History of the Galaxy, part 1-Story Thread

[spacefan]

Ship Lord Alzene's log

All quiet on the Praetorian front, but although most other shiplords have been dormant, our ship has been tasked to greet the defecting Amon'krie captains. After we took on three captains, my crew examined their ships, and found nothing of interest. It appears the Amon'krie are quite limited in their technology. Through various contacts, I've discovered our espionage against the Amon'krie is shifting to sabotage of their industrial facilies.

More significantly, radio traffic indicates the latest Grand Lord received threats from the Xiati to break treaties with the Sergetti. This Grand Lord decided to stop trading with the Xiati because of their insolence, and through his threats and diplomacy they have agreed to subjugation, paying the Grand Lord tribute in exchange for leniency.

No contact I'm aware of has been made with any other allies lately. The Norak have set up their colony, as mandated by treaty, without any fuss.

Jacob and I have returned to homeworld orbit, where traffic and general noise level remains high, due to the large number of ships in orbit. Among the orbiting fleet 7 obsolete ships have been decommissioned and are gradually being replaced by the latest Idaho class designs. Most captains have spent their time listening to reports about the destruction of Amon'krie factories and the tariffs from the Xiati; anything to keep them from facing the calm and peace that prevails. Drunkedness and fights are becoming a problem, but the captains are discussing various training scenarios, which should lead to some much needed battle training for the crews.

I've run a pretty tight ship myself. The Alpha Tau has a crew of 130, 15 of those being junior officers. We've worked on repair and construction drills as well as retrofitting and salvage missions.

The researchers I still have contact with report continued investigation into stellar phenomenon and how to manipulate such.

I still think we are merely experiencing the calm before the storm, but I am not sure how the storm will manifest itself.

[ May 24, 2002, 15:25: Message edited by: spacefan ]

[Ragnarok]

What's the scores/standings? Haven't been any new storys lately and was wondering what's going on. I'm missing it.

Also...*Bump*

[spacefan]

All hell is breaking loose, but I didn't want to post again until we get another empires perspective. The Norak have infiltrated my Fazrah intel networks, somehow my intel was changed to covert recon of the Praetorians, and war may break at any moment. I'm not sure whats going on with the Praetorians, but even the Norak are like 3 times my size, so its likely to be a quick war, but we'll see. My Fazrah's seem to be widely hated among the Theocratic and Despotic empires, (Norak, Praetorian, Amon'krie all at war or almost with me. Xiati I have subjugated.)

Fazrah will probably be first to fall, as I am weaker than most of the large empires and surrounded by all three of them, but perhaps the Sallegans will have something to say as well, who knows.

[spacefan]

I said I wouldn't post yet, but things have gone to hell in a handbasket so I feel its important to get a snapshot of the Fazrah before they die

Alzene's Log
----------

They are everywhere. Agents of the Norak or some coalition of forces opposing us. They have infiltrated us everywhere, so that we may no longer trust those who we had trusted before. We were united at Homeworld, and Knoglam, and unity is a rare thing for our people. Our enemies, though they remain hidden, have used our unity against us.

I have never been a warrior, but the events of the Last month have me wanting Norak blood. Whatever dark, evil magic they used to infiltrate and manipulate us so well, it is driving us all to the point of insanity.

The Grand Lord said that we must rendevous our Homeworld fleet with the Sallegans. This was stupid, as the homeworld would be defenseless. Many opposed this, but our mistaken unity lead to its acceptance.

Fools we were. Most of us now believe this newest Grand Lord, the mining lord I've discussed, is an agent within the Norak or other enemy state.

Whatever diabolical plot is in motion, they have captured the loyalty of the CueCappa, who were completely loyal to us, but suddenly we discover they are now a hostile threat to us. And they have forces deep in the bowels of Fazrah space.

This dark alliance is likely to see the joining of Praetorian ships soon, as we are weaker than can be believed.

Dealing with the Mining Lord agent, we put one of our own men on homeworld, and that scoundrel of a Norak agent has been executed. Our only unity will occur through dispersal. We have no fleets today, only ships acting on their own ideas, and a very rough idea of what we need to do. We declared war on the vile agents of the Norak, and whatever dark magic they have found, shall be destroyed. Even as we perish we shall take what we can of the Norak, with us.

The Sallegans, though they were great allies, are a mystery to us. They told us to worry about the Praetorians. The Norak have been our undoing. We should have struck the Norak from the first agent we captured. Perhaps the Sallegans will join us, or perhaps they will see their easiest way out, which is to help destroy us.

