Timeline of the setting

2152 A.D. – The optimists outlook upon human nature triumphs, as humanity is peacefully united under a single world government. Instead of fighting for the dwindling resources upon Earth, the nations of mankind unite and begin to explore and exploit the Sol system in earnest.

2231 A.D. – The first successful experiments upon the theorized 5th dimension FTL travel are carried out. The incredible energy costs limit the travel distance, but the discovery of this new dimension, where gravity generates waves that allow space vessels to ride upon them, makes exiting star systems a trifling matter, the return trip however, proves much longer.

2258 A.D. – The first neutronium mining spaceship named the “Sutton” dives into the heart of Sol. The crew successfully extract neutronium, a bafflingly efficient and effective, though rare energy material. Upon the return journey, the defensive metals buckle due to the pressure and heat, killing the crew in its entirety.

2260 A.D. – A new revised neutronium miner extracts neutronium and delivers it back to space station “Oghma”, where neutronium’s potential is fully realized and the first neutronium reactor is constructed.

2261 A.D. – With the creation of the neutronium reactor, a brand-new deep space exploration vessel “Voyager 6” is scheduled to attempt the journey towards Alpha Centauri. Before that can be achieved however, extremists from Mars, believing that humanity was never meant to reach the stars and go beyond the Solar system, board the vessel and cause the reactor to overload destroying it, killing the crew and annihilating the nearby space station, resulting in the loss of over 10,000 lives. The Federation’s response was swift and ruthless. Mars is upturned and searched top to bottom, travelling rights are rescinded for all peoples and martial law is imposed. The law would be in effect for over 5 years, until the religious extremists “Prometheus”, as presumed by Federation council, were destroyed.

2266 A.D. – Due to the harshness of the imposed martial law, people of Mars begin to protest, the protests are met with force, which causes them to devolve into riots. In the riots within Mars’ capital of Olympus Mons, a six-year-old girl is caught in the crossfire of Federation’s peacekeepers and is killed instantly. The recording of this tragedy is spread far and wide within Federation space, causing the riots to become armed insurrections across Mars. The local peacekeepers begin to be pushed back, as the Federation’s military is crippled by the fact that Martian divisions went rogue and began assisting the insurgents.

2270 A.D. – The insurrectionist Martian government, its spaces forces, and organized division formations are finally defeated, after the Federation fully mobilizes.

2281 A.D. – The final insurrectionist cell upon Mars is destroyed, years of material, manpower and expertise are expended, delaying any projects for local system colonization. In the war’s aftermath, files are discovered linking ”Prometheus” and the insurrectionists, with “Prometheus” providing funding for the rebel campaigns.

2300 A.D. – With much of Mars rebuilt, political pressures forced the continuation of the deep space exploration program. A new exploration ship was hastily commissioned and launched towards Alpha Centauri. In the hopes of quelling the mounting unrest in Sol.

2301 A.D. – The time taken to reach Alpha Centauri only amounted to one week. The exploration of the system allowed mankind to discover another resource rich system, though no live was found. Proxima Centauri had soon become the furthest point of Federation’s borders. A vast quantity of data was processed, more efficient and effective solutions were found. The plans for colonization were laid out.

2304 A.D. – Proxima b soon had domed human settlements across its surface, rare and rich ores were delivered to Sol. More ships were made, more neutronium miners, now had three stars to exploit. The speed of humanity’s expansion exploded exponentially. Humans now numbered fifteen billion individuals, with those numbers rapidly growing, as the Federation’s desired an ever-increasing number of citizens to fuel mankind’s destiny to reach the stars.

2382 A.D. – The nearest stars to Sol have been colonized, the ever-increasing complexities of trade, defence, and diplomacy saw the Federation’s administration chafe from the burden of keeping it all running efficiently. Gaps were beginning to show, the lack of FTL communication led to shipments arriving late, causing colonies to starve. Whilst others were overburdened with overflowing storages. Pirates, an entity plaguing mankind throughout its history, were rearing their ugly heads, attacking any targets of opportunity they could. The pirates communicated via an ingenious system of so called “runner ships”. These ships would continuously jump system to system, gathering data and rumours within any given system, then they would deliver this data back to their bases and allow the various pirate groups to strike weakened targets, while avoiding Federation’s retribution. From this, stemmed the idea for the creation of the “Ministry of Public communication and information’s dissemination”. Communication ships, with Federation’s peacekeeper patrols, would jump into a system, download the systems Solarnet, whilst uploading the Solarnets of other systems. With this, advance communication was established, one of the greatest hurdles for Federation’s expansion was passed, and it began to once more surge forth without stop.

