The Dark Times

February 10, 2015
By R. Ritnour

Historical societies across the Estra Galaxy suggest a number of dates for the beginning of the Estran Dark Times. However, the majority of historians argue for one of two periods:

The first theory, and the most widely accepted is 4218, which is the time of the destruction of the last “maker alliance” during the cybernetic rebellions. The Indria Empire, allied with the Rishel Hegemony, the Zussan Kingdom and the Partak had united to defend the remaining systems of the Leeward Quadrant against the relentless cybernetic advance. They fought a desperate war of attrition for 146 years against the mechanical tide before falling under cybernetic dominion. The Indrian provincial capitol of Reansa Secundus was the site of the final fleet engagement of the war in 4216. The remaining Indrian and Partak battle squadrons were destroyed as they screened colonial and civilian starships evacuating the capitol world. The remaining Indrian refugee fleets were hunted down over the next two years by KoR hunter-killer squadrons. The last known Indrian colony was wiped out in 4218 in the Durimann star system.

The second proposed start date for the Dark Times is 4353. This is the date of the destruction of the last known foldgate in the Estra Galaxy. The Zetta, an advanced energy based life form held the foldgate in the Coldstream Ring Nebula at the empty star system, Matathra. A KMR Series, code named “Killer Myron”, cybernetic strike force overran the Zetta gate control station on the ice moon Rado. The Zetta destroyer squadron screening the gate held off the cyber strike force long enough for most of the civilian starships in the gate harbor to make the fold-space jump. The remaining ships scattered as the Zetta Destroyer commander Weturi Deppros detonated a dark matter micro-singularity device in the mouth of the gate. A few surviving starships managed to escape to bring the news of the destruction of the last foldgate in Estra.

Now, in 4715, the the cybernetic threat is diminished and the surviving peoples of the galaxy are beginning to venture out into space. Their efforts are aided by the remnants of the great corporations and empires that have collected into enclave nebulas scattered like tiny islands in the void. Stelltron Corporation, Western Rim Trade and the Molnsa Trade Guild are among the most powerful of the surviving entities. They are key providers of starship frames and technologies to the emerging empires in Estra. Their generic starship hulls populate a majority of the military and civilian fleets that move through space. The low cost and rugged construction of these rather plain craft are attractive to young cash strapped empires seeking to expand into their star systems and beyond.

What does this mean for players?

The beginning starship classes available to starting empires will be simple, rugged designs that are for sale by Stelltron and other traders. New and even better ship designs and equipment will become available as the empire conducts research & development, explores the galaxy for relics and abandoned installations, and trades with other civilizations in the safe confines of stellar enclaves.