We need a completely rogue system like Kyushu for imperial forces if we're going to civil war. I had some thoughts about the even more extreme Kusari rework.
What if Kusari will, in fact, fall apart with all the fights for throne in Tokyo (Edo, let's rename the planet) and will be represented as a bunch of feodal-like provinces led by different government. Edo will be the central province and will be considered a ruling one. The man who sits on Edo throne is a ruler of Kusari. But there will be 2 systems with loose affiliation for the Edo. Like Kyushu and Honshu being overtaken by the Blood Dragons (Kyushu's feudal has sympathies for the blood dragons and let them poke around as he see fits and oppose the Edo) and KIshiro-GMG (Honshu, there will be no feudal but the little republic run by the resistance with GMG and Kishiro in charge). Kogen will be taking the Throne but that will cost a lot for both sides that's why KNF will no longer be able to glue the Kusari systems together into one solid Empire.
This will require to create more IDs for Kyushu's police and KNF and for Honshu's police and KNF but in the end I think this might be really exciting and the change will be using the old systems that are close to each other which is also very ok.
As for cardimine - I'd like to agree that Kusari need more smuggling routes coming through it. Bah, to be honest the smuggling as it is requires some serious buff since now it can't make up to the mining\legal trading profits while it must outprofit both. Mining is a way too damn good so there is no way people will do trading if they simply wants to rise some bucks. Nerf mining, buff Trading.