[Sonny]

Part 3.

Extreme measures (2844-2845)

November 2844

With the flows of Auraxium from New Conglomerate regions almost completely halted, The Terran Republic leaders convince themselves that they won't stop even if it means the death of human civilisation on Auraxis.

They prepare for war. To ensure their victory, they decide to commence military-scale rebirthing experiments on Searhus using young conscripts.

December 2844

Terran spies identify several secret Vanu underground laboratories on Esamir. Angered by this blatant deception, and suspicious of Vanu intentions, a second Terran army is quietly prepared to face the third, smaller faction.

Following early successes at Searhus, large-scale Terran Republic rebirthing experiments begin at several locations across Indar, now using full brigades of soldiers and mobile rebirthing technology.

February 2845

The final debate in Congress. New Conglomerate representatives demand the resignation of the Terran Republic government, an open investigation into the research going on into 'rebirthing' technology, and the release of political prisoners from the prison compound in the Kaorr desert.

The Terrans refuse, instead accusing the New Conglomerate of collusion in the bombings in the cities. The heated debate almost results in a mass brawl in the Congress, broadcasted live on the global networks. The New Conglomerate congressmen and women storm out of the Congress hall, never to return.

Observing the dramatic escalation of the conflict, Vanu political leaders abandon hope of a peaceful resolution and accelerate their plans. The construction of the Ark is almost complete. They prepare their small military forces to rescue the remaining Vanu artifacts stored across Auraxis before they make their escape to the stars, scheduled for September 2845.

March - June 2845

Border skirmishes between the Terran Republic and New Conglomerate grow more violent by the day. The incumbent President Kara Mallory, struggling to control her war-hungry generals, makes one final attempt at peace talks. She is met by like-minded New Conglomerate President Paul Macklin. For two days, there is a ceasefire.

Descent into Madness (2845-2858)

"We tried to stop it turning to this. But the rebirthing changed everything. The generals were convinced that we were invincible, that we could utterly defeat them in days and finally have peace. Pride is a powerful enemy." Kara Mallory, 2845. From her personal diary, found among the wreckage of the Congress building.

June 21, 2845

The Terran Republic and New Conglomerate begin full-scale war after peace talks are interrupted by confusing reports of armed conflict in the Kaorr desert region.

It is still a mystery who gave the order to attack.

The New Conglomerate army assaults the Kane prison compound in the Kaorr desert where many of their compatriots are imprisoned by the Terran forces. Seemingly well prepared, Terran rebirth squads are waiting for them on the front line. Hundreds of New Conglomerate soldiers fall before their commanders realise with horror that rebirth technology has been fully militarised.

In the panic, they launch weapons of mass destruction at targets in and around Kaorr. The Terran Republic respond with heavy weapons of their own, aimed at the New Conglomerate border towns.

At Xenotech labs, a group of imprisoned Vanu scientists escape their confinement in the midst of the chaos, and broadcast worldwide the location of the Terran mobile rebirthing facilities before they are killed. Thanks to this information, the New Conglomerate are able to destroy most of the rebirthing facilities with mass air strikes.

The followers of Vanu declare themselves an independent Sovereignty and declare war on all those who oppose their views.

Within hours, the newly-christened 'Vanu Sovereignty' launch an assault on artifact storage facilities across Auraxis. Taking the guards by surprise, they make off with the vast majority of archaeological finds within hours. The Sovereignty quickly adapt and surpass the Terran rebirthing systems, and soon bring a host of prototype weaponry to the battlefield.

June 25th 2845

Several Terran rebirthing facilities are still intact, despite the best efforts of the New Conglomerate to eradicate them. With the advantage of invincible soldiers, the Terran armies inexorably push them back.

Fearing for their survival, the New Conglomerate generals launch an all-out assault against the Vanu Sovereignty in order to steal the latest rebirthing technology and nullify the Terran advantage. Their surprise attack decimates the smaller Vanu forces.

July 2845

Not willing to risk that the New Conglomerate have control of advanced Vanu Sovereignty technology, the Terran Republic simultaneously launch a massive assault against the Vanu Sovereignty homeland.

2846 -2847

Despite their technological advantage and committing their entire population to the war effort, The Vanu Sovereignty are driven almost to extinction by the two-pronged assault. Abandoning their towns, the Ark, and much of their scientific progress, they flee into the frozen wastelands of Esamir.

The New Conglomerate hold on to the mountain passes while they cobble together the Vanu systems with their own military equipment. They bring rebirthed units to the battlefield before the Terran Republic can strike a critical blow.

2848 - 2858

The next ten years, innumerable pitched battles are fought across every continent, with neither the Terran Republic nor New Conglomerate gaining or losing significant ground, their soldiers dying countless times.

