There are things in this galaxy billions of years older than either of our races, and if they're aware of us at all, it is as little more than ants.

The First Ones, The Old Ones, Predecessors, Forerunners... Whatever they are called they have come before us and before one another, just as others will come after us. Our galaxy is old and mysterious and cycles of civilizations have come and gone through untold eons. Millenia ago, in the early days of the current cycle, when the younger races of our time were still experimenting with faster-than-light travel and colonizing space through tedious methods that didn’t surpass lightspeed - a race known as the Lareshians emerged with a grand vision.

Their origins are shrouded in mystery and legend to this day as one of the galaxy’s best kept secrets. Only the Lareshians themselves know if they are the youngest race of an older cycle, the oldest of this cycle, or simply a cosmic happenstance.

With a zeal for progress and a desire to bring order to the chaos of the galaxy, they embarked on a monumental undertaking: the formation of a galactic confederation that would unite the disparate worlds and races under a common banner.

Their greatest weapon? Their discovery of the fastest FTL technology known to the galaxy: the hyperlanes. With their unparalleled intellect and technological prowess compared to their contemporaries the Lareshians spent millenia expanding their Commonwealth across the stars.

At its zenith, the Commonwealth stood as a testament to the Lareshian's grand vision. Trade flourished between member worlds, technological advancements were shared with Lareshi oversight, and cultural exchange became commonplace. It seemed as though the galaxy had finally found peace under the benevolent gaze of the Commonwealth.

Yet, beneath the veneer of unity, cracks began to form within the Commonwealth's foundation. The decentralized and confederate governing structure, intended to preserve the autonomy of member states, proved to be its greatest weakness. As the Commonwealth expanded, so too did the challenges it faced. Maintaining order across such a vast expanse of space proved to be an insurmountable task.

The Lareshians, for all their brilliance, eventually found themselves outmatched by the sheer scale of the Commonwealth they had created. The Lareshians being a statistical minority in their own empire. Despite their best efforts, they lacked the military capacity to enforce the will of the confederation onto its member states. Pirates and raiders prowled the fringes of Commonwealth space, preying upon vulnerable worlds with impunity. Wars and civil wars drained the Commonwealth's coffers and resources.

As tensions simmered and conflicts erupted between member worlds, the dream of a unified galaxy began to unravel. The central authority of the Commonwealth found itself powerless to quell the violence, as member states bickered amongst themselves, each prioritizing their own interests over the greater good.

In the end, it was not external threats that brought about the downfall of the Commonwealth, but the inherent weaknesses of its own design. The confederation that had once promised peace and prosperity to the galaxy collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential and shattered dreams.

As the Commonwealth flourished under the stewardship of the enigmatic Lareshians, it was not merely through force and diplomacy that the confederation prospered. The Lareshians, in their wisdom, understood that true unity could only be achieved through cooperation and mutual benefit. Thus, they established a series of institutions, known as Grand Guilds, designed to enrich the Commonwealth, institutions that would endure long after the confederation itself had crumbled.

These various guilds within the Commonwealth, while ostensibly working toward common goals, often found themselves at odds with one another due to conflicting interests and agendas. Competition for resources, influence, and prestige fueled tensions between the guilds, leading to power struggles and conflicts that undermined the Commonwealth's unity. Instead of cooperating for the greater good, the guilds came to engage in a destructive cycle of rivalry and one-upmanship that sowed discord and division within the Commonwealth.

The Spacing Guild has more or less survived the fall of the Commonwealth perfectly intact. Primarily due to existing solely in space and conducting work that remains essential to the galaxy at large. Spacing Guild members have renounced their planetoid origins and live full time in space onboard the Guild’s vessels and facilities.

The Spacing Guild primarily generates revenue through several avenues. Firstly, they charge fees for the use of established hyperlanes, akin to tolls on highways. This revenue stream is particularly lucrative given the widespread use of hyperlanes for interstellar travel. Additionally, the Spacing Guild offers services such as navigation assistance, route optimization, and emergency assistance to travelers, charging fees for these specialized services. Furthermore, they may engage in the sale of proprietary navigation technology and star maps to governments, corporations, and private individuals seeking to explore uncharted regions of space.

The Tachyon Guild, like the Spacing Guild, would survive the fall of the Commonwealth.

The Tachyon Guild's revenue model revolves around the provision of communication services across the galaxy. They charge fees for the transmission of data packets through their secure tachyon-based communication network, with pricing based on factors such as data volume, transmission speed, and distance traveled. Additionally, the Tachyon Guild offers subscription-based communication packages tailored to the needs of different clients, including governments, corporations, and private citizens. They may also generate revenue through the sale of specialized communication equipment and software optimized for use with their tachyon network.

Massive Guild Barges could be rented, wholesale or in terms of sectioned off cubic meters, and allowed for even small scale merchants from backwater planets to participate in the galactic economy. While the guild was heavily affected by the fall of the Commonwealth many of the guild’s core tenets and operations survived are the Trading Guild is still around to this day. To this day the Trading Guild Barges are still the single largest spacefaring vessels known to the galaxy. Capable of housing entire military fleets and untold tons of cargo.

During the height of the Commonwealth's influence the Trading Guild held a monopoly on intergalactic trade. Forcing member-states to use the Guild's services if they wanted to ship their goods to other regions of space.

