This definitely ought to be interesting--especially with the Unbidden being that far away from you. In one of my games, they showed up and an alliance immediately formed to stop them. I'll be intrigued to see how far the problem gets here.
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The distance does make it interesting... Especially since this is pre-Asimov, so I'm border-locked out of contributing anything to the fight. But President MacDougall has her own ideas on how to prepare, that might be a bit shocking 
I can't believe I missed this for so long! I'm so glad to see the Very Very Very Very Long Lasting Lombards lasting this long. I'm only a few episodes in, although I did accidentally read a few Unbidden spoilers.
Subbed.
Subbed.
End game crises. The worst part of the game in my opinion. But it will be an interesting story to follow.
End game crises. The worst part of the game in my opinion. But it will be an interesting story to follow.
Hey, at least in Clarke the AI will actually fight them!
With a name like Reagan, I expect humanity to initiate "Star Wars" against the Unbidden.
With a name like Reagan, I expect humanity to initiate "Star Wars" against the Unbidden.
I was going to say demon possession, but this isn't CK2.
Hunters From the Void, Part 2
2330 - 2344 AD: The Unbidden Threat Grows
Posturing For War
ENC Headquarters, Earth Orbit -- February 19, 2331
"Your arguments are based on little more than sentiment, Madam Secretary... I understand that you're against this, but you can't argue that it's our wisest course of action."
ENC President Reagan MacDonnell addressed Kerstin Schwarz, the Secretary General of the United Nations. Although the President of the Coalition technically had no official advisory body or legislature, it had become an accepted tradition that the ranking political, scientific, and military leaders of the Coalition frequently advised the President on important issues. Schwarz, along with others, had gathered above Earth at ENC Headquarters to discuss MacDonnell's newest proposal for fighting the Unbidden.
"The Karabnar were our first friends and allies in space, and there are minority Karabnar populations on Sant Mikael and Olympia. How do you think they -- let alone the people on Earth, who view the Karabnar as valued friends -- react to this?"
MacDonnell gestured to the viewscreen at the end of the conference room, which displayed a map of the ENC and its neighboring territory.
"Just look," she said calmly, "The Earth Naval Coalition has continued to spread thanks to our victories over the Uri Dominion. We've incorporated multiple new worlds into our rule, and each new conquest has brought new resources, facilities, and more expansion to our naval forces. Our power is at an all-time high, greater than it has been at any point in our existence."
"The President is correct," added the elderly Tuxkan, Admiral Jesslur, "Thanks to our new lance weaponry and advanced missiles and torpedoes, our military equipment substantially outclasses both the Karabnar and Genoggian fleets."
"We have, simply put, outgrown our allies." MacDonnell nodded slowly, even as Secretary Schwarz grimaced.
"This will not sit well on Earth," she muttered.
"It will have to," countered MacDonnell, "We have grown strong, while the Genoggians and Karabnar have stagnated. You've seen the Unbidden ships blasting through the Ess'Jaggon Empire, and you've seen those ancient empires with their deadly weaponry... We cannot afford to be held down by two weak allies. The Celimy are one of the strongest nations in the galaxy, and they have the territory, population, and military to back that up. Lady Protector uvi-Mava has already said that she is willing to accept us into their alliance with the Otaga Associated Planet States. If we join our power to theirs, we'll be able to project far more power -- enough that we could face down the Bokasherans for the Eadominar Republic, or try and grab space from the Mathin or the Hathgum."
"And the rest of you... You're ok with this?" Schwarz could feel that she was quickly losing support in the room.
"We are," said General Andras Voros, "The Karabnar have been great friends, and we don't want to see any hostilities with them. But if the Unbidden manage to break through their opposition out in the west and come eastward, we're going to need strong allies to hold out against them. It's in our best interest to gather the toughest nations we can under a single banner, or there might not be any hope at all, once they come calling."
The expression on Schwarz's face was unhappy, but it was clear that she understood her position. She was in the minority, and both the President and her closest military aides were in agreement over leaving the Free Star Alliance to seek a new pact with the Celimy Sovereignty. Dejected, but unwilling to start a larger fight over it, she nodded slowly with a quiet sigh.
