Antares/Tau Monarchy

Emblem of Antares

The House of Tau was the monarchy that ruled the Antares Imperium. Over the course of CENTAURA, the semi-constitutional monarchy becomes increasingly authoritarian as Antares continues their objective to unite the entire continent under a single empire, with the control over the actions of warfare under Kalvin Tau II slipping to pave way for Aran Tau V. After the dissolution of the Antares Imperium post-Forman War, the House of Tau would remain active and respected among the Antarean people, although no longer having any significant power as a whole.

History

The Tau Monarchy united what is termed as Antares in the 13th century, consolidating Scorpius, Ara, Norma and Lupus into the realm of the Antares Imperium^{Old Librae} or Empire of Antares^Librae

Aran Tau III's reign, XXXX-1855-1873

Aran Tau III was the emperor during the defeat of Antares by Cetus in the Pristis Plains War. Ceding territory of the South Andromeda Islands, he struggled with the dissatisfied Antareans in the Imperium over the performance of the military. Emperor Aran III also began to negotiate with the House of Kohrin, beginning a political alliance that would be continued under Silvius.

Kalvin Tau II would be born during Aran III's reign.

Emperor Aran III would pass away on December 15th, 1873, with Silvius II succeeding him as emperor.

Silvius Tau II's reign, 1873-1898

Silvius would oversee the disastrous 1875 Antarean-Aquilan War, in which his eldest son Kalvin II would witness the horrors of the Aquilan artillery for the first time. As a result of the war, Silvius enacted a series of reformations to the military's organization and structure, strengthening the cohesion of different units and ensuring greater compliance to orders. This, along with improved women's rights and a cultural reinvigoration, would prepare Antares for future warfare.

After his return, Kalvin would pursue an education in Theology in the Kharon Imperial University in 1877, and graduated in 1881, of which his studying under Astranist priests would shape his future policy as emperor. He would also marry Alma Reseda in 1882.

Aran Tau V, future emperor of Antares in 1927, was the firstborn child of Kalvin Tau in 1885. Andrew Tau, born five years later, is Aran’s younger brother.

Silvius, after a brief illness, died on Apriil 7th, 1898. Kalvin Tau II would succeed Silvius after his passing.

Kalvin Tau II's reign, 1898-1927

Pre-Centauran Wars & Southern Corvus War

Kalvin Tau is the first relevant member of the Tau Monarchy at the start of the Centauran Wars. Inheriting a stronger Antares than before, Kalvin focused on infrastructure and placed greater attention to healthcare, leading to the organization of the Imperial Society Of Medicine, or the Red Staff.

Both Aran and Andrew would study and graduate from Felix University, before being assigned by Kalvin to new positions, with Aran working with the Imperial Army Direktorate and Andrew being assigned to the diplomatic corps, under the Direktorate of Foreign Relations.

The House of Tau and the House of Khorin (ruling dynasty of Corvus) would pair up Aran Tau V and Anna Khorin in 1905, effectively merging both houses closer together than before as their alliance were tested in the Southern Corvus War. Since both have the same status and titles, Corvus is effectively in a union with Antares. Aran and Anna would have three children together in quick succession:

• Maya Tau, 1906
• Kaden Tau, 1908
• Ezra Tau, 1909

One Kalvin's most famous efforts during the Southern Corvus War, would be the Pax Edict, or commonly known as Kalvin's Law. These were codified rules to be integrated into the Antarean military law, which would entail actions that could or could not be done in order to reduce unecessary damage and death. This was followed up with an address in 1912 right before the invasion of Cetus, justifying these changes.

After Cetus capitulated, the House of Khorin, after a brief dispute, would cede sovereignty for Corvus Confederation to become Skorpii Corvus. After this, Anna, Kaden, and Ezra had an failed attempt on their lives in the 1912 Aeminiva-Ananteria Express attack by Cetan insurgents, leading to at the time Crown Prince Aran to demand retribution on the attack. Kalvin, however, refused, as the perpetuators have already been captured or neutralized, wishing to not enact further action against the general populace. He would continue on to see the conclusion of the Exercitus Maris attacks from their holdouts and their defeat. Aran and Anna would have one more child, Julian Tau, 1914. The violence Kaden witnessed would severely traumatize him. Elsewhere, Andrew established a garrison of AIA engineers to help improve the Corvus's infastructure, winning the confidence of the population.

