Having the rare opportunity to observe other civilizations come into their own was a remarkably humbling experience for our species – how many others had watched us in our infancy, seeing us develop the tools and resources that would one day bring us into the cosmos? Our primitive wards in the Uqallon system had just started experimenting with powered flight and radio communication when a decision was made that would forever alter the course of our species, as well as theirs.
Raiders, perhaps an offshoot from the Fist of God faction, appeared in-system and appeared to target the budding civilization for pillaging. With technology nearly on-par with our own, the armed invaders would make quick work of any defense the small world could muster. Our fleets were scrambled and made full haste to defend our neighbors from external interference. To date we had not informed them of our presence and it was decided to ensure they did not prematurely understand the true scale of the universe, or their place in it. All things must come at the right time, when they had the scientific rationale to understand such a powerful moment in their history.
Stalk of Olive drew his fleet into an experimental tactical formation recently simulated at the Alarian military academy, for eventual use against large-scale enemies. Wave after wave of missiles streaked from their launchers and found marks in the raiders’ unsuspecting hulls. So focused were they on divvying up the primitive planet that they failed to see our powerful navy’s approach.
Though the small planet may never know of Stalk of Olive’s bravery that day, each and every member of their budding species owes their life to the valor of our admiral.
On the other side of our empire, the sprouting colony of Hizzel Core introduced its first robotic worker, putting into practice the theory and research that had been lauded years earlier. Philosophers of the time wondered what else could be possible, what worlds could be explored, with a new force of well-regulated machines at the fore.
