Coupcoupstan

[Dannistaan]

Cabinet Offices, Number 10 New Downing Street, Dannistra Onn, Central Dannistaan

“Well? Do you believe them?” P’aanil asked Tr’valis regarding the latest wire.
“It’s hard to say,” Tr’valis replied, “The situation in Coocoostan at the moment is so convoluted that it is like trying to untangle a spiders web. There is claim and counter-claim going on at the moment.”

P’aanil paused again before speaking.
“Wire them a reply. Tell the interim admin we will so far accept their reply and we would be willing to send monitors to watch the elections but advise them that the power plant situation will not go unnoticed if things go wrong.”
“Yes sir.”
“And tell U’nid to keep the carriers on standby in international water. We don’t want to start firing the first shot but need to keep ready to shoot back in case this doesn’t go to plan.”

Telegram sent to coup leaders in Coocoostan

— Begin quote from ____

To whom it may concern,

Mr. Kayogorodov,
We accept your explanation thus far for the events in Coocoostan. We will be willing to send election monitors to the nation when the proposed elections take place.

However, we advise you that we will be watching the situation closely, especially with regards to the power station situation. If events transpire to be linked to your actions, we will be be reconsidering our position with regards to the interim administration in Coocoostan.

Hal’vo hav’nar
-Tr’valis No’oonsoko
Foreign Secretary of the Royal Confederacy of Dannistaan

— End quote

HRD Broadcasting Studios

Several callers to the HRD talk show, “Sound Bites”, were putting the communist conspiracy theory into overdrive, with many going as far as to say Coocoostan was planning all the goings on to distract from some expansionist tendencies. The station itself was not the best barometer of public opinion in Dannistaan as most Dannistrians leaned to the left. However East Dannistaan always seemed to be host to some of the most extreme, right wing cranks in the nation. Some of the comments included:

— Begin quote from ____

-Obviously, Pakhomov led the whole thing from the start to give himself and his commie cronies more legitimacy…
-The Coocoostani, Dovakhanese and Kelssekians ARE in it together! They are obviously moving their plans to spread communism throughout the world!..
-I really think it is time we look into kicking out our Socialist Government in Dannistra Onn and consider invading Coocoostan as a warning to any socialist nations that the left does…not…pay…
-This is a travesty to real Democracy and I blame it on those so-called leftist liberals who are turning out to be frankly no better than the autocrats on the right…
-Coocoostan? More like Coupcoupstan! It is so unstable we should just occupy it and repartition the lot…
-I can’t honestly understand why the Government does not do something about Coocoostan now. A few hundred tons of ordinance and some gas should do the trick. Maybe we should look into peppering Kelssek and Dovakhan too just to be on the safe side…
-ERIC WOZ ERE
-F*** the commies! Freedom forever!
-In all honesty, the collective IQ of this show could be counted on a fraction of a finger…

— End quote

[Kelssek]

The sealed message was delivered to the interim government through the Kelssek embassy.

---

SECRET

Dear Mr. Kaygorodov,

I have enclosed a message that was sent to myself by a group claiming to be occupying a nuclear power plant in Yost.

We do not currently believe the threat to be credible, as our information is that all plant employees have been evicted by the occupiers, and none of those occupying the building would likely know how to operate a reactor, let alone override and circumvent safety devices to deliberately cause a meltdown.

In addition, I am advised that even if successful, for radioactive material to be released, the structural integrity of the containment structure must also be compromised, and this is not certain to result from a meltdown.

Therefore, I request that you act immediately to ensure that the persons occupying the power station be surrounded and prevented from obtaining any supplies, in particular, of explosives. I also request permission for Kelssek special forces teams to enter Coocoostan for the sole purpose of countering this threat.

As you will be aware, any action taken by this group will have its greatest impact on Coocoostan territory. In addition, the legitimacy of your government depends greatly on its ability to maintain law and order within your borders. It is my hope that you will render your full cooperation in this matter.

I have appointed a diplomatic officer in our embassy in Coocoobad to liaise with your government. Please find below her contact information. I would appreciate if you would direct your government to share whatever information it has, a consideration we will most assuredly reciprocate.

