The Tragedy of the Torian civilization

by Brad Wardell

The First Enslavement

Once upon a time there was an aquatic world filled with kind, gentle people.   Their pre-industrial civilization was discovered over 100,000 years ago by a Drengin automated probe.  Despite being over 20 light years from the Drengin home world, the Drengin were intent to  conquer it.  The Drengin constructed a stargate and using automated probes, towed it to the Toria.  The process took over 70,000 years.

To put this in perspective, when the Drengin stargate reached the Torian home system, Neanderthals still walked the earth.  Once engaged, the stargate allowed Drengin forces to make the 20 light year trip from Drengi to Toriain less than a month.   Conquest was swift.

While peaceful by nature, the Torians fought back. Over many many generations, the Torians used every advantage their aquatic world provided over the Drengin, whose own world has almost no standing water.  Eventually, merely a few centuries ago, the Drengin abandoned the world and the Torians destroyed the Drengin stargate.

The Second Enslavement

The young humans of Earth introduced the Torians to the new technology of Hyperdrive.  Hyperdrive works essentially the same as a Stargate except it can be equipped directly to a ship, negating the need for the massive stationary constructs.  The Torians quickly expanded creating the Torian Confederation.

When the Dread Lords returned in 2225, the Torians were amongst the first to answer the Terran Alliance call to form a coalition to defeat them.  However, at their seeming moment of triumph, the Drengin Empire, which had stayed out of the conflict, struck quickly conquering the Torian Confederation and reoccupying the now developed world of Toria.

For the past 15 years, the world of Toria has been been plundered by the Drengin Empire.

Liberation

The lost fleet of the Terran Alliance has recently returned from the pocket universe that the Dread Lords had been trapped in.  Gone for 16 years, they carry with them artifacts of immense power that they have used to swiftly push back the Drengin Empire from Arcea and relieve the embattled forces of the Altarians.   Now they have arrived at Toria and the Drengin have fallen back.  A new government, the Torian Regime has been hastily set up as the Torian begin to try to rebuild. 

The occupation has left the Torian people fractured and somewhat xenophobic with many extremist movements now gaining influence over the traumatized population.

This is the story of the Torian Regime’s growth in the contentious Arcturus sector.

Never Again

The Torians were always seen as a threat to the Drengin because unlike the other races, Torians had no problem colonizing water worlds in large numbers.

The planet Elata, a world that had been ignored by the other powers because it is a water world makes a fine starting point for the Torian Regime.

The Arcean Empire are present but without a universal translator, the Torians were unable to communicate.  The Regime quickly made diplomacy a major effort.

Early exploration also showed that this region of space was rich in rare resources. Resources that would aid the Torians in re-establishing themselves as a major power.

The Torian science corp. made it their business for the Torians to catch up and with any luck surpass the other powers in the sector.

By early 2246, the Torian Regime had build a working relationship with the Arcean Empire.  Both had suffered at the hands of the Drengin.  While the Drengin held only contempt for the Torians, they had a grudging respect for the Arceans whose world was not fully conquered by the Drengin.

The Torians quickly laid claim to nearby resources

As the Torians began to scout further from their worlds they found more and more resources that were simply beyond their reach.  The Torians required considerable special, by alien standards, efforts to travel in space due to their aquatic nature.

Ultimately the decision to make a new, deep range, construction vessel to tap into the remaining unclaimed resources was given approval and the new construction ship, the Nourisher class was designed.

The Nourisher contained an aquatic pod to allow Torians to travel deeper into the sector

Forgivenss or Vengeance

Lord Kona, the only remaining military leader from the original 2178 space race alumni, has not lost any of his malice.

The Drengin presence in this sector meant only one thing: Military research.

The Torians would never allow themselves to be conquered again

Return of the Korx

During the early years of the space race, the mercenary Korx were a power broker.  Their dominance of the galactic economy came to an end when the Drengin exterminated them.  Using biological warfare, the Drengin commited multiple acts of genocide.  First, against the Drath Legion and second, against the Korx.

Not all of the Korx were on the home world when the Drengin attacked.   With the Drengin’s grip on the galaxy loosening, they have reappeared as keepers of the Baazaar.

The Korx, recognizing the Torians as a potential good customer, paid for their first mercenary.

Silvainout, one of the most famous pilots in the galaxy, fought heroically for the Drath Legion. With no civilization to defend, he now puts is services up for hire. Services the Torians are eager to make use of.

The other mercenary is Prince Viturian, the son of the owner of what was once the largest bank in the galaxy.

