[a / b / c / d / e / f / g / gif / h / hr / k / m / o / p / r / s / t / u / v / vg / w / wg] [i / ic] [r9k] [cm / hm / y] [3 / adv / an / cgl / ck / co / diy / fa / fit / hc / int / jp / lit / mlp / mu / n / po / pol / sci / soc / sp / tg / toy / trv / tv / vp / x] [rs] [status / ? / @] [Settings] [Home]
Board:  
Settings   Home
4chan
/tg/ - Traditional Games


File: hivequeenQUEST.jpg (97 KB, 612x792)
97 KB
97 KB JPG
“It may offer more opportunities.” You say simply. “Avoidance will only work for so long.”
Your speaker stands before Elizabeth, who stares in disbelief.
“Odd, for some reason I always pictured you as not quite the negotiating type.” She says.

How odd, you consider yourself to be more than reasonable in most circumstances. “How would such contact best be made?”

“Well,” she says, “As I said, you would need to get a human that claims citizenship. There would probably be quite a few politicians that would cry foul over using that little loophole, but all the better, I say. If you don’t you just end up with a handler paid to put your issues on the side lines.” She shrugs. “After that it’s just a matter of putting up all the hot air from their heads.”

“Hot air?” Your speaker asks in confusion. She simply looks your speaker up and down.
“You may need to come up with less, er, scuttley representative. Something that looks less likely to eat your liver after signing a treaty.

Your speaker rears its head and clicks its mandibles in protest. Elizabeth quickly scratches the drone’s antennae as she addresses the drone itself “Not that there’s anything wrong with you, little guy.”

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Hive%20Queen%20Quest
>Twitter https://twitter.com/HiveQueenQuest
>Various pasta http://pastebin.com/u/QuestDrone
>FAQ ask.fm/QuestDrone
>>
File: 1414370308590.png (185 KB, 2000x1280)
185 KB
185 KB PNG
>>36074456
>Current armory
269 Thorn Launchers
20 Thorn Cannons
123 Sting Casters
30 Cyclotrons
15 Rotary Stingers
3 Fire Sprays
5 Plasma Spray

>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 77651
Metals: 47675
Credits: ₡2326
Credits in Lyle’s account: ₡577,622

>Hive population and upkeep cost
Hive maintenance – 334
Queen – 5
Fake Queen – 22
Worker (4000) – 8000
Aquatic Worker (40) – 160
Radiator Worker (100) – 400
Warrior (209) – 1045
Aquatic Warrior (20) – 140
Thinker (400) – 1200
Quantum Thinker (150) – 750
Speaker – (3) – 12
Digger (80) – 320
Refinery (10) – 70
Sniffer (2) – 8
Small Sniffer (200) – 200
Fly (50) – 200
Wasp (100) – 500
Haz-mat Workers (20) – 80
Shock Troops (40) – 520
Parasite (30) – 120
Bio-tank (10) – 250
Excavator (41) – 799
Colossus (20) – 300
Advanced Relay (16) – 1600
17015N

>Hive fleet
Space Pod (18) – 540
Shuttle (10) – 250
Scout Corvette – (6) 1350
Lancer Corvette – (2) 450
Fleet Corvette – (4) 900
Stealth Frigate – (4) 1952
5442N

Clone upkeep/special projects and expenses
25 Human captives of the USV Hope – 750
3 Human hybrid clones in production – 180
Lyle Rogers – 47
977N

Total upkeep
Nutrient costs: 23434

>Income
Metals: 62395
Nutrients: 100050
Net: 76616
>>
>>36074469
>Nutrients: 77651
>Metals: 47675
....Still?
>>
File: DPiNd1OJ.jpg (56 KB, 792x792)
56 KB
56 KB JPG
>>36074469
Hive Structure
G-426
>Asteroid mining base: 5 Excavators, 20 Diggers, +2250M per day (+50 M per digger)
Leeland
>Spring mountain hive
>Hangar facilities: Room for 40 Aero Drones and 20 Shuttles (25N)
>Docking Pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 ships (50N)
>Mine: 36 Excavators, 60 Diggers, +10500 M per day (+25 M per digger)
>Clarke Research Outpost
>Hel’s Angel Prison Outpost
>Mountain farm complex
>Algae Farm: +100000 N per day, 1000 Workers (1 worker per 100N)
>Anti-orbital battery: 2 (125N per battery)
M-662
Raligha
>Automated Raligha colony

Current Construction
2 Docking pylons
1 orbital docking pylon
4 Heavy cruisers

New Construction Options
>Algae Farm – +100N per day, 1 worker to maintain
>Hangar Expansion – Add on to current hangar facilities for your choice of +40 aero drone space, or +20 shuttle space. 50N 100M
>Anti-orbital battery – A bunker armed with a massive Particle beam capable of attacking ships in orbit from the ground. It includes the power and sensor systems required to operate it. 250N 1500M

Ship Construction Options
http://pastebin.com/YTwGk8n1
>>
>>36074456
>“You may need to come up with less, er, scuttley representative. Something that looks less likely to eat your liver after signing a treaty.
>Your speaker rears its head and clicks its mandibles in protest. Elizabeth quickly scratches the drone’s antennae as she addresses the drone itself “Not that there’s anything wrong with you, little guy.”
So cute
>>
>>36074456
>Your speaker stands before Elizabeth, who stares in disbelief.
>“Odd, for some reason I always pictured you as not quite the negotiating type.” She says.
You and me both, Vaughn. How right you are.
>>
>>36074456
D'awww. Seriously, how adorable can you make a race of bug monsters?
Maybe we should ask Elizabeth if she wants citizenship.
>>
>>36074469
Can we select some new research options before the conclusion of this thread OP?
>>
File: thinker.png (71 KB, 1024x673)
71 KB
71 KB PNG
>>36074485
Finished Research

>Atomics
This exceptionally powerful warhead is expensive to develop, but is absolutely devastating. Can be loaded into missiles, placed as bombs, or used as a self-destruct for ships or hives.

New Research Unlocked

Fusion power
Slow/dangerous
Another technology that you are aware of, but that you do not have as great a grasp of. While a fusion reactor does not offer the sheer power of a Power Tap, it is far more stable once built, and requires far less valuable materials to make and maintain.

Current research

>Vibroblade
Fast
This lightweight combat knife features a series of micro-motors placed within a mono-wire filament tipped blade. When the knife impacts a target, the motors vibrate the blade at an ultrasonic frequency, causing the blade to rapidly rip into the target like a tiny, jackhammer powered chainsaw. A quick study of its construction should allow you to easily grow and implant similar micro muscles within the blades of your warriors, increasing the cutting and piercing power of your drones' blade attacks.

>Lightning gun
Very slow
This powerful weapon appears to throw rapid bursts of highly conductive plasma in a manner not unlike natural lightning. The humans of the Union call it a “CIP Pistol” which seems to stand for “Concentrated Ionized Plasma”. From what you have seen of it in action, it appears to have devastating damage potential, but is difficult to aim and holds a very short effective range.


>>36074480
crap, I updated the sheets in a hurry and forgot some of it.

Actual resources are
>231508N 82175M
>>
File: 1407132792440.jpg (172 KB, 772x1156)
172 KB
172 KB JPG
>>36074501
>Ion thrusters
Slow
The Unity drone is held aloft by a series of powerful ion thrusters that use the air particles around it, or stray particles found in the interstellar medium to accelerate and change vector in a highly efficient fashion. No real fuel is needed, only a powerful electrical charge. The only major drawback is that with the increase in efficiency comes a drop in overall performance and power. The Unity appears to have gotten around this limitation by carrying their drones in larger ships that transport them in and out of combat, and by limiting the drone’s size to a bare minimum.

>Reactive armor
Medium (time reduced due to understanding of related tech)
While most of the human suit systems are designed to solve various failing of the human body, you may be able to learn from their chosen method of protection. The suit has a thin layer of microfibers that rapidly solidify into a dense shell when subjected to dangerous kinetic force, both serving as a cast for broken bones and protecting against blunt trauma. Developing a method of weaving a similar substance into your drones would greatly improve their resistance to impacts and ballistic attacks; however it would have no mitigating effect on directed energy weapons.

>Ultrasonic Sledgehammer
Slow
Designed to be used to breach doorways and walls, this fist-mounted device uses a burst of ultrasound to annihilate a physical object. While it is intended for use in demolition, it is frighteningly effective against live foes as well.

>Compact hull design
Fast
The same principles of the multilayered carapace, but on a larger scale. This will allow your ships to be equipped with up to two armor types at once.

