Under New Managment

[aimway921]

Almost an hour has passed since the fateful events. The Royal Army soldiers have led the Queen back into her personal quarters - a greeting chamber that was attached to them, specifically. As she took a seat, and multiple men sat across the table from her, she sensed something being wrong. There's no way her own Royal Guard was involved in a coup attempt? Right? As her thoughts raced, she was jerked out of her confusion as her ear twitched and she heard faint hammering from behind the wall. What were they doing to her bedroom?

"Your Highness," Scherbak said. "Now that we're safely inside, let's get to the matter of business."

"Matter of business? Explain yourself, minister!" the Queen demanded. She was quickly realizing that something is definitely not right.

"Let's look at the state of the Hetmante, o Great Hetman," Scherbak carried on. "We are at war with Galra for a year now. The economy is in a freefall, not only because of the war, but also because of the policies you've been implementing. Multiple Rada meetings have been called, yet you have consistently ignored our advice - often you even just sat there, like the rebellious teenager that you are, demonstrating with all your being that you're just going through the motions, not really listening. Now the Socialists are running amuck in Eyrie, the Navy is basically non-existent, and the Royal Army is so bloated they have to detach whole battalions to help out at farms. And worst of all, the lower classes are beginnig to reject the authority of the nobility - the organizers of this nation who have sworn loyalty to you - to whom you are now repaying by turning your back on them."

"You watch your tongue before I order it cut out!" Yuzura stood up and practically screamed at Scherbak - who sat in his chair unfazed. "You - you have slaughtered my Royal Guard, and for what?!"

"For Ashinara," Scherbak stood up as well, but continued speaking calmly. "Queen Yuzura, the 3 years that you have been on the throne have been disastrous for Ashinara. Despite you being an adult at the time of your ascension, you have been only barely so, and the events so far have proven that you yet lack the experience to guide Ashinara into the future. This is why the Rada has taken it upon itself to come to the decision to form a Regency Council to step up and take a more direct role in guiding your leadership of Ashinara. You, meanwhile, shall take a back seat, and hopefully learn a thing or two"

With that statement, the meeting ended. Two soldiers escorted Yuzura to her bedroom. Once left alone, she quickly discovered the source of the hammering noise she heard earlier - the secret door leading to the escape tunnel - the same one she has been caught on the other side of earlier - has been boarded up. 

The next morning, Yuzura woke up in probably the worst state she ever did. Falling asleep not due to properly going to bed but due to exhaustion, she was still wearing the evening dress she had on yesterday. Looking out the window, she saw Royal Army soldiers patrolling the palace grounds. She then walked to the door. Pulling on it, she was surprised to find it unlocked. Walking down the empty hallway, she suddenly sensed... a delicious smell? Looking into one of the rooms, the one where the smell seemed to be coming from, she found scene definitely out of place. During the night, one of the guest bedrooms has been hastily converted into a kitchen. One of her maids was there, cooking farmer cheese pancaked. 

"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed as she saw Yuzura enter. Over the next half an hour or so, the maid - Kateryna Binkova - explained what has transpired since the Queen went to sleep. The entirety of the Queen's personal quarters section of the palace has been put under heavy guard. Only a few maids were allowed to exit, enter, or even communicate with the outside world. She suspected that they were all part of the traitor's conspiracy - all but one, the most loyal - head maid, Eliza Fentorivko - who was currently out in the city, although they didn't know what she was doing. But right now, she was the Queen's only hope."

[aimway921]

A couple weeks has passed since the coup. Tagomych and Khmelnitski - the only two ministers (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense respectively) who didn't support the coup were arrested on bogus charges of collaborating with the Socialists. Tagomych - for participating in the planning of the "Socialist Plot" (as the conspiracy has become known among the public), and Khmelnitski - for undermining security at the Royal Palace. Both were sentenced to beheading. It was a scandal, especially among the petty nobles - especially those who had familial ties to both the beheaded noblemen. The threat of all of them being put under suspicion and full investigation of involvement in the Plot, however, quickly shut them up.

Next came the reversals of several of Yuzura's recent policies. One in particular the the Regent Council held in contempt is the Royal Decree of Racial Equality. Claiming that it undermined the centuries-old social order of Ashinara that kept the nation cohesive throughout generation, the law has been torn down. All Eyrians, Taikivians, Kizomins, Tavrians and Kanivians who moved to Nizhyn Island in the last year were forcefully deported back to their native islands. Those non-Ashins who in one way or another took positions of power in Nizhyn workplaces - even as low as lower level managers - were either demoted or fired. All non-Ashin officers have been demoted, and segregation has been put back in place in the Royal Army.

