A War for the Stars

[Erax]

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.

[Erax]

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 ]

[dogscoff]

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

[sachmo]

Excellent story!

[Erax]

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.

[Erax]

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.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

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

[Erax]

Yes, Pinky, I'm sure of that. Now be a good mouse and let me take over the Galaxy, will you ?

(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 ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

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

[Erax]

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