Waiting for Geoff...

Finally, now we can play seven-player!

Hayden doesn't want to play...

So now we'll set up...again.

Geez, these big maps take forever to make.

Almost done...

All right, turn one begins...

Turn one continues.

Geoff and Coslow become neighbors.

Kevin gets not one, but two radiation counters!

Turn one continues...

End of turn one.

"If I had a Navy, I would do something about that." --Coslow  *laughter from Martinek*

Ryan and Geoff are signal-jammed; they will not be taking Mecatol Rex this turn.

"Curses!" --Geoff and Ryan

And for his crimes, Geoff--leader of the Mentak Coalition--he shall be executed.

The arms race gets underway between Coslow and Martinek; Eric's economy gets going. Kevin feeds Hayden and Roden's PDS disintegrate his fleet.

Geoff and Ryan prepare their Mecatol invasion fleets; Eric begins to build his mega-fleet.

Ryan lands on Mecatol.  Eric attacks Ryan.  Kevin starts spreading out (I wonder what he could be up to).  Rodin moves in on Geoff.  Martinek masses his forces outside the nebula.

Kevin and Rodin exchange some planets as part of their new alliance.  Eric continues to gut Ryan's forces.  Martinek takes the space above Mecatol, Ryan's diplomat delays the invasion and then his fleet throws back the invaders!

Geoff makes for Mecatol, defeats Ryan's fleet but is stymied on the planet's surface--Ryan holds.  Eric takes out Ryan's reserve forward fleet (and secretly plots his own invasion of Mecatol).  Rodin sacks Geoff's home system, but does not successfully invade the planet.  Kevin spreads out even further--and suddenly his plan is clear: by the end of the turn, he controls six planets with technology specialties and is able to bring himself within two points of victory.  He has initiative; he chooses the Imperium strategy card and wins (with a little help from Coslow, who needs to drive back to Chicago that evening--let it end, already!).