StarQuest Online: The Story of StarQuest Online
MMORPG.com StarQuest Online Correspondent Allen Richardson writes this introduction to the story and background of StarQuest Online.
This part of the galaxy was once civilized. It was ruled by one god-like race, the Alshaya. The Alshaya were the creators of all known things. They seeded the races among the stars. They created the artificial Quantum V layer of hyperspace. They were more technologically advanced than any known race has ever gotten. They have disappeared with hardly a trace. Caph is believed to have been their homeworld. The center of Quantum V hyperspace was found to be Caph. How or why the Alshaya disappeared we do not know. The Alshaya are not playable.
The Therataa claim to have been left behind by the Alshaya to be the protectors of this area of the galaxy. There is no data about the early days of the Therataa. They have been capable of space travel for as far back as their calender exists. They are either a very old race, or they were left by the Alshaya as they say. Therataa has the most advanced starships in game. Their ships seem to gather power from the vacuum of space itself. Their religious beliefs lead them to found a galactic law, that every underdeveloped race should be left alone to evolve at its own pace. It was this law that kept the early Terrans from being destroyed. Therataa are currently not playable, but the developers have hinted at them being so in the future.
In 30,000 Pre-STY, the Neanderthal disappear from Terra. Later, a race named the Rodomok claim that they were the Neanderthal and with Alshaya help, Cro-Magnon humans drove them from Earth. They re-settled on Rodom. In 178, a Therataan vessel crashes on the Rodomok homeworld. The Rodomok reverse engineer a working hyperspace engine within 20 years. The Rodomok begin staging war on a galactic scale, conquering and enslaving any race in their path. In 243, the Rodomok conquer the original homeworld of Celay. In 321, they conquer the inhabitants of Klinshay. The Klinshayans will be servants of the Rodomok Empire for the next 1,631 years. In 317, the Rodomok conquer an out-lying Therataan colony. The first major galactic war breaks out between the two races. The Rodomok are defeated. As a result of this defeat, the sector containing Terra technically becomes Therataan space. In 708, a second galactic war begins. This time the way ends in a draw, with both sides declaring peace for 1,159 years. In 1905, a Rodomok transport vessel is taken over by a uprising of 5,000 Celay slaves. These slaves manage to crash land on Tau Ceti IV and settled the planet. In 1907, hoping to achieve a planetary victory with their large Klinshaya mercenary forces, the Rodomok attack the Therataan Protectorates sparking the third galactic war. Within a year the Rodomok are defeated, losing nearly ¾ of their territory, and 90% of their warfleet. One battle takes place in the Sol system. A Rodomok destroyer crashes on Earth near Tunguska, Russia. Therataan's eliminate all evidence of the vessel from the ground, before Russian scientists are able to reach the crash site over a decade later. In 1952, a Klinshayan rebellion destroys the Rodomok Empire. The surviving Rodomok become slaves of a new Klinshayan Empire. The Rodomok and Klinshayans are currently not playable. It is hinted they will be playable in the future. The Celay are playable, being one of the three races forming the United Systems Alliance.
In the sectors surrounding earth, three races continue to flourish. The Ryl' Atti are a slightly smarter race than the Terrans, and so reach space quicker. The Celay continue to develop on Tau Ceti IV. Therataans observed several planet wide wars on Terra, and predicted the human race was to volatile and would destroy itself within a century. Since Terrans were on the verge of developing both radar and atomic weapontry, the Therataa quarantine the Sol system. Overcoming all difficulties, in 2096 the Terrans build the first Icarus class starship. This is a protype, originally not designed for war. The three races eventually discover each other. A tense peace is kept between them until in 2177 the three races form the United Systems Alliance.
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In 2179, the U.N.S.S. Enterprise, a Icarus class starship is attacked and capture by a single Klinshayan vessel. The location of Earth is taken from Enterprise's computers. Due to this incident ((and because of obvious Star Trek reasons)) there will never be another ship named Enterprise. In 2180, the Battle of Earth occurs. A fleet of 50 Klinshaya vessels attack Terra after feinting an attack on Celay and drawing Terran fleet vessels away. Terra is nearly destroyed by 2 days of bombardment, with nearly 2 billion dead. The vastly outgunned Ryl'Atti fleet sacrifices itself delaying the Klinshaya and preventing the complete destruction of Terra.
The Terran fleet arrives, and after a massive battle, forces the Klinshaya to retreat from Sol system. Final losses are, Terran: 17 ships destroyed, Ryl'Atti: 208 ships destroyed, Klinshaya: 38 ships destroyed, 3 captured. Killed in this battle is Colonel Davis Becker, in command of U.N.S.S. Ticonderoga, who ordered his vessel to ram the Klinshayan flagship at a critical point in the battle, ensuring the Klinshayan fleet's defeat. A unified fleet is formed to combat the Klinshaya. As the Ryl'Atti no longer have a fleet, and the Celay never have had one, it is largely a ceremonial gesture. Ryl'Atti and Celay personnel begin serving on former Terran vessels. Alliance starships henceforth are named "U.A.S." , for United Alliance Starship. The war ends with the U.S.A defeating the much larger Klinshayan Empire. To ensure the safety of the U.S.A. The starship U.A.S. Ticonderoga is designed and built.
In 2191, a skirmish between the U.A.S. Endurance, and a Therataan warship Manara nearly results in war. Later, in the timeline created by the players, the U.S.A. and Therataa do go to war. Through the cunning of the players running the U.S.A. Starfleet and the skill of the players manning the ships, the superior Therataa are defeated. Man stands ready to dominate the universe, or forever vanish in the ashes of history.
In all, there are currently three playable races, the Terrans, Ryl' Atti, and Celay. It is hinted that sometime in the future, there will be a expansion adding the Klinshaya, Rodomok, and Therataa as playable races.
Oh and, one more thing. With the last patch, 1.092, Castle Thorn Software has begun adding a First Person Interact-ability with the game. When finished, you will be able to use consoles, interact with NPC's, etc, all within the First Person perspective. Patch 1.092 added the first part of this system with the First Person View. To switch to this view, press "Control" and the "Home" key. To switch back to the default, press the "Home" key. While it is only part of the FPI system and not real functional yet, you'll have admit it adds a whole new "perspective" to StarQuest. Enjoy!
