In a shock announcement, NS-Commander Torus has announced that the New Sparta name is to be retired. The DDS changed it's name to New Sparta in 2116 but Torus said that the name has been tarnished by it's association with the MBO. She did not say what the name would change to apart from it would not change back to DDS.
Torus also said that it was time for the organisation to officially become the military of the UNP and she had begun talks with Sea Urchin to that end.
After the MBO take over of New Sparta, the UNP was kept in post but elections were cancelled. Now the UNP are pressing Viceroy Caratore to allow the scheduled UNP election to take place next year. Sea Urchin remains the Head of the UNP though by appointment. It is thought he wants to retire from politics.
The problem for the UNP is that the decision may not be in Caratore's hands. The MBO need to give the go-ahead for elections and this is unlikely any time soon.
After recent Tarbotian activity in the Rim Worlds, NS has despatched another squadron of ships to strengthen patrols and response forces in the area. NS, with UNP help, are also to ramp up intelligence gathering and monitoring at a number of locations in the Rim Worlds.
NS said the Tarbotian presence was a concern though should not be exaggerated.
Civilian Partnership, the annual disaster relief and humanitarian exercise, will be held next week. The theme this year will be recovery from a pandemic. A simulated outbreak of a deadly plague on Solaris will be carried out, MBO-NS and UNP teams will carry out exercises in mass casualty bio-security measures, isolation and civil unrest mediation.
The ships involved are:
21-103 Musketeer (flag)
35-501 Lynx
51-115 Charger
63-107 Central America
63-109 Australasia
71-116 Voyager
The Mutre Bee Organisation is to open three more drone production units in UNP territory it has been announced. MBO drones are genetically engineered life forms created as Mutre Bee's foot soldiers. Most of the drones will be General Drones which operate MBO warships and auxiliary tasks. Some will also be MBO Commandos who form MBO ground forces and special forces.
It is thought the units will only operate at a minimal level for the time being. It is estimated there are around 250, 000 MBO drones attached to NS and also stationed on UNP planets. Once all units are fully operational then (including the existing unit) up to 20, 000 new drones could be created every day.
Although seldom discussed, NS forces are available to UNP authorities to back up civilian forces in times of crisis. Recently there has been unrest on Malau after disputed elections and the Malau police force have struggled to contain the trouble.
Yesterday around 500 troops from L18 Infantry Regiment arrived on Malau from Liberation and assisted the police in protecting ministries against a mass protest. It is understood the NS troops were used as a mobile reserve and did not get get used in anger. The troops will remain on Malau for the time being.
Amid a massive security operation involving dozens of warships and hundreds of troops from the NSTF and MBO, the head of the MBO has visited NS GHQ. The Mutre Bee travelled in his gigantic new flagship the Hive. In what must be seen as a considerable show of force the Hive, a ship big enough and powerful enough to take on a fleet all by itself, was accompanied by no less than 12 Hornet heavy cruisers and over 30 Nectar destroyers.
The Mutre Bee was given a tour of the command facilities of New Sparta and held talks with Viceroy Caratore. He also met with a representative of the UNP. The Mutre Bee is understood to have already left NS space.
MBO-New Sparta has been awarded a 290 million zark contract to upgrade weather reconnaissance abilities across the UNP for civil and military purposes. The contract will include new satellites across all UNP member planets with upgraded communication and reporting facilities including compatibility with the next generation fractal encrypted communication system being planned for MBO-NS.
MBO-NS spaceships will also be able to contribute to weather data recording using their existing sensors. This potentially will greatly increase coverage. Communication capacity at the MBO-NS Weather Analysis Centre at DDS City will also be upgraded.
Sea Urchin became the defacto head of the UNP after the rest of the government resigned after the link up by New Sparta and the Mutre Bee Organisation. With new elections due, it is expected that Sea Urchin will remain in a liaison role between the UNP and MBO-New Sparta.
Although Viceroy Caratore dislikes Sea Urchin, especially after the former NS leader criticised MBO, it is thought he has chosen pragmatism and a known quantity in future relations with the UNP. Sea Urchin originally planned to step down but he has been persuaded to stay by other UNP figures, his experience in dealing with NS considered more vital than ever.
Sea Urchin, still a UNP Minister and defacto leader of the UNP pending a new election, has been criticised by Viceroy Caratore after he compared the MBO-New Sparta to the Rotarios/AP New DDS regimes. Sea Urchin is reported to have told a group of UNP officials that "the UNP and New Sparta survived the rule of Rotarios and later AP as part of the Hood reign of terror, we can survive the Mutre Bee regime".
Sea Urchin has denied he meant any offence, merely that he was stating that the UNP and NS can survive upheaval though Caratore is thought to be incensed that he has been compared (in his eyes) to Rotarios or AP.
Caratore may accelerate his plans for the UNP which may include appointing a liaison officer to represent MBO-New Sparta in the UNP government (replacing Sea Urchin) and agreeing to new elections.
