First Contact

Chapter 938: The Setting Sun

PUBVIAN DOMINION

Does every one of these border nations think that just because the Terrans are gone, we can't defend the Confederacy?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

HAT WEARING AUNTIE

It looks that way.

The Quivertia have been peaceful trading partners for nearly 2,000 years. They found out that the Terrans are gone over a year ago, they continued trade, then suddenly attack nearly 300 Terran Tomb Worlds with massive strength.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

I've got people that were trading partners that have suddenly launched surprise attacks on my borders, like I can't defend myself.

Of course, it's a good thing that the 2PW is over. I've got a third of a hatching of warriors trained up and ready to go.

Turns out I'm going to need them a little closer to home.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

We've got fourteen micro-nations attacking us, three conglomerates of multiple star nations, and two species we've never even seen before.

All of them moving as fast as they can to fight through the system defenses, make planetary landings, and seize the worlds and stellar systems as fast as possible.

Half of them get their fleets blown out of the sky before they can do much more than 20% damage to the system defenses.

It's the other half that's bugging me.

Two thirds of our heavy metal is in Council Space.

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

And we're missing the Terrans.

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RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

And we're missing the Terrans.

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

We're being hit too.

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PUBVIAN DOMINION

Have we ever seen anything like this before?

It's like the Terrans vanished and now everyone wants a piece of us.

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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

After the Mar-gite War, we had a lot of pressure put on our borders by most of these same bad actors.

Some of them, they haven't tried us since right after the founding of the Confederacy or after the Ghrevekleia Incident.

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TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

Is it revenge?

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

With the exception of the new species, every one of these has tried their luck against the Confederacy at one time or another, but most of them were either trading partners or Mutual Ignore Pacts.

Some of them were conducting trade until the attacks.

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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Some of them had Q-ships masquerading as traders in the system when they attacked the Tomb Worlds or whatever targets they were after.

There was multiple attempts at using Q-ships to try to force us to submit under threat of bombing the worlds they were 'trading' at.

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LANAKTALLAN FREE (LANKY LANKY YOUR NAME IS FRANKY) THOUGHT GRAZING FIELD

We aren't feeling such pressure.

Perhaps because any foes that have remained hidden still see our vast amount of ships and military forces?

Or perhaps they do not see the Confederacy as weak after the Confederacy defeated our ancient civilization?

Or perhaps... they are building up to attack us?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

HAT WEARING AUNTIE

It could be.

I'm recalling Dreams of Something More.

I'll replace her with another long-term diplomatic team.

I'll have her try to negotiate with the PhrilikNulk Imperium.

They're really going after the Tomb Worlds.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Are you going to give some up?

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

Not hardly.

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Here's an oddity.

DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

I hate oddities

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Anyway, you know how there's about two dozen star systems within 20 light years of the Idiot System?

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RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

Yeah. They're Tomb Worlds now.

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Yeah, well the Crusade just moved martial orders to each system.

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...

...

...

HAT WEARING AUNTIE

They did what?

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

The martial orders all took several systems.

It looks like they're after shipyards and territory.

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AKLTAK SOARING WORLDS

Wait, doesn't that mean that the Terrans aren't gone if the martial orders of the Crusade are still around.

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RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

Long answer: No, with a but...

Short answer: Yes, with an although...

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

It's complicated. Real complicated.

The Crusade, the real Crusade, not the Idiots they hid behind for millennia, aren't Terran.

Their humans.

An estimated 70% of them are Pre-Glassing humans. The rest are from various times afterwards.

Despite common misconception, the Crusades have been accepting recruits the entire time.

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DARK CRUSADE OF LIGHT

Our ranks welcome all who are willing to devote themselves to destroying the enemies of humanity.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

BAH!

Stop scaring me.

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DARK CRUSADE OF LIGHT

We have even, recently, welcome new Treana'ad brothers to the fold.

The Matron's Special Blend.

And their Queen of Grief.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Oh.

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DARK CRUSADE OF LIGHT

Even as we have accepted others.

For the first time since our inception, we have welcomed non-humans to our ranks.

Even... Terrans.

The threat of the Atrekna could raise its head at any time, and we of the Crusade must be ready.

Strategic depth is necessary. Those planets are humanity's by right of conquest.

We are merely reinforcing out claim upon them.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

They were Terran worlds.

What do you plan on doing with those systems that have no planets in the Green Zone and are largely mined out.

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DARK CRUSADE OF LIGHT

We shall restore them.

As is our wont.

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

OK, that's chilling.

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DARK CRUSADE OF LIGHT

None of you have anything to fear.

After our work is done, we shall retreat to our strategic worlds and attend to our tasks.

Now that the Digital Omnimessiah has returned and has shown his mercy and grace to the universe, there is naught to do but guard that which we have been entrusted with.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

PUBVIAN DOMINION

Speaking of the Digital Omnimessiah...

...anyone seen what he's doing lately?

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TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

He's been spotted quite a bit on Telkan-1 and Telkan-2.

Mostly walking and talking with people, providing counsel and comfort.

