(Newbie) Galactic Combat 3 - Story Thread

[Alneyan]

2407.4 The Free Democratic Socialist Republic

For the attention of all sapient beings, this is a message coming from the General-Pope-President of our Glorious Free Nation.

As you may have heard, we have recently suffered from plots and other conspiracies coming from alien species, which in turn resulted in our isolation while we dealt with these petty threats. For more than three of our years, we broke all contacts with the Outside, which was responsible for our current troubles. And even as we speak, the infamous Xorlian Alliance is attempting to attack our systems, its white warships endangering our colonies. In all colonies of the Republic, we pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters, from the remote worlds of Zoghad to the Most Magnificent World of Haven, Centre of the Republic.

However, it is our belief that the time for complete withdrawal has come to its end. We are now resuming our contacts with the Outside, with the due caution because of the nuisances we suffered. With the help of the One Above, we will, in the following months, resume our diplomacy efforts, as long as these contacts do not jeopardize our unique culture, beliefs and values. It is the will of the One Who Knows that we shall open ourselves to the Outside once again, as we used to, before these incidents. And I, the General-Pope-President, relay this wish and ask you to do so.

In the mean time, the issue of the Xorlian Alliance shall be solved, with as few consequences as possible. It is our hope that this species can found the inner peace of the One Who Knows as well, and we are praying for their own salvation even as we are still holding their advance in H'Plaghu system. But if they dare to reject our disinterested offer, they will have to face the consequences of their choice. Every sapient being in the universe shall know than none, none at all, will be allowed to defy the Free Democratic Socialist Republic in impunity! All the might the One Who Knows can give us will be used to punish such an individual, in whatever darkness he may lurk, desperately hiding from our retribution.

To my beloved people, I send all my prayers for your safety, in the hardships to come. But rest assured that the One Above shall protect us for all the torments that lie ahead of us, while our Keepers protect us from the more mundane threats, such as this Xorlian Alliance. Of that I can give you my pledge. Nobody will even attempt to hurt you, lest the Republic would retaliate with all its might. May our God grants us the strength we may all need in the future, if our enemies manage to imperial our spiritual essence. We fear this most grievous threat may be the most likely one as well.

Thus spoke the General-Pope-President of the Free Democratic Socialist Republic, acknowledged as leader of five billion faithfuls present on over fifty worlds, representative of the One Who Knows, and all shall hear his message.

[Ruatha]

Greetings all aliens.
The Swedish explorers now have established contact with all alien species in the galaxy.

We know where you live!
Whoa ha ha ha!


Welcome back Alneyan!

[ October 28, 2003, 14:13: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

[Alneyan]

*Brings the thread back to life* A good month later, here is the promised story. *Grumbles* I cannot say I do like it either, even if I had quite a lot of time to think over this text. There *should* be a sequel with the more recent events, hopefully in a few days. *Winks at Ruatha* So without any more addendum:

2407.9 The Free Democratic Socialist Republic

Outside Councillor Dtleberi glanced at the little, private room he was led to. It was located in the left wing of the Basilica, near the suits dedicated to the highest officials in the Republic. Through the bay window, the only opening in the room, he could see the Ceremony of Teaching taking place somewhere else in the Basilica. The well-known words came to his ears, and he found himself reciting the usual prayer along with the acolytes.

After the ceremony ended, only an acolyte raised his hand: “I am not sure how I should put it Noble Voice... Why, the One Above tends to be represented as an androgynous being. Does the One Who Knows have a specific gender?” The apprentice looked ill-at-ease from having asked such a question, but he was comforted by the Holder:

“It is a good question indeed, and I am glad to see you are sharp-witted enough to ask it. The One Above created our people, composed of both females and males, and thus belongs to both genders and to neither. Besides, no human representation can truthfully evince the true nature of the One Above, and what physical body we may give to the One is merely a pretence. But they are other fields in which...” Dtleberi recalled from his politics courses this change took place so that the godhood would encompass all aspects of the society, instead of leaving some individual outside. The same reasoning could be used for the assimilation of aliens beings as well, he thought.

[i] “Would you like to go back to these days of schooling Dtleberi? If so, I believe it could be arranged.” The gentle voice of the Elder Voice came, a sly smile on his usually stern features.

Dtleberi turned at once, startled, and knelt before the Elder Voice, without giving it a thought: “Stand up, such formalities are not required. Not now.” he commanded.

