The Arkadian Empire was established 10,202 years ago when the first species of the galaxy evolved into sentience and developed interstellar flight. Seeing the entire galaxy as open for the taking, and the result of thousands of years of expansion and exploration caused the Arkadians to establish themselves as the dominant species in the galaxy, and for a long time, they were the only technologically sentient ones.
Upon the discovery of the Yilarn in 18,232 AE (After Establishment of the Imperial Decree), great pains were taken by the Imperial family to hide this information from the populace, however factions within the Empire managed to get a hold of the secret discovery when General Supreme Mearladon, in charge of the Galactic Communications Network defected his loyalties to the House of Lorh and went public with the discovery of a species not only sentient, but also capable of interstellar travel.
This information caused an uproar in the instituations of society the Arkadians had built for themselves. Relgious, and educational institutions were strained to cope with the idea that Arkadians did not hold a monopoly on intelligent life; and the popular backlash resulted in billions of Arkadians rioting, and demonstrating against the Imperial family for yet another corruption and scandal, but this time that Imperial honor was betrayed and the information itself betrayed the heart and fabric of what makes Arkadians Arkadian. Dominance was never a spoken issue since common sense said it was undebateable that Arkadians were the sole reason for the universe to exist.
Scientists both within and out of the government started arguing amongst themselves, and eventually the pressure came to bear on the government to do something about this problem of social dominance. Xenophobia rose to a level in the multi trillion member populace never before considered by social scientists. It was a direct challenge to the reasons for existence, and soon what came to bear on the Imperial family was an idea that if the Yilarn were allowed to continue their development, and even run into Arkadian technology, their advancement would not only be sacreligious and intolerable, but a viable threat to the peace and security of the whole Galactic Empire.
So it was on the first day of the 14th month of the year 18,238 that the Arkadian warships entered the Yilarn Quarantine Zone. Their first encounter with the enemy was when the Imperial Warship Ardon picked up a vessel on their screens no bigger than a two-person shuttle. It's material was made of materials weak and fragile, and had a coating of paint that was a brilliant white. To the commander in charge of the Ardon, it represented the first prize in an operation he knew could probably be completed by his one ship alone.
Yet they were the first of over twenty thousand the Emporer ordered sent to the YQZ in the course of three days.
Upon capturing that first vessel, the commander later noted in his log he had misgivings about what had to be done, but it was only a matter of moments before the new species exited their craft and were observed walking around the docking bay in suits apparently designed for space travel. In compliance with orders, these two were captured with no resistance. The first one died before the Ardon could return home. Scientists would later admit that precautions weren't taken to ensure the atmospheric compability of their subjects, and that they witheld that information from the military on grounds that they assumed there would be no captured subjects.
The second Yilarn lived for the reminder of its natural life, about 78 years after it's capture. Pitifully weak, as it was later learned, the Yilarn had lifespans about a tenth of an Arkadian.
The invasion of the YQZ lasted only three days. The ship the Ardon found was the only one that was discovered in space, however a space structure and thousands of other satellites were found orbiting the Yilarn homeworld. The space structure contained 7 more inhabitants, however an accidental collision with an Imperial Scouting Shuttle killed all them instantly when they were exposed to the vacuum of space. Apparently they did not have the technology to prevent such catastrophic decompression of their vessels.
The Yilarn were found to be quite resistive, however, on the surface once commanders of other vessels shot at anything in orbit that looked like a worthy target. Later it was learned that the Yilarn used these objects for communication, and whenever an Arkadian ship vaporized one, they would lose communications. Inherently not very secure, and an unreliably bad invention as later scientists would point out. Though the mere fact that these Yilarn had developed techniques and technology that was far inferior to Arkadian technology, it was startling to note that their techonology was DIFFERENT and their approach to solutions quite out of the ordinary. Extremely inferior in their results, but surprisingly different and innovative than anything invented or used by the Arkadians in their known thirty thousand year history.
This, the Empire could not tolerate. Such innovation in a time of war with these people could destroy or undermine the peace and security of the whole Empire. The order was given to destroy all infrastructure on the planet, and to forcibly quarantine and keep a close watch on this threat. Millions of Yilarn died in battles with Arkadian ground troops, who took pleasure at the ease of which hunting these innovative species made for a good sport. It wasn't until the Yilarn did something the Arkadian scientists never considered, nor believed they were advanced enough to have. They had discoverd how to make the power of an atom into the power of an uncontained explosive device. These crude forms of subatomic fusion weapons resulted in massive radiaological contamination of the Yilarn homeworld. Many within the Empire who heard of this news were not surprised since it was popular opinion that such an inferior species should not even have access to such basic technology. Fortunately, Arkadians are immune to hard radiation, and thus the only casualties were those caught in the blasts of these weapons. Great pains, however, were taken by the Supreme Generals in charge of the operation to reduce the number of these weapons actually fired and succesfully detonated.
