The History of the Terran Empire

Game Settings:
Galaxy Size: Gigantic
Habitable Planets: Common
Planets: Common
Stars: Common
Star Density: Loose Clusters
Anomalies: Common
Technology Rate: Normal


Empire Settings:
Name: Terran Empire (modified Terran Alliance)
Leader: Emperor Stark
Homeworld: Earth
Political Party: Terra Victor (War Party)

Abilities:
Hit Points +10
Military Production +20
Population Growth +10
Defense +10
Weapons +20
Research +5
Soldiering +10
Social Productions +10

Foundations of the Empire

The groundwork of the modern Terran Empire was layed at the end of Earth's first World War. The United States of America emerged from the war as a new world power. With the European powers reeling from the cataclysm, America was easily the most powerful military force on the globe. Deciding that it enjoyed it's newfound position of power, the United States began a series of wars in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico, torn asunder by a civil war, was easily crushed by the USA's massive armed forces. Central American nations largely capitulated without a shot being fired, sandwiched as they were between the American-controlled Canal Zone and the former borders with Mexico. The 1933 election of staunch imperialist Franklin D. Roosevelt spelled the end for South America, and in 1936 the U.S. Armed Forces launched Operation Santiago, a massive invasion of several South American nations from land and sea. Colombia, Peru, Venezeula and Ecuador collapsed within months, although Brazil, Chile and Argentina formed a strong alliance and succeeded in delaying the U.S. domination of South America by August 1938.

During this time, the United States had been able to diplomatically wrest control of the majority of the remaining European colonial holdings in the Carribean and the Americas. England had proven the hardest to intimidate, but by 1938 their only holding near the Americas were the Bahamas. Despite Roosevelt's threats, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain refused to make further cessations.

On July 14, 1939, Roosevelt dissolved the legislative and judicial branches of the United States government, replacing them, respectively, with a jingoist Imperial Senate and a puppet Imperial Court. He likewise proclaimed himself Emperor of the new American Empire.

Flag of the American Empire, circa 1939

On September 1, 1939, the American Empire launched a massive assault on the Bahamas, Canada and Australian/British holdings in the Pacific. The rest of Europe, including the decrepit Russian Empire, which had barely survived a civil war in the 1920's, soon joined the British Commonwealth in the fight against the Empire.

The Pacific War lasted from 1939 to 1944, finally ending with the destruction of the Allied Navy and the U.S. capture of Signapore. After the conquest of Canada, and a strategy of hopping from Greenland to Iceland to the British Isles themselves, Imperial forces landed in France and the Netherlands in 1947, and by the winter of 1951, Field Marshal George S. Patton was drinking from the Russian Tsar's personal liquor cabinet in the ruins of Petrograd.

Following the unconditional surrender of the former European powers, the Empire controlled the Americas, the Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. The inevitable war for control of the remainder of the Eurasian landmass came in 1967, when the American Empire attacked the East Asian Coallition, consisting mainly of the Empire of Japan and the Chinese Hegemon. Although having to resort to nuclear attacks to finally crush the Coallition, the Empire had succeeded in conquering the entire globe by 1975. Emperor Henry Kissinger celebrated the end of hostilities by declaring his plan to heal the bitter wounds of the now unified Human race and to take mankind to the stars. The Terran Empire was officially proclaimed on November 17, 1987. Construction began shortly thereafter of Armstrong City on Luna, the Earth's moon.


A member of the Terran Imperial Engineer Corps plants the Empire's flag at the future sight of the city hall of Armstrong City on Luna.

For nearly 300 years, Humanity remained confined to the Sol System, until the revolutionary invention of Hyperdrive in in 2224. By the beginning of 2225, the first Hyperdrive-equipped exploration vessel, the I.S.S.(Imperial Star Ship) Magellan was ready to depart the Terra Fleetyards above Earth. The modern era of the Terran Empire had begun at long last.
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Reply #1 Top
Sounds interesting. Alternate history is always entertaining. Wishing you luck in your mission to give those filthy xenos what they deserve and ensure the triumph of the human race.
Reply #2 Top
Me, too. Diplomacy stinks, kill everybody!
Reply #3 Top
Chapter One - Ad Astra Per Aspera

Troy Stark, Emperor of the Terran Empire, looked out through the windows on the observation deck of the central facility of the Terra Fleetyards. The I.S.S. Magellan's Hyperdrive engine was slowly coming to life. Stark turned to his right and pointed a gloved finger at Admiral Brooks, who had overseen the development of the Magellan, the first Survey-class vessel built by Earth.


