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zSCHIZOz

Sergeant
54 Badges
Jan 1, 2020
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Greetings everyone and welcome to my Stellaris AAR; Holy Venture of Tundron. I prefer to write in narrative but may write some novelist entries when I feel like. We will be playing an Ironman playthrough completely Vanilla for future compatibility reasons. The DLC I’ll be using is posted below my screen name on the left hand margin. I hope you will enjoy my AAR and I intend on updating on a regular basis so stay tuned for future updates as they will be coming shortly.
 
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Prologue
For as far back as history dates the Tundralli have sought out to expand and enlighten themselves through peace and at times war. A spiritual race, whose domestic wars were fought for false gods of the past through the lords of today. Eventually the cost of war became too great for the Tundralli and those who had differences reconciled with one another and agreed towards a spiritual belief that could be felt through all.

Despite the violent history of millennia past, today the Tundralli are a peaceful race whose aims are for the stars and further understanding of the Universe in which they were placed in. The Tundralli have for many centuries now been governed by a theocratic oligarchy. Not quite royalty but an order of highly esteemed members whose life’s purpose was to serve and project onto Tundralli society. For generations now the Tundralli have known world peace and they are now poised to enter the final frontier; outer space.

By the year 2155 the Tundralli have successfully erected a modern spaceport which would orbit the star of Frostule. From the spaceport the Tundralli would begin constructing mining and science stations throughout their home system. By 2175 the first space fleet of interstellar corvettes were constructed along with a science vessel to explore the solar system further. As time progressed towards 2200 the Tundralli had unveiled something extraordinary; the ability to travel faster than the speed of light. Cartographers soon after began mapping what was now known as Hyperlanes. With this new found ability there was much to be discovered and the Tundralli would rally to the cause of further understanding of the Universe.

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This new found discovery of the Hyperlanes did however cause much unrest in the oligarchy. There were those that wish to study the native solar system further and to proceed with extreme caution towards the Hyperlanes. Others sought to engage and explore the Hyperlanes in the hopes of unraveling some of the mysteries of not only Frostule but of the Universe itself and how it came to be. Deliberations went on for weeks with no clear objective set to order. Eventually after many months of council the oligarchy came to a decision and that was to explore the galaxy through the use of the Hyperlanes.

The decision to explore the Hyperlanes however did not come without it’s conditions. Firstly, safety was of extreme importance and the fleet of corvettes already constructed would have to monitor their home system of Frostule on a regular basis in the event of any interference with another species or any other significant development. Another science vessel would also be commissioned to explore the opposite direction of space to advance future discoveries further.

With the news of the Hyperlanes reverberating through Tundralli society there was much unrest, both positive and negative. There were demonstrations outside the capital demanding that the populace be involved with the decisions of the esteemed oligarchy while others enlisted in the Tundralli Space Corps for both science and military occupations. There was much excitement on Planet Tundron and in the coming months it was expected that there would be much to understand with both the population and any future discovery unraveled through space exploration.

For now the Tundralli would have to venture with the limited resources that they have acquired through time and embark on their most historic adventure yet; to go beyond their solar system of Frostule and explore the dark reaches of space within their grasp. A new era had begun and the Tundralli were united to proceed further with high hopes and anticipation.
 
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Chapter One: From Tundron With Faith
As the bright blue star of Frostule began to rise on the horizon of the gas giant’s moon of Tundron the Tundralli people began to rise from their chambers and begin their day. While during each citizen’s morning routine a holographic display, similar to a projection, began to play a recording from the Holy Oligarchy of Tundron. These messages were mandatory to watch in each household as it was deemed important that the populace know what the Holy Oligarchy were sharing with the public. As the holographic image began to display, Chief Precentor Nome tal Gun, elected head of the Holy Oligarchy, began to speak.

