My my.
Hi. Hello. I’m Galm. Quite a bit has happened in the last few days, hasn’t it? We have quite a few updates to share, though I won’t bore anyone with the ongoing details of the gate collapses and the new changes to Triglavian space. That point has been hammered to death by other intrepid capsuleers in a much more eloquent fashion than I’m capable of.
No, instead I’ll be focusing squarely on the conflict on and around Skarkon II. There’s quite a bit to talk about, so I’ll provide a brief SITREP of our forces in space and on the ground.
In Space
As some might know, in the brief few hours before the gate network crashed we succeeded in the acquisition of all the planetary customs infrastructure in Skarkon to gain better control over the flow of commercial goods and equipment in the region. These emergency measures proved highly valuable in resupplying our ground forces and stalling enemy troop movement during our ongoing war on the planet below. (More on that later.)
We also moved quickly to build our own infrastructure including the deployment of a mining platform and an engineering complex in low orbit to act as a central hub for warbarge deployment, weapons and equipment fabrication, and a major cloning facility to continue fueling our war efforts on the ground. Most notably, the Round Table Assembly trade union congress was transferred to this forward outpost to reflect our goals of creating a permanent settlement and homeland on Skarkon. These are are first major steps in years towards Project Avalon, and have been met by much fanfare within the warclone community remaining here.
Unfortunately, the deployment of such high value targets in a hotly contested region very obviously would have drawn the attention of unwanted opportunists and if our conflict with the Seykal towards the end of the Skarkon War taught us anything its that we lack adequate naval forces to protect our ground troops. With the Round Table Assembly voting to permit building diplomatic ties with local Kybernaut clades, I took the liberty to coordinate a diplomatic agreement with the Ravaross Proving Grounds coalition for our continued protection and security. Once an agreement was made, our next step was to consolidate under a friendly alliance active in the region that we could rely on as a steadfast ally while also matching our culture and vision for Skarkon. The Universal Workers Union’s values of mutual aid, solidarity, and workers liberation was a clear fit with our Trades Union Congress as well as our similar background as two marginalized transhumanist organizations.
We had the chance to put our new diplomatic strategy to the test today, when our structures were attacked by capsuleer opportunists that were burning their way across Pochven. Our allies exceeded our expectations, with an overwhelming joint defense effort lead by UWU and Stribog clade under fleet commander @Torvik_Ironsides. Together they made a large enough show of force to keep the enemy fleet from attempting an offensive. Following, Stribog fleet independently moved to eliminate an EDENCOM loyalist stronghold in the system to deny EDENCOM a future springboard for further conflict in the region. The Bosena Accords warbarge Fisher King was deployed as an observer on standby for any civilian rescue efforts and to ensure that our new allies were operating in full accordance with international law and honorable practice. I can confirm that the citadel was pushed to reinforcement without incident, and the fleet quickly dispersed to make way for evacuations.
My sincere thanks to UWU and Stribog pilots for coming together in the interest of our mutual defense pact to protect our fledgling warclone community here on Skarkon. We quite literally couldn’t have done it without your skills, bravery, and kindness. I think this will be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship, and a strong friendship moving forward as we begin to rebuild Skarkon.
ON THE GROUND
While the bulk of UTSF departed the planet earlier this month, a small remnant force remains as well as raiding parties from Blood Raiders, True Power, Angels Cartel, AEGIS, and SARO Red Troop. We have largely been able to keep these adversaries at bay, due in no small part to obstructing their logistical supply lines and placing difficult to cross borders between us as well as the SEAD campaign completed by the United Neopian Federation.
Ah yes, and I would be remiss to not mention the army of Svarog Clade warriors that are all too eager to put our prowess to the test. So far as we can tell at this time, Svarog Clade seems unsure what to make of us but has entertained our request to engage in Cladistic Proving. While they could have wiped us out entirely by mutaplasmid swarms, orbital bombardment, or attacking our orbital infrastructure instead they have observed our non-aggression pact off the Ishuhuolvi Peninsula while throwing their full fury against us in the established proving grounds. The best way I can describe our relationship with Svarog is a sort of ‘cultural exchange’ by way of battle.
While we lack intel on what their motives and actions on the rest of the planet are at this time or if they will find us worthy of glorification, at the moment everything seems stable. With planetary logistics secured and the non-aggression pact maintained, we’ve fallen into a comfortable and exciting rhythm of waking up, going to battle, dying, returning to base, reveling, resting, waking up, and going off to battle again. I assume Svarog is doing much the same thing. It’s all very sporting and cordial, perhaps one night the Triglavans might cross the battlefield and join is in our camp for celebrating before we wake up for Proving.
Or they’ll get bored of us and wipe us out. Who can say. Assumptions, assumptions.
Oh yes, and the topography. It’s still too early to take accurate measurements or have eyes on in every major population center, but the effects of Triglavian terraforming on the planet have been quite drastic. Major changes in topography and climate have radically transformed the planet. Roving clouds of mutaplasmid nanite colonies, first thought to be sandstorms, continue to rage across the planet capable of erecting new mountain ranges and bodies of water while completely leveling other areas or creating vast new deserts. Morever, the Triglavian mutaplasmids appear to have had some sort of adverse mutation with the “native” terraforming nanites that have changed many of the planets biomes in wholy unpredictable ways. Still, some of the original planetary topography remains.
Before Terraforming:
After:
Mapping the scope and scale of topographical changes as well as how these changes have affected the local ecosystem remains a major priority. We will continue to work with experienced experts from the United Neopian Federations Arcology Team and ArSec to conduct surveys of the planet and provide vital information back to the interstellar community on Triglavian terraforming capabilities and objectives. To any other outside research groups interested in working alongside us to observe the effects of Triglavian terraforming firsthand under warclone guard, I strongly encourage you to reach out to coordinate safe passage planetside.
We will draft an initial survey and summary of observed changes by city and district within the next several days.
