The Jihad Begins: Capitals Under Fire

The Jihad opened with attacks on the political centers of the Inner Sphere. On 5 December 3067, Word of Blake forces struck Tharkad and New Avalon, demanding restoration of the Second Star League, while Luthien soon descended into a complex struggle involving the Black Dragon Society, loyal Kurita forces, and Blakist intervention. This episode examines why capitals were attractive targets and why attacking them proved politically disastrous. WarShips could destroy defenses, isolate governments, and terrify populations, but orbital fire could not repair utilities, feed cities, identify loyal officials, or turn coercion into consent. Tharkad, New Avalon, and Luthien each exposed a different Blakist miscalculation: mistaking the ability to create a crisis for the ability to control what followed. Civilians experienced these campaigns through failed infrastructure, shortages, displacement, and uncertainty over which uniforms represented lawful authority. The opening shock won battlefields while creating stronger reasons for resistance. Visit ImaginedBattlefield.com for more military and science fiction.