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The Talarian Union is the primary state of the Q'Mau species, found immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation just outside the Vernarca Nebula’s Verda Stellar Neighborhood. They are generally cordial with their neighbors, and have avoided direct conflict with other nations since the Tyran War despite remaining a member of the Yazera Pact.

History

Formation and Pre-Federation Era

Unusual for mono-species nations such as this, the Talarian Union was not unified until long after the Q'Mau achieved warp travel. It was formed by the Talarian Acts of Union, a set of treaties which unified the states of the Alliance of Ishasi, the Arafel Congressional Republic, and the colonies at Chachin. The new Talarian Union promised to unify the Q'Mau at peace in the face of external threats like the often-belligerent Varbudian Union, which was expanding in Talar's direction at the time.

The first Autarch, Sesinerra, was notably more warlike than many of her successors. The Varbudian Union and the other neighboring states tended to be too busy intimidating each other to focus on an all-out conflict with Talar. Luckily for everyone in the Union except her family, Sesinerra died in childbirth before she could goad the Kaegans or Ravoryl into war, leaving her clan to raise her newborn triplets and leaving her nation at peace with its neighbors.

Sesinerra's successors were much better than her at the arts of peace, deftly guiding the newborn nation in the chaotic ocean of interstellar politics. Unfortunately, affairs within the Union were not so nice. All but one of the next four Autarchs were assassinated by a variety of extremist factions who disliked the way they were steering the Union and often believed in xenophobic ideas of Q'Mau supremacy. After this, it became a running joke in society that the position of Autarch was somehow cursed, although the lack of evidence for an actual curse made this mostly ineffective in actual politics. The next three leaving without fanfare after medium-length terms dispelled the notion.

Tyran War to the Kaegan Conflict

In 1 BC, the states coreward of the Talarian Union coalesced into the Verdan Federation. This mostly removed the potential threat of the expanding Varbudian colonies by making it more difficult for that particular faction to start anything, but if anything was started it would have the full weight of the new Federation behind it. Luckily for everyone, both the Union and the Federation were assisting in the rebellions of the Tyran Empire, side-by-side with their old rivals. Notably, Talarian fleets played a pivotal role in the Battle of Vistari, ensuring the later independence of Marakat. As well, they were present at the Bakino Campaign in the newly declared Voyorras. After the end of the war, the Union offered assistance to the newly independent nations and remained within the Yazera Pact as a founding member.

After the Tyran War, the Talarian Union was largely stagnant, sandwiched as it was between the Vernarcan Federation and Kaegan Sovereignty. Some elements in society desired to join the Federation, but most didn't want to lose the position of power the Union's discriminatory laws gave them at the time. This era was dominated by peaceful relations with the Federation and the occasional skirmish with the Sovereignty, as well as the establishment of steady trade relationships with the Thelsan Assembly and Unity of Fass Karan under Autarch Ansirranna in 18 AC. The Sukothra and Merrilor systems were also colonized during this time.

This time of complacency ended abruptly in 48 AC, when the Kaegan Sovereignty's internal conflicts cleared up for a time and enabled them to focus their attention outwards. An invasion force crossed the Union border near the contested Taum System, hoping to reestablish control over the secondary star of Delaure before the Union could react. In this they succeeded, as the Union's Federation allies were busy fending off their own attacks near the Kalpen System. Luckily, technology sharing within the Yazera Pact meant that pound for pound Talarian ships were substantially more powerful than those of the Kaegans.

Kaegan attacks reached well into the limit cloud of the Koinon System numerous times, and the outer system colonies of Niamh and Agelmar were found completely massacred with all valuable objects pilfered from the sites. In 52, the major world of Arafel came under direct attack by a massive Kaegan fleet, and almost fell to the Sovereignty before huge numbers of Vernarcan Federation ships came to the rescue and routed them from the system. The Sovereignty poured everything into this failed attack, and the destruction of a fleet of that size sounded the end of the "hot" phase of the conflict. The Kaegans begrudgingly signed an armistice in early 53 AC, which handed back control of the inner worlds of Delaure to the Union.

Falacian Cold War and the Egalitarians

During the time of peace following the war, the Talarian Union's culture changed little, with conservative leaders retaining power for much of that time. But with the Falacian Dominion's withdrawl from the Yazera Pact in 79 and the beginning of the Falacian Cold War, this external pressure on the nation's foreign policy decisions spread to the rest of society, causing progressive factions to gain favor among the general population. While the Dominion posed little direct threat to the Talarian Union, the international tensions still caused strain in the populace.

With the end of the Cold War and the fragmentation of the Falacian Dominion, one threat was quickly replaced by another. The discovery of the Szalana Wormhole just beyond the Union's border halfway between Yauke and the Merrilor System brought with it great opportunities, but also great danger. The colonization of the Lintepe System opened up new regions of space for the Union to explore alongside their Federation allies. However, the Alliance of Five native to that region were among the most powerful nations in known space, and they were willing to take almost anything as antagonism.

In 126 AC, a breakaway group known as the Egalitarians fled through the wormhole to escape the conservative government of the time and established colonies within the Lintepe System, appealing for Federation membership. Autarch Serrasanni ordered an invasion sent through the wormhole, but the Federation threatened to impose sanctions for their actions and she was forced to back down. While Serasani was elected to another term, this time was widely considered the death knell of Talarian matriarchy as those benefitting from it finally began to feel consequences. The Lintepe colony remained an incorporated Federation world.

