stDarNES1: Stars!

@Darwin: I think I'll create my own, which I'll have the stats up for soon. ^_^; Thank you!

@Erik: Eheh. I'm working on an enhanced ruleset for the Restart NES. It's gotten quite extensive, actually, and I think it might be ready within the next couple months.

@Gelion: Thanks! ^_^

The grand plaza of Zaria and its marble clad structures, their grandure only matched by the beauty of mother nature herself, and the statues, statues of all manner, inlaid with gold and jewels of the finest quality. Apon the steps of the grandest structure in the courtyard, the Zairian Grand Council Halls, sat two lonley figures.

"We are Zairian, members of the greatest race of humans, stronger, faster and more intelligent..." Andit sighed, "Our council has failed us, our council has failed. The great, incorrutable system has fallen. What have we got now? Nothing but a vacuum, a vacuum waiting to be filled by generals. What will happen now?"

"Don't be so cynical. The phenoix always rises from the flames, and so will our people."

"Well James, you may see the silver lining, but I'm only being realistic. Who is there to stop the generals from taking power? You? Me? The people? They wont stop them, they'll be happy with any kind of security they can get, free or not."

"Look, if you are so worried about a coup, why don't you try and stop it from happening, no-one has made any kind of move to stop this, this problem." Andit looked puzzled, "If you want to stop it, do something, get the old council back, find a new one, or... find something better."

"Like what?"

"Well I don't know, I was meerly listing options."

"That's really helpful."

"Don't be sarcastic, I was being serious. Infact you're a jounior counciler, you might be able to fix our problems."

"How? Is anyone going to listen to me?"

"Even we suffer from stupidity in numbers Andit. They will listen to you, especialy if no-one else is talking."

"But where to start, I'm not going to be able to just walk in to the Council Halls and say, 'I'm in charge now', am I?"

"No your right, you'll have to get backers, not the usual type like lenders or brokers. Ones with real power, the guilds, they run our city. Get them on your side and you have the power to change anything...

To The Veneverans
From Miria

We would like to offer at the moment open trade between our peoples and a military alliance against those who wish to harm them.

*Send along some footage of the Kalekka system and the hostile occupants*


*secret*

We would also like to offer a place in our Govermental system if you ever feel the wish to join in such a free and liberal Government as ours, with the way our voting works your power would be second only to that of Hr'Tor. Do not feel like you must act on this, this is simply for your information, however We feel such stronger ties to fend against the unkowns of space would be of great help.

UCCT [United Corporations and Cooperatives of Totalus]
Global Nexus
Totalus
GOVERNMENT: Corporate/Cooperative Alliance
TOTAL POPULATION: 500k
-----
TECHNOLOGY:
-Weapons: Ship - 1/0/2
-Weapons: Troop - 1/0/2
-Construction - 2/0/2
-Energy - 1/0/2
-Robotics - 1/0/2
-Biotech - 2/0/2
-----
CONFIDENCE: Tolerating
ECONOMY: Stable
TOTAL ECONOMY: 3
TRADE ECONOMY: 0
-----
ARMY: 1,000 Soldiers
FLEET: 100 Fighters, 1 Scoutship
SPECIAL PROJECTS: (none)
-----
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:


If there's a problem with this, let me know. ^^; If there's no problem, I can post a story later tonight. Also do you mean I won't be on the next update and will have to post orders next turn, or won't be put up on the stats list until next turn but can [and should] issue orders now? I'll be posting a story regardless...

OOC: Just noticed Darwin, my scoutship in EF2 is in Venever NOT Emey.

A Short history of Space Going Craft In The Mirian Empire

Current in service Fleet under the command of the Mirian SpaceFleet.

-Home Fleet: 6 Cruisers, 4 Carriers, 50 Fighters (Hr'tor)
-ColonyFleet: 2 Transport, 1 Carrier(50f) (Centaus)
-CF2: 8 Transports (1k) (Emey)
-EF1: 1 Scoutship (Centaus)
-EF2: 1 Scoutship (Venever)

The Home Fleet
--6 Cruisers, 4 Carriers, 50 Fighters (Hr'tor)--

The Home Fleet Orbiting Hr'Tor serves as protection against Hostile aliens such as that in the Kalekka System. And Serves as a Visable symbol of Miria's Power.

