| Battleship De Grasse | |
| Owner | |
| Gallic Navy | |
| Location | |
| E-6, Languedoc |
CLASS: Normandie (Redemption)
CREW: CLASSIFIED
ARMAMENT: CLASSIFIED
The Normandie class of battleships were first deployed in 656 AGS (740 AS), and designed for offensive assault purposes. These ships were produced in large numbers, with the De Grasse entering service at Fourchambalt Shipyard in 710 AGS (794 AS). The Council had extensively infiltrated the battleship’s newly appointed crew and command staff, while sympathetic senior officers within the GRN assigned the De Grasse and other Council-influenced vessels to the assembling Marne Pacification Fleet. As the fleet entered into a bombardment orbit around Marne in 712 AGS (796 AS), the Council openly declared their armed rebellion, with much of the fleet revolting to liberate Champagne.
The De Grasse was pivotal throughout the Second Gallic Civil War, leading the Council fleet during the Battles of Champagne, and later Languedoc, where it breached the Montpellier Minefield and ended Gallia’s seclusion from Sirius. During the resulting Gallic Invasion, the De Grasse primarily operated in Orkney, hitting Gallic supply lines and military targets of opportunity. During the GRN assault on Roussillon in 742 AGS (826 AS), the De Grasse broke the royal blockade, leading a refugee fleet into Provence. It then joined Council forces preparing to invade Ile-de-France following the collapse of the monarchy. In the aftermath, the De Grasse was flagged to the Council-affiliated Gallic Republic, a signatory of the fractured Gallic Confederacy.
When Kusari invaded Gallia in 743 AGS (827 AS), the De Grasse was dispatched by the Republic to assist the Minarchy in Languedoc. It initially fought in the Second Battle of Ales, which ended with the loss of Fourchambalt Shipyard. It was later heavily damaged during the Battle of Agde near the Ile-de-France Jump Gate, ironically surviving only due to the intervention of the Gallic Enclave. Owing to extensive battle damage, the De Grasse was withdrawn back to Orleanais for extensive repairs and modernization. These were not completed until 751 AGS (835 AS), when the Gallic Union assigned the venerable ship a new crew drawn from across Gallia, deploying them to Languedoc for unspecified "border defense duties".
Bribes & Missions Offered
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Caracal | Light Fighter | 15,602$ |
| Serval | Heavy Fighter | 28,608$ |
| Lynx | Very Heavy Fighter | 29,679$ |
| Cougar | Bomber | 51,526$ |
News
| [751 AGS] Bretonian assassins target convoy |
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FREIBURG -- 751 -- Despicable Bretonian assassins have once more targeted Gallic citizens on Freiburg Station in Stuttgart. In the latest provocation, a moored IDF Shipping convoy was attacked and destroyed by Bretonian transports loaded with bombs. “Now more than ever, we must set aside our differences and come together as one House to oppose foreign tyranny,” Grand Marshall de Varax boomed during a speech to the Parisian Assembly. De Varax further vowed to obtain justice for the slain crew, and root out Gallia’s enemies wherever they may hide. Bretonia was recently ordered to return the stolen Jump Gate of Tau-23 -- it appears they have provided their perfidious answer. |
| [751 AGS] Bretonia must return stolen Jump Gate |
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BATTLESHIP DE GRASSE -- 751 -- During Kusari’s invasion, the Gallic Jump Gate between Tau-23 and Tau-31 was occupied, and then unlawfully transferred to Bretonian custody. Kusari claimed this excluded the Gate’s status from peace negotiations, as it was no longer within their legal control. Grand Marshall de Varax has now issued a blistering decree to Bretonia, ordering the Gate’s immediate return to Gallic ownership. It is intolerable that Gallic state industrial secrets remain in the hands of a foreign House that has time and again demonstrated its hostility to the Gallic people. The Grand Marshall has warned of “dire consequences” should his demand be refused. |
| [835 AS] Bretonia and Rheinland call for de-escalation |
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CURACAO -- The governments of Bretonia and Rheinland have called on Kusari and Liberty to attempt formal talks, amid fears that continued escalation and military friction could spark war. Queen Carina and Emperor Frederick have offered to mediate an emergency summit on Planet Curacao after Kusari and Liberty imposed mutual sanctions that are already having rippling effects across Sirius. Gallia’s Grand Marshall de Varax meanwhile has condemned Kusari as a “belligerent and destabilizing actor”, and called for Liberty’s demands to be met. Neither Kusari or Liberty has agreed to attend, with each demanding pre-conditions be met by the other. Gallia has not received an invite. |
| [751 AGS] Gallic citizens murdered in Rheinland |
