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Akhenaten the 384th
This story is from the continuation of the game, which gave me the storyline for the “Canton National Historical Battlefield” thread. I hope you enjoy it. 
+++ Coronation Day – 1860 AD +++
“In the name of the supreme god Horus, and the peoples of Egypt, it is my distinct honor and extreme pleasure to crown you Pharaoh Akhenaten, the Divine god, Right Worshipful and Most Honorable. 384th to carry the name. President of Mainland and Eastern Egypt. Ruler of the Subjugated Races. Enlightener of the Chinese. Great Lion of Egypt. Commander of the Glorious Armies of Egypt. Support of the Realm. The Just, the Great, the All-Seeing, and All-Merciful. May you live forever!” spoke Mamose, 75th Chief Lord High Justice of the Egyptian Supreme Court, as he bowed in obsescience to the newly crowned god-king. Similar accolades and praises had accompanied the coronation of all Pharaoh’s throughout history, even though some of them weren’t applicable, or earned, by the serving Pharaoh.
Akhenaten arose, and once again surveyed the majestic sea of people in front of him. He stood silent, disbelieving that he had been elected Pharaoh-for-life of the greatest nation in the entire world. Born in New Heliopolis, on the island of Madagascar, he had only known war and hard-times, growing up on the seemingly forgotten “backwater” isle of the Egyptian Democratic Republic. Amid the uproar of the prolonged adulation of the assembled throngs, Ahkenaten continued to lose himself in thought. A smile broke past his thin, tightly closed lips, as he thought about what was in store for his Egypt! In his minds-eye, he quickly reviewed the unlikely chain of events that led him to the most powerful office in the world, President of Egypt.
Thirty years ago he had been a Colonel, in command of the 1st Infantry Division of the New Heliopolis Home Guard, when the Persian’s had come. They had shown up along the northern shores of Madagascar. There were more galleons and frigates than he had ever seen in his entire life. The invasion force arrayed against the little island of Madagascar was larger than the entire Egyptian navy. His heart sank as the Persian troops offloaded, unopposed, onto sovereign Egyptian soil. Their numbers were staggering. Three elite Warrior brigades, two Longbowman brigades, three Immortal Swordsman brigades, and two Riflemen brigades. He had, of course, immediately mobilized his division, the only military unit on the island. At least his men had been trained for a strong defensive position, he postulated, as they began deploying, for real, all the plans they had practiced for all these years, never believing an attack could possibly happen.
His mind raced forward. The end result of the Persian sneak-attack upon New Heliopolis was the utter destruction of all attacking Persian forces. His heart still swelled with pride at the memories of the fallen comrades that died that month, and of the Herculean efforts of those who defended the city and island he loved. Pharaoh Akhenaten the 382nd had awarded him the Gold of Valor for his inspirational leadership during those hellish days. He then thought of his retirement from the Home Guard, and subsequent decision to enter into public service. He was a natural for election as the Mayor of New Heliopolis, and he used that office as a springboard to be elected to the Governorship of the Province of Madagascar. Public office suited him, for although he was considered an ultra right-wing conservative by most, he still continued to worm his way through the machinations of Egyptian politics. After serving only one term as Governor, he remembered the heady days of being elected to the Egyptian Senate and moving to Thebes. And now, to have handily beaten his Liberty Party opponent in the presidential election, he found himself in a position to espouse the moral values of the Hawk Party and make a difference for the betterment of Egypt. He had only been a senator for three years when Akhenaten the 383rd had finally died, after twenty-seven long years in office, fighting a cancer that had consumed him. Now here he stood. He shook himself away from his reminiscing and came back to hear the still-cheering crowds. It was then that Mamose broke the god-king’s concentration, and motioned for him to step-up to the podium to deliver his coronation address. Akhenaten walked deliberately to the podium. It was strange to see the silver microphone, and even stranger, he thought to himself, to talk into it. “Incredible”, he thought silently as he began to speak to the assembled crowds, while his voice was carried across the entirety of Egypt via the newly discovered science of radio waves.
