Er.
You DO remember that any deployment beyond Attican Beta for us borders on 'adventure' due to our underdeveloped logistics?
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Terminus Quest: A CKII Mass Effect Quest
Er.
You DO remember that any deployment beyond Attican Beta for us borders on 'adventure' due to our underdeveloped logistics?
Wiadi
Uncompromising Radical Leftist
- Location
- Something Clever
- Pronouns
- She/Her
quiet screeching
- Location
- Aotearoa
Indeed. Our logistics means while we can push one relay away (at somewhat reduced operational efficiency), anything beyond that is extremely risky.
Expanded fleet basing (that nice military system we identified?) will probably be a priority if we pull this off. Logistics too, if we want to go on the offensive.
Aetharian
Currently on Fire
- Location
- USA
Forgets we're Asari.......
Canon Omake: Receiving Your Transmission
- Location
- Aotearoa
Signals Officer Second Class Padok Solus of the Salarian First Fleet rubbed his membranes and rolled his dry eyes before resuming monitoring the consoles. It had been a long shift, following a blurred succession of double shifts throughout the last Rachni offensive, which- mercifully- appeared to have ceased. Nevertheless, constant vigilience was the price of maintaining intelligence advantage.
SO2 Padok had volunteered to stay on duty with a skeleton crew while his STG superior and the bulk of the SigInt team got some rest. It had been... how long? No, he was on duty. Padok tried to refocus, when an unusual readout caught his attention. In monitoring Rachni comms frequencies- for spikes in traffic volume, it remained resistant to real-time decryption- the console was reporting some... improbable signatures.
Padok pulled the data to his personal display. Was that... a Citadel identification code being broadcast within a Rachni signal packet? That seemed- unlikely. He experimentally had the console apply standard decoding algorithms, and... yes, a compressed audio signal carrier, including details for establishing two-way comms.
Padok almost dropped his pad when he played the decrypted message. A forceful Asari voice was clearly audible, despite the compression.
"This is Prime Minister Mira T'Vael of Virmire. As of this date, the three hundred and forty-first day of the year four hundred and ninety-four, Galactic Standard, we are still alive. We have broken out from the Sentry Omega cluster and secured naval dominance within Attican Beta and the Kepler Verge. We remain militarily viable and are building up our forces."
Scrambling for his pad, Padok made the decision to priority-route this straight to Fleet Admiral Samaer directly, replaying from the start.
"...If reliable contact can be re-established, we are prepared to participate in a united front against the rachni. We do not require intelligence on which systems the rachni hold. Be aware that we are transmitting on hijacked rachni communications technology. This channel is not secure, and it will soon close. Awaiting response."
Padok forced himself to wait while the Admiral heard the whole message, fingers tapping his pad arrythmically as he did when nervous or excited. After an interminable moment came the reply. "This is Samaer. Is the signal verified?"
"An older code, Sir, but checks out. Can also patch you through to source. Real-time."
"Do it. Also inform Council and connect, highest urgency. My priority authorisation."
"Connecting, now..."
SO2 Padok had volunteered to stay on duty with a skeleton crew while his STG superior and the bulk of the SigInt team got some rest. It had been... how long? No, he was on duty. Padok tried to refocus, when an unusual readout caught his attention. In monitoring Rachni comms frequencies- for spikes in traffic volume, it remained resistant to real-time decryption- the console was reporting some... improbable signatures.
Padok pulled the data to his personal display. Was that... a Citadel identification code being broadcast within a Rachni signal packet? That seemed- unlikely. He experimentally had the console apply standard decoding algorithms, and... yes, a compressed audio signal carrier, including details for establishing two-way comms.
Padok almost dropped his pad when he played the decrypted message. A forceful Asari voice was clearly audible, despite the compression.
"This is Prime Minister Mira T'Vael of Virmire. As of this date, the three hundred and forty-first day of the year four hundred and ninety-four, Galactic Standard, we are still alive. We have broken out from the Sentry Omega cluster and secured naval dominance within Attican Beta and the Kepler Verge. We remain militarily viable and are building up our forces."
