The Terran Diaspora of the 02400s

While there were indeed representatives of various xenoalien cultures present as well, the Diaspora of the 02400s was primarily known as a Terran event.  Massive numbers of starships fled the devastation of the Core and Frontier worlds left over from the Terran Civil War and the Pauk Invasion that followed, with several fleet groups making long journeys to distant regions of the Galaxy.  One group was made up of Panasian and NorAm colonists and settled in a single massive star system, while another composed of both Kentauran and Terran humans patterned themselves after ancient Greco-Roman culture as they set up their civilization in an uninhabited multi-planet star system they found perfect for their needs.  Still another colony fleet had both Terrans and Promedians working together, along with numerous stowaway Xenoroach Rippers that hatched along the way setting up a three-way battle for supremacy in the galactic spur they ultimately settled.

The various Colony Fleets that set out from the former Federacy territories were composed of both new and old construction starships.  Some of these fleets reached suitable star systems with available worlds to colonize but many were lost or destroyed along their journey.  Some fell into temporal nexuses and were thrust forward or backwards in time, while at least one fleet experienced time dilation effects that caused them to emerge into the 09000s. 

The Terran-Colonial Frontier Civil War (02430s and 02440s)

With the major warfare of the late 02300s the TranStellar Federacy found itself fundamentally weakened.  Following the establishment of a rival confederation of species (the Pauk-Rex-Silicate Enclave-P'Tharan alliance called the Orionis Spur Multistellar Unity, or Orionis Unity for short) the core worlds of the Terran Alliance (which had replaced UECON as the major government for Terra by the mid-02300s) attempted to exercise greater control over all TransFed colonies.  While ostensibly done to greatest a stronger counterbalance to the Orionis Unity, the end result was frustration from the Colonies and the Core Worlds and would lead to a devastating internal conflict between the two major Terran factions.

The new Terran Alliance fleet showcased many of the technological developments of the late 02300s and early 02400s.  While a separate entity from the TranStellar Federacy Vanguard, many Terran Alliance (aka TerraFleet) ships were quite similar in form and function and were even occasionally the exact same designs.

Frontier Colony ships were designed and built by outer fringe shipyards and while lacking the elegance of the Terran Alliance, vessels built for the VanGuard fleet were quite capable in combat.  Shown here is a Frontier battlecruiser.

 The Frontier Colonies prized their independence above all else, with many of its citizens (both Terran human and xenoalien) having been transplants from Free Aries and other Solar Colonies bringing with them a long and storied history of personal freedom.  The new display of attempted centralized control by Terra Central caused great consternation in the Frontier Colonies and despite attempts by the Promedians, Kentaurans and other allied xenoaliens to mediate the disputes, war was inevitable by the late 02430s.

The Frontier Colonies had actually built up a significant fleet of their own by purchasing a large number of older and obsolescent warships from various galactic powers as well as constructing some of their own, but were also able to draw some of the Terran Alliance and VanGuard sub-fleets to fight on their side. 

Several classes of exploration craft were re-tasked for combat roles during the 02430s, both to deal with the situation out in the Frontier worlds and to keep the Orionis Unity from taking advantage of the situation.  This example is a Universe class deep-range exploration vessel modified for military applications. 

Older VanGuard vessels were pressed into use during this conflict, with former members of mothballed fleets turning up throughout the various battles.  The vessel shown here was originally built in the 02370s and was still in service over 60 years later.

The Frontier forces depended heavily on their carrier forces as they had no hope of matching up with the Terran Alliance ships toe-to-toe.  The Frontier starfighter pilots acquitted themselves well, setting the foundation for the proud fighter tradition in place centuries later during the wars with the L'Narans. 

The result of the carnage of the Terran Civil War combined with the intermittent invasions by the Pauk and others was that something of a diaspora occurred, with entire populations of Terran worlds being relocated to far off colonies beyond the known worlds.  Here is one of the "Colony Trains" as they were called headed out to seek for new worlds to settle.  This momentous scattering of Terrans beyond the explored regions of the Mosaic Galaxy would  ultimately have a major impact on future history as it would unfold.

