Great War

The Great War is an ongoing interstellar conflict between the Peacekeeper Alliance and the  Warlord Pact, as well as various  neutral powers that are fighting for their own causes or in favor of one side. It is the largest war in the history of the known galaxy, directly or indirectly involving over thirty sovereign nations, including many great powers, and sixty sapient races. It is also the galaxy's bloodiest war, responsible for the devastation of numerous colonies, most notably Norsus, the former homeworld of the Rach, the deaths of billions of soldiers and civilians on both sides, and the total collapse of entire nations.

The Rach founded the Peacekeeper Alliance in response to the numerous expansionist military powers across the region, most notably the Margan, who sought to exterminate all life in the galaxy. After losing their initial engagements with the Alliance, the Margan came to the Zaretian Monarchy and Repzork Empire to propose an alliance against the Peacekeepers. To prevent this, the Rach infiltrated the meeting, which was held on the Zartar, and attempted to assassinate the leaders of the three powers. They failed, however, and the three nations founded what would become the Warlord Pact and declared war against the Alliance.

The Peacekeepers suffered several defeats at the onset of the war, particularly the Rach, whose military was woefully unprepared for large-scale warfare. The Alliance was soon joined by the Karahotdoum Empire and achieved its first major victory when the Aeverian navy defeated the Zaretians at the Battle of Zetta Secundus, causing the Warlords to momentarily lose their momentum. The Acropolan also declared its allegiance to the Alliance, but was locked in conflict with the Conkirite, who joined the Pact in retaliation. The Warlords regained the initiative as it was joined by the heavily mechanized Necraal, though a small few would either defect to the Peacekeepers or join the recently-founded Virisus. Following the narrowly repelled Zaretian invasion of their homeworld, Aserai, the Dragoneterran Monarchy joined the Peacekeepers. The Empire of Diablos also joined the Peacekeepers and launched several offensives against Pact members, but while they dealt a serious blow, they were unable to entirely halt their advance into Peacekeeper space. The Luminarians, after being assisted by the Aeverians, also joined and began sending aid. However, this sparked a violent schism in Luminarian society, hampering their ability to fight in the war for several years. Despite their extremely small numbers and the great risks involved, the Kastalians also intervened for the Peacekeepers. Later, during an attack on a Warbot Industries facility, the Skrey were contacted by the Repzork and subsequently inducted into the Pact. The Asanian Syndicate were encountered by the Margan during an assault on a Diabloian colony and also became members of the Pact. In an effort to produce a new slave state and claim their resources, the Zaretians invaded the Betel homeworld of Betel; however, they were repelled, and the previously neutral Betel became a member of the Peacekeepers, though some of them instead defected to the Pact, forming the Decomp rebels. The Repzork then launched their own invasion, though while they were initially repelled, they quickly gained ground, and formed an alliance with the Xeverra in the process. While the war was raging, the Peacekeepers founded the Anti-Biomatter Task Force (ABTF) to combat the Biomatter Swarms following the fall of Rotunin.

Five years into the war, with the Rach on the brink of collapse, the Warlords initiated Operation Thunder Charge, a massive coordinated offensive which had the goal of weakening the major Peacekeeper powers and prevent them from being able to adequately respond to the planned invasion of Norsus. Over the next several months, while they did not achieve all of their objectives, the Warlords dealt a devastating blow to the Peacekeepers and left some of them crippled, albeit it came at a steep cost, leaving the Margan and Zaretians the only powers able to launch a large-scale invasion of the Rach homeworld. As the last stealth generator was deactivated and Norsus was revealed, the Warlords attacked, and quickly overran the defenders. In a desperate last-ditch effort to survive, the surviving Rach opened a portal into the Warp and fled into the alternate dimension, the Margan chasing after them in an attempt to finally put an end to them.

