The Grand Duchy of Ithaca

Ithaca
System Info
World Name: Ithaca Prime Map ID: Red Surface Gravity: 10.24 m/s2 Climate: Temperate Atmosphere: Oxy-Nitro; 106.0 kPa
Population: 30.0 Million Population Breakdown: TBA Capital: Telemak Type of Power: ZOCU Member State
Infrastructure
Wealth: 500 Domestic Industry: 400 Net He3: 1000 Strategic Resources: 50 Condensates 50 β-Titanium 100 δ-dust 40 Monopoles Military:

National Overview

As Of January 2195

Genre: Noble ZOCU state

System: Ithaca

Capitol: Telemak, Ithaca Prime

Head of State: Grand Duke Alexander III Neriton

Head of Government: Prime Minister Nadia Vrabel

Government: Constitutional Monarchy with Service Nobility

Political Alignment: ZOCU

Property of: OmegaPaladin

Infrastructure

Population: 22,500,000 (45) Draft Pool: 225,000 Income: 262.5 (30) Industry: 400 (80) He3 Total: 988

Resources

Deep Core Mining (10) He3 Extraction: 100 (10) There is a sizeable mining infrastructure located on Persephone, which is rich in He3.

β-Titanium 50 (10) This metal is found widely distributed throughout the Ithaca system

Bose-Einstein Condensates 50 (10) Found on a number of small icy satellites of Ithaca B, their presence seems to remain roughly constant over time. Some theorize that the Ithaca B system is actually a posthuman factory of some sort for the rare materials.

δ-dust 100 Produced on a number of labs on the moon of Ithaca.

History

Ithaca System

Ithaca is widely separated binary system of a main sequence star and a distant white dwarf companion. The white dwarf, Ithaca B, has a ring system Ithaca A has only 2 planets in its orbit. Ithaca Prime is the innermost planet, and is terrestrial with a small moon that has largely been excavated. Persephone is the second planet, a gas giant considerably further out. Persephone has a large ring system and multiple moons. One of these, Novaya Tachya, has an appearance similar to Titan in the Sol system. It has a number of colonies.

Days of the Founding

The expedition's initial name was rather forgettable, but later generations called it the Odyssey. The expedition was the first launched without post-human assistance, but the mix of colonists showed all the signs of their enigmatic influence. The ships had equal numbers of transhumans and anti-transhuman individuals, with an overall penchant for idealism. By skill, luck, or providence, the colonists managed to create a functioning society based on traditional institutions: the military, the church, and the family.

Out of these arose a semi-feudal system, led by the Grand Duke, who had total jurisdiction in theory, but in practice deferred to a council. One of the major sponsors of the expedition had been an organization of knightly Orders, who proved invaluable. On the long journey to find a suitable home, the Orders kept the peace when no others could. It was a long trip in those days, and the ship was thought lost by those on Earth. The Duke's fleet managed to recover a post-human wormhole drive module from a derelict, which catapulted them to the system now known as Ithaca. An attempt to use the module, often referred to as the machina ex deo, to send a message back to Earth led to the device disappearing.

The planet was beautiful, teeming with life, and waiting for them all these year. The Duke, a student of classics, felt he had finally found a home. The name Ithaca conveyed the happiness of all of the colonists at finally having a home. The ships set down, and the terrible truth began to emerge: Ithaca's ecosystem was anything but friendly. Agriculture would be confined to greenhouses with supplemental light. But Ithacans persevered.

Zodiac Rising

Ithaca always had its share of those skeptical of transhumans, bioroids, and AIs, especially those not loyal Ithacan principles. The transhuman rights movement benefited from prominent and likable activists, however, and when the Duke's eldest son wed a modified girl, the pendulum was already swinging toward acceptance. That was when contact was made with the nearby powers. Ithaca became a steadfast ally of Hampshire, and forged ties with a number of other worlds.

tba

Dramatis Personae

Miles Walstrom, Defense Director

"Colonel" Marlon Carrino, Head of Prime Guard

Captain Ryan Zalark, Infamous veteran

General of the Army Daniel Cellino

Captain Renee La Fratta, captain of the destroyer Audacious.

