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Valhalla was colonised in 129 AI. The initial vessel carried 50,000 colonists and since then, like most frontier societies, there has been a high birth rate. The population has now reached 90.7 million 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th generation Valhallans.
Valhalla was first visited by a wormdrive ship in 211. It was an emissary from the Star Kingdom of Pegasus, inviting the Valhallans to join the Kingdom. The Valhallans refused to swear fealty to the crown, however. Considering the speeds of the wormdrive ships of the time, and the other systems closer to Pegasus that were occupying the Kingdoms attention, the distance from Pegasus to Valhalla was such that the Kingdom did not press the Valhallans any further at the time.
Over the next few years, Valhalla made contact, either directly or indirectly, with the rest of the power blocs. At that time, however, it was of little interest to them due to its location combined with the fact that at that time the blocs all had ample room to expand closer to home.
Valhalla had sporadic contact with its coreward neighbours, during which time it did acquire some more modern technology. In 242, a number of the inhabitants banded together to form a new colony, this was in the Easter System (DM+80 238). The colonising attempt was only partially successful, and many of the original colonists either died or returned to Valhalla subsequently. The reasons for the colonies failure, along with its history and current status, can be read separately.
As time passed by, and the major power blocs had consolidated those systems nearby to them, they gradually looked further afield. It was the 9 Star Combine that first began to take serious notice of Valhalla, and began investment. Combine based corporations as well as Combine Government foreign aid began to trickle into Valhalla, stimulating and modernising the economy. Other corporations, based in the Eridani Republic and Star Kingdom, followed suit.
Despite predictions that their policies favouring off-world investment would cost them the election, the Valhallan Progressive Party won their fourth consecutive election in August 277. However, they returned to the senate with a small majority and went on to loose all three bi-elections between their victory and the 278 elections.
Some Valhallans suffered economic loss as more modern, off-world owned industries began to displace local business's. For the first time in Valhallan history, local unemployment started to become significant. It is thought that the Valhalla First movement first became active in 279 in response to these concerns, although it would be several years before they had grown sufficiently in numbers and organisation to launch any major attacks.
The Valhalla situation began to become more prominent from the point of view of the power blocs. The Eridani Republic and the Star Kingdom of Pegasus both began to make diplomatic and economic overtures towards Valhalla.
The Federation, noting the interest of the others, also took note of Valhalla and decided to acquire it. They dispatched an ambassador to propose to the Valhallans, whilst dispatching a powerful fleet to 'conduct training manoeuvres' just outside the Valhalla system.
This blatant attempt at intimidation was met with a swift response, as both the Eridani Republic and the Star Kingdom also moved substantial naval forces into the area. Tensions escalated, with squadrons making mock attacks, breaking of at the last moment, illuminating one another with active sensor weapon locks etc.
The Valhalla Crisis reached its peak towards the end of the year when a Star Kingdom light cruiser squadron and a Federation heavy cruiser squadron blundered into one another at short range, in the upper atmosphere of Valhalla A-6 (a gas giant) where both had been lurking. Both sides were surprised, and subsequently blamed the other for firing first. The resulting engagement was short and violent. At the short ranges involved, much of the Federation ships advantages, a superiority in long range missiles, was negated. The Star Kingdoms light cruisers, being smaller, more manoeuvrable, with better sensor technology and quality of crews, had the advantage in the close range dogfight which ensued. 5 Federation ships were destroyed, the other three fled the scene at maximum acceleration. The Star Kingdom ships broke off their pursuit to rescue the crew of the HMS Daring, which had been crippled and subsequently broke up on re-entry, with 136 of her own crew as well as 20 rescuers still on board. Total Star Kingdom casualties were 218 killed, with 56 wounded. The Federation suffer 4,853 dead and 820 wounded
All sides involved paused momentarily, and calmer heads prevailed. An agreement, brokered by the ambassador from the 9 Star Combine, led to the withdrawal of all foreign naval forces from the area. The governments involved pledged to employ peaceful methods to court the Valhallans.
In response to the threat to the independent worlds from expansionist policies of the power blocs, the League of Independent Worlds was formed. This newly formed organisation also made overtures towards Valhalla.
The elections of October 287 brought the Future Party to power with a significant majority.
Inward investment by off-world corporations continued. Valhalla First started to carry out violent acts against foreign corporations. Such actions were initially quite limited. Massive economic penetration continued, primarily from the 9 Star Combine but also from the Republic and Star Kingdom.
