text: ttlefield. I'll try to kill as many of them as I can, but we're not going to succeed there. The Colonists are either fighting with the CDF, or attempting to find a way off world." Tarn says sadly.
  
  You charge into the office, and almost immediately begin receiving reports. The planets are being assaulted, and although you've only received early reports, Tarn's predictions are right: The worlds are lost. Your only options are to lose the worlds, which are of little to no strategic value or importance, and mount a defense of the Vahallian Ice World, which already hold massive fortifications and weapons as it was an Alliance Defensive Position, and before that an Ancient Military base, leaving it with heavy weaponry and ancient, technologically advanced fortifications from the Ancients. Of course, though the Kaspian planets are unimportant, they hold populations in the millions. You could launch a rescue force and a full scale evacuation, but if early reports are indicators, this could lead to many of the rescue ships being destroyed and the Coalition losing more resources, ships and lives. The alternative, of course, is abandoning millions.
  
  > launch a rescue attempt
  You send dozens of ships to the Kaspian Planets. The Chykri launch an attack on these rescue vessels, and manage to destroy many of them. Still, enough get through to evacuate most of the population of the planets. A few, mostly CDF, ex-military and Tarn Drones, stay behind in an attempt to become some sort of resistance, sabotaging the Chykri war effort. Many civilians were lost, but many also escape. The rescue effort costs the Coalition considerably, but at least you can some as many people as you can.
  
  Now, you need to begin organizing the defense of the Vahallia.
  
  > Continue
  With the Kaizan planets lost, you begin a massive defense of Vahallia. Massive amounts of soldiers are sent to the world, and ships begin preparing an orbital defense. The initial Chykri assault results in a massive victory for the Coalition, but through reports you know this was either only the first wave, a scouting group or a testing of your defenses. This ice worlds will host some of the greatest battles in history, and blood will be shed over the snow. Still, there's hope.
  
  A group of Mundar Engineers have discovered a series of dozens of Ancient cannons and turrets that could possibly be used to add a new wave of firepower to the defense. Of course, these cannons take a serious amount of power to power up and use, which would need to be taken from Evacuation Zones and Civilian Cities. This will most likely half the evacuation rate and perhaps even lower it by 75%, and it will triple the amount of deaths in the cities because of a lack of lighting, hospitals, transport and heating. Because of the horrors already occurring, this fortunately won't damage your reputation, but you'll still be the cause of these deaths.
  
  > activate the Ancient Cannons
  You begin activating the Ancient Cannons. There's a massive increase in deaths because of it, but the cannons prove extremely effective. They're capable of destroying entire Chykri Landing Spheres, and three of the cannons and capable of firing a beam straight into orbit and damaging the main Spheres. The deaths of civilians are many but you can mourn later. Your job's to wage war and save a galaxy-spanning Empire, not to look over a few deaths.
  
  > Continue
  Next, you begin using the Goliath. The Goliath is a new innovation that's been designed because of the new Brain Uploading. People's minds can be uploaded to massive computing systems, which is the most common, though the more military-minded members upload themselves into Goliaths. Goliaths are humanoid bodies the size of smaller Remnants, at eight feet tall. They have a tri-barreled minigun attached to one arm, and a laser for the other, with a missile pod mounted onn their back. They're capable of wiping out entire enemy squads single handedly while taking relatively little damage. They have an advanced broadcasting system, and when they fall in battle, most can broadcast anyway nearby that is suitable from a base's computing system to an allied ship in orbit. Still, ethical questions are being asked, as for every successful broadcast done, the mind inside is slightly fractured, losing a piece of itself. For everyone unsuccessful transfer the mind can lose entire parts of themselves. Do you want to use the Goliaths and authorize their use in warfare?
  
  > authorize the Goliaths
  You authorize the Goliaths and they're quickly implemented in the defense. Their are several incidents of fracturing minds, but those are minor. The Goliaths have early success destroying scout forces, and you know they'll be an important part of the Coalition Military.
  
  > Continue
  Your monitor activates, and a hologram of a badly scarred Antimite appears.
  
  "General. The skies are spotted with Spheres, and the landing spheres are dropping. The invasion has begun. The troops are ready, but we'll be heavily outnumbered. We have multiple lines of defense, the first being the Spine of Moavatian Military bases. We'll stage our defense there."
  
  "Good. Thank you Prince Damar."
  
  The Antimite nods, and the hologram turns off.
  
