Raegris to play larger role in future DDS strategy

DDS Commander AP has made an unexpected visit to the Raegris and after a meeting with the Raegrean cabinet said in a media briefing that the Raegris were "key to future DDS strategy". "The Raegris are buffered between the Utrek on one side and the Bolitic on the other, i am sure no Raegrean needs reminding of this! This obviously can be a highly dangerous place to be but is also a place of great opportunity!"

The DDS will upgrade their base in orbit around the Raegris homeworld next year with space for more ships and improved defences. The DDS will look to having a permanent detachment of ships in Raegris space to supplement the Raegrean fleet though no plans have yet been made.

HCS View : HCS + DTA = Export Win?

Keith Remadra, former chief advisor to the UNP Security Council on Clone affairs 

When Oojok visited Dino-Land he met with all the usual bigwigs but maybe the most important meeting was held between the head of the HCS Exports Agency and a DTA team. Although nothing has yet been announced or set in stone i understand that the HCS are keen to link up with the DTA and form a viable competitor to the DDS Exports juggernaut.

Regions like the Rim Worlds and the Free Eritran States are largely sated now (though there will of course be follow-on orders in years to come) the only untapped market within reach are the many planets beyond DTA and Bolitic space and near to the edge of the Tarbot Empire. The problem for the Clones is these places are a long way off for them because of a lack of worm drive and no friendly ports nearby. Its thought the Clones have tried to send a ship out that way to "explore" but it had to turn back to beg the Voth to be allowed to dock in orbit to make some repairs. Oojok has told the export agency they need to increase sales by a large amount to help fill the gaps caused by defence cuts.

The DTA are well placed to exploit this region of space with their bases on Voth and other planets but do not have much of an exports portfolio. The HCS however have a full-spectrum portfolio and can sell anything from pistols to space battleships. The HCS already co-operate with the Dinos in some land weapons too like the T-55ZDM.

Thus i expect the DTA to form a joint company with the HCS Exports Agency and use its advantages to help sell Clone weapons. The only sticking point is the DTA cut in any deals i understand. Within a few months the DDS could be facing some serious competition.

178/3

Orroight Bab!
Can Malanson and team escape the energy sentry? (Fusion P2)

178/2

Is He Man Enough
Malanson is given a new mission (Fusion P1)

DDS25 (11) : Remember New Britannia?

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

Remember New Britannia? Many haven't as it was never one of the most well-known members of the UNP but 10 years ago it ceased to exist anyway. It was destroyed by the Rectoids in a horrific display of their power. Though it was all a fix...

It appeared at first sign that the Rectoids had the power to destroy a whole planet when their battlecruiser hit New Britannia, a new UNP colony with a population of around 50,000, with an energy beam. The planet exploded seconds later wiping out the population. The DDS were thrown into turmoil, if the Rectoids possessed such power then could Proxima 7 be next? Should they surrender?

In reality the beam did not damage the planet at all (except maybe for some scorching of the surface). New Britannia had been carefully chosen by the Rectoid months before, they discovered the planet had some serious core stability problems, something the UNP Geological Service only discovered later on by going over old data. The planet should never have been a colony as it was one major event away from collapse.

The Rectoids provided the event by secretly burrowing deep into the crust of New Britannia at various points and placing large nuclear warheads. The Rectoids detonated these warheads simultaneously when the beam hit the planet, the shockwaves finally collapsed the planet's core resulting in the planet killing event that horrified the UNP and DDS.

It still remains one of the most horrific events in DDS history though has led to the UNP carefully re-evaluating the stability of all member worlds (all fine so don't worry).

DDS25 (10) : Logography

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

The DDS has employed 3 logos during its 25 years existence. For most of the DDS' life the logo was simple, a skull and crossbones thus symbolising the rough-and-ready mercenary roots of the early DDS. The skull continues to be used here and there, for example some warriors like Windy continue to use them on their shoulder pads.

When Lord Rotarios came to power and began the New DDS Project he thought it was time the DDS, as part of the general spirit of renewal, updated its brand. The new brand 2 interposed triangles with Hood imagery showed the galaxy that Hoodism was at the core of the project. However when the Hoods were discredited as part of the downfall of Rotarios the new regime thought it was time to rebrand again.

That takes us to the current star brand, symbolising the might of the DDS as a galactic force. There has been talk of making this brand much more visible than earlier ones though this is still a work in progress...

Dinos and HCS announce joint-exercise

Oojok has now left Dino-Land after his meetings with senior Dinos including both Consuls, he also addressed the Senate in a televised session. Both sides are keen to talk about greater co-operation between the Dinos and  Clones starting with a joint-exercise to take place later in the year.

Details of the exercise will be revealed later in the year and is expected to be just the start of military co-operation between the two sides. The HCS are keen for access to DTA orbital bases for refueling and resupply though this has not been agreed yet.

DDS25 (9) : The Hitman

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

He is pretty much unknown nowadays but in the very earliest days of the DDS it was The Hitman who was the icon not Windscorpion. When Ronald was on his sabbatical it was The Hitman, Hank Wolfmann, a Vegan psychopath who helped him fight off the angry Oojok.

