Fantastic mambaman..if I was a publisher you would be top seller.  

It's been an absolute pleasure reading it! Although it looks like the humans have won, I still want to see how the rest pans out ...

April 1^st 2250

Aboard the TASS Seth close to the Sun in the Torian Athena System

‘Do you know what day this is?’ I said to the Space Station Commander, Colonel Srish-Hu, coolly looking him up and down. He was an urbane Arcean and ever since the debacle that had seen the death of my beloved son I had tried unsuccessfully to hide a visceral hatred for anything connected with that star race.  Unfortunately for me the Navy that I had created contained quite a number of them as they had volunteered in droves when their rebellious planets in our central systems had turned themselves over to Terran rule some three decades ago.

‘Sir?’ the Arcean asked puzzled-the 1^st April had no meaning to him whatsoever.

I addressed the staff of the Command Centre-over one hundred of them:

‘Does any….human….know the significance of today?’ 

The silence was deafening but it did not surprise me for ever since I had returned to active duty I had been a grim, humourless Commander.  At last, an Ensign sitting over in the Propulsion section raised his hand gingerly.

‘You boy!  What’s the answer?’  I growled fixing the hapless rating with a terrifying stare.

‘It’s All Fools day sir’ the lad responded quickly: he wanted the spotlight off him and elsewhere fast.

‘Indeed it is-indeed it is.’  I remember I had continued my musings oblivious to all around me.  It was the start of countless days when my mind tended to wander it was true but at that moment no one had the heart (or dared I suspect) to interrupt.

‘Do you remember the Fermi Paradox?’  I asked no one in particular, ‘how for centuries we warring humans pondered our loneliness-looking to the stars and longing for a respite from our solitude’

Absolute silence all around me….the only noise the deep thrum of the warp reactors as they moved our giant Space Station towards the nearby sun.  We had long since been set loose by our escort: a specially modified Medium Scout Ship (The TAS Ranulph Fiennes), equipped with a warp bubble generator, that when wrapped around us tripled our speed, courtesy of its twin Galactic Dynamics Subspace Hyperwarp Drives. 

‘…….And the Drake Paradox that posited that there must be millions of star races scattered throughout the universe.  Wasn’t he so wrong?’ I laughed without humour-more of a strangled bark.  ‘No it was the misfortune of humanity to come into contact with the Arceans and their Stargates but we have prevailed over our own evil natures and we have triumphed over those few star races in this universe that would wish us harm.’

And it was true: only last month Jane’s Galactic had published the latest UPIS (Universe Powers Indicator Scale), which put the Terran Alliance top of the list (even above the technologically advanced Iconians), with a rating of 396.  The Torians were at the bottom with just 90.  It was a stunning reverse for when the war had started, eighteen months ago, we were counted in third place with 103 points whilst the mighty Torian Confederate Fleet was classified top with 180 UPIS points.  This, above all, my Naval Intelligence briefed me, was an indicator that there would be no more massed ranks of Torian Fleets to find-they were finished.

Over the second half of 2249 and throughout 2250 we had taken all the planets in the area to our south designated Torian Prime (previously the Drengi worlds) and were making good inroads to their Western Planets nearest our Korath systems.  Six planets in total had fallen-the loss of Torian life was incalculable….

The roll call of our heroes grew by the month and to the list of honours were added the Warren Harding Battlegroup under General Tan Young, the first to reach the enemy Homeworld Toria and clear it of its defending ships. In close proximity was the Montevideo Battlegroup commanded by General Alfonse Jebeurs, which was protecting Young’s right flank.  The Battlegroup commanders vied with each other for personal glory: they knew that the Torian Confederate Navy did not have many moons to exist as a viable force.  And in the Drengi systems General Maida’s M’rak Ho Battle Group continued its ferocious fight to eliminate all Torians in our proximate systems.

But the Greenskins were not getting the message.  We had sent embassy after embassy to the UP to entreat them to surrender unconditionally-every delegation was soundly and firmly rebuffed and so the President and the Council had ordered the Seth here-it was to be the first of a series of warnings to the Torians.  I remember receiving the flash message whilst still directing operations from Kora: it had been terse and to the point:

“MESSAGE STARTS…..Marshall Mormon….you are to commandeer the TASS Seth and proceed with all haste to the Athena system….STOP……destroy that system….STOP…..repeat destroy Athena System…..STOP…..then set course for Toria…STOP….ongoing diplomatic missions to UP to run concurrently with threat of annihilation of Torian homeworlds….END”

It made absolute sense-what worth the lives of billions of Torians when so many of our troops would be lost clearing and subjugating planet after planet of fanatical resistance.  It was a situation not dissimilar to that which faced the Americans in their struggle with the Japanese in the Ancient World War II. The President at that time had authorised the dropping of the A bombs to shorten the conflict and save American lives and history would judge him kindly for it whatever evils had been released from Pandora’s Box.  In a rare private moment my friend had told me that the precedents were eerily similar.  Meanwhile the Federal Council had grown tired of acquisition-we weren’t in this to take over half the galaxy-it was time for our “Terror Star” to send the most eloquent and unmistakable of messages to our implacable foe.

