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【Vision of an Alternate Future】

Arc 1: Ascendance

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【VAF】Chapter║: 5 ─ Propaganda

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After an extended period of economic growth and relative prosperity the people of Earth had not seen any sign of the Hakum since that initial attack that devastated Earth, and with the an Azleck Galaxy Class StarShip still on patrol duty Earth was relatively secure against sporadic Hakum attacks. Every 2 months a different Azleck Galaxy Class StarShip would take over and the other would leave.

Clearly the Azlecks were investing a great deal of their resources to ensure Earth's security, and the humans who had been to Arun 〘Azleck’s new Capital Planet〙 described it a marvel of technology. Arun has 3 continents and 75% of the world is covered by water, and the planet has relatively small polar Ice caps, a possible result of extensive Teraforming. The Azlecks can manipulate and control the weather, and harness nearly all forms of renewable energy available on their planet.

Arun is orbited by 12 geostationary 9km diameter spherical planetary defence stations, their ship building facilities are on the Moons of a nearby Gas Giant. Their Civilization is highly mechanized and the Azlecks do very little manual labour, and their economy is a healthy mix of capitalism and socialism. Before the Migon invasion the Azlecks used to worship ancient sky gods, but once they realized that the sky gods were actually highly Advanced Interstellar Civilisations most became atheists.

However some Azlecks have developed other forms of religions based on the Idea that Sentient-Sapient existence is connected and forms part of a single being. This type of religious beliefs is the common beliefs of the Andronians, the Carmaks, the Hildrano, the Folong and the Jiquam. Speculation indicates that this Idea may have originated with the Phaylon. Most Advanced Interstellar Civilisation who had contact with the older Civilisations also incorporated this Idea into their own religious beliefs.

Advanced Interstellar Civilisations were fascinated by the rapid rate of human development and would travel from as far away as 50000 LightYears to witness the curious case of the Humans. That meant that an Advanced Interstellar Civilisation would make an average of about 420 Nth Hyper-Space Jumps, however almost all of those who made trip to Earth were either on their to way Arun or coming from Arun.

The Azlecks were builders of sought after compact Bio-Mechanical products including Subspace Interstellar Communications, Energy Storage Systems, Particle Beam Cannons, household Items, etc. Many of the Developing Interstellar Civilisation like the Zlarfh Empire would make the long journey to Arun in order to trade with the Azlecks. The path to Arun was an 800 year old trade Route established by the Developing Interstellar Civilisations in order to gain access to Advanced Azleck technologies.

The Developing Interstellar Civilisations provided the Azlecks with rare minerals in exchange for Azleck products. The Azlecks were one of the few Advanced Interstellar Civilisations that would trade with Developing Interstellar Civilisations, but most of the Advanced Interstellar Civilisation preferred to trade with Developed Interstellar Civilisations and other Advanced Interstellar Civilisations. Most of the trading of the Advanced Interstellar Civilisations is done in the Primus Solar System.

The Galactic Alliance is based on Andronus, the third moon of Galtros in the Primus Solar System, 80000 LightYears from Earth. The Primus Solar System was the site of The Battle of Ten Thousand Ships, the sight of the Migon's Defeat. A combined force of 3300 Migon BattleSpheres and 1200 Hakum Sky Spears and Hakum Sky Super-Spears Faced a fleet of 5500 Ships from the 5 Older Civilisation.

Only a few Migon BattleSpheres survived the battle, retreating to their strongholds 20000 LightYears away. In the aftermath of that battle the former Andronian observation post Andronus became the base of operations against the Migon threat. The 5 Older Civilisations formalized their cooperation by forming the Galactic Alliance. The Galactic Alliance incorporated all the surviving front line Civilisations and began forming defensive lines while the younger Civilisations recovered from the Hakum and Migon occupation.

Fortunately the Migon retreated in such a hurry they did not destroy all inhabited planets. The war continues 3000 LightYears away on the Migon front lines, but for hundreds of years since the great battle the war has been reduced to low level skirmish. Migon Space covers 34000 LightYears populated by 130 Billion Migons/Migonians on 1000 worlds and 20 Billion Hakum on 60 worlds, each Migon and Hakum world has approximately 5 Billion slaves.