2517 A.D. – Humanity continues to push across the stars, as more and more the Federation’s domain grows, demands for representation grow increasingly louder. Federation’s council was originally made up by the representatives of administrative sectors, but displeasure of such broad representation, not addressing local issues grew ever increasingly. As is human nature to struggle against oneself, fears of another Mars forced politicians to give in to these demands, the council that had originally only 24 members, was bloated to include hundreds, and soon thousands. Political gridlock and ever-increasing use of blackmail, violence, bribes, and threats, soon become the only way new legislatives measures are passed. These measure however, do not stop various secessionist movements from appearing within the Federation. The largest defence budget to date at that point, is approved. New fleets and army groups are assembled, equipped with the newest and greatest technologies of mankind. Cold fusion reactors, recently invented, allowed for bigger ships with smaller engines, a greater energy production saw these vessels equipped with advanced railguns with explosive charges and laser defence systems. Old nuclear missile cruisers and carriers saw the resurgence of the battleship as the M.A.G. (Magnetically Accelerated Gunnery) doctrine began to rival that of the carrier doctrine. The railguns also became standard issue to Federation peacekeeping ground forces, an explosive charge fires forth a bullet, that is then further accelerated to reach baffling speeds, this necessitated the creation of protections suits. The suits saw an incredible increase in both defensive and offensive capabilities of their wearers. The soldiers became faster, stronger, with greater reflexes. Comparing a man to someone within a protection suit, would be the same as comparing an adult to a child. Still, even these suits were outstripped by the creation of power armour, elite forces of the Federation now had no equals on the field.

2520 A.D. – With the success of the rearmament program, old ideas were revived – cybernetics. Lost limbs, damaged eyes and nerves, all could be restored and even improved. The new craze saw numerous lawsuits filed in the aftermath, as numerous companies made and sold low-quality cybernetics hoping for a quick profit, this did not douse the enthusiasm for cybernetics.

2525 A.D. – Those of means began to scoff towards cybernetics, instead turning towards the greatness of man’s nature. Advanced genetic programs saw the children of the rich and powerful born superior to all below them. Perfect looks, bodies of incredible strength, capable of rivalling that of cybernetics, swift and sharp minds, ability to regenerate even lost limbs, if given enough time of course. All of this combined saw a birth of a new species – Homo Sapiens Novus.

2539 A.D. – A.I. driven exo-suits were deployed for the first time in active combat. Special shielding and thick armour made the suits resistant to EMP attacks. Though the A.I. would be turned off at all times until the need for combat, as the resident radiation from the neutronium reactor, harmless to human life, wreaks havoc amongst V.I. and A.I. rendering it completely useless, as cold fusion and neutronium have by this point and time become common place in human space. The exo-suits proved exceptional boarders, fired from vessels like missiles, they would attach themselves to ship hulls and begin tearing them apart. On land, the exo-suit proved itself superior and better than any main line battle tanks. Despite the fact that the exo-suits passed all assignments with flying colours, they had proven themselves too expensive to produce, the rare materials and complex manufacturing process meant that these suits were never able to become part and parcel of average frontline forces, held in reserve until needed.

2543 A.D. – Homo Sapiens Novus had proven a failure. Despite pushing limits of humanity to the extreme, creating perfect people, a glaring issue was discovered – infertility. No matter what attempts were taken, no children could be produced, a killing blow for those who wished to keep the family’s businesses going. A new genetic modification process was adopted, nowhere near pushing the limits of man, but ensuring fertility resulting in the creation of Homo Sapiens Provecta.