Still recuperating their losses from Thunder Charge and without the Margan to support them, the Warlords were left in a vulnerable position, allowing the Peacekeepers to strike back. This coincided with the intervention of the Empire of Galdera, who launched Operation Dark Angel a few weeks following the invasion of Norsus. For the next decade, Warlords forces would primarily be on the defensive, and would suffer a number of catastrophic defeats. Repzork forces were almost entirely repelled from Betel space, prompting the empire to initiate scorched earth tactics in the form of massed crystal bombardments. The Aeverians and Luminarians launched a combined offensive into Zaretian territory, and successfully captured Nu-Zartar. The Sauran reached a breakthrough and devised a way in which to slow down and gradually reverse the growth of Margan crystals, paving the way for the Solidarity to slowly reverse the severe environmental damage the dynasties had caused prior to their disappearance and curb the Repzork's continued use of crystal munitions.

Ten years after the invasion of Norsus, the Rach returned from the Warp and attempted to reclaim their homeworld, which was still under Zaretian control. They also warned the Peacekeepers that the Margan were still on their trail and would soon return. Several Peacekeepers and a few neutral powers sent troops to support the Rach. Peacekeepers forces were well on their way to recapturing Norsus until a few weeks later, when the Margan Empire returned from the Warp and immediately launched attacks against both the planet itself and the surrounding area. Peacekeeper and neutral forces were forced to retreat from the area, and Norsus was rendered nearly uninhabitable and was subsequently abandoned by most combatants.

With the Margan back on their side and many Warlords having long updated their technology and tactics to adapt to the changing battlefield, the Pact has experienced a resurgence in power, and has began reacquiring some of the territory it had lost in the interim period. Peacekeeper morale has hit an all-time low once more as hopes for an eventual victory have been dashed and the war continues to drag on with no clear victor.

Background
See also: History of the Milky Way Galaxy

Since the end of the Ancient Era, a myriad of new races have appeared throughout the galaxy. Some of these nations emphasize militarism, conquest, imperialism, fascism, and other violent ideologies.

Following a catastrophic mass-extinction event that wiped out most species and opened the vast underground cave networks on their homeworld, Marga, the Margan, who were now one of the only remaining prey animals, were constantly harassed by numerous predatory creatures that relied on terror, lures, and constant harassment to catch their prey. This caused the once-timid Margan to become increasingly paranoid and xenophobic. Though many Margan either tried to hide from the predators of their homeworld or simply accepted their fate in some form or another, one Margan, now known only as the 'Angel' or 'Savior', initiated a purge that eventually wiped out all life on their homeworld, driving their species to space in what would eventually become the vast nomadic fleets they live in today. They traveled from system-to-system, strip-mining the planets they came across to fuel their ever-expanding flotilla. This was until they discovered other life in the galaxy, causing the Margan to despair, fearing that the horrors of Marga would repeat themselves. It was during this time that the current High Priestess, Massachiah, came to power and mandated the 'Holy Goal': the purging of all life in the galaxy. Ever since, the Margan have blazed a trail of death and destruction across the stars, leaving a trail of dead worlds in their wake.

For much of their history, the Necraal had been ruled by the shaman caste, who revered, protected, and in many cases worshiped nature, promoted an anti-materialist lifestyle, and were staunch pacifists. They deliberately held back the Necraal's technology in some regards so as to not 'corrupt' nature or themselves. But as time progressed, this created resentment among some in the other castes, as they felt that the shamans were preventing the Necraal from being able to reach their true potential. Initially, these groups were not considered a threat by the shamans, who still reigned supreme via the support of the king, so they were largely ignored. This changed when the Necraal began encountering alien races, some of whom took advantage of the shaman's pacifism and pillaged the fledgling nation's colonies, the Necraal's small military being too weak to stop them. Frustrated, a faction of imperialist and industrialist Necraal rose up from the outer colonies and challenged the rule of the shamans. To these Necraal, nature was something to overcome, rather than to revere, and if their race was to survive and thrive, they would need to massively build up their military and begin conquering the stars. In the years that followed, the imperialist would gain more and more influence until they gained the support of the royal family, stripping the shamans of the control they once held over the nation. Since then, the Necraal have industrialized massively and have quickly developed new technology, including that which was once banned by the shamans. The shamans themselves have fallen into the background and are slowly dying out, though a small few have taken matters into their own hands and have abandoned their pacifist ideals in order to fight against what they see as a sinful and materialistic society.

