The War

The War, also known as the War that Divides the Galaxy, the Last War Human Fight or the Great War is a intergalactic military conflict between the Humankind Empire of Abh and the Four Nations Alliance which has been taking place since Imperial Calendar year 952. The direct triggers of the war are the surprise attack on Gosroth and the occupation of Sufugnoff Marquessdom by the United Mankind. Until Imperial Calendar year 959, the military casualties are estimated to be over ten millions, excluding civilian deaths.

There are two camps in the war, the Humankind Empire of Abh and the Four Nations Alliance. The Four Nations Alliance declares war on the Empire with a false casus belli that Gosroth attacks their scout ship. The statement is proved incorrect by the logbook of Gosroth and therefore the Federation of Hania remains neutral initially while they claim to stay in the Nova Sicily Treaty Structure. Then the alliance is called Three Nations Alliance. In Imperial Calendar year 959, a coup is staged in the Federation of Hania and they soon ambush Kryv Kingdom and head for Abriel Earldom currently.

The story of Crest of the Stars, Banner of the Stars series are mainly based on the War. It is about two main character Jinto and Lafiel how to survive the war since they meet on patrol ship Gosroth. It is also considered the setting of the War share similarity to the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens.

Most Completion of Milky Way Gates Map and New Gates Systems
Since the discovery of the planar space, countries use it to explore news systems and colonize them. It provides resources and rooms for the blooming population. Around the Imperial Year 940, the Empire controls most of the 12th ring.

A theory hypothesizes that there are new gates systems, besides the Milky Way Gates, on the planar space. The systems consist of many new sords, which lead to other galaxies on the normal space. That is, one gate system on the planar space represents one galaxy on the normal space. If the theory is proven correct, it will lead to the immigration of human to other galaxies, which means there are more resources and rooms.

Astrography of the Ilsyr Kingdom
The Ilsyr Kingdom occupies the entire 12th ring. Due to its ringed shape, the Empire encircles the inner rings and thus earns the title of Arms of the Abh. If a country organizes an exploration to the outer part of the Milky Way Gates, the explorer ship must start from the 12th ring, the Ilsyr Kingdom. This is due to the theoretical space-time bubble range limitation. Therefore, the only nation that is able to launch such an exploration, is the Empire. However, the Empire is not currently keen on it, while, the United Mankind and the other nation are eager about the galaxies exploration and they urge the Empire the give access to the Ilysr Kingdom. But imperial law states that all ships traveling in empire territory must be owned by the Emperor. The Empire refuses their demand. It is obvious that the four nations have to open the border by force.

Genetic engineering
Due to religious and moral reasons, the United Mankind bans gene manipulation, from head to toes. After annexing a country or occupying a system, where people are genetically modified, they will force them not to reproduce or replicate anymore. For example, Sylesians in the Sylesia Republic, who never grow older after 20 years old, are not allowed to manipulate their genes anymore. Moreover, genetically modified people are heavily discriminated in the United Mankind. For instance, Cyte cannot get promoted because of his affiliation as Shirejian.

During the wandering period, Abhs sold their logbook to others. It records Abh history of being biobots and the destruction of the Mother City Toyoashihara. The logbook is later destroyed in an incident since the King of the Ship at that time considered their history as an obstacle to trade. People who know that Abhs are biobots will not deal with them. Those logbooks which are sold before fell into the hand of the United Mankind. The United Mankind exploits it as a propaganda against the Empire.

On the other hand, for the biological Abhs in the Abh Empire, their next generation must be genetically manipulated. This is because their genes are very delicate and unstable. If their children are naturally fertilized, their genes will break down or damage. Obviously, should Abhs be not allowed to process genetic modification, they will be extinct within no more than 500 hundreds years.

The children of the de jure Abhs, the physical landers who are made Abhs by becoming a peerage or a knight, must be changed into biological Abhs. While the normal landers are free to choose to modify the genes of their next generation for the cause of youth or immortality. However, they are not allowed to own a spatial sensory organ, as it is a symbol of an Abh.

Free Trade
In the Abh Empire, only the lords are allowed to trade and commercial activities are confined into the border. In other words, systems in the empire trades with each other through their peerages. On top of that, the franchise of trade in the Empire is binded with the imperial law.