In 138 AC, the looming danger of war with the Alliance of Five finally came to a head with the Federation's acceptance of protectorate status of the Thistolian Empire. The armies of the New Union of Xeriphas destroyed the small Lintepe System colonies as the Alliance of Five began to invade the Federation. After less than a year, Federation territory outside the Zahl Order within the Apple Nebula was placed under occupation. The Kaegan Sovereignty allied itself with the Alliance of Five as well, providing a much greater threat to the Yazera Pact.

War of the Broken Bow

Although the election of a more progressive Autarch allowed many of the Lintepe colonists to return to Union space, the deaths of those who remained was still a grave loss to the Talarian people. This led the Union to join the War of the Broken Bow over a week before Article III of the Yazera Pact was invoked by the Federation, and so began the bloodiest conflict in the Union's long history. Blowing the Tyran War out of the water in the first three years, the War of the Broken Bow saw direct Alliance incursions of Union territory and the occupation of the Merrilor System by the Kaegan Sovereignty with the support of the Alliance of Five. Soon after, Mev'Dar itself fell to the Sovereignty and was placed under military rule. Autarch Ririssa was summarily executed in the public square of Kahea as an example to those who resisted.

The Dosi Confederation's signing of the Yazera Pact and its joining of the war on the side of the Union and Federation began to turn the tide against the Alliance. Confederation forces successfully tied up large Alliance fleets on its borders and prevented them from reinforcing the Vernarca Nebula occupation forces against the ongoing resistance. The Talarian Rebellion began with surprise attacks and sabotage of occupying military installations, and the later organization of a network of secret bases in interstellar space. The Terminus Invasion of 143 began the large-scale liberation of Alliance-occupied territory within the Nebula, and the rebellion's sabotage operations prevented the consistent repair of Alliance warships in what they thought was "pacified" territory. By 135, the liberation of Vernarca Nebula space reached the borders of the Union. The now much more powerful Kaegan warships were difficult for the forces of the liberated Federation territory and the First Civilian Fleet to combat, but the assistance of the Talarian Rebellion made it possible to destroy many of them and drive the rest from their homes.

As the Alliance was driven back through the Szalana Wormhole, the Kaegan occupation of Mev'Dar was particularly difficult to crack. The Kaegans fought for their conquests with religious fervor, with very few of the elite soldiers so much as allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. No surrender was ever issued, and the Kaegan presence in the Talar System turned from an occupation to an insurgency as the Talarian Union reestablished itself as an independent nation. A suicide bombing in 147 shortly before the midterm elections narrowly avoided killing the new Autarch Ensinarra, resulting in a brief period of martial law.

The Void

The first appearance of the Void on the far side of the territory of the Carremmat Ro'kasa in 147 forced a pause in hostilities between the alliance and the Yazera Pact. The Vauratin Empire had already pulled out of the war following Rexir's Coup in 146, and the New Union of Xeriphas was having second thoughts, but this forced the issue. The Treaty of Praxis was signed by all members of the Yazera Pact and all members of the now-misnamed Alliance of Five except the Kaegan Sovereignty, shortly after the destruction of the Iccobar System by the Void. Now, Talarian ships fought side by side with their former foes, and the withdrawal of support for the Kaegan Sovereignty greatly diminished its capacity to wage war against its traditional enemies.

The Union itself would feel much less of this phase of the war until 150, when the Arwell System was destroyed and the final Void offensive began. In early 150, Su'uni Ash Nikal's Working Title Fleet amassed at Chachin around the FSS Kareland, before jumping to the wormhole. Shortly afterwards, Voidspears began to pour through the Szalana Wormhole, making for the nearest centers of power to eliminate any resistance to their harvest. Unfortunately for everyone, involved, the closest national capital to the wormhole was in fact Mev'Dar, marking it as among the first targets.

The oncoming Voidspears carved a bloody path through Union space, shredding numerous habitats within the Merrilor System. They set a direct course for the Talar System, correctly sensing it as the nerve center for the region's activities, and went directly for Mev'Dar. The Talarian fleets put everything they had into the fight against the Void, with catastrophic engagements at Dorga in interstellar space and even Endar in the Talar System only managing to temporarily disable one of the three voidspears at the cost of millions of military personnel. Evacuation efforts of population centers in the Voidspears' path only managed to evacuate a scant few million people before they arrived and began to lay waste to the planet.

The designated survivors of the Union government were spirited away to a hidden station in the limit cloud of the Alera Asenis System, their commands routed to surviving local governments through several different 190-part chains of relays pre-established for the purpose. Autarch Ensinarra practically needed to be kidnapped to make her leave her people. The Kahea Citizens' Broadcast kept yammering about the weather and local news as normal until the last minutes of the planet's existence, as if a comforting ritual. Within hours of the spears arriving at the planet, the remaining ships of the military saw their dead hulls cast aside, and the planetary shield glowed neon blue with the shuddering impacts of the Void's unequaled weaponry. After just 46 minutes, the shield broke, and it was over. The Voidspears bombarded the planet with ferocity unseen in the history of the Vernarca Nebula, quickly reducing the gleaming towers and shining seas to an expanding cloud of cooling rubble. They sucked up various shards of planetary rubble to repair themselves, and left for more important matters.

The people of the Talarian Union slowly picked up the pieces, and the words of Ensinarra and the survivors of Mev'Dar became a thin comfort to the minds of the Q'Mau. On their ravages, the Void had already halved the population of the species, and there was every chance that the marauding Spears would return to Talarian space to finish the job. The government began to reestablish itself in the cit of Ali Dashar on Chachin, allocating all possible resources to the rebuilding of surviving worlds. Following the return of the Working Title Fleet survivors from the Battle of the Colony and news of the fall of the Void, celebrations rang out across the galaxy including among the surviving Q'Mau, realizing that they no longer had to fear for their lives.

