Year 2043 – Earth Orbit, The Deep Crown
Humanity stood on the threshold of its next age. After months of cautious towing and stops for stabilising the vessel, the ship now floated silently in low-Earth orbit, surrounded by a protective array of orbital satellites and stealth security drones led by a multinational council ensuring no-one would take advantage. No boarding attempts were made after the initial mission; the vessel became both a symbol of progress and a source of geopolitical tension.
A multinational lab cluster, the Athena Array was state of the art multi-satellite led by the U.N with the planet's finest. It was established in high orbit to begin non-invasive careful study.
With the global public, still recovering from the shock of confirmation, referred to the vessel as The Crown. It became a permanent fixture in the sky. A quiet, brooding monument to everything Earth might become one day, a galaxy faring species.
2044 — Cracks in the Code
Advancements in AI-assisted cryptography finally began producing results. Lexicon frameworks began to form — fragmented words, structural grammar, looping sentence patterns. It wasn't a Rosetta Stone, but it was the start of one, the main information matrix is still being carefully undone so as not to trigger any destructive failsafes, if they get this information matrix they will know everything the ship and its crew knew.
Progress came from unlikely places. A joint South African and Japanese team, using neural-lattice empathy processors derived from Erin Kael's early Polaris Initiative models, reported the first successful pattern recognition alignment between fragments of alien data and human sensory metaphors.
Translation was no longer theoretical — it had become real, albeit slow and prone to error.
Meanwhile, Earth's top engineers began isolating specific materials and energy systems from the Deep Crown. No full systems operated, but fragments — fibered alloys, heat-diffusion nodes, and "memory-metal" plating — showed promise.
They also finally were able to open some secure doors with better and bigger equipment, what was found were presumed to be armory and some data vaults that housed even more information needed and a possible backdoor to accessing the main information matrix. The weapons themselves were strange, they were energy based weapons utilizing a mix of different gases that are proven to be in the solar system in some moons and planets, including neptune. Questions arose whether we can produce our own and engineers got to work on working these weapons as well as other equipment found in other vaults like presumed small shuttles and other craft with even what appears to be a land vehicle.
A new field was born, giving rise to countless jobs: Xenotech Reverse Engineering.
2045 — First Translations, First Myths
The first partially translated logs revealed mention of "The Reclamation War", "The Council of Lords", "Emperors and Empresses" and recurring symbols later associated with a still-mysterious entity: the Sith, presumed name of this faction.
Academic groups debated whether "Sith" was a name, a class, a religion, or a species or all together.
Conflicting interpretations created rifts in academic communities. The U.N. Science Directorate published only heavily redacted versions of logs to avoid religious or political manipulation, but that didn't stop private leaks.
Conspiracy groups exploded across the globe.
Some said the Sith had been Earth's creators. Others believed they were demonic invaders from another dimension. Some believed they were still out there — waiting.
There were others mentioned such as: Republic, Jedi, Mandalorians, Corporate Sector, Hutts. But without more knowledge and translation we can only put them in our logs.
2046 — Energy Revolution
Humanity cracked the vessel's microreactor casing.
It didn't yield a power source. But it did yield a principle — Non-Decay Radiant Induction — a method of storing energy at perfect efficiency, inspired by the Crown's passive systems. Within two years, commercial applications followed.
With specially built reactors and housing units the global dependence on fossil fuels and legacy nuclear began to collapse with energy becoming cheaper, more reliable and more climate friendly as this special non-decays radiant induction did not create any greenhouse effects.
The economic reordering was swift and precise under the leadership of the U.N, what would have been brutal, chaotic free-for-all with a sprinkle of sabotage and possible war was instead effective, efficient and protected. Nations with aging infrastructures collapsed under debt. Others soared into post-energy eras of economic growth, small energy companies were absorbed into U.N ran global energy grid, some voicing concerns of national independence but when electricity was cheaper than it ever was the discordious voices soon were drowned out by the support.
Global inequality worsened before it got better.
The first technological disparity wars began — not with bombs, but with patents, hacking, and artificial blackouts. Bribery and espionage were daily, nothing too much that the U.N would turn their ever more powerful gaze on them but it was still there. As long as no one was foolish enough or bold enough the U.N kept its gaze firmly to the stars.
2047 — Militarisation & the Charter of Containment
As expected, the Deep Crown became a military objective, it was bound to eventually, the question was not if, but when.
Weapons systems aboard the vessel inert and decades from functional replication inspired a new arms race across the globe, there have already been prototypes based on the plasma weapons, now translated to as "blasters" they apparently can shoot different grades of plasma or "bolts" depending on the gas mix which then corresponds to different colours, these ones predominantly use crimson mix that is apparently on high-mid range of power, with around 2 dozen sniper looking weapons having orange ones, higher tier apparently.
