Timeline of the Great War

The following is a timeline of all noteworthy events of the ongoing Great War. This page is designed as a quick reference guide; for further details, see the Great war main page.

Prelude

 * The Margan turn on and exterminate the Seraphim Dynasty for committing the heresy of enslaving alien races who had come to worship them.


 * After the unpopular pacifistic reforms of King Moscassin damaged the Zaretian economy, General Breys, with the backing of numerous military and civilian officials, overthrows Moscassin and crowns himself king. The new king reintroduces slavery and rebuilds the Zaretian military as be begins a new period of expansion. Though a ruthless ruler, his reforms are successful in revitalizing the economy.


 * The Biomatter Swarms are encountered for the first time.


 * Repzork-Nepharian Cold War. The Repzork Empire begins contending with the Holy Nepharian Empire for dominance in a sector of space. Both sides seek to claim valuable relics and influence over the region's inhabitants, who begin fighting each other in proxy wars.


 * After years of bloodshed following the usurpation of the Ulthubag Clan, the Skrey are united under the socially and technologically progressive Tazorag clan and its allies, who become the great clans.


 * Tensions rise between the Karahotdoum and the Yami Trade Union, resulting in the Karahotdoum keeping the bulk of their troops in the Karahotdoum-Yami border zone.


 * The Repzork begin raiding Khasii colonies to acquire their vast trove of riches and advanced technology.


 * The Sauran liberate a Zaretian slave colony which, unbeknownst to them, was already in open revolt against the monarchy. The Sauran escorted the prisoners to safety. The Monarchy would respond by declaring war on the Solidarity.


 * The Margan appeared in the galactic region for the first time and would swiftly exterminate several minor powers.

Year 1

 * Peacekeeper Alliance is founded by the Rach to defeat the Margan and protect nations who could not defend themselves.


 * Peacekeepers score several victories against the Margan. Alliance grows as emboldened nations begin to join.


 * Margan approach Zaretian Monarchy to propose an pact to combat the Peacekeepers. The two agree to talks on Zartar.


 * Raid on Zartar. Acting behind his generals, Rach Emperor Coradine sends assassins to Zartar supposedly to eliminate King Breys and High Priestess Massachiah during their meeting. The raid ends in disaster, with all Rach troops killed or captured and the Margan and Zaretians founding the Warlord Pact. The Great War officially begins.


 * The Peacekeepers are forced on the defensive, with the Rach suffering several catastrophic defeats at the hands of the combined Margan-Zaretian force.


 * The Saracin Empire joins the Warlords and begins attacking the Rach.


 * Raid on Station SRD72. Rach forces under the command of General Gorach and Ops Lead Kertak infiltrate a secret Saracin facility, stealing valuable military intelligence and discovering that a traitor had revealed the location of Norsus and its stealth generators to the Warlords.

Year 2

 * Battle of Zetta Secundus. Peacekeepers achieve their first major victory when Aeverian forces deal a devastating blow to the Zaretian navy, causing Pact forces to withdraw to avoid overextending themselves.


 * The Repzork Empire joins the Pact to eliminate the Peacekeepers and dissuade their enemies from joining the Alliance.


 * Pact regains the initiative. Zetta Secundus is captured.

Year 3

 * First Battle of Aserai. The Zaretian Admiralty test their new naval doctrine by attacking the Dragoneteran homeworld of Aserai, dealing significant damage to the Dragoneteran fleet and to the planet itself. Aeverian forces respond, but are repelled. A Rach-Aeverian force eventually arrived to forces the Monarchy to withdraw. The admiralty considers the operation a success.


 * Incident at Dralix. While the assault on Aserai was underway, the Dragoneterans lost contact with the colony of Dralix. Expecting the planet to have been attacked by the Monarchy, they instead discover that it had been infected by the Biomatter. Search teams were dispatched to search for survivors, but all were lost save for one, which escaped with the help of special operations troops. The monarchy decides to keep the colony for study rather than cleansing it.


