Imperium Offtopicum XXV

[red3janson]

The Line of Fire

“We’re excited to have you for the test today, Colonel Messe.” The colonel glanced down at the stout, ruddy-faced Major Giardino for only a moment before looking back into his binoculars. “The feeling is mutual, Major,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing the new reconnaissance mech. It should be quite useful in Bosnia.”

“We had partisan suppression in mind during the design phase,” Giardino explained. “But it should be suited for most infantry-support roles. Heavy machine gun, 47 mm cannon, and enough armor to withstand most small arms fire.” Messe examined the prototype through his binoculars. Two thin legs, each terminating in a set of clawed feet, stood gleaming in the midday sun. Atop them sat an oblong cockpit, like that of an airplane, with the aforementioned machine gun and cannon protruding from the front. The whole thing seemed ready to tip over from a gentle breeze, let alone artillery fire. “I’ll admit I’ve had my reservations about this design, Major,” Messe spoke. “But hopefully this test will show you and your team have-”

“ATTENTION, THE RANGE IS NOW HOT. I REPEAT, THE RANGE IS NOW HOT. COMMENCING ARMOR PENETRATION TEST.”

“Took them long enough,” Giardino grumbled as he took his seat and wiped his brow. Two soldiers walked across the field, carrying a squat infantry support gun. A third trailed behind, holding a case of shells. The trio set up their weapon behind a wall of sandbags, taking aim at the prototype. Messe, Giardino, and the other officers observing the test fell silent.

“FIRING DETAIL, COMMENCE FIRING.”

One of the soldiers loaded a shell into the gun. After a few tense moments, all three turned away as the gun spoke.

BANG!

The shell whizzed its way across the testing range, bouncing against the prototype before exploding in mid-air. All eyes stared intently at the cloud of smoke now billowing across the testing range. In a few moments, the smoke cleared, and the prototype stood tall, with only a single dent in its once-immaculate armor plating. The crowd arose from their seats to deliver a round of applause.

“What did I tell you, sir?” Major Giardino smiled as Colonel Messe put down his binoculars. “Damn impressive armor! Those partisans won’t stand a chance. Now, a few other members of the design team are on their way to the officer’s longue for a drink. Would you care to join us, sir?” But Colonel Messe said nothing. Instead, he took a few steps onto the test range, staring intently at the still-smoking prototype. Then he turned back to Giardino and asked, “Shouldn’t we take a closer look?”

Giardino’s face turned a shade vaguely resembling pale. “Er-ah-no,” he interjected, grabbing Messe by the arm. “We must mind the safety precautions, sir.”

“Safety precautions?” the colonel asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“You see, the fire team goes out there first, and no one else is allowed near the vehicle for the next hour. With any test involving a live round, there’s always a freak chance that something might detonate after the fact. Now, about that drink-”

But Messe stepped forward again, this time toward the trio of soldiers removing the gun from the testing range. “Is that the weapon that was used in the test just now?”

“Yes, sir”, the soldier replied.

“May I see it?”

“Of course, sir.”

The soldiers laid down the gun as Messe knelt down to examine it. His expression shifted from curiosity to incredulity. “This is a 37/10 F. Model 1915!” he exclaimed. “It’s an Austrian gun from the Great War, we captured them by the boatloads! Why, I crewed one of these on Mount Grappa!”

“It’s a one-pound gun, sir,” Giardino interrupted as he dabbed the sweat from his forehead. “Just the sort of equipment the partisans in Bosnia would have access to. It’s-”

“It’s one pound of horse crap, that’s what it is!” Messe shouted over him. “Even the Austrians knew how bad it was, that’s probably why they let us capture so many!” He jabbed a finger right into Giardino’s chest. “Small wonder it couldn’t pierce your prototype!”

“I’d hardly call something like that ‘horse crap’, sir,” Giardino objected, pointing back toward the mech. “If the prototype can stand up to that, it can-”

“Stand up?”, Messe balked. “Stand up to what? Some glorified spitball from Austria? Now, it was my understanding that only the most up-to-date arms would be used in these tests.” Giardino nodded, the sweat now dripping from his brow onto his shirt. “Yes, and the 37/10 is one of the most up-to-date anti-armor weapons we have, so…”

Messe glared back at him.

