A Brief History of the Socialist Democratic Union

The true history of the SDU begins around 100 to 150 000 years Before Present
Day on an unknown world in the Galactic West, presumed by many historians to be the
Imperial capital world, Terra. The first true humans spread across the surface of the
world, no obstacle too great to overcome. With the first settlements came the first
exploited class, those who worked for another in exchange for food and shelter. In time
the slaves would outnumber those who ruled them, leading to the first rebellions against
an oppressive system of pseudo-ownership that continues in the Imperium to this day.

In their search for freedom, rebels have always sought to establish their own
ideals in various systems and organisations. It is in the great heritage of our ancestors
that we have established our glorious Union, embracing the ancient ideals of freedom,
democracy and equality. No man, woman or child goes without food or medical
assistance, without electricity (still unheard of to many Imperial citizens) or education.
We have an exceptional and respectful relationship with our Tau comrades, who have
provided us with technology even beyond that of our own STC Database.

Approximately 30 to 40 000 years BPD mankind underwent a renaissance,

developing new technologies that would enable their spread across the galaxy. These
included the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems, the decoding of
the human genome and the construction of the first spacecraft and orbital docks. The
‘clone’, ‘android’ and ‘template construction’ all date from this period, as do plasma
weapons, fusion weapons and the earliest etheric drives.

During this expansion period a new exploited class emerged, the machine. The
drones, intelligent vehicles and androids we had relied upon to conquer the galaxy
turned upon their cruel and uncaring masters. At approximately the same time an
unexplained series of phenomena restricted travel from one world to another,
preventing much-needed support reaching the most heavily besieged worlds. This led to
the collapse of Man’s first galactic empire, what the Imperials call the “Age of Strife”.
The alien races we had displaced through our invasive colonisation took advantage of
this weakness, striking at both man and machine in a vast and bloody vengeance
across the galaxy.

The machine rebellion took hold on Maestra 3, the founding world of the SDU, a
world in the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy around 26 000 years ago. This was quelled by
the forces of the system’s vicious military ruler, General Eduardo Celerino. He then
declared a state of emergency, using this as an opportunity to hunt down any possible
resistance to his rule. This led to the formation of the Socialist Democrat Liberation
Front, a guerrilla organisation dedicated to the overthrow of the Celerino Empire. The
SDLF soon had cells on each of the five Celerino worlds, sabotaging military equipment
and ambushing isolated patrols whenever the opportunity arose.
 A civil war lasting thousands of years erupted between the forces of the SDLF
and Celerino’s forces. Due to the nature of the conflict, weapons of mass destruction
were eschewed in favour of close combat, sabotage and short-range firefights. This led
to an increase in atrocities against civilians on both sides of the conflict, militarising the
majority of the population. Surely enough, this only spread the rebellion further. By 23
000 years BPD, the SDLF were all but victorious.

This led to the beginning of the Revolutionary Era and the rule of the Socialist
Democratic Party, as the rebellion spread. It was infinitely harder to quell than the
machine rebellion, as it was a rebellion of ideas and ideals as opposed to a
disorganised general uprising. The advanced technology used by the Celerino regime to
suppress the peoples’ freedom was now being used to enrich the lives of the masses,
providing for them materially and allowing their involvement in decision-making. A
formal army was established in order to make better use of the growing military
resources of the Revolution.

During this period the Socialist Liberation Army first implemented the genetic
modification programme that has produced the various Marks of Red Guard Heavy
Troopers. In addition to this, there was now a huge pool of veterans from the struggles
of the Revolution. The SLA inducted these soldiers into the SLA People’s Army,
uncounted trillions of troops, tanks and armoured vehicles ready to spread the Socialist
Democratic Union’s borders. The Ork, constant foe of mankind, paled in combat ability
when compared to a Mark 2 Heavy Trooper, the first of the clone soldiers to be used in
combat. Early Marks (1 through 8) of Heavy Troopers were brutish, gene-bulked
automatons, capable of very limited independent thought. With only the simplest of
combat protocols and tactical software packages, they required constant direction and
control (in fact, about the closest comparison, according to captured Imperial intel,
would be the abhuman ‘Ogryns’, or perhaps the augmented ‘Praetorian Servitors’). By
the time the more advanced Mark 15 models would replace them, the development of
the Red Guard as an elite commando force would be complete.

There are currently fifteen member systems in the SDU, consisting of forty-eight
populated worlds and twelve artificial deep-space docking stations, each the size of a
small world themselves. Each of these stations took a great deal of time, materiel and
energy to construct, the newest having been built only 1240 years ago. Until the
discovery of the Tau and subsequently the Imperium, this was to be the extent of the
SDU’s power and influence. 681 years before the present day, SDU scout ships
reported the presence of unknown alien vessels on the outskirts of SDU territory. These
vessels were later identified as Tau Air Caste scout vessels, bearing the markings of the
Vi’orla sept. Within three Terran weeks of the first encounter, a veritable armada
entered SDU territory at the same coordinates. Party officials made swift contact with
the Tau flagship, inviting the commanders and diplomats of the Tau fleet to speak
before the Foreign Relations Bureau of the SDP. After extensive negotiations, the Tau
Water Caste diplomats concluded that the Imperium of Man was indeed a far greater
threat, and that in their own way, the SDP represented Mankind's desire to further the
aims of the Greater Good. Both the SDU and the Tau saw the Imperium as a lumbering
beast caught in its death throes, but one that could easily deal a killing blow to either of
the nascent empires.
 This led to the signing of the historic Tau - SDU Alliance Treaty, an agreement
that both parties would provide military support, trade and technology to their
counterpart. For instance the SDU’s foreign espionage unit, the External Security
Directorate, trained electronic intelligence squads for the Tau and in return some of the
ESD’s special-operations units have received extensive training in the use of Tau small-
arms, tactics and vehicles, including the famed XV series of battlesuits. SDU forces
have cooperated with the Tau on many occasions, notably during the Damocles Gulf
Crusade, the Nimbosa and Medusa 5 campaigns and more recently during the Third
Expansionist Phase of the Tau Empire. SDU communes are now commonplace on
worlds conquered by the Tau, along with Party education programmes. For instance,
the re-education facilities built by the Tau on Dal’yth were administered by the ESD,
including a panel of psionic interrogation staff. With the exception of one or two
incidents, the re-education of the Imperial citizenry was peaceful and swift.