  > Continue
  You look over a large holographic field depicting the Moavataian Continent. In the North-Eastern regions are the massive Moavataian Oil Fields, that include massive fueling stations to support your forces. To the South, several smaller landing Sphere's have not only successfully landed, but embedded themselves into the frozen landscape to act as forward bases. Spanning from the East and up towards the North West is the spine of Moavataian, a series of large mountains interspersed with valleys, tunnels and cave systems. The Spine of Moavataian is the main battlefront, as a defense is made by your forces from the various military bases hidden in the mountains. From this position, your troops manage to repel wave after wave of Chykri attack. The Moogli, Mundar and Antimites fight particularly well, the Moogli having developed for the cold, frozen conditions, the Mundar having evolved in caves and tunnels similar to the ones that span the Spine and Antimites having evolved in mountainous terrain. Still, the Chykri seem to have a seemingly endless supply of soldiers, and although your position is advantageous, you're still heavily outnumbered and supplies are low. Supplies are so low, in fact, that it's becoming a serious issue. You make your way to the war-room to discuss the issue with your generals.
  
  You walk into the war-room. Cabana, Thar'Kaan and Akaid sit around the room, or in Akaid's case, float in his tank.
  
  "Where's everyone else?" You ask.
  
  "Delta-1 and Ashley are trying to figure out a system to link up the military bases through the Mundar tunnels. Tarn says he has no idea how to deal with the food issue and is attempting to lead a raid against embedded Chykri spheres. Admiral Yarcel has taken the Soul Drainer and led a raid against orbital Spheres surrounding the ice world. General Giig and her bodyguard are organizing the Moavataian Oil Fields. Commissar Mast is recruiting more Moogli forces to hold the Spine. So it's just us three."
  
  "Well, you should all know why we're here. Any ideas?"
  
  "I have knowledge withheld." Akaid starts.
  
  You wince at the thought of listening to Akaid talk, but nod your head.
  
  "In times of war when the world turns to flames, the farmer gives over his metal tool to the forges of volcanoes to transform them to the spear of protection, just as a farmer would feed the hunter before he tracks the great predators of the deep.." Akaid says.
  
  "What...?" You begin.
  
  "He's saying we should increase the taxes on farm colonies and industrial colonies and begin supporting the Spine with the products of that." Ashley-Dante adds helpfully.
  
  "Alright, I'll take it into consideration. Any other suggestions?"
  
  "The bases are supplied enough. Supplying them any further would simply involve a wasting of resources. We can get the soldiers to start hunting the mountainous beasts and cave critters for food, and increase their use of melee weapons to save ammo." Thar'Kaan says.
  
  "Anything else?"
  
  Cabana raises a hand.
  
  "Yeah, I've got an idea."
  
  "Go on."
  
  "There's a massive supply system that we could start exploiting. The Moogli Smugglers that inhabit the area could be paid to begin supplying the base, the pirates in the system could be convinced to begin giving arms to the soldiers, there's Garavan tribes that could be convinced. There's a hell of a lot of criminals we could take advantage of to reinforce the bases." Cabana says.
  
  "This is starting to sound like the best option."
  
  "There's a catch." Cabana says. "This would require supporting a smugglers, pirates, criminals, raiders and in many cases, slavers. This would quickly spread the growth of criminals in the areas and although it wouldn't have any issues now, it'll be a serious issue to deal with once the Chykri are dead and gone, but that won't be until the Chykri are gone and we're dead or retired."
  
  You take a deep breath and think. You have three valid options, and all you know is that the Spine needs to be dealt with.
  
  > follow Thar'Kaan's advice
  "Thar'Kaan makes a good point. We need the soldiers to tough it out. We can't afford to waste supplies in a time like this."
  
  You relay your orders to the bases. Their is some uproar at the lack of supplies, and the weakened bases begin losing ground to the Chykri. Your grasp on the Spine weakens greatly. Still, there's an upside in that the Garavan tribes seem impressed that you're acting as a tough, stern leader.
  
  > Continue
  The Chykri's invasion has been forced to a stop, though you know this is only momentary. The Chykrim led by the tiny, two and a half foot wide hovering spheres known as "Balls" have began setting up extensive camps. Through scouting reports you've actually learned about the Chykri. The "Balls" are actually believed to hold important roles of power in the Chykri, and have since been renamed Master's. Still, you realize you don't know nearly enough about the Chykri, which is why the Creator known as the Enlightened One sits in your office.
  