Following the end of the Frontier Revolt the villainous Pauk and some of their allies tried to take advantage of the weakened Terran Alliance resulting in an on-again/off-again conflict that stretched into the 02460s. 

The Second Great Galactic War (02370s)

The threatening presence of the Far Side Imperium (also called the Perseid Rift Empire by military strategists of the time) and its attempts to take advantage of the damage wrought by the Qajari incursions was a bit of a surprise to the TranStellar Federacy.  In many ways the Far Side Imperium was something of an "opposite" to the Federacy being a consortium of worlds held together by force or threat of force.  The Imperium appeared to be a reborn version of a previous empire dating back to ancient times with dreams of bringing the entire Mosaic Galaxy under its domineering control.

Far Side starships were technologically advanced and appeared to share some attributes of the mysterious Gatekeepers so common in Terran space during the early third millennium.  However, whatever connections existed between those two powers was never fully determined, although both may have arisen from a common Precursor culture.

The war itself was one of the most destructive in galactic history to that point despite its relative brevity.  Entire worlds in both galactic arms were devastated, and the fallout of this conflict would ultimately impact the events of the 02400s culminating in the Terran Frontier Insurrection of the 02440s. 

Following the trauma of facing the Qajari a decade before, the attacks of the Imperium were even more detrimental to Federacy morale.  The very alien nature of the Imperium made it impossible to fully contemplate their motives, much less to attempt to broker peace.

The VanGuard commissioned a number of new classes of exploration/combat vessels as a result of their experiences against the Qajari and Far Side Imperium.  Many of these newer vessels would serve for decades and some even fought in the Frontier Insurrection of the 02440s.  Shown here is a Taurus class attack frigate that joined the VanGuard circa 02370.

The hated avian xenoaliens called the Pauk appeared on the scene once again in the late 02370s as allies to the Far Siders.  In the strategic warfare that followed both the homeworld of the Pauk and that of the Promedians were destroyed. 

Qajari Invasions of the late 02300s

It was in the latter part of the 02300s that Terran humanity came face to face with the terrifying presence of the Qajari.  Throughout the expanding sphere of influence of Terra and the TranStellar Federacy the VanGuard began to encounter the vessels of these incomprehensible beings time and again.  Why the Qajari had determined to turn their attention towards the Federacy was unknown, but on three major occasions Qajari warships attempted to attack the heart of the Federacy only to be turned back by the VanGuard.  It would be the resulting weakness of the Federacy following these attacks that would create the opening for the Pauk and their Far Side Imperium allies to attack in the Second Great Galactic War of the 02370s.

The greatest minds of the Federacy had believed that the Qajari had migrated far beyond the worlds of the Terran sphere of influence, but instead the Qajari returned to the scene in explosive fashion.  Three major invasions took place throughout the 02360s and 02370s, causing tremendous damage to both VanGuard vessels and morale. 

The Qajari invasions generated a sense of panic amongst the worlds of the TransFed and led to a massive buildup of forces in terms of both starships and ground forces.  Ultimately, this would prove to be a positive strategic choice with the coming of the Second Great Galactic War in the 02370s.

The VanGuard developed several new classes of military-focused starships in response to the Qajari Invasions.  The primary mission of the VanGuard changed during the 02370s from one of exploration back to the defensive role that had dominated Terran doctrine in the early days of starflight.

The Qajari were a most terrifying foe as they were part of a massive population of the insectoid Qajari spread throughout the Mosaic Galaxy.  The Terrans knew from accounts of other species that the Qajari were much like Terran ants in that if they all ever decided to go on a rampage, it was likely nothing would stand in their way.  And for some unknown reason, in the mid 02260s go on a rampage they did....

The VanGuard called in every unit (shown here are three attack gunboats defending the Free Aries defensive perimeter during the first influx of Qajari forces) that could be fielded to stand against the might of the Qajari.  Each battle in the conflict was for survival, and the VanGuard ships earned a deserved reputation as an effective military fighting force.

