The following presents a condensed history of the known Galaxy, as pieced together by the monks of Itan. Begun in AD3492 as an educational effort by Erum the Blind, this document continues to be maintained by the Order to this day. It is said that Erum bade all his students read it, that they might understand the frailties and sadness that wrought the universe in which we live.
Jerean Tol, 19th keeper of the Record
Order of Eo, Itan, AD 4430
AD 2140
The human race is still limited largely to the planet Earth. Sparsely-manned scientific colonies exist on Mars and Luna. After sporadic conflicts and bloodshed in the previous hundred years, Earth now exists mostly in a state of peace. Considerable scientific achievements have been made, especially in the areas of cybernetic implantation and genetic manipulation. Children are born free of birth defects, accident victims often have body parts replaced with newly "grown" parts, derived from their own DNA. People with nerve and brain damage commonly undergo cybernetic augmentation to restore their senses, cure paralysis, and solve many common debilitating brain disorders. A jubilant scientific community celebrates the many contributions their technology has made, allowing humanity to live happier, healthier, longer lives.
At about the same time, various military organizations are secretly researching the possibilities that these technologies may offer them. Among other things, great strides are made in human dermal reinforcement, muscle enhancement, reaction speed and perception enhancement. Test subjects are able to endure harsh environments for long periods of time and perform superhuman feats of strength and speed. Some governments begin testing and producing cloned "drone soldiers", human bodies with no brain, controlled by a small computer implanted in the skull. These soldiers have limited effectiveness when run autonomously, instead being wirelessly linked and controlled via a central computer. Other, more ghastly creations are engineered, strange creatures intended for a multitude of uses, both on and off the battlefield.
AD 2204
Drones begin to be used in terrorist acts and assassinations. Terrorists and unfriendly governments are able to bypass all biometric security protocols using drones developed from the stolen DNA (a hair, a flake of skin) of their intended targets or from other people with high security clearance. The existence of drones and other military experiments are eventually made public. The United Nations and various governments condemn the development and use of such creatures. A popular western politician calls the drones "Terror in the guise of humanity". Further discussion in the mass media eventually causes the term "Guise" to become the general term for the drones. All-out war is eventually sparked between rival nations, with many unorthodox technological creations seeing action against a horrified civilian population. In some areas, entire battlefield control is lost, with creatures running rampant and Guises autonomously targeting anything that moves.
All-out war is eventually sparked between rival nations, with many unorthodox technological creations seeing action against a horrified civilian population.
Space combat becomes an important part of the war. Large vessels are built and launched for the purpose of orbital assault, along with small fighters to escort and defend them. The previously scientific bases on Luna and Mars become military outposts of considerable strategic value. Space tactics and warfare evolve from conflicts over these outposts and the orbiting assault stations. The outposts themselves become storage areas for genetic material and data, in the event of the Earthside war rendering the planet uninhabitable.
AD 2220
After 16 years of constant Earthside and space combat, and with much of the economically and technologically superior areas of the world now in ruin, the war is finally brought to an end. The Guises are destroyed and a frightened population demands a ban on all research and practice of genetic and cybernetic engineering. The scientists formerly responsible for much of the good brought about with those technologies find themselves cast out of society. In some countries they are merely pariahs, in others they are imprisoned or even killed. A formerly fringe movement for a "pure humanity, unsullied by technology" gains strength in the wake of the war's disaster and the economic collapse that follows. Eventually a world government is formed, populated by many of the now-powerful "pure humanists". Peace is maintained and the world economy slowly recovers.
AD 2231
With much of the economy now restored and the world at peace, scientific thought is now bent on exploration of space and finding better peacetime uses for the advances in space travel made during the war. Theories of long-distance travel are postulated and studied. Many now begin favouring the colonization and terraforming of other worlds, such that the human race might survive if another war or equivalent planetary disaster struck the earth. Terraforming experiments begin on Mars, while Luna begins to see civilian colonization. The former sciences of cybernetics and genetic engineering are banned, their technologies no longer taught. The overall population is filled with a nearly religious fear and hatred of those technologies and those who practiced them. Other, related sciences of medicine and computer engineering are quick to publicly distance themselves from the stigma, while the mass media continues to play on the populace's fears in the interest of higher ratings. The former cybernetics and genetic engineers are embittered by the rabid and misdirected fear of the public. Most attempt to keep as low a profile as possible, all the while finding themselves demonized for their former peacetime (and well-intentioned) occupations. Often they secretly instruct their children and family members in their sciences, that the knowledge which wrought so much good (as well as bad) not vanish entirely from human memory.
AD 2235
During scientific exploration of the solar system, an unusual gravitational anomaly is found near the orbital path of Saturn. After some study, it is theorized that within this area it might be possible to open a gateway, or "wormhole" (the existence of which had been postulated some 200 years earlier) to another point in space. Popular interest in exploration brings the wormhole project considerable funding, and experiments begin.
AD 2239
The wormhole consortium achieves the successful opening of a gateway to an unknown destination. Within a month an unmanned probe is sent through and returns successfully, carrying data of an emergence into a solar system almost on the other side of the galaxy. Many additional probes follow, all of which return with newer and more interesting data. Soon, probes containing live animal test subjects traverse the wormhole and return with no ill effects. Studies of the remote system indicate a sun similar to our own, with several planets.
AD 2241
The first human pilot is sent through the wormhole and returns successfully. Further flights follow and the remote system is explored. One of the planets is found to be of similar size and mass to the earth, with a thin atmosphere and a large polar ice cap, ripe for terraforming. The wormhole is considered stable, and scientists theorize that it will continue to be a viable method of transportation to the remote system for the lifetime of our solar system.
AD 2261
The Sol II system colonization project begins in earnest, after 20 years of studies and safety tests by the united earth government. Several thousand colonists volunteer, filled with yearning for exploration and hope for a better life on a distant world. Among those colonists are many of the former geneticists and cybernetic engineers, who, with their families, hope to start a new life far from Earth and the bitterness it holds for them.
AD 2270
Colonization of Terra II proceeds apace. The terraforming processes learned on Mars are applied to considerable, albeit slow, success. A lush, green world with a self-sustaining ecosystem is hoped for within a hundred years. Colonists live out the meantime in self-sufficient domed towns, the use of which had been perfected in the past colonization of Luna and Mars. The population of the world remains peaceful and democratic, a hardworking people who take great joy in seeing the planet slowly come to life around them. Soon, other colonists from Earth join them, until the overall population numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
AD 2277
After considerable exploration of the Sol II system, three other possible wormhole areas are discovered. Exploration and study of these wormholes are begun. All are found to emerge in other solar systems, however none feature planets or moons where terraforming would be possible. The ship-mounted gravitational displacement device is perfected, allowing craft to pass freely between Sol and Sol II without the need of a third party to open a wormhole. Even simultaneous wormholes are now possible, allowing many ships to move back and forth between the respective anomaly areas at once. Collision fears are abated when it's discovered that the wormhole exit points have a natural tendency to be as far from one another as possible, within the limits of the gravitational anomaly area.
