“Ramses, I simply don’t have the time for your foolishness. If you have nothing useful to add, then I suggest you leave my office now.”
Nephtys, President of the United Provinces of Egypt maintained her dour expression as she watched her younger brother and the Secretary of Defense refuse to leave her chamber. “Sorry, Madame President,” he drawled slowly and condescendingly, “But I’m afraid that’s not going to do.”
She lowered her quill, brows arched as the hallway behind Ramses filled with musket and spear wielding men. Her Madjai immediately took up positions on either side of the President, their own ivory handled firearms sliding into ready grips. She held her hand up, signaling them to stand down. “What, in the name of Ra, do you think you are doing?”
Ramses thrust his chest out, defiance etching his stance. “I’m doing what needs to be done, Madame President; removing an inept ruler from office.”
“Inept!” Her cheeks colored, forcing her to grip her desk tightly in an effort to relax. After taking a steadying breath, she continued. “A matter of opinion; one that the populace doesn’t agree with you on. As much as you and your entourage might have hoped otherwise…I won the latest election. That makes me President once again. The people have spoken.”
“Hmmph. The choices given to the average fool on the street is you, one time divine daughter of Osiris, direct descendant from the first Pharaoh, or someone else. For the common folk, there is no other choice.”
“Whatever Ramses. Enough of your posturing. Leave.”
“I stand by my charge of inept. Our lack of successes at Byblos against the Romans, as well as their continued encroachment onto our sovereign soil, proves that you have ham handedly handled the campaign. Plus, your inability to maintain good relations with the Arabian League and the subsequent loss of the Caliph’s army in the field to bolster our own forces leaves us in an unenviable position of running a prolonged military campaign against a foe who has proven himself to be better than adept at war.”
“First, you are the Secretary of Defense. We followed your plan on attack and conquest. Failure resides with you.”
“You’re the commander in chief, don’t shift the blame to me.”
“You were handling the invasion, Ramses.”
“More proof of your ineptness,” scorn dripped from his lips. “If it was failing, then you should have taken over. YOU’RE the commander, remember?”
“You underhanded bastard!” she screeched, voice cracking. “You’re twisting the facts. You’re doing it now. You did it during the election. You’re always playing games, warping truths. Just like you’ve done since we’ve been kids.”
Ramses grit his teeth, jaw clenching. He stabbed his finger out accusingly at Nephtys. “The people of Egypt cannot in good faith and conscience have you remain in power.” The tension in the room rose as he faced off opposite his sister and the Egyptian leader. “By their will and demands, I hereby strip you of the title of President and place you under arrest for crimes against the populace and nation of Egypt.”
Before he or his insurgents could make a move, two of the Madjai raised their firearms and fired right in Ramses face. The flash of fire and stench of cordite filled the chamber at the same time the rebel leader’s face burst in a red spray, his head snapping back as he crumbled to the floor. Nephtys was knocked backwards as her own guards kicked her feet out from under her, catching the President under the arms before she hit the floor and ran, dragging her stunned form through the back door and out of her office.
The crack of musket fire sounded as both sides volleyed lead balls into each other. The opposing cries of “Save the President” and “Down with Nephtys” echoed throughout the capital building. Running guards tackled invading rebels, dropping the militants with knife and fists. The chaos spread, spilling into the senate house as both camps of supporters of the President and those not were taken to conflict; words leading to screams, leading to accusations, blows, and more death.
The cry to throw down Nephtys reverberated across the city, racing from quarter to quarter. It flowed up highways and thoroughfares, infecting city after city until every aspect of civil life was affected and basic lawlessness broke down.
The Romans watched fires spring up along the courthouses and senate buildings in Giza and Thebes, unsure of what it was they were watching. All they knew was that the normally cohesive Egyptian nation was in some state of civil upheaval.
When word reached General Gaius of the state of affairs and rampant anarchy consuming the northern nation, he wasted no time in capitalizing on it. By the next day, every commander, unit, and regiment that had been waiting patiently for the right moment, received orders by riders and aviary with a simple message inscribed:
Commence assault on Egyptian cities.
Thought I was pissing someone off by my huge thread of doom or using too much bandwith or something.
