We may as well go all in and embrace the complexities of a multi-million person society and go for
By Many Methods
And thus, when our doomed and futile Rebellion somehow sheds its labels and becomes the defining apparatus for the 50k Warhammer universe, the horrific machinations of the "meritocratic" bureaucracy will freeze the teeth off children with its massive iron tipped gears among all the horrific things the 40k noble families had, but, with a sleek, uncaring visage that is totally refreshed.
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You reason that merit should be determined by
Many Methods and that a small, robust bureaucracy of loyal, proven officials will be dedicated to organising them. They will have operational costs, necessarily, but compared to their hopeful utility it will be a pittance. Future members of the Vox Meritum may rest assured that they are exactly where their personal merit and ability dictates they should be. Even the paper-pushers themselves will be only the best and most reliable for their tasks. (Small Bureaucracy costs 10 Resources to implement per 1 million population upfront, and requires an upkeep of 1 Resource per 1 million population. In practice, it slightly improves loyalty and makes it likelier you'll find talented individuals to fill positions.)
What should this bureaucracy be called?Besides these concerns, the surviving now ex-nobility working in the fields and quarries alongside them has greatly improved the population's morale. Their unearned sense of superiority has been silenced, hopefully forever. This sense of schadenfreude won't last long but in the years to come, it will slightly improve their general resolve.
In other news, tens of thousands of examples of the new flag have been manufactured and have replaced the Imperial Aquila across Ushevan. It is a small step toward independence, but no less significant for it. The clean pressed new uniforms are snazzy too, and certainly don't hurt the Vox Meritum's fledgling sense of patriotism. Time passes as the rebels subtly shift from a quiet guerilla mindset to proudly and openly seditious towards the Imperium.
2 Years Since Rebellion (YSR)
You've received reports of the conflicts in the Xephenus and Ganars systems, as well as enormous shipments that don't hurt your confidence. You review them carefully.
1st Void Battle over Xephenus VI: 70+60 (+40 Overwhelming Numerical Advantage, +20 Superior Firepower) vs 48+0
Meritorious Victory
Friendly Casualties:
- None.
Loyalist Casualties:
- 2 Small Orbital Weapons Platforms: 1 damaged, 1 destroyed.
Xephenus VI Negotiations: 46+40 (+40 Overwhelming Force) vs 22+20 (+20 Imperial Cult)
Xephenus VI Capitulated!
1st Invasion of Planetary Governor's Orbital Palace over Xephenus I: 89+41 (+20 Numerical Advantage, +20 Heavy Weapons, +1 (Partial) Trained) vs 75+60 (+20 Fortifications, +20 Heavy Weapons, +20 Veteran)
Slight Defeat
Friendly Casualties:
- 1 Militia Regiment slaughtered
- 1 Trained Militia Regiment heavily wounded
Loyalist Casualties:
- 1 Veteran Mercenary Regiment heavily wounded
2nd Invasion of Planetary Governor's Orbital Palace over Xephenus I: 61+80 (+20 Numerical Advantage, +20 Extensive Cybernetics, +20 Heavy Weapons, +20 Veteran) vs 28+40 (+20 Fortifications, +20 Heavy Weapons, +20 Veteran, -20 Heavily Wounded)
Meritorious Victory
Friendly Casualties:
- None.
Loyalist Casualties:
- 1 Veteran Mercenary Regiment slaughtered
Xephenus I Negotiations: 37+40 (+40 Overwhelming Force) vs 5-10 (+20 Imperial Cult, -10 Miserable Conditions, -20 Mutinous Populace)
Xephenus I Capitulated!
Taskforce Ahrsa entered the Xephenus system and immediately made way for Xephenus VI. For a remote military outpost, its two Small Orbital Weapons Platforms were menacing but against the armaments of seventeen dedicated warships, they stood no chance. The void battle was brief, the Orbital Platforms barely took a shot before the massed lances of the Lunar-class Cruisers and Firestorm-class Frigates dismantled them utterly. Negotiations with Xephenus VI were short, as their planetside commander wisely saw fit not to waste the lives of his men.
The fleet could've easily destroyed the Planetary Governor's orbital palace over Xephenus I at a distance but its admiral, Avidius Cassius, refused to massacre its potentially numerous onboard servants. Instead, he opted to make a direct invasion with the Ushevan militia and quickly engaged with the Planetary Governor's private mercenary army. To his dismay, the mercenaries were also outfitted in carapace armour and heavy weaponry and worse, were seasoned veterans. With their superior skill and the palace's labyrinthine fortifications, the mercenaries were able to repulse the initial assault, slaughtering one militia regiment and heavily wounding another, albeit a heavy cost to themselves.
Two hours of appraising losses later, Avidius Cassius authorised the Skitarii to strike with orders to avoid noncombatant deaths if possible. The mercenaries, expecting another force of desperate militants, received an unpleasant surprise when tenfold their number in fanatical cyborgs stormed their satellite. This time, the battle was short and mercenaries were slaughtered to the last man, with the exception of one who tried to hold the Planetary Governor hostage. After a brief standoff, the bodyguard realised the Skitarii already wanted his charge dead and surrendered to them without issue.
