Imperator Azenquor

OOC: *glares at Subtle* Stop giving away the endings or I shall be most upset

***Inside the Imperial Palace*** Watching as the situation collapsed around her, Princess Azleya retreated to the Throne room, and locked the door behind her. She heard loud shouts downstairs as the remaining guards struggled to fight the river of angry protesters. She was cornered and she knew it. As the noises approached, she frantically searched for something to defend herself with. Unnoticed, a woman stepped out of the shadows. The woman wore an Order uniform, but covered her face with a mask. The mysterious woman silently crept up behind the Princess then spoke, startling the Princess: “Your Majesty”-???? “Who…are you?”-Azleya “That doesn’t matter, what is important is that I can offer you a way out.”-???? Suddenly, there was a loud banging at the door to the throne room. “Last chance Princess.”-???? “Fine. Let’s go then”-Azleya With a nod, the mysterious woman led the Princess to a nearby tapestry. She ripped the tapestry from the wall, and pushed against the bare wall. Suddenly the wall gave way, revealing a small compartment and a tunnel. Without waiting any longer, the Princess rushed into the tunnel, and the woman followed a few paces behind. Once they were in the tunnel, the mysterious woman reached into her belt and ran her fingers over the hilt of her katana. “All in good time” she thought to herself. As soon as they escaped, the Palace fell and the remaining Guards surrendered. Most people went home, others made sure that they took a "souvenir" while the rest continued to search the palace. Once news of the Princess' disappearance reached the crowd, the rioters slowly trickled out of the Square and returned home.

Vaule/Vaule/ImperatorAzenquor

That would be a great help.

Ah. my bad, wrong Oblast name. I'll get that fixed in a bit.

These should be the Oblasti covered in the above map: Novaya Zemlya Zabaykalsk Buryatia Tuva 2/3 of Krasnoyarsk (up to the border with Crimea Iso) Part of Yamalia, Tomsk, Khantia-Mansia possibly Ingushetia

LVN, I'll post the detailed provinces of Vaule in a little while.

Vaule Socialist Republic Signatures: Yuri Rokossovsky- Transitional President Georgi Zhuganov- Chairman of the Executive Council Director Zelin -SWoRD Director

VNN News Update: The Dust settles Units of the former Imperial Guard stationed throughout the provinces of the former VDR have laid down their arms and surrendered to the advancing VSR Forces. Notification of the surrender of the Imperial Guard units was broadcast on state TV by their Commanding Officers who appealed for a calm and orderly transition. Both the VSR government and the remaining VDR Commanders have called for an end to the rioting in Sygh-Varthys. We have received reports from Sygh-Varthys that a group of people has detained Princess Azleya and Prime Minister Ivanov in the Imperial Palace. We can also confirm that some of the rioters who broke through to the Palace have begun to loot the building of its contents. The SWoRD agency has reported that they have made contact with the group holding the Prime Minister and Princess and have arranged to have them transferred into state custody to stand trial. VSR troops have reinstated the regional government authority in all former VDR provinces. The regional governments shall remain in place and arrange the necessary referenda on joining the VSR. The regional authorities shall manage the day to day affairs of the provinces until the referenda have been completed. Upon hearing the news of the collapse of the VDR, most of the rioters in Sygh-Varthys began to disperse and co-operate with authorities who are attempting to remain calm. Other Impromptu celebrations have popped up all over Vaule as bars nationwide have declared that “in honor of Re-Independence Day, all purchases are on the house”

The Vaulian Socialist Republic (Socializte Republika Vauleya) hereby requests admission to the ComIntern. We admit that we are at a transitional phase, but we feel that the situation shall soon be resolved and normality resume.

It might be easier to use the old map if possible. If not here is an approximate estimate of my territory:

VNN Breaking News: VDR Falls! -Protesters in the Square Paralyzed by wide ranging worker’s strikes and protests, the government of the VDR attempted to break the deadlock by ordering police and militia units to arrest protesters around the Imperial palace in Sygh-Varthys. The orders came from Princess Azleya herself and were believed to be an attempt to regain control of a situation that spun completely out of her control. As police moved in and began arresting people, small scuffles developed in the large crowd as people resisted. Tensions exploded after a woman who escaped from the grasp of police officers was shot in the back as she fled. This unfortunate incident incited the crowd and caused the largest riot in the history of Vaule. -Confrontation with riot police The officer who shot the civilian was beaten up by nearby rioters as the crowd worked into a frenzy. The Imperial Guard fell back to surround the Imperial Palace in an attempt to reform their defense line, but the situation was rapidly escalating. -Imperial Guard attempting to reform the defense line The final blow came as two trucks that were positioned in the square by protesters who defected from the Imperial Guard were opened to reveal their contents. The trucks were disguised RM-70 multiple rocket launchers. The crowd parted like a tidal wave as the launchers were loaded and fired on the Imperial palace destroying the East wall and setting the security post on fire. -Rioting Angry protesters armed themselves with bottles, rocks, sticks and anything else that they could find as the massive crowd stormed through the wall into the Imperial Palace. It is unclear what is the situation inside the Imperial Palace, or if Princess Azleya is still inside the compound. President Rokossovsky of the VSR has ordered army units to move into Caledonia, Regulus and West Faron provinces in order to maintain order and to disarm the Imperial Guard units. It is unclear however if the VSR will intervene in Sygh-Varthys to bring the riots under control. We have also learned that the Office of the Prime Minister in Sygh-Varthys has been hit with an artillery round and has caught fire. -Office of the Prime Minister President Rokossovsky did issue a statement regarding the situation in the VDR: “The Armed forces of the Vaule Socialist Republic will enter the former VDR to maintain order in all of the provinces previously under the control of the Imperial Guard units. We will maintain order in the provinces until we are able to hold additional referenda in each of the provinces. We will also mandate the immediate disarmament of the Imperial Guard forces.”-President Rokossovsky We will continue to monitor the situation in Sygh-Varthys as it develops and we will do our best to determine the fate of the Prime Minister and the Princess.

President Rokossovsky has condemned the actions of the VDR and has issued a statement. “We have tried a vote. The vote was democratic now the VDR refuses to recognize the results of the referendum. They are using force to reassert their control over the province against the wishes of the people. The VSR will have to review our policy for re-unification of Vaule. We also now refuse to recognize Caledonia province as a part of the VDR. We will use any and all means at my disposal to ensure that Caledonia province is permitted, as was the wish of the people, join the VSR” ***Classified*** 12,000 soldiers move to the VSR-VDR border. On televisions and radios in the VDR, the anthem of the Vaulian Empire was played non-stop for 30 minutes. ***Caledonia border*** As the Imperial Guard units moved into the province, they faced large scale civilian resistance. Locals pelted the soldiers with rotten eggs, vegetables, tomatoes and anything they could find. The soldiers started to wonder what they were really fighting for. The Imperial Guard Commanders, commanded by the Order, on the other hand were too focused on their own mission to realize that the whispers of dissent in their own ranks slowly began to grow louder. An angry crowd of 10,000 residents marched towards the Imperial Guard unit. The Guard changed formation, with riot shields in hand, the first lines moved forward to confront the protesters. The second and third ranks were ordered to change to live ammunition. The crowd attacked the front lines with anything they could find. Despite the training of the Guard unit, a throng of protesters broke through the line and continued to push forward. Panicking, the Commander moved behind the third line and shouted: “Open Fire!” The soldiers raised their rifles, but did not fire. Angered the commander shouted again and again: “I order you to open fire!” The soldiers, faced with two unpleasant choices, decided to disobey their Commander. They refused to advance any further and placed the Commander under arrest. ***Sygh-Varthys*** The protesters surrounding the Imperial palace now numbered in the 900,000s. The entire capital was shut down as every street leading to and from the square was packed full of protesters. No one could enter or leave the Imperial palace as the entire complex was surrounded on all sides. The protesters could get no closer to the palace complex because of the large walls that now had snipers positioned along them. Suddenly, the large crowd of people parted as two trucks pulled into the square, positioned 40 feet from the North Wall of the Imperial Palace.

