Imperial Collage of Heralds, Information Division
Document TAK-0139/4
001-2370T

Terrans in the Greater Magellanic Cloud
Terran Humans first reached the Greater Magellanic Cloud in 501T, when Amon
Diska discovered the first stable wormhole at Gateway {Nixon 2332}. The
wormhole lead to Breakout {Newlands 0720}, the first system to have been
seen by the Terrans in the Cloud. However Diska and subsequent explorers
were faced by a mystery; there were already Humans in the Cloud. Just 8
parsecs from Breakout they found Ewolsf {Yumazaca 3121} and its native Human
inhabitants. Further exploration found more and more Human inhabited worlds.
The mystery deepened with the discovery of the Ulkoyo world (a race believed
to be native to the Milky Way) of Ayoulka {Newlands 1436}. The current
theory is that the Sidhe either discovered or manufactured the wormhole and
transported Humans and Ulkoyo to the Cloud. One of these Human races (the
Efrip) had discovered jump drive around -1200T and established an empire
which lasted for about 800 years before it collapsed for reasons as yet not
fully explained.

The Imperial Period
Early exploration of the Cloud was fraught with danger due to the Dkaral
effect on ships when attempting to transit the wormhole. It was 10 years
before the construction of the Yumazaca gates at both ends of the wormhole
neutralised the Dkaral effect; and the first major colonisation effort was
launched in 511T, with colonies being established at Breakout, Lazarus,
Nemesis and Waverley. With the perfection of the second generation Yumazaca
gates in 527T transiting the wormhole became virtually risk free and
colonisation increased rapidly. By the year 700T it was estimated that there
were some 190 billion Terrans living in the Cloud.

Colonisation and exploration of the Cloud continued until about 1100T and
the last organised group of colonists (refugees from the civil wars) from
the Milky Way arrived in 1264T. In 546 Empress Paula III allowed a group of
refugee Jneril to settle in the clouds. These were followed by more Jneril
and in 559T the first of a relatively large number of Dk'arek colonists also
crossed over into the Cloud. This was to spark a restive period of tensions
and minor conflicts (collectively termed "the Alien Campaigns") within the
Cloud. This unrest lead Empress Cloe II to issue the Gateway edict in 624T;
this banned further Non-human colonisation of the Cloud and severely
restricted the non-humans already in the Cloud. The edict was backed up with
major military campaign to crush any opposition; and this resulted in the
first real imposition of Imperial authority in the Cloud. These suppressions
lasted until 647T and while the Gateway edict was rescinded by her successor,
Emperor Arthur V in 689T; Non-human migration was never again to play the
same role in the colonisation of the Cloud and Imperial control (while never
strong) was not to be disputed until the civil wars.

In 632T the first contact was made with the Second Akhrini Commonality, an
Efrip successor state encompassing about two sectors. Tensions between the
Terrans and the Commonality over continued Terran expansion lead to a series
of wars which lasted from 647T (the start of the First Akhrini War) until
1141T (the end of the Sixth Akhrini War). While relations between the two
states was always to remain strained, further conflict was to be averted
until the collapse of the Terran Empire. After the Empires collapse, the
fragmented nature of their society prevented them from taking large scale
advantage of the Terrans misfortune. They absorbed several border worlds,
but in 1168T the Commonality disintegrated in a civil war which lasted 200
years and their civilisation was devastated as thoroughly as that of the
Terrans.

