Republic of Levosia

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Republic of Levosia
Geographic information
Star system(s)	26 Draconis System
Homeworld(s)	Levosia
Political information
Societal and historical information
Anthem	Rise O Voices
Era	Insurrection
[Source]

The Republic of Levosia was an Insurrectionist government on the colony of Levosia. While the Republic itself was only established in 2538, it had its roots in the earlier conflicts of the Insurrection, being one of its first battlegrounds after the Callisto Incident. While the United Nations Space Command's grip on the colony prevented any conflict beyond commando raids by the Levosian Rebel Front, the Human-Covenant War led to the colony being abandoned in 2537.

In 2538, spurred on by the declarations of independence by the Glabetovan People's Republic and the Victorian Independent State, the Republic of Levosia was formed. With old wounds boiling over, the new government enacted heavy-handed legislation discriminating against Unified Earth Government loyalists and their families. This led to a mass exodus out of the Republic's area of influence by the aforementioned groups.

Forming into a new government, the Republic would fight a brutal border war with the People's Republic of Levosia. Despite UNSC support for the PRL, they were never able to emerge victorious over the Republic. In 2567, with the passage of the Commonwealth Act, while Levosia declined to become an independent Commonwealth, its sovereignty was reluctantly accepted by the Unified Earth Government.

History

Formation 2537-2545

Official Declaration (2537-2538)

The official establishment of the Republic of Levosia began in the summer of 2537. With the destruction of Alpha Company during Operation: PROMETHEUS and their actions against Insurrectionists and Covenant barely having dented either, the UNSC began to quickly abandon colonies. One of these was Levosia, despite its strategic importance. Over the next year, the Levosian Rebel Front quarreled over what to do. While most were in favor of declaring official independence and forming a government as had occurred with the Gilgamesh Free State and Victorian Independent State, others feared doing so would bring UNSC attention back to the colony, leading to the destruction of the LRF.

As those who remained on the planet quarreled over what to do, Levosian People's Party, a neo-Communist party declared the People's Republic of Levosia. The LRF, having previously been in active conflict with the LPP, quickly made overtures towards the remaining colonial military and UNSC troops to stop the rise of the LPP. Many of those few UNSC troops that remained fell in league with the LPP due to their pro-UNSC views, while the great majority of the CMA troops instead joined the LRF.

Interior of one of the selenium mines near Vamstad. This mine, and others, formed the basis of the Republic's economy. With its friendly attitude towards the businesses running the mines, the Republic was able to exploit the resources to further its own power

As local militias clashed in the countryside, the main part of the conflict was centered around the richest mineral deposits on the planet, particularly in and around the colonial capital of Vamstad, which carried with it access to the mining facilities and refining facilities. The next week saw brutal street-to-street fighting in Vamstad. However, the arrival of CMA troops, and the small number of UNSC troops that remained, turned the tide. By April 11th, the LPP's forces had begun withdrawal beyond the borders of LRF influence. At the same time, representatives from those provinces under LRF control began to meet in the capital to declare a new government.

At midnight local time on April 16th, the Republic was declared, and a Constitution, having been developed in the years leading up to the secession, was ratified shortly after. At the same time, LRF militants, now part of the Levosian Defense Forces, moved in to disarm loyalist groups on the planet. Over the next two weeks, a short-lived campaign was mounted to take those areas which were not falling to Republic control, however, with a lack of coordination, the rebels were forced to hold position after making only some small gains.

By May 15th, control had been firmly established by the Republic over its territories, which, in comparison to the overall colonized area of the planet, was rather small. However, the Republic's control extended over many of the cities and industrial centers. In what became known as Deoonskiefication, the Republic began to systematically remove those perceived as UNSC loyalists from positions of authority within the nation.

From late June to early July, the Levosian government hosted the Darwall Conference with officials of the other major secessionist governments in the United Rebel Front: the Victorian Independent State, Gilgamesh Free State, and Glabetovan People's Republic. While not officially a member of the URF, a delegation from Venezia was also sent to the planet.

During the conference, Levosia joined the United Rebel Front, and several agreements were made between it and the other governments. Most of these agreements boiled down to a single point. With the Republic of Levosia sitting on such rich mineral resources, particularly those needed for FTL drives, they were expected to give such materials to the other nations as needed. In return, Levosia would be supplied food, arms, training for the Levosian Defense Force, and if needed, troops from its allies.

