Ancient history of Empire

[Caid Ivik]

History of the Empire - Battletech link theory

Entry one: ancient history of Dune

Many thousands of years ago, only about 800 years after first cosmical flight, people created a Star League, first state of united mankind. But intrigues and fights between reigning houses were more powerful than the spirit of unity. One day were no ancestor to League First Lord's throne. Every of five great houses leaders proclaimed themselves as true First Lord. From this chaos escaped leader of Star League armed forces, gen.Alexander Kerensky, to outer worlds with millions of his warriors and their families. His son Nikolaus colonised with them for long time from this time unknown planet of Strana Mechty in Pentagram star system.

After many succesion wars in old Star League, now known as Inner Sphere Kerensky's ancestors' forces had risen and invaded the Sphere. They were trying to conquer the planet of Terra (Earth), also devastated by many wars, and reestablish the Star League. Unsuccesfully. Also many Inner Sphere houses attacked their worlds in massive counterattack. After fall of these outer worlds Inner Sphere got back to succesion wars. These continued until year of 3324, when Hideki Kurita, Klaus Osis, Ferdinand Steiner and Johan Marik, leaders of the greatest houses, made a Second League with confederal politics and democratic government.

This "unstable cluster of not more than 400 stars" (Liao Su-mei, first Lord of the Third League) existed only for 30 years. House Osis, originally one of Kerensky's "Clans", started to fight against another Kerensky's colony. Steiners had also many problems with separatists. After 32 years was Star League only formal word. House Steiner economically controlled about half of universe, but it wasn't nothing. After remaining "Clan" houses were driven out from League territory it looked like they can establish something stabile. Many of them forgot their warrior behavior and joined new peace era, era of the Third Star League, established by Xarmian Treaty by Houses Liao, Marik, Atreus, Steiner, Kurita, Hant and many more smaller houses. But named "Great Six" practically controlled the League by their Great House Council.

[Caid Ivik]

Entry Two: ancient history of Dune

For nearly 400 Third League was rising. Then, Asinatan Osis with powerful army returned to League and crushed the reign of the House Steiner. Year of 3856 was also the year 0 of the Imperial Era, Asinatan declared himself a Emperor, Ruler of the Known Universe, Nathan I.. 17 generations of Osis' technocratical and brutal reign was ended by forces of House Marik, supported by houses Tassab, Liao and Atreus (which became after many years Atreides). Throne world of Emperor Gunther IV., Strana Mechty, was totally destroyed to asteroid field by gigaton nuclear bombs. Osis family escaped with about 60 people to far outer world of Delta Pavonis X.. Killing billions, Marik allies were shocked. But Albert Marik declared himself an Emperor.

He ruled from Earth for only two years, one month and 5 days. In 2316 has been Albert II. assassinated. Trying to prevent a civil conflict in the Empire, 25 most powerful imperial houses have built a Landsraad, Council of lands in galatish, which should guard Emperor's will and turn the Empire from absolutistic to constitutional monarchy. As true Emperor was elected Yoshimura I. from House Kurita, controlling the planet Luthien in system Chamanis. For prevention of Strana Mechty-like catastrophe Houses declared a Great Convention (fresh of the House Callid), which banned using nuclear weapons against humans. Kurita dynasty ruled for 32 generations. They were trying to end warring by deeping human religiosity. Altough this led to many djihads, many also against colonisation of new worlds or new technologies, Kurita era was relatively peaceful.

In 3664 House Kurita ended its existence. Masako Kurita, only daughter of Emperor Masanori III., married baron Khaled Midesse, ruler of planet Janibis in Deneb system. House Midesse was with Houses Atreides and Liao most powerful in Landsraad. 6th Midesse Emperor, Radnor I. succesfully stopped djihad against new theories of Tio Holtzmann. Radnor I. supported also research on planet Arrakis in Canopus system. They had some problems with local refugees from Earth (zensunni pilgrims flewn in 3th millenium of imperial era, when Hohiro VII. banned here building of new monuments in India for Maomed), but no real problem was in the way of using new type of interstellar flights. Spice for navigation and Holtzmann generators for subspace rides became a new standard of space travel for their lower cost of energy. Spice navigation couldn't replace artificial inteligence of interstellar ships until Butlerian Djihad, but for opening subspace was spice strategic. In subspace were ships invulnerable, to interdict classic interstellar superlight jump were technologies also in era of the Third League.

[Caid Ivik]

Ehm, it would be better in fan fiction, I think.

Chybicka sa vloudila...

[TMA_1]

true it will probably be moved but cool stuff:) I like it a lot

[Alexander_Ordos]

True written like a real history book... But where'r House Corrino?

[exatreide]

yes most likely would be best there, But great job.

[Alexander_Ordos]

You indeed have great writing talents Caid... ::)

[Caid Ivik]

Be patient, I never work on Sunday. Also I must say that first two sections of Entry One is based on Battletech universe.