Emperor Stark in 2225

"The ship is completely defenseless, isn't it?"

The Admiral grimaced. "It was difficult enough to be able to get equipped with the neccesary survey, sensory and life support equipment and still get it to move with the bulky Hyperdrive engines. Emperor, these new engines are indeed revolutionary, but they are still a long way from optimal."

To the Emperor's left, his liason to the Terran Marine Corps, Colonel Cassel, cleared his throat. "The ship's not TOTALLY defenseless. There are a dozen Terran Marines hand-picked by General Clark himself to defend against a potential boarding."

The Emperor was unimpressed. "Terran Marines are little use if the ship they're on is turned into debris by another ship that DOES have armaments."

Colonel Cassel grimaced, but the Admiral was more hopeful. "With all do respect," he told the Emperor, "we don't even know that there ARE any potential threats out there."

The Emperor laughed in a bemused fashion. "Admiral," he said, "I will not lie, I am vain man. I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that Humans are the master race of this universe, but I am not so vain that I believe we are the only intelligent life in space." He paused and sipped from a glass of Martian brandy he had recieved to celebrate the Magellan's launch. He addressed both men. "Keep all communications systems open at all times. We'll find out soon enough what the Magellan finds."

With the Magellan gone, Stark returned to the Imperial Governing Center, located in Caracas. There had been many recent breakthroughs in industry, and Stark was pleased with the completion of a new factory in a mineral-rich area of the Mid East. He was also happy to hear that construction of a new laboratory facility in Europe, under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Armed Forces Research & Development Division, was well underway. And the icing on THAT particular cake was that the Imperial Science Department projected they would be able to develop improvements to existing laboratory equipment in the very near future.

Less publicized but every bit as important was the launch that same day of the first of the new Plymouth Rock-class colony ships. Outfitted with Hyperdrive as well, the ship was taking a vast number of intrepid Humans out into the stars. Stark was pleased. The Terran Empire was entering a bold new era. And we would see it through to dominance, whatever it took.


Reply #4 Top
The beginning steps of the Terran Empire's expansion were harsh. Though the ISS Magellan found many beneficial minerals and resources from meteorites and charted numerous star systems near Sol, none had any habitable planets. The Plymouth Rock was also unable to find a suitable home. Finally, the hulking colony ship entered orbit over Titus IV. The ship's geologists rated it a "10", and the ship founded a colony at long last.

It was not, however, the Empire's first settlement. Several months prior, the Magellan had found the world of Mormegil I. Though a largely barren and icy planet, it did have some habitable regions. A colony was founded there after word of the discovery reached Earth. As expected, the colony did not thrive, but it did survive it's tempestuous early days. The colony hit a high note when, during a vist by a team from the Terran Archeological Corps, a region of the planet was found to have a plethora of artifacts left over from an ancient race that had once had a presence on the world. The newly formed Off-World Terran Research Beareau set up a research facility in the region. In due time, the facility, known somewhat derisively as The Dustbin, was contributed impressive new technologies to the Empire.

Meanwhile, the Magellan charted the Tiberius, Agelnib and Embor systems, altogether boasting 6 habitable worlds. The Plymouth Rock-class of colony ships were replaced by the new Groundbreaker class ships following the development of Impulse Drive engines, derived from ancient propulsion systems found near The Dustbin. The mineral rich world of Brindle II was colonized concurrently, providing a major boon to Imperial military production.


