Tribes roleplay
Damn! i couldn't find any remains of the Starsiege section..
I also want to say that tribalwar doesn't deserve it's name.
The Chase
STARSIEGE: 2845
Prologue
It is 2845. The great war called the Starsiege has been over for six years.
Fractured and confused after the fall of their progenitor god-tyrant, Prometheus,
the Cybrids fled into the darkness of the solar system's outer rim. Throughout
the colonies as well as on hallowed Earth, humanity sifted through the charred
remains of the Starsiege, gave thanks for its deliverance, and began to
rebuild.
Today, children laugh and play in the sunlit plazas of once-scorched
cities, the shadow of new fortifications a grim reminder that the Cybrid threat
yet remains. But for the moment, humanity is free. A new Emperor sits on the
Lion Throne. New ships and new technology reshape the future. Survivors scarred
by years of war and loss dare to allow themselves the luxury of hope.
However, humanity's third brush with near-extinction in as many centuries
has left it neither complacent nor naive. Far away in the vast reaches of
space, hard-eyed men and women patrol the void with steadfast determination.
This time they will not wait for the sword to fall. This time humanity will
strike first.
Determined not to relent in the pursuit of mankind’s greatest enemy,
Emperor Caanon dispatches an armada into the deeps beyond the ghost-orbit of
broken Pluto, tasked with the mission of finding the Cybrids and destroying
them once and for all. There, in the outermost darkness, three soldiers will
come to grips with a humbling secret, and one, under the light of an alien
star, will make a terrifying choice on behalf of all humanity.
The Chase is
on!
EXPANDED TIMELINE
The Chase
2832
Promethean Cybrids begin to seek out and eradicate Metagen units instead of
merely redacting them.
First appearance of Darwin’s Forge thinking among human resistance on Mars.
The philosophy views the Cybrids as God’s whetstone, intended to sharpen
humanity. It melds fragments of Nietzchean writing left over from the
Devastation with Hunterite creeds drawn from the New Tellurian Bible.
Human “Plague Dog” strategy succeeds in spreading erratic behaviors among
Cybrids. Prometheus orders the destruction of all flawed units.
By sheer good fortune, Alliance forces intercept a series of Cybrid
military intelligence secrets and high-level access codes. Eventually these
reveal the lair of Prometheus. Exemplar Sect communications intercepted during
this time include lengthy discussion of an entity named “Null-B.”
First fast-cloned BioDerm troopers enter the field as Imperial shock
troops. They achieve little success, but their mass-produced presence adds a
morale boost to beleaguered human forces on Earth.
Death of Harabec and destruction of Prometheus occurs on Pluto. Massive
Cybrid fusion charges destroy Pluto shortly thereafter. Exemplar Sect
communications picked up near Titan use a term translated to mean “Godseeds,”
then fall silent.
Emperor Petresun is killed after elite Cybrid units break through the
defenses at Nova Alexandria.
Death of Prometheus throws Cybrid chain of command into utter confusion.
Metagens now openly battle Prometheans and seize ships to leave the conflict.
2833
Cybrid ground and naval forces in the outer system fall back to positions
around Saturn and Neptune as Alliance troops secure their hold on the Jovian
satellites.
Battle for China begins. Entrenched human forces in Siberia and Manchuria
initiate a massive counterattack against disorganized Cybrids that meets with
limited success.
Absence of Prometheus' guidance takes an increasing toll on the Cybrid
chain of command. Infighting among Cybrid units is particularly fierce on Earth
and Mars where Cybrid military effectiveness in many regions falls to less than
half of what it had been at the start of the conflict.
Alliance forces using Titan as their primary staging area muster a relief
effort for Earth led by Caanon Weathers. A second, smaller task force is
arrayed to harass Cybrid units orbiting Saturn and to defend Titan in case of a
renewed assault.
Dustrats on Mars begin staging raids to harass their machine oppressors.
Veterans of the last 'MarsSiege' are quick to note that the Cybrids do far more
damage to themselves than the ill-equipped insurgents. Nevertheless Martian
morale is bolstered and attacks on Cybrid command and control facilities
continue.
Imperial Knights of the Furious Stars Order strike at already
weakened Cybrid lines just outside the Denver metrozone. Led by Knight-Captain
Keiren Mace they claim a five-for-one rate of attrition and establish a stable
rallying point for surviving TDF forces in the North American Prefecture.
2834
Imperial Navy engineers discover how to use cachetech to effectively reduce
the mass of the Alliance ships under Caanon's command. This advance permits immensely
greater long-term acceleration with the same reaction mass use and cuts
interplanetary transit time by almost 99%. Cachetech modifications are made en
route, and strategic timetables are advanced sharply, the entire battlegroup
going to high alert as tech crews race around the clock to prepare vehicles for
battle.
Passing through the asteroid belt en route to Earth, Alliance forces under
the command of Caanon encounter a small contingent of TDF ships in hiding,
their crews unaware of the fall of Prometheus. The fleet diverts Long Patrol
gunship ISS Sacajawea to take on survivors. The ships are in disrepair
and are scuttled after being scavenged for parts. Burning hard, Sacajawea
is able to catch the rest of the fleet within a week and resume her place in
formation.
During a reconnaissance patrol near Mercury, cloak-equipped TDF destroyer Tuareg
detects unusual movement among Cybrid forces on the planetary surface. The
Tuareg maintains remote surveillance of the activities and reports mass
transfer of Cybrid forces to ships in orbit.
Swinging out from behind the shadow of Luna, the Allied Fleet under Caanon
stages a daring assault against Cybrid flotillas in station-keeping at L4 and
L5. The Cybrid ships are uncharacteristically slow to respond, and the initial
sally by TDF interceptor flights sows devastation among them. Fusion torpedoes
launched by the 38th Penetration Wing, aka The Silver Wolves, succeed in
detonating the reactor core of the Cybrid superdreadnought code-named
"GRENDEL". Most of the Silver Wolves perish in the assault. Cybrid
dreadnoughts "TYRANT" and "ASMODEUS" also fall to TDF
attacks. The Cybrid carrier "TIAMAT" almost escapes, but the TDF
destroyer Unsung sacrifices itself in a suicidal collision that leaves
the immense Cybrid vessel a flaming hulk. The chaos provides cover for Caanon's
dropships to launch a HALO operation over Nova Alexandria. Cybrid naval forces
fragment, some ships burning on outsystem vectors, others rallying to defend
against the human attackers. While HERCs and Aerospace fighters battle for a
planetside foothold on Mother Earth, control of the Lagrange points and low
orbit remains contested for three months before the Alliance prevails.