2589 A.D. – A court case between two sectors concerning a mineral rich volcanic world had been fought over for seventy years. This horrendous showing of Federal bureaucracy finally reached a boiling point. Local militias, alongside sponsored corporate interests, of the two sectors began to engage in active combat. As soon as the news of this spread, peacekeeper forces were immediately mobilized, but the time needed for them to arrive, saw one of the warring sectors emerge victorious, not only that, the sector’s forces had dug in and prepared themselves to fight the Federation, should a diplomatic solution could not be found. The gridlock of federal council saw the calls for a peaceful solution delayed again and again. It was not known who fired the first shot, but all that matters is the fact that peacekeeper forces and sector militia engaged each other. Peacekeeper forces were beaten, viciously bloodying the militia, but their entrenched defences proved too much for the rapid response force. The militiamen would be crushed in the coming weeks, but the perceived weakness of the Federation was plain to see. Supressed secessionist movements exploded, their ranks swelling with dissatisfied youths, corporate interests started backing local governments, some pushing for full independence, some for simply more autonomy in order to guarantee higher profits. The Federal civil war had begun.

2596 A.D. – The Federation had begun fracturing, the outer colonies, far from federal control and protection, had begun uprising in an uncontrolled manner. Worlds would revolt, only to be put down at a heavy cost to the Federation’s peacekeepers, due to the time the rebels had to dig in, then the peacekeepers would swiftly depart from the smouldering ruins to rush to the other end of the Federation, only for the nearby star system to rise up in revolt out of fears that they too would be oppressed. The peacekeepers were being run ragged. Coreworlds, richest, most established of the old colonies, many of whom had terraformed their new homeworlds, joined their voices to express dissatisfaction of the federation, for it were their children, that died to keep the Federation going, it were their taxes that funded the fleets, it were their material and hands that built the warships, whilst ignoring the needs of the worlds in question. Mars, ever in opposition to Earth and the Federation as a whole, was the first and foremost of these coreworlds, to lead the opposition and raise their militias, violating centuries old treaties. With the Federal council now only made up of hard-line federalists, the decision they made was the only one they had. Adeya Amara, admiral of the 34th rapid reaction fleet, had proven herself a skilled, ruthless, and most importantly obedient commander. Emergency powers were granted, she was allowed to do all that was necessary to resolve the crisis, at any means necessary. With those powers bestowed, the very same day on August 14th Admiral Amara, now High Federal Admiral, she gave the orders to all ships loyal to her, to open fire. Mars was bathed in nuclear fire, centuries of work to terraform Mars were lost in mere minutes. M.A.G. rounds pierced through the surface, destroying underground shelters or exposing other, for the few more precision nuclear strikes. Once this was done, High Federal Admiral departed Sol on her crusade for unification.

2599 A.D. – Coreworld after coreworld burned, these as some would put it “extreme” actions, ensured Federal control and stability. It had begun clear that obedience, was preferable to nuclear Armageddon. High Federal Admiral’s fleet continuously swelled in number, her ability to rally those of martial convictions under her banner saw her fleets take ever increasingly drastic, but also ever more efficient methods. Once her fleets reached a satisfactory size, the colony campaigns could commence.

2623 A.D. – The time needed to begin the colonial campaign had allowed the colonies to organize into proper coalitions, offering effective resistance. If one coalition would be too pressured, whilst others had breathing room, the coalitions would cooperate and assist each other, further prolonging the conflict. High Federal Admiral Adeya Amara, passed away during her campaigns in galactic north, despite her advanced age she led her fleet personally, but her flagship was boarded and the rebel forces decided to commit suicide, by detonating nuclear devises across sections of the ship. The rebels were able to achieve victory that day, putting halt to the colony campaign. To the shock of the ruling Federal council, their admirals disobeyed their orders to arrest Kizito Amara, who had proclaimed himself as the new High Federal Admiral, succeeding her mother’s position.

2624 A.D. – High Federal Admiral Kizito Amara swept aside council loyalists and took control of Earth. All members, that had not sworn their allegiance long before the fleet reached Sol, were all sentenced under emergency powers act for seditious thoughts, treachery, decadent waste of war material in time of crisis, abuse of power, and ineffective administration.

