Alpha War is the common name for the war of expropriation declared by the United States of America on The Lunatic Kingdom in 2031.
On October 10th, 2031, a drill core on Moonbase Alpha 8 breached a subterranean cavern below the surface of the moon. Previously thought to be a helium reservoir, this cavern proved much larger than expected. When the drill reached the bottom of the cavern, it caused part of the cavern to collapse, causing intense moonquakes. These moonquakes caused structural damage to critical infrastructure in The Lunatic Kingdom, and as a response, LunaTech dispatched a private security force to shut down Alpha 8. LunaTech claims that it sent verbal warnings to the American operators ahead of the security force, though this claim is often disputed. The Lunarian security force entered Alpha 8 by force and held its staff hostage until the drill core could be safely deactivated. However, The United States declared this action as a hostile invasion, and declared war on The Lunatic Kingdom to drive Lunarian occupation out of all USAF-owned moonbases.
LunaTech security forces occupied Alpha 8 for 20 hours, demanding that all drilling operations at Alpha 8 cease and desist indefinitely. During these 20 hours, American staff were held hostage. When American forces arrived in Mare Nubium, they demanded that Lunarian security forces stand down. Upon non-compliance, American soldiers stormed Alpha 8. Due to yet unknown causes, within minutes of invasion, the entire facility had depressurized, leading to the deaths of all humans and lunar rabbits inside.
The United States of America launched several retaliatory invasions on lunar colonies in the months following. With financial and technological backing from Avici, the US was able to take control of much of Copernicus. However, these invasions failed to meaningfully impact the infrastructure of The Lunatic Kingdom, leading to stagnation. The US resorted to satellite bombardment of the lunar capital, but was unable to breach the city's shield barrier. This conflict continued until February 1st, 2038, when LunaTech sued the US for peace. Following this agreement, the Treaty of Lunar Neutrality was amended to include regulations on drilling depths and regions.