Vendetta Online

The Chronicles of Exile

AD4172

After nearly a hundred years of complete silence on the Serco-Itani border, the Serco begin what was apparently a small offensive. Forty capital ships jump into the Itani buffer sector. The three ladies, the Goliath Cannon, roar to life for their first combat use since their construction. Spitting their particular form of death, a fifty meter long condensed cloud of excited antimatter particles surrounding a phased singularity, the passage of their "shells" visibly ripples any light (as well as, arguably, space and time). Massive swathes are cut in the enemy fleet with every shot. Within approximately two minutes, the Serco have been reduced to five ships. Another twenty ships jump in, only to immediately jump back out again, once the state of their comrades becomes apparent. At a total of seven minutes, thirty one seconds from start to finish, the incident is recorded as the Seven Minute Battle.

AD4203, Serco Prime

Sporadic clashes between the Serco and Itani continue for the next few years. Using their newfound spacecraft expertise, the Serco expand beyond the boundaries of Serco Prime, terraforming two new worlds in nearby sectors. This conglomeration of planets becomes known as the Serco Dominion. Culturally, the Serco have mellowed to some degree, their trademark arrogance no longer quite so prevalent. Their view of the Itani remains well entrenched. The Itani are seen as their enemy since time immemorial, eternal combatants against whom the success of their own civilization is measured. Each new generation of Triumvirate hopes that they might be the ones remembered as conquerors. The consolidation of the two adjacent systems in 4063 is marked as the greatest achievement of their people since the original ground-war conquest of 2661. The generals and leaders of that era are hailed as heroes of epic proportion. They do not desire peace, war is now so integrated into their bloodline.

They are bothered, however, by their recent failure to match up against once-comparable Itani forces. The new generation of Itani weaponry is simply too devastating for the Serco ships, despite their best attempts at ingenious design and progressively thicker layers of armor. Without the benefit of Xi-rite alloys or the more efficient Itani reactor designs, their efforts prove futile. This further shames and aggravates their engineers and military, who both lose face with their populace at every loss.

AD4265

During recent skirmishes, the Itani are surprised to occasionally be contacted by the Serco. Usually only jeering and challenging banter from the fighter pilots, it is nonetheless the first communication with their enemy in over two hundred years. It may be that this period signaled the change in the Serco cultural perception of the Itani, no longer seen as lesser beings deserving only of extermination, but now honorable adversaries against whom the youthful Serco officers judge their own abilities. The Abbot of Itan orders a heavily-shielded peace emissary to jump across the border and attempt formal contact. The mission has limited success, taking fire from the Serco on many occasions, who often seem unable to comprehend the concept of peace with their Itani neighbors. Some worthwhile discussion does come of it, however, paving the way for additional officious communication.

Subsequent exchanges led both sides to a much better understanding of one another. A temporary cease-fire was ordered to lend some stability to the talks. The Serco are fascinated at what they learn about their enemies, unable to reconcile the apparently pacifistic (and therefore, to them, cowardly) civilization with the staunch foes they have met on the field of battle. The brief reports of the Akanese make far more sense to them, better fitting their mental image of the Itani they know and hate. Despite this extraordinary give and take between the rivals, the Serco laugh at all attempts by the Itani to build a lasting peace. It eventually becomes understood that the Triumvirate could never do such a thing, as it would be seen as a cowardly end to the conflict by their people.

The monastic order cogitates on this conundrum. After four hundred years of sporadic war, they would delight in some sort of peaceful compromise. The Itani understanding of the Serco need for competition and conquest has been expanded by their recent talks, and leads to an idea. Oernon, Abbot of Itan, now over half a millennia in age, desires peace more than any other. It was at his reluctant order that the Ban of Serco contact was lifted, much as it was his longtime friend, Eilon of Eo, whose death had ushered in the specter of war. For the better part of his time as guiding leader of the Itani people, he has watched them suffer from the bitter plague of conflict. Even the splintering off of the Akanese, whose hatred could not be contained by the peaceable Itani culture, was a blow to his heart. Nearing the end of his span (longest of any Itani to date), he wishes to see closure before he dies. Therefore, he makes a proposal to the Serco.

Oernon suggests a bout of unarmed single combat between himself and a chosen representative of the Serco. If the outcome of this challenge favored the Itani, the Serco would agree to a one hundred year cease-fire. Should the outcome favor the Serco, the Itani would turn over documentation detailing the construction of high-efficiency reactor cores and advanced armor plating (Xithricite). The Itani were shocked at this proposal, and collectively made every effort to turn their leader from his decision. Even the Order of Akan sent messages of dismay. The Serco at first laughed at the idea, but then after internal discussion and consideration, agreed. The Serco people were excited by notion of such a bout. Similar events took place constantly within the highly competitive, media-driven Serco culture. However, the Serco were, by this point, so genetically and technologically enhanced that they could not conceive of losing a fistfight to a mere unaugmented human. Oernon's age, bearing, and stature among his people did give pause to the wiser Serco, but few counted him as a threat. The populations of both sides awaited the day of the bout, the Serco with eagerness, the Itani with dread.