Galactic Alliance intelligence reports indicate that most Migon worlds were once thriving independent Civilisations, but now these Civilisations have been reduced to Migon slaves. Galactic Alliance intelligence reports also indicate that on the other border of Migon space there is a 50000 LightYears wide lifeless gap called the Null Sector, with no Civilisations in that corridor. The Migon see no value in expanding to lifeless regions.

There are no explanations why there is no life in that corridor, and Galactic Alliance explorers discovered planets with massive amounts of radiation. Exploration teams have found signs of possible mining activities, but this is highly speculative. Thus far there had been no definitive signs of life, but there have been suggestions that ancient Civilisations may have lived there, and that a war may have left the Null Sector in complete destruction.

It has been suggested that ancient highly Advanced Interstellar Civilisation may have conducted Galactic scale wars in the Null Sector, a war of attrition, and that by destroying habitable worlds they would limit each others ability to expand. There has been no conclusive evidence of this, and it remains just a theory. Fortunately for the Humans the Null Sector has meant that Migon expansion in the direction of Earth has been limited by this, and only the Hakum seem somewhat interested in the sector in which Earth resides. The Azleck speculate that Hakum may have followed the Interstellar Traders to the sector thinking they would find rare minerals sources.

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There are about 50 known Advanced Interstellar Civilisations including the Azlecks, and all of them are members of the Galactic Alliance. There are about 157 known Developed Interstellar Civilisations, and 130 of them are members of the Galactic Alliance. There are a further 870 known Developing Interstellar Civilisations, and 95 of them are members of the Galactic Alliance. There is a further 2357 known Planetary Civilisations.

Galactic Alliance members get access to the Primus Solar System, and with that access the opportunity to trade with Advanced Interstellar Civilisations and Older Civilisations.

Andronus is the third moon of the gas giant Galtros. The planet Galtros is 8 times the size of Jupiter and has 93 Moons, 20 of these Moons are planet size; ranging from the size of Mars to 80 times the size of Earth. 15 of the Moons are heavily populated by Various races from all over the sector. The 20 planet size Moons were Teraformed by the Andronians 6000 years ago, and Andronus was chosen as the Andronian observation post in preparation for colonization.

The discovery of the Migon Activities near the region led to the cancellation of any Andronian colonization plans, but the Area remained Andronian space, and during the war with the Migon the Andronian made the Solar system their forward base of operations. In the Aftermath of the Battle of Ten Thousand Ships the Primus Solar system was developed and trade routes to all the members of the Galactic Alliance were established.

There is often tensions between the Developing Interstellar Civilisations that are not members of the Galactic Alliance often resulting in wars, and the Galactic Alliance is at times requested by feuding parties to act as mediators. To be considered for membership of the Galactic Alliance a race would need two things: 1〙 One of the members of the Galactic Alliance would need to vouch for them at the Galactic Alliance Council, and 2〙 Achieve a state of Internal and External peace.

The Galactic Alliance Council technical description for External peace meant that the particular Civilisation should not be in a state of war with any Nation within 1500 LightYears of its Home planet. This description was based on the fact that most Developing Interstellar Civilisation only occupied an average of 200 systems around their Homeworld, and the description was designed to force Developing Interstellar Civilisations to make peace with their neighbours.

Earth by this measure stood a very good chance of being speedily accepted into the Galactic Alliance provided that they could maintain Internal peace, and since the Azlecks were the only neighbour within 12000 LightYears of Earth humans did not have to worry about maintaining External peace. Earth had very little to offer the Azlecks in the form of trade, but the Azlecks were eager for the humans to develop enough to help with patrolling the large area of space in the sector.

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On 25-02-2132 the UAS Juggernaut A2125 reached 1000 LightYears from Earth, the first ship built by humans to reach such a distance. The UAS Juggernaut A2125 was the formation leader of the 2 ship BattleGroup that included the UAS Atlantis A2118. There were other ships that could reach such distances, but most Earth federations did not want to venture too far from Earth. The fear of Hakum attacks meant that the few ships they had needed to be within range of Earth, but the United Atlantic Federation had 6 Ships the size of the UAS Juggernaut, and 3 were being built.

