Dominion Civil War

Part of IlClan Era
Start Date From 22 September 3151 to May 3152 Location Ghost Bear Dominion Result minor factions' annihilation, peace achieved between the Dominion
Factions
(Attacker) Deniers	(Defender) Joiners
Conditions
Normal

The Dominion Civil War was a IlClan Era military operation that was undertaken by the factions of civilians and Clan warrior against similar opponents.

Operation Brief

The military operation took place in the Dominion space.

Operation History

Factions & Known Units Involved in the Conflict

Joiners

• The Children of the Ghost Bear
• Kyodai no Danketsu

Deniers

• Vart Land

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Origins of the Conflict

The Rasalhague Dominion was born by the fusion of Clan Ghost Bear and the Principality of Rasalhague. The combination of the Clans and Rasalhague's culture had created one of the most strong and stable states of all the Inner Sphere. It had also his problems, like the Motstand terrorist group, but towards the end of the Dark Age Era, that group had been decimated. However, the year 3151 brought deep changes to that situation. Despite the near relationship the Dominion has with the Republic of the Sphere, they didn't directly assist it against the invasions it suffered. Both Bear Khans also refused tro participate in the competition to be the IlClan. After knowing Clan Wolf victory at the IlClan Trial, the Bear Khans travelled to Terra, participating at Alaric Ward's crowning as IlKhan. In a private meeting with him, pledged all their Clan's support to the IlClan, but to join the Dominion, they have to consult the lower castes. Alaric accepted it, at laest initially.

Referendum and Polarization

Even before the Khans returned to the Dominion, the news of the IlClan's birth reached it, and population became very polarized about it, creating two fields: the Joiners which wanted to join the Third Star League at any cost, and the Deniers, which wanted to remain free. Soon, as the referendum's preparations were ongoing, the Dominion found himself each time more divided about the question. On the planet Alshain it appeared a Joiner group calling itself Children of the Ghost Bear which leader, Sanura Ghost Bear made speeches encouraging the people to vote to join, and when votes vegan, the Children turned to violence to force the people to join, forcing the polis to clear the streets. On Carse, most of the militant Joiner-Denier groups grove around former resistance cells. A militiamen calling themselves Ghosts of the Tyr counted with the polis tacit approval to force the citizens to vote their way, mostly in a peaceful way, but another group, Sandra Tsen's Way began brawls which escalated, forcing the polis to make mass arrests. On the Periphery planet Damian, Deniers used WorkMechs on their attacks, causing heavy damage. Grumium saw also rival sibkos to turn their weapons against each others during an exercise. On Rasalhague, the vote was peaceful, but even the highest rank politicias began arguing between them. In other worlds, like Sheliak, the situation was tense, but violence limited. Ironically, on others deemed problematic, like Vega all went generally peacefully.

Eventually, the vote of yes won, but the numbers were close, very close, which angered the Deniers. The Children of the Ghost Bear even proclaimed the caste system would return, sowing anger and confusion.

Refusal and Open Conflict

The 1 August, a Clan Sea Fox vessel brought Alaric Ward's answer to the results: he denied the Dominion the right to enter the Star League, claiming they must manifest their desire more unanimously. The refusal shattered the Khans' plans, and doubt about what to do next settled: another plebiscite's success wasn't possible, and some leaders even wanted to attack the Wolves as reprisal. The population felt outraged for the refusal, and violence exploded, with the Joiners attempting to force the Deniers to join their cause, killing them or even razing farms. Trial of Grievance began extending between members of the Bears' units which were Joiners or Deniers. All cohesion vanished: officers targeted the lower ranks, these targeted the officers... saKhan Jorgensson orders for the military to take an apolitical position were ignored. Violence extended across the Dominion, with the polis taking one or other side, former Rasalhagian and Draconis Combine descendants clashing... Even some survivors of the Motstand group resurfaced, using the chaos to attack again. On Damian, the Bears Third Hussars (Rasalhague Dominion) restored order forcibly, but even their leaders were polarized. In the Vega Protectorate, local factions wanted to get rid of the Freeminders, but calm prevailed, with Rho Galaxy (Rasalhague Domninion) settling on defensive positions. However, in other places, violence only escalated, with both sides taunting the deployed Clusters and military leaders assasinated. On Nox, the 141st Striker Supernova Cluster forcibly occupied the capital, and Joiners assaulted the 141st warriors outside of their 'Mechs and tanks. On Alshain Province another Joiner faction, the Kyodai no Danketsu, ignoring the peaceful intentions of their leader, Atsushi Jones soon turned violent, despite Atsushi's attempts to control his people. And a Denier faction, the Vart Land, led by Lars Andersson extended to other worlds, with the Bears' Watch unable to catch their leader.

On Alshain, a factory world, the Children of the Ghost Bear quickly armed themselves, and the rest of factions did it so, with open battles with live fire happening on the streets. Military units, like the First Drakon Cluster, attacked by agent provocateurs, caused a slaughter of unarmed civilians. The Unity Council, divided between Joiners and Deniers, found themselves unable to control the chaos. First Prince Hjalmer Miraborg and Khan Dalia Bekker had to keep the Council forcibly on Rasalhague. All across the Dominion, the Bears' touman began coming apart at the seams, with Trials happening often, and units turning against others. Sanura Ghost Bear was arrested, and calm returned... very shortly: on 25 November, Alpha Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion) commander, Lars Magnusson, was captured by a rogue group of Joiner soldiers, which forced him to declare martial law on planet. The capital of Alshain was turned a Joiner stronghold, though the field was dominated by Deniers.

