The History Of Conquest

THE CAST

n the beginning nearly three score planets of the fallen Terran empire regained the spark which drives mankind onwards to great events. With their new found technology they discovered space flight and the locator beacons of the Empire's planets. Therefore, a few brave men took off into deep space to conquer, explore and spread civilisation. Among the first to leave their planets were the scoutships, small and fast, designed to search out the old Empire planets and the hazardous black holes. The Grand Cairo Adrian of Planet Ein proved especially adept at creating search patterns, for maximum efficiency of his scouts.

After the scouts, the chrome plated warships soared like flaming arrows into the blackness. Several reached their primary objectives after a years flight and subdued the primitive populations they found there, turning them to producing further expansion and exploration of space.

Some of those who achieved the quantum leap of space flight, failed to capitalise upon their advantage and foolishly did not launch their warships towards one of the myriad of stars in the galaxy. Others built miners to exploit resource rich airless and inhospitable planets, slowing down their expansion; when it was speed and surprise which carved out empires and fame!

This first year brought the first space battle of the new era when the Khazi of Planet Lockley with greatly superior forces annihilated the fleet of Czar Tilleyov from Adamgrad. A blood feud was formed between these two rulers, which cost each planet much suffering; ended their chances of universal domination, finally resulting in the Khazi's utter destruction and the rape of his planet eleven years later. Although Tilleyov certainly took too long to complete this conquest. Other's remained peaceful to their fellow conquerors and merely took over their ignorant neighbours. Notably among these was the Despot 'Lucky' Luckett.

The first year finished with a few skirmishes between close neighbours, resulting in the mass destruction of misused scouts. The next year saw an escalation of the combat, with large scale use of warships in attacks on each others home stars by Kruger the Callous and Feckless Freckleton from planet Carolian. The inhabitants of the simply named star 82 had many days of celebration as the forces of Emperor Hugh entered them on the path to glory. For this planet was soon rename THE DEATH STAR, renowned through the galaxy for the quality and quantity of warships it produced over the years. Despot Lucky and The Grand Cairo stormed ahead in the size of their fleets, utilising last year's bonus of a conquered planet. Those looking to the future could already see that the greatest battles would be between these two titans.

However, the second year was dominated by the start of Kruger's single minded desire to wrest planet Carolian from its owner. The next year followed with an internecine battle better Keeper Morris foolishly attacking the well defended but enigmatically named planed Nobbie. The increasing scale of destruction and mayhem of these petty squabbles was clearly illustrated by the launch of a massive battle fleet against Feckless Feckleton by the Octaves of planet Octoid. Five mighty warships, silently cruising the dark waters of the dark, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting Feckleton. The direct result of which was to turn Kruger's ire from Feckleton to the Octaves, the hunter becoming the hunted as ships after ship was launched against them, finally succeeding in the dying days of the First Galactic War in destroying the Octave scum and freeing the galaxy from a piratical menace.

A glorious feat of exploration was achieved in the third year of the was as Commander Pugwash from planet Drei, under the direct orders of the Emperor, successfully flew through a black hole and survived the rigours of the the worm hole to arrive safely on the other side. Captain Conder from Ein, was just pipped at the post, and became the second human to fly through a black hole in many a long year.

Events heated up soon after this; there were two bloody copus on the planets of Eden and Kidney, both of the new rulers successfully using their skill to carve out a tidy little empire in a short time.

These also followed two examples of incompetence of the highest order. When the Great Namby Pamby of planet Priory and President Jason of Glasgae both failed to garrison their planets with the barest minimum of troops and so both fell prey to the predatory maneuvers of Queen Foggy and the Angel Kidney. Although Angel Kidney's tactics were clearly superior and would have overwhelmed any of the pitiful defences the President could have put up. However, the dishonourable way he gave up with hardly firing a shot is not very credible for a leader who brought his planet to the space age. Some of the behaviour patterns of these so called 'Galactic Conquerors' is beyond comprehension, Keeper Morris with many splendid battles to fight, planets to conquer and stars to seek out, merely sat on his home star twiddling his thumbs. Great events do not come to a person, one has to seek them out. Keeper Morris richly deserved his fate, when six years later his very memory was obliterated by planet Triskaideka.

The next few years saw a lull in the war with prudent rulers exploiting the resource rich planets in the system and consolidating their positions.

Of course there were a few bickerings as the Octaves took over from Feckless Freckleton and Despot Lucky looted, pillaged and blasted planet Tyronia, after its ineffectual leader had not been seen for many a long year.

The seventh year of the war was highlighted by the hostile scouting between The Grand Cairo and Despot Lucky, this was soon to escalate into all out war between the two. The Grand Cairo was also unlucky enough to have Captain Conder, the valorous explorer ripped apart by the gravitational tides of a black hole.

Emperor Hugh launched his armoured battle fleet to strike deep into the territory of his enemy the Decans, who were cruelly oppressing his downtrodden allies, the Pamaits. All of them brave men flung into the starry depths, leaving behind loved ones, friends and family and heading towards their noble deaths.

