We have now, recently, created the Technological Capital. This is a good thing as it consolidates all research and does it all faster, twice as fast to be exact. Now, immediately after researching bigger and better Think buildings. With the current state of the economy, however, research is being started and stopped every time that our debt increases past half a trillion Big Croz. This occurs every other week, and effectively reduces our research by half. So we are back to where we were before the deficits began...
On the third week of the second month of the third year of expansion, we launched our first military vessel, and promptly gave it to the Torren for their own uses...for some reason they didn't want to buy it or trade for it...
Approximately four weeks later we learned how to make bigger and better Think buildings. Now, with the lack of normally suitable planets to inhabit, and the un-normal number of non-normally suitable planets about, several of them being poisonous or what other beings call "radioactive," Thinker was told to learn how to begin colonization to those "radioactive" planets.
"We will know how to begin to determine what planets we can send citizens to in about two months." Thinker said this with much conviction, as he sorta-kinda already had started this several weeks before between orders from Than'Al and only needed a small breakthrough to fully understand it.
"Watcher, Base, Report. Drengin High Fighter spotted going away from Torgal space. Looks to have Missile weapons but little defense. Sending specifications...end transmission."
So this is what the Drengin are going to be using. Perhaps we should send the Torren a few more Defendant class ships to help them guard against them...
"Watcher, Base, Report. Torren vessal, looks to be one of ours, the Defendant class. Looks to be chasing the Drengin High fighter into Krozan-Torren space. End transmission."
A week went by in silence, everyone wondering if the Drengin High Fighter and the Defendant would battle. It happened.
"Watcher, Base, Report. Drengin High Fighter and the Defendant vessal had conflict. The battle was short. Drengin High Fighter was destroyed. Defendant took little damage. End transmission."
The Defendant class is a battle proven vessal. Than'Al wondered just how long the Drengin would allow the superiority of the Defendant to remain...
More time went by...and then the Torren tried to extort currency from us. Currency we didn't even have. We of course rejected this, we didn't have it, and we could produce better ships then they could...
We turned around and made the following counter-offer.
"We will give you the secrets of Soil Enhancement in exchange for ALL of your weapon technology as well as 267 Big Croz." They accepted...
Thinker had a "eureka" moment about halfway through the sixth month of the third year of expansion. He had his breakthrough, and then reached a big problem. There were many types of worlds that they could try to send their citizens to. "Radioactive" world, and those that were of very high density, and thus had High Graviton Emissions. There are more of the later, but Than'Al wanted them to clonize those "radioactive" worlds near the other outlier colonies. Thinker thought silently for a short while and decided it was in his best interests to do as Than'Al asked...
Than'Al ordered the creation of a fleet of Defendants be created and offered to the Torren. They already have a singular Defendant, so four more would make a nice, round number of ships for them.
"Barter II to Homeworld, I see something interesting. I am sending you the information now, the Krozan look to be mobilizing..."
"...There are two of those in a pack. It is the only one I see right now, but I don't think it will be the last...Ending transmission."
So the Kroza have High Fighters too. And they are butting them into fleets and having them wander around together. Maybe the Torren convinced them to go to war to help them out against the Drengin?
"Hollows to Homeworld. Sensors have picked up a Krozan tradeship coming to us. Sending information now..."
"...ending transmission."
The week after sighting the Freighter, Thinker learned how to set up basic colonies on the radioactive worlds. Than'Al heard this and ordered the production of three Colonizer class ships immediately after the four Defendants are created.
Thinker thought he could make even better colonies on the radioactive worlds, and stayed on that task.
"Barter to Homeworld. I am seeing the Drengin High Fighters getting together into fleets now. Just letting you know. Ending transmission."
It seems like the Torren are going to be in need of the Defendants as soon as possible. The creation of the four ships will be done soon, already two of them are complete...
The Celestial engineers of Urlg reported to Than'Al that the last of the ordered fleet of Defendants would be finished in about three weeks. Then they would start on the three Colonizer ships.
At the beginning of the first week on the next to last month of the third year of expansion, we heard rumors that the Krozan are being extorted by the Drengin to keep the peace.
At the beginning of the last month of the year, we gave the Torren the four Defendant vessals for free. We will see how they fare together in battle soon.
At the first of the second month of the new year (now the fourth year of expansion) we sent out our first of three new Colonizer class ships, this one heading to the planet near Market Town.
The next week we heard that the Drengin and the Torren had signed a peace treaty. Probably this was sent by the Drengin seeing our Defendant ships in the hands of the Torren.
While speaking to the Torren about their treaty with the Drengin, we made a seemingly offensive gesture (to them) and accidentaly declared war on them.
"We are not prepared for war!" Than'Al shouted at Thinker. "MAKE US PREPARED!"