During the conference, the Glabetovan delegation had a meeting with the Levosian government regarding the latter's large amount of UNSC sympathizers. Glabetov, having a similar situation, urged the Republic's government to intern all UNSC sympathizers and their families. However, this was considered too extreme, and the Levosian government rejected the proposal. In spite of this, after the conference, a new movement that came to be known as 'Deoonskiefication' began to gain traction in the government and among the citizenry. The growth of this movement was unintentionally also spurred on by Marshal of Gilgamesh Edward Garan, who had described the sabotage operations undertaken within the GFS.

Deoonskiefication (2538-2542)

After the Republic's first elections in September of 2538, the Deoonskiefication became codified in the first of what would become a series of laws against UNSC sympathizers, with a particular focus on those friendly to the LPP. All government jobs, save for serving as a enlistedman in the LDF, were off-limits to known UNSC loyalists, and they were not entitled to voting rights unless given special dispensation by the Prime Minister. While most citizens initially dismissed the law and the campaign as a whole as being posturing and untenable, it soon became evident that such assumptions were wrong. Due to Levosia's position as an important strategic colony to the UNSC and the close scrutiny placed on it during the Insurrection, there was ample documentation that had been captured by the Republic that showed who had been UNSC loyalists during the Insurrection.

This, coupled with the standard birth records kept by the Colonial Administration Authority, led to the law being enforced and most UNSC loyalists being disenfranchised. The next set of laws came in January of 2539. These new laws stated that any business owners were permitted to refuse to employ or service any UNSC loyalists or their families. While this law was not as widespread, mostly due to the fact that basic businesses like groceries or auto repair shops did not have access or the inclination to search the databases for each of their clients, businesses who had less clients or who recognized pro-UNSC loyalists from having a limited clientele often did take advantage of this law.

During 2540 a case emerged that would show how deep the discrimination was. In Phillips v. Dixon, the Supreme Court of the Republic would uphold the laws as "...necessary and proper in order to ensure the safety and prosperity of the Republic of Levosia against subversive elements". Adrian Philips was a former member of the planetary Colonial Militia. Dissatisfied with the current state of affairs on the planet, he joined the Levosian People's Party.

During a raid, Philips was arrested among others in the local Party cell. Brought to trial, he demanded that he have an attorney, a demand that was denied by the court. When attempting to hire an attorney to represent him in court, he was told by several, including Alan Dixon, a prominent attorney, that they would not represent him. Suing Dixon for discrimination, stating that discrimination was not explicitly permitted in the Constitution, Philips represented himself again. Eventually, in 2541, the case reached the Supreme Court of the Republic of Levosia, who upheld the rulings of the lower courts that discrimination was permitted. The court's decision stated that:

"While the Constitution does not explicitly permit discrimination in its text, it delegates to the Republic of Levosia the privilege to defend itself by making war or other means. UNSC loyalists are considered subversive and dangerous elements. In not permitting such loyalists a say in government until they have proven their loyalty to the Republic, the Republic is simply defending itself against sabotage from the inside. As a result, we find those laws constitutional, and necessary and proper in order to ensure the safety and prosperity of the Republic of Levosia against subversive elements"

Several fields on the southeastern border of Levosia, near the area attacked by the PRL on April 1st

In response, in January of 2542, a mass exodus of disenfranchised citizens and their families, alongside those who sympathized with them, began out of the Republic. To their surprise, the Republic did nothing. Aside from conflicts with Republic citizens along their path, they made their way out of the Republic's borders unmolested into the People's Republic of Levosia. On April 1st, the PRL declared itself the rightful government of the planet, and called upon supporters of the PRL to fight against the Republic. Spurred on by this declaration, several PRL-aligned self-defense units assaulted farming settlements on the borders of the Republic, killing all they could find.

Enraged by this assault, the Republic declared war on the People's Republic of Levosia on April 7th, with units of the Levosian Defense Force launching their first cross-border on Easter Sunday. While initial headway was made thanks to the troops of the LDF being better-equipped from Levosia's allies in the URF, by April 14th, the offensive ground to a halt. The LDF's officers, overestimating their own capabilities, had driven deep into the PRL's territory, and had come under attack from local self-defense militias, taking casualties as they conducted a retreat back to Levosian territory.

