Post by bluesnailok on Mar 6, 2022 17:37:26 GMT
The thunder of the awaiting masses rumbled through the Palace. The people clamoured for his word, the voice of their leader. For over three decades now, Tohn Kotegaman had reigned over his own corner of Natar: Altak. Formerly the Kingdom of Altak, this climatically Iberian nation found itself thrown into the Space Age like every other Teliran polity. However, unlike most other nations, not all was stable with Altak. Corruption, civil discontent, public alienation and growing disparity between the elites of Altak and their subjects had fermented insurrection.
All those years ago, Tohn had been among the first to resist the oppression of the old order. Of course, back in those days, their numbers were few and their cause seemed trifling. Writing from the safety of homeland’s neighbours, Tohn constantly challenged traditional Teliran doctrine at every corner. The son of a merchant, Kotegaman had become radicalized and disillusioned against the nature of his own class by sites of destitution, gluttony and disregard for duty towards the community as a whole, ‘I have never met a businessman who doesn’t put himself first.’ became his iconic phrase.
When the Altak economy collapsed decades ago, and brought to the forefront the hypocrisy of the upper classes and the hollowness of their justifications, Tohn new it was his time to return. The young rebellious merchant’s son, as one of the earliest and most prominent of his league rapidly became the unofficial, then official, head of his cause. Then only a young man, Kotegaman became a symbol of the united struggle of the people against the old, stratified society.
The civil war was bloody, and the battlelines were unclear. One moment Kotegaman’s Populists, now adopting the tenets of Socialism as spread by the models of the Union of Worlds, were just one cell in a broader coalition of opposition groups, next he dominated the front. Another moment, Kotegaman was fighting the old Royal House, next that Monarchy had been ousted and replaced by a martial junta. Through it all, Tohn and his socialists persevered. Against trained militaries, against the international aid of the establishment, against everything, the people prevailed by their sheer will.
For the years that followed, Tohn and his corner of the world became an international pariah. Unable to connect to the galaxy without membership within the ASN, and unable to connect with the rest of the planet by a near unanimous embargo and blockade of Altak. But through it, the people of Altak weathered the storm. Through the famines, through the counterrevolutionary strikes and protests, through the treachery, Kotegaman had endured and adapted.
Kotegaman quickly learnt what worked, and what didn’t. He could not organise without the state, without organisation and direction, the revolution could not survive, and so he worked to strengthen his administration. Strengthening his administration required solidification of power, and that meant preventing its permanence being placed into question, as such he worked to reconfirm the politicization of the military, he outlawed striking against the government of the proletariat, any opposition groups that had participated in the revolution were either absorbed or illegalised, icons of the old monarchy were either destroyed or rebranded as imagery of the Socialist Ideal or apolitically patriotic symbology.
Now, after so many years, what had happened to Altak was now striking the planet as a whole. The rotten philosophies espoused by the class of his father, by the old regimes, by the elite, was in question. The common man was without work, without security, without luxury, no amount of argument of ‘market adjustment’ or ‘real economic health’ mattered if that system was starving a man of his home, his ability to his work, and his sense of stability.
As the Chairman tugged at his scarf, an aide rushed forward,
“Mr. Chairman… I- I would say now is the tim-”
“-I know what is best for me, and when it is best for me.” Tohn sternly countered. With one final, long breath, the Teliran emerged onto the balcony. The crowds immediately roared with approval to the sight of their glorious leader. Raising his hand, the Chairman waved to the masses that he led in the great united cause. The notion his critics proposed, that these people wanted anything less than his own vision, seemed laughable in times like this.
“My people, my countrymen, the people not of Altak, but of Natar! The collapse of the old social order is at hand! Every crack and seam in the decadent, antiquated system of our oppressors has been brought to light! Not only has the antiquated faith in the exportation of work, of responsibility and opportunity to the cheapest foreigner revealed its most ugly truth, but it has cannibalised its most vocal defenders. Let there be no mistake, the suffering of the people in this age, can solely be blamed on our enemies!” He paused as the crowds cheers and applauded, Tohn nodded with his hands planted behind his back before he returned to his bombastic gestures and declarations,
“For decades, Altak has endured the wrath and jealousy of the natural alliance of the Capitalist and the Monarchist. Now they lie exhausted, weak, defeated. All the proletariat of this great planet need to do now is seize power for themselves, they must take the initiative. Let the Great Revolution commence! No greater time has existed for the great socialist uprising than now! People of the world! Fight! Fight! Take the streets! Fight! Fight! Destroy your oppressors!”
Kotegaman had accelerated over the course of the speech, his voice getting louder, more assertive and rousing, only matched by the responding frenzy from the crowds, the band began to play as the Chairman practically screamed:
“The people of Natar have nothing to lose but their chains! Destroy the capitalist! Fight! Destroy the exploiting foreigner! Fight! Destroy the colonials from both this world and beyond! Let nothing stand in our way! The Teliran soul is immortal! The Teliran masses will lie down no more! Our time has come! The time of the people! The time of justice and of freedom! We will destroy the old ways of government as we will eradicate the Association! Let nothing get in our way!”
He gave no pause as he threw himself against the balcony and declared, “We will accept nothing but complete victory! Our country, our planet, our GALAXY demands it! Leave no pause for the reactionaries and the cowardly to allow for the old systems to recover their strength, we will not rest until we have killed the oppressors! No force shall intimidate us any longer- We will repulse the foreigners as we did the corporations in 17 years ago,
With that, the crowds frothed in an explosion of elation and passion. Kotegaman basked in the approval of the masses, he wasn’t afraid to admit that he loved to be beloved. Now, with the blundering of the likes of Tetlisun and his ilk, so too would the people of a whole planet be cheering the name of ‘The Veteran Revolutionary’.
