|
(6.4) Crisis of Kel-Vahr
(6.4) Crisis of Kel-Vahr
The Lord's Voice
Galactic Media
Broadcast from The Holy See
November 28th, 1936
Good evening children of the Lord. We bring you tragic from the Colonial Empire of Kel-Vahr. As weeks of growing protest continued to spin out of control on all of the Kel-Vahr worlds, the Reich under the terms of a treaty and occupied five of their worlds on November 20. Despite promises of peace the Reich military launched a very rapid build up only hours after the occupation began. If there was any question as to the Reich's intentions, all was removed when the Reich aired videos of a military parade on Yu'Orin. At the lead of the parade was none other than Reich military genius Field Marshal Erich Von Kessler. The news of the top Reich military leader only a mere hours from the Kel-Vahr homeworld was enough to send the people of the Kel-Vahr in to panic. By November 22, the Reich had well over two million troops and thousands of warships on the newly occupied worlds. As Reich officials explained away the troop build up as part of a training operation and to secure their authority on these worlds. Investigative Reporters from the Lord's Voice uncovered that none of the troops left their transports as the build up continued. We all wanted to know why. The reason would become more shocking than what we ever dreamed or feared possible.
In the face of raising negative public opinion, the Royal Family found themselves trapped between a civil upraising and the Reich military on the other side. The King and Crown Princess did everything in their power to try to bring the Civil Upraising under control to little success. It was if the will of the people had been guided to this point by an outside force. With both time and options running out, the Royal Family boarded one of their remaining ten warships and left their Capital. While no one outside the Royal Court knows for sure, there are many rumors regarding why the Royal Family choose to flee. One rumor which is persisting is that the King asked for a meeting with representatives from the newly formed Republic. It is unclear at this time what could have possibly taken place in this meeting or if the meeting actually happened. Late at night on November 22, the King and his family boarded their ship and slipped in to hyperspace. It was a decision which will haunt the Kel-Vahr people in the days that followed. Panic in the streets turned to chaos with no central government in place.
With the chaos taking hold across the Kel-Vahr space, the Reich made their move. Claiming civil unrest and national security reasons, Field Marshal Kessler launched a massive invasion in to the heart of Kel-Vahr space. The entire operation took only six day to reach all their goals of securing all twenty nine of the remaining Kel-Vahr worlds. The advance was so fast that most Kel-Vahr garrisons were caught completely off guard and unprepared for the invasions. There were actually confirmed reports of some Kel-Vahr garrisons did not even bother showing up to their barracks when the alert was sounded. In some cases, the Reich forces were able to walk right on to a base and secure it with only a few dozen troops. Nearly all of the Kel-Vahr units surrendered with hardly a shot being fired. In fact the hardest resistance was offered from the local police units as the Reich army moved in to take control. These units were ill prepared to face off with a occupying force. Because of this, these battles were short lived and ended with heavy casualties in the ranks of the local police forces. It was only learned after the occupation of Tufura began was it learned that General Marish had issued the order for all forces to surrender before the Reich invasion began. Once this information was uncovered, it explained why so many Kel-Vahr units simply surrendered or failed to show up for the battle.
Field Marshal Karl Halder, over all commander of both the invasion and the occupation, led the victory parade through the streets of Tufura as his units secured the city. It was truly a grand sight to see for the millions of civilians whom lined the streets greeting the Reich soldiers. There were Reich flags waving as the troops of the Reich decked out in their uniforms paraded by. At one more the parade was stopped as a group of children rushed out and presented Field Marshal Halder with a large arrangement of flowers. When Halder's opened air ground transport reached the city center, he gave an up lifting and reassuring speech. While many have their doubt regarding the Reich occupation of Kel-Vahr. From the words of his speech, Halder painted himself and the Reich as liberators. Here is just an exert of his speech.
“In the coming months, many will ask us why we came here. Just a few days ago, there was only chaos here. Just a few weeks ago, there was hungry and shortage. Just a months ago there was tyranny. Today, Reich ships are landing on every Kel-Vahr world. As I speak here today, those ships are off loading millions of tons of food and medical supplies that the good people of Kel-Vahr need so dearly!(loud applauds are heard) Today, Reich warships will be patrolling the space lanes between the worlds and ensuring that the pirate threat is eliminated once and for all. We saw a need and we acted on that need. We did not sit and talk about it. WE saw YOU in need of help and so we acted to help you. A few days ago, we received word that your own leaders abandoned you. YOU! They LEFT YOU BEHIND! Why is this? Their sole reason to exist is to serve and protect you from danger like the pirate threat. No, they failed you. We the Reich will not fail you. We are not here to conquer you. We do not seek war with you. We wish to help led you in to a better and brighter future.(loud applauds are heard) What many of you may not remember is that over a thousand years ago a debt was created. Humans and nonhumans alike reached out from Kel-Vahr and fought along side the brave warriors of the Reich against the Varl threat. It is my duty....NO....My Honor and Privilege to be the one to start to repay that debt to the Kel-Vahr people.(loud applauds are heard) The Reich will make good on its debt to you. The people of the Kel-Vahr.”