The Trading Guild generates revenue primarily through brokerage fees and transaction commissions related to galactic trade and commerce. They act as intermediaries in the buying and selling of goods and services between member states, charging fees for facilitating trade negotiations, securing contracts, and arranging shipments. Additionally, the Trading Guild may offer value-added services such as trade finance, insurance, and logistics support to traders and merchants, charging fees for these supplementary services. They may also operate marketplaces and exchanges where goods and commodities are bought and sold, earning revenue through transaction fees and listing fees.

In the aftermath of the fall of the Commonwealth the Banking Guild emerged as an interstellar force that maintained its purpose of trying to enable intergalactic banking and monetary exchange.

The Banking Guild's revenue model is centered around the provision of financial services and the management of economic systems within the Commonwealth. They generate revenue through various means, including interest income from loans and investments, fees for banking services such as account maintenance, wire transfers, and foreign exchange transactions, and commissions from the issuance and management of currency. Additionally, the Banking Guild may offer advisory services related to economic policy, investment strategy, and risk management to member states and private clients, charging fees for these specialized services. They may also engage in the trading of financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, and derivatives, earning revenue through brokerage fees and trading commissions.

With its vast resources, expertise, and influence, the Guild was instrumental in shaping the technological landscape of the galaxy and propelling civilization forward into new frontiers of discovery and achievement. The Techno Guild was often viewed with suspicion for their perceived monopolistic tendencies and enigmatic ways. Their monopolistic tendencies often stifled competition and innovation, leading to accusations of hoarding valuable technology and impeding progress. Due to its faltering public relations in the veining years of the Commonwealth the Techno Guild would not survive in its original state.

The Techno Guild generated revenue primarily through the licensing of patented technologies, consultancy services, and the sale of cutting-edge research findings to corporations, governments, and academic institutions across the Galactic Commonwealth. Additionally, they offered specialized training programs, workshops, and conferences for aspiring scientists and engineers, charging fees for access to their expertise and resources. The Guild also maintained strategic partnerships with various industries, leveraging their technological prowess to develop bespoke solutions and innovative products tailored to the needs of their clients. Through these diversified revenue streams, the Techno Guild established itself as the preeminent hub for technological advancement and innovation within the Commonwealth, ensuring a steady flow of income to sustain its operations and activities.

As the Sentinel Order stood as the vanguard of order and security within the Commonwealth, their failure to maintain control over the bickering member states became a critical factor in the confederation's collapse. Tasked with upholding the Commonwealth's laws and preserving peace across its vast expanse, the Sentinel Order found themselves overwhelmed by the mounting tensions and internal conflicts that plagued the confederation.

Initially, the Sentinel Order had enjoyed widespread support and respect from member states, their presence serving as a deterrent against aggression and a symbol of unity in the face of external threats. However, as the Commonwealth expanded and its governing structure proved increasingly ineffective at resolving disputes and grievances, the Sentinel Order found themselves drawn into the quagmire of interstellar politics.

Faced with growing dissent and rebellion among member states, the Sentinel Order struggled to maintain control over the increasingly fractious confederation. Despite their best efforts to enforce the Commonwealth's laws and quell unrest, they found themselves hampered by political infighting, bureaucratic red tape, and a lack of clear directives from the central authority.

As tensions boiled over and conflicts erupted between member states, the Sentinel Order found themselves caught in the crossfire, their forces stretched thin as they attempted to mediate disputes and contain outbreaks of violence. Divided loyalties and conflicting allegiances within the ranks of the Sentinel Order further undermined their effectiveness, as officers and soldiers found themselves torn between their duty to uphold the Commonwealth's laws and their allegiance to their home worlds. The Sentinel Order would find itself accused of incompetence, corruption, and betrayal as well as being the centerpoint of disasters and coup d'etats.

Ultimately, the collapse of the Commonwealth can be traced, in part, to the failure of the Sentinel Order to maintain control over the unruly member states. Their inability to quell internal dissent and enforce the will of the central authority allowed tensions to escalate unchecked, hastening the confederation's descent into chaos and ultimately contributing to its downfall.

In the aftermath of the Commonwealth's collapse, the Sentinel Order found themselves facing scrutiny and criticism from all quarters. Accusations of incompetence, corruption, and betrayal were leveled against the once-venerated organization, tarnishing its reputation and sowing doubt among the galactic populace.

[6393] End of the Charter System (6393-6458): By 6300 rampant corruption and embezzlement had led to a complete collapse of the Commonwealth's Charter System, in where organizations, guilds and corporations were given chartered rights to develop and exploits regions and resources in return for paying tithe to the Commonwealth. Powerful Conglomerates with ties to the Commonwealth's Congress convinced the congress to start abolishing the Charter system. Politically it was argued that regions and fiefs would benefit from increased independence and direct taxation as opposed to going through the Charters. Though most charters operated on specified time-limits before they could be changed or revoked it would take the Commonwealth 65 years to revoke them all.

[6421] The Huon Traverse Blitz & the Nexus Terror Bombing: The Huon Traverse was a sparsely populated area of space on the fringe of Commonwealth space where multiple minor races had colonies. More often than not multiple races had colonies within the same star system. The primary power of the area was a transhuman-power called the Yazata that had a reputation for both aggression and infighting.

