[Starhawk]

The next chapter will come tomorrow most likely as I want to flesh out my ideas of how to write it (It's gonna be a big one trust me).

Heh well if you don't mind me saying so, and if this doesn't make me sound a little freaky. Humans are Humans and Icara is in an era where a single battle squadron could destroy an entire planet and kill you entire nation if you let down your guard so they don't have room to be compromising or "enlightened" so although by my story's viewpoint they are the "good guys" it's more accurate to say they are survivors and if they have to eliminate others they will if it ensures that survival.

I never understood why so many writers assume that a futuristic Humanity would be so peaceful and willin to coexist with others, I mean when you stop and think about it sure we are more likely to become much more merciful and "enlightened" when it comes to "our own kind" that being nations but when humanity spreads to the stars (if ever) do they honestly think every colony will have the same heritage or beleifs as each other? I doubt it.
Most likely something like the HH Universe will happen where Humanity divides into seperate "star nations" and although I doubt the future would be nothing but war all the time I doubt it will only be "evil aliens" that want to wipe us out lol.

The Icaran galaxy in this story is somewhat restricted to game terms (I.E. My "cold war" with a certain faction is entirely roleplay and the AI probobly doesn't realize it is a cold war) but as far as the story its self goes, these are colonies that launched from earth Hundreds of years ago and are now stepping out to find a galaxy that is theirs for the taking and where other human factions and even an alien faction "phong" are intent on the same prize.
And to any nation that has the chance to rule not just it's own planet but an entire galaxy deciding to be oh so goody and peaceful with everyone around them will probobly result in their being annexed by a power that did not feel so "enlightened".

Icara is brutal where brutality is required (unlike the Federation which always managed to show compassion even where brutality would have ended the war much soon) and the Empire needs resources for it's economy to survive so colonies are needed for that.
And let's not forget that a world with Icara's very low infant mortality rate and advanced medicines and life prolonging treatments will have population growth that can't be handled by one planet forever, and so more worlds are also required for land or else you'd have overcrowding and poverty everywhere.

Anyway should I have saved that for the storyline or is it okay that I explained Icara's motives and "justifications" to you out of the story?