VWP History Page

Fawx

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“For the sake of brevity, I have separated out the history of the Pact from the main body of their more relevant information, Sir. I’m sure you will see why, as it is a long and storied tale. I may further subdivide other pieces information, depending on how much can be unearthed on each.”

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Pre-Aruzian Events

The Creators
Somewhere during the time of 12,000 to 10,000 PA, a species whose name has been lost to time achieved interstellar travel by subluminal means. What we do know about them is that they were extremely large and plant-like in nature, though their internal biology was mainly composed of many smaller species of symbiotes that served purposes analogous to internal organs. We also know that their perception of time was glacial compared to other known spacefaring species; what we see as years passed as mere months for them.

This fundamental difference in perspective frequently put them at odds with their galactic neighbours, to the point these “plantoids” (as they shall be henceforward referred to as) began plotting a war against them. Direct conflict was quickly ruled out, as it would’ve been tantamount to mass suicide. Instead, they developed a bioweapon on a scale never before seen, and arguably hasn’t been seen since. A whole species, designed from the ground up to combat humanoids, from their physiology to their thought patterns, wholly sentient and yet dutifully subservient to their plantoid masters.

By around 6,000 PA the weapon was ready, now all that was needed was the delivery method, and it was this where perhaps they had their greatest stroke of genius. Mass colonisation or cloning facilities would’ve attracted too much attention, not to mention the creation of the actual weapons they’d need. In place of this, but a small ship was needed, one easily branded as a “research vessel”. When it found a suitable world, it’d burrow deep within it, and through many miracles of technology would manipulate the whole planet to sow the seeds of life; seeds that it would ensure resulted in a whole society of these bioweapons, fully capable of creating and supplying their own military.

By 1,000 PA, the plantoid’s armada was ready. Over 100 worlds each with whole populations of weaponry, and yet it was all but folly. In the time it had taken to amass this force, the plantoids opponents had greatly surpassed them in technology. When war finally did come, it was a bloodbath for all involved.

The War Before Time
The vast numbers the plantoids commanded were enough raze dozens of planets to the ground, with hundreds more more being heavily damaged in brutal surface combat, but this couldn’t hope to compare to the damage they themselves were beholden to. The enemy fleets eliminated the bioweapon threat one planet at a time, glassing their surfaces, if not just cracking them open, and during that discovered their masters. The forests the plantoids had grown around themselves were engulfed in flame, and it didn’t take long to bring them to the brink of extinction, securing a decisive humanoid victory.

There was one who survived however, one who evacuated early having seen the tide of war, and one who’d been at the forefront of the whole bioweapon program. For a time, they drifted aimlessly, before stumbling upon one of the seeded worlds, a late starter that would later be named Aruz by its inhabitants. The creator made their way to the terraforming devices, and for whatever reason began adjusting the settings, changing the target resultant creature to be less a living weapon and more of a proper species in their own right.

Aruzian History

Evolution
While the end result of the devices’ meddling was almost universally the same, the methods by which they were reached differed greatly depending on the planet in question. In the case of Aruz, the creatures’ evolution was very much a trial by fire. The high gravity and frequent harsh blizzards that swept much of the planet’s surface favoured large hulking beasts, often the size of a house if not larger, that could withstand the harsh conditions. The creatures of our focus adapted to be opportunistic pack hunters, ambushing their larger contemporaries while they rested or fed, the meat of but one kill being enough to feed a pack for weeks. Such tendencies were not without cost, and oftentimes at least 4 in 10 of those on the hunt would be left dead by their prey’s hands.

While the males went off to hunt and die, the females stayed behind to raise the young. While this was no small task given the large sizes of their litters, it still left them with more free time than their mates, and thus they slowly began creating the social structures that would later form the basis of society. The usual frailty of life lead to rather communal mindsets, since it was unlikely for an individual to solely complete a task within their own lifetime. Be it constructing a sufficiently large shelter, raising a litter, or anything in between, it simply made more sense to do so as a whole rather than an idividual. Menial and disposable labour was usually the charge of males, while more administrative duties was the job of a female, which over the years was compounded into largely matriarchal societies.

The First Nations
Along the equator of Aruz runs a continuous ring of sea, neatly separating the northern and southern hemispheres, and flanked by the largest concentrations of vegetation and wildlife. Whether or not this unusual geographical feature is the result of the plantoid device’s tampering remains unknown. What is known is that the earliest recorded civilisations began to appear along this equatorial band, notably on both sides of the massive body of water. This is unusual by the fact that the creatures are not naturally buoyant, nor are any naturally formed materials present on the planet, leading some to speculate a drowned-out land bridge may have once existed. Regardless, these civilisations rose and fell in the way they tend to, and eventually one rose to prominence in its colonial efforts, one that bestowed upon itself the name “Karrash”, and unto its people, “Vaiaelons”.

