Nomad War

The Nomad war was humanity's first series of encounters with the Slomon K'Hara, better known as the Nomads. With engagements taking place all over the sector, it was an entirely unconventional war. It was believed that the Nomads attempted to infiltrate humanity and cause conflict between the houses. The plan nearly worked, but was halted by the actions of a group known as The Order as well as several individuals associated with them. The Nomads were by no means wiped out, and it appears that the "Nomad War" may have only been the first battle in a coming conflict. It is important to note that the majority of the population of Sirius knows very little about the details of this war, and that the majority of information known about it is provided by the human side of the conflict.

Synopsis
It is generally agreed that the first open action of the Nomad war was the destruction of Freeport 7 by the Nomads. While originally labelled as an attack by The Order. The assault was in fact an attempt by the Nomads to regain a Daam K'Vosh artifact. At the same time, the Nomads were continuing to infect high-ranking military and political leaders, particularly in Rheinland, which had sent an expedition to the Edge Worlds and recovered alien artifacts while at the same time, awakening the Nomads, who infected the expedition crew and returned to Rheinland.

The Missing artifact came into the possession of Edison Trent a freelancer who had been on Freeport 7. Eventually, he was detected by infected members of the Liberty Navy and LSF and declared a wanted man. Fleeing to Bretonia with his companions, he sought out the elusive scientist Roland Quintaine.

By this time, the Rheinland Military was almost entirely under Nomad control and had begun to launch more and more daring raids. While meeting on Planet Sprague, Trent and his colleagues were attacked by a Rheinland Battlegroup. Fleeing, they eventually met up with Quintaine in the Dublin system. Under pressure from increasing attacks, the group eventually fled to Kusari, the native house of Jun'ko Zane, one of Trent's companions.

In Kusari, Trent sought out the Proteus Tome. An artifact discovered in Kusari recently, Sinclair and Quintaine required access to it to fully analyze Trent's artifact. Trent eventually joined forces with the Blood Dragons to search for the Tome. In deperation they launched an all out attack on Tekagi's Arch, the chief fortress of Governor Tekagi, the man in charge of the Kusari infected. While casualties were high, Trent managed to escape with the Tome, killing Tekagi in the process.

It is at this time that historical records become hazy. Records from hereon are the compilation of numerous different sources. Having fled once again, this time from Kusari. As he moved to Rheinland to meet with a "Diedrich Von Claussen". En route, they intercepted and destroyed numerous Rheinland Ships, even as the entire Rheinland Military marched into Kusari.

Rendezvousing with Von Claussen, Trent flew with the Bundschuh and destroyed a Nomad shipyard in Frankfurt. Subsequently, Trent and his companions were met by the Battleship Osiris and Casper Orillion of the Order. Engaging in a number of pitched battles, the Order faced overwhelming odds. Eventually, having discovered the uses of Trent's artifact, the Order activated the Daam K'vosh hypergate system, draining the power source of the Nomads, at a stroke killing almost all infected people, and drastically reducing the Nomad's ability to wage war.

Freeport 7
It was a Rheinland Expeditionary team that set the entire war into motion. Exploring light years beyond settled space, they came across a mysterious planet. Landing teams to explore, they found artifacts unlike any others, artifacts that were active. This discovery led to the reactivation of the Nomad race, and the entire team was subsequently infected. One of the artifacts was stolen by a thief and eventually brought to Freeport 7. The nomads destroyed the station in an attempt to regain the artifact, and while unsuccessful, massive damage and casualties were sustained. A new war had begun.



The destruction of the RNC Donau
A diplomatic convoy, the RNC Donau was carrying Admiral Schultsky to a meeting with President Jacobi. Intercepted in Manhattan orbit by a wing of Order fighters, the cruiser was destroyed with a powerful salvo of torpedoes. While labelled as a terrorist attack at the time, Admiral Schultsky was in fact infected and intended to implant President Jacobi with a Nomad. The Order fighters were quickly neutralized by all manner of New York security forces, including Edison Trent and Michael King.

Assault on Planet Sprague
Planet Sprague was the location of a major Daam K'Vosh cache. Edison Trent had just arrived with the artifact when the planet was bombarded by the Rheinland Military. The docking ring and dig site were destroyed and have not been rebuilt to this day. The operation was notable because it was the beginning of Rheinland's war on Bretonia.



Tekagi's Arch
Having located the Proteus Tome, the Blood Dragons proceeded to launch a major attack on Tekagi's Arch. The majority of Kusari Naval Forces that were infected were located at this station, and the subsequent death of Governor Tekagi was a major blow to Nomad operations in Kusari. Edison Trent was successful in retrieving the tome, and the raid was one of the larger battles in the war. To this day, the Kusari Government has never acknowledged the sacrifices and dedication of loyal Blood Dragon pilots.



Rheinland versus Kusari
The RNC Jormungand was the flagship of the initial Rheinland fleet that was deployed to Kusari. Accompanied by numerous cruisers, gunboats and several squadrons of fighters, it was destined to steamroll through Honshu. However, an ambush set in place by Edison Trent and some of his less "tasteful" compatriots disabled the fleet, stalling the inevitable advance of Rheinland that would occur later. It was one of the single largest engagements of the war, and the beginning of the end for the Rheinwehr.

