[geoschmo]

"The truth of this has oft been told
and written in the tales of old,
The birth of nations and death of kings
can turn upon the smallest things."

Simeon, from "The Eye of Salleg" chapter 14, (one of the great works of early Sallegan literature)

Year 2419.3

Many times over the decades the Sallegan people had been attacked. Many times they had been bloodied. Never had they been so badly beaten. Sallgan worlds had felt the sting of orbital bombardment, many millions of citizens had lost their lives, and countless ships had given their crews in the defense of the Republic. First in wars against the Xi'Chung, and Sergetti, then in the skirmishes against the Amonkrie, the Sergetti again, and the Norak in the first bloody battle of Cephredi so many years before. But though they had taken losses, the Sallegan soldier had always known that if he were to fall, one of his own would take his place. And if his blood were to wet the field of battle, his brothers feet would be standing on it at the end of the day. Planets could be bombed, but they never fell. Once the Sallegan flag had been raised over a world, it had never come down. Until now.

The attack was swift as it was devastating.The valliant fight put up by the defenders was in the end utter fultilty. And two Sallegan worlds were gone. The remaining planets in Cephredi had only minor defenses, and the people knew it. The rioting began almost as quickly as reports of the attacks came. They people had been on edge already over the uncertainty of the situation. Whoever said no news is better than bad news was right.

The Senate was called into emergency session, and almost immedietly voted overwhelmingly to start an immediate investigation into the policies and procedures that had allowed the fleet to be in such a poor state of preparedness. As if an investigation would do anything, Grandow thought. By the time they even get their pencils sharpened, the Norak could be here. As of yet, there were no Norak ships in the Home system, but he knew they were coming. Already there had been some calls for Grandow to step down. They were few in number still, but they be growing. He could see that clearly enough.

Grandow knew he had been a fool to not see this attack coming so soon. A fool for believing that the moderate forces within the Continuum would be able to keep the Tribunal in check. Years of sitting behind a desk had dulled his senses to the hard cold facts of life. Many millions of Sallgeans had paid for this with their lives. Many more would before it was over he knew. Perhaps all of them. No, he expected that the Sallegan race would continue in some form or fashion. Whether or not the Republic would continue would be a matter that would be decided very soon he believed.

Grandow considered the old proverb that things were always darkest just before the dawn. But this was based on an assumtion that the sun would always rise the next day, because it always had before. He had no such assurances now.

Things were very bad, very bad indeed.