Fiction:Second Great Cyrannus War

"The future is dark, for this coming conflict will doubtlessly ravage the entire galaxy, spreading like wildfire across the stars and beyond. A season of unending war, from which there can be no respite."

- Grandmaster

The Second Great Cyrannus War, also known as the Second Great War, or the Republic-Imperial War, is a major intergalactic conflict pitting the, under the Emperor , against the , led by President. However, outside Cyrannus, the Empire is opposed by a considerable coalition of anti-Imperial civilisations across the —the culmination of years of confrontations between the Empire and rival powers.

The origins of the conflict date back to the, when Tyrómairon—an ancient Oikoumene Lord dormant since the —reawakened, setting in motion a plan to reshape the galaxy under his rule. Orchestrating the First Great War between the United Republic of Cyrannus and their Confederate rivals, the Dark Lord brought the conflict to an end during the Battle of, whereupon he dissolved the Republic, conquered the Confederacy and formed the with the support of the majority of the new Empire's war-weary population. Tyrómairon's age of peace, however, was opposed by remnants of the Republic and the Confederacy, both of which refused to surrender their ideals and freedoms in the name of order and security. Under the leadership of Apollo, the Republic remnants ultimately coalesced as the in 03 NE, beginning a period of detente which lasted until the  toward the end of the Empire's first decade.

After nine years of mounting tension between the two powers, the Empire was the first to make a move. Any chance for Cyrannian Concordance dissolved as quickly as the worlds of the system, annihilated by the Empire in an open act of war condemned across the Gigaquadrant. Though it was successful in crippling the government and military of the New Republic, it rallied under the leadership of Apollo, who ascended to the Presidency to lead the Republic war effort—inaugurated by the destruction of the and the outbreak of open conflict across Cyrannus and the Gigaquadrant.

Background
"Each of these conflicts is but one tiny piece of a larger whole, a war endless and inestimably larger. The Empire's crusade to rule the galaxy has not ended with the Fall of Vasuband. In truth, it has barely begun."

- Imperator, 05 NE

During the Lost Eons, a timeless period prior to the formation of the Universe, the emerged under the wise leadership of —the Lord and Vector of Light and the First Born of Valin'uvalyë. He was followed by the Vectors of Chaos and Order, who vied for control over the destiny of the Oikoumene. The Vector of Order, Tyrómairon, led the martial force of the Oikoumene empire, the —seeking to bring eternal order upon the cosmos, by force if necessary. Since the disappearance of Apolithanatár, the Oikoumene strayed from the "Path of Valin'uvalyë", with the eternal battles between Chaos and Order corrupting their very being. During the and the First Return of Apolithanatár, civil war erupted, threatening to tear apart the very fabrics of space, time and reality itself. With the end of the conflict, the Oikoumene lords retreated—both Apolithanatár and Tyrómairon seemingly locked away for all eternity to follow.

The evolved throughout the subsequent ages, during which time galactic governments such as the First Republic, the Federation of United Worlds and the  rose and fell. When extragalactics first arrived in the galaxy through a wormhole from the, the history of Cyrannus was forever changed. The Republic of Cyrannus became an intergalactic power and along with allies such as Rambo Nation and the stood together against threats ranging from the, the  and the  themselves. During the, however, the future of the galaxy became intrinsically linked to its forgotten past. Awakened by Republic soldiers who happened upon his planetary prison, Tyrómairon rose to find the galaxy in conflict. Thus, he orchestrated the Grand Plan—the capitulation of Cyrannus through guile and the inauguration of an age of eternal peace and order under a single ruler—an Oikoumene Emperor. With the end of the Intergalactic War, Tyrómairon located and awakened his Mornûnenduran followers and began to influence galactic events as a power broker, known to but a few of the galaxy's most important figures. The culmination of the Grand Plan came with the outbreak of the First, between the , an alliance of worlds seeking independence from the Core and against the Republic's claim as the galactic government of Cyrannus. Ensuring that neither side came close to achieving victory, Tyrómairon subtly began transforming the Republic into an increasingly militarised power, under the nose of beleaguered President. The war finally ended three years later with the formation of the, with Tyrómairon as the Galactic Emperor.

