Jump to content

Dawn of a New Time


Recommended Posts

PART ONE: ANATOLY TSYZYREV

Anatoly Tsyzyrev was a tall man and rather handsome. He was around thirty-eight years old and six foot three. Born in the far north of the country, his parents, Ivan and Maria Tsyzyrev, were rather wealthy. When Anatoly was born in 1382, his father was a former politician, but now the head of a mafia organisation. Because of his risky lifestyle in that occupation, Anatoly never met his father. If Ivan was traced and captured with his family, they would all be arrested.

In 1393, Ivan was detained by police after he was caught gambling in a casino, drunk. He was executed by firing squad a week later, which led to his mafia waging a war against the state - a war they could not and would not win. They were wiped out or arrested and were classed as 'non-existent' in January of 1384. Anatoly never knew his father, he only had a framed picture of Ivan standing next to Maria.

Anatoly grew up and went to university when he was 18, in 1400. But, in the dawn of the new century, Lanorth entered a new political phase. The military had seized power and  military dictatorship had subsequently been established. When the military first seized power, he supported them. But, when the leader of the state at the time, Vladimir Kudryatsev decided to wipe out all connections to organised crime in the former Lanorth, Anatoly panicked and went into hiding.

Maria was arrested in 1406 for her connection with Ivan and was sentenced to death, after being found guilty of being associated with the mafia. In 1407 she was executed. Word reached Anatoly in hiding where he was filled with rage. In this rage, he murdered two policemen after they knocked on his door during an inspection of the area. He dumped their bodies and fled south.

.In 1408, Anatoly had a child with Katerina Pomelov, a waitress he had met in a bar. But they started to distance after she learned who he was. Katerina still loved him, however and they went on to have two more children. Anatoly joined an underground organisation called 'A Better Lanorth'. They often smuggled in weapons from abroad and the Black Market was something they heavily relied on.

A supposedly infamous but yet wanted criminal in Lanorth, Anatoly was rather well known. The Government said he murdered eighteen policemen in a shootout, but this was all false. With the supposed crimes under his belt, he rose quickly up the ranks of the organisation and later became a Major General. Unfortunately, the deputy of the organisation was picked up by the Alexandrov Detective Agency in 1416. He died in police custody without giving anything away.

The head of the organisation, Yaroslav Melnikov, appointed Anatoly as his deputy. Anatoly then, in late December, visited Katerina who had moved closer to the coast. Around 20 minutes after leaving he was ambushed my soldiers. He managed to escape by boat to the islands. He hid in a cellar underground as soldiers searched the islands for him. He was nowhere to be found. He spent New Year's Day in that cellar.

He was only able to leave in March of 1417, when the soldiers finally began to let off their search. But instead of returning to the organisation, Anatoly decided to move in with Katerina. He remained with her until January 1419, when he returned to the organisation and still managed to keep his rank.

When he returned, he was met with open arms and was also alerted of the plan to restore democracy in Lanorth via a coup, where they would perform a raid on the residence of the leader of Lanorth, abduct him and transport him to the capital, where he is to hand power over to the organisation, who will reform politics in the country for the greater good.

If this succeeded, the organisation would be disbanded and every member would return to their everyday lives. If they failed, it would be catastrophic for the organisation. They had done a lot of planning and had bought up-to-date weaponry and kit from abroad and from the black market. Everything was going to plan. Now it was time to put the plan into action.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART TWO: THE COUP FOR KABLUKOV

20,000 protestors, mostly Monarchists and Democratic activists, whom the majority of were under the age of 30, following the request of Anatoly Tsyzyrev, were now protesting in Kablukov Square. Though it could not have happened at a worse time. Kablukov Square in the capital of Lanorth, was the biggest square in the country. It was due to be used, tomorrow, for the funeral of Lanorth's former Leader, who recently passed away.

The funeral plans were going atrociously wrong and Lanorth's Leader, Nicholas Brezhnev, wanted them dispersed and the square clear by the end of the day. The Police called in the Army. The Army approached the square from all sides as the police used tear gas and became increasingly violent. So the protestors followed suit, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with police, where eighteen protestors died and one hundred were arrested. Two policemen died and four were injured. Of the eighteen protestors who died, fourteen were under the age of twenty-five.

The Army responded violently, using tear gas to clear the streets now filled with overturned buses and roadblocks. They used rubber bullets to disperse crowds, but after a soldier was dragged aside and beaten, only after he punched a pregnant woman, the Army abandoned their rubber rounds and switched to live firing rounds. First, to intimidate crowds, they fired into the air. Gunshots were heard for miles as people in their homes filmed the chaos taking place outside, before uploading it to media sites, etc.

The protestors were defenceless, mostly. The Army were now in full swing and Nicholas Brezhnev gave the order for the 'assault' to begin. The Army, who were standing in a straight line across the square, approximately sixty feet away from the protestors, had their guns lowered But now, they raised their assault rifles and opened fire. Screams filled the city. Screams of pain. In the first few minutes, around a hundred were killed, wounded or missing. Tanks began to enter the square and started gunning down protestors with machine guns.

Soldiers approached wounded protestors and executed them, as they walked over dead bodies, still firing into the dispersing crowds. Protestors used bikes, pulling carts, to transport wounded away from what seemed to be the site of a battleground. The youngest killed in the first fifteen minutes was a thirteen year old, who was coming home from school and running away from the scene.

The massacre continued on throughout the day, as word reached Anatoly, who apparently had a nervous breakdown at what he had done, or what he had caused. The Army were relentless. The leader of the protests in the square, Sergei Kolontayev, was apprehended by police as he tried to help the wounded. He was dragged away, beaten and had his head placed against the muzzle of a tank's machine gun, before it fired.

Casualties, within the first hour, were in the thousands. As the wounded were dragged away by their family, friends or surviving protestors, the Army began to stop firing. Patrols began to circle the area within ten miles of the square to hunt for survivors, who were wanted dead or alive by the Government and police.

The massacre was recorded by more than fifty people from numerous different angles and from the ground. A video surfaced of a woman who was wounded and living her final moments. She recorded a soldier approach her, in full combat uniform. She was crying and begged for mercy, but the last thing the camera recorded as her voice being silenced after the soldier rose his assault rifle and fired one bullet. A survivor, wounded, crawled up to her after and realised the phone was still recording, so uploaded it before scurrying away.

The Military Dictatorship in Lanorth needed to be overthrown, one way or another. So Anatoly demanded that there was no delay and that they needed to act now. So, as night fell and the square, normally quiet and illuminated, had no light and was bustling with noise from tank engines, etc. So, the helicopter that would be used to abduct Nicholas Brezhnev flew over without attracting too much attention.

Inside the helicopter, six former special forces soldiers who defected to join Anatoly due to them sharing the same democratic ideas. They all had state of the art gear and weapons, dressed in black military uniform, which black Kevlar vests on, black helmets, a mount and NVG/NODs at the ready.

They were sixty seconds out, so they flipped their NODs down. The mission was meant to last less than a minute. His bedroom was known to be right next to a balcony, which could be easily broken into. They were going to go loud, it would be a quick in-and-out sort of thing.

The helicopter turned around and opened it's back doors. The six operatives ran out and kicked in the balcony door. Inside, a servant was standing there. He flew backwards in shock and was about to let out a scream, but two suppressed shots prevented him from doing so. They turned right and kicked in the door to his bedroom, where they grabbed Brezhnev and his wife and rushed out. They had to shoot two guards, but that was it. They were back in the helicopter and were now speeding away.

The helicopter sped to a remote location as fast as possible. Across the country, Government members were abducted from their homes and were taken to this site discreetly, in different forms of transport. The helicopter arrived first, followed by a van. In the back, it had eleven of the twenty-two Government ministers. About twenty minutes later, the second van arrived with the other eleven. By this time, the helicopter and the first van was hidden and now, the second van was also hidden. They started recording.

