Personal Journal of Ludremex, 1st Chancellor of the Confederacies, 3rd Term
Age of Beginning
I can’t write long or else I’ll crush the keys. A courier boat arrived from the Orellia system, battered and leaking atmosphere. It survived long enough to transmit their message before losing power; thankfully an S&R shuttle from the station evacuated the crew in time. The message transmitted was an SOS from a mining station, it was under attack by the Star Raiders. I can’t begin to describe the fury I feel for those,
people.
Admiral Axemekat departed Soloen immediately but warned they may not make it in time to save the station. Our engine technology is too primitive! We’ve come so far but our warships still use CHEMICAL ROCKETS and because of that an entire mining station could be lost to
them.
I’m going now. I need to relax in the garden.
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I’m calm now. The gardens of Government House are quite beautiful and soothing. I should give the gardener a raise.
I came back to find a diplomatic note on my desk from our Ambassador to the Imperial Zaydran Worlds. He was approached by his opposite number about trading information. Our Star Charts for theirs. This presented an interesting, and distracting, question. I’m reluctant to give away such information because I’m not sure I want them knowing how much we’ve charted the galaxy, we haven’t known them long enough to get a good measure. However there’s the flipside of the deal, they’re offering their charts in exchange, and knowledge of what may, or may not, be beyond their borders will help us in the long run.
I sat on the question a while longer before authorizing the deal.
Come to think of it, this could be the first trade of many. All of which I have to read and sign.
Note to Self: Establish Department of Interstellar Trade.
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This will be a very short entry, as I’m in bed, relaxing with my heated blankets, a hearty dinner and my favorite program. Axemekat arrived just in time. The station was literally one shot away from destruction before her ships presented a more pressing target. The Star Raiders were puny things, just two converted freighters lead by this, Ropadef. He’s sucking vacuum now so they’re down one leader, shame there weren’t computers to salvage.
Axemekat’s staying on Futexom to sweep the system and repair her squadron. She’ll be back home soon.
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I suppose it was inevitable. We’ve contacted more species since the Zaydran and gave them our lexicon freely. I guess since we never said they couldn’t, they decided to share it with whatever species they meet and, lo and behold, we’ve been contacted first. It’s exciting in its own way, being the contacted instead of the contactor, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s one or more species out there that knows of us but hasn’t revealed themselves yet. Just watching, calculating, and waiting for the right time to strike…
I need to watch something upbeat.
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Oh this is a glorious day! All the time, effort and resources put into this project paid off, and the Hann’Felir are ready to begin their own adventure in space! And we will be their protectors as they learn.
I just came back from the official signing of the document, establishing the Hann’Felir as a Protectorate of the Lor Confederacies and I got a pleasant surprise when I read the name of their unified nation. The
Confederated Hann’Felir Commonalities. Confederated! I asked and my opposite number, can’t spell the name, replied that the Confederated part was indeed in honor of us, and our not inconsiderable role in averting an atomic war. I’m being serious, a xenophobic faction very nearly started one.
That aside, I have a feeling this will be a mutually prosperous relationship.
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This is close. Too close to call they say. Under different circumstances I wouldn’t be worrying, I’m very nearly done with politics, but I still have one thing left to do, and that’s destroy the Star Raiders. Am I taking their rise personally? Perhaps, but I don’t care. I still want them dead and I’m not ready to leave office until they are. I’m calling in some favors for this election. The party has a few voting blocs they haven’t tapped yet.
Maybe when I’m done I give this seat to Kulegaf. He’s got the drive to try for it and he’s been a good governor. Maybe I can take his old post.
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I found this interesting report from the Societal Research division sitting on my desk and I frankly thought it was a joke at first. I mean really, hulls that regenerate damage? Living metal? Even today that sounded like science fiction but no, Doctor Raxuked himself confirmed it. Apparently the space amoebas the Void Skulkers destroyed had a regenerative property to their bodies, and simply studying the corpses confirmed a few theories, this included. Raxuked wanted this as his next project and I eagerly signed off.
I mean, living metal! We’re bringing Science-Fiction to life here! Well aside from the wormholes and aliens.
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Another messy message from the
Lorod-Defer came in and that means Tolodem found something either ground breaking or catastrophic. This turned out to be both. Hope the keyboards survived.
To translate all the jargon and bad spelling into plain Standard, while exploring the South-West through the Vestallus Way-Station, they came across a moon that was about to impact its gas giant parent. Now a
sane Lor would back up to a safe, billion kilometer distance and watch through telescopes because there’s no telling what will happen; so Tolodem watched from orbit. He sent all the data along, including video files for scrutiny here.
