The Wheel Keeps on Turning
The Fourth Great Terror and the Leonidian Purges would wrack the newly reincorporated Commonwealth space for almost half a decade, in the aftermath of the Respublican-Commo War. During that time, the much maligned Maxim Cassano’s DPSIA and its various political-religious instruments reshaped Commo society. The period of 360-363AU saw monumental changes take place in the governed territories, with draconian measures put into place against all forms of heresy, apostasy and dissent. Thousands more fell victim to Cassano’s holy ‘ghazi’ (a derogatory name for his security personnel, coined by bitterly resentful Commos), who left no stone unturned in stamping out evil (as they saw it). Insult was added to injury, as children orphaned in the security sweeps were ‘adopted’ by the state, to be raised as model Respublicans. Even back on Codexia, many were left with a sour taste in their mouths, as word reached home of Cassano’s ‘efficiency’.
The historian, of course, must always beware of hasty characterisations. Governor Maxim Cassano was a harsh man and a brutal overseer, but, according to all available information, he was also an uncompromisingly professional, astute and personally pleasant individual. Calling him a ‘monster’ is, perhaps, a distortion of the reality; an unlimited mandate with a lofty goal is fertile ground for excess. Cassano was just a man. His was an evil lurking in all men of ambition. In any case, the repression of the Terror years was wound down very carefully, as the Commos became acclimatized to their new lives as citizens of a theocratic republic. By 363AU, resistance had slackened to almost nothing. The throngs of Leonid and the shanty towns of New Bristol alike were by then resigned to their fate, and apathetic as to the future. Cassano was well rewarded for his efforts in that achievement.
In the meantime, the Venerable Respublica, as a whole, began to recover from the strains of a long and costly conflict. The damage to the home world was slowly being repaired. Monuments were put up to honour a heroic and a righteous people. The economy was given a major boost by the eventual inclusion of the old Commonwealth into the Respublican free trade zone – though productivity remained subpar. All in all, defence spending stayed high, but fell as an overall percentage of the gross domestic product. Shielding was finally installed on all major warships in the ‘Space’ fleet, and combat readiness was strongly emphasized in the published White Paper, and was thereafter maintained as a matter of course. New vessels of war were coming out of the slip yards at record pace, as the state girded itself to take part in regional politics.
The wider Hin’in War dragged on. At times intermittent – even uneventful – and at others brutal and frenetic, it was a strange sort of conflict. Months would pass without a notable clash, and then a seemingly random, swirling melee would result in the destruction of dozens of vessels. Planetary bastions were fought over methodically, with manoeuvre substituting brute force, where brute force was lacking. In Raumeni space, the Hin’in hoarded their resources, only grudgingly engaging significant forces of the insectoid resistance. They were evidently becoming misers, when it came to spending their limited available resources. The state of the fighting in the Hin’in domain, itself, was still relatively unknown. The Bron had made appreciable gains – that much seemed obvious – but had been stalemated for some time. The entire affair was becoming almost routine, and war the status quo. The longer they considered it, the more many Respublican officials wondered aloud whether or not, in fact, there was anything to gain by taking any further part in the endlessly conflict.
Searching eyes instead locked on to other possibilities for the advancement of Marianism and the human race as a whole. In particular, the Phyr Dead Zone offered a unique opportunity for renewing the colonial dynamic that had been stilted for so many decades now in the human sphere. Not only were there many known, habitable worlds strewn across the Zone, but they were also unclaimed for the most part. After all, the Phyr were a scattered, broken people, the remnants of which could hardly be expected to put up much of a fight in the face of a determined Respublican colonial drive. Another option presented itself in the form of the huge, largely unexplored expanse of space that lay to the ‘galactic north’. Though rumoured to be home to the crystalline Amoneth, Codexian pioneers had found little trace of those mythical beings over the centuries. Even if they still resided there, they were either unwilling or unable to present themselves to make contact with the encroaching humans. Finally, a Neo-Confucian school of thought strongly advocated an insular approach to state building, pushing for a virtually sterile colonial environment. They were concerned by needless expansionism, and wanted instead to focus on the internal health of the Respublica.
A long-term choice is, thus, required.
Do you... prepare the state to take advantage of the fallout from the Hin’in War? Sooner or later, the time to strike will be right. Our enemies are weakening by the day. Let us orient our economic, social and political policies toward successfully defeating these xenos, and claiming what we will from them.
OR
Do you... concentrate instead on exploiting the territories of the scattered Phyr? Their resistance would be weak – perhaps even non-existent – and their dead worlds are ripe for the taking. We could glean almost endless resources at next to no cost. The Turanei seem to have no interest there, whatsoever.
OR
Do you... choose to expand into the empty expanse to the galactic north? The Amoneth are myth and legend. If they were going to show themselves, they would have done so already. Who knows what lies beyond? Let us take advantage of this lull by exploring this stellar wilderness.
OR
Do you... look inward? The Neo-Confucians are right. Why look elsewhere for salvation, when our people continue to face uncertainty and difficulty in everyday life? Let us pursue peaceful, internal development. Let us expand our economy, broaden our horizons and carve out our own destinies. We will not be weakened by peace. Quite the contrary; it will cement the Venerable Respublica across the stars. Our fleets will be strong and our people happy.
Please Note: Long-term, in this case, signifies that the choice will affect at least a decade of game-time. Consider it from that perspective.