Received: from sbcs.sunysb.edu by plague.Berkeley.EDU (5.65c/CHAOS) id AA19851; Mon, 20 Sep 1993 16:55:17 -0700 Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 19:52:51 -0400 From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer) Message-Id: <199309202352.AA00481@sbcs.sunysb.edu> Received: from sbrvn.csdept (sbrvn.cs.sunysb.edu) by sbcs.sunysb.edu; Mon, 20 Sep 1993 19:52:51 -0400 To: tne-pocket@ocf.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Carrillian Assembly history, V1.1 Reminder: John Bogan here This is a repost of my CA history with a few typos and a misleading sentence corrected. Unless someone brings up objections within the next week or so, please put _this_ version in the APPROVED directory. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CARRILLIAN ASSEMBLY (as it affects Aoreriyya) Prior History: May have seen some Saie activity, but no settlement until Solomani came seeking to make colonies beyond the bounds of the Terran Confederation. A number of worlds were either raided by or host to a succession of Reaver warlords during the Long Night. Most inhabited systems were forced to pay tribute to the Iltharan Empire during its height. Rintarna, an "old Solomani" colony, joined the Iltharans voluntarily, considering it an improvement over constant raids. The perception of Rintarna as Iltharan collaborators set into motion political and cultural forces that affect even the Assembly of the 1100's. 517: Political and economic frictions between several worlds in the Drexilthar, Fahinar, Urlaggash, and Drinsaar subsectors threaten to errupt into war. The Imperium, with growing political and economic concerns in the rim-trailing quadrant of Reaver's Deep, encourages a peaceful settlement, with the implication that if Imperial economic intrests are overly disrupted, it will send a fleet to put down the troublemakers. A series of conferences are held in the relaively neutral location of the Carrillian Belt. 519: A majority of the worlds involved in the conferences work out an agreement to unite to solve many of the problems and to avoid being defeated by either their more powerful neighbors or the Imperium. These worlds draw up the Articles of Assembly, the constitution of the Carrillian Assembly. A few worlds involved in the disputes, most notably Rintarna, feel the Articles were written so as to exclude them (a largely correct assumption), and withdraw from the Conferences. With a new, united Assembly and the spectre of Imperial action, these worlds back down from any military solution to their problems, and become more politically insular. Notable political trends prior to 1100: The Assembly is ruled by the Council of Justice, with the High Justice as head of state. Over it's circa-600 years, two general factions (with names varying over the years) have dominated the Assembly. The larger, which controlled it for most of it's history, is labeled the "Conservatives", which mainly concentrated on keeping the Assembly stable, basically prosperous, and playing the Imperials and Solomani against each other so that they would not use Assembly space as a sparring ground (much-- this includes intelligence wars as well as shooting ones) The other faction, the "Expansionists", have controlled the Assembly between 2 and 5 times prior to 1100, depending on which historians you ask and how they define "control". This group has been typified by its agressive foreign policy and attempted empire-building, as well as increased civil control by the government. [according to Wildstar, Grendal has had at least one run-in with the Assembly in at least one of it's expansionist phases. Apparently this accounts for the Imperial client-state relationship] Foreign Relations prior to 1100: IMPERIUM: While formed at the instigation of the Imperium, the Assembly could never be properly called a client state. Its members came together more in resistance to Imperial influence than in support of it. Relations have varied over the years, with the Assembly sometimes favoring the Imperium, sometimes the Solomani, sometimes asserting a strict neutrality and independence. The best description for the bulk of the time would be "weak Imperial client". SOLOMANI: When the Solomani first began separating from the Third Imperium, between 704 (Solo. Autonomous Region) and 871 (Confederation established), the Assembly was initially sympathetic to the Solomani, as yet another group bullied by the Imperials. However, with the rise of Solomania as integral to the Confederation`s ideology, and with the border region becoming a constant source of intrigue, the Assembly came to regard the Solomani as just another bully to keep an eye on. For most of time since the founding of the Confederation, relations have been similar to those with the Imperium, soft or neutral in either direction. The Assembly's main goal has been to have the Big 2 take their fight somewhere else. Due to the Confederation's courting of Rintarna, however, the Assembly has more often sided with the Imperium. A special mention must be made for the Solomani Rim War (990-1002), when some of the far border skirmishes and flanking actions near Assembly space were too big for the Assembly to do anything about. The Assembly declared neutrality in the conflict, but rather than get in a fight with either power should it try gas-giant refuelling in an Assembly system, the Assembly permitted refueling at OUTER gas giants in specified systems (not so coincidently the systems most likely to be used by either side) so long as they did not interfere with regular system traffic (none near those GGs) and did not approach the main world. RINTARNA: No one in the Assembly today thinks of Rintarna as "Iltharan collaborators", that's old history. What they _can_ do is give a laundry list of assorted snipes by and difficulties with Rintarnans since then. Relations with Rintarna has varied from cooperative to hostile, with one or two quickly settled shooting incidents. Aside from itself, Rintarna also had an effect on relations with the Imperium and the Solomani, since relations with either often depend on their current relations with Rintarna. OTHERS: Gralyn, Grendal, the Lanyard Colonies, and anybody else depends on what the persons writing them have in mind. Otherwise assume "amicable". EVENTS SINCE 1100: 1104: The latest incarnation of the Expansionists comes to power under High Justice Daldreem. Initial attempts to push their program through the Council of Justice fails by a narrow margin. 1105: Daldreem declares a state of emergency, assumes dictatorial powers, and has enough support in the assorted political and economic power centers to pull it off. Taxes (on non-supporters) and the Assembly Peacekeepers (the military) are expanded bit by bit. 1107: Massive structural failure of the sea habitats on Sarrad kills over 99% of its population. 1109: The "Starport Massacre" of civilian protesters by Peacekeepers crystalizes the Ildrissarian resistance, and Ildrissar revolts from the Assembly. 1107-1110: Drenslaar is pressured to join the Assembly, but the rebellion on Ildrissar diverts any attempt to compel union. Yarhfahl is occupied to provide a staging ground for operations on Ildrissar. 1112: Daldreem offers the Dakaar Corporation (which had been both rebuilding Sarrad and selling ships and guns to the Ildrissar rebels) a closer relationship, most notably reduced tariffs and choice mining locations, in return for its help in defeating the rebels. As this was worth far more than what even the rich rebels were paying, Dakaar agreed. With intelligence provided by Dakaar, and the reduction in fresh supplies for the rebels, the Assembly Peacekeepers and their hired mercenary units were able to break the back of the rebellion. Ildrissar returns to the Assembly under martial law. 1113-1116: Pressure for Drenslarr to join the Assembly resumes, but from experience gained in the Ildrissar rebellion, the Assembly opts for slow, inexorable economic pressure, rather than military force. In this period a terrorist movement, apparently expatriate Ildrissarans, targets Expansionist political and military figures and facilities. Political resistance to Daldreem's government grows. While no world or surface nation openly rebels, it is clear that some are quietly stocking supplies in preparation for an opportunity to do so. With his support slipping as he tightens his grip, Daldreem searches for some cause to unify the Assembly behind him. He plays up the "foreign threat", linking the terrorist attacks with Rintarna, and fabricates some random attacks so the public will blame the terrorists, and by extension, Rintarna. The Assembly's relations with the Imperium in this period are cordial, but neutral. Relations with the Solomani are cordial, but cool, and deteriorating due to renewed Solomani attempts to promote the Solomani Cause on Rintarna. Circa 300-1116 intelligence operatives note that something important has happened within the Imperium, and by 20-1117 it becomes clear what that was-- the assassination of Strephon. 1117: ca-90-1117 news also arrives of Dulinor's declaration on Dlan, and that a major armed conflict is brewing in the Imperial core. Seemingly instantly, Solomani forces are on the move and fighting takes place in Imperial systems near Assembly space. On 152-1117 a Solomani tanker squadron, apparently in great haste, invoked the Assembly's Rim War-era neutrality declaration (after all, the Rim War never officially ended) and proceeded to refuel at the outermost gas giant of the Rothman system (2829). The moons of that GG had seen some developement during the last century, however, including several large mining installations and a supplementary naval station. The station commander directed his SDB's to repel the invading forces, but the tanker escorts destroyed the SDB's and damaged the naval station. Before any ships could arrive from the main naval base deeper insystem, the Solomani had refueled and jumped out. During the Solomani Rim War, the Assembly's neutrality was partly due to a relative ebb in it's military strength at the time. In 1117, the Assembly was several years into a military