>Missiles
Slow
These powerful guided missiles can be loaded with a wide range of deadly warheads.
>>
>36074501
>This exceptionally powerful warhead is expensive to develop,
What exactly do the various N-megaton bombs require, then?
>>
File: 1404710977099.png (153 KB, 616x532)
153 KB
153 KB PNG
>>36074508
>Cryo spray
Slow
A stroke of inspiration has taken one of your quantum thinkers and you have been presented with the theory of applying the mechanics of your fire spray in reverse, using cryonics to create a pair of chemicals that, when mixed together and shot from a nozzle, would rapidly flash-freeze almost anything it touches. [Unlocks laser cooling]

>White Crystal
Very slow
This strange crystal gives off a slight glow, and a sense of warmth. It seems to react to your presence, although you can't be sure. Sending it through a series of tests may yield some level of understanding, or at the very least give you an idea of what it is.

>Nanomachines
Very slow
Your research indicates that the advanced technology that gave the Skyl their individual immortality was entirely alien to them; however, in the extensive time they had at their disposal they dedicated an enormous amount of effort into unlocking this advanced technology. They left extensive notes on the subject, giving you a tremendous head start on it, although it would still be a daunting research project.

>>36074513
I'll add that into the pastebin. In the meantime you have full access to the warheads found within the monitor satellite.
>>
>>36074456
I have two humans in mind for citizenship. If they would accept obviously. Lee and a Dr. Elizabeth Vaughn. Lee, regretfully is not currently planet side. I suggest you think about it.
>>
>>36074508
Lets add flak jacket to this list, it would give our medium drones an excellent resistance to bullets.
>>
>>36074537
What? We're nowhere near any possible reason to expose ourselves to the Union. Putting the cart before the horse, here.
>>
File: Fool!!.jpg (52 KB, 720x441)
52 KB
52 KB JPG
>>36074550
Actually, I'm pretty sure that determining who we would want to be our representative is right in line with the current course of action. That doesn't mean we have to go ahead with introducing ourselves, but it is perfectly appropriate to discuss it.
>>
>>36074537
Vaughn's all weird head implant-y. It'll cause a stir and a headache for us and her.

I'm almost tempted to make Lyle the representative just because of how hilarious his interaction with politicians would be.
>>
>>36074530
"So are you planning on introducing yourself?"

Your speaker chitters, "Perhaps not now, but perhaps in the future."

She nods, "Fair enough. Well let me know if you need anything, I think I'm making good progress with this thing." She moves back to the console and continues her work.

Suddenly a pod returns to your consciousness. It is the lost space pod your thinker had been sent to retrieve. It reconnects to your mind and returns to working order. In addition, the pod beyond the nebula is quickly approaching the small rocky world.

>Send spare pod to explore new system (where)
>Analyse new system as your pod arrives
>Other
>>
>>36074596
Also, I'm not sure dual-citizenship is a thing as far as the Union is concerned. Whoever we choose likely has to face the prospect of effectively exiling themselves from the Union.
>>
>>36074599
>Analyse new system as your pod arrives
Wut happened
>>
>>36074596
As hilarious as that would be, he isn't a union citizen, he's a confederate.
>>
>>36074599
>Analyse new system as your pod arrives
>>
>>36074593
No I'm pretty sure it isn't.
>>
>>36074599
>Send spare pod to explore new system (give the pod a thinker and have it go back to check on its brother and switch places We don't want to stop monitoring them but we need updates.)

>Analyse new system as your pod arrives
>>
I still think people wanting to initiate "proper" first contact with the Union are fucking retarded.

No, I don't care that they can be a buffer between us and horrible rape crystals, they wouldn't believe us about the horrible species enslaving and world devouring rape crystals anyway, I don't care that they could "potentially" give us neat research options, we can get those anyway through parasites / memory jacking.

For fuck's sake, they think we are a bunch of cave-dwelling savages and some scientist fuck is already thinking of experimenting with different frequencies to see if he can hijack our drones / enslave the hive for cheap manual slave labor, if we are shown to be advanced and NOT willing to be a slave state that fucker will get BIG funding, even if we DO become a slave state that fucker will get BIG funding.

"True" First contact with the Union should be done with us holding a Sword of Damocles over their head and a Jackbug on every spine.
>>
>>36074599
>Analyse new system as your pod arrives
>>
>>36074599
>Other
If possible, run some... diagnostics? I think it's highly suspect the pod returns in normal condition after head-splitting pain that disconnected it.
>>
>>36074616
I'm fairly certain that's explicitly non-relevant. We'd be claiming him as a citizen of /our/ government. As long as he's human, he's fine, I believe.
>>
>>36074599
I'm suspicious of that pod. Quarantine it and examine it. It may be infected with Skyl plague or something.
>>
>>36074616
Obviously the answer is to retrieve lee.
>>
>>36074599
>Contemplate how much of a shitfit the Union would throw over us using a drone-human hybrid as our representative.
Or I guess a more humany clone would be better, but still.
>>
>>36074537
Yes, I agree.
Lee when we can get ahold of him. Elizabeth obviously.
>>
>>36074544

Don't they already have composite metal carapace?
>>
>>36074627
>"True" First contact with the Union should be done with us holding a Sword of Damocles over their head and a Jackbug on every spine.
Now this is an anon I can get behind.

Man it was weird catching up here after waking up and it's still going.
>>
>>36074654
But it'll make them even more formidable against slug throwers.
>>
>>36074654
It's unclear what exactly flak jacket will give us. It may improve existing armor in a similar fashion to the vibro blade research's effect on combat blades. Alternatively, it might be a lighter generalist armor. Not clear.
>>
>>36074633
>>36074636

What. No.

That's not weird at all. The pain was the psionic jamming. There's no reason for it to do permanent damage.

The Thinker just gave it orders to blink back here and it did.
>>
>>36074627
I like you.
>>
>>36074627

My vote for our Sword of Damocles is that metal-eating bacteria amped up to 11.

We can be like Cobra in that G.I. Joe movie.
>>
>>36074668
Or the Skyl nabbed it and stuffed it full of queenslaying ghoulies and they're all dripping with glee at the chance to carve our buggy ass into tiny little pieces.
>>
>>36074627
It's all a balancing act. Formal introductions tie their hands as much as it empowers them. There's a lot of ways to spin things. There's a lot of ways to make them want to spin things for us.

First move is clearly to seduce that hardass military chick we saw on the news.
>>
>>36074677
We should just work towards enslaving them all with hybrid clones and parasites.
>>
>>36074627
Man you shadow runners are idiots. It's completely impossible to remain under the pretense of a stone smasher culture when the union is currently expanding their borders into the expanse. And it doesn't matter if they don't love us as long as they fear us, which they should. As soon as our first capital ships come off the line and we can hold our own in a war with them we have no reason to break our backs trying to remain hidden from them.

And all of this ignores the fact that QD himself stated the union is willing to maintain a trading relationship with the hive, and thus a peaceful coexistence.
>>
>>36074678
That doesn't even make any fucking sense.

The Pod is alive and you see into its mind and sense everything within it, like that Advanced Relay inside it.

You would NOTICE.
>>
>>36074668
How'd the Thinker give it orders in the middle of a jamming field, huh?
>>
>>36074679

You are doubting their ability to spin doctor.

Don't do that, ever.

It's safer to cause extinction level events and blame the Ceph with shaky evidence that engage in politics with such a people.
>>
>>36074692
Not if they fucked with it while it was way away and we were disconnected.
>>
>>36074691
>when the union is currently expanding their borders into the expanse.
Except it perfectly is. They've already expanded to everywhere in the Expanse they can expand to. All the habitable systems but Raligha and Leeland, both of which have primitive sapients on them, and thus are forbidden.

They're settling in, their borders expand no further.
>>
>>36074691

Define "peaceful coexistence"

No really, define it.

Right now they have a "peaceful coexistence" with every other race in the Union by wrapping a pretty collar around their throat inscribed with the words "FTL engines and fuel"

As for fearing us? When we get our capital ships off the line? They would probably be sucking each other off for the chance to kill us off rather than let us set the momentum.
>>
>>36074691
I don't even want a peaceful coexistence with those fuckers.
>>
>>36074695
More like I'm confident in our ability to lie off our ass. Also charm the populace with our adorable drones. Everyone loves drones.
>>
>>36074668
You some sort of specialist on psionics, Anon?

Whenever something has something to do with the crystals, it is super highly suspect. The suspectiest.
>>
>>36074708
You're a funny anon.
>>
>>36074700
Actually, we have reason to believe that they have yet to expand into M-323 and M-199, obviously we can't let the Union get into these systems

>>36074704
Ceph and Unity keep raiding their colonies and ships and they don't do a damn thing about it, what makes you think they have the balls to attack an new alien race with comparable and superior technology?
>>
>>36074704
We're not reliant on their FTL at all, so I'm not sure why that's relevant.

