Let's Play Stellaris: Part 40 - The Threat Emerges

"They are the greatest threat this galaxy has ever likely faced." - First Fleet Admiral Numeria Manilius

Stardate: 30-07-2446

They had once been no more than a street gang trying to survive, huddled in a single derelict building hiding from corrupt enforcers and other gangs. Now, they were the rulers of a vast interstellar empire spanning dozens of star-systems, many however felt their true test was yet to arrive, as the Cartel continued clandestine attempts to prepare for the threat they had yet to find much less face.

Economic growth and scientific breakthroughs marked the period very much as a golden age which seemed to show no signs of slowing or stopping. That, however, was until the Husko Raiders a band of marauders not unlike the New Dyss Khanate had been decided in 2448 to demand tribute from the Cartel. Whilst long ago the Cartel often paid the Dyss simply due to the economic cost of fighting a greater adversary was deemed too great compared to a paltry offering of minerals or food. The Husko, however, were afforded nothing but a tersely worded warning that any attempt to raid Cartel space would be repulsed with lethal force.

The board informed military command and border defences were put on alert as the first and third fleets were deployed toward Hagawa and Bitrius, deemed the likely entry points into Cartel Space should they attempt an incursion. The unblooded fourth fleet was held in reserve on the off-chance they Husko entered Cartel territory from another unexpected direction. Their underworld connections proved useful in identifying the raider's target as the Menchib system, a former Uriy Suns colony now under direct rulership of the Cartel. The first fleet was quickly redirected to intercept them as they moved through Alvothari Hegemony space, something which had been deemed unlikely, to begin with.

2451 saw the refinery world of Glump subjected to an orbital bombardment before the first fleet could arrive in time to stop the Husko Raiders, however, it was a mistake on their part. The first fleet crashed into them before they could reposition and promptly rendered them into nought but a cloud of scrap metal. Not a single survivor was left to return to the Husko with any of their ill-gotten gains, no longer would anyone take from the Cartel without paying for it in credits or blood.

The first fleet makes quick work of the Husko raiders leaving no survivors.

The Husko, however, were rated more as a minor inconvenience as later in that very year subspace tracking stations detected something far more alarming. Deep in intergalactic space sensor echoes were detected approaching the galaxy, was this the threat the Homolog had warned about or something else entirely? The knowledge was kept out of public knowledge, it is deemed too risky to share at the risk of causing a panic. Defensive preparations were stepped up in earnest and plans for the first titan class ship to be constructed were accelerated.

The Cartel's economy was pushed to breaking point as they attempted to rush ahead with as many projects as possible, plunging their formally vast mineral wealth into nothing as mining districts on new worlds remained empty as population growth hadn't kept up with the expansion. Also during 2452, a research AI on Vulpinus had seemingly destroyed itself and an investigation into the cause was launched given the importance the Cartel placed on research and technology. Seemingly caused by its assessment of the success of any wars with Cartel rivals resulting in mutually assured destruction no matter how many times it simulated it the AI terminated itself causing more checks and balances to be put in place to avoid the loss of expensive AI in future.

In 2453, the subspace echoes detected heading toward the galaxy were clearer, smaller advance elements moving toward Prime Wardens space in the galactic south. Whilst the Cartel engaged in meetings almost daily about various contingencies and attack plans, some still held out hope it might be friendly visitors. Messages warning the Prime Wardens fell on deaf ears however so all the Cartel could do was wait and prepare for the worst.

Communication between the galaxy and the new visitors proves impossible. 

As the year progressed the source of the sub-space echoes finally entered the galaxy, an initial attempt at communication saw translation software and linguistics teams utterly fail to establish any kind of dialogue with the visitors. Weeks passed as the best minds among the Cartel attempted to breach the communication barrier but it was aborted when reports of systems along the galactic rim being attacked by these invaders began to flood in. The sub-space echoes and their numbers pointed toward an invasion of the galaxy itself.

Dubbed by most of the galaxy as the Prethoryn Scourge due to several repeated phrases coughed up by translation software across the galaxy and their clearly hostile intent it was clear to the entire galaxy. This was the single largest threat ever faced by all but the fallen empires such as the Yeon and Homolog.

In a matter of months, they had obliterated installations in three Prime Warden systems and occupied two of them whilst a pre-emptive strike would have been wise the fact their foothold was on the other side of the galaxy made it difficult for the Cartel to even reach the affected systems due to the myriad of empires who had closed their borders to the Cartel.

After some skilful negotiating with the Prime Wardens, a deal was reached to share real-time sensor information, allowing the Cartel to assess the extent of the threat. What they discovered however was more terrifying than even their darkest nightmares could have prepared them for.

Dubbed the Prethoryn Scourge, their vast fleets of organic ships pose the single greatest threat ever faced to the galaxy much less the Cartel.

Vast fleets of organic ships that even on their own dwarfed the entire Cartel navy were roving across the galaxy. A state of emergency was immediately declared further straining the still struggling economy as the Cartel attempted to prepare to weather a storm so vast that even the most optimistic projections ended in the near total extinction of all life in the galaxy.

If you missed the last part, you can find it here!