They demanded the Government all agree to hand over power to the organisation, so Democratic order could be restored. Footage from the massacre was uploaded onto the television. The people were shocked. Now, the people would likely support the new Democratic movement about to be put into place.

The Government agreed. Anatoly Tsyzyrev, who arrived to the site soon after, was handed emergency power and he declared a Provisional Government was now due to be formed, until the new constitution was written and Democratic order restored to the country. He named the coup 'The Coup for Kablukov', in memory of the protestors who died.

He, with the evidence of the massacre, was the judge and jury, but not the executioner. He sentenced all twenty-two members of the Government to death. They were taken outside, one by one, kneeled down facing away from the officer carrying out the execution and shot in the back of the head with a pistol. Not too far away, they were buried in a mass grave and their bodies burned.

Tsyzyrev seemed to be different. His face was pale, way too pale and he had dark bags under his eyes. His eyes also seemed odd, for some reason. They seemed to be slightly red. Instead of being active, he shuffled slightly and wore a dark overcoat, rather than his normal military uniform. He seemed to have his arms folded a whole lot more, was slightly slouched over and had his chin dug into his coat. Something was off about him.

But anyway, Tsyzyrev was named President of the new Provisional Government as a constitution was written. With the Military Government abolished, the man who commanded the soldiers at Kablukov Square, Major General Nikolai Kondratiy, was raided whilst he was in his home. Before the soldiers were about to storm his room, he began to fire bullets from a pistol out of the door, hitting two men, killing one after he was shot in the gut, which penetrated a vital organ. So, a frag grenade was thrown into his room and he was killed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 3: A MANIAC FOR A KING

Mehmed Haydar is currently the eldest blood relative of Emperor Victor Romanov, the last monarch of Lanorth. When he fled the country by boat in 1324, after he lost in the civil war, Lanorth became Republic. In 1382, he died at the age of 86.

His son, Nikita, decided it was best for the family to put their Imperial past behind him. He changed his name to Abdul to blend in with the culture of where they were living, somewhere in a desert region and changed his surname to Haydar. He died in 1408 at the age of 60, of pneumonia-related illnesses. His son, Mehmed, was now the eldest blood relative of Victor left alive.

Mehmed had been studying the situation in Lanorth closely. When the coup took place, he was ecstatic. He ordered his family to pack their belongings, as they were going to Lanorth to become the leaders of The Monarchist Party.

They took a private aircraft out of the region and entered international airspace soon after. They arrived in Lanorth a few hours later and were greeted by their supporters. Mehmed Haydar brought a great shock to the country. His name was completely different to that of the people, but Mehmed was arrogant and refused to change his name. He said he would 'change Lanorth for the greater good' if they managed to win the election that had now been called.

People flocked to the streets in order to vote for their chosen party. Mehmed's return was seen as patriotic and great. The people, who had not voted in decades, were reckless with their voting. They thought voting for Mehmed would be 'a good thing to do', as he promised he would change Lanorth for the greater good.

So, when the votes were counted, The Monarchist Party were victorious, winning by 11%. Lanorth was a pretty hot country. Most of Lanorth lives under a Mediterranean-like climate in the Summer and cool and wet in the Winters. On the coastline, it is often cold to cool during the Summer and one of the cooler parts of the country during that season.

Mehmed was proud of what his family did, fleeing to the desert regions. Because of this he was stubborn to adapt to old Lanorthan ways, stating he would rather Lanorth adapted to his. He wanted every citizen in Lanorth, every single one, to change their name to one similar to his, or at least, similar. This would create a huge problem, but he did not care. He wanted this. If someone refused they were given their own name and they were gonna like it.

Lanorth had made a mistake. He was going to abuse this. Their new King was a maniac. But he had far worse plans. He had now changed Lanorth's culture for the worse and was going to go further than that. He had plans to rewrite the whole constitution, abolish specific laws and create his own. He fired democratic advisors and appointed authoritarian/autocratic, monarchist ones he brought from the region he lived in.

He planned to form an absolute monarchy. Without democracy. And he planned to silence the democratic coup leaders, such as Anatoly. And he was going to do it, whether the people liked it, or not. Anyone who stood up to him, he would have executed. He now planned to rule with an iron fist, stronger than any former Lanorthan dictator. And this was only the beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 4: "WHEN I DIE, I SHALL HAUNT YOU"

It was the end of the road for democratic activists such as Anatoly. Now, a dead end was becoming apparent for the orchestraters of the Democratic Coup. Now, Mehmed was out of control. He had given new names, or rather the people were forced to change their names and were asked to stick with it. Anatoly and his fellow democratic activists refused. But that wouldn't matter soon.

Anatoly and his friends were planning a counter-coup against the King when the Special Forces raided the building they were using, seizing six of the seven men who were there, as the other was shot in the forehead when he tried to pick up a pistol. Anatoly and his friends were dragged into a courtroom, where Mehmed sat. Mehmed said he had plentiful evidence they planned to betray him and sentenced them to death after they had spent less than five minutes in the courtroom.

They were dragged away and put into the back of a truck and driven away to Şehzade Square in the capital. They arrived about ten minutes later. Anatoly was first. He was dragged out from the van and was now panicking. He saw a large, sharp, metal pole, about eight feet long. He was dragged kicking and screaming, before he was turned around. There, Mehmed stood, watching.

"When I die, I shall haunt you, Mehmed." Said Anatoly growling. Mehmed smiled at him. Anatoly was not to be taken seriously, especially due to the fact he was now weak and pale, probably mad, too. Anatoly was gagged so he could not speak and was lifted up and had was impaled in a similar manner to which Vlad The Impaler in our world would have impaled his victims.

The rest were executed in various different ways, each in a unique manner. Beheading, boiling, burning, flaying, necklacing and one was hung, drawn and quartered. Their bodies were burned to ashes and dumped into the sea, where they would never be found.

Mehmed was determined to create his own realm, free of unrest or protestors, free of descent. Free of anyone who did not support him. He ordered a nationwide propaganda campaign, in order to gain more support for his cause. He wanted to manipulate the people into supporting his every move and he would get it at any cost.

The people were told the six men who were executed were planning to launch terror attacks against the people in order to have their voice heard and the people bought this. They were then thankful that they were executed before they could harm them.

This was not announced to the media, or anything. This was announced to the people, but to no-one else, under the words 'They intended to harm the people - so we stopped them before they could.' The Council of Elders and of Nobles approved this story, stating it was the case.

Not just that, Mehmed later declared himself 'Sultan'. This was going to get interesting, sooner or later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 5: TRAITORS AND CORPSES

Sultan Mehmed sat at his desk. Between his thumb and finger, he had a flavoured cigarette. He raised it up to his lips and inhaled, letting the sweet taste of vanilla roll over his tongue, as he let the smoke fill his lungs. He rested back in his chair, exhaling the smoke in a slow blow. The cigarettes he was using were personalised for him. The box was personalised so it did not warn you of the dangers of smoking. He had a metal case for other cigarettes, however. He took them out of the box and put them in. The case was gold and had gold engravings in it. The same with a personalised lighter he carried, it was also gold and had gold engravings.

There was a knock at the double doors to his office. He gestured with his hand holding the cigarette to the guards standing at either side of the double doors, who then moved in synchronisation to open the doors, before they returned to standing motionless beside the doors. In came the head of The Council of Elders, Behiç Pasha. He kneeled down two metres away from his desk.

Mehmed rose the cigarette to his lips once more, inhaling. He closed his eyes as he did, exhaling slowly. He stood up. He walked out in-front of his desk. He stood before Behiç, who looked up. Mehmed put his hand out and Behiç kissed it. Mehmed went back to his desk. Mehmed's servant pulled up a chair similar to the one Mehmed sat in, but was not identical, it was smaller. Mehmed sat back down behind his desk and continued smoking before speaking. "Behiç Pasha. Nice to see you." As he spoke, smoke came from his mouth.

