History According to Alpha Dawn & Knight Hawks

The "Clean" Canon Timeline

Note: Just to keep the document manageable it will be broken into PF (Pre-Frontier) and FY (Frontier Year) epochs.

The Alpha Dawn History

Near the center of a great spiral galazy, where stars are much closer together than Earth's sun and its neighbors, a Human race developed. They were not identical to the humans of Earth, but they were not very much different, either. When these Humans discovered that waves of sub-space pi-tachyon particles could cross interstellar space faster than light, they realized they had found a link to the stars. A radio message that would have taken years to travel between stars could be sent with subspace communicators in months of even weeks. The Humans started broadcasting news of themselves to the neighboring stars, and soon found they weren't alone.

The Humans made contact with an inventive race of insect-like creatures called Vrusk, who had developed limited space travel decades earlier. One of the vrusk mining colonies had already contacted another race, the shape-changing dralasites. The two races had been exchanging information for several years. The Vrusk and Dralasites were pleased to learn of another race. They sent a wealth of scientific information to the Humans. Using this new knowledge, the industrious Humans quickly developed interstellar spaceships.

The three races met in a large ares of space known as the Frontier. There they also discovered the Yazirians, a race of tall, maned humanoid. Soon, settled worlds in the Frontier became melting pots for four races, with dazzling mixtures of architecture and alien cultures.

To supply the needs of these worlds, the first interstellar company, the Pan-Galactic Corporation, was formed. It developed interests everywhere, from scientific research to farming to spaceship building. PGC even created its own language, Pan-Galactic, which soon became the most common language of all the races on Frontier worlds. Many large companies which started later were modeled on PGC, but none approached the size or power of the Pan-Galactic Corporation.

Then, the Sathar appeared. No one knows where they came from or why. They attacked and destroyed lonely systems on the edges of explored space, moving slowly inward. Survivors described Sathars as wormlike creatures 3 to 4 meters long. That was all that was known about them, because they would rather kill themselves than be captured. As the danger increased, the Humans, Dralasites, Vrusk, and Yazirians formed the United Planetary Federation (UPF) to defend their worlds. The mysterious Sathar were forced back, but before long they returned in a more sinister form.

The Sathar had learned that they could not beat the UPF in battle. Instead, they began hiring Yazirian, Human, Dralsite and Vrusk agents to sabotage interstellar trade and interfere with local governments. The UPF created the Star Law Rangers, an interstellar police force, to track the Sathar's agents from planet to planet and fight them on their own terms. But despite the efforts of the Rangers, the sly Sathar agents have become the most dangerous threat ever to face the United Planetary Federation and the frontier corporations.

