Tecian-Azlan War
| Tecian-Azlan War | |||||||
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| Part of Universal Azlan Crusade | |||||||
 The ruins of the Imperial Military Headquarters after Operation Windstorm | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Unified Tecian Coalition Vraxian Alliance for Liberation |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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Military dead: Over 2,150,000,000 |
Military dead: Over 470,000,000 | ||||||
The Tecian-Azlan War or the Great Azlan War (3 July 2213 - 16 June 2333) was an intergalactic conflict between two sides: the Unified Tecian Coalition, and the Azlan Empire. All of the world's countries participated, with most investing all available economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities in pursuit of total war, blurring the distinction between military and civilian resources. Cybernetic augmentation and spacecraft played major roles, with the latter enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and delivery of tens of thousands of nuclear weapons across the Azlan territories. The Azlan War was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 2 to 3 billion fatalities, more than eighty percent of which were civilians, and excluding extraterrestrial casualties. Hundreds of millions died in genocides, such as the Extermination of Brotothians, and Koelasian Harvesting Program, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. Following the UTC powers' victory, the Azlan Empire and their puppet states were occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted against their high command in the Tlajoyotl Trials. The war is viewed as a turning point in Carinansian history, responsible for its rise to intergalactic dominance.
History
Background
The Holy Azlan Empire was an ultramilitaristic theocratic totalitarian monarchy, with a highly-stratified caste system and collectivistic ideology. Most modern historians agree that the polity was first formed in late 1571, after Zharakhos unified the Prath-Zhan clans of Azla during a series of offensive military campaigns over two decades. Upon becoming the recognised leader of his people, he proclaimed himself as the "Sovar Khar", meaning "Eternal Ruler" in the Azlan tongue. This title was chosen to signify both his supreme authority and the divine nature of his rule. Zharakhos claimed that the gods had chosen him to lead the Prath-Zhan to their rightful place as rulers of the stars, a narrative that became central to the development of Zharanism. These divine revelations were exposed to the Tribal Assembly in 1572.
Zharakhos then established the Zharak, the divine hierarchy that would define the empire’s social and political structure. He decreed that the Prath-Zhan were destined to rule over all other species, with the empire’s expansion viewed as a sacred mission to impose cosmic order on a chaotic universe; he gave the example of the Nuens star, which had recently gone supernova several lightyears from their planet, as clear indication of the disorder inherent in the universe without manual guidance.
Under Zharakhos’ leadership, the Azlan Empire embarked on its first wave of interstellar conquests. Using advanced technology and the disciplined military forces he had forged during the unification wars, Zharakhos led the Prath-Zhan in a series of campaigns that brought neighboring star systems under their control. These early conquests were marked by their ruthlessness and efficiency, setting the tone for the empire’s future expansionist policies. Census records demonstrate that by 1600, the Azlan Empire had firm control over tens of billions of peoples belonging to a variety of races.
According to legend, Zharakhos did not die in the conventional sense. Instead, it is believed that he ascended to join the Zharan Pantheon as a god, becoming Zharadun, the Overlord—the supreme deity of the pantheon who represents absolute power and the eternal right to rule. This belief in his divine ascension further solidified his legacy and ensured that his successors would continue to rule with the same iron grip, and has resulted in the evolution of the Azlan pantheon to become more representative of an Imperial cult.
Over the next few centuries, the Azlan Empire grew at an exponential rate, before ultimately becoming the most powerful and influential state in the entire region of the universe. In 2162, they discovered the Tecian star system, and began a decades-long observation of the system to determine its validity for conquest. In 2178, the 3rd Galactic Defense Squadron of the Serene Space Force, led by Ricardo Padilla, accidentally made first contact with these Azlan observers.
Over the next three decades, highly-classified communications between the Serenacy of Carinansia and the Azlan Empire took place, with relations becoming increasingly pleasant, as mild commercial ties were forged. Throughout this time, the Empire was preoccupied with the Azlan-Hemithean War, and thus they established a facade of tranqulity and antifascism when dealing with humans. By July 2209, news of the first contact with extraterrestrials was exposed, as formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established for the first time. For the next four years, discussions regarding galactic sovereignty and forming stronger commercial relations were undertaken.
Cessation of discussions
On June 13 2213, after years of a continuous line between the two entities, communications went silent for the first time. Over the next two weeks, the Imperial Azlan Fleet discretely moved the 1st Galactic Flotilla away from the occupied Hemithean territories towards Tecia. At 11:53:41pm July 2nd 2213, the final message from the Azlan ambassador was received, simply stating the following:
The dust of forgotten suns has settled upon the leaves, and the light they once reflected dims. The cosmic tides grow restless, no longer heeding the guidance of those who once held sway over their course. The Tiberian Anemones, which once danced in the currents of order, now thrash in the torrents of disorder, their petals wilting under the weight of this neglected garden.
