The Tandish Assembly

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Fifty-Six - Save Or Not To Save?

Commander Monnobak stared at the information flowing across the holographic screens in its private cabin. The data on the asteriod in the Sol system was a mess. The object had come out of nowhere, scared the scientists off, and was now heading towards Sol III.

Was the fate of the Solians that they would die on their planet before reaching out into space and joining the Dream?

Even the Commander felt that dying to a space rock seemed...well..unfair. A race that became intelligent SURELY had a destiny to go out and find their own way. To weave their own ideas and meaning into the Dream. To make the universe a richer and better place.

It felt...like it needed to save the Solians. If not for Solians' future than for the rest of the galaxy's future.

It had waited and watched as warships had entered the system and joined the Suthnar's Armada. By late into the two thousand sixteenth planetary cycle, since Nest was united, it had eight Corvettes in its Armada. The Hissnak's Armada had joined its Armada.

And the newly named Sebakhir's Armada, with Commader Ghuum, had been formed. It only had one Frigate. But more were on their way.

Then there was a beeping. The com station. A data packet for its eyes only.

The Commander opened it with the proper code. It had one order from the First Thinker. Save the Solians.

 

[HistoryDude]

It looks like humanity will survive. Let's hope that the Tandi don't regret that decision...

 

[Eurasia]

It looks like humanity will survive. Let's hope that the Tandi don't regret that decision...

If nothing else they could always use the Solians as meatshields in future conflicts. I mean....brothers in arms. Yeah.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Fifty-Seven - Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Manager Thissix had been called to the algae vats at the request of the Chief algaeist. There it had listened to the Chief complaining for FAR too long about a misfunctioning valve.

The Chief was correct in this matter. For a, mostly, brand new Starbase built in the Hassaleh system the equipment should not be showing problems so early.

The algae helped with keeping the air fresh and even added to the taste of the station's locally produced food. If what came out of the station's kitchens could be called food. Even the food preparers sometimes seemed to worry about the results that came out of the auto-chefs.

The Manager would have to pass on this information to the government. Maybe new valve maufacturers would have to be selected when the old contracts ran out?

As it tried to calm the Chief down a nearby com unit beeped and then announced, "Command Center to Manager Thissix. Paging Manager Thissix. Please pick up!"

The Manager promised to the Chief that a spare valve would be issued from storage before moving to the com unit in the wall and flicking it on. "I'm here. What's the trouble Tech Bleth?"

Belth, its voice sounding a tad on the nervous side, said via the com, "The warships are on the move. They're leaving the system."

The Manager stood silent for a few seconds and then said into the com, "They must be heading for the drones in the Hauer system."

"No," was the reply, "both Armadas are heading towards the Ovastivum hyper-lane."

"WHAT?!?!"

-------------------​

The First Thinker ran to the tele-room when the unit's alarm went off. But the news wasn't what it had been waiting for.

ISS Ruthjara the Icon had finished building the Mining Station around Tenecca I and now was sent to Tenecca IXa to build a Mining Station there.

The First Thinker turned off the tele-room and went back to worrying. It wanted news from the Armadas. And it wanted to hear that Sol III had been saved.

Then the alarm went off again. Seems Elemano, and its crew, had found something weird on Jezemei VII. Something that looked like buildings made up out of crystals. It was given permission to study the objects. Relics? Lifeforms?

Elemano happily followed orders and was soon scanning the artifacts. Cities? Computers? Crystal artwork?

It was also decided to do a study on the Anicent Mining Drones. Though this would pull the Engineering Department from whatever they working on at the moment. It was decided that a long distance collecting and collating of data would not be a bad idea. After all the military were elsewhere.

And the ISS Ruthjara The Icon had finished in the Tenecca system. There was nothing else left to build there. It was told to head towards the Jezemei system. The path it had to take, because of Sol system being off limits, was somewhat a long one.

A detailed data package was received from Elemano and the crew of the ISS Lomatik the Butcher by the next planetary cycle. Seems the oversized crystals on Jezemei VII were trillions and trillions of deactivated nanites. But their purpose and designers were unknown. While they looked like buildings they were not buildings. But what they did....?