The Zebulon's Guide Time Line

10,500PF (Pre-Frontier) Last remnants of the mysterious Tetrach Societies die out.
950PF Heliopes left on starmist by Clikks after a Clikk military exploration vessel is forced to jettison unnecessary cargo.
800PF The evolution of the Mechanon race begins on Volturnus.
410PF First Vrusk/Dralasite contact.
350PF First Vrusk/Human contact
302PF Fromeltar system discovered by Dralasites.
300PF Vrusk, Dralasites, and Humans meet for the first time on the Frontier.
299PF Theseus system discovered by Humans.
270PF Yazirians enter the Frontier.
270-4PF The Frontier is founded.
260PF Gran Quivera discovered in the Prenglar system.
256-248PF Triad and Rupert's Hole found in the Cassidine system.
230PF Pan-Galactic Corporation started on Gran Quivera.
220PF Dixon's Star system discovered by Humans.
210PF Madderly's Star system discovered by Vrusk and Humans.
205PF Madderly's Star system becomes a human system after the freeworld rebellion on Kdikit.
200PF Pale and New Pale discovered in the Truane's Star system.
170PF Dramune system discovered by Dralasites.
168PF Anthor system discovered by Yazirians.
161PF K'tsa-Kar system discovered by Vrusk.
156PF K'aken-Kar system discovered by Vrusk.
155PF Gruna Garu system discovered by Yazirians.
152PF Timeon system discovered by Humans.
150PF The Pan-Galactic language accepted throughout the Frontier as a common trade tongue.
146PF Kizk'-Kar system discovered by Vrusk.
129PF Araks system discovered by Yazirians.
125-10PF The Age of Adventure. The discovery and exploration of new planets slows down for the next century while the major races concentrate on mapping the hazards and boundaries of the Frontier. Hundreds of exploration vessels and brave spacers are lost during this time. Meanwhile, the discovered planets begin to develop. Thousands of fortunes are made and lost during the Age of Adventure.
124-78PF The Greater Morass is mapped.
94PF Scree Fron system discovered by Yazirians.
77-57PF The Xagyg Dust Nebulae is mapped from Zebulon to Fromeltar.
61PF The Zebulon system is discovered by Professor Alorne Zebulon, the Frontier's most noted scientist, explorer, and educator. The planet Volturnus is settled almost immediately. Anker is discovered but not settled until 57PF
60PF White Light system discovered by Humans.
57PF Anker (Zebulon system) is explored and settled. Professor Zebulon founds the University of Zebulon.
56-40PF The White Light Nebulae are mapped.
39-33PF The Yreva Nebula is mapped.
37PF Pan-Galactic becomes the first mega-corp in the Frontier.
32-26PF Thirty-two exploration vessels are lost trying to map the Lessere Morass. Only the area between Screen Fron and Zebulon is mapped.
25PF A small pirate fleet under Hatzck Naar raids the Cassidine and Prenglar systems. The first Common Muster is called.
22PF Hatzck Naar's pirate fleet is defeated off Timeon. Naar is ejected into space and slowly boils inside his spacesuit as he falls toward Timeon. The muster is dismissed.
21-10PF The Xagyg Dust Nebulae is mapped from Fromeltar to K'aken-Kar.
19-8PF The area beyond the Greater Morass claims hundreds of exploration vessels. Though it is believed that most Frontier races came from beyond the Greater Moras, all information about their origins have been lost. Exploration of the area ceases and it is named the Vast Expanse.
10PF Representatives of the four major races request that all explorations cease while delegates meet to form a unified defense and mutual interest organization.
3-2PF The First Sathar War is fought.
3PF The Sathar first appear. They attack the Truane's Star system.
3PF Pale and New Pale fall. The Great Exodus to Dixon's Star System takes place.
2PF The four races muster a spaceship fleet. The second Common Muster is called and put under the command of Admiral Morgaine, who immediately moves the fleet to the Cassidine system.
2PF The Battle of Triad. Morgaine's fleet performs a surprise attack on the invading Sathar fleet intent on ravaging Traid. The Sathar lose a third of their fleet.
2PF Dixon's Star system is attacked by Sathar fleet. Completely unprotected it is soon ravaged. Meanwhile Morgaine moves his fleet to the Prenglar system.
2PF The Sathar attack Gran Quivera in the Prenglar system. The Battle of the Two Fleets is fought. The Sathar fleet is routed and destroyed. Morgaine's fleet is seriously depleted and Morgaine dies in battle. With this mutual devastation the First Sathar War comes to an end.