[Caid Ivik]

Entry Three: ancient history of Dune

After Midesse came the battle of Dunabis, where were classical mechanized forces of House Liao were devastated by House Ginaz. Smaller dynasty of Ginaz reigned for only 300 years, when their throne world Hebron (Omega Virgis 3 system) was conquered by House Bardin. For next 2 millenias where on throne about 5 different dynasties. Then came the Butlerian Djihad, which cleared the whole Empire from using intelligent computers. Problems in space travelling were solved by creation of the Spacing Guild, which drowned its navigators into spice gas, giving them the power of opening subspace and counting at nearly godlike speed. Other way was on planet Tleilaxu, where classical technology was replaced by finding new ways in genetics. Only about 19 planets on imperial periphery weren't hit by this Djihad, so they were still using computers.

These 19 (seven of them were later crushed by Corrino's Sardaukars), especially Ix in Delta Pavonis (Osis reign was downed by revolt in 4395, but Ixians are still using classical two-legged vehicles and vertical starting surface-orbit ships known from the ancient era of Star Leagues), are still powerful by smuggling their illegal technologies across the Universe. House Ordos, which became from many Houses like Steiner, Tassab, Marik, Callid and many more, is holding a monopol in this, as it's known. Ordos, originally from Ordia tribe of space nomads have landed on Ix in era of Butlerian Djihad and with their weapons destroyed fundamentalist's interstellar carrier just when it has jumped from subspace. For this is House Ordos a great ally of Ix. Also it's known, that in battle of Corrin where both sides (Atreides alliance and Harkonnen too) using Ixian technology.

Battle of Corrin, 88 years before foundation of the Guild, showed the power of new generation of Houses. Two years before it last League House, Liao, has sent here a fleet of old hyperjump ships, trying to conquer a strategic point in succesion war. But its armored mechs couldn't defeat Corrino's planetar forces on planet Salusa Secundus. They've called House Harkonnen for help, but their subspace carrier invaded directly into the heart of Liao fleet (it's known that their ship had four navigators). Surprisingly Harkonnen carrier released hundreds of space fighters, which devastated Liao fleet and declared the planet as their own. Then with Atreides help Salusians defeated Harkonnens. Lord of Salusa received by this battle name Corrino. Their Sardaukars, superior warriors, undefeatable in hand fight then conquered also a homeworld of Liao self-declared Emperor Minh II. and started reign of House Corrino.

[Alexander_Ordos]

Yeah the Ordos lastly! Good idea Caid... How about an entry on " Ancient History of Bene Gesserit?"

[Caid Ivik]

I'm planning to write about faith of House Osis' genetically improved Elementar soldiers and their link to Tleilax or religious evolution of House Liao, but if I'll have some ideas for BG, everything will be sent here.

Bene Gesserit was a fruit of Butlerian Djihad, where the Ancient history ends and starts a New Era of Empire (ended in 10 193, what happened then you can read in Dune book...).

[nemafakei]

Very nice. Ties things in well. I suppose BH/KJA will now write something completely weird (and probably not as good) about it...

[Caid Ivik]

OK, let's continue.

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Entry Four: ancient history of the Empire

Effects of the Spice Melange were known also in pre-imperial times. First tries were made in Canopus Magistracy in years of the Second Star League. Separatistic republic hadn't colonized Arrakis, but it's power was also centralized to large artificial space station on orbit of Canopus IX, what was a large gas planet with many moons and ring hiding it from League forces. Many rumors are that Magistracy found the power of spice, which gave them ability to survive all League attacks until foundation of the Empire. It's known, that 54 Elementar elite infantry units were destroyed in station assaults without visual or armed contact with the enemy. So Nathan I. sent here warships. Task force's flagship Dieter von Luthien reported, that station had vanished and after few seconds appeared in the middle of fleet. Maybe this disintegrated its reactor, because the whole station exploded, destroying also three imperial cruisers and damaging other six.

It's still unknown, if the Canopus Magistracy really showed a subspace jump with spice. In year 1 of the imperial era it controlled only 4 planets, which were soon conquered by mechs and elementar troopers of House Osis. These haven't used no unknown technology, like the core of their state. Arrakis remained only a hostile land out of Emperor's sight until the reign of Matsuoka II., who sent here first scientists, whose founded Arakeen. It was situated on plateau, protected from hostile desert by high mountains of Shield Belt on south and polar territory on north. But there was no spice on Arakeen Plateau indeed. Then Radnor I. gived to Dune's explorers new facilities for more detail exploration of its vast desert. These found spice.

Many of them returned on their homeworlds with higher intelligence or

better memory. Others saw many unusual views. First, spice was mined illegally and sold as a good drug. But after two centuries, long life of every "spiceman" was seen by aristocracy, which started to support now legal spice mining. Recruiting of native Fremen (contacted 40 years after Radnor I.), which worked for water and food as prospectors or in harvesters. Many seen only long life, but many religious sects used its psychical effects. This brought many prophets, whose saw many signs of future. In ecumenistic era of Butlerian Djihad many of them united themselves and Hemar Gesserit founded a school concentrated on improving control of bigger parts of brains. With millions of students, especially women, the Bene Gesserit (children of Gesserit) became a largest pseudoreligious school in the whole universe with its own government, diplomacy, economy and army too.

[Caid Ivik]

OK, any comments?