  "Senator-General Achilles. We don't know enough about the Chykri. We don't know their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, desires, fears or even their motives. I have enlisted many famed Xeno Experts, such as Domino-4, Dr Han-Johnson, Dr Halloway-Beta, Commissar Ortent and Fast-Thinker. With your approval and support, we would like to use scouts and drones to begin studying and analyzing the Chykri. It would take resources, but knowledge is power, and we need more power if we want to surive."
  
  > support the Chykri Research
  "Of course I'll support the research."
  
  "Thank you, General. I can promise we'll give out some knowledge. It may take some time, but we'll get valuable information. Still, we'll probably be able to get some small amounts of information within the next few weeks."
  
  True to the Creator's word, you do begin receiving a good amount of amount the Chykri. The Chykri Grunts, the insectoid cyborg soldiers that make up the majority of the Chykri have been studied extensivel. The groups naturally group up in small groups of half a dozen Grunts known as squads, which are occasionally led by the larger, more armoured females that also have working wings who would otherwise act as lone soldiers or fight in groups of four, called Queen Squads. The Chykri have also been noted to have little to no free time, spending all their time fighting, advancing, scouting, scavenging for food, eating or sleeping. They seem to have very little culture, but they've been reported to make souvenirs of everything from Coalition dog-tags to jewelry to pieces of vehicles, and there's hints of a religion being reported.
  
  The Chykri Gunheads are considerably less sentient. They are green skinned and have had their arms replaced with massive guns and their lower bodies replaced with four robotic, spider like legs. They haven't been shown to have any sentience and seem more like a pack animal to carry and use the weapons.
  
  The Snubs seem to be the most intelligent, have the highest level of equipment and the most independence. They also have some remnants of a culture, which is still more than anyone else.
  
  The Fighters seem to fight in swarms and live in nests that seem like a hybrid of a bird's nest and a hanger.
  
  The Master Sphere's seem to hold what is either some sort of AI, or perhaps an uploaded, sentient mind. The Masters are clearly the leaders of the Chykri or at least the tactical advisors of the military.
  
  Although that's all the information that's been discovered so far, the Enlightened One promises that they're only scratching the surface, and more information is on the way.
  
  > Continue
  The campaign continues. Valhalia is a key world, and for the Chykri to begin a full scale invasion of the Galaxy they would need to capture it so they could both use it as a staging ground, a forward base and as a refueling point for Chykri vessels. The Chykri knows this and are willing to take the casualties so they can take the planet. The Spines are being covered with corpses, and the destruction is incredible, but you've managed to hold the Spine. Still, it's only a matter of time before the spine is broken, and the planet falls. The only question is how long that'll be, and how many bodies will be left to freeze on the planet once the battle ends.
  
  > Continue
  During the late night, the Chykri strike against the bases. There are rivers that span the mountains are frozen went from the Chykri camps to the Coalition Military Bases. The Chykri took advantage of that. Chykri Gunheads and Destroyers are sent through the rivers, where they're given respirators and shielding against the cold. Although some are killed by the conditions of the icy rivers, and it only gets worse for them. Your relationship with the Scairtt has convinced massive amounts of them to join, and the ground forces have taken up defense of these rivers. They navigate the rivers and wipe out the entire Chykri strike force. You still doubt you'll be able to hold the Spine for much longer, and you know you need to try as hard as you can to stop the Chykri invasion for any length of time, but you'll be able to survive longer now.
  
  > Continue
  The Chykri are building up a massive force to capture the Spine. Their forces are grouping into a massive force to make one great, powerful charge to capture the Spine, and you greatly doubt you'll be able to hold the Spine. As the Chykri camps grow larger and there's a massive build up of forces, you know it's only a matter of time before the camps fall.
  
  > Continue
  The Chykri are attacking. Wave after wave of Chykri forces assault the mountains, marching forward and throwing themselves at the wall in wave after wave of destruction and death. You don't know if you'll be able to hold the Spine, but you know you need to make a decision.
  
  > withdraw from the Spine
  You decide to withdraw from the Spine. You won't let countless men be lost in it's defense. You quickly withdraw, but the Chykri don't stop. The Mauvataian Fields are lost, the cities begin being invaded and the retreating Coalition forces are still being hunted by the Chykri. Countless cities are captured and left behind to the approaching cities. The Chykri begin taking prisoner for the first time, capturing massive numbers of civilians and soldiers. Your men are forced to continue retreating until the entire planet is lost, and the world is lost to the Chykri.Your forces retreat to the next line of defense, another ring of planets, leaving behind the iceworld. There's heavy casualties, but you manage to avoid a lengthily battle that would have involved many more deaths.
  
