This is the write-off of the Schism. I tried to take into consideration the amount of faction endeavoured by each of the people involved, as well as how interesting their ideas related to the Schism were. I hope it is satisfactory.
It is written in a few chapters somewhat consistent with a timeline that explain the major events of The Schism and how each of the factions impacted the Schism's integrants to cause such events. I thank everyone that took their time to take interest in this event, and I hope that one day I'll get to do the Vault events.
It's been great y'all. Here you go.
The Hands of God
Nobody expected the outcome of the sudden visitation upon the middle finger of the MURF territory, however, the small yet meaningful intervention by the rogue VWP entity changed the modus operandi of the revolutionaries through the war.
In complete secrecy, F12Y3B provided MURF with Qunit technology, the schizophrenic AWOL supersoldier handed Elohim the possible equivalent of the Hyperatomics, but for entities. The technology was immediately adapted into a series of small fighter vessels, and would eventually be adapted into larger vessels produced by the MURF, had the raid in the Schendar systems not yielded tremendous results.
With information provided by the ID and their experience in raiding, the newfound Qunit-based fighters managed to invade one of Capitol vessels and wrestle it back into MURF territory. Within it were captured 10 deactivated Replicant units. These units were enhanced with Qunit technology, and placed under direct command of Elohim, thus, the “Hands of God” squad was born, where each replicant was a finger of each hand.
The deadliest combination of the top-notch supersoldier technology of two large galactic superpowers yielded an unstoppable assassination and infiltration team. Though Eholim tried to keep the Hands of God secret from the other powers of the Schism and of the galaxy, it was only a matter of time until they became known, and the shadow of their influence scared even those without reason to be afraid.
The MURF now had a superweapon in the form of a small team of infiltrators, this fact only became more known further on in the war, at a time that was already too late to stop them from securing larger borders.
The Schendar Scenario
The Schendar systems are two highly industrialized military systems that were the first scenario of major combat within the Schism. Initially aligned to the Republic, a large fleet from Capitol hawked over the system waiting for the perfect moment to perform a decisive strike and mend the only break in the Periphery.
Infiltrators from the VWP and GBE turned the tides of the battle before it even happened, raiding important convoys from the overwatching fleets and eventually capturing battleplans as well as corrupting IPD instances with the aid of the Republic’s knowledge.
Eager to secure their borders protected by The Periphery as swiftly as possible, they boldly attacked pressuring with their superior weaponry and fleet. However, sabotage threw their ranks into disarray, and the disorganized Capitol fleets were pushed back by the collective effort of the GBE Battlecruiser Battle Group and the Republic’s own fleet, which also sported the Golden Arrow Wartime Vessel.
Whilst the battle raged over the stars of the Schendar systems, the MURF took the advantage to raid incoming reinforcements and supplies from both sides, though the GBE’s enhancement of security for the Republic forced their hands into attacking mostly Capitol, making situational allies of the two warring factions. The raids yielded several hyperatomics, as well as the replicant group that’d be eventually known as the “Hands of God”.
The Attrition War
After the defeat in the Schendar Systems, Republic and Revolutionary forces could more easily push into Capitol territory. The war turned into one of attrition. The military-industrial complex of Capitol aided by the remains of the MISE industry against the mostly combined efforts of the MURF and MRIS, the latter aided by the UOJ’s own recuperating industrial complex and the Ascendent Dawn’s own sparse investments.
Though Capitol retained the majority of the IPD instances and the Hyperatomics produced by Ghrafnaht, the sheer support behind the Republic’s forces combined by the constant raiding was almost enough to overthrow their fleets. Infiltration and sabotage played tremendous roles in overturning the stagnant frontlines, and though Capitol forces were usually able to brute force enemy forces away, their lack of tactical nuance in playing behind enemy lines eventually brought their downfall.
However, there was no greater insidious effort in sabotage and assassinations than what was named “Elohim’s Revenge”.
