Council of Twelve

The Council of Twelve is the current ruling authority over the Atlas Coalition.

They are a council of unelected officials that have, for the majority, been on the council since its formation in February 2010. There have been rumors that it was formed earlier, but only became public once it had gained full control of North and South America.

History
The Council of Twelve has a long and secretive history, and is thought to have existed for a long time before the Atlas Coalition was officially recognised as the ruling power in the two American Continents.

Before the Coup
The Council of Twelve began as a business partnership between Joseph B. Chalmers, the CEO of Galvan Incorporated- then the USA's 8th largest electrical provider- and Rexford Colton, the CEO and majority Shareholder for Diamond Health- the 12th largest provider for health insurance in the US. The two agreed on an informal partnership in 2002, and began assisting each other in securing massive profits through shady deals and strong-arming of consumers. In 2004, they added a third member to their group. Argentinian-born Pedro Rico de Lopez Junior was then the CEO of a rapidly growing investment firm called Ruben Investments, and through his rapidly growing reputation in the business world he was able to make the three members of the fledgling council into powerhouses in their fields. Over four years, Galvan Inc and Diamond Health became the top of their respective markets, cornering nearly half of it overall. Lopez, however, had bigger plans yet. He convinced the other two to allow a new member into their group, Garfield Simmons. Simmons was the CEO and Majority Shareholder for Colpach Bank, which at the time was the largest in Canada. Now they were a force to be reckoned with in all areas of both Continents, and Lopez called for a meeting of the Council in May 2006. In a meeting that is now talked about in history books, he outlined his plans. Colton was interested, but Chalmers was appalled. He stood up and told them that this was no longer business, what they were planning was treason! Garfield attempted to follow him out and reason with him, but Chalmers struck the newest member of the Council in anger. He fled the meeting, but he never made it home. In his blind rage, he lost control of his Maserati on Mulholland Drive as he drove home, destroying his vehicle and perishing in the flaming wreck.

After this tragic loss, the Council pressed on, recruiting Chalmers' successor at Galvan Incorporated- the new CEO Greta le Blanc. She was far more on board with Lopez's goals, and the four of them worked together for one year before recruiting the final member of their original group- General Colin M. Anderson, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Through General Anderson, the Council was able to mislead the US President into making terrible decisions. When George W. Bush left the White House in 2008, newcomer President Gregory Saunton was unprepared for the treachery of his own staff. By December 2009, President Saunton's approval rating was at 10%, the lowest drop in US history. And it was dropping further still, causing the public to threaten uprising and forceful removal of him from office.

The Coup
The Coup of the United States was quick and efficient. Overnight, the US Military turned on the Government under orders of General Anderson. Many powerful individuals vanished overnight, and on the morning of January 6th, the United States Government had fallen. And the populace rejoiced.

Over the coming days, the council maintained order. They sacrificed their own wealth at times to keep people safe. People began to trust in the corporations that were helping keep order.

Therefore, very little people complained when the Executive Council was set up. At the time, it was comprised of Lopez, Colton, Simmons, le Blanc and Anderson. Using their newfound control, they reorganized the Governmental System in the United States. The Executive Council became the Supreme Power, and each of the members had equal say. This way, they claimed, power would no longer fall into the hands of the incompetent and greedy such as Gregory Saunton. Any public disagreement was met with Anderson's heavy boot of Martial Law.

At the time, the work of the Executive Council had not gone unnoticed in other parts of the World. The EU, Canada and Mexico all accused the Executive Council of engineering the Revolution, to which Simmons, the most charismatic of the Council, publicly denied. Despite the Council's vehement denials, the three powers declared war against the United States. This was exactly what Anderson had wanted, and been promised, for years prior. His invasion was twofold, splitting the United States' massive military might onto two fronts and winning. Canada fell in late January, and Mexico surrendered despite holding the line on February 3rd. After the annexation, Yvonne Brodeur- the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada- and Mexican President Rico Juan Rodriguez were both sworn in as members of the Council.

With seven members, the Executive Council met on February 10th 2010. When the meeting was adjourned, the newly appointed Public Executive Garfield Simmons appeared on TVs around not just the US, but Canada, Mexico, Europe, China and Oceania. In his speech, he called for the three nations to see not a hostile invasion, but the chance to help build the greatest nation to ever stand. He talked of unity, of honour, and of the common worker joining hands with the wealthiest of businessmen to build a new world for both of them. As his speech came to a close, he made one last statement that would be immortalized in all textbooks to come. The world was watching, and Simmons delivered."'This isn't just the United States anymore. I've walked the streets of Mexico and Canada, listening as people whispered in fear, thinking that the United States with all of its terrible record and despicable practices had just seized control. No. We're not them. We're greater than the great eagles of before and smarter than the politicians before us. We will NOT make their mistakes! We are not the United States. We are not Mexico, or Canada. We are something more. We are the Atlas Coalition, and may our future be bright!' - Garfield Simmons, announcing the formation of the Atlas Coalition."

