Uhh, preparation montage?
Danh, aboard the Pioneer, orbiting a moon roughly 4.2 AU from Teshan (I give up thinking of a way to introduce the name of the planet)
Alright, so that's the history of the Vareshi Imperium—war, survival, and lessons learned through bloodshed. Or at least, that's how they tell it. Hard to say how much is true when every opposing side is long dead.
Despite calling my forces an "empire," that's nothing less than a terrible misnomer. My so-called empire consists of me, Khánh Linh, and a bunch of AI. I have a Pioneer-class vessel—a jack-of-all-trades but master of none—and an industrial capacity that amounts to… whatever the ship can manufacture… Plus the asteroid colonies. Meanwhile, the alien controls a planet, likely with an entire industrial base and a long history of warfare.
The biggest issue isn't just their military—it's their ability to develop new technology. If I fight them outright, I won't just have to deal with what they have now—I'll have to deal with what they come up with next. And if their history is any indication, they don't make the same mistake twice. If they lose, they learn. Then they come back stronger.
So, my best move? Restrain their technological development.
Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. The Vareshi don't have the habit of underestimating their enemies. The moment they realize I exist, they're going to come at me with everything they've got.
Fortunately, they have one massive disadvantage: they're stuck inside the gravity well of a planet. Meanwhile, I have complete freedom of movement in space. I have the initiative.
I have to remember that the Vareshi aren't alone on this planet—there are at least two or three other major powers. I don't know much about the Senere Alliance yet, but I'm almost certain the Kovask have rockets of their own and won't hesitate to launch them the moment war breaks out. That means I can expect at least two factions to be capable of fighting me from the start.
And once I make a move, the entire species will most likely unite against me.
I could lock them to the surface, devastate their civilization with orbital strikes, and nuke strategic targets into glass. But total eradication? Not an option. I just don't have that level of industrial capability. And if I've learned anything from alien invasion movies, it's that leaving survivors is a terrible idea.
If they live, they'll be united, furious, and driven to wipe me out. Their technology will advance at an alarming rate—whether by reverse-engineering my systems, stealing concepts from my tactics, or just sheer desperate innovation. They'll fight harder, hide, and scheme like cornered animals. And a cornered animal is the most dangerous kind.
If that happens, I'll either lose outright… or get dragged into a brutal, centuries-long war of extermination.
Plus, they are a sapient species. I don't know how rare a sapient species is in the universe, but I most definitely would rather not wipe out such a species.
It's funny, really. I, a human, ended up in the role of the invading force. And the aliens? They're the ones defending their homeworld, resisting against an overwhelming foe.
It's almost poetic.
"Hey, Khánh Linh," I say, leaning back in my chair. "Is there any chance we can negotiate some kind of non-aggression pact with them?"
Her usual mechanical voice responds without hesitation. "With the Vareshi? Highly unlikely. You represent a significant threat to their authority, yet you lack overwhelming power to force them into submission. They would rather eliminate you than tolerate your presence."
I sigh. Figured as much. "And the other nations?"
"They are more open to diplomacy," she continues. "They already have a superpower to worry about—the Vareshi Empire. They would prefer to avoid having to deal with a second one."
So my main concern is the Vareshi, assuming I don't cross some metaphorical line that makes the entire species unite against me. Not impossible, but definitely tricky.
Khánh Linh speaks up again. "However, I do have a potential strategy. The Vareshi Empire historically avoids costly, drawn-out wars. They favor decisive, overwhelming victories. If we can convince them that we are weak enough to be crushed quickly, they will likely prioritize defeating us now rather than investing in long-term technological advancement or defensive fortifications."
I pause, turning the idea over in my head.
Make them underestimate us. Lure them into committing everything to an early strike instead of preparing for the long haul. If they think I'm just some minor nuisance to be wiped out in one swift campaign, they might not bother with research or infrastructure.
If I pull this off, the breathing room should give me enough time to expand, to build, until I have the strength for a decisive strike.
But first, the plan has to work.
For the deception to be effective, I need to stretch out the time before they realize the truth. That means creating strategic depth. In planetary warfare, strategic depth means land—terrain, infrastructure, distance, natural obstacles, your own defenses, anything that slows an enemy's advance. But in space?
There's no friction, no terrain, no air resistance. A ship from Tashan, once it burns its engines, can calculate a perfect trajectory straight to my capital. Only my defenses and their infrastructure, or rather the lack of it, slows them down.
