Scott Sigler: The Rookie

The Creterakians also shocked established navies with a new tactic — attack by attrition. The landing ships ignored navies and headed straight for the surface of every inhabited planet in the galaxy. Defending navies destroyed tens of thousands of ships, but it’s estimated at least five landing vessels touched down on each planet — giving the invading Creterakians a ground force of at least five million soldiers that could fly at 45 miles per hour and were armed with high-power entropic accelerator rifles. As astonishing as the figure sounds, the Creterakians conquered every planet within one week of landing.

By 2642, the Creterakians had the complete surrender of the Planetary Union, League of Planets, Ki Empire, Ki Rebel Alliance, Purist Nation, Tower Republic, Leekee Collective, Harrah Tribal Accord and the Sklorno Dynasty. The Quyth Concordia and the Rewall Association managed to fight off the invading forces, and remain independent to this day.

Partial galactic history of major events leading up to the founding and operation of the GFL

PRE-HISTORY

TERTIARY EPOCH:

Other than the sprawling deep-space construct known as “The Reef,” very little evidence remains of the Tertiary Epoch. It is known, however, that the period was a clear example of the “batching” phenomenon. Batching is defined as several species on separate planets achieving sentience and FTL technology in a relatively limited time span. Considering the number of variables involved with a species achieving sentience, it is theorized that with certain types of planets that evolution of sentience is inevitable, and will happen in a certain time frame based upon a planet cooling enough to support self-replicating chemical compounds. As large areas of mass condensed to form stars and planets, these areas possibly provided similar “starting points” at which this inevitable path to sentience began. This theory is highly controversial, countered by most mathematicians, astronomers and, of course, those that theorize batching is caused by galactic panspermia efforts.

QUATERNARY EPOCH:

Little is known about this period that occurred some two million years ago. The batching phenomena occurred in this time, with several species attaining sentience and achieving faster-than-light and/or gate technology. The Quaternary Epoch lasted approximately 500,000 years. Most academicians agree that ancestors of the Givers and Collectors cultures began in this period.

Galactic Timeline: all times in Earth Time (ErT)

MODERN EPOCH:

1967 Collector gate built on Ki homeworld. Ki race subjugated (date estimated).

1988 Collector orbital arrives at Earth.

2008 Collectors fail in multiple attempts to invade Earth

2009 Ki uprising against Collector homeworld. All contact lost with Collector race. Ki destroy all technology, dark age begins.

2015 Prawatt race created and exterminated on Earth (date estimated).

2345 Rewalls complete first successful test of the Punch Drive, achieve FTL status.

2387 Humans independently develop the Punch Drive.

2392 Rewalls establish colony on Loshal

2401 Humans become first peaceful interstellar ambassadors, landing on Whitok.

2406 Humans (with help of Terran Dolphins) sign treaty with Whitok.

• Whitok inhabit Earth’s waters, humans inhabit Whitok lands.

• Purist movement forms on Earth. Some humans believe Whitok are tools of the devil and that they should be destroyed.

2407 Humans colonize Capizzi 7, located in the Whitok system.

2409 Rewall colonize Yewalla

2410 Prawatt race seeded on new homeworld.

2412 Terrorist attack on Whitok city by Purists, 120 Whitok killed.

2414 Purist movement gains power. They want “Satanic” Whitok removed form Earth.

2420 Whitok become third interstellar race, achieving FTL with help of human scientists.

2430 Estimated time the Givers arrive in galaxy.

2431 Terrorist attacks on Whitok increase. Earth authorities heavily punish Purists in order to pacify enraged Whitok. Purists flee persecution and leave Earth in small fleet of ships. They predict destruction of Earth as they escape “Satanic” Whitok.

2431 Earthlings colonize Satirli 6.

2432 Givers land on Harrah homeworld.

2433 Capizzi 7 achieves self-sufficiency.

2434 Prawatt achieve FTL capability.

2438 Prawatts attack peaceful Rewall research vessel. First interstellar combat. Both ships break off fighting and return to home systems.

2439 Kuluko establish radio contact with Whitok, Rewalls and Earth. Purists land on Jason 2, renaming it Allah. Begin massive re-tooling of fleet to create fighting navy.

2440 Prawatt, with a navy of only 20 ships, attack Yewalla in first interstellar war. Prawatt forces defeat token Rewall defenders and land on Yewalla, but are driven off by Rewall land forces.

2445 Purists colonize Stewart.

2448 Harrah achieve FTL capability. Givers depart.

2450 Satirli 6 achieves self-sufficiency.

• Earth, Capizzi 7 and Satirli 6 form Planetary Union.

2453 Purists declare war on Planetary Union in First Holy War. The purists only have 12 ships — the war is clumsy and short-lived.

2454 Purists, fearing a retaliatory attack, sue for peace. Union accepts.

2455 Givers land on Kurgurk homeworld.

2456 Prawatt conquer Kuluko, exterminating the intelligent race. Ambassadors from Union, Whitok and Rewall Accord are executed. None of the three systems are able to respond in time to help Kuluko.

2460 Rewalls colonize Lotharis.

2461 Whitok colonize New Whitok.

2468 Planetary Union colonizes Thomas 3, which is in the same system as New Whitok.

2470 Leekee achieve FTL capability.

2478 Prawatt colonize Lewarth and Basadah.

• Kurgurk achieve FTL capability. Givers depart.

2486 Prawatt fleet (estimated at 72 ships) attack Yewalla again. Rewall ships, now prepared for combat, destroy Prawatt fleet (an estimated 25 ships returned to Prawatt).

2489 Satirli 6 secedes from Planetary Union.

• Civil war erupts between Union and Satirli 6.

2490 Whitok colonize Withrit.

2491 Satirli 6 successfully defends itself. Planetary Union officially recognizes it as an independent government.

2502 Sklorno achieve FTL capability.

2503 Thomas 3 admitted to Planetary Union.

2504 Grasslop achieve FTL capability.

2506 Grasslop ship meets Leekee ship in neutral space. Leekee attack and destroy Grasslop ship.

2510 Leekee declare war on Grasslop.

2511 Leekee conquer Grasslop.

2512 Rewalls colonize Yashan.

• Purists colonize Mason.

2514 Satirli 6 colonizes Wilson 4 and Wilson 6 and immediately declares them both independent protectorates, to be completely free as soon as they are self-sufficient.

• Satirli 6 opens trade with Planetary Union and Whitok Kingdom.

2515 Satirli 6 opens its doors to Union immigrants and they come by the millions. Satirli 6 rapidly becoming economic giant.

2517 Purists, seeing Satirli 6’s massive growth and assuming they hate the Union, invite Satirli 6 to join the Purist Nation. Satirli 6 refuses and Purists declare war on the infidels.

2518 Givers land on Ki homeworld.

2519 Purists can’t keep up long distance offensive war against Satirli 6.

• Purists offer peace, Satirli 6 accepts.

• Satirli 6, Wilson 4 and Wilson 6 form League of Planets to defend themselves against future Purist aggression.

First Galactic War, 2520–2524

2520 Sklorno launch massive (150 ship) attack against Withrit, destroying all intelligent life on planet.

• Whitok kingdom immediately declares war on Sklorno.