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“Citizens of Tundron! We are gathered here today to embrace the change that has revolutionized our way of life. Outer space is now in our hands and we have so far uncovered vast distances over the span of five years. We have encountered the discovery of alien fossils and the battered remains of an extraterrestrial artificial species’ whose purpose could only be designed for conquest or a vast defense against an overwhelming force. Yes. The discovery of this artificial life close to our home here on Tundron is of great concern and we assure you, good citizens, that our safety and the safety of our Union is of upmost importance. In time, when we expand our Space Corps, we will be ready for the inevitable encounter with a sapient alien life form. For the time being however we urge you to continue with faith and help us, your trusted oligarchy, to explore and expand throughout our galaxy and in the hopes of a peaceful encounter with an intelligent lifeform for whom we may or may not encounter in the next few years.

Thank you citizens and Gods bless!”

Messages from the Holy Oligarchy would occur on occasion or in the event of something major or dramatic. For the most part, citizens of Tundron welcomed the messages from their esteemed leaders as their faith guided them to trust in Chief Precentor and his colleagues in the Holy Oligarchy. Typically their would just be the daily news playing on each citizen’s holographic display as the Tundralli got ready for their day.

Much of life on Tundron was similar to what you would expect from an advanced spiritual species set in the future. There were shrines and temples scattered throughout the planetary moon of Tundron along with shops and entertainment centers. Much of the moon was connected by mass transit infrastructures such as monorails and elevated highways with transport ships and standard consumer road vehicles traveling throughout the surface of Tundron. Underground was an advanced subway system that connected most of the moon with its major city centers. For employment much of Tundron’s economy was backed by mining and farming along with renewable energy to support the massive infrastructure of the moon.

For the most part, Tundron was now a spiritual utopia that had evolved from a primitive and barbaric past with each major clan worshiping its own set of gods. Millennia of social evolution and painstaking strides towards unification and peace on the moon made way for the utopia setting of Tundron today. The cost of peace on Tundron was great, too great to allow for another domestic war. Instead, the Tundralli followed the teachings of the Holy Oligarchy which had formed centuries ago after the great crusades of the past.

Much of Tundralli’s past was categorized in massive libraries found in dense urban areas adjacent to schools and universities. It was paramount that the children of Tundron know the past, as to not repeat it and to maintain peace for the present and future. Peace, however, needed a defense and so the Tundralli Space Corps was formed a few decades past preceding the rise of space exploration. The Space Corps consisted of both an army and navy along with a science division of which would map the stars and provide intelligence to the armies and navies of the Space Corps. With the rise of space exploration recruitment for the Tundralli Space Corps was at an all time high, far greater than the beginnings of the service. The Holy Oligarchy would debate the necessities and qualifications of the Space Corps and its members to maintain a safe and just order among the Union.

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As the Tundralli further prepared itself for the wonders and dangers of space exploration the Tundralli Space Corps, mainly the Science Division, further scouted the surrounding systems in the search for resources, extraterrestrial life and habitable planets for the future of the Tundralli people. While the smallest division of the Tundralli Space Corps, the Science Division was now the most important of all and within its ranks held the future of the Tundralli people as its vessels continued to venture forth into the great unknown.
 
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It is the beginning of the year 2207 and the Tundralli have now scouted several solar systems surrounding their home system of Frostule. With this accomplishment was the discovery of a habitable alpine world and in orbit of this world was a large moon which was also deemed habitable by one of the Science Division’s science vessels. The moon was not as desirable as the planet due to the nature of the moon’s landscape. Several days of news reporting following this discovery ran through holographic projections in citizens homes and abroad. It was the Holy Oligarchy’s decision to make this as public as possible in order to enlist volunteers into a colony expedition. This colony expedition would usher in a new era for the Tundralli and under the Holy Oligarchy’s direction this would further bond their faith in the judgment of the Holy Oligarchy itself, should everything work as planned.

Once civilians began enlisting in the colony project they were shortly after categorized by gender, height, weight and any other conditions that they might have that could hinder a successful journey to the far away planet located north of Frostule. This was similarly done with enlistees in the Space Corps but as these were civilians the process of selection was less strict seeing as it was a one way trip. Thousands of civilians would fill out paperwork and await the final word on whether or not they were accepted for colonization. Only five hundred would be selected which made the process of elimination quite tedious for those in charge of reviewing each candidate.

