This document details the history and prehistory of the Terrain Alliance with
regards to the human race's expansion into space and dealings with other
species.
Many of the dates and events have not been verified or are uncertain. In
these cases, either a best guess is listed or nothing is listed at all.
This document is subject to change as further evidence is discovered.
- September 23, 2023 - The United States develops and successfully
tests the first prototype jump drive.
- The United States is suffering one of the worst depressions in known
history after the collapse of several government agencies and programs as
the country's massive deficit finally extracts its toll. The U.S. space
program of the time is almost nonexistant, and the government refuses to
provide funding over domestic concerns. 'How can we throw away billions
trying to fly out into space when there is hunger and joblessness on our
doorsteps?'
- December 18, 2023 - The United States agrees to sell jump drive
technology to Japan in exchange for changes to several export laws.
- January 29, 2024 - Japan announces a 10 year plan to establish the
first colony outside of the sol system.
- August 3, 2035 - Japan founds the first colony outside of the sol
system
- The U.S. becomes concerned. The founding of a single colony will make
Japan a larger nation than the waining superpower U.S. Fearing that its
status as the superpower on the planet will be usurped, sets aside its
domestic concerns (which its never been able to resolve anyway) and fully
funds its space program.
- Japan founds second colony.
- England founds its first colony.
- China founds its first colony.
- The U.S. founds its first and second colony.
- The space nations are expansionistic and relations toward eachother are cool
and nervous.
- The U.S. encounters the Quangee and establishes trade.
- The Quangee, seeing the humans as having poorly protected eggs, conduct a
number of raids on U.S. colonies, taking some of the supplies and some human
prisoners and leaving the rest.
- The U.S. masses forces near Quangee space and demands that the Quangee
return the human prisoners. The Quangee flatly refuse to return their
human slaves but are willing to trade for the supplies.
- The Quangee conduct a second raid, taking more supplies and slaves.
- The U.S. declares war on the Quangee and attacks the nearest Quangee
colony.
- The Quangee band together and attack the U.S. colonies in full fury. The
U.S. finds that its technology and forces are sparse, inferior, and
unprepared. Used to peace, they hadn't expected a war with anyone. They
are on the retreat.
- The U.S. asks Japan and England for help. Japan and England both refuse and
continue their own expansion. It is the U.S.'s problem, not theirs.
- The Quangee cut through the U.S. colonies and strike against Terran defenses
inside their solar system.
- The U.S. again asks Japan and England for help. And this time extends its
invitation to China as well.
- Faced with the threat against Earth, the first Earth counsel is hastily
called. All nations of Earth form a hasty alliance.
- The combined forces of the Terran Alliance is no match for the Quangee. But
they are able to inflict significant losses on Quangee forces in-system.
- The Quangee have no interest in a bloody war and withdraw from the Terran
system and the two smaller U.S. colonies that are still in conflict. They
retain the third, larger colony. Despite the U.S.'s insistance, the Terran
Alliance refuses to attempt to seize the lost colony and the Quangee seem
content to keep it as a trade for the valuable lesson in galactic survival
they taught the Terrans.
- The Earth enjoys a nervous peace and spends resources expanding its space
technology, forces, and colonies. The Terrain Alliance considers itself to
be in a cold war with the Quangee. The Quangee don't care.
- The Quangee continue to probe Terran defenses, but find that their eggs are
protected now. Terran forces fairly routinely engage incoming Quangee
forces, manuvering until they have advantage and then ordering them away at
gunpoint without either having fired a shot much as American and Russian
planes sparred during their cold war. The Quangee don't understand why the
humans spar when they defend their eggs. The mere presence of their forces
would have been enough to ward away the egg-stealing Quangee. The Quangee
see it as excellent free training for their pilots and conduct many 'raids'
against the humans for this single purpose. The humans see it is hostility.
The Quangee see it as inexpensive training.
