The era of first contacts now comes to an end, and several of the galaxy’s colony-worlds are rapidly becoming as prosperous as the ancient homeworlds of the space-faring races. Loose networks of diplomacy and trade are beginning to knit themselves across the width and breadth of the galaxy. As space becomes more crowded, there is a worrying rise in armed conflict, rebellions, piracy and civil unrest - but there is an even greater rise in trade and prosperity. At least a slim majority of the galaxy’s sentient population holds an optimistic outlook; it seems that beyond current troubles, a new golden age is not far away...
GT-5: Towards Utopia
The Galactic Core
The
Flallore exploration ship
Hubrin is the first vessel to venture to the core of the galaxy - a black hole with the mass of at least a hundred stars, surrounded by a glowing hot accretion disk, warped by gravitational lensing, with a swirling mass of cooler gas beyond. Using the latest in Flallore technology, the Hubrin transmits spectacular, mind-blowing imagery from a vantage point several light-hours from the event horizon, and a stream of scientific data makes its way back to Desmong.
However, the transmissions that follow are directed straight to the top level of the Collective. There are rumours that the Hubrin is suffering psychological instability among the crew, and - or - is suffering anomalous system failures. Public interest is intense; the Hubrin has already survived a famous near-disaster during a close encounter with the giant star
Ilon. Eventually the Collective admits that contact has been lost with the Hubrin for a second time, and its fate is simply unknown; speculation runs riot in the Flallore media. A rescue mission may not be possible.
Meanwhile, Flallore colonists fail to establish a viable outpost among the moons of the giant planet
Sovokin - and a potential strategic foothold on the frontier with
Hlur-Baiheen space - but other Flallore colonies of Ferron and
Dennok continue to grow with the backing of an expanded freighter fleet.
There remains no diplomatic breakthrough with the Hlur-Baiheen, and the Flallore fleet remains on guard in the south. In other directions, space appears empty and quiet, aside from faint, anomalous radio noise coming from several distant stars...
The First and Second Crusades
The
Yuma Confederacy strikes back against the
Beast’s Crusade with a raid on the [Dak-8] system, where a small Crusade outpost had previously been scouted; a Yuma warship is unopposed as it launches a barrage of nuclear missiles at any identifiable structure on the icy primary moon of [Dak-8b]. By the time a Crusade warship arrives to intercept the Yuma raiders, they are already on their way back to Grand Hive, where the commanding drones are congratulated by the ruling aristocracy for this ‘victory’. The forces of the First Crusade have been outmaneuvered; they arrive to find that the craters blasted in the glacier surface have already re-frozen. A few hardy Varyn survivors and some salvageable machinery are all that can be recovered from the remains of the colony.
The Crusaders mourn their dead, but surely it is only the ignorance of the Yuma that has caused them to lash out; on the moons of the nearby [Olc-1] system, Crusade troops continue their efforts to enlighten the local Yuma to the existence of the Beast. In the absence of Yuma queens and drone-aristocrats - who have by now deserted this system - there are slow signs of progress, though it seems the average Yuma worker is simply not able to understand the full depth of the Crusade’s message.
Back on Dry Sea, there are calls for a show of force against the Yuma, but the decision has already been made to launch a Second Crusade, this time heading into the galactic west, towards a source of mysterious radio signals - from planets that the
Hlur-Baiheen have dubbed
Hyleen and
Queeoohee. Crusader troops and colonists, with warship escort, soon set their sights on Hyleen in particular - to the Varyn, coming from a radiated desert planet, this lush terrestrial world seems incredible, almost frightening in the scale of its ecosystem; wetlands and forests teem with exotic wildlife.
However, the planet is already occupied by an assortment of primitive indigenous tribes - sluggish, faceless, near-spherical beings with numerous appendages - along with dilapidated missile silos built at an unknown point in the past, ruled by erratic computers. And is if this is not enough, the planet now hosts thousands of independent Hlur-Baiheen colonists who have struck out on their own, away from the Stabilising Directorate. There are a series of chaotic encounters, and the Crusade reports back to Dry Sea that ‘some nuclear combat’ has occurred as they attempt to secure a base on the planet’s surface. Exactly what is happening in this system remains a mystery to all sides.
The Directorate has meanwhile dispatched a combat flotilla to this system - dubbed
Hooheeoo - on a mission to requisition one of the abandoned space stations that have been found orbiting in interplanetary space. Several Hlur-Baiheen are killed or injured by tricks and traps, as the degraded automated systems on the station do their best to evict the intruders. But with the investment of substantial resources from Seehoo, the station is eventually conquered, retrofitted and declared habitable for Hlur-Baiheen purposes - while an abundance of alien artefacts is shipped back to Seeoo for study.