Not long afterward, the decision was announced. The Earth Naval Coalition withdrew from the Free Star Alliance, which would now consist only of the Confederacy of Karabon and the Genoggian United Holdings. This lead to the creation of the Federation of Democratic Stars, with the Coalition joining the Celimy Sovereignty and the Otaga Associated Planet-States. With a new enemy rising, Earth had forged a new alliance.
Drawing Blood
While the ENC was moving about looking to forge a powerful alliance, the nations of the galactic west were faced with the growing threat of the Unbidden. As more systems fell to their powerful warfleets, the forces of the Ess'Jaggon Empire, and the Ikarzuri Polity continued to wage hit-and-run attacks against the armed defense stations left in the invasion's wake. It was a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, as their combined fleets would jump into a system, destroy any Unbidden facilities they could find, and then warp to another location before retaliation could come. Given the almost instantaneous nature of the Unbidden's travel -- it seemed that they could almost teleport, rather than warp -- the lack of immediate retaliation remained puzzling.
But while the Unbidden's neighbors were shooting at their stations, the Yssravannar Republican Stars -- arguably one of the most powerful nations in the west end of the galaxy and certainly on par with the Celimy, became the first to directly engage the Unbidden's starships in combat. A large strike force of Republic warships intercepted an Unbidden fleet in the Lawam Sector, where the first recorded pitched battle between Unbidden and galactic space forces took place. The Yssravannar committed a great deal of resources and manpower to the assault, throwing a large portion of its active fleet into the engagement. A long series of battles stretched on, as neighboring regions watched eagerly for the result.
It took many weeks of bitter fighting and a great many warships, but the Yssravannar fleet became the first in the galaxy to prove that the Unbidden were not invincible, destroying their armada at a high cost of life. The victory gave hope to the Unbidden's nearest victims, who had now seen that their forces could be defeated. However, this was just one fleet among many similar ones, and it had taken most of the Republic's military resources to defeat it. Whether not the entire Unbidden invasion could be stopped remained to be seen; the threat was far from removed.
2330 - 2344 AD: The Unbidden Threat Grows
Posturing For War
ENC Headquarters, Earth Orbit -- February 19, 2331
"Your arguments are based on little more than sentiment, Madam Secretary... I understand that you're against this, but you can't argue that it's our wisest course of action."
ENC President Reagan MacDonnell addressed Kerstin Schwarz, the Secretary General of the United Nations. Although the President of the Coalition technically had no official advisory body or legislature, it had become an accepted tradition that the ranking political, scientific, and military leaders of the Coalition frequently advised the President on important issues. Schwarz, along with others, had gathered above Earth at ENC Headquarters to discuss MacDonnell's newest proposal for fighting the Unbidden.
"The Karabnar were our first friends and allies in space, and there are minority Karabnar populations on Sant Mikael and Olympia. How do you think they -- let alone the people on Earth, who view the Karabnar as valued friends -- react to this?"
MacDonnell gestured to the viewscreen at the end of the conference room, which displayed a map of the ENC and its neighboring territory.
"Just look," she said calmly, "The Earth Naval Coalition has continued to spread thanks to our victories over the Uri Dominion. We've incorporated multiple new worlds into our rule, and each new conquest has brought new resources, facilities, and more expansion to our naval forces. Our power is at an all-time high, greater than it has been at any point in our existence."
"The President is correct," added the elderly Tuxkan, Admiral Jesslur, "Thanks to our new lance weaponry and advanced missiles and torpedoes, our military equipment substantially outclasses both the Karabnar and Genoggian fleets."
"We have, simply put, outgrown our allies." MacDonnell nodded slowly, even as Secretary Schwarz grimaced.
"This will not sit well on Earth," she muttered.
"It will have to," countered MacDonnell, "We have grown strong, while the Genoggians and Karabnar have stagnated. You've seen the Unbidden ships blasting through the Ess'Jaggon Empire, and you've seen those ancient empires with their deadly weaponry... We cannot afford to be held down by two weak allies. The Celimy are one of the strongest nations in the galaxy, and they have the territory, population, and military to back that up. Lady Protector uvi-Mava has already said that she is willing to accept us into their alliance with the Otaga Associated Planet States. If we join our power to theirs, we'll be able to project far more power -- enough that we could face down the Bokasherans for the Eadominar Republic, or try and grab space from the Mathin or the Hathgum."
