Stellaris Ch 21

Chapter 21 - 2513 to 2528: The Beginning of the End

With the Invasion over, the Kalaxenans leave the Galactic Defense league. Now, the Vissari State leads the alliance. How long it will last is unknown, since the common threat is now defeated. Or, perhaps another threat still remains in the galaxy.

Earth lays claim to all the vacant systems, since they are the galaxy's saviors. No other empire validates the claim, and several, including the Kalaxenan mediators, denounce Earth as an imperialistic conqueror.

The Galactic Assembly, once a shining example of Earth democracy at work in the galaxy, has little influence in the Federation. Democracy is dead in all but name now, and the elections (once every 20 years) are just an opportunity for President HistoryDude to parade around the empire and show off his power. As the years go on, it becomes clear that HistoryDude just will not die. He is now 210 and seemingly as healthy as ever physically. Mentally, he still displays some bipolar tendencies.

Since the end of the Invasion, plenty of staff changes have been made. The new Def Sec, Thomas Walder Randolph, is very different from the last. For one, he, like the President, fully embraces the concept that the Federation deserves its spot in the sun, that it is the rightful leader of the galaxy.

"The Cartel is more vulnerable than ever before, sir," Randolph informs the President during one of their many meetings. "They've lost both their wormhole systems, as well as a few of their most productive energy centers. And the Vissari now hold the burden of leading the GDL, which is causing them some political discord from within. As for the Steel Bank, they are flooding into the vacuum zone and expanding their empire at an alarming rate."

"We cannot strike unprovoked," Secretary TBC says. "It would prompt the rest of the galaxy to become our enemy."

"Why is she here?" hissed Randolph. "This is a military matter, and she has nothing to offer."

"She is here for the same reason you are. I am reluctant to disagree with you," the President says, "but I believe the Secretary is partly right." HistoryDude is particularly lucid at the moment, much to the Def Sec's displeasure. "It would give the Kalaxenan an excellent excuse to declare war on us, and they've wanted to for a very long time."

"And I've been saying for an even longer time that we should strike them first."

"We cannot handle the Galactic Defense League with the Kalaxenan as their leader," says the President. "We can handle it if they are absent."

"So... so you are suggesting---"

"I'm not suggesting anything!" The President says angrily. "I do not suggest, Randolph."

"You are [i]saying[/i] that we should provoke them, the League, to war?" Randolph slowly says.

"I am saying that we should not be seen as the bad guys in the war that is to come, at least not until we have the momentum needed to defeat the Kalaxenan."

Before the Unbidden arrived, nearly every solar system in the galaxy was under one empire's control or another. Scientists theorized that resource extraction and availability would reach its maximum and plateau within a century. Now, with the unclaimed systems from the Unbidden conquests, the day of the plateau is put off somewhat. Still, it appears that the Federation has reached the limit of technological advances, and all that can be achieved in the foreseeable future is improved efficiency of existing technologies.

Scientists have tried in vain to figure out a way to reach other galaxies, but thus far no breaks have been made; hyperlanes do not span such distances and jump drives can only go so far. Until a way to traverse such vast distances is discovered, the resources available to the galaxy are finite, and it is bound to lead to conflict.

In 2518, the Vissari, the Cartel, and the Jibru close their borders with the Federation, citing their mistrust in Earth's leadership and intentions as their reason. In response, President HistoryDude denounces their former allies the Cartel, as well as the League, and close borders as well.

The Federation armies' ranks swell in the next few years, as recruitment of soldiers and assembly of Roboids is put on overload. As for the fleet, the time of a few, very large fleets is over. The Unbidden had very powerful fleets that required extremely large groups of ships in response. The GDL's militaries are made up of numerous smaller task forces. Several of the Federation's fleets are split in two, bringing the Federation's military up to ten fleets.

A new threat in the galaxy appears in 2521. The Garganan Citizen Republic loses control of their robotic servants, leading to an AI revolution. Now, the Silicron Experiment seizes control of a dozen of their former masters' systems and declares war. Those empires filled with robots, both servants and citizens, watch on nervously.

Tensions increase between the Galactic Defense League and Earth at the end of 2521. The Cartel head of government, Dorbax, mysteriously disappears from the Diub system, right along the Federation border. They immediately point the finger at Earth. President HistoryDude fires back that there is no proof for these absurd claims. He is right, and for now it is just speculation.

Dorbax's body is found a few months later in the neighboring system of Moscot, floating outside of the Moscot starbase. They declare that this is the final evidence that Earth is behind their leader's death. They cut all relations with the Federation amid all of the Federation's insistence that they were not involved. Dorbax's body is eventually returned to the Cartel, but not before spending weeks in Federation custody.

War does not break out, since the Cartel has little backing, but the majority of the empires of the galaxy believe that the Federation is responsible. Several skirmishes along the border do break out after both empires station large fleets in precarious systems.

