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Vendetta Onlineâ„¢ Online Background Storyline - Created by Guild Software, Inc.
Storyline written by John Bergman in April of 2002.
===AD 3624===
The Itani begin to investigate a new branch of technology. It is found that sensors can be constructed which can react to the will and energies of a meditatively trained individual. It is even theorized that the technology could be crafted to amplify the energies of a monk, with many possible applications. The Order has long studied the link between thought and action, and many test pilots have been martially trained towards this end. When combined with the new technology, even more impressive results are realized. Sufficiently trained pilots can now fly with mere thought, while “feeling†"feeling" the response of their ship in great detail. All data recorded by the shipboard computer can be filtered into their consciousness, understood, and acted upon, while in the required meditative state. Training to achieve this state, however, is a long and difficult process. Additionally, in a world of transports which can autopilot from place to place without incident, there is little need for this technology. For now, it is mainly used by the Order to provide displays of aerobatic skill during large festivals.
===AD 3718===
The Serco military leaders, on the other hand, had no regret of their actions and considered the war to be a job well done. Their military structure was a rather small, close-knit group of officers, all of whom knew one another well and who shared a similar view when it came to matters of combat. For the Serco, there was no need for a large command structure, as a large percentage of their combat forces were computer controlled beasts and automatons, such as the Guises. Thus, this group of like-minded officers perceived that it was not they who had wronged, indeed, they had justly defended their nation from a great threat; so great that it had extinguished the lives of a sizable percentage of their population. It was their belief that any true soldier, when faced with the defense of one's people, would respond with all possible force, that such a threat might never be marshaled against them again. They presented their people with this view, and were largely rebuffed, to their disgust. Finally, the military leaders conceived a plan to guarantee that their nation would not persist in this weak and divided state, and would become a nation strong enough to withstand the onslaught of any attacker.
On the dawn of the same day that the Ark planned to launch, they prepared their coup d’etatd'etat. Ironically, the launch of the Ark, utterly unexpected by the Serco and not fully understood until second contact with the Itani in 3827, played well into the hands of the military commanders. The launch caused shockwaves to rumble across the Serco nation, triggering volcanic activity, quakes, fire and great dust clouds. The cities were left in confusion and chaos, allowing the military to move in and assert their power and control.
===AD 2672, Terra II===
The people are understandably bitter about abandoning their towns, homes, and lives. While their imaginations may be captivated by the ever-present unknowns of space, most of them were happy living in their small towns and villages, with little desire to brave the starlit voids themselves. Generations upon generations have lived in those towns, dating back to the early domes of earth colonization. However, the people are happy to be free of the ever-present fright of the marauding Serco, and many look forward to the prospect of starting a new home on a distant planet of their own. It is not widely publicized that no such suitable planet has been found, even after the considerable exploration of the last few hundred years. For the moment, the UIT government and corporations concentrate on expanding their network of stations and rocky outposts to meet the needs of their population.
As a final commentary on the perspective of the Serco as the only inhabitants of Terra II, they decide to rename the planet “Serco Prime†"Serco Prime" in honor of their nation. The UIT sees this as added reason to vacate the planet as soon as possible.
===AD 3827, Serco Prime and Independent Territories===
And so the discussions began. Eilon welcomed the Serco as guests and ancient family. "Too long has it been since our societies have met, I greet you on behalf of the Itani people", he said. "We are a peaceful folk, and desire only to communicate and share with other cultures to the benefit of all". It was some minutes before a response was forthcoming from the Serco, their matte black ships silently holding position around the transport vessel. Eventually a voice responded, "You have invaded the sovereign dominion of the Serco. Your spies have been captured and your invasion plot exposed. Now you sue for peace? Be thankful we permit you to speak at all". This first exchange set the tone for the rest of the discussion. The Abbot tried time and again to convince the Serco of the Itani's peaceful intentions. The Serco interpreted the lack of aggressive negotiating technique as cowardice, and became even more belligerent and openly contemptuous of the Itani diplomat. After several hours of fruitless argument, the exasperated Abbot informed the Serco that, if they wished it, no further attempts at contact or exploration would be made by the Itani. However, they would appreciate the return of the pilots from the captured exploratory mission. The Serco representative then made a haughty retort, stating that not only would the Itani never see their pilots again ("Enemy spies"), but that they had "begun an event that the Serco would surely finish". At this veiled threat the Abbot simply sighed, thanked the Serco for their time, and disclosed that he would be unable to continue negotiation, but that he hoped they might resume discussion at some point in the future. The transport ship turned about and began its trip back to Eo. Many now believe that this was a calculated attempt by Eilon to shake up the Serco and alleviate the deadlock in negotiations. Others simply believe that the Abbot's impatience and irritation with the belligerent Serco got the better of him. Either way, the outcome was likely not what he desired. The Serco became infuriated by his attempt to leave, calling it an insult that he should attempt to leave the company of his betters without asking permission. When he failed to respond, the Serco perused, firing warning shots across the bow of the transport vessel. It is unclear whether a few of the shots were too close, or if the Serco deliberately fired upon the Abbot's ship, but within a few moments the transport had sustained heavy damage and was calling Eo for help.
