2425: Captain Whipsnake's report just prior to the battle of Uxmai:
The planet remains undefended. We have encountered no resistance since our bombers took out the missile base last year. I can see the Psilons activating their personal deflector shields now, and their duralloy combat armor will hold up against our forces' laser blasters every bit as well as our titanium can sustain their assault rifle fire. We've burned all their armor units and fortified defenses from orbit, but our transports can't carry armor units of our own, and their troops will have the advantage in house-to-house fighting in familiar terrain. We can't fire on the troops themselves without taking out the planet's valuable factories. It's a good thing we outnumber them by more than two to one.The Sakkra would be rewarded for preserving the planet's infrastructure, snaring Duralloy Armor, Battle Computer Mark V, Battle Computer Mark IV, Death Spores, and Class III Deflector Shields from just 100 factories. Eagerly, Dr. Iguanaius prepared to pursue an Advanced Space Scanner with his computer project complete. More pleasing still to Obsessivus though were the results of this activity:
25 years ago, you idiots and cowards tried to save your skins by voting me the ruler of the galaxy! I turned you down, and now you seem to finally realize that I'm the enemy. Every one of you voted for M5-35, I see - without exception! That's more like it, I'd say. Too bad for you that I control more than a third of the population of the galaxy! Now, now that it's only a statement of loathing for the Meklar, I will gladly vote for me!The Psilons proceded to declare war, promising that Obsessivus could not escape their wrath, more than a little belatedly.
With Human transports due everywhere, and a large stack of Alkari transports approaching Dunatis as well, Obsessivus gave the planet the following orders:
Build as much of a base as you can in secret without finishing it, and assemble as many factories as possible this year. Vipersian is needed at Kakata to deal with the transports there, and if the Human death fleet stays in your orbit, it should handle the Alkari for us; if it leaves, that's a good thing, and our losses on the surface should be sustainable. The key will be to assemble as many missile bases as possible next year, with a Doc or two as support if possible; you will be receiving all the reserves I can give you. Good luck!"Doc" was of course the nickname of the empire's first MD destroyer, with a pair of Mass Drivers and the best battle computer available in the galaxy - the original plans are still on file at the military museum on Dunatis itself:
2426: Transcript of transmission from the Human fleet in orbit over Dunatis to the incoming Alkari transports:
This is your final warning: You are entering space claimed by the Grand Navy of Lasitus the Great! Human transports are already en route to conquer this world, which is rightfully ours. Interlopers will not be tolerated! Reverse course or face destruction!Since transports are by nature incapable of reversing course however, the warning was a formality. Barely more than a fifth of the Alkari transports made it through the Human blockade to be slaughtered By Sakkra forces on the ground.
2427: The emperor's plan came to fruition, with four bases completed at Dunatis simultaneously with the help of reserves from the scrap of the old Tristar destroyers. A Doc arrived just in time as well, and the defenses - just - held out.
Only a single missile base survived, but Vipersian's western fleet, divided for the purpose, was in position to destroy all the Human transports not only at Kakata but at Dunatis as well soon thereafter. Welcome news came also from Dr. Inguanaius:
I doubt you'll find any use for the new energy pulsar, but it's opened the way to Impulse Drives! At last, an engine upgrade that can affect our transports! I advise building bases everywhere before long, as we'll want to scrap our whole sluggish fleet when these come in!2428: A Bulrathi fleet, including a Warbear dreadnought, arrived at Gienah, lured by the scrapping of the Tristars, which composed most of the eastern fleet. Being ultra-rich, the planet had a dozen Hyper-X bases and seven Doc destroyers in orbit however, and made short work of the enemy. The good news - by RBO-18's standards - just kept rolling in, as the Alkari finally transmitted their acknowledgement of the war:
2431: Tao, right on the border between Meklar and Psilon space, simply couldn't catch a break, with four more factories sabotaged while Vipersian eradicated more transports up at Proteus on the other side of the galaxy and Lasitus was told yet again that there would be no peace with his people in 2430. The following year however, Dr. Iguanaius had good news to report on the research situation:
Ion Cannons are now ready to deploy on our fighters. I advise building them while we can. Planetology research has been slowed severely to ensure that our shield research is finished before my budget ceases to exist and all our work on them is lost, but it still won't be long before we're expanding again. Fusion Bomb will be our next weapons project, since Mass Driver miniaturization should make it worthwhile, but we don't plan to actually start research until we get out from under our new toxic bases.2432: Shield research completed soon after the latest research report, opening the way to a Repulsor Beam, and every planet near any front was soon working on Lithium 2.0 ion fighters, planetary shields, or hulls for future toxic colony ships. It was in this context that the "aggressive" Bulrathi - who had been attacking and attacked by the Sakkra for decades anyway - finally got around to this formality:
Primary Sources: The Toxic Blitz
2434: Having planned well in advance for the change, Obsessivus had nothing bad to say about his people when toxic landings became possible, in spite of the cost in lost propulsion research it would incur. The choice of Controlled Radiated Environment was even approved in spite of stronger choices like an antidote to death spores and much-needed terraforming, simply because it would please the Sakkra people. Perhaps the emperor's animus against the empire itself was only in abeyance however, with a far more irritating threat at hand, as expressed in this official request broadcast to all government agencies:
Can someone figure out a way to make Lasitus shut up!? The unspeakable idiot keeps asking me for peace!2438: Thanks to the modular hulls already constructed at five different worlds in 2434 (two at ultra-rich Gienah, within 6 parsecs of two different toxic worlds) only awaiting the necessary systems to actually construct toxin- and inferno-resistant colonies, the period of toxic-based expansion insanity was kept as short as it could possibly be without superior engines or control of the Altair system.
One year after GNN declared them the dominant power in the galaxy, even as they destroyed the last Human transports bound for Klystron, the Sakkra were ready to begin research and combat ship building again - nothing but Ion Scout 2s had been completed since the Rattler 2.0 colony ships left the space docks, but this was not enough for the Sakkra leaders, perhaps because of messages like this one from Governor Racerius of the eastern fleet:
That dreadnought's the latest thing off the Mentar shipyards; it's got to be using their most advanced technology - way beyond ours, I know - and the thing's gigantic! Oh, and it's heading this way - at about Warp 4!_______________
Next: Can't Win 'Em All
