Shadow Mastiff and I have been testing a new and awsome mod called THE DOME!

This mod is epic, and drasticly enhanses sins. Matter of fact, our first game was so epic, we decided to turn it into a story.

SO! here is that story, I have embeleshed it, and it is compltly fictional, but it is full based off of this one game, and off of Shadow's mod.

Oh yea, In this story I paint Shadow as being evil, this is not true. I simply did it to make the story better. (sorry shadow)

so without further adu, I present to you......

The Loss an Empire!

Ahhh……

Life is so boring anymore, all I do eat this gruel and hang around my mansion. Not that this gruel doesn’t taste good, it is certainly better than what the common citizen eats. But the food from the Palace was so much better.

See…. my name is EvilTesla. I once was the leader of the Teslarian Republic, a five system peaceful empire. My predecessor was GreatTesla, and once his twenty years of leading our peaceful nation were up, I stepped in. It was a peaceful transition, no assassination attempts, everyone considered me to be a great asset to our republic. They should. I have been considered the greatest military commander in the entire republic. 

It was about half way through my term, ten years, and everything was going well. The Teslarian Republic was doing prospering; we had even gained another planet through peaceful means, when a bordering empire, the Dirtch, declared war.

See…. nothing is settled the usual way in this section of the universe. The all-powerful gaming company settles all confrontations, and that was the way it was going to be in this war. Each civilization was to send one person, their best tactician to fight for them. The idea behind the gaming company is simple, but unspoken, may the best man (or cough drop sucking alien, or psitigrate obsessed with revenge) win

Of course, I, the great leader of the Teslarian Republic was chosen to fight. And the Dirtch chose the shadow, ShadowMastiff; An extremely competent commander, known to switch tactics in the middle of a battle. You scout him, and discover that he has a large number of carriers. So you counter by building large number of anti-fighter frigates. Next thing you know, his heavy cruisers are swarming you.

My tactics are simple, just build a bigger hammer, and pray it works.

So, I set off in my Royal Cruiser for the gaming systems. A large number of systems, bigger than the Teslarian Republic and the Dirtch combined, all devoted towards gaming.

My first day there was simple. I got to watch a few games, replays of course, because the actual games themselves can take months to play out.

The next day was simple, but stressful. ShadowMastiff and I were in a large auditorium with hundreds of other contestants listening to a lecture given by a large man with the deepest voice I ever heard.

“Fighters, welcome to the Games. You are here today because your minds are too puny to solve your problems diplomatically, and have chosen to fight them out in the games,” he started.

“The Game type chosen to solve your disputes is THE DOME! In the Dome, I am god, and my word is law. If any of your fleets break the law, we have a large juggernaut waiting outside the arena to destroy your fleet. You will not have the backing of an empire and you cannot escape. The Dome only has a fifty percent survival rate. And just because you win doesn’t mean that you survive. ”

“Oh crud!” I thought. I was good at most of the games but I always had trouble in DOME type military simulations.

“You and your contestant will start out in a simple solar system, two dead asteroids separated by a star,” The Judge spoke again, “You will have all the research structures you will ever need. There are also two special structures, a timer that keeps the Phase lane closed until an allotted ten days are up. Then the Phase lane will open, and you may fight. There is also a planetary shield generator that keeps rushes and Novalith Cannons from being viable tactics. For the rest of the day you will leave for your Dead Asteroid base. For tomorrow your game will begin. Good Luck fighters”

Shortly after that I came face-to-face with ShadowMastiff for the first time.

“Sooo! You’re the Great EvilTesla, I am the shadow, ShadowMastiff.” He introduced himself.

“Great, I may not be, but EvilTesla I am.” I responded, “May the best Empire win.”

 “I hope you survive, so that I can witness your humiliation as your republic is subjugated by the Dirtch! I’LL SEE YOU IN THE DOME!” Was his only reply.

I quickly got to my new home away from home, that dead Asteroid. First thing I inspected was the Timer that would keep the phase lane closed for ten days.

And the Shield Generator, here you see the Generator inside a Vassari Hanger, with the shield itself in the background.

Then the day was over.

Next day, the game had already started. I immediately ordered my commanders to build a flagship, a Marza, called the Khronis.

For ten days I pushed everyone in the small outpost as fast as I could. We began researching advanced ships; we not only finished the Khronis, but one other capitol ship, a Dunov.