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FREIBURG -- 751 -- Scenes of savagery have unfolded on Freiburg Station, Stuttgart. Bretonian thugs murdered a Gallic transport officer after spotting him in the station bar. Rheinland authorities have already detained six of the assailants for the brutal crime. Gallic Union officials have issued revised guidance for transport crews in Rheinland, recommending Gallic citizens travelling abroad acquire Union personal permits for Enfer Blasters. “This will enable you to defend yourself against the foreign assassins of Bretonia and Kusari,” noted Wildau Cultural Attache Nicolas Jetté. |
| [750 AGS] EFL resets industrial relations on Quillan |
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QUILLAN -- 750 -- Activating emergency powers in Quillan’s management contract, EFL have announced that several local Workers’ Unions are to be dissolved with immediate effect. The fuel giant argues that these organizations have fomented dissent as activists, rather than representing their members' interests. After clashes with protesters, Languedoc Seigneur Ansel Bousquet has offered the assistance of Marines from Nimes Station. GMS has issued a formal protest to New Paris over the move, insisting that the Worker Unions form an integral part of a productive industrial environment. |
| [750 AGS] Decisive victory against the Maquis |
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NEW PARIS -- 750 -- The Gallic Navy has announced the withdrawal of border control checkpoints across Ile-de-France, citing an improving security situation. Parisian Seigneur Ansel Lussier sharply rebuffed reports of losses inflicted by Maquis attacks, calling them seditionist lies. “They want to distract from the devastating defeat inflicted on the radicals by Naval and Gendarmerie counter-terrorism crackdowns,” he declared. “The Maquis are a spent force,” he continued. “We no longer need the checkpoints because the colonies have been pacified.” New Paris businesses have reacted positively to the news that trade restrictions will ease. |
| [749 AGS] Grand Marshal secures economic victory for Union |
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NEW PARIS -- 749 AGS -- The Grand Marshal has declared a decisive victory in trade negotiations with Rheinland. Military envoys successfully pressed the Rheinlanders for concessions as recompense for a number of insulting breaches of diplomatic protocol during the recent state visit. As a result, excellent rates on imported minerals have been secured, in addition to the removal of tariffs on Gallic agricultural surplus. The Treaty of Oerlikon will be an enormous boon to rebuilding Gallia's strength and greatness; Bretonia, Kusari and Liberty's furious criticisms of Rheinland for their forward thinking is simply evidence of their weakness and fear. |
| [831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'! |
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ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin Jump Gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source. |
| [831 AS] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout |
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AMES RESEARCH STATION -- 831 -- Independent researchers have announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, destroying many of the sector’s most sensitive and finely tuned observatories. Surviving data about 'The Pulse' has been widely shared across the neural net in recent days, prompting mass speculation. Professor Katsuma Oster of Ames Research Station described the signal as “astounding”. “These readings are unprecedented, as if reality itself were struck like a gong.” House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to share their own observatories' data. |
| [831 AS] 'Blackout' causes jump network failure |
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MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When communications resumed 31 hours later, the news broke of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged markets into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of causing the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's Jump Gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. |
| [744 AGS] - Food issues on Metz |
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METZ -- 744 AGS -- Ever since the very first day of human settlement on Metz, the terraforming of the planet faced numerous challenges, and the most prominent of them was the development of agriculture. Metz only receives enough light to warm the equatorial regions above freezing while the warmest summers rarely exceed 20 degrees celsius, and only where the warm waters hold sway over the weather. Despite the climate not being favourable, the Gallic authorities never questioned the potential of the planet, and the Gallic Office des Eaux et des Forêts, the successor of the Office Royal des Eaux et Forêts ordered several projects to undertake the terraforming of the frigid world of Metz. The most ambitious project was by far the Metz Mirror Array or MMA, which consisted of a vast phalanx of reflective satellites in orbit of the planet meant to increase the sunlight during Metz's 28 hours day. Contracted by EFL, the project was about to be finished when Kusari began its invasion