  > Continue
  Despite your best efforts, the planet has fallen. You've done considerable damage to the Chykri forces, but you've lost a lot of good men. You withdraw and take a new defensive position in Apollo's Ring, a line of space stations, stationary fleets and asteroid miners that block the Chykri advance. It seems the next battle against the Chykri will be an orbital one.
  
  > Continue
  Vahallia, Plains.
  
  SB-01776454934 walks past the corpses and destroyed tanks, towards the Sphere.
  
  The voice screams, but softer. He's glad. He marches next to thousands of others like him into the Sphere, to his... the place where he lives. It is not a home. A small, honeycomb nest covered with fires to support his various cybernetics. He will rest for now. The war will turn to space, so he may rest.
  
  > Continue
  The defenses for Apollo's Ring are immense. The civilians are evacuated, and a blockade is formed of the best vessels under your command. Probiscan Warships, Moogli Wide-Eyes, Creator Space Stations, Remnant Destroyers, Tarn spacecraft, Human and Clone Warships, Garavan War Vessels, Chosen Crusade Vessels, Mundar warships, Antimite Dreadnoughts, Brain Bug Destroyers and Scairtt Vessels. It seems you'll be able to hold off the Chykri advance. At least, you'll be able to hold them off for now, hopefully. You begin organizing a defense, mostly handing over details to Grand Admiral Yarcel, who has taken control of Apollo's Ring.
  
  > Continue
  A morale issue has arisen in regards to the Moogli and the Scairtt among vessels with both species. The Moogli are resentful that the Scairtt haven't apologized for their mass invasion of the Moogli home worlds, before the introduction into the Alliance. The Scairtt are aggressive because of the Moogli practices such as eating Scairtt after it became a delicacy during the invasion, wearing jewelry made from Scairtt teeth, and the Moogli's annual celebration of the date a Scairtt Colony ship crashed horrifically, destroying the occupants who were traveling to live in the frozen seas on the Moogli home world as soon as the invasion was complete. The Moogli have even taken to using the human term "Like shooting fish in a barrel" to spite the Scairtt.
  
  Commissar Mast paces the war-room, with Akaid sitting in his tank watching him.
  
  "Art should not be brandished as a blade, Commissar. I would hope you could abandon the art of jewelry for the art of unity." Akaid says.
  
  "Speak normally, you oversized fish! You don't even need to learn a new language, just learn to speak normally!" Mast roars.
  
  "You try to deflect attacks, but you are a living one not a shield."
  
  "What's the issue?" You ask.
  
  "The Commissar and his kind make trophies out of corpses, jewelry out of graveyards, turning the dead into simple trinkets." Akaid says.
  
  "The Scairtt refuse to apologize for their invasion and thus will remain enemies of the Moogli."
  
  "What is it about massive invading armies of cyborg monstrosities that don't catch your attention?"
  
  "My deepest apologies, General. My emotions have conquered my mind and stopped me from focusing on the common foe of metal and monster combined." Akaid says humbly.
  
  "What he said." Mast adds.
  
  > Attempt to settle the Moogli and Sciartt issues
  The issues between the Moogli and Scairtt are numerous. The roots of these issues are simpler. The Moogli detest the Scairtt for their invasion and refusal to apologize for it, as well as their general difference of cultures, and the Scairtt hate the Moogli because the Moogli make Scairtt corpses into jewelry, eat Scairtt, which is a religious thing that the Scairtt should believe should only be one Scairtt eating the corpse of another and the Moogli's many anti-Sciartt cultural practices. You have multiple things you could do to help stop this, and you can do multiple of them, or none at all, and see your results once you continue.
  
  > Continue
  The relationship between the Scairtt and Moogli deteriorates quickly. There are murders of prominent figures on both sides and the xenophobia worsens. There's considerable fighting, causing the Moogli to become considerably more aggressive, which also worsens their relationship with the Coalition at large. Similarly, the Scairtt become more isolated, worsening their relationship with the Coalition.
  
  > Continue
  "Achilles." Cabana says, walking into your office.
  
  "What did the captain say?"
  
  "The Remnant? He''ll take position in the blockade as soon as possible, but only after we begin deploying CDF units in the region he was protecting. But I'm not here to talk about that."
  
  "Then what do you want?"
  
  "We received a message from the Chykri."
  
