Vendetta Online

The Chronicles of Exile

AD2661-AD3827, Terra II

From what can be pieced together from various sources, life did not go well for the Serco after the Exile of the Ark. Following the destruction of the Itani domes, the Serco military came to a halt and considered its next move. News was beginning to sift into public knowledge of the utter decimation of the Itani, civilian or otherwise. Some heralded this as no less than the Itani had deserved, but most considered it a horrible over-reaction on the part of the Serco military leaders. When images of the full extent of the desolation, the shattered domes piled with broken bodies, reached the Serco public, there was an outcry and lament for having utterly destroyed the only other human beings on this side of galaxy. Still, many also recalled the recent images of their own cities, laid waste by Itani bombs. Thus, by the time immediately before the launch of the Ark, the Serco military leaders stood in a very tenuous and politically unstable position. Had the population of the Ark made themselves known to the Serco civilian population at that time, there likely would have been a spontaneous outpouring of mutual regret that might have healed all wounds between the peoples. However, the Itani did not know the Serco political situation, and the Serco were unaware of any Itani who had survived the blood thirst of their military commanders.

The Serco military leaders, on the other hand, had no regret of their actions and considered the war to be a job well done. Their military structure was a rather small, close-knit group of officers, all of whom knew one another well and who shared a similar view when it came to matters of combat. For the Serco, there was no need for a large command structure, as a large percentage of their combat forces were computer controlled beasts and automatons, such as the Guises. Thus, this group of like-minded officers perceived that it was not they who had wronged, indeed, they had justly defended their nation from a great threat; so great that it had extinguished the lives of a sizable percentage of their population. It was their belief that any true soldier, when faced with the defense of one's people, would respond with all possible force, that such a threat might never be marshaled against them again. They presented their people with this view, and were largely rebuffed, to their disgust. Finally, the military leaders conceived a plan to guarantee that their nation would not persist in this weak and divided state, and would become a nation strong enough to withstand the onslaught of any attacker.

On the dawn of the same day that the Ark planned to launch, they prepared their coup d'etat. Ironically, the launch of the Ark, utterly unexpected by the Serco and not fully understood until second contact with the Itani in 3827, played well into the hands of the military commanders. The launch caused shockwaves to rumble across the Serco nation, triggering volcanic activity, quakes, fire and great dust clouds. The cities were left in confusion and chaos, allowing the military to move in and assert their power and control.

AD2672, Terra II

The Serco military coup was swift and well organized. Given their complete control of the army, arguably the most devastating ground assault force ever created by humankind, the civilian government had little choice but to give up control. Very little blood was shed in the coup, and for a short time, little changed in the Serco culture. However, it was not long before the new government began to impose strict parameters on education, mass media, and other societal communications mediums. No discussions of the Itani demise were permitted. All references to the war had to fit the military commanders' vision of their "glorious victory over the bloodthirsty Itani aggressors," a version of the facts which had enough basis in truth to be convincing to subsequent generations. References to the launch of the Ark were considered a matter of Serco Security and were listed as a "seismic event" in all public databases. At the same time the new government began funding propaganda programs designed to promote nationalism and pride in the Serco culture. Much funding was given to technological research of all kinds, although most was given to those projects with foreseeable wartime applications. Enlistment in the military was encouraged, and military service became a common mark of pride among the youth. Although the Serco were masters of their planet, the memory of the strange giant ship launching from its shattered mountain left a nagging doubt in the minds of the Serco high command. Therefore, military research and presence were maintained, outwardly to "combat any insurgence from terrestrial Neutrals" and to "maintain a strong defense in the event of unforeseen contact from the skies." While the threat of attacks from local pacifists or vague unknown aliens may have seemed improbable to some, the continued military development was favored by most of the population.

Economically and politically the new government was very efficient. Overseen by a triumvirate of three former generals, waste and excess within the government were greatly decreased and the savings funneled into education and social programs. Because of this, within a few years of the takeover, much of the population had come out in favor of the would-be military dictatorship. Changes and curtailments in civil liberties were subtle, as the generals were intelligent enough to avoid imposing any restrictions which would widely affect Serco culture. Thus, for most of the Serco nation, despite the considerable alteration in governmental philosophy, life continued more or less as normal.