Cybrid forces withdraw from Nova Alexandria and form a perimeter around the
city. The Imperial Palace is left in ruins, along with the greater part of the
Royal City. A commando team from the Rose Azure Order of Knights slips
through Cybrid sentries and examines the charred remnants of the Emperor's
wombcouch. Following the team's report, Imperial Command abandons any hope of
finding Petresun's remains, and the Emperor is listed among the dead.
Surviving civilian population of Luna taking refuge in the mines report
confusion among Cybrid vehicles. Darkside commandoes sabotage Cybrid sensor
stations with strain of "Plague Dog" virus. Luna's Cybrid garrison
responds with series of erratic forays that ultimately results in destruction
of its own sensor network.
Tunnel-running dustrats increase guerrilla assaults on Cybrid bases in
Tharsis, Valles, and Xanthe regions. A dust storm of immense proportions
prevents significant action in the East and South. Cybrid forces in Arabia,
Noachis, and Syrtis-Tyr provinces suffer severe and persistent mechanical
problems, as the superfine-grained dust proves a deadly enemy to Cybrid joint
mechanisms and optical arrays.
An intense torpedo bombardment from capital ships ISS Crimson Star, ISS
Hood, and ISS Ancient Glory in LEO destroys a heavily fortified
Cybrid vehicle production facility. Civilian losses are high due to inaccurate
reports of human shield numbers the Cybrids have placed in the area.
2835
Imperial Navy regroups in Earth orbit. Surviving ships from across the
inner system trickle in as word of Alliance victory over the skies of Terra
Mater spreads. Naval engineers refit as much of the fleet as possible with the
gravitic drive technology developed by Caanon’s cache-tech scientists while
en-route to Earth.
The Second Battle of Nova Alexandria: Imperial Knights and colonial forces
led by Caanon Weathers succeed in breaking the Cybrid siege of the Imperial
seat. HERCs piloted by Blood Eagle veterans distinguish themselves by isolating
and destroying the notorious Cybrid hunter-killer group code-named
"SCORPIO." Imperial Knight Colossa "Jaguar" Eun Alba leads
the final charge.
Insurgent forces in the North American Prefecture make dramatic gains
against Cybrid forces all along the Rocky Mountain range and into the Great
Plains, though both coasts of the continent remain firmly under Cybrid control.
Emperor Caanon is inaugurated as the Second Emperor of the Great Human
Empire amid bittersweet celebrations in Nova Alexandria. He is wounded shortly
after the ceremony when one of his surviving sons turns out to be a Trojan
Horse.
Given an enormous edge from their new drive technology, small strike forces
of the Imperial Navy begin to make tremendous gains against Cybrid vessels.
Cybrid ability to reinforce or re-allocate ground forces is hampered throughout
the inner system. The Cybrid gunnery programs adapt quickly, however, and the
human edge lessens, though it retains a clear superiority over Cybrid
capabilities.
A TDF relief effort is dispatched to Mars. Dustrats and Imperial Knights
working together break the fortifications of the primary Cybrid bases in Valles
and Noachim regions, but at a terrible cost. Renowned Knight-Captain Titus
“Hangman” Thau-Yuros is slain, as well as a host of TDF regulars and countless
Martian fighters. Eun Alba gives a curt funeral speech for Thau-Yuros,
concluding his rival was one of humanity's great heroes, "...but I wish I
had had the pleasure of killing him myself."
The battle for Greater China turns dramatically in humanity’s favor as
Emperor Caanon dispatches the bulk of Imperial aerospace assets to seize
control of the skies over Asia. Imperial domination of the air and the lack of
off-world resupply hobbles Cybrid forces throughout the continent. Human
shields are redeployed into the Cybrid slave factories to bolster production.
Heroic resistance in the factories themselves renders this strategy useless by
year's end.
2836
Human factories on Earth begin to produce cachetech weapons in significant
numbers. As the new arms are deployed in the Chinese and Indian combat
theaters, initial underestimation of their firepower results in unexpectedly
high friendly fire casualties.
The Xavier Gravitic Envelope drive revolutionizes humanity's projection of
force across interplanetary distances. The TDF launches a food and munitions
relief effort for Mars. The ships arrive in Martian orbit mere days after
leaving LEO. A salvo of XGE-mounted missiles launched at the mid-point of the
journey shreds Cybrid orbital defenses. Though the cost of producing these
missiles with the dwindling store of gravitic components is astronomical, the
TDF owns Martian space almost immediately.
Alliance sensor boats patrolling the asteroid belt detect a hidden Cybrid
ore processing and refinement facility. A taskforce of XGE-equipped destroyers
and corvettes is dispatched to destroy this objective. As the ships begin the
assault, the Cybrids detonate nearby Asteroid NX-232 with horrifically
precise timing. The huge blast causes a meteor tsunami to rip through the
taskforce, damaging many ships. In the ensuing confusion, the ISS Hellfire
Rose reports attack by a Cybrid boarding party. The ship's captain blows
his fusion reactors to prevent capture of the Rose's XGE drive, and the
rest of the taskforce falls back to Mars.
Cybrid forces in South America venture north to suppress human insurgents
in the Central plains of North America and the northwestern watershed of the
Mississippi River valley. The reinforced Cybrid legions retake Denver and
devastate the Furious Stars after a pitched battle. An alarming number
of Trojan Horses among the Stars officer corps plays a significant role
in making sure almost no one in the Order survives. The Blood Eagle immediately
begin counter-insurgency operations to purge their own ranks of Trojan Horse
infiltrators.
Their numbers and supplies dwindling under the onslaught of human aerospace
domination, Cybrids in Siberia carry out a massive, synchronized self-destruct
sequence that releases radioactive fallout into Mongolia, Central Asia, and
Western China. When embattled Cybrid defenders in Beijing and Shanghai prepare
to follow suit, concentrated volleys of cachetech-enhanced EMP warheads prevent
them from succeeding. TDF forces capture a large number of lobotomized Cybrid
pilotforms and use them as ashtrays and latrines.