ISS Rukimar the Renowned was entering orbit around the star of Hemtares. The system had been mapped out by the ISS Linntyl the Sharp but there were not enough resources to build a Starbase yet.

As the Construction Ship went into orbit to wait, and the crew got overtime while they waited, the Science Ship was sent to the unknown system on the edge of the galaxy. A system out in the middle of nowhere. Falatir was so happy to be the first to reach the edge. Seems it had made bets with the other Scientists about who would get there first.

To Be Continued...(1)

-------------------​

1. Author's Note - HAHA!

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Fifty-Eight - Battle Of Sol

Commander Monnobak was on the bridge of the ISS Ratalla The Red when the Suthnar's Armada entered normal space. As the wartships appeared on bridge map the crew named them off. Nine Corvettes, including the Flagship, came out of H-space and returned to reality. One warship, fresh from a space dock, had joined the Aramada at the last moment.

"All ships," the Commander announced over the Aramda's network, "treat this rock like a enemy ship. First, let us try to overwhelm its defenses. GO! Tactic Rush!"

The warships approached the rock and increased their distance from each other. Once past the belt they opened up with energy weapons and missiles.

As the ships got closer they spread out more. Hitting the target from all directions. The Commander waited for the right moment and then said, "Tactic Ring Of Fire!"

The ships peeled off and formed a ring about the rock. Flying about it in a huge circle the warships fired inwards. Hitting the target from all sides. Missiles slammed into the rock along with the red beams of death. Dust and half melted rocks poured out into the void as explosions rocked the asteroid.

"Perfect!" exclaimed the Commander. "But be careful there. Don't get so close to Sol III."

"Commader," proclaimed one of the crew members, "Commander Ghuum has entered the system."

"About time," said Monnobak. "We need to remember that the Frigates are bigger and, therefore, slower. Invite the Sebakhir's Armada to the dance."

And the Frigate charged right in while unleasing all weapons. In fact it got a little TOO close. There was a danger its own hull might be damaged by debris. But its slow moving missiles did a LOT of damage to the target.

The lone Frigate buzzed about the target for a few more volleys before joining the other warships in the Ring of Fire.

Then it ended. The asteroid died. A few pieces of it still headed for Sol III but burned up in the atmosphere.

Commander Monnobak pondered what the Solians thought about the whole show. The flashes of lights in their sky. Was it noticed? Would they tell stories about it? Or would they go back to plowing their fields, building their castles, killing their enemies?

 

[Historywhiz]

Commander Monnobak pondered what the Solians thought about the whole show. The flashes of lights in their sky. Was it noticed? Would they tell stories about it? Or would they go back to plowing their fields, building their castles, killing their enemies?

Well they’re in the Late Medieval Age (I.e. the Renaissance), so one of three things happened:

1. This happened before Galileo developed the telescope, so no one noticed, though it might later serve as inspiration for him or someone else to begin experimenting along those lines.
2. This happened after Galileo developed the telescope and now he and/or successor astronomers are freaking out and thinking they may have just witnessed part of The War in Heaven.
3. This happened right in the middle of Galileo’s experiments with the telescope, and he has now been committed to an insane asylum. Astronomy has been delayed probably twenty years with potential consequences down the line. Kinematics has been delayed probably 30-40 years, but that’s going to have minimal impact since the next major breakthrough didn’t come until Newton. Most importantly, Catholics no longer have to suffer through one of the most braindead and uninformed takes in the Extremely-Online-Atheist arsenal.

 

[Eurasia]

Let's face it - no matter what game I play human history is going to be screwed up.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Fifty-Nine - Clean Up

With the danger gone the Assembly slowly went back to normal. The interplanetary tele-network between the machine/organic computers of the planets, space stations, and space crafts went back to exchanging news reports, finance data, private mail, and science packets.

The ISS Yilmassa the Reformer was called back to the Excavating archaeological site in the Sol system. Kashnak was eager to get back to work.

Both Armadas were sent into orbit around Sol. Neither seemed to have received any damage. Which was good. Nobody had accidently fired on each other.

Soon the ISS Yilmassa was back at Sol VIIIa happily scanning away.

