The Syrtian War
The roots of the Syrtis go back to the Gene Crisis of 2115. At the time there was great debate between those who supported human genetic engineering and those who did not. Earth governments banned genetic engineering, but the people living in Earth-orbiting stations and the Lunar colonies disagreed.
There was a crisis that ended just short of all-out war. Eventually there was a compromise: all human genetic engineering on Earth was banned; the colonies could use genetic engineering as long as those changes were not inherited (i.e., no germ-line GE).
The colonies accepted the compromise, but realized that they no longer had much in common with the people from Earth, so they eventually formed the Commonwealth.
There remained, however, a group of people who did not accept the restriction on germ-line GE; those people founded the Syrtis colony on Mars and developed heritable genetic modifications to allow themselves to survive and prosper on the then barely terraformed Mars.
Fast-forward to the 2200s.
The Syrtis Conclave grew and prospered on Mars. They developed a very sophisticated and wealthy society. In the 2220s, a subculture known as the Ares Sect rose to power in the Conclave, claiming to have guidance from a divine intelligence. By 2230 they had a large following and promised to expand Syrtis control over the rest of the solar system.
In 2230, the Syrtis invade Asian Pacific colonies on Mars and UAS colonies in the Belt. The three major powers of Earth (North Atlantic Union, Asian Pacific Directorate, and United African States) join together to build a massive fleet (the Earth Fleet).
In 2236, the Earth Fleet attempts an invation of Mars, but is destroyed in orbit by the Syrtis fleet.
In 2238, the Syrtis Conclave launches an attack on Commonwealth NEO colonies. The Commonwealth (based in St. Katharine's Star) votes to go to war. Shipyards in the Centauri system begin a massive construction program.
In 2242, Commonwealth Lunar colonies are occupied by Syrtis forces. They begin staging for an assault on Earth.
In 2243, unable to force Earth's surrender, the Syrtis fleet nukes several Earth military installations from orbit (major cities are spared, but fallout plus general chaos still kill millions).
In 2251, the Commonwealth Fleet enters the solar system and nukes much of Mars from orbit.
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