“Look,” Giardino, explained, “the 37/10 is a smaller caliber than some of the anti-armor weapons, say, the Commonwealth is using. But that smaller diameter means a smaller explosion, and on a hull like that it means less shrapnel. We’re interested in conducting ballistic tests with ammunition of varying diameters, to determine the exact threshold of the prototype's armor. And so far, it’s stood against everything we’ve thrown at it.”

For a few seconds, Messe seemed ready to wring Giardino’s neck. Then a smile crept across his face. “Well then,” he said, “my apologies. You’re right, I’m new to the project, and clearly there are a few things I’ve missed out on…”

“Perfectly understandable, sir. Now-”

“…so I think it’s best if you just let me have a look at the test reports.”

Giardino’s blood ran cold. “The test reports, sir?”

“The test reports,” Messe nodded. “Just send me the data and I’ll look it over myself.”

“B-but we’ve got over a year of test results on this model alone, sir!”, the Major spluttered. “We’ve got a schedule to maintain!”

“And let’s keep to it!”, the Colonel replied. “With any luck we’ll have this thing deployed to Bosnia within the next year. What do you say, Major?”

“But sir, I-”

“Thank you, Major,” Messe grinned as he shook Giardino’s limp, clammy hand. “I always knew I could count on you!”

And with that, Colonel Messe turned on his heels and walked toward the officer’s lounge as Major Giardino slumped back into his seat.

 

[Xugador]

A production on the Mech. lancer
Scene: Royal Factory of Port Bell, Uganda(yes there is a place like that in uganda, is off the victorian lake)
People in the scene:Factory Boss Maxwell Cunningham
Minister of Agriculture Edward William Macleay Grigg
The Factory Workers
Mentioned: Project of Robert "bob" leakey, nicknamed "bob's funnies"

The Factory was churning in activity, rather normal for the factory itself as it created the BEACA most prize creation, the Mechanised parts which are used for the production of the Mechanised Lancers, yet he kept on looking at the time, he knew why exactly what he was expecting to come in, yet, in a strange unfashionable fashion, he wasn't coming yet, he was getting worried but those worried was soon washed away as the door open and the minister walked in and he smiled.

he would go and meet him, stretching his hand and pulling away his hat as he calmly greeted the honour guest that was him, he was worried that perhaps he didn't received the offer but now that he is here, he can finally talk buisness to him about something, but first, more formalities.

"Well pleasure to meet you Minister, glad to see you got my offer, i was getting worried and was just about to get one of my boys to send yet another offer towards your place, glad to see that wasn't needed

a small chuckle would leave the minister, hardly grappling the hand of the man as he looked at him

"really now? if you think of me as someone who will ignore the news and potential offer of the place that holds my main supporting base, i think you sorely mistaken"

Maxwell grinned a little bit before breaking of the handshake and putting back his hat, straightening his position as he looked at him

"Well, I thank you for coming, i don't think i need to repeat what the letter said but just in case, i have brought you in here to see the development of the production of the materials of the Mechanized Lancer and the potentiality of said introduction of it on the agricultural sector as a tool to help the hunt."

he sighed a little bit as he straightened his position and, following a beckoning move, would began following the boss around the factory as he showed around the place

"let begin with the important part, the beginning, as i think we both know, but just in case, the mechanised lancer is composed of, as it name implies, a combination of biological and mechanical material, the chief among them being the opening mechanism of the lance itself, to achieve it fast folding and unfolding, the process might seem a simple work by the uneducated eye, you just pull the thing from its sheet and press a button to have it out, but it far more complicated than that. After all, if it followed that logic and was as easy as it seen, we would had been able to achieve doing the same with guns, but no. You see the to actually lock it in such position is on the sheet, as pushing the button inside of said sheet would, as it conects to it, automatically reduce it in size so that it can be more easily carrier, it is why you have to press that button again to have it extend, since when you pulling it out, it doesn't look like a lance and more like a..... weird pointy stick"