The ISS Yhlat the Savior was still studying Fevallion Va. There was plenty to survey in the system and Mikab was looking forward to researching every planet, every moon, ever piece of space rock.

Falatir and the ISS Linntyl had finally reached the unknown system and named it Torphry's Star. They had started surveying the system. The star was a K Class. In other words a orange dwarf. Fairy common and stable for up to 30 billion years.

And in the system of Zarim the ISS Donog finally had enough resources to build a Starbase. Only problem was....how would the Avallonian Remnant react to the Assembly expanding towards its space? How would the grumpy old aliens react to finding the Assembly finally claiming Zarim?

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty - Status Report - 2217.10.03

The First Thinker Sebakhir sat down in its tele-room and waited for the computer to download all the information from the Assembly's government data network. It wanted a up-to-date report on the condition of the Tandish Assembly. It had a herbal drink while it waited.

By the time the machinery had warmed up and the information was ready the First Thinker had finished its drink and started to absorb the reports.

First the two Armadas had been ordered back to the Hassaleh system. So they could, soon, deal with the Ancient Mining Drones.

The Science Department was also still working on studying the Ancient Mining Drones. From a safe distance.

There was also good news from the Civilian Industries. Consumer Goods were back in the positive. All the new industrial districts had helped increase the outflow of luxury goods.

In the Sol system the ISS Yilmassa the Reformer was almost finished with excavating the site. Or at least the first stage of the operation.

And the Spy Network on Sol III was slowly being built up. Very slowly as the Tandi really didn't look anything like the Solians.

In the Jezemei system the ISS Lomatik the Butcher was still mapping out the planets and moons.

In the Hemtares system the ISS Rukimar the Renowned was waiting for orders. Likely it would have to wait for resources before it could build a Starbase.

The ISS Linntyl the Sharp was also mapping out the Torphry's Star system. The system at the edge of the galaxy. Which had a lot of planets and moons to survey.

The ISS Yhlat the Savior was in the Fevallion system which it was also mapping out at the same time.

In the Ovastivum system the ISS Kodram the Suave was carrying out its own archaeological dig.

The ISS Donog the Apogee was finally started building a Starbase around the Zarim's sun. Soon the system would be claimed by the Assembly.

The ISS Ruthjara the Icon was ordered from Toiubos to the Jezemei system. Where it would construct a Starbase. If it had the resources.

The Dothon Station had started building a Salaas-Class Defense Platform while the Ulm Starbase was being upgraded to a true Station. In other words it would have a shipyard.

The First Thinker turned off the tele-room and sat for a few moments in thought. Most of the news was good news. Still...it felt worried. Maybe that was just the nature of being the Assembly's Leader? It was always worried about what it didn't know.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-One - Machine Rights?

Sedakhir sat in its private meditation chamber and let the sounds and scents of a jungle wash over it. It needed to make a major decision and this chamber was the best place to make it.

How do deal with the Ancient Mining Drones? The study being done on them would take time. Almost another planetary cycle. That would allow the military to increase their numbers. But that didn't mean the First Thinker could just keep kicking the beverage container down the pathway until that time.

The question came down to if they were intelligent or self-aware. If they were they were part of the Dream and that beought up some barriers.

The Dream, the universe, had gifted many species with intelligence, awareness, morals, and all the tools needed to add to the Dream, to its knowledge, to its art, to its songs, to its beauty.

Even many animals in the jungles of Nest seemed to have been slightly touched by the Dream. Some animals could use tools and even recognise themselves in reflective surfaces.

Even the spaceships, the stations, large parts of the urban centers, had machine intelligence running them. Formed from computers and organic organs the networks processed huge amounts of raw data into useful information and made certain decisions faster than their organic crews or staff.

They were even aware in some ways. Knowing what they were and why they existed.

But they could not rebel or decide NOT to fo their jobs. The tractors didn't stop working on the farms and decide to get jobs at the local public houses. In some ways pets had more motives, desires, and feelings than the machines.

Pets could decide to wake up their owners before sunrise or demand their food cubes at certain times or steal the family jungle pods and go on joy rides with their friends until the Law Givers caught them and sent them to Pet Jail.

