(SHAH-ten-KREEG)
Known as the Shadow War in common vernacular.
There are factions that comprise of ideologies, which extend across nations and corporations. While generally just a series of concepts that are shared among various people, those who’ve found ways to manipulate the factions are able to sway vast groups of people.
Throughout history, these factions have been in embroiled in a war over the fate of humanity and beyond. The factions themselves are an emergent union of like-minded but often disparate groups. Individuals or even entire governments may not be aware that they are part of one faction or another (often larger groups contain mixtures of the various factions).
Classifying the factions is difficult. But then tend to fall into certain over-arching categories. These include, but aren’t limited to:
Commerce and the Corporations:
They are concerned with maintaining their way of life through commercial means. Selling goods and making profits. On an individual level, this is a street vendor selling home-made wares. On the other end of the spectrum, you have organizations like the Cartel. The street vendor has no direct association with the Cartel, but their goals are ideologically linked and they will both fight when their way of life is threatened.
Autonomy and the Freeworlders:
This is the least organized of all the factions. Any time the yoke of control becomes too firm on the necks of the people, their power level rises. These individuals can be someone complaining on the CoreNet to terrorist organizations.
The Border Worlds Alliance falls into this category, but their desire for independence led them to make deals that would lead to their downfall when war breaks out.
Authoritarianism and the Megalomaniacs:
Unfortunately this faction often expresses itself in the form of governments and is adjacent to religion. The Gnaltic Empire, Northern Alliance and Northern Bloc all fall within this faction. Individuals often seek lead ship positions in otherwise benign governments and slowly bend them towards autocracy. While Northern Bloc was already a quasi-totalitarian state, there are plans to lead it into full on dominance over its people.
This faction was responsible for the First Galactic War.
Supremacy and the genocidal:
This faction seeks to destroy all life except their own. This can be driven by fear, revenge, or simple aggression. Some, like the Kyserians believe that they are the perfect life form and that if others won’t submit to their rule, they should be destroyed. The Morocaschics were pushed into this faction by the loss of their habitat, while also guided and encouraged by the Kyserians.
The Lacir were engineered to be the sword that swept the galaxy clean of life for the Kyserians, but they eventually rebelled against the former masters in an act befitting the autonomy faction. However, they had been designed all too well and ended up creating their own authoritarian empire and their bloodlust reemerged as their nearly destroyed the Morocaschics.
Religion and the Isylorian Order:
The belief in something greater seems to be ingrained in humans. Perhaps it’s our pattern recognition looking for reasons behind phenomena, or just a need to feel like there is more to existence than our mortal lives. Regardless, religion has been a part of humanity since before the dawn of civilization on Old Earth. Those who believe in higher powers have always been willing to fight to the death over those ideals.
Knowing that entities that resemble gods actually exist has only led to greater fervor among the faithful. Even if those gods remain silent. Organizations like the Isylorian Order have gathered billions into its embrace during times of desperation, promising a better future or perhaps a glorious afterlife as a reward for a life of subservience.
When a Cold War flares up.
Despite a great many people trying to avoid all out war again, the machinations were already in motion. Humans clashed between the autonomists, the authoritarians and the corporations. The Kyserians used the fray as an opportunity to attack both the Lacir and Humanity. The gods fought among each other again as the seal on the Abyssal Realm was breached.