***Inside the Imperial Palace*** Three servants rushed out of the Princess’ quarters as two plates and a fork smashed on the wall narrowly missing them. Inside the room, Prime Minister Ivanov stood stunned as the Princess began a long rant: “How dare they, I am Imperatrix appointed by God! They want to destroy the entire state! They were supposed to vote no like you said Dmitri!”-Azleya Pacing across the room Azleya continued: “I will not permit this to go on. I will not lose Caledonia. I will not lose the heartland of the Monarchy!” Finally gaining the bravery to speak, Prime Minister Ivanov began: “And how can Your Majesty prevent this?”-Ivanov “Send in the Imperial Guard! Take the province and its capital and reinstate martial law.”-Azleya As Ivanov left the room to carry out his orders, an aide rushed into the room to speak with the Princess. “Your Majesty, there is a call for you on the secure line.”-Aide Without waiting for a response, the aide left the room and closed the door behind him. Wondering who could be calling her on the secure line, the Princess punched in a code on the keypad near the door. Immediately a bookcase slid to the right to reveal a large Plasma screen mounted to the wall. A man, seated at a desk in a dimly lit room appeared on the screen and began to speak: “Azleya, having fun destroying Vaule I see?”-???? “Do you have any idea who you are talking to?”-Azleya “Of course I do. Out of all of Vaule's monarchs spanning the ages, you are the only one to ever succeed at having the entire country fall to pieces. Now you are planning to attack the people themselves and attempt to drown their voices out.”-???? “I am Imperatrix, I have command of the Imperial Guard and you do not! I shall do whatever I please.”-Azleya “I guarantee you, should any more people die by your hand I will make sure you regret it.”-???? The mysterious figure leaned slightly forward, and pulled a small ring from his pocket. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”-???? Before ending the conversation, the mysterious figure held the ring close to the monitor so that Azleya could read the inscription on the front. The letters “A Z-R I” appeared on the front of the ring next to a double headed eagle. As soon as she saw the letters, Azleya dropped the glass she was holding and fainted.

Election Upset in Caledonia! VNN: The Vaule Electoral Commission has finished counting, tabulating and recounting the votes from the referendum in Caledonia province. In a surprising slap in the face to Princess Azleya, the province’s population voted an overwhelming “Yes” to the referendum measure: “Should Caledonia province recognize the Vaulian Socialist Republic (VSR) as the successor state to the United Democratic Republic of Vaule (UDRV), and as such recognize the VSR as having full central government authority over Caledonia province?” We are now waiting for comments from the International observers, regarding the vote. We do know however that the Palace is not amused.

With the observers in place, the voting begins across the province. In a characteristically high turnout, the people of Caledonia came to the polls. Despite the tension between the VSR and VDR, the mood at the polls among the voters was much more easy-going. The polls are expected to close in 12 hours and the results should be announced in 13 hours. ***Across Caledonia*** Upon their arrival at the polling stations, the observers notice the extreme efficiency of Vaule's electoral system. The VEC Officials take the time to walk the observers through the process, and then permit them to observe the voting from wherever they wish to. Voters have their information checked as they arrive at the voting area and pass through security. Once their information and eligibility to vote is confirmed, they go straight into the main lobby. Once in the lobby, the voter's National ID card is used to access the second level room. Once inside, voters enter the voting booth (sort of like an ATM complete with a lockable door behind you). The citizen then accesses the voting terminal. After swiping their National ID card and providing their fingerprint, voters then access the electoral ballot. They select their choice on the terminal and confirm. Once completed, the vote is registered electronically and a paper ballot indicating their vote is printed. The voter then examines the paper ballot, signs it, then seals it. After dropping the ballot in the box provided, the citizen then leaves through another exit. The approximate time from arrival at the polls to exiting and voting is 4.5 minutes

Breaking News: Referendum called in Caledonia province! Without waiting for an Imperial approval, the Caledonia regional government assembled in the provincial Executive capital Carmagh. The regional government has started the process of setting up polling stations throughout the province. The regional governor has called in VEC officials to oversee the pre-voting procedures. All queries made to the governor’s office were forwarded to the Imperial Palace. Shortly after the preparations were made in Caledonia, a representative from the Palace announced the Princess’ decision to lift martial law in Caledonia province, and to permit Caledonia to hold the first referendum. Now given the freedom to operate in the province, the local Socialist and Democratic Party officials who weren’t arrested, held a “Yes” rally in Carmagh. In the neighboring city of Zenqograd a smaller “No” rally was held by supporters of the Princess and the VDR. It is unclear who will win the vote, but it appears that the “Yes” vote may have a slight advantage. Caledonia province also has a strong history of supporting the monarchy, and this could tilt the vote towards a “No”. Only time will tell what the result will be. Voting is expected to begin tomorrow morning. International Observers are asked to fly into the Novaya Zemlya International Airport, where they will be transported to Caledonia to observe the voting.

