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smoshydude

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Jun 20, 2012
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The Estwani:
The Estwani are a Mammlian Species, growing to be between 6' and 8' tall, and weighing between 300 and 500 pounds. Despite their large stature, they are a quite nimble species. The Estwani are remarkably strong, and can swing through the Jungles of their home planet, Estwan, with incredible ease. They are a Solitary and fiercely competitive species, leading to the high ranking leaders being quite Talented. The early days of the Estwani are rife with conflict and struggle, with many wars being fought over the best jungles, the most abundant resources, and just to prove that their nation was better. This all changed when a veteran of the Great War of 2059, a young general named Sorg Wak, decided that things needed to change. He spoke with Military leaders across the planet and organized a global coup. Within a year, the Military had control of 95% of the planet, with the only holdouts being in the northern jungles. The Estwani Imperium was founded, led by Sorg Wak. And they held out for a long time, and in the last great battle on Estwan, a discovery was made. On 2119.09.15, while fighting the last rebels on Estwan for control of the particle accelerator in the city of Alkoff, the rebels refused to surrender and, in an attempts to kill all of the Imperium's forces, and rendered the north inhospitable, they set off a nuclear device in the particle accelerator as the particles collided. The warplane Nakof Mol was flying towards the accelerator when the explosion occurred, and they were transported thousands of miles near instantaneously. This was the first discovery of the Warp Drive. Now, at the Dawn of the 23rd Century, the new leader Monak Pok must lead the Estwani beyond the stars, and take them to new, great heights. He must lead the Estwani to conquer the Galaxy!

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Hello everyone and welcome to Stellaris! This game is a fantastic game, and I am loving it immensely. In Stellaris, you control a Species and Empire in an attempts to conquer the galaxy. How you do it depends on what your people are like, what your government is, and so much more. This AAR will be primarily from the view of an Estwani, and will be someone in character. Below I have a color guide with what each color means for who is speaking/what the text is. Enjoy, and feel free to give me advice. This is my second run through, after my first (Scientific Space Koalas) ended in brutal, brutal destruction via an immensely powerful ringworld empire eons ahead of me technologically. They hated me because my homeworld was too close to their borders. They were on the Outer Ring of a Spiral 2 Galaxy.


Color Guide:
Green- My Personal Thoughts/Out of Narrative Commentary
White- Background, Descriptions, and everything else.
Orange- Archon Monak Pok
Light Blue- Merg Nik, Exploratory Scientist
Beige(?)-Defense Minister Lothok Tul

Pink- Minister of Biological Studies, Perak Nik
Yellow- Vikal Val, Governor of Malh Tolokum
Black- "Sepimok", identity unknown
Blue- Ilvas Vis, Exploratory Scientist
Red- Djunn Primacy
Chapter One: First Steps.

"We Estwani have a checkered past. We have fought one other for Millennia, we have loathed one another, and we have killed one another for sport. And we thought that we were at the height of Estwani achievement when we split the atom and destroyed many a city. But, we must think of perspective. Estwan is but one rock around the Great Blue Star that we call Raltess.
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"And Raltess is but one Star in a galaxy of hundreds!
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"And so we must stop and think. Do we devolve once more into warfare and bloodshed? Or do we step out, off of this rock, and explore the cosmos that surround us? Much as our ancestors centuries ago climbed up from the darkness of the Great Below, we must climb forth into the vast unknown, and conquer it! For the Estwani are not simple beasts of the jungle, we Estwani are the rightful rulers of this galaxy!
SANNI'BULLA COMTASSA QAVUU!*

~Speech made by Archon Monok Pok at the Grand Opening of the Alkoff Spaceport.

*This is an ancient Estwani saying, roughly translated to "The Trees can never stop the weak!", a common War Cry of the Estawni armies.

And with that rallying speech by Archon Monok Pok, the Estwani got to work. By the 23rd Century, their was a small space fleet established, and the first Science Vessel, the Jal Torbak, was launched. It was named after the pilot of the warplane Nakof Mol, who perished on Unification Day. The Scientist Merg Nik, a Carefree man known for his quick speed at finishing research, took control of the shuttle and was ordered to commence in-depth scans of the Raltess System. Things went smoothly, with nothing more than a bit more fuel and minerals discovered. Then, as the Sorgian Comet passed by Estwan, a message was sent to Archon Monok Pok.

