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"I am responsible for myself and my actions; I shall conduct myself honorably, and live a clean and frugal life. I have responsibilities to my fellow citizens. I shall be loyal to them, and humble, because we are elements of a greater whole, and without them I am nothing, I have responsibilities to our society; I shall understand and respect my place in it, defend it, and work to make it prosperous, so that I may receive society's protection, and that we may hand on safety and prosperity to future generations."
—The Octus Canon, founding principles of the Coalition, as handed down by the Allfathers, and recited by every citizen[6]

The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), colloquially shortened into the Coalition, was a supranational and intergovernmental military collective originating on the planet Sera during the Age of Silence.[1][2][18][35] Following the discovery of the fuel source known as Imulsion, the visionary statesmen of eight sovereign nations—collectively referred to as the Allfathers—united their homelands into the Coalition in order to protect their Imulsion reserves from competing powers.[36][37][38] The guiding principles of this new alliance were outlined in the Octus Canon, which resulted in a political doctrine that championed collectivism, militarism, and nationalism.[2][6][39][40] Headquartered in the Tyran capital of Ephyra, the Coalition originally permitted its members representation in the deliberative body known as the Council of Sovereigns; however, the pressure of nearly omnipresent warfare resulted in its eventual dissolution, solidifying power in the hands of its executive—the Chairman—and military leadership.[1][41][42][43]

Several decades after the discovery of Imulsion, the Coalition experienced the first major threat to its existence.[44] Following the collapse of the global economy, the Union of Independent Republics (UIR)—a military alliance of Imulsion-poor nations—attempted to seize control of the global Imulsion supply from the Coalition, launching a seventy-nine year conflict known as the Pendulum Wars.[44][45] The two sides fought one another to a stalemate before the Coalition captured the schematics for an orbital superweapon—the Hammer of Dawn—in the Battle of Aspho Fields.[12][44] With assistance from the physicist Adam Fenix, the Coalition successfully weaponized the technology, deploying the Hammer of Dawn against the UIR in the Battle of Bonbourg and convincing its leadership to surrender.[46][47] Although some small holdouts refused to accept the armistice, the Pendulum Wars ended and the majority of the planet experienced peace for the first time in nearly a century.[1][44][48] The victorious Coalition emerged from this conflict as the dominant superpower on Sera.[44]

Six weeks after the conclusion of the Pendulum Wars, the Locust emerged from their underground strongholds, attacking the surface and massacring nearly a quarter of the human population on Emergence Day.[​12]​​ The Locust continued their assault over the following year—destroying entire nations, capturing major industrial centers, and severing the global communications network.[​1]​[​32]​[​33]​​ As humanity approached annihilation, Tomas Dalyell died of a heart attack, elevating his deputy—Richard Prescott—to the office of Chairman.[49] Among his first actions in office, the new Chairman recalled the military to the safety of the province of Ephyra and solidified his control over the civilian population through the Fortification Act.[1][50] These actions foreshadowed the Hammer of Dawn strikes that Chairman Prescott ordered three days later. Targeting every major population center located outside of the Jacinto Plateau, these devastating orbital strikes massacred over ninety percent of the population in an attempt to save humanity from near-certain extinction.[50] This desperate attack scorched the surface of the planet and destroyed the remnants of human civilization, but ultimately failed to defeat the Locust Horde.[51]

Following the Hammer of Dawn strikes, the Locust launched a major assault against the Jacinto Plateau, thrusting the Coalition into a defensive war over the following fourteen years.[44][50] Although the Lightmass Offensive and Operation Hollow Storm inflicted heavy casualties on the Locust, the Coalition experienced significant setbacks throughout these years, including the capture of its capital, Ephyra, and the sinking of Jacinto.[44][52][53] The Coalition relocated its capital to Vectes Island; however, the onset of the Lambent Pandemic, combined with the sudden disappearance of Chairman Prescott, proved impossible to overcome, scattering its remaining military forces and resulting in the official dissolution of the Coalition.[25][18] Despite its apparent defeat, the Coalition ultimately emerged triumphant following its deployment of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon in the Second Battle of Azura.[54] This weapon of mass destruction crystallized the Locust and destroyed the source of the Lambent, securing a future for the remnants of humanity.[12][54]

After the conclusion of the Locust War, Anya Stroud and her successor—Mina Jinn—oversaw the process of reforming the Coalition, adopting the title of First Minister.[12][31] Although colloquially referred to as the New COG, this iteration of the Coalition emphasized many of the same principles as its predecessor, including its authoritarianism, militarism, and natalism.[12][55] The walled metropolis of New Ephyra served as the political and economic headquarters of the reformed Coalition, hosting important government ministries—including the Ministry of Settlements and Ministry of Procreation—alongside major corporations.[31][56] Through the construction of settlements, the Coalition attempted to repopulate and rebuild the planet; however, these plans for expansion antagonized groups of extremely independent settlers known as the Outsiders.[12][31] These secessionist settlers regularly raided Coalition settlements over the following years, eventually provoking the Coalition into open conflict after the sudden disappearance of significant numbers of its citizens.[5][12] The Coalition ultimately discovered the true source of these abductions after its own military came under attack from a new opponent—the Swarm.[12][57]

History[]

Formation of the Coalition[]

Age of Silence[]

"How does a nation realize power? Spirit waning, light fading at the twelfth hour, an age of silence loudening, our way of life floundering, could it be the end, our time now expiring? But then, a glimmer of hope: a new energy, a promise to make our miseries only a memory."
—Lyrics from the opening song of Embry: The Musical[58]

Since the commencement of recorded history, the contiguous continental system unique to Sera encouraged seemingly interminable warfare between its inhabitants.[59][60] Throughout the millennia-long period of armed contention commonly referred to as the Age of Armageddon, the nations of the planet fought against one another in order to achieve dominion over its limited natural resources, which nearly resulted in the outbreak of a globe-spanning conflict.[19][59] This ferocious historical period witnessed the militaristic monarchy of Tyrus attempt to accomplish its imperialist ambitions through the conquest of the South Islands—an archipelago located in the middle of the expansive Serano Ocean.[61][62] Although the South Islanders challenged the incursion into their territories, the Archipelago War devastated their tropical environment, allowing the Tyrans to conquer and colonize the archipelago.[61][62][63] The immense destruction generated by the vicious conflict convinced several future luminaries of the necessity of replacing the contemporary international order.[58][61]

Following centuries of increasing resource scarcity, the dawn of the Age of Silence—an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity—delivered a solution to the international energy crisis.[36] After the discovery of a luminescent substance beneath the planetary surface, Dr. Helen Cooper developed the Lightmass Process in order to transform this previously worthless substance into an inexhaustible and inexpensive source of energy known as Imulsion.[19][36] These significant scientific discoveries rendered alternative energy sources almost completely obsolete, resulting in a radical overhaul of the contemporary energy dynamic.[36][64][65] Throughout the subsequent decades, the countries of the planet competed against one another in an effort to acquire increasingly larger portions of the international Imulsion reserves, generating an unprecedented economic boom colloquially referred to as the Gold Rush.[19][36] Those nations possessing significant quantities of Imulsion, such as Kashkur and Pelles, greatly enriched themselves in the process.[36][66][67]

Alexiy-Desipich-manuel-portrait

In his Austere Canon, the socialist philosopher Alexiy Desipich developed a new political doctrine that served as the intellectual foundation of the Coalition.

