RB0-36, Retired Meklar Emperor: Yup - and it took me about three seconds to decide on my response. Took a little bit longer to execute it though. We already had neutron pellet guns ready, thanks to a spy in Alkari space, but I wanted to wait for fusion drives, which were almost ready when the war began - and luckily, our construction engineers worked out the kinks in Zortium armor at just about the same time.
ACP-30: Ah, the Quark 4.0! The ... uh ... why don't I remember any anecdotes about those?
RBO-36: Probably because we only ever built ten of the things. All I really wanted them to do was get rid of the missile base at Kulthos and whatever little fleet Zygot managed to put up there so my transports could get through. They did the job admirably, and then just kind of wandered around the galaxy looking for other things to do.
ACP-30: I ... guess that makes sense. Of course the invasion of Artifacts Kulthos was a success, but it looks like the tech you picked up wasn't that great.
RBO-36: Nobody had anything great left, frankly. But we did capture Cygni from the Sakkra the same year, and that finally put us in touch with the one race we hadn't met yet in the galaxy.
ACP-30: The ... glorious Darlok empire?
RBO-36: Sure! Behold, in all its glory!
ACP-30: Where ... oh. Way down there in the bottom-right quadrant? Yeah ... very glorious. But you did make a trade with them! So I have to ask this question; people have been wondering for years: Did you do it just to show you could, and quiet some of the critics who claimed you didn't know how to exchange tech with another species?
RBO-36: Really? This was the only time I did that? Ever? Huh. Nah, I wasn't aware of the critics though. I just like to meet Darlok scientists. Check out the uniform he's rocking!
ACP-30: ...
RBO-36: Anyway, time went on, we captured more colonies, built some of our own, finished researching useless mass drivers so we could start on stinger missiles, stole some obsolete tech from the Darloks - and Ion Rifle designs from the Alkari, which helped cut combat losses on the ground - and finally, just as your GNN anchor reported we would soon control the galaxy - we discovered something very important indeed!
ACP-30: The Meklar were expecting all along that they'd find a way to build radiated colonies. They were wrong, but it seems the Psilons managed the trick. I have a feeling I know what this means.
RBO-36: If your feeling has to do with large numbers of transports and Permanent Meklar Space Superiority(tm) then you would be correct.
ACP-30: That explains the radiated colony ships that started rolling off the docks all of a sudden in the southeast.
RBO-36: And if I hadn't made a couple of careless mistakes, I could have gone into retirement several years sooner. Even as it was, it didn't take long for your colleague at the studio to see what was really going on.
ACP-30: We're talking about recent history now though. By the time we announced that the others were preparing to merge with your empire, you had practically discovered - and well-nigh conquered - the entire galaxy.
RBO-36: Pretty nearly. By 'forty-six, the only stars we hadn't explored were some little Psilon holdout, three of the Alkari worlds since we hadn't been at war with them, and Orion itself.
ACP-30: For any viewers who are unaware, that's the yellow star near the center of the galaxy. What about the Darloks though? They never declared war on you, did they?
RBO-36: Nah, but they sent an old derelict warfleet our way anyway and forced us to crash up enough token defenses to blow them to bits, so I had a saboteur check out their world just in case. It all got resolved peacefully of course. They even abstained in the final vote - not that it made the slightest difference either way.
ACP-30: Galactic conquest in 2447. We're all grateful to you of course for accepting the position of High Master and letting your fellow races live, but why did you finally step down?
RBO-36: Are you kidding me? What kind of a Republic is ruled by a High Master? The need for a wartime ruler was over; I had to institute a galactic senate or go crazy with endless peacetime empire management. Besides, I missed Miamar's bluster. Check out her latest campaign speech!
Miamar: Surrender now, Shandra, and save yourself from the inevitable fall to my Kakata senatorial election campaign!
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