Part 50: Episode V: 2339 - 2349

Episode V: 2339-2349




** Red Circle: Dunatis on the left, Crius on the right. Our 'Psilons Keep Out' colonization targets. They haven't come to Crius(65 max, Fertile) yet, but we need to make sure they don't.

** Tan: That's Simius, the big terran. Obviously our next goal after we take care of business on this side.

** Yellow: 'Backyard' systems that we should be able to colonize at our leisure. The two on the left suck, and the two on the right are unreachable for now.

We need more Recons out there to do scouting as well. Drakka is a multi-tasking fool as first colonies tend to be. Population transfers to Tao, building Recons, researching Terraforming. The whole thing about jacks of all trades being masters of none is appropriate here, but Cryslon is freed up again to pump out Colonizers at maximum speed, and that's what matters most.




Our chances at keeping them away all the way up here are not good. Another colony ship, and they buzz off. At least it's a delay.




Another planet worth having out to the left.




2344. We made it!! I expect that if we are successful here this will prove to be a key moment. The Psilons wanted this system, but it now belongs to us. Who knows, maybe we'll even be able to keep it.




This was of course expected.




Right now they still have the edge, 8-7 in planets. Upper-right corner belongs to them. We've got better long-term expansion prospects, and we'd better make good on them if we have any hope to be more than the speed bump we were last time out.




The usual. They are Honorable Diplomats, a good combination for us until they screw us in the Council again. A trade deal for 100BC is signed, and that's that.




This appears to be inbound to Dunatis. If it is, it may not matter that we got there first. It's unlikely that they have weapons capable of doing much damage to transports in that group either. We've got a tough situation here.

** They are probably 2-3 years out, which is faster than we can get any help there. Most likely scenario is they bomb the planet, destroy it given how new it is, and colonize. If we send transports in to take it, they'll almost certainly declare war if we succeed. Letting them have it would put us even further behind. Frankly I'm not seeing a good option.

I sent the transports anyway. We're not giving Dunatis up without a fight, even though maybe we should. Our best hope was not a military solution though, but a manipulative one.




Oh, very nice. We chased off a Darlok scout to get this peek.




The Humans and Klackons got off to bad starts it appears -- which means we might be looking at yet another runaway Psilon train.

2345. They are a year away from Dunatis. I put a lot of effort into finishing up the terraforming research so I could bribe them with that. It failed. Fortunately they were interested in our fuel cells:




And now for the payoff. I didn't think it would be enough, but I had to try. Would they spring for a Non-Aggression Pact? Answer: "The Psilons have considered your offer, and rejected it."

Superb. The only good news is that a Colonizer was now headed left to Simius, with no new sniffs around there.




The next year we got our Terraforming. A year late as it turned out here. Much to Guava's chagrin I'm sure, we spurned Death Spores to get the next Terraforming level. There will be time for biologicals later.

The Psilons didn't bomb us -- which means they're probably going to send transports to invade. The only response to that is to double-down and get as many fighters there as possible. Trying to be hip, we'll call them the Piranha, but it's a laser on a strike craft hull. It's what we have.

There's a lot going on. Research spending is now divided into our standard ratios going forward. The Psilons already have the terraforming apparently because they won't even discuss another bribe. More transports continue to drip towards Dunatis. Terraforming investments are made on multiple planets. Drakka and Cryslon turn over their shipyards to the Piranha. Recons are flitting about in various directions, and two Colonizers are en route to new systems.

Granid is not a bored potentate right now. Not by any means. His mind is occupied almost exclusively with the undeclared war over Dunatis though. He knows it may well determine the ultimate fate of his people.




Yeah, smaller galaxies don't exactly guarantee less micro. Just sayin'.




2347 was a very good year. 22 Piranhas set course for Dunatis. They moved two of their Star Streak-class destroyers somewhere else for reasons that are impossible to fathom. No transports on the sensors yet, and we snag this which instantly becomes one of our better colonies. The first transports will reach Dunatis next year, so we are at least succeeding in reinforcement. The normal plan would be to divert citizens to Crius now, but it's just going to have to stagnate until this threat is dealt with.


The next year wasn't as good. The Psilons chased us off Xengara and settled it. All of our incoming transports to Dunatis were destroyed -- that's quite unusual this early in the game with such a small fleet, I'm a bit befuddled. We learned that the yellow star in the center of the galaxy is Nazin, the Darlok homeworld. And also ...




They've got at least two systems then, and one just got better. More clarity on the current crisis as well:




Yep, here come the transports, 15 of them. I think the first of our Piranhas will arrive the same time as they do -- but can we take out the Psilon ships and still have enough left to weaken this invasion force? Doubtful, but that's pretty much what it's going to come down to. Meanwhile, those two destroyers can be seen here heading for Crius. Oh goody.




We chase Mrrshan scouts off something that nobody wants for good reason. Meanwhile more transports are lost to the Psilon ships, even as a couple of destroyers depart elsewhere. We're not expanding at all to the left right now aside from the one ship headed to Simius. This could cost us multiple systems, not to mention the research spending we would be doing but aren't. Do we really have a choice though?

A natural, if cruel cliffhanger ends things off with a half-century in the history books. The Psilon transports and our first set of Piranhas will reach Dunatis next year. We are not optimistic, but the outcome is not certain.