(Not really a gamey update, but more of an emphasis on story and background. As it turns out, apparently the Feds are REALLY behind in technology, and as a result, military. However, even if their economy's a bit slumped too, they've at least got a surplus, so a lot of my game involves buying technologies, offering gifts of money so I'm friendly with the stronger powers, and slowly, slowly, and slowly build up; along with fending off the occassional declaration of war from a power that really has no ability to do so. Also, so far, we've got about nineteen worlds, if anyone's curious. However, rest be sured that with the bogged down way this game's beccoming for me, not to mention the plain oddity of having two Terrans on the field, you can be SURE I'll be making another attempt, now a bit wiser for the effort. And since the game crashed after the Precursor event, please do ignore such. >_< ALso, keep in note that I'm trying to bring this particular game to an end as soon as I can, which, if I play my cards right, might not be so far off...)

Much of Prime Minister Mitchell's efforts in leaping from the springboard Bradley had set down after he retired was focused on consolidating the Federation's admittedly tenous hold as a power in its own pocket. With several foreign worlds scattered within its own borders (though any influence they might have incurred was nullified by several nearby worlds acting as embassies and cultural vacation sites), and with several powerful neighbors nearby, Mitchell knew for a fact that, despite Harding's urging, the Terran Federation was NOT ready to act as a military power, nor was it quite an economic powerhouse, and neither was it influential in galactic politics. What it did possess, and even the Thalans and the Korath would admit, was determined grit to survive. And Mitchell proved beyond a doubt that he had the diplomatic ability to sail the Federation through tough times.

Negotiating with other powers for technologies the Federation lacked proved to be much simpler than anticipated. Weaker regional powers such as the Drath Legion proved receptive to any offers of a combination of money and technologies they lacked in exchange for what they had already researched, as anything at this point was a boon to Federal efforts. Whenever the treasury was not being drained in state gifts to other powers, they were redirected towards building up the infrastructure of Federal worlds, specifically those dedicated to research. Even with the technological focus, research seemed to go too slowly for anyone's pace, especially when the other powers were concerned, but there was one particular field that the Terran Federation was determined to NOT be beaten in. If there was anything they were noted for in their blood-soaked history, it was a proud land-based tradition, something the FSC was determined to have the edge in.

Much to some of the militarily minded powers' surprise, the Federation was succeeding in doing just that. The Dauntless class powered armor suit considered standard issue to Federal Marines, already a considerable step up from the traditional flak armor vests considered more fit for their ancestors than for modern warfare, was obsoleted almsot immediately in favor of a rising multitude of power armor classes. One such powered armor was the Hunter-class powered armor used by the elite Fallschirmjaeger Pathfinder Corps, a throwback to the old days of airborne units. Capable of being dropped into possible landing zones right after bombardment from suborbital gliders, they cleared the way for armored and more conventional assets to make their way planetside.

The navy was not being neglected either, but due to practical constraints, the delay was understandable. A new Stalwart class cruiser chassis was already in the works to fill the ranks of the navy. It was just a matter of procurring weapons and developing suitable defenses in the face of superior firepower.

Not all development was military, however. In circles such as New Harvard and New Cairo, the intellectual centers of the Federation, there was an ongoing philosophical debate about ethics. The primary school of thought, however, was one of balance. Professor Zhan Ru of New Harvard, PhD, proposed that what most powers believed was a struggle of either a power of "Good" or "Evil." Neither extreme was to be really any favorable to the Federation. "Good" powers, as far and few in the universe as they were, tended not to exercise rational judgment and were more zealots than anything. "Evil" powers, which were more numerous, were fickle, petty, and eager to start wars at the drop of a hat, which Lord Kona, the ill tempered leader of the Drengin, was rumored to have done at one point. Neither ways, Zhan Ru pointed out, served the purposes of the Federation, weak as it was relative to the other powers. What he proposed was "Neutrality," or more officially known as the "School of Balance." The Federation still had a unique position; it was far, far away from the inter galactic squabbles that plagued the north-east, and the Federation could act as an uninterested (which was genuine in most cases) third party mediator. By maintaining a careful indifference and balance, he argued, the Federation was likely to survive long enough to build up, along with being less likely to incur the wrath of any other powers.

