[Starhawk]

Meat to feed an angry beast:
The world of Thorsburg was a buzz as word spread from city to city that the Icaran Empire had finally decided to pay this former Rebel Alliance world some attention after decades of being nearly ignored beyond the production of starships. The manner of that attention though was the source of much strife within the political offices and even on the streets. The Royal Navy had arrived two days ago with twelve dreadnoughts and two massive currently empty troop transports and what they brought with them was an edict of levy which required Thorsburg to form two entire regiments of troops for His Majesty’s Royal Army to be dispatched on the grand crusade to conquer the Andermanian alliance.

To anyone on Thorsburg over the age of thirty it was a hard thing to be sure as they had seen their own alliance conquered by the Icarans, and now they were being told that they had to muster 8,000 of their young men and women and send them to fight and die in a war to conquer another democratic nation that the average citizen of Thorsburg only heard about on the news. In the streets of many cities “demonstrations” were assembled to protest the demand to raise regiments and hundreds were injured as local FSD brigades marched in with riot gas, stun batons and armored riot breaker vehicles.

********

The chancellery building was a relic of a bygone age where democracy governed Thorsburg and the young and promising “Rebel Alliance” was first stepping bravely out into the galaxy after shirking their oppressors it’s massive stone walls were made to resemble the buildings of the old Greek cities of long ago, the beautiful white stone still showed the horrible scars where the Rebel emblems were burned from the walls by the old “SS” brigades as the “pacified” the world and it’s population, it’s old fashioned fence was reinforced by an invisible “blast screen” and an entire FSD brigade was assigned to provide on sight security, inside was the first meeting the local Icaran governor had dared assemble with the local civilian government since his installment by the Praetor less than two years ago after his predecessor was hung for treason when it was discovered he had deliberately prevented tens of thousands of his people from joining the Royal Navy. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss this newest demand which the Empire had placed upon Thorsburg.

“Charlie those bastards have practically ignored us for the pats 20 years except when they send in crew transports to get the ships we build for their war machine, now they want us to raise 8,000 soldiers for them….it’s ridiculous!” Günter Heinz was governor of one of the cities that had seen the FSD deploy two brigades to break up a demonstration, in the process he had seen them inure hundreds of his people and arrest over a thousand others who have not been heard from since.
“Actually Günter it’s more like 28,000 including technical support staff, 4,000 combat troops and 10,000 support staff times’ two regiments.” Harold Schmitt spoke up from the corner and blushed slightly when everyone turned to him, he was a junior adjutant to the planetary governor and his main job was “work force” management so blurting out the actual numbers was only natural to him.
After a moment of silence Governor Ervin Katz grinned at his adjutant “He’s right gentlemen, 28,000 of our young people will be called upon to fight in a war that is hundreds of light years away and that does not even affect us, but there is nothing we can do about that, if you haven’t noticed there are twelve Icaran super dreadnoughts sitting in orbit and although the majority of people simply see them as escorting the transports, enough people know that they are really here to remind us of what happens to worlds that don’t fulfill their duties to the Empire and I don’t intend on making them prove it with a broadside.” The room fell silent again as the government officials present frowned in agreement, there was nothing they could do but provide the two regiments demanded of them.
“So how do we get those 28,000? No one from the planetary defense militia can be counted on, too many of them are ex alliance army soldiers, and those that weren’t are not exactly willing to leave home.” Günter said heavily as he pulled a flexi pad out of a pocket with the list of units in the PDM and their commanders.

Rudolf Heinrich, governor of a northern city spoke up “I’m afraid he’s right Charlie, however with the zeal our young people seem to show for the Empire and its armed forces we shouldn’t have a problem raising the recruits.”
The “zeal” that Heinrich mentioned came in the form of an almost religious respect and admiration the young people of Thorsburg had for the Royal Armed forces, they had grown up seeing thousands of soldiers, spacers and marines and they saw them as valiant heroes and adventurers who got to see the wonders of the galaxy, and the fact that a great many of these soldiers were only 15 and 16 inspired the youth of Thorsburg.
The vast majority of teens and school kids even sported the so called “trooper style” fashion to show their admiration as their clothes resembled the various uniforms of the Royal armed forces minus emblems and insignia of course.
“If that fat bastard Stein had just allowed our people to join the navy perhaps they never would have asked for two entire regiments to be raised.” Precinct Governor Ulrich spat as he mentioned the previous governor of Thorsburg.
“Maybe….maybe not Ulrich but that doesn’t matter anymore, this demand has been placed upon us and there is nothing we can do now but answer the call and begin recruitment of two complete regiments.” Charles paused a moment and turned to the chief financial advisor “Adolf how much money will this cost us? And how fast can we do this?”
The young man pulled out several flexi’s and passed them around the table “Well sir the cost in material is the first major problem, we’ll have to provide the recruits with food for at least two years, not to mention uniforms, weapons, and vehicles for at least 12 armored companies assuming the standard six per regiment.” Adolf Schultz paused as the others gathered around the table read off tonnages in metals, food and fabrics.
“The cost in credits would easily come to twenty eight billion credits per year as the regiments are being raised which our best estimates place at 26 months comes to a grand total of roughly seventy four billion credits after that the Empire will take control of paying salaries and maintenance costs.” Schultz winced as a woman slammed a palm on the desk.
“Damn it Governor that’s more than two years taxes to the Empire, and don’t forget we’ll still have to pay those taxes while these regiments are being raised.” Edwina Markov shrank back into her chair with an uncharacteristic blush “My apologies governor it’s just that, this seems unfair to our people.” She said more calmly and folded her hands on the table.

“Don’t worry about it Miss Markov, you just said what we’re all thinking….and your right this will prove a problem, we’ll have to raise local taxes to raise this regiment and still pay our tax to the Empire but we can and will manage it.” Charles lowered his head and spoke more softly “Alright ladies, gentlemen, let’s be about it we’ve got to feed an angry beast and he won’t wait for long.”

A week later recruits from all over Thorsburg were lining up at naval, marine and “regimental” recruitment offices all over their planet preparing to serve their Empire and join the ranks of heroes and adventurers that they had seen all their lives, many of those anxious new applicants were only 15 or 16 and had no idea what war really was like or that hell awaited them in war zones on planets they had never heard of before.