Etkian Coup
The Etkian Coup was a political crisis in the Empire of the Lego Plains, started by the Assassination of Emperor Sergio Ren on the 12th of Mara, 247, and was ended
Timeline:
Wk 1
12th - Assassination of Ren, Etkia's announcement of succession
13 - Krennic's response, initial skirmishes, Etkian command to overthrow governors
14 - Capture of Noctoren, Death of Gaisa Arpieux
15
16
17
18
19 - Noctoren's Death
20
Wk 2
21
22
23
24
25 - Battle of Rennia, death of Ak Etkia, Ascension of Tiberius Rex
26
27
28 - Dobrava Confrontation
Wk 3
29
30
31
32 - Rex awakens from Coma
33 - Abdication by Rex, Imperial Victory Parade, & Krennic's ascension to the throne
Background
Ak Etkia's Disillusionment
Nakorentan Involvement
Planning & Preparation
Assassination of Emperor Sergio Ren
The Vladeza, IIM and Death Squads worked on a Plan with Etkia for over a year. Knowing that it was nearly Impossible that Ren would directly name Etkia as his successor, the conspirators decided that, if they wanted Etkia to have a hope of a seemingly legitimate claim at the throne, they needed to assassinate Emperor Ren before he could officially name a successor. As he was expected to name James Krennic his heir on the 20th Anniversary of the freedom of the EotLP, Etkia decided to make his move the month before, with the date of the assassination finally settled to be the 12th of Mara, 247. In the opening months of 247, the Nakorentan-Backed Death Squad began to secretly arrive in the Krjstendodi Enclave of Gatograd, in case Etkia needed their support following the Assassination.
On the Morning of the 12th, Emperor Ren, accompanied by 15 Commando Bodyguards - Including Tiberius Rex, Captain of the Imperial Guard - 10 Statesmen, General James Krennic, and a crew of 8, left Rennia aboard his Personal Hrovytak Transport Aircraft, the Emperor's Eye. The Delegation was on its way towards Mezhdomnoven to take part in Trade talks being hosted in Mezhdograd. As they passed over the Province of East Barocaltia, Etkia gave the order, and two surface-to-air Missiles from the EotLP Military's own stock were launched. Within three seconds, the Pilots of the Emperor's Eye were alerted of the incoming missiles, and began to take evasive action. They were nearly successful, and were not completely destroyed by the missiles, but did lose a large portion of the left wing & hull. Unluckily, Ren was seated on the Left side of the Plane, and was injured in the blast. Two commandos and a Representative of Rennian Agriculture were killed in the blast. As soon as it became apparent that Ren had survived, Etkia's backup plan came into action, and one of the Commandoes Moved close to Ren, and began slashing at the Emperor's Throat and Chest. He was almost immediately tackled by
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Two minutes, thirty-seven seconds after takeoff, at Etkia’s order, two surface – air missiles were launched. The pilots were displayed a warning three seconds later, and were recorded as having attempted to take evasive action, but the Emperor’s Eye was struck by both missiles at 2:44.80 and 2:45.67 after takeoff, respectively. The plane immediately began to lose altitude. However, despite losing the entire left wing, a large portion of the left hull, and both of the tail engines, the pilots managed to keep the plane under enough control to guide it to the Karebyr Airstrip, in the eastern branch of the EotLP. Aboard the plane, Emperor Ren had been injured by the blast that struck the airplane just a few metres behind his seat. However, he was surviving. But then Etkia’s backup plan came into action. One of the surviving commandoes made his way back to Ren, drew a short knife, and began slashing at the Emperor's throat. Before he could do further harm to the emperor, commando bodyguard captain Tiberius Rex, who had saved Ren during a previous Coup attempt, launched himself at the traitor, taking him down. He killed him very quickly, and set about trying to stabilise the wounded Emperor, with the help of General Krennic. After 30 minutes of flying away from the location of the missile strike, the plane came down in Karebyr. They struck the ground hard, but the plane came to a rest in relative safety. When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they made a horrifying discovery. 