A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.0:

I have been on this planet for ten weeks now. All attempts to contact Imperial Fleet have failed. Until now, I had been waiting for the ion storms to cease, for communications to be restored, for the arrival of the task force that should be supporting our operations here. Now I must change my premises. I can no longer make plans for when they arrive, I must plan my actions if they arrive. And, what is more important, if they do not arrive. We are in the Unknown Regions here; there was only one known hyperspace route to this system and it seems to be closed. I do not know what event could have caused this, but it is likely to be the same event that is causing the massive storms.

I was sent to Virgillia V with a simple mission: expand the spaceyard and spaceport facilities here to allow an Imperial task force to operate in the region, conquering any independent races and adding them to the Empire. In time, Virgillia would become the capital of a new Imperial sector.

I am still operating under those orders; local shipbuilding technology is primitive, not much more than non-regenerating atomic engines and crude laser cannons. Using the designs I brought with me, we are upgrading local plants to an acceptable level, but it will be more than a year before we can turn out our first ion drives. The planet has a large, well-trained, contented workforce, but the local shipyard is too small. We need more resouces. We need orbital facilities. We need better tools. And we will have to provide them all ourselves.

And I will be in charge of it all. As pro tem military governor, I am the highest Imperial military and civilian authority in the region. Whatever the results here, I will have to answer for them. Failure will bring contempt, success might bring suspicion. I could easily be accused of overstepping my bounds. Having no one to report to could, in time, make me become a warlord.

And so this log. If I do become a warlord, I will do it with full knowledge of when, why and how it happened.

And I will erase this log the minute that task force appears on our scanners.

[ April 24, 2003, 16:40: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

I like this. Sounds like a bit of an anti-hero to me=-)

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Oooohh! Sound goooooood!

Re: A War for the Stars
 

I am being praised by the SEIV writer who defines my standards for excellence. Feels good ! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Here's the essential game info: I'm using Andres' Sci-Fi Crossover mod, playing as the Star Wars Empire with Imperial tech. Everyone else (the AI) gets standard SEIV tech. Conflict between different tech trees should be interesting (and I hope it helps Andres in some way, at least as a playtest report). Chapter two will be up later today (with more background info on Wiers).

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Ahhh great a star wars fiction. I only just bought attack of the clones book because i missed out on the film! This sounds like it will get interesting http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.1:

I made it our first priority to secure all insystem resources. Our future sector capital was chosen with care; Virgillia V boasts excellent conditions, but there are three partially and one fully colonizable planets as well. I have authorized construction of a series of insystem colony ships using native technology, which we have named the Nova class. Nova I will be ready early next tenth*, but she is already obsolete. By the time she launches we will have begun work on a second colonizer with improved atomic engines.

But there are other challenges. Power generation technology is still far behind Imperial standards. Our first shipboard atomic reactor prototype will be coming Online in five tenths and not a day sooner, unless we can get some additional workshops built at our colonies.

And it's not just the reactors. There are a hundred other things that need to be developed before we can begin to fulfill our orders to explore and expand. It's enough to make me forget how isolated we are out here, with no ships, no HoloNet, no travellers bringing news from home.

I suppose I should be glad.

* - 0.1 year.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.2:

Fate sometimes plays us strange cards. I was never meant to be fully in charge here. To the Imperial Fleet, I was always a necessity, someone whose job needed to be done before they could take off in their shiny ships to do the real work.

They call officers like me planet builders. But they have other names they use when we're not around. Dirtsiders. Rockhuggers. Dock jocks. They might promote me, but they would never let me work unsupervised.

But it happened. Yesterday we launched the Nova I, with 14 million colonists aboard her. They should reach Virgillia I within the tenth. She was the crudest, ugliest ship I ever launched.

When she took off, she was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

Nova I will do her job. In my heart, I know it.

But will I ?

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.3:

The colony on Virgillia I is well established. We will set up several industrial and tech facilities there to speed up our technological upgrade program. The planet has dense vegetable cover and we wil establish some organic farms there eventually, but these are not a priority right now.

Our reactor program has been put on hold. The population here is starting to lose its motivation. They are not restless yet, but my Intel officer tells me it is only a matter of time.

Imperial citizens need the Empire. They are used to seeing fleets, troops, Imperial pronouncements. Without these things they become disoriented. We can only give them the troops.