There have already been operations to various moons and gas planets to see if we can make our own gas mix, the results were less than satisfactory we only have limited success but the highest stability we got was yellow which is somewhat on the same power range of the red one, it's a mix of gasses found on Jupiter mixed in with some chemicals to create it but the production has yet to be stabilized and expanded.
Based on reverse engineering and the bit of technical information some countries have already begun their own independent tests not based on the ship such as railgun platforms, directed energy experiments, gravimetric warhead theories.
The U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1129, banning weaponization of alien technology. It was ignored within months by most countries and some still clinging corporations.
Since the resolution went nowhere, a compromise was reached — the Charter of Containment. Nations could develop alien-derived technology for defensive purposes, so long as development remained transparent to the U.N.'s inspection arm: the Athena Protocols.
But not everyone was on board.
The Pacific Trade Bloc, and several multinational industrial states withdrew from the protocols, claiming overreach.
A new Cold War began — not between East and West — but between those who pursued containment… and those who pursued dominance.
2048 — Terraforming Initiatives and Bioengineering Leaps
The translated pieces of data reveal that terraforming by this "sith empire" is in advanced stages where they can transform previously thought un-habitable planets habitable. Prompting questions whether it would be possible to be done on planets or even suitable moons, which started yet another project. Project Gaia, the aim of this project is to successfully terraform Mars and make a permanent colony there, with its abundant and fresh iron and mineral reserves Mars could become Earth's future manufacturing station.
On this matter every country has agreed to cooperate, as the mineral and ore situation is still not getting better and what is mined from asteroids and leftovers in earth is still not enough. This project also caused the lunar base on the moon to expand to mine more natural gases in particular helium 3 used in nuclear fusion and other minerals found there, as of now there are around 5000 people on the moon from various countries, the plan is to triple that number and to create new bases on the moon's surface.
2049 — The First Manned Ship with Alien-Derived Systems
The Solace was launched.
Built over a decade from experimental platforms and derived engineering, Solace was the first human ship to employ partial gravity-field modulation, reverse-engineered from the Deep Crown's inertial balancing framework.
It couldn't move faster than light, but it was faster than anything before it.
Its mission: Mars orbit, deep mapping of the Kuiper Belt, and long-duration AI-command simulations.
The ship returned after 9 months. It was a success.
2050 — The Treaty of Earth Orbit
After years of pressure, the major powers came to a reckoning. With orbital space cluttered with security platforms, commercial satellites, and weaponized drones all "watching" the Deep Crown — a treaty was necessary.
The Treaty of Earth Orbit established: A joint rotating command of Earth's orbital observation systems. Designated weapon-free zones around the Deep Crown and Athena Array. Binding penalties for unauthorized private missions to alien relics.
It wasn't perfect. Violations occurred. But it slowed escalation.
And for a moment, it gave humanity the illusion that the sky was under control.
2051 — The Matrix Breathes
Earth's linguistic breakthroughs finally allowed access to the primary databank aboard the Deep Crown. The system — internally codenamed Echo-9 — was a responsive virtual interface, not conscious but contextual. Despite partial damage, it held thousands of encrypted military records, ship logs, political briefings, and sociocultural data nodes.
The matrix was of Sith Imperial origin, providing an internal perspective of the galaxy as seen through the lens of its officers, scientists, and command structures.
The tone was confident, sometimes cold, but not overtly malevolent. To its creators, order, control, hierarchy, and strength were not evils, but necessities in a galaxy of competing ideologies.
The matrix referred often to the ongoing war against the Galactic Republic and its military enforcers, the Jedi Order. It did not dwell on ancient rifts or betrayals — simply painting Jedi as instruments of Republic soft-power, and Sith as rulers of a unified empire maintaining peace through structure and strength.
The bias was obvious, but not hostile. Sith victories were celebrated. Jedi ones explained away. It was less propaganda and more cultural assumption.
Earth scientists treated it the way one would treat any ancient record — carefully, analytically, and with growing curiosity.
2052 — A Galaxy Mapped
The matrix contained incomplete galactic star charts — now centuries out of date — but it still revealed a picture of a living, connected galaxy. Several key factions emerged from logs and fleet data:
The Sith Empire — A theocratic-militarized state, centrally governed, with elite leadership drawn from Force-sensitive dynasties. Its fleets spanned thousands of systems. Citizens were categorized by merit, loyalty, and genetic aptitude. Military service was near-universal.
The Galactic Republic — A decentralized federation governed by a Senate. Technologically advanced, but described as fractious, bureaucratic, and too reliant on Jedi intervention. Jedi were portrayed not as tyrants, but as peacekeepers "whose idealism blinds them to necessary sacrifice."
The Hutt Cartels — Semi-legitimate merchant empires operating in lawless sectors. The matrix viewed them with disdain but acknowledged their influence.