 * The Necraal Sovereignty joins the Pact following an alliance with the Zaretians.


 * Dragoneteran-Tegotian War begins. While searching for the missing Captain Delarus, Dragoneteran forces discover the Bulorians, who had been enslaved by the Tegotians. The Dragoneterans, after having rescued Delarus, liberate the Bulorians. The Tegotians join the Pact in retaliation and begin an invasion.


 * The Dragoneteran develop an airborne Biomatter virus and deploy it against the Tegotians, severely hampering their invasion for a brief period. The attack draws fierce criticism from the Peacekeepers, who push the Dragoneteran to destroy the weapon and any research regarding it.


 * Second Battle of Aserai. Following the death of the Dragoneteran king, the entire Tegotian military is deployed at Aserai to defeat the Dragoneterans in one swift blow before foreign powers could intervene. The Tegotians are defeated, resulting in their empire collapsing into anarchy and civil war. Peacekeeper intervention sees the establishment of the Tegotian Republic, which withdraws from the war.

Year 4

 * Infestation of Rotunin. A spore of Hive Fafnir crashes on the neutral colony of Rotunin, causing the bloodiest infestation in history. The Peacekeepers respond by creating the Anti-Biomatter Task Force (ABTF). Various Warlord nations create their own task units for combating the hives.


 * The Skrey, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the war begin raiding vulnerable colonies. This captures the attention of the Repzork, who bring the Skrey into the Pact after helping them repel a Biomatter infestation.


 * Operation Stormbreaker begins. The Empire of Diablos joins the Peacekeepers following a meeting with Alliance diplomats. Three months later, the Peacekeepers launch a massive combined offensive that sees the Pact retreat on all fronts. The Margan stay behind to hinder the Peacekeepers and buy their allies time.


 * After months of fighting, the Margan are finally forced to retreat, and the Stormbreaker offensive resumes in earnest.


 * Stormbreaker is called off as the offensive grounds to a halt due to mounting casualties and overextended supply lines. Peacekeeper forces retreat to defensive positions while the Pact reclaims much of the territory lost during the offensive.

Year 5

 * The first phase of Operation Downfall, Operation Sledgehammer, begins. Pact troops launch a massive offensive against all major Peacekeeper powers to prevent them from supporting the Rach. Operation Pierce the Veil, which aims to eliminate the remaining stealth generators protecting Norsus, begins.


 * Pact forces encounter the Gorach-Cloudreaver line and suffer heavy casualties. Holy Dynasty reinforcements eventually overwhelm the defenders and eliminate the first stealth generator.


 * First Battle of Sevethos. Sevethos becomes the first major Diab colony to fall to Pact forces in the offensive.


 * Pact forces establish a foothold in the Aeverian frontier. Warlord forces push towards the Aeverian border blockade.


 * The second stealth generator is eliminated. General Gorach is contacted by Emperor Zinmar, who pledges to create new stealth generators in exchange for amnesty and entry into the Peacekeeper Alliance. The Rach agree, and Zinmar dispatches engineers to begin construction.


 * Zaretian forces are forced to withdraw from the Aeverian theatre following the destruction of a crucial logistics vessel. Varthos is recalled to Zartar by King Breys for questioning.


 * First Battle of Baltreos begins. Pact forces converge on the Diab regional capital of Baltreos. Ferocious fighting erupts as both sides pour an enormous amount of troops into the system.


 * Repzork ambassador Orva meets with Sauran representatives in neutral space to negotiate a deal in which the Repzork receive the Sauran's terraforming technology in exchange for the empire not attacking the Sauran and offering them a place in the empire should the Solidarity collapse. The Sauran agree to the deal and the Repzork test the technology in the core worlds to avoid suspicion. The Repzork plan to use the technology to undo the damage done by the Margan, which they intend to eliminate once the war has concluded.


 * Pact forces attack Rhea station. Though Aeverian forces narrowly manage to hold the station, they lost several ships and nearly 60 nearby orbital facilities. As the battle is underway, Star Marshal Kiryusa Luok leads Aeverian forces on a chase that allows Pact forces to plunge deeper into Aeverian territory. The ploy works, but damages her flagship's engines. She briefly withdraws from the battle for repairs.