So in this case, strategic depth isn't just distance—it's the cost of getting to me. The sheer amount of resources, ships, and lives they have to throw into the fire before they can even see my stronghold.
And the deeper I want that buffer to be, the closer I need the initial frontline to be to them.
Which means… The war needs to start in Tashan's orbit.
To maintain any kind of presence near Tashan—or anywhere, really—I need a network of bases to supply my forces. Ivakur, Tashan's sole moon, will obviously be the foremost base, but beyond that, I'll need additional outposts. They'll serve not just as supply stations but also as fallback positions once the war inevitably reaches them.
I move the mouse cursor and open the system map. Right now, the first asteroid base is the most developed piece of my growing empire. It has become the most accurate expression of my mind's industrialist side.
The lowest level is pure extraction—mining rigs tear through the surface, stripping away rock layer by layer. Pipes and conveyor systems transport the crushed material upward, feeding it into the industrial core. The second layer is a labyrinth of forges and factories, where raw minerals and scrap—like broken mining rigs and surplus parts—are turned into products for the third layer. The asteroid itself is slowly shrinking as it's devoured piece by piece, but that's just a natural part of the process.
The third layer is where things get more interesting. Nuclear fission plants hum in the background, keeping the entire operation running. Their radiators, glowing faintly against the void, are probably what gave away the base's existence to the Vareshi. In the spaceport, rockets are refueled, fixed up and launched, delivering payloads into the station orbiting the asteroid. Thanks to the asteroid's negligible gravity, the rockets require minimal fuel to ferry goods and Xenon gas to the orbital station. The orbital station is where the transport ships get refueled, fixed up, their current cargo unloaded, new cargo loaded and sent off to wherever they need to be.
The rest of my so-called empire isn't idle, either. Under the control of AI, with Khánh Linh and me overseeing everything, we've expanded to 30 colonies—though only seven of them are actually developed. That number would be higher if I hadn't funneled so many resources into developing my capital, but priorities are priorities.
Still, I've established enough bases and defenses to hold my ground.
Defending my territory isn't about building fortresses—it's about building massive weapons platforms and knowing where to place them. Any ship coming from anywhere follows a predictable trajectory. Without an atmosphere to deal with, orbital mechanics rule everything; their future positions can be calculated well in advance. That predictability is both an advantage and a problem.
Weapons, after all, follow the same rules. Kinetic projectiles—whether from railguns, coilguns, light-gas guns, nuclear-propelled cannons, or traditional chemical-based gun—all have a fixed initial velocity. That makes them just as predictable. Given enough time, a skilled pilot or an onboard AI can calculate the trajectory and evade.
Missiles and guided warheads are a different story. They can maneuver, but they burn through fuel. Once their delta-v runs out, they become just as predictable as the rest. The key to winning in space isn't just about brute force—it's also about area of control.
Then there are lasers and particle beams—far harder to dodge. Lasers move at light speed, while particle beams travel at a significant fraction of it, meaning the gap between firing and impact is nearly nonexistent. If you're in the crosshairs when they fire, you're getting hit.
Fortunately, these weapons have their own limitations. Lasers suffer from diffraction—the further they travel, the more their energy spreads out, reducing their effectiveness. Particle beams, on the other hand, gradually expand in surface area as they move, since they're essentially streams of charged or neutral particles that interact with the environment, causing dispersion. In practical terms? Their damage output drops off significantly with distance.
Mounting these weapons on drones can extend their operational range—limited only by the drone's delta-v—but even then, no weapon is infinite in reach. Every weapon system has an effective range, dictated by its own physics and the properties of its target.
A uniformly moving target is a sitting duck.
A weakly accelerating target is slightly better than a sitting duck.
And a large target is always easier to hit than a small one.
In the end, every defensive installation has a calculable area of control—the sphere where its weapons remain effective. At extreme distances, projectiles miss, lasers lose power, and particle beams scatter into uselessness. Not to mention, any bullet can only shrink so much before a simple Whipple Shield is enough to absorb incoming fire.
This means that space combat, for all its complexities, boils down to a fundamental truth:
Whoever controls the engagement range, controls the battle.
Anyway, I can't expect my empire to mass-produce enough ships to fight the Avarin head-on. Even then, if I did, the plan would collapse—because the moment they see me as an existential threat, they'll unite and escalate before I'm ready.
