[Hotfoot]

The Path of Shadows

What has come before:

For years, the galaxy was at war. The Humans and the Eee, the Praetorians, the Krill, the Sagella, the Xi'Chung, the Sergetti, just to name a few. The Shaderni, through this whole time, were unwilling participants in wars of aggression begun by other races for purposes of greed, fear, or unthinking aggression. Never had they started hostilities, but as several races soon discovered, it was not for lacking the capability to do wage war. The first to discover this were the Ukra-Tal Collective, who engaged the Shaderni in a bloody, eight year war. No reason was given by the Ukra-Tal's Government at the time, but after the fall of the Collective, information was released that when the war was declared, politicians were using the Shaderni's proximity as a debate in election debates. When a pro-war, Ukra-Tal supremicist faction won senate majority, the general population was already incensed and ready for war. When the Shaderni scientists and full industrial capacity was turned towards war, the Ukra-Tal politicians learned of their mistake. By the ending of the Shaderni/Ukra-Tal War, Prince Mortova turned the Empire towards consolidating the new Ukra-Tal holdings, opening up contact with new races, and preparing against any further aggression by other races, such as the Xi'Chung. The insects seemed to enjoy conflict, and had oddly declared war whilst at war with the Praetorians, a close partner of the Shaderni, which was the same period as the war with the Urka-Tal.

Then came contact with the other races, the war with the Ukra-Tal having kept the focus of the Shaderni for so long. The dozen or more races which existed outside of Shaderni local space were most curious. Some had technological marvels and monstrosities which inspired a flurry of research from curious Shaderni scientists, while others had cunning and treachery which started a war of spymasters. The most powerful races, the Eee, the Praetorians, and the Humans, were all involved in several military conflicts. The Shaderni quietly expanded, colonizing planets with rich resources and favorable conditions. There was also much research put into the Genesis project, so as to make use of the large asteroid belts in the center of Shaderni territory.

The other races were hearing about the wars of the Shaderni, and how relentless their fleets were once comitted. The only race which stayed a steadfast ally to the Shaderni were the Praetorians, because of the bond of friendship forged when they first met. The Praetorians, so used to being judged by their disgusting appearance, were surprised by the quick acceptance of the Shaderni. It was not a one-sided acceptance, however. The Shaderni consider actions and the mind high and above physical appearance, and the Praetorians have no discernable sense of smell, and did not seem to mind the smell of Methane that always lingered around Shaderni encounter suits. This early friendship and following alliances quickly grew into a situation of mutual support. It is, perhaps, the most stable alliance in the galaxy to date.

As Shaderni colonies began to develop, it was clear that the Early Shaderni conquests had opened the door to much wealth, and with wealth comes greed. Shaderni war fleets had been in something of a decline since the end of the Last major conflict, and technology continued to advance. Suddenly, as if the whole galaxy had gone mad, wars broke out between several races and the Shaderni. Not willing to waste lives needlessly on futile wars, the Shaderni used the warlike natures other races against each other, sowing seeds of distrust among its enemies, pitting them one against the other, buying enough time to come up with a more permenant solution to the problem.

The Genesis Project was a resounding success, and was one of the reasons for Shaderni advancement. But scientists found more fascinating developments. Shortly after the ability to create and destroy planets was discovered, the key to controlling wormholes was unlocked. The spiral galaxy had several warp point choke points, which the Shaderni had used to their advantage in earlier conflicts with minelayers to defend the homeworlds. When Shaderni scientists reported their findings to Prince Mortova, the monarch locked himself in his study for weeks, reviewing starmaps, and occasionally calling in advisors and asking them cryptic questions before dismissing them. When he emerged, he order the capital homeworld's shipyards to begin construction on a ship following his exacting specifications. It would not be completed for more than three years.

For four years, chaos reigned. Treaties were made, broken, re-established, wars were declared, cease-fires agreed upon, and the insanity of the other races solidified the decision made by Prince Mortova years before. And shortly following a raid in Shaderni space by the Sergetti, with the precision of a surgeon, two warp points near the galactic core disappeared into the ether. The Terran civilization was cut off from dozen of its colonies, all of which happened to reside on the same side of space as the Shaderni, Praetorians, and Sagella.

The Galaxy was cleft in twain by the machinations of Prince Mortova and the Shaderni Empire, but not before one vessel was left behind in secret to watch over the other races and report back when the time was right, when the survivors had either destroyed themselves or given up the ways of senseless, random acts violence.

This record is short and incomplete in many places, but it's haste is required by the need to understand what has come before so as to understand what is to come.

The journey down the Path of Shadows has begun. Where it will lead, only time will tell.

+++Journal of Bova, Watcher and Listener of the Historian's Guild+++

-Hotfoot
"The tale begins"

[This message has been edited by Hotfoot (edited 19 July 2001).]