Grey fleet crisis

## Set up

In the years from 104 DoS - 151 DoS were known for little more then a light build up of arms between the nations unsure of the tenures pace of the Aetherian sector. With the downfall of the Ofilian empires plans to reclaim the their lost territories, and the rise of the Mass Alliance as a super nation with it's powerful navy pace seemed assured. However with the rise of the Grand Duchy it made groups among the Mass Alliance nervous, groups like OSNI who would help lengthen the Karadachia conflict. This attempt was made to weaken the power of the Grand Duchy before they could threaten the Mass Alliance's power and influence, however this would cement their military leanings and opened up their industry for war production. The forth civil war of the Nodith served as a proxy war between OSNI and the Grand Duchy, when the side supported by the Grand Duchy won the Nodith became a client state for the Grand Duchy. It was rumored that the Grand Duchy helped with the succession of the ICP from the Mass Alliance in 141 DoS. With these in mind the brewing of a cold war between the growing Grand Duchy and the Mass Alliance was inevitable, both sides looking for a reason to shout about the evils of the other and gain the sympathies of the world.

The biggest power change was when the Grand Duchy of Julithar bought the jump-point system of Sho'ma from the Ofilian empire giving them a window into the ICP and a wider boarder with the Republic of Judecen. This was very unpopular among the Mass Alliance, Republic of Judecen and Mitura who had began making a military and economic alliance. The defensive pact would soon be tested against the power of the Grand Duchy's growing influence.

## Opening

In June 27th of 151 DoS unknown groups passed between the boarder of the Grand Duchy of Julithar and the Republic of Judecen around the Sho'ma region. Both sides were quick to attempt to seek out who was traveling across the borderlines. Encountering the other side they assuming that they were attempting to build up for an invasion. Soon both sides had ships coming to build up a blockade. This being the first attempt to build a blockade in space both sides attempted to make a wide fan by having ships sit at the edges of each others scanning range. This would prove faulty.

During this time both sides media attempted to demonize the other and had the public convinced that something foul was afoot. As both sides build up forces this would cause lines to be drawn in the sand as the Mass Alliance came to aid the Judecens and the Grand Duchy involved their allies in the Kingdom of Nodith. Soon the small boarder argument turned into a massive event as the Mass Alliance aliened nations geared towards war with the Grand Duchy and her client state.

## Things got worse

On July 5th of 151 DoS, a week after the crisis began, a Grand Duchy destroyer HMGDS-Red Will miscalculated a jump to the boarder to re-enforce the 3rd fleets blockade but instead jumped into the Republic of Judecen's sovereign boarders. Normally this could have been solved by back tracking and informing the Republic of Judecen of the mistake. Instead they encountered a Republic of Judecen ship. The RJGN-Dusty Resolve. The ship attempted to rout the Red Will and push it out of their boarders. Instead the Red Will (still assuming it was within their boarders and assuming that the Dusty Resolve was within their boarders) immediately attacked and destroyed the Dusty Resolve. The Red Will quickly returned to Grand Duchy territory in order to tell of the aggression of the Judecens. Instead the captain of the Red Will was arrested and executed.

## Things got better

With the execution of the captain of the Red Will it was held up as a way to show good will to the Judecens. However most would see this as secondary objective after punishing the incompetence. However this would go a ways to somewhat lower tension. More helpful would be OSNI discovering that what had began the crisis was smugglers short cutting between the boarders and being picked up on the edge of scanners. With these embarrassing realization that they had been chancing ghosts events with the grey fleet crisis started to de-escalate. Under Grand Duchies Lunaria Ellinia XIV the Grand Duchy fleet made the bold move to start pulling forces away, forcing the Republic of Judecen to do the same or seem like they are under the full puppet of the Mass Alliance and pushing for open war. This made the Mass Alliance pull forces that they had operating within the Republic of Judecen, if they had continued their aggressive action it would have turned the other nation against them. Reluctantly the Republic of Judecen and Mass Alliance pulled forces from along the boarder, ending the crisis.

## Resolution

Well the Grey Fleet Crisis winded down and the boarder blockades were dispersed nothing could ever stop the new cold war that truly began at that moment. The powers of Aetherian showed their alliances and drew the boarder lines with hard ink. The Mass Alliance Aligned consisting of the Mass Alliance, Republic of Judecen, Federation of Calthlium and Mitura standing apposed to the Grand Duchy with their client state of the Kingdom of Nodith. The United Cantium Conglomerate, Offilian Empire, ICP and Territories of Sangrila standing neutral to this cold war for various reasons.

Cantium and the ICP not standing united enough to stand on either side, loyalties and geography making taking one side or the other a massive issue that could have seen them destroyed quickly or caused a civil war within them. The Ofillians not caring to get involved with the outside world. And the Sangrila not having loyalty to any side and likely only on the side that will compensate them in either monetary ways or giving them power.