As the Councillor rose, he cast a quick glance at the Voice adamant face and noticed unusual wrinkles running along his forehead. The Elder Voice resumed as though he had been reading the thoughts which occurred to Dtleberi: “Yes, the Republic is suffering from a few problems, here and there, the occasional little bothers you would expect in a government of such a scale. But before we speak of politics, may I inquire your opinion about a most peculiar topic?” Even if the question was rhetorical, a mere courtesy, the Councillor notice this mark of care and attention.

“What do you think of our Republic, and all good it brought with the course of the years?” The query came, unexpected, on a personal matter rather than some question with regards to the *others*, the Outside. He was reminded of the improvements done by the Republic to these outer colony worlds since they came to power, and above all, of the highly advanced technology available on Haven, the Seat of the Republic. Besides, they gave to these depraved worlds values to follow, and a cultural standard. Convinced by the fairness of the Republic, his voice was steady when he answered: “It is my belief the fate of our denizens is as good as one could expect, and the Republic promoted many technological advances ensuring our citizens a decent standard of living. And we managed to avoid the moral decay encountered among other peoples.”

The Elder Voice nodded his approval. “It comforts me to see you share my views about the necessity and the justice of a government such as our Republic. Unfortunately, as you may know, our values are not shared by all, and a few are even plotting the fall of the Republic. *Our* fall, and the tumble of civilization as we know it.” A look of concern passed on his face as he pointed at a projection on the wall. The hologram was of a tall being, with fair complexion and blonde hair.

“ The Swedes,” Dtleberi muttered. “Our relationship with their Democracy has always been tense, as they do not share our agenda on religion and left aside this path,” he mused aloud. “ But I had not expected a war with them, not in my lifetime at the very least, even if we do not pursue the same aims.”

The Elder Voice gave a bitter laugh. “We are not at war with them. Not yet. But our relations are deep rooted in mistrust and misunderstanding and a conflict seems unavoidable. We may have a few months to brace ourselves, but they might strike even as we speak.” Dtleberi heard the deafening din of a spacecraft take-off from one of the remote spaceports. Another dartship northbound, ordered to reinforce the north defences, the most vulnerable border of the Republic.

“Extraordinary circumstances enquire extraordinary measures,” the Voice resumed, in a forbidding tone. “The One Who Knows prevent us from struggling against the Swedes, but we cannot take any chance with our protection. As per an ordonnance of the High Seat, the whole Republic is to fall under martial law. The Order of the Candle will be tasked with enforcing this new rule while the Outside Council will be held responsible for the control of our border worlds. Likewise, all space yards will be called for production of dartships to ensure the safety of the Circle. It is our unfortunate duty to fully militarise the Republic as otherwise a weak military might spell our end.”

Councillor Dtleberi was taken aback by such harsh decisions, as he slowly grasped what it meant. Martial law. All power handed back to the military, and to a lesser extent, to the High Seat, rather than to the civil servants. He was still lost in thoughts when the voice of the Elder, this time gentler, came to his ears: “I do know this prospect can be quite depressing for you Dtleberi, but you know as well as I do that no alternatives are left. Even if we can concur to a pacific resolution with the Swedes, a powerful and efficient fleet will be required. Contrary to our earlier beliefs, we are not alone in this galaxy, and worse, other Empires follow the path of the Faith such as the Nyxians. We can safely assume they have access to the so-called Talisman as well, which means our Republic is no longer a special nation. And as they are rumoured to be stronger than us, they might even surpass the Republic in all its glory. Thus we have to strengthen our military power so that the Republic can remain a Power in this galaxy, while waiting for our opportunity to reclaim what is rightfully ours. Do you now see why such measures are required, even if you do not accept them?”

No answer was needed, and Dtleberi merely shook his head in approval. “But I did not summon you to discuss and to bore with such considerations or our current strategies,” the Elder Voice continued. “Instead, I wished to entrust you with a grave responsibility. As you know, we still have a Trade agreement with the Swedes. We would like to break this treaty, if only to state our independence from the Outside. However, we would have to be wary when doing so, for the Swedes might interpret our decision as a preparation to war. You are to contact them and to explain to them why it is our belief this agreement should be cancelled, while guaranteeing we have no hostilities with them.”

“I shall handle this diplomacy effort,” answered Dtleberi. “But I am reluctant to trust the Swedes, and their disposition tends to be fairly inconstant according to our previous communications. It is my worry they might seize our decree as a pretence to launch their offensive. Nonetheless, I will do as you ask, my Elder.”