2626 A.D. – High Federal Admiral, now in possession of an even greater title of Protector Admiral, signs the accords of Mars, officially establishing peace in human domain. The Federation and rebel coalitions had fought each other to exhaustion, wars would continue, but only when both sides had rested and prepared themselves for it. This truce would last for 50 years, Protector Admiral Kizito Amara would see the Federation rebuilt and restored after decades of conflict had brought it near to ruin. With 60% of Federation’s formal territories under his command, at the end of the 50-year accord, he would be hailed as “rebuilder”.

2674 A.D. – Protector Admiral Kizito Amara, peacefully passed away in his bed, having burnt himself down, in his endless attempts to ensure the comfort of his people, federation’s space as a whole went into mourning. His son Lian Amara, would succeed his position, and rally the Federation for the upcoming war.

2676 A.D. – At exactly 00:00 on January 1st Earth time, Federation armed forces sailed out of Federally controlled systems, only to be met with stiff and determined resistance. The 50 years of peace, whilst restoring the Federation and giving it the needed breathing room, also allowed the rebel coalitions to form proper governments, forge defensive pacts aimed at federal aggression, and prepare proper frontline battlefleets. In the starting days and months of the war, Federal blood would flow, those more superstitious would say that space was tainted red, just like the oceans on Earth after bloody battles, and that the abyssal tides, on which all ships had to ride, turned crimson.

2705 A.D. – The long grinding war of attrition finally came to an end, just shy of three decades of endless warfare, liberal use of nuclear arms, the abolishment of a little known and archaic set of agreements known as the “Geneva conventions”, saw the bloodiest conflict in human history to date. The Federation’s borders had been restored, its hegemony over humanity now unquestioned. Still, space is vast and endless, many of the crushed rebels fled to, at the time, uncharted space to set up governments-in-exile, carrying their ideals, philosophies, and ideologies with them. Some, would survive to this day.

2710 A.D. – The chaos of the war, allowed Protector Admiral Lian Amara to further consolidate his power, more and more positions were granted to his loyalists. A tendency to reward military officers with governing positions in exchange for their service had become more and more common, the reason for this had become blatantly clear, as the Federal Council was reduced to a membership of 300, exclusively filled with the new class of landed military officers. The Federal council, in accordance to their duty as the representatives of the people voted 270 to 30, to proclaim and bestow a new title of Emperor upon Lian Amara. The council had to plead and beg Protector Admiral to accept this new position of unprecedented authority, for he and his family were the Federation, and the Federation were them. With great reluctance, and a heavy understanding of his new duties, Emperor Lian Amara accepted this new position, for the betterment of mankind.

2711 A.D. – A lavish coronation ceremony was soon held, and upon his day of coronation, Emperor Lian Amara proclaimed that from now, the Federation shall be superseded by a new body – The Unbroken Empire. During this great fanfare and celebration of a new dawn, Emperor Lian Amara had stood proudly outside of the Council chambers, now the new Imperial palace, giving his coronation speech, a spectre of the past decided to cut all that short. An agent of ”Prometheus”, an organization long presumed dead, disguised himself as one of the Emperor’s bodyguards, shot Lian Amara dead.

2712 A.D. – The shot heard around the Galaxy. It was the starting signal for a new war, the local strongmen, military officials given fiefs in all but name, began slaughtering each other. Comrades that fought shoulder to shoulder were now busy killing one another, just because their superior told them so. The reason for this chaos was due to the fact that Emperor Lian Amara was childless, with no clear lines of succession, the war was inevitable.

2718 A.D. – The complete and sudden collapse of central authority caused the “Ministry of Public communication and information’s dissemination” no small amount of headache. With local warlords busy scraping together whatever loyalists forces they could, escort fleets protecting the communication ships were dwindling at an alarming rate. This sudden loss of governmental protection forced the Ministry to seek the only alternative it could. Private enterprises, began providing protection for the ships, charging fees for the communication services that used to be completely free. This lucrative arrangement further drew attention of other private interests, as well as those of the warlords, who simply turned a blind eye to the practices as long as they got their cut of the proceedings, for after all – civil wars are expensive.