With efforts nearing completion, the Hooheeoo flotilla heads to Hyleen to investigate the arrival of the Crusade and to offer assistance to their Hlur-Baiheen kin on the surface. The Crusade warship, recognising armed opponents, moves to intercept them and protect the faithful on the planet below. Battle commences...
As with the Crusade’s previous battle at [Olc-1] against the Yuma Confederacy, the Crusader tech advantage and superior beam weapons again prove their worth - though again their aiming is rather fortunate - causing enough damage to the Hlur-Baiheen flotilla in a short enough period of time to convince its captain to disengage and head for the outer system, with almost half their crew dead or injured. The Crusade does not pursue; the scorched hulls of the Hlur-Baiheen ships arrive back at the recently-commandeered space station for repairs, alongside the explorer ship
Hreegur, which is limping homewards following a reactor burnout in the nearby [Dm-1] system. It is a somewhat sombre meeting.
Directorate - Andu space
The
Iqatha Andu - the government of the Syru race - continues its slow, methodical colonisation of nearby worlds. Growth is again slower than planned on Mylos, which is nonetheless maturing as a developed world in its own right. Attentions shift to the metallic world Etros, which sees rapid development of mining and industry.
The Iqatha Andu meanwhile signs a formal trade and research agreement with the
Stabilising Directorate of the Hlur-Baiheen. Relations are good, and the first cultural exchanges begin between Seeoo and Andos in the fields of art and music. Profits of trade also continue to grow; as does the importance of the Directorate colony of
Hooyah as one of the major trading ports with the Syru.
However, many of the Hlur-Baiheen attracted to the lush jungles of Hooyah find themselves frustrated. The atmosphere is too thin to allow unaided breathing, or feeding or spawning outside of specially-constructed biospheres, of which there are never enough to fulfill demand. Growing frustrations, coupled with the aggressive nature of
Hlur-Guayeem ethnic group that makes up the majority of colonists, spills over into riots, which in turn spill over into shuttle hijackings. With the capture of an interstellar freighter, under the leadership of a cabal of charismatic - some would say insane - leaders, a pirate fleet is born.
Ostensibly searching for a legendary paradise planet - a ‘Second Seeoo’, that the Directorate has supposedly failed to locate due to its incompetence - the pirates steal whatever supplies they can get along the way. By the time they are checked by the orbital defences of Mylos - the first time Syru weapons have been used in space - they have already performed a brief raid on the storage depots of Etros, and added a Syru freighter to their fleet; a number of Syru are now seen among the pirates crews, either joining under duress or of their own free will.
In the immediate aftermath of the riots and orbital piracy - somewhat less than auspicious circumstances - an explorer ship from the
Hurrunn Agreement arrives above
Hooyah. To Hlur-Baiheen eyes, the vessel seems bulky and utilitarian - oddly asymmetrical - and very noisy across a spectrum of EM wavelengths; the first message between these two races is an accidental broadcast of telemetry from a Hurrunn dish that has locked onto a transmitter on the surface of Hooyah - if it were decoded, a report on coolant levels and reactor temperatures. This is followed by
some form of music that the Hurrunn seem to use to mark their communication channels when not in use.
These Hurrunn are venturing from a new space station under construction in the nearby [Sax-4] system, intended as a mining and research base, where a
Kul’hari explorer ship has also arrived for resupply. These two races are now on the doorstep of the Hlur-Baiheen and the as-yet unencountered Syru...
The Tac Effect
The
Skitarii Mercantile Conglomerate sees a new coalition come to power, backed by the profits of trade with the
Tac and
Hurrunn aliens. One of the first actions is to publicly announce the existence of the Tac to all elements of Skitarii society. The Conglomerate even hosts a welcoming party to coincide with the visit to Typhorphin of a Tacci diplomatic ship; its curved construction contrasting sharply with the hard lines of Skitarii technology. The announcement goes smoothly, or at least planetary productivity is not seriously impacted, and acknowledgement of the
Hurrunn follows several months later.
The Conglomerate meanwhile invests in trade goods aimed at both the Tac and Hurrun; Skitarii-made communication devices become especially popular on Tacci, fuelling profits at the Skitarii orbital station. The militarist cliques among the Conglomerate are given a consolation contract to develop new fighter craft, while the shipyards of Typhomorphin are busy constructing both explorer and diplomatic ships for the growing Skitarii fleet. However, the militarists regain some ground in politics after a Skitarii explorer ship is attacked by
Psilocybe forces in orbit of Rurrica...