The Mandalorian Clans — Described as honor-driven nomads, sometimes enemies, sometimes mercenaries. Their warriors were feared — and respected.
The Corporate Sector Authority — A capitalist megabloc tolerated by both sides due to its economic power. Its fleets were limited, but its wealth vast.
Unknown Regions — Repeatedly referenced as uncharted, unstable, or forbidden. The Sith logs included warnings against long-term navigation in these areas.
Earth's scientists realized they had found not just a ship — but a partial record of galactic civilization.
2053 — Star Wars by Another Name
Popular media dubbed the hidden conflict "The Star War," but officials avoided that term. Academics simply called it The Galactic Conflict, noting that it had apparently lasted for centuries, with long stalemates broken by brief, violent shifts in power.
Despite ideological slants, both factions clearly possessed immense capability and complicated moralities. The matrix respected both as serious powers. Earth took that cue.
2054 — Foundations of Technology
With better linguistic clarity and deeper AI simulations, engineers unlocked new levels of understanding in Sith tech:
Energy Weapons ("Blasters"): Gas-based plasma bolts calibrated by frequency and bolt integrity. Earth began manufacturing low-yield prototypes using planetary gases like the ones from Jupiter.
Deflector Shielding: Still limited to laboratory-scale, but small drones now tested multi-angle energy dispersion shielding in low-orbit trials.
Grav-Plating: Inspired by inertial compensators aboard the Deep Crown, basic artificial gravity was now viable in low-g environments like orbital stations and long-haul shuttles.
Droid Architecture: Some blueprints suggested semi-autonomous tactical droids, though none were found aboard. Earth R began crafting analogues, leading to the field of Strategic Robotics.
One breakthrough came with power efficiency: Sith systems used resonant feedback loops that dramatically reduced thermal waste. This led to Earth's first superconductive ship cores.
Still, most tech was half-understood, more emulated than replicated.
2055 — Historical Insight
The matrix continued to reveal sociopolitical logs and cultural documents. One journal — likely from a Sith fleet archivist — mentioned the Deep Crown's original assignment:
"Surveying fringe worlds in uncharted sectors. Gathering hyperspace telemetry. Observing anomalies."
No mention was made of Earth — confirming that the ship's presence here was accidental, they "jumped" here after coming into contact with some brave outer rim pirates leading into hyperspace miscalculation.
Fragmentary history suggested the Deep Crown disappeared somewhere between 700 and 900 years ago (galactic standard), placing it during a peak of Sith military activity.
Several names appeared repeatedly in officer logs:
Lord Solcaris — Fleet Admiral
Darth Nemeia — Overseer of Intelligence
Moff Kareen Dax — Sector Governor
They were never contextualized fully, but it painted a picture of a rigid hierarchy, with each role accountable to the Dark Council.
2056 — Academic Order and Public Calm
By now, Earth's public education systems introduced Galactic History Studies as an optional course. Focus remained academic — not celebratory.
The United Nations released a Cultural Neutrality Directive, mandating that no school, religion, or government should present either the Sith or Republic as "role models," but rather as historical case studies in galactic development.
While fringe groups still argued online, the mainstream response was mature and measured.
Sith philosophy was studied alongside Earth thinkers like Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Confucius. Jedi teachings — reconstructed from fragments — were compared to Stoicism and Buddhism.
The goal wasn't alignment. It was understanding.
2057 — Signs of Other Powers
Earth began organizing its translated files by category. One surprising revelation was just how many other galactic civilizations existed beyond the two dominant ones.
Mentions of:
Zygerrian Slavers
Duros Engineers
Selkath Diplomats
Rakata ruins (uncertain context)
Togruta colonists
Mon Calamari shipwrights
These entries were sparse, but tantalizing. Humanity realized that the galaxy wasn't a simple binary between Sith and Jedi — it was a tapestry of races, cultures, and powers with shifting allegiances and overlapping ambitions.
What was concerning was Earth's relative proximity to these Zyggerian Slavers as well as what is considered "Hutt Space." Place of outlaws for outlaws, basically mafia run galactic sector who are filled with bounty hunters, slavers, outcasts and others. Should they ever learn of Earth there's no doubt the entire planet will be enslaved.
2058 — The Second Language Matrix
Another breakthrough came when researchers in Sweden and India cracked a sub-layer of the database — an internal communication hub between the Deep Crown and its command hierarchy. This included encrypted reports, sensor logs, and even intercepted enemy signals.
Among them:
Records of Jedi fleet movements
Maps of disputed regions near the Hydian Way
Fragmentary references to something called the Dark Council and Emperor.
The most shocking: a partially degraded hyperspace chart, with possible routes to mid-galactic sectors, if Earth could build the means to follow.