1PF Morgaine's World in the Prenglar system is named after the fallen Admiral.
1PF The "Grand Meeting" of leaders of the four races takes place on Morgaine's World.
1FY (Federation Year) The United Planetary Federation, a mutual defense organization, is established. All worlds of the Frontier, expecting another Sathar invasion, immediately join. Under UPF authority, Spacefleet becomes a permanent defensive force.
2FY The Streel Corporation is founded on Pale.
3FY The Brotherhood of Spacers becomes the first cadre on the Frontier.
5FY Star Law is established by the UPF.
5FY The Capellan Free Merchants first appear on the Frontier bringing news of the Rim and their fight with the Sathar, and supplying desperately needed food to the survivors on Laco and Gran Quivera.
6FY The First Dramune War is fought.
8FY Cassidine Development Corporation is founded on Triad. The creation and growth of mega-corps proceeds at an everaccelerating pace.
11FY The Lynchpin system is discovered by Vrusk. They turn the system over to the UPF for development as a military outpost to protect that sector of the Frontier. The Lynchpin system is a military secret until the middle of SWII.
12FY Frontier ships enter Rim space for the first time.
14FY The Sundown system is discovered.
17-27FY The Blue Plague sweeps the Frontier. Scientists believe it was brought to the Sundown system by an alien vessel that crashed on Starmist. Because of Starmist's light population, the plague was not immediately detected and had a chance to mutate. It is believed that vermin from the planet became infected and somehow gained entry to a ship. The ship makes several stops on the Frontier and the plague spreads rapidly. It is called the Blue Plague because of its earliest symptoms -- large blue welts that appear about the face and extremities. These welts leave horrible black scars even if the victim survives the plague.
20FY Four star systems become so infested with the Blue Plague that the Council of Worlds, the diplomatic organization of the UPF, requests all races to recognize a permanent quarantine of these four star systems. The systems are designated by Greek letters. A spaceship seen leaving one of these systems is to be destroyed by Spacefleet before it has a chance to spread the plague any further.
22FY Hargut, Pale, and Gollywog suffer massive population losses due to the Blue Plague. All three planets are temporarily quarantined.
23FY The Medical Services Organization is founded. Funding pours in from most of the Frontier worlds. Gretl Grohn is named as the MSO Chief Surgeon.
24FY Vaccine for the Blue Plague is discovered at the MSO Center on Morgaine's World.
25FY The Mechanon menace on Volturnus first comes to the UPF's attention, but cannot be dealt with because of the Blue Plague.
27FY The Blue Plague is eradicated from inhabited planets in the Frontier. In total, 17 million victims fell to the plague.
28FY Very tough laws and penalties are laid down by both the UPF and the Council of Worlds concerning the intersystem transportation and handling of flora and fauna. Star Law is given jurisdiction over planetary imports and exports.
30FY Pan-Gal system is discovered by the Pan-Galactic Corporation and becomes the first mega-corp star system.
31FY New Streel system is discovered by the Streel Corporation.
32FY Devco system is discovered by the Cassidine Development Corporation.
36FY The Second Dramune War is fought.
46FY Solar Major system discovered by WarTech Incorporated.
50-60FY Laaco's War. PGC and Streel wage the first Corporate War on Laco. The UPF eventually steps in and empowers an intermega-corporate commission to resolve the differences. Other mega-corps study Laco's War as a possible legal precedent for solving disputes.
54FY The Mechanon Revolt. Mechanons on Volturnus revolt. Only through quick action on the part of Star Law is a full-scale war avoided.
57FY The Waller Nexus system is discovered by the UPF survey ship Eleanor Moraes. The only habitable planet, Mahg Mar, is the site of the first UPF mutiny.
57FY Liberty system discovered by the UPF. The planet Snowball is liberated from Sathar tyranny. Tacticians, politicians, and exobiologists are given a chance to study Sathar machinery and methods first hand because of the information gathered by the populace during their occupation. It is feared that many pockets of Sathar tyranny exist all around the Frontier and Rim.
60FY Rhianna system is discovered by the Cassidine Development Corporation, but is kept secret.
61FY The Third Dramune War is fought.