Although the Tyran economy flourished following the discovery of Imulsion, a leading contemporary philosopher feared the potential side effects of this sudden influx of material wealth.[68][36] Seeking to reverse the moral decline of Tyrus, the socialist intellectual—Alexiy Desipich—authored an anthology of political volumes commonly referred to as the Austere Canon.[68] Through these philosophical writings, Desipich outlined a political doctrine designed to reorient Tyran society towards the traditional virtues of order, faith, labor, diligence, loyalty, purity, honor, and humility.[68] The reestablishment of these virtues represented the first objective in a messianic mission entrusting the Tyran people with the formation of a new international order.[68]

Despite its limited mass appeal immediately after publication, the Austere Canon inspired the creation of a minor political party, achieving a platform for the ideas expressed within its pages.[68] Through the campaigns of this political party, these ideas achieved significant influence within the estates of the aristocratic dynasties that dominated important political, economic, and military positions across Tyrus.[68][69] These families produced many of the charismatic politicians responsible for popularizing the Austere Canon and its political doctrine throughout the Tyran population.[68][69]

Following these political and economic developments, the nation of Tyrus experienced a socio-political renaissance that transformed the nation into an international powerhouse.[59] Although the royal dynasties of Tyrus previously entrenched themselves within mountainous strongholds, the discovery of Imulsion financed the erection of monumental metropoles, including the new national capital of Ephyra and the economic hub of Jacinto.[70][71][72] This newfound financial affluence similarly allowed the Tyran military—later represented by famous infantry units such as the 26th Royal Tyran Infantry and the Duke of Tollen's Regiment—to modernize into a highly-disciplined and professional force.[73] Despite their renowned disapproval of political disorder, the Tyran populace increasingly questioned the anachronistic social compact governing their relationship with the monarchy.[59][74] This political dillusionment ultimately provoked the abolishment of the ancient institution, resulting in the establishment of a democratic government controlled by the former aristocracy.[2][69][75]

Nassar Embry and the Allfathers[]

"When the Lightmass Process enabled energy from Imulsion, the concepts of Desipich suddenly became relevant. It was now possible to live in a world that allowed for Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith, and Humility. Embry saw the abundance afforded by the Lightmass Process and united these ideas with the reality technology enabled. He saw technology offering us the opportunity to create the future as a better place."
—Lieutenant Damon Baird[76]

Although Imulsion increasingly powered important infrastructure throughout the planet, the revolutionary substance only occurred naturally in a small minority of nations.[36][77] This natural disparity contributed to the substantial intensification of global economic inequality that ultimately destroyed the international balance of power.[45] The economic relationship between the neighboring countries of Kashkur and Vasgar emphatically illustrated the growth in inequality that followed the discovery of Imulsion.[36][66] Despite their shared location alongside the strategic Eastern Central Massif, the historic nation of Kashkur possessed approximately one-fifth of the international Imulsion reserves, while the neighboring nation of Vasgar depended on the extensive system of Kashkuri pipelines to maintain its energy supply.[77][66][78] These types of unbalanced relationships increasingly manifested throughout the international system, resulting in political and financial resentment towards nations that possessed significant quantities of the revolutionary energy source.[19][36]

As the disparity in Imulsion production continued to polarize Sera, the militaristic monarchy of Tyrus emerged as a major political powerhouse. Through its significant Imulsion reserves and powerful military, the reactionary nation increasingly appeared as the sole guarantor of international order in the eyes of its Imulsion-producing neighbors. The charismatic statesman Nassar Embry sought to capitalize on this image of strength in order to secure the political and economic future of his nation, proposing the creation of a supranational military alliance capable of deterring threats to the status quo. Hoping to maintain their monopoly over the global Imulsion supply, the leaders of KashkurSarfuthDushin, and Tyrus—later referred to as the Allfathers—agreed to consolidate their resources into a new sociopolitical collective. This resulted in the official formation of the Coalition of Ordered Governments.

Nassar Embry UE

As Allfather Prime, Nassar Embry united the Imulsion-rich nations of Sera in a military alliance known as the Coalition of Ordered Governments.

Although the Allfathers envisioned the new supranational government as a means to protect the economic interests of their nations, the Coalition of Ordered Governments represented a political project as well. Following the official formation of the coalition, the Allfathers authored an authoritarian constitution—the Octus Canon—that established its system of government and political ideology. The decentralized government that emerged from this constitution sought to preserve national independence within its structure, granting its member-states considerable autonomy over their internal affairs. Throughout the early years of the coalition, the leaders of these nations served in the Council of Sovereigns, which determined alliance policy through unanimous votes and selected the executive from among its ranks. This executive—the Chairman—possessed little power, serving as a mediator between the various heads of state and overseeing the implementation of their decisions.

Despite incorporating the socialist principles developed by Alexiy Desipich, the Octus Canon supported the authoritarian culture of the coalition and its member-states, transforming the meaning of these principles to support its reactionary ideology. Through the symbolism of the machine, the leaders of the coalition encouraged a communitarian ethos among its citizens that upheld the stratification of power. The mixture of reactionary and socialist ideologies resulted in domestic policies stressing the importance of absolute obedience to the state. As a result of their important roles in the formation of the coalition, the Founding Families—an important and powerful clique of aristocratic families—dominated the upper echelons of this new state. These families controlled important political, corporate, and military positions throughout the coalition, allowing these families to shape its political ideology in their favor. The result was a powerful combination of authoritarianism, industrialism, and militarism.

Pendulum Wars[]

Global Economic Crash[]

"The myth, the miracle: the fuel they call Imulsion, now a craze, a mania, a worldwide compulsion. Tensions now on the rise, everyone knows the prize, hatred in each other's eyes, everywhere an ugly guise. It must be Armageddon's reprise, 'cause he who hesitates dies."
—Lyrics from the opening song of Embry: The Musical[58]

Seventy-Nine Years of Warfare[]

"This isn't like the Pendulum Wars. This isn't a case of whether we'll be occupied and whether we'll all end up speaking Pellesian or Ostrian. It isn't a case of how we'll handle being swallowed up by an enemy empire."
—Colonel Victor Hoffman[79]

The Pendulum Wars was a 79-year conflict between the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the Union of Independent Republics. The war was massive, stretched across nearly eight decades that took place across most of Sera.[80][81]

During the Pendulum Wars on Sera, the COG was responsible for peacekeeping and helping those in need, gaining strength and popularity rapidly, eventually becoming the chief political faction and reaching superpower status.[citation needed] While the war raged on, the political party issued many decrees and acts that gained them credit as well as widespread fame.[citation needed] During the Pendulum Wars, the COG built a series of hidden bunkers, including Cherrit, to keep cultural information safe and provide safe houses for leaders.[82] The COG also built a secret facility on Azura, where they placed people of great importance and/or use; the COG's elite. The people who were placed on Azura came from all different kinds of backgrounds, including government members and politicians, members of the armed forces, scientists and the social elite, and brought their families with them. The purpose of Azura was to safeguard people, information and historical records, historical and cultural aspects of the COG and technology, essentially anyone, anything and everything the COG considered extremely significant who could potentially help rebuild Sera if it was wiped out in global destruction due to the Pendulum Wars.[83][84]

UIR-COG Armistice[]

"At 1000 hours hours this morning, the Union of Independent Republics signed a formal surrender to the Coalition of Ordered Governments and concluded a peace treaty. It is with profound relief that I tell you the Pendulum Wars are now at an end, and that the COG and UIR will embark on a program of reconciliation and rebuilding."
—Chairman Tomas Dalyell[85]

The Locust War[]

Emergence Day[]

"When valiant COG forces captured the UIR's plans for the Hammer of Dawn, we ensured our survival in the worst conflict our world had yet known. But only two years later, a new horror. A new enemy. A new war. By nightfall, hundreds of thousands were dead. 'Emergence Day' had earned its name."
—First Minister Mina Jinn[5]

Six weeks after the Pendulum Wars ended,[86] on one fateful day for Humanity, the Locust Horde emerged from the underground warrens of Sera in a surprise, full-scale, planetary assault what would soon become known as Emergence Day. The Locust Horde invaded almost every single major city, in what was a campaign of rapid dominance. On the first day alone, a quarter of the total human population was killed.[87]

After the first day, reports streamed in that said that untold masses of men, women and children have been butchered since the first day. At first, humanity had absolutely no idea who or what their new enemy was, or where they had come from. COG scientists had quickly begun to attempt to study their new enemy, and their new enemy was now referred to as the Locust Horde.[88] The first image was noted as being taken within forty-five minutes within the first emergence on E-Day.[89]

The COG struggled to take quick action against their new enemy. The Locusts' surprise assault caught Humanity and the COG off guard. They rallied to war only too late, with the Locust already dominating the majority of Sera's urban, military, and industrial centers. Given the Locust habit of looting captured cities and fallen enemies and using their stolen assets in their war against the Humans, COG troops and other nation's troops had a little kit to use to the Locust troops' habit of looting resources and the rapid fall of territory.

Destruction of Halvo Bay[]

Main article: Destruction of Halvo Bay
HalvoBay

Halvo Bay burning as the Locust Horde destroy the city.

