3
Background
In 2032, Earth was attacked without warning by an alien armada, which bombarded the surface from orbit. The aliens were apparently only interested in devastating the planet as there was no follow-up invasion. Only pockets of humanity remained, living in near-medieval conditions in a cold, irradiated wasteland. In the centuries that followed, some semblance of civilisation returned with the emergence of villages, towns and eventually small city states. Even though knowledge of the Fall was part of collective human memory in the form of myths and legends, humanity was fractured and small wars still broke out over territory or resources. A thousand years after the attack, one of these nascent states, known as the Imperium, began to expand its borders, either by conquering its city-state neighbours or by forming alliances based on the concept that humanity must unite and prepare for another alien attack. The Imperium was led by a mysterious figure known only as the Emperor, who seemingly never aged, guiding his subjects for decades and eventually centuries.
Humanity slowly recovered from the Fall, albeit at a glacial pace due to most of the easily accessible resources being consumed by the previous human civilization. Technology was based on wind and water power, then steam and eventually the internal combustion engine. Meanwhile, the Imperium, guided by the Emperor, developed into an economic, scientific and military powerhouse that gradually expanded until it dominated its home continent. Driven by his concern for the long-term fate of humanity, the Emperor announced the Imperium’s possession of nuclear weapons and intercontinental bombers by launching a mass strike against all the key military and industrial targets of its major rivals. The Great War ensued, lasting almost ten years and causing significant devastation across the globe, but when it ended the Imperium stood alone. A century of peace, reconstruction and scientific advancement followed the bloodshed, known as the Pax Imperium, during which the Imperium’s in-depth education programs ensured that old national rivalries were extinguished.
The post-war period was brought to an end by the discovery of Trans-Newtonian physics in the late 40th Century. The Emperor decreed that the Imperium would become a star-faring civilization, dedicated to building a military force capable of seeking out and destroying the aliens that had almost wiped out humanity, along with all other potential threats. The first step would be to convert the entire industrial base of the planet, renamed Terra in honour of the new era of humanity, to the new technology. Terra’s economic might would be the foundation from which humanity would venture forth to conquer the stars.
Scenario
• Conventional Start
• Starting population is two billion with 3200 CI and 33 Research Facilities.
• Ruin chance is increased from 20% to 25%.
• All spoilers active except Rakhas.
• System Count is 30 for Raiders, 60 for Swarm and 100 for Invaders.
• 10 NPRs. 75-150 LY
• NPRs can generate other NPRs with a 10% chance.
• NPRs generate Precursors and Raiders
• Minor Races set to 100%
• Limited Research Admin
• Hostility Modifier +20
• Survey Speed 25%
• Sol has six jump points
Terra Survey Report
Duranium: 420,300 0.90
Neutronium: 160,100 0.70
Corbomite: 106,700 1.00
Tritanium: 147,800 0.80
Boronide: 184,100 0.90
Mercassium: 139,600 0.70
Vendarite: 300,000 1.00
Sorium: 168,650 0.70
Uridium: 165,700 1.00
Corundium: 176,700 0.80
Gallicite: 211,200 0.90
The conversion of all industry to Trans-Newtonian technology was completed on December 4th 4004, resulting in 1800 construction factories, 1000 mines and 400 financial centres. More than a year later, after the construction of several fighter factories, a series of Cygnus class geological survey craft began construction, with the first launched on May 24th 4006. The Cygnus was a bare bones design intended primarily for a survey of the Sol system. While the inner planets proved disappointing, two vital discoveries were made in the outer system. Io, the innermost of the four Galilean moons, had substantial deposits of Duranium, Neutronium and Corundium at mid to high accessibility. Saturn had over three million tons of accessibility 1.0 Sorium in its atmosphere, providing a fuel source for the Imperium for decades to come.
