Starraze Rebellion

For three days in 2090 EVT, Family Chair Starraze Louise stood in open rebellion against Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil's growing stranglehold over the Sparnell Confederation.
The Fleet Admiral claimed the Confederation war hero was after her power. Chairman Starraze declared his opposition a protest against the more violent shift in the Confederation. In the end, it made little difference. Despite her claims of respect for Chairman Starraze, Vice Admiral Selkirk Tallinah was finally able to infiltrate the Starraze Family's defenses and Shatter their Chairman, effectively ending the rebellion – and the Starraze Family.
Historians secretly wonder at the outcome if Starraze Louise had been able to sway even one of the other powerful Sparnelli Families to join him. The Margold Family was specifically targeted by the Chairman, and yet despite his best efforts they did not actively engage on behalf of either side, but rather advised both parties to meet at the negotiation table. Detractors suspect that rather than considering the Chairman's warnings, they may have instead tipped off Valcore to his intentions.

The Conflict

Prelude

Confederation Civil War

The seeds of the Starraze Rebellion were planted in 2002 EVT with the end of the Confederation Civil War, a three-way conflict which ripped apart the Sparnell Confederation based upon different interpretations of a Divination prophesy from the revered Valcore Oracle. Valcore Sil, leader of the winning faction, declared herself Fleet Admiral with support from Empress Rakethorne and promises her leadership would usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for the tattered remnants of the Confederation.
Initially, Valcore Sil appeared intent to keep her word. Time would prove otherwise.

The Calm

Valcore Sil's initial actions included the creation of Sparnell Central Intelligence, an elite intelligence-gathering organization tasked with anticipating the moves of the Confederation's opponents, replacing the corrupt and disloyal Sparnell Intelligence Agency. She named her personal TAG leader of the new SCI, publicly declaring Selkirk Tallinah her most valuable asset and commending her unwavering support during the war.
The new Fleet Admiral also declared the long-held traditions of the Old Ways illegal, professing hope for a new Confederation, focused on supporting all of its members. This proclamation was met with much public rejoicing, although several of the older Sparnelli Families continued to practice the harsh traditions of the Old Ways behind closed doors, including the war-battered Selkirks.

The Buildup

The softer Confederation was short lived. Struggling with retaining her power in the face of the domestic political maneuvering of her rivals, Valcore Sil made a series of decrees in the 2050s in an effort to redirect focus back to intergalactic strife and patriotic fervor. This began in 2052 EVT with a mundane announcement of major renovations to SAF Military Headquarters, but quickly escalated into an increased focus on the Sparnell Armed Forces in everyday life.
Sparnell Fleet Command was encouraged in 2053 EVT to set their sights once more on gaining personal and Family glory through the subjugation of neighboring Freehold planets, followed in 2054 EVT by changes to SAF Conscription, increasing enlistment to ten years while also lowering the age of conscription from eighteen to sixteen.
By 2058 EVT the formerly outlawed practice of Claiming was reinstated, encouraging conscripts to compete with each other for attention from the many Admirals and Vice Admirals of the SAF, seeking early removal from their training to join the active fleet directly.

Family Politics

Valcore Sil's former allies protested these new developments, mostly in private. Many suspected Sparnell Central Intelligence of turning large portions of their resources toward rooting out dissent among Families, particularly given Vice Admiral Selkirk Tallinah's absolute loyalty to the Fleet Admiral, but this still did not stop the politics and grumbling behind closed doors.
The Valcore Oracle made a public proclamation against her daughter, reaffirming her own interpretations of her prophecies as requiring a kinder, more supportive Confederation. This only succeeded in straining relations between the Oracle and her daughter to the breaking point, with Valcore Sil making an uncharacteristic – and scathing – speech against her mother before cutting off contact entirely.

Rebellion

The situation came to a head when in late 2090 EVT Chairman Starraze Louise, hero of the Confederation's Civil War and Valcore Sil's once-staunch ally, demanded an in-person audience with Empress Rakethorne to discuss the latest military developments. Valcore Sil refused, prompting Chairman Starraze to accuse the Fleet Admiral of foul play against the Empress, who had not been seen since her public support of Valcore Sil almost 90 years prior.
Starraze made one last appeal to the Families who had supported the Valcores in prior War, most notably the Selkirks and Margolds, before declaring his Family in open physical opposition to the Valcore Family.

Open Rebellion

The Starraze Rebellion itself was fierce, lasting three days of intense fighting. The Chairman's experience from the Civil War granted him additional insight into Valcore's tactics, allowing him to hold her off and even thwart several of her TAG's attempts to infiltrate their position, sending Selkirk Tallinah back to the Selkirk reconstruction library on two separate occasions.
His luck ran out on 2090.01.13 EVT. Unable to convince the other Families to join them, the Starraze Family collapsed when the TAG successfully infiltrated Louise's position, Shattering him and leaving his forces in disarray.

Outcome

The Starraze Family was declared Dishonored, the majority of their members renouncing their Family name and forming new Families. A lucky few were able to join other, still-honored Families due to pre-existing relationships and their own vocal opposition to the Rebellion.

Aftermath

Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil tightened her grip on the Sparnell Confederation as a result of the Starraze's failure to overthrow her power or draw more allies openly to their side. The Margold Family remains the only Family to openly acknowledge the validity of some of Chairman Starraze Louise's complaints preceding the Rebellion, but their firm insistence on a peaceful and diplomatic resolution did little to further the Rebellion's goals, and much to weaken them.
None have dared stand against Fleet Admiral Valcore since.

Historical Significance

Legacy

Under strong advisement and supervision from the Margold Family, the SAF Advisory Council was created two months after the Rebellion, with the intent to review and analyze military and political events both within and outside the Confederation.
In public this was touted as another measure to further the superiority of the Sparnell Confederation, and prevent the possibility of future rebellions. In truth, the Council was also intended to help curb the worst of Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil's ruthless ambitions, in the hope of eliminating the conditions which prompted the Starraze Rebellion in the first place.
The Margold Family remains closed lipped about whether or not they believe the Council to be achieving their goals, although in the centuries since its founding there have been no further attempts at the same scale as the Starraze Rebellion.

Conflict Type

Rebellion

Battlefield Type

Planetary

Start Date

2090.1.11 EVT

Ending Date

2090.1.13 EVT

Conflict Result

Chairman Starraze Louise was shattered and the Starraze Family declared Disgraced.

Location

Sparnell

Belligerents

Starraze Family

• Starraze Family

Led by

• Chairman Starraze Louise

SAF Fleet Command

• Sparnell Fleet Command

Led by

• Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil

Strength

The entire Starraze Family, with additional support from many of Chairman Starraze Louise's surviving subordinates from his time in the Civil War.

The majority of Sparnell Fleet Command, led personally by Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil, and supported heavily by Selkirk Tallinah and the Selkirk Family.

Casualties

Devastating

Minor

Objectives

A return to Fleet Admiral Valcore Sil's promise of a kinder Sparnell Confederation, as she had promised when requesting the Starraze Family's support during the Confederation Civil War.

Maintaining the new status quo by directing military fleets outward to conquer and seek glory, reducing the opportunity or interest in protesting the current state of affairs at home.

Further Reading