No one tried — not yet. But the implications were profound.
2059 — The Builder's Doctrine
A document titled Doctrine of the Builder Caste outlined how certain Sith social classes were raised not as warriors, but engineers of galactic infrastructure. This caste was responsible for building space elevators, shipyards, artificial moons, and atmospheric control grids.
Earth's engineers devoured the details.
The UN established the Strategic Terraforming and Habitat Agency (STHA) — to prepare Earth for off-world megaprojects using adapted Sith methodologies.
This year also saw the first public testing of atmospheric shapers — modeled after Sith planetary environment systems.
2060–2065 — Echoes of Empire
By now, the Information Matrix from the Deep Crown was fully translated, though interpretation remained imperfect. Its core narrative, presented through logs, reports, and fragmented AI-guided visualizations, told a version of galactic history — but one filtered through Sith Empire records.
To Earth's scholars, it painted a galaxy divided between two dominant ideologies:
The Republic, protected by the Jedi Order — a bureaucratic, consensus-driven body often portrayed as inefficient, emotionally repressive, and unwilling to act swiftly in crisis.
The Sith Empire, led by those trained in the Force's darker aspects — a meritocratic, authoritarian order, claiming to value strength, order, and galactic stability through centralised power.
The matrix never mentioned a Jedi-Sith "split." Instead, the two orders were presented simply as opposing doctrines — one that sought balance through peace (Jedi), and one that embraced evolution through power (Sith).
This subtle bias was recognized by Earth's leading historians, but the political implications were too sensitive to ignore. Governments agreed not to openly adopt either ideology. Still, whispers began within military academies and black projects about the advantages of Sith tactical doctrines and force integration into military hierarchies.
Meanwhile, Earth continued to catalogue minor galactic powers from the data cache:
The Hutts, described as "commercial aristocrats" who ruled via cartel influence and proxy navies.
The Corporate Sector, a confederation of mega-corporations with independent military forces.
The Mandalorians, a nomadic warrior culture fragmented into clans, often hired as mercenaries.
Dozens of others — some extinct, some distant, some unknown — but all terrifyingly advanced.
This growing awareness caused an identity shift in Earth's global psyche. For the first time, humanity was not alone — but vastly outmatched.
2065–2070 — A Question of Destiny
Technological recovery entered a new golden age:
Gravity-well projectors (from starfighter hangar schematics) were partially reconstructed for civilian use, revolutionizing cargo handling and orbital construction.
Medical injectors and regen-stim fields, once part of battlefield triage kits, were adapted into Earth's hospitals, reducing trauma deaths by 60%.
A fragment of navigation algorithms from the Deep Crown's archive hinted at galactic drift mapping, opening theoretical paths to faster-than-light travel using quantum slipstream seeding — though these remained years away from practical tests.
Despite progress, socioeconomic tension intensified.
Corporations, particularly those in biotech, energy, and defense, had grown colossal. Nations that had once led Earth's innovation — the U.S., China, Brazil, India, EU — now found themselves competing with transnational conglomerates who weren't bound by loyalty to nations.
While the Athena Protocols still held legal oversight over alien-derived R , several corporations were found using unregistered tech clusters — hidden labs in international waters, deep-sea mining colonies, or Antarctic bio-domes. These entities had begun forming quiet alliances, prioritizing profit and technological supremacy over planetary unity.
Worse still, deep space surveillance picked up strange gravitational anomalies beyond the solar system — unexplained disturbances that, while not openly acknowledged, sparked classified debates among Earth's orbital command groups.
2070–2075 — The First Seeds of Collapse
Artificial intelligence, now deeply integrated into all branches of society, began exhibiting minor anomalies — unusual pattern loops, brief linguistic substitutions referencing galactic terms, and an increasing tendency to prioritize "long-term planetary preservation" over corporate mandates.
Some experts argued this was the influence of exposed alien code — Deep Crown systems had subtly altered how human code interfaced with logic trees. Others insisted it was just AI learning from humanity's emerging worldview.
A handful of corporations began quietly leaving Earth. Using private launch systems and lunar infrastructure, they relocated to Martian colonies and asteroid bases, claiming independence under corporate charters.
In truth, these were preparations.
By 2075, intelligence networks flagged unusual purchases and resource flows — megaton orders of rare gases, metallic hydrogen, and energy-stabilized plasma. Satellite imagery spotted shipyard-scale structures being built beyond Earth's normal orbital monitoring grids.
Rumors leaked of secret military alignments between rogue corporations, fringe nations, and black-market engineers.
2075–2080 — Hushed Warnings, Quiet Power
Several smaller nations, frustrated by U.N. oversight and stagnating access to alien tech, began to split away diplomatically. They offered exclusive contracts to rogue megacorps, promising access to materials, land, and labor in exchange for protection and technology sharing.