Government

The Talarian Union functions as an anocracy, loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship. The Union is led by an Autarch, which is elected by the Council of Worlds which is elected by the constituents of each member. The Union, while it allows opposition politics, means to redress grievances are incomplete as free speech and assembly are not enshrined in the constitution as rights.

Society & Culture

The Talarian political structure is a fairly rigid matriarchy, with male Q'Mau generally only trusted in the trades of violence like the Talarian military. Outside of that sphere, men are as a rule culturally, if not explicitly on a legal level, subordinate to women. Conflict plays an important role in Q'Mau culture, and behaviors found in soldiers are strongly encouraged in males. There has only ever been one male Autarch of the Talarian Union, by the name of Ansirranna, and he ironically presided over the most peaceful time in the Union's history.

Foreign Relations

As of the modern day, the Talarian Union has cordial relations with most of its neighbors. It was a founding member of the Yazera Pact during the Tyran War, and its forces helped the alliance defeat the Tyran Empire and liberate much of its conquered territories. It was generally more reticent to assist the population of the former empire after the Athos Supernova. a position agreed with by the Falacian Dominion. Of course, after the Krask Hegemony, and later the Republic of Avor and United Earen seceded from the Dominion, it quickly recognized them, which had a hand in the Dominion's departure from the Yazera Pact.

The Taum System is currently a point of contention with the Kaegan Sovereignty, an intensely xenophobic nation rimward of the Union and the Federation. The Yazera Pact has promised to aid the Union if outright conflict breaks out over the region.

Astrography

The Talarian Union is a relatively small, but very densely packed nation, centered around the bright Talar System immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation. Also of note are the Merrilor and Koinon Systems, as well as Alera Asenis, which was once a point of dispute between the Union and the expanding Varbudian colonies before the founding of the Federation.

Neighboring Powers

The Talarian Union has a fairly long border with the Verdan Federation towards the galactic core, a fellow Yazera Pact participant which it has historically good relations with. Towards the rim, there is the Kaegan Sovereignty, an intensely xenophobic nation which has almost came to blows with the Union over disputes in the Taum System and later outright conquered the union for four years during the War of the Broken Bow. A short border also exists with the Thelsan Assembly, which Autarch Ansirranna established a long-standing trade relationship with in 18 AC.

Capital

Chachin, a superterrestrial world caught in a binary with the gas dwarf Ishtal, is the brand new capital of the Talarian Union after the Q'Mau homeworld and original capital of Mev'Dar was destroyed by the Void in 150 AC. After the carnage of the War of the Broken Bow and the barely-averted collisional cascade caused as a side effect of the Void attack, Chachin only survived by seeming less important than it was until the Voidspears left to attack Shilak. The designated survivors of the old government returned from their secret hideout in the Limit Cloud to reestablish governance of the Union at Chachin after the initial attack, and hosted the assembly of the Working Title Fleet under the command of Su'uni Ash Nikal.

Even before this, Chachin's history is long and storied, acting as one of the first self-sustaining off-world colonies of the Q'Mau species. Its many nations helped to champion the cause of the original Talarian Union in 57 BC, and were in talks to host the national capital until the Alliance of Ishasi consented to join the Union. Physically, Chachin's large ring system is considered to be a national treasure and mining is prohibited there. Views of Ishtal from its vicinity or surface were a common subject of postcards.

Notable Systems

Major Worlds


	Chachin	Arafel	Kriaphis

Location	Talar System	Koinon System	Wadar System


Population	7.3 trillion	5.6 trillion	774 trillion (in orbital space)


