STGOD 2k8 background thread

[Hawkwings]

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time. Planet Luminaire in the Beta Aquilae system colonized by North American and Eastern Asian settlers.
• Discovery of the drug called Valkyr on one of the earliest colonies, one of the few to arrive at their destination before the invention of the FTL drives. Causes the unlocking of previously unknown human potential but at a significant physical and psychological cost
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Empire discovers a pre-Konige civilization where the powers called The Awesome have been unlocked. War is waged, but the Empire is unprepared for these new abilities. Empire ultimately victorious but many colonists escape into the void with their own FTL equipped ships. Konige civilization founded, and frequently wages war with the Empire. Empire always victorious, but Konige never destroyed due to factions within the Empire wanting to preserve and study the Awesome. The Konige also make good boogeymen for maintaining military control.
• Second colonization wave results in founding Makay province on fringe of empire.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provides the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• The Golden Cloud Institute is founded. As it grows into a secret naval research outpost, it is lost by the authorities.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster is founded and incoporated into the Empire, becoming a loyal and prosperous vassal.
• Duke Saalwakter of Surkaldia puts down revolt of North Kaldic ethnics for the Empire; declared King Saalwakter I of the Kingdom of Nordkaldia, an Imperial tributary state.
• Colonies founded near the Corona Stars, an area of space notable for its beauty and the strange stellar phenomena in the area.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Increase in nationalism across Aquilae Sector as ancient reconstructed 'Gordon Who' and 'Buck Armstrong' recordings are discovered, depicting heroic historical figures achieving great deeds in local space.
• Weston Vries, an economist at the Imperial Academy of Science, publishes "The Prophecies of Sorel" in secret. Though soon executed, his heretical economic/social theory, Syndicalism, is disseminated throughout Imperial space. Though generally ignored by the central Imperial government, Syndicalist actions which in any way impede the flow of taxs and tithes to Holy Terra are brutally put down.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute rediscovered by the Empire. Conflicts and/or problems are avoided by the Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being reintegrated into the Empire.
• Admiral Daggair Tarnok authorizes the refitting of the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet with advanced man-machine interfaces. Shortly after completing the upgrade cycle, Admiral Tarnok destroys the 6th and 7th Fleets.
• King Saalwakter IV ordered by Imperial Decree to provide a yearly tithe of 16 warships yearly to Holy Terra from the levies of his demesne. Imperial Shipyard 321G established at Kaldigrad at Nordkaldian expense to meet the need.
• Corona Stars colonies form government under Imperial rule, officially becoming the Corona Stars Commonwealth. They open their borders to tourism, quickly becoming a top vacation destination. The Imperial elite start establishing private retreats in colonized systems.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Enclave Invades.
• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Loyal Imperial Sector Commands from Altair to Rasalhauge are unified under a single command for the duration of the war by Terran Authorities, as the Beta Aquilae Sector Defense Concordat (BETAC). Sector civil defense fleet drafted into Imperial Reserves.
• The Institute offers token military assistance to the Empire as planning begins for secession from the Empire at an opportune time.
• Grand Duchy of Malacaster offers open military support to the Empire. The body of the Grand Ducal Fleet joins the Imperial fight against the Enclave.
• Imperial ships stationed in the Corona Stars Commonwealth are reassigned, join the war effort. No ships are requisitioned from the Commonwealth, with the understanding that they will assist in pursuing enemy stragglers and make their repair yards available to Imperial ships.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• BETAC begins conversion of scientific and industrial assets to military production. Actively begins supplying Imperial escort and light cruiser-type vessels.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.
• The Enclave destroys a large force of Imperial and allied warships, including the majority of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth increases military production to meet the demands of its new duties.

