The Year is 2290.
Recovering from the first truly interplanetary war the Earth and Martian governments feel that it is necessary to disarm one of the deadliest weapons developed by both sides.
Antimatter.
All antimatter is given to a cooperative scientific endeavor between the two planets, the Longboat Program.
The result of the program is the Longboat IV, a ship designed by the mathematical savant Dr. Lincoln an Earth Scientist. Piloting the vessel, an Ace pilot from Mars Lieutenant Malcolm. The purpose of the ship and by extension the Longboat Program, is to break the lightspeed barrier by utilizing all remaining antimatter to open an ‘anomaly’ in spacetime.
The Longboat’s initial test flight is successful, the ship traveling from Saturn to Earth in an instant through a void that defies analysis and quantification. The detonation of the kilogram of antimatter that was needed to break the lightspeed barrier for the first time, is detected by an Empire patrol vessel Captained by [Charles].
Aghast at the prospect of a class C species advancing to the point to be able to produce antimatter in such large quantities. Even further horrified at the faster than light technology developed by Humanity, a technology beyond that of the Empire’s capabilities [Charles] breaks protocol and reports his findings directly to the Consul of the Empire.
Dr. Lincoln motivated by the assassination of Lieutenant Malcolm, and his final wish, works to continue the Longboat program and catapult Humanity into the cosmos. The largest hurdle being the production of antimatter, a substance now banned by interplanetary treaty.
Military officials of both Earth and Mars recognizing that the technology will eventually be used, and wishing to not be left behind in its development both surreptitiously support Dr. Lincoln’s development of the faster than light propulsion technology, bypassing the politicians.
A Martian General Ulrich, and the organized crime contacts he has on the Martian Space Station are helpful for the further development of the Longboat program and its goals. Janus the leader of the criminal network’s only demand for her help is that Diana, her daughter be included on the first extra-solar colony. The ship to be constructed within the clandestine Martian shipyards will be named the Ark.
To ensure that the first extra-solar colony is given the best opportunity to flourish, Dr. Lincoln quietly gives the Earth Battleship Yamato the plans to the antimatter faster than light drive and enough antimatter to scout several star systems. The engineers of the Yamato, Ben and Megan are easily able to install the device and the ship makes the first Faster than light jump to another star system. Epsilon Eridani.
Consul [Marcus] the leader of the Empire in the stead of the young Emperor believes C1764’s faster than light technology, which is far superior to the Empire’s technology that only allows travel between two tachyons beacons moves the elimination of species C1764 forwards in the schedule. Class C races are undeserving of life, and must be eliminated. They are a deviance from the Seed.
To facilitate this, and not wanting the Human antimatter engine to fall into another’s hands [Marcus] tasks [Charles] with the acquisition of the technology and the elimination of C1764. He provides the ancient testbed vessel, the [Singer] as well as the experimental bioweapon Hygonix.
Scouting the Epsilon Eridani system, the Yamato finds one candidate that could serve as a colony world for the Ark. Making the return antimatter jump back to Sol, the captain of the ship reports his findings to the upper echelons of both militaries on Earth and Mars.
Data on the performance of the antimatter drive is given to Dr. Lincoln and she improves upon the implementations. Further reducing the amount of antimatter needed for a human faster than light vessel to perform a jump.
Returning to the Sol system [Charles] and the [Singer] utilize an experimental cloaking technology to observe C1764 and wait for the opportunity to acquire the antimatter engine technology.
Having repaired an old ‘decommissioned’ particle accelerator with the aid of General Urich and the men under his command Dr. Lincoln produces several grams of antimatter.
[Charles] seeing and opportunity to acquire the C1764 technology, moves in and attacks a space station in orbit of the Moon to acquire the prototype Longboat IV which is being moved in for permanent display on the construct.
The attack is swift, and brutal.
Within only minutes the entire Lunar fleet, which had defended Earth’s moon and the station throughout the entire Earth-Mars war is destroyed. Human kinetic weapons are completely nullified by the [Singer]’s energy shields, and the plasma based weapons of the [Singer] cleanly slice through Human vessels. VIP’s accompanied by several Special Operations operatives manage to escape on a basic shuttle.
