Face of the Enemy (an endgame clash of fleets)

[Mordante]

Part 2 - or, "the strange fate of the Vaculuum Protectorate"

While the opposing fleets prepared for physical conflict and final preparations were made for the various invasion plans another contest was already taking place in the sphere of intelligence operations.

The long-term ally of the no-maintenance Emphyrian Hive was a race known as the Vaculuums Protectorate; they were unique for combining crystalline technology akin to my own, with a nearly zero-maintenance infrastructure. Unlike the Hive themselves, however, the Vaculuums had ignored the neccessity for resource infrastructure and had concencentrated almost solely on research facilities on their many planets. They were reliant on trade from their larger neighbours in the Hive, and in order to pay the small portion of maintenance they needed too on their sizable fleet, the Vacuulums depended on the continuance of partnership status.

This was a weakness; just how much of a weakness I think came as a surprise to us all.

My organic tech ally coordinated with my own intelligence operatives and together we began to conduct increasingly serious attempts to disrupt the Vaculumm/Hive partnership. Typically including a single high value attacks (puppet politic parties) with several smaller actions (coms intercepts, resource procurements, ship bombs etc), we each concluded with several communications mimics in the effort to deny the Vaculuums the fruits of their alliance with the Hive.

In the month before the potential invasion date we were successful and the pact was reduced. In fact, later analysis confirms that our success went far beyond simply disrupting the alliance and extended into the realm of planetary destruction and large scale fleet losses. Hive and Vaculuum vessels had been co-existing in the same sectors, and with the communication mimic inspired stated of war, a sudden violent convulsion rocked the military forces of once allied powers, leading to the destruction of several worlds and the obliteration of many vessels. Rioting then ensued, costing the Vaculuums all the worse for the loss of their supportive partnership.

Then the Vaculuums made potentially the worst single decision of their history in an effort to save the cream of their fleet from abandonment through non-payment of maintenance.

Orders went out to the Vaculuum fleet to destroy over 50% of its own starship strength. Choosing a form of violent triage in the field, the Vaculuum government wished to sacrifice its older ships to destruction while sparing the newer designs (and perhaps gaining a little combat experience).

A dozen engagements flared and Vaculuum ships fired on their cousins and comrades in arms. Over a hundred smaller, outclassed, combatant vessels were eliminated and perhaps the Vaculuum protectorate felt saved from resource shortfall and enforced abandonment of its prize vessels.

This was not to be and in a single decision spelled the end of Vaculuum power.

The combined effect of so many violent ship losses caused the remaining Vaculuum colonies to riot against the government. Order disappeared and the Protectorate faced a stark future of zero resource income and a fleet that seemed inevitably doomed.

To their credit perhaps, they decided quickly on the only possible course to preserve the axis military advantage. The Vaculuum Protectorate surrendered entirely to the Hive; placing all colonies, citizens, and warships under the direct control of the Emphyrian Hive.

Since the Hive never pay maintenance the remnants of the Vaculuum fleet were saved.

This surrender catapulted the Hive imperial score dangerously clear of the Senate of Shards; marking the formation of an economic and territorial powerhouse of awesome potential. Almost 600 ships under one flag; 300 worlds united; 220 base ship yards and a research budget to put the ancients to shame!

But it also removed the benefits of trade and racial speciality; the Hive now stood alone against us; weakened in the arena of intelligence operations and awaiting the pure military strike to come.

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In essence, the Vaculuum Protectorate Player was punished for operating a fleet beyond his means! Maintenance was being paid through the fruits of a partnership treaty and such things are extremely vulnerable. The communications mimic did a lot of damage and the destroyed planets certainly added to the rioting which followed the destruction of his own ships.

From one perspective the "fire on" own ship strategy seems a plausable shortcut to reducing ship numbers via the traditional scrap-ship route. But reasonably speaking, I guess the crew gets to leave first when scrapping a ship at a spaceyard while blowing up previously friendly ships in space is really an act of murder (punished accordingly by massive unrest).

This one decision was of vital importance and it killed a game position 104 turns old over the course of one turn.

In retrospect the Vaculuum player should have given the old ships to the Hive (since the Hive pays no maintenance) - but such decisions are rarely so clear at the time.

Anyway, this saw the end of the Vaculuums - on the very eve of the invasion of Hive space.

Intelligence and misfortune had destroyed one of the axis powers - pure might and clash of arms would be required for the other.

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Next time - "first contact - the race to Arklite" when the Senate of Shards mixed fleet encounters a hundred Hive baseships in warp point defence.