[Alt-2300]My Random Notes

[Kilgs]

Original design notes for 2300-alternate setting with HeavyGear/Jovian Chronicles mechanics.

I spent a considerable amount of time with Astrosynthesis, 2300, Jovian Chronicles and Heavy Gear to create my sci-fi heartbreaker. I love the feel of 2300 but think Heavy Gears are awesome. The feel of JC is excellent if you throw out the mecha... but I wanted a setting that was a bit more open than 2300 canon. So I spent some time working on it and ended up learning more and more about this awesome 2300 setting.

After working on it I realized that the 2300 setting is pretty unique in its own right. Decided that I would like to play in the canon setting with Silhouette mechanics and a bit more of a nod towards Combat Walkers/Heavy Gears. Etranger's work on this dovetailed perfectly into my ideas.

So I've moved away from this project and decided to build a completely alternate timeline and setting (Codename: SN). That's been occupying my time for the past year on and off. I'll post those notes and such in a bit since they are also 2300-inspired.
--
But I thought it might spur some conversation to post my rough notes for the 2300-alternate setting. At the time I wrote this, I owned only the original 2300 books (Player and GM) along with all of the online non-canon stuff for 2300 I could get my hands on (Etranger, 2300 AD non-canon Yahoo Group etc). I still don't own 2320 although I think Mongoose 2300 is a work of art! In fact, I've considered seeing if just rolling up a Mongoose character through those mechanics and converting to Silhouette would work well... (more on that later).

So here are the rough notes, they use specific years but those were WIP and you'll notice they jump around a bit. I'll break up the material so it's manageable to read.

DESIGN SUMMARY: Advancing the timeline 50-80 years, incorporating the fine work of Etranger on evolution of Combat Walkers (ie. Heavy Gears). Rebuilding the United Nations (this was an RPG nugget, since the campaign was planned to be "international troubleshooters/marshals" so I needed a central organization). Greater expansion of the stars, continued Kafer threat, additional alien race or two.

 

[Kilgs]

Using Astrosynthesis and evildrganymede's fine blog, I worked off the NSL I and II star charts that had been uploaded to the Yahoo Groups. I tried to use the right names for everything but not sure if that held true at all times.

As mentioned, these are the rough notes:
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This uses the Canon NSL and NSL II. Not the accurate ones in order to keep everything in place.

THE HYDRUS (Water Snake) CLUSTER
Need to connect Beta Hydri to...
-Arabia, Japan, ??


FIRST KAFER WAR 2298-2300
Combat Walkers utilized strongly, combined arms and fleets, guerrilla action as they dug out the remaining Kafer presence on Kilmanjano, Beta, etc.

INTERLUDE 2300-2301
While the Kafer fleet, led by Triumphant Destiny, retreated to Arcturus the conflict still raged on numerous planetary surfaces. The Kafer Fleet had landed troops on Aurore and a bitter ground battle was commenced to root out the remaining alien troops. Public sentiment against the Kafer rose to a fever pitch. Franco-German relations were strong in the face of an alien threat. Discussions began among the various powers regarding different ways of dealing with the alien threat. Several scouting expeditions were sent into the Arcturus system and relayed back that a small Kafer Fleet remained in orbit within the system. The scouts made no attempt to approach the entities.
Combat Walkers utilized extensively in Aurore.
Several factions within the various governments attempted to express some desire for peace and accommodation with the aliens but public sentiment overrode them. The French Empire, led by their Emperor, seized on the opportunity to regain prestige and power lost during the War for German Reunification. The military output of the French milindustrial complex began working extensively towards refitting starships and weaponry.

2301-2308 The First Kafer War
(See 2301 AD document)
The next big challenge for CWs was the Kafer War. The French deployed two battalions, some 250 BH-21s, to the world of Aurore to help defeat the alien invaders. These highly trained units performed excellently. They often operated on their own in raids against Kafer rear areas, but more frequently worked with conventional infantry units. Indeed French battle schools were soon set up to train militia and other troops in CW operations. CWs were soon shown to be effective battle winners against the Kafers.

The 2301 Kafer offensive into the French Arm brought more and more CWs into action, in particular on Kimanjano, Beta Canum and Joi. The Japanese deployed large numbers of CWs on Joi to counter the Kafer invasion in the hands of the marines, militia and the paramilitary police. British regulars took their capable new Bowman CWs into action on Beta Canum for the first time and coped with a steep learning curve. In turn American Marines deployed their license built BH-21s in action alongside their French allies. Every major nation deployed hundreds of CWs against the Kafers with even more flooding into the French Arm with the Liberation. CWs have become a mainstay of the lingering and bloody effort to remove Kafer remnants from all of the previously occupied human colony worlds.

