Thursday, July 21, 2016

The Grand Crusade: The Great Factions

The hope and dream of futurists, science fiction writers, and the naive was that mankind would be able to put aside their differences and travel to the stars as a united front. That war, greed, and all the foibles of humanity's darker side would be put back into Pandora's box, never to be released again. This, obviously, was not the case.

Nations devoured one another; hungry, terrified dogs, frantically scraping to escape their doomed cage.  Once the humans were free of their little planet, there was little that could stop them. They exploded throughout the Known Galaxy. Colonies became nations, nations become alliances, and alliances, eventually, gave rise to The Factions. The largest of the Factions, the ones with the most weight on the Known Galaxy, are referred to as the Great Factions.

While there are a number of factions, there is a trade language, often taught to those who will deal with many different factions. This language is called "Interlang". It is a very basic English base, with a number of other language roots brought in.

The following a brief overview of the six Great Factions.

Free Northern Federation

Also referred to as "The Federation" or the FNF, the Free Northern Federation is one of the more powerful factions. While it does not have the greatest distance of "galaxy-space" encompassed within it's borders, it has an impressively sized population, some of the more advanced technology, and a more than fair amount of credits circulating through it's coffers. They put themselves out there as the "beacons of justice and truth", but there is a lot of shadows cast by that beacon.

The Free Northern Federation is the result of the combination of the United States and it's annexed nations of Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. The primary language is called "FedCom" (Federated Communications), primarily English in it's roots, it is interspersed with a number of Spanish based words and phrases. "Fedders", as other Factions are fond of calling the citizens of the FNF, are often of mixed heritage. Many can trace their ancestry to at least ten different ethnicities. Despite their diverse origins, the people of the FNF are exceptionally nationalistic. There is a tendency to believe that only the the Federation can unite and lead all the Factions towards a brighter tomorrow.

There have, in its history, been some internal conflicts. The most notable was the Republico Centralia, where a group of Mexican, Cuban, and other Central American nation decedents attempted to break away from the FNF. This lasted for about 150 years, before the "Reclamation Into Brotherhood" brought those star systems back under the banner of the FNF. Other attempts to separate from the main body have occurred, from time to time, but for the most part, after the separation, the group is shortly dragged back into the fold. The only exception to this was, and still is, the Spheres of the First Nations.

Government for the FNF is a constitutional republic. At the head of it all is Council of Representatives, the Constitutional Senate and the Senatorial President.

Most issues are handled by the Representatives, a body made up of representatives from every "citizen" world in the Federation. A Citizen world is one that is in good standing, that is to say has not had any political unrest, or been only recently annexed into the Federation (regardless of how this annexation occurred, voluntarily or militarily), with in the last five decades. Each citizen world sends 2 representatives to the Council. These representatives are elected by the world, and are replaced only when they die or the Representative is brought into the Senate. There was a time that a Representative went through reelection every four years, but that just became too tedious. These Representatives pass basic legislation, allocate government funding, as per the Senate sees fit to delegate to them, as well as propose bills to pass further up to the Senate.

The Senate is made up of former members of the Council of Representatives. A position in the Senate is only filled when the one previously sitting in the Senate has passed. There are 50 seats in the Senate, not including the President's Seat. When a seat becomes vacant, the Senate proposes possible replacements. Each Representative proposed as replacement is vetted, gets an opportunity to speak before the Senate and the Senatorial President, and then is voted upon by the Senate. The Senate serves both as a legislative and judicial body, passing the wider ranging laws, determining the legality of other laws, overseeing the courts of the Faction, and confirming or proposing military actions.

Finally, the Senatorial President, despite the name, is not chosen from the Senate. He is elected, in a general election from all citizen worlds. Even worlds that do not have full citizen status still are given the opportunity to vote, though it's more as a provisional status. These people often are very well known and popular. The current President is Marcus O. Costar, also the current CEO of Boeing/Costar Engineering and Technology. He was elected into office through a massive landslide. He is in his second ten-year term. He is respected for his ability to stabilize the borders of the FNF, and his increases to the funding of technology, military resources, and education.

