Chapter 268: The Outbreak of Humanity's Civil War

Crisis Era year 268.

Within humanity, the contradictions between natural humans and the Long-Livers had accumulated to an irreconcilable state, which ultimately triggered a full-scale civil war among humans in this year.

The outbreak of this conflict was, in fact, an inevitable result of long-term tense relations. Sociologists had long foreseen that even without direct conflict between natural humans and Long-Livers, war would erupt within the Long-Liver community due to various complex interest disputes.

The deep-seated cause of the war lay in the rapid development of the Natural Human Nation. They actively adapted to technological changes, adeptly using new technologies to improve and expand their living environments. Their swift adoption and application of technology propelled their society forward at an incredible pace, resulting in a surge in population and resource demands.

However, their current development space was becoming saturated, urgently requiring the expansion into new territories to meet the growing demands.

In contrast, the Long-Livers held a conservative stance toward change, resisting the transformations brought about by technology. They preferred to maintain the status quo, yet they occupied the most resource-rich regions within the Solar System.

Faced with the rapid rise of natural humans and their thirst for resources, the Long-Livers felt a profound sense of unease, which gradually transformed into opposition and conflict with natural humans. If natural humans were allowed to continue developing, they would completely surpass the Long-Livers in the not so distant future.

The direct trigger for the war was an accidental discharge during a weapons test in the asteroid belt. This event ignited hostile actions from both sides from the bottom up and eventually escalated into large-scale total warfare.

By the time the news reached the ears of Ye Chen and Feng Zi, a full 10 hours had passed. In the context of a modern, efficient communication network, this was clearly illogical. The only reasonable explanation was that this was a premeditated war; the delay of the news at various transmission points was intentional, preventing the higher-ups from intervening in the early stages of the war.

At this moment, Ye Chen and Feng Zi realized that it was already too late for them to intervene. The contradictions between the two camps had deepened beyond reconciliation, and countless people were yearning for this war to bring some form of relief or change.

The natural humans saw this as a war of vengeance, a war of salvation. They viewed the Long-Livers as a cancer to civilization, believing that the only choice for humanity's survival was to replace them.

The Long-Livers saw this as a war of defense, perceiving the evil natural humans as attempting to seize what belonged to them. Protecting their own interests became the ultimate goal.

Once the war had started, it was no longer something the higher-ups of either side could intervene in.

Before the doomsday battle, the relative restraint maintained by the two major Earth-Moon camps was largely due to the deterrent effect of the Trisolaran potential threat.

However, times had changed; humanity no longer viewed the Trisolarans as the ultimate threat. Therefore, in the struggle for living space, neither side was willing to make any compromises.

The scale of the war rapidly swept through the entire Solar System. Nearly ten thousand battleships from both sides cloaked themselves within the vast Solar System, engaging in a submarine-warfare-like series of surprise attacks and counterattacks. Taking advantage of advanced stealth technology and high maneuverability, these battleships conducted guerrilla warfare in every corner of the Solar System, aiming to find and strike lethal blows to the enemy's weaknesses.

In addition to direct clashes between battleships, both sides also employed a large number of drones, reconnaissance satellites, and secret bases hidden in the asteroid belt for intelligence gathering and sabotage activities. These small devices and bases were like ghosts in the Solar System, silently carrying out their respective missions.

Several key factors explain why both sides avoided attacking each other's Space Navy Harbors and industrial zones.

First, both Ye Chen and Feng Zi had given explicit orders prohibiting attacks on civilian areas, reflecting a commitment to the ethics of warfare and respect for life.

Second, modern military theory emphasizes that gaining the upper hand in battleship confrontations signifies overall victory.

In space warfare, there is no traditional sense of ground capture, so military facilities such as Space Navy Harbors provide almost no substantial defense to battleships.

In short, defeating the enemy's battleships is equivalent to winning the war, allowing for the subsequent takeover of their harbors.

The war had a very clear sense of purpose. Blind, reckless attacks were seen as barbaric acts, unacceptable to modern military concepts. Even in the latter stages of the war, when defeat was a foregone conclusion, the likelihood of attacking the opponent's civilian areas remained extremely low.

The losing side also has an escape route, and it is psychologically unlikely that both sides will engage in a Dark Forest campaign, or to say, the conditions for the Dark Forest to hold are rather stringent.

In the development of war, there exists a seemingly contradictory phenomenon: despite the ever-increasing power of weapons, even possessing the capability to destroy small planets, the concern for humanities has been growing in tandem. This phenomenon not only reflects the necessity of the evolution of warfare but also reveals the deep fear people have towards war.

Similarly, whether a Space Navy Harbor is likely to mount a last stand, in the current tactical system where offense far outweighs defense, the last stand of a Space Navy Harbor is almost negligible.

A Space Navy Harbor has two additional functions: to resupply battleships; it also has a certain shipbuilding capability.

If a battleship is being resupplied, it is also the best time for a sneak attack; Space Battleships generally opt to prepare resources hidden deep in the starry sky in advance instead of daring to go directly to the Space Navy Harbor for resupply.

Though Space Navy Harbors do have certain shipbuilding capabilities, once war breaks out, any harbor targeted by the opponent will surely face a strike if it attempts a battleship trial run.

Information proves to be particularly important in this war; whoever can grasp the enemy's movements more accurately will have the upper hand.

At the same time, this war seems to be a long and endless guerrilla battle, putting great tests on the patience and strategies of both sides.

…

In the Trisolaran world, the meeting of the Governing Council.

The Trisolarans had anticipated this war and even orchestrated much of it behind the scenes.

Supreme Leader (No. 7): "Humanity's civil war has finally erupted, the result of nearly half a century of our planning.

"Military Governor, how long do you predict this human conflict will last, and what will be the final outcome?"

Military Governor: "According to the calculations of the Military Advisory Group, this human war is expected to last 4 to 6 years.

"The eventual victor will be the Natural Human Nation.

"This war is not simply a contest between battleships, but a complex psychological game.

"Even though on the surface, the battleship strength of the Natural Human Nation seems slightly inferior, on the vast stage of interstellar warfare, the comparison of strength is not the sole determinant of victory.

"The Natural Human Nation has a well-trained, highly skilled crew; they have undergone rigorous selection and training, and they are better suited for the war state. The existence of this team makes it possible for the Natural Human Nation to turn minor victories into a major triumph in the interstellar war.

"In contrast, most of the commanding systems of the Elixir Nation's battleships are handed over to intelligent systems, which can easily be targeted, and their defeat has become inevitable.

"This interstellar war is not only a military competition but also a contest of psychology and intelligence.

"From any aspect, the Elixir Nation has no chance of victory. The reason for the prolonged duration of the war is the vast expanse of the battlefield, where everyone moves through space like a phantom."

Supreme Leader (No. 7): "Very well, your analysis of the war has already gone beyond mere reliance on data.

"When do you predict will be the best time for us to launch our attack?"