The 2nd Age, dubbed The Age Of Hive Aggression, featured a counter-offensive by the Hive. Initially, the Emperor's forces successfully advanced southward, but the Hive struck back. They caught the 1st squad of the Imperial Armada unaware, destroying it completely at Yolara. Theo ordered his fleets to retreat and regroup. He commissioned a new fleet, The Experimental Fleet, led by Sebastian Lopez, with a new ship composition: 4 Prometheus Battleships, 4 Space Templar Cruisers, 2 Ariel Cruisers, 6 Guardian Destroyers, 3 Cerberus Destroyers, 8 Banshee Frigates, and 12 Hornet Corvettes.
The imperial retreat drew the
aggressive Hive into an ambush, where three squads of the Imperial
Armada, two of Nova Corps, and one of the Experimental, annihilated
them. The Empire reached Belem, a Hive Mind planet, and found the
defenses determinedly resilient. Only when the full might of the
Empire was brought against Belem was it finally conquered.
As the 4th Age approached, Emperor Theo called a halt to expansion, ordering, instead, a consolidation. Sensing weakened borders, pirates attacked viciously. To combat the new threat, the Nova Corps was reconstituted with an additional squad and a new composition: 6 Prometheus, 6 Space Templar, 4 Stellar Spirits, 12 Guardians, 6 Cerberus, 10 Banshees, and 15 Hornets.
Having bested the pirates, the new Nova Corps, still led by Colin King, and the Imperial Armada, now led by Jacob Wright, attacked the minor nation of Nergal. The offensive moved swiftly from planet to planet. Jacob Wright was ordered to finish off Nergal, as the Nova Corps, Charles Jackson of the Experimental Fleet, and Ransom Ward of the Terra Honor Guard attacked Paradise, the home of the Parasites.
Charles Jackson dropped a nuke on Paradise. The Imperial Armada, Nova Corps, and Experimental Fleet were rewarded for their success with a full four squadrons each.
Dissent in the Empire, fomented by
traitors jealous of the Emperor's glory, rose in rebellion. Based in
Foecacoa and Enida, the rebellion spread to eight other planets
before loyal forces contained it. 
The 5th Age began with the
defeat of the last rebels at Qeliv by Admiral Charles Jackson and the
Experimental Fleet. The Imperial Armada (Andrew Jackson) and Nova
Corps (Luis Neumann) began an offensive against the minor nation of
Narwog.
The Emperor issued a decree. Conquer the southwest wedge of the galaxy. To ensure his success, Theo ordered two new fleets, each with two squadrons: the Emperor's Finest and the Knights of the Empire. They used fleet designs similar to the new Nova Corps.
The Nova Corp and Armada finished of the Norwag and returned to Terra to refit.
A galactic census revealed the Empire as the largest nation, measured by population, planets, and fleet power. A grand alliance of the Major and Minor powers could still defeat Theo. He dispatched his diplomats to sow discord among his foes. He knew they couldn't set aside their grievances against each other. Galactic control was distant, but inevitable.
The Experimental Fleet pushed west against the Hive, while the Green Guardians (Henri Martinez) attacked southwest against the same foe, both seeking the edge of the galaxy.
The Emperor's Finest (Maritz Schulz)
and Knights (Jules Clement) assaulted the Tal Mak in the center of
the galaxy. 
The 6th Age saw a resurgence of Pirates, undoubtedly eager to steal the riches acquired by the Empire. The Knights returned to Terra for a 3rd squadron and redesign: 6 Stellar Princess, 6 Fortitudes, 5 Stellar Spirits, 12 Guardians, 8 Cerberus, 15 Banshees, and 20 Hornets.
The Armada and Green Guardians (Colin Green) defeated the Hive in the south and western regions, forming a complete radius from Terra at the center of the galaxy to Egrosie at the edge. While Green returned to Terra for supplies, the Experimental Fleet (Theodore Green) and Nova Corp (Luis Neumann) pursued the Hive northward.
The Knights under Jules Clement campaigned against the Minor nation of Erlah to the east of Terra. They fought the largest space battle in recorded history, 270 vs 270 ships. But Clement lost only 30, while the enemy was utterly annihilated.
Then, the Khal Confederacy, who had maintained a truce, crossed the border in the southeast.
In the 270th year of Theo's reign, Theodore Green of the Experimental Fleet was replaced for disloyalty by Logan Clarke. He joined Nova Corps Luis Neumann in their steady progress northward against the Hive.
The Emperor's Finest (Maritz Schulz) and the Green Guardians (Colin Green) signed a truce with the Tal Mak and Erlah to redeploy against the invading Khal.
In the south the Knights (Francis
Dupont) took Ooistea from remnants of the Hive. He was ordered to
hold the planet until reinforced. Reinforcements of the Imperial
Armada under Andrew Jackson were smashed by the Hive at Ragnarok.
They were ordered to return to Terra for a refit with the new
Emperor's Will Battleship. 
The 7th Age, featured the
last gasp of the Hive.
