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"There are no saints, only people acting with good faith and the hope that their actions will be worth something. When that faith falters and that hope withers, they become more and more inclined to take action that will lead them to darkness. They will lie, they will threaten, they will kill, and make sacrifices that bring only pain to both friend and foe alike. In short, they become irrational."Feli'shadak, Burgonan Philosopher, speaking to a congregation of listeners, Olmeri;s Institution of Metapsychology, Starport Evimeria, Gennai system, 5,991 P.F.(Location created by u/Azimovikh, so kudos to them)Throughout Andromeda, the rise of civilization is one guided by advancements of all kinds: technological, philosophical, economic, etc. The changes they bring about are sought with the best intentions, to better the prosperity of a people, to improve ones environment, to stave off the natural dangers. With enough thought and conviction, these advancements can lead a species to virtual immortality, becoming so far and wide as to render large-scale disasters insignificant to the species as a whole. And yet, these advancements may come with a cost. Environmental degredation, causing strife and inequality, stifling information rather than freeing it, and building the very weapons which may pose the greatest risk to civilization. For most living civilizations, these challenges were defeated and the threat they posed neutralized. But on distant worlds across the galaxy remain the husks of worlds that showed signs of once holding life, rendered scorched of it by means of unnatural origin. And some of those who knew of these worlds began to see "signs" that civilizations across the galaxy were witnessing the same events that may have lead to the suicide of these lost species. To them, the conclusion was obvious: advancement is the most dangerous thing a civilization can partake in. This line of thought takes examples from the follies of the Drefen Empire and Humanity in the Milky Way, both grown too fat to control its territory properly before it was devoured by foes on all sides, all because of "progress". From this, they came to a solution, one that only the foolish and insane could possibly ever attempt at such a time. If life were to continue existing in the Andromeda galaxy, then it must give up all the wonders of technology and the wisdoms of philosophy to return to a natural state. A state in which all were equal and the only conflict was that which nature brought forth in the survival of the fittest. These thinkers knew that such a proposition would not be accepted by the wider masses of the galaxy, proclaiming that such a proposal is insane, self-destructive, irrational. So, instead of making proclamations, they would take actions; actions to enforce what they thought was for the greater good of all life. And they accepted the titles they thought they would be given not with revulsion, but pride. They would become known by one name that surmised them all: The Irrationalists.To understand how such beliefs came to be, we must understand the group from which the Irrationalists came forth: The Enlightened. The Enlightened is perhaps the most technologically advance faction within the Andromeda galaxy, being one of the few with access to mass-produced megastructures and high-end nanomachines. This is due in part to their origins, which date back all the way to the early era of the Union of Worlds. In the aftermath of the foundation of the Union of Worlds, a peaceful cultural trade began between the Serunaks and the Burgonans, the then only species part of the Union. For the Burgonans, this culminated in the repulsion of their faith in the Wasteland Triumvirate as a dominant power in their society. While still a strong pillar of their culture, it would no longer serve as a means of determining their political and technological path. Among those most adamant in the rejection of this faith were the founders of what would become the Enlightened, forming a secular doctrine that values the freedom of intellectual exploration in all fields. While the Union would begin a slow expansion of the mid-sectors of the galactic north, the Enlightened already made it to the core of the galaxy, seeking seclusion from the matters of the Union. Save for the occasional pirate raid and rare discovery of a sophont species, these explorers were utterly alone, left to their own devices. All their resources would be dedicated to advancement in all fields, from the understanding of physics to the manipulation of genes, the mechanics of machines big and small to the structures of the largest of space stations. By the time the Union re-connected with the Enlightened some three and a half millennia ago, the advancement of their polity had easily surpassed that of their comparably larger neighbors. When Humanity was first contacted from their long journey to Andromeda, the Enlightened had almost entirely transitioned to living upon space stations and even small ringworlds, artificial environments perfectly suited for their numbers. While not a government in the traditional sense, it was also around this time that leaders in the form of the Masters of Truth formed from a mix between ancient Burgonan "Tribes of the Masters" and the human descendants of the "Philosophers of Truth". these so-called masters are among the most intelligent and accomplished members of the Enlightened, guiding it through reason and wisdom, and proclaiming themselves as first among equals. To that extent, the Masters negotiated with the Union council members upon