The Three Systems War

Article written by Crystal

A quick summary of the Three Systems War. As the name implies, three solar systems were involved in this war, officially speaking. The home system of the Zokki, the Second Nation of Izula (the first system the Oltu spread to after acquiring intersolar travel), and the Muita System (populated semi-recently by a mix of Oltu and Humans). When such things concerned me, I was an agent for the Zokki home system. Any secrets I choose to share will never leave this planet, and I have decided that it might be better this way. Let the war continue without me. I hope peace will be found.

The war began on the planet fifth from the star in the Second Nation of Izula. I am not aware of the exact truth of what happened, and I will not speculate, but what is known for certain is that the Fifth Queen of the Second Nation of Izula was killed. The killer, as far as anyone of my rank or lower was informed, is unknown. Perhaps this has changed in the years I have been gone. I do not know. Part of me hopes that the killer if never found. It could only make things worse, at this point.

Angel: Why would finding the killer make things worse? I thought part of the problem was everyone pointing fingers at each other.

Crystal: Angel, you were an up-and-coming sports star before the crash. I somehow doubt that you had the strongest grasp on politics.

Mina: I was just a mortician and that was my understanding too, though. Maybe fill us in?

Crystal: Fine.

The conflict began with the pointing of fingers and wild claims of secret assassins sent to overthrow the Second Nation of Izula. The fighting raged over the three systems for two years. Then, after the near destruction of a populated world in the Muita System, things cooled off. A Cold War began. I fear that true identification of the killer will only serve to ignite the conflict once more.

For my part in this conflict, I mostly delivered messages. I was combat trained, of course, but rarely did I have to put those skills into use. When I was sent to board the C.S. Harmony, I had been informed that there was someone working in the engines who had vital information for me. I was also warned that there were a handful of potential targets onboard and that the informant in the engines must be kept unaware of these people. I do not know if he discovered who, exactly, was on the C.S. Harmony or not. He is now dead and cannot be questioned.

Mina: Extremely tactful way of saying that just about everyone died in the crash.

Jude: To be fair, there is a chance that some lifepods managed to land safely on parts of the planet too far for us to reach. They might be out there thinking they're the only survivors, just like we think we are.

Mina: I would not call what happened to our pod 'landing safely.'

Crystal: You lived. That's safe enough.

Mina: There were more people than just Jude and I in that pod, and we're the only two you see here. Just sayin'.

The tensions between the warring systems were only ever increased by the fact that the territory they used for their conflicts, both hot and cold in nature, was ever-changing. Two ships firing at each other through the void of space, ships bombarding planets from orbit, battles carried out planet side. Or whispered and coded conversations on stations and ships not owned by anyone involved, celebrities sent to planets as an act of goodwill only for them to hide monitoring devices, boasting about technology no side really had as a way of frightening the others. To me, it seems this war will only ever continue to change, never truly ending. How could it? Every side feels wronged by the others, and none will own up to having done what they are accused of. None will back down for fear of appearing weak, and none will attack for fear of appearing brutal.
I am glad to be free of it. Even if it means I must spend the rest of my days with five idiot aliens and a strange, parasitic child.

Angel: Can you all PLEASE stop calling Ember a parasite??

Jude: We all love her. But. She WAS a parasitic lifeform implanted into you after we crashed on this planet.

Jay: It's not a negative term. It's simply factual.

Angel: You're sleeping outside our house tonight.