Mid Final War:

• Imperial government levies war taxes in Nordkaldia, desperate to make up losses. In protest of worsening working conditions and lower wages, Nordkaldian shipyard workers launch the Strike of 9223. Royal Nordkaldian troops put down the strike; despite importance of Nordkaldian shipbuilding, no Imperial troops available to assist the strikebreakers. Losses for Royalists are heavy.
• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• BETAC sector Imperial Battlefleet deploys to the front lines. Sector defense left entirely to local powers. Archeology-derived 'historical fiction' skyrocket in popularity from war fever.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortification of the Institute's home planets.
• The peasantry of Athenry, a planet in the Grand Duchy of Malacaster, erupts in open revolt against the Grand Duke's rule on news of the destruction of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• Refugees from the Inner Empire start arriving in the Corona Stars Commonwealth. Most of these are the rich elite who have previously built private retreats within Commonwealth space.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Aquilae-origin Battlefleet destroyed in deep space engagement. BETAC worlds begin developing independent sector government due to isolation from central Terran authorities. A fully fledged deep space command, Astro-Fleet formed at first as a mobile defense and response unit.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• Syndicalist leaders launch the Great Strike. Royal troops ordered to march on the shipyards refuse to leave their barracks; others defect to the strikers rather than open fire. King Gespard-Lutzen appeals to Holy Terra for assistence, but never recieves a reply. Nordkaldian Civil War begins.
• The Institute begins seizing assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and that the Institute needs to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed "not worth it."
• Athenry rebellion violently supressed by the Grand Duke's forces. Malacaster begins a massive naval build-up, to rebuild its fleet and guard against future insurrection.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth sends scout ships into Enclave-occupied space. They find evidence of a desperate war being fought near the center of the Empire. In response, CSC ships start raiding Enclave supply lines and destroying damaged ships.
• Earth Explodes.

Post Final War:

• Chamaran exodus arrives at pyre, overwhelms neigbouring province of Makay, dominates and enslaves.
• King Gespard-Lutzen executed by revolutionary mob outside the Imperial compound on Kaldigrad. The next day, the Union of Kordkalidc Syndicates is established and declares independence from the Empire. Syndicalist strikes in neighboring Caliphon and Esperance erupt into violence; Nordkaldian support will lead to successful Syndicalist revolts in both nations. However, Syndicalist uprisings in other parts of the Empire are put down successfully by local forces; sometimes with great violence.
• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• BETAC Officially declares itself an independant commonwealth. 'Manifest Ascendancy' party gains power in Governing Council. Astro-Fleet begins to annex nearby neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction.
• The Institute formally breaks away from (what's left of) the Empire.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster annexes several of its neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction, most peacefully. Due to politcal compromise, indendence is not explicitly declared.
• The First Syndicalist International convenes on Kaldigrad to discuss the international Syndicalist revolution.
• Magnus Korblson comes to power by killing the previous Ruck Tsar in a formalized duel, promises to lead the Konige to a new age of glory by attacking the remnants of the Empire
• The fleeing remnants of an Imperial fleet arrive in the Corona Stars. They bring news that the Earth has been destroyed and the Empire is in ruins. They ask for refuge, and in return offer to assist the CSC in whatever way they can.

[Thirdfain]

I'm going to be assigning most of my racial points to the Syndicalist International- Syndicalist groups in other nations. Not every nation has Syndicalists, but most Imperial successor states do, to some degree or another.

Spyder and Nephtys:

Here are my first thoughts as to Syndicalism in your nations. Thoughts? This is all up to negotiation and discussion.

The Internationale

Syndicalism is a popular ideology across the former Empire. Many of the Empire's integral states were oppressive, and even those which were not often exibited wide disparities between the rich and working poor. As a result, even before the war there were Syndicalist secret societies, and in some nations, open Syndicalist parties- some even had small shares of government. However, Syndicalism was explicitly anti-Empire. The First Syndicalist International established an ideology based around the concept of a "Trans-National Union For All Peoples." Nordkaldic syndicalists in particular saw it as their duty to promote revolution across the former Empire. The eventual goal is to bring about a world in which every nation is Syndicalist, united under the Internationale. Since the fall of the Empire, the Union of Nordkaldian Syndicates has made it it's policy to support every possible Syndicalist movement- this has been most successful in the neighboring states of Caliphon and Esperance, which experienced brief and bloody revolutions- in the case of Caliphon, with only minimal assistance from Kaldigrad, in the case of Esperance, with the direct and bloody intervention of Caliphoni and Nordkaldic forces.