The technology of the FNF often has clean lines and a finished polish. They rival the Eternal Empire on most technologies, but military technology is where they shine. Prone to creating massive weapons of war, legions of robotic vehicles, and experimental weapons and equipment for front line soldiers, the FNF has a reputation of living on the bleeding edge of technology.

There is one area, though, where the FNF towers above all other Factions. That is through genetic manipulation. Almost a millennia ago, FNF scientist first cracked the code to almost all animal genomes. They began experimenting, and developed stable, repeatable, mutations allowing animals to gain intelligence, even more and more human like appearances. Later, it was also found that most of these mutants could breed true. As a result, at this time, more than two-thirds of the Federation Army is made up of mutant animals. The Naval forces are still primarily human, but when boots are put on the ground, those boots are normally filled with non-human feet.

Mutant animals serve not only in the military. "Mutals" are found in the private sector as nannies, house guards, police aides, lab assistants, mail room workers, and a number of other positions on the lower rung of society. There are some worlds where mutals are allowed to "roam free", but most are kept as pets and property, instead of citizens of the Federation. Since they're animals, they don't have souls or rights, regardless of how smart they are. Even on "Free Roam" worlds, any mutal can be called into military service, should the need arise.

Most planets within the Federation either have "patriotic" names, like Washington, Lincoln, Clinton, Edison, or Gettysburg; or they have "archaic" names. These archaic names normally meant something to the early travelers and explorers that found the world. These are worlds with names such as Lovecraft, Tarzan, Catachan, Jakku, Faerun, and Targaryen.

Relation with other Factions:  The Federation is currently in alliances with the United Allies and the Eternal Empire. They maintain trade agreements, but with an undercurrent of distrust and agitation, with the Celestial People's Republic. They are long time rivals and enemies with the Star Council Union, and their current simmering state of stalemate and cold war is one that could boil over given the right trigger. They were long time allies with the Indian Confederation, as well, but with the withdraw of that Faction from the politics of the Known Galaxy, and the inability to get even one reliable spy into the I.C.'s borders, has put the Federation on edge. The recent arrival of an ambassador, though, has given the Federation some sense of relief, even if the ambassador is a little tight lipped.

The lesser factions are mostly of little concern. The only one is the Spheres of the First Nations. Occasionally, there is a wave that forms, begging to bring the "lost sheep" of the Spheres back to the flock. The current lack of a war against anyone else has caused this wave to start anew.  If anything comes of it is yet to be seen.

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Star Council Union (Zvezdeye Sihedrion Soyuz)

Most commonly referred to as the "Z.S.S.", or the Union, the Zvezdeye Sihedrion Soyuz is the many generational child of the Russian Republic and the other Slavic nations that were gathered into their efforts to create their ark. The primary language is Rus-Slav, an amalgamation of the different Slavic tongues that made up the nations that became the Union. The people of the Z.S.S., also called Zees, or Unionists, are known to be pragmatic, stubborn, and enduring. A common phrase among the people of the Union is, “The Union is eternal. Tsars come and go. Parties come and go. The people, though, will always remain. The people will always be strong.”

This Faction has gone through a large number of governmental changes of the centuries, but regardless of who is in charge, be it a Tsar, a parliament, or even the current council, the Faction has remained together. Even with changes in government, the attempts to split of the Union have been even rarer than what has occurred in the Federation. This is possibly due to an "us vs. them" mentality. They may not all agree on everything, but working together is better than having some other Faction telling them what to do. There are a number of different cultures and ethnic groups, within the borders of the Union, but most are willing to find common ground. This is more especially the case when the Federation of the People's Republic are the ones willing to extend a hand to help "liberate" them.

This Faction does control the greatest amount of space in the Factions. At the same time, there are sections that have far less star systems that support life. Most of these have a station or orbiter, using one or two planets for resources, such as minerals or rare gases. This abundance of raw materials does help promote the economy of the Faction. Recently, there has been an increase in demand of a number of raw materials by the Crusader-General. The reason for this demand has not been explained. Nonetheless, their credits are good, and in the deal, they are allowing the ZSS to spearhead a number of the strikes on the campaign towards Terra.