The Serco selection of a representative to answer the challenge was complex indeed. They had many heroes of single combat from which to choose, but one would be needed who could match Oernon in stature of character. Therefore, a member of the Triumvirate was eventually selected. Karun stood over seven feet tall. His age extended by genetic resequencing, he claimed a three hundred and fifty year history as a veteran of the Serco-Itani conflict. Muscular, dermal, and neural augmentations gave him unsurpassed strength and stamina. With reactions a hundred times faster than that of a normal human being, he could kill an opponent with a dozen well-placed blows before they even became aware that he had struck. Much of his skull, bones and outer skin had been replaced with various lightweight alloys and armoring. Indeed, this competition may have forbidden the use of weapons, but the entire body of the Serco had been crafted for exactly that purpose.

The day of the challenge arrived. It was held onboard a giant Serco container ship (a gesture of goodwill on the part of the Itani), surrounded by both of their fleets. There was no judging, whichever combatant should decline further competition, or lose consciousness (or life) would be the loser. A hundred recording systems from both nations broadcast back to their respective peoples. Hundreds of Serco and Itani military made up the audience, the rowdy Serco cheering wildly as Karun strides onto the mat. A few minutes later, Oernon entered as well, the diminutive Itani leader walking smoothly and purposefully towards the area, belying his five-hundred-odd natural years. The Serco crowd began to jeer at his entrance, but abruptly become quiet and respectful at he passed near, his intense presence and projection of self drawing murmurs of admiration from the Itani. Oernon barely stood four feet tall, barefoot and clad in a simple cotton robe, his head shaved in the manner of his Order, his closely cropped white beard and heavily lined face the only real evidence of his age.

The combatants greeted one another in the center of the fifty-meter-wide white mat constructed for this duel. The booming voice of Karun floated out across the crowd, announcing the terms of the challenge and the implications of defeat. Then each combatant described themselves and their accomplishments, according to the custom of Serco competition. After the Serco had finished, Oernon said only "I am Oernon, I am Itani". The rivals then bowed, and prepared for battle.

At the beginning of the duel it was apparent that Karun expected no real competition, and desired only to draw out the fight for the enjoyment of the Serco viewers. Oernon made no offensive attempts, only defended himself and lightly avoided the blows of his enemy. After a few minutes of this Karun clearly began to lose patience, and started to unleash more of his potential. The motions of the two became an outright blur, the Serco giant firing off long series of skilled attacks towards his adversary, but making contact only with the air. Frustrated, the massive biomechanical man heightened the pace even more, now forcing the Itani to at least block his attacks. The blocks are no more satisfying, however, as blows with enough power to punch through a reinforced steel wall found themselves nulled by an aged pair of human hands. The minutes go by with little change, Karun now a snarling mass of aggression. After twenty minutes of combat, however, Oernon apparently decides it is time to finish. Following a long series of rapid blocks, he strikes the Serco in the torso with a two-handed blow of incredible speed. From recordings, it is not even clear that physical contact was actually made. It may be that for Oernon, such things were no longer necessary. Karun flew back twenty five feet, sliding across the mat on his back before attempting to rise and collapsing.

At this point, a series of confusing events occurred in rapid succession. Several Serco ran out to their fallen leader, and proclaimed him deceased. Oernon denied this, claiming the blow had much power, but would not have killed a child. Various members of the Serco audience then cried out that their leader had been murdered by the dishonorable Itani, who had clearly concealed some sort of weapon on their champion. The audience of both the Itani and Serco rushed onto the mat, and confused weapons fire abruptly appeared. As Oernon struggled through the crowd towards his fallen foe, he was shot several times in the head and chest by an unknown assailant, dying instantly.

Needless to say, the Serco-Itani peace process did not survive this incident. The events onboard the Serco ship erupted into a full scale battle among the surrounding fleets. Much about the end of the duel is still unknown. It is believed that Karun did die, but whether as a result of his injuries or due to a simultaneous assassination attempt, no one knows. It is now known that Karun himself had brought about much of the interaction with the Itani, perhaps against the wishes of the other Triumvirate members. At that time, many Serco still viewed any negotiation with the Itani as a cowardly and tasteless act. The possibility of a hundred-year cease fire with the Itani might not have appealed to much of the government. Some have suggested that such an agreement would not have been welcomed by the Akanese, either. The sudden appearance of weapons fire onboard and the sudden outbreak of hostilities in general lend credence to the possibility of an assassination or coup. The truth may never be known.