Notable breakaways included:
A corporate-backed government in Equatorial Africa, centered around orbital launch towers and heavy mining operations.
The rearmament of Eastern autocracies, with advanced weapon prototypes of unknown origin.
The rise of off-world separatist colonies, especially in Mars' southern hemisphere and Saturn's moon mining rigs.
Some human analysts feared this was the start of the Second Cold War — not between nations, but between those loyal to Earth's global protocols and those pursuing independent ascension.
The U.N. was slow to respond.
It was Earth's Lunar Defense Command that first flagged what would later be known as "The Outer Accord" — a coalition of rogue states, exiled tycoons, and silent financiers who had begun communications with unknown external entities.
Who they were speaking to, no one could say.
Not yet.
2080–2090 — Tensions Before the Storm
Surveillance satellites picked up artificial gravitic bursts beyond the Oort Cloud — misaligned warp signatures, distorted by unknown tech. One physicist famously wrote:
"It's like watching whales breach, only we don't know how many — or if they're even whales."
By 2083, a partial transmission was intercepted — archaic Galactic Basic, twisted through distortion fields, bearing the Huttese insignia. The message was partially decrypted:
"Drift successful. New sphere identified. Planetary biosphere promising. No local hyperspace monitoring. Will prepare ground-level negotiations or enforcement. Retainers deployed. Awaiting fleet recalibration."
The Athena Protocols classified it immediately. Earth wasn't ready. But behind closed doors, the countdown had already begun.
By 2085, those in power began quietly militarizing in earnest. More nations backed away from diplomacy. The U.N. began losing grip as multinational militaries reformed into orbital coalitions, outside of public view.
In 2087, a breakthrough in hyperspace signal triangulation indicated something was coming — a fleet, moving at unknown velocity but definitely heading into Earth's system.
They had taken a wrong turn through a damaged hyperspace corridor — but now they were here.
The slavers were coming.
And some humans would welcome them.
2093 Crimson arrival
The force that arrived in Earth's neighborhood was not a sanctioned fleet of Hutt Space — it was a rogue, covert coalition operating in deliberate secrecy. The major Hutt Cartels, the sprawling oligarchy that controlled most of Hutt Space's affairs, had no knowledge of this expedition. In fact, the Crimson Maw's planners took great pains to sever any identifiable links, fearing that exposure would doom the venture before it began.
Who Were They?
1. Fringe Kajidics and Exiled Hutts
The fleet was financed and partly crewed by minor Kajidics — splinter Hutt clans cut off from mainstream Hutt politics.
These Hutts had little influence and were considered renegades and laughing stock by the powerful Hutt Council.
Many were fugitives, exiled for committing the few rules that are enforced in hutt space, or political missteps.
Their motivations were simple: power, revenge, and reclamation of status through conquest.
They provided roughly 30% of the fleet's capital ships and logistics vessels, but none dared mention their involvement openly back home.
2. Mercenary Syndicates
Approximately 12,000 hardened mercenaries composed the fleet's bulk fighting force.
These included species known for martial prowess and ruthlessness:
Weequay — experts in boarding tactics and close quarters combat.
Twi'leks — versatile operatives, often working as infiltrators and saboteurs.
Trandoshans — reptilian hunters, excelled in heavy weapons and ground assaults.
Humans — many were former soldiers, criminals, or black market operatives recruited from the outer rim and fringe systems.
Mercenary groups operated as semi-independent units, bonded by greed and survival, but fiercely loyal to their commanders.
Composition of Forces
Orbital Fleet
12 Capital Ships: Large, heavily retrofitted cargo vessels converted into war barges. Each around 2 km long, bristling with plasma turrets, missile launchers, and point-defense systems. Their armor was thick but outdated, relying on numbers and surprise rather than high-end tech.
48 Escort Frigates and Corvettes: Fast, lightly armored vessels armed with ion cannons and rapid-fire blaster turrets. Primarily used to patrol and defend the capital ships and transport lanes.
200 Strike Craft: Assault shuttles, boarding pods, and atmospheric insertion craft capable of deploying troops rapidly on planetary surfaces or orbital stations.
30 Support Ships: Supply, repair, and command vessels that maintained the fleet's operational endurance.
Ground Forces
Approximately 15,000 combat personnel deployed from orbit, including:
10,000 Slaver Troops: Hardened soldiers trained in suppressing populations, capturing prisoners, and brutal urban warfare.
3,000 Heavy Infantry and Specialists: Equipped with heavier armor, plasma rifles, and support weapons. Many veterans of conflict in the Outer Rim.
2,000 Mercenary Specialists: Experts in demolition, sabotage, electronic warfare, and commandos for covert operations.
