Second War of Texas Independence, A campaign idea, the write-up beforehand Options

[Wolfhound Jack]

Howdy. I'm new to the forum, so I hope I posted this in the right place. We're about to start a new campaign of Shadowrun, set in Dallas. To kind of give me an overall idea of where I wanted it to go, I wrote it down in semi-narrative form. I have no idea if the players will be able to pull it off as nicely as the write-up, but that's part of the fun.

I'm posting it here for feedback, comments, and suggestions. What I'm not looking for is "that's stupid" or "that'll never work" type comments... it's a campaign and the party are the heroes... so anything's possible. What I'm wanting and needing is help fleshing out details that might be pertinent and that I might have missed from other books (I was mainly using Aztlan). There are some really amazing folks here that know the books far better than I.

I did this because... well... I wanted Texas whole again, but to keep South Texas spanish speaking with stronger ties to Aztlan than the CAS... but to keep it still as Texas. Plus I thought it would be a fun campaign.

So here goes.

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Reference:
Pictures of a Debutanté ball in Laredo, I used some of these for my own handouts: http://www.traditioninaction.org/Cultural/...tBallLaredo.htm

The new government idea was taken from the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland (Assembly, Power Sharing Executive, etc.) and has a real world equivalent.

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After Denver broke free from Aztlan in 2061, a lot of things occured in the fallout. With Aztlan and Aztechnology mired in the Yucatan peninsula and Campeche, they were focused too far to the south to notice that things were deteriorating "up north" in Texas and had been doing so for the better part of a decade.

Quick History
In 2011, due to internal circumstances the Republic of Mexico evaporated. Refugees by the thousands fled north into the United States and set down roots in the Rio Grande and Nueces River valley regions of south Texas. Then the Sixth World came to pass and everything changed forever.

Some years later in 2035, Aztlan invaded South Texas to annex the mostly Spanish speaking regions. The anglo Texans (i.e. "white") never, ever forgot the invasion nor the way the CAS failed to come to Texas' aid for four years of long struggle against the Aztlan northern army. What also rankled was the way the Lone Star state had to slink back into the CAS to keep from being wiped from the face of the map.

So, for 20 years starting in 2040, Aztlan was a prosperous and powerful nation and south Texas was a part of it. However, during those 20 years, Aztechnology and the corruption found in the very heart of Aztlan ate away at the satisfaction of a group of people completely ignored by history and the media outside the borders of Texas... the original Tejanos.

Tejano Honor
In San Antonio, Laredo, and other cities that formed the beating heart of "Old Texas" the ancient Tejano families that, though ethnically Spanish and Mexican, were as central to the fabric of Texas history as any anglo nursed a growing hatred of Aztlan, Aztechnology, and its practices. Aztechnology had proven to be worse than some of the worse "anglo" corporations and had brought a measure of shame to these ancient and noble families that dated back centuries to before Mexico even existed. Tejanos of the Sixth World were just as likely to speak English as Spanish and probably had as much Spanish, Indian, or White blood or any other ethnicity. Likewise they were just as likely to be Elves, Orks, Trolls, or Dwarves as any other group of people. However, like many of their anglo countrymen, their loyalties were first and foremost, to Texas.

This growing dissatisfaction found a voice in one John Miguel Seguin of Laredo, a direct descendant of Colonel Juan N. Seguín who fought in the first Texas war of Indepencence. John Seguin grew up on stories of the Alamo, and of how his ancestor returned to bury the bodies of the Alamo defenders who were his friends and fellow patriots of Texas. He knew the stories of how he was there at San Jacinto, later to become Mayor of San Antonio and even a Texas Senator. Likewise he also knew that anti-Mexican sentiment forced his ancestor to flee Texas several times, though he always returned, and after he died; his body was reinterred in Texas, the homeland that he loved, in the town of Seguín which was named after him.

John knew all about the legacy of the bigotry and racism that had created the feelings of animosity that drove south Texas into Aztlan's welcoming arms in the first place. Likewise he knew that Tenochitlán did not have south Texas's interests at heart. After 20 years, the "honeymoon was over" between the Tejanos and Aztlan and it was time to end the marriage. And so, the new Seguin embarked on a course that would, once again, bring the Tejanos into direct conflict with the forces of "Mexico" (Aztlan) to the south. Yet again, in a new century, the Tejanos would need to work with the "anglos" to redeem their honor and free their homeland from the yoke of a corrupt government, headquartered in "Mexico City" (Tenochitlán) and their corrupt, wealthy, and militaristic overlords (Aztechnology).