The Destruction of Halvo Bay took place six weeks after Emergence Day, and was one of the largest battles to occur during the early years of the Locust War.[90]

Thousands of Gears and Onyx Guard troops began mobilizing across Halvo Bay to defend the city and help evacuate civilians. Defensive lines were set up at notable military locations, such as the Museum of Military Glory, Onyx Point, Halvo Bay Military Academy and Endeavor Naval Shipyard. Evacuation centers were set up across the city, including one at Halvo Bay airport. Originally, Brigadier General D. Rovik was in charge of the COG military forces in Halvo Bay and supervising the evacuation of the civilian population, but at some time during the early parts of the battle, he was killed. Command was assigned to Colonel Ezra P. Loomis. As the battle continued, General Karn, who just returned from his victory in the Republic of Gorasnaya, ordered an attack on the city's airport to disrupt the evacuation process and to spread the COG's forces thin. Onyx Point, the Onyx Guard Military Academy and the Endeavor Naval Shipyard were also attacked, and all fell to the Horde.[90]

Enactment of the Fortification Act[]

Main article: Fortification Act
"As all of Sera has learned, peace is fragile. This new, ruthless enemy has rendered most of Sera's leaders either helpless or dead. This enemy believes Sera is finished. Some in the Coalition of Ordered Governments also seem to believed Sera is finished-a sick, feeble animal waiting for slaughter. But today, citizens of Sera, we- Tyrus, the heart of the Coalition- will take back our planet. To ensure your safety and cooperation, we are reinstating the Fortification Act. All of Sera will be under martial law. No one is exempt. Survivors should immediately start evacuating to Ephyra. These unclean creatures, these Locust, are unable to penetrate Jacinto's granite base. Therefore, in Jacinto, we are safe for now. We won't let this rampage go further or surrender power. The Coalition will employ Sera's entire arsenal of Orbital beam weapons to scorch all Locust-infested areas. For those citizens who cannot make it to Jacinto, the Coalition appreciates your sacrifice. Please forgive us. This is the only way."
—Chairman Richard Prescott, 30th day of Bloom, 1 A.E., announcing the reinstating of the Fortification Act and the plan to use the Hammer of Dawn

[91][92]

Many of the COG's member nations had fallen to the Horde, with the main political leaders killed off by the Locust. Suddenly, Chairman Dalyell died of a heart attack, which left Richard Prescott elected as Chairman by the Council of Sovereigns.[93] Prescott had begun to contact the remaining leaders of the COG member nations who were still alive, asking them to help him in an attack on the main Locust holes in Tyrus. All of the political leaders had denied his request with the exception of the leaders of the South Islands.[94] Due to these circumstances, Chairman Richard Prescott saw only one solution: a combination of a scorched-earth and asset-denial strategy using the Hammer of Dawn orbital-based satellite array to deny the Locust total victory, and a declaration of martial law through the Fortification Act to organize and rebuild what was left of humanity.

On the 30th day of Bloom, one year after the E-Day attack, the Council of Sovereigns passed the Fortification Act,[87] which was highly popular (in COG controlled areas) but limited personal freedoms, levied all able-bodied men into the military, and Rationed all food supplies.[95] It also allowed the COG Department of Conscription handle all former Stranded, and turned them into conscripts.[95][52] Women that couldn't give birth were placed in either non-combat positions such as pilots, medics or Control operators, or took part in "war work" by working in factories and hospitals. The majority of the women who could give birth entered "breeding farms" and received extra rations for doing their part in repopulating the human race.[80][95][96] The COG leaders also ordered the evacuation of all survivors towards the Jacinto Plateau, a safe-haven from the Locust Horde who could not penetrate it as easily from below due to a base of thick, solid granite. The survivors had three days to get to the Jacinto Plateau, and then the COG would deploy the Hammer of Dawn, a system of orbital-based satellite laser weapons.[91][92]

Hammer of Dawn Strikes[]

Main article: Hammer of Dawn Strikes
Hammerofdawn

The Hammer of Dawn Counterattack begins.

After three days, the COG finally deployed the Hammer of Dawn. Those unable to escape were issued the following message:

"For those citizens who cannot make it to Jacinto, the Coalition appreciates your sacrifice. Please forgive us, this is the only way."
—Coalition of Ordered Governments

The orbital-based satellite laser weapons known as the Hammer of Dawn were deployed and fired all over Sera, burning away all Locust occupied areas—and the unfortunate civilians who were unable to evacuate in the three days they were given to reach Jacinto.[97] Humans stalled the E-Day invasion, but at a terrible cost. Nearly 90% of Sera's surface was left a barren wasteland while the Locust, secure in their subterranean cavern homes, survived. The war would continue for over 15 long and bloody years.[98][99] The actions of the COG on E-Day would forever brand them Fascists in the eyes of the Stranded.[100]

Battle of Ephyra[]

Main article: Battle of Ephyra
Prelude[]

With the war at the tenth year, appearing to be at a standstill, the Locust were gearing up and preparing their forces for a massive assault on the city of Ephyra. The Locust started building railways and bridges near the city in order to move troops near the city.[101] The COG sensed a future Locust assault on Ephyra, and readied their defenses around the city. Some, including Augustus Cole, said that the battle would be a big one, and would come sooner or later.

The Battle[]
"..KR-Four, Reavers, inbound at...Exchequer...Prince's...at least a thousand."
—KR Four-Nine reporting the second visual of Locust forces moving into Ephyra. [102]

Eventually, the big one came, and the city of Ephyra was about to face one of the most significant battles of the war. The Locust poured a huge number of their military forces into the attack, which included more than ten thousand Drones and Boomers, at least one thousand Reavers[102] and numerous numbers of Brumaks[103] and Corpsers. The fighting in Ephyra was heavy, and was extremely bloody and destructive, as Ephyra was both the capital city of Tyrus and the capital city of the Coalition of Ordered Governments.

Seismic activity was beginning to be recorded, and Lieutenant Anya Stroud called into all COG units, saying that Locust forces were beginning to come up through the sewer system, and were about one kilometer from Correll Square.

Eventually, the Locust broke through the surface of Ephyra, and soon, the entire city was under attack, and the whole city was on alert. The COG was completely caught by surprise because they believed that the Locust were either going to come up through the sewer system or across land. The Locust came up through the metro stations, using a massive force of plus ten thousand Drones and Boomers, plus one thousand Reavers and many Brumaks and Corpsers. At first, COG High Command and the COG Intelligence Agency believed that the Locust Horde would have been forced to move across the surface in order to assault the city, but since the metro stations were shut down, surveillance and recon was not in effect, the Locust were able to find an open fissure in which to breach through. That fissure also extended beyond the plateau, so it was most likely unidentified by COG intelligence agents and geologists, so the combination between the fissure being unidentified and the metro stations not being monitored gave the Locust an advantage in the fight. The Locust came up through most if not all of the metro stations, which included Old Exchequer, the Museum Plaza, Prince's Street and Forbridge. As soon as the Locust Horde erupted from underground, all communications were lost and the communication networks went down, including the main military network, so the En-COG network had to be set up to be used as the primary communications network.[102][104] At Correll Street, the Locust burst through the ground using a Corpser, and Drones and Boomers followed, and a firefight ensued in the streets. At first, the fight involved small-arms fire, then it quickly turned into hand-to-hand combat. As the fire-fight continued, Marcus Fenix sharply noticed that the E-hole the Locust came out of broke a gas pipeline that ran under the street. Marcus tossed a fragmentation grenade into the E-hole, setting off a massive explosion that knocked back all of the COG soldiers, shredded the street apart and killed all of the Locust. The COG troops reported back to the mobile headquarters and learned that the entire city was under attack by Locust forces and that they were coming up through the metro stations, not from the sewer systems or from across the land. Marcus requested that he and his squad check out the Bank of Tyrus to check for survivors, and after waiting for a few minutes for the King Ravens, Colonel Victor Hoffman, Dominic Santiago, Jace Stratton and Tai Kaliso to head down Almar Street to head over to the Bank of Tyrus.[105]

The COG was pulling back, but they weren't pulling out; they weren't beaten just yet.[106] Eventually, groups of COG forces fell back towards Chancery Bridge, as Locust forces were advancing across the bridge and pushing to take the city. As the groups of COG forces stationed at Chancery Bridge were preparing to defend the area, Colonel Victor Hoffman planned to use the Hammer of Dawn to take down the bridge, which would partially halt the Locust advance across the bridge. During this time, Seargent Marcus Fenix received a distress call from his father, Adam Fenix; the Locust were attacking East Barricade and Haldane Hall, and Adam Fenix was in trouble. Hoffman ordered Marcus to stay where he was, but Marcus disobeyed him, punched him in the face, and called in a King Raven to take him to Haldane Hall. Marcus took the targeting optic for the Hammer of Dawn targeting device with him but left the rest of the HOD equipment back at the head of Chancery Bridge. The COG forces at the bridge were unable to use the Hammer of Dawn, and Hoffman's plan had failed.

Aftermath[]
StubIcon This article is a Stub and needs your help. Please improve it by adding more information.
Eventually, Southern Ephyra was lost to the Locust Horde, and the evacuation of the city population was successful.[107] The northern part of Jacinto and several other towns and cities were now the last bastions of the Coalition of Ordered Governments and of humanity.

