Part 12: YE and beyond-The Beginning of the Long Peace
The Beginning of the Long PeaceLate in 600, the Xenogovernmental Negotiations Consortium arranged a series of technology transfers which helped improve ship design and materials science across Narestan space, while helping disseminate other technological ideas further across the region.
Two years later, both the New Orion Empire and the Interstellar Union of Fieras made notable diplomatic overtures- the New Orion Empire sought Narestan aid in its war against the Great Commonwealth of Gnol, while the Interstellar Union wished to gain access to modernised drive technologies. The Xenogovernmental Negotiations Consortium explained its inability to commit to such an alliance to the Alkari government, while the transfers the Mrrshan sought were approved.
By 605, ongoing reforms in arbitration services, financial services, and security helped ensure that the business of Narestan space was conducted more efficiently, with justice enforced accurately and the Narestan people feeling secure in their lives, property, and freedoms. The economy of Narestan space strengthened with renewed entrepreneurship and innovation.
Science and money bonuses are increased from 50% to 75%.
In 606, Narestan explorers surveyed the Altair system, the home system of the Alkari people, while two years later a war erupted over border tensions between the Interstellar Union of Fieras and the Autarchy after the Autarchy's recent colonisation of the Lycaon system. With a second war threatening lines of intercivilisation trade, many persons were beginning to have growing concerns that the previous golden age of prosperity the galaxy had been enjoying would be swept away by bloodshed and destruction. Quiet negotiations began between the Xenogovernmental Negotiations Consortium and every major government in the region.
By 611, these negotiations bore fruit in a major peace summit hosted by the Xenogovernmental Negotiations Consortium, in which the Consortium advanced a simple proposal- that the governments of the region submit disputes to arbitration by the Consortium itself, which would seek to ensure that justice was served and that the areas of sovereignty of the differing nations would be protected. Perhaps, had the proposal been advanced by a party with less of a reputation for impartiality, one which had not earned the friendship of every other government in the region, it would not have succeeded.
As it was, even the mysterious Silicoids, who had fought border wars with the Coalition of Nations and the Great Commonwealth of Gnol, sent representatives promising not to violate the space of other powers if the Consortium would restrain them from abusing the Silicoids. Although trade and friendship with the Silicoids seemed unlikely to materialise, given that formulating this offer seemed to have taken every speck of diplomacy they could muster, nonetheless it seemed likely that at least this would not flare to war in the near future.
Ultimately, only the Coalition of Nations was initially reluctant to support the proposal, and that only because they believed that they might be able to muster support for a bid for leadership of any intercivilisational order. When it became clear that Narestan arbitration was supported by every other government, they too agreed. The Galactic Confederation was born, marking the beginning of a long era of peace, prosperity, and growth by the civilisations of the region, although they were forced to join together when an invasion force from beyond this dimension itself appeared to try and devastate the civilisations of the Confederation.
Antares, of course, still lurks in the background.
Still, that remained in the future, and for now the galaxy made merry and welcomed a new era of peace...
After receiving praise from every other leader left when you win an election, you get a short cinematic before the default cinematic, rising up to see a bit of a celebratory lightshow. A voice-over says, "The elections are over. The ballots are cast, and you have been elected leader of the galaxy. Your years of labor have paid off. Now peace reigns supreme in the galaxy- peace at your command, and equality for all who have served you so well. You are truly the Master of Orion."