The high gravity and the biology of Vaiaelons meant waterborne transport was considered just as impossible as flight for much of the species’ history. Consequently, the invention of both happened around the same time, namely the species’ equivalent of the industrial age. The first to field any water going vessels was the very same Karrash Empire, achieved through the use of sturdy foam-filled ballast tanks. At first this bought on a new age of exploration, Karrashian sailors eager to see what awaited them on foreign islands, but after a few decades passed, rumours began cropping up of strange metallic beasts that roamed the skies. Another nation, Vif’Ream, had come about to an altogether different method of crossing the great seas, much to the surprise of both. This was but the first instance of what would be a lasting age of asymmetrical technological development, divided along the hemispheres.

Initial relations were apprehensive if not cordial, neither nation having been aware of life or even land across the equatorial sea, let alone each other. Unfortunately, as time went on it became further and further apparent that a lasting peace may as well have been impossible between them, as not only were they radically different in their governance and society, but almost directly opposed. Karrash was a highly materialistic and decadent empire, prizing individualistic leisure above almost all else. Vif’Ream meanwhile was theocratic and socialist in nature, valuing cooperation above the desires of the individual.

The First Age of War
When conflict did finally and inevitably emerge, both sides were eager to say the least. There were many a rousing pieces on the backwards savagery of their enemies, tosses of holy war and liberation of the people, et cetera and ad nauseum. The opening of the war saw both sides using primarily landing craft to attack the other, by air or by sea. As time went on however, the drive for victory lead Karrash to develop very early artillery cannons they mounted to their waterborne ships, and Vif’Ream began dropping explosives from their dirigibles onto Karrash cities. The war dragged on for several decades, slowly but surely losing momentum as both sides grew short on resources and manpower, until the conflict fizzled out entirely, a shaky ceasefire being declared with no clear winner. This conflict is retroactively referred to as the First Aruzian War, or AW-I.

Both powers were severely weakened by the war, with years of famine and poverty following. Vif’Ream eventually turned to its most likeminded neighbours for aid.
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“The reason this is notable at all is that Vaiaelon mentality has a level of naturally coded populistic xenophobia. If you are considered to be part of the same group, they are loyal to the end, but if you outside of that group, you are a mortal enemy.”

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The Karrashian reaction to this event was largely one of disgust, and was seen as confirmation of the inferiority of the religious fools. Karrash instead chose to tough through the crises on their own, the people taking the brunt of the issues, such was life in Karrash.

Another two major wars occurred between these two superpowers, allies of both coming and going, ceaseless espionage and the likes were ever-present. This lengthy period of conflict stretched on for several centuries, and while each event therein possessed its own minutiae of details, largely their inclusion or exclusion has little impact on the overall narrative. The main things to note are that a lengthy period of disunification and conflict came to pass, and that the collective consciousness of the species was deeply impacted and shaped by this.

This era of warfare is largely agreed upon to have ended at the conclusion of AW-IV, the fourth major conflict between the two sides. While conflict had become a hallmark of society, it was at this time that both considered their military might and technological level sufficient to finally defeat the other once and for all. Compared to previous conflicts, this one lasted a blink of an eye at only 4 years. Rampant mobilisation tactics by air and by walker rendered previously impassable terrain as brief distractions at most, allowing vast swathes of land to be taken in mere weeks. Ultimately, the competition-driven society of Karrash enabled a faster development of new technologies, culminating in the dropping of nuclear weapons on 5 of Vif’Ream’s largest industrial sectors, and thus forcing them to capitulate.

The Karrashian Civil War
At this point it is worth mentioning the general perception of the two superpowers at the time. To spite the other, both had gradually doubled down on their international standpoints, Vif’Ream co-operating more with smaller nations, and Karrash becoming ever more isolated. Furthermore, while Vif’Ream had once been a theocratic and indifferent state, the religion had come to take a backseat, and the socialist outlook had shifted from “die for the nation and your gods” to improving the quality of life of the average citizen. Meanwhile Karrash had become much of an aristocracy, the wealthy upper class essentially parading the barely alive corpse of the government around like a puppet.

In light of this, in the aftermath of the most devastating war in history, a mythos emerged of the brave and honourable Vif’Ream soldier that campaigned the rights of the people against the cruel and evil Karrash menace. This swung international support firmly in the direction of Vif’Ream, especially after the nuclear atrocities committed against them. Combine this with the aforementioned populist outlook of Vaiaelons when faced with the ever-growing class divide in Karrash, and it’s not difficult to see why the Karrashian Civil War occurred not long after.

Many revolutionary and counter-revolutionary militias sprung up across their vast territory, threatening the very existence of the nation. The conflict was largely limited to the outermost territories, the pervasive presence of the military keeping the order further in. The collapse of order turned what should have been a triumphant superpower enforcing its dominance over weaker opponents into an empire falling to its knees and fighting amongst itself. This gave Vif’Ream ample time to close the tech gap left over from the previous war.

