Really, at first it sounded more like a Norse saga to me. Either way, great writing in the original post, will try and read the rest.

May 22^nd 2232

The Acropolis, Agora

The Great Leader’s Chambers

‘Please repeat Astra Strategos I am a little hard of hearing as I reach my dotage’

The fledgling Star Navy’s Commander, Hadron Milites, cleared his throat and prepared to speak to the stunned Senators and Council Members who had either comlinked in or were packing into the dimly lit chamber (Dr Zeus always insisted on natural flame in the manner of his ancestors for he held that brighter zeon lighting hurt his eyes).

‘Archigos, Senators I speak true-we have lost all but one of our attack Squadrons to the enemy...just this week alone we lost four...’  The Commander’s voice trailed off.  Just a few months previous, he had been the proud Strategos of over 20 Attack Squadrons, more than one hundred Phoenix Craft and their skilled pilots but now there was only one remaining. 

He bent on one knee before the disbelieving audience.

‘Sir I respectfully request that you allow me to resign my commission-I have failed you.’

‘RESIGN!’  Bellowed Senior Senator Asas, ‘YOU SHOULD OPEN YOUR VEINS FOR THIS-THIS CATASTROPHE!’

The Great Leader seemed unperturbed, however.  ‘Calm yourself Senator, there will be time enough for an inquest when this war is done-for now we need all of our military men.  ‘He turned to raise up the distraught Milites.

‘Your resignation will not be necessary at this time Commander-pray tell the Senators and Council the turn of events that has led us to this pass.’

‘Sir it is a simple matter of technology.  Their ships are better armed than ours and despite the skill of our pilots every action sees us lose about twice as many ships, sometimes three times as many-it is a war of attrition that we cannot hope to win.' The Commander paused to take a deep breath and then continued. 'The one bright bit of news is that our Planetary defence squadrons are all still in place and they have not yet researched the means to invade planets but that too is only a matter of time....’ He trailed off.

It was grim news and a stark antidote to the hopeful first skirmishes, which had seemed to indicate that the mismatch in technology was not so great.  This had changed after about a month when the Torian Fighters were engaging with much heavier beam weaponry than the rudimentary shields on the Phoenix’s could cope with.  The whole situation was compounded by the pathetically feeble lasers that their ships were sporting.

One of the brightest of the Council Members, Senator Bo Andros pushed forward,

‘And what of the new Medusa Attack Fighters Strategos?  I hear that they will be more than a match for the Torians.  They are up-shielded and have heavier weapons no?’

Milites looked up tiredly, ‘true but we have not one Squadron configured yet-it may take many weeks before we can throw any of them at the enemy.’

Silence.

After what seemed like an eternity in the hushed room the Great Leader himself spoke,

‘Ladies, gentlemen, Strategos.  We have ourselves a dilemma do we not?  Not a few weeks after our greatest triumph and the taking of our first Torian world of Umeria IV we find ourselves threatened with our very existence.’

Zeus surveyed the gathered Senators, scanning the faces both in the chamber and on the surrounding vidlinks.  There were some good men and women here-and some not so good.  How had he allowed this turn of events to pass?  He had not foreseen that the Councillor in charge of ship design and research would prove so incapable in the role.  Diana Sampda was a good Senator in many respects but the task of prioritising defence over attack had utterly bested her.  She had heavily favoured the former and the Phoenix Squadrons had paid for it.

‘I think it is time that we had a new Councillor for Ship Design and Research Senators-consider yourself relieved Diana-I will assign you new roles presently.’

A stunned silence.  But it was no accident that Dr Zeus had reached the position he had and had wrested his people to such a position within the galaxy-he could strike with ruthless efficiency when required.

Dr Madras I feel that you will be able to fulfil this role-what say you Sir?’

All turned to one of the viewscreens-that from the Hephaiston system.

‘It-it will be an honour Archigos.’