The [Singer] moves in to claim the Longboat IV and launches the Hygonix weapon. The Earth defense fleets move in to engage the alien vessel. Space combat alternates between slow and blazingly fast, the distances and energies involved so large between any objects in space.
The Hygonix exterminates those species which do not meet the Empire’s approval. Within minutes of detonating within the Earth’s atmosphere all Humans on their home planet’s surface are dead. Only those within sealed environments and suits survive.
Receiving the first communications from Earth on a patrol route near Jupiter, and nearly an hour behind the attack due to lightspeed lag, the Captain of the Yamato decides to jump the Yamato into the Lunar orbit, only in time to witness the final deaths on Earth and the decimation of the Earth defense fleets.
Listening to the recommendations of the escaping VIP’s the Yamato fires on, and destroys the Longboat IV. Unwilling to destroy another example of the C1764 antimatter engine technology [Charles] does not destroy the Yamato. The remaining Earth leadership orders a retreat to Mars.
Unwilling to be bogged down by the need for secrecy, or political bureaucracy Dr. Lincoln with the support of the remaining Martian and Earth militaries makes a proposal to the Martian government. The Ark will launch should the Human race not be able to defeat the alien threat. Modifying the equations, the Ark will utilize, other ships flying in formation with the Ark will be able to make the jump as well and escape.
Reaching the planet that C1764 had retreated to [Charles] contacts the creatures and demands they hand over the antimatter engine technology.
Humanity refuses, and attacks.
The entirety of the Martian fleet, the entirety of the remaining Earth fleet, all pour kinetic fire and nuclear energy onto the [Singer]. The largest gun ever constructed, the Phobos cannon is brought to bear and fires on the [Singer].
Absorbing all the attacks, and with the shields beginning to buckle the [Singer] begins to carve into the Human armada. With each blast from her main weapon a dozen ships are cut in two and disabled.
Desperate, the Gatekeeper, leader of the Martian criminal syndicates cuts the cables of her space elevator and flings her Station into the heard to the battle. Composed of old thick hulled modules and an asteroid the sacrifice of the Station provides the Human attackers with cover to fire from.
The Ark, and her accompanying fleet begin to accelerate away from Mars to make the antimatter jump. Ben and Megan the engineers from the Yamato and the most experienced with the antimatter technology aboard to ensure its success.
Finished destroying the Human armada, the [Singer] turns towards the Ark determined to acquire the antimatter engine technology.
The Yamato, one of the few remaining ships sacrifices herself with all hands by performing an antimatter jump directly into the [Singer]. The displacement of energy and matter, shears off a third of the ancient vessel disabling but not killing her.
Defeated, humiliated, [Charles] breaks protocol and calls for reinforcements. The three Imperial ships set their targets on Mars.
The Ark jumps with her accompanying fleet, soon to be all that remains of Humanity to the Epsilon Eridani system. There the survivors land on the one small moon that will be the home of Humanity.
General Ulrich hunkers down in the largest of the Martian Bunkers desperate to protect those few people he still commands. Dr. Lincoln, unwilling to wait for Humanity to once again be at a point to utilize her mathematics and worried about the side effects of the antimatter faster than light travel she is suffering from, kills her Martian escort, and recreates the CERN incident with the particle accelerator she repaired.
Blasted into ‘nothingness’ that her antimatter engines force vessels through Dr. Lincoln sends instructions to Epsilon Eridani 10.5 Ly away for her recovery.
Life with an Alien Girlfriend
The Year is 2020.
Rouge, a Vakurian escapes the Extermination of her planet by the Empire on a stolen shuttle. Believing the rest of her people dead, she runs along random tachyon corridors eventually arriving in the Sol system. The remaining C950 in far larger stolen ships form the Valiant fleet and begin to roam the outskirts of the Empire.
Desperate to feel normal, and developing a kinship with Humanity from high orbit Rouge hides her ‘alien’ features, catlike ears on the side of her head, a small pheromone spike on the back of her neck, poor night vision, and green blood lands on the planet. Her stolen shuttle is inserted into lunar orbit.