The Hitman thus was one of the founding members of the DDS along with Ronald (Windy did not come along until a few months later). The Hitman was the top warrior of the DDS and took part in many of the earliest battles against the HCS on Earth and later on Cloneworld. However as the DDS began to expand beyond being a gang of mercenaries into a proper army and Windy began to exert more and more influence The Hitman drifted away.

He did return now and then but was no longer a core DDS member. He was killed in battle a few years later. Nowadays he has largely been forgotten though his influence on the very earliest DDS should not be understated.

DDS not after MX but may buy more XTs

The DDS have said they are not going to buy any Dinomark MXs which appeared as "Type 77" in a DDS Engineering database following a technical evaluation. "We did carry out an evaluation of the type but decided it would not satisfy our requirements so will not proceed any further." A DDS spokesman added this was a normal process and that other types have been evaluated and rejected in the past, a blogger later commented that it is thought the DDS have looked at the HCS Freighter TYA in the past too but decided not to pursue it.

The DDS did reveal however that they may top up their fleet of Falcon 47s (Dinomark XTs) "now that the Dinos are selling them again". The DDS said they would want "reassurances" about delivery if they did order any more though.

DDS25 (8) : The Porquatian War

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

In 2103 the DDS, recovering from the first phase of the Rectoid War, was attacked by Porquat 640 of all people. The aggressive Porquatians attacked DDS GHQ as part of their plan to enable it to conquer New Arit and get away with it...

The DDS linked up with the Dinos and the Clones (though the latter left the alliance before the Porquatians were defeated) to liberate the Aritans. Once the allies had managed to sort out their command structure and strategy then the Porquatians were whittled down by sheer weight of numbers and their fleet was almost totally wiped out.

The war was not without its cost for the DDS, the Pulsar was destroyed in one of the battles, Windy almost dying in the battle. After the defeat of Porquat 640 New Arit became a UNP protectorate and the DDS began to rebuild its fleet. However nowadays New Arit has now joined the DTA instead and Porquat 640 has become a powerful DDS ally...

DDS considering buying Dinomark MX?

DDS geeks often spend hours poring over open source databases and datasets looking for the slightest hint of a new ship type or technology (they need to get laid obviously). They did detect the existence of the Type 16 bomber months before it was officially announced by finding a reference to it in a DDS Engineering parts database and now they have found a "Type 77".

In the DDS Engineering spare parts database (which is used by suppliers) each of the many thousands of parts has a field for "ship compatibility" and an engine part for the Falcon 47A is now listed as being for a "Type 77" too. It is likely this addition was put in the database for technical evaluation reasons and was not purged properly. The part is in the cooling system for the Solarburst GX engine which is used by the Dinomark XT and its scaled up assault transport version the MX. This indicates that the DDS are thinking of buying the type and performed a technical evaluation.

The DDS did not comment on the matter. The appearance of a Type 77 does not mean that the DDS will definitely buy the MX or even if they did that would be its type number as the number would be a temporary allocation for the purposes of DDS Engineering. Analysts say though that the MX would be a useful addition to the DDS fleet.

Dino View : Guarding Oojok

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

As you may have read elsewhere Oojok is to visit Dino-Land later today for a 3 day visit. I shall be attending a seminar given by Admiral Anderson on military co-operation tomorrow incidentally. I thought it might be interesting to describe some of the protection and organisation that goes into such a major visit by the leader of another power. Of course some details remain secret (even if i do know them) but everything i present here is public domain (though maybe a little buried).

Yesterday a Loader transport (and Cosmos escort) arrived in orbit around Dino-Land. The Loader is carrying a battalion of Red Lizard (the HCS special forces organisation). A company of Red Lizard has transported down to the surface while 2 other companies remain on the ship. The 1st company is currently carrying out checks on the venues Oojok and the other VIPs will visit along with an Oojok Death Squad (ODS) officer. When Oojok arrives then one of the other companies will join them and take turns in being "available" (though of course SS-D and CSS will be in overall charge of protecting the VIPs, Red Lizard will be available in reserve). The other company will remain in orbit in reserve.

Oojok will arrive in a Molentic Tuul M (i understand one of the former VIP configured MTs - although now upgraded to M standard it retains the comfy seats) along with 2 other MTs as escorts. Oojok's personal bodyguard will be an ODS unit - interestingly the ODS has remained separate from the rest of the Clone armed forces while of course CSS is firmly integrated into the Dino Army.

Oojok will stay in orbit aboard his ship in between engagements. Sometimes VIPs stay at the Clone Embassy in Dino-Town though that is currently undergoing some building work and the ODS think this could compromise security a bit. When Oojok is on Dino-Land he will be accompanied by an ODS Active Service Unit who will be accompanied by a CSS observer. When Oojok is with Zanus and Ronald he will also be guarded by a CSS unit of course. An SS-D company is also always on standby.

As you can see security is tight and multi-layered but it has to be. These VIPs are among the most powerful and most important people in the galaxy, a security breach is not an option.

DDS25 (7) : Megara

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

Megara is an enigma, a human recruited by the HCS he led several successful operations in the early 2100s when the cash-strapped Clone Star Empire was forced to turn to crime to bring in funding. Indeed it is thought Megara started out as a criminal in one of the human ghettos on Cloneworld before his unique skills were picked up by the HCS Secret Services.