of our Home. Most of the MMA satellites were spared during the earliest hours of the war as the initial fighting occurred around the stations of Roanne and Montigny. Unfortunately, the rest of the MMA was completely destroyed by the scorched earth tactic of Kusari's retreat. On the planet's surface, the 70 million inhabitants suffered the long six months of the war. Being unsupplied, the oil reserves necessary to provide energy to the generators of the water reclamation facilities were dry by the end of the summer. As consequence, the quantity of water collected for agriculture was well below the required quantities for sufficient production. This was also coupled with a very early winter, with the first frosts in the equatorial regions by the end of September. These multiple factors resulted in serious consequences on Metz's food production and reserves, to the point that the possibility of famine was even evoked. While this statement is revealed to be false, the food situation on Metz is more than worrisome and the confusion created by the end of the war and the Reunification makes the Metz supplying mission in food even more complex. |
| [744 AGS] The Rise of the Gallic Union |
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NEW PARIS -- 744 AGS -- After much deliberation, the representatives of the Duchy, Republic, Minarchy, and the Enclave emerged on Christmas morning to declare the historic reunion of the disparate Gallic states into the Gallic Union, a military republic. The Gallic Union will be headed by the Maréchal de Gaule, and that Marechal's Seigneurs (Lords) and their appointed governors and those governors' Civilian Council, while the citizenry will elect a Chancellor to advise the Marechal. The inaugural Civilian Council, filled with notable citizens from across Gallia, elected Louis de Varax, decorated Grand Marshal for the Second Gallic Civil War and the Kusari Invasion to the rank of Maréchal de Gaule, the executive of Gallia. The Grand Marshal has appointed navy officers to Seigneurship over each system of Gallia. Together with the Marechal, they now have the noble task of leading Gallia into a prosperous future. The inaugural Civilian Council convened on the 22nd of December to elect former President of Ile-de-France Bastien de Chamborant to the office of Chancellor with an overwhelming mandate of 70 percent of the vote. After his inauguration on the 26th, Chancellor Chamborant issued the following statement from the balcony of the Grand Ministere: "My mission is to work alongside the Maréchal and the Seigneurs for the greater good of our nation. My consultative role will allow our citizens to fully participate in the reconstruction of our House turned towards our core Gallic values." "Our Great House is now entering a new era, on the dawn of the year 744 AGS, and we can now trust that our leaders will impose Gallia as a major house of Sirius!" As the year comes to a close, the newly reunified house looks towards the dawn of a new Gallic era. |
| [743 AGS] Upheavals within the Gallic Assembly |
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MARSEILLE -- 743 AGS -- For several weeks, tensions have been rising between the Duchy and Minarchist deputies. Both states are being confronted with the Kusari invaders; and every state has been asking for more resources to be allocated to their own front lines. The Duchy has been particularly expressive in their requests as the Kusari Forces have captured Lorraine, and are currently executing a bloody siege on Nevers. Meanwhile the République has been trying to monitor the two rivaling states, and the military has been tasked with coordinating their strategic plan with the assistance of the Parisian Assembly. The situation was not resolved with the Minarchy supporting a vote of no confidence in the current leadership; later causing the resignation of Jean Besson, the President of the Parisian Assembly, on the 15th of October. Elections to renew the Assembly were held on the same day of Jean Besson's resignation, and the results were revealed on the 18th of October. To the surprise of many, the Militarists were victorious; with considerable support of the Defense Forces, and thanks to their alliance with moderates and independents within the other parties. The new President of the Assembly, Dorian Lasalle made a short but resolute announcement after his nomination to President, the most important role in the Assembly: "My new government and I will immediately start to solve the internal affairs and a solution with the conflict against Kusari will soon be found. Then, a new era for Gallia will rise." Overall elections have opened many doors for the Militarists and closed some for divisionist representatives at the Parisian Assembly. The recent conflicts have shown an increase in unity among the states, confronted to their most difficult challenge since their creation in 742 A.G.S. The final seat count sets the Gallic Defense Guard Party (GDG) as the single largest party with 52 percent of the seats, followed by the Union for Tradition Party (UT) with 25 percent, the Democratic Federation of the Liberals