1861 IV

Adding to the tension, both COST and CDF units have been quietly looming in the area in increasing numbers, their purpose undisclosed. Their presence has unsettled UFS command, particularly given the region’s strategic resource value and its previous relative absence from active conflict.

UFS analysts now assess that a formal alliance or operational cooperation between COST and the CDF is possible. If confirmed, such a partnership would significantly complicate Federation efforts to limit Coalition resource expansion. In response to the growing uncertainty, UFS High Command is preparing to deploy a contingency reconnaissance force to scout Coalition and CDF movements, determine intent, and assess the scale of the buildup before committing larger assets.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting has come to an end in California, stretching UFS manpower and logistical capabilities thin. COST appears to be leveraging these distractions to expand its foothold in the Mountain Prairie.

For civilians in Elbert County, the renewed activity signals an uneasy return to instability. What was once peripheral territory now risks becoming a decisive battleground. Whether the UFS can disrupt COST’s apparent resurgence—or whether a reinforced COST-CDF presence will secure permanent control of the region—remains to be seen.