The Colonization of Egathen
Sellicha remained impassive as the whirling chaos of hyperspace suddenly vanished and was replaced with the star-spotted field of regular dimensions. Those who didn't know him might think that it was his aura of command: the truth was he simply didn't see much. Even for a Suessdyian his vision could only be called poor, and the stars appeared at most as pinpricks of light, despite the crystal clear screen of battle-glass on the external command bridge, and the void of space which enabled their light to shine so brilliantly even light years away.
But it was less important what he did see than what the sensors provided, as masts unfolded and took in light from the star, spectrum analysis was conducted, and active radar waves were sent out, while the steady rumble of the engines was felt under his feet as the ship began to move from its position far in the outer reaches of the solar system, beyond the hyper-limit, towards the inner zone where he hoped to find the necessary ingredients for the establishment of a colonizable space.
The Lethiran were a powerful clan, one of the greatest - but even they had fallen upon hard times, increasingly denied access to resources and facing overcrowding, subjected to the humiliation of the Emperor and his own clan. For Sellicha, the struggle to discover new living space would decide whether they would be asphyxiated under the control of the Emperor, or whether they would survive, grow, maybe one day turn the tables upon the Emperor himself, despite the oaths of loyalty and devotion that they had sworn. It was a heavy task which lay upon the shoulders of Sellicha, and his claws retracted and expanded nervously at the idea of failure, of being executed by exposure to the void, thrown out in space until his body exploded or froze to death in its vacuum, then was trawled back onboard to be recycled - nothin wasted, nothing lost, the closed cycle of continuation that guaranteed the survival of the race. It would be little condolence to him however, for his mortal existence would cease.
This was the fourth system that they had yet explored, travelling 7 light years from Nires, and none of the systems had been tempting targets - no useful minerals to speak of in the asteroids, or vast and useless planets whose high gravity meant it would be impossible for settlement to take place on them. Time was of the essence, before the other clans or the Emperor gained a step up on them, in their own efforts to spread themselves out among the stars.
There was nothing to be done for it but to work and work hard.
Several days later, the surveys of the system had been completed. Its yellow star would provide plenty of light, but even more important was the mixture of useful materials present - rich mineral fields in the asteroids, a gas giant which would furnish hydrogen for fusion reactors, vast supplies of water in a number of comets and frozen objects in the outer system - it was a holistic mix of materials that suited their needs. He felt a great burden rise from his shoulders, that the Lethiran would not yet perish from the stars, and that their destiny had been found here. Final scans were done, and then the dramatic rift in space occurred as the exploration ship vanished back into hyerspace, bound for Nires, with the colonization ships that the Lothirans had built ready to come in tow, with the colonists, materials, reactors, extractors, and habitation pods which would provide for establishing the colony.
Within a few months it had been established, just like back at Nires - the habitation pods circling around the star, extractor robots busily mining the asteroids, and the resources needed to provide for Suessdyian civilization piling up, the first signs of an industrial base which would be needed for future colonization appearing. The Lothirans had been first, but other clans would be fast on their trail. Already, Sellicha's exploration ship was continuing outward, to discover new worlds and claim them for the clan. He carried a hefty promotion and material rewards, and to be able to choose what name the new colony had: always the sycophant, he wisely named it after the clan leader, Egathen.
But it was less important what he did see than what the sensors provided, as masts unfolded and took in light from the star, spectrum analysis was conducted, and active radar waves were sent out, while the steady rumble of the engines was felt under his feet as the ship began to move from its position far in the outer reaches of the solar system, beyond the hyper-limit, towards the inner zone where he hoped to find the necessary ingredients for the establishment of a colonizable space.
The Lethiran were a powerful clan, one of the greatest - but even they had fallen upon hard times, increasingly denied access to resources and facing overcrowding, subjected to the humiliation of the Emperor and his own clan. For Sellicha, the struggle to discover new living space would decide whether they would be asphyxiated under the control of the Emperor, or whether they would survive, grow, maybe one day turn the tables upon the Emperor himself, despite the oaths of loyalty and devotion that they had sworn. It was a heavy task which lay upon the shoulders of Sellicha, and his claws retracted and expanded nervously at the idea of failure, of being executed by exposure to the void, thrown out in space until his body exploded or froze to death in its vacuum, then was trawled back onboard to be recycled - nothin wasted, nothing lost, the closed cycle of continuation that guaranteed the survival of the race. It would be little condolence to him however, for his mortal existence would cease.
This was the fourth system that they had yet explored, travelling 7 light years from Nires, and none of the systems had been tempting targets - no useful minerals to speak of in the asteroids, or vast and useless planets whose high gravity meant it would be impossible for settlement to take place on them. Time was of the essence, before the other clans or the Emperor gained a step up on them, in their own efforts to spread themselves out among the stars.
There was nothing to be done for it but to work and work hard.
Several days later, the surveys of the system had been completed. Its yellow star would provide plenty of light, but even more important was the mixture of useful materials present - rich mineral fields in the asteroids, a gas giant which would furnish hydrogen for fusion reactors, vast supplies of water in a number of comets and frozen objects in the outer system - it was a holistic mix of materials that suited their needs. He felt a great burden rise from his shoulders, that the Lethiran would not yet perish from the stars, and that their destiny had been found here. Final scans were done, and then the dramatic rift in space occurred as the exploration ship vanished back into hyerspace, bound for Nires, with the colonization ships that the Lothirans had built ready to come in tow, with the colonists, materials, reactors, extractors, and habitation pods which would provide for establishing the colony.
Within a few months it had been established, just like back at Nires - the habitation pods circling around the star, extractor robots busily mining the asteroids, and the resources needed to provide for Suessdyian civilization piling up, the first signs of an industrial base which would be needed for future colonization appearing. The Lothirans had been first, but other clans would be fast on their trail. Already, Sellicha's exploration ship was continuing outward, to discover new worlds and claim them for the clan. He carried a hefty promotion and material rewards, and to be able to choose what name the new colony had: always the sycophant, he wisely named it after the clan leader, Egathen.
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