Friends (and not-friends, I guess!)
It saddens me to say this, but recent events (I don’t believe I need tell you which events) lead me to the conclusion that war is coming – again – to this galaxy. I’m sure we’ve all heard the rumours and those of us who’ve been watching GalNet recently can hardly miss the harbinger. Rumours of assassinations, the deification of military leaders, closed-door “investigations” that apportion blame to old enemys without any evidence being made.. well... evident? Sound Familiar?
I will therefore say it – The Federation and Empire will be at war – of one form or another - within a month.
I clearly recall the last conflict – I was part of it. The feeling now is very similar to the feeling back then. So - for the younger reader - I have to say this. War may have picked up a kind of glamour and maybe an illusion of honour over the last decade or so of (relative) peace. That’s all so-much biowaste – it’s nothing like the VR console games. It’s a destructive, terrifying, degrading business. Don’t sign up. Don’t get involved. If nobody does then the puppetmasters and powermongers can’t play & maybe the whole mess will get called off? Yeah, someone said that to me a long time ago. I paid about as much attention to that as I expect anyone to pay to me. I learned to fly and to fight as a result, but I had to do things I’m a long way from proud of in order to do that. Don’t make the same mistake I did. End of lecture. I’ve said my piece; it’s up to you now.
The worst part is that I can see clearly that neither side has a decisive position. Each side has advantages and vulnerabilities that mean they’re actually too closely matched for outright victory. I suspect that’s the main reason for the relative peace we’ve all been enjoying for the last decade or so – war was not in the interests of either side. It still isn’t, but when has that stopped anyone when there are pressing internal matters that a conflict would be a useful distraction from, and a convenient thing to blame difficulties on?
I don’t know what part the Alliance will play in any conflict – they’re an emerging power and are (in theory at least) beholden to neither of the usual belligerents. However, I’d be deeply impressed if they can stay out of it. That said, maybe both sides will see the value to having largely-neutral party they can both do business with? Maybe they won’t want to open a battle on two fronts? Maybe the alliance hasn’t upset anyone enough to get involved? The alliance may come out of this well – I hope so because I genuinely like their beliefs and values. I now wish I’d spent more time in their space & taken more of an interest in them– but I suspect it’s too late to make a run for it now. In any eventr it only requires one idiot to get opportunistic and try to profit from the conflict, and all bets will be off.
So what does everyone intend to do? For myself I have been carrying out actions for the Federation recently simply because I was hoping to one day get a permit for the SOL system. Like so many people I wanted to make a pilgrimage there and see the planet my ancestors came from. That said, I am also aware that I’d need to be friendly with the Empire to see Lave (the planet of my birth), and I was hoping to pull that off too. Right now I can cover both, but If the two fall out I guess I’m going to have to decide which I’d prefer to see. That planet of my parents (Lave), or the planet of my species Origins (earth). Or Maybe just up-chuck on all that and stay the hell out of it in alliance space?
On a personal level I’d say to start preparing now – right this very minute. I’ve reckon that things are likely to get a little more hazardous in the near future and decided to trade in my Type 6 for something a little more able to take care of itself, most likely a Cobra because I am – at heart – a trader and this model fits both my budget and my new situation very well. It’s a shame because I was eying up one of those new Lakon Diamondbacks, but I’m not sure I want to be flying a freighter full of valuable cargo when it all kicks off.
I know I sound like a crazy old survivalist. Sorry, but I recall well the days (30 years ago) when you couldn’t use the jump drive to get from the sun of Diso to the station without half-a-dozen idiots in various spacecraft trying to jump you. So I’ve enjoyed the last decade of peace and prosperity & I’m sad to think it will shortly all come to an end. Maybe I’ll get myself some of those new mining drones and live the life of a rock hermit well away from it all? They sound like fun and i’d love to have a play, but I have to say I’ve always found mining deathly dull.
Well, at least the Thargons are nowhere to be seen (yes, they’re a real thing – I’ve seen them with my own eye! ( i’m monocular – like I said. The war wasn’t kind to me). Why am I raving about Thargons? If humanity’s security is weakened by in-fighting between the various factions that make up our species, who’s to say an old enemy won’t take advantage of this? Okay, Witch space drives are no longer used so your chances of running into them are much smaller. But maybe they’ve got interdictors now? Believe me, if they put in an appearance it won’t matter which faction you are or are not aligned with – you’re aligned with humanity and that’s all they need to set upon you.
Anyway. Fly as safe as you can. And if you see a crazy one-eyed survivalist flying a Cobra in Alliance space, think of this post and buy him a beer!