Party (DFL) with 11 percent, the Gallic Commerce Guild (GCG) with 9 percent, and the Pacifists of Paris Party (PP) with only 3 percent of the seats. The GDG, an authoritarian right leaning party of ex-officers from the Defense Forces, is arguably the biggest victor in these elections with their impressive 52 percent of the total seats available in the Assembly. The surprise and confusion is shared among all parties, but is overall explainable with the rapidly increasing popularity of militant views since the start of the invasion by the Kusari Empire. Nevertheless, the rest of the deputies have accepted to collaborate with the GDG for the greater good of Gallia, solving the internal conflicts and finding a favorable outcome to the war with the Empire. Many citizens within every state have shown their hopes and concerns regarding the unexpected push of the GDG in the Assembly but President Lasalle reassured them saying "Every state will be listened to and we will work with all the parties for the greater good of Gallia". |
| [742 AGS] Grim Times for the Gallic Crown |
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NEW PARIS -- 742 AGS -- The situation in the Core Worlds has grown increasingly dire, as a large fleet of Council warships has been spotted amassing near the Orleanais Jump Gate in Ile de France this morning. The insurgents have been quick to capitalize on the Crayterian victory in the Barrier last week, seizing Planet Amiens and rallying with forces from Provence at the edge of the Chevreuse field. News from the Bretonian front is not much better. The fighting over New London remains fierce, and though the Bretonian blockade of the planet has been breached and preparations are underway to deploy Triumphs into New London's atmosphere, reports indicate the battle damaged or destroyed over 60%% of the material of those fleets and that the death toll is in the tens of thousands. Front line forces are unable to retreat without risking total defeat at the hands of the Sirians. The Epinal, Rocroi, and Venissieux have been recalled to New Paris, but odds appear grim, and military analysts have thus far declined to comment on whether or not the ad hoc defense will be able to defend the capital. En masse evacuation from the Core Worlds has begun, with standing orders from the Crown for all loyal citizens to proceed to Bordeaux and Toulouse post-haste, where they will be provided for. A GRI asset who asked that we did not disclose their identity has claimed that the King's transport, flying under civilian flag, came under fire from Maquis terrorists while en route to the Brittany jump corridor. Though the transport survived the attack, King Charles is allegedly comatose. Our source could not provide any further comment on the state of the King or who was heading the state in the absence of a monarch. |
| [742 AGS] New Weapon Against Bretonian Resistance |
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CALAIS -- 742 AGS -- The Agincourt System has been under full control of our navy for nearly six years. Nevertheless, small pockets of Bretonian resistance still remain dug into deep mining tunnels and bunkers, eager to use any opportunity to disturb the order which the royal army is tasked to maintain. The military research and development team of Calais has agreed to provide us with some insight in the, very literally said, groundbreaking weapon which should finally put an end to Bretonian resistance, no matter how deeply dug in. It is the "Triumph"-class, the newest addition to the Royal Navy. The state-of-the-art design carries a minified version of the "Warwolf" cannon amidships on the bottom of the hull and is the only capital ship known to man that is capable of atmospheric flight below 5000 meters, thanks to its eight horizontal thrusters. Although unmatched, our Valors would be defeated by Admiral Nature in such a task, as the magnetosphere greatly disperses the effect of their mighty forward cannons. The Triumph is able to fly past the magnetosphere, and thus exert its full firepower on the ground. Royal military analysts predict that the Bretonian resistance will surrender as soon as they witness this weapon in use, but even if they do not, their neutralization will be ensured promptly. |
| [735 AGS] Bretonian Booty Replenishes Crown Coffers |
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NEW PARIS -- 735 AGS -- The first benefit of the patriotic war against the treacherous Bretonians is the flow of seized goods being shipped from the GRN forces in the newly acquired Edinburgh and Leeds systems back to Gallia. After the enormous expenditures made during the war with The Council, the Crown has been reluctant to increase taxes on Gallic citizens to raise funds, so the seizure of Bretonian goods during raids into the Newcastle system is welcome news to the Royal Treasurer. |
| [735 AGS] Sirian Campaign Picking Up Steam |