Border War (2542-2564)

An NCO from the Gilgamesh Free Army instructing a group of new recruits to the LDF on how to march. Note the brown uniforms. These were Colinial Military Administration surplus, and save for airmobile and other special operations units, were used by the LDF well into the late 26th century

Over the next several months, the Levosian Defense Forces began a massive restructuring to deal with the new war. Contacting the Gilgamesh Free State, Levosia requested units of troops to help deal with the PRL and advisers to aid them in finding methods to combat. While the Free State was reluctant to commit any large number of troops to Gilgamesh, they did send units of the Gilgamesh Light Infantry and advisers from the regular units of the Gilgamesh Free Army to the LDF. In return, Levosia mediated an arms deal between the Free State and the Venezian militia, with Levosia paying Venezia in refined selenium and technetium.

Over the next year, the LDF reformed itself into a new, more mobile fighting force, with equipment acquired through Venezia and other black market connections, paying in the planet's rare and valuable minerals. While the LDF still contained large numbers of conventional troops, airmobile light infantry formed the new spearheads.

The UH-144 Falcon, which, along with the AV-12, formed the new mobile backbone of the Levosian Defense Forces

Taking great inspiration from the GLI's utilization of the centuries-old tactic of Fireforce, the LDF also invested heavily in more versatile aircraft for air support and troop transport. While the Levosian Air Force still contained a number of F/A-440 fighters for air superiority and airstrikes, most of their other aircraft were sold off on the black market to obtain funds and room for the new fleet, centered around rotary-wing aircraft, primarily the UH-144 Falcon for troop transport and the AV-12 for close air support during operations against the PRL. At the same time, an aggressive recruiting campaign began, with militiamen being encouraged to enlist in the LDF with benefits and bonuses, and militia units becoming reservists in case of a threat to the Republic directly. By the start of 2544, the LDF had 40,000 personnel in its ranks, organized into ten regiments.

Opening Actions (2544)

In April of 2544, the newly restructured and retrained LDF launched an assault into the PRL, Operation: PICKAXE. Over the period of restructuring, the Republic, with the aid of the United Rebel Front's intelligence network, had inserted a number of agents across the border into the People's Republic. These agents, equipped with man-portable shortwave radios, relayed positions of PRL militant camps and caches, correctly reckoning that the PRL would not be able to intercept the communiques.

In the early hours of April 7th, the operation commenced. In order to provide a diversion, the Gilgameshan troops in the Republic had been assembled at various points and information was purposefully leaked, hinting that they would be the spearhead for the LDF's main assault. In reality, they were to be used in case of failure of the operation to provide support for the retreat of the LDF's units. At the same time, the LDF troops destined to take part were only informed of the specifics of their mission 72 hours before the commencement.

Two LDF of the 2nd Infantry Regiment (Airmobile) searching PRL fighters for intel after the initiation of Operation: PICKAXE

After one final transmission by the intelligence operatives, the operation launched at 0400, with the troops expected to arrive only minutes after daybreak. Despite mechanical issues with some of the aircraft, the great majority of the airmobile troops arrived on time, taking the PRL's fighters completely by surprise. Within only a few hours, all of the militant camps and dumps targeted had been captured or eliminated.

Flush with their new success, General Louis Albera, commander of the LDF, ordered the remaining units of the LDF into the fray. On April 13th, three of the LDF's infantry regiments, accompanied by two armored car regiments, rushed into combat. With the PRL's militant forces in disarray, they struggled to mount any successful resistance against the massive flood of LDF troops. By April 18th, the LDF was approaching Nustad, the capital of the PRL. In a desperate response, urged on by Office of Naval Intelligence advisers, shells and canisters containing VX7 nerve gas were released on the approaching LDF infantry units, causing thousands of casualties.

Fearing worse casualties if they advanced further and with the PRL threatening the continuing use of gas, General Albera ordered the units to pull back. At the same time, public outrage over the use of nerve gas exploded in the Republic. Suspected UNSC loyalists were lynched by angry mobs in small towns across the country, and the police, if they themselves were not supporting the killings, were hard-pressed to keep order. However, after several days, with rumors the remaining three infantry regiments and militias would be brought in to keep order, the violence subsided.

