A craft of unknown origins crashes in Roswell, New Mexico; the US government covers up the crash as an off course weather balloon. Two deceased humanoid shark-like beings are recovered from the wreckage. While the technology of the craft is far beyond humanity in 1947 it sends the US industrial complex in new directions.

Soviet KGB agents venture far into Siberia to the site of the Tunguska Event, following very faint and strange radio transmissions coming from beneath the permafrost at the center of the occurrence. Soon what they discover triggers a flurry of activity and excavation. What was found is unknown to this day but soon afterwards the Soviets would put the first manmade object known as Sputnik 1 into orbit.

A Imperial exploratory craft arrives in the Solar System to conduct a detailed survey and discovers first the radio and data transmissions from earth and then the actual article, keeping its distance, they document as much as they can before jumping away and bringing news of yet another potential addition to their empire. This entry and exit however isn't unnoticed, while most of humanity was blissfully unaware two organizations buried within the bureaucracy of their respective superpowers note a change in behavior from the otherworldly technology they've been charged with unlocking.

For the Imperial observers this period of time in global history nearly resulted in their intervention, watching from a god's eye view, monitoring nearly all military and civil communications and watching as a species stepped right up to the brink and then stepped back. Most without realizing they where a few steps away from their civilization being obliterated in a few days of nuclear war. The crews of the monitoring ships could only lean back in their seats and let out baited breaths before filing their reports and sending them back on the courier ships. Unknown to them, it would set the precedence for the war thirty-six years later.

A combination of wanting to secure one's lineage for all time, the steady push of the noble class eager to take up control of a new world, and the simple drive and belief that all worlds should be under the light of the Imperium leads to the decision for earth to be annexed via conquest. Aside from the vanity of the upper classes the reports of humanity's several near misses with their own destruction cement the decision.

• August 22nd
  Escalating tensions in eastern Europe with a full NATO mobilization lining up along the shared borders with Russian and Belarus. NATO troops accept an invitation to enter Ukraine after petrochemical supplies are cut off from Russia.
  
  
• August 24th
  Imperial observation craft, part of an ongoing expedition that's been on site since 1983 on orbit, note these movements with alarm.
  
  
• August 28th
  Perhaps emboldened by the distraction China begins taking steps and mobilizes its forces to various installations in southern China, orienting toward a possible invasion of Taiwan.
  
  
• August 30th
  The US begins a general mobilization and deploys forces to both theaters.
  
  
• Sept 1st
  Imperial observers in the system rush an alert message to the nearest Imperial fleet base.
  
  
• Sept 4th
  The Russian submarine fleet including it’s ballistic missile submarines sortie on mass from the White Sea and far east command.
  
  
• Sept 6th
  China follows suit with its own fleet and sea-going nuclear missile assets.
  
  
• Sept 7th
  The US, UK, and France surge their nuclear assets to sea as US land based and bomber based nuclear assets go on alert, US forces go to DEFCON 3.
  
  
• Sept 15th
  A short lived but intense battle occurs between a Russian motor rifle battalion and a Latvian reserve force along the border.
  
  
• Sept 17th
  Taiwanese air force and PLAAF clash over the straits of Taiwan, three civilian airliners are caught in the crossfire, 82 Americans are killed.
  
  
• Sept 18th
  US Forces go to DEFCON 2.
  
  
• Sept 19th
  US Forces on all complexes disperse to nuclear war stations, anything that can be deployed or surged has and most nations around the globe have followed a similar deployment.
  
  

• Sept 6th
  The message (the system is five days away at best speed) reaches the fleet base. Between the current intelligence on human activities and with records on the build up by the Soviets during Able Archer ‘83 a snap decision is made by sector governess Countess De'shelvi. Not wanting to see a potential jewel in her region, let alone the Empress's desire for it, destroying itself she places the pressure on the local commander, Admiral Vesinian for the invasion to proceed regardless of readiness, the current plans needing another five years for positioning the assets.
  
  
• Sept 8th
  The Admiral in place opts to proceed with the operation on a shortened timescale and pulls whatever resources are available. While the needed firepower is available as far as naval hulls and personnel, the post invasion 'tail' of logistical support remains far below projections as well as a general lack of available marine units leading to a general draft of any available militiawomen.