His ideas spread quickly across the Federation, as well as with the prominent merchant classes, who in war zones maintained a strictly Balanced mentality. "If you could pay for the goods, you were fine, but keep your fighting OUT OF MY SHIP." As a result, as more races were inclined to trust the Federation not to take sides, they allowed more trade vessels to sail through their borders, and soon it was made a standard practice to always have on board of a merchant vessel a qualified Arbitrator to use the ship as neutral ground to hear and suggest ways to settle disputes.

However, at the same time, the Terran Federation was now considered a friend to most, barley all, of the powers in the galaxy, even the normally ill tempered Korath and Drengin, with the Korx and the Terran Alliance not far off. Barring the previous two, Mitchell then did something that would change the political landscape of the galaxy by a fair margin. He united all but the Korx and the Terran Alliance into one massive Alliance. Suddenly, the Federation was no longer in such a precarious position; it now had the backing of some of the most powerful militaries known to the galaxy. However, things became a bit complicated when the Drath Legion was losing its war against the Terran Alliance. In a move to deny the Alliance the worlds it desired, the Drath Legion, on January 8th of 2235, surrendered to the Terran Federation. Just as taken back as Bradley must have been when he admitted the Thalan Martian colonists many years ago, Prime Minister Mitchell admitted all the worlds of the Drath Legion, with Altarian worlds included, as full member states of the Federation with all rights conferred to them. The Federation had just doubled its size, but at teh same time, it was unsure if Mitchell could protect these new worlds. He took steps to placate who he nicknamed "Doppleganger Bradley." At the same time, while uniting all of these powers together, Mitchell realized a way to ensure not only the Federation's survival, but everyone's, without ever hearing another shot fired ever again...

I smell an allaiance victory.....

Now what would ever make you think THAT?

Mitchell had a difficult time determining the mood of the Federal Star Command. If they were having a hard time swallowing the information he just fed, he didn't blame them; it was a lot to absorb. But nevertheless...

"If you'll let me run the numbers by you again, sir?" the Navy Admiral asked Mitchell, who nodded his assent. The admiral, Carson, stiffly stated, "We are entering into a coalition with, what you're telling us, the Korx, the Thalans, and the Drengin and Korath?" When Mitchell only nodded, the Admiral, frustrated, asked, "So what does that mean for-?"

"-for your funding, you mean?" Carson flinched, though his discomfort drew little sympaty from his counterpart, the Marine Commandant Guderian. Modernization and refitting theories of the military had been kind to his ground pounders, and reports from "C" and his sneaks at MI6 indicated that the command structures of other powers did not care to think about ground warfare against Federal Marines. Having gone beyond simply donning powered armor, the Marine Corps were increasingly modernizing their old concepts of warefare, from fast, armored tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to air cavalry, even drawing in elements of the Navy that could enter the atmosphere for support. It was combined arms warfare at its finest, and Guderian, indeed related to the man responsible for one of the first brilliant campaigns of Terran history, was at its forefront.

Carson, by contrast, was forced to be content with a defensive Navy, though against weapons such as the Alliance Photonic Torpedoes or Phasor based weaponry, the Federation had not slacked off in finding means of defense against them. On the contrary, the line of fortresses that characterized the Federation's traditional borders bristled with some of the strongest Barrier and Anti-Missile defenses known in the galaxy, in no small part aided by the Thalans and the Korath; it had not taken much for Mitchell and his consuls to convince them of the need to be able to hold the fort in case of Alliance aggression, the latest victim of those sorties being the Drath Legion.

Which also led to the awkward situation the Federation found itself in. Moments after the surrender, Marine and Naval elements immediately rushed to defend the newly christened Drath-Terran citizens from the Alliance troops who might pretend to not be aware of the surrender. When they did arrive, it sent a clear message to the Alliance: invade these worlds at your own peril. They took the hint and withdrew back to Antares, though they were steaming, and reports from MI6 agents on Alternate Terra indicated that the President's hold on Congress there had considerably loosened from this loss of face. Just moments from seizing the Drath Legion's small number of rich worlds, they were immediately surrendered to their rivals across the Pacificus, who now had a large element of worlds right next door to them. The tension that followed could be felt everywhere in the galaxy at this point.