The Empires collapse began in 1032T with Empress Cloe VI's disputed
succession. This directly caused the long series of civil wars which would
eventually rip the Empire apart. Initially the civil strife had little
effect on the cloud, but in 1128T Admiral Zharkov withdrew the bulk of the
Imperial forces from the cloud to support his claim to the throne. Almost
immediately order began to breakdown. Without Imperial ships patrolling the
spacelanes, piracy started to increase and planets started to look to their
own resources to survive. The Sixth Akhrini War (1135T to 1141T) forced the
Empire to return some forces to the Cloud, but this could only hope to slow
the collapse. In 1161T the Dk'arek worlds around Khaask revolted, starting
the Khaask War (1161T to 1164T). The Empires defeat in this war lead
directly to a series of revolts and rebellions, which the Empire was unable
to put down. By 1269T the Empires control had been reduced to eleven worlds
within six parsecs of Breakout. In 1272T the Yumazaca gate at Gateway
collapsed and all communications between the Cloud and the Milky Way ceased.
The few remaining Imperial forces in the Cloud gathered around Breakout and
attempted to survive as best they could.

The Second Dark Age Period
The early years after the collapse were a time of crisis. Raiders struck at
the rump of the Imperial holdings and one by one the surviving Imperial
worlds were lost until by 1314T only Breakout remained. Breakout struggled
to survive; the Viceroys played the Raiders and petty successors off against
one another and managed to retain a starfaring technological base. The first
turning point is generally agreed to have occurred in 1331T when Viceroy
Robert III established the Phoenix Project. Several very simple and rugged
types of starships were designed; and the Imperial Magellanic Scout Corp
(IMSC) (formal name "Imperial Terran Scout Service, Magellanic Corp") was
organised from the surviving Imperial Terran Scout Service personnel who had
remained in the Cloud after the collapse of the wormhole.

Initially the Phoenix Project had little or no effect and the former
Imperial territories slipped into a Dark Age of barbarism. By 1432T
interstellar communications had all but ceased; only 3 former Imperial
worlds still retained the capacity to construct starships. It is estimated
that there were less than 100 working Terran starships in the Cloud at this
time. It is then that the Phoenix Project started to make a real impact.
Initially its impact was limited to the region around Breakout. By 1587T
Imperial control had been reestablished over all of the Breakout cluster
(the core worlds of what would latter be the Principality of Breakout). At
this point Viceroy Colin III changed the aim of the Phoenix Project from
reestablishing Imperial control to reestablishing some form of Interstellar
civilisation. Phoenix design ships were produced in quantity and made
available to private individuals; and the IMSC started with the task of
ensuring that an adequate number of worlds had the technology to maintain
and construct starships.

The Diadochi Period
Phoenix ships ranged far and wide and the IMSC disseminated technology as
best it could. Gradually interstellar communication and commerce started to
increase; and in 1839T the first of the Diadochi states (the Faorin
Confederation) was formed, encompassing five worlds centred on Faorin [The
Principality of Breakout is not usually considered to be a Diadochi state,
as there was no break in the functioning of Imperial bureaucracy on
Breakout]. The next 300 years saw more Diadochi states come into existence
and in 2127T Viceroy Henry IV proposed the Babylon Accords. Most of the
Diadochi states and independent worlds in the Newlands and Yumazaca sectors
acceded to these over the next 180 years. The Babylon Accords formed a very
loose interstellar government. The signatories acknowledged theoretical
fealty to the Terran Emperor or Empress (the Empire still being regarded
with great awe and respect) and agreed for the Viceroy to act for the
Emperor or Empress until contact with the Milky Way could be reestablished.
In 2132T the Imperial Magellanic Assembly on Babylon {Yumazaca 2517} was
established. Consisting of representatives from all states acknowledging
fealty to the Empire. It was to act as an advisory body to the Viceroy
concerning Imperial matters. In practice the Viceroy can not act without
approval from the majority of the Magellanic Assembly and the Imperial
Diadochi states retain much effective independence. The system can best be
described as a very loose feudal state, akin to 12th and 13th century France.

The first threat to the Magellanic Empire came in 2197T. During the
preceding 25 years the IMSC had re-established the J-2 route across the
Diska Rift and started recontact with the worlds beyond. It was here that
they encountered the Mwoah. The Mwoah are a major race descended from
herbivore/intermittent stock native to the Cloud. The Mwoah had discovered
jump drive in 1678T and had formed an interstellar state (the Mwoah Unity)
encompassing about half a sector and were starting to expand into the former
Terran colonies beyond the Diska Rift. In 2197T the Mwoah launched a
campaign to eject the Magellanic Empire from beyond the Diska Rift starting
the First Mwoah War.

