Halanuku Crisis

The Halanuku Crisis was a diplomatic dispute over the course of a week between Free Grox forces and GC (Galactic Community) leadership. It was started when the Free Grox leader, Mimos, requested an emergency meeting and demanded that Grox civilians be permitted within the GC borders.

Tensions rising
As time went on, Mimos and his government-in-exile have demanded more and more autonomy within the GC affairs. Mimos, being a Grox himself, was extremely distrusted by many species within the GC's sphere of influence and was completely aware of this. There was little his government could do about this. Although the organization needed Mimos's support for the war effort against Zemsta's Regime. Mimos would continuously request (at times demanding) increased autonomy whether he could. Three days after joining the organization, Mimos proclaimed the 'Free Grox' empire and willingly accepted volunteers into the army, although GC officials would consistently hamper attempts at Grox mobilization.

As days turned into months, Mimos's government had expanded to where several GC officials were willing to give more concessions to his demands. He would often request his forces to be granted warships to fight against Zemsta's growing expansion at the center of the galaxy. These were often refused by GC Species voting on the matter, so Mimos did the next best thing he could to boost his popularity; Make speeches on intergalactic channels that his government was accepting volunteers to fight Zemsta's regime and requested the support of the people to rally behind his cause for 'peace and prosperity throughout the universe'. This had the desired effect of increasing public pressure towards the GC to grant concessions towards Mimos.

Mimis later found out that several Grox civilians were massacred at the GC border requesting to join Free Grox. Mimos immediately organizes an emergency meeting with the GC leadership (also known as officials.)

GC officials fail to appease towards Mimos's demands.
Mimos demands them to take in any Grox civilians that have defected over to Free Grox without harm or discrimination. The GC vote on this, and it narrowly fails to pass. This makes Mimos furious, he storms out and denounces the GC for ‘Crimes against the Free Grox people’ and threatens to relocate his government underground if the ultimatum set out by Mimos was not agreed to by tomorrow afternoon.

With several GC officials not accepting the ultimatum by Mimos. When Mimos is questioned by his loyalists as to why he would fight against his allies in the GC, he responds: “No Civilization has friends, only interests.” Mimos knew very well that the refusal of the ultimatum would be disastrous for the GC, but also for their own government. As their government would be deemed illegal by the GC. Making influence for Mimos’s government extremely difficult, on top of the fact that he would be fighting two sides at once. For the GC, refusal meant that a potential civil war could start between civilizations that refused and accepted the ultimatum. Mimos’s government had become so involved in GC affairs at this point that such a closure would out spark intergalactic unrest which was already tenuous with Zemsta sympathizers. This is exactly what Mimos was trying to achieve. He believed that the GC would never risk a civil war and dissolution of the GC organization over an already increasingly bigger threat, Zemsta’s regime.

The crisis began to escalate when several GC officials that refused the ultimatum threatened to call for the deposition of Mimos if he did not back down. As a result of this, Mimos’s supporters counter-threated anti-Grox officials with more denunciations of those responsible; citing the banning of protecting unarmed civilians and would ‘comb through’ the ‘GC Civility Act’ that was supposed to protect civilians during wartime. Argument after argument ensued, and even a couple of skirmishes between diplomats broke out. Mimos would call these confrontations as ‘childish and below the dignity of their species.’ Another vote was proposed which was illegal itself by the ‘GC Democratic act of 582776’, although this illegal act was deemed necessary to ease conflict, it would later be used against him by Anti-Grox supporters. This proposal yet again failed, with the exact same voting count as previously.

It had appeared to Mimos that those who refused his demands would never change their vote. Mimos screamed inside the GC Confrontation Room; “This is OUTRAGEOUSLY PATHETIC from an organization that is supposed to protect UNARMED CIVILIANS!” Mimos return to his office, loyalists began to ask him “What now?” “Is the resistance dead?” Mimos replied with the following to these answers: “I will not allow my people to suffer under a tyrant. I will never give up. The GC has failed our people and damaged their reputation with ridicule! We will have to do this by force."

Intergalactic Radio and Channel 3 Occupation
He immediately sets out a plan to condemn the people who refused the ultimatum by forcefully taking control of the “Intergalactic Radio and Channel 3” building. Two days later, himself and over five hundred Free Grox forces seized and occupied the building. Mimos knew this was his last card, and told his closest followers: “We are the free, we are Grox.” GC Diplomats soon reported that the Free Grox forces had taken over the building, in retaliation, the office used by Mimos on Halanuku was closed and had organized a force to re-take the building from the Free Grox. Mimos expected this and fortified the building, bribed many Grox loyalists to take pictures and create propaganda of the GC’s intentions to ‘Slaughter the Free Grox forces’ inside the building. The skyscraper was surrounded by the local police fifteen minutes after the building was seized by the Free Grox.

Mimos knew that the military would be arriving in considerable numbers in less than an hour, and planned to make a televised speech as soon as possible. Several loyalists threatened workers of their lives to continue operations of the building and prepare for Mimos’s televised speech. Almost twenty-five minutes after the building was seized, Mimos sat down in front of the camera where the original reporters would be and gave his speech.