Negotiations with Xephenus I were met with some surprise, as it became clear the workers had already rebelled and seized the planet's vox apparatus. Once Avidius Cassius gave them the recruitment pitch, they eagerly joined and talks turned to coordinating the mine's output with incoming transports, and of their longstanding working conditions. Under the Imperium, they'd been given the bare minimum to survive the planet's molten surface (-100 Resources per 1 million) and suffered constant heatstroke and fatal cooling system malfunctions.
On an industrial scale, these did nothing to impact the mineral extraction but made the general population miserable. As an overwhelming majority are dissidents and criminals or their descendents, this was seen as ideal by the previous administration. They're hopeful the Vox Meritum could help them in their plight but the exports are critical, and every shipping container counts. The admiral chose to leave the decision to you, while they continue as usual in the meantime. You're just now receiving news of the victory, so Avidius Cassius must be en-route to Ophus, if he hasn't already arrived. That will likely be a vicious battle. You won't hear of the results for some time, though.
What should be done about Xephenus I?Continue as usual: This may disillusion them to your movement but the Rare Resources are critical and the Vox Meritum can't lose any more than it already is to maintenance costs, even if it's only a fractional amount. This will frustrate them but they'll continue to work. [-0 Resources upfront, -100 Resources per 1 million in upkeep.]
Improve their conditions: The working conditions are abhorrent and while they must continue to work, the Vox Meritum will improve the quality of their hab-units and mining suits. This will be appreciated. [-56,000 Resources upfront, -200 Resources per 1 million in upkeep]
Greatly improve their conditions: The molten hell these men and women are subject to is symbolic of the masses' plight under the Imperium, and the Vox Meritum will spare no expense to better their lives. This is much more than they were expecting. [-84,000 Resources upfront, -300 Resources per 1 million in upkeep]
Vastly improve their conditions: It is unfair that the population must struggle, though they must, so the Vox Meritum will invest as much as physically possible to bring their quality of life to the Ushevan average. They will be incredibly grateful. [-112,000 Resources upfront, -400 Resources per 1 million in upkeep]
The Orbital Palace over Xephenus I and what remains of the Small Orbital Weapons Platform over Xephenus VI will require maintenance in time, but have currently been mothballed. Some suggest dismantling them for roughly half of the Resources that went into their construction but others feel it is better to keep them and repair the damages. Of course, the choice is yours.
Ganars V Negotiations: 48+40 (+40 Overwhelming Force) vs 7+10 (+20 Imperial Cult, -10 Discontent Populace)
Ganars V Capitulated!
Taskforce Bairkan entered the Ganars system and immediately made way for Ganars V. As the planet lacks orbital defences, it was rather trivial to establish complete void supremacy. Rather than enter negotiations immediately, admiral Tycho Abigantus informed the planet's vox apparatus of the Vox Meritum's existence and gave them approximately three days to evacuate the region surrounding a small mountain in their southern continent. The instant 72 hours had passed, he focused the fleet's gunnery toward replacing said small mountain with a slightly larger crater.
Only then did he commence negotiations, with the various PDF garrisons. Two days later, a desperate coup dethroned the Planetary Governor and surrendered themselves to the Vox Meritum. So far as their censuses are aware, there were no civilian casualties. A true victory for members of the Vox Meritum everywhere. Now that he's seized Ganars V, Tycho Abigantus will be en-route to Lendypso. You aren't certain what to expect out of it but his fleet shouldn't have any difficulties seizing the system.
The recent military victories have led to a slight conundrum.
What should be done with surrendered Loyalist troops?Process and Integrate them: Once any irrational slaves to the Ecclessiarchy are removed, you see no reason former PDF and Imperial Guard elements shouldn't be assimilated into the Vox Meritum's military forces. After they've been deprogrammed of their previous indoctrination, of course.Disband them: The threat of Loyalist saboteurs and counter-rebels is too high to tolerate and for the Vox Meritum's safety, former PDF and Imperial Guard elements will be disarmed and disbanded. Naturally, any ex-soldiers will be prioritised for future recruitment when they can demonstrate loyalty and merit.When you've finished settling military affairs, you turn your attention to this year's expenses. The initial contributions of Xephenus I have yielded massive dividends, more than cutting your previous material losses in half. It isn't enough to make a profit on its own but it is a significant asset. You wonder if it wouldn't be worth relocating a few million volunteers to increase extraction efficiency, or perhaps taking after the Imperium's example and sending diehard loyalists to toil in the molten pits.