Like many times in our past, we once again face extinction. We shall not present one target, but many.

[geoschmo]

From the personal journal of Admiral Fineas J. Grandow
Admiral and Commander-In-Chief of the Sallegan Space Services
President Pro Tem of the Senate of the Sallegan Republic

Stardate 2415.8

I feel it important that I commit the recent events and decisions made within and without the Sallegan Republic so that future scholars may understand the true context in which they took place, and so that future leaders may possibly learn something from them and be able to better serve the Republic.

It is with a heavy heart that I put these words to paper. I fear that war with the Norak Continuum may be inevitable. It is not exactly clear how the situation deteriorated so rapidly, but it is the result of the recent political upheaval within the Continuum. Their government is now being led by a radical ultra-fundamentalist sect calling themselves the Tribunal. Our previous contacts within the government are all unavailable. In some cases we fear they may be under arrest, or worse.

Contrary to the former government, the Tribunal does not appear to have any reservations about spreading their religion by cooersion if nessecary. They have been overly aggresive, almost imperialistic towards the smaller races in the quadrant, primarily the Fazrah and Jraenar.

We have confirmed reports of many incidents of sabotage, espionage, and rabble rousing by agents of the Tribunals within neigboring empires. So far they do not appear to have directed those attacks towards us. It is not clear whether it is our larger counter intelligence network that is responsible for this, or the fact that the Sallgan People have so widely accepted thier religion over the years. Perhaps the Tribunals feel that these individuals that are loyal to the Sallgan Republic, the same republic that gives them the freedom to worship the Norak Goddess, would betray their own people on the orders of these despots. I doubt seriously this is the case.

A much more serious issue for us is the fact that the Norak have begun using the Cephredi system, soverign territory of the Sallegan Republic, as a staging area for their Military forces to intimidate and harrass the Fazrah people. This is a clear violation of the aggrement between our poeples giving them permission to keep their colonies in the Cephredi system at the end of the Zynarra-Amonkrie. They currently have a fleet of nearly 30 ships located in this system. We have insisted that they withdraw this fleet to Norak space, but our demand has been rejected so far.

Negotiations are continuing as I write this, but if they continue to be intrasigent, I may be forced to order the Sallegan Space Service to remove them by force. This would no doubt result in open hostilites between the Republic and the Continuum, and would very likely draw the entire quadrant into the conflict on one side or the other. Many lives would surely be lost on both sides.

If this Goddess of the Norak does in fact exsist, and if she cares for the lives of her people and the others in the quadrant that do and do not worship her, I pray that she moves the hearts of this Tribunal government towards peace.

[geoschmo]

Stardate 2415.9

Of course the Tribunal rejected the ultimatum to remove their ships from the Cephredi system. They did not attempt to deny the charges they were behind the massive Intelligence campaign damaging the smaller empires of the quadrant. They made no excuses for harrasing and intimidating the peaceful Fazrah people. Instead they claimed to be acting in self defense and reasserted their right to maintain a large military force inside a Sallegan system. They then had the audactiy to suggest the Cephredi system be cleared of all military forces and left as a demilitarized zone. Grandow snorted when he read that and wondered if the Norak would be so kind as to leave the system immediaetly next to their home system completely undefended and open to attack from three seperate directions. It was doubtful.

He didn't really expect them to acceed to the Sallegan demand. He was still hopeful a peaceful settlement could be reached in the matter however. What happened next took him completely by suprise.

All this time the offending Norak fleet had been stationed in orbit around Cephredi I, the old Zynar homeworld. It was the most populated planet in the system, and a significant base of operations for the Norak since the end of that war. The Norak did have an oxygen world in the system as well, Cephredi II. This of course was the colony that had percipitated the original hostilities between the Norak and Zynars so many years before. It had been destroyed at least once, maybe more than that, and rebuilt every time. THe Last population figures Grandow had seen were that there were some 1.4 billion Norak living on this world. It was likely their largest colony outside their home system, and obviously an important one.

Grandow had expected the Norak Fleet to be moved to defend it against the Fazrah battle fleet that had entered the Cephredi system, and against us were we to make good on our threat to remove them by force if neccesary. Of course the Sallegans had made no such demand on the colonies, only on the military ships the Norak were keeping stationed there.

But instead of moving the Norak fleet to Cephredi II, they moved to Cephredi VI, location of the Sallegan fleet that had come to remove them from the system. For a brief moment the Sallegan defenderd thought they were under attack, but the Norak simply moved their fleet of 32 ships into the same sector with the Sallegan fleet of 47 ships. They stopped at the extreme edge of the sector and sat there, unmoving.