This boon of resources also allows for a larger military force than other Factions, with only the Celestial People's Republic coming close to their numbers. The military favors reliable, battle proven technologies in their armed forces. There are also subgroups within the Union that favor "older" methods of combat, such as the martial art of Sambo, and the Cossack Calvary units, that favor battle motorcycles, robotic horses, or even horses and exotic xeno-mounts to charge into battle with.

That being said, they are not above experimenting with new designs, or adjustments to improve on existing designs. Some of these work, and some of them fail. Of course, when they fail, they fail spectacularly. There is an entire museum world, Ilinsky, dedicated to poor designs, unusual experiments, and early prototypes of what later became successful tools of the Union.

When it comes to technology, though, Unionist prefer reliable designs that work, and last. It is not unusual for a family to have items passed down three or four generations. In families with a strong military tradition, a favored piece of equipment being passed onto the next generation is a rite of passage. Practical, reliable, and durable are all traits that mean more than "new" and "improved". Also, there are technologies that you will see sparingly in the ZSS. Genetic manipulation, full cybernetic conversions, massive uses of robotic forces, are all seen as risky or dangerous. It is one thing to have robots digging in a mine, it is another thing entirely to hand it a gun. Mutals are looked on with horror and pity, "If God wanted dogs to talk, then they would not need man to force them to.". With the heavy losses during the event known as The Steel Betrayal, even cybernetics is not fully trusted. Some are needed to help with the piloting of some vehicles, so they are not forbidden, but they are used sparingly.

The ZSS is lead by a council of seven members. This council consists of seven elected officials, and the Patriarch of the Soyuz Orthodox Church. This has council serves as the executive power, with a Union Parliament that serves as a supporting legislative organization. This form of government has been very effective, and has lasted two centuries. The longest of any previous government. There was a long stretch where the leadership changed frequently. A government would would rise, become corrupt or ineffective, there would be a people's revolt, and a new government wold be put into place. Rinse, lather, repeat. Currently, though, the system in place has worked for quite some time.

An additional interesting aspect of the ZSS is the number of psychically gifted individuals. Since traveling to the stars, psychic abilities have become more common place, and stronger. Every faction has a number of such gifted individuals. The ZSS, though, has a dramatically higher number than any other faction. These psychics are accepted as blessings from God, instead of as beings to be feared. There are two academy worlds dedicated to the training of these psychics. One trains for "domestic" applications, while the other trains for military applications.

Names of planets within the Union are either referances to cities, regions, and locations back on Earth; the names of important people in Eastern European history, or even Slavic mythological names. While the Faction strongly favors the Orthodox faith, they are not above naming a planet "Baba Yaga" or "Zemi".

Relations with Other Factions: The ZSS is still locked in a state of cold war with the FNF. How long it will remain cold, though, is unknown. Their relations with the Eternal Empire is currently friendly, as a number of their resources are traded into the EE. There has, in the past, been a conflict, but it appears that those wounds have healed over. The ZSS has a strong respect for the traditions and honor of the citizens of the EE.

The relationship with the Celestial People's Republic has also been similar. There is trade, and a fairly strong alliance, but the CPR is not above attacking suddenly, without warning. Such intrusions are met with the firm arm of an older sibling correcting the rambunctious younger brother. In dealing with the United Allies, they are also seen as a sibling, one that has their head in the clouds, and refuses to see reality.

The Indian Confederation recently sent an ambassador. While the ZSS has never had a bad relation with the I.C., they have not really had much call for "conversation". It is odd, but not worrying.

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Celestial People's Republic

When the "world was ending", China quickly invaded a number of it's neighbors to the south, forcing them into efforts to build their Ark to escape. In fact, while a lot of East Asia was swallowed up into China's grasp, Japan and South Korea managed to prevent's China's attempts. North Korea, on the other hand, was told, in no uncertain terms, that no one wanted them along for the ride. This has created a faction that would be as powerful as it is turbulent.