They're also not likely to fly off the handle without more intel on us than they have outside of isolated incidents. Which could build up, sure, but eh.
>>
>>36074709
But this doesn't have to do with the crystals, this is like. The opposite of that.
>>
>>36074704
With a few battleships we could easily wreck them. you've seen their paltry Navy, we could easily jump between their planets completely destroy their forces there and have done that twice before reinforcements could even be underway and we can easily beat those reinforcements to any destination regardless.
>>
>>36074708

Even if we do make the populace love us, which is doubtful, and lie our ass off, which, again, is in doubt, they would still pour ungodly amounts of funding in any project that would cripple us like the hijack thing that dude was talking about.

Right now, no one gives a fuck about his ideas because we are just a bunch of rock-smashers on the edge of their space, but when we have space ships that outpace their own?

It's unlikely he'll ever get anywhere, true, but he MIGHT stumble upon the true tachyon research tree, and shit spirals from there.
>>
>>36074717
Nega-crystals!??!?!!
>>
>>36074721
That's why I advocated quietly offing him before we go public.
>>
>>36074704
And we have our own FTL drives that doesn't require solar slave labor to extract. As soon as the union realizes it is incapable of coercing us our beating us in an open war it will rely on mutually beneficial trade to get their hands on our bio tech. Which they will not.

And they are simply incapable of killing us all off before we bleed their worlds so horrifically they won't want to bother. We have invisible ships that run on soup and WMDs.
>>
>>36074712

They don't attack the Ceph because they have no idea where their worlds are if I remember correctly.

Also because like he said, the Ceph are the only race they don't have a choker on.
>>
Personally, I believe our goal should be conquest, not extermination. The human's destiny is that of a slave-race. Of course, we don't have to be upfront about the whole slave thing. We can start with slowly infiltrating every aspect of their society with parasites and drones.
>>
>>36074716
> "Humans are beings of action. If you make them think there is an emergency they will often react to it before they can realize they were fooled, and once fooled, they will often prefer to defend their position than acknowledge they were ever wrong."
Humans are an irrational mob. Don't dismiss their capacity for sudden acts of violence against the unknown.

>>36074718
>seen their paltry Navy
You have literally no idea how big their navy is. We've seen so little of human space.
>>
File: 494651.png (2.5 MB, 1914x799)
2.5 MB
2.5 MB PNG
>>36074599
Your pod passes the gas giant and slowly drifts into a parking orbit under the cover of its cloak.

This is not an asteroid belt, it's a debris field. Ships of all sizes and designs drift in pieces past your view, and bellow you are churning rivers of lava carving through half-melted hive structures. The entire planet is covered in slagged infrastructure, and you doubt you would be able to enter low orbit without impacting a piece of debris.

Two pieces of a Hive ship slowly collide not far from you. You sense something. The faintest of thoughts coming from within, like an echo.

Your pod maintains its high orbit and watches, waiting for any sign of danger. It slowly aligns its orbit to the drifting Hive ship's hulk, and you can feel the signal within, pulsing, like the waning beat of a dying heart.

>Blink in a boarding party (write in)
>Blink away
>Attack the hulk
>Other
>>
>>36074729
>We have invisible ships that run on soup and WMDs.

Only now do I realize how true this statement is.

Our ships run on soup made from helium 3 and random nutrients.
>>
>>36074721
Of course he'd get funding. But with no samples, he'd be shit out of luck. If he got a sample right now, he'd get funding regardless. It hinges on the availability of specimens, not the political situation since they're ALWAYS going to want to know more about weird alien life.

The guy's a dumbass.
>>
>>36074700
They've already made contact with the valen on the desert world we first encountered the Skyl on, and thats about as far from union space as you can go in the expanse.
>>
>>36074734
Well yeah. I never said extermination. Bring on the conquest.

Though there are so many billions of humans, it wouldn't be any danger to genetic stock if we lost some along the way.
>>
>>36074737
>Blink in a boarding party (write in)
>>
>>36074691

Aren't you kinda proving him right though? Our fleet of Capitols WOULD be the Sword of Damocles in both his and your scenario.
>>
>>36074737
>Blink in a boarding party
100 small sniffers
50 Warriors
5 collusus
10 Shock Troops
>>
>>36074737
>Blink in a boarding party
>3 Stealth Corvettes
>3 Collossi
>50 Warriors
>40 Wasps
>70 Workers
>50 Small Sniffers
>30 flies
>5 biotanks
Have the corvettes with orders to move away from skyl ships if being jammed
>>
>>36074734
That's so boring though. Boring, clichéd, and generally troublesome.
>>
>>36074748
How does that contradict anything?
>>
>>36074737
>>Blink in a boarding party (write in)
Two frigates, two lancer corvettes and two scouts,
Carrying 10 colossi, 40 warriors, 2 bio tanks, 30 small sniffers and 10 flies.
>>
>>36074772
Diplomacy is far more boring and overdone.
>>
>>36074772
That's boring? Over killing them all?
>>
>>36074731
>What are the Valen
The problem here is that you keep imagining the Union as some sort of Warmongering Imperium of Man expy, which evidence to the to the contrary clearly from the QM himself clearly dismisses.
>>
>>36074737
>churning rivers of lava carving through half-melted hive structures. The entire planet is covered in slagged infrastructure,
Ah. The mark of the infamous Immolator Warhead, I presume.
>>
>>36074754
The connotation is usually of overwhelming force held ready and near-threateningly which is a little bit different than simply projecting an image of confident and competent defensive capabilities.
>>
You know, with all this talk about the union, We completely forgot about those other humans. What's their deal? They could be even bigger warmongers then the union!
>>
>>36074788

They ARE pushing for a build up of military though, and are likely to take any chance they can get to push it through.

And the Valen are just under the Union because Stupid Space-Goy think they are in power.
>>
>>36074788
The Valen who explicitly end up under Union law and are stuck playing an elaborate topping-from-the-bottom mindgame?
>>
>>36074780
Don't have to be best buds with them.

>>36074783
Honestly, yes. If they're dead, they're dead. If they're enslaved with parasites up their asses, we wont be able to go half a thread without masturbating over how totally enslaved they are and oh look at us we're so amazing.
>>
>>36074804

Obviously we should eradicate one side to buy time to figure out what the fuck to do about the other.
>>
>>36074737
You take aside several of your ships.

Suggestions:
>Two scout corvettes
>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
>Other
>>
>>36074737
Is this from M-199 or from that system in the Nebula?
>>
>>36074819
>>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
>>
>>36074783
>>36074780
Have you ever read a science fiction book ever?

And what are going to do crush the militaries of every world in both the union and confederacy? You do realize the scale your talking about right? And then we'd have to manage the social and political shit that goes along with it, unless we implant parasites into every human in the galaxy. Which is infinitely more trouble than simply telling them to stay off our damn planets.
>>
>>36074823
The system beyond the nebula.
>>
>>36074819
>>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
>>
>>36074813
Conversely, we don't have to be masturbatory about it either.

>>36074823
It's the star system on the far side of the nebula obviously. Pay attention.
>>
>>36074819
>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
>>
>>36074819
>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
Always enter every battle with an overwhelming force. Speaking of, can we bring some of those nukes, or do we not have any way to deliver them to a target yet?
>>
>>36074819
>Two frigates, two lancers, two scouts
>>
>>36074831
>You do realize the scale your talking about right
You do realize we can have exponential growth while the Union is limited to the rate of mining Canderon, right?
>>
>>36074836
Oh, stupid me. This arguing about diplomancy and conquest gives me tunnel-vision
>>
>>36074807
The problem with your statement is how vaguely you use "they" to refer to "them".

I mean, the very use of it implies that they're a fractured political body with diverse goals and motivations. Otherwise there wouldn't be any 'pushing' of anything. But you're using it to justify treating the entirety of the Union as a monolith. It doesn't make sense.

Some within the Union are pushing for military buildup. It's probably a fairly generally popular idea because border territories keep getting attacked and people are afraid.

We're building up our military too, doesn't mean we're going to necessarily be huge assholes with it.
>>
>>36074853
Even just the extant scale, in terms of raw population, is fairly grand.
>>
>>36074867
What's your point? There's nothing about this that a simple matter of time won't see us exceed them on.
>>
File: 91619879.jpg (17 KB, 610x285)
17 KB
17 KB JPG
>>36074819
You send in the small fleet and they appear in high orbit above the burning world.
>2 frigates, 2 lancers, 2 scouts

The fleet quickly moves in on the broken Hive ship, and your corvettes attach their umbilicals. Your drones enter the darkened hallway, selecting to board a section that is still intact. The stale air is dry and cold. Small droplets of water and blood drift in the air like crimson snowflakes, slowly smearing against the walls before bouncing off again.

