Origins
Humanity wasn't born in Aquarius. The true homeworld of the Terran species is not Eridonia like new generations of Terrans growing up today often believe - and are often taught, for it is not a history lesson that the powers that be in Aquarius, like to be exposed in its cold, hard truth. In fact, Human Beings originated in a distant solar system beyond the Aquarius Cluster, a system known to Old Federation historians as Sol. Within, a beautiful garden planet, cradled by a warm, main-sequence star. Earth, humanity's birthplace.
In the early days of the Old Federation, after its founding by the descendents of the Exodus vessel 'Eridonia' in 2238 A.D, the namesake of her final destination, terrans were proud of their extra-solar heritage. And indeed, the very symbol of the UTN itself, a symbol of humanity, harboured at its centre, a depiction of Earth, right until its collapse in 4040 A.D.
Human beings in aquarius had evolved beyond their original forms during this time, with genetic modification, cybernetcs and bioscience making great strides in the years leading up to the 3rd millenium. Ushering in a new age of racial unity, terrans evolved into post-human beings and all but forgot their humbled origins in the deserts of Ancient Africa on Earth, almost 100,000 years ago.
The Shifted Wormhole
Eridonia, the legacy of the old Earth Western Alliance, had arrived in her namesake system through a Wormhole that was first detected on the outskirts of Sol in 2075, but it was largely believed to have remained hidden within the system for millions of years, its cause or origin unknown, and likely, unknowable.
The Shifted Wormhole was named so, because the trajectory of the subspace exit vector shifted with time. In the early 2nd millenium the trajectory was within the system now known as Eridonia, only a few hundred cycles passed before the trajectory shifted to Delta-Aquarius Major, in the Phoenix Cluster, south of Aquarius. This time, it had facilitated the arrival of the Russo-Sino Alliance starship which would go on to form the Phoenix Republic in her namesake sector.
Old Enemies
By 2600 A.D, the Central Earth Government, intent of discovering the fate of the two Exodus vessels that had left through the Wormhole, had arrived with an expeditionary fleet in Delta-Aquarius Major. After a short period of cool relations with the young Phoenix Republic, the two nations forged an alliance with a common goal: opposing the dominant power in Aquarius - the descendents of their old enemies the Western Alliance; the nation now known as the Unified Terran Nations.
Shortly after, the Barrier 13 incident in Delta-Aquarius would see the old enemies face off once more, with the Phoenix Republic watching anxiously as their new ally engaged in a military confrontation with the most powerful civilisation in known human history. The CEG wars were short, but violent. Most of the UTN's military development and Naval power build up was a result of predicting a wider, long-term conflict with the now inhabitants of Earth. However, this would not come, as the Shifted Wormhole would soon collapse, with the remnants of the defeated CEG Fleet already within, and taking the only known road to Sol, with it.
It wouldn't be long before tensions between the two powers of Aquarius soon butted heads, after years of irregular warfare, state-funded terrorist attacks and sabre-rattling by the Phoenix Republic, the UTN would invade and ultimately annex the sector in the late 38th century, all but sealing the fate of the Republic.
Cartels of the Angel Nebula
The Old Federation was no stranger to conflict with the so-named Tigersharks Clan, a group of elite outlaws known for their dicipline and code, seperating them from the ranks of other illicit groups. The Tigersharks waged a relentless piracy campaign on the UTN's western border with the Angel Reach, operating from bases within the vast nebula, always out of the reach of the Old Federal Navy's grasp.
When the Old Federation collapsed from the Aftershock in 4040 A.D, it wasn't long before the Tigersharks - who had survived the damaging effects of the subspace wave, shielded in the Angel Nebula's shadow, seized the opportunity to directly attack the crumbling Federation. The Cartels moved on Corona, an Old Federation Core System, only months after the Fall. There, they committed atrocities, rounding up survivors and forcing them into slavery, or worse. With no Federal Navy to protect them, millions of innocents lost their lives or faced a lifetime of inhumane torture at the hands of the most powerful criminal organisation in human history.
Was it a coincidence that the Cartels of the Angel Nebula were so well prepared to attack the Old Federation at its weakest point? This has been the focus of debate for hundreds of cycles, and the answer might soon be revealed.
A War a Long Time Coming
In 4349 A.D, the United Aquarian Systems - descendents of the Old Federation, now allied with a powerful supranational organisation of alien civilisations, launched a military campaign into the Angel Nebula, a final move to eradicate the looming threat that the Tigersharks Cartel posed. A final move to bring about swift justice to the perpertrators of the atrocities that had been committed by their hands.
Despite initial success, with a beachead in Halo System, on the outskirts of the Angel's Hook Nebula, the UAS encountered a violent and dedicated resistence from the Cartels. Fighting for each and every kilometre of space, the campaign would not result in the quick and decisive victory the UAS leadership had expected, but instead a long - and bloody - war of attrition in some of the most dangerous areas of the Nebula.
Know Thy Enemy
Though UAS Navy reconnaissance probes had provided critical intelligence on Cartel positions in the Nebula, and the strength of their capabilities, it did not consider the possibility of something much closer to the UAS, being behind the difficulty in the campaign. The answer to the millenia old question would soon be exposed for the Terrans of Aquarius to see. Naval Deep Recon Probes detected unusual energy signitures coming from a little-known system within the edge of the Angel Nebula, a system known to ancient starmaps as "Varal". The system's strange, high energy output green star, harboured a strange stellar phenomenom in its orbit. A Wormhole.
The Deep Recon probes detected large artificial installations within the system, with signitures reminiscent of technology that had been faced before. The probes would not return, suggesting the presence of sophisticated electronic countermeasures. It would soon become clear that Old Enemies would once again be reunited, and that even after two thousand years, human beings would still find reasons and methods to kill each other over idealogy.
For better or for worse, the children of Aquarius had discovered to Road to Sol, to Earth.