Seasons of Strife

The Seasons of Strife is the name for the ongoing civil conflict in Licori space. It began shortly after the end of the Coreward Border War, with the Bombing of Morshadd. The Corporate Wolfpack of the Croeward War returned, under the control of House Rithe, launching a strike on Calamar at the same time as much of the Imperial Capital City on Morshadd was destroyed. The Morshadd Commune emerged several months into the conflict, and has seized control of much of the Licori industry and population, highly concentrated in the Morshadd system.

Bombing of Morshadd
In 2324.Q2, Emperor Luigis Tartresis elected to hold a major military parade, including the majority of the Imperial Guard. Platinum Squadron, a Licori attack shuttle squadron, was tasked with providing a flyover display. The Licori Air Traffic Controller had been passed over for promotion due to unfamiliarity with computers, and, as such, dropped the shields protecting the Imperial Palace and parade ground, so that the Imperials would be humiliated by a spray of paint to the face. Instead, elements of Platinum squadron launched photon torpedoes at the palace, vaporizing it, the emperor, and some 250,000 civilians. At the same time, Camp Lavender in the Kaiteyn System, under control of Princess Hallare Tartresis, as well as Calamar itself were attacked. Camp Lavender was assaulted by teams of commandoes disguised as Breen. Princess Hallare was nearly captured, but escaped, thanks to the efforts of Capt. Sombre Bois. Calamar was attacked by the Corporate Wolfpack, which destroyed much of the House fleet, along with the orbiting starbase. A major ecological catastrophe on Calamar was only narrowly averted by the destruction of the station, which would have otherwise directly impacted the planet. Hallare and Bois were able to successfully identify members of the strike on Camp Lavender as being in the employ of House Rithe.

Establishment of the Committees
In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, with most proper emergency services destroyed in the blast, firefighting committees were formed by the remaining citizens of Morshadd City, in order to contain the raging infernos. The mercenary ship Kelsatha, along with most other vessels in orbit, moved to assist efforts on the ground. Kelsatha also sought to assist the firefighting committees in case they sought to become a revolutionary, socialist force. Within 10 days, the Starfleet vessel USS Courageous, under the command of Zara ka'Athnon, arrived to render aid to Morshadd, as well as to investigate the Harmony of Horizon. This investigation would kick-start the Cassiopeia Crisis. In addition to the destruction of much of the Morshadd emergency response capability, the majority of the hospitals in the city were vaporized, leaving only Morshadd General Hospital standing.

Springtime of the Princes
By 2324.Q3, two empresses had emerged as primary claimants to the Imperial Throne. On Morshadd, Elliana Tartresis, a child, was put forward as empress by House Rithe, while Hallare Tartresis claimed the throne from Calamar. The majority of the Imperial Fleet sided with Hallare, and House Bene recognized Hallare's claim to House Calamar. At the time, it appeared that Bene would be unable to claim the throne on its own, as Velim of the Romulan Star Empire declared that it would not intervene in Licori space. Rithe still controlled the Wolfpack, and, as such, had one of the largest fleets available.

Summer Rising
By late 2324.Q3, much of the dust and soot was clearing from the atmosphere of Morshadd. Baron Wilff Rithe, governor of Morshadd, on orders from Regent Coeniad Rithe, declared the firefighting committees illegal, and ordered them to return all equipment used in the preservation of the city. Within hours, the firefighting committees had called a general strike against the government, and the Summer, or Morshadd Rising, had begun. At the same time, Ellianna Tartresis escaped her handlers and fled into the city. The constabulary forces of the city turned on Baron Wilff Rithe, leading to his capture by the firefighting committees. Within a day, Dr. Sepros and the other leaders of their newly declared Morshadd Commune seized Pashida armory, along with the specially designed and built Q-Ship Behemoth. Within a few days, the Commune had seized control of the Morshadd orbital infrastructure, the AIS Duty and AIS Honor, along with nearly 4000 tanks. Meanwhile, Dearre Nixa and Tarroi rescued a child believed to be Ellianna Tartresis. The Summer Rising was followed closely by the Federation Council electing to form a Starfleet Task Force to deliver humanitarian aid to Licori space, and to propose a peacekeeping task force. The Council also sought to allow the return of revolutionaries from House Manan to Licori Space. By 2324.Q4, most of Licori space was aligned either to the nobility or to the Commune, with the nobility split primarily between House Bene and House Rithe, with House Tartresis playing a reduced role. The Commune was left in control of much of the Licori shipbuilding industry, with a battleship and a cruiser soon to commission. At the same time, the Romulan Star Empire increased its contacts with the nobility. Task Force Argus was dispatched to attempt to secure a peacekeeping force in Licori space. It failed. House Bene refused to seriously contemplate the possibility of a Federation peacekeeping effort, though both House Tartresis and House Rithe agreed to one, along with the Commune.

Shadow War
Beginning in 2325.Q1, the United Federation of Planets began to move towards more direct intervention in the situation. With the revelations of the Cassiopeia Crisis, it became clear to Starfleet that Licori space would have to be heavily contested as part of the Harmony Crisis. Starfleet forces were authorized to use kinetic operations where necessary to combat Harmony allies and operations. At the same time, however, the Federation moved to provide support for tripartite mediation between House Tartresis, House Bene, and the Commune. Interstellar Commonwealth teams were deployed to Morshadd, rapidly fielding a local team known as Yellowbrick. Efforts against Harmony targets in Licori space continued, with teams based in Licori space operating against a Harmony infiltration-clinic, as local forces were further developed. Such efforts were continued through the rest of the year.

Tyrant's Fall
In 2325.Q4, matters in Licori space finally came to a head. An investigation into leaked communications led the USS Curiosity to Calamar, where Warmaster Straaji Halkh was discovered as the source of a transmission. Captain T'Arvit was given permission to reveal the secrets of the Harmony of Horizon to Halkh and the Empress Halarre. Halarre moved immediately to bring together the Houses and the Commune in a temporary, desperate, anti-Harmony coalition, to preserve the Licori as a free people. Curiosity was dispatched to Gammon, to investigate the scale of the infiltration of House Rithe. Team Yellowbrick, accompanied by Dearre Nixa, infiltrated the Rithe Palace on the planet, breaking into the quarters of Countess Coeniad Rithe, who had discovered something of the nature of the Harmony, and locked herself into her quarters. Countess Rithe was brought aboard the Curiosity, where she asked for immunity in exchange for testimony. She was then confronted by Empress Ellianna Tartresis, who had attached herself incognito to Dearre Nixa.

A summit was called by the two Empresses, with the Licori nobility exhausted by the Morshadd situation. The Morshadd Commune sent a delegation aboard the battleship Independence, seized during construction. The Houses and Commune agreed to fight against the Harmony, and establish diplomatic relations between the Empire and the Commune. The Commune also agreed to cease tormenting dissent against the Empire, for the time being. Countess Rithe was then arrested, with execution being ruled out of bounds, due to her testimony against the Harmony. House Tartresis also passed the Calamar Charter, beginning a transition to a semi-democratic government within House Tartresis space.