The Last War
The Last War is a period of human history that defined the whole First Era. Its name originates in a notion that the winning side expects to gain complete dominance over the human-inhabited space.
Below is a short timeline of the Last War up until 1044 AE:
1024 AE – The First Contact.
Imperial forces got attacked by unidentified vessels on the brink of the Imperial Space. The Imperial Monarch, Surendra Khan II was informed of this incident. His trusted admiral Ivan Dar suggested to launch an incursion further in the direction of space where the attackers have retreated to win the favor of the young and proud Imperial Monarch. Surendra Khan II approved this plan and decided to boost the development of the Imperial Navy by raising the taxes and doubling the military spending.
In the Federal Space, the leadership of Human Interplanetary Alliance was concerned about this development. John Lance, Chancellor of Azor saw an opportunity to raise his influence and suggested to make Azor into the new fortified center for Alliance government, meanwhile his private Tura Shipyards would produce a line of warships designed specifically for large-scale interstellar combat.
The leaders of allied worlds agreed to John’s proposal and proclaimed a unification into a Federation of Allied Systems, or simply Federation, with John Lance as its first Chancellor.
1027 AE – Unlucky Experiment.
An Imperial patrol encountered a small fleet of experimental Federal warships as they conducted a military exercise on the brink of the Imperial Space. Skirmish that followed ended in a complete annihilation of the Imperial patrol. Most of the Federal ships remained in that area of space in order to conduct repairs.
Alerted by the distress call from the patrol leader, the 1st Imperial fleet arrived to rescue possible survivors and avenge the Federal incursion. Imperial flagship, Nova Monarkia obliterated the remnants of the Federal strike force. News of this victory were broadcasted across all of the Empire admiral Ivan Dar became a known hero and the closest adviser of Surendra Khan II.
1028 AE – Federal Infiltration.
To disrupt the Empire, Federation began sending its covert scouts to different areas of Imperial space. This was done to map out the Imperial presence and prepare a plan for invasion. Some of these Federal scout ships have managed to successfully land on few smaller Imperial colonies. Their captains acted as Federal envoys and established contacts with few local leaders who were opposing the Imperial rule. These connections were set to last for years to come.
When uncovered, these incursions outraged Surendra Khan II. By the Imperial decree, all contacts with agents from outside of the Imperial space became a capital offence that is punished by death. This decree was eagerly enforced by the Imperial Secret Police and Imperial Naval Intelligence. The fear of prosecution and Empire-wide non-tolerance policy have completely excluded any possibilities for the diplomatic solution to the conflict of Mirror Wars.
1030 AE – Autocratic Shift.
Chancellor Aliccia Coy used the War with the Empire to pause the election cycle in the Federation. By the approval of the Federal Parliament, Aliccia Coy was allowed to stay in the office until the end of the conflict. Big portion of support to this decision was gained by aggressive lobbying conducted by the weapons manufacturers and shipyard cartels, who were thriving on governmental contracts.
1032 AE – Scorching of Zirkon.
Led by a notion that the Imperial planets has to be freed from the autocratic tyranny, the Federation committed a blitzkrieg assault on the Empire’s most resource rich world, Zirkon. This assault led to establishment of a full Federal control over the planet in a span of two local days.
The Imperial 1st fleet under the command of Supreme Admiral Ivan Dar, has failed to match the sheer firepower of heavily modernized fleet of Federal warships. Unwilling to lose, Supreme Admiral used a swarm of illegal automated drones to cause devastating forest fires on Zirkon. This scorched earth tactic have destroyed 25% of the planet’s total population and forced the Federal forces to retreat from its surface.
The Imperial Monarch Surendra Khan II have praised sheer ruthlessness of Ivan Dar’s approach, and promised to terraform Zirkon back to its former glory of a lush green paradise. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a completely impossible task as burning of the forests have opened access to even more of Zirkonian minerals, and Imperial Noble families could not miss such an opportunity for exploitation.
As a result of these events, Zirkon have never completely recovered from the disaster. Fortification efforts by the Imperial forces and ramped up resource production, made Zirkon into the largest shipbuilding hub in the whole Imperial Space. This rapid industrialization irreversibly made once paradise-like planet into a bleak brutalist dystopia with no hope for any change in the foreseeable future.
1036 AE – Fire Rains on Azor.
After years of smaller skirmishes, the Empire sent an experimental interplanetary missile towards the Federal capital world, Azor. The missile was destroyed by the planetary defenses, but its small debris fell as a fiery rain all the planet. As a result of this attack, almost 13000 people on Azor got killed or injured.
Erupted panic among Federal citizens was used by Children of the Strings when they interpreted the fiery rain as a an explicit punishment for the use of subspace engines and interstellar travel.
The wartime administration of Aliccia Coy used this incident to push for deregulation of defense industry, and stricter censorship of Federal citizens in order to suppress any discourse about peaceful solution for this interstellar conflict.
1037 AE – Rise of the opposition.
The Free People’s Party was formed in the Federal space in order to oppose the consolidation of power in the Chancellors hands and erosion of the civil freedoms. Despite being immediately labelled as traitors by official media, the Free People’s Party got some substantial support among the general Federal citizenry. This support allowed them to claim a few seats in the Federal Parliament as a result of the election year 1038.