Nomad shipyards
Secretly, the infected Rheinland high command had constructed a nomad shipyard in Frankfurt. Hidden behind a mine field and in a nebula, It's location was known by the Bundschuh. Acting as the bulk of the forces during the raid, they managed to destroy several Nomad battleships that were under construction, a fatal blow to the long term plans of the Nomads. It was one of the first encounters with the organic ship types that the Nomads use.

The Power Cell
Penetrating deep into Nomad space, the Battleship Osiris dispatched a strike group to neutralize a Nomad Lair and collect the power cell inside. Leading the strike force, Edison Trent managed to achieve all the objectives. The mission provided valuable intel on the structure of Nomad society, and the power cell was a gem to Order researchers. While the only known lair at the time, recent data collected on the Nomads would suggest their ability to regrow such massive stations.



The rescue of President Jacobi
It became known to the Order that Liberty's president, Barbara Jacobi, was being held in the secretive Alaska System. The Order entered New York, and after disabling the Navy picket line, entered Alaska. They managed to prevent the President from being infected, and ended up killing the Rheinland Chancellor. Encountering signifigant resistance on their escape, Captain Marcus Walker sacrificed his life to enable the Order to flee. Had not the President been saved, Liberty would undoubtedly have been torn apart by internal and external forces.

The Dyson Sphere
The final assault upon Nomad space, the raid on the Dyson Sphere was an incredible attack. Jumping a strike force through an alien jump gate, the Order came across a Dyson sphere. After eliminating the perimeter defenses, they entered the sphere and assaulted the main Nomad installation. Downing the defensive forces, they proceeded to activate the artifact. The Daam K'vash hypergate system was activated, and the Nomads lost their entire energy source. The back of the Nomads had been broken and they retreated to parts unknown.

Liberty
Many members of the Liberty high command and government were known to be infested with Nomads. The president, however, remained uninfected. With such internal division, Liberty has rocked with internal strife throughout the war and interacted little with the other houses.

Bretonia
Of all the houses, Bretonia had the least infection. Their direct role in the Nomad War was minimal, and most of their involvement circled around their repulsion of Rheinland forces. They fought bravely and prevented further Rheinland advancement.

Kusari
While largely infected, the majority of the Kusari infected were destroyed in the raid on Tekagi's Arch. Subsequently, the remaining (diminished) forces attempted to block the Rheinland Invasion. While they were driven back, they managed to inflict significant damage upon the Rheinwehr.

Rheinland
The most infected of any of the houses, Rheinland was to cause war between the Sirian Houses, thus weakening humanity for the coming alien strike. Almost the entire Rheinland Military command was infected. Notable infected persons included Chancellor Niemann and the Grand Admiral. Rheinland launched attacks on both Kusari and Bretonia during the war. After the conflict's conclusion, a large portion of the fleet broke off into what is now known as The Wild.

The Order
Initially a group of renegade LSF agents led by Casper Orillion, the Order began with the theft of the Osiris. Aware of both the Nomad threat and the level of infection among his superiors, Orillion escaped and formed the Order. The Order was the main combatant in the war on Nomads. While initially lauded for their rescue of humanity, their aloof nature has caused them to have poor relations with many houses. Nonetheless, they deserve most of the credit for stopping the Nomads.

Unlawfuls
It is important to note that compared to governments, unlawful organizations had a very low infection rate. When the Order and it's operatives were on the run from military forces, they often canvassed support from "shady" groups. Organizations involved include the Liberty Rogues, Lane Hackers, Blood Dragons and Bundschuh.

Nomads
The antagonists, the motives of the Nomads are unknown to this day. All that is known is that their intent was to eradicate humanity. Research has recently shown that the vast majority of Nomad fleets were not mobilized at the time of their defeat. While they suffered heavy losses after the hypergate activation. However, recent encounters show that the nomads have rebuilt their forces and are continuing to grow, no longer susceptible to the methods that initially stopped them.

Infection
Recently awakened from their slumber, the Nomads were in no position to wage an open war against humanity. Against such a threat, humanity would undoubtedly unite, and even the Nomads technological superiority wouldn't enable them to win against such numbers. They had to result to more subtle methods, infecting key human figures and destroying humanity from the inside. By infecting humanity, the Nomads weakened their military forces, and reduced their likelihood or putting up a successful resistance to an eventual frontal attack. Furthermore, humanity was barely aware of the nomads and had no idea of the threat of infection. While there are now methods of detecting Nomads, it is still a rampant concern among militaries and intelligence organizations.

Continued Unrest
Skirmishes with the Nomads continue in the Edge Worlds, and large numbers of infected humans still exist. Order data suggests that the Nomads may have even built up more than they were during the war but have avoided direct action, taking a cautious route. Another possible explanation is the lower rate of infection, necessitating more powerful Nomad forces. Nonetheless, the true motivations of the Nomads remain unknown. They are a force of great power and pose no small threat to humanity.