During the Arkevan Wars of Unification, which would see the founding of the Empire of Galdera, the Kalrian Empire, a fierce rival of Galdera's founders, the Nolsarians, were on the brink of defeat after having fought for over twenty years. In a desperate gambit to ensure their nation and culture's survival, the Kalrians assembled a fleet of 'exodus ships' at the edge of their borders with the intent of fleeing and rebuilding elsewhere. Those who stayed behind would provide a diversion to prevent the Nolsarians from catching them. The Nolsarians received reports of the fleet's existence, but the general in charge ignored them, certain the Kalrians would make a final stand instead of running. The fleet, along with what remained of the Kalrian government and high command, escaped, the Nolsarians realizing their error only after having fallen into the Kalrian's trap. After several years of blindly flying through space, the Kalrian fleet moved into a wormhole and found themselves in an unexplored region of the galaxy. They eventually settled on their current homeworld, Alrukai, and began to rebuild their civilization. Believing that they had made themselves weak, the Kalrians gradually threw away many of their old ideals and adopted a fascist ideology that emphasized absolute loyalty, military prowess, and racial purity. These beliefs were solidified when the empire was invaded by the Delrusar Imperium, a destructive conflict that would ultimately see the complete annihilation of the Delrusar race. In the five millennia since, the Kalrians, now known as the Repzork, have established themselves as a vast interstellar power, one that has exterminated or subjugated its adversaries as it seeks to become among the most powerful empires in the galaxy.

During the final days of the Xeverran War for Dominance, scientist secretely used a combination of Xeverran and Astatanian technology to create Galden, a highly advanced, sapient A.I capable of evolving and learning. Galden was given the goal of preserving the Xeverran race, their culture, and as much life on Xer as possible. Unfortunately, the nations of Xer initiated a nuclear war far earlier than the scientist had anticipated, forcing them to launch Galden into space to ensure its survival. Xer was rendered uninhabitable in the aftermath, and the few Xeverra that had managed to survive the initial bombardment either died or committed suicide, essentially rendering the species extinct. Gathering what information it could, Galden began to create the first Xeverran world ship and began storing samples of DNA gathered from Xeverra and Xer wildlife. From here, Galden would assemble the first Xeverran fleet and would eventually cultivate a new generation of Xeverra from the DNA it had collected. Galden would continue to lead the Xeverra from the shadows as it worked to secure the continued survival of the Xeverran species.

The Zaretian Monarchy under King Moscassin had been peacefully expanding its borders for many years and maintained peaceful relations with many interstellar powers, including the Wingle Union. Though it still fought in numerous conflicts, most were in self-defense or to assist the monarchy's allies. This changed when Breys, with the support of most of the Zaretian military, overthrew Moscassin and crowned himself king. Moscassin fled, and those who supported him either died or were imprisoned in the ensuing purge or fled to join various rebel movements. Once Breys had consolidated his power, he transformed the monarchy into a totalitarian regime where he alone held complete control over the nation. The king also reestablished slavery, which had been abolished by previous monarchs, and built up the military with the intent of conquering all that he could reach. As a result, many of the monarchy's allies cut off any and all relations with the Zaretians, including the Wingle.

The Skrey of Barrakru Kaat have never properly unified. Though various powers throughout their history have attempted it, they have all failed, their nations collapsing into infighting after a short period of time. Instead, the Skrey have been divided into a large multitude of clans, with the largest and most powerful clan acting as the de facto 'ruler' of the Skrey people; as a result, any clan could become new ruler by overthrowing the reigning clan, though this generally resulted in a long series of wars that would ultimately determine the new ruling clan. While most Skrey ruled through fear and brute force, a small few, the most successful of the Skrey's rulers, understood that better and more efficient methods existed. These rulers would work to either push their own agendas or try to advance the Skrey nation as a whole, knowing that there were other, likely more dangerous nations out there in the galaxy. It was one of these rulers who united the Skrey against the neighboring Greera, a native of the Barrakru Kaat system that attempted to wipe out the Skrey before they could become an issue.