The Tac, meanwhile, as-yet unshaken from their naive view of the galaxy, and not content with their existing ships, begin construction of an even larger biosphere-cruise ship - equal in size to the Hurrun ‘Large’ explorer - to seek out new contacts from deeper regions of the galaxy. Even while this new cruiser is under construction, Tac citizens are venturing far to the galactic west and south, making contact with several new civilizations…
One of the Tac diplomatic ships, making use of logistical support through Hurrunn space, follows up a lead from the Hurrunn and successfully arrives in the home system of the
Kul'hari Collection, quickly setting a course for Principiter itself. The Kul'hari are somewhat cautious - and currently busy constructing a new warship in orbit of their homeworld - but ultimately find little reason to fear these small, floating pink creatures; several esteemed Kul'hari elders travel to meet with the Tac aboard their vessel. The Tac find themselves at the centre of a thriving interstellar civilization, one of the most prosperous in the galaxy, with both Kul'hari and Kowlint freighters arriving from almost every direction.
Tac crew members are also onboard the Hurrunn ‘Large Exploration Ship’ as it arrives in the home system of the
Torrhennian Confederacy and the Kowlint race. The Hurrunn vessel is on a voyage to the edge of the galaxy, though its crew have vague knowledge of the Kowlint from their dealings with the Kul'hari, and vice-versa. In any case, Torrhenn is unmistakably a home of intelligent life; a sprawling ‘World Halo’ is under construction in orbit, what may well become one of the Wonders of the galaxy.
Thus the galaxy’s biggest space ship - over a kilometer long, counting from the tips of its forward sensor arrays - eventually moves to dock with the galaxy’s biggest orbital object. There are only a small number of Tac onboard to witness the spectacle, but their language savants play a key role in opening communication between the Hurrunn and the Kowlint; before long they are capable of translating both languages simultaneously, while having conversations with each other at the same time. In a cordial atmosphere, Torrhenn’s planetary defences remain powered down.
Tac explorers meanwhile run into several more alien races. Firstly they encounter two intelligent species in the [Kar-8] system - though neither has anything more than stone-age technology. The second explorer ship encounters a sharp contrast as it arrives in the home system of the
Qui, to find itself witnessing a brutal invasion by the
Jaar’ar Federation - something the Tac simply cannot comprehend. The ship keeps a safe distance from the fighting...
For any other culture, the number of new alien contacts may well have been overwhelming. But there is no sign of culture-shock among the Tac, who seem to thrive on these new encounters, and play a key role in translating and opening communications on all sides. The one civilization without any military force - it may be noted that even the
Dscheri have some armed fighter-craft - arguably has the widest cultural impact in the galaxy; Hurrunn philosophers begin to speak of the ‘Tac Effect’ in describing the web of contacts now stretching across the galactic south-west.
Kul’hari - Torrhennian Space
The
Hurrunn are slow to pursue any formal treaties with the
Kul’hari, but they do feel comfortable enough to mothball a damaged explorer ship and leave it in orbit of the Kul’hari colony
Kul’ante, for repair at a later date; inquisitive Kul’hari are given permission to venture onboard if they wish.
The colonies of
Kul'nostrum and
Kul'verdia see further expansion. The cultural and economic weight of the colonies begins to push and pull on Principiter; the satellite Collections begin to challenge the rather stoic, traditionalist sentiments at the core of Principiter with a consciousness that is more adventurous and creative, reflecting recent contacts with alien species. For now, the whole remains intact; the Kul’hari have an abundance of resources, though their own logistics have failed to keep up with demand, and many
Torrhennian freighters are now making up the shortfall - for a small free.
Indeed the Kul’hari Collection and the Torrhennian Confederacy are among the first powers to a sign a formal treaty with each other - details of which are not fully public, but are known to include trade rights and a fixing of borders in space.
Unfortunately, not all of the Kowlint agree to these rules. Word has spread of the lush world Kul’verdia, now frequently visited by Torrhennian traders, and known to have a similar environment to Torrhenn; good enough to dispose of most protective gear, and within tolerances for gradual acclimatization, unlike the Kul’hari colonists which cannot breathe the atmosphere at all. Frustrated by the lack of open living space, and with limited space available on the emerging World Halo, a kind of religious cult emerges in the more deprived areas of Torrhenn - promising an idyllic life among the lush fields of Kul’verdia...
