Alcura

Alcura was the homeworld of the ubiquitous Alcurii race, who were renowned merchants and were among the most ancient species in the galaxy. It orbited a medium sized yellow star in the Alcuran system, which sat at the nexus of many small hyperlanes, giving it dominance over its part of the Core. Alcura resisted Republic membership for millenia and even warred with it in the past, also keeping independence and aloofness from the Confederacy and even the authoritarian Tarali Empire\Empire. Despite its isolationist policies Alcura had a powerful voice in the Galactic Council, where it influenced many rulings. All this firmly established Alcura as a major galactic power. The planet was heavily populated and was a key port.

The Alcurans were a race of scaly green reptilians and probably evolved long before the advent of Humanity. They were well known for their immense ambition and short tempers and had established themselves as Alcura's dominant species long before they had reached the stars. The Ilim were related to the Alcurans, but lacked large numbers and were also physically weaker than their more aggressive cousins. They were forced out into the northern deserts and later forced to pay homage to the Alcurii rulers. The Alcurii grudgingly traded food from the fertile regions below the equator. The northernmost Alcurii city, Licura, became a fortress to guard against and keep watch on the Ilim. Today it is the capital city of the Alcurii League, with more than 2 billion inhabitants.

Once they had developed warp drive the Alcurii colonised many nearby worlds before achieving first contact with another spacefaring race - the Sakki. The two species were remarkably similar in attitude and in modern times they were almost incomparable, except in appearance. The Alcurii eventually encountered Humans, but Alcurii hostility resulted in a five year conflict which was ended when the Republic destroyed an entire Alcurii fleet. It was centuries before a peace treaty was signed and by this time the Alcurii League of Worlds numbered 286 planets, with a total population of 13.6 trillion.

In _______ however the Alcurii were faced with a grave threat from within their own star system. On the outermost planet Prolz a hideous silicon-based lifeform had evolved to sentience within just 3000 years. It was hostile and aggressive and when they discovered that they shared the system with the Alcurii they used their powerful telekinetic abilities to launch asteroids at Alcura. The ones that impacted caused millions of deaths, but fourtunately the planet didn't suffer major damage. It was only in 2311 BTA that the Alcurii were able to counter the Prolzzi threat by completing construction of a vast orbital defence network, comprised of a planetary shield and thousands of automated firing batteries. They were also able to manipulate the planet D'ket's powerful gravitational field to capture most of the asteroids into its gaseous atmosphere. Prolz remained quarantined during the modern era.

In ________ Alcura faced the enormous armies of Zeltros Hie and was forced to ally with the Ferosians and Sakki to order to block his advance into their territories, and thus the Core. Despite successfully pushing the Tarnessian tyrant back, he used his dark Shuue powers to conjure up a solar storm in the Quable system of the Pretin sector. Some 90 Alcurii warships were destroyed, but Hie soon diverted his fleets to different fronts.

With the development of galactic-wide trade in the 7000s BTA the Alcurii had secured themselves as one of the most profitable and wealthiest of species and in 1971 BTA they were placed in charge of the Galactic Council's Bureau of Trade, along with the Sakki and the Ralicians. Soon they had over 300 delegates in the Galactic Council, but with their relations with the Darinna Senate remained tense. Ongoing disputes between the two powers came to a head in Chancellor Dadas Buroon expelled the Alcurii ambassador. Since that time the Yaroset sector has secluded itself from the majority of the galaxy, with Alcura being the only recorded planet in the Republic Archives. Relations with the Republic were eventually restored in 60 BTA, when Plerel Cos, the noted diplomat, was appointed Darinna ambassador to the League. He served for only four years, but in that time established himself as a respected individual on Alcura. League Chairman Negt allowed the Republic to re-establish formal ties and he re-opened long closed trade routes.

Alcura grew suspiciously quiet before and after the Galactic Rebellion and even into the formation of the Restored Republic. It was discovered in 65 ATA that the Ilim had risen up in revolt.

Addendum
The Alcurii League would remain neutral during the New Conflict.