As part of the Fifth Alsakan Conflict, which occurred in 12,980 BBY, the campaign of Admiral Hirken in the Northern Dependencies took place. This conflict was one of many between the Galactic Republic member worlds of Coruscant and Alsakan, along with their respective allies. Hirken spearheaded a strong defense of Alsakani colonies within the Northern Dependencies, with operations reaching into Wild Space. The admiral's effective use of cruisers was a significant factor in the war's eventual conclusion.
From 17,018 BBY to 3017 BBY, Coruscant, the Galactic Republic's capital planet, and Alsakan, a member world of the Republic, engaged in seventeen separate wars, collectively known as the Alsakan Conflicts. These conflicts were fought by them and their allies for political and economical dominance within the Republic. Prior to 12,980 BBY, these Conflicts involved various attempts by both sides to achieve a decisive victory using fleets in combat.
However, neither Coruscant nor Alsakan wished to overcommit their military forces to offensive operations, resulting in infrequent direct confrontations. Over time, the strategies evolved to focus on squadrons of large battleships protecting the Core Worlds, where both Coruscant and Alsakan were located, and swift cruisers conducting raids and safeguarding colony worlds.
In the year 12,980 BBY, Admiral Hirken, whose family was among the earliest settlers of Alsakan, initiated an intense campaign to protect the Alsakan-controlled Northern Dependencies and its Alsakani colonies. This was part of the larger Fifth Alsakan Conflict which had begun around seventy years prior. During this campaign, the cruisers under Hirken's command proved to be extremely valuable assets.
Hirken's campaign involved fighting in the Core Worlds, the Colonies, and the Inner Rim regions within the Northern Dependencies, including battles in the Pyria and Twith systems. Engagements also extended further spinward into the Dachat and Sz Fel systems located in the Negs area of the Core. The campaign even reached along the Alsakan-held Namadii Corridor hyperlane as far as the Glee Anselm and Iridonia systems situated in Wild Space. One particular battle, which occurred in orbit around a planet or moon, involved at least thirteen warships, with nine exhibiting similar design characteristics but representing different manufacturers.
Even though the Fifth Alsakan Conflict continued for almost three more centuries, the outcome of the war was determined by Admiral Hirken's actions in the Northern Dependencies. Subsequent campaigns of the Alsakan Conflicts fell into a predictable pattern of raids and counter-attacks among Coruscant and Alsakan's colonies, punctuated by periodic ceasefires negotiated in the Core Worlds.
The 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare, penned by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart, introduced Admiral Hirken's campaign in the Northern Dependencies. Darren Tan provided an illustration of the campaign for the book.