Pike's Purpose

Has it already been six years since the last confrontation between the Planetary Alliance and the Hegemony of United Worlds?
Simmering unrest is reaching a critical point on the planets regained by the Hegemony after their renegade admirals were eliminated. The small whiff of independence from six years before has kindled into hot desire to regain the freedom lost many years before to the Hegemony. The Hegemony has been unable to establish the tight control over those systems they employed before the war. Impatient, the Hegemon decides a firmer approach is required.
As the situation becomes more volatile, and war seems inevitable, Sarah Harkness undertakes a risky mission to the heart of the Hegemony. Success on her mission will lead to the quick dissolution of the Hegemony. Failure will be fatal. At the same time, Admiral Sandy Pike is waiting with the Alliance Navy, poised for battle.
When the protests turn into bloody confrontations, how should the Alliance respond? After all, the Alliance introduced the idea of self-determination six years earlier. Do they have an obligation to back those words up?