"Sir, this is Merg Nik. I have discovered a discrepancy between earlier scans from low-orbit satellites about the planet Pondak Mog, and I request permission to examine this further.
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Mogok Pok sat in the Grand Palace for a moment, thinking of how far he had come. He was a miner, mining away at Saffitte, the primary building material used by all Estwani constructions. He eventually attended school to become an architect, and a good one at that. He actually designed the Grand Palace, a grand structure thousands of feet in the sky, sitting atop the canopy of the Zakoff Jungles. Actually, he had help from his father. If only his father could see him now...

"Sir...?"

"You MUST investigate this anomaly immediately, Merg. I expect the results ASAP!"

The anomaly was just a mistake on the part of the low-orbit scanners, which shows that these deep scans are required for accurate information. (Beginner Anomaly, can't fail it, yields no results. Its literally is trying to alert you, the player, to the fact that these anomalies exist, and can be potentially interesting.)

After the home system was fully scanned, Merg was sent to scan the nearby systems of Tirrim and Sallax. The Tirrim system was uninteresting, just a few more place from which to mine Saffitte. But on 2203.04.24, around 2 years after the scans of Ratless system, a discovery was made that would change everything.

"SIR!!! ARCON MONOK POK!!! RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!!!"

It was around 1:40 in the morning when the comms started blaring. And Merg decided to use the emergency channels, so the alert went off throughout the Palace, waking Monok. These alarms typically meant danger, and extreme danger at that, so Monok rushed out of bed to the comms room.

"Merg, this Monok Pok. Please Respond. Are you in any danger? Must we sent the fleet to your location immediately?"

"No need. Inital Scans of Sallax V have discovered what seems to be ruins! ANCIENT ruins! Of a spacefaring civilization! Shall we investigate?"
uwiGlHC.jpg

Monok fell back into his chair in shock. The Estwani aren't the only intelligent life in the universe. Or, at least, they aren't the first. The revelation inspired a dual feeling of jubilation and terror. He would need to prepare a statement. But first....

"Investigate immediately, dammit! Confirm your initial scans ASAP. If your reports are true, I shall prepare a statement immediately. Of course, you shall be honored as the discoverer of this momentous news."

"Thank you Archon. This truly is a momentous day for all of Estwani. Merg out."

Monok couldn't return to sleep, he was too giddy, so he began drafting up a statement in the event that the initial scans were accurate and not just a fluke or instrument malfunction.

Two months later, Monok received a data drop from Merg. There were photos, videos, and a full write up of what the scientists aboard the Jal Norbak were able to gleam, translate, and discover. The Great Question was finally answered. Are we the only intelligent life ever to exist in the universe? No. We are not alone.

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Surely Yetis should start in Arctic conditions. The Estwani are clearly in fact Orang Mawas.

Interesting to find precursors in your home system. Maybe it will make up for being way out on the edge. Although that could actually be a good thing, who knows.
 
The Estwani are clearly in fact Orang Mawas.

THATS what it is. I was trying to remember what it was called, and I just assumed "Jungle Yetis". I had heard about these a while back, and had forgotten the name.

Interesting to find precursors in your home system. Maybe it will make up for being way out on the edge. Although that could actually be a good thing, who knows.

Not exactly in my home system, just the system right next door. But still, fastest precursors I've gotten so far.
 
THATS what it is. I was trying to remember what it was called, and I just assumed "Jungle Yetis". I had heard about these a while back, and had forgotten the name.



Not exactly in my home system, just the system right next door. But still, fastest precursors I've gotten so far.

I admit to looking them up on Wikipedia. If they existed, they would probably be related to Yetis.

All that fur seems maladaptive to a jungle tbh. They must have to shave constantly.
 
All that fur seems maladaptive to a jungle tbh. They must have to shave constantly.

I tend to think that it isn't fur, but hair like Chimps Gorillas have. Helps regulate body temperatures and protection from UV rays. They do orbit a Class A Star, so there are quite a few UV Rays hitting them.