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Fast forward to late 2208 and the colony ship TSS Pafulin had made the journey from Frostule to the Zanbor system which was two systems away from Frostule. The venture from Tundron to what will now be known as Kularna went according to plan. Life support and food rations were able to withstand the nearly yearlong journey from Tundron to Kularna and the brave enlistees were now on final approach to land in a valley surrounded by the a vast mountainous landscape that would feel like home to the Tundralli that ventured on this epic journey.

The TSS Pafulin slowly descended through the Kularna’s thick, oxygen rich atmosphere and with it came colors of glowing molten steel onboard the colony ship’s lower hull. The molten glow began to spread evenly throughout the underside of the starship before steaming to a cooling temperature that shifted from the molten orange to a charred coalish black as the Pafulin broke through the stratosphere and into more forgiving air. The pilots onboard TSS Pafulin began to calm as the violent vibrations from breaching the planet’s atmosphere faded to a hum. All they had to do now was align the starship to the computer calculated steer points on their helmet’s heads up display which would guide them to the selected valley that the Science Division had predetermined prior to the launch of the colony ship.

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A loud hissing push was expelled from the lower hull of the ship as the landing gear fixed into position. As the starship began its final descent, buzzing and strobing alarms began to not only emit from the cockpit but the entire interior of the ship where the civilians were strapped into the seats for touchdown. Tension for the pilots weighed heavy as this would be the final test, a successful landing. The pilots began coordinating with one another before softly landing adjacent to a large riverbed. The landing gear sleds crushed through the surface of the earth and the hydraulic systems onboard the TSS Pafulin began to buckle from the heavy weight of the ship. Once complete, a final loud expulsion of compressed air from the landing systems shot out from underneath, covering the underside in a fog.

The landing had been successful and now all that had to be done was to establish a civilian center on the surface for the colony to begin operations. The planet seemed rich with life. A large, flowing river was less than five hundred meters away and lush meadows and scattered forests surrounded the colony ship. Kularna was a beautiful planet and as the cargobay hatch opened the reactions of the civilians onboard were in amazement of the blissful nature of the virgin planet.

Faith had guided the Tundralli to Kularna and faith would carry them forward on the eventful quest ahead of them. Kularna was now sacred ground and the Tundralli would learn to make it their home on a far away land from Tundron.
 
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News of the successful landing of the colony ship TSS Pafulin made its way back to Tundron and with it praise and stronger faith in the leadership of the Holy Oligarchy. For it was the Holy Oligarchy who influenced the populace of Tundron to volunteer to embark on the journey and risk everything for the glory of a newfound world. Kularna was a promising start for the Tundralli in space and it was a key position in the future should the Tundralli need to further colonize as the moon of Kularna was also an acceptable site for colonization.

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It would take four years for the colony to officially settle on the new world of Kularna. The TSS Pafulin was converted into the capital structure for the planet where a select few would govern the brave explorers who volunteered for the colonization project. Governor Tunlu tal Gun was in charge of the colony and all responsibility fell on him to carryout the will of the Tundralli on this far away land.

Kularna was an exceptional find as it held twenty possible districts for the Tundralli to expand with. The only negative to Kularna was that the minerals found on the planet were less than ideal. They were of much lesser quality than that found on Tundron and several possible mining sites were covered with natural obstacles that would take time for the Tundralli to clear. Despite the minor setback regarding minerals, Governor Tunlu tal Gun ordered a boost in shipment of food product from Tundron to Kularna. This would speed up population growth and allow the colony planet to flourish.

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Meanwhile the Science Division was also hard at work, surveying and researching anomalies found in the galaxy. One find in particular was of great importance. An alien machine construct was found in the Sosta System. An asteroid dubbed QH-3427 would be hosting this puzzling discovery and the science vessel under the charge of Chief Science Officer Kol tal Oth would be investigating this attractive find. After fifty-two days of research Science Officer Oth deemed it safe to proceed further with the investigation and he dispatched an away team to the surface of the asteroid.

The away team made contact with the machine and began, under the order of Science Officer Oth, to interact with it. The away team would pull a lever found on the machine and would wait for a result following the pull. Slowly the machine began to reveal feedback from the throw of the lever and after several minutes the machine had a display that surfaced from the main construct adjacent to where the lever was placed. The display gave a starchart and a blinking cursor to what seemed to be some sort of natural phenomenon not yet understood by the away team.

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The Tundralli in charge of the away team quickly informed Chief Science Officer Oth of the situation and Oth would give the order to remain on the asteroid as he attempted to piece together this mystery. After several hours of hard work with the crew onboard the science vessel they would soon crack this mystery and deciphered the display as a naturally occurring wormhole in a neighboring system. This was a monumental discovery and it was quickly reported back to Science Division Command for further instruction.

For now the wormhole would be studied from a far as the Tundralli did not possess the technology to safely navigate inside the mysterious form of nature. In the future a construction vessel would be ordered to construct a spaceport in the wormhole’s system dubbed Kastra. The Holy Oligarchy was also informed of this finding and they would debate the risks and rewards of this monumental finding. But until the Tundralli possessed the technology to stabilize the wormhole, the wormhole would remain untouched by Tundralli vessels.
 
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As the Tundralli ventured further into space they would steadily come across more and more anomalies and artifacts that could only have been designed by sapient extraterrestrial life. These discoveries were of ancient origin however with some being over thousands of years old. This did not deter the efforts of the Science Division as eventually there was bound to be some sapient life within the galaxy.

By the end of the year of 2216 the search for sapient life came to a climax with the discovery of a species that made contact with a construction vessel in deep space. These creatures were able to assimilate Tundralli language and broadcast over local channels to the construction vessel in that region. While unequipped to deal with the alien creatures, the construction ship forwarded the frequency of the closest science vessel in the region and from there communications were established.

“This is the Tundralli Space Corps Science Vessel TSS Melinma. I am Chief Science Officer Hema tal Kuw. How do you do? We have traveled through much of space in anticipation to find intelligent life. You are a welcome encounter. Please identify yourself and your intentions, friend.”

“We are the Pakari of the Pakari Star Union. Your primitive species will remain out of our space and our efforts. Any attempt to enter Pakari space or to interfere in Pakari affairs will result in unpleasant consequences. You have been warned.”

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A short pause in disbelief from the assertive response by the Pakari gripped Chief Science Officer Kuw before replying “You misunderstand us Pakari! We are a spiritual and peaceful people in search of - ” The viewscreen which was centered on the most forward wall on the bridge of the TSS Melinma went to static noise as the Pakari cut the transmission to the Tundralli science vessel. “It appears that interactions with these Pakari will be difficult. Ensign! Patch me through to the Holy Oligarchy. I must inform them of our discovery at once!” exclaimed Chief Science Officer Kuw.

And so, Chief Science Officer Kuw informed the Holy Oligarchy of the Pakari Star Union and his failure to reach a successful friendship during first contact. The Holy Oligarchy immediately went to chambers and discussed between themselves the most appropriate action to take regarding the Pakari. For the time being the Holy Oligarchy came to conclusion that the Pakari’s attitude towards the Tundralli warranted the declaration of a stellar rival. This would help further competition between the two empires on the galactic stage before the next chapter of stellar interaction between these two peoples would begin.

As time progressed the knowledge of the discovery of sapient life within the galaxy would surely become public knowledge in Tundralli society. It was only a matter of time and the Holy Oligarchy’s next move was to let the public know of the Pakari on their own terms, reducing the risk of a whistleblower manipulating what the Holy Oligarchy deemed most appropriate for the time being. This would take careful consideration on the Oligarchy’s part. Distort the truth of the encounter too much and risk negative repercussions from the public should they discover the misinformation or tell the absolute truth regarding the matter and risk a loss of faith in the Science Division’s ability to communicate with the inhabitants of the galaxy. For days the Oligarchy would discuss the matter between themselves before making a public statement before the people of Tundron and the colony of Kularna. The Holy Oligarchy’s response was the following:

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“From Tundron to Kularna, citizens of our blessed Union, we, your trusted servants have assembled in chambers for over a week now debating what has singlehandedly been one of the most important discoveries of our time. We have encountered another space-faring species. We are no longer alone in the galaxy! Communications forwarded from the Space Corps have come under our possession and we have unanimously come to the conclusion that the Pakari Star Union have chosen a path of aggression against our faith. They have described us as primitive and have warned us to stay out of their way or suffer consequences. This will not stand! We will bolster our might and prepare a defense in the case of an altercation with these so called Pakari! Citizens, in us you trust and we are asking for your continued faith in us as we navigate our Union threw these uneasy times against our newfound rival the Pakari Star Union.”

Shortly after the holographic message displayed to billions of Tundralli from the Holy Oligarchy a Space Corps advertisement rolled footage of enlistment opportunities for those who may be interested.
 
Chapter Two: No Longer Alone
Three years have passed since the discovery of the Pakari Star Union. Communications between the Tundralli Union and the Pakari have been limited. Since announcing rivalry between the two empires tensions have grown and borders have shifted as well as military fleets being bolstered. Both the Tundralli and the Pakari made it a top priority to obtain as many systems neighboring each other as possible. Despite the growing tensions, citizens of the Tundralli felt safe and the colony planet of Kularna was doing well also.

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As the months continued to pass on and borders of both the Tundralli and Pakari competed with one another organized groups of Tundralli began to form on Planet Tundron. This would be known to the Holy Oligarchy as “The Rise of Factions” and the Holy Oligarchy was uneasy about these formations as it somewhat undermined the authority of itself. However, the formation of these so-called factions was entirely legal and the Holy Oligarchy had no right to suppress these organizations as the Tundralli believed wholeheartedly in peace and co-existence amongst its citizens.

These factions were peaceful in nature and tailored mostly to civil rights. The Individual Choice Council (ICC) influenced the populace the most as it holds a seventy-five percent approval rating. The ICC’s mandate was to prevent autocracy, allow free movement within the borders of the Tundralli Union, reproductive freedoms and anti-stratification. The ICC also had some influence within the Holy Oligarchy seeing as the ICC’s goals were on par with the Oligarchy.

The Church of Pious Traditionalists (the Church) was the second faction that formed. It’s goals was to prevent artificial life on the home planets of Tundralli as well as other spiritual objectives such as promoting unhallowed grounds and homogeneity.

Alien Rights Group (ARG) was the third faction to rise with the discovery of the Pakari Star Union. ARC was primarily formed to prevent conflict between Tundralli and other foreign empires. The ARG safeguarded refugees as well as promoting new alien contact all while condemning genocidal purges in the event of war. The ARG was the second most approved faction within the Tundralli Union with an initial rating of sixty-five percent leaving the Church in third at a rating of sixty percent.

As time progressed these new factions would surely shape the Tundralli Union in ways that the Holy Oligarchy could not do alone. With these new organizations came civil unity and a sense of identity and self-control for each Tundralli citizen. While somewhat annoying for the Holy Oligarchy to have to deal with these new organizations, the benefits outweighed the cons of such organizations. Not only was the Holy Oligarchy still primarily in control but the ICC, the Church and the ARG would allow the citizens to feel as though they had a voice. The Holy Oligarchy could exploit this sense of self-control within and further shape the Tundralli in the way they saw fit as long as the Oligarchy appeased the Factions.

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Not only was the rise in factions changing the social infrastructure of the Tundralli but elections for a new Chief Precentor and other members of the Holy Oligarchy were about to happen. In a matter of months the direction of the Tundralli Union would be decided and depending on those elected, the very fabric of Tundralli society would be affected for the next twenty years. These were exciting times for the Tundralli but as a rival looms on the western border of Tundralli space this was also a dangerous time as tensions continued to rise due to expansion of borders and military powers.
 
A reasonable first few years.
 
Very nice, I love it.
 
As the months leading to the election for the Holy Oligarchy continued Chief Precentor Nome tal Gun continued to uphold his duties rather than campaign for his reelection. He has always felt compelled to serve and the past twenty years of service as Chief Precentor reflected his success as a servant to Tundron. He had led his people to venture out and discover new worlds in outer space as well as successfully colonize Planet Kularna. He had also approved and supervised the construction of new planetary buildings that would help the Tundralli economy as well as the citizens themselves. He was truly a great leader in an extraordinary period of time for the Tundralli and because of this he was reelected as Chief Precentor.

