History of the Galaxy

Federal Dating System
The Federal Dating System was developed by the Asima Federation shortly after its founding. The zero-date is set at the date of the founding of the Asima Federation. Dates in the Federal Dating System are in the format [dd-(B)FDS-yyyy]. An example of a post FDS date is 193-FDS-21,938. An example of a pre-FDS date is 28-BFDS-118,937.

The events described below are described in the context of how they led to the Vakon Invasion

Pre-history (Before BFDS-2M)
Most current sentient members of the galaxy emerged as a species before BFDS-2M.

Asima Federation Era (FDS-0 to FDS-186,302)
The Asima Federation was founded in FDS-0 by the Asima nation, a group of 31 star systems, when they joined with thousands of systems within the federal region. While the Asima Nation's motives for the merger are shrouded in controversy, the motives for the incoming worlds are clear. After over 10,000 years of petty territorial conflicts, they wished for peace and cooperation. They viewed the merger as the next step in the advancement of civilization.

The Asima Federation brought stability and prosperity to the federal region. Under the newly formed federal government, each member system appointed a committee of nine people to the Federal Board of System Committees (FBSC). Member systems were allowed to have their own local system of government, and so were allowed to appoint board members however they chose.

Vakon Confederation Era (FDS-186,302 to FDS-380,310)
In FDS-186,302, the Asima Federation was contacted by an extra-galactic faction called the Vakon Confederation. The Confederation was a group of systems within the Vakon Cluster which had advanced sentient life. Requirements for being invited included having developed a system of FTL travel, and having some form of democratic government.

The Vakon Confederation had over 2,000 member systems, all within the Vakon Cluster.

Leading up to FDS-300,000 a shortage of uranium and plutonium started. At this point in history, uranium and plutonium were the primary all-purpose fuel source. The Asima Federation declared a galactic emergency in FDS-308,291, deeming unsanctioned and unregistered travel illegal on major hyperspace lanes in an effort to cut back on fissile material consumption. After 2 years, the emergency was lifted due to the economic impact of restricting travel. A federal program was started to regulate private mining operations, and legalize the operation of federally owned mines.

The federation started thousands of mining operations on uninhabited worlds farthest in the center of the region. Partly due to the lack of advanced technology, and partly due to corruption, worlds were mined that were many light years inside the uninhabitable region. These mines were officially operated by the Mann-Serv Corporation. Mann-Serv was owned by Chairman Larak'ti of the Andasir Federal Committee, newly elected head of the federal mining program. As a protection against government takeovers of industries, the federation was required by law to subcontract all of the labor for its various programs. Each position had to be auctioned. So, for example, all of the miners on a particular system operation would be auctioned as one position, with a set number of openings.

In FDS-308,305 a mining operation in the Jhanov system was raided by an unknown pirate clan. These pirates took many of these slaves as their own. On the course to their home world, they stopped to refuel at Bab'senta Station, a drydock on the edge of the Bab system. Despite employing scanning countermeasures, a security patrol successfully scanned the cargo of their ship. The slaves and pirates were taken into custody to be questioned. The slaves revealed the mining operations, and were eventually released from custody, and transported out of federal territory by Bab security.

The following day, the Bab Federal Committee called an emergency session, and brought the accusations before the FBSC. An investigation was launched, and within 3 months, it was discovered that Chairman Larak'ti had abused his position in the federal mining program. As head of the program, he knew the amount of every bid for labor. With that knowledge, as owner of Mann-Serv, he bid slightly more than the highest bidder, and so was legally awarded the contract.

The Andasir system, at this time, was a totalitarian society, with Chairman Larak'ti in power. Chairman Larak'ti enslaved millions of his own people, then made a "deal" with Mann-Serv for a negligible price. The small price for these slaves went into the Andasir Treasury, and Mann-Serv generously gave a large pay bonus to Larak'ti.