The Kafers continued to hold onto Kilmanjano, Grosshiddenhaffen, Crater (Henry’s Star) and Arcturus. In Joi, a small squadron of understrength warships maintain orbit and start ground operations to root out the Kafers. On Beta Canum, a similar operation was undertaken by an International Peace-Keeping Force from Earth. A second IPF, also drawn from Earth, arrived at Beowulf in time to be seconded to the formation of the First Allied Restoration Fleet, led by Sir Charles Graham and the Ukrainian Admiral Kiri Usteyev. The 1st ARF was dedicated to the liberation of human systems from the Kafers. A component of private vessels arrived at Beowulf from Tirane and were suborned into the military effort. This caused several private industries to complain of nationalization but several corporations, including Trilon and Waas, supported the efforts. A third corporation, Timberwolf Co., a relatively small but advanced materials and munitions supplier, made its name by donating its two armed merchant ships and over a thousand private security forces. This fleet formed the 1st Restoration Auxiliaries and was placed under the command of Admiral Manning of the Australian Armed Forces.

In August, 2302, the two fleets launched into Kilmanjano system and confronted the Kafer remnants still orbiting in the system. The fleets were astonished to discover a signifiant smaller presence than was anticipated although intelligence had been sketchy. It was later discovered that, with the death of Triumphant Destiny, several would-be Suzerains had attempted to take control of the fleet and dissension had led to bloodshed. The two ARF’s swept through the system and took orbital control of the Kilmanjano system.

THE DIRTSIDE WAR
While the ARF devised ways of cracking the Kafer Fleet hold-outs in the various systems, a period of brutal and savage groundside fighting took place in the French Arm. For the first time, massive fleet engagements led to full-strength interplanetary invasions and the rule book was being written as the campaign progressed. During this time, the stratagems and equipment needs for invasion were being documented and would serve to drive the military machine for decades to come. Numerous units distinguished themselves in the Dirtside War, as the media called it, including the French Foreign Legion, US Marines, the Black Talons, the Ukrainian Ursa Brigade and numerous others. Many mercenary companies sprung into being in other areas of space such as the Manchurian, American and Latin Arms and made transportation to the conflicted systems.

Kafers dug in. Troop numbers constantly lessening, need for mobile units.

Again, the Combat Walker came into its own during these planetary struggles. Small enough to drop or airlift to the surface, with extensive mobility and support advantages over other vehicles, a squad of Combat Walkers could deliver a significant amount of damage to a corresponding infantry enemy. The technology of the Walker began to change and improve resulting in the exo-suit of modern warfare.

The liberation of BCV , Crater, Joi, Hochbanden and Kilmanjano took over four years to accomplish. There were sporadic attacks by Kafer squadrons during this time, launched from Aurore and Arcturus. The invasion and orbital occupation of the Arcturus system allowed the Allied military to focus on mopping up the Kafers left behind on the various colony systems.

While the French military was utilized in many of these engagements, the Alderhorst Alliance members (America, Australia, UK) provided the naval support in the conflict. With the French fleet nearly decimated by the Kafer combat actions, the French were left dependent on civilian and reserve vessels.

(See individual actions, French Foreign Legion etc.)

ALDERHORST ALLIANCE
The Alderhorst Alliance was formed on Vogelheim in the aftermath of the Second Kafer War between the United Kingdom, Germany and America. Having borne the brunt of the Kafer counter-attack, the Alliance members were an informal group based on the defense of the French Arm in the face of France anemia. The three countries gathered to discuss the future of military campaigns against the Kafers. In the face of a weak French responses to the actions in the Second Kafer War, the three nations agreed to support a defensive operation centered on Arcturus. The informal agreement, which is widely discussed in political papers published in the past fifty years, was a lack of faith in French capabilities and the future of the French Arm. The three members of the Alliance realized that their resources were limited and sponsored…

Australia and America had focused almost exclusively on the American Arm. They had responded to the threat of annhilation out of old habits but were leery of becoming entangled in the politics or expenditures along the French Arm. With the opening of the Beta Aquilae cluster through the Acey-Acey bridge, both countries wanted a means to ensure the safety of humanity while avoiding entanglements. The United Kingdom and Germany were invested heavily along the French Arm as members of the ESA. Their acceptance that France was unable to provide protection was the impetus for their urgings of maintaining the Alliance.

