UPDATE 7
Life and Death
The Amoeba homeworld steadily grows more stable as life is re-built from the ground up. The entity known as "One" awakens from it's mostly-slumber, though the activity is slow and laborous as yet. The alien vessel, a Kekeji explorer, was to be added to One's mass and incorporated into it's being. Unfortunately, One realized that it could not sense a strong pheromone signal, though the derelict it inhabits showed it other ways of sensing the surroundings. Bursts of acid poured out of One, though they dispersed too quickly to serve any purpose. A waste of resources. One reconsidered his attack, slowly approaching the aliens. They did not seem threatened as yet, though they backed away at pace. The derelict must have something useful. Ah! A weapon. No, many weapons. Some of them worked, others appeared to be broken, even a few of them seemed missing entirely. Those that worked, in fact, worked well. The Kekeji were unprepared, and though One was firing without skill or accuracy, enough of the pin-point laser strikes were making contact to prove effective. The Kekeji craft only had simple armaments left over from wars of the past, rail guns and missiles mostly. One enjoyed the sensation of combat, the steady attack, the rapid changes in direction and speed, tracking his target. One was not being harmed, despite the Kekeji explorer's best efforts, while it was inflicting a fair sum of damage to them. A small missile strike, minor hull damage. Even that sensation was interesting, not like the great war that tore apart the Home. Suddenly, one of One's weapons burst, a malfunction of some sort. It paused for a moment to discern what happened, but the distraction cost it some mass. No matter; in a short passage of time, One detected significant holes in the aliens' hull, large enough for One to protrude itself into. It attempted to near the ship, though they were seeming just as fast as One. More mass lost, not feeling well. Catch? No, another miss! More mass lost. Catch! One poured into the small breaks and holes, flooding the Kekeji vessel, flooding the Kekeji inside. New thoughts arrived. New feelings. One had learned much. It will take time to process... time to heal...
Kekeji mission analysts find alarm at the loss of signal coming from the first exploration fleet. It assumed lost at the hands of the alien ship, with the security forces throwing themselves into a panic as a result. New designs are drafted, engineers pulled in from across the new home world, as a combat-oriented fleet is assembled. Security planners place new curfews, checkpoints, inspections and scanners all throughout the new capital city, clamping down on unrest and subterfuge, though the populace can feel the leash tightening and their own reactions tensing; perhaps new unrest could form as a result. Meanwhile, new exploration continues with the other fleet, though only a barely habitable system is located, somewhat rich in resources.
A few small clans unite amongst the Murglers to protect against external raids, though as of yet, nothing is truly forming of this. In all likelihood, this arrangement will collapse within a few years time.
Seipas Yag explorers press on, finding a low-worth system in the galactic west, with a partially acceptable system to the galactic east. Mining companies are assembled for the inevitable exploitation of these new systems, and industrial efforts are reinforced back home.
The Undroth complete their development of colony Grut, build a new fleet to guard the home system, and send their previous home guard on to explore a new system. Previously explored by the Kekeji, this system will likely serve as the next Undroth colony to be steadily built up.
Iokolu ship-builders complete the bearers of a future colonial expedition, while the explorers press on in the local sector, discovering a simple, stable systems of gas giants and small rocky worlds, including one decked out in all the trimmings of life. Lush, yellow-green plantoid life sprawls much of the surface, with small, simplistic animaloid species crawling about the world. It is clear, even without significant study, that evolution hasn't made an enormous amount of progress just yet, but life is life. Resources abound all throughout this system, as well, in several large, mineral-rich asteroid belts. Meanwhile, back on the home world, excavations of new mining sites discover an ancient cache of resources, placed in a vault of sorts before the last great impact. Though lost, the chamber seemed to have been relatively protected, leaving the materials in moderate order, easily catalogued by the discoverers.
Geskani researchers present the military with several new weapon designs, as well as technical improvements to the speed of the FTL systems. This comes just in time, as the two combat fleets in orbit of the home world prepare for departure, receiving a few rushed upgrades and a slew of military transport pods. The two fleets venture several thousand light-years to planet Sneed, greeted by the flashing lights of the welcoming satellites. The Geskani, unimpressed, open fire. An exchange of weaponry begins between the Geskani fleets and a swarm of defensive satellites, launched from the surface merely a year prior. The battle is mostly one-sided, the unqualified ground-based operators failing to inflict significant damage on the far more powerful attack force. Though both Geskani war fleets suffer minor damage (part of which is inflicted by overloads in the new weapon systems, showing that more testing was needed), while the satellite defense system was completely destroyed, as well as quite a few bystander satellites. The new weapons, despite the flaws manifested through the battle, proved excellent in this attack. With the defenses swept aside, the ground assault began. With no standing defensive army, the Snud quickly gathered a militia force, largely consisting of policing robots and trigger-happy young Snud sport hunters. The militia actually managed to hold its own, despite the superior weapons and training of the Geskani warriors. Though they ultimately failed, the remainder of the invasion force was severely weakened. With most of the population centers secured, the occupation of Sneed begins.
Early in the year, Satellian traders stopped coming to Sneed as the Satellians focused their attentions inward at securing their own worlds against what they perceived as an immediate Lelinthian threat. With the sudden loss of trade, the corporate leaders begin to fear that their economy will fall to bits. Shortly thereafter, Snuddian society nearly collapses in the face of invasion and occupation, with the stock market crashing and many panicked citizens taking drastic measures to escape into more remote areas with their accumulated wealth. While the Geskani occupation force established itself, most of the corporate leadership of Sneed escaped into hidden bunkers scattered about the more mountainous regions of the planet.