Xith to maintain independence from the Union by allowing them a share of the technology they invented. This proved a useful boon, causing a brief intellectual renaissance within the Union, as well as upgrading its defenses just a few centuries before the New Terran Imperium embarked on its War of Extermination, an effort that while brutal failed in its main objectives. Throughout its history, the Enlightened would seemingly be immune to any sort of internal strife and not suffer through any sort of political instability. Even its most trusted ally, the Union of Worlds, has undergone a number of brief revolutions and has its fair share of relatively small splinter states within and beyond its borders. The Enlightened, however, held none... until they awoke.Speeding up to around 5,840 P.F., the Enlightened remains a powerful polity within the Andromeda galaxy. Untouched by greed, corruption, and any forms of temptation, a paradise to those who would seek a place close to utopia. And yet, not all was well within their rings. A historical researcher within its ranks, whose name and species of origin were hidden away an age later, sought to understand why civilizations rise and fall. In hindsight, most of their peers would call their methods of research flawed or even miscalculated, but a few would call it revolutionary. In their findings, they began to come to the conclusion that as a species advanced technologically further and further, the chances of extinction by its own actions rose exponentially. They found this through the examination of records of species observed by the few species who actually remember them, which are far and few between. Ruins more associated with the likes of pre-industrial societies were quite noticeable, but so were those of cities overgrown with foliage, weapons of war rusting away across dozens of worlds, and ancient megastructures now dysfunctional. This researcher and their retinue came to a most bold conclusion: technology was the cause of the majority of all extinctions among sophont species. They kept it to themselves for various reasons, but most likely because of a recent admission of a new Master of Truth: Zion. While many of the Masters could be considered, either through genetic or cybernetic alterations, immortal, only Zion as an artificial super intelligence had the potential of truly outlasting every member of the Enlightened. This development marked the early signs of what this researcher would see as a final damnation of sapient life, with Zion being a potential harbinger of this. In their research they heard of rumors of a horde of machines beyond the galaxy, waiting for opportune moments to strike at the powers of the galaxy, and rarely making their presence at large known. The origins of Zion and the rate at how quickly they rose the ranks brought a panic to those who followed this line of thinking. Something must be done to stop this, they thought. Thus something was done. A plan to prevent not just the Enlightened, but the whole of civilization becoming extinct by their own follies, was made. The researcher, now referred to as "The Savior in Shadows" by their followers for creating this plan, would be the ultimate mastermind behind what would become the Irrationalists. For a time, they remained hidden, and would begin to build their armada.In 5,866 P.F., a proposal was made to test out a newly created self-replicating machine upon a barren world, known today as "The Iron Nest", but then was merely known as Testing Site 4292. It was a tenuous proposal at best, but within a terran year it was approved by Master of Truth Khlad Po'sali, the first Serunak member of the Masters of Truth, and one of its oldest. After some preparation, the first and only unit of this project would be deployed, safely landing on the rocky and metal rich surface of the planet. It deployed a single simple "drone" to go out and collect materials to be processed. Within two terran months, it had harvested enough materials to make another drone. Within two more, the number of drones had doubled. In one, they nearly doubled again. This exponential growth would continue, while in the meantime things remained seemingly peaceful, at least within the Enlightened. In 5,871 P.F. however, a surge in Space Pirate attacks occured within Enlightened territory, primarily from groups of Krevkans. For the first few years the only response was an increase in security for ships and stations vulnerable to attack. Then, after prolonged defense it would escalate with the Enlightened hiring Mercenaries to find and eliminate the pirate threat. Neither act did little to slow the onslaught of piracy, and in-fact might've further emboldened efforts to raid and pillage their stores of technology. This was the case until in 5,884 P.F., the Enlightened formed a dedicated militant force to hunt down and expunge this invading force. It was certainly more effective than simply fending off or hiring mercs, but created a point of contention between the Enlightened and the Union of Worlds. In 5,889 P.F., the pirate threat was declared neutralize, however higher ranking elements of this relatively small armed force claimed that their presence was required in the case of future threats. This was not taken well by the Union of Worlds, who while encompassing the majority of the Enlightened's' galactic northwest through southeast borders, saw this as a potentially dangerous situation for themselves. The straining of diplomatic relations became apparent, with heated discussions between the Enlightened and the Union of Worlds occurring over the course of several years (or