Only on Quarell, the conflict began by an outsider intruder: The Clan Jade Falcon Remnants Khan Jiyi Chistu, traveled there to launch a Trial of Possession for several sibko cadets, winning it. When the Bears' garrison commander, Star Colonel Emilio Hall refused to forcibly recover them, his subordinate, Allison Rand, murdered him. That divided the Cluster, and the 21 November, they were fighting each other to protect the civilian authorities or force them to change their decision to not joining the IlClan.

On Alshain, the end of 3151 brought an escalation, and sudden changes: a team of the Watch rescued Lars Magnusson and a Trinary of his loyals, bringing them to the orbit. The orbital facilities took the Denier side, and aerospace battles ensued, but the Bears' navy refused to stay involved and stayed neutral, retrating far away from planet and sending Lars to the capital to inform the Unity Council. Meanwhile, Sanura's group found a violent resistance movement growing on Alshain.

Escalation

The only good news the end of the year brought to the Unity Council was than the space trafic remained active, thank to the navy's neutrality. Lars Magnusson's arrival to Rasalhague to inform them preceded a emergency session... which ended in Trials of Refusal and fights in the chamber. Soon fighting broke at the streets of Asgard, with drunken mobs fighting each other, looting and the polis overwhelmed, with a three sides street battle. Khan Bekker had to declare martial law and movilize the Watch and First Kavalieri to restore the order. Soon after, both SaKhan Jorgensson and Lars Magnusson departed, expecting to resume control of Rho Galaxy and Alpha, respectively. The dawn of 3152 signaled a worsening of violence, with conflict exploding in more and more worlds. Fort Loudon saw the First Hussars decanting to the Deniers, and a resistance movement harassing them, with wild reprisals. On Sheliak, violence also grew. Atsushi Jones' arrest and liberation made the Kyodai no Danketsu a open enemy of the Third Freemen Cluster.

Ironically, the Vega Protectorate remained peaceful, and in fact, the conflict made its people realize how much they needed the Dominion, until Star Colonel Albert Hall decided to get rid of the Freeminders, but Omega Galaxy's commander, Isis Bekker-Florala ordered his forces to scatter and avoid the fight. When SaKhan Jorgenson arrived, Hall expected him to approve his acts, but when he proved wrong, in a meeting of leaders, he murdered the SaKhan, being killed at his turn by Lars Magnusson, which forced peace between factions before returning to Alshain Province.

Conflict Conclusion

Gradually, calm returned, with leaders as Loremaster Hans Kabrinski forcing units to obey his orders, punishing leaders responsible of violence and bringing Galaxies to heel, one by one. Lars Andersson was forced to flee to Rasalhague Province, attempting to join forces with cells of the Motstand, in vain. On Alshain, Alpha Galaxy, once again led by Lars Magnusson, landed in May. The outnumbered Joiner Clusters turned to the Children of the Ghost Bear to provide canon fodder, but a headhunting attack from the Watch killed Sanura Ghost Bear, signaling the end of her group. After a week of battle, the Second Tyr and Ourse Keshik surrended, requesting surkai. By April 3152, Atsushi Jones surrended himself to the Watch, but as he wasn't imprisoned, fled, and the Kyodai no Danketsu vanished too.

Prince Hjalmer Miraborg later publicly sided with the Joiners, breaking the Unity Council's tie, giving him the de facto authority to lead the Dominion. Sending councilors again to their worlds, they helped calm the situation. On March, the Council reconstitued, with Miraborg supportting new Trials of Refusal, which silenced all grumbles, and the Council voted in favor to made a new plebiscite in a future date. Miraborg and Bekker later traveled across the Dominion, enforcing their authority. By the end of April, the Dominion had resumed peace... but Miraborg also declared a Trial of Grievance against Lars Magnusson, to get rid of a rival. Hjalmer won, killing Lars, a death with signaled the end of the Civil War.

Draconis Combine Invasion

On May 3152, the Civil War was coming to an end. Combat on Alshain had ended, the fractious Vega Protectorate was acommodating, and the promises for a new vote calmed the Deniers from Rasalhague Province. Then, Prince Miraborg, with support of Khan Bekker, decided to invade the Draconis Combine, to unify the Dominion against the traditional enemy. The invasion was very successful: the Combine, focused on fighting the Federated Suns, barely had forces defending the Dominion frontier: On June, the Third Freemen and 4th Freemen (Rasalhague Dominion) Clusters invaded Yamarovka, forcing the mercenary garrison of the Crater Cobras easily. The Fourth dug on, and the Third jumped to Asgard and Port Arthur, where they stopped, leaving the Dominion barely two jumps to the kuritans' capital, Luthien.

Bibliography

• A Question of Survival (novel)
• Dominions Divided (sourcebook)