While the elections took place the Science Division continued forward, surveying deep space in search for new discoveries and new civilizations. One event in particular was of great diplomatic importance. The science vessel TSS Melinma discovered a shipwreck orbiting an asteroid belt and after careful study it appeared to be of Pakari design. The TSS Melinma forwarded the news to headquarters who then got in touch with Holy Oligarchy who directed that the wrecked vessel’s remains be towed and brought back to the Pakari Star Union as a token of good faith. After several days from returning the shipwreck to the Pakari, the Pakari ambassador messaged officials on Planet Tundron regarding their gratitude for the return of their property.

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While diplomatic progress being made between the Tundralli and the Pakari a new civilization was discovered in the southern reaches of the galaxy. They were a fungoid species who inhabited arctic worlds. As communications were established they revealed themselves as the Pogovon Empire, a spiritual yet militaristic species whose ideals were far more extreme than that of the Tundralli. Not much more than standard greetings took place during the initial communications between civilizations. Space between Tundralli and the Pogovon were distant and interactions between the two peoples were not expected to occur anytime soon as the space between them was so vast. However, the Science Division was ordered to continue surveying the southern reach in order to further expand Tundralli space before the Pogovon could extend in the area first.

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Now that elections and diplomacy were taken care of, the Holy Oligarchy took it upon themselves to ascend the traditions of everyday life for the Tundralli. To do this took many years in the making but at long last a new understanding could be achieved. The Oligarchy along with the assistance of the Science Division who helped pioneer this ascension affirmed that “One Vision” be made. In this “One Vision” unity between all forms of Tundralli society would be joined together, granting more unity between citizens, servants and military alike. Not only did this strengthen the bonds between its people but it also made governing the planets in control on the Tundralli more attractive.

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This was truly a wonderful time in Tundralli history. Words of colonizing a new world were in the works along with the borders of Tundralli space expanding. While tensions between the Pakari Star Union and the Tundralli Union were still somewhat heavy, progress was indeed being made. As for the newly discovered Pogovon Empire, much was left to be uncovered. While the Pogovon were spiritualists their tendency to enforce military rule was troubling for the Holy Oligarchy to promote good future relations with as militaristic cultures tend to divide and conquer. Only time would tell if the Pogovons and the Pakari could be useful allies in the Tundralli’s quest to expand their knowledge of the Universe and as well as form a peaceful coalition between civilizations in their local part of the galaxy.
 
Offensive fungi - exactly what you need :D

So that is two avenues of expansion blocked, I wonder what you will discover in the remainder.
 
The TSS Melinma captained by none other than Chief Science Officer (C.S.O.) Hema tal Kuw was on a routine expedition in deep space to the north of Tundralli space. No Tundralli vessel ever visited this region of space and there was much left to uncover before the Hyperlanes would no longer allow passage through this part of the galaxy.

A seasoned scientist with many years of service under her commission C.S.O. Hema tal Kuw was in her quarters preparing for her morning shift onboard the Bridge of her ship, Melinma. Hema exited her shower and grabbed a couple of hot towels out of her adjacent cubbard and covered herself before making her way back into her bedroom to change into her uniform. The standard Tundralli Science Division uniform was a thick and insulated suit to protect the officer from star radiation should onboard shields fail to repel such radiation from entering the vessel. The helmet was not required unless on away missions or spacewalks to maintain the ship but Hema kept her helmet in pristine condition always next to her uniform should an event require needing it.

As Chief Science Officer Hema tal Kuw exited her quarters and made her way down the narrow corridor to the ship’s elevator were she waited to board. The elevator made an abrupt hissing noise as it halted on Level Three where Hema’s quarters were located. The elevator door then opened and expelled compressed air through the entrance floor which allowed the door to open and close with minimal maintenance. There was a man waiting onboard the elevator, of whom she greeted before pressing the “B” button on the right hand console of the elevator which indicated Bridge. The elevator once again hissed and proceeded upwards to the Bridge where both occupants were waiting to enter. As the elevator continued the man to Hema’s left onboard the elevator said “So. How did you sleep, Captain?”

Hema gazed from the elevator console to her comrade in a moment before replying “Slept well. Am looking forward to another day surveying our beloved sector of space.”