When the operation to destroy the planet's infrastructure was complete, and as the Arkadians began to pull out, a startling sight beheld obvservers that to this day one wonders why these Yilarn simply did not give in like other animals do when an owner trains them. The radiation apparently was lethal to the Yilarn as millions more literally laid on the surface dying of fusions on their biological surfaces. Those that survived quickly overwhelmed the leaving Arkadian vessels and as such, seeing an opportunity, two Supreme Generals decided to take with them as many of the Yilarn species as they could so as to bring them home as war prizes.
Five years later, when scientists revisited the YQZ, all life on that planet was destroyed, and no Yilarn could be found anywhere, except for their remains which littered the broken infrastructure everywhere.
Back home, the Yilarn were unloaded and though several hundred thousand died on the way (again due to lack of information about their living habits) another hundred thousand remained, and many were given as war prizes to other commanders and officers of the Operation.
What the Imperial family didn't expect, and the whole of the Arkadian Empire didn't expect, was the ability of this species to multiply over time; as within six hundred years, the Yilarn increased in number so that nearly every major planet in the Arkadian Empire had at least some form of organized work for these Yilarn to do; and at least every household in the Imperial family had one Yilarn for a pet or work animal.
It was then another problem began to emerge...one that eventually rivaled the threat of 18,238 AE, but this time, it was Empire-wide. The Yilarn had a name for themselves, and translators would later render the meaning "human" in place of Yilarn, although purists would always insist on calling these creatures by their Arkadian names, and they often make great strides and progress in keeping the Arkadian language from "being contamanited with reverse evolution, and the inferiority of an animal." Hence, the human language and all it's adoptive forms were banned from the Empire.
These thoughts later evolved into two seperate ways of thinking and into to major groups of political parties which often vyed for control of the Imperial Congregation. There were the Purists, a political alliance of all things Arkadian, and there were the Advancements, a liberal collection of factions within factions which ultimately became a leading voice for the minority of Arkadians who wished only peace and prosperity with the universe, no matter who it contained.
However, with the vast and increasing influence of the Purists in politics, and with a new, Purist emporer on the throne, it only became a matter of time before the Yilarn were targeted again, this time for extermination.
Upon the discovery of the Yilarn in 18,232 AE (After Establishment of the Imperial Decree), great pains were taken by the Imperial family to hide this information from the populace, however factions within the Empire managed to get a hold of the secret discovery when General Supreme Mearladon, in charge of the Galactic Communications Network defected his loyalties to the House of Lorh and went public with the discovery of a species not only sentient, but also capable of interstellar travel.
This information caused an uproar in the instituations of society the Arkadians had built for themselves. Relgious, and educational institutions were strained to cope with the idea that Arkadians did not hold a monopoly on intelligent life; and the popular backlash resulted in billions of Arkadians rioting, and demonstrating against the Imperial family for yet another corruption and scandal, but this time that Imperial honor was betrayed and the information itself betrayed the heart and fabric of what makes Arkadians Arkadian. Dominance was never a spoken issue since common sense said it was undebateable that Arkadians were the sole reason for the universe to exist.
Scientists both within and out of the government started arguing amongst themselves, and eventually the pressure came to bear on the government to do something about this problem of social dominance. Xenophobia rose to a level in the multi trillion member populace never before considered by social scientists. It was a direct challenge to the reasons for existence, and soon what came to bear on the Imperial family was an idea that if the Yilarn were allowed to continue their development, and even run into Arkadian technology, their advancement would not only be sacreligious and intolerable, but a viable threat to the peace and security of the whole Galactic Empire.
So it was on the first day of the 14th month of the year 18,238 that the Arkadian warships entered the Yilarn Quarantine Zone. Their first encounter with the enemy was when the Imperial Warship Ardon picked up a vessel on their screens no bigger than a two-person shuttle. It's material was made of materials weak and fragile, and had a coating of paint that was a brilliant white. To the commander in charge of the Ardon, it represented the first prize in an operation he knew could probably be completed by his one ship alone.
Yet they were the first of over twenty thousand the Emporer ordered sent to the YQZ in the course of three days.
