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EARTH
ALLIANCE HISTORY
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NAME: |
Earth |
| LOCATION: |
3rd
Planet |
| STAR: |
Sol |
| SYSTEM: |
10
total - 6 solid, 4 Gas |
| SATELLITES: |
1
- Luna |
| AGE: |
4.5
billion years |
| TEMPERATURE: |
14
degrees Celsius |
| MASS: |
1.0
gravity |
| ROTATION: |
23
hours, 56.409 minutes |
| REVOLUTION |
365.25
DAYS |
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Founded in 2085 as an
economic/political conglomerate committed to the goal of colonizing
the planet Mars, the Earth Alliance quickly proved to be an extremely
practical replacement to the dismal failure that was the United
Nations. Originally consisting of Australia, Great Britain, Canada,
Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States
of America, the Alliance proved that through the use of a common
language and integrated culture, mankind could achieve any goal
they set forth.
The founding countries
of the Earth Alliance made a strong drive to explore the stars,
setting up stations and outposts on the lunar surface and, finally,
a colonial settlement on Mars in the year 2090. Although the first
Martian colony would be destroyed a decade later by a terrorist
bombing, the success of the Alliance proved all too well that if
mankind was to move beyond Earths cradle, humanity could not allow
its self to be separated by language or social/political boundaries.
In 2107, a few years
after the second Mars Colony was created, the United Nations was
disbanded, leading to hard-liners who opposed to Earth Alliance
to be elected in France, 2112. In the year 2122 the Earth Alliance
became the official governing body of humanity and the planet Earth.
This sparked several global conflicts, primarily from nations who
refused to be a part of the Alliance. Combined with resources stretching
thin, as the Alliance had settled and explored every planetoid in
its home solar system, it looked as if a global military crisis
was about to engulf the Earth. This crisis came to a head in 2150
with the terrorist bombing of San Diego, which lead to a rather
short lived war resulting in the Alliance crushing all of the dissident
nations.
By this time humanity
had grown too big for its home solar system and, unfortunately,
all attempts to find a way to travel beyond the speed of light had
failed. Earth scientists had discovered hyperspace and proven the
existence of tachyons, but still could not find the mathematical
know-how to send anything larger than a particle through the barrier
between real space and hyperspace. Thus, in an effort to curb civil
unrest, the Alliance began launching sleeper ships out into deep
space, in the hopes of making contact with alien life. Amazingly
enough however, the aliens humanity was trying so desperately to
contact, found Earth first.
In 2156 the question
of whether or not Mankind was alone in the universe was answered,
when a Centauri patrol fleet detected the use of intense radio and
low level tachyon communications being sent via hyperspace by Earth
stations in the Sol system. The Centauri, who looked amazingly similar
to humans, greeted humanity with open arms and quickly engaged in
extensive trade relations with the Earth people. Thus the Earth
Alliance found the universe opened up before them. The dream that
had inspired the creation of the Alliance had finally become a reality.
For nearly a century
the Earth Alliance saw massive growth, technology purchased from
the Centauri allowing Earth to leap ahead two centuries in only
two years. Humanity quickly began setting up colonies and staking
claim to every world surrounding the Sol sysem, becoming an active
participant in the galactic community. Still the Alliance was dependent
upon the Centauri for galactic space travel, a fact that did not
sit well with many in the Alliance. With the Lockheed-Mitchell Corporations
creation of the first Alliance Jump-Gates of Terran design, humanity
was no longer dependent upon the Centauri and quickly began working
towards the goal of becoming a major galactic power.
After several boarder
skirmishes with races in what would later become the League of Nonaligned
Worlds, the Earth Alliance formed a large and powerful Star-Navy
under the authority of the governments military branch Earthforce.
Through innovation and the valuable knowledge gained through years
of internal strife, humanity quickly proved its self to be a military
force to be reckoned with and many of the more aggressive races
opted to leave the Alliance in peace.
In it's first 75 years,
the Earth Alliance set up colonies and staked out territory on every
planet and solar system within 8,000 cubic light-years of Sol. Colnies
on Proxima Centauri, Wolf 359, the Luyten stars, Cygni Alpha and
the Ross stars. In only a few short years Earth become the undisputed
power with controling interest on every world withing 20 light-years
of Sol, from Ross 128 out to Sirus, with additional holdings stretching
out as far as Deneb, Orion and other systems as far as 2,000 light-years
of Sol in every direction.
Then on November 3, 2231
the Earth Alliance finally took its place as a Galactic Superpower,
when Humanity declared war on the brutal Dilgar Empire. The League
and, to a lesser extent the Narn Regime, had been at war with the
Dilgar for nearly a year before the Alliances entrance into the
conflict. The war was going badly for the League and the Dilgars
victory seemed assured until the Earth Alliance lent its might to
the battle. Though humanity had joined in the war primarily to flex
their galactic muscles, the war quickly became a moral crusade as
stories of heinous atrocities made their way back to Earth Dome.
Within less than a year the Earth Alliance, along with its allies,
succeeded in defeating the Dilgar Empire and halting their reign
of terror across the quadrant.
