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Rise and Fall of the Solee Empire
by Liam Devlin
BARD PAPER: HANA8003 | Home | Traveller | BARD | HANA |
by Liam Devlin
On Janie (1125/Shenk), a planet of some 800 million Solee's previous efforts began to pay off. Controlling half of the world's population, the Carcovaan Republic was suborned from the Guild's client list with promises of the Empress' recognizing their claims over the planet, establishing these Totalitarian Oligarchs as Imperial Senate-Consuls, once Carcovaan united the world. In actuality, it takes two to tango, and it is very probable that the Carcovaani betrayed the Guild, having a better offer. Solee's inducements included TL-11 weapons systems and parts from Czerniak for Carcovaan' s aging weapons systems throughout her military, and an engineer battalion to upgrade her starport facilities, as a future member of the "Empire's Trade network". Towards that agenda, Carcovaan made an alliance with the like-minded state of Agros, and Northmark in the fall of 1201.
The Republic of Carcovaan & her Allies in the summer of 1202 began its unification drive by toppling the Mystic Dictatorship of Reverend Nemros Vagruun, a harsh, cruel, and inept technophobic "Data Priest". When rebels supported by Carcovaan assassinated him and his guards with Soleean supplied weapons in June, 1202, the Carcovaan Republican Navy & its Marines arrived shortly thereafter to set the leader of their sponsored Rebels in power within 24 hours, and blamed the killing on those rebels sponsored by Northbank's commercial oligopoly. Vagruun's nominal ally, the Mystic Dictatorship of Nemsos vacillated in the face of Carcovaan' s coup d'etat. In July, barely a week later, citing the failure of the Pathway Islands' Mystic Dictatorship's military to keep the islands clear of "pirates", the Carcovaani war machine & Navy invaded swiftly, and annexed the islands. In a Pyrrhic gesture, the Pathways Navy scuttled itself in harbor to block its usage, and the Leader of the Pathways government, the Xenophobe Data Priest, Reverend Hiram Bugashii shot himself as Carcovaani troops stormed the Capital in protest. With this fait 'd accompli, Solee's Principals, the Republic of Carcovaan & their Alliance now controlled 480 million of the planet's citizenry.
The Coalition meanwhile was working with bootstrapping the island nation state of the Charismatic Dictatorship of Equatoria & the democratically elected Republic of Gallos. A third team was working with the Charismatic Dictatorship of Downdistrikt. The RC hoped this alliance would be enough to stop Carcovaan from uniting the world. The Coalition's spies learned of the arms shipment and planned an attack on the Carcovaani Starport facilities, rapidly moving from E-class to D-class, unaware of Solee's pre-emptive alliance with Carcovaan. Carcovaan' s plans were transparently clear, but the RC had underestimated the Carcovaani Military leadership, and had been misled as to how fast they would move once they began their plans. Northbank's government appealed to the Coalition's people in Equatoria for an alliance, fearing they would be next (They were correct in their assumption). By the time the RC was informed, and an agreement to move ahead with supporting Northbank as well as the other three nations, Solee's proxies moved ahead, and invaded Northbank by Land air, and sea, using the pretext that they had toppled the regime of Nemros Vagruun ( a patent lie, but their mercenaries had been captured and "confessed" on TV & radio to the crime). Carcovaan' s republic seized the high ground "morally" saying any that stood with North Bank ",were equally guilty of such aggression., and would face the combined might of the Carcovaani Alliance." Nemsos declared itself "neutral", but the TED of the nation known as "The Battery" joined the "winning side". In August of 1202, three Guild ships bearing TL-12 high tech weaponry to the Carcovaani, unaware of what had transpired in the preceding three months since last they were there entered the Janie system, and landed, hours ahead of the RCES mission to insert a Mercenary support Cadre of Lancers inbound for Northbank. The RCES vessel, was shot down entering Northbank's airspace, and captured. Some of the crew escaped and joined the local resistance. The Guild ships, their crews, and all ground personnel were seized by the Carcovaani , and handed over to Solee. An RC merchantman managed to slip off and make it to jump as Solee Imperial vessels made it to Orbit from the near gas giant.