Germany was extremely upset with the resulting indecision by the other nations. While a rival of France, the German government sought a lasting solution for the Kafer menace. Without commitments from the other allies, however, Germany was forced to abide by the status quo.

In 2308, the Alderhorst Alliance was formed officially (although still secret) between the attending nations. In need of resources and allies, the Alliance mounted a campaign on Earth for recruits and funding for a combined defense force that would blockade the Alpha Bootis system and cluster. Since this was the only known access point to Kafer space, the Alliance felt that they could safeguard humanity without investing significant resources into an offensive campaign.

By 2310, the Alderhorst Alliance was in control of Alpha Bootis system. Behind them, the reconstruction of the French Arm continued at a rapid pace.


KAFER ROT AND FRENCH ARM QUARANTINE COMMAND
The discovery of Kafer Rot, a degenerative fungal growth on agricultural products, was a significant issue amongst the fertile planets of Beta Canum and XXXX. Although it was unknown whether it was specifically tailored for use against the human planets or a byproduct of the Kafer invasion, the Rot drastically reduced food supplies along the French Arm. Scores of scientists and agricultural experts were employed by the French Empire in efforts to halt and then defeat the microbial weapon.

 

[Kilgs]

AN OLIVE BRANCH
As the 1st Kafer War drew to a close, the accumulation of information and intelligence on the Kafers made it clear that the threat was not likely to simmer down nor result in diplomatic solutions. Nevertheless, the Scandinavian Union supported by several foundations embarked on an exploratory/diplomatic mission. The mission, aboard the Keliad Rime, warped into the Arcturus system and then onto the Serpenti Cluster. Obviously, it was never heard from again. It is believed that its wreckage was found in orbit around XXXX.

THE PENTAPOD STALEMATE
As the reconstruction of the French Arm reached completion, the expansion into other areas continued and relations between the Pentapods and humans grew into greater bonds. With expansion into Denebola and Pentapod space, the Pentapods surprised everyone by laying claim to all stars within their proximity. Excepting Beta Leonis (Denebola), this effectively stopped expansion to that section of space. At first, this situation was handled quietly by the knowledgeable nations as many states used the Denebola jumping-off point to move into Cluster #34 and Wolf Cluster.

The appearance of military units amongst the Pentapods, in imitation of the armored units of the human armed forces, caused some consternation but the public was blessedly unaware of it. Organic exoskeletons with motive and armament became a concerning sight amongst the Pentapod populations as they adapted to the
(Note: Pentapod gods are deeply concerned about capability of humans to wage war against Kafers. Returning pods contained with scenes of Kafer wars and human military mobilization are alarming. Potential for genocide likely and so begin preparing for such an event.)

BUG BITES/BUG YEARS
The Bug Years, as most individuals call it, was not a set strategy by the Suzerains of the Kafer race. Instead it was the result of defeat of Triumphant Destiny being learned by the Kafer race and encouraging younger and untried warlords to try their strength against these new enemies. These attacks were sporadic but damaging despite the victories of the Alliance defense force.

FRENCH RECONSTRUCTION
The reconstruction of BCB and BCV was paid in full by the French forces. The beanstalk at BCV was rebuilt and Emperor Ruffin himself attended the opening day of its operations. This reconstruction continued from 2307-2322 without any sign of fading. Looking back, it was clear that Ruffin’s acumen and influence were the driving force behind the reconstruction. The whole of France’s finances were thrown into re-establishing themselves among the stars.

AQUILAN EXPANSION 2308-2317
With the Kafer believed to be bottle-necked, the various powers debated the Kafer Solution on Core. Out in the systems, it was possible for further expansion to take place in the Arms untouched by the conflict. This led to a significant amount of antagonism by the French, British, and German powers for being forced to bear the brunt of the military effort.

Regardless, the expansion into the Aquilan Cluster by American, CAR and private interests moved quickly. Only a few planets were found to be viable for habitation but due to the troubles along the French Arm, the push for colonization extended into the other Arms. This led to rapid establishments of colonies and outposts, infrastructure and such.