Integrating into Human society, but alone Rouge falls in love with a Human biochemist Jon.
He quickly discovers her alien origin, and creates a counteragent to the pheromone she is releasing that would make him more receptive to her suggestions. Falling in love with her, Jon learns of the Vakurian history.
Racist to a degree never seen on Earth, the Vakurian people only ever fell into groups of identical hair color. Within years of discovering the atomic bomb, the Vakurian home world was in a nuclear winter. Population reduced, barely surviving the species was brought together and slowly began to rebuild.
The Empire attacked with ground forces, and the Vakurian stole their ships desperate to survive and unwilling to die after all they had endured.
Rouge and Jon falling more in love with one another are married in 2021.
The two live together on Earth, normal people content with their lives. The years of their marriage are marked by another scratch in the traditional Vakurian armbands.
In 2035 Rouge with modified Empire equipment detects a message from her people. Torn over the decision to leave Earth, Jon promises to accompany her and live with her people.
The two board the stolen Empire shuttle and leave Earth, tracking the signal towards Rouge’s people.
Instead they stumble across an Imperial patrol vessel, and their tachyon faster than light systems are damaged beyond repair.
Unable to reach the Vakurian fleet or any other planet, and stranded in deep space the two record a final message and die together in one another’s arms.
The Valiant Few
283 years after being forced off their planet by the Empire, and 8 years after Humanity was forced off their own the Valiant fleet stumbled upon the damaged shuttle. Finding the bodies of Rouge and Jon, the Vakurian discover Humanity.
Ranlin, the Vakurian who found the shuttle and studied the data and history on it from the two lovers convinces the Council to allow a ship to investigate humanity.
Finding the Earth ravaged, and evidence of the Hygonix weapon the Vakurian’s slowly investigate the rest of the Sol system looking for Humanity, transmitting messages out in every direction stating their intentions and want for allies. On the surface of the moon, a single squad of Earth ground forces and a single civilian contractor Allen watch the alien ship from the safety of a decommissioned installation.
Allen, desperate to leave the Moon before food stores are exhausted ignores the others on the base with him and contacts the Valiant. Meeting the aliens on the surface of the moon, and Ranlin specifically Allen gives them information on what had happened to Humanity, and asks them to investigate the last location the moon base had contact with. The Phobos cannon.
The military personnel of the Moon base detecting a strange chemical on Allen, and not wishing to interact with the aliens lock down the base with Allen outside. With no other chance at survival, Allen boards the Valiant.
Investigating the Phobos cannon, the Valiant discovers that the communication systems failed and created the communication blackout with the Moon base. The crew of the Phobos cannon, had been unable to repair it all their resources going into the repair of the cannon itself.
The interaction between the Valiant and the Phobos personnel is interrupted as an Empire patrol vessel moves into the system. Edie the commander of the Phobos installation hides the Valiant in the radiation of the backup fission generators on the small moon’s surface.
The patrol vessel spots the Valiant, and to give the vessel the time to escape from Mart orbit three members of the Phobos team remain behind and fire the cannon once again. Barely repaired in the near decade since the Singer first fired on it the gun only manages to fire once disabling the surprised Empire vessel.
The Valiant escapes, the Phobos cannon self-destructs, and the Empire patrol vessel turns its sights on the last transmitting location in the Sol system. The Moon.
Rising Titans
9 Years after escaping the Empire attack on Sol Humanity has created a base in the Epsilon Eridani on the icy moon of Bellona.
Ben and Megan, the engineers from the Yamato now the lead engineers on the colony have constructed a defensive space station in orbit of Bellona, the Fort. The most recently completed project however is the Canada. A ship based off the Yamato in many respects but improved on with alien technology taken from a fighter that was downed over the moon during the Earth attack. Improvements to counter the Empire’s shield technology.
Diana, having been in training along with most of the youth of Humanity is selected to crew the Canada commanded by Captain Stagg. Ben and Megan petition for the pseudo-AI Arik to be moved onto the ship as well. Her body and nervous system destroyed by malfunctioning medical nano-machines she lives on as a brain in a box.