"People of Estwan. I am here before you to announce a momentous discovery. During scans of the Sallax system, Merg Nik has discovered that we are not the first to reach the stars. There was an ancient race before us that flew through the stars. They called their nation "The Vultaum Star Assembly", and evidence shows that around 12 million years ago, they were active in this region, specifically on Sallax V. I have asked the crew aboard the Jal Torbak to collect and research any more artifacts of this ancient empire. Anything we can find may be of great import to the advancement of our species. I am officially declaring a week of celebrations across Estwan. TO THE FUTURE OF ESTWAN AND ALL HER PEOPLE!!"

~ Archon Monok Pok, speech after the discoveries on Sallax V.

And so the research continued. The people rejoiced, and thought of the implications. If this ancient empire still existed, could they be conquered? Or would we instead be conquered? This lead to an increase in people signing up for the military, as fears of a foreign conquest loomed. Then, approximately a year after the the discovery of the Vultaum, a new discovery was made in the Ophele System.

"Archon, this is Merg. We, well, we have something you should see..."

Monok looked at the screen. And what he saw? He saw Estwan. Or, a planet that looked like Estwan.
h1puGvO.jpg


"Merg... What... what is this place?"

"This is Ophele 3, it is a small planet in the Ophele System. Initial scans indicate that the planet has a similar makeup to Estwan herself. Estwan isn't the only planet that can harbor life, Sir. There are more planets out there."

"Merg. Please, perform deep scans on as many planets that can harbor life. I will speak to the Ministers of Science to see about creating a method of Colonizing this world."
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And so the Science community rushed fervently to figure out a way to colonize this planet. This project was lead by the Minister of Biological Studies, Perak Nik, considered by most people to be a Genius, one of the smartest men on the planet (Normally I wouldn't mention tech and Scientists unless it is a major thing, like a surge forward in military might or rare tech. Normally I wouldn't even mention the scientist then. But, I just wanna brag about how my starting Biology/Sociology researcher has Spark of Genius, the best scientist trait giving +10% research speed, automatically. Its brilliant.)

And so Merg continued his exploration of the Ophele System, and later went to the Huntur System. He discovered a world made almost entirely of water, Huntur II, and noted that it would be hard for the Estwani to settle there. But the physics of how a planet could support life with so much water should prove useful. But this was not the great discovery of the Huntur System. That discovery was made on Huntur VI.

"MONOK. THIS MERG. COME IN MONOK."

"This is Monok. What is it Merg? What have you found?"

"Sir, I believe we found signs of the Vultaum near to Huntur VI. Should I commence closer analysis?"
RDhEWWe.jpg


Monok didn't even have to think to long on it. The more we learned about the Vultaum, the easier it should be to explore, and conquer, the stars.

"Absolutely. Report to me as soon as you find out more."

The report came in two months later.

"Sir, it appears to have been a Gas Mining Station. We can commence further investigations if you so choose."
I3f6jmc.jpg

"ABSOLUTELY. Every possible resource we have needs to be devoted to the study of the Vultaum Artifacts, for the good of all Estwani!"

For 6 months, the Sociologists of Estwan established a direct line of communication with Merg Nik, under the oversight of Merg's younger brother, Perak. The archaeologists discovered an intact Vultaum space suit, leading to an understanding of the environments the Vultaum came from and encountered.
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A few weeks later, the first Colony Ship was completed in the Docks above Estwan. Loaded up with colonists, supplies, and plenty of sentry drones for defense, it set off for Ophele III.

And on 2206.09.09, the first colony was established on another planet. The Citizens named the planet Malh Tolokum, and elected Vikal Va as their governor, a young Estwani soldier who came from a long line of soldiers known for their longevity.

Approximately a month later, while surveying the
Antak Rham system, Merg made an intriguing observation...

"Sir, this is Merg. During the scan of Antak Rham II, a gas giant, we have discovered floating structures. Should we proceed with Analysis?
CzoXPC2.jpg


"Go ahead. Perhaps this is more from the Vultaum? I look forward to your report."

Things had been exciting in the Estwani Imperium since they took their first steps among the stars. People wished to know more and more, and expected that, by the end of the millennium, the whole galaxy should be under Imperium Command. People were excited, although some were a bit upset at the lack of living targets. Its seems as though the online other beings in the galaxy died of eons ago. This upset some, as the galactic conquest would need to be the gradual expansion of colonies among the stars.