The ISS Magellan finds a string of worlds ripe for colonization

As if to underscore this point, a resource was found near the planet that could be applied to improve the potency of the new weapons the Empire was developing. A mining starbase, Deep Space 1, was built by the new Forge-class construction vessel.
A major change in the Empire's expansion occured when the ISS Caravel, a small exploration vessel launched at the Brindle Shipyards, encountered the Thalans, a race of intelligent insectoids. The Terran Empire was suddenly faced with an alien civilization on it's borders. Worse still, the Thalans had a powerful fleet, while the Empire was still developing weapons. Emperor Stark ordered emergency construction of three squadrons of fighters outfitted with the latest in laser technology. Alpha, Beta and Delta Squadrons were launched at and stationed near Brindle in hopes of warding off Thalan attacks. Imperial Fighter Command was founded to manage the squadrons. Contact was made later that year with the Arcean Empire, although at the time they did not share a border with the Terrans.


The ISS Caravel finds a world colonized by the Thalans

Even as space was losing it's innocence, the Terrans were colonizing the distant Cassius System in far corner of the galaxy. The three habitable worlds seemed unimpressive, with no truly distinctive features on the first two worlds colonized. However, the final habitable planet to be settled, Cassius III, was found to house an intact laboratory presumably built by the same race whos ruins had been found on Mormegil I. The Off-World Terran Research Beareau descended on the area instantly, estabilishing a center to attempt to glean new technology from the alien lab. The race, now having been seen to have left traces on two far off worlds, were referred to as Precursors by the Imperial Science Agency.

Emperor Stark was soon set upon by factions within both Fighter Command and the Imperial Senate to do something about the Thalans. Though they had not been aggressive, Stark knew full well war would come. It was mankind's destiny to rule the galaxy, and they were in the way. That said, despite the new Bumblebee-class fighters patrolling the borders, the Empire could not defeat the Thalans in an open war quite yet. To placate the aliens, Stark ordered trade lines opened between Earth and the Thalan worlds closest to the border. While this was going on, however, Stark ordered the facility on Cassius III, now known as The Yard, to begin development of a larger type of hull. He also ordered the Terran Marine Corps to begin studies on the logistics of moving enough troops to conquer an alien world. As the final act in paving the road to war, Emperor Stark signed Imperial Decree #31, creating the top-secret Imperial Intelligence Division. Shortly after there chartering, the IID began gathering as much information as possible on the Thalans.

In August 2228, the ISS Wolf, prototype of the Wolf-class cruiser, was launched from the Utopia Planitia Fleetyards. Similair in appearence to the Magellan, the Wolf was not siginificantly more powerful, in terms of armament, than a Bumblebee heavy fighter, However, it was much more durable and was equipped with defenses against Thalan beam weapons. Thanks to the mining station on Deep Space 1, the Wolf was even more powerful than it had been on the drawing board. Fighter Command was not equipped to command fleets of capitol ships, and on October 8th, it was dissolved and replaced with the institution that would serve from then on as the Terran Empire's iron fist: Terran Imperial Starfleet.


Insignia of Terran Imperial Starfleet

In October 2228, the Thalans went to war with the Yor Collective, a race of sentient machines. Studies into planetary invasion completed, Emperor Stark formed the M.A.C.O Office, or Military Assault Command Operation. This branch of the armed forces was to be responsible for the execution of planetary conquests. Transport production began in earnest as the Empire smelled blood in the water. Amazingly, IID agents in the Epsilon systems discovered a Thalan troop transport currently on the system's only habitable planet. Seeing a propaganda oppurtunity, on January 1 2229, Emperor Stark declared war on the Thalans on the grounds that they were planning an invasion of the Titus System. Two Imperial fleets, consisting of the Wolf cruisers and Bumblebee fighters, crossed the border, with the promise of Terran M.A.C.O forces to conquer the worlds they cleared...


Terran infantry head off to war...
Reply #6 Top
Great job with both story and images.  
Reply #8 Top
For whatever reason, it isn't letting me post my updates. More coming as soon as I can post...
Reply #9 Top
I cant get good images for mine because the Alekrons are 1500KG big, liquid, blobs of living metal.
Reply #10 Top
The terren empire will never be able to live through the Alekrons if they are evil, the Alekrons(Good) hate evil.
Reply #11 Top
@megvolt
Cross-AAR trash-talking is not allowed. And if it is, it shouldn't be. Please post in your own thread.

