Caratore names Jurassic the new flagship

In a sign that NS does not believe it will be able to retrieve SS Cicero which was stolen by the criminal Torus and her confederates any time soon, Viceroy Caratore has made the Isometric destroyer SS Jurassic the new flagship of the NS fleet and thus his personal ship. SS Jurassic was previously commanded by Caratore when he was an NS fleet officer.

The ship has just come out of a heavy overhaul, though will also be refitted with extra command and communications equipment in a short while. The ship will have a new crew mostly of MBO personnel, though commanded by Gomber, a Caratore loyalist. Caratore is expected to use the ship next week to visit Liberation.

Sub-theory (2946)

Windy launches the fight back.

That's right (2945)

Redjec is paraded before Torus in chains.

Wide body (2944)

Agent X captures Redjec, but...

 

Raegris place order for 12 Repulse destroyers

The Raegris have placed a multi-billion zark order for 12 ships based on the forthcoming Repulse 51B destroyer as they seek to rebuild their fleet following the heavy losses against the Terrasaurs. The first two or three ships will be built by NS with the rest built by the Raegris themselves. The Raegris may eventually operate a fleet of twenty.

The Raegris have also increased their order of RC-2C Yel'Tema cruisers. Eight were outstanding from the current order, an extra four will now be built.

General Honey visits NS GHQ

The Mutre Bee's trusted deputy, and his head of operations, General Honey has made an unannounced visit to NS GHQ. He met with Viceroy Caratore and his two deputies, Zeppelin and The Shiner. General Honey also inspected an MBO Honour Guard barracks which is being built at GHQ.

It is thought the Mutre Bee himself will visit New Sparta later this year.

Clones begin mass DNA scanning

The Clone Star Empire has begun mass DNA scanning for Mutre Bee clones (of Clones, which makes things a bit confusing). It is thought the Clones were given scanning technology from the Dino Empire, some of which was given to them by the rebel Torus. A Clone Defence Forces spokesclone said that all space ship crews, nuclear weapon crews and other senior personnel will be scanned very regularly.

In a public event the Troika was scanned, Oojok said that scanning would ensure the security of the Clone Star Empire. Some insider sources say that the Clones have become very paranoid after the MBO take-over of the UNP.

NSIS Marines raid locations on Mars

NSIS Marines have raided three locations across Mars, thought to be operated by the outlawed rebel organisation iP Services. However, initial reports state that nothing was found at any of the locations. All had been operational locations within the last few years but had been unoccupied for at least a few months.

NS has denied that Viceroy Caratore has become frustrated with the lack of progress in the hunt for Torus and fellow senior NS officers who have fled NS since the take over by the Mutre Bee Organisation.

Tinfish retires (again)

CNSS Tinfish has had a remarkable career, a survivor of the original Clone Navy built during the Clone Wars it was put in a museum when the Navy was disbanded. When the Clone Navy was reformed Tinfish was bought out of the museum and restored to service though served mainly as a training submarine as the reformed Navy was bought into being.

Tinfish has now been retired again, and this time it should be for good as the hull has developed cracks and would require extensive rebuilding. Tinfish has been returned to the Clone Maritime Museum. CNSS Warhammer has taken over it's role as a training submarine.

It is a test (2943)

The Tarquin betrays Redjec.

Starbot refuses to allow MBO liaison personnel

Viceroy Caratore has agreed for the MBO to open liaison offices at key points across New Sparta to aid the integration of NS and MBO. However, a move to expand these offices into NS allies has hit a roadblock on Starbot. S101 has said that no MBO personnel will be allowed on the planet. In the past Mutre Bee was Starbotian leader for a short chaotic time. More recently Starbot suffered under the rule of K-2, who was a 7 Sa Sao agent.

Caratore has said there is no reason for concern. He assured the Starbotians that there was no reason to fear the Mutre Bee now. However, Starbotian sources say that S101 has already ordered preparations for Starbotian to stop being NS allies.