  "Really? I'm listening."
  
  Six figures kneel in the snow, all clad in Coalition armor. A Master stands in front of them, holding a service-issue Coalition assault pistol. The six kneeling soldiers are all blindfolded and gagged, but they're alive. There's two humans, a Garavan, a massive, heavily chained Remnant, a Probiscan and a Moogli. The Master raises his pistol, and uses a knife to slice off the gag and blindfold. The Moogli looks at the Master, than at the camera, before bowing his head.
  
  "Beg for mercy. I'll make your end quick." The Master says.
  
  The Moogli doesn't respond, so the Master raises his pistol and shoots the Moogli multiple times in the head. The goes to the Remnant, who is chained to the ground with massive metal chains, and has his voice speakers blocked by padded material. The Master repeats his prcoess and asks the same request. This time, the Remnant struggles considerably against his chains, and continues struggling as the Master begins firing shot after shot into the Remnant's head. Eventually, the Remnant's body stops struggling, and slumps down in the snow.
  
  The first human comes next. After he's ungagged, he lets out a yell.
  
  "For the Coalition! For...!" He yells.
  
  His head explodes as the Master fires several shots into the captives head.
  
  The Garavan is next. He sits quietly as he's unblindfolded. As soon as his gag is removed he charges. His teeth bite into the Master's forearm, tearing into as much flesh as possible. The Master slams the Garavan to the ground, and fires multiple shots into the Garavan's spine, before finishing him off with a shot to the head. The Probiscan begins to yell something in his whistle language, so you switch on your translator.
  
  "We are the Coalition! We are many! We are strong! We will...!"
  
  The Probiscans heartening speech is also cut short by a single bullet. Finally, there's the last human. You recognize him a Human Sergeant, in charge of the rest of the soldiers. The sergeant looks at the Master and spits on him, before he's shot in the head. The camera shifts view, to show dozens of kneeling soldiers. Three Gunheads stand in front of them, and open fire. Within seconds, the prisoners are all dead. The camera shifts view to show the Master.
  
  "This is a warning to the Coalition." It says in English, which surprises you greatly. "Surrender now, and we shall let many of you live. If not, we shall destroy you, destroy your culture and destroy your greatest achievements. If you surrender, we shall take you as slaves and spare you. This will be our only warning."
  
  The TV turns to black, and Achilles looks at you.
  
  "Well?" He asks.
  
  "You're not seriously expecting me to consider that, are you?"
  
  "Well, I have pretty high stature, so if we surrender I might be able to get a cushiony job as a sex slave."
  
  "Achilles, we just watched dozens of our men get murdered."
  
  "You're right, sorry." Achilles says, raising his hands in defense. "I meant do we release it to the public? It could inspire rioting and paranoia."
  
  > release the video to the public
  You decide to release the video to the public. Fortunately, the video seems to anger the public rather than scare them, and the general hatred for the Chykri increases. Enlistment rates and War Donations raise dramatically, and the Coaltion becomes completely dedicated to destroying the Chykri.
  
  > Continue
  You sit in your office, looking over recent reports. Spheres have been advancing slowly, but they haven't reached the blockade. Still, many members of the Coalition have been putting forward ideas about how to weaken the approaching Chykri tide.The multi species squadron of aces known as the Crimson Wings want to be authorized to strike. A dozen spheres are traveling through the Heroes' Tombs, the site of an ancient space fight. The Crimson Wings have offered to lay an ambush at the Heroes' Tomb, using their skill to destroy the advancing Spheres.
  
  > allow the Crimson Wings to lay a trap
  The Crimson Wings set up a massive ambush to destroy the approaching Spheres. The ambush should be able to crush the advancing spheres in the best case scenario, but there's still multiple choices on how to fend off the Spheres. The Crimson Wings could set up a firing range so the Spheres would have to navigate through the ship wreckages while under heavy fire to reach the Crimson Wings. The Crimson Wings could use a massive forward attack to cripple the Spheres, before retreating into the wreckages to escape. Finally, the Crimson Wings could hide their vessels inside the Ship Wreckages so that the battles takes place in there, so the Crimson Wings could outmaneuver them.
  
  > set up a firing range to attack when the Spheres move through the wreckages
  You set up a massive firing range, and as the Spheres enter the wreckages, you attack. Your main guns cause massive damage to the Spheres, destroying several. Several Spheres manage to navigate the wreckages and strike against the Crimson Wings, destroying a few, but beside this the early battle is a success. You still have three transports packed with drones.
  
