A SHATTERED GALAXY

Hello all! just a notice, i can't take screenshots on my laptop so, sorry!

The Origins of a Shattered Land…

Once, the galaxy was a place of advancement, a place of greatness. The species of the galaxy traded, worked together, unified, and advanced. In short, the galaxy climbed the proverbial ladder of advancement and achievement. But this could not last forever, as is evidenced by the Time of Upheaval.

In this time war after war was fought, uprisings and rebellions won and lost. Entire planets were annihilated; some paradise worlds were turned into barren dustbowls. Planetary populations were massacred as asteroids and soldiers rained down upon their planets. At the time it seemed to the civilians of the galaxy that the End was coming. Amazingly, the galaxy was not crushed under the feet of some oppressor, or destroyed by incessant war.

The Terran Confederation of Worlds managed to bring peace to the galaxy by building the Milky Way Galactic Coalition of Worlds, a structure of allied governments designed to protect the galaxy. During the Time of the First Coalition, sometimes abbreviated F.C.E. (First Coalition Era) the galaxy once again became stable, content to research and expand the boundaries of their knowledge. However, as with all good things they must end.

On January 7^th, 3245 F.C.E. (3246 years after the founding of the Coalition) a planet called Jaxinar Prime seceded from the First Coalition. Jaxinar’s governor stated that this was because of new oppressive policies that had been implemented by the Coalition High Council. The secession of Jaxinar Prime created a storm of controversy in the Council. Many worlds wanted the Coalition to leave the planet alone, but a powerful minority wished to make an example of Jaxinar.

Acting against public opinion, the Council ordered the First Grand Coalition Fleet to assume orbit around Jaxinar Prime. Many planetary governments and citizens were outraged by this action. So, they seceded. Over three fourths of the Coalition member nations and worlds seceded. Earth, the Headquarters of the First Coalition and the Terran Confederation of Worlds, also seceded. With the Coalition now limited to the Torian Confederation and the Commonwealth of Axanar all fleets were recalled to the new First Coalition capitol world of Axanar.

This recall was however, too late to stop the First Fleet from carrying out the invasion of Jaxinar. When the transports landed they met heavy resistance and were forced to retreat. When the regrouping order was received the Grand Admiral ordered the First to carry out the new orders. Not before taking revenge on Jaxinar, however, did the fleet leave. They pounded the planet with all their weapons for three hours before leaving. This dropped the planet from a Standard Galactic 15 to a 3. Over twenty billion civilians and soldiers were killed in the bombardment, out of a total population of twenty and one-half billion.

The massacre of Jaxinar, as it soon came to be called, marked the end of the Time of the First Coalition (F.C.E.) and the beginning of the After First Coalition Era (A.F.C.E.). The massacre gave the newly freed nations a reason to attack the First Coalition.  Within one year (1 A.F.C.E.) the Coalition had disappeared, replaced by small planets and the two other member nations. With the collapse of the First Coalition it seemed that the galaxy had returned to its former status, always at war, evil empires rising and falling, rebellions and revolutions created and crushed, and wanton destruction. Once again planets, lush and fertile, were reduced to dusty class two, and sometimes one, planets. However, once again the Terran Confederation led the way to peace. This time, however, the Drengin Empire did the same with the evil civilizations. This began the Time of Two Alliances (T.A.E., Two Alliance Era).

The newly formed Confederacy of Worlds and the Drengin Coalition of Empires were soon in a standoff, similar to the Cold War of Ancient Earth. This would not last long, however. The Drengin Coalition of Empires (DCE) launched an offensive against the Confederacy of Worlds (CW) on October 19^th, 37 T.A.E. Once again a time of upheaval was thrust upon the galaxy. The only difference was that by 103 T.A.E. the DCE had the Technology necessary to destroy star systems in one blow, Terror Stars.

This weapon was only intended as a gesture of power on the part of the DCE. However, the CW saw this development as a real life threat. They quickly developed their own super-weapon, the Star Ender. With the development of this weapon the galaxy had reached a new stage in its development. Total and Complete genocide. Sure, you can make a planet devoid of all life, but until this point you couldn’t totally destroy a star.

When news of the Star Enders spread to the DCE it caused a riot. Most of the Empires wanted to use the Terror Stars to destroy the CW. Needless to say, that is what the DCE did. Thankfully the use of this weapon was limited to two systems, Draxa, an important staging ground for CW military operations in the DCE and completely devoid of life and Hydrans, also devoid of life, but a major military staging area. Before they could be used again both the DCE and CW collapsed. With them went all information and specs on the Star Enders and Terror Stars.

After the collapse of the two alliances, due to incessant war and the large unpopularity of the governments, the major powers dissolved. All except for the Terran Confederacy of Worlds, it hung on until 1034 T.A.E. At that time its forces were ordered to leave the border and protect Earth, leaving the colonies and member worlds to fend for themselves.

As wars were fought and trade as well as governments collapsed and fragmented the infrastructure to construct ships and maintain a star-faring society decayed until it was abandoned on many worlds. Some worlds abandoned the stars and pulled back into their star systems. On some worlds civilization ceased to function. They went back to a primitive society. The knowledge of thousands of years was lost in a decade. In most cases, however, the knowledge still existed, but with the decay of the infrastructure the practical knowledge, how to operate machines and build ships, and ability to build things was lost. The galaxy had entered a dark age. The question was, would it ever come out?

This is the story of three people, in three times, that witnessed what happened next…