Megara's great mission was to stow away on Windy's epic mission to investigate and stop the Rectoids and, working for an undisclosed foreign power, make sure the Rectoids were stopped. Megara hacked into the biogenic weapons the DDS fired over the Rectoid homeworld Recta meaning that the weapons wiped out the population of the planet and not a single crop as Windy intended. Billions died, did Megara care? For him it was a Monday.

Megara, working for the HCS again, fell foul of the new regime after the downfall of Captain Clone and is thought to have been killed during the coup. There have been unconfirmed reports that Megara somehow survived though the DDS think this is unlikely...

Oojok to visit Dinos

Oojok will visit the Dino Republic tomorrow it has been revealed by the Clones. The leader of Clone Star Empire - West will have meetings with Consuls Zanus and Ronald as well as other senior Dino figures like MBH. The head of the HCS Admiral Anderson will also meet with senior figures in the Dino military.

The purpose for the meetings is unknown, except that it has been some time since the Dinos and CSE have met at a high level. Its rumoured that the CSE may be keen on improved trade links with the DTA and perhaps some military co-operation such as HCS ships being able to refuel at DTA ports and vice versa.

DDS25 (6) : Remember these...

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

The DDS's 25 year history is rich with many characters who helped build the DDS into the force it is today, many no longer with us of course. Do you remember...

Vodaphone

Vodaphone joined the DDS during the 2nd Clone War days, an expert in communications he often helped coordinate DDS attacks. Later on as the DDS developed from a small elite unit into a space force he took over DDS Communications and helped build the foundations of the space-spanning DDS infrastructure. Later on though Vodaphone rose to prominence along with AP as the henchmen of Rotarios who seized power in the DDS. Vodaphone became Director of Communications and helped keep the DDS on-message.

Vodaphone was lost due to mysterious circumstances in the Utrek War when his ship was destroyed during the Battle of Zoneland.

Naitron

Naitron was one of the earliest DDS recruits and fought hard alongside Windscorpion during the 1st Clone War on Cloneworld. Naitron was a good soldier though did not have any special skills, Windy though could always rely on the man. Naitron was killed in combat eventually though he has remained popular as one of the early icons of the DDS.

Perei Potsone

As the 1st Clone War hotted up and the DDS expanded Windy decided to form a separate unit called Security Squad (DDS-SS) for special operations under the command of Rathun. Perei was one of the mainstays of this unit along with Oaru and Rasto. Unfortunately Perei was among those betrayed by Redjec's future "wife" when Rathun decided to run away when SS was cornered, the rest of the unit was butchered, Perei Potsone with them.

Clones try and change Haylei's mind

The Clones have offered Haylei a fleet of 20 Shark SK-E space frigates, transport and oiler ships, aircraft and land weapons in an attempt to steal the DDS' recent huge export order. The Clones, who admitted they didn't know how much the DDS order was worth, pledged that the Clone order would be to the same cost even though it includes (on paper) quite a lot more. Haylei have however politely declined to change their mind.

It is thought the Clones expected this though made the offer for propaganda purposes and also to test Haylei's resolve. It remains to be seen now how the Clones will react to the prospect of having a large military force (DDS at first and later Haylei's own) slap bang in the middle between the two halves of the Clone Space Empire.

• The Dinos will upgrade its fleet of 3 Dinomark RS battlecruisers this Summer. As well as a general upgrade of various systems the RS will have its missile carriage ability greatly increased by some internal rearrangement. Two upgraded missile launchers will replace the existing standard launcher. It is thought the Dinos, who have never really found the right role for these powerful ships, may be considering moving them into a role similar to the DDS Missileer's missile carrier role.
• Consul Zanus has said the Dino Army review he instigated last year has now concluded and initial findings will be presented to the Senate later this week in a closed session followed by the full report a few weeks later. A summary will be made public soon after it has been presented to the Senate. The report is expected to held drive development of the Dino Army in the DTA age.
• A second Space Marines Brigade has been created by the HCS though is likely to remain a reserve/training unit. The 1st Brigade was formed last year though has yet to be deployed operationally. The space marines are an off-shoot of Red Lizard dedicated to space ship operations.

DDS to open second Pentekonter-E line

The DDS are to open a second Pentekonter-E line for a period to try and get the order backlog down. Currently ships are built only on the custom jig operated by the Raegris but the DDS have decided to bring its old Pentekonter/Rome jig back online.

The jig had been mothballed following the end of Rome 46A production but is due to begin retooling for Corkscrew 51A production from late 2113. The DDS will bring it back online this Summer and they hope to be able to build at least 3 ships before retooling needs to begin. The DDS SUP (Provider and Extender) jig is also to soon begin export orders to supplement the Raegris SUP jig.

DDS score big export order with Haylei

For years Haylei, located in deep space between the two halves of the CSE, has relied on obscurity to avoid being a target of imperial expansion. However a couple of years ago vast deposits of rare minerals (estimated at around 8 trillion zarks worth in total) were discovered on the planet and Clone and UNP companies have been active in helping Haylei exploit this wealth. Last year a UNP company won an exclusive contract for yolacirium which is used in engine cores with extraction recently starting in earnest.

Haylei now thinks it needs to boost its defence with recent Clone imperial expansion making Haylei realise they could soon be a target. Both the Clones and DDS have sent sales teams to Haylei who want a "full-spectrum" solution with army and airforce weapons as well as spaceships. Usually the Clones would have a big advantage here but the recent acquisition of a land weapons company has meant the DDS can now present a full-spectrum portfolio too (albeit a few years down the line, which suits Haylei who plan to build their space fleet and air force first).