In 6421 the Huon Traverse was attacked by the Holy Empire of Dar-Hesh, an imperialist younger race on the Commonwealth fringe that had only recently been included into the Commonwealth. The Sentinel Order was slow to respond to the conflict and the Dar-Hesh were rapidly advancing through the Huon Traverse despite fierce resistance. Once the Dar-Hesh started to orbital bombard colonized planets the situation devolved into a political disaster for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Parliament was stuck in a gridlock unable to appoint a new High Commissioner and the Sentinel Order was still mustering forces while the Yazata conducted desperate evacuation of civilians and delaying actions against the Dar-Hesh. By the time Commonwealth forces arrived the Dar-Hesh had secured the Huon Traverse, while wisely staying away from the crucial Kimothan hyperlane, and its former population had been rendered spacebore on the Yazata Exodus Fleet.

Feeling outraged and betrayed, the Yazata and its fellow exiles of Huon formally withdrew from the Commonwealth. Yazatan Ambassador Tam Dyrohl conducted a terror bombing on the Assembly hall of Nexus Station by blowing himself up, killing and injuring multiple delegates and ambassadors. The confederation’s leadership at the time refrained from sanctioning any retaliation against the Yazata. The Dar-Hesh’s conquest of the Huon Traverse was officially contested and declared as illegal but no further military action was taken. The political gridlock that had delayed any proper Commonwealth action became a huge case of embarrassment and the Sentinel Order felt itself being made a mockery of.

[6421] The Rigos 19 Massacre: A demonstration against the Commonwealth’s handling of the Huon Traverse Blitz ended in a tragedy on the remote colony world of Rigos 19 in 6421 as a detachment of Sentinel Order troopers, acting on faulty intelligence, launched a brutal crackdown against the peaceful civilian protest. What was intended to be a routine enforcement operation quickly descended into chaos and bloodshed as the situation spiraled out of control.

In a catastrophic display of excessive force, Sentinel troops opened fire on unarmed protesters, unleashing a hail of pulser fire that indiscriminately struck down men, women, and children alike. The massacre sent shockwaves through the galaxy as news of the atrocity spread, triggering outrage and condemnation from all corners of the Commonwealth.

The Sentinel Order, once revered as the guardians of peace and justice, found themselves vilified and reviled in the aftermath of the massacre. Accusations of brutality and disregard for civilian lives tarnished their reputation, casting a dark shadow over their legacy of service and sacrifice. As calls for accountability and justice reverberated throughout the galaxy, the Sentinel Order was humiliated and forced to undergo a comprehensive investigation into the massacre. The reason for the faulty intelligence was never discovered and the entire Sentinel Order felt as if it was being vilified and unjustly targeted by the Commonwealth’s political leadership.

[6422] The Capture of the Adherent of Plenty: In 6422 the Yazata Exodus Fleet had resorted to piracy and conducted the most daring act of robbery in Commonwealth history. Lying in ambush along a remote hyperlane transfer point the Yazata attacked and took over the Trading Guild Barge the Adherent of Plenty. It was initially believed that the Yazata intended to ransom the Guild Barge but it was soon shown that they intended to convert the barge into living space for their civilian population. The Trading Guild demanded retribution, fearing that this would encourage piracy against Guild vessels. But the Commonwealth decided to ignore the issue and paid the Trading Guild as compensation. The Sentinel Order protested and claimed that the capture of the Adherent of Plenty made a mockery of Commonwealth authority.

[6424] The Tanak-Kimur Conspiracy (6424-6427): In a shocking turn of events, the Sentinel Order, tasked with upholding the peace and security of the Commonwealth, staged a bold rebellion against the very institutions they were sworn to protect. Fueled by grievances over perceived injustices and inequalities within the Commonwealth, having shouldered much of the public blame for the Huon Traverse Blitz, a faction of disillusioned Sentinels broke ranks and launched a coordinated uprising against the established order. Two full Commonwealth fleets broke off and spearheaded the rebellion. The Fleet of Glorious Heritage & the Fleet of Eternal Vigilance. Both fleets had been involved in the previous conflicts with the Fleet of Glorious Heritage being the one that was sent to the Huon Traverse and being forced to stand down and not drive out the invading Dar-Hesh. Likewise the Sentinels responsible for the Rigos 19 Massacre had came from the Fleet of Eternal Vigilance. Not able to stand their perceived disgrace the fleets' commanders, Admiral Jou Tanak and Admiral Aran Kimur along with their men choose death before dishonor.

The rebellion plunged the galaxy into chaos as Sentinel forces seized control of key strategic assets and installations, sparking fierce battles against loyalist factions and Commonwealth-aligned military units. Planets and systems once considered bastions of stability were engulfed in conflict as the Sentinel rebellion spread like wildfire across the cosmos.

The Commonwealth, caught off guard by the sudden betrayal of its most trusted defenders, struggled to contain the escalating crisis. Diplomatic overtures and peace negotiations faltered as the Sentinel rebellion hardened into a full-scale insurgency, with both sides locked in a bitter struggle for supremacy. Amidst the chaos, accusations of corruption and abuse of power were hurled back and forth between the Sentinel Order and the Commonwealth leadership, further fueling the flames of rebellion. Planets and sectors were torn apart by violence and bloodshed as the galaxy teetered on the brink of collapse.

