Kalubian Civil War

The First Kalubian Civil War, also dubbed the “Pony War,” was a brutal internal conflict in the region of Kalubio between the Reformist Alliance political party and the

Equalwi Royal State between 1988 and 1998 GHC. Built up through centuries of racial tension and conflict, the war was ignited following the invasion of the Unifijž municipal district by BBA forces, assisted by the Equalwi Throne. After nearly ten years of fighting, the war concluded following the presumed death of BBA commander Ballaiy Luvvar during Operation Jericho. Nearly ten million Kalubian soldiers and civilians were killed in the conflict, over 90% of the population. The war was also responsible for cementing the Reformist Alliance’s power in the region for the next two decades.

Background
Tensions were high between the Kalu-blood and Goldblut races in Kalubio following the 1975 Revolution, despite socio-political efforts. A temporary council was established in an attempt to fill in for the deposed monarch, but was viewed largely unfavourably by the public. In addition, Kalu-bloods reviled many Goldbluts due to the forced deployment of Kalu-blooded youth in the highly controversial DQA, imposed by Kamaru Luvvar in 1971, during the Gamian War (1971-1974). The Goldblut were also distasteful towards the Kalu-bloods, who comprised the majority of the unpopular council and were also notoriously violent and ruthless in the Revolution.

In 1987, discussion began of establishing a new power. To avoid a similar conflict to the revolution, the council proposed a region-wide election of the new power. Two major opponents established themselves early in the election; the Reformist Alliance, headed by Reinder Klaus IV and Aiza’ak Katzjung, and the Equalwi Dictoria Party, led by Ballaiy Luvvar, the son of the previous Kalubian monarch. Both parties became intense rivals over the course of the election. In a narrow finish, the Reformist Alliance won the vote and became the established party in control of the region.

On August 15th, 1988, Aiza’ak Katzjung was assassinated in Khauchi, Bathole. The Reformist Alliance suspected Luvvar to be behind the assassination and demanded the Equalwi Throne sever their connection with him and turn him over for an investigation. The Throne refused, citing the presence of nuclear WMDs that could be used against it by the Reformists. The Reformists refused to relinquish their arsenal, alleging that doing so would make them vulnerable to the Skarred, a foreign terrorist organization (see 1986 Skabb Crisis). Talks broke down, until BBA and ERAF launched a surprise assault against the municipal district of Unifijž. Upon receiving news of the attack, that killed hundreds of civilians, as well as a second active member of the Alliance, the Reformists declared war on the BBA and its allies, which included the Equalwi Throne on September 4th, 1988.

Early War (1988-1993)
The BBA was prepared for war, and had already imported several weapons and warships. The northern part of the region, ranging from the Wourvilla to the Dinotopia district was annihilated in the first year. Forces in Pokitam struggled to hold a stable front, receiving strong support from Simtin as Calubiu and Herbiv desperately attempted to sustain resistance in Dinotopia while defending their own populations. Both the Throne and Reformists repeatedly asked external regions for assistance but were mostly denied.

The first substantial blow to the Reformists since the initial “Lightning Strike” that toppled Dinotopia, Wourvilla and Unifijž was the invasion of northern Pokitam on December 31st, 1989. Over fifty thousand civilians and Reformist soldiers were killed in the brutal assault. This event is the first that would cause a major spike in enlistment efforts. Following the event, Föcan Reinder Stuhy (formerly Klaus) temporarily stepped down to fight alongside other soldiers along the Calubiu outskirts.

Several guerilla-style efforts procured small victories and intel acquisitions, but they Reformists struggled to make any breakthrough against the war machine of the Throne. Finally, on October 25th, 1993, the district of Simtin was finally conquered by the BBA. Several strategic assets were lost in the battle, and over a million civilians were confined to BBA occupation. By 1994, rumours and whispers of serious atrocities began seeping out from supposed refugees to Calubiu, however many were either discredited or ignored given the more urgent matter of preventing the BBA from pushing further east to the capital.