...Tír Teicsas?

Alejandra Madison Odonojú is probably one of the most famous Tejano Awakened. Odonojú is the Spanish spelling of O'Donoghue, an old and very Irish family of County Kerry in Munster. She is a descendant of the Catholic Irish O'Donoghue's that came to fight for Mexico many centuries ago in the Mexican-American war as part of the San Patricio Battalion. Her family eventually moved north from Tenochitlán into southern Texas. Alejandra's familly was living in San Antonio at the time of the Awakening and she was one of the first UGE era Elves born in south Texas.

Hearts and Minds
Most of the Seguin family and several other of the Tejano "First Families" of South Texas pooled their resources and considerable influence to embark on a two pronged behind the scenes attack. The first would be political, the second would be propaganda. Shadowrunners were of course used for many of these missions.

The political attack dealt with finding the "right kind" of politicians in Texas as well as the CAS; campaign contributions, meetings, balls (including the rarely-seen-by-outsider Debutanté balls for young Tejano women), soft money, bribes... no expense was spared. Very few outsiders realize how many Harvard, Yale, and other Ivy League and highly connected Tejano sons and daughters exist in the business, legal, and medical world. At the same time, envoys to STC and Pueblo lands sought out a true picture of how the NAN and the leadership of the Native tribes felt about Aztlan. Personal relationships of honor and "trust" (as much as can exist in the Sixth World) were established. The Sovereign Tribal Council discovered that not only were the Tejanos were quite different from the arrogant "whites" from Texas that they had come to loathe; but they also could easily respect their desire to determine their own destiny separate from Aztlan.

The propaganda war targetted the youth of south Texas; especially the Awakened or mixed race children born on Texas soil. Basically, these ancient and respected Tejano families started a grass-roots and neighborhood focused program by which these youth were both educated in, as well as adopted into, Tejano culture and customs. The process of transferring their allegiances from Aztlan to Texas wasn't very hard to do in retrospect. They, like many others, had become disillusioned with the establishment, and especially Aztechnology's puppet government in Tenochitlán. These youth called themselves "Vaqueros" and "Nuevo Tejanos" and abandoned many of the trappings of "chicano/latino" Aztec culture, instilled in them by Aztlan from their childhood. They fully embraced the sounds, images, and proud history of "Tejano Texas" at the persistent insistance of the south Texas propaganda machine. The Tejanos were quietly recruiting members at four times the rate of Aztlan recruiters in south Texas; to put it another way, "Being Tejano was wiz. Being from Aztlan was not."

Two Front War
With Aztlan's attentions and Aztechnologies resources being spent to wage war in the Yucatan peninsula and other points to the south of Tenochitlán, the time was ripe to attack. During a month of political bickering, the Tejano forces united with CAS and Texas Ranger divisions in Abilene, Texas. Once the political issues were ironed out (a few concessions here and there), the attack order was given for 8:00 am March 27th, 2063, the 227th anniversary of the Goliad Massacre. Troops rolled across the "buffer zone" and engaged Aztlan security forces around San Angelo by 9:57 am.

Colonel (then a Lieutenant) Michael Enrique Garcia of Gonzales, Texas; a tank commander of the 1st Ranger Heavy Armor Division, gave the order to fire the first shot of the Second Texas War of Independence. Himself a Nuevo Tejano, he shouted "Remember Goliad, Remember the Alamo" across the battalion comm system as he signalled his gunner, PFC. Cody Hammer, an "anglo" dwarf sergeant from Throckmorton, Texas to fire. The tank he commanded was named "Guadalupe Snoopy" and flew a white flag with a black lone star, cannon, and the text "Come and Take It!" under the cannon... the 1835 flag of the Battle of Gonzales.

The Texas Ranger 1st and 2nd Heavy Armor Divisions, the CAS 1st Texas Mechanized Infantry Division from Waco, and numerous other smaller units, volunteer militias, and mercenary forces comprised the Tejas I Corps. Ranger units flew the Texas Lone Star flag, CAS units flew the CAS flag, and the Tejano troops flew a banner that hadn't been seen since 1823; the Bandera de las Tres Garantías ("Flag of the Three Guarantees"). Like the old Mexican flag, it was red, green, and white, each color standing for "Independencia, Religión, y Unión." However, though it had the same colors, it lacked the Eagle and Snake (and their strong Aztec connections).

