Mirror Wars

Mirror Wars is a period of human history that defined the whole First Era. Historians may argue about the origins of this naming. The most wide consensus is that two interstellar states were almost mirroring each other during this prolonged conflict. Hereby it is universally called for the Mirror wars. With its beginning in the Earth Year 1024 after the Exodus and ending in the year 1093, the Mirror Wars is seen as a civilisation-shaping conflict that will be forever remembered as a defining part of human history.

Below is a short timeline of the Mirror Wars:

### 1024 - The First Contact.

Imperial forces attack an unidentified scout vessel on the brink of imperial space. The Imperial Monarch, Surendra Khan II is informed of the incident. The naval admiral Ivan Dar is falsely accusing the scout vessel of attacking the patrol vessels to protect himself from the Monarch`s wrath. Dead bodies that are recovered from the wreck turn out to be human. Surendra Khan II decides to boost the Imperial Navy by raising the taxes and doubling the spending on the military contracts.

In the Federal Space, the News of a destroyed scout vessel is reaching the Chancellor Aliccia Coy and her cabinet. Without any knowledge about the threat, the Chancellor is sending out the word to allied worlds that they should prepare for an alien invasion. Tura Shipyards wins a giant governmental contract to produce a line of warships designed specifically for large-scale interstellar combat.

### 1027 - Unlucky Experiment.

Imperial Patrol is encountering a small fleet of experimental Federal warships that conduct a military exercise on the brink of Imperial space. The skirmish ends in a complete destruction of the Imperial patrol. Most of the Federal ships are staying in that area of space in order to conduct repairs. Meanwhile, led by the new Imperial defence protocol, the 1st Imperial fleet is jumping into the system. Imperial flagship, Nova Monarkia is obliterating the remnant of the federal strike force. This victory elevates admiral Ivan Dar to become a closest adviser of Surendra Khan II

### 1028 - Federal Infiltration.

Federation starts to send its covert scouts to different areas of Imperial space in order to map out the presence of potential adversaries. Some Federal ships successfully land on imperial colonies and their captains improvise as Federal envoys and establish contact with few local leaders of Imperial planets.

When uncovered, this praxis makes Surendra Khan II outraged and by the Imperial decree, all contacts with agents from outside of the Imperial space become punished by either prolonged imprisonment or execution. This decree is being happily enforced by the Imperial Secret Police and Imperial Naval Intelligence, which completely excludes any possibility for the diplomatic solution of the crisis between the Empire and Federation.

### 1030 - Autocratic Shift.

Chancellor Aliccia Coy is using the War with the Empire to pause the election cycle in the Federation. By the approval of the Federal Parliament, Aliccia Coy is allowed to stay in the office until the end of the conflict. Big portion of support to this decision is gained by aggressive lobbying conducted by the Children of the Strings.

### 1032 - Scorching of Zirkon.

Led by a notion that the Imperial people need to be freed from tyranny, the Federation under the leadership of Aliccia Coy commits a blitzkrieg assault on the Empire's most resource rich world, Zirkon. The assault leads to establishment of full Federal control over the planet in a span of two local days. The Imperial Navy that is led by admiral Ivan Dar, fails to win over the heavily modernised fleet of Federal warships. He is using automated drones for the scorched earth tactic on Zirkon. 60% of the planet's forests are being set ablaze - it makes this former Imperial colony almost impossible to set a base on, which leads Federal forces to a retreat.

### 1036 - Fire Rains on Azor.

After years of smaller skirmishes, the Imperial Navy shot an experimental interplanetary missile towards the Federal capital, Azor. The missile was destroyed by planetary defenses. Its debris fell as a fiery rain all over the capital, scaring the Federal citizens and disrupting local infrastructure. Almost 300 people got killed or injured as a result of that attack. Sects like Children of the Strings interpreted this giant explosion as a god's punishment for space travel. The wartime administration of Aliccia Coy used this incident to push for stricter laws that would emancipate industrialist elites, but constrain freedom of Federal citizens.

### 1037 - Rise of the opposition.

The Free People's Party was formed in the Federation in order to oppose the consolidation of power in the Chancellors hands, neglect of civil rights, growth of overwhelming plutocracy and militarization of the Federal society. Despite being immediately labelled as traitors by official media, the Free People's Party got some substantial support among the general population. This support allowed them to claim a few seats in the Federal Parliament as a result of the election year 1038.