 * First Battle of Falkeos. Margan forces invade the Diab military colony of Falkeos to draw Peacekeeper forces away from Baltreos. Diab forces hold the planet, but the distrction proves successful, with Baltreos falling to the Pact a short time later. Baltreos subsequently becomes the Pact's primary command center in the region, with Sevethos acting as a logistics base.


 * Aeverian forces trap and encircle Pact forces at the border blockade, beginning the largest naval engagement thus far in the war. Hundreds of ships are lost on both sides over the span of a few hours before the Margan Firewing fleet sacrifices itself to allow their allies to escape. Firewing fleet is destroyed to the last ship. Pact forces destroy everything they had captured and withdraw from Aeverian territory.


 * The last Minomit stronghold is eliminated, leaving only a few scattered pockets of resistance as the majority of the remaining Minomit retreat into Aeverian space.


 * First Battle of Veos. Pact forces on the Diab theatre suffer a major defeat that leads to the loss of a Repzork Ikatan-class starbase. Warlord forces initiate a strategic retreat back to their captured holdings. Diab forces launch a counter-attack but are unable to break the Pact foothold.


 * The third stealth generator is eliminated. General Gorach and Ops Lead Kertak move in to rescue several Rach who had been taken prisoner during the battle. Gorach is intercepted by Zaretian general Gancarda and the two engage in a duel. Both sustain injuries, but before Gancarda could deliver a killing blow, Rach Skyborn intervene, allowing Gorach to retreat. The Rach escape with the prisoners back to Norsus.


 * General Gorach personally appeals to Emperor Coradine for permission to use the Rach's emergency arsenal but is denied. The general disobeys and activates the Rach Veteran Warsuits. As he does so, Coradine authorizes the deactivation of the remaining stealth generators. Margan soldiers infiltrate the palace and extract Coradine, who had stabbed one of his own guards in the back during the altercation. Gorach discovers Coradine's betrayal and crowns himself emperor as he prepares Norsus' defenses.


 * First Battle of Norsus. With Norsus revealed, Sledgehammer is called off as Pact forces settle into defensive positions. All Margan Dynasties converge on Norsus alongside Zaretian and Saracin fleets. The Diabs and Aeverians attempt to intervene, but the Aeverians are intercepted. The Diabs are allowed to pass by Captain Omard, who claims that he had simply not noticed the fleet but who was in fact sympathetic to Zinmar. The Diabs buy the Rach precious time, but are badly outnumbered. Realizing he could not hope to hold the planet, Gorach opens an experimental portal devise leading into the Void. The remaining Rach flee into the alternate dimension. The Margan, after wresting control of the device from the Peacekeepers, chase after the Rach. Both disappear from the galaxy as a result save for a tiny number of stragglers who had been left behind.

Year 6

 * The Aeveria Confederation becomes the new leader of the Peacekeeper Alliance and shifts the Alliance's focus from defending the weak to ensuring their own survival and defeating the Warlords.


 * Amidst public outcry, the Karahotdoum Empire, after having signed a treaty with the Yami Trade Union, joins the Peacekeepers and launches a massive offensive against both the Repzork and the Zaretians. They Karahotdoum cause considerable damage but are ultimately stopped with the aid of the Saracin and Necraal. The front settles into a stalemate.

Year 7

 * Battle of Lichen. Zaretian forces capture the Diab colony of Lichen to secure its vast reserves of crystals which the Monarchy use for the production of energy weapons.


 * Second Battle of Falkeos. Pact forces attack Falkeos for a second time and successfully capture it after months of fighting.


 * Operation Burning Lance. The Aeverians begin a massive invasion of the Zaretian Monarchy with the ultimate goal of capturing Nu-Zartar and opening the path to Zartar. The sheer number of Zaretian ships that they encounter bogs down the offensive almost immediately. Repzork forces begin attacking the Aeverian mainland in an effort to draw troops away from the invasion.