Once more I surveyed the Command Room: there were people here who were visibly nervous, frightened even. My lips curled up in scorn.  I turned to the Arcean and snarled, ‘Commander Srish-Hu I believe that you have Officers and ratings here who are not certain of their duty-I see fear in their eyes! This will not do!’

The Space Station Commander eyed me askance.  ‘Sir we will all do our duty-it’s just that the loss of eight billion Torian lives should not be taken light-‘

‘DO NOT THINK TO LECTURE ME IN LOSS SIR!’  I exploded ‘we will proceed with no conscience until we have crushed the enemy absolutely-do you hear Colonel?’

The Arcean nodded almost imperceptibly,

‘DO YOU HEAR?’  I screamed.

‘Yes sir!  Yes Sir!’

It was a stunning outburst and looking back, I am not proud of it for I had humiliated one of my Senior Officers in front of his staff but I was somewhat unhinged and this lot needed a serious injection of backbone.  I grabbed for the nearest commlink:

‘All hands this is Mormon-I detect a certain lack of resolve amongst you as we proceed with this task.  Let me tell you now that all here will do their duty and do it with a resolve and conscience that are unquestionable or there will be consequences!  Mormon out!’

I turned a baleful gaze on Srish-Hu ‘There will be no beating of breasts and quotes of us “becoming death-the destroyer of worlds” here Colonel-you will proceed.’

I had turned on my heels, my staff hurrying to keep up as the Alert sounded and the station’s great shields slowly started their descent around us.  Twenty minutes later the Sun that gave life to the Planet Athena and all eight billion of its inhabitants was destroyed taking its worlds with it.  The only thing that survived was our fortress-like Space Station.

I returned to the Command Centre as, shaken, the Officers of the Seth surveyed the debris that was the only evidence that planets had once existed here-and it was dark-very dark with no sun to light the space around us.  We had unleashed awesome power that would send the clearest of statements to the Torian High Command.

Colonel Srish-Hu was as business-like as he could be given the circumstances,

‘Helm initiate immediate rendezvous with the Ranulph Fiennes and then plot a course for Toria’

In the far corner of the Command Centre, I had smiled a dark smile: we were headed to the enemy Homeworld to send the Torians a message that they would not be able to ignore: we were going to end the war…

(Destruction of the Planet Athena taken from Tac-cam 1217 TASS Seth, 04/01/2250)

15^th May 2250

Toria Prime in the Torus System

If there were any doubts about the significance of what was about to happen the arrival of the UP Secretary General, Halo Siriatha Sue, soon dispelled them.  Amidst as much fanfare as the suddenness of the situation allowed, we had assembled in the one Torian city relatively undamaged by our invasion not two weeks hence-summonsed by a UP General Edict.

The President had arrived the night before and had immediately come to see me-the swift TASS Mayflower had brought me here at maximum speed from the Seth.  In truth I was pleased to disembark from that instrument of annihilation-there was an atmosphere of death and despair that clung to its environs like a suffocating shroud that I liked not.

We were not unused to Torian Planets and culture having long assimilated several of their worlds into our Alliance and so I was not as rapt by the elegant pleasure-inducing edifices that populated the watery planet as some others in my party.  I had been assigned a beautiful room within the main governmental district-our aqua engineers had spent the last fortnight prepping the habitat for life forms that were not used to being constantly immersed in water.  Whatever tricks they had used seemed to have worked I noted with some satisfaction-it was much like any place that I might find on Earth.

The President had been shown in-the agents of the Secret Service taking up their customary station outside.

‘Well met my friend’

Dr Amponsah looked tired and-were they flecks of grey appearing at the fringes of his immaculately coiffed hair?

‘Well met indeed Mr President-they say that the Torians have surrendered their remaining worlds to the Iconian Refuge?’

The President smiled, ‘you don’t miss much do you Mike?  Yes, that’s the word from the ILM and all our Intelligence agencies confirm-it seemed that your action in the Athena system was decisive in swaying the doubters in the Torian High Command.  It’s over Mike’

I cannot even to this day recall what I was supposed to feel.  That was it: the war was over-we had finished it in less than two years: fast even by my lightning standards.  I sat down heavily and stared into space.  The President came to sit besides me-adroitly steering a water chair over.

‘What will you do my friend?’  He searched my face for some reaction.

 ‘I promised you that I would stay in post Sir but in truth it will be ceremonial only.  My mind wanders these days Mr President-am not as focussed as I used to be.’  Much as I hated to admit it I felt so tired these days and, with the news that the last war that our Galaxy would know was finally at an end, I felt the energy draining from my body like a skin that has been sloughed off in preparation for a long sleep.