"And the rest of you... You're ok with this?" Schwarz could feel that she was quickly losing support in the room.
"We are," said General Andras Voros, "The Karabnar have been great friends, and we don't want to see any hostilities with them. But if the Unbidden manage to break through their opposition out in the west and come eastward, we're going to need strong allies to hold out against them. It's in our best interest to gather the toughest nations we can under a single banner, or there might not be any hope at all, once they come calling."
The expression on Schwarz's face was unhappy, but it was clear that she understood her position. She was in the minority, and both the President and her closest military aides were in agreement over leaving the Free Star Alliance to seek a new pact with the Celimy Sovereignty. Dejected, but unwilling to start a larger fight over it, she nodded slowly with a quiet sigh.
Not long afterward, the decision was announced. The Earth Naval Coalition withdrew from the Free Star Alliance, which would now consist only of the Confederacy of Karabon and the Genoggian United Holdings. This lead to the creation of the Federation of Democratic Stars, with the Coalition joining the Celimy Sovereignty and the Otaga Associated Planet-States. With a new enemy rising, Earth had forged a new alliance.
Drawing Blood
While the ENC was moving about looking to forge a powerful alliance, the nations of the galactic west were faced with the growing threat of the Unbidden. As more systems fell to their powerful warfleets, the forces of the Ess'Jaggon Empire, and the Ikarzuri Polity continued to wage hit-and-run attacks against the armed defense stations left in the invasion's wake. It was a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, as their combined fleets would jump into a system, destroy any Unbidden facilities they could find, and then warp to another location before retaliation could come. Given the almost instantaneous nature of the Unbidden's travel -- it seemed that they could almost teleport, rather than warp -- the lack of immediate retaliation remained puzzling.
But while the Unbidden's neighbors were shooting at their stations, the Yssravannar Republican Stars -- arguably one of the most powerful nations in the west end of the galaxy and certainly on par with the Celimy, became the first to directly engage the Unbidden's starships in combat. A large strike force of Republic warships intercepted an Unbidden fleet in the Lawam Sector, where the first recorded pitched battle between Unbidden and galactic space forces took place. The Yssravannar committed a great deal of resources and manpower to the assault, throwing a large portion of its active fleet into the engagement. A long series of battles stretched on, as neighboring regions watched eagerly for the result.
It took many weeks of bitter fighting and a great many warships, but the Yssravannar fleet became the first in the galaxy to prove that the Unbidden were not invincible, destroying their armada at a high cost of life. The victory gave hope to the Unbidden's nearest victims, who had now seen that their forces could be defeated. However, this was just one fleet among many similar ones, and it had taken most of the Republic's military resources to defeat it. Whether not the entire Unbidden invasion could be stopped remained to be seen; the threat was far from removed.
Outgrowing your old allies... Well, can't say I'm shocked. Now we play the waiting game to see how long it takes the ENC to conquer their former friends.
It's unfortunate that the Karabnar had to be abandoned, seeing as I liked them as an ally. If the Unbidden do break east, it will probably have been a good choice though.
I love the Karabnar too -- my first-ever Stellaris aliens! Relations are still friendly, but this was a necessary move... Fighting the Unbidden with just them and the Genoggians for allies would have been a lost cause, for sure.
I did not realize you started the Stellaris AAR until now! Just finished bingeing what you've written and really like your writing style. It kind of hurts to see you annul your alliance with the Karabnar. Maybe you could make them and the Genoggians your vassals? Good luck with the Unbidden and other potential enemies, and let's hope you don't die a slow and painful death like in the steep horde AAR!
I did not realize you started the Stellaris AAR until now! Just finished bingeing what you've written and really like your writing style. It kind of hurts to see you annul your alliance with the Karabnar. Maybe you could make them and the Genoggians your vassals? Good luck with the Unbidden and other potential enemies, and let's hope you don't die a slow and painful death like in the steep horde AAR!