The population of Eo listened in stunned silence to the first shots striking the hull of their leader's spacecraft. Even as the echoes of the transport's mayday call faded in the temple, several monks were boarding recreational craft, determined to aid their embattled brother. The light ships were only intended for space-acrobatics demonstrations, and had no offensive weapons of any kind, but the monks hoped they might at least draw off some of the attackers, perhaps even driving off the Serco by physically ramming them. The news of the monks’ monks' launch was added to the news broadcast, prompting many of Eo's citizens and spacecraft owners to decide that they too should help their much-beloved leader. Within a few minutes, hundreds of craft were lifting off of pads around Eo and following the monks into space.
The Abbot himself had not been idle. He, like many academics, possessed an energy focus, largely as a teaching aid for rendering geometric concepts. Now, however, he employed it as a shield for his transport. The Serco noticed this unusual field surrounding the ship when one of their fighters collided with it, destroying the Nighthawk and killing the pilot. The angry Serco leader then ordered his squadron to destroy the transport as an example to those who would attack the Serco nation. Concentrating all fire on the large ship, the Serco were baffled by their inability to injure the ship or penetrate its surrounding field. For several minutes this went on, the fighters bombarding the transport with the full extent of their arsenal, to no avail. However, this defense did come at a cost. Very few Itani monks could have even formed a field large enough to encompass the entire transport ship, let alone hold it up under constant attack. The Abbot of Eo, first of his order, and still sprightly at age three hundred and eighty seven, was no mere monk. Even the Abbot of Itan might have been hard pressed to match Eilon's mastery of internal power. Despite his strength, maintaining the field was an incredible drain, and one that could last but a short time. Although his crew and entourage begged him to board one of the small escape pods, he refused. He knew that the Serco might be likely to fire upon any jettisoning pods, and he was unable to break connection with the energy focus without risking their destruction. So it was that with a series of terse commands he ordered everyone to the transport's forward cargo hold, one of the strongest areas of the ship, where they would close all the emergency pressure hatches and hope for rescue. He himself maintained contact with the Focus on the bridge, straining under the load of the shield, now beginning to buckle, giving hope to the Serco that perhaps their quarry was not so indestructible.
On the day of the eighteenth anniversary of the attack on Serco Prime, a fleet of forty-four Serco capital ships make the jump to the adjacent system, on their way to Itani territory. The Itani sentries see them and provide a few hours warning to Eo. The Order is shaken by this news, many lamenting their foolish choice to avoid weapons construction. An evacuation of Eo’s population begins. The planet being the most recently settled of the Itani worlds, and the most lightly populated, the evacuation is managed with time to spare. A diplomatic envoy is dispatched to the wormhole area, in a last hope of negotiating with the incoming Serco armada. Negotiation is not considered likely, however, so the envoy also carries a number of highly trained monks to power the energy focus, along with a high yield thermonuclear device as a final option.
As the massive Serco invasion force begins its final jump into Eo’s Eo's system, the envoy begins broadcasting requests for negotiation. The Serco fleet silently forms in front of the envoy, unresponsive to communications. Eventually, the envoy states that the attack on the Serco people was perpetrated by little-known Itani splinter group, and that the Itani people have no interest in war with the Serco. The sneering Serco commander finally responds, “Of "Of course you have no interest in war, now that you read your demise in our presenceâ€presence". Immediately after, the Serco open fire on the envoy. The Itani diplomatic vessel flees before the pursuing armada, the monks on board hard-pressed to maintain the shield against so great an onslaught. The Itani decide to release their bomb, dropping it behind them in the path of the fleet. It detonates with the sudden brilliance of a new star, taking out several capital ships, including the flagship of the Serco commander. However, the rest of the fleet was spread over too great an area to have received much collective damage. The diplomatic vessel manages to escape in the ensuing confusion, but the loss of their commander has only strengthened the will of the invaders.
In relatively short order the Serco arrive at Eo and begin bombardment. The Guises are landed and start their assaults on the cities, which seem oddly silent and lightly defended. Most of the major cities are destroyed during this rampage, but few living Itani are found, let alone killed. The Serco are perplexed, but soon begin to make pronouncements of occupying the planet “on "on behalf of the Serco People, whose vengeance will not be soon forgottenâ€forgotten". A few thousand Itani are found and killed, on various parts of the planet, those who were unable to evacuate or chose to stay behind. The sparseness of the population only further angers the Serco, who now perceive that the Itani have retreated before them. They have just begun scanning for additional wormhole areas in the sector, to track down the remaining Itani planets, when the Order of Akan abruptly arrives on the scene.
A massive battle rages above the skies of Eo for the next six hours. The Order has made considerable achievements in their defensive shielding, which proves more than a match for the improved Serco weaponry. Despite this fact, the Akanese are severely outnumbered. The day might still have gone badly, if not for the sudden appearance of a large number of fighters from Itan, hurriedly retrofitted with prototype weaponry. Both sides take heavy casualties, until the tide is finally turned with the destruction of the Guise control ship. Perceiving that their hopes for occupation have been dashed, the Serco retreat, taking their twelve remaining capital ships and vanishing through the wormhole towards their home.
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Vendetta Onlineâ„¢ Online Background Storyline<br>
http://www.vendetta-online.com<br>
Landscape Illustrations by Mark Facey.<br>
All content © © Copyright 2004 Guild Software, Inc<br>
All Rights Reseved.
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[[Category:General Information]]
[[Category:Background]]
