War of the Loros

[arioch]

After several years on the western front battling the pirates, Hhermes decided on a little R&R back at home on Imrryr. He had heard new enhancements had been developed for the velocity shard torpedoes and wanted to sit down and take a thorough look at all the current ship designs. His replacement on the WEST fleet was a frickin spider, Wokku Vretok. He actually had some good traits but Hhermes just couldn't let go of the past... the hard-fought battles and wanted all the bugs shot.

It was also his chance to try and spend some time around the queen. He had heard strange rumors of her somewhat new abnormal behavior but the people and the economy were responding very well to her leadership. He made up any excuse to try to be in her company. Interracial marriages were forbidden and romances were frowned on. This just seemed to make him want to be around her more. It was better to be away with the fleet than to be anywhere around her but while he was home, he couldn't stop himself.

[arioch]

Year 2800 and the colony of Lumabo 2 was colonized. It was an ocean planet of decent, not great quality on the southern border of the northeastern systems. Better to claim it for Melnibone than to have one of the other inferior races setting up to close. Many of them were about the same proclivity as teekan pack-rats, colonizing anything short of a rock. Shahkeyrah ordered the usual colonization procedure; small starbase, troops and eventually a defensive base. <sniff> It bordered the ackdarian water-men's Uguth Teer system but the pack-rats and ant-sectoids were relatively close. Pirate activity had started up as well. Better safe than sorry.

Despite our continual trade and periodic covert assistance to the water-men, they continued to barely survive their on-going war with the ant-sectoid bugs. The bugs sent regular fleets against their homeworld of Kyphar. <sniff> While the water-men sent their fleets to our star-bases for supplies, repaired and then back to the war front to protect or retaliate back. The queen was irritated by the water-men draining our resources on their futile war. We had offered the protectorate treaty and they refused. Better to leave them to their fate... However, the queen longed to smash the HOME fleet against the bugs. <sniff> For one who used to love peace and all relations with the other empires, she was not liking her galactic neighbors much anymore. They either kept fighting like the bugs, the ape-men, bat-faces or they slowly expanded into our territory.

Latest intelligence report just in. The water-men's system of Akthul just fell to the bugs. They were down to two systems and slowly losing their swimming grounds. Soon, it would be their spawning home. Fleet Admiral Hhermes was ordered to report for the HOME fleet. <sniff> He had been hanging around the palace complex a little too much and too long, always finding something to talk about. Annoying and he was meant to be commanding fleets, not discussing his pirate problems. The HOME fleet was then ordered to take up station at the Lumabo system. Without the Zhoorin's EAST fleet responding and the WEST fleet so far away, Shahkeyrah ordered a new fleet, QUEEN fleet to be created of the latest designs. She also wanted a defensive fleet created for Lumabo. The ant-sectoids were not going to stop dining on their fish neighbors so we best be ready to greet them properly.

[arioch]

Shearkhan was starting to like the twit queen. She was already inexperienced and infantile and was now bordering on erratic and xenophobic. So close... With how the ant-sectoids can't discuss diplomacy without trying to eat the diplomats, it shouldn't be long before we were at war again. It didn't matter who they battled but the bugs were as good as anyone. He was tired of waiting for the war to happen. With recent events at Lumabo, he was going to Tukan to plan & recruit more troops per the preparations requested by the queen. Ha. Sure beat the recruiting, training, drilling that the generals were wasting time while waiting for the action to start. Any battle is where Shearkhan wanted to be part of. Hopefully soon he'd be able to test his mettle against the ant-sectoid armies.

For his fellow generals, Iko had been with him for couple hundred years and was a great general. Faz and Rek were relatively new. Getting them some experience was another reason he wanted battle. They could only get better from actual battle. The training was no substitute for actual combat. Hopefully soon.

[arioch]

"Dug the diplomat!", "Dug the doormat!". Sometimes the feline taunting was insufferable. Fortunately he was away from them more than around them. Just home returning from his diplomatic mission to the Ikkuro, he was re-assigned to liaison with the Teekan syndicate (packrats) and most importantly keep the free trade agreement active. There had been some anti-packrat unrest at the Jaimos system due to proximity to the Teekans. Relations had declined slightly as they had colonized northward adjacent to our southeast colonies. Nothing major yet but diplomacy was needed more with them now then the Ikkuro. Dug was nowhere near as seasoned as Kuut (which he also heard as "Dug, you're no Kuut", sounding like you're no good) who was still assigned to keep the peace with the Zygirea Confederacy (apemen) whom we currently had a free trade agreement, along with the Teekans and Ikkuro.

While on his short leave between missions, the queen had requested his attendance. In a few years that had passed since he had last seen her, she had lost some of her innocence and purity. Dug like everyone else was awed and captivated just to look upon her. She was certainly more noble and regal now but her presence was now so pure and joy-like and may never come back. She had wanted to discuss getting more the "Scent of Zentabia" from the bat-face men. His initial reaction did not please her as he did not know what she was talking about. She did not care that he did not remember giving her the gift some time ago. She would "like" another gift and soon. His only answer was, yes, he would speak to the Ikkuro about another gift. He took his leave, sweating how he was going to do that.

[arioch]

Ah, Bahgherah was tired but he had gotten what the queen had commanded. He was feeling quite "Top Gun" for his successful mission and evasion. For a short time, the queen, GIA and the Imperial Navy knew all the composition and plans of the Gizurean Ant-sectoid's empire. Which showed that the ant-sectoids were not content with just Akthul. They were also going after the ackdarian aquamen's Uguth Teer system. Two fleets with troop transports were enroute. Twilight was approaching for the aquamen.