The Cruisers are The:

HMS Redoubt
HMS Alexander
HMS Hawk
HMS Implacable
HMS Incompliant
HMS Fortitude

The Carriers are The:
HMS Ephemeral Promise
HMS Justice
HMS Deliverance
HMS Hercules

The 50 Fighters are operating from the Carrier Deliverance at the moment and are named; The Furies.


Current Government plans have been told that the 4 Cruisers the

HMS Hawk
HMS Implacable
HMS Incompliant
HMS Fortitude

And the 2 Carriers:
HMS Ephemeral Promise
HMS Justice

Are to be act as a Patrolling fleet. Ensuring the Mirian Empires Protection and a rapid response in case of assualt. However it has been said that the Cruiser fleet will begin Patrolling whilst the Carriers are outfitted with Fighters.

The Colony Fleet
--ColonyFleet: 2 Transport, 1 Carrier(50f) (Centaus)

The orgininal Colony fleet. Colonised the system of Centaus first, came with the protection of 50 Fighters and a carriers, with the sightings of a hostile system nearby this seems to have been very prudent.


The Tranports Form the Main of the Colony fleet and are named the:
HMS Elephant
HMS Mammoth

The Carrier: New Hope, is the Carrier of the Systems defence Fighters; The Vanguard. Captained by the Military commander of the Secter: Sir Robert Strange, they represent to the people of Centaus a reminder of their roots and also the Militaries Duty to protect them from the possible hostilities of the Kalekka System.

Govermental Plans: It has been stated that the Carrier and fighters are to remain in Centaus as the military worries of the Kalekka system and its uninviting contact. They are to Form the Sentinel Fleet. The Transports are to carry home any govermental raw materials already bought up and produced on the colony and ship them back to Hr'Tor for another possible colony Mission.

Colony Fleet II
--CF2: 8 Transports (1k) (Emey)--

The Core of the Colony fleet has Travelled to Emey and created another prosperous colony, borderring the Friendly Veneverans System, The Young Buissness men and Entrepreneurs are already anticipating the almost inevitability of the Trade travelling between the two Major Sytems of Hr'Tor and Venevar.

The Tranporters are named The:
HMS Apollo
HMS Atlas
HMS Content
HMS Empire
HMS Hector
HMS Imperial
HMS Magician
HMS Malkavian

Current Government plans:
Currently the main portion of the Colony fleet is to return to Hr'Tor, where they will meet up with the colony fleet from Centaus, whereupon they will wait for more habitable systems to be found.

The Last remaining ships the HMS Malkavian and The HMS Hector has been redirected to Venever where a small portion of its passengers have been offered embassy jobs, however from their they will follow the Scoutship; The HMS Discoverer, to more fertile systems.

The Expeditionary Fleets
--EF1: 1 Scoutship (Centaus)--
--EF2: 1 Scoutship (Venever)--

The Scoutships and their pilots are to be thanked for their pivotal role in finding new systems and encountering Other Human factions, Wether friendly or not they have only furthered the Mirian peoples wellfare.

Govermental Plans
The Scoutship, The HMS Discoverer, in The Venever System is to travel to the secter recently named Ramidi (the Queen graciously requested the Pilot of The HMS Discoverer, Henry Ford, to name the secter. For services to Miria.

On the Other hand the Scoutship the The HMS Reason, has unfortunalty had to pull back to the system of Centaus, although not without seeing another scoutship enter the system of Kalkella, wether this was a scoutship OF Kalkella or simply another Human faction remains unknown. The HMS Reason has been ordered back to Hr'tor for a change of pilot and new Expeditionary Orders.

Govermental plans For the Systems of the Mirian Empire have not yet been specifically issued, however contemplation amoung the Government has Turned this way and that.

However There has come about the creation of two general ideologies, that of Deepening the Empire, and that of Widening.

Basically the Ministers and politicitions of the Widening movement insist that Miria must continue to expand to survive the possibly massive empires already out there. They Claim that friendly factions must be brought to the Mirian Bosom by a Carrot and be never tempted to leave, whilst the Factions that resist must be met with Force and destroyed, the Stick so to speak.