Elohim’s Revenge
The leader of MURF was a mysterious individual. However, with time and eventual attention to him, his backstory became popularized as a kind of myth, that his main motivation for raising the United Revolutionary Front was to get revenge on the experimentation that the old MISE top brass did to him whilst he was young.
Whether that is true or not is unknown, however, the sudden disappearance of several fleet admirals and other important military members from the Capitol’s ranks soon got blamed upon this myth of revenge, and thus, Elohim’s Revenge became known. It was almost a systematic dissociation at first, cleverly disassembling the command tree brick by brick, with speed and sporadic nature on the likes that Capitol simply did not know how to fight back.
The VWP however soon knew something was wrong, and successfully presumed that they somehow had gained access to technology that was vastly superior, enough to change the tide of the war. Thus, the legend of the “Hands of God” was born, a team of highly efficient Revolutionary supersoldiers that turned the tide of the attrition war.
This revelation shook the Republic.
Ideological War
As the push against Capitol by the Republic gained strength, a new kind of war secretly developed within the ranks of the faction, one based on ideology and their now reliance upon exterior support to carry out the war effort. Simply put, Republic personnel and allies were now afraid of the capabilities of the MURF, and yielding vessels to fight against them could change the sights of the revolutionaries onto the heads of the Republic and away from Capitol’s leadership.
Now Republic military leaders walked side-by-side with their own sparse replicant units as well as whatever security they could employ from their allies. Convoy security got doubled and then tripled, and the few IPD instances the MURF had were turned from stations into fortresses. Paranoia started to settle into the high command as the looming threat of the MURF now became bigger and bigger, and efforts to bridge the gap between the Revolutionaries and the Republic started being made.
An agreement was reached as the war had brought them into combat with a common foe, Capitol. Though MURF never confirmed their employment of the highly effective assassination units, the Republic agreed on a temporary ceasefire, and prospects for more conversations were made until the end of the war. These diplomatic endeavors were supported by the AD, who saw it in their best interests to form a frail alliance of both these factions to capitalize better on their unstable relations.
The Siege of Musavi
Eventually, the war efforts of the Republic, aided mostly by the military aid provided by the GBE, reached the capital planet of Musavi, what once was one of the most important systems of the galaxy now stood as the last fortress of a dying dictatorship that refused to yield.
However, despite the best efforts of the Republic and of its allies, no enemy ships ever touched soil upon the Musavian capital. Unbeknownst to all, the system had secretly been retrofitted in preparation for a galactic war that would never be, with technology far beyond the grasp of every faction present, technology that came directly from the Vaults.
Thus, it became a siege. Republic fleets and Revolutionary raids surrounded the system and impeded imports from arriving, however no fleets would probe inwards enough before being slaughtered by the automatic systems. Long range artillery was employed abundantly by both sides for what seemed like months of stagnation.
Then one day, the Quiet Rapture took hold.
The Quiet Rapture
Suddenly, Capitol yielded. Or rather, disappeared. The defensive grid aimed at itself and in a split second, disintegrated itself. Several of the grid’s own nodes tried to bombard Ghrafnaht, however, secret automatic defensive protocols installed long ago managed to safeguard the majority of the Hyperatomic Anvils hidden away deep within the planet’s crust.
Republic forces were allowed almost free entry with sparse military presence within the system. They eventually found a barricaded Ministry at the center of Musavi, where the Capitol’s Top Brass had hidden away and left the people outside to starve away, unable to escape.
However, the building was only filled with bodies, all members of the Top Brass had died at one point, almost all at the same time. The cause of death was simply brain death. It was clear to all present that an unknown third party had caused this, and the “Cleanliness” of the procedure indicated it was not the Hands of God, but rather, an unknown foe, related yet completely separated from the war that had just ended.
This became known as the Quiet Rapture. No guns were fired at the ground battle of Musavi, GBE and VWP forces paraded through the mostly empty and dilapidated streets of the once-booming capital planet.
