It had been almost eight years since Ralkovia had gone into isolation cutting off trade and contact with almost all other nations of the world. The attempted assassination of the Empress by a foreign embassy worker and the shackles of being a protectorate of Tocrowkia Ralkovia had since expelled those in its embassy and quieted down. Its influence in the world waned and the Ralkovian military used not to suppress or subjugate new lands but to hold down Ralkovian possessions that had started to rebel. It had seemed that isolation was Ralkovia’s best option as the nation had begun to fall into debt with others, as imports exceeded exports, and still Ralkovia had to pay a hefty tribute to its protectors. Just like the Janissary of the Ottomans, the Death Guard, the elite guard that served both a military and political role, had become obstinate as it raised resistance to the orders of the highest authority, the Empress herself.
The Death Guard had quickly become corrupt and within four years they were unofficially the true rulers of Ralkovia. This had given rise to a rather unique situation in Ralkovia where the military and by extension the many military orders(note that Ralkovia has many military ‘guards’ the death guard being the most powerful, but there are many military orders and guard with the Death Guard, Colonial Guard, Chronzonal Guard, and Taoi Guard being some the largest and most famous.) were under the rule of a single Grandmaster and the Royal family wielding limited if any power over their kingdoms.
Empress Maria was now only a figurehead that represented the fall of Ralkovian power, many citizens blaming her for the collapsing economy and weakened military state. The next six members in line to the throne were Princess Rose, Prince Clovis, Princess Sophia, Prince Maximillion, Princess Rachel and Prince Josh II were bastard children of three different affairs the previous Emperor, Josh, had had. In truth, the succession line mattered little as it would be the Death Guard deciding who went on next. Within a year Princess Rose went off to marry some foreign Prince she had fallen in love with during a small civil war. The heir apparent was the bumbling Prince Clovis who cared more for Music and Paintings then for the Military or Politics. The Death Guard would find no solace in the other four candidates for Princess Sophia was much more interested in spending millions on skirts, shirts, and shoes among other things. Prince Maximillion and Princess Rachel were rather shy of being intelligent and frankly Prince Josh II was expected to die as he was a sickly, pale white child who wandered the Imperial Palace’s Library like a ghost. However at the age of eight he decided to follow a military career and moved to the Ralkovian colony of Yemen for schooling.
It was surprising enough at just how brilliant Josh was as he quickly graduated from the Military Academy of Yemen. The academy being one of the foremost Military Academies in Ralkovia and in the world, as it was the only Ralkovian academy open to foreigners. Josh graduated in two years although it usually required a normal person ten years. He then spent another year in the academy earning a degree in military engineering.
It was because of Josh’s brilliance that he attracted the attention of Grandmaster of the Death Guard who decided to send Death Guard to make sure that Josh wasn’t a threat to his reign. This was done with the excuse of being protection which would not be unheard of even though Josh had such a low status in the family ranking.
After killing an assassin of the Crimson Fighters, a group of Yemenite rebels seeking independence, he then spent the next few months with his Death Guard pack(platoon) chasing down Yemenite rebels and removing them from existence. The Death Guard pack was amazed at how ruthless the Prince was at such a young age. Reports of how he had slaughtered two rebel leaders with an E-tool or how he by himself set fire to a small town that wouldn’t cooperate and killed all survivors. The Death Guard Grandmaster decided that this boy would be the face of the Empire and the perfect puppet.
Josh found himself at the age of twelve pulled into a Death Guard training program and within three years Josh was named heir to the throne much to the chagrin of his brothers and sisters.
At age sixteen Josh was now an extremely powerful young man. The Grandmaster had seen fit to take Josh in as a son. His sister however, Empress Maria had almost disowned him from the family. Now it was time to show his gratitude.
“I was talking to my wife the other day when my daughter, she’s a real cutsie 9 year old came in. She was riding on top of the dog. So I sai-” the Imperial Court Guard stopped mid-sentence as a number of bright flashes emanated from the Imperial Palace Gardens. It was only a few seconds later that the rumble of explosions shook the Imperial Palace’s sprawling walls. Heavy smoke permeated the air making breathing for the Imperial Court Guard’s hard.
Then came the sound of a low beating drum, from above two Super Dragon Heavy Transports began to spray their gatling guns at the Imperial Court Guard taking cover or trying to fire the anti-aircraft guns.
“FORWARD MY GUARDS FORWARD!!!” Echoed across the damaged walls as rappels were let down from the Super Dragon Heavy Transports and over 120 Death Guard zipped down into the center of the Palace.
The Death Guard instantly took heavy fire from the Court Guards and the crunch of Death Guard crashing to the Earth was almost as loud as the gatling guns fired from above.