This time, the crew of the RCES vessel destroyed their databases before attempting to scuttle the ship. Of those five who remained behind to accomplish this, 3 were killed by Carcovaani troops, two were wounded, and captured. Of more importance to Solee was the intelligence gleaned from the Guildsmen, their bases, their contacts, and list of clients elsewhere in the main. The Coalition now had to contend with Soleean warships frequenting the Janie System in order to support their allies of Downdistrikt, Gallos, and Equatoria.
On Shenk (1128/Shenk), a warring Balkanized world of 200 million beings, Baron Abas' made contact with the brilliant Captain General of Capacia (population 35 million) one Arnaud de Saladin in mid 1201, and several other TEDs, including the "Duchess" of The Vandoo (population 35 million) Arbellatra Belisarius; the "duchess" of Armacia (population 5 million), and the lord of Aegeros (population 5 million). The Coalition by contrast, made contact with the Droyne Nation of Oxes (population 5 million) as a way to contact the xenophobic Droyne nation of Vuyurt. Baron Abas & representatives from Galines' Corporate Weapons Corporation Instellarms convinced The Captain General that the Guild was ruining the planet, selling weapons to all sides. Only united could the decades of war come to an end. The Star Vikings would kill any TED who opposed them, in that Abas said, the Guild was correct. They would raise up the alien Droyne before they would help any TED. Suspicious, Arnaud sent him away. He knew off world contact was inevitable But he sent his spies forth, and watched for himself.
Stampach's TED, which once welcomed off worlders, suffered an RCES attack that nearly killed him, and killed members of his family in 1201. Lord Stampach purchased TL-9 SAM's from the Guild, but they sold them to Armacia as well, with whom he was at war with. The Star Vikings destroyed Lord Stampach, his army, and his Hi-tech weaponry in a return decapitation raid in the winter of 1201. Earlier, as he was about to defeat Armacia's armies, leading his cavalry flanking through a break in their lines for the capital, Arnaud witnessed the Coalition's SAG raid on Armacia's E-class starport in the fall of 1201. He came to the conclusion that the Guild and the Star Vikings were both predatory thieves, as well as murderers. Powerful ones at that. The Coalition Star Vikings had contacted none of the other TEDs, only the Guild had done that, they had only begun working with the Droyne of the peaceful state of Oxes. The Captain General developed a new agenda for his warring quest. From his spies & his own eyes, he surmised the Guild and the Star Vikings were not so numerous they could kill off everyone on the planet. They had killed off his ally, the Lord of Stampach, and left the nation in ruinous state, its army reduced to brigandage. He wanted no part of that sort of chaos, and was forced to annex it to restore law and order in the spring of 1202. It also drove the Duchess of The Vandoo into a marriage of state with him, uniting their realms. Arnaud determined to unite the world, but would not use the Guild's weapons if he could help it, convinced of their perfidy. When Baron Abas returned in June of 1202, Arnaud & Arbellatra had terms of their own. They wanted the Guild's merchants of death stopped, and requested only ammunition for their TL-9 small arms, and TL-4 or 5 bolt-action rifles and the means to make the shells. While he did not personally swallow the racist tirade of Abas about the Droyne, he could not ignore the facts. Baron Abas promised her Imperial Majesty of Solee would see to allies of Shenk. Solee began shipping in munitions in July of 1202, escorted from Barnet system.
Coalition diplomacy with Oxes was successful, and gained them an ally in the northern hemisphere with whom they could deal with. The Droyne merchants were trusted and seen everywhere in the world. The Moonshadow team was taken aback by Capacia's sudden diplomatic efforts in 1202, and viewed the merging of the two largest TEDs with alarm. RCES agents infiltrating into Stampach former territory found Capacian governors hanging Stampach's former troops turned outlaw left and right, and wondered what it meant. An RCES informant penetrating The Vandoo's capital was killed in a brawl, and his body strung up by a mob with the placard in Galanglic & Vilani stating "Guilder Spy". The TED of Aegeros suddenly refused passage against the Droyne Merchants traveling the eastern Sea to Vuyurt. The head of the Moonshadow team surmised someone was behind all of this when he received a message from de Saladin, a small local bird, a frog, and several 51-caliber smoothbore musket balls. Puzzled, he asked their Droyne hosts what this meant.
"Unless you fly like birds, dwell in swamps like a frog, all you will eat are musket balls", his Droyne liaison said laconically. This put a price on Arnaud's head in the RC's eyes, but the man was canny and careful, and had 54 loyal willing "doubles" at one place or time. On a world with no hi-tech communication, de Saladin has carefully made it next to impossible to be spotted by his enemies' spies.