In the end, it took a concerted effort by loyalist forces and allied factions to quell the Sentinel rebellion and restore order to the galaxy. The conflict exacted a heavy toll on both sides, leaving scars that would linger for generations to come and forever tarnishing the reputation of the once-proud Sentinel Order. In the aftermath of the rebellion the Sentinel Order was reduced in size and the units that had rebelled were officially stricken from the record. All Sentinel fleets were reduced in size and received diminished funding. The Commonwealth was forced to pay reparations to the member states which had been affected by the war and the Commonwealth conceded to allow for its confederated states to build up their own security forces more.

[6453] The Sentinel Insurrection: An inherent weakness of the Commonwealth's military, and its spaceborne institutions at large, were their fierce independence and tendency to develop deeply entrenched cultures within an individual organization. Unable to see the faults with their own culture the Commonwealth had a chance to try and rectify this weakness after the Tanak-Kimur Conspiracy (6424-6427) but failed to do so. With military grievances allowed to fester, one pivotal event that catalyzed the downfall of the Commonwealth was the Sentinel Insurrection, a catastrophic rebellion orchestrated by disillusioned members of the Sentinel Order. The insurrection was sparked by a series of grievances and injustices that had festered within the ranks of the Sentinel Order for decades, ultimately boiling over into open rebellion against the established order.

The seeds of discontent were sown amidst growing resentment among Sentinel troopers over issues such as inadequate training, substandard equipment, and harsh working conditions. Despite their vital role in maintaining order and security across the galaxy, Sentinels felt undervalued and underappreciated by the Commonwealth's leadership, leading to widespread disillusionment and dissatisfaction among their ranks. Many Sentinel troops felt that they were still blamed for the actions of the rebelling Sentinels during the Sentinel Rebellion (6424-6427) and that they lacked both political and public support.

The tipping point came when a group of Sentinel troopers, incensed by a perceived betrayal of their comrades during a high-risk mission, broke ranks and openly defied orders from their superiors. What began as a localized act of insubordination quickly snowballed into a full-fledged rebellion as disgruntled Sentinels rallied behind the charismatic leaders of the insurrection, declaring their intent to overthrow the Commonwealth's government and establish a new order based on their own principles.

The Sentinel Insurrection sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy as loyalist forces mobilized to suppress the rebellion and restore order. Despite the valiant efforts of loyalist forces to quell the rebellion, the Sentinel Insurrection proved to be a devastating blow to the Commonwealth's stability and cohesion. The once-proud Sentinel Order, entrusted with upholding the principles of justice and security, had been torn asunder for a second time by internal strife and betrayal, leading to widespread disillusionment and loss of faith in the Commonwealth's ability to govern effectively.

In the aftermath of the insurrection, the Commonwealth found itself weakened and vulnerable, its institutions and governing bodies struggling to maintain control in the face of mounting unrest and external threats. The Sentinel Insurrection served as a harbinger of the Commonwealth's eventual downfall, signaling the beginning of the end for an era of unity and prosperity that had once seemed unshakeable.

[6524] The Hundred Years of Piracy (6524-6632): After having been spaceborne for over 100 years since the Huon Traverse Blitz, the Yazata Exodus Fleet had transformed and diverged into a new culture of warlike nomads, consisting of members from multiple species. The Exodus Fleet had embraced fleet-based living and split up into clans, called Prides, that dedicated themselves to piracy and mercenary work. This era of galactic history began with the Raid on **** in 6524 that would later be tracked to the Neiyin Pride, a new and prominent power of the former Yazata Exodus Fleet. The Yazatan Prides’ resentment towards the Commonwealth saw them proliferate military weapon systems throughout the galaxy.

The root causes of this surge in piracy were manifold however, stemming from a combination of socioeconomic disparities and political instability. The decentralized nature of the Commonwealth's governance, coupled with the growing influence of rival guilds and factions, created fertile ground for criminal elements to thrive and expand their illicit operations with impunity. Even large corporations worked together with pirates and mercenaries to destabilize their economic rivals.

During this era, pirate fleets grew increasingly bold and organized, utilizing advanced weaponry, stolen technology, and covert networks to evade detection and strike with devastating precision. Commerce within the Commonwealth was severely disrupted, as merchant vessels faced constant threats of hijacking, extortion, and sabotage. Entire sectors of space became lawless wastelands, where the rule of law was supplanted by the law of the jungle. The Trading Guild grew in power and influence during this time period thanks to seeing more merchants use the relative safety of the Trading Guild Barges.

The era of rampant piracy ended with the Battle of **** in 6632, where the Commonwealth Fleet of Blind Tranquility destroyed the Neiyin Pride in its entirety. Admiral **** had decided on this fateful course of action after mounting evidence that the Neiyin Pride were the key player in numerous criminal syndicates. While effective the fleet’s actions during the battle became a sensitive political issue due to the large portion of civilian deaths. Piracy quickly died down after the battle and many Yazata Prides kept a low profile even though most remained active within the criminal underworld.

[6530] The Phashian Hyperlane Collapse: In the waning years of the Commonwealth, a catastrophic event shook the very foundation of interstellar travel. The Spacing Guild, entrusted with the maintenance and regulation of hyperlanes, faced mounting pressure to keep pace with the ever-expanding demands of the galaxy's burgeoning population. In their haste to chart new routes and accommodate increasing traffic, the Guild overlooked crucial safety protocols. Tragedy struck when the critical Phashian hyperlane, traversing a densely populated sector of the galaxy, suffered a catastrophic collapse. Countless ships were caught in the ensuing chaos, their crews and passengers lost to the void as the guiding hyperspace buoys unraveled around them. The disaster sent shockwaves throughout the Commonwealth, sparking widespread panic and outrage. Thousands died and travel times across the area was greatly affected with the loss of the hyperlane. It took the Spacing Guild 2 years to fully restore the complete length of the Phashian Hyperlane and any travel time was more than doubled for the duration of the repairs.