- Terran Alliance forces encounter a Dz'Isu freighter near the Quangee border
on its way to Quangee space. Having had no contact with any other race, and
not knowing that Quangee freighters are actually purchased Dz'Isu
freighters, the Terran cruisers recognize it as a Quangee freighter that has
violated Terran space. Suspecting it may be associated with a raid, the
Terran Alliance cruisers order it to halt for inspection. The freighter
does not respond but does halt as Terran forces surround it. Minutes later,
a Dz'Isu fleet arrives. Terran forces manuever against them as a sparring
engagement against the Quangee, not understanding that these are not Quangee
vessels. Faced against obviously hostile manuevering, the Dz'Isu
immediately open fire. A full scale fire fight ensues. None of the Terran
fleet survives... or escapes.
- The Dz'Isu Empire declares war on the Terran Alliance.
- Terrain Alliance fleets mobilize along the Quangee border while Dz'Isu
fleets strike along their previously unknown border, cutting swiftly through
light defenses while the Terrans discover their error and recall their
forces from the Quangee border.
- The Terrain Alliance has had time to bolster its strength considerably since
the war with the Quangee and their defenses are considerable. The war with
the Dz'Isu Empire is bloody. Terrain forces possess superior engine and kinetic
weapon technology, however the Dz'Isu have superior technology in most all
other aspects. In particular, they have shields and advanced energy weapon
technologies. The shields are the single most important factor. The
Terrans have never even seen shields before. The Quangee didn't have them
either. Terrain Alliance units have trouble even damaging Dz'Isu units.
Despite heavily prepared defenses, Terran Alliance fleets are almost
constantly in retreat.
- The Terrain Alliance develops the StarFighter. Smaller and more agile to
help make up for the lack of shields. It embraces the Alliance's
technological strengths over the Dz'Isu while attempting to cover up for its
weaknesses. They are mass produced. These fighters halt the Dz'Isu advance
and give the Terrain Alliance something it hasn't had in months... hope.
- Dz'Isu Empire clans, weary of the war, ask the Queen for peace. The Queen
refuses. She demands victory. History must record her achievements for
this, the only noteworthy event of her time as leader of the Dz'Isu
empire.
- The Terrain Alliance manages to capture a Dz'Isu fighter intact. It is
immediately dissected for reverse engineering.
- Many social and political factions on Earth cry for an end to the war. The
Dz'Isu Empire, however, will not negotiate.
- The Terrain Alliance develops prototype shield systems based on the shield
system used on the captured fighter. It is found that the design of the
StarFighter, however, is completely incapable of mounting shields. A
project is immediately set forth to develop a fighter that can.
- The Terrain Alliance develops the Shrike. With the advent of this fighter,
combining Terrain engine and kinetic weapons technology with stolen Dz'Isu
shield and power systems technology, the tide of the war turns. Slowly the
Terrain Alliance starts to push the Dz'Isu back.
- The heir to the Dz'Isu throne gains political support from the majority of
the Dz'Isu clans for her desire to end the war and challenges the Queen.
The heir kills her in single honorable combat and ascends to the throne.
- The Dz'Isu Empire sues for peace. Despite the insistence of its generals to
push the war further, the Terrain Alliance Counsel heeds the cry for an end
to the war and accepts cease fire terms. The cease fire comes in the middle
of a ground battle over a captured human colony on the front line.
- A peace treaty is negotiated. Both sides retain half of the colony. It is
renamed Stepping Stone and is concidered to be more or less neutral ground
between the Alliance and the Empire. Both sides decide to not erect
barriers and defenses on the planet and simply stay away from eachother.
Stepping Stone is, however, within Alliance territory.
- The Dz'Isu Empire and the Terran Alliance enjoy an uneasy peace.
- Stepping Stone proves to be rich in key resources and quickly becomes a
major industrial colony with a strong manufacturing industry and research.
