1704 Opening of the Cortes terrorist plot
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This article relates to a current event. Information may quickly become out of date as the event progresses. |
| 1704 Opening of the Cortes terrorist plot | |
|---|---|
 The Cortes Federales of Nouvelle Alexandrie building. | |
| Location | Cárdenas, FCD |
| Date | 1704 AN |
| Attack type | Terrorist attack |
| Weapon(s) | Car bombs |
| Deaths | None |
| Injured | None |
| Perpetrator(s) | 27 men associated with Freyja's Battlers |
The 1704 Opening of the Cortes terrorist plot concerned a group of 27 men arrested in 1704 AN on charges of planning an act of terrorism targeting the Cortes Federales building in the New Alexandrian capital, Cárdenas. The group of men were part of a Vanic terrorist group based out of North Lyrica called Freyja's Battlers. The plan centered around planting explosives into several service vans, which would strike the building in different sections to cause it to collapse and kill the King, the incoming Government, the caretaker Government, Deputies, and Peers. This was believed to be a "death blow" to the Federation and the start of the rise of a reborn Stormark.
Background
The current Regions of North Lyrica, South Lyrica, and the Islas de la Libertad were previously under the control of the Viking Empire of Stormark. In 1685 AN, Stormark collapsed, and the island of Lyrica became part of The Green. Over the ensuing decade, Nouvelle Alexandrie expanded rapidly to fill in as much of the territory between its possessions in the continents of Eura and Keltia. This meant expanding into the islands and archipelagos in between - better known as the Regions of New Luthoria, Islas de la Libertad, the Isles of Caputia and Lyrica.
North and South Lyrican settlement was conducted under the early government of President Alejandro Campos and was continued by his successors, in particular Jean-Michel Lavaud and later with Augustus Strong, a resident of North Lyrica. Settlement of the continent was further encouraged by the New Prosperity Plan, with large infrastructure projects such as highways, dams, schools, clinics, roads, rail, and airports commissioned to facilitate settlement. The Federal Forces of Nouvelle Alexandrie took special care to aid in the settlement and subjugation of the island due to its close proximity to the continent of Apollonia and the territories of countries hostile to Nouvelle Alexandrie such as Çakaristan.
Up until New Alexandrian settlement, Lyrica had spent some time in the statelessness of the Green, seeing a series of vicious and destructive wars between the different groups left behind by Stormark and the collapse of its society and government. These conflicts saw native Lyricans, Alexandrians, Caputians, and other groups in Lyrica rise up and overthrow the last vestiges of Stormarkian rule and viciously pursue an aggressive campaign that resulted in the deaths of millions, mostly Storish people, or as they are commonly called “Vanics” or the “Vanafolk”.
These wars left most of the island destroyed or severely depopulated. This facilitated the quick settlement and subjugation of the island and subsequent expansions that brought the final borders with that of Hurmu. This was facilitated by the Federal Forces of Nouvelle Alexandrie, lavish infrastructure spending under the New Prosperity Plan, expansion bonds, and the pushy interests of land speculators, settlement companies, and other large real estate interests.
Plot
The collapse of Stormark and the subsequent Lyrican Wars led to the establishment of militant groups around the continent organized by the remaining Vanafolk around Lyrica. These groups often fought against other groups in the Lyrican Wars, and sometimes with other Vanafolk for control and for the ultimate ambition of restoring the old regime, bringing back Stormark. Since Nouvelle Alexandrie's Lyrican settlement began, Lyrica has been a trouble spot due to the activities of these groups, which regularly tend to inflame tensions - especially in remote areas far away from major settlements and in the smaller islands of the archipelagos around Lyrica.
Out of the myriad of small groups, the largest and most dominant were Freyja’s Battlers, a group that has received the most support and is generally considered as the most well-organized and organizationally capable.
Conception of plot
The conceived by Freyja’s Battlers, which approved the plans and funded the operation directly from unknown or unverified foreign sources. There is no evidence to establish any direct links. Over the course of 1698 AN, Thorvid Koigrimsson, one of the most important leaders of Freyja’s Battlers, held a series of meetings that gathered interest and started planning a direct attack far from Lyrica, targeting government and military targets in Alduria, the Wechua Nation, Cardenas, and Santander. A plan to attack Fort Galatas and launch an uprising in Lausanne to begin re-establishing a new Storish state was suggested, but was later shelved in favor of something that would demand less planning but still make a large impact.
Koigrimsson provided leadership and financial support and was involved in selecting participants. He initially selected 27 people, divided into two teams. Over the course of planning and rounds of talks among the leadership, the approved plan was to launch an attack in the heart of the Federation, its capital city of Cardenas. The plan initially included a direct assault on the Palace of Carranza to capture and murder the Royal Family.
