Part 10: Turns 54-59

The elections are now over. The ballots have been cast, and KILL ALL HUMANS has been elected as the destiny of the galaxy. The Greatfather considers adding an awkward additional 'galaxy' to a subsequent sentence, but considers it good as it stands.

Turn 54



Our Farseers present us with a new form of space-based construction, designed to attract weaker races looking to avoid our wrath. They assure us that enormous spikes and assorted skulls are in this season on the Customers' home world.



The attention of our Inquisitors now turns to ways of 'persuading' more ship captains to act under a single authority. While our captains are frequently truculent, initial studies show that more cohesive combat formations can be achieved by calculating the precise location of the pain centres in their brains and using electronic stimulation to avert unwanted behaviour.

This is the single best combat tech in the early game, because it nets you two extra ships in your fleet. Nothing else you can research at this point will provide a commensurate boost in firepower.



The construction fleet currently idling at Corvus following the upgrading of the outpost there to a Forward Base travels to Medea to build the first tribute station. This will allow both the Customers and the Publishers to present us with 'gifts' if they choose. If not, we will take them anyway.

I have never seen the AI do this, and I'm not sure it's in the game, along with most of the diplomacy systems. The best part about playing Zuul is that you don't have to bother with it in its present ill-formed state. We've been promised another pass over diplomacy, but :mecron:.

Turn 55

Responding to the Publisher threat, the Greatfather orders the construction of a fleet of missile boats at Kaprica. Mother is known to favour autonomous robotic devices, meaning that any combat with her vessels is likely to be at long range. Father Ashva the FearSOME names his prospective command the FearMORE. In his command will be the bad ships Fatal Error and SovietPotatoe.



Turn 57

The raid on Dosadi begins. In the absence of any opposing ships, the Awful Fleet is ordered to cover the approach of our Scavenger vessels. They move into position, securing the sector closest to the wretched Customer hive.



Acquiring control of sectors during the first combat round is really important for two reasons - firstly, it increases the time you have available for the assault, and secondly it lowers the amount of time you have to spend being twatted by planetary missiles. In later turns, I can use this sector control to put my invasion fleet right on top of the colony.

The beam point defence aboard our Scavenger vessels proves much more effective at actually hitting the targets it is aimed at. Our gunners are commended for their skill.



Having pushed aside the trifle of multi-megatonne nuclear warheads, our fleet launches our Slave Disks upon the planet below.



The planet is stripped clean of useful minions. Shoved in their tens of millions into the dank holes reserved for their filth aboard the slave disks, our brave warriors return to their ships while the last Customer on Dosadi is wiped out by pinpoint laser fire.



The Greatfather bellows with laughter. In his wisdom, he has laid down precise instructions as to the fate of these first slaves. Each will be strapped in front of a monitor and forced to play Legends of Pegasus until their eyes bleed. From his menacing maw come the words, "We will see who needs beta testing now!"

His levity is cut short, as news comes in of a freak meteor shower at Aaryn. For no apparent reason, dozens of asteroids from the belt around the star have shifted position and are now falling in towards the outermost colony. It immediately starts firing its defensive missiles at these strange aggressors.



The missiles mostly succeed in turning one dangerous falling fragment into many.



The colony survives, although half its population lies dead. Its administrator chalks this up as a poor to middling day.

Meteor strikes are exceptionally annoying, as they impact upon the climate hazard of a colony, forcing you to waste turns terraforming it again. On the plus side they bring new resources, fostering its long-term growth.

Turn 58

A forward scouting fleet arrives at Xanthu, a system earmarked for the expansion of the Empire. While exploring the vicinity of a gas giant, the fleet encounters a structure apparently built by the Publishers.



Our fleets respond in the fashion in which they have been trained.



While an easy victory, the presence of a station without a colony troubles our Inquisitors. Either the Publishers have devised a method of building and supporting a starbase in the absence of a colony world, or a once extant Publisher colony has been removed from this system by an unknown force. A sweep of the worlds in the system reveals nothing that decides this mystery either way.