“Effect immediately, today, the Royal Court of Kel-Vahr will be dissolved. Those who have leached off the people of the Kel-Vahr will be rounded up and brought to answer for their crimes against the very people they were to serve. In six months time, free and open elections will be held and the people will be represented by the common people of Kel-Vahr. The Reich will over see the elections to ensure that they remain free from corruption. The Reich Military Governor over the Kel-Vahr will work with the newly elected government towards one goal. The ability of the people of the Kel-Vahr to finally stand on their own without the need for a King or his puppet!(loud applauds are heard) NOW, now, this road is not an easy road to travel. Changes will need to be made. Some changes will be easy. Others will be harder to make. But this road is not impossible to travel. And you have a strong friend who will be there to help you through the hard times. Over the coming months and years, it will seem like tomorrow will be nearly impossible to reach. Trust me, my friends, together we will reach it!(loud applauds are heard).”
Within his speech, Field Marshal Halder did mention the new voice of the Galaxy, Citizen Daz Murl. Here is another exert from that speech regarding Citizen Daz Murl.
“Many of you, as I have as well, heard of this savor Citizen Daz Murl. He speaks of so much wonderful things. A Galaxy unified under one government. A Galaxy free from tyranny and evil sounds so appealing to even me. Even I, the highest ranking military leader of the Reich, would love to see this dream come to light. After all, History had taught us that such a thing is possible. But History has also taught us something else. Warned us of evil and darkness moving in the shadows. A few days ago, we called for a summit to address pirate activities along the boarder. Your own government refused to attend. This Republic, that Daz has been speaking so highly of, instead of dealing with the pirate situation directly they choose to force the Reich to deal with it. Instead of offering to form a collation to combat the pirates, they felt it easier to just brush your worlds under the rug. In light of our support and help to the worlds of the Kel-Vahr, they will attempt to paint our liberation as a invasion of your worlds. Instead of working to solve the problems of the Galaxy, the Republic has been working with the a few strong governments to plot war against the Reich. They have a Military Pact with the Varl to invade not only the Reich but even the Dorins. The Free Worlds' Council has signed this pact as well as other Governments. Did the Republic once come to the Reich in hopes of bringing peace to the Galaxy? Did the Republic even take the time to look in to our hearts and actions? The answer is NO! They are using us as an excuse to make war and to justify their darker goals.”
“Yes, the Republic is unifying the Galaxy. This fact is clear to us within the Reich. This Citizen Daz Murl is unifying the Galaxy under one repressive boot with the Varl as his personal army. We did not come here to make war. We came to help solve your problems. In time, once you are ready to stand on your own, we will leave and go home. Citizen Murl wants his Republic to stand till the end of time. To control all worlds under one government. Under one voice, HIS! (Loud bo's are heard) Enough of these silly talks regarding the Republic. As you and I all know, we have larger problems. Problems the Republic chooses to ignore. Its time to get to work. Now, as I have said. We are not hear to make war with the good people of the Kel-Vahr. We are hear to build a future for you. But as mighty as the Reich and its military is. We can not do this alone. I am asking you, the people of the Kel-Vahr, for your help. Lets start construction of a bigger and brighter tomorrow. Will you help me?(loud applauds and cheers are heard).”
Despite his words, there were conflicts with the incoming Reich troops and local resistance. One such conflict caused a disaster on the Kel-Vahr world of Dinnisha. Dinnisha is well known for its extremely rich mineral deposits across the world. During the hight of the Great Republic, it was a world of great importance to such a degree that the Defenders of the Republic, known as the Jedi, had build a massive military stronghold on the world. During the great war, the mountain stronghold was blasted from existence during repeated assaults. For the next half millennium the world was all but forgotten. Slowly as the world crawled out of the dark ages, the people of Dinnisha found themselves invaded once more. This time, by the armies of the Kel-Vahr. The invasion brought rapid changes and advances to the people of Dinnisha. One such advance was the Yul'ing Dam. The Dam provided almost seventy percent of the power requirements for the world. It stood as symbol of pride for both the Kel-Vahr and the people of Dinnisha.