Dinos to offer version of Dinomark AM to DTA allies

The Dinos are developing an "export" version of the multirole Dinomark AM for sale to DTA allies. The Dinos are keen for New Arit and the Voth to cancel their orders for Pentekonters from NS and instead use the AM. 

The reason for this is the takeover of NS by the Mutre Bee Organisation. A Dino source said that NS cannot be considered allies anymore or reliable suppliers.

Two MBO ships reported destroyed, price put on Tiger's head

Tiger is reported to have defected NS to join Torus on the run, in doing so he caused the destruction of two allied MBO Nectar ships which were accompanying the ship he was commanding on patrol. Tiger is also reported to have killed an MBO liaison officer before disabling his own ship and transferring to a rogue ship commanded by Torus.

Viceroy Caratore has put a 20 million zark bounty on Tiger's head, the first defector to have such a bounty placed upon them. Tiger's former crew have been arrested and are being extensively probed by LORD Gibson and his HR team.

Dark tower (2942)

The galaxy's scariest head of HR is revealed.

Boxman and Ramp appointed to new roles in re-booted NSIS

NSIS has been reeling after the departure of it's lead personnel Stella and Kalifei, who are now wanted as traitors to MBO-New Sparta. Today Viceroy Caratore appointed Boxman as the new head of NSIS Security. He will be in charge of internal security and NSIS Marines.

Interrogator Ramp will take over military intelligence and analysis. Both will report directly to the new head of NSIS Koval.

Cactus joins the fleet

In some good news for the depleted NS Space Fleet, the penultimate Corkscrew 51A destroyer 51-119 Cactus has entered service. The final Corkscrew has also been completed though has yet to enter testing and pre-service trial, though this will be completed over the next couple of months. Work has already begun on the first of the follow-on Repulse 51B class.

The Corkscrew lead ship 51-101 Corkscrew was captured and badly damaged by the MBO. It has been returned to the NS Space Fleet by the MBO and work has begun on repairs. An NS Engineering source said the ship will be back by the end of the year.

Dead eh? (2941)

Has Torus been captured by MBO-New Sparta?

 

Retro story : Gibson's sorrow (1232)

Gibson is brutally tortured by the Utrek.

Zeppelin to lead full review of NS military

Zeppelin, the head of the NS Military is going to lead a full review into NS' military structure and equipment, both the Space Fleet and Terrestrial Forces. The review was ordered by Viceroy Caratore and is expected to report by the end of the year. The review will define future ship and weapon procurements and structures. However, existing orders for replacement ships already announced will be unaffected.

Zeppelin said funding was available to rebuild and strengthen the NS Military. Zeppelin is said to be keen for NS to field more smaller raiding style forces both in space and land modes.

One change already made is the end of the annual Ship Building Plans.

All NS ships will carry MBO Liaison Officers

Viceroy Caratore has announced that all NS warships will carry MBO Liaison Officers and guards. Caratore said it would help with integration between the Mutre Bee Organisation and New Sparta. Some independent analysts say this is to keep tabs on NS captains and crews. This does bend Caratore's previous promise that MBO clones would not operate in NS, an NS spokesman said that the liaison officers would not be NS personnel but allied.

Caratore also said that he hoped Mutre Bee would visit New Sparta before the end of the year. 

iP Services, Windy Massive banned by UNP

Under pressure from Viceroy Caratore, the UNP has banned iP Services - the private company of Windscorpion, and his supporters group Windy Massive (though this has not been active for some time). iP Services and Windy Massive cannot operate in any UNP administered territory and any assets will be seized.

Caratore has also said that any MBO-New Sparta soldiers who support iP Services or any other "traitors" will be court martialled and dealt with severely. Caratore said the old ways represented by Windscorpion were a cancer on New Sparta and the UNP which would be cut out by the new regime.

Caratore meets Raegris, discusses rebuilding fleet

Viceroy Caretore has met a delegation from the Raegris, his first talks with an NS ally. It is reported that the war with the Terrasaurs was discussed along with the new direction of NS under MBO control. Caretore assured the Raegris that the alliance system would be continuing as part of MBO-New Sparta.

