Battle of Flagstaff
The Battle of Flagstaff was an armed conflict that took place in Flagstaff, Coconino County, Xarslasja, on October 25th, 2024 between the Xarslasja Legislative Authority and its allies and the Xarslasja Port Authority and its allies. It was the culmination of two weeks of the Coup Sabah, and ended in Gu Sabah's strategic failure to hold onto any of the mainland. Nevertheless, Coconino County remained in a state of disobedience against the central government.
Context
Read also: Coup Sabah
Xarslasja's complicated relationship with East and West Pua evolved into a sectional economic crisis and a convoluted familial power struggle following the Scramble for Murbetia and its political consequences. Gu Sabah lost faith in his father, Agamashuya I, and his ability to run the economy after the Legislature successfully voted to join the South Thasusan Common Market Agreement, forsaking West Pua and the citizens of Xarslasja who had previously had no issue making transactions with West Puans, as prior to joining the agreement, Xarslasja traded exclusively in the Petrified Oak Slab. The Amujxplosion complicated things further, as one of the economic partners in the market agreement split into several countries before dissolving altogether, giving East Pua an unprecedented advantage over West Pua.
All the while, Gu Sabah had been constructing new XPA bases on islands throughout the nation and successfully coerced the Legislature Representatives of both La Paz County and Gila County into resigning and replacing themselves with him. On October 10th, Gu Sabah made his move and encircled the island of Arcosanti with his naval forces, besieging his father. In response, the Legislative Authority, in conjunction with East Pua, blockaded the Shea Island Naval Complex. Two weeks of siege ensued, and devastated the populations of both islands. Conflict was bound to break out, and more and more nations sided with Agamashuya or Gu Sabah.
On October 24th, the Legislature had the controversial meetings known as The Emergency Sessions, wherein the Speaker of the House forced a vote on changing the rules of the leadership appointments of the XPA, without the representatives from Coconino County. Coconino County's representatives, already leaning toward support for Gu Sabah, declared that the county would not comply with the central government's orders to arrest and punish participants in the coup.
When outright battle broke out the next day, it was only a matter of time before the fight reached Flagstaff, the county seat of Coconino County.
The Battle
Gu Sabah and his allies failed to hold Shea Island and failed to occupy the Copper Palace of Arcosanti. As such, he and his troops retreated to Flagstaff. The XLA quickly followed. After a brief stop on Havasu Island, which yielded in the XPA building there being set on fire, the armies landed north of Flagstaff. An enormous urban fight ensued in Flagstaff. The city housed no local XLA forces at the time, and the government of the county had offered safe harbor to Gu Sabah. Thus, loyalists set up barricades in town and the swamp section of the city in particular supported Gu Sabah. Several buildings were completely destroyed, and the landscape surrounding the City Square was thoroughly obliterated, leaving towers of cobblestone battlemounts and an enormous crater. The original City Square was destroyed, except for the stone kiosk installed by the Bezuv in early 2024 when Flagstaff was first annexed.
After the XPA building at the port of Flagstaff was bombed, Gu Sabah and several of his high-ranking officers retreated into the sea. Najva Gun continued the fight on land, and the XPA was seemingly holding its ground. This changed when the Bezuv, now free from his confinement in Arcosanti, unveiled a rare artifact from the Old World - "Thou Hast Been Yeeten." This cursed crossbow unleashed a torrent of hundreds of arrows upon the opposing forces, who scattered for their lives.
Najva Gun retreated to Tucson and various members of the XPA headed to the hills of Coconino County, awaiting further orders. The battle was over, at the cost of several buildings, dozens of villagers, and much of the infrastructure connecting the upper and lower districts of Flagstaff.
This battle involved players from several nations and led to a complication in international relations in several different geopolitical spheres.
Memory
Several nations provided mass quantities of basic resources - cobblestone, dirt, grass, glass, etc, to repair the damages from the battle. Days later, XLA forces, who had largely secured the upper half of Flagstaff, used some of these humanitarian resources to turn the crater from the battle into a public space, called "Memorial Park." The original Annexation Kiosk was also preserved, including the XPA banners that had been hung there by a rebel, replacing the original Xarslasja flags.