Secession 2120

Backstory------

November 3, 2116 - President Jefferson Taylor "JT" Andrews (I-KY) is elected President of the United States under the promise to return the Federal Government to the people. He is the first independent candidate to ever win the highest office in the land.

November 26, 2116 - The transition of power is going smoothly until outgoing President Jason Niles Standish suffers a heart attack and dies. The press and the public expect President-elect Andrews to take office, but he insists that the Vice President Alton E. Beamon accept the position even if it is for less than a month...

January 20, 2117 - President-elect Andrews is inaugurated as President of the United States. His first act, to order the dismantling of the current bloated TSA security system and to place the Air Marshall Service in charge of the nation's airport security, promoting FAMS Director Robert S. Bray to the position of Director of the new TSA with strict orders to make the TSA professional but as unobtrusive as possible in air travelers' lives...

February 14th, 2117 (The Valentine's Day Massacre) - Terrorists bomb the Senate and the House, killing all but seven of Senators and Representatives, including Speaker Boehner and the Vice President. Every member of the US Supreme Court, save the Chief Justice, is assassinated, The Chief Justice's assassination was thwarted and the bomb planted at the White House was discovered and disarmed. Those Congressman not killed immediately are in critical condition and not expected to be able to return to their duties. Later that day and over the course of the next three days, a dozen US embassies across the globe are also bombed, some more successfully than others. No terrorist organization comes forth and takes credible claim for these actions leaving the world to wonder who committed the atrocities...

February 16th, 2117 - In an emergency session, The Supreme Court grants President Andrews power to take whatever means necessary to protect the United States and her people. The President begins talking with the Governors of the 50 States to find suitable replacements for Congress until a special election can be held. In a show of bipartisanship, he asks former President Beamon to be his representative and see to it that Congress represents the people. At least that is how it appears to the public and the press...

February 20th, 23rd, 27th, and March 4th, 2117 - Several suspected terrorists are shot and killed at various airports around the country. The press glosses over this incident in light of the tragedy of Valentine's Day. It is later determined that in at least two of these incidents (in Dulles and JFK), the "terrorists" were actually diplomatic envoys for countries not so friendly to the United States and President Andrews...

March 17th, 2117 (St. Patrick's Day Massacre) - Terrorists attack again, this time against England, France, and Italy as they hijack two 777 airliners headed to London, Paris, and flying them into Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and Vatican City, killing thousands of tourists as well as the Pope and the Cardinals in Vatican City. Phone calls from the planes report it was the Air Marshalls who took control of the planes, but these are quickly dismissed when the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claim credit for all the attacks over the last month...

April 18th, 2117 (Easter: The Resurrection of a Nation) - The seven surviving members of Congress are given special positions as ambassadors to the world at large and are commisioned the "Freedom Seven" as the newly appointed members of Congress take office. Externally, they appear to be a diverse group, but their truly loyalty is as yet unknown. President Andrews reaffirms his vow to see to it the nation elects new leadership in 2120 and, despite protests, he says he doesn't desire a second term in office...

April through June 2117 - The world's security agencies investigate and track the AAB throughout the world, culminating in…

July 7th, 2117 (Victory over Terrorism Day) - The NSA and FBI in America, DCRI in France, MI5 in Great Britain, and the Vatican Gendarmeria in Rome, along with the help of the other EU security services, Interpol and local law enforcement take down every known terrorist organization in the EU and US while CIA and MI6 led elite units take out targets outside of the Western World. This is a top secret coordinated attack that happenes precisely at 1800 GMT. "Operation Final Victory" is believed to be a smashing success.

August-September 2117 - The surviving terrorist arrested in "Operation Final Victory" are tried and convicted rapidly and with much fanfare. The free people of the world had been wanting blood since March and they were getting what they wanted. The Freedom Seven travel the world spreading peace and good will and promising that this was the end of terrorism in the world. "A new era of peace and freedom has begun" they would say.

October 7, 2117 (Atonement Day) - The trials completed, it was decided that the Jewish day of atonement would be an appropriate day for the convicted terrorists' executions. The Israeli PM even gave his blessing to use the day for this purpose, something no one expected would happen. President Andrews felt differently though. He and the rest of the world leaders decided 3 months to the day after VT Day would be a better Atonement Day so as not to sully the Jewish holiday. Three months to the hour after they were arrested all the terrorists rounded up in VT Day were executed by firing squad, electrocution, lethal injection, or other means of execution as each country saw fit. Even the French dusted off old guillotines and the British dropped ropes for nooses.

October, 2117 - June 2120 - Terrorism in the world has all but been abolished. Demolition and reconstruction of the major landmarks that can be rebuilt are underway, and a new Pope has posthumously forgiven the terrorists and their executioners. All is at peace until...

July 4, 2120 (Independence Day: The Death of the Nation) - Leaked recordings of confidential Whitehouse meetings and phone calls reveal that President Andrews was actually behind all of terrorist attacks. Even behind former President Standish's untimely demise, His insidious plot to take control and become President for life.

July 5, 2120 - A few state Governors protest that they were dupped while most dismiss this as "an obvious fabrication". World leaders, dismayed by this leak, pull out of trade and treaty talks with the US until more can be learned about the source and veracity of this leaked information.

July 9, 2120 - Analysis by the German government reveals that the tapes from the AAB were, in fact, fakes and that they believe the White House recordings were authentic. The world turns it's back on the USA. President Andrews calls all overseas troops and ambassadors back home. The Freedom Seven renounce their citizenship to the US and call upon the true free world to grant them asylum from the man who had their friends and colleagues killed.

July 10, 2120 - The handful of Governor's who declared their innocence begin to declare their independence from the United States by seceding from the Union. States whose Governor's were in collusion with the President go under immediate Martial Law with Federal troops "backing up" the local National Guard. Pockets of resistance begin to form in these states, often with the help of local law enforcement and/or National Guardsmen with a conscience.

December 2120 - United by cause but divided by politics, the seceding states will have to fight for their lives and grow. But their neighbors may not be lost to them yet. The resistance is growing in the occupied states and without any trade, the people become restless and the federal government grows poorer. The USA is cut off from the world and, for the first time in its history, it has no allies...