The decision by the United Atlantic Federation to conduct Interstellar Explorations had led to unexpected rewards. They were able to locate valuable minerals in distant stars which they claimed for the United Atlantic Federation. When the other Earth Federation realized the benefits of Interstellar Explorations they began their own limited Interstellar Explorations in search for valuable minerals.

It is during this time that tensions between Earth Federations began to grow. The search for valuable minerals ignited fierce competition between Earth Federations, and this resulted in some Earth Federation laying claims on every solar system they visited.

Negotiations at the United Nations resulted in a Resolution that indicated that an Earth Federation can only lay claim to an entire solar system if the particular Earth Federation has a colony with a population of 100000 people. The UN resolution stated that the first Earth Federation to reach this number would gain the Exclusive rights to the particular Solar system.

This seemed to satisfy all the 5 Earth Federation, but it had negative consequences for Crystalorb. In the race to reach the target populations in the nearby solar systems the Federal African Government wanted to use Crystalorb Ships to transport people to one of 6 known habitable planets within 100 LightYears, but as expected the Crystalorb Leadership refused, and Crystalorb refusal angered the Federal African Government.

An angry Federal African Government and their Hodian allies began to make sinister plans against Crystalorb. Their first move was to have the Federal Parliament pass legislation restricting the movement of Crystalorb ships in African Federation airspace. The new set of Laws required the Crystalorb ships to stick to a particular corridor when moving to Crystalorb, and they also set speed limits for the Crystalorb ships.

As expected the Crystalorb ships ignored the new set of laws and the Crystalorb Leadership simply refused to follow African Federal Security Force instruction. The African Federal Security structure noted and recorded all the violations by Crystalorb. The Federal Parliament passed subsequent legislation that gave the Federal African Government the power to confiscate any ship that repeatedly violated African Federation laws, rules and regulations.

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On 15-07-2135 the 600 meters long Juvenile Intrepid Class Ship Epalo had just left Crystalorb, and was on its way to the edge of the solar system, the Epalo was approached by the 1.8 km long AFS Lagos. The Captain of the AFS Lagos was Pabo Mdau, and in command of the Epalo was Senior Vanglead Diabo Lesedi.

Capt. Mdau : " This is Captain Pabo Mdau of the African Federation Destroyer Lagos! By act 3162 of the African Federal Parliament; You are hereby ordered by to surrender to African Federal Security Forces! The crew will be arrested and the ship will be impounded!"

Diabo : " This Diabo Lesedi of the Crystalorb StarShip Epalo! We are outside the jurisdiction of the African Federation, and therefore do not recognize your authority! Please move aside and let us pass!"

Capt. Mdau : " Your Ship has Violated African Federation law on 17 separate instances, and that gives me the Authority to take you into custody! You will surrender or we will use force. Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded!"

The Epalo opens a Joint Communications Channel with Crystalorb, and Guardian Commander Tuam responds to Diabo's request for assistance. Sector 7 Guardian Kaoti is on hand because the Epalo is under her division. With most of Crystalorb's Fleet on distant Solar Systems, and only the Juveniles at the edge of the solar systems the African Federal Security Forces had chosen a perfect time to start a fight with Crystalorb.

What the African Federal Security Forces did not know was that the Crystalorb Ships had been upgraded to a level that was far beyond their projections. A fully grown 1.95 km long Intrepid Class StarShip had a 3 layer 28m thick Refractive-Reflective hull. The first 2 layers were 8.5 meters thick, and the third 11m thick. The size of the Energy/Weapons Crystals were increased by 75%, and the Repulsive Electromagnetic Radiation energy Propulsion System was increased in power by 30%.

Crystalorb was more than ready for this fight, but the ship being targeted was a juvenile, and Juveniles are lightly armoured so that they can grow faster.

Tuam : " Diabo! Escape an evade, but do not Engage!"

Kaoti : " Activate Stealth!"

Diabo : " On your Command!" He then terns to his navigation officer "Activate Stealth and prepare to move."

As the Epalo activates its Stealth systems it becomes invisible to the eye, but because it’s so close to the Lagos the Infrared can still detect it

Capt. Mdau : " This is your final warning! Stand down!" The command officers inform Mdau that the Epalo is trying to evade “Fire forward Beams maximum power!"

As the Epalo took Evasive action it was pursued by another ship the Nairobi and several Gunships, and they all opened fire on the Epalo, cutting off its escape routes

Tuam : " Diabo! Engage!"