The discovery of ancient ruins on DM+7 4052 led to a strong exploration trend. Similar ruins were also found on AC+16 247-80 indicating an interstellar civilization that was no longer in existence. An outpost was founded by the IEX on AC+16 24780 for the purposes of further research. This site attracted xenophiles and other scholars as breakthroughs were quickly made on deciphering the civilization. A key fact that allowed rapid breakthroughs was that the Old Aquilans (as they are called) were bipedal and appeared mammalian. The community grew from approximately three hundred to over twenty thousand in less than ten years time. Ratified as a colony under the protection of the Canadian government due to the first research station being led by Canadians, Rideau, continued to expand. The colony was also an attempt by Canada to diversify their colonial holdings since the Canadian Finger appeared to be a dead-end. The discovery of asteroid minerals in a field well outside the system that inspired interest by OAR (Orwell-Anderson Reclamation) to invest in the system.

The settlement of Cluster #23 by the Japanese resulted in a significant boost to trade and traffic in the Rideau system. As the colony coffers began to grow, the age-old problem of piracy raised its head and began striking at shipments returning to the Core. Many of these shipments were carrying taxation and similar goods for Canada and other nations.

THE BEANSTALK REBELLION
The grip of poverty surrounding the beanstalk in equatorial Africa continued until 2320. A growing groundswell of anger against the exportation of wealth and goods during the reconstruction flared when French African forces put down an unemployed workers strike. The flashpoint resulted in country-wide riots and civil disturbances. For a brief time, the beanstalk itself was threatened and cut-off from supporting forces. This forced the First World nations to come to grips with the dichotomies and provide assistance to the populations of Africa. One of the results was a promise by the French government to establish African colonies along the French Arm and elsewhere. This was accomplished by the founding of the French-African Space Collective, an organization that outfitted and supplied colonialization efforts by the African population.

THE SECOND KAFER WAR (2321-2327)
By this time, Arcturus was under the protection of a combined Fleet from the Alderhorst Alliance. America was growing increasingly bitter about the expenditures provided to protect the French Arm. The blitzing series of attacks by no less than a dozen small raiding parties, individually and in groups, kept them from pulling their ships back from the line. While the posting was considered an excellent one for young officers to gain experience, the members of the Alderhorst Alliance grew increasingly bitter.

UNITED STELLAR NATIONS
One of the legacies of Emperor Ruffin was the empowering of the United Nations. Faced with a common threat, the multitudes of humanity were confronted with a war for their very survival. Faced with criticism over his handling of the Kafer crisis, Emperor Ruffin restrained from wartime posturing and instead sought diplomatic support for the “overall crisis” to mankind. In doing so, he seized on the independence of Elysia, the ex-French colony on Tirane, to make a call for an expanded role of the United Nations. Long side-lined due to the interest in the stars and the unwillingness of other stellar nations to allow an administrative body to curtail their operations, the United Nations had languished on Earth.

With Ruffin’s support, the colony of Elysia petitioned for membership into the United Nations. The move took many nations by surprise and the colony was granted state status almost on shock value alone. Many nations, specifically Manchuria, decried the notion indicating that Elysia was a small colony on a planet that had several colonies of differing affiliations. Pointing to Earth, Ruffin was able to expose the hypocrisy of that complaint and since Elysia was in a position that economically made them a viable nation, they were able to maintain their seat.

As a result, the United Nations made the controversial move of renaming itself the United Stellar Nations and made the membership of former colonies a formal matter. This broke the shackles of inertia that had kept the former UN from being a force in the astropolitics of the modern age and regalvanised the operation. The treaties and policies of the United Nations had been strong influences in the beginning of the race for the stars but it suffered from a lack of power projection in the 24th century.

In 2320, the newly-elected Secretary-General Ekaterina Grigorevna, a former diplomat and intelligence officer from the Ukraine, took the helm at the United Stellar Nations. Grigorevna used the Kafer threat to expand on the powers and influence of the USN. She, along with the exhausted nations of the UK, America and Germany, gained approval for the creation and construction of a Security Force that would take up guardianship of the gateway planets for the Kafer threat. The Alderhorst Alliance was strongly behind the move as they had grown tired of maintaining the defense of the French Arm despite the need for it.

The French Empire appeared to be in complete disagreement about the establishment of the System Defense Force (USN-SDF). However, it was clear that the arrival of the SDF-Alpha allowed the Punitive Fleet to pursue the enemy onto their own systems. The SDF-Alpha was a resounding success after a Kafer raiding force slipped past the PTF and attempted to take the system in 2333. They were beaten back with minimal losses to the SDF task force. The USN capitalized on the victory and began recruiting on a massive scale. With a fleet of drive-capable ships, the USN was now able to bring its missions into the stars instead of relying on the goodwill of member nations.