With best regards,

Peter Coakson
Prime Minister of Kelssek

SECRET

[Dovakhan]

Office of the Khagan-Chancellor - Executive Tower
Heart of Khanates Complex, Tkanatdovakhiastaat

Ânâtöl Êfösêbâd had deferred the question of Coocoostan to his Director of Diplomacy, but this personal correspondance on the part of the so-called “interim” leader had forced the Khagan-Chancellor’s full attention on the matter. To that effect, the Khagan-Chancellor took the ill-advised action of writing his own letter, worded in the sharp tongue of a former envoy for the Non-Aligned Movement.*

— Begin quote from ____

Esteemed Mr. Kaygorodov,

Your great nation is suffering a period of considerable internal turmoil.  It is therefore understandable that the established institutions would find themselves in disarray.  However, the Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan has official relations with the Democratic Republic of Coocoostan under its present constitution.  To that effect, it is our general expectation that the actions over the next few days will reflect that constitutional order.  Indeed, within that framework, my government would be happy to provide all the logistical support necessary to lead your nation and its people into happier days.  I hope you will understand.

Sincerely,

Ânâtöl Êfösêbâd
Khagan-Chancellor
Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan

— End quote

• A supranational organization to promote the economic and political independence of its members from the undue influence of regional “great powers.” The only present members are Dannistaan and Dovakhan. Coocoostan under Pakhomov was very likely to also join that organization, partially explaining Dovakhanese irritation with his usurpation.

[coocoostan]

Coocoostan Capitol Building

Andrei Pakhomov had resumed the presidency. He’d agreed to let Kaygorodov speak to him and his cabinet about how to resolve the issue of the Yost Power Station. Kaygorodov was speaking. “Degtaryev is clearly desperate, which is why he has enlisted the help of the CLF. But, these are two organizations with different goals. Degtaryev wants his coup to succeed and will do anything. The CLF want the Coocoo Autonomous Oblast to be independent. So what you do, is you grant the CLF request.”
The cabinet sat stunned. “Are you crazy?” The Defence Secretary blurted out.
“Let the man finish.” Pakhomov was interested.
“What will happen if we grant the CAO independence?” Kaygorodov asked.

“The situation there will deteriorate rapidly. It’s only about 7 to 10 percent supported even there. I don’t think Simonov would even accept independence.” Pakhomov understood. “So what we might do instead, is attach a referendum to this election you think I should have. The CLF could go for that. In fact, I’ll make the offer to them myself.”

“Let the Kelssek Forces send some SPECOT to monitor the cordon VDV is establishing. Coakson is in a bind, he has to be seen to be doing something, so we shall help him out.”

Yost Power Station

Mukhtar hung up his secure phone. “Pakhomov is in charge now.” The other CLF fighters looked stunned. “He’s offering us a referendum in a month. Says that the Oblast would only be a viable nation if the people support it. He could be right, the urban dwellers have always hated us, they’ll wreck our independence.”

One of Mukhtar’s followers looked stunned. “You mean, you’re for this vote?”
“It’s more than they’ve ever offered us. We’d be crazy not to take this offer. The only catch is, they want Degtaryev, dead or alive. They won’t try anyone involved in killing him.”

This half of the offer appealed to a few more people. “I’ll slash the bastard’s throat myself.” Degtaryev had been a Major when he’d been in charge of a unit to root out CLF supporters in the latter days of the Soviet Union.

Five of them went into the Manager’s office, looking for Degtaryev. Instead, they found the window open, the desk lamp on an a book titled “RMBK Reactor Schematics” lying on the desk.
Mukhtar looked. “The bastard was lying. He doesn’t know this reactor from a hole in the ground. It’s a good thing he got out of here when he did.”

[Kelssek]

“Yes indeed. Very well, then, I know I can trust you with this. Thank you very much, Mr. Pakhomov, I appreciate it. All my best wishes. Good bye.”

Peter Coakson sighed as he put down the phone, swivelling the chair to face the portraits of Kieran Pearson, and his mentor, Alan Kerk, that he had hung on the wall of his office. This certainly wasn’t an easy job, and even with the assurances of the intelligence officers, he could feel the fear boiling up in his guts.

He pulled the phone for the secure landline towards him, pressing the speeddial button for the Chief of Defence Staff’s office.