We will need recruitment stations, training camps, HQs, bases. We will need a year or more to build all this; we must devote every resource to this program, except for what is being spent on colonization. Shipbuilding will continue, but colonizing other planets will be useless if we cannot hold onto them.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Oh this is good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I love a good Star Wars story and this one is off to a great start. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Star Wars? I thought it was Lost in Space!
Oh Well, it's still a good story! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: A War for the Stars
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Lost Star Wars in Space?

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.7:

Things have been too busy for me to write here lately. Nova II and III have been built and launched. We have a mining colony on Virgillia IV and a farming/mining colony on Virgillia II. Nova IV launches in a few days for Virgillia VI, the Last colonizable planet in this system under current technology; we must now set out for the nearest stars.

It will be years before we have our first native-built hyperdrive, but there may be a way around this. There are four stellar anomalies at the edges of the system; according to native scientists, these could be wormholes. If they are wormholes, and navigable, we might be able to colonize another system or two and perhaps re-establish communications with the Empire.

Wormholes are extremely rare in the known Galaxy and most of them occur deep in interstellar space. It is highly unlikely that this system should have not one, but four of them.

But the potential for gain is too great to be ignored. I have ordered a new class of ship built to explore these objects. The Seeker I will have a corvette-sized hull, four atomic engines and enough cryogenic cells to get her there and back.

On another note, the people seem to be happy again. Perhaps we can go back to reactor production.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.8:

I have decided to go ahead with our energy program; we need shipboard reactors in order to patrol this system effectively. Now that we have colonies on several planets, this has become a concern. I have also halted Seeker I's construction until we can fit her with a reactor.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2400.9:

Shipboard atomic reactors are now possible. As a side benefit, we can now freeze greater amounts of tibanna gas into cryogenic cells, all of which should greatly increase our ships' range. The Nova and Seeker designs have been upgraded to include reactors and the new generation cryogenic cells.

The Seeker class also sports seven Mk II laser cannons. There may or may not be spacefaring aliens in this region of the Galaxy, but if there are we cannot be defenceless.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.1:

Fate has been dealing its cards again. Seeker I was built and launched on schedule, and set out for the nearest of the four stellar anomalies placed around this system. It turned out to be a wormhole after all, a large, stable and apparently navigable wormhole. I was about to order Captain Veren to approach it when he asked permission to enter it.

What he found on the other side was incredible. He emerged into another star system, with one fully and four partially colonizable planets, and two other wormholes at its edges. The scientists here are still spinning theories to explain all this, but I must conclude that these wormholes - or hyperconduits, as some of the scientists are calling them - are artificial. And whoever made them may still be around.

All of this actually worked to my advantage. I gathered all top Imperial personnel - Army, Navy, ISB, civilian - and told them a scary story about a possible race of super-aliens with vastly superior technology. They all agreed that we should use every means possible to re-establish contact with the Empire to warn them of this, and that the most logical way to do it would be to use these hyperconduits to colonize as many systems as possible until we reach one that is in a known region of the Galaxy.

They agreed that every new system that we colonize should be subordinate to Virgillia. In effect, we are now a sector and I am its Moff.

With that question settled, I ordered the construction of five new colonizers meant for the new system, which we called Gesaril. The best way to be acknowledged as Moff is to act like one.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Seeker I, Captain's log, SGY 2401.2:

We've returned safely from the Gesaril system and are on our way to the next wormhole leading out from Virgillia. The ship and her crew are performing well. None of us had ever jumped into a completely unknown system before and now we are about to do it a second time.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.2:

I have decided to retain the title of Admiral while acting as sector Moff. This way it will be easier if - or rather when - I am called upon to explain my actions to my superiors.

Next: First contact.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Author's message: I have the next installment ready but I think I'll keep you in suspense until tomorrow. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.0:

We have established a farming colony on Virgillia VI and Seeker I will be ready next tenth. Everything else proceeds far too slowly.

Our training camps are a prime example. We will need to staff them with Imperial Army officers and instructors, of which we have only a handful here. By rights we should have a general in charge of our future system army forces, but the highest-ranked Army officer on planet is Colonel Sheer.