63FY Streel attacks CDC operations on Alcazzar. Star Law intervenes and averts a potential Corporate War.
66FY Solar Minor system discovered by SynthCorp.
67FY Regular trade established with the Rim planets.
70FY The Mechanon civilization on Volturnus undergoes an upheaval. The majority of peaceful Mechanons migrate into the undeveloped space between Screen Fron and Dixon's Star.
77FY Mechanon is discovered by migrating Mechanons. Its entry into the UPF is blocked until the legal status of the Mechanons can be established.
78FY Tough new guidelines for legal ownership of a system or planet are laid down by the UPF and the Council of Worlds. The guidelines are designed to halt mega-corp expansion and to prevent occurrences such as the Mechanon problem.
80-90FY The Second Sathar War.
80FY The Sathar capture a non-UPF system between Solar Major and Solar Minor. They dub it Outpost #1 and enslave its inhabitants. Construction begins on a planet-wide military and industrial complex intended as a permanent base for incoming Sathar supply ships and troops.
80FY Sathar swarm through the Xagyg Nebula and attack Volturnus. New planet-wide battle tactics are used by the Sathar (including the massive use of diversionary, seeded monsters and cybernetically controlled creatures). The attack is a feint to draw Spacefleet to Zebulon. Task Force Cassidine is dispatched to Zebulon.
80FY By going through the White Light Nebulae, Sathar Fleet #1 enters the Frontier undetected.
81FY Sathar Fleet #2 and 3 attack Solar Minor. So overpowering are they that no word of the attack reaches Spacefleet.
81FY Sathar Fleet #1 attacks Madderly's Star. They encounter the new Spacefleet fortress on Kdikit. Its resistance is fierce and buys the needed time for reinforcements to arrive. Dramune sends three frigates and a destroyer from its militia while the UPF dispatches two destroyers and two light cruisers from its nonattached ships roster.
81FY The UPF mines the sector between Cassidine and Madderly's Star. Sathar Fleet #1 is driven from Madderly's Star and pursued as it tries to make its way to Fromeltar. All militia ships in the sector, including half of Task Force Prenglar, are engaged in the pursuit.
81FY Task Force Cassidine crushes the Sathar feint on Zebulon, but with heavy losses. The UPF now realizes how vulnerable it is to land attacks.
81FY The Rim Coalition dispatches the Flight to the other side of Lkaeok in search of Sathar supply vessels. In return they ask the UPF to station Task Force Casidine half way between Zebulon and Capelle to protect the Rim home worlds in case of a Sathar Sneak attack through the Muld Nebula.
81FY Strike Force Nove arrives secretly at White Light. Admiral Niles believes more of the Sathar fleet may attack through the White Light Nebulae.
81FY Sathar Fleet #2 emerges between Timeon and Prenglar, placing itself in front of the remains of Task Force Prenglar. The Battle of Prenglar begins two hours later and results in Sathar Fleet #2 scattering or destroying the reduced Task Force Prenglar.
Flush with victory, the Sathar proceed recklessly into the Frontier. Strike Force Nove soon engages Sathar Fleet #2. The remaining Task Force Prenglar ships return and join the battle. This running battle results in the eventual withdrawal of Sathar Fleet #2 into the White Light Nebulae.
81FY Sathar Fleet #3 attempts to circumnavigate the Great Morass. Two weeks later it is engaged by long-range fighters from Moonworld. Without any knowledge of the existence of the Lynchpin system, the Sathar forge ahead expecting to find a lone spaceship. Instead, the Battle of Moonworld is joined.
82FY The Coalition's Flight discovers the Sathar supply route around the Xagyg Nebula. They station themselves in deep space and proceed to destroy all incoming Sathar ships.
82FY The final dregs of Sathar Fleet #1, after slipping into the Xagyg Nebula off Fromeltar, arrive back at Sathar Outpost #1 and prepare to defend to the death.
82FY The Battle of Moonworld ends with three-quarters of Sathar Fleet #3 destroyed. The remaining Sathar vessels are forced to retreat into the Vast Expanse.
82FY Task Force Prenglar regroups off K'aken-Kar.
82FY The UPF establishes the United Planetary Federation Landfleet, the first interplanetary army raised on the Frontier. Thousands of Humma and Osakar arrive from the Rim and enlist, hoping to stop the Sathar menace before it invades their homeworlds. Many die for the Frontier, but still more stay and become citizens after the war.