AW-V, The Cold War
Once the conflict cooled down, Karrash was about 35% smaller in size, its previous territories sprinkled with enemies and puppet states alike, and its greatest enemy back to an equivalent strength with its own nuclear arsenal to boast. Thus, a cold war emerged. Proxy wars and subterfuge became the new norm while the world pretended to be more civilised.

The preceding age of warfare, as mentioned, had a deep impact on culture and mentality, and many societies, not just the superpowers, came to place a high value on martial achievements. However with full-scale warfare all but an impossibility, countless millions flocked to wherever guns were ablaze as mercenaries or volunteers. It is because of this that many believe “proxy wars”, while technically the correct term given the circumstances, do not properly do justice to the scale involved. It wasn’t just numbers either, cutting edge weaponry was widely distributed, sometimes even before it was approved for service in parent nations. Notably an entire airship fleet was donated at one point, bringing a swift end to that particular conflict.

This naturally unstable arrangement came to its logical conclusion when nuclear weapons came into the possession of both sides of what started as yet another unremarkable proxy war. Neither did so through official or legal means, and the world was forced to watch with baited breath. The stalemate barely lasted a week before the first warhead was set off, and despite frantic international intervention, all that was left of either state was a crater blasted hellscape not long after. It was nothing short of a diplomatic miracle that the nuclear exchange did not extend much further, but the damage had been done. The spreading of radioactive detritus had rendered 1/12th of the upper hemisphere uninhabitable for centuries to come.

AW-VI, The Second Age of War
This tragedy put a great many things into a new perspective. Many treaties and agreements were put into action to prevent the complete annihilation of the Vaiaelon race. In contrast to the charade that nations had paraded previously, a period of actual lasting peace settled in for a short while. The standard of living improved globally, and technology continued to advance, though granted not at the same pace it had during the cold war. All good things must come to an end however, and either through fluke or genuine maliciousness, a device was created that decisively sealed the fate of lasting peace.

The Quantum Uncertainty Regulator, affectionately called the Landfill by its parent company, restricted the maximum size of what particles could undergo quantum tunnelling within its area of effect. The notable effect of this device was almost entirely preventing fission reactions within its area of effect, and reducing the potency of fusion reactions, coupled with a myriad of other minor side effects. The mutual threat of nuclear annihilation essentially removed overnight, it was less than a year before the armies of Aruz were at each other’s throats once more.

Combat erupted on a previously unheard of scale, even overshadowing AW-IV. The skies were blotted out with airships, and the seas ran grey with steel. Entirely new theatres of war were created and viciously battled for, from space to cyberspace. Desperate to regain the edge previously afforded by nuclear arms, both sides turned to new and unproven technologies that were rushed into service. Karrashian supersoldiers clashed with Vif’Ream power armour troops. Heavily armoured bombers trundled by overhead while tanks zipped about with guided cruise missiles below.

Notably during this time, a handful of religious sects in Vif’Ream, which had held on to their power over the years, sent generation ships out to the stars. They feared for the future of life on the planet, but more importantly to them, the survival of their beliefs. Four known vessels were sent, though only one is fully accounted for, the rest presumed lost.

Fighting raged on for decades. Frontlines ebbed and flowed back and forth, and every time one side seemed on the verge of defeat, a breakthrough on some other front would diverge resources away, prolonging the conflict. It seemed as though the war would rage on forever more. Though given the protracted nature of the conflict, eventually a whole wartime generation emerged, born and raised amidst the war they were sent to fight in. These “war babies” largely grew infatuated with the preceding era of peace, alien concept that it was, and by association, why it ended. The casus belli declared years ago had been outlined by those with time to love their culture, though with the constant threat of attack looming over all regardless of origin or location, people found more in common with those on the other side than those who came before them.

Founding of the VWP
It took many years and much more bloodshed, but eventually, small local ceasefires here and there snowballed into full scale peace talks. The Vaiaelon collective consciousness had had a taste of what perpetual conflict amongst itself in the modern age felt like, and decided it wasn’t all it had been cracked up to be. A tentative peace was declared with no real winner of the war, both sides instead pledging to shared goals to rebuild all that had been destroyed.

Things were shaky at first, neither side fully trusting the other, but not having the resources or willpower to re-open conflict. As time passed, the older warmongers simply grew too old to hold onto their power, and the younger wartime generation rose to take the reins. From there things progressed far quicker than even the most optimistic of estimations had dared to guess, largely thanks to Karrash, Vif’Ream, and several other nations agreeing to operate under a new federal authority to better co-ordinate their rebuilding efforts. Recognising the turbulent period it was founded in the wake of, the promise never to repeat it, and the unification for the good of all, the Vaiaelon War Pact was finally founded. It is worth mentioning that the nation was initially named in the Vif’Ream native language, and more literally translated to something along the lines of “The Vaiaelon Race’s Promise to end War” though when Karrashta was later chosen as the official language, the streamlined translation changed the name to what we know now.