"Sir, these aren't from the Vultaum. We recognize their designs and patterns by now, this isn't theirs. Its unknown who it belongs to. But, these are old. And somehow still floating. We will forward the specs to the Minister of Engineering, he may find them helpful in his research. For now, we are going to the Bintu system, see whats there."

bRVSf5j.jpg


Bintu was a rather interesting system. Bintu IX and Bintu V were frozen worlds with ice in formations deemed impossible by engineers, thus seeming to be perfect spots for research stations. Bintu VIII was a Barren World, made almost entirely of Saffitte, and the miners of Estwan felt that a mining station just must be set up. But the most interesting place in the Bintu system was Bintu II and her moon, Bintu IIa. Bintu II was an oceanic world with all sorts of creatures never before seen on Estwan, and Minister of Biological Studies, Perak Nik, insisted a research station be set up to study these creature. Bintu IIa, well...

"Sir. We have found Indata Mog*. It is a small moon orbiting Bintu II. We are sending images now."
jo28ito.jpg

*This is, in the Estwani religion, their version of "Heavan". The translation is, roughly, "Infinite Jungle".

Morok looked in awe at these beautiful photos. This moon was beautiful. He had never seen anything this beautiful since the birth of his daughter. He demanded a new photo sent every day until a colony was established. These communications stopped abruptly when a transmission came through from the Tiffim System.

"Archon, this is Defense Minister Lothok Tul. We have recieved word from the Tiffim Mining Outpost that they are being attacked by Pirates! These brigands call themselves the 'Iron Talons.' What should we do?"
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"Kill every single one of those damned traitors. I want to know where they are operating from, and I want it destroyed as well. Send in the fleet Minister."

"Yes Sir! I will organize the fleet immediately."

Piracy. Why anyone would betray the Imperium is beyond him. The economy was doing incredibly, research was booming, everyone was happy. Why would they rebel. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. When Estwani have no enemies, the Estwani make enemies. This must have been a faction that demanded bloodshed. Or, alternatively, they are descendants of those same rebels that inadvertently invented the warp drive.

A month into the Pirate Crisis, Monok Pok was reminded abruptly that he was still scouting the universe.

"Archon, come in. This is Merg we found more signs of the Vultaum in the Mira system. On the barren world Mira VI. Should we investigate?"
J44RHI6.jpg

"ABSOLUTELY. Investigate this IMMEDIATELY. Report to me with the results."

The Results were, unexpected to say the least.

"
Sir. It's a satellite. A Vultaum made satellite. It's transmitting a message, we don't exact fully understand it."
3yladyo.jpg

"RESEARCH THIS AT ONCE. We MUST know everything about this satellite, the message, EVERYTHING."

"Sir, with all due respect, I request time to run simulations first, on the Ship. This is such a huge discovery, we need to be prepared if things should go wrong."

Monok grumbled for a moment, and allowed the stay. But he demanded to be alerted as soon as they finished the simulations
This is in-character speak for "This project requires a Level 5 scientist or higher." Merg is only a level 4 currently.

A few months later, after chasing the fleet from system to system, Admiral Merg Wek relayed a message to the Archon.

"Sir, this is Admiral Merg Wek of the First Stellar Fleet. We have tracked the Iron Talons to the Huntur System. We have spotted their fleet. Are we clear to engage? It seems they have 4 ships, armed with standard issues Canopy-Flame Nuclear Missiles. Their markings indicate them to be from the Alkoffi Defense Force. They have made a base on a nearby asteroid."

"Admiral, this is Archon Morok Pok. You are clear to engage the fleet. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT assault the base. We will try reason once their fleet is naught but space junk."