What followed was four years of brutal, nasty, fighting across the dusty plains. grazing pastures, and fertile farmlands of south Texas. After four months, San Angelo was the first Aztlan city to fall back into Texan hands. It would become the staging point for the retaking of San Antonio and Austin. Additional CAS troops were committed at last to Texas on a limited bases (a reversal of the first time around, when the CAS feared NAN intervention). The Pueblo and STC/NAN forces remained vigilant, but uninvolved (Aztechnology and Aztlan had burned a lot of bridges to the north). Within the year, Austin was back in Texan hands. After another year and a half of heavy fighting, San Antonio was retaken (a powerful symbolic victory for the Texas forces). Then they began the process of removing the Aztlan security forces from the farms, rancheros, and haciendas of the Nueces and Rio Grande River Valleys, the "cradle" of Tejano culture. Texas troops appeared likely to do well in West Texas as well, El Paso and Brownsville (across the river from Matamoros in Aztlan) being the only major areas where eventual victory for the Texans was not certain.

The government of Tenochitlán was faced with a brutal reality. They could either focus on the Yucatan or on Texas, but if they tried to continue a two front war, they might lose both.

The Seguín Treaty of 2067
At last, after high level secret talks between Seguin and representatives from Tenochitlán, Aztlan decided which front it would focus on; the Yucatan. An offer for a brokered peace was accepted by the diplomats in Tenochitlán and a delegation which included John Seguín as well as delegates from the STC and CAS met in Laredo to discuss the terms.

The Treaty was revolutionary. South Tejas would not join the CAS, nor would it be part of Aztlan any longer. The borders of this new land would be established once again at the Rio Grande. It would follow the river from the Gulf of Mexico to Anthony, just north-west of El Paso, and then cut back east and then north again to re-establish the old 1850 Compromise Texas border. Spanish as well as English would both be recognized as official languages and a modified bilingual version of the CAS Constitution would be the supreme law of the land.

Under the terms of the treaty, this new region would be part of a new "Republic of Texas" comprised of two distinct States; North Texas (or Tejas del Norte) and South Tejas (Tejas del Sud). The capital of North Texas would remain Dallas, the capital of South Tejas would be San Antonio. However, the capital of the Republic would be symbolically returned to Austin, the city that had for 40 years been divided into CAS and Aztlan territory. In Austin, there would also be created a Republic of Texas Assembly as well as a power sharing Executive branch to handle all Republic matters. North Texas would remain in the CAS, South Tejas would be independent of both CAS and Aztlan, answering only to the agreements of the Republic Executive and the Republic of Texas Assembly. A "Departmente de Culturas Tejas" (Department of Texas Culture) was established to "fix" the Texas history books, putting the Tejanos back into the CAS/Anglo versions of the texts, remove distortions from the Aztlan/Spanish texts, and to teach both the English and Spanish languages as well as govern bilingual and bicultural history, social topics, and cultural matters. Finally, Tejano forces could/would volunteer for a 1-year combat tour of duty for Aztlan in the Yucatan theater, establishing a mechanized "Brigada de Tejas" after which time South Tejas' military obligation to Aztlan would be concluded in perpetuity.

The president of the Republic of Texas (currently John Seguín, nearing the end of his first term) would also be a Senator in the CAS, creating some "special cases" that caused some minor annoyance to the other CAS member states. For instance, since Texas is also a sovereign Republic as well as a confederation member state, they fly their Texas flags at equal mast with the CAS flag (but only in Texas). In CAS national sporting events, Texas fields two teams (ones from Texas, and also ones from Tejas). Similarly, South Tejas has a Fútbol team that plays professional soccer in Aztlan. Some citizens of the Republic had dual identification papers, similar to corporate citizens who are also national citizens. Citizens of North Texas have two sets of papers (CAS as well as Republic of Texas papers) and SIN numbers. South Tejas only has Republic of Texas papers and SIN numbers.

The terms of the Seguín Treaty were deftly drafted to allow Aztlan to "save face" and yet still accomplish the primary Tejano goal of a south Texas, free of Aztechnology and Tenochitlán influence. Tejas was still ethnically Spanish speaking, not under the "Anglos," and yet it was free to determine its own future. It was now effectively a buffer zone between Aztlan and the CAS.

Criticism, Controversy, and Civil War
Not everybody liked the Treaty. Not only was the CAS extremely unsatisfied (they had fought to annex south Texas into the CAS); some especially virulently bigoted "Anglos" from North Texas were mad enough to fight. They established a group calling themselves the "Provisional Texas Ranger Company" (PTRC) and were formed from deserting elements of the CAS and Texas Ranger armed forces as well as civilian militias and volunteers. The Provos were against the Treaty and using the slogans, "One Star, One State" or "Austin for All of Us