 

[Kilgs]

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
With Earth resources dwindling and cultural/political wars creating refugees, the UN (in combination with other countries and NGOs) supported a refugee resettlement project to give volunteers a chance to start anew.
This will allow significant settlement of other systems.

EXPANSION AND COLONIAL INDEPENDENCE
With the Arcturus branch of the French Arm blockaded, the rapid colonization outward shifted to other areas. This resulted in the formation of a number of different colonies, sometimes of private origin and bearing no national identity, in the areas of the Chinese and American Arms in addition to the newly opened clusters such as the Wolf, the Aquilan, Iota Pegasi and others. As the demand for new sites grew, the scouting expeditions traveled further and further out in search of hospitable planets. As the distances grew, more and more infrastructure appeared behind the borders of exploration. These pockets of infrastructure made it possible for further exploration by not requiring a return trip to one of the more advanced colonies closer to Sol for refit and resupply. As the borders moved outwards, a second border of civilized achievements followed close behind.

With Terran attention turned towards the Kafer Wars, the colonies began to achieve economic independence and parity by negotiating trade agreements between themselves and other colonies. Many colonies were now in a position of having several million citizens by themselves. The use of technology and the education required for many positions in colonies had caused the colony structure to evolve, sometimes beyond their parent nation, into full-fledged entities.

The conflicts with the Kafers resulted in a massive expenditure of resources towards defense and consolidation amongst all of the stellar nation-states. This meant that the colonization and exploration of new systems/clusters was undertaken with government investment in private corporations. While these chartered expeditions waved a national flag (and usually several different ones), the individuals conducting the expeditions were motivated by personality and profit. This placed a significant stamp on the composition and attitude of colonies established in these farther reaches than those which grew up in the shadow of their patron states.

Between 2320-2330, there were eleven independent colonies granted membership within the USN as states. Many of the larger nations allowed independence, in accordance with their laws, on a vote basis but there were others that resisted the colonists attempts at independence. Some of these situations resulted in violent struggle, terrorism and economic sanctions even to the point of military intervention.

The Gua-Jin movement on Serurier was one example. In 2329, an increasingly influential independence movement had been growing within the Manchurian colony. Manchura did not, and does not, have a mechanism in place for achieving independence. The movement grew violent after the Manchurian security services cracked down on their organization and charged several of their members with state treason. The imprisonment and subsequent disappearance of those individuals sparked an armed terrorist campaign on the planet. The Manchurian military was forced to deploy on the surface of the planet in order to quell the disturbance. While the USN issued declarations and even sent a peace-keeping force to the system, the Manchurian government stonewalled the organization and denied access to the orbiting Peace-Keepers.

Regardless, the pace of colonial independence was matched only by the establishment of colonies in further parts of the galaxy. The resulting infrastructure created another Age of Trade between these colonies and gave rise to struggles both economic and military.

IOTA PEGASI
EXPLORATION OF CLUSTER #33 (2322)
Discovered by an independent scouting vessel, the route to this Cluster originated from Rideau and provided a dozen or more systems for exploration. A Canadian/Maharashta-funded expedition, the vessel “Gabina Prada” made it as far as HD 1598 where it managed to discover tantalum deposits before returning to the colony of Rideau. Diplomatic messages containing the desired information were intercepted by Russian agents in the Manchurian/American Arm. By the time the Russian Federation could move its…

The discovery of Tantalum resources on HD 1598 resulted in a massive push for mineral exploitation. The Indian’s redirected most of their resources towards the system and established the first toehold before any other nation could stake a claim to the deposits. Their joint agreement with the Canadians and CAR withstood the stress and they quickly capitalized on it. The Americans established a colony and then expanded outwards into Cluster #19 by means of private investment as their attention was directed at growing conflict with the Kafers.

It was not until the 2330’s that American/Australian resources could be expended in large amounts towards the settlement of these clusters.

CLUSTER #19
THE KAFER WARS
Without going into great detail, the Kafer conflict continues for decades as the various suzerain attempt themselves against the humans. Considered the best opponents they’ve ever met, the Kafers enjoy testing themselves against the human forces. This results in various swings as alliances form, shatter and reform amongst the Kafers. Humans manage to take advantage of these swings and push into Kafer Space.