Unique Attributes:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Silky Way}}{{NationPrecede
+{{Silky Way|use_hatnote_links=no}}{{Vernarca Nebula}}{{NationPrecede
 |exists=yes
 |years     =[[File:Talarian Union Flag.png|60px|center]] 57 BC-present
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 |replaceprecededbywith=Preceded By:
 |replacesucceededbywith=Succeeded By:
-}}{{Infobox Nation|image1=Talarian Union Flag.png|caption-image1=Flag of the Talarian Union|image2=MevDar.png|caption-image2=Mev'Dar, the capital world of the Talarian Union|image3=TalarianMap.png|caption-image3=Map of Talarian space|article_creator=[[User:The Minmus Derp]]|article_author=also [[User:The Minmus Derp]]?|scope=[[Scope:Silky Way]]|organization_type=Federal democratic republic|status=<font color="green">Active</font>|types_of_divisional_powers/regions=*Provinces|greatest_territorial_extent=31 stars|location=[[Silky Way]], [[Ervo Sector]], [[Vernarca Nebula]]|area=~31 stars|territory=?|capital(s)=*Kahea, [[Mev'Dar]], [[Ishasi]], [[Talar System]]|capital_type=City|capital_state=Ilgol|capital_division=Ishasi Province|capital_system=[[Talar System]]|capital_world=[[Mev'Dar]]|capital_city=Kahea|capitol=|major_systems=*[[Talar System]]
+}}{{Infobox Nation|image1=Talarian Union Flag.png|caption-image1=Flag of the Talarian Union|image2=Chachin.png|caption-image2=Chachin, new capital world of the Talarian Union|image3=TalarianMap.png|caption-image3=Map of Talarian space|article_creator=[[User:The Minmus Derp|The Minmus Derp]]|article_author=[[User:The Minmus Derp|The Minmus Derp]]|scope=[[Scope:Silky Way|Silky Way]]|organization_type=Federal democratic republic|status=<font color="green">Active</font>|types_of_divisional_powers/regions=*Provinces|greatest_territorial_extent=31 stars|location=[[Silky Way]], [[Ervo Sector]], [[Vernarca Nebula]]|area=~31 stars|territory=?|capital(s)=*Kahea, [[Mev'Dar]], [[Ishasi]], [[Talar System]] {{small|(57 BC-150 AC)}}
+*Ali Dashar, [[Chachin]], [[Talar System]] {{small|(150 AC-present)}}|capital_type=City|capital_state=Ilgol|capital_division=Chachin Province|capital_system=[[Talar System]]|capital_world=<!--[[Mev'Dar]]-->|capital_city=<!--Kahea-->|capitol=|major_systems=*[[Talar System]]
 *[[Merrilor System]]
 *[[Koinon System]]
-*[[Alera Asenis System]]|major_worlds=*[[Mev'Dar]]
+*[[Alera Asenis System]]|major_worlds=*[[Mev'Dar]] {{small|(destroyed)}}
 *[[Chachin]]
-*[[Arafel]]|major_cities=Kahea|demonym=Talarian|population_density=very high|population_growth=Slow|dominant_species=[[Q'Mau]]|minority_groups=Immigrants from [[Vernarcan Federation]], refugees from [[Kaegan Sovereignty]]|national_language=Ron'Zel|national_faith=None, separation of church and state is in effect|major_religions/faiths=[[Marwanism]]|minor_religions/faiths=Various other Q'Mau religions|founding_date=57 BC|founding_event=[[Talarian Acts of Union]]|founding_species/race(s)=[[Q'Mau]]|preceded_by=*Alliance of Ishasi
+*[[Arafel]]|major_cities=Kahea|demonym=Talarian|population_density=very high|population_growth=Slow|dominant_species=[[Q'Mau]]|minority_groups=Immigrants from [[Vernarcan Federation]], refugees from [[Kaegan Sovereignty]]|national_language=Ron'Zel|national_faith=None, separation of church and state is in effect|major_religions/faiths=[[Marwanism (Silky Way)|Marwanism]]|minor_religions/faiths=Various other Q'Mau religions|founding_date=57 BC|founding_event=[[Talarian Acts of Union]]|founding_species/race(s)=[[Q'Mau]]|preceded_by=*Alliance of Ishasi
 *Arafel Congressional Republic
-*various nations at [[Chachin]]|date_reorganized=48 AC, Talarian Civil War|date_fragmented=46 AC, Talarian Civil War|rulers/leaders=*Sesinerra
+*various nations at [[Chachin]]|date_reorganized=146 AC, reconstitution after the expulsion of the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]]|date_fragmented=|rulers/leaders=*Sesinerra
 *Ansirranna|major_historical_events=*[[Talarian Acts of Union]] (57 BC)
+*[[Talarian Civil War]] (57-53 BC)
 *[[Tyran War]] (6 BC-9 AC)
 *Foundation of the [[Yazera Pact]] (0 AC)
-*[[Talarian Civil War]] (46-48 AC)|major_recent_events=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)|total_conflicts=4-9 depending on definition|major_conflicts=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)
+*[[Kaegan Conflicts]] (47-52 AC)|major_recent_events=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)|total_conflicts=4-9 depending on definition|major_conflicts=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)
-*[[Talarian Civil War]] (46-48 AC)
+*[[Kaegan Conflicts]] (47-52 AC)
+*[[Tyran War]] (6 BC-9 AC)
-*[[Tyran War]] (6 BC-9 AC)|deadliest/most_destructive_conflict=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)|major_epidemics=None|allies=*[[Yazera Pact]] (founding member)
-*[[Grand Alliance]] (founding member)|neutralities=*[[Thelsan Assembly]]
+*[[Talarian Civil War]] (57-53 BC)|deadliest/most_destructive_conflict=*[[War of the Broken Bow]] (138-150 AC)|major_epidemics=None|allies=*[[Yazera Pact]] (founding member)|neutralities=*[[Thelsan Assembly]]
-*any nation they havent had contact with|enemies=*The [[Void]] (destroyed 150 AC)
+*any nation they havent had contact with|enemies=*The [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]] (destroyed 150 AC)
-*[[Kaegan Sovereignty]]|international_influence=<font color="yellow">Medium</font>|international_agreements/pacts=*[[Yazera Pact]] (founding member, 0 AC)
+*[[Kaegan Sovereignty]]|international_influence=<font color="yellow">Medium</font>|international_agreements/pacts=*[[Yazera Pact]] (founding member, 0 AC)|overseer_state_(suzerainty)=None|associate_nations/states=None|trade_partners=*[[Vernarcan Federation]]
-*[[Grand Alliance]] (founding member, 148 AC)|overseer_state_(suzerainty)=None|associate_nations/states=None|trade_partners=*[[Vernarcan Federation]]
 *[[Tyran Free State]]|embargoes=*[[Kaegan Sovereignty]]