The Raegris fleet was badly damaged in the war. Caretore announced that a detachment of six NS warships would be deployed to assist the Raegris with protecting their territory. The Raegris have also looked into options for new ships. 

Torus has given DNA scanning technology to Dinos

A Dino news service has reported that former President Torus, now a fugitive wanted by Viceroy Caratore, met with the Dinos at an undisclosed location on the border of the Dino Republic. Torus gave the Dinos DNA scanning technology including an automated DNA scanner which has been fitted to the flagship SS Cicero but not the rest of the fleet (it was scheduled for updates beginning later this year, now abandoned). The scanner checks the DNA of crew members every few seconds and thus can detect clone incursion almost immediately.

The source said the SS was given full schematics and is looking into mass producing the devices which can then be installed through the Dino and Bolitic fleets and military and political establishments. What the Dinos gave Torus in return is unknown.

Dinos and Clones meet to discuss MBO threat

Emperor MBH and Eternal Leader Oojok have held a secret summit on Paragon. It is thought they discussed the threat of the Mutre Bee Organisation now it has taken over New Sparta. While the Dino SS runs a robust MBO clone scanning system on the lines of the now abandoned NS DSA, the Clone Star Empire does not scan for MBO clones apart from in senior leadership. The Dino Empire is going to share scanning technology with the CSE to help them ramp up their efforts.

A key area will be strategic interstellar weapons after the MBO take over of 5 NS LRMs. The Clones are keen to begin scanning of personnel involved in the operation and deployment of CSM as soon as possible. Some classified updates to the security and launch protocol are said to have already been made.

Two more locations hit by MBO-NS forces

Two more locations in interstellar space have been hit by MBO-New Sparta as the hunt for what Viceroy Caratore calls "traitors" continues. A squadron of NS bombers escorted by MBO warships launched nuclear strikes on a suspected iP Services communication relay in an asteroid field. Later on it is reported another asteroid was hit which was thought to have possibly contained an iP Services base, though later it was confirmed there was no base here.

MBO-New Sparta ships are also hunting for the flagship SS Cicero, which is reported to have been stolen by former President Torus. 

NS allies weigh up staying or leaving new regime

New Sparta has a number of allies, some rightly interwoven into NS. They are all weighing up whether to stay in NS or leave after the take over of the Mutre Bee Organisation.

The Raegris are Tier 1 allies. In normal circumstances they would be expected to distance themselves but their fleet has been wrecked by the Terrasaurs. With a remaining Terrasaur threat and a resurgent Utrek on their borders, the Raegris face a difficult time until they can rebuild their fleet. It is likely they will remain in the NS orbit.

The Free Eritan States meanwhile are likely to leave. They have become powerful and are beginning to plan to take the Eritran planets the Clone Star Empire seized years ago. NS would never agree to such an operation, of course if the FES leave the NS alliance system then any objections would be moot.

Starbot is also likely to leave. Mutre Bee was once their leader too and this did not go down well. Starbot could join a new alliance with the Free Eritran States.

The Remedians, like the Raegris, cannot really afford to leave. Their fleet on it's own is too weak to stand against the Utrek. 

Finally, the Porquatians are likely to stay in alliance with NS though may subtly distance themselves.

Whether any of this will concern MBO-New Sparta or not is another question. Viceroy Caratore has yet to meet with any allies or even mention them.

Xtra Pressure (2936)

Ronald and GBH head to Castarian to meet with Melson.

Multiple nuclear explosions reported in interstellar asteroid field

A UNP astronomical survey station has reported five large nuclear explosions at asteroid field UA91872-P7E-9812 which is in interstellar space about a light year from the Proxima Centauri system. An unnamed source has said the explosions are from one of the five LRMs currently under MBO control.

Later an anonymous source said the target of the nuclear missiles was an iP Services (the company owned by Windscorpion) base in the asteroid field. However, later another source (which claimed to be representing iP Services) said the base had been abandoned months ago and MBO just wasted their nuke.