On Clallum (1427/Shenk), the suspicious Totalitarian Oligarchs there rebuffed Solee's diplomatic efforts in 1201 and 1202. They had heeded their Guild masters instead, even after the Coalition had raided their planet and rescued the crew of the DLS Dawn in late 1201. Having rescued their people, the Coalition had dropped off agents to stir up the resistance. Abas paid a call on them clandestinely in Late June 1202 at the capital, showing them their COACC was a joke. They refused his offer for protection, not wishing to trade one master for another. Abas withdrew in good order, along with his Marines. Clallum received her next shipment of TL-12 PAD missiles in early September, unbeknownst to them, Solee had replaced the crew in their operations on Janie (see above), and the "technical reps" were Soleean servicemen incognito. The local Guildsmen were none the wiser, as on of the "terrorist" groups resisting the regime drove a truck with ammonium nitrates and diesel fuel into their quarters killing all of them a week after Abas left, strangely enough. On Tequila (1328/Shenk), the Solee efforts resulted in failure. The Coalition successfully exposed Hoshoshophet, and the planet received TDO status in late 1201, making it a regular client state of the Coalition, as well as a recruiting ground for RCES personnel. SIS agents made careful notes where all of Tequila's tiny military was for future reference, and finding the people deeply religious, unable to be bribed, departed. In mid 1202 they returned, and noted RCES had built a small D-class starport near the capital. SIS re-inserted its "nomads" from the steppes shortly thereafter, and dropped off a cache of weapons and explosives, as well as a TL-11 laser communication radio. This 12 man "sleeper cell" awaits the arrival of Solee Imperial warships, and monitors RC shipping schedules.
On Fisher's World (1229/Shenk), SIS agents and Col. Abas found nothing to promote the empire here, as the entire populace had been utterly reduced to TL-3. It did find the RCES supporting Rivero in a war against its neighbors, and is viewing the Yaban lanthanum mines with interest. Both planets are undergoing a technical Industrial revolution (towards TL-4 & 5). Solee's SIS teams here are surveying the RCES & RMS ship traffic, looking for patterns & regular schedules to allow Solee's Navy to swoop in on them. The SIS team at Arcola does the same, watching the Guild's shipping. On Canton (1626/Shenk), some 2 million survived the collapse, at least until 001-1201. This agricultural TL-4 planet received Free Traders plying the Canton-Tequila run, like the SS Silvanus, owned & led by CPT Mary Gushmuu, and some few Guild ships. Here a rare instance of Co-operation occurred between the Free Traders 9of Shenk, the RC, and the Solee Imperial Navy. Unfortunately for Canton's people, a plague broke out in April of 1202, brought in on an off worlders ship, and the Guild exploited the issue saying CPT Gushuumu' s ship was responsible. Gushuumu managed to escape the world with her ship, barely ahead of the angry mobs. But the Guild didn't have the antidote either they said, promised they'd bring some, and left system.
SS Silvanus jumped into the Yontez system a week later, and ran across the Imperial Solee destroyer ISS Protector of the Realm, and gave them her story. Solee CPT Jules D'Estoc, (a remnant officer from Von Kessel's ship the Vaward-Margaret's Navy), was sympathetic and checked her ship for contamination. Finding her clean, gave her leave, and reported to His ship's SIS chief the intelligence value. While he was ensconced with her, the Guild ship SMGS Fat Black Cat entered system and into D'Estoc's lap. The Bio-agent was found aboard, and the ship was seized immediately. He placed the Guild crew in low berth and had his ship's Medical officer analyze the agent. A TL-6 vaccine could be produced, but the infected would have to be quarantined effectively, and immediately.
