Galactic Federation: The Vor’iithl’ex Verdict

TimeSlots:

Thursday (1 Aug) and Sunday (4 Aug), 8a - 2p

Gaming System:

Hero System, 6th Edition

Number of Max Players per Timeslot:

7

Event Description:

14 July 2078 - Ballari Chakrabarti was drinking her third cup of coffee since 2a. She was certain she had detected a spike in intensity a few days ago, and she had volunteered for as many shifts as she could get. She KNEW she was not crazy or tired, but these overnight shifts were not easy. Her eyes were gritty and blurry and it was hard to focus. Her attention suddenly snapped into focus. THERE! SOMETHING was occluding the background radiation in a direct path. She was going to get absolute proof this time before raising the alarm. No one would make jokes about her now.

The next morning Ballari reported her findings to her boss. He grudgingly admitted that there was, in fact, something there but it was probably just an asteroid coming in from beyond the Kuiper Belt. He absolutely refused to even entertain the idea that it was on a different trajectory than it was when she first saw it. She would forever remember the patronising tone in his voice, “C’mon now, Balli, that would mean that it was under power. Little green men?”

Within two days it was confirmed by other astronomers around the world. Keck, Inouye, and the Gran Telescopio Canarias had their entire schedules scrapped to track the inbound item (named Chakrabarti Imara after Ballari’s mother). As exciting as the discovery was, the novelty of the discovery was overshadowed by the fact that Imara would pass very close to the Earth. While other objects had passed close to Earth before, none were this close, and it triggered some moderate “end of the world” activity around the globe. TV and radio stations around the world were covering Imara almost nonstop.

22 July 2078 - CNN was in the telescope room at the Keck Observatory doing a live interview when the entire world stopped. In the middle of the anchor asking the same question for the thousandth time, someone in the background yelled “OH MY GOD! IT’S DECELERATING! IT’S UNDER POWER! IT’S A SPACESHIP!” Panic set in. The doomsday preppers were glorious in their vindication. Religious leaders were trying to reassure their flocks that this was all part of God’s plan. Other people just cleared out the grocery stores and hid in the basement.

 4 August 2078 - As Imara (even though it was no longer an asteroid it had to be called something) approached, the telescopes were able to determine that it was, in fact, some kind of giant craft. The spaceship slowed and parked in a stationary orbit between the Earth and the Moon.

7 August 2078 - It sat there for three entire days, the longest days in human history, as the planet below nearly destroyed itself in panic. Was this the prelude to an attack? Was humanity about to be wiped out? Then nearly every broadcast method on the planet came on at once, all infrastructure was unaffected but everything else was filled with the image and voice of a strange, light blue, flat-faced being with orange hair. He looked almost human, and would not be out of place at any scifi convention. When he began to speak, he was simultaneously speaking in whatever language was the local primary.

During his entire two-hour broadcast, the entire planet stopped to listen. He explained that his name was Kastell’nell (pronounced Cas-teth-neth, or that was, at least, as close as humanity could get) and he was a representative of a galactic confederation. He was, in fact, humanity’s suzerain. The way Kastell’nell described it, the Federation seemed to be more like the European Parliament or the United Nations. They are more of regulatory and advisory board than actually governing the Federation.

The Galactic Federation spans such a large area, that resources are either so simple to find or not worth the expense of trying to take them from someone else; real value in the Federation is found in the only truly unique: creativity and developments in art and science.

As humanity’s suzerain, Kastell’s role was to represent Earth to the Federation and negotiate any trade deals. While there was an embargo on certain technologies based upon the Earth’s current development, there was a great deal of technology and science that could make a marked difference to the people of Earth. There was technology that could readily help heal the harm humanity had done to their environment. Disease and hunger could be eliminated almost overnight. Would humanity join the Federation and take its first steps into the greater galaxy, or would they close themselves off and pretend they were still alone in the universe?