The value of the order has not been disclosed but will be one of the biggest in DDS history in the billions of zarks, it includes the following:

• 3 Isometric-E217H MCS armed with QPM and Z6 cannons
• 7 Pentekonter-E307H patrol boats armed with QPM and Z5m cannons
• 2 Olympus-E107H carriers with command/comms module
• 250 Ferret-G UCVs
• 3 Extender-E oilers
• 1 Provider-E transport
• 8 Coril-E shuttles
• 50 F-10SEPH fighters equipped with an air-launched version of QPM
• 50 NDAA attack aircraft
• Around 100 QPM rounds plus 20 training rounds

Delivery dates have not yet been set though the aircraft could start arriving this year. As part of the deal the DDS will also build a refueling point in Haylei orbit and maintain a number of ships there until Haylei's own fleet is operational.

Redjec and Rathun to marry!

It has been announced that General Redjec is to marry former DDS officer and indeed former male Maryann Rathun tomorrow. Their lightning romance first came to light when a lurid (and very short) sex tape came to light. Such was the desire to see this coupling the internet melted down across several UNP planets.

Rathun's reappearance is a mystery, it was thought he had been killed during the rebellion on Liberation when he was overthrown but it is rumoured he was a prisoner of Windscorpion for a time. Why he underwent gender reassignment is unknown though he was only officially reclassified female today, just in time for the wedding.

• The first attempted teleport between 2 separate planetary systems has been a failure the Dinos have announced. This was the second stage in their development of Deep Subspace Burrowing Teleport (DSBT) technology and an attempt was made to send an ummanned probe between a lab on Dino-Land and another on Jeloka. However the probe was lost somewhere in the 4.2 light year gap between the two systems. The previous test between Dino-Land and one of its moons was successful last year but Chief Scientist Dougson admitted this was an ambitious attempt. "I am not too disheartened as we have gathered a lot of telemetry to analyse. We hope to make another attempt in a few weeks."

178/1

Barf City
Is it all over for Redjec? (Vector P8)

UV177 : No Complaint

• By The Right - The hunt is on for Eritran gold (Vector P1)
• Sekrit Mishion - Love is in the air (Vector P2)
• End Of Empire - The HCS get in on the act (Vector P3)
• Oh U Pretty Thing - Things are hotting up on the battlefield and the bedroom (Vector P4)
• Tuff Times - Voltage and Dr Death have a shock (Vector P5)
• Vector Session - Redjec's universe implodes (Vector P6)
• Squid Ink - The hunt for the gold is over... or is it? (Vector P7)

Fleet News (16/04/12)

• The 2112/13 Ship Building Plan has begun with 2 new ships joining the fleet this month. The first is L132 Iapetus Ocean which is the second and final Tethys Ocean 65A amphibious support carrier.
• The other ship is a Freedom 41B MCS for the Starbotian fleet, M132 Fighter.

Triple Megan given army boost

Triple Megan has purchased 10 NRCV-10DRi NBC reconnaissance vehicles from the Clones along with hand-held radiation detection equipment and a number of vehicle and area decontamination kits. The order, said to be worth 8 million zarks, has been bulked out by 100 ex-HCS T-88++ and 200 older model Tapirs. It is thought the order is basically part of the Meganites reward for help in the Unatel/Kontai invasions.

Triple Megan has also said it will build a space fleet with Clone help, 50 Meganites will enrol at a HCS Space Academy next semester and a Meganite liaison team will visit Cloneworld next month to evaluate various ship types. Shark-E and transports are likely to be in their plans.

• The DDS are considering creating a sub-class of Isometric mine warfare command ships using their existing Pave Yellow equipped ships and possibly adding to their number with at least 1 more ship based on the Isometric-M already in development for Molab. This new type could be called the Isometric 41M. The rationale being given by the DDS is that minesweeping resources will need to increase with Rome 46A ships being equipped with a DMS module so there will need to be more control craft, thus a dedicated fleet might be the best option.

DDS25 (5) : The Clone Wars

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

When tensions rise between the DDS and HCS now and then there is talk of "the 4th Clone War", but what were the other 3 Clone Wars?

The First Clone War is said to have begun in 2089 when the early DDS launched an offensive on Cloneworld against the HCS. However some place the start in 2088 when the DDS was first hired by the human authorities to protect against the growing Clone threat. This first war continued until 2092 when, after several years of to-and-fro fortunes, a weakened DDS was wiped out by a rampant HCS who went onto conquer all of Cloneworld.

Most authorities regard the Second Clone War as beginning immediately as this marked the Clone expansion into space to form an empire and the DDS efforts to stop them. However the Clone Star Empire began in 2091 when the Clones invaded Daggaddon so in a way the Second Clone War began before the First ended...

In any event this was the longest of the 3 wars with the Clones and DDS battling each other across the galaxy and on many worlds. Key battles were on Terra (with the Clones conquering a good portion of the human homeworld) and Randalf 74 where the DDS arguably won its greatest victory over the Clones. The war is considered to have ended by 2100 when a disintegrating DDS faded away following the (apparent) death of Windscorpion and the Clones were given a free hand to expand across many worlds.