On Yontez, Mary landed in the nation of Gupzadaa, and spoke with CPT Dwight Ravanami of the SS Merganser, who was also in port. He referred her to the Skipper of an RC vessel, one CPT Cardovan Rink, of Lucifer, and known "to do work" for RCES, whose ship the RMS Harbinger. The disease was easily conquered by TL-6 medicines, such as could be had on Yontez in certain nations. The problem was, his sources told him, the problem was, the best facilities were in the Iron Hegemony, a nation of 1.3 billion beings, run by an ascetic totalitarian government, and allowed only Guild ships to land. No sooner had they learned this the Guild ship (seized by D'Estoc) landed, and the three captains met with CPT D'Estoc, and his people. What passed then is unrecorded, but the Guild vessel landed in the Iron Hegemony's E-class starport, and purchased enough of the vaccine to inoculate everyone on the planet (they spent the money in the ship's "warchest"). As this had been part of the Guild's scheme to blackmail CPT Gushuumu into the Guild, the vaccine was on hand. The ship departed three days later, and jumped from system, escorted by Harbinger, Silvanus, and the ISS Protector of the Realm. This impromptu convoy of humanitarian aid was too late however. In the two and a half weeks that passed, almost all of the population had died, or lay dying. Funeral pyres greeted them; so many had died so quickly, no one had time or strength to bury them all. CPT Gushuumu' s good name was cleared however, as CPT D'Estoc revived the Guildsmen, presided over their trial for Mass murder using biological agents, and saw them executed by hanging. CPT Rink's one passenger at the time, one Father Konstantin Bognarskii of the Star Trust Foundation, a charitable organization based out of Trybec (0336/Aubaine) spent time with the natives, teaching them how to refrigerate the remaining vaccine in case of further outbreaks. Some 9,800 were saved, through the diverse efforts of the RC, Solee, and CPT Gushuumu.
CPT D'Estoc was aware of his orders to detain all Coalition vessels, but felt in the interests of Solee in the Shenk main, into which they were expanding, stopping this outbreak outweighed the vessel seizure of the RMS Harbinger, and let Rink depart in peace. In light of events elsewhere, this report further confused RCES Planners about the Soleeans, when CPT Rink reported in at the RCES base at Baldur, 6 weeks later. Rink did make one important discovery, by chance on Canton. It had unexplored reserves of lanthanum ore. The Coalition moved with unusual alacrity for a change, and sent a Bootstrapping mission there immediately in the Clipper, RCS Helios.
The Coalition brought with them a Haven-class Modular spaceport, and miners, engineers, and medical personnel to build upon what had been started, including building a D-class modular Downport. Extraction of the raw lanthanum ore began in the fall of 1202, sent to Baldur for refinement by a J-3 freighter by way of Tequila. Some of the LSP Mining platform ship derelicts have been noted and marked, but not salvaged yet.
On Barnet (1327/Shenk), SIS made an important discovery from captured Guild ship data records: only on the moon Rosebud did some measure of control exist, and recovery. The starport was saved at C-class, and Tech established at TL-8. Using one of the surviving SDB's, the folks of Rosebud evacuated the survivors from Wilmaa in 1138. The Society left there became a charismatic oligarchy. This lasted until mid 1182 when a convoy of Guild ships arrived in system, seeking salvage and high-tech weaponry to salvage. These were the first jump capable ships the Rosebuddi had seen in over fifty years. The Guild made a deal with the government, "allow us to maintain our vessels here, and we'll bring trade stuff back from the habitable worlds of the main." This arrangement worked out well, till the Guild's sponsored raiders began working out of the port in 1184 and their lawlessness had to be contained. But the Guild had spent its money well, and had corrupted certain officials, and when the time for the crack down came, it was snuffed out through betrayal. The Corsair captains appointed one of their paid folk to become the TED here, and turned the tables on the lawful folk of Rosebud. The Prisoners were sold into slavery, shipped off to Clallum's gulags, or worse places, like the Guild's "salvage colony" down on the main world of Barnet. But all things evil under the sun comes to light sooner or later. The Guild Corsair "Enemy of God, Mercy, & Pity" was based out of here, and fell afoul of the remnant crew of former Margaret's Navy CPT Werner Von Kessel in the Sovtor system in 1188. But nearly twelve years were to pass before the Solee followed up on the Guild ship's complete database.
Like Julius Caesar remembering the Illyrian pirates of Ancient Terra, Solee too remembered the Guild's pirates. When plans to move a forward base to the Herbe system were discussed in "Project Rim Fire" in February 1201 on Solee, data for the plan came from Solee warships previous sorties, and the database of that former Guild ship Von Kessel has seized. The system was scouted & attacked by the same vessel (SS Enemy of God, Mercy, & Pity), crewed this time by Soleeans, & Captained by one of Solee's remnant officers CDR Paul Hauser, (ADM bint Reine's former Weaps Officer on the ISS Roger Duquesne, now ISS Lord Imperial). The sole Broadsword-class Mercenary cruiser of Solee, ISS Heroes of the Empire, shadowed her with 40 Galinian "imperial" Marines (TL-15 armed & armored), and two armed modular cutters. Security was lax, and the Soleeans attacked close in after passing themselves off as two ships from the Guild database known to still be operating in Shenk subsector.