“So do I Dtleberi, but once again we have to challenge them to figure out whether they are trustworthy or not. It is why I personally required your assistance in this matter, as all your skill in diplomacy will be needed to treat this request without causing any incident. I will be leaving to attend the Circle Assembly, and will be looking forward to reading your message at your earliest convenience.”

Dtleberi bowed deeply as the Elder Voice left the room, and was left to wonder why he had been designed to see to this delicate relation. It was uncommon for the High Seat to give any scrap of true power, let alone important responsibilities. Perhaps it was due to the tense situation, which required more skilled individuals to solve. He scolded himself sternly for meddling in someone else's affairs, and dismissed the thought with a shrug.

Thus the following message was sent afterwards to the Sweden Tingsrads:
“Greetings Ruatha of the Swedes,
We do understand your concerns about our agenda, and your consequent refusal of our technological exchange. However, you would have to take into consideration our own reluctance to trade raw materials with an Empire which does not follow our path and our values. Distrust and doubts are too well rooted in our relationship to allow any efficient trade agreement between us. Therefore, the Free Democratic Socialist Republic had to decide to cancel all trade with the Swedes. All Republican personnel is to leave Sweden space as soon as possible, and our ships will henceforth stay away from your worlds.
Please rest assured we have no intention of attacking or threatening the Swedes, and our decree is a mere security measure and our attempt to prevent any misunderstanding from occurring again. Our hope is to live in shared peace with the Swedes, but we cannot open our worlds to the Sweden Democracy for the time being. Nevertheless, this decision will be reconsidered at the earliest possible opportunity once we can assure the safety of our Republic, both physical and moral, as our worlds follow what we believe to be a righteous path.
Respectfully, Outside Councillor Dtleberi.”

[ December 24, 2003, 16:05: Message edited by: Alneyan ]

[Ruatha]

*Goodie* I'll have to start writing myself again, soon...

[Vezzra]

Ok, special events deserve special attention, so I tried and made an attempt to write a little in-game story. I'm not a native speaker, so my English is somewhat clumsy (and full of mistakes, I guess), nevertheless, here is the first part:


Nether'noS Empire, 7th of 2409.8

Hov'gra watched as the "sun" touched the horizon. The "sun" of this system was an average yellow star, bathing the sky in a kaleidoscope of colors. Sunset on the Nether'noS homeworld was always a spectacular sight. Hov'gra stood on a platform of a tremendously high tower - the Silver Tower, residence of the Emperors of Nether'noS, seat of the imperial council, by which he ruled his empire. The tower was build on the summit of Nether'quron, a lone mountain that raised above the vast plains, on which the great capital of the Nether'noS empire, Nether'couya was build. The mountain was at the very center of the city, nearly 2000m high, and the Silver Tower itself another 1500m. But not even from this high point one could see the entire capital, buildings and structures were reaching to the horizon and beyond, buzzling with life and activity.

To the south, almost at the horizon, an especially large complex of structures could be seen, this was Boswell Interstellar Spaceport. Countless spaceships leaving and arriving appeared as tiny dots in the southern sky.

It was a beautiful and, despite all the activity, peaceful sight. As if problems did not exist here, and harm could never touch this world. But Hov'gra knew that this was not the case. He sighed. How many times had he asked himself if he made the right decision almost a year ago? And every time he came to the conclusion that it has been right, and the best for the welfare of his people. He was their emperor, he was responsible for them, a responsibility he had never felt as on that day, now almost a year ago, when he sat in his office in the Silver Tower, on his desk the latest message from Warlord Roanon of the Kilrah.

There had been much diplomatic exchange, meetings with counsellors, negotiations going on, and on that day Warlord Roanon asked for the final decision. A decision that would decide the fate of their empires, the conflict between Nyxian and ZAX, and most likely the fate of the galaxy. Hov'gra never completely comprehended why Warlord Roanon was willing to leave the final decision to him, as the Kilrah were a far more powerful empire than the Nether'noS. But Roanon has always been different, the Kilrah had a very strict codex of honor that had left a deep impression on Hov'gra, and this way Roanon had been able to overcome the deeply suspicious nature of the Nether'noS and win Hov'gra's trust.

Although Hov'gra had constantly been working toward this decision that now had to be made, and definitely knew what way he wanted to go, when he had sat there, in his office, Roanon's message before him, he had felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. After he had been sitting there for hours, he had called his secretary to send an answer.

