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Oh you tease, leaving out the most important part! ;) (Or possibly just saving the best for last?)

Once the truth finally gets out to the general public, I imagine there is going to be quite a bit of collective soul-searching on humanity's part. Learning that your supposed "Benefactors" destroyed your ancestors' cognitive abilities and left them to fend for themselves would be quite the blow to many people's faith in their position in the grand cosmic hierarchy, even if it was ostensibly done for their own good.
 
Three science vessels, three destinies :: Part 2
ISS Ptolemy::Ship's Log::2221/11/13
Maria Quadrini::Captain's Log

I am now 49 years old. Over half that time I've spent in space and still we've only scratched the surface of what is out here. 19 years it's been since we first found something about the 'First League'. Well, technically it's been only 17 years, but Ekwensi couldn't spare the time to research it yet. And now here's me digging up a First League prison complex, decayed corpses of several species included. Still waiting on that film deal like Eduardo got though...


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The early 2220's were busy years for the discovery departments in the Solar Commonwealth. Not only did the Hubble reach the end of the 'Benefactors'-mystery, the other two science ships, Ptolemy and Gagarin, made new discoveries too. In 2217 Captain Ekwensi of the Gagarin discovered an anomaly related to the First League in the Grunthirst-system. However, as she was tasked with discovering the hyperlanes inbetween the Commonwealth and the Cydran Stewards as fast as possible she did not stop to research it. That task fell to the famous Hubble in 2223-2224, which was sent north afterwards to survey the last unknown systems between the two polities.

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Quadrini on the ISS Ptolemy had in the meantime discovered and researched a First League prison complex in the Beskell-system, to the southwest of the Uran Tokh-chokepoint. Some years before that she had also spotted evidence of a hidden asteroid facility in the Pesch-system. An asteroid collision observed in 2217 had made visible a small blast door in the larger asteroid. As with the Gagarin though, it was deemed more important to continue the survey of star systems rather than hunker down and immediately research the asteroid.

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The Gagarin under Captain Afiya Ekwensi made it's way west again during the 2220's, ending up in the S-C-Arm again through the northern hyperlane passage. Nothing of major interest was found, although the discovery of a crashed organic starship stirred the research community in 2225, mostly because the recent hype about the two 'First League'-discoveries had died down somewhat. It was the last discovery of the Gagarin the S-C-Arm before being ordered to the other side of the Commonwealth borders and the Outer Arm, after a layover at Alpha Colony.

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These discoveries remain quite intersting.
 
Yet more mysteries for the Commonwealth's scientists to uncover. A day where you learn something new is never a day wasted :)

Looks like expansion is coming along nicely as well, though it looks like the Cydrans might be trying to outflank you there in the "west."
 
Westerly neighbors
ISS Gagarin::Ship's Log::2228/09/30
Afiya Ekwensi::Captain's Log

Some people just get all the luck and the rest of us must make due with the scraps they left. Like me. You run into a mysterious derelict space megastructure, a gate of some sort, and what do you know, half a year later someone else makes contact with two new species in three weeks time. I swear, I can never get into the same room with that Quadrini-woman ever again because I won't be able to keep my cool and go a-raging.


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While the Ptolemy and the Hubble conducted their research on the First League the Solar Commonwealth expanded it's reach. In 2223 the tropical planet Yval 3, two hyperjumps north of Sol, was colonized and renamed New Africa.
In 2226 the upgrade of Reagg outpost to Starport was started, as it had become the next chokepoint where the borders of Commonwealth and Steward met.
As a result of the increased tension between the two nations ever since they started bordering eachother the Commonwealth navy in 2224 had upgraded their corvette design to the newest scientific standards, helped along by the discoveries made by the Hubble in the previous years. The hulls were now significantly stronger and they were now outfitted with the more powerful blue lasers. The fleet had already been expanded greatly, from 3 corvettes in 2200, to 10 just after first contact with the Stewards, to 15 in 2220.


