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Chapter 4: Ivan's Isolationism
The following two decades are marked with the Empire's focus quickly turning entirely inwards, especially since 2216, as the date now formally marking the beginning of the period known as Ivan's Isolationism. The Emperor watched over expansion up the Orion-Cygnus Arm towards the core and a tremendous buildup of Imperial economy in controlled space as a way to build the economic base with which to support military efforts in the future. In hindsight, speculation on what may have been done differently throughout that period and what policy changes should perhaps have happened are rampant among historians; however, with these being humanity's first steps into galactic diplomacy, few can blame Ivan I for his caution or accuse him to have lacked forsight.
Many changes were introduced into Imperial administration following Tony Dillard's return as the head of the Institute of Sociology. Having completed plans for increased border projection along with the Admiralty, Dillard began working with the Emperor's advisory staff to create an adaptive system of case-by-case governance in Imperial sectors, and soon after helping efforts to centralize power in the colonies around the Duke-Governors and their bureaus.
The Institute of Physics focused on its primary objective and researched into more effective sources of power, miniaturizing Cold Fusion reacotrs for on-ship use and following up with improved power plant designs thanks to the previous discoveries. The Institute of Engineering was made to focus on naval armaments, including improved armor and alternative means of dealing damage, such as long-range torpedos.
All the Institutes also took part in an Association-wide push to expand and improve their on-planet research facilities.
On the diplomatic front, the Emperor tried his hand in playing along with the aliens, though always braced for eventual border conflict with the Saathids. In 2215, as an act of good will, the Empire traded star charts with the Ethnari, learning of an as-yet unidentified civilization in the inner arm of our galaxy. These were contected by us in 2216 and identified as the Galactic Hiffnar Regime. The Hiffnar are a physically imposing, highly individualistic species with a tribal past, valuing warrior traditions and competitiveness. However prone to expanding and quickly growing in power, the Hiffnar did not however have much influence over happenings in our spiral arm for long time since.
The date officially marking the start of the isolationistic period came before contacting the Hiffnar, though, and it is July 2216. Then, efforts by the Lathrepian Commonwealth had concluded to form a permanent alliance with their trading partners, the Entheri Assembly. It was not the Lathrepian way to antagonize and conquer their weaker neighbour, but they instead exerted economic dominance, the smaller empire having no room to grow and becoming dependent on Lathrepians. The Saathids soon began dimplomatic efforts to be included in the newly founded Righteous League, and of course, Imperial diplomats were instructed to halt these efforts. The rivalry between Saathids and humans had thus come into light, the two empires recalling embassies and vying for the attention of the Lathrepians.
In the face of the forming block, Imperial navy had been expanded to include ten Defender-class vessels, but the Emperor had to conclude that any prolonged war operations simply had to wait for the economy to grow, so that further expansion of the fleet does not cause the same energy problem Terra had to face back in pre-Unification days. Thus, the Empire kept expanding core-ward rather than risk incursions into Saathid space.
The expanded fleet was soon found needed, as the Hilthara and Zulei Cro systems turned out to be heavily infested with crystalline entities, Imperial Navy growing accustomed to battling them as the systems had been methodically cleared out during 2216-2218.
Over truth, victory
Imperial Science Officers continued their explorations of the post-Cybrex region. HMS Kardashev, now captained by Florencia Garcia, reported scans of an intact structure within the atmosphere of the gas giant Dojack IV, so deep within in fact that atmospheric pressure did not allow the vessel to approach for visual analysis. Garcia also found two Cybrex warforms orbiting the moon of a terrestrial (and indeed, soon marked for colonization) planet, Tiamat III. Analysis of their position and damage sustained seemed to indicate that the vessels turned on one another and were destroyed in this inter-Cybrex conflict, which poses questions as to the fate and disappearence of their collective. Garcia also found alien writing covering the barren Onab IV.