I’ll admit that watching a moon vanish into a gas giant was
mildly interesting but that’s all it did. Sank below the clouds, some rumbling and nothing, the planet’s fine. Yet Tolodem is typing, more like button mashing, that this is “Marvelous!” I can’t help but wonder what he’d say if it collided with a solid planet. Probably nothing, he’d be too busy freaking out.
…I think he might be crazy.
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To: Chancellor Ludremex
From: Admiral Axemekat
After Action Report: Operation Dust Storm
Squadron: 1st Void Skulkers
CO: Admiral Axemekat
As per the overall plan to clear the West of hazards, I elected to start with the life-form known as a Void Cloud in the Hyshma System. Unlike the Space Amoebas or Mining Drones, the Void Clouds have been known to attack ships merely entering a systems outer limits. The Void Skulkers Jumped in and began operations ASAP.
Analysis shows that while the single Void Cloud was formidable, the Void Skulkers outgunned it by a factor of 2. It was destroyed with light casualties.
Based on my personal evaluation of this battle, I believe that clearing the West of hazards can be achieved with one exception. The Alphas that inhabit the Sithonis Maelstrom. I strongly recommend that our military technology must be significantly advance before I am we could stand on equal footing with one of those beasts.
I also regret to inform you, Miss Chancellor, that a number of ships were lost in the battle. Some of their crew were not rescued. You’ll find a folder containing their condolence letters following this report.
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I was visited by the Ambassador for the United Norillga Council today. He came with an official proposal from their President and to my embarrassment I was shocked to silence for a full minute. Why? It was a Treaty of Alliance.
I told the Ambassador she would have an answer by tomorrow, and called my cabinet at once. The State Minister along with the Attorney General pored over every article of the proposed treated, while the Defense Minister advised me on the state of the military and the Interior Minister rattled off economic figures. The document itself proved to be simple, no hidden obligations, loopholes or otherwise found and I was close to signing when the Director of Confederate Counter Intelligence asked a simple question, ‘why?’
It silenced the room.
By the look on everyone’s faces none of them knew the answer to the question, and neither did I until it hit me. To the North-East of the UNC is the Interstellar Anathurian Empire, a rabidly collectivist, xenophobic polity ruled by a despot; truly worthy of the title Empire. As is obvious they aren’t friendly to anyone, least of all nations they share direct borders with, like the UNC. They probably would have conquered the pleasant molluscoids long ago if they weren’t equal in power. It was obvious why they were seeking an alliance now. If the IAE ever got the slightest edge on them, they would attack and conquer the UNC, unless they had allies. We were their only option really, the UNC were avowed rivals of the Zaydren up north and we held power equal to the Anathurian’s. Allying with the Norillga would ensure, for a while, that a friendly nation would remain in power.
Predictably the cabinet split into Pro and Con camps and started arguing their sides, but by then I made up my mind. The next morning I sent the UNC Ambassador the treaty draft back, with my signature. On 06/06/2218, our nations became allies.
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If I thought Tolodem might be crazy, this latest message convinced me he definitely is. To the old codger’s credit it was much more legible this time, a fact I can only contribute to running out of regular keyboards and finally switching to the tougher models.
Aside from that the rest of his message speaks of utter nonsense. He found a tree, an ordinary tree surrounded by an energy shield and floating amongst the asteroids. Tolodem claims that ‘We NEED to figure out what is going on!’ or else we miss out on some monumental scientific discovery. I swear he’s on the verge of a heart attack.
I’ll admit the tree is weird but I’ll eat sand if it’s an actual tree. It’s more likely a piece of ancient technology in the shape of a tree for aesthetic reasons, and this ‘sap’ leaking out is the fuel source or something.
I let him stop to study the thing for a while but I don’t imagine anything of extreme importance coming from it. It’s just a weird tree.
…Right?
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Oh dear are the pundits going to have me for this. The 2220 election has come and gone with me still in office, but I didn’t manage to fulfill my campaign promise for last term; more mining stations.
It’s not my fault, really! I had to throttle expansion in order to keep the budget balanced, and our region is so energy poor that we’re barely scraping by. It’s a short term issue until the colonies get enough people to tap energy sources but that will take years to happen. At the same time my influence among my peers is waning, which will create problems.
This is going to keep me up for many nights. I need to see my economic advisors.
