#wor.final

The hostage situation might have felt as though it lasted for an extended period, but it was only a few hours. When the rebels finally put their plan into effect, they did it well. The entire area was shut down, with complete control over the power and internet. As far as they were aware, there was no way for anyone to get word out about what was happening in Khatanga. No phone call or text message would easily get out. The rebels surrounded the partygoers wielding weapons. Each time a guard attempted to stand up, they were easily disarmed, beaten, and thrown back to the sand. Over time, everyone was corralled into a small circle, far easier to control. In addition to handling the guards, anyone who attempted to stand up for themselves and their fellow hostages was quickly taken care of. The rebels made a point not to kill anyone but there were plenty of bruises, slashes, and broken bones among staff members and even some royals.

When the situation seemed to be under control, James Brixton reached out to the Council. It had long ago been decided that once the plan was thrown into action, the Council would decide the exact steps. They had a list of demands and would only reach out to the reigning monarchs with those demands once they were sure that the situation in Khatanga was under control. Everything that had been done in Russia had been done to show the monarchs that despite what they thought, they were not truly safe. More than that, they were not in complete control as they thought. No, the rebels were certainly capable of slipping in even where they thought they were safest. From now on, the monarchs would be forced to question who around them could be trusted.

The demand from the rebels was a simple one for the effort that went into the two-year siege. But it was not about the demands, it was about the message being sent. Throughout the globe, rebels were in holding waiting execution. They were all to be released, given modes of transportation so they could remove themselves safely, and they were not to be followed. Once that was done, the younger royals in Khatanga would be let free. It was an exchange, a way to show the reigning monarchs that the rebels stuck together and truly cared very little about the young royals.

The message was sent by the Council themselves and word was quickly received that the monarchs would work towards meeting those demands. Perhaps the rebels got cocky at that point, believing that the monarchs would never risk their children in the attempts of a rescue mission that could end in disaster. Without worry, the rebels in Khatanga continued to watch over their hostages, only knowing through James that the monarchs had given into their demand.

What no one realized was that the monarchs were willing to risk a rescue mission, knowing that there could be a loss of life. While the Council promised to release their children if they met the demand, they were not sure what was going on in Khatanga. How did they know that their children were not already suffering? Between the rebels and the changes to the technological infrastructure they had made for the social experiment, it was impossible to get a gauge on the current situation. Knowing they were flying without sight; they made the decision to take the risk.

The rescue mission was truly launched by the Russian monarchy as they could move the quickest. Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China sent in back-up as they were the three countries closest to where Khatanga was in Russia. The rescue team moved swiftly when they finally touched the ground in Russia. First, they swept through the village. There were only fringe rebels there who were quickly silenced and any villagers who had not attended the lake party were taken to safety.

With the help of the darkness, the rescue team was able to sneak through without any of the Khatanga rebels knowing what was coming. Before making it to the lake party itself, they spread throughout the palace, knocking off any straggling rebels and making sure that any staff members of royals inside were safe and sound. Finally, finally, they reached the party, moving swiftly and silently.

The bonfire was kept burning so that the rebels could keep a good eye on their hostages. By the time the rescue team arrived, the royals, staff members, and visiting villagers were sitting in clumps. Some had their hands tied, others had clearly been dealt with physically, and there were a small group of guards who had been silenced indefinitely. Spreading out, the rescue team came up behind the dense line of rebels before they even knew what was coming.

And that’s the thing about fights. In the moment, they seem to last forever. Weapons fire at astronomically loud decibels, leaving people monetarily hard of hearing and in shock. Fists would fly towards faces and abdomens, each moment feeling like a lifetime. While it felt as though it was going in slow motion the rescue took only a few minutes. Despite their training and their planning, the rebels were no match for those coming to rescue the royals.

To make one final stand, Claire Darby went after a royal, but her attempt was quickly thwarted by Klaus Von Bulow. While the rebel guard did his absolute best to protect a princess from his former rebel friend, a brave Russian soldier approached the woman to take care of her once and for all. However, Oleander Hawthorne stepped in to protect her, leading to the two of them being restrained and pulled away from the scene. Both rebels were forced to join the group being carted away to jail for imprisonment, interrogation, and eventual execution unless the two could figure out how to escape. The two were thoughtful and cunning, they never doubted that they would figure it out. Meanwhile, the rebel that turned his back on his friends to protect a princess had her holding on and clutching to him for safety, refusing to let him go. It was her word that could keep him from being carted away in the same way the others did, her word that he should be by her side, keeping him from the same fate as many of his friends.

The Trulson siblings found themselves at an impasse. Casper Trulson attached himself to his royal best friend, not one for fighting. The fight simply was not in him and when it came down to it, he wasn’t interested in fighting for the cause his family put so much into. Therefore, he sided with the royals, knowing that there would be a punishment for keeping his knowledge hidden but also seeing that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. His sister, however, was different. Solveig Trulson was a hell of a fighter, taking her stand there and then, no matter what her brother did. Like other rebels, she was restrained and pulled off, with her future bleak. Imprisonment, interrogation, and eventual execution was in her future as well. But the blonde, like Claire and Oleander, was a thoughtful and creative woman. Like her friends, she could figure out an escape before being taken to the gallows.

During the hostage struggle, Lilliana Carlisle stood with the rebels, fighting with all of her might. Though she and her dog had presented themselves as friends to the royals, when push came to shove, the woman had made her choice. She would stay with the rebels, come hell or high water. Unlike some of the rebels before her, however, Lilliana preferred to focus on her words, knowing she would find a way to talk herself out of execution. Could life in prison really be that bad? Lea Wolf had originally frozen when the rebels sprung into action, finally realizing that it was time. Not every rebel lived and breathed the mission, some joined up for their own personal vengeance against the royals. What truly ended up saving this rebel was that, like Klaus, she felt the need to do something heroic when push came to shove. Lea stepped up to save a prince, going against the rebel cause to keep him safe in the scuffle. Her actions earned her life in prison without the chance of execution. And Avery Sawyer? She went kicking and screaming, fighting with everything she hand in her. The guard stood by her fellow rebels as opposed to the royals she said she would protect in the short term. She wasn’t an easy one to take down but soon enough she was pulled and carted off for imprisonment and whatever the reigning monarchs felt fit best for punishment.

But what really ended the rebel siege in Khatanga was the death of James Brixton. As fiercely as the rest of the rebels fought, none of them compared to their leader. This was his mission and he refused to be taken alive. He worked to take down as many soldiers as he could, fighting as fiercely as he could muster. But James was only human and even he couldn’t survive a barrage of bullets. As he went down, so did the morale of the siege.