Then after ten days the timer exploded. The phase lanes were open. I didn’t fret because I know that ShadowMastiff hadn’t finished his fleet either.

I immediately sent three scouts across the sun to Shadow’s dead asteroid.  I discovered that he also had two Capitol ships fully built, but not much more. My Marza alone wields more firepower than his Dunov and Sova combined.

Here is what I saw:

Three more days passed. I had a large number of workers needing psychiatric help due to increasing stress levels although I found I wasn’t much affected.  I hadn’t done any real work yet. I scouted the shadow again. He was building up a large number of carriers, so I immediately ordered construction of some Garda flack frigates.

It was around this time I finished fully designing my tactics. I had decided to do nothing fancy, just build a large fleet and wipe him off the face of…..THE DOME!!

The mainstay of my fleet was the Kodiak Heavy Cruiser, it would be supported by a contingent of LRMS, Lights, and Gardas. Maybe even a couple carriers of my own.

Here is a picture of my famed Kodiak.

I finished building six of these powerful cruisers, when the shadow launched his first wave.

He slammed me with around forty scout frigates, all armed with Timed Explosives. My fleet began to tear them apart like tissue paper but not quite fast enough. He launched his Timed Explosives onto my laboratories. Fortunately they were already abandoned. All my research was complete.

Fortunately I finished off his attack before it could do serious damage.

 Unfortunately, he had taken out JUST enough research stations to disable my ability to build these Kodiak Heavy cruisers.

Two more days passed. I was able to compensate for the lack of Kodiaks. I switched all my building over to LRM’s, Lights, and Carriers. My fleet was now very large, winning looked possible.

Then, he sent his second wave. Same tactic as before. About forty scouts armed with Timed Explosives. This time, he focused all firepower on my shield generator and destroyed it.

At this time I launched my third capitol ship, a Kol Battleship.  I used its’ powerful beams to rip the rest of the scouts apart.

A few more days passed and my fleet was completed. It even now had a fourth capitol ship, a Sova Carrier. Now my fleet was MUCH larger than Shadows’, and would be a quick battle.

I gained intelligence that his fleet was at the star and heading for my base, so I quickly boarded my Marza Flagship, the Kronis, and headed towards the engagement of my life.

After arriving on the Solar Battlefield, I realized that my enemy had made a great number of mistakes. First, his fleet was half the size of mine. Second, it was spread out and third, the capitol ships he DID have were weaker than mine.

I quickly diverted my fleet to take out Shadows’ siege frigates so they wouldn’t slip past me to my planet. Then, I tore him apart.

I destroyed most of his fleet and his Dunov cruiser, but the Sova and a few carriers jumped past my fleet to my home planet.

I jumped my fleet back to my dead asteroid, and quickly destroyed the Sova. This allowed my crew to use the Marza’s Missile Barrage and I began to chase the carriers around my planet.

“Congratulations sir,” my first-in-command told me, “You have just won the Dome, you have saved your people.”

I was about to respond when I learned why it was so easy to “win.” Red lights started flashing all over my ship. Chaos broke out. All of the sudden the entire ship shook and began to roll.

“What happened?” I demanded.

But I already knew the answer for there, on my main view, was this picture of my Dead Asteroid being blown to bits.

A few days later, I returned to my people. The Judge of the game had ruled that ShadowMastiff’s use of Timed Explosives was a Swarm and thus didn’t count. So my Republic is still safe.

Unfortunately, though the Judge may have saved my people, he didn’t save me. Now, ten years later, I can’t hold my head up. Few people remember me, and those that do don’t know my name. They just know me as “The Loser, the one that DIDN’T save our people.” It was the Judge that saved us, EvilTesla is second best.

My peoples’ confidence in me was shattered and they replaced me as soon as I returned home. I should be just finishing up my term, but now, I am just finishing up this gruel.

As even today I am still in awe. In awe of the epic-ness and the chance I had to make history. Now, I am but a footnote. I am in awe of the all the glory and danger that is…….THE DOME!!

Fighters!! Listen up!! THE DOME is accepting NEW challengers!! Watch for the Tournament put on by ShadowMastiff and I. Do you have what it takes to challenge the Dome and survive?

I’ll see you in the Dome!!!