‘I understand General.’  Dr Amponsah put an arm on mine, ‘your service to the Alliance will never be forgotten Mike-never.’

The next day was as expected.  There were various ceremonies that had to be performed-the traditional surrender of the Torians to the Iconians with us as the conquering power in attendance of all.  What followed were days of UP sponsored Aculturisation Events as our administrators negotiated with the Iconians to hammer out a treaty that we would all be able to live with.  There were few sticking points: only how far and to where the architects of the Torian doom would go-they were granted asylum, in the end by the Altarians.  The principle warmongers were imprisoned at the behest of the UP on neutral planet, Ilux II.

By the end of the month, I was ready to depart Toria.  I had taken the opportunity to fully brief my Deputy, Hias Pzientho-now a full General on the way that I wanted the Navy run.  He was the de-facto commander of the service now but his first duty was a massive demobilisation and drawdown of our fleet-I  had suggested that all ships that were not the latest Marks should be decommissioned leaving a rump fleet tasked with protecting our exploration and survey ships and the main planetary systems.

‘It will be unpopular’ the trusty Torian had rasped

‘I  know Hias but it is the right thing to do-we don’t need such large numbers anymore-the demobbed service personnel can go settle all those sparsely populated Torian worlds we conquered-I  will speak with the Finance Minister and arrange a stipend for them all.  Believe you me the bean counters will be all too pleased to part with the cash when they see what they will be saving in Fleet upkeep and production costs!’

‘You are right Space Marshall...’  a pause, ‘We will miss you Sir’

It was a simple, short phrase but it captured pretty much everything that needed to be said.  I turned away lest the proud Torian see the tears that started in my eyes.

‘My time here is done General’

And with that, I had departed.  Far from the urgency and the burden of high command, I had gone-all the way home to Kampala.

Cant belive its over..encore..looking forward to your next epic tale of valour and courage..But this AAr was remarkable.

curtain closes.

well done.

Tkae a well deserved rest I know as well how hard writing these things can be.

I have never known this forum so quiet-where is everyone?  I am seriously considering firing up a new game so that I can start a new story and liven things up a bit

Hahaha thanks GJ-you liked this one eh?  Always good to see.  Yeah I am on the verge of starting a new one now indeed

Given the identity of the previous reviewer, any comments I have will fall hopelessly short. Nevertheless...

Well done! The best of your AARs by far (not that the other ones were bad) and a truly epic tale. I'd be all in favor of another one. Your characterization and battle scenes were good, and I especially liked how the 'multi-racial' Terran military reflected the alien planets you gained through influence. There were a few typos, but they hardly distracted from the story.

I do have a few questions, however:

1. How did the Dread Lords become strong enough to pose the threat they did? In DA, the Dread Lords Mega Event is a bit anti-climatic, as they only come in with a defenseless, relatively easily conquered planet. Does TOA have them come in a bit stronger, or did you let them build up a little to make for a better story?

2. Where'd you get the screenshot of that Torian planet being destroyed? I'm pretty certain it's not from GalCiv, but I don't recognize it (and I've got a pretty good memory for sci-fi films/shows).

At any rate, congratulations on a fine tale, and a full-gun salute to Gen. Mormon! Rest easy, soldier.

Edit: One more note:

1. In fact, it seems that going to war with allies of your allies will NOT cause them to declare war on you! I discovered this recently when attacking (ironically enough) the Torians, who were allied to my Drath allies as well. The Drath remained allied and no problems ensued. This makes sense, I guess, as when your allies declare war on each other, you're not obligated to join in. (The exception to both these rules would be the Altarians' super ability). So it looks like all those efforts to get the Torians to declare war weren't needed after all (made for a better story, though).

Hey Qrtxian-thanks for the feedback-most useful

Some answers to your questions:

1. The Dread Lords: they were just as powerful as that when they arrived-insanely so-caused havoc to all the races for many turns.  The Dread Lords Mega event in TA is not anti-climactic in the least lol
2. Screenshot: I got it from the net and some Sci-Fi artwork
3. Alliances: Drat! But as you say made for a better story huh?

Chancellor and Frogboy-thanks for your comments too-am about to start a new tale written from the perspective of a brand new race-am just considering what narrative device to use to keep it fresh-the game has started anyway-story soon to follow....

Hey Qrtxian thanks for feedback.  You are certainly correct about TAS but it wasnt a typo.  At some point I decided that Terran Alliance Ship should be Terran Alliance Space Ship to differntiate from their water going cousins planetside

As for my Torian 2IC yes sometimes I forget some details like this and it's too much of a faff to go through story checking-apologies

Ahh thanks Dana-always nice to read feedback especially for what was probably my most enjoyable AAR.  Interesting that you found me to be aggressive though as there was only one war that I initiated against the Krynn who were encroaching on my worlds (as they do) with influence starbases etc

All the other wars were forced on me (Drengi and then Torian)....