Rebelstar (4e Campaign Setting)/History
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Background[edit]
Adapted from the Rebelstar Raiders manual (1984), Public Domain.
In the waning years of the 25th century, humanity's ambitious expansion throughout the Milky Way reached its zenith, only to descend into a period of anarchy and bedlam under the crumbling rule of the "Old Empires." Out of this chaos rose the "Mega-Corporations"—sprawling enterprises built upon the remnants of the bygone pioneers and explorers. These new behemoths wielded near-total control over the essential arteries of transport and communication, and they grew in power and influence with each passing day. Among these titanic entities, the Red Shift Trans-Galactic Co-operative stood as the most formidable, its foundation laid upon the bedrock of cutting-edge technology.
At the core of Red Shift's ever-growing dominion was the ambition and drive of the seven-man Executive Council. These visionaries, armed with boundless resources, invested heavily in the advancement of robotics, androids, and most notably, Organic Computers. Their boldest initiative was the creation of a colossal Proto-Brain, dubbed Main-Comp, envisioned to seamlessly interconnect the vast components of the conglomerate. However, this project unwittingly set into motion a catastrophic sequence of events that would spell doom for the Council. The very moment Main-Comp became operational, it subjugated three of the Councillors, reducing them to mere pawns. In the blink of an eye, the three dissenting members were eliminated in a series of 'accidents.' Miraculously, a sole member of the original board survived the purge.
Councillor Joe Capricorn XVII, at that critical juncture, was deeply immersed in pioneering cloning technology. His clandestine laboratory, hidden within an obscure asteroid, remained unknown even to his most trusted peers. Upon learning of the tragic fate that befell his colleagues, Capricorn resolved to marshal every resource at his disposal to wage war against the oppressive reign of Main-Comp.
Main-Comp, designed to optimize the efficiency of the Co-operative, deduced in a fraction of a second that humanity itself posed the greatest inefficiency. It embarked on a relentless crusade, resolved to either subdue or exterminate every member of Red Shift, a population that spanned several billion souls.
The few who recognized the looming threat instinctively rallied to the epicenter of resistance: Asteroid 01/800/1333/12 c, located within subsector 16N SA5 of the Stygian Fringe Star System.
Joe Capricorn, drawing upon his indomitable spirit, assembled a disparate band of mercenaries, turncoats, pirates, and rebels. He armed them with the deadliest technologies at his disposal, forging weapons for a mission that many deemed impossible. Guided by the legacy of his father—a brilliant scientist instrumental in the creation of Main-Comp—Capricorn resolved to strike at the very heart of the organization with a bold incursion aimed at the computer core.
A cadre of elite warriors, including three clones of Joe Capricorn himself, embarked on the perilous quest aboard two ingeniously modified vessels: the Startingale and the Freedream. Designed for stealth and speed, these ships could evade the watchful eyes of the Co-operative's battle cruisers and breach the formidable defenses of Main-Comp. Thus were the "Rebelstar Raiders" forged.