Prince Josh the Second smiled from inside the helmet of a Death Guard uniform. It was time to take out the Empress and install himself as ruler of Ralkovia. Pressing a button on his gauntlet a small tube rose from Josh’s wrist armor. Josh aimed his wrist at a nearby machine gun’s nest and fired as a grenade launched out of the tube and into the nest causing 500 year old masonry to crash down.
The Palace loudspeakers began to go into the air-raid siren’s as thousands of Courts Guard rushed to answer the call. It was unfortunate that so many had to pass under the all seeing eye of the two transports which began to open fire on the reinforcements.
Inside the Palace, Empress Maria was being rushed underground to the secret subway system under the Palace. However all they found were more Death Guard reinforcements. Bullets zipped by overhead as the 22 year old Empress was evacuated by her Court Guard. In mere minutes she found herself stuck in the Palace as all escape routes were cut off.
She whimpered in fear as one by one her Court Guard’s fell. She was heralded by four of the Guards to follow her towards the Panic room an underground bunker meant to survive a 1 MT nuclear explosion going off within twenty miles. The giant 12 foot thick Titanium, steel and lead door sealing her off from the outside world. From camera’s she watched the Death Guard slowly make progress as the original 120 decreased to half that size. Court Guard’s were fighting to their very last as wounded soldiers held their weapons and tried to kill as many of the Death Guard as possible.
Josh laughed as he emptied his Kaiserkrieg pistol into the head of a Court Guard before preceding to blow open the giant wooden doors of the throne room with satchel charges. From inside the throne room the last of the eight thousand Court Guard were making their stand.
“GIVE ‘EM HELL,” screamed the Court Guard before a rocket smashed into his body and exploded. The Death Guard had the clear advantage despite being outnumbered. They had the better weapons and the better equipment. It wasn’t before long that the Court Guard number had dwindled down to only a twenty.
Then everything was quiet as the Death Guard stopped firing. A few clinks were heard as twelve canisters rolled down from the door, the smell of noxious gas and the coughing of Court Guards. Finally, the remaining Death Guard rushed in and took cover before opening fire on the last Court Guards.
Turning the corner and entering the room the young prince took off his helmet, the gas had been filtered out already. He walked in front of a small wall and took a small magnetic cylinder and put it on one of the stone’s. Pulling it unlocked a small keypad which Josh used to punch in his father’s birthday and his sister’s mother’s name.
He was awarded with a green light and the sound of a door opening. His Death Guard immediately opening fire killing two Colonial Guard’s trying to protect the lift. This was almost too easy that Josh had to give his satisfied grin. The Death Guard and him boarded the lift and took it down over three miles down. The lift reaching speeds of over 75 mph took only what seemed like a few minutes to get down to the bottom.
As the door opened two machineguns ripped through the sheet metal as Death Guard blood was thrown all over. The lift had originally brought 30 death guard down but now only 10 were alive and two wounded badly. The Death Guard fired canister’s of poison gas from the sides of the lift. The poison quickly took effect as the two machineguns groaned before stopping. The Death Guard shooting the bodies of the Colonial Guards. Josh opened the large door in front of him to be greeted by his sister holding a Kaiserkrieg pistol of her own. It was aimed straight at his face, his sister was visibly frightened, and using that to his advantage immediately grabbed the gun and twisted as seven bullets shot out bringing down another Death Guard.
“Dear sister, how wondrous it is to have you here to see me take the throne,” Josh said with his snide grin. He grabbed his half-sister by the throat and pushed down bringing her to the ground. He immediately sat on top of her stomach and continued to push until she got to the point where she was about to pass out.
“I wouldn’t want you missing anything Dear Sister,” he said before punching her as hard as he could. His fist causing her cheekbones to break with a solid CRUNCH!. At the sound of the bone breaking and blood spewing in her mouth she began to cry as Josh took her by the head and brought it repeatedly back down to the solid marble. He then grabbed her and dragged her onto the lift with the rest of the Death Guard following.
She was stripped off the expensive clothing and given a small robe that barely covered her body. She was by far extremely attractive but by the time she had arrived at ground level she was bloody and beaten. It was here than Josh made her make an announcement that would shake the very foundation of Ralkovia.
“I step down as Empress of Ralkovia, I step down and will be replaced by my brother…Emperor Josh the Second. Long live Josh,” her broken but still breathing body spoke. She was barely even human looking as Josh replaced her on camera.
“People of Ralkovia and of the world, those who do not like my methods, who may say that I am a brutal tyrant. I could give a rat’s ass about what you think. I am strong and she is weak, I am brilliant and she is naïve, I am the leader and she is no longer. I am Emperor of Ralkovia. Let it be known.”