Three years later, the former President Apollo, had successfully negotiated with the Empire to allow for the formation of the far from Imperial borders. Though the period of detente which followed, characterised by undeniable tension, though also by occasional cooperation, led some to advocate for Cyrannian Concordance between the two powers, the outbreak of the in 06 NE dampened such hopes. During the Cold War, the actions of, and Master , culminated in the return of Apolithanatár—seemingly prophesied by the Annals of Valin'uvalyë to stand against the Darkness of Tyrómairon. In his wake, the, an esoteric order dating back to the First Republic, was reformed as a beacon of Light to oppose the Empire. This, together with the Republic emerging strong from conflicts such as the, led to the escalation of the Cold War and the formulation of the "Operation"—a first strike against the Republic. In 15 NE, a month after the Dissolution of the Imperial Senate, the Empire attacked the Republic capital —sparking the outbreak of hostilities across the Gigaquadrant, centred on the battle for control over Cyrannus, both between the Republic and the Empire and between the ancient Vectors of Order and Light.

Opening Stages (15 NE - 16 NE)
"I pledge to fight this tyranny. I pledge to fight your rule of atrocity and I pledge with every fibre of my honour, my life and my very being, that I will fight to bring about your destruction and the abolition of the Empire."

- President, during the Capricaerón Address

The conflict began in earnest with the Battle of Cadian, fought immediately after the Mou'Cyran Cataclysm. Republic forces under the command of Fleet Admiral and under the direction of the newly installed President, assaulted the  on the fringes of the Cadian System in the Outer Rim. As the Empire prepared to fire on the interim Republic capital, Republic and Aldárae forces managed to destroy the station, killing Grand Mandator and severely limiting the Empire's capacity to win a total and immediate victory against the Republic. Though the President sought to immediately capitalise on the victory to weaken Imperial sectors in the Northern Outer Rim, now free from Vosaetiur's stranglehold, the Empire responded with a massive invasion of the Republic's territories in the Coru Secundus region. Commanded by Fleet Admiral, the Imperial First Battlefleet struck at Thaehos and multiple other worlds along the now non-existent Neutral Zone, with many openly declaring for the Empire, alternatively through the machinations of Imperial Intelligence, or fear of the mighty Imperial fleet. Amidst the remnants of the Mou'Cyran System, the Empire and the Republic clashed twice in the largest battles of the conflict thus far, with the Republic fighting fiercely to prevent the Empire from gaining a foothold in the system—the gateway to the great hyperlanes of Republic space. Despite heavy losses, the Imperials ultimately emerged victorious at the Second Battle of the Mou'Cyran Remnants, dealing yet another crushing blow to the Republic Navy, which scattered to defend the few fortress worlds left untouched.

Simultaneously to the Battles of the Remnants, Grand Admiral rallied a massive fleet to the, where he proclaimed  under his protection, keeping the turbolasers of the fleet fixed on  to ensure High King 's loyalty to the Empire. From the Capital, Palenix directed Commodore to quell the 's colonies in the Quadrants—the first of many battles in the Wormhole Campaign. The campaign spread to the, where Imperial forces led by Grand Admiral launched a massive attack on the , seeking to prevent them from aiding the beleagured Republic. The Empire utilised similar justification to begin a renewed assault on extragalactic civilisations such as the within Cyrannus, conquering the Collective colony of Narsul and crippling the Terran military in Cyrannus with an assault on Amphryssos. The New Republic, still reeling from the Cataclysm and later, the Republic Day Attacks was unable to aid their allies, with President Apollo struggling to form a government amidst the chaos. With the fall of the key Republic stronghold of, the Empire had all but secured the central sectors of Coru Secundus, though faced continued opposition in the extreme galactic south, where the campaign to rid Cyrannus of the , the and the  was slowed by an Imperial defeat in the Battle of Frenal. Similarly, the began reclaiming lost Republic space beginning with the Second Battle of Manánnan, though their progress was impaired by a crushing defeat at the Battle of Cognethril. In the north of Coru Secundus, the First Battlefleet under Admiral Adraci continued seizing world after world along the Republic Hyperlane, ultimately sparking the Battle of Coruanthor.

The campaign for control over would last for much of 15 NE, with both the Republic and the Empire committing vast portions of their respective militarises to claiming the ecumenopolis. Simultaneously, the Empire began an invasion of the Terran Republic's home territories in the Milky Way, with the Battle of Tírnanóg resulting in a costly stalemate between Imperial forces and the Terrans and their allies. In the Quadrants, the military of Republica Elen'Nanethia suddenly ceased active coordination with the bulk of the Republic Navy, with Praesator declaring independence in open defiance of President Apollo's flailing administration. Her call to arms against Apollo's government was heard throughout the crumbling Republic, coming at the worst possible time for the Capricaerón government.