### 1039 - Fall of the Limmea.

The 302nd and 313th Federal fleets did simultaneously breach the Imperial space, while the 301st fleet was jumping towards Limmea in order to strike straight in the heart of the Empire. As a result of this devastating attack, the Imperial Palace was destroyed and the old Imperial Monarch Surendra Khan II was killed with his family in the explosion. A 24th platoon of Imperial Legionnaires committed an attempt of a suicide mission in order to avenge their loved Monarch. As a result of a successful operation, they boarded and took over the Avenging Might, a Federal flagship of the 301st fleet. Experimental wave emitters of the Avenging Might interrupted battle manoeuvres of the rest of the Federal fleet and made it vulnerable to attacks by the remaining Imperial forces.

As a result of this Battle for Limmea, Federal forces had to flee from Imperial Space. The Imperial Monarch Surendra Khan II with most of his successors laid dead in the ruins of the imperial palace. Federal state-of-the-art flagship Avenging Might got left behind under the control of the rogue platoon of Imperial Legionnaires.

### 1039 - The short lived Dar Dynasty.

Soon after the Battle of Limmea, an Imperial Admiral Ivan Dar proclaimed himself as the new Monarch. This move was met with minimal opposition, given the apparent death of Surendra Khan II, and the seeming demise of all his successors from the Khan dynasty. The Imperial Hand was tasked to cease the Avenging Might from the Legionnaires of 24th platoon, who refused to acknowledge the Admiral Ivan Dar as their new monarch.

During a firefight onboard the former Federal flagship, a young lieutenant Igor Singh stood his ground against a boarding party of loyalists that were led by an operative from the Imperial Hand. But when Igor got injured, the operative became incapable of delivering the killing blow. It turned out that the Imperial Hand was hindered by the Imperial Blood Protocol that is deeply conditioned in their psyche. So, Igor Singh became the las heir to the Imperial throne.

After learning this truth, the Imperial Hand together with a small force from the Imperial Navy and with the support of 24th Platoon led an assault against Ivan Dar and his loyalists. The final standoff happened on Sudder II, in a remote nobleman villa where the former admiral fled to personally kill a girl who was another secret heir to the throne. Ivan Dar was personally eliminated by Lieutenant Igor Singh of the 24th Platoon who was assisted by the squad of Imperial Hands. Even though the noble girl was technically Igor`s sister, he chose to officially adopt her as his daughter.

### 1040 - New Reign of Khan.

By the official coronation, Lieutenant Igor Singh became the new Imperial Monarch Igor Khan I.

### 1043 - War comes back to the Federation.

The Giant Imperial Fleet led by the Emperor Igor Khan I glassed Zarya, one of the Federal fringe worlds. The retaliation was imminent, both sides suffered significant losses. A prolonged fight was deemed to be too costly by the Federal Command. Retreat from the battle on their own territory led to a prolonged political crisis in the Federation.

Colonial governments were threatening to leave the interstellar state if it is incapable of protecting them. While common folk were tired of at times inhumane, illegal and unequal procedures that tended to conscript soldiers from poorer classes and less prosperous remote colonies.

This crisis led to the resignation of Federal president Aliccia Coy. Her former vice president Simu Ericss promised to end the ultra-centralized autocratic rule from Azor that has been going on for the past decade. He also declared a start of a new electoral cycle and pledged to focus on maintaining stability on the Federal planets until the new Federal leader would be elected in office.

### 1043 - Quiet Revolt.

Despite the painful draw at Zarya, the Imperial propaganda machine was portraying it as a victory over the Federation. Imperial society was in need of a strong leader. Relative quietness on the interstellar front gave an opportunity to the Imperial Monarch Igor Khan I to gain some popularity by focusing on the development of imperial fringe worlds. By the Grand Imperial Decree of 1049, the core worlds had to transfer 35% of their treasuries and 15% of their people to struggling fringe worlds. That included also repopulation of the devastated Zirkon. This strong, but bald move created a giant wave of corruption that covered the bureaucracy across the whole of the Empire.

Neither Lords wanted to lose their money, nor citizens wanted to leave their homes. So mutual discontent started to birth rumors that the Imperial Monarch is a fraud and does not deserve to rule over the Empire.

### 1044 - Second Democratic Crysis.

Unsurprisingly, Federal Elections are won by Simu Ericss after one of his main opponents, Lana Neva, drowns in her own bath during a meditation practice. One of the new Federal laws that was ratified by the Federal parliament after the election is the Enlightenment Bill. This new law allows religious organizations to act as independent entities on par with planet-states. As a consequence of that, Children of the Strings and other cults get their representatives in the parliament. This development leads into a religious era of the Federation, when citizens become more exposed to different religious practices with very few legal means to fight back their aggressive indoctrination.