The Satellians dig in, pulling together all the ships they can spare, arming them with clever mixtures of Snuddian and Satellian weaponry and defenses. Ground forces are assembled and hastily trained, while contingency plans are set at the ready. All this in response to the looming Lelinthian fleet in the outer system that, quite suddenly, leaves about half-way through the year. The Satellians feel relief, though the emergency defenses remain in place, further refined and prepared as the local leadership fears a return of the Lelinthian attack force, or perhaps the further attacks of the Geskani. At the colony of Ulumm-Bukk, a true battle fleet is assembled, having taken their time to fully design all of the combat systems necessary for engaging hostile enemy ships. Meanwhile, the exploration fleet returns home, hoping to aid in what was believed to be an impending battle, only to find their familiar old home system, now full of on-edge Satellians awaiting the arrival of chaos and destruction. On the surface of Hmmaiaa, emergency supplies are distributed amongst the surface-dwelling Kinships in particular, and though nerves are frayed at the shock of a possible future attack, several rallying speakers calm the populace to endure hostile aliens as one would endure the coming storms.
Things are quiet on Lolan, for the most part. Further contact is engaged with the new aliens in sector J/C-Top, though little has been shared along the communication channels as to what this entails. Meanwhile, the fleet under command of the Warden Kululuthul departs Mar Aih (the Satellian home system) for Lolan, issuing the standard reports back to the orbital tower. Warden Lotholitel, having released the Hlethan guests to their whims, immediately takes her fleet on a mission of further exploration by visiting the Hlethan home system.
The Startraveler
Rhetho continues its journey through uncharted space, still attempting to get its bearings in this part of the galaxy. Exploration continues while this occurs, leading the
Rhetho to discover a beautiful garden world, currently occupied by a colony of Satellian biologists and researchers. Elsewhere, Startraveler
Tharaez investigates a new system in the H/E sector, discovering another system of moderate interest, with little in the ways of habitability, though still a modest economic value. Startraveler
Hraef locates a pitiful system in sector I/F, consisting mainly of super-massive gas giants and fields of planetary debris. Startraveler
Zoroth, more or less, finds the same in sector J/E. Otherwise, the home world of Thaej experiences a dip in productivity due to social disinterest and unrest, as a minority of the population wishes to draw away from stellar exploration and focus more on Thaej itself.
The Great War of Halvalla carries on again, though the fighting has fallen into a series of tactical raids and skirmishes, as neither side can afford large-scale engagements without suffering total disaster. The end of this war may be near, but the populace has become bleak after so many years of suffering, and few believe that the Ivkings will survive this at all. Religious groups begin to spread the belief that this is, in fact, the End Times for them all.
Nhroaat colonists touch down on a series of mining colonies in sector K/G, while the exploration fleet presses onward along the galactic arm, discovering a dull red dwarf star surrounded by chunks of sub-planetary rock and dust, offering little in the ways of economic value.
The Distopteran hive carries on its work, getting ready for their exodus in the great Hive Ship. Meanwhile, the Nekopterans do what they can to harvest energy from the great dust storm brewing outside of their small hive, and though damage is done by the storm, the power generated helps a fair bit in securing their sustainability on the planet. A few scattered Thinkers have made progress in theoretical adjustments to make to their kind, possibly enabling them to breed at some point in the future.
The Bako Tellians expand their colonies, while the home world attempts to repair the damage done by the hurricane season of the previous year. Unfortunately, some of that repair is undone by another bad hurricane season, further dismaying the people.
A species known as the Pohm successfully develop their first working FTL propulsion device, enabling them to explore a nearby system. As luck would have it, another habitable world lies close to home, offering a mostly-breathable atmosphere and a substantial biosphere. While it is slightly lacking in mineral resources, it is otherwise a wonderful discovery. Another fleet is constructed, becoming ready to service at the end of the year.
Another new FTL-capable species arises, the Raer. Their first exploration yields a system containing several small, slightly habitable rocky bodies in the inner system, with moderate mineral value spread throughout.
The coincidence carries on that yet another species achieves FTL capability this year, the Capricocials sending out their first explorers into the near reaches of the galaxy. Though their luck isn't quite as good as the other two new species, they still locate a system of moderate mineral value, despite its severe lack of habitable worlds. The various moons and asteroids of the system should serve as passable colony sites, though those colonists might find it difficult to achieve comfort in the long-term.
The Phleghesh press their attack on Kant worlds, annihilating the colony of Hir at B/I-B while the fleet formerly protecting the world escapes to safer space. The first assault on the Kant home world of Sanctum is interrupted by a swarm of heated defenders, quickly arising from the populace and ascending into battle. Unfortunately for the Phleghesh, the sudden on-rush of two full flight groups of Kant defenders throws their pilots into a panic, causing their combat skills to abandon them as most lose their lives. With the fighters mostly dealt with, the swarms turn to the carrier ship, inflicting terrible damage to its hull and a number of its inner systems. Inches from death, the command carrier barely manages to escape. Meanwhile, another attack fleet, intent on aiding the assault, leaves the Phleghesh home world for Sanctum, hoping to finish the job. A new colony is founded, and the xenocidal fervor of the people swells, funneling more resources and Phlegh-power into the industrial centers.
The Kant living on Sanctum find themselves lining up in support of the defense efforts, and though they care little at this point for death amongst the colonies, they seek to aid as much as they can in the defense of Sanctum. Unfortunately, many have felt the opposite, fleeing to travel their own ways and avoid the war all together. Meanwhile, far to the galactic north, explorers press on their way, attempting to get as far away from the Phleghesh as possible. While they continue to carry supply pods from the home world, many consider settling down on a new world to start a new, seperate life hidden from the dangerous Phleghesh attackers. Though this is still just an idle musing, it is slowly becoming more and more appealing to the exploration group.
Pressing it into the update...
