WE DID IT REDDIT!!!

[The Core]

Lore update:

The year is 822 A.S. The Core High Command assembles for another monthly meeting.

The first step in creating an Empire is the establishment of a capital. Immediately after his rise to power, Erik Nodtviet resumed The Core's plans regarding Yaren Base. The Corsairs had already begun to abandon the installation in order to focus on conquering the Omegas. The seizure of Yaren followed by the domination of Nauru would be easy. However firstly Nodtviet had to make a few preparations.

Cover-up.

In the wake of the reformation, a man known as James Clarke had taken the position of CEO of AP Manufacturing. Whilst he was a close aide to Nodtviet, he was still nonetheless a liability. Although Nodtviet swore he would fulfil the totalitarian dreams of The Core, he swung dangerously close - perhaps too close - to wanting an autocracy. Whilst AP Manufacturing was under the protection of The Core, its power was still independent from the Guildmaster. Even though Clarke and his employees were hard workers, Nodtviet desired something more. Beyond wanting to up the efficiency of Alabama Shipyard, Nodtviet saw an opportunity for power - something which he found irresistible. Thus Nodtviet began to scheme and plot how he would secure the position of CEO himself. He eventually encouraged Clarke and several AP Manufacturing scientists to embark on a survey mission to Planet Moros in Omicron Lost. Unbeknownst to them, a small contingent of Arcani fighters were awaiting them in Omicron Lost. Moments after arriving in Omicron Lost the freighter crew saw the Arcani agents that were awaiting their ill-fated arrival. Ignorantly, they hailed them, thinking that they were additional escorts. But this was not to be as the Arcani agents immediately attacked them and destroyed the freighter with their fighters. In the mission report they claimed that the APM freighter had come under fire from the Nomads and all the crew had been killed. However known only to Nodtviet and the Arcani, there was a much darker truth.

With the obstacle cleared, Nodtviet took the position of CEO of AP Manufacturing. Now with both direct access and control to APM's manufacturing prowess as well as some of its more classified research files, he would begin to shape The Core into a vision of his choosing with little input from anyone but himself. To handle the more menial tasks, Nodtviet picked an APM employee, Jack Marston, to serve as his Assistant.

Cover-up.

Next Nodtviet felt the need to address the logistics of The Core. Whilst APM convoys were gradually getting bigger as The Core's civilian population began to increase, The Core was not self-sufficient. Although Durban Station and Alabama Shipyard were very well capable of producing sustenance, the importation of goods such as metals for ship building and munitions manufacture was still required. Following the post-Kyras ethos of changed attitudes towards foreign parties, Nodtviet established several supply contracts with various Corporations and House military and intelligence. In exchange for supplies and to an extent personnel, The Core provided these groups with exotic goods such as alien artifacts and highly advanced alien equipment. Such notable examples of this are the exchanges between The Core and the Bretonian Armed Forces, as well as the Buro der Marineintelligenz. Through deep cooperation, each group respectively gave The Core a capital vessel to assist in their operations within the Edge Worlds; the WV-Herschel and the WV-Invictus. And in secret, The Core began to initiate diplomacy with Gallia.

With the necessary preparations complete - or rather the preparations Nodtviet felt were necessary - The Core began to amass a small strike force to take Yaren Base from the Corsairs. However reports began to come in of the Corsair Empire suddenly deciding to reinforce Yaren. What was seen as a 180 degree change in policy was most likely a result of the Corsairs seeing the need to secure the Iridium industry for themselves. To combat the surprise defenders the strike force was doubled. In the conflict that followed, the Corsair defenders were quashed and momentarily Omicron Delta stood absolutely uncontested and under complete control of The Core.

But this was not to last. During the time when Core forces were enforcing the perimeter of Yaren Base, a 'tip off' from an Order agent revealed that The Order had set their sights on Dabadoru Station in Omicron Delta. The Order had been creating their own strike force in Omicron Mu, known as Horus, to seize Dabadoru from The Core. Whilst The Core could simply reinforce Dabadoru and swat the Order invaders, Nodtviet had a craftier plan in store for them. Rather than waste the resources and effort on defending Dabadoru, he would simply leave it bare and undefended for The Order forces to take. The station would be evacuated, and all that would be left is an older, early model Mako known as the Battleship Peleliu to observe The Order attackers. The crew of the Peleliu were expecting to simply observe the fight and then retreat, but Nodtviet was fully expecting them to be destroyed in the conflict. But for what purpose? Why leave both a station and a battleship undefended? It was simple. Dabadoru would be a lure. The Order would unknowingly lunge themselves at the bait and be trapped within The Core's spider's nest.

And so the day of the siege came. The Order attacked Dabadoru and were met with little in terms of resistance. The main Core fleets were either securing Nauru or protecting Omicron Rho. When the smoke cleared and The Order rejoiced at their triumph, The Core could not help but smile at the Order's tactical ignorance. With a hostile Dabadoru now heavily surrounded by Core forces retaking the station and dealing damage to The Order's assets would be next on their agenda. Furthermore the presence of Order in Delta now meant that Order forces were taking the brunt of the Nomad assaults from the North and their supply lines to Dabadoru were being pressurized, which in turn would alleviate pressure off The Core forces and allow them time to build further and develop Omicronis.

In the year that followed The Core resumed its usual business of fortifying its position within the Edge Worlds. They also resumed duties such as protecting the Zoners from the Nomad scourge as well as mining Iridium for them from Planet Nauru. However that was not set to last.

lEx talionis.

The reason for rising tensions could be pointed at the stark ideological differences between the two organizations. The Core's desire for the establishment for a House-like government in the Edge Worlds conflicted with the Zoner's desire to live a life in the Edge Worlds without laws and regulations. Eventually some Zoners grew restless at The Core's attempts to install law and began to rebel. After the Zoner's of Freeport 11 had begun to attack The Core's civilian personnel, as well as attempt an attack on Yaren Base in cooperation with The Order, The Core felt they have had enough of their insolence. In a bold move, The Core attacked Freeport 11, causing heavy damage to its infrastructure as well as leaving casualties. In the pursuit of law and utopia they would not allow criminal conduct within their own borders.

In the wake of the destruction of most of Freeport 11, The Core begins to plan its next move for Omicron Delta. It seems there are now two installations within the system that are due to come under the control of Imperium Omicronis.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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