"Likewise, my Sultan." He replied. "May I inquire, if you know why I am here?" He asked. Mehmed shaked his head. Behiç hummed breifly, nodding. "We believe there is a Democratic supporter within the Council of Elders and I am responsible for finding out who." Mehmed sat forward, his face now serious.

"A Democratic activist?" Mehmed questioned. When Behiç nodded, Mehmed sat back, raising the cigarette back to his lips and inhaling, before he stubbed it out and exhaled. "I want you to assure me you will find out who it is and report to me immediately."

"Yes, my Sul-" Behiç could not finish, as Mehmed interrupted him and he stopped talking.

"Because," interrupted Mehmed. "If you fail to, I will have your head. I will appoint a new head. And if they fail, I will have the head of every member of your council. Do you understand me, Behiç Pasha?"

"Yes, Sultan..." he replied, deep in thought. Suddenly, someone hammered at the door. Mehmed, looking up, gestured to the guards again. The doors were opened and two guards holding a man walked in. Behiç stood up and Mehmed's servant moved the chair out of the way. The two guards threw the man they had apprehended onto the floor. He had a bag over his head. Behiç looked to the Sultan, who stood up and approached the man.

"What is this?" Questioned Mehmed, walking slowly and cautiously.

"The Democratic sympathiser in the Council, Sultan." Said one of the guards. Behiç looked to the Sultan, a concerned look on his face. The Sultan walked towards the man and took the bag from his head. It was Kartal Pasha, who was a close friend of Behiç's. Behiç winced slightly when Mehmed removed the bag.

"You!" Said Mehmed, his face turning from serious to enraged. "You deceitful dog!" Roared Mehmed, turning to a chair. He turned it over and stared at Kartal. "Have this good-for-nothing pig executed." Mehmed said, his voice slightly quieter. One guard took their assault rifle and struck Kartal in the back of the head with the stock. Kartal had no intention of speaking.

"Come, my dear soldiers. Behiç Pasha, you may come if you want to see this traitor executed." Mehmed did not wait for an reply. He gestured to the guards, who grabbed Kartal and dragged him. Mehmed followed behind them. Mehmed grabbed his holster before he left and attached it to his belt. Inside was his personalised pistol. It was gold and black and was basically a Glock 43.

As they walked, Mehmed put on his black Bork Hat. They approached the courtyard of Mehmed's palace, called The Palace of Constantinople. The former council member was tossed to the ground. Mehmed placed his hand on the grip of his pistol and unholstered it. With Kartal kneeling, facing away from him, Mehmed placed the muzzle against the back of Kartal's head. Kartal closed his eyes and spoke his last words.

"You won't win, Mehmed. You know it. I know it. We will not be slaves to you, Mehmed. I will be joined in my crusade against you. If I fall, thousands will rise. You will not win."

"You fool." Mehmed replied. "I have already won." Mehmed wrapped his finger around the trigger. Mehmed applied a slight pressure. A shot fired from the pistol. Mehmed murmured something, holding the pistol by his side. "Get this mess cleaned up, friends." He gestured to the guards, who nodded and got to it.

Behiç walked out from the palace and looked at the corpse being taken away. He looked upset. "You should not have done that." Said Behiç, a sense of sadness in his voice. "You shouldn't have." Mehmed looked at him. "You made a mistake, Sultan! You will be hated for this!" Mehmed then smiled.

"Only if word breaks out. Which it won't." Mehmed said, smiling faintly. Mehmed raised his pistol and fired once at Behiç's chest. The bullet struck his heart, which cut off blood circulation to his brain. Behiç stood for a second, shocked. He looked at his wound, then looked at Mehmed, who fired another shot. It struck the center of his chest and Behiç fell, dead. "Have that cleaned up too please." Said Mehmed, who walked back into his palace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 6: STARS IN THE SKY

It was around eight in the evening in Constantinople. The Sultan, Mehmed, had invited the Lanorthan equivalent of Dukes, Duchesses, Barons, etc from across the country to attend a garden party at his palace. The party had started by eight. Mehmed stood with in his ceremonial outfit, a glass of champagne in his hand, speaking to a Lanorthan equivalent of an Earl.

"Sultan, I am honoured to meet you." Said the Earl, named İlkay.

"Lets face it, my friend." Replied the Sultan. "We were going to meet eventually, with your position and all." They both chuckled at this. Mehmed took a sip of his champagne. The daughter of İlkay then approached her father. She was, in Mehmed's opinion, beautiful. Mehmed glanced at her and smiled. Her eyes widened as she realised who her father was talking to.

"Oh, Sultan. This is my daughter, Sabriye." Sabriye curtsied. Mehmed gestured with his hand for her to rise. Mehmed cleared his throat. He finished his champagne and his servant came over. Mehmed handed the servant the champagne glass and he walked away. Mehmed then took out his golden case and opened it, taking out a cigarette. He put it between his lips and pocketed the case, before he took out his gold lighter and lit the cigarette.

Sabriye was about the Sultan's age, just a little younger. Mehmed and Sabriye were both nineteen, although Mehmed was older than her by a few months.

He smiled, before Sabriye spoke. "Sultan, I am so happy to have finally met you!" She said.

"Likewise." Said Mehmed, removing the cigarette from his lips. Mehmed looked at Sabriye. Sabriye looked back at him. He smiled, putting the cigarette back up to his lips. Mehmed turned to the sky. "Are you enjoying the party?" Mehmed asked the two, admiring the stars in the sky.

"Yes, my Sultan." Said Sabriye. İlkay then said something similar. Mehmed nodded at this. İlkay then excused himself. Mehmed looked back at Sabriye.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Said Mehmed. Sabriye turned her head swiftly.

"Pardon, Sultan?" Said Sabriye.

"The stars." Mehmed said. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes." Said Sabriye, looking up. Mehmed turned.

"What was your name again?" Asked Sabriye.

"My name is Sabriye, Sultan." She responded.

"Of course." Said Mehmed. "Sabriye, just quickly, come with me. I'd like to show you something."

"Certainly, Sultan." She said. Mehmed walked away and she followed. Mehmed climbed the steps connecting the palace to the palace grounds. Mehmed gestured to the two guards, who opened the doors for them. Mehmed continued walking, climbing up some of the marble stairs inside the palace. Mehmed, one he reached the oversized landing, turned and approached a balcony. Mehmed stopped walking when he reached the balcony. Sabriye glanced at Mehmed.

"Look, Sabriye." Said Mehmed. He then stepped aside, gesturing to the view beyond the balcony. They both had a clear overlook over the whole city. The sound of distant cars could be heard. Sabriye looked in admiration.

"Wow." She said. "It's amazing!" She exclaimed.

"Isn't it just?" Said Mehmed, smiling. He then turned, placing his two hands on the balcony railing, leaning forwards. Sabriye stepped forward, standing next to Mehmed. She did not lean against the balcony, but placed her hands quite close together on the railing. "I could stare at this for hours, couldn't you?" Mehmed asked her.

"Yes, my Sultan, without a doubt." She said, still looking.

"Be honest with me, Sabriye. You don't have to lie to me to tell me what I would like to hear." Mehmed said, sounding a little more serious,

"I'm being honest, Sultan." She said, looking at him.

"You sure?" He asked, chuckling.

"Of course." She replied.

"I'm glad." He said. Mehmed began to tap the banister, humming a tune. Mehmed then stopped, turning his head to at Sabriye, who turned her head. "I just wanted to say, you are beautiful, Sabriye." She blushed.

"Thank you, Sultan." She said, sounding a little surprised. "I thought you, being Sultan would get more than enough attention from, you know, people like me." She said, sounding a little confused. Mehmed chuckled.

