White Whale

The White Whale is an elusive megafauna first discovered in Hex 1211 pursued by Aguamala Syndicate and Tahora Whai.

Behavior
The Whale is fairly reclusive, and avoids conflict with others out in space. Observations idicate that it will attempt to slip away from a conflict and camouflage itself in empty space.

However, if cornered and without a means to escape, the White Whale has been known to retaliate violently. Utilizing available space debris and mighty tail slams it will attack its foes.

Tahora Whai
Sector-west's Tahora Whai have a different relationship to dangerous megafauna. The Whai tend see these creatures as great beings deserving respect or even fellow travelers of the void. While the Whai do indeed hunt megafauna similar to this novel whale, it is driven by necessity not sport. The White Whale is thus not a trophy to prove one's honor and fortitude, but an equal that deserves understanding and appreciation. The natural beauty and power of a unique megafauna, such as the White Whale, must be protected and cherished. Dutiful study of this rare specimen is of paramount importance to the Whai as they navigate the stars.

ORCA
The Organization for Rare Colossus Advocates (ORCA) is an interstellar coalition of xenobiologists, ecologists, and conservationists dedicated to the preservation of rare void-borne species. They are unified in their commitment to direct action and, if need be, violence against those that would seek to harm or profit from this lonely creature.

The extreme measures of these activists are not without controversy. Advocates from various factions have condemned the zealotry as “unhinged attacks on [their] culture and lifeblood.” A decade ago, ORCA ships were targeted by these factions and decimated under superior firepower. Reduced to a fringe cult, the remnants of ORCA fled to the Assembled Commonwealth and persisted as a laughing stock.

Recent discovery of the “White Whale” as many across the sector are calling it has however led to a massive influx of support and manpower to the organization. ORCA moved operational headquarters from Idarast to Telas and the Center system to better coordinate their diverse coalition and to rally support from the interstellar community against the inhumane practices of the White Whale’s pursuers. ORCA as resurfaced in the media following protests on Telas against businesses suspected of supplying megafauna hunters.

They are loosely associated with other groups such as The School of the Great Wanderer and Anti-Hunting Association of Beacon Space (AHABS)
 * (ORCA is represented by the White Whale's Zealot located on Telas)

Background
News and rumor of the White Whale first surfaced among the ports of Nueva Cuauhtémoc. The Agualaman Syndicate soon after launched a great hunt for the Whale with a patriotic hunting song.

Whai whale tenders were aggravated by Aguamala's declaration. The Tahora whai sent missions to intercept the hunters and escort the Whale to a sanctuary in the Kikorangi o te Tahora Whai

La Casa de Fieras
The prized fleet of the Aguamala organization Embrión, a group dedicated to preventing the extinction of rare fauna as well as genetically engineering new fauna. Its primary focus is to act as a mobile research platform to test creatures new and old against various forms of life across Beacon Space.

A significant portion of this fleet is made up of the forces of smaller Lodges who serve as protection both against outside threats and the creatures contained within, should they manage to loosen their shackles. La Casa de Fieras does see a considerable amount of violence, releasing these creatures with robotic observers (and potentially support, depending on the nature of the conflict) and recording as much data as possible so as to produce better monsters in the future.

Currently, it is less being used for active research and more being used to impress the TTGI as a means of displaying what varieties of life could exist on Telas in the future, as well as the benefits of cultivating such life despite their dangerous qualities.

La Lanza
A collection of ships primarily of two or three large Lodges with several smaller or up and coming ones tagging along. The Lodges of this fleet lean heavily into the culture of the hunt and are always looking for new challenges to take on and overcome. The hulls of its ships always contain a portion of their previous conquests. These remains are sold as artwork or narcotics wherever the fleet travels.

Lepides Pagu
Constructed by the Salcedo family on behalf of the Syndicate, the fleet was developed using Gomese production facilities recently brought online. Several novel systems including a wing of semi-autonomous drones designed to seek out and detect targets in congested areas, such as asteroid fields.

Væringi Vipers
A classic Dynaean fleet; a mishmash of custom whale-bone corsairs and old scavenged ships retrofitted as multi-purpose whalers and pirates. The crews are hardened veterans and typical Dynaean Whai.

The Black Ghorāb
A fleet of heavy gunboats from the Puluhanni Navy exchanged to the Whai to secure safe travels in the Nusantara System

Kaipahua Waimārie
Recently assembled from ships impounded and seized around Telas. Kaipahua Waimārie are more sleek and shiny than their kin (although most of the serial numbers have been filed off), with many of the crews having only recently taken to the void, although they have seen some unnaturally good luck in their first major outing.

Turn 18
An uneasy stalemate emerged in the hex of 1211, the rumored location of the Whale. Aguamalan Lodges and Whai Fleets scanned the area for any signs of the Whale. The two sides exchanged cold acknowledgement of each other, quietly assessing one another's strength. Using their estensive drone fleets and scanners Aguamala were the first to uncover the Whale.

La Casa de Fieras, designed to exploit the weakness of void-creatures, began the first attack from Aguamala. A major salvo landed by Aguamala's prime fleet pierced through the thick hide of the creatures.

