Lord Namtar
29-12-2006, 07:36
The winding dunes slithered like great umber vipers in the terrible storm of sand that ravaged the land, as they did every day on the great desert world of Ur'hak. Striking with bestial ferocity against the crackling energies of shield domes that protected both small village and great city alike, like an atoll of glimmering golden islands in a tumultuous sea of grinding sand.
The people within these scattered villages and cities of strictly utilitarian architecture, had been busy and anxious as of late; word of the war between the Galactic Alliance and the Extra-Solar Union had almost universally, not been good. Their Lord Namtar was also suitably perturbed, but he was more agitated than anxious as the news continually filtered into his thrown room through the Enu'Ruku floating motionless in the room's center like an all seeing eye of burnt bronze, and the many ministers advising him on the wars current status and its impact on his kingdom, proceeding through his palace doors like a seasonal rain that never ended.
"Any territorial gains we've managed thus far will be wholly destroyed if the war continues down it's current path." One once said.
"The impact upon our economy will be drastic if all our trading partners are annihilated by the Extra-Solar Union." Another said.
"Your image be forever ruined in your people's eyes if the Galactic Alliance is to fall, my lord." Yet another said.
All the reports and warnings of impending doom soon began to run together, till, no matter how exactly they said it, it meant all the same thing: destruction at Union hands if the Alliance was not somehow saved.
"If it's not cowardice it's just stupidity!" He boomed to himself one day, rising from his blocky golden chair to pace around yet again. It was an act that had built itself into a habit no matter what the degree of news coming through the Enu'Ruku, and at this rate he would spend more time pacing than ruling. Though some of the Alliance's less-than-amazing war record could be attributed to Namtar's lack of participation, things were needed to be taken care of on the home front before international concerns could be addressed.
He knew something had to be done before the member states of the GFFA turned into a loose conglomeration of city states that managed to survive the initial bombardment from the marauding ESUS hordes. What that was, however, had hitherto been beyond him. He had not been idle in any sense of the word, however.
The reserves had been called up; tens of thousands of men, young and old were called to serve their God in his time of need. They had so far undergone extensive training through numerous exercises; Namtar wished to keep the senses of the young sharp, and those of the older from decaying.
Most had taken place within the cities and villages the units were raised from, readying for defense against an incursion by ground troops if they made planet fall. Others were conducted in the deserts when the wind was not as fierce; their purpose was purely offensive: they were readying to take the fight to the enemy though none of them new this for sure the suspicion ran rampant throughout the desert fortresses where they stayed.
The all-encompassing forceshields were being reinforced throughout the Abu'Nuru system: from the Lord's capital of Ur'hak, to the sprawling network Oort cloud defense terrestrials Akhu’Agrabu. In fact, more forceshield systems were being fabricated in the immense Samû'Zaqāpu that hung in the air like a chandelier of bristling with weapons all across an armored skin a deep hue of gold, incised with a myriad of ancient Akkadian hieroglyphics. Namtar kept more in mind than just the shielding aspects of system defense in his many hours of quiet pacing, however.
Old Staff-towers were reactivated the moment news of the war declaration reached Ur'hak, and new Siqqurrutu'šibirru were quickly erected, though sometimes far too hastily to ensure optimal functionality. Namtar did his best to keep this in mind, but his primary priorty was to ensure that the sky would always resist the invaders like a boiling ocean even if all orbital assets had been dispatched.
Smaller versions were setup throughout various points of each village and city, hidden between decrepit hovels and grandiose bazaar buildings alike, far weaker than their bigger brethren but faster and more agile, and also far more capable of intercepting incoming enemy munitions should they begin to fall from the heavens like a torrent of rain that annihilated anything it precipitated upon.
Qerē’gar’ilu satellites were rapidly deployed from the modest holds of cargo ships and mighty Al'kesh into the upper and lower atmospheres; warship-grade staff cannons tied to an abnormally large reactor of naquada, a targeting computer that was networked between all other Qerē’gar’ilu's in orbit, and a compact hyperdrive reactor that could only accelerate the jagged unmanned vessel to the upper echelons of relativistic speed. Otherwise they were obscured by compact, but still effective, cloaking devices.
A large array Namsaru class mines had also been deployed by the same ships after the satellites had been deployed; large clusters of anemone like metallic monsters hidden within the quantum sands of the cosmic ocean, collecting around the planet and areas thought to be likely vectors of assault if the so far devastating war truly came to Ur'hak.