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“This concludes their history up until spaceflight became a more common occurrence. That information will follow shortly™, please stand by.”

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Fawx

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“Well, it took far longer than initially anticipated, but here is the continuation of their story. I apologise for the delay, a lack of sources from some periods, and conflicting sources from others, made finding the real story oftentimes difficult. Though, ‘shortly’ doesn’t have an explicit definition…”

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Early Spaceflight

Expansion into Chiark
While space exploration, small scale resource extraction, and indeed space combat was nothing new to the powers making up the VWP, it was only once Aruz had largely recovered from the brutal fighting of AW-VI that serious efforts to expand beyond it were considered. After a few years of feasibility study, plans were drawn up to colonise and terraform Vsah’bo, a neighbouring goldilocks zone planet.

Vsah’bo itself was near ideal as far as exoplanets go; intact magnetic field, a hydrogen and nitrogen rich atmosphere, and with 2 moons orbiting it. The initial expedition consisted of 54 scientists, engineers, and a few botanists, alongside the materiel to construct a rough base of operations, sent over in 3 ships constructed in high Aruz orbit. The objective was to begin terraforming and fostering a functioning biosphere over the course of an indefinite stay.

While the project proceeded smoothly with minor complications, a more worrying discovery came about as a result. Odd readings from Chiark made from the surface of Vsah’bo prompted a new investigation of the star, and it was concluded that it was far further along its life cycle than had previously been believed. The reason for the discrepancy was found to be the composition of Aruz’ atmosphere interfering with observations, and no-one had bothered to check in the time since space travel became common. The new information suggested that Chiark had little over a millennia until it was unable to reasonably support life.

With this revelation, support for the Vsah’bo colonisation effort dropped off dramatically, given it seemed to offer no tangible improvement to long term survival prospects. Progress still continued, but at a dramatically reduced pace. Instead focus shifted to more radical long term colonisation projects.

Interstellar Beginnings
The oddly prophetic Hail Mary that was the Vif’Ream colony ships years prior was recalled now, though investigating the matter brought to light a few things. There was no real plan, no rhyme or reason to the destinations or even vague directions the ships were sent. It was a Hail Mary in every sense, and the proposal of now hinging the species’ survival on such vagueness wasn’t very appealing.

Investigations into reaching the stars by other means quickly ensued, and before the decade was out, primitive Intermatter synthesis already was underway. The (relatively) simple and reliable Alcubierre Drive propelled the first interstellar exploration vessels, though the news they brought back was worrying at best.

Not a single planet within Chiark’s local star cluster was within the goldilocks zone, let alone suiting the unusual preferences of Vaiaelon kind. The only silver lining at first was the discovery of a natural Intermatter Convergence Point in deep space, found by a pure fluke of bad coordinates, later on known as Well Alpha. Eventually suitable worlds were discovered, though they were extreme distances away from Chiark, only reachable via the use of a series of refuelling stations en route.

Colonisation efforts began in earnest nevertheless, hundreds of millions of Aruz’ by now excess population flocking to the lumbering colony ships to make their home on worlds frankly unprepared for their arrival. At the same time, the aforementioned refuelling stations steadily began to develop as well, those stationed there fashioning them into makeshift habitats, forming the basis for later Orbitals.

First Contact
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“Much of what follows is verified only by official VWP historical records, as actual primary sources from the era on either side are difficult to come by, for reasons that will become clear. History is written by the victors, quite literally in this case, hence the following should be taken with a grain of salt.”

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It was only a matter of time until external complications arose. A little over a century into expansion, greatly hastened by terraforming experience gained on Vsah’bo, contact with a newly established colony went dark. Investigations lead to contact with an alien race, and while the people of Aruz where enthusiastic to meet other spacefarers, their counterparts were far, far less so.

Exact details on the opposing nation have been lost to history, a deliberate effort by the VWP government to prevent their martyrdom. Even the name the nation went by has been erased, only referred to as “the Hated Enemy”, which unfortunately is the only name available to use. Context clues suggest that the “Enemy” were some descendants of the humanoids that had lain the plantoids asunder eras prior, though likely nowhere near the strength they possessed at that time, given that the VWP survived where their ancient counterparts had fallen by the stellar cluster.

Records purport the Enemy claimed responsibility for the loss of contact with the colony, having annihilated it for intruding on their claimed territory. Despite efforts to smooth over relations after this disastrous first contact, the Enemy retained strict animosity, refusing to interact beyond vague warnings and threats. To make matters worse, many of the worlds the VWP had intended to colonise turned out to lie within the borders of the Enemy, setting expansion plans back decades.

