History of Empire, Part IV

Mankind spread rapidly under the guidance of SPACE. The worlds settled were so diverse and scattered, however, that many of them began to develop divergent cultures. From the disciplined and reserved Ice Planet colonists to the hedonistic and self-indulgent settlers of the paradise world Island, the only link many of them retained with galactic civilization was occasional contact with representatives of SPACE. This primarily took the form of tax collectors, requiring a tithe of resources and wealth (and in some cases, personnel) in order that the organization could maintain its expensive fleet.

It was not long until grumbling and discontent began to build, with many colonists saying that SPACE's mission had effectively been accomplished, and that they no longer were a necessary part of humanity. Naturally, SPACE objected to any attempts to withhold the tithe, and responded with force. Ice Planet began a guerrilla war against SPACE Marine invaders, while Island and Emm both fell rather quickly.

One planet, perpetually shrouded in dark clouds, did not provoke a response despite their great discontent with SPACE's increasinly heavy-handed oversight. Rather than attempt to withhold the tithe and invite an invasion, the citizens of this planet decided to begin construction of a fleet of their own in secret. Shadow, as their world was called, was the ideal location for such a project, as the heavy and pervasive cloud cover interfered with SPACE scanning devices and allowed for significant construction projects to be completed before the first reports that they had even been begun reached SPACE's intelligence apparatus.

The Shadow fleet was assisted by a few developments on the planet. The first was a major brikonite find. The second was the development of an energy shielding system capable of defeating several hits from any known weaponry. Combined with the skill and dedication of the ship crews these new shields allowed the Shadow fleet to meet SPACE on equal footing.

When the flagship of the new fleet, the Tricorn, finally launched and joined its fellows in low orbit where the perpetual clouds disguised them, Shadows' leadership issued an ultimatum to SPACE. They declared themselves to be independent, and forbade any SPACE incursions into their territory on pain of war. SPACE immediately mustered a response, sending a fleet to subdue the wayward planet. They moved into high orbit and began indescriminate bombardment, firing blindly through the clouds. Suddenly Tricorn and its fellows rose out of the roiling blackness and engaged the SPACE ships. The surprise counterattack left SPACE reeling. Their fleet suffered heavy casualties, and only a handful of damaged survivors managed to limp away.

Shadow moved quickly, sending salvage teams to recover the remains of the destroyed ships, repairing them and adapting them with shields. They then dispatched their ever-growing fleet to relieve the siege of Ice Planet. Continued success drew their forces ever farther out, bringing more and more planets into a growing alliance against SPACE. All went well for a time, until SPACE decided to end the war in a single master stroke.