The encourage further research into Construction and Energy Technology. With a Enlargening of the Fleet, Stationing of a Carrier and 50 fighters in every newly founded Colony and Multiple patrols of So called rapid response teams, with a larger military force stationed in strategic secters. Also enthused is a slight increase in the Planetary defence and Planetery Invasion Forces. Most importantly is the creation of multiple Colony Fleets to travel to new secters. However significantly sidelined is the development of the colonies and the creation of more Space stations, they insist that the current colonies will not be able to sustain a Space station so that is besides the point, and that The colony fleets being sent out will solve any problems of developing the system as the remaining population will be able to Sustain itself much easier in the more empty secter.

The Advocates of the Deepening movement insist that the power base of the current secters must be built up before any further serious colony fleets are to be sent out. They propose that Diplomatically all things should be taken with a pinch of salt and that they need to coax them more, they recongnise the importance of the military but suggest forethough must be put into all things before they act upon them.

They support the funding of Biotech and Robotics research.
They wish to enlarge the fleet as well but they will be put to purley defensive purposes. They however scoff at the proponants of an enlargeneing of Plantery forces, declaring that Space is the Corner-stone of Victory. Without access to Space a Planet will simply suffer an slow siege as it is bombarded from space, until eventually the population will rout and welcome the invaders in. However they wish for the development of the Planet to be able to sustain greater populations and for the purposes of exploiting a systems natural resources. They also wish to create a SpaceStation in every Secter declaring them vital for Space Trade, or at least extremly important and beneficial.

"They are WHAT?!?" the Captain of the Sypher asked his comuncation offices, an Ensign Th'ren.

"demanding that we leave.. "

"*Sigh* open a comm." the captain calmy straigtend his jacket, then truned to face a small little screen to the left of his chair. "recording.. now."
---
To Unknown ships:
Greeting, In the Name Of the Impirile Republic of Trinity, we welcome you, and wish for peace between our two people. perhaps you may one day wish to join our peacefull republic, but if you do not, so be it, we will not preasure you to join us. we are unarmed, and it will take us a few weeks to re-align our jump-coils. until then, will you allow us the pleasure of serveying your system and conducting some research on your people? perhaps we can even negotiate some meaning of trade between us. we are always looking to expand our information on this great univers of ours.

Further News on Kalkella

"Sir, New from EF1, The HMS Reason has filed a report on the situation in Kalkella," A young courier stood in front of Hr'Roy.
"Anything New?" He Asked, lazely, recently he had been Knighted for services to the Mirian Empire. He really thought that all he'd done was tell people where to go, everything else had pretty much Happened.
"Nothing much,"
"Ah well, At ease," He said and threw it on a pile of papers.


A Few Weeks later

Hr'Roy glanced over his desk, He had ordered Hr'Tyria to return to Hr'Tor. Technically because Military wanted to give her a break from the recent stress with Kalkella. Personally he needed someone to talk to and he wanted to see if she was ok....

He browsed over his desk looking for Her report, he found it under his copy of The Book Of Truth, the Goner Book.

He began to read, Hr'Tyria Always wrote in this enchantingly lilting style, it made him wish that he wasn't married to his position so to speak, or that she wasn't exploring unchartered space. He Blinked. He went to the start of the paragraph

"Just as I was exiting the Kalekka system, I scanned an unkown Scoutship approaching Kalekka. Wether this an Expeditionary Force of Kalekka returning home with news of a new system, or even another Faction I do not know...."

There it was, a potential threat planted in the middle of this report on new systems and unihabitated space. He sent his commanding officer a letter.

5 days later at the SpaceFleets High Command meeting

"I have received A letter from Hr'Roy of the Expeditionary Fleet, of an unusual occurance when HMS Reason left the Kalekka System. It appears that a Scoutship entered the system just as HMS Reason was leaving. Now I want Intelligence to Determine likly Scenarios that this related to, Unfortunatly The pilot was unable to determine if the Scoutship was of Kalkella origin or not....

Another 4 days pass with the whirring off Buerocracy

Miltiary Intelligence has reported that the two most likly scenarios are that of a Scoutship of foreign origin, and that of Kalekka origin. However A scoutship of Foreign origin has been mostly discared due to too many uncertainties dealing with the amount of secter linked to this galactic pathways. Thus the Military has been left with a worst case scenario where Kalekka Has been out exploring in the Hopes of Colonising near-by space. This Presented the problem that the Kalekka system was on the whole considered unfriendly and they subsequently wondered wether they felt safe if such an Empire to arose. Subsequently the next couple of weeks A military expedidition was planned, passed through government with much Excitement.