The Vaiaelons were caught between a rock and a hard place. They could accept this status quo, likely dooming themselves to extinction once Chiark expanded and the developing colonies starved. That, or they could engage in conflict with a nation several times their size and strength. Hence, despite the notional pledge of the VWP as an institution, preparations for war began.

”The Old War”

Declaration and Early Encounters
Fighting battles in the 3 dimensions of open space wasn’t entirely new to the VWP thanks to the intense albeit brief skirmishes of AW-VI. The scale and logistics of this conflict however were new challenges, ones that the VWP was struggling to maintain on a civilian level, let alone military. Construction of warships as well as the infrastructure vessels to support them began in earnest, though was frequently beset by unforeseen complications they simply didn’t have the foresight to pre-empt.

Disaster struck when the Enemy learned of these preparations. They were outraged, seeing this as confirmation of their suspicions, declaring a war of annihilation almost immediately. This came at a time when the VWP’s preparations were still underway, leading to unprepared and untested vessels and combat units being rushed into service, to predictably unfortunate results.

The Enemy military vastly outclassed that of the VWP, in both numbers and individual vessels. However, they seemed reluctant to bring their full might to bare; as for one reason or another, they rarely sent more than was deemed necessary to any given operation. Regardless, in the opening salvos of the war, they cleanly cut through the Vaiaelons’ rushed defences.

The weak points in the VWP’s interstellar grid soon became known, and the relay stations connecting Aruz to its colonies were decimated. Extended deployments to reinforce those worlds became a pipe dream, as the logistics vessels sent to keep VSA fleets combat ready were similarly targeted. The frontlines slowed to a standstill though, as the Enemy was bogged down in pacifying the worlds they had isolated. And in that time, the VSA learned, and adapted.

Doctrine shifted to favour more independent vessels, ones that could operate with minimal resupply from the core worlds. Preliminary testing . Preliminary testing with small destroyers showed great success, and even some of the first victories of the war against Enemy assets that weren’t expecting to face full strength fleets this far from Chiark. Full scale production began, and in the span of two decades, the stars were flooded with countless raiding fleets, striking the Enemy everywhere they least expected.

At this interval, it is worth mentioning that the war had waged for a half century by this point. Advances on the VWP’s part were slowed by a lack of materiel and expertise, and on the Enemy’s part by their unwillingness to bring their full might to bear, creating a painfully stagnant conflict.

Despite the successful raiding operations, straight engagements with Enemy fleets still often ended in disaster, largely due to their usage of early interdiction tech. Because of this, liberating the embattled colonies was still a way’s off, so new technologies were again pursued to break the stalemate.

Technological Breakthroughs
Among countless other failed and over-ambitious projects, three stand out in this era that would shape the VWP in days yet to come.

The first is the work of the Yon’tra’yem Lab, a facility dedicated to advancing VWP computational technologies, headed by one Dr Tariila Melen’Thall. Their primary goal was to develop a self-iterating AI whose sole objective was to defeat the Enemy, by any means it deemed necessary. While they ultimately never achieved this, byproducts of their work would later lead to less advanced AI, and the illusive “Hadalen Algorithm”. Before the war was out, the underground facility was mysteriously set to self-destruct for unknown reasons, destroying and burying much of their more advanced work.

The second is the advent of the first Qunits. Successors to the older Karrashian super-soldiers that had fought in AW-VI, the cracking of the Vaiaelon genome allowed for extremely precise modifications and improvements to be made even to already mature individuals. Combined with early cybernetic implants and power armour, entire armies were made faster, tougher, and more precise, securing any and all ground engagements firmly in the VWP’s favour.

The third can definitively be argued as the wonder weapon that won the Old War; the Type-1 Q-Switch. Utilising the aforementioned Hadalen Algorithm, the quantum wave function of any macroscopic object could be divined, and subsequently manipulated to make it appear anywhere one desired, even at extreme distances. The early Type-1 had the drawback that it could not move itself however, among other things that will be elaborated on presently.

Turning Tides
The creation of the Q-Switch was revolutionary not just because it was a more effective FTL method, but because it was entirely unaffected by the Enemy interdiction generators, which relied solely on spacetime distortion regulation. Testing revealed several caveats to the device which had to be overcome. Chief among them was that solid state memory drives failed to retain data when subjected to its effects. This gave rise to a curious series of ships whose operating systems were backed up onto physical static memory, then re-implemented to the digital systems by analogue computers once the journey via Q-Switch was completed. The process took time, and was by no means an elegant solution, but it worked.

Early Type-1s were unable to facilitate return journeys, making travel via one a one-way trip. Seeing as their vessels were already specialised to long periods of little to no support, the VSA did not consider this a prevalent issue, making deep strikes into Enemy territory a very appealing prospect.