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NEW PARIS -- 735 AGS -- The Royal Navy is claiming victory after victory in the Bretonian colonies. After successfully flushing out what appears to have been local pirate forces, our forces took the sparsely inhabited "Edinburgh" system with only token resistance. The first real test of our forces against the enemy came in the toxic wasteland called Leeds, where the first heavily inhabited planet lays. Enemy resistance was stiff, but our forces have managed to gain the upper hand in virtually the entire system. This puts the Gallic Expeditionary Forces in a position to strike at New London, and the heart of Bretonia. Military analysts predict that all organised Bretonian resistance will falter if New London falls, and that taking London itself would mean a quick end to to the war, avoiding needless bloodshed. |
| [734 AGS] The Reconquest Begins |
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NEW PARIS -- 734 AGS -- King Charles XI addressed the nation today to announce the beginning of the Great Reconquest, the reclamation of the rich and fertile regions of Sirius stolen from the rightful control of Gallia by the Libertonian and Bretonian traitors. "My faithful subjects! We have stood by long enough while the ravenous remnants of the Alliance feasted upon the lands they have eyed for themselves from long before the landing! We know what they did to assure themselves domination, we know that they led Coalition forces to our sleeper launch site so that they may escape like the rats that they are, and take the best of this region for themselves. All their actions must have consequences! Starting from today, they will be running once again. They will run, or they will be included into the rightful control of House Gallia! Hail the reconquest!" The crowd gathered at Ile du Palais cheered throughout the speech. The first Royal Navy units are expected to reach and pacify Tau-23 within days, officially marking the first step on the road to victory. |
| [733 AGS] The 2nd Gallic War: True Goals of the Council |
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BRIANCON -- 733 AGS -- The so-called Second Gallic Civil War that was inspired by the Council two decades ago is nowhere near its ending. The Council, the powerful and wealthy group formed mainly by Royal Navy and Royal Police deserters, and financed by semi-legal businesses and criminal cartels of the Core Worlds, is sometimes described as a revolutionary movement. Yet, through the course of the war the Gallic media collected evidence that Council is nowadays more like a state within a state, having its own bureaucracy, enforcement agencies, and even newly established oligarchy that came into fortune due to the war. The Council leaders claim that their goal is to change the government of Gallia and overthrow the monarchy, in addition to breaking the isolation of Gallia from the rest of Sirius worlds. According to our today's expert Robert Broussard, Doctor of Economy and senior consultant of Solar Engineering and Ile-de-France Shipping, the Council never had an intention to overthrow the New Paris monarchy. "Our information on the Council agenda is mainly based on their own public announcements and press releases. Yet, New Paris is so far from the Gallic Border Worlds that the Council will not be able to overtake the Core Worlds by force, even if all Border Worlds fall under their supreme rule," - Broussard says, - "On New Paris and other prominent worlds of Gallia, public support for the warlike actions of the Council is relatively low, and the Council is aware that the chances to inspire revolts in the heart of our nation are very slim." Independent analysts estimate black market operations in Gallia rising by 150%% during the last 30 years. At the same time, frequency of pirate attacks had risen twice in the Core Worlds, and more than three times in the Border Worlds. This unprecedented wave of piracy occured mainly because of the demand for various smuggled goods that the Council generates, and because of the overall chaos caused by the war. Royal Police was caught unprepared by this new dangerous tendency, unable to defend corporate and civilian shipments. The pirate groups are expected to grow even larger now that the path to Sirius was breached by the Council in Languedoc. Being able to take advantage of this new development, pirate groups like the Unione Corse, Gallic Brigands, and Maquis now plan their expansion into Sirius, searching for new markets and recruiting more pilots. The Council supports those pirate groups almost openly, in return for their help against the Royal Navy. Sporadic raids of Brigands and Maquis never cause significant losses, but play a crucial role in delaying Navy operations against the Council. Almost every asteroid field and nebula in Gallia is now swarmed with ships of various unlawful groups. It remains unknown for how much longer the Council resistance will continue, but it is already evident that there are forces within the Council and within the pirate groups interested in using the war as a source of income. For the Council leadership, political struggle and the well being of their own people appears to be less important than gaining personal wealth and power. This is the reason why the Council would never support any peace negotiation initiatives. |