The first signs of rebirth stress are identified within the ranks. Soldiers who show signs of severe rebirth trauma are redeployed to home bases to prevent them from causing chaos on the front lines.

Vengeance (2859-2861)

"You believed that you had destroyed us completely, that we were gone forever. But all you achieved was to enrage us, to turn ALL of our minds to work on your destruction. There will be no negotiations. This will be our final transmission." Precept Esaia, Vanu Sovereignty commander, 2859

2859

Tiring of the futility of endless war, peace negotiations recommence between the Terran Republic and New Conglomerate. But before they can reach an agreement, sketchy reports from Esamir suggest the sudden and complete obliteration of several New Conglomerate armoured brigades.

The Vanu Sovereignty are back, with superior hover and weapons technology, physically-augmented soldiers and rebirth systems far in advance of those of their enemies.

Fired by bitter hatred and a taste for vengeance, they drive the New Conglomerate to their knees, chasing them back onto their final home continent, laying waste to all of their towns and cities. Even with every last citizen conscripted to the front line and rebirth duty, the New Conglomerate barely hold on to the mountain passes of Amerish.

2860 - 2861

Horrified by the ease by which the Vanu Sovereignty crushed their hated enemy, the Terran Republic fortify their own cities in anticipation of the onslaught. Despite the preparations, the superiority of the Vanu Sovereignty is such that they easily push the defenders to the gates of the Terran capitol.

The Vanu lay waste to every building in the city, but the Terran lines hold on doggedly in the central streets. During the siege of the metropolis, the final non-rebirthed fighting unit on Auraxis has its last stand.

Two months after the siege begins Terran reinforcements to the south and an emergency alliance with the New Conglomerate distract the Vanu assault force just enough to force a withdrawal from the ruins.

Over the next few months, co-ordinated Terran and New Conglomerate forces edge the Vanu Sovereignty back to their own home continents, as they adapt the 'rapid rebirth' technology to their own units. For a few months, it seems that peace is possible between the two hated enemies.

But despite the temporary pact, the moment that the critical danger has passed, skirmishes break out again between Terran and New Conglomerate forward units. Within months, full-scale war has erupted once again between all three factions.

Betrayal (2861-2895)

"Should we let Auraxian civilisation die like this? Ground to nothingness by a pointless war? Or should we do our duty for the human race and preserve what we can of our culture and technology so that our descendants can learn from our mistakes? We, the last wardens of civilisation, have to escape this madness, for the sake of humankind!" General Sharp, 4th New Conglomerate army, the meeting of the Generals, 2891

2861 - 2890

All of the cities of Auraxis have now been levelled, and every citizen on the planet is now hooked up the rebirthing network. The War rages on every continent. But, roughly equal in rebirth technology and numbers, no side can gain a significant advantage.

The Generals are the only non-rebirthed peoples left on Auraxis. Weary of the futility of the static killing fields and fearful of the increasing volatility of their war-traumatised forces, they escape to peaceful islands beyond the restricted zone where they co-ordinate the War remotely. Siphoning off resources and energy from the war effort, they live a life of luxury far from the front lines.

The war madness from rebirthed soldiers reaches epidemic proportions. Many start to question why they are fighting, going mad from the horrors they have witnessed, some refusing to fight at all.

The Generals begin to wipe recent memories of the soldiers to limit their mental trauma. In the minds of those that still refuse to fight, they implant memories of atrocities carried out by other factions to make the soldiers hate them again.

Despite these efforts, thousands of soldiers still desert and escape into the wilderness, forming small communities that are mercilessly hunted by the rebirthed armies. With time, it becomes clear to the high command of all three factions that the rebirth war madness is epidemic within the ranks, and that they are losing control of their own military.

2891 - 2895

After thirty years of static conflict, the sheltering Terran Republic, New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty Generals finally agree to meet. But instead of working to create a peace agreement and end the War, they choose to save themselves, leave Auraxis, and abandon the rebirthed soldiers to their fate. The sole remaining space-worthy Auraxian ship, the Bastion, is prepared for flight to Earth.

Hearing rumours of their treachery, the lower-ranking die-hards in each faction launch a coup against their own leaders. They execute or imprison the high command, and destroy the Bastion. With the last space-worthy craft on Auraxis destroyed, the armies of each faction are now trapped, planet-side.

Hostilities recommence between the three factions. This time, there is no one left on Auraxis to stop the madness.

Part 12 - Endless War (Date unknown)

The War continues on every battlefront.

With the most dedicated warriors leading the factions, with fake implanted memories of horrific massacres committed by their enemies, there is little hope of peace on Auraxis.

Every faction has been wronged, and fights for justice, revenge or a mixture of both. They will fight until they are the last ones standing.

The only way to achieve peace is by total victory. Who will you fight for?

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." George Santayana