History

## **Venus and Apollon**

(Note: these early details are almost verbatim from the manga and wiki)

### Before the Impact

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. It rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets and had the longest rotation period (243 days) of any planet in the Solar System. It had no natural satellites. Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun, and bulk composition. However, Venus was originally a hellscape. Its atmosphere consisted of over 96% carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure at the planet's surface was 92 times that of Earth, or roughly the pressure found 900 m (3,000 ft) underwater on Earth. Venus was by far the hottest planet in the Solar System, with a mean surface temperature of 735 K (462 °C; 863 °F); hot enough to melt lead. Venus was shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid, preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light. Despite its similar composition to Earth, Venus was considered one of the least hospitable places in the solar system. That all changed with the arrival of Apollon.

### Apollon's Arrival (2003)

It was in August of 2002 that an object was first detected by the Sokolov Observatory in North America. It passed through the outer limits of the solar system, 65,000 AU away from Earth, and entered the realm of the inner planets for the first time in three thousand years. Apollon was a giant ice world, previously a distant minor planet. As it closed in on its unwitting target, its surface glowed like a comet.

Approaching along the plane of the elliptic on May 12, 2003, the titanic ball of ice and rock smashed into Venus. This great collision forever altered the face of the planet. The thick atmosphere of Venus was rent asunder, much of it blown into space. Part of the several hundred trillion tons of ice fragments combined with the remainder of the atmosphere forming acidic seas and lakes in the lowlands and depressions on the surface. The leisurely rotation of the planet was sped up, making it approximately 28 days. This means that the planet has a 14 hour day and a 14 hour night.

The only thing remaining of Apollon after its impact was its solid metal core and a cloud of debris, both of which are now circling in orbit above Venus. The planet's new moon is small and tidally locked with its parent while the dust and ice that did not remain on the surface or was launched into deep space formed a thin bright ring.

### Man's First Settlements (2007-2012)

(Note: from this point on, most of the historical fluff is original, or at least it is not specifically from the Venus Wars manga)

The first manned mission to Venus was in 2007. Led by an international team of scientists, the nations of Earth reached out to explore this previously inaccessible world to further science and to secure their rights to resources. They were surprised to find that not only was Venus far more hospitable than they could have have ever imagined, it was actually harboring a vast array of microbial life. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the life growing on the surface was a combination of Venusian natives and Apollonian hitchhikers, both of which had laid dormant or undetectable until the conditions were right. To find any life here at all was astonishing, but to discovery such variety and from so many wildly different sources provided the nations of Earth with all the reason they needed to expand exploration.

Not long afterwards, many more space agencies, both private and public, rushed to develop the first long term settlements on Venus in order to hasten its study. Competition was heated as numerous ecological and economic disasters loomed on Earth. Finding extremophile lifeforms from other planets offered the opportunity to create biological tools to combat these global pressures. There was also a strong support from numerous non-government organizations and even religious groups who were interested in understanding not just Venus, but also answering the question of the origin's of life.

Though Venus was still extremely dangerous, the first permanent settlement, Ragash, was established on the northern continent of Ishtar in 2012. This first colony and the many more that would soon follow thrived amazingly well on the planet. Under their controlled conditions, the early settlements found themselves growing food in excess and producing atmospheric gases efficiently enough to jump start the terraforming of Venus long before it was ever imagined. The frequency and volume of these early successes surged the already massive interest in the once deadly planet. All this progress, however, would be completely abandoned by Earth in just a few years as the Earth was thrown into chaos.

## **World War III**

### Man's Worst Fear (2013-2058)

Without warning, a nuclear attack destroyed most of New York City. Not long after, another attack struck Beijing. The source of the attacks has never been established, but in quick order war broke out across the globe. Many more nuclear weapons would be used over the course of the next 45 years. Without much sense as to who was friend or foe, fighting became random and divisive, almost indiscriminately killing anything not recognized as an ally. With national borders completely losing their meaning, larger nations splintered into many smaller nations and city states. The war only really concluded through shear exhaustion. The environment was wasted by nuclear weapons and military engineering, the population was low, resources were increasingly scarce, and the morale of the entire human race was at an all time low. Slowly but surely, a new wave of nations coalesced. These groups formed into political organizations much larger than ever before the war, dividing the entire planet into three governments peppered with otherwise insignificant rebellious cities and rural holdouts.