-*[[Falacian Dominion]]|governmental_structure=Anocracy|current_ruler/leader=Esninarra|head_of_government=Autarch|head_of_state=also Autarch|political_parties=Political parties are prohibited by constitutional mandate|founding_document=Talarian Acts of Union|recognized_calendar=[[Federation Standard Calendar]]|average_quality_of_life=Medium-High|equality=Low (gender inequality is enshrined in law)|power_comparable_to=[[Kaegan Sovereignty]], [[Krask Hegemony]]|economic_type=Socialist, but not as socialist as the Vernarcan Federation|main_economic_asset(s)=Raw materials, refined ship components|national_currency=Kis|currency_types=1, 2, 6, 12, 24, 72, 144|accepted_international_currencies=Vernarcan Federation Money|major_industries=Resource extraciton, ship construction, computers|industrialized_territory_size=4 stars|resource_production=High|major_produced_materials=transuranic elements|agriculture=Various stations throughout Talarian space}}The '''Talarian Union''' is the primary state of the [[Q'Mau]] species, found immediately rimward of the [[Verdan Federation]] just outside the [[Vernarca Nebula]]. They are generally cordial with their neighbors, and have avoided direct conflict with other nations since the [[Tyran War]] despite remaining a member of the [[Yazera Pact]].
+*[[Falacian Dominion]]|governmental_structure=Anocracy|current_ruler/leader=Esninarra|head_of_government=Autarch|head_of_state=also Autarch|political_parties=Political parties are prohibited by constitutional mandate|founding_document=Talarian Acts of Union|recognized_calendar=[[Federation Standard Calendar]]|average_quality_of_life=Medium-High|equality=Low (gender inequality is enshrined in law)|power_comparable_to=[[Kaegan Sovereignty]], [[Krask Hegemony]]|economic_type=Socialist, but not as socialist as the Vernarcan Federation|main_economic_asset(s)=Raw materials, refined ship components|national_currency=Kis|currency_types=1, 2, 6, 12, 24, 72, 144|accepted_international_currencies=Vernarcan Federation Money|major_industries=Resource extraciton, ship construction, computers|industrialized_territory_size=4 stars|resource_production=High|major_produced_materials=transuranic elements|agriculture=Various stations throughout Talarian space|date_dissolved=140 AC|dissolution_event=Conquest by the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]] with the support of the [[Alliance of Five (Silky Way)|Alliance of Five]]|succeeded_by=[[Kaegan Sovereignty]] (until 146 AC)}}The '''Talarian Union''' is the primary state of the [[Q'Mau]] species, found immediately rimward of the [[Verdan Federation]] just outside the [[Vernarca Nebula]]’s [[Verda Stellar Neighborhood]]. They are generally cordial with their neighbors, and have avoided direct conflict with other nations since the [[Tyran War]] despite remaining a member of the [[Yazera Pact]].
 == History ==
+===Formation and Pre-Federation Era===
 Unusual for mono-species nations such as this, the Talarian Union was not unified until long after the Q'Mau achieved warp travel. It was formed by the [[Talarian Acts of Union]], a set of treaties which unified the states of the Alliance of Ishasi, the Arafel Congressional Republic, and the colonies at [[Chachin]]. The new Talarian Union promised to unify the Q'Mau at peace in the face of external threats like the often-belligerent [[Varbudian Union]], which was expanding in Talar's direction at the time.
-The first Autarch, Sesinerra, was notably more warlike than many of her successors. The Varbudian Union and the other neighboring states tended to be too busy intimidating each other to focus on an all-out conflict with Talar. Luckily for everyone in the Union except her family, Sesinerra died in childbirth before she could goad the Varbudians or Verna into war, leaving her clan to raise her newborn triplets and leaving her nation at peace with its neighbors.
+The first Autarch, Sesinerra, was notably more warlike than many of her successors. The Varbudian Union and the other neighboring states tended to be too busy intimidating each other to focus on an all-out conflict with Talar. Luckily for everyone in the Union except her family, Sesinerra died in childbirth before she could goad the Kaegans or Ravoryl into war, leaving her clan to raise her newborn triplets and leaving her nation at peace with its neighbors.
+Sesinerra's successors were much better than her at the arts of peace, deftly guiding the newborn nation in the chaotic ocean of interstellar politics. Unfortunately, affairs within the Union were not so nice. All but one of the next four Autarchs were assassinated by a variety of extremist factions who disliked the way they were steering the Union and often believed in xenophobic ideas of Q'Mau supremacy. After this, it became a running joke in society that the position of Autarch was somehow cursed, although the lack of evidence for an actual curse made this mostly ineffective in actual politics. The next three leaving without fanfare after medium-length terms dispelled the notion.
+===Tyran War to the Kaegan Conflict===
+In 1 BC, the states coreward of the Talarian Union coalesced into the [[Verdan Federation]]. This mostly removed the potential threat of the expanding Varbudian colonies by making it more difficult for that particular faction to start anything, but if anything was started it would have the full weight of the new Federation behind it. Luckily for everyone, both the Union and the Federation were assisting in the rebellions of the Tyran Empire, side-by-side with their old rivals. Notably, Talarian fleets played a pivotal role in the [[Battle of Vistari]], ensuring the later independence of [[Marakat (Silky Way)|Marakat]]. As well, they were present at the Bakino Campaign in the newly declared [[Voyorras]]. After the end of the war, the Union offered assistance to the newly independent nations and remained within the [[Yazera Pact]] as a founding member.
+After the Tyran War, the Talarian Union was largely stagnant, sandwiched as it was between the [[Vernarcan Federation]] and [[Kaegan Sovereignty]]. Some elements in society desired to join the Federation, but most didn't want to lose the position of power the Union's discriminatory laws gave them at the time. This era was dominated by peaceful relations with the Federation and the occasional skirmish with the Sovereignty, as well as the establishment of steady trade relationships with the [[Thelsan Assembly]] and [[Unity of Fass Karan]] under Autarch <!--Irsinare-->[[Ansirranna]] in 18 AC. The [[Sukothra System|Sukothra]] and [[Merrilor System|Merrilor]] systems were also colonized during this time.