Scrambling for his pad, Padok made the decision to priority-route this straight to Fleet Admiral Samaer directly, replaying from the start.
"...If reliable contact can be re-established, we are prepared to participate in a united front against the rachni. We do not require intelligence on which systems the rachni hold. Be aware that we are transmitting on hijacked rachni communications technology. This channel is not secure, and it will soon close. Awaiting response."
Padok forced himself to wait while the Admiral heard the whole message, fingers tapping his pad arrythmically as he did when nervous or excited. After an interminable moment came the reply. "This is Samaer. Is the signal verified?"
"An older code, Sir, but checks out. Can also patch you through to source. Real-time."
"Do it. Also inform Council and connect, highest urgency. My priority authorisation."
"Connecting, now..."
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Aetharian
Currently on Fire
- Location
- USA
And the first of the omakes arrive in the thread
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
They may have already figured out we're still alive. Say, because THEY captured a rachni comm buoy and did a map update back in Year 7 or something.
One, the rachni would have had to come up with the fake distress call really fast. They didn't know we were going to hack their communications network until we'd done it, or they'd have shut us down pre-emptively. Consequently, they would have had to fake a distress call within moments of our placing our own call. They'd have had no time to preposition fleet assets or even make plans to entrap our fleet.
Two, all we're going to do is attack a relay, then pull back. If there isn't a quarian fleet on the other side, we realize we've been made and turn around and go home. It would be pretty hard to trap us effectively, especially with the recon pulse giving us intel on what the rachni have in the area.
All this considered, I'm flipping back to a clean "bail out the quarians" vote.
The Allies recovering Phoenix Massing is great news, as it reduces the risk of the rachni managing to isolate and wipe out the quarians.New map before the (very likely) Battle of the Nubian Expanse:
Couple of new things:
-2 brand new relays (Ardat Yaal and Brishak Expanse) courtesy of the Rachni.
-Exodus Cluster in the hands of the Rachni. (Bad news for the Batarians)
-Terminus Alliance lost Ninmah Cluster but might've gained The Phoenix Massing... or maybe the Quarians did. We don't know yet.
The Brishak Expanse is irrelevant or nearly so, but the opening of the Ardat Yaal relay is a freaking DISASTER! It means the rachni now have a better supply line to Hades Gamma than they did before we took Attican Beta. Consequently, the Hades Gamma forces we believed to be cut off... aren't anymore. Or were never cut off to begin with, depending on how recently they opened that relay; it may have been a response to the fall of Attican Beta to our forces. Either way, it does a lot to explain how the rachni managed to take the Exodus Cluster, which in turn puts direct military pressure on salarian space.
We are now drastically more cut off from Council space than we thought we were.
On the other hand, we are drastically less cut off from the quarians and the Terminus Alliance than we thought. It may well be that we manage to effect a linkup with them first, which is a very different dynamic than I'd expected from us trying to punch our way through to the Citadel.
Though the loss of the Ninmah Cluster is bad; it means the rachni have a clear shot at Omega if they can batter through the system defenses, though that may be easier said than done.
- Location
- Aotearoa
Almost two thousand years, I presumed we would reproduce somewhere around mid-life, not at 900... that sounds like a few Asari generations to me.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I dunno. If we're lucky, we may be able to clear the whole "tramline" that runs Phoenix Massing -> Hades Gamma -> Nubian Expanse. The rachni won't be able to hit the tramline except by attacking the Nubian Expanse or Phoenix Massing from the Caleston Rift... which notably means that if they throw a fleet at one end of the tramline they're vulnerable to being counterattacked from the other.
Obviously this hinges on how much success the Terminus Alliance and quarians can obtain, though, and we may have trouble learning the answer to that question. Especially since we're fresh out of comm buoys.