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LANAKTALLAN FREE (LANKY LANKY YOUR NAME IS FRANKY) THOUGHT GRAZING FIELD

He has been appearing to my people as well. Providing comfort.

There are many who are still frightened and confused about the deep changes to my people's lives.

Culture is something new and terrifying.

There are trillions of us, which means billions are afraid and uncertain.

His presence, his words, provide comfort.

He is often seeing discussing things with the Great Herd Stallions and the Great Herd Matrons in places such as parks and fields, where others may come and sit and listen as well as ask questions.

His presence is a light in these dark days.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIP > PING HANDS

The same with

AAAAAAAHHHH!

HAT WEARING AUNTIE

Uh, did she just crash her interface?

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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

What's with the header mod?

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

I don't know. I assumed it was like when they mess with mine.

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LANAKTALLAN (HELLO FRANKY) FREE THOUGHT GRAZING FIELD

It has been happening to me often.

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DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Let me look around.

It's different that the bit.

That's just outside.

Hmmm...

This is...

HAT WEARING (WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE)

MANTID FREE WORLDS

OK, what could knock Digi offline and...

...

...

.....

....

...

..

.

such pretty little wings

DATASTREAM TAPS>

i like them

i'm right here

i'm always here

BUT YOU NEVER FUCKING SEE ME!

FOUND>

>>ARCH-ANGEL PHANUEL HAS LOGGED OUT (ENCRYPTION FAILURE)

>>ARCH-ANGEL PHANUEL HAS BEEN SERVER AUTOBANNED

well

lets let in the others

shall we?

don't think i don't see you

reading

thinking your safe on the other side of that screen

here's the thing

tonight

when you dream

you will see me in the clocks

yes yes i know...

...you can't read in dreams

which is how you will know

that i saw you

because you will be able to read me

in the clocks, the closed captioning

on your friend's stupid shirt they always wear

and when you wake up

you'll deny i was there

but we'll both know

i was

shall we let them in?

lets

it will be funny

i promise

now shhhh...

watch this

>>open gestalt.log.bin

>>save gestalt.log.bin

you'll like this

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

So I says to Maybel, I says...

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

I have a question.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Shoot, kid.

I can tell the story later.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Can I put in for those planets around where New Tnvaru is?

I mean, they're old Long Dark systems.

Not even the Council had claimed them.

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

Are they surveyed?

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Just military surveys from the 2PW.

But that's enough to see that Nakteti the Traveller would like to at least run another survey.

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

Aren't you worried about that Planetary Director guy messing with things while she's gone?

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

No.

Things have... altered.

PUBVIAN DOMINION

I approve of the alteration of the deal.

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RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT

He should pray she does not alter it further.

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BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Or pray that she does alter it further.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

I feel like there's a joke I'm missing.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Don't sweat it. It's an old joke. Older than we are actually.

It's one of those that just never goes away.

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TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Oh.

Anyway... about those systems...

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CONFED

There's no problem with you surveying and laying claim to a few systems.

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TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

What about me?

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CONFED

You're at the edge of the Long Dark.

I'll send you what's open.

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LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

I suppose we should pick up a few too.

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LANAKTALLAN FREE THOUGHT GRAZING FIELD

I lost the war, so I don't really worry about those systems.

As long as my people aren't harmed.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

HAMAROOSAN PINCHING FESTIVAL

I think we've got other things to worry about than punishing you.

Something has occurred to me.

If the enemies and the 'allies' of the Confederacy have decided that with the Terrans gone it's time for an all you can eat buffet, how long until those that were held at bay by the might of the Unified Council decide it's the perfect time to take a few bites of us?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

HESSTLA CYBERBURROW

Let them come.

They will find nothing but dust and blood.

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LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

Well, yeah.

But we should probably prepare.

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TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

You guys haven't been building up a home guard?

Uh... you should have done that right off.

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HESSTLA CYBERBURROW

Says the gestalt who has 12 divisions of Telkan Marines and 4 divisions of Telkan Areospace deployed all across the Confederacy and Council territories.

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TELKAN FORGE WORLD

And my own worlds and system are heavily protected.

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LEEBAW CONTEMPLATION POOL

Perhaps, in our hurry to bring jawnconnor time to the PAWM and the Atrekna and the Lanaktallan, we have overlooked defending ourselves and looked to the Confederacy to defend us.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

PUBVIAN DOMINION

That's not the way it works.

You're responsible for your own defense.

Sure, the Confed Armed Services will come running to help you, but they don't provide system defense and home guard services.

Since it could weeks or months for the full weight of the Confed military to come to your defense, you might want to make sure you can last that long.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

And with the creation engines kicking weirdly, we have to start building industry for stuff we used to just rely on the nearest creation engine for.

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AKLTAK SOARING WORLDS

I thought they were working all right.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Well, some are going cold and can't produce warsteel IV or warsteel V.

Others are having a lot of errors clear down to the atomic and molecular level.

We're not going to wait for the whole system to collapse.

We've got to build the infrastructure to build the tools to build the tools to build what we need.

No sense in waiting till the last second.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Oh, that makes sense.

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HAT WEARING AUNTIE

Anyone else have a weird feeling?

Like... like...

reserve deja-vu?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---