And so the battle was on. As the battle began, a transmission came from Merg Nik, talking of a frozen world with possible life signs. He was told to investigate immediately
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But further scans showed that the equipment made a mistake. But still, the battle of Huntur continued.
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Until the First Stellar Fleet was all that remained. And thanks to the Cautious nature of Admiral Wek, only one ship was lost.
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Negotiations went poorly. Scans of the pirate base revealed that Standard Issue Canopy-Fire Nuclear Missiles wouldn't do much against the Armor Plating. Not one week later, the Archon got a knock on his door. He opened it to an empty canopy, revealing only a small notebook, full of research. This mysterious visitor had unlocked the secret of Fusion Explosives.
XSHW9NS.jpg

Immediately designs were drafted incorporating the research into Fusion Missiles, and the designs for all warships was updated, with the current fleet, dubbed the "Hunters of Huntur" by the media, were retrofitted to accommodate these newer, more powerful missiles.

The process took approximately a year. But, as the ships were being outfitted, a report came in from Merg Nik. And this report? This report would change everything.

"ARCHON. ARCHON. ANSWER IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE DISCOVERED SENTIENT LIFE!"

The Archon, who was currently in a meeting with his Ministers, dropped his glass when he heard those words, and the room filled with a state of shock. He turned slowly in his chair, and looked towards the screen and opened video feed.

Merg's face was filled with jubilation, and sounds of celebration were heard in the background.

"Merg, Report."

"Archon, Ministers, we are currently surveying the Arich System. On Arich I, a massive Artic World, our sensors picked up life signs. Thinking it was another instrumental mishap, perhaps a result of the excess of Ice, we opened visual. And thats when we discovered them.
ZmPzZZW.jpg

The date is way off, I forgot to take a screenshot of the planet when I first discovered it. It was discovered on 2209.03.02
"They appear to be in the midst of the Industrial Age. Translating their signs and audio, we discovered that these somewhat Reptilian life forms call themselves Gargaxtons.
XE1sH2L.jpg

I recommend establishing a Frontier Outpost in this system to allow for permanent communications. I also recommend establishing a permanent observation post around Arich I. We have not been discovered, but we could present ourselves to mold this species to our beliefs. Or, as I'm sure my brother would enjoy, we could study their biology and their sociological patterns to further our own research and understandings. Merg Nik out."

The Archon turned to his ministers. There was a mixed response of shock, terror, fury, and jubilation. But they were all waiting for a response from him.

"We will not tell the public until a Frontier Outpost is established. They would instantly call for an invasion, even though the freezing weather would surely harm us in the long term. They have no method of contacting us, and present no threat to us. I recommend that we utilize this upstart civilization for our own benefit. Allow them to split the atom on their own, and then we shall raise them to our technological level, and make them our subservient. Another part of the empire. Now, Lothok, what is the progress of the retrofitting of the warfleet?"

"We are sticking to schedule, and should be ready to destroy the rebels by the end of the year."

And so they did. By the 10th month of 2210, the warfleet was sent to the Huntur System.
vaMjrQ9.jpg


And half a year later, the pirate menace was utterly destroyed. The rebels were no longer a threat to the Imperium.
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And while this was a major event in 2211, the greatest incident of the Space Age Estwani occurred on 2211.12.04.

"Archon, this is Merg Nik. We.... we have encountered an alien force in Xarmaton System. We have intercepted their radio signals, and are attempting to get into communication with them, as well as translate their language. We... we aren't the only spacefaring species in this galaxy."

Merg's voice was trembling as he spoke. He always expected there to be life out there, life as advanced as them, but to see it? It was mortifying. They had stations across the system.
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Monok Pok organized an emergency meeting to discuss the implications. The Ministers agreed to wait until communication was established.

Six months later, on 2212.06.16 contact was established with the Aramathi Commonwealth.
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The Estwani were not the only ones exploring the stars.
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Chapter 2: We are not Alone.

"Friends, family, people of the Estwani Imperium. On 2209.06.04, we came into contact with another species among the stars. No, this is not like the Vultaum, as the Vultaum are an ancient species that has been dead for millennia. No, this new species is Alive and Exploring the Stars, much as we are. They call themselves the Aramathi. Their nation is, according to their diplomats, the "Aramathi Commonwealth" and they have a government very similar to ours. Opening Talks were not exactly welcoming, but I feel that we shall get along, for now. Space is a big place, they can be off in their sector, and we in ours. However, should they attempt to force their will upon us, then they shall know our might and fear it. For we are the ESTWANI. AND WE DO NOT SURRENDER. SANNI'BULLA COMTASSA QAVUU!:

~Speech made by Monok Pok to the entirety of the Imperium, informing the masses of alien life.