More important is the effect it has on the colonies and military methods of the modern age. Exo-suits come into their own and are significantly advanced to assist in the taking of Kafer planets. The Kafers will also learn the use of exo-suits from the humans with the first of them appearing in the struggle for Aurore. These designs become more efficient and powerful. The emphasis on war provides impetus to the French Empire’s expansion and militarism.

The pressure from the human assault pushes Kafers through Backdoor Space and into conflict in other areas. Maybe the Kafers are believed beaten and the remnants emerge from elsewhere.
THE FRENCH EMPIRE RISES AGAIN
(Maybe want to place this further back in the timeline)
The slow response of the French Empire to the 2nd Kafer War was humiliating coming on the heels of the defeats suffered during the Central Asian War and the War for German Reunification. Emperor Ruffin struggled to maintain power during the Second Kafer War but was finally recalled in 2326 and replaced by a military veteran, Emperor Claudio Roullet (roo-lay), who promised a stronger and more powerful France in the future. His first act was to completely replace the command staff in the naval elements, relieving long-time admirals and fleet commanders with a vengeance. Politics aside, the Emperor strove to ensure that they would never be caught flat-footed again. In charge of the French Fleet, Roullet placed Admiral Guiscard, a younger driven officer with significant talents. Guiscard turned the Fleet around in less than five years. His timing could not have been better…

Ruffin’s legacy is still not recognized for the exploits of Emperor Roullet in the Third Kafer War/Crisis overshadow them. But it was Ruffin’s pumping of economic resources that restored the French economy and the vast amounts of money flowing into the coffers of the Empire. It was these coffers that Roullet was able to draw on in rebuilding the French armada.

In 2331, the German and American vessels still in place around Alpha Bootis were supported by a single French Carrier, The Leto Mars, and their ships were being battered as a result. The constant attacks were driving them into exhaustion and the defense was suffering as a result. A trio of Suzerain, each leading their own fleet, jumped into the system and demolished the remaining American vessels. The Germans retreated to a wide orbit and the Kafers again landed troops on the ground in Arcturus.

Less than a month later, the newly revamped French Punitive Fleet, “REVANCHE”, leapt into the system having taken a circuitous route from its secret construction facilities. Led by Admiral Guiscard, the fleet slammed into the two remaining Kafer fleets, the third having been run-off by the Germans in a heroic last-stand defense, and swept them away. The Fleet continued to orbit the planet and landed several hundred exo-suited infantry to clear the Kafers from the planet’s surface. The campaign was brutal and resulted in the complete destruction of the Kafers on the surface. The entire campaign lasted less than a year, a significant improvement over the campaigns of the past. The French Punitive Task Force had invested heavily in exo-suits and their effectiveness clearly showed in the planetside operations.

The French PTF established a cordon around the planet and, granted an incredible amount of supplies, was able to hold the system against seven raids in the next two years. By that time, the planet had become a military support base with numerous orbital factories. In 2334, the French PTF was freed from garrison duty and launched their invasion of the Kafer systems. The Emperor’s daughter, Annabella Roullet, was among the PTF as a captain of one of the missile cruisers.

(More later...)

 

[Kilgs]

INDIAN POWERHOUSE EMERGES
The Indian States had long been a collection of squabbling polities. In 2328, one state rose above the others under a monarchist government. Utilizing the tension in the region as a pretext for annexation, the Kingdom of Maharashta took over its surrounding states. By the time that other SE Asian polities grew concerned, the Kingdom was already too large. By 2340, it had control of over 50% of Old India. The country was based on the matrilineage of XXXXXX, a prominent Indian politician that laid claim to raj bloodlines in the 23rd century.

By 2340, the country was well onto the ascendant. It established a presence on Tirane and, through nationalization, achieved the ownership of several stutterwarp-capable ships. These ships it quickly embarked on a search for resources. It partnered with Canada in order to boost its expansion beyond the Canadian Finger that had deadlocked it. This partnership brought it into contact with the CAR and another partnership was created.


STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
The partnership between Maharashta, Central Asian Republic, Baluchistan and Canada was one of complete convenience. The differing cultures required careful posturing and constant mediation in order to achieve the goal of stellar independence. Without tantalum resources, the stellar capabilities of all of the nations was dwindling and it was only the fortuitous discovery of resources on HD 1958 that kept the alliance from foundering under the differing demands of the component governments.

THE KAI-YOSHIRO CONFLICT [JAPANESE-BRITISH/Wolf Cluster]
The colonization of Kai-Yoshiro was undertaken by the United Kingdom and Japanese governments. The colony boasted a significant amount of SOMETHING.