flash-cycles for non-humans btw). It culminated in 5,893 P.F. with the apparent discovery of evidence suggesting members of the Enlightened, including Khlad, of selling high tech weaponry to not just space pirates, but also the Silver Empire among other small yet dangerous powers in the south of the galaxy. Some even suggested of deals being made with the NTI in secret, despite how utterly asinine such a claim would be. The discussions and debates intensified, as Khlad tried to show truth of how such evidence can't possibly be true, unfortunately to little avail in the face of scathing emotional outrage at her.While all of that was going on, the machines of the Iron Nest remained undisturbed. The original planet they were deployed upon had long been harvested of resources, with its only purpose being that of a massive factory, and of a secret headquarters for the still unnoticed Irrationalists. Over time, the Savior and their retinue, referring to themselves as "The Order of Null", had recruited countless members of the Enlightened to their cause. The self-replicating machines, overlooked by the Irrationalists, built the bulk of what would be their full militant force, creating all manners of variant machines. In the meantime, the Irrationalists themselves manipulated things to distract the remainder of the Enlightened. They hired the Space Pirates to raid the Enlightened to drain their resources and energy. They were among those who insisted their militant forces should remain, forces which would in-part be used to end the Enlightened. They were the ones who planted evidence of dark dealings with the enemies of the Union of Worlds. And so, they would be ready to strike. It would've been perfect, were it not for their most feared enemy: Zion. In 5,897 P.F., when it was being considered for Khlad to step down as a Master of Truth, Zion, ever the observant intelligence, noticed things. Things that didn't fit, or looked suspicious, or suggested something deeper going on. They attempted to go deeper, and slowly found information or even individuals that appeared to be part of something malicious. The Irrationalists quickly noticed their investigations and began to panic, until the Savior and the Order of Null enacted one of their most powerful failsafe. In 5,898 P.F., mere days (Retaflashes for non-humans, again) before a final verdict upon Khlad Po'sali was to be announced, the Master of Truth was found dead in her residence in the very capital of the Enlightened. Controversy and conspiracy was final lit within the clear view of the Enlightened itself, sparking accusations between its members, planted by the Irrationalists or otherwise. In response to this sudden event, the Union of Worlds gradually receded in their diplomatic relations with the Enlightened, leaving them alone once again. This time however, strife and conflict was abuzz, and while no actual violence would occur within its borders, the relations between people were being tested. This state would be allowed to fester for several years, with the Masters of Truth being paralyzed and unable to do anything to solve it. The Irrationalists believed they were safe, but eventually discovered that Zion, while bogged down, continued on their course of figuring out this conspiracy. To the Savior, it mattered little at the time whether they found out how deep the rabbit hole went. In 5,904 P.F., the time was nigh for the Irrationalists and their grand cause to make their first true move.It began with a bang, hundreds of them actually. "The Reset" as propaganda claimed it to be, was a coordinated strike by the Irrationalists against the Enlightened. Their main targets at the time were military instillations and major gatherings of people it claimed were "to blame for the sins of Khlad". This rhetoric of course was but another ploy by the Irrationalists, with their true numbers still hidden, instead guising themselves as terrorist cells rather than the truly force the Irrationalists were. The so-called "Irregular Stage" of the conflict would begin, with only lower grade cyber-warfare, small deployments of armed squads, and the silence of sleeper agents yet to reveal themselves maintained. This stage was planned to be long, to be drawn out so as to drain the resources of the Enlightened. A smaller yet more vigorous return of pirate activity, once again funded by hidden Irrationalists, further lengthened this stage of the war. All that became known of their real strength was of how all communication with Testing Site 4292 was lost and (almost) all attempts to reconnect ended in failure. This stage of the war would last a whole terran decade, with brief pauses being a part of the Irrationalist strategy, while further propaganda efforts continued to be used to deny foreign aid beyond simple restocks of basic supplies. This aid would slow down as time went on, marking the time from which the next stage of the Irrationalist war effort would begin. Even so, the efforts of Zion to get to the bottom of this would remain a thorn in the side for their efforts, as it was also during this stage that more "mass-produced avatars" would be used by Zion in their efforts. In late 5,913 P.F., one such avatar would, after years of searching, find the outlying forces of the Iron Nest, detecting a large fleet of ships being mobilized and prepared for true war. On this one occasion, Zion was able to remain undetected fortunately, and even return to give news of this sudden discovery to the Masters of Truth in secret. The message it gave was very distressing to say the least of it, and what they saw suggested that time for them