Lightmass Offensive[]

Main article: Lightmass Offensive

Having completed the Lightmass Bomb, the COG decided to launch the Lightmass Offensive in an attempt to use the bomb to destroy the Hollow and the Locust themselves. Heading this effort was Alpha Squad and Delta-One. After most of Alpha was wiped out trying to use a Sonic Resonator to map the Locust tunnels, Delta Squad, led by Marcus Fenix and incorporating the two remaining members of Alpha, took over the mission, heading to the Lethia Imulsion Facility and then into the Hollow to deploy the resonator. While they were successful, it was discovered that the resonator failed to map more than a small portion of the Hollow, but data on a geobot was discovered revealing that Adam Fenix's lab at the East Barricade Academy held the necessary data. Delta assaulted the Fenix Estate at East Barricade and recovered the data. Taking it to the Tyro Pillar, the train with the bomb, they battled through the Locust who had taken control of the train and retook it, killing General RAAM, the Locust military leader. Marcus Fenix successfully deployed the Lightmass Bomb which destroyed the Outer Hollow and wiped out the Kryll,[108] but failed to wipe out the Locust.[109]

Operation: Hollow Storm[]

Main article: Operation: Hollow Storm

While the Locust were believed destroyed, they proved that they were not by attacking the North Gate Agricultural Depot, forcing an evacuation and launching traps. This was initially believed to be done by desperate Locust stragglers, but the Locust returned in full force by rebuilding their civilization and numbers and using the awakened Riftworm (awakened by the Lightmass Bomb) to sink the cities of Tollen and Montevado. The Locust then began the Siege of Jacinto, attacking the last remaining COG held city on the planet. Though the COG set up defenses around Jacinto and prepared for future Locust attacks, they saw no other option and knew that they soon wouldn't have anything to defend, the COG decided to launch an all-out attack on the Hollow, Operation: Hollow Storm. The COG started by retaking the city of Landown and used it as a staging area to launch Grindlifts into the Hollow. Despite severe losses, the assault succeeded and COG troops invade the Hollow. During the attack, the Locust High Priest Skorge used the Riftworm to sink Ilima, leading to the Battle of Ilima in which the city was evacuated of any remaining survivors and Delta Squad killed the Riftworm. After learning a way into the Locust capital of Nexus through Mount Kadar from the New Hope Research Facility, Delta launched a beacon while they were inside the city, which allowed the COG to begin the Siege of Nexus, trying to reach and kill the Locust Queen Myrrah. Myrrah escaped and a new plan was developed to sink Jacinto to flood the Hollow and hopefully drown the Locust. During their escape from the Hollow on Reavers, Delta killed Skorge. After Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago cleared a cavern for King Ravens, which they did by riding a Brumak straight into the cavern, an attempt was made to sink Jacinto with a Lightmass Bomb, but the Brumak the two were using mutates into a Lambent Brumak and destroys the King Raven carrying the bomb. However, Marcus Fenix manages to use the Hammer of Dawn to detonate the Lambent Brumak, which sinks Jacinto and floods the Hollow. The plan works and most of the Locust Horde drowns, though some survived and become either the Savage Locust or the Queen's Guard.[110]

Move to Port Farrall[]

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Afterwards, the COG moves to the city of Port Farrall, but faced attacks from Locust survivors and harsh weather. Eventually Port Farrall was deemed too inhospitable and the COG moved to the island of Vectes which was on the other side of an abyssal trench and thus protected from the Locust and turned out to have a town of a few thousand COG citizens.[citation needed]

Move to Vectes[]

For the first time in a long time, there was hope for the future of the COG. They sacrificed Jacinto to destroy the Locust and mostly succeeded. There seem to only be mostly disorganized stragglers left. After abandoning Jacinto the COG made an attempt to survive in a ruined but not obliterated city on the mainland and failed. Abandoning that plan, the COG moved to Vectes Naval Base on an island safe from Locust incursion due to a deep seafloor trench. There the remnants of humanity were able to rebuild in peace from the Locust with the only threats being Stranded groups in the nearby islands. With the addition of 4,000 more people from the Republic of Gorasnaya - a former UIR nation which joined the COG as part of a deal to join the survivors on Vectes - there was even more hope. While living on the island, they discovered former "Indies", the COG's enemies during the Pendulum Wars. Luckily, these men were only interested in joining the COG, and were allowed to move in, but with some trepidation. The COG's current plan was to rebuild on Vectes and one day reclaim the abandoned mainland from what's left of the Locust.[citation needed]

Dissolution[]

18 months after the sinking of Jacinto, the Lambent invaded the surface and the COG began to fall into disarray. Chairman Prescott resigned and abandoned his people and the COG was run by Colonel Victor Hoffman, Captain Quentin Michaelson and Commander Miran Trescu. Attacks on Vectes by the Lambent forced the COG to start looking for other relocation sites, but due to Lambent attacks on the mainland, not even Port Farrall was viable. While there were spots such as Anvil Gate where no Locust or Lambent were, there was not one area big enough to move the COG to and it was forced to disband in order to form smaller communities. The communities would keep in touch with one another and aid each other, but there was no way to maintain a central government anymore. The survivors spread out to various locations including Anvil Gate, led by Hoffman and made up most of the citizens of Pelruan and ships at sealed by the CNV Sovereign and Captain Michaelson. Trescu and the Gorasni went their own way to return to Branascu and try to make a living there. The remnants of the COG continued to battle the Locust and the Lambent. The island of Azura, the last-remaining COG outpost where the COG's elite and best scientists had been evacuated to, including Adam Fenix, was eventually captured by the Locust and everyone but Adam Fenix killed. Prescott, who had traveled to the island when he abandoned the COG, escaped and headed to the Sovereign with a message from Adam Fenix to his son Marcus about a weapon on the island that could kill the Lambent and the Locust. Prescott died after delivering the message and a decryption disk for A2897 and after learning of the island's location and defenses, the remnants of the COG and the Gorasni attacked the island led by Delta-One and retook it, using the weapon to finally destroy the Locust and the Lambent as well as all Imulsion.[citation needed]

Restoration[]

At some point following the end of the Locust War, the Coalition of Ordered Governments was restored. The Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon not only destroyed the Lambent threat along with the Locust it also vaporized Sera's global Imulsion supply forcing the Serans to use alternate resources. The COG governed a series of walled city-states built by the war's survivors and established a new militia. Those humans who refrained from joining the COG became known as Outsiders. Both the COG and Outsiders would engage into conflict over resources.[111]

Phoenix Omen

The new COG emblem, the phoenix representing the revival of the Coalition.

However, twenty-five years after the war's conclusion, the Coalition received scattered reports of entire settlements vanishing without a trace. Presuming it to be the work of the Outsiders, a small group of them, led by James Dominic Fenix eventually discovered that the supposedly extinct Locust Horde had awakened, kidnapping humans to be converted into soldiers as part of a new race known as the Swarm.

Government Structure and Type of Government[]

Government Structure[]

Chairmanprescottye5

Chairman Prescott standing next to the COG flag.

The COG was headed by the Chairman who is elected by the Council of Sovereigns who govern from the House of Sovereigns in Ephyra city. The position of Deputy Chairman was second in command of the COG next to the Chairman. During the Pendulum Wars Chairman Tomas Dalyell had the legal rights to fight the Union of Independent Republics but did not have the powers of Chairman Richard Prescott during the Locust War who used the Fortification Act to limit civil liberties and personal freedoms. One of the most notable branches of the Locust War-era government is the COG Department of Conscription which handled the conscription of former Stranded.[95][52] The COG also had a civil protection service.[95] The COG Defense Department was in charge and in the authorization of overall defense purposes of the COG, managed the national security issues the COG had and had overall control over the Coalition of Ordered Governments Armed Forces. The Department of Health ran the New Hope Research Facility before it shut down.[112] There were many smaller agencies that were smaller than the Departments of the COG, but some of these agencies had huge, pivotal roles in the COG and its society and military. One agency was the Defense Select Committee, which had the responsibility of drafting legislation pertaining to defense-related issues. They also had the responsibility and authorization of drafting any new weapon, vehicle and/or tool that would be used by the COG Armed Forces.[113] The Defense Research Agency was a government-owned agency that designed and developed new equipment and technology the COG military could use.[114] The Intelligence Agency had the role of gathering intel for the COG, analyzing it, and making official reports on it to COG officials.[115] After E-Day, the COG still was able to manage the day-to-day bureaucracy with Mayor Gerard Leland and Governor S.D. Garrand serving.[citation needed]

Executive Branch[]

Main article: Chairman

The COG was led by a Chairman, who was elected by the Council of Sovereigns. The Chairman was the highest executive figure in the global alliances of the Coalition. The Chairman of the COG had authority over all the armed forces of members’ states. The second in command and the second highest executive figure was the Deputy Chairman.[116] There was also a Cabinet, where individual Departments were created to support specific areas of the COG. Of these Departments, the head of each of these Departments was a part of the Cabinet; and the Chairman was a part of the Cabinet.