The Republic Aftermath
The Republic claimed Musavi with the support of the UOJ, and thus, became the de facto victorious faction of the Schism. They secured the systems captured on their way to the Capitol’s main system, and cleaned up any remaining Capitol fleets that resided within the territories and the Greenar belt (the main food producer of the Musavian territory).
Infrastructure projects soon took over, using most of their captured assets and remaining IPD instances as seeders for further development of infrastructure. With help from their allies and several cooperative endeavors, the Republic slowly stabilized.
Ghrafnaht was captured by the Republic during the Quiet Rapture. The hyperatomic anvil planet was one of the first mantelpieces of infrastructure to be fully operational, and soon supplied both Republic and UOJ forces alike.
The Republic held the technology of Hyperatomics and of the IPD systems close at heart for the initial months of recuperation. However, as time went on and relations improved with the UOJ, they eventually allowed Union engineers to finally gaze upon the mysterious workings of the main technologies of what made the MISE the powerhouse that it was.
Cooperation was at an all-time high as the Republic diversified its industry and the galactic economy recuperated by the sudden uncharting of new technological grounds, now Hyperatomics was finally available to other powers within the galaxy, and a new age of energetic development dawned, spearheaded by the IPD systems, that though simple compared to what they once were, were still tremendously powerful.
Economic experts cheered, and commented that the recuperation was frighteningly bountiful, that perhaps one day if prospects kept high, the UOJ may even surpass the economic grasp that the MISE had.
MURF Aftermath
The severity of raids and tactical employment of troops was unforeseen by most of the other factions of the Schism. However, the Revolutionaries were anything but fools. Their creation of the Hands of God secured them an extreme advantage in the diplomacy that ensued after the capture of Musavi, and they quickly secured a sizable portion of the old MISE territory.
Following the official end of the Schism, Elohim was more than elated with the resulting capture of territories. As the war progressed, he quickly realized that founding a nation that solely believed within the principles of themselves would be an assured path to their own demise, much like Capitol.
Staying true to his word, as the war ended, democracy was reinstated within the MURF, he had fulfilled his mission of undoing the corruption that the Ministries were and reverted Musavian society to before the First Blackout. As the first Head of government was elected in the newly founded Musavian Democratic States, Elohim faded back into the background, working away to provide security to his life’s work.
The fate of the Hands of God remains unknown. Most theorize that they still serve Elohim himself, though only the heads of the ID forces know the truth. As the elections ended they had one final meeting with Elohim, who said: “You were my right arm in my mission, and for that, you shall always have the help of my hands.”
The MDS continued onwards, protected by the shadow of Elohim’s Hands, and now developing a potent industry independent of the old MISE’s modular schemes and paradigms. A society almost alien to what the galaxy came to associate with the Musavians.
Capitol Aftermath
Nobody knows what happened in the end with the Capitol’s Top Brass. The Quiet Rapture all but killed all of them, sparing a few that have been missing to this day. Some presume that these simply escaped in the turmoil of the days before the Siege and now hide away in unknown worlds with stolen currency from a dying Capitol’s coffers. However, nobody seems to be so sure on the nature of anything that happened during those times, and some even came to call this a “Third Blackout”.
Much of the Capitol’s information seems to have been scrubbed from their own databases, and the vast servers that once resided underneath the oceans of Musavi now lay either destroyed or barren.
The officers from Capitol that were captured were judged in the Embassy. Some were released, most were jailed, and some were executed. It seems the legacy of the Top Brass’ dictatorship was all but fated to die out, scrubbed away from history, hidden away in unknown stars.
The Wartime Vessels
The powerful vessels from the old MISE aided each of their faction tremendously within the war effort. The Republic’s Golden Arrow spearheaded many confrontations with Capitol, its swiftness combined with the deadly GSCs it sported turned the tide of many battles. Now it resides protecting the route between the Golden Arrow system and Musavi, the duty it was originally intended to perform. Despite the best efforts of UOJ and MRIS scientists and engineers, the technology used within the vessel is all but lost.