The return of Windscorpion saw the war resumed and this marks the Third Clone War. Windy quickly saved the DDS from collapsing and scored an amazing victory over the Clones by devastating their main fuel source Sandworld. Windy and The Shiner then engineered a final peace agreement with the Clones with the Clones abandoning their territory on Terra and any other attacks on the UNP in return for a cessation of hostilities and the Clones being allowed to hold what territory they had taken.

In many ways the three Clone Wars are around 11 years of near endless conflict, the breaks between the wars were fairly short. It is worth noting though that we are now over 12 years since the end of the last war...

Wayne King-Meiouf : The time to plan for war with Tarbot is now!

Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of Proxima

I am usually a very mild-mannered person but sometimes i hear something that just makes me see red. The other day i was watching a discussion show on Proxima 2TV when a commentator (whom shall remain nameless) said that the DDS shouldn't bother planning for war with Tarbot as such a conflict is likely to be "decades away".

Now on the latter i might agree with him (though i think the next decade could be within the time frame) as the Tarbotians are likely to want to consolidate their new gains before thinking of a next expansion. However the time to plan for war with Tarbot is now.

War with the Tarbot Empire is likely to be the biggest war and the gravest threat we (being the Local Group - DDS, HCS, DTA et cetera) have ever faced. Forget the last war, that was a reckless attack by one fleet operating far from home - and we only just survived that. The next war the Tarbotians will approach properly with multiple fleets, much larger forces, and now have much closer forward bases.

The DDS must begin to plan for how they can cope with such an overwhelming threat. The DDS need to look at new forms of defence, new tactics, new weapons that can prevent the DDS becoming like the ABBO became, a mere footnote in history. The DDS and the other Local Group factions may also need to consider how they can work together now, even if they are rivals at present.

When the Tarbotians assemble a vast invasion fleet then petty disputes over the likes of Kontai will be irrelevant, then the DDS and HCS and everyone else will be having to fight together to survive.

DDS reduce alert status

The DDS have reduced their alert status to GREEN, though as when they increased it to AMBER a few weeks ago there has been no explanation why. It has been rumoured on a blog that a DDS special forces unit has been doing something on Unatel Gamma and the DDS went to a higher alert just incase there was a HCS response. The DDS declined to comment.

• The UNP has agreed with a DDS Research proposal to create a new speed unit called Equivalent Speed of Light or ec to measure worm drive speeds (which have to factor in waiting time and distance traveled in the worm jump thus are an equivalent to a traditional hyperspace speed (c).

Dino View : Ronald's ultimate quest for a quiet retirement

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

So the changes have been ratified, we will move to having a single Consul from next year and Ronald will move more into the background. Well thats the plan anyway, could it be that Ronald's decade long quest for retirement has finally ended?

Ronald stood down as Emperor following the Tarbotian War, he was badly injured in the final battle and resigned in favour of El Diablo. Contrary to popular belief Ronald didn't have to stand down. He could have remained Emperor while he recovered, even naming El Diablo as a Regent. However Ronald felt it was time to pass on the baton.

Unfortunately he chose the wrong person to pass it on to. Quite why Ronald chose El Diablo and not a more experienced and older man like Jimmy or Cruggson is unknown. El Diablo certainly came as a shock to everyone, El Diablo included! It may have been that Ronald saw in the younger El Diablo the same hunger and desire that Ronald had when he began his rule as Emperor nearly 50 years before.

Whatever El Diablo saw in him was probably misplaced, El Diablo was not ready and was soon usurped by One-Horn. In the chaos following the downfall of One-Horn (who of course started a war with the DDS) Ronald, who had now recovered, became Emperor again.

However Ronald didn't want to be Emperor again. It was clear to all of us that his heart wasn't in it, include it was even pretty clear during the latter part of his first reign when he took some years off as a sabbatical (when he created the DDS incidentally). Much of Ronald's second reign was spent trying to find a way out!

He first tried a dual-Emperor system, perhaps his idea was that a second Emperor could be more gradually bought into the role to try and avoid the mistake of El Diablo. Then when he was sure the other Emperor was secure Ronald could stand down. Jimmy of course may well have helped Ronald achieve this goal but the attempted assassination of Jimmy (which left him incapacitated for nearly a year put paid to that).

So that left the Republic. Ronald tore down the Empire and created the Dino Republic and it has largely been a great success. So much so Ronald seems content now for the Republic to reach phase 2 with just the single elected leader. Now Ronald thinks he can finally step down and walk away.

177/7

Squid Ink
The hunt for the gold is over... or is it? (Vector P7)

DDS25 (4) : The Tarbotian War of 2097

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

The Tarbotian War of 2097 is often forgotten about nowadays in lieu of more recent conflicts but it laid the foundations for the current astral-political environment more than any other.

The DDS had just come out of a successful campaign on Randalf 74 which saw the Clone invasion on that world repulsed (and the HCS lost nearly a million men). The tide of the Clone Wars appeared to be finally turning with the Clones suffering the first setback in their relentless spread across the galaxy. Then the Tarbotians launched a surprise attack on the Remedians and Starbotians, the DDS and Dinos were also drawn into the conflict. After months of bitter conflict the Tarbotian fleet was finally smashed and Dr Slow appeared to be killed.

