The Old War
23 Jan 2024Argon Shadowstar
The galaxy is at war, but I'm not talking about the Thargoid war. That's more a fight for survival than a proper war. I'm talking about the same old war that's been fought since the Federation decided it didn't like someone else out there being as powerful as it was. The Empire of Achenar has been at war with the Federation since long before any of us were born, but it's such an old war that both sides have perfected the means to cover it up. It's effectively an undeclared war, not a cold war, but an invisible one. It's fought between psychopaths and patriots, extremists and terrorists. People who have fallen so far into nationalist loyalty that they've forgotten what life should be like. They have become obsessed with fighting for their side, regardless of what that side even looks like. And there are far too many people too high up on both sides with too much invested in this state of affairs to let it stop, so they pump funding, resources, and manpower into enabling these people to continue their endless war. Meanwhile, the people at the top who have too much invested in the illusion of peace will continue to pretend that they are working with the other side for the greater good of humanity. In fact, their cooperation is real, but only insofar as maintaining the illusion. And thus, the invisible war rages on, all around us, but it's hidden so well we may never see it unless we're rich or lucky enough to be able to travel wherever we want. And frankly, the vast majority of the galaxy's population are not. It's all too easy to keep them in the dark, even when their neighbors one system over are getting massacred by some state sponsored psycho with an iron ass. The war itself may be invisible, but people die all the same. It's even worse than a regular war, though. Because these casualties are inconvenient, they get pushed aside and disposed of, discreetly and quickly. They may never have existed at all as far as the state is concerned, and anyone who survived them is fed an all too believable story about the dangers of life at [insert place of death here]. Because everywhere in this corrupt galaxy is dangerous these days. That also makes it easier to ensure that there are no witnesses. The conspiracy goes all the way to the top, and it has for so long that it'll never change, unless the whole damned system is burned to the ground.
When I worked for the Gunn Runners, we were based in the Hyades Cluster for a campaign. We worked both for and against the Marlinists, as mercenaries like us do. And we saw first hand how both the Empire and the Federation treat their citizens in politically dangerous locations. Basically, if you're a citizen of either superpower and your home happens to become a warzone, you may as well just go pirate, because at least that way you have a chance to survive with your freedom intact, slim as it may be. If you don't, and the local commissar decided you were too much trouble to reeducate, you'd wind up among those unfortunate casualties of the recent "pirate activity" or "terrorist attack". At least that's what they'd tell your loved ones in another system. Hopefully they're in another system. And that's the better of the options. Federation reeducation programs are notorious for the supposed atrocities their staff can get away with (because you're not supposed to remember anything that happened during or before you were enrolled), and the horror stories we have of Imperial reprogramming are the only thing we have to go on, since nothing concrete has ever come out of one of those facilities, unless you count the shoes they use to weigh down the corpses.
Since leaving the Congressus Tenebris front, I have pursued leads in another area where I believe I can affect change against the superpowers. While it is still too early to know for sure how much of a difference I can make here, I have indeed seen the sheer neglect that both Imperial and Federation citizens suffer in this region. When they are noticed at all, it is as pawns in a game being played over a hundred light years away. The people here are barely worth anything to the government that should be responsible for them, their leaders grown fat and lazy with decadence and complacency. There appear to be some here who wish for change, but their plans are weak and their actions stalled. The people have no power to improve their condition, which has been stagnating for years. I aim to shatter the iron grip of the leeches who bleed these poor people dry, and empower the oppressed to take back control. I expect this will draw the attention of the superpowers, but with my previous experience in Sol, I have some idea of what to expect.
This will be the first part of my campaign that will directly target both superpowers overtly. Unlike my operation in Sol, I will have access to my entire fleet and will be operating with an intent to draw out any superpower supporters who may be watching the local news feeds. Soon, the people here will receive the attention they have needed for so long, one way or another.