Goodstart2

BLOOMBERG MARKET ALERT 2404.5: The markets have fallen sharply today due to the outbreak of open war between the Zentraedi Anarchy and the Sol Invictus Imperium, both of which have trade agreements with the AJO Consortium. Details of the conflict are sketchy although our military consultant speculates that the Zentraedi Anarchy is likely to be the aggressor given the massive difference in empire size and military strength. It is uncertain how long the Imperium military can hold out against the full might of the Zentraedi Anarchy. Our military consultant predicts that the Imperium may potentially collapse unless Emperor Severus can attract new allies. Companies with significant investments in the Sol Invictus Imperium have nosedived as investors are fearful of losing all assets from the open conflict. Both governments were unavailable to provide any further information. Our commodities analysts have noted that certain Imperium assets have become available at firesale prices implying that those systems may already be under attack. Please stay tuned to Bloomberg, the news channel the Galaxy switches to first...

BLOOMBERG NEWS ALERT 2404.5: On the other side of the galaxy, there have been troubling rumors that the government of the Cagliostrian Empire has mysteriously collapsed. A total data blackout is in effect as all communication channels have been cut off. There has been speculation over the demise of the leader BellostheMighty. Despite the rumors ranging from a military coup or some lethal virus outbreak, we simply have no reliable information on what is now happening at the Cagliostrian capital. The Cagliostrian Empire has always been the most xenophobic and isolationist of all the alien species encountered. They had shunned all overtures for trade and technology transfers. Their refusal for peaceful coexistence had lead the "Questris incident" and our empires have been officially "at war" since. For the past several months, our forces have detected a steady build up of advanced Cagliostrian warships along our borders. The Cagliostrian military has remained silent despite repeated attempts to determine their intentions. It is uncertain if the loss of central control may further destabilise the tense situation. Our military liason reassures us that our military is well prepared to deal with any contingencies. Please stay tuned to Bloomberg, the news channel the Galaxy switches to first...

CONSORTIUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS BRIEFING 2404.9

Director Apple: "Fellow industry leaders, CEOs of megacorporations and heads of central banks, I greet you. Today's briefing is of particular importance given the recent outbreak of open hostilities between the Zentraedi Anarchy and the Sol Invictus Imperium. I would first invite our chief political analyst to give an update on the latest developments."

Political Analyst Guava: "Honorable ones, since the conflicts have taken place beyond our borders in uncharted space, we have very little concrete information. We are certain that the Zentraedi have invaded into Imperium space. We believe the Imperium have suffered heavy losses although we cannot provide any definite numbers. As the Zentraedi are the galaxy's military superpower we believe that conflict is a rather one sided affair but it remains to be seen if the Imperium military can effect a holding action to slow down the Zentraedi invasion. What is now obvious is the conflict has not escalated to a galaxy wide conflagration as was initially feared. Both the Frozen Empire and Freebooter Syndicate have not openly sided with either combatant. Our stock markets have rallied strongly with the exception of companies with significant investments in the Imperium which continue to suffer heavy losses. Nevertheless, our computer simulations have shown that further more widespread conflicts are inevitable given the rapid depletion of colonisable planets and the continued sharp rise in the galaxy wide population."

Subdirector Orange: "Honorable ones, I will now brief you on our response to the latest developments. We are starting to reconfigure our economy to maximize the manufacture of warcraft and military materials but this will take some time. Our Design Bureau are updating our warcraft designs with the latest technologies and streamlining them for mass production. We have accelerated the build up of defensive mines and satellites along our borders. We are also pressing our scientists to increase their productivity. In short, we are trying to do everything at once but this has lead to a tremendous expenditure of capital and resources. Hopefully we will be adequately prepared when the time comes."

Director Apple: "Gentle beings, we currently have the luxury of floating by the sidelines during this conflict. We may not be so fortunate the next time. When the Zentraedi have finished with the Imperium, who knows if that would satisfy their appetite or only make them hungry for more."