@Admiral Brooks
I've had the same problem before. It will take a while, but eventually the problem should go away on its own. If you're in a hurry, e-mail it to me ([email protected]) and I'll post it for you.
Reply #12 Top
The problem is that when I hit Post Comment it just stalls. I left my computer on all night, and the next morning it will still working.

Dunno what to do...
Reply #13 Top
Nice original thoughts, I like the innovation side of it.

My only comment as such would be to avoid re-writing history, even if it is only a game. Most game makers avoid rewriting history, politics and religion like the plague - it can lead to a whole world of hurt, jingoism and plain sillyness when all they want to do is sell a game. Games are sold on a world wide basis - they hope   - and the last thing they need is to offend some part of the world - no matter how true it may be.

Regards
Zy
Reply #14 Top
You should release the Terran Empire as a mod.
Reply #15 Top
The problem is that when I hit Post Comment it just stalls. I left my computer on all night, and the next morning it will still working.

Dunno what to do...


Again: I've had the same problem before. It will go away on its own after a week or two. However, you should be able to e-mail the update to someone and have them post it for you.
Reply #16 Top
Arillias can you post my AAR for me
my internet is too slow to post so many images trough uploading
Reply #17 Top
I'm having trouble posting Brooks' update as well, will try again tomorrow.
Reply #18 Top
You should release the Terran Empire as a mod.


To AdmiralBrooks: If you want to do this I'll help, I loved this and started basing an entire galaxy around it, including a rebellion against them.
Reply #19 Top
Don't really know what would be in a mod. The only things I'm using that aren't in the game already are the Terran Empire logos and the Enterprise NX-01 hull model, both of which can be found in the library. All the other ship types are stuff I make on the fly in-game.
Reply #20 Top
have you lads tryed playing the startrek mod, in the latest version the terran empire are minors and you can choose to play as them preset up with fantastic ship models and all,the only thing that it doesnt have is that rebellion which you spoke about which is a rocking idea, heres the link to the forum if you havnet already had a browseWWW Link
all credit to han and the boys on a cracking mod
Reply #21 Top

Modern flag of the Terran Empire

Chapter Two: To The Death
(All images are post-war due to a goof of mine)


Emperor Stark and the recently promoted Fleet Admiral Brooks were standing on the bridge of the ISS Wolf. The Admiral looked nervously at the Emperor. "I still don't think it was wise of you to come to the front," he said. The Emperor sighed. "The Thalan fleet in this sector was defeated, and if the Empire is to survive, it needs a leader who knows how war is fought. It is crucial that I observe the fall of Thala."

Stark sighed deeply. The war had not gone well, and it was pure luck that the M.A.C.O forces had the oppurtunity to delivier such a blow. The onset of the war had gone well. Thalan starbases had been defeated and their defense forces had been brushed aside by Imperial Starfleet. However, the conquest of the Devora and Epsilon systems had cost more than 4 billion Terran lives, and improved Thalan ships began taking a toll on Starfleet as they pushed deeper into Thalan space. The Wolf-class was soon barely able to keep up. The entire 2nd Fleet had been destroyed attempting to assault a Thalan staging area in the Tycho system. However, Imperial Starfleet had been able to grind through Thalan space and reach their home system itself. The new longrange M.A.C.O. transports, the fearful Okinawa-class, carried billions of Terrans into orbit of the world.


The ISS Audie Murphy launches an asteroid at Thala with it's mass driver

Over 11 billion Thalans were ready to defend their homeworld, against which the Empire could pit a mere 4 billion M.A.C.O troops. However, the Thalans made poor fighters and Stark had authorized the use of a weapon dreaded throughout the galaxy since it's inception. The Terran Empire would pummel Thala with mass drivers slung under the bellys of the M.A.C.O transports before commencing the invasion. The Thala system had an asteroid belt in it, which insured an endless supply of ammunition.