Almost every nation in the former Empire has a Syndicalist underground of some sort, ranging from what ammount to little more than clubs of disgruntled students all the way up to fully functional, legal political parties. The recent successes of Syndicalism in the Kaldic region have lead to an upsurge of Syndicalist sentiment. However, not all Syndicalist movements trust the Syndicalist Internationale- some view it as a mere tool of Nordkaldian imperialism. However, many others have established contact with Kaldigrad, and the First Syndiclaist Internationale was attended by representitives from a dozen nations.

Beta Aquilae Concordat

Syndicalism in the Beta Aquilae Concordat was helped by the relatively libertine sensibilities of that advanced, wealthy nation. Where other states, such as pre-Revolution Nordkaldia, crushed Syndicalism ruthlessly, BETAC's Industrial sector allowed workers to join Syndicalist organizations and unions. However, the Concordat was also willing to play ball with Syndicalist bosses and often reached compromises as to wages and working conditions which kept workers from developing towards radicalism. This policy has been widely successful with the well-fed and free workers of the Concordat, something which has kept Betan syndicalists from turning towards Nordkaldia. However, the revolutionary Betan Anarchist-Syndicalist Federation sent representitives in secret to the First Internationale. This small, radical group enjoys only limited support from the greater Syndicalist population in the Concordat, much less across Transhuman society.

Betan Anarchist-Syndicalist Federation: 10 points

Academy Vanguard

The Imperial Academy of Science was the birthplace of modern Syndicalism- Weston Vries was an Imperial Academic, an economist ot be precise, whose realization of the fragility and inefficiency of the Imperial system lead him to write "The Prophecies of Sorel," known as the Black Book. Syndicalism is well known in Academy circles, and many of the Academics who backed the secret plot by Julius Vance against the Empire did so due to their Syndicalist ideology. However, the eventual goal of Syndicalism is quite different from that of the Academy Vanguard, and as time passes, more and more Syndicalist supporters of the Vanguard have begun to whisper that the time for further revolution is at hand. Vance knew the risks of bringing Syndicalists into his plot, however, and has taken steps to keep tabs on Syndicalist sentiment within the Academy. Former Provost of the Mars Academy of Philosophy Genji Murasake is the Academy's leading Syndicalist, and a minister of some influence within the Vanguard. His contact with Kaldigrad has been limited. Of greater concern to Vance is the Scholastic Union, a group of young academics who have been observed by internal security forces organizing unions in the recently conquered Vanguard provinces. Two of those groups, the Wellon Fraternity and the Worker's Revolutionary Front, sent representitives to the First Internationale.

Wellon Fraternity, Worker's Revolutionary Front:
Worker's groups, supported and organized with help from the Scholastic Union: 20 points

Scholastic Union:
A secret organization of Syndicalist students which has, since the fall of the Empire and the establishment of the Vanguard, come into the fore; widely known in the Vanguard: 10 points

Murasake Faction:
Syndicalist leaders in the Vanguard government, currently allied closely with Vance, but with some influence: 10 points

[Covenant]

What would you like those points to count for though? IE, what'll they do? Espionage type stuff?

[Thirdfain]

What would you like those points to count for though? IE, what'll they do? Espionage type stuff?

Depends on the specific organization. The ten points spent on the Betan Anarchist-Syndicalist Federation represent a core of workers and revolutionaries in Betan factories who are plotting revolution- they could launch strikes, engage in espionage, and even launch a full scale uprising. The success of such actions, however, would depend very heavily on outside support and the current internal situation in the nation. The ten points spend on the Murasake Faction, however, represent upper-level ministers in the Vanguard who are committed Syndicalists, and represent direct influence in the Vanguard government- though for 10 points, not very much, essentially allowing me to engage in RPing within the Vanguard government.

I'm also going to have a pool of points spent on the International's corps of agents and demagogues, who could be dispatched to assist various movements.

-edit- your nation, of course, would be one completely bereft of Syndicalist influence. Fucking aliens...