This isn't right. This Hive ship wasn't slain thousands of years ago, there is still residual heat within the massive corpse, still jolts of energy arcing through its nerves, still thought coming from its mind, no matter how faint.

>Send your warriors to the source of the signal
>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
>Other
>>
>>36074857

I'm merely propagating the idea that if we should ever engage in true diplomacy with the Union, or any other faction even, that we should be the one coming to the table with both a massive favor for us in force distribution, and massive favor for us in other categories, including subversion and intelligence gathering.

We already have them beaten in efficiency and FTL, now we just need to have them beaten in weapons technologies, defense technologies, industrial backing, and numbers.

Our sheer superiority would be the thing that keeps them away from us in case diplomacy fails, or buys us enough time to either try again with another faction, or come to a conclusion on the attitude we take when we render them, as a faction, into eunuchs.
>>
>>36074888
>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
>>
>>36074888
>>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
>>
>>36074886
I don't feel like wasting my time with that bullshit. Secret infiltration of their population using clones/bugs requires way more attention and effort than maintaining basic diplomatic relations. And to no real benefit, as far as I can tell.
>>
>>36074888
>>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
>>
>>36074888
>>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in

>This isn't right. This Hive ship wasn't slain thousands of years ago, there is still residual heat within the massive corpse, still jolts of energy arcing through its nerves, still thought coming from its mind, no matter how faint.
OHHHHH, COUSINS!
>>
>>36074888
>>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
>>
>>36074888
Your sniffers flood the corridors of the Hive ship, scouring every tunnel and shaft for signs of life, or threats.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3
>>
>>36074888
>>Have your sniffers comb the ship before moving your other drones in
Oh dear. Mom?
>>
>>36074901
Eventually, we'll need more metals and resources than the current systems can offer us. Conquest gets us the resources we need to expand to challenge the gods themselves. Infiltration to soften the humans up from the inside wouldn't hurt.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>36074927
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>36074927
>>
Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>36074927
>>
>>36074931
We're not even close to tapping a single percent of our planet, near as I can tell.
>>
Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>36074927
>>
File: 1337789660821.jpg (74 KB, 300x300)
74 KB
74 KB JPG
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
>>
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
Mother of hive.
>>
File: FUCK THIS SHIT IM OUT.png (151 KB, 1000x700)
151 KB
151 KB PNG
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
>>
Well fuck.
>>
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
Mother, oh mother...why have thou spurned us so?
>>
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
Sweet jesus we can't get a break can we?
>>
>>36074941
You know "eventually" refers to a distant future, right.
>>
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
>>
>>36074957
Risking ourselves in covert operations we know the humans would find abominable seems unwise in preparing for the distant future.
>>
>>36074934
>>36074937
>>36074939
...at least it wasn't a 1...
>>
>>36075015
Fat consolation that was
>>
>>36075015
I was the 2, i almost did the wrong dice, but fixed it.
>>
how about we talk to Theseus about the whole black crystal/ancient thing?
what could possibly go wrong?
>>
>>36075031
He fucks with it, and becomes their slaves.
>>
File: k-bigpic.jpg (111 KB, 970x546)
111 KB
111 KB JPG
>>36074927
Your drones scour the ship, but find nothing of value or interest save for the strange signal emanating from the middle of the ship. A sniffer approaches the chamber, and as it enters you feel your mind drifting, losing yourself in a sea of thoughts...

Another wave of your scouts return, each report the same. You catalogue their findings and send them out again. They will find you, as they found the others. You only hope it is not too late. You quickly check on the project. It is almost finished, but you need more time.

Another wave of scouting pods blink into the system, their thinkers reporting their findings. Two are missing. They are not far now. You take account of your fleet, and your forces. A dozen hives across a dozen worlds, each with a sizable picket fleet. You suspect they will arrive along the outskirts of your domain soon. The other queens have already fallen, their hives shattered and left baren.

Another wave of scouts report in. You are missing fully half of them, and several others report sightings of the enemy fleet.

>Ready your pickets to defend your colonies
>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>Other

>>36074939
rip
>>
>>36075031
Not much, since he can't even interact with it, I still bet we'll roll something horrible will happen though.
>>
>>36075036
Forwarn him about it so he can take precautionary steps.
>>
>>36075027
...Thanks?
>>
>>36075031
He unlocks the secrets of tachyon manipulation, at best costing us our greatest monopoly and bartering piece, and at worst give him a super weapon that can crush the hive's fleets in an instant.
>>
>>36075040
Wait. What.
>Other
Collect our thoughts. What the hell is going on.
>>
>>36075040
Ehh?
>>
>>36075040
>>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>Other
Send an egg with a thinker in a pod far away from here
>>
>>36075040
>>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>>Other
Send out multiple queens in hopes of continuing our research.
>>
>>36075057
>>36075054
We're in the mind of the Last Queen
>>
>>36075040
Oh Jesus it's happening. Call Theseus and get him to get over here and help us.
>>
>>36075040

Sorry, mom....
>>
>>36075069
>Theseus
Literally who?

>>36075040
>>Ready your pickets to defend your colonies
>>
>>36075069
Calm down
>>
>>36075040
>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>>
>>36075064
>>36075076
Okay. Calm. I lost myself there.
>Ready your pickets to defend your colonies
>>
>>36075040
>>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>>
>>36075040
>>Ready your pickets to defend your colonies
>>
>>36075040
>>Pull back your forces and consolidate them at your main hive
>>
>>36075040
You call out to your picket fleets and they begin to fall back. As the fleets take what supplies they can and blink away you see the flashes of the enemy as they enter the system. The hives you leave behind detonate with fire and acid bile, leaving nothing but burning slag for them to find. The outer shells of your hives are still intact, and as the last of your outer colonies ignite themselves from the inside out you feel them start their bombardment. You have bought yourself time, you only hope it was enough.

"Thing is ready!" The chorus of a million thinkers fills your mind. It failed before, but this time it must work. You will only have a single chance. The workers begin to load the weapon into your Hive ship, and you have it take its position at the head of the fleet as reinforcements blink in around it. If it doesn't work, there is only one other option, and you have already prepared it.

The small asteroid drifts from the Hive ship's hangar, its rough shell concealing its precious cargo. The thinker within still sleeps, and before it wakes you blink it away. Far away. As it disappears your patrols pick up the enemy fleet on the edge of your system. The first wave has arrived, and they quickly begin to accelerate towards your world. Their numbers are well into the thousands.

Current fleet assets
1 Hive ship
35 Battleships
150 Battlecruisers
500 Cruisers
1000 Frigates
3000 corvettes

>Send your fleet out to intercept
>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range
>Split your fleet, and have half move to intercept the flank
>Other
>>
>>36075191
>>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range

>The small asteroid drifts from the Hive ship's hangar, its rough shell concealing its precious cargo. The thinker within still sleeps, and before it wakes you blink it away. Far away.
OH SHIT MOM
>>
>>36075191
>>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range
>>
>>36075191
>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range
>>
>>36075191
>Split your fleet, and have half move to intercept the flank
>>
>>36075191
>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range
>>
>>36075191
>Hold your position and wait for them to enter range
Use the planet for cover?
>>
>>36075191
Your fleet is vast. Every ship in your domain within a single formation, yet the enemy closes in. You have your fleet assume defensive formations within the orbit of your world. Your swarms emerge from their hangars like angry hornets, swirling around their parent ships like enraged, living armor. The enemy fleet fires their first salvo as they approach. By the time the light of the projectiles reaches your fleet they are nearly on you. You send your ships jinking into new formations at random as specks of light mark the impactor sites along the surface of your world like tiny suns, and your fleet returns fire.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3
>>
Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>36075304
>>
Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>36075304
FOR MOTHER
>>
Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>36075304
>>
>>36075315
Yes! Finally a decent roll.
>>
>>36075315
Is our luck finally turning around?

Battle Theme:
http://a.pomf.se/bxbjvb.mp3
>>
>>36074939
I wonder if this failure means we didn't find anyyhing. Rolling high might have net us a survivor. Damn.
>>
>>36075304
So who are the enemy here? Descriptions of them would be nice.
>>
>>36075367
Calm down anon, haven't you heard of "building up suspense"?
>>
File: Capitals.jpg (179 KB, 1600x1241)
179 KB
179 KB JPG
>>36075304
Several impactors rip into your fleet, sending bloody chunks of hull cascading across the planet's orbit. You see walls of vibrant dots light up through space as approaching ships are engulfed in flames. They begin to decelerate, and you open up with your autocannons. The hail of debris from the slain ships pelts your own formations, slicing a corvette down the middle and lighting up the skies of your world with the fires of burning rubble.