"Not really." He chuckled. Suddenly, there was an explosion in the distance. Sabriye jumped, however, Mehmed simply looked up. Then, all of a sudden, five-hundred fireworks exploded in the air. Sabriye looked up and relaxed. Mehmed realised she had jumped. He chuckled.

"No need to get in a panic." He said. "It's just fireworks." Mehmed looked up at the sky, as hundreds more exploded. In total, there were 5,000 fireworks and Mehmed had ordered they were all used in the party to put on a display for the guests. Mehmed placed his hand onto Sabriye's. Sabriye looked at him and smiled, as she turned to watch the fireworks. She had no problem with it and found the Sultan to be rather handsome. They watched the fireworks together, which lit up the dim sky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 7: CONSTANTINOPLE'S SUNRISE

Mehmed awoke. He slowly sat running his right hand over his face. He looked to his right. Sabriye lay there, still asleep. Mehmed smiled to himself, thinking about the previous night. He got out of bed and put on his dressing gown, made from what would be called in our world, Ottoman silk. He sat down, picking up the case of cigarettes he had placed on his desk. He then picked up his lighter, before he walked outside, onto the balcony where they stood several hours prior. The sun was beginning to rise over the city. Mehemd placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it.

He watched the sunrise, letting the smoke once again fill his lungs as the taste of vanilla lingered over his tongue. He exhaled slowly. A cloud of smoke emerged from his lips. As he watched the sunrise, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned, to see Sabriye in one of his dressing gowns. He smiled. She smiled back. "Joining me then?" Mehmed said.

"Yes" She replied walking forwards to stand next to him. One next to him, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Mehmed chuckled.

"What do you like more? The surnise or the sunset?" Mehmed asked, still admiring the sun's glow as it began to rise.

"I prefer the sunset. But the sunrise is just as beautiful." She responded, sighing. Mehmed rested his head against the top of her head, as the sun became visible over the city.

"Should we have breakfast?" Mehmed asked her, raising his head back up.

"Not yet." She responded. "Lets wait until it has risen completely." Mehmed chuckled.

"Very well." He said. Mehmed looked back up at the sunrise. He felt her arm wrap around his waist. Mehmed turned to her. "Okay. Lets go and have breakfast now? I'm getting quite hungry." Sabriye sighed. She then leaned in and kissed Mehmed on the lips. After exchanging this kiss, she stepped back.

"Now we can." Mehmed placed out his two hands and Sabriye took them both. Mehmed then rested his forehead against her own and Mehmed kissed her forehead.

"Then lets go. But first, we best get dressed." He said. Mehmed dropped his cigarette and stepped on it, before kicking it aside. They walked inside and Mehmed walked over to his closet. He put on his standard black robes with the ceremonial armour plate he loved to wear. He turned to Sabriye, who had put on a blue dress. "Ready?" Mehmed asked her. She nodded. Mehmed then approached her and put out his hand, once again and Sabriye took it.

Mehmed and Sabriye then walked to the door of the bedroom, before it was opened by Mehmed's servant. Mehmed and Sabriye then walked down the stairs to the dining hall. Mehmed, when they reached the table they were going to sit at, let go of her hand and gestured to a seat, which he had pulled up for her. She sat down and Mehmed pushed her in gently. Mehmed then walked around and sat in his own chair. A waiter then approached them and asked for their order.

Mehmed gestured to Sabriye, who asked for a healthy breakfast that the waiter could pick for her, whilst Mehmed ordered a full Lanorthan breakfast. It arrived and Mehmed had some fruit juice for a drink, whilst Sabriye had some water. They were finished around half-an-hour later. Mehmed and Sabriye stood up and exited the room, walking back up the stairs.

"Sultan?" Asked Sabriye, after she cleared he throat.

"Yes?" Responded Mehmed, inclining his head to look at her as they reached the landing.

"My father. What will he think of, of this? Or, of us, if you will?" She said, looking up at Mehmed.

"Nothing. Your father and I, we are on good terms." Said Mehmed confidently.

"Are you sure?" She asked, stopping as they stood on the landing.

"Of course." Mehmed replied. They held hands. Sabriye leaned in as she wrapped her hands around Mehmed's neck. They exchanged a long, passionate kiss. Sabriye withdrew her head, but leaned in again, as Mehmed lifted her up. She giggled as he lifted her, as they continued doing their thing. Mehmed walked towards their bedroom, shutting the door with his foot behind him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PART 8: RELATIONSHIPS, BOTH FOREIGN AND PERSONAL

Mehmed lay in his bed. His hands were on his head. Next to him, lay Sabriye, who was lying there. Sabriye sighed. Mehmed turned over, away from her. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. "What the hell?" Murmured Mehmed, looking at the door,

"Who is that?" Asked Sabriye.

"I don't know." Mehmed replied, getting out of bed. He put on his robe. "Who's there?" Ask Mehmed.

"I have a message for you, my Sultan." Came the voice of one of his servants.

"What is it?" Asked Mehmed.

"It's your Minister of Defence, Sultan. Çandarlı Pasha." She said. "He has secured a treaty with Zoran, a defensive pact, I believe." She said.

"Okay, thank you for letting me know." Mehmed said.

"No problem, my Sultan." Mehmed heard footsteps leading away from the door. Mehmed turned back to Sabriye, who remained in bed. Mehmed walked over and crouched down next to the bed. She sat up, leaning her forehead against his. Mehmed stood up and walked around the bed, lying back down.

"What to do, what to do." Said Mehmed as he lay down. "I know." Said Mehmed. He reached over to his bedside tabe and grabbed his cigarette case and his lighter. "I'll have a smoke." He flicked open the case, taking out a cigarette. He flicked the case shut, uputting it back on his table. He used the lighter to light the cigarette, before placing it back on the table. He inhaled. As he took the cigarette away from his lips, Sabriye put out her hand, as if she was gesturing for the cigarette.

"May I?" Asked Sabriye. "Not something I tend to do, I'd like to try it though." She said. Mehmed handed her the cigarette.

"Sure, go ahead." Said Mehmed. Mehmed watched her raise the cigarette to her lips and watched her inhale, but she exhaled almost immidiately, letting out a cough. Mehmed took the cigarette back from her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Yeah." Said Sabriye. "Smoking is not something I frequently do... I love the taste, though."

"Vanilla flavoured. Best cigarettes in all of the country." Said Mehmed, putting it back up to his lips. "Smoking may be bad for you, sure. But it gives you a feeling of... pleasure." Said Mehmed, smoke coming from his mouth as he talked.

"Mehmed." Said Sabriye, turning onto her side to face Mehmed.

"Yes" Said Mehmed, turning onto his side to face her.

"I need to ask, what are we doing here?" Mehmed looked at her, a confused look on his face.

"Pardon?" Said Mehmed.

"With... us." Said Sabriye. "I love you, Mehmed. But I need to know, do you love me too?" She asked. Mehmed ignored her.

"Okay" She said, sighing.

"We best be getting up now." Said Mehmed. "Again."

"Course." Said Sabriye. They then, got out of bed. Ready to start the day. However, steadily, tension grew between them. Mehmed was beginning to feel hatred, somewhat and regret of this new relationship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

PART 8: CONFINEMENT

Zaganos Pasha walked hastily down the one of the hundreds of corridors in 'The Great Palace of Constantinople'. Labelled as the official residence of Sultan Mehmed, Zaganos Pasha and Çandarlı Halil Pasha had arranged a meeting between them and Mehmed's court to decide what they were going to do. Zaganos Pasha was tailed by  four of Lanorth's elite soldiers - the Janissaries. Known as Lanorth's elite shock troops, or sometimes special forces, they were the most well-organised, best trained and most professional fighting force in all of the country. They were not dressed in their ceremonial, antiquated crimson robes, instead dressed in urban combat uniforms. So, grey cargo trousers, tan cargo trousers or jeans, with either black shirts or black t-shirts, with an olive green or tan combat vest. They had a holster wrapped around their dominant legs, with knee pads, tactical combat belts, etc. They wore either a tan/grey/black baseball cap, or a beret, or no hat at all.