Honestly, with the war situation being what it is, I am very much in favor of withdrawing our forces from the Kepler Expanse and trying to secure a path to quarian and Terminus space. Sort of the alternate "get help" approach, and it allows us to consolidate our strength and form a unified front that can gradually chew up the rachni from behind.
Fair point, though the person running the Terminus fleet seems to think they have a chance. Still, you're right that the issue is in doubt.
I'll note that a raiding doctrine benefits from being able to hit the enemy along multiple lines of attack. If we COULD hold the Phoenix-Hades-Nubian tramline, the combined allied forces would be threatening Caleston from three directions at once. What this does is create what is known in military affairs as "interior and exterior lines." Namely, the rachni hold a relatively small circuit of territory that can be threatened from many points in a larger circuit of territory held by us.
The rachni get a benefit there from having interior lines, because they can mass a single large defense fleet and hold off three individually weaker enemy fleets at once. But there are also downsides to interior lines, mainly that if you push your forces aggressively in any single direction, the enemy can nip in behind you and cut you off.
Another point is that if the quarians and Terminus forces do manage to hold Phoenix Massing, and if we can hold the Nubian Expanse even briefly, the rachni forces in Hades Nexus are likely to die on the vine, cut off from rachni space.
You're right that we may not be able to do it, especially not without several military successes that haven't happened yet. But I think if we could, it would do a lot for our chances of survival.
I don't know if it's practical to mine a relay, but if we do retreat from the Nubian Expanse, we should mine the HELL out of area around the relay from the Caleston Rift and leave at least a modest covering force.
I suspect that by the time we could prepare an offensive to accomplish this feat, the rachni will have built up their defenses in the Caleston Rift vastly, possibly beyond our ability to crack.
Aetharian
Currently on Fire
- Location
- USA
I assumed you meant we wouldn't be around, my bad.
pbluekan
Somethin's Fucky ...
- Location
- Trumpistan
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We won't. Mira will be 1000 years dead by the time the reapers show.
Where the size of a Battle Fleet is 2x.
Size of a Raiding Fleet is ~x.
1st Battle Fleet is at 77% strength. 1st Raiding Fleet is at 70% strength.
0.77 1st Battle Fleet + 0.7 1st Raiding Fleet = 0.77*2x + 0.7*x = 2.24x
Approximately 110% the size of a Battle Fleet.
Therefore we're sending somewhere around the numerical strength of a full battle fleet into the Nubian Expanse.
Huh. So they got three new clusters(Ardat Yaal, Brishak and Exodus) to make up for the loss of Phoenix, Attican Beta and Kepler Verge.
A wash economically speaking, assuming equal resources.
But if we can take the Nubian Expanse at the same time the Terminus takes the Hades Nexus, they lose two clusters net.
We probably want to trash the Nubian Expanse on general principles; even if we can't hold it, turning it into contested space is almost as good.
Going to note that if we can establish and maintain contact with the Terminus Fleets, we establish roundabout contact with the far side of Citadel space via the Phoenix-Pylos-Omega-Eagle Nebula route. Which might have significant consequences for the war effort if the asari and salarians are at all willing to share their tech and intelligence advantage via data courier.
Staying right where they are for repair and refuelling?
The rachni are not immune to the laws of logistics, and furthermore have to retain the strength on the front facing the Citadel to avoid losing what gains they've already made to a counteroffensive. As long as the Citadel Alliance is a force in being, they can't move that fleet or even weaken it significantly.
Remember that if the salarians or asari had the strength to launch a counter-offensive, they certainly wouldn't broadcast it over an insecure comm channel, so not to take anything said there literally. The only reason we were told about the Terminus offensive is because it is already in progress.
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VoidZero
Passing Flan 布丁魔王
- Location
- Anywhere but RL
Mira the 3rd can if we get Mira the 1st crowned as Supreme leader.
The leadership trend of CK 2 quest is generally genetically related or eternal rule anyway.
- Location
- Aotearoa
Missed the first (best?) chance for that, Mira could probably have had herself crowned Queen instead of restoring the Assembly and bothering with this elections distraction.Mira the 3rd can if we get Mira the 1st crowned as Supreme leader.