That wasn't slow and painful, that was one sudden violent slaying
True. Also, have you considered writing about the religious reaction to extraterrestrial life? I think the Christian churches would react dramatically to the discovery of aliens which are obviously not Christians.That wasn't slow and painful, that was one sudden violent slaying
Hunters From the Void, Part 3
2344 - 2360 AD: Cutting the Galaxy in Half
The Unbidden Sail On
The arrival of the Unbidden was met with caution and curiosity by the local interstellar empires, who quickly learned that these interdimensional travelers were a powerful enemy bent on their annihilation. In the decades following their mysterious invasion of this dimension, a series of guerrilla conflicts erupted at the intersection of the Ess'Jaggon Empire, Ikarzuri Polity, and Imperial Tendra-Zuhn Regions as the Unbidden invaded their immediate neighbors. Their fleets were incapable of besting the Unbidden ships in direct combat, but they continually jumped from system to system in an attempt to destroy their outposts and defensive stations in their conquered systems. Despite this, the war was an exercise in futility, with the Unbidden gaining ground at a steady pace.
In 2346, the Unbidden took their first decisive move.
Simultaneously, two large Unbidden fleets split off to the north and south, charting a course for the home systems of the Ikarzuri Polity and the Ess'Jaggon Empire. Methodically, their ships combed each system and destroyed every defensive outpost, resource station, and starbase in each system. And within a period of two years, from 2347 - 2349, they closed in on the Ess'Jaggon and Ikarzuri homeworlds. The effects were almost instantaneous -- the fleet would circle the planet and enter into a wide orbit before releasing an unknown dimensional weapon. The nature of the weaponry remained unknown, but the effect could not be ignored; every single sentient lifeform on the planet was annihilated in a matter of days. The prospering homeworlds of two empires were left all but deserted, save for a few units of robotic workers who were spared destruction.
The Unbidden could no longer be taken lightly -- so severe was their threat that the isolated Eruxo Ascendancy, the ancient empire which had clashed with its neighboring states over territorial borders, sent their own fleets to engage the Unbidden and drive them off.
Individually, the Eruxo's warships were powerful and likely outclassed the Unbidden vessels; however, the Eruxo lacked sufficient numbers to adequately contest their fleet in open combat. The first two Eruxo fleets sent to assault the Unbidden were utterly destroyed, and the Ascendancy backed off to continue focusing on neighboring empire-states.
Building A Strong Front
While the western empires were face-to-face with the Unbidden, the nations of the galactic east had the benefit of time to prepare for the inevitable assault. Under the leadership of President Reagan MacDonnell, the Earth Naval Coalition had left its alliance with the Genoggians and the Karabnar, preferring to enter into the newly-formed Federation of Democratic Stars with the extremely powerful Celimy Sovereignty and the Otaga Associated Planet-States. With the Unbidden still out in the west, the FDS began taking steps to chip away at their nearest and largest rival, the Bokasheran United Systems, in order to strengthen their own military and economic potential in preparation for the Unbidden's eventual campaign into the east. In 2344 AD, they declared their invasion of the Bokasherans and their allies, marking the first war between the Federation of Democratic Stars and the Propitious Entente.
When the massive Celimy fleet entered the Sol system in preparation for the war, it became abundantly clear that this was a war on a whole new scale, that far dwarfed the Coalition's previous conflicts. The Celimy Sovereignty was widely considered one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy, and they had the fleet to back it up. The Bokasherans, on the other hand, were on the wrong end of the balance of power; while their fleet was capable of matching the ENC or the Celimy individually, together their strength was significantly superior; and the Bokasheran's allies were particularly weak.
The first target of the war effort was the tiny Eadominar Republic, the last sovereign nation of Uri people, which President MacDonnell coveted for the ENC. The Bokasherns could not rapidly deploy their fleet over such a distance, and they preferred to keep their strongest fleets back from this initial engagement. As a result, the occupation of the Republic became a dramatic demonstration of the FDS' power, as its massive combined navies stormed through Eadominar space and overran the Uri planets, spearheaded by the Celimy's large army of conventional, robotic, and genetically-modified soldiers.
Despite this overwhelming victory, the Eadominar Republic was the smallest of the FDS' enemies, and the Bokasheran United Systems and the Sovereign Domanna Colonies, which bordered one another, remained prepared to fight off an advance on their home territory.