AD 2288
A young, little-known scientist publishes a paper after extensive research of the Sol and Sol II wormholes. His paper postulates that the gravitational anomaly areas may cease to become useful for wormhole travel on a regular and periodic basis. The paper goes on to state that the usable lifetime of the area may be determined from a modulation of its gravitational field. His measurements further assert that while the periodic lifetime of all the known wormholes appears to be several million years, the wormhole area between Sol and Sol II may be nearing the end of its usable period. This paper goes against the long standing theory, held in the scientific community and population in general, that wormhole areas will continue to be stable as long as the nearby gravitational body (the Sun) remains. Because of his youth and lack of other published works, the scientific community dismisses his findings and theory. Chastised, he abandons that field of research.
AD 2295
Traffic between Sol and Sol II increases as the terraforming advances on Terra II. The population of the planet remain entirely self-sufficient within their domes, but most of the supplies needed for the terraformation process are shipped in from Sol. The flashing of colourful wormhole activations for the great cargo ships can be seen by telescope from the surface of Terra II.
Characters will begin as part of one of these three major factions. A character's alignments with factions may shift, however, and they may also become involved with a number of other, fringe factions who serve their own interests. Each of the Nations has its own starting advantages, lending themselves to certain activates which have a significant place in the Nation's cultural background. However, these starting advantages are not absolute. The intent is to allow characters to become whatever they wish, but the road will not always be easy, and it may mean contending with the political and social forces of the universe.
AD 2310
The wormhole area linking Sol and Sol II suddenly and abruptly ceases to function. Further measurement and study of the wormhole demonstrates a modulation change much like what had been predicted by the young scientist from earth, twenty-two years earlier. All contact and traffic between the systems is cut off. Being millions of light years apart in real space, any communication or travel is impossible. The scientists of Terra II determine that the wormhole area will not become usable again for another two million years. Earth is never heard from again. On Terra II, panic reigns. With the terraforming process at least fifty years from completion (had the schedule with Earth continued), the residents are left in their domed cities and towns. While they are self sufficient as far as producing food and other necessities, many of the consumable items which they had taken for granted (medicine, parts for machinery, etc) were shipped in from factories on earth. Analysis concludes that while the terraforming process can continue, without the supplies from earth it will take much longer, and many hundreds of years will be required before the planet is truly habitable.
With the terraforming process at least fifty years from completion (had the schedule with Earth continued), the residents are left in their domed cities and towns.
AD 2330
Life on Terra II has become difficult. While food and water remain available, much large machinery and equipment begins to break down. Without the necessary parts to properly maintain them, the colonists are forced to inventively adapt parts out of available scrap material. Functional environment suits, for work in the still-hostile atmosphere outside the domes, become scarce. A new black market crops up around the distribution of spare parts. Some attempt is made to manufacture new parts, but with very limited success. Many of the alloys required are difficult to make or work with, while even the simpler materials can be made only from existing (broken) parts. Prospecting and mining for new ore is nearly impossible while environment suits and transportation remain so scarce.
The people are despondent. Their civilization, although made up of settlers who had not expected an easy life, they have nonetheless never been entirely cut off before. Many wonder of their family and friends left behind on Earth. In some areas government and societal structure begin to break down, and crime and dissent increase. About this time, several of the descendents of former genetic and cybernetic engineers come forward, and suggest that they be allowed to use their knowledge to try and revive their society. They tell how, with time and adaptation of some facilities, they could harden themselves against the harsh environment, strengthen their bodies to ease the toil of the hard times ahead, and even create beasts of burden who could exist in the world outside the domes. The response to their proposal is sharply divided. There are those who favour survival at any cost, and see these possibilities merely as a means to that end. Others are reminded of the last war on earth, and how the same technology had run amok to wreak havoc among the people who had created it. They ask if things are really so bad that it is necessary to resort to such means. Eventually these debates became grim and heated.
AD 2331
The genetics and cybernetics debates have reached a stalemate. Most colonists still remain sharply divided, while some are apathetic. Eventually, the scientists and their supporters begin adapting existing labs and computer fabrication facilities to fit their needs, despite political opposition. Relations between the two sides remain strained, but peace is maintained out of shared desire for survival on their new hostile home.
AD 2405
The scientists have made great strides in their work. A new generation of genetically enhanced and cybernetically augmented people are able to do maintenance work in the hostile atmosphere with minimal life support systems or robotic machinery. The pro augmentation group, now calling themselves the Serco (SIR-ko), hails the successes of science. The opposing group, now referred to as the Itani (It-ah-nee), has grown even more suspicious of such technology over the past 76 years of trial and error. There have been enough (albeit few) incidents of humans going berserk from cybernetics bugs, genetic enhancements with outcomes far different from what was intended, and other issues that the Itani believe lend further weight to their concerns. The societies of the two opposing groups begin to drift apart, neighbourhoods becoming either all-Serco or all-Itani, while a few populations remain neutral. An uneasy friendship remains between the two factions, but floats on a deep well of disagreement.
AD 2511
The quality of life on Terra II has improved considerably. The Itani have succeeded in repairing and even advancing the machinery they use for maintenance. The Serco have continued to make achievements in their specialized scientific fields, and have even managed to build farms in the still-hostile environment. They have begun to grow special genetically-engineered plants tailored to the new world, which hasten the terraforming process while providing an additional source of food and raw materials. New beasts of burden are developed to help maintain these farms, giant creatures with native armour against the fierce outside world, kept in line with cybernetic brain control systems. The two factions remain separated, often by neighbourhood within the same dome, but many of the Itani concerns have been calmed by the last hundred incident-free years. The two groups coexist in friendship, although there are those within each who remain wary of the other. Both view themselves as opposing political parties within a single nation.