The entirety of the Imperium was in a tizzy after the speech. Many had suspected that they weren't the only ones around nowadays, but here was proof! The military immediately requested all scans of Aramathi ships and station construction, in order to figure out the best way to destroy it. But, even as the Empire celebrated alien life, the surveys continued and life as a whole went on. The people of Indata Mog "elected" Fon Vigon as their governor. In reality, he won it by winning a wrestling match against the next opponent.
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And more planets were discovered
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Hell, in 2215, another interstellar empire was discovered, the Yibrak Interplanetary Hive, which most people, including the Archon, tended to refer to as "The Hive". The map of the Section of the Galaxy was actually getting pretty crowded. This is what the map in the Grand Palace Situation Room showed on 2215.03.21:
fIetI1U.jpg


So, overall, things were simple. Discoveries, urban construction, the works. A Frontier Outpost was established in the Arich System,
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which would allow an observation post to be established over Arich I, as it would allow for near constant communication with Estwan and the Scientific community. And then, on 2215.08.24, Monok received the communication he had been hoping for.

"Archon. Come in Archon. This is Merg Nik. Please Respond."

The Archon walked over to the comms room on open the line.

"This is Monok Pok. Merg Nik, report."

"Sir, the Simulations are complete. We are currently in Mirzam System doing cursory surveying. Shall we investigate the Satellite before or after completing surveys of the system?"
OplfDDA.jpg


Monok Pok muted the line, and looked around. He didn't see anyone nearby, so he immediately started dancing and cheering. Finally, this satellite would provide extensive insights into the Vultaum, perhaps even a method with which to contact them!

"Sir? Should I finish surveys of the system? Or should I go to the Satellite immediately?"

Monok froze for a moment, forgetting he was still in contact with the Jal Torbak. He immediately turned the comms back on, slightly embarrassed.

"Report to the Satellite immediately. Any information we can gather from that Satellite will be VITAL to furthering our understanding of the Vultaum."

A few months later, another alien species was encountered. They had somehow warped into the Bintu System. But there was something... off about them. They weren't like the other species discovered.
HaeRA1g.jpg


Researchers, dubbing them the "Tiyanki", said they were simple creatures that fed on the gas from gas giants, and were completely harmless, and wouldn't attack, or even disrupt our activities in any system.
WveeAoy.jpg


And two months after the "Gas Grazers" were researched, reports came in from the Vultaum Satellite Research Area. The Satellite was inactive, and the machinery was somewhat useless to us. Huge leaps were made, however, in deciphering the coding language of the Vultaum.
LHQoYfP.jpg


Things were simple. The only issues currently occurring was that relations between the Estwani and the Aramathi were decaying. But the Archon and Ministers felt that nothing would come of it. Relations decay all the time right?

But, aside from diplomatic uneasiness, things were uneventful for about a year. That was when yet another alien species showed up, this time in the Arich System, and research into these new aliens began immediately. Then, a month later, the Observation Post over Arich I was completed.
hUkJw7N.jpg


And this lead to the Great Debates across the entirety of the Estwani Imperium. When the Archon announced that there was a species on Arich I who had not yet achieved space flight, everyone developed a different opinion on how we should deal with them. Though, after enough time, 5 general ideas came into being.

The first movement was headed up by Defense Minister Lothok Tul, and supporters were dubbed the "Conquerors":


"These primitives may not be space bound yet, but they WILL BE. And what will happen then? The Aramathi are space bound, and they are breathing down our throats? I say we strike NOW, strike HARD, and conquer Arich, before they have a chance to go against us!"

The second movement was led by Minister of Biological Studies Perak Nik, and all supporters were dubbed "Abductors":

"This is a momentous opportunity! We must study these people, and their culture! And, to maximize our research efforts, we simply MUST collect samples of all the flora and fauna on the planet. This may allow us to settle on worlds even more different from Estwan!

The third movement was led by Exploratory Scientist Merg Nik. Him and his supporters were simply called the "Watchers":

"My brother is right. We MUST study them, but we shouldn't interfere. Doing so could potential be detrimental, leading to either their self destruction, or an eternal hatred for everything Estwani."

