The Icaran Empire (a late game story)

[Starhawk]

This story starts in the year 2455 and is far from over, the Earth Alliance and their old ancient enemies the Icaran Empire (me) are all that remains in the known universe and the EA controls the bulk of space and over 500 starships while my fleet numbers only about 160 combat ships.

I am going to give some history this time and maybe start the story but right now I am at peace with the EA and will remain that way for two or three more game months: This is an alternate history of our own world so don't take the times or anything to heart okay .

The Timeline of Icara

1,200 BC: In a city near Sparta in Greece a small village named Icara was formed by a group of outcasts from Athens: The first Praetor is born and an omen from the Oracles say one of his bloodline would rule over mankind.

1,190 BC: The Spartans attempt to invade Icara but the Icarans fight back brutally and the war rages 10 years. The current monarchy if Icara is threatened by the raging war and by it's own nobles strife nearly results in the destruction of Icaran society.

1,180 BC: The first Praetor Alexander takes command of the Icaran people under the claim that God himself had meant for Alexander to lead the Icarans to victory.
He launches a devestating counter offensive against the Spartans and defeats several of their field armies. Eventually the Praetor himself lead the Last march of the Icaran army upon Sparta it's self and to the final victory.
The Praetor then took absorbed the Spartan population into Icara and freed their slaves adding these to their military and political might as well.

1,100 BC: After 80 years of peace the Icaran Praetor now 100 years old begins what is now known as "The First Crusade" to unite Greece under the Icaran banner. The Crusade starts against Athens and it's allies and obliterates them outright. Their society is absorbed increasing the Icaran military might even further. The Praetor shows little sign of his age and looks like a man of 60 bringing many to beleive his claim of God's favor was true.

1,000 BC: The Roman Empire and the freshly forged Icaran Empire engage in all out war and eventually Rome is defeated and the might of the Icarans grows yet again. Praetor Alexander falls ill.

(historical data lost)

1000 AD the Icaran Empire's history from 1,000 BC to 1000 AD is missing for reasons unknown.
At this time the Icaran Empire now rules over Europe and much of the middle east. However other nation states formed during the years of missing history have also become powerful and Icara begins open relations with many of them. It is also beleived during this missing history is where the first Praetor died and agents of his government wiped the history.

1000-1200 AD: The Pax Icara is enforced by the black and gold armored warriors of the Icaran Armies and their fleets roam the Atlantic and Pacific keeping the peace from pirates and other nations. The fifth Praetor, Leonidas the 1st claims his direct blood relation to Praetor Alexander and almost sparks a civil war. However the preists and scholars called from all over the Empire agree with Leonidas and proclaim him a "Divine Praetor" and that his bloodline would be all that was permitted to rule Icara from that date until the end of time.

1210 AD: Leonidas Leads what is now called the second crusade against rival empires in the hopes of establishing Icara as the only ruling power in the world. The Second Crusade nearly succeeds except for the united armies of the Mongols and the Chinese who thwart the Icaran advance and force them to consolidate their power and pull out of several conquered countries. Leonidas the 1st dies in disgrace and leaves his son in lordship over the Empire.

1210 AD- 1400 AD: The middle ages pass with relatively few troubles to Icara, a brief war between them and the Asian alliance of China and Mongolia led to the death of Leonidas’ son and the ruler of the Chinese empire. This brought about the resolution of peace between the two empires and both ruled over their territories in peace. Dozens of barbarian raids occur but none do any serious damage to the icaran people. However the Praetorship is dissolved as it appeared that all blood ties to the Leonidas family were lost forever. A regent was placed in charge of the Empire and a new semi-democracy was put in place to elect his replacements.

1500 AD and the new birth: During the 16th century something occurred that is now deemed a miracle by the Imperial orthodoxy a comet much like the one that signaled the birth of the first Praetor burned in the skies over Icara city and was seen as the omen of a new Praetor’s birth. This it was for in the far eastern part of the Icaran empire a young boy was born to a woman who was turned out to be the descendent of the very first Praetor….her bloodline had been lost for thousands of years and when the Imperial scholars confirmed her heritage she was seen as a savior of the Icaran empire. The Praetor was decreed to be a saint by the Imperial Church and people prayed for his birth to be an easy one.

1530 AD: Praetor Leonidas the 2nd leads the Icaran empire into an age of technological development and peace that had been unrivalled in all of history, his young wife gives birth to twin brothers and in doing so secures the Praetor line for another generation. The birth days of the twins is made a state holiday.