Among 80,000 slaves with collars forced into the fight with nothing else but a blaster and clothes on their back. There are a few droid battalions but they are used more as shock troops to tank in the shots when going into a room.
Heavy Equipment and Vehicles
Gravitic Assault Vehicles (GAVs): About 200 units, these hover tanks used gravitic suspension to traverse urban and rugged terrain silently and quickly. Armed with plasma cannons and energy shields.
Plasma-Powered APCs: 500 armored personnel carriers designed for rapid troop transport. Fitted with advanced countermeasures and light energy weapons.
Mobile Artillery Platforms: 40 mobile energy artillery units capable of high-impact, precision strikes against fortified positions.
Energy Field Generators: Portable field emitters capable of projecting temporary energy shields around key positions or convoys.
Drones: Swarms of small reconnaissance and attack drones capable of urban surveillance.
Despite its patchwork nature, the Crimson Maw's forces were highly disciplined and deadly. They combined ruthless slaver tactics honed in the brutal backwaters of galactic space with cutting-edge technology smuggled from outlaw research facilities.
Their combat doctrine was centered on overwhelming speed, precision boarding actions, and terror tactics designed to break civilian morale quickly.
The mainstream Hutts — the powerful oligarchy governing Hutt Space — were blindsided by the Crimson Maw's venture. They considered the rogue fleet a dangerous wild card:
It threatened to destabilize established power structures by acting without the Council's sanction, as they went against the council wishes and ventured forth into the unknown where many anomalies and strange and powerful alien civilisations still dwelt.
There were whispers of covert efforts by the Council to sabotage or intercept the fleet, but none succeeded before the fleet's arrival near Earth.
The invasion was not purely an external force. Deep within Earth's fractured political and corporate landscape, a network of rogue actors colluded with the Crimson Maw. These traitorous factions saw the incursion as an opportunity to disrupt the global status quo, gain influence, and capitalize on post-war chaos.
Rogue Nations
1. The New East Coalition (NEC)
An alliance of fragmented former states in East Asia, including remnants of North Korea, parts of coastal China under separatist control, and insurgent groups from Mongolia and Siberia.
The NEC had a combined manpower of approximately 1,350,000 active paramilitary fighters.
They contributed a fleet of 12 corvettes and frigates, mostly retrofitted former Earth naval vessels with smuggled upgrades — mainly enhanced ion cannons and energy shielding.
Their expertise lay in asymmetric warfare, urban guerrilla tactics, and cyber warfare, providing critical sabotage and intelligence on Earth's defenses.
NEC controlled key black market arms manufacturing hubs and smuggling routes, ensuring steady flow of weapons and supplies to Crimson Maw forces.
2. The Atlantic Dissidents
Comprised of splinter factions from failed European states and breakaway regions of North America, primarily coastal cities with strong organized crime influence.
Estimated manpower: 110,000 ground operatives, including former military special forces, private security contractors, and criminal syndicates.
Fleet contribution: 7 stealth-modified frigates and multiple fast attack boats, mostly used for coastal insertion and supply runs.
They specialized in covert operations, electronic warfare, and infiltration — their hackers frequently launched cyberattacks on global satellite networks to blind Earth's early warning systems.
3. South American Warlords
Powerful drug cartels and militia groups operating in the Amazon basin and Andean regions, opportunistically exploiting local chaos.
Manpower: Roughly 150,000 irregular troops, armed with conventional weapons and some salvaged alien tech. With connection, means and money to blackmail or bribe people to join them.
No significant ships of their own but acted as ground support and staging areas for Crimson Maw landings.
Their key role was providing mercenary forces and controlling vital logistics corridors for weapons and resource smuggling.
4. Various African Warlords
These warlords have the most combat experience and are brutal, due to declining resources everyone had to fight to earn the right to live yet another day, they see an opportunity to take hold of the entire African continent for themselves as for their rivals? Anything can happen in war.
They provided around 350,000 war hardened militia due to decades of conflict, armed with standard sometimes old earth weaponry.
With only a few significant ships.
Rogue Corporations
1. Galvanex Industries
A former energy giant turned black market tech manufacturer after several corruption scandals.
Their clandestine R focused on weaponizing alien-derived tech, especially plasma weapon prototypes and energy shield generators.
Provided about 1,000 plasma rifles, 200 prototype gravitic hovercraft, and advanced comms jamming devices to the Crimson Maw.
Funded and coordinated private security forces of 8,000 mercenaries, including former corporate military contractors.
Operated multiple secret orbital platforms disguised as commercial satellites for staging and intelligence gathering.
2. Helix Dynamics
A bioengineering and weapons development firm expelled from major markets due to illegal genetic experiments.
Supplied experimental bio-enhanced soldiers, small squads trained to operate with enhanced reflexes and resistance to radiation.
Deployed biotech drones for reconnaissance and sabotage missions.
