Zion Rebellion

The Zion Rebellion erupted in late 3057 and lasted into early 3058. Zion and other member worlds of Zion Province declared independence from the Free Worlds League but were brought back under federal authority by FWLM forces.

The underlying cause of the revolt was the 3052 betrothal of Isis Marik, daughter of Captain-General Thomas Marik, to Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao and the expected alliance between their two realms. Having escaped Capellan control a century earlier, Zion's people found the prospect of returning to Liao rule unbearable. When the province had to actually host CCAF units participating in Operation GUERRERO, this hostility sparked open revolt across the province and Asuncion hired mercenaries to back up the independence declaration.

As the closest FWLM unit, the Third Free Worlds Legionnaires deployed to Asuncion inside of two weeks. While the Legionnaires easily secured a landing zone they soon became bogged down in hunting the many small mercenary units. Losses ate away at both sides until the Third Free Worlds Guards arrived in December and ended the stalemate.

Even after open fighting ended protests continued, necessitating the retention of FWLM forces. The worst incident occurred on March 2nd, 3058 on Asuncion when rioters overran the First Atrean Dragoons' barracks outside the city of Herat and resulted in two panicked MechWarriors killing over two hundred people. Following the Herat Massacre the Dragoons were rotated off-world and replaced with the Steel Guard.

After the bloodshed it was something of a cruel irony that the Marik-Liao alliance lapsed just a few years later. Zion remained under military occupation into the mid-3060s but the planet's economy was making a recovery by this time.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Free Worlds League
• Handbook: House Marik