  > use the drones to support a counter-attack
  You send a massive counter-attack led by drones from the large fighters to the mini nanobots, followed by the Crimson Wings. They manage to force the Chykri Spheres to a standstill, but after a while due to fuel and ammo limitations but sides are forced to retreat, leaving many more wrecks in the Heroes' Tombs.
  
  > Continue
  The war continues, but Apollo's Ring holds against all incoming attacks. The Coalition is prepared for full-scale war, and ready to do whatever's necessary to win.
  
  > Continue
  A group of pirates known as the Jaws of Krakyash has attacked the your forces, raiding several different supply ships for valuable cargo. Several Probiscan Vessels managed to blockade and destroy the Jaws of Krakyash, but some damage was still done to the war effort.
  
  > Continue
  A new opportunity has presented itself. Several Chykri Spheres have been traveling through the Danitan Channel, a common trade route, and have began releasing Fighters and leaving their main shuttle doors open, leaving them vulnerable to a massive boarding action.
  
  > send Boarding Parties
  You send in several massive transport ships escorted by a small group of Battleships. The transport ships make their way to the Chykri and begin docking, and massive amounts of soldiers head into the Sphere. Unfortunately, after that the plan goes to hell. The Chykri fighters begin targeting the transport ships causing massive amounts of damage, and the Chykri in the Spheres quickly repel the boarding party. It doesn't take long before the boarding party is crushed, and the entire mission turns into a failure.
  
  > Continue
  "Achilles!" Cabana yells from across the room.
  
  "What?" You reply, not looking up from your forms.
  
  "When was the last time you ate, man?"
  
  You reflect briefly on this point, realizing the last thing you ate was half of a burger last night, twenty four hours ago. As you realize this, a pang of hunger hits you.
  
  "Do you want to go get something to eat? We're all going out." Cabana asks.
  
  "I'm fine. Get one of the men to bring me whatever food can be scrounged as quickly as possible. I'll eat it here."
  
  "Achilles, I'm pretty sure it would be some form of treason to leave the leader of the galaxy to starve to death in his office, scrounging up food like a Garavan kid."
  
  > insist you're fine
  "Cabana, I have a galaxy burning aflame right now as Chykri forces approach. I don't have time to go for a meal."
  
  "Final offer, Achilles. You'll work better after a break."
  
  "No, I'm fine."
  
  "OK, if you're sure." Cabana says. "We'll get someone to send up something to you."
  
  Cabana and the other war leaders walk out, and you get back to work. A half hour later, you're sent a large burger and bowl of fries from Mr Giuseppe's, who've expanded their range from only pizza's to include a more vast range of fast foods. You eat quietly as you go over your work in silence.
  
  > Continue
  In something that's actually ironically humorous, three separatist groups, the Kain'Ten Garavan, the Human Union and the New Alliance, all groups that want either the Garavan, Mankind and the Alliance to leave the Coalition, have performed a bombing run in unison to make their point for the dissolving of the Coalition. This causes some minor but mostly superficial damage.
  
  > Continue
  Due to the success of recent collaborations between races in regards to ship building and crewing, the idea of a unified fleet is being put forward. This idea would be made up of ships designed and crewed by members of all species, and the fleet would be under the command of Grand Admiral Yarcel, who would be under your command. As the Leader of the Coalition in times of war like this, you have the final say.
  
  > authorize the Unification Fleet
  You begin the massive construction of the Unification Fleet, and now have many different issues to settle about the construction of the Unification Fleet, which is now renamed the Grand Fleet. The first question is the segregation of the races. The Scairtt and the Probiscans are both species that live in or close to the sea and are naturally incredible swimmers and used to being in the water, so they are naturally better at navigating, hunting and escaping predators in 3D space. The Moogli and Antimites are both land-based, and think very laterally, making them worse at space-fighting. This difference in mindsets would lead to the Grand Fleet being made up of a vast majority of certain species while having very few of another. Some have suggested having different, lower standards for the species less inclined for space flight.
  
  > impose the same standards on all species
  You decide to impose the same standards on all species. You can't let those who aren't capable join just because they're a certain species. Because of this, only the best pilots, gunners and engineers join the fleet, strengthening it greatly. Still, there's issues from the races who have less members chosen fro the Grand Fleet, creating issues and grievances among the species, though the Scairtt are pleased to have gained positions of power.
  
