The phenomena is known across the entire red planet, light beams who suddenly lighten the dark and hostile night. Local colonists and natives tell of unseen technology and strange white men but the Empire knows better. This “phenomena” also named the rays of the sun or the light towers by Imperial scientists is caused by a secret and most ingenious team of deserted scientists. The secret team of scientists was called “Faktion zwolf” or faction 12 and was assigned to research and develop a new sort of solar technology. The experiments were fertile and the Imperial commanders were already planning the conquest and colonization of numerous planets but nothing was according to plan. Several of the departments leading scientists were known pacifists and wanted to use the new technology to produce enough electricity to ban all nuclear plants on the Imperial home planets. When these heard the plans of conquest and greed, they decided to fled to the relatively deserted and unknown Red Planet.
But that wasn’t easy after destroying their lab, several were tortured and executed as enemies of the state. They released nothing of their knowledge and were buried in an unnamed grave somewhere on the desolate planet of Akapoor. The remaining 6 scientists were boarding merchant fraters and planetary liners under a false ID’s, each of them with a different destination. After a period of unseen poverty, they gathered and decided to found a new world power on the Red Planet.
They gathered a large party of scientists, engineers and civilians who hated the Empire and left for their new destination. Arrived on the planet they bought enough food, vehicles, fuel and many other large quantities of building materials and headed westwards toward the Red Ridges. Follow their instincts they entered a narrow gorge which ended in a enormous canyon system, here they decided to build their colony, known to the inhabitants as the Emerald city.
The engineers shaped the canyon, to fit in all the needed facilities such as clinics, greenhouses, houses, power plants, … The entire city was constructed in a time period of 4 years and could house 1250 inhabitants. The city’s main energy plant was the giant XI U reactor which worked by storing solar power during daytime and releasing it by night, this ever during cycle supplied the city with enough power to grow food and remain independent. The scientists also invented a new defense system including numerous massive missile installations and radar jammers. These jammers could disrupt any radar in a 500 km radius! Because of the peaceful intentions, several local tribes joined the enlighten cause scouting the huge wastelands around the Emerald city killing each armed intruder and warning people that it was prohibited to enter this part of the Red Ridges.
Attacks were scarce but fierce, the emperor heard the news of light beams lightening the red planet’s skies and sent out a scouting party to investigate the phenomena. The majority of the scouting party was killed by tribesmen but one of them was able to return to the imperial city of Relic. When the emperor heard the news of the city of light he gathered an armada of landing and warships, thousands of soldiers were embarking on a great crusade. Arrived on the Red Planet they immediately engaged and entered the Red ridges, Imperial bombers were bombing the Emerald city but couldn’t harm the city because of several defense shields and anti-rocket missile installations.
The Imperial soldiers were steadily advancing when a large hoard of tribesmen assaulted the armored convoys. The fierce tribesmen of which many were mounted on Tulips were no match for the crossfire of thousands of Imperial machineguns. However the tribesmen caused some casualties and delayed the armored columns, the armored fist wasn’t stopped. The city council declared that the fall of the Emerald city was imminent and asked the population of they were allowed to use the last but most powerful weapon of the city “rays of the sun”, this weapon was able to fire a huge beam of concentrated light which could produce of heat of 10 000 °c and covered an area of 1 km²! But could only be fired once without destroying the city.
The peaceful citizens allowed the council to use the weapon and death rained on the Imperial soldiers. Tanks melted, soldiers turned into ash, entire columns of men and machines vanished. When the emperor heard the news he cried 5 days and demanded a servant to tell him every day “ Remember the fallen soldiers of the Empire, heroes of the Empire died on the red planet under a sun of death”.