### Venus Lost (2013-2113)

With all contact with Earth lost in only a few years, the new residents of Venus were left to completely fend for themselves. In most cases, colonies were completely lost to a plethora of tragedies. Starvation, infighting, disease, and natural disasters quickly began to weed out the strong and lucky from the weak and unfortunate. There became a clear division between the survivors: those who could sustain themselves and those who could take. Perhaps not surprisingly, the colonies that maintained the most cohesion were the oldest and largest. The continent of Ishtar was particularly protected. Its colonies were the first and most successful as well as being geographically separated from the majority of other colonies which had sprung up in the south. Ragash, the first colony of Venus as well as its largest to the point of effectively being a city, unified the continent under one aegis.

By accident, as a side effect of numerous research facilities being destroyed or looted, large numbers of lifeforms were released into the barren landscape. Much like their former masters, most of these plants, animals, and microbes did not survive their abandonment. Those that did, however, flourished. The first of these were plants and microbes that were built for the harshest environments on Earth. The animals that found a way to manage were frequently dependent upon humans, directly or indirectly. Almost all of these animals were also genetically engineered as per the scientific programs designed to create new Venusian species. Though rare, these beasts solidified their place in the Venusian environment. The planet was very dangerous, but those organisms that pulled through established themselves firmly, quickly creating relatively stable ecosystems. These new environments could be just as dangerous as the rest of the planet, but they also offered the remaining humans useful resources. Humans on Venus would have to adapt and use every means necessary to weather their long separation from Earth. It is quite possible that Venus could have lived on indefinitely without aid, but after one hundred years of isolation, Earth came back to its lost colonies.

### The Euro-American Union (2058-2113)

From the rubble of World War III arose three very large and powerful nations. Of these great amalgamations, the Euro-American Union, or EAU, stood tall above the rest. This great mega-nation, however, was almost completely controlled by powerful companies and corporations, informally known as the Company. These open yet hidden powers had been pivotal in reconstructing the nations of Earth and returning some semblance of a normal life to its people. Despite their inextricable role in saving Earth from ruins, the Company frequently put its own needs far ahead of the people it serviced. After the war, the Company provided most of the needs that people demanded, but that boon was quickly outpacing their ability to keep up. The population was skyrocketing faster than infrastructure could keep up. Then, like a message in a bottle, a sole signal was received from Venus. Ragash has salvaged and compiled what it needed to beam data back to Earth. The message was little more than a simple "hello". With that cue, the EAU reached out to reestablish contact.

## **The First Nations of Venus**

### Recolonization (2113-2133)

The Euro-American Union was quick to capitalize on the the mostly unexplored and habitable world of Venus. In an almost prophetic way, the city of Ragash had held onto the belief that Earth would regain contract with Venus, allowing the EAU to easily take advantage of. With the sudden influx of the Company's money and technology, the renovation of Ragash quickly outpaced the expectations of the EAU and blossomed into a fully modern city in only a few years. In its wake followed the retaking and rebuilding of old colonies as well as the construction of completely new ones, not just on the continent of Ishtar, but eventually further south.

Massive water processing plants, known as Mara Cities, were built to start the slow process of balancing the acidic seas as well as providing additional clean water and food to the growing population. In less than a decade, progress was far ahead of schedule, so the EAU began its new colony project on the continent of Aphrodia. Regions of dense fog were singled out to create water processing facilities that were not isolated to the seas or lakes. These open air water plants allowed for larger colonies that could exist deeper in the continent's interior. Those Venusians who had managed to survive the hundred years of isolation were forced to either conform or hide away. Some of these populations would continue to exist on their on in the remote, untouched wastelands.

The EAU company Idenshitech was hard at work developing methods to adapt life from Earth to survive on Venus as well as the beginning of designing new life forms. The discovery of life on Venus ignited the biotech industry and it was in a very short period of time that many plants and even some species of animals were introduced to Venus. In most cases these introductions were very selective and controlled. Still, some specimens managed to spread, either through accident or in some cases on purpose. Amazingly, a few species managed to thrive in their new environment and a number of uncontrolled ecosystems were established. The areas that saw the most wildlife growth were in the south where the land coincided with bands of humid air, thus promoting the development of the Aphrodia colonies that learned to take advantage of the diversity of life.

### Tyrus (2134)

In a matter of 30 years, the terraforming effort was noticeably paying off. The wild life left behind from the first colonization had slowly been converting the atmosphere, but these news processors greatly accelerated its development. Without needing as much protection from the deadly wastes, the people of Venus began spending more and more time exposed to the elements than ever before. Previously limited in their mobility by the extremely harsh environment, people were now exploring the landscape and even creating their own new colonies. With the distance between Earth and Venus, and then between the EAU colonies and the new unsanctioned colonies, there was often not much that the Union could do to dictate the behavior of these unauthorized settlements.

