Enjoy this short timeline.
Timeline:
2020- A virus shakes up the world stage. The Coalition of Authoritarian states is formed with several extremist nations a part of it. They create the first batch of what is later to be called the Crusader Supersoldiers.
2023- After Rising tensions, the Third World War starts with NATO, Russia, and most of the United Nations on one side, and the Coalition of Authoritarian states on the other. This starts after the UN discovers the Crusader program and rescues a dozen of the surviving children turned supersoldiers.
2027- WW3 ends, the UN is victorious. The death count is 23 million.
2030 - Efforts are made by the UN to repair the planet from climate change. International efforts are made by several nations for a moon base.
2038 - Armstrong city is constructed as the first Human settlement on Luna. Helium three, which is exported back to Earth, makes Fusion energy possible.
2041 - New sublight engines allow for faster travel, which helps in the colonization of the belt for resources.
2045 - The European Union creates the first outpost on Mars. Other outposts by other nations are built quickly.
2053 - Tensions rise between Earth and several outer colonies. The UN assembles its own military force called the United Nations Allied Force. Meanwhile, political reforms are made so colonies have a bigger voice.
2059 - The interplanetary wars begin, though there is less bloodshed than WW3 due to the efforts of negotiators and less radical rebels.
2062 - The interplanetary wars end, with the UN victorious, though all colonies have some form of autonomy.
2070 - Fusion power eliminates the need for fossil fuel. Research into terraforming Mars begins.
2084 - Terraforming of Mars, Venus, and Luna begin. The UNAF begins growing in strength.
2090s - Fed up with the slow advance of Human exploration, the Ulysses project begins with the support of corporations. 6 ark ships are built heading into deep space using wormhole drives.
2093 - the expeditions leave using experimental wormhole drives. All 6 ark ships lose contact with Earth.
2100 - The Solar System celebrates the 2100 new Year. Then, a massive discovery on Mars is made, an Ancient Warship. This throws many into a panic.
2102 - Efforts made by Human scientists unearth a 20 KM long warship called the Grand Herald. They discover 2 ancient AIs who have used the names of Triumph and Gaia. Both claim to be from an ancient empire called the Irassian Concordat that existed millions of years ago. They claimed this empire was destroyed by a race called the Unbidden, which is supposed to return in a matter of centuries. They call upon Humanity to defend the galaxy.
2103 - Humanity rallies to the call of the Irassian AIs. The United Nations of Sol is formed with the task of defending the galaxy.
2104-2400 - The Golden Age of Humanity begins. An age of peace for the Human race as they use the technology of the Irassians to carve out a nation in the galaxy, New technology ends many of the sufferings of the 21st century. Yet space is surprisingly quiet and the Human race, along with their new AI brothers, continues to build up their military while facing some rebellion due to a belief of rising in fascism in the UNS. The Second Generation of Crusaders is born, weaker than first generations but cheaper to produce and less controversial.
2400-2503 - The Age of Contact. During this period, Humanity comes into contact with dozens of new races. Three nations in Particular, the Vissari Planetary Directorate, the Ztrakphor Parliamentary Kingdom, and the Lox-Ungrak Union come together and form the Pact of Defiance with Humanity. Humanity also discovers their lost brothers in the Ulysses Project, the Commonwealth of Man. A number of moderate size wars are fought amongst the empires of the galaxy, with the UNS fighting a few to better understand space combat.
2503-2537 - The age of conflict begins. Due to rising tensions, Much of the known galaxy breaks into open warfare, with the Pact, ancients, and Commonwealth of Man staying neutral. Much of the galaxy descend into war. Meanwhile, the neutral nations are enjoying a time of technological enlightenment, with megastructures, genetic therapy, nanites, and other wonderful machines.
2537-2545 - a raiding fleet attempts to sack a Vissari Colony, bringing the Pact into the war. The Pact, in a surprising show of efficacy, knocks out every belligerent in the 1st Galactic War. Despite only fighting minor proxy conflicts and insurgents, the Pact knows how to fight tanks to the wealth of experience accumulated by the Humans. 3rd Generation of Crusader supersoldiers is deployed.