  > Continue
  The next question is the degree of Artificial Intelligence that'll be integrated into machinery. There could be a complete lack of artificial intelligence and for the use of massive numbers of crew, which would less efficient but would prevent AI malfunction, rebellion or hacking, therefore securing the vessel. There could be limited use of Artificial Intelligence, with Artificial Intelligences being used to run the more minor and less important functions, with the more valuable and critical functions being maintained by crewmen, which would be more efficient but would open up the ability for AI issues including malfunctioning, hacking by Chykri engineers and AI rebellion. Finally, there could be full Artificial Intelligence integration, with AI's being integrated wherever possible to operate the vast majority of the acts, which would mean the ships would be more efficient and there'd be less crew required for the ships. Of course, this would leave the navy the most vulnerable.
  
  > use no AI's
  By banning the use of AI's you assure the security of the fleet, preventing any major flaws or issues that could've otherwise crippled the fleet. Still, this greatly limits the processing power and abilities of the fleet, which may put you at a disadvantage to the Chykri vessels.
  
  > Continue
  Now you need to decide on what models of ships would be used for the fleet. The first model to be decided on is the Boarding Ships. There's two different models to chose from: The Thar'Raan and the Aries Boarding Ship.
  
  The Thar'Raan is a boarding ship based on Garavan design, which was based on the designs of the Rak'Ghail, an ancient and now extinct alien species. The Thar'Raan, or Great Drill, has been upgraded and improved by Probiscan and Brain Bug Engineers. The Thar'Raan is a small cylinder that can hold six normal-sized passengers, and has a drill mounted on the front, with a mining laser coming out of the tip. The Thar'Raan is designed for being fired into the Chykri vessel and drilling it's way though the ship to cause as much damage as possible, while deploying it's passengers, though they can only be used once.
  
  The Aries Boarding Ship is a boarding ship based on human design. It's a large rectangle with a powerful engine and a pair of small laser cutters on the front, that can hold over a dozen passengers. The ship is designed for landing onto the Chykri vessel, cutting it's way through the ship walls to deploy it's passengers, and returning to the allied vessel to repeat this process.
  
  Which vessel would you like to begin producing?
  
  > Thar'Raan
  You decide to go with the Thar'Raan, which begins being produced and used in the fleet. Test trials show that the Thar'Kaan is effective at deploying troops and causing damage to enemy ships. They'll be a valuable part of any starship battle.
  
  > continue to next ship model
  The next ship we have to discuss is the basic fighter. We have two basic models: The currently used Omega Fighter, and the Nemean Fighter.
  
  The first model is a long rectangular pod, containing a one-man cockpit, two massive, forward-facing guns and several smaller swiveling guns. It has a massive engine at the back, as well as smaller engines next to the back on facing in all directions besides the front to turn, and a small engine at the front to slow down. It's obvious that the Omega Fighter is designed for speed.
  
  The second model is a long, arrow-shaped ship with a large swivel gun on top, medium sized engines on multiple points to allow for movement and several smaller swivel guns on every side. This model is clearly designed for maneuverability rather than speed.
  
  > choose the Omega Fighter
  You stick with what you have, the Omega Fighter, which allows you to outrun any Chykri Fighters, though it can be outmaneuvered by the Chykri vessels quite easily. Still, the Omega Vessel is a powerful and a valuable part of the fleet.
  
  > Continue
  Next, the larger fighters must be decided. There's the ATLAS Ship, and the Aquila Destroyers. These vessels are used as a larger fighter with more firepower than the smaller ones, used for their destructive capabilities rather than their speed or maneuverability.
  
  The ATLAS ship, the ship currently used, is a large rectangular ship, with multiple engines at the back for turning. It has multiple large guns sticking out the sides connected to a targetting computer, and a cockpit for two. The ship is designed to have four-six crew, and to be able to survive for several weeks to a few months without the need to resupply or refuel. The ship looks slow, but it holds massive firepower that could be targetted at fighters, larger vessels and with the main gun, planet-side forces.
  
  The second ship, the Aquila, is a smaller ship, shaped like a common pre-space fighter plane, with wings holding engines to allow for some planet-to-space flying, and two large forward-facing guns. The ship holds two-four people as crew, and although holding less firepower than the ATLAS, is clearly faster and more maneuverable.
  
  > ATLAS
  You decide to stick with the ATLAS for it's excessive firepower and durability, and it's combat-efficient design, as it's already proven to be effective in battle.
  