In response to the use of nerve gas, President Julian Edwards ordered Albera to carry out a "...ruthless and merciless retaliatory strike". Realizing the enemy's lack of air defenses from intelligence captured during PICKAXE, Albera and his officers organized an air campaign, involving all available air assets in the Defense Forces. On April 29th, Operation: SAVANNAH was launched. Over the next two and a half weeks, AV-12s and F/A-440s, accompanied by a B-65 Shortsword from the Victorian Independent Military over the final week, launched a massive air campaign in retaliation.

Utilizing information supplied by those Levosian agents still in the country, the campaign systematically eliminated every militia strongpoint, weapons dump, or any other targets deemed militarily significant. Due to the proximity of many of the targets to settlements, some collateral damage was caused by the air campaign.

At the end of the raids, coupled with the damage done by PICKAXE, the PRL's ability to wage war had been almost completely nullified. While many called for the PRL to be finished off by the Levosian forces, several concerns led to it being permitted to continue existing. The first among these was the real fear of another chemical attack, which, with the LDF weakened greatly after the previous attack, would only serve to weaken it further.

=Sanation (2544-2545)

"We shall march under this torch/The torch of eradicating communism"

―Two lines from a popular Levosian patriotic song

"The Army was God. No two ways about it. It was inconvenient sometimes, but I'd say they were all pretty level-headed, and it was nice to feel safe where we were. Justice was meted out, and we were protected."

―A Levosian citizen on the period of pseudo martial law that began under Sanation

With the war already having claimed thousands of lives, and fearing the UNSC would eventually use its actions as a casus belli, the Levosian government began working towards ways to undermine the PRL. In December of 2544, the Sanation Act was passed, comprising a set of laws designed to fulfill the Republic's goals. The first of these was the relaxation of restrictions on civil liberties and voting rights for those who had been stripped of them during the period of Deoonskiefication. Those who had lost their rights as a result of association with UNSC loyalists were automatically granted their rights back. Known UNSC loyalists were permitted to apply for the granting of those rights they had lost. However, this process did not have a guaranteed positive outcome, and those who did were required to be injected with nanomachines by the Levosian government in order to 'deter any subversive actions'. These nanomachine injections were in fact merely saline solutions, merely a placebo used for deterrence.

The second set of laws in the Sanation Act related to law enforcement. Previously, each of the brigades in the LDF were assigned to their respective barracks within the Republic, only called out as they were needed. With the Sanation Act, the LDF was now assigned to deployments in the settled areas of the Republic. Acting as the ultimate authority, the military acted as a failsafe in case of failure by the local law enforcement, however, especially in outlying areas with limited policing forces, the military soon became the only authority.

'The Dirty War' (2556-2561)

Operation: REPULSE (2556-2559)

"These were some hardcore fuckers. Wouldn't know it if you saw them though. They didn't look like macho holovid action stars with tons of scars and muscles. They were pretty unassuming, looked like anyone else you'd see on the streets. But they had experience with some seriously nasty warfare, and from what I saw, I'd say that I wouldn't want to go up against them."

―An LDF Captain's testimony on the mercenaries brought in by the Republic

As the campaigns against the triade of the Gilgamesh Free State, Victorian Independent State, and Glabetovan People's Republic came to an end, the United Nations Space Command turned its focus towards the Republic of Levosia. While plans for a conventional invasion were drawn up during the immediate period following the end of the Human-Covenant, intelligence reports at the time estimated that the Levosian military was purely conventional, and would be easily overwhelmed.

However, by 2556, the new intelligence painted a far bleaker picture. During the low-intensity counterinsurgency war, the Republic had acquired new capabilities. Chief among these was the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Through trade with the Venezian militia and other arms dealers, nearly one hundred nuclear weapons had been acquired by the Republic. While the majority of these were Fury tactical nuclear weapons, according to Office of Naval Intelligence reports, there were also a number of HORNET mines that were to hold back any invading force until Venezian naval reinforcements were to arrive. Beyond the nuclear capabilities, ONI reports indicated that the Republic had also acquired chemical weapons from unknown sources and had the means to deliver them in combat.

In light of the new intelligence, the UNSC decided against a conventional invasion. Instead, utilizing Prowlers, advisers, arms, and other supplies were sent to the PRL. Within months, the low-intensity conflict that had been faced by the Republic turned into a full-fledged counterinsurgency war, as PRL fighters crossed the border and launched attacks on outlying settlements and patrols. Requiring more and more troops on the border to keep attacks out, the Republic began looking for alternative solutions to help augment its troops. Baal Defense Solutions was initially considered, however, after their abandonment of the Gilgamesh Free State, their reputation among rebel groups was tarnished, and the proposal was soon dropped.