Witnessing the attack, the Vaeringi Vipers sped across the empty space to defend the whale and caught La Lanza before they managed to take a pass on the Whale. The Whai disrupted the hunters but retreated before becoming embroiled in a lengthy exchange.

Lepides Pagu, now aware of the Whai response, moved out to meet the slow gunboats of The Black Ghorāb. The hunters picked off the uncoordinated ships one by one, driving the vessels off before reengaging with the Whale. The disturbed White Whale swiped its tail through the void sending debris and asteroids at Lepides Pagu. The fleet’s scouting drones took the brunt of the damage screening the vessels from the onslaught.

Phase A
Shattered by Lepides Pagu last turn, the remnants of the Black Ghorāb fled the scene, narrowly escaping the battlefield and making a hasty jump out of the hex.

The Væringi Vipers, noticing the Whale in an aggravated state, switched target and harried La Casa de Fieras. The Vipers’ strikes crippled the hunters severely.

At the far edge of the hex, a new Whai fleet, Kaipahua Waimārie, emerged and moved out to strike at Lepides Pagu's back lines preventing the hunters from reorganizing after the Whale’s tail slam. They unloaded their batteries into the hunters vessels, disabling their targets completely.

Phase B
Despite the added defense from the Whai, The White Whale had taken serious damage in the initial exchange with the Aguamalan Hunting Lodges. The hunters all pressed on, each hoping to land the fated killing blow. However, the Whai ships were ready, Lepides Pagu had been knocked out for the count and two fleets remained guarding the Whale. Turning to their harassers, La Casa de Fieras responded with a Trident maneuver. Understrength, the attack did not deal a decisive blow to the Dynaean veterans who saw through the web of drones.

La Lanza continued its run against the Whale, but was once again blocked by a Whai fleet. Fresh from the fighting with Lepides Pagu, the Kaipahua Waimārie landed several lucky shots and intercepted many of the Aguamalan harpoons. La Lanza's ships scattered in all directions, its crews bickering on their next course of action.

Disagreeing with the errant fire and mess of the battle, the White Whale left the mess of 1211 for the quiet of 1012 flanked by a pair of Whai shepherds.

Phase C
A handful of ships of The Black Ghorāb fleeing the fight arrived over Nueva Cuauhtémoc in the Mentta system. The sight of the Aguamalan homeworld further insensed the debilitated vessels against the White Whale's attackers and they launched a desperate attack. Advanced Armored Personnel Carriers from the planet neutralized the weakened gunboats' senseless attack.

Hex 1012
The sole surviving Aguamalan fleet, La Casa de Fieras, followed the White Whale to the empty space of Hex 1012. Charging past the poorly armed Whai Shepherds, the Aguamalan Hunters launched themselves fully at the Whale in a last ditch attempt to eliminate the dangerous beast. The noble tilt at the White Whale was ultimately a quixotic attack at a far stronger foe. The Whale, tickled by La Casa de Fieras' sensor drones lashed out and crushed the fleet, rendering the research platform inoperable. The remaining ships of the fleet splintered off away from the raging Whale.

By the time the Whai Fleets of the Væringi Vipers and Kaipahua Waimārie arrived on the scene, the Aguamalans had absconded.

Nueva Cuauhtemoc
Prevented from attacking the world of Nueva Cuauhtémoc itself by the local defences, the depleted Whai gunboats of The Black Ghorāb turned to their bread and butter of piracy in the edges of the Mentta system. Any vessel that wandered too close to the Whai ships were terrorised and plundered for food and supplies. Whai piracy in the system was not to last as response teams from the far reaches Agumalan space readied to combat the threats posed by the whalers.

Disguised as merchant ship, a commando team of Aguijón prepared to plant a hidden swarm of stinger drones within the pirates' vessels. Purposefully falling into the hands of The Black Ghorāb's harpoons, the Agumalan operatives snuck aboard with their deadly payloads. However, the paranoid Whai discovered their intentions reading through an obviously forged manifest. Bitter hand-to-hand combat between the two sides ensued in the narrow confines of the starships. The drone swarm was unleashed prematurely, but it enabled the Agumalans to force their way back to the merchant frigate and decouple the ships, although they suffered several casualties in the confusion.

By the time the Whai destroyed the jelly-fish like drones and took command of The Black Ghorāb, the Aguamalans were long gone. Unfortunately for them, the mostly Puluhan crews of the gunboats had a natural immunity, an adaptation to the toxic algae of their homeworld, to the class of toxin delivered by the drones. Debilitated by severe, but not life-threatening, reactions to the stingers Whai fled once again. With Nueva Cuauhtémoc in their rear-view, the Whai ships jumped to the Center system, fearing further retaliation from 'Aguijón and the world's other defenders.

Aftermath
Aguamalan hunting lodges returned to Nueva Cuauhtémoc empty handed. With their flagships and fleets destroyed or scattered, the hunters were unable to challenge the Whai's escort mission to Saarinen(Planet A). It however remains uncertain how the ledges will decide to act in the coming months after these troubling events for the Aguamalan Syndicate.

Whether by luck or strategy, the Tahora Whai proved the victors on the battle field. No Whai fleets were lost, and while damaged in the conflict, they could be easily repaired or refitted.