Cygnus class Geological Survey Craft 500 tons 13 Crew 124.5 BP TCS 10 TH 10 EM 0
1000 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 HTK 2 Sensors 0/0/0/1 DCR 0-0 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.39 Years MSP 38 AFR 8% IFR 0.1% 1YR 3 5YR 48 Max Repair 100 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 36 months Morale Check Required
Ravenor Drive Systems RDS-10-ME (1) Power 10.0 Fuel Use 35.58% Signature 10.00 Explosion 5%
Fuel Capacity 45,700 Litres Range 46.2 billion km (535 days at full power)
Geological Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
Io Survey Report
Duranium: 3,730,546 0.80
Neutronium: 1,274,686 0.50
Vendarite: 259,978 0.40
Corundium: 453,966 0.60
Saturn Survey Report
Sorium: 3,194,310 1.00
A series of four Corvus class gravitational survey craft were launched in early 4009, similar in design to the Cygnus except for improved armour and a different sensor. They were followed in March and July 4009 by the first large Trans-Newtonian spacecraft: a Carrack class freighter and a Caravel class colony ship respectively. The new ships were used to establish a lunar colony. While Terra’s moon had no mineral deposits, the Emperor saw the moon as a first step into interstellar colonisation and a catalyst for the development of fledgling civilian shipping lines. That proved prescient with the completion of the first civilian ship by Zagan Freight later the same year.
Carrack class Freighter 49,319 tons 219 Crew 690.8 BP TCS 986 TH 1,680 EM 0
1703 km/s Armour 1-119 Shields 0-0 HTK 66 Sensors 5/6/0/0 DCR 1-0 PPV 0
MSP 8 Max Repair 50 MSP
Cargo 25,000 Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 3
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
Ravenor Drive Systems RDS-240-C (7) Power 1680.0 Fuel Use 3.72% Signature 240.0 Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres Range 49.1 billion km (333 days at full power)
MK I Commercial Active Augur Array (1) GPS 1200 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
MK I Electromagnetic Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 6.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
MK I Thermal Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 5.0 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
Caravel class Colony Ship 49,400 tons 274 Crew 1,456.9 BP TCS 988 TH 1,680 EM 0
1700 km/s Armour 1-119 Shields 0-0 HTK 68 Sensors 5/6/0/0 DCR 1-0 PPV 0
MSP 18 Max Repair 400 MSP
Cryogenic Berths 100,000 Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 3
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
Ravenor Drive Systems RDS-240-C (7) Power 1680 Fuel Use 3.72% Signature 240 Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres Range 49 billion km (333 days at full power)
MK I Commercial Active Augur Array (1) GPS 1200 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
MK I Electromagnetic Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
MK I Thermal Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
The new Corvus class ships began finding jump points in Sol, but had no way to explore them. Consequently, a new small craft design, the jump-capable Aquila class scout, was developed and six were constructed, starting in July 4010.
Aquila class Scout 500 tons 13 Crew 57.6 BP TCS 10 TH 30 EM 0
3000 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 HTK 6 Sensors 5/6/0/0 DCR 0-0 PPV 0
Maint Life 8.35 Years MSP 17 AFR 8% IFR 0.1% 1YR 0 5YR 7 Max Repair 15 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Morale Check Required
RM-5 Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 500 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Ravenor Drive Systems RDS-30-M (1) Power 30.0 Fuel Use 164.32% Signature 30.00 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 69,900 Litres Range 15.3 billion km (59 days at full power)
MK I Commercial Active Augur Array (1) GPS 1200 Range 21.6m km Resolution 120
MK I Thermal Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 5 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 17.7m km
MK I Electromagnetic Augur Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
Eventually, six jump points were discovered in Sol and probed by the Aquilas. The innermost led to Proxima, a red dwarf system with two small and unremarkable planets. Jump point two led to Alpha Centauri, a far more interesting binary system with eleven planets and almost eight moons. Two planets had thin nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres and several more were colony cost 2.00 worlds in the habitable zone. The geological survey proved disappointing, with nothing of note except the ruins of an alien city on Alpha Centauri-B V, most likely another victim of the same aliens that attacked Terra two thousand years earlier. A number of factories and mines and a research facility were recovered and converted for human use.
Jump point three connected to a planetless brown dwarf system, which was named Styx. Beyond jump points four and five were Barnard’s Star and Andromeda, neither of which held anything of interest. Jump point six led to Scarus, a red dwarf binary with five planets and several comets. One of the latter would eventually become a mining colony. Scarus and Barnard’s Star connected only to each other, so the Cygnus and Corvus class survey craft, escorted by the Aquilas, began to explore beyond the other four systems.
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