buildup, with perhaps the strongest force in it's history, and had a leadership desparate for a unifying cause. Therefore, amid slogans of "Remember Rothman!", Daldreem declared war on the Solomani Confederation, trusting that the Solomani's attention would be forced to remain fixed on the Imperial forces. The Imperium, for it's part, was quick to assist this minor ally as best it could, given that the Assembly's naval strength was large enough and advanced enough to complicate the Solomani's situation, though not enough to survive a prolonged fight with main battle fleets. The Imperium also encouraged it's clients in Reavers' Deep, such as the Principality of Caledon and the Confederacy of Duncinae, to funnel supplies to the Assembly to assist the war effort. 1118: The Assembly's strategy during 1117 and 1118 was one of agressive defense of its systems with occasional raids on Solomani supply ships and facilities. As Solomani forces were reduced to provide ships for more critical battles to trailing, Imperial (and, eventually, Daibei) forces reoccupied most of Urlaggash Subsector which the Solomani had pushed through, and were making use of Assembly naval facilities, which had not been destroyed by Solomani forces as Imperial facilities had been. With the Solomani pushed back somewhat, Daldreem's support rose again, and he organized an "Assembly Expeditionary Squadron" to further take the war to the Solomani. 1119: The Squadron, acting in concert with Federation of Daibei fleets, weakens Solomani hold on worlds in Fahinar Subsector, and adjoining subsectors in Daibei, Dark Nebula, and Magyar sectors, acting primarily as commerce raiders and occasionally taking on light naval units. 1120-1122: The Squadron continued to be successful as the Solomani could rarely spare the forces to hunt it down successfuly, being occupied with a series of see-saw battles with Daibei forces. The Assembly was in the process of organizing a second Squadron and Peacekeeper forces to occupy nearby Solomani worlds when new Reaver bands, acting under Solomani letters of marque, forced the Assembly to turn those resources back to home defense. The Assembly did occupy three Solomani worlds in Fahinar subsector, however, though with some logistical strain. A brief confrontation with Rintarna occured in 1121, when a force was sent there to dissuade suspected Rintarnan support for raiders that had been hitting the Assembly and Daibei. It was met by an unexpectedly strong showing of Rintarnan SDB's and Monitors, and backed off without shots being fired. By 1122, it was clear to Admiral Yim, commander of Solomani Naval Operations for the spinward half of the Reavers' Deep-Daibei front that his was the only command to have actually lost SOLOMANI territory to the enemy, and would not have the resources to retake it anytime in the forseeable future. He collected a number of fleets to make some hammering, destructive raids into the Assembly and Daibei, and prevent them from exploiting his weakened position. 1123: Early in this year, Yim's Raids took place, battering Daibei forces and devestating the Assembly. All major military bases were attacked, and particular attention was paid to industrial centers in the Carrillian Belt and on Lanixohn. Political and military command centers were also targeted, and hit hard. HARD TIMES: Yim's Raids killed High Justice Daldreem and a large portion of the Assembly leadership from all factions. Major industrial plant was in ruins, millions were dead, and Lanixohn's entire ecosystem was dying off from the aftermath of the raids. The Assembly was taken out of the war instantly, and what was left tried to pick up the pieces. The resorts of Drinsaar effectively held the only remaining intact source of all Assembly records, plans, and other official documents in databases designed to permit working vacations for Assembly officials. Drinsaar was interdicted to all unauthorized traffic to protect these resources. Moving them to Carrill was deemed too risky due to growing political instability within the Carrillian Belt. With the Assembly navy severely weakened by the Raids and the supply problems they caused, the Navy reduced its role to protecting Drinsaar, suppressing the growing resistance movements in the Carrill Belt, and maintaining the link between the two systems. Effectively abandoned, the trailing portions of the Assembly were left to fend for themselves against the new Reavers and Aslan ihatei. During this time Rintarna vigorously expanded its economic sphere, including the nearby Assembly worlds of Lanixohn and Esokhi. As Rintarna's navy was fresh and undamaged, the Assembly was unprepared to take exception to this in a military way. As long as there were no interference with Assembly Navy ships and the interdiction of Drinsaar was not contested, the Assembly was all too happy to have these two drains on its remaining resources protected by its former enemy. Ildrissar reasserted its independence as soon as it could. 1131?: The Virus sweeps through Assembly space and really cocks things up. John H Bogan