History

Estimated reading: 3 minutes

The history of the Tever begins in medias res; the earliest days of the species are shrouded in smoke, the result of careful obfuscation by the dominant factions of their homeworld Arliris to conceal their origins and weaknesses from each other. What is known – what can be cross-referenced between the surviving accounts – begins as follows:

Prehistory to A -1000: the Tever evolved on the planet Arliris, and grew (in spite of frequent and brutal warfare between families and states) to global dominance. Weapons of mass destruction put an end to open bloodshed, after a fashion, by forcing the species into a stalemate between several prominent factions.
A -750 to -650: the development of Tever spaceflight becomes a “long game” – the species did not develop manifold collapse technology for faster-than-light travel, but instead explored their neighbouring star systems over centuries by sending manned scout craft the long way, at near light speed. Pilots would make the trip in cryogenic suspension, knowing full well that their arrival meant that they could be stranded for their remaining lives. All available evidence suggests that the competing Tever states intended to establish holdings on other planets as soon as possible.
A -650: one misaligned Tever scout craft lands on a world that – between its launch and the forerunner’s arrival – has been settled by the Omdua. The Omdua respond by delivering the pilot back to the Tever homeworld, as a show of good faith to initiate diplomacy. The mission is disastrous; the Omdua are completely unprepared for the secretive Tever culture, and the crew that land on Arliris are captured by Tever responding to a perceived threat.
A -640 onwards: cooler heads (and/or pragmatism) prevail – the Tever release their Omdua captives after studying their vessel and reverse-engineering manifold collapse technology. Formal diplomacy is established, though dissimilarities between the species mean relations are strained. The Tever use FTL travel to establish and administer colonies on the habitable plants they had already explored; the culture holding said technology becomes dominant, ending the stalemate on Arliris.
A -550: Tever exploration has reached its fever pitch, but the establishment of so many outposts strained the resources and the authority of the homeworld – an internal crisis loomed, and collapse of the colonies into independent fiefdoms seemed inevitable until the Omdua stepped in to facilitate negotiations. A union was formed to represent the Tever’s interstellar holdings – and many of its founding tenets survive to this day in the legal codes of the Alliance.
A -500 onwards: the Omdua unwittingly courted disaster by attempting diplomacy with MOTHER, who responded by immediately invading Omdua space. The Tever moved to protect the Omdua, and that intervention – paid for with many Tever lives – cements the bond between the two species. Together, they form a mutual defensive pact – a true alliance – in A -495.
Present: the Alliance has grown exponentially since the Tever formed one half of it, and the changes have been difficult for some to reconcile. But, while the Alliance’s first resort will always be diplomacy, its defenders understand that there will always be threats and disasters that demand direct action – and that there will always be a reason to stay ready, and to keep your senses sharp.