[civ2buf]

Era of Secrets

The sharp differences between the wealthy and powerful citizens of the Foundation and the poor and information impoverished ones lead to the era of secrets, which began probably some time around the year 2405, all though some have speculated it began in 2408.

The home systems were relatively stable and even boring to some. The starliners continued their monthly travels with no comment from the media, colonies were developed, cities grown and lives lived, all oblivious to the actions occuring far away.

The Explorer group now only had one explorer ship out on the frontier, but they had discovered a new race of beings known as the Cryslonite and came extremely close to being pulverized as they escaped a satellite cluster and avoided contact from enemy fleets. Despite this escape, they were coming closer to another dangerous project, of Robotian orgin.

From the moment the Control Alliance fleet had left home systems they swore to serve the rebellion against the "weak" foundation. But they knew that the Last explorer out was closing in on the Control Alliance fleet's position. They needed to buy out that ship before too much information was released.

The Control Alliance was completing construction of a troop transport, they planned to take over any colonies they could, since they were undermanned for their own colonization. The Cryslonite represented a perfect opportunity. A couple hundred infantry could take over a small moon, which would give the Control Alliance their first subjects. They just had to get there in time, and avoid any large warfleets. The battlefleet wasn't really a battlefleet yet, as the Control Alliance fleet contained only a supply ship, a construction ship, a minesweeper ship and soon a troop ship, as well as long serving Discipline.

In contrast to the grandiose plans of the Control Alliance, and Anarchist plans to institute lawlessness in several new colonies, the central government of the Foundation was weak. Unlike the political Groups and corporate Groups, which could reach out to the frontier of known space and back, the Foundation only held sway in the core systems. They had no resources to administer justice in deep space. As the corporate and political Groups were growing stronger, the foundation was becoming weaker as a whole, gradually disintegrating into a myriad of interests and Groups.

A war was about to begin against the Cryslonites, a war that only a few thousand knew of and approved, but a war that could affect the entire foundation. The Control Alliance would take over a small moon, but after that, whatever power the Cryslonites had would come to bear on the entire Foundation.

For the Control Alliance, any solution was perfect. Either the central government became a tough one and fought back against the Cryslonite, basically creating the government in the pattern they wanted; or the central government fell, and the control alliance government rebuilt its' own empire, with military strength and military justice as its guides.

[ September 28, 2003, 22:37: Message edited by: civ2buf ]