“Indeed! I hope everything on the bridge is in order this time around. I hate surprises.”

Hema chuckled softly under her breath before rebutting “You’re onboard a science vessel, Yuri. What did you expect?”

“I suppose you’re right, Captain. Just not quite used to my new posting onboard the Bridge.”

“It takes time. And time is something we have plenty of so stay sharp as you’ll never know what we may encounter.”

“Aye, Ma’am!” exclaimed Yuri.

A harmonic bell made a noise through the console of the elevator followed by a male voice saying “Now approaching... Bridge.” The elevator shortly after came to a stop and once again exhaled a loud hiss as compressed air bellowed out from the underside of the retracting door. Both C.S.O. Hema tal Kuw and Ensign Yuri exited the elevator and manned their posts, relieving the night watch from their said postings to retire.

“Anything relevant happen in our absence, Commander?” proudly said by Hema.

“We are just about to enter, what our starcharts claim, the ‘Sanctuary’ system.”

“Very good, Commander. Make standard entry and prepare scanners to come online.”

“Aye, Captain!” exclaimed Commander Oth. “Ensign Yuri, drop us out of warp speed and triangulate the best route for our scanners to deploy.”

“Aye, Commander!” Ensign Yuri carefully inputted commands on his computer console telling the vessel’s onboard navigation to drop out of warp and begin scanning a one hundred forty-four degree radius front of the vessel. A few moments passed and the science ship’s onboard computer announced “Now suspending warp drive.” followed by a three second countdown which slowed the ship to a passive speed that was predetermined by Ensign Yuri during his input commands to the computer.

“We are now in the Sanctuary System, Captain.” Yuri felt pleased with himself as this time he did not make any miscalculations that embarrassed him a few days prior.

“Excellent, Ensign. Begin sensor sweep.” Commanded Hema.

Shortly after CSO Hema’s orders were dispatched an alert from the TSS Melinma’s communication’s sub-processor rang a harmonic chime indicating that they were being hailed by a foreign entity. “Should I bring comms online, Captain?” said Yuri.

“Yes, Ensign. Patch us through.” rebutted Hema. The Melinma’s bridge display screen began to operate. First a silent black and white noise static display followed by an an image of Sanctuary’s star where the hailing originated from. Momentarily after that was the following audio message…

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“Welcome to the Sanctuary, sapient. This fully automated facility was established 74,605,338 cycles ago to serve as a nature reserve. Our self-sustaining biome segments feature a selection of non-intelligent flora and fauna originating from four distinct biospheres.

To protect these fragile biospheres, access to our facilities is currently restricted.

Do not approach this facility under any circumstances.”

Hema looked to Commander Oth in confusion before replying “Who created this facility?”

The foreign transmission continued with “This facility was constructed by the Ximio over a period of 412 cycles. It was completed and fully functional 74,605,338 cycles ago. The last recorded visit by a Ximio vessel occurred 67,103,853 cycles ago. There are no recorded visits by Ximio or Ximio-affiliated vessels since that date.

There are 38,201 failed attempts by unauthorized vessels to access this facility on record.

Do not approach this facility under any circumstances.”

Ensign Yuri quickly looked at his computer console and began to fumble about. He quickly got his wits together before exclaiming “Captain! We have weapon radiation increasing from the solar center of this system.” Yuri paused for a moment before continuing “Yes. It seems the Sanctuary has an automated defensive system surrounding some sort of massive object.” Yuri paused once again before finishing with “Bringing an image on the display...now.”

The Bridge crew looked in awe on the Melinma display screen. A massive ring surrounded the star of Sanctuary and was protected by hundreds of starships. From first glance it seemed that this ring was constructed of some sort of hyperdense alloy that could withstand the star’s radiation and that these vessels guarding the ring were also constructed of the same material.

“By the Gods! What have we stumbled upon Captain!” said Commander Oth

“It seems we have found one of the many secrets of our galaxy, Commander. Let us heed the warning and reverse course. No need to cause a situation here. Especially one we can not victor from. Ensign! Bring us about. I will inform Science Division Command of what we found here today.”

