After the total destruction of Helghan that irradiated the whole planet leaving no life left. Sevchenko, Velasquez and the other marooned ISA marines are able to return to Vekta using the new Helghast Strike crafts.
The news of the total destruction of Helghan brought bittersweet victory to the ISA. The ISA forces lost many brave men and women at Helghan.
May 13, 2360 is then marked as the end of the Second Extrasolar War and the day when the Helghan people become truly gone.
Scouting parties have been sent to Helghan to perform a deep-earth scan all over the planet. The result of their scans then revealed that the whole surface, even the air, of Helghan is too irradiated for any life form to survive. Though there are reports of energy spikes recorded over some of the surface of the planet but it is dismissed as energy spikes from surviving nuclear weapons caches.
The news of the total irradiation of Helghan and with the annihilation of the inhabitants brought great distress to the leaders of the Independent Colonial Strategic Alliance (ICSA) and to the people of other colonies. Even though the people of Helghan have done horrible deeds, it was never their fault that they followed people like Visari.
On May 13, 2361, at the first anniversary of the end Second Extrasolar War, ICSA requests an audience to the UCN leaders. The ICSA spokesperson, Harold Parkson, delivers his plea to the Earth leaders.
The Independent Colonial Strategic Alliance wishes for the United Colonial Alliance to give Earth's colonies more freedom, in terms of government control and economy, and equality among its citizens. This is to prevent future secessions and military uprisings among the colonies. The UCN leaders retaliated that by doing so, Earth will lose resources, the economy will collapse and the colonies will work immediately work to secede from the UCN. They dismiss the plea of the ICSA and warn them that if they will ensure any uprising, they will be met with military force.
Harold Parkson truthfully accuses the UCN and the ISA for the Second Extrasolar War. If it weren't for the oppression pressed upon Helghan which causes their economy to plunge down, Visari won't be able to steer the masses and enrages the hatred of the Helghast to the ISA and the UCN.
It is the decisions of the UCN and the actions of the ISA that spawns the Helghast.
May 13 - 20, 2361
The ICSA calls on for a full embargo among the colonies against Earth and secede from the UCN. The UCN declares the ICSA the enemy of the state and a rogue power. The ISA forces all over Earth's colonies are put on high alert.
Supporters for the reorganization of the interplanetary government start appearing all over the colonies. Protests are now starting to occur from the fringe colonies where ISA presence is minimal.
Protests start to grow as many colonists are supporting the regime-change and the reorganization of the interstellar government of the UCN. Local militia forces are now taking arms.
Increased taxations are then imposed by the UCN and enforced by the ISA against the colonies including Vekta. ISA forces are then sent to hunt down local militia leaders to prevent any uprising. Vekta is closely guarded by the ISA as security has been increased.
May 23 – June 10, 2361
ISA forces are now mobilized across the fringe colonies but fail to do so. The ISA military strength at the fringe colonies are of minimal strength, unlike at Vekta that received aid from the United Colonial Army and have better equipments, and are thwarted by the numerous militia forces which is supported by the masses.
Aug 2 – Aug 21, 2361
Support from the ICSA is provided to the local militia as colonial governments are undergoing regime-change. UCN-loyal governors are removed from power and are replaced by either ICSA-supported candidates or leaders of the secessionist movement.
ISA bases, vehicles and ships are now taken over by the local militia in order to defend their homeworlds or assist the other colonies.
Secession of the fringe colonies are going smoothly as the movement and protests are starting to appear at the main colonies.
ISA and UCN propaganda increases in order to control the colonies' populace. The UCA Navy is now gearing up for deployment as the ISA forces are beefing up their forces.
September 1, 2361
The UCA Command has sent fleets of ships heading towards the seceding colonies to regain their control over them. The decreased resource income from the seceded colonies is now starting to affect the growth and wealth of the UCN.
ISA forces all over the colonies are now confronting the 'Secessionists.' UCN loyalist commanders are now brutally confronting the secessionists leading to casualties numbering in thousands.
November 3 – 5, 2361
Large protests appear at the Vekta capital demanding the reorganization of the government and the ease on their increased taxes.
ISA forces are then ordered to confront the protestors which led to some casualties.
The UCN Senate, now fearing the loss of all of the colonies, declared martial law and ordered all remaining ISA forces to hunt down the secessionist in the remaining colonies.
The UCA fleets are now confronting the rag-tag fleets of the ICSA and the Secessionists among the fringe colonies.
January 10 – 27, 2362
The ISA Command at the colony Vekta is divided due to internal conflict especially from the survivors of Operation Archangel in the invasion of Helghan. One of the prominent leaders is Capt. Tomas Sevchenko, along with Lt. Col. Jason Narville and Capt. Rico Velasquez who wants to protect their homeworld along with its citizens.
The other survivors of Operation Archangel rally the other ISA forces to join the movement.
The protests at Vekta are now in full swing as support from the seceding ISA faction joins in. Support from the ICSA also reaches Vekta to assist in the movement.
February 1 – March 2, 2382
Vekta has been secured by the secessionist movement along with the seceded ISA faction. The shipping lines towards Earth has been blockaded that prevented resources from the Sol system.
The news of the loss of Vekta reaches Earth and brings despair to the UCN leaders. Now with their resource income comes to a halt, the UCA Navy dispatches a fleet to regain control of Vekta and the shipping lines.
Within month, the UCA fleet reaches Vekta and proceeds in confronting the seceded ISA forces. The former ISA cruisers confront the UCA cruisers along with the newly deployed strike crafts and modified leech pods.