Diabo : " Fire at will!"

With that the Energy Crystals of the Epalo began producing Electrolaser Lightning Bolts, Multidirectional Particle Beams and electrical energy streams targeted at the opposing African Federal Security Forces ships. 3 Gunships were almost immediately destroyed, but this was not enough, and just as the situation looked bleak for the Epalo a wormhole opened and a larger 850 meter long Juvenile emerged, the Imalo immediately opened fire on the African Federation Destroyer Lagos.

This was beginning to look like a fair fight, but Crystalorb Commanders knew that the 2 African Federation Destroyers were Nuclear armed

Tuam : " Keep them close to you!"

Kaoti : " As long as you're close they can't use their Nuclear weapons"

Captain Mdau decides to call for help, and the African Federation responds by sending in the African Federation Destroyer Durban. The Durban Class was a new kind of Destroyer; 2.4km long and its hull was coated with Hodian Metallic Crystals and armed with advance Hodian weaponry. The Durban was build in secret, and was envisioned to go toe to toe with an Intrepid Class Ship.

When the Durban arrived on the battle field the writing was on the wall for the 2 Juvenile Ships, and they began to sustain heavy damage. The task force Commander decided to give Diabo a last chance to surrender

Capt. Mdau : " You can still Surrender!"

Diabo : " We're Crystalans! I am the light on the hill, the line in the sand, here and no further!"

Capt. Mdau : " Fool!"

The skins of the Juvenile ships began to fail leading to decompression, and because the ships were not fully developed their shield projection systems also began to fail. This meant that the skin was now taking the full force of the Hodian built Particle Beams. The crew of the 2 juvenile ships had resolved to go down fighting, and they would never hand one of their own 〘meaning the 2 juvenile Ships〙 to the African Federal Security Forces.

The African Federal Security Forces thought that they had won, but then another wormhole open and the Security Forces received a transmission

Molen : " This is Guardian Molen Lesedi of the Crystalorb StarShip Incrata! Stop your assault or I will have to use force!"

The African Federal Security Force Ships were unconvinced of the Incrata's capabilities. They didn't know that the Juveniles were only lightly armoured, they didn't know that the weapon systems of Juveniles were only at 15%, they didn't know that the Electromagnetic Energy Field Shields of Juveniles were only at 25%, they simply did not know. And so they opened fire on the fully grown Intrepid Class StarShip.

As soon as they attacked they noticed that their Particle Beams did not breach the Incrata's Electromagnetic Energy Field Shields. When the Incrata responded the Durban was left in explosive decompression, and a second round of attack left the Durban in 3 pieces that were all on fire. The Incrata turned its attention towards the Lagos and the Nairobi, but the 2 ships were ordered to stand down.

Captain Mdau sends a message to the Incrata.

Capt. Mdau : " Hold your Fire! We've been Ordered to stand Down!"

Molen : " Acknowledged!"

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The ease at which the Incrata destroyed the Durban showed the Admirals at the African Federal Security Force Headquarters that Hodian technology was nowhere near Crystalorb technology. They now realised that they had backed the wrong horse, and that there would be serious consequences. Military planners started developing a strategy to mitigate the political fallout.

Fearing the swift defeat of their Warships by a relatively smaller Ship would lead to the collapse of the Federal African Government, the Military planners quickly came up with a survival strategy. The plan was for the African Federal Government to go on a public offensive, using the media as a propaganda weapon against Crystalorb; Have all the levels of Government repeat the same message.

The message was simple: 1〙 Accuse Crystalorb, and 2〙 Ask questions. It started with the Federal Executive Council, they accused Crystalorb of mercilessly killing the crew of the Durban even though the Durban was disabled, and then they asked the question: "What kind of people live in a hole in the ground?" Then the African Federal Parliament followed the same script: first suggesting that the Crystalans may have links to Alien forces, and then asking the question "Why do they surgically put Crystals on their Chests?"

The rhetoric escalated from day to day, and other underground ground elements began to start public protests. As the protests grew larger the Federal Executive Council seemed to blame all their problems on Crystalorb, and claims were made that Crystalorb was a sinister force bent on controlling people's daily lives. Crystalorb had become the monster under the bed in just a matter of weeks.