After having exterminated their progenitors, the Ge'Va, the Asanians spent many years warring among themselves. That was until the Mixed, powerful Asanians who had bonded their bodies to Ge'Va technology, rose up and brought the Asanians under their fold. An era of rapid technological progress took place, turning their homeworld of Tornash from a collection of ruined cities to a hyper-industrialized metropolis in only a few short years. However, this urbanization destroyed the ecosystem of their homeworld, forcing the Asanians to begin colonizing other worlds in order to survive. The Asanians have since established a large interstellar empire in an extremely short time period, and have adapted to and exterminated anything in their way, salvaging what is useful and discarding what it worthless in the process, the Asanians believing themselves to be perfection incarnate.

As the number and influence of military powers expanded, other nations took up arms in efforts to repel and eliminate them.

Despite their frightening appearance and honor-bound warrior culture, the Diabloians of the Empire of Diablos were one of the less imperialist powers in the known galaxy. In fact, the Diabloians pitied smaller, weaker nations, believing that fighting them was dishonorable and not worth the resources. Instead, they traded with many of these nations, seeing it as mutually beneficial to both parties. The Empire instead fought those that would take advantage of smaller powers, seeing their powerful armies as a more worthwhile challenge and condemning them for their dishonorable acts such as slavery and the slaughter of civilians.

While the Repzork sought to dominate the stars, the Galderans instead worked towards uniting them. Faithful followers of the goddess, Syleris, the Galderans spent the five millennia since their founding inducting several races as either member states or enclaves, believing that if they manage to unite the galaxy under the goddess' banner, then it will be one of the first major steps towards mending what is seen as a broken and dying galaxy and ultimately ushering in a new golden age, returning the galaxy to its state prior to sin. Having absorbed the personnel, technology, and doctrines of those it has inducted, the Galderans have grown into a powerful and technologically sophisticated force. The Galderans spent many years searching for the Kalrian exodus ships that founded the Repzork Empire, but they never located them, and the effort was abandoned, with most concluding that the fleet was destroyed or that the reconstruction effort was in some way a failure.

In the two centuries since the end of the Long War, the Ogvyr of the Confederation of Derahs began to take a more active role in interstellar affairs. Angered at what they saw as the 'status quo' of the galaxy, the Confederation sought to establish order and peace across the stars; however, they could not agree on how, with some believing that fear, military might, and subterfuge was necessary while others supported a far more diplomatic course of action, hoping to avoid military conflict whenever possible. Though these disagreements sparked tensions, the Confederation still remained united in the face of mutual threats. During this period, the Alknans began to construct the Automatons, its vast army of robotic constructs, as well as its commanders; CAI Drone Command, which was housed in an almost moon-sized installation that granted it its vast processing power; and CAI Drone Master, a sentient A.I that would devise strategies and tactics for CAI Drone Command.

The Minomit, founders of Warbot Industries, also constructed vast armies of robotic units, though this was largely due to the fact that the minomits themselves are unfit for fighting on their own. Additionally, Warbot constructs, despite the name, could also be built for various utilitarian roles, such as medicine, construction and agriculture. Warbots Industries provided these constructs to several neighboring nations, especially those who were besieged by hostile powers. WBI combat constructs are usually produced without any traceable serial codes or icons, allowing the industry to continue selling and deploying its robots without the fear of having them traced back to them. WBI refused to sell its products to aggressive empires, though small breakaway factions have done so for the sake of profit, forcing WBI to hunt down and exterminate these rogue factions.

The factions of the Sauran Solidarity, most notably the Forces of Freedom and Protectors of Nature, played a very active role in the region. The Forces of Freedom fought against various tyrants and slave states in their efforts to bring about democratic reform and liberation, while the Protectors of Nature aimed at safeguarding the natural order from those who would destroy it for the sake of industry and profit. The Observers of Science and the Ascended, were also active forces, but for different reasons, the Observers focusing chiefly on relics and technology while the Ascended fought in the name of their gods.

