Paulix Revolt

The Paulix Revolt was the most widespread and by far the longest civil war to occur within the Kraelis Sector. It occurred in early M37 and lasted 73 years.

Conditions leading to war
When the war began the Kraelis Sector had been cut off from the main Imperium for over two centuries. Nonetheless the worlds of the sector had continued to set aside tithes to be sent to Terra once contact was reestablished. Eric Kraelis the fifth, ruler of the sector and chief executive of the ancient Kraelis Conglomerate had two twin sons. To determine which would succeed him he devised a contest where each of his sons would be assigned to rule a subsector and whichever son had managed to increase resources and profits from their subsector the most after 20 years would become his heir. Rolford Kraelis was Eric's favored son but Paulix Kraelis was more popular among the people.

Both sons set out to work and at first they were both doing so well that no one could predict who would win. Than a series of natural disasters stuck the territory ruled by Rolford. Paulix continued to work to the best of his ability but felt that his victory was assured. Regardless when the contest ended Eric declared Rolford the winner.

Declaration of war
Paulix was shocked unable to understand how he had lost. Than realization came. Paulix sent a message to every world in the sector declaring that the natural disasters which had struck his brother's subsector were signs of the Emperor's disfavor and that his brother had cheated by looting the warehouses that contained his subsector's tithes to Terra to win the contest. Many worlds, cities, warships, and military units believed him and declared their allegiance to Paulix. Rolford declared all such worlds and units to be traitors and the war began.

Battle beyond death
At first the war seem stalemated with neither side gaining a clear advantage and victories and losses balancing each other out. Than in year 45 of the war a large fleet of Rolford loyalists was lost in a sudden and short lived warp storm and the tide began to turn to favor the forces loyal to Paulix. Despite the deaths of both leaders in year 49 of the conflict the war raged on fought by their sons Paulix the second and Eric the sixth. In year 55 of the battle Eric abandoned Kraelix, the sector capital, and concentrated his forces in the Sulum subsector which his father had ruled during the long ago contest, and had always been Rolford and Eric's strongest source of support. But in the end the subsector was overwhelmed by the rebel forces with Paulix the second personally leading the final assault on Eric's palace on Sulum Prime and executing his cousin to end the war.