It was at this point that Crystalorb realised that their continued presence was endangering the Hybrids in Crystal Valley City.

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On 15-11-2135 the Crystalorb General Council passed a resolution authorising the Council of Elders to activate Protocol 911E, and the Crystalorb General Council understood that once the Council of Elders orders the activation of Protocol 911E a full scale evacuation of Crystalorb would begin

Later that day the Council of Elders ordered the activation of Protocol 911E, and a full scale evacuation of Crystalorb was initiated. All the Crystalorb Ships were called back to Earth space. The Entire Crystalorb Fleet gathered in Earth Orbit: 64 Intrepid Class Ships, 9 Indigo Class Ships, 63 Juveniles and 19 Baby Ships. The Earth federations feared that this might be preparation for a full scale assault against the African Federal Security Force.

The African Federal Security Force also believed that a Crystalan attack was eminent, and so they began to prepare for full scale war with Crystalorb. One by one the Crystalorb ships went down to Crystalorb and collected Crystalans, including Crystalan ship Eggs. On the morning of 08-12-2135 the African Federal Security Force army that had surrounded mount Crystalorb saw the Spirit Stone emerge from Crystalorb, and as soon as the Spirit Stone was out it sealed the entrance to Crystalorb.

When the Commanders of the African Federal Security Force saw this they knew that something was different. When Crystalorb was sealed the Spirit Stone went into the Intrepid, and the Intrepid went into space. The Crystalans had finished their preparations and Protocol 911E had been executed. Crystal Valley Industries had been left in the hands of trusted Hybrids until the Crystalans returned.

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From the Intrepid Tarun the oldest member of the Council of Elders gives a live Statement on Crystal Valley Industries News 〘CVIN〙 which's also broadcast on the Internet 〘Internet now referring to the Interstellar Network; a Communications network that evolved from the original Internet〙

Tarun : " Greetings! I'm Tarun of the Crystalorb Council of Elders. I bring this message from all of Crystalorb. We have heard your Demands, and while we regretfully can not meet them we've come up with a remedy to the crisis on African streets. We who are the light on the hill! We who are the line in the sand! We who supply you with Energy! We who produce your Food! We who have fought to keep you safe! We who have fought for you in countless battles! We who have stood against the night! Held the line against the Night! Stood between the Darkness and the Night! Suddenly find ourselves unwanted and hated by the very people we care for so deeply. We find ourselves asking why is it that you think so little of us when we think so much of you? In order to find the answers, we think that all of us need time to Reflect. To that end Crystalorb resolved on a 30 year reflection period. We've sealed Crystalorb and will be absent from your society for 30 years. In this period of reflection we will not hear from you! And you will not hear from us! We hope this Exile of Crystalorb will give all of us sufficient time to reflect. Time to Learn from the mistakes of the past. Until we return!"

Satellite Video cameras then show 70 Wormholes open, the smaller Juvenile and baby ships go in followed by the larger ships. The Entire Crystalorb Fleet disappeared behind the closing Wormholes.

There was a feeling of sadness amongst the people of Crystal Valley City, and city TV channels began to ask Questions: "If the Crystalans are such a sinister and evil force, then why are they driven away by protests? They always stood with us, why didn't we stand with them? Will they come back? Or is the question will they want to come back?"

The Azlecks had observed the situation, and were very impressed with the Crystalans, noting that it takes great strength for someone with power to step aside and give way to someone else with less power. The Azlecks recognized Nobility in the Crystalans, and welcomed their dignified exit. The other Earth Federations were worried about the security implications of Crystalorb's departure.

The Executive Council of the United Atlantic Federation went as far as to call the actions of the African Federal Government Fascist. The Earth Federations who practiced Liberal Democracy were worried that the African Federation of City States was sliding into a Fascist regime, and this would shift the balance of power on the UN Security Council in favour of the Undemocratic. Leaving the United Indian Federation and the United Atlantic Federation as the minority on the Security Council.

The African Federation Egalitarian Democracy had become something that spreads propaganda amongst its own people, and fear mongering was quickly becoming the order of the day. The other concern was that the world was now dependent on Hodian technology, and that meant that Hodians would now charge a premium for their products. There would no longer be the option of turning to Crystal Valley Industries for comparable technologies.