For countless years the Rach explored the stars doing what they do best: thievery. Stealing from nations with whom they either had no relations with or considered enemies, the Rach would take these goods and sell them in the Undermarket, encouraging a large number of Rach to explore the galaxy in the hopes of making a fortune. As a result, the Rach came in direct or indirect contact with a large number of civilizations, including those that posed a very real threat both to the Rach as well as their neighbors. More and more Rach sought to assist those who were besieged by imperialist and xenocidal powers; initially, the Rach acted with subtlety, working from the shadows to provide assistance and sabotage the enemy. This quickly proved to be insufficient, leading to some wanting to take more drastic measures. However, many Rach, General Gorach, knew that the Rach military did not have the ability to fight in an interstellar conflict; they had neither the weapons nor the mindset for it. Coradine, the emperor at the time, also understood this, and believed that if the Rach were to survive, they would have to start taking bigger risks.

First appearance of the Biomatter
Years before the onset of the war, the Biomatter Swarms made their first known appearance in the sector, a moderately-sized infected vessel crash-landing on a planet rich in biomass. The planet's inhabitants, unaware of the Biomatter or their nature, recovered samples from the crash for study. Shortly after, the Biomatter became active, and quickly overran the colonist. From here, the Biomatter of what would soon be known as Hive Fafnir quickly spread to other nearby planets. Attempts to contain the infestation were met with limited success at best. Overtime, other hives, most notably Apophis, Piru, Cronen, and Asag, would appear in other sectors, with some theorizing that they originated from Biomatter that wondered too far from Fafnir.

Though the Biomatter were generally not considered a threat by the great powers, they plagued minor nations, in very rare cases going as far as to overwhelm and collapse governments through sheer force of numbers. When they did strike the great powers, it was in the outskirts, where they posed little danger and could be easily contained, giving the impression that they were much less dangerous than they actually were. As a result, not many resources were committed to combating them, allowing them to spread far in a short span of time. This trend would continue until the infestation of Rotunin several years into the war.

Valdar Crisis
In the aftermath of the Galderan-Naelkvan War, the Empire of Galdera found itself engaged in a cold war with the Confederation of Derahs. The two powers vied for control over the territories the Naelkva once controlled, which included a number of former vassal states who gradually chose a side or became locked in bloody proxy wars. Trapped in the middle was the Valdar, the former dominant power in the region who had maintained isolationism as part of a peace agreement with the Naelkva. The Valdar had become increasingly destabilized as it was torn between isolationism and maintaining its one-party government system and interventionism and reform. Tensions came to a head when Kazadair III, the reigning empress of the Galderans, visited the Valdar ruling council and convinced many of them to join her side. Before anything could be done, Levani'desatha initiated a coup and took over the government as a last-ditch effort to maintain isolationism, sparking a short but violent schism that saw the Valdar divided into several factions. The Zhagavian Republic, under the leadership of Adras'nzania, joined the Galderans, while the loyalist and others ultimately sided with the Confederation despite ideological differences. Hoping to quickly eliminate the Zhagavians, the Confederation attempted to assassinate Adras and other Zhagavian leaders and launch a multi-pronged invasion of Galderan space; however, their efforts were thwarted by a double-agent, and in retaliation, the Galderans and Zhagavians declared war.

The biggest impact from these events has been on the Galderan's arsenal. The years during and following the war with the Naelkva saw the empire's arsenal almost entirely rebuilt, with both sophisticated new technology and whole new concepts introduced, such as dreadnought-class starships, super heavy walkers, and Orsaron supersoldiers. The introduction of new races, most notably the Zhagavians, have also contributed to the empire's modernization, with the Valdar giving the Galderans access to their reverse-engineered Ulkathi technology, allowing them to build warpgates, MIBS units, and more. With another major war, the empire's arsenal continues to be in a state of flux as it adapts to the rapid changes taking place and determines how to best use its new equipment.