 Qajari ships seemed to appear from no where during their intense but brief periods of activities.  Many of the Federacy's greatest minds tried to determine how they were able to transit deep space so quickly, but nothing firm was ever determined other than some probably theories about Qajari vessels using quantum tunneling drives.  Many centuries later, when the Qajari had allied with Terran humanity it was discovered that they indeed were quite adept at navigating the vagaries of deep space quantum tunnels and Qajari pilots were prized during the days of the Technocracy. 

The VanGuard Launches a New Generation of Starship

In the 02350s the VanGuard determined it was time to commission a new generation of exploratory cruiser.  The Vigilant class was the result with the third example of the vessel taking on the storied name of the Venture VI in honor of the previous Terran ships of that name.  The new Vigilants were larger and more capable than any class ever designed by Terran engineers and would serve as the primary military and exploration units during the second half of the 02300s.

The vessels in the Vigilant class became a the widely revered type of starship and served the TransFed for several decades in exploratory and combat capacities.

The Vigilant class was designed by a consortium of Terran and Promedian engineering firms to be the apex combat starship in the known worlds while still retaining exploration capabilities.  The first four to be commissioned were manufactured by the Free Aries Shipyards before all subsequent construction was transferred to the distant Forge Starworks facility for reasons of TransFederacy security.

Federacy starships had established a reputation for exceptional combat prowess and scientific accomplishments, but the new Vigilant series went far beyond even what was expected of them.  They would be the primary line ship for the Federacy until the beginning of the 02400s.

Third Felinoid Campaign-02340s

After two major previous campaigns against Felinoid xenoaliens (the T'Garan conflicts of the early 02200s) a third offshoot of this once widespread species was encountered in the 02340s with similar results.  The P'tharan War was short and violent, with VanGuard forces pushing all the way back to the P'tharan homeworld, which was home to a powerful Cosmic Oracle.  It was discovered that the armored reptilian race called the Rex were trying to occupy the P'tharan homeworld, and as they were allied to the TranStellar Federacy the VanGuard fleet had been drawn into the conflict.  After the war ended an uneasy truce was enforced by the presence of a single VanGuard ship and a corresponding P'tharan vessel patrolling the Armistice Zone at all times. 

The P'Tharans were a significant opponent and despite the brevity of the conflict their forces inflicted major damages against the VanGuard fleet.

The P'Tharans operated numerous types of combat starships, including flotillas of small frigates and destroyers that proved optimal for attacking VanGuard and other allied vessels.  This conflict was to prove to be a foreshadowing event for the major Felinoid wars of the 02600s. 

P'Tharan ships were large and powerful, as this formidable race had acquired various technologies from other galactic powers via a variety of methods.  With their withering attack on the Rex, who were TransFederacy allies at the time, the VanGuard was brought in and a short, but devastating war ensued.

P'Tharans had a practice of acquiring various starships and technologies from other galactic powers and then using these same units against them.  Their smaller warships were often used as raiding vessels operating in the very regions of space were they had originally been manufactured as a ploy to confuse potential victims.

The Terran Age of Discovery-AD 02200s and 02300s

The Terran Age of Discovery, also known as the First Age of Exploration, was a period in history starting in the 02200s and continuing into the mid-02300s during which Terran humanity engaged in extensive exploration of their corner of the Mosaic Galaxy.  In the process they established direct contacts with many xenoalien races, including the ascended Promedians, the birdlike Pauk, the various Felinoid races of the Dispersion, numerous Preservationist-transplanted humans, and others all the while mapping the vast regions they explored. Galactic historians would oftentimes refer to this 'Terran Age of Discovery' as being defined by the efforts of the descendents of mankind and their intensive travels in search of alternative trade routes throughout the Sirius Subsector and beyond, compelled by the various interstellar trade opportunities presented and the chance to make discoveries of ancient technologies that could benefit Terra.

