The Great Pirate War

This military conflict shaped most of recent history. It was a conflict between the Corps seeking to expand their influence in the Hius System and a coalition of Pirates pushing them not only back, but beyond even taking control over the system. While the war initially went in favor of the Pirates they would ultimately be completely beaten by the Corps, thanks to the support of the Clockwork Gnomes.

Factions

Corps

The cooperation started the war with the aggressive and illegal annex of Milister Station. They did this to provoke a violent reaction and being then justified to send a naval force to establish their control. They failed to anticipate that their navy would be badly beaten and embolden the Pirates to unite. After this initial debacle and the rapid escalation of hostility the Corps merely attempted to push back the Pirates, quell the rebellion and establish the status quo.

Pirates

The Pirates and various factions joining under their banner had manifold and complicated ambitions that all got mixed up with one another. While the primary motivation for many was to stick it to the Corps and help themselves to their riches - quite a few also had much nobler goals in trying to reform the system of living and realize high values like liberty and equality.

Clockwork Gnomes

The peaceful Clockwork Gnomes never shown any interested in armed conflict before. It took a lot of lobbying from the Corps to get them to join. And while the Corps believed that they exploited the Clockwork Gnomes for their benefit, it was indeed the out classed their Corps own game. While shifting the war in favor of the Corps they also spun a complicated and intricated web of plans that would ultimately grant the Clockwork Gnomes control over the Corps. This all culminated ultimately in the founding of the Clockwork Federation and fulfilling the Clockwork Gnomes desire to establish order. While most of the fighting of the war happened between Corps and Pirates - it would ultimately be the Clockwork Gnomes that would be the sole victor of this war.

The Conflict

Outcome

• Devastation of Milister Station
• Dissolving of Navy of the Free
• Founding of the Clockwork Federation 
• Reshaping of the Phlogiston streams in Hius - something deemed absolutely impossible before

Aftermath

• Establishing major political ideas around topics like worker rights, liberty, equality that are still reshaping scociety
• Development of the foundations for various technologies that are now revolutionizing live in The Triumvirate, e.g. Lightning Gate and Space Liner

Historical Significance

Legacy

Some recent academic debate raised accusations against the Clockwork Federation to manipulate the retelling of history in their favor. Depictions of the war often fail to mention some of the more noble and lofty goals expressed by some factions of the conflict. Even the name "Great Pirate War" paints a one-sided picture that does not fairly reflect the way many people on the side of the so-called "Pirates" would view themselves as.

Technological Advancement

This war saw the first use of Ironclad ships on the side of the Corps. The war efforts of the Clockwork Gnomes would lay the foundations for a spike in technological advancements for years to come.

Airship of Doom by Alexander Koshelkov

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Battlefield Type

Space

Start Date

-18

Ending Date

-1

Conflict Result

Victory for the Corps

Location

Hius