It is with heavy realization that we gaze upon the withered grove you have tended. The guardianship you were entrusted with, the equilibrium you were to uphold—these have faltered. The scales tip, and the abyss hungers. The Vhorlan Serpent coils tighter once more, but this time, it does so under new hands, for the dance must continue, the order must be restored.
May your dreams tonight be peaceful, for the dawn will be heavy with the weight of unfulfilled promises.
Course of the war
Initial Azlan Invasion (2213 - 2243)
On July 3rd, 2213, at 5:02:41am, the 1st Galactic Flotilla began a strategic bombing campaign of Tecia, seven different Willbreaker antimatter bombs were launched across Tecia, at the following locations: the Vatou Islands, Islonia; Magfait Isles, Spereid; Yarholm, Luderania; the Polar Isles, Seridey; Kilkenny, Aldercy; Drobeta, Uatederstali; Moinstead, Aexodius. They used an experimental quark bomb on Plaimo, Carinansia. These bombs would prove devastating for the first seven sites, with each one believed to have had a 3 gigaton yield. In the first day of the attack, over a hundred million people are estimated to have died. The final bomb in Carinansia failed to detonate due to technical difficulties with its launch. For this reason, the Serene Space Force would be able to successfully repel the Azlan fleets from making any successful landings in Oikoia, though extensive progress was quickly made across the planet.
On the evening of July 3rd, Ashley Hurtado managed to successfully secure the creation of the United Anti-Azlan Coalition, composed of all member states of the International Union, though it suffered heavy military failures outside of Oikoia.
These initial Azlan military failures across the Oikoian continent provided these states with an abundant supply of alien military technology, and the subsequent years would be dedicated to reverse engineering as much as possible; ultimately culminating in the creation of human teleportation technology, and the Nova bomb. The quark bomb was reverse engineered by Carinansian scientists on the Interstellar Satellite Military Administration, with the first successful prototype unveiled in early 2243.
Koelasia
By 2238, the entire Koelasian continent with only the exception of a few small islands was under Azlan military control, with conditions here exceptionally harsh, as massive organic tissue harvesting facilities were established across Uatederstali and Bashkea.
Selenia
By 2238, the entire mainland Selenian continent had fallen to the Azlan forces, with few Tecian political territories remaining. The loss of human life was substantial, as Azlan forces committed grave war crimes, including flooding densely populated coastal areas, and obliterating major cities within occupied territories. All humans captured by the Empire underwent genetic testing, with the weakest summarily executed, and the remaining individuals transported to concentration camps established both on Tecia and in outer space. Those sent to other planets had the lowest survival rates of any captives, with an estimated 95% mortality rate over five years.
Throughout this time, the only front which had advanced to the favour of the Tecians was in Spereid, as mild gains were attained on the island of Aztopiand, although all other territories within the home isles were lost. Islonia remained on the brink of collapse, with massive refugee camps established within what little territory it still controlled, in spite of the destruction of its largest cities. In Antenion, its proximity to Carinansia had allowed it to remain extant despite its weak military, though it had lost substantial ground since the beginning of the invasion.
Alteria
After rapid initial success in Alteria, the continent had remained at a stalemate with only mild Azlan gains over two decades from 2216, as the Serene Armed Forces was heavily concentrated in the region. In 2213, three days after the initial Azlan invasion, Carinansia had moved into occupy the existing political states. It was a major hub for refugees from across Tecia, housing over two hundred million people by 2235.
Oikoia
Of all the continents on Tecia, Oikoia remains the most unaffected. Until 2231, no Azlan attacks on the continent had been successful. Following a surprise decuple pronged attack across major Oikoian coasts, three incursions proved succesful, two in Aurelia and one in Carinansia. The massive Serene Armed Forces provided extensive military support to Aurelia to prevent the fall of the capital city to Azlan forces, while also preventing further advances by 2234, with a stalemate persisting in the area for years. In 2238, a massive reclamation operation began, which saw complete Carinansian success and the repellation of all alien forces from Oikoia by 2243.
First stalemate (2243-2264)
UTC gains momentum (2264-2293)
Azlan resurgence (2293-2305)
In Tecia, the Azlan Empire began to recapture liberated territories in Koelasia and Odus, as they brought thousands of military units from other colonial holdings to bolster their invasion of Tecia. As a result, the empire became stretched thin, allowing the rise of the underground Vraxian Alliance for Liberation in distant territories.
UTC close in victory (2305-2321)
As the progress on the Tecian front slowed, the UTC chose to adopt a more offensive approach, beginning discrete liberation operations of distant Azlan territories. The Serene Armed Forces liberated the planets of Uyura, Glunos, and Gosla, early on in the fighting, which were made into Carinansian territories a couple years later. At the much bloodier Battle of Yhora, where the infamous Yhoran Mines and Zevale Ecstasy Camp were situated, several months of fighting took place to free the planet as the local Azlan garrisons engaged in scorched earth tactics. At the 2315 Battle of Stukuria, the Azlan Empire performed mass executions as the 1st and 2nd Galactic Armies closed in, committing mass suicide before they could be killed.
