After the end of the Fourth Hegemony, the surviving Children of the Gods wandered throughout space in their great ships for many years.
Uncounted years after the holocaust, fifty-two ships remained of the original hundred. They were greatly overcrowded, as whenever a ship would fail, the survivors would be taken aboard the rest of the Fleet. Even with these measures, however, the numbers of our race dwindled. Extinction seemed sure, for even then the Elders would not consent to stop and try to build a new home.
But in time, even the long-lived A'Tarans succumb to age, and a younger generation who had not directly lived the horrors of the War took command. The edicts against settling permanently were still strong and it was difficult to defy the laws of the Elders even after death - but there were other steps that could be taken.
Eventually, a star system was found. A backwater, uninhabited except by primitive creatures, and strategically unimportant to any of the major players in Galactic politics. No permanent settlement was made, and so the edicts were obeyed; however, the Ships finally settled in orbits around three of the planets of that system.
In the years that followed, mining outposts were constructed, asteroids and lifeless moons were explored and exploited for their raw materials. The surviving ships were meticulously repaired and rebuilt, and when possible, upgraded.
Without the stress of interstellar travel, the surviving A'Tarans began to focus on rebuilding as well. The first priority was numbers alone - the gene pool had become thin as more and more died, and a frantic burst of activity was seen in replenishing their numbers. In addition, some eugenics programs were implemented as well. Some were amateurish and unofficial, merely searching for mates that would be able to pass on the strongest constitutions, or the most brilliant minds.
Others were more subtle and more researched, with the intent of 'improving' the A'Taran race. These were more limited, as it was considered heretical to try and 'improve' the Children of the Gods - few wished to affront the Gods, after all. But in the end, the results of these programs saw the A'Taran species pull back from the brink of extinction and flourish.
This then heralded another problem - with the surviving fifty-two ships already crammed to capacity, the newest generation of pups would surely be more than the ships could sustain. Some suggested that perhaps it was time to settle a homeworld after all. No pursuit had been sighted, or even hinted at, since the holocaust. They could not live like this forever - what sort of life could they hope for?
But the counter arguments were fierce. The Elders had saved them from the abyss - their edicts did not become irrelevant with their deaths. The A'Taran reverance of age's wisdom was tenacious, and the majority still held to this view (the older generations, of course).
In the end, however, a compromise was reached. Instead of breaking with the Edicts, instead of condemning themselves to the ships that would soon begin to decline no matter how well-built, it was decided that new homeships would be built. Great and glorious homeships, not the small and utilitarian generation ships that were decades out of date.
The Fifth Hegemony would be the first to exist independently of any world or star system.
Uncounted years after the holocaust, fifty-two ships remained of the original hundred. They were greatly overcrowded, as whenever a ship would fail, the survivors would be taken aboard the rest of the Fleet. Even with these measures, however, the numbers of our race dwindled. Extinction seemed sure, for even then the Elders would not consent to stop and try to build a new home.
But in time, even the long-lived A'Tarans succumb to age, and a younger generation who had not directly lived the horrors of the War took command. The edicts against settling permanently were still strong and it was difficult to defy the laws of the Elders even after death - but there were other steps that could be taken.
Eventually, a star system was found. A backwater, uninhabited except by primitive creatures, and strategically unimportant to any of the major players in Galactic politics. No permanent settlement was made, and so the edicts were obeyed; however, the Ships finally settled in orbits around three of the planets of that system.
In the years that followed, mining outposts were constructed, asteroids and lifeless moons were explored and exploited for their raw materials. The surviving ships were meticulously repaired and rebuilt, and when possible, upgraded.
Without the stress of interstellar travel, the surviving A'Tarans began to focus on rebuilding as well. The first priority was numbers alone - the gene pool had become thin as more and more died, and a frantic burst of activity was seen in replenishing their numbers. In addition, some eugenics programs were implemented as well. Some were amateurish and unofficial, merely searching for mates that would be able to pass on the strongest constitutions, or the most brilliant minds.
Others were more subtle and more researched, with the intent of 'improving' the A'Taran race. These were more limited, as it was considered heretical to try and 'improve' the Children of the Gods - few wished to affront the Gods, after all. But in the end, the results of these programs saw the A'Taran species pull back from the brink of extinction and flourish.
This then heralded another problem - with the surviving fifty-two ships already crammed to capacity, the newest generation of pups would surely be more than the ships could sustain. Some suggested that perhaps it was time to settle a homeworld after all. No pursuit had been sighted, or even hinted at, since the holocaust. They could not live like this forever - what sort of life could they hope for?
But the counter arguments were fierce. The Elders had saved them from the abyss - their edicts did not become irrelevant with their deaths. The A'Taran reverance of age's wisdom was tenacious, and the majority still held to this view (the older generations, of course).
In the end, however, a compromise was reached. Instead of breaking with the Edicts, instead of condemning themselves to the ships that would soon begin to decline no matter how well-built, it was decided that new homeships would be built. Great and glorious homeships, not the small and utilitarian generation ships that were decades out of date.
The Fifth Hegemony would be the first to exist independently of any world or star system.