After several more proposals were put forth, most involving private military companies, finally, one was settled on in late 2556. The LDF put out feelers on Venezia and other known havens for former Insurrectionist fighters, looking for former soldiers, particularly from the Gilgamesh Free State, Victorian Independent State, and, to a lesser extent, the Glabetovan People's Republic. In return for the services provided, soldiers would be provided payment, citizenship, and safe haven from the UNSC. By February of 2557, several hundred had volunteered, and were formed into platoon-sized units known as Trackers. Deployed to the frontier, they were attached to regular LDF units, sent out to attack or track down PRL militants for strikes by the Levosian military.

The campaign that followed became nicknamed the 'Dirty War'. With most of its allies defeated by the UNSC, the Republic's measures to combat the PRL's insurgents became increasingly harsh. Despite this, the regular LDF's reputation remained largely untarnished by the war. This was not by accident. With a steady flow of mercenaries as more and more rebel groups were defeated and forced into hiding by the UNSC, they were tasked with operations in the mostly uninhabited areas where PRL militants tended to hide. Given free reign, they hunted insurgents with efficiency, and with their activities secluded, rarely, if ever, were their actions revealed.

In the meantime, the regular military continued to have a relatively untarnished image. Stationed in the borderlands, they were tasked with driving back any militant incursions, and, given information by those fighters hired by the Levosian government, hunting down larger militant concentrations.

For the next five years, besides the occasional militant patrol that would slip through the Levosian border and attack targets of opportunity they found, things remained relatively peaceful. In the meantime, the LDF continued to build up its strength as a regular force, mostly relying on their hired fighters for COIN operations against smaller rebel units.

Operation: THRASHER (2560-61)

After almost four years of counterinsurgency operations against encroaching PRL fighters, the Republic, running out of options, and with no end in sight to the war, looked towards escalation of force to finally destroy the PRL. Laying out a plan similar to Operation: SAVANNAH, the LDF was going to bring the full force of its military power, built up thanks to the low intensity of the past decades, to bear on the PRL. From October of 2559 to February of 2560, mercenaries and special operations troops were ordered into the PRL, with orders to identify concentrations of enemy fighters, and launch sabotage operations when possible to draw more enemies back from the front.

Meanwhile, invasion plans were drawn up. Fearing the use of gas again, the LDF's command envisioned THRASHER as an invasion that would cripple the LPA's command structure and any troop concentrations in a matter of hours, leaving only stragglers for the remaining forces to mop up. At the same time, those LDF units inserted for cross-border raids would launch raids to further sow confusion.

A group of airborne troops from the LDF shortly before THRASHER

Early on the morning of March 8th, THRASHER was launched. The Levosian Air Force began striking LPA and PRL targets in a similar manner as they had done in SAVANNAH, scattering the LPA's concentrations of regular troops. At the same time, the airmobile infantry regiments began dropping on their targets. Confused and thinking themselves surrounded by a superior force, many of the irregular LPA troops quickly surrendered. However, the units of regular troops, trained and equipped by the UNSC, withstood the initial strikes. Quickly regrouping, they began forming a cohesive defense, defeating the 1st Infantry Regiment (Airmobile) during its attempt to drop behind enemy lines, and forcing it to retreat in haste to avoid destruction.

These accomplishments were short-lived, as soon the remainder of the LDF's forces began moving into the PRL. Outnumbered, while their UNSC-supplied equipment was superior to the LDF's, the LPA's regulars were unable to form a cohesive front, relying on militias to fill in the gaps in their lines. As a result, the LDF directed the majority of its force towards to those areas of the line, with the remainder conducting holding actions against the LPA's regulars. Within days, the militia units were either in full retreat, or had been completely destroyed.

Immediately, the remainder of the Republic's forces flooded into the gaps into the line, isolating the LPA units. Over the next two weeks, they pressed the units with constant attacks from several directions to wear them down, leading to the surrender of the last regular units on March 21st. That same day, the Republic's government offered the PRL an offer of surrender.

While its military was almost completely combat-ineffective, the PRL refused, attempting to court direct military intervention from the UNSC. However, the UNSC was reluctant to do anything beyond what it already had. Unwilling to take the casualties that would result from an invasion of Levosia alongside what had already occurred on Venezia, they worked to play up the position of the Galactic People's Party as a fringe movement. This effort only helped by the clear majority held by the centrist Terracolonial Representative Party, which had consistently been the rival party to the GPP since the days of the Insurrection.