We will also need stormtrooper and starfighter forces, and with these we face a greater problem. Stormtroopers and starfighter pilots are raised and trained on secret, specialized worlds; the distribution of their units among Imperial Fleet and local governors is handled by their own branches.

We, on the other hand, will have to raise these forces from the local citizenry. And to do that it seems I will have to grant myself extraordinary powers.

I have to make plans. I have to find out which of my staff will support me in this.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

...Taz can wait; but remember: It's not nice to tease a<font color = red> TAZ</font>! <font color = black> </font> http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ June 08, 2003, 03:19: Message edited by: Taz-in-Space ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Seeker I, Captain's log, SGY 2401.3:

We entered our second wormhole hoping to find another colonizable system. As soon as we were through, our scanner displays went wild. This system was inhabited ! We picked up signals from at least three planets and three ships. They saw us too; we were beamed by two of their ships, which changed course to intercept us. We relayed all of this to Sector Command and received orders to back out through the wormhole.

We're now on our way to Sector HQ on Virgillia V to resupply. Then we go on to another wormhole.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.3:

Transmissions from the alien race in the Galthus system have been decoded. They are a near-human, oxygen-breathing species native to that system. They call themselves the Andarr.*

Another alien species with interstellar capability was found in the Gesaril system. Nova V had just entered the system when their scanners picked up a large unknown ship, entering the system from one of the unexplored hyperconduits. Transmissions from that ship have also been decoded; it was a warship manned by the Yakrin*, another humanoid, oxygen-breathing species.

The Andarr and Yakrin are both unknown quantities. They are capable of interplanetary travel and the Yakrin ships can travel to other systems. The Andarr war fleet seems to consist of only two ships, both of them larger than our corvette-sized Seekers. The Yakrin vessel is roughly as large as the largest Andarr ship, and the size of their fleet is unknown. Technology is unknown for both races.

Given all this, the standard Imperial doctrine of intimidation and annexation becomes void. While we are a part of the Empire, circumstances prevent us from acting like the Empire. We must negotiate to gain time. To that end, I have sent both alien races a treaty proposal.

The game of Empire requires force. Lacking a strong position, we must play a game called Republic.

* - The Crossover mod contains B5, ST and SW races. I will retain the original names for some of them and change the names of the rest as necessary to fit them into the SW universe.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.4:

Both of our proposals have been rejected. The Andarr are distant, the Yakrin contemptuous. We have much to learn about diplomacy. The Yakrin war vessel retreated back through the hyperconduit to parts unknown. Nova V can now proceed to Gesaril II, where we have detected what may be deserted alien ruins. It is my hope that these ruins can give us some clue as to who built this net of hyperconduits between the stars.

On another note, our Army bases have been built, now we must train their staff. Meanwhile we are going back to engine research. Starfighters are the cheapest and fastest way to defend our new colonies, but first we need proper ion engines for them.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.6:

The Andarr have accepted our goods. We will send them another shipment.

We also have a new colonizer design, the Comet class. These ships use the new implosion drives and are almost twice as fast as the Nova class, but with a drastically shorter range. We will build a few to colonize neighboring systems - after we are done upgrading mining facilities on Virgillia V.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.7:

Our relations with the Andarr are definitely improving. We will send them another shipment of goods, this time with a trade treaty attached.

Nova VI has arrived on Gesaril V. We plan to build a starport/spaceyard/resupply complex there along with farms and research centers.

Nova VII is being refitted as a Comet-class colonizer. She will be renamed Comet I.

Captain Veren has discovered another colonizable system, which has been named Syned. Seeker I is proceeding to one of Syned's three other hyperconduits; we will soon find out what lies beyond our neighboring systems.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.8:

The Andarr have agreed to our Trade Alliance. This is good news indeed. We must set up a proper Diplomatic Corps, and I think I have the right man for the job.

Comet I is still being refitted. She should launch next tenth.*

* - I forgot to include a reactor in the new design and had to do another refit. Doh !

Next: Familiar faces.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Seeker I, Captain's log, SGY 2401.5:

There was another colonizable system behind the third wormhole, with one oxygen rock world, three rock worlds with various other atmospheres, and three airless rock moons. We called this system Berlin.