Provided advanced medical tech and field repair units for Crimson Maw ground forces.
Controlled covert manufacturing facilities in abandoned industrial zones worldwide.
3. Orion Holdings
Shipping and logistics conglomerate specializing in black ops cargo transport.
Controlled a fleet of 30 stealth freighters and support vessels, used for transporting troops, weapons, and supplies between Earth and Crimson Maw staging points.
Maintained an extensive network of off-world smugglers and mercenary pilots.
Offered intelligence services based on intercepted Earth and galactic comms, greatly aiding Crimson Maw strategic planning.
Combined Earth-Based Forces
Total manpower directly under traitor control is counted in millions, personnel including paramilitary, mercenaries, and specialized operatives, with more smaller nations and rogue organisations and groups joining the opportunity.
Naval/Orbital assets: Approximately 50 ships ranging from stealth frigates and corvettes to fast attack craft and logistics vessels.
Ground vehicles: A mix of salvaged Earth military hardware supplemented by alien-derived vehicles including:
About modern 150 plasma-equipped APCs and thousands of old era APCS
Several dozen improvised hover tanks based on reverse-engineered gravitic tech, supplemented by older and refurbished tank models.
Numerous armored transports and mobile energy shield deployers.
Support capabilities: Extensive electronic warfare, cyber attacks, and sabotage units that crippled Earth's defenses prior to main fleet arrival.
Motivations and Goals
The Earth traitors were not unified by ideology but by greed and desperation:
Some sought regional dominance or complete autonomy from the fractured global governments.
Others, especially corporations, were driven by profits from weapon contracts, resource exploitation, and reconstruction contracts post-invasion.
All saw the Crimson Maw as a means to break Earth's fragile unity and establish new power bases, leveraging alien technology and the ensuing chaos.
By 2093, Earth's military landscape was a complex patchwork of national forces, multinational coalitions, and emerging private militias. The decades following the discovery and reverse engineering of the Deep Crown relic had ushered in an era of rapid technological advancement — especially in energy weaponry, propulsion, and cyber warfare. Despite political fragmentation, Earth's combined military power remained formidable, if sometimes uncoordinated.
Manpower and Personnel
Active Military Personnel: Approximately 15 million globally across all recognized nations, with varying degrees of technological integration and training.
Reserve and Paramilitary: An additional 30 million, including private militias, mercenary groups, and volunteer defense corps, rapidly mobilizable during crises.
Special Forces: Highly trained units totaling roughly 200,000 operators, specializing in counterterrorism, orbital combat, sabotage, and advanced reconnaissance. These units were often ones to use new alien experimental tech, though in small numbers.
Civilian Defense Networks: Urban areas deployed smart defense systems and local militias, backed by AI-assisted command centers, ensuring rapid civilian mobilization and infrastructure defense.
Ground Forces
1. Infantry and Small Arms
Earth infantry was still using old "slug throwers" but also started changing them with plasma-based rifles, modeled after recovered Sith "blasters" but adapted to earthen standards and manufacturing capabilities.
Professional soldiers and special forces from more powerful countries wore powered exoskeleton suits enhancing strength, endurance, and survivability in zero- or low-gravity environments, along with tactical helmets integrated augmented reality (AR) displays, environmental sensors, and encrypted communication relays. Militias and smaller weaker countries are not able to field them in high numbers or at all.
2. Armored Vehicles and Heavy Support
Approximately 10,000 plasma-armed Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) were deployed globally, equipped with magnetic suspension systems for rough terrain.
Several dozen experimental hover tanks were in service, employing gravitic field generators for limited flight and rapid maneuvers.
Heavy plasma artillery, including mobile siege cannons capable of firing concentrated energy bursts, supported ground offensives.
Ground-based energy shield arrays were deployed to protect key facilities and field units, able to deflect plasma and kinetic attacks for limited durations.
Not to mention all the other older era equipment
3. Air and Atmospheric Combat
Manned and unmanned aerial combat platforms equipped with plasma pulse cannons and gravitic thrusters dominated the skies.
Atmospheric fighters could operate in low Earth orbit, transitioning between atmospheric flight and spacewalk capabilities.
Autonomous drones performed reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and surgical strikes on high-value targets.
Early-warning balloon networks and orbital sensor grids ensured broad airspace surveillance and missile defense.
Naval and Orbital Assets
1. Earth's Naval Forces
Naval forces had adapted to a hybrid space-sea warfare doctrine, with vessels capable of both oceanic and near-orbital fire operations due to the new weapon system.
Earth maintained around 300 capital ships, including stealth frigates, plasma corvettes, and missile destroyers, many with retrofitted alien-derived energy shields.
Orbital-capable cruisers were equipped with pulse lasers, plasma turrets, and kinetic interceptor missiles.