2730 A.D. – The haphazard, unexpected and unplanned civil war, where all sides can and had a tendency to communicate with one another saw a much less subdued war, where the usage of nuclear arms for strategic purposes was the exception rather than the norm, unlike the previous decades had shown. The war still saw millions of soldiers dead, and billions of civilians displaced, starving and killed. Eventually, Admiral Felix Zarlerholon had emerged the greatest amongst his peers, with exceptional political manoeuvring he was able to place himself in a position of undisputed leadership. Though he had to agree with the formation of the Communication’s Guild, and grant them their charter of autonomy.

2733 A.D. – Emperor Felix Zarlerholon would bring about a new dynasty upon the imperial throne. A dynasty that would go about codifying the titles of nobility, the ideas of chivalry and martial honour. These new established ideas would provide unprecedented stability for a time, something sorely missed by the scions of Earth. Duelling, thus prowess in hand-to-hand combat had become exceptionally important for the noble class, as means of settling disputed upon one’s honour. Specially made swords, a distinguishing symbol of captaincy and nobility, became exceptionally popular, these blades, most hand-crafted, are each built unique and capable of slicing through even exo-suit armour. Naturally, these blades are ruinously expensive, usually given to a noble upon his, or hers, coming of age ceremony.

2999 A.D. – The Zarlerholon dynasty, had survived and reigned for centuries. With the beginnings of a new millennium, a grand ball would be held in the Imperial palace upon Earth. The planet’s population, by imperial decree, had been reduced to a maximum population of 2 billion. Most heavy industry had been removed, pollution cleaned, the orbit cleared of any and all debris. The cradle of humanity had once again become the blue jewel upon the imperial crown.

3000 A.D. – With great splendour and grandeur, the millennial ball was underway. The entire ordeal was transmitted across the Empire, though it would take months for these transmissions to reach the furthest ends of the realm. The hope of these proceedings was to showcase imperial might, and halt the rumours of exiles founding and settling their own independent republics and democracies at the edges of civilized space, pushing mankind’s knowledge of the galaxy to a grand total of 7%. Emperor Wilhelm Zarlerholon, had also hoped that these proceedings would halt the ever-increasing factionalism amongst the nobility. These grand dreams and hopes were halted. The deathless spectre, that had been haunting humanity’s worst nightmares for close to a millennium – “Prometheus”. An agent had mixed into the servant staff, approached the Emperor and his heir-apparent, whilst they were conversing with high-ranking nobility. He then proceeded to stab into his stomach with a fork, activating a hidden bomb. The explosion had killed The Emperor and his heir, most influential nobles and injured hundreds of others.

3001 A.D. – Emperor Jan Zarlerholon, had been the 4th born and unprepared for the position. Lacking the will needed for a ruler in such tumultuous time, he began to strongly rely upon the advisory council both the imperial and federal. This withdrawal from public life and politics saw imperial authority disintegrate and a rapid pace.

3019 A.D. – Emperor Jan II Zarlerholon, unfortunately could not handle the pressures put upon him, on New Year’s Eve, he had committed suicide via poisoning, at least by official records. His Daughter, Empress Adele Zarlerholon succeeded him.

3112 A.D. – Empress Adele Zarlerholon had proven herself a father’s daughter, utterly uninterested in politics, but added atop of said apathy, she was only concerned in indulging her own hedonistic desires, till the day she passed away due to natural causes. Her reign saw the noble houses move away from political fighting to outright full-blown warfare, the communication’s guild had armed itself to a level of a state, limited federal authority had begun to once more spring up, centred around dissatisfied worlds, wishing for more autonomy and a return to democratic principles. The royal armies and fleets, though still the most advanced and greatest of mankind’s, were hemmed in the local cluster, Sol and a few surrounding stars. Fervently and loyally waiting for a master capable returning imperial prestige. However, her son – Emperor Arthur Zarlerholon had been raised under the intense care of his mother, becoming just as hedonistic as her.

3152 A.D. – Current date. The vassal houses are engaging in open warfare. The Emperor has mysteriously passed away and his son had been crowned Emperor Tetsuo Zarlerholon. The communications guild is actively fighting noble houses, whilst supporting them at the same time. Incursions in imperial territory have been reported, these small probing strikes done by the dissenting nations surrounding the Unbroken Empire. Piracy is running ever increasingly rampant, as the nobles are far more concerned with each other rather than the pirates.