We've just emerged back into Virgillia and are now headed towards this system's Last unknown wormhole. Current supplies should allow us to go one system beyond that before returning to base.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.5:

Our factories will begin to deliver implosion drives next tenth. These drives consume a great deal of energy, but are very powerful. They might be useful on colonizing missions, which are one-way trips and therefore need fewer supplies.

We will recruit our first Army troops next tenth, but we wil need more time to train and equip them.

We have sent the Andarr some goods in order to achieve good will.

The colonists have landed on Gesaril II. We ordered them to explore the alien ruins as soon as possible; they found an abandoned, partially buried alien city. Further investigation revealed that this planet must have been a mining colony - some of the mining equipment was still operable, in fact. We will study this alien technology and use it to upgrade our own facilities. It is still unclear who built this colony on Gesaril, but I doubt it was the same race that built the hyperconduits.

Nova VI has been launched to colonize Gesaril V. That oxygen world will be the future system capital.

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2401.5 (addendum):

Yesterday I had a meeting with one Commodore Haase, supposedly in charge of radioactives refining on Virgillia V. It seems that in addition to his known duties he is responsible for ISB operations in the region. He was sent here with duties similar to mine; develop Imperial intel capacity in the region to support Fleet operations. Now that we have contact with potentially hostile aliens, he chose to reveal his ISB status to me in order to get permission to build Imperial intel centers in the system*.

We agreed to build them on Virgillia IV. Some of the mining facilities there will secretly become intel centers while we upgrade the rest to use the Gesaril technology. To an outsider, it will seem like they are all undergoing the same upgrades.

* - That's the official story, but you can guess what happened in-game.

[ April 27, 2003, 12:57: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

This is good stuff. I like the bite sized, easily-digested installments.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Excellent story!

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Thanks, guys. I can't tell you how much I appreciate knowing that someone is reading all this and enjoying it.

Stay tuned, there will be at least one more chapter today.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Seeker I, Captain's log, SGY 2401.9:

We've just arrived back at Syned, coming from the new system called Keedad. As soon as we left the wormhole on the trip out we started picking up comm signals. This system was even busier than Galthus, with five inhabited planets and at least four ships. And they were all talking to each other in several Languages, Basic among them, on the wavelengths the Empire uses for civilian communications. For a while we thought we were back on the Outer Rim.

Our arrival caused quite a stir. First they warned us that the whole system was private property, then they seemed to recognize us and all of a sudden became very polite. I had a very interesting talk with their flight control staff and then with their starport manager. The man looked like he was expecting a fleet of Star Destroyers to come out of the wormhole behind us.

He told me this system was settled by a Hutt trade caravan that got their jump codes mixed up and ended up out here. Knowing the Hutt, I'm pretty sure their 'trade goods' included slaves, guns and mercenaries, so they had no trouble making a home for themselves on one of the planets.

They invited us down to their capital, but I had no intention of letting them find out that we were all of the Imperial Navy in this sector. I told them we were on a scouting mission for the Empire and that proper communications would be established as soon as we relayed their position back to Fleet Command. All of it true enough and it allowed us to back out through the wormhole before their warships reached us.

Admiral Wiers wanted us to head back to Virgillia to resupply, but I convinced him to let us make one more trip out. By the time we get to the next wormhole, step through and then back, Syned I will be colonized by the new Comet ship and they can start building a resupply depot. The Seeker can get supplies faster by waiting for the depot to be finished than by flying to Virgillia and back. If the Hutt find out about my little deception and decide to attack, they'll have to come through this system anyway and it's better to face them here than at the sector capital.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

been following it myself. good story, bad main character. needs whack on head.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Yes, Pinky, I'm sure of that. Now be a good mouse and let me take over the Galaxy, will you ? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

(I should have switched to the Brain avatar to say that. Lol !)

Do you mean 'bad' as in 'evil' ? I guess we'll find out when the shooting begins.

[ April 29, 2003, 01:34: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

he's exibiting the traits of an evil warlord...desire for conquest, untrustworthyness and power base building.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Thanks for your input. It gave me some great ideas for future events and for 'background' type chapters.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.0:

Syned I has been colonized. Acting on a suggestion from Captain Veren, a resupply depot is being rush built to support Seeker I's operations away from Virgillia. Gesaril is sending us its first shipments of radioactives now that their spaceport structure is operational.