They walked hastily, with the black robes of Zaganos flapping due to the haste of his pace, with the Janissaries behind him in their combat uniforms, with their usual an off-white turban on their head. Zaganos had a black turban, however it was not important. They turned left, then right, bursting into the throne room. The double doors were opened for them. Zaganos gripped the handle of his sword, his arms moving now, with more enthusiasm, almost like a prolonged swing to seem more intimidating.

Zaganos approached Halil. Halil walked slowly up, gripping both what would be the lapels on his black, long coat, made of a lighter fur, with the fur being more noticeable on the lapel, as they were a dark black and were quite fuzzy. Halil stopped in-front of Zaganos, who stood up to the man with the once black beard, however due to his age, was turning to a boring grey, with tints of black still showing through. The man's greying hair was hidden beneath a tightly wrapped turban, matching the colour of his coat.

Zaganos was a bit taller than Halil. Zaganos was about six foot, however Halil was about five foot eight. Not much, however Zaganos was confident that he was the dominant figure.

"Zaganos Pasha." Said Halil.

"You dog." Said Zaganos. Zaganos gestured with his left hand to the Janissaries behind him, who shut the double doors of the throne room. Two of the four stepped forward, as the other two stood walked forward, standing in a wedge formation behind Zaganos. Halil stepped back. Halil put his hand in his pocket and the two Janissaries jolted upright. They pointed their assault rifles, which were the best in the country and similar to the HK416 in the real world, right at the head of Halil Pasha. The Janissaries were loyal to Zaganos Pasha and Sultan Mehmed and knew that Halil Pasha would be executed for his actions - sooner or later.

Halil Pasha stared at the muzzles and seemed scared. He took out his hand, spreading out his hands to show he was not holding anything. Halil Pasha looked down and Zaganos continued looking furious. He turned to one of the Janissaries. Halil Pasha turned around and Zaganos nodded. The Janissary walked forward, whipping off handcuffs from his tactical combat belt. He grabbed Halil Pasha and slapped the handcuffs on his wrists.

"On behalf of Sultan Mehmed, you, Çandarlı Halil Pasha, are under arrest until further notice." With these words, Halil Pasha whipped around, however the Janissary clenched his fist and hit him violently across the jaw. A distinctive crack was heard, which was significantly loud, sending Halil Pasha to the floor. Halil Pasha's jaw was now dislocated and out of place, nearly hanging off sideways. The Janissary stared at the old man on the floor, who was now holding his jaw in pain.

"Now I can do much worse, Pasha." Said the Janissary. "Or you can come with us, peacefully and without hesitation." The Grand Vizier was unable to talk, however seemed to nod. He was yanked off of the floor by the two Janissaries, before he was dragged away, Zaganos tailing the two men closely. The double doors were opened for them and Zaganos followed the first two and Halil out, before the other two followed on behind.

They walked to the exit of the palace, where outside, two black, armoured cars were outside, alongside four police bikes and officers to drive them. Halil Pasha was shoved into the back car and Zaganos got into the front one. The engines of the cars started and the sirens of the bikes were activated. The palace gates were opened and the convoy left the area. The streets were completely empty. There was not one car to be seen. This was what order and obedience looked like. The people of Constantinople, or this specific area of the city, stayed home or inside of shops, restaurants, whichever, so the convoy could get through without hassle.

The car drove through the streets at about 60mph. It arrived, about 20 minutes later, at a small army base. Inside, was a cell guarded by military police, where he would be placed in solitary confinement, isolated from the world, as he was seen as 'too unfit and too unstable to have contact with others'. He was ousted from his position upon arrival, with the country currently having no Grand Vizier until Mehmed could return and appoint one. So, until that time, a provisional court was formed, with Zaganos Pasha at the head, effectively becoming Grand Vizier until the return of the Sultan.

The military police dragged the man out of the car and into the building, where he was thrown into a small and slightly tight black room with a dim light providing the only light source for the whole time. 24/7, 365 days a year, it remained on. The man received treatment from on-site doctors and medics. However, all they did was snap his jaw back into place, gave him an ice pack and a tub of plain yogurt to ease the pain, somewhat, if it even could, or to provide something he did not have to chew.

Zaganos Pasha contacted Mehmed and alerted him of the recent developments. Mehmed was pleased that he had be contained and assured Zaganos he would be back soon. Mehmed, however was still in Zoran, on his own, apart from his servant, in a fancy hotel. Zaganos did hope he would be back soon, however, as he wanted this mess sorted out. And Zaganos knew Mehmed had the ability to do so.

However, back in solitary confinement, Halil Pasha knew his life was coming to an end. He had taken a gamble and it had not payed off. He wanted to do something to entertain himself. But there was no books, no television, no electronics, no nothing. Just a toilet, sink and a wooden bed with a blanket and thin pillow. Halil lay down on the wooden, uncomfortable bed, which gave him a splinter and he closed his eyes, attempting to get some sleep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Mehmed had, by now, returned from his state visit in Zoran. He had slept, it was now about six in the morning. He woke up. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He sat on the edge of it. He stood up, stretching his arms out slightly. He had a shower a few minutes later, the temperature colder than normal, to better wake himself up. Once done, he dried himself, using a towel hung up for him. Once dried, he put on different clothing. He put on crimson and black robes, with black trousers and boots. He walked to the mirror, where he opened a drawer. He took out an unwrapped turban that he wore, which was a sort of off-white colour. He wrapped it around his head, allowing the loose part to come around from behind his head, hanging down over his right shoulder. The end of it was decorated with gold.

Mehmed nodded to himself. He turned to the double-doors leading to his bedroom. He opened them, where outside, were three guards. One of the guards was carrying a basket, inside was tiger bread, cut into individual slices with butter. He took a piece, raising it to his mouth. Mehmed nodded in a thanking manner, before Mehmed turned. He saw Zaganos Pasha walking towards him. Mehmed approached him too.

"Zaganos Pasha, how lovely it is to see you." Mehmed said, smiling. Zaganos stopped, bowing to the Sultan. Mehmed used his free hand to gesture Zaganos to raise.

"Hello, my Sultan. How was your trip?" Zaganos asked.

Mehmed's eyes drifted up briefly, before he shook his head.

"Good, thank you." Said Mehmed. Zaganos nodded. "So what is this you told me about Halil Pasha?"

"I think you know the story, Sultan. He is still in solitary confinement." Said Zaganos. Mehmed nodded.

"Well, I want to visit him today." Mehmed said. Zaganos closed his eyes briefly. He then nodded, exhaling sharply through his nose. "Something wrong, Pasha?" Mehmed asked. Zaganos shook his head.

"No, it's just-" Zaganos said, but Mehmed interrupted him.

"Then lets go." Mehmed said. He turned on the spot and began to walk. He chuckled, as he ate his chunk of bread. Zaganos glanced at the bread, feeling slightly hungry, however glanced away, knowing he would feel hungrier if he watched the Sultan eat.

Mehmed and Zaganos walked swiftly through the corridors of the palace, before turning, entering the courtyard of the palace, where pillars supported a small rooftop which protected the people under it from any possible rain. Zaganos opened his mouth to speak. "Sultan, he will try to evade your questions, I am sure, he will likely try and turn the situation on you." He said, attempting to warn Mehmed. Mehmed laughed.

