1302 AU
And then in one single year galactic peace and stability were brought to a crashing halt. The Orian Empire, more militarily aggressive than Terra Nova, attempted to bring a largely-unnoticed race into its fold – the Akreshna, whom they had long called Nebulari or Nebulans. Incidentally, Nebulan society had already borrowed linguistically and technologically from the Oriani over the centuries. Contact prior to this point had been amicable, though the Nebulans staunchly resisted Orian enticements to join the Empire.
After generations of independence and unhindered expansion, the Nebulans found themselves suddenly given an ultimatum. A resurgent faction of aggressive imperialists had gained power in the Orian government and decided to cement total military and political hegemony in eastern Aesgar. These war hawks had long seen the Nebulans as a potential threat to the stability of the Empire, a dangerous example of resistance to Orian authority. Predictably, the ruling Nebulan Ghozakna flatly rejected the Orian demand for submission, and war was quickly declared.
On similar terms, the Orians opened hostilities with the Graedian Confederacy; war erupted between the two later that same year and saw countless Borderworlds besieged.
Terra Nova attempted several peace conferences to maintain Aesgar’s stability, but the Orian government refused any accords yielding them less than all of eastern Aesgar, from the Core to the outermost rim. Another year saw the dissolution of the Aesgar Confederation and Terra Nova’s largely hands-off policy toward eastern Aesgar.