Despite a public display of anger by Emperor Lunarai shortly after the announcement of Mou'Cyran's destruction; the opening stages saw indecisiveness on the side of the. The Delphan colonies in Cyrannus distributed aid and replicator units to citizenry fleeing the chaos, while in the Quadrants, the DCP offered to evacuate concerned citizens of GITO and the Rambo Nation should war reach them. It seemed that once again, the DCP was taking a neutral stance on matters of the Cyrannus galaxy. Amidst clashes between the Plazithians and the Empire, there were fears amongst the leaders of the Kicath and the New Republic that the DCP might even be rebuilding its alliance with the Empire. This could not have been further from the truth, as the DCP was becoming increasingly sore about the Empire's flagrant demonstrations of power in the Plazith Rim. Nearly two decades before, the DCP had signed a mutual agreement with France to protect the interests of the galaxy. But with other Xonexians debating to keep a status quo, no agreement for decisive action was set; Lunarai would have to act alone for the first time and learn how to as a new leader. The DCP was also fighting an incursion within their own space by terrorist forces, the Heralds of Mosivam under support by Mauloron's Civilisation remnant. The Heralds were a dangerous force leftover from the Dominatus wars - Grimbolsaurians engineered by the Dominatus to fight for them. Mauloron's and Mosivam's forces were appearing at any point in the Delpha Sector (from an unknown region), striking deadly attacks in political and public centres and forcing the DCP to rank up its defences and stamp out the guerrillas. Several leaders had been killed and the death toll was rising. This was unknown to the Gigaquadrant because of the DCP's controlled media.

But unknown to the DCP was that the return of the Heralds had been implicated by the Empire, whom had taken a decisive action against Lunarai's threats. Moranonúngur, a Bisistar Phaedra had alone sought the Heralds of Mosivam. Imperial Intelligence had evidence that the Heralds and indeed Mauloron himself inhabited the Ossuarium sector, and Moranonúngur was dispatched to seek them. The Phaedra preferred working at distance through manipulation, and his job was to convince the Heralds that a successful regime change for the DCP would grant them backing from the Empire and thus survival. Moranonúngur's foresight aided him in navigating safely around the spatial anomalies of the sector, bruised by the brutality of the Dominatus War and subsequently abandoned by the Delphans; though he had reservations about putting himself in harms way. The Delphans would come to the aid of the Republic close to the end of 15 NE, with Emperor Lunarai personally aiding the allies during the Battle of Farochel in the Plazith Rim, helping the planet's population and leadership flee to the nearby Antiroprus system. Though the Empire had won a strategic victory at Farochel, Republic and allied leaders hoped that Delphan intervention would turn the tide against the Imperials.

Escalation (16 NE - 18 NE)
With the conclusion of the Wormhole and Coru Secundus Campaigns, the Second Great War escalated into a new and destructive phase. While the New Republic emerged from the Cataclysm with a somewhat stable government under the resolute leadership of President Apollo, it would soon discover that the threat of the Empire would become second to a more immediate threat—the self-proclaimed under the command of Praesator, who declared open rebellion against  and sparked a devastating Civil War for control over the flailing democracy. The conflict began soon after the Liberation of Coru Secundus, when Adelheidis led a fleet of loyal starships through the wormhole at and captured the Republic starbase in the Saxhleel system. From there, she spread her forces in the region, fighting against Fleet Admiral 's armada.

Simultaneously, the Empire capitalised on the chaos in Republic space by concentrating on other fronts of the conflict, intensifying its efforts in the Milky Way, complicated upon the entry of the Delpha Coalition of Planets to the war. In Cyrannus, Grand Mandator led his personal armada into the Capricorn Sector of the Core Worlds, and captured, killing Republic admiral  in the process. In the Milky Way, Grand Admiral Siriliulus began a brutal invasion of the, which culminated in the fall of Terrae, during which it was revealed to the Gigaquadrant that the highest offices of the ATR had been infiltrated by agents of the , who harboured their own designs for Gigaquadrantic conquest. The fall of the Terran Republic resulted in the establishment of a puppet-state known as. However, the New Republic, bolstered from its victory during the Coru Secundus Campaign, began its own campaign in Imperial space, invading several systems in the southern Outer Rim, including winning a pivotal victory during the Battle of Laurantia, during which Grandmaster severely injured Grand Inquisitor  in a deadly duel on the surface. Under the command of Fleet Admiral, the Republic's offensive in the Outer Rim was soon joined by the , which dispatched to the campaign, almost resulting in a victory at Corutaran before Imperial reinforcements arrived.