Nova Corps and Experimental took Ucliri from the Hive, and dropped an atom bomb on its Hive Brain. Neither the Hive, nor any civilization nation stood a chance against Theo's advanced technology and superior fleet composition.
With the Hive merely a remnant, the Empire controlled nearly half of the galaxy. Abandoning the pretense of diplomacy, the Emperor declared all remaining nations enemies of the Empire's manifest destiny.
Theo proclaimed a new strategy. Three fleets (Experimental, Green Guardians, Nova Corps) would push from their position northwest of Terra, north and eastward. Three more fleets (Knights, Armada, Finest) were to advance from their position southeast and southward. A final two fleets would defend the center of the galaxy, and the capital of Terra.
In his 325th year the Emperor crowned himself Ruler of the Galaxy (There are seventeen achievements. The player needs to complete ten of them, and wait ten turns to win the game). But he wasn't content. He insisted on the dominion of all planets. The other nations refused to accept his eminence. The wars continued.
The Experimental Fleet (Charles Garnier) was delayed at Erdvilia by a remaining Hive Mind and its formidable defenses. Jack Allen's Guardians advanced through Vix territory to Espagua. And Tomas Sanchez's Nova Corps were also slowed by a second Hive Mind at Ferras.
In the south, the Knights (Francis
Dupont) couldn't defeat a third Hive Mind at Siomophra. Noah Wood's
Imperial Armada fought the remnants of Tal Mak, while the Emperor's
Finest (Henry Lewis) struck the Khal at Tuimia. 
The Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Ages
blurred together as the grueling campaign of slow progress continued.
Should the emperor have commissioned more squadrons? Probably.
The northern attacks bogged down against the Vix at Biyama, Isuythore, Nitra, and Yutor.
The southern attacks advanced slowly through Thale major territory, capturing Julia, encircling the capital Entur, and stuck at Iaon and Ceyl. The Honor Guard (Julian Webser) was called into battle to punish truce breaker Erlah. The Emperor had a plan to break the deadlock on the border.
After consulting with nobody, he created the Paratrooper fleet under Theodore Walker. Walker was ordered to take the Fleet into deep space and attack at the edge of Thale, planet Oplilles. Later the Emperor discovered that a squadron can't conquer a planet if it doesn't have a space lane connecting directly to an already controlled planet. The Emperor ordered the execution of the bureaucrats who had failed to inform him of this detail.
A battle over Kohines in the year 457 superceded all prior conflicts, when 302 ships of the Green Guardians and 176 of the Experimental Fleet fought the Vix defenses and a fleet of 240. The outcome was complete victory for the Empire.
Simultaneously three squads of the Armada were defeated in three sequential battles at Zoor by the Vix. Theo ordered the execution of commander, Dylan Clark, for incompetence.
No matter how many battles were won, no matter how many enemy ships were destroyed, each step forward brought hundreds of more enemy ships into the conflict. But the advance continued.
Paratroopers under Eugen Gauthier advanced on Apreon. Guardians with Emilano Ruiz moved on Fua. Nova, commanded by Leonardo Perez pushed on Arnabelle, and Charles Gariner smashed Edueswippe in the north.
In the south Fernand Faure of the Knights crushed at Julia. Matias Lopez's Finest held the Thale capital of Entur. The Armada under Dylan Clark refit at Terra. The Honor Guard finished off the Erlah at Altair.
The final battle was the above Ess, with 300 Vix versus the Nova Corp of 100, who destroyed the alien fleet.
At the moment of complete and utter victory, rebels rioted. They had waited too long. They assumed endless war had weakened the Empire. Paradoxically, the eternal conflict had tempered the fleet, leaving it stronger than ever.
Seven planets were immortalized ever
after as enemies of the Emperor. After their inevitable defeat they
were converted into penal colonies. They were Akkaado, defeated by
the Imperial Armada (Milar Braun), Kawaei crushed by Nova Corps
(Leondardo Perez), Aslapus reclaimed by Emperor's Finest (Matias
Lopez), Hemia obliterated by Green Guardians (Emliano Ruiz),
Saugaonides conquered by Experimental (Ronan Watson), Abeswarvis put
down by Knights (Fernand Faure), and Puasoenia remanded by
Paratroopers (Eugene Gauthier). If the Emperor had been allowed to
nuke them, he would have.
As a final note,
The rebellion mechanic doesn't threaten the player, rendering it an insignificant threat. On the first turn of a rebellion, Rebels appear, claiming only a few planets (in this example, seven of three hundred). On the second turn, one planet next to each of the rebel planets also rebels. On the third turn, an additional planet joins the rebels. No other planets ever rebel voluntarily. The rebels are only allowed to move ships (each starting planet had between one hundred and two hundred ships) for nine turns. After that, they sit around waiting to be picked off. Rebels can never defeat the empire, because they are limited to how many planets join voluntarily, and how many can be captured.
In the 12th age, in the 531st year of Emperor Theo's reign, the final rebel planet was defeated, an endless golden age proclaimed, and the game concluded.
Though the experience may differ from mode to mode, in Birth of the Empire mode, it seems impossible for the Empire to collapse once you've conquered the whole galaxy.
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