The Spacing Guild, held responsible for the catastrophic failure, faced intense scrutiny and condemnation from all corners of the galaxy. Accusations of negligence and incompetence were leveled against the Guild's leadership, as grieving families demanded accountability for the loss of their loved ones. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Spacing Guild was forced to implement sweeping reforms and invest heavily in infrastructure upgrades to prevent future catastrophes. Following this disaster the Spacing Guild would withdraw inward and become less publicly open to outsiders.

[6588] :

[6607] The Laresi Communication Blackout: In the twilight years of the Galactic Commonwealth, a sinister shadow fell across the cosmos as a mysterious and unprecedented event plunged entire sectors of the galaxy into darkness. The Tachyon Guild, entrusted with maintaining fast and secure communication methods, found itself powerless to explain or remedy the inexplicable phenomenon. Dubbed the "Laresi Communication Blackout," the event saw tachyon-based communication networks falter and fail throughout the Laresi Core, leaving countless worlds isolated and cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Panic spread like wildfire as rumors of invasion, sabotage, and cosmic anomalies ran rampant among the populace.

Initial efforts to restore communication proved futile as the Tachyon Guild scrambled to identify the source of the disturbance. In the absence of reliable communication channels, chaos reigned supreme, with mistrust and paranoia driving factions to the brink of conflict. Communications were limited to courier ships and laser based communication. For the first time in milenia galactic communication was limited by the speed of light.

The Tachyon Guild, once revered as the lifeline of the Commonwealth, now faced scrutiny and scorn as their failure to avert the catastrophe cast doubt on their competence and reliability. Despite their best efforts, the Communication Blackout persisted, with sections of the Tachyon Network going online and offline repeatedly for months and leaving a scar on the collective psyche of the galaxy and hastening the Commonwealth's descent into chaos and uncertainty. The Tachyon Guild released detailed reports to the Commonwealth’s Government regarding the Blackout but actual facts were sparse. In the end the Tachyon Guild tried to blame the Blackout on an unknown interference related to perceived activity within hyperspace. Ultimately the reason for the blackout never became explicitly known.

[6609] The Masada Caches: Immediately following the Laresi Telecommunication Blackout of 6607, The Clanner fleets in the Anakhem system received a mysterious and anonymous tipoff of a completely barren and useless system, Masada, was brimming with military equipment to supplement their forces. With the current blackout, all early warning signs of the raids on the caches would be disrupted, allowing the Clans to freely raid in a speedy manner. Their mysterious benefactor was unknown, but had to have been nearby to deliver such a message during the blackout itself. The Clans quickly went off the tipoff, and headed out with haste to Masada.

Located on the Periphery of Mazekya space, the system was truly marked as a dead system with nothing of note besides lifeless planets. However, after scouting, large vaults were located on Masada 3-2, bunkers that were only found due to standing out against Masada 3-2’s dusty surface. Clearing the outer defenses, the Clans immediately began excavating them, and what they found was considered lucrative: enough supplies to rearm four entire Commonwealth fleets. The Clans quickly called in scavenging units from Neanderthal space, and in the end, all the Clans had doubled their fleet capabilities. Already, calls for a great raid like never seen before flared in the ranks of Clanners, all wanting what they considered to be “a Reclamation.”

[6657] Roman-Kalakari War (6657-6665): In 6657 the Kalakar Hegemony launched a two pronged attack against the regional peacekeeping force, the Fleet of Million Voices. As well as attacking the Roman listening station in the Shikchi system. The Commonwealth’s Fleet of Million Voices was neutralized and the Kalakari launched a campaign of conquest against the United Roman Reich and the Conclave of Adotov. The Commonwealth responded by sending the Fleet of Splendid Intention which mainly conducted harassment and deep strikes against the Kalakari from Adotov while most of the heavy fighting was conducted along the Roman-Kalakari border. The conflict lasted for 8 years, primarily due to the Commonwealth’s reluctance to properly aid the Roman war effort due to overwhelming reports of war crimes being conducted by both sides.

The war ended in 6665 with Roman forces occupying and claiming all Kalakari systems from before the start of the war. The Commonwealth begrudgingly agreed to the Roman demands since the Romans didn’t claim any of the systems which the Kalakari had occupied and that had been liberated by the Fleet of Splendid Intention. The Commonwealth’s decision to stay out of the conflict drove a wedge between it and the Romans that wouldn’t mend with time. Their lack of support during the war also led to the Roman military industrial complex to grow exponentially. Something which would cost the Commonwealth dearly in less than 30 years.

[6673] Lion’s Pride, Viper’s Fall (6673-6692): The second half of The Clanner Raids, saw the evolution of the war from a blitz, to stagnate attritional warfare. With most of the undefended planets and stations raided, the Clans now had to face the issue of facing those who could defend themselves, both in system and planetside. While the clans could handle attrition, no amount of indifference could hide the fact that pressure was mounting on the Clans, and if their raids did not slow, a galactic-wide coalition could easily form to wipe out the Clans, if not the Nations.