AD 2542
An incident occurs on a Serco farm. A cybernetic implant bug, combined with a genetic mutation brought about by extended exposure to the outside environment and radiation, causes the Serco to lose control of a farm creature. The 125-meter-long goliath, standing several stories tall at the shoulder, wanders off the farm in a random direction trailing its Serco masters, who futilely attempt to regain control. While largely docile, the great creature is very dumb and far too large to physically control. After some minutes of aimless wandering, the animal crashes through a small domed town, almost entirely populated by Itani. While the town had a few minutes warning by radio, the time was insufficient to completely evacuate. A number of injuries and a few deaths result from the sudden exposure of the unprotected people to the harsh outside atmosphere. While the incident does not cause great damage or casualties, it rekindles the Itani mistrust of cybernetics and bio-engineering. Anti-Serco hardliners resurface, and call for an end to the abominations created by these technologies. The Serco, who by now are mostly genetically and cybernetically enhanced themselves, take a dim view of the Itani protestors. They also point out that they are now dependent on the food and resources provided by the surface farms, and thus the beasts who help maintain them. The Serco are nonetheless repentant and remorseful over the destruction their creature has caused, and promise to develop safeguards to prevent such things from occurring again. The Itani populace are mollified, but the hardliners within begin to gain followers who murmur against the dangers of Serco science.
AD 2568
Some years have passed since the last incident, without mishap. However, a new "drug" begins to circulate among the Serco youth. Entirely software based, this drug uses loopholes in the most recent series of cybernetic implants to provide feelings of pleasure and euphoria. Highly addictive, the drug has massive demand in the Serco market. Many outspoken opponents to the drug exist within the Serco hierarchy, but since no significant side-effects are seen, most users consider any concerns about the drug to be baseless. However, after about a year of the drug's spread, psychotic episodes begin occurring among users. Drug frenzied Serco begin murdering helpless Itani. Not because of any dislike of the Itani, but mostly because the augmented Serco are comparable to only one another in strength and stamina. Thus, while a random assault by a frenzied Serco on another Serco will end with some injuries to both parties, the same assault on an Itani will often result in the Itani's limbs or head ripped off by the physically powerful Serco. Both the Serco and Itani leaders work diligently to bring an end to the drug, however a frightened Itani populace begins to relocate itself ****her from the Serco and the threat of their technology. Anti-Serco hardliners again give voice, and gain still more followers. Domes become entirely Serco or entirely Itani, with a few remaining neutral.
AD 2625
The Itani and Serco now view themselves as separate peoples and nations. While trade continues between the two, relations are strained from fear. The Itani worry that they will bear the brunt of future Serco technological "bugs", while the Serco keep a worried eye on the Itani hardliners who preach Serco destruction. Aside from the tense relations between the two nations, all else goes well. The planet will be fully terraformed within another hundred years, and the outside atmosphere has become much less hostile. The Serco have completely stamped out the drug that plagued them, and patched all future cybernetics against such uses. Alas, this is too little too late for their relations with the Itani. Both sides have advanced technologically. The Serco have made considerable advances in their bioengineered plant life and in their own augmentations. The Itani have achievements along more "traditional" lines, creating superior mechanized suits for heavy labour outside the domes. Both sides have multiplied and now number several million. Domes have been expanded geographically, with some areas Serco-controlled, and others under the will of the Itani.
AD 2634
A young man named Akan (ah-KAHN), well-spoken, charismatic and educated, begins to gain power in the Itani Senate. Although a known protégé of the anti-Serco hardliners, he keeps his tone moderate and slowly gathers a large following within the Itani populace. His focus on education and social programs are widely respected. While public esteem for him seems only to grow, a few within the Senate remain mistrustful of his blandly unclear agenda, while keeping in mind his hardliner background. However, those doubting few remain silent, not wanting to destroy their own political careers by openly attacking the new golden boy of public opinion.
AD 2645
Several explosions simultaneously occur at outlying Itani domes closest to the Serco. A number of people are killed and injured. Akan, now the most powerful senator and de-facto leader of the Itani, sends hand-picked teams to investigate the explosions and determine their source. After several days of "investigations", the teams report their belief that the explosions were in fact terrorist attacks by the Serco against the Itani people. Several in the Senate voice doubts about these findings, considering the historically peaceful (albeit accident-prone) nature of the Serco. However, these voices are swept away by Akan in a "resolute, yet saddened" speech against the Serco people and their "technology of terror". His speech plays on over 100 years of pent-up fear in the population, and easily sways the Itani to follow his recommendations.
The overall lack of communication and mingling between the Itani and Serco further catalyzes these events. The Itani believe what their leaders (Akan) tell them, and since there is little contact with any Serco, there's no one to tell them otherwise. It has been since theorized that Akan, or an organization under his control, planted the bombs in the interest of polarizing the Itani people against the Serco while furthering their own control of the Itani government. However, little is known one way or the other. The political and cultural climate of the time would certainly not have allowed such possibilities to be mentioned.
Within a month of the "attacks", Akan has closed the "borders" to Serco territory, populating it with many of his more ferverent followers and preventing any contact between the two nations. He also begins construction of an "Itani defence force", adapting mechanized environment suit technology to potential combat applications. Many of these changes are fought by a shrinking minority of the Itani senate, proposals of moderation and at least diplomatic communication with the Serco are ignored. Two of the most powerful senators to openly attack Akan's plans die mysteriously within a week of one another. Public opposition to Akan within the government crumbles. The Serco watch these developments with growing alarm. Their attempts at diplomacy go ignored, and eventually their emissaries begin to vanish entirely. As the creation of the Itani military becomes evident, the Serco begin to think of their own defences. The Serco populace reacts to the news of the changing Itani with bewilderment.
AD 2648
Akan has consolidated his control of the Itani nation. Strong anti-Serco members of the Itani government are given high ranking positions within the new Itani military. There has been a great public resurgence of interest in the hardliner anti-Serco party and their teachings, especially among the youth. Some Itani begin speaking openly of themselves as the "pure" race, their bodies and minds unsullied by the corruption of biotechnology and cybernetics. Anti-Serco graffiti becomes common, some calling for the Itani to "rise up and cleanse Terra II of the impure".
AD 2650
A new wave of "attacks" strike the Itani. Akan himself appears to be "targeted", however, he manages to escape unharmed. Akan condemns this latest wave of "brutal, cowardly attacks by the Serco against the pure Itani way of life". Additionally, he blames the small size of the Itani Defence Force, and calls for more volunteers to help defend their homeland. Many youthful Itani are willing to follow his lead, their anger simmering against the apparent injustices of the Serco. The ranks of the IDF swell in size, while factories churn out terrifyingly beweaponed mechanized suits. The Itani/Serco border becomes heavily populated by patrols of Itani in mechanized armour.
The Serco, however, have not been idle. News of the build-up and changes within the Itani culture is brought to them by neutral traders. Support for military development gains ground in their government after the failure of diplomacy. Guises are developed again, along with other creatures designed to destroy the armoured mechanized infantry that the Serco now find patrolling the edges of their territory. Giant Serco creatures are now seen near the border from time to time.
The few towns which remained neutral during the past Serco/Itani issues now begin to look at relocating further from Serco or Itani territory. Some traders remain in the area, however, taking advantage of the lucrative black-market trade between the two nations.
