overview
The Vanguard Empire was an authoritarian socialist interstellar empire. They originate from and control the planet Gaia, which serves as their capital.
Unlike their rivals, the Vanguard utilized a physical currency system, relying on paper money and coins known as Yuan.
The official flag of the Vanguard Empire is green, featuring a prominent black circle in the center with a red star on top of it.
the Great War
During the Great War in the late 25th century, the Vanguard Empire launched a massive invasion against the Protectorate-controlled planet of Euphrosyne.
As part of their campaign, Vanguard forces successfully landed millions of ground troops on the planet’s surface. However, despite their sheer numbers, the invasion ultimately failed. Realizing they were unable to safely extract or rescue their grounded troops, the Vanguard space fleet made the drastic decision to heavily nuke the planet, reducing it to toxic rubble before abandoning the system entirely.
modern era (2603)
When the Vanguard fleet retreated, they left millions of their own soldiers stranded and completely isolated on the dying planet. Some of these abandoned soldiers managed to fortify themselves and survive within deep underground industrial plants. Generations later, the descendants of these stranded troops evolved into the culture known today as the Mechanics.
The current status of the Vanguard Empire in the broader galaxy is completely unknown. Since abandoning the planet over a century ago, the empire has made no successful attempt to communicate with their stranded soldiers, their descendants, or anyone else on Euphrosyne.