Kais Independence War
The Conflict
Prelude
The Kais Sector, more officially known as the Kais Colonial Sector, had been part of the Aldottorai Republic since the Republic purchased ownership rights from The Holy-Mendicant Order of St. Joseph of Cupertino after the completion of initial terraforming. This was shortly after the Great Colonial War, which severed the Aldottorai Republic from its Terran overlords. For the first two centuries, the Kais Colonial Sector flourished as a frontier trade post rich in raw materials. However, as the Aldottorai Republic grew wealthier and engaged in wars with their neighbors, they grew stricter and harsher towards their colonists. At first, the creation of the Aldottorai Colonial Trading Company was seen as a boon to the economy of the fledgling colonial systems, but the ACTC rapidly began establishing monopolies and cutting off trade with foreign nations.
This was the first spark in the conflict, followed by crackdowns on migration and travel rights, recreating the ancient Terran practice of serfdom and slavery. The inhabitants of the Kais Colonial Sector petitioned the Aldottorai Republic but were rebuffed, and the ACTC retaliated by seizing radio stations, shipyards, and oil refineries.
Deployment
Following the ACTC's seizure of the main radio stations, shipyards, and refineries, representatives from the various colonial worlds gathered for a clandestine meeting aboard a passenger liner, where they voted on retaking the essential infrastructure from the Company forces. Lacking a standing military, the colonial governments mustered what volunteers and militia they could into the Liberty Brigades. Aldottorai Naval Intelligence caught wind of this and sent their special forces units to arrest the colonial leaders, but a sympathetic communications officer warned the Kais Collective Council, who was able to escape from the passenger liner and disappear among the many worlds of the sector. Outraged by the fact that the Republic, which had fought so hard for its own freedom, was siding with the ACTC against the colonies, the Council issued a Statement of Separation, officially igniting the Kais Independence War. With that Statement, the Liberty Brigades struck at the radio stations, shipyards, and refineries, pushing the surprised Company forces away and regaining the territory. With those temporarily in hand, they broadcast their State of Separation to all the neighboring sectors, specifically the Aldottorai Sector, where many of the Kais inhabitants worked, either in commerce or as part of the Aldottorai Armed Forces. It's estimated that approximately one quarter of the entire armed forces of the Aldottorai Republic defected to the revolutionaries.
Battlefield
With the first blows struck, although neither side was prepared for war, they retreated to regroup and reorganize their forces. For the first few years, the war was fought mostly in border skirmishes between the naval forces and raiding parties attempting to seize resources or prevent the enemy from using them.
After those initial years of stockpiling resources and skirmishing, the battle began in earnest with a mass raid of privateers against the ACTC's main trade warehouse, pillaging and burning it before retreating to neutral territory to sell the spoils at an enormous profit. Some scholars consider that the turning point of the war as the attack sent shockwaves through the Aldottorai economy and society, forcing them to take drastic action. After this raid, the border region became much more fluid and frontlines very flexible as both sides tried to seize territory.
In this case, however, the rebels lacked the resources to have a direct fight against the larger Aldottorai Armed Forces and Company troops, especially as they began aggressively hiring mercenaries to supplement their forces. Instead, the revolutionary forces returned to the ancient art of guerilla warfare, striking at infrastructure, logistics, and isolated military outposts. In retaliation, the Company forces moved to occupy the primary planets within the sector, putting them under martial law. This created several new fronts and an entirely new form of warfare as the planetary inhabitants organized resistance movements of their own to strike against the occupying forces.
In this case, however, the rebels lacked the resources to have a direct fight against the larger Aldottorai Armed Forces and Company troops, especially as they began aggressively hiring mercenaries to supplement their forces. Instead, the revolutionary forces returned to the ancient art of guerilla warfare, striking at infrastructure, logistics, and isolated military outposts. In retaliation, the Company forces moved to occupy the primary planets within the sector, putting them under martial law. This created several new fronts and an entirely new form of warfare as the planetary inhabitants organized resistance movements of their own to strike against the occupying forces.
The Engagement
Many scholars recognize that there were two theaters of engagement in this war: the interstellar war and the planetary war. The interstellar was the closest to a traditional war, albeit asymmetrical, with fleets, armies, and invasions. While there were numerous fleet battles, none were decisive and the invasions were only ever partially successful, although the rebel forces did seize several important cities within the fringes of Aldottorai territory, although they could not hold them.
It was the planetary war that was truly decisive. The Company's occupation of the colonial worlds was harsh and sparked immense local resistance, and hardened the inhabitants for a long war. There was no clear line between soldiers and civilians in this war, with repeating cycles of punishment killings and retaliatory strikes. Eventually, the occupation ended up draining an immense amount of resources from the Aldottorai Armed Forces and the news of the endless violence sickened the Aldottorai citizenry to the point that they putting pressure for peace on their government through boycotts of the ACTC and civil disobedience.
As this grew more intense, the rebel forces managed to deceive the Aldottorai and Company naval commanders about their plans and lure them into a trap. Summoning the entirety of the rebel fleet, they trapped the Aldottorai and Company fleet against the event horizon of a black hole and in a daring raid, seized the bridge of the flagship, holding the admirals and political leaders prisoner to force the surrender of the fleet. With almost the entirety of the Aldottorai fleet now in enemy hands, the Aldottorai Republic disbanded the ACTC and granted independence to the sector.