The Guild's TED attempted surrender was answered by the high energy fire from Soleean troops, and the base was seized, along with 1 stretched Xboat tender (TL-15, 2kton, J-1/1G), an armed Scoutship, an EMMC Bastien Liner (TL-12, 600dtns, J3/1G), and a modified Fat Trader (TL-12, 500dtns, J2/1G). CPT Hauser liberated the Slave-Salvage camp as well, and the TED, his men, and the Guildsmen who survived, found their roles reversed in poetic justice. Solee's treatment of those oppressed was better by far than the capricious rule they'd endured since 1184. The senior survivor from those formerly enslaved Nichols Slate was made the military governor of this Soleean outpost, and the Soleeans began seriously setting about making salvage a full time job. They set to making the Rosebud moon colony a way station for their next salvage world project in the Wall system (1227).
The two surviving Sentry-class SDB's were refurbished with new parts, crewed by the natives, officered by Soleeans, (trained /green crews). Using the Sovtor Prison world model (whose recovery efforts were nearly at an end), Solee set up another like it on Barnet-I, and transferred some 1800 PW personnel from Sovtor to Barnet, mostly Guilders and Soleean criminals. Unlike Herbe, this is a way station for the relic-salvage trade route that runs back through to Herbe then out to Kmak & later Solee. Like the Sovtor Gulag prison-world, the Soleeans control the access & food supply with modular Cutters. The Xbt tender is utilized as a cargo ship.
Another key issue was relic salvage of Dunas. Survivors of the Doomed Trade said their ancestors were dead and buried there, and thus since Mueller adopted them in 1124-27, it belonged to Mueller. Mueller's Navy having fought the Solomani till defeated in 1117, had their Jump drives removed and placed in storage in the Dunas system. The Solee offered to recover them for Mueller (having their own Anti-virus clearing techniques since 1196). in exchange for alliance into the empire. Mean while, Solee continued to make forays into Dunas for their own needs, angering the descendants from there, now citizens of Mueller, a small but vocal minority.
In 17-XI-1202, the government was overthrown by popular demand. Populist leader, Christina von Ahrtal climbed atop a Grav Tank blocking the DUMA Capital building, and ordered the Army to," stand down Obey the will of the people, or be prepared to kill their own brothers and sisters." when she stepped down of it, the government League of Renewal was shattered. She was elected Chancellor a week later, and placed the planet of Mueller as a Non-aligned state on the referendum. CPT Rebbeka Guiterrez representing the Coalition beat Herr Abas across the street by ten minutes in recognizing the new government of Mueller. As a matter of form, the Mega-corporate heads of Galines, and a member of the Masked Consul of Czerniak also recognized her and her new government. The RC immediately had Mueller placed on TDO status (Trade & Diplomacy Only) for Starships traveling in Shenk. Solee countered by adding her C-class ports as part of TKHL's interface stops, as well a J-2 feeder line between herself and Mueller.
Economic wise, the new government was being slowly tied to Solee, and would have probably fallen under her sway, but for 2 incidents following the New Government's election in the Dunas system J-1 from Mueller. On 05 December 1202, forward elements of the RCN attacked and destroyed two Soleean Patrol cruisers. They took prisoners, and salvaged one ship. The RCN never explained why they'd attacked the two ships from ambush, striking them with missiles from afar. Two Victrix ships, the RCS Coral-Sea Victrix & Cymbeline-Victrix led by one CPT Werner Lane, conducted the assault. The Soleean Ambassador at Mueller, Roberto Hsudliggar made great political hay out of it against the RC's cause, which the status to become a possible associate member RC world was on the national referendum at the time. Dunas, Hsudliggar pointed out as well that, "it wasn't sovereign territory, like Kmak was in the Marathon-Victrix incident (An outright lie, but who would admit they were in Herbe to the RC?)." The second incident came weeks later, and the RC's ships lurking in Dunas attacked a "peaceful Solee imperial Trade convoy", consisting of 3 freighters, escorted by a Soleean Close Escort, and the ISS Royal Vengeance Kinunir-class Lt cruiser. This time, the Coalition came off the worse for wear. The convoy made it to Janie unscathed, and the warships' missile and energy fire destroyed the RCS Coral Sea-Victrix, with a loss of 70% of all hands. The second vessel withdrew the survivors and scuttled the remains to prevent capture. Mueller's decision to become an RC associate member world would have placed against Solee earlier than Chancellor von Ahrtal would have wished. Solee by the former Imperial stellar laws had done nothing wrong in Dunas in the first incident, and had successfully defended her "unarmed" merchant craft in the second. Pro-Solee factions on Mueller successfully stymied the vote to defeat, and Mueller remained Non-aligned into 1203. The Way to Dusty-Death: Solee gains a new foe.
