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General C# Fiction / Exodus of the Hollow Suns
« Last post by Froggiest1982 on August 18, 2025, 11:46:15 PM »Frozen Shadows, New Fires
The year 0012 opened under a cloud of fatigue and anticipation. Wilder’s presidency, though not disastrous, had left the Federation restless. His tally was respectable, twenty-six motions passed, thirteen rejected, and a neat 66.67% success rating, but numbers alone could not hide the truth. His government had been frozen, dragged forward by compromise rather than conviction. He had unearthed the Jump Point Stabilisation Module, one of the most significant discoveries since the founding of the Federation; yet, the breakthrough was overshadowed by the tail end of his Presidency's deadlock. Wilder himself, tired and aware of the sentiment against him, quietly chose not to stand for reelection.
Into this vacuum returned Aura Valance. At thirty-four, she was no longer the youthful prodigy who had steered the first reconstruction, but a seasoned figure determined to prove her loss in 0006 had been an aberration. Her campaign leaned heavily on her previous record: decisive, transformative, unwilling to let fear dictate policy. “The Federation,” she declared in her speech, “does not wait for destiny; it makes destiny.” She aimed her words not only at her opponents, but at Wilder’s entire legacy of caution.
Opposing her was a figure few had expected to rise so quickly: Hektor Alpheus, twenty-seven years old, a fresh voice from the Trade Party. Unlike the old Federalist-Militarist alliance, the Trade had chosen independence, refusing to bind itself to the traditional blocs. Alpheus carried the optimism of youth; his campaign built on energy, analytical clarity, and the promise that his generation would no longer wait for the older one to dictate the pace of history. His speeches overflowed with movement: new commerce, new technologies, new horizons. To many, he represented a chance to break the old gridlock.
But the Federalists were not finished. With their strength diminished and the Trade’s defection leaving them stranded, they reached for a new weapon in their arsenal: Aphrodite Silenus, a forty-five-year-old brigadier general, decorated twice with the Tomb Raider Medal and widely respected for her leadership of Engineering Company 004 II. She was the one who had physically uncovered the Jump Point Stabilization Module, and her reputation as a soldier and discoverer gave her a distinct advantage. Silenus promised a Federalism tempered by conservatism and discipline, appealing to Military voters and even some Nationalists. Her campaign was sharp and direct: Alpheus was too young, too naïve, and worse, a product of the very Trade Party that had supported Wilder’s paralyzed government.
The House elections that year only deepened the fracture. None of the great blocs emerged with a majority. The Nationalists surged to one hundred seventy-one seats, the Militarists to one hundred forty-two. The Federalists slumped to a historic low of one hundred thirteen, the Trade fell to eighty-five, and the Pacifists held steady at ninety. Again, no classic coalition could be formed, and so, for the first time, a new custom alliance arose: Nationalists, Pacifists, and Trade, together claiming a controlling share. It was a new arithmetic, one that shifted the ground beneath all parties.
The presidential contest reflected this fractured house. Alpheus placed his bets on advertisements that cast him as the champion of service and trade, even daring to appeal to Federalist voters in industry. Silenus, in contrast, attacked relentlessly, pinning the frozen failures of Wilder’s government on the Trade Party, while pitching herself as the steady hand of discipline. Valance, for her part, leaned on memory, reminding citizens of her decisive years in office while subtly appealing to conservatives who might baulk at Alpheus’ youth or Silenus’ rigidity.
Right after casting their vote, as per custom, a representative from each voter category is randomly selected to share their views with the Exodus Council and the remote viewers connected across Earth.
Federalist Representative
Name: Octavia Merenius
Gender: Female
Occupation: Senior Logistics Officer at the Cantrell Shipyard Corporation
City: Cantrell Naval Shipyard, Earth Orbit
Pacifist Representative
Name: Ilya Damaris
Gender: Male
Occupation: Teacher of Political History, University of Geneva
City: Geneva, Earth
Trade Representative
Name: Seraphine Kaul
Gender: Female
Occupation: CEO of Delphi Transport
City: Delphi Prime, Earth Orbit
Nationalist Representative
Name: Corvus Thane
Gender: Male
Occupation: Worker at the Trans-Newtonian Refinery Complex
City: Buenos Aires, Earth
Militarist Representative
Name: Jarek Vorn
Gender: Male
Occupation: Retired Navy Commander
City: Pacifica, Earth
The first round was a shock. Alpheus soared to 42.78%, Valance trailed with 29.81%, and Silenus, despite her credentials and sharp attacks, was cut with 27.30%. Federalists gathered in hushed rooms, bitter that their champion had fallen, but Silenus wasted no time. From the podium of the House, she delivered her concession, yet not without fire. “We cannot,” she declared, “reward paralysis with power. The Federation deserves a leader who acts, not a child of the party that shackled us in silence.” With those words, she threw her weight behind Valance. The message was clear: Federalists would not let Trade seize the Presidency.