The leadership trend of CK 2 quest is generally genetically related or eternal rule anyway.
So. Rachni halted their offensive in Council space, probably partly because of us+Terminus+Quarians, and (I'm hoping) partly because they have poor logistics. (I seem to recall a post by PoptartProdigy about their logistics being not-that-great, at least by first-tier power standards.) Not great for us, but helps by giving the Council breathing space. Terminus taking territory, very nice.
So, we're in the big time now, but hopefully we'll pull in enough help from the Quarian 3rd fleet to be able to defend Attican Beta. And the possibility of linking up with the Terminus/Quarians is significantly greater than 0, in the medium-term.
So, we're in the big time now, but hopefully we'll pull in enough help from the Quarian 3rd fleet to be able to defend Attican Beta. And the possibility of linking up with the Terminus/Quarians is significantly greater than 0, in the medium-term.
VoidZero
Passing Flan 布丁魔王
- Location
- Anywhere but RL
Well~ Mira could use the extended war period to shift trust in government to trust of her person. Having the assembly around means we could throw all the failing of the government and any bad press that way, which should subconsciously program our citizens into blindly trusting Mira eventually.
Or blow up the assembly and blame it on the Lystheni then assume emergency power again.
- Location
- Aotearoa
I think the Quarian admiral of the 3RWF will have a *strong* desire to push for the Nubian Expanse (and onwards to the Terminus lines), and might eventually even try by themselves if we don't.
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The Quarian admiral probably isn't stupid, so will realize that the biggest issue isn't taking the Nubian Expanse, but holding it while also holding Attican Beta. Even if his fleet is relatively intact, we still need more time to build up if we're going to be able to make a push for it. In the mean time, the Rachni will be very motivated to ensure that the Nubian Expanse stays under their control - they're not underestimating us anymore, and it already looks like the Quarians and the Terminus Joint Fleets are now linked up and able to fight together. Us linking up with them as well would be very bad news for the Rachni, because it means three groups with significant military power being able to fight on a united front. They will reinforce and fortify after we've withdrawn our forces back to Attican Beta.
And that was when I remembered that this was called Terminus Quest!
- Location
- Rockford, USA
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Actually, funny story: your galaxy map has been inaccurate since Year 1, in one way or another (in a figurative sense, given that I didn't have a galaxy map until later on). :lol
frozenchicken
Does not have a custom title.
I want to take a moment here to talk about the medium term strategic situation. Sentry Omega was noted back in the very first post about it to have unknown connecting relay possibilities. At the time, our positioning made it seem fairly obvious that it would probably end up being either the Quarians or one of the surrounding Rachni systems. We weren't too worried about it since surviving the attacks from Attican Beta were more important. Now though, we can see that the Rachni are making distinct efforts to open up new relays. We need to be concerned about this. All the places we've been discussing-Phoenix Massing, Hades Nexus, etc are all possible locations for our home relay to connect to. Meaning:
-If we (or our allies) don't take them, the Rachni may be able to use them to open new fronts against our home. This is very bad.
-Beshak Expanse. Whilst it's possible that the Rachni are just opening every relay they can, their other relay opening was a very intelligent move, and there is one really obvious explanation for why they'd be trying to open relays in that particular direction. They're heading for Sentry Omega.
-Long term, being the one to recapture and hold these territories benefits us immensely, as they are thus very likely to become firm Virmirean territory further into the game.
-Caledon Rift is something we want. Taking it after seizing the 'tramline' clusters would not only close up an big number of actual and potential fronts, it lets us, the Quarians and the Terminus hold a single cluster as a united front, improving our chances of withstanding a major Rachni assault immensely. Also, long term it would be a major centre of trade in our area, and thus good to have as part of 'Virmirean' territory.
Crucial Systems of Note: The Terminus MUST hold the Omega Nebula against the Ninmah front, as it acts as the central hub of their territory. If they lose it, they become easy pickings. Moreover, as the line connects to the Rachni homeworld, it is going to be very difficult to close off.
