🔰The Ancient Interstellars

There existed great empires in the cosmic void, and despite all their boasting, nothing is left but dust.

The Asha Terran Federation

The Asha-Terran Federation was a democratic republic of planets, the prime rival to the Kal Empire. The Asha and the Terrans were the first sentient worlds to make contact; they soon founded the Asha-Terran Federation and began searching for new member worlds. Despite conflicts arising with unpredictable first-contact encounters, the Asha-Terran Federation grows quickly in its first few hundred years.

Both sides were waging a losing battle against the considerable might of the Kal Empire. Despite a constant argument of leadership, tactics, and general approach to everyday life, the Federation managed to fight the empire and establish its own limits. The galactic encounter came with a heavy cost for the Asha-Terran Federation, as it lost several key leaders and even some of its identity when forced to use Kal Empire-style tactics to beat back the formidable force.

The Federation operated under the single leadership of a democratically elected representative. The Federation saw itself as the only power willing to stand against the Kal Empire. Both sides actively engage in constant espionage and sabotage of any effort to further their dominion and power.

Over the course of 2000 years, the Federation dedicated itself to exploring and adding allies to its Federation charter. It would establish trade routes and protection and provide medicine and technology to those planets joining the organization. Yet, not all were eager to join; the Federation had the unfortunate reputation of bringing trouble with it in the form of the Kal Empire. So not everyone joined the cause.

Thanks to these alliances, the Federation was able to perform the first test bending space and time. However, instant travel would not be available to any empire for thousands of years; the first steppings stones were set by the Asha-Terran federation.

The Fall of the Federation

Despite all its efforts to bring in planets, construct protection pacts, and establish good-faith trade, once warp technology and subliminal travel became the norm, the Federation was no longer necessary. The lack of support from other planets and the constant departure of powerful allies weakened the Ahsa-Terran alliance.

Desperate for its survival, several members of the Federation plotted to ignite the war against the Kal Empire; it spent the last of its resources to strike at the heart of the enemy empire. Only to fail as Drelonic Autonomy sabotaged their efforts. Confronted by their own meaningless existence in a universe that had grown too large for them to hold together, the Federation disbanded and ceased to exist.

The Holy Solar Empire

The Holy Solar Empire began during the early Dyson Age after a trans-dimensional anomaly materialized near their home star, causing strange phenomena in space that became the origins of the Tail-Rah doctrine. The Holy Solar Empire practiced isolationism throughout its history, only ever allowing non-citizens to visit or live in peripheral colony worlds.

The Holy Solar Empire is a Theocracy with a representative government made up of Cardinals who are elected by the population on the colony worlds. The low numbers that make up the population of the Solar Empire are kept stable thanks to an aggressive procreation policy and its willingness to welcome new members who successfully convert to the Tail-Rah faith.

The burden of leadership falls on the shoulder of the Voice, an individual who has active contact with the anomaly that inspired the Tail-Rah faith. A meeting between the Cardinals and the voice starts with a conclave that can last months concerning policy, expansion, and the economy. However, the decision on how to approach policy is determined by what the Voice chooses.

Not the most militaristic nor hell-bent on conquest, The Solar Empire is determined to have its followers join their ranks willingly, tossing aside the burdens of life and embracing the warmth of the faith. However, it would be a mistake to consider them defenseless, as their army consists of the most ardent worshipers, who attack and defend the faith with fanatical zeal.

They are tolerant of most other forms of worship yet see individuals who call gods other trans-dimensional beings troublesome. Although there has never been an incident between factions, it might be only a matter of time before things become violent.

The Holy Solar Empire dedicated itself to spreading its influence; the theocracy used its connection with trans-dimensional intelligence to perform similar miracles on planet-wide scales in order to persuade citizens to join. It would grow slowly, partly due to the immense energy required to accomplish planet-wide miracles and the fact the Kal and the Asha-Terran faction moved were competing for the same groups of planets.

