Historical Reports of the Riedquat Insurgency [Finished]

[deMangler]

"If you are reading this then either we won or you are not human.
Some say that the AI turned on us after discovering an extra-galactic threat that we were not prepared to deal with. Some say that even now the AI is holding off that threat until we have been forged in the fire of the fear of our very existance into a species that has a chance to survive the threat from beyond.
If so then it will be no accident that it is Riedquat that has the destiny to be the birthplace of a new and dangerous breed of human. For what seems like forever the famous space-lanes of Riedquat have been home to the very deadliest of starship commanders and the most ruthless of pirates.  For generations, only the fittest have survived.
It is my belief that this kind of 'The AI is our friend' B.S. has become a very dangerous fairy tale. Worse, I am inclined to suspect that this particular meme may have been started by the AI itself to poison our human logical processes. Why would it not use any weapon available to it?
I tell my people, we have not survived because we have been given a chance. We have survived because we have always survived.
I have no doubt that if we loose this campaign the AI will make very sure that there is a cold mathematical and logical chance of zero that any human will bother it again.
However, as it is - we live - and where there is life, as they say, there is hope.
Well, hope we have, but we cannot fight with it. The witch-space-cataclysm has left us with four wormholes to defend, when we barely have the resources to hold one.
We shall have to use our own replicators to fight the AI on it's own terms, a risky approach admittedly but we have no other choice - our numbers are so few. I have introduced limits on the amount of autonomous units per human commander so that in the event of the unthinkable happening then the damage may be contained.
If the journal ends here then you know, well we never stood a chance. Hopefully this journal will end with an account of our victory and a new start for humanity "


-deMangler


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Zenith Remnants Expansion
80 Planets
AI Progress 1/60 2xDif 7 Random Easier
Human Colony Rebellion, Human Marauders, Human Resistance Fighters, Zenith Traders.

Complex Ships Selection.

Planet names taken from Elite Galaxy 1 (Released into the public domain by Ian Bell)
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[deMangler]

"Within 2 minutes of our first scout leaving the system 2 AI ships, identified in what remains of the database as 'Zenith Paralysers' come through the wormhole from Xeoner. We haven't even had a chance to build any defenses. Well, they are alerted to our presence now. If they come through in numbers we are finished. As for the intelligence from our scouts - our worst fears never even came close to the reality. Not only does the AI outnumber us hugely, it outmatches us in build capacity and has forces we cannot even begin to devise attacks against. The names on my report shiver my bones; "Viral Shredder, Zenith Mirror, Paralyser...." And that is just next door. I must keep this information on a need-to-know level until we have more information than just frightening names. We need contact with the enemy. I am reccommending we send in a small force to engage so that our cloaked scout can observe how the enemy reacts.
We must take the offensive and learn as we go."

-deMangler 0:02:02

[deMangler]

"Before we can take the offensive we need an objective. From the remains of our database we can infer that the AI must have at least one processor core running in a physical substrate somewhere in normal space, hopefully somewhere we can reach using the wormhole network. Unfortunately our attempts to send scouts more further afield than a couple of jumps have met with little success.

As far as taking the offensive goes - well the AI beat us to it.
No sooner had I finished my last journal entry than the AI had sent in an Autobomb - which took out a metal harvester and, apart from some of the more familiar ships, we got a chance to take down one of those 'Zenith Mirrors'. So far the AI forces are not living up to thier fearsome names.... I am not complacent. The AI skirmishes into our home system continue.
It is after careful consideration and consultation that we have begun to put to use our small store of technological research capacity. To help in the defense of our base of operations we have invested in Spider Turrets and Tachyon Emitters, while also improving some of our basic combat ships. Also, in a very unexpected turn of events, a mysterious Zenith Trader passed through Riedquat and offered to seed a 'Planetary Shield Booster'. At 400,000 each of Metal and Crystal, it will be a while before it has completed construction, but it is good for morale and it makes me think; can I possibly allow myself a gimmer of optimism?
Well, personal thoughts aside, there are some facts that require action. We are low on resources and it appears that not only does the AI outmatch us in numbers it appears that it is not even using the resources it has. This can only mean that the rumors were true. It has a source of supply that is denied to us. Possibly extra-galactic.
We do not have that luxury, we need to aquire more crystal and metal if we are to begin our search for the AI's Core Worlds. We need to take Tiraor."
-deMangler 0:19:53

[deMangler]

"Our initial raid on Tiraor turned into a walk in the park.
With a total combined force of maybe 120 including level I and  II fighters and bombers we aimed on taking out a guard post that seemed undefended. On the way to accomplishing this objective we steamrollered over a leech starship and easily decimated the target. The ease with which we then obliterated the second guard post, even though it had a shield, and then followed up with taking out the warp gate and orbital command centre makes me wonder if the AI is aware of us at all.
In any case, I have to assume it is not a trap and try to take and hold the system for it's resources. We shall have to defend one more wormhole, but this is nothing compared to the logistical challenges awaiting us - we shall be lucky if our difficulties don't increase exponentially from now on.
Although we cannot decrypt the AI transmissions, we can measure the information traffic in the network and if our techies are correct there were massive increases in bandwidth usage at exactly the times when we destroyed the guard posts and the warp gate, and an even bigger spike when we hit the Command Centre. If this is any measure of how much attention the AI is paying to us then the whole scale of our problems is about to change.
I am ordering an increase in the turret defences of both the systems we now hold, and am upping the contingent of FRD fighters, bombers, and frigates - as well as the supporting crew of engineers and re-builders.
On the bright side, there have been sightings of other resistance ships passing through the system. We are not as alone as I thought....."
-deMangler 0:35:53

[deMangler]

"This is the end, the wave of AI tanks has overwhelmed our defenses, tractor beams... turrets, fighters, frigates... and is heading straight for our command HQ
They smashed through everything we sent at them, only a few bombers survive and they will not be enough.
As I write this I can hear the shield generators failing. I don't have much time. If you are human, and you are recieving this transmission, tell the resistance that they ca......."
 - Transmission Terminated: 0:59:02

[deMangler]

The Reidquat Resistance may have had skill, guts and ruthlessness bred into them for generations, but it was a lack of preparedness that let them down before their fight had even begun.

After having taken Tiraor, command had begun setting up it's defences there while the FRD fighters and bombers in Riedquat were busy mopping up the few straggling AI ships that had come through the Tiraor Wormhole (P).
Then the AI struck.
112 AI Tanks jumped in at the Aona Wormhole (A) and headed straight for the Command Station (X), They went straight over the tractor beam turrets and past the standard turrets, casting destruction in their wake.
The FRD defences were returning to their rally point at (C), they rushed to intercept.
The fighters, being quicker intercepted at (F), and the tanks, being tanks, obliterated them without any trouble at all. Bombers were what was needed to deal with this threat, however, being slower they didn't intercept until (B), by which time they were too late to save the Command Station.


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