[Jmenschenfresser]

Thanks for the many encouragements. The writing might help me to finish this game instead of killing if early and starting a new one.

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Let me buy you a drink, friend. Have you seen the latest numbers from Yoshri (the system where battle rages between the Klingon and the Jraenar)? Terrible...we outnumbered them 2 to 1, and still the colony on Yoshri 3 found itself guarded by a single destroyer. An old destroyer at that. I hear the old man of that ship had his vessel whizzing around, dodging capital ship missles like they were balls in a kids game. Two light cruisers, he toyed with. Brilliant tactics. But for all his fancy flying, they pushed him back from his orbit around the planet, and right as relief would arrive, one of the Jraenar ships released a volley at the planet killing some 6 million colonists. I say, what's the use in getting awards for beautiful loops and fancy tricks. He should have flown into the missles instead of looping around them like some kind of warrior artist. Too many of those these days.

Friend, I say, the war is beginning to smolder. We are twice what the Jraenar are and we cannot protect our own borders. Ship after ship, like rogue flies, they enter Yoshri. And our forces race about the system trying to bring them all down. Since then, I hear we've given up terraforming Yoshri. We hold a lone colony in that system now, I am sure you know it. It's a small, distant place. The Jraenar have great need for carbon dioxide atmospheres, and no doubt *grins* that is why Klingons are keeping that particular planet warm. The High Counsel has dispatched one of two new prototype cruiser class ships to the Yoshri system, claiming it can defeat the foe at two to one odds. Their fancy *** simulators tell them this rubbish. The Jraenar are ruthless and lack honor and are therefore worthy of death, but one thing they are not, is predictable. I doubt they fear us, friend. Not nearly as much as we fear them. The Jraenar ships are moving away from missle technology and have begun using phased beams, which have a greater range than our bLasters and at point blank can tear our ships out of the sky. It is no wonder our scientists are trying hard to duplicate this technology. Yes, I talk like I fear them. I know. I am a pessimist friend. A patriot, but a pessimist.

We must be discreet about this...and what I am about to reveal can cost you your life, were you to...well, if someone else were to....I think you know. A compromise between the peaceful faction and the ruling faction of the Counsel has been reached. Gol'par does not wish to see Klingons die, just like the rest of us. He's an opportunist of the broadest sort, if you get my meaning. Haha! Our scientists are several months away from it, but we are perfecting the use of drop ships and ground troops. Our construction yards stand ready. Do you know what this means? Invasion, friend. If our diplomats cannot convince the Jraenar to cease their attacks, we shall have little choice but to take their worlds one by one...until they comply or cease to be as a free people. Yes, friend, the knife maker is richer yet...old wisdom says it is the sign of a Klingon golden age. We're also enroute to set up mine fields along the Klingon/Jraenar border. Most of the mines are built, but we do not have enough layers to spread them around. This should slow their intrusive nature. In Yoshri, we presently have 8 ships scattered around the system, all guarding one single colony. In the adjoining system, Forlon, Kol's old fleet, consisting of five older ships, sits guarding a warp point leading into the other half of the Jraenar system. A main concern of mine is the age of our ships. Many cannot return to be refitted due to the war, and we do not have the resources to redo them all at once. I hear the mineral stock piles are at their lowest ever.

But that brings me to the good news. As you may know, if you have studied the Klingon star charts, that Kronos is located in relation to the center of the galaxy half way between the west edge and the center...right along the equator of the galaxy. From sensors, star charts, predictions of warp points and just from lack of activity, we believe that the entire southwestern quadrant of the galaxy is uninhabited. Scouts ships are on their way to map it and uncover any life. If it is true, that it is uninhabited, because of position, we should have sole access to it. Already our strategists have seen the grand design, and are positioning forces to choke off this area from the rest of the galaxy. If we are able to colonize this as of yet, uncharted area, we will rule over nearly a 5th of the galaxy. M class planets have been so far extremely rare...this area must have them in order for this empire to grow...otherwise we will have to tie up research for years to come trying to find a way to colonize ice planets....and have you ever heard of a Klingon building snow men?

We've encountered another race. Sent on a deep space scouting mission, a destroyer class, loaded with extra supplies, left Kronos to find the Drushocka. After coming to the galactic edge in a system called Lenoltris, where a great beastish black hole attempted to suck them in, they turned north in to Butukret, a wasteland nebulae. From there, it went west into Marjoram...the homesystem of the Drushocka. Before the captain of that ship stood the sparkling home world of the Drushocka. Several warships raced out to meet our destroyer. Years ago the Drushocka declared war on us, and we had not seen them since. Our emmissary stated they were on a scouting mission of peace, not to gather intelligence, but simply to meet and greet, as it is said. The Drushocka surrounded our innocent vessel, and most likely through some elaborate trickery, took the crew hostage and bLasted the empty hull into nothingness. That day we encountered a new race, the Fluidic Space Imperium, who are allied with the Drushocka. Naturally, our diplomats distrusted them. However, their smooth tongues and honey-ed words filled our diplomats with awe and wonder. They negotiated the release of our imprisoned scout crew. Since then the High Counsel has taken up a tight alliance with the Fluidic Space Imperium. I smell Gol'par on this one. There is something to gain here. Otherwise, why would the Klingon High Counsel take in as a friend someone who can also befriend the Drushocka. The Imperium is obviously playing us for fools against each other. Their are no peace makers in space. Because of the location of the Drushocka homeworld, we now suspect the Drushocka behind the battered state of the Norak. Maybe it is high time we convince the Norak to side with us.

The Last thing I'll mention, since I see your glass is almost empty is a little known secret called Gergan. Do you know it? It is a system, which the general public thinks still as yet unexplored. However, one of our colony ships from Yoshri fled a small raiding force of Jraenar ships. Some lunatic in the High Counsel sent a ship loaded with colonists as a deep space scout. I suppose someone thought it might save time, as they were bound to find a suitable planet. They attempted to skirt around the Jraenar border, but ran into as I said, a raiding party. They chased it through their own adjoining system, Eurul, but left off in Gergan. Out of fuel and unable to return through Jraenar territory, they picked a world and set up shop. They transmit sporadically. Last we heard a Jraenar ship was close and they are without defenses. They are attempting to set up a makeshift mine field around the planet just to buy some time for their construction yard to get up and running.

That is the whole tragedy of Yoshri. We needed Yoshri 3 to help link up and save Gergan. I fear now that we can do little to help. Qa'pla!!!

STATISTICS: turn 55
Klingon=23 planets, 29 ships, 1st place
Drushocka=11th place (the war between them and the Norak must be costly)
Jraenar=6th place
Norak= 13th place
Fluidic Space Imperium = 5th place