(To be continued)
+++ Coronation Day – 1860 AD +++
“In the name of the supreme god Horus, and the peoples of Egypt, it is my distinct honor and extreme pleasure to crown you Pharaoh Akhenaten, the Divine god, Right Worshipful and Most Honorable. 384th to carry the name. President of Mainland and Eastern Egypt. Ruler of the Subjugated Races. Enlightener of the Chinese. Great Lion of Egypt. Commander of the Glorious Armies of Egypt. Support of the Realm. The Just, the Great, the All-Seeing, and All-Merciful. May you live forever!” spoke Mamose, 75th Chief Lord High Justice of the Egyptian Supreme Court, as he bowed in obsescience to the newly crowned god-king. Similar accolades and praises had accompanied the coronation of all Pharaoh’s throughout history, even though some of them weren’t applicable, or earned, by the serving Pharaoh.
Akhenaten arose, and once again surveyed the majestic sea of people in front of him. He stood silent, disbelieving that he had been elected Pharaoh-for-life of the greatest nation in the entire world. Born in New Heliopolis, on the island of Madagascar, he had only known war and hard-times, growing up on the seemingly forgotten “backwater” isle of the Egyptian Democratic Republic. Amid the uproar of the prolonged adulation of the assembled throngs, Ahkenaten continued to lose himself in thought. A smile broke past his thin, tightly closed lips, as he thought about what was in store for his Egypt! In his minds-eye, he quickly reviewed the unlikely chain of events that led him to the most powerful office in the world, President of Egypt.
Thirty years ago he had been a Colonel, in command of the 1st Infantry Division of the New Heliopolis Home Guard, when the Persian’s had come. They had shown up along the northern shores of Madagascar. There were more galleons and frigates than he had ever seen in his entire life. The invasion force arrayed against the little island of Madagascar was larger than the entire Egyptian navy. His heart sank as the Persian troops offloaded, unopposed, onto sovereign Egyptian soil. Their numbers were staggering. Three elite Warrior brigades, two Longbowman brigades, three Immortal Swordsman brigades, and two Riflemen brigades. He had, of course, immediately mobilized his division, the only military unit on the island. At least his men had been trained for a strong defensive position, he postulated, as they began deploying, for real, all the plans they had practiced for all these years, never believing an attack could possibly happen.
His mind raced forward. The end result of the Persian sneak-attack upon New Heliopolis was the utter destruction of all attacking Persian forces. His heart still swelled with pride at the memories of the fallen comrades that died that month, and of the Herculean efforts of those who defended the city and island he loved. Pharaoh Akhenaten the 382nd had awarded him the Gold of Valor for his inspirational leadership during those hellish days. He then thought of his retirement from the Home Guard, and subsequent decision to enter into public service. He was a natural for election as the Mayor of New Heliopolis, and he used that office as a springboard to be elected to the Governorship of the Province of Madagascar. Public office suited him, for although he was considered an ultra right-wing conservative by most, he still continued to worm his way through the machinations of Egyptian politics. After serving only one term as Governor, he remembered the heady days of being elected to the Egyptian Senate and moving to Thebes. And now, to have handily beaten his Liberty Party opponent in the presidential election, he found himself in a position to espouse the moral values of the Hawk Party and make a difference for the betterment of Egypt. He had only been a senator for three years when Akhenaten the 383rd had finally died, after twenty-seven long years in office, fighting a cancer that had consumed him. Now here he stood. He shook himself away from his reminiscing and came back to hear the still-cheering crowds. It was then that Mamose broke the god-king’s concentration, and motioned for him to step-up to the podium to deliver his coronation address. Akhenaten walked deliberately to the podium. It was strange to see the silver microphone, and even stranger, he thought to himself, to talk into it. “Incredible”, he thought silently as he began to speak to the assembled crowds, while his voice was carried across the entirety of Egypt via the newly discovered science of radio waves.
(To be continued)
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