Major Winston Kolasinski, leads the 9th Infantry Battalion (Grenadier)

Mariko Polimeni, Director of Foreign Affairs

Admiral of the Fleet Xavier Crane

Miriallia Santiago, Director of National Intelligence

Politics

Political Relationships:

• Rim States: Friendly
• Rim States with the Treaty of Sirius: Allied
• Commonwealth of Independent States (Sino-Russian Sphere): Warm
• People's Republic of China (Sino-Russian Sphere): Neutral
• European Union (European Union Sphere): Unfriendly
• Pacific-American Commerce Union (Pac-Am Sphere): Warm
• Zodiac Outworlds Colony Union: Allied
• Principality of Zeormeyer (Axis): Friendly

National Traits

Treaty of Sirius (0)
Hangerize! (0)
Mecha Factories (10)
Medium Shipyards (10)
Ithaca joined ZOCU as one of the initial 13 colonies who founded the allianance. They took part in the war on the European front and assisted in preparing defenses along Sino-Russian Front. They made extensive use of the aerospace designs in common use, building a variety of capital ships and mecha under license.

Armor Factories (10)
The ideal of the warrior as one with his weapons and armor has long been popular among the Duchy's military staff. This ideal, and the reality of superior combat performance for shock infantry, has led to the use of powered armor for the ground forces alongside traditional tanks.

Cyberize! (10)
Bioroid Lovers (10)
Advanced Technology (75)
While calling Ithaca a transhumanist state would be a gross exaggeration (they are positively Luddite by Harawayan standards), the early rulers saw the potential in advanced technology. A significant fraction of the population is composed of bioroids - indeed, the prime minister is herself a bioroid. While bioroids have the rights of sentients, they can be custom designed for a given task. An even larger segment of the population has cybernetics. One would be hard pressed to find a soldier without considerable enhancements.

Aerospace Industry (10)
Impractical Engineering (20)
The Duchy's military has always preferred fighter craft to mobile suits for certain roles. The mecha vs. planes battle is often quite heated, but the superior cost effectiveness of strike fighters over the Legionnaire MS ensured the continuing presence of the fighter wing. The conflict between the two has led to the development of both orbital frames and superfighters.

Affable: (10)
Honor has always been valued among Ithacans, especially the nobility. While the use of deception in warfare and espionage are still widely practiced, most budgetary information is quite freely available. This openess, combined with a reputation for cunning strategy, has made Ithaca's diplomats as legendary as its soldiers.

Environmental Trainwreck (-10)
Ithaca has a moderate climate, but its ecology is quite hostile to human life. The Ithacan ecosystem is based on D-amino acids. This makes the local flora and fauna toxic to varying degrees, with some proteins capable of acting as lethal prions. Worse, Ithaca A has relatively poor emission in the photosynthetic spectrum of normal Earth plants. This makes domestic food production challenging and population expansion costly.

Military

The Ithaca military High Command is located in the capitol city of Telemak, in a building constructed in the classical style. Most of the actual C³I functions are now run from the fortified moon that serves as a combined spacedock, defense station, and command center.

Military Doctrine

Concepts in Ithacan Military Science
"Warfare under the Treaty has required a move to a more diversified force. We cannot match the carrier battle groups, battleship walls, and stealth forces of our adversaries. Rather, understand our enemies, and be ready to exploit our advantages over their weaknesses. Use destroyer fleets along with our skilled mobile weapons arm in a single stroke, striking the weakpoints and cutting through. The mobile suit is the most versatile unit on the battlefield... The widespread use of cybernetics has granted us a considerable edge in battlefield awareness, especially on the ground.... It is not wise to forget the past. Defenses, while never impenetrable, remain the key to holding ground. If you wish to control an area, then you must place yourself in the role of the enemy. Seek out the weak points in your defense, and turn them into traps for your enemy."

Decisive Battle: 1
Air Dominance: 2
Combined Arms: 1
Ramparts: 1
OpSec: 0
SigInt: 1
Espionage: 1

Ground Combat Forces of Ithaca (GCF)

Ithacan soldiers have only recently received the level of funding that they deserve. Ithaca has a need for advanced ground troops, but they had been allowed to stagnate until new units came online this year.

