Lockstep by Karl Schroeder Hard sci-fi about how a intergalactic empire being run without developing any faster than light technology.

Crap my curiosity got me, should have not search for it.

You get to shout Ahhhhh!!! it’s burning or super dry! Just my dark joke guess people did not get it lol.

Kind of match with their climate and forest fires.

Russian invasion to Ukraine looked like a drill. Continue escalating the drill, people eventually get tired hearing the same drill to the point they become complacent. Then that’s the moment they make it the real thing. When your complacent and not ready.