The Crystalans had taken the Hodians by surprise; they had always believed that the Crystalans would never give up Crystalorb. The Hodians had calculated that Crystalorb would negotiate with the African Federal Government just as they did in the past, but Crystalans took an unexpected route. Strategists of the African Federal Government had also believed that Crystalorb would negotiate, but they were wrong.

The propaganda campaign was intended to force Crystalorb into submitting to greater authority of the African Federal Government. The African Federal Government wanted to be able to control Crystalorb, and they wanted control of the Crystalorb advanced technology. They never imagined that the Crystalans would leave Earth for 30 years! Without Crystalorb's asteroid mining activities and Crystal Based technologies the African Federation Economy would take a major knock.

The optimistic view of the African Federal Government was that they would experience a slowdown in exports, but economists saw the short to medium outlook for the African Federation Economy as progressively negative. The Hodians assured the African Federal Government that Ralefa Holdings would fill any gaps that resulted from Crystal Valley Industries not being able to produce advanced Crystal Based technologies.

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As the Crystalorb Fleet made its way out of the operating range of Earth ships it came upon one of the United Atlantic Federation Exploration Groups led by the UAS Juggernaut A2125 some 8000 LightYears from Earth. The crew of the Juggernaut observed how the Crystalorb StarShips conducted their rapid jump sequences by maintaining momentum and never slowing down.

The Wormholes opened close to the nearby Star, but far enough away to avoid the effects of its gravity then the First StarShips would emerge out of the 20 Wormholes moving at rapid speed for several million kilometres, and the First StarShips to emerge slow down and open 20 Wormholes holding them open for the entire Fleet. The Crystalorb StarShips would essentially move from out one group of a Wormholes into another group of Wormholes.

The crew of the UAF StarShips would be the last to see the Crystalorb StarShips for decades, and they watched in silence as the Crystalorb StarShips disappeared behind the Wormholes. All 159217 Crystalans had left, and even though some 34% of them didn't have Chest Crystals and could hide undetected amongst the Hybrids they chose to leave. They would move between the stars, visit a thousand stars, and collect all knowledge and samples of unique and strange life forms.

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Back on Earth the African Federal Government publicly celebrated the self imposed Exile of Crystalans, but in private the Government officials were worried, they new that it would only be a matter of time before the public turned against them. They could never hope to fill the technological gap left by the Crystalans, and they began to realise that their propaganda war against Crystalorb would have consequences.

The African Federal Government knew that they only had months to show the African people that they didn't need Crystalorb, and that the African Federation was better off without Crystalorb. The clock was ticking, and they only had months to prove the validity of their arguments against Crystalorb. The first crisis was the problem of energy supply, Crystalorb had shut down its Olen Crystalorb Nuclear Fusion Reactors.

The Olen Crystalorb Nuclear Fusion Reactors produced 25% of the African Federation's energy, and from the day the Crystalans left the African Federation started experiencing electricity shortages. Rolling blackouts became the order of the day. The Existing 120 Crystal Valley Industries Nuclear Fusion Reactors could not meet the increased energy demands caused by the shut down of Crystalorb Nuclear Fusion Reactors.

When the African Federal Government investigated the possibility of Crystal Valley Industries, Ralefa Holdings and other energy producers building more reactors they were horrified to discover that it would take between 3-6 years to build a single Nuclear Fusion Reactors. Even Crystal Valley Industries could not build faster because when the Crystalans left they took their advanced Crystal Robots with them.

In the Months that followed Crystal Valley Industries sold all its global Industrial and Energy holding and became strictly a Financial Services Corporation, operating under the name Crystal Valley Investment Bank, and Crystal Valley Industries becoming a holdings company. This was done to Avoid the African Federal Government blaming Crystal Valley Industries for the lack of industrial output and falling energy supply.

The African Federation Economy experienced several quarters of negative growth and began to stabilize, and the impact of the supply disruptions began to diminish. The African people began to realise that they would no longer see the rapid economic growth of the past, and that the African Federation Economy seemed set for an extended period of Economic stagnation that would be complicated by higher inflation due to higher energy cost.