Stark took a deep breath as he watched the driver undernearth the ISS Audie Murphy power up. He shivered inside his black Imperial regalia as he watched the driver spit out a large asteroid, and he winced as he watch the massive explosion it caused on Thala's otherwise pristine surface. The ISS Okinawa, the transport from which General Clark was conducting the invasion, hailed the Wolf. Appearing on the viewscreen, General Clark informed the Emperor that the bombardment was commencing. Stark watched in silent awe as dozens of drivers spewed death onto the surface of the world below. As the cataclysm unfolded, Stark wished for the days when he had delighted in managing each new Terran colony and had been more concerned with building his people's future than destroying anothers. He wished that, once again, he could occupy himself with the day-to-day affairs of social production instead of total warfarel. But he knew full well what wishes amounted to in this harsh galaxy. For hours, the drivers lunged the gigantic rocks onto their enemie's homeworld. Then, finally, the transports began disgorging the countless landing crafts the M.A.C.O soldiers took onto the surface. Resistance was expected to be light. Stark doubted expectations would pan out.


Stark walked over to the communications console and tuned into the frequency being used by one of the M.A.C.O divisions in Thala's northern hemisphere. Staring out into space, the Emperor listened to the sharp cracks of gunfire, the shouted commands of M.A.C.O officers, the screeching of the insectoid Thalans being dying, and, to the Emperor's great dismay, the screams of the wounded and dying Terran soldiers as they fought to secure their landing zones.
***

Several days later, the Battle of Thala was over. Over 17 billion Thalans had been exterminated in the bombardment and subsequent battle. 500 million Terran soldiers had been slain as well. The Thalan Empire, Stark was informed, was now willing to enter into peace negotiations. The Earth-Thalan War had been won, but at a great cost to the Terran Empire in men, material, and it's own conscience. Even Stark, a staunch believer that Humans were the master race, was shaken deeply by the butchery inflicted upon the Thalan homeworld. Shaken though he was, he still knew this was the only way to secure the safety of his people. The wholesale slaughter of the Thalans would continue.


Terran M.A.C.O forces trudge through what had one been a lush Thalan field before the mass drivers.


The result of the war was, actually, unfavorable for the Empire. The economy was in shambles (it had been a struggle to simply keep from going bankrupt during hostilities) and it's ships were now outdated. In the grand scheme of things, the Terran Empire was now only stronger than the crippled Thalans. Emperor Stark ordered the expansion of the M.A.C.O Corps, and Imperial Starfleet began the development of a new cruiser. The economy was slowly rebuilt, and Deep Space 2 was built to mine a resource that increased the Empire's prestige, another spoil of the Thalan War. Although triumphant in it's first interstellar war, the Terran Empire would have to work hard to become something more than a regional power. For the next 6 months, the Empire was forced to deal with the abhored alien races in attempts to generate enough money and keep it's borders secure. However, the Empire refused to pay tribute to the belligerent Arceans. Stark, humiliated that they had been in a position to make a demand on humanity in the first place, swore that one day the sword and globe of the Terran Empire would fly above the Arcean Royal Palace.

In late 2230, Imperial Starfleet unveiled the NX class warship. Armed with the premier of the new plasma weapon banks and Harpoon missle launcher, it also boasted impressive Barrier-class beam defenses and state-of-the-art ECM technology. A sizable upgrade from the Wolf class, the prototype, ISS Enterprise, departed the Terra Fleetyards to join the 1st Fleet on garrison duty in the Thala System.


Mission patch of the ISS Enterprise, worn on the left sleeve of all crewmembers.


However, the Thalans decided to act before the NX models could enter active service, and declared a war of vengeance on the Terran Empire. Imperial Starfleet acted quickly, clearing out the defenses on Devora II, which soon fell to M.A.C.O forces. The Enterprise, joining with the 1st Fleet, attacked the Tycho system, sight of the death of the 2nd Fleet during the First War. The ISS Wolf and ISS Juno, both refitted into NX ships, along with the Enterprise, succeeded in devestating the Thalan fleet. At the same time, an attempted invasion of the Terran world of Thebes IV was thwarted by the Imperial garrison located there. Though still numerically weak, Imperial Starfleet had a distinct technological edge. Emperor Stark, hungry to secure the Empire and elevate it to major power status, declared that the Terran Empire would not stop, would not rest, until every single Thalan world had been crushed under his iron fist.