With the occasional notable exception, Valhallan authorities were unable to contain Valhalla First activities, which rose to a peak in the summer of 296 AI.
January - Valhalla First attacks stopped - The last significant bout of Valhalla First fighting occurred over the new year of 297 AI, afterwards an ominous calm prevailed. Some believed that the Valhallan military have finally achieved superiority over the guerrillas, most however thought that this was just the calm before the storm.
As the end of the year elections approached, tensions were building as politicians began their electioneering. The power blocs were all busy trying to convince the Valhallan public that their offer of alliance was the best. Valhalla First was feared to be gathering its strength for a pre-election campaign of violence, and in preparation for this many off-world powers and corporations, as well as on world companies and private individuals were frantically hiring troops and guards to beef up their security.
Mercenaries, sensing good profits to be made, were flooding to Valhalla from neighbouring star systems.
February - Valhalla First resumed violence - Valhalla First guerrillas, supported by mercenary units, carried out coordinated attacks on several locations owned by off-world corporations. 12 Trojan Megacorp employees died in a massive explosion (and the fire that followed) after demolition charges were set off in the middle of their manufacturing plant. A few mercenaries were captured, but the VF strike team escaped and a few days later 3 railway bridges leading into the off-world industrial complex were also destroyed.
The companies, attacked by Valhalla First, asked for permission to import their own security teams. The request was denied, but the government sent troops from a nearby Valhallan base to boost corporate security. VF retaliated by launching an attack on the base, while most of the soldiers were away in the industrial zone. Seventeen members of the Valhalla Defence Force were killed and three grav-tanks and a large number of personal weapons were stolen during the attack.
March - Valhalla First attack defeated - A Valhalla First attack at a second military base failed when VF units ran low on ammunition. Four attackers were killed and twenty seven captured.
Vanden Starport crippled Valhalla's largest starport, Vanden Starport, closed for three months after a computer virus destroyed its Customs and Excise database. A new group called the Valhalla Independence Army claimed responsibility. Valhalla's other starports were stretched to capacity by diverted starship traffic.
Easter embargo began - Valhalla's colony Easter placed an embargo on all Valhallan exports to their system. The Easter Shareholders announced that restrictions would remain in place indefinitely until the various parties on Valhalla settled their differences at the negotiating table.
Panic in Freyholm killed 14 - Following the announcement on Capital News that Valhalla First were planning to divert an asteroid to crash into Valhalla, mass panic set in. As people attempted to flee the city, fourteen were killed and another eighty three injured.
April - Herald Lottery fixed - Fraudsters fixed the results of Valhalla's planetary lottery, however organisers alerted the police when they saw that all winning tickets had been bought in the same town within an hour of the lottery deadline. Police operations to arrest the lottery bandits as they attempt to claim their winnings were ruined by reporters who leaked the story of the crime, warning off the criminals.
May - Valhalla First base destroyed - A military patrol on Valhalla's southern ice cap stumbled onto a hidden Valhalla First base and called in support from military forces on both ice caps. After heavy fighting government forces secured the base, capturing or killing 267 VF terrorists.
July - Valhalla First base destroyed - After months of intelligence work at Raven's Fjord, the First Surface Tactical Division won a major victory against Valhalla First, destroying a major base. Shortly after the defeat VF assassins killed a Valhalla Military Intelligence officer and his family in a revenge attack. A Valhallan senator called for the government to bring in off-world peace keeping troops to restore order.
October - Elections postponed - The President invoked section 28 of the Valhalla constitution to postpone the elections, citing Valhalla First vote rigging and polling station violence as his reason. After Future Party popularity dropped the government announced a new election date: the 23rd of November.
November - Last days of the civilian government
20th November - Fake message distracted Royal Pegasus Navy - Royal Pegasus Navy vessels in the Valhalla system hurriedly left the system after receiving fake orders to investigate pirate raids on Pegasus space.
22nd November - Military Coup and Invasion by Centaur Federation - On route between the Eridani Republic embassy and Vanden Starport, the Republic Ambassador was ambushed and kidnapped. The bodies of his protection squad were found at the scene.
Valhallan military forces ceased control of the Senate and declared themselves to be the new government. Support for the coup was weak, but the chain of command was disrupted, especially among the navy.