2545 - 2700 - the age of silence. During this period, the galaxy experiences an age of prosperity and technological advancement. AIs, wormhole stations, and large machines meant to bore out resources for the galaxy become commonplace. Only minor conflicts are fought in this age.
2700- 2705 - the great Unbidden war begins. The Unbidden attack. Despite early gains by the Unbidden, the Pact and the rest of the Galaxy pool their resources and destroy the Unbidden wormhole while detonating a dark matter bomb that severely damages the Unbidden's home realm. The Unbidden is wiped out.
2705 - 2857 - the second age of enlightenment. With the victory over the Unbidden, Humanity and their Pact allies become the Custodians of the Galaxy. The galaxy rebuilds, and the United Nations of Sol (which is now a more traditional government rather than an alliance of nations) leads the galaxy to a new age. The population reaches the dozens of Trillions and new races are discovered. Dyson Spheres, Fortress, Matter Decompressors, Ring Worlds, and Megashipyards dot the galaxy. Antimatter, Darkmatter, teleportation, and other technologies are now everyday technologies. The Galaxy reaches the Post-Scarcity age. One major conflict does flair up though, the great Khanate Crusade. Special forces led by 1st Generation Crusaders eliminated the Great Khan and UNS fleets captured any remaining resistance.
2857-While hunting for a Fallen empire renegade fleet Remnants, Commonwealth of Man and United Nation scouts encounter an unusual planet with a Primitive Civilization. Our story starts here.
Remnant's orbit
January 15th, 2857
Fleet Admiral Lena Whiteliner of the United Nations of Sol 10th fleet sighed as her ships approached Remnant and as the vid comm connected to Earth and Unity.
What a brilliant way to start up a day. A new primitive world is discovered and there are fucking Humans on it. Why did Limburn have to retire so soon? She thought as the holograms of two other figures appeared. Oh right, raising their 4th son. Sydney was his name.
"General Secretary Clarkson, High Chancellor Garcia, I am here to deliver my report." Admiral Lena said.
"Admiral, what is so important that you required a priority call for both of us?" General Secretary Clarkson asked.
"Sir, we have an unusual situation in system SB-9037. Aside from the fact of some of the scientific anomalies within the region itself, we have confirmation of a fallen empire research facility on one of the planetary bodies." Lena Whiteliner answered.
"Impressive, but I assume there's more to it." Chancellor Garcia.
"Yes. We have confirmation of a habitable planet, roughly the size of Earth. What's more, we've detected a primitive species on it, Humans. We have images of Human-like people on the planet." Lena continued.
The two leaders look at each other. "Human-like? As in Homo Sapiens?" Garcia pressed on.
"Unknown. Humans, or at least they look like them. There are also some weird readings coming from the species themselves, our AIs and scientists believe it to be psionics of some sort.
Clarkson sighs. "Admiral, your ships are to enforce a quarantine of the planet with your Commonwealth counterparts. No one gets to that planet until we figure out what is going on. Clear?"
"Yes, Mr. General Secretary." Lena nods.
"I'll order Commonwealth fleet assets to follow your lead. Don't screw this up." Chancellor Garcia added.
"Crystal clear ma'am." the holograms disappear and Lena sinks back into her seat. I wonder if the Couple of Mass Destruction are being informed.
Australia, Earth
50 Kilometers from Adelaide.
January 17th, 2857
"How's Sydney's school coming along?" Victor asked his wife.
"Top grades in his class, picking fights with bullies, making a few friends. We taught him well." Sophia Limburn squealed as she was making dinner.
Currently, retired Field Marshal Ross chuckled at his wife's antics. "Taking charge of a bunch of students already? Impressive. Maybe this one will continue our legacy in the military."
"Maybe-" before they could continue speaking, their comm units began ringing.
"What now?" Ross frowned. The two sat down at the dinner table and activated the comms. They were surprised to see two of the most powerful individuals of the galaxy.
"Field Marshal Ross, Fleet Admiral Limburn. Sorry to interrupt dinner for you." Clarkson spoke.
"We were just starting, that's all. What's the problem?" Ross asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not an actual problem yet, we're just here to brief you on an unusual situation since you two are some of our most capable officers. Recently, the tenth fleet found a new primitive civilization on an Earth-sized world." Clarkson began.