82FY Strike Force Nova secures the Frontier inward from Theseus.
83FY A Coalition Flight long-distance probe discovers Sathar Outpost #1 and reports its location before it is destroyed.
83FY The remains of Sathar Fleet #2 arrive at Outpost #1. Despite a desperate shortage of supplies caused by the Flight blockade and terrible losses from previous engagements, the Sathar have completed their construction. Outpost #1 is now a formidable fortress.
83FY Three incidents occur that help the Sathar:
The Mist Stone, a sacred Capellan icon, is stolen by Sathar agents and smuggled into Outpost #1.
The original copy of "Reflections of a Humble Servant" is also stolen and smuggled into Outpost #1. This work is considered by Humans to be the definitive philosophy of Dralasite civilization. Sathar war ships force the populations of Circe and Kir'Kut to evacuate their planets. They are transported to Outpost #1 and enslaved. All three incidents combine to assure that Outpost #1 is not taken by orbital bombardment.
83FY Strike Force Nova retakes Solar Minor. The fighting is fierce and half of the Strike Force and all of the Sathar holding force is destroyed.
83FY The Battle of the Blockade. A reinforcement fleet from Sathar Space is challenged by the Flight. Half of the Sathar Fleet, most of them fighting ships, escape but all troop ships are destroyed. About one half of the Flight is eliminated.
84FY The Flight is greatly increased by reinforcements from the Rim. Wing #1, the original Flight, rendezvous with Task Force Prenglar. Battered and weary, they still insist on joining the siege of Outpost #1 with the Frontier forces. This group of Rim spacers quickly gains notoriety in the Frontier and greatly enhances UPF-Rim relations. They are known as the Raging Rimmers.
Wing #2 takes up the blockade position. Wing #3 is charged with the defense of the home worlds. Task Force Cassidine sails for Solar Minor. The Sathar begin mining operations on the moons of Outpost #1.
84FY Dralasites and the Coalitions insist that a diplomatic mission be sent to Outpost #1. The Sathar agree to meet three months later to discuss a possibly treaty. Non-Sathar agents represent Sathar interests at the meetings. Diplomatic talks are held for another 18 months with no results. During that time the Sathar strengthen their defenses and repair their ships. The UPF Landfleet is given time to become a formidable army.
86FY Task Force Cassidine joins Strike Force Nova around Solar Minor. Four months later, Capellan Free Merchantmen transport the Landfleet to the Solar Major and Solar Minor Fleets. Many Ifshnits remain in the Frontier after the war and begin the Free Merchant trade system throughout the UPF planets. They will become so firmly entrenched in Frontier life that the mega-corps will not be able to force them out, and eventually accept them as another mega-corp.
87FY The Battle of Five Fleets. In a pincer action, Task Force Prenglar, Coalition Wing #1, Task Force Cassidine, and the remnants of Strike Force Nova attack the Outpost #1 system. Outpost itself is a mammoth world with two planet-sized moons. The entire year is spent destroying the remnants of the Sathar Fleet, the minefields orbiting the planet, the small fighter squadrons the Sathar captured on the two conquered worlds, and the moon's mining and defensive operations. Lost in the action is the rest of Strike Force Nova, except for the battleship Quasar, half of Task Force Cassidine, and all but two destroyers from Coalition Wing #1.
88-90FY The Siege of Outpost. Task Force Prenglar blockades Outpost #1 while Landfleet is shuttled in under intense fire. The land battles take two years to complete. At the end of hostilities, no Sathar survive and 40% of Landfleet is destroyed. Among the Landfleet dead, 30% are non-Frontier citizens. Most of the Ifshnit, Osakar, and Humma who have served the UPF during the war settle down on the UPF Frontier worlds.
91FY The University of Zebulon receives Frontier. Its facilities on Anker increase over the next 20 years until they are larger than most Frontier cities.
92FY Solar Minor is resettled.
93FY The Frontier worlds decide that a permanent, but scaled down, UPF Landfleet force must be maintained at all times for the defense of the Frontier.
95FY Outpost #1 is established as a UPF military base. The "Hoppin' Hundred and Eighth," a spearhead Humma division, is stationed there permanently.