His speech even shocked those of his own loyalists, Mimos, using his own political experience when he was Ruler of the Grox, brutalized and condemned the species’ that had refused to pass the ultimatum set out by Mimos that would allow unarmed civilians to travel into GC territory. He made fabrications and recorded physical attacks that GC diplomats had made to their own diplomats. He told the people watching that his people were being slaughtered by Zemsta’s regime and that the GC anti-Grox officials were continuingly allowing this to happen. Although Zemsta never slaughtered anyone, it was simply fabricated because he believed that people would buy his story. His final part of the speech was to wish “For peace and prosperity of all species in the universe” and that Zemsta’s regime and anti-Grox officials were threatening a chance of this ever happening.”

Military intervention at the Tower
As soon as the broadcast was finished, the anti-Grox officials authorized a military intervention of the Intergalactic Radio and Channel 3 building. However, an emergency GC meeting was established in an attempt to control the situation and bring it to a peaceful resolution. Mimos, had the live feed into this meeting and continued to defend the ultimatum set by him. Anti-Grox officials demanded the surrender of Free Grox forces within the building or military intervention would be forced. Mimos refused this and informed the meeting board that such a massacre would be against what the GC stands for. Anti-Grox officials would confront Mimos with the illegal second vote that he forced and will yet again demand his surrender. GC officials that supported Mimos’s intentions started to defend Mimos’s right to allow for Grox civilians into their borders and told anti-GC officials that if an agreement could not be made by the next day, that they would order the siege of the Intergalactic Radio and Channel 3 building to be lifted.

Negotiations were at a standstill until calls from countless media groups and citizens forced a resolution on the matter. Anti-Grox forces cited that Mimos was holding up workers in the skyscraper and were threatening to kill these workers. Mimos quickly slammed these accusations down and said that ‘Nobody had or would be murdered.’ They then demanded the release of all workers in the skyscraper. It took a few seconds for Mimos to answer before making a proposal of his own; The release of all workers in exchange for the military intervention to cease around the tower, he also demanded that a couple of his loyalists be sent to the Halanuku as diplomats. Anti-Grox officials were hesitant to agree to this, but finally did in the interest that they would talk to these workers and use propaganda themselves. Due to hostage laws in place at the time, this information could not willingly be shared to the public until after a week of investigation. They never got the chance.

The agreement was signed thirty minutes later. Two loyalists were sent to Halanuku immediately. All workers were released from the tower two hours and fifty minutes later. Mimos knew that releasing workers was extremely risky, as he had no hostages. He feared the anti-Grox officials could order a strike afterwards. He counted mainly on the support of Pro-Grox officials within the GC to prevent this. As luck would have it, once all workers were released, anti-Grox officials backed out from the deal and kept the siege going. Mimos was outraged by this, calling this a “downright illegal act” (even though he had done so previously before). Pro-Grox officials were not happy with this and ordered that the siege be lifted.

What happened next, was extreme confusion. Anti-Grox officials had ordered to keep the siege going while Pro-Grox officials had ordered the siege be ceased. There was no consensus, the military blockade was questioned severely but forces around the building kept the status quo. In retaliation to the Anti-Grox betrayal, Mimos made yet another public broadcast announcement discussing the deal that had been agreed to.

Meeting after meeting soon ensued. Mimos was attempting to bide as much time as possible for sympathizers of the Free Grox to demand a peaceful resolution, but he also knew that feeding close to five hundred people in a building would be extremely difficult. Several of his supporters would soon desert the building due to starvation and would be promptly arrested. Pro-Grox officials attempted to supply the building with food via Para drops, but failed to get close as anti-Grox officials threatened to shoot down the military aircraft that attempted such. Discontent and dissolution was thrown around in Halanuku over the next few days.

Civil War and Threats of Dissolution Within the GC
Three days later, Pro-Grox officials came up with an ultimatum of their own to Anti-Grox officials and their species. They threatened to leave the GC organization altogether if the matter was not solved peacefully. Mimos caught wind of this and gave yet another public broadcast. Saying that if Anti-Grox officials didn’t agree to an ultimatum, that several species would leave the GC’s organization. This caused extreme unrest through the Intergalactic community. Massive protests were staged in several areas and especially at the Intergalactic radio and Channel 3 tower demanding that Mimos and his people be freed.

The next day, protests became intergalactically a huge problem for anti-Grox officials. Even Zemsta was surprised at the chaos that Mimos had produced within a span of a week. Mimos sympathizers attempted to gain entry into the building in support of Mimos. As a result of this, several protesters were killed. What’s worse is that all of this was caught by the media. Mimos used this to scapegoat Anti-Grox officials and called for their immediate arrest. One hour later, one of the most important coalition species against Zemsta’s Regime made an intergalactic announcement that their species (Namurians) would be pulling out of the GC organization effective immediately. This, tied with several protesters being killed, called for a final emergency conference as the Namurians were closing their embassy in Halanuku. Their diplomats being withdrawn to their homeland. Mimos made it clear that the Anti-Grox officials had betrayed the GC, civilians and Free Grox forces and called for their trial in court. Not only this, he reiterated the same ultimatum set by him a week ago.