"Ok? What else?" Limburn pressed on.
"And said species appears to be Human, and at least one more subspecies called Fanus." Garcia finished. The two Crusaders' eyes widen.
"Human? Are you sure that it isn't simply a lost colony?" Ross asked.
Both leaders shook their heads. "Afraid not. We've looked over the logs of missing colony ships. This world is way too far out for any lost colony vessel. We believe a Fallen empire has taken Humans from Earth and resettled some on the planet." Garcia responded.
"The reason why we are contacting you is because…..most of the inhabitants on the world are psionically capable and are capable of feats only Crusaders are capable of. Also, there's very hostile wildlife that appears to target sentient beings only." Clarkson continued.
"You aren't going to pull us out of retirement just so you can send us to fight them are you?" Sophia glared at the two holograms, both of whom had a moment of panic. The last time someone reactivated them into the active service to fight the Great Khan, several officers were beaten up as they were hosting a birthday party for more of their kids. They only agreed to return to service after they finished celebrating their kids' birthdays. And then the war ended three weeks later thanks to their help.
"What!? No! You two, along with most of the Gen 1s and 2s are the most capable and knowledgeable at fighting…..unique hostiles. We want you in an advisory role, not frontline." Garcia quickly added.
The couple let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, send me the information you have. I'll see about devising some methods in countering them." Limburn said.
"Excellent. Don't worry, we won't put you back into service unless you volunteer." the two leaders disappear and the couple receive a burst of information on their wrist pads (basically omnitools without the fabricator stuff).
"I'm going to go make dinner, you can take a look." Sophia returns to the kitchen while Ross takes a glance at the information on his wrist before heading up to his office.
Booting up the tactical display he took from the military, he began analyzing the data.
A shattered moon? Some weird hostile wildlife? People with magical powers? I feel like I've seen this somewhere in my childhood. Remind me to have Tom look through the internet again. Victor thought as he looked over some reports provided by the UN tenth fleet.
February 27th, Cybrex Prime
Cybrex prime, the former capital of the Cybrex race. Once a delict ringworld located weirdly close to Earth, it had been restored to its former glory with dozens of different races from across the galaxy. It was also the de facto military capital of both the regular United Nations military and its Pact allies. Its factories built many things, from combat armour and medical equipment to tanks and gunships, and even entire war fleets, though most of the shipyards were used to update and maintain the existing fleet rather than build more ships, seeing as the galaxy was in a time of peace.
And right now, several officials were meeting to discuss the new situation. This includes Admiral Lena Whitefield, the two Human national leaders, and a number of generals from both sides.
"Ok, so we managed to get Ross and Limburn's help on this. He's formulated several theories on how to counteract these primitives." Garcia sighed as she closed the datapad. "However he did warn that until we gain our hands on some more comprehensive battle data, these are just working theories."
A General named Lewis Denarob raised their hand. "His strategies include the use of weapons of questionable legality. Sleeping gas, microwave lasers, Tear gas, napalm, cluster munitions, tanks, plasma weapons, energy stun weapons, Arc Emitters? And he put MOABs in the list!?"
"Ross mentioned that these weapons are actually effective Crusader super-soldiers, to a certain degree. And he mentioned a number of these weapons are meant for hostile wildlife." General secretary Clarkson added.
"However, he did say to try out these weapons on the local. What have our cyber warfare teams found" Garcia quickly changed the subject.
Heads turn to one of the officers there, a Lieutenant General named Adrian Lamo, who heads the UN Cyber Command.
"We have a bunch of information that we managed to snag off their CCTS or the Cross Continent Transmit System as they call it. The CCT is basically their version of the Transnets we have (Transnet is basically the future internet). They do call themselves Humans, but the subspecies we found is called Fanus. They also call the planet Remnant due to the shattered moon so we will be going by that name." General Lamo reports.
"How hard was it taking most of the data?" a commonwealth General asked.
"Taking the data was not super hard. Their cyber defences are rather weak, even compared to earlier 21st century defences. Getting access was the hard part, we had to build a new communications satellite using designs from the 2400s because Remnant still uses radio waves." Lamo replied. He wasn't wrong, most communications were either Tachyon or Quantum entanglement. Radios were only used in emergencies and reserves.
