THE GREAT WAR

The seesmic event that torn out the 48th century

"The Tonite war demonstrates that whatever form it takes, the foul beast is still alive..."
Soluten Dehra, grand master of the pillars of knowledge, 22,507 of the ancient era

Deep Causes: Ton's rise

The principal causes of the conflict are, of course, to be sought in Thyself. Some talked about a new Carthage, as its dominant position in commerce and its privileged position was obvious, but many see it as the "Rome" of modern times. The main reason for this is that this "Babylon", the city of cities, hence its name (or "Ton", simply "the city"), was a gigacity spread over the surface of a whole planet, fascinating and Motley like any planetary city, excessive. Overpopulation was the product of many factors, the first of which was the impossibility of colonizing its nearest neighbors, within a ZCH yet very generous, and multipolar activity of the most flourishing. (See "tone" for details).

This fact resulted in a long-lasting and incomprehensible frustration for centuries and generated a powerful resentment of the federation of systems. This was one of the main reasons for independence and then for war. But we must also look for its causes in the quasi-diabolical cynicism of its authorities and in particular of a person whose name will remain opprobrious forever, like Adolf Hitler in his time on old Earth's deep past, or Tanath Melkyn on Berlryod, All of the "lords of war" of the second era, one stand up above and beyond: Mell Doncha.

It is the development of piracy that was the main cause of the events that will led to war. Ton is located in an area rich in stars: The stellar cluster of Orion, the heart of the Orion arm, the first zone of human influence in the galaxy. Here are stars with intense radiation, young, surrounded by worlds in formation. As a result, the planets concerned can not be colonized, unless they are artificially cooled by bombarding them with ice from the confines of these systems, a vast undertaking which began in 4900 after the Tonite War.

It is ideally located in the Moghjang system, between the old expansionist systems and the new promising area of ​​the Orion cluster. In addition, the Moghjang system has no less than 23 main planets, including the fourth telluric system, with a limited radius (7890 km). The latter is particularly rich in rare strategic materials, and soon becomes a major steel center. Unfortunately, the terraforming which takes place at the same time ends up suffering, to the point of becoming impossible: Pollution generated by industries needed to be checked and a balance created, but it was in vain. The situation is accepted without choice by the population, servilely employed by the large groups that control this world. The latter have enough influence to keep the major media out of the federation and avoid scandal. But soon the neighboring planets, larger, warmer, and which would lend themselves wonderfully to a terraforming to become agricultural worlds, are sanctuarized by the Colcom *. Like the city-states of old, artificial Ton, unlivable for standard humans, became liveable for genetically engineered Tonites, which took on all the work needed to keep this urban giant, far from sight from the ruling class, the Hermas.

As a result, it quickly becomes overpopulated, and economic immigrants flock to many systems. Activities were diversifying, and one becomes the first producer of vessels, endowed with an immense orbital complex (hosted around its moon, Sotteri) a triple ring with hundreds of yards. As an exporter, it was rich and sufficiently spiteful to corrupt many members of the federal assembly, in order to obtain advantages, particularly customs, in its favor. But in spite of all Ton's authorities efforts, the planet-city will never get rid of her neighbors' sanctuaries. On the side of the Procyonite Parliament, certain elites of the Marso-Alpho-Procyonite alliance, for once accorded with those of Sol (Terran and Venusian), openly criticized Ton's control of the federation's industry, Press, politics, and their monopolies on commercial traffic (especially their recent ownership of the main operating companies of the hyperlite doors). For its part, that accusation coming from an "old guard" entangled in its own affairs of corruption and poor economic health was regarded with disdain. Already, in 4840, some began to consider a withdrawal from the federation or more autonomy. There is a growing criticism of the rampant protectionism of old systems. Others speak of Ton as the "cash cow" of the federation.

In 4845, for the first time, an openly nationalist independence movement, the "Tonacon" became an important member of the parliament (34% of the seats) during the elections. At its head, Bay Athimande, who does not hesitate to criticize the government of Tyrall for its softness, is still relatively little listened to. But in the shadow, his second, a young wolf by the name of Mell Doncha awaited his hour. His biography would take a while to cover, let's just state he was a brillant mind, even befire augmentation, and played the dangerous game of power in Ton -the fiercest shark pool of all- to rise to the top. After the Tyrall government fell, Athimande created a new government, pro-secession. The influence of Doncha on Athimande reached a peak when he was named his first concillor and then replaced him, as Athimande, plagued by health problems, had to leave him in power. In 4887, Doncha moved quickly and carried out a move to soft authoritarism, by taking over medias and starting some control.

*Colonization Commission/Commitee, the ethics organ of the federal assembly of systems, responsible for deciding on the inviolability of certain planets (most of them hosting a native and developed extraterrestrial life).

