Tuscany
“Magnificent,” whispered Emma and leaned on a window.
Outside, the docking clamps of O’Hare were cut loose and the engines of a huge ships ignited. Slowly, at a crawling speed, the ship steered clear of the docks. The observation deck and ship’s windows were filled with people, trying to get a last glimpse of the Earth or to see someone they’ve left behind at the space station. There was smiling and waving and an occasional tear. Some of them noticed the Empress and gave sort of informal salute to her, and Emma waved back, smiling.
O'hare, setting off
Then, the lumbering beast stopped outside. Engaged her side thrusters and set a correct course towards Tokugawa station. The main thrusters engaged again, this time with more intensive flare and the ship started to accelerate. Soon, you could not distinguish people. Then, as the ship made it´s distance, you could see three corvettes from Hauteville Fleet coming in, matching speed and taking up escort positions. Bit more time later, the ship seemed small and escorts looked like specks. Then, you could only see the light of thrusters. Then, even that became indistinguishable from the bright stars, until they disappeared. O’Hare was well within her way towards the edge of the Solar System.
The journey would be a long and boring. There was little need for navigation, apart from occasional slight course correction. Most of it would be acceleration and then, decceleration when arriving to their destination. Then, a jump and the same process over again. All of it would take about 4 month, and then, they’d be home. In their new home.
“Such a waste,” commented Carla Salazar, the Prime Minister of the Empire, currently leaning next to Emma.
Emma gave her a questioning look.
“That her maiden voyage is also her last,” Carla sighed. “Plus, with all the resources we put on building this beauty- only to be dismantled by the end of the year.”
“This is the most efficient,” Emma started talking, only to be cut off by Carla
“Yes, I know, I’ve seen the calculations as well,” she made her voice mockingly official “By using the ship not only as a means of transportation, but making the ship itself necessary goods for the fledgling colony, is the most efficient way of colonizing new worlds. Currently, the Empire has achieved 94,3% recyclability of the ship’s components towards equipping the new colony, from power plants to hulls to toilet in the captain’s cabin.”
“Oh. Didn’t know the last part. What happens to the toilet in the captain’s cabin?” asked Emma
“Becomes a toilet in governor’s house. Just as captain becomes governor,” replied Carla.
Emma chuckled. “So, the captain is recycled as well.”
“And i’ve seen the other proposals. You need ship big enough to fit O’Hare to her cargo bays. Apart from costs, you also need it to be able to take off from the planet after colonization. Original calculations put it the size of the sole planet, and it wasn’t abandoned because of the cost. It was abandoned that landing that beast would throw most of the planets off their orbit. Most of it were engines. Or, if you plan to put a ship on orbit, then the ship needs to hold hundreds of shuttles to get all things down and the fuel for them shuttles. Again, the size...”
“I know,” Emma. “And I agree, it’s a shame we have to cut her apart”
Carla nodded. “Just other options are much worse.”
Emma sighed, “Plus, to create a permanent colonizing ship, you’d need something else we are sorely lacking as well.”
“Colonizable planets?” inquired Carla
“Yes. Apart from Alpha Centauri, there are most likely few in the Uriy space, but apart from military incursion, we have no way of getting there,” replied Emma. “And the other planets around, well, aren’t nice. If you happen to be human, at least.”
The situation doesn't look too promising
“So,” said Carla, “We have a serious issue. Somehow, i don’t see Hauteville Empire settling with just three planets”
“Agreed,” nodded Emma, “But the good news is, we also have a solution. Or rather, a hope. Or even a plan with hope”
“?” was Carla’s reaction
“I was thinking of proposing that in the next cabinet meeting,” replied Emma, “But to me, the solution is obvious. We need to keep on surveying. I’m thinking of construction of new wormhole stations to the systems within our range. And after that, sending a corvette on initial survey run. They’ll pick up some new colonizable worlds for sure.” She paused for a moment, then added: “I hope”
“Well,” said Carla, thoughtfully. “It’s either that or we start modifying humans to be able to live in such extreme conditions. And we have no clue how... So, you’ll have my support. We will have to expand soon.”
Emma nodded. They continued to watch in silence as O’Hare put up distance between her old and new home.
Planetfall
Manfredo Hauteville-Sforza, brand new Star King of Tuscany, didn’t know anything about this conversation. And even if he did, he wouldn't have cared. He sat on the observation deck of O’Hare and watched as his old home diminished to nothing. Then, he went and looked for his captain-to-be-recycled-as-governor and went over the plans once again.
Tuscany, the biggest habitable planet known to humans, and it’s near perfect Earth-like conditions, would make more then a fitting third planet for the Hauteville Empire. And if things go according to Manfredo’s plan, the Nuovo Firenze, future capital of Tuscany and incidentally, a landing site for O’Hare, would become a center of industry, commerce and culture to all of the Hauteville Empire.
Until then, there is much to be done. But Manfredo was sure that he will rise up to the challenge. Well, he, the governor and the elected prime minister, forming a sort of triumvirate in ruling the planet. Wise, for one man can get funny ideas, but three men, not likely.
It was a long journey, and totally uneventful. It begun in May 2208 and the planetfall happened in September 2208, just when spring was arriving to Tuscany. Arable land, waiting for Earth-based seeds. Warm sun. Clear water of the Arno River. Tuscany got a real good start.
Arrival in Tuscany, Sirius System
And unfortunately, no. There are now some independent pirate fleets in Stellaris, but they are without species. So, i'm counting them as multi-species pirate clans. They don't attack though. More like different kind of space monsters, waiting to be destroyed and being totally passive.