The second round was decisive, but not in the way Silenus intended. Alpheus rallied, securing 58.24% against Valance’s 41.76%. The coalition of Trade, Pacifists, and Nationalists proved too solid to break, and even within the opposition some votes leaked to the young candidate. The chamber roared when the result was announced: Hektor Alpheus, the twenty-seven-year-old, was President-elect of the Federation. The Trade Party had broken free of the Federalist-Militarist lock, and with their allies, they now controlled 57.74% of the House.
It was a moment both electrifying and unnerving. To his supporters, Alpheus was the dawn of a new age, a break from the frozen hand of the past. To his critics, he was reckless youth entrusted with the future of humanity. Aura Valance stood stiffly in the Assembly chamber, her jaw set. She had lost again, and the fire had left her eyes. Wilder had squandered his chance, and hers was now over. And as Alpheus basked in the cheers of his victory, Valance was already pondering to retire from politics, this time for good.
As per procedure, after the results were announced, the representatives had the opportunity to share their views with the Exodus Council and the connected voters.
Federalist Representative
Name: Octavia Merenius
Gender: Female
Occupation: Senior Logistics Officer at the Cantrell Shipyard Corporation
City: Cantrell Naval Shipyard, Earth Orbit
Pacifist Representative
Name: Ilya Damaris
Gender: Male
Occupation: Teacher of Political History, University of Geneva
City: Geneva, Earth
Trade Representative
Name: Seraphine Kaul
Gender: Female
Occupation: CEO of Delphi Transport
City: Delphi Prime, Earth Orbit
Nationalist Representative
Name: Corvus Thane
Gender: Male
Occupation: Worker at the Trans-Newtonian Refinery Complex
City: Buenos Aires, Earth
Militarist Representative
Name: Jarek Vorn
Gender: Male
Occupation: Retired Navy Commander
City: Pacifica, Earth
The elections of 0012 had ended, but the struggle for the Federation’s soul had only sharpened.
Click Here for the Comments and Discussion thread
The year 0012 opened under a cloud of fatigue and anticipation. Wilder’s presidency, though not disastrous, had left the Federation restless. His tally was respectable, twenty-six motions passed, thirteen rejected, and a neat 66.67% success rating, but numbers alone could not hide the truth. His government had been frozen, dragged forward by compromise rather than conviction. He had unearthed the Jump Point Stabilisation Module, one of the most significant discoveries since the founding of the Federation; yet, the breakthrough was overshadowed by the tail end of his Presidency's deadlock. Wilder himself, tired and aware of the sentiment against him, quietly chose not to stand for reelection.
Into this vacuum returned Aura Valance. At thirty-four, she was no longer the youthful prodigy who had steered the first reconstruction, but a seasoned figure determined to prove her loss in 0006 had been an aberration. Her campaign leaned heavily on her previous record: decisive, transformative, unwilling to let fear dictate policy. “The Federation,” she declared in her speech, “does not wait for destiny; it makes destiny.” She aimed her words not only at her opponents, but at Wilder’s entire legacy of caution.
Opposing her was a figure few had expected to rise so quickly: Hektor Alpheus, twenty-seven years old, a fresh voice from the Trade Party. Unlike the old Federalist-Militarist alliance, the Trade had chosen independence, refusing to bind itself to the traditional blocs. Alpheus carried the optimism of youth; his campaign built on energy, analytical clarity, and the promise that his generation would no longer wait for the older one to dictate the pace of history. His speeches overflowed with movement: new commerce, new technologies, new horizons. To many, he represented a chance to break the old gridlock.
But the Federalists were not finished. With their strength diminished and the Trade’s defection leaving them stranded, they reached for a new weapon in their arsenal: Aphrodite Silenus, a forty-five-year-old brigadier general, decorated twice with the Tomb Raider Medal and widely respected for her leadership of Engineering Company 004 II. She was the one who had physically uncovered the Jump Point Stabilization Module, and her reputation as a soldier and discoverer gave her a distinct advantage. Silenus promised a Federalism tempered by conservatism and discipline, appealing to Military voters and even some Nationalists. Her campaign was sharp and direct: Alpheus was too young, too naïve, and worse, a product of the very Trade Party that had supported Wilder’s paralyzed government.