Sceptics of the African Federal Government began to suggest economic mismanagement, and a new momentum for economic reforms propelled 2 Progressives to the conservative dominated Federal Executive Council. Prolonged rolling blackouts and Economic stagnation led to service delivery protests, and the liberals on the Federal Executive Council began to suggest cuts in military spending.

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By 2139 the public sentiment was shifting against the Social Conservatives, and there were now 4 Progressives on the Federal Executive Council. The Progressives were calling for independent investigations into the conduct of African Federal Security Force personnel, this suggestion angered the Admirals, and they began to make contingency plans. The African Federal Parliament was also shifting in favour of the Progressives.

The African Federal Parliament was only one of the two legislative bodies of the African Federation of City States, the larger part was the combined legislatures of all the City councils. Every Federal law had to win the support of 50% of all elected City Councilman. This structure gave the African Federation the largest National legislature of all democratic Governments, and it was intended to limit the influence of interest groups on legislative affairs.

Momentum in support for the Progressives was coming from the City Councils, and many on the African Federal Parliament knew that they were on the way out. The Progressives talked about wide ranging reforms that would modernise the African Federation of City States, return power to its people, and restore faith in Government. This was a message the peddlers of propaganda could not beat.

The scare mongering tactics of the Social Conservatives did not resonate with the mood of the African people. They were looking for change, and there was nothing the Social Conservatives could do to stop the Progressives from taking power. The political tide had turned against the hawkish Social Conservatives, but the Military leaders were even more worried, and there was the possibility of prosecutions for some of their actions during the propaganda campaign against Crystalorb.

After the general elections of 2140 the Progressives had control of the African Federal Parliament, and 5 people on the Federal Executive Council. The investigations revealed a large conspiracy against Crystalorb, and all sorts of criminal activities carried out by African Federal Security Force personnel. There were allegations against members of the African Federal Parliament, Civilian Media personnel and even former members of the Federal Executive Council.

The Federal Executive Council appointed a Special Prosecutor and gave him the authority to prosecute anyone who had been involved in the crimes against the African Federation of City States.

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On 03-09-2140 the African Federal Parliament passed a resolution approving the Special Prosecutor’s powers and functions, and later that night it was announced that the a majority of City Councilman had also passed the resolution.

At about 01H00 GMT the African Federal Security Force made their move! By 09H00 the Federal Executive Council was in so called "Protective Custody", the African Federation constitution had been suspended and the African Federation was under Marshal Law. Those who had previously given the African Federal Security Force too much power were horrified at the result of their actions; a Military Coupe de Tat!

The African Federal Security Force had become used to having wide ranging powers and was unwilling to see those powers curtailed by the Progressives on the Federal Executive Council. The African Security Forces violently put down any public protest by civilians, banned any public gathering, and detained millions of people. The 500 Hybrids that had been selected by Crystalorb to run Crystal Valley Industries escaped to the United Atlantic Federation with their families and formed a secret group named The Ilesians to fight the African Federal Security Force.

The Ilesians were named after the Crystalorb's Ilesian Guards. The Ilesians would use the vast resources of Crystal Valley Industries to organize an internal and external resistance campaign against the African Federal Security Force. The Ilesians knew that there was very little prospect for a successful military campaign against the heavily armed African Federal Security Force, and so the main tool would be a human rights based moral campaign against the African Military Dictatorship.

The plan was for the encouragement of the citizens of the other 4 Federations to boycott products that have any link to the African Federation. The Ilesians moved the global Headquarters of Crystal Valley Industries to the United Atlantic Federation and began a boycott of all African linked products. There was large public support for the public campaign against the African Federation in the United Indian Federation, the United Atlantic Federation and the Islamic Alliance.

The African products boycott reduced African exports to the 3 Federations by 90%, and Global Corporations avoided openly doing any business with the African Federation for fear of the African products boycott. The only place where the African Federation still found support was the Asian Consortium, and that was because the Asian Consortium had a similar Autocratic form of Government led by the Chinese Communists.

There was a mass exodus of people from the African Federation, and many found refuge in the United Indian Federation and the United Atlantic Federation, but they all expressed their wish to return to their motherland once the Dictatorship ends. The Ilesians organized their protracted internal resistance campaigns from Crystal Valley City, and the campaign took the form of sabotage of strategic centres like power lines and broadcast systems.

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