8 Airmen and 6 Commandoes had died on the plane. Emperor Ren was rushed to the Karebyr General Hospital, but was declared dead by the time he reached the hospital. He had selflessly led, grown, and protected his nation for nearly two decades, from the 9th of 228 until his death, in the morning of the 12th of Mara, 247. That evening, a wounded General Krennic made a TV announcement to the nation, announcing the death of Emperor Krennic. The Vladeza immediately dispatched three battalions, and two destroyers from Zronägrad Port on a “stabilisation and peacekeeping” mission in the EotLP. They would arrive in 6 days. Within an hour, Ak Etkia released a press statement carrying the imperial sceptre, accepting the heavy weight of Imperial Reign that he would accept. General Krennic realised what was going on. Calling Captain Rex and 6 paramedics as witnesses, he recounted how, on his deathbed, Emperor Ren had urged him to “take what’s ours, no, yours, from those ----ers." Immediately, faction lines had been drawn. Etkia claimed he was the rightful ruler based on the laws that stipulated that the sceptre indicated that its bearer was the emperor, while Krennic argued that he had been audibly named Ren’s Heir, making him the rightful emperor. The Marshall of the Rennian Armies, the Admiral of the Rennian Navies, and the Air Marshall of the Rennian Air Forces came together to declare neutrality on the issue of succession. They repeated that they served not the emperor, but the EotLP people, and would take all necessary steps to simply protect the sovereignty of the EotLP until the issue of succession could be resolved. However, the Admiral did order a blockade of the entrance to the Dobrava Strait, blocking the Nakorentan “Stabilisation" flotilla from entering the Tûmno Sin’o, and blocking their access to the EotLP. By now they were only 3 days away from entering the straight, and 4 days away from landing on EotLP Soil.
Battle of Cagne Island
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Etkia managed to muster nearly seven thousand troops who he used to command and remained loyal to him, and gathered in Rennia. Another group of soldiers (estimated at around 1,500) commanded by Etkia took control of Cagne Island, imprisoning Future Emperor Mikael Cagne, the Son of the beloved Duke of Cagne, The Very Honourable Count Sir Nikolas Mezis Di Cagne, and the Cagne Island Governor, Lupir Noctoren, who had ordered the Cagne Duchy Army & Navy to defend the Island from the Rebel occupiers. Despite the EotLP Military's Neutrality, this went into effect immediately, because technically the Cagne Duchy Military was a separate entity from the EotLP Military. The Cagne Duchy Navy began blockading their own home ports, and the Cagne Duchy Military engaged the Rebels across the Island, mainly centred in Cagne Proper, especially around the Port. The Cagne Duchy Military suffered 68 Casualties and 33 Fatalities during the 8-day Engagement, while the Rebels suffered much worse, reportedly suffering 214 Casualties and 136 Fatalities. Nearly half of the Rebel Fatalities came from one naval engagement, when a Cagnian Coast Guard Patrol Boat was intercepted by a captured Rebel Boat. 8 of the 10 crew members on board the Coast Guard ship were killed, and the ship was dragged alongside the Etkian Vessel, which was manned by approximately 55 people. The remaining two Cagnian crew members rigged a bomb in the hold of their own ship, and detonated it as the Etkians began to board their ship, destroying both ships nearly instantly, and killing all the Rebels present. Both Cagne and Noctoren were arrested by the Rebels and held in ~~~~ Lakal City, over which the Rebels had almost full control. Mikael Cagne was beaten, and Noctoren tortured, reportedly in an attempt to force him to give a withdrawal command to the Cagne Troops, which he refused to do. After the Etkian challenge and the Battle of Rennia, the command structure of the Etkian Rebels was destroyed, and the Cagnian loyalists commenced a lightning-strike-operation on Lakal, where they killed roughly 40 Rebels and captured 291 more, in addition to the 85 they had captured in the preceding days. All together, 512 Rebels were killed or captured, although the total number of rebels involved in the conflict cannot be confirmed.
