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The Alliance of Free StarsThe Chenjesu representatives were patient. Beings of vast intellect and perception, they understood the psychological shock their sudden appearance had on the inhabitants of Earth, a people who, amazingly, had never before had contact with a species other than their own. The aliens remained in the solar system for several months, conferring with the political, military, and scientific leaders of Earth. Meanwhile, the Chenjesu's starship transported U.N. observers through HyperSpace to visit several worlds that had been attacked by the Ur-Quan and their Hierarchy of Battle Thralls. The sad evidence of wholesale slaughter and devastation, and the accounts of dazed survivors, proved that the Chenjesu account was true. On August 1, 2116, Earth joined the Chenjesu and their other allies -- the Mmrnmhrm, the Yehat, the Shofixti, and unofficially, the Syreen -- to form the Alliance of Free Stars. Following formal ratification of the pact by the United Nations, Star Control was placed under the direct authority of the Alliance Command Council. The Chenjesu expected Earth to play a major role in the Alliance, both as combatants and suppliers of war material. Even though the Earthlings were technologically primitive, their civilization had thousands of huge modern factories and millions of skilled workers able to manufacture both munitions and spacecraft. The tens of thousands of thermo-nuclear weapon components stashed away in the Peace Vaults were an additional bonus which surprised even the Chenjesu. On the day following Earth's formal induction into the Alliance, an alien race known as the Arilouleelay appeared, landing first on the Earth's moon. They transmitted a request to meet with Alliance representatives, and a delegation of human and Chenjesu diplomats journeyed to the lunar surface to establish contact. The Arilou explained that they too were threatened by the Ur-Quan and had come to join the Alliance of Free Stars. Alliance headquarters was consulted, and soon afterwards the Arilous were welcomed into the coalition. Although the Arilou were extremely secretive -- being unwilling to discuss even the locations of their homeworlds -- they provided additional strength to the Alliance. This strength was to be tested almost immediately. The Course of the WarThere were many great battles between the Alliance of Free Stars and the Ur-Quan and their Hierarchy of Battle Thralls. Both the Alliance and the Hierarchy built hundreds of asteroid forts all across the spiral arm of the Galaxy. Only a small fraction of these fortified positions, and the colonies and mining bases that surrounded them, survived the fighting. As the war spread, new alien races were drawn into the conflict until finally there were 14 seperate species at war. On the Alliance side there were the Earthlings, the Chenjesu, the Yehat, the Mmrnmhrm, the Arilouleelay, the Syreen, and the Shofixti. Fighting with the Ur-Quan were the Mycon, the Spathi, the Androsynths, the VUX, the Ilwrath, and the Umgah. By 2134 it was becoming clear to both sides that the Ur-Quan and their Hierarchy of Battle Thralls were slowly but surely winning the war. |