Dusk War

The Dusk War was the escalation of normal Noble House intrigues. The incident which started the escalation was the sinking of Minerva City, the capital of The Shepherds house, in 215 IY. Apart from a retaliatory strike, open fighting didn't start until early in 219 IY, skirmishes in the streets, then battles in the skies and spreading to other House holdings by the end of the year.

Sustained fighting didn't last long into 220 IY and soon battle lines were drawn and most fighting was raids and skirmishes.

During all this the Emperor remained silent as his own holdings remained untouched and trade only suffered occasional disruptions. The origins of the attack that ended the war remain unclear. Perhaps it was the start of a coup d'etat, a mistaken target or a battle fought in the wrong place. Whatever the reason, and whoever was at fault, in 222 IY the emperor's cloning facilities in Mercury were attacked.

Most of the mercenary corporations complied when the Emperor revoked their licence to work for the Noble Houses but the houses themselves had become experts in undercover warfare. Despite the might of the armies at the Emperor's command it took 2 years to dismantle the Noble Houses and set up a new order.

Fragments of the old Houses remained active underground for at least 30 years and were used as justification for state action for as long as 100 years after the end of the war.