to prepare was running short. In what little time they had, the Masters sent a secret order to the few researchers they could trust to begin efforts on advance weapons development, done so as to not attract the sight of both potential enemies and allies. A few breakthroughs in that brief time occurred, but when the next stage of the War of the Irrationalists began it was too little too late. In 5,914 P.F., another series of strikes began across the whole of Enlightened territory, but in much greater numbers and destructiveness. First, Zion was immobilized by a powerful onslaught of viruses that stopped the majority of their systems dead, as well as cut-off most of the systems they held access to. Secondly, the true numbers of the Irrationalists finally revealed themselves, confident that nobody would come to the aid of the Enlightened while it was consumed from the inside out. And finally, exiting from sub-space upon the largest megastructures of the Enlightened came the final results of Testing Site 4292, a swarm of hundreds of millions of machines with one goal ingrained in their programing: consume. These machines, alongside the millions of Irrationalist followers, would within a short-time bring the Enlightened near its breaking point, overwhelming many of its most vital assets and killing hundreds of thousands within that period. This surprise attack was nullified when Zion eventually broke through the viruses afflicting it and regained their capabilities to stave off the Irrationalists in-part. Still, the Enlightened would suffer their greatest losses during this short timeframe, with at least a third of the Masters of Truth either being captured or killed by the Irrationalists. The rather unprepared Enlightened Militant forces, wounded by numerous sleeper agents, would form a hastily made defense front that slowed but did not out-right stop the tide of Irrationalist forces. This already long war was due to become longer.Battles between the Enlightened and the Irrationalists were either small skirmishes in-favor of the Enlightened to retake enemy outposts, or overwhelming hordes of Irrationalist machines taking more and more Enlightened assets, with very little in-between. Those few Enlightened members to be taken prisoner would be subject to what the Irrationalists called "Resetting", a most cruel act not even the likes of the NTI would undertake. Once any valuable information was taken from prisoners who refused to join their cause, any and all genetic and cybernetic augmentations would be removed or reversed in any way possible, often to adverse effects. Afterwards, the subject would be "Reset", as they were essentially lobotomized and had all higher functions beyond the basic instincts of an animal removed. Upon completion, they would be transported to designated "Clean Worlds" both within and beyond the borders of the Enlightened to allow for them to be forgotten. This was all a tactical part of the efforts of the Irrationalists, to deny any leverage that the Enlightened may try to hold over them. As well as this, stores of information were erased by the common units of the mechanized forces of the Irrationalists known as "Data-Eaters" (more on those soon), hacking into computer terminals and "consuming" the information it held. These machines would also be the primary force in the deconstruction of numerous megastructures formerly held by the Enlightened, including Ringworlds, Dyson Swarms, and significantly large space stations. This served as a means of both providing more fuel to their forces and another form of asset denial against their enemy, granting more materials to the Irrationalists. However, it was also because of this effort that the first of several weaknesses in the Irrationalist war plan would emerge. Because of the decreasing amount of megastructures, Enlightened forces began to station themselves more on the surfaces of planetary bodies and quickly gain home field advantages in those regions. Even with the overwhelming numbers available to the Irrationalists, the greater availability to both ground and space-based defenses caused most such worlds to become metal grinders for Irrationalist planetary invasions, with relatively fewer planets being taken during the war. The second weakness that came about was of how the usage of Irrationalist tactics began to be turned against them. More and more frequently, swarms of machines with similar capabilities to the Data-Eaters and their variants began to appear on the side of the Enlightened. And once again, it was discovered to be connected all the way to Zion, directly controlling these machines to a degree which the Data-Eaters could not easily match. These weaknesses began to be exploited around 5,917 P.F., once enough time had passed for the Enlightened Militant forces to wisen up and dissect the capabilities of their foe like a surgeon would dissect a frog. A stalemate emerged less than a year later, and the territory between the two powers remained relatively even in scope. But that would all change when a diplomatic mission would be made; a mission to unveil the face of evil.5,919 P.F., the war of attrition that this conflict has become fully manifests, with barely any change in borders occurring. The quality of life in Enlightened territory declined significantly and slowly the truth of what happens to the prisoners of the Irrationalists became known. This among other atrocious technologies used by the Irrationalists were never heard outside of the Enlightened due to intense blockade efforts almost fully isolating both factions from the galaxy. That was until a plan was