Contested Zone

"“The sky was blackened by the smoke of a thousand fires as we marched through the bombed out city. The corpses of civilians covered in chemical burns and blisters who died painfully from our mustard gas were strewn along the street. It was a glorious sight like nothing I've ever seen before.”""- Excerpt from the journal of a Ho Dynasty soldier serving during the early days of The Damianic Civil War (Also called the Great Ho Schism)"

Overview
The Contested Zone is a stretch of space between the Ho Dynasty and Damian Insurrection. Systems within this region swap sides often as each side tries to push through the others lines. The Contested Zone is very similar to “No Man’s Land” in primitive wars of the past.

Habitable planets in this region of space are heavily war torn. Ground battles happen often where thousands die on each side daily. Planets on the front lines are covered in a thick smog from constant usage of chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and planetary fires. The people of this once peaceful region commonly live underground in an attempt to protect themselves from the near inhospitable surface. Most planets have vast deposits of minerals that are mined when possible by both sides.

Soldiers are given protective equipment that allow them to fight on the surface without dying from the elements.