In Early June of 1202, a Free Trader starship, SS TeBiRoCaMon bearing an Imperial remnant, named Martin Francis Rourke, Professor Emeritus, Warinir University of Daibei, landed at Nike Nimbus' starport, and placed himself at the disposal of the Coalition's RCES debriefers.
Like the celebrity splash made by Dr Ilelik Kuligaan of Dlan from his 1200 rescue from low-berth, and his diatribes against the former Imperium' s excesses that led to the Final War and collapse, Professor Rourke' s case made headlines. When told Dr Kuligaan yet lived, and was well on Aubaine, Mr. Rourke seemed glad. He was a survivor from a Domain of Deneb mission that was had been sent to evacuate personnel from Strephon's stronghold in 1129, partly because he had become a member of the ISS Arrival Vengeance at Warinir in 1126, and accompanied them home. He lost family and friends to the vampire that took his ship, and remained a low-berthed prisoner till 1190, when rescued by Free Traders near Sufren. Among the others, his daughters, who'd been "raised" by the AI-Virus that killed their mothers. Also like DR Kuligaan, Prof. Rourke was more than met the eye. A five-term man of IRIS (Imperial Regency Intelligence Service), he'd been assigned to the Solomani-Daibei region since the end of the 5th Frontier War, when he served in the IISS in the S-3 Long Range Surveillance Detachment. In other words, a spy. When the rebellion broke out, he "left under a medical discharge" from IRIS proper, and went to work for Duke Craig's true Intelligence service out of the University of Daibei. When the Arrival Vengeance came after most of the fighting had subsided save for corsair groups out of Reavers Deep Sector, he helped expose and foil the plot to kill the Duke and blame the crew from Deneb, then declare the sector's fleets for Lucan. The Deneb mission commander, one ADM Logan Drak, the Marquis of Fulacin, offered him a position as "tutor" for his two youngest children who were aboard with he and his noble-born Darrian wife Tzabra, herself a retired Officer of the Darrian Special Arm. His last ten years he'd spent amongst the Free Traders of Diaspora and Massilia Sectors, observing, and writing, later helping to stir up opposition to the Mercantile Guild, who took a disliking to him, and placed a bounty on his head ( the equivalent value of a Jayhawk Far Trader in working order). LoROG was amazed at their catch. This man knew more about the inside workings and motivations of the Starfarer's Guild, and links to the Free Trader's network.
At Aubaine however, Kuligaan denounced Rourke as an icon of the past, an example of the last era's excesses. He was to regret those words. Rourke was born on Hefry, and was no wallflower to be publicly slandered. He countered Kuligaan' s accusations with what he knew of Dulinor's one head of the Ilethian Astrid Chair, a front for Dulinor's Intelligence services. As it was, the Hivers didn't take Rourke on at the Technical Institute, such was Kuligaan' s popularity, but neither did Rourke get run out of town on a rail, as everything he knew of Kuligaan, whom once he'd been assigned to tail, and liquidate in Daibei (and argued his IRIS Director out of) , was true, and Kuligaan could not refute it. A curmudgeon's feud seemed to settle between the two men. Rourke did land a spot in the History Dept at the University of Aubaine, for a day job.
And at night, Professor Rourke taught the nascent RCES Covert agents "a few old tricks". While not immediately part of LoROG, Rourke knew things about running spy-networks they were muddling through. When the system of Janie blew up in their faces (June through August of 1202), Rourke suspected the worst. And when in August the Mueller Foreign Minister was killed at Nike Nimbus, his suspicions were confirmed: the RC had been penetrated by spies of either the Guild or Solee. Or someone in Mueller had leaked the FM's itinerary. Rourke went to Papagoulis with his suspicions. LoROG had no counter-intelligence department. The RC worlds with agencies all worked for themselves, and often as not reluctant to share the information, or sources. He successfully argued himself into the job, to his chagrin, though he also kept at the school for Covert training in disguises, and acting (his passion for Shakespearean plays was his major vice).