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And so, Chief Science Officer Hema tal Kuw and the TSS Melinma reversed course and entered a neighboring star system to continue surveying systems for the Science Division. What the TSS Melinma had found was something extraordinary and could not be further investigated at this time. Perhaps in the future these so called Ximios could be discovered and communicated with in the hopes to reenter Sanctuary and try to further understand what has transpired over the past eons of its construction. But that will remain for another day and the TSS Melinma continued onward in search of further discovery.
 
Well that is certainly going to provide quick burst of cardiovascular exercise (or its equivalent in their biology)
 
News of the discovery of the alien ring construct in the Sanctuary system made its way back to the Holy Oligarchy who then deemed the discovery to be classified and out of reach for the public. The construct was of great concern. The technology alone to construct such a massive structure and to maintain was far beyond that of the Tundralli or any other species that the Tundralli were aware of. The Holy Oligarchy was fully briefed on the situation and the automated communique from the construct itself. No vessel, civilian or military, was to enter the system under any circumstance until told otherwise.

While matters regarding Sanctuary were tightly under wraps, interactions with the Pogovons were going quite well. Several meetings between the Tundralli and the Pogovons took place in both each other's home worlds. Ambassadors for each discussed the topics of open migration between worlds, commercial pacts as well as defensive pacts. It seemed that after nearly forty years of space exploration the Tundralli had found themselves a friend and an ally close by. Should an event transpire that was unfortunate, each knew that the other would look after the well being of the other in their time of need which was promising as the Pakari continued to expand their borders and build up their military.

To combat the Pakari threat the Holy Oligarchy was informed of mercenary contractors that could be hired in the event that the Pakari escalated the military situation between both themselves and the Tundralli to a level of conflict. Mercenaries would be the first choice deemed by the Oligarchy while the fleets of Tundralli corvettes and destroyers laid in wait at strategic defensive positions. The Oligarchy deemed this acceptable as the vast amount of minerals mined throughout Tundralli space would be sold on the galactic market for credits.

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On a lighter note, another colony ship was constructed and ordered out to the habitable arctic moon named Khinelu. While not as habitable as Kularna, which was the planet the moon was orbiting, it was close by and the terrain and climate was deemed suitable for colonization. Advances in colonization technology would help the transition process and allow for a more fluid aftermath after successfully landing aboard the moon’s surface. Volunteers for the mission were easier to come by after the success Kularna and the fact that they were going directly to the same system only a few hyper-jumps away from Tundron which made it that much more promising for ambitious civilians.

Life on Tundron and Kularna was going well. Most citizens were satisfied with society and the Holy Oligarchy’s guidance on foreign and domestic affairs. While borders were still closed for extraterrestrials, many felt that the ban would be lifted rather soon as negotiations with the Pogovon Empire were going as well as could be expected. Occasionally there would be a shortage on jobs and housing but that was all quickly rectified by governing officials on each planet. With all of the space exploration and claiming of systems, there was a slight deficit of credits but that could always be countered by selling quality minerals on the market.

Tundron and its people were establishing a strong foothold in their part of the galaxy. Tundralli space was now vast, stretching near the center of the galaxy outward to the far reaches of the spiral arms. While much of the galaxy remained uncharted and mysterious, the Holy Oligarchy discussed amongst themselves the possibility of forming a federation which could stretch through the vastness of the entire galaxy and being a leader in the federation would allow the possibility to influence other races in the favor of the Tundralli Union.

The Holy Oligarchy’s ambition towards expanding the Union throughout the galaxy was indeed bold and ambitious but could it be done successfully and more importantly without bloodshed.
 
A very impressive expanse of real estate
 
@stnylan Yeah. I'm rather pleased with the amount of space I was able to acquire. I got an Influence? bonus (the purple icon) like a decade back. I forget what for but I built more construction ships and tried to expand as quickly as possible. I'm just about done expanding. Enemy vessels and alien borders are now in the way.

We will just have to wait and see what plans the Holy Oligarchy have in store for the Tundralli. I'm hoping to form a federation and well... don't want to spoil the story so I'll just leave it at that. :D
 
Truly I large empire. Not sure if hiding the Sanctuary was the right move though.