Ships of the VanGuard began to systematically explore the Sirius Subsector in the early 02200s, but those efforts really began bearing fruit a century later.  The first half of the 02300s were a time of relative peace and unbridled passion about voyages of discover.  

The 'Terran Age of Discovery' is seen in Galactic History as a bridge between the time of the ancient Progenitors and the rise of the Galactic era which would over time be dominated by beings descended from the little backwater world of Terra.  Accounts from distant worlds fueled the rise of scientific curiosity and thereby ushered in a new age of scientific and intellectual inquiry. Terran expansion in the 02300s led to the rise of a vast colonial confederation called the TransStellar Federacy, with the contact between the homeworld of Terra and these intriguing new worlds producing the Sirius Exchange: a broad-spectrum economy built upon the transfer of non-sapiant biological lifeforms, exotic foods, xenohuman populations (including slaves), trans-species communicable diseases, and aspects of culture between the Terran and xenoalien spheres of influence. 

A new class of starships began to enter the VanGuard just before 02300.  These vessels were capable replacements for the Venture class and her brethren and served throughout the first half of the century in both scientific and military functions.  

Terran knowledge about other remote sapiant cultures was sourced in reports from allies such as the Promedians or from captured data from species like the Cronans, Pauk, and T'Garans and were often obscured by legends.  Many of these legendary tales dated back from the time of the Great Zetan and his/her/its successors and gave what little was known of the Preservationist account of early Galactic History. Another source were reports from the time pre-dating the Galactic Assembly's founding and that vast organization's oversight of the Sirius Subsector.

These two exploratory cruisers along with their attendant exploration frigate are seen here over Calvin's World, a distant colony from Terra orbiting a strange-acting orange star called Hobbes.  While the derivation of its name is unknown, the fact that Calvin's World was the only world in the valuable Hobbes system made it a source of contention between several of the inhabited worlds.

The prelude to the Terran Age of Exploration was a series of VanGuard expeditions across the Sirius Subsector in the late 02200s.  Although the vile Cronans had threatened many of the inhabited worlds with violence and destruction, the Cronan fleet also indirectly unified much of the Sirius Subsector and with the rise of the influence of Terra and the vaunted VanGuard safe trade routes and lines of communication soon stretched from Rigel to the Antares Maelstrom.

The Zarlacks had not only overthrown the Cronans in the 02260s and 02270s but eventually took the territories of that ancient empire for its own.  They would become a nominal ally during most of the 02300s, but in the later half of the century they would withdraw their cooperative efforts and re-militarize.

The TranStellar Federacy VanGuard Fleet in the Early 02300s

As the 02200s came to an end and the new century dawned, the TransFed VanGuard commissioned a new line of starships, more advanced and heavily armed than anything that had gone before.  Throughout the 02300s the VanGuard would continue to build larger and more powerful units in order to ensure the dominance of humanity in the known worlds.  The partnership with the Promedians grew even stronger, despite the fact that the influence of their culture was on the decline throughout the Sirius Subsector. 

VanGuard starships of the 02300s were among the most powerful and elegant every commissioned by Terra and her allies.  These vessels continued the program of exploration begun in the previous century and expanded the reach and influence of the TranStellar Federacy throughout the local octant and quadrant of the Mosaic Galaxy.

The first decade of the 02300s were marked by a significant Pauk attack on a major Terran settlement, which many in the InterFed political hierarchy called an act of terrorism. Surprisingly, the end result of the brief conflict that ensued was a withdrawal of the Pauk military presence back to their Mother Cloud until the 02360s. 

Despite the fact that Terra had come to the aid of the Pauks during the First Felinoid Incursion of the late 02220s the Pauk were quick to try to take advantage of the good will of the TranStellar Federacy and presented a recurring problem for the VanGuard. 

Regardless of the challenges being faced by the TranStellar Federacy and the Vanguard Fleet during the early 02300s, amazing accomplishments in exploration and interstellar diplomacy marked this era, as well as a move back home on Terra to create a singular homogeneous world culture that attempted to erase nationalistic sentiments and cultural differences.  Fortunately for the future of mankind, those efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.  (NOTE: The dominance of the European Alliance during this time, especially led by the Commu-Socialization Party of the French Sixth Republic, is obvious from an overview of history and their efforts to control the VanGuard can be seen by the placement of Franco-European captains aboard most starships of this era).