  > Next Model
  The final thing to be decided on is the Command Gunship, the ship designed to command the other fighters in battle. You have three choices: The Aether, the Chariot and the Schmidt-Gaijai-Omega-1-Tarn Paladin.
  
  The Aether is a human-designed Command Gunship that was designed for use in the Coalition-Alliance War, which ended before the Aether could be used. It is designed to hold a large human crew to install themselves into electronic communications devices to allow them to control the fleet and make tactical choices in virtual reality.
  
  The Chariot is another Command Gunship that was designed for use in the Coalition-Alliance War, but saw some combat if at a minimal level. It involves holding a small group of Coalition Leaders to control the greater fleet at large, through the use of massive mapping systems and communication devices to control the fleet.
  
  The Schmidt-Gaijai-Omega-1-Tarn Paladin, henceforth known simply as the Paladin, is a new device. Designed by a mixed group of Humans, Remnants, Tarn and Antimites, it is the newest creation of the three. It involves heavy use of AI's to manage and control the fleet at large.
  
  > The Aether
  The Aether proves to be invaluable to the fleet. Some Coalition and Alliance members are jealous that they have such a reduced leadership role as the Aether only allows humans to use the machines involved, but since humanity has taken almost complete control of the Coalition through military strength, most leaders of the Coalition are human and hence this has no effect on it.
  
  > Continue
  The Fleet has been upgraded and prepared completely. The Fleet is now prepared for fighting against the Chykri Spheres.
  
  > Continue
  There's been a large amount of success by the famed Thar'Garavan Pilot Captain Gur'Tin, who launched attacks against Chykri Spheres. Captain Gur'Tin, who recently signed up and ascended the ranks after his controversial marriage to a Human Admiral thanks to the passing of a recent act of Interspecies married. This has damaged the Chyrki Fleet's strength.
  
  > Continue
  The assault on Apollo's Ring has begun. Massive amounts of Chykri Spheres have arrived. They have begun attacking on mass, with no end. The Apollo Ring's Position is advantageous and allows for immense control over the situation and allows for the Chykri forces to be repelled for the time. Still, a meeting of the War Council is occurring.
  
  > go to the meeting
  You arrive at the meeting, and are met by a large group of exhausted looking leaders who looked like they haven't slept or washed in days, no doubt in an attempt to prepare for the approaching Chykri Fleet. You briefly wonder if you look as shitty as them, before pushing that thought aside. Cabana notices you, and hands you a coffee.
  
  "Achilles, glad you're here. Here, drink this. You like your coffee black, right? I'm just kidding, I have no fucking idea what you drink, but you need caffeine."
  
  You take the coffee, and eagerly drink it down, before taking your place at the head of the table.
  
  "The Floating Spheres of death approach, planning on shattering the ring that protects ourselves." Akaid says.
  
  "Thanks for the fantastic information, fish." Thar'Kaan says, bearing his teeth.
  
  "If you two start fighting again I'll tear you apart." Delta-1 says.
  
  "What's the situation at Apollo's Ring?" You ask, sipping your coffee.
  
  "We're pretty screwed. The enemy have us in a... UNTRANSLATABLE... in a real problematic situation." Admiral Yarcel begins. "We'll be able to hold out for a while and inflict heavy damage on the Chykri scum, but we can't save the Ring."
  
  You sigh, shaking your head.
  
  "Is there any other options?" You ask.
  
  "Well, we could attempt to retreat, but that'd fuck us over so much we might as well surrender."
  
  "So all those stationed at the Ring are going to die?" Tarn asks.
  
  "We're all going to die someday, except you. There's worse ways to die than fighting for freedom and democracy."
  
  "The Fallen may fall, though they are higher than any masters before them." Akaid says.
  
  > Continue
  Over the next few days, Apollo Ring is overrun. The Chykri Spheres eventually overpower the Ring, with a few allied ships escaping. Still, the Chykri Spheres advance again, towards your next, and one of the most important lines of defense: The Colonies and their respective military bases.
  
  > Continue
  Chang Square, Rios Colony, Rios.
  
  SB-01776454934 watches as a small group of civilians attempt to find a place to hide. They remind him of his siblings, searching the hives for bits of meat leftover from...
  
  The voice screams in his head and he struggles to stay standing. Immense pain floods through his body and he opens fire.
  
  He continues firing, and the civilians fall. He spasms pitifully as his pleasure diode goes off, but his disgust in his own actions prevents him from finding any joy in it. He looks up to the sky and sees God. It floats in the distance, a massive pyramid of black floating i