The Six Weeks War
The formation of the Atlas Coalition went off like a shockwave throughout the world. The European Council met immediately, and the Soviet Union went into lockdown. The People's Republic turned to look, but turned back and continued its brutal conquest of Monsoon Asia.

But the countries most afraid were those of Southern America. They correctly assumed that Atlas was setting its sights upon them, and immediately took defensive measures. Central America, meanwhile, welcomed the new Coalition. They decided the best course of action was peace, and so they signed pacts and agreements with the Council. As a result, Guatemalan President Oscar Santos was appointed as Central America's Representative on the Executive Council.

Atlas Forces first made landfall in Colombia in April 2010. They swept through the country in days, before moving on to Venezuela and Brazil. By the time they raised the Cyan Atlas Flag over Brasilia, it had only been four weeks since the South American Campaign had begun.

After Six Weeks, they had rolled forth through Patagonia and taken Argentina and Chile. The Atlas Coalition had won.

The Formation of Twelve
During this time, the Executive Council had grown. Two powerful business owners had joined- Robert Wigram- CEO of Wigram Holdings, and Pieter Volkoff- CEO of BraceOil International.

In 2012 when Australia formally joined, Prime Minister Shane Morris joined the Council. This repeated in 2014 when the President of South Africa- Martin de Vries- also joined the Council. This bought the number of members to its final total of twelve, and the council has never gone with less than that number for over a week ever since.

Members of the Council of Twelve in 2014
These are the twelve members of the Council in 2014. It was widely known at the time that the Council of Twelve was not equal. de Lopez Junior was by far the most powerful man in the Atlas Coalition, along with his allies Rexford Colton, Garfield Simmons and Greta le Blanc. General Anderson was seen as a violent warmonger, and his intervention in the developing African War situation was seen as inevitable even as the Six Weeks War came to a close. The rest of the Council were simply happy to be a part of the new regime, and worked with great enthusiasm to prove themselves to the 'Old Guard' on the Council.
 * Pedro Rico de Lopez Junior- Chairman of the Council
 * Rexford Colton- Deputy Chairman and Head of Health
 * Garfield Simmons- Head of Education, Interior Security and Broadcasting
 * Greta le Blanc- Head of Justice
 * General Colin M. Anderson- Head of Defense
 * Yvonne Brodeur- Representative of Canada and Head of Foreign Affairs
 * Rico Juan Rodriguez- Representative of Mexico and Head of Agriculture and Transport
 * Oscar Santos- Central American Representative and Head of Labour and Employment
 * Robert Wigram- Head of Social Development and Human Rights
 * Pieter Volkoff- Head of Environmental Affairs and Sports
 * Shane Morris- Representative of Australia and Head of Finance
 * Martin de Vries- Representative of South Africa and Head of Culture, Technology and Innovation

Many Council Members received easy jobs and coasted on their wealth, with Pieter Volkoff being famous for his constant attendance to sporting events and love for gambling on horse racing. He would nearly always win. Robert Wigram was known for his 'slashing of the red tape' when he and Oscar Santos removed many Health and Safety Regulations in the workplace. This was seen by many workers as a welcome relief, as former President Saunton had imposed many Health and Safety laws.

The African War
Throughout the African War, the Council became the target of multiple assassination attempts by PRGA Forces. General Colin M. Anderson headed up the war effort, and survived 37 attempts upon his life from Foreign Assassins to failed coups within his command structure. By the end of the war, the only Country that hadn't attempted to kill General Anderson was the Soviet Union, or at least that is what the Council claims (it should be noted that the Atlas Coalition are allied with the USSR).

The Council remained steady throughout the African War, until April 2019- the day Martin de Vries was assassinated.

The Assassination of Martin de Vries
On April 7th, 2019 a PRGA Cyborg Assassin murdered Martin de Vries in his home in Johannesburg. The assassin managed to work around all of his security, and killed Mr de Vries through unknown means. His remains, or what was left of them, were found in his bathtub mostly dissolved. Some theorists suspect de Vries may have been alive when thrown in the acid bath. Whatever the case, de Vries was dead and his position was not filled until after the end of the African War.

The End of the African War
Upon the end of the African War, Garfield Simmons declared the day of the evacuation a National Holiday- 'Connelly Day.' After the war was over, the Council began talking over potential additions to the Council. General Anderson suggested the now Five-Star General Eric Connelly be added to the Council, but the majority of the Council agreed he would be more effective as the General rather than a Councilman. Eventually, Robert Wigram suggested a businessman he had worked with in past, a man named Lionel Alexander Joseph. Lionel was the owner of a large PMC called Sidewinder International that has helped turn the scales in the Namibian front of the African War. Lionel had also bought into JSI - Jakkal Sekuriteit Internasionaal- which had led to the respect of the Atlas populace after JSI's famous exploits in saving Atlas soldiers throught the African War. Lionel was quickly appointed to the Council in January 2020, and with his appointment he granted many mercenaries safe haven within the Atlas Coalition, including JSI CEO Argyle Forsythe.