while Krennic mustered a similar number of those who couldn’t justify the military’s choice to be neutral in this internal conflict
Ethnic Violence against the Cagnian Population
Battle of Rennia
Rex - Etkia Imperial Challenge
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While Etkia had his thousand-strong following gathered in Rennia, Krennic managed to muster a similar amount in Karebyr by the third day of the Crisis, mainly of soldiers who couldn't justify the Military's choice to remain neutral. This divide in the military left brothers ready to kill brothers and sisters ready to kill sisters. Krennic moved his forces West, towards Rennia, where Etkia and his forces were. The Death Corp in Gatograd had not entered the EotLP yet, but were on full alert. As the troops loyal to Ren approached the outskirts of Rennia, they caught a glimpse of the assembled Etkian Troops. They still wore Rennian Kits. Captain Rex ordered a halt. He could not bring himself to order an attack on his own people. After discussion with General Krennic, he decided on an alternate plan of Action. Ordering their troops to hold position, and remain on high alert, they requested a parley with Etkia. Etkia accepted. Late into the afternoon of the 17th of 247, Rex, Krennic, and a small squadron of their best soldiers were accepted to the Imperial Palace, which Etkia had claimed as his own. When queried on the purpose of their parley, Rex challenged him for the sceptre. According to Rennian Military Law, the Emperor could accept a challenge for his sceptre and position. Etkia was a highly trained commando, probably among the best in the world at that time, but so was Tiberius Rex. However, Etkia was also proud. He couldn’t turn down the challenge. The two contenders in the succession war, General James Krennic & Major General Ak Etkia, both agreed that the winner of the challenger would be recognized by the other as the rightful Emperor. Rex & Etkia followed the proper rituals of ceremonial combat, and began their fight with no armour, and no firearms. A grueling five minutes followed, during which no onlooker could tell who was winning and who was not. However, Etkia finally succeeded in reaching Rex’s knife, which had been dropped earlier in the fight. He spun to try and stab Rex fatally, but Rex used his own momentum against him, and flung him onto the ground of the Imperial Palace, then instantly latching his leg around the now-sprawled Etkia’s throat, and applying pressure. Etkia began to wildly wave the knife, and succeeded in slicing open Rex’s face, chest, and abdomen, but Rex would not be deterred. He once again pushed the knife away, and held Etkia down until he asphyxiated. Rex had ended the life of the Impericidal traitor Etkia, and took hold of the sceptre. He was the rightful emperor of the EotLP. Rex collapsed right after, from exhaustion and his injuries during the duel. During the following commotion in the rebel stronghold-which, only a few days before, had been Emperor Ren’s Palace-many of Etkia’s troops surrendered or turned sides, and the rest were killed by the now much-more-numerous loyalist forces. Ren's loyalists were victorious in Rennia.
Reign of Emperor Tiberius Rex
It took three days for Emperor Tiberius Rex to regain consciousness, on the 20th of 247. Immediately, he abdicated in favor of Krennic, who was crowned the following day as the Emperor of the EotLP. Due to the unformal nature of Ren’s naming of him as the heir to the throne, it was hotly contested whether or not he was the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Emperor of the EotLP.
As a note of respect to Rex, Emperor Krennic's first official action was to title Rex as "Emperor Emeritus Tiberius Rex."
Fallout and Dobrava Confrontation
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While Emperor Tiberius was in a coma, late on the 18th of 247, the Nakorentan “pacification” flotilla was sighted by the Rennian Blockade of the Dobrava Strait. By this point, the Marshall, Air Marshall, and Admiral now all once again recognized that there was only one legitimate Emperor (Rex), and that General Krennic was once again the legitimate General of the Rennian Armed Forces. Krennic and his officers ordered the Navies & Air Forces to prevent any Nakorentan troops from crossing into the Tûmno Sin’o. The blockade issued a warning to the commander of the Nakorentan Flotilla, who ignored their warnings, and continued to approach the strait, although at a slowed pace for several more hours. The blockade took aim on the leading ship in the flotilla, and issued the warning once again. Meanwhile, the commander was in frantic communication with the Vladeza, trying to make sure that, whatever the outcome of the confrontation was, it wasn’t his fault, he was just following orders. The Blockade once again warned the flotilla not to cross the line drawn from the eastern-most point of the Reaktibitel Ostrov and the northern-most point of the Blagorodnik Ostrvo. Finally, with under two minutes to spare, the Vladeza decided that, without in-country support, they would need to try to take the EotLP a different time, and the ships broke course from crossing the fire line. After a 17-hour stand-off, the flotilla was recalled with immediate effect. The official reason given was that the EotLP had clearly stabilised on their own at this point. The Death Corps were also recalled out of Gatograd. They had not seen action during the Etkian Coup. And the EotLP & Nakorenta had narrowly avoided war, at least for this time. But the Emperor was dead. His funeral was held two days later, on the 20th of 247, with full military procession & every honour that could be bestowed. He had led his nation from its infancy, only to be betrayed by the very people he had fought for – Etkia had been an Irinian child during the Rennian Resistance. Ren's funeral lasted for seven hours, and he was laid to rest in the Emperor’s Mausoleum, on the grounds of the Imperial Governance Headquarters. The beloved, selfless leader of the EotLP, Sergio Ren, was dead.