We now have an embryo Diplomatic Corps, headed by Line Captain Reima, my former intel officer. With our new ISB intel centers, the Line Captain and his staff were becoming as useful as a Bantha in a pod race. As Chief Ambassador, his first job will be to ensure all alien races remain friendly until we have reasonable defenses set up.

Seeker I, Captain's log, SGY 2402.1:

The Arkonne system is a big disappointment, nothing but asteroids around one dim star. We'll head back to Syned I, then set off for the Last unexplored wormhole out from Syned.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.2:

Chief Ambassador Reima has established regular communications with the Hutt. He has laid out a plan under which we will maintain good relations with our neighbors by offering them goods that are not essential to our defense program. The Hutt will receive one such shipment this tenth.

Comet II is on its way to Gesaril IX, a huge airless world where we hope to build a strong industrial base.

We will soon have our first ground troops. These will be security forces, fit only for police work and parades, but seeing the Imperial Army is enough to make most people feel safe and happy, which translates directly into more production for the Empire. Our plans call for one security battalion* on every Imperial colony in the sector; Colonel Sheer, now promoted to Brigadier General, will be in charge of these troops.

* - 1 Army battalion = 80 infantry troop units.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.3:

The Hutt accepted our goods. We offered them some more, attached to a Trade Alliance; Reima tells me their greed ensures they will accept.

Our first security forces are now active. Brigadier General Sheer has organized simultaneous parades on all Imperial worlds, and the crowds loved them. Productivity is at an all time high and still climbing.

The people don't know it, but almost all of the troops in those parades were carrying mock weapons. We can produce bLaster pistols in moderate quantities, but no bLaster rifles yet. While it would be a simple matter to divert one or two small workshops to small arms R&D, we cannot spare them. We need starfighters badly; we can build their hulls, but we still can't fit a decent ion engine into them. One alien invasion while we are still vulnerable and all could be lost.

Comet II has landed on Gesaril IX; the Comet ships were an excellent idea, they are expensive but they buy us even more precious time.

I must talk to the shipyard design staff. I hear they have some new faces.

Naval personnel on Virgillia have a bad case of planet fever. They want more warships, they want a berth on the Seeker, they want anything that can take them out among the stars. I may have to order another Seeker to accomodate them.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

I think it's time for a map of my current situation :

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/newup...1051691505.jpg

This is the quadrant map as of 2402.3.

Virgillia: Imperial homeworld.
Gathus: Andarr homeworld.
Keedad: Hutt homeworld.
Gesaril: First Imperial colony system.
Syned: Second Imperial colony system.
Berlin: Uninhabited colonizable system.
Arkonne: Barren asteroid system.

[ April 30, 2003, 11:49: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Nice story, will read it to the end.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.5:

The Hutt agreed to our trade alliance. Ambassador Reima also received a message from the Yakrin, proposing a trade treaty with us. According to him, this proposal does not make sense in light of our prior dealings with them; before this offer, they were arrogant and prone to making threats. There must be an important reason for this sudden improvement in our relations. I'll have the Diplomatic Corps look into it.

Seeker I entered Galvoni, another barren system with random asteroid clouds drifting around a stellar remnant. Captain Veren will cross the system and investigate the next system over. Comet III launched this tenth to colonize Berlin III.

Our security forces are doing wonders for planetary morale. Our investment in them was enormous but it is already paying off.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.6:

The Andarr cancelled their treaty with us. Ambassador Reima is at a loss to explain how this could have happened but his Corps is already busy trying to contain the situation. I had to warn him that we cannot afford incidents such as this.

Our colonists landed on Berlin III at about the same time that the Syned starports became operational. Our position improves steadily.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Great read, thank you for the entertainment.

"Evil will always win because Good is stupid."

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.7:

We finally have fighter-sized ion engines. This would allow us to produce our first starfighters this tenth, but I chose to delay production to include the latest model laser cannon in the designs.

We have begun building Seeker II. Like Seeker I, she will explore the systems around us, seeking out other starfaring civilizations.

Now that a spaceyard is under construction in Gesaril, we will need to relocate some of Virgillia V's population to that system before it can launch its own colony ships. We need some kind of population transport; I will instruct our spaceyard staff to draw up plans in case we need to build larger hulls.