Resources Spent:
- Manufacturing 10 Light Comms (Euclite): -10
- Establishing Small Bureaucracy over Ushevan: -50
- Routine Population Upkeep: -2,800
- Routine Naval Forces Upkeep: -112,000
- Routine Military Forces Upkeep: -260,270
- In Total: -375,130
Resources Gained:
- Ushevan Resource Extraction: +3,400
- Xephenus I: +280,000
- Xephenus VI: +9,000
- Ganars V: +35,000
- In Total: +327,400
Net Resource Adjustment: -47,730
Stockpiled Resources Remaining: 3,523,823
Maximising Ushevan Resource Extraction: 16 months remaining. (Already paid in full)
Maximising Ushevan Industrial Output: 16 months remaining. (Already paid in full)
Total Resources Stockpiled: 4,000,000
Annual Resource Extraction: +1,000
Euclite:
Annual Industrial Output (AIO): 800,000 specialised in Heavy Weapons, 200,000 Generalised.
Annual Resource Extraction (ARE): None, everything of value was stripmined centuries ago.
Population: 1,000 million (1 billion)
Ushevan:
AIO: 3,400 Generalised.
ARE: +3,400 Resources
Population: 5 million [-5 Resources (Small Bureaucracy)]
Xephenus I:
AIO: None
ARE: +280,000 Resources (Rare)
Population: 28 million [-2,800 Resources (Maintenance)]
Xephenus VI:
AIO: 13,000 Generalised
ARE: +9,000 Resources
Population: 17 million
Ganars V:
AIO: 35,000 Generalised
ARE: +35,000 Resources
Population: 42 million
Annual Resource Upkeep: 112,000
Taskforce Arhsa: (Under Avidius Cassius, Last sent to Xephenus system, Current Condition Unknown)
3 Cobra Destroyers [-3,000 Resources]
5 Sword-class Frigates [-10,000 Resources]
2 Falchion-class Frigates [-4,000 Resources]
5 Firestorm-class Frigates [-10,000 Resources]
2 Lunar-class Cruisers [-40,000 Resources]
Taskforce Bairkan: (Under Tycho Abigantus, Last sent to Ganars system, Current Condition Unknown)
3 Cobra-class Destroyers [-3,000 Resources]
4 Sword-class Frigates [-8,000 Resources]
3 Falchion-class Frigates [-6,000 Resources]
4 Firestorm-class Frigates [-8,000 Resources]
1 Lunar-class Cruiser [-20,000 Resources]
Annual Resource Upkeep: 260,300
Taskforce Ahrsa: (Under Avidius Cassius, Last sent to Xephenus system, Current Condition Unknown)
1 Titan Legion (20 Warhound Scout Titans, 30 Warlord Battle Titans)[-100,000 Resources]
125 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Rad Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-2,500 Resources]
125 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Heavy Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-2,500 Resources]
3 Militia Regiments (Heavy Weapons, Carapace Armour, Transport Vehicles)[-90 Resources]
1 Trained Militia Regiment [1 Heavily Wounded](Heavy Weapons, Carapace Armour, Transport Vehicles)[-30 Resources]
Taskforce Bairkan: (Under Tycho Abigantus, Last sent to Ganars system, Current Condition Unknown)
125 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Rad Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-2,500 Resources]
125 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Heavy Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-2,500 Resources]
4 Militia Regiments (Heavy Weapons, Carapace Armour, Transport Vehicles)[-120 Resources]
1 Trained Militia Regiment (Heavy Weapons, Carapace Armour, Transport Vehicles)[-30 Resources]
Euclite Garrison:
750 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Heavy Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-15,000 Resources]
750 Veteran Skitarii Regiments (Rad Weapons, Skitarii War Plate)[-15,000 Resources]
Euclite Orbital Defences:
6 Large Orbital Weapons Platforms [-60,000 Resources]
4 Large Orbital Defence Laser Platforms [-40,000 Resources]
2 Large Orbital Torpedo Platforms [-20,000 Resources]
Ushevan Garrison:
None.
Ushevan Orbital Defences:
None.
Xephenus I Garrison:
None.
Xephenus I Orbital Defences:
1 Average Orbital Palace (Mothballed)[-5,000 Resources]
Xephenus VI Garrison:
None.
Xephenus VI Orbital Defences:
1 Small Orbital Weapons Platform (Mothballed)(Heavily Damaged)[-2,500 Resources]
Even ignoring Xephenus I, you notice that the various planets are no better managed than Ushevan was before the uprising. Perhaps it would be worth bringing their Industrial Output up to par, though you could see an argument it's a pointless investment with Euclite's foundries at the ready. At the very least, Resource Extraction is critical and many insist that the new, meritocratic bureaucracy should be implemented across as much of Vox Meritum space as possible. Some argue it would be worth raising new militia regiments and others feel it is unnecessary. No matter, publicly trying the newly-surrendered nobility for their tyrannical crimes and spreading the message of Meritocracy to the still-uninformed masses is vital. As the sitting leader of the Vox Meritum, you have your work cut out for you.
What are your plans for this year?Sometime in the next couple of months, you and your advisory council will be having a meeting with the highest-ranking techpriests of Euclite, though the scheduling and subject matter are currently ill-defined. It will have little-to-no immediate bearing on the Vox Meritum's administration, so you can focus on the normal proceedings for now.
Author
Topic: Doomed and Futile Rebellion (40k SG) (Read 8547 times)