[Academia Nut]

I think the confusion here Thirdfain is that what you're describing sounds a lot like the sort of operations covered under the umbrella of "espionage" so a lot of people are wondering how exactly investing racial points in other nations exactly helps you out. Because aside from intelligence gathering, the espionage action would include things like brewing up dissent, sabotage, theft, and all sorts of other sundry things. Basically if you could picture the CIA or James Bond (because this does lean towards the fantastic) doing it to somebody, it would be included under the umbrella of "Intelligence".

[Thirdfain]

But this sin't my state's intelligence operation (though some points will be spent on that.) Putting these points into a blanket intel score would make no sense, because Syndicalist contacts just wouldn't exist in some societies, and some of these points would not offer any assistance at all to covert ops- Having a few Syndicalists openly in the Academy's government would offer no assistance whatsoever in an operation to, say, plant a bomb or something.

[Academia Nut]

Fair enough, we're just trying to figure out exactly what this means, what sort of influence exactly you have by spending these points as opposed to spending them on something else or RPing it. Theoretically if you spend points on something you should get at least some sort of psuedo-mechanical benefit for your investment. Basically, just want to make sure that your proposal is fair, both for you and everyone else.

[Thirdfain]

Alright, maybe I can divide the points into two categories: Points spent on local Syndicalist unions and such, which would sort of act as a bonus to my intel ops against that nation, and points spent on actual political influence, which would... well, I'm not sure. I was going to talk to Spyder about that...

[Beowulf]

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time. Planet Luminaire in the Beta Aquilae system colonized by North American and Eastern Asian settlers. System of Achaea settled as furthest original colony.
• Discovery of the drug called Valkyr on one of the earliest colonies, one of the few to arrive at their destination before the invention of the FTL drives. Causes the unlocking of previously unknown human potential but at a significant physical and psychological cost
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Kingdom of Achaea begins colonization of other systems.
• Empire discovers a pre-Konige civilization where the powers called The Awesome have been unlocked. War is waged, but the Empire is unprepared for these new abilities. Empire ultimately victorious but many colonists escape into the void with their own FTL equipped ships. Konige civilization founded, and frequently wages war with the Empire. Empire always victorious, but Konige never destroyed due to factions within the Empire wanting to preserve and study the Awesome. The Konige also make good boogeymen for maintaining military control.
• Second colonization wave results in founding Makay province on fringe of empire.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provides the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Kingdom of Achaea conquered and forced to become tributary of the Empire. Further colonization by the Kingdom is stopped.
• Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• The Golden Cloud Institute is founded. As it grows into a secret naval research outpost, it is lost by the authorities.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster is founded and incoporated into the Empire, becoming a loyal and prosperous vassal.
• Duke Saalwakter of Surkaldia puts down revolt of North Kaldic ethnics for the Empire; declared King Saalwakter I of the Kingdom of Nordkaldia, an Imperial tributary state.
• Colonies founded near the Corona Stars, an area of space notable for its beauty and the strange stellar phenomena in the area.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Increase in nationalism across Aquilae Sector as ancient reconstructed 'Gordon Who' and 'Buck Armstrong' recordings are discovered, depicting heroic historical figures achieving great deeds in local space.
• Weston Vries, an economist at the Imperial Academy of Science, publishes "The Prophecies of Sorel" in secret. Though soon executed, his heretical economic/social theory, Syndicalism, is disseminated throughout Imperial space. Though generally ignored by the central Imperial government, Syndicalist actions which in any way impede the flow of taxs and tithes to Holy Terra are brutally put down.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute rediscovered by the Empire. Conflicts and/or problems are avoided by the Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being reintegrated into the Empire.
• Admiral Daggair Tarnok authorizes the refitting of the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet with advanced man-machine interfaces. Shortly after completing the upgrade cycle, Admiral Tarnok destroys the 6th and 7th Fleets.
• King Saalwakter IV ordered by Imperial Decree to provide a yearly tithe of 16 warships yearly to Holy Terra from the levies of his demesne. Imperial Shipyard 321G established at Kaldigrad at Nordkaldian expense to meet the need.
• Corona Stars colonies form government under Imperial rule, officially becoming the Corona Stars Commonwealth. They open their borders to tourism, quickly becoming a top vacation destination. The Imperial elite start establishing private retreats in colonized systems.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Enclave Invades.
• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Loyal Imperial Sector Commands from Altair to Rasalhauge are unified under a single command for the duration of the war by Terran Authorities, as the Beta Aquilae Sector Defense Concordat (BETAC). Sector civil defense fleet drafted into Imperial Reserves.
• The Institute offers token military assistance to the Empire as planning begins for secession from the Empire at an opportune time.
• Grand Duchy of Malacaster offers open military support to the Empire. The body of the Grand Ducal Fleet joins the Imperial fight against the Enclave.
• Imperial ships stationed in the Corona Stars Commonwealth are reassigned, join the war effort. No ships are requisitioned from the Commonwealth, with the understanding that they will assist in pursuing enemy stragglers and make their repair yards available to Imperial ships.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• BETAC begins conversion of scientific and industrial assets to military production. Actively begins supplying Imperial escort and light cruiser-type vessels.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.
• The Enclave destroys a large force of Imperial and allied warships, including the majority of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth increases military production to meet the demands of its new duties.
• Kingdom of Achaea begins massive militarization program. Royal Legions are refounded, and production of battleships begins.

