[b]Several days Ago -- FEU Stealth Drones pass into PUNT territory, performing reconnaissance sweeps. After returning, the General Assembly promptly votes to declare war, with all members voting "YES". The text follows below:[/b] [hider=JOINT RESOLUTION by UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY] JOINT RESOLUTION by UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Declaring that a state of war now exists between the government of the Federal European Union and the government of the People's Union of New Terra and making provisions to prosecute the same. Whereas the government of the People's Union of New Terra violates basic conditions of personal dignity and constitutes an existential threat to the people of the Federal European Union and the galaxy as a whole, as per: Slavery, constituting upwards 40% of population in this specific case: •The exercising of rights of ownership over persons •Imposition of forced or compulsory labor not in the course of normal detention, normal civic obligations, military service, or that which is enacted in case of emergency or calamity •Trafficking in legal persons (in the manner of property) •The open exposition of the supposed inherent inferiority of persons not meeting strict definitions of "human", and that such persons inherently lack rights, constituting ~90% of the FEU population, on basis of being genetically distinct from humans, heavily modified by cybernetics, or Artificially Intelligent •The denial of basic personal and political rights to legal persons on the basis of gender and/or loosely defined biological sex •Significant military buildup and intent to prosecute war against sovereign nations on basis of the aforementioned Genocide, intent established by official PUNT government policy: •Slavery and hard labor programs involving the Ol'ien, which deprive the Ol'iens of access to positive affection, neurologically essential to their survival and expose them to lethal levels of depressive emotion, thereby constituting the killing and mental harm of members of the aforementioned group with intent to destroy them, and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part Therefore, it is resolved by the General Assembly of the European Union and its people assembled that a state of war has been formally declared between the Federal European Union, and its armed forces, authorized by the General Assembly, are hereby authorized and directed to employ the entirety of its available force and available resources of the government (precluded by maintenance of basic standards of living defined by the Directorate-General of Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion and the Directorate-General of Health) to carry out the state of war that exists between the government of the Federal European Union and the government of the People's Union of New Terra; and to bring it to a successful conclusion all the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the General Assembly of the Federal European Union. [/hider] [b]New Europe High Orbit, Aboard Supercarrier [i]Strasbourg[/i][/b] Six hours. Six hours, and the [i]Strasbourg[/i] would begin steaming toward the TRAPPIST system's gateway, on a course to war with a fleet of hundreds of ships in tow, and many more on the way. Drazenka wasn't sure exactly how to feel, staring into the mirror on her bunk's wall, the rumble of the titanic vessel impalpable beneath her. It may have been a military vessel, but it was designed to be comfortable for its soldiers too, from maximally comfortable bedding to reasonably tasty, nutritionally robust food and adequate time for rest and recreation, all made possible by an abundance of resources -- and a relatively low count of actual flesh-and-blood soldiers. Well, [i]technically[/i] flesh-and-blood, she thought, glancing down at the pair of gunmetal grey arms extending from her body, clad in flexible, carbonous weave. They did the job far better than flesh ever could, and they nicely got rid of the aches and pains that used to plague her, all with the help of the intricate piece of technology that reinforced her back, replaced her damaged nerves, and and kept her brain in tip-top shape. Most of her body below the neck, really, was cybernetic, and even her brain had bits and pieces replaced by powerful machinery, those essential parts holding most of her memories kept from aging by expensive nanites, a typical thing for most FEU citizens. Still, she thought, staring into a reflection of her artificial emerald-tinted eyes, some small part of her was afraid of the war ahead, even if it was nearly impossible for her to [i]stay[/i] dead. She'd done it before. Hell, most of her squadmates had, even if there were a few hiccups along the way. Minor cosmetic defects. It was well worth the immortality in combat, though. Pushing herself away from the mirror with one last look at her massive body, clad in a thick, grey bodysuit, she walked out the door of her quarters, down the Strasbourg's halls. Drones deftly darted past her as she walked, some ambulatory, others hovering, and a handful speeding past her on wheels or small treads. Each one provoked a response in her brain, identification numbers and specifications numbly streaming through her mind as her implants analyzed them. None were deemed threats, of course, though each was systematically noted for any possible way it could cause her harm. A few, she recognized, waving at them or greeting them -- acquaintances she'd met on the [i]Strasbourg[/i] or elsewhere. She passed by a few living beings, too humans, insectoids, and a smorgasbord of other aliens that she only recognized ocne her implants told her what they were. Still, they were far fewer in number than the machines. She finally stopped at a medium-sized set of double doors, three or four times the width of her body, smoothly stepping through them as they slid open to reveal a room full of chairs, most filled with familiar faces engaged in conversation. At the head, behind a small podium, stood Commandant Amenabár, and Drazenka quickly sat herself down in one of the empty chairs. "You all know why you're here," Lieré began, speaking in the carefully constructed lingua franca of the FEU. "In a short few handfuls of hours, we will pass through the solar gate, and into PUNT-held territory. Preliminary drone reconnaissance indicates that, while their naval presence is relatively reduced compared to normal, we expect heavy resistance the very moment we arrive in-system." She said, calling up an in-colour hologram of the system of New Terra., along with vague fleet arrangements. "We are, by a large margin, outnumbered, and technically outgunned. However," she continued, "the Signals and Analysis Corps data strongly indicates we have a few key advantages: competency, technology, surprise, and logistical resilience. Put simply, the PUNT military appears so large that we expect their logistical chain to be both weak and poorly managed. Sensor pings show such an enormous volume of transit through the gates that, not only is it likely impossible for them to consistently supply combat units, but it is nearly impossible for them to be trained to a level that would be considered adequate. You are probably more experienced and vastly more resilient than any one of their soldiers. However... We have no such indications coming to their officer corps. Nevertheless, data provided by our Ishtari comrades leads us to believe that, despite having generally skilled officer corps, their fascist ideology will, as history has played out again and again, encourage jockeying for prestige and glory. Therefore, while you are advised to anticipate competent operations at the tactical and strategic level, and extreme fanaticism at the squad level, except from slave battalions, keep clear in your minds the likely attitude of their command structure." "Next, technology. As you're well aware," she said, gesturing to the few dozen soldiers in the room, "we've equipped ourselves with the best technology available. While we can't know exactly how the enemy's weapons will operate on such short notice, what we [i]do[/i] understand is that, likewise based on provided data and our own analysis, we possess substantial technological superiority, both on and off the field. Not only that, but while they do expect retaliatory offensives, what they don't expect is for [i]us[/i] to do it. Quite simply, they don't even know that we exist. That is what we will exploit. We breach the gate, strike their fleets with everything we have, and lock down New Terra. Next, we'll discuss the specific role we, the Strzyga, will play in the initial landings..."