The Fires of Kharis

Officially designated by UNMC command as the Kharis Industrial Incident, this was marked one of the most catastrophic failures in United Nations Marine Corps operational history and is widely regarded as the spark that ignited the Colony Liberation Front.

The original mission was simple. The apprehension of a single lead agitator believed to be coordinating an illegal secession effort on Kharis.

Acting on intelligence later revealed to be both incomplete and deliberately compromised, UNMC forces were directed toward what was believed to be an insurgent command center embedded within the colony's industrial district. The assessment failed to account for the density of civilian infrastructure and the volatile materials stored throughout the area.

In a sudden ambush, the UNMC unit was engaged by insurgents. In the gunfire that ensued, a stray bullet ignited pressurized gas reserves, resulting in several explosions and secondary detonations from industrial compounds, which further triggered uncontrolled fires that swept through surrounding civilian zones. In the resulting devastation, thousands of colonists were killed- the vast majority of whom had no connection to the independence movement.

Although internal investigations ultimately found no evidence of intentional civilian targeting by UNMC forces, the narrative had already solidified beyond repair. Doctored footage, inflated casualty reports, and coordinated insurgent propaganda spread faster than official corrections and reports could reach the wider colonies.

Accusations of hypocrisy and failing to follow the Stellar Accords flooded the United Nations despite their best efforts, once again seemingly failing to protect civilians for the third time. To many, this catastrophe became known as The Fires of Kharis, becoming proof of deliberate oppression, and sparking the ideology of the Colony Liberation Front.