2215 is considered by the biographers of Count You Wu to mark the beginning of darker period in the scientist's life. Always having been quick to pose brave hypotheses (as the one to propose, for example, the possibility of terraforming Mars), it seems that years spent exploring the void and learning of the other sentients nearby, as well as, some say, his drive to compete with humanity's other explorers, made him begin to grow increasingly paranoid. He saw manipulations of other sentient species everywhere he looked, and some of his reports needed to be covertly amended by his second in command, Enrique Ortiz. If not for his eventual untimely demise, this paranoia may have led to a completely different image of the great scientist, but the nature of his death seems to some a justification of these growing delusions. Still, Wu was the one to describe the ecosystems of many planets, including the Proto-civilization on Yrgel II, and the source of many exciting announcements on habitable planets found throughout the arm, provoking changes in our models of the development of early biological life as well as garnering popular support and funding for xenobiological studies. In 2222, his trusted advisor Enrique Ortiz was promoted for his contributions and given command of another Enlightenment-class vessel, the HMS Forsight. This, however, made some of Wu's more baseless ideas come to light in academic circles. Still, Wu's insight was indispensable in identifying neurological processes in what we now know as "Void Clouds," once again proving his capacity for unconventional thinking a great asset.
Garcia also made a fascinating discovery on the faraway arctic world of Haldebaana IV, locating some well-preserved Cybrex ruins, but also noting a marked-out, untouched rectangular area on the surface. It appears, for whatever reason, that the Cybrex organized a preserve for sentient organic life and placed it under observation. However, once the Cybrex were gone, the planet's harsh conditions claimed the lives of the organics also, as presumably they were not native to this environment and depended on Cybrex technology for survival.
On a different front, the observation post over Utpol Zajkax, the homeworld of the Rixi, had their hands full. In late 2219, the industrious species established a multi-national organization for combating the human incursions, necessitating much more rigid security measures on the side of the post's staff. Perhaps more amazingly, the Rixi managed to concentrate their efforts in technological advancement and greatly hasten their efforts, as evidenced by the surprised scientists registering, for the first time, radio transmissions originating from one of Zajkaxian nations not two years afterwards. They also made rapid progress with aircraft technology, apparently hoping to find something able to counter human research vessels they sometimes spotted. These observations put the administration overseeing the Rixi operations on high alert, and more direct action might have been taken sooner if the Empire's attention hadn't been needed elsewhere.
The core-ward expansion of humanity included further colonization efforts as well. In 2218, the Frontier-class ship HMS Jove established the colony of Extensa in the Yrgel system. The territory required an outpost to be established over Ibacca so civilian economy could flourish with a stable and safe connection to the rest of the Empire. Two years later, HMS Ishtar made landing in the now-secure system of Nunki, not far from the first human colony in Faltus, establishing the colony of Latia. This grew the potential for mining and research tremendously and so the main focus of the Empire remained in continued growth further and further north. The Imperial Navy was also continuously employed far from Terra, proceeding to battle more remnants of Cybrex mining operations and being tested against a Void Cloud in Reagg.
Imperial expansion circa 2222
In 2223, Imperial diplomacy with the Lathrepian Commonwealth finally failed and the Saathids were allowed into the Righteous League. To give the ambassadors credit, they delayed the process for almost a decade, despite clear common interests between Saathids and their trade partners within the League. The Empire's underhanded tactics of blackening the Saathid Concordat's image and intentions meant that, once invited, the Saathids also had means to retaliate diplomatically and succeed in alienating humanity. The Empire, on the ither hand, was busy enough with building up its infrastructure and made a point of being entirely self-sufficient, an unattractive trading partner to the Lathrepian Commonwealth. In its stubborn isolation, the tensions with the Concordat could only deepen.
Great update. I really like the history book-esque style with the wonderful screenshots too. It looks like, perhaps--you might be able to oscillate between competing traditions after Ivan leaves. Will his champions continue isolationism? And what will isolationism ultimately reap? The last sentence is certainly ominous.
We shall see...
We shall see...
Very interesting start, I like the more xenophobe approach in contrast to most other AARs I have read. I wonder how aggressive you are going to pursue this in the near future.