Caanon declares victory in China. Survivors in Eastern and Southern Asia
begin to emerge from bunkers and underground tunnel warrens en masse. As
celebrations begin in Beijing, TDF shunts its forces to the Mediterranean for
an assault on Europe.
The Third Colonial Rangers land in the ruins of Tharsis City and
fight a vicious building-to-building battle against entrenched Cybrid forces.
Colonel Verity Vargas leads her Redhawk Raiders to intercept a Cybrid
Adjudicator force en route to destroy a hidden township of the resistance that
harbored the children of Mars. Her desperate victory against superior numbers
earns her the Martian Cross and the instant devotion of every “dustrat” in the
Solar System.
Led by the battlecruiser ISS Hood, TDF “Q-ships” concealed in the
hulls of Cybrid vessels successfully assault the Cybrid refinery facility in
the asteroid belt. This time, the taskforce surprises the Cybrid ships
defending the operation, firing off a series of magnetically “shaped”,
wide-angle EMP blasts to disable them. Following a short, sharp battle, the
processing facilities are captured intact. They span several large, ore-rich
asteroids, all tethered to an immense superstructure construction facility.
After the TDF vessels take on as much ore and equipment as they can carry, one of
the Cybrid hulks is packed with fusion warheads and remotely detonated in the
heart of the base.
Venusian survivor-hermit “Hearken” finally stops transmitting his defiant
poems after miraculously evading the Cybrids on Venus for six years. From the
context of his last message, he is presumed to have committed suicide as an
alternative to starvation or capture. His real name and identity remain a
mystery, though historians and literary scholars later write reams of
speculative papers on the subject.
2837
Imperial scientist Antonin Ryu develops the first gravitic ‘pinch’ drive
based on research enabled by XGE technology. This breakthrough cuts
interplanetary travel time even more dramatically, and makes true extra-solar
exploration possible, but production difficulty together with massive energy
and space requirements hinder deployment of the technology.
Widespread infighting breaks out among Cybrid units in Europe as they
compete with one another for scarce energy and spare parts. Seizing the window
of opportunity, TDF forces mustered near the Black Sea launch a massive
offensive that succeeds in evicting the machines from Eastern Europe.
The Order of the Blood Eagle and a number of other Alliance units are
dispatched to the NorthAm theater as reinforcements for TDF forces struggling
to hold the Colorado front. The Knights exhibit a pattern of aberrant,
disturbing behavior. Alliance officers report brutal hazing of regular troops
and hint at far worse, but the Order’s presence makes the difference: the Cybrid
counteroffensive is halted.
Imperial Navy Destroyers ISS Glorious Dragon and ISS Spinnaker
are the first ships outfitted with Ryu Pinch drives. Though the new drives'
efficiency is greatly reduced within the Solar System's gravity well, the ships
gain the capability to reach the outer planets in hours rather than weeks.
Carrying both Ryu-pinch and XGE drives, the two destroyers seek out and destroy
Cybrid factory ships lurking in the outer orbits that had previously proven
impossible to track down.
Submersible carriers ferry TDF’s elite “Neptune” division in an attack
against deep-sea Cybrid bases in the South Pacific. Using SCARAB technology and
the new implosion warheads, Neptune’s troops achieve swift initial success.
However, the Cybrids deploy a gigantic warform near the islands of Vanuatu that
destroys one carrier and badly damages two others. Shaken TDF naval forces
withdraw before the onslaught of this new foe, codenamed “KRAKEN” following
reports from awed eyewitnesses.
Colossa Eun Alba suffers horrifying injuries during an assault on a Cybrid
stronghold in Xanthe Province on Mars. The damage to his body cannot be
regenerated properly; he is confined to a life-support biotank with little hope
of full recovery. As a result, Eun Alba uses a VR interface to continue
piloting HERCs and commanding forces in the field, against the advice of his
physicians, who warn of possible permanent neurological damage.
TDF forces fight a seesaw battle across the Italian Peninsula. Heretofore
spared the ravages of the Earthsieges, Rome is devastated as a series of Cybrid
retaliatory strikes rips through the historic city center. Caanon reluctantly
diverts some of his strength to protect the city of Florence, declaring
"our heritage cannot be left unshielded if we are to have a future."
As Mercury’s orbit brings the innermost planet around the sun closer to
Earth, Cybrid vessels are detected burning on an outsystem vector. Led by
Rear-Admiral Hidei Nagashima, XGE-equipped TDF ships of the “Tengu Dog
Squadron” intercept the Cybrid formation less than an AU from Mercury.
Nagashima places derelict vessels that emit false signals in the Cybrids’ path.
When the Cybrid ships alter course to intercept the hulks, Nagashima detonates
massive EMP warheads to screen an assault by fast gunships, missile boats, and
"turncoat" missiles piloted by recompiled Cybrid brains. Over the
next two hours, the bulk of the Cybrid force is obliterated. The remnants
scatter in all directions.
KRAKEN surfaces and destroys a convoy of food supply ships en route for
Tokyo. When the carnage is complete, the Cybrid monster slips back beneath the
waves, impervious to the barrage of lasers and torpedo fire directed at it by
TDF aerosub escorts.
Emperor Caanon reiterates that Cybrids are “mere objects” under the law,
not persons. As such, they do not fall under the ancient standards of the
Geneva Convention or any other statute, custom, or constitutional provision
that purports to grant rights to prisoners of war. Captured Cybrids are
spirited behind the black metaplas walls of the newly established Imperial
Security Protectorate in Nova Alexandria, where their neurologics are
decompiled line by painstaking line.
After a spring and summer of fierce fighting around the Denver and Greater
Omaha metrozones, the NorthAm front bogs down under fierce blizzards. Though
HERCs are able to continue normal operations, Cybrids suffer from a lack of
replacement parts, and humans from reduced food supplies. Scavenger activity
occurs on both sides. Rumors circulate accusing the Blood Eagle of cannibalism,
but these are never substantiated.
In a radical departure from previous non-ecocidal strategy, Cybrids
maneuver a large meteor to collide with Mother Earth. The sacrifice of Glorious
Dragon and many heroic TDF fighter pilots diverts the meteor from its
intended target of the North American plains and into the Pacific Ocean.
Tsunamis devastate the west coast of the NAP and most of Japan, and the
shockwave obliterates several undersea colonies. Earth’s weather patterns are
sharply impacted for years.
