Kafka47, gentlemen of this board & thread:
In an answer to the thread's title Ending the rebellion, or Restarting it differently"
(Apologies, its a long one)
The joint take myself and two of three other Co-GM's of our Ursula campaign was this, in light of things we had done in our "ATU", to include adding a race of aliens, the D'Kelva (created by Co-GM Bryan Gibson, those unfamiliar with these, please use search mode on this forum), and the player's uncovering, exposing to MoJ & the Emperor (by way of the MoJ-we did not let the player's go see Strephon) the genocide planned for them by the Island States of the Reft (our fractious six worlds of the Trillion Credit Squadron fame) Sansterre, St. Genevieve, Colchis, Amondiage, etc.
Our villain was the Duke of Cyril, a handpicked noble of Archduke Dulinor's. While the 5th Frontier War dominated news headlines elsewheres (the plot was uncovered on the eve of the FFW early in 1105), the events transpiring because of our players actions resulted in this one race's being saved, and all Imperial forces involved in supporting this clandestine "war" were recalled.
After their subsequent "war of Vengeance" the D'ekelva conquered the Island States, and governed the Humans there afterwards, as they would raise their own children (leading later to D'kelvan culturally minded humans).
Offstge from the players the MoJ following those involved in the conspiracy went up and down the chain of command. The Duke of Cyril's wife, a lesser heiress of the Tukera Family, committed suicide. The plan to make a Trans Reft Corporation Freight line to Deneb and bypass the Corridor route was forever scuttled.
Investors lost billions of credits. It was the Enron-scandal of its day, with plenty of folks looking "for heads on platters", to say the least, what the D'Kelva wanted of those who'd tried to exterminate them with the aide of the Islanders.
Former Imperial Navy personnel involved were tried and convicted, and sentenced to death. Genocide in our ATU having no statute of limitations. The trail led back to Dulinor himself, who while not personally involved, was tacitly aware of what is subsector Duke was up to.
Dulinor, disgraced, was given "the honorable way out", and used his magnum revolver on himself, in 1111.
All four of us agreed.
So--we needn't have a Rebellion afterwards, or Virus as the main Villain is dead, right?
WRONG, three of us said, and concocted the following:
As most here can adhere to, the Third Imperium was by 1116 ready for the event that would "make the spokes fly off the wheel", yes?
So, the three of us altered the villain of the piece to enlarge Prince Lucan, and the Ine Givar Terrorist Organization.
1.) First, Dulinor's daughter Isis, while found clear of wrongdoing resented the fact his Archduchy of the Domain of Ilelish was placed under Strephon's Gushemege Ducal Brother-in-Law (Iphegenia's brother). Whatever fiefdom's she had by way of her mother she retained in reduced form (She was reduced to a subsector Duchess on Dlan).
In delivering the Emperor's message "fall on your sword", Prince Lucan is sent as an Imperial envoy to the Archduke. Isis will not forget that day..
2.) In 1115 The Solomani Confederation begin their plot to retake Terra. They used their SolSec contacts within the ambassadorial chambers on Capital to sound out Prince Lucan as the most ambitious of the twins, and offered him aide to seize the throne.
3.) In our ATU setting Ine Givar is not relegated to Just Spinward marches, Tobia, & Deneb. It is the 'Al Quaeda' of the 3rd Imperium, with splinter cells with regional names, in a mirror-image of our present day world. SolSec, the Zhodani Consulate, Some major Anti-Imperial Vargr states, even the Julian League's Intelligence branch have ways and means of using them/ funding them to keep the 3rd Imperium off balance.
1115-1117-The SolSec keep stoking the fires of rebelliousness of the Old Expanses region, and prepare for their actual invasion.
132-1116 The Imperial regiment on Palace Guard at the throne room is the Solomani Regiment. The Solomani Ambassador has been rplaced by an Ine-Givar body double, who performs the deed then blows himself up, killing Strephon, the Aslan Ambassador, etc etal.
Lucan is trying to woo Varian's babe to be his (to be empress) when Varian comes into the scene..Cain and Abel all over again, dame gets killed, LT. Windhook the witness, flees to Deneb.
Lucan seizes power, dismisses Moot. He also begins removing "Strephon's Men", folks appointed by the former emperor and not loyal to him.
Isis Dulinor seeing Lucan as emperor, decides to take matters into her own hands, and with her Imperial Navy uncle's help has Strephon's Brother-in-law killed, and seizes the Archduchy herself-1117. This helped her, and spared Lucan from killing him off anyways.
Strephon "reappeared", not in 1118 but mid 1117, adding to the confusion. Knowing Windhook was a loose end, & Lucan suspecting Windhook found the "real" Strephon & alerted Norris judging from what his Navy Intel guys could surmise, He knew that twice in Imperial History a New Emperor has rallied the Marches and sailed for Capital. Lucan may not have been tactically wise, but he knew his lessons growing up. Having Archduke Norris & Strephon Both after him he could not have.
Thus he called forth the Corridor & Old Expanses Sector Fleets to be sent to Gushemege to stop this pretender.
The Solomani execute their Invasion on 001-1118.
Lucan of course declares war! And discovers the perfidy of the Solomani when The Expanses capitulates without very much of a fight, leaving Archduchess Margaret's Navy assets to cover the "flank". The Duke of Sol, of course calls for aide, remaining loyal to Lucan. Lucan ordered the Lishun Fleet to the Rim to shore up what by then was about to be lost.
The Vargr Hordes invade as scheduled once the Corridor & Lishun Fleets depart inot those two sectors. Norris & Vland are cut off from one another.
The Aslan ihatei invade Tobia & Daibei, on schedule once word of STrephon's death reaches them. Even the Solomani frontier gets attacked by the Aslan, diverting some Solomani Naval assets to spinwards.
Lucan finds himself fighting the Solomani (in the Rim), The Vargr (Lishun Flank), and trying to exterminate Strephon (Gushemege) when Isis's Federation of Ilelish forces attacks Him as well.
Strephon discovers new hatred and hell hath no fury when his rapproachment with Isis fails. Likewise Lucan's offer to sit at his side falls flat. Isis blamed them both for her father's death.
summer of 1118-terra Falls, and the Lucanic loyal Duke of Sol is forced into the "Vegan Pocket".
Fall of 1118-Daibei under Duke Craig Secedes, virtually cut off, and refuses Isis, and Lucan's pleas for ships.
1119-1122 Lucan-Isis-Strephon try to kill each other while Lishun, Coprridor get plundered. The good news, Margaret has at least stabilizzed the Solomani front, and is retaking the Old Expanses.
The Black War, Hard Times, go down as scheduled.
The Coronation Fleet is led by Dulinor's brother who releases Virus. He gets killed by the threshing machine. Isis dies in the Viral hell that becomes Ilelish.
The Collapse happens, as scheduled, the factions survive, ebb and fall as written in 1248, OoTD
We move to the 1248 era time line in our campaign to 1210, in the Wilds in the former Duchy of Cyril...
That's how we did the rebellion.
Thank you.