Update Two
The first contact between Ma’Autra and the Choon has reached its conclusion in a particularly devastating manner. The Watcher’s inability to either communicate or conduct diplomacy with the Lauki-Maus, coupled with his failing to realize that they did not appreciate being eaten, coupled with the Lauki-Maus’ opinion that he was an agent of the malevolent entity ‘One’, ensured that the event could not have ended well. The Lauki-Maus, willing to accept a horrendous casualty rate in order to ensure the survival of a small fraction of their population, unleashed a massive high-energy bombardment on The Watcher. The colossal Choon, over 1600 meters in length, was killed near-instantaneously, with the vast majority of the sentient population on Uex following shortly thereafter. The environmental devastation to the planet has been horrendous, but the surviving Lauki-Maus maintain Ma’Autra on the planet. However, the planet is no longer theirs alone- they still must deal with the surviving progeny of the Watcher, who continue to wander the throughout the Uexian skies.
The Hunter has further entrenched himself on Wasir. Revered as a god by the wretched locals, he and his brood now reign supreme over the small planet.
Fearing species-wide stagnation, President Frit’ide of the United Republics of Hedge has prepared to create a new driving purpose for the Verthommes with the creation of an ambitious expansion program. Already a significant power in space, they have further increased their fleet and army strength, as well as increasing commercial activities in the dead, but still economically useful worlds near to the homeworld. Part of this fleet expansion is to ward off the Fudirunins, who seem to have relatively little issue with jumping by uninterceptable means deep into the United Republic’s space. A further role for this expanded fleet has been for supporting a series of colonial expeditions. The first of these has been towards a planet which has been identified as habitable, Garv’n. A significant military fleet, along with several colonist vessels, was deployed towards the system, but encountered a variety of difficulties on the way there. Part way through the voyage, contact was suddenly lost with a third of the fleet, including one ship which was packed full with colonists. Search attempts revealed no clues pointing towards the cause of the disappearance, so the fleet eventually continued onwards. Upon arrival at Garv’n, it was quickly discovered that an alien species was already present here. Unwilling to go against orders, the Verthommes made their landing regardless, staking out a large area of land for their first settlement. Some acts of violence by the local population of ‘Cherwyn’, as they called the planet, who didn’t appreciate being ‘repositioned’, led to the use of heavy military force against their primitive armies, thus securing the colony along with a very large perimeter region. The native Cherwal are having mixed reactions towards the Verthommes- there are certainly some who are willing to tolerate the new arrivals, but many of the displaced are furious at the invaders, and the destruction of several Cherwal shuttles, sent out to investigate the United Republic’s fleet, has not done much to help relations.
Throughout all of this drama, no one has yet noticed the massing of the Tenoderan organism just a few systems away from Garv’n.
Not to be outdone by their rivals on Hedge, Nidkubra has also expanded greatly, establishing the colonies of Felton Haven and Fulincripinal Base. Their control over the space between their systems, however, is quite a bit lighter than that established by the United Republics. The Fudirunins have been too busy tinkering, experimental science, and erecting satellite defences to bother getting troubled by Verthomme vessels performing patrols in the contested space between Fudirun and Hedge. In an unrelated event, Fudirunin astronomers are puzzling over the apparent disappearance of several stars, who vanished together in a very short time frame, through causes still unknown.
The Skriv continue on their life cycles as always, content to maintain their feral stagnation. Meanwhile, the few semicivilized tribes have worked to further expand the massive cave network that is their domain, using their enslaved brethren to perform the backbreaking work required for these massive projects.
The Collectivity of Sanath is beginning to coalesce, as connections are slowly, tenuously, but inevitably being build between the young Qii, Kasekral and Nitha born aboard the City-Ships. In those who still remember the terrors of the war that forced them to abandon Nept, however, forgiviness is much slower to come. Much antipathy remains, particularly between the Nitha and Kasekral. Some wounds take a terribly long time to heal.