The only fact that the First Thinker knew was that the Drones had been in a fight. At least that's what the debris field in Hauer seemed to suggest. Had they attacked a dangerous invader or had they killed a innocent traveller?

It had time. But that time would run out soon.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Two - A Deadly Trap?

The ISS Lomatik the Butcher reported that the survey of the Jezemei system had been completed.

But the wormhole was not something Elemano was willing to go near until the Scientists had the proper equipment to study it. Without being sucked into it.

But with the mapping of the system done the ISS Ruthjara the Icon, the nearest available Construction Ship, was sent to the system to, hopefully, build a Starbase.

The ISS Rukimar the Renowned was still waiting in the Hemtares system for the resources and the permission to start building a Starbase there. Material for expanding the empire was becoming a issue again.

On the other hand the ISS Lomatik was now available to go map out the nearest system known as Siabaulia.

There was also good news for the Fleet. Seems research on expanding on Fleet Support had been completed. Now they just had to pick the next research goal.

It was decided to pick Adaptive Bureaucracy. Which should help keep the Assembly running.


Then the ISS Kodram the Suave had something horrible to report from the Ovastivum system. The Scientists had finally broken into the third layer of the city. The wealthier region of the dome.

Then one Scientist attacked another, killing them, and had to be restrained in a net. Questioning them did nothing to clear up what had happened.

There was a theory that, maybe, some kind of weapon had been set off. A designed bio-weapon? Like a virus? Or maybe something sonic?

But some of the crew believed that there was a natural virus still hanging around after making the natives kill each other.

Anyway, there was one gate left. And Darmug was NOT backing down. And there were rumors that the military was VERY interested in what may be found.

There was great news from the ISS Donog the Apogee. They had finished the Starbase in Zarim. They were now told to make a Research Station around the star.

So of course the Zarim system was added to the Home Sector. And many students clicked in horror.

Then the ISS Lomatik arrived in the Siabaulia system and started to map out the system. The star was a Class-M Red Giant. Sadly, while there was plenty of planets and space rocks there didn't seem to be anything that could be colonized.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Three - Planetary Upkeep

The Tandish Assembly decided that many of the settled planets needed some upgrades. In the Daystar system Nest was ordered to expand on its urban centers. The populace needed growth!

So they started working on a new city district. At the same time many of the colonies were also told to expand their urban centers.

Dongar Prime, being a ocean world, was ordered to work on TWO city districts. Campramar, the Dongar's Governor agreed. People were sick of all the rain. Ocean worlds were wet. Even wetter than jungle worlds. And it smelled of fish. Toiubos Prime was also told to expand its urban centers.

The colony, under Lathira's leadership, started to work on two city districts.

Governor Tirrana of Syrma Prime said the building of city districts would have to wait till their industrial district was finished. But it had two city districts added to the building queue.

Hassaleh Prime had no room to build much of anything because of the jungles and the wildlife which threatened any work crews who tried to approach the forests. And many a news reporter had gone missing when trying to enter the wild regions.

Soon there would be more births and the population of the Empire would grow. And quickly.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Four - Oops...

The ISS Yilmassa the Reformer, commanded by Kashnak, finally had a report on the Moon Dump on Sol VIIIa. It seems the frozen moon had once had life on it. Intelligent life.

Seems that the moon had been made out of highly pure metal ores. To make it easier to mine the civilization on Sol VIIIa used a giant electromangnet and tried to pull the moon into orbit.

Instead the moon came towards the planet at a high speed. They tried to slow it but they could not stop it. It slammed into the planet with enough force to wipe out all life in the entire hemisphere. The resulting dust and debris was enough to block out the sun and kill off ALL life. What almost happened to the Solians. In a way.

And now that the mystery on Sol Vllla had been solved the Science Ship was ordered to explore a unknown system near the system of Hemtares.

The First Thinker was somewhat upset by this report. Seemed to be more dead civilizations in the universe than living ones. Not a happy thought.

 

[Historywhiz]

It seems the frozen moon had once had life on it. Intelligent life.