Year 8

 * The Anti-Biomatter Task Force achieves its first major success when a Diab detachment responds to a spore that had landed on a Diab colony. Renowned specialists Heimdall infiltrated the hive and planted a bomb inside of it, ending the infestation.


 * Operation Thaelvak. Pact forces launch a three-pronged offensive into Diab space, gradually forming what became known as the Keros salient.


 * Battle of Embaelos. The Repzork, in an effort to lure the Diabs into a trap, unknowingly walk into an ambush, resulting in the encirclement of the 277th armada's command fleet. Reinforcements arrive and ultimately capture the planet, but the battle checks the Pact's advance and results in the hospitalization of Field Marshal Likana Raldalvi, who had helped fight off Diab troops that had boarded the 277th's flagship.


 * Operation Watchtower. The Aeverians break the Zaretian stalemate after capturing Valkoro, prompting the Zaretians to retreat. The Aeverians attempted to encircle the retreating Zaretians but were only partially successful.


 * Battle of the Thethea Nebula. Aeverian forces attempted to capture Varthos, whose ship had been cornered in the Thethea nebula. Varthos escaped due to the nebula disrupting Aeverian sensors.


 * Battle of the Gorroagh Pocket. Zaretian General Peacha joined the fight against the Aeverians and held open the Gorroagh pocket, allowing Varthos' forces to escape.

Year 9

 * Operation Fissure. Aeverian forces begin advancing into the inner Nu-Zartar sector. Zaretian resistance is limited and scattered.


 * Operation Iron Gauntlet. The Diabs launch a counterattack into the Keros salient and manage to breach the Pact's defenses. A combination of Pact reinforcements and the liberal use of Marganite-based weapons bogs down the operation.


 * Operation Black Ice. Aeverian ACI operatives infiltrated a Zaretian installation deep in monarchy space and acquired intelligence regarding the defenses of several key planets in the Nu-Zartar sector.

Year 10

 * Battle of Helia begins. After a successful deception campaign, the Diabs revitalize Iron Gauntlet with a massive offensive that digs deep into the Keros salient, encircling dozens of Pact positions. Warlord reinforcements bisect Peacekeeper lines as they attempt to rescue encircled troops, throwing the salient into complete chaos.


 * Third Battle of Falkeos. Diab forces, in a move reminiscent of the First Battle of Falkeos, attack Falkeos to disrupt Pact logistics, but are repelled after a pitched battle by Warlord reinforcements from the salient.


 * Operation Isomer. Aeverian forces link up and begin securing a beachhead in the inner Nu-Zartar sector, but stiff resistance would gradually slow the operation.


 * Destruction of the Malum Telum. An Aeverian facility housing an experimental cruiser was infiltrated by Zaretian nightshades. The vessel is destroyed and the Zaretians steal a trove of classified information, including the defection of one of their own generals, Atoppos the Great. Breys initiates a purge to eliminate anyone suspected of supporting the Alliance.


 * Dissolution of the Saracin Empire. Emperor Saracin IX is assassinated by Peacekeeper powers, resulting in the total collapse of the Saracin Empire as various officials fight one another to fill the power vacuum. A diaspora takes place as refugees flee the former empire.

Year 11

 * Second Battle of Baltreos begins. Pact forces cede the Keros salient to the Diabs and make a disorganized retreat back into the foothold. Despite having suffered heavy casualties, Diab forces advance on Baltreos. Fighting breaks out throughout the core of the Pact foothold.


 * Operation Isomer culminates in the Battle of Rigni. The last fortress world standing between Nu-Zartar and the Peacekeepers, Alliance forces capture the system but suffer heavy losses, and the Peacekeeper settle to strengthen their defenses and supply lines.