AD2714, Terra II

The neutral towns of Terra II had done their best to keep their heads down during the Itani/Serco war, and since that time had attempted to return to normal. They had always been on reasonable terms with both cultures, and had made every attempt to maintain that, during and after the war. Neutral towns absorbed thousands of Itani refugees, fleeing the merciless advance of the Serco armies. These citizens, unaware of the construction of the Ark, became part of the Neutral Society and brought new skills and technologies with them. The Serco more or less ignored the Neutral towns, although they traded with them from time to time and maintained good relations.

The Neutral areas did not consider themselves a nation in any sense. More a loosely knit cluster of small towns and villages spread out across the less desirable real-estate of Terra II. They had no central government. Each town was governed by an elected mayor, usually with a small committee of elected advisors. However, some towns were run very differently from others, and political corruption was not uncommon. Official communication between towns was usually limited to topics likely to impact many of them, such as the breakdown of Itani/Serco relations, wandering bandits, and the like.

While the neutral territories were a patchwork quilt of small groups of people, they did have a few unifying threads. The most notable was their mutual love of peace. Children were taught from an early age of the various wars of humankind, and invited to look upon the desolation and destruction they had left behind. Largely an agrarian culture, the neutrals had little understanding of the power-mongering ways of the two mighty nations with which they shared their planet. The conflicts and the consequent apparent extinction of the Itani left the neutral people only with a memory of the horrible useless waste of war. Because of this, all Itani refugees who were accepted into Neutral society were required to swear that neither they nor their children would cause, organize, or take part in any hostilities on Terra II. Even after so swearing, the rest of the town usually kept an eye on the refugees, so great was the concern that the Serco might be given an excuse to roll their juggernaut of war over their towns. These measures were understandable, as many of the Itani refugees were enraged at the destruction of their nation and could conceivably have resorted to guerilla warfare against the Serco. As it was, however, those who wished to fight were turned away, and those who remained had to strictly maintain the pacifist principles or risk ejection from neutral society.

The military's takeover of the Serco government had little initial impact on the neutrals. Although it was somewhat disturbing that their incredibly powerful militaristic neighbor was now controlled by those same generals responsible for the Itani civilian massacres, the Serco made no changes in their friendly stance towards neutral towns, and life continued apace. The neutral traders did begin to notice a recurrent theme of pro-Serco nationalism in the younger Serco with whom they interacted. This worried some, but no ill effects had yet surfaced.

Of the three peoples of Terra II, the neutrals had by far the most evenhanded perspective on the use of technology. They saw little that was inherently evil in the science itself, evil sprang entirely from its misuse and was therefore a flaw of humankind. Thus, the neutrals adapted whatever technological advantages they could find to better their lives. For tending their crops, Itani mechanization was generally favored over Serco bioengineered creatures, due to fears of the creatures becoming uncontrollable. However, Serco brain and body implants were not uncommon, although their expense made them much more rare than among the Serco population. Technology was adapted to whatever needs arose, and the Neutral scientific base was made up of hands-on tinkerers and engineers rather than heavy researchers. Lacking a single governmental base or adequate funding, the neutrals had no centers of scientific study or long-term research goals. They simply adapted what they had to solve their problems, often with very imaginative and ingenious results.

AD2853, Terra II

On the surface, the Serco culture has not changed significantly since the military coup nearly two hundred years earlier. Upon closer examination, however, subtle but important differences become clear. The sense of national pride fostered by the Triumvirate after the takeover has now evolved into a strong belief in Serco "ethnic superiority." This perspective is supported in the schools and preached from the military-controlled mass media. May 20th is mandated a national holiday by the government, in celebration of the "Righteous Serco victory over the evil that was the Itani Nation". Military training is highly prized even in peacetime. The military media sponsors yearly contests of strength, agility, hand to hand combat, and tactical/strategic ability, all of which are broadcast to the public. These contests become very popular, encouraging each new generation of youthful Serco men and women to vie for yearly titles and the honor of being considered part of the "betterment of their nation".