1535-1900 AD: The age of peace sees Icara become the most powerful empire in the world and make technological leaps that are unparalleled in the history of mankind. However this brings great strife to the world and a union of rival nations who launched a devastating nuclear attack on Icaran cities and military bases all across the Empire.

1901-2101 AD: The devastating attack on Icara rallies the Icaran Imperial Guard (the army) and the Icaran Royal fleet to war and though millions of people died in the holocaust of the enemy attacks the Icarans responded as always before with grim determination and fought back with every gun stick and knife they had at their disposal. The enemy gave themselves the name of Earth Alliance and proclaimed that they fought “For the good of all earth citizens”. As the war raged the people of Icara went from a population of 4 billion to have that number and in the end after two hundred years of war the “Grand Determinant” was sent announced. And great colony ships were built to save the Icaran population that remained.

2102 AD: The Last remnants of the IG and Royal Fleet mobilized for one Last defense against the Earth Alliance forces to save their civilian comrades. 2 million soldiers and sailors stood bravely to meet their certain death at the ends of the overwhelming EA forces their only comfort was in their faith in God and the Praetor saints who had gone before. And the hope that the 2 billion surviving Icarans could escape alive. The battle of Armageddon as it is now often called began on the very day of the launch and the Icaran military fought like the ancient dragons of lore. The Icaran air guard prevented any enemy fighters from shooting down the colony ships on their way out. And the Royal Navy warships even went so far as to ram enemy ships when they had sustained to much damage to fight or had run out of ammunition.

The vast regiments of the IG charged in wave after wave against the enemy armored advance and as their bodies were crushed under the tank treads and rent by enemy las fire the guardsmen continued to fire and advance guard their few remaining advancing tanks. Many soldiers wept openly or prayed as they charged into their certain death to protect the lives of those trying to survive the long night .As the Last colony ship broke orbit the surviving Icaran Field Marshall rallied his thousands of surviving Imperial Guardsmen and with a drawn force sword and plasma pistol shouted the words immortalized by the Last com transmission made from earth to any Icaran person for centuries to come. “God Forgive those of us who now die……FOR ICARA MEN CHARGE!” The Last remnants of the Imperial Guard died that day but they fought valiantly and saved their people to fight another day.

The surviving colony ships encountered an anomaly of space that sent them from the Sol system into what is now called the Icaran system (the anomaly would later be identified as a warp point) A miracle awaited the Icarans as they soon discovered that two planets in system had breathable atmospheres and enough resources to supply them for millenia to come.

01 AE-300 AE: The Icarans rebuilt their government and their Empire under the leadership of two Praetor generations. They resurrected the Imperial Guard and when the first starship was built in the first months 300 AE (2400.2) the Royal Navy was decreed to be reformed and the colonizing process of the Solar system began.

300-310 AE: The Icaran Empire explored the stars and began to colonize worlds in other systems when they discovered not one but two alien races, the Barbora states who were a bunch of primitives and who attacked the first Icaran ship to enter their space. The war with them Lasted five years as the tech was developed to create the ships to transport the Imperial Guardsmen to other worlds. The 1st Icaran regiment is raised from the homeworld of Icara and is dispatched with the 1st fleet to conquer the Barbora states and swiftly takes the enemy homeworld ending the war with Barbora surrender. Later the Toltayon and Cue Cappa are discovered, war is declared on Icara by the Toltayon.

311 AE (2411) The Praetor Leonidas the XVI declares a crusade, two regiments of Imperial Guardsmen are raised from Necromunda and New Ireland and a dozen new warships fly out of space yards of other worlds in the empire.

311-315 AE The Toltayon war continues, 1st New Ireland regiment destroyed in minefield thousands of dead are mourned throughout the Empire and especially on their homeworld of New Ireland. The 1st fleet meets better fate as they and the 1st Icaran regiment conquer an entire Toltayon star system after which the Toltayon sue for peace.

Earth alliance encountered and Praetor Leonidas was barely able to keep riots in check and keep his people from declaring war on this hated foe. EA forces seem not to know who the Icarans are and thus form a military alliance with Icara.

Praetor Leonidas secretly swears blood oath on the Eath Alliance on behalf of his people and swears that some day they would be crushed under Icaran Jackboots.

The Cue Cappa Commonwealth form a partnership and trade flourishes throughout the Empire.