The effects of the war were profound. Remedia's existence as an independent galactic power was ended and they joined the DDS soon after the war. Ronald was nearly killed in the final battle and stood down as Emperor, although he later returned to the crown the series of events that have led to the current Dino Republic/DTA were put in place. The Tarbotians lost one of their best battle fleets and the chaos caused by the loss of their leader and other members of senior staff (such as Dr Fast) hurled the vast Tarbot Empire into a civil war. Although they emerged from it eventually its taken up until now for the Tarbotians to become a threat again.

The biggest effect was on the DDS though. The war was when the DDS came of age as a space faring superpower. New technologies such as the Pulsar were perfected during the war and new weapons developed like the Z Cannon because of it. The latter made its debut in 2098, and an amazing debut it was too. The DDS destroyed a large portion of the HCS fleet when the latter launched a surprise attack. Memorably the first shot in anger by the Z Cannon destroyed 2 Kalahati Tuuls with one shot. The shock of this loss forced the Clones to consider peace for the first time.

Although the DDS suffered massive setbacks the following year the trend was put in place for the DDS to become the premier space combat power in the Local Group and it has remained here until the present day. New technologies like the Z7 should ensure it remains at the summit for the near future at least.

Dino View : Fresh meat for the old order

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

Ronald's retirement (and most likely GBH's too) from front-line politics at the end of the year has exposed the dearth of talent at the top of Imperial Order, Ronald's political party and supposedly the party that represents traditional values and the heritage of the state.

Only Cruggson remains as a Senator and top name who can potentially be Consul, and Cruggson's problem is that he is ineligible for awhile as his last period in office was only a couple of years ago. Losing El Diablo has meant that a potential Consul has been lost to IO (not that Ronald's opinion of El Diablo is that high).

Imperial Order thus need to bring in some fresh talent. One potential name is Legate Malanson. He is a very solid member of the old guard, formerly a Legionary in the 6th Legion when it was a proper unit and not the largely ceremonial unit is it today. He has remained largely anonymous as he has risen throughout the ranks though some observers do not think this is a bad thing. "He has build a solid and respectable career without gaffs." Tel Remmik of Dino Today said to me the other day. "There are no skeletons in his closet, nothing to detract from his record."

He can thus be compared to Crickson, also a Legionary in the 6th Legion alongside Malanson. Although Crickson has a much higher profile, largely thanks to reality TV, he does not have a good reputation and certainly would hardly be considered favourably by the electorate.

Another name of course to throw in is Senator Gibson, a man with a very high profile and track record, however the former SS Commander and DDS Liaison Officer is largely regarded as a joke. It could however be that Gibson can rehabilitate himself through solid work as Culture Minister and Senate Executive Officer but during an election his past would be a potent weapon in the hands of even a half-competent opponent.

Finally there is Smellyson, the CSS Commander and Ronald's heir. Smellyson is seldom considered as a future political leader, and indeed is maybe a little too soon for him (though he is similar in age to MBH) but Smellyson has a high profile, a highly prestigious role and a family line second to none. Malanson and even Gibson may be Imperial Order's options in the near term but looking further ahead Smellyson looks a solid bet. The party could do with starting Smellyson's political training now.

Atomic Fist 2112

The DDS have finally announced the fleet and schedule for the 2112 running of its annual strategic strike exercise Atomic Fist. The delays are thought to be because of a decision to change the location of the exercise to bring it much closer to GHQ so that the assets employed in the exercise are quickly available for use elsewhere. The exercises will take place on an asteroid in freespace between Sanga Alpha 6329 and New Jakarta.

Two targets have been set up on the asteroid and will be attacked in a number of exercises, the final ones using live nuclear rounds. A variety of attack scenarios will be used. A Starbotian ship will take part and a Porquatian ship is expected to join later on. The ships involved under the command of Caratore are:

M106 Eocene (flagship)
S101 Quasar
S103 Deuteron
S105 Graviton
H124 Inflexible
M127 Faithful
M162 North Sea
P104 Pompey
P111 Caligula
A143 Jetstar

The exercises will run from early next week to the end of April.

Changes to Republic ratified

Ronald's changes to the Dino Republic have been ratified following a debate and vote in the Dino Senate. The only major change to Ronald's proposals is that Consuls will not be eligible to stand again for 4 years after the end of their previous term of office (Ronald wanted 6 years). The Consul will also retain his veto (Ronald suggested it be abolished) however the Consul will only be able to use their veto if a vote has not been unanimous by the rest of the Senate.

The changes will apply from the next electoral cycle with Ronald standing down at the end of the year along with Zanus (who will end his 2 year term). They will be replaced by a single Consul who will serve for a whole 2 years alone. MBH has already said he will stand. Jimmy is not yet eligible though El Diablo may stand under the Liberal Party banner. Malanson (who is not a Senator) could be the Imperial Order pick.

• The DDS have still to announce details of Atomic Fist 2112, the latest edition of its strategic strike exercise. At the end of March the DDS said they were going to give a ship listing but this has been delayed for unspecified reasons. The exercise is still to go ahead at the end of April.

HCS Fleet News (10/04/12)

• A quiet month for HCS fleet news, only 1 new ship has been reported and 1 ship withdrawn. The new ship is a Freighter TYA transport, an Omiten TYJ oiler has been withdrawn due to reaching the end of its fatigue life.