On the other hand, the United Mankind gain income from her economy and trade with other three countries. As the territory of the Humankind Empire of Abh is vast, they foresees a huge market in the Empire. Furthermore, The United Mankind intends to use soft power to influence the Empire. Having 8 sords and being the heart of transportation, Lakfakalle is also the desire of the United Mankind because it may become a shortcut to the other three countries. However, the Empire fails to the wish of the United Mankind and the other three nations, only has seven open ports and close her border as well as Abriel Earldom. As the Empire is keeping sole sovereign and isolation policy, other nations have to trade via the seven ports which do not give much returns.

Democratism
Since the unification of mankind on their home planet Earth, democracy has become to be the political system of choice for most human societies. Nations have become to be ruled by the people in the form of republics. Among the remaining great nations, the United Mankind is the most ideal driven nation. The people of the United Mankind are proud of their system for freedom, and the wellbeing of the people. The laws passed in the United Mankind are testament of their commitment to these ideals. For example, smoking has been outlawed for over two hundred years at the time of Imperial Calendar year 952.

For sometime, the United Mankind had been acting as a police force within the human sphere of influence. The United Mankind provided aid and education inside and outside their borders. Their last great success was their participation in the Sylesian war. The very fact of the Abh being created for slavery and their conquest of nations without interstellar capability had always been seen unkindly by the citizen of the United Mankind.

As a result of these, the remaining nations have come together to unit in their common goal of eliminating the Humankind Empire of Abh threat and liberating the landers in the Empire.

Establishment of the Four Nations Alliance
Due to the above reasons, the tension between the Empire and the four nation gradually rises. A war is unavoidable. In Imperial Calendar year 940, the representatives of the United Mankind, the Federation of Hania, the Republic of Great Alcont and the People's Sovereign Union of Planets gather in Nova Sicily located at the United Mankind, enter an agreement leaving all the grudges behind and sign a treaty. It is the Nova Sicily Treaty. The purpose of the treaty is not stated, however, obviously it is a pact of military alliance against the Empire, the only country not included in the treaty. The members usually call themselves Nova Sicily Treaty Structure Countries or Democratist Countries which labels them nations with liberty and democracy. On the other hand, the Empire just simply calls them Four Nations Alliance.

Sord Keish 193 and Sord Suivu 882
During exploration of the planar space, some of the sords remained closed and were intended not to open them since the Empire did not know what is next to the respective yuauon in the normal space. Some sords were possibly connected to a yuanon of an interstellar colony ship, and opening such a sord might cost lives. While somethimes, they open the sords and then leave it alone. Those sords were opened before and remain in low energy level would close again.

Among thousands of closed sords in the Ilysr Kingdom, two of the sords, Sord Keish 193 and Sord Suivu 882, were connected to yuanons near the planetary systems of the United Mankind in the normal space. This fact was discovered and exploited by the United Mankind. The United Mankind opened the two sords to know they are in the Ilsyr Kingdom and their precise locations. Then they closed the sords to transport them. The United Mankind Peacekeeping Army outlined a plan to invade the Empire through the sords.

On the other hand, the sords, through briefly explored and known close to the United Mankind, are omitted by the Empire and defenseless, as the imperial intelligence fail to foresee their potential or detect the plan of the United Mankind. The Empire did not realize the sords were opened before by others.

Plan
The plan consists of two stage, and it aims to invade the imperial capital - Lakfakalle. Lakfakalle is strategically important as it has the largest anti-matter factory in the Galaxy and it is a transportation hub to the Eight Kingdoms. Once it is occupied, the Star Forces are fixed in the Kingdoms and all disconnected from each other and the Four Nations Alliance Army are able to attack everywhere in Empire through the Abriel Earldom.

First Stage : Operation Hercules
The Peace-keeping army begin the operation by invading the left part of the Ilysr Kingdom through Sord Keish 193, as known as Sord VRGE1447 in the United Mankind. It is supposed to be a faint attack to distract the attention of the Star Forces as to cover the next stage and keep Abh busy dealing with them. The operation is named after an hero Hercules in Greek mythology who killed the nine-headed snake Lernaean Hydra. The yuanon connected to Sord Keish 193 is located at 4.1 light-year from the Vascotton System, the United Mankind.