Aquilan, Vegan, & Grusan Campaigns

Kalvin would oversee the invasion of Aquila, where he fought with command over how to engage with Aquilan forces. Heavy casualties and destruction of antarean armor in getting through Aquila's difficulty Ring Of Fire allowed military officers and Kalvin's advisors to convince him to allow The Scorch to happen, although his strict controlling of the burning led to overall discontent from the military. He would order a mass purge of officers and a restructure in command, known as the Ashen Purge. Aran would side with the military at this time.

Throughout the Vegan and later the Grusan campaign, the inner battle between Kalvin and the military over conduct would continue past the Ashen Purge, monitoring instances of his law being broken up to the Columban campaign.

Early Columban Campaign

During the Columban campaign, Kalvin would see the conquest of Lacerta down south. Kalvin would allow the experimentation of weapons on Lacerta (and subsequently it's population) to commence. Despite his requirements for only animals and Lacertan criminals be live tested, the antarean forces stationed would bend the rules as to fit the restrictions for the testing, of which Aran was involved. He also tacetly allowed bombing runs on cities as the brutal fighting continued.

The Columban campaign as a whole during the early phase was a long, painful, and showed little progress to show. It was during this time that Kaitlyn Tau was born through Andrew Tau and Evelyn Tau in 1917. Maya would join the Antares Armada by entering the Kharon Naval University to bolster the war effort.

With his strength failing, Kalvin would pass away peacefully in his sleep in the night of October 28 through 29, 1927.

Aran Tau V's reign, 1927-1961

Late Centauran Wars (1927-1944)

Following the passing of Kalvin on the night between October 28-29, 1927, Aran would ascend to the throne. He began his reign by removing Kalvin loyalists and replacing them with others who would prove to be more militarily efficient. For Andrew, Aran assigned him to become Head of the Supreme Kouncil. Alongside that, he loosened the strict doctrines that hampered antarean war efforts, including allowing the bombings on Columban cities in full earnest.

Kaden would be enrolled to the Royal Ananteria Military Akademy in 1928, under orders from Aran. Maya would graduate first in her class around in the same year. Ezra enlisted in the Air Korps, and in 1929 would manage to secure a spot in the enlisted pilot training program, bypassing a need to be accepted in the Maran Air Korps Akademy nor the Iurus Air Institute to be an officer. Julian would enroll into the Royal Ananteria Military Akademy to become a Shokktrooper in 1932. The Columban campaign would soon end, and Riaa's campaign began in 1933.

However, 1934 marked a change in Aran Tau's reign. After the death of a parachuting Ezra Tau by a Riaan fighter aircraft, Aran would declare for the absolute defeat and conquest of Riaa, implicitly allowing officers to increase in intensity and brutality. Even more bloodshed and brutal combat would bring even effort by Aran in response to the NCA counter-offensive. In 1937 Kaden would marry Vanessa née Persei, the first non-noble to ever be married to a member of the House of Tau. Luka Tau would be born under the two in 1938, and they would be temporarily raise him in peace away from the war.

It was at this time that for the first time the Federation of Ursa would contact Antares, offering to end the dire situation with the NCA counter-offensive. Aran would accept the deal between Antares and Ursa, and the Solstice Alliance was established. With the Ursan forces, Antares would see Tucana being invaded by Ursa and Riaa being pincered by the two nations. In the meantime, Kaitlyn would graduated with honors in 1939, designing a war memorial and assisted to renovate the Kouncil Building. Her experiences with the workers would lead to the Supreme Kouncil to form a new committee to oversee public development under Kaitlyn's request.

In 1940, Maya Tau, now a Kaptain, was commanding the Rubrum-class Heavy Cruiser Vermikulus when Riaan warplanes attacked her ship and her escorts, sinking the Vermikulus. In midst of the combat, a bomb strike hit near the bridge, and Maya was knocked unconscious. A pair of sailors were noted to have braved the flames and rescued Maya and the others from the bridge. However, the result of the explosion have made Maya partially deaf, ending her naval career.