'The Hurricane' (2562-2567)

Slow Boil (2562-2564)

With the end of the campaign against the PRL, several reforms came in the Republic. Former citizens of the PRL were given a general amnesty, and their civil rights restored, with those who were deemed too guilty, like those taken prisoner during the war, were to be given the opportunity to argue their case to the Republic. Along with this, former low and mid-level PRL officials were given autonomy to govern in their regions. However, while this meant an acceptance of Republic rule by the average citizenry, with little oversight, many of the officials began to take bribes and allow the growth of criminal syndicates in their territories.

The troops of the Levosian Defense Force were, for the most part, demobilized in 2562, with the demobilized troops becoming reservists, prepared to be called up again if necessary. However, the soldiers returned to a changed home. Many soldiers found their sacrifices forgotten by a population that, having not been under direct threat, cared little for the fighting against the PRL. Worse yet, with the Republic's focus having been mainly on the war against the PRL for the past several decades and reconciliation with the PRL in the postwar period, the local governments of the Republic's major cities had been hard-pressed to keep a handle on crime. As a result, many had become hubs of crime and vice. Aiming to rectify these wrongs, former officers and soldiers of the LDF, as well as other dissatisfied citizens, formed the Levosian Reform Party. The LRP, while it was officially only committed to ensuring the upkeep of the Republic, was particularly interested in bringing back the policies of Deoonskiefication and instituting the same military policing that had occurred in the frontier regions in the core regions of the Republic.

Quickly rallying public support, the LRP began demanding a referendum on the current government. From 2563 to late 2564, negotiations were held between the Reformists and the coalition government of the Sanation Party, with the Levosian Independence Party, the political evolution of the LRF, involved as a neutral party, although it was partial to the LRP. Initial headway was made, but the Sanation Party soon stonewalled, refusing any kinds of concessions, and certainly not a referendum. With no progress made, the delegates of the LRP walked from the conference in August, with the LIP following in early September.

Operation: HURRICANE (2564-2565)

Coup d'Etat

With the political situation coming to a boiling point, the LDF's high command began secretly conferring on what to do. Many held sympathies for the Reformists, frustrated at what they had fought for seemingly being taken away from them by a government incapable of enforcing order even in its own core, instead focusing on reconciliation with an enemy they had fought for nearly twenty years against. With worsening troubles, and the government continuing on its course, the LDF's High Command secretly drew up plans for a military coup to put the LRP into power.

On December 23rd, with the majority of the Levosian government absent due to the holidays, a mobilization notice was covertly put out to reservists in the core regions of the Republic, and troops within the former PRL and on the frontier were put on alert for an upcoming operation, the cover story being that a possible militant incursion had been reported in their sectors. This was not out of the question, as such incursions had been sporadically occurring. To further complete the illusion, units of Levosian commandos carried out pseudoterrorist operations, setting debris aflame and randomly firing their weapons to give the impressions attacks were occurring on isolated areas of the frontier to any nearby units.

By December 28th, the mobilization had been completed, and on January 2nd, the first day that government officials were required to return to work, Operation: HURRICANE was initiated. In the capital city of Vamstad, troops stormed the Diet and other major government offices in the capital. As the coup took place, the leader of the Reformists, Marcus Wilkins, went on live television to deliver an address, that with the incapacitation of the current government, the Reform Party would take over, and that until order had been restored, a state of martial law was to exist.

All across the Republic, the Defense Force sacked selected government officials, replacing them with those from the Reformists, brought local law enforcement to heel with the new government, and other actions to bring in the new authority. In the former PRL, soldiers descended upon the assembly areas where former LPA soldiers awaited their opportunity to argue their case to the Republic. The prisoners were taken aboard trucks and moved further into the Republic, where they were placed in permanent detention centers until their trials and sentencing.

While in the Republic, civilian government officials, save for the higher levels and hardliners of the Sanationists, remained in authority to give an air of legality to the LDF's takeover, in the states of the occupied PRL, military governorships were established.

'Internal War' (2565-2567)

"As the criminals you are being deployed against are working against the interests of the Republic, they are to be considered nonuniformed enemy combatants. Deadly force is authorized, and standard protocols for prisoners of war do not apply unless done so at the discretion of the immediate commanding officer."

