Scott Sigler - The Rookie

2636 Second Galactic Peace Conference held. Quyth and Sklorno are not liked by anyone, and little attention is paid to their border dispute.

2637 Tiring of constant border raids by Quyth, Sklorno send major force to border.

• Quyth respond by sending a major force.

• Ki achieve pre-war economic status.

2638 Tensions on Quyth/Sklorno border continue to rise, war seems imminent.

• Prawatts announce their intention of backing the Quyth if war should break (Editor’s Note: a major turning point in the history of galaxy, as it was the Jihad’s first political move).

• Purists, who now have their navy functioning again, claim rights to Jones 2, saying that they were coerced into selling planet, for a fraction of its worth. Purists say that Union would have destroyed Allah had the Nation not sold Jones 2.

• Rodina threatens secession from the Union.

The Cretarakian Age, 2639-

2639 Cretarakians achieve FTL capability. Quyth, Rewalls and Harrah claim Cretarak. Cretarakians claim allegiance to no one and friendship to all. (Editor’s Note: the Cretarakians had been quietly monitoring the galactic events of the past 200 years without being discovered. They knew exactly what was going on when they announced their presence. They are far ahead of where any other race was at the FTL discovery phase of their histories).

2640 Quyth, Rewall and Harrah fleets converge on Cretarak, tensions soaring — none of the three governments is willing to give up rights to the world, while the rest of the galaxy tries to decide how to handle this unprecedented situation.

• Skirmishes erupt amongst the three fleets.

• Cretarakians claim self-sufficiency, send delegations to the three fleets to negotiate a settlement.

• The three fleets welcome the tiny, seemingly harmless Cretarakian delegations. The Cretarakians are far from harmless. Swarming by the thousands, the small, flying creatures erupt from landing bays and within hours have captured all ships from the three fleets.

• The Cretarakians launch 50,000 landing ships that have been concealed on the planet. This reveals a level of technology not only unsuspected by the rest of the galaxy, but unknown to anyone (Editor’s Note: the Cretarakians planned their galactic attack for over 125 years).

• Each ship contains at least one million Cretarakians. Fifty billion Cretarakians spread through the galaxy within days. Thousands of ships are destroyed, but at least four ships land on every colonized planet in the galaxy. The Cretarakians completely bypass navies, choosing to land on planets instead.

• Once on a planet, the Cretarakian flocks unleash a devastating ground attack. Their speed, natural flight, and high-powered weaponry makes them an unstoppable force. Within one week, all ground armies are overwhelmed.

• Whitokian governments, based underwater, remain intact, but all land is overtaken.

• Prawatt Jihad has more time to react, being at the edge of the galaxy. They irradiate outlying worlds and colonies, and fall back to their system. They manage to destroy all of the Cretarakian ships targeted for their core system.

• Quyth government retreats to irradiated worlds, where the Cretarakians choose not attack.

• Planetary Union forces, led by Admiral Joshua Baugh, attempt a desperate attack on the Cretarakian homeworld. The Cretarakians use their captured warships to hold off the attack.

• League of Planets Blue Fleet, numbering over 1,000 vessels, joins the assault, but the Cretarakians are waiting — they have discovered a design flaw in League ships, and manage to use small boarding vessels to swarm the League ships, capturing all ships in one devastating tactical stroke.

• Ki Empire and Ki Rebellion navies join forces in an attack on the Cretarakian homeworld, but are soundly defeated by the technologically advanced captured League ships.

• Almost 90 °Cretarakian warships and landing vessels enter the Portath Cloud and are never heard from again.

2641 Cretarakians demand the surrender of all navies. Initially all systems refuse, but the Cretarakians begin to execute thousands of hostages every day.

• The Planetary Union surrenders first, on the orders of Admiral Joshua Baugh.

• The Ki Empire surrenders.

• The Ki Rebellion manages to evacuate government officials to a warship, and declare themselves a space-faring race, abandoning their planets.

• Purist Nation surrenders.

• Tower Republic surrenders.

• Leekee Collective surrenders.

• League of Planets surrenders.

2642 Cretarakians abandon efforts to pacify Rewall Association and Kurgurk. Scientists aren’t even sure if the Kurgurk knew the Cretarakians were on their planets — the Cretarakian armies were completely ignored.

• Harrah Tribal Accord surrenders.

• Sklorno Dynasty surrenders.

• Cretarakians abandon efforts to pacify irradiated Quyth Concordia planets.

• Cretarakians abandon efforts to pacify Whitok Kingdom — Whitokian underwater combat technology too great to overcome.

2643 Cretarakians in clear control of the Galaxy. Most species suspect existing governments are working with the Cretarakians, creating an overpowering, Cold War atmosphere of distrust.

• Murder rates skyrocket, as do isolationist cults and cross-species violence.

2644 In an effort to control cross-species violence and racism, the Cretarakians take over all shipping between worlds.

2645 Cretarakian shipping proves to be clumsy and poorly communicated. Goods and services are delivered late, often not at all, and industry begins to suffer heavily.

2646 The Galaxy dives headlong into economic depression. Despite strict Cretarakian discipline, murder and violence rates continue to climb. In cities and planets that formerly encouraged diversification, violence becomes a daily occurrence.

• The Cretarakians begin to realize they don’t understand the behavior of other species. Cretarakian scientists assumed that once they had control of all military forces, a great peace would ensue.

2647 The Dark Time — the depression hits the worst levels ever, with galactic unemployment at 25 percent.

• Cross-species relations reach an all-time low.

• Organized crime swells to new heights, providing unobtainable goods and services for exorbitant prices.

2648 The Cretarakians give up on their role as the galaxy’s shippers, turning the duties over to the Ki Empire.

2649 The Ki Empire provides an overall organizational structure, coordinating the shipping fleets of all subjugated governments. Almost overnight, the demand for imported goods and services skyrockets as items once again become available on most worlds.

2650 The Planetary Union introduces a galactic supply-and-demand computing system, tying all shipping vessels into one gigantic, coordinated fleet. Economic recovery continues to boom.

2651 Despite increased trade, cross-species violence is still a major problem, so severe it interferes with shipping as vessels are illegally searched and crews harassed or detained based on race.

• Ki Rebellion piracy becoming a major problem.

• Organized crime grows stronger by preying on shipping.

• Cretarakians refuse to give any government warships to deal with the piracy problem.

2652 Cross-species violence becomes an epidemic as terrorists do the unthinkable, simultaneously nuking three cities (one each on the Planetary Union’s Earth, Leekee Collective’s Grinkas and Ki Empire’s Ki). Purist Nation is suspected, but there is no proof.

2653 Cretarakians ask for help in controlling cross-species violence and piracy. Planetary Union officials introduce a plan for “System Police” departments — para-military forces made up of indigenous species that protect their various governments.