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2220 was also the year Consul Wei Shen was reelected a second time. The 'Benefactor'-discoveries solidified support for his space exploration-agenda. The anxiousness about the Commonwealth's neighbor also made people prefer the leadership stability Wei Shen offered over the uncertain policies of a new consul.
He'd be reelected a third time in 2230, after Maria Quadrini aboard the ISS Ptolemy made first contact with two more spacefaring species two years before. While the science ship was surveying binary star system Raznum in the S-C-Arm she encountered two entirely different scouting vessels in the system within one month. By the end of 2229 humans had learned of the existence of both the Tycan Consciousness and the United T'Jell Tribes to the west of them.

The Tycan were somewhat analogous to Terran spiders or insects in shape, albeit much larger, slighly larger than most humans even. They were however more fungal in nature, with each individual cell capable of surviving on it's own for some time. They formed a hive mind, with a queen, soldiers and worker drones. Their territory lay exactly west of the Commonwealth.


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To the north of the Tycan, thus northwest of the Commonwealth were the systems belonging to the T'Jell Tribes. The T'Jell were the first species really comparable to humans. They were furry mammalians, but furry didn't mean cute or approachable. They weren't inherently xenophobic, but their outlook on life, as a society, was very different from humans. They were ruled by a sort of military junta and a powerful religious institution.

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Known space at the end of 2229.
 
It is getting crowded.
 
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well that is one sector barred for short-term future expansion
 
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I'm getting the distinct impression that Dr. Ekwensi is one of those "glass half-empty" types.

Also: More new neighbors! Prepare the gift baskets!
That is how it turned out for her. But she might still get a moment of glory.

Poor Dr. Ekwensi keeps wishing for interesting first contacts, I'm just happy no one's encountered a deep space monster yet. That'll be a very short first contact.
I am playing without Leviathans, so the real big monsters aren't on the menu. I didn't encounter the Rubricator either for now (played until 2240), so it's the minor space life that's left.
 
That is how it turned out for her. But she might still get a moment of glory.


I am playing without Leviathans, so the real big monsters aren't on the menu. I didn't encounter the Rubricator either for now (played until 2240), so it's the minor space life that's left.
just out of idle curiosity, why no leviathans?
it's an extremely fun dlc and although the war in heaven is royally borked it is still fun
 
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just out of idle curiosity, why no leviathans?
it's an extremely fun dlc and although the war in heaven is royally borked it is still fun

Basically, it breaks my suspension of disbelief. Somehow, my brain refuses to accept the possibility of void dragons and ethereal beings from the 'other' side... I can barely manage the Rubricator drake.
 
Basically, it breaks my suspension of disbelief. Somehow, my brain refuses to accept the possibility of void dragons and ethereal beings from the 'other' side... I can barely manage the Rubricator drake.
this is a game where aliens from another dimension try to eat the galaxy and psychics exist and can enter another dimension to make deals with demons, but it's space dragons that break suspension of disbelief? i wouldn't have guessed that would be the thing that tripped people up.
 
this is a game where aliens from another dimension try to eat the galaxy and psychics exist and can enter another dimension to make deals with demons, but it's space dragons that break suspension of disbelief? i wouldn't have guessed that would be the thing that tripped people up.
What can I say? All people are weird in some way.
 
I really hate to do this, but I have to announce this AAR dead. I guess I should have played a couple a of test campaigns to get back into Stellaris after the last two major patches. Although I have to say it wasn't just my lack of skill that made this campaign go downhill, but the RNG-gods were quite against me too I think.

I'm really annoyed it came to naught, but I'm sure I'll find another campaign to write about now that I've got the itch again.
 
No worries. That's the breaks sometimes.
 
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That's unfortunate :( Hoping we'll get a postscript to wrap things up -- even a losing campaign can be entertaining if spun the right way (to quote another game community I've participated in, "Losing is fun!") -- but I'll certainly understand if you choose not to.

In any case, even if you choose not to go down that route, here's to hoping for success in your next endeavor! :)
 
Tis a pity Qorten but a fun ride while it lasted. I look forward to hitching in the back bay and riding in your next starship adventure!
 
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