PARTIZAN 26: Millennium Break: Breaking Vigil

With its internal threats sorted, at least for now, Millennium Break's de facto leaders shift the bulk of their attention outward. As rebellion is sparked across Partizan, a new question takes center stage: If Millennium Break wants to lead this revolutionary moment, does it need to step out into the light of day? Who can they save if they take this risk? And who do they put in harms way if they refuse to rise to the challenge? As a dire situation develops in the Memoria Teardrop, it becomes clear that these are not hypothetical questions. A decision must be made.

This week on PARTIZAN: Breaking Vigil

///Operation Dossier\\\

//Organizations\\

The Vigil City Equiaxed Commune: Across Columnar space, the Equiaxed--a culture of people who augment their synthetic frames with living, organic materials for a variety of reasons--are persecuted, outlawed, arrested, and even experimented on. One way that this vulnerable and targeted group has found some peace is to live together in communal living spaces, where they can support each other emotionally and materially, sharing skills, resources, and information.

One such group is the Commune at Vigil City, which is located towards the Northern edge of the city's reaches. There is a massive cavern underneath a dreary office park, and the structures that stretch above also delve below. It is a vertically-hanging housing project, each tower a stalactite filled with lives. And around it all, shimmering memoria like one thousand thousand eyes in the dark: A resource that Stel Columnar would do anything to get hold of.

301st Appraisal Unit: Before the Columnar commits the resources necessary to take something for their own, this small reconnaissance unit comprised of soldiers, engineers, and academics needs to find it

The Church of the Resin Heart: A Disciples of Logos church on Partizan which claims to be the true inheritor of the prophet's religious mission. The "resin heart" in question is a 3-foot large object pulled from the sea 400+ years ago and displayed as a relic by the Church. It was originally part of the Exemplar.

Millennium Break: Dissidents, idealogues, rebels, and mercenaries launch a revolution from a state-of-the-art mobile fortress. They agree on little, except this: It is time for a new Millennium.

Strand Semaphore: Using ancient Hyphan technology, this messenger service is able to send text-based communications to anywhere on-moon, so long as they've built an outpost there.

Lambic House: A group of beer-brewing monks who both operate a brewery and manage a sizable civilian settlement deep in the mountains of the Pique Ridge. Part of the Shepherd's Crook.

HORIZON: In the popular consciousness, HORIZON is a radical, anti-Principality terrorist organization. In actuality, they are a radical-reformist group, which seeks to drive out what it perceives as corruption in an empire that ought be pursuing noble (instead of selfish) ends. Rumored to be funded by Stel Kesh's House Brightline.

The Mysteries Metronomica/ "Metronomica"/"The Cult of Perennial": Guided by the paradoxical belief in historical cycles and radical freedom, the Isles of Logos offers this faith of the Adversary, Perennial, perhaps the only safe ground in the entire galaxy.

The Red Fennecs: Technically, the Red Fennecs are an Apostolosian logistics and transport squad. In actuality, they're utilized by their commanding officer, Tes'ili Serikos, as the backbone of a humble smuggling operation.

The Sable Court: Some say that on dark nights, they have seen these Ashen witches on the eastern edge of Lake Timea, horns and antlers glittering in the light of Girandole. Some even say that a former elect walks among them. Heresy, all of it.

Company of the Spade: A veteran mercenary unit founded by space miners who learned how to pilot Hollows in the most dangerous of settings. They've been brought to Partizan to combine both types of expertise.

The Oxblood Clan: What started as a group of orphans turned into a labor guild and criminal enterprise with connections across Partizan. Occasionally run rough-and-tumble military ops for extra cash. Allies with SBBR.

//People\\

Kenzington "Kenzi" Be (she/her): Commanding Officer of the Columnar 301st Appraisal Unit. Has legs that can fold down into tank treds--in some ways, she looks like the humanoid version of Broun's mech, the Three Cheers! Has a long oval torso and a totally spherical head with dozens of cameras on it that sort of extends from her torso.

Quintessence "Tessence" Rey (he/him): A young member of the secret Equiaxed commune in Vigil City, Tessence is the community's only remaining military defender. In his custom Kosmos unit, he has helped defend his family and friends from Columnar aggression numerous times. He did, however, have a card up his sleeve: An EDICT system, kept in operating condition since the time of the Divine Clash, through a combination of cleverness, effort, and good luck.

Apparatus Aperitif (they/them): Logos City, the largest independent city on Partizan, is known as a religious center, but its robotic night mayor ensures that everyone has a good time at the end of their time traveling the Prophet's Path. Representative of the Mysteries Metronomica onboard Icebreaker Prime.

Gur Sevraq (he/them): Leader of the Church of the Resin Heart. Miracle worker. Currently on board Icebreaker Prime. Has possession of the Divine Future, which gives them startling prescience and the ability to imagine futures outside of the confines of the hegemonic and imperialist world around him.