Riding high on their
victory and the new found respect from many of the other races,
the Earth Alliance began to fortify its defenses and once again
invested more resources to colonization and exploration. The future
of the Alliance looked to be a bright one in the golden years after
the victory over the Dilgar. Unfortunately the Alliance, believing
themselves to be one of the most powerful empires in the known galaxy,
were about to get a harsh introduction to reality.
In July of 2245 a fleet
of Earth Alliance ships sent on a standard exploration mission into
Minbari territory, accidentally came upon a Minbari fleet in rout
to Z'Ha'Dum. Upon entering the Minbari held star system, the small
fleet of Alliance ships found themselves face to face with a Minbari
War Cruisers, approaching with gun ports open. Captain of the commanding
ship, fearing they were about to be attacked, gave his crew the
order to open fire on the Minbari fleet.
In a devastating opening
volley of plasma weapon fire, the Alliance ships succeeded in damaging
the Minbari Cruiser and destroying a support craft before escaping
into hyperspace and back to Alliance territory. Among those killed
in the battle was Dukhat, leader of the Gray Council, the ruling
body of the Minbari Federation. Thus, do to a simple misunderstanding,
a bloody three year war ensued that would forever change the quadrant.
Earthforce, facing an
enemy that was thousands of years technologically superior, found
its self to be ill equipped to face the onslaught of the Minbari's
military machine. Many of the League worlds that pledged themselves
to assist the Alliance quickly withdrew their support, leaving only
the Narn who offered weapons but no direct military assistance.
Victories were far a
few between, the Alliance loosing an average of five ships for every
Minbari ship destroyed. Even those battles which were won by the
Alliance were not true victories, as the cost in ships and manpower
always averaged a 3 to 1 loss in the Minbari's favor... and this
was just to drive the Minbari attackers off.
The Earth Alliance only
achieved one true victory during the course of the war, when Lieutenant
Commander John Sheridan, who had been thrust into command of the
Earth Alliance Heavy Cruiser Lexington following the death of his
captain, laid a trap for an attacking Minbari warship.
John Sheridan, knowing
the Minbari vessel would return to finish the crippled Lexington
as soon as they radioed for assistance, ordered his crew to dispatch
the ships last three fusion bomb warheads, hiding them in an asteroid
belt. Once the bombs had been laid in place the Lexington called
for assistance, knowing full well that the Minbari ship would return.
Thinking they were about
to engage a helpless target the Minbari ship made a bee line for
the distress signal, looking for a quick kill. Upon entering the
belt Lieutenant Commander Sheridan detonated the mines, heavily
damaging the Black Star. Crippled and attempting to escape, Sheridan
succeeded in destroying the Black Star with the detonation of the
second mine. It is important to note however that the mine its self
did not cause the Black Star to explode. The second nuclear detonation
disrupted the ships reactor containment system causing a core breech,
and it was this breech in the ships fusion reactor system that destroyed
the Black Star. This was the first and last major space victory
of the war.
Despite this one victory,
the war continued to go badly for the Earth Alliance. By 2248, with
most of Earths forces destroyed or off engaging the Minbari in other
systems, the Earth found its self directly in the path of a Minbari
attack fleet nearly three thousand capital ships strong.
In a final effort to
protect the Earth, 20,000 of the bravest soldiers the Alliance had
to offer formed a line just behind lunar orbit, swearing to whatever
fates or gods existed that it would be a line the Minbari would
not cross! The move was a desperate one, as Earth had no hope of
defeating the advancing Minbari forces. Over 20,000 men and woman
formed the line... only 207 survived. The Battle of the Line was
the bloodiest space battle of the entire war, and not a single Minbari
ship was brought down.
After the Battle of the
Line had concluded, the Minbari Federation surrendered to the Earth
Alliance. For reasons of their own, reasons that are still not fully
understood by the general public, the Minbari Federation surrendered
on the verge of total victory, a victory that would have included
the annihilation of the human race.
With a new lease on life,
the Earth Alliance set in motion a long forgotten proposal of Earth
Alliance senator Calvin Natawe and the Babylon Project was born,
dedicated to creating a place where humans and aliens could work
out their differences peacefully. Under the leadership of President
Santiago and support from throughout the Alliance, the Babylon
Project became a reality with the completion of space station Babylon
5.
Though the Alliance has
been through a great deal of strife in recent years, ranging from
intergalactic conflicts, the assassination of President Santiago
and a devastating Civil War to over through Santiago's killer, then
president Morgan Clark, the Earth Alliance continues to be one of
the largest and most influential powers in the quadrant.
Consisting of sixteen
colonies, eight major military outposts and eleven research
stations*, the Alliance is one of the largest empires in this
part of the known galaxy, larger in size than either the Narn,
Centauri, and even the Minbari empires and boasts a military
some 20,000
capital ships strong. A listing of Earth Colonies and
station can be found by clicking HERE.
With the defeat of the
Shadows, freedom having been restored to the Alliance following
President Clarks suicide and a new found sense of purpose, the Earth
Alliance once again has set its sights to the stars and the ideals
to which the Earth Alliance was founded upon... Freedom, justice
and liberty for all.
[*Data
current up to 2258 - additional colonies or outposts may have
been set up since this date.]
[*Data based on
B5 shows, novels, RPG, Sierra CD Guide/video game, and the official
B5 Magazine.]
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