Naval and ground battles are then fought by the former ISA and secessionists with the UCA ground forces.
Many of the UCA cruisers are captured after the battle over Vekta due to the use of the leech pods by the seceded ISA forces.
March 12 - 15, 2362
This deployment and the halt of the flow of resources from the colonists cost the economy of Earth along with the other colonies within the Sol system due to their over-reliance on the extrasolar colonies for resources.
Riots and protestors start to appear over Mars, Luna and Earth due to the resource rations. The situation becomes more dreadful as the news of the defeat of the UCA fleet and the failure to regain Vekta arrives.
The ISA cruisers at Vekta are equipped with warp coils, which are reverse-engineered from the Helghast Strike Fighters brought in by Sevchenko and the other ISA forces from Helghan, are launched toward Earth.
Within 12 hours, the ISA cruisers reach Earth which is much to the surprise to the UCA Command. A short but brutal naval battle commence at Earth's orbit. The ISA cruisers defeat the UCA Fleet by using the combination of ship-to-ship battle and deployment of strike fighters and leech pods.
March 17, 2362
In the face of orbital bombardment and massive starvation, the UCN Senate surrenders.
The UCN officially surrendered with the signing of the unconditional surrender aboard the Philadelphia in orbit of Earth. The ICSA takes over the new government and starts reorganizing the system which then give birth to a new interstellar government.
December 12, 2362
The reformation of the government system has been complete and forms a new nation that composes of all the colonies of the former UCN and the ICSA which is called the "United Star Nations."
December 13, 2362
The formation of the new interstellar nation, "United Star Nation", is the officially announced to all of the citizens of the colonies. The capital is moved at the planet "Elysium" which contains agricultural and industrial economies with the capability to sustain itself.
Earth has been designated as the major cultural center as agriculture has been restored in order to feed itself. The Sol system has been transformed into major shipping yard and military base as resources from its local sources have been formed.
Similar self-sustaining concepts have been organized to all the star systems and each developed a self-serving economy.
Warp Coil technology has been introduced to the public and is distributed to shipping companies. Within months, the time duration for both interplanetary and interstellar travel has decreased dramatically. With warp coil, all ships have achieved FTL speed with an average speed of 17 light-years for 24 Earth-hours.
With the ability for FTL, exploration and expansion are now on the rise as surveyor ships equipped with warp coils are now scouting other unclaimed star systems. Trade is also on the rise with the decreased shipping time, real-time interstellar communications are also formed much faster and better.
The military force has been reorganized as well. Plans for various ship designs from the former UCA has been opened and allowed other colonies to field them. To combat inefficiency of deployment, Sector Commands has been formed and planets like Elysium are assigned with such. Another unit is the Colonial Defense Force which is responsible to the security of the planets within a star system.
Sector Commands are the main base-of-operations for the newly formed USN military which will deploy fleets to other star systems within their immediate domain. With this, reinforcements can reach them in a short time.
New propulsion technologies are now being developed which includes the newer beam thrusters, fusion engines and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters. Deuterium and helium-3 production are on the rise as companies like Eldfel-Ashland Energy, who is demonstrating helium-3 mining on Saturn on 2370.
April 15, 2375
Unexplored star system
The system is a trinary system with three stars at the center. There are about six planets orbiting the stars. The system is high in radiation especially at the first three planets. The place should have been left alone if it weren't for the large amount of metal that are in easy rich. Mining outposts, settlements and orbital stations are constructed around the planets and asteroids outside the extreme radiation zone.
On one of the mining outposts, they have discovered a new mineral. Tests done by the USN scientists revealed the mineral to have an atomic mass of zero (0).
Later examinations and experimentations reveal the 'element zero' to have mass manipulation properties which is linear to the electric current.
May 5, 2375
After further refinement and experimentations, the science of mass manipulation physics (Mass Effect Physics for others) is born. The first application of this MNP is to increase FTL speed and real-space travel.
September 12, 2375
The first implementation of MNP to the Warp coil technology has been completed. By synchronizing the Warp Coil and the point-zero mass from the element zero core, in theory, can rapidly increase FTL speed.
The first ship employing the new Warp Coil, the Odyssey, initiates warp from planet Vekta to Gyre. The estimated time interval is a surprise. The estimated FTL speed from the new Warp Coil is now at 100 light-years in 24 Earth-hours.
Implementations of the new Warp Coil are going underway.
77 Years Later
March 17, 2437
Hyperion Xi Sector
1131 Lambda System
1131 Lambda has one main sequence star with seven planets orbiting around it. Shanxi, the latest and farthest colony of the United Star Nations, is the only planet inhabited by the USN.
Shanxi is mostly an agricultural colony with few industrial and mining operations except for the two moons orbiting the colony where large mining settlements and shipyards are located. It has light defenses which is mostly against pirates and marauders that consists one Command SD platform and seven Satellite Defenses, one small fleet of light cruisers (13 at planet side and 27 at the two moons. The Light cruisers are the ISA cruisers.), and eight divisions of the ground forces and air force.
The planet is largely unexplored with only a quarter settled and scouted. The planet's and the moons combined population are under five million. The planet is the also the drop-point for many scouting and exploration parties.
At the edge of the system, a great artifact is discovered. Through deep earth scans at an ice moon, a large anomaly has been detected and a small group of cruisers has been sent to thaw out the artifact from its icy prison.