I don’t think “intelligent” is the right word here…

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Five - News From The Frontier

The ISS Donog the Apogee, the Construction Ship, finally completed a Research Station in orbit around Zarim (the star).

It was ordered to move onto Zarim Ia and build a Mining Station.

Then there was news from Torphry's Star. Seems the first planet had structures on the surface. Impressive monoliths in fact. The ISS Linntyl the Sharp was allowed to research the structures.

The reason Falatir and its crew was so interested in the structures was because the planet was made out of lava. Who or what had made the giant structures? Were they created by nature? Remains of a failed colony? Or the bones of a civilization that...once again...killed itself?

In the system of Hemtares the ISS Yllmassa the Reformer was just passing through while the ISS Rukimar the Renowned was waiting for resources to make a Starbase.

Then Tenecca Prime announced they were a proper colony. The Colony ship had been dismantled. The reactor was now the source for the power grid. Mostly being used to keep the newly made houses and businesses heated. The buildings being made out of pieces of the ship's hull and frame.

It was decided to make a proper City District. With the low gravity it was known that the buildings would NOT likely look like those from good old Nest. Also any parks or gardens would have to be within large greenhouses. Built underground to help keep the warmth in and the cold out. There would be very little green. Outside of the inside plants and maybe paintings in the public spaces.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Six - Mining Advancements

The study on the Drones had come to an end. The machines seemed tireless and the mining networks on Nest and the other planets could learn something useful from the research.

Also it was found that the Drones were not silent. They were sending off a signal. Hard to detect due to being almost hidden within all the background noise and to its infrequently. Who or what was receiving the information from the Drones? Or were they long gone? Nobody could even guess.

Either way the research had given the Mining Companies some ideas to help increase their output.

And there was even more good news from the Manifesti Faction. Well, in a way. There was NO news as they had become as interesting as last year's music fades. The public was no longer interested in them. And some of the activists seemed to be almost embarrassed. Saying they had just been having fun. While the museums were still crowded the public's notice had moved onto newer groups. Like those artists who liked to grow trees into living pieces of art. And those who liked to eat their own paint.

While this was happening the ISS Lomatikc was exploring the Siabaulia system.

The ISS Linntyl had stopped mapping out Torphry's Star as they were scanning the Monoliths on Torphry's Star I.

The ISS Yhlat was just getting started on its survey in the Fevallion system.

In the Cervantes system the Cervantes Station had started building a Defense Platform while the Station in the Ulm system was putting the finishing touches to their upgrades. Soon they would be a proper Starport.

The First Thinker had enjoyed the good news from all the corners of the Empire. But wasn't looking forward to the next meeting.

Seems the study on the Drones had also brought to attention some new data on the system of Hauer. Something that was making the Scientists in the Research Department shake and shiver when talking to to the First Thinker in the tele-room.

Not a good sign.

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Seven - A Worm Hole?

The First Thinker Sebakhir, after an hour in the private meditation chamber, went to the tele-room to have the meeting with the scientists who had carried out the study on the Mining Drones. It wasn't sure it was going to be happy about the details they were going to report.

As it waited for the tele-room to warm up and link to the research department Sebakhir pondered what horror they had waiting to pass on to it.

"First Thinker?" said a voice from the hidden speakers. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," replied Sebakhir, "Whom am I talking to?"

"My name is Vortex," said the unseen scientist, "I will be the prime speaker for the department."

"Welcome Vortex," said the First Thinker, "I look forward to being enlightened by your knowledge."

A image formed before Sebakhir. It wasn't a image of the scientists. It was a 3D image of the Mining Drones. They looked ugly but not as big as it had pictured.

"They don't look as dangerous as I thought," commented the First Thinker.

"Well, let us show you what we have found," responded Vortex. "We'll save the bad news for the end."

"As you know near the planet we have named Straeng there seems to be the remains of a battle," stated Vortex. "Now, sensors show that the planet is a arid world that could hold life. It could be a alien race was trying to settle on it and triggered the Drones to defend the system. But there may be another factor."

"Another factor?" remarked the First Thinker.