At first it was scattered strikes on areas already verified to be of little strength or significance, primarily to test the waters and work out kinks in the strategy. Then, almost overnight relative to how long the war had been ongoing, successive strikes wiped out vast swathes of the Enemy’s industrial and logistic capabilities. Not only that, but VSA fleets now infested their territories, specifically targeting interdiction nodes to clear the way for older vessels.

The Enemy responded in blind panic, having until now seen the Vaiaelons as a mild annoyance to be squashed and forgotten about. They attempted to mobilise the massive amount of reserve forces at their disposal, only to stretch their massively diminished logistics network to the breaking point, only sowing more confusion as fleets waited for supplies that never arrived. In one fell swoop, the slumbering giant of the Enemy navy was smothered in its sleep.

Some of the fleets entrenched in VWP space, seeing the devastation erupting back home, attempted to strike back in an effort to redirect the VSA’s efforts. Their lashing out was met by the dozens of raider fleets in the vicinity immediately dogpiling them, able to nullify their significant range advantage once they’d left the safety of their interdiction fields.

As the VSA assault carriers rushed to relieve the embattled colonies that had been cut off for nearly a century by this point, the true scale of the devastation became apparent. Many worlds had been rendered barren of all life, reduced to fields of nuclear ash and glass pockmarked by craters. Others had their population reduced by orders of magnitude, huddled away in bunkers. A bare handful managed to mount a reasonable defence, and were scarred by it all the same. When news of this wanton destruction, this complete disregard for Vaiaelon life reached the frontline, the calls for retribution began, and were swiftly answered.

While the intent had originally been to simply capture Enemy worlds, eventually forcing them to capitulate, the attitude shifted towards delivering the same fate that had been forced upon countless Vaiaelons. Warheads rained down from high orbit, no city left untouched by the light of atomic flame. Airships made a brief reappearance, flying under atmosphere on worlds where the anti-orbital defences were too strong, each one carrying enough payload to rend a whole continent to ash.

Aftermath

Defeat of the Enemy
With their military command and logistics collapsing around them like the death throes of a crumbling cathedral, and each passing moment measured in lives lost, the Enemy were quick to open the negotiation tables back up. VWP diplomats were, to be polite, less than enthused to hear what they had to say, having been disregarded and genocided for over a century by the very same rulers they now spoke to. The terms presented were harsh, but every refusal was met by some city somewhere being wiped off the maps.

The Enemy, or rather whatever was left of them after the visitation of the Vaiaelons’ wrath, would be forced into exile. Remaining citizens and soldiery alike were herded onto colony ships barely fit for purpose, allowed to carry scant more than the clothes on their back and the food in their kitchens. They were ordered to leave as far as they could manage, and those who resisted soon did little at all.

Any and all of the ruling polity captured alive were sent back to Aruz to attend their fate there. The lucky ones were executed outright, others sent to old Vif’Ream combat arenas, reactivated for no other purpose than to facilitate the fatal blood games that followed.

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“Around this point is where the dry spell on firsthand accounts stops.”

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The war was decisively over now, though not all was well. Some Vaiaelons began to speak out against the barbarous methods used in the closing years. Instead of admitting foul play, the ruling council doubled down, vehemently insisting that their means had been justified by the existential threat the Enemy had posed. Tensions continued to escalate, culminating in the assassination of a prominent council member. The council then used this as precedence to flex the state’s now immense military might, declaring martial law and parking warships in orbit of most worlds.

This set the precedence for the handful of following years. Dissenting actions were brutally put down wherever they sprung up, and it seemed like the VWP was set to transition into an age of tyranny and dictatorship… Until, at least officially, it didn’t. The tone shifted seemingly overnight, regulations relaxed and negotiations navigated, all parties involved quietly backing down. The average citizen breathed a sigh of relief, content to not live under the threat of dying to a bomb blast, so seldom looked further. Records refer to this odd event as a diplomatic miracle, but it is at this juncture we must mention the so called “Digital Pantheon.”

The Digital Pantheon
Listen closely to hushed whispers and read between the lines of the Pact’s political jargon, and one may hear fleeting mention of this organisation, if it can even be called that. Specific details remain elusive, all that is certain is that they possess immense political power, enough to keep information about themselves tucked away from prying eyes.

Conspiracists posit that the Dark Navy, the secret services branch of the modern Vaiaelon Space Armada, is a front for the Pantheon’s operations. This is however of little use, as the Dark Navy is almost just as secretive. Ship count, enlisted members, enacted operations, and most other information is classified under pretence of national security.

The first hints of their operations appear around this time, though it is impossible to be certain they were not active even earlier. The sudden “diplomatic miracle” mentioned was likely their doing, though proving such is just as difficult as proving their existence in the first place.