AD 2651
So began the Colony War, a long, sad war which lasted over ten years. Terra II had been created in an atmosphere of peace and prosperity, the first interstellar colony of mankind. Now, within a few hundred years, a war arose which set the stage for the future interactions of the human Dispossessed (as they came to refer to themselves after the Terra II wormhole phase transition of 2310).
At first the war appeared to favour the Itani. Their advanced mechanized infantry proved quite formidable, and within the first year they held many of the former Serco border towns. Originally, much of the Itani military command had intended to destroy any captured domes and the "unclean" augmented civilians within. However, the Itani infantry, which had largely joined to defend their own people, was unwilling to participate in the murder of thousands of Serco civilians. When this became apparent, the military command then changed tacks and decided instead to occupy the captured cities and prevent their populations from escaping and enlarging the Serco military. Unfortunately for the Itani, the task of maintaining a captive dome full of Serco civilians proved to be far more difficult than merely capturing it. Rebel uprisings required considerable response in terms of troops and firepower to quell the technologically augmented Serco populace. The application of this force usually made the occupied inhabitants that much more resentful, bringing about more rebellions.
While the Itani dealt with the complexities of ruling a rebellious people, the Serco continued to build up their forces. The initial flash of the conflict had resulted in sporadic battles up and down the border. Some Serco heavy antipersonnel creatures had seen action, as had limited numbers of Guises, but both had been relatively few and far between. Within a few days of the initial battle, the Serco retreated to more defensible positions, thereby giving up many of their domes and the towns along the border. Heavy fortifications were constructed, allowing the Serco to repel all further Itani attacks. Analysis of the Serco strategic patterns indicated that they were testing the strength of the Itani invaders, immediately retreating to a secondary position once the Itani forces were found to be too great for their limited defences.
At the time of the first conflict, it was believed that the Serco, while possessing some devastating weaponry and creatures, did not have a sufficiently sized military to fully repel the Itani invasion. Thus they retreated, fortified, and began their military build-up. Held up by rebellions and unable to pierce the Serco defensive network, the frustrated Itani had little choice but to fortify their own positions within Serco territory. Just over a year after the war had begun, the Serco began to attack the Itani invaders. For the first few months, little occurred other than short-term hit and run attacks. Usually happening at night, the attacks often featured small, fast-moving, bipedal creatures which did gruesome damage to unprepared infantry units. The creatures would usually attack in silence, but sometimes were heard to emit long high-pitched wails before and during large engagements. These attacks, which occurred with increasing frequency, had a demoralizing and psychologically destructive effect on the Itani defenders.
A year and a half into the war, under cover of a cloudy night, the first major Serco offensive was launched. Several hundred thousand troops issued from the Serco defensive line, heralded by the wailing cries of countless interspersed antipersonnel creatures. When the wailing screams were heard, some fearful Itani defenders began deserting their posts, even before the ground began to shake under the footfalls of massive unseen Serco heavy assault creatures. Thousands of semi-autonomous Guises took point in front of the main human Serco infantry, flanked by a menagerie of creatures and their operators. Overall, the Itani defence put up a good fight, but was completely overrun and pushed far back into their own territory. After two days of fierce fighting and giving ground, the Itani managed to rally together after being pushed back to the first Itani border dome. 18 hours of intense fighting finally broke with a Serco retreat, with thousands left dead on both sides, bodies and creature carcasses scattered across the landscape. This was considered the first serious battle of the war, and both sides used data gathered during the conflict to adapt their ground combat strategies and future military development.
Usually happening at night, the attacks often featured small, fast-moving, bipedal creatures which did gruesome damage to unprepared infantry units.
AD 2654
Sporadic battles moved back and forth between the Serco and Itani. Both nations largely maintained the integrity of their borders, but with some difficulty. As the Serco began generating large numbers of semiautonomous Guise infantry, the Itani found themselves losing ground once again. The Itani infantry used actual human beings equipped with mechanized suits and weaponry, and while they were often far more battle-effective than the computer-controlled Serco Guise armoured infantry, the Guises could be manufactured on demand. Thus a loss of 5 Guise infantry to 1 Itani became a net loss to the Itani.
Meanwhile, however, Itani military technology was still in development. Up until this point the war had remained entirely land-based. Most mechanized equipment and creatures were adaptations of equipment that had been used in the terraforming and survival process of the past few hundred years. However, neither side had forgotten the historical importance of air and space superiority. The Itani were the first to produce usable aircraft, and later short-range spacecraft. High-altitude precision bombing became the standard Itani attack, decimating the invading Serco forces and pushing them back into Serco territory. Serco military establishments soon had to be moved deep underground into hardened bunkers, safe from Itani attack.
AD2661
Little changed in the war during the next few years. The Itani retained air and space superiority, despite some advanced Serco surface-to-air missile designs. Both sides maintained nearly their original borders. The Itani were unable to crack the Serco defensive bunkers, while the Serco still maintained their advantage on the ground. Thus, aside from continuous sporadic conflicts, the nations remained in stalemate.
During this time, the civilian political climate had changed somewhat. People on both sides were sick of war and strife. Akan, on the other hand, had slowly become more and more publicly outspoken in favour of complete destruction of the Serco and all their people. As he saw his war efforts frustrated and public opinion beginning to turn against him, he became even more rabid in his hatred of the Serco. Finally, early in 2661, he ordered the high altitude saturation bombing of the largest Serco cities. Many in the military were against this, these being wholly civilian targets, but with the help of his close-knit group of followers, Akan managed to wrest enough control to get the bombs to two of their targets. The Serco city of New Shanghai, populated with nearly a million civilians, was reduced to rubble within a few hours. Pacifica, a coastal Serco city and one of the first domes constructed on Terra II, was also heavily damaged, leaving tens of thousands dead or missing. When the news of New Shanghai's destruction reached the Itani military command, a split within the military occurred, with several high-ranking generals rebelling against Akan's authority and the supposed will of the Itani Senate. Pacifica would likely have been destroyed as well, had not the second bomber been forced down by rebel Itani short-range fighters. Chaos reigned within the Itani military in the hours following the attack. Once news broke within the Itani public, the population was aghast. Akan maintained a semblance of control through his loyal military police, but he knew his days were numbered.
Over the past few years, the Serco had been developing their own short-range space combat fighters. With most of their technological base dedicated to more terrestrial (biological and somewhat cybernetic) interests, they found it slower going than the Itani. However, with the capture and reverse-engineering of a few downed Itani air/spacecraft, they soon made good progress. The Serco implemented a completely cybernetic system, as opposed to a manual Itani pilot interface, allowing their test pilots to jack directly into the ship control systems. With this virtually thought-based piloting system, they could perform incredible manoeuvres with very fast reaction times. Ten of the craft had been designed and constructed under the utmost secrecy, but had not yet been flight tested due to constant Itani over-flights.