It certainly increased the prestige of the Federation in the eyes of the rest of the galaxy, however. If there was a possibility of war on the Alliance's part to take the worlds by force, Bradley suddenly found himself in a situation where, despite possessing the strongest Navy in existence (in which Carson was resentful), he was without friends. Every other power was in Mitchell's court, and should war come, they would rally to his defense, in no small part aided by remnant elements of the Altarian and Drath fleets who swore alleigance to the Federation.

Shaking himself of his musings, Mitchell told both Guderian and Carson, "What we're forming basically is a coalition force, much like we did with NATO way back in the day, including the multinational force. Where the headquarters is going to be is still up to negotiation." Both military men got the hint; it was a matter of pride still being hammered out, mainly between both Drengin clans who claimed their systems were the more approrpiate choice. "But we've got their support, and what we've got is solid. We're the only ones with capital ships actually up and running, so our officers will form the backbone of the chain of command." Carson nodded, somewhat placated and even pleased. "There's still some doubt about the Marines on part of the Korath, but I'm sure Guderian can give a proper training demonstration at a later point." The Prussian officer from the Dresden industrial sector simply responded with, "Ja, Prime Minister."

"I'm due to meet with the rest of the heads of state tomorrow to hammer out the details, but at the same time, you and the rest of the FSC are going to meet with your counterparts and hammer out a Coalition Force that'll REALLY wake up the Alliance's eyes. Make them think twice about trying anything."

As the meeting drew to a close, and as Mitchell returned to Campell Tower from the Pentagon, he grinned. After years of wondering if the Federation would survive or not, its chances had not only been solidified, but its rival, the Terran Alliance, just suddenly found itself in the position the Federation had been in for years. "See how they like it," he muttered as the day drew to a close.

***

In the middle of June of 2236, the United Planets suddenly found what must have been the equivalent of a wet dream. All but one of the major powers, after years of warfare and possessing little actual power to do anything about it, suddenly found a steady coalition of some of the most belligerent powers, led by the staunchly neutral Terran Federation with a proposition; the foundation of a peace keeping force that answered to the United Planets*.

Overwhelmed, the Secretary-Director of the UP began talks with Mitchell and the coalesced leaders about the subject, and by the end of the year, a head quarters was established in the heart of the Thalan hinterland, with organization and training along with funding to follow not long after. The Alliance, suddenly, found itself isolated on all fronts. Its large vote was now nullified by the rest of the leaderes in the UP, which proved to be a mighty political club. Its Navy, the strongest around, was now outflanked on three fronts should the other powers grow irritated at it. And Mitchell's leadership and influence was such now that should any war break out, he could now act as an arbitrator to reach compromise. The Alliance was now in a ditch; the rest of the galaxy watched to see how it would dig itself out.


*This is just how I see the results a diplomatic victory coming about; with the entire galaxy united under one front, it wouldnt' be hard to see a peacekeeping force forming, with the actual unifier acting as the leader of sorts.

Also, as a note, a lot of what I described did happen in the game, but so far, the game's just been ODD. All the wars I mentioned with the Torians happened not once, not twice, but five times. And this was before I even knew the Torians existed! One moment I was wondering where some of the other races went, thenext moment I get a message saying that we are at war. THEN his contact information shows up. Five months into the phony war, the message saying, "We're pleased to meet you!" shows up. A bit late, fella! The same applied for the Altarian Resistance, though thankfully they died off quickly. However, at this point, I feel the game can only get more buggy and messed up, so I'd like to start anew as soon as I humanely can.

Great read, keep up the good work!

I don't know if this works or not. Try to give the other Human Alliance a planet of the surrendered Drath close to their border (even the worst one might work), then see if they will enter into an alliance with you to get the Diplomatic Victory