Legislative Branch[]

Main article: Council of Sovereigns

The Legislative Branch of the COG Federal Government was composed of the Council of Sovereigns, who were housed in the House of Sovereigns. The Council of Sovereigns of the Legislative Branch had the job of overseeing all day to day affairs of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. The Council of Sovereigns had the notable power of electing a candidate for the position of Chairman.[117]

Judicial Branch[]

In Tyrus, Jocelin Baird was a Tyran magistrate and in Kashkur, the Aldermans had legal rights to impose punishment based upon the breaking of legal laws.[118][119] Three days after Bloom, one year after E-Day, all Sera was placed under martial law with the Fortification Act given by the COG, a constitutional law that limited citizens’ rights and civil liberties, and rationed food supplies, gave the COG Department of Conscription legal rights to conscript all able-bodied men into the military, and forced women to live with the sole purpose of giving birth.[87][95]

The Coalition of Ordered Governments Armed Forces, specifically the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army, had its own judicial laws that can be executed in the field by high-ranking military personnel, including the execution of Geril Atar for stealing food to feed his starving family, in reference to the Military Emergency Measures Act. The Military Emergency Measures Act also allowed officers to impose martial law on cities during the Pendulum Wars.[20] Another example of military law including the sentencing of Marcus Fenix to a forty-year prison term in the Slab for disobeying military orders and the dereliction of duty, abandoning his fellow Gears and post and punching his CO, Victor Hoffman, in the face. Initially, when Marcus was placed on trial, he was sentenced for execution by a firing squad. However, Dominic Santiago testified for Marcus, and instead of Marcus being executed by a firing squad, he was sent to the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison for forty years.[120] Fenix was freed four years later by Dominic Santiago.[109]

Other organizations[]

There were several other organizations within the structure of the Coalition of Ordered Government's federal government.

The COG Defense Select Committee was responsible for the legislation and drafting related to defense-related issues. Their role was designated for the acquisition and drafting of any defense-related issue, as well as any specific hardware the COG Armed Forces might have used.[113] The COG Intelligence Agency, or COGIntel was an agency responsible for gathering and presenting information on the safety of the COG, intelligence about their enemies and defense-related issues. The COG Defense Research Agency, or the DRA/COGDRA, was a weapons designer and developer in the Coalition of Ordered Governments that produced military technology for the armed forces. The DRA replicated, redesigned and produced the Hammer of Dawn orbital-based satellite array. Other notable projects included the Lightmass Bomb and the Sonic Resonator. The DRA produced both software and hardware for the armed forces, producing three notable technologies and a systems network for the Hammer of Dawn which was required to operate and fire the satellites.[citation needed]

Laws and Documents[]

Order, law and authorization was a notable aspect of COG society and its government, military and civilian sectors. All of the COG's authorizations were recorded in code-books known as Confidential Books.[121] Every COG department also had contingency plans in case of an emergency, such as off-site recovery drills to move data and equipment to a safer site to set up again.[122]

  • Austere Canon: The Austere Canon was Alexiy Desipich’s founding document for his political and social concepts. The eight guiding principles were as follows: Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith and Humility.[87]
  • Octus Canon: The Octus Canon was the founding document for the Coalition of Ordered Governments, which established the COG as a supranational union, with a socialist society. The Octus Canon established the guiding principles and rules for the citizens of the COG. It was written, signed and ratified by the Allfathers.[123]
  • Fortification Act: The Fortification Act was a law that was first written, ratified and established during the Locust War, with principles that were conceived specifically for the circumstances that came with the Locust War. The Fortification Act transformed the Jacinto Plateau into an unassailable fortress, sealing off areas within the plateau from the Locust, and established martial law throughout all COG controlled areas. However, the Fortification Act also limited the basic rights of citizens, rationed food supplies, gave the COG Department of Conscription the right to recruit all able-bodied men into the military, and forced women to live with the sole purpose of giving birth.[87][95] [124]
  • Military Emergency Measures Act: The Military Emergency Measures Act was part of the COG Armed Forces military law, was a form of judicial law in the military code. The penalty for breaking the Military Emergency Measures Act was death by execution. An example of breaking the Military Emergency Measures Act was when Geril Atar stole COG military rations from Anvil Gate during the siege that took place there. The result of Geril Atar stealing COG military rations was death, in which Victor Hoffman, a lieutenant at the time, personally executed Atar.[20]
  • Open Arms Program: The Open Arms Program was a recruiting program set up during the Locust War that enlisted former UIR citizens and soldiers the opportunity to join the COG, whose respective UIR nations had fallen to the Locust Horde.[125]

Type of Government[]

Since the Coalition of Ordered Governments was based upon the concept of Socialism and eight guiding principals theorized by Alexiy Desipich, the Austere Canon, the COG was established as a Socialist regime by Nassar Embry and the Allfathers.[126][127] The COG was founded and established upon the Octus Canon, which was similar to a constitution.[123] Besides being an authoritarian regime, the COG was also a supranational entity, comprising of many nations across Sera.

Despite its socialist ideals, for the majority of its existence, the Coalition of Ordered Governments had authoritarian characteristics, with values being placed on "Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith and Humility," which were the eight guiding principles of the Austere Canon,[87] which was the political document that Nassar Embry and the Allfathers used to base the Coalition of Ordered Governments upon.[116] Along with those eight principles, the unification [126] of the people, society revolving around the military, and in this case, the army, as well as using mass propaganda to motivate the people were important ideas in the COG. Other values include the idea of fraudulent elections, in which elections were not always so fair, sometimes a complete sham and authoritarian government may use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.[128] The Council of Sovereigns had the deliberate power to elect a candidate for the position of Chairman.[129]

After Emergence Day happened and the Locust War began, the Locust Horde was threatening to breach the Jacinto Plateau and overrun it. Chairman Richard Prescott was forced to meet with his cabinet and make a final decision. They came to an agreement, and the COG would deploy the Hammer of Dawn and other chemical weapons to scorch all Locust infested areas, but they would give the people of Sera three days to get to the Jacinto Plateau before they deployed the weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, the COG also reinstated the Fortification Act.[91] The Fortification Act placed all of COG-controlled areas under martial law, in which no one was exempt. The Fortification Act limited the freedom of citizens, rationed food supplies, gave the Department of Conscription legal rights to conscript all able-bodied men into the armed forces, and forced women to live with the sole purpose of giving birth.[87][95]

Economy[]

20dollarCOG

A 20 dollar Coalition bill.

The COG utilized a coin and paper currency system backed up by Gold. The basic unit of currency in the COG was called the Dollar. Dollars were produced in paper and coin increments. The money/financial supply of the COG was managed by The Coalition Reserve. Its primary purpose was the production and management of the COG's financial supply.[130] Financial supply was managed in banks. One notable bank was the Bank of Tyrus in Ephyra.[102]

Some private companies in the private economic sector of the COG included NAS, an armor manufacturing company,[131] [132] Aiglar, a helicopter manufacturing company,[133], Solarro,[134] a solar car company, and Lopus Energy and Griffin Imulsion Corporation were companies dedicated to refining and distributing Imulsion resources.[135]

Since the energy crisis created from the Lightmass Process and rampant speculation,[87] the Allfathers who were head of states of nations with Imulsion reserves united, which gave them a monopoly on Imulsion.[136] After the Pendulum Wars started, Imulsion was being fought for to keep power on in the COG.[137] During the Locust War, the COG's economy mostly fell apart. Trade and business slowed down as the population decreased as cities were lost, and the use of Dollars became useless. However it apparently is reinstated by the COG as its main form of currency some twenty five years after the conclusion of the Locust War.[83]

Society and Culture[]

Society[]

"We only achieve unity through order."
—Nassar Embry[127]
"Fenix is here because society is formed from people pulling together, not breaking away into separate groups. Unity. Because no man can exist on his own. No country can, either. That's why we have the Coalition of Ordered Governments."
—Major Fuller

[138]

COG society revolved around the military, especially the army, and was bred into the social fabric.[139] COG society revolved on the policies and ideologies that the COG was founded upon in both the Austere Canon and the Octus Canon. In the Austere Canon, the ideals of "order, diligence, purity, labor, honor, loyalty, faith and humility" were stated.[87] In the Octus Canon, several ideologies and values such as loyalty, respect, honor, responsibility, living clean and frugal lives and the idea that being a part of society and working hard for the greater good will "hand on safety and prosperity to future generations" was written. By working hard, being a part of society and the community, a person was doing their part in the Coalition of Ordered Governments and making a contribution to the existence of the COG and for the existence of future generations.[123] Other ideologies of COG society include the unification of the people and state. COG society also focused on the reliance on people as neighbors and friends, for people to help each other out in hard times.[140] [138]