The fourth movement was founded by Vikal Val, Governor of Malh Tolokum, and he, along with his supporters, were called "Enlighteners":

"Can you not see the glorious opportunity we have? We can raise these poor sods to our level! And, once we do, they will be eternally grateful! They may even think us Gods."

The fifth movement was the most controversial, and was spearheaded by an enigmatic leader known only as "Sepimok". They were called Sepimokians.

"People of Estwami. We have a golden opportunity. These creatures are ours to be manipulated. I have discovered a method to transform our appearance to anything we so choose. We can control these creatures from within their own government. We can assimilate them with ease."

The Archon, after months of deliberation, decided to passively observe them. But, once they could afford it, he would look into the Sepimokian Method. He never admitted to the latter, not publicly.

And a few months later, in an attempt to both study the "Space Amoebas" further, as well as ease tensions with the military, Archon Monok Pok ordered the hunting of the Space Amoebas, so that a specimen may be studied.
38SNKIX.jpg


Unfortunately, this caused relations between the Aramathi and Estwani to deteriorate even further, as the Aramathi accused the Estwani Navy of threatening them. As a countermeasure and insurance policy, Minister Perak Nik in a joint project with Minister Lothok Tul created a Centralized Army Command System.
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They recommended the construction of a Military Academy at one of the Colonies. To do these, resources had to be sent to Malh Tolokum to improve the infrastructure to allow for such a building to be built.
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With this action, murmurs began spreading across the Imperium that a Cold War was beginning. This lead to a surge in military research, begin with the introduction of a new Armor Plating based on materials mined on Malh Tolokum.
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This threat of an Interstellar Cold War, as well as the finding of many new habitable worlds led to an increase in donations from average citizens.
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With the newfound funds, the Military started a massive initiative to update the Existing fleet, while simultaneously expanding it immensely with new corvettes based on all the modern technology that was available.
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This military build up, combined with the excitement of the discovery of an entire host of habitable worlds, led to a joint military-civilian colony being established on a world similar to Estwan, Naos III. The Naos System was a strategic point, being the border system between the Aramathi Commonwealth and the Estwani Imperium. The Interstellar Cold War had official begun.
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Chapter 3: The Bad Times.

"People of the Imperium. The Aramanthi Commonwealth, the first species we came into contact with that was also capable of space flight, has made a foolish mistake. They have cut off all diplomatic ties, and have assured us that they are the rightful rulers of this galaxy. And while War is inevitable between our peoples, it is not currently happening. And so, I ask you, Estwani from all across the sector. Will we roll over and die? No we will not. Will we beg for their forgiveness and grovel at their feet? No we will not. Do you know what we will do? We will crush their fleet. We will conquer their worlds. We will enslave their people. And we WILL NOT PERISH. WE SHALL SUCCEED, AND BE THE RIGHTFUL RULERS OF THIS GALAXY!

~Archon Monok Pok, "The Aramanthi Situation"

Some say that it was this moment, this very moment where the first contact that the Estwani had with another species led to a Cold War, that marked a downward spiral. The colony of Malh Lellir was officially established on 2220.07.03, and Colonel Ilmas Vagras was established as the governor of the military colony.
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With the Colony officially established, the Hunters of Huntur, now a sizeable force, were sent forward and station around the fledgling colony, in order to aid in their protection, as well as provide a quick action force to strike at the Aramathi, should the need arise.
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Despite the high tensions, space explorations continued at a steady rate, with more and more systems being discovered. Soon, Merg Nik was reporting in with a very exciting bit of news.

"Archon, this is Merg Nik. While surveying the Ockrom System, we have found the molten world of Ockrom I. And we have located a distress signal coming from the surface. Do we have permission to attempt a rescue operation?"
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"Absolutely. Perhaps they can give us insight into the Aramathi, or even the Vultaum. Report to me with the findings."

Two months later, the Archon received a horrifying transmission.

"Archon, this is Merg Nik on the {static}... encountered a situa{static} WE ARE GOING DOWN. I REPEAT. WE ARE GO{static}."