The Canada launches into the Empire, utilizing a Human copy of the Empire faster than light technology. Ben and Megan watching the departure from orbit are put into a desperate situation as their shuttle fails on re-entry with Bellona’s atmosphere and their shuttle crash lands in the ice.
The young Emperor [Vann] who has returned to the Home World after accepting the surrender of another class B race begins to delve more deeply into the politics of his own world, curious as to why Consul [Marcus] wants to continue increasing military funding despite the relative peace of the Empire. The last civil war having been in his Fathers time.
Captain [Charles] of the Singer is a drunk, living out his days only interacting with his class B assistant [Yuka].
Stuck in the ice, Ben has placed emergency tourniquets on both of Megan’s legs to stem the bleeding. Trying to get out of the shuttle, and find help the two disturb a nest. Small creatures, about the size of ancient compact discs with six legs and leathery skin, beady eyes, and an overall ugly appearance drop into the damaged shuttle.
Unsure what to make of the creatures, the two engineers hesitantly test for intelligence tapping out the first three prime numbers. The small creatures respond, tapping out the next three in the sequence as they continue to emit high pitched and unintelligible squeaks. Ben shares food with the small creatures, which they devour in moments.
Ben and Megan contact the colony and are rescued. The ‘Squeaks’ follow Ben and Megan back to the colony, and after a tense standoff as thousands of the creatures erupt from the ground around the single remaining Human colony Ben is able to broker peace, something the creatures seem to want.
The ‘Squeaks’ of Tanuin as they have named themselves manage to communicate with Humanities leadership council. They negotiate for peace, and beg for assistance revealing that thousands of years ago the Empire attacked them. Humanity agrees to help the odd creatures, and both begin to work towards their common goal.
Revenge.
On the Empire Home World, a research center outside the capital detonates killing several hundred people. Emperor [Vann] distressed over the catastrophe goes to Consul [Marcus] demanding answers. The Consul reluctantly reveals the danger of C1764, and the antimatter engine they created. Unable to conceive of a class C species being a threat to the Empire at large [Vann] accepts [Marcus]’s explanation, and begins his own investigation into the Consul’s activities.
Following a lead from the first vessel they encounter the Canada travels to Jikse, an outer world of the Empire with only one barely developed city on its surface.
Diana and her investigation team discover several things. The outer planets of the Empire are ruled by class A governor’s, but most of the population is class B by a wide margin. All the Empire’s technology is an amalgamation of hundreds of different subjugated species technologies.
Discovering that most of the people in the Empire who had even a passing association with C1764 had disappeared under mysterious circumstances [Vann] contacts and meets with [Charles]. The old, drunk Captain relates a warning to the young Emperor about the class C and Species C1764 specifically.
He remembers his own ordeal, with the species while conquering Mars. Assaulting the surface, falling into a trap, and being held as a prisoner amongst the class C. He was allowed limited access to the Bunker, and began to associate with the only class C who would deign to interact with him. Emily, the head Doctor in the Bunker. A woman who looks remarkably like his aide [Yuka]. [Charles] also develops a fondness for Martian potato vodka.
Following the recommendation of [Charles], [Vann] takes the Empire’s flagship to the last known disturbance closest to where the C1764 planet was. They stumble on the Canada in orbit of Jikse, looking as if it has attacked an Imperial patrol vessel. Aiding in the attack, and wanting prisoners to interrogate about the antimatter engine technology.
The shuttle Diana is on is attacked, she and the other members of her squad crash land on Jikse. Diana manages to escape the searching patrols; one member of her squad is killed and another Megan is captured. The Canada is forced to make a retreat from the planet leaving Diana behind.
In the retreat, the Canada damaged the Imperial flagship by utilizing the Ace in the Hole technology that Ben and Megan developed to counter the Empire technology, a method which disables the shields of nearby ships altogether. Human weapons then easily pierce the thin hulls of the Empire vessels.
Ben on the Bellona colony manages to convince the Human Council to allow the Tanuin to help with ship construction to speed up all aspects of it. Alpha the leader of the Tanuin becomes friends with the engineers.