Mid Final War:

• Imperial government levies war taxes in Nordkaldia, desperate to make up losses. In protest of worsening working conditions and lower wages, Nordkaldian shipyard workers launch the Strike of 9223. Royal Nordkaldian troops put down the strike; despite importance of Nordkaldian shipbuilding, no Imperial troops available to assist the strikebreakers. Losses for Royalists are heavy.
• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• BETAC sector Imperial Battlefleet deploys to the front lines. Sector defense left entirely to local powers. Archeology-derived 'historical fiction' skyrocket in popularity from war fever.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortification of the Institute's home planets.
• The peasantry of Athenry, a planet in the Grand Duchy of Malacaster, erupts in open revolt against the Grand Duke's rule on news of the destruction of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• Refugees from the Inner Empire start arriving in the Corona Stars Commonwealth. Most of these are the rich elite who have previously built private retreats within Commonwealth space.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Aquilae-origin Battlefleet destroyed in deep space engagement. BETAC worlds begin developing independent sector government due to isolation from central Terran authorities. A fully fledged deep space command, Astro-Fleet formed at first as a mobile defense and response unit.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• Syndicalist leaders launch the Great Strike. Royal troops ordered to march on the shipyards refuse to leave their barracks; others defect to the strikers rather than open fire. King Gespard-Lutzen appeals to Holy Terra for assistence, but never recieves a reply. Nordkaldian Civil War begins.
• The Institute begins seizing assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and that the Institute needs to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed "not worth it."
• Athenry rebellion violently supressed by the Grand Duke's forces. Malacaster begins a massive naval build-up, to rebuild its fleet and guard against future insurrection.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth sends scout ships into Enclave-occupied space. They find evidence of a desperate war being fought near the center of the Empire. In response, CSC ships start raiding Enclave supply lines and destroying damaged ships.
• Earth Explodes.

Post Final War:

• Kingdom of Achaea declares independence from the Empire.
• Chamaran exodus arrives at pyre, overwhelms neigbouring province of Makay, dominates and enslaves.
• King Gespard-Lutzen executed by revolutionary mob outside the Imperial compound on Kaldigrad. The next day, the Union of Kordkalidc Syndicates is established and declares independence from the Empire. Syndicalist strikes in neighboring Caliphon and Esperance erupt into violence; Nordkaldian support will lead to successful Syndicalist revolts in both nations. However, Syndicalist uprisings in other parts of the Empire are put down successfully by local forces; sometimes with great violence.
• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• BETAC Officially declares itself an independant commonwealth. 'Manifest Ascendancy' party gains power in Governing Council. Astro-Fleet begins to annex nearby neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction.
• The Institute formally breaks away from (what's left of) the Empire.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster annexes several of its neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction, most peacefully. Due to politcal compromise, indendence is not explicitly declared.
• The First Syndicalist International convenes on Kaldigrad to discuss the international Syndicalist revolution.
• Magnus Korblson comes to power by killing the previous Ruck Tsar in a formalized duel, promises to lead the Konige to a new age of glory by attacking the remnants of the Empire
• The fleeing remnants of an Imperial fleet arrive in the Corona Stars. They bring news that the Earth has been destroyed and the Empire is in ruins. They ask for refuge, and in return offer to assist the CSC in whatever way they can.