OOC: Welcome back The VSR recognizes the CAFSR and welcomes them to the International scene. The VDR, on the other hand does not.

VNN News: VSR announces election conditions President Rokossovsky of the VSR has outlined a list of conditions necessary before any vote or referendum in the VDR is recognized: President Rokossovsky has also announced that, should the VDR agree to the above terms, he is willing to do the following: === Protests in Sygh-Varthys appear to be gaining momentum as they enter into their second week. The tone of their demands has remained the same however some of the messages have changed. A crowd of students is marching towards the Imperial Palace to join the crowds already in the square. Some of the students are carrying signs saying: “We’ll have Democracy, or we’ll have a Revolution!” So far, the Princess has not yet responded to the proposals put forward by the VSR, however we do know that 8,000 Imperial Guard troops and 2,000 militia units have moved to the border with the VSR. Some sources inside the Palace are suggesting that the Princess is being advised that she should utilize the Imperial Guard to put on a “show of force” prior to agreeing to an election. We continue to monitor the situation along the border however on the VSR side there appear to be no troop movements to counter the Imperial Guard. Inside the Vaule Nationalist Party there is a significant, and growing movement to push Prime Minister Dmitri Ivanov to the sideline so that "the party can have a chance to win the election without being associated with that incompetent buffoon" (Quote from Nationalist MP) If the elections go ahead, then the government will begin issuing visas to observers, and providing them with poll location information and interpreters.

The two reps (VSR and VDR) arrive in Crimea Iso for the conference. The two Diplomats avoid each other as much as possible.

Vaule Socialist Republic issues statement In the past few days the Vaule Socialist Republic has completed the formation of “Temporary State Institutions” in Nevassa and has reorganized the Vaule military units under their command into the Populej Liberatiu Arma (People’s Liberation Army). President Rokossovsky made a detailed speech to the Temporary Parliament of the VSR in Nevassa outlining the immediate goals of the VSR. -President Rokossovsky, speaking to the Parliament of the VSR “It is our utmost duty to use whatever means are available to a sovereign nation to remove the false monarch who has suspended the rights of Vaulians living in the self-proclaimed VDR and who has no right to rule Vaule whatsoever. We are prepared to hold dialogue with this so-called VDR, but not while Azleya Zen is its leader. Until the voices of the people living in the south are heard democratically (i.e. via referendum) we will not recognize the separation of Vaule. We also state to the “Princess” that any attempts to use force against the VSR or the government of the VSR, there will be severe consequences. We will not fire the first shot, but if it is fired at us, we will fire the last shot. The clock is ticking Azleya. Let the provinces have their votes and let the people decide which is the true Vaule!”-President Rokossovsky ***Loud Applause from the Parliament*** “Should the government of the VDR continue to stifle the voices of the people in the South, then we shall have no choice but to do everything possible to ensure that the VDR government is removed, and that the criminals who run the government shall be put on trial for their crimes. If the VDR government is truly democratic, then they would have no issue with permitting international observers into the area to observe democracy in action. I assure you, the Southern provinces are not democratic. In the past 72 hours, government forces have stifled all non-government controlled press and newspapers, arrested more than 42 journalists, 3 bloggers, 10 dissidents, 2 priests, 7 political activists as well as 13 regional government MPs. These persons have not been given a trial, nor are they charged with any crime. But as the VDR has suspended Habeas Corpus, they can be held indefinitely for doing nothing more than opposing the “Monarch”. I urge the people in the Southern territories to stand up for their rights and not to sit idle as the government erodes the liberties that generations of Vaulians have fought and died for. I thank you.”-President Rokossovsky ===== ***Inside the VDR*** -Protesters near the North Gate of the Imperial Palace In the VDR, protests have entered their fifth day as angry citizens defy the martial law order and remain surrounding the Imperial Palace in Sygh-Varthys. Additionally workers in the Mining Sector, a major economic industry in Vaule have called a general, nationwide strike to protest the government. Production at facilities across Vaule was halted at 9:00am as workers took to the streets. Students at schools in Vaule's capital Sygh-Varthys staged a walk out this afternoon and are refusing to go back to classes. The government led by Princess Azleya has claimed that the protests are being instigated by "left wing, socialist riff-raff" and that workers who do not return to work immediately may be fired. Compounding the angry mood of the public is a sharp increase in the price of gasoline which jumped by 130% to V$4.5 per liter due to the collapse of both Slavorussia and the Northern Empire as well as speculation that the VDR may remove the national gas subsidy since 65% of Vaule's refining capacity is now in the VSR. VDR state television did not show any of these news items, and has so far only carried propaganda claiming that "The Sovereign, Princess Azleya is all that stands between Vaule and a Communist dictatorship. It is an honor to surrender our rights in the face of such a threat. We all need to make sacrifices to combat the spread of the Communist ideology."