Upon capturing that first vessel, the commander later noted in his log he had misgivings about what had to be done, but it was only a matter of moments before the new species exited their craft and were observed walking around the docking bay in suits apparently designed for space travel. In compliance with orders, these two were captured with no resistance. The first one died before the Ardon could return home. Scientists would later admit that precautions weren't taken to ensure the atmospheric compability of their subjects, and that they witheld that information from the military on grounds that they assumed there would be no captured subjects.
The second Yilarn lived for the reminder of its natural life, about 78 years after it's capture. Pitifully weak, as it was later learned, the Yilarn had lifespans about a tenth of an Arkadian.
The invasion of the YQZ lasted only three days. The ship the Ardon found was the only one that was discovered in space, however a space structure and thousands of other satellites were found orbiting the Yilarn homeworld. The space structure contained 7 more inhabitants, however an accidental collision with an Imperial Scouting Shuttle killed all them instantly when they were exposed to the vacuum of space. Apparently they did not have the technology to prevent such catastrophic decompression of their vessels.
The Yilarn were found to be quite resistive, however, on the surface once commanders of other vessels shot at anything in orbit that looked like a worthy target. Later it was learned that the Yilarn used these objects for communication, and whenever an Arkadian ship vaporized one, they would lose communications. Inherently not very secure, and an unreliably bad invention as later scientists would point out. Though the mere fact that these Yilarn had developed techniques and technology that was far inferior to Arkadian technology, it was startling to note that their techonology was DIFFERENT and their approach to solutions quite out of the ordinary. Extremely inferior in their results, but surprisingly different and innovative than anything invented or used by the Arkadians in their known thirty thousand year history.
This, the Empire could not tolerate. Such innovation in a time of war with these people could destroy or undermine the peace and security of the whole Empire. The order was given to destroy all infrastructure on the planet, and to forcibly quarantine and keep a close watch on this threat. Millions of Yilarn died in battles with Arkadian ground troops, who took pleasure at the ease of which hunting these innovative species made for a good sport. It wasn't until the Yilarn did something the Arkadian scientists never considered, nor believed they were advanced enough to have. They had discoverd how to make the power of an atom into the power of an uncontained explosive device. These crude forms of subatomic fusion weapons resulted in massive radiaological contamination of the Yilarn homeworld. Many within the Empire who heard of this news were not surprised since it was popular opinion that such an inferior species should not even have access to such basic technology. Fortunately, Arkadians are immune to hard radiation, and thus the only casualties were those caught in the blasts of these weapons. Great pains, however, were taken by the Supreme Generals in charge of the operation to reduce the number of these weapons actually fired and succesfully detonated.
When the operation to destroy the planet's infrastructure was complete, and as the Arkadians began to pull out, a startling sight beheld obvservers that to this day one wonders why these Yilarn simply did not give in like other animals do when an owner trains them. The radiation apparently was lethal to the Yilarn as millions more literally laid on the surface dying of fusions on their biological surfaces. Those that survived quickly overwhelmed the leaving Arkadian vessels and as such, seeing an opportunity, two Supreme Generals decided to take with them as many of the Yilarn species as they could so as to bring them home as war prizes.
Five years later, when scientists revisited the YQZ, all life on that planet was destroyed, and no Yilarn could be found anywhere, except for their remains which littered the broken infrastructure everywhere.
Back home, the Yilarn were unloaded and though several hundred thousand died on the way (again due to lack of information about their living habits) another hundred thousand remained, and many were given as war prizes to other commanders and officers of the Operation.
What the Imperial family didn't expect, and the whole of the Arkadian Empire didn't expect, was the ability of this species to multiply over time; as within six hundred years, the Yilarn increased in number so that nearly every major planet in the Arkadian Empire had at least some form of organized work for these Yilarn to do; and at least every household in the Imperial family had one Yilarn for a pet or work animal.
It was then another problem began to emerge...one that eventually rivaled the threat of 18,238 AE, but this time, it was Empire-wide. The Yilarn had a name for themselves, and translators would later render the meaning "human" in place of Yilarn, although purists would always insist on calling these creatures by their Arkadian names, and they often make great strides and progress in keeping the Arkadian language from "being contamanited with reverse evolution, and the inferiority of an animal." Hence, the human language and all it's adoptive forms were banned from the Empire.
These thoughts later evolved into two seperate ways of thinking and into to major groups of political parties which often vyed for control of the Imperial Congregation. There were the Purists, a political alliance of all things Arkadian, and there were the Advancements, a liberal collection of factions within factions which ultimately became a leading voice for the minority of Arkadians who wished only peace and prosperity with the universe, no matter who it contained.
However, with the vast and increasing influence of the Purists in politics, and with a new, Purist emporer on the throne, it only became a matter of time before the Yilarn were targeted again, this time for extermination.