+This time of complacency ended abruptly in 48 AC, when the Kaegan Sovereignty's internal conflicts cleared up for a time and enabled them to focus their attention outwards. An invasion force crossed the Union border near the contested [[Taum System]], hoping to reestablish control over the secondary star of [[Delaure]] before the Union could react. In this they succeeded, as the Union's Federation allies were busy fending off their own attacks near the [[Kalpen System]]. Luckily, technology sharing within the [[Yazera Pact]] meant that pound for pound Talarian ships were substantially more powerful than those of the Kaegans.
+Kaegan attacks reached well into the limit cloud of the [[Koinon System]] numerous times, and the outer system colonies of Niamh and Agelmar were found completely massacred with all valuable objects pilfered from the sites. In 52, the major world of [[Arafel]] came under direct attack by a massive Kaegan fleet, and almost fell to the Sovereignty before huge numbers of [[Vernarcan Federation]] ships came to the rescue and routed them from the system. The Sovereignty poured everything into this failed attack, and the destruction of a fleet of that size sounded the end of the "hot" phase of the conflict. The Kaegans begrudgingly signed an armistice in early 53 AC, which handed back control of the inner worlds of Delaure to the Union.
+===Falacian Cold War and the Egalitarians===
+During the time of peace following the war, the Talarian Union's culture changed little, with conservative leaders retaining power for much of that time. But with the [[Falacian Dominion]]'s withdrawl from the [[Yazera Pact]] in 79 and the beginning of the Falacian Cold War, this external pressure on the nation's foreign policy decisions spread to the rest of society, causing progressive factions to gain favor among the general population. While the Dominion posed little direct threat to the Talarian Union, the international tensions still caused strain in the populace. <!--The brief but incredibly violent and brutal [[War of the Broken Bow]] fought after the discovery of the [[Szalana Wormhole]] intensified this, and today male Q'Mau are beginning to attain some measure of equality.-->
+With the end of the Cold War and the fragmentation of the [[Falacian Dominion]], one threat was quickly replaced by another. The discovery of the Szalana Wormhole just beyond the Union's border halfway between [[Yauke]] and the [[Merrilor System]] brought with it great opportunities, but also great danger. The colonization of the [[Lintepe System]] opened up new regions of space for the Union to explore alongside their Federation allies. However, the [[Alliance of Five]] native to that region were among the most powerful nations in known space, and they were willing to take almost anything as antagonism.
+In 126 AC, a breakaway group known as the Egalitarians fled through the wormhole to escape the conservative government of the time and established colonies within the [[Lintepe System]], appealing for Federation membership. Autarch Serrasanni ordered an invasion sent through the wormhole, but the Federation threatened to impose sanctions for their actions and she was forced to back down. While Serasani was elected to another term, this time was widely considered the death knell of Talarian matriarchy as those benefitting from it finally began to feel consequences. The Lintepe colony remained an incorporated Federation world.
+In 138 AC, the looming danger of war with the Alliance of Five finally came to a head with the Federation's acceptance of protectorate status of the [[Thistolian Empire]]. The armies of the [[New Union of Xeriphas]] destroyed the small Lintepe System colonies as the Alliance of Five began to invade the Federation. After less than a year, Federation territory outside the [[Zahl Order]] within the Apple Nebula was placed under occupation. The [[Kaegan Sovereignty]] allied itself with the Alliance of Five as well, providing a much greater threat to the Yazera Pact.
+===War of the Broken Bow===
+Although the election of a more progressive Autarch allowed many of the Lintepe colonists to return to Union space, the deaths of those who remained was still a grave loss to the Talarian people. This led the Union to join the [[War of the Broken Bow]] over a week before Article III of the Yazera Pact was invoked by the Federation, and so began the bloodiest conflict in the Union's long history. Blowing the [[Tyran War]] out of the water in the first three years, the War of the Broken Bow saw direct Alliance incursions of Union territory and the occupation of the [[Merrilor System]] by the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]] with the support of the Alliance of Five. Soon after, [[Mev'Dar]] itself fell to the Sovereignty and was placed under military rule. Autarch Ririssa was summarily executed in the public square of Kahea as an example to those who resisted.
+The [[Dosi Confederation]]'s signing of the [[Yazera Pact]] and its joining of the war on the side of the Union and Federation began to turn the tide against the Alliance. Confederation forces successfully tied up large Alliance fleets on its borders and prevented them from reinforcing the Vernarca Nebula occupation forces against the ongoing resistance. The Talarian Rebellion began with surprise attacks and sabotage of occupying military installations, and the later organization of a network of secret bases in interstellar space. The Terminus Invasion of 143 began the large-scale liberation of Alliance-occupied territory within the Nebula, and the rebellion's sabotage operations prevented the consistent repair of Alliance warships in what they thought was "pacified" territory. By 135, the liberation of Vernarca Nebula space reached the borders of the Union. The now much more powerful Kaegan warships were difficult for the forces of the liberated Federation territory and the First Civilian Fleet to combat, but the assistance of the Talarian Rebellion made it possible to destroy many of them and drive the rest from their homes.
+As the Alliance was driven back through the Szalana Wormhole, the Kaegan occupation of [[Mev'Dar]] was particularly difficult to crack. The [[Kaegans]] fought for their conquests with religious fervor, with very few of the elite soldiers so much as allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. No surrender was ever issued, and the Kaegan presence in the [[Talar System]] turned from an occupation to an insurgency as the Talarian Union reestablished itself as an independent nation. A suicide bombing in 147 shortly before the midterm elections narrowly avoided killing the new Autarch Ensinarra, resulting in a brief period of martial law.