As this grew more intense, the rebel forces managed to deceive the Aldottorai and Company naval commanders about their plans and lure them into a trap. Summoning the entirety of the rebel fleet, they trapped the Aldottorai and Company fleet against the event horizon of a black hole and in a daring raid, seized the bridge of the flagship, holding the admirals and political leaders prisoner to force the surrender of the fleet. With almost the entirety of the Aldottorai fleet now in enemy hands, the Aldottorai Republic disbanded the ACTC and granted independence to the sector.
Conflict Type
Rebellion
Battlefield Type
Space
Start Date
April 21, 2585
Ending Date
May 4, 2595
Conflict Result
Independence of the Aldottorai Republic Colonial Sector and reorganization into the Kais Trade League
Location
Belligerents
Kais Sector Revolutionary Government
Aldotorrai Colonial Trade Company
Strength
Kais Revolutionary Fleet:
Kais Alpha IV Liberty Brigade:
Kais Theta III Militia:
Gyeva Beta X Partisans:
Kais Alpha III Marines:
Gyeva Alpha I Liberty Brigade:
- ~2600 one-person fighters & bombers
- ~46 Patrol Carriers
- ~30 Frigates
- 13 Fleet Carriers
- 27 Cruisers (Light, Medium, Heavy)
- 1 Battleship (stolen)
- ~1200 Privateersmen of varying tonnage
Kais Alpha IV Liberty Brigade:
Kais Theta III Militia:
Gyeva Beta X Partisans:
Kais Alpha III Marines:
Gyeva Alpha I Liberty Brigade:
Casualties
Kais Revolutionary Fleet:
Kais Revolutionary Army:
Kais Alpha IV Liberty Brigade:
Kais Theta III Militia:
Kais Beta X Partisans:
Kais Alpha III Marines:
Kais Alpha I Liberty Brigade:
Kais Revolutionary Army:
Kais Alpha IV Liberty Brigade:
Kais Theta III Militia:
Kais Beta X Partisans:
Kais Alpha III Marines:
Kais Alpha I Liberty Brigade:
Objectives
- Prevent re-annexation by the Aldottorai Republic.
- Force a peace agreement that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Kais Sector.
- Preserve as much of the civilian population and resources as possible to build a new government after the war.
So having read it, have some thoughts. You said you haven't gone in depth, and you haven't. But you don't need to and I don't need to see it to know you have a good eye for both story and realism. This. This you've written here in the broad strokes? Is exactly how its done. This is what an asymmetrical conflict looks like if it doesn't end poorly and swiftly for the little guy. Specifically the line blurring between civvies and military. I have a great uncle who is Irish. South Irish. He was...involved in activities at certain times in the 60s and 70s. I also have family stories from great grandparents passed down about resistance efforts they were smuggled into different regions of mainland europe to help set up in the late 30s/early 40s. These broad descriptions of a scifi conflict still feel visceral and real. Don't lose that even as you flush it out or add more. You hit the nail and the playbook on the head, even down to the smart plays. Playing sympathetic, allowing the larger power to operate and use the Iron Fist to try and snuff out a peaceful movement (which ALWAYS inevitably hurts innocent people. Those innocent people have families. For every 1 innocent who gets swept up, on average 2-3 new people join the revolution/rebellion/cause.) You have all the pieces here that really, in the minds eye, bring this conflict to a place where it can be pictured, even with the natural inclination to not to easily picture intergalactic warfare as easily as we might more fantasy esque, middle ages esque types. Because you have really strong fundamentals. Well done, super well done, I look forward to checking on this article and any it links too much later down the line when you've fiddled with it and fleshed it out even more, should that ever come to pass.
Even the targeting you nailed. Communicatons, logistics, propaganda. Some of the most important military targets for a revolution. Control the narrative, control the airwaves, you know what's happening where and when, and can organize and direct the narrative to the populace and increase sympathy for your cause even more. Couple that with logistics denial if you can accomplish it, it won't matter if you outnumbered in a straight up fight 4 to 1 or 5 to 1 even. Can't fight with no ammo can they? That's what its all about. Soft targets of importance, avoid a straight up numbers fight at all costs. Cannot say enough good things about just what little you've done here cause you have all the pieces to write a truly masterful conflict here like cover to cover, an interesting and dynamic struggle.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Those are very kind words! Not sure I can take all of the credit though, since a lot of it was inspired directly by the American Revolution and the actions of the East India Trade Company, as well as the current invasion of Ukraine from how my friends there have described it. It's really intense when you get past all the heroic movies we see about them, be it The Patriot or Patriot Games or even Star Wars. Even the most R-rated of those are still nowhere near as intense as you'll find actually hearing from people who lived it. So all my respects to your great-grandparents for their work during the 30s and 40s. They were truly heroes for what they must have gone through. And I think for being able to picture it, the alternate history-future/dieselpunk has been really helpful with that, especially compared to Star Wars, which still portrays a very bloodless form of revolutionary war isolated by starship shields and laser swords that cauterize as they cut. Now granted, Andor and Rogue One added some new differences there, but they're still pretty fantastical. With the dieselpunk aesthetic, all of a sudden it looks less like Star Wars and more like Saving Private Ryan, to a limited extent, and that adds a great detail more detail. And yeah, the initial targeting process seemed like the critical first component, this time pulling from Lexington and Concord, but adapting to an industrialized society across a sector of space. Fuel, ships, communications- the ground war can drag on indefinitely with the resources of entire planets at their disposal, but cut the interplanetary travel, and the bulk of the war effort fizzles out. So I'm glad those elements checked out with you as well!