The Centaur Federation immediately recognised the Military Junta as a legitimate government and pledged "whatever support was required to restore order. The Junta requested aid and a large force of Centaur Federation ships that happened to be in the local area on training manoeuvres arrived in system within hours of the start of the coup.
Of the Valhallan Navy's 15 starships, five supported the coup, three were sabotaged, two were out of range, leaving just five ships to defend the planet from the Centaur Fleet. The five ships, loyal to the civilian government, were overwhelmed by the joint Junta/Federation fleet and were all destroyed or captured. The two loyal ships, that were out of range, went into hiding.
The Centaur 'Peace Keeping' force arrived in orbit, and dropships started landing large numbers of soldiers, armour and support equipment. Shortly afterwards the Centaur ships struggled to redeploy as large force of Eridani Republic Navy ships approached their position from the rear, however the Republic ships did not fire as they approached and after passing the fleet the invasion continued. The Eridani Fleet then withdrew from Valhallan space.
Military forces loyal to the civilian government fled their bases, taking whatever weapons and equipment they could salvage, and dispersed into Valhalla's forests.
December - Valhalla First join with Loyalists - Almost all of the members of the Valhalla First guerrillas joined forces with the remaining loyalist armed forces, sharing their intelligence and in some cases combining units.
The Centaur Federation offered free transport off-world to all mercenaries, in an attempt to cut down on mercenary operations.
January - Federation Peacekeepers in control - The Centaur Federation now controlled most major population centres.
February - Junta served notice on mercenaries - The military government passed a law to outlaw unauthorised mercenary activity after 1st March. The leading mercenary magazine advised inexperience mercenary units to avoid Valhalla.
Reward for Republic ambassador increased - The Eridani Republic reward for information leading to the safe return of their ambassador was raised to 100,000 SC.
March - Alliance forces launch counter attack on Junta - Following three months of secret military planning by the Eridani Republic, the Star Kingdom of Pegasus and officers from the two loyalist Valhalla Navy starships, a coordinated attack was launched against the Federation/Junta starships and ground forces.
First a fleet from the Eridani Republic Navy entered Valhallan space and engaged the starships of the Centaur Federation. On the planet Valhalla, resistance forces struck against Junta/Federation ground forces in multiple locations. The Centaur commanders were unaware of the existence of The Alliance and committed a large number of their reserves to counter attack the Republic fleet and the resistance forces. Centaur ships in orbit around the planet Valhalla, deployed dropships full of Federation commandoes and then left orbit to try to surround the Eridani fleet.
After the Centaur reserve ships left a single ship from the Royal Pegasus Navy entered the system and flew into orbit around Valhalla. The ship was seen as a minor threat and the Centaur navy let the Junta controlled ships of the Valhalla Navy deal with it. The five Junta ships surrounded the Pegasus ship and began to engage it in combat. However, before they could damage the ship the Pegasus crew set off a powerful electro-magnetic pulse bomb that burned out all of the electrical systems of both the Junta fleet and their own ship.
Once the Junta fleet was disabled the rest of the Royal Pegasus Navy fleet arrived and made a high pass over the planet Valhalla. They deployed dropships containing Royal Pegasus Marines onto the planet Valhalla to support the loyalist ground forces and then flew on to join forces with the Republic fleet. Seeing that they had been outmanoeuvred the Federation ships disengaged and attempted to regroup. The Alliance were more interested in stopping the Centaur ships from providing support to the Military Junta than destroying them so their starship commanders were happy to chase the Federation ships out of Valhallan space and avoid large casualties in their own crews.
Soon after the Military Junta was defeated, the remaining Centaur units abandoned their ground positions and retreated off-world. Corrupt government officials and collaborators also attempted to get off world, as Valhalla Military Intelligence units directed house to house searches for them. Federation ships fought a fighting retreat, picking up as many of their dropships as possible, before The Alliance managed to assert full control over the Valhalla system.
An emergency government was set up until new elections could be reorganised. Because many senators have been killed during the chaos of the Junta rule, the emergency government was much smaller than a normal government.
April - Missing figures estimated at over 2000 - The emergency government released figures that estimated that more than 2000 people were unaccounted for after the Junta rule. While some of these people would have been Iron Fist members or Junta collaborators that left willingly with the Federation ships, many of those missing were loyalists that had been captured.
Other related information on Valhalla can be found by looking up Valhalla Base (a former space colony on Callisto, a moon orbiting Jupiter/Sol 5) and Easter (DM+80 238) using the InfoDump™ database.