Piracy as a spark

Athimande's objective was to at least obtain the relative majority by rallying the autonomists of the center, who are also desirous of greater independence from the federation, but democratically having a regime of political and economic autonomy Within the federation. They did not wanted to leave it. Mell Doncha for his part to good informants and knew that they were loyal "clients" of the biggest Tonites trading groups. Only one thing could exceed them enough to make them decide to harden their position and to ally themselves with Tonacon: Piracy that poisoned the Tonites trade routes. Exports of vast quantities of refined materials and machine tools, cargo vessels, or of all kinds, station modules, tanks and orbital refineries were exported, and these convoys were regularly ransomed by pirates on the outside System: Their bases abound in the asteroids and planoids of this poorly controlled and hardly known areas of dark, deep space.



However, this piracy, once the marginalized outlaws (instead of capital punishment or imprisonment), has become a powerful multiform organization also affecting gambling, prostitution and banditry, as well as illegal trafficking Of all kinds. This underworld is the result of the war of the funchals (3707-3800), which led to a marginalization of the exfuns, out of their servile condition but suffering from endemic overpopulation and lack of available positions. The exfuns started to grow a marginal civilization in between forgotten moons and derelict space stations, plundering food-producing planets nearby when needed, or growing the rest under artificial lights. At some point, around 4100, the Exfuns have estimated colonized circa 1,200 dwarf planets and planetoids and started a business of their own of recycling older spaceships. Space junkyards and scrapyards ruled by Exfuns were highly regarded and became their main activity and link to the rest of the civilization. Ton, in particular started a profitable business relationship with these and this participated in the recoignition and integration of exfuns, at least for the visible part. Meanwhile piracy had taken a path downwards, and for centuries, the situation seemed under control. More shady businesses and trafficking were also lucrative business, prostitution, gambling in remote stations, closer and closer to Ton eventually through rival organizations wars, ended in Ton itself, into the deep. Around 4500, it was estimated a population of six billion metis (exfuns had long intermarried with natives) were involved in a "dark economy" in and around Ton, with a "crime empire" which stretched a hundred systems in the Orion's arm.


Pirate vessels attacking a large cargo before the war

Independence: Federation to empire, and war

In 4888, Doncha made its final move, unleashing a storm of underhand manoeuver, using the mefuns (the new name for this mixed race of Exfuns and lownites*) across the board, in and around Ton and its system, to leverage a pirate fleet of biblical proportions. All the former Tonite scrapyards were gradually converted as shipyards by recycling older ships, purchasing the latest tech from Ton, and when ready, a fleet of about 5,000 war vessels was unleashed on trade, preying on all commercial trade with the Terran confederation. The Terrans deployed their own armada to counter it, but Doncha already had built its own military fleet in the depht of Ton itself, as only the Terran federation was permitted to have a war spaceship fleet for centuries. Ton was threatening by its mighty trade empire and wealth, but always displaced peaceful behaviour and respected the ban, limited only to close guard vessels and police/custom spaceships. The war on trade also deeply affected Ton's population itself, which asked for stronger measures from Doncha's provisional government. Using the medias, he created a denigration campaign towards the capability of the Terran alliance to defend them. It worked so well that the population now asked for Ton to built a fleet and separatism, in order to control it. And so it happened that the Tonite secret fleet was sent to command and control the pirates and unleash a serie of crushing defeats for the Terrans. In the end, and thanks to an unrelenting campaign, the population on Ton and its network of planets from nearby systems, about 300 of them, plus the Mefuns, asked for independence from the federation. It was acted in 4889, for good.

The Tonite federation, which was integrated into the larger Terran federation, made secession and after a referendum, turned into an interstellar empire with strong executive power to resolve the crisis. Ton started to order fro its own shipyards hundreds of first-class military ships, whereas the Terran high command prepared to send another, much larger fleet to deal, not only with piracy, but rebellion from the separatist Tonite empire. Thans to their intelligence network it was now clear that Tonit ships were behind piracy. They got reports from convoys transiting within the empire that were never harmed by the pirates. In 4890, both the Marso-Alpho-Procyonite alliance and Sol alliance became the Terran alliance, and three years later, the "fathers league" -from the forefather systems that colonized the Orion's arm. Meanwhile a formal declaration of war was pronounced and the Father's league geared for war, mobilizing resources and shipyards, while its fleet mustered for the great offensive. It took time, as many of the older ships were centuries old and had warping technologies not as refined. After the gathering of about 2500 war vessels, the FL (Father's League) fleet departed in 4900 for the Empire. They planned to arrive in 4905 but were ambushed that year, trigerring a set of small battles.

4905 Operations

The Ambush of Betelgeuse

The ambush off Betelgeuse.