"Merg? MERG? MERG?!?! MERG, DO YOU COPY? ARE YOU OKAY?"


Monok Pok looked down at the comm station. The line was closed. All signals from the Jal Torbak had ceased transmitting. The ship, and all her crew, were KIA, on the fiery surface of Ockrom I.
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Monok Pok fell back into his chair, speechless. He had known the Nik's since youth. He had played Catanda with them. He was at Perak's wedding. Oh gods, he had to tell Perak. He had to tell him that his baby brother had been killed. He picked up the phone, and dialed the Ministry of Biological Studies. How was he going to tell him?

"This is Perak Nik of the Ministry of Biological Studies."

"Perak, its... its me, Monok. I... I have some bad news for you. It is with a heavy heart that I mu.. I must inform you that you brother was killed on Ockrom I, in an attempts to reach a distress beacon on the planet's molten surface. I'm... I'm truly sorry."

A thud was heard as the phone fell to the ground. Muffled screams were heard on the other end. But, despite this tragedy, surveys must still be done. Construction was ordered on a new ship, the
Merg Nik. Perak Nik requested that Merg's friends, Ilmas Vis be in charge of the vessel, and Monok agreed quickly. Ilmas was the polar opposite of Merg, he was a very careful man, one who always ran a variety of tests before attempting publishing any findings.
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And in an attempt to prevent something like this happening again, a system of energy shields, "Deflectors", were developed for use in Military ships.
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With the mourning period over, the Merg Nik was sent out to the same system to finish the scans. And Ilvas' first discovery was on Ockrom IIIa

"This is Ilvas Vis. We have discovered a very large quantity of debris around and on Ockrom IIa, potentially from an interfleet engagement. Shall I investigate further?"
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"Absolutely. If this was indeed an engagement, we could learn something from structure to improve our own ships."

Within a few months, the results had come in.
"Archon, this is Vas. This was indeed an interfleet engagement, and a sizable one at that. I am running simulations of a recovery mission so that we may launch an expedition to study the ships more in-depth."

"Why not examine the ships now? With the Aramathi situation deteriorating every day, we could use any insights ASAP."

"Sir, with all due respect, I am not going to risk the lives of my crew on a mission when all the variables are not accounted for. We will examine the Graveyard once the simulations are complete. Vas out."

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After finishing the scans of that system, Ilvis continued on to the Ennust System, where he encountered another alien species around what was very likely a colonized planet.
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Using the skills he and his crew had, they translated the language quickly and patched the Fungoid aliens through to Monok Pok.
They called themselves the Bhenn'Thell Hierarchy.
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Initial communication were, defensive, to say the least.
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And perhaps that is why the Merg Nik was escorted out of the system with a corvette escort. But something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"Archon, this is Vas. I am currently being 'escorted' out of the Ennust system. I am attempting to warp back towards the home systems, but they are pushing me onward.
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They are pushing us to continue moving forward toward... OH SH......"

"Vas? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE?

"This is the Djunn Primacy. Your vessel has encroached upon our soveriegn space. Do not expect it to return. We are an ancient people, and we have flown through the stars since before you pitiful Ratless was even a star. Do not return."

Thankfully, the Merg Nik wasn't destroyed, as they sent transmissions of what the Djunn Space looked like, as well as the Hierarchy's Space.
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Another species contacted them through one of their mutual contacts, although it was unknown who. And the Archon didn't think much of it.
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The Imperium had enough problems that a Cordial greeting was decided on, to prevent turning yet another nation into an enemy. The Estwani are warriors, yes, but they aren't gods.
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Also, their system was WAY too far out of the way, about two, three system to the galactic south. Not much of a problem, in all honesty.
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About a year after their capture, Ilvas Vis and the crew of the Merg Nik found their way to Naos. They regaled the Archon of stories of an overwhelmingly powerful Empire in the Djunn, and spoke of technology far more advanced than what the Estwani could even dream of. So, how do you beat a force that is more powerful than you, more advanced than you, and larger than you? YOU get more powerful, more advanced, and larger. And so the construction of the Forward Spaceport above Malh Lellir began.
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If the Estwani were going to beat the Djunn, they had to conquer the Aramathi.
War was coming to the galaxy. And no one could stop it.