GALACTIC POLITICAL UPDATE 2405.1 - ANALYST COMMENTARY

"The sudden abdication of Emperor Septimius Severus and subsequent integration of all Sol Imperium assets into the Star Dragons Empire will have a profound impact on the course of galactic history. The Sol Imperium, although considered to be one of the weaker empires, had acted as a buffer between the larger and more powerful political entities. The political stability achieved since first contact is rapidly unravelling. Tensions are immense as we have yet to ascertain the intentions of both the Zentraedi Anarchy and the greatly strengthened Star Dragons Empire. Should war erupt it will likely involve multiple combatants and be far more widespread and destructive than had ever witnessed before. It is highly probable that the AJO Consortium will be actively involved in any the conficts to the north of our borders and we should prepare our military forces accordingly..."

Analyst Guava paused and looked away from the computer terminal. Now comes the hard part, it thought to itself, the choice of an ally for the upcoming fight. But which empire? The aggressive and militarily powerful Zentraedi? The technologically advanced Frozen Empire? The vast Freebooter Syndicate? Or finally, the newly contacted and unknown Star Dragons? The wrong choice will likely destroy our Consortium...

MAJOR GALACTIC POWERS

MINOR GALACTIC POWERS

This book is the official sanctioned history as endorsed by the AJO Consortium Board of Directors. All copyright reserved...

...The principal species of the AJO Consortium evolved in the icy methane oceans of a giant gas planet in the [censored] star system. The ecology of the planet was notorious for its poisonous and highly aggressive lifeforms. The pre-sentient form of the species survived by forming large swarms which could overpower much larger and powerful prey. Competing swarms were highly territorial and fights over prime hunting grounds were frequent. The need for communication and teamwork likely pushed the species towards sentience and eventually became the ascendant lifeform of the planet. The swarms developed complex hierarchies and provided the foundation for the first acquatic dynasties...

...The lack of mineral resources during much of the species pre-industrial development had lead to numerous bloody wars. In fact, it could be argued that every major conflict was motivated over the competition for mineral sources. This had a pronounced effect on the psychology of the species as a whole and the acquistion of wealth had been deeply imprinted as the greatest virtue. The use of metallic ornaments as symbols of wealth and social status continues to this day even after the species developed the technical expertise to mine the metallic core of the planet...

...The first corporation was believed to have developed some time near the end of the Kiwi dynasty (Estimated stardate 2101.9). There had been many proto-corporations and large company aggregates documented to have existed earlier but this first corporation possessed all the 'modern' management components. The issuing of shares to allow the non-aristocratic members of the species to become minority 'owners' proved to be revolutionary. The term 'shareholders' was first coined during this time.
The corporate model of governance was much more efficient than the older government systems as corporate positions were awarded to the most capable and experienced. Early corporations with its superior leadership and effective use of resources quickly supplanted the older nation states and heralded the Age of Corporations...

...The AJO Consortium was established in the aftermath of the fifth Great Corporate War (Stardate 2260.0). This was the final and most destructive global war and had came close to destroying the planet's ecology. Almost all the previous historical records had been destroyed including what the species use to call themselves. The loss of something as obvious as the species' name was likely the consequence of competing corporate propaganda and aggressive mass advertisment which may have involved subconscious brainwashing. Rather than calling themselves "Mcdonalds fans" or "Coca-Cola lovers", the species held a referendum and decided henceforth to refer to themselves as shareholders. The beauty of the Consortium was it provided the framework for corporations to compete in a free market but also had sufficient regulatory bodies in place to prevent such competition to spill over to destructive wars. The establishment of the AJO Consortium of which all its members were shareholders ushered in a unprecedented period of growth and prosperity....

...The last of the methane gas planets in the neighbouring [censored] star system had been colonised on stardate 2332.8. Colonisation of other planets were deemed too difficult given the technology available at that time due to the hostile planetary environments. Other star systems were inaccessible prior to warp technology. Scientists discovered the first warp point on stardate 2366.6 and the concept for the ion engine was conceived by the famous Physicist Cranberry on stardate 2370.1. The first prototype ion engine warp drive was developed on stardate 2389.5 by the Toyota Advanced Physics Lab. The Secretary class scout ship, the first warp capable spaceship, was constructed at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Spaceyard in 2400.2...