―Paragraph from a memo during the LDF's reign of martial law

Only days following the takeover, a state of limited martial law was declared within the Republic proper. In Operation: TANGENT, the Levosian military's remaining forces were deployed to the major settlements within the Republic, with the commanding officers given orders to wipe the streets of all crime as they deemed fit. The military, experienced from the hard-fought campaign against the PRL, quickly went to work dismantling both large syndicates and small gangs. With the psychological strain of waging MOUT keenly evident to the military's high command, often it was units that had seen the heaviest fighting during the Border War that spearheaded the assaults, utilizing the logic that they were the most likely to not only be successful, but also to destroy the syndicates so thoroughly that only die-hards would remain fighting.

The gambit paid off. Declaring the criminals nonuniformed combatants, the military became infamous for completely eradicating syndicates, occasionally arresting their leaders and their lieutenants, while eliminating the rest. In one publicized instance, the final remnants of a gang known as the Black Masks, numbering about fifty, surrendered to a company from the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Once the leader and his lieutenants were arrested, Captain Robert Pierce, the company commander, ordered the remainder shot, an order which was obeyed. While actual instances of mass executions were rare, the Levosian government purposefully sensationalized them to strike fear into those who would resist.

By June of 2566, the war on crime had become slow, and the military was turned to Operation: SANATION. This involved the military keeping a handle on 'moral scourges' within their area of jurisdiction. While larger businesses like human or drug trafficking had become all but extinct due to the destruction of the syndicates who had practiced them, domestic abuse of both people and pets, prostitution, and other small-time, but equally grave, crimes remained. Still with their mandate from the war against the syndicates, the military treated SANATION in much the same way. Acting on tips from neighbors or from catching someone in the act, the investigating soldiers would decide if the suspect was indeed guilty, as well as punishment.

The nature of the crimes, as well as the relative immunity soldiers held, led to a number of human rights violations. While the military was officially to only hand over criminals to local law enforcement, often the soldiers dealt with crimes immediately, and often severely.

While the methods utilized were often heavy-handed and led to the military being resented by a portion of the population, the great majority were either indifferent or took a positive position on the operations. At the same time, in order to foster a positive view, the Levosian government began creating jobs in poorer areas to deter those from turning to crime.

In 2567, to the shock of many in the Republic and elsewhere, the military government stepped down, stating that the internal enemy had been subdued. However, many of their curtailments of civil liberties remained. For example, military governorships remained in the former area of the PRL, and voting rights were curtailed, although only including known UNSC sympathizers and not their families, although the latter would come under suspicion and could still lose their rights.

Post Commonwealth Act (2567-2589)

Internal Unrest

By the early 2570s, opposition to the Levosian government's refusal to accept the Commonwealth Act was growing, particularly among the younger generations who had not had their perception colored by the Border War and the anti-UNSC conflicts. Initially starting out as grassroots organizations, the activism soon turned into protests on university campuses and in those urban areas affected by the internal war on crime during the 2560s. Initially, the protests were regarded as little more than nuisances by the government, and they were handled by local police forces. However, as time went on, extremism began to take hold, and protests began for the government to release those prisoners taken during the war on crime, and for some, to end the occupation of the PRL. Tensions came to a head in 2574 with a string of attacks and protests against the Levosian Defense Forces. The first was an assault on the graduating class from the Levosian Army Officer Academy during their parade through the capital of Vamstad. While no deaths occurred, the throwing of rocks and feces by the protestors at the newly-minted officers caused an outcry among veterans and the families of soldiers who had fallen in the Border War and internal conflicts.

The government, using the outcry as an excuse to clamp down on the unrest, detached military police units from each of the LDF's regiments and placed them on university campuses and around other centers of unrest under the auspices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. By July, these military police units were overwhelmed, and later that month, the Levosian Defense Force liaison building on the campus of Hoodbeck University, which acted as a recruiting office to draw in more officer candidates to the LDF, was burned to the ground in protest. In response, the Levosian Army deployed a battalion from the 2nd Armored Car Regiment to the university grounds to prevent any further damage. This only inflamed tensions, and while there was peace for some time, in early September when classes began, massive protests began against the Army's presence.