DDS25 (3) : The first generation of space ships

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

With a large fleet of warships, many among the most powerful and advanced in the known galaxy it is easy to forget that the DDS space fleet had quite humble origins. Indeed for the first few years of its existence the DDS had no ships at all.

The DDS was created to combat the Clones on Cloneworld who were attempting to take over the planet from human colonists. The Clones did not have a fleet thus the DDS did not feel the need. However in 2090 the Clones bought 6 Kalahati Tuuls from the Utrek along with a number of transports and began building their own too. In 2091 they invaded and conquered Daggaddon in short order forcing the DDS to scramble to build its own space presence.

The DDS bought a number of Ranger scout ships from a commercial builder and a couple of singleton ships to decide on the right types for series production. Total Triumph, when the Clone succeeded in conquering Cloneworld (and nearly destroying the DDS) threw these plans up in the air but by 2095 the DDS had a number of warships including Universe SM, Solaris (which later became the Solaris series class) and a few other minor types.

The DDS were greatly outnumbered however by the Clones who were building their own KTs and also had bought some Cosmos from the Raegris (and of course soon would produce their own of these too). The DDS could not compete numbers wise thus decided to build a warship which would literally blow everything else out of the stars : the Pulsar.

The Pulsar was the last of the one-off prototype classes and helped herald the 2nd Generation of DDS warships, which would be produced in series - the Pulsar, Starsystem and Solaris classes. These formed the backbone of the DDS fleet into the early 2100s and helped stem the relentless spread of the Clones across UNP space. However without the 1st generation everything else would not have been possible. These early ships, often quite primitive and unreliable helped the DDS establish the infrastructure, systems and tradition which makes them such a galaxy beater today.

177/6

Vector Session
Redjec's universe implodes (Vector P6)

177/5

Tuff Times
Voltage and Dr Death have a shock (Vector P5)

DDS poised to enter commercial market

The DDS have formed a partnership with commercial spaceship manufacturer Consolidated Spacecraft to market a civilian version of the Provider 71A transport. The DDS think there is a potential market for 25-30 of these types which would bring in valuable revenue to the DDS and keep the production line viable should the DDS decide to build some more for themselves later on. A launch order of 3 by an unspecified customer is rumoured though not confirmed by the DDS.

The DDS will market the transport as the Silver Provider 650. It will be largely the same as the Provider-E military export grade transport though will have civilian communications and navigational systems and no armament though it will retain the same internal security systems.

177/4

Oh U Pretty Thing
Things are hotting up on the battlefield and the bedroom (Vector P4) - note story contains adult themes some may find offensive.

177/3

End Of Empire
The HCS get in on the act (Vector P3)

Dino View : The winding down of a legend?

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

Ronald's proposals (which are 99.99999% likely to be made law) for changes to the Dino Republic mean that he will only serve one year of his term as Consul. He could have course have served the whole term, serving alone next year (though maybe it would have looked like he was concentrating power for himself).

However Ronald will step down and be content with being a mere Senator (albeit a living god to a large proportion of the population). He will be Head of the Senate though this is a largely ceremonial duty. Ronald says he will not seek re-election as Consul again in future and there are some sources that say he will not take on a Ministerial role to augment his Senate role. A shame of course as some of us hoped he would become Minister of Culture again, which as he is the galaxy's largest philistine would be a source of endless mirth.

So what is Ronald going to do? It is thought he may go off on a long journey of explanation like he has just completed. The worm drive means that space previously so far as to be virtually impossible to reach is now a possibility. Ronald once said he would like to see Tarbot, with traditional propulsion even a ship like a Dinomark PT would take many months to get there and without a network of friendly ports would run out of supplies before it got there, with worm drive it would take a couple of months...

Maybe Ronald will seek a quieter family life, its known he has been on at least a couple of dates with his cousin Yelekira whom he nearly married centuries ago before he met Holisae (who died in the ABBO-Bolitic War) along with his daughter Crystal. It could be he will seek to marry again (Yekekira was widowed during the war by the way). Ronald is known to be keen to "toughen" up his youngest son Ronaldson (who most regard as limper than a wet lettuce). His other son Stinkyson is a venal sexual pervert whom Ronald has often been considering disowning or murdering. Perhaps Ronald will take his two younger sons with him on a future quest, content that his elder son and heir Smellyson is building his name as head of the elite Consul Security Squad.

Is the legend winding down? Well its likely Ronald will never again be the official leader of the Dinos but he is a true icon and will always remain the spiritual leader. Today's announcement marked the end of just one phase of Ronald's career, we wait with bated breath for the next phase.

Ronald proposes changes to Republic

Consul Ronald today addressed the Dino Senate in a televised session and said the transition from the old empire to Dino Republic had been successful but now it was time to "strengthen democracy". He said that there was no longer a need for having 2 Consuls. "I propose that at the end of the year both myself and Zanus [who will come to the end of his full 2 year term] will stand down and whomever is elected stands alone as the sole Consul for 2 years until the next is elected." he said, confirming rumours that he was considering retirement.

Ronald said he would no longer stand again for the role as Consul after he stands down a year early though would serve as Head of the Senate for "the foreseeable future" after he stood down. To counter the new Consul ruling alone Ronald suggested he lose his power of veto. Ronald also suggested greater powers for the elected lower house of parliament and Senators attending sessions to be questioned by Representatives on request.