And finally, many mighty Ha'tak had been constructed since the Union's declaration had been made, and even more were being fabricated in the free Samû'Zaqāpu docks above the capital city. Followed by groups of Al'kesh and numerous wings of Death Gliders. Lastly, Nergal class battlecruisers born to cleanse their native stars of any invading infidels. Namtar could not be accused of laziness at a time when action was a necessity for any guarantee of survival.
However, all of this came at a price: what economy had developed since Hanbi's fall was beginning to suffer as more men were being employed as soldiers or factory workers as the states' expense. Women were also pulled from their own duties and were used in the production of more staff weapons and hell-hound armor. Money was started to become worthless again, as the government had to print more of it in order to pay its workers, at a time when its worth was already in question.
Materials that once went into public works or the production of what consumer goods Jaffa actually used, were all thrown into the military and associated industries. Which also severely impacted the still thriving barter economy Hanbi originally set up; no one had anything to trade anymore as new items were not constructed outside the military. All that remained were agricultural goods, and on a world famed for its dry desolation, there was never an abundance of that either.
"Wei'ak!" Namtar said mid-stride, stopping abruptly in front of a fluctuating holoprojector detailing currently known force projection abilities of various states from each alliance in a cloud of morphing gold chroma.
"Yes, my lord?" Wie'ak responded, stepping forward off the dais that held up his masters throne, the one from which he observed his lord's anxiety-induced antics with casual indifference, like all first primes should.
"Have the Chappa'ai prepared; Your Lord has things he must discuss immediately with certain people." Namtar replied, doing an about face to meet the nigh-black eyes of his First Prime. While he did not yet have any concrete plan, he knew it was time to discuss the future with those who had hitherto remained relatively unaffected by the war, those most able to change the course of the blood soaked river.
"Aye, my lord. To who exactly will we contact through the Chappa'ai?" Wie'ak asked at full attention; he was never well versed in being more casual.
"All the addresses needed are within this data-pad." The tall copper-skinned System Lord said, handing Wei'ak a data-pad he pulled from the arm rest of his throne. "Make haste Wei'ak; time is of the essence."
"Aye, my lord." Wei'ak said, departing through the massive set of double-doors that were never shut; there was never time to anymore.
The people within these scattered villages and cities of strictly utilitarian architecture, had been busy and anxious as of late; word of the war between the Galactic Alliance and the Extra-Solar Union had almost universally, not been good. Their Lord Namtar was also suitably perturbed, but he was more agitated than anxious as the news continually filtered into his thrown room through the Enu'Ruku floating motionless in the room's center like an all seeing eye of burnt bronze, and the many ministers advising him on the wars current status and its impact on his kingdom, proceeding through his palace doors like a seasonal rain that never ended.
"Any territorial gains we've managed thus far will be wholly destroyed if the war continues down it's current path." One once said.
"The impact upon our economy will be drastic if all our trading partners are annihilated by the Extra-Solar Union." Another said.
"Your image be forever ruined in your people's eyes if the Galactic Alliance is to fall, my lord." Yet another said.
All the reports and warnings of impending doom soon began to run together, till, no matter how exactly they said it, it meant all the same thing: destruction at Union hands if the Alliance was not somehow saved.
"If it's not cowardice it's just stupidity!" He boomed to himself one day, rising from his blocky golden chair to pace around yet again. It was an act that had built itself into a habit no matter what the degree of news coming through the Enu'Ruku, and at this rate he would spend more time pacing than ruling. Though some of the Alliance's less-than-amazing war record could be attributed to Namtar's lack of participation, things were needed to be taken care of on the home front before international concerns could be addressed.
He knew something had to be done before the member states of the GFFA turned into a loose conglomeration of city states that managed to survive the initial bombardment from the marauding ESUS hordes. What that was, however, had hitherto been beyond him. He had not been idle in any sense of the word, however.
The reserves had been called up; tens of thousands of men, young and old were called to serve their God in his time of need. They had so far undergone extensive training through numerous exercises; Namtar wished to keep the senses of the young sharp, and those of the older from decaying.
