No, it's not official, and many things were left unsaid. You could even contend that the developers didn't care enough to fill in the details because they were mostly unnecessary; Starlancer was not made with a sequel in mind, and when Freelancer came about the past became the "dark ages" anyway. However, Starlancer did leave some little hints here and there. Thanks to the wonderful iTac database system, I've been able to take bits and pieces of this universe's past and apply some logical reasoning to the background. Please note that Starlancer was horridly simplistic and one-sided in its portrayal of the Coalition versus the Alliance, so I sought to lay the blame of the start of the war and war crimes on both parties. Here's the result, my take on things, so rate and review as you please.
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2100 - Space colonization has been burgeoning for the past five decades, and the entire solar system is littered with orbital stations and lunar bases. All the while, the original East-West enmity dating back to the Cold War still exists in some form. The nations of the East are rapidly being outpaced in colonization efforts, the new measure of political power, while the nations of the West are more technologically and economically capable of expansion. President X of the United States makes his "Century Speech", in which it is said that "Humanity should unite under a single banner so that we might colonize the stars together". This merely aggravates a rising feeling of tension.
2101 - A year of shifting borders and allegiances, the weaker nations of Earth begin to congregate in the face of obsolescence. Brutal turf wars in the Middle East give way to a centralized power calling itself the Tigris Confederation. Meanwhile, China, in the effort to solidify its local power, absorbs the nations of Indo-China and South-east Asia and forms the East Asian Federation, with Japan curiously excluded. Russia, as always watching its western neighbors, takes advantage of the lingering tension and feelings of disillusionment with western powers and manages to influence the creation of an Eastern Republic, which is no more than a puppet state.
2102 - The nations of the west are found to be incapable of action; not even the European Union makes more than a verbal protest when some of its member states break off to join the Eastern Republic. The policy of non-intervention in the Middle East after the turmoil of the early 21st century leaves the Tigris Confederation untouched. And the exclusion of Japan from the East Asian Federation is seen more as a leniency against forcing it to join, and therefore China's actions are not deemed worthy of harsh response. All of this is partly the result of the United States' preoccupation with the creation of the American Union, in which the weaker nations of South America are only too eager to join lest they be left behind in the rampant political race.
2105 - After a period of settlement, there are talks of further mergers. It is here that the East-West differences become the most pronounced, as China and Russia sign multiple pacts and encourage the Tigris Confederation to join in this developing alliance. Needless to say, when given the option between the east and the west, the Confederation went with the east. Satisfied that they were developing a force capable of asserting political and military authority on Earth and in space, the Tigris Confederation, Eastern Republic, East Asian Federation, and Russia declare the formation of the Eastern Coalition. Russia is at the forefront of technological advances, and therefore supplies the equipment, while the other nations, most notably China, supply the materials and manpower.
2106 - The declaration of the Eastern Coalition shocks and abhors politicians across the world; never in history had a unified political body so large existed. The United Nations became an obsolete institution when almost an entire half of the resident body voted in unison. It was then decided that a proper countermeasure should be taken up; globalization had become impossible, while polarization became inevitable. The American Union and what was left of the European Union entered talks for a new "NATO", only to find that they had friends abroad in the form of Japan and Australia. So followed the declaration of the Western Alliance. Of all the nations of the world, only Switzerland, India, and the fractured states of southern Africa stood apart from the two giants.
2125 - After a somewhat stable period of expansion on both sides, the "Lunar Conflict" occurs, a brief stint in which colonists of both the East and West on the Moon begin fighting between each other over a territorial dispute. Peacekeeping forces sent by both sides to quiet the disturbance end up fighting each other, and before long a small orbital battle takes place in which an Alliance cruiser is destroyed. An abrupt ceasefire is called, and negotiations rapidly fall into a state of open insult. However, peace manages to prevail simply through the threat of war; the Coalition, not wanting to instigate a full scale war, is forced to take blame for the incident and cedes all authority on the Moon.
