Project: ATHENA

Historical Backdrop, Major Events of the 21st Century and beyond:

July 8, 2012A.D.- First manned spacecraft (USA) lands on the Martian surface.

July 11, 2056A.D.- NATO disbands; RPC, U.S.A., and the UK walk out of the United Nations.

September 21, 2056A.D.- scientific breakthroughs give birth to the first standard-issued pulse-charged sidearm and the “hardest metal in the universe”, Terranium.

November 2, 2064A.D.- the People’s Republic of China successfully invades and occupies Taiwan and Outer Mongolia. Asian nations rally under China to form the Coalition of Eastern Powers (CEP). In response, the United States of America unites with most of Western Europe to form the Federation of the Allied Powers (FAP). Thus the second Cold War begins

December 12, 2070A.D.- After repeated failures, the FAP successfully establishes the first permanent colony on Mars.

January 30, 2071A.D.- March 25, 2073A.D.- Tension between alliances escalates further. Martian colonies are armed for the first time in history.

June 19, 2077A.D.- Both Alliances begin transporting large quantities of military personnel and equipment to Mars. Tensions ran high as war seemed inevitable.

January 1, 2089A.D.- “Cold War Goes Hot” as a skirmish between British and Korean soldiers launched World War III. Though tempted, both sides knew the dangers of nuclear warfare. Instead of strategic nuclear strikes, ground forces were deployed on what seemed to be (for both sides) a short and victorious war.

January 19, 2089A.D.- WWIII spreads to Martian surface. First ever space battle in recorded history occurs: “The Battle of Area 5”.

March 10, 2094A.D.- CEP colony defenses breached after five years at a stalemate. Longchuan City (the CEP colony) is renamed New Istanbul and labeled as the first real victory in the war.

September 11, 2094A.D.- CEP alliance chooses the 9/11 Memorial Holiday to finally unleash its nuclear and biological arsenal, effectively taking out key installations such as Langley, the White House, the Pentagon, Thames House, and Hereford. FAP civilian casualties shot through the roof.

September 12, 2094A.D.- the FAP executed an immediate retaliation with their remaining Nukes. Beijing, Baghdad, Tokyo, and countless other major cities were instantly vaporized.

June 4, 2095A.D.- Japanese scientists discovered a groundbreaking new theory in turbo technology, leading into the first ever Trans-System missile, commonly known as the Basilisk. The first target of this prototype missile: Franklin, Mars (original FAP colony). The warhead destroyed over half of the city with one blow. Perfectly coordinated was the CEP uprising in New Istanbul. Again, in a single day, control of Mars shifted from the West to the East.

July 14, 2095A.D.- The same Japanese scientists behind the Basilisk program develop the Wormhole Theory. The FAP gains crucial technical information to the Basilisk missile through espionage and develops the more advanced Cardinal version of the Trans-system missile.

August 19, 2101A.D.- The Longest War” put to a sudden end when a powerful underground movement called “the Peacekeepers” execute a military coup against the governments of both the CEP and the FAP. After twelve years, the East and West finally make peace and Earth is united under a Global Management Committee.

September 15, 2201A.D.- after a short hundred years of control, the GMC officially assumes full governmental responsibilities. The planets of Earth and Mars are now part of the United Republic of Zion (U.R.Z.). Franklin, Mars, is renamed Los Alamos, with half of the city dictated Basilisk Memorial Sector.

October 10, 2217A.D.- the Wormhole Theory is successfully applied to the first ever Hyperspace Jump Engine, a concept originally thought to be impossible. The first Jump-Capable spacecraft, R.N.S Odysseus, is launched a month later.

October 28, 2237A.D.- The R.N.S. Odysseus discovers the Helios solar system and the first inhabitable planet outside of our own solar system. U.R.Z. territory was now divided into two sectors: Sol Sector and Helios Sector.

November 30, 2237A.D.- planet Helios-1 successfully settled and renamed Haven. The new settlement will ultimately become the metropolis of Zion City.

December 6, 2237A.D.- first encounter with an alien race known as the Triumvirate Felinar. The Alien race occupied a nearby system with over five planets and has begun to settle planet Helios-2. The Felinar had not responded to communication efforts or even acknowledged the existence of humans.

December 20, 2237A.D.- Triumvirate Felinar continues to ignore Republic hails. Any attempt at a political engagement had been refuted with silence. Deep-space merchants and R.N.S. patrols report sightings of alien aircraft within Republic space.

January 1, 2238A.D.- satellite imagery gives insight into the architecture of the Felinar race, the efficiency and sparseness of the Felinar slightly disturbs observing scientists. Alien spacecraft, now confirmed to be of Felinar origin, continue to invade Republic space.

January 17, 2238A.D.- a troubling event occurs; a Felinar Space Fleet entered Sol Sector and settle on the planet of Pluto, which (according to transmission intercepts) they renamed Terransdeth. Alarmists claim that the planet’s new name clearly refer to “Terran’s Death”.

February 1, 2238A.D.- Felinar population masses on the newly established cities on Terransdeth. Scouting ships are spotted both in Helios Sector space and Sol Sector Space.

February 5, 2238A.D.- a U.R.Z. border patrol craft was assaulted and destroyed by a Felinar scout. Public outrage ensued; U.R.Z. president Nikolai Montello declares war on the Triumvirate.

February 16, 2238A.D.- a Felinar fleet departs from Terransdeth and assault defense forces over Mars. President Montello orders the “reinforcement of the Martian Cities as soon as humanly possible.”

March 29, 2238A.D.- the Felinar break through Martian defenses and land on the planetary surface. Humans get their first glimpse of the genetically enhanced Felinar soldiers as they overrun half of New Istanbul in one day.

April 25, 2238A.D.- last Republican Marines and Paratroopers are evacuated from Los Alamos. Mars is officially under Felinar control while only Metropolitan Center (downtown), Zion City remained under human control. Earth remains untouched.

May 17, 2238A.D.- the U.R.Z. Armada of 25,000 warships and 6,000 troop transports, carrying 200,000 of the best and brightest of the Republic’s Armed Forces, departs under stealth from Earth.

June 17, 2238A.D.- the Republican Armada jumps into orbit over the Triumvirate home world. Operation: Guillotine, the “battle to win the war” began… only to end in absolute disaster. 189,000 of the ground forces were wiped out and only 6 battered Light Cruisers managed to flee back to Earth with the surviving ground assault troops on board. Zion City is taken, leaving earth the only remaining human world.