The Words "preliminary strike" hung on the Prime Ministers lips.

In the background a leader of the Wideing movement smiled such a war was his friend.

OOC:

Ok I DID NOT read TerrisH's post before I posted .

On the matter of projects, I'm personally not in favour of them, with the prospects of future technology I think they may get a bit out of hand. (as in un-balancing)


And I should be writing another Story on the Goners too, I'm thinking that currently they have about 2 Scoutships for exploring for arteifacts...sound good?

To: Miria
From: Venever

Your overtures are intriguing. However, it is understood that our society has existed for the last 200 years just fine without participation in any greater brotherhood. Trade is a possibility we are willing to discuss, however. Please forward your proposals.

To: Trinity
From: Kalekka Scoutships

You have been given your warning. Disturb us no further and you shall leave us in one piece. Should we detect even one wayward sensor emitting from your ships, you will be destroyed.

To Kalekka
So be It. *sigh* why must we be surounded by Idi-

To: Astral Sojourners
From: Haven

Hello. We are most pleased to meet you. It is good to know that more than one human nation survived the scourge.

Do you wish to trade our technical knowledge?

Here's what we have:
-Weapons:Ship - 1/0/2
-Weapons:Troop - 1/0/2
-Construction - 3/0/4
-Energy - 1/0/2
-Robotics - 2/0/3
-Biotech - 1/0/2

Here's what you have.
-Weapons:Ship - 1/0/2
-Weapons:Troop - 1/0/2
-Construction - 2/0/3
-Energy - 2/0/3
-Robotics - 1/0/2
-Biotech - 2/0/3

From: Astral Sojourners
To: Haven
We wish to trade Biotech for Robotics.

@Darwin: I can invade Enemsi and colonize it this same turn, right? If all goes well, I should be able to colonize 4 systems this turn.
Also, what are the rules on multiple tech researches in the same turn, and will you fix my project to 2/7 since I actually did send orders for it at one point?


Training Simulator
Holodeck location: Fighter ship 8, callsign "Coker"
Actual location: Carrier ship MEG "Narsilian"