He chuckled a bit as he said that, scratch his neck as he looked to his left side, the minister sharing the look as they passed by a sector of the factory, in here worker could be seen assembling both the lance and the sheet, he smiled a little bit as the worker where doing a hard work, he had inform the coming of a important figure of the factory and that if they worked extra hard a salary raise would be achieved, and true to be told, they sure are doing that, and then he looked back at the minister, with him saying

"admittedly, i do wonder how bob's funnies could potentially function, i have hea-."

he quickly spur into action and responded to that.

"now now, between you and me, i be honest, that madman project is absolute unreasonable, i understanding wanting to improve the way the mech. lancer works and all, but it just so radical that i don't think its there, i mean, fully mechanised horse and the possibility to carry far larger equipment? absolutely preposterous! there no way that could happen"

The Minister would turn his head to the factory men and look at him

"that because we haven't yet worked on it, true, it seems impossible, but a lot of thing are impossible, and it will be impossible to achieve unless we actively look forwards to it, i understand that the necessary parts of the mechanised Lancer, those which are used to enhance the horse and ensure a increased survival is far cheaper than creating what the man wants, but you got to consider something else, the cost of training and maintaining a normal horse, because yes, a horse takes time in training to be one and you need to maintain it, a mech? you don't have to train something that could already be aware of it from the first place, and you won't meed much maintenance other than the engie working towards it, that why bob's project is so amazing, because if it achieved what it wants, it would allows us to create a mechanised horse, a mechanised horse which would allow us to rather GREATLY expand the mech. lancer, and with the appearance of the tyrant once again, well, they practically won for us the chance to maintain control in this land, and as trying times come ahead, they will do it again."

the minister smiled a bit as he noticed the rather annoyed look the factory boss had, he wasn't yet responding because, rather annoyingly for him, there wasn't any good response to that, but as his eyed moved towards the office of said man, which is not that far from the two, a quick smirk would form before going back to normal
"well, i do admit on that, but, to really show what i think we can do now with the mech lances, specially with the agricultural introduction of it, after all, i did promise to show it to you on the letter, did i?"

the minister would raise a eyebrow as he looked at him
"...sure, let go"

and as such, he followed him in towards his room, and as the two enter and the door closed behind, a offer that couldn't be refused was then given to the minister, and true to it, he didn't refuse at all

 

[Robert Can't]

Home was a long time ago. It isn't anywhere I can find it anymore. I remember singing with my brother in the firelight. Our grandparents always loved that. I remember cups of warm milk and the voice of my mother telling us stories until we drifted off to sleep. That was home. I was happy, maybe ignorant but happy all the same. I can't find that anymore though. A decade ago the Tyrant took it from us and left us with fear.

That's just me though. As a people, a collective group of thinking things, we have hope and home. This land, no matter how much the Tyrant destroyed, will always be ours. He wasn't the only Tyrant though - there were tyrants before him and there will come tyrants after him. I read in the news about Al-Atrash's army. They fight to make sure that never again will our people fall under tyranny. Maybe that is or home, not just a place but an idea of freedom. Maybe that is somewhere I can find a home.

The Tyrant burned our homes, he took that safety away from us. No more can I hear our mother's voice and the milk has long turned sour. I think I am angry. I think I hate all the tyrants. I think that is why I did it, slit his throat, stole a horse and ran off in the night. They're all just tyrants in one form or another.

Maybe it was a plan once, to find the army and to fight with them against the British or patrol the deserts of Iraq. Plans change though. This I remember very well - I was sitting in a eatery listening to the radio and drinking coffee. It was black, strong, good. The smell blocked out the smoke of the oil fires. There had been chatter among the other patrons but it all ceased when the radio made its announcement.

The return of the dread Tyrant himself from across the waves. I don't speak English but they played the original broadcast first. It was his voice that awoke something in me, that was when I first felt it but I didn't really understand yet.