Derrick and Arik, recovering from the battle with the Empire recognize and inform Captain Stagg of a critical design flaw with the Canada. The ship, built to absorb and disperse the Empire’s energy weapon assaults is absorbing far too much thermal energy in battle. If encounters go longer than only a few minutes the Canada will literally melt.
[Vann] is recalled to the Home World, and [Marcus] reprimands him for his failings with the Imperial and the damage he incurred with the C1764 encounter.
[Charles] recalls the final days he spent on Mars, as the prisoner to the C1764. The Humans. Forced to live among them, live with the consequences of his atrocities, and look at his own people with a more critical eye. Seeing the Empire for what it is, and what men like the Consul use the species classification system for [Charles] comes to terms with the face that he killed over 10 billion people. Watching as the Human’s make a last stand against the Empire forces. Towards the end, [Charles] watches his only Human friend Emily die in front of him. Acquiring the detonator for Huminites failsafe, [Charles] uses it. only for the device to fail.
The Fort where the second Human ship is being constructed suffers’ a malfunction, in a similar manner to the one that Ben and Megan’s shuttle suffered. All the air is evacuated from the Fort drydock. Several people without suits on die, and the Tanuin helping with construction although able to survive the atmosphere go insane in a vacuum. A single Tanuin is composed of many bodies, of one mind. The communication between them vocal and necessary. Without those connections, the Tanuin became violently feral.
On the planet Jikse, Diana following in the path of her Mother begins to take control of the criminal element. The class B of the Empire are childish at best regarding crime, their approach the human equivalent of street crime. The only competition comes from what Diana suspects is an original class C from Jikse. An alien with green blood, and cat-like ears on the side of their head.
Alpha trying to find the underlying cause of the events that led to the accident on the Fort breaks into the Human command center, and is attacked. His mind partially fractures, and his bodies scatter over the Human base incoherent.
The Canada successfully attacks two small Empire vessels, Arik rips data from their computer cores searching for additional information on the Empire. She discovers that the next Species on the Extermination list will be targeted within the next few months. Species C1803.
[Charles] accompanies [Vann] as he interrogates the Human prisoners captured on Jikse. [Vann] attempts to get retrieve actionable intel from the creatures, while [Charles] attempts to make the young Emperor see them as a threat. He will never see them as people, they are class C. [Charles] only sees them as people, after killing billions of them and being given compassion by one.
Soon after one of the Human prisoner’s escapes, and [Marcus] seeing this as an opportunity to continue painting [Vann] as incompetent strips him of his command for the Imperial relegating him back into the classical roles of the Emperor. Stuck in his palace [Vann] survives an attack from C1764 like creatures bearing Lunar base insignia. [Charles] is quick to comment on the fact that the attack was crude, and the sniper shots that nearly hit [Vann] were deliberately missing.
Ben continuing to investigate the mysterious computer virus that downed his shuttle, and damaged the drydocks is forced to hijack the Russia. The sister ship of the Canada to prevent its nuclear arsenal from detonating in the Fort. In the process, he is exposed to an acute 14,000 rads of radiation. A terminal amount by far.
The Canada travels to the C1803 Home world Chront, and begins to negotiate with the species that is at a 1980’s like level of technology for assistance in defending their home world. Politically divided, the C1803 only band together due to the external threat of the Empire. The help they can provide includes the manufacturing of magnetic coils to extend the Ace field, as well as nukes.
[Vann] willing to accept a demotion to continue his investigation into C1764 and the interests that [Marucs] has in them is given command of the ancient [Singer]. [Charles] confronts [Vann] asking him about the species classification system. [Vann] accepts that the class C can be a threat, one he will not underestimate like [Marcus]. He reiterates his intention to avoid becoming a politician, and be an Emperor who serves the people of the Empire. If anything threatens his people, it will be exterminated.
One of the Human councilors is found to be responsible for the Computer virus on Bellona, General Yan. Further investigation leads to a laboratory where experiments on Alpha, and two brains much like Arik’s have been performed. The virus is old enough, that it affects the Canada. All resources are shifted towards finishing the Russia quickly so that the ship can launch to save the Canada.