“Good morning, General. Peter Coakson speaking. Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Coocoostan has authorised our forces to enter and monitor the cordon… No, the President didn’t seem receptive to that idea, and besides, they have their own plans. That’s right, it is their country after all. Excellent, thank you, General. Good bye.”

That settled, for now, he turned his attention to the more mundane matter of reviewing the financial report of one of the state-owned farming cooperatives.

[coocoostan]

Yost Power Station

The Black-clad Kelssek Forces operators kneeled beside their VDV counterparts. The paratroops had dropped in about twelve hours before the Kelssekians had shown up, to make it look like they were on the same level. Suddenly, one of the officers from the north side of the cordon approached. “They all got out Sir, they swam through an irrigation pond and then used rubber boats to head up river. The one who surrendered said Degtaryev’s long gone too. At least a 24 hour head start.”
“Dammit. Where the hell could he be?”

Coocoostan Capitol Building

President Andrei Pakhomov came to the microphone. “Good Morning. I have called an election for June 1st. This election will consist of a Presidential Vote, as well as elections for the Parliamentary Congress, but also the new Upper House, the Congress of People’s Deputies, which will be elected in a system of ridings. Foreign election monitors will be assisting our elections volunteers in ensuring the process is the fairest we have yet seen. I sincerely hope these elections will be just that and encourage maximum participation in same. The campaign will officially begin tomorrow. Maxim Kaygorodov, who stepped in as interim administrator in my absence, will be relinquishing his duties in that capacity. The people of our nation should bear no ill will to Mr. Kaygorodov or the other members of his team, who kept something truly frightening from coming to pass. They are owed a great deal of our thanks.” As flashbulbs went off, reporters from inside and outside the country began stepping on each other with questions.

[drakkengard]

While at first he had decided to wait and see if the situation in Coocoostan would solve itself quickly or expand enough to become a “market”, when the threat of nuclear meltdown reached him he decided to send a letter to what seemed to be their legitimate goverment:

"Mr. Pakhomov,

It came to our knowledge that your current crisis might develop into a nuclear disaster. In the best interests of the entire region, we´d like to offer you our expertise in nuclear containment, so that if it come to worst, the damage can be lessened.

Kind regards,

Ludwig von Drakken
President of Drakkengard"

[Free_Pacific_States]

Liberty City - The Blue House
The Spherical Office
“It is with great honor today that I accept the Coocoostan Assistance Authorization Resolution,” President Henrik Kroidrik stated whilst signing the resolution, “and do hereby pledge that the Federated Alliance of Free Pacific States shall do everything possible to aide the people of Coocoostan in this trying time.”

The assembled group of politicians clapped while the assembled group of reporters snapped photos. The President spoke for a couple more minutes, summarizing the situation in Coocoostan, then justifying assistance based upon the need for democracies to help one another. Finally, the man nodded to White House Chief of Staff Samantha McClellan, who ushered the outsiders from the room.

Once everyone except the president’s staff was gone, Kroidrik spoke. “It took almost the entire crisis for us to get a resolution authorizing election monitors passed,” the man stated, “God forbid they’d asked for peacekeepers.”

“I’ve a feeling that the Council would’ve moved faster in that case,” McClellan replied. “The Liberty Party only made a fuss to score a few points with the Isolationists – they’d not have done that if there’d been a real need for action.”

The President nodded. “Fair enough. Contact the Embassy in Coocoobad, tell the Ambassador to let the interim government know that we’ll send election monitors, and have him ask if any other assistance is necessary.”

“Right.”

[Kelssek]

Your Excellency Mr. Pakhomov,

I would firstly like to convey my sincerest good wishes and thanks, in regard to the unfortunate circumstances suffered by your nation in recent weeks, as well as for your aid in resolving the occupation of the power plant in Yost. The people of Kelssek are glad to see the return of constitutional government in Coocoostan, a nation we regard as our close friend and neighbour.

It gives me pleasure to present to you the offer, on behalf of Elections Kelssek, to provide election monitoring and other services to facilitate the success of the elections you have scheduled for 1 June. I hope you will kindly accept this offer.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Coakson
Prime Minister of Kelssek