Cheyenne Mountain

by on September 21, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: The Essential Galactic Atlas

Theta Tauri. Phaesula. Chakumuy. 77 and 78 Tau. HD 28307 and 28319. HIP 20885 and 20894. The stars of Theta Tauri have many names from many cultures and scientific listings. But that multiple star system is the core of the Hyades Cluster. The center. The Heart. The gravitic nexus of a cluster of over two hundred stars migrating through our sector of the galaxy from wherever it was they were formed. The War ended there. We fought for the future of humanity there. And I do not exaggerate. Either the Chinese would rule Earthborn humanity, or the Western Alliance would emerge as the predominant power in our sector of the galaxy. All of that was decided by one, final roll of the dice at The Heart of the Hyades Cluster. We named it Cheyenne Mountain.

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Sunnydale

by on September 20, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: The Essential Galactic Atlas

The original surveyors designated Sunnydale’s sole asteroid belt with the ironic name of Cobbledale. Most locals call it the Cobbles, and leave it at that. They aren’t very rich with heavy metals, or anything else for that matter, but asteroid belts are large places and even small amounts of ore are easy to find and mine. That is why the Cobbles are home to an impressive number of mining operations, both small and large. They are also home to several large asteroids that were hollowed out, laced with gravity plating, and pressurized to allow humans to live comfortably. I’ve been in them, and I question any definition of comfort that applies to them. I’ll grant you that I grew up on a wide open planet Earth, so I’m certainly biased, but just stepping inside those tiny little tunnels made me feel claustrophobic. But tens of thousands of people somehow live inside those rocks and swear they love it. I think they might be a little bit insane, but I’m no shrink, so take my verdict with a healthy grain of salt.

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Branan

by on September 19, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: The Races of Humanity

Many consider the Branan to be a warlike race. The truth is that they are no more warlike than us. They just don’t hide that fact from themselves. We publicly decry war while waging it on many levels all of the time. The Branan accept that war is inevitable and wage it to the best of their ability. Many surmise that is because the Albion created them to be soldiers in the first place. Whatever the reasons, the Branan have earned the nickname that most people call them. They have earned it by being implacable enemies and relentless allies across the vastness of time and space. They are Thunderbirds.

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Forge of War

by on September 18, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

“The Shang are painting us with sensor sweeps,” Betty reported and glanced towards one of the displays where it showed a complex diagram of colors. “We’re scattering and jamming below detection levels. But I think they’re getting suspicious.”

“Prepare to break and attack on my order,” Charles transmitted as they continued to close the range. “Use old weapons packages only. Let us keep our full capabilities to ourselves for now.”

“Roger that,” Jack returned with an approving smile.

“Approaching detection levels,” Betty reported as the sensor display began to flash. “I can’t keep them in the dark much longer.”

“Break in three,” Charles ordered.

Jack tightened his hands on the controls and ran his hands over a display.

“Two.”

A T&J song about bad guys biting the dust began to play.

“One.”

Power flowed from capacitors, flooding defensive and offensive systems with enough power to light up small cities.

“Break! Break! Break!” Charles ordered and the world exploded in time to the screaming of a steel-stringed guitar.

Deflection grids came alive and fire control systems locked onto their targets. Gravitic cannons reached out and twisted the very fabric of gravity between the Shang formation and the incoming Cowboys. Deflection grids collapsed and armor buckled as focused gravity tore the plates apart. Laser turrets pulsed into unshielded flanks, vaporizing armor and weapons alike…

…

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The Hyades Cluster

by on September 17, 2017 at 12:01 am
Posted In: The Essential Galactic Atlas

The Hyades Cluster is not native to our region of the galaxy. It has been traveling for eons, from some long ago birthplace where heavy metals were more common. The star population is different, and the very interstellar dust and debris around it are foreign to our region of space. It is an intruder, and there is a gravitic bow wave around the Hyades that interferes with how the very fabric of gravity works. That is why it was so difficult for us to learn how to navigate it. But that is also why it was so valuable. We learned much from the Hyades once we penetrated its outer defenses. And the closer we got to its core, the more we realized we did not know. We had thought that the Chinese wanted it for its heavy metals and its defensive properties, and that had been enough for us to decide we had to take it. But the deeper we penetrated, the more we began to understand the truth. That the Hyades Cluster was more valuable than we had ever guessed.

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