2838
In an epic, month-long battle that runs up and down the slopes of Olympus
Mons, Colonel Verity Vargas defeats the last major Cybrid force on the red
planet. Vargas is killed in the final assault, and is subsequently enshrined as
the greatest Martian war hero after Bek Storm, becoming known as the Victor of
the Battle of the Long Slope, the Third Battle of Olympus. The surviving Redhawk
Raiders paint their HERCs black in her memory.
KRAKEN attacks Tokyo harbor, breaching the partially rebuilt perimeter wall
and launching salvoes of low-payload, high-radiation warheads into the heart of
the city. A furious counterattack by Knights of the Rising Earth Order
repels the monstrous warform, despite inflicting only light damage. Virtually
the entire civilian populace dies of radiation poisoning over the ensuing two
months. Caanon devotes the majority of TDF naval assets to hunt down this
Cybrid foe, but the year runs out with KRAKEN still at large.
A large Cybrid force is defeated at the foot of the Alps in Northern Italy,
effectively breaking Cybrid power in Europe. Amid unconfirmed reports of Cybrid
pilotforms attempting to surrender, TDF troops unleash the frustration and
grief of years of war in a destructive rampage. A handful of Cybrids are
captured. TDF tanks and HERCs liberating Zurich sport offlined Cybrid
pilotforms as hood ornaments.
Cloned BioDerms with memory implants become a valuable asset to bolster TDF
infantry operations. Though they are less effective at independent tactical
thinking, they function reasonably well under close direction of experienced
officers. Caanon deploys them en masse to the South American and African
theaters, where, absorbing the brunt of Cybrid attempts to break the surging
human offensives, they die like flies.
Ex-Colonial Ranger Sergeant Riana Yashida-Jones runs for Mayor of Tharsis
City on the Free Mars Party ticket. Despite revelations of a history of
disciplinary problems during her service and the use of colorful expressions in
her speeches, she wins by a landslide.
Emperor Caanon dedicates a memorial to Solomon Petresun, now widely
credited among survivors on Earth as having prepared humanity to survive the
Cybrid onslaught. During the dedication speech, Caanon makes an oblique
reference to his younger brother being more Petresun’s son than a scion of the
Weathers. At this moment, subtle cues in Caanon’s face and voice tone hint at
what puzzled analysts interpret as suppressed outrage. It proves to be the last
occasion on which Caanon publicly mentions Petresun's name.
Cybrids in South America, Africa and the Pacific Rim begin to withdraw to
strongholds in Antarctica as human forces push southward on both sides of the
globe. Reinforced by freshly trained pilots gleaned from survivors in Asia and
the Middle East, and enjoying near total global air superiority, TDF regulars
and Imperial Knights make dramatic inroads all across the Southern Hemisphere.
Long Patrol sensor buoys detect a Cybrid fleet burning for Titan from a
staging area outside the orbit of Neptune. Imperial Naval Command dispatches ISS
Spinnaker to intercept and harass the Cybrids while XGE-equipped ships rush
to reinforce Titan. The Cybrid forces, harried by hit and run attacks by Spinnaker,
arrive to find Titan well-defended. After a brief, indecisive encounter, the
machines break off and retreat, dumping swarms of remote missiles in their
wake, all armed with nuclear warheads. After one of these destroys the corvette
Kali’s Seventh Blade, Imperial Naval Command calls off pursuit.
Emperor Caanon attends a briefing at L4 on the battleship ISS Royal
Eminence. Alliance admirals report that resources in men and machines run
too thin for serious outsystem pursuit of Cybrids. Caanon reluctantly issues
instructions for defensive repositioning of fleet assets, but swears there will
never be another Earthsiege.
The First Church of the Masters is established amid the reconstruction of
Tharsis City. This group believes the cache itself is proof of God’s existence.
Many other cults spring up as a battle-scarred humanity seeks solace in
mysticism.
Imperial Command assembles a small fleet to investigate the situation at
Venus. For political reasons, the operation is dubbed a “rescue expedition”
even though no reasonable person expects to find a living soul on Venus.
Thousands of Venusians transfer to Operation Mercy’s Shore. NewsNet
somberly calls it “The Venusian Homecoming.” It departs Earth orbit without
fanfare.
Led by the heroics of a previously obscure TDF survivor of the Denver
fighting in NorthAm, TDF HERCs break the Cybrids’ defenses in Denver and
destroy the glitches’ command center. Cybrid resistance crumbles, and TDF and
Blood Eagle forces pursue and eradicate the remnants of the NorthAm Cybrid presence.
The hero of the hour is Michael Church, a heretofore undistinguished veteran of
the Alliance. Eyewitnesses describe how he piloted his Emancipator unscathed
through withering enemy fire that left the rest of his squad dead and dying.
The Blood Eagle offer to elevate Church into their ranks on the spot. His curt
refusal, broadcast on NewsNet across human-occupied space, wins him
immortality.
The Long Patrol is fully reconstituted as an elite taskforce, with
Eskandani Station on Titan serving as its home port. Admiral Hidei “Tengu”
Nagashima takes command, infusing the Long Patrol with trickster strategies and
relaxing the Imperial Navy’s spit-and-polish culture in favor of independent
thinking that gets the job done.
“Liberation fever” sets in on Earth and Mars as people begin to glimpse the
end of the conflict and the prospects of a peaceful future. TDF is forced to
declare martial law in several regions as citizen jubilation threatens to grow
wildly out of control. In Sydney, a mob lynches a man wrongfully thought to be
a Trojan Horse.
2839
On Earth, Cybrid forces continue to fall back in North America and Antarctica,
the only two major Cybrid footholds remaining on Earth. Many Cybrid units fall
because of malfunction or lack of proper maintenance rather than human fire.
Deep in the Pacific Ocean, TDF sonar probes detect a large, unidentified
mass moving toward the west coast of North America at supercavitating speed. It
successfully breaches the naval perimeter near Hawaii and then diverts its course
north, toward the Seattle-Vancouver Metrozone. Concluding the bogey is KRAKEN,
Imperial Navy deep sea assets scramble to intercept, but fail.
Cybrid forces in the NorthAm theater break through human lines along a
200-mile front in the NAP province of Montana-Columbia, throwing human forces
on the defensive. They surge North and West toward SEAVAM and its reconstructed
spaceports.