When the Reich landed on Dinnisha, the local garrison of nearly two and a half million soldiers deserted their posts. While there are conflicting reports regarding the details of the event. What is known is a loosely organized group of militia of nearly a thousand members raided the garrison barracks and supply deputes ahead of the Reich advance. They quickly retreated to the Yul'ing Dam and set up for a prolong siege. With more than enough food, ammo and weapons, the dam became a sizable defensible position. According the Reich Military Command, the Yul'ing Dam was a high value objective that they could not allow to remain in the hands of terrorists. According to official document, the Reich ordered two companies of armored infantry, some six hundred soldiers, to liberate the dam. During the battle for the dam, loud explosions were heard from deep within the dam structure. With the structure weakened, the dam failed sending billions of litters of water down river. Several towns and cities were quickly flooded. Many estimates place the loss of life at well over a hundred thousand. The Reich was quickly to blame the militia for the dam failure and the loss of life. We have an exclusive interview with a Reich soldier who was part of the battle for the dam.
“My name is Sergeant Mitch, I am assigned to the 3rd of the 101st Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Ghost Division. I will always remember that morning for the rest of my life. The Sivish Militia had raided a weapon cache and held up in the Yul'ing Dam. My company and Delta Company were tasked secure the dam. We were not allowed to use armor piercing or explosive rounds. We were searched to ensure that no one smuggled any. Only grenades we were allowed to have were flash, gas and smoke. We first engaged the enemy on the approaches to the dam. The resistance was stiff and dug in. My platoon got caught in a nasty cross fire and were pinned. I was mad because they would not let us call in for Walker Support. The answer was that the dam was too valuable to risk damage. We had to fight our way out of the cross fire. We finally broke their ranks and moved forward.”
“We reached the upper deck of the dam and found their supply trucks. We searched the trucks and found that they were not completely unloaded yet. The stupid bastards didn't think to unload their gas protection equipment. We were carrying gas grenades, a poisonous gas that will kill those who breath it in. We realized that this mission was going to be very easy at this point. The remainder of the militia had retreated in to the dam for protection. We sealed our suites and reloaded our weapons. Delta Company enter the dam from the North while my company moved in to the dam from the south. We flooded that dam with dam with so much gas that it reduced visibility. The militia members were dropping like flies. Some had the common sense to grab masks. They put up some of a fight but not enough to stop us. Generally, it was nothing more than a roach hunt. They couldn't offer any more resistance to us. I remember, we were finishing our sweep when the whole thing shook. The order to evacuate came and we ran to get out. Those bastards couldn't stop us from securing the dam so they blew it up. I lost nearly half of my platoon just trying to get out of the dam before it completely failed. When I got to the surface, the dam had failed and all I saw was water. I remember thinking, what about the people down river.”
With the massive loss of life on Dinnisha, the Reich military rushed in six different aid ships. Many critics claim the only reason why Dinnisha is receiving such help is because of its majority human population. Still, aid ships have landed and are doing their best to help the survivors. The Emperor of the Reich has dispatch his younger sister, the Princess Etelka, to the world. The Emperor has issued the following statement in response to the disaster on Dinnisha.
“It pains me so deeply that there are still those out there who would put their own selfish nature ahead of the safety of others around them. We move to restore order in the face of chaos, and the response is violence. This disaster is just one more reason why we should all reach out in times of need and to do the right thing. With this in mind, I am sending my very own beloved sister, Princess Etelka, to over see the crisis and the recovery. I have placed at her disposal four Imperial battle fleets and the personal within them to help the survivors. The Reich will not turn its back on those in need. It is my deepest hope that the lost of life will be limited. However being the realist that I am, I know that innocent lives have been lost. It is important that we realize that is was the unlawful acts of radicals who detonated explosives which brought the dam to failure. Even though we did not cause this disaster, we SHALL NOT turn our backs on the people of Dinnisha nor of the Kel-Vahr in their hours of need.”
With so much going on in Kel-Vahr space, we asked our own Military Analyst, Brother Parrie Hrirry to go over what the Reich has shown us in their current actions. Brother Hrirry?
