Ex Vessel Moscow: The Origin of the Intergalactic Alliance of Orion

“Entire planets were lost in the War of Orion's Arm, leaving some races in pieces and wiping others completely from history books. A lot of bad blood was spilled and not even the I.A.O. could predict how far it had spread.” - Enias Sohorst, Spilt Milk: A Chronology of War in the Milky Way

The War of Orion's Arm was the first inter-species war that Earth took part in, following within a decade of the first Martian War which marked the debut of Earthly interplanetary combat. In reality, Orion's Arm was a misnomer because the war eventually expanded to include several planets and races that were not members of even the Milky Way Galaxy, but the Earthlings characteristically maintained a name that inflated their self-importance. It was this attachment to localization that led them to, in the aftermath of the war, become one of the founding members of the Interplanetary Alliance of Orion in 2258 AD. Originally the I.A.O. was built to only include the planets that had taken part in the war, but it was not long before its members realized that they would need to broaden their scope a great deal.

At the outset of the I.A.O., there were a handful of races who refused their invitations on grounds of power or pride or prior commitment. The number of races involved in the War of Orion's Arm was staggering however and the organization grew despite these dissenters. Soon, outside races who were threatened by its size began to request inclusion and those who had refused were in an awkward position. Other alliances began to form, sweeping up old ones and attracting others from outside galaxies. Primary among these were the Trazen Allies, a group of pride driven elitists who could offer money and resources to those who would not normally be interested, and The Church of Brokt, an especially popular, cross-species religious following. A period of stalemate ensued, during which time the atmosphere seemed to imply that the I.A.O. had accomplished the opposite of what it was created to do.

In the modern day, 2336 AD, the I.A.O. has been re-branded as the Intergalactic Alliance of Orion. Its primary purpose has shifted entirely to focus on enlisting races at the farthest reaches of the galaxy and its chief members have been given power over a division called the Intergalactic Exploration Guild. No blood has yet been spilled, but the hostile atmosphere has remained for so many decades, that it has become the norm.

For one reason or another, you find yourself on board the newly commissioned I.A.O. Moscow. The Moscow is an I.A.O. Exploratory Vessel, or Ex Vessel as they are known in informal circles, which maintains highest level of clearance in the I.A.O. fleet. Ex Vessels are known to contain ambassadors and so they have political immunity in Primary Alliance space, but they are also known to pack an immense amount of firepower. Some Ex Vessels are famous for their tendency for peace, others are notorious for their proficiency with strong arming. As its first task, the crew of the Moscow has been sent to a newly discovered star system, the Eve System, to investigate the disappearance of the I.A.O. Brazghar and several other I.A.O. Vessels.

The delicate balance of the universe is shifting.