You count fully half of their forces are in ruins, but you have taken casualties yourself.

Fleet assets
1 Hive ship
35 Battleships
133 Battlecruisers
427 Cruisers
763 Frigates
2561 Corvettes

"Work is done!" The chant of your workers from the bowls of your Hive ship. It is ready, the dark crystal that has caused so much conflict has been loaded into the main gun. You have only three.

>Psionic cannon ready to fire

The hoards of corvettes and frigates now mixes with your fleet at close range, and they begin to bring in the rest of the fleet, each one blinking in close proximity to their cannon fodder of a first wave.

>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the arriving enemy capitals
>Charge the fleet with your forces
>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
>Other
>>
>>36075382
What's really getting to me is the knowledge these guys are still around. We should probably GTFO of this system ASAP and blink into unity space before returning home.
>>
>>36075397
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the arriving enemy capitals
>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
Keep them away from the Hiveship
>>
>>36075397
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the arriving enemy capitals
>>
>>36075397
>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the arriving enemy capitals
Going with because curiosity.
>>
>>36075397
>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
Wait until they're closer and more clustered, then fire.
>>
>>36075397
>>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
We only have three shots, lets wait for more to come.
>>
>>36075421
Do this. Attempt to corral the enemy into tight formations to the best of our ability then let the cannon roar.
>>
>>36075397
>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
Wait for them to cluster up, i doubt these are the big guys, and we only have a limited amount of shots, so we have to make it count.
>>
>>36075397
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the arriving enemy capitals
>>Assemble a firing line and continue to barrage them as they arrive
>>
>>36075397
You give the order. Your fleet lets loose its weapons and rips into the enemy fleet. The growing formations of battleships are a prime target, and you charge the cannon.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>36075484
>>
Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>36075484
>>
Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>36075484
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>36075484
Sins of our father
>>
>>36075489
Go mom!
>>
>>36075484
So what won?
Are we waiting for more and bunching them up, then firing?
Since that seems like what people want.
>>
>>36075489
Fukken based mother
>>
>>36075489
Boom baby
>>
>>36075528
Presumedly had we rolled higher the first time, we would have found more goodies.
>>
>>36075489
Well... first a 4 and now a 99. I actually feel a bit better now.
>>
>>36075540
Haah yeah. Pity she didn't give us knowledge of the superweapon.
>>
>>36075484
The cannon fires, and you can feel the death cry of the crystal in your carapace as it shatters in the barrel, ground to nothing from the focused energy of the beam. Your corvettes chase the outlying flanks inward with the newly arriving capitals, and the beam flays their hulls like dried leaves against a sand blaster. You hear the drones within crack and pop as the beam stretches outward like an extension of your own wrath, sweeping away a thousand ships in an instant. They flicker silently in the dark like embers as the beam dims, and the enemy fleet begins to attempt to fill its ranks.

"Reloading for queen!" Your workers cry as they rip the fried remains of the black crystal from the gun and work to reload it.

>Advance your fleet and scatter the enemy formation
>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
>Other

>>36075539
Yea, a lot of times when you're searching the roll isn't just for how well you do, but a kind of loot meter, like when you found the Clarke just sitting there for the taking after your first critical.
>>
>>36075489

For the hive!
>>
>>36075573
If the cannon section of the ship is still intact even partially, there is a chance we can recover a DNA sample and backwards engineer it.
>>
>>36075602
>>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
Keep it up
>>
>>36075602
>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
>>
>>36075602
>>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
Lets save up the last two shots for the big guys.
>>
>>36075602
>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
I expect there will be more than one wave
>>
>>36075613
It seems the key to this cannon lies in the dark crystals, not genetics.
>>
>>36075632
I'm waiting for the big guns or at least more of them, i still think its a bit of a waste doing it now.
>>
Now the only thing we need to do is how to create more of those crystals, and if they affect humans. Also white crystal the pure state?
>>
>>36075644
>create more of those crystals
you mean the black death crystals that are basically markers, yeah fuck messing with them.
>>
>>36075602
>Move your corvettes out to encircle the fleet
>>
>>36075637
We have a crystal, and we need the genetics to grow a cannon. There is an interaction between normal physics and the crystals as part of the cannons design. The principle there we have as of yet been unable to discover, and will be a part of the genetics of the cannon.

It will contain info of use.
>>
>>36075653
We already have like a couple from the Hel's Angle
>>
>>36075653
They're ammo for the must destructive weapon known to the hive, we could probably stand to invest a bit of research in them.
>>
The canon was made out of desperation in a last stand. Really, we should avoid using those crystals at all. Besides, at the moment, we don't need that kind of firepower.
>>
>>36075693
We'll be needing it soon.
>>
>>36075715
Well. I suppose it could stand to have a bit of research, if we can study it at all. But we really shouldn't touch those crystals until we really need it.
>>
File: 646874161.jpg (391 KB, 1920x1080)
391 KB
391 KB JPG
>>36075602
Your corvettes move into the flanks and open fire, forcing the remaining forces back and into a tight formation. The remaining capitals continue their fire, and you watch as one of your own battleships falls from its orbit from repeated impacts, its hull snapping and bending. The enemy fleet is dwindling, and your own fleet remains strong even as you heard their formations together.

"Thing is ready!"

>Fire the Psionic Cannon at the encircled fleet
>Close in on them and continue to fire
>Other
>>
>>36075727
>>Close in on them and continue to fire
>>
>>36075727
>>Close in on them and continue to fire
Save it for the big fish
>>
>>36075725
Agreed, but we have no other choice yet.
>>
>>36075727
>>Close in on them and continue to fire
>>
>>36075727
>Close in on them and continue to fire
Ok lets go with everyone ellse
>>
>>36075727
>Close in on them and continue to fire
Its not over yet
>>
Just wondering what would happen if we use the psionic jammer on the black crystal.
>>
>>36075770
There's bound to be something hidden here.
Bear in mind, this queen ultimately lost, so something has to happen which makes her lose.
>>
You know, this couldn't have been more than a year ago, and given how they work, I doubt the Crystals themselves were physically engaging in battle with us.
The only known pawns they have in this time is the Ceph,so....
>>
>>36075798
This was a recent battle, the wreckage is fresh.
There is no time difference, something else bar the Ceph is out there, beyond the wreckage planets.

Fact is, we are kind of surrounded by foes.
>>
>>36075812
What i meant to imply is, if the Ceph themselves carried out this attack, they would know that they didn't completely kill-off the hive if we wen't public with the Union.
Since the Ceph give fuck-all about diplomacy with the other factions, they would probably make a beeline for us as soon as they find out we're still breathing.
>>
>>36075812
Understatement of the year, we're smack dab in the middle of a battle royale between 5 major alien powers is more like it.
>>
File: 3261032-5815415414-Xeele.jpg (610 KB, 1920x1080)
610 KB
610 KB JPG
>>36075727
Your ships continue to fire, and you watch as the shattered hulls of both sides begin to fill the space over your world. Not far from the slaughter there is a slight disturbance in space as the light of the stars appear to fold inward. The small darting shapes fill the sky around your fleet as they flutter with their black, crystal wings. They fire indiscriminately, dealing as much damage to the enemy fleet as to your own. You are becoming a thorn in their side.

>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>Activate the Jammer
>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>Other
>>
>>36075869
>>Activate the Jammer
>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075869
>>Activate the Jammer
>>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075869
>Activate the Jammer

Ceph use the same communication as us, the jammer should royally fuck them up long enough to blow them to bits.

>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075843
Again, that last attack took place in the Dagmar system, which is the closest to our own. I'm not entirely sure that's coincidence.
>>
The bright side is, we are about to learn if the tech we have is enough to solve a problem vs the Ceph raiders.

But at least we know its not a united power front, if the Ceph ships are attacking the invader fleet as well as ours.
>>
>>36075869
>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>
>>36075881
Supporting.
>>
>>36075869
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>Activate the Jammer
>>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075887
>>36075896

So it WASN'T the Ceph, then who was inveder?
>>
>>36075869
>Activate the Jammer
>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075869
>>Activate the Jammer
>>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075911
Other queens, the ones who decided to ascend into the void with the help with the crystals.
At least that's what I think.
Tearing open a hole into void, going through, becoming corrupt, become hellbent on destroying all life.
Is how it tends to work.
>>
>>36075869
>>Activate the Jammer
>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075869
>Activate the Jammer
>Spread your fleet out and focus fire on the swarming Void Cutters
>>
>>36075911
>>36075931
don't know. They weren't described.
>>
File: 164641321.jpg (1.44 MB, 1920x1080)
1.44 MB
1.44 MB JPG
>>36075869
You distribute your orders to the thinkers within your ships for them to break formation and spread themselves apart to make themselves harder targets, and you activate the jammer. The pain is agonizing, but as you lose control of your fleet, you watch as the perfectly organized flowing formations of the Ceph fleet break down into chaos. Collisions and friendly fire engulfs the fleet as they spiral out of control. Your fleet open fire, each one spread out far enough to not even need their network to fire for effect. The space around you is filled with bursting shrapnel, and you watch as the ships flicker away in clusters, piece by piece.

