Inquisitor's Briefing: Roe Laren
As 2237 starts, we have five developed colonies and three new ones -- Mag Rustosch in the Kroll Border sector and the two in the Perj sector, Raggani and Schlurg. We also have as mentioned a very healthy economic situation, so there's no reason not to keep expanding with a couple more. In terms of the sector limit, we are at 2/4 right now so there's no immediate concern there.
As mentioned, the Thar'Biq continue to expand. Kraz is no longer an option as it is within their borders. We can no longer reach Teersonia and the systems around it, because we would need to go through Lessim(Thar'Biq) or Ruinam(Ul-Tur). Both are just inside those respective empires territories. This means there is a limited amount of the inner arm we can reach, and it is unknown for how long. If we wish to establish a presence here, we'll need to do it soon.
In the inner arm itself, we could still potentially build at Jompron(18, Arctic) which is just outside Thar'Biq territory. Rasalas(10, Arctic) and Avalam(16, Arctic) have planets we could settle as well. The option of blockading our side with Hark(13, Arctic) is still open also.
Here's what we know of our extension in our own arm of the galaxy, including the new Perj Sector. There are a number of habitable planets here but none that we have the capability to colonize right now. Further expansion here will not happen in the near future.
Seen here is the Kroll Border sector and our core worlds. The large planet in Impal Tov(25, Arctic) is still a possibility, as well as a smaller one in Ferathon(11, Arctic). The Kroll sector could be expanded up along the left side to Swur, allowing it to improve it's energy supply, if we went the Impal Tov route.
This is most of the outer arm, although I couldn't fit it all in one shot. Above this, just past where we'd jump in, is a habitable planet in Assaniz(12, Arctic). Just below Cknoor are a pair of interesting systems. Jebben's Maelstrom is the first black hole we've encountered, and near to it, the Saiph system has a fantastic planet(25, Ocean). Of course the key factor here are all the hostiles. Because of them, the only system that we could colonize soon will be Dawcan(20, Ocean). Within weeks the fleet will be in Tadasca for the first clearing operation. Down further, Haribas(19, Ocean & 18, Ocean) has a couple of fine planets and there are smaller Arctic ones in nearby Edasich and Nesmet. This continues to be a long-term goal, but again it will take some time for the fleet to clear a path there.
Expanding the ships available to
Admiral SirFozzie will commence once again within the year as the new construction facilities for Destroyers will come on-line. With cruisers on the horizon 7-8 years from now, the amount of power we can project will continue to grow. For now, the question is where do we go next?
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Establish a presence in the inner arm before we are totally shut out. Jompron/Avalam/Rasalas are the systems in mind here.
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Blockade our side and let the other empires there deal with the Thar'Biq. Colonize the entry point system of Hark. Pavagh has a primitive civilization on a small ocean planet, so I'm not sure how that would work but I assume we could either colonize or invade there.
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Expand our core holdings. Impal Tov & Ferathon are in view here. We would push our territory in the direction of the inner arm crossing and the Perj sector by settling these systems. This is probably the least strategic choice given the fact that we can always do this later once we have more fixed borders.
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Start pushing out into the lucrative -- and thus far completely unoccupied, so far as we have explored -- outer arm. Dawcan and Assaniz would be colonized now, and we'd have the choice to expand further later on as the fleet clears out the 'infested' systems.
Inquisitor Roe Laren -- and again feedback from others is likely useful -- this would seem to be the last significant decision before the election in three years' time. You are on the clock. What say you?