History of the Stellar Empire
- Year 1: The Nations of Earth form the first world government. Years are reset to "1" to commemorate the dawning of a new era.
- Year 21: The first permanent lunar colony is established.
- Year 47: A small deposit of Pulac Crystals is discovered on the moon, Luna. This allows for the development of Jump Engines and interstellar travel.
- Year 52: The first interstellar outpost is established in the Varitang system.
- Year 106: Thirty four interstellar colonies now exist. The world government becomes ineffectual due to bureaucratic red tape. A figurehead Emperor is established from the only remaining royal family on Earth. This Emperor, Justin, achieves actual power by returning efficiency to the Federation.
- Year 107: Involuntary colonization begins with the Emperor sending political dissidents and criminals to the edge of known space.
- Year 110: The name United Earth is changed to Stellar Empire.
- Year 131: The First Revolution. The colony Detinas, a former penal colony, seceeds from the Empire after secretly arming its ships. The Stellar Empire only has a small navy and the war goes badly for the Emperor.
- Year 133: The colony Tate joins with Detinus and the forces of the Emperor are caught unaware. The colony government of Tate did not have the backing of its people and a counter-revolution at Tate prevents all her resources from being used against the Empire.
- Year 136: Privateers from Tate almost completely blockade the Empire. A new company, Frontier Exploration and Trade (FET) specializes in running the blockades and almost singlehandedly keeps the Empire from crumbling. Tatian ships are unable to completely shut down Imperial trade.
- Year 137: Admiral Secudus of the Imperial Navy launches a desperate assault on Tate. The attack barely succeeds with the aid of Tatian rebels. The admiral takes revenge with mass executions. Only Detinus remains in open rebellion.
- Year 138: The Imperial Stellar Police (ISP) is formed to prevent future blockades and to protect the supply lines of the Empire.
- Year 142: The combined might of the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Stellar Police crushes the Detinus revolution and their colony is reduced to radioactive debris. However a strong rebel force escapes with its leaders into unknown space.
- Year 151: Rumors of a rebel kingdom in unknown space begin filtering back to the Empire.
- Year 152: The Imperial Stellar Police becomes the personal arm of the Emperor. This results in the Naval Revolts. The ISP arms merchant ships, forming the Imperial Auxilary Navy (IAN) to help deal with the rebellion. Due to disorganization among the naval admirals, the revolt lasts only until 153. The Imperial Navy is disbanded thereafter, with the IAN being given their duties.
- Year 155: The Emperor Justin dies under mysterious circumstances and his son Jasil assumes the throne.
- Year 156: The few remaining members of the world government are assassinated and the new Emperor declares himself absolute ruler of the Empire.
- Year 158: The Imperial Survey Service (ISS) is formed to reclaim the worlds lost in the two rebellions and to expand into unknown space.
- Year 162: The Emperor declares that no offensive weapons may be mounted on ships in civilized space. He divides the Empire into Inner and Outer areas. To separate these areas, he establishes the powerful asteroid fortifications at the edge of civilized space. These actions take 12 years to complete. It is now thought that future rebellion is impossible
- Year 175: The "Great Expansion" is declared by the Emperor. Numerous space acadamies are established to train citizens who desire to leave the Inner Empire. Imperial Charters are issued to the FET, SSL, AFT, GTT, & SMS so they might establish themselves in the Periphery and supply the Inner Empire with raw materials and trade goods.
- Year 179: The Canally accords are signed, and the Snittian race cedes it's empire to the Stellar Empire. This territory becomes what is now known as the Capellan Periphery.
- Year 182: Two more companies recieve charters to operate in the Capellan Periphery. They are the QFP and the WCE. Many major power struggles begin to emerge between companies as they seek to claim the most profitable planets for themselves.
(The above is taken verbatim from the BSE rule book, circa 1982)
- Year 183: The QFP & WCE merge to become the USS. It is discovered by the WCE, prior to the merger, that the blackholes are navigational routes into other regions of space. The Flagritz race is discovered when they fire without provocation on a company merchant ship. The Human-Flagritz war begins.