Sea Urchin, on behalf of the UNP, has met the MBO leader Caratore on his ship near New Jakarta and signed a surrender document. Sea Urchin said it was a sad day, the darkest day but surrender was the only option. Caratore said the nuclear weapons under MBO control will not attack UNP targets, as long as the surrender terms are kept too.
President Torus, and a number of other senior NS officers including VP (Ops) Stella, are reported to have gone missing. Torus' last act was to sign over control of NS to VP (Facilities) The Shiner.
NS personnel are feeling a range of emotions, from bewilderment to shame to anger. There have been a number of flashpoints across NS facilities though the majority seem resigned to defeat.
Caratore of the Mutre Bee Organisation has re-issued his demand for an unconditional surrender, this time backed up by the nuclear missiles now controlled by the MBO. However, his demand has been sent directly to the UNP not NS. Caratore has told the UNP to surrender and instruct NS to stand down. He said that the UNP would retain it's sovereignty, mostly, under MBO guidance and subject to a yearly tribute.
President Torus has condemned the MBO demand, but there are signs the UNP are heading towards accepting it. UNP Council Minister Sea Urchin has tried to steer the UNP away but he told reporters, "The UNP think the war is lost, to be honest i'm not sure we can deny it."
All UNP member states have their own militaries, some even have the last remnants of independent space forces (though by now token obsolete forces). The UNP via Epiphany, the NS body what works across the UNP, has begun renaming these individual militaries as New Sparta Territorials. These will remain separate forces, and funded by the relevant home planets, but will adopt standardised communications and command protocols to enable them to work with and support New Sparta.
Over time these territorial forces will also standardise with NS weapons such as the DAR-L1 laser rifle. The head of the NS armed forces Zeppelin has said these territorial forces will be a valuable back-up and support in future operations. In a trial exercise last year, he said, a regiment of the Solaris National Defence Force successfully worked alongside NS Terrestrial Forces.
Clone Marines have intercepted two human tourists who were seen by a security drone near to Gonika Islet naval base. A few days ago three humans in a yacht were arrested in waters near to the top secret base which is the home to the Clone Navy's ballistic (and interstellar with SeaCSM loaded) missile submarines.
A UNP envoy has seen the arrested humans and is negotiating with the Clones for their release. The envoy said that the Clones had not produced any evidence that the humans were anything other than lost tourists.
The group behind the attempted landing on NS GHQ (Helnikan Island) has been revealed to be called "A Peaceful Proxima". They are a coalition of peace and anti-government groups who want to stop New Sparta further wrapping itself around the UNP. Although the landing on Helnikan Island (where they planned to unfurl banners) was stopped the group has promised more action.
VP (Ops) Torus said the group were misguided. NS was there to maintain the peace in the UNP not take it over.
An Ailier II class frigate of the Clone Navy has intercepted a yacht which was approaching a naval base near Gonika Islet, on the Northern coast of the Cloneworld continent. The base is one of the Clone Defence Forces' most secret locations, it is thought to be the home of the Clone Navy's fleet of ballistic missile submarines.
The yacht was stopped and found to have a small crew of humans. They claimed to be tourists who had suffered a navigation error however the Clones have arrested them and have accused them of being spies. The UNP has said the claim is nonsense.
The Maritime Defence Force section of NSIS, supported by N01 Maritime Support Regiment troops, have foiled an attempt by anti-NS protesters to land on Helikan Island, the location of NS GHQ. Three small craft were intercepted by the MDF, sixteen activists were arrested and handed over to the Proxima 5 police authorities. A sweep by troops verified that no one managed to land on the island.
The activists are part of an coalition opposed to NS and it's increasing role in UNP defence and affairs. It is thought the activists aim had been to place banners on NS buildings on the island. Security sweeps at sea and on land have been stepped up.
This year's edition of NS' big annual humanitarian and UNP co-operation exercise will be centred on Mars where, in the exercise scenario, a volcano has erupted putting the inhabitants of Mars' largest city in peril. A combined NS and UNP fleet will evacuate around 5,000 civilian volunteers from Olympus Mons to orbital staging posts. A tent city will also be built near Mars Central City.
The NS ships involved will be:
21-101 Missileer (flag)
35-305 Keel
51-104 Conflict
42-101 Proxima Centauri
71-112 Lancastrian
71-115 Crane
63-101 Oceania
63-108 South America
73-111 Kerosene
NS has been tasked by the UNP to extend the protection given to Hexian City on Proxima 7 and NS' two main bases which have regular air patrols by TPM-A carrying fighters able to attack threats in LEO. UNP have requested the next five largest cities across the UNP to also have these patrols.
Currently the patrols are carried out by the F-10ASE which is being replaced by the F-10SNG. Both types can only carry one TPM-A at a time (though the SNG can carry two at a cost of reduced range). NS has decided that a dedicated interceptor would be preferable and cheaper. An already available design has been purchased from Consolidated Aerospace and will be converted into the F-12. This will be a large subsonic aircraft able to carry two or three TPM-As and maintain patrols for extended periods. NS has ordered fifty F-12s, the prototype is being built right now and should fly before the end of the year. NS aim to begin patrols with the F-12 by 2122.