320 AE: The Icaran empire now had 3 races in it as the two conquered races had finally fully absorbed into the Icaran population and had finally built up the numbers to be a functioning part of the Icaran race. Tragedy occurs when the Cue Cappa betray the alliance with the Icarans and decimate the Segmentus Icara and 4th fleets leaving thousands of Navy personnel dead and over 24 ships lost.

Full scale mobilization occurs across the Empire and the fleets and regiments of the Imperial war machine are soon flying off to war against the traitorous Cue Cappa and their underlings. First contact with the Cylon Empire also begets a declaration of war by the Cylons on Icara. The Toltayons take advantage of the chaos and resume their war.

320-330 AE: The war raged across the Enemy as the fleets and regiments of the Icaran empire continued their crusade against the four races that had declared war on them. Invasions of the Cue Cappa systems within the Icaran Empire gave the Icarans a step up in their situation against their foes. Praetor Leonidas sent the 1st Necromunda and 1st Icaran regiments off to conquer the multiple worlds within Toltayon space leading to the inevitable surrender of the Toltayon Consortium,

The Cue Cappa too began to suffer under the might of the 1st Verdenfell and 1st Necromunda regiments as ship by ship and world by world they lost the grip of their commonwealth. Over two dozen Cue worlds fell under the boots of the Imperial Guardsmen and although tens of thousands of Icarans had died the Crusade continued on losing none of it’s steam. And even though constant raids by alien races always threatened the existence of the Imperium they soldiered forward bravely as they had always done.

340-350 AE: The Cue Cappa surrender which leads to the surrender of the Sagalla two neutral races and the Cylons leaving the Icarans the most powerful empire in that entire patch of space.

The earth alliance however had grown far more powerful then the Icarans and their threat could not be denied. A full scale mobilization of the Imperial Military the likes of which had never been seen before was undertaken. Over a hundred new warships were built and millions of soldiers were raised into the Imperial Guard from their planetary defense forces.
During this time 4 sphere worlds were created and the mass evacuation of the Sallega and Toltayon sectors was undertaken to prevent billions from dying when the first waves of the war struck their unprotect able colonies.

The New dominion order also surrendered to the Icarans in the hope of mercy from their monstrous foe the EA who had butchered them in their millions. The mass evacuation of their billions of survivors took 6 years and they were relocated to the newly constructed 4th sphere world of Acheron and the atmosphere modification generator was laid the day the construction crews were informed that the Dominion survivors were coming.

356 AE: The Praetor in his infinite wisdom has ordered all of the military powers of the Imperium to be placed in key positions to strike the Earth Alliance empire when ready, a chance fortunate nova had eradicated billions of people in the system that bordered the Icarans leaving it without that cursed gravtic shield which kept the Icarans from exploiting their stellar techs.

A spy network poisoned the water supplies of an EA world that had illegally established it’s self in the heart of the Imperium killing millions and enraging the EA until a substantial bribe to assassins within the alliance resulted in the deaths of those Earth officials who new that it was the Icarans behind it. However another secret mission sent a world creator ship into a the system bordering the Icarans which is when they found that the system had suffered a nova…..however other planets had been created by the Earth alliance and the World Creator set course for the most populated worlds.

The Earth alliance records show that a disastrous accident resulted in the destruction of two of their planets and the deaths of some 400 million Earthers.

The Empire now stands ready to strike and will do so at the start of the next year….the Earth forces will be caught off guard enough for the Icarans to gain initial advantage and to hopefully make that more permanent.
Over a dozen IG regiments now exist but among them the new Storm Trooper chapters have risen and will join them in their strike on the planets surface.
The Imperial Air guard was reformed and two Nimitz class carriers joined the 1st fleet which is to strike at the heart of invading Earth planets within the Imperium.
The Fleets of the Cylons and Cue have been mostly added to the Segmentus Icara fleet. And the "Primus Imperium" fleet stands ready to invade the Earth alliance with over 60 ships and a half dozen IG regiments as well as the Blood Hawks storm trooper chapter…….the Empire is ready for war and when that day comes the valiant forces of the Imperium will begin the Final Crusade against their most dangerous foe yet.

I'll give some details on the Imperium it's self in my next post. The Empire has over 200 ships btw the 60 ships of the Primus Imperium fleet are just the ships that I decided to send against the Earth alliance in their own space.

The 1st Fleet which I mentioned is 25 ships strong and stands ready to invade the enemy worlds within my empire with several IG regiments as well as my Space Wolves storm troopers chapter.

I'll explain my fleet and military organizations later.