Civilian Defense Force

This page is under construction.

The CDF views the civilian economy and ecosystem as the only lifeline keeping the 1st system afloat. Thus, they should be defended at all costs. In a symbiotic relationship, wealthy civilian merchants donate towards the CDF, who in turn defend trade routes, defend property rights and act as private police force. Working in the CDF is considered a rite of passage, and many of the upper class will work as officers on CDF cruisers, ensuring a small core of educated leaders.

The CDF corps consists entirely of volunteers, and living conditions are quite good - so much so that many yearn for a chance to join the CDF, as service is often preferred to the average civilian life.

It's worth noting that the CDF is not a government, nor an official police force. While most of their actions appear altruistic, they are closer to a mercenary force/private army.

While a peace has existed between the 1st fleet and the CDF, the exponential nature of the civilian market in recent years has resulted in an equally staggering growth of the CDF, such that the 1st was beginning to fear the CDF.

Unfortunately, the faction was destroyed by the Khans Enclave in mid-season 2 and has ceased existing as a political entity.

## Season 1 Summary

### 2221 0 days to 2221 + 63 Days

The CDF has emerged from the events of Season 1 stronger than ever. While their primary objective of destroying the Riders has failed; there is no denying the facts:

The CDF has amassed 4 capital ships and 2 light cruisers, while maintaining their hold on the system.

The civilian sentiment is still strongly in the CDFs favor. Having fought the "Rider menace" only losing 12 ships, 8 of which were in 'Eternity's Advent'-involved battles, the CDF has not only solidified its place as a strategic powerhouse but also as a tactical one.

While unable to deal with the Eternity's Advent outright, all battles involving this Earth-borne vessel have resulted in acceptable losses, with the CDF often inflicting equal or more casualties. With more cruisers coming out of CDF shipyards weekly this paradigm will likely only shift in the CDF's favor.

The war between the CDF and the Rider-Eternity Alliance was brought to a dramatic end with The Battle Of The Titans. While technically only referring to the fight between the Leviathan, Ravager, and Eternity, the struggle encapsulates the entire push that day. The CDF revealed a secret project that it had been working on since the start of the war: A weaponized Forward Operating Base, armed with vast amounts of very heavy guns, and a powerful engine. This vessel, codenamed Leviathan, lead the attack on Rider territory. Fortunately, other CDF assets were tied down by Rider forces, and the main battle was between the Leviathan and the teamup of the Eternity's Advent and the Rider's battleship, Ravager. In the end, the attack was repulsed, the Leviathan was destroyed, though heavy casualties were suffered on both sides, and the two surviving Battleships were barely able to limp home to drydock.

The failure of the Battle of Titans forced the CDF the negotiating table with the Riders, with the EFN acting as a neutral third party. While the Riders had been pushed to the brink, the CDF still had reserves left over, though with mounting casualties the CDF felt that continued combat efforts would be inadvisable for the moment.

However, during the negotiations, a mysterious fourth party interrupted and launched an attack on the peace process, scattering the delegates and putting the Outer Reach on the back foot.

## Season 2 Summary

### 2221 + 63 Days to 2221 +

The CDF started Season 2 as the undoubted dominant force in the Outer Reach. Unfortunately, the Belt War took them off guard. The Peace Talks between the CDF and the Riders turned into an alliance, named the Coalition (or COA). After removing the EFN Eternity's Advent from the faction, the two sides stood united in their attempts to defeat the Khans Enclave, the group that had attacked the peace talks without provocation.

Unfortunately, the Khans' Enclave maneuvers and training proved to be superior to CDF tactics and skills. Time and time again, the Khans would hand the COA defeat after defeat. As a result, the CDF announced plans to construct a battleship in order to protect the Outer Reach. This was opposed by Captain Brock and the EFN, who felt that the CDF was merely using this current crisis as an excuse to upgun themselves for future conquest of the system. After a series of tense backdoor talks, the EFN and CDF came to an agreement that no battleship would be constructed, but the CDF would get two cruisers out of the deal.

When the time came, the Riders and CDF gathered in sector 1A in an attempt to push into Khan Space. A heavy squadron, consisting of heavy vessels like the Rider Battleship Ravager and the CDF cruiser Warspite, charged into sector 1Z to take the FOB. Unknown to them, at the same time a Khan fleet passed this squadron and attacked 1A. The end result of this was a massacre. The heavy squadron was soundly defeated and were trapped behind enemy lines with heavy damage, the Khans took over sector 1A, and more casualties for the Riders and CDF were recorded that day than in the entire previous war. This event would be known as the Autumn massacre, reflecting both that this battle ended a veteren CDF Cruiser, the Autumn, but how the war took an undoubted turn for the worse.

After Autumn massacre, the Khans relentless push into the Outer Reach left the CDF on the back foot for the remainder of the war. No further victories were had by them, right up until their final battle. However, they would not stop fighting until the Khans launched a surprise attack with enormous casualties on sectors 1A, 2A, and 1B. Known as the Death Before The Fall, it separated the front lines of the CDF and Riders, and many believe was the turning point that broke the spirit of the CDF. This malaise would haunt the CDF for the rest of its existence.

The Fall of Malta was the final nail in the coffin of the CDF. Fourteen CDF ships were destroyed by the Khans, who funneled vast amounts of material and men into the attack, which included their two new battleships. The end result of the battle was the destruction of the Malta and the end of the CDF as a faction in the Pioneer System.

While the CDF was officially dead, the last message of Admiral Mallard ordered all remaining assets to either go into hiding, or to join up and help the Riders, who would be next on the chopping block. This led to Rider Forces for the remainder of the war going in with former CDF assets, now painted in Rider colors. The Riders even began producing some CDF ships under new names, such as the Viminal going under the name Vagabond. Former CDF Assets were the ones to eventually push the Khans out of tile 1B, and were part of the force that finally pushed the Khans back out of the Outer Reach and into the Belt.

In the wake of the Belt War, Rider territory shrunk back to its pre-war state, and much of the previous CDF territory fell into infighting. Numerous minor factions took advantage of the surplus CDF hardware lying around and began their own battles for dominance, or attempted to simply make their homes safer.

## Fallout

As of the start of season three, while the three most powerful factions in the Outer Reach and Belt territories licked their wounds after the Belt War, the pilfering of former CDF assets was impossible to stop. Because the Riders had never taken on the role of a governmental body before, and the Khans were busy attempting to rebuild all that was lost, there was no one to step up and ensure the safety of the spacelanes. Piracy bloomed, and it wasn't helped that no one was around to regulate the distribution of former CDF vessels and technology. Soon, Viminals, Aventines, and even cruisers could be found in the private fleets of various factions across the Outer Reach.

Ultimately, four different factions sprung up that were direct descendants of CDF forces.

* Phoenix Initiative: The remnants of the CDF Core leadership under Admiral Mallard. Their stated goal is the rebirth of the CDF without the flaws that held the faction back, to bring the dream of a safe and secure system back.
* Maxwell Corps: A marauder fleet made up of CDF , Rider, and Khan soldiers after the end of the Belt War. A pirate faction who preys on civilians.
* Remington Co: A civilian company that was under the control of the Remington Shipyard, which itself was allied with CDF, for most of the CDF's history.
* Powder Keg Marauders: A faction of Civilians that have taken control of Malta's wreckage and use discarded or damaged CDF Tech and Ships.