Tensions resulted in a shooting war in 2339 between the two colonies. A Swiss peace-keeping force was recruited by both governments, who were not interested in colonial squabbles, to maintain order between the colonies. This lasted approximately four years before a general war broke out between the two colonies. As both boasted significant populations and resources, the stakes were much higher. Japan lacked a strong logistical base within the Wolf Cluster and so it authorized significant expenditures to military contractors to wage the war against the United Kingdom.

By the time the Japanese naval elements responded to the crisis, they found the system outskirts held by the United Kingdom while a bitter ground battle was being conducted. Facing the prospect of a significant space battle, the two sides managed to negotiate a cease-fire. Unfortunately, the two colonies that had actually been doing the fighting were not interested in the truce.

PMC
The need for private military contractors had been rising for years as independent colonies or movements required the services of trained military without the attendant logistical requirements. The PMC became a much more ubiquitous organization as mercenaries responded to the high demand for their services. Many mercenary organizations were ‘adopted’ by independent colonies in exchange for local influence, services and residences. This provided colonies with resident military services and gave some mercenary units a place to retire and call home after years of warfare in the far-flung stars.

THE REVANCHE CAMPAIGN
The Revanche Task Force drove into the heart of the Kafer systems pursuing a methodology of complete annihilation. Intelligence had indicated that the Kafer race was based out of Gamma Serpentis and the campaign pushed in that direction.

In 2334, the Revanche Fleet invaded Gamma Serpentis. The resulting campaign would last more than three years and was punctuated by raiding Kafers from other systems, ground combat and orbital strikes against military targets. The French Punitive Task Force had been supported by the French Empire during their resurgence but the cost of the campaign was significant. The three years spent waging that war were costly and the horrors of the battle were enough to drop morale significantly.

In the end, it was determined that Gamma Serpentis was not a home planet but the Kafer equivalent of a Core World. With no end to the campaign in sight, the PTF pushed on and changed tactics in dealing with the threat. Instead of planetary invasion, the fleet was content to drive out any stellar and industrial capabilities in each system. These ‘mop-ups’ were crudely implemented and operated more on a scorched planet policy. However, the pay-off in pushing forward was immense.

It was not until 2341 that USN-DSS (Directorate of Safety/Security) agents confirmed the use of nuclear and biological weapons against the Kafers. This prompted a significant outcry from the removed populations of the human nations. Even in the face of an aggressive species, the use of such weapons against civilians and planetary settlements flew in the face of their comfort. Those who had fought the Kafers were quite capable of pointing out that there were no civilians in the Kafer race. Unfortunately, the presence of subject alien species was sufficient to force the French Revanche to agree on a prohibition of further uses.

The resulting scandal was sufficient to topple Roullet’s government and the election of Miriam Descroix as the first French Empress in 2344 signaled a change in the direction of the government.

With that agreement in place, the Revanche Fleet settled for a containment policy. Destruction of all orbital facilities, shipyards and military targets on a planet’s surface allowed the Fleet to stand off and apportion only a picket force to hold the system. As these pickets grew increasingly thin, the raids of Kafer suzerains managed to slip through the net and find their way to Arcturus where the USN fleet waited.

 

[Kilgs]

NEW ALIENS
The Revanche Fleet discovered two other subjugated alien species under the Kafers as they pushed further into enemy space.

One species is completely installed in the French Empire on their homeworld.

THE WOLF-KAFER WAR (2348-2354)
The pressure on the Kafers from the Revanche Fleet resulted in a redirection of Kafer aggression into the Wolf Cluster through HD 3301. The combined fleets of several Suzerains crashed into the Wolf Cluster without warning and the far-flung stellar polities were slow to organize and respond to the threat.

The United Kingdom and Germany led the charge by merging their forces in 2350 to strike at several beleagured systems. This unification was successful and caused the rescue of two colonies, one of them belonging to the SU, and began the push against the Kafer offensive.

Mop-up efforts on planetary surfaces were more difficult as it was clear that the Kafers had imitated much of the ground fighting characteristics of Terran forces.

THE WOLF CLUSTER
The expansion into the Wolf Cluster was a preventive measure by various states as well as the natural outgrowth of the blocked Bootis route. The primary nations involved in the colonization of the cluster were Japan, France, United Kingdom, Germany and the Scandinavian Union. The French Empire made several attempst to hold down the colonization of these planets for itself but, after a few live-fire incidents, the Empire was forced to back down from their imperial ambitions. The resulting political climate in the Wolf Cluster is tense with the United Kingdom and Germany versus the French Empire.