Extended War (1993-1997)
The fall of Simtin in the South Equalwi Offensive was a major blow to the Reformist Alliance, cutting them off from their east coast access to the major ocean neighbouring the region. Additionally, it was another area between the BBA and Bathole, where refugees had been fleeing Kalubio since the war broke out. The BBA held a dominant hold along the entire east coast of the region. Efforts had to be severely augmented between the Calubiu and Herbiv districts to prevent the BBA from reaching the west coast and totally surrounding the capital, where the Reformists were based. Dinotopia was eventually reclaimed, a crucial victory for gaining footing in the north, albeit at the cost of thousands more lives. Even Stuhy himself became a POW during the Dinotopia campaign.

Exposure and Collapse of the BBA (1998)
Since the fall in Simtin in 1993, concerns had been risen about the ethics of the BBA occupation of the municipal district. Disturbing intelligence hinted at an ongoing genocide of the area’s Kalu-blood occupants. Similar reports had been emerging from Dinotopia and Unifijž years earlier, but were typically too unreliable to be valid. These reports began to create rifts of trust between the BBA and Equalwi Throne. Reformist efforts began to grow more aggressive and riskier, which was unpopular among civilians. Herbiv became a battleground city, one of the last lines of defense before major pushes could be made on Calubiu. Small-scale operations were already happening, resulting in assassinations, civilian casualties, and great unrest.

After years worth of more bloodshed, a rescue operation in 1997 revealed disturbing BBA treatment of Reformist POWs, as well as internal dissidents, international violations of territory, and disturbing genetic experiments on kidnapped members of the Throne’s council. Many regions around the planet pledged support for Kalubio’s Reformist party following this uncover, and the BBA nearly collapsed to prevent word from reaching the Throne. Their efforts would be in vain though; during a royal gala event, DMDO operative Connor Felidow (along with several teams of backup) infiltrated the gala and exposed the BBA’s activities to her Majesty of the Throne herself. Following this reveal, Equalwi severed all ties with the BBA and allied with the Reformist Alliance against Luvvar and his armies.

In retaliation, the BBA managed to hijack part of Kalubio’s WMD arsenal and turn it on the region, killing millions in a nuclear holocaust. A last-ditch effort to contain and finish off the BBA was made on the border of Equalwi, stretching from the fringes of Calubiu as far down as BBA-occupied Wourvilla. Designated as Operation Jericho, survivors of the nuclear attack were urged to assist in an armed assault on a BBA stronghold containing the remaining heads of the BBA party, including Luvvar himself.

The battle was ended when during an escape, Luvvar was shot and killed by HSCA commando Joseph “Fireball” Rodenski. Remaining BBA forces surrendered or were reported MIA, presumed dead (such as BBA General Marko Marachkii Whiksi). Days later, an armistice was signed on March 9th, 1998, signifying the end of the conflict.

Aftermath (1998 - 2008)
The immediate aftermath saw little tension between the Equalwi State and the Reformist Alliance, with both sides simply being glad the fighting was over. Tensions with the Kažinov Trade Federation (namely Kikikoa) were severely damaged due to the deaths of several Kikikans abroad in the conflict. Kalubio attempted to restore these in a collaborative effort during the Apocalypse Incident, however these were worsened following mutual blackmailing over the assassination of Sylvie Amurrä-Kharkof.

This tension is what led to former BBA leader Marko Marachkii Whiksi, often dubbed "Spike" by the Kalubians, to flee to Kikikoa and begin plans to depose the Reformists once more. With several bribes and establishing connections with local crime lords, they were able to remain there without the Kikikan government knowing. Kalubian infiltration to hunt down and eliminate Whiksi was uncovered, devolving into the Kalubio-Kikikoa Belinski Crisis. War was narrowly avoided by the Reformists. Both regions were internationally criticized on their collective roles in the crisis, however Kikikoa received substantially more. Western Kalu-dominant regions sought allyship with Kalubio, including Jogor'oe, Kinomydwu and Schremn.

Within Kalubio, support for Stuhy's handling of BBA operatives was staunchly divided. Supporters commended his efforts to prevent the possible resurgence of the BBA. Detractors condemned Stuhy's approach of infiltrating a foreign region and working with illegal syndicates to achieve his goal, or simply that the Reformists had no business operating outside of their borders. Much of this controversy led to Stuhy stepping down as the head of the Reformist Alliance in 2008, though he still remained active in the party.

Ultimately, the war solidified the position of the Reformists in Kalubio and established them as a developing military power. Stuhy's public perception became controversial, but global. Kalubio finally had a place on the global stage for itself, instead of being a puppet state for another.