Barbarians at the Gates (69 page)

Unluckily for the Federation, the Protocols did not envisage such massive expansion and tensions within the Federation started threatening to tear it apart. Foremost among them is a growing secessionist crisis among the border colonies, led by the Colonial Alliance.

2610: Professor Bainbridge produces his theory of collapsing gravity points. The Federation launches the Bainbridge Initiative in response. Eventually, the research leads to a way of travelling FTL without Asimov Points.

3006: The Inheritance Wars begins with the Colonial Alliance’s declaration of independence.

3007: The Battle of Spider (later renamed Spider Bite). The first use of Compressed Antimatter in combat sends the Federation Navy reeling back.

3008-3109: The Inheritance Wars effectively stalemate with neither side being able to gain a significant advantage. War rages as both sides try to break out of the stalemate. As time goes on, both sides start resorting to atrocities and terror tactics.

3110: Development of the Continuous Displacement Drive by the Federation.

3112: Battle of Athens. Use of CDD by Federation Navy (bypassing the Asimov Point network) allows the Federation to score a decisive victory.

3114: Colonial Alliance surrenders, ending the Inheritance Wars. Thousands of unrepentant Colonists take starships and head out into the great unknown; others try to make what peace they can with the Federation.

3115: The Conference of Earth settles the question of the restructured Federation and future expansion. The defeated worlds are treated relatively well, but the question of representation in the Senate—which the Colonial Alliance fought the war over in the first place—is not up for discussion.

3116-4024: Fourth Expansion Era. Conservative, Socialist and Imperialist factions develop within the Senate. The position of the President is reduced to a mere figurehead, while real power rests with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet—subject to the Senate’s approval. Political dynasties come into open existence.

4001: Marius Drake born on Mars.

4017: Marius Drake reports to Luna Academy.

4021: Marius Drake commissioned as a Lieutenant and assigned to Frontier Fleet.

4025-29: The Blue Star War. The Imperialist Faction provokes a war with a newly discovered alien race in order to seize control of Sapphire, a blue giant with an unprecedented number of Asimov Points associated with it. Expecting an easy victory, the Federation Navy commits a blunder and divides its forces in the face of the enemy, resulting in two disastrous defeats. The overpowering might of the Federation eventually prevails, by which time the Imperialist Faction has been badly discredited and effectively absorbed by the other two. Marius Drake sees action in the war.

4070: Marius Drake is promoted to Commodore and given command of a battle squadron.

4072: Roman Garibaldi is born on Isogloss, a RockRat asteroid habitat.

4073: “Outsiders”—a ragtag bunch of pirates, rebels and aliens—start raiding along the Rim, the outermost edge of Federation territory.

4077: Marius Drake is promoted to Vice Admiral and sent to wage war on the Outsiders.

4087: Roman Garibaldi wins a prize scholarship to Luna Academy.

4091: Marius Drake is recalled to Earth for “consultations.”

4092: Admiral Justinian launches his coup.

Christopher G. Nuttall is thirty years old—and has been reading science-fiction since he was five, when someone introduced him to children’s SF. Born in Scotland, Chris attended schools in Edinburgh, Fife and University in Manchester…before moving to Malaysia to live with his wife Aisha.

Chris has been involved in the online Alternate History community since 1998; in particular, he was the original founder of Changing The Times, an online alternate history website that brought in submissions from all over the community. Later, Chris took up writing and eventually became a full-time writer.

Current and forthcoming titles published by Twilight Times Books:

Schooled in Magic YA fantasy series

Schooled in Magic
—book 1

Lessons in Etiquette
—book 2

A Study in Slaughter
—book 3

Chris has also produced
The Empire’s Corps
series, the
Outside Context Problem
series and many others. He is also responsible for two fan-made Posleen novels, both set in John Ringo’s famous Posleen universe. They can both be downloaded from his site.

Website: http://www.chrishanger.net/

Blog: http://chrishanger.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherGNuttall

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www.twilighttimesbooks.com/