Repzork-Nepharian Cold War
The Holy Nepharian Empire had spent the past several years spreading its influence through a sector of space inhabited by various small alien races which they were slowly converting into dependencies. They were also providing the natives with weapons and technology in exchange for relics and had established migration routes for Nepharian citizens. This was disrupted as the Repzork began to expand into the region. Seeking to claim the relics and territories for themselves, they gave counter-offers to the aliens, some of whom were quick to side with them due to disagreements with the Nepharians. The inhabitants soon began to fight each other, the conflict quickly becoming a proxy war between the Nepharians and Repzork as they vied for control. But while tensions ran high, the two have never directly engaged one another in battle, with only small skirmishes taking place between the two. In fact, the Repzork have sold the artifacts that were of no use to them back to the Nepharians, allowing the Nepharian government to give its citizens the impression that nothing is wrong, and providing the Repzork with necessary funds and allowing them to focus their efforts elsewhere.

Xeverran invasion of the Betel
In order to accelerate the construction of the Star Song, a dyson sphere designed to boost its own processing power and accelerate the reunification of the Xeverran nomad fleets, Galden deployed Xeverran troops into Betel space in order to claim the bountiful resources from their colonies. The Xeverra launched a number of small-scale raids on fringe Betel colonies to gauge their defenses before committing troops. These skirmishes prompted the reigning Betel High Chancellor, Nol Byervid, to create the Sky Spears, which quickly became the most advanced aspect of the Betel military. Nevertheless, the Xeverra continued to grow bolder as time passed, though they still remained a regional threat.

Kran Rebellion
A few months before the outbreak of the war, Nepharian general Phyla'kran, leader of the Kran, initiated a plot to take over the Nepharian government. She instigated a conflict between the Holy Nepharian Empire and the Wingle Union, eventually even dragging the IAE into the engagement. In response, the Wingle awoke Captain White, a war hero from the invasion of Athenousis, and assembled an elite team with the goal of crippling the Nepharian war effort. In the midst of fighting, the Kran faction, bolstered by an army of Ech0 walkers, rose up and launched offensives against Nepharian, Wingle, and IAE colonies. An attempt was also made to assassinate leading figures in the Nepharian government, but this failed. The Nepharians and Wingle put their differences aside to combat the Kran faction, culminating in the death of Phyla'kran and the suppression of her rebellion.

The consequences of the Kran rebellion had far-reaching affects, particularly on the Nepharians themselves. Kran remnants would continue to harass loyalist forces for months afterward as the government worked to purge any who still sympathized with Phyla. Relations with the Wingle have gradually improved, but remain somewhat tense, and the two have since ceased working together. The Repzork gained a substantial lead in the ongoing cold war as the Nepharians were forced to divert most of their resources, some of which was destroyed in the ensuing conflict, elsewhere.

Repzork begin raiding Khasii colonies
After becoming aware of the Khasii' bountiful wealth, the Repzork began to launch increasingly large raids into Khasii territory with the goal of acquiring their resources and technology. Though the Khasii boasted superior weapons and troops on many fronts, their army was far too small to take on imperial forces, forcing the Khasii to rely on large numbers of auxiliary troops to fight for them. Fighting rapidly bogged down as a result, though Repzork forces slowly regained the initiative as they intensified their efforts, leading to a number of successful attacks on Khasii settlements and the acquisition of many of the assets stored within.

Sauran liberate Zaretian slave colony
Sauran of the Forces of Freedom raided a sizeable Zaretian slave colony in an effort to free the prisoners. After a brief skirmish, they forced the defenders to retreat. But as they reached the slave holding area, they encountered the prisoners, who had managed to overthrow the guards and escape on their own, though it is unlikely that they would have been able to progress any further without the Solidarity's aid. The monarchy retaliated by declaring war on the Sauran and launching several probing attacks into Sauran space. The Repzork soon after also declared war, though they did not send troops to fight and instead provided the Zaretians with supplies and resources.

Appearance of the Margan
The first known appearance of the Margan in the local galactic sector occurred when troops of the Golden Blade Dynasty invaded a minor power that, though it put up stiff resistance, was quickly overwhelmed and wiped out by the vastly larger force. Soon after, the other dynasties began to appear elsewhere, strip-mining any planets and exterminating any life that they came across. The sheer, uncompromising brutality displayed by the Margan sent a ripple throughout the region as word began to spread through survivors and witnesses. Many nations began to form contingency plans in the event of a Margan invasion or were actively preparing to attack them, including some that would become Warlord powers in the months or years that followed. Some historians argue that it was at this point that the Great War became inevitable.