12x General Infantry Battalion
Regular infantry

+1 cybernetics

+1 rail rifles

The basic grunts of Ithaca are a force to be reckoned with. While they lack power armor, they carry powerful weaponry and utilize an array of enhancements

12x APC Mobilization
Basic transportation for the basic soldier

5x Grenadier Battalions
Elite Infantry

+1 cybernetics

+1 laminate armor

+1 rail carbines

More training and more cybernetics makes these soldiers altogether more deadly than the regular GI.

5x Phalanx Battalions
Shock infantry

+1 Powered armor suits

+1 Multiple weapon systems

+1 Cybernetics

Commonly deployed alongside tanks and striders, these units bring new meaning to heavy infantry.

9x Skimmer Mobilization (2S)
The elite forces need mobility. All are attached to grenadier or phalanx units

2x Helicopter Mobilization

+1 ECM jammer (15IP)

Helicopters are generally assigned to units that must be highly mobile

1x Knightly Order
Elite Infantry Battalion (collectively)

+1 Cybernetics

+2 Majestic armor suits

+1 Melee weapons

-1 Not deployable

There are a small number of knightly religious orders present from the early founding of the Grand Duchy. While they have no formal power, they are immensely respected. While a number are Christian, other religions are represented, such as the Buddhist Niten Doraku order which guards the Grand Duke. Lay and clerical members of these orders are found in many positions in the military, government, industry, and even research. This unit represents the members militant, and is what any would-be assassin would face in an attempt to kill a major government official.

1x Dragoon
Tank Battalion

+1 β-Titanium armor

+1 Anti-Armor Railcannon

+1 Hover Mobility

[1] The Dragoon was developed to counter the success of the Leonid mobile suits in ground combat. By combining speed and firepower with tough armor, the Dragoon has proven itself a deadly combatant.

4x AMLS (20IP)
Artillery Battery (8S)

+1 Range

+1 Missile submunitions

The Artillery Missile Launcher System is the result of a series of upgrades to the original missile truck artillery. The new missiles had the truck entirely redesigned for their needs, but it was worth it. The missiles contain mission-specific smart submunitions that allow for a more powerful warhead, while the engines were doubled up for a longer burn time.

4x Rake (20IP)
SAM Battery (8S)

+1 AA Weapons

+1 ECCM

The same trailer system as AMLS was combined with a point defense missile system from defense satellite. The resulting weapon filled the role of a ground-based air defense that had been largely vacant previously.

2x Prime Guard
Covert Operations

+2 Cybernetics

+2 Active Camo

The first defense against a hostile situation is to defuse it before it becomes public knowledge. The Prime Guard task force is designed to defuse hostile situations before they rise to a level of threatening Ithaca and its ZOCU allies. Typically, its members are at the maximum level of cybernetics that can masquerade as near-baseline human, with an active sensor disruption camouflage which makes them disappear from sensors.

1x Varangian Guard
Overt Operations (TL3)

+1 Armor

+1 Mobility

+1 Weapons

+1 Space Combat Training

Furry Ops!

Ithacan Stellar Defense Fleet (SDF)

The former Star Navy of Ithaca was redubbed the ISDF or SDF as part of the government's ongoing attempt to placate the HEC. It is important to note that the ships are are referred to as His/Her Grace's Starship (HGS).

24x Hoplite-β
Mobile Suit

+1 Fusion microthrusters

+1 Agility

The old workhorse of ZOCU is still in use. As a 20th century general once said, perfect is the enemy of good enough. Even ace pilots still recall their time in the old Hoplite.

15x Sarissa-α
Mobile Suit

+1 Fusion microthrusters

+1 Armor

+1 Sakuradite Beam Rifle

This upgraded version of the superb Sarissa-α command mobile suit is a crucial component of the Ithaca mobile suit strategy. Sarissa-γ suits are usually paired with a Valgard and Hoplite-α suits. Sarissa suits also serve as escort units for orbital frames.

9x Valgard
Mobile Suit

+1 Condensate Drive

+1 Retractable handblade and handlaser

+1 β-Titanium armor

[2] The Valgard is the attempt at creating a more advanced technology version of the standard mobile suit. The Valgard is currently a high tech prototype series for a future mass produced series of units. The FF Drive is designed for maximum agility over speed, and the armor is extremely durable β-Titanium. The Valgard is designed to utilitize close combat techniques, although it commonly carries the standard rail rifle.