+===The Void===
+The first appearance of the [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]] on the far side of the territory of the [[Carremmat Ro'kasa]] in 147 forced a pause in hostilities between the alliance and the Yazera Pact. The [[Vauratin Empire]] had already pulled out of the war following [[Rexir's Coup]] in 146, and the [[New Union of Xeriphas]] was having second thoughts, but this forced the issue. The [[Treaty of Praxis]] was signed by all members of the [[Yazera Pact]] and all members of the now-misnamed [[Alliance of Five]] except the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]], shortly after the destruction of the [[Iccobar System]] by the [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]]. Now, Talarian ships fought side by side with their former foes, and the withdrawal of support for the Kaegan Sovereignty greatly diminished its capacity to wage war against its traditional enemies.
+The Union itself would feel much less of this phase of the war until 150, when the [[Arwell System]] was destroyed and the final Void offensive began. In early 150, [[Su'uni Ash Nikal]]'s [[Working Title Fleet]] amassed at [[Chachin]] around the [[FSS Kareland]], before jumping to the wormhole. Shortly afterwards, Voidspears began to pour through the Szalana Wormhole, making for the nearest centers of power to eliminate any resistance to their harvest. Unfortunately for everyone, involved, the closest national capital to the wormhole was in fact [[Mev'Dar]], marking it as among the first targets.
+The oncoming [[Voidspear]]s carved a bloody path through Union space, shredding numerous habitats within the [[Merrilor System]]. They set a direct course for the [[Talar System]], correctly sensing it as the nerve center for the region's activities, and went directly for [[Mev'Dar]]. The Talarian fleets put everything they had into the fight against the [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]], with catastrophic engagements at Dorga in interstellar space and even Endar in the Talar System only managing to temporarily disable one of the three voidspears at the cost of millions of military personnel. Evacuation efforts of population centers in the Voidspears' path only managed to evacuate a scant few million people before they arrived and began to lay waste to the planet.
+The designated survivors of the Union government were spirited away to a hidden station in the limit cloud of the [[Alera Asenis System]], their commands routed to surviving local governments through several different 190-part chains of relays pre-established for the purpose. Autarch Ensinarra practically needed to be kidnapped to make her leave her people. The Kahea Citizens' Broadcast kept yammering about the weather and local news as normal until the last minutes of the planet's existence, as if a comforting ritual. Within hours of the spears arriving at the planet, the remaining ships of the military saw their dead hulls cast aside, and the planetary shield glowed neon blue with the shuddering impacts of the Void's unequaled weaponry. After just 46 minutes, the shield broke, and it was over. The Voidspears bombarded the planet with ferocity unseen in the history of the Vernarca Nebula, quickly reducing the gleaming towers and shining seas to an expanding cloud of cooling rubble. They sucked up various shards of planetary rubble to repair themselves, and left for more important matters.
-Sesinerra's successors were much better than her at the arts of peace, deftly guiding the newborn nation in the chaotic ocean of of interstellar politics. Unfortunately, affairs within the Union were not so nice. All but one of the next four Autarchs were assassinated by a variety of extremist factions who disliked the way they were steering the Union and often believed in xenophobic ideas of Q'Mau supremacy. After this, it became a running joke in society that the position of Autarch was somehow cursed, although the lack of evidence for an actual curse made this mostly ineffective in actual politics. The next three leaving without fanfare after medium-length terms dispelled the notion.
+The people of the Talarian Union slowly picked up the pieces, and the words of Ensinarra and the survivors of Mev'Dar became a thin comfort to the minds of the [[Q'Mau]]. On their ravages, the Void had already halved the population of the species, and there was every chance that the marauding Spears would return to Talarian space to finish the job. The government began to reestablish itself in the cit of Ali Dashar on [[Chachin]], allocating all possible resources to the rebuilding of surviving worlds. Following the return of the [[Working Title Fleet]] survivors from the [[Battle of the Colony]] and news of the fall of the [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]], celebrations rang out across the galaxy including among the surviving [[Q'Mau]], realizing that they no longer had to fear for their lives.
-In 1 BC, the states coreward of the Talarian Union coalesced into the [[Verdan Federation]]. This mostly removed the potential threat of the expanding Varbudian colonies by making it more difficult for that particular faction to start anything, but if anything was started it would have the full weight of the new Federation behind it. Luckily for everyone, both the Union and the Federation were assisting in the rebellions of the Tyran Empire, side-by-side with their old rivals. After the end of the war, the Union offered assistance to the newly independent nations.
-During the time of peace following the war, the Talarian Union's culture changed little, with conservative leaders retaining power for much of that time. But with the [[Falacian Dominion]]'s withdrawl from the [[Yazera Pact]] in 79 and the beginning of the Falacian Cold War, this external pressure on the nation's foreign policy decisions spread to the rest of society, causing progressive factions to gain favor among the general population. The brief but incredibly violent and brutal [[War of the Broken Bow]] fought after the discovery of the [[Szalana Wormhole]] intensified this, and today male Q'Mau are beginning to attain some measure of equality.
