"The Cartels spread across the galaxy had gotten off to a worryingly slow start in the eyes of some experts. A lack of viable colony prospects, even the planet that was found is far from ideal and will likely cost the Cartel a lot to maintain in it's early development. Star systems infested with hostiles and a neighbour as powerful as they are strange known as the Homolog Continuum. However progress is made, technology reserached, the fleet expanded now the Cartel merely needs to make itself into a true galactic power so that our people never again want for anything."
Stardate: 02-01-2230
So let's see what they have for us, unlocking a new capital building as well as halls of judgement now that is tempting for the capital alone as it gives a nice boost to jobs and housing. Next is the extra research, always a safe bet followed by terraforming, oh my. Last but not least an extra boost to naval capacity. Terraforming would help make so many worlds in my borders worthwhile it does however take about 10 years to terraform a planet as I recall. As we already have at least one colony about to begin it's settlement, I opt to get us that new capital building by researching Colonial Centralisation.
It seems those injections from our quirky robotic neighbours actually had a distinctly positive effect giving us a 5% bonus to population growth and increasing our leaders lifespans by 10 years. Maybe they do know what they are doing after all?
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| Worked out better than expected. |
The city district on Vulpinus finishes construction but means we have no extra jobs for the rapidly growing population, so, time to make use of that building slot at last. Two options stand out as the most tempting for me right now, a stronghold for that extra naval capacity or an alloy foundry. For now as I have a lot of 'pest control' to get done I think I'll get the stronghold. Mainly as whilst I have a massive mineral surplus I don't really have the tech to make bigger fleets than 20 right now.
It seems a roving group of caravaneers have entered Cartel space babbling something about a goddess of fortune and sailing on cosmic energy (earning a decisive scowl from the Oligarch) I don't have a massive surplus of energy credits after opening that branch office so for now I tell them to move along. Just as the comm window closes the notification that our first colony ship has landed arrives, it's been a long time coming but we are finally out among the stars taking what is ours and eventually what is everyone elses too.
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| It took a long time but our first colony finally! |
More physics research complete giving us better shields (we'll install those shortly) so let us see what to aim for next. FTL inhibitors aren't really going to be useful until later, extra physics research as always a safe choice, more powerful blue lasers or an energy boosting edict and a new energy credit boosting structure. Given I want to start clearing out these mining drones and angry space crystals, lasers it is much to the barely contained glee of the present admiral. Made even happier when I update the Cunning-class design to incorporate the improved deflectors that we just researched and then retrofit them into the existing ships.
Time for another district on Vulpinus, we don't need minerals yet for a good while, we are also good on energy and housing so for the sake of future proofing lets throw another agriculture district down. Its at this point one of my science ships stumbles into what looks to be the central crystalline creature area and I think we are going to need much bigger guns to deal with them all. The Karazit system is marked as off-limits and the military begins planning on how best to deal with the crystalline menace infesting these newly scouted systems.
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| We definitely need bigger guns. |
The blue lasers research is complete and whilst there are plenty of good options in the list I am determined to improve my military so fusion reactors for my ships is chosen next. As the mineral stockpile hits capacity I opt to sell some of them off for more alloys to ensure I can keep building up my military and even build another star-base somewhere. I opt to reinforce the 1st fleet up to it's maximum capacity of 20 Cunning class corvettes as I prepare to head off into battle and deal with those mining drones.
The engineering division finishes researching it's further improvement to orbital mining stations, they also offer up a new ship hull as one of the options. With an ever widening grin on the admirals face the destroyer hull research begins in earnest, I think we are going to need them too. In the meantime the Hades colony finishes establishing now meaning we now have two planets properly, victory! Kind of.
I opt to allow the physics division to finish researching fusion reactors so I can retrofit them into the 1st fleet before sending them to clean out the mining drones in the Uzun system. They even give us some fun options for the next research project, they really are bucking for a promotion. Whilst extra research and FTL inhibitors pop up again, improved sensors and extra research alternatives are more interesting and of course I choose self-evolving logic to get that extra research alternative. Maybe that'll give the society researchers the chance of giving us more useful options. With the extra power I change the Cunning-class design to incorporate 2 blue lasers replacing 1 of the 2 mass drivers for now. As soon as the retrofit is done, it is time for battle.
Whilst waiting for that however the Uriy Suns crack down on crime, shutting down the branch office I had on their world. Now for a while I won't be able to do that again but it's not a massive concern right now. Our scientists discover a shrine to old Fox religions with talk of a great destroyer, whilst most dismiss those as nonsense from our ancient past however this thing has been in space longer than we have been so I decide to delve for answers.
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| This is too strange to not investigate, the Foxes may not be spiritual anymore but this has worrying ramifications. |
The course is set, the 1st fleet begins their journey toward their first battle the very first of many to come. It takes them almost a year to make the trip, in the meantime we select our next tradition further improving the resource output of specialist jobs. It's at this point we realise our intel was off by far, the drones are present in far greater numbers and strength than initially predicted. They are too close to the edge of the edge for the system to avoid detection as the drones scream into combat leaving the admiral little choice but to engage in kind.
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| The 1st fleet valiantly attempts to destroy the ancient mining drones despite being vastly outgunned and outnumbered. |
The battle rages on for several days, some ships manage to retreat before they are destroyed by the mining drones cutting beams, laser fire and mass driver rounds tear across the cosmos as the two fleets fight. The first fleet destroyed 6 enemy ships at the cost of 8 of our own, it could have been far worse had they stayed and fought, many of the drones were several times larger than our corvettes. The retreat was necessary lest we'd have lost all 20 ships, we'll return later with better firepower and finally clear our territory of pests.
And that brings us to the end of today's part, it ended a little more excitingly than most have with our first actual space battle, it will likely be the first of many to come. I do hope you enjoyed reading and as always I welcome all feedback, constructive criticism and support that gets sent my way! Watch this space for more Fox Cartel soon!
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