With such military geniuses, the Torians began to look towards Drengin space and revenge…

The Drengin were not that close to Torian space.  Moreover, the powerful Iridium Corporation was nearby.

To strengthen ties with the Corporation, a trade mission was sent.

With friendly relations with the corporate overlords of the Iridium set, it was time to begin planning how to invade the relatively weak Drengin presence in this sector.

Mobilization

The Torians reproduce faster than any other civilization. And while few will admit this openly, it means that Torians are a little more expendable in war.  This is one of the reasons the Torians have always favored swarms of small fighters instead of a handful of large capital ships.

The potent and deadly

Meanwhile, the starbase, “Vengeance I” quietly awaits the arrival of the fleet to take out the Drengin military.

Fire, Pain, Death

If the Torians had a human calendar, they might notice, with some irony, that the war began on January 1, 2247. 

The Drengin military on the world was much more powerful, but with any luck, the attack would take them by surprise.

It would be a very very close battle. The Mercenaries were the key.

But as good as the Mercenaries were, the Torian ships were…not so good.   Soon, only the Mercenaries remained.  The Mercenaries, however, outclassed the Drengin ships dramatically.

The Prince’s heavily armed ship was small but the Drengin’s weapons struggled to get through its armor.

Alone now and outgunned, the Prince accepted his fate.

Goodnight, sweet prince.

The Torian battle fleet was annihilated.

News of the defeat spread and the aggression of the Torians combined with their military weakness caused other races, including the Arcean Empire to declare war.

The Torians quickly sent their top negotiators to visit the Baazar in the hope of hiring new Mercenaries.  That was when the horror became clear:

The Korx are selling to all comers. 

Many of the Mercenaries were already hired.  This was unexpected to the Torians who had naively thought they were the only customers of the Korx.  The Korx had made them feel so special and unique.

“You are unique,” Izon the Korx said. “Just like everyone else.”

With the Krynn and Drengin bearing down on the Torians, their only hope were the mercenaries.  Thankfully, the early investment in resource gathering had paid off.

The massive capital ship, The Pursuit, was happy to accept the credits.

The Krynn quickly learned the power of The Pursuit.

Unfortunately, the Krynn had many of their Raider class destroyers to spare.   A fleet of 6 approached Elata

The massive Krynn fleet arrived with only The Pursuit as a serious threat.  If you look closely, you can see the tiny interceptors of the home guard…

The Pursuit put up an amazing fight but ultimately could not stand up to the onslaught.

Soon, the Krynn had eliminated the Torian spacefaring capability.

For the moment, it appeared the Krynn might leave the Torians alone.

Then something worse happened.

The Drengin constructed a military starbase near Torian space to extend their range.

In desperation, the Torians began selling ancient relics of their civilization to fund hiring more mercenaries.

The diplomats hoped there might be someone who could help.  But everyone was at war except, of course, the Iconians.

The Iconians weren’t at war and they certainly had no love for the Krynn.

With the help of the Iconians the Torians had a chance.

However, bringing so much instability to the region upset the powerful Iridium corporation. War was bad for business.

The Irium were angry with our meddling in the region but were willing to accept financial support.

However, the humans were not willing to be bought.

The Drengin invasion fleet

With the reinforcing of Elata, the Drengin fleet backed off. For now.

The Iridium finally make their long expected move.

Invaders enter the region.  The Torians had enough military to repel one attack but have 3 targets. 

The Last Stand

The Torians were back to their last colony in the sector.   Defenseless. Its shipyards destroyed. No money for mercenaries.  No allies to help. The Iconians hade made peace with the Krynn.

The Iconians had made peace with the Krynn and returned to their traditional neutral stance.

Unopposed, the Drengin conquest fleet arrived

Invasion

Death

Epilogue

Vengeance cuts both ways.  The Torian regime’s lust for revenge on the Drengin Empire caused it to not look closely at the relationships had established with the other powers.  While the Torians were collecting resources to hire mercenaries, the Drengin were forming friendships of trade, treaties and good will with its neighbors.  When the Torians attacked the Drengin, it destabilized the region.  The Terran Alliance stepped back, withholding its protection.  The Irridium corporation were unimpressed with the loss to their business and the Krynn Syndicate, always willing to fight for money proved to be regime’s downfall.

The Mercenaries of the Korx made a good showing – for all sides.  But as powerful as they are, they are only one tool of many available to civilizations to execute on their policies.  The Torians foolishly believed that the Mercenaries could be exploited to with them a war single handedly (and the person running the war didn’t realize how much the AI had improved since 1.5 but that’s a different issue). 

Galactic Civilizations III: Mercenaries is released on February 18. Visit www.galciv.com to learn more.