Finally, you sense space open before you, and an elongated ovoid of reflective metal emerges. The surface ripples like water.
You finally have their attention. You must be more of a nuisance than you anticipated.
The shimmering vessel grows into a point, and a lance of burning light slices a battleship in two, its innards burning like kindling, the escaping air carrying the flames from the wound like blood. Another lance leaps from the smoother surface and pierces a battlecruiser, slicing apart several corvettes behind it in the process.
It drifts calmly towards you, its lances burning down your fleet ship by ship as the barrage of chittinous slugs evaporate against its hull.

>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>Attempt to surround it
>Charge into close range
>Other
>>
>>36076047
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon
It's Them. FIRE.
>>
>>36076047
>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>
>>36076047
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>Attempt to surround it
>>Charge into close range
>>
>>36076047
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>Attempt to surround it
>>
>>36076047
>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>Attempt to surround it
>Charge into close range

There will be more of these ships, but frankly all we need to do is buy enough time for our daughter to grow her empire. Decimating this sectors fleet will do nicely for that.
>>
>>36076047
>Fire the Psionic Cannon
It's now or never.
>>
>>36076047
>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>
>>36076047
>>Fire the Psionic Cannon
>>Attempt to surround it
Told you we wasted a shot.
>>
>>36076047
>Fire the Psionic Cannon

Please roll 1d100, best of 3
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>36076118
Well it was either that or attrition

>>36076137
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>36076137
>>
>>36076118
Still has to be reloaded. We might not get another chance, so I don't think it's wasted since we learned what it could do. Next update should give us a better idea of what's happening.
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>36076137
>>
Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>36076137
>>
Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>36076137
>>
>>36076144
>>36076148
>>36076153
We're so sorry momma
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>36076137
>>
>>36076162
This is momma's roll. Seems something nasty happened to her at this point.

Lets hope we can find Mother's corpse, the DNA storage in it should be a tremendous boon.
>>
>>36076162
High rolls would have just delayed the inevitable, I suppose. I mean. What else could have happened? We get a bunch of really high rolls and we find our mother half-dead but savable?
>>
Rolling mostly sucks today. Only one good roll (that 99).
>>
QD you should write a book. This'll make a good space opera story.
>>
We only have one more shot with that Psionic Cannon. I have a feeling if we don't use it again, we can find the remains of it when we get back out this memory replay so we can study it.
>>
>>36076181
I'm basically thinking the higher our rolls the more story we see and exactly how good of a fight our Mother gave and how much damage was done.
>>
File: 1654649163.png (1.36 MB, 1914x797)
1.36 MB
1.36 MB PNG
>>36076137
You charge the energy and unleash the cannon once more. The piercing death cry of the crystal within feels like needles in your mind. The beam lashes out to the looming hulk and tear at its hull. It begins to boil. The gurgling metallic liquid falls away in chungs, evaporating into nothingness. As the beam dissipates, you see a seeming crater in its bow, slowly reforming as cracks appear to form in the flowing surface. You can feel it screaming in pain and rage.
You made it bleed.

Its form lurches towards you, its lances ripping apart your fleet like tin foil. The lance catches your Hive ship, and the hull boils away, swelling and disintegrating from the bone. Your workers scramble to load the last shot as your Hive ship splits in half, its main gun set adrift in pieces. The cannon goes off in its seeping maw, detonating with a screaming cry as the last crystal shatters within it, sending pieces of the thing's hull cascading over what little is left of your forces. It engulfs the front half of your Hive ship, ripping its hull into pieces and sending them drifting through the settling debris field.


You feel your sniffer moving into the chamber, its head bumping against the wall as it regains its faculties, and you regain control of yourself. What looks like an advanced relay sits in the center of the chamber, with a white crystal grafted into the center. A faint glow slowly dissipates from it as the last if the Hive ship's life drains from it.

>Take the crystal relay
>Remove the crystal and leave the relay
>Other

>>36076181
The damage you're doing here is persistent. All those ships you blew up are still blown up, and the owners sorely miss them.
>>36076232
This too.
>>
>>36076415
>>Take the crystal relay

RIP Queen Mother ;_;7
>>
>>36076415
>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076415
>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076415
>>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076415
>Take the crystal relay
>Other
See if we can find Mother's remains. Or other's remains.
>>
>>36076415
>>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076492
I'll actually support that. At the least we can examine her, see if she had any upgrades and if so give us some idea of if we should upgrade our queen
>>
>>36076415
>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076492
One of those rare times, supporting this
>>
>>36076415
Supporting:
>>36076492
>>
>>36076415
>Take the crystal relay
>>
>>36076415
You send in your warriors to retrieve the relay and quickly haul it back to your corvette. Before you leave you send your sniffers on another sweep of the ship, this time in search of the queen's body.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>36076582
>>
Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>36076582
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>36076582
>1d100
>>
>>36076591
Ho man.
This is going to be rough.
>>
Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>36076582
>>
File: Fuckin really.gif (466 KB, 340x306)
466 KB
466 KB GIF
>>36076591
>>36076599
>>36076610
>>
>>36076591
Oh man we're not getting a break today
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? I MEAN WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR HER DAMN CORPSE.
>>
>>36076591
Damn you and damn your dice.
>>
File: seriously.jpg (76 KB, 500x750)
76 KB
76 KB JPG
>>36076591
>>
>>36076591
>>
File: 1399000794953.jpg (8 KB, 496x261)
8 KB
8 KB JPG
>>36076582
It's a real roller coaster tonight, or this morning, actually.
regardless, writing.
>>
>>36076591
>>36076676
>>
>>36076591
>You find mom's body
>You accidentally tear a hole in the ship and she gets sucked out and creamed by space junk.
>>
File: Ohh no, scared.jpg (50 KB, 1280x720)
50 KB
50 KB JPG
>>36076676
>real roller coaster
I want off. I want off now!
>>
>>36076591
Damn dice. Today is not a good day.
>>
File: 1399000878652.jpg (26 KB, 473x355)
26 KB
26 KB JPG
>>36076582
Your sniffers spend hours scouring the corridors in vain for the body of the queen, your mother, but to no avail. Much of the Hive ship is missing. Perhaps she was aboard a segment that had been sheared off, or perhaps she was planetside...

You detect a flash of radiation. A pod had entered the system, and it isn't yours. Your fleet is concealed by their cloaks, but your boarding corvette is unable to cloak while attached to the Hive ship.

>Detach and cloak (potentially leaving the boarding party behind)
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>Intercept the pod and destroy it
>Attempt to open communications
>Other
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
OH SHIT
>>
>>36076743
>attempt to open communications
>>
>>36076743
>Intercept the pod and destroy it
Then run like hell.
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris

If we try talk, or engage, we will be letting someone know we exist. Which is a retarded thing to do.
>>
>>36076743
>>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>>
>>36076761
NOOOOO! Why would you do that?
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
Actually, have the cloaked frigates try to get closer without being detected, if we have to destroy the pod, this would make it easier
>>
Pray the dice favours us this time.
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>Attempt to open communications
It can only be another hive vessel, we should at least make a passing attempt at communication.
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
>>
>>36076819
Wait until they choose to come closer to investigate.

We shall have to return here when we have a proper fleet. Mothers body must be recovered.
>>
>>36076808
Better get the sacrificial virgins ready, son.
>>
>>36076808
If I have to sacrifice my IP and get banned, then i'll do it,

>>36076761
>>36076819
Anons,we rolled a one, and we never did find out what the main enemy attack force was.
>>
>>36076743
Your exposed corvette shuts down all systems, quickly knocking itself into a deep sleep as it pretends to simply be another scrap of discarded, broken flesh. Your cloaked fleet moves away from the debris to better hide themselves, taking up positions around the pod in the process.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.
>>
Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>36076837
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>36076837
>>
Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>36076837
may Mother be with us
>>
Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>36076837
>>
Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>36076837
>>
So should we make more queens?
>>
File: forsaken.jpg (68 KB, 770x506)
68 KB
68 KB JPG
>>36076852
Better than most but shit. Why the shitty rolls lately.
>>
>>36076865
Eventually, but space is a bit crammed and we need tight control while secrecy is up.