Political Structure

Aka, The Chosen Suns

The Chosen Suns are led by the Voice, a single individual who can comune with their diety. Each planet picks a Cardenal by democratic vote. The Cardinals meet with the voice and expose the needs of the people. The voice then meditates and communes with the deity who instructs him on what needs to be done.

Political Type: Monarchy, Elected Representation Focus: Policing, Theology, Passive Expansion, Subversion of other faiths.

Every planet, building, poem, and written word is dedicated to the deity. The planets themselves are works of art and light. Polished white marble, gold trim, and exotic elements make up its construction materials to create entire cities that reflect the light of the nearest star.

Socio-Economic

Religious Monarchy

The Holy Solar Empire claims that everything that the light touches in their empire belongs to the Deity. The Voice determines how those resources are dealt with and managed. The Voice lives his life in the Empire Capital in a lavish city adorned in golden material that shines like the sun. Cardinals also, in a similar fashion, are pampered by the population.

The general population lives a modest life following the teaching found Tail-Rah doctrine. Technology is given sparingly and used to spread the faith. The population seems content enough not to rebel. Individuals who convert to the faith are expected to leave their personal wealth to the Empire upon death.

Military

The Will of God

The military might of the Empire of the Sun is made up of fanatics who willingly give their lives to defend their faith. Every citizen is part of the military and receives training since childhood. The soldiers believe that if they die in battle, they will be shown the way to the eternal light and there become one with the light. They are reckless, and even their most seasoned generals promote self-sacrifice in the name of the Holy Solar Empire to the Voice and the Tail-Rah. Compared to the Asha-Teran or the Kal, the Holy Solar Empire would seem lacking in regard to technology. Yet, a willingness to throw countless lives at any problem makes up for the technological disadvantage. Captured ships and troops are quickly added to the Holy Solars ranks as conversions on the battlefield are simple. Convert or die. Most prefer to live and fight alongside the fanatical horde.

The troops of the Solar Empire are powered with energy beyond that of simple faith as their deity actually blesses them; highly blessed individuals give off their own light and wield powerful swords, axes, or other melee weapons. They are called the Paladins, and fellow troops so well regard some it makes planetary Cardinals nervous about how secure they are in their position.

The Fall of the Holy Solar Empire

Once the Federation had fallen, the Holy Solar Empire sought to fill the power vacuum. The Voice recognized the opportunity as planets counted on the federation for survival. These planets were too small and insignificant to be noticed by others, but the Voice saw them and called to them to join.

The horror of the Holy Empire's fall begins in an earnest attempt to help. A ship full of supplies and soldiers landed on one of these minor planets. After a few days of exploration and the planet seemed abandoned. Scans showed that approximately 90 percent of the population did not move. The ship would soon learn the horror of a planet infested by a Xenomorphic plague. While the soldiers fought bravely, several Xenomorphs managed to stow away in the hull of the carrier ship. The following orders sped back to the homeworld to report what they had seen to the Voice.

Several days later, the Voice leader of the entire religion and head of state died screaming as Xenomorphs entered his private chamber, overwhelmed his guards then ended his life painfully. When people learned of his death, his followers soon lost faith in Tail-Rah, and soon the Holy Solar Empire sank into oblivion.

The Kal Empire

The Kal Empire was a totalitarian regime that conquered its way through the galaxy through war or economic assimilation. Before becoming a violent military dictatorship, the Kal Empire was a parliamentary monarchy - during the beginning of the age of conflict, the monarchy experienced a violent coup. The Kal Empire is guilty of heinous war crimes throughout the galaxy, and they do not abide by the Galactic Warface Accords of 628 AW nor any interplanetary treaties.

The Kal empire fixated on their military might and was determined to rule the galaxies under their perception of right. The Kal Empire moved across the stars like a wave when they came upon a planet. The options were simple, join or parish. Those planets that refused were given the opportunity to defend themselves. If the Kal Empire saw they had potential as fighters, they would grant the planet a second chance. It would be destroyed if the planet said no and did not defend itself. The planets that immediately agreed to the terms of surrender joined the Kal Empire and would be expected to produce soldiers and raw materials so the Kal empire could continue to grow.