<Broadcast from Rear Admiral Vandergon: "Remember, this is a shield mission. We're here to make sure the first wave of transports gets on the ground safely. Don't get into dogfights.">
<Broadcast from Flag Commander Denilith of Narsilian: "Don't think you're safe just 'cause this is a drill.">
BEGIN SIMULATION
<Coker-AI: "Sarah, you're third in line for launch.">
Sarah Marway breathed a deep breath. She knew that she was safe aboard the ship, knew that they were still underway to Enemsi, and would be for quite a while, but none of this helped her right now. She heard the hiss of air as the launch bay of the Narsilian depressurised, and felt the control stick in her right hand powering to life.
She pushed the stick forward, taking care not to slant it. Far too many cadets did that, which would cause their ship to scrape along on its belly. The Coker flew forward, leaving the sheltered confines of metal and wiring for the hard vacuum of space.
<STATUS: 60.0>
Shield - 60 perhex in force
Laser 26 - 60 perhex charged
Laser 68 - 60 perhex charged
Sabots - 1200 ready
Heaters - 30 ready
Seekers - 10 ready
Out of her viewplate (no! It was a screen, a simulation!) Sarah Marway watched as the gamma dropped and the brilliant field of stars turned into a few scattered points and constellations, enough to give her a spatial reference but not so many as to distract her. Suddenly she felt an intense knowledge of the pirate base's location surge through her, and realized it had been piped directly into the implant behind her left ear. With her left hand, she moved the weapon controller over to sabots and frequency 26 lasers; with her right, she forced the Coker forward, its engines silent as the grave in the perfect, icy vacuum. Thise aren't happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts, she reminded herself.
"YEEE-HAH!" someone yodelled over the comm. They would probably get a disciplinary warning for irresponsible combat behavior, but Sarah felt with whoever it was and couldn't keep herself from smiling.
Time until max range: 20s
Time until optimal range: 32s
As the numbers ticked steadily down, Sarah snuck the Coker towards the front of the formation they were in - if it could be called a "formation" when each ship was a mile away from its closest neighbour.
Time until max range: 6s
Sarah grinned mischievously as she flicked her weapon controls, tossing two dozen sabots towards the pirate fleet in a loose pattern. If she squinted, she thought she could make out their asteroid base behind them. Don't be silly, she told herself. It's just a sim.
26 sabots fired | +1100 left
"Narsilian Eight, what's up?"
Five seconds later, the other dozen ships fired their assorted missiles, and Sarah let off her second volley, this one consisting of a hundred sabots. By then one pirate ship was already spinning and a second had lost a hull section.
Foe damaged for 12
For damaged for 25
100 sabots fires | +1000 left
40' of Laser 26 fired | +50 perhex left
<Tactical Broadcast: Head towards 80-80 and retreat>
HIT | Shield 47 perhex
"Nice trick, Eight. Mind not doing it again?"
Sarah affirmed the request as she pulled hard on the control stick, forcing her ship to pull up even as she read the brief summary of the latest salvo.
<Tactical Broadcast: You're outnumbered 5-3. Reinforcements 80 seconds. Transports 200 seconds.>
"Narsilian Eight to Narsilian Leader, give me some space. I'm going to goose them."
"Negative, Eight. Hold formation."
Sarah cursed softly. The radar below her main tactical screen showed the incoming reinforcements, still too far away to be detected, but close enough to report their position. At a command from Leader, she veered right along with five others, and the other six in her squadron veered left. The pirate ships continued straigh ahead for a moment, surprised by the fact that an enemy they outnumbered woud split up further. They formed pursuit groups rapidly, chasing at a few hundred kilometers' distance.
"This is Narsilian Leader. Veer off and spin, firing missiles as you please. We'll circle around the pirates, then our reinforcements will catch them."
<Tactical Broadcast: Transports 100 seconds.>
Sarah squeezed the weapons control repeatedly, trusting the AI to take care of the precise aiming.
90' of Laser 26 fired | +30 perhex left
10 Heaters fired | 20 left
4 seekers fired | 6 left
HIT | Shield 11 perhex
220 sabots fired | +800 left
The Coker wobbled as the AI strove to redirect power to the shield. Sarah flung the ship into a screwspin and hoped the reinforcements would cover her tail.
Then she fled ignominously.
<Tactical Broadcast: Transports in atmosphere. Break off!>
She grinned. Half their fleet had been playing distraction while the transports landed and she had been fighting. Now they were returning, and the pirates, while not quite defeated, would atleast need some heavy evasive action to make it out of this pincer.

Suddenly everything went black.

She realized that her part in the simulation was over. Rather than get drawn into a trap, the pirates had scrambled homewards.
Sarah now found herself watching the transports, a hundred little cones streaking down towards the moonbase. As they hit what little atmosphere there was, the outer layer of cheap synth heated up, changed color from blue to yellow, then orange, and finaly burst into flame. It burned off rapidly, exposing a second layer of heat-absorbing ceramics. This gradually went from light brown to a dull, sooty red as the transports continued their rapid descent.
With a movement like a beetle opening its wing cases, the ceramic layer split, folded off the inner shuttle, and was flung forward, rapidly decelerating the little glass bubble that extended a parachute and began to slow to acceptable speeds. As hundreds of these kinetic missiles impacted the pirate base, the bubbles simply burst, each of them releasing ten men with jetpacks and assault weaponry.

[Cue suitable Rambo ripoff scene as a thousand assault troops rain fire from above. I may actually bother to write this at some point.]

"Excellent." came the voice over the speakers, and Sarah was back in common reality once again. "Only two fighters lost. With our troops in their base, our projections were accelerated somewhat." She began stripping off the bodysuit used for the simulations. "We believe this scenario's probability to be in the seven to nine perhex area."
"All units return to quarters. The next simulation is in two days. You will randomly be given your roles twelve standard hours beforehand."

@Erik: I'll fix your Special Project. Also, your invasion does not count as colonization. However, if you have 1,000 colonists and designate the 1 EP for colonization, then yes, you can colonize in the same turn.

Only ONE tech can be research at a time.