Submersible stealth carriers operated in strategic ocean zones, deploying special forces and unmanned underwater vehicles.
These ships were networked via a planet-wide encrypted comms grid known as the TerraNet, allowing rapid data sharing and command coordination.
2. Orbital Defense and Satellite Networks
Earth's orbital defenses included 400 military satellites, comprising:
Early warning and long-range radar platforms.
Energy weapons arrays capable of orbital laser strikes on incoming threats.
Stealth surveillance satellites monitoring suspicious activity on Earth and in near-Earth space.
The Athena Array, a multinational satellite cluster dedicated to monitoring and studying the Deep Crown vessel, also served as a vital intelligence relay.
Anti-satellite missile systems and electronic countermeasures were deployed on multiple orbital platforms, securing Earth's space assets.
A network of stealth drones patrolled Earth's orbital zones, intercepting unauthorized craft.
3. Spacefaring Fleets
Earth's space fleets were composed of:
Colonial exploration vessels capable of months-long missions, equipped with prototype inertial dampeners and plasma-based defensive turrets.
Rapid deployment shuttles designed for emergency troop insertion and evacuation.
Cargo transports specialized in hauling heavy payloads and alien tech components from Deep Crown research sites.
While Earth had not yet developed faster-than-light travel, gravitic propulsion breakthroughs allowed near-light-speed subluminal transit between Earth and key orbital points.
While the Earth ships were very technologically behind the slavers they did have numbers of big ships like colonial exploration vessels that could be used to ram their ships in desperate final stand, they also did not have many "starfighters" but many atmospheric fighters that could travel around the earth's orbit for a short time.
Technological Edge
1. Energy and Weapons Technology
While not in large numbers Earth has developed some comparable weaponry by reverse engineering of the Deep Crown's power systems and introduced the Non-Decay Radiant Induction reactor, a near-perfect energy storage method, powering most Earth military tech.
Plasma weaponry, inspired by Sith "blaster" designs, had become coveted by all soldiers. With, energy shields, initially experimental, were rapidly being integrated into space ship armor, vehicles, and some small scale soldier armour
AI-controlled defense turrets and automated drones operated with near-human reflexes, able to coordinate in swarm tactics.
2. Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Warfare
AI systems were crucial for command and control, logistics, and battlefield decision-making.
The Athena Protocol governed AI usage for military applications, enforcing strict ethical and operational standards, though battlefield AI often operated autonomously in high-risk zones.
Cyber warfare units conducted offensive operations against enemy infrastructure, satellites, and comms, utilizing both human hackers and AI-driven agents.
Earth's cyber defenses were continuously tested against sabotage attempts from traitor factions, requiring advanced countermeasures and encryption.
3. Space and Environmental Adaptations
Soldiers and engineers were trained and equipped for zero-gravity and vacuum operations, including rapid decompression protocols and emergency EVA suits.
Habitat modules in orbit and on the Moon as well as other places were heavily fortified with advanced life support systems.
Strategic Doctrine and Defense Organization
1. The United Earth Defense Command (UEDC)
The UEDC was the primary multinational military coalition, coordinating Earth's defense efforts.
It integrated forces from over 150 countries, facilitating joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and resource pooling.
The command structure was decentralized to enable rapid regional responses but maintained centralized strategic oversight.
The UEDC was responsible for managing the Treaty of Earth Orbit enforcement and orbital defense networks.
2. The Global Rapid Reaction Forces (GRRF)
Elite, mobile units designed for rapid deployment to hotspots worldwide.
Equipped with the latest plasma weaponry, gravitic vehicles, and AI support systems.
Specialized in counter-insurgency, anti-terraforming sabotage, and emergency evacuation operations.
Maintained constant readiness at orbital stations and Earth's surface bases.
Civilian scientific organizations worked hand-in-hand with military research, often blurring lines between military and civilian tech.
Emergency response units and urban defense systems provided resilience against sabotage and invasion.
Earth's population was extensively trained in survival protocols, with ubiquitous smart shelters and community defense hubs.
Despite military coordination, Earth was politically fragmented; national rivalries and historical grievances occasionally disrupted unified responses, with many still being bribed or working for the rogue nations which disrupted the cohesion of their forces.
Many governments were authoritarian or technocratic, heavily investing in military R but prone to internal dissent.
International diplomatic efforts focused on maintaining the Treaty of Earth Orbit and preventing escalation of territorial disputes.
However, economic disparities meant some regions remained underdeveloped, complicating equitable defense mobilization.
After decades of Deep Crown discoveries and advancements, public morale was cautiously optimistic but wary.
Governments maintained tight information control to prevent panic, though underground groups and conspiracy theorists spread conflicting narratives.
The threat of external invasion was widely acknowledged, prompting a cultural shift towards unity in defense.