Month 105, Empire of the Chosen
Several months ago the Chosen decided to take a risk. Before the collapse
of their civilization, the Isolationists had discovered no less than five
different alien civilizations in their territory. True to their
philosophy, the Isolationists had withdrawn from each system without
initiating contact, and then ringed the warp point leading to each system
with mines and buoys in case the aliens spontaneously discovered warp
travel. Things had changed for the Chosen, though, and they were much,
much more desperate now. Instead of ignoring the other races, they now
needed them as allies (or slaves, it was all the same to the Chosen)
against the rogue AI’s that had stolen their home system. Their primary
inclination had been to conquer the alien races and force them into
servitude, but cooler heads had won out in the end. No one had doubted
their ability to conquer, of course, but every ship lost in action against
an alien race was one less ship available to take back their home system.
Instead, they had developed a cunning plan. Well, at least it was cunning
for a Chosen.
Tiny scout ships, battered and damaged, were sent to two of the alien
races that lay in close proximity to each other. These scout ships were to
make contact and establish communications. They were to woo the alien
races to the Chosen cause, and convince them that the other alien race was
a monster, a threat not only to the Chosen but to themselves as well. The
Chosen intended to goad the two races into fighting each other, then their
fleets would sweep in to conquer them after they exhausted themselves.
Unfortunately, the Chosen weren’t much at wooing, and the two races they
picked to try this subtle and cunning plan on were, by chance, almost as
nasty as the Chosen. For two months the two races attempted to learn how
to talk to the Chosen, while in the mean time they surveyed their system
for warp points. Finally, both races, completely independently, tired of
the Chosen and their arrogance and decided to take more direct action.
The Gorlieth Propriety managed to seize the Chosen contact ship intact,
although the Chosen officers managed to purge their databanks. The Zintar
Conglomerates were not so lucky, and they were forced to destroy their
Chosen ship before it could escape. Both races moved their navy to the
warp points in their systems that led to Chosen space and sent their
explorers into the adjacent Chosen Systems. The explorers found no trace
of the Chosen, and immediately began surveys. In one fell swoop the Chosen
found themselves at war with two other races. Their cunning and subtle
plan had failed, rather drastically.
               (
geocities.com/mwadwell)