On the island of Tyrus, a group of unsanctioned colonies reached a formal agreement to consolidate their sovereignty into one governing body. Tyrus had a reputation for innovation and self sustainability and even was able to outpace much of the technology provided by the company. Its progress was much faster than the other colonies despite being established much later and it wasn't long before the entire island had become one finely tuned organization. Though they never declared secession or called themselves a nation at the time, the EAU was greatly troubled by their autonomy and so decided to try to reassert its authority.

### The First Nation (2134-2136)

In need of a military presence, the EAU helped to fund the expansion of the various colonies of Ishtar. In a move that would later prove to be their biggest mistake, the EAU decided to allow the continent of Ishtar to formalize itself as an independent nation and become a member state of the EAU, granting the Union more access to Venus as well as facilitating the development of a military with the purpose of uniting the fragmented colonies. With this act, Ishtar became the first nation of Venus. The precedent did not go unnoticed, and in quick succession large groups of colonies banded together and demanded their own independence. The nations of Tyrus, Aphrodia, Asteria, Phoebe, Lian Hau, and Bauhaus were among the largest and most powerful to formalize their independence, along with most of the smaller city-states. Though the EAU refused to recognize their sovereignty, they soon realized that they had completely lost control of their hold on their colonies and perhaps the entire planet.

In a move of desperation, the EAU forced the nation of Ishtar to carry out a number of military actions. The new nations of Venus were poorly equipped for outright warfare and could not put up much of a fight. However, the people of Ishtar were disillusioned to their own actions. Now that they had their own independence, they felt particularly immoral to act as puppets for an Earth government against the people of Venus. After a particularly tragic battle, the government of Ishtar formally withdrew from the EAU and stopped its aggressions on its neighbors. Though Ishtar had now developed a culture that emphasized a unified Venus, they would not do so under an Earth flag. With its last ally on the planet gone, the EAU declared that it had given up on controlling Venus. This message was a ruse, however, and as soon as Venus felt that it could let its guard down, a military firm called Anubis Tactical, part of the ubiquitous Company, launched a number of precision strikes against major political facilities across Venus. Thus began the first war of Venus.

## **First War of Venus**

### Anubis Strikes (2136)

Carried out in every major nation across Venus, terrorist attacks in the forms of hidden explosives and highly illegal mind hacked suicide bombers struck primarily government and Venusian based company buildings, though a few were in pubic areas as well. All apparent evidence seemed to reveal that the uneasy peace following Ishtar's attacks on its neighbors was broken and that each nation had preemptively struck. The real nature of the attacks was a covert mission handled by an Earth based company called Anubis Tactical in an attempt to undermine Venus's political cohesion.

The attacks were so violent and sudden that their targets were driven to retaliation before they could fully assess the situation. Tensions were so high that all out war was the instant reaction. Ishtar was the first to realize the pattern of attacks and to find evidence of the Company's meddling. Unfortunately their words meant very little to those who believed that they had been attacked twice by Ishtar. By the time the other nations began to piece together the truth, the Euro-American Union had deployed Anubis Tactical and assaulted the fracture and poorly armed Aphrodian continent striking the nation of Aphrodia and its capital Io the hardest. Though the nations of Venus no longer suspected each other, at least not completely, they were fractured and disorganized. Ishtar had to make a desperate choice of insulating itself like the island nations and Mara Cities or putting its differences aside to defend Venus. The government decided to lead the charge against Anubis, though a schism formed in the nation that would last ever since.

### A United Venus (2137-2139)

There were many in Ishtar, especially the wealthy, who preferred to not interfere with the Euro-American Union but instead maintain their independence, isolating themselves from the south. But far more were driven by the idea that one day Venus would be united under one native flag, preferably that of Ishtar. To achieve that goal, the first thing that had to be done was removing the interference of Earth in Venus's affairs. Making peace with the other nations was more important than proselytizing, and so the government decided to arm and train its neighbors.