"The scans suggest that there may be a pre-sapient race on the planet," stated Vortex as the image was replaced with flowing data. "The Drones could have been programmed to protect the planet. To allow the pre-sapients time to develop on their own."

The First Thinker had been a Government Official before being picked by the Council of Thinkers but had absorbed enough knowledge of science to realize that the atmosphere WAS showing traces of early, VERY early, industry. Or the atmosphere's changes could be caused by natural processes.

"And then there is the planet we call Spjuuht," continued Vortex. "A frozen world which would be nothing to even notice but for one thing. We've detected a strange reading coming from the planet."

"Is that the bad news?" asked the First Thinker.

"Oh no, no, no," clicked Vortex in humor.

A new image appeared in the air projected by the tele-room's equipment. A ring in space.

"THIS is the bad news," added Vortex. "We think it is a worm hole of some kind. A artificial one. We call it the Tannhauser Gate."

"So somebody made a worm hole," stated the First Thinker. "We can't even get close enough to one to study it and some alien race is out there who can create them?"

The First Thinker now understood why the scientists were scared. On the other hand if the Assembly could take the system of Hauer the advancements they could make would push their technology forward by decades if not centuries.

"And we don't know what or who is on the other side of the worm hole," added Vortex. "Even if our military took the system they might find a counter-attack pouring out of the ring."

"Thank you Vortex," said the First Thinker. "I will think on this."

As it turned the tele-room off and went back to the meditation chamber the First Thinker realized they might need more warships. They NEEDED to take the Hauer system. Before someone else did.

 

[Aquasparky]

Oh, that worm hole is certainly interesting! This could change the course of your civilization!

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Eight - Is The Military Ready?

Monnobak, Minister of Peace and the Commander of the Suthnar's Armada, had ten up-to-date Korgas-Class Corvettes.

On paper the Aramda could wipe out the Mining Drones. But Monnobak wanted the odds in its favor.

The Sebakhir's Armada was still making its way back to Hassaleh system. The Frigate was SO slow.

And with only ONE they needed more warships to fill out the Armada.

Daystar A Station was ordered to work on two Vithar-Class Frigates.

On the other claw Dongar Station was ordered to build another Science Ship. They needed Science Ships to explore the unknown systems.

And Syrma Station was working on upgrading from a Starbase to a Starport.

The military might be planning another battle but the rest of the Empire had to grow and expand in more than just physical space. Science and industry had to be advanced. Miners and factory workers and farmers needed jobs. CEOs needed to increase their profits and make the shareholders happy. And young ones needed to work harder as the education centers expanding data base of new knowledge forced them to learn MORE!

 

[Eurasia]

Stellaris Play & Learn
Chapter Sixty-Nine - Too Much Stuff?

In the Zarim system the ISS Donog the Apogee had finished building a Station around Zarim Ia

And was now ordered to build a Mining Station around Zarim I. So far so good.

The First Thinker went over the newest information on the Factions within the Assembly.

The Conclave of Faith and Values were the largests of the groups. They supported the government and had the most support among the people.

The second largest group was the Xeno Freedom Initiative. They had some support among the people and also approved of the government. Wonderful. Two out of three isn't bad.

The smallest group was the Galactic Emancipation Committee. They had little support from the people and hated the government. Mostly because they hated the class system and the upper class. Also, unlike the other Factions, non of the top Leaders shared their vision. They were so pissed off by the policies of the Empire. They would have to be watched.

The Sebakhir's Armada finally entered the Hassaleh system. The Frigates were so SLOW! Somewhat would have to be done about that. An upgrade? Maybe a whole new design?

Then the First Thinker was notified that all the Resource Storage, all the warehouses and silos, were full. This was horrible.

So on Nest, on the homeworld, it was decided to build Resource Silos. Once the new City District was finished.

ISS Yllmassa the Reformer has finally reached the unknown system and Kashnak had given it the name Grugmora.

It didn't seem that interesting a system. Nothing to settle on though there were lot of moons. The star kinded of looked purple. Which was weird as such stars normally looked more on the blue side. Harnless enough if a tad confusing.

Still, the First Thinker thought as it went over the data packet from the system, who knew what horrors they would find on the moons?