As word of the destruction of New Shanghai and Pacifica spread through the Serco population and government, the people recoiled in shock. Then, as with a single voice, they screamed for bloody vengeance. On the morning of the Day of Death, as both sides came to refer to it, the 10 Serco night wing fighters launched from their hidden silos. The Serco infantry, which had been largely trapped in hardened bunkers due to Itani air assault, began to mobilize for a massive offensive.
At this point, a number of events happened in rapid succession. The first was the sudden, unforeseen use of five assassination Guises within the Itani government. It has been since theorized that these Guises had been put in position some months previously for use during the eventual Serco invasion. After their activation, they proceeded past all security checkpoints and succeeded in murdering Akan, his senior aide, and two puppet senators with whom he had consolidated control of the Itani senate. They failed to assassinate their fifth target: Markus Vim, head of Akan's secret police and alleged spymaster. After the attempt on his life and the subsequent upheaval, Markus vanished without a trace.
Immediately following the pre-dawn assassinations, Itani air/space recon reported combat contact with a number of craft of unknown origin. Not long after, border sentries began to report a massive mobilization of Serco ground troops. With Akan and most of his senior staff dead or missing, the previously "rebel" half of the military command retained control of the Itani state. After securing their position internally, they began broadcasting messages to the Serco, announcing the coup and asking for peace. Sadly, they received no response. The Itani began to array their defences for an onslaught. By daybreak, the Itani generals were faced with an unknown aerial assault force, and a border now seething with an enemy more numerous than their most pessimistic estimates had predicted.
As the giant Serco army began crossing the border, the Itani launched eight of their high altitude bombers, with over a hundred fighters flying cover against the unknown threat awaiting them in the skies. The Itani bombers were the pinnacle of their aerospace engineering, a testament to the innovation of the Itani engineers. Huge craft, powered by reactor driven gravitic pulse engines, their range was practically unlimited. However, due to their extraordinary expense and difficulties in manufacturing, the Itani military only possessed ten working spacecraft. When faced with the opposition of a ground force they could not possibly repel, it is understandable that they dedicated 80% of their flight worthy bombers to immediate defence.
And so began the final battle for dominion of Terra II. The Serco crossed the border en masse, and easily overran the Itani defensive positions. Over their heads, a battle for space superiority had begun. Not long after their launch, word began to reach Itani commanders of the sporadic conflicts between the fighter groups and the unknown spacecraft. Within an hour, fully forty of the Itani fighters had been lost, and one bomber had been heavily damaged, with no reports of enemy casualties. The rest of the bombers began what assault they could under the harried conditions, and managed to at least halt the Serco ground forces for a short time. However, the accuracy of their bombing was greatly diminished by the constant attacks from the Serco night wing fighters.
By midday the remaining Itani fighters had adapted, to some degree, to the tactics of the Serco spacecraft, but the disparity between piloting ability had become painfully evident. The Serco cybernetic interface system had proven to be an unmitigated success. Some mechanical issues related to their flight control systems had become apparent, and two of their fighters had been lost over the course of the battle to such technical difficulties. However, none had been shot down by the Itani. It was all the Itani could do to draw them off and hope to distract them from the bombers, even as they gave their lives doing so. Toward the end of the day it had become apparent to the Itani command that their bid for defence was a lost cause. Only fifteen of their fighters remained, and only two bombers. The main bulk of the Serco ground forces, while they had lost over 30% of their battle-ready forces to Itani bombs, was still so numerous and strong that any significant Itani ground resistance was improbable.
While the Itani ground forces braced for the inevitable, the bombers and fighters over their heads attempted to do what damage they could. The crews of the remaining two bombers, heavily damaged and realizing they had no hope of making it back to base under the intense attacks of the Serco fighters, resolved to ditch their bombers in the most potentially devastating manor possible. Rigging their reactors to reach critical mass, they plunged the giant craft in a headlong dive at the main battle group of Serco heavy assault creatures. Seen from the nearest Itani dome, the double airbursts of the massive ships changed the evening sky to the sudden brilliance of noonday. The blasts destroyed every Serco within 20km, and cut huge swaths in the van of the approaching army. While a great victory for the spirits of the defenders, and damaging to the Serco heavy infantry, it did not even slow the Serco assault. They knew they had won. They commanded the skies, and the bombing threat had now been eliminated. It is said that as the massive armies roared towards the first of the Itani border domes, a great dust cloud rose from their passage to obscure the setting sun. Amid the final rays of a dusty twilight, the Serco and Itani armies met for the last time.
A sickly sun dawned over the shattered remnants of the Itani nation. Filled with a self-righteous rage and lust for vengeance, the Serco forces had not simply overrun the Itani domes, they had flattened them. The Itani fought fiercely and bitterly to the end, but they stood no real chance. Whenever the Serco reached a dome, they would stand off at a distance and shell it with heavy artillery, eventually sending in a few thousand of their shrieking antipersonnel creatures for cleanup. Survivors, military or civilian, were few and far between. Pockets of resistance would remain for a time, until the thousands of heavily armed Guises arrived. Soon the broken domes would be eerily silent, as the dust cloud of the Serco infantry faded into the distance, headed for the next Itani town. As it became apparent that the Serco military would settle for nothing less than the complete extinction of the Itani, domes began evacuating their civilians as swiftly as possible. Many civilians took up arms and joined the defenders. Some fled the Itani territory in the hopes of reaching the neutral domes, though few succeeded. Most attempted to reach domes further from the borders. At midnight, the last of the Itani senate, now holed up in the heavily fortified capital of New Panaji, gave the Itani military command a new mandate: provide for the survival of the Itani people, whatever the means. The generals, sadly watching the distant fires of their burning cities, pondered how they might deliver their people from the vengeance of the Serco.
By early morning, two imaginative generals and a top aerospace engineer had come up with a plan. Ten thousand randomly chosen civilians were evacuated to a secret underground base in the southern mountainous region of Itani territory. Designed primarily for the development, construction, and testing of the heavy bombers, the space provided a place where the survivors might last a little longer. Every effort was made to conceal the transportation of the civilians to the base, and somehow, through the chaos of war and poor reconnaissance on the part of the Serco, they succeeded. Every person aware of the project was relocated to the base. The rest of the surviving Itani holed up in the few remaining fortified domes, or fled to the neutral territories.