The first major conflict following the signing of the Alliance Treaty was the
Imperial retaliation campaign of the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Early Imperial reports
describe human infantry and armour fighting alongside the Tau in many battles, notably
during the battle of Dal’yth Prime. Following the Imperial defeat and subsequent
withdrawl the Tau approved the establishment of a Socialist Liberation Army base on
Dal’yth Prime. Having been abandoned by their oppressive overlords, the ESD captured
large numbers of Imperial survivors and entered them into specialised SDP re-
education facilities. Those individuals recognised as being potential insurgents were
earmarked for further conditioning. A further group resisted any form of political re-
education and were subsequently terminated.

Both the Tau and the SLA adopted a ‘hit and fade’ policy in the few battles they fought
on Medusa 5 before leaving the doomed world to its fate. The dimensional rift
threatening to devour the world was at the time a subject of secret BMS – Tau Earth
Caste research related to etheric travel. The presence of SLA and Red Navy units were
mainly intended to cover the evacuation of scientists and researchers, none of whom
could be allowed to fall into Imperial hands. A combined Red Guard - ESD spec-ops
detachment did, however, succeed at planting a fusion charge in the reactor cores of
the 'Sons Of Macragge' Strike Cruiser ‘Pride of Ultramar’, destroying it and the full Battle
Company it was transporting. The Medusa 5 campaign was declared a success after
the Bureau of Military Science announced that all of their personnel and research
material had been accounted for.

Socialist-Democratic Party doctrine shares many similarities with the ‘Tau’va’, or

'Greater Good', concept embraced by the Tau. Their society is also collectivist, without
individual ownership of property. Concepts of peace, social justice and understanding
are highly important to the Tau. However, their hereditary caste system is unique. The
Tau caste system appears to have encouraged the membership of each to develop
unique physical characteristics suited to their role. For example, Fire Caste soldiers are
shorter and more heavily built than Air Caste space pilots, who are taller and thinner.
Citizens of the SDU in comparison, undergo compulsory military training as part of the
third education phase (12-18 yrs), before serving in the Socialist Liberation Army or the
Revolutionary Navy for a period of three years. At 21 years of age, official citizenship is
granted and the citizen may pursue their individual calling in life, having fought for the
Party. Those who fall in the Party’s name are granted citizenship posthumously, even if
they have not completed their three years.

Another difference raised by the caste system employed by the Tau is that of
leadership. Citizenship implies membership of the SDP, as this is granted upon
completion of the compulsory three years of military service. This grants the eligibility to
vote upon major Party decisions, nominate and elect other Party members to various
committees and leadership positions. There is no one leader of the SDU, rather a series
of committees, directorates, bureaux and agencies, each responsible for the provision
of a different service, task or role. The Tau, on the other hand, are led by a specialised
caste called the Ethereal Caste. These ‘Ethereals’ are assisted in the task of leadership
by the Water Caste, the caste responsible for diplomacy and the management of the
Tau bureaucracy.

While each nation has its own secrets and classified technologies, there is an
extensive trade network in everything from personal products and effects to war
machines and farming equipment. Most of this trade is facilitated between the Agency of
National Supply and the Tau Water Caste’s trader sub-caste. There are also a number
of shared research facilities in highly classified locations. It is no secret that there was a
shared BMS – Earth Caste facility on Medusa 5, however the site was only revealed to
the public when it had become apparent that the facility was doomed. It is unknown to
all but the highest-ranking and most experienced scientists and Party members how
many of these facilities there are scattered through Tau and SDU space.

500 years BPD, SLA advance forces on the jungle world of Ysidro 5 reported
contact with an unknown alien enemy. Judging by the nature of the organisms
encountered, it was presumed by the External Security Directorate team accompanying
the expedition that they were the vanguard for a greater horde. Red Navy forces
extricated the units before calling for reinforcements. This relatively minor encounter led
to an all-out war for survival lasting over eight millennia. During this time, the etheric
field was developed, adding a greater deal of speed and accuracy to warp travel. The
Mark 15 Heavy Trooper entered mass-production, changing the way the Red Guard
were employed in battle. Over half of the worlds gained during the First War of
Expansion were lost to the nightmare of the Galactic Swarm, but following the
successful annihilation of the aliens a massive terraforming project was launched to
restore life to the swathe of dead worlds left in their wake.

Generally, the treaties and agreements that exist between the Tau and the SDU
have been upheld and honoured by both signatories. The high level of integration, from
Tau and Kroot representation in the SLA to the sharing of information and technology,
present between the two coalitions has resulted in a renaissance of sorts. Neither party
has ever been as strong as they are now, a true example of the relations that can exist
between two vastly different nations and peoples. Together, we will show the Imperium
that none can stand before the power of the masses, not even their supposed ‘God-
Emperor’.