A New Age
The 360s were a transitional time for the newly reforged Respublica. Early on in the decade, the Fourth Great Terror was still raging, and fear gripped the old Commonwealth territories. Eventually, however, the need for a Maxim Cassano and his brutal – if effective – methods eased. Ever so slowly, the independence-minded citizenry of the broken heathen state was ‘integrated’ into wider Respublican society. Intransigence was met with cold steel; acceptance with open arms. Commo converts multiplied quickly, as individuals began recognizing that one of the few ways to escape the frugality of the moral economy was to achieve status in the socio-economic hierarchy of the theocratic regime. Principled stands, which were in vogue during the initial stages of the occupation, were becoming few and far between, as the common folk elected to ‘get with the programme’. The last of the organized resistance was famously snuffed out at the Abaoji Park Shoot-Out on 26 December 365AU, during which the core of the withered resistance movement was destroyed by security forces.
As the decade wore on, the emphasis of public policy began to undergo a subtle shift. The state’s decision makers, acknowledging the fact that the seemingly endless Hin’in War need not necessarily involve the Respublica any further, began looking at more peaceful ways to expand the faith and strengthen Codexia as a whole. Though Space remained a firm priority in budgetary committees and reviews, colonisation was also finally given a boost as a major discretionary spending item. Many believed that the Phyr expanse was the proverbial ‘promised land’. After all, initial surveys showed that there was the potential there for hundreds of human colonies – virtually centuries of guaranteed growth – and that the present Phyr population was small, scattered and weak. It seemed to be a perfect recipe for uninhibited, dynamic colonialism, of the sort that had initially propelled humanity to greatness. The period of 365-370AU saw the groundwork being prepared for a general annexation of large swathes of the Dead Zone into the Respublica’s recognised boundaries.
That period also saw the culmination and eventual conclusion of the Hin’in War. The Raumeni has simply refused to fold. Though ten of their core worlds were by then little more than husks, they steadfastly and adamantly would not submit to the psychic xenos known as the Hin’in. A painful distraction that necessitated a large Hin’in garrison deployment until the very last days of the war, it is perhaps they that were the most instrumental factor in the humbling of the Arrogant Ones. In the end, the Hin’in simply could not defeat the Bron with their forces divided. Some analysts, of course, quickly pointed out that the real turning point of the war was in March 364AU, when Prime Alpha Mai’cor Uighar Bai’de perished in the Scorpion Star Cluster campaign. One of the most powerful Alphas of his time, the loss of Mai’cor almost shattered the Hin’in war effort against the Bron in one fell swoop. It badly demoralized his extensive forces and prompted a number of successive defeats at the hands of the Bron. Though the war would drag on for another two and a half years, the general armistice of September 366AU had been in sight for some time.
Though some would come to call it the ‘Humbling of the Hin’in’, the peace treaty that resulted would ultimately prove dissatisfying to all parties concerned. The terms of the treaty saw the Hin’in dominion over the Raumeni ended, and a dozen star systems ceded to the hated Bron. The packs howled with frustration and rage, but a peace needed to be made, and after many years of brutal fighting there was not much else on the table. The Bron, for their part, were convinced that a final, decisive victory had only been a year away, at the most. One cannot be sure of that, but it is somewhat indicative that their leadership saw the merit in concluding the war diplomatically, when they did. It is not unreasonable to suggest that the Bron, too, were exhausted by that point – if not quite to the same extent as the Hin’in. Nonetheless, there was no small amount of frustration over the fact that enormous quantities of blood had been spilled in exchange for a paltry dozen star systems. Finally, the Raumen were understandably overjoyed to have been freed from Hin’in depredations. Yet, the nature of the peace deal meant that it was now up to individual Raumeni clans to carve out their new clanholds from the smouldering ruins of their ancient civilization.
The unity that was characteristic of their magnificent war effort dissipated almost immediately after the war itself ended. In its stead, the age-old Raumeni traditions of clan politick once again took pride of place, and political infighting resumed with full force. All in all, the war had been a ‘humanitarian’ disaster of cataclysmic proportions, with little discernable result. Millions upon millions had been killed, or died as a result of the war, but there was little appreciable difference in the interstellar balance of power, thereafter. The Raumeni were once again a weak, terribly diminished regional power prone to political fracture. The Hin’in were themselves injured by the incredibly costly fighting, but probably remained the strongest active natural power across known space. The Bron were yet an unknown quantity, but all available reports continued to suggest that the Hin’in were their closest rivals, but that they continued to be slightly inferior in technology, if not numbers.
In any case, once the proverbial ink had dried, the starscape ‘settled’ for a time. Fleets of warships were now moored at space docks awaiting refit, or mothballed, or awaiting the scrap heap – but there were no more imminent battles to be fought, no more planets to be conquered, no more bitter struggles to a soundless end. Instead, a semblance of tranquillity began to take effect. At least, it was tranquillity when compared to what had come before. The 360s ended with a whimper and not a bang. The 370s promised a different sort of adventure, however, as the Respublican government fermented a wanderlust amongst millions of the poor, the brave and the enterprising. The grand project was almost ready: a veritable exploration and exploitation flotilla would flood the Phyr expanse and gobble up as much real estate as it could, before settling down to begin the gradual process of expanding the Respublican domain.
The green light was given in the early months of 374AU, and more than a thousand private and commercial vessels were unleashed on the Dead Zone, in short order. Many had pre-determined destinations: colonists, terraformers, miners and a plethora of experts in various fields were ‘allotted’ particular, already surveyed worlds. Others were simply given license to roam as they would, exploring and surveying a huge expanse that was still considered ‘wild’ and ‘untamed’. Accompanying this torrent of humanity was a large number of Space escorts – there to make certain that the civilians were not actively opposed by the remnants of the Phyr, at a significant monetary cost to the Respublican government. It was to be almost a year, before the first significant incident took place.
TO BE CONTINUED...
The Barbarian regrets that he was forced to cut this one in twain, but it was either this, or it would be tomorrow before you got anything.
:monocle:
