NationStates Jolt Archive

20:00 Minsk, Bull Horns Rule. December 23

The snow is gently falling, slowly covering the streets. All is quiet, children are sleeping, stores are closed, everyone is waiting for Christmas.

A whistle is heard, an artillery shell explodes, sending shrapnel into nearby houses. Screams are audible. "Help me! I have been hit! Please, I'm begging you, someone!" An automatic rifle is heard firing, more screams. People run in all directions. A T-72 rolls out of the fog, into the view, machine guns blaring, a man is heard, but not seen, from atop the tank, yelling in Russian, "The coup has begun, all shall be ours!"

Riot police quickly arrive onto the scene, but they are quickly mowed down in the confusion. The national guard and army are mobilized but they will not be ready for another couple hours. Civilians are forced to fend for themselves, using hunting rifles in a feeble attempt to slow the advance. Every inch lost costs blood, mainly civilian blood. Children are seen fleeing, an artillery shell kills or wounds all. Nearby army bases are under control of the rebels.

The snow quickly turns red with blood, rebel snipers have the upper hand, anyone that comes into view is quickly killed. The cost in blood is immense. Cries and screams are heard, but nothing can be done for the innocent people.

A nearby school is filled with the wounded, children, women, and men. Everyone is a target. Minsk quickly falls into enemy hands.

The Royal Palace. 21:30 December 23

"Alexsandr, we have an emergency." The man quickly awakens.

"What is the emergency? Has someone attacked us?"

The servant has a very sad look upon his face, "Yes, sir, rebels have captured Minsk."

"This is preposterous, get me my uniform" The servant hands him an elegant uniform. "I need to know who has done this!"

"Sir, we do not know. The people are requesting an answer."

"You must tell them to wait."

OOC: The Empire is watching...

The Farmboys of Bull Horns Rule, a socialist dictatorship, was about as high on the list of countries the Empire liked as the Russians were. The Empire loathed socialism, communism, and any other type of far left style of government. It and everything it stood for was the opposite of the Empire and ideologically, an enemy. Socialists and communists especially were fiendishly adamant about spreading their leftist disease around the world, to every country and the Empire was a likely target. The Eastasians were the biggest communists in the world and they, once, tried to influence Layartebian domestic politics on the island of Grenada. It didn't go too well for them or the Empire, per say. Though the Eastasians were not enemies to the Empire, they weren't allies either. They traded and spoke with each other, routinely. The Empire was not about to sever relations with Eastasia either and vice versa, both nations helped the other survive, a necessary evil it seemed. However, the state of Bull Horns Rule was different. They had no value to the Empire as a socialist country. When word of a brewing rebellion filtered down through the Ministry of Intelligence, an immediate opportunity was seen. The Ministry of Intelligence had a very clandestine and secretive branch that was focused on one thing and one thing only, supporting foreign rebel groups, especially those against socialist and communist states. This unit supplied weapons, intelligence, and funds to rebel groups throughout the world.

When the rebellion openly began, it began with arms supplied by the Empire. Many of these weapons included the AD-142s bought from Russian arms dealers. In addition, the Empire supplied intelligence on socialist positions, troop movements, and what not to the independence fighters. Lastly, large funds of money were wired into rebel bank accounts. Cash was delivered clandestinely and the Empire was on its way to helping the rebel secure their state from the grips of the leftists. Of course, precautions had to be taken. In order to keep everything a secret, the clandestine operations were conducted through third party organizations and groups. Layartebian intelligence agents never actually met, face to face, with the Bull Hornian rebels nor did they ever speak to them directly. Trustable middle men were used and arms were shipped from here to there and back to here again, hiding their trail. Intelligence was transmitted over secure networks and handed off in secure briefcases at large, public venues, often changing hands ten times before ever reaching the intended target. This was standard but risky procedures. When the rebels rolled into Minsk, they did so with the full, albeit clandestine support of the Ministry of Intelligence.