My take on an alternate MegaTrav universe, as originally posted in November of 2001:
Dulinor performed the Assassination and run for home just as GDW presented, with Lucan being the little bastard he is and working his way into the Iridium Throne over his brother's body. The primary difference comes with Strephon NOT heading for Gushemege, but instead continuing on to Capital, and Lucan's ability to control the rumors surrounding his brother's death.
Lucan does the smartest thing he can do and immediately steps down for Strephon, saying only that he took the throne in the belief that Strephon had actually been assassinated. With the rumors surrounding Varian having no evidence to reinforce them, Strephon decides not to disrupt things even more and retains Lucan as Heir Apparent and Crown Prince, but details a close watch on his every move and word.
The Solomani arrange their invasion forces as before, but news of Strehpon's survival doesn't reach them in time to countermand the orders except in the border areas closest to Terra. After the initial successes of the invading forces, the Solomani leadership decides to continue with the invasion, but not before the Imperial forces around Terra are forewarned and reinforced. The Solomani still make significant advances, but not nearly as overwhelming as in MT.
The news of Strephon's survival keeps Vland and Dukes Brzk, Warinir and Margaret from secedeing and setting up their own Imperia, but Brzk does declare his neutrality to prevent the Julian Protectorate from attepmting anything in the chaos. Strephon tasks Margaret and Warinir with at least delaying the Solomani advances until he can put paid to Dulinor.
The Vargr do still take advantage of the instability news of the Assassination causes, as Lucan's orders to move the Corridor Fleet are not countermanded in time to prevent them from cutting off the Spinward Marches, but the Vargr assaults on Lishun sector are stopped cold.
The Aslan ihatei start their expansion drives, both 'behind the claw' and in Reaver's Deep sector, attacking both Imperial and Solomani worlds. They meet with most of their success in the Spinward Marches but not as great as in MT.
In the Spinward Marches, only news of the Assassination had made it through Corridor before it was cut, and Norris promoted himself to Archduke. Once some communication had been restored to the rest of the Imperium at great effort, Strephon confirmed the appointment and tasked Norris with maintaining the Spinward Marches as much as possible and restoring Imperial control of Corridor sector. The Zhodani show restraint and do nothing other than provide support for the Sword Worlds' attacks against the Darrians.However, the Swordies get a little out of hand and initiate attacks agains the Imperium, believing both that the remnant of the Spinward Marches cut off from the remainder of the Imperium is too weak to resist them and that the ZC will actively support them once their attacks show the Imperial weaknesses. The Swordies are wrong on both counts, and their attacks degenerate into a prolonged series of raids.
The Vland Fleet, with the majority of Corridor Fleet, begin to retake sections of Corridor back from the Vargr, but Vargr resistance proves that it's going to take a good while to return to the old borders.
Meanwhile, Strephon and Dulinor go at it hammer and tongs, but cleanly. Dulinor cannot just give up without proving that his actions were wrong from their foundation, but he realises that anything other than civilized behavior, even during war, will do the same thing. Meanwhile, Strephon simply cannot allow Dulinor to go unpunished, but he strives to maintain the Imperium at its best. In any case, neither side resorts to the allout barbarity that made up the original Black War in MT.
So, four years into MTU Rebellion, we have the Imperium largely as one piece, but with big areas of uncertainties (The Marches, Antares, and Capital [very political maneuverings around Strephon in case he should chose another wife/consort, and a lot of pro- and anti-Lucan activity]), four war zones (Ilelish, Corridor, the Spinward Marches and the Solomani Rim) and absolutely no real stability anywhere.
I haven't had the opportunity to do much more with it since then, but I hope to get back to work on it pretty soon.
Simon Jester