The news of this caused much dissent within the Andasir system, and the federation as a whole. By FDS-380,309 Andasir was engulfed in civil war. As mandated by federal law, federal military forces were activated as peacekeepers. Legally, the federation was required to support the original rule of Chairman Larak'ti. Many systems did not agree with this, as they viewed the resistance movement on Andasir as legitimate, due to rights violations, which to date, had not been proven, but were well known to occur on Andasir.

Civil War Era (FDS-380,310 to 381,872)
temp note: Civil war lasted 1,562 years

The FDS-380,310 FBSC First Quarter Session began with heated debate over the decision to involve federal forces in the Andasir Internal War. The opinion split was 40/60. Most of the 40% in favor of federation action were wealthy worlds who were mostly concerned with economics. Most of the 60% opposed to federation action were less wealthy agrarian, industrial, and religious worlds who were concerned with the integrity of their rights, and in the case of the religious and some tribal agrarian worlds, the morality of forcing a systems citizens to subject themselves to tyranny.

During the session the opposing worlds decided to take action into their own hands. 80% of the opposing worlds declared that, until federal forces withdrew from Andasir, they would refuse to pay tax to the federation. Immediately, the FBSC Chairman warned them that failure to pay tax would result in forced payment through military occupation and federal takeover of the economic institutions of all insubordinate worlds. Out of the worlds that threatened to withhold taxes, 92% went through with the decision.

The decisions were announced during the First Quarter session, however, those systems did not miss a tax payment until the following quarter, as payments were due a day before the beginning of each quarter.

The Second Quarter session began much quieter than the the first. FBSC Chairman began the session by addressing the worlds in violation of the tax law. He offered them a one-time exemption to the requirement to have tax payments one day prior to the session if they paid an additional 2% that day. All refused.

Vakon Invasion Era
Around FDS-158,000 the VFAB noted a possible lack of decentralized power in Asima. The issue was discovered by the Powers Division of the Secret Intelligence Committee (VFAB-SIC) when the Asima VFAB Committee reported the succession of Kabat Mopl as Chairman of the Federation, but informants in Asima had not reported any elections taking place.

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VFAB decided to take forceful action, and declared its mission to restore a democratic rule in Asima. 13 Vakon Enforcer Fleets were dispatched to Asima. Vakon Enforcer Fleets were unique in that they were the only fleets in known history to employ super-dreadnoughts as a default in the fleet template. Only one other instance is known of a faction employing super-dreadnoughts, and only two instances are known of a faction employing standard dreadnought as a default. Standard dreadnoughts were an important part of most militaries, but were almost always used as a tactical supplement, not a default part of the fleet template. The Vakon Enforcer Fleet was organized much the same way as any other navy, but with extra command levels.

The Enforcer Fleet would take 13 years to arrive in Asima (the fleet is based in a galaxy 13 mega-parsecs away, and can travel at just under 1 mega-parsec per year). During that time, Kabat Mapl ruled with an iron fist. For the first 6 years, he focused on expanding his control over the Core Region. He then began efforts to colonize parts of the Unclaimed Region, which would eventually be made a region of its own; the Colony Region. This project would continue until the Vakon Invasion. He also began military campaigns against the Esha and Ana regions, each of which were controlled by tribal clans who were threatening the stability of the neighboring worlds in the core region.

Asima natives, while against the current regime, would view VFAB as another power-hungry entity trying to gain control of their galaxy. As a result, the Enforcer Fleets met resistance from both the Asima Federal Military, and native insurgents. Enforcer Fleets viewed these insurgents as terrorists and tyrannical sympathizers, and openly waged war on them too.

In all, 4 species, 49 planets, and thousands of cities and military installations were removed from the galaxy. VFAB Enforcer fleets struck final strategic blows to the most powerful galactic entities, then left the galaxy. Their goal was to "reset" the galaxy in terms of infrastructure, but leave intact the memory of tyranny, hopefully deterring future generations from adopting it. VFAB tasked VFAB-SIC with monitoring activity in Asima, and with taking preemptive measures against possible tyrants in the near future.

And that's where the game begins.