ISS Spinnaker leads a
fleet of Xavier-Ryu drive ships against a Cybrid naval formation detected near
Oberon, in what the Imperial Navy classifies as a “defensive operation.” The
fleet is ultimately victorious, but not before garbled transmissions from Spinnaker
report a torpedo hit near the main power plant. An instant later, sensor
screens pick up a massive explosion from the famed ship’s location, and then
nothing.
Cybrids approaching SEAVAM encircle an outnumbered Alliance force of
patchwork colonial units, mostly battle-fatigued Martian veterans. The Alliance
captain is an ex-rebel named Hunter Otobe. Despite harsh weather conditions,
Otobe rallies his soldiers and holds off the Cybrids long enough for the TDF to
regroup and counterattack. As a result, Cybrid momentum is broken in North
America.
KRAKEN breaks through the sea-wall and enters Puget Sound, attacking the
Seattle-Vancouver Greater Metroplex from within. Knights led by Artemis
“Deathwish” Chenliu counterattack with cache weaponry and an experimental
gravitic “implosion torpedo.” Casualties are high. Chenliu pilots the craft
carrying the torpedo straight into KRAKEN, sacrificing herself and causing a
fatal breach in its armor. Imperial Knights and Imperial Navy aerosubs savage
the monstrous warform in a running three-day pursuit before it finally perishes
in a massive explosion.
On Venus, Operation Mercy’s Shore succeeds in clearing the planet of
its few remaining Cybrids. A heartbreaking reconstruction begins as
Scarab-suited laborers excavate the ruins of arcologies, outposts, and
caravans. Venusian poets come to call this time ‘The Grieving.’ Their devastating
holofilms and commentaries quickly spread the tragedy of Venus throughout human
space.
Hysteria borne of liberation fever paralyzes TDF operations throughout the
North American Prefecture. Guerilla resistance survivors begin to emerge from
their hidden bunkers and bases. Slaves are freed from Cybrid factories.
Recognizing the need to maintain order, Caanon reestablishes the Imperial
Police by transferring selected TDF units to new duty.
The Alliance begins to permit Colonial troops to muster out and return to
their homes. Victory celebrations are frequently cut short in order to
facilitate leavetaking. Many “interplanetary marriages” take place. One such is
Imperial Knight Oliphant “Rajah” Praldar-Singh, who marries a Venusian woman.
Artemis Chenliu’s final haiku, calmly delivered over the radio during her
famous last run against KRAKEN, is adopted as the catchphrase for Imperial
heroism. In the years to come, she is enshrined as a Buddhist saint.
Martian pilots still serving with TDF forces on Earth return home to
fanfare and celebration. The first Martian planetary defense forces are
established under the command of decorated war hero Hunter Otobe. General Otobe
reluctantly takes up the charge and founds the First Tharsis Dragoons
from survivors of the “MarsSiege” and returning Martian veterans.
Rioting breaks out in Hong Kong and New Rotterdam over distribution of food
rations. Hundreds perish as Imperial Police rein in the chaos. Autopsies later
reveal the presence of Trojan Horse units among the dead. Fear and suspicion
set in throughout the Empire. Authorities enact rigorous biometric
identification procedures as humanity attempts to weed out remaining
infiltration units on Earth.
TDF transfers its forces from mop-up operations in Africa, Europe and South
America to the NorthAm theater. Alliance “hunting” missions outside Denver,
Gierling District, and along the Eastern Seaboard yield huge successes. This
overwhelming application of force following the year's earlier victories in
Seattle-Vancouver crushes the Cybrid presence in the North American Prefecture.
Caanon declares the renewal of the Empire and victory in the Third
Earthsiege. In later speeches, he drops the use of “Earthsiege” for the term
“Starsiege,” desiring to encompass the joint struggle of all human colonies
alongside Earth.
2840
Final enclaves of Cybrid forces on Earth are eradicated. Cybrid forces in
Antarctica make no attempts to flee the planet, but fight to the very last,
employing self-destruct tactics whenever possible, reaping carnage among the
enemy. Directed by Sword-General Letha Fairchild, waves of BioDerm attackers
supported by Imperial Knights overwhelm the last Cybrids in a massive frontal
assault. Mother Earth is free once more.
Long Patrol vessels lurking outside the orbit of Saturn report signs of
substantial Cybrid fleet movement near Uranus. The numbers indicate a far
greater number of ships than Imperial Intelligence estimates had provided for.
Alarmed, the Imperial Navy dispatches a task force to Titan to guard against a
possible offensive.
Deeply moved by the devastation wrought on Venus, Imperial Knight Oliphant
Praldar Singh resigns his commission and takes up permanent residence on the
devastated colony. His Venusian wife at his side, he devotes himself to
reconstruction efforts with what observers call ‘religious fervor.’
Imperial Navy establishes a new orbital shipyard dubbed ‘Phoenix
Station’ at Earth-Luna L5. In a moving speech that takes on the cadence of
prayer, Caanon dedicates it to all the ships and spacers lost in the Starsiege,
ending with the simple phrase, “May we rise again.”
Mop-up operations continue to eradicate the remaining pockets of Cybrid
presence on Earth and Mars. As the full import of victory sinks in, liberation
fever sparks riotous celebrations across human space, notable for their
spontaneous violence and complete lack of restraint. Imperial Police trying to
regain control are swept up in the hysteria. Within the next year, a huge number
of pregnancies strains obstetrics facilities and food supply capacity.
Long Patrol deepscout ISS Ranger reports signs of a massive naval
engagement occurring beyond the ghost-orbit of Pluto. Imperial Naval Command
reports no vessels operating in that region and orders Ranger to
investigate. The next day, Eskandani Station receives what turns out to be the
last message from Ranger. Badly garbled, the only intelligible portion
is “...enough. This is critica****back to****coming arou****no way! Punch
the-(END TRANSMISSION)”
Venusians lay foundations of new arcology dubbed “L’Esperanza.”
In addition to enacting strict measures to try to gain control over
liberation fever, the Imperial government puts policies in place to encourage
the emerging baby boom; military planners quietly incorporate the skyrocketing
birth rate into future troop strength projections.
Verity and Bek become the most popular baby names on Mars.