VNN: VSR and VDR calling for International recognition -VSR Flag -VDR Flag The Vaule Democratic Republic, led by Crown Princess Azleya and the Vaule Socialist Republic led by Interim President Rokossovsky are both vying for diplomatic recognition as the legitimate successor state of the now defunct United Democratic Republic of Vaule. During the Nordo-Russian war, President Rokossovsky took the controversial decision to dissolve the state institutions of the UDRV and to enact a temporary constitution to govern the nation until the crisis was resolved. The Prime Minister who had pushed to uphold the NAP and the Crown Princess who pushed for Vaule to remain neutral were both forced from office. President Rokossovsky then declared the Vaule Socialist Republic and voided the NAP bringing Vaule into the war on the side of the RUSSIANs. For the first few weeks, it appeared that the transition had been completed smoothly and the Princess was under house arrest after signing an abdication letter. However, immediately after the surrender of Slavorussia to Nordic forces, the Princess managed to regain control of the Imperial Guard and claimed that the abdication letter was signed under duress. In retaliation, she launched a counter-coup and forced President Rokossovsky and his government to leave the capital. Princess Azleya then declared herself the head of the Vaule Democratic Republic. Territory concerns: Although Princess Azleya claims to control the entire country and claims that the Northern provinces are “occupied by Communist and Socialist forces” she effectively controls only Caledonia, East Faron and West Faron provinces and ¾ of the Vaule Capital Territory. President Rokossovsky however acknowledges that he controls Novaya Zemlya, Arcannez, and Regulus provinces directly, but he maintains that, should a vote be held almost all of the other provinces would elect to join the VSR. The VSR’s temporary capital is the Nevassa Port in Arcannez province Public Opinion It is extremely difficult to gauge the opinions of those in the VDR outside of Sygh-Varthys as they are reluctant to reply to journalists’ questions. We have learnt that persons suspected as being allied to the VSR have frequently been arrested by the Imperial Guard. In the VSR however it appears that the provinces support the government of the VSR and maintain that the VSR is the legitimate government of Vaule. Their opinions are also bolstered by the fact that the VSR has command of 97% of the Vaulian Army, while the VDRs forces are almost entirely made up of the Imperial Guard units and “Special militia” divisions, under the command of the Princess. Violence So far, there have only been sporadic exchanges of fire across the zones of control, but there is the possibility of the situation escalating rapidly. Diplomatic Recognition: Both the VSR and the VDR are now appealing to the International Community to recognize their respective governments, but only time will tell what will result from the appeal.

Both the UDRV and the VSR (which each claim to be the legitimate successor state to Vaule) send low ranking diplomats to the meeting (i.e. like the 5th Deputy Ambassador, instead of the Ambassador)

The Vaulian governments recognize Astrakhan World Services. Although we are no longer tied by treaty, we hope that we will be able to have a productive and constructive diplomatic relationship with each other.

Vaule's Ambassador to Azerbaijan voices his sincere concern at the situation in Azerbaijan, but says that "Until it is clear who is in charge of Vaule, there is very little, if anything that we can do. Nonetheless it is my sincere hope that the wishes of the Azeri people shall be respected by all involved. VNN: There are rumors that Vaule's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, His Excellency Sir Vladimir Zhukovsky, attended one of the protests however the Vaulian Embassy in Azerbaijan, and the Government led by Princess Azleya vehemently deny this. ***Coded Message to the leadership of Azerbaijan*** From: Undisclosed location, Vaule Socialist Republic It is with the most profound regret that I say that the government of the VSR is sorry for not being able to provide assistance to our allies Azerbaijan both in the war, and in the aftermath. Although we are in the midst of a civil conflict, we have not forgotten the people of Azerbaijan. We hope that Artemis will respect the wishes of the people of Azerbaijan and will withdraw from their territory. From here, I can do little more than send messages without revealing my location. However words are powerful things. Sincerely, Yuri Rokossovsky, President-in-exile, Vaule Socialist Republic