The Celestial People's Republic, CPR, or Celestial Ones; as no one really wants to call them a Republic; are a very mixed nation. Their primary language is Modern Chinese, an evolved linguistic decedent of Mandarin Chinese. Truthfully, though, there are a number of different dialects, and local languages, such as Mongolian, Tibetan, Khemer; a combination of a number of South East Asia languages; and Chin, a mix of English and Chinese, common in most "outward facing" worlds.

The Celestial People's Republic is ruled over by the People's Regent, currently Mao Sun Li, supported by a ghastly large bureaucratic body; with planetary regional governors, planetary governors, quadrant governors, advisers, administrators, and a hundred other titled officials. The "Regent", who watches over the will of the people officially runs the Republic, passing on his laws and mandates to his underlings. How strictly they are enforced depends a lot on the underling. Some planets have beneficent leaders, who do all they can to provide for those under their charge. Unfortunately, there are also planets with leaders that just don't care, or on the edge of independent dictatorships. A fear for any official in the Republic, though, is for word to reach the right ear, higher up the food chain. Removal from office, frequently by assassination, is not the worst that can happen to someone found with their hands in the wrong jars. 

The CPR is a combination of unified government, with so many cogs and parts, that a lot gets lost among the pieces. Nonetheless, while there may be local revolutions, overthrowing a governor here or there, as a whole, the larger body works.

The military for the CPR is very large, but they are not as well equipped as some of the other Factions. To bolster their numbers, the CPR has invested heavily in robotic warriors. Not just the standard robotic vehicles used by most Factions, but man size, sometimes larger, robot soldiers and drones. One of their premier vehicles is a Drone Control Module. It is a cross between a hover tank, and a small command and control center. There is also a version that is used in space combat, with the same appearance, just design for flying through the void of space, instead of hovering over the ground. This is has become one of the most common units in the CPR, in the most recent years.

Psychic abilities are both common and uncommon, within the Celestial People's Republic. The official explanation of psychic powers is an increase, or overabundance of "chi" in an individual person. The martial arts that the "Old East" was known for on Earth, are still alive and well within the Republic. Through practice and study, many martial artists are able to tap into their "chi", and thus create a number of effects generated through the proper control and movements taught through a particular martial art. There are tales of warriors on the battlefield demonstrating amazing abilities, anything from throwing energy orbs, to even transmutations, becoming monstrous combatants, all through the proper application of chi. Such warriors are rare, though, and most appear to be more wandering agents of justice and protection, then conscripted soldiers.

Martial Arts are, as mentioned, alive and well with the CPR. In fact there are entire worlds devoted to the study and instruction of styles and techniques. These worlds are a large draw for outsiders. There are some, outside the Republic, that wish to study the "ancient ways". For the right amount of credits, you may be able to gain access to one of these worlds, and if found worthy, you may be able to study at one of these academies. These often teach more "basic" martial arts, ones without the amazing abilities demonstrated by more dedicated "monks".

Many of the worlds are names of older cities, dynasties, or gods and heroes from ancient China. These demonstrate the almost Dissociative Identity Disorder of the Faction, insisting on their modernization, but also looking back at their history in an admiration and reverence. There is also the allowance of access to outsiders to some worlds, while locking out the same outsiders from other worlds. All in all, the Celestial People's Republic is in a constant state of "interesting times".

Relations with Other Factions: The ZSS has been a near constant ally, due to trade agreements, and rare conflict between. When there has been conflict, the ZSS has regularly demonstrated their stronger arm. This is somewhat vexing to the leadership of the CPR, but they know better than to stir the rage of the Great Bear.

The Federation, on the other hand, have a strong trade agreement, but some amount of aggressive undertones toward one another. The Republic is convinced that the FNF would start a war with them for the CPR's resources and production, and the only thing stopping such an invasion has been the distance and the fact that the ZSS would most likely come to the Republic's aide.

The CPR has an unusual relation with the United Allies, as a number of "knights errant" and would be warriors regularly are the greatest number of outsiders that seek to study martial arts as a way to have an edge in their future quests and personal crusades for "righteousness". The CPR is more than willing to take their money, and show them some basic styles, keeping the more powerful secrets their own.