 * The Second Battle of Baltreos concludes with a costly Warlord victory that sees the first use of the RS-18 Firestorm missile, which converted an entire city into a crystalline tomb, killing thousands of Diab soldiers instantaneously and ending any hope of capturing the Pact command center on Baltreos. The casualties incurred during the Battles of Helia and Baltreos, the bloodiest battles in Repzork military history, sparks public outcry within the empire. The government responds with a propaganda campaign and begins mobilizing all civilian and military assets for the war effort.


 * Necraal Schism. Necraal King Hor'or begins experimenting on the Biomatter. Initially in an effort to control them, the influence of Glad'mere brings Hor'or into the shaman's cult and the king begins splicing Biomatter and Necraal DNA to produce supersoldiers.


 * Sentience Incident. Necraal-Biomatter hybrids are deployed for the first time at Yintil. Thought to be an ordinary infestation, the ABTF responds, only to be ambushed by the Necraal and annihilated. In the confusion, many believe that the Biomatter had become sentient, though this was later debunked. Many begin to view the Necraal with suspicion, but they deny any involvement.


 * Disillusioned Necraal scientists escape Ivn's vaults and notify officials on what Hor'or had done. Word reaches Bael'thir, who vows to overthrow his father. The Warlords offer their support as Bael'thir makes the king's crimes public. Fighting breaks out throughout the Necraal's ranks as Bael'thir and the Pact advance towards Ivn. Pact forces attempt to capture or kill loyalist commandants but are unsuccessful. The Peacekeepers also intervene to knock the Sovereignty out of the war. A Peacekeeper-aligned Necraal faction under the leadership of S'ai is proclaimed.


 * Battle of Ivn. As Bael'thir arrives at Ivn, Hor'or deploys Biomatter spores all across the planet. The arrival of the Peacekeepers blunts Hor'or's offensive. The Loyalist soon retreat into unexplored space, leaving Ivn to be evacuated and bombarded into a lifeless rock.


 * Bael'thir moves to Phaeris to secure the remaining colonies while Pact forces stay behind to stop the Peacekeepers from following. As the battle rages, an ion storm sweeps in, cutting Bael'thir and the colonies off from the rest of the galaxy. Pact and Peacekeeper forces abandon the sector. Pact-aligned Necraal under the leadership of Commandant Tor settle in Warlord space, notably within the Repzork empire.


 * S'ai saves Peacekeeper delegates from a Zaretian ambush, earning the trust of those who had distrusted S'ai and his followers. S'ai and his followers are allowed to colonize an uninhabited planet within the Peacekeeper's sphere of influence.


 * With both the Saracin out of the war and the Necraal crippled, the stalemate on the Karahotdoum front breaks as Karahotdoum forces flood into Repzork and Zaretian space. Though they make considerable progress against the Monarchy, the Repzork fight them a a standstill as the Karahotdoum attempt to capture the empire's heavily-fortified subterranean cities.

Year 12

 * Operation Riposte. After refitting and repairing their ships, the Zaretians launched a counterattack against the Aeverians and Peacekeepers, recapturing Rigni in the process. Encircled Peacekeeper elements would harass the Zaretian's supply lines, forcing them to call off the offensive. A Peacekeeper counterattack successfully recaptured all lost territory.


 * A Biomatter spore crash-landed on a Nepharian colony. After a brief engagement it was thought to be destroyed. In truth, it had burrowed deep into the ground. The colony emerged at the planet's capitol and overwhelmed the defenders.


 * War of the Mech King. A walker of titanic proportions was discovered by the Repzork explorers deep in unexplored space. Zaretian, and Repzork forces converged on the planet to secure the machine. The Diabs and Virisus, having learned of the discovery, also sent troops. As they fought for control of the walker, dormant machines within the walker activated and began attacking all sides. The Virisus, knowing that they would lose, overloaded the walker's reactors, killing all on board and destroying the walker.


 * Skritrulk, an intellectual group of Skrey that had been spent years fighting on foreign soil and interacting with the soldiers of various Pact nations, begin to emerge. Though ostracized by their Skrey brethren, Pact overseers see potential in Skritrulk who supported the Pact.

