Seven Hour War

In 2022, during the ongoing Fourth Corporate War, the European Space Agency was in the process of completing construction of an orbital space station titled O'Neill 2, also known as O'Neill Gateway, utilising the highly skilled Highrider workforce originally engaged to build the O'Neill 1. The ESA had recruited for the project using catchphrases including "We'll open the door to the universe." and "The Solar System - a home to all.", drawing ambitious technologists that dreamt of enabling humanity's expansion into space.

Upon leaving Earth, workers for both projects were stripped of their freedom, forced to work excessively long hours under arduous conditions in extremely dangerous environments, given little to no time for rest or recuperation. The ESA, operating similarly to other corporations of the era, employed harsh authoritarian measures to ensure workers would comply with the regime. Peaceful protest of working conditions was met with violent, disproportionate use of force, employed with the intention of breaking the spirit of the workforce.

On the 29th of September 2022, driven by the long boiled-over conflict between the colonists themselves and their ESA stationmasters, as well as the very real fear of being caught up as collateral damage in the ever intensifying war between corporate rivals Militech and Arasaka, the inhabitants of O'Neill 2 staged an effective, cleverly and quietly organised coup of the entire station, taking complete control. Having observed and understood the resources available to ESA security and potential reinforcement timescales, their plan was simply to overwhelm the station's security forces. They knew they outnumbered security forces 40:1 and that, simply, there weren't enough guns on the station to stop them all.

Once in control, using skills learned during the construction and operation of the stations, the Highriders employed the ortillery capabilities of the O'Neill 2, exercising a show of force against the ESA and EEC. Orbital bombardment of a number of key ESA and EEC facilities began[citation needed], causing widespread destruction, as well as a the tactical, defensive destruction of a number of corporate owned orbital weapons.

The entire conflict lasted just 7 hours. The ESA had dedicated much of its available security force to defending planet-side interests from the ongoing ground war, unable to quickly deploy them to protect the station and now caught up in the onslaught. The result of the ESA's hubris was ultimately that control of a cataclysmically powerful mass driver had been lost, then consequently deployed against both themselves and their counterpart, the EEC. Once bombardment ceased and the stations were deemed to be clear of imminent retaliation, the Highrider colonists of O'Neill 2 declared their independence, aligned to no particular power and considering themselves neutral to the ongoing ground war.

Given the sheer scale of power now wielded by the newly founded orbital group, the governments of Japan and the United States, eager to garner the support of an orbital group not under the control or influence of the ESA, were quick to recognise the legitimacy of the O'Neill government.