2126 - The "Europa Uprising" occurs, a radical event in which the Coalition denizens of the Europa Colony stage a coup in order to usurp Alliance control there. The Coalition took a bolder stance this time around, and intimidates the Alliance into a moderate treaty in which Coalition colonists leave Europa, but joint control over the Moon is restored. It was an abortive attempt at reconciliation that only backfires, as the Coalition is still ceding ground and failing to appease its population. In the face of unrest at home, the Coalition begins to increase its pace of militarization, creating a space fleet strong enough to compete with that of the Alliance on even terms.
2128 - The Alliance-Coalition War begins in earnest with the "Ultimatum" submitted by Alliance Prime Minister X. In light of the drastic increase of military presence in space, the Alliance threatens to blockade the Coalition nations on Earth unless they cease production and mobilization. This move threatens to cut off the eastern nations of Earth from its colonies, thereby literally starving out both ends. The Coalition refuses the only way they can, by threatening reciprocal force in the event of a blockade. The obstinacy of both sides leads to the Mutual Destruction of Earth as the entire stockpile of nuclear weapons is finally launched in the long-dreaded Armageddon, merely to deny the Earths resources to the other party. The Alliance and Coalition persevere, but are now locked in a state of bitter war.
2129 - The First Battle of Earth ends in the near-complete destruction of all settlements on the surface, and the expulsion of the Coalition's primary fleet towards the sun. The Coalition's space forces manage to regroup at Mercury where they mount a successful counter-offensive against the Alliance, all the while instigating revolts and partisan warfare in the outer colonies, tying down units the Alliance desperately needs. The offensive is successful, and Venus is taken.
2130 - The Second Battle for Earth, or rather its space, begins. The Alliance has the superiority in numbers thanks to the barely operating shipyards over what is now a half-dead planet, but the Coalition forces manage to successfully envelop and eliminate an entire Alliance Fleet, breaking the back of the defense and driving the remaining two fleets back to Mars.
2131 - The Granada Treaty is signed, in which the Alliance recognizes the Coalition's martial dominance over planet Earth and the inner Solar System. So begins an agonizing period of reconstruction and an unsteady peace while the Alliance fortifies its position on Mars. With the inner systems taken, the Coalition begins restructuring what is left of Earth and bolsters itself for another push. The Alliance, having rescued a large portion of its armada, can sustain itself without too much need for heavy industry.
2154 - After a long period of consolidation and minor border skirmishes, the Coalition is the first to break the treaty by mounting an offensive on Mars. The Alliance attempts to defend Mars against the Coalition's assault, but finds that the Coalition fleet has been bolstered thanks to the shipyards above Earth. The Coalition also reveals that it has developed more advanced technology, including short range hyper-jump drives compact enough to be mounted on fighter craft. These advances are quickly copied by the Alliance, but far too late, as Mars falls within the year.
2155 - The "Belt Campaign" begins. The Coalition attempts to mount offensives against Jupiter by attacking through the treacherous Asteroid Belt, which proves to be a natural defensive position for both sides. The fighting is brief, but deadly, as losses mount at an incredible pace. With both sides unable to budge the other, the "Belt Campaign" has become an obvious and total failure. A second ceasefire ensues, and both sides yet again attempt to adjust to a normal way of life. Nevertheless, both sides know that the war is far from over; Earth has to be avenged.
2160 - In an effort to ostensibly gain peace and end this useless stalemate, the Coalition proposes the Balma Treaty. Its details are worked out furiously by diplomats from both sides, since it appears to be the best chance to put the conflict to rest. The Coalition's dignitaries are sent to meet with the Alliance cabinet at Base Kennedy on Jupiters moon of Europa, carried aboard the CS Pukov, flagship of the Coalition Fleet. However, it is no more than a scheme to continue the fight. Using cloaking devices developed during the intervening years, the Coalition sneaks a large portion of its fleet through the Asteroid Belt, where they split into operational groups, one of which trails the Pukov. Taking advantage of the Alliance Fleets order to stand down for the treaty, numerous Coalition groups de-cloak and fire at will. Within 72 hours, the French and Italian fleets are almost entirely decimated, and Base Kennedy is rendered a lifeless pile of rubble. The leadership of the Coalition begins to show the first signs of dehumanization as a result of the war through the mass executions and forced labor of countless prisoners and civilians, a policy which it will continue for the remainder of its existence. The Alliance is forced to retreat back to Neptune.
