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</noinclude>The Terran-Compact War, also known as the Long War among the belligerent nations of the Galactic North, was a series of conflicts which together constitutes one of the longest and bloodiest wars in both the Galactic North’s history as well as the Milky Way as a whole, lasting nearly 232 years, from February 2263 to August 2495. While the war itself began as a conflict between the Algan-Rixian axis and the Terran-Skiron coalition during the Great Skiron War, the conflict eventually spiraled out into a long political, ideological and military conflict between the stratocratic Greater Terran Union (GTU) and the democratic Beneficial Compact.
Up until its final years, the War was characterized as a long cold war with periods of open and direct conflict in between (2nd-6th Terran Compact Wars), with the Compact generally on the defensive. However, the unchallenged rise of the GTU’s military and economic prowess soon brought the war into its end during the successful GTU invasion during the Final Terran-Compact War. The Compact is eventually dismantled by the signing of the unequal Treaty of Westminster, turning its member-states into a patchwork of GTU client-states. The GTU in turn become the sole unchallenged power of the Galactic North, turning it into one of the galaxy’s foremost superpowers.
Background
The Greater Terran Union eventually emerges as the humanity’s sole government in the wake of the devastating Tyrum invasion of Earth, spearheading much of its post-war reconstruction. However, the rapid technological progress from the leftovers of past invasion, as well as the need of resources to further development of the Union eventually led to the expansionist policies that define much of the GTU’s history. This led to an aggressive colonization program that saw its territories expanded tenfold in mere decades, and the once-minuscule Space Warfare Branch was reformed into the interstellar Fleet Command to further facilitate the defense and peacekeeping of its ever-expanding territory. It was during this period that the newly-established FLEETCOM began curbing the threat of nationalist, anarchist and revolutionary elements in a series of small scale wars against Pirates.
First contact with the Algan Republic and the subsequent governments - the Faraxian, Rixians, Skiron and Raltek, were established during the era of expansion as early as 2209. However, the Algan states eventually found itself in conflict with both Terrans and Skirons due to colonization rights as both nations surrounded the Republic, thus reducing the potential avenue for its expansion. Rixians and Faraxian states also developed an increasingly tense relationship with GTU on account of their attempt to claim frontier regions already populated with human colonists.
Tensions flared as the Algan Republic, in an effort to exert pressure against the fractured United Clans of Skiron, eventually formed an alliance with the Rixian Galactic Directorate, with their combined fleets constituting most powerful military force in the galactic "north" at that time. As the Faraxians aligned themselves with Alga-Rixian axis (in part of the democratic revolution funded by the Republic), the Skiron had no choice but to form a defensive pact with the Terran states to maintain the balance of power from tipping to the Algan Republic. These series of alliances were designed to keep each nation in check and, ironically, to prevent a war with one another.
However, the tenuous peace gradually come at the end as information leaked out from the closed borders of the GTU, the triple alliance of Algan, Rixian and Faraxian states eventually learned of the increasing pirate incursions within the Terran border. While the information was outdated, this coincided with recent Algan intelligence reports estimating that the Terran fleet would be unable to match the ships of the alliance. Emboldened, the Tripartite eventually took the initiative by launching the first direct conflict of the Long War.
Early Stages
Great Skiron War
Main article: Great Skiron War
The Rixian Directorate and the Vol Hive, emboldened by the GTU's apparent weakness, declared war against the United Clans on February 16, 2263. continues their secret build up of its military for their inevitable preemptive war against the GTU-Skiron coalition. Both Algan and Faraxian governments abstained from declaring war.
The war initially went favorably for the Vol-Rixians forces, with many of the Skiron-held system bordering Vol Hive are effectively under their occupation. The Rixians soon took the initiative to capture Thermopylae Station to establish a foothold into Terran space. The Rixian fleet was spotted and tracked by the Union's Skywatch and the Terrans moved to defend it. The Terran Home Fleet led by the Admiral Alexei Dejanus, a veteran of the pirate pacification, was sent. Alexei’s fleet won an overwhelming victory over the Rixian Star Fleet, forcing them to retreat from the system. Having gained the initiative, the Union pressed on and launched a general offensive. New systems and worlds fell under the Union's banner but the war was beginning to take its toll on the nation's economy.
The GTU quickly establish a defensive line known as the Macmillan-Ramaphosa Corridors along the Rixian-Faraxian-Algan borders, with the war escalating as the Faraxian Union join the war with the Algan Republic following soon after. Nevertheless, the war quickly devolved into a stalemate. With the Vol Hive pulling out of the war and the specter of economic collapse looming over the belligerent nations, all involved sides eventually agreed upon a peace settlement, bringing the war to its end.
However, rather than bringing a peaceful era to the Galactic North, the peace treaty instead led to a beginning of a bitter rivalry between the GTU and the Tripartite. The Algan Republic would reorganize their long-standing alliance into the confederation known as the Beneficial Compact as means to counter the GTU’s rapid expansion and economic rise.