The extra-galactic explorers ships of the late 02280s and 02290s made their triumphant return in the early 02300s, sharing the wonders of the Andromeda Galaxy with the citizens of Terra, while also bringing tales of the horrific destruction of numerous worlds and the analysis of the remnants left behind.  Over time it became obvious that the Desolators must have originated from Andromeda and had left vast star clusters throughout that galaxy completely devastated, a fate they may have planned for the Mosaic Galaxy as well.

The extra-galactic exploration program was ultimately unsuccessful and it wouldn't be until the late 04000s that humanity would once again venture to the shores of Andromeda. 

The Third Desolator Incursion of the 02280s

Roughly twenty years after the first encounter with the Desolators, the TransFed fleets encountered a third and much more powerful representative of that ancient dark robotic evil that once again, as fifteen years before, penetrated to Terra's orbit.  Only the combined efforts of the Federacy's best military and scientific minds staved off this attack, thereby delaying the full brunt of the Desolator invasions until the 02900s.

The fallout of the Third Desolator Incursion was a major effort to build a new generation of combat-capable starships, while still retaining the focus on exploration that had dominated fleet doctrine for most of the 02200s.   

As the older starships began to be phased out around 02290, the newest designs in the "V" series came into service.  The Valiant is shown here with an elderly Venture class exploration cruiser and a refit Valkyrie serving in a patrol function out on the frontier.

The Valiant class battlecruisers were somewhat larger and substantially more powerful than the earlier "V-series" exploration cruisers.  Optimized for both combat and exploratory roles, the Valiants were such a successful design that they ultimately served for most of the 02300s by way of multiple refits and service life extension programs. 

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The Rise of the "Ubermen" in the 02280s

The rise of genetically-modified "Ubermen" (or "Genies") from the Northern Bloc nations back in the mid-02000s through the 02100s was one of the great crises of that era.  Their attempts at domination of their fellow Terrans ultimately resulted in their expulsion to a penal colony the Tau Ceti star system, located 12 lightyears from Terra along the early frontier of mankind.  The premise was that the metal-poor system of Tau Ceti would prevent the Genies from getting off-world and building starships of their own, and that the penal colony's location in the debris disk would make it difficult for outsider vessels to navigate to the planet as well.

Genie Ubermen ships were typically highly-modified freighters and transport vessels equipped with captured or purchased weaponry and operated by genetically-modified geniuses who, unfortunately for them, knew very little about space combat operations limiting them to merely being a minor pirate presence during their era of influence despite their alliance with the Cronans.

However, in the 02280s the Ubermen were able to make contact with the recently-defeated Cronans and contract with them for passage offworld in exchange for military support and cooperation against the Zarlacks.  The result was a combined Cronan-Ubermen piracy presence in the known worlds for much of the late 02200s and early 02300s. 

Both the Cronan and Uberman ships of the 02280s were cargo ships and freighters refitted with advanced weaponry but lacking in defensive measures other than armor.

The fact that the Ubermen and the Cronans were both genetically-modified humanoids originating on Terra may have been what drove these two divergent offshoots of humanity into cooperation, but the partnership could never last and the two eventually had a falling out resulting in the almost complete genocide of both (although an amalgamation of the two sub-species would experience a resurgence in the 04000s and 05000s).

During their stint as pirates in the known worlds, the Ubermen attempted to seize Exodus Colony, a distant settlement in the Medusa Nebula.  This brought the Venture into direct conflict with one of the Uberman ships, and ultimately resulted in a campaign by the VanGuard to defeat the threat posed by the new piracy threat.  (NOTE: This image shows the Venture firing two fusion warheads at the Uberman ship, the Genghis Khan.  Historically, this is significant as antimatter warheads were only deployed by VanGuard vessels during times of all-out war).