Over the course of meticulous planning, lasting two years, the plan was concentrated on launching an attack on the Cortes Federales building during the next Opening of the Cortes Federales. The planners of the attack mostly planned in person and in clandestine locations. No electronic records of any kind were kept.
The plotters began arriving in Cardenas before the 1703 election began. They divided into two teams and split in the city, settling into local safe houses outside of the city and in its rougher and more remote outskirts. Plotters traveled using fake passports from Hurmu and Lac Glacei.
The plan, as finalized, was to blow up the Cortes Federales building during the Opening of the Cortes Federales, as a prelude to a popular uprising of the Vanafolk in Lyrica and the re-establishment of Stormark. The belief from the part of Freyja’s Battlers was that Old Storish allies (and enemies of Nouvelle Alexandrie) Çakaristan and Arbor were expected to then willingly give aid to facilitate the uprising. However, there is no evidence at all to believe that Çakaristan and Arbor were actually included in the plan or were actually planning to attack Nouvelle Alexandrie or lend aid to any internal uprisings to destabilize the country and restore Stormark.
The plan centered around planting explosives into several service vans, which would strike the building in different sections to cause it to collapse and kill the King, the incoming Government, the caretaker Government, Deputies, and Peers. This was believed to be a “death blow” to the Federation and the start of the rise of a reborn Stormark.
Speculation of foreign support
Freyja's Battlers is known for maintaining a strong and hidden network of financial and logistical support, but details remain elusive. Speculation among analysts and other foreign experts has brought into consideration of nations like Çakaristan, Calbion, or Arbor. The government of Nouvelle Alexandrie has repeatedly reiterated that they have found no evidence regarding these specific foreign links to Freyja's Battlers.
Raid and arrests
The plotters, upon settling into Cardenas, sought work as chauffeurs and drivers for many different logistics companies, in particular, companies contracted to do work in the Opening of the Cortes Federales - mainly to supply it with food and other important effects for the ceremony to unfold well in the building. The plotters sought to fan out throughout the city and the region of Santander to find enough explosives. It was during this process that a store owner in the Port of Jirishanca alerted the authorities about “North Lyricans buying a shit ton of explosives.”
In following leads from different suppliers of explosives and fertilizers around Santander and Cardenas, the Federal Gendarmerie, cooperating with the Federal Capital District Police Department and the Santanderian Police, was able to trace most of the purchases to individuals that were in Freyja’s Battlers watch lists maintained by the Department of Interior and local authorities in North and South Lyrica.
While the investigation continued, the Federal Gendarmerie sought warrants from federal judges in Cardenas and Santander to expand their search and raid the safe houses. In the end, judges felt uncomfortable granting warrants on such little evidence while the investigation was just starting.
Eventually, a partisan FHP judge in North Lyrica granted search warrants to cache telephone metadata and Internet information. More warrants came down to arrest and close down the cells, which were served by the Federal Gendarmerie and local police in a large operation about four or five days before the Opening of the Cortes.
The operation was successful, capturing all 27 members of the plot (all 2 teams). Thorvid Koigrimsson was not among them. He is believed to be at large somewhere in Lyrica.
Aftermath
International reactions
Allied Mission in Eastern Apollonia, Hurmu & Lyrica: Allied contingents from the Raspur Pact, present in Lyrica since the pacification of the territories after 1685 AN have been made available to assist the Federal Gendarmerie and the Federal Forces of Nouvelle Alexandrie in the pursuit of this newly uncovered cell of the "Forsaken", as the Vanic diehards are known amongst the settlers of North Lyrica. BUDF assets specialising in the tracking and neutralisation of Vanic recusants, presently deployed in the Southern District of Hurmu, have also been made available to support the ongoing NAX investigation and manhunt.
Ransenar - The government of Ransenar announced that they would immediately implement protocols to cooperate and assist Nouvelle Alexandrie with any investigations into the foiled attacks and announced its commitment to "fight the rise of Vanic terrorism".
Sanama: Sanama immediately reiterated their commitment to the eradication of Vanicism and offered assistance and cooperation to NAX.
Calbion: The Calbain government issued a statement condemning the attack. In addition, the government pointed out that the historical alignment between prominent historical figures in New Alexandria to Stormark and the Vanic movement was the probable cause of the existence of Vanic terrorist cells in the region. Governor-General Bevan-Hall added that "the Aldricist-Alexandrian-Vanic Axis continues to bear its stinking fruit of death and despair. Another reminder that the political judgement of the Alexandrians has consistently been unsound".
Senya: The Senyan government congratulated the authorities on their successful attempt to prevent the attack from taking place. The government also re-iterated its commitment to eliminating terrorism, and declared Freyja's Battlers as a terrorist group, allowing the Senyan government to collect records and engage in espionage on confirmed members without having to go through the courts.