Rourke found himself in an unenviable job. Everyone was supposed to be part of the team, supporting the New Era push to retake the Stars here, and being a former Imperial who thought well of the Federation of Daibei, and his home sector the Domain of Deneb, he faced resistance & prejudice. He found his first recruits in a former Daibei Naval officer, Maria Ulianov Petrova, now serving aboard the RCS Osprey as her CPT; another relic named Dustiin Miller, a former jewel thief, safe cracker, and Belter; Walid Kentaro, a man who'd survived the Wilds on Anagathics, serving as a free trader, corsair, merchantman, journalist, and bounty-hunter; and incongruously enough, a former six-term Ithklur Marine Commando named "Wulfe". His first line of Counter-spies came oddly enough from the University Theatre of Aubaine. Clean cut college kids. Well, if one overlooked the two Luhtahlans body piercings and tattoos that is. Rourke called his people. "The Admiral's Men" after an ancient Terran Acting troupe of the 16th century CE.
More cleverly, as they sifted through debriefing reports, reams of data since the Marathon Victrix incident, wherever the RC seemed to appear, there too did a Soleean ship shadowing them, even into Thoezennt subsector. The common denominator was out there, but where? Not all the vessels however were so spotted, only the RCN vessels. Most of the Lancer vessels seemed to be random happenstances, surprising the "Sollies" as he called them often as not. Something to do with the RCN. Personnel? CDRE Sayani was insulted that any of their Captains, or crews would be a spy, but promised tighter security checks. How as the data slipping out? Who had access to when they were deploying & where. Starport personnel records were checked, and although a few possible gambling debts turned up (those prone to blackmail), it too was a dry run. It was in going over the logs of the RCS Hornet that Rourke hit pay dirt. Someone who'd been at the FM's meeting at Aubaine, and had been at Baldur when the Hornet departed. Someone who owned a starship with J-3 or 4 capability (and their were precious few floating about). His list narrowed to someone aboard the SG's yacht that went to Baldur afterwards, ostensibly for meetings with their Technarchs, while the SG stopped off and said a few words of thanks to the Hornet's crew for stopping the Folgorex plague in Ra back in 1201. The SG's bodyguards were impeccable Oriflamme Marines with combat service, the Yacht's crew were elite graduates of Aurora's Naval academy. That left four passengers, if one excluded the SG's personal secretary, Hiver Ambassador "M. Sherman", and his wife. Two industrialists from Aubaine, and two from Oriflamme. With its known criminal element existent on Oriflamme, remnants of the Vermene, Tukera Lines In House intelligence gathering outfit, whom Rourke had tangled with of old, He dispatched Mr. Miller and Wulfe to check those two out. CPT Petrova , his students, and he went after the Aubani. Women's wiles being what they are, CPT Petrova discovered that One of the Aubani had taken out a large Life insurance policy on his wife, apparently the Hornet's ship's doctor, just prior to leaving Aubaine and seeing her off to Karse subsector. To the tune of 50 mega credits. The other man, one Enrico Zaldus of Zaldus Corporation had some shady skeletons in his closet, but nothing that wouldn't blink a technarch's eyes on Oriflamme. They zeroed in on their man and began digging. Rourke' s use of computer hacking in his five terms in Covert Section IRIS astonished some of his "naturals" of his theatre & "history" students, who he admonished, "not to use this for altering one's school grades".