Virmire MUST hold Attican Beta, as it is currently our only path out. Moreover the connecting systems are too difficult to clear out easily, meaning that even if we pour all effort to reclaiming systems Attican will still need to be defended for a long time.
The Council MUST hold the Serpent Nebula. Need I say more?
The Quarians MUST hold their only connection out (Phoenix Massing), however if the 'Tramline' is cleared out and Caleston Rift is seized and held then their attentions can be redirected. This makes the Quarians a political commodity to both us and the Terminus. As the only power with a shared front and less risk of calamity in the case of a failed defence, they have more leeway to aid others in significant actions.
Also, as a very long term consideration, the Batarians are gonna be a pain in the ass eventually, so taking territories like Hades Gamma eventually would cut off their growth and hopefully screw over their ability to mess with us in the long run.
-If we (or our allies) don't take them, the Rachni may be able to use them to open new fronts against our home. This is very bad.
-Beshak Expanse. Whilst it's possible that the Rachni are just opening every relay they can, their other relay opening was a very intelligent move, and there is one really obvious explanation for why they'd be trying to open relays in that particular direction. They're heading for Sentry Omega.
-Long term, being the one to recapture and hold these territories benefits us immensely, as they are thus very likely to become firm Virmirean territory further into the game.
-Caledon Rift is something we want. Taking it after seizing the 'tramline' clusters would not only close up an big number of actual and potential fronts, it lets us, the Quarians and the Terminus hold a single cluster as a united front, improving our chances of withstanding a major Rachni assault immensely. Also, long term it would be a major centre of trade in our area, and thus good to have as part of 'Virmirean' territory.
Crucial Systems of Note: The Terminus MUST hold the Omega Nebula against the Ninmah front, as it acts as the central hub of their territory. If they lose it, they become easy pickings. Moreover, as the line connects to the Rachni homeworld, it is going to be very difficult to close off.
Virmire MUST hold Attican Beta, as it is currently our only path out. Moreover the connecting systems are too difficult to clear out easily, meaning that even if we pour all effort to reclaiming systems Attican will still need to be defended for a long time.
The Council MUST hold the Serpent Nebula. Need I say more?
The Quarians MUST hold their only connection out (Phoenix Massing), however if the 'Tramline' is cleared out and Caleston Rift is seized and held then their attentions can be redirected. This makes the Quarians a political commodity to both us and the Terminus. As the only power with a shared front and less risk of calamity in the case of a failed defence, they have more leeway to aid others in significant actions.
Also, as a very long term consideration, the Batarians are gonna be a pain in the ass eventually, so taking territories like Hades Gamma eventually would cut off their growth and hopefully screw over their ability to mess with us in the long run.
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- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Yeah. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the rachni had that cross-link into Hades Gamma through the Ardat... Something... relay the entire time we've been playing. It would help to explain why they weren't overly concerned about us after we took Attican Beta.
We thought that was cutting them off from Hades Gamma and one of their main routes to attack Citadel space... but in fact it was just 'forcing' them to route their supply lines and reinforcements through a different relay tramline that gave them a shorter supply line anyway.
Since the butterflies be flapping their wings with wild abandon due to our presence, I would caveat this with "If they survive". The Rachni may well decide that they've had enough of leaving stranded powers to cause them problems unexpectedly, and eliminating the Batarian Hegemony from the board would be a very good way to do that...
frozenchicken
Does not have a custom title.
Heh, considering the Batarians were supposed to be a Virmirean downside, that might not be a bad thing strategically.
...Though on second thought, it might give the Krogans further room to expand to, meaning unpleasant butterflies will hit us even further down the track...
...Though on second thought, it might give the Krogans further room to expand to, meaning unpleasant butterflies will hit us even further down the track...
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- Location
- Rockford, USA
- Pronouns
- They/Them
And let this be as far as that line of speculation goes. Let's not tempt the mods...