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The SolarGuard of the 02260s and 02270s

Even as the VanGuard reached further out into the Great Deep to claim worlds for Terran humanity, the once-proud Solar Navy transitioned into a new force for the protection of the Sol System.  The SolarGuard, as it came to be called, served as an adjunct to the HomeGuard (itself composed of "down-commissioned" warships of the former UECON forces) with the assigned duty of protecting Earth, the Solar System and the colonies of the nearest systems.  The SolarGuard fleet used a standardized fleet of Defense Frigates, termed the Valkyrie class, as well as a limited number of larger warships, although in many ways these massive vessels duplicated the capabilities of the existing HomeGuard superdreadnoughts and thus were removed from the line of duty long before becoming obsolete. (The Valkyrie class also made something of a name for itself in exploring previously ignored systems of the known worlds while the Venture class did the same out on the Frontier). 

Valkyrie class Defense Frigates served side-by-side with their Venture class Light Exploration Cruiser brethren throughout the 02260s and 02270s, and some sixteen units remained in service into the 02290s to be upgraded/re-categorized from frigates to perimeter patrol cruisers.

The SolarGuard Valkyrie class Defense Frigates were designed with a mix of captured Qajari/Laythian technologies and Promedian building methods resulting in extremely capable, but costly vessels for their intended purposes. 

The Heaven's Will/Kusanagi class superdreadnought came into being when the Promedians offered technology enhancements to the Terrans as part of the foundational agreements that created the InterStellar Federacy.  In addition, advances made by reverse-engineering Qajari and Laythian technologies recovered from the prior conflict ensured these huge vessels were amongst the most capable warships fielded in the octant during their service life despite their limitations (such as not being very maneuverable in battle and requiring frequent and major maintenance cycles to remain combat-worthy).  Their tremendous cost made them easy targets for decommissioning as the VanGuard began to grow into the role of a single-fleet navy for the fledgling alliance.

The Second Desolator Incursion-02270s

The presence of rogue Desolators (massive and extremely destructive automated robot warships from left over from some ancient epoch) throughout the known worlds began to become common knowledge in the mid-02260s and early-02270s with the second infiltration of Terran space by one of these great machines.  Only superior cunning on the part of VanGuard warship captains resulted in the human homeworld not being devastated as had happened to so many other worlds.
The Desolators would return centuries later in larger groups utilizing more cohesive tactics, but the groundwork for their later attacks would be laid even in this early era of mankind's journey amongst the stars.

Desolator vessels, such as the one that attacked the Terran homeworld in 02271 were one of the greatest nightmares ever faced by humanity in the early days of interstellar exploration.  Although most galactic citizens think of the later Desolator invasions, even these early incursions by single units were terrifying to those who faced them.

Many historians of the time period (and others in retrospect) note that the Desolator Crisis of 02271 was the first time that VanGuard and TerraFleet HomeGuard ships truly worked together since the Kraceen, Felinoid and Galactic War crises of the early to mid-02200s in order to solve a major problem facing Terra.  This would ultimately lead to the much stronger Terran fleet dynamics of the 02300s.

The Zarlack Revolt of 02270

As the 02260s wound down, a major change in interstellar politics was about to take place.  One of the species conquered by the Cronans and held under their sway for a century was the serpentine Zarlacks, a once proud race closely related to the enigmatic Draconyar encountered by a Terran captain five years previous.  After achieving a brief independence from the Cronans during the early part of the 02200s before being re-conquered, the Zarlacks worked tirelessly to regain their freedom.  When their final revolt took place in 02270, they waged a devastating campaign against their hated Cronan foes, leading to a collapse of the regime that turned the once feared Cronans into a secondary interstellar power. 

The Zarlacks were heirs to a once-great empire based many lightyears from the known worlds, but had fallen under the domination of the Cronans a century before the founding of the TranStellar Federacy.  TransFed supported the independence of the Zarlacks in the 02260s and 02270s as a way to restrain the power of the Cronans, but soon regretted their actions as the Zarlacks became an even greater thorn in the side of the Federacy over the next century despite their occasional, but often brief, alliances during the 02300s. 

