Project Thunderbolt didn't serve the aims of the Atlas military proper but rather a mercenary faction, known as Permafrost, with origins dating back to the Greyed War. During the war Mantle's military leadership had commissioned what modern military thinkers would dub a 'black ops program' intended to run a campaign of missions that would be too publicly damaging for Mantle to be associated with openly. Permafrost (known at the time only as the "private force" of one General Ural Gelus) ran covert operations intended to drive a wedge between the Vale-Vacuo alliance, up to and including acts of espionage and subversion that the two kingdoms could blame on one another. However, in the end the private force failed to divide the alliance and Mantle's enemies won the war. As history unfolded all records of the private force were destroyed lest the truth give cause for Mantle's enemies to punish the suffering nation further for its wartime actions. Those who'd served in the private force were also driven into obscurity -- a select few were given military positions, but virtually all of the rest were cut loose entirely. All were given the same explicit, final order: if word of the private force's actions during the war was to ever get out, the kingdom would brand them a rogue element, deny any involvement, and ALL of them would be rounded up and executed as war criminals. The fear of the executioner's blade bought their silence... but it also joined them together more strongly than before. Even muzzled, the members of the force were far from powerless.
The bulk of the group's members went on to found the Permafrost mercenary company -- war-forged Atlas strength, available to the highest bidder. This was the group's public face... privately, however, the former members of the General's private force adopted a new identity, one that spoke to their mutual suffering and betrayal by their own kingdom's leaders. 'The Gelus Association', often simply shortened to 'The Association', paid tribute to the man who had commanded them. General Gelus, for his part, had reportedly committed suicide not long after the end of the war... though the Association has plenty of reason to believe rather he was silenced, just as they themselves.
Among those in the Association, a promise to protect one another and to seek retribution for what was done to them was taken by one and all. As Mantle gave way to Atlas some used the transition to slip seamlessly into the transitioning society in various roles: merchants, technicians, architects. Money from Permafrost mercenary work flowed among the Association to ensure those who needed it were successful and well connected. In time, with hard work and resolve, the founding members would do well for themselves... well enough to raise the next generation to do what they could not. The sons and daughters of the private force, after all, would not be so closely watched as members themselves had been. Atlas -- or those few who remembered, anyway -- would wrongly believe that its dirty secrets would die out,
but it would not be that simple. The bonds forged among these families were much, much stronger than that, and every child would secretly be told the truth when they were old enough to know it. By this time the Association knew their enemies well, knew who in Atlas was to blame and what had to be done. What began with mutual defense and fear morphed into a resolve and a desire to see things "set right". The Association, though few in numbers, were well connected and prepared;
they would take the reigns of power from those who'd profited from their parents' misery and betrayal. To do so would require popular support, both from the people and the military. A plan was set in motion -- frame specific, targeted leaders for gross incompetence, greed, and betrayal of the public good. Atlas' military weapons, despite being sought after the world over, were seldom ever given or sold outside the kingdom until they were well and clearly outdated and surpassed by replacements. This was especially true for airships. To do otherwise, the logic went, endangered not only the kingdom's military edge but also the safety and security of its army, it's air-navy, and ultimately its people. A more perfect treason to lay at the feet of another could scarcely be conceived. All that was necessary was to adjust some distinctive existing hardware for both resale and stealth, then lay some false leads for the military police to follow. The Association could make easy work of such a task, and Permafrost could make a pretty profit from the black market sales... the perfect crime.
It almost was, at any rate...