"Yes. He will try." Mehmed said. They left the courtyard, taking another corridor, before finally leaving the main palace. They walked through the parade grounds, where several guards stood. Mehmed noticed a few scattered tourists outside the main fence and gate. Mehmed dismissed them, looking away. He looked to his vehicle, basically a presidential armoured limousine. It had bulletproof tyres, 6m reinforced windows, an air compression system to resist a gas attack, a TV used for video conferences and entertainment, 'Camera' windows, an emergency exit from the rear of the car, an electric engine with 40-48hp, an advanced communication system, night vision cameras facing all sides of the vehicle, armour to resists blasts and sniper fire from any angle, extra-large doors so robes and/or trousers do not get dirty when exiting the car, 4,4 litre, 8 cylinder, 598hp, auto tightening seat-belts and more.

Mehmed had the door opened for him, as he got into it. Zaganos got in next to him from the other door in the back. Mehmed grabbed his seat-belt, pulling it over and fastening it. Zaganos did the same. Police motorcycles arrived beside and in-front of the vehicle, with a dummy one coming up behind. Three police motorcycles drove beside the right and left of the car, with three forming a wedge formation in-front of it, with the dummy car having three motorcycles behind it forming an inverted wedge, with three once again, on the right and left side of the vehicle. The motorcade took off, as the doors to the palace opened and closed, once the motorcade had left.

The streets were completely bare. No cars at all. This is what power looks like. Early morning traffic was non-existent, as the motorcade moved without effort through the roads, ignoring red lights. They drove without effort to the location of Halil Pasha. Mehmed turned on the TV, as he watched the morning news. It was a slow news day, but reports mostly focused on the death of Ani'-Wah', which by now had been reported worldwide. Zaganos looked at the TV. "Do you plan to attend his funeral?" Zaganos asked.

"Maybe, if they hold a private one. If I were to attend his public funeral, the whole place would be flooded with my secret service friends. I don't want that." Mehmed said.

"Fair enough." Zaganos replied.

They continued watching the television, before arriving about fifteen to twenty minutes later. Mehmed had the door opened for him, as it was too heavy to open from the inside due to the armour. Mehmed stretched his arms slightly, as Zaganos walked to Mehmed. Together, with two of Secret Service behind them, they walked into the facility. Mehmed was taken to an interrogation room, where they later were introduced to the new Halil Pasha. He was now significantly more frail and hunched over, with a few of his teeth missing. He was supported by two of Mehmed's secret service, as he used them to stand. He was seated and handcuffed to the chair, which was made of metal and drilled into the floor. Halil Pasha smelled horrible. He had not showered in days and spent days enclosed in a solitary confinement room, with sweat and whatnot. He was dressed in rags, stained with old blood of his. His beard was overgrown and his hair messy. Mehmed sat down in-front of him at a table.

"What made you think that was a good idea?" Mehmed asked, leaning in, his arms folded. Halil shook his head, however this caused him to be light headed. He fell back almost.

"I don't... know..." He spat out slowly, coming out as more of a flat mumble. Mehmed leaned in further, almost standing up, as he sat on the edge of his seat. Mehmed spoke in a deep, but serious tone, which Zaganos thought was the deepest he had heard Mehmed speak in several weeks;

"Why did you do it, I will not ask you again." Halil Pasha eyes began to roll back, before he blinked, bringing himself almost back to consciousness. Something wasn't wrong with him. Mehmed knew it. So, he leaned back in his chair, his arms remaining folded. Mehmed stood up. He turned to one of the guards. "He's useless." Mehmed walked to the said guard. Mehmed leaned in and whispered something to him. The guard nodded. The guard left the room. Mehmed turned to Zaganos and smiled. "Come on, we're leaving." Mehmed said. The two men walked out of the room and into the car park, followed by two more guards, who were dragging Halil Pasha. Zaganos walked towards the motorcade, however Mehmed chuckled at this.

"Sultan, are we not going-" Zaganos was cut off.

"No, we are not going to the motorcade. We are going to that building." Mehmed pointed to a rather small building behind a barbed-wire, seven-foot-tall fence, which was also electric. Zaganos nodded.

"Okay..." He said, confused. Mehmed noticed this tone.

"Don't worry or whatever the Hell you are doing, Pasha. We are going to see a show." This made Zaganos even more confused.

"What?" Zaganos asked. Mehmed dismissed him.

"You'll see." Mehmed replied, as they walked. An operator within the facility turned off the electric fence, as the gate leading into the area was opened for them. Once the group were at a safe distance, it was turned back on and the gate locked shut. The party walked towards the compound, if it was one, where the heavy, metal door was opened from the inside by a guard. Inside, was a chair sitting at the far end of the room, separated by bulletproof glass. Zaganos seemed even more confused as he noticed the chair was made of metal, painted a dark colour and had straps to fix an individuals arms, legs, head and wrists to the said chair. It was also attached to the concrete floor. Zaganos knew what the room was when he noticed the sandbags forming a half-circle around the chair, making only the front visible.

Mehmed and Zaganos watched as Halil Pasha was dragged around the side of the bulletproof glass and down a corridor, where they once again opened a big metal door. The pair watched as Halil Pasha was almost unconscious as he had his arms, ankles, wrists and head strapped in, so he was essentially unable to resist or move anything. He wasn't gifted a blindfold either. A guard left the room and returned with a bucket of ice cold water. The bucket was tossed over Halil Pasha, who jolted awake. His breathing became rapid, especially as he realised he couldn't breathe. He was unable to see through the glass was actually a one-way mirror. Zaganos began panicking.

"Wait..." He said, trying to speak. It was almost unintelligible. "What are you..." Mehmed, at this stage, turned to Zaganos.

"I wanted to do the honours, you see." Mehmed walked down the same corridor that led to the room. As he walked, the guards walked out, leaving Halil Pasha momentarily alone in the room. One guard approached Mehmed and unholstered his pistol, identical to a Heckler & Koch P30L today. The guard asked whether Mehmed wanted a suppressor or not, as he had one. Mehmed wanted one, as he loved the sound of suppressed rounds being fired.

Mehmed walked into the room, as the door was closed behind him. Halil Pasha looked at Mehmed, as fear seemed to be engraved into Halil Pasha's face. "Hello, teacher." Mehmed said. Halil Pasha didn't respond. His eyes followed Mehmed's pistol closely, following it everywhere. "I suppose you know what is about to happen, if I am indeed correct?" Halil Pasha again, didn't respond. "If you have anything to say, maybe your last words, perhaps, please do speak." Mehmed said. Halil Pasha spoke, keeping his eyes on the pistol.

"I am loyal to you, Sultan, but killing me will spark outrage with my council and my supporters... I urge you to reconsider." Halil Pasha said, raising his head slightly,.

"No." Mehmed replied. "My mind is set. So, if you have anything philosophical to say as your last words, I again, implore you to speak." Halil Pasha shivered.

"This country is not meant for your absolute monarchy type of ideology, nor your religion. But we will believe in it and persist to believe in it, even when it seems like there is nothing to believe for. But I know that if you execute me now, your court will rebel against you."

Across the one-way mirror, Zaganos heard this and agreed with this. Zaganos didn't want Halil Pasha executed really, he thought he did, however. Now it came to the moment, Zaganos was beginning to sympathise with him. Zaganos wanted to intervene but knew it would not end well for him. So, he was watching helplessly, as Mehmed yanked back the slider. Mehmed stood about a metre in-front of Halil Pasha. "Speak now, old man, its your last chance." Halil Pasha responded calling Mehmed the term used for a female dog. Mehmed responded with pointing the muzzle of the suppressor at his gut and applying a gentle pressure to the trigger.

Halil Pasha cried out. Zaganos closed his eyes, turning away. Mehmed fired another, making Halil Pasha want to keel over. It pained him even more he could not move. Mehmed fired one last round. It was remarkable Halil Pasha survived these three rounds. Mehmed stepped back now. He looked at the man from this distance. He walked over and ripped of his head strap, pushing his chin far back against the chair. He placed the muzzle of the suppressor against his chin, pointing up to his brain. He fired once. The bullet immediately ripped through his chin, rushing up through his head. It slammed through his skull and got stuck in it, however sprayed fragments into his brain, which was enough to kill him.

