Timeline of the Sanctuary Worlds #3: The Inner Sphere Returns

Here's the third major part of the Sanctuary Worlds history! After this, the next update will come after the Sanctuary Worlds are released, as it consists of major story spoilers for their storyline in BTA.


The Quiet Years:

-2702 to 2980: Over these 278 years, the Sanctuary Worlds quietly expanded their populations, developed new military technologies, and colonized new worlds in the Sanctuary. While minor conflicts happened frequently, no major shifts in the landscape of the Sanctuary Worlds took place and historians largely regard these as The Quiet Years in Sanctuary history.

The Inner Sphere Returns:
-2981: An unknown jumpship materialized in the Haven system of Pinzolo. It was quickly captured by Haven aerospace fighters and dropships and the crew of the attached dropship interrogated. The crew turned out to be ComStar adepts and members of ComStar's Explorer Corps. The crew explained their mission to explore outside the Inner Sphere and make contact with anyone they discovered. The Haven officials, unsure what to make of this story, contacted Sacellum and Republic officials for a gathering. After several weeks of discussion with one another, as well as discussion with the ComStar adepts as to their purpose and the disposition of the Inner Sphere, it was decided that the Sanctuary wanted nothing to do with the Inner Sphere and wished to remain secluded. The ComStar adepts agreed to keep their location secret and all records of their visit to the Sanctuary were erased from the jumpship's memory. With that, the ComStar vessel was released back to the Inner Sphere. However, unbeknownst to the Sanctuary powers, the ComStar vessel suffered a catastrophic misjump as they left the Pinzolo system and were completely destroyed. ComStar recorded the vessel as lost in action and made a note to follow up on it at some point.

-3001: Twenty years later, ComStar sent a second ship along the first one's course to determine its fate. This second ship once again materialized in the Pinzolo system. This time, the Haven officials did not believe ComStar's cries of innocence and believed it to be the prelude for an invasion, destroying the jumpship with all hands to prevent them from returning to the Inner Sphere with their location.

-3002: The Sanctuary powers hold a summit on the Sacellum capital world of Minerva. The topic is what to do about the Inner Sphere. Believing there is the threat of an invasion by the Inner Sphere, the powers agree that their isolation is no longer protection. Clearly, something needed to be done. To that end, they form the Sanctuary Alliance, an independent military command that would serve as the unified army of the Sanctuary Worlds. The Alliance's first task is to establish a cordon of worlds to serve as a front-line against invasion, the so-called Shield Worlds.

-3026: The Sanctuary Alliance begins long-range reconnaissance of the Inner Sphere. It discovers the borders of the Taurian Concordat based on old maps cross-referenced with ComStar maps shared by the first expedition to visit the Sanctuary. After listening to transmissions throughout the Inner Sphere and after observing the Fourth Succession War, the Alliance becomes convinced the Sphere is barbaric and warlike, reinforcing their belief that an invasion is only a matter of time.

-3031: The Shield Worlds are finally fully established and the Alliance has been putting the resources of the Shield Worlds to work bolstering its own military output as well as funneling resources back into the Sanctuary proper to prepare their armies as well.

-3045: The Sanctuary powers, including the Alliance's leadership, hold a second summit to discuss future actions. Though no invasion, nor further intrusions into their territory, has materialized the powers generally believe that it is still only a matter of time. They resolve to strike the first blow and form a bulwark in the Inner Sphere that can be used to defend themselves. However, political disagreements forestall any efforts towards beginning the invasion for more than a decade. The Sanctuary Alliance takes this time to further its own goals and further establishes the Shield Worlds and its own military.