Noir Era

The **Noir Era** was the time period marking the years of uncertainty and tension leading up to the Cassiopeian Civil Wars, having lasted around a hundred and ninety years. The Noir Era was defined by an overall sense of dread for an inevitable falling out, fueled by a general moral ambiguity in regards to those in power throughout the Cassiopeia Galaxy, as well as by the increasing power of Gold Standard Sector corporations and an increasing anti-Cassiopeian Republic sentiment within those who lived in the far Central and Outer Expanses. Many considered the Noir Era a time of growing darkness.

## History

### Entering the Dark Times

Historians marked the beginning of the Noir Era to be c. 5157 ASA. While crime was rampant throughout the outer reaches of the Cassiopeia Galaxy, the Cassiopeian Republic—under the direction of newly-elected Paramount Arbonado Noir—made it their mission to strengthen its defenses and security measures so as to uphold a continuous sense of peace and normalcy for its many citizens. As a result, the Cassiopeian Republic became an even more dominant galactic faction than it was prior to the Noir Era, thanks to Paramount Noir's political efforts. This paved the way for a growing anti-CR sentiment amongst those who lived in the outer reaches of the galaxy, who viewed the Republic's ever-growing superiority as almost brutal.

The criminal empires that preceded the Noir Era become more elusive in response to the growing repression, operating more deeply in the shadows than ever before, if at all. The Cassiopeian Military strengthened as part of this Republic initiative to uphold galactic peace, which meant more weapons were needed to supply the Republic's military forces. Auricsonian corporations and other companies and corporate entities from the Gold Standard Sector—such as Tourmaline Industries and Frostbite Munitions—seized the opportunity with mass arms manufacturing and distribution. This ultimately increased the power of the Gold Standard Sector, its worlds, and its businesses.

By the waning decades of the Noir Era, the lines between corporation and government were considerably blurred, in the eyes of those who distrusted the Cassiopeian Republic. The Dorado colony was considered a symbol of this bridge between corporation and government, having been founded in hopes of immensely bolstering trade within the Gold Standard Sector. The gradual increase in weapons manufacturing, along with the growing reach of Gold Standard Sector corporations, created a galactic atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty regarding the possibility of war.

### End: Secession

When the Auricsonian entrepreneur Palus Dier (who served as the first Senator of Dorado) was elected as Paramount, many members of the Cassiopeian Senate denounced the amplified state of corporatism within the Cassiopeian Republic. This was enough for several worlds once represented within the Cassiopeian Senate to take drastic measures.

Ultimately, the planet of Kaiseran was the first of many to secede from the Republic and declared itself a sovereign world. Other worlds followed Kaiseran's example and eventually came together to form the Federation of Cassiopeian Star Systems.