The House elections that year only deepened the fracture. None of the great blocs emerged with a majority. The Nationalists surged to one hundred seventy-one seats, the Militarists to one hundred forty-two. The Federalists slumped to a historic low of one hundred thirteen, the Trade fell to eighty-five, and the Pacifists held steady at ninety. Again, no classic coalition could be formed, and so, for the first time, a new custom alliance arose: Nationalists, Pacifists, and Trade, together claiming a controlling share. It was a new arithmetic, one that shifted the ground beneath all parties.
The presidential contest reflected this fractured house. Alpheus placed his bets on advertisements that cast him as the champion of service and trade, even daring to appeal to Federalist voters in industry. Silenus, in contrast, attacked relentlessly, pinning the frozen failures of Wilder’s government on the Trade Party, while pitching herself as the steady hand of discipline. Valance, for her part, leaned on memory, reminding citizens of her decisive years in office while subtly appealing to conservatives who might baulk at Alpheus’ youth or Silenus’ rigidity.
Right after casting their vote, as per custom, a representative from each voter category is randomly selected to share their views with the Exodus Council and the remote viewers connected across Earth.
Federalist Representative
Name: Octavia Merenius
Gender: Female
Occupation: Senior Logistics Officer at the Cantrell Shipyard Corporation
City: Cantrell Naval Shipyard, Earth Orbit
Quote
I’ve served the Shipyard Authority for nearly two decades, and the Federalists have always been the party of order. I trusted Wilder, though his presidency felt like being stuck in docking bay traffic, no one daring to move forward. That’s why I believe in Aphrodite Silenus. She’s proven herself in the ruins, disciplined, decorated, and Federalist to the core. If anyone can restore a sense of control in the Federation and wrest power back from these loud young traders, it’s her. Valance has brilliance, but she’s too impatient; Alpheus, too green. No, Silenus is the anchor we need.
Pacifist Representative
Name: Ilya Damaris
Gender: Male
Occupation: Teacher of Political History, University of Geneva
City: Geneva, Earth
Quote
I’ve watched Valance before, and I respect her accomplishments, but I’ve also watched the Militarists grow stronger with every cycle. Their answer to every question is a warship, a battalion, another medal to pin. We Pacifists must hold the line. This election is not about personalities; it’s about keeping the Federation from marching itself into conflict the moment it looks beyond Earth. A coalition with Trade and Nationalists may be strange, but if it prevents the Militarists and Federalists from dragging us into war, then it is worthwhile. Alpheus represents a chance, youth, energy, and a departure from gridlock.
Trade Representative
Name: Seraphine Kaul
Gender: Female
Occupation: CEO of Delphi Transport
City: Delphi Prime, Earth Orbit
Quote
The Trade Party is finally standing on its own, and about time! For too long, we’ve been treated as the junior partner to the Federalists or Militarists, our voices drowned out by their obsession with control and war. But now we have Hektor Alpheus, young, sharp, understands commerce, understands that the Federation must move. Our industry, our innovation, our trade corridors, these are what keep the Federation alive. The others don’t see it. Wilder dragged us into stagnation. Valance? Too obsessed with being the saviour. Silenus? A soldier with medals but no grasp of economics. No, this year belongs to Trade.
Nationalist Representative
Name: Corvus Thane
Gender: Male
Occupation: Worker at the Trans-Newtonian Refinery Complex
City: Buenos Aires, Earth
Quote
Every year, we break our backs feeding ore into the furnaces, and every year, it’s the same: the elites in Geneva and New York pat themselves on the back while the worker sees none of it. The Nationalists are the only party that remembers us. Wilder let the government freeze. Valance had her time. Silenus is just another Federalist in uniform. No, this election is about taking back power for the people who make this Federation. Alpheus… I don’t trust him. Young, polished, a trader’s son. But if our seats give us leverage, we’ll make him listen.
Militarist Representative
Name: Jarek Vorn
Gender: Male
Occupation: Retired Navy Commander
City: Pacifica, Earth
Quote
Look at the seat count, we are rising. The people know it. The Federation cannot survive on speeches and trade routes; it must defend itself, expand, and secure. We Militarists are closer than ever to real power. I respect Silenus, I do. A soldier’s soldier. Valance, though dangerous with her rashness, at least acts. Alpheus? A boy in a suit. If he wins, the Federation will drift, fat and complacent, until the day it meets a threat it cannot bargain with. Mark my words, history will judge this election as the moment the Federation chose weakness.
The first round was a shock. Alpheus soared to 42.78%, Valance trailed with 29.81%, and Silenus, despite her credentials and sharp attacks, was cut with 27.30%. Federalists gathered in hushed rooms, bitter that their champion had fallen, but Silenus wasted no time. From the podium of the House, she delivered her concession, yet not without fire. “We cannot,” she declared, “reward paralysis with power. The Federation deserves a leader who acts, not a child of the party that shackled us in silence.” With those words, she threw her weight behind Valance. The message was clear: Federalists would not let Trade seize the Presidency.