DIRECTOR'S VISIT TO MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES SPACEYARD 2405.3

"As you can see, the engine nacelles have been enlarged to fit the new engines. This will allow the Associate class light cruiser to travel much faster than its predecessor and confer a significant tactical advantage during combat. The Associate class will also incorporate many of the latest technologies with a 25% increase in firepower. The designers have adopted a modular approach to simplify the construction at commercial shipyards..." Chief Engineer Apricot continued to point out the slots were the weaponry would be installed.
Director Apple, who was on a tour of the cavernous shipyard, winced at the engineer's comments. The conversion of almost all commercial shipyards to produce warcraft was unpopular and had weakened its position on the Board of Directors. Director Apple was already familiar with the statistics of the ship but had wanted to see the construction first hand. Looking up at the gleaming exoskeleton of the ship, Director Apple wondered how it would fare against enemy ships. Intelligence reports stated than many other empires were fielding much larger warcraft. Director Apple hoped the use of commercial shipyards will allow the Consortium to manufacture enough ships to counter this.

Director Apple's thoughts were broken by the sound of Subdirector Orange rushing towards him. Wordlessly, it passed a memorycapsule to Director Apple. "This must be important for a Subdirector to act as a messenger" Apple thought to itself as it slotted the capsule into its reading implant. Director Apple tightened its tentacles as it read the contents of the latest intelligence update. The Star Dragons Clan and the Freebooter Syndicate were simultaneously invading the Kraken Hive. The Hive capital had been infiltrated by Syndicate spies and there was circumstantial evidence that the most of the Hive minds had been assassinated. It was predicted that the Kraken Hive will cease to exist in a matter of months. Director Apple cut short its tour of the shipyard and raced back to Consortium headquarters. The situation was deteriorating faster than the worst predictions.

NEAR THE ZENTRAEDI BORDER 2405.3

"We cannot raise Podleader Persimmon, Sir" said the communication officer.

Shipleader Gooseberry frowned as it stared intently at the 5 alien ships floating near the warp-point. The sharp predatory shapes and purplish tinge of their metallic exteriors were reminiscent of the stingers of some dangerous insect. Although the Consortium had not encountered this specific combat craft before, it was obviously of Zentraedi design.

Gooseberry's small flotilla of two Secretary frigates and two Clerk destroyers were considered obsolete and relegated to low risk missions. Not anticipating any trouble they had been tasked with securing the [censored] system's northern warp point. Ironically, they will now be involved in the first open confrontation with a major galactic power.

Studying the technical analysis of the enemy ships, Gooseberry was surprised how similar they were to its own ships. All five ships were frigate sized with comparable speeds as the Consortium ships. Detection of plasma radiation indicated that they were also armed with plasma missiles. Gooseberry grimaced as this; combat between missile armed frigates were always short and brutal. Any missiles that got through will be sufficient to destroy the whole ship. No time for launching escape pods. No survivors. It was all or nothing. The odds were definitely against Gooseberry; each alien ship appeared to have three missile launcher ports as opposed to two launchers on each of its own ships. The shipleader was outgunned 15 missile launches per salvo against its 8. Nevertheless, Gooseberry discerned a potential weakness that it may be able to exploit; in order to cram so many missile launchers onto such a small ship, the Zentraedi would be forced to sacrifice ship defence.

Given this is now Consortium space, the Rules of Engagement state that Gooseberry was free to engage any unauthorized vessels. Nevertheless, the shipleader was well aware of the political ramifications of its actions and it was reluctant to personally precipitate any open confrontation with the Zentraedi Anarchy. It was frustrating that the flotilla cannot communicate with the Podleader at this critical moment. The Zentraedi ships did not appear to be troubled by such considerations as they turned in unison and accelerated towards Gooseberry's flotilla.