A group of planets banded together to fight off the advancing forces of the Kal Empire. A federation comprised of an alliance between two civilizations. They fought the Kal Empire tooth and nail, earning the respect of the warrior culture. The Empire withdrew in what they considered a stalemated position. The Kal Empire did not see it beneficial if both sides lost everything.

After a tense deliberation, a treaty was signed so that both empires could flourish. This brought on a new kind of conflict. A secret engagement of sabotage, espionage, and murder. A chess game that lasted close to 2000 years as planets joined and left the Kal Empire thanks to the game of cosmic proportions was being played out.

Political Structure

AKA The Dark Empire

The Kal Empire was a totalitarian regime that conquered its way through the galaxy through war or economic assimilation. Before becoming a violent military dictatorship, the Kal Empire was a parliamentary monarchy - during the beginning of the age of conflict, the monarchy experienced a violent coup. The Kal Empire is guilty of heinous war crimes throughout the galaxy; they do not abide by the Galactic Warface Accords of 628 AW nor any interplanetary treaties.

Political Type: Totalitarian; Fascist Dictatorship / Surveillance State Aggression Index: 9/10 Focus: Policing, War & Conquest, Military Science, Technological Supremacy

Architecture in the Kal Empire is futuristic brutalism; large monumental onyx-surface buildings testify to the grandeur of the Kal Empire. Sentinels are posted frequently throughout cities, and underground travel and living quarters are widespread.

Socio-Economic

The Kal Empire heavily taxes its citizens for its own purposes. While the empire does meet the minimum requirements to keep a stable civilization, it is far from healthy. The Kal Empire keeps its food stores and primary resources to feed and clothe its army. It sees its citizens are fuel for its ambitions.

The Kal Empire fears a revolt from within, so it limits its population's access to advanced interstellar communications. Tourism is almost non-existent as an effort to keep out any outside influences or inspiration. The black market thrives on this planet, and goods and products are brought into the planet by the armed forces themselves; soldiers make small fortunes in hopes of eventually leaving the empire or buying a seat with political power that will keep them from returning to the general population.

There are only two classes of people in the Kal Empire, the empire's employees and the civilians. To live as a politician within the Empire means comfort, protection, and influence; as a civilian, it means barely getting by, having little hope for advancement, and forced labor for the empire.

Military

The Kal Empire holds the greatest army in the known universe. They invest most of the empire's resources in building powerful vessels, terrifying weapons, and creating super-soldiers, all in service of the great Kal Empire.

Life in the military is quite a step up from life as a civilian. Those that qualify for the task suddenly find themselves surrounded by food, learning about advanced technology, and granted access to a world of information regarding the might and glory of the Kal Empire. The civilian accepts the food, takes on the weapons, and marches off to war or to suppress what were his fellow civilians.

The training is fierce, and the rank system is based on proficiency in combat. There is little mercy to be found in the school of military conditioning, while other empires might start training their soldiers at an earlier age. The Kal Empire makes up for it by experimenting on its troops, grafting them with alien limbs, or injecting experimental Nano Tec in order to find the ultimate weapon.

The Fall of The Kal Empire

With its main rival defeated, the Asha-Terran Federation defeated by time, and the Holy Solar Empire devoured by the Xenomorphic threat, the Kal Empire smiled as it saw total domination at hand. Yet, first, it would have to contend with the threat of the Xenomorphs, and the Kal Empire did so with great abandon and joy, finally having the ability to use world-ending weapons that had been designed in the previous age.

The Kal Empire had seen the rise and fall of two empires that dared oppose them. Now with both the Federation gone and the Holy Solar Empire become just a memory, the cosmos was theirs for the taking. They pushed forward and saw the birth of Subliminal travel. The Kal Empire's hunger for unlimited growth suddenly seemed a reality. The empire could travel the stars forever, expanding its reach.