The the newsreader spoke the translated version. The Tyrant called himself fear, he instructed us to terror. I was scared at first, I'm happy to admit that. But our people have been fighting tyrants for years. I think that his broadcast could only have strengthened our collective resolve. If he comes here he will burn, his armies will drown, and his story will be told for generations as the great victory of the Arabs.

I wanted to do something, I knew I could help. But the night before I could set off to join any army I had a dream. I saw what truly awaits us if he were to return. Last time he destroyed our individual homes but if he were to come again there would be no home for anyone again. The notions of safety and comfort obliterated by steel and diesel. It wasn't a normal dream and when I woke the next day I could feel a power inside me.

I knew what it was and I know what you are meant to do in that situation. I should have rode up into the hills to the Jabal al-Druze and faced judgement with the mages there. Its the law right? Its our duty as citizens of the confederation. But I knew that I couldn't follow their rules. In their own ways they too are tyrants.

It is my intent to oppose all tyrants. Rules and procedures will not save us from the coming doom. Only people doing their best and standing against the fire. I knew that going there, training with them and honing my power would take time. The world does not have time - the Dread Tyrant of the Machines is back.

So yes, you've found me - an unregistered seer, a mage who has not followed the rules. You've arrested me and that's your job, I get it. But humanity is at stake and I will not stop until I have personally burned the Tyrant's reprehensible soul out of whatever he has for a body. You have to let me go because I have to do this. Think back to the last time you remember feeling at home - warm milk and your mother's voice. I want all of our children to have those memories to look back on. So let me go, let me try to slay this Tyrant.

------------

Statement recorded at a military station in occupied Iraq. The soldiers on duty decided to let the arestee go and were later disciplined for it. The Mages of Jabal al-Druze are now on the lookout for a very powerful but unregistered and untrained user of magic in the same area.

 

[Terran Empress]

From the Harmonic Choir
To the Five Lords of China, Amber Order, the Rationalist Republic, Iberian Republic, the Central European Commonwealth, the Free American Republic, the Maghreb, and whoever else that may be interested.

The scientists of our Harmonious Republic are close to a breakthrough in permanently resolving the Machine Tyrant crisis in this particular form and and safeguarding the Machine-Human coexistence.

We cordially invite those willing to engage in civilized behavior to Cologne where the Koln Machine and our researchers may share their findings and discuss methods of dealing with the crisis. Contributions to our research would also be greatly welcomed.

Per Aspera Ad Astra.

We will glady send a diplomatic delegation to Cologne headed by Tao Yijun himself. We hope that coexistence between humankind and machine will continue despite the return of the Machine Tyrant. We hope that through cooperation we will be able to defeat this threat to all life across this planet!

-Signed by all five Lords of China

 

[jackelgull]

At the start of 1929 the overthrow of the British Raj seemed unlikely, by the end of 1930 it was an inevitability. And the lynchpin of this change was one Muhammed Agha and the Popular Indian Front.