The Bokasherans, in particular, had a large and powerful starfleet. In an attempt to gain a surprise advantage over them, Admiral Eudokia Cholevas took advantage of her fleet's long-range warp drives, crossing the gap between spiral arms to warp directly into Acir'Raka, the capital system of the Bokasherans. There, they could strike directly at the heart of their largest enemy -- Admiral Cholevas hoped to end the war before a protracted series of fleet battles could begin.
The plan was successful; the Bokasheran 8th Battle Group was outmatched by the full invasion fleet of the FDS' attack force, and was defeated in spite of a bitter and bloody battle. While they did succeed in destroying several vessels, including one Coalition Battleship, they were beaten back and forced to retreat in an attempt to link up with the rest of their comrades.
The Domanna suffered a similar fate -- as their battlefleet attempted to pass through allied space to rendezvous with the main Bokasheran counter-attack, they were intercepted by Coalition and Celimy ships mid-route. Although they attempted to flee, they were at a substantial disadvantage and were destroyed outright, leading to the occupation of both the Bokasheran and Domanni homeworlds.
With their capital worlds occupied by crack Celimy troops and their fleets scattered in disarray, the Propitious Entente negotiated their surrender in 2354 AD. The ENC claimed two of the Eadominar Republic's three worlds, with the final one in the Haduphis system being integrated into the Bokasheran United Systems, resulting in the Haduphis system being split between the BUS and ENC. The Celimy Sovereignty occupied the Pleione system along the Celimy-Bokasheran border, including the planet Gal'Suposk, heavily populated by a mix of Bokasheran and Karabnar people. The smaller Otaga Associated Planet-States claimed economic reparations from the defeated nations.
As a result, both the Celimy Sovereignty and Earth Naval Coalition expanded their territorial base at the expense of their mutual neighbor and rival. While the Golden Axis remained untouchable, the FDS had taken a step toward becoming a rival allied power in the region. Still, if the Unbidden made it to the east, it remained unknown if the combined large regional powers could withstand them...
2344 - 2360 AD: Cutting the Galaxy in Half
The Unbidden Sail On
The arrival of the Unbidden was met with caution and curiosity by the local interstellar empires, who quickly learned that these interdimensional travelers were a powerful enemy bent on their annihilation. In the decades following their mysterious invasion of this dimension, a series of guerrilla conflicts erupted at the intersection of the Ess'Jaggon Empire, Ikarzuri Polity, and Imperial Tendra-Zuhn Regions as the Unbidden invaded their immediate neighbors. Their fleets were incapable of besting the Unbidden ships in direct combat, but they continually jumped from system to system in an attempt to destroy their outposts and defensive stations in their conquered systems. Despite this, the war was an exercise in futility, with the Unbidden gaining ground at a steady pace.
In 2346, the Unbidden took their first decisive move.
Simultaneously, two large Unbidden fleets split off to the north and south, charting a course for the home systems of the Ikarzuri Polity and the Ess'Jaggon Empire. Methodically, their ships combed each system and destroyed every defensive outpost, resource station, and starbase in each system. And within a period of two years, from 2347 - 2349, they closed in on the Ess'Jaggon and Ikarzuri homeworlds. The effects were almost instantaneous -- the fleet would circle the planet and enter into a wide orbit before releasing an unknown dimensional weapon. The nature of the weaponry remained unknown, but the effect could not be ignored; every single sentient lifeform on the planet was annihilated in a matter of days. The prospering homeworlds of two empires were left all but deserted, save for a few units of robotic workers who were spared destruction.
The Unbidden could no longer be taken lightly -- so severe was their threat that the isolated Eruxo Ascendancy, the ancient empire which had clashed with its neighboring states over territorial borders, sent their own fleets to engage the Unbidden and drive them off.
Individually, the Eruxo's warships were powerful and likely outclassed the Unbidden vessels; however, the Eruxo lacked sufficient numbers to adequately contest their fleet in open combat. The first two Eruxo fleets sent to assault the Unbidden were utterly destroyed, and the Ascendancy backed off to continue focusing on neighboring empire-states.