There is only one Faction that the Celestials hold a deep an abiding hatred for, the Eternal Empire. They are very aware of the Imperial attitude towards them, and the feeling is mutual. Again, the only thing preventing a prolonged war of utter destruction is the fact that the ZSS sits between the two Factions.

Finally, the Indian Confederation is currently in a state of war with the CPR. There has actually been no actions ongoing, though. The CPR has sent in some exploratory strikes, but all of them have returned with mixed reports of massive creatures that attacked the units with an amazing amount of tactical knowledge. It is unsure what is happening in the Confederation, and if the creatures are just trained native creatures, or something else. If they are something else, the Republic is unsure how they wish to proceed. They have noted that the other Factions have received ambassadors, but none has shown up.

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Eternal Empire

The quick expansion of the Chinese "empire", in its efforts to speed up the building of its own Ark. This kind of aggression can create strange bedfellows. Resisting the efforts of Chine to subsume the two nations, it quickly became obvious that their combined strength was greater than any previous antagonistic feelings. Seoul extended an offer to work with Japan on a combined Ark.

Together, they managed to create one of the most advanced of the Arks, among all the nations. They were able to reach the farthest reaches of the Known Galaxy. Here, they established the Eternal Empire. They have formed a strong Faction that forms a long outer border of the Known Galaxy.

The Eternal Empire, also called the EE, and its residents called Imperials, is one of the most technologically advanced Factions. They have developed advanced communication, military hardware, transportation, and all manner of technologies. They are also one of the few Factions to still develop and use cybernetics and bionics, both domestically and militarily. While most other Factions have steered away from cybernetics, ever since the Steel Betrayal, the Eternal Empire was not a player in the event, and thus was not as effected as the other Factions.

The average citizen has at least a few implants, allowing them to better interact with the "cyberstream", a huge network of information, the main source of most entertainment and communication. There are some that choose to remain "uncorrupted" by technology, but they are a minority. The average soldier also has some implants, meant to protect and enhance their combat abilities. When a soldier is wounded in the field of battle, it is not unusual for them to be converted to full cybernetic beings, in an effort to preserve their lives, as well as to allow them to return to the front lines.

One area of technology that the Imperials appear to shy away from is genetic modification. That being said, there are rumors of attempts to make a genetically enhanced "super soldier", but these have been rumors for generations.

The Eternal Empire is run by a Parliamentary Monarchy. The Parliament, made up of two representatives from each world in the Empire, develop and pass the laws of the land. The Empress, Suiko VI, then approves or disapproves of the measure. The Emperor or Empress has the final say on any legislation, as well as serves as the head of the military, and also as a spiritual leader for the people. While she is not considered a divine being, she is believed to be the most in tune with the will of the cosmos.

Honor is extremely important to the people of the Empire, especially within the military. There are many who attempt to emulate the heroes of old, some even taking up the mantle of "samurai". This focus on honor makes for a disciplined and organized society. While this is the norm, it understood that not everyone has the same level of honor, and there are some that walk in the shadows.

The planetary systems, unsurprisingly, also hearken back to old Earth cities, ancient leaders and heroes, as well as some names from former popular culture. Some planets, though, have names of the original inhabitants, even with the Xenos races still living on their worlds.

While most factions have pushed the Xenos that were once in their territory out from their borders, there are a few Xenos races within the Empire that have been allowed to remain. Of these races, most have "lost" their original racial names, and are called by names that attribute them to ancient mythological creatures. The Oni, a race of tall red skinned beings, whose technological advancements have been absorbed int the Empire; the Kitsune, a race of fox and red panda like Xenos, and the Bakeneko, a race of humanoid cat-folk, are popular as entertainers and, in certain circles, more than that. The final race that stays within the Empire is the Tengu, a group of raven folk that have the impressive ability to change into a human-like form. These Xenos are known to wander the Empire and beyond; exploring, teaching, and softly guiding some to a "greater destiny". It is believed that there is a Tengu in the Empress' personal entourage, aiding her, and possibly manipulating her, depending on one's personal opinion.