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Wow. Just wow. That one weird tree drifting in space turned out to be, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, a Tree of Life. This is the kind of thing only seen in legends.
A lone tree in the middle of the desert from which a font of life flows. Sand becomes soil for tilling, grass for grazing. Animals and Lor-kin alike brave the dunes to feed and are rewarded with rains. Lastly all are given the finest gift of all. Seeds from the Fruit to spread new trees and from their timber, community.
So the old story goes and I plan to heed it. The powerful figures in politics want to use the sap to vastly extend the lives of a small elite, but I will have none of that and Tolodem agrees. I decreed that the Tree’s Gift would be shared by all Lor-kin, and through them, their descendants. No one will be denied.
I said I would eat sand if this tree turned out to be special and eat sand I did. I am never making fun of trees again so long as I live.
Wait… if everyone’s living a longer life now, then that includes… Stars above I’m never getting rid of Loxodal.
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She found them. Axemekat found the
Star Raiders! I cannot begin to express how overjoyed and excited I am to finally
have their heads! The Void Skulkers are on their way now, all 14 ships with orders to make sure they are
put down.
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The latest courier just Jumped in and I’m getting the data download now. I told Admiral Axemekat to keep me apprised of everything that happens and I’m glad to see she’s keeping to that. I’m opening it now-
A SPACE STATION?! WHERE DID THEY GET A SPACE STATION?! Void consume those pirates! And their helpers! And their pets!
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The latest courier Jumped in, the last one as it turns out. Admiral Axemekat tracked the Star Raiders to the last ship and cornered their wormhole station, not even
asking. I’m told that she offered surrender but had it spat right back at them. Literally, a Raider spat on the screen. Maybe Ropadef was the brains.
Regardless it’s been destroyed and Axemekat sent me a lovely picture of the accursed facility in its death throes. They’re gone, for now, but I have CCI watching for any more potential
Star Raiders. I’m going to get a drink.
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I couldn’t avoid it anymore, I just couldn’t. I did my best to mitigate the situation but they were only stopgaps in the end. I wanted to create a totally self-sufficient nation from start to beyond but in retrospect that was a pipe dream. The only thing we never worried about was mineral resources so that’s what I’ll use. I just contacted the Trade Minister and authorized the exchange of minerals for energy. I guess we’re importing batteries now.
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This is really a minor event, no clue why I recorded it really. Loxodal found some kind of structure that reflects all scanning attempts. Because of its physical appearance he’s coined the name ‘Monolith’ and it stuck. He’s staying to study it.
Weirdly enough, the Science-Fiction community is in an uproar about it, and I have no clue why.
Just what the Void is a Haladex-9000?
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Since the last entry was about Loxodal it seemed fitting this was too, and it’s not a minor event this time. He seems to have a knack for finding pre-space species in the galaxy because he’s found three of them in as many years, all in the South-West. That area seems to be the place to be, so far its proven to be mineral, energy and scientifically rich, now these. We can’t exploit any of it yet but one day I swear we’ll have station tapping the resources and observing the aliens. Just observing this time, we won’t interfere unless another nuclear calamity is imminent.
On a more annoying note, Loxodal is trumpeting this to anyone who will listen, calling it a monumental achievement above even the famed Doctor Tolodem. Did I mention they’re rivals? Well it’s more of a one-sided rivalry; I doubt Tolodem even knows they are, much less care. He’s actually lobbying to have the region called, ‘The Loxodal Crescent.’
No way is that happening.
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This entry won’t be very long today and it’ll be obvious why!
We were contacted first again, and this time it wasn’t a race on equal footing, oh no nonononon ononpn…
These people, they act like they’re
gods and we’re just ants, and it’s very hard to dispute that from what I saw. The Hann’Felir found them first, using their magnificent Warp Drive, in the extreme North, at the very
edge of the galaxy! They stare at the edge of the abyss every day and just SHRUG. Just shrug, get on with their lives and, oh casually threatened to annihilate us if we tread on any of their ‘Holy Worlds.’ Got people looking into that, maybe we already did and we’re dead men walking.
I need to stop, my claws are trembling too much. I’ll just say this. These Mith-Fell, they’re
old. Immensely old, old enough to have left that trail we found on Faradex all those years ago… Were they the ones? Did their empire stretch this far?! Why did they recede? Are there more like them?
…What’s stopping them from waking?
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Note from SpaceGod: That update yesterday was the result of my getting it done early and deciding to post immediately. As a result I rushed on this one. Yeah I'm sticking to the schedule.