Building A Strong Front
While the western empires were face-to-face with the Unbidden, the nations of the galactic east had the benefit of time to prepare for the inevitable assault. Under the leadership of President Reagan MacDonnell, the Earth Naval Coalition had left its alliance with the Genoggians and the Karabnar, preferring to enter into the newly-formed Federation of Democratic Stars with the extremely powerful Celimy Sovereignty and the Otaga Associated Planet-States. With the Unbidden still out in the west, the FDS began taking steps to chip away at their nearest and largest rival, the Bokasheran United Systems, in order to strengthen their own military and economic potential in preparation for the Unbidden's eventual campaign into the east. In 2344 AD, they declared their invasion of the Bokasherans and their allies, marking the first war between the Federation of Democratic Stars and the Propitious Entente.
When the massive Celimy fleet entered the Sol system in preparation for the war, it became abundantly clear that this was a war on a whole new scale, that far dwarfed the Coalition's previous conflicts. The Celimy Sovereignty was widely considered one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy, and they had the fleet to back it up. The Bokasherans, on the other hand, were on the wrong end of the balance of power; while their fleet was capable of matching the ENC or the Celimy individually, together their strength was significantly superior; and the Bokasheran's allies were particularly weak.
The first target of the war effort was the tiny Eadominar Republic, the last sovereign nation of Uri people, which President MacDonnell coveted for the ENC. The Bokasherns could not rapidly deploy their fleet over such a distance, and they preferred to keep their strongest fleets back from this initial engagement. As a result, the occupation of the Republic became a dramatic demonstration of the FDS' power, as its massive combined navies stormed through Eadominar space and overran the Uri planets, spearheaded by the Celimy's large army of conventional, robotic, and genetically-modified soldiers.
Despite this overwhelming victory, the Eadominar Republic was the smallest of the FDS' enemies, and the Bokasheran United Systems and the Sovereign Domanna Colonies, which bordered one another, remained prepared to fight off an advance on their home territory.
The Bokasherans, in particular, had a large and powerful starfleet. In an attempt to gain a surprise advantage over them, Admiral Eudokia Cholevas took advantage of her fleet's long-range warp drives, crossing the gap between spiral arms to warp directly into Acir'Raka, the capital system of the Bokasherans. There, they could strike directly at the heart of their largest enemy -- Admiral Cholevas hoped to end the war before a protracted series of fleet battles could begin.
The plan was successful; the Bokasheran 8th Battle Group was outmatched by the full invasion fleet of the FDS' attack force, and was defeated in spite of a bitter and bloody battle. While they did succeed in destroying several vessels, including one Coalition Battleship, they were beaten back and forced to retreat in an attempt to link up with the rest of their comrades.
The Domanna suffered a similar fate -- as their battlefleet attempted to pass through allied space to rendezvous with the main Bokasheran counter-attack, they were intercepted by Coalition and Celimy ships mid-route. Although they attempted to flee, they were at a substantial disadvantage and were destroyed outright, leading to the occupation of both the Bokasheran and Domanni homeworlds.
With their capital worlds occupied by crack Celimy troops and their fleets scattered in disarray, the Propitious Entente negotiated their surrender in 2354 AD. The ENC claimed two of the Eadominar Republic's three worlds, with the final one in the Haduphis system being integrated into the Bokasheran United Systems, resulting in the Haduphis system being split between the BUS and ENC. The Celimy Sovereignty occupied the Pleione system along the Celimy-Bokasheran border, including the planet Gal'Suposk, heavily populated by a mix of Bokasheran and Karabnar people. The smaller Otaga Associated Planet-States claimed economic reparations from the defeated nations.
As a result, both the Celimy Sovereignty and Earth Naval Coalition expanded their territorial base at the expense of their mutual neighbor and rival. While the Golden Axis remained untouchable, the FDS had taken a step toward becoming a rival allied power in the region. Still, if the Unbidden made it to the east, it remained unknown if the combined large regional powers could withstand them...
Wow, quite an update! It'll be interesting to see what happens with the Unbidden in the Galactic West, but glad to see the FDS taking the initiative.
So the Unbidden may well be stronger than a Fallen Empire. That's not exactly good news... At least the ENC is preparing for an inevitable war by doing what they do best.