards being the Norfolk Geostationary Dockyards. The Fleet has roughly 5.3 Million personnel in its ranks as of 2338 and several million reservists.
The Navy is headed by a Grand Admiral who is often the most senior member of the Admiralty in the Navy. Beneath him operates various Admirals, Vice Admirals, and Rear Admirals who typically oversee the system and intra-solar fleet commands. Around which are organized the various Battlegroups that patrol Federation space and protect its holding from void based attack. This leads us to one of the most infamous class of ships and the basis for the Terran Navy's capital ship fleet. The Odin-Class and its successors the Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune-class warships.
The Valkyrie
The Colonial Marine Corps
The Aerospace Force
The Army
Army Guard of the Colonies
Carrier Aerospace Wing Valkyrie (OCV-07 Valkyrie)
The Carrier Aerospace Wing of the Valkyrie is in effect a fully equipped and operable strike and support craft wing. At maximum strength of 420 craft and kept in peak condition by the tireless mechanics and technicians aboard the ship so it can sally forth and engage the Terran Governments foes across known space. As of the start of the roleplay the strength of the Valkyrie's CAG is at 344 craft. Being an older vessel the CAG of the Valkyrie was cut to save costs in outfitting newer warships.
36X
1x
244x +4x Two-Seat trainers
24x
16x
39x
The Political Situation of Humanity in 2338
Humanity is divided into three large factions with several smaller groups on the fringes of Human space.
The Applications For Enlistment and Service
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Note: If an Officer you can control all the personnel under your command as NPCs. So if a player is the Commander of the Marines aboard the Valkyrie and no one else is a Marine officer said player can control all the Marines as they wish.