COG citizens and mostly Tyrans did not normally protest government actions regardless of the actions.[141] Students in East Barricade Academy were more vocal about protesting the Pendulum Wars, which was in fact fought over Imulsion rights and not democracy,[142][137] and some students accused Gears of being "baby killers" for taking part in the war during a Career day event at the campus.[143]

Propaganda was huge in COG society, whether it was for positive effects or negative effects. Propaganda was common throughout all sides of the COG, from the military to the common civilian sector. Many families had a long line of military service and traditions, such as the Carmine Family and the Santiago Family. In COG society, joining the military was a norm and was considered a taboo if one did not. During the Pendulum Wars, there was some anti-war protest among some of the people of the COG, especially among the liberal youth. Some of this anti-war protest ran rampant at LaCroix University and at East Barricade Academy. Military recruitment in the COG Armed Forces also used propaganda as a means to encourage more people to join the military.[143] Although COG society dictated the ideals and policies of unity, order and equality, some military recruiters tried sexist attacks to get women to join the military.[citation needed]

Order was everything in the Coalition of Ordered Governments, and even before its founding, especially in Tyrus. Order not only had to do with the government, military and civilian sectors and society but also had to do with recording, archiving and bookkeeping of records and documents that encompassed everybody in the COG. Every file, document and report was recorded in a ledger and stored away for storage and removal. To Nevil Estrom, this style of archiving and recording everything was "typically Tyran, typically COG." Even when the COG was in a significant crisis, people recorded and kept records of everything that happened.[144] This archiving and filing not only had to do with history, but anything and everything that was a record, including reports, seismograph charts, photographs and aerial recon photos, maps, schematics and technical journals.[145]

Culture[]

The COG had a very diverse culture, from the tribal South Islanders (along with the Northerner immigrants) to the very militarized Tyran people that idolized the Armed Forces. The Kashkuri people's pride and joy was their Silver Era history and Silver Era architecture.

Standards and Symbols[]

COG eagle

An Eagle with the COG's Gears as a crown.

The Coalition's symbol is a Gear, supposedly to reference its acronym; COG (A cog is a type of gear). The symbol represents the machine and the mutual support that gears need in order for the machine to work and go forward, like Serans in their struggle to survive, cooperate peacefully with each other and to change their war-favoring ways. Another symbol was the eagle sitting on a Gear. The COG flag was colored blue, with a cog at the center with a three-striped wing at both sides of the cog.

Holidays[]

One notable holiday in the COG was the Day of the Fallen. The holiday celebrated the fallen soldiers who had fallen in battle during the Pendulum Wars.[146]

The final battle of the Locust War, known as Victory Day, is celebrated as a national holiday to remember the sacrifices of the men and women who fought and won for the survival of the human race.

Religion[]

Virtually nothing was known about the religion(s) of the people of the COG, although the religions of both the Tyrans and the South Islanders were known.[citation needed]

Ancient Stories and Legends[]

In Tyran culture, one notable ancient story was a fairy tale that was popular in Tyran legend was about a girl named Romily. Romily wanted to be independent and break away from the common ranks of her fellow friends and peers. Hoping that she would be admired for her bravery and to prove her independence and bravery, she ventured to the forest, but was taken by a six-legged creature which took her to the Hollows.[147]

Literature[]

There were some notable magazines in the COG, which included Car Gold Magazine,[148] HMT,[149] as well as newspapers such as The Eagle Newspaper (part of the Sovereigns Press Corps, [150] Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper[151] and Sera News.

Fine Art[]

The Tyran National Gallery was a gallery museum,[152] the R.L. Sterling Conservatory was a greenhouse conservatory,[153] and the National Museum of Ephyra was a cultural museum.[154][155]

Education[]

All of the pre-Emergence Day schools in the COG were government controlled,[156] and heavily taught the history of Alexiy Desipich and his political ideology, Nassar Embry and the Allfathers and the founding of the COG, the values and ideals of Socialism, and the core principals of the Austere Canon and the Octus Canon. The schools in the COG taught the concepts of Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith and Humility, especially the concepts of unity and order for both people and nations, which the COG was founded upon. Along with teaching the history and ideals of the COG, basic education was also taught, including mathematics.[157] [87] All students had to wear uniforms to remind them they are all the same, and that everyone and everything is united as one.[citation needed]

After E-Day the only purpose of schools was to keep kids from turning into random gangs on the streets of Jacinto.[80]

List of known COG Schools:

Human Rights Record[]

Though opinionated, the Coalition of Ordered Governments had a record of committing some atrocities which caused some hatred to the COG such as the Stranded, to brand them as "fascist pigs" and as a tyrannical, power-hungry organization.[109] From the Pendulum Wars to the Locust War, the COG had committed several controversial acts during the Pendulum Wars such as the use of POW camps, bombing cities and the tests that took place at the New Hope Research Facility. Controversial acts that happened during the Locust War included the Fortification Act and all of the policies that it laid out, as well as the subsequent Hammer of Dawn Counterattack.

Pendulum Wars[]

Learan Prison[]

Main article: Learan Prison
COGwarcrimes

A smiling Gear standing over starving Gorasni soldiers. Note the missing hands.

The Learan prison camp was one of the many POW camps run by the COG during the Pendulum Wars. Several Gorasni soldiers were held there during the war were tortured by the Gear soldiers’ stationed there. One Gorasni had his arm forced down onto a hot-plate that scarred his arm badly, while another Gorasni had his hands cut off. Many of the Gorasni there starved to death, and Gears took pictures of the atrocities there that fell into the hands of some of the surviving Gorasni. Half a Gorasni regiment starved to death at Learan POW camp.[158][159]

Bombing of Sikorla[]

Main article: Bombing of Sikorla

During the Pendulum Wars, the COG bombed Sikorla. The Gorasni viewed that action as a war crime.[159]

New Hope Research Facility[]

Main article: New Hope Research Facility

Chairman Monroe approved the opening of the New Hope Research Facility sometime before the Pendulum Wars. Numbers of people who were infected with Lambency who had worked on or around Imulsion refineries during the Gold Rush were brought to the New Hope facility.[160] The true reason for the opening of the New Hope Research Facility was so COG scientists and researchers could find a cure for Lambency.[citation needed] The research at New Hope was classified, and only a few knew about it.[161] At New Hope a 15-year-old Ruth along with other children were experimented on and an early form of Lambency took hold, resulting in the creation of the Sires.[162][163] At some time later, the media began to question the reason for the remote facility, so Chairman Monroe ordered the shutdown of New Hope and the "children" to be sent to Mount Kadar by foot. After the shutdown, New Hope was classified and documents pertaining to its existence have reassigned the status as top-secret information.[164] As for the group that went to Mount Kadar, they delved deep into the mountains and over time, the mutated Sires evolved into the first Locust. Inadvertently, the COG actually created the Locust race and paved the way for the massive war that would come almost a century later.

The information regarding New Hope was only declassified during Operation: Hollow Storm. Only Chairman Richard Prescott knew of New Hope and what was going on there and kept his Chief of the COG Defense Staff, Victor Hoffman in the dark. Dom Santiago theorized that New Hope was a POW camp or internment camp.[164]

Ordered execution of civilians at Aspho Fields[]

Two years before E-Day, The COG Intelligence Agency discovery that the UIR had won the race for Orbital weapons while the COG satellites were still only computer simulations. Chairman Tomas Dalyell and his military advisors including then Major Victor Hoffman and Adam Fenix debated a possible raid and seizure of the Hammer of Dawn technology. Adam Fenix recommended that the civilian scientists should be executed to stop the UIR from rebuilding their lost technology, while Hoffman could not stomach the idea of killing innocent people. Adam Fenix replied that these civilians could lead to the deaths of millions of COG citizens.[81]

Locust War[]

Hammer of Dawn[]

"Ah, Fenix. Son of mass murder."
—Gorasni captain to Marcus FenixThree days after Bloom in 1 A.E., the COG was forced to use the Hammer of Dawn deny the Locust Horde from using the Human's own assets and resources against them. The Hammer of Dawn vaporized 90% of the Seran surface, killing millions of COG and Gorasni citizens. Both the newly created Stranded and the remnant of the Gorasni people viewed this event and the decision of the COG as mass murder.

Birthing Farms[]

BirthFarm

A fetus inside a birthing Creche.