As if in response, the Thalans unveiled a new frigate at the head of an assault fleet, and attacked a joint attack fleet comprised of elements of the 1st and 2nd Fleets as it was guarding the M.A.C.O transports conquering the sole planet in the system. Though the fleet was victorious, the ISS Enterprise and ISS Wolf were destroyed, leaving only the ISS Vladivostok and a squadron of Bumblebee fighters remaining. Two new NX class ships were built and re-christened in their honor. Though the loss of Enterprise was embarassing, the Wolf's destruction was devestating, as no other crew in Starfleet had been more tested in battle. The new ISS Enterprise henceforth would serve as the new flagship of Terran Imperial Starfleet.


The ISS Enterprise is destroyed by the new Thalan frigate

The war went back and forth, particularly on Harper III. Billions of Terrans and Thalans died as the planet changed hands again and again, but finally the Empire was able to secure victory after driving the Thalans out of the nearby Hifleheim system, removing their staging area. The world of Baldur IV, surrounded by the 1st Fleet and a M.A.C.O contingent, was all but rendered lifeless as the outnumbered M.A.C.O forces devestated the world with mass drivers. Though never a "garden world", after the coming of the Terran Empire, the planet was little more than a ball of rock and dust. In the years to come, the planet essentially became a gigantic memorial to the members of both races who died there.


A group of NX and Wolf-class warships finish off the remainder of a Thalan fleet during the final days of the Second Earth-Thalan War

Desperate to save some of their people from the ruthless Terrans, who showed no mercy to the native Thalan populations on the worlds they siezed, formally handed over their remaining planets to the Drath Legion. Though frustrated that the hated Thalans had escaped extermination for the time being, Emperor Stark declared an Empire-wide Week of Celebration to commemorate the victory. However, once again, the Empire's delicate economy was in shambles. Although the post-war years saw great advances in domestic regards, namely in the realm of industry nothing seemed to be working as the Emperor tried to restore the Imperial coffers. Imperial weaponry was also falling behind.

The hastily designed Reviver-class freighter began opening trade with the Torian Confederation and Dominion of Korx. Stark's attitude towards aliens changed somewhat during the Second Earth-Thalan War, when the the Dominion gave two frigates to Imperial Starfleet. Christened the ISS Chenault and ISS Lafayette, the ships and their Korxian crews served valiantly, although the Chenault was lost during the Third Battle of Tycho. Their sacrifice made a powerful statement, and the raging xenophobia mankind had gone into space with and carried with them through two cataclysmic wars with the Thalans began to cool, and for the first time in it's history, the Terran Empire began approaching an alien race with trade goods in hand, in lieu of weapons.


Terran advances during the Thalan Wars.
Red circles = Systems conquered by the Terran Empire
Red arrows = Terran advance during the First War
Blue arrows = Terran advance during the Second War
Green square = Thala, the homeworld of the Thalan race
Red X = Tycho System, site of heavy Terran losses (Also houses a Precursor mine)

As if to throw this new, more enlightened mindset back into the Empire's face, the Torian Confederation and Drath Legion formed a coallition and declared war on the Terran Empire several months after the Thalan surrender...
Reply #22 Top
Ouch. Just when you think you know a guy - or, in this case, an alien. The Korx should still be trustworthy, though. They obviously have a vested interest in your survival.

Excellent update, Admiral. Sorry I wasn't much help in getting it posted, but I'm still wishing you luck in the future.

Terra Victus!
Reply #23 Top
Yeah it finally let me post. I stopped playing the game, so I'll have to get back into it now that I can post updates finally.

The Arceans scare me, but I'm sure the Empire's generals will be able to outwit the AI.
Reply #24 Top
Will justice be served or will the Terrans coquer the galaxy?! Tune in next time to find out!
Reply #25 Top
Very impressive sir! Can't wait for the next installment!