Ben dies from radiation exposure.
Diana learns of the other Class C on Jikse. Species C950. Ignoring their convoluted and reactionary plans to attack the Empire Diana plans to steal the resources they have collected over several years. A collection including several grams of antimatter. Something Humanity has not been able to produce since escaping Sol. She is called a monster by the other class C, Sek. An insult Diana takes as a compliment.
Diana eventually manages to steal Sek’s shuttle, by offering herself up as a distraction while her class B associated [Orin] and [Hal] steal and launch the shuttle containing all the materials Sek had stolen over the years into deep space. In the process she is injured, and barely escaping Sek is dropped off at an Empire clinic by [Orin] and [Hal] barely surviving her injuries.
Examined and determined to be a class C by the Empire physicians, Diana quickly escapes from the hapless scientists. Sek wishing to re-acquire his lost shuttle attacks the hospital Diana is in as she escapes from the Empire. Escaping with her class B Diana crash lands outside the perimeter of the only Jikse city in the deep jungle.
Derrick on Chront with the C1803 continues to prepare them for the Empire invasion. Even with that preparation, the Humans and ‘Seninon’ are not hopeful of their success. Desperate, Arik and the Canada send out a distress message to all points in the Empire looking for help in any form.
Onboard the [Singer] [Vann] continues to run through insane scenarios that C1764 would employ.
The Russia launches from the Fort, with James an Earth special forces veteran as Captain, and Alpha as second in command. Megan is running engineering. They are given three months to find the Canada and return to Bellona when an Empire FTL beacon will be activated for five seconds. The ship quickly stumbled on the shuttle that Diana stole and the antimatter it had in storage.
After running through another series of drills on class C tactics and the C1764 antimatter engine in combat [Vann] is preparing to leave the Home World aboard once again the [Singer], this time under the command of Admiral [Meral]. An admiral who has been friends with [Marcus] for his entire career. The Fleet moves towards Chront to eliminate the C1764 and C1803.
Edie now in command of the Vakurian ship, Valiant receives the distress message from the Canada. The oldest allies of Humanity quickly move to their aide with two ships of the fleet.
On the planet Jikse, Diana watches in horror as the Empire launches an attack on the single remaining city from orbit. Empire broadcasts point to class C as the culprits. Sek, still chasing her pursues her through the jungles of his home world. Diana gets the drop on the Vakurian and his wife, killing the both with little preamble. She, with [Orin] and [Hal] then leaves Jikse aboard a shuttle as the city falls apart around them.
The Seninon attempt to negotiate with the Empire to no avail.
[Vann] urges the Admiral not to attack, looking at the lone C1764 ship and suspicious of a trap. They were class C, but not idiotic. He disobeys orders and hangs back as [Meral]’s fleet begins the assault.
The Russia, and Valiant, and Spite arrive in the Chront system in time to help the Canada defend the planet. Activating the Ace device, and antimatter jumps the class C are quickly able to turn the tables on the overconfident Empire forces. Admiral [Meral]’s bridge is cut off of his ship and dumped in the Chront ocean by the Russia.
Rallying the Empire forces, [Vann] adjusts the battle strategy to match and counter the antimatter engine as well as the Ace device. He begins a retreat, wishing to protect his people, and recover from [Meral]’s blunder.
After the first Canada antimatter jump during the battle, Arik went offline. Derrick was unable to attend to her as the Canada crash lands on Chront due to battle damage.
The Empire in full retreat, the Russia moved towards the tachyon beacon in the outer system to disable it, all other ships in the system shutting down their own to ensure the Empire has no vector to jump back on.
The Humans, Tanuin, Vakurian, and Senion for the first time sit down at the same table. Weary and battle worn they begin to make an alliance.
Diana sets course for Olyn, the criminal Hub of the Empire.
[Charles] is startled awake as the Human captive who had escaped breaks into his home.
[Marcus] contacts the scientists in the Sol system who have begun to experiment with a C1764 embryo that was found in the remnants of the Station. The C1764 genome, is far more mutable than any other Seed species.