One week after the bombs had fallen on the Serco cities, the Serco held all that had once been the home of the Itani. Shattered domes, the remains of soldiers, creatures, and battle-armour littered the wasteland. Now recovered from their initial bloodlust, the Serco people began to absorb what had been done. Far to the south, however, the last vestiges of the Itani people still clung to life, veiled within their deeply hidden base. There, construction had begun on a great ship, built from the parts of the two remaining bombers. It had been decided that the Itani would attempt to flee Terra II and try to build a new home beyond one of the unexplored wormholes. The logistics of moving so many civilians were inherently daunting, but were made even more so by the required timeframe. The military command believed it unlikely that their base could remain undiscovered for long, a few months at best. No one knew how the Serco would react if they learned of the base, but the still-smoking remains of the Itani capital cities gave little hope for a peaceful solution. Thus, all the resources of the remaining Itani people were focused on the construction and launch of their ship.
The Ark, as they named it, was most definitely the pinnacle achievement of the early Itani people. Designed and constructed in only fifty three days, it represented every major technological advance and every drop of knowledge the Itani could bring to bear on the project. Most of the population would be cryogenically stored, since no one was certain of how long it would take to find a planet suitable for colonization. The ship would need to not only sustain its passengers during the voyage, but eventually land and provide a usable base at their destination. All the tools and technologies necessary to build a new self-sustaining dome would have to be stored onboard. No one had any illusions of ever returning, or of the greeting they were likely to receive if they tried.
On June the 11th, 2661 (date and month reckoned according to the original Earth date system) the Ark launched from Terra II. Nearly half the mountainside was detonated immediately before launch, exposing the Ark to the morning sky. A few minutes later, all twelve gravitic pulse engines engaged at full power, creating minor earthquakes for a hundred miles and affecting the tides even on the far side of the planet. As the Ark left the atmosphere, the remaining Serco fighters pursued, perhaps believing the ship to be a last-ditch final attack. The Ark had been armoured against this eventuality, and the massive reactor driven ship soon passed beyond range of the more conventional Serco short-range fighters. The Ark's course quickly took them beyond the orbital path of Terra II, towards the outer regions of the system, where the two active (and one inactive) wormhole areas resided. Choosing the further of the two, the ten thousand, four hundred, and ninety two heirs of the Itani nation vanished into the unknown, and passed out of all knowledge of the Serco for more than a millennium.
It is important to note that not all the Itani were slaughtered by the Serco armies, or were among those Exiles who left in search of a new home. Some found shelter among the sparse neutral settlements (neither Serco nor Itani) on Terra II. These people survived and prospered and lived largely in peace. The Serco left them alone, and the neutrals developed a strong antiwar sentiment. The Itani among them did remember their roots for many generations, but years of peace with the Serco eventually made them a single, albeit loosely knit, homogenous people.
AD2670
For many long years the Itani Ark would ply starlit fields of space. After their first jump, they found no usable planets in the nearby system. However, after scanning the system heavily, they detected what appeared to be an additional wormhole area. Probes were launched and successfully returned, telling of another system containing several planets. The crew then took the ship through and spent time investigating the new system. Their search was a disappointment, and no suitable planets were found. Once again, however, another wormhole area was discovered. This continued for many years, systems would be found, some with planets, some without. A few of the planets could have been made habitable, but doing so would have been beyond the means of the people and technology onboard the Ark. Thus, they wandered the stars, most of the Itani still in cryogenic sleep, while the crew began to slowly lose hope of ever finding a new home.
AD2689
After nineteen years of aimless wandering, hope became a bitter thing to bear among the crew. They had passed through many wormholes and many systems, crisscrossing all over the galaxy. No suitable planet had been found. Some began speaking of returning to Terra II and abandoning their search, arguing that perhaps in the last twenty years the tempers of the Serco might have cooled. All the wormholes through which they had passed would remain stable for millions of years, so the return path was yet open. The Ark's captain, former high command general of the Itani forces and now growing quite old at eighty two, refused to allow them to relinquish their quest. The crew muttered that they would not have to wait long, for the captain was ailing and knew his end was near. His last hope, that he might see a new home for his people before he died.
AD2691
On February the 11th, 2691, the Ark entered a new system, and proceeded to scan its planets. To their joy, the fourth planet looked perfectly suited to establishing a new colony. Indeed, it was estimated that within a few hundred million years, the planet might begin life on its own. It already had a thin, but stable nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, as well as liquid water in some places. The crew carefully surveyed the surface, and selected an area of a continent near the equator. With a ponderous groan, the Ark pierced the light clouds and landed without incident. Within a few days, the process of reviving the frozen Itani population had begun. Construction began on the first dome of the new world. Sadly, about a week after the landing, James Armand, Captain of the Ark, passed away. The Itani people pledged to remember that his diligence and faith brought them to their home, naming their new domed city Armand in his honour. The planet would be called Itan, a new world for a hopeful people, forever cut off from their ancient home of Earth, and far from the anguish they had caused and borne on Terra II.
AD2693
There was a child on board the Ark, an orphan of the war, discovered in a bombed-out Itani settlement by a fleeing family and brought along with them to the underground launch site of the Ark. Barely two at the time, his background was unknown, his parents presumed dead. Raised by the family that found him, he was tested for deafness and speech impediments due to his unwillingness to speak. Although he was named by his foster family, his nickname became "Eo" (AY-oh), as that was the only sound he would make. Marked by his teachers for his apparent intelligence and (silent) enthusiasm, he studied diligently in a school for the disabled. Many of his classmates there were children injured physically or psychologically by the war with the Serco, and this seemed to have a profound affect on his formative years. He learned to read at age four, and thereafter spent many long hours pouring over the computer databases, learning of history and fiction, mathematics and philosophy. The recent history of the Itani was a particular point of study for him, specifically the events which lead to the horrible destruction of the war and eventual exile of the Itani people.
AD2701
Abruptly, at age twelve, Eo began speaking. His use of language and demeanour were far beyond his years, and he caused quite a stir within his school and community. When asked why he had suddenly began to speak, he responded that he simply hadn't had anything to say before. Now that he had availed himself of the powers of speech, he used it to ply his elders with questions, many of which they could not answer to his satisfaction. He asked why the war had occurred. Why had the Itani people allowed themselves to be ruled by such an evil and misguided man as Akan. Why, above all, they persisted in such hatred of the Serco, who had never truly intended them any harm, and had wished only to share the planet in peace. His teachers and foster family, still fresh from the war and weary with the grief it had brought them, had little to offer him but sadness and regret. Eo pondered, and continued to read.