Not everything was hopeless, however. In 6673, Clan White Lion, one of the frontrunners to the raids, supported by Clans Bronze Bull and Ghost Hawk, would do a devastating raid on the system of Rasigon in Dae space. Blitzing the local defenses of the system, the Clans quickly stationed themselves over the Desert planet, and -knowing that the Shaek were underground along with most of their resources- began blowing holes to reveal their cities, and with flamethrowers and explosives, cleared these cities. While many cities were able to go undetected, a large portion of the largest Shaek cities could be considered to be eradicated, with their industries pilfered and brought back into Clan hands.

The raid was a clean break from the last decade of stagnation. The Clans were able to gather all they could, and with a quick jump from the system, were already back to Mazekyan space with their pilfered goods, without triggering a heavy response force. This could be considered the last true hurrah of the Clanner Raids, and would be labeled as “Lion’s Pride,” due to Clan White Lion having proved themselves as not only a Clan who started the raids, but one that could effectively lead them into combat. This, followed by Jade Viper’s Fall and Blood Tiger’s stagnation, would lead to White Lion becoming the face of the Clans, an exemplar of their strategies and used as a basic summarization of Clan tactics.

In 6678, Clans Jade Viper and Scarlet Wolf would participate in the infamous Chelegar raid, Which would go on till 6689. The Jungle planet of Chelegar had, at least to Jade Viper and Scarlet Wolf, great potential for raiding: The local Chelegar Droidworks, a manufacturing company of droids for Azha, housed amazing potential for materials, and the honor to be gained for raiding such a planet would increase both their status with the Clans. After a rather rough fight over the planet's orbit, Jade Viper and Scarlet Wolf began bombardments with clone soldier’s landing in key positions to strike at the droidworks.
What would follow would be a decade-long slog through the Jungles of Chelegar. While Jade Viper and Scarlet Wolf could easily match the droids, the fact that the droids could replenish their numbers just as quickly as the clanners lead to untold destruction across the planet, with little to show for it. Bullets and material tons expended became easier to account for then clones and droids killed in action. After the first three years of the siege, frustrations began to mount on both sides of the conflict. The clanners began turning to more indirect bombardment of the planet, striking cities and periphery towns, desperate to break the planet. In turn, the Azhani responded by conscripting the ctizen population into militia forces, equipping many with spare weapons that the droid used. By 6685, neither the Azhani nor the Clans thought the conflict’s end was in sight, as relief efforts from outside were able to supply both, with the Clans only consistent victory being maintaining their siege against Azhani response fleets.

Only in 6688, did the clans finally suffer defeat in the system. The Azhani were able to enter the Chelegar system from an awkward entry point; the Azhani had finally figured out the Viper’s Nest, and with their amassed fleet, engaged the Clans. Clan Jade Viper was the first to engage, and while putting up an initial successful skirmish, quickly began to gain mounting ship casualties. Despite Jade Viper first engaging, Scarlet Wolf was the first to begin the route, beginning to jump as Jade Viper’s cloning ships began to be destroyed. Jade Viper finally was able to retreat, with only two cloning ships- one badly damaged- and a thousand ships making it out in time.

Azha had liberated Chelegar. Until 6689, clanners on the surface would hold out, in a desperate attempt to hold off the mounting droids before the clans could continue the blockade. But they didn’t know that the Clans would not return to relieve their forces. Of the planet’s population, nearly 10% was wiped out over the course of the eleven year siege. While the Droidworks survived, they had been badly depleted from constant strikes from the Clans, and would see much of their influence in Azha reduced with a lack of production over the next century. Jade Viper as a clan was disgraced with the loss of the majority of their cloning ships, while Scarlet Wolf saw some honor gained through participation.

Jade Viper was to the Clans considered effectively wiped out. Much of their history was effectively destroyed with their loss, and the veteran crews that had formed from the Clanner raids were gone. During the Dissolution War, most of the actions by Jade Viper would effectively carry out only small strikes and sabotage tactics, making them in the eyes of the other Clans “a small dog in a wolf’s den.” One of the frontrunners of the Clans and what could be considered an icon to their heritage was now at the bottom of the barrel.

No further grand scale raids would be carried out over the next three years, as all raids were now limited to stations and outskirt worlds. Despite the failure on Chelegar, the Clans still continued to operate that these raids would effectively never end, but all of them knew that a change would need to come and reshape the appearance of the clans.

This change would come in the form of the Dissolution wars, where the Clans would go from Barbarous Pirates from the Morian Traverse, to a cost efficient mercenary army that could be hired so long as you could contact them.

[6675] The Market Manipulation Debacle: Amidst the economic turbulence of the Commonwealth's waning years, the Trading Guild found itself embroiled in a scandal of unprecedented proportions. In their relentless pursuit of profit and influence, certain members of the Guild's leadership had engaged in a nefarious scheme to manipulate galactic markets for personal gain.

Through clandestine backroom deals and illicit trading practices, these unscrupulous individuals sought to artificially inflate the value of certain commodities while sabotaging rival enterprises. The consequences were devastating, as countless innocent traders and investors found themselves bankrupted and ruined by the machinations of the Trading Guild's corrupt elite.