The war went badly for the Terrans. Despite possessing a clear technological
advantage and theoretical numerical advantage, the Imperial Diadochi refused
to commit significant forces to the prosecution of the war. This forced
Viceroy Alethea III to conduct the war with inadequate forces. These were
restricted to: the IMSC, such forces as she could spare from the
Principality of Breakout and cajole from the Imperial Diadochi, whatever
mercenary forces could be afforded, and the few local forces which could be
raised from beyond the Diska Rift. Naturally these were insufficient for the
task required. By mid 2204T the Mwoah had ejected the Terrans from beyond
the rift and continued the campaign across the J-2 route. The Rift campaign
was the hardest fought of the war. The Terrans fought desperately for each
world, but by late 2205T the Mwoah had forced their way to Gibraltar
{Newlands 3235} at the Imperial end of the J-2 route and were threatening
Imperial territory. Finally the Imperial Diadochi took some notice and
significant forces were made available. The siege of Gibraltar lasted until
2207T and exhausted the Mwoah ability to continue the war. A peace treaty
was arranged; and the war ended with the Terrans still in possession of
Gibraltar, though all the worlds beyond that were placed in the Mwoah sphere
of influence.

In 2209T the Mwoah started to colonise Gibraltar's distant companion, naming
it Orabow. Though this was a clear violation of the Treaty of Lorien which
ended the war and a definite threat, the Terrans could respond with nothing
stronger than terse diplomatic protests. It was quite clear that the
Magellanic Empire lacked the military strength to do anything more than
this.

In response to the defeat in the First Mwoah War and the humiliation of the
Orabow incident, the Magellanic Assembly finally agreed to the formation of
a structure to coordinate the defence of Imperial territory. In 2214T the
Imperial Magellanic Navy and Marines (formal names: "The Magellanic
Division, Imperial Terran Navy" and "The Magellanic Division, Imperial
Terran Marines") were formed. Initially these were simply administrative
organisations to provide a higher command structure and coordinate
cooperation and standardisation between the various Imperial Diadochi
states. However in 2228T a system was established whereby a small number of
Diadochi units were seconded to the Navy and Marines on a rotating basis,
to provide a ready reaction force on the border. This system was further
expanded in 2231T when the two surviving Imperial units still in the Cloud
(the King Charles III Squadron and the Coldstream Marine Regiment) were
transferred from the Principality of Breakout to Imperial command. This
state of affairs remained unaltered until the Second Mwoah War.

The Mwoah spent the period after the war slowly conquering and absorbing
many of the worlds now within their sphere of control. However in 2293T
they launched a campaign to conquer the Jneril world of Hrali {Newlands
3231}. Despite this being within the Mwoah sphere according to the Treaty of
Lorien, the Imperial forces attempted to intervene; on the basis that the
treaty had been invalidated by the Mwoah colonisation of Orabow. This
sparked the Second Mwoah War. Initially the war went badly for the Empire.
With major elements committed to Hrali, the ready reaction forces on the
border proved inadequate as the Mwoah used their base at Orabow to bypass
Gibraltar and drive into Imperial territory. However, in 2297T, Admiral Sir
Sommerfield-Johns smashed a major Mwoah task force at Hastar {Newlands 2533}
and the tide began to turn. Although the Empire had lost its technological
advantage, gradually the Imperial forces gained the upper hand. In 2300T the
Imperial forces had forced the Mwoah back and launched an invasion of
Orabow. By 2301T Mwoah resistance on Orabow had ended and the Mwoah
prisoners and civilians were interned in confinement camps. The Empire then
launched a campaign to carry the war back across the Rift. The Rift campaign
was as hard fought as the first war. The Mwoah fought for every world and by
2303T the war had bogged down and was rapidly losing support amongst many
Diadochi states within the Empire. An armistice was arranged and in 2304T
the Treaty of Karin ended the war.