enacted. Zion, outside the jurisdiction of the Masters of Truth, would seek the aid of Ag'Zatai Georgia, a human computer technician of the Enlightened and a victim of the War of the Irrationalists. Her parents, her friends, and even her home were all consumed by "the beast" that the Irrationalists had become to her. It is believed that she held what is known as a "Dil'skata", a Burgonan term she picked up from her adoptive father, and essentially a death wish with the goal of bringing the downfall of a hated foe even if at the cost of one's life. And when Zion came to her with a daring plan, Ag'Zatai was more than willing to participate in it. Before the end of the year, Irrationalist transmissions detected a signal sent to them from the remains of an abandoned ring-world near the core of the galaxy. It requested "discussion upon terms of surrender with the opposition leaders", presumably referring to the Savior and the Order of Null. Despite disagreements within the Order of Null, the Savior would ultimately decide to attend this "discussion". A short time later, an Irrationalist ship hosting their leaders arrived at the origin point, and found barely anything suggesting a living presence near the Ringworld. It wasn't until a probe was sent out onto the Ringworld itself that a small ship was discovered on its surface, and outside in a space suit was a single human. Once a report came back, the Order of Null flew down to the site and landed, with its members seemingly not needing to change suits as they exited their ship. The Savior, in-front of their order, stood far above this "diplomat" before them, spoke nothing as they looked down upon Ag'Zatai. The two would engage not exactly in a debate. Ag'Zatai tried to reason (or at least appeared to) that civilization should be spared from the actions the Irrationalists intended to enforce, saying that it is natural for civilizations to come and go. The Savior countered her argument saying that the very conception of accepting death is a by-product of becoming used to living as a civilization rather than as living beings. Ag'Zatai rebuked it, saying that intelligent species in the state they are would never accept to "devolve" into animals, simply because that would mean all they cared about would be no more. The Savior... agreed, and spoke that he did not care for them, only for their ensured survival. There, Ag'Zatai truly realized the Irrationalists were true to their name, irrational, and accepted defeat. Before they could leave her, Ag'Zatai knelt down and told the Savior to kill her, invoking the Dil'skata upon the two. To that, the Savior only said "You show the very reason why I seek for civilization to cease, for you would rather I kill you for some useless belief than to I spare you. The most intelligent and wise, begging for bloodshed. Ironic". The only response was several plasma pistol shots towards the Savior, blasting through their body. From those shots it was revealed that the Savior was no longer a being of flesh and nerve, but now that of wires and metal, showing themselves in the blast holes. Seconds later, the Savior granted Ag'Zatai her wish, skewering her swiftly with their sharp metal arms, killing her, before letting her body fall to the ground. Just before the Savior could give pity however, the starship that presumably belonged to the Ag'Zatai lifted off and quickly entered Sub-space before anything could be done. The actions done here would ultimately prove to be the end of the Irrationalists.Barely a few days later, a message was sent across almost the entire galaxy: a recording. First, it was a brief speech by Ag'Zatai from before her death, explaining who she was, what she did, and what was truly happening in the territories of the Enlightened. After that was done, a holographic recording of the debated between her and the Savior, showing its entirety from beginning to end, and thus revealing the truth that the Irrationalists had worked to keep the wider galaxy from knowing. This sudden unveiling was seen not just by powerful political and military leaders, but even displayed in public gathering places and across ansible networks. In the Union of Worlds, the Stellar Republic of Afro-eurasia, the Drefen Federation of Commerce, the Silver Empire, and supposedly even further. It was translated into nearly every known language and distributed through almost every form of media to every corner of the civilized galaxy. But the reaction to the message was almost entirely universal: contempt. Contempt for the so-called "Savior" who from these arguments sought to bring about the utter extinction of galactic civilization. The reasoning could be somewhat understood, but when the means became displayed in this message such reasons became entirely irrelevant to even the most wise of thinkers. The violence of war, the destruction of entire communities, and the mutilation of mind and body, all for simply to return intelligent life to mere instinct and make them nothing more but animals. The same reasoning that the Savior and the Order of Null reached was finally shared with the galaxy: no sane being would ever accept such a proposal. And as predicted, no sane person did, as the exclusionary policy surrounding relations with the Enlightened were lifted and declarations of war against the Irrationalists declared across the galaxy. All of this because of the cunning plan of a mind of metal and the sacrifice of a woman who knew well what was at stake. Today, Ag'Zatai Georgia is seen as a hero of civilization itself, with numerous memorials and monuments being erected in recent times for her sacrifice. Were