T48
Though it is possible to develop point defense systems, I decide that building ships more efficiently and increasing our industrial capacity is paramount, and so set our scientists to work on Expert Systems. They claim this will take 6 years to research at full spending.
I order three Agamemnon+ built each at Excalibur, Tully and Hercules, for defensive purposes.
T49
We saw only a pair of enemy insectoid ships at Chepren less than a year ago. We know they do not travel faster than light, and yet now, when we attack, there are seventeen insectoid vessels forming up against our nine...
How can this be?
We have no time to ponder this now though… Paktu S’jet Armada fleet has met our enemy head on, and we will engage them, no matter if they have seventeen, or seventeen thousand ships. Humanity will prevail.
Though we have no specific anti-missile technology, our lasers are sufficiently accurate to destroy multiple waves of incoming missiles
![Image](http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5257/swordofthestars20080324eb5.jpg)
Our weaponry still greatly outstrips the enemy’s feeble slugthrowers, and we push straight through all their ships to the world, where we detect several hundreds of thousands of the strange insect creatures. After destroying the strange wing ship stationed just before the planet - it had projected an energy field above its main hull -, we proceeded to clear the surface of the insect infestation.
We have sustained no losses.
Tully starts construction of colonizers to take advantage of the 20% infrastructure already present on the planet. Chepren will truly be a jewel of a world in the Human Empire one day.
Chepren: the futureWe still detect a single old insectoid defence platform in orbit, this technology is interesting. We may wish to look into it. Six of the enemy ships choose to abandon their duty and run from the field of battle. It would not have helped their cause if they had stayed, however, we will now have to track them down and destroy them. No matter, they are easily caught up, though we will need more fuel before we can move from Chepren.
T50
Task Force Pesticide arrives at Zhadum, where before the strange cobbled together ships were found.
The smaller ship breaks off, and we engage the larger vessel. Though it is quite massive, it is no match for our sheer numbers. However, its weaponry is diverse and partially quite advanced.
It is equipped with a large sustained beam weapon which causes significant damage to our ships, along with large mass driver cannon.
![Image](http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8871/swordofthestars20080325yq5.jpg)
The force of impact of the mass drivers send any destroyer they hit spinning wildly out of position.
With precision firing however our old ships are able to disable the dangerous turrets on the enemy vessel.
Beam removalThe ship quickly succumbs to our might, and the small support vessel is also tracked down and eliminated.
Again, we suffer no losses, and the destroyed vessel yields a fairly valuable cargo to be added to our treasury.
The Zhadum system indeed shows itself to be of great potential, and we begin to make plans for colonization…
Excalibur starts on this vital work, beginning a colonization fleet, while Tully continues production of the one slated for Chepren.
T51
With research of Expert Systems at 56% of its projected total budget, we cut back on spending to allow us to fully utilize our production bases for the construction of further colonizers.
The first colonization fleet for Chepren is ready at Tully, and sets off.
T52
One of our Exploratoria+ pickets at Errai engages a fish-people scout; it barely takes damage to its paint layer while demolishing the pathetic vessel. It was using small mass drivers and a missile launcher.
We detect another such fish ship incoming on Excalibur, but it is still three years away.
T53:
One of our old Exploratoria class finds five fish ships while passing through Betelgeuse, it is destroyed with all hands lost.
On a more positive note, Expert Systems are already usable, 3 years ahead of schedule with current technological investment. We now move on to Point Defense systems.
A second colonizer fleet leaves from Tully.
We detect a fish ship two years out from Zhadum.
T54
Excalibur’s second colonizer fleet leaves.
T55
The colonization fleet on its way to Zhadum encountered three green laser alien ships at Merak. The fleet was able to keep range and escaped unscathed.
MerakAlso, the fish ship at Zhadum was destroyed.
The first colonization fleet has arrived at Chepren, it is ordered to set down and claim this world.
T56
We start overharvesting resources on Chepren to speed up its growth.
Though Paktu S’jet Armada fleet is not yet repaired, it is sent after the insectoid ships, we hope we will catch them up before they reach Arokor
T57
The second colonizer ship on its way to Zhadum again encounters the three enemy ships at Merak, the outcome is the same as last time, no damage is sustained.
The second colony fleet is ordered to expand the settlement on Chepren
T58
PSA fleet arrives at Arokor, there is a fish ship here, but also a green laser opponent ship. Both are destroyed, though we notice a number of our laserblasts reflecting off of the green laser alien ship. When we examine the vessel after the battle, we note that the occupants are hairy lizards of some kind; we also find that the reflection was some kind of coating on the surface of the armour. We may have to look into this technology ourselves if we face these enemies more often.
We determine we have four years until the insectoids arrive. We decide to send PSA fleet back to Chepren in the hope it will have developed sufficient infrastructure in 2 years to perform some repairs.
We cease overharvesting at Chepren.
Point defence systems are now over their projected budget, so we cut down on spending. We forgive the scientists for now as they provided us with expert systems so soon.
T59
While we are uncertain whether or not PSA fleet will be in a fit condition to deal with the insectoids, we decide to route Task Force Pesticide to Arokor, it will arrive there well ahead of the insectoid fleet.
The second Zhadum colonizer fleet has arrived, and is ordered to perform its slated duty.
T60
Point defence tracking weapons are now ready for trial on our ships.
Due to the long distances between the stars in general and our colonies in particular, we order our scientists to start work on refining Node Drive technology, with Node Focussing.
Though PSA fleet can not yet be repaired at Chepren, we decide to order them back to Arokor to act as support for Task Force Pesticide, though they are quite heavily damaged, they will serve well as reinforcements, while TFP does the heavy work. With our experience so far with the insectoids, this should not be necessary, but we will not risk the lives of the venerable TFP veterans without reason.
Thus is the state of our empire at present:
![Image](http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2772/swordofthestars20080325rn7.jpg)
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Here we go then, sorry it's taken so long to post this, I've been playing multi games almost non-stop over the easter weekend so I didn't do my turns... I'm glad it was missed though, that means it must be appreciated
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
I've limited myself to 3 full size pictures. But I do want to have pictures in it in normal image format, because otherwise it's just a lump of text and combat pictures especially really do look good
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
The save is here:
http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~wlrl5h