Space Assets in the Battle of Dragonspace
Based on what we’ve seen from the flurry of White Cell notes thus far… Based entirely upon my recollection of stuff people’ve written. But here, in a very broad sense, are the various fleet presences we would see in a retelling of the Battle of Dragonspace. Feel free to correct any mistakes I’ve made in the telling of it:
•SAGA: The Space Armada of the Grand Army, lead by General Velasco, joins with Erdeny and Torstensson. Most of SAGA’s capital ships go with Velasco, with a few noteworthy exceptions (e.g. the Reinhardt in Carrionspace). By the time we get to Dragonspace, White Cell has decided to make an example of the Scandian League: the Executor and her fleet are in orbit and are pounding the eveloving snot out of Dragon III.
•EU Aerospacy: Betrays the Esper Union and joins with White Cell, bolstering SAGA’s fleet numbers. Though, on its own, the EU’s space presence diminished dramatically after the Sky Riders went off on their own, their partnership with White Cell’s SAGA helps to form one of the most powerful (and threatening) space fleets the Web has ever known. Elements of EU Aerospacy are likely part of the White Cell presence in Dragon.
•Sky Riders: Join in various efforts to resist White Cell in space. By war’s end, they reestablish their affiliation as the official space fleet of the Esper Union. (we always knew those crazy kids’d get back together in the end…) At Dragonspace, they are part of Thames’ coalition (perhaps known as the “Coalition of What’s Left”).
•GSF: The Guardian Space Fleet spends much of the war playing defense, trying in vain to keep White Cell from rolling over its colonies. They end the war strong, however, as Grand Admiral Thames rallies the anti-White Cell elements together in a single fleet to confront the Executor’s fleet at the Battle of Dragonspace.
•Rogue Squadron: Under Prime Minister Gorgon Wells, the Medinan Space Service was disbanded. What was left was embodied in a single fleet that operated under the GSF’s colors, called Rogue Squadron and commanded by Medinan hero Jarrod Rogue. At some point during the GA Civil War, Commander Rogue managed to bring several old Medinan vessels (and their unemployed crewmembers) out of mothballs to bolster the squadron’s numbers. Though they, like the GSF, were unable to defend the majority of their colonies from White Cell attack, Rogue Squadron was there to prove its mettle at the Battle of Dragonspace.
•The Unbound: Once thought hunted to extinction by the increased Guardian, Tasnican and Sky Rider efforts to stamp them out, this loose association of pirate captains was brought together by the curious charisma of zombie space pirate Marbles Marlowe. Marlowe’s Unbound helped to keep White Cell from entrenching in the Alter Dimension by raiding their supply lanes, and when it came time to assault the White Cell fleet in Dragonspace, Marlowe and his raiders were eager to accept the invitation. But what does this mean for piracy after the war? Newfound legitimacy? A frank discussion of imperialism and a redress of the wrongs committed by the powers of the Core? Or does something similar to the old status quo “cat and mouse” game resume immediately thereafter? (candidly, Marlowe looks forward to the latter… yarrr…)
•The Forthenan Grand Fleet: A lesser spacefaring power, Forthena earned itself some points by keeping White Cell from digging its claws into the Alter Dimension (with the invaluable assistance of the Unbound, of course). Long enjoying a close friendship with the Guardians, of course they’d ask the Forthenans to join in the final push against White Cell (and, of course, the Forthenans would say yes).
•The Balian Fleet: The space fleet of the Kingdom of Bal is a hand-me-down from the old IJF. While the designs are old, and originally inferior to modern vessels, the partnership between Bal and Guardia has given the Balians access to better tech and upgrades over the years. Bal’s fleet has, at the time of the Battle of Dragonspace, the virtue of not having seen damage from confrontations with White Cell, so their numbers were at full fighting force when they answered the GSF’s call to arms.
•The Brigade of the Arcing Talon: The Merge League’s air/space service. Throughout its history, the Merge League has taken a very different path toward power. Where most nations rely upon the great technological advances that have been made possible since the Great War, the Merge League has attempted to keep pace through advanced magical research. So it was that the Merge League built upon weapons originally devised by the Dark Wrath, and built a space fleet of shadowy dread-ships modeled after the flying terror Sathanas. Commanded by Tyranthraxus of the Clock (an Amethyst dragon masquerading as a time mage), the Merge League’s fleet found itself fighting in Dragonspace alongside the GSF – a force that had not long ago been an implacable enemy.