Militant Groups and Response

These protests eventually led to the Hoodbeck Massacre on September 12th. The protestors, growing increasingly violent, began to throw rocks, and according to some accounts, petrol bombs at military vehicles, wounding several troops. On the university's grounds, an estimated 1,500 protestors, both students and outside activists, began protesting at the same time, continuing to throw rocks at the soldiers sent to oversee them. Finally, at 1400 Hours, with several more light vehicles having been set disabled by petrol bombs, the company commander, Captain Julian Bylon, ordered his troops to fire. The ensuing fired killed between 200-300 protestors, with an unknown number wounded.

In response, more militant groups of students and sympathizers formed across the Republic. As the protests mounted, the crackdowns became harsher and harsher. With protest proving fruitless, the groups eventually turned to more extreme measures, occupying Hoodbeck University and other locations across the Republic, ranging from educational institutions and government buildings to forming makeshift communes on farmland. The government, unwilling to negotiate, took the occupations instead as a way to eradicate the groups.

Deploying the military, LDF troops stormed the various occupied sites on April 1st. While many of the groups gave up without a fight upon being fired upon by the military, there were several instances of bloodshed, most only involving single-digit numbers of students and troops killed or wounded, but two major incidents occurred. At Hoodbeck University, the groups of fighters, supported and trained by remnants of the People's Republic of Levosia, opened fire on a column of vehicles from the 2nd Armored Car Regiment. Unwilling to engage in house-to-house fighting, the vehicles began firing into every building that fire was coming from. Several hours later, the fighting was over, and nearly three quarters of the campus' buildings had been gutted by fire from the column.

Another incident was the Raid on Belkville, a commune named after the First Secretary of the Levosian People's Republic, Peter Belk. Initially approached by a column from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the troops encountered heavy resistance, and retreated, calling for backup. Raided by a Fireforce stick from 2nd Infantry Regiment (Airmobile) utilizing the same tactics deployed decades earlier, they quickly set about eliminating all resistance.

Images of the troopers burning Belkville and dead fighters from other violent incidents quickly spread to UNSC-controlled space, and there was an uproar among humanitarian organizations, urging the UEG to do something about the Republic's conduct.

While the UEG issued public statements against the Republic and began blockading the planet to satisfy public opinion, it did little to curb the government's actions. Levosia was a vast planet, and besides its industrial and mining base, the Republic had undertaken initiatives during its internal war to build necessary infrastructure and encourage agriculture within its original core territories. As a result, the blockades did little to affect the everyday lives of the Republic's citizens.

Militarily, the blockade had more of an effect, as it ensured that no military material or replacement parts made it to the colony. While the Republic was able to arm its military with domestically-made small arms like the LA1 rifle, keeping its vehicles in repair was to prove more difficult. While stocks of spare parts had been kept in case of such emergencies, the military and government were unsure as to how long the blockade would last, and if their stocks would last them through it.

Negotiations and Recognition

In 2578, with their actions having no effect on the Republic, it putting down any militia groups, and the Outer Colonies Crisis having left the UEG's covert action agencies much less useful against rebel organizations, the UEG sent a message to the Republic of Levosia requesting to open diplomatic channels for negotiations regarding recognition. The Republic agreed, and negotiations began on the Commonwealth colony of Victoria in September of that year.

The Levosian delegation opened the negotiations with a diplomatic broadside, demanding the unconditional full recognition of the Republic, opening of trade, and for the UEG to supply troops to put down any possible covertly-backed uprisings. The UEG refused the motion, instead proposing that they would recognize the Republic and open trade, but that they would have to grant universal suffrage with no exceptions.

The Republic dismissed the third article of recognition, stating that universal suffrage would come in the future, its delegates gently reminding the UEG of the rich mineral resources the colony had in order to negotiate from a position of strength. They countered with a request to open trade and recognize the Republic. Finally, the UEG offered the Republic that they would accept that, however, they wanted preferential access to the mineral resources.

Finally, the Republic accepted, under the condition that Levosian officials would be permitted to see to it that the resources were not being used in endeavors that would harm the Republic, a requirement that the UEG accepted. The Treaty of Victoria was signed on April 15th, to come into effect at 0000 Hours local time, on the 41st anniversary of the original establishment of the Republic. At midnight, jubilation erupted across the Republic, the population flooding the streets in displays of patriotism. After over 40 years of conflict, the Republic was finally a recognized state, and, for the most part, at peace.