Founding of the Peacekeeper Alliance
When the Rach became aware of the Margan threat, they responded by sending aid to besieged nations and secretly hampering the Margan's efforts whenever possible, such as by sabotaging Margan supply lines and assassinating field officers. While these operations saw limited success, they were unable to seriously hamper the Margan, and were ultimately too small in scale to be considered anything more than an annoyance to the dynasties, who were at the time unable to identify the perpetrators. Their inability to slow the Margan's advance led some Rach to looking for other means with which to fight back. General Gorach, known best for his unorthodox strategies, used the opportunity to call for reform in the Rach military, though his requests went by largely ignored, as most Rach officers felt that their current doctrine was sufficient. Nevertheless, officials such as Emperor Coradine did agree with Gorach that a more direct approach would be necessary to defeat the Margan and safeguard the sovereignty of minor interstellar powers.

Emperor Coradine sent delegates to several neighboring powers: the Aeveria Confederation, Karahotdoum Magistrate, Minomit, Sauran Solidarity, and the Wingle Union, to propose the formation of a coalition with the goal of defeating the Margan and curbing the influence of imperialist powers such as the Zaretians and Repzork, who had been encroaching into the region for some time. The Aeveria, Minomit, and Sauran all soon pledged their support; the Karahotdoum also pledged its support, but due to ongoing tensions with the Yami Trade Union, opted to send financial and material aid rather than direct military support. The Wingle were the only nation to turn the Rach down, instead declaring neutrality. The new alliance, formally referred to as the Peacekeeper Alliance in reference to its goals, began assembling troops in preparation for its first move.

The newly-assembled Peacekeeper fleets launched a surprise attack against Margan of the Red Rose dynasty as they were in the process of strip-mining a system. The attack proved to be a rousing success for the allies; caught completely off guard by the coalition, the Margan were quickly defeated and suffered heavy casualties as a result. The Peacekeepers quickly followed up with more attacks, most of which with similar results. The Peacekeeper's success prompted a number of minor powers to join them, either to benefit from mutual defense or to what offer what assistance they could.

The leaders of each Margan dynasty convened in Holy Thereia to discuss their options, quickly coming to the conclusion that if the alliance were to keep growing, the Margan would face certain defeat. After some deliberating, High Priestess Massachiah of the Holy Dynasty declared that the Margan's only chance at survival was for them to, in this one instance, put aside their hatred for alien life and to find allies of their own. Though some were uncomfortable with the idea or believed that no alien would even consider the idea of an alliance with them, they sided with the priestess regardless either out of loyalty or because it was their only option.

The Margan approached both the Zaretians and the Repzork, requesting an audience with the leaders of both empires to discuss the threat posed by the Peacekeepers. Both parties initially proved reluctant, wary of the Margan as they were already aware of their xenocidal beliefs. However, the Zaretian's ongoing conflict with the Sauran, which many in Zaretian high command believed would soon intensify with Peacekeeper intervention, and the Repzork's fear of the Nepharians joining the Alliance at some point in the future, pushed both nations to agree to talks on the Zaretian capital, Zartar.

Raid on Zartar
Zaretian rebels under the command of the exiled former king, Moscassin, intercepted Zaretian transmissions, uncovering the meeting and subsequently relaying it back to the Rach, who had been supporting Moscassin for some time beforehand. The Rach quickly devised a plot to infiltrate the meeting and assassinate High Priestess Massachiah, King Breys, and Emperor Zervath Nezekar V, knocking the three nations into disarray and preventing them from forming an alliance. Breys was of particular interest; with the stability of the monarchy resting squarely upon his shoulders, it was felt that killing him would initiate a civil war that would completely cripple the monarchy, paving way for the Peacekeepers to intervene and establish a new, Peacekeeper-aligned government.