[Spyder]

Alright, maybe I can divide the points into two categories: Points spent on local Syndicalist unions and such, which would sort of act as a bonus to my intel ops against that nation, and points spent on actual political influence, which would... well, I'm not sure. I was going to talk to Spyder about that...

It's an interesting idea. Political influence is a difficult one to quantify though. It's difficult for Vanguard ministers to make policy without demonstrating consistency with ethical considerations, peer review and in most cases studies/statistics/findings to back up their policy change. Only Dr Vance can change policy on the fly.

[Thirdfain]

It was two hours after midnight when the Revolutionary Guard came. The 17th Corps had held the salient for three weeks against the Syndicalists. The mobs and militia had been unrelenting, but the men and women of the 17th were stiffened by faith in Esperance's parliament as well as their superior arms and training. Wave after wave of attacker had been dispatched- piled bodies, ragged and armed with Nordkaldic guns, had piled up out in the fields around the town of Santa Dominga. In those three weeks, the green recruits of the 17th had become veterans in every sense of the word. They had weathered suicide attacks, armoured assaults, air-strikes, and the hideous trauma of three nuclear strikes. They had held, unyielding.

Until now.

Most of the manpower of the Syndicalist army is provided by volunteer worker's militias- a national guard. Most. When the Nordkaldian government ordered it's soldiers to break of the Great Strike, most units broke quickly, moved sluggishly, or simply ignored the order and stayed in barracks. The exception was the elite Parliament's Division- twenty thousand guns, the cream of the Nordkaldic Royal Army, aside from the Royal Guard. They assembled with haste, and moved into position with alacrity. The official Syndicalist histories claim that the sheer sight of the malnourished, mistreated workers of the Imperial Shipyards led them to mutiny. Others say that their officers had been bought off beforehand, pawns in the cutthroat game that was and is Nordkaldic politics. Regardless of their origin, the unit now known as the Revolutionary Guard took up the banner of the working man's resistance, and was at the fore of the Revolution.

Today, a decade after the establishment of the Internationale, the Revolutionary Guard are the cream of the Syndicalist military elite. The Parliamentary Division had weilded equipment nearly as good a that wielded by Imperial Marines, and the tradition continues to this day. An attack by the Guard is characterized by its tragic combination of brevity and brutality. Every single member of the Guards civil Syndicate is armed with servoarmour, a variety of thermonuclear weapons.

-under construction-

[Rogue 9]