The story starts in 1920 in Adhwa, where Muhammed Agwa joins the local militia in the wake of the machine uprisings. Fighting with courage and whatever they can arm themselves with, the militia acquits itself well in the face of the robots, and then turns to banditry after the threat is over, acting as a low level but persistent threat in the region of Braj on the British side of border under the justification of Bengal's war with the British. And perhaps in a different universe, this might have been there fate - a militia force no different than a bandit force under the colors of valor, but in 1925 two key developments occurred - the old leader of the militia died, and Agha took control due to his charisma, and Braj experienced a famine due to the British war effort. It was into this famine Agwa took the first steps towards overthrowing the Raj. See unlike his predecessor, Agwa dreamed of being the commander of a real and respectable military force, a man on the forefront of Indian unification, and it was in this spirit he undertook the Battle of Punhera Supply Depot, where a hundred men managed to slip behind British lines, attack and rob a supply depot, and then distribute the food to famine affected Indians. In the grand scheme of things the raid was only a minor setback for the British, delaying their campaign but not halting it, but the Indian public loved it - a small scrappy team of underdogs defeating the British and helping the people instead of inflicting more misery on them? It caused a wave of support for the group to build, and their unsavory past was washed away. While Agwa's prowess as a commander is debatable, he made good use of the image boost to place pressure on the Indian government to help. He found a willing ear in the Swaraj party thanks in part to his father's affiliation with it. Meanwhile in Braj, militias popped up inspired by Agwa and soon the various militas formed the Popular Indian Front under the very loose leadership of Muhammed Agwa. However, British counterinsurgency operations drove these militias underground or into Bengal, where 1928-1929 would begin the second iteration of the Popular Indian Front, where this time, the militias would receive formal military training from the government in Calcutta as part of the rearmament program the Swaraj were pushing for, and it is here the Popular Front transformed into a proper military force capable of planning and executing operations, their resource base boosted by a reluctant INC willing to play ball to force the British to come to the table under threat if nothing else, and by an adoring Indian public enthralled by the charisma of its leader. Entering into 1930, as riots break out in major cities across British controlled India and the security forces are stretched, the Popular Front sees a chance to make best use of its new resources and training, and begin its first major offensive


My submission for India

 

[JohannaK]

​

by Subhas Chandra Bose​

The primary mission of the Army of the Republic is the defence of the United Republic and its national interests, at home and abroad. To this very end, the Army has to retain the capability for both local and general deployments, and to perform a variety of missions at all scales. To achieve this level of readiness and preparedness, the principal tool of the Army and of the nation is the total mobilisation of the people. This is not to say that the entirety of the United Republic’s people’s labour must be directed towards the war effort. Rather it means that the people stand by the Army and support it whole-heartedly in mind and spirit, in war as in peace.

The strength of any combat force is reducible to the moral fortitude of its members and the support lent to them by the people who stand behind it. This is why the Army of the Republic is a conscript force. Conscription invests the whole population in the Armed Forces and their success. It also brings together people from disparate corners of the country into cohesive units, fostering unity and understanding among them. Therefore, a conscript army is the backbone of a united people as much as a united people is the backbone of an indestructible army.

The Army, in other words, fulfils its mission not only through action but also by its mere existence. It is the first and the last tool of the state and of the nation, to bring people together and to keep them together. Yet a conscript army will face many and great operational challenges. Conscripts can learn how to fight and become good soldiers, but they will be released from duty just as their experience becomes invaluable. To keep such critical expertise from leaving the Army entirely, a core of professional soldiers and non-commissioned officers is absolutely indispensable. They are the pilots and the squad leaders. They train alongside conscripts but go on to lead the next wave. Their purpose is to guide the conscript soldier beyond instruction and into active duty. They are the spine of an ever-changing body, holding it together through learned experience and instinctual, precise direction over its limbs. Only the perfect imbrication and synchronisation of this dual apparatus can lead to an effective and efficient fighting force.

Nevertheless, an army that will not break or budge is of no use if it cannot achieve victory. If invincibility comes from the people who nourish and support the Army, its strength and fighting power come from the character of its soldiery. In this too, then, shall the Army of the Republic be superior to its foes, for the character of a soldier can only be the reflection of his own nation’s character. If this last decade, and indeed the preceding millennia of history, has proven anything, is that there is no nation like the Indian. There is not a people more warlike and fierce, more comradely and independent, more brave and judicious than us. These and no others are the cardinal qualities of the model soldier.

The Indian soldier must not fear battle, but neither should he rush into it. He must give his every effort in pursuit of his mission, but also to preserve himself when he is spent. He must follow orders without hesitation, and act on his own when necessary. He must be self-reliant and self-sufficient in every way, and yet he must rely on and support his brothers in arms and in blood as they will support him. These are the very qualities of a model soldier, and these are the values of the Indian nation that our soldiers belong to.

