First Stellar War

The First Stellar War was a conflict that broke out in the early 24th century between the United Nations of the Sol system and the Cetus Loyalist Union of the Tau Ceti system. It was the most destructive war since the Third World War in the middle of the 21st century, with approximately 700,000,000 lives lost across both star systems.

Political climate in the Sol system
In the opening years of the 24th century, societal and economic growth in the Sol system was slowing down overall for the first time in 300 years. Noticeable system-wide decay began in 2305 when the GDP of Earth dropped by 1.5% in one year, after four years of high inflation. Though some intermittent years of minor growth were experienced afterwards, the economy on Earth begin to recede over the next decades. Exports from Earth almost halved over a fifteen year period and poverty rates, as defined by the UN Office of Colonial Control, increased dramatically across the planet. The strain being felt on Earth lead to the neglect of the Outer Colonies, and especially the colonies on Tau Ceti e and Tau Ceti f.

The poor handling of the economy recession had a significant effect on the UN general election of 2320. The Earthen Alliance, a Earth-centric egalitarian party, replaced the Planetary Union, which was considered to lean towards more hardline, industry-hostile policies. Though the economy began to recovery between 2320 and 2325, the damage to the Outer Colonies had been done.

Subjected to increased taxation and unchanged aid from the ruling party on Earth, the Saturnian Colonies seceded from the United Nations in 2328. Three years prior to this, the Cetus Colonies seceded and closed off all communications with Earth. In 2330, following the reinstatement of the Earthen Alliance as the majority party, the Jovian Colonies also declared independence.

Political climate in the Tau Ceti system
Politics in the Cetus Colonies during the late 23rd century were largely dominated by Earth-neutral political parties that sought greater ties with their ancestral home-planet. Due to the great distance between Sol and Tau Ceti, the effects of recession in the Sol system greatly damaged the economies of the Cetus Colonies - moreso than the Outer Colonies of the Sol system. Reduced trade had a severe impact on their more fragile industries, forcing them to rapidly develop their own methods of resource extraction previously handled by the mining and petrochemical colonies in the Sol system.

By 2318, the Cetus Colonies had almost unanimously voted in the Cetus Loyalist Union into power. This political party maintained a strong hold over Tau Ceti e and Tau Ceti f until the end of the First Stellar War, turning from Earth-skeptic to Earth-hostile within a decade. By 2320, the Cetus Colonies were heavily invested in aerospace defence, with 80% of production being in military hardware. A growing sense of conflict had arisen by 2324, and in 2325 a referendum was held regarding military intervention into the Sol system to overthrow the Earthen Alliance. Travel outside of the Tau Ceti system was banned thereafter as preparations for war began.