With a semi-concrete plan of action to defeat the Korx now in my mind, I was quick to start setting up all of the resources and infrastructure to carry it out. For starters, I needed to set up harvesting facilities and units to gather the resources, storage facilities to keep them in, and trading depots where I could load them onto ships so that they could be sold. As I already acquired the technology to create those units and buildings, this was the easiest part of my plan. From there, I'd need to create trading ships (officially designated as Camel Class Freighters) and set up trading routes with other people, which would put my products on the market. Finally, I'd needed to set up economic starbases so that I could improve resource production and the value of my products. I was also planning on building cultural starbases, which broadcasted all kinds of stuff relating to your empire, because advertising.

...Also, some of the planet's I'd allowed my creations to colonize were very beautiful looking. Maybe I should look into tourism?

...Don't look at me funny, tourism is a valid source of income in Galactic Civilizations! It's also a good source of income in Tropico, and I really like both games. Don't judge me.

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While I got to work readying a small fleet of merchant ships, as well as the units to defend them, I also got to work using the research I'd acquired from the natives to start making some additional trade resources. To my surprise, while they had the technology to create them, the natives had yet to create all of the trade resources you could access in Galactic Civilizations 2. Apparently, they'd put designing those on the backburner following the return of the Dread Lords, so that research could be focused on defeating the Dread Lords. This left me a few places where I could use existing discoveries to create new products for myself, without having to worry about copyright/trademark/patent issues. Good god, those could make a huge mess of things.

The first trade good I made using my 'acquired' research was frictionless clothing, and, as a prerequisite to that, frictionless fabrics. Sweet heaven, those are sooooo comfortable. As this good was just a luxury resource, meaning I didn't really have any need for it to make any of my forces, I could devote any clothing made from those fabrics to trading. Of course, I wasn't going to sell all of them - I felt that my creations, for their undying loyalty, deserved a few luxuries for themselves.

My next tradable innovations were nano-scale recording devices, meant primarily for research. Given my technology did indeed work on the nanoscopic level, I felt that this would be a good device to give to people before I offered them anymore of my tech - that way, I would need to tell them how all of it worked, because hand-holding only make things harder for everyone in the long run.

My final tradable product was a type of spice that altered itself to the taste of any alien, making taste really good. Needless to say, it boosted the morale of everyone and made even the most unappealing food-stuffs delicacies. Mentally, I noted that I should limit my children's exposure to the stuff, and control the amount given to my creations, lest they become addicted to the stuff. I also made a note to warn the people I was selling these things to that they should be careful with how they distributed the spices, for obvious reasons.

Alright, trade goods made, now to get them into the markets.

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Using the spy programs I'd already put inside of the alliance networks, I got to work locating the nearest systems I could send my freighters to in order to establish markets for my products. I also made a point of sending some freighters toward Yor territory, because I didn't want to make them my enemies, plus I wanted to see if they would actually be interested in my wares.

Surprisingly, they were.

It took me a few minutes to get up enough Honey Bee class freighters to ship all of my goods in, at which point I began to deploy them toward the nearest systems I could find that were friendly to me.

I'd modified the freighters with Teleporters so that I could send in several of my organic creations to act as faces for my trading ventures. A quick conversation of Tylos had revealed to me that several of the Lumar had already been preparing themselves to act as merchants on my behalf, in the name both of executing my will and getting filthy rich. The strange jellyfish-crustacean aliens were assisted by a race known as the Noctili, weasel like creatures that shared the Lumar's homeworld. The Lumar were primarily aquatic and lived in the oceans, while the Noctili were land-lubbers, but both got along very well. On the ships that went to systems inhabited by fleshy beings, they would be my representatives. On those inhabited by Yor, I used simple trading programs for dealing with my potential customers, since they still didn't think very highly of fleshy beings.

Okay, trading fleets made and on their separate ways. Now to finish the preparations.

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Tagging along with my freighters were construction ships sent out to build starbases to assist with my trading ventures. The starbases would primarily be imporving production in my systems, as well as making trade more lucrative. Combat starbases were also going to be made, but I was planning to put scaled-down version of Halley thrusters on those bases, so that I could ensure that they could continue being effective even as the front moved forward. Finally, I set up a couple of Influence star bases near my neighbor's systems, because advertising is important. Also, some of T'shana wanted to make new friends in this universe, and had suggested I allow others to come to my system. They had also given me advice on how to make areas that looked appealing for tourists, since they realized that while doing things for altruistic reasons was really good, keeping a pragmatic reason around could convince more cynical people to work with you.

Inwardly, I smiled as I watched my plan come together. While I new it would take some time, planning, and a fair amount of luck for me to become wealthy enough to challenge the Korx, I had a feeling that things would work out for me.

For once, I wasn't wrong.

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AN: Read and Review! FEEDBACK IS BOTH APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED!

ALSO, EXPECT A REVISED VERSION OF HTE HONEYBEE TO BE POSTED ON MY STEAM ACCOUNT UNDER MY SCREENSHOTS. A LINK WILL BE POSTED IN MY SIGNATURE!

This is Flameal15k, signing off!