Seeker I crossed another hyperconduit into the Nalros system and found it already inhabited. After decoding and translating incoming signals, we were able to contact this new race, called... humans. This is not the first time the Empire encounters an isolated human world or group of worlds, but to them we were quite a surprise. Captain Veren assured them that the Seeker was on a peaceful voyage of exploration and obtained passage through the system. We believe the next system over should connect to Berlin, where the ship will go to be resupplied.

Ambassador Reima has dispatched a diplomatic mission to this group of humans who call themselves the Interstellar Alliance. They seem friendly enough and are very curious about us; Reima must make sure that they do not learn too much.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.8:

Our sector forces will soon have a starfighter arm. Plans for the TIE Fighter A (T/ln A) are complete and they are already being produced.

Lacking proper Imperial TIE pilots, we had to recruit them from the local population. This has already been taken care of and right now we have a large contingent of trained pilots on every world.

Commodore Telar will be the overall commander of our starfighter forces. We will produce two wings of TIE/ln A's initially, one full wing of 72 craft to defend Virgillia and a reduced wing with 48 craft to defend Gesaril. These defense wings are meant to harass and delay invading fleets; extensive facilities are available to mass produce more fighters which will then deal with the enemy ships.

As a side effect of our engine research, we now have marginally cheaper implosion drives. The Comet design has already been updated to use them.

Starfighters will go a long way towards ensuring our safety, but we need bombers, then carriers. The road ahead is long indeed.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2402.9:

We can now build slightly larger Modified Corvettes. Our research teams are concentrating on more efficient cargo bays for the population transports.

Seeker I entered the Gandle Ott system, another uninhabited system with one fully and one partially colonizable planet. Captain Veren will head towards Berlin III to resupply.

Seeker II has been launched, under Captain Stran. I know many here do not agree with my choice, but I believe he will be a competent explorer once he enters the unknown beyond Arkonne.

Our relations with the Alliance improve daily; they have informed us that they are at war with the Yakrin. That explains much; the Yakrin must have offered us a treaty to keep us out of the conflict. That is what we will do, for now, but there are many here who insist we help our fellow humans right away. I will not risk my sector by rushing into an ill-considered war; I feel we have more to gain at the moment by expanding while our neighbors wear themselves down against each other. But if the time comes when we must choose a side, I hope it will be that of the Alliance.

[ May 01, 2003, 16:47: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

CODED TRANSMISSION
From: Chief Ambassador Reima, Sector Diplomatic Corps
To: Admiral Wiers

Berlin III, 2403.0

Admiral,

We are making rapid progress in our dealings with our fellow humans in the Interstellar Alliance. We have offered them a trade treaty, as per your orders. I have every reason to believe that they will accept.

The Yakrin have learned of our dealings with their enemies and are understandably disturbed. We have done our best to reassure them but I am afraid that we cannot have the best of both worlds. The friendlier we become with the Alliance the more the Yakrin will dislike us.

Current information suggests that the Yakrin-Alliance war is a stalemate; neither power can defeat the other's armada. If that is the case, perhaps we can act as the external power that breaks the deadlock and wins the war. There is much to gain from such a situation.

CODED TRANSMISSION
From: Chief Ambassador Reima, Sector Diplomatic Corps
To: Admiral Wiers

Berlin III, 2403.1

Admiral,

Everything is proceeding as we have foreseen. We established a trade agreement with the Alliance, only to have the Yakrin learn of it and demand that it be canceled. I await your decision in this matter but it is the advice of this Corps that you refuse their demands.

On another front, the Hutt are becoming restless. They must have realized by now that we lack the force to annex them and are reverting to their usual arrogant nature. We have sent them some goods to improve relations, but I must point out that the Hutt are not fools. They know we would be sending stormtroopers instead of goods, if we had them.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2403.2:

Seeker I has arrived at Berlin III, where the new starport has just become operational. They will pick up supplies and come to Virgillia, then head to Gesaril. Captain Veren and his crew have been away for almost two years; everyone here wants to meet them and hear about their exploits.

Syned I now boasts a spaceyard, but we must build other facilities there before they can start building ships.

Comet IV has been launched. She will stop at Berlin III for supplies, then head for Gandle Ott IV.

