The Will to Power
Tensions across the human sphere rose during the period of 349-355AU. Greater prosperity was in evidence, throughout, but a great deal of capital was funnelled into meaty military contracts. Both Space and AFC were seriously bolstered. The Commonwealth was, by this point, spending some 9% of its GDP on defence related budgetary items, whereas the much larger Respublica only slightly edged that figure, with 10.2% expenditure. The ideological foes were evenly matched; a potential Respublican Goliath against the Commo's burgeoning David. Events seemed to be slowly coalescing into real danger, when a strange twist disrupted the proceedings. A small flotilla of Raumeni vessels began raiding several de-facto independent human worlds, near the territorial boundary between the two races. At first chalked up to opportunistic banditry, both Marianite and Commonwealth intelligence services were soon reporting that a Hin'in hand was guiding the bugs.
Curiously absent from human affairs for half a century, it seemed as if they were finally taking an interest in the holdings of former Codexianity. Not only were the Raumeni involved reputedly from a client clan, they were also based out of a local Hin'in stronghold. It's where their logistical trail ended, in any case. The Raumeni marauders, however, were not causing a great deal of damage or loss of life, and the human response was correspondingly muted. At least, that stood until the Raumeni occupied Schadenfreude, a colonial outpost home to some eighty thousand humans, early in 356AU. The Commonwealth almost immediately dispatched forces to evict the Raumeni, as per their policy on 'neutral' human worlds outside of Respublican territory. Expecting to present a simple 'cease and desist' show of force to a weaker foe, the fine men and women of the 80th Battlegroup walked directly into a holocaust of fire. Within hours of arriving in-system, the entire formation of some forty vessels was annihilated.
The Hin'in responsible immediately claimed the right of self-defence, and insisted that they were simply there to protect a legitimate Raumeni colonial effort on a disputed world. To effect that protection, they had brought with them almost a hundred and fifty vessels of all types. Their declaration of war against the Commonwealth was soon forthcoming. The claims laid out therein stipulated that the entire belt of the disputed worlds near the Raumeni border were, in actuality, Raumeni worlds 'stolen' by the treacherous humans. It was thinly veiled and implausible, but the Hin'in leaders did not have to justify themselves to their lessers in the general population. They instructed, and the pack followed. Though the declaration of war was made only against the Commonwealth, the situation is a most delicate one for the Respublica, too. While the Commo put their mobilization plan into action and pulled forces away from the Respublican border in order to constitute their fleets (for action against the Hin'in), the war signified both threat and opportunity for the Marianites.
It seems quite likely that, alone, the Commonwealth will suffer defeat against the Hin'in. Given their stated objectives, it seems quite unlikely, on the other hand, that the Hin'in will attempt to take over the Commonwealth outright. But what if that is simply a cover for a methodical conquest of human space, generally? What is to be our approach?
Do you... decree that the Commonwealth stands and fights alone? Once their fleet is destroyed (after all, how can they hope to combat the Hin'in without assistance?), we can far more easily 'reintegrate' the fools into our proud and beneficent Respublica. We will keep our fleets in condition to resist the Hin'in, too, if it comes to that. Divide and Conquer, as Caesar would say!
OR
Do you... jump into the conflict on the Commonwealth's side? How dare these disgusting xenoforms take human populations captive, in the throes of their lust for power? They will be made to pay for besmirching human dignity! Also, if the Commonwealth falls, how far behind is the Respublica? We are human brothers, under a human banner, against an alien void!
OR
Do you... jump into the conflict, but AGAINST the Commonwealth? Faced with a two-front war, their collapse would be swift and assured. The Hin'in can take the scant few worlds they have claimed. We will take the heretics' worlds. Tomorrow, we will be that much stronger, so as to wage holy war against the xenos.