Fierce winter storms sweep across NorthAm. Thousands die of starvation and
exposure, as a parts shortage grounds many airships. Aerospace drops bring
relief to several groups of refugees, but for others, the supplies come too
little, too late.
Departing from the defensive doctrine established in recent years, Caanon
orders construction of a “pursuit armada” to hunt down Cybrids beyond the solar
system. In a major speech transmitted throughout human space, he declares,
“Like the ancient gods and spirits of the hunt, we will pursue our foe without
mercy, without hesitation, without fear. To the ends of the universe we shall
go. Fly though it may, the Cybrid cannot escape our justice.”
Tharsis mayor Riana Yashida-Jones gives birth to a son. The father is
unknown. Severely brain-damaged, the child is diagnosed with irreparable
genetic damage and given no more than a year to live.
As a symbol of Imperial-Colonial cooperation, two new flagships are
commissioned for the pursuit armada. One is christened the ISS Ambrose
Gierling, and the other the FCV Verity Vargas.
2841
Liberation fever diminishes in scale and frequency as the peace settles
across human space. Industry begins to shift from war production toward
consumer goods. A thriving black market interferes with the economic recovery,
however, and illegal narcotics flood the cities.
Unprecedented amity exists between Earth and her Colonies. On Mars, the
Imperial presence is quietly withdrawn, but the Alliance Headquarters remains
with a small inter-world garrison, situated on the old battleground of Carter
Flats. The leader of the Martian contingent is the grizzled commander Joakim
“Sax” Saxon, one-time right-hand man to the legendary Bek Storm. His
aide-de-camp is the son of his old friend Hunter Otobe.
Fueled by the testimony of TDF survivors, highly publicized court-martials
begin, focusing on accusations of atrocities committed by Blood Eagle Knights
during the Battle of Denver. Though many Knights are acquitted, some are not,
and the trials leave a bad taste with the public. Caanon himself is said to
have washed his hands of the controversial Order.
Bulk food shipments become one of the most sought-after underground
commodities. Major agricultural shipments require heavily armored and escorted
convoys.
Record numbers of births include record numbers of severe birth defects as
the legacy of the Starsiege reaches the next generation. Imperial doctors begin
to focus research efforts on teratogen detection and genetic therapy. Suicide
rates spike as devastated parents try to cope with the continuing presence of
the Cybrid horror.
War hero Colossa Eun Alba gives a stern but stirring speech to the
reconstituted Imperial Senate, appearing by virtual projection, as his ruined
body is still confined to a biotank. He calls for renewal of humanity’s warrior
spirit and demands “that our hands not stray far from the sword.”
People traumatized by years of apocalyptic war demonstrate a range of
psychological scars ranging from severe PTSD to “running amok.” Suicide rates
remain abnormally high.
At the height of the Blood Eagle trials, TDF veteran Michael Church, the
hero of Denver, provides testimony that convicts three senior officers of the
infamous Order. One is Knight-Captain Ruby Hokanson-Li, aka “Razorfire.” After
the verdicts, Church goes into seclusion.
On Venus, Oliphant Praldar Singh is elected First Citizen of the
Reconstruction. He commissions the Oberwind Irregulars as the first official
sovereign defense force of Venus. Rumors begin to circulate among reactionary
elements on Earth that another conflict with the colonies may be inevitable.
Ethan Yashida-Jones dies in a Tharsis hospital, his tissues devoured by
fast-growing systemic tumors. Riana falls into severe depression. By the end of
the year, it becomes obvious she has developed a substantial drinking problem.
First Church of the Masters takes hold on Earth as well as Mars. Caanon
expresses his personal disapproval, but takes no steps to hinder the spread of
the new religion.
624 Hektor, a Trojan
planetoid at Jupiter's L4 point, explodes in a massive conflagration visible
from Earth. The explosion scatters a cloud of asteroids and debris across the
Jovian orbital path. Across human space, fears are awakened of another ecocidal
attack by the Cybrids. The Long Patrol dispatches the ISS Crimson Inquisitor
to investigate.
Caanon assigns two newly-formed Imperial Knight Orders to the pursuit
armada: The Fireborn and Adamant Storm. The TDF attaches its
First Imperial Starborne Division, and the Colonials offer the Third Colonial
Rangers, the most decorated unit of the Starsiege after the Blood Eagle and the
recently formed Tharsis Dragoons.
Michael Church’s body is discovered in a garbage-strewn alley in Bangkok.
2842
ISS Crimson Inquisitor arrives within sensor range
of Jupiter-L4 and reports a large Cybrid salvage operation underway. She continues
to monitor the Cybrid activity while the Imperial Navy musters a taskforce.
Long Patrol deepscout ISS Vainamoinen detects unusual gravitic
signature outside the orbital path of Neptune. Caanon puts the Imperial Navy on
Red-6, TDF's highest alert status, after analysis of the gravitic readings
shows a pattern consistent with manifested XGE drive fields. The limitations of
gravitic detection capability mean only generalized location of XGE vessels can
be determined, not vector or acceleration readings.
General Letha Fairchild assumes command of TDF and the Orbital Guard. She
makes her base of operations on Phoenix Station.
Fast-draft initiated to cycle all able-bodied people into war effort.
Third Lieutanant Orlanda Konovalev of the TDF pilots an interceptor on a
spontaneous sortie against a suspected Cybrid incursion near L4. The intruder
turns out to be a Cybrid spy probe, easily destroyed. Konovalev's cool
professionalism during her approach marks her to TDF superiors.
Long Patrol scrambles all available ships to establish a sensor picket line
between the Cybrid XGE coordinates and insystem vectors. Priority channels on
GLORIA cleared for high-level response to the threat. Rumors on the Omni-Web
describe an exceptional volume of encrypted transmissions between Imperial
Command on Earth and Titan.
Antolin Mirador, a clerk at the Rio Luz Bank of Madrid Metroplex, arrested
for a horrific murder spree. He claims to be a Trojan Horse acting on behalf of
the Great Machine God. Tests confirm he suffers from mental illness. He
receives a humane execution after judicial inquiry concludes he committed the
murders of which he was accused.
Taskforce Black Denial departs Phoenix Station and vectors for
Jupiter at maximum speed. The Cybrid salvage operation departs using what the Crimson
Inquisitor's crew concludes is XGE technology. Crimson Inquisitor
attempts to follow, but a pair of Cybrid destroyers peel off to intercept.
Outgunned, she falls back and evades, losing the Cybrid quarry in the process.
Nanophage alarm triggered in Sector 4, Block 7 of Dallas Metrozone. Blood
Eagle strike teams arrive and raze the block within an hour, killing anyone who
tries to escape and hunting down those few who exited the building before the
red knights arrived.
At Eskadani Chasm, Admiral Nagashima orders the evacuation of non-essential
base personnel into the new bunkers hidden beneath the ethane lakes and frozen
oceans of the immediate region. The Long Patrol deploys a host of orbital
defense drones over the main base and braces itself for the worst. Imperial
Command orders a pair of freshly-minted Interdictor Class Battleships,
the ISS Damocles and the ISS Radiant Shield, both equipped with
Ryu Pinch drives, to reinforce Titan.
Cybrid threat never materializes. After weeks of tension, Caanon orders
Imperial Navy to stand down to Red-1. A month later, he downgrades the alert
status to Amber-6. Fast-draft halted. Crowds on Earth and Mars spill into the
city streets, evincing relief and resentment.
Riana Yashida-Jones wins re-election as mayor of Tharsis, campaigning on
the Free Mars Party platform and advocating complete independence from Imperial
regulations. She takes her old Emancipator in campaign stops from settlement to
settlment, using the video-ops it affords her. Despite allegations of raucous
behavior in her personal life, she wins by a landslide.
Protests erupt over “Imperial False Alarm.” Caanon is portrayed as Chicken
Little in demonstator placards. Fearing another outbreak of Liberation Fever,
Imperial Police overreact. Hundreds of protestors are injured, scores killed in
cities across the world.
Duke Colossa Eun Alba is summoned to a private audience with the Emperor,
at which he appears in person, his biotank floated into Caanon's presence on a
gravitic sled derived at great expense from Predator technology. What the two
discuss is not recorded, but Eun Alba's virtual presence thereafter becomes a
constant at meetings of the Imperial High Command and TDF's Strategic Planning
Directorate. Observers note he also enjoys an unprecedented level of security
clearance.
Amid the cramped foundations of L'Esperanza Arcology on Venus, Remara
Chandler begins writing The Solitude Canticles, a poetic meditation on
grief and remembrance. In the years to come, she will be renowned as the first
Venusian Poet-Saint.
Vargas Military Institute established on Mars.
Long Patrol deepscout Walkabout vanishes during investigation of one
of Pluto's larger fragments. The planetary shard was on an outsystem
trajectory. Cybrids are presumed responsible for the ship's disappearance.
Protest leaders on Earth detained indefinitely. Civil libertarians agitate
for their release.
Decorated BioDerm veteran Delta Six lobbies Imperial government for BioDerm
clemency, citing Derm casualty rates under command of Letha Fairchild in the
Antarctica campaign as “punishment enough.” He is arrested, but released within
the month.
Imperial Alert Status downgraded to Amber-2. Caanon makes speech decrying
turmoil and berating “those who would embrace the enemy by forgetting what they
are. Our history is writ in blood and fire – we do not have the luxury to be
soft.”
Shortly after the Emperor's speech, Riana Yashida-Jones gives a speech
attacking “...those who would sacrifice their liberty out of fear, who would
sell themselves to dictators for security. That is the greatest disrespect to
our dead comrades, to forget why we fought.”
Martian runs amok at Imperial consulate, killing three before he is brought
down. The tragedy elevates tensions between Imperials and Colonists.
Generation-old memories resurface. Dusters mutter the name of Navarre.
Riana Yashida-Jones shot by Imperial sympathizer at a rally in Tharsis.
2843
Martians hold a candlelight vigil for Riana Yashida-Jones as she clings to
life in a Tharsis City hospital. To their surprise, they are joined by a silent
contingent of Imperial citizens bearing flowers in the name of the Emperor.
Within days, most of Yashida-Jones’s old squadmates have rallied to her. NewsNet
reports downplay her turbulent personal life. Colonial-Imperial tensions ease.
Imperial security forces on Titan uncover a Trojan Horse cell operating at
Eskadani Station. The cell includes a network of smugglers, Long Patrol
communications officers, and SCARAB-laborers. Security is tightened across the
moon as an atmosphere of paranoia infuses the outer colonies.
A pale but steady Riana Yashida-Jones gives a press conference thanking all
her well-wishers and the Emperor. She reiterates the need to avoid the mistakes
of the past, saying that “to be human means embracing the risks that go with
freedom. We are not cogs in a machine.”
Knight-Captain Sunder Cain of the Blood Eagle leads an inquisition team to
Titan to secure the outer colony against further Trojan Horse infestation. The
team's presence is controversial among the icegrubs, and Cain's methods are
uncompromising. Admiral Nagashima transmits a strongly worded protest to
Imperial Command.
Imperial Census shows human population burgeoning, with record numbers of
children being born across the system despite fears of genetic damage from the
Starsiege.
Fleet shipyards at Phoenix Station begin construction on five new
'Liberation' class colonial frigates. Imperial Command refuses to allow weapons
or firing control systems to be installed on location, citing Trojan Horse
concerns. On Mars, agitators in the Martian Parliament call for independent
naval installations to construct and service colonial vessels.
Earth’s ecosystems show signs of recovery after the years of devastating
war. Emperor Caanon dedicates the monument to the Battle of Denver amid a field
of wildflowers.
Elections are held for the Martian Parliament. The Free Mars Party, headed
by Riana Yashida-Jones, prevails, and Yashida-Jones takes office as the first
Speaker of Mars.
NewsNet posts a story linking Michael Church’s death to the Blood Eagle.
Though well-documented, the evidence cited consists of oral testimony from
unidentified witnesses. The scandal gets attention, but falls into the vast sea
of conspiracy theory already surrounding the Blood Eagle.
Escorted by bodyguards, Francisco Navarre, son of former Imperial Governor
Ernesto Navarre, enrolls in the Vargas Military Institute on Mars. Despite
suffering persecution from his classmates, his scores place him at the top of
his class.
Riots break out on Titan following widespread circulation of incendiary
rumors that the Long Patrol is infested with Trojan Horses. Some stories accuse
Admiral Nagashima himself of being a hidden Cybrid.
Riana Yashida-Jones proposes full independence of Colonial forces from the
Imperial command structure. The Martian Parliament passes the bill before the
end of the year.
