King David’s Spaceship by Jerry Pournelle

CHRONOLOGY

1969: Neil Armstrong sets foot on Earth’s moon. 1990: Series of treaties between United States andSoviet Unioncreated the CoDominium.

2008: First interstellar drive tested.

2020: First interstellar colonies. Great Exodus begins.

2110: Coronation of Lysander I of Sparta

2111: Formation Wars begin.

2250: Leonidas I proclaims Empire of Man.

2250–

2600: Empire of Man enforces interstellar peace.

2273: Prince Samual’s World becomes Member Principality of Empire.

2603: Secession Wars begin.

2627: Prince Samual’s World drawn into conflict.

2632: First bombardment of Prince Samual’s World.

2637: FirstBattleofMakassar.

2640: Secession Wars continue. Dark Ages in many systems. Effective termination of First Empire.

2658: Second battle offMakassar; remnants of loyalist fleet take refuge on Prince Samual’s World.

2680: Battleof Prince Samual’s World. Loyalist officers deposed.

2681: Brief occupation of Prince Samual’s World by secessionists.

2694: Loyalist-engineered coup on Prince Samual’s World.

2711: Bombardment of Prince Samual’s World; effective end of high-energy civilization.

2723: Last starship visits Prince Samual’s World; many loyalist families evacuated by remnant of Empire.

2740: PrinceSamualUniversityfounded to preserve knowledge.

2748- Local independent cities and petty states battle

2770: for possession of Prince Samual University; townsmen defend University.

2770: Treaty establishes independence of University under protection of coalition of local city-states.

2791: Plague Year on Prince Samual’s World.

2800: Interstellar trade ceases. Piracy and brigandage. Dark Ages throughout former Empire of Man.

2810: First Hundred Year War begins on Prince Samual’s World.

2864: Petty kingdom of Haven begins expansion, consolidates gains.

2870: Effective end of Secession Wars in Old Empire.

2903: Leonidas IV ofSpartaproclaims the Second Empire of Man. The Oath of Reunion is sworn.

2915: Fifty Year War begins on Prince Samual’s World. Many petty states eliminated.

2917: Plague Year on Prince Samual’s World.

2990: Haven begins new campaign of unification.

3013: Prince Samual’s World discovered by units of Imperial Navy.

For Dan Alderson and Gary Hudson with many thanks.