Acting on Ambassador Reima's suggestion, we refused to break our treaty with the Interstellar Alliance. Yakrin displeasure with this was evident; once the Alliance learned of the incident, they offered to broaden our treaty by including the exchange of scientific information as well as goods. We accepted eagerly; perhaps their scientists know who built the hyperconduit web. Our diplomats tell me that the Interstellar Alliance is a powerful ally. Together we may rule this sector.

Next: Myths and Legends.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

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Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2403.4:

Gandle Ott IV has been colonized. Beyond that system lies the Alliance. We will raise a TIE fighter wing in that system for local defence.

Captain Veren received a hero's welcome here on Virgillia V. We paraded him down our main skylanes and put interviews with him on all the newscasts. But our navy is small and there is much to do; the Captain and Seeker I are on their way again, headed towards Gesaril.

Our factories can now produce the new model cargo bays; our naval architects are putting together a design for a small population transport that will serve our needs until we can build larger ships.

We need better metallurgical techniques to strengthen our prototype bomber designs; this will also enable us to produce stormtrooper armor. Our development teams are already working on it.

The Hutt cancelled their treaty with us. Ambassador Reima believes it is just a ploy to get us to send them more goods. I believe we can safely ignore them for now. If they had the strength to invade us, they would already have done so.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Wow, now I have a rating ! Thanks, RD ! (I have 2 votes, so someone else decided to rate me too).

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Transcript from a presentation by Dr. Buchler (Nalros University) to Imperial military and scientific personnel on Berlin III, SGY 2403.3:

Good evening. I would like to thank Chief Ambassador Reima for having invited me here. There is much that the Empire and the Alliance can learn from each other. We have only recently discovered space travel, while you have been travelling among the stars for thousands of years. We have lived in this part of the Galaxy for as far back as we can remember, while you are recent arrivals.

Imperial scientists tell us this region of space is unlike any other they have ever heard of. The planetary systems here are linked by a web of warp points, or as you call them, hyperconduits. Communication with the rest of the Galaxy is impossible. Your science cannot explain any of this as natural phenomena. It is understandable, therefore, that you should want to know what theories our scientists have concerning the warp points.

I'm afraid that the warp points cannot be explained by our physicists any more than they can be explained by yours. Our theories about them come from other sciences - history, archaeology and anthropology. The study of our myths - and those of the alien races we have met - provide some fascinating hints as to the nature of our star systems. This presentation is only a brief overview of the subject, but we hope to bring other Alliance scientists here to present you with all our findings. Much of what follows is tentative, but it is the best explanation that fits the evidence we have found among the stars.

We believe this part of the Galaxy was inhabited by an incredibly powerful alien race, which most of us call the Ancients. The warp points were only one of their achievements. They were so advanced that they could create and destroy planets, nebulae and even stars. They could open and close warp points as desired. They could live on any planet, or change the characteristics of a planet to better suit their needs.

They also enjoyed studying other intelligent races. They travelled the Galaxy - and perhaps to other galaxies as well - in search of intelligent species from which they would take samples. These beings would be placed on worlds engineered to be as similar as possible to their original homes and their development would be observed from space. It is possible that some of these races were eventually adopted by the Ancients as servants or pets.

Then, for some reason, they vanished. There are many different stories concerning this event. In some legends, war broke out with another incredibly advanced species; in others, it was a civil war among the Ancients themselves. Other stories say the Ancients simply left, leaving their servant races to fight over their systems.

We may never know the causes of this disappearance, but we know force was involved. All the myths we have studied tell of a great war, although the particulars of who did the fighting and why are always different. Our recent discovery of a 'bLasted' system - random clouds of asteroids drifting around the core of a destroyed star - supports the theory that this Great War actually happened and involved destruction on a scale inconceivable to us.

After the War, the myths converge again. The Ancients left or were destroyed, leaving the warp points behind. Their servants survived, but couldn't maintain what was left of the Ancient empire. They began to backslide to pre-starfaring technology. Two of those races fought a second war at this point. It wasn't as terrible as the Great War, but still involved widespread death and destruction. One race set up an energy field around this part of space - a barrier that may be failing, since it sometimes lets ships through - and tried to destroy all other intelligent species inside it so that they would be the only heirs to the knowledge of the Ancients. The other race tried to prevent this. Meanwhile, on their own planets, the non-starfaring species began to explore orbital space and found the spying devices left in orbit by the Ancients.