4 July 2082 - The decision was an easy one, the environment was collapsing and climate change was running away. There was widespread famine and disease. A number of countries had collapsed when their governments were incapable of providing for their populations. Humanity, led by the United States, agreed to became a client race of the Galactic Federation. It would be nice to think the decision was made for altruistic reasons. Some agreed because they were tired of drinking dirty water and breathing choking air while wondering where their next meal would come from. Some agreed because they thought they could gain more power or money from joining the Federation.

Human art (of all forms) quickly gained popularity since Earth joined the Federation as a vassal state. Artistic expression, while valuable, is not the only currency humanity trades in.

Conflict in the Galactic Federation, while rare, still occurs. Disputes over territory are the primary conflicts. It would be irresponsible to battle on a planet and against an indigenous population and destroy all those beings that could, one day, become great artists or make a scientific breakthrough. The possibility of wiping out generations of artists and scientists would be unthinkable. Instead, some member states have created or terraformed moons and asteroids to provide, for a price, a battleground where various factions can settle their differences without collateral damage. These gladiatorial battles are not just a way to settle disputes, but are broadcast across the Federation, and many fortunes have been made and lost on wagers.

Humanity is the only race that has developed super powers and has quickly risen to prominence in this gladiatorial combat. Humanity’s gladiators are nearly undefeated and the prowess of the human gladiatorial teams has allowed their suzerain to prosper and expand their territory.

The B’elmot were the fiercest and most successful gladiators before humanity came along. The B’elmot are two to three meters tall with thick hide and vicious claws. The first gladiators to face the B’elmot described them as if a sasquatch and a grizzly bear had an ill-tempered love-child. The B’elmot have not taken their demotion well, and their defeats at the hands of humanity had cost them significant territory and loss of face. Their most notorious gladiators were struck down, further eroding the B’elmot’s ability to remain competitive. The B’elmot had been the premier gladiators for millennia, and had focussed their entire society towards developing warriors. Humanity’s sudden ascendency has threatened the B’elmot’s standing in the Galactic Federation and jeopardised their entire way of life.

The B’elmot Creche Lord devised a plan that gambled with the very existence of his people. His plan would either see the B’elmot returned to their earlier glory or stricken from the Galactic Federation and destroyed to the last being. The Creche Lord sent his most talented gladiators to abduct The TimeKeeper, one of the few remaining members of the Alt’lar. The Alt’lar are one of the most senior members of the Federation; their numbers dwindled from hundreds of billions at their peak to less than three thousand.

The TimeKeeper could warp time and space. The Creche Lord planned to force the TimeKeeper to send his team back in time so that they could stop humanity from joining the Federation and securing the B’elmot’s place as the preeminent gladiators.

It’s been 54 years since the Omega Team was successful. Every living B’elmot was destroyed as the penalty for kidnapping the Time Keeper and trying to force them to send a team back in time to destroy the human race before they joined the Galactic Federation.

Galactic justice is best described as “what goes unnoticed never happened.” Without witnesses, there can be no crime, but galactic justice is a dual-edged sword. The truth to any accusation is determined by gladiatorial combat on one’s homeworld. Defeat sustains the charge the world is reduced to barbarism for 20 lifetimes. If the defenders prove successful, the accuser’s planets are razed.

17 years ago, Kastell discovered incontrovertible proof that the Vor’iithl’ex were the B’elmot’s puppeteers and behind the plan to kidnap The TimeKeeper; Kastell filed charges against the Vor’iithl’ex, but the wheels of Galactic justice move slow. The Vor'iithl'ex have controlled the Galactic Senate for millennia, and Kastell's charge has driven the Galaxy into civil war.

Humanity has continued to prove their prowess and driven from battle to battle and planet to planet finally pushing to the Vor’iithl’ex home world. Earth’s Gamma Team has taken the lead and pushed to the Vor'iithl'ex homeworld. They have landed and made their way to the ruling palace in the capital city. If the Gamma Team succeeds, the Vor'iithl'ex will be reduced to barbarism and be removed from the Galactic Senate. If the Gamma Team fails, the This will fundamentally change the fabric of the Galactic Federation.