The second round was decisive, but not in the way Silenus intended. Alpheus rallied, securing 58.24% against Valance’s 41.76%. The coalition of Trade, Pacifists, and Nationalists proved too solid to break, and even within the opposition some votes leaked to the young candidate. The chamber roared when the result was announced: Hektor Alpheus, the twenty-seven-year-old, was President-elect of the Federation. The Trade Party had broken free of the Federalist-Militarist lock, and with their allies, they now controlled 57.74% of the House.
It was a moment both electrifying and unnerving. To his supporters, Alpheus was the dawn of a new age, a break from the frozen hand of the past. To his critics, he was reckless youth entrusted with the future of humanity. Aura Valance stood stiffly in the Assembly chamber, her jaw set. She had lost again, and the fire had left her eyes. Wilder had squandered his chance, and hers was now over. And as Alpheus basked in the cheers of his victory, Valance was already pondering to retire from politics, this time for good.
As per procedure, after the results were announced, the representatives had the opportunity to share their views with the Exodus Council and the connected voters.
Federalist Representative
Name: Octavia Merenius
Gender: Female
Occupation: Senior Logistics Officer at the Cantrell Shipyard Corporation
City: Cantrell Naval Shipyard, Earth Orbit
Quote
I won’t lie, watching Silenus fall in the first round cut deep. Endorsing Valance felt like an act of desperation, an admission that our bloc couldn’t stand alone anymore. And in the end, it wasn’t enough. The Trade boy, Alpheus, is now President. He smiles for the cameras, but he has no steel, no record of command. It feels like we’ve handed the helm of a starship to a cadet because the crew couldn’t agree on a captain. I’ll keep working, of course, but tonight I feel the Federation has slipped a little further away from the discipline it needs.
Pacifist Representative
Name: Ilya Damaris
Gender: Male
Occupation: Teacher of Political History, University of Geneva
City: Geneva, Earth
Quote
For once, I feel cautious optimism. Alpheus is young, yes, but perhaps that’s what we need: someone not yet soaked in the stale compromises of the past. His victory was narrow in its mandate but clear in its numbers. The coalition held. For us, this is proof that the Federation does not belong to soldiers or relics of the old guard. Yet, I worry. Coalitions are fragile. If he fails to deliver progress, if his administration stumbles like Wilder’s, the Militarists will shout louder than ever. Still, tonight, I sleep easier than I have in years.
Trade Representative
Name: Seraphine Kaul
Gender: Female
Occupation: CEO of Delphi Transport
City: Delphi Prime, Earth Orbit
Quote
Victory. Sweet, defiant victory. When Hektor’s name was called, I felt the weight of decades lift. For the first time, a President who understands that every credit, every shipment, every contract matters more than military parades or endless debates about ideology. Of course, the Federalists spit venom and the Militarists glare, but they’ve been in the cockpit too long. Let them stew. The Federation has chosen commerce over cannons, trade routes over trench lines. Now, Alpheus must prove he can deliver. But tonight, I will allow myself to celebrate. This is our moment.
Nationalist Representative
Name: Corvus Thane
Gender: Male
Occupation: Worker at the Trans-Newtonian Refinery Complex
City: Buenos Aires, Earth
Quote
I’ll admit, I was surprised when Alpheus took it. The boy’s got more steel in him than I thought. Maybe. The Nationalists hold the most seats now, and that means he’ll need us. He cannot govern without listening to the workers, without ensuring that the wealth of the stars doesn’t funnel into the hands of New York’s elites. I don’t celebrate, not yet. But I see an opening. If Alpheus fails, we’ll be ready to sweep the next elections. For now, I’ll watch, I’ll wait, and I’ll keep my tools close.
Militarist Representative
Name: Jarek Vorn
Gender: Male
Occupation: Retired Navy Commander
City: Pacifica, Earth
Quote
Alpheus won. Of course he did. The House was stacked by cowards and dreamers who think coalitions will protect them. Let them celebrate tonight. The Militarists are stronger than ever, our numbers climbing, our voice growing. The Federation can ignore us for only so long. When the stars finally demand strength, when some alien or rival rises beyond our borders, who will they turn to? Not the traders. Not the pacifists. Us. Alpheus is a passing storm. The tide is ours, and it grows with every year.
The elections of 0012 had ended, but the struggle for the Federation’s soul had only sharpened.
Click Here for the Comments and Discussion thread