Relations with Other Factions: The Eternal Empire has a cool, respected relation with most Factions. There have been a number of conflicts between the Federation and the Union over the years, but at this time, both of these Factions have maintained peaceable relations. This is possibly because the conflicts, time and time again, have proven the strength of honor, and the dedication of the military of the Empire.

It should be noted, though, that the Empire has not forgotten that both these Factions have, at different times, attempted to take territory away from the EE. While right now, they are at peace, and have been for over a hundred years, the slights have not been forgiven fully.

The United Allies are seen much like barbarians attempting to play at being grown ups. Their knights and smaller subsections attempt to emulate true honor, but usually fall short. The Empire has, over the years made small inroads into the United Allies, but these usually end up creating more Border Worlds, then it does in full conquest of systems. Imperials, though, are patient. When the time to move forward comes, then will they strike.

The Celestial People's Republic is seen as a nuisance; a blight on the Known Galaxy. If they were closer, the Empire would wipe the whole Faction from existence. The only thing preventing an open, blood conflict is that there is now way to launch a proper offensive, with the ZSS sitting between the two. There has been consideration of conquering the outer border of the ZSS, but right now, it does not seem to be a prudent course of action.

Rarer mysteries do not exist than the Indian Confederation. There was once an open dialog between the two Factions. While they were not enemies, they were allies. The Empire would send technology to the Confederation as a means to strike against the CPR. Suddenly, though, the Confederation changed their focus, swallowed up the lesser Faction of the Persian Kingdoms, and then went silent. The Empire's ambassadors were sent home. The trade ships were turned back. Other Imperial citizens were returned back to the Empire. All without explanation. Even attempts to send in secret agents have all resulted in the complete loss of contact with the agent. This has confused and concerned the Empress, and her predecessors before her. It has been almost a hundred years since the Confederation went silent. Twenty five years ago, it appeared that this silence was thrown off, but the arrival of the ambassadors have only left more questions than answers.


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The United Allies

Born from the efforts of the united European Union, the Scandinavian nations, and the United Kingdoms, the United Allies were one of the first to take to the stars. With their efforts creating the first FTL Drives, they were able to progress out to the farther regions of the Known Galaxy, as well as carving a nice swath heading back towards Earth. They are now a united Faction, but also separate, divided among themselves into smaller groups. The Scottish Kingdoms, the German Confederation, the Scandinavian Systems, the Spanish States, and others are all spread among the Faction, but they all work together to share technology, trade, and mutual defense.

The United Allies is run by a full parliamentary system. A four representatives of each subgroup attends the Council of Allies. These representatives are either elected by the people or chosen by the "ruler" of each subgroup. This parliamentary body serves as the final authority on all matters for the Faction. While this can cause some problems, it has served as an effective body since the beginning.

They are, for the most part, of average technology in most fields. There are not much that they have deveolped that isn't on par with most of the other Factions. There is one area where the Allies excel. The creation of power armors is as much an art as it is a military tool. More particularly, the creation of Chromium plated armors is an amazing display of artistry and craftsmanship.

Chromium is a unique alloy made up of mined minerals, found only in the territories of the United Allies. It is durable, as well as resistant to most forms of energy attacks. The only problem is the rarity and difficulty of creating the alloy. It takes years to create enough of the metal for even limited use. As such, this metal is most often used in the creation of Power Armors. The Chromium Knights, a shining suit of power armor, are the pride and joy of the United Allies. A Knight's armor is often equipped with a shoulder mounted specialty weapon. This is normally referred to as the armor's sword. Some of them are large, loud, anti-vehicle weapons, requiring mounting into the ground to fire. Then others are smaller, more precise weapons. It all depends on the armor styling. Even then, each armor will have filigree and intricate patterns crafted into the armor. Most of these armors will last centuries, handed down or generations. Only the military vehicles of the ZSS have a similar reputation for such a long working life.

Not all Knights, though, are so fortunate to have a Chromium Knight armor. There are a number of "lower" Knights that utilize robot vehicles, other power armors, or one of a thousand other questing warriors. The Knights make up the majority of the military forces for the UA, coming from all subgroups and cultures. While most groups ally themselves with certain orders, there is one order that stands above the rest, The New Order of the Round Table.