Main article: Birthing Creche

After the Emergence Day attacks and the Hammer of Dawn Counterattack, the human population dropped to near extinction, forcing Chairman Richard Prescott to begin a Birthing Creche program. Having all fertile women placed in the "farms", so they could breed with superior Gears and theoretically give birth to genetically superior soldiers. Young girls under the age of ten were placed in the farms and treated as prize breeding animals, and the women with the healthiest children received the best treatment. At the age of ten, the girls were given hormones to begin the process of ovulation and prepare them for giving birth. Most of the woman and girls were artificially impregnated, but some of the girls where impregnated the "old ways" by Gears, to help with their morale, and in the hope, the girls would give birth to genetically superior soldiers. One of the most notorious farms was the one at Jilane. Women who could not give birth were declared "Barren" and sent to the frontlines to fight as Gears or as a support soldier, such as working in the Coalition High Command, or the Combat Information Center.

Rough Questionings of Civilians[]

Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper reported that the COG denied the rough questioning of civilians by COG soldiers.[165]

Stranded Insurgency[]

Execution of Stranded[]

After the sinking of Jacinto, the COG discovered the remnant of the UIR nation of Gorasnaya. The two former enemy states joined under the banner of the COG, and moved together to the island of Vectes. During this time the Stranded Insurgency claimed many COG and Gorasni lives, leading Miran Trescu of the Gorasni navy and now high member of the COG to captured three Stranded, and execute one of them in hopes of finding where the Stranded get their supplies and reinforcements.

Military[]

"I shall remain vigilant and unyielding in my pursuit of the enemies of the Coalition. I will defend and maintain the order of life as it was proclaimed by the Allfathers of the Coalition in the Octus Canon. I will forsake the life I had before so I may perform my duty as long as I am needed. Steadfast, I shall hold my place in the machine and acknowledge my place in the Coalition. I am a Gear."
—Oath of the Coalition, sworn by all recruits.[166]
Main article: COG Army
Gears of War pages by JoelGomez

The COG Army around 15 A.E.

List of Branches:

As a military superpower, the Coalition of Ordered Governments had its own armed forces, spread over all of its member nations and achieving global influence. There were four branches of the armed forces: the army, the air corps, the navy and a logistics branch known as the Engineering Corps. The entire Coalition military was commanded and supervised by Coalition High Command. High Command itself supervises the daily operations for all branches of the COG military and directs the war effort.[citation needed] The COG command structure and leadership was based in the House of the Sovereigns, located in the city of Ephyra, capital of both Tyrus and the COG.[168]

Pre-Pendulum Wars[]

The Gear soldier predated the Pendulum Wars.[87]

Pendulum Wars[]

Infantry, Weapons and Vehicles[]

During the Pendulum Wars, the COG had numerous soldiers: ranging from elite commandos capable of operating both on the front lines and behind-enemy-lines, to standard Gears who fought on the front lines. The Coalition possessed vast land armies, a small but capable navy, and a skilled air corps. During the Pendulum Wars, both men and women served side by side in the 79-year conflict. Every Gear had the necessary weapons, armor, equipment and rations to support him or her on the field. Ground vehicles used by the COG Army such as the Centaur, Armadillo, Packhorse, the COG Tank and the COG APC were each used for a variety of roles, but all were used for general combat against UIR military forces. Both the COG Army and the COG Air Corps possessed various air vehicles, such as the King Raven, Corva and the Tern. The King Raven was a multi-purpose, fixed-rotary helicopter, became the workhorse helicopter for the COG Armed Forces after mass production began and it was deployed onto the battlefield. As for the COG Navy, the Navy possessed various vessels including the covert-ops Seabass Model, the Raven's Nest Class Class One Heavy Battle Aircraft Carrier, and the COG Battleship, as well as smaller vessels including the Landing Craft Tank and the Marlin. The Coalition numbers were boosted by volunteers, the Pesang people, and troops from vassal nations.

Recruiting[]

"A military life attracts young people for many reasons - duty, comradeship, purpose, the opportunity to test life to the limits, to learn a trade, escape from home, adventure-even patriotism. But for the youngster lacking a stable caring home, it provides family, with all the security and meaning that goes with it. They crave the structure, approval, attention, and clear rules that their parents should have given them; and we can supply it."
—Colonel Gael Barrington[169]

Military recruiting was a type of recruiting used to collect suitable numbers and reliable people to be a part of the military. Recruiting was used in the COG military for its existence because there was no known draft.[citation needed] A military life attracted many for a number of reasons, such as duty, comradeship, purpose, the opportunity to test life to the limits, learn a trade and many other virtues.[169]

Support from the Government[]

A number of government agencies supported the armed forces in one or more ways. The Defense Select Committee and the Defense Department both supported the military in a variety of ways. The Defense Department was in charge of the overall defense of the COG, and was in authorization of and directed the military in terms of command, funding and attention.[170] The Defense Select Committee was responsible for the authorization over and the legislation relating to defense-related issues, including the draft of any hardware, equipment, weapons and/or supplies that would be required by the military.[113]

Military Doctrine and Political/Societal Relations[]

"Infantry, armor; artillery-we're all about guns, bigger guns, ships to carry even bigger guns, and aviation to support those guns and the Gears carrying them. We've never moved much beyond the model of the primacy of land forces; we've grown comfortable with the war: The time's coming when we'll need to work smarter; to develop aviation and maritime assets in their own right, and maybe even move onto the turf the intelligence community guards so jealously. We've got to be more flexible to be ready for whatever the future might throw at us. Because the next enemy may not think like us."
—Professor Adam Fenix, addressing Defense Procurement Executives at a seminar at LaCroix University[171]

During the Pendulum Wars and for a long time before then, the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army was the main center point for the Coalition of Ordered Governments' armed forces, as well as COG society and the COG's authoritarian regime.[139] In addition, the Navy and Air Corps was deprived of military funding and attention from the government, specifically the COG Defense Select Committee and the COG Defense Department.[133] During the Pendulum Wars and for the time before since the COG was first established, COG military doctrine had revolved around land forces, warfare and tactics, with naval forces, air forces, special forces and the intelligence community being a side show.[172] [173] This had been the case until Major Victor Hoffman and his Commandos stormed the Aspho Point Research Facility during Operation: Leveler. The Navy and the Air Corps were newly supported just as much as the Army was with the proper hardware and equipment resources, necessary logistics support and political attention.[citation needed]

Locust War[]

"It was tough not to feel disappointed. Three weeks out in the field, and we'd only found one Gear. One survivor. The APC was packed with ammo and supplies, but still...we needed people a lot more than we needed supplies."
Jace Stratton

One year after the E-Day assault, the Coalition was forced to deny their enemy the advantage, and scorch the planet with the orbiting Hammer of Dawn satellites, destroying nearly all civilian and military centers and killing about 90% of the population. After the retreat to Jacinto Plateau and leaving millions to die and large amounts of civilian and military hardware behind, the COG's Engineering Corps were forced to get creative with a little "kit" they had thought about. Even with the death and destruction going on all over Sera, the COG was able to produce mass quantities of the Mark 2 Lancer Assault Rifle when Professor Adam Fenix designed the weapon during the early years of the Locust War.[174]

By the 14th year of the Locust War the Coalition only had a few brigades of troops, the population of a medium-sized city, and an undernourished engineering corps.[175][176] With Stranded conscripts from Operation Lifeboat unable to boost the shrinking COG army force, High Command was forced to pardon hundreds of thousands of prisoners, levy the sick, young and the old into the Armed Forces, and order all women to repopulate the rapidly decreasing population.[177] The COG Department of Conscription was created to deal with former Stranded.[95]

Before Operation: Hollow Storm, the COG gathered as many soldiers as possible to attack the Locust stronghold and finally destroy them in an all-out attack as the COG would not be able to hold out much longer. The attack was a success, but Jacinto was sacrificed to flood the Hollow, which succeeded in drowning most of the Locust Horde.

Due to increased rations, Gears were loathed by part of the human population for being fed more, while, for the most part, humanity was starving. After the sinking of Jacinto, and after the move to the islands, the former inhabitants of the islands disliked the COG Gears because of their violent tendencies, and because they believed that the COG would just cause them more trouble with the Stranded, and survival in general.