"Attack pattern Barrier Two, missiles on continuous rapid fire, take us in at 45 degrees left" Gooseberry spoke into the intercom.
The two Clerk destroyers edged ahead of the smaller frigates so their point defence cannons can shield the whole flotilla. Tense seconds winded down until the ship shuddered as the first missiles blasted out of the missile ports. On the viewscreen, the Zentraedi ships lit up as they launched their broadside of missiles.
"Turn 30 degrees left, open up the distance!" Gooseberry barked tersely.
The flotilla turned, increasing the distance between the opposing ships to allow more time for the defence cannons to shoot down the missiles. The point defence cannons began roaring as they spat out a hail of uranium slugs. The ships were firing at their maximal rate and the vaccum was filled with trails of green-tipped plasma missiles. Incandescent explosions lit up between the fleets, two rows of explosions slowly played catch up with the thinly armored ships. Suddenly one of the Zentraedi ships disappeared in a silent deadly burst of light and radiation. Cheering by the crew was cut short when the ship lurched from a close call.
"Take us another 15 degrees left!" Gooseberry shouted.
Another Zentraedi ship disappeared in a ball of irradiated plasma but was quickly followed by one of the Secretary frigates. There was no time to react when a massive explosion ripped through the ship. Smoke flooded into the bridge and the power went out. Gooseberry lost consciousness as the ship gyrated wildly out of control.

As Gooseberry predicted, the engagement was short and brutal with the remaining ships being destroyed almost simultaneously. By some miracle, Gooseberry's Clerk destroyer survived although heavily damaged. There were no escape pods to pick up from the other ships. The first battle was a victory (albeit marginal) for the Consortium, but will it lead to open conflict with the Zentraedi? That will be up to the diplomats.

(Image of Zentraedi frigate)

(Maximum magnification of footage from closest Consortium ship showing Shipleader Gooseberry's flotilla on the right exchanging missile fire with Zentraedi forces)

NEAR THE ZENTRAEDI BORDER 2405.4

On review of the external ship cameras footage, the plasma missile was clipped by a uranium slug, detonating it just before it hit the ship stern which explained why Gooseberry's destroyer was not obliterated. Nevertheless, the highly radiated plasma had vaporised all the armor and breached the ship exoskeleton. Two ion engine shafts had been ruptured and a third damaged. Fortunately, the radiation shielding around the crew areas had held and aside from a few cracked carapaces and sprained tentacles, all the crew managed to survive.

Contact with Podleader Persimmon had finally been established and after reviewing the combat logs, the Podleader was scrambling to assemble the Repossession fleet to counter any further Zentraedi assaults.

The Zentraedi response was brutally quick with three cruisers warping into the system a scant twenty hours later. Gooseberry's crew had just re-established primary power to the ship when they were alerted to the intruder's presence. All the rear sensors had been burnt away and Gooseberry had to rotate the ship to visualise the new enemy. The three cruisers were again a new design but possessed the same predatory menace of their smaller brethen. After pausing around the warp point and scanning the surrounding debris, the Zentraedi cruisers headed towards Gooseberry's destroyer, probably intent on revenge. It was obvious that even undamaged, the Clerk class destroyer was no match for even one of the cruisers. As the destroyer was unable to escape with its damaged engines, Gooseberry quickly decided to abandon ship. After programming the ship computer to charge the enemy, Gooseberry and its crew launched the escape pods and scattered.

Watching from one of the escape pods, Gooseberry felt a swelling of bitter pride as its ship headed towards destruction. Parts of the stern were still burning from the previous explosion and fragments of charred exoskeleton fell away from the ship as it trundled forward on its remaining engines. The destroyer, as programmed, launched its remaining missiles which the Zentraedi cruisers brushed off with contemptuous ease. The cruisers launched a single salvo of plasma missiles which consumed the Consortium ship in a brilliant burst of destructive energy.

With a sigh, Gooseberry turned away from the viewscreen and focused on how to stay alive.