The decision had been made. The Kilrah and the Nether'noS would form a powerful alliance with the Nyxian and declare war on ZAX. Nyxian and Kilrah would be the supreme powers of this alliance, and the Nether'noS would have to stand back, but would enjoy protection by the two most powerful empires of the galaxy. Now there was hope that the Nether'noS might survive the turmoils of war that seemed to spread more and more through the galaxy. But first they had to face war, and even with such powerful allies Hov'gra felt uneasy. War always means loss, death and grief, but if that was the price for a new era of Lasting peace and a life in safety, the Nether'noS were willing to pay.

In a few days the emperors of Nyxian, Kilrah and Nether'noS would meet on the Nether'noS homeworld to officially sign the treaties constituting their alliance. A first delegation from Kilrah had already arrived on the 5th, today the arrival of Emperor Prometheus of The Nyxian Chaos was expected in his personal vessel, The Nyx. At 7pm the Nyxian would open a warp point right above the capital, allowing The Nyx to travel right from the Nyxian homeworld to the Nether'noS homeworld. The creation of the warp point was going to be a fascinating spectacle in the night sky above the capital. People were already gathering everywhere, eagerly awaiting this event.

Hov'gra had decided to watch from the platform he was now standing on. He had already been out here for over an hour, watching the scene, lost in thoughts. It was half past six now, still half an hour until the opening of the warp point.

A servant approached him and informed him that the vessel that would take him to the spaceport where The Nyx would land was ready. Hov'gra nodded, then dismissed him. He would come after the warp point has stabilized, enough time to get to the spaceport, as the landing maneuver of The Nyx would take some time.

So he was once again lost in thoughts. The sun disappeared below the horizon, slowly day turned into night. Exactly at 7pm a brilliant flash illuminated the now dark sky, and then a incredible bright, colorful spot began to develop among the stars, growing quickly until it filled alomst one third of the sky. The colors shifted constantly, until the phenomenon stabilized and formed a blueish glowing, spiral shaped kind of nebulae, which bathed everything in a soft, blue light.

The whole spectacle had Lasted for less than half an hour. Finally Hov'gra entered back into the tower, and boarded the vessel that brought him directly to the spaceport. There the official welcome committee was already waiting, and they quickly proceeded to the landing site. There a huge crowd already had gathered, kept at a safe distance by security forces.

The Nyx appeared above the spaceport, a slim, silver ship, and slowly descended toward the landing zone. A few minutes later the ship had landed safely and smoothly. The passengers emerged, lead by Emperor Prometheus himself and the leaders of the various species that made up the Nyxian: Chronos the leader of the Titans, Hera of the Hecatonchires, and John the Cyclope. Prometheus was accompanied by another Titan, Ambassador Dionysus who had already been to Boswell numerous times, and John was accompanied by a strange peasant.

While the Titans were a humanoid race about the same size as the Nether'noS, the Cyclops and even more Hecatonchires were a impressive, not to say fearsome sight, which even the environment suits they had to wear could not hide: The Cyclops were giants, nevertheless humanoid, with one eye in the middle of their forehead, and the Hecatonchires were huge monsters with fifty heads and one-hundred hands, truly a sight one could not become used to too easily.

Prometheus himself was a strange appearance: Unusually small for a Titan, only about six feet, he looked like a child among his huge followers. But when Hov'gra stood in front of him and looked into his face, he could see stern determination in the eyes of the Titan, and feel the power of a highly intelligent mind. Prometheus definitely was a extraordinary person, well used to the exercise of power.

After the official welcome ceremony was over, the Nyxians were lead to their quarters, a specially prepared habitation area with a hydrogen atmosphere, as the Nyxians were hydrogen breathers unlike the Nether'noS, who were methane breathers, and their homeworld had of course a methane atmosphere.

After a brief meeting with Prometheus Hov'gra left for the Silver Tower. He sat for a while at a window, gazing down on his capital, and digested the events of this evening. In three days Warlord Roanon was going to arrive, then a few days of meetings and preparations would follow. On the 15th the official signing ceremony would take place, their alliance would be officially proclaimed and the Kilrah and the Nether'noS would officially declare war on the ZAX Society and their ally, the Rorg Empire. How would the emperors and governments of all the other empires react to this? Hov'gra was sure he was going to know very soon...

==========

Hmmm, could have been worse I think... next part coming as soon as possible

[Paul1980au]

Perhaps they sitting back could position their troops to take advantage of any ops to invade fringe planets and take up a slice of the action - will be interesting to see how this story pans out. WIll the ZAX prove to be easy beats or will they push the alliance back to the brink of a peace settlement.

[Vezzra]

Originally posted by Paul1980au:
will be interesting to see how this story pans out.