- Year 184: The Human-Flagritz war ends in human victory. The Flagritz surrender unconditionally, and many restrictions are imposed upon them in the armistice
- Year 190: The Canally star system, a trinary sun, goes supernova. This creates a new jump connection to a region previously unknown. The survivors of the Detinus revolution are discovered here, along with a race of Demons. The Emperor declares that the demons, known as the Foelians are a personal insult to His Royal personage.
- Year 194: Time freezes for several months. The perpatrators are determined to be a company known as ABM. The company is declared outlaws by the ISP Periphery Director, and a new Imperial Law is passed declaring that the company's name cannot be spoken, and shall be henceforth referred to as "The company whose name shall not be spoken". Their Periphery Director, Mike Popolizio, is also declared an outlaw and named: "He whose name can not be spoken" or "Fat Boy".Every sentient race, and even the pirates echo these laws. The pirates are defeated in the battle of TX27. almost 50 pirate vessels are destroyed or captured, and not a single Imperial warship is lost. A captured RIP freighter, ITS Free Enterprise, discovers a new jump connection from the Capellan Periphery to the Draconian Periphery.
- Year 195: Fat Boy is arrested and brought to trial for his crimes. He is sentenced to death. A new region called the Nexus is discovered by an EKN explorer while exploring the Draconian Periphery. A joint Imperial/EKN force enters the new area.
- Year 196: FGZ invade Periphery again. In a history making battle, the entire FGZ invasion fleet is destroyed in the battle of Petroom. Imperial losses are only a few ships. Shortly after the defeat of the FGZ, The SAM & FOE invade. The FOE and their DTR allies are defeated in the battle of 3Niner. However SAM invasion proves a problem. The SAM, who were once friends of the IMP, caught the IMP by suprise by their attack. Many IMP colonies fell to the SAM onslaught, including ISS HQ colony Secudus. The SAM attack grinds to a halt when their attack force is utterly destroyed in the battle of Bome. SAM & IMP make peace, ceding Tesni to the SAM to end the war. ISP PD von Ludendorf disbands both the ITS & ICN on the grounds that both have become obselete.
- Year 196-48: ISS discovers exit from the Nexus. The ISS also makes archeological discovery: 4 Dominion ships abandoned and lost during the Dominion-Honchen war. The ISS excavates and repairs the ships. Many facts are learned of the Dominion and of their technology, as well as the Dominion defeat at the appendages of the Honchen.
- Year 197: SAM violate treaty with IMP and invade. The chartered company, USS, traitorously joins them. The USS charter is revoked and they are declared outlaws. SAM are joined in their acts of evil by the WSP. This time, the TCA (except for the FOE) sides with the IMP. Several of the chartered companies are attacked by the SAM offensive and also join with the IMP. The USA (an alliance of individuals of various races who banded together to form their own affiliation) also joins with the IMP. The ancient ones awaken and see their ancient enemies invading their former empire, and the younger race they chose as guardians stalemated. The ancients prepare to make their presence known. SAM/USS forces make some minor gains (such as the captureof the former ICN HQ), however these are offset by losing all the important battles (such as the loss of the entire SAM battle fleet during the battle for Newbian). Late in the year, the "Grand Alliance" is born. Most or the TCA joins with the KZK, the USA, the IMP, and several companies to form an alliance dedicated to protection of alliance members from outside aggression, and to the greater peace of the Galaxy; for the first time in history, Rebel (DTR) and Imperial ships fight side by side against the evil insectoid SAM and their USS minions. The birth of the Alliance proves successful and Alliance forces make sweeping victories in many areas. The SAM engage the support of many pirates, in desperation. However many more pirates & IND raiders flock to the Alliance banner. Ludendorf Industries is born, founded with support from the Ancients, and provided with Ancient technology. Alliance raiders strike in the SAM home systems, cripplingproduction and intrasystem transport. Allies of the SAM begin to distance themselves from the SAM as Alliance forces gather for the counter-attack.