The scandal sent shockwaves through the galactic economy, eroding trust and confidence in the Trading Guild's ability to regulate commerce fairly and impartially. Public outcry reached a fever pitch as calls for accountability and reform reverberated throughout the Commonwealth. In the aftermath of the debacle, the Trading Guild was forced to undergo a comprehensive restructuring and overhaul of its governance structure to root out corruption and restore faith in its integrity.

The court case against the Trading Guild was however a long and drawn out affair and it was long assumed that many of the true masterminds were able to transplant scapegoats in their stead. While restructuring reforms were officially established, actual restructuring was slow amongst most Guild departments. Commonwealth Intelligence gathered evidence of a secret power faction within the Trading Guild dubbed the Five Leaves Society but no official connection could be made between the Society and any individual Guild member.

[6680] First Contact with the Empire of Durma: In 6680 an Spacing Guild expedition made first contact with the Empire of Durma on the South Western most fringe of Commonwealth space beyond the furthest end of the Nishtrian hyperlane. The Spacing Guilds diplomatic envoys to Durma were killed bar one and this prompted the Spacing Guild to inform the Commonwealth of a newly discovered hostile civilization. The Commonwealth responded by issuing a pacification order to the Fleet of Unforgotten Vengeance to pacify the Empire of Durma and to bring it into the confederation.

[6681] Commonwealth-Durmazh War (6681-6699): In late 6681 the Commonwealth’s Fleet of Unforgotten Vengeance made contact with the forces of the Empire of Durma. The Lareshi Admiral Yurik Nakan had greatly underestimated the Durma’s capability and tenacity to resist. The first major skirmish of the conflict happened in early 6682 with the Battle of Kalam-Tral which ended with sizeable Commonwealth losses after having been tricked into a heavily fortified system. While never losing as heavily again the Fleet of Unforgotten Vengeance would spend the next 17 years stuck in a protracted quagmire of pyrrhic victories and strategic defeats in a futile attempt to bring Durma to heed. Admiral Nakan would initially blame his early failings on faulty information given to the Fleet by the Spacing Guild, an excuse that wouldn't hold up with time as the war situation never developed in a favorable manner for the Commonwealth. Admiral Nakan succumbed together with his flagship in late 6699 after which the remains of the Fleet began to retreat out of Durmazh space. The Fleet had been bleed white and with all the other ongoing conflicts inside the Commonwealth the Unforgotten Vengeance was no longer being supplied.

[6692] Dissolution War (6692-6772):

The Grand Conspiracy is an umbrella term referencing the series of events that lead up to the Dissolution War and the demise of the Commonwealth. It is not a comprehensive term with a definitive conclusion. There are known elements and there are unknown elements that coincided to bring down the Commonwealth. Some of these forces were no more than coincidence and happenstance. Others were hostile actions directed with pin-point precision at key points of the Commonwealth. Historians still debate whether there truly was a Grand Conspiracy and what, if any, elements had been a part of it.

The 6680s saw a series of increasingly partisan elections occurring within the founding nation of the Commonwealth, the Lareshi Republics. The Lareshians were facing a long awaited decline with violent separatism since the 6660s. Internal unrest due to mass immigration, social issues including corruption, a prolonged decline in birth rates and the quality of education, and an economy that was struggling to grow as more and more of the Federation's wealth fell into the hands of a small proportion of the population. The corporations that it had used to economically leverage parts of the galaxy were slowly retreating due to increased competition from other more localized corporations that had significant domestic support, which forced many of these corporations to rally around more nationalistic candidates during the elections, while the more moderate candidates became rarer and rarer.

The loss of influence over the Commonwealth’s Grand Guilds, which had long been de facto controlled by the Lareshi, was also a major loss. The Lareshi Republics had relied on a tithe from the Commonwealth and the other Grand Guilds for centuries. This tithe was also the main contributor to the Sentinel Order’s budget. However, due to new laws and a reduction in cultural and ethnic influence over the Guilds this in turn meant that Laresh had lost their power over the Grand Guilds that now were closer to independent state actors in terms of power.

In the year 6690.0204, the Lareshians, in the lowest election turnout in their Federation's history, voted for Hikar Larnso to Chief Presider of the Federation. Hikar Larnso sought to leverage his executive powers to rule without much input from the legislative branch, and leverage his state's power to bring the Commonwealth states into line with the Federation's new doctrines on trade and a demand of collective security between all member states via a percentile tribute system towards the Commonwealth. While these policies could have been enacted in centuries past the Lareshi position within the Commonwealth was by far too weakened at this stage. Yet Hikar Larnso remained a controversial figure that seemed locked in an endless dispute with the Commonwealth’s High Commissioner **********.

On 6691.1211 Uvranian Separatists managed to attack and successfully destroy the Akhdoriryd Fuel Depot. The single largest Commonwealth fuel depot within the Laresi core. The attack successfully destroyed a quarter of the Commonwealth’s military fuel storage within the Lareshi Republics. This in turn greatly increased ethnic tension within Laresh between Uvranians and the rest of the Lareshians.

The Commonwealth Parliament of 6692 had convened on Nexus Station in 6692.0130. All members of parliament were accounted for bar the representatives of Mazekya who had failed to show. The goal of the coming Parliamentary sessions was to discuss three major issues:

- The first was the prolonged Commonwealth-Durmazh War which had reached its 11th year of conflict with little to no progress. Admiral Nakan's Fleet of Unforgotten Vengeance had failed to pacify the Durmazh while costing an ever increasing amount of resources and manpower.