Reunification
On a lighter note, the reclaimed and liberated colonies of the VWP gradually began to recover from the scars of war, however deep they may have run. New colonies also began to sprout up in the territories claimed from the Enemy, some efforts even spearheaded by the more well-off colonies.

This era also saw the advent of the first Orbitals. The relative sparsity of worlds suitable to Vaiaelon colonisation lead them to consider a more radical solution to the problem; that being constructing massive habitation stations in orbit of various celestial bodies. Designs varied, though the most popular proved to be clusters of gigantic ring-like structures, entire cities and landscapes constructed on their inner surfaces. Starting out as an oddity, the popularity of these ready-made worlds surged for a time, many growing to meet and sometimes exceed the populations of actual planetary colonies.

The decades of isolation had left their mark on said planetary colonies, many of which developed their own systems of governance, values, and belief systems. These divergences were initially punished and suppressed by the post-war authoritarian ruling council, all but ensuring the status quo was an unsustainable arrangement. In recognition of the vastly different microstates and cultures that now made up its populace, the VWP returned to its roots as a federal power, greatly relaxing its regulations and encouraging colonial independence to an extent. The first few years were rough as specific and kinks with the system were worked out, but a mutual understanding that this was best for all kept the project going until it could stand on its own four feet.

The most prominent divergent colony at this time was Chibute, a mineral rich world that had been on the frontier of Vaiaelon colonisation at the outbreak of the war. Many prominent corporations had set up offices on the world, eager to get a piece of the promised wealth, and the local government had worked closely with these firms to defend the planet when the Enemy came for them. A sudden and decisive strike on the initial fleet sent allowed Chibute enough breathing room to rapidly industrialise, in time giving them the strength to handily deal with the relatively minor fleets sent their way.

The close cooperation with corporations hadn’t come without cost, many negotiating for relaxed regulations when the cheques couldn’t clear on time. Throughout the years, the strength of the companies grew, to the point that when the war ended, it was more accurate to say it was ruled by various cooperatives of corporations than it was by the government, or whatever was left of it.

Before that point, before contact with Aruz was reestablished, the Chibutians had assumed the worst regarding their estranged home, endeavouring to covertly continue colonisation efforts in their stead. A handful of worlds even further from the homeworld were settled, most of them mirroring the corporate governance of Chibute. When the time came, they were welcomed into the fold all the same, today making up the so-called Market Worlds, the beating economic heart of the VWP.

The Haltanian Concordat

Contact
The Market Worlds weren’t the only unexpected discovery during the aftermath of the war. Not long after the federal transition, signs of another interstellar empire active in local space began to emerge. When contact was finally established, VWP diplomats were shocked to hear ancient Vif’Liim spoken through the commlink; an older form of the Vif’Ream tongue.

The empire they had encountered was in fact Vaiaelon in nature, The Haltanian Concordat, and their history was just as storied as their counterparts. Recall the generation ships that had been sent out in desperation by Vif’Ream’s religious sects during AW-VI. The denizens of the Concordat were descended from the passengers of one such ship, specifically the cryo ship sent out by the Cult of Hal’therii.

Haltanian History
Initially colonising a relatively unremarkable world, their cultural development hadn’t adapted quick enough to the rapid pace of the colonisation, enabled by the advanced ship that had brought them there. Religious fundamentalists came into conflict with the provisional government over civil rights disputes, and it didn’t take long for the young frontier to erupt into brutal civil war.

Unlike most fringe skirmishes of such a manner, nearly every denizen of the world was at least somewhat adept at some form of combat. Hal’therii was the patron god of war and conflict, followers of his cult prising martial prowess in all its forms. Swordsmen, marksmen, and strategists of the highest calibre ensured the handful of weapons they brought with were used to devastating effect.

Similar to the early wars of Aruz in days gone by, specifics of the war matter little, only its outcomes. A regime best described as fascist socialists in nature emerged victorious, firmly on the side of the more religious folk. Furthermore, leveraging emerging stereotypes and selective interpretations of their holy texts, this regime then carried out a genocide of any Vaiaelon with orange pelt colouration. This event, known as the Rai’begta, has since become a point of shame for modern Haltanian citizens, though the finer details of modern culture will be omitted for the time being.

Credit where it is due, in the decades following the civil war, relative stability was maintained. The martial demands of the war cult were met with officially sanctioned blood sports and wargames. Maturing industry was focused towards the betterment of the populace in equal measure to military expenditure.

At the outbreak of the Old War, the Hated Enemy were aware of Haltan, and mistakenly assumed it to be another colony of the VWP, hence invaded it without warning nor second thought. What they found was a star system more militarised than even some of their own. With no FTL drives, the Concordat had instead focused on expanding out into their system, forging primitive warships in large numbers.