1039 AE – Fall of Limmea.
As retaliation for the strike on Azor, the Federal forces committed a daring assault and attempted to strike the Empire straight in its heart:
302nd and 313th Federal fleets breached borders of the Imperial space near Zirkon in a distracting attack, meanwhile the 301st fleet jumped straight towards Limmea. This was a risky maneuver, but unlike its escort, the Overlord-Class Federal flagship was not damaged by Limmean gravitational shadow because of its sheer size.
As a result of this devastating attack, the Imperial Palace was instantly destroyed by the orbital bombardment from the Federal dreadnought. The old Imperial Monarch Surendra Khan II had no chance to flee and was instantly eliminated together with his family inside the palace.
Soon after this disaster, the 24th platoon of Imperial Colonial Fleet’s Special Operations Command (ICFSOC) committed an attempt of a suicide mission in order to avenge the death of their beloved Monarch. Led by a young Imperial lieutenant Igor Singh, they boarded and took over the Overlord-Class Federal flagship, Avenging Might.
When the emergency transmission from the Avenging Might have reached the rest of Federal forces, they have tried to regroup near Limmea, but were outsmarted and crushed by the Imperial fleet under the command of Supreme Admiral Ivan Dar. The Empire was beheaded, but only few smaller ships from the Federal fleets have managed to retreat and not paid the ultimate price for this incursion.
1039 AE – The short lived rule of Ivan Dar.
Immediately after the last remains of the Federal forces in the Imperial space were destroyed or captured, Supreme Admiral Ivan Dar proclaimed himself as the new Imperial Monarch. This move was met with minimal opposition, given the apparent power vacuum that was caused by the demise of Surendra Khan II, and all successors from the Khan dynasty.
Among very few Imperials who refused the self-imposed rule of Ivan Dar, were the members of 24th platoon, who were still controlling the captured Federal flagship, and Igor Singh as their leader. The Imperial Hand was tasked to cease the Avenging Might from these rogue marines.
Surprisingly, when the joined task force of the Imperial Hand and elite marines from the Imperial Naval Intelligence boarded the Federal dreadnought, they have immediately pledged loyalty to Igor Singh as the only legitimate ruler for the Empire. Apparently, he was one of children from the Khan dynasty that were adopted away at the early age, and were kept oblivious about their true origins.
So, ICFSOC lieutenant Igor Singh became Igor Khan I, the last heir to the Imperial throne. Operatives from the Imperial Hand gave enough legitimacy for Igor Khan to convince a third of the Imperial forces to stan against the loyal armada of Ivan Dar. What happened next can only be described as the First Imperial Civil War.
The final standoff between Igor Khan’s forces and Ivan Dar’s loyalists happened on Ishtar II. The last of Khan dynasty prevailed and the rogue Supreme Admiral was eliminated.
1040 AE – New Reign of Khan.
By the official coronation, Lieutenant Igor Singh became the new Imperial Monarch Igor Khan I.
1043 AE – War comes back to the Federation.
The Gigantic Imperial Fleet led by the Emperor Igor Khan I glassed Zarya, one of the Federal fringe worlds. The retaliation was imminent, both sides suffered significant losses. A prolonged engagement was deemed to be too costly by the Federal Command and the husk of Zarya was left to the Imperials.
Such a retreat from a battle on their own territory led to a prolonged political crisis in the Federation: some planetary governments were threatening to leave the interstellar state if it is incapable of protecting them from the Imperial threat. Meanwhile common Federal citizens were tired of inhumane treatment during the wartime and growing inequality.
This crisis led to the resignation of Federal Chancellor Aliccia Coy. Her former vice-chancellor Simu Ericss promised to bring overdue reforms and end the ultra-centralized authoritarian policies. He also declared the beginning of a new electoral cycle and pledged to focus on maintaining stability on the Federal planets until the new Federal Chancellor will be elected to the office.
1043 AE – Quiet Revolt.
Despite the minor success at Zarya, the Imperial propaganda machine was portraying it as a decisive victory over the Federation. Imperial society was in need was in a dire need of such a victory, and Igor Khan I gained a great boost to his popularity as the new Imperial Monarch. Relative quietness on the interstellar front gave him an opportunity to shift atention towards the rebuilding of the palace district on Limmea and raise support to the Imperial colonies.
By the Grand Imperial Decree of 1043, the core worlds had to transfer 35% of their treasuries and 15% of their people to the fringe worlds that struggled with survival. This initiative also included the repopulation of devastated Zirkon.
Such bald move by the new Imperial Monarch created a giant wave of descent across the Empire. Neither Nobles wanted to lose their influence, nor citizens wanted to leave their homes. Such mass discontent created a fertile ground for rumors that the Imperial Monarch is a fraud and does not deserve to rule over the Empire.
1044 AE – Second Democratic Crysis.
Unsurprisingly, Federal Elections were won by Simu Ericss after one of his main opponents, Lana Neva, drowned in her own bath during a meditation practice. During his first day in the office, Chancellor Ericss have signed the Enlightenment Bill – this new law allowed religious organizations to act as independent entities on par with the planet-states.
The direct consequence of that bill was that Children of the Strings and other cults got their representatives in the Federal Parliament. This development led Federation in its religious era, when citizens became more exposed to diverse spiritual practices with very few legal means to fight back against the aggressive indoctrination.