I can't rely on deep-space stations, either. Too expensive to build, too hard to position, too costly to maintain. That leaves only one viable option: asteroids.
Asteroid installations come with built-in advantages. First, they already have natural armor—no need to waste resources on hull plating when the entire rock is the armor. Just dig in, fortify, and let the enemy waste their firepower chipping away at literal mountains of stone.
Second, there's the heat problem. Ships and stations need massive radiators to dump excess heat into space, but an asteroid? Just transfer the waste heat into the rock. No glowing radiators, no obvious heat signature, and more room for bigger weapons.
That last part is critical. Unlike a ship, an asteroid can't dodge. No engines, no maneuverability—just a sitting duck floating in the void. The only way to survive is to hit harder, hit first, and make every shot count.
But where do I actually put the defenses? Every ship's course is designed to be as delta-V efficient as possible, meaning there's no one predictable path to block. And since I'm using asteroids as my main defense platforms, their placement depends entirely on where I can find suitable rocks. That means—
Khánh Linh chimes in before I can overthink it further. "Danh, I know which game you pulled all this from, and I've cross-referenced every bit of space warfare theory you've read. It's solid, don't get me wrong, but you're overcomplicating things."
"Oh?"
"We don't have the same problems as those fictional factions. They were strapped for resources, and they had to worry about public support. We don't." Her tone is almost smug. "So why not just cover as much as possible? A full ring of defenses across a few degrees of inclinations. It's well within our capabilities, and adjusting orbital inclination is ridiculously expensive, delta V wise. If they try it, we just send interceptors while they have run out of propellant."
I blink. "…Huh."
"See? Easy. I've already got the placements mapped out."
Of course she does.
I nod, watching as the simulation adjusts, filling in gaps with projected defenses. "Great work. How long will this take?"
Khánh Linh responds without hesitation. "Two years, assuming you don't come up with anything else that diverts resources."
I exhale. Of course, there's always more. "Well, there's still the need for a base on Ivakur for First Contact with the Avarin, a fake navy to keep them fooled, and a real navy for the decisive strike—and as a backup plan."
"The real navy can wait. They won't reach us anytime soon," she says. "Factoring in Ivakur and the fake fleet, that brings us to four years. I'll prioritize the most delta V-efficient routes first." A slight pause. "I can handle planning the colonization of Ivakur, but you'll need to figure out both navies and how to approach First Contact."
I lean back, rubbing my temple. It's a lot, but nothing I haven't dealt with before…in game. "Alright then. Let's do it."
—————————————————————
AI's comm.
Operation Ivakur: Colony Establishment
Date: 10th December 2032 A.D
Authorization Code: ****$|%${***
Senders: Emperor "Danh" and Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Intended Receiver: Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID:000048.
Role: Governor of the Ivakur Settlers
Orders:
Establish a colony on Celestial Object 31 "Ivakur."
Reason:
Preparation for First Contact and conflict with Sapient-02 "Avarin."
Mission Directives:
Successfully land with minimal damage.
Achieve self-sufficiency using local resources.
Send confirmation messages and await further orders.
Assigned Support:
Fleet Command: Rear Admiral Grade-3 Fleet AI; ID: 000009
Transport: 5th Colony Fleet.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Fleet & Colony Status Report
Date: 3rd February 2033 A.D
Authorization Code: *++=***
Senders: Rear Admiral Grade-3 Fleet AI; ID: 000009
& Governor Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID: 000048
Intended Receiver: Emperor "Danh" and Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Reason: Status Report
Mission Log:
5:00 | 16th December 2032 – Burn initiated, efficiency within accepted margin.
19:00 | 17th January 2033 – Minor course correction executed.
14:00 | 1st February 2033 – Burn completed, engine power cut. Entering coast phase.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Fleet & Colony Status Report
Date: 30th March, 2034 A.D
Authorization Code: *^%*^^$
Senders: Rear Admiral Grade-3 Fleet AI; ID: 000009 & Governor Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID: 000048
Intended Receiver: Emperor "Danh" and Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Reason: Status Report
Mission Log – Fleet AI (000009):
12:30 | 2nd February, 2034 – Deceleration burn initiated. Increased pump RPM, sacrificing exhaust velocity for higher thrust.
11:00 | 1st March, 2034 – Achieved low Ivakur orbit. Detached landers.
12:00 | 1st March, 2034 – Returning burn initiated. Increased pump RPM, sacrificing exhaust velocity for higher thrust.