"But Than'Al, we do not know how to defend against our own ships! All of our weapons and armour are geared towards missiles and pellets. Give me a few weeks more to work on this, they do not know how to invade us yet."
Incidentally, at the same time as we declared war on the Torren, we had also convinced them to declare war on the Drengin. So they will be fighting on two fronts, we may just have a chance!
"Watcher.....ase...port. Under....tack....Def...ant...." That was all the Watcher was able to say before it was destroyed coldly by our own ship, the Defendant.
"The second Colonizer is away, we must switch our production from Colonization to Militarization." Thinker said this with obvious distain.
Than'Al thought about it. "No, shut down Celestial production on Urlg...we cannot afford to build them right now. Not yet...we need better weapons."
Thinker returned the next week with news that he could learn about how to defend against their own ships now. He started to learn about shields, and was determined to get a working ship out into the Celest as soon as possible.
SPIES! Enemies of the Torgalian empire have placed spies on several of our planets. Only four spies, but they are on our most advanced pieces of equipment, and are preventing them from working effectively...
We have increased spending to kill these spies, and should have them off of our worlds soon.
On the first of the seventh month, the Drengin declared war on us... This is truly a sad day...
"Instead of those pellet things, make lasers Thinker. We know that they are effective against the Drengin via the Defendant class ship, but we must move quickly..." Than'Al told him this hurridly, very concerend about being in a three-way war with the Drengin and the Torren.
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Moving toward Drengin world near our other planets. Facing high opposition. What are my orders?"
"Base to Defendant Alpha 1. Hold position outside of New Urlg. Refitting to newer model will proceed shortly. After refitting proceed to target."
A few weeks after Defendant Alpha 1 was refitted, the Kroza experienced a great internal conflict, as a civilization. It seems as though they have a new religion.
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Starbase detected, looks to have weapons. What are my orders?"
"Base to Defendant Alpha 1. You will not win if you conflict. Go around and attack the planet. Good luck. End transmission."
................
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Attacking strong singular opposition. Drengin Defender class ship with high Missile weaponry. Fireing now...."
"What is your status?" the Base fleet commander, Rosharn, asked. "Are you damaged?"
"No damage, on collision course, evading..."
"Defendant Alpha 1! Respond! What is going on!?"
~~A few minutes later~~
"I have been hit, light damage, but the Drengin is destroyed. It is over... what are my orders Commander?"
"Return home for repair. Ending transmission."
Rosharn reported to Thinker the results of the battle, who then reported to Than'Al. The Defendant M2 is a successful ship...
"Barter II to homeworld. I see two Drengin transports. I hope that they aren't coming home with me. Ending transmission."
Defendant Alpha 1 returned home to Urlg and found two other ships that looked just like it waiting. The pilot asked Rosharn what was going on and why only two other Defendant M2 ships were there.
"You have been chosen as the leader of this squadron. Because of your battle experience, you know how the Drengin think when in battle. And you have proven yourself worthy of leadership. Now get back into your ship and lead those other two in an assualt on the Drengin homeworld. Destroy all of their ships and then return home."
"Yes'sir!" And he returned to his ship, entered it, and flew off with the other two at his sides.
And so the Alpha Squadron was formed. With three Defendant M2 class ships. Six lasers and superior missile defenses.
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Sensors show a large number of fleets with pellet weaponry near the Drengin homeworld. What should we do?"
"Base to Alpha Squadron..." Rosharn said, "...continue your mission, if they give chase....run back to the homeworld. We will prepare a defense against them...ending transmission."
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Alpha Squadron engaging Drengin fleet near Drengin homeworld."
"Base to Defendant Alpha 1. Conflict understood. Report damage afterward."
...
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. We were successful. Defendant Alpha 3 took the brunt of their attacks and was nearly destroyed. The mass of fleets is coming toward us...returning to base at full speed. End transmission."
Alpha Squadron landed safely on Urlg. Instead of seeing defenses against the pellet weapons, they saw that even more Defendant M2 ships were being made. They were also told that a new weapon type was just discovered by Thinker. Instead of just having a small laser to fire, they could shoot balls of plasma at their enemies that would stick to the ships and burn through them, causing even more damage. They were happy about this and wanted to refit their ships with this new weapon immediately, it was scheduled.
They were refitted and all ship production was changed to the new Defendant M3 ship, which is cheaper then the M2 model.
Just after completing their refits, a Drengin troop transport was spotted near New Urlg. The new Defendant M3 ship was sent to New Urlg for defensive purposes before even being named, and the Alpha Squadron was sent to deal with the transport.
"Defendant Alpha 1 to Base. Conflict with Drengin transport beginning. Will report after. End transmission."
The Alpha Squadron was successful in their attack on the Drengin tranport. And the newest Defendant M3 ship was renamed the Defendant Beta 1 ship. It was then sent to the same position as the Defendant Alpha 1's first mission.