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

Many brave soldiers met their fate in the eighth year with over thirty ships burst open, spilling their fragile contents into the hostile ether. The Grand Cairo beat off attacks on three fronts, the Octaves hunted down the remnants of Feckless Freckleton's forces and met the vanguard of Kruger's fleet and the white haired Jester of the planet with two moons with a small fleet destroyed overwhelmingly superior numbers of technically better ships of the planet Sol (the last bastion of the Terran empire). Unfortunately this sacrifice was in the end shown to be pointless as the Jester failed to attack again and the Solarians were able to regroup and and fight off all the other threats against their sovereignty.

Half way through the war, Emperor Hugh's technicians developed immense dreadnoughts and battleships to replace his aging and rusting warships. Magnanimously he spread this new technology throughout the galaxy, even to his bitter enemies, in the spirit of a fair fight. The coming of these powerful weapons of war was not felt for a few years, because the generals were still committed to using their obsolete warships. With these, the Pamaits were able to beat off a ruthless attack by Saddam O'Callaghan of Decca, although they were buoyed up by the thought that Emperor Hugh's fleet was speeding through space to save them. The Grand Cairo managed to find more people to fight in the infinity of space and Queen Fog and Angel Kidney locked horns over an insignificant speck, with the Kidneyites coming off best, despite the ferocious attack. The space fleets of Despot Lucky reached over fifty vessels this year, hordes of slaves toiling away on subdued planets, forced to make the tyrant's war machine larger each year.

Two years later the war blossomed in violence when wave after wave of kamakazee warships of The Grand Cairo screamed out of hyperspace above Despot Lucky's home star. Lasers blazing, the sun against their backs they achieved much glory for their legion. But Despot Lucky was able, by the skin of his teeth, to withstand the ferocious onslaught. His people who for years had been under his jackboot groaned with morbid sadness as the last of their would be liberators winked out of existence in a brief fireball. A short lived rebellion was soon brutally crushed by forces returning from the boundaries of his empire. These were later used to drive off the repeated attacks by The Grand Cairo, for the rest of the war. Despite the heavy losses incurred by both of these determined foes, both of them managed to keep their borders pushing outwards.

In stark contrast to The Grand Cairo's failed bid to topple Despot Lucky, was the Emperor's successful other throw of Saddam O'Callaghan. An aged battle fleet, having spent years in deep space, finally came out or warp drive and strove through fearsome losses to batter O'Callaghan's defences and break through, when low morale and incompetence allowed them entry. The Deccans were jubilant and declared many days of public holiday. The threat to Pamait was removed and the Emperor could now turn his attention to pockets of Republican Guard resistance on other planets long conquered and held by the dictator.

Year fourteen was highlighted by the men of Eden turning on their long held friend and ally The Grand Cairo and sticking knives in his back. A surprise attack on a peaceful trading world, led to its eventual fall, after a spirited battle and left their world resembling somethings out of Dante's Inferno.

The first waves of Kruger's Death Legion reached planet Octoid and threw themselves at his defences, singing their traditional, evocative war chant. These first heroic waves softened up the resistance enough for the later waves to break through and conquer the planet, a triumph to Kruger's single minded determination to utterly destroy someone if he got on his wrong side. However, it reduced Kruger's empire to a pitifully small size.

Another gross treachery occurred the following year, when free from the menace of Saddam O'Callaghan, the Pamaits launched a cruel attack on their close allies the Neufs. The Neufs had stood close to the Pamaits during their time of strife, only to be rewarded by a battle fleet appear over their capital planet, which finally took over. Later the Pamaits refused to communicate with the Emperor, which led to his battle eager troops to conquers planets from the Decan remnants to find that Pamait still owned them. An unfortunate mistake for which the general staff of Pamait must be held accountable, for the deaths on both sides.

The last few years of the war saw increased attacks by the two titans in attacks on each other and on smaller fry. The Grand Cairo conquered planet Triskaideka, which had long been a thorn in his side and the Despot Lucky helped in the carve up of the Octavian empire. The dark horse Emperor Hugh was also involved in the final space battle of the war, when his small force met and overcame two opposing fleets, the Pamaiti and the Neufian. A glorious victory was achieved but owing to severe structural damage sustained in the epic clash the ships had to be abandoned to time.

Epilogue

United in their loathing and repugnance of Despot Lucky, Emperor Hugh and The Grand Cairo joined forces to crush him under foot like a beetle. Likewise the traitors of Eden, Pamait and Kidney suffered a similar fate. Eighteen years of warfare left countless dead drifting in the vacuum, rusting hulks, memorials to the dead, slowly drifting in decaying orbits into the blazing surfaces of stars. Many millions in the iron grasp of tyrants but a growing sense of peace and economic growth was spreading throughout the galaxy led by the Triumvirate of Emperor Hugh, The Grand Cairo and Kruger. The galaxy had a new empire.

SO ENDS THE TALE OF GALACTIC WAR. MANY PLANETS TOOK PART IN THIS GLORIOUS UNDERTAKING ACHIEVING FAME AND EVERLASTING REPUTATION. OTHERS WASTED THEIR PLANETS IN PETTY SQUABBLES ALLOWING EMPEROR HUGH, THE GRAND CAIRO AND DESPOT LUCKY TO COME OUT ON TOP. THESE OTHERS ARE NOT WORTH A MENTION IN THIS SAGA.