96FY Galactic Task Force and MercCo fight the first post-SWII Corporate War over settlement rights on a moon orbiting Alcazzar in the Rhianna system. Hostilities quickly spread to include all seven of Alcazzar's moons and over a half dozen mega-corps. The Corporate Wars begin in earnest.
97FY The first Star Law graduating class containing Ifshnits, Humma, and Osakar finish their training. The violent outbursts threatened by a few radical cults never appear.
98FY The Rim and the UPF enter into multiple defense treaties and economic trade agreements, but the Coalition gives severe warnings to all mega-corps that their militancy will not be tolerated in the Rim. Tourism between the UPF and Rim is established and is immediately successful. The Frontier now officially includes the Rim Worlds.
99FY Star Law is invited to the Rim to help the Coalition train their own planetary branches.
100FY The Rim's Age of Adventure begins as hundreds of exploratory vessels are sent out to make the unknown regions surrounding the Rim.
102-106FY The Rim side of the Lesser Morass is mapped.
103FY The first Rim Star Law agents appear. The structure is identical to the UPF Star Law organization.
104-111FY The Rim side of the Xagyg Dust Nebula is mapped.
105 FY. Star Law is given equal powers, rights, and jurisdiction in both the Rim and UPF systems for interplanetary and interstellar crimes. While it works mainly with the local law enforcement agencies, Star Law is recognized as the only law enforcement force with full authority throughout the entire Frontier.
105FY An altered Mechanon assassinates the Governor of Zebulon. The UPF suspects that the Sathar may be establishing an extensive spy and terrorist network. The possible Sathar use of mechanical life forms, such as the Mechanons, as agents becomes a prime investigative goal of Star Law.
106FY The Mechanons are officially informed by the UPF that they are not considered a stable enough society, at this time, to be allowed equal status in the UPF. They are forthwith considered "wards of the Federation." Their protection and supervision are the responsibility of the Council of Worlds. While most Mechanons accept this as a necessary step toward independence, some rebel and go underground, swearing to avenge their race. Many of these are suspected of being Sathar agents.
106-111FY Mapping of the Rim side of the Xagyg Nebula is completely up to the Klaeok system.
107FY The A.I.P.S. is formed. Except for the Capellan Free Merchants, who were introduced into the UPF society under unusual circumstances, it is the first mega-corp voluntarily created by smaller companies in an effort to resist merger or take-over attempts by existing mega-corps.
108FY In an effort to stem the growing numbers of Corporate Wars, the UPF and Coalition worlds grant Star Law the authority to recruit and use mercenaries and to establish the Star Law Psi-Corps, a special branch of Mentalist-disciplined officers.
109FY Mego-corp recruitment doubles in non-enforcer professions. A trend of smaller and cheaper skirmishes or espionage missions to replace the larger, more expensive Corporate Wars begins to show. Over the next two years the term "Corporate War" comes to mean a war of intelligence gathering, tactical enforcement procedures, and industrial sabotage rather than full-scale military operations.
109FY Long-range probe ships are sent into suspected Sathar space away from the Rim and UPF systems on the other side of the Xagyg Dust Nebula. It is hoped these probes can answer the question of where the Sathar come from.
110FY A human assassin fails in his attempt to shoot Queanee Kloonanu, chairman of the Council of Worlds. A small bioform is found attached to the human's back. Scientific studies show it to be some kind of intelligent, parasitic organism with the same genetic make-up as Sathar specimens. Authorities believe it to be a new Sathar method of controlling agents. See-through apparel becomes fashionable almost immediately.
111FY The University of Zebulon publishes the first volume of Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space, a multi-volume collection of confirmed flora, fauna, cultures, devices, customs, and history of the known Frontier. It is considered the definitive work on the Frontier and is immensely popular.
111FY Mapping of the Xagyg Dust Nebula continues from Klaeok and K'aken-Kar.
111FY The Grand Celebration, commemorating 111 years of the UPF treaty is planned for the entire year. Gala social functions, parades, and celebrations are planned on every planet in the UPF and even some in the Rim.