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time. Planet Luminaire in the Beta Aquilae system colonized by North American and Eastern Asian settlers. System of Achaea settled as furthest original colony.
• Discovery of the drug called Valkyr on one of the earliest colonies, one of the few to arrive at their destination before the invention of the FTL drives. Causes the unlocking of previously unknown human potential but at a significant physical and psychological cost
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets. Imperial forces arrive at Nashtar a few years prior to the colony ships bound for the sector; the area is catalogued as Imperial Subsector Delta 23, and deemed unworthy of a more descriptive name. The local alien races are enslaved as labor on the agrarian and mining operations there; the original human colonists, who resist the idea of an Empire after having been taught during their long voyage of the importance of independence and liberty, soon join them.
• Kingdom of Achaea begins colonization of other systems.
• Empire discovers a pre-Konige civilization where the powers called The Awesome have been unlocked. War is waged, but the Empire is unprepared for these new abilities. Empire ultimately victorious but many colonists escape into the void with their own FTL equipped ships. Konige civilization founded, and frequently wages war with the Empire. Empire always victorious, but Konige never destroyed due to factions within the Empire wanting to preserve and study the Awesome. The Konige also make good boogeymen for maintaining military control.
• Second colonization wave results in founding Makay province on fringe of empire.
• The human inhabitants of Imperial Subsector Delta 23 are deemed sufficiently reeducated and released from slavery; the alien races of the Ronoghans, Ernari, and Zambarim remain enslaved. Unknown to the Inquest officials responsible for the manumission of the humans, a carefully hidden oral tradition of republican values has persisted among the descendants of the original colonists.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provides the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Kingdom of Achaea conquered and forced to become tributary of the Empire. Further colonization by the Kingdom is stopped.
• Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• The Golden Cloud Institute is founded. As it grows into a secret naval research outpost, it is lost by the authorities.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster is founded and incoporated into the Empire, becoming a loyal and prosperous vassal.
• Duke Saalwakter of Surkaldia puts down revolt of North Kaldic ethnics for the Empire; declared King Saalwakter I of the Kingdom of Nordkaldia, an Imperial tributary state.
• Colonies founded near the Corona Stars, an area of space notable for its beauty and the strange stellar phenomena in the area.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Increase in nationalism across Aquilae Sector as ancient reconstructed 'Gordon Who' and 'Buck Armstrong' recordings are discovered, depicting heroic historical figures achieving great deeds in local space.
• Weston Vries, an economist at the Imperial Academy of Science, publishes "The Prophecies of Sorel" in secret. Though soon executed, his heretical economic/social theory, Syndicalism, is disseminated throughout Imperial space. Though generally ignored by the central Imperial government, Syndicalist actions which in any way impede the flow of taxs and tithes to Holy Terra are brutally put down.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute rediscovered by the Empire. Conflicts and/or problems are avoided by the Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being reintegrated into the Empire.
• Imperial Subsector Delta 23 suffers rebellion on some of the primary agrarian worlds stemming from malcontent human ideologues and renegade alien slaves. The Imperial Inquest threatens to take direct control of the subsector if the colonial government is unable to quell the persistent rebellions.
• Admiral Daggair Tarnok authorizes the refitting of the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet with advanced man-machine interfaces. Shortly after completing the upgrade cycle, Admiral Tarnok destroys the 6th and 7th Fleets.
• The Inquest fleet sent to occupy and purge Subsector Delta 23 is rerouted to investigate and fight the rebellion and heresy of Admiral Tarnok and the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet; the Subsector is spared an Inquest occupation by default.
• King Saalwakter IV ordered by Imperial Decree to provide a yearly tithe of 16 warships yearly to Holy Terra from the levies of his demesne. Imperial Shipyard 321G established at Kaldigrad at Nordkaldian expense to meet the need.
• Corona Stars colonies form government under Imperial rule, officially becoming the Corona Stars Commonwealth. They open their borders to tourism, quickly becoming a top vacation destination. The Imperial elite start establishing private retreats in colonized systems.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Enclave Invades.
• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Loyal Imperial Sector Commands from Altair to Rasalhauge are unified under a single command for the duration of the war by Terran Authorities, as the Beta Aquilae Sector Defense Concordat (BETAC). Sector civil defense fleet drafted into Imperial Reserves.
• The Institute offers token military assistance to the Empire as planning begins for secession from the Empire at an opportune time.
• Grand Duchy of Malacaster offers open military support to the Empire. The body of the Grand Ducal Fleet joins the Imperial fight against the Enclave.
• Imperial ships stationed in the Corona Stars Commonwealth are reassigned, join the war effort. No ships are requisitioned from the Commonwealth, with the understanding that they will assist in pursuing enemy stragglers and make their repair yards available to Imperial ships.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• Imperial warships pulled from Subsector Delta 23 to defend the inner systems against the Enclave, leaving the local sector fleet to maintain order. Unknown to the Imperial commanders, many of the crews drawn from the local human populations are sympathetic to the ongoing rebellions.
• BETAC begins conversion of scientific and industrial assets to military production. Actively begins supplying Imperial escort and light cruiser-type vessels.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.
• The Enclave destroys a large force of Imperial and allied warships, including the majority of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth increases military production to meet the demands of its new duties.
• Kingdom of Achaea begins massive militarization program. Royal Legions are refounded, and production of battleships begins.

