Editing The Markian Pact (section)

==Before the Crusade==
The Markian Colonies were a collection of settlements founded late in the Dark Age of Technology by intellectuals and independents, just in time for the Age of Strife; as such the colonies had little time to develop, with Atashia being the most advanced when warp storms isolated the five planets' systems. Fortunately, these five colonies were conveniently located in a warp bubble, an anomaly that leaves a small area possible to traverse; thus, contact between the colonies remained throughout the age of strife. Unfortunately, transport was limited to ten poorly armed voidships, as not even Atashia had the infrastructure to build spacefaring vessels. Contact remained, but the Markian colonies were woefully unprepared for naval warfare.

In M28, Lemartia was invaded by the forces of Ghalhal, a world that laid just beyond the warp bubble. With a force of twenty ships and millions of men the Ghalhallans quickly seized the surface of the world, but found the labyrinthine mines that Lemartian guerrillas hid in to be unassailable, and was unaware of any allies to Lemartia. When the Ghalhallans fleet split to explore the warp bubble their force bound for Thenar discovered too late the Markian Allied Fleet, who jumped from system to system, taking on the divided elements individually and destroying eleven ships before the enemy fleet retreated to Ghalhal without retrieving ground forces on Thenar, Kouralia, and Lemartia. Once the remnants were dealt with, the Markian Fleet braved the warp storms and attacked Ghalhal itself. After a long void battle the Markian fleet triumphed, forcing the remaining Ghalhallan fleet to flee deeper into the warp storms where they were presumably lost; however, instead of landing troops to seize Ghalhal the Markians simply bombarded the surface in revenge for both men lost in the colonies' defense and the three ships destroyed in the counteroffensive, leaving the once-fertile surface uninhabitable and barren. 

Following the war against Ghalhal there was a long period of peace in the Markian colonies. Deeper bonds developed between the worlds, and the planetary governments decided to officially unite in a mutually beneficial alliance. The five worlds of Greater Markia established the Markian Pact, a confederation dedicated to the defense of the Markians' ideals. A central parliament was put in place on Atashia, the new bureaucracy monitored the economic output of worlds, the Markian armed forces were standardized into the Markian Corps, and Atashia used what infrastructure it had to improve the defense and production of its allies.

To the horror of the Markian Pact, a new power had taken root in the wastes of Ghalhal: the techpriests of the Mechanicum. Worse, is the new lords of Ghalhal were confirmed to have had a superior fleet to the Markians', and there were rumors that the techpriests' allies were manyfold. Though they were frightened for good reason (The Markians' bombardment years ago was not thorough, as they could not kill everyone underground), the Markians' fears were proven false when Mechanicus diplomats arrived on Lemartia to trade for ore. Most suspicion was lifted by the time of the Great Crusade, as Ghalhal had become close allies to the Markian Pact, providing materiel in exchange for resources.