The measure has been met with mixed reception. Older generation Ashins praised it. Younger Ashins were taken aback. Some even tried to protest, only to end up quickly arrested. As the protests grew, so did the Gendarmerie. The non-Ashins, understandably, loudly decried the decree. Especially the Eyrians, who were always on the forefront of the fight for equal rights. In several communities, especially in the capital, the attempts to deport them turned into straight up pogroms.

The Eyrians suffered at the hands of the militant Gendarmerie the most. It was in Eyrie where the Socialist movement started and took hold, culminating in the Autonomous Republic. And as the Regency blamed pretty much everything wrong with Ashinara in the last 5 years on the Socialists, with that ideological movement becoming the ideological scapegoat - the Eyrians, who were seen as it's representatives - were the literal scapegoats.

Naturally, all this did was fan the flames of Socialist sympathies across the nation - even if now people had to be more covert about their beliefs to avoid arrest and other reprisals.

[aimway921]

"This is outrageous!" Emilyan Paskovich slammed his fist on the podium in the Rada meeting chamber, as he was shouting at the assembled Regency Council. He has travelled from Eyrie, as an official representative of the Autonomous Republic, to decry the reversal of the expansion of rights carried out by the Regency. "I refuse to believe that after having such astonishing progress, after Her Majesty has granted the rights we have been fighting for for decades, did she have such a sudden change of heart. The people are riled up! Over 3 thousand Eyrians that you have deported from Nizhyn had their lives destroyed. Thank the Spirits most of them will be able to get back on their feet in the Autonomous Republic, but what of all the others?! Taikivians? Tavrians, Kizomins, Kanivians? Do you even realize-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Scherbak said, as he stood up. "We've heard enough. Enough to see that you clearly don't understand the situation you're in. We have been kind enough to let your furless self defy these halls with your presence, and what we get for it? Insults, and presumptuous complaints."

"Furl.. Are you out of your mind, Scherbak?!" Paskovich yelled out, getting angrier by the minute. "I am as much a subject of the Hetmanate as you are!"

"Are you though? Or do we need to remind your uppity movement there on the island - who conquered you? You socialists have grown too bold in light of the Queen's kindness. That is why she reversed her decision. And you are on hanging by a thread, Eyrian, don't you forget that. Our decision is such: to maintain order, a Royal Army unit shall be stationed on your island. After all, we can't have it undefended against a Galran invasion, and I don't expect you uppity peasants to be able to mount a proper defense against them. What you gonna do, throw pitchforks at their landing ships?"

"You can't just-"

"ENOUGH! The Council's decision is final. Paskovich, the Royal Guards will escort you out of the Palace. I suggest you return to Eyrie posthaste."

Understanding that he won't be able to throw another word in without a further escalation, Paskovich stormed out of the Rada meeting chamber. He was the escorted outside the Palace grounds by the new Royal Guards - the soldiers that only a couple weeks prior massacred the previous members of the Guard.

What he wasn't told, though, that besides the Royal Army, the ruling nobility shall also be returning to Eyrie. Baron Artim te Virun'ko-Eriesky has been recently freed from his imprisonment by the Queen that followed the botched recovery after the tsunami, and reinstated in his title. After a not too long explanation by the Regency Council about the current ongoings, he gladly agreed to join the conspiracy. Partially to get back at the Queen for stripping him of his title and imprisoning him, but mainly to get his cozy life of a rich noble back.

[aimway921]

Admiral Kolvan has had enough. If one authority didn't listen, he'd go to the next best option.

On Sablien 27th, Kolvan and his entourage consisting of top officers in his General Staff, set up a meeting with Vasili Chuchupak, current leader of the Autonomous Republic of Eyrie. Unlike the Eastern half of the island, still an Royal Province under the rule of Baron Churko, who have decided to build a brand new city from scratch, the socialists have instead chosen to rebuild the City of Eirie, and move their center of government there. The city still bore the scars of the natural disaster that occurred several years ago, although most of the destruction has been cleaned up. Vast stretches of empty lots along cracked cobblestone roads were one of the few reminders of the tragedy remaining, and many lower quality shanty towns being built as temporary housing. However, the city center has been almost entirely rebuilt, albeit in some new... interesting architectural styles. With the help of one of the governmental staffers assigned to show them around town, the naval top brass has navigated their way towards the Republican Committee Building  - the REPKOM (Respublikanski Kommitet) House.