All those years ago, Tohn had been among the first to resist the oppression of the old order. Of course, back in those days, their numbers were few and their cause seemed trifling. Writing from the safety of homeland’s neighbours, Tohn constantly challenged traditional Teliran doctrine at every corner. The son of a merchant, Kotegaman had become radicalized and disillusioned against the nature of his own class by sites of destitution, gluttony and disregard for duty towards the community as a whole, ‘I have never met a businessman who doesn’t put himself first.’ became his iconic phrase.
When the Altak economy collapsed decades ago, and brought to the forefront the hypocrisy of the upper classes and the hollowness of their justifications, Tohn new it was his time to return. The young rebellious merchant’s son, as one of the earliest and most prominent of his league rapidly became the unofficial, then official, head of his cause. Then only a young man, Kotegaman became a symbol of the united struggle of the people against the old, stratified society.
The civil war was bloody, and the battlelines were unclear. One moment Kotegaman’s Populists, now adopting the tenets of Socialism as spread by the models of the Union of Worlds, were just one cell in a broader coalition of opposition groups, next he dominated the front. Another moment, Kotegaman was fighting the old Royal House, next that Monarchy had been ousted and replaced by a martial junta. Through it all, Tohn and his socialists persevered. Against trained militaries, against the international aid of the establishment, against everything, the people prevailed by their sheer will.
For the years that followed, Tohn and his corner of the world became an international pariah. Unable to connect to the galaxy without membership within the ASN, and unable to connect with the rest of the planet by a near unanimous embargo and blockade of Altak. But through it, the people of Altak weathered the storm. Through the famines, through the counterrevolutionary strikes and protests, through the treachery, Kotegaman had endured and adapted.
Kotegaman quickly learnt what worked, and what didn’t. He could not organise without the state, without organisation and direction, the revolution could not survive, and so he worked to strengthen his administration. Strengthening his administration required solidification of power, and that meant preventing its permanence being placed into question, as such he worked to reconfirm the politicization of the military, he outlawed striking against the government of the proletariat, any opposition groups that had participated in the revolution were either absorbed or illegalised, icons of the old monarchy were either destroyed or rebranded as imagery of the Socialist Ideal or apolitically patriotic symbology.
Now, after so many years, what had happened to Altak was now striking the planet as a whole. The rotten philosophies espoused by the class of his father, by the old regimes, by the elite, was in question. The common man was without work, without security, without luxury, no amount of argument of ‘market adjustment’ or ‘real economic health’ mattered if that system was starving a man of his home, his ability to his work, and his sense of stability.
As the Chairman tugged at his scarf, an aide rushed forward,
“Mr. Chairman… I- I would say now is the tim-”
“-I know what is best for me, and when it is best for me.” Tohn sternly countered. With one final, long breath, the Teliran emerged onto the balcony. The crowds immediately roared with approval to the sight of their glorious leader. Raising his hand, the Chairman waved to the masses that he led in the great united cause. The notion his critics proposed, that these people wanted anything less than his own vision, seemed laughable in times like this.
“My people, my countrymen, the people not of Altak, but of Natar! The collapse of the old social order is at hand! Every crack and seam in the decadent, antiquated system of our oppressors has been brought to light! Not only has the antiquated faith in the exportation of work, of responsibility and opportunity to the cheapest foreigner revealed its most ugly truth, but it has cannibalised its most vocal defenders. Let there be no mistake, the suffering of the people in this age, can solely be blamed on our enemies!” He paused as the crowds cheers and applauded, Tohn nodded with his hands planted behind his back before he returned to his bombastic gestures and declarations,
“For decades, Altak has endured the wrath and jealousy of the natural alliance of the Capitalist and the Monarchist. Now they lie exhausted, weak, defeated. All the proletariat of this great planet need to do now is seize power for themselves, they must take the initiative. Let the Great Revolution commence! No greater time has existed for the great socialist uprising than now! People of the world! Fight! Fight! Take the streets! Fight! Fight! Destroy your oppressors!”
Kotegaman had accelerated over the course of the speech, his voice getting louder, more assertive and rousing, only matched by the responding frenzy from the crowds, the band began to play as the Chairman practically screamed:
“The people of Natar have nothing to lose but their chains! Destroy the capitalist! Fight! Destroy the exploiting foreigner! Fight! Destroy the colonials from both this world and beyond! Let nothing stand in our way! The Teliran soul is immortal! The Teliran masses will lie down no more! Our time has come! The time of the people! The time of justice and of freedom! We will destroy the old ways of government as we will eradicate the Association! Let nothing get in our way!”
He gave no pause as he threw himself against the balcony and declared, “We will accept nothing but complete victory! Our country, our planet, our GALAXY demands it! Leave no pause for the reactionaries and the cowardly to allow for the old systems to recover their strength, we will not rest until we have killed the oppressors! No force shall intimidate us any longer- We will repulse the foreigners as we did the corporations in 17 years ago,
With that, the crowds frothed in an explosion of elation and passion. Kotegaman basked in the approval of the masses, he wasn’t afraid to admit that he loved to be beloved. Now, with the blundering of the likes of Tetlisun and his ilk, so too would the people of a whole planet be cheering the name of ‘The Veteran Revolutionary’.