Si'dra Balos (Si/Si's, they/them): During their time in a communications division of the Apostolosian Navy, Si'dra saw the cost of war first hand. Now they dream of a world where people can connect instead of fight.

Tes'ili Serikos (they/them, tes/tes'): This Apostolosian transport specialist, black marketeer, and Tes'ili Serikos can get just about anything just about anywhere, for a price. Short, round, fuzzy, and good natured… unless you screw tes over.

The Blossom (he/him): The Lambic House is just supposed to make beer, sell it around the world, and keep people happy. But with each keg delivered by the sect's Abbot of Provision, the Blossom also serves a short, populist whisper.

Zo'la (zo/zo's, they/them): As a projection artists, Zo'la seeks to create a cinematic work that captures the dynamic spirit of this historical moment. Born to Columnar, then drawn to the Apostlosian ideology of Dynamism (which values speed, change, and violence above all else. A wildcard and a vanguard. Friends with Gucci Garantine, despite having spent time on opposite sides of the Kesh/Apostolos war.

Agon Ortlights (she/her): Aided by her servicebot companions, Agon worked hard to attain the rank of lieutenant in the Company of the Spade, where she's become a veteren mercenary, a skilled miner, and a hell of a drinking buddy.

A.O. Rooke (he/him): Former Stel Orion mercenary, now commander of the Rapid Evening's "toughs" squad.

Eiden Teak (he/him): Soldier and commander in the Sable Court. Wears the wounds of past fights on him with a distinct sort of pride, inherited from his time fighting as an Apostolosian soldier: He's missing right leg under the knee, and a number of his antlers have been snapped and broken. Wears loose olive drab fatigues, marked the occult insignia and wards of the Court.

Mourningbride (she/her): An initiate in the Sable Court, and a former Elect.

Alise Breka (she/her): Guest lecturer at Verglaz University and Author of popular Renegade Hearts pulp series, which tells stories of daring and romantic Hallow pilots. On Partizan to research her next book, partly by interviewing the imprisoned pirate Exeter Leap.

//Places\\

The Memoria Teardrop: A range of mountains and high plains, dense with mineral resources. Named for "memoria," a rare precious material with a high, natural storage capacity.

Vigil City: The capital city of Stel Columnar on Partizan. Sits on the southern end of the "Teardrop" on a high plateau. The densest city on Partizan, Vigil City is also the most automated city on the moon.

The Prophet's Sea: A massive ocean that dominates the center of most maps of Partizan. It is said that the sea was made by the prophet Logos Kantel in their first miracle, after walking the length of its radius and climbing a set of hills that would soon become islands.

Marengo: Oxbridge's biggest rival to the far west of Orion territory, Marengo borders the Prophet's Path and because of that has been favored by three groups: faithful hoping to draw on the strength of passing pilgrims; traders eager to take tourist coin; and criminals who like the proximity of uncontrolled territory.

Auspice: A seaside city in the Prophet's Path north of Marengo (which it is smaller than) and south of Obelle (which it dwarfs). Auspice is the final destination of the land travel portion of the yearly pilgrimage led by the Church of the Resin Heart. Resting on a landmass that appears on a map to be a finger pointing eastward, it has become a coastal refuge for members of Millennium Break.

//Divines\\

The Divine Asepsis: Vigil City is the densest urban settlement on the moon, and yet, every morning, it is spotless. Give thanks to Asepsis' swarm of robotic servants.

//Things\\

Icebreaker Prime: A massive arsenal, garrison, airfield, and a firebase all rolled into one. Icebreaker Prime is a rumbling carrier which prowls land and sea, armed with innumerable weapons and potentially housing over ten thousand soldiers. Currently, Icebreaker Prime is under the command of Clementine Kesh and the Rapid Evening, and is hidden in the most unperturbed waters of the Prophet's Sea.

Zugzwang: The state of play in Chess when one play is forced to make moves to their own disadvantage.

EDICT System: The Electronic Divine Interface and Control Technology System was originally deployed during the Divine Clash, over 2400 years ago. Requires a great deal of power to activate, and needs to be transported by multiple large trucks, but when it is used, it can badly disrupt Divine activity--at least most of the time. There are many theories as to which Divines are affected and why, with many believing it is determined by provenance or era of Divine, some internal system of the EDICT itself, or even the current condition of the Perennial Wave.

AdArm Troop: Designed by The de facto "grunt" mech of the Divine Principality. 55~ feet tall bipedal hollow, mid sized but bulky in aesthetic. Blocky, visible cabling. Head is a rectangular unit (with a long, flat LED-lit single "eye") that functions as a sensor suite, and attached to its right (above the shoulder) is a heavy cannon. Left arm has actuator/clasper, right has bayonet.