His proposals were largely welcomed by the Senate though MBH said that Ronald's plan for Consuls to not be eligible for re-election for 3 terms after their previous term (in other words someone could not stand for election for 6 years after the end of their previous term) should be reduced to 2 (or 4 years).

A vote could take place later this week. Much of what Ronald proposed is understood to have been privately revealed to the Senate before he went off on his DTA tour.

DDS25 (2) : The amazing reign of The Shiner

The Historian casts his eyes back over the rich history of the DDS Universe.

When one looks at the list of DDS Commanders and the lengths of their reigns then it becomes quite clear that being DDS Commander is not the safest job in the galaxy. Most reigns are fairly short, Opticon lasted around a year for example (and not a very auspicious year at that). The prior Commander The Orchid also had a reign of a few months before she was killed in the ABBO-Bolitic War. Even Windscorpion has not been DDS Commander for very long. His first stint lasted nearly 3 years and his second less than 2.

But there is one Commander who stands out, The Shiner who was DDS Commander for an amazing 9 years (give or take a few months). The Shiner came to power after the death of Opticon in 2094, the financial guru was not known exactly for his courage and few expected him to last very long. However when he finally stepped down in 2103 (due to pressure from the Hoods and Rotarios) he left behind a DDS much stronger and stable. The Shiner laid the foundation for the DDS as it now. But how?

Maybe the answer is because the DDS Commander role is more an executive role than a leadership one. Those who have tried to lead from the front have tended to fall while those who are content to lead from the back and leave the battlefield to the warriors have prospered. Windscorpion himself realised this, which is why he has preferred to not be commander as it restricts him too much. For much of The Shiner's reign it was as if he ruled at the whim of Windscorpion however this overstates matters. Windscorpion was given free reign to do as he wished and enjoyed terrorising the likes of The Shiner however The Shiner did have a strong hold over the bulk of the DDS mostly because he was happy to let people express themselves.

The current commander AP seems to have taken The Shiner road, which means his reign may well be long.

Other Fleet News (02/04/12)

• The Dinos have completed 2 Dinomark PTs and 2 Dinomark XTs, one XT has gone to Sirikwan and one to New Arit. The Dinos are to slow PT production to one a month from next month in order to release capacity for the Dinomark MX transport.
• The Raegris has completed a DF-1 He'Taka (Isometric).
• The Bolitic are reported to have completed a Snarl and a Meltinan however 4 Redhulls have been withdrawn. Emperor Melson has apparently ordered the ancient ships be withdrawn by the end of the year however some may be kept by lesser Barons (and those who ignore the Emperor).
• Porquat 640 have completed a Quagan 665.
• Putri 500 have received 2 Pentekonter E2P1s.

DDS acquires Sanger Munipical Arms as in-house land weapons provider

The DDS now has an in-house designer and producer of land weapons following a complicated deal to purchase Sanger Munipical Arms (SMA). In a 270 million zark deal (which the UNP provided 60% of, the DDS 30% and the Sangan government 10%) SMA has been purchased by (or for depending on your point of view) the DDS. The DDS have also placed a 190 million zark order for 250 T-62-20 tanks, this money will also fund development of a new standard Infantry Fighting Vehicle for the DDS. The DDS said that other UNP armies will be encouraged to buy their AFVs from SMA too.

The new tank for the DDS will be a customised version of the T-62-20 to be known as the T-62Y in DDS service. It will initially supplement the mix of ex-HCS T-55Zs and T-88++s currently in service though by the early 2120s the DDS want these older tanks replaced by a standardised fleet of T-62Ys.

Few details as yet exist on the standard IFV though it may be an updated version of the APC-1, which the DDS built and used early in the Clone Wars. The DDS will offer an export version of both the tank and the IFV which is expected to enter service by 2114 with the tank by later this year.

• The HCSAF's fleet of EC-440 Sparktruck EW/ECM aircraft are to receive a mid-life/system upgrade. Older aircraft will be refurbished and re-engined to match later examples. All of the fleet will receive computer and ECM self-defence updates as well as a number of software improvements. This upgrade was funded before the HCS defence cuts.
• The training suites on the Starsystem 91X fleet of training ships are to be upgraded this Summer as part of a 75 million zark upgrade of the fleet. New VR training suites using FIDO-VR technology and holographic crewman projection will be installed. The ships will also receive a full overhaul and some system updates including improved IWC info-warfare capabilities (for training and self-defence) and improved datalinking with a "new" databus installed (infact refurbished examples of the databus used on the Isometric before its ILU, which is still a decent system). The ships will be fitted with Canister TPM to augment its existing TPM launcher (though the missiles will be used mainly in training scenarios).

Ronald returns to Dino-Land

Ronald and GBH have returned to Dino-Land following their epic voyage far beyond the DTA (his ship and the rest of the crew will be returning once some repairs are made). Ronald said that contact had been made with the Repican Saurian race (another of the lost colonies), the Repicans had proven themselves to be untrustworthy and hostile but were not a threat.

Another unnamed Saurian race was encountered on Sygnet 80 Ronald said but their technological development was far behind the other known Saurian races. These Saurians possessed early technology but were some way off reaching space. Ronald said a science team would go out to study these Saurians at a later stage.

Ronald wished the DDS a happy birthday and said he would attend a celebration later in the year.