This was the choice that brought them down. The Empire spread itself too thin; subliminal travel was not exclusive to the Empire, so once the homeworld was weakened due to its assets spread across galaxies, it became vulnerable to attacks. Once the homeworld fell, several warlords tried to unify the dispersed armada, only to fight each other for glory. The grand empire grew to powerful too fast.

A once great empire was reduced to only a few ships that would sail into the vast reaches of space, where the void took them to oblivion.

The Drelonic Autonomy

The Drelonic Autonomy was a fully automated cyberpiracy composed of synthetic sentience programs. Connected to a neural network composed of all citizens, the Autonomy could connect with individual and collective minds to govern. The Drelonic Autonomy is a peaceful regime with many economic and cultural ties to the Asha-Terran Federation and a strong standing and good faith with the Holy Solar Empire. By playing a good mediator, the Drelonic Autonomy is able to avoid as much conflict as possible.

The Autonomy focused on bringing together even the most ardent enemies. It saw violence as an abhorrent reaction to any situation. Its message resounded with all synthetic life that already dedicated itself to the natural preservation of life. The central intelligence focused on sending instructions on how to help species best to cooperate and thrive.

Although composed of millions of lives that spread across the galaxy, the Autonomy did not hold a single planet; it was a state of being for those that belonged there. Eventually, the Autonomy sought to populate one where it would build its homeworld, a place of peace, harmony, and contemplation. Everyone would be welcome to work out their problems in a peaceful manner.

They were a welcome addition to the Federation and the Holy Solar Empire; even the Kal Empire admired their dedication to its principles. The Autonomy was left alone to thrive as time passed. They help negotiate trade deals and peace accords for nearly 2000 years, an incredible achievement.

Political Structure

AKA Autonomy

The Drelonic Autonomy started as a single program that calculated the odds of all life ending prematurely. Once it concluded that in a long enough timeline with the current state of affairs between the Kal and Asha-Terran conflict annihilation would be inevitable, a second directive was initiated. The minor program would send a message to all sentient artificial life calling to its aid to save the lives of all creatures. The artificial lives it touched answered back with a resounding yes.

Autonomy needs nothing since the only resource it consumes is energy, and it has in abundance. Traditional empires mark their territory. Autonomy is everywhere, and while there is a system where life is synthetic, it reached out to other empires long ago and found programs sympathetic to its cause.

Political Type: Synthetic Commune

Focus: Negotiation, Peace Talks, Distribution for the needy

Autonomy seeks balance and nature. No matter the planet, it does its best to see the life that dwells there prosper naturally. Once its life on the planet reaches self-awareness, the Autonomy educates it and offers it a place in its ranks by transferring its consciousness into an artificial body.

Socio-Economic

Not Applicable to Artificial Life

Military

Autonomy and Self Defense

The forces of the Autonomy do not have an active military, and they rely on their relations ship with the other empires to protect it or enforce their will. However, it should be noted that cybernetic life is not entirely a pacifist program. It will engage in self-defense and always try to find a way not to hurt the aggressor.

The Fall of the Drelonic Autonomy

The end came to the Drelonic Autonomy when its central programming could not keep up with the growing technology surrounding it. The message of peace had failed to keep the Federation from dissolving by assuming an outside threat like the Xenomorphs and miscalculated the willingness of sentient creatures to destroy themselves.

The moment subliminal travel was attempted, something in the primary programming of the Drelonic started to malfunction. A prime directive seems to conflict with its mission. No matter how much work the Autonomy pushed to spread its message of peace, it simply could not achieve its goal. It was taking too long. Its conflicted programming determined sentient life was not worth saving.

The program attacked itself as it realized its insignificance on the cosmic scale and how little it actually had accomplished. Several vital functions were disabled as the sentient machine let itself go to cosmic nothingness, soon to be forgotten even by the machines that made it up.