Remnant During the Lambent Invasion[]

After the sinking of Jacinto, a new threat began to emerge: the rapidly-evolving Lambent. The armed forces defended the COG as best as they could, but eventually, the COG was forced to disband after Chairman Prescott abandoned it and Lambent attacks on Vectes began to overwhelm the defenses set up against them. The remaining COG forces were assigned to protect the scattered new settlements with a reaction force led by Delta-One operating out of the CNV Sovereign going to settlements under attack to defend them. Also, Colonel Victor Hoffman, led much of the remaining forces to Anvil Gate to settle there and defend it. Eventually, the Sovereign was destroyed by a Lambent attack soon after Prescott returned and before dying, he revealed that the island of Azura, a secret COG outpost where the COG's elite and best scientists had been hidden away (including the believed-dead Adam Fenix) had been captured by the Locust. After making their way to Anvil Gate and defending it from a Locust and Lambent attack, Delta made their way to Azura, gathering much of the remnants of the COG's armed forces and the Gorasni and launched an attack on the island. The combined COG and Gorasni force managed to retake the island and Adam Fenix and Delta Squad finally destroyed the Locust and the Lambent with Adam Fenix's Imulsion Countermeasure impulse Weapon.

Member-States[]

Most of the Coalition's member nations had governments that had existed as Monarchies.

Notes[]

  • It is unknown what kind of civilian Judicial system the COG had, but some information on Military law is explained including the execution of Geril Atar under the Military Emergency Measures Act, the sentencing of Marcus Fenix to 40 years in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison, and the trial of Kilo Squad.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 52-53
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 142-143 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "JR142" defined multiple times with different content
  3. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 158-159
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 180
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dialogue with Mina Jinn in Gears of War 4
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 254
  7. 7.0 7.1 Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 438
  8. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 65-72
  9. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 270
  10. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 359
  11. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 375
  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 Events of Gears of War 4
  13. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 57
  14. Gears of War: Ascendance pg. 34
  15. Dialogue with Commander Walker in Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow
  16. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 108-112
  17. Dialogue with Mina Jinn in Gears 5
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 562
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 411 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "AG411" defined multiple times with different content
  21. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 135
  22. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 16
  23. Dialogue with Richard Prescott in Gears of War 2
  24. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 91
  25. 25.0 25.1 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 342
  26. Gears of War: Ascendance pg. 82-86
  27. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 372
  28. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 329-330
  29. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 41
  30. Twenty Dollar Bill collectible in Gears of War 3
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Events of Gears 5
  32. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 251
  33. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 318
  34. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 314
  35. Dialogue with Jace Stratton in Gears of War 3
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 36.8 36.9 Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty pg. 20 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DB20" defined multiple times with different content
  37. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 518
  38. The Art of Gears of War 4 pg. 42
  39. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 50
  40. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 167
  41. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 303
  42. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 442
  43. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 63
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 44.4 44.5 44.6 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EGT
  45. 45.0 45.1 Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty pg. 23
  46. Gears of War: Promise Me pg. 4
  47. Gears of War: Promise Me pg. 11-14
  48. Dialogue with Garron Paduk in Gears 5
  49. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 286
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 144-146
  51. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 320-321
  52. 52.0 52.1 52.2 Events of Gears of War 2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "GoW2" defined multiple times with different content
  53. Events of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
  54. 54.0 54.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GoW3
  55. COG Birthing Pamphlet collectible in Gears of War 4
  56. Gears of War: Ascendance pg. 59
  57. Dialogue with J.D. Fenix in Gears of War 4
  58. 58.0 58.1 58.2 Song Lyrics collectible in Gears 5
  59. 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty pg. 18
  60. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 154
  61. 61.0 61.1 61.2 Gears of War: The Slab pg. 30
  62. 62.0 62.1 Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 339
  63. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 247
  64. Dialogue with Del Walker in Gears of War 4
  65. Car Gold collectible in Gears of War 2
  66. 66.0 66.1 66.2 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 88
  67. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 163
  68. 68.0 68.1 68.2 68.3 68.4 68.5 68.6 Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty pg. 31
  69. 69.0 69.1 69.2 Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 580
  70. First Fort Reval plaque in Gears of War 4
  71. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 374
  72. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 333
  73. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 32
  74. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg. 193
  75. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 32
  76. Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log pg. 103-104
  77. 77.0 77.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 165
  78. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg. 103
  79. Gears of War: The Slab pg. 291
  80. 80.0 80.1 80.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ASPHO
  81. 81.0 81.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate
  82. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 67
  83. 83.0 83.1 Gears of War: The Slab
  84. Marcus Michael Fenix's dialogue in Gears of War 3
  85. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg. 63
  86. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 48-49
  87. 87.00 87.01 87.02 87.03 87.04 87.05 87.06 87.07 87.08 87.09 87.10 87.11 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DB
  88. Inside the Mind of Marcus Fenix: Locust
  89. Gears of War: The Slab pg 29
  90. 90.0 90.1 Gears of War: Judgment
  91. 91.0 91.1 91.2 Inside the Mind of Marcus Fenix: Jacinto
  92. 92.0 92.1 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 180
  93. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  94. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52-56
  95. 95.0 95.1 95.2 95.3 95.4 95.5 95.6 95.7 95.8 Last Day
  96. Gears of War: Hollow
  97. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 293
  98. Gears of War Trailer
  99. Gears of War 2 intro
  100. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pp 331-334
  101. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 365
  102. 102.0 102.1 102.2 102.3 Gears of War: The Slab pg 67
  103. Gears of War: The Slab pg 73
  104. Gears of War: The Slab pg 66
  105. Gears of War: The Slab pg 63-68
  106. Gears of War: The Slab pg 72
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  108. Gears of War: Hollow Part Two
  109. 109.0 109.1 109.2 Gears of War
  110. Gears of War 2
  111. Game Informer: Exclusive Reveal: Meet The New Cast Of Gears Of War 4
  112. Gears of War 2 collectible
  113. 113.0 113.1 113.2 Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 228
  114. Gears of War: The Slab pg 380
  115. Gears of War: The Slab pg 400
  116. 116.0 116.1 116.2 116.3 116.4 Gears of War: Jacinto’s Remnant
  117. Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2
  118. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 111
  119. Gears of War: Anvil Gate 240
  120. Gears of War: The Slab pg 77-79
  121. Gears of War: The Slab pg 68
  122. Gears of War: The Slab pg 45
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  124. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Jacinto Under Martial Law
  125. Gears of War: Judgment
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  127. 127.0 127.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JR75
  128. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_fraud
  129. Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2 pg 34
  130. Gears of War 3 Collectible: Twenty Dollar Bill
  131. [1]
  132. Gears of War 2 Collectible: The Eagle Newspaper
  133. 133.0 133.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 221
  134. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Car Gold Magazine
  135. Gears of War 3 Collectible: Old Magazine
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  137. 137.0 137.1 Gears of War: Unsaid
  138. 138.0 138.1 Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 51
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  140. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 49
  141. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 193
  142. Gears of War 1 antiwar posters
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  144. Gears of War: The Slab pg 28-29
  145. Gears of War: The Slab pg 26-27
  146. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 318
  147. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 64
  148. Gears of War 3 Collectible: Old Magazine
  149. Gears of War 3 Collectible: Tabloid
  150. Gears of War 2 Collectible: The Eagle Newspaper
  151. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper
  152. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 96
  153. Gears of War: Act 4: The Long Road Home: Bad to Worse
  154. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 9
  155. Gears of War: The Slab pg 62
  156. RAAM's Shadow: Hide and Seek
  157. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 50
  158. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 172
  159. 159.0 159.1 Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Two
  160. Gears of War: The Slab pg 192
  161. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Interoffice Memo
  162. Gears of War 2 Collectible: New Hope Medical File
  163. Gears of War: The Slab pg 139-141
  164. 164.0 164.1 Gears of War 2: Act 3: Gathering Storm
  165. Gears of War 2 Collectible: Jacinto Under Martial Law
  166. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 33
  167. http://gearsofwar.xbox.com/en-US/brotherstotheend
  168. 168.0 168.1 Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 107
  169. 169.0 169.1 Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 90
  170. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 317
  171. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 147
  172. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 108
  173. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 154
  174. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JREM2
  175. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 73
  176. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 128-129
  177. Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty pg 8
Coalition of Ordered Governments
Government Departments and Agencies
Old COG: Casualty Information Bureau · Civil Protection Service · Coalition Reserve · Council of Sovereigns · Defense Department · Defense Research Agency · Defense Select Committee · Department of Conscription · Department of Health · Intelligence Agency · Merchant Navy
New COG: Ministry of Defense · Ministry of Entertainment · Ministry of Preservation · Ministry of Procreation · Ministry of Settlements
Military
Coalition High Command · COG Army · COG Navy · COG Air Corps · COG Engineering Corps
Important Individuals & Concepts
Founders: Alexiy Desipich · Nassar Embry · Allfathers
Chairmen: Monroe · David Prescott · Tomas Dalyell · Richard Prescott
First Ministers: Anya Stroud · Dyer · Mina Jinn
Laws & Ideas: Octus Canon · Fortification Act · Socialism
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