At this point, legend gives way to history. The Alliance interstellar program began when we discovered the satellite around our homeworld. we plucked it from orbit and studied it, gaining hints about propulsion and guidance systems, new materials, new manufacturing techniques and even new weapons. We know for a fact that the Yakrin have a very similar story, and that explains why their spaceships - unlike yours - have essentially the same engines and weapons as ours.

So what can we conclude about what is out there waiting for us ? The Ancients no longer exist, or if they do, are not likely to return. Their two servant races - the ones our legends call the Light and the Darkness - may still be out there, locked in their ancient struggle. There may be other races using technology similar to ours to explore the Universe beyond their warp points. There may be newcomers such as yourselves. The Universe is a vast adventure, waiting for our two people to live it, if we can learn to work together.

Thank you gentlemen, and good night.

[ May 04, 2003, 16:08: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2403.5:

Comet V has been launched towards Syned VI, a huge airlless ball of rock. Seeker II entered the Klozar system, another uninhabited system with a few partially colonizable planets. They picked up strange emissions from Klozar VII, an otherwise unremarkable world. Captain Stran will head for the nearest unexplored hyperconduit leading out from Klozar before returning to Syned.

We have designed the Fyrine class population transports to move people from the capital to the colonies. They were built on a modified corvette hull and have a cargo capacity of 300 kt.* The new model cargo bays were also used on another design, the Black Sword micro-carrier. These modified corvettes have two laser cannon and may carry up to twenty-six TIE fighters, organized into two oversize squadrons. Now that our relations with the Yakrin are in decline, we will need a proper war fleet and the Black Swords will form its backbone.

Commodore Telar is already organizing our sector's First Carrier Wing, to be raised on Gesaril. The spaceyard on Gesaril V will build two Fyrine transports, then two Black Swords. The Fyrines have no weapons, but we can use them as troop transports if necessary.

And now we must organize our sector's final combat arm: Stormtroopers.

* - Star Wars cargo bays are less efficient than their SEIV counterparts.

[ May 07, 2003, 00:43: Message edited by: Erax ]

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2403.6:

Captain Stran led Seeker II into a new system containing one fully colonizable planet, three partially colonizable planets and one rocky moon. We called this system Tachung.

The Interstellar Alliance proposed a treaty of mutual defence and protection. Under this treaty, each power agrees to send military aid to the other power if such aid is requested. This means that if we accept the Alliance can bring us into their war against the Yakrin at any time. If we refuse, on the other hand, we may ruin the good relations we have been trying to build with our fellow humans and it will not make the Yakrin hate us less. Tomorrow I will send our answer, accepting their proposal.

War draws closer with every passing day. We knew this was likely to happen and we are not unprepared, but I still feel we are being overtaken by external events faster than we can deal with them. Our strategy has been chosen, our tactics are sound, our sailors, soldiers and pilots are capable. That should be enough.

But the price to pay if it is not is terrible.

Re: A War for the Stars
 

Admiral Wiers' private log, SGY 2403.7:

Syned IV has been colonized. Seeker I will begin to explore the hyperconduit web beyond Gesaril; Captain Veren has been ordered to exercise extreme caution, since the Yakrin home system lies somewhere in that direction.

Speaking of the Yakrin, they cancelled their trade treaty with us. Black Sword I was rushed into production on Gesaril V, Fyrine I having been launched earlier this tenth.

The Andarr have become quite friendly with us. It seems there is some sort of rivalry between them and the Hutt; we can have a treaty with one or the other but not both. Knowing the Hutt as we do, it is better to take our chances with the Andarr. Ambassador Reima has sent them a message suggesting we forget our previous disagreements and establish a new trade treaty.

Our Stormtrooper program has been launched; our first bLaster rifles and DurapLast armor suits will be coming off the production lines any day now. Some of the Army bases will be handed over to the new Stormtrooper combat arm so they can begin to train their first recruits. It will take some time and we won't see our first Stormtrooper units until next year, but they should be well worth the wait.

Brigadier General Sheer has petitioned me for the creation of an Army invasion force as a quick substitute for the yet-to-be-created Stormtroopers. Given the velocity with which we are being drawn into war, I believe I will authorize it.