Seeking to counteract Apollo's advantage of a larger array of allies, Adelheidis made overtures to the and the, and briefly won their support in the war prior to her disastrous defeat at the Second Siege of Saxhleel. When the Loyalist fleet under the command of Admiral Shavalera entered the Quadrants, it came under attack by a Rambo armada led by Commodore, sparking open warfare between Apollo's government and the regime of High King. Acting increasingly irrational, Rambert executed the New Republic ambassador on the Holonet, sparking outrage among civilisations such as the, horrified by his disregard for intergalactic law. Rambert subsequently imprisoned Apollo's son in the salt mines of, though he was ultimately rescued by a joint team consisting of the crew of the , the  Void Combine, the s and the.

Though the True Republic was briefly bolstered by High King Rambert's support, the aftermath of the Battle of Pauvenris brought about the end of the short lived alliance. In an act of supreme betrayal, Rambert revealed the location of Adelheidis' last remaining armada in the system to the Empire, which promptly besieged her armada in a battle which became known as the Last Stand of the Viper. With her fleet smashed, Adelheidis was captured by Grand Admiral, who brought her to , where she met her end at the hand of Tyrómairon himself, thus bringing an end to the True Republic and the New Republic Civil War. However, the conflict evolved into a confrontation between the Republic and Rambo Nation, with President Apollo striking up a deal with the s to help place a le Rambo monarch on the throne.

Quotes
"The war in Cyrannus has been heard here, and thankfully it hasn't reached our borders. Their Empire sounds as dictatorial as of old, and I know the satisfaction of the day when those kinds of Empires fall. Galaxies deserve to be free."

"The age of the Galactic Empire is coming to an end. We shall dismantle its leadership and submit it to a fitting end for the crimes it has committed against us and our allies."

"We will never end."

"Peace is temporary. War is a constant. War segregates those worthy of a fleeting existence from those unworthy of it. Be it a single cell, an individual, a species, or a cluster-spanning civilization, that which cannot defend itself deserves only extermination. War is the ultimate test of this, a reminder to all that if they betray the law of the sword, if they refuse to make whole their ability to annihilate all opposition, they are rightfully doomed to perish at the feet of someone or something more deserving of existence, and have all that they have built consumed by the sharper sword."

"No matter what, we must fight against the Empire. So long as one of us breathes, we stand, and so long as one of us stands, we win. And we will never stop standing, for to fall at any point, to cease in the face of the Empire's tyranny, is to allow the universe to fall to the Emperor's cruelty and enslavement. Even if only one of us stands, that one must carry the torch and light the way to victory. And shove that torch somewhere important to the Emperor by the end."

"After our people liberated, it very good that those of Cyrannus can be liberated too, and we do all we can to help."

"DUM WAR COS WES NOT IN IT MAN WARS DESE DAYS AR LAME"

"This war has been long coming since that fateful day at the end of the First Great War. No "Emperor" in the universe can keep the spirit of freedom under the boot of tyranny forever. All that remains now is to make sure that democracy and liberty wins the day this time, and that the Imperial era becomes merely a brief interruption of the great Cyrannian democratic tradition."

In-Universe

 * In a -dominated alternate 1250 NE, of the Cyrandia Republic mentioned to  that the Star Destroyer Aeolus saw service during the Second Great War, which was fought until at least 245 NE. However, given that Mou'Cyran was not destroyed in that timeline, the conflicts diverged considerably.

Out-of-Universe

 * Permission is required from prior to involving your fiction in the conflict, which includes both direct and indirect involvement. The other coordinators are  and.
 * The Second Great Cyrannus War is a conventional conflict, battles will be fought fleet-to-fleet, army-to-army, character-to-character over individual planets and systems. As such, the use of superweapons, as well as large scale hyperspatial warfare—involving the destruction of fleets, worlds or systems and not including actual battles in hyperspace and interdiction technology—will be exceptional cases that must be discussed with the owners of the belligerent factions in question.