The 20's
Throughout the 2020s, the Council remained the same. Most of the members were young during their appointment, so there was no need for a change of personnel. Lionel A. Joseph took his role as the Head of Technology and Innovation seriously, and with the help of Robert Wigram and Oscar Santos he carved through labour and human rights laws to allow for serious technological advances. Because of his efforts, he helped Atlas Technology increase by decades over the space of but five years.

Rexford Colton's age was the only concern upon the council, as he celebrated his 55th Birthday on May 9th 2025. Greta le Blanc introduced massive sweeping law changes, including a far harsher justice system and the 'One-Strike' policy for drug offenses. Due to this, the 'War on Drugs' was won within 5 years. By 2030, Drug Crime had decreased by 95%. Statistics were never released, but it is believed that most repeat offenders were either neutralized or moved to work camps to help build the Coalition.

The Coalition Tower and the Sicilian Project
In 2028, the Coalition Tower was completed. A colossal structure topping out at 1001 metres tall, the Coalition Tower was built as a testament to the strength of the Atlas Coalition. The tower was constucted as the centrepiece of the refurbished Capitol, which was moved a short distance to Arlington, Virginia. The previous Governmental facilities, including the White House, were demolished to serve as a symbol to the Atlas Coalition. Construction on the Atlas Tower had begun in 2013, utilizing a workforce derived from criminals within the Atlas Coalition. In addition to the Tower's construction, a defense network of Laser Batteries was set up throughout the city. Named 'The Sicilian Project' after the defensive chess manoeuvre, this grid of defense weaponry could shoot down an ICBM as soon as they spotted it above the curvature of the Earth. The Sicilian Project was completed in 2015, and during the African War intercepted three PRGA missiles. Other similar defense systems were present throughout major cities in the Coalition, with a defense grid completed in Rio de Janeirio, Brasilia, Mexico City, Ottawa, Toronto, New York and many more. Most, if not all major cities are 'Nuke Proof,' as the media nicknamed it. Knowledge of the defense system was not public until after the African War.

The 30's
Throughout the 2030's, the Council of Twelve continued to crack down on the Coalition. By order of Rico Juan Rodriguez, many smaller towns were demolished and the populace forcefully moved into larger cities. Some towns were forcefully integrated into Oscar Santos' construction effort, helping to build larger structures. During this time, many Atlas landmarks were built, including the California State Plasma Generator, which provides power to most of the former United States and Canada's Western Coastline.

Included in Oscar Santos' building plans was a colossal Military Expansion suggested by General Eric Connelly. By this time, General Colin M. Anderson had stepped back and moved Connelly into the majority control of the Atlas armed forces.

The Resignation of General Anderson
General Colin M. Anderson stepped down on September 5th, 2034. His retirement had been talked about for years prior, and his replacement had been already chosen. Vice-Admiral Richard Felso was an African War Veteran who had served in the naval theatre of the war. Whilst not as decorated as General Eric Connelly, he was still very reliable and stable. Stability by then had come into the equation, as General Connelly had become a far more intimidating figure in general. His Metahuman powers had reached unheard of levels for the time, and his status as a Proto-Hyperion had a few council members nervous and unwilling to trust him.

The Assassination Attempt on Greta le Blanc
With Greta le Blanc's judicial reforms now fully complete, it would stand to reason that radical elements would try and accuse her system of being corrupt and too severe. On June 6th, 2037, Ms le Blanc's personal vehicle was attacked by a Resistance group calling themselves 'Justice for All.' The attack was carried out using a staged motor vehicle accident that isolated her car at a busy intersection. In the chaos, a small hit squad opened fire upon her immobilised car with high-power Electrolasers. Luckily, Ms le Blanc was nothing if not paranoid, and her vehicle was shielded with Military-Grade Energy Weapon Protection. The would-be assassins were hunted down through the city for the remainder of the day. Six out of the eight were arrested, whilst the other two took their own lives. Out of the six, five were executed in the Coalition Federal Penitentiary whilst one was permanently assigned to Workgroup 1293C, which is currently working on fabrication of autonomous security drones for use in policing and ensuring civil compliance.

The Firebombing of New Orleans
On April 7th, 2038, several workforce groups in New Orleans rose up against the Atlas troop contingent currently in control of the city. Members of the public also joined in, and within hours there was a serious riot within the central city. Several Resistance Groups joined in the rebellion, supplying arms to civilians and leading the charge in salvaged Power Armour. By 9.00pm, the Council had seen enough. Several military jets were sent over the city armed with Napalm Bombs. By 10.30, the riot was over and the city was ablaze. Most of the rioting crowds surrendered to the Atlas Military, and the majority were assigned to the workgroups rebuilding the city and strengthening it against further attacks. A large amount of Resistance Members escaped arrest, but the few that were caught were executed in the Electric Chair.

The Gage Resistance
In 2039, a small group of Resistance Members were incarcerated in a large prison complex in Mexico City. These prisoners included:
 * Jack Gage
 * Nick van der Bayne
 * Antoine Decker
 * Greg McDuff