When we open up to diplomacy we can start making more queens.
>>
>>36076869
Maybe becuase we have been going on for around 15 hours.
>>
>>36076869
I have no idea. I've rolled three times. Got a 4, 99 and then a 60. I'm just happy it wasn't shit this time.
>>
>>36076743
>Take no action, shut down all systems and pretend to be a part of the debris
Hide and ambush
>>
>>36076898
Nah, we've had shitty rolls since we started. The only one that shit was the 99.
>>
File: 1332026239370.jpg (205 KB, 512x512)
205 KB
205 KB JPG
>>36076837
The pod drifts into an orbit over the planet, its sensors trained on the seething lava flows below. You can feel the thoughts of a mind from within the pod as it passes, a twisted, hateful consciousness.

You catch only a glimpse, of a black queen, her carapace like chipped obsidian, her crown a black crystal that throbs with energy. The pod does not seem interested in the debris, nor does the obsidian queen, but instead it gazes upon the devastation of the planet below, looking upon the firestorm with perverse satisfaction. After it completes a short patrol of the system the pod blinks away, leaving you with the bitter taste of the queen's tainted mind upon you.

You quickly load the relay into your corvette and your fleet makes to return home.

You turn your attention to other pressing matters as the fleet enters a parking orbit and the corvettes bring their cargo down to your hive.

>Speak with (write in)
>Send pod to (write in)
>Other
>>
>>36077022
Dark queens, lovely.
>>
File: bitches and whores.jpg (27 KB, 500x431)
27 KB
27 KB JPG
>>36077022
>Speak with Elizabeth
Tell her what happened her

>>Other
Begin expansion, we need stations and Docking Pylons in all systems that the Human's aren't watching.
We still haven't found out what happened in M-199

Also the Evil Queen a bitch
>>
>>36077022
Just fuck man
>Speak with (write in)
Full disclosure with the AI
>>
>>36077022
Oh SNAP! A corrupted hive queen.
>Speak with Elizabeth about what we have found.
Also, check in on Lyle. I wonder if we should introduce the two.
>>
>>36077022
>Speak with (write in)
Elizabeth about what happened. Examine Crystal relay.
>>
>>36077022
>Speak with Elizabeth
tell her it all

I'm in agreement with >>36077064
start autocolonizing every planet that is free.
>>
This makes me wonder if the black crystals corrupted the hive queen or if there was a faction among the hive that created the black crystals.

We really need that white crystal research for some answers.
>>
>>36077064
Maybe we should send a pod outside of M-199 and then have it move in slowly. The Skyl don't seem to be jamming continuously.
>>
>>36077148
We already did that, we just haven't been updated on the situation yet.
>>
>>36077101
Thirding the auto colonization programme.
>>
thought some of you might appreciate this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38pIf2nnU0
>>
>>36077169
>>36077101
>>36077064
Should we make a daughter for one of the colonies?
>>
>>36077197
I'm gunna say no. I want to stay in full control for now. If it gets bad.... maybe we can just start over. Do another last stand and eject a queen. Hopefully this time with a bloody databank.
>>
>>36077197
Sure.
>>36077221
Weren't we basically told that our daughters will generally follow our leadership, unless we do something dumb?
>>
>>36077237
I'm not one to take the chance anon. Once we've built up more and secured ourself against at least the Union, nevermind OTHER invaders, I'll probably be fine with creating a Daughter who can carve out a place for herself, under our rule of course.
>>
>>36077187
you are correct, sir.
>>
>>36077264
...an outright reassurance by the QM isn't enough for you?
>>
>>36077197
No, not yet. It's unnecessary now, but in future it might be useful
>>
>>36077274
Really? Where?
>>
>>36077022
seconding:
>>36077064
>>
>>36077300
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/35777339/#p35780287
>>
>>36077274
Well they, at this point, aren't anymore than a threat. We can handle things perfectly fine by ourselves, whether direct control or through autopilot so no. The assurance that "they'll probably just follow along with you" doesn't really mean much because it creates a competition and possible threat that gives us nothing, at this point in time.
>>
>>36077197
I'm in favor of it personally.
>>36077326
They are much cheaper than egglayers (still don't know why we didn't give those things quantum brains).
>>
>>36077022
Your speaker skurries into the laboratory where Elizabeth is halfway inside the Skyl console. Sparks fly from within and she collapses backward.
"Himmel, arsch und Zwirn!" She yells as she lands on the ground. Your speaker clacks its mandibles.

"I got it powered up!" She exclaims, "Or, mostly, at any rate. Did you need something?"

"A new crystal was found, grafted to a relay. It seemed to contain a recording of a battle." You transmit the images of the battle, the devastation of the Psionic Cannon, and the strange, massive craft, and the twisted obsidian queen.

"That's, that was your mother?" Your speaker nods in response. Elizabeth gives your drone a somber look. "I'm sorry. It looks like she was trying to protect you." She thinks for a moment. Both of you ponder the events and the peculiar events surrounding your birth. You lament the fact that you were forced to start nearly from scratch, while she seems to simply ponder why. She speaks up eventually, as if responding to your thoughts. "Maybe... that's part of it. You said that those Ceph crystals, the Void shards, seem to do weird things when observed? Well what if it's your mental abilities? Normally knowing more about something helps you win against it, but what if this thing is attracted by psionically sensitive creatures... thinking about it?"

The two of you share an uneasy silence as you both process the thought. "No, no nevermind, that's a silly thought." She says eventually, dismissing the theory with a stifled laugh.
"Well, in any case, I'll be sure to take a look at that relay once you bring it in."
cont.
>>
>>36077363
Suddenly, you feel the return of your pod as the Skyl fleet deactivates its jammer.

"Mother! Watched carefully!" Your thinker cries out as it feels your mind return to it. The Skyl fleet is scanning the debris around it, small drones fly in and out of the drive ship, dragging usable materials into the ship's gaping maw. The thinker reports that it was able to find the lost pod near the edge of the jammer's range, and was just barely able to force the command to blink home over the droning static of the Skyl fleet.

>Send a fleet to attack the Skyl fleet
>Leave them alone for now
>Other
>>
>>36077450
>send a corvette
>broadcast diplomatic ship codes (we have their ship codes as a previous 'loot drop'.) If diplomatic ship codes do not exist; something similar in the "don't shoot; I'm here to speak" vein will do
>thinker onboard in event of jamming, so it can return to us.
>it that fails
>we prepare for combat
>>
>>36077450
>Leave them alone for now
Other
Show them the battle
>>
>>36077450
this >>36077476

My only other thought is that maybe the Skyl console research will unlock something for us.
>>
>>36077450
>>Other
send them the image of the queen's mother's fight with the enemy and tell them we are friends and we wish to aid them in making the enemy remember the skyl. Also, start Skyl cloning program.
>>
>>36077476
Seconding this.
>>
>>36077538
I'm willing to throw this in with >>36077476
>>
>>36077538
I think we've shown them enough combat footage for now.

We may want to lead into it, instead of broadcasting it first thing. Like "We heard you hate crystals. Here's some fight footage we think you might like:" or something, instead of just opening with it.
>>
>>36077450
You quickly have a thinker placed aboard one of your corvettes and send it to meet the Skyl fleet. You want to avoid fighting a ship with so many unknowns if you can. The corvette arrives and you pluck a number of civilian codes to broadcast to the flagship. The fleet quickly assumes a defensive stance, but other than that it takes no action.

After a long while the Skyl ship broadcasts a short message. "Identification: Gardener, location unknown. Outpost rendezvous location destroyed." The ship continues to scan the shattered world below, as if scanning it again will reverse the damage to the ancient hive world.

>Say (write in)
>Ask (write in)
>Other
>>
>>36077676
>>Ask
What is it's current mission?

I'm out of ideas here, anyone mind helping?
>>
>>36077676
Say
>The Skyl have long died, we wish to help you continue the Skyl's mission and by extension yours.
>>
>>36077676
Ask:
Who's in command of the vessel.

If AI as I assume, try to somehow get it on our side, help it in rebuilding skyl if he has some genetic material.
Since we could technically revive the race.
>>
>>36077676
>Gardener
That's the queen we found on Raligha.
>>
We could try hatch a deal with the ships offering to clone the Skyl back into existence on a planet in return for the fleets protection and information.

The organic queens were allied with them as far as we know.
>>
>>36077676
>Say (write in)
We found the gardener dead in her hive on Raligha

We have the weapon that can hurt the crystal ship

Ask?

What is your mission

Any other ways to hurt the crystal?

Also send it the combat footage of our mothers last battle
>>
File: caffeine good.jpg (80 KB, 625x426)
80 KB
80 KB JPG
I find it funny that it's already 1AM UTC+8 here and i'm still apparently one of the few here who's awake
>>
>>36077676
>it thinks we're the gardener
Neat.

