Part 97: Episode IX: 2400 - 2425

Yes, sometimes things look good and sometimes they don't, but this is almost never over until it's over. Which is not yet.

Episode IX: 2400-2425




We've surpassed the Mrrshan now in technology, and our production is at least average by galactic standards. Unfortunately, I think that's a temporary situation.

We managed to get the Humans to break their Bulrathi alliance, requiring a 900-BC bribe. However, that's the only good news. The Bears continue to be hostile and their first wave of transports, albeit a small one, will hit Thrax next year. They also have an alliance with the Psilons, making a lasting peace with them unlikely. The Mrrshan and Humans refuse to ally with us.




I've shown Weapons here to demonstrate the utter futility of any defense against the Bulrathi. That Grizzly they have would take more firepower to destroy than we have any hope of marshalling. I'm not sure 20 bases would have been enough to take it down, let alone the four we had when they arrived. Nothing is close to being finished, but even with the Scatter Pack Vs we are working on we still wouldn't be able to get enough together to take it out.

It appears certain that the Bulrathi will eventually take Thrax, which at the moment accounts for just over a quarter of our production. The Sakkra Empire appears doomed. I've tried everything to maintain peace, but our diplomatic weakness is really showing itself here. A small Sakkra faction is truly a pathetic thing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-usz_m0gjM



19 to 52. That's actually somewhat better than we deserved here. Thrax will spend whatever it has to in ecology to max out the growth rate, but if the Bears ever send a sizable transport fleet, it won't matter.




Second time in as many years we've had some factories destroyed. Looks like they want to pick up the pace. I re-up our trade deal with the Humans to 375 BC(was 175). I do the same as well with another race ...




Small victories. Followed by the humorous 'These talks get us nowhere. We must take our leave'. Just finally signed a trade deal Dynalon! That's not 'nowhere'!! Their alliance with the Bulrathi is no more, which is nice. Now all we need is for Smurch to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and decide Thrax isn't worth the effort. They have no friends ... for now. Speaking of which ...




This is the next invasion force, smaller than the last one. They're trickling in some help in the bombardment effort, but not enough to make a difference. The unusually high number of early ground combat techs I've gotten are saving us for now, allowing us a bad but sustainable exchange rate. I can hold off in the current situation essentially indefinitely ... but who knows when they might escalate or get something better. Still, three years into the new century we have a slightly brighter ray of hope, faint though it may be.

2405: We lose only about 40M or so in the latest invasion ... but the Psilon alliance is back on. *Sigh*.




We are pretty much done building missile bases for now, shifting back to a total research focus. So at least that will accelerate the drive towards the next wave of advances. In a year or two we should be back to a positive trade balance also. But more Bulrathi ships are inbound to Thrax. The pain of their bombardment efforts is increasing.




Two years later. Yeah, that's not sustainable.




In 2410, there is very little left when a larger Bulrathi force arrives. We'd have had a hard time fighting off this many even with a full population. There are now four Sakkra systems left. There are still two rich radiated planets out there, and only the Psilons have acquired the requisite equipment. Stealing it from them is hilariously not an option, and trying to trade gets the 'Your primtive inventions do not interest us' response. They probably wouldn't have been willing to part with it anyway.

All of this slots us into a clear 5th out of 6 in the galaxy, ahead only of our ironic best friends, the Mrrshan. We also lose a Recon orbiting Arietis, an uninhabited system, due to refueling range.




Scatter Pack Vs are the first thing to come in the next wave -- well, I already got Toxic Landings, but that wasn't even worth mentioning at the time. The years have been passing quickly, mostly because there's nothing we can even try to do really. Here we'll go Stingers to try to keep upgrading our defensive capabilities as best we can.




I've proposed this at least half a dozen times. Hilarious. After accepting, I realize why they made the offer. They're at war with the Alkaris, Bulrathi, and Psilons. Sometimes it really is wise to look a gift horse in the mouth, esp. if you haven't looked at relations in a while. If they want us to get into any more wars, which I'm sure they will, we'll be breaking this alliance in short order.

However, there is always that chance that, now that galactic war is breaking out, we can make gains with the 'spoils of war' tactic. After a couple years, the Psilons want us to break the Mrrshan deal. I readily agree. Then they say this:




As ever, it is better to be the right hand of the devil than in it's path. Just for shits and giggles, I talk to the Bulrathi again. They don't want any of our recently developed crapola. But ...




Lolwut? Where was this for the last, say, half a century?!? Oh yeah, you have other enemies now. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the galaxy to unite against the Mrrshan. I doubt very much they'll have the time to worry about us breaking the foolish alliance.

The Bears agree to the smallest available trade deal, 60 BC.




Automated Repair arrives, which might be useful someday. We'll go Zortrium Armor next.




This will be important if we land any targets of opportunity. The year before the next vote, and Planetary shields also arrived. And Sub-Light Drives. It was a momentous 2424.

** Computing -- I wanted more Robotics. Not available, so Battle Computer Mk V it is.
** Force Fields -- Repulsor Beam or Class V Shields. We need the shielding.




The last three are all new. I think it's time to grab the Inertial Stabilizer though. I may want to design ships before long to try and defend territory, if we can get some.




Don't recall having seen this one before. If so, why did it take forever for you to agree to the deal? Meanwhile a Mrrshan invasion of Psilon-held Guradas fails, but leaves the planet with only 8 million citizens. Yes my 'friends', bleed each other to the max. Don't mind us, we'll be over here in the corner minding our own business, eating popcorn, and gathering pathetic little toys that you discovered decades if not generations ago.

And at the moment, getting those planetary shields up and running will help also.




It's back to Bladrov II vs. Dynalon. Still, I think this is the strongest Alkari empire we've yet seen, and they are still growing, +1 this cycle. The Humans hold at 9.




This would appear to maintain the deadlock. The Psilons themselves have eight votes, having acquired Zoctan, one of the radiated worlds.

** Mrrshan -- Dynalon(1 vote).

And we have a whopping THREE. How woeful. How pitiful. How useless. It's 16-14 so we can vote either way, but why offend the great powers of the galaxy? We abstain. I do rather like the Psilon-Human rivalry though and hope it continues. So long as they keep each other from dominating, and are focused on other things, we can survive in our small, insignificant part of the galaxy and hope for opportunities to present themselves.