150-400 AU
But about 150 AU events began to change. The rumor of Terran aggression preceded them, carried by outcast dragons opposed to conquest. Many independent Elurian worlds began to resist jointly, and soon alliances and rival states began to form. Most historians refer to this period as the Terran States Era, when ethnic Elurian and Terrellian worlds formed vying states that eventually resulted in the fully formed Terra Nova Empire.
The first state to arise was born in 150 AU, to galactic northeast of Terra Nova. Bardius, an already ancient world of mixed heritage, boasted the same technological advantages as Terra Nova and then some. Their position along major trade routes had made Bardius both wealthy and advanced, a big difference from typical Terran opponents. Unbeknownst to Terra Nova, Bardius had gained advanced shield technology. Graedians had developed a form of layered forcefield much stronger than those used in Terran fleets, which the wealthy Bardians bought. Such a defensive advantage made each Bardian warship twice as tough as a comparable Terran vessel.
Though they expected a Terran invasion, it was not foreseen when and where. Many worlds joined the moderate Bardians for protection and economic advancement. If not for timely intervention from outcast dragons and others opposed to Terra Nova’s regime, Bardius might have fallen. But forewarning came and a defense was made. At the Battle of Bardius, dragons fought dragons for the first time in recent memory. The battle was hard-fought, but ended in a crushing victory for Bardius. Dozens of star systems suddenly flocked to their banner, inflating the fledgling state to immense proportions. Both sides withdrew from open conflict, despite designs for a counterattack by many Bardian military leaders.
News of the victory sparked revolts in the Terra Nova Empire, but most were quelled when no outside forces came to liberate them. Others were forcefully suppressed – a memory not always forgotten in the minds of humans. Terra Nova spent the next decade reconsolidating its holdings and rebuilding a shattered frontline army. Many of its crack troops and tacticians had been lost or had defected after the Bardius debacle.
And further obstacles rose outside the empire’s borders, plaguing its internal efforts. Many Terrellian worlds rejoined in the desire for defense against Terran imperialism. Mercutio, a mixed world between Terrellian and Bardian territory, feigned an alliance with both –
taking what military advantages were available and expanding its own influence and holdings. Soon four major states appeared in southern Aesgar, all primarily of Elurian and Terrellian stock. Many worlds had been colonized long after the collapse of the Elurian state before Terra Nova, but others had existed as independent colonies for generations, inflated by the trade and movement through the Graedian sector.
Each state proved formidable when united, but with differing advantages. Bardius was cultured, advanced, and supported by Graedius and moderate dragons. Mercutio was advanced as well, but relied heavily on guile to achieve its aims; they spent most of their early years sabotaging the efforts of rival states. Terrellia was ancient and the most militaristic. If not for internal, prehistoric catastrophe on their capital world, they might have become an empire before Terra Nova. By 200 AU, the main four States were firmly established intergalactic powers.
Although each State initially formed out of a mutual desire for defense against Terra Nova, bickering and individual agendas soon erupted between them. Various wars were fought intermittently from 200 AU until about 300 AU, and for various causes. Terrellia demanded ethnic territorial concessions from Mercutio. Mercutio, the weakest militarily, sought to destabilize its rivals from within, while simultaneously trying to strengthen its economy and ties with the Graedian sector. It is often speculated that Mercutio’s activities prolonged the Terran States Era by as much as one hundred years. Bardius mainly internalized under dragon advisement, fighting off incursions where possible. The borders between the worlds changed and shifted many times. Fortunes waxed and waned. Alliances were formed and broken.
A breakthrough came in 300 AU when Terra Nova and Terrellia formed an alliance against Mercutio. The two forces agreed to mutually favorable terms: Terra Nova gained some territory at the expense of a rival; Terrellia gained its demanded territories and relieved internal and economic pressures from Mercutio. The invasion was swift and decisive. Bardius gave no warning or aid to Mercutio, their most hated rival next to Terra Nova. The alliance overran Mercutio and destroyed its empire. The victory did not surprise the Bardians, but the strength of the alliance did. With non-aggression pact in place and Mercutio’s meddling dealt with, Terra Nova was able to then channel its forces against Bardius. In 310 AU, after ten years of consolidation and rebuilding, Terra Nova once more invaded Bardius. Further development of technology brought evenly matched forces to the field, resulting in a war of attrition. But unlike Mercutio, Bardius had the support of dragons and the increasingly unifying Graedian sector.
The resources of Terra Nova dwindled in decades of bitter struggle. A sharp decline in southern Aesgar’s population followed, and economic depression loomed. By 363 AU, the Terra Nova Empire had virtually collapsed; the aggressive ruling dragons had suffered an utter loss of face. People began to riot in the streets across the empire. Many of the dragons repented of their failing, others were assassinated, and those that maintained either guilt or aggression fled. During this time of weakness, the Terrellians launched a sneak attack against the empire. Enormous losses were suffered, and even the Bardian state was alarmed. To counter the new threat, the moderate dragons supporting Bardius returned to Terra Nova, where they were largely welcomed with open arms. Dragon rule was ingrained in the empire’s mindset by this point and had brought them glory. A renewal of reasonable-minded draconic rule was seen as preferable to subjugation by the Terrellians.
And so another war was fought. Terrellia had spent decades establishing itself as a renewed galactic power, while Terra Nova and Bardius had been severely weakened. Years of struggle ensued as Terra Nova’s new government and Bardius attempted the first galactic integration since Terra Nova Unification.
The tide turned through economics and dragon leadership. Bardius, being a more concentrated target, was left largely alone by Terrellian forces. Military supplies were channeled, albeit inefficiently and slowly, into Terra Nova. Meanwhile, the Bardians created an economic blockade that slowly choked the Terrellians. Victory came at high cost in 380 AU, when Terrellia, financially and militarily exhausted, sued for peace. A similar movement of moderation had been born in the midst of Terrellian turmoil, and their aggressive government was overthrown in favor of reconstruction and peace. The Terrellian state utterly fell in 390, collapsing into various independent sectors and worlds. Talks began between the united Terran-Bardian domains and the former Terrellian capital. Now a moderate world, Terrellia and its new government entered negotiations for acceptance into the new Terran state. Final acceptance occurred on the fourth centennial of Terra Nova Unification. Though many worlds ethnically similar would remain independent for some centuries to come, no powerful states like those of the previous period would result.
The year 400 AU marks the official end of the tumultuous Terran States Era, and the integration of Terrans, Elurians, and Terrellians into a single people and empire. This full unification is regarded as the true birth of the Terra Nova Empire, marking its transition from a small state to a major power. However, this date is often overlooked in favor of the earlier Unification date – which after all was the beginning of the empire now coming to fruition.