Year 13

 * Outer Worlds Assault. Two years after Baltreos, Diab forces launcher another attack at the Pact foothold, this time aiming to disrupt supplies flowing into the region by capturing Sevethos and several surrounding colonies. As the offensive is underway, the Diabs open a second front to divide Pact resources.


 * Operation Counterweight. Having completed mobilization, the Repzork launch a counterattack against the invading Karahotdoum and send a surge of reinforcements into the Diab foothold. The Diabs are repelled from Sevethos and call off the offensive. Karahotdoum holdings are reduced to a small few strongholds at the edge of Repzork space.


 * Battle of Nu-Zartar. After securing Rigni, Peacekeeper forces began the invasion of Nu-Zartar. After eight months of brutal fighting, Alliance forces claim the planet. Due to losses sustained during the operation, the Peacekeepers pause offensive operations to rebuild their strength.

Year 14

 * The Asanians begin a major push into Delani space. Delani forces proved wholly incapable of halting the Syndicate's advance.

Year 15

 * Second Battle of Norsus. The Rach return from the Void as Emperor Gorach grows tired of running and seeks to rebuild his empire. He broadcasted his return to the galaxy, drawing Peacekeeper and Warlord forces to the planet.


 * Battle of Demosrakus. As Delani troops were en route to Norsus, the Delani capitol of Demosrakus fell under attack by the Asanians. The leader of the fleet, Fleet Admiral Heimarak, disobeyed orders to return to Demosrakus and instead evacuated several frontier colonies before disappearing.


 * Demosrakus falls, leading to the collapse of the Delani Republic.


 * The Aumpnuuk are integrated into the Transmetallic Confederation.


 * Margan Hammer Dynasty forces attack the Sauran colony of Jaru IV. Though the Sauran evacuate the planet's colonist, they fail to hold the planet.

Year 16

 * Warlord leaders convene at the Margan Holy Dynasty worldship of Holy Thereia to reaffirm the Pact's goals and discuss future operations. Leaders decide on a plan to revitalize the Zaretians and recapture the colonies lost to the Peacekeepers.


 * Battle of Mardos. Fighting between Margan and Diab forces culminated in a duel between the commanding officers of both armies. The Margan commander was killed and the remaining Margan routed. The battle showcased the technology gap that spending a decade in the Void had created, prompting Margan engineers to begin modernization efforts.


 * Schism of the 500th. Star Marshal Elseron Nethali of the 500th armada, having grown disillusioned with the Repzork and the Pact, defected to the Peacekeepers alongside several followers, narrowly avoiding capture in the process. The 500th narrowly avoids being disbandment because of the proven loyalty of Field Marshal Alesanda Hilingoth and admiral Eaeru Tritheka, who is appointed as Elseron's replacement.


 * The Ion storms dissipate and Bael'thir reestablishes contact with the Pact. Warlord officials inform the crown prince on the state of the war. Bael'thir reaffirms his loyalty to the Pact and pledges to continue supporting the Pact. Many Necraal who had settled in Warlord space return to Phaeris, as do defectors from the Virisus and S'ai's faction. The Virisus are welcome by Bael'thir, who begins work on a cure for their infection, but they face distrust or outright discrimination from many.


 * Battle of Nizo III. The newly-reformed Rach military begins reclaiming old colonies, starting with Nizo III, which had survived the fall of the empire by concealing its cities. The Rach launch a surprise attack on the Asanian garrison on the planet and swiftly defeat them. The Rach's use of Void technology sends Warlord officials scrambling to replicate or counter the technology.

Year 17

 * Operation Dawnhammer. Repzork forces move into the Nepharian contested zone to support their allies in the region and ultimately draw them into the Great War. The Nepharians use propaganda to pull Peacekeeper forces into the region to fight the Repzork for them.


 * Zaretian Civil War. Pact forces begin their advance into Zaretian space, dealing a harsh blow to the Peacekeepers. Seeing his chance at reclaiming the throne slipping away, the exiled king Moscassin emerged from hiding, sparking a civil war across the monarchy as emboldened rebels rise up in support of the Alliance.