Belisarius Group

The Belisarius Group was a faction in the Terran Confederation Armed Forces formed during the Terran-Kilrathi War. Comprised of several of the highest-ranking officials in the military, the group's stated goal was to replace the civilian government with a military government in the aftermath of the Battle of Earth. Blaming the government's mishandling of the False Armistice for the disastrous outcome of the battle, the Belisarius Group was became disillusioned with the government's ability to defend humanity and sought to install the military as the legitimate authority as a means to ensure humanity's continued vigilance in its war against the Kilrathi. Many prominent officers, among them Admiral David Whittaker were members of this alliance.

The growing influence and ambitions of the Belisarius Group alarmed the Terran High Command, most notably Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn, who himself was offered a position with Belisarius. It was Tolwyn's fears of an imminent coup d'etat that prompted his rapid deployment of the TCS Behemoth, a planet-killer designed with the intent to destroy Kilrah and decisively end the War before the coup could commence. Ultimately however, the Behemoth was destroyed in combat and the Group continued to make things difficult for Tolwyn as the latter attempted to salvage his losing battle against the Kilrathi. All legitimacy for said coup was lost when the Y22A-1 Temblor Bomb was successfully deployed against Kilrah by Colonel Christopher Blair in 2669, decisively ending the Terran-Kilrathi War.

In spite of the War's end, the Belisarius Group remained committed to its goal of overthrowing the Confederation government, and attempted to restart the war by igniting tensions in the Landreich Sector. Through their vast connections, Belisarius instigated hostilities between the Terran Confederation, the Free Republic of the Landreich, and the Kilrathi Ragark, who hoped to usurp the Kilrathi throne. In 2670, the Confederation, under Admiral Tolwyn's leadership initiated Project Goliath, a joint Terran-Landreich operation to put down the growing Kilrathi presence on the frontier. The project ultimately demolished Ragark's incentive to assume control of the Kilrathi Empire and with it, Belisarius' means of seizing the government. In the years that followed, the Belisarius Group slowly faded into obscurity as its influence waned, but its action profoundly impacted the postwar environment, and Admiral Tolwyn himself would seek more drastic means by which to ensure the defense of humanity.

Behind the scenes

This Group was named after the Terran Byzantine General Flavius Belisarius (AD 505-565).