As the armies of the rebels got into position, Nergal and Louis-Gaston shared a nod. "I never thought the husband of Senator Laz Deathstar would aid our cause," Louis-Gaston laughed.
"The Director of the Secret Police should always be full of surprises," smiled Nergal. "You go and lead your soldiers to victory. I will keep watch with my agents."
"Merci for the supplies and additional troops," Louis-Gaston nodded as he drew his blade and jogged off.
Rebel assassins crept up to the door guards and slaughtered them from the shadows with throwing daggers. The way clear, squad after squad of well-armed rebels raced into the Royal Palace. The fight for Hell ad begun!
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The garrisons inside were no match for the well-armed and numerous rebels. They went down like rats against an army of cats. Once the garrisons were wiped out, the rebels went searching for any of the hated Morningstars they could find. Abyzou Morningstar was dragged from her room by rebels who cut her throat with a cold iron dagger over her wife Alabasandria's protests.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" wailed Alabasandria.
"It had to be done," sighed Louis-Gaston. "She is a scion of the depraved Morningstar dynasty."
"And why am I not allowed to die with my wife?!" wept Alabasandria. "Why won't you execute me?!"
"Because you're human-born," said Louis-Gaston. "You deserve a better fate."
"Better fate?!" screamed Alabasandria. "You have condemned me and our children to a living death! You robbed my little Eisheth of her sire!"
"C'est la guerre," Louis-Gaston sighed. "This must be done to burn away the evil of oppression and bigotry from Hell."
Prince Balaam Morningstar, one of Lucifer's sons who had just arrived at the palace to deliver a report of political unrest in his estate in the Third Circle. His throat was swiftly cut and he dropped dead.
Next came Admiral Charybdis Morningstar, the son of Archduke Leviathan. He died choking on his own blood as his throat was slashed, the crowd screaming for the blood of the admiral. Alabasandria comforted Charybdis's widow Scylla, who had been spared for the same reason as Alabasandria: human birth.
Ammit Morningstar was then dragged in, chained and gagged. "Here comes the FORMER overseer of punishments!" Louis-Gaston proudly announced. "Well, Ammit, we will now oversee YOUR punishment!" He took the dagger himself and personally slashed Ammit's throat open, the blood soaking his hooves.
"Naamah next!" Louis-Gaston bellowed.
"Wait!" Louis-Gaston wife Sitri held up her hand. "I've just spoken to Senator Tammuz. He'll only accept the crown if you spare his Aunt Naamah's life, as well as those of his siblings. He swears they are all apolitical. Naamah's a musician, and most of his siblings are kids."
"General Marduk is no child!" Louis-Gaston argued.
"We need him alive if we want Tammuz," said Sitri.
"Very well," sighed Louis-Gaston. "Place Naamah and the others requested under house arrest until further notice!"
A rebel then ran up to Louis-Gaston. "Sir! We've apprehended Lucifer and Lilith."
The former King and Queen of Hell were led up to Louis-Gaston. He grabbed the crowns from their heads. "You are cast down! Tammuz is our Devil now!"
"You don't understand!" Lucifer shouted. "This is not my family's doing! Laz and Nergal brought you Decree 13666!"
"Cease your lies!" Louis-Gaston snarled. "Magician!"
A magician loyal to the rebels painted a run of slumber on each captive's forehead. Lucifer and Lilith collapsed in a coma.
Louis-Gaston nodded approvingly. "That should keep those two villains in wakeless slumber until the grand public execution tomorrow."
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Lamashtu heard the screams and shouts from her room. Tucking Proposition 13667 into her bra-like top, she went out to investigate. What she saw horrified her. In the grand ballroom, the palace teemed with cavorting rebels. Abyzou, Balaam, Charybdis, and Ammit lay dead in pools of their own blood. Lucifer and Lilith were comatose! A stag demon triumphantly held the crowns of Hell in his hands. Hell belonged to the rebels!
Thinking fast, Lamashtu used witchcraft to change her features. Her lioness head became human, and her antlers turned into gazelle horns while her donkey ears shrank into pointed elf-like ears. Her skin became purple and her vulture wings turned batlike, their number shrinking from six to four. Lastly, her avian feet turned themselves into cloven hooves.
Lamashtu watched was her son Tammuz and his wife Ishtar were dragged before the stag demon. For one terrible moment, Lamashtu thought she was going to watch her son and her daughter-in-law be butchered right in front of her, but the stag demon surprised her by placing Lucifer and Lilith's crowns over the heads of Tammuz and Ishtar.
"I, Louis-Gaston de Saint-Georges, Commander-in-Chief of Hell's Armies and President of the Senate, by the sacred power of Darkness crown Tammuz Morningstar the King of Hell! Likewise, Ishtar Morningstar is henceforth Queen of Hell, and his daughter Nanaya is henceforth Archdiablesse of Hell!"
A cheer rang out.
"All Morningstars not named on this list are now enemies of the state and are to be hunted down across Hell" Louis-Gaston shouted as he held up a paper. "The following Morningstars have been granted pardon and shall be allowed to live free lives: Tammuz Morningstar, Ishtar Morningstar, Nanaya Morningstar, Hecate Spellhorn, Marduk Morningstar, Ereshkigal Morningstar, Medea Morningstar, Pazuzu Morningstar, Empusa Morningstar, Marzanna Morningstar, Trivia Morningstar, Naamah Morningstar, Achelous Tethys, Peisinoe Tethys-Morningstar, Aglaope Tethys-Morningstar, and Thelxiepeia Tethys-Morningstar! These Morningstars, and these ones ALONE, shall have their lives and property spared! Seek out the hiding places of the others and let them taste our revenge! Lamashtu Morningstar remains Public Enemy Number One! Whoever brings her in (dead or alive) is to be rewarded with a duchy!"
"Pretty exciting, isn't it?" a rebel laughed, nudging Lamashtu.
"It's like nothing I've ever seen," Lamashtu said. It certainly wasn't untrue!
"Hey, I don't think I've seen you around here before," said the rebel. "What's your name?"
"My name's Kimaris," Lamashtu glibly lied. "I was born Minnie Jones. I was stolen out of a Prohibition-era speakeasy while I was drunk and forced to be a senator's slave-wife."
"Well, that senator will pay now!" the rebel laughed. "Louis-Gaston is going to review the Senate tomorrow and discharge all senators involved in Decree 13666... with the probable exception of Laz Deathfire." The rebel sighed, clearly wishing that Laz could be punished like the others.
"I need to go now," said Lamashtu. "Errands to run."
"Then get going," the rebel smiled. "We all need to do our part. Long live the revolution!"
"Long live the revolution," Lamashtu nodded.
Lamashtu let out an anguished wail as soon as she was outside of the palace. She'd lost! She'd hoped to get Proposition 13667 signed into law before a full-scale revolt could break out, but all of THIS had just happened before she could even seriously get started. Her cousin and several of her siblings were dead, her parents were comatose and held captive by angry rebels who would likely soon execute them, and the government was in complete flux.
No! This couldn't be the end! Lamashtu decided that this could still be fixed, albeit slowly. She would need to build up allies within the revolution and work with them to both pass the Hellish Bill of Rights and restore Lucifer to the throne. Her son Tammuz would be a good start. He believed more rights for the Earth-born, and there was no way he could be comfortable with his own parents being executed. Lamashtu wouldd need to find a way to speak with Tammuz... which could be difficult now that he was the King of Hell. Nonetheless, she WOULD try!