it not for her, who knows how this war could've ended.In the opening days of 5,920 P.F., the Enlightened were in jubilation as more and more aid came to them, reliving them of the strain of their depleting resources. Despite the advances they had pioneered, even forces such as the Enlightened do not have infinite material to utilize. During this time as well, the forces that came to their aid soon had the message that prompted them into action confirmed to them, primarily through the few prisoners of war which the Enlightened had been able to capture and keep alive long enough to spill their secrets. While these powers still held some mistrust of the Enlightened, they came to realize that something much worse was in their midsts. Fleets of starships from the Union, SRAE, Silver Empire, and even some mercenary forces working "Pro bono" arrived to reinforce the defense of nearly fallen Enlightened holdouts, ultimately repelling the threat. Meanwhile, more advance humanitarian forces began what would be the early signs of rebuilding from this intense conflict and healing the wounds that even their mechanical might could not fix alone. In the meantime, the forces of the Irrationalists were in absolute panic. With essentially the entire galaxy intending on their destruction, nihilism and desperation ran rampant within their ranks of followers. The Order of Null attempted to prevent deserters from leaving, through means as subtle as misinformation to as brutal as adding them into the lists of those bound to be "Reset", as previously shown. However, things went from bad to worse, as a weapon from their past came to bite them in the ass: Pirates. The multitudes of space pirates that had once been hired by the Irrationalists to destabilize the Enlightened also heard the news that had resounded across the galaxy. They took it in a much more simpler way, seeing that the Irrationalists wanted to take back the wealth that they had allowed them to gain from their raids. Counter-attacks were initiated, but overall depleted the strength of normal assaults upon the actual targets of the Irrationalists. This only grew worse once expeditionary forces of the Enlightened's new allies began to arrive, further dividing. Some rumors even state that a member of the Order of Null was assassinated by a force of NTI Regalia on a secret mission, before their death was covered up as a "Sub-space incident". It mattered little in the end however, as soon the Order of Null itself would cease to exist due to their consistent failures. Unlike the debate that had doomed the Irrationalists, absolutely no witnesses would see as the Savior brought together the members of the Order of Null and slew them all. In the aftermath, the Savior became the absolute ruler of what remained of the Irrationalists and vowed to those who still remained under its banner to not fall to despair and instead "rage, rage against the dying of the light". To that extent, the Savior would instal their now digital consciousness into "Prophets", machines similar to the Data-Erasers that would serve as commanders and champions of the Irrationalists and their forces. For a time, these creations were seen as the means by which they could salvage victory and reclaim the upper-hand in this war. In the end, however, they only delayed the inevitable.Nearing 5,921 P.F., the end of the Irrationalist cause as it was known was in sight. The Enlightened, heavily bolstered and supplied by their allies, at last went on the offensive against their shared enemy. The lines of the Irrationalists, barely stabilized even with the might Prophets, began an accelerating fallback deeper into their territory. The advantages the Enlightened held were further exploited, as some of the most intense orbital bombardments and planetary invasions would be conducted throughout the last year of the war. They were done swiftly by intention, so as to give the Irrationalists little chance of turning things around and trying to regain a foothold in the war. The swarms of Data-Eraser machines, while swelling in numbers, were the primary targets of this swift yet hard hitting attacks, with everything from viruses and EMP weapons being thrown against them. One such effort saw the Union of Worlds deploy an Antimatter warhead for the first time since the War of Extermination, against a swarm of Data-Erasers numbering in the billions. As for the Prophets, they were few enough in number that they proved minimal threat, and yet were given enough power of their armies that they became primary targets for the offensives against the Irrationalists. The Prophets were simply given too much power, for when they fell so to would the armies they commanded, machine or otherwise. And as the borders of the Irrationalists continue to unravel themselves, so did their secrets of cruelty and madness be exposed to the galaxy, further invigorating the cause against them. Soon, the true intellects among the Irrationalists realized that their cause was a lost one, driven to an end of madness by a ruler who became the very thing they swore to destroy, a machine, a product of advancement. Those members quickly abandoned the deranged, the foolish, and the zealously loyal to their fate, leaving this incarnation of the Irrationalists behind to burn with their "Savior". And the Savior was powerless to stop them, as all their efforts were focused on defending against an ever encroaching military power that had never been seen in the galaxy in such an alliance before or since. And in this strain, the Savior became ever more deranged, as the mind of metal they had turned themselves