Grandow was unsure at first what was going on. Were they surrendering? Why didn't they attack, or withdraw, or move to defend their own planet. It didn't make sense. But then he realized what they were doing. The minefields! They were moving their ships into position under cover of the treaty so they would have the current minefield access codes as all Sallegan allies have.

Added to this theory were two other facts. First, the smaller, but still potent, Norak fleet in Arklite had left that system and had moved into Hwansul, out of range of Sallegan sensors and on a course for Cephredi, and another small previously unknown fleet had just moved out of Hwansul into Cephredi and appeared to me moving towards Cephredi VI as well.

Currently the Sallegan fleet had a slight numbers advantage of 15 ships. But the majority of the Sallegan ships were older Light Cruisers and smaller ships left over from the end of the Xi'Chung war. They had been updated with newer weapons and sensors when practical to do so, but they were still small. And the Norak had recenlty developed a new mysterious device that appeared to give their ships amazing, you could say almost miracoulous accuracy. The Fazrah claimed that they never missed. Grandow doubted that was possible, but even highly accurate weapons combined with those larger hull sizes could make the umcomming battle a bad one for the Sallegans. He could not allow the Norak fleet to be reinforced and his fleet lose what little numerical advantage he did have.

The time for a decision was at hand. The Norak had forced him into a corner, he had to act. He could not repeat the mistakes made at the beginning of the Xi'Chung war. The Norak were too large. If he allowed them to get the advantage and wipe out the Cephredi fleet, there would be nothing stopping them from completely anialating or enslaving the Sallegan people.

The Messages were sent.

--------------------------------FLASH TRAFFIC-----------------------------------
TO:SALLEGAN SPACE SERVICE SHIPS EVERYWHERE
FR:SALLEGAN SPACE SERVICE COMMAND

RE:IMMINENT HOSTILITIES WITH NORAK EMPIRE. EXPECT ATTACK SOON. ALL NORAK SHIPS ARE TO BE TREATED AS HOSTILE FORCES. DO NOT SEEK OUT CONTACT UNLESS SPECIFICALLY ORDERED. IF APPROACHED, DEFEND YOURSELVES BY ANY AND ALL MEANS NECCESARY. WAR TIME ROE APPLY. IF NO FURTHER CONTACT RECEIVED FROM SPACE COMMAND RECEIVED, ASSUME CONDITION OF WAR EXSISTS. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW.......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------FLASH TRAFFIC----------------------------------
TO:SALLGAN SPACE SERVICE FLEET, CEPHREDI VI
FR:SALLEGNA SPACE SERVICE COMMAND

RE: NORAK FLEET IN SECTOR. COMMENCE OPERATION FRONT DOOR. ENGAGE AND DESTORY NORAK FLEET IN SECTOR. DO NOT SEEK OUT NORAK SHIPS ELSEWHERE. AVOID DAMAGE TO NORAK CIVILIAN POULATIONS AND SHIPPING. IF NORAK SHIPS ATTEMPT TO WITHDRAW FOM CEPHREDI SYSTEM, ALLOW THEM. DO NOT, REPEAT, NO NOT PERSUE INTO HWANSUL WITHOUT EXPLICIT AUTHORIZATION.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------FLASH TRAFFIC-----------------------------------
TO SALLEGNA SPACE SERVICE FLEET, NIZARUM VI
FR:SALLEGAN SPACE SERVICE COMMAND

RE:RECENT NORAK MILITARY BUILDUP IN AREA. COMMENCE OPERATION BACK DOOR. ENGAGE AND DESTORY NORAK FLEET, NIZZARUM VIII. DEPLOY TROOP TRANSPORTS AND SECURE PLANET. AVOID DESTRUCTION OF PLANETARY FACILITIES AND CIVILIAN POPULATION. PREPARE SYSTEM FROM POSSIBLE NORAK/PRAETORIAN COUNTER OFFENSIVE. DO NOT SEEK OUT FURTHER NORAK SHIPS UNLESS THEY CONGREGATE IN LARGE NUMBERS OR MAKE OTHER HOSTILE ACTIONS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Jmenschenfresser]

2415.6
IN EXILE

I've considered little the need for friends and community since my feet first left Xiban. Here on the outer worlds, in the empty systems south of Praetorian space, east of the Farzah, north of the Sallega and Sergetti and west of the little known Eee, I have come to feel more at home than I have in these Last 15. There are about two score of us hold up in a run down ghetto in the heart of this worlds only real town. It is truely a frontier atmosphere. From my second story window can just catch a section of a trading alley. Kiosks, shops and dealers limp around looking for a break. I think I could retire here.