5x Cataphract ε
Orbital Frame

+1 AURAVs

+1 β-Titanium melee weapon

+1 β-Titanium armor

+1 Condensate Drive

[3] The Cataphract orbital frame series is a perfect example of the combined technological might of Ithaca applied to the development of mobile weapons. The α model was introduced during the war, and saw limited production and considerable success. The β model was noted for utilizing β-titanium armor and melee weapons. β-Titanium proved to be invaluable in prolonging survivability A single team was produced during the war, and accounted for a vast number of kills at the fall of the third fleet. This model is the result of much research and a redesign of the weapon system to incorporate new technologies. The melee weapon custom made for each ace pilot, and is coated with a layer of synthetic diamond. The chief new technology is the AURAV system. Advanced Unmanned Remote Attack Vehicles (AURAVs) are small drones controlled via an on-board computer directly linked to the pilots cybernetics.

1x Astranagant
Orbital Frame

+2 Sniper

+1 Warship-scale Railguns

+1 Long Range Targeting

[4] The idea of making a sniper version of an orbital frame was considered for some time before being implemented. The original model of the orbital frame was once a prototype heavy mobile suit, but the railgun system developed was actually a modified version of the guns mounted on destroyers, necessitating the use of orbital frame grade hardware. The result is an experimental orbital frame that can cripple enemy units at a significant distance.

12x Watchman-class
Patrol Frigate
(16)

+1 External Slot

+0 Super Hangar

+0 Gravity drive

-1 No Hyperdrive

[5] A basic design for a basic purpose, this frigate is used purely for in system defense. The class is growing to meet the demands of patrolling a large system. They typically carry a UAV flight as scout drones.

12x Vigilant-class
Escort Frigate
(32)

+2 AA particle cannons and AA missiles

+1 Sensors

+0 Super hangar

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

+0 Condensate Drives

-1 Anti-ship weapons

[6] The great flaw of the versatile Proton-class destroyer was its poor AA armament. The Vigiliant-class was created to provide an effective AA vessel to escort the capitol ships in battle. The ship has no weapons capable of damaging even an equally-sized ship, but bristles with missiles turrets and rapid tracking turrets. Excellent sensors combined with scout UAVs provide for effective detection of incoming strike craft.

6x Proton-δ class
Anti-capital ship destroyer

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

+0 Rocket drive

+1 Super Hanger

[7] The old reliable workhouse of ZOCU is still at work in Ithaca. They are cheap and easy to use as light carrier replacements and for their anti-captial ship cannons.

6x Relentless-class
Heavy destroyer
(64)

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

+0 Condensate Drives

+0 Super hangar

+1 Particle accelerator cannons

+1 External Slot

[8] An advanced destroyer designed to fill the role of a general-purpose fleet unit, this vessel is a remarkable weapon despite lacking sakuradite.

4x Ionia-II class
Heavy Cruiser

+1 Sakuradite particle cannons

+1 Armor

+1 Shields

+1 Super Hangar

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

+0 rocket drive

[9] This upgraded version of the reliable and powerful Ionia cruiser from the war forms the heart of the Ithacan fleet.

1x Excalibur class
Flagship Cruiser

+1 Condensate Drive

+1 Command

+1 β-Titanium armor

+1 Railcannons

+1 Hepatizon Shields

+1 System Integration

+0 Super Hangar

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

[10] The Ithacan SDF chose to use a cruiser-based doctrine for their fleet, preferring a smaller, more mobile fleet over the intensive costs of battleship production. Regardless of this decision, there was a need for a flagship vessel to lead the fleet in major engagements. This was only accomplished after a great deal of capital expenditure and consulting from Londonium engineers. The resulting vessel is among the most dangerous cruisers to produced, with a significant hangar deck.

8x Corinth-class
Bulk freighter

+2 military δ-dust hyperdrive

+0 rocket drive

[11] When the Treaty of Sirius demanded that all carriers be scrapped, many states found creative ways to use the hulls. Ithaca had the catapults removed from its best carriers, and has refitted them for use as military transports.

