Academy Central University

Academy Central University, or ACU, is the largest military academy in the known worlds, and is often erroneously listed as the location of Gudersnipe School Proper. It is owned and operated by the Gudersnipe Foundation, who makes no effort to dissuade the notion that it is, in fact, "the school".

History

ACU was initially founded in the late Third Age and is listed amongst the Foundation's mega-projects. As with the bulk of these programs, there was no real need for it, but Grand Standardization and economies of scale are often cited as reasons for the organization and construction.

Campus planning took 17 years, and construction was ongoing for over a hundred before the facility was deemed "complete" (though its doors opened to students four years after breaking ground).

Though ACU had its share of minor scandals over the years, the sheer scale of the facility made its reputation virtually impregnable. This was of course the goal, among others.

The site prospered throughout the Fourth and Fifth ages, though the most notable military leaders of the Crimson Blade tended to come from the smaller, more close-knit academies. Still, ACU graduates excelled throughout the lower ranks, with many pilots, navigators, radar operatives, and other commissioned positions frequently staffed by carrier personnel. ACU's other programs also provided skilled workers throughout the Foundation's tech and manufacturing centers.

Early in the Kamian Succession Wars, the site was razed by a Kamian fleet that bombarded the site from high orbit. The Kamians had become erroneously convinced that ACU contained Gudersnipe School Proper, and the attack would destroy the Foundation's ability to produce advanced weapons, and their very best leaders. The Kamians launched over a thousand warships, penetrating deep into Foundation space. Only seventeen capitol ships and a further six escorts survived long enough to make a run on ACU, and were eventually destroyed by a student task force. While the bulk of Kamian forces in the area were committed to the attack, a joint [{Alliance]] and Crimson Blade task force struck several key facilities. The entire assault is estimates to have cost the Kamians close to three thousand ships and forty-four million lives, with Foundation forces suffering less than a quarter as many casualties.

ACU was rebuilt slowly, and over the next two centuries eventually returned to its former grandeur. Throughout the rest of the war it would field a much stronger home guard and advanced defensive measures (the task force stationed to defend it during the attack had been transferred to Utopia Gregaria as it was believed to be the likely target of the assault).

Throughout the Sixth Age, ACU remained a powerhouse amongst learning facilities, though after the attack, the focus shifted further away from officer training and more on higher learning. The demand was greater.