I've been given the horrid task of leading our little rebellion; however, I am not sure if you can call yourself a rebellion when you haven't killed anyone. I meet often with the leader of this world, and it's sister colony. Everyone is keeping their quite. Recently a small force of Tribunal officials set up shop on our sister colony. Several of the rebellions members there were caught and questioned. It is just a matter of time. Our only advantage is that they consider us an unimportant threat.

From what I have heard the Tribunal government has gotten itself into hot water as it were. We've attempted to contact the Praetorian, the Sallegan and the Farzah governments, hoping to bring our plea before them. We wish that the Tribunals could be systematically removed, rather than destroying the entire Norak empire in an all out assault. I doubt they will listen to us. Not that all of them aren't trigger happy...they just seem to have their own interests in mind. The Norak empire has near 30 billion citizens. Who is willing to take on the responsibility of deciding their fate in a humane manner? That is if the Tribunals lose. May She who rolls the dice of war not let them win.

Our insiders have relayed to us some news. The Tribunal Government has started an intense war of subVersion within the Farzah empire. We do not know their ultimate intentions. However, in the Last months, the Sallega in a bold move began protesting the Norak military presence in Cephedri, the system boarding the Farzah empire. In a show of force the Sallegan government has sent several fleets of warships to the system. I cannot imagine the carnage were these two forces to butt heads. If the Tribunals sent the Arklite fleet to Cephedri, like I heard they were, near 40 Norak warships must be stationed in that system. More than one billion Norak citizens live in Cephedri on three worlds.

The Sallega need to better understand the mentality of the Tribunals. I am sure they do not seek open conflict. They are back stabbers, cheaters, subverters, etc. They've never had to do battle in the open field before. I doubt they would know how. They like to draw things out in the open. In allowing others to compromise their good intentions with an initial hostile action, they are able to champion themselves as righteous.

2416.0
IN EXILE
The news of the war has come and gone...like a breaking wave to those in too deep of waters. I feel like I just stepped from the icey baths of Xiban's polar regions. My body is numb, and I do not know whether to cry or laugh. I still wear the robe of a monk. I carry the side arm of a warrior. I drink like freighter captains. I am misery embodied.

The list of destroyed ships sits on my desk. We compiled it slowly over the Last week through every means possible. I've refused to put names to ships. I know hundreds of faces are gone...gone to the Underworld.

To us, the Excoms, they calls us, events are only now beginning to explain themselves. The Norak war of subVersion against the Farzah has done great damage to the reliability of their own channels, but it hasn't had accomplished all it set out to do. The souless Tribunals send out hords of subverters, knowing well that less than a tenth will return. The Farzah have killed thousands of Norak agents, caught in the act of sabotage or subVersion.

From our own intel, we've learned that the Farzah fleet once stationed in their homesystem, first entered Cephedri several months ago. Soon as they by passed the outer defenses using the security codes given to all allies, they declared war on the Tribunal government. It was a feeble act. A stupid act. Their resources could have been put to better uses. The 1st Planetary Guards stationed above Cephedri I mobilized and moved out of orbit. My theory is that the War Counsel couldn't determine where the Farzah were headed. But the Tribunals, being their own paranoid selves, must have become convinced that the Farzah fleet was going to link up with the Sallega, stationed over one of their planets. This thought certainly must have frightened the War Counsel. A fleet of 60+ ships! It astounds even me. I figure, the War Counsel did not want a battle happening in orbit over a Norak world, so as a preemtive move, the 1st Guards were ordered to move into an extremely high orbit over Cephedri VI, the station of the Sallega fleet. Perhaps those fools thought this would discourage the Sallega from getting involved. I have to give them this though...for a bunch of back-stabbers, the Tribunals here showed strenght. But they underestimated the resolve of the Sallega.

The Sallega then canceled their treaty. I am not sure how the actual fighting started. I have heard the Sallega attacked first, but I suppose that by that late hour, he who shot first certainly was not the more guilty party. The battle no doubt filled the night sky of Cephedri VI with enough signs of wonder and explosions to herald in a dozen messiahs, inspire a legion of painters, and celebrate every Last hero the galaxy could dig up. By the end of the battle, the entire Norak fleet had been destroyed. In the process they had taken out half of the Sallegan fleet and severely crippled another quarter. The "official" Tribunal line calls the battle indecisive. How can they say such a thing? The deaths of some 25,000 Norak is indecisive. It's like two brick walls falling into one another...whatever is left is rubble. I refuse to bestow any blessings of bravery on either side. Sure, the Tribunals have mobilized a second fleet, and another such battle may take place, but it won't end anything either.