AD2706
Fifteen years of labour made quite a difference in the world of the Itani. Their capital city of Armand was now large and stable. Once again completely self-sustaining, they had taken the time to carefully lay out and build their new city, planting tree-lined walkways and creating numerous parks. The idea was to create a new world that recalled the beauty of Earth, now known only from pictures and stories passed down from their ancestors. Terra II, while it had been home, had been largely a place of steel and harsh windswept terrain, a land occasionally broken by a dome or strange Serco-engineered wildlife. Thus, the city of Armand flourished and grew, and the people took solace in the haven they had created. Plans were made to accelerate the terraformation of the rest of the planet. Many advances had been made in this process during the formation of Terra II, and these were put to work on Itan. Large atmospheric processing machinery was constructed in the mountains near Armand. Underground, huge artificially-lit greenhouses were excavated, growing plants and trees for eventual use on the surface. The planet took well to the terraforming process, and change became apparent.
AD2707
At the age of eighteen, Eo left his foster parents and school to search for answers in the wider world. Taking a job as a surveyor for the terraforming process, he learned to pilot a spaceship and flew around the planet, studying its geology and makeup. This information was then used to make decisions for different steps in the terraforming process, including climatic predictions, where flora and fauna should be distributed, and other tasks related to making their world the growing, green place they desired. Spending much of his time alone aboard his spacecraft, Eo watched the evolution of the planet unfold beneath him, pondering still the fate that had brought them to this place.
AD2734
The terraforming process on Itan had succeeded beyond all expectations. Although far from completed, the planet had begun to show large sections of green, with even greater success in the introduction of simple undersea life. The atmospheric processors, now scattered across the planet, kept the weather mildly in check while maintaining the balance of the air. It was estimated that sufficient plant life would exist to make the planet wholly self-sustaining within a hundred years. Eo, during this time, had risen to a position of considerable respect among the terraformers, and within the Itani community as a whole. He took to writing long papers lamenting the sad, recent history of the Itani, and suggesting that people learn from their experiences and look positively towards the future. Much of what he wrote struck a chord with the people, allowing them to rest easier with their past, and enjoy more of the time at hand. Among other things, Eo wrote that the pursuit of war and hatred could come to no good, and that only listening clearly to the voice of one's own soul, not one's ego, could provide true guidance. Not long after this, it is believed that Eo began studying ancient literature, stored in the vast computer databases, which discussed meditation and martial training. Combined with his studies of many ancient philosophies, religions, and cultures, he began to create a new philosophy of life and existence.
AD2751
Itan has begun to flourish in greenery and life. Farms have popped up in many places around Armand. The Ark, resting in its permanent position on the far side of a small river from the city, has had a beautiful park built around it. Small villages have sprouted up here and there as people venture out from beneath the protection of the dome of Armand. Forests have sprouted up in a number of places, and fish and insects begin to appear. Each species is rolled out according to the overall plan of the terraformers, when the world and current balance of life is believed able to sustain the addition of something new. Eo has built a school in the mountains just north of Armand. Here he offers a rigorous monastic life, coupled with study of martial arts, philosophy and meditation, as well as more "standard" arts and sciences. Many men and women come to study and converse with him, now an elder statesman and well-loved thinker of the Itani people. His school produces impressive students, both for their well balanced and good nature as for their keen intellects and imaginations. Eo teaches that martial arts, far from the seeming outwardly combative nature, are merely a path to better understanding of one's self and better functioning as a human being. The common thread of peace and harmony runs through all that is taught within his school.
AD2793
At age one hundred and four, Eo passes away. On the evening of his death, still fit and of very sound mind, he informs his students that he will no longer be available to teach them. However, he states his belief that they have understood the meaning and spirit of his ideas, and he hopes they will cling to that spirit rather than to the pedantic specifics of his words. With that he thanks them and goes to his meditation chamber. His body was discovered the next morning.
The planet of Itan mourns its gentle hero. His body is interred in a memorial near the Ark, not far from the statue of James Armand. Nine of Eo's ten foremost students leave his mountain school to start new schools in the open-air towns around Armand. The Schools of Eo become the standard by which education is judged, and produce a new generation of fit, happy, wise, and well-adjusted individuals. The people of Itan strive to live in balance with their natural surroundings, which have taken so long to grow.
AD3173
Itan and its people have flourished in the past few hundred years. The planet is beautiful and green, with much wildlife on the land and in the sea. The people continue to advance technologically, constructing new types of spaceships and exploring the nearby wormhole areas. The schools of Eo have become integrated into the overall social and cultural structure of the people. Everyone participates in them to some extent, most leaving after several years to pursue jobs or technological research elsewhere. Some men and women, however, dedicate their lives to the schools and to the monastic life. These people research and practice internal energy, meditation, and ponder the meaning of life and death. Ancient martial forms, inspired by the animals of Earth, are researched and studied. New martial forms, inspired by the movements of wind and water, are discussed and refined. Much thought is given to the ideal of becoming one with one’s actions, mind and body. Whether applied to ancient swordsmanship forms or modern spaceship piloting, the results are impressive. Prospective pilots that have been taught the advanced meditation techniques are shown to have unusual reflexes and timing. The monastic upper levels of the school see these intriguing results and resolve to further their meditative research.
AD3461
The culture of Itan progresses apace. The teachers and luminaries of the Schools of Eo become known as brothers or sisters of the Order of Eo. The Order is led by an abbot and a loose democratic organization of the rest of the Order. By this point, the Itani Senate has mostly ceased to exist, and the Itani people are largely guided by the Order. There is no strict governmental hierarchy so much as a group of elected officials from various towns, all of whom look to the Order for overall direction and guidance. Much emphasis is placed on personal responsibility, both to one’s own actions and to one's community. Most community tasks are distributed on a volunteer basis, and the various duties periodically migrate around the community.
Technologically, the Itani continue to advance, mostly perfecting and honing that which they already know, rather than making great leaps forward in knowledge. The efficiency and safety of the fusion power systems and grivitic pulse propulsion are greatly increased, and the Itani begin to explore further into the wormhole areas near them. As the population increases, there is an overall desire to spread out rather than condense in cities. Short-range planetary transportation is not a serious issue, as both energy for transport ships and some short-range matter transference are available. The Order maintains that a certain balance of human population should not be exceeded, lest it begin to damage their delicate and hard-wrought world. Thus, a search begins for new homes of future generations.
The Order themselves continue to delve into the mysteries of the mind, body, and soul. New theories and advances in meditation occur frequently. A certain number of standard practices are common throughout the Order and emulated by much of the rest of the Itani population. These practices of diet, exercise, meditation, and martial study have begun to result in considerably extended lifetimes for the practitioners. It is not uncommon for members of the order, along with other studious and motivated individuals, to reach an age of 150 years or more still in able-bodied health. Additionally, the medical needs of these practitioners are often markedly less than that of those who chose not to practice with regularity. Sickness and disease have become very rare within the Order.
