Kalistani Major History

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Her Grace, Duchess Martha Allistair Odufaray murdered in Eshar
"She was on a mission of peace," announced Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 4, 5554


Duchess' assassination outside Eshar-Regent Hotel in Eshar provokes backlash from Kaliburg

The capital of Odufaray was rocked with violence yesterday as pro-democracy protestors carried out an extremely elaborate program to trap and assassinate the Duchess of Odufaray, Lady Martha Allistair outside the doors of the Eshar Regent Hotel in Eshar. Several members of the protest movement who were at the scene have also been killed by police when they open-fired on the emergency medical personnel who arrived on the scene to try to save the Duchess' life. In all, 6 people died and 5 more were wounded in what has turned out to be the most bloody episode in an ongoing cycle of violence on the Mainland.

The saga that ended in the death of the Duchess and 2 EMS workers, as well as 3 assassins began with the Duchess receiving a call that members of the pro-democracy camp sought to meet with her at the Eshar Regent Hotel. As she resides in Eshar, the drive from her home to the Hotel was to be about 20 minutes. When her car left her townhouse, two sedans began following her. The tail was spotted immediately, and the Duchess ordered her driver to begin taking back streets to try to lose her pursuers. The incident became a somewhat high speed chase through the streets of downtown Eshar, but at a crucial moment, a third sedan appeared and became shooting at the side of the vehicle. Suddenly, the pursuit broke off and the Duchess phoned local police to ask them to meet her at the Eshar Regent when she arrived.

As her car pulled into the loading zone in front of the building at top speed, the Duchess exited the car and was joined by her security detail to begin walking toward the building. Three men, dressed in masks exited just then and opened fire with .38 caliber pistols, mortally wounding the Duchess, who fell on the spot. Her body guards, who were themselves wounded in the gunfire, took up position behind the car as the assassins continued a steady salvo, and repeated attempts to retrieve the Duchess were met with more gun fire. When EMS arrived and attempted to assist the Duchess, they were fired upon as well. One was hit in the head and one was hit in the femoral artery, and both soon died of their injuries along with the Duchess. The standoff continued for less than 15 minutes, when police arrived and shot all three assassins who were in cover, but were trying to kill more people. The Hotel was closed and the Grand Duke ordered a curfew in Eshar.

"These acts of murder are intolerable," said Chancellor of the Empire, Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwell. "Duchess Allistair was a personal friend of mine, but more than that, she was a competent and fair administrator of the Duchy, and of all the peers, she was the most sympathetic to the supposed aims of the protest movement. Through her tireless calls for understanding, her duchy has known some peace. And when those animals murdered her for it, she was headed to a meeting with protest leaders who were working for a way to come to terms with the government. Instead of honoring her mission of peace, they chased her through the city, trapped her in front of a hotel and gunned her down and then they ambushed people who came that might have saved her life."

The Chancellor continued to say that the proposed plebiscite to be held to discuss reforms was now "obviously off the table." His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor has ordered the Ministry of Justice to begin investigating who was responsible for the planning and execution of this assassination, and so far, preliminary reports point to an underground organization known as the Liberty Brigade, who are known to Intelligence as being aligned with right wing labor movements in the country. "We are not sure if the Liberty Brigade is receiving support from foreign actors, but their goal seems to be to promote their version of 'liberty' which includes small government, the end of health, safety and environmental regulations and national service, and the creation of a free market economic system in Kalistan," said the Chancellor. "They are your standard anarcho-capitalists, but they have made alliances with labor organizations, especially ones that are subtly nativist, and have the potential to spread their ideology in Kalistan." She also noted that their leadership is wanted for questioning on several counts of political violence, and she believes that can be tied in important ways to the protests that have been rocking the country over the last few years.

"These individuals seem to have decided to become a terrorist organization," said the Chancellor, "and so it is reasonable that they be treated like one. The calls they make for more democracy are particularly seductive to people in this country who still, despite all our efforts, have it in their head that any sort of democracy at all is a good thing. But make no mistake: this group, and other instigators and assassins who have aligned themselves with this supposedly pro-democracy grass roots movement, are more like parasites. They will take over the movement and use it for their own goals, and it won't end well for anyone, not in Kalistan, not in Ananto, and certainly not in population as a whole."

For their Part, Liberty Brigade has denied any involvement with the assassination of the Duchess, and most of their leadership has gone into hiding, possibly leaving the country. Their political directory, the outlawed Patriotic League for Liberty, have issued a statement decrying the "harassment of this Emperor and this Government against honest people simply attempting to express a viewpoint. The PLL does not endorse violence against nobility. We are loyal subjects of His Majesty the Emperor, and simply seek an opportunity to participate in a fair election which is not rigged against the people of this Country. If the Emperor's Government would allow us to just simply compete, they would see, we would be able to put together a clear majority in this country. But the game is rigged against us by the very people who are in control of the refs and is as corrupted as the day is long. As a result, the people have no choice. It wouldn't surprise me if some of them did turn to violence. But it is not our hand that is turning them that way."

The Curfew in Eshar will remain in effect for two weeks, as Duchy Authorities work with Eshar County Officials to break up all pro-democracy formations within the City. Similar actions are being planned against other pro-democracy groups in Odufaray and Vrassa. His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor has ordered all flags to be flown at half mast in memorial of the slain Duchess and the brave emergency workers who tried to save her.