Long into The War, as these Factions battled for control, it was realized that one of the backwater planets involved in the conflict was probably Earth. An Earth, changed by the calamitous intervening years, that was mostly healed by its respite from humanity’s swarm. Conquering it would be a great symbolic victory, but other, more valuable worlds continue to be The War’s focus.
As humanity regathered itself amongst the stars, lines were quickly drawn. Everyone has their idea of how things should be done, and so many of them are incompatible. So many of them are worth dying for.
The conflict that encompasses The Five Galactic Sovereigns has many names, both in use and out of date, but most just call it The War. It’s too old, too ubiquitous to call it anything else. The Sovereigns have allied, defended, battled, and betrayed each other so many times that it doesn’t matter anymore. “Peace” is a time to gather intel on your allies and rebuild your strength so that you can betray them before they do the same to you.
All of humanity has been yoked to this, their most terrible wonder. Many strains of education, training, and recreation were turned to preparing the populace for their role in The War. Full mobilization across entire systems has led to severe rationing. Only the most common and necessary of materials are available to the civilian populace. Many try to get around the restrictions by enlisting in the military, and many others get around them by being conscripted. Everyone feels these pains of The War, except for those who can afford workarounds.
Wealthy and powerful members of every Sovereign use their resources to bypass the civil responsibilities that the less affluent fulfill. Those with the money can buy rationed or restricted material on the black market. With the right words and “donations” to the war effort, conscription can be performed in a cozy and safe backwater outpost, if not outright avoided. But while many would consider the Izyan Conflict a backwater outpost, it is anything but safe.