The Ielhirk Rebellions

The Ielhirk Rebellions was a proto-nationalist and anti-colonial uprising that took place in the Gamma Zulu System between 582 and 585 PA. Initiated by the group Odyn, the rebellion consisted of a series of battles fought mainly against Kyxolt forces.

Following the Siege of the Summer Palace , Fedor Proteus signed the Treaty of Zenou, allowing foreign species the ability to establish embassies on Vathios. This caused much uproar from the Ielhirk, especially from the pro-Ielhirk group Odyn, who had been growing in size for some time.

On 389.581, 14 Ielhirk stormed the Kyxolt embassy in Cyroupoli and killed 3 diplomats. Once word got back to Cypher Kur, Kyxolt High Councilor, he dispatched Kyxolt forces to occupy Ikkelk, Vathios’s largest moon and prime trade port. Several thousand Kyxolts had been sent to Vathios in an effort to gain ground and they were now trapped on the planet. The Alliance negotiated with Xandra Proteus, Ielhirk Sovereign, for their release. However, the Sovereign herself faced issues. Odyn had demanded that Xandra abdicate her throne and place Anatol Sotiris in her stead.

The Proteus family had been notoriously progressive, wanting to open their borders to foreign species and allow them to mix with Ielhirk culture. Many Ielhirk resented these beliefs and had been trying to get the Proteus line off the throne for some time.

Shortly after the attack on the embassy, large contingents of violent Ielhirk gathered outside the Summer Palace. As a result, the palace was shut down and negotiations of the Kyxolt’s release was stalled. Odyn used the Kyxolt’s as a bargaining chip. They said they would release the Kyxolts in exchange for secession from the Alliance and establishment as an independent state.

The Kyxolts continued to try and negotiate for the release of their people. However, with pressure mounting from protesters and growing violence, Xandra Proteus flipped her opinion and issued several edicts in support of Odyn; much to the protest of the Alliance. As a result, Odyn’s influence spread rapidly throughout Vathios. As the Odyn movement spread, Cypher Kur feared for the safety of the Kyxolts trapped on the planet.

On 407.581, the 14th Regiment of the Kynes Army invaded Vathios with the objective to capture and hold Itherma, a small town 30 miles northwest of Cyroupoli. Itherma would then serve as the Kyxolt headquarters on the ground.

Odyn began to publicly execute Kyxolt hostages. In response, Cypher Kur called for the full support of the Kynes Army. With the situation escalating by the day, the Supreme High Council sanctioned the 3rd and 5th Divisions of the Alliance Navy in official support of the Kyxolts. On 014.582, several members (predominantly Ielhirk) of the AAN Gallarita launched a mutiny, killing 245 Navymen and taking another 61 hostages.

The mutineers then opened fire on the other ships, heavily damaging the AAN Sycamore and AAN Aeolus before being destroyed. The mutiny sent shock waves through Syndicate Space. The Supreme High Council were reportedly furious. They then sent in the entirety of the Alliance Navy and Infantry to end the rebellion. This marked the end of the Ielhirk Rebellions. While Odyn forces utilized guerilla tactics to drag out the endeavor a few weeks longer, they were simply overwhelmed by the force of the Alliance. On 036.582, Xandra Proteus signed the Odyn Convention, officially bringing an end to the Ielhirk Rebellions.

The Convention called for the execution of 6 high ranking Odyn officials linked to the start of the uprising. Vathios was ordered to pay reparations to the order of 114,000,000,000 ducats; to be paid off over the course of 50 years, with an 8 percent annual interest. Finally, the Convention called for the arrest of Xandra Proteus and the Proteus family to be removed from the throne. Denounced for supporting Odyn and the murder of innocent Kyxolts, Xandra, who already faced opposition on Vathios, fell out of favor with the Alliance. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Aegis Triptolemus was raised to Sovereign.

In the fallout of the Rebellions, the Kyxolt and Inaran people learned it was best to deal with the Ielhirk through the hierarchy, rather than through the people themselves. All colonization efforts in Vathios seized. The Kyxolts - newcomers to galactic affairs - became a superpower, earning great favor with the Alliance for their perseverance and determination.

Reflecting on it now, it is commonly accepted that the Odyn Convention was wildly unbalanced and unfairly written. Paying off the reparations caused the Ielhirk currency to hyperinflate. The Ielhirk attempted to drop the Tohata and adopt the Ducat as their currency, but the Alliance had stopped printing physical currency 11 years earlier, so there was no money to introduce to the Ielhirk economy.

The Ielhirk issued new Tohatas that were backed by gold instead of the traditional copper. While not as valuable as the Tohata of the prewar, the Tohata still pegged the old one a trillion to one. The process was slow, but the Ielhirk managed to claw out of the hole they found themselves in. Today, the Ielhirk Rebellion is remembered as a defining chapter in the history of Syndicate Space. Tensions between the Ielhirk and Kyxolts persist but remain comparatively civil. While the Ielhirk have never shed their plotting ways, the prefer deception and tactics over outright violence.