Damadafu’s Respite, Capitol’s drone supercarrier, got destroyed in one of the battles preceding the Siege of Musavi. It had been ground to a stub of its original purpose as several previous battles damaged its sensors and drone fleet more and more, and eventually, it was destroyed by the deployment of several stolen Hyperatomic warheads. Sadly, it could not be salvaged.
The DMV-1’s fate is now unknown. All along the war, it was used as the MURF’s mobile base of operations, hidden between the stars in the emptiness of intersystem space. After the war ended, Elohim took off with the massive cargo-ship-turned-war-vessel, and now uses it as his own mobile base of operations. Secretly, the MDS chose not to chase him, fearing their demise, but also thankful for his duty.
The GIIG
Nobody but the AD paid close attention to the GIIG. At the earliest of the war, the AD realized that all of the factions laid claim to the infrastructure grid, and thus, they took it upon themselves to advantageously protect these assets.
Now, after Capitol is gone, both the Republic and the MDS cooperatively manage the Infrastructure grid, which slowly repairs itself. In place of Capitol, the AD is the third party in the ownership of the grid, allowing free passage amidst its systems and its usage.
Due to their investment in time of need, the AD has the heftiest hand in the decisions of the grid’s management, granting them a unique spot in the galactic trading scenario, as they now control G-S16’s most strategic commercial asset, second only to the Embassy itself.
Epilogue
The Republic and the Democratic Systems live in relative peace with each other, as they both repair themselves from the tremendous blow that was the Schism. Both know that neither will be like what the MISE was, but the prospects of a prosperous future are high.
Secretly and with the assistance of their allies, both of them scour the half-destroyed Capitol logs and IPD nodes for information about the cause of the Schism, trying to connect dots between different accounts and recordings of all of the disconnected systems in the time of turmoil.
Research continues steadfast at the location of the destroyed GL&M gateway, where a large MISE fleet lies destroyed. The fate of the GL&M Starcluster and of the Great Future remains unknown. The general consensus is sabotage, but nobody knows who did it, or why.
Eventually, a word pops up multiple times in secret databases hidden deep underneath icy crusts of shadowy moons. A presumably named “Vault Programmed” that took place shortly before the development of many of the unknown technologies within the Golden Arrow Wartime Vessel and even the Great Future. From what professionals can gather, it was a series of high-tech megascale engineering efforts that encompassed the construction of the Great Future and of the Black Hole Generator, apparently separated in 5 different “Steps”.
They need time to decrypt data further, as scattered evidence seems to amount more and more towards coordinates.
With enough time, they may finally find the culprits of the Schism, and they will need help…
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Abridged:
GIIG now largely belongs to AD, with cooperation of the MRIS and the MDS, and favored services to the UOJ (GBE and VWP)
MRIS gets back on its feet and diversifies its industry, supplying Hyperatomics and simple IPD systems to the GBE and VWP
The MURF becomes the MDS, protected by their own fleet disconnected from the modular paradigm of the MISE, as well as by the Hands of God
The Hands of God is created as a side effect of Qunit Tech falling into the hands of MURF. Sparsely used, the technology is endeavored into creating a group of 10 supersoldiers that far surpass the abilities of both Replicants and Qunits. The Galaxy lives in fear of them.
Capitol collapses entirely as the Top Brass is eliminated by The Board. Musavi falls into the hands of the Republic, who now control it.
Republic enhances ties with the GBE and VWP, becoming strong economic, diplomatic and technological allies of both.
The ID now has the secret service of the Hands of God, giving them unprecedented power in insidious operations.
The Golden Arrow is the only remaining completely active Wartime Vessel, bound to the Republic, it may come to aid its allies if need be.
Fawx and Kranky can control the Republic and may have partial access to what once was the MISE tech. Drak controls the GIIG, and Brank can use the Hands of God if he wants to. The MDS is now an NPC faction.