Tucana and Riaa would capitulate by 1940, bringing Aran closer to achieve the dream of his ancestors, with only one obstacle left standing in the way: Centauri. Aran would focus on Antareanization, uniting the foreigners to the Antares cause and culture. Centauri, and the Centauran Wars, will end in 1944, Aran's ending of the long conflict started by his father.

Interwar (1944-1948)

Territories under direct control of the Tau Monarchy

Aran continued the Antareanization process, including the use of the Union of Antarean Youth to indoctrinate children in the territories to embrace Antarean culture. The continent would also look forwards improvement to infrastructure as a result of the draining of resources and destruction from the Centauran Wars. However, the Hydran continents and Antares could not reliably trade as equals as a result of the conquests of countries, leaving Antares and the continent lagging behind in economics.

With Libra hosting the Second International Conference in 1947 after the 1930 First International Conference, Aran Tau chose Andrew Tau and several others to represent Antares for the meeting with their Hydran counterparts. The conference was over trading status of the conquered territories and calls for demilitarization. Despite his best efforts, Andrew Tau and his colleagues faced considerable resistance from the Hydran representatives. During a recess, Andrew Tau and three other diplomats went to a senior Orionite diplomat to discuss ways to reduce tension, when they were all shot and killed, including the Orionite diplomat, who in the aftermath was found with the gun that chambered the bullets matching the casings found.

The SIC incident enraged Aran severely, leading him to consult with Astranist Clergy. He would give a public address to Antares that would declare their intention for war against the Hydran continent and would begin the Forman War.

Forman War (1948-1961)

During the Forman War, the Tau family remained active in the war; Kaden and Julian would continue to serve in their respective roles in the AIA, and Aran remained as the Antarean military's supreme commander.

After the defeat and collapse of the Antares Imperium in the Forman War, Orion held trials were for the entire Antarean military, an obviously symbolic move. The occupying Orionites instead used the trials in practice to sentence major Antarean leaders, under a technicality in the Antarean Instrument of Surrender that made Orion take over the Antarean military and subject them to Orionite laws due to them being considered Orionite occupation forces. One of these leaders was Aran, who was deemed a leader due to his position of Emperor constituting him as General of the Armed Forces. He would be convicted of "mutinous activities" and sentenced to death by hanging, the latter of which occurred on October 10th, 1961.

Post War (1961-)

In the aftermath of the Forman War, the rest of the Tau Family would not suffer Aran's fate. Though Maya would be arrested due to holding a rank in the navy, she was released as the prosecution was unable to apply most charges that Antarean senior personnel had and her being mostly inactive in the Forman War. Kaden, who had defected to the Compact, was made Acting President of Scorpius and even nearly became the first full president before committing suicide.

The Tau family would remain respected and active in post-war Antares, but due to a deal made with Maya forbidding her and her children from holding any political office (which the rest of the family presumably followed as well, regardless of any deal), they would no longer hold any significant powers. It is mentioned in Maya Tau's story that the Tau family rejected publicity and preferred to remain quiet, which is likely where they stand in the present day.

Structure

Members of the House of Tau.

Over the course of the ascension of Kalvin to Aran, the House of Tau de facto ruled over Antares and Corvus; later additions included the direct ceding of Cetus and Aquila into Antares. In 1905, Anna Khorin and Aran Tau would be paired up in a bid to form closer bonds between the two nations, effectively merging the Khorin house of Corvus together with the Tau house of Antares, allowing Antares to assimilate Corvus easily in 1912.

Members of the Antares Tau house have red eyes, the feature is generally associated with nobles of Antares.

Sovereigns

List of known sovereigns.

Monarch	Portrait	Reign	Birth
Kalvin Tau (Emperor)		7 April 1898 - 29 October 1927 (29 years, 6 months, and 22 days)	1856
Aran Tau (Emperor)		29 October 1927 - 28 August 1961 (33 years, 10 months, and 15 days)	1885
Kaden Tau (Acting President of Scorpius)		1961 - 1962 (1 year)	1908