Hmm, I'll of course provide the next parts to complete the story of this great summit on Boswell, however, I probably won't have the time to continue writing elaborate stories of the ongoing war.

Well, some brief narratives now and then should be possible

WIll the ZAX prove to be easy beats or will they push the alliance back to the brink of a peace settlement.

Push the alliance back? Erh... this will probably require no less than a miracle...

[Loser]

Originally posted by Vezzra:
this will probably require no less than a miracle...

That would be the word for it.

[Vezzra]

Boswell summit, part 2...

Nether'noS Empire, 10th of 2409.8

The yellow-red ship was clearly visible on the sky above Boswell Interstellar Spaceport. At first it was only a tiny dot high above the horizon, surrounded by three other dots, the escorts that guided the ship to the landing site. There a large multitude was already waiting, a welcome committee led by Emperor Hov'gra himself, and a vast crowd of spectators who were curious to see the new guests arriving. When the ship closed in, it's features became discernible, it was a Kilrah light cruiser with the characteristic wings on its left and right side. On board was Warlord Roanon, ruler of the Kilrah Clan, the most powerful empire of the galaxy.

It was late afternoon. Emperor Hov'gra watched silently as the ship approached. He could hardly hide his excitement - in a few moments he was going to stand face to face to Warlord Roanon, for the first time. They had been in close contact for over two years now, and grown very fond of each other in this time, but they had never met personally. Now the day had come, finally! Hov'gra's thoughts were filled with memories from the Last two years, how much this alien regent has changed his life. Hov'gra and the Nether'noS owed him very much - him and Emperor Prometheus of Nyxian, who had arrived three days ago. Had it not been but for these two powerful regents, the Nether'noS Empire would not exist anymore...

With an elegant maneuver the Kilrah ship descended onto the landing site and touched down smoothly. Warlord Roanon and a small retinue emerged from the ship. Being methane breathers like the Nether'noS, they did not need to wear environment suits, so they appeared in full attire. The Kilrah were feline beings, a proud and honorable warrior race, and their movements were of a fascinating elegance. Even at the distance the special aura of power of this aliens could be felt. The Nyxians that had arrived three days ago had a special aura of power too, but it was of a different kind.

Slowly the welcome committee led by Hov'gra and the Kilrah delegation led by Roanon approached each other. Hov'gra fixed his gaze on Roanon, he could feel his heart beating faster. When they met, everyone stopped. For some long moments there was a solemn silence. Hov'gra and Roanon eyed each other, and each of them could see in the other's eyes the joy finally to meet personally. Then Hov'gra spoke the traditional welcome words of the Nether'noS: "Be welcome to this place. May your arrival here be to the benefit of your plans and intentions, may you succeed in all your doings." They exchanged a hearty welcome, and boarded a vessel that brought them to the quarters that had been prepared for the Kilrah.

Hov'gra and Roanon immediatly met in private. Although they wanted to keep it brief, this meeting Lasted almost two hours. Too much to talk, too many thoughts to be shared on this first opportunity to meet personally. Then the Kilrah had some time to settle in, and later in the evening all three emperors, Prometheus, Roanon and Hov'gra met for the first time.

It was well past midnight when Hov'gra returned to the Silver Tower, and it took him quite some time to fell asleep. A Nether'noS does not easily get excited, but to meet Roanon for the first time, the importance of the summit that lay ahead of them, the war his people were about to enter in, was too much to put aside easily. The next days would be busy ones, and the months and years ahead hold both promises and unknown dangers.

[ January 22, 2004, 20:37: Message edited by: Vezzra ]

[Thermodyne]

Thermodyne sat reading through the reams of reports that the empire generated every month. All of the internal departments were reporting another month of outstanding growth, and the economy was continuing to run a surplus. The border dispute in the northeast had been settled without the need for any strategic fleet actions, and all of the frontiers were peaceful. The nearest war was many light-years away, but it was this very problem that was the foremost concern of Thermolia.

What had started as a small war had grown into a much larger conflict. And as Thermodyne had seen many times before, was now well on the path to becoming a pan galactic conflict. Thermodyne again looked at the mandate that the Senate had drafted, and with a few key strokes, slapped a veto on it. There would be no Thermolian expeditionary adventures. Thermolia would remain neutral; there would be no Thermolian fleet units sent to aid any of the combatants. The bulk of the fleet would be retained for defensive picket activities.

But, the war had changed the Galaxy. Thermodyne now issued an order to summon the many foreign ambassadors to examine the state of relations with each of the races currently trading with Thermolia. There would have to be changes.