Post-Skiron War actions
While the GTU seized several systems during the war, it's economy was reeling. Ships were scrapped and soldiers were demobilized as the GTU tried to consolidate its gains and re-asses its diplomatic strategy. The Terran-Skiron defensive pact was dissolved as Terrans saw little point in allying itself with a failing state. Instead, the Marshals directed the nation inward, focusing on internal concerns. For the Terran people, the most pressing issue was that of the occupied Faraxian and Rixian worlds and what was to be done to their local populations. The service of Wassari during the war saw a growing support for the GTU's non-human residents, arguing for their right to be citizens.
The newly formed Beneficial Compact, was both weaker and stronger. It's members had lost territory, but had also gained it. The war also strengthened Algan-Rixian-Faraxian ties, with citizens of each state moving freely between their borders and their economies and armies becoming intertwined. But the Compact had little room for expansion, and rightly feared the growing strength of the GTU who had access to vast resources all to itself with little competition. For years to come, they would strive to keep the GTU in check.
The Skiron Defensive War really had no clear winner, but undoubtedly shaped the future of the Galactic North for years to come.
Crisis and Escalation
Golden Age of the Compact
By the end of the Great Skiron War and the subsequent formation of the Compact, the Algan Republic, Faraxian Union and the Rixian Galactic Directorate together underwent an era that could be arguably considered as their first - and only - golden age. As the Compact member-states underwent a rapid economic recovery and its Terran adversary turn increasingly inward, the members of the Compact quickly integrate themselves into the burgeoning quasi-federation with numerous free-trade treaty, joint technological exchanges and military strengthening program under their unity against their common enemy.
With the exception of the Algan Republic, the Compact eventually found itself devoid of option for further colonization, with much of their border are almost surrounded by the Greater Terran Union, the Khelzen, and the now-hostile Vol Hive. This situation prove highly consequential toward their future economic planning, as the lack of colonization effort allows the Compact to devote more resources for industrialization, research, urbanization and further development of its existing, already developed colonies. This in turn led to a rapid modernization, prosperity and increase of quality of life that made the Compact as one of the most advanced economies of the galaxy, being the third largest economies - just behind the Florian Matriarchy and the Ruu Confederated States - although it did not last for long as many other star-nations began to expand their territories and thus its respective economy, especially the GTU.
This golden age are especially advantageous for the Algan Republic; while its fellow allies are forced to rely on foreign trade and export, the Algan Republic in particular continues to expand due to the presence of colonized region at its border, which consequently led to the famed Race to the Frontier with the GTU as they rapidly expand their colonization effort across the Outer Rim region. With the territories twice as large as the other Compact members combined and the rich resources that came along with it, the Algan Republic eventually rose as the effective leader of the Compact, and subsequently made it as one of the Great Powers of the era.
However, despite the Algan’s best effort, the majority of the contested Outer Rim region eventually fell under the Terran’s sovereignty and the Republic are effectively lost in their Race to the Frontier. Their rapid development and its prosperity however are enough to at least provide the Compact an equal standing against their much larger adversary, the Greater Terran Union. By the beginning of the Second Terran-Compact War, both the Compact and the GTU are pretty much equal with one another; while the GTU has larger territory and population, greater resources, and stronger military, the Compact in turn boast higher industrialization level, better developed and has more advanced economy than its rival.
Peronisti Incursion
Main article: Terran-Peronisti War
The colonization of the outer rim colonies had brought the GTU into contact with the Peronisti Union. They were located on the far side of the Galactic North, effectively leaving the Union surrounded by potential enemies. Terran High Command, fearing encirclement, began developing contingency plans outlining potential strategies in case of war.
However, following the Skiron Campaigns, the GTU found itself focusing on addressing the economic depression that had gripped the nation as well as the growing unrest in the worlds it had occupied. The period saw the promotion of food growth and energy production, and, at the same time, the quelling of Faraxian revolts on the planet of Rillis. All the while, the Union continued to grow and develop it's frontier colonies.
Terran planners did not really believe the Peronisti Union to be a threat. Even as the Peronisti's political leadership grew continually less Pacifist, they were considered too far away to ever catch the GTU of guard. They were confident that if war was to come, the Home Fleet itself could move from Terra to the Terran-Peronisti frontier before enemy fleets even reach the first Terran controlled system.
On October 10, 2297, the Peronisti Union and the Suth-Vel Confederacy declare war. In a sense, the GTU was proven right in it's assumptions. While many border systems were captured by the enemy, the GTU fleet was able to meet the enemy fleets before they could threaten the core worlds. Despite most of the 1st Expeditionary were out of position, guarding the GTU's border with the Compact, they were able to move to the far side of the of the Terran Union to meet the enemy.
The Peronisti Forces severely outnumbered and outgunned the 1st Expeditionary, forcing them to retreat the Quam system to prepare a defense. In the following Battle of the Binary, the 1st Expeditionary won a decisive victory, halting the Peronisti advance. The Terran battle group, reinforced by the Home Fleet, would then move to reclaim GTU territory. At the Battle of Hlilje, the Peronisti were finally driven from human space.
The war ended on December 18, 2304, just in time for Christmas.
First Battle of Nimerium
(TBC)
A Broken Compact
(TBC)
Final Conflicts
The Reversed Fortunes
(TBC)
Byrum Catastrophe
(TBC)
Operation Qiyamah
Main article: Final Terran-Compact War
(TBC)
Aftermath
((TBC)