Most had taken place within the cities and villages the units were raised from, readying for defense against an incursion by ground troops if they made planet fall. Others were conducted in the deserts when the wind was not as fierce; their purpose was purely offensive: they were readying to take the fight to the enemy though none of them new this for sure the suspicion ran rampant throughout the desert fortresses where they stayed.
The all-encompassing forceshields were being reinforced throughout the Abu'Nuru system: from the Lord's capital of Ur'hak, to the sprawling network Oort cloud defense terrestrials Akhu’Agrabu. In fact, more forceshield systems were being fabricated in the immense Samû'Zaqāpu that hung in the air like a chandelier of bristling with weapons all across an armored skin a deep hue of gold, incised with a myriad of ancient Akkadian hieroglyphics. Namtar kept more in mind than just the shielding aspects of system defense in his many hours of quiet pacing, however.
Old Staff-towers were reactivated the moment news of the war declaration reached Ur'hak, and new Siqqurrutu'šibirru were quickly erected, though sometimes far too hastily to ensure optimal functionality. Namtar did his best to keep this in mind, but his primary priorty was to ensure that the sky would always resist the invaders like a boiling ocean even if all orbital assets had been dispatched.
Smaller versions were setup throughout various points of each village and city, hidden between decrepit hovels and grandiose bazaar buildings alike, far weaker than their bigger brethren but faster and more agile, and also far more capable of intercepting incoming enemy munitions should they begin to fall from the heavens like a torrent of rain that annihilated anything it precipitated upon.
Qerē’gar’ilu satellites were rapidly deployed from the modest holds of cargo ships and mighty Al'kesh into the upper and lower atmospheres; warship-grade staff cannons tied to an abnormally large reactor of naquada, a targeting computer that was networked between all other Qerē’gar’ilu's in orbit, and a compact hyperdrive reactor that could only accelerate the jagged unmanned vessel to the upper echelons of relativistic speed. Otherwise they were obscured by compact, but still effective, cloaking devices.
A large array Namsaru class mines had also been deployed by the same ships after the satellites had been deployed; large clusters of anemone like metallic monsters hidden within the quantum sands of the cosmic ocean, collecting around the planet and areas thought to be likely vectors of assault if the so far devastating war truly came to Ur'hak.
And finally, many mighty Ha'tak had been constructed since the Union's declaration had been made, and even more were being fabricated in the free Samû'Zaqāpu docks above the capital city. Followed by groups of Al'kesh and numerous wings of Death Gliders. Lastly, Nergal class battlecruisers born to cleanse their native stars of any invading infidels. Namtar could not be accused of laziness at a time when action was a necessity for any guarantee of survival.
However, all of this came at a price: what economy had developed since Hanbi's fall was beginning to suffer as more men were being employed as soldiers or factory workers as the states' expense. Women were also pulled from their own duties and were used in the production of more staff weapons and hell-hound armor. Money was started to become worthless again, as the government had to print more of it in order to pay its workers, at a time when its worth was already in question.
Materials that once went into public works or the production of what consumer goods Jaffa actually used, were all thrown into the military and associated industries. Which also severely impacted the still thriving barter economy Hanbi originally set up; no one had anything to trade anymore as new items were not constructed outside the military. All that remained were agricultural goods, and on a world famed for its dry desolation, there was never an abundance of that either.
"Wei'ak!" Namtar said mid-stride, stopping abruptly in front of a fluctuating holoprojector detailing currently known force projection abilities of various states from each alliance in a cloud of morphing gold chroma.
"Yes, my lord?" Wie'ak responded, stepping forward off the dais that held up his masters throne, the one from which he observed his lord's anxiety-induced antics with casual indifference, like all first primes should.
"Have the Chappa'ai prepared; Your Lord has things he must discuss immediately with certain people." Namtar replied, doing an about face to meet the nigh-black eyes of his First Prime. While he did not yet have any concrete plan, he knew it was time to discuss the future with those who had hitherto remained relatively unaffected by the war, those most able to change the course of the blood soaked river.
"Aye, my lord. To who exactly will we contact through the Chappa'ai?" Wie'ak asked at full attention; he was never well versed in being more casual.
"All the addresses needed are within this data-pad." The tall copper-skinned System Lord said, handing Wei'ak a data-pad he pulled from the arm rest of his throne. "Make haste Wei'ak; time is of the essence."
"Aye, my lord." Wei'ak said, departing through the massive set of double-doors that were never shut; there was never time to anymore.