The momentum of the UTC initially slowed during the 2318-2320 Carinansian political crisis, as military command became more ineffective and splintered during the purges which took place, though the 2319 Curiosity Station Agreement resulted in the (at the time) temporary suspension of factionalism to focus on the extraterrestrial threat. After the collapse of the Serene Revivalist dictatorship by April 2320, new military command was installed which expanded the Serenacy's offensive operations drastically. All preexisting military units pledged their loyalty to the Serenacy, with the military factionalism that emerged now nonexistent.
Azlan collapse and Tecian victory (2321-2333)
In 2321, the UTC under the de facto leadership of Carinansia under the new Hamada Administration initiated expansive bombing operations of Azlan military assets across space, and expanded the bombing campaign of Azla, resulting in tens of millions of Azlan deaths. With extensive bombardments of Azlan bases across Tecia and several gargantuan military movements, the Azlan Empire was completely repulsed from Tecia for the first time since their initial invasion over a century prior in 2324. With the Tecian Star System now under the firm control of the UTC, the Battle of Tevuna in 2325 saw their occupation of the largest Azlan moon. Preparations for an invasion of the home planet had been undergone for the last few decades, and the moon was determined to become the staging sight for the Battle of Azla. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Galactic Armies were stationed on Tevuna, and in 2327, the planet was invaded.
During a bloody battle which took 11 months, UTC forces were able to successfully occupy the vast majority of the planet's land area, including the capital and largest city of Pyndara. Following this disastrous defeat for the Empire, the planetary units remaining surrendered, though the Sovar Khar along with the Imperial government had fled to Deomia before the battle began. In 2332, there was a mutiny within the Imperial Court as the government was divided between a pro-peace faction, and a scorched earth faction. Ultimately, the Sovar Khar chose to side with the faction in favour of peace and executed all those opposed. By September that year, the government unconditionally surrendered to a Carinansian Space Admiral.
Aftermath
The Tecian-Azlan War is the bloodest conflict in Tecian history, with approximately 20 percent of the planet's original population killed in fighting or the Azlan occupation. For the Azlan Empire, it was the longest lasting conflict in its history, as most other planetary invasions had resulted in success after only a year of fighting. The ultimate UTC victory resulted in the galaxy's greatest geopolitical shift in centuries, with the 2333 Treaty of Pyndara resulting in harsh terms imposed on the Empire. The most important include the following:
- The establishment of a formal Carinansian Hegemony over the rest of the planet of Tecia and their political territories, requiring all other human national polities to pledge their fealty to the Serenacy. In return, the Serenacy is expected to provide defense if an extraterrestrial threat emerges.
- Recognition by all involved parties of the admission of the states of Uyura, Gosra, and Glunos to Carinansia.
- The annexation of various Azlan neighbourhoods throughout their homeworld.
- The demilitarisation of the Azlan star system; reparations in the form of 25% of their national income, or an equivalent in goods produced or raw goods extracted, until all damage from the war has been repaired. Under modern estimates, this is believed to be in excess of $200 trillion.
- The Azlan Emperor renounces their divinity and all claims of it in a televised, public appearance to the Azlan people, alongside the existence of the Zharak or Zharanism.
- The proclamation of a democratic constitutional monarchy on Azla, and the removal of all language referring to Azlan dominance over other cultures or peoples.
- Free determination for all formerly occupied territories
- Recognition of sentient alien citizenship for all parties involved, provided they meet the same citizenship requirements as other prospective applicants.
- The establishment of the Intergalactic Assembly, to which all signatories will ascend to.
Intergalactic Assembly
The Intergalactic Assembly (IA) is a forum for all of the galaxies' political entities, and is present to prevent the outbreak of any further galactic hostilities. It is led by the Galactic Directorate, to which the states of Carinansia, Aurelia, Yhora, and Stukuria will be permanent members, while all other member states will rotate onto once every 50 years for 2 years at a time. The headquarters are situated in Tlajoyotl, and meetings are required to be held at least once every 2 months, though they can be called sooner if necessary.
The Intergalactic General Assembly is the forum to which all member states are party to, regardless of size or population. It is responsible for passing general resolutions, while it also has the responsibility of voting for the IA President every six years, and individual's are limited to one term. The incumbent leader is Caroline Hamada, the former president of Carinansia, since the organisation's inception in 2334.
Tlajoyotl Trials
Held before the Tecian Military Tribunal, the Tlajoyotl Trials are the extensive trials of Azlan military leadership and war criminals involved in the war, taking place from 2333 to the present. To date, 2461 military officers and 691782 soldiers have been convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Polar Stukuria Work Camps.
Impact
Casualties and war crimes
Mental health crisis
In the years following the conclusion of the war, tens of millions of returning veterans and former slaves were diagnosed with extreme psychological conditions as a consequence of the atrocities committed by the Azlan Empire. Among individuals who fit into either category, depression rates are 371% higher than the average person, with many people unable to adapt to society.