Elite Defense Starfleet / EDSF

• “FORTE, FIDELE, VIRTUTE SIDERUM TENUS“
  *(Bold with loyalty and valor to the stars)

2409: Formation of UNE’s First Exploratory Fleet, later known simply as Starfleet. The group is tasked with gaining a scientific understanding of the universe that humanity was beginning to explore.

2517: OmniCo Analytics is founded on Terra, exploiting uncertainties in the tax laws pertaining to colonial worlds in order to seize newly-discovered planets with little to no financial liability.

2547: The Greys, a group of human survivors from the Tevarin occupation of Idris IV are granted honorary commissions in the UEE military and enlisted in the largely ceremonial 7th Fleet as public relations figures and recruitment symbols. The Greys reject the limitations of their roles and use the ships at their disposal to maintain UEE superiority in systems they consider poorly secured.

2587: Starfleet’s charter to explore new worlds and seek out new life is compromised by an ever more imperial government in search of technological advantages against their perceived enemies. Imperator Messer removes Fleet Admiral Quinn as administrator of Starfleet and installs General Shimoda, who has well-known ties to OmniCo Analytics.

2684: Captain Louvois of the Starfleet Surveyor Dougherty discovers auriferous ore strata in several locations on the surface of Etos, the first planet in the Osiris System. The existence of a developing ecosystem and possible intelligent life creates a conflict between Starfleet’s current obligations to OmniCo Analytics and their shareholders, and the original scientific principles under which Starfleet was founded. Louvois and her crew forge the sensor logs to indicate that Etos not only doesn’t have minerals of any value, but also environmentally hostile to the point that even terraforming is not an option.

2792: The Imperial Dynasty of the Messers is overthrown, and Erin Toi takes on the role of Imperator. Starfleet is one of several military divisions that are restored to their pre-imperial charters. OmniCo loses prestige and stock value because of the change, but does not collapse.

2795: Passage of the Fair Chance Act, protecting developing worlds from exploitation. An advisory board is formed, and Starfleet is asked to conduct field surveys to help evaluate claims.

2800: UEE builds the Ark, a repository of information and culture located in space for all the races in the universe. Large amounts of data from Starfleet’s centuries of exploration is made publicly available.

2809: The Etos Incident

17 March, 2809: An awkward young man hoping to make his fortune in mining goes to the Ark and pours over Starfleet planetary data, hoping to find some untapped lode. He finds incongruities in the logs from the Dougherty pertaining to the planet Etos. Using forensic software unavailable a century ago, but now available as open source, he reconstructs just enough of the information to know that something valuable is there. He quietly acquires a ship and heads for Osiris.

18 March, 2809: Word reaches a mid-level administrator at the Ark of an awkward young man completely failing to quietly acquire a ship for a mining expedition after perusing the logs of the S. S. Dougherty. The bureaucrat has ties to OmniCo Analytics and sends a brief message to them, including the coordinates of the planet, which the awkward young man had neglected to delete from the terminal he used.

23 March, 2809: Ships from the 7th Fleet out of Goss become aware of OmniCo mining ships on their way to Osiris without manifests or flight plans. They notify officers up their chain of command but do not take any action.

27 March, 2809: A higher-level administrator at the Ark launches an investigation into claims of abuse of office by staff. Several employees react with outrage at what they term “administrative overreach” and resign.

8 April, 2809: Starfleet receives notice that information from the Dougherty may have been accessed in connection with the Ark’s ethics probe. Starfleet begins its own review of the Dougherty logs.

17 April, 2809: The 7th Fleet sends a battle group into the Osiris system on a standard patrol. The group discovers a major mining operation on Etos. They advise their superiors of the situation, but are ordered not to interfere.

