The Champagne Heist (Completed)

[Balian Remi]

Having spent the better part of two months visiting other cells of the Maquisards and using his most honed weapon, his oratory skills, to convince the hundreds, and now the thousands that something glorious was coming, and none would wish to be exempt from it, Balian keyed his comms to reach Boucher. No answer came so he left the audio message:

“That was the last of them Boucher, they will come. I’ve dispatched precise staggered timing for them to begin transporting their men and gear. Some will fill Epernay directly in Champagne, some in nearby Burgundy at our base there, and believe it or not, I even got a group calling themselves les feux de la liberté, that have some sort of modified liner they plan on camping out in until the signal is given.

I make my way now to ready our people at Chambery, and will listen for your call.”

Flipping the comm switch, Balian set the course on his nav computer and engaged his thrusters. Like a wraith, his Stellion crossed the empty void without interaction. His mind was heavy with the puzzle that lay before him, and he slowly contemplated and stewed the details over and over.

“....les dés sont jetés”

[Lionel Bourcher]

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Boucher sends a message from the reinforced escape pod. Another ship totalled in a head on torpedo run, another day for Boucher. Blood is pouring from his head wound but he talks calmly like it's just another day at the office.

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Great work. I know I can count on you to keep it quiet. I have been overseeing the strategic murder liberation of Gallic food supplie( r)s in Lorraine, the fighting has already been intense and I will be needed here all the way until the end. It will be you who will have to take the lead in Champagne. There are many complications I need to tend to Balian - Bretonians, Outcasts and god knows who else are now involved, and we need to play them all. The bad news for me is the headaches and probable loss of life we will suffer in the complete and utter chaos when November strikes.

The good news for you is that you will have all the time in the world to get the job done. The Union now has no choice but to respond en masse or they will lose Lorraine. And there is somewhat of a chance they will lose it anyways. Use that time well, god willing I will make it back in time to see DeGrasse burn after your people are gone with our "new " rusted and half taken apart fleet.

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FLG is the first official Maquis faction - ever! CLICK HERE TO JOIN US!

[Lionel Bourcher]

The time has come.

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FLG is the first official Maquis faction - ever! CLICK HERE TO JOIN US!

[Balian Remi]

Mazagran. Where it all began. Balian looked out the cold viewport at Langres pretending a moment he was there.
But this was a hollow echo of the past. Still, ingenius. Boucher had made the suggestion. It hadn't been easy getting the distracting transponder ID to not alert anyone when they'd towed in the modular station to quarter their operations for the upcoming project. Alas, here they were and a befitting choice to be sure. Re-building a Mazagran Depot, under the caracass of the original to spite the traitors one last time, would be poetic.

Balian began making the calls. It felt like lighting a bonfire with so many individual sparks. It is zero hour.

Lets do this, disptach orders to every cell, Prepare the bombs and munitions, get my ship ready, blast the neural net with our message, the boys are giving them hell in Lorraine, now its our turn.

Balian headed for the docking bay and began a cheerful hum.



"...pour la liberté."

[Front de Libération de Gallia]

The Champagne Heist - Conclusion.

The most complicated and elaborate operation in Maquis' history has come to a close.

A piece of history
Maquis' prominent members once resided in their headquarters, the Mazagran Depot. This was a base built in the open with Council help in Champagne. The trust between Maquisards, Republique and the Council ran so deep the base had even a tradelane from Planet Marne - a move unprecedented for a faction once deemed to be too extremist to remain official part of the Council.

But it all went horribly wrong. When the Confederacy was created, Maquisards didn't want to accept that the Duchy of Burgundy would be part of it. They went from useful attack dogs to a loose end that needed to be put down by the Confederacy to cement what many called bastardising the successes of the Council, and what others called peace seeking compromise.

Their trust turned against them, Mazagran found itself under siege, Maquisards who were mere months ago celebrated partners of the Republique and the Council were asked to "surrender", disperse and were treated like petty criminals by the Confederacy. Their Headquarters was to be made an example. When Maquisards refused to lay down their arms the base in the open got assaulted. Their ferociousness lead to too many losses on the Confederacy side. Gas was used. When that did not work, Battleship DeGrasse, the symbol of the Confederacy was called to the system as the final ceremonious solution to the Mazagran issue. The base was obliterated, DeGrasse killed everyone on board to show the Maquisards what will happen to those that oppose the new peace of the Confederacy.


This was a massive shock to the Maquisards. In one fell swoop they found themselves without their dead leaders, their headquarters, yanked away from the large scale logistics and big picture diplomacy the Council has always been in charge of. They have gained wide spread sympathy amongst large amounts of the populace that shared in their views for how they were misstreated, and have built up a strong co-benefiting relationship with the Brigands and the Corse, but nevertheless fell into obscurity and focused on getting being on their own until...


