alpha2003
The Underworld God of Spamming
Joined: 07 Dec 2003
Posts: 748
Location: USA
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 Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:33 pm |
EARLY CONFLICTS This period in human history is characterized by a series of
wars between various governments and factions in our Solar System. Conflicts
of particular historical importance include the Jovian Moon Campaign, The
Rain Forest Wars, and a series of clashes on Mars.
2164: INTERPLANETARY WAR
UN-sponsored military forces begin a pattern of massive buildups,
culminating in the first real interplanetary war. After the successful
Marine deployment on Mars, recruitment drives and propaganda tactics
strongly bolster UNSC (UN Space Command) forces. UN forces defeat Koslovic
(supporters of rabid Communist hard-liner Vladimir Koslov) and Frieden (a
resurgence of fascism) forces on Earth, then begin a systematic and
dedicated drive to crush their remnants on the various planets they hold
throughout the system. At the conclusion, Frieden and Koslovic forces are
defeated, in the face of a massive, unified and very powerful UN military.
2170: EXPANSION
The next 120 years is characterized by a period of restructuring as a
unified Earth government is formed. Now, the victors must deal with a
less-obvious, but equally serious threat: overpopulation and a massive
military with no enemy to fight. In the postwar period, there are massive
population surges and the overpopulation, coupled with the destruction and
famine bred by the Rain Forest Wars, becomes threatening.
2291: FASTER THAN LIGHT
A secret team of researchers, physicists and mathematicians develop the
Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, a practical means of propelling spacecraft
across vast interstellar distances.
2310: FIRST WAVE
The Earth government unveils the first in a line of colony ships; given
conditions on Earth are deteriorating in the face of overpopulation,
hitching a ride out to a colony becomes a highly attractive option.
Additionally, the Earth government plans to attach military personnel to
each colony, to help better utilize the massive (and expensive) standing
fleets.
Because FTL travel is still fairly new and expensive, colonists and military
personnel face a stringent regimen of physical and mental testing. In
theory, only the best-qualified citizens and soldiers are allowed to
colonize "nearby" worlds. This is the birth of the Inner Colonies; typically
Inner Colonials are-later in the timeline-considered the elite, the best and
brightest.
2362: THE ODYSSEY
The Odyssey is launched January 1, 2362. The lead ship in the colony
vessels, the Odyssey-laden with troops and terra forming gear-spearheads the
colonization of a new world. This sparks the first wave of human
colonization.
2390: INNER COLONIES
Colonization of the Inner Colonies is fully underway with 210 human-occupied
worlds in various stages of terra forming.
2490: THE BIRTH OF THE OUTER COLONIES
Expansion continues at a rapid pace, and by 2490 human space encompasses
800+ worlds throughout the Orion Arm of the Milky Way (ranging from fairly
well-tamed planetary strongholds to tiny hinterland settlements). Outward
expansion continues, and the Inner Colonies become a political and economic
stronghold, though they rely heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer
Colonies.
During this period, the planet Reach (orbiting Epsilon Eridani, literally on
Earth's front porch) becomes the primary Naval yard, a major producer of
warships and colony vessels, as well as a training ground for covert
operatives and Special Forces.
2530: THE COVENANT WAR BEGINS
On April 3, 2530, contact with the Outer Colony, Harvest, is lost. After
failing to re-establish contact with Harvest, the Colonial Military
Administration sends a scout ship, the Argo, to investigate. Contact with
Argo is subsequently lost after arriving in the Harvest system.
The CMA dispatches a battle group to Harvest, consisting of three warships.
The lead ship in the battle group, the Heracles, returns to Reach, badly
damaged and with heavy casualties. The ship's commander reports that an
alien warship with powerful weaponry was present, and had decimated Harvest,
exterminating the colonists (and presumably destroying the Argo). The battle
group engaged the alien warship, and was thoroughly routed. The
Heracles-following the destruction of the other two ships in the
group-jumped out of the system, but due to the damage she had sustained,
took several weeks to make it back to Reach.
The Earth military goes on full alert, and begins making preparations to
move in and retake Harvest. By December, a massive Earth war fleet under
Vice Admiral Preston Cole mobilizes, one of the fastest such mobilizations
of such a large fleet in the history of humankind.
2531: THE BATTLE OF HARVEST
Cole's war fleet engages the alien warship responsible for the decimation of
the colony, scoring a victory (though the battle cost Cole two-thirds of his
battle group). Only a last minute tactical inspiration turned the tide of
battle.
After returning to Earth, Cole-promoted to Admiral-learns that a number of
outlying colonies have been destroyed, leaving behind no survivors. Cole
begins to move his fleet around, trying to intercept the invaders. Ground
and ship-to-ship battles begin in earnest, raging throughout the Outer
Colonies. During one ground engagement, Human forces capture one of the
aliens. Before succumbing to his wounds, interrogators learn that the aliens
refer to themselves as "the Covenant" (roughly translated).
2535: THE OUTER COLONY MASSACRED
In the course of four short years, Cole's forces are hammered, despite his
excellent leadership and tactical brilliance. It is simply a matter of being
outgunned; Covenant kill ratios tend to top four to one in ship-to-ship
combat.
By 2535, virtually all of the Outer Colony worlds have been destroyed by the
Covenant. The "Cole Protocol" is established by military order: all human
vessels must ensure that Covenant forces do not find Earth. Human ships
must-when forced to withdraw-not move on to an Earth bound vector, even if
that means jumping without proper navigational calculations. If blind jumps
are not possible, the ship's captain must order self-destruction if capture
is imminent. In addition, it is also imperative that the powerful ship A.I.
data cores not fall into Covenant hands, so part of this protocol involves
either the removal or destruction of the ship's A.I. in extreme situations.
2536: THE SIEGE OF THE INNER COLONIES
Covenant forces begin to swarm into the Inner Colonies. For several years
the war falls into a pattern: humans win isolated battles, typically during
ground operations, but at a horrible cost. In space combat, the humans are
losing at a precipitous rate, and one by one, the colonies fall.
2552 AND BEYOND: HALO
Covenant forces arrive at Reach and obliterate the colony. You (Master
Chief) escape aboard the cruiser Pillar of Autumn and are the only survivor
of your team.
In accordance with the Cole Protocol, the Pillar of Autumn's captain plots a
random, long-distance jump, hoping to lure the Covenant fleet-dangerously
near Earth-away from the human homeworld.
After deactivating the drive, the Pillar of Autumn drops into a distant,
uncharted system. There is a Covenant fleet in the system as well, near a
planet-sized ring-shaped construct, Halo. A brief-and lopsided-battle ensues
and the Pillar of Autumn is severely damaged. An escape craft containing the
surviving humans crashes on the mysterious alien construct. |
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