Posting with the next update will be a list of contacts your Faction has. This has been asked many a time, and I will list those with your Faction stats on the next update (and keep it current thereafter).

On a more personal note, I am really enjoying the stories everyone is doing. Keep up the good work! I hope we can all make this NES go down in NES history as the best dang star-based NES ever!!

Yay, story completed! (For now, at least.)
Thanks for the kind words.

Darwin: I know about one tech at a time, but can I research two consecutive techs (assuming I complete both of them) in the same turn? If not, it may take quite a while to advance up the tech tree.

And I plan to send colonists from Nox at the same time as I invade. This information will be made public, giving the pirates yet another thing to be distracted by, so that they can't be everywhere at once.

Welcome to Datafile Station 17, Corporate Sector 45!
Please enter your user name and insert your Codex Identification into the slot
…
Username: K. M. Madison
Codex ID: VALIDATED
Authorization Level: 4 – Upper Ranking Civilian
…
What Datafile repository do you wish to access?
Datafile Rep.: Brief History of Totalus
Please Enter Confirmation Passcodex: *****-***
…
Confirmed! Welcome to the Historical Datafile Repository! The specific data requested is being gathered…


A Brief History of Totalus

The Totalus system has, from what few remnants of the Dominion remain, been traditionally considered a former hub of trade and commerce. All remaining data indicates that a rather unusual number of guilds and corporations functioned out of the system. This is substantiated by the constant rule of the corporations for nearly one hundred and fifty cycles, with little-to-no memory of any form of government beforehand.

The first great dynasty – and the one that stands still to this day – is the Toima Construction Agency. From the very beginning it was the most powerful corporation in the system, wielding power that at its time was vastly superior to its rivals. There is the distinct possibility that the TCA was an economic power in the Dominion, which would explain its already-constructed power base. It was 119 cycles ago that the TCA attempted a massive power grab that would have virtually left it as the sole ruler of the system. This failed however as the Imperial Mercenary Corps and the Combat and Warfare Academy, the two most combat-capable rivals, merged themselves around the same time. When the TCA attempted to gobble them up one-by-one, it found itself facing the Combat, Warfare, and Mercenaryship Guild, which was doubly as powerful and completely annihilated the invading TCA forces.

The CWMG sustained heavy losses, however, and with the two greatest corporations lacking for power, a vacuum opened up. The next twenty cycles are even today referred to as the Days of Golden Blood, for it was said that warriors and soldiers were so valuable to warring factions that one could hire one’s self as a mercenary for as much gold as could be drawn from a rich vein. Constant wars and upstarts vied for power, economically and militarily, over the other factions on the central planet. It came to such a point that professional armies were all but banned – only mercenaries fought in warfare, even serving as the generals.

Yet even as the TCA and CWMG were fighting to regain their power, a new, mighty dynasty appeared. Having holed itself up in a secluded archipelago, the Machinery and Robotics Guild had been relatively untouched by the constant warfare. In fact, it had made massive profits selling weapons, armor, vehicles, even simple tools to the feuding corporations, forever keeping its identity anonymous. When it rose up and displayed the might it had accumulated from the great profits and infrastructure it had built up, a number of the most minor corporations capitulated and merged with the Guild. Striking down the Agency of Factories, the most powerful faction aside from itself, the Guild set itself up as a peacekeeper.

This age of peace lasted for another thirty cycles before a new upheaval began to form within the corporate societies. New movements amongst the populace – treated almost as property for many years – began to form, a result of improving education and a growing frustration with the absolute lack of social progression. These movements – the “Popular” or “Cooperative” Parties – garnered for themselves power within the bulging black markets of the system. Utilizing illegal supplies and weapons, they forged for themselves their own power base, their own self-made bases, and several even going as far as forming their own cities in locations unclaimed by the corporate dynasties.

…

Program terminated

OOC: Story is here, or at least part one of it. The rest of will be posted a little later and consist of a profiling of the major organizational entities in the UCCT. I figure getting a decent background of my Faction's history should be a top priority. ^_^;

Erik: As of right now, it is one tech at a time. The reason is that as colonization expands, and economies grow, the amount of EP available will grow fairly large, making the later tech levels quite easy to reach.