The treaty established the Diska Rift as a demilitarised zone between the
Terrans and the Mwoah. The Mwoah colonists of the former Jneril world of
Hrali (renamed Utarr) and their other worlds in the Rift were allowed to
remain, but they were to be independent of the Mwoah Unity. This proved to
be less of a success than was hoped for, for though the worlds were granted
theoretical independence, the nature of Mwoah society means the are
effectively still part of the Mwoah Unity. In 2305T the few remaining Mwoah
survivors from the Orabow confinement camps were repatriated. Their
unfortunate treatment caused immense outrage amongst the Mwoah; but no
action was taken over it. The Magellanic Assembly granted Jneril survivors
of Hrali the former Mwoah world Orabow as a new home; now renamed St'iyha.
Despite continuing tensions, the border has remained stable since.

However recent times have seen an increase in tensions. In 2362T a human
Diadochi state (the Civtra Confederation) formed within the Mwoah sphere of
influence. It is widely suspected within the Mwoah Unity that the Empire was
instrumental in the formation of this state. Though there are no formal
links or official aid, Imperial support for the Confederation is a major
point of tensions between the Empire and the Mwoah. Though the Mwoah have
yet to take any action against the Confederation, most analysts agree that
it is only a matter of time before they do.

The performance of the Imperial forces during the war was much improved; and
the Imperial Navy and Marines had been enlarged throughout its course. With
the end of the war many of the Imperial Diadochi states argued for their
reduction to pre-war levels. However the clear evidence of the inadequacy
of their levels during the early war lead to widespread calls for the
retention of at least some of the new units raised. Finally in 2307T the
Magellanic Assembly authorised the Navy to retain eight Squadrons and the
Marines six Regiments. In addition to these, the Jneril Eiahya Regiment
(a unit of non-Imperial Jneril serving out of honour for Hrali) was also
retained. The units in excess of this were disbanded and their equipment
placed into reserve against future emergencies. The system of secondment of
Diadochi units was retained; and most Imperial units generally have one or
two Diadochi units attached to them. These enlarged Imperial forces are
funded by a small levy on Imperial worlds (termed Scutage) authorised by the
Magellanic Assembly on a year to year basis.

Around 2311T another threat emerged with the formation of the Third Akhrini
Commonality. Whilst it is located at least a sector from the Imperial
borders, conflicts over influence in the various Non-Imperial Diadochi
states located between the two states lead to increasing tensions. In
response, in 2331T the Magellanic Assembly authorised a further small
increase (two Navy Squadrons and one Marine Regiment) in Imperial forces
due to the increasing tensions. Despite numerous small scale clashes and
skirmishes, these tensions did not lead to direct large scale conflict until
the Seventh Akhrini War in 2364T.

A disputed succession in the Querad Union (a Non-Imperial Diadochi state)
in 2362T lead to a civil war within the Querad Union between pro-Imperial
and pro-Akhrini factions. In 2364T the Akhrini committed mainforce units to
support the pro-Akhrini faction. Viceroy Martin VI authorised the commitment
of Imperial Naval and Marine units to counter this. Since neither the
Commonality nor the Empire was willing to move to an all out confrontation,
the war progressed fitfully until a compromise settlement was reached in
2367T. Under the Treaty of Hakkon, control of the Querad Union was given
over to a joint council consisting equally of both factions. Both the
Commonality and Empire are allowed to station forces within the Union to
maintain peace. During the war the Imperial Navy and Marines raised a small
number of new units. Of these one Navy Squadron and three Marine Regiments
were retained after the peace. The war, however, did little to resolve the
ongoing tensions between the Commonality and the Empire; and as at 2370T
tensions remain high.