"Ok, what else have you found?" Garcia pressed on.
"Well, the local wildlife that our drones observed? They call those Grimm. They are supposedly a race of soulless beings that only hunt Humans and Fanus. Traditional wildlife have been observed to not be harmed. Primary causes of death are usually from the Grimm. In addition, they had some sort of great wars and out of the four of their major nation-states, kingdoms they call it, only one has a traditional military." the general continued.
"If most of them don't have a military, how do they defend against this Grimm? Can't imagine the police are enough." General Denarob questioned.
"According to our AIs, they use government-sponsored mercenaries called Huntsmen and Huntresses. Remember about those psionic powers we were talking out? Huntsmen/Huntresses are trained to utilize these powers to fight off the Grimm. If we're taking from face value, these Hunters, as many in Cybercom are calling, have completed feats that rival our special forces and even the Crusaders! And they call these powers Auras and Semblances, supposedly drawing power from the soul." Lamo added a bit excitedly.
Everyone began to talk at once. Some were apprehensive about these potential hunters, others wanted to make contact. Eventually, Secretary Clarkson raised his hand and everyone calmed down.
"Ok, anything else General Lamo?"
"We're still digging through the details but we did find something interesting. Most of their technology is powered by a crystal called Dust. It basically can be used as a fuel source like old fossil fuels from the 21st century but without the environmental effects! In addition to that, they appear to have some sort of elemental effect to them. The main types are Gravity dust, Fire Dust, Lightning Dust, and Ice Dust. You can probably guess what those can do." Lamo added.
"And the downsides?" Garcia asked before anyone could start talking.
"If we're just looking at the element itself, there are three known issues. The first one is that it is very reactive, according to the natives' information. One wrong action and it could explode, such as a sneeze. We also noted that on its own, fire dust doesn't make really good propellent for kinetic weapons. Gunpowder still appears to do better, and current-day weapons will trump them all. If we want to use Dust, it has to be incorporated into our existing technology, not replacing it. The third major issue is that dust….doescan't work in space." everyone groans, no fancy elemental weapons in space. "No one knows why though."
"Ok, we'll continue with the science part later. How does a regular grunt stack up to one of these natives?" General Denarob asked.
"Well, we can't know for sure without a specimen or data. If we exclude the use of the Semblances and Auras, Our troopers will come out on top, most of the time. Add auras in and the battle balances out. Our genetic, exo-suits, and bio enhancements will give us an edge in most areas but they have this Aura to count on so it really depends on how well trained one is. Throw in the semblance and they will most likely dominate. It really depends on the individual." Lamo reported.
"Hmm, ok we need to get our troops trained to handle these threats and the Grimm. What about technology-wise?" Clarkson asked.
"Well, it's mixed. If we're looking at just the kingdoms, their technology could rival our forces during the 1st Galactic War (or the Age of Conflict). Their hunters make use of these interesting Mecha shift weapons that allow a weapon to transform from say…a pistol into a sword. This allows one of their hunters to fire from far range before being able to battle in CQC with little issue. The Kingdom of Atlas has these impressive, albeit oddly designed, airborne warships that could take on a modern-day corvette. They also appear to rely on androids for the majority of their military. However, they all suffer from one downside…dust. Because they rely heavily on dust, many of their designs would be considered inefficient by 21st century and current-day models. Amo Proceeds to open up a holographic model of a Bullhead.
"Dear goodness, what the hell is that?" one of the Aero-Space Force General asked, aghast at the design.
"This is a bullhead VTOL. As you can see, their designs are more….uh for fashion than efficacy. Several aerospace designers have remarked that if we just took an Osprey VTOL and used dust engines, it would work more efficiently than this crap. Even the Cree heavy gunships can outspeed these bullheads. Add to the fact that Dust doesn't work in space limits their non-combat support abilities." Lamo responded.
"So to summarize, they have the advantage of the elements, better special forces, and constant combat training against the Grimm. We have the advantage in better weapons designs, augments, numbers, and airborne supremacy." commented an admiral.