Thank you for giving me a chance to show the skills that the Lord has gifted me with. The past six days were very eventful and alarming. Not since the Great War between the Reich and the Free Worlds Council has the Reich shown such a military show. Prior to November 22nd, the Reich only conducted minor military operations against pirates and a few of its neighbors in boarder disputes. The first glimpse of the Reich's Military might took place on the far distant world of Fra. Here we watched the forces of the Reich put down a much weaker and ill prepared force. The first battle took only a few hours, and complete control ended at the end of the week. For all the grand show that the Reich put forward, little was really learned from it. The Reich has been able to keep nearly all of their military secrets hidden so far. However with the resent activities within the Kel-Vahr, we have been able to see a much better picture of what the Reich Military has been up to during the past few decades. During Great War, the Council was the first within the Galaxy to field Walkers. At the time, Walker technology was only mentioned in texts of the Great Republic. It was a technology which was lost and only within this century recovered. The Reich paid a heavy price on the battlefield for falling behind in this technology race. Based on what we have seen now, it is clear that they have learned lessons from that war. I am sure that all eyes are on Kel-Vahr space and on the Reich's latest military designs.
As seen on Fra just a few months before, we saw main battle walker of the Reich. Nicknamed the BattleSoldier Walker. This biped walker stands just over six meters tall and packs a reasonable rail gun over the right shoulder. It also carries a limit supply of medium ranged missiles. It boasts closer ranged weapons and better than average armor. However, the design doesn't seem to be much more different from the first walkers the Reich fielded during the last major war. There is nothing very remarkable other than the switch between a shoulder mounted auto-cannon to the more powerful rail gun. Now what I have see to be a clear break from traditional thinking is the Hammer walker. This six legged walker is a complete shift from the normal biped design as seen across the galaxy. It boasts two powerful rail guns, with great stability. The added legs gives it better climbing and speed. Its only weakness are its limited weapons load. The rail guns and a point defense laser turret. It makes up for it in heavy armor. As we saw during the Kel-Vahr invasion, the Hammer walkers do not operate alone. They were seen with heavy infantry support.
The Reich is also fielding man sized walkers that can fly. This is a complete break from modern technology. Which has left many questioning the actual technology levels of the Reich military. These Flier Walkers were first seen in skies of Fra. They were fast and easily able to out flank their enemies. Each carried what is being called a micro rail-gun, which hit hard and easily cut through the limited armor of the Fra rebels. These flier walkers were used side by side with the hammer walkers giving a new dimension to the battlefield. The Reich also made sound advances in their personal body armor for their infantry. While the changing strategies with walker technology has made a clear impact on the Reich military. There were a large number of new Reich armor and armored personal carriers. These new tanks were built to be fast and hit hard. They also have become specialized in to roles. Within the Fra conflict we saw only main battle tanks, which left many leaders wondering. Those questions were answered during the Kel-Vahr invasion. Anti-air armor as well as heavy hitting missile support armor. It was also noted the continuing shift from auto-cannons to rail guns. On Fra there were a limited number of auto-cannons seen used. Within the Kel-Vahr front, none were seen.
The Kel-Vahr invasion saw the elite Panzergruppe III (Heavy Armored Group, six panzer divisions along with supporting fleet assets), under the command Field Marshal Erich Von Kessler, work side by side with the Heeresgruppe A (eight Imperial Ghost Divisions along with supporting fleet assets) with Kessler's long time mentor and friend Field Marshal Karl Halder. The entire Reich force occupying the Kel-Vahr space was fourteen divisions and were out numbered by the defenders by nearly three to one. It was technology, training, speed and fear that played right in to the Reich's hands. The defenders fled the battlefields before the Reich forces even showed up. At this moment, the rest of the Core World empires are all watching closely and have started to take notes. If this was any sign of what is to come, the next Great War will make all others look like picnics. And still there are many unanswered questions. Like, these rumored wolf packs which are thought to have played a key role in the Kel-Vahr occupation. Or rumors of more advanced weapons and technology hidden behind the black curtain that is the Reich counter intelligence.
In light of the situation, we have received the following statement from Citizen Daz Murl, spokesman and current leader of the Republic.
“The Galactic Republic is actively investigating reports that the Reich Empire has invaded and subsequently occupied the sovereign Kingdom of Kel-Vahr, including its capital city of Re'ew on Tufura, within the past week. As we continue to gather information about this shocking act, we wish to make it known that the Kel-Vahr Royal Family and refugees are hereby granted asylum within and safe passage through Republic space. In addition, we have received word of a catastrophic dam break due to military action that has resulted in a high civilian death toll. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.”
|