- The second issue was an uptake in piracy, primarily from Neanderthal and Yazatan Clans as well as other unaffiliated elements. An official request to safeguard the trading routes had come in from the Trading Guild in 6691.1010. The eight request in seven years. The Fleet of Blind Tranquility had previously been dispatched towards Mazekya to handle the Neanderthal clans on 66**.*****.

- The third issue, and most recently added, was the Uvranian Separatists and their increasingly ruinous effects on the Lareshi Republics.

On 6692.0201 a message reached the Nexus that the Tachyon Guild were experiencing unidentified communications interference on their nodes going through the Sydonian Estates, dating back as far as 6691.1105 but with no other consequence than minor data loss. On the next day, 6692.0202, the entire Tachyon Guild Communications Network went down. No one knew it at the time but the blackout covered the entire Commonwealth and was thus far more severe than the Laresi Communication Blackout of 6607.

The Lareshian freighter Spirit of Plenty had spent 20 days within the Laresh system awaiting decommissioning. The ship had arrived on 6692.0124 and its planned decommissioning date of 6692.0204 had been registered 6 months earlier according to Trovlodan records at 6691.0803. The freighter was registered on a Lareshian shell company with its main office on Laresh, and it started its journey towards the Trovlodan Ship-Breaking Yard for its scheduled decommissioning on 6692.0204.0443. Five hours later at 0948 a shuttle departed from the Spirit of Plenty reportedly carrying the Freighter’s owner Kichir Horiuch; according to unverified flight logs. (Kichir Horiuch was never seen again. He was a moderately successful businessman and third-generation immigrant from Uvra but with no known economic ties to the planet.) Reportedly the ship's captain, a Gaim named Duy Khanh, was still to be onboard the ship together with its 40 man crew.

At 1003 the Spirit of Plenty passed above the capital city of Laresh. It opened its cargo bays and launched 26 ballistic missiles. Each missile carried 10 salted sodium-cobalt nuclear warheads of an estimated 2 megatons each. The nuclear attack on Laresh destroyed the capital city and its surrounding continent. Irradiating the continent for generations to come. The blasts, and subsequent radiation poisoning, killed 2 billion people, including the congress, and Chief Presider Hikar Larsno. The Secondary Presider of the Republic, Giro Hoy, survived due to having been off continent, but the nation was in utter chaos, when security services reached the Secondary Presider, Giro Hoy, his security team had been slaughtered at the Loren Hotel. The Spirit of Plenty blew up shortly after having launched the nuclear missiles. It has never been verified who was onboard the freighter nor who left on the earlier shuttle.

6692.0212 the Gaim freighter Breath of Solace entered Nexus space with supposed cargo from the Berentine Councils. The ship was captained by a Vasuroi named Prasad Raju and its cargo manifest had been approved by BMT Transport Group within the Berentine Councils. The official cargo manifest contained specialized spare parts to be delivered to the Roan-Armali Company on the Nexus’ Industrial Sector. The Breath of Solace entered the Nexus’ internal docking bay and was directed towards Dock G17 by the human Byrne Zdena, a foreman of the Nexus Docker’s Guild. Once docked the freighter proceeded to explode in a massive nuclear explosion that ended up causing major structural damage to the Nexus as well as destroying the Commonwealth Assembly Hall while it was in mid session. Killing the entire Commonwealth Parliament.
Later research indicates that Dock G17 was in a strategic location to ensure that the damage would reach the Assembly Hall. Records also indicated that the dock had been empty since its last occupant departed on 6692.0129, five days before the communications blackout.

On 6692.***** the Empire of Aruthia launched a full scale invasion of the contested space in the Morian Traverse between them and the The United Roman Reich. Believing that the communications blackout was a prelude to a Commonwealth invasion Aruthia attacked Fleet of Splendid Intention.

On 6692.***** (+54 days) The United Roman Reich invaded the Morian Traverse after having been reached by the news of the Aruthian invasion. The URR was unaware of the Aruthian attack on the Fleet of Splendid Intention and the URR assumed that the Commonwealth would aid Aruthia. The URR military housed great resentment for the Fleet of Splendid Intention due to its actions during the Roman-Kalakari War and the URR proceeded to attack the Fleet’s dispersed units that they came across.

On 6692.***** the Commonwealth Fleet of Illuminated Justice was caught in an ambush between three Yazatan Prides. (Later revealed to have been the Zamyn-Khajuu Pride, the Khot Pride, and the Yangliu Pride.) With the communication blackout still ongoing the Fleet of Illuminated Justice was defeated and destroyed without anyone knowing. The attack could possibly have been revenge for the Commonwealth’s destruction of the Neiyin Pride in 6632. Fabricated messages were distributed claiming that the Dar-hesh had attacked Fleet of Illuminated Justice. When this information reached Commonwealth Intelligence the Fleet of Unknown Idols moved out to pacify the Dar-hesh.

6692.0523, 111 days after the start of the Communications blackout, Commonwealth forces under Admiral ******** of the Fleet of ********, launched an assault on the Tachyon Guild office on ********. The Admiral had deemed that the Tachyon Guild was participating in open treachery against the Commonwealth and accused the Guild of having purposefully shut down communications.