2161 - The Coalition's momentum begins to slow as the Alliance is compressed into the Neptune sector. With its entire population on a complete war footing, the Alliance begins to fight back in earnest, utilizing the same partisan-style warfare of the Coalition in order to disrupt lines of supply and communication. This is more or less the result of the Coalition's harsh treatment of Alliance citizens. Gradually, the Uranus and Saturn sectors are secured.
2162 - Alliance forces manage to mount an offensive on Jupiter, just as the Coalition begins bringing up reinforcements from Earth. The timing disrupts the Coalition's ability to mobilize these new reserves, and ends in the destruction of their forward command post. In the disarray that follows, the Coalition fleets are scattered and sent back through the Asteroid Belt. Ignoring the plight of the civilians at Jupiter, as it is believed that they are firmly in the Alliance camp, the Alliance military seizes the opportunity and continues to press on the retreating enemy forces. Before long a forward base is established on the other side of the Asteroid Belt, and Mars once again becomes the frontline.
2163 - The Second Battle of Mars takes place. By now the infrastructure on the planet is devastated, and more than half of the civilian population has died due to starvation or forced labor. The Coalition's retreat takes it fully back to planet Earth, with only a minimal force being present to defend installations on Mars. The Alliance hails this as a great victory, and that the end is in sight, but it couldnt be further from the truth.
2164 - The Alliances offensive thins out, leaving its battered warships in Mars orbit. Coalition military units make no attempts to retake the planet, opting to stay at Earth and regroup. It does not take long for the Alliance to suffer for its military victory, as the populace of both the Jupiter sector and Mars sector are in upheaval. The Alliance unified government holds a tenuous grasp on its member states, all the while facing the prospect of rebellion.
2166 - After a period of reconstruction, the Alliance makes one final bid for victory by launching an all out assault on Earth. The Coalition's losses turned out to be exaggerated, and its ability to rebuild underestimated; Alliance forces run headlong into entire fleets of state-of-the-art ships, including a number of the fabled Czar-class Battle Carriers. Alliance forces manage to get as far as the Moon before they find themselves surrounded and out-gunned. A general retreat is called, but only half of the fleet manages to pull out intact. The Third Battle of Mars takes place. In a conflict only lasting a week, the entire Alliance position is completely uprooted and thrown backwards. The forward base established in 2162 is the only remaining outpost within the inner Solar System.
2167 - Once again there is a stalemate of sorts across the Asteroid Belt. The Coalition government feels that it is wiser to let the Alliance rip itself apart than to try to assault this position yet again, and this time around there is no hope for a treaty of any sort, legitimate or otherwise. The Alliance maintains a constant state of border skirmishes, all the while falling apart from the inside.
2170 - The Alliance unified government is in shambles; representatives from France walk out on numerous meetings in protest. Civilians barely manage to subsist on what supplies can be produced, and the military resorts to mass drafts simply to keep its manpower concerns in check. Meanwhile the Coalition has become a completely centralized entity, ruling whats left of its subject people with an iron fist. Both sides are galvanized into exterminating the other.
2181 - Coalition forces once again start an offensive against a withered foe. Slowly but surely, the Alliance is forced backwards, expending lives at a prodigious rate.
2182 - The Jupiter sector falls to the Coalition and is ruthlessly purged of all Alliance citizens. Alliance officials see this carnage and begin to formulate the only escape plan possible: evacuating the Solar System. Work on the Sleeper Ship fleet begins on Triton, in Neptune orbit, utilizing a highly theoretical trans-stellar jump drive system.
