Altair Rebellion

Sunmmary
The attempted, and temporarily successful, insurrection in the Altair system of the Neo-Terran Directorate. It was led by the rebelling Governor-Lord Valar Toldaris who believed in spreading FTL Drive technologies to others opposing the xeno-led oppression of the Galactic Senate. This stance was opposed by Director-Commander Sara Commenus and Grand-Admiral Nanako Bellico of Directorate Aero-Space Command, yet supporded by High-General Thomas Balsingham of Directorate Terrestrial Command. The conflict that ensued led to the Scouring of Altair and the Altair reforms.

Seeds of the Rebellion
Altair had always been a remaining bastion of hard-line Terran supremacists who despised the xeno-led, anti-Imperial Galactic Senate. As a result, it became a scientific research hub for the Directorate, specialising in transportation technologies, as many of its inhabitants feverishly worked towards a breakthrough that would enable them to make contact with Sol and destroy the Galactic Senate. While its well-known discoveries included the well-known Archaeo-max super-long vessel, the DSS Dreadnought, which led to the super-long naval race and the mass superdriver. Its true break-through came at the birth of the Third Age - the FTL Drive.

The system Governor-Lord at the time, Valar Toldaris was much enthused of the discovery and brought it to the urgent attention of the Ruling Council of Neo-Terra who were delighted by the news and commissioned the well-known Capellan ship-builder Directorate Autonetics to start drawing up plans for designs of new standardised production starships that would incorporate the FTL Drive. Toldaris, however, advanced the idea of, rather than maintaining the FTL Drive as a Directorate monopoly, to instead use it as a tool to arm the other opponents of the Galactic Senate. A short transcript of the responce of the historic Council meeting follows:

Governor-Lord Valar Toldaris: We cannot fight the Senate alone, so we need allies - and this is the tool to get those allies!

Director-Commander Sara Communus: Hmm...I feel somewhat skeptical of a plan that involves 'giving away' incredibly important Directorate research, Lord Toldaris...

Dominar of External Affairs Johnathon Yamamoto: ''This is insane! We currently have fairly amicable relations with the Senate, and this can be a tool by which we can gain greater influence over them, diplomatically handled. The non-members of the Senate are friendly, yes, but are still very much independently-minded and would never acceed back to central Terran rule voluntarily. To put such a device in their hands is unthinkable. Better to menace the Senate and gain concessions, like greater rights for Terrans in their territory.''

Grand-Admiral Nanako Bellico: ''I must agree with Dominar Yamamoto, our fleet will need to be completely replaced by this revolutionary technology and it would be far better to keep it within the Directorate in case of 'allied' betrayal. Furthermore, we have not been at war with the xenos of the Galactic Senate since before its conception - there is no need to change that situation now, at least not until we have expanded our own power-base somewhat.''

High-General Thomas Balsingham: ''With all due respect, I must disagree with my 'learnéd' friends here and agree with Lord Toldaris. We have never liked having to deal with the Senate who are the avowed enemies of Terra, and if we strike now, early on - we have a chance to form an alliance against them and destroy all of them!''

Dominar of Internal Affairs Giles Kim: Perhaps a mixture of the two methods...?

Viceroy of Trade Carlos Messina: ''I rather think not. We must decide now whether to use this technology purely for ourselves, for the enemies of the Senate, or, indeed, to cajole the Senate itself. To spread the technology too far either way would weaken the bargaining power that it gives us.

Exemplar of Ceremonies & Decorum Antoine D'Medici: Shall we refer this to to Council vote, Overlord-Lady?

Director-Commander Sara Communus: Yes, that seems the best way, given the division here.

Exemplar of Ceremonies & Decorum Antoine D'Medici: Please raise your hand for isolation...anti-Senate...and pro-Senate...

Director-Commander Sara Communus: ''Well, that seems fairly clear. Isolation it is.''

Governor-Lord Valar Toldaris: This is a mistake.

Exemplar of Ceremonies & Decorum Antoine D'Medici: ''Lord Toldaris, please bear in mind that this is a Council decision. Your presence here was merely to recieve formal notification about this historic discovery, not to dictate policy to the Ruling Council. Know your place sir.''

High-General Thomas Balsingham: ''However, as I am a member of this Council and I happen to agree. Anything except an anti-Senate stance is an anti-Imperial stance!''

Director-Commander Sara Communus: ''Silence! The decision of this Council has been made. Any other business? No - then meeting ajourned.''

Around a year later, the first major fleet of FTL Drive warships was formally launched at Capella Aero-space Command HQ, led by the DSS Bonaventure, while Archaeo-max ships retro-fitted with FTL Drives began exploration, mapping and patrol missions. The Bonaventure Command Fleet was supposed to be being specially prepared for a mission to make contact with Sol. However, about a month later, reports began to creep in of other non-Senate ships being seen without using the Helios Network. The Ruling Council summoned Toldaris and Balsingham, both known to have returned to Aldaris to stand before it, as the only two people capable of spreading the technology without the knowledge and agreement of the Council. Both refused and prepared the Altair system to resist retaliation.

The Rebellion
Governor-Lord Toldaris: had been a very popular system governor, despite his being appointed from Alpha Centauri and this was largely due to his thinking being in-line with Altair thought and politics. As a result, he with the military assistance of Balsingham's Terrestrial Command was able to crush all opposition to the rebellion within Altair and fortified the system capitol of Altair IX. The remaining planetary governors agreed with his actions and began constructing their own fortifications.

Director-Commander Sara Communus summoned the rest of the Council, who agreed that the only course of action was to crush the rebellion as quickly as possible, a decision that the Directorate Secretariat endorsed. As a result, Grand-Admiral Nanako Bellico was placed in command of the Bonaventure Command Fleet which was despatched to launch a surprise attack on the rebels. Much to the annoyance of Grand-Admiral Bellico, while she won the Battle of Altair Gate which enabled the rest of the Aero-space Command reinforcement fleets to jump in safely via the Helios Network Gate - while she was able to gain control in space, the rebellion continued on the ground. She instituted a blockade while requesting further orders.

At the subsequent emergency Council meeting, the infamous Forty-Second Council of Capella, the controversial decision was made to order the system purged with the powerful ion-based weaponry of the Directorate forces. The decision was made following mistaken reports that non-Senate forces were rushing to the aid of the rebels. This, however, was the famous order that led to the Scouring of Altair.