Prologue....

Prologue:

Once the universe was infinitely big and humanity thought itself to be alone. Humanity expanded as far as its limited technology allowed it. Colonies appeared on Earth’s Moon, on Saturn, Mars and a dozen other moons and planets that were discovered as humanity expanded ever outwards. Earth remained the capital of what quickly became known as the United Colonies of Earth. Humanity thrived amongst the stars and for nearly a hundred years continued to believe they were alone.

They weren’t.

On the eve of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first human colony a ship appeared on the Colonial Navies scanners. A ship that was angling in from deep space far beyond any human colony sent ripples through the Colonies bureaucrats. The leaders of a dozen worlds convened to discuss how to meet this new threat. Some talked of destruction. Other people spoke of peace. Still other people discussed the possibilities of profit and expansion.

The new ship approached faster than any ship the Navy could throw at it. Humanity had little choice but to extend an olive branch. It was accepted. The Catalians turned out to be a feline like race. They were a warrior race trying out diplomacy and peace in the wake of a new regime. Together humans and catalians forged a peace. Humanity taught Catalians about peace, diplomacy and art while the Catalians taught humanity about war, their history and shared technology. Humanity drank it all in and began expanding once more.

Twenty-five years passed, and then another. Catalian and human relations went on and some of the aliens learned to live on Earth and her colonies. Humans were taken to Prime, the Catalian home world, and they tried to live amongst the aliens. Then things changed. Humans got greedy, the Catalian regime fell to usurpers and the once war-like race of warriors returned to their older ways. They lashed out at the inferior humans but the humans had learned and they defended their world with a tenacity that shocked the alien race. Many of them fled the Colonies and returned back home others were imprisoned on Earth. The war waged for a decade, a stalemate was declared and a treaty signed that kept the Catalians in Catalian space and the humans in theirs. A hundred years of uneasy peace existed between the two races while a large swathe of space was guarded against entry by one or the other.

The war, however, had drawn others to feed on the remnants and pieces that fell away. The Draven arrived in human control space a few decades after the end of what the Colonies called the Border War. These new winged creatures drew excitement from the scientific community but wary from the lessons learned with the Catalians humanity did not welcome them with open arms. Ambassadors and treaties were signed, technology was shared but humanity would not jump back in bed with another alien race they did not understand.

Factions arose within the Colonies, groups for expansion, other groups for isolationism some more extreme than others. In the end the popular vote was to stay isolated. The Dharquen appeared next, cousins to the Draven and obvious in their dislike for humanity and their soft ways. The Dharquen tried to invade, the Draven helped repel them. The Colonies once again expanded with new and wonderous tech. Other minor races were encountered as humanity continued their growth. The Elgin in one corner and a few other smaller less open species in another. Humanity thrived, Catalians thrived as did all the other species, but as with all good things the universes prosperity would not last forever. Jealousies ensued, demands for access to space no one had a true claim on. Colonies raided by unknown assailants and accusations tossed about like rag dolls. Once again each species withdrew into their own territories and communication nearly ceased. That was a hundred years ago. The Colonies only let four or five of each species into the colonies at a time. These visitors were heavily guarded and followed. They were allowed only on Earth and even then only in certain areas. The Draven withdrew entirely, then the Dharquen and finally a little over a decade ago the Catalians broke off communication with humanity. There were questions but answers never came. The Colonies voted to veto all further expansion. They concentrated on making the sixty some Earth colonies into thriving communities. They grew complacent, life, while not easy on the rim worlds was still good. Money was made, worlds thrived and humanity was content. As in centuries past, all good things must come to an end.....