The New Order is based off the planet of New Avalon, lead by the mysterious Baron Knight, called simply, "The Bear". No other name is known of outside the Order, and no other name is spoken of among the Knights. Even The Bear's gender is not known. The Bear is always called "The Bear", and never as "he" or "she". It is a secret known only to the Knights of the Table, and not to those on the Outer Seats. The New Order of the Round Table is also know to be the most accepting of the Knightly Orders, accepting those from any faction, even Xenos, as long as they are willing to live by the Order's Creed; "Do good, live nobly, ask for nothing”. 

There is no standard naming conventions for worlds within the borders of the United Allies, each group having their own idea on how to name their individual planets. 

Relations with Other Factions: The UA has, for the most part, maintained friendly relations with most Factions. There have been the occasional conflict with the Federation, mostly when the Federation decides that it needs to "help stabilize" or "protect Federation interests" on an internal issue. This hasn't happened much, recently, as the Federation has been too preoccupied with the Union.

The only other Faction that the Allies have a tenuous relationship is the Eternal Empire. The Allies have noticed the Imperial's slow encroachment into their borders. While there is a respect between the two Factions, and not open hostilities, the UA has increased the number of Knights to oversee and support the military forces of the planets along that border. The Allies suspect that the Eternal Empire may be attempting to steal the materials and processes for creating Chromium, which is something that the UA will not allow.

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The Indian Confederation


The children of India and a number of Hindu and Buddhist nations, the Indian Confederation was a Faction that had some of the densest populations among the factions. The Confederation found a number of "relic worlds" when it first arrived in the heart that would of become it's territories. "Relic worlds", though found through the different Factions, are worlds where there are obvious remnants of ancient Xenos cultures to one degree or another. These include Belt Worlds, made up of a long band encircling a sun at it's "Goldilocks" zone; Dyson Spheres; and systems with artificially arranged worlds, orbiting in very specific, and organized circles. All of these worlds have been inhabited over the centuries.

The Confederation was known to have one of the largest mutant animal populations, among the factions. It was debatable if the mutal population was larger than even the population in the Free Northern Federation. They had a decent technological level, and a very open and accepting society; even allowing a number of Xenos races to remain within their borders.

"Had", though, is an important word. Approximately two centuries ago, the Indian Confederation became suddenly silent. The Confederation, which has been non-expansionist, mostly defending itself against intrusions from the Celestial People's Republic, launched a campaign against the Lesser Faction called the Persian Kingdoms. The invasion of these planets were quick, brutal, and finished in almost the flash of any eye. Before any of the other Factions could even react, the conquest was done, the Kingdoms absorbed into the Confederation.

The Confederation then expelled all foreign dignitaries, business representatives, even tourists and expatriates within their borders. There was an attempt at "preventing an destabilizing incident within the Faction" by the FNF. The Federation landed on a world just inside the borders of the I.C.. Those forces, within a few days, became suddenly ill, many dying from an incurable plague. Even full environmental suits were of little help, as such troops would be targeted by unseen snipers, puncturing their armor, and allowing whatever disease to enter the suit. The "stabilizing force" was pushed off planet without ever being able to actually engage the enemy. The ship, unfortunately, had to be forcibly quarantined, upon its arrival back within Federation space.

Since that incident, the other Factions have decided to keep their distance from the boundaries of Confederation space. There has been no contact between the rest of the Known Galaxy and the I.C., since that time. That was until recently.

Twenty five years ago, the Celestial People's Republic started losing worlds along the border with the I.C.. These worlds would report sudden "meteor storms", followed by a loss of contact. Attempts to reclaim the worlds, or even investigate have met with failure. About this same time, ambassadors from the I.C. arrived, via older star faring vessels, at their old, abandoned, embassies. They came bringing a simple message, that the Confederation was alive and well, and still wished it's privacy. These ambassadors have all been remarked upon as being the ideal examples of human beauty and grace. They still talk of the wonders found within their territories, when socializing, but do not go much more than what was already known.

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