Toward Stars Era

The map of the Toward Star world.

The Toward Stars Era (also known as the Towards Stars, and Toward Star) is the period after the Fixed Star Era.

History

Discovery of Dragonite

Father and son watch the departure of a spaceship from a colony.

The beginning of the Toward Stars Era (Toward Stars 1) is said to be marked by the arrival of an asteroid. The asteroid crashed in Arashan Desert located in Northern China. Scientists who studied the asteroid later dubbed it "dragonite". The properties of the unique and rare mineral became integral to faster-than-light travel when the scientists discovered the dragonite released energy from a inexhaustible ether (a type of warp space).

Desperate to get their hands on more dragonite, every capital in the world provided enormous funds to aid in obtaining it. Doctor Sam Kaseinpow, an ether physicist and the Chosong Science Company, led by Hata Ike, worked to build the first Munchausen Drive. With the development of the Munchausen Drive underway, humanity bled their way into the reaches of space beyond the Solar System in search of more dragonite, their travels likely bringing them into contact with other species that inhabit the galaxy, with established religions, lifestyles, attitudes and solar systems of their own. The event was likened to the "Gold Rush" of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Law and Lawlessness

However, with the expansion into space with the use of a sub-ether drive, there came familiar problems common on planet-bound environments. Individuals who considered themselves free and unbound by the law began to congregate within space and establish organizations and factions to facilitate criminal activity and personal gain. Pirates of the age of sailing were reborn again in Space pirates; thieves, outlaws, assassins and bounty hunters followed suit, preying on any opportunity or developing colonies and frontiersmen in the frontier of space.

The Toward Stars Map (translated).

In order to prevent space from becoming outright lawlessness, the governments of Earth established the Earth Federation. Said federation was separated into four empires: USAA, Einhorn, Pitor and Tempa. However, their unity wasn't as effective as hoped. The empires fought among themselves and smaller, more fractured groups within the politically unstable landscape, in a vie for complete dominance.

Space Forces were established to curtail the activities of the more prominent criminal factions, the space pirates. However, the Space Forces' effectiveness against space pirates appeared minimal, as pirate attacks continued to grow across the frontier. When the Chinese space pirates began to use EVA craft equipment, such as grappler arms, in combat, the use of grappler arms quickly became the norm in space combat and the Space Forces were forced adapt to the ever-changing landscape with grappler ships of their own.

The emergence of outlaws, who adopted an attitude of neutrality in regards to the Space Forces and space pirate factions, became a perplexing problem as their activities were varied and depended largely on the motivation of the individual calling themselves "outlaws". All three powers --- outlaw, space pirate and Space Forces --- however, are prone to power struggles within their own groups and thus loyalty among either powers is a rarity.

Lifestyle

Humankind gradually adapted to life in space as the Toward Stars Era progressed. Planets were terraformed to match Earth conditions or something similar and new systems were discovered and named. Space stations, like the Toward Star Inn and Blue Heaven, were created to accommodate people during the long periods of time experienced between space travel.

Blue Heaven, in particular, created an environment wherein violence between the Space Forces, outlaws and space pirates was prohibited --- primarily due to the dangers of firing weapons in a fragile structure vulnerable to the dangers of space --- and thus named a "free town". With the aid of dragonite, space races such as the Heifong Space Race increased in popularity the more common faster-than-light-travel became.

Frontiersmen of an colony on the outskirts.

Poverty and financial strife within struggling colonies on the outskirts of the frontier worlds were more likely to be targeted by pirates and thieves. As a result, private corporations established private security that was, in some cases, more affordable for the less fortunate. However, there were those who profited on the the disadvantageous of poor colonists and charged for their protection and looked down on individuals who provided free protection.

Species from different planets and systems appear to be able to mingle with humankind without major conflict, though there are still instances of prejudice aimed toward beings created by man, such as bio androids (born of organic and machine elements) and the Saurians, lizard men created from the genes of the dinosaurs.

Identified Timelines

The following Star Space Calendar year dates are mentioned in the series Outlaw Star and Angel Links

Toward Stars 1

• An asteroid crash lands in the Arashan Desert located in Northern China.
• The Munchausen Drive is created.
• The "Gold Rush" of space exploration begins.

Toward Stars 142, June 30

• Meifon Li is born.

Towards Stars 156

• The foundation of the Keyline Project. Melfina mentions this year upon her activation.

Toward Stars 159

• The events of Angel Links take place.
• The bio android Meifon Li dies.