Update 3: So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
In contrast to previous behaviours, it was the 'Al to opened most of the systems diplomatic communication traffic this year, much to their own irritation. They had managed to get themselves in something of a pickle by attempting to lay claim to the world the Akresians were interested in settling, and found they had shoved some colonists into the way of the potential Akresian war machine completely unprotected. However rather than stepping back from the brink they drove themselves further into the potential tangle, promising a future bribe to the Akresians to leave their colonists on VIII b alone, much to the annoyance of the lesser resonators back in the capital habitat, how dislike parting with any of the communions resources. When it looked like the Akresians, perhaps not as warlike as stories might say (or biding their time), had followed their side of the agreement, the 'Al rapidly expanded their presence on the metal rich moon. They built a new and much larger habitat away from their beachhead base, and then moved there en mass, leaving only a skeleton crew at the old station to enforce a claim. With a concurrent research push towards weapons and energy technologies, it was clear the 'Al didn't quite trust the Akresians in the longer run. A distrust that was returned in spades by the Akresians, who rapidly militarised by recruiting a number of divisions, named their 'Enforcer' regiments. The possible reason for the Akresians taking the 'Al offer becomes apparent when members of their active population starve to death from a calorie deficit. Replacements are awoken from hibernation, but this does not appear to be a long term winning strategy for the Admiralty, and desperate exchanges wrack the halls of Akresian power. The Ik for their part sit back and appreciate their two neighbours squabbling, and stop growing their military for this year at least. Instead they further increase their ecological footprint on Errai V by building more mines and heavy industrial works, and free up space in orbit by exiling poor performers to the planet below. However even those habitats are beginning to fill thanks to population growth, and something really needs to be done and soon. Some speak of more orbital habitats, others of dirtside ones, and a fanciful few of researching technology to excise the poison and heat from Errai Vs biosphere. The latter seems especially possible as the Ik made breakthroughs in basic energy technology this year, thanks to the brilliant Dr Sabah. The implications of this were not lost on either the 'Al of the Akresians (though neither mentioned anything about it), for the Ik could now build basic fighters, something denied to both of them...
Around Gemstar, the Lantians may only have an odd hundred thousand of populace crammed into two small habitats and scrabbling amongst the rocks for every breath of air they take and morsel of food they eat, but they have not lost their vision. With the opening of the Bao Centre for Correct Thought they once more are able to properly indoctrinate their young folk on the importance of their heritage and educate them in the sciences, as well as providing haven, structure and support for researchers to greatly boost their efforts. With a genetic portfolio and cultural sensitivity both optimised for the acquisition of knowledge (if not its creative deployment) the potential returns of a formal learning environment are huge. They have indeed already borne fruit as the Lantians unlock the secrets of the ion drive this year, and their horizons have expanded to encompass the whole of circum-Gemstar...and perhaps beyond?
Esani budget projections reveal that they are just slightly short of being able to build anything worthwhile this year, so they lay down stockpiles for the next. Some leaders worry about this accumulation of wealth being a target, and that perhaps defensive positions should be developed, but other counter with this accumulation of force potentially inhibiting individual liberty, and the complete lack of apparent threats within view.