Zaganos thought Mehmed seemed to be mad with power, as he would never wish such a death on someone who grew up with him, taught him and was responsible for the man Mehmed once was.

Mehmed stepped back. He took out the ammo clip, letting it fall to the ground. He pointed the gun at his chest and fired off the remaining round in the barrel. He took off the suppressor and walked out, handing the gun to the guard waiting outside. Mehmed then walked off. He seemed to have a glow in his eyes suggested Zaganos may be right. Zaganos was sure Mehmed would never kill someone off in such cold blood, especially someone so influential in Mehmed's life.

"Lets go." Mehmed said.

The motorcade returned to Constantinople and Zaganos split off from Mehmed, calling an emergency meeting without Mehmed's knowledge. Zaganos informed both courts about the death of Halil Pasha and how Mehmed killed him. It sparked outrage and soon enough, it leaked to the public. They were also outraged. Mehmed had made friends, but the majority of them, he had just lost. Halil Pasha, despite his ideology and crimes, didn't deserve what he got, they all thought. Exile would be more sufficient. But no. And that has split the country, with the majority of it against Mehmed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The crowd was cheering. Mehmed stood on a balcony, his father, Murad, beside him. And then, Mehmed's grandfather, mother, grandmother, all whom had died. Mehmed's step-mother, however, had not. She stood there too. The crowd was endless, stretching as far as the eye could see. Mehmed waved, as the crowd burst into an unending scream of joy. However it died down instantly, as a deafening crack rang out, which overwhelmed the crowd's cheering. Mehmed then felt like he had been punched in the gut. Mehmed fell over. As he fell, Mehmed thought he saw his family, doing nothing, just watching. However, as he hit the ground, something changed.

Mehmed sat up, his right hand shooting up and his left hand placed where he felt what he thought was a punch. He felt nothing. Mehmed was sweating and breathing heavily. Mehmed moved his left hand, placing it on what he saw sitting on. His bed. Mehmed let himself fall back, his head hitting the pillow, as he placed his hands on his forehead. He looked down at his feet, where beyond them, he saw the TV, which he obviously fell asleep watching. The news was being broadcasted. 

"Breaking news from Constantinople today as Sultan Mehmed is confirmed to have shot and killed Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha in a brutal execution on Monday. Çandarlı was 55, having been born in 1365 and was apparently "murdered in cold blood", according to anonymous sources. Sultan Mehmed's court have confirmed the death, as an image of the man's corpse was shared, showing several gunshot wounds to the torso area and one under his chin. According to an autopsy, the man died due to the gunshot wound to the back of the head inflicted by the Sultan. Thousands are angry and are protesting against Mehmed in major cities across the country, as Halil Pasha was a loved and respected figure amongst the nobility and people."

Mehmed turned off the TV with the remote sitting on his beside table. Mehmed knew it was all rubbish, or so he thought. He also knew the public were unaware of what Halil Pasha planned to do. Mehmed got showered and dressed, and had his breakfast. He had bread, butter and jam, before getting dressed. He walked through the halls of the palace, towards a conference room. Mehmed was meeting his two courts today and apparently General Kayseri Agha was due to attend. Kayseri Agha was a man who flourished in his own wealth, being extremely rich, always rocking expensive designer aviator shades and a tan beret, with one of his many different military uniforms. He, no matter what uniform, almost in all cases, wore his tan beret.

Kayseri Agha was the head of Lanorth's Marine Corps, or Naval Infantry, which had around a few thousand members at this point. Kayseri was born on May 1, 1365 in what was back then called Novgorod, in the far north-west of the country. His original name is unknown even to this day. Kayseri Agha was the founding member of the naval corps, as it was not fully named or established before he ended up founding it and naming it officially in 1404. He is renowned for establishing protective groups and private military contractors to prevent crime and attacks in the country. His forces comprise male volunteers who can join up between the ages of 17 and 27. They are thoroughly trained upon volunteering and if they are unfit enough, are sent to the reserves to be trained even more thoroughly to get them into shape, or they have the option to leave the force. It is regarded as one of the most elite forces in the country.

Mehmed, once he was ready, dressed, showered etc, left the palace grounds, entering the same vehicle he used to get to and from the facility where he murdered Halil Pasha. The same motorcade in the same formation drove off, leaving the palace grounds and around 30 minutes later, arriving at a small estate by the outskirts of the city. The estate was nice, with a garden that Mehmed could stare at for hours. When he arrived, he saw his courts and the general, along with some of his soldiers, which Mehmed assumed were being used as guards. The courts and Kayseri greeted him warmly. Zaganos Pasha was also there.

Inside, Kayseri allowed four of his soldiers to guard the inside of the room. Kayseri poured a what would be in our world vodka, which was deliberately made stronger for the occasion, into some whiskey glasses. Kayseri set his one down as he was not thirsty. Kayseri had met Mehmed's father in a meeting before and Murad turned down the alcohol, saying it was 'irresponsible' of a Sultan to drink alcohol. However Mehmed poured himself two more glasses of the stuff after downing the first, before sitting down, confirming Kayseri's thought that Mehmed was irresponsible when it came to alcohol. And when Mehmed started smoking, Kayseri felt anger boil up inside of him, due to his hatred of people smoking. Kayseri decided it was now or never. Kayseri turned to Mehmed, before glancing up at the guards. They were ready for any possible event.

"I suggest we sit down?" Mehmed said, sitting down on one of the two couches in that specific room, which in-between, had a glass table where they had placed their glasses. Kayseri lifted his glass and sort-of sat there with it. He didn't like to drink alcohol, nor did he like to smoke. Kayseri was not a big smoking fan, as he knew smoking and drinking killed more people than it helped. Mehmed sat back, placing his left leg over his right knee. Kayseri felt awkward sitting next to Mehmed.

Mehmed lit a cigarette. His courts, who were sitting on two different couches which were side-by-side in-front of the table. Zaganos spoke up. "My Sultan." Mehmed nodded. "We are here to discuss the death of Halil Pasha." Mehmed shook his head, sighing in boredom.

"Can't we just bypass this topic?" Mehmed asked. As Zaganos went to nod his head, Kayseri stepped in.

"No." Kayseri said. Mehmed looked at him.

"Excuse me?" Mehmed asked, dumbfounded.

"No, we cannot bypass the topic." Kayseri said, putting emphasis on the word 'bypass'. Mehmed was astonished. No-one had countered him like that since his father was alive.

"Why not?" Mehmed asked.

"It was a major event that shook the country to its core. Halil Pasha was a major player in our country's politics, Sultan. We cannot just bypass such a topic, making him irrelevant. This is not how it works, Sultan." Kayseri exclaimed. Mehmed shook his head slightly. He blinked.

"Okay..." Mehmed said, as he was horrible at debating and did not have a counter argument other than 'I don't want to talk about it'.

"Good." Said Kayseri. He turned to Zaganos. "Go on."

As Zaganos began to speak, Mehmed leaned forward, grabbing the bottle of alcohol and the glass. He poured himself a full glass, before knocking back his head, downing it. He poured himself another. Kayseri watched as Mehmed did this again, and again. Zaganos ignored it, however Kayseri was disgusted. Zaganos, being the new Grand Vizier, was being blatantly ignored by Mehmed.

"Sultan." Said Zaganos. Mehmed looked at him, placing down the glass and bottle, which had three-quarters less in it. Mehmed looked at Zaganos.

"Hm?" Mehmed asked.