When a freighter is suddenly hijacked in orbit of Torrhenn, the Confederacy fears some kind of terrorist incident; a new warship is under construction, but remains tied up in the World Halo. There is no way to respond before the freighter completes a rendezvous with several shuttle craft rising from the surface. Planetary defences hesitate to open fire on civilian craft, and the freighter soon heads into super-luminal flight - the elated cultists successfully make their voyage to Kul’verdia, establishing a colony away from Kul’hari settlements. The local Kul’hari are alarmed nonetheless, especially as it seems the cultists have armed themselves and are prepared to fight for a piece of the planet.
The Torrhennian Confederacy meanwhile has other concerns on their northern frontier, as war continues to rage between the
Qui and the
Jaar’ar. The famous explorer ship
Perrel is ordered to pick up salvage it can from the [Ten-11] system, scene of a previous battle that saw several interstellar ships be destroyed. It is a provocative move; the Qui still have a warship under repair in the system and claim any wreckage for themselves. As the Perrel appears on long range sensors, the Qui assume it is a Jaar’ar vessel and decide to press the attack; Perrel is caught while salvage teams are still on EVA, and cannot immediately flee. Only after several powerful hits from high-velocity projectiles - some passing clean through the hull - does the captain order an emergency jump back to
Fossell Station, leaving several salvage crews to their fate. Their sacrifice has allowed a small but significant haul of Qui and Jaar’ar artefacts to be recovered.
The Qui - Jaar’ar war
The leadership of the Qui’Kho Empire begins in optimistic mood - it seems the Jaar’ar have exhausted themselves and are vulnerable to the final counter-stroke. Imperial ships from the outer planets and the [Ten-11] system are being repaired and readied to re-converge on the homeworld, while the unfinished heavy weapon platforms are also being readied for action. There is a lull in the fighting as both sides pause for breath, though a steady stream of guerrilla fighters and ‘alien-hunters’ keeps up the pressure on the over-strained Jaar’ar soldiers, not afraid to use terror tactics at every turn; eight-limbed assassins seem to lurk in every ruin, and in every stubborn patch of vegetation. It is a testament to the psychological strength of the Jaar’ar that there are not more instances of psychological breakdowns amongst their troops.
Battle losses have been high for both sides, but the Qui population has suffered out of all proportion; by now, over a billion have died through the combined effects of nuclear bombardment, radiation, starvation and exhaustion. The Qui’Kho race no longer holds such a dominant position; the war becomes a war of all the Qui races, for the survival of their species as a whole...
Yet the Jaar’ar take a pragmatic approach. Extermination is not official doctrine; with millions of captured or displaced Qui now finding themselves in Jaar’ar territory, there are inevitably some collaborators. Combined with the industries that the Jaar’ar have managed to capture, and the stream of soldiers returning from medical camps behind the lines, they are able to raise fresh forces from Schreikne-Quil itself - pressing maintenance teams and stranded spaceship crews into service where needed.
Yet, as it turns out, the skirmish with the
Perrel in the [Ten-11] system has an impact on the whole war; while the Qui warship is delayed, the Jaar’ar are first to arrive with reinforcements for the front on Schreikne-Quil, bringing a supply convoy along with another warship and an army of mechanised war-machines of varying types. The Jaar’ar generals open a fresh offensive directed towards the Qui defence guns before they can become fully operational. The sudden onslaught of war machines over land, supported by warships in orbit, is simply too much to withstand; Qui soldiers hesitate and flee from the towering robotic walkers they now face on the front lines.
The Qui fleet completes its rendevous in the outer system, but by the time it reaches Schreikne-Quil, the friendly defence guns have already been silenced, and the Jaar’ar warships are poised in orbit and ready to fight. But with fighter support, the Qui still have a small advantage in firepower; they press the attack, and the second orbital battle of Schreikne-Quil gets underway. However, tight coordination by the Jaar’ar and a dose of good fortunate means they carry the day once again. Both sides lose another warship, but this time the surviving Qui vessel leaves for the colony in the [Zal-80] system, taking with it an assortment of refugees who managed to run the gauntlet of Jaar’ar firepower - some taking advantage of confusion as a
Tac explorer ship enters the system. Survivors of the Qui fighter-craft meanwhile descend to the surface, to join what remains of the resistance.
The sprawling capital city of the Qui’Kho Empire, many of its districts already long abandoned, now finds itself under direct assault from orbit and on the ground. Jaar’ar mechanised divisions grind to a halt amidst the ruined city streets, proving vulnerable to Qui troops who have by now learnt to exploit their vulnerabilities at close range. But with the old capital buildings in ruins, the Qui’Kho Empire is really no more - the Queen of Queens is now dead or in hiding. The
Qui Existence now takes up the fight, promising to lead an unending war of attrition until the homeworld can liberated from the alien invaders...
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