The offer of weapons gave the other nations of Venus enough faith in Ishtar to accept a truce and fight against Anubis. Tyrus also opened itself more than it had or ever would since to aid in the effort, providing some of the best technology Venus or Earth had ever seen at the time. Even the extremely isolated Mara Cities provided as much aid as they could afford, offering open passage across the seas between Ishtar and Aphrodia. The borders and movement of people across nations was higher than it ever had been, or ever would be. Though more symbolic than official, most Venusians saw themselves as finally united together and separated from Earth and the EAU. However, the Anubis Strikes had stuck a nerve and tensions were high. Conspiracy theories, finger pointing, and mistrust would forever stain the relationships of many of the nations, especially between Ishtar and Aphrodia. Nonetheless, Venus was now operating in one concerted effort to stop the invasion by Anubis.

### The Io Accord (2139)

Anubis Tactical was one of the best armed, trained, and financed military firms in the solar system, but it was not large enough to fight an entire war across a dangerous planet like Venus. The locals knew the terrain and the environment and had reinforcements from every side. It wasn't long after the Venusian nations banded together that Anubis pulled out. It was obvious that the EAU's ploy had failed. The military firm was interested in making money, not losing employees, so they had little stake in a war of attrition.

Both the Company and the EAU were keenly aware that someone would have to take the blame for their failed invasion, but neither was willing to take any of the responsibility. In a series of overly complicated legal battles with no legitimacy behind it aside from another all out war between Earth and Venus, the EAU managed to almost entirely scapegoat a shell military firm called Trinity Security, a distant subsidiary of Anubis Tactical. Paying out fairly small reparations for any involvement and claiming no direct responsibility, the Company essentially amputated a small part of itself and moved on. The EAU claimed that though it was not opposed to the actions of Trinity Security, it had never hired them to attack Venus.

Earth and Venus brought their representatives to the Old Republic Tower in Io, the capital of Aphrodia, where the fighting had been at some of its worst, to finalize the peace agreements and reparations. Though officially the issue was technically resolved, almost no Venusian felt that the situation had been handled well or that Earth had taken liability for the violent and horrific attacks. There was also still much distrust between the nation of Venus, especially between Aphrodia and Ishtar. Many Aphrodians believe that Ishtar acts superior to them and that their plans for a united Venus means Aphrodia giving up its autonomy. The Ishtarians did feel superior, but they also felt that the Aphrodians were hypocrites for fighting against the EAU but were seemingly content with so little restitution from Earth as well as continuing to depend so much on the Company. The Io Accord may have ended the first war of Venus, but it was the beginning of the long Venusian Cold War.

## The Venusian Cold War

### Assassination Attempt on Chancellor Donner (2140)

Almost as soon as the Io Accord had finished, the nations of Venus began to squabble over the chaos left over from the planet's first major war. Many cities and territories on the edges of the various states of the Aphrodian continent were cut off or even destroyed during the fighting. Ishtar, who had provided much assistance both in hardware and in lives, used the opportunity to make claims on many of these damaged or derelict areas. In many cases, there were still locals present who were not interested in switching sides. Aphrodia was still reeling from the war and desperately trying to wrest control of its major cities, making it hard for the nation to address all of border issues. Claiming that Aphrodia's inability to govern its own people was all the proof Ishtar needed to take control, a government Chancellor named August Donner lead the political charge to assimilate these defenseless areas.

Squabbles were ignited by Chancellor Donner's rhetoric causing many of the fringe populations of Aphrodia to erupt into chaos and rebellion. Communities were ripped apart as members within families started to divide themselves. Though the effect was not as strong in the interior of the nation, the propaganda and perceived assault on their sovereignty angered many Aphrodians deeply. Demonstrations were regularly held, burning and hanging the Chancellor's effigy and shouting anti-Ishtarian chants. As stories of violence increased on the frontier, images of dead civilians flooded the media. The pundits called out the Chancellor as creating division on Venus rather than unity. Among the populace, hatred had come to a boiling point. Some prominent citizens of Ishtarian decent were publicly ostracized and humiliated in protest, which only instigated Ishtarian tempers in return.

The governments of Ishtar and Aphrodia were trapped between their need to reestablish territory and their desire to avoid all out war. In an attempt to calm the situation, Chancellor Donner televised a broadcast calling on all Venusians to resort to peace rather than war. It was an stark change of pace for the Chancellor who was notoriously blunt about assimilation. In front of millions, a lone gunman managed to break into the stage and fired at the Chancellor, grazing him. The failed assassin was promptly killed by the Chancellor's guards. Nobody was ever able to identify the man.