>ask "What is your purpose, fleet? The Skyl are dead; why do you continue?"
>>
>>36077676
>>36077800
Warn them that a dark queen and the ceph are searching this region of space of any enemies of the crystal
>>
>>36077676
seconding:
>>36077818
>>
>>36077676
You send a simple request to the flagship. "What is your mission?"

It responds promptly. "Primary objective: facilitate evacuation, objective failed. Secondary objective: locate and identify survivors, objective failed. Tertiary objective: target and facilitate destruction of servile species, in progress."

"How?"

"Primary method: utilize local resources to facilitate military resistance. Secondary method: facilitate the development, testing, and mass production of research project Godsplitter."

You try another question, keeping your corvette at a good distance. "Who is in command of this vessel?"

"Engram 137499: Heretic."

Interesting. You decide to offer it a bit of warning. "The Ceph, as well as a hostile queen appear to be operating in the area-"

It interupts you. "Tertiary objective: target and facilitate the destruction of servile species."

>Speak(write in)
>Other
>>
>>36077929
>"Please define, exactly, who and what servile species are."
>"As well as who the master species is."
>"And, how may the Hive aid you?"
>>
>>36077929
Do we happen to have the location of the Ceph world?
This >>36077942
>>
>>36077929
>Speak
We are attempting to revive the Skyl, requesting any available genetic archives to accelerate our research.
>>
>>36077976
Why are we attempting this?
>>
>>36077929
We have a copy of the godsplitter and footage of it use

Would you look over it?
>>
>>36078021
Better to make an ally of the Skyl in our terms than juggle the bullshit Two Human factions are up to.

Hell, does the Commonwealth have any vassal races?
>>
>>36077929
"What, exactly, is a servile species?"

The flagship replies quickly, "Uplifted or subjugated species under direction of hostile entity."

"How can the hive assist?"

"Rendezvous point destroyed. Please designate location of: Gardener."

>Claim to be the Gardener
>Inform the engram of the Gardener's death
>Other
>>
>>36078021
See
>>36077929
>Primary objective: facilitate evacuation, objective failed. Secondary objective: locate and identify survivors, objective failed.
The AI should be more willing to offer information if do this since they are related to it's primary and secondary objectives.
>>
>>36078069
Can we tell it that we can clone skyl?
>>
>>36078069
>Inform the engram of the Gardener's death
>Claim to be descended from Gardener and wish to continue her mission
It's not really a lie. Technically. Oh and the Skyl cloning too.
>>
>>36078069
>Inform Engram of the Gardener's death
>"This Hive that speaks to you is the Red Hive."
>"We regret to inform you that the Gardener is deceased."
>>
>>36078069
>Inform the engram of the Gardener's death
Give our location
>>
>>36078069
>>Inform the engram of the Gardener's death.
>>Claim to be related to Gardener and wish to continue her mission and inform it of are efforts in restoring the Skyl.
>>
>>36078069
You send the ship footage of the ancient hive on Raligha, as well as basic information surrounding the circumstances of the hive's destruction as far as you are aware.

"Designation: Red Queen. Facilitate completion, testing, and manufacture of project Godsplitter."

You receive a series of data files from the Skyl vessel, it appears to be some kind of military cypher. It appears the engram trusts you, at least partially. The flagship continues to refine the nearby materials, slowly assembling new ships for its growing fleet. You wonder just how useful it will prove to be.

I think we should call it here. I'll try to stick around for questions, comments, feedback and the like.
>>
>>36078069
>Inform the engram of the Gardener's death
>>
File: i love OP.jpg (20 KB, 385x488)
20 KB
20 KB JPG
>>36078181
Thanks for running QD, looking forward to next week. Hope the rest of your week is fine too.
>>
>>36078181
Thanks for running QD. Other than the rolls today's 2 threads were awesome.
>>
>>36078216
>>36078218
Thanks for playing, it's always a pleasure.
>>
>>36078181
Would destruction of a world's biosphere be considered "not cool" in the days of Hive yore?

About how tough is a heavy armored Hive ship as compared to a human ship of roughly the same classification?

Also, have we checked the DNA of the Raligha fauna etc. to see if it presents any similarities to what we know about Hive DNA?
Gardener was an accomplished terraformer, after all. Wouldn't surprise me if most things on that planet were manufactured.
>>
>>36078237
Can we recover any of Gardener's terra forming tech?
>>
Why did our mother send us away blind? Wouldn't it have been essential for our survival to inform us of our ancient enemies.
>>
>>36078316
Presumably much if it is now long since dead.

>>36078348
Do you remember the theory Vaughn posed about psychic creatures thinking about psychic enemies?
>>
>>36078237
That would depend on the planet, and the queen in question. A queen like the Gardener would likely be very much opposed to the invasive destruction of a planet's biosphere, while others may systematically replace all life on a world with farmland.

A heavy armored Hive ship would be absolutely nuts, and there really isn't a comparable ship classification among the Union. The only other comparable ship would be a Unity Server ship, which are cause for trouser soiling panic when spotted in a system.
>>
>>36078380
Ah, sorry, I meant Hive as in The Hive. Our species.
>>
>>36078422
Oh, sorry. In general it's a bit more difficult to compare since Union ships use shields extensively, while you don't. A ship with heavy armor would be noticeably slower in its acceleration, but would be able to just tank the crap out of incoming fire.

In general, they do have higher quality ships, but their ships are far more expensive to build and maintain.
>>
>>36078497
That's cool.

Uh, could we manufacture hybrids to be unfailingly loyal to the Hive? Like our Thinkers and Drones already are?

What, aside from possessing space travel, did the Gardener do to impress the natives so much?
>>
>>36078584
Also, how much munching on drone corpses would it take for us to figure out how far we are, genetically, from the Gardener?
>>
>>36078380
Where would you say the Red Queen is on a scale between 1 and 10 in regards to preserving a biosphere? 1 Being farm world queens and 10 being the Gardener.
>>
>>36078631
Well i say we are still a 1

Just depends on how we use those killer vines and spores

We just stayed underground and out of the way so far
>>
>>36078623
Well, the remains of the Gardener's hive is tens of thousands of years old, old enough to have known the Skyl personally during their time as a free race. As such, it would be rather difficult to collect samples and the like. Still possible though.

In physical appearance, most of the differences between the basic warriors of the ancient hive and your own are purely cosmetic, with the carapaces of the Gardener's drones appearing more spindly and raged, as if made from gnarled twigs and branches. It was either an aesthetic choice, a form of camouflage, or a mixture of both.

>>36078584
Judging from her given title, and the various fables and legends, the Gardener taught various agricultural techniques to the natives, as well as assisting in the construction of basic infrastructure. After the hive's destruction, much of the knowledge was lost, or obscured by religious practice into useless ceremony.

>>36078631
Depends on what the scale is measuring, exactly. Do you mean how much the queen cares about the biosphere, or how much control she has over it?
>>
>>36078770
>aesthetic choice
Fuzzy moth drones when?

>agriculture
Could we re-teach them that stuff?

Also, presumably anon means to ask how much Queen appears to care about the biosphere.

Does the Union use fighter craft? I mean, I know with Unity using space-borne drones, they probably have some sort of anti-fighter PD. But it's curious to see if they adopt the practice or not.
>>
could you make a hexmap of the systems west of the nebula?
>>
>>36078849
They do, but not in the same way as you or the Unity. Union strike craft of more along the lines of heavy fighter/bombers, designed to be deployed against much larger ships, and use high end technology, equipment, and training to out perform the opposition. Bot you and the Unity use swarms of disposable fighter drones designed to overwhelm enemy PD with sheer numbers.

>>36078869
Will work on that next, yes.

>>36078849
Fuzz is lumped in with the peacock in that you can choose to make a drone naturally a certain color or have a certain appearance for free, including fur.

Sure, you could re-teach the natives if you wish.
>>
>>36078925
Could we revive skyl as a race?
>>
>>36078925
The one question that was really bothering for a while, but I totally forgot:

How did psionics evolve on the Hiver homeworld?
Like, what did pre-historic Hives look like and do?



[Advertise on 4chan]

Delete Post: [File Only] Style:
[a / b / c / d / e / f / g / gif / h / hr / k / m / o / p / r / s / t / u / v / vg / vr / w / wg] [i / ic] [r9k] [s4s] [cm / hm / lgbt / y] [3 / adv / an / asp / biz / cgl / ck / co / diy / fa / fit / gd / hc / int / jp / lit / mlp / mu / n / out / po / pol / sci / soc / sp / tg / toy / trv / tv / vp / wsg / x] [Settings] [Home]
[Disable Mobile View / Use Desktop Site]

[Enable Mobile View / Use Mobile Site]

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective parties. Images uploaded are the responsibility of the Poster. Comments are owned by the Poster.