Nebula Crisis

The Nebula Crisis was a dispute between the Earth and Fransesite over colonization in the Sombrero Nebula. The dispute was temporary resolved in 3183, but precipitated the later Earth-Fransesite Space War in 3198.

History

In 3154, the Earthen Copernican Colonists, lead by Captain Leonidas Duckworth Spaceman reached the Sombrero Nebula to set up the 43rd Earth Space Colony. The colony was founded near the extensive Attwater deposits on the planet Genubi Denebola Prime. Unbeknownst to the Colonists, the Fransesite Empire had already laid claim to this area of the vast emptiness of Space. Six years after the founding, the first contact between the Earthens and Fransesites occurred when the Fransesites raided the colony's food depots and destroying the colony's supply of rustilium.

After the raid, Captain Spaceman sent a formal complaint to the Galactic Empire, but also ordered the colony to be begin the construction of fusion death ray. Because the majority of the colonists belonged to the pacifist Malingerist sect, the beginning of war production caused a great uproar. The protests only died down following a second attack on the colony by the Fransesites in 3161 that destroyed most of the remaining food supply and killed a third of the colony's population. Faced with famine and the possibility of out right destruction, the colonists began to seriously arm themselves.

The next year, Fransesites returned intent on completely destroying the Earthen colony. Fortunately for the colonists, the death ray had just been completed, so they had some measure of defense. When they colonists detected the approach of the Fransesite Fleet, Captain Spaceman was able to send, via ham radio, the approaching enemies a picture of the death ray, operational and ready for action.