The Sallega in a secondary move sent an invasion fleet upon Nizzarum VIII, and subsequently captured it. I know there was a small colony of Excoms on the planet, and in addition to that a billion or so inhabitants. They have the right idea. Until the feet are cut from under this iron fisted authority, it will assert itself over all the weak, all the poor and anyone who disagrees.

However, I am truely angry at the foolish Farzah. I hesitate to give them the blame for everything, even though my hatred burns so strong my eyes cook in rage. Did they need to destroy Cephedri II? Was it necessary to burn every Last walking talking lifeform from its face? The Tribunals had miscalculated. The Farzah got lucky, in picking the only Cephedri world devoid of a mine field. The only thing between them and Cephedri II was a fighter squadron...five fighters. Of course, they couldn't stop twenty or so Farzah ships. Perhaps I am getting twisted and that which is comically dark has nested a warm place in my heart, but I did laugh when I heard that those five fighters came out alive...even though some billion Norak citizens died when the Farzah glassed Cephedri II. Farzah ships are not equipped with anything that can target fighters. So the fighters were able to skirt around the larger cruisers, picking several apart.

The remaining Farzah fleet then laid in a course to attack Cephedri I. The fighter squadron chased the fleet picking off a few stragglers, but the Farzah reached Cephedri I, homeworld of the Zynarr, ahead of them. Three Farzah warships remained, and host of other support vessels. The Last design Tallik made before he was arrested was for a lt Crusizer called the Huron. It was to be equipped with the latest in engine destroying weapons. He figured that a small fleet of these ships could stop almost any invasion. Sure enough, as our Zynarr insiders have shown us through relayed video transmissions. The single Huron stopped the attacking fleet before it was vaporized. Several days later some reinforcements arrived from Olontra cleaning the sector of the remaining Farzah ships.

Where does all this madness go from here? I don't know. Everyday I get disheartened at the weakness of our rebellion and the completeness of our exile.

Two other notes remain to be added. We intercept what little we can. The planet elder meets with me once a week. This is what he gave me yesterday. I am writing them from memory. He allows me to see the transmisson records for half an hour, then we burn them.

PRIORITY 3

FROM: PELLWAIN - ELDER OF THE KNOGLAM SYSTEM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Counsel. We need defense urgently. The entire northern Farzah fleet is gone. Dead on our mine field. Small fighter defense force growing slowly. Cannot repel another large attack.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Transmission

PRIORITY 1

FROM: WAR COUNSEL SECRETARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Praetorian fleet on the move. Ultimate destination unknown. All ships be advised. Assist with all they demand or ask. Farzah are without a significant force. All ships everywhere ready themselves for another Sallegan attack.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Transmission

[spacefan]

Aboard the cruiser, Alpha Tau
Personal Log of Ship Lord Alzene

The Fazrah Empire is splintering, returning to our more natural state, as spectacular failure has sent those of us who survived on our own desperate paths. From communications I've received, the systems of the Fazrah are now operating as independent states, as they face the Praetorian and Norak menace. Huju is the strongest of these states, and the only one I can get answers from. Praetorian starships are poised to attack the system, which is beginning to resemble a fortress at this point. From reports, it is loaded with weapon platforms, satellites, fighters and mines. However easily the Praetorians may lay waste to the other states of Fazrah, Huju shall be the Last exponent of the Fazrah flame.

That is, except for my own private endeavor. With protection from one of Fazrah's oldest cruisers, we are racing towards the final outpost of the Fazrah. A place where we can not be attacked, no matter the situation. Where we may rally for the Fazrah cause. It reminds me of our distant past, specifically the many legends of near vanquished Fazrah states hiding unseen for countless generations, before finally returning to rebuild the Fazrah flame.

Because of my orders to set course for this refuge, the Alpha Tau and her guard were not killed in the death trap that ensued. Our trouble is not yet over, as we must find place to ressuply within the Sallegan Republic. Then we must pass through a system controlled by the Norak. This will be our Last test before we pass into our final freedom....
----
Lord and Refugee Alzene, signing off

[Ragnarok]

Once again I'm here asking what's the standings of players now? The story is coming along nicely and I'm enjoying it almost more then a hot fudge sundae. Well ok, MORE then a hot fudge sundae. Also this needed bumped.

[geoschmo]

The game is on a 10 day break cause Mensch is on vacation.

Geo