AD3537
A well-respected member of the Order, Erum the Blind, is given to moments of prophecy and clarity during deep meditation. The accuracy of these prophecies, or at least their common interpretations, is largely uncontested, as he has foretold major unusual events within his lifetime. Towards the end of his span, at age one hundred and thirty nine, he suddenly lapses into a prophetic state while in the midst of a martial demonstration for several upper-level students. He speaks of a hidden evil within the Itani people, of a thread of hatred long held in secret, which could spell the doom of the Itani. So saying, he abruptly expires, to the anguish of his students. His words disturb the Order to its foundations, as Itan has experienced little conflict and few problems in the last five hundred years. The elders ponder the meaning of this new threat, and how (and when) it may affect them.
AD3624
The Itani begin to investigate a new branch of technology. It is found that sensors can be constructed which can react to the will and energies of a meditatively trained individual. It is even theorized that the technology could be crafted to amplify the energies of a monk, with many possible applications. The Order has long studied the link between thought and action, and many test pilots have been martially trained towards this end. When combined with the new technology, even more impressive results are realized. Sufficiently trained pilots can now fly with mere thought, while “feeling” the response of their ship in great detail. All data recorded by the shipboard computer can be filtered into their consciousness, understood, and acted upon, while in the required meditative state. Training to achieve this state, however, is a long and difficult process. Additionally, in a world of transports which can autopilot from place to place without incident, there is little need for this technology. For now, it is mainly used by the Order to provide displays of aerobatic skill during large festivals.
AD3718
The Itani have had much success in their colonization projects. A number of planets suitable for colonization and terraforming (now greatly advanced) are found within a few wormhole-jumps of Itan. The planets of Eo and Divinia are founded, and by AD3600 are well terraformed and populated. Temples, seats of the Order of Eo, are constructed on all the new planets, with planet-wide Abbots elected to direct the local affairs of the Order. All temples frequently consult with the home temple for guidance.
AD3804
A proposal is made to expand exploration in the direction of the wormholes through which the Ark had passed on its fateful journey to Itan. Some are curious to see what has become of their ancient brethren and learn more of their history. Others even dream of perhaps rediscovering a route to that aboriginal home of humankind, Earth. Four hundred years earlier, when the Itani began to explore their spatial surroundings in earnest, the Order had placed a ban on passing beyond the furthest of the known wormhole areas in the direction of Terra II. Past Abbots had asked that explorers remember why their forefathers had fled, risking life to found a new home where their children might live in peace. The Itani have no illusions about their past, or the horrible deeds perpetrated by their ancestors that caused the war and eventually led to the Exile of the Ark. However, the Itani people believe that much has changed in the last thousand years since the Exile, and in many respects they are correct. Itan gives all signs of an ideal human society, where concern for survival is a thing only dimly remembered. The populace instead strives to create works of beauty and thought, only for the delight of creation. Exploring the fringes of their universe and their minds, while cradled in the lush beauty of their planets, the Itani people have forgotten their ancient hatreds. Much historical study is given to the Serco and their ways. Although the idea of melding man with machine, or diverging from the blueprint of nature, holds little personal appeal to the Itani people, it is now considered to be the ways of a different culture, no doubt as unique, beautiful, and interesting as their own.
The exploration proposal meets some resistance in the upper levels of the Order, with those who believe it was unwise to seek the ancient enemy. However, the idea quickly gains ground with many of the more curious and scientifically minded, and is much debated throughout the Itani planets. After several years of discussions, enough pressure has built to cause the Abbot of Itan, with some misgivings, to lift the Ban.
AD3816
The technology of monitoring and focusing the energy of a meditative monk has been further refined to produce an intriguing device. The so-called "Energy Focus" can be used by a highly trained monk to produce a seemingly impenetrable field, formed from a variety of spiritual life energies. The form of this field is adaptable by the thoughts of the monk, depending on the skill and abilities of the individual. The discovery is hailed as opening a new field of science, but few immediate applications are found. Many of the upper level members of the Order acquire Energy Focus devices for experimentation and as teaching tools, to give form to thought and aid in conceptual description.
AD3827
Although exploration through the wormholes near Terra II commences immediately after the lifting of the Ban, it is done as discreetly as possible. Reconnaissance information is gathered on the Serco and Terra II in order to develop a cautious plan to make contact with their historical foe. So, for some years, observations of the Serco are made at long range. In the seventh month of 3827, an Itani exploration ship and its crew are captured by the Serco.
* * *
AD2661-AD3827, Terra II
From what can be pieced together from various sources, life did not go well for the Serco after the Exile of the Ark. Following the destruction of the Itani domes, the Serco military came to a halt and considered its next move. News was beginning to sift into public knowledge of the utter decimation of the Itani, civilian or otherwise. Some heralded this as no less than the Itani had deserved, but most considered it a horrible over-reaction on the part of the Serco military leaders. When images of the full extent of the desolation, the shattered domes piled with broken bodies, reached the Serco public, there was an outcry and lament for having utterly destroyed the only other human beings on this side of galaxy. Still, many also recalled the recent images of their own cities, laid waste by Itani bombs. Thus, by the time immediately before the launch of the Ark, the Serco military leaders stood in a very tenuous and politically unstable position. Had the population of the Ark made themselves known to the Serco civilian population at that time, there likely would have been a spontaneous outpouring of mutual regret that might have healed all wounds between the peoples. However, the Itani did not know the Serco political situation, and the Serco were unaware of any Itani who had survived the blood thirst of their military commanders.
The Serco military leaders, on the other hand, had no regret of their actions and considered the war to be a job well done. Their military structure was a rather small, close-knit group of officers, all of whom knew one another well and who shared a similar view when it came to matters of combat. For the Serco, there was no need for a large command structure, as a large percentage of their combat forces were computer controlled beasts and automatons, such as the Guises. Thus, this group of like-minded officers perceived that it was not they who had wronged, indeed, they had justly defended their nation from a great threat; so great that it had extinguished the lives of a sizable percentage of their population. It was their belief that any true soldier, when faced with the defence of one's people, would respond with all possible force, that such a threat might never be marshalled against them again. They presented their people with this view, and were largely rebuffed, to their disgust. Finally, the military leaders conceived a plan to guarantee that their nation would not persist in this weak and divided state, and would become a nation strong enough to withstand the onslaught of any attacker.
On the dawn of the same day that the Ark planned to launch, they prepared their coup d’etat. Ironically, the launch of the Ark, utterly unexpected by the Serco and not fully understood until second contact with the Itani in 3827, played well into the hands of the military commanders. The launch caused shockwaves to rumble across the Serco nation, triggering volcanic activity, quakes, fire and great dust clouds. The cities were left in confusion and chaos, allowing the military to move in and assert their power and control.
End of Part 1......
Vendetta Online - The Chronicles of Exile (Part I)
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