2185 - The Coalition lays siege to the Saturn sector. What proceeds is a conflict of immense and barbaric proportions in which both sides simply toss lives at each other, often poorly equipped and poorly led. The colony on Titania is exterminated after the Coalition hijacks an orbital colony and crashes it into the moon. The Saturn sector becomes a complete wasteland, fought over by remnants of Alliance and Coalition fleets.
2192 - The Alliance begins the final construction process of the Sleeper Ships on Triton, all in separate hangars. Coalition spies discover the construction site of the ASF-6 Gallia and destroy it using a thermonuclear device. Alliance officials find that they are unable to devote any more resources towards the project and tell the French representatives that their ship shall not be replaced. In the meantime, the surviving Sleeper Ships are secretly moved to Pluto where construction can continue.
2193 - While still nominally a member of the Alliance, France ceases all cooperation with the unified government and withdraws its independent forces from the frontline. The government of France enacts a plan by which all available resources are diverted to or are stolen for the construction of a second Sleeper Ship. Construction takes place at an undisclosed location.
2199 - The Saturn sector finally falls to the Coalition. A mass exodus not seen since 2160 ensues in which entire populations scramble to reach Pluto, now openly rumored to be the launching point of escape ships. The Uranus sector is completely abandoned by Alliance forces in the effort to stage an effective defense of Neptune; any civilians unable to reach this defense line in time find that the Coalition shows no mercy. Before long, the remnants of the Alliance fleet engage the Coalition's armada in the Battle of Triton, a long and grueling affair in which most of the Alliances premier capital ships are completely destroyed.
2200 - Broken bits and pieces of the Alliance fleet return to Pluto in time to defend the launch of the five remaining Sleeper Ships, now packed with a small portion of the surviving population, ostensibly chosen via lottery. The ASF-2 Bretonia is heavily damaged by Coalition fire, but manages to make a short hyper-jump along with the other four ships. Coalition spies manage to infiltrate the population of the ASF-5 Hispania, ready to sabotage the vessel at a later date. Unable to stop the Sleeper Ships from escaping, the Coalition fleet turns its guns on the defenders of Pluto, intent on eliminating the last Alliance stronghold in the Solar System. However, before the assault begins in earnest, a vessel of unknown origin appears above Charon in Pluto orbit and launches a projectile at the Sun. The projectile, traveling at superluminal speeds, impacts the star within minutes, causing an artificial supernova that destroys every major planet and human settlement. The sole survivor is a man on the dark side of Pluto, an Alliance General named Atticus Rockford, who manages to escape in a jump-drive equipped shuttle before the planet loses stability and implodes. He sets course for the destination point of the ASF-1 Liberty and enters cryo-hybernation.
The Coalition withholds the right to devise and edit it's own history as per faction rights. we are, after all, the winners, and the winners write the history books.:D
In all seriousness, Morgan and I have been working a long time to figure out this particular segment of history. Presentation in due time.
' Wrote:Destruction of Earth did happen. Most of Sirius is not aware of this however. The light from the explosion will reach Sirius in some time from now. It hasn't yet.
The Coalition withholds the right to devise and edit it's own history as per faction rights. we are, after all, the winners, and the winners write the history books.:D
In all seriousness, Morgan and I have been working a long time to figure out this particular segment of history. Presentation in due time.
I have to advice you, dear sir, that in this situation Nomads are the winners. As far as I believe, they can't write history books.
By the way. I think we should put this one to Discovery wikia. And don't forget to mark as "Unofficial/non-Canon" to make readers understand that this is not official version.
Quote:By the way. I think we should put this one to Discovery wikia. And don't forget to mark as "Unofficial/non-Canon" to make readers understand that this is not official version.
Not official in terms of Digital Anvil/Microsoft never released such a text (sadly). It can be official for Discovery, though!
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