Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Taniguchi's Coup
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard A. Taniguchi.
He was born in one of the countless nations that existed before the Federation unified into a single entity.
Born into a wealthy family, he inherited his father's business and poured his efforts into building up a mercenary company. He even developed a hobby of managing companies that matched his personal tastes.
Then, one day, his secretary awakened to psychic powers. Through a string of coincidences blessed by sheer luck, Taniguchi learned of the existence of superpowers via his secretary—and soon uncovered Ozz as well.
Leveraging Ozz's awakening properties, he amassed vast fortunes as an entrepreneur. This led him to take up a new hobby: psychic research, to which he devoted himself wholeheartedly.
And the moment he became convinced he was the only one on the entire Katea Planet sharing this particular hobby, he started thinking he could swallow the planet whole.
For an even smoother hobby-filled life, he resolved to enter politics. Over the span of decades, he succeeded in earning himself the title of politician.
In the midst of all this, sublight-speed navigation became feasible, and hyperlanes—presumed relics of ancient civilizations—were discovered. This ushered in the true dawn of the space age.
Under the leadership of Lydia Moretti, General Secretary of the Katea International Union, voices grew louder: to unify planets across the galaxy and stand against nations wielding influence over countless star systems, Katea itself needed to unite. Buoyed by this sentiment, unification efforts kicked into high gear.
Viewing unification as an inevitable tide of the era, Taniguchi threw his weight behind pro-unification public opinion, racing ahead to accelerate the process.
In time, the Katea International Union was restructured into the Deneb Federation. Taniguchi, who had been a cornerstone of unification ahead of all others, naturally claimed a seat in the congress.
As he savored his bolstered power during these peaceful days, he learned of new extraterrestrial threats: the Telluris Assimilator aliens, followed by the Lushaka Kingdom.
The Assimilator's technology effortlessly hacked the Federation's pathetic machines in seconds. The Lushaka Kingdom's genetic engineering alone birthed bioforms superior to Federation warships.
Taniguchi felt the utter insignificance of humanity in this galaxy. From that point on, he began placing his bets on the aliens.
Transforming into the most pro-alien politician of all, Taniguchi hit a brief snag—but the discovery of Varisa Space Company triggered a massive reversal. He skyrocketed to prominence as a key political figure overnight.
Yet for all his pro-alien stance, Taniguchi himself had zero interest in extraterrestrials. His thoughts went like this:
If aliens and I can carve up the Federation, leaving me Katea Planet all to myself... I'd stand at the pinnacle of humanity. What a steal.
From that moment, he began full-scale preparations to topple the Federation.
First up: ground forces. Seizing Katea Planet was paramount, so he aggressively stockpiled Ozz components to swell the ranks of Psionic soldiers.
He didn't hesitate to track down smokers puffing Ozz-laced cigarettes, then abduct anyone showing signs of awakening. True psychics were incredibly rare—he needed every soldier he could get.
He reached out to Varisa Space Company too. The Lushaka Kingdom's wildly alien governance made its reaction unpredictable.
Varisa, on the other hand, was blatantly materialistic—a cabal of ruthless bourgeoisie. Contacting them felt risk-free.
The offer: a blockbuster deal. Coup succeeds, and every star system along the Federation border is theirs. Varisa accepted without a second thought—it looked plenty viable from their end.
As the plan marched forward, Taniguchi improbably won the presidency. For a moment, he wondered if a coup was even necessary anymore. But he pressed on, eyeing lifelong dictatorship. What he craved wasn't some feeble president gig—it was absolute emperorship.
To usher in Varisa allies without raising eyebrows, he rammed through alien immigration rights.
To sneak through coup-essential legislation—like private warship ownership and comet mining monopolies—he dangled radical bait: alien voting rights. With Deneb's top-tier political clout and his monopoly on psychics, the scheme advanced methodically.
Then disaster struck. Some monster snatched entire Ozz-laden comets wholesale, throwing the plan into chaos.
Low-level psychics barely outperformed regular grunts. Ozz was essential for power amplification.
With Ozz earmarked strictly for the uprising and training, mass-producing more Psionic soldiers became impossible.
No Ozz left to harvest planetside, he'd planned comet mining ops. Now that was derailed too.
No production, endless consumption. Lushaka's blanket probe of domestic comets had clearly sniffed out Ozz's existence. With outer space sources dried up, the situation left the president increasingly jittery.
Learning the sitting president harbored coup blueprints for military dictatorship, he agonized over what to do with the intel.
Lushaka meddling directly? Deneb politicians wouldn't welcome it. Foreign-backed civil wars rarely end pretty.
Dumping it on civilians to handle? Zero evidence.
"I heard it plain as day with these ears!" Yeah, right—who'd buy that?
Strap a recorder to a rat? Any critters out there converting sound waves to radio signals and back?
Even if someone believed it, the president would react faster. I'd struggled for proof despite surveilling the whole planet—could civilians pull it off?
After wrestling with it, he chose to tip off only former President Moretti. She still wielded hefty political sway and was primed to loathe military dictatorship.
A president who'd toiled her entire term to unify Katea and shield Deneb from alien overreach—surely trustworthy?
Less credible: a mystery alien leaking coup dirt to the public. An ex-prez dropping it? Way more believable. With over twenty years in politics, she'd wield it perfectly for Deneb's context.
Coup pulls off anyway? Regrettable loss of a trade partner, but business is business.
Gauge the new regime's vibe, renegotiate—or devour. Either way. Still, democracy's preferable. Easier for me to steer.
He anonymously fed Lydia Moretti the coup intel and evidence, then watched. Psychic details too—Bahilila would spell it out eventually anyway. Sparse contact now, but it'd go public regardless.
Weeks of silence, likely vetting the truth. Then fervent motion.
Cue hearings on Ozz cigarette ingredients—previously no big deal. Sudden sales bans, product recalls. Tobacco firms faced brutal heat: tax audits and all.
Naturally, no one breathed a word. Psychics demanded Katea's utmost secrecy clearance.
Space age miracle cure for addiction if you've got cash—yet this hush-hush ingredient? Planetwide fixation, rippling to the company's owner: the president.
There, a pro-Moretti science minister— aided by a Lushaka immigrant psychic—decoded the mystery substance: Ozz. Controversy solved.
Media pounced, churning articles suspecting the president's private army buildup.
His empire: mercenary outfits first and foremost.
Ruling party's recent bills: suspiciously militaristic, like warship privatization.
Hiding Ozz intel, pushing comet monopolies to corner Katea's supply.
Black Mango zones—including his private estates—utterly off-limits to outsiders.
Smear-riddled gossip mixed with kernels of truth proliferated across the planet.
The president denied it all steadfastly, but being the first to know and exploit Ozz snagged his ankle. Public opinion tanked fast.
The president faced a choice.
Defy the masses, ditch the soldier buildup and psychic intel lockdown cleanly. Regroup over years for round two.
But he'd watch his precious enterprises get vivisected for "proof" of innocence. Sacrificing so much would gut funds, intel, military might.
Or strike now, while suspicion lingered as mere "doubt." Swift and decisive.
Varisa backups hadn't arrived; space fleet seizure incomplete. Space dominance shaky. Ground war, though? Psychic edge intact.
Nail Katea seizure, and weaker colonies would kneel.
Or fold clean.
Pre-flagged coups flop. Bail gracefully, reform, play the dutiful prez.
And as coup plotters always conclude:
I'm different. My crew didn't half-ass it like history's idiots. A few "minor" snags, sure—but solvable.
I can pull it off.
Deneb Calendar 2234, April 20, 14:30. Coup erupts.