Once More, With Feeling

[cats]

OOC: ... Is Fen in Batii space?

BIC

"And you're sure the bands match those from the earlier encounter?"

Rann made a gesture of confirmation.

Nihen sighed. "Shit. Realspace and-"

"Yes. Hyperspheracle propagation at a little over a lightyear per hour. It'll reach the nearest known Merek pulse station in about a day, UM space in two, and that's assuming that the broadcast just began."

Karesh Nihen stood from his chair and paced.

"We've managed to piece together a few analyses from readings taken from your grid and our own vessels. Three craft, all appearing to be of the same origin as the earlier, stealthed ship. One armed. They haven't made any attempt to hide themselves."

""Well it's clear now that they don't mean pose a threat, at least not immediately. Were you able to decode any of the broadcast?"

Rann dipped her head,"Mathematics, basic starmaps, background radiation recordings, what we believe to be language and histories. All in simple format. Likely it's a first-contact message of sorts."

Nihen grunted. "They came to be heard. They'll be heard. I only hope that this will unify the Batii rather than-"

Rann held up a hand, her eyes darted to something offscreen. When they fell back to Nihen, they had darkened. "I've received a report from my observation fleet. They've been attacked."

Nihen sat back down. "By?"

"Merek, we think. Possibly Butik or one of the Minors, we're not sure. They're probably looking to make contact first, get whatever advantage they can. Damn them."

"How many?"

"A fleet, twenty ships." She picked up a datapad. "No, two... Three, another fleet just exited hyperspace. The numbers keep growing. The observation fleet won't be able to handle it for long, I only have a few fleets in reserve."

Nihen turned to his waiting admiral. "Ni, Order all nonessential combat ships in range to the Shihe periphery. This is an executive order. I want fifty ships within the hour, I don't care if they burn their drives." He turned back to Rann as the admiral exited.

"It may not be enough."

"This is vital to our Alliance, to the future of our race. It'll have to be enough." The screen beside Rann's flashed. The image of Karth's leader appeared and lowered its head. Then another screen, displaying the new president of the United Mundesh, then several others: minor houses.

The UM representative spoke first, "I was contacted by your admiral with plans for alliance under the Contact Protocol. I understand you're in need."

======================================

Significant forces of warships of both alliances are moving toward the Shihe-controlled peripheral system in which the unknown ships are broadcasting.

[Shadowcatbot]

No, Macai and NR are in deep space first contacting. Novus is in Bati space first contacting and stealthing everywhere.

[Ivan2006]

ME and NA are ocntacting in NA space.
NA might also simultaniously be in Batiss space, if he isn't, you screwed up.
I don't have any idea what Novus is doing, Error's posts have been either OOC or GMcontrol of UTA for at least five pages now.

[Luna]

[Broadcast to Galaxy | Translated message]>Laruth
Attention all galactic faring empires. Most of you likely don't know who the senders of this message are. A ship has recently entered our space in search of habitable planets under the name of NeoRome. They are being sent back safely in their own ship, we ask nothing of other empires besides for them to recognize our existence as a nation in this galaxy. Galactic activity has sparked recently and we have decided that we need to make our border claims before we are overrun. Along with this message, a map has been sent with what we think are current political boundaries for every empire, including our own. Thank you for listening, and have a nice day.

[Professor Fenway]

OOC: I am in Batii space, is one of the 12 scouts. My ship was taken out by the slip-merge drive; Jump drive and slipmerge do not appreciate each other, and the entire ship was deactivated by a massive power surge. What happened exactly is up to you.

[Error]

The diplomatic escort has raised shields and gone defensive, but has continued broadcasting and is actively painting the aggressor unknowns (Batii) with RADAR and LADAR sweeps.

[Shadowcatbot]

@Laruth
I doubt you have the capability of sending galactic messages let alone the knowledge of translating them.

[Luna]

@Laruth
I doubt you have the capability of sending galactic messages let alone the knowledge of translating them.

We're not some Terran separatists. In other words. "We have the technology." Laruth is an old nation that had space faring capability long before humans even existed.

[Ivan2006]

"We have the Technology" = "We are Overpowered compared to all of you."
Seriously, the limit is warp drive or something of similar quality for non-uman factions - humans are actually among the most advanced FTL-wise right now. Also no one has the ability to even recieve messages by any other means than point-to-point Hyperpulse or warp radio, which would take weeks to cross the galaxy, at the very least, and take horrendous ammounts of power.
Being "established" is limited to the Strigs. Seriously, chances are if you already were established, you would have been destroyed or annexed by the Strigs.
So no, please rework your faction, right now it's horribly OP.

[Luna]

Urrrgghhh, I hate the changing technology scales! Is this really the rework of the RP we wanted? I thought we were going to think and plan this out. Also why is it the meta that the Strig are the galactic superpower? Can't it be possible for them to be the oldest without them being overpowered?

[cats]

@Fen: Alrighty

@CvN but that would be millions of years...

A galactic map would be nice.

=========

The Alliance fleets have formed a defensive semisphere around the alien (Novan) vessels. Merek and many of its allied Minor Houses are attempting to break the wall and capture the ships while fending off attacks from the Alliance offensive force. Butik (aligned with Merek) has a smaller force in the area. The total number of ships is over 400.

[ACH0225]

Also why is it the meta that the Strig are the galactic superpower? Can't it be possible for them to be the oldest without them being overpowered?

The Strig are vastly underpowered for both their age and size. Speaking entirely ignoring the military, they are in decay; the best comparison would be the Ottoman Empire in the mid-1800s. They are losing areas in localized nationalistic revolutions, and are suffering from overconfidence and imperial overstretch. Militarily, however, they are still very strong. This is depreciated by their decaying internal systems, slow and massive government, and the scale they have to operate on. Whereas you and the human empires primarily worry about their immediate neighbors and the Strigiforme, the Strigiforme are concerned with everyone and everything. The Strigiforme have their own problems, just as bad as anyone else's, arguably worse; they just aren't readily apparent.

[Error]

OOC, Strig are basically the Ancient and/or Cthulhu.
BIC

The diplomatic envoy has been joined by the mostly-complete (only carrying 2 squadrons, and lacking half her interior plating) battlecarrier CSV Pegasus, which is warding off any hostiles (Merek) that attempt to approach. The diplomatic cruiser is pinging the friendly(?) (Alliance) ships with comms protocols.

Re: any Merek ships approaching the Novans get a wall of flak fire off their bows.

[Shadowcatbot]

Colony units are moving to settle outposts at key planets.

[Luna]

Uggh, I have better things to write than futile attempts at understanding this new system. I'll be keeping a close eye and jump in when someone decides i'm important.