Caanon bans the Church of the Masters from Nova Alexandria.
First Citizen Oliphant Praldar-Singh calls on Venusian legislators to
strike down a bill authorizing cooperation with Martian forces in the
construction of a Free Colonial Shipyard to be established at a secret
location. After lengthy and heated debate, the bill passes the Venusian Senate
despite his opposition.
Venusian composer Owain Li-Kant produces the first of his controversial
Promethean Symphonies, music inspired by algorithmic fragments salvaged from
Cybrid brains.
To quell the rumors about his humanity, Admiral Hidei Nagashima submits to
interrogation by the Blood Eagle investigation team. After the questioning is
over, he resigns his commission and leaves Titan. Imperial Naval Command makes
no move to stop him.
Akim Maatiu, a former naval intelligence officer who infiltrated a rebel
smuggling operation during the Starsiege under the alias Maatiu Akimbo, is
elevated to the rank of Vice-Admiral and given provisional command of the
reconstituted Third Imperial Fleet.
The Imperial Ministry of Health publishes findings of a “disturbing”
correlation between widespread post-traumatic stress disorder and cases of
child abuse. Citing fears of a “traumatized population,” the Ministry suggests
mandatory medication and therapy for all parents of children under 12.
Sporadic food riots break out after a fungus blights a portion of the NAP
wheat crop. Fears spread that “Cybrid taint” in the food supply will be another
long-running legacy of the Starsiege.
2844
Amidst much pomp and ceremony at the Palace in Nova Alexandria, Duke Colossa
Eun Alba is graced with the honorary title of Knight-Exemplar, the most
prestigious award an Imperial Knight can receive.
Hidei Nagashima takes up residence on Venus and becomes moderately involved
in local politics. He has the vocal support of First-Citizen Singh but is the
source of much controversy among the native populace.
Imperial Police stage a three-month long crackdown on black-market trade
throughout Earth and the Inner Colonies. Their tactics and behavior are
particularly brutal, evoking outrage from civil-liberties advocates across the
Inner System. Underground food and supplies trade is sharply impacted while
narcotics shipments remain curiously unaffected.
NewsNet reports Duke Eun Alba’s appointment as General of Imperial Forces
attached to the Artemis Pursuit Armada. General Hunter Otobe will command the
Colonial contingent.
The Blood Eagle inquisition team on Titan stages a surprise raid on a
mining facility deep in the Eskadani Chasm. The facility, its workers, and most
of the strike team are consumed in a massive explosion that is felt as far away
as Huygens Station. Knight-Captain Sunder Cain, after reviewing data of the
incident, declares the Blood Eagle mission on Titan complete and returns to
Earth without further public explanation.
Martian scholar Orestes Bale publishes his landmark biography of Solomon
Petresun. The work, entitled Circuits, Flesh, and Steel, sparks
controversy on Earth due to its highly critical analysis of the former
Emperor’s life.
Vice-Admiral Akim Maatiu is advanced to the rank of Admiral and offered
command of the Imperial fleet assigned to the Artemis armada. He graciously
accepts and transfers to the ISS Gierling to oversee the final stages of
the naval muster.
Venusian First-Citizen Oliphant Praldar-Singh travels to Mars on a
diplomatic embassy to meet with Rianna Yashida-Jones. The two discuss colonial
economics, agricultural and industrial trade, and military cooperation among
other subjects. The visit dominates the NewsNet feeds for weeks as hired
analysts and other talking heads speculate on the future of Colonial-Imperial
relations and the establishment of the controversial Free Colonial Forces.
A Cybrid strike force assaults and captures Kuiper Defense Platform Four,
one of seven newly constructed naval outposts scattered throughout the outer
system. Imperial Command orders the Long Patrol to keep tight surveillance of
the platform and its companions but orders no further response.
Thau-Yuros family stock plummets in value after yearly profit and loss
reports show a drastic decrease in their portfolio value, caused in large part
by the collapse of several industrial manufacturing firms in which they are
heavily invested. Hoping to staunch the sudden outflow of capital from the family's
holdings, Julius Thau-Yuros resigns his position on the Austin-Yugari board of
directors and re-invests a large portion of his funds into a handful of
burgeoning chache-tech development corporations.
An obscure religious cult claiming to worship ‘The Immortal Emperor’ makes
the newsfeeds when one of its members assaults Orestes Bale during a book
signing in Capri Station on Mars.
At the behest of General Otobe, and with the support of First Citizen
Singh, Allied Command offers the Admiralty of the First Colonial Expeditionary
Unit to Hidei Nagashima. Outraged members of the Martian Parliament call on
Rianna Yashida-Jones to condemn the choice. She refuses to do so, and with her
tacit approval Nagashima accepts the appointment.
Completing the 28-month Vargas Institute program in less than 18 months,
Francisco Navarre becomes the highest rated graduate in the military academy’s
short history. He is immediately assigned to the Third Colonial Rangers and
placed under the command of Captain Dawo Otobe.
The Imperial Naval muster is completed at Phoenix Station. Led by flagship ISS
Gierling, Task Force Ravenous Shield is composed of fifty-six naval
vessels, including eight freshly minted Interdictor class Battleships.
Tharsis-Valles Technologies becomes the first colonial corporation to ever
be listed in the Census Conlegium Imperium, the Empire’s annual list of
top-performing companies. Trade volume on the Colonial markets skyrockets as
speculators shop for other potential success stories.
The Gierling and her task force leave Phoenix Station with a host of
public vessels carrying reporters and dignitaries in tow. The civilian ships
are ordered back to port but a few smaller vessels shadow the fleet for several
days before breaking off.
Emperor Caanon’s eldest son and heir, Knight-Commander Hector Weathers, is
killed in action during a mop-up operation on Triton.
The First Colonial Expeditionary Unit departs Mars orbit. The battle group
is scheduled to rendezvous with Task Force Ravenous Shield somewhere in
the outer system, at which time the Artemis Armada will be complete.
2845
Emperor Caanon delivers an historic address marking the launch of the
Artemis Pursuit Armada. The speech is capped by his dramatic declaration that
“the Chase is on! Not some mean spectacle for renown or glory, but THE Chase,
the great effort of our generation that will at last put an end to abomination,
and purchase our freedom from fear.”
THE CHASE BEGINS