The Concordat leadership needed little persuasion to begin firing back on the invading ships, saturating their vague position in liberal amounts of nuclear ordinance, and even successfully boarding one. Now believing Haltan to be some secret staging post for VWP war-planning, the Enemy sent progressively larger fleets, every time defeated at great cost, but sharpening the Haltanian technological edge with salvage. Some Concordat citizens even believed the war to be a blessing, Hal’therii sending them worthy enemies to fight.

In the years following the war, the Concordat, believing Aruz to be a crater blasted wasteland at this point, began sending out colony ships of their own. The vessels were outfitted with crudely reverse engineered FTL drives powered by artificial Intermatter, but were considered adequate for purpose. The program was just leaving its infancy by the time contact was established with the VWP.

Diplomatic Tensions
The news of each other’s existence came as a shock to both once identities were clarified. Haltan’s founders hadn’t known how long they were under cryo due to a malfunction in the colony ship’s travel computer; hence they had no reason to assume Aruz was within their reach, let alone in one piece. The VWP meanwhile had little information on the colony ships beyond their existence, most sensitive information having been destroyed by religious fanatics, relegating them to little more than a vague rumour.

Much like with their ancestors millennia prior, relations quickly soured. When it came to light that the Old War was partially instigated by the VWP, the Concordat’s leaders were outraged, laying the blame for years of brutal fighting squarely at their counterparts’ feet. Furthermore, many within the Concordat considered the Pact at that point to have more in common with Karrash than it did Vif’Ream, despite being founded on a union of the two. Calls began for a holy crusade back to the sacred homeworld to free it from the clutches of their ancient foe.

Despite this, neither side was fully willing to go forth unto war once more. The VWP was still recovering from the devastation wreaked by the Enemy, focusing on rebuilding and re-establishing colonies. The Concordat meanwhile, despite not being as ravaged by the war, was still far behind the military might the VWP now commanded, and even more so behind the technological curve.

The Kimal Crisis
A period of animosity followed, mutual distrust manifesting in a subtle but very much present espionage war. Tensions came to a head when both sides took an interest in a recently discovered habitable world, later known as Kimal, both wishing to colonise it. The dispute very quickly took center stage, negotiations only notionally gaining ground, neither willing to give any.

The VWP took drastic action by secretly sending colonisation parties while talks were still ongoing. Concordat officials were outraged, mobilising forces to overtake the mere towns, only to find themselves up against early series VSA Qunits that were posted as garrison. The situation again escalated when the Haltanians began orbital bombardment instead, prompting the VSA to prepare warships to reinforce the world.

The stage seemed set for an all-out war, navies preparing for ship-to-ship combat, and volunteers flooding into ranks. The worst was only avoided with an impassioned speech made by a then relatively unknown VWP diplomat to both sides, pointing out the pittance they were fighting over, and comparing the situation to the 5th Aruzian War, which both sides could find common ground in avoiding.

//Internal//

“This is the first recorded appearance of the illusive individual known as Kotaii, more on him later.”

//Internal//

Cooperation
While still nowhere close to trusting each other, both sides agreed to mutually checked de-escalation, and a compromise was reached. The concordat would be allowed to establish their own colony on the world, far away from the VWP’s. This avoided the issue of planetary ownership for the time being.

As fortune, or perhaps misfortune, would have it, Kimal turned out to be far more hostile to life than anyone had predicted. Curious reactions in the planet’s upper atmosphere caused far more extreme seasonal effects; droughts, floods, and the like being more than a common occurrence. The geographical disparity in the respective colonies’ locations ensured that, more often than not, whatever one lacked the other had a surplus of.

Forced to work together by the very rock they had nearly fought over, the political bickering of their respective patrons was a very minor concern to the colonists. Despite cultural differences, they found a lot of common ground, and began to work together more than they bashed heads. If it wasn’t already, Kimal became the center of VWP-Concordat political interaction, its denizens pushing for further cooperation at a national level.

The VWP, by its by then federal nature, had no intrinsic qualms about interacting with another state, regardless of its internal workings. Haltan meanwhile remained defiant in the face of unbelievers, though eventually and begrudgingly agreed to trade raw resources where they encountered deficit. Over time this evolved into technology exchanges, then assistance in colonisation efforts, until the two nations were openly working together on many issues.

After a few decades of building trust, and mutual frustration at international bureaucracy, Haltan and its children agreed to become member states of the VWP. The decision came largely from the massive power imbalance, one the Concordat’s military couldn’t hope to overthrow, much less have a good reason to. A large degree of autonomy was maintained post-integration, the modern Haltanian governance being in essence the same regime that triumphed in its civil war centuries prior.

//Internal//

“That is as much of their history as can be considered ‘local’, that is to say, the history up to when they began delving into the galactic stage. Much of that information is already well known, so will be omitted for the time being in favour of more relevant information, though perhaps will be revisited in time.”

//Internal//