Second Stage : Operation Amphitryon
After the Operation Hercules, the United Mankind will launch an all out attack thought Sord Suivu 882, or known as Sord FLIST0223, located at the right hand side of the Ilysr Kingdom. The force will directly head for Sord Ilysr, which leads to the imperial capital - Lakfakalle. The precise location of Sord Suivu 882 on the normal space is not mentioned in the novels, but it is acknowledged that its connection to the United Mankind is cut in the Operation Hunter. Persumedly, it is like the closed yuanon Sord Keish 193, locating near an unknown system in the United Mankind and later being transported. The operation is after Amphitryon who is the cousin of Hercules and help kill Lernaean Hydra.

Preparation
There are several dispute over the naming of the operations in the Four Nation Alliance Military Appraisal Council, which some councilors consider that the nine-headed snake is not equal to the eight-headed dragon, therefore, they think the naming is not appropriate. In spite of the naming dispute, the plan soon passes and is being executed in the coming 12 years.

The United Mankind spends at least ten years to transport yuanons to their near systems for the convenience of the invasion. According to Lexshu, it is impossible for the United Mankind to transport within ten years, which implies the plan is well designed and plotted long ago. The Four Nations Alliance is determined to destroy the Empire.

The United Mankind launches propaganda against the Empire. For example, they distort their history book and blame all disasters on abhs. It spreads hatred for the Empire among the public.

Battle of Gosroth
In the Imperial Year 952, the United Mankind commenced Operation Hercules. In a mission to carry Prince Jinto to the capital via Sufugnoff Marquessdom, patrol ship Gosroth encountered a fleet composed of four squadrons (or three squadrons, according to Trife fleet's version) after they left Vorash Earldom. The fleet, which is not imperial, shared the same destination with Gosroth - Sufugnoff Marquessdom. As the patrol ship would arrive the marquessdom faster, the fleet sent out ten assault ships to attack them in order to prevent it alarming the marquessdom. The battle ended with Gosroth and nine of the assault ships destroyed, while Lafiel and Jinto both escaped beforehand.

Battle of Sufugnoff
Due to the obstruction from the Baron Klowal, Lafiel failed to contact with the communications base of Sufugnoff. Therefore, they remained not alarmed. The United Mankind fleet struck Sufugnoff in surprise, destroying the orbiting tower followed by a surface attack. The communication base was short of soldiers and soon fell. On the ground world, the Peacekeeping Army induced martial law, which gradually provoked opposition from people. It included banning smoking and cutting hair of those whose hair was dyed blue.

Besides, the ships patrolling around Sufugnoff gateway and in the normal space failed to intercept an imperial transfer shuttle. Lafiel and Jinto were on it. They landed on the ground world.

Declaration of War
"Your Majesty! Please think it over. Please realize that you will be at war with half of humankind." "Have you forgotten, Ambassador? The other half belongs to this Empire."

- The conversation between Ambassador Gen Tauron and Empress Ramaj

After the Empire received the report of the fall of Sufugonff, Empress Ramaj summoned the envoys of the Four Nations to explain why they attack the Empire. However, their answer turned out to be not what the Empress anticipated. They alleged the imperial ship had attacked the so-called exploration team and the team, decided by the field commander, had successfully counterattacked the ship followed by attack on Sufugonff as a retaliatory action. However, what did actually happen was the task force of the UM fleet completely surrounded the ship and sent out a signal of challenge to provoke the inevitable battle.

They questioned the Empress what the intention of the imperial ship was and required to establish an international committee to investigate and judge the event. Their fictitious claim was denied by Empress Ramaj. Needless to say, the absurd demand of establishing a fair committee was also refused. Ultimately, Janet Macary, the Ambassador of the People's Sovereign Union of Planets, threatened to declare war upon the Empire, if the Empire declare war on the UM, based on the false claim that the imperial ship to barbarically attack the United Mankind first. Gen Tauron of Hania and Marimba Sune of Greater Alcont expressed the same view as well in order to force Ramaj to accept their request.

Out of the expectation of the envoys, the Empress dramatically replied: "Let's go to war," to end the meaningless debate on who started the war. As Sample Sangareni had thought they gained a chance to negotiate, her reply deeply shocked the most experienced diplomat in the United Mankind. Since the war was steely declared, Sample commented the Empire would never win the war, since it is impossible and unimaginable that biobots rule the galaxy. Their argument continued with history and the evolution of mankind as topics and ended when Ramaj answered to Macary the reason why there has been no eternal peace: This is because in the world of Humanity before, there was no Abhs.

Imperial Calendar Year 955
Operation Phantom Flame