REPKOM House

Once everyone who would attend the meeting were gathered, it could begin. Present were:
Representatives of the Royal Navy: 
Admiral Viktor Kolvan
Vice Admiral Yosip Petroval
Kontr-Admiral Leontiy Ryabinovich
Kontr-Admiral Anatoli Vahasiy

Representatives of the Eyrie Autonomous Republic: 
Republican Committee Chairman Vasili Chuchupak
Commissar of Public Relations Stanislav Katsper
Commissar of Armed Forces Bohdan Shustakovich

"Welcome, gentlemen," Chuchpak began. "I am glad that you have decided to reach out to us in these trying times. However, forgive for my ignorance, our efforts as of late were focused on rebuilding of our territory after that tsunami, if you still remember it. Feels like ages ago, now, doesn't it... Ah yes, as I was saying - forgive for my ignorance, but... why exactly did you wish to meet us?"

"Well, your honor-" Kolvan started but was cut off by Chuchupak raising his arm

"Please - Comrade. We are all equals here, after all."

"Apologies. Comrade, as I was saying, the Royal Navy is, well... You might as well say it's gone. Has been for over a year. I have heard of pro-socialist sentiment spreading among the lower ranks, and I'm sure that a number of them deserted and came here."

"So.. you're looking for an extradition?" Katsper raised an eyebrow.

"Spirits, no!" Petroval exclaimed before Kolvan could respond himself. "I fully understand their reasoning, and many of the grievances that have pushed them to such an act, we share ourselves!"

"Yes.." Kolvan continued. "You said you're ignorant of our situation - but I'm sure you've heard at least some rumors, given that a number of sailors have come to seek a better life with you?"

"Just rumors," Shustakovich replied. "That the Royal Navy is in a very poor state."

"That would be an understatement," Kolvan said. "Believe it or not, you're the first government authority I have spoken to in months. Requests to meet have been denied with various excuses for almost a full year, and ever since Her Majesty became sick and the Regency took over public relations, it's been complete silence from Kyograd. Funding has dried up, we've got barely any functional ships remaining, the sailors have nothing to do... In short - we have been completely neglected."

The room fell into a silence as the republican leaders thought over Kolvan's words. The situation of the Navy was quite bad indeed. If this continued - including sailor desertions - it would soon not exist at all. But then again, these admirals are saying they share the sentiment. Are they suggesting...


The silence was broken by a knock on the door. No, not a knock, more like erratic banging. 

"Yes?" Chuchupak answered, loud enough to be heard through the door. The door swung open and in came Emilyan Paskovich, panting as though he just ran a marathon, his suit and hair unkempt, clutching his briefcase in his arms.

"C-comrade Chuchupak," he said with a small stutter, both from his lack of breath and surprise of seeing Royal Navy officers in Chuchupak's office. "Urgent, very urgent news from Kyograd."

"Gentlemen, if you would excuse me for a few minutes, I will be right back." Chuchupak left the room with Paskovich, leaving the room in silence once more, this time an awkward one. Several minutes later, Chuchupak came back.

"Well, comrades. The Royal Army is on it's way. The Regency has decided that we "pose a threat to national security."

"I'm sorry what?!" Katsper asked dumbfounded. 

"Apparently the Queen has 'realized her mistake when she granted us autonomy'." 

"I don't bloody believe it..." Ryabinovich spoke for the first time, sinking in his chair. They have enough time to push you around after agreeing not to, but not to pay attention to us?"

"So as to why we're here," Kolvan said. "I do not wish to see the Navy disappear. We were once the pride of Ashinara. I wish for it to be so again. And I believe that we shall have better chances of doing so with you. And... Hearing this latest development... I'm guessing you could use a hand."

---

The Admirals have chatted with the republicans for a whole other hour, but eventually they have come a rather radical agreement. Kolvan and Vahasiy will return to the main Royal Navy base, and stay there, for now. The rest of the Naval officers, with most of the remaining sailors, will secretly move to the Autonomous Republic and become part of it's armed forces. To maintain the illusion, Kolvan added the names of the sailors into the list of the lives lost at sea during the engagement with Galra. A couple thousand sailors, along with several officers, Kolvan and Vahasiy will say in the main naval base at Vizima, and pretend they still can't get ahold of the government in Kyograd - although now they would stop trying. Most of the remaining ships would also be moved to Eyrie.

The Royal Navy is no more. The Red Navy is born.

---

Of course, this secret defection didn't mean that the ship shortage was solved. If anything, the Autonomous Republic was in an even worse position to build new ships than the rest of Ashinara is. So instead, they had the sailors preparing for what Chuchupak and Kolvan thought was inevitable... The shipless sailors would continue their drilling of infantry tactics, but this time under the masterful training of Tafatu War veteran officers.