Panther: An ancient mech once piloted by a near mythological hero of a war barely remembered. Medium sized, black, humanoid, angular, and birdlike in some elements of its design. In another life, it could split itself up into independently flying microwings, each of which could serve as a flanking weapon. Its current pilot can not conceive of using it in this way. Formerly piloted by Clementine Kesh. Blessed by Future.

Three Cheers!: Kal'mera Broun's hollow, a heavily modified Adamant Arms and Artifice (aka AdArm) machine. Humanoid with the ability to take a mobility form. Equipped for long range volleying. Easily removable/replaceable plates with non-standard rivets.

Heads Up: Exeter Leap's hallow, a re-fitted Emergentec Rapid Response Type III Breaching Ambulance which he has converted for criminal purposes. Large cylindrical legs taper upwards towards the head. Armored fists and a back mounted mortar. Blessed by Future.

Mow: A recovered Zenith-A Project Eudaimonia prototype model. The build of a gorilla, quadrupedal & topheavy, a saddle horn-like addition on the back, battered but lovingly maintained.

Stray Dog: Million's hollow, a Zenith-A Project Katalepsis prototype model, stolen when she went AWOL from GLORY. Medium-sized and humanoid in base shape, but able to rearrange its body to accommodate the rail gun built into the torso and left arm. Each limb is double jointed with sleek black and silver plating. There is only one glowing eye on the head, which houses the Stray Dog's aiming systems and pilot. Blessed by Future.

Transgress Oblige: The hollow of Gucci Garantine, and a chief symbol of the terrorist organization Horizon. Whitesmoke color body, with the torso, shoulders, and upper arms covered in a sort of secondary armor layer that is blue with gold flourishes. Carries a bazooka and a pair of beam partizan (with a golden beam blade) which can retract into a beam saber. Below the blue armor layer is a secondary core, made of some sort of rare crystal: When revealed, those that see it are struck by the power and magnificence of humanity itself.

Hippocampus: Valence's hollow, an AdArm Prototype Loveliness. A small, ovoid cockpit that has two "chicken legs" attached to it. Helicopter blades fold out from inside the cockpit and onto the top of the mech to give it basic flight.

Old Glory: Sovereign Immunity's hallow, a modified Singh Sisters Wheel Service & Heavy Industry Ltd. "Deltoid" model. Used for rapid agricultural construction, able to create small shelters in minutes, and large modular structures in a matter of hours instead of days. Able to rapidly create barricades with large construction panels. Wields a spike-planting gun and a scythe, the latter of which was appropriated from an agricultural hollow. Once featured the icon of the Shepherd's Crook, but this was melted by a flamethrower, then removed, leaving behind the negative space of the symbol instead of a scorch mark. Blessed by Future.

//Additional Notes\\

Crossroads

Crossroad #1: Will The Kingdom allow civilian refugees to live on Icebreaker Prime?

Crossroad #2: Will the Kingdom rob the surreptitious Columnar and Orion arms shipments in order to address our resource problem?

Crossroad #3: Will the Kingdom hold elections?

Crossroad #4: Will the Kingdom put counterrevolutionaries on trial?

Crossroad #5: Will The Kingdom accept the aid of the Pact of Necessary Venture in the form of a secure island, from which MB can expand their operation and farm food safe from the crisis?

Crossroad #6: Will The Kingdom invade Vigil City in order to rescue the Equiaxed Commune there?

The Millenium Break Manifesto

1. We will help those displaced by the war on Partizan
2. We will claim supplies only when it adds losses to the ledgers of the unjust.
3. Free and Fair elections will be held every two years.
4. Burn thrones, build tables.
5. When we provide for ourselves, we can provide for others.

Character Bonds

Valence: I feel the uncomfortable draw of the unknown from Apparatus, but must keep focus on the revolution and the way of God. An overindulgence of curiosity would sidetrack me.

Apparatus: Gur Sevraq has always been a bit of a Day Mayor. I hope he has not gotten too used to the light.

Gur Sevraq: Milli is right to distrust all who seek to direct her power, but she ought fight for those who share her dreams yet lack her strength.

Milli: Sovereign Immunity's connections could get us out of prison. I need to make sure this summit doesn't make him forget that.

SI: This is the moment Clementine must show her mettle as a leader. If she is truly a frivolous child I will find someone better.

Clem: United, Gucci and I could be a powerful force for Kesh, with me at its head. Her misplaced egalitarianism, however, is a problem.

Gucci: Broun knows how to get things done and I know what they want in return. But there's a difference between service and loyalty, and I don't know when or where they'll draw that line.

Broun: I need Valence to keep their promise to me but I don't believe they can.

Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker)

Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart) Sylvi Clare (@sylvisurfer), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), Art Martinez-Tebbel (@atebbel), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) and Andrew Lee Swan (@swandre3000)

Produced by Ali Acampora (@ali_west)

Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp)

Text by Austin Walker

Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot)

A transcription is available for this episode here.

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