Mr. August Delparo, of Novastar Inc., was their man, Rourke felt. His company serviced all freshers on the RCN Clipper ships, indeed designed them all. They were the "butt" of many a Navy & RCES personnel joke. But they were the lowest bidder, and got the contract. They had circumstantial evidence, at least for murder by proxy (Solee) of his estranged wife. They needed conclusive proof of treason, circumstantial evidence wasn't going to do. One way to prove his guilt, confrontation. Rourke recalled Mr. Miller and Wulfe from Oriflamme, where they'd made contacts with some disaffected folks from Oriflamme's resistance, but no traitors to the Coalition. They sprang their trap thusly: Rourke made a call to RCN Naval Intelligence CDR Chelsea Baine, who worked with LoROG on the Navy side of the house. Miller, with a young rake up an coming in Aubani society (and in RCES Covert section), a Jake Speed, who'd fled the fall of Jeddel in Pasdaruu and became a Timer club member here on Aubaine, went to Delparo and warned him passing themselves off as Solee agents, that his cover was blown, and he'd best take ship for Solee by any means possible and soon. Delparo panicked, cleaned out his bank accounts, liquidated stocks, etc he had, and took flight in his small Scout ship for Baldur and the Shenk frontier. CPT Petrova in the RCS Osprey entering the Baldur system arrested him. He confessed when confronted by CDR Baine and Mr. Rourke. He was tried in October 1202, and found guilty of treason to the Coalition, commuted to life in prison for turning in evidence that allowed Rourke' s people to sweep up some 16 other Solee agents and saboteurs in place. Four escaped back to Solee, however, bearing word of the new player in the RC, Tac-Code "Dusty-Death", Martin Francis Rourke, to the ears of Baron Amaraan Abas, now Brigadier General SIS.
September also brought news back from Promise subsector of that world being ready for a RCES decapitation strike, and news from Sufren from the RCS Belladonna. With her return, she brought a new alliance and trade, in the form of the Anti-Virus weapon "Snake". Initial testing on cemetery worlds of Svarla & Savanjanni (Aubaine subsector) showed it wiped viri "eggs" left by the Samson strain out in five minutes. The fall & winter of 1202 saw also the collapse of Mueller's government, and the widow of the slain FM became their new chancellor, of a representative democracy. It also brought the admission of two new worlds in to the RC, Teldora and Nex as associate members. Petitions from worlds in Lazzerton, Mackenzie, and Dagir subsectors came flooding in as well, from the efforts of those salvagers and explorers Known as "Jumping Jack Flash Interstellar Salvage & Mercantile, Ltd.".
Dark tidings too came as well. The RCN TF-17 blundered into two Solee vessels and destroyed them in what looked to those not in the RC as an unprovoked attack in the neutral system of Dunas. Mueller, emerging as possible RC ally suddenly went aloof again. A second incident weeks later the same two ships attacked a superior sized force and was forced to flee, one ship scuttled after loss of 70% of her crew. Mueller repudiated the aggression, and any chance of her entering possible hostilities looked dim by Christmas day 1202. More bad tidings, Solee's starport, ferociously upgraded since RADM Von Kessel seized Depot in Jayna in 1200, officially became B-class with the production of SDB's & drop ships, (albeit at TL-10) entering her arsenal. Work on her four converted 10 kton CS-class bulk freighters into large SL- hulled ASLT ships was also completed with the relic engine installation from four former Malkop-class Solomani Light Frigates, increasing their range from J-1 to J-3.
There was good news however, In Thoezennt subsector, a friendlier pro-RC government on Marax was working overtime with the RC to upgrade her port to C-class was nearing completion. Marax was deemed a necessary forward base in the coming hostilities with Solee. Pro-RC planet Nova Rhyll also was upgrading her starport facilities to C-class as well. In November, LoROG covert Special (Psionic) agent Jake Speed made an important diplomatic breakthrough ion Tinyid (0825/Thoezennt) with the Droyne nation of Essaymayrsis Salmas, and the human ruled nation of the Isdur Republic. The Droyne there were breeding Warrior-castes at a prodigious rate, and allowing them to infiltrate the Human-run, slave owning Psionic Autocracies slave pens of Chirpers. One such Human domain was selling their chirpers to Guild slavers. Although now the head of counter-intelligence, Mr. Rourke used his sources (namely his daughter Janvis-Sunstar Rourke & her Free Trader ship, the SS TeBiRoCaMon) to open up talks with the Droyne leader-caste there. He consulted with his boss, Mr. Papagoulis, of the possibility of training Droyne agents, as these slaves were being sold to coreward planets like Sibbage, and Martham, Coaise, and Bwan Murr, some of which had native Chirper populations already. The Droyne took the decision out of LoROG's hands however. Instead of sending Droyne Oytrips to the Coalition, they requested instead communication gear small enough to be carried on one's person, but capable. Droyne leader Essaymayrsis instead sent these comms equipped "slaves" with their Coyns for the Casting ritual into the nation selling Chirpers, their children off world.