The Conflict of 3200, (also known as the STO War, STO-Imperial Trade War, and the Sector Trade Conflict) was an Economic and Military war between the Sector Trade Organisation and the Imperial Houses of the Empire. It began after trade talks between A.C.R.E. and the Astral Synedrium broke down and ended with House Eridanus reclaiming A.C.R.E. along with Demnoph and Yakiyah. Although many see this conflict as a footnote after the much larger preceeding War Against the Artificials, it is infact a major conflict in its own right, drawing in many of the factions and planets of the Empire and almost leading to its end.
Background[]
After the War Against the Artificials, the ACRE Corporation was the largest Corporation in Archeron Ro. It was now a major player in the politics of the Sector, able to threaten the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox if it wished to. The Sector Trade Organisation was formed in an effort to cooperate towards shared aims such as solving the Labour crisis that had occurred after the war.
The Cygnus War had left the Imperial Throne empty. With the lack of a strong leader to act on the issues of the day, Piracy had grown stronger, a rebellion was hatching on Yakiyah, a religious heresy was spring forth in the Sector South, and anti-Imperial sentiment was growing. Added to this, were the Noble Factions vying to take the throne themselves.
Tensions rose between the Sector Trade Organisation and the Empire over ACRE's research into improved transportation networks. Some fearing the transportation network could be used the threaten the Empire.
Prelude[]
In early April, House Crux accused the ACRE Corporation of planning to commit Genocide on the planet of Yakiyah in order to put down the revolutionaries of the Unified People's Collective, formally stripping ACRE's lease hold on the planet, and placing arrest warrants for high ranking members of the ACRE Corporation.
On Teuthem, a Vagrant team of Rusiyaah Rangers was tasked to infiltrate the PRISM Lighthouse and steal information that was damning to the Sector Trade Organisation. They failed in the their mission.
At the same time, a fleet of ACRE Ships enters the Aliya system in violation of Aquilan Space.
In the ensueing chaos, data protection, data alteration, general cover ups and differing witness accounts, points of view and sources of the following conflict, it is unclear which side committed the first act of aggression against the other.
Conflict[]
April[]
The Unified People's Collective were successful in forming the Yakiyahn Mandate. A government for Yakiyahns, on Yakiyah. The Yakiyahn Mandate along with the planet Cabina (under the influence of the Church of Humanity Repentant) joined the Sector Trade Organisation as Aquila formally declared war on the ACRE Corporation. The Battle of Diomakatou began.
May
An attempt was made by the ACRE Corporation to isolate Lodestone, the home world of House Pyxis. The Corporation took over docks and supply networks in order to starve the young House of supplies such as Fuel. In order to procure the supplies to keep operating out of Lodestone, House Crux were forced to sell of their own ship parts to independent operators.
House Vela formally signed the Treaty of Cabina which declared that the Church of Humanity Repentant was no longer a heresy. In the following months, the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox would Exigo House Vela from their nobility. The last time a similar action was taken by the High Church was when House Cygnus were excommunicated.
In response, the Perithr system (where the Velan homeworld Haqani is) declared full independence from the Empire and proclaimed themselves the Velan Ascendency
Diomakatou falls to the STO. Some Aquilans remain behind to lead the resistance while others set up a new base of operations on Hroa, homeworld of House Serpens.
June[]
By June, the situation on Dio had turned against the STO with some of their soldiers changing their allegiance to the Empire. However, this only served to make the ACRE Corporation harden their grip on Imperial supply chains. With Lodestone already feeling the strangulation of the Corporate hand, Orpheus and House Lyra also began to face shortages of vital supplies such as food.
The Imperials discovered a Velan Defence Force base operating out of Lodestone. They were garnering support for the ACRE Corporation through blackmail and conducting false flag attacks that showed the Empire in a bad light. The base was removed.
The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox attempted to do something similar. They hoped to increase anti-Corporate sentiment on the homeworld of the ACRE Corporation, Demnoph by utilising the faith of the populace to turn them against the people trying to break the chain. However, they had underestimated the strength of the Repentant Faith that, given confidence by Treaty of Cabina, had taken hold of the planet.
To make matters worse for the High Church, a prominent Repentant preacher by the name of Vela Ardeshir, leads a crowd of people and preaches a sermon directly outside the Imperial Palace. The war was giving confidence to people who for a long time felt they had to hide, and the heretical arms of Cabina were now able to reach the Imperial Capital.