05:00 | 29th March, 2034 – Propellant expended. Fleet entering coast phase.
Mission Log – Administrator AI (000048):
12:00 | 1st March, 2034 – Shedding horizontal velocity.
12:27 | 1st March, 2034 – Slowing descent. One lander's engine explodes; no noticeable issue.
12:40 | 1st March, 2034 – Successful touchdown. The lander missing an engine lands rough but undamaged. Begin unloading.
Notes: Shrapnels from the exploded engine indicate improper alloy mix beyond the acceptable margin.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Fleet Status Report
Date: 30th March, 2035 A.D
Authorization Code: *^%*^^$
Senders: Rear Admiral Grade-3 Fleet AI; ID: 000009
Intended Receiver: Emperor "Danh" and Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Reason: Status Report
Mission Log:
08:00 | 2nd January, 2035 A.D: Rendezvous with designated refueling tankers successful.
14:00 | 2nd January, 2035 A.D: Fuel transfer completed. Departing with tankers toward the nearest colony for additional resupply.
09:00 | 15th February, 2035 A.D: Successful arrival at the colony. Contact established with the local tanker fleet.
15:00 | 15th February, 2035 A.D: Second refueling operation completed. Final course plotted for return journey.
16:00 | 3rd March, 2035 A.D: Initiating deceleration burn to achieve stable orbit around the asteroid.
18:00 | 25th March, 2035 A.D: Docking procedure completed. Fleet has returned to base. Awaiting further orders.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Colony Status Report
Date: 1st December, 2034 A.D
Authorization Code: *&#****$(#
Sender:** Governor Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID: 000048
Intended Receiver:** Emperor "Danh" and Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Reason: Status Report
Mission Log:
2:00 | 1st May, 2034 A.D: Resource surveying confirms the initial long range survey within acceptable margin.
20:00 | 20th June, 2034 A.D: Progress stable, expecting the deadline to be met.
12:00 | 1st December, 2034 A.D: Colony has achieved full self-sufficiency. Awaiting further directives.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Operation First Contact: Ship Building
Date: 2nd December, 2034 A.D
Authorization Code: ***^#&(**
Senders: Emperor "Danh" & Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Intended Receiver: Governor Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID: 000048
Reason: Fleet Construction Order
Orders:
Construct a fleet according to the specifications provided in the Information Package.
Prioritize construction in ascending order of assigned numerical designations.
All completed vessels will remain within launch silos until further directives.
Attachments:
Ship Designs & Specifications (Included in the Information Package)
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Colony Status Report
Date: 5th May, 2035 A.D
Authorization Code: {#***$(#
Sender: Governor Grade-3 Administrator AI; ID: 000048
Intended Receiver: Emperor "Danh" & Second-in-Command AGI "Khánh Linh"
Reason: Status Report
Mission Log:
05:00 | 1st May, 2035 A.D: Diplomatic vessel construction completed.
22:00 | 3rd May, 2035 A.D: Planetary assault ship construction completed.
10:00 | 4th May, 2035 A.D: 3 out of 20 orbital defense ships completed.
00:00 | 5th May, 2035 A.D: Avarin satellite detected over colony airspace. Estimated detection probability: 90%.
Secrecy compromised. Awaiting further directives.
FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE EMPIRE, AND FOR HUMANITY.
—————————————————————
Danh, aboard the Pioneer, orbiting a moon roughly 4.2 AU from Teshan.
Khánh Linh's voice suddenly cuts through the silence.
"Danh!"
I blink and look up from my biology book, setting it aside. Lately, she's been favoring the monitor whenever she wants my attention, and sure enough, her avatar flickers into view.
"Yes?"
"They found out."
I stare at her for a second. "The Avarin? About the Ivakur colony?"
"Yes."
I exhale sharply. We got complacent. Ever since they started focusing inward, shifting their surveillance to their own orbit, we assumed we were in the clear. And now—well, knowing doesn't change the fact that it already happened.
"The infiltrator sent no warning about a launch?"
"None. The AI at Ivakur identified it as a Senere Alliance satellite, not a Vareshi one. That's why there was no intel from inside the empire."
Great. A whole new problem, and the secrecy of my closest forward base is gone before the plan is even fully executed. As some general once said, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.
No point in wasting time mulling over it. I refocus and say, "Finish whatever defenses are still under construction, scrap the rest. Then, begin production of both navies immediately."