A month of intense negotiation over the commlinks had roughly bashed out an agreement between the Gardeners and the Soulon League, setting up a equitable distribution of real estate in the Kaus system, and allowing the Soulon presence to continue on Kaus. However difficulties emerged within days of the virtual ink drying, with both internal and external politics. The people of the Soulon league for their part were content with the agreement, glad of the food ships arriving from Kaus and sparing them from having to watch their children starve (the latter surviving to adulthood for once caused a surge in the Soulon working population). The Gardeners, consumed with propaganda and ideological zeal, were rather less calm. On the sedate homeworld the talk of relocating the Kaus III mines to the outer system were sufficient to calm many, but the inhabitants of Kaus III - both more fanatical anyway and filled with ideas of 'their world' were near to rioting in the streets, especially after the border clashes. The Gardeners had withdrawn their Planeteers from one of the uninhabited Kaus III regions, but the Soulon league soldiers had been told to occupy both the uninhibited regions upon withdrawal. When the Soulon vanguard began to encroach on the Gardener positions a number of munitions were exchanged before the Soulon withdrew (not ordered to start a war), but the damage had been done – a few dozen casualties on both sides and an enraged Gardener population. Part of the peace agreements had been the Soulon constructing a base for the Gardeners in the outer rocky worlds, with new colonists coming from the capital on Kaus II (a good thing too, as population from Kaus III would never have trusted the Soulon sufficiently). Yet more bad blood was engendered when the colonist shuttles arrive around Kaus IV to find a complete absence of available room, for the Soulon had apparently built the new habitat on Kaus V! The grumbling colonists moved one planet out, whilst the more conservative members of the Most Reverend Council raged against Soulon duplicity and tricks to draw the innocent Gardeners deep into Soulon space. A new war of words raged between the desert oasis and the Shadow Planet. On a domestic front both societies boosted their industrial capacity further with additional mines.
There began to be a sea-change among the Kations as the Cybernetist faction slowly rose in political power. The Biotechnologist party had always advocated the long term adaptation of or adaptation to the conditions of Zavi VIa to something more tolerable – tapping into the oceans beneath the mantle to give the planet atmosphere and allowing citizens to modify themselves to fit. The average cyborg-in-the-access-way, who dons an environmental suit and slides around on the frozen glaciers in their break time had vaguely agreed with this position, but the recent rise of the mineral extraction combines changed all that. Throwing their economic and political capital behind the Cybernetists, who saw Zavi VIa as nothing but a polluted source of volatiles, they pushed for a migration of economic assets to the rocky inner worlds of the Zavi system to better exploit the metals that could be found there. Within a few election cycles the Cybernetist bread and virtual circuses, and the promise of more living room had captured the mens publica of the datasphere , and the Kations were pushing full bore for the inner system. The Kations continued to try and wheedle their way into the confidences of both the Vazan traditionalists and radicals, but the arrogant and highly strung Kations were frustrated by the slow and calm pace the Vazan went about anyway. More than one stream of invective was hurled down a commlink to an impassively smiling drone as the year went on. The Vazan for their part continued to work even as they discussed politics, accumulating a tremendous amount of stored economic goods as the highly productive mines of Zavi II gave up their fruit.
The refuelled scout probes jumped out into the void once again for the Lantians and the Ik. The formers probe was headed to Izar, and successful spent the year browsing there. Those among the other factions who try follow the action by scrying in their own pearls could detect that the probe of the Ik that was sent to Arrakis was engulfed in a burst of energy after only a few months investigation in system. The indestructible Pearl (which has been known to survive supernova) is almost certainly still in the system, but the Ik scout probe is no more...
Karmically Blessed Societies
Lantians orders: brief, precise. Concision: approved. +1 lucky roll
Best story, the labyrinthine politics of the Kations. +1 lucky roll
Random Events
Akresians join the army out of patriotism (and the possibility of eating): +1 Division
A Simoom rises out of the equatorial deserts and lays waste to Gardener Habitats near the north pole: -1 population
A clerical error sees some of the Ik yearly production accidentally dumped in a swamp: -3 stored e
Random Stats
Highest rate of teenage pregnancy: The Gardener Gamma habitat (3%)
Most ignorant: tied between the Soulon, Vazan, and Akresians (6 techs apiece)
Least investigated field: Weaponry.
Oddest accumulation of Vazan e resources: 786.4 tonnes of hobnob biscuits.
Notes
New Buildings and Tools
Weapons Station (Ws) With the construction of planet based silos and beam weapons, a planet based habitat can attempt to damage an orbiting fleet. 2% chance per Energy, Weapons, and Propulsion technology per ship, reduced by the ships dodge and armour. Costs 30e.
Note several other changes to the tech tree have been made.
Would someone please volunteer to take the Vazan?
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