Meanwhile away from the Core on Teuthem, criminals and businessmen from the 14 Red Dogs Triads, operating out of the Casino Ship Ilicit Rendezvous are successful in their attempts to bribe, cajole and create problems from the Vagrant Privateers, who had earlier declared the system a No Fly Zone under Operation Northern Watchtower, separating Echo and Hong Lu from the Core.
July[]
The ACRE Corporation after being informed that their Market Controlling and blockading on Orpheus had completely stripped Orpheus' military of supplies, decided to continue, hitting the civilian populous too. During this Month, both the ACRE Corporation and the Velan Ascendancy would commit Genocide on the populace of Orpheus.
The ARGO Machine run by the High Church in order to seek out dissidents would be attempted to be taken over by the ACRE Corporation who would covertly replace new parts for it with their own.
On Haqani, agents of the High Church use the situation on Orpheus to try and stir up the population against the Velan Ascendency and its war. However, radical elements of the Church of Humanity Repentant with the assistance of heavily edited and controlled PRISM broadcasts are able to keep the populace in support of the war effort. Unable to fight spiritually, the agents begin killing prominent Church of Humanity Repentant followers on the planet.
The Repentant Faithful on Imperial Prime are scared back into hiding by the arrival of the Vagrant known as "Beowulf". His arrival forces Vela Ardeshir to go on the run.
The Illicit Rendevous makes it past Teuthem to Lovelace. However this time, the privateers are ready for it and Vagrant Captains are able to disrupt its operations by starting barfights onboard. Sources are unclear on whether that was their intention when they started the barfights or just a fortunate effect.
August[]
The news of what is taking place on Orpheus soon reaches the rest of the Sector despite the best efforts of the PRISM Corporation. The image of the Velan Ascendency is damaged on Haqani and finally the messages of the High Church priests get through. High Church worshippers come out to challenge the Repentant preachers and Imperial agents are able to stir the crowd against the Velans.
A Fornax Strike Fleet had been successfully blockading and bombarding military targets on the planet. When ACRE strategists on Haqani attempted to flee onboard Merchant Freighters they were killed by the Fleet.
House Aquila are able to successfully liberate Diomakatou from the ACRE Corporation.
Before surrendering, the Velan Ascendency destroy their Great Library, plunging the sector into a new navigation crisis.
Hearing about the killings on Haqani, the repentant preacher on Imperial Prime ,Ardeshir Vela, attempts to escape the planet but his ship is destroyed by House Crux tanks who have arrived to put down the revolt once and for all. The Velan is captured.
Due to the Genocide on Orpheus, the Yakiyahn Mandate, still harbouring the influence of the UPC, and the memories of Gats, leaves the Sector Trade Organisation, citing that Orpheus was too far.
Cabina leaves the Sector Trade Organisation.
With some irony, at the end of the war, ACRE successfully implements the transportation changes the war was fought to prevent them doing. They name it Project T.A.H.I.T.I.
In September, the war concludes although the hunting of the remnants of the STO would continue for the rest of the year.
Aftermath[]
The Sector Trade Organisation disbands. The ACRE Corporation and all its assets are taken over by House Eridanus, who become the strongest House in the sector and run the Imperial Bank.
The Unified People's Collective would fight on for a few months but with no more worlds to rally to their cause other than Yakiyah, their leadership was slowly hunted down by the High Church and the High Exarch.
The Church of Humanity Repentant succumbed to an internal struggle and disbands. Many of their personnel are now working for the SERAPH organization on Cabina.
House Triangulum covertly managed to take over the criminal assets of the 14 Red Dogs Triad.
The houses of Eridanus, Triangulum, Pyxis and Lyra left the Astral Synedrium. The remaining houses continued the institution until after the Imperial election when it was decided the Astral synedrium had run its course and a period of controlled dissolution was carried out.
With the defeat of the Church of Humanity Repentant, the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox continues to show itself as the dominant faith in Archeron Ro.
House Fornax became the new rulers of Haqani.
In Popular Culture[]
The STO war features a little in the first season of Far Verona. The Prudence is attacked by an ACRE shuttle over the the moon of Berkmann III (now Navette)