Even the best soldiers in the world, however, are useless if they ignore their mission, their purpose, their role, and their place. Each man must know who stands beside him and who stands behind him, and he must know what to do at each moment. It is the duty of the officer corps to maintain order and organisation within the ranks, and to pass on direction. They are the brain of this body, and must excel at their every function. Organisation must be streamlined and straight-forward, and must provide each soldier with the tools and support necessary to do the job that is required of him and perform his mission to completion. Command must be clear and decisive, yet meditated and wise.

The essential task of the commander is to establish for his men goals attainable with the forces available to to him, and to prevent men and resources to be wasted on unachievable endeavours. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the commander to know at all times the means he has at hand and to be aware of their present strength. He must heed his superiors and listen to his subordinates to gain a fuller perspective on events both within and beyond his control. The commander must must be wary of the enemy, but never afraid of him. What the commander expects from his soldiers, he must demand of himself.

Never shall a commander put his command through exertions he himself is not willing to endure. He must not only embody the same qualities and virtues as his soldiery, but also be the paragon of them. The authority of the commander does not come from his rank but rather from himself and the respect he has earned from his troops. In short, a commander is required to lead by example, and only by example can he become a leader to his men.

All of this is required of the Army if it is to find victory in the field of battle. It is only in battle where the qualities of the soldiery and the skill of its commanders, and of the Army as a whole, emerge as one cohesive force, the living manifestation of the nation’s will, power, and people. It is not for battle but for victory that the Army breathes and lives. Battle is only the means to that end. Therefore, the Army must never engage in battle merely for the sake of battle. Victory is the sole pursuit for which to fight, and so the Army shall only fight when and where it will win. After all, victory in battle is the only way to victory in war.

There are many faces that victory can take. In the direst conditions, victory is mere survival. In the most triumphant circumstances, victory is the surrender of the enemy. Only an Army mindful of its own circumstances and those of the enemy will be able to discern how to achieve its own victory whilst preventing the enemy from achieving theirs.

An army on the attack wins when an enemy flees. An army on the defence wins when it manages to hold its ground. An army that sets up a trap wins when its enemy is destroyed, and an army that walks into a trap wins when it survives. A besieging army wins when the enemy surrenders, and a besieged army wins when the enemy gives up the siege. These are the general conditions that an army might face.

These conditions can shift and change in battle in accordance with external dispositions. An attack can turn into a trap when an army in support of the defence strikes the attacker where he was not prepared. A trap can turn into a siege when the trapping army cannot win but the trapped army cannot escape. A siege can turn into an attack when either side tries to break the stalemate. The transformations go on. It is through knowledge of present conditions and of the external dispositions of both sides than an army can foresee the transformations of a coming battle. Only armed with this foresight can an army force favourable transformations, prevent unfavourable ones, and control the flow of battle. Only by controlling the flow of battle can an army achieve victory and forestall failure.

Such knowledge cannot be achieved through ordinary means alone. If an army seeks to prevail always over the enemy, it must always know everything about this enemy. The only way to do that is to always have eyes and ears on him and in his camp. The eyes and ears of an army are its scouts and its spies. Without them, the army is lost. Scouts find a way for the army, and spies find its enemy. An army without them will blunder into a battle it cannot win and be caught by surprise in its own camp. The army is in their hands.

Any men that the army employs as spies, then, must be beyond doubt or reproach. If the slightest doubt should be cast on their loyalty, they cannot be used at all. It is of no use to bribe them with rewards, for if their loyalty can be bought by one side, it can surely be bought by the other. Only loyalty must be rewarded. This will make men honest, and breed spies of conviction only. If spies of reward are fickle and disloyal, spies of conviction cannot be turned. They are the ultimate example of the model soldier and the most steadfast servants of their cause, the bravest of men and most selfless. True spies of conviction will make every sacrifice and expect no rewards. Cherish them, for it is from their labour that an army lives or dies.

These are the essential principles by which the Army is formed and sustained, and through which it will achieve victory and prevail over its foes. These are, then, the core principles which govern the Army of the Republic in every way and at every level. It is what makes it an invincible force, and makes her dauntless before any threat posed by its every foe.