With this, Kayseri stood up. He walked to one of the guards. Kayseri leaned in and whispered quietly; "Tell them to do it." The guard nodded, saluted, then jogged out. Kayseri walked back to the couch and sat down on it, a bit further away from Mehmed. The guard had walked outside and spoken to one of the officers stationed in the garden. The guard simply said 'Kayseri wants it done, lets get it done', before walking back inside and standing back where he was.

The officer radioed in to a nearby military barracks, where 600 marines were stationed. He radioed in to the Colonel there and simply said;

"Operation: Knuckledusters, get it done, orders from Agha." The officer, a Lieutenant, radioed in.

The Colonel chuckled. "Copy." He said, before he switched his radio off. He stood up from his chair, turning to the officers behind him. "Gather the men, we are moving!" He yelled, excitement visible in his voice. He opened the door, leading to the parade grounds. He shouted at the top of his lungs; "Soldiers! Knuckleduster is a go, get your guns, get your kit, and STS on the parade grounds!" The gate to the barracks was opened as tanks arriving from the vehicle compound, as well as troop carriers, armoured trucks etc, parked, ready to transport.

Once they were all mobilised, they all got into their transport vehicles and moved out, to strategic locations across the city to wipe out all possible resistance to this upcoming coup. Within about fifteen minutes, the city was in the process of being secured, as Kayseri's soldiers began nearing their objectives.

The Lieutenant back at the estate made a gesture with his hands, as the four guards stationed outside entered the estate and walked in. Kayseri glanced back, as Mehmed and Zaganos were in an argument, shouting at each-other. Kayseri stood up and walked towards the guards, who were now all huddled up. Kayseri whispered to the Lieutenant; "Did you radio in?" He asked. The Lieutenant nodded. 

"Yes, Sir."

"Good." Kayseri replied. "Well, you know what we do now?" Kayseri asked. The eight guards all nodded. "Fabulous." Kayseri replied. Kayseri turned on the spot. The guards stood, shoulder-to-shoulder in an impeccably straight line, with their assault rifles. Kayseri unholstered his pistol, which was essentially a desert eagle. Kayseri began counting down from three. "Three... two... one." Kayseri raised his desert eagle. The guards simultaneously raised their assault rifles, which were basically AUG-A3s, but modernised and improved.

Mehmed's court, who were facing the firing squad, essentially, stared in shock. Mehmed slowly turned his head around to see this horrifying sight. Kayseri spoke up. "Mehmed bin Murad Han, son of Murad bin Mehemmed Han, you are under arrest for your crimes, which are murder, corruption and your utter incompetence to lead a country, with your smoking and drinking problems. Your court are in turn found guilty of these crimes until proven innocent. You can either choose to come with us calmly, or in a bodybag. I don't mind which."

Mehmed's eyes widened. Genuine fear was smothered all over his face. His court had the same reaction. Members in his court raised their hands, followed by Zaganos. When Zaganos raised his hands, the whole court did. Mehmed slowly raised his own. "Mehmed bin Murad Han, turn around, facing away from us. You shall slowly walk towards us, remaining facing away from us." One of the guards at the end slung his assault rifle and took out zipties. Mehmed complied. The guard walked over and grabbed Mehmed's right hand, slamming it down behind his back, just above his waist. He grabbed his left now and did the same. He tied the zipties firmly around Mehmed's wrists and tossed him backwards to Kayseri, who moved out of the way, sending Mehmed into the wall behind him.

This process was conducted with every member of his court, who all complied but one. One, when he was about to be ziptied, turned around and attempted to strike the guard's neck. The guard blocked the punch and decked him, before putting the zipties around his wrists, and tightly. Once they were finished, they were all walked out at gunpoint. Mehmed's court were placed in the back of a transit van, however Mehmed was placed in the back of the car he arrived in, whilst a soldier drove it. Kayseri got into an armoured military vehicle and tailed the transit van.

The car engine started and drove off, with the transit van and Kayseri's vehicle tailing closely behind. Mehmed rested his head back against the headrest behind him, panicking. He wriggled slightly, as the zipties began to dig into his skin. He inhaled through his nose, and out through his mouth, trying on focus on something other than the fear and pain he was experiencing. He looked out of the window, as he saw firing squads execute resistors to the coup, lined up against the side of houses. He was horrified, as he saw resistors pinned down by soldiers. He thought it was a dream, but then remembered the pain cutting into his wrists.

This sight was seen across the city, as numerous people resisting the coup were shot or pinned down. Blood stained the streets, as journalists were also apprehended, preventing any news correspondence of the event. Mehmed knew what Kayseri was going to become. A Dictator; more ruthless than any leader in the history of the country. Mehmed guessed he may not be around to see it, however. With this thought, he panicked further, squirming in his seat.

Mehmed was confused, when he saw the gates to the palace open up, as the convoy entered through and parked in-front of the doors. As Mehmed was dragged out from the car, gunfire could be heard it seemed in every distance. Mehmed closed his eyes, thinking what lay ahead of him and what his people were facing. He was dropped at the entrance to the palace, as a soldier stepped over him, stamping his boot into his face, knocking him unconscious.

For the next few minutes, Mehmed fell in and out of consciousness as he witnessed brief glimpses of himself being dragged through the palace. This continued, as he was dragged into a lift (or elevator, where it went to the ground floor; the basement. When the doors opened up, Mehmed became conscious, feeling cold air engulf him, as the basement had little heating in it. He dazed back unconscious. He awoke, jolting up as he was tossed onto the ground, in a small room, made entirely of stone, with the walls about five metres long and the roof about the same height. Kayseri walked over Mehmed, standing in-front of him. Mehmed looked up at Kayseri, as Kayseri's hand gently tapped his holster, where the handgun, which was identical to a desert eagle, was holstered.

A soldier walked in with a camera, on a tripod. He began filming it, as the soldiers had seized the near news station, allowing it to be broadcasted to the nation.

Kayseri looked up at the camera and muttered a few words in Lanorthan.

"I'm immortal."

Kayseri unholstered his pistol, aiming it at Mehmed's head. "No... no..." Mehmed pleaded. "I'm begging you, please-" He was cut off by a deafening crack. The pistol slider slammed back, before sliding forward, allowing the round casing to fly out. The recoil of the pistol forced Kayseri's hand back a bit, however he controlled it, lowering his pistol back to Mehmed's head. A bullet slammed directly into Mehmed's head. His blood squirted out from the gaping wound, as Kayseri fired one last round, to be sure. Mehmed was dead, with two rounds buried somewhere in his head.

Mehmed's court, aside from Zaganos, were forced to dig their own mass graves in the garden of the palace. Once it was big enough, three guards lined them up, facing the grave. They fired into their backs, dumping their magazines into them, as they all tumbled into the grave. The grave was filled up once more, as Zaganos was handed over to Kayseri. Zaganos, however, fought back. As Zaganos was tossed to the floor in the same room Mehmed was executed, with his corpse still laying there, he booted Kayseri's shin, as he stood up. Zaganos was grabbed by the arms by two guards, as he tried to run at Kayseri. Kayseri was unscathed, but it stung.

Kayseri swore at him, as he shot him in the right kidney area. The guards let go as Zaganos fell to the ground, clutching his wound. Zaganos looked up, hissing at the pain. "Do it, you animal. Do it, if you're brave enough! You won't!" Kayseri aimed at Zaganos' head. "I bet you don't have the b-" He was cut off by another deafening crack. The bullet rammed through his eye, the bullet instantly killing him. His corpse fell back, his head lying against Mehmed's leg. The two were doused in petrol and set alight. They burned in the stone room until the fire put itself out, where what remained of them were dumped in an unknown location.

Lanorth's new path had to be decided, where would it go, with what Government and with what policies. However, it was certain Lanorth would not remain a monarchy. Mehmed's changes were immediately declared "null" and were "undone", making the country what it used to be. Mehmed's policies of theocracy were abolished and the people were allowed to have their old names back. The city was cleaned of all blood and the people killed were disposed of too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...