27 April, 2809: A lawyer and several goons employed by OmniCo Analytics fly out to the camp of the awkward young man, whom they’ve finally tracked down. The lawyer carries Notice of Claim on the planet Etos and a Cease and Desist letter demanding the young man leave the planet or face penalties. When they arrive at the camp, the goons are killed almost instantly upon leaving their vehicle. Evidence indicates the lawyer survived a few days longer, but not without discomfort. The desicated remains of the young man are discovered not far from the site, having died almost as instantly upon his arrival.

4 May, 2809: A Starfleet survey cruiser arrives at Etos and discovers the OmniCo mining operation. They inform the miners that the planet is protected under the Fair Chance Act and demand that they immediately suspend operation and vacate the planet. The miners refuse and threaten the cruiser with financial and military retribution.

17 May, 2809: The UEE deploys a battle group to Etos. They are met by OmniCo security forces, and a standoff ensues in orbit of the planet.

21 May, 2809: OmniCo Analytics begins an advertising campaign urging citizens to contact their representatives in government and demand that the Fair Chance Act be repealed in the interests of Freedom and Prosperity.

23 May, 2809: High-ranking officers in the 7th Fleet that still have ties with OmniCo Analytics order ships into Osiris to support the mining operation’s security forces.

24 May, 2809: Starfleet ships arrive to reinforce the UEE battle group. A scuffle ensues as Starfleet passes near a 7th Fleet patrol, and three ships are disabled, forcing them to leave orbit to make repairs.

2 June, 2809: An attack by indigenous creatures on the Etos colony forces the miners to call for assistance. OmniCo takes the opportunity to play it up in the media, claiming government regulation and the UEE blockade is putting people at risk.

18 July, 2809: As the standoff continues, political pressure mounts on Imperator Erin Toi to bring the situation to an end. The Imperator issues a statement calling for unity, and expressing a deep resistance to the idea of killing humans in the name of expediency. These are not holonovel villains, but people with a different set of beliefs. And if we can’t have differing beliefs without killing each other, then we don’t deserve an empire.

22 July, 2809: Ships from Starfleet and the 7th Fleet that had left Etos to make repairs detect an energy signature on the edge of the Alpha asteroid belt. Believing it might be a damaged ship, but not knowing from which side, they agree to go together to investigate and assist. They discover a Xi’an corvette that has been masking its energy output. The corvette opens fire, but the cruisers easily destroy it. Among the asteroids, they find supply crates and fuel tanks.

23 July, 2809: Orders come to the 7th Fleet battle group to head to the asteroid belt and destroy the three damaged cruisers. Admiral Locke leads a group to the belt, followed close by Starfleet Commodore Dougals Sherry’s flagship and a wing of Starfleet frigates. They find the damaged ships already on their way back with evidence of Xi’an interference. Admiral Locke, never a supporter of the Messer Dynasty, is disgusted but not surprised that OmniCo has ties to the Xi’an. Locke asks Commodore Sherry to come aboard to discuss the situation.

25 July, 2809: The combined Starfleet and 7th Fleet battle group returns from the asteroid belt. Admiral Locke orders the 7th Fleet to stand down and the OmniCo security forces to disperse. He accuses OmniCo of getting reinforcements from the Xi’an, who they believe are trying to destabilize the UEE, which they consider weak after the recent coup. The Archer, an OmniCo security forces dreadnought, turns to engage Admiral Locke’s ship. Three Starfleet science vessels scan the dreadnought with subnucleonic carrier waves, while Locke’s cruiser fires a concentrated volley of torpedoes and energy weapons. The dreadnought is destroyed, but precision of the strike leaves all the surrounding OmniCo security ships unharmed. Admiral Locke once again instructs the OmniCo fleet to disperse. This time, they comply.

2810: Following the resignation of Fleet Admiral Shimoda XII, Imperator Toi orders the dissolution of the 7th Fleet, despite its historical significance. Fleet Admiral O’Brien of Starfleet requests that they instead by transferred to his command. Since their new mandate to not just to explore but to protect, they could use people with military expertise. Imperator Toi agrees, and the combined unit is designated Elite Defense Starfleet.