(By 2350)
Japan: Two colonies
France: Three colonies (two French-African Collectives)
United Kingdom: Four colonies
Indonesia: One colony
Germany: Two colonies
Scandinavian Union: Two colonies
Maharashta: One colony

COLONIAL STRUGGLES
Over the next decades, a pattern emerged where national struggles took place amongst the stars and the actions of colonies could embroil their parent entities into light-year wide conflicts. The presence of multiple, differing, colonies on a single world led to conflicts over resources, nationalism, and just plain xenophobia. The use of colonial troubleshooters, long a tool implemented by nations and corporations, became even more commonplace with independent colonies following suit. In many situations, several colonies would band together to employ trouble-shooting agencies to monitor and respond to their needs. These agencies and individuals ranged from skilled to bungling, from sinner to saint, and were comprised of individuals from all walks of life although military backgrounds were certainly important.

As colonies often did not have armed defense forces beyond militia, the use of Private Military Contractors and Free Agents (troubleshooters) was the best alternative. Technology, especially military technology, had progressed to the point where a small unit equipped with exo-suits or advanced craft could implement military and strategic objectives desired by the hiring colony.

Stories of colonial struggles reached the Core Worlds and the USN in due time. It was not uncommon for an exo-suited mercenary cadre to drop on a planet, raid a supply or power center, destroy everything and flee the system without anyone being the wiser for it. While the employers were often publicly rumored, the lack of unified law enforcement and the strained resources of the stellar nations made it impossible to curtail the activities.

In fact, many origin nations that had lost colonies to independence movements quietly applauded the chaos and, in some cases, instigated it as a means to tie colonies tighter to their original loyalties. Independent colonies seemed an excellent idea until you realized it meant that you were responsible for your own defense. This resulted in brushfire wars taking place on a regular basis with mercenaries and troubleshooters being the real winners.

THE STELLAR STATE EMERGES
In 2344, the first stellar union was formed by six independent colonies. Naming themselves the blah-blah Union, the colonies engaged the services of several PMC’s while in their initial start-up phase. By 2340, the union had added two additional colonies and maintained a small fleet of naval vessels. Other than the Union Naval Force, the colonies participated in a mutual defense and trade agreement.

The Union lasted only fourteen years before it ran afoul of the expanding French Empire. An economic conflict broke out when Imperial forces heightened customs inspections on Union vessels. The conflict slowly increased in tempo until a minor skirmish broke out in deep space of XXXXX. The French customs vessel was damaged when a Union merchantman opened fire after denying attempts to be boarded. The French response was swift. A squadron of missile cruisers descended on a month-long scouring operation of the Union systems. Targeting Union vessels, the cruisers launched long-range missile attacks on the vessels and disappeared with their warp drives before appearing in another system. By the end of 23 days, the Union’s losses constituted almost 37% of their GNP. The Union sued in the USN Admiralty Court but it was too slow to accomplish anything.

Two months from the first shot, three colonies declared their independence from the Union. Another followed shortly thereafter and the Union began to fade. When the USN Court finally decided on mutual liability, the Union dissolved under economic pressure.

The experiences of the XXXX Union had a polarizing effect on colonial unions with some of them becoming consolidation wary and others, the more strident, becoming far more militant. The resulting dynamics have changed space…

PLANETS FOR MONEY
In 2342, a colony of United Kingdom emigrants, was set up and running on (insert planet here). The only other colony on the planet consisted of Trilon Industries personnel. The company had done a significant amount of discouragement of further settlement but it had run up against the USN civil courts in their attempts to force the colonists off the planet. The United Kingdom had dispatched a small squadron of vessels to the planet and was surprised to discover that Trilon had three combat vessels of their own. Being a multi-stellar corporation (MSC), the heads of the company declared that they had the right to defend their property in the more lawless regions of space. This had become commonplace in the past couple decades due to the rise of piracy although only a few voices shouted out about militarism. The truth of it was shot home that day when the United Kingdom realized that Trilon had a stellar navy.

Negotations above the planet continued for several days. In the end the contract for the colony and an agreement to forgo settlement on that planet in perpetuity was signed between Trilon and the UK. For the first time, a planet changed hands over money. While the agreement was only binding on the UK government, the precedent had been set.