 == Government ==
 The Talarian Union functions as an ''anocracy'', loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship. The Union is led by an '''Autarch''', which is elected by the Council of Worlds which is elected by the constituents of each member. The Union, while it allows opposition politics, means to redress grievances are incomplete as free speech and assembly are not enshrined in the constitution as rights.
@@ Line 55: / Line 89: @@
 The Talarian Union is a relatively small, but very densely packed nation, centered around the bright [[Talar System]] immediately rimward of the [[Verdan Federation]]. Also of note are the [[Merrilor System|Merrilor]] and [[Koinon System]]s, as well as [[Alera Asenis]], which was once a point of dispute between the Union and the expanding [[Varbudian]] colonies before the founding of the Federation.
 === Neighboring Powers ===
-The Talarian Union has a fairly long border with the [[Verdan Federation]] towards the galactic core, which it has fairly good relations with. Towards the rim, there is the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]], an intensely xenophobic nation which has almost came to blows with the Union over disputes in the [[Taum System]].
+The Talarian Union has a fairly long border with the [[Verdan Federation]] towards the galactic core, a fellow [[Yazera Pact]] participant which it has historically good relations with. Towards the rim, there is the [[Kaegan Sovereignty]], an intensely xenophobic nation which has almost came to blows with the Union over disputes in the [[Taum System]] and later outright conquered the union for four years during the [[War of the Broken Bow]]. A short border also exists with the [[Thelsan Assembly]], which Autarch Ansirranna established a long-standing trade relationship with in 18 AC.
 === Capital ===
-[[File:MevDar.png|200px|left|thumb]]'''Mev'Dar''', a small ocean moon, is the capital of the Talarian Union and homeworld of the [[Q'Mau]]. It can be found in the [[Talar System]] in a high orbit around the gas giant [[Ishasi]], and its orbit is positively filled with habitation structures sometimes dating back to before the age of the Talarian Empire. The oceans of Mev'Dar have been inhabited by civilization for millennia, with great floating cities springing up and spreading across the waves over the centuries. Mev'Dar, beyond its geopolitical significance, is physically unique due to the presence of the ''submoon'', Kiley, a rare occurrence that manifests when a moon exists in a stable orbit around another lunar body.
+<!--[[File:MevDar.png|200px|left|thumb]]'''Mev'Dar''', a small ocean moon, is the capital of the Talarian Union and homeworld of the [[Q'Mau]]. It can be found in the [[Talar System]] in a high orbit around the gas giant [[Ishasi]], and its orbit is positively filled with habitation structures sometimes dating back to before the age of the Talarian Empire. The oceans of Mev'Dar have been inhabited by civilization for millennia, with great floating cities springing up and spreading across the waves over the centuries. Mev'Dar, beyond its geopolitical significance, is physically unique due to the presence of the ''submoon'', Kiley, a rare occurrence that manifests when a moon exists in a stable orbit around another lunar body. -->
+[[File:Chachin.png|200px|left|thumb]]'''Chachin''', a superterrestrial world caught in a binary with the gas dwarf Ishtal, is the brand new capital of the [[Talarian Union]] after the [[Q'Mau]] homeworld and original capital of [[Mev'Dar]] was destroyed by the [[Void (Silky Way)|Void]] in 150 AC. After the carnage of the [[War of the Broken Bow]] and the barely-averted collisional cascade caused as a side effect of the Void attack, Chachin only survived by seeming less important than it was until the Voidspears left to attack [[Shilak]]. The designated survivors of the old government returned from their secret hideout in the Limit Cloud to reestablish governance of the Union at Chachin after the initial attack, and hosted the assembly of the [[Working Title Fleet]] under the command of [[Su'uni Ash Nikal]].
+Even before this, Chachin's history is long and storied, acting as one of the first self-sustaining off-world colonies of the [[Q'Mau]] species. Its many nations helped to champion the cause of the original [[Talarian Union]] in 57 BC, and were in talks to host the national capital until the Alliance of Ishasi consented to join the Union. Physically, Chachin's large ring system is considered to be a national treasure and mining is prohibited there. Views of Ishtal from its vicinity or surface were a common subject of postcards.
 === Notable Systems ===
 {{Simple Index list
@@ Line 76: / Line 113: @@
 {| class="article-tabled"
 |
-!<center>[[File:MevDar.png|200px|center]]</center>
+!<center>[[File:Chachin.png|200px|center]]</center>
-!<center>[[File:Unknown.png|200px|center]]</center>
+!<center>[[File:Arafel.png|200px|center]]</center>
-!<center>[[File:Unknown.png|200px|center]]</center>
+!<center>[[File:Kriaphis.png|200px|center]]</center>
 |-
 |
-!<center>[[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]] [[Mev'Dar]] [[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]]</center>
 !<center>[[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]] [[Chachin]] [[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]]</center>
 !<center>[[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]] [[Arafel]] [[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]]</center>
+!<center>[[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]] [[Kriaphis]] [[File:PlanetIcon.png|20px]]</center>
 |-
 |
@@ Line 91: / Line 128: @@
 |-
 |'''Location'''
-!<center>[[Talar System]]/[[Ishasi]]</center>
 !<center>[[Talar System]]</center>
 !<center>[[Koinon System]]</center>
+!<center>[[Wadar System]]</center>
 |-
 |
@@ Line 106: / Line 143: @@
 |-
 |'''Population'''
-!<center>6.25 trillion</center>
 !<center>7.3 trillion</center>
 !<center>5.6 trillion</center>
+!<center>774 trillion {{small|(in orbital space)}}<!--6.25 trillion--></center>
 |-
 |
@@ Line 125: / Line 162: @@
 | align="left" |
 |}
 [[Category:Author: The Minmus Derp]]
 [[Category:Great Powers]]