The Rise of the Gallic Union and Maquis' Military arm
The shifty Kusari Naval Forces attacked Gallia under false pretenses, only to depart when those pretences actually came true when they ran into difficulties and did enough damage to their Gallic economic rivals. They have in effect allowed the Gallic Royal Enclave to return to power due to sowing fear and terror in Gallia through war. The Enclave military took power and the Union was born.

Not all people were willing to accept this laying down however. The Maquisard support was reborn, but this time it didn't stay merely with passive sympathy from the populace, but actual tangible action from those that finally weren't willing to copromise any further. The attack dogs became the masters as many former Council military commanders and operatives saw what compromise got them, decided to seek refuge with the Maquisards, taking with them their Capital vessels in the chaos of the Enclave returning to grasp power and the Gallic Navy consolidation.

The Front became the most prominent Maquis faction, setting up a new structure that meant the uneasy co-habiting of the Maquisards once deemed too extreme for the Council leaders, and the very same Council commanders with their warships under the Maquis flag, lead by an entire battlegroup, Pamiers, that lost it's sister escorts and left during the Gallic Navy Forming chaos.

The chaotic duality of the new faction gave rise to a cacophony of the former days, with Maquisards now in charge, relying on their contacts with Gallic Underworld and open trade with Sirius and learning hard to create their own support networks, that now had to support the Ex-Council war vessels, commanders and military logistics.

The Front split structure - a new era for the Maquis

One man's garbage is another man's hope
The Union soon re-organized into a full on Military state, and started a massive push of modernization and re-building of their warship arsenal. The old Council technology was soon deemed not worthy of the Union's might, and most of the ageing Council fleets were scheduled to be scrapped. The remains of the Chaumont and Cambrai fleets soon found their wai to Chalons-en-Champagne Station and Planet Marne, to begin the long process of being turned into scrap. The sirian cartographers, The Starfliers Have revealed in immense detail the situation in Champagne. And to the Maquisards' shock even captured images of the one and only DeGrasse battlegroup finding it's way to the system of it's infamy to find last pasture.

The Champagne Heist was now elevated to Maquisard' utmost priority. Parralel with the planning of the capture, The Caussade project had to be comleted, so Pamiers and it's new sister sister ships could be repaired and eventually made operational and long-term functioning. Multiple contracts were issued for massive quantities of panels and supplies from Natio Octavarium, Fae Mercenaries and later the smuggler Yatta.V., and the project was completed - all was ready for the Champagne Heist.


A symbolic supply depot
Balian Remi, the head of the FLG's support arm took charge of the operation. Many Maquisards moved onto bases surronding Champagne, and a depot was built right in the place where Mazagran once stood to support the operation when the time comes. Amptly called the Mazagran Depot once again.


With the almost entire logistical core of The Front in Champagne and surrounding systems, and most of it's Maquisards force at the ready, there was only one last step before the Heist could commence. The Lorraine uprising. Starfliers' data and the fact that Champagne has always been a Maquis' bastion and large portions of the populace were feeling with their cause after Mazagran and Enclave's return made it clear that there would be very little initial opposition to the operation.

Half taken apart husks of battleships could not be moved instantly however, it would take several days even with the Fron't full commitment, more than enough time for the Union Armada to swarm the operation before enough was taken. The Maquis even with the Ex-Council reinforcements are no match to the likes of Dax battlegroups in open combat.

They needed to point the gaze of the Union elsewhere and Lorraine was chosen as stage for fake uprising.


The Operation
More and more spotlight of entire Gallia has been pointing towards Lorraine in the weeks leading up to the Champagne Heist. So much so that by the time the Front have abandoned Lorraine it seemed like the entire Gallic Navy was there to suppress the fake uprising. Much like the Maquisards were overwhelmed in Lorraine by the Gallic Navy, so was Champagne just as easily dominated by them.

Soon Chalons-en-Champagne Station was overwhelmed, and husks of former glorious Council warships, destined to once more stand side by side with Pamiers herself were slowly being dragged away.

Quickly supported by the Fleet hurrying from Lorraine in the final stages.

Cover fire was provided, and DeGrasse itself, still the hardest nut to crack as it only arrived recently was swarmed.

The fallout
In the end, The Front have achieved what they wanted. The half taken apart Redemption husks begun their long journey to Roussillon, they suffered minimal losses, and the complete defeat in Lorraine was deemed acceptable.

The Union however, gained a big victory in Lorraine, and never cared about the outdated vessels in the first place. Little security, destined to be smelted for scrap, that is how much they valued them. High off their Lorraine victory The Union is likely to dismiss some outdated husks missing as almost a favour that saved them decommissioning costs. The Front can only hope they will continue to be underestimated while it tries to hold on to it's feint dream of the end of the Union and vengeance for Mazagran and all the former Royalist' crimes.


As to DeGrasse well. Rachette and his explosive ideas remained behind in Champagne with a small group of Maquisards - whether their plan to tow the battleship to Mazagran and ceremoniously blow it up and make it's dead remains lie next to Mazagran it once annihilated will be succesfull remains unclear.

The Champagne Heist project is COMPLETED.

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