The Dz'Isu and Humans on the planet, despite political pressures and the
xenophobia of the Alliance, begin to mix. Combining their skills,
knowledge, and expertise, Stepping Stone becomes the leader in many
industries... including military technologies.
- Xenophobia is rampant on Earth and most of its colonies. The humans'
experience with alien races (ie. each one they've met so far has tried and
almost succeeded in killing them) have pushed public opinion far into
species hatreds.
- The Terran Alliance finds its borders with several other races and nervously
negotiates treaties with each of them.
- Stepping Stone is all but completely free of xenophobia. The Dz'Isu and
Humans on the colony are content with eachother. Mixed marriages/matings
are becoming commonplace between the two races.
- Several Dz'Isu and Quangee hate groups form on Earth and her colonies.
These groups regard all aliens with disdain. The Terran Alliance becomes
more and more militant towards its neighbors and tensions rise as the peace
and technology exchange between the Alliance and Empire makes both more
powerful. Many wish to preemptively attack the Dz'Isu and the other races
before they can attack the Alliance again.
- Further Quangee raids and skirmishes with other races ignite hatred and
nervousness among the Alliance.
- The Hell Fighter is developed on Stepping Stone. Despite the Alliance's
desires to keep it a human only project, it is a collaboration of Dz'Isu and
Human technology. The head of the project is a human who is married to two
Dz'Isu. This wasn't very popular on Earth.
- The Terran Alliance forbids Stepping Stone from giving the Hell Fighter
technology to the Dz'Isu. Stepping Stone, which has been becoming more and
more seperatist as the xenophobia of the Alliance mounts, flatly refuses to
comply.
- The Dz'Isu Empire and the Terran Alliance assume highly uneasy stances
toward eachother.
- Stepping Stone sells two squadrons of Hell Fighters to the Quangee. The
Alliance is outraged. Hate groups on Earth pressure the Alliance
heavily.
- Stepping Stone begins development of the Super Hell Fighter, keeping it
secret from the Alliance. Needed supplies are transported from Dz'Isu
territory.
- The Terran Alliance, after much pressuring from Dz'Isu hate groups, issues
orders that all Dz'Isu are to be deported from Stepping Stone or imprisoned
if they refuse, and Stepping Stone's administration is to be replaced with
new leaders who are more sympathetic to the Alliance.
- Stepping Stone declares its independence from the Alliance. A large Dz'Isu
fleet crosses the border and combines with Stepping Stone's own considerable
forces to face off with a large Terran Alliance fleet accompanied by
transports carrying the new administration along with prisoner transports
configured for Dz'Isu sized occupants. The two battle fleets face eachother
in a highly tense standoff. Rows of fighters face eachother with weapons
unlocked, guns heated, and fire control active and locked on. The standoff
lasts three days with neither side willing to open fire. The Terran
Alliance, despite intense pressure from enraged political forces, is not
willing to fight another war with the Dz'Isu. And the Dz'Isu and Stepping
Stone are quite willing to wait it out. The Terran Alliance withdraws from
the confrontation.
- Opposed administration is ejected from Stepping Stone as its leadership is
reorganized and new political powers are defined. The secret Super Hell
Fighter project is leaked to the Terran Alliance.
- Hate groups saturate the news with reports of Stepping Stone developing a
secret weapon, the Super Hell Fighter, to destroy the Terran Alliance and
kill all men, women, and children on the homeworld and her colonies.
- Fleets are mobilized and at readiness on all sides. The situation is a
powder keg.
- Two squadrons of Quangee Hell Fighters conduct a raid on a border Terran
colony, successfully penetrating defenses, stealing supplies and slaves, and
returning unharmed.
- Terran Alliance forces mobilize and conduct exercises just outside of
Stepping Stone space and along the Quangee border.
- All eyes watch the news vids. All nations stop and nervously wait.
- Terran Alliance forces enter Stepping Stone space and engage system
defenses. They are met with stiff resistance.
- The civil war has begun.