At face value the trade relationship between the Fulgar Tradeholds and the Aquilaran Hierarchy was incredibly advantageous to the Aquilarans. The sheer quantity of raw materials the Aquilarans were able to acquire reinvigorated their economy and kept them apace with their dangerous enemies, the Tothk and Ukaros. Unbeknownst to the Aquilarans though, the Fulgar were using this constant trade to covertly acquire knowledge and technology the Aquilarans were unwilling to share. Soon, Fulgar were deploying defense satelites with Aquilaran weapon designs, showcasing new computer systems inspired by their observations of Aquilaran command centers and most importantly... they began testing their own Stardrives.

Up until this point in history, the Aquilarans, gravely outnumbered as they were, held a distinct strategic advantage over all other civilizations; they had Stardrives and everyone else did not. The Fulgar not only stole the Stardrive technology, but immediately developed fleets of merchant explorer vessels... and began selling this technology and others to the less advanced civilizations they encountered. Though the effects of these actions would take decades and centuries to reach their full potential, the diffusion of Stardrives changed galactic history irrevocably.

Indeed, it was then only a matter of time before the Ukaros and Tothk also acquired the Stardrive, if not from Fulgar merchants directly, than by some of the lesser civilizations now roaming space. They quickly began refitting their fleets and the Aquilarans lost their life-saving advantage. This situation proved grave to the Aquilarans who ultimately resorted to a fantastically risky battle plan that would come to be known as "the Great Gamble".

Luring the majority of Tothk, Ukaros, and their own fleets to a single location, the Aquilarans planned a battle that would assure mutual destruction and force all parties into a negotiated settlement. What is more, the Aquilarans decided that the best revenge they could visit upon the Fulgar was to use Fuldoon as the site of battle. The Great Gamble was wildly successful. While the Fulgar would suffer only minor loss of life in the battle, their home system's orbital infrastructure was destroyed.

No doubt the Fulgar smarted at the massive physical setback that resulted from the Great Gamble, but they could take solace in two facts. One, they now had a terrific amount of high value salvage from the many ships destroyed in their system, and two, they had successfully positioned themselves as neutral peace brokers amongst the three other competing empires. As the salvage operations began, Fulgar merchant ships redoubled their efforts to explore, and ply, the starways for wealth and opportunity. This led them to Terra and the "humans".

When the Fulgar encountered humanity and made contact with their Mars colony, they were quickly enthralled by them. Possessing a large population, fast birth rate, and a hunger for consumerism the Fulgar practically salivated at the opportunity for a new market. The Fulgar were easily convinced to sell the human Stardrive technology in exchange for raw materials, a enormous sampling of human consumer goods, exotic foodstuffs, and libraries of entertainment programs.

This expedition would return home to a hero's welcome as such a treasure trove of trinkets and data from a single visit was unheard of. The Fulgar quickly followed up the venture with numerous other expeditions to the newly renamed "Terran" home system. As the cultural exchange continued, the Fulgar and Terran economies expanded apace. This allowed the Terrans to build of vast fleet of colony vessels equipped with a newly improved Stardrive design. In time, the Fulgar would see the Terrans expand to dozens of worlds... and some races saw this as threatening, all the Fulgar saw was the delight of new markets!

Still, other empires were threatened, and eventually war would breakout between the Terrans and others (Ukaros, Aquilarans, etc.) in the so-called Monroe Wars. The Fulgar of course, were not particularly bothered by other species' having conflicts, but their economy had become partially dependent on Terran markets. While arms sales certainly helped some Tradeholds, others were not so lucky and as the war dragged on it soon became clear that the Fulgar were in the midst of a recession.

A century earlier, the galactic economy was nowhere near integrated enough for this to be possible, but the combination of Terran ubiquity and Fulgar acquisitiveness had created a interconnection that hadn't existed before. The Fulgar therefore, saw that if they allowed the Terrans to be totally defeated, than the galaxy would likely return to the state prior to their emergence... a far less profitable environment... dominated by the Ukaros lust for conquest.

The Fulgar therefore decided upon two courses of action, one short term, and one long term. In the short term, the Fulgar decided to even the odds for the Terrans by debilitating one of their opponents, the Aquilarans. They did this by refusing to facilitate any trade with their empire and by blockading their largest port. This action was the first time the Fulgar Tradeholds had managed to unite behind military action... and the Aquilarans found the prospect of fighting the Fulgar fleet... disconcerting. The Aquilarans therefore negotiated and peaceably dropped out of the Monroe Wars. While this was good news for the Terrans, it was sadly, not quite enough and they would go on to lose their war. The Fulgar intervention however, did result in higher casualties for the Ukaros and while the Terran Republic was shattered, her colonies (and therefore her markets) did not fall under the Ukaros yoke.

The second course of action, was a long term plan to establish a series of galactic facilities and organizations that would begin regulating and controlling the galactic economy, so as to prevent any sudden or dramatic downturns in the markets. This plan is ongoing and while it has seen some success, there are Tradeholds who oppose such a course. Regardless, with the Monroe Wars ended, the Fulgar returned to business as usual, and had notably increased their galactic status by stretching their military muscle for the very first time.

As time has passed the Fulgar Tradeholds have continued to build up their military defense, their trade networks, and maintained a positive relationship with the Terrans. They have grown concerned though, as the Terran Sovereignty seems bent on conquering the Republic's former colonies which are currently lucrative and independent markets for Fulgar goods. Additionally, the Terrans are obviously spoiling for another war with the Ukaros, a development that could further risk the Fulgar economy.

At present, the Fulgar Tradeholds are desperately trying to exert economic force and diplomacy to prevent another widespread galactic conflict, but it seems their efforts are being ignored. For the first time in their history the Fulgar are truly worried that they will get dragged into "total war" a concept foreign to them, and quite likely ill suited to their non-centralized government.

The Fulgar traditionally look to the future with a welcoming grin, but today, they furrow their brows in consternation.