It saddens me to say this, but recent events (I don’t believe I need tell you which events) lead me to the conclusion that war is coming – again – to this galaxy. I’m sure we’ve all heard the rumours and those of us who’ve been watching GalNet recently can hardly miss the harbinger. Rumours of assassinations, the deification of military leaders, closed-door “investigations” that apportion blame to old enemys without any evidence being made.. well... evident? Sound Familiar?
I will therefore say it – The Federation and Empire will be at war – of one form or another - within a month.
I clearly recall the last conflict – I was part of it. The feeling now is very similar to the feeling back then. So - for the younger reader - I have to say this. War may have picked up a kind of glamour and maybe an illusion of honour over the last decade or so of (relative) peace. That’s all so-much biowaste – it’s nothing like the VR console games. It’s a destructive, terrifying, degrading business. Don’t sign up. Don’t get involved. If nobody does then the puppetmasters and powermongers can’t play & maybe the whole mess will get called off? Yeah, someone said that to me a long time ago. I paid about as much attention to that as I expect anyone to pay to me. I learned to fly and to fight as a result, but I had to do things I’m a long way from proud of in order to do that. Don’t make the same mistake I did. End of lecture. I’ve said my piece; it’s up to you now.
The worst part is that I can see clearly that neither side has a decisive position. Each side has advantages and vulnerabilities that mean they’re actually too closely matched for outright victory. I suspect that’s the main reason for the relative peace we’ve all been enjoying for the last decade or so – war was not in the interests of either side. It still isn’t, but when has that stopped anyone when there are pressing internal matters that a conflict would be a useful distraction from, and a convenient thing to blame difficulties on?
I don’t know what part the Alliance will play in any conflict – they’re an emerging power and are (in theory at least) beholden to neither of the usual belligerents. However, I’d be deeply impressed if they can stay out of it. That said, maybe both sides will see the value to having largely-neutral party they can both do business with? Maybe they won’t want to open a battle on two fronts? Maybe the alliance hasn’t upset anyone enough to get involved? The alliance may come out of this well – I hope so because I genuinely like their beliefs and values. I now wish I’d spent more time in their space & taken more of an interest in them– but I suspect it’s too late to make a run for it now. In any eventr it only requires one idiot to get opportunistic and try to profit from the conflict, and all bets will be off.
So what does everyone intend to do? For myself I have been carrying out actions for the Federation recently simply because I was hoping to one day get a permit for the SOL system. Like so many people I wanted to make a pilgrimage there and see the planet my ancestors came from. That said, I am also aware that I’d need to be friendly with the Empire to see Lave (the planet of my birth), and I was hoping to pull that off too. Right now I can cover both, but If the two fall out I guess I’m going to have to decide which I’d prefer to see. That planet of my parents (Lave), or the planet of my species Origins (earth). Or Maybe just up-chuck on all that and stay the hell out of it in alliance space?
On a personal level I’d say to start preparing now – right this very minute. I’ve reckon that things are likely to get a little more hazardous in the near future and decided to trade in my Type 6 for something a little more able to take care of itself, most likely a Cobra because I am – at heart – a trader and this model fits both my budget and my new situation very well. It’s a shame because I was eying up one of those new Lakon Diamondbacks, but I’m not sure I want to be flying a freighter full of valuable cargo when it all kicks off.
I know I sound like a crazy old survivalist. Sorry, but I recall well the days (30 years ago) when you couldn’t use the jump drive to get from the sun of Diso to the station without half-a-dozen idiots in various spacecraft trying to jump you. So I’ve enjoyed the last decade of peace and prosperity & I’m sad to think it will shortly all come to an end. Maybe I’ll get myself some of those new mining drones and live the life of a rock hermit well away from it all? They sound like fun and i’d love to have a play, but I have to say I’ve always found mining deathly dull.
Well, at least the Thargons are nowhere to be seen (yes, they’re a real thing – I’ve seen them with my own eye! ( i’m monocular – like I said. The war wasn’t kind to me). Why am I raving about Thargons? If humanity’s security is weakened by in-fighting between the various factions that make up our species, who’s to say an old enemy won’t take advantage of this? Okay, Witch space drives are no longer used so your chances of running into them are much smaller. But maybe they’ve got interdictors now? Believe me, if they put in an appearance it won’t matter which faction you are or are not aligned with – you’re aligned with humanity and that’s all they need to set upon you.
Anyway. Fly as safe as you can. And if you see a crazy one-eyed survivalist flying a Cobra in Alliance space, think of this post and buy him a beer!