Upon hearing the delightful news, Shahkeyrah had redesigned Hhermes Lyon class resupply ship. It already had the HyperDeny GW1000 system and 1 Fighter Bay. She removed all the torpedoes & 2 fusion reactors and was able to replace them with 9 Heavy Rail Guns and 9 Phaser Cannons along with the Intimidator Surgewave & some additional enhanced armor. Finally she wanted the engagement stance to 'Point Blank' so it would get up nice and close. he he [:D] Then she ordered 5 new Lyons, 5 Leopard Cruisers and 5 Cougar Destroyers to make up the new fleet Queen's CLAW. The HOME fleet was ordered to Lumabo in case the new fleet was not ready.

Now to wait, if Uguth Teer falls, then she was ready to declare war against the ant-sectoids and stop the encroachment of the ants. They are already too close for comfort. Still waiting to hear back on Shearkhan's Troop fleet preparations. Last reported a troop fleet ready with 38 troops which should be enough. Prepare them for an assault of the ants at the Uguth Teer system.



The picture of Bahgherah, or any character for that matter looking like someone from the movie Top Gun, makes me laugh. Can these be made to be race specific?

[arioch]

GIA relayed the new information to the queen and then the Imperial Navy as requested. The Gizurean ant-sectoids arrived at Uguth Teer and killed everything around Uguth Teer 4. Their troops then arrived and the planet fell. Meanwhile 6 fleets of the Ackdarian waterman are visiting our various star-bases. They are pathetic and not worth saving any longer. Shahkeyrah declared WAR through Khatrwhaul's diplomatic channels and sends HOME fleet and the troops to take Uguth Teer 4 from the ants before they can establish of foothold. It currently has 36 Securans who are lovely beyond belief and need to be part of our empire.

[arioch]

Hhermes' HOME fleet and Shearkhan's troop fleet had engaged the ant-sectoids at Uguth Teer 4 and taken the planet for the Melniboneans. The queen had sent her congratulations. In quick retaliation, a small ant-sectoid fleet attacked the dreaming planet Imrryr. It was quickly destroyed. Other small conflicts occurred all over shared space though nothing to worry over. The war, along with taxes, had caused several colonies to be unhappy. It was not Hhermes' problem but he did want to let the dust settle a little bit. The queen however already had her eye's set on the Had Abbadun system. It had a ruin and she wanted it. All Melniboneans were entranced with the old ruins and desirous of controlling them. Currently the Sistuueni packrats claimed the most ruins in the galaxy.

[arioch]

At first it was great. Zhoorin was content and peaceful. He had gotten plenty of R&R. His lead ship cruiser Fearless Horizon was well outfitted and he had been enjoying his sabbatical. Now after several years, he was bored stiff and feeling alienated from his duties. He was pretty much just Grand Admiral in name only. Queen Shahkeyrah was commanding all the fleets around the homeworld now. Additionally, the bat-faced Ikkuros' influence & sensors were expanding out and as a result he had to keep inching away from the death star. Estimates from the construction ship were that the repair work was about 75% completed. Zhoorin had also detected that the bat-faces had colonized a planet in the same system as the death star, which meant they were fully aware of the ship and it's progress. He had wanted to return home and assist with the 2nd ant war but dared not leaving this to a smaller, less prepared fleet. He also wanted command of this ship. If he was gone, who knows what would happen to it in the Melnibonean bureaucracy or the mad queen's paws. Best to continue maintaining the vigil.



I installed DW Legends 1.7.0.20a and hopefully that will not alter the game dynamics too much. Also purchased DW Shadows but I figured the save games would not be compatible so this AAR/story will continue with DW Legends. Hope people are enjoying it? It's been slow but I've been traveling quite a bit for work.

[arioch]

Hhermes was still 2nd in command of the Imperial Navy in name only. The queen was not into positions and titles. She assigned him to HOME fleet and ordered him to take the Continental planet Ewoy in the Akthul system from the ant-sectoids. Shearkhan had cleaned up the planets with his troops and another, mostly Gizureans unfortunately planet added to the empire. Despite his title, there was a definite shift in the empire. Clearly Shahkeyrah was taking over. His power and influence was waning. At least he still had his command of the HOME fleet. Despite the success of the military with the battles, the war was not going as planned. Despite taking over the ant-sectoids planets, the queen's scheme to have the ant-sectoids take out the water-men, it wasn't happening. The longer the war raged, the more the ants ignored the water-men and counter-attacked. Advisors were suggesting peace due to poor reputation and war weariness. Royalspaw got the queen to accept, hopefully getting her to see that if the ants were NOT battling us, then they would continue to war against the water-men.

[invaderzim]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Note 1. Would like to see the recruitment and economic maintenance of intelligence agents that was in ROTS, added back in to Legends! The only limitation to the number of agents should be how much you want to spend on recruiting and maintaining the agents. Maybe also an option on the game start screen, limiting the percentage anyone can spend on intelligence just in case they don’t want to play with a lot of subterfuge in their game.

Note 2. I feel that diplomacy is an under developed element in the game. It should be on the same level as the intelligence agents. The only difference being intelligence agents are covert and diplomacy is overt. "Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way." ~Daniele Vare. I’m sure diplomacy is a good part of the game but would like to see it become a more active, hands-on role like being able to assign diplomatic missions in the game. Also the same idea above with intelligence agents in terms of only being limited in the number of diplomats by the cost, would also be ideal.

Agreed on both.A.I intelligence use is non existent in Shadows due to lack of agents.

Nice AAR btw.

Yeah, I feel the same way. Characters are not bad as rulers or admirals (until the get acquire annoying traits), but I'd much rather pay for my spies instead of rely on spies that join your empire based on random chance.