### Proxy Wars (2140-2189)

The states of Ishtar and Aphrodia were quick to denounce the assassination attempt, claiming that it was the act of a lone wolf radical. Despite this, almost every nation, political party, and sectarian movement began to organize and assemble for war. Since the official stance was that the forced assimilation of Aphrodia by Ishtar had been halted and that Chancellor Donner's brush with death was a random attack, the powers that be did their best to operate under the radar. Espionage, sabotage, and artfully crafted propaganda was rampant. Proxy wars were particularity brutal with private military firms being paid under the table by their supporters to fight their wars for them. Aphrodia was particularly good at fielding these kinds of forces as much of their military was already based around hiring private firms. Most of this violence continued to be focused on the rural regions of Aphrodia where the law was sparse but the opportunities for destruction were high. The fighting in the wastelands created an even deeper divide between the Aeneans and the urbanites as people either moved deeper into the cities or embedded themselves further into the wastes.

The proxy wars were not limited to Ishtar and Aphrodia. Every nation on Venus became caught up in the conflict in one way or another. The peripheral territories of many nations were left exposed to sectarian conflicts, land squabbles, and even plenty of alliances to either Ishtar or Aphrodia. Asteria, Phoebe, and Bauhaus did their best to remain neutral, but the allure of resources, territory, and glory dragged many of its able bodies into the conflicts. Lian Hua was quick to take the opportunity to expand its land and influence as well, allowing elements of the Sino-Asian Alliance to solidify themselves on Venus more than ever before.

Strangely, or perhaps as expected, Tyrus continued to isolate itself from the political and military turmoil of the planet. In fact, relationships were further cut short as the island nation became increasingly cautious of being used as a pawn. On the other hand, the nation used the opportunity to hone its craftsmanship in science and technology. Operating without a flag or uniform, scientists and soldiers experimented many new technologies upon the various warring people of Venus. This push for innovation led to more than a few new forms of technology that would drastically change the face of war on Venus. The most notable of these advancements was the development of practical combat powered armour. Though mobile suits of mechanized armour had existed for years, most of these machines were use for civil ventures, such as construction. Their bulk, slow speed, and lack of operation time made them ill suited for most combat. With the advent of many new technologies and the need for fast, armoured, tactical support in rough and varied terrain, Tyrus created the first iterations of what would later be known as mechs, mobile armours, walkers, striders, and gears. Though these weapons would not completely replace tanks, aircraft, and other vehicles, it did manage to turn individual soldiers into highly maneuverable and highly armed weapon platforms at a fairly low cost. Though their facsimiles of Tyrus's own gears were no where near as advanced, the other nations of Venus were quick to adopt the technology. The use of gears made guerilla attacks and lighting strikes much easier since the weather of Venus had made aerial combat extremely hazardous and unreliable. Their fairly low cost allowed smaller and smaller military groups to arm themselves comparably to their contemporaries. With these new weapons, the state of the cold war seemed locked into place.

### Precipice of War (2189)

The Venusian Cold War stretched on for almost fifty years. The major nations of Ishtar and Aphrodia maintained their unofficial treaty on the surface while their forces battled constantly on the fringes of society. Spies and saboteurs hid in every corner ready to take advantage of any lead they could get. Propaganda was at an all time high to the point of stifling the populace. Immigration continued to increase despite the clear lack of resources on the planet. Inflation and food shortages were on the rise as war continued to damage those who are most vulnerable: the poor rural populations that provided most of the food for the cities. Rebellions that were tired of the status quo lashed out against every force in their way. The various smaller nations of Venus itched for the power and influence of Ishtar and Aphrodia. And far away, the Euro-American Union and the other political entities of Earth gathered their forces as Venus looked more and more vulnerable.

Near the end of 2189, the aging but still politically active Chancellor Donner was having a second change of heart. Though the Chancellor had rescinded his opinions about assimilation years ago in an attempt to calm the violence on the planet, he no longer saw peace as an option. Abruptly and publicly, the Chancellor reverted to his old rhetoric, proclaiming that a united Venus was the only option to end the constant bloodshed. His own nation had become very divided on the issue, however, as those in power had shifted from an older generation who wished for stability to a younger generation that desired progress and change. There were many who were not particularly interested in more war, and the cold war was a constant reminder that without drastic changes, the fighting would never stop. Chancellor Donner's speech quickly gave new life to the assimilation movement, providing the nation with the political momentum to build up its main military forces and prepare for a full blown invasion of Aphrodia. Very soon afterward, the Chancellor was found dead in his home. The state's official statement was that he had died from old age and heart complications. Whether his death was actually natural or the work of an assassin mattered little. With the tension on the planet at its highest in decades and the constant pressure from both propaganda and conspiracy theories, Chancellor Donner's death was the sign of the ushering in of the third war of Venus.