Living by these principles, and knowing them to be paramount and supreme before the arts of war, makes the Army of the Republic the most formidable amongst the world’s armies. In the conviction of its people, in the resolve of its soldiers, in the wisdom of its commanders, in the correctness of its methods, and in the loyalty of its spies, the Republic and its Army are without rival.

Carry forth, then, your banner, and the banner of our nation besides. Each shall do from their corner their part, and carry us all to glorious victory. For only man and man together, working in unison towards our common goal, can bring to the Republic glory and peace.

AZAI HIND​

​

 

[JohannaK]

I beg forgiveness if anyone knows Bengali for the cover, which is what my and Google's best guess for "Principles of the Army of the Republic".

I accept professional advice.

 

[Traveller76]

Basic Information
Short Name: South India
Full Name: Republic of Southern India/தென்னிந்திய குடியரசு/రిపబ్లిక్ ఆఫ్ సౌత్ ఇండియా/ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಭಾರತದ ಗಣರಾಜ್ಯ/റിപ്പബ്ലിക് ഓഫ് സൗത്ത് ഇന്ത്യ
Capital: Hyderabad
Flag:
Color: The color that is used to represent your polity on the map. In RGB or HEX. You can include a 2nd and 3rd color as well for reference's sake.

Provinces: Northern Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra, Rayalaseems, Southern Karnataka, Tondai, Kerala, Pandya

Description
One of the more economically developed regions of British India the region initially benefitted from more investment during the war against the Machine Tyrant. However the continued corruption, ill treatment by the British and the Princely States along with smuggled radical literature from former European colonies such as Goa and Pondicherry helped to sustain the Independence movement. With the United Kingdom under siege and most of European fighting a defensive war, the Independence Movement was able to create and supply various militias to begin attacking and seizing territory from the Princely States. Facing little support from the British several Princes accepted retirement and handed over their states to the republic in return for a pension and a place to live.

Civil Aspects
Politics: The RSI is a Federal Parliamentary Republic composed of 8 states. Each state has a Legislative Assembly that elects a Chief Minister. There is a National Parliament that elects a Prime Minister, usually from the majority party. A President, who represents the country overseas, is elected by the Parliament who cannot be a member. The Central Government sends a Governor to each state to represent the Central Government and work with the CM.

Economy: The economy is still primarily based on Agriculture and overseas trade. While there has been industrialization in cities like Hyderabad and Chennai (Former Madras) much of the countryside remains geared to food and cash crops. Before the British, Southern India was a nexus of trade with Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. The Federal and State Governments hold majority ownership of all medium and large banks, utilities and transportation facilities.

Diplomacy: The RSI allowed European minorities to stay in India if they accepted citizenship. The RSI is a religiously tolerate society with Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities existing side by side for hundreds of years. All government and most major businesses speak English along with a variety of local languages. The Republic is more geared to trade and invest with former European colonies and states in the Middle East, Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia that are accessible by sea.

Research: While the Republic has some excellent Universities and schools most of the research was geared towards military development and industrial development during the war. There was little need for robotic labor when there is plentiful human labor. Indian soldiers helped developed tactics and weaponry to help fight the robots.

Military Aspects

Army: The Army is composed of a professional core force that is highly trained and equipped. Each state is required to maintain a Reserve Force for disaster relief and mass unrest that can be called up during war. It is composed of older retirees and younger recruits as a form of training cadre and is equipped one level below the regular army.

Navy: Since the Republic depends of maritime trade it has worked on expanding and modernizing the fleet of ships it inherited. The Navy is a full time professional force that conducts Search and Rescue, Maritime Research and Disaster Relief in peacetime. Currently it has no ships larger than a destroyer and is composed of torpedo boats, frigates and destroyers.

Air Force: The Air Force is small (1-2 Squadrons) and it mostly reconnoiter and several fighters. Professional Force.

Intel: Since South Indians worked and travelled throughout India and the British Empire the National Intelligence Service have developed a network of spies and safehouses throughout the Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Basin. They rely heavily on Human Intelligence gathering through informants and undercover agents.