3x Marine Infantry Battalion
Regular infantry

+1 cybernetics

+1 armored vacsuits

Naval guard and boarding units, with the capability to fight in the harsh void of space.

Ithacan Aerospace Force (IASF)

Defending the planet and system of Ithaca is largely the role of the IASF. Not only do they provide stationary defenses, they also have control of all non-MS strike craft.

6x Aurora
Interceptor flights

+1 Agile

+1 Advanced Missiles

[12] These craft are among the oldest space fighters still produced by Ithaca. They are still marvels of engineering, having proved themselves against EU and Sino-Russian fighters. The newer variant on the Aurora features superior missile armament, with superior targeting avionics.

6x Spartiate
Strike Fighter flights

+1 Railcannons

+1 Active defenses

+1 Condensate Drive

[13] The Ithacan military, including the mobile suit operators of the SDF, have long believed that there are certain jobs that best done by aerospace planes. One of these roles is capital ship and heavy land unit attack, which is the purpose of these units.

6x Archangel

Space Superfighter

+1 Condensate Drive

+1 Railcannons

+1 AURAVs

-1 Space Only

[14] These fighters are almost small mobile armors. They are fast and heavily armed, most notably with the AURAV system. Advanced Unmanned Remote Attack Vehicles are small drones controlled via an onboard computer directly linked to the pilot's cybernetics. This allows the pilot to engage multiple target on multiple vectors.

1x Silverbird

Super-Recon

+1 Sensors

+1 ECM

+1 Condensate Drive

+1 δ-dust hyperdrive

-2 Unarmed

[15] The Silverbird is the result of a long process of development in cooperation with an Adharan engineering consulting team. The result is the fastest plane ever made by Ithaca. The Silverbird is designed to enter hostile space and get data back without stealth being necessary. The sacrifices inherent in making the Silverbird lightning fast included eliminating all weaponry

22x UAV flights
Commonly carried in the field and aboard ships.

4x Skyeye
AWACS Utility Flight

+1 Sensors

[16]

8x Condor
Utility Flights
[17]

Avalon
6x Orbital Defense Battery

+1 High Yield Warheads

+1 Defenses

+2 Long Range Tracking

-1 High Profile

-2 Fixed Installation

The missiles of the old CORONA system were mounted in a pair of orbital defense installations located in strategic positions on the main continent.

1x Garrison Battalion
Regular infantry
+1 cybernetics +1 strongpoint defense
The last line of defense for the last line of defense

Ithacan Long Range Exploration force

1x Polaris-class
Exploration cruiser

+1 Sensors

+1 Super hangar

+1 β-Titanium armor

+1 Free-Electron lasers

+0 Monopole core

+0 Gravity drive

+0 δ-dust hyperdrive

An extremely advanced cruiser, the Polaris is slated for long distance exploration projects. It uses a high-output monopoles core.

6x Argonaut
LRX Defense Mobile Suit

+1 Close Range Weapons

+1 Active Defense

+1 Compact

+1 Condensate Drive

+0 Monopole Core

6x Tycho
Sensor UAV

+1 Sensors

+1 Compact

6x LRX Cargo pod

+1 Cargo

+1 Armor

Ithacan Merchant Marine

The most important area of spacecraft for a booming economy.

Mercury-class Courier

+1 Atmospheric Entry Systems

+1 Boosters

Really fast shipping, both in and out of FTL.

8x Rapid Acquisition Conveyors

+2 Military Grade FTL

As commonly seen in military service as in merchant shipping, these vessels haul HLVs and cargo pods faster than most conveyors in the entire Sphere.

12x ZOCU Standard Conveyor [18]

+3 Dock points

+1 Upgraded δ-dust hyperdrive

12x ZOCU Standard Freighter

+3 Cargo

+1 Upgraded δ-dust hyperdrive

Built by an Ithacan firm in a failed attempt to develop a common design for freighters for all of the Zodiac States, these upgraded freighters were sold to various Ithacan merchant shipping companies. They are among the faster ships seen in merchant use.

6x Heavy Conveyor [19]

40x HCP +1 Cargo

24x HLV [20]

12x Basic Merchant Freighter

+1 Cargo

Currently under mass production