While the social healing goes on, so does the grand mission of the Collectivity. Scouting probes have discovered the Choon, who have been identified as a population to be avoided, as well as the Ullau. Several city-ships have been deployed towards the system they know as ‘Atarat-Q’, to make first contact with these potential new members of the Collectivity.
The mysterious solar anomaly near Ulla has now been subjected to several cycles of careful investigation. The cause of the distortion is actually a giant space-faring creature, which is apparently colonized by a huge brood of smaller organisms. Their behaviour towards their remote investigators has been, thus far, neutral.
Without warning, the vast forces of the Zan Shamai Empire descended upon the Zaff-controlled planet of Glare. Eager for the opportunity of new conquests, the Zaff readied themselves for battle. An elite corps of Branigan had already been present, to quell an unsuccessful uprising by the local population, and were thus ready to face the invaders head-on. Nightmarish invader did battle against bloodthirsty invader- the Zaff had only conquered Glare a few centuries prior- and much devastation was wreaked across the planet. The Zaff forced the weak-minded natives into suicidal attacks against Shamai’s titanic war machines, while the Branigan piloted their own mechs toe-to-toe against the robotic monstrosities of their enemies, but ultimately, the Zan Shamai Empire’s preparations and numbers paid off. The Zaff were pushed further and further back until, accepting defeat, the Zaff evacuated the planet, leaving a final few Branigan to die in a heroic last stand against Shamai’s overwhelming forces.
Victorious on Glare, the army of Zan Shamai regroups, and sets its sights on the Zaff homeworld of Wairt. Meanwhile, the long-suffering locals are apparently takingthe transition from mind enslavement to physical enslavement in stride.
Meanwhile, Zaff advance scouts have discovered the Allentryen, Ullae and Fudirunins- much consideration has been put towards the possibility of enslaving the minds of these lesser species and using them against the Zan.
An Allentryen colonization mission has been dispatched from Tapani to the worlds of Nuxue A and B. The very first settlements outside of the home system have now been established- supporting then is a strain on the economy of the Tapani Republic, but it is projected that they will become more self-sufficient with time. Slow and steady development characterizes Allentryen activities throughout this time.
The Tal’edra Clan of the Tras’na maintain their dominance over their homeworld, through their heavy control over the exchange of the critical strategic resource of Rasi’cha. Striding through the whirlwind of intrigues that characterizes the politics on their homeworld of Jen’tsa, the Tal’edra are leading the way into the exploration and exploitation of space, as they are now beginning to replace their old vessels with new vehicles possessing superluminal capacity. Habitable worlds are being discovered, and the Tal’edra look to be seeking to take these planets for themselves alone.
The Akarians continue to compete against one another, ignorant of all goings on beyond their immediate sphere of influence.
The Karronics have now begun their own exploration of space. Cagnich, leader of the First Karronic Expeditionary Group, has set out in the direction of the Fehan probe which crash-landed on Catifah several decades prior. While the homeworld continuously stockpiles, the Expeditionary Group is now quietly traveling deep into Fehan space, though this fact has not yet been impressed upon them.
The Fehan maintain their empire and continue their exploration. The Sadhilim continue their violent ways, turning on themselves as often as they harass their occupiers. The Fehan themselves are content enough to watch the barbaric population stagnate and depopulate, and simply watch, keeping armed guards in each of their outposts.
The Amur have launched their long-awaited scientific vessel to follow after their drone-constructed research station. The population is jubilant: for the first time since the first outbreak of the Vine, their species is once again able to travel through the void. Exciting discoveries await the ship’s crew, who have just arrived in their destination system, only to realize that it is already inhabited by a native sentient species, the Nurm. Contact has yet to be made- for now, the Amur are content to watch and study as the Nurm maintain their status quo planetside.
The Sgligatiki continue to mass their forces, waiting patiently for the signal of Izoza.
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