Mid Final War:

• Imperial government levies war taxes in Nordkaldia, desperate to make up losses. In protest of worsening working conditions and lower wages, Nordkaldian shipyard workers launch the Strike of 9223. Royal Nordkaldian troops put down the strike; despite importance of Nordkaldian shipbuilding, no Imperial troops available to assist the strikebreakers. Losses for Royalists are heavy.
• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• BETAC sector Imperial Battlefleet deploys to the front lines. Sector defense left entirely to local powers. Archeology-derived 'historical fiction' skyrocket in popularity from war fever.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortification of the Institute's home planets.
• The peasantry of Athenry, a planet in the Grand Duchy of Malacaster, erupts in open revolt against the Grand Duke's rule on news of the destruction of the Grand Ducal Fleet.
• Refugees from the Inner Empire start arriving in the Corona Stars Commonwealth. Most of these are the rich elite who have previously built private retreats within Commonwealth space.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Aquilae-origin Battlefleet destroyed in deep space engagement. BETAC worlds begin developing independent sector government due to isolation from central Terran authorities. A fully fledged deep space command, Astro-Fleet formed at first as a mobile defense and response unit.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The majority of the Subsector Delta 23 garrison fleet throws in with the rebels as it becomes clear that the war against the Enclave is weakening the Empire to the point where successful revolution may be possible. The Imperial colonial governor is swiftly overthrown and leaders among the elected Citizens' Congress take provisional control with the backing of the Navy.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• Syndicalist leaders launch the Great Strike. Royal troops ordered to march on the shipyards refuse to leave their barracks; others defect to the strikers rather than open fire. King Gespard-Lutzen appeals to Holy Terra for assistence, but never receives a reply. Nordkaldian Civil War begins.
• The Institute begins seizing assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and that the Institute needs to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed "not worth it."
• Athenry rebellion violently suppressed by the Grand Duke's forces. Malacaster begins a massive naval build-up, to rebuild its fleet and guard against future insurrection.
• The Corona Stars Commonwealth sends scout ships into Enclave-occupied space. They find evidence of a desperate war being fought near the center of the Empire. In response, CSC ships start raiding Enclave supply lines and destroying damaged ships.
• Earth Explodes.

Post Final War:

• Kingdom of Achaea declares independence from the Empire.
• Chamaran exodus arrives at pyre, overwhelms neigbouring province of Makay, dominates and enslaves.
• Imperial Subsector Delta 23 formally declares independence from the Empire. The new nation takes on the name "Nashtar," from the Ronoghan word for the open star cluster that dominates the subsector; the word roughly translates as "Cradle of the Stars." Ronoghans and Zambarim throw in with the victorious human revolutionaries in the formation of a new state; the asteroid-dwelling Ernari decline. The provisional government begins the groundwork for a constitution and permanent republic.
• King Gespard-Lutzen executed by revolutionary mob outside the Imperial compound on Kaldigrad. The next day, the Union of Kordkalidc Syndicates is established and declares independence from the Empire. Syndicalist strikes in neighboring Caliphon and Esperance erupt into violence; Nordkaldian support will lead to successful Syndicalist revolts in both nations. However, Syndicalist uprisings in other parts of the Empire are put down successfully by local forces; sometimes with great violence.
• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• BETAC Officially declares itself an independent commonwealth. 'Manifest Ascendancy' party gains power in Governing Council. Astro-Fleet begins to annex nearby neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction.
• The Institute formally breaks away from (what's left of) the Empire.
• The Grand Duchy of Malacaster annexes several of its neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction, most peacefully. Due to politcal compromise, indendence is not explicitly declared.
• The First Syndicalist International convenes on Kaldigrad to discuss the international Syndicalist revolution.
• Magnus Korblson comes to power by killing the previous Ruck Tsar in a formalized duel, promises to lead the Konige to a new age of glory by attacking the remnants of the Empire
• The fleeing remnants of an Imperial fleet arrive in the Corona Stars. They bring news that the Earth has been destroyed and the Empire is in ruins. They ask for refuge, and in return offer to assist the CSC in whatever way they can.

[Darkevilme]

Behold, assuming i survive Beowulf these will start appearing next month to replace whatever dregs he leaves alive of the Makay defence force. I bring you the thrall heavy cruiser.


10+5D=15

Improved survivability in the form of shields, armour and electronic warfare.

Edited for clarity cause i was lazy last night.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Annnnd that is What Dark?