"Pretty much. However that said, they suffer from one of the main issues that plagued the 20th and 21st centuries of Earth. Political and cultural instability." Lamo pulls out an image of a major protest.
"The Fanus are suffering through racial inequality, some of the kingdoms are far behind in technology due to a lack of Dust reserves, and the Kingdom of Vale is suffering from what appears to be humiliation due to a failure at expansion at a mountain called Mount Glenn. We got more of the details for you to read but they are so busy that no one would notice much if a special forces team went in to gather more information." Lamo stated.
Everyone looked at Lamo. "According to Ross, he's basing most of his data on the Crusader's fights against the occasional Pisonic, other Crusaders, the data we sent him, and other equivalents. He recommends gathering additional data, namely on the Grimm."
Chancellor Garcia took a moment to think. "That would be easier than a full-time force. The region surrounding Remnant is too unstable for anything more than a recon, spec ops, and research force."
Secretary Clarkson nodded. "The local liberated worlds need time to be rebuilt and integrated into new Nationstates. We need at least three to four years to properly rebuild the surrounding regions, and another 2 to establish spaceborne logistics."
"I wouldn't recommend anything more than a Carrier battlegroup or two. Do keep in mind that the Grimm can supposedly sense negative emotions. Should they find a whole fleet overhead, we might accidentally kill off an entire planet." Lamo added in.
Clarkson turns to Admiral Lean Whitlefield. "Admiral, you are to pull your fleet and the Commonwealth ships to the neighbouring systems. Leave a carrier group to defend Remnant in case someone gets nosey. And keep all operations near the outer edges."
"Yes, Mr General Secretary. I'll begin withdrawing my fleet as soon as possible." Admiral Whitefield replied.
An hour later, after dealing with some other things regarding the galaxy, most of the personnel depart. Only the General Secretary, the High Chancellor, and the leaders of Cybercom and SOCOM (of both nations) remain.
"General Walker, General Muller, who do we send on a recon mission?" Garcia asked the leaders of the United Nations and Commonwealth Special operations Commands.
Both looked at each other. "Well, ideally we send a team of Crusader Gen 1s and 2s in. However, we all remember how they resisted mobilization during the Khanate wars so our best bet at the moment is a team of Rangers, Pathfinders, Ghosts, and a Crusader fireteam, preferably Gen 3s. I say they number around a platoon, with Stealth transports and potential interceptor air support." General Muller states.
"Begin outlining our objectives for such a mission and make a list of resources you might need. Contact Ross and Limburn for advice." Garcia ordered.
"Yes sir." the two SOCOM generals leave, leaving only General Lamo.
"Is there something you need?" Secretary Clarkson asked the still present general.
"Yes, one more thing. Both Ross and LImburn have claimed they've seen and heard the terms Grimm, Aura, and Semblances somewhere in their younger years. They'll do their best to find more information but they are busy raising a child." Lamo remarked.
"Wouldn't be the first time fiction became reality. Tell them to not worry too much. We'll handle it." Clarkson responded.
"Yes sir." the General saluted and left the two leaders to ponder the situation.
United Nations High Command….Selecting Operations
New Operation: Name?
Operation Beacon of Light: Ongoing
Sub-Operations: Shadow Hawk
The overall operations concerning the newly discovered planet of Remnant have been dubbed Operation Beacon of Light. The first combat missions, mainly recon, data collection, and technology acquisition, have been dubbed operation Shadow Hawk.
Objectives:
~Ascertain the threat level of the species known as Grimm
~Acquire the resource known as Dust for testing
~Determine the threat level of local inhabitants
~Determine the effectiveness of conventional and special forces against
Assets:
~Elements from the UN 75 Ranger Regiment
~Elements from Commonwealth Ghost Units
~Elements from the UN 9th Pathfinder Battalion
~Elements from the Commonwealth 25th Special Force Brigade
~Elements from the UN 2309th Unified Assualt Force (Primarily armed ground transports)
~34th Joint Crusader Force
~22nd United Nation Aerospace Recon Squadron
~UNS England Battlegroup (Aragon Class carrier, Assualt Variant), detached from the 10th Fleet
Approval for operation [Y/N] Y
Begining operations, preparing ground teams.