The Vanguard Fleet during the early Terran Age of Discovery (02200s)

While ships of Terra did carry out significant exploration efforts during the mid- to late-02100s, the first real era of discovery began in the 02260s with the deployment of the TransFed Vanguard Exploration Cruisers.  This new line of galactic research ship was made up of vessels ranging from the diminutive Exploration Frigates to the late era Exploration DreadNaughts and consisted of both brand new designs and upgrades of earlier classes, such as that of the TFS Venture and her sister ships. 

Some of the newer TransFed VanGuard designs were merely upgraded variants of previous designs.  These ships turned out to be excellent vessels for both exploration and military purposes and many enjoyed long service lives into the late 02290s.

The 02260s also marked the first contact between Terrans and one of the Galaxy's cosmic horrors (or guardians, depending on how you look at it); the sublimely ancient Omnicrons.  Their massive vessels plied the deep space lanes, alternating between attacking and protecting the ships of Terra and her allies.

The VanGuard became the major fleet power during the First Terran Age of Discovery as their starships became commonplace throughout much of the local region of known space.  At the same time, there was significant jockeying for position and influence with other races, such as the Cronans and a newly-discovered avian species called the Pauk.  The Cronans were transplanted humans from Terra's ancient past who followed a religion of conquest and debauchery, ruling over other beings in a brutal fashion using their genetically-modification technology.  The Pauk, on the other hand, were a suspicious and devious race who saw themselves as a counter-balance to the Terrans.  With their population spread throughout dozens of nebulae, these "Warriors of the Clouds" (as they called themselves) caused fear throughout the known worlds for nearly two centuries, although at least one sect of the Pauk were nominal allies with the TransStellar Federacy on occasion.  These two races, along with other species that would rise and fall from time to time, posed the greatest threat to the Terran Ascension during the 23rd and 24th Centuries.

The vile Cronans were responsible for many of the interstellar crises that developed during the 02260s, but were overthrown circa 02270 by one of their slave races, the reptilian Zarlacks. 

Pauk warships terrorized the allied worlds during the two centuries that began around 02260 and ended roughly 02460, although they seemed to take a long hiatus here and there and hide out in their stellar nurseries from time to time.  Their treachery became the stuff of legends, and even thousands of years later the term "Paukish" still connotes a being of dishonest or duplicitous nature.

The InterStellar Federacy of the 02260s

With the conclusion of the Great Galactic War, Terra and its colonies found itself part of a new collective of worlds which came to be known as the InterStellar Federacy, or "InterFed" for short.  InterFed was a newly minted power, focused on both exploration and unification of the various inhabited human and xenoalien worlds making up the known worlds.  The fading domination of the Promedians, with their former mandate from the distant Galactic Assembly, paved the way for the Terrans to rise to prominence and the era beginning in the 02260s became known as the "Terran Ascension".

Newly-built frigates of the InterStellar Federacy on manuevers over Potsdam Colony in the 36 Ophiuchi system.

While both homeworlds of the Promedians (Promedia Prime in the 40 Eridani system and Promedia Secundis in the Chi Draconis system) played an important role in the foundation of InterFed, and their technologies contributed to the design process of an entire new generation of starships, as well as upgrades to previous VanGuard vessels.  Gone were the massive lumbering Terran warships of the Alliance era and in their place were the new, more agile and sleek Exploration Cruisers.

The Exploration Cruisers of the 02260s were elegant and powerful designs.  They crammed the weaponry of the previous generation of Superdreadnoughts into hulls the size of cruisers, to the point of completely putting the larger ships out of service as warships and relegating them to intersystem transports.

The C-series of exploration scouts traveled far and wide during the 02250s and 02260s securing footholds on numerous uninhabited worlds throughout the region of space that would become dominated by Terran humanity.  This particular example is Unit 57-Delta which explored the Cosmic Oracle world circling the nearby star Altair.