In 2525, the Kalaxenan Mediators declare war on their former vassals The Quarantined, who broke free just a decade ago and are also at war with the Nagyari. Suspiciously soon after, Earth reveals that they believe the Vissari are behind Dorbax's assassination. The President claims that the Vissari are framing Earth, in the hopes that a Cartel-Federation war would present a perfect opportunity for the GDL to invade. Not many outside of the Federation believe these claims, that is until a videofeed surfaces that is supposedly from the Vissari transport used to dispose of the body.

In the present day, over 600 years after the advent of videography, the editing of videos is now virtually indistinguishable from reality. That is why the video released of the transport carrying Dorbax's body does not immediately prove the accusations. The ship in the video is obviously Vissari, and the body is Dorbax's, but there is no real way to prove that the video was not fabricated.

"The Vissari State has toiled and labored toward the goal of fomenting war between the Federation of Earth and the Cirrulan Cartel. They have failed. Their ruse has ended in the truth at last, and the Federation will not let this slight go unpunished.

We call on the Cartel to recant their dastardly condemnations of Earth and to denounce the empire that was really behind their great leader's death. And we call on the rest of the galaxy to hold the Vissari accountable for their crooked actions."

HistoryDude's great Speech to the Nations, which was a 15 minute long call to action against the Vissari, broadcast to the entire galaxy, does not rally support against the Vissari. But he does not expect it to. He thought, when Dorbax's body was found, that the build up of tensions would lead to war with the Cartel. But this supposed evidence against the Vissari works as well. The time for war has come, and he is prepared to take on the entire League.

On December 2nd, 2525, the Federation declares the 2nd Federation-Vissari war. As news spreads throughout the galaxy, the rest of the GDL joins the war. The Federation is now at war with over half the universe.

The Federation deploys what history scholars might recognize as the ancient 'Blitzkrieg'. Three fleets enter Steel Bank territory, three enter Vissari, one enters Jibru, and another enters the Garganan enclave by the TOZ. The attacks are faster than anything seen before, and within six months, 26 systems fall to the Federation and six planets are under siege.

The first enemy fleet is not even met until June of 2526, and it is only a small Seifarus (the small vassal of the Bank's that borders the Federation) fleet of about two dozen ships. They are blasted apart days after entering the system.

One year into the war brings bad news for the Federation. The Silicron Experiment is defeated. Now, the GDL can focus entirely on the Federation. Regardless, 54 systems and five planets have fallen to the onslaught. Thus far, the space combat has seen only casualties on the enemy's side, while the ground combat has cost both sides millions in just months.

Two very large Garganan fleets jump through the Vissari gateway in Davassa, looking to retake the planet of Tripitit. Unfortunately for them, they get there just as the worst possible entity enters the system. The Saqqis Project is complete, and Saqqis IV is combat ready.

Before Saqqis IV can stop the enemy fleets, they occupy Davassa station. As they turn to face this new threat, a powerful beam rips through the fleets and destroys five ships in an instant. Clouds of swarm missiles shoot toward them, and the entire enemy fleet is no more.

Far away from Saqqis IV, the Nicoll-Dyson Beam powers up for a test fire. Just as it reaches its maximum power level, a blinding light flashes through the system, and one of the structure's ginormous rings splits in two. An explosion in the auxiliary ring has released all of the saved up power, destroying the infrastructure of the Nicoll-Dyson Beam and rendering the weapon useless. It will take months for repairs to be complete, and until then, an investigation will take place as to what happened.

It is discovered that Vissari agents were behind the attack.

As the year 2528 begins, 98 systems are occupied and 13 planets have fallen. The Garganan, the Vissari, and the Steel Bank have lost a total of 450 ships, while the Federation has lost 0. It is such a ferocious and efficient war that those in the HistoryDude administration begin discussing wargoals with the President.

"At this rate, we could have the entire Vissari State and the Steel Bank occupied by 2530. We could easily press claims and annex dozens of their systems."

"No matter what we claim, the Jibru and the Garganan are unlikely to come to the table, and I don't suggest expanding our borders through conquest a second time. We are already such a public enemy."

"The time for Empire has come, Carla, and the Federation has to do this for the good of the Galaxy. A Galaxy led by the Kalaxenan would, I think we can all agree, be bad. Mr. President, I think the Nicoll-Dyson Beam should be used."

"For God's sake, Thomas, how can you suggest---"

"We know the Vissari were behind the attack, and that is because they were afraid we would use our most powerful weapon. We'll show them we are serious in our claims by demonstrating what it can do."

"Enough, you two!"

"Sorry, sir."

"Randolph, you said the Beam would be back up and running by now, and it is, right? Then suggest the target, or shut up."

"The Vissari Capital of Juvan is the most heavily guarded planet on this side of the Galaxy. It would take tens of millions of troops and result in possibly a 50% casualty rate. We could avoid all that."

"Please, sir, if we do this we lose all moral high ground."

The Nicoll-Dyson Beam spins up once more. Not four, not eight, but all twenty of the beams light up and surge toward the wormhole generator orbiting the structure. Above Juvan, a wormhole appears, and out of it comes a beam of pure energy, alive with bolts of lightning. It rips through the planet to the core, igniting it, and the planet becomes a temporary star to match the brightness of Juvanian system's sun. In just hours, 30 billion people are dead, and the planet is a cloud of debris and dust.