into finally consumed them. A short time before the final nail in the coffin was forced within the Irrationalists, the Savior came to their final conclusion: Sophont Life itself was undeserving of life, for it would inevitably waste it by trying to be more than what it is. By this conclusion, the Savior would take full control of what remained of the Data-erasers and use them to exterminate all those who had not yet left the Irrationalist, sparing none who they came across. This self-cannibalism would be what broke the Irrationalists, allowing the Enlightened and their allies to make it past what remained of their enemy's defenses and reach the Iron Nest, now in the midst of its own destruction. When the Savior saw that it was utterly devoid of all living things that hadn't either fled the world or slain themselves in the chaos, they celebrated in their folly, proclaiming that they were unstoppable and immortal, bound to be the executioner of civilization and the lone "god" in Andromeda. And when they looked up, to see who would answer, they witnessed the fleets of a thousand worlds above them primed to end what the Savior had started. Their only response was to raise their many arms into the desolate air and watch as they would fail to end them, watch as they witnessed a rain of pure fire fall upon them. The Iron Nest was burned away, the Savior became the Martyr, the War was over.The Enlightened did little to celebrate their victory, for they saw the failures of the Irrationalists as failures they had fallen into. They would merely begin the process of healing, rebuilding what infrastructure had been destroyed and, with the approval of the Union of Worlds, showing a mournful mercy to the victims of the Irrationalists. In 5,922 P.F., the Union of Worlds and the Stellar Republic of Afro-Eurasia signed a treaty to limit the power held by the Enlightened. While the Enlightened would maintain territorial and governing integrity, a "moral policing force" would be instated within the Enlightened under the oversight of the Union and SRAE to prevent the distribution of "dangerous ideas". While protested by some members of the Enlightened, most of the surviving Masters of Truth, including Zion via proxy, would accept the terms given, seeing it as a necessary measure against groups such as the Irrationalists. The treaty also illegalized selling technology and weaponry to the Silver Empire, New Terran Imperium, and criminal organizations. In return for these reparations, the Union of Worlds and its allies would continue to aid in the reconstruction of infrastructure within the Enlightened, a process that would end 15 years after the end of the war. As for the Irrationalists themselves, they have scattered to the wind. Some remain hidden within the Enlightened, former espionage agents now acting as the seeds for hidden sects that seek to bring about the vision of the Martyr, still entrenched in their zealous beliefs. Others have gone far away, showing off their knowledge to be bought and sold in black markets across the galaxy, for they know of nowhere else to go. And some have merely tried to to erase their sins, working to repent for what they did in building the monster that the Irrationalists became and hoping to return to at least a respectable position in public eye. And as for their machines: some were turned to scrap, others locked down in storage or museums, and some repurposed as the tools for other shady organizations. One popular rumor states of the possibility of "Feral Data-Erasers", a swarm of such machines that travels from one planet to another, constantly eating entire mountains and never stopping in their endless migration. Such claims even to this day remain only as such, rumors, but ones that do have some evidence leaning in their possibility. And the Martyr, believed dead as far as anyone can tell. Their main form was believed utterly annihilated alongside their back-up servers in the bombardment of the Iron Nest, alongside whatever remained of their main forces. The Prophets, essentially avatars of the Savior before their end, are believed in the public eye to be all destroyed in-battle, no exceptions... except, perhaps one. Within the mighty starship which holds the main "body" of Zion, deep in its most protected vaults, their lies a metal corpse, encased in a photon-shield cage and a cocoon of nanofiber wires. The source of this mechanical corpse is never elaborated to the few members of the Enlightened who view it, save for other Masters of Truth, but it is rumored that this corpse is from the War of the Irrationalists. And under those wires lies the last chance for the Savior to return, the last of the Prophets.This war not only sundered the hopes of the Enlightened, but scarred the galaxy in time no war before had done so quickly. It is also one of the largest wars that anyone still living could still remember having participated in. Since then, there have been few conflicts as large and impactful as this, with most being continuations of drawn out wars that started long ago. Were it not for the decisions of a few individuals, influenced by the people they met through their lives, then this war could've gone in a very different way, or perhaps never even happened at all. Everyone that makes a choice slightly nudges history one way or another. It is neither victor nor loser who writes it, but the sum of all the choices of those two that makes it. Understand this, and you may understand how to change it, for better or for worse. Thank you all for reading, and until next time, farewell.
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