I want to see how that pans out, and if it turns out that tech is advancing way too slowly, then I'll implement a rules change.

NO! we must not stop our progress. We need to go out, meet the other survivors, restore humanity back to its rightful glory.
Cant you see that, Roo?
Don’t you understand that only by going out, we can have ANY chance at destroying the Scourge (May it forever be cursed!!!)?

I DON’T, Silo. I really do not.
That menace is out there waiting to pounce on us. We don’t have the capability to defend ourselves now, do we? And what if one of your “glorious” craft happens to stumble on a Scourge nest? What do we do then? Pray to Jah to spare us?
What we need is to fortify our position, and NOT risk contaminating our world.
FOR ALL WE KNOW, WE ARE THE LAST WORLD TO INHABITE HUMANS!
We dare not risk that!!!

Bro, listen.
We have both seen the NewsFlash reports, didn’t we?
We saw the footage sent from the Midnight Marauder, with distinct pictures of HUMAN BUILT and operated STAR CARRIERS!!
Agreed, they where most foul pirates of the sky.
But think about it!
Their mere presence declares that system to be Scourge FREE!!!
It has been a very difficult time since the Great War, and Humanity has almost been wiped out, but our return is nigh.
And we need, for the Emperor, praise Jah and grant him a long rule, and us, to lead the way of humanity!
If we stay isolated, what will become of our destiny? How will we lead humanity out of Babylon and back to the sweet embrace of Jah in Zion?
Roo. Brother. You need to look a bit further afield than the next few years.
Think what can be accomplished in a hundred. A THOUSAND years!

No, brother. I still disagree with you.
I truly believe that we will not survive long enough if we, to quote the old proverb, show our hands too early.
And I also believe that you have faith, which I lack, In Haile Sellassie and Jah.
I also KNOW that you will not turn me in for my beliefs, nor any of my friends.
Will you?

No. I cannot betray you, Roo. You are my only brother. How can I sell you out?

Thank you, Silo. You are a true brother.

** a few days later

NewsFlash from the city of Arabella said:

Terror strikes at the Heart of our world.
Political leader Senator Roodika has been attacked today by Isolationists, and has nearly died.
He is currently hospitalized at the New Zion Hospital and treated by the best doctors.
Even his most exalted emperor has honoured his stout ally with a mention in the daily prayer broadcast.
Roodika nad long been a firm supporter of the expansionist party, and is a close advisor to his highness on matters of social policy. His last act was, and was also the probable reason for this, most vile of, attempt on his life, a legislative attempt to introduce compulsory national service for young men and women.
Said service was to include social work, police or other such activities.
Such acts should not produce any discontent, but the last section, included a paragraph that the Isolationists regard as not acceptable.

“…and in the event of a national emergency, ALL people of active duty could be recruited to the ARMED SERVICE in help of protecting the republic.
Recruitment will be to the Army or Navy, depending on the needs of the Republic”

Click to expand...

Roo, I have to ask this.
You were on that field trip to the Grand Temple, right?
You did not go ANYWHERE near Arabella, RIGHT?

Eh, no, bro.
What do you take me for? A bloody terrorist? Do you really think I would have ANYTHING to do with this?
At least you did the only thing you could.
JOINING THE @#%$ NAVY?
Hwat where you thinking?
I know you don’t agree with staying hidden, but this?

Yep. Didn’t you hear? Roodika’s law is all but a done deal.
And I have an insight for you.
VOLUNTEERS can CHOOSE their assignments, whereas CONSCRIPTS cannot.
So I chose a technitianship onboard the new Bird Of Paradise.
It’s a new carrier group, and I might get promoted soon.
And I REALLY LIKE it.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are nuts, you realize that?

Yes. But before you go ape mad at me, think of this.

… all volunteers shall be given, upon completion of a term of no less than 5 years 50 hectares of land on a new colonized world or a grant of 4000 Dinars and a pension of 1200 Dinars.
Volunteers that choose a front line world shall also be given FREE PASSAGE to ALL THEIR family (upto 2nd relation only), and a sponsored 1st years expenses

Click to expand...

That means that if we complete these 5 years, we can have a place of our own.
We will be rich.
We can become ANYTHING we want on this new world!!!

Orders sent. I hope I didn't miss anything. Go go gadget colonies!