Pro-Grox species had threatened that if this was not solved in this room right then and now, they would also do what the Namurians did. Negotiations went back and forth until the Namurian leader, made an official announcement that their army would be organized to relieve the Free Grox inside the building and that if they were to be attacked, the organization would be declared war on along with their allies out of the GC organization. They cited that Mimos’s support against Zemsta’s regime had become intertwined and essential with their goals of “Survival.” Anti-Grox officials started to become hesitant, fifteen minutes later after the Namurian announcement, all armed forces of the Namurian’s stationed on the planet (Eonix) where the skyscraper was stationed were ordered to make their way to the building. The threat of a civil war between GC species was becoming very serious.

Anti-Grox officials finally agreed to the ultimatum set out by Mimos under the condition that they were not prosecuted in their role to defend a legal right on voting on his ultimatum twice. Mimos’s and his loyalists consulted the deal and were happy to accept. They plotted soon after that they would betray these officials just as they did to them. Mimos accepted their proposal and therefore, Anti-Grox officials ordered the siege to finally be lifted. An hour later, Mimos and the Free Grox forces stood out of the building. Thousands of civilians and Namurian soldiers were cheering him on. He organized that a podium is set out at the center building, he would give one final speech out of the doors of the skyscraper.

Mimos's Speech and Near Calamity
“This incident has finally come to an end. We came here to show every species that the Free Grox people meant no harm. Our civilians were being denied access to GC borders. I adamantly set out with my peace-keeping force to show that our species was just as important as any other in this universe. But several leaders within the GC attempted to block our proposal. The GC stands to protect all civilian life throughout the galaxy, so why didn’t this include us, may I ask you? We are against the regime of a tyrant named Zemsta in our own empire that is brutally massacring our own citizens who speak out against them and all GC species alike, their government has terrorized the free people. It’s time we came together to stop that; And I would formally request that the Namurian species re-join the organization that is there to create unity and defend freedom. I take create pleasure in saying that the Namurian military was sent here to free us and to that, I say to them; Umnlo zehu Iumahl estique!” (We will never forget! – Namurian language).

Every Namurian at the building up roared in cheer, clapping at Mimos. Everybody else, soon started clapping. This clapping didn’t stop… minute after minute, Mimos just stood there, awed in his own image. Eventually, the clapping stopped after six minutes, Mimos gave a cavalier Thank you to the crowd. Continuing his speech.

“We should also not forget, however, that several civilians were killed in this incident attempting to side with our forces. Need I remind you that the military blockade set out by several GC leaders were responsible for this? I assure you that THESE. LEADERS. WILL. BE. PROSECUTED. I would like to list out the names of those who were murdered in this incident.” He then names five individuals. “All of these lives, tragically lost... I ask everybody listening: “What did these civilians deserve to have their life be taken away from them? WE WILL get answers! Believe me! In the next few minutes, I will be making my way back to Halanuku and I will NOT stop until justice has been so rightly been placed upon them! Thank you to everybody for attending, and to those listening.” Zemsta watched the entire speech, he now knew that his political rival had become more than 'just an insect.' Zemsta would later discuss with the King Lemunus VI that he regretted underestimating Mimos. The King asked if Zemsta would have wished to have Mimos executed if he had the chance. Zemsta replied with the following: "No. He is a man of remarkable skill and diplomatic talent. I may HAVE asked for his execution, but it is not truly what I wish. Although... I wouldn't mind getting into a ring with him someday."

Result
Mimos gained widespread popularity just as he originally set out throughout the crisis. He planned to get the people on his side as a tool against Anti-Grox officials and gain vast autonomy for his government within the GC. This had its desired effect, using his own political experience as Ruler of the Grox Empire before being forced to abdicate. It was clear that Mimos was out for those who spoke against him, ironically just as Zemsta's government was doing. Zemsta soon learned that hundreds of his own people were joining the ranks of Free Grox, and proclaimed their government to be a terrorist organization. The rivalry between Zemsta and Mimos would continue to grow, ironically both as undisputed leaders that were leading the fight against one another.

Trivia

 * The flag displayed at the top is inspired by the 'Free French' flag from 1940 after Germany occupied mainland France.
 * Mimos's interactions were inspired by Charles De Gallue, a French minister who refused the armistice agreed to by Philippe Pétain who would later be head of state of Vichy France. Charles De Gallue was distrustful of his allies (Great Britain and the US) while his government-in-exile attempted to rally a resistance against German occupation. This distrust was especially true against Great Britain when they sank the French fleet in Vichy hands to avoid it being fallen into Germany. There was also an incident in Syria after the war that strained the two countries relationships to their lowest levels.