On their way to Rigel's clusters, the fleet passed nearby the Alfoni system, approx 140 LY from the Betelgeuse system. There, it was ambushed while proceeding in the old portal gates, the largest oldest ships of the fleet transited through these, while the two faster fleets were already LY in advance. This massive main ambush in 4905 pitted about 130 FL super-dreadnoughts against a pincer made of pirate and imperial vessels, most of the latter, being state-of-the-art stealthy, light and agile. They consistently ou-maneouvered the superdreadnoughts, soon separated into more manageable clusters, attacking by surrounding them with swarms of lighter hunter-killer groups. it was a perfect match for the lumbering super-dreadnought, tailored to deal with their equivalents. Instead here, ther own defensive fleet was soon overwhelm, and next, their various close defence layered were eliminated one by one until the ships themselves were open to direct assault by commandos; These were mostly the result of "expendable" but skilled pirate bands, while the Imperials sent small groups of very elite cyborgs to the most crucial part of these ships. So after an "external" phase, there was an all-out assault inside the ships themselves that lasted for weeks. To have an idea, an average super-dreadnought was a hundred kilometers long. Meanwhile, one of the two advanced fleets decided to turn back, but it would take time to prepare for another hyperspace jump.

As a result, both the pirates and Imperials captured rather than destroyed most of these ships, about 90. The remainder were badly damaged and scuttled while only three had been destroyed outright, quite a feat as these behemoth were impregnable. But it woukld take a while before they became operational again and it was decided to move them to the nearby molecular cloud of Rishemyy, about just three LY afar. They were quickly put to Imperial standards and manned by self-replicating bots and later QGFs (Quick Grow Funchals). Meanwhile, the pirates and imperial fleet departed to stage another serie of ambushes. They fell in 4906 on the small groups of the FL screen force, setting up hit-and-run attacks until, once again, the entire fleet was broken into smaller pieces. In all, the 600 fast, modern ships of the 1st FL advanced force was destroyed, with only few captures. Attemps were generally thwarted by excellent close defence systems or outright scuttling. Now that the 2/3 of the fleet was gone, the remainder of the Imperial (which took about 30% losses) and pirate fleet, mustered into a single fleet, called "imperial" as the pirates were now the junior partners after losses amounted to 60%. Their slower ships became parasites for the eight motherhips deployed, eight task forces so the entore fleet could move fast to Rigel, the obvious target of the FL.


The orion's arm shematic view of major stars - src

The battle of Rigel (4908)

The attack of FL TF4 in the Sulu system, nearby planet-city Logmin.

The offensive on Sirius (4909)

After the mock battle of Kansen, the Imperial General Staff decided to strike at the heart of the FL: Within the arsenals of Sirius, especially Tangan and Sogori. There were gathered since 4786 the bulk of the federal forces, for modernization and return to service and to unique standards.

The offensive on the Tonite Sanctuaries.

Within the empire itself, the three sanctuaries so long coveted are assailed almost simultaneously by three pertites fleets composed of a destroyer and some frigates. The Concolles intervene immediately, decelerating very close to the planet, and after summons of use, act on the Tonite ships. They deprive them of energy. They will have to be towed by themselves, then by the alerted Tonites. The scenario is repeated; (Text being archived)

The offensive on Altair (4911)

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Dispersion

Since 4910, the "rebellion" tried to resume the system of Jaarn; But most of the Tonite forces are engaged in the onslaught of sanctuaries. Great offensive on a single planet. failure. News offensive sumiltanée on the 52 sanctuaries of the empire. Failure. Decision to send forces search the concolle base in the periphery. Fear of an offensive concolle to Ton itself and fleets kept in reserve. Local governors complain: not enough means to fight rabellion. Take a system, then others, and reconquer large centers. Text being archived.

The rebel reconquest (4914)

The latter take over the great industrial centers of Tonites and are preparing to consolidate their position for a new gradual offensive. Text being archived

The counter-offensive (4917)

The imperial authorities decided to suspend the offensive against the sanctuaries and to re-mobilize their forces against the rebellion. The Rebels did not manage to contact the concolles. The counter-offensive is victorious, the Tonites resume their main industrial systems, and the situation turns to the rout for the rebels who flee from system to system and retreat to Solsys. Conducting the counter-offensive with an iron hand, the Tonites who take over the systems behave brutally. In trying to force a sanctuary, the Rebels made contact with the concolles, the latter had decided to sanctuarize the earth, so they were ready to help them. Text being archived

The last great battle: Solsys (4919)

The battle of solsys is of all the most violent: In coordination, the concols that protect the earth annihilate rather than immobilize the tonite fleet, taken by reverse by the rebels. It was a complete victory. The rebels resumed the offensive and many systems revolted. This vast counter-offensive led them gradually to the very end and an Armistice. As a side effect, Ton which was a bit like a carthage of its days is heavily pounded financially with war reparations amounted to billions od billions for a century and the dismembered empire was back to a federation under strict control. This had a positive side effect through, the spendings being used to finance extra stargates.