It was a safe appointment Zeus thought to himself-Madras would do what was necessary without being spectacular.  The problem was that of late he had been stretched too thin-he had been trying to manage his Council as well as ensure the right funds were reaching the right Guilds.  Yes he could count some triumphs in this embryonic war: the taking of the Torian Planet, the continuing successes of Epsilon Squadron, the entry into the war on their side of the fearsome Drengi, but he needed someone who could bounce his ideas off, someone who could see things as he could...

And then it struck him.  There was such a person and not that far away.

‘Senators, Councillors it is time that I took a mathitis, someone to assist me as I get old.  Someone who can help me and maybe remind me what it is to be young and full of vigour again.’

There was a mixed reaction to this statement;  some were anxious that the Great Leaders faculties were failing, others were jealous that they were not being considered as suitable assistants, some were merely curious to see why he was wanting to resurrect this ancient custom of Daskalos and Mathitis. 

‘Who do you choose Great Leader?’  Asked Bo Andros, never one for being retiring.

Zeus smiled, ‘That is a simple question to answer: there is a young Student of Athena, a certain  Ohirides boy-the twin of the pilot winning such plaudits with Epsilon Squadron.  He wowed many of you some months ago on his first visit here from the lowly village of Paksos.  He has the sight-he will be my companion...’

The clapping that engulfed the chamber was as spontaneous as it was heartfelt for they had all felt something in the beautiful, bright-eyed boy in the Agora that day when war was declared.

He was what the Leader desired and what their race needed: he was Castor Ohirides....

Thanks Chancellor but I think the phrase might better be 'if we come back from such defeats...'

Watch this space

Can't wait. Keep it coming!

Guys those of you following this game will be pleased to hear that my friend has loaded up Windows 7 via Bootcamp and has loaded my saved game as well-all working very well.  WIll play probably this wknd and try and post the next installment next week

Wooha!

Anyone still reading this?

Oh wow.  Yes.  I've been busy and distracted and lost track of this.  Good news is I think I'm ready to call my tech modding done . . . for the most part anyway.  Should have more GalCiv2 time to devote to this!

still reading it and eagerly looking forwaard to the next post.

31st December 2232

The foothills close to The Agora

On a night that generally presaged much release of joy and celebration at the passing of the old year and the entry of a new one two figures were silhouetted against the darkening westerly sky, making their slow way to an entrance into the hills themselves. Up above and vigilant but tasked with going no further were their bodyguard.

The old man led, a guttering torch held firmly in his hand. Following was a beautiful young man whose face even in the flickering light appeared to burn with a fierce intelligence and maybe something more.  They had been together for only 6 months but already the bond of Daskalos and Mathitis was extremely strong and one that appeared to watching eyes to go far beyond that of just teacher and student, master and apprentice.

Whatever the more scurrilous rumours that were doing the rounds in the Capitol's bawdy back streets of one thing there could be no doubt: the young man's arrival had coincided with a singular upturn in the fortunes of their whole race and with the recent Medusa Squadron victories and the successful invasions of two of the Torian worlds in their southern sector and the prize of two more to come, many citizens were of a mind to really celebrate this new year, hopeful of a future that did not necessarily presage subjugation, slavery or worse.

Castor Ohirides looked tenderly at the man that he grown very much to love and moved to help him clamber over some rocks. Dr Zeus paused on the other side wincing and stretching,

'Ah my son, my mind remains alert and firm but I fear that my body is starting to betray me.'

'That's not my interpretation of the matter Master,' the boy replied, flashing a mischievous and knowing grin at his guru.

This prompted a playful cuff from the older man who was also smiling broadly-and was that colour rising in his cheek Castor wondered smugly?

Soon the path ran out and with the cave wall lowering above them the Great Leader illuminated a postern door that appeared almost out of nowhere.

'There are only very few who can enter herein my boy' he wheezed and stopped to peer into an ocular scanning device.

'Come-stand here lad. As I say-very few-only the chosen. I daresay that even your hero twin would not be able to pass.’

Suddenly an electronic voice boomed out making Castor start.

'ARCHIGOS ZEUS YOU MAY PASS!'

The boy put his own eye on the device and was surprised to hear the voice attach the same appellant Archigos to him.

'ARCHIGOS OHIRIDES YOU MAY PASS!'

The door swung open revealing a massive chamber lit by brightly glowing Zeon torches-it was a place of beauty and wonder-massive, the high arches, shallow where they were, flared into a single spectacular central dome further down the edifice.  All along the sides were gleaming marble busts-it appeared hundreds of them.  Who had built this place and who kept it in such pristine condition was a mystery to the lad?  It took much to faze him but this place was something entirely new in his lexicon.

As if reading his mind (something that they both did to each other rather a lot to the consternation of their Advisors) the Archigos piped up, 'yes lad-a secret sect are tasked with the upkeep of this place; the priests and priestesses of Hestia, goddess of hearth and home-they serve for life.  As for the busts my boy-there are almost four hundred of them.  They represent every Great Leader for the last three thousand years-look come boy!  See here the first; Laedemon, who was reputed to have come from the stars with the forebears of our great race.

'From Earth as legend would have it' Castor whispered awe-struck

'Yes boy-from Earth or Terra to give it it's official name.  This is the reason that despite the fact that this fabled planet is on the other side of the known galaxy-far beyond the reach of our farthest ships, we are in Alliance with them.  There is certainly Archaeological evidence that we are an offshoot of their humans-we apparently share the same genetic make up.'

'So what happened? How did we lose contact with them?' Castor asked, puzzled.

'There are some things that are lost in the mists of time my son-some say that Laedemon and his followers didn't want any connection with earth to remain-they were like fugitives, or as we are called as a race, exiles.  Others that time and distance blunted the will to remain tethered to our place of origin. Who can say?'

Leaning heavily on the younger man Zeus led the boy round the antechambers detailing each Archigos and something, if there was anything, of their history. Of some, such as Laedemon and Alcimede, there was a tale of glory to be told.  Others such as Creon, one of the successors of Laedemon and Hector, who was Archigos immediately prior to Zeus, there was scandal or shame.

Many hours later as Dr Zeus spoke of his predecessor, the boy felt compelled to ask what had happened between the two.  There were rumours of bad blood; a dangerous and debilitating rivalry that had started as an inseparable friendship and had ended with the disgraced Hector opening his veins, naked and alone in his bath.

The Great Leader's face had clouded over at mention of his erstwhile friend and mentor, 'suffice it to say lad that no man can stand in the way of progress and that is what Hector was trying to do.  He was taking us back to a time of peremptory autocracy and ancient custom when what our race cried out for in the age of Stargates and Hyperdrive was forward thinking and greater freedom of expression for the people.'

The boy looked up into his masters sad face and with infinite tenderness brushed a tear from the older man's eyes, 'and yet you are saddened by it Daskalos-by the sacrifice that you had to make of your friend?'

Voice choking with emotion Dr Zeus nodded in affirmation 'Yes-my son.  It was a bitter price to pay.'

And as they embraced tightly the boy wondered-was this then the life that appeared to have been chosen for him? One of infinite sacrifice? He was already worried sick for his brother though all the reports were that he was a truly gifted flyer-so much so that recruits were clamouring to volunteer to fly in either his or his comrade Christos Sec's Squadrons, the fabled Epsilon and Upsilon, both of which were taking the fight to the hated Torian in the raging cauldron of the worlds in their Forward Frontier systems. In December battle had been particularly fierce, mainly centred around their planets, Heraon and Appollon, where two massive Torian fighter wings totalling nearly twenty craft had been engaged and destroyed in a furious series of clashes off Heraon.  Digamma Squadron had been first in and survived with only one ship but hard on her heels was Pollux's Upsilon Squadron and his five heavy fighters and they had finished the job.  Sec's Epsilon Squadron acted as deep cover shielding the main battle form further marauding Torian formations that kept appearing from out of their limited sensor range to the West. 

And this was one of the main issues with their craft: the lack of sensor range and the lack of speed and was something that Castor had not been slow to impress upon the Diplomatic Corps, urging them to barter whatever was necessary to the minor races or their friends to secure the necessary technologies.  His entreaties and cajoling had had the desired effect such that earlier that month the triumphant Ambassadors to their Lentzlandian neighbours announced the acquisition of Intermediate sensor and survey technology along with more advanced mass drivers and Impulse Engines- a massive improvement on the venerable hyper-warp technology they currently possessed.  It was a timely coup though one that had come at quite a steep price but so what if they traded some of their advance techs to the minor races the boy had argued?  The Lentzlandians fell firmly within their own sphere of influence, being situated just to the East of their own Westernmost worlds-what made them stronger in the face of Torian aggression could only be a good thing.

It also seemed that their plucky fight against the much stronger green foe was being noticed with the fearsome Korath Clan recently proffering four of their obsolete Escort fighters to them to join the fight. Strange times indeed and with their influence at the UP quite extensive they had even managed to secure the donation by the Galaxy's largest economy, the Drengin Empire, of 5% of their income for the next two years-a vote that had the Drengin ambassador at the UP neutral world of Synthus III, forcibly restrained by security as the other Ambassadors hurried from the chamber, those of the Exiles, Iconian and Torians suppressing smiles as they voted for the measure.

And then there was the vexed issue of where to send their Freighters. Of necessity they would need routes that didn’t cross the Torian sphere of influence, which left the Drengi to their south west and the Iconians far to the North East-they now had the engines and the range with the advent of the Advanced Freighter but a battle was raging amongst ministers as to which race to favour with their eight available trade routes, some pressing the case of tying the warlike Drengin closer and others that the Iconians, an ancient and benign race should be the beneficiaries. So far the boy had kept his counsel but personally he preferred the Iconian option: the Drengin were making all the right noises for now, they had declared war on their foe and also lent ships to the cause but there was something about Lord Kona and his warlike clans that he liked not…

'Bigger, faster, stronger ships...' Castor muttered almost under his breath as the two broke apart self-consciously.  It's what his brother had pleaded with him for on a brief vidlink call earlier that day from his temporary rest at the Starport on Heraon.

'And ones with a much greater sensor range you will no doubt demand boy!'  The Leader said surprising Castor's reverie,

'Come young Castor-we are finished here-let us go celebrate awhile and forget the cares of state that rest so heavy on our shoulders.'

The young man smiled-some pleasure-time was surely to be welcomed.

'But before that' Zeus said and this time it was he who had a glint of mischief in his eye, 'before that I want to introduce you to another brilliant young mind-he is a ships craftsman-a descendant of a family gifted in this art.  His name is Archimedes and he wants to show you his new design: we are calling it a Titan Class Destroyer: I think it will have those things that you and your brother so desire and could help us win this war-don't look so startled boy-you knew that we were close to perfecting the technologies that would allow us to put light capitol ships into space.'

'This-this is fantastic news Master-I thought we were still months away!'

The Great Leader smiled his most charismatic smile 'Ah you know all about our races legendary creative abilities son.  One thing-we will need experienced and gifted flyers to Captain these ships and their crew-does your brother and his friend not fit the bill?'

And arm in arm and laughing they emerged from the cave as if neither had a care in the world, completely dedicated to each other and the furtherance of the survival of their race-completely in tune.

Hahaha-thanks TMS. More you will get. Now I have the game rocking again (there will be no more screenshots though sadly guys-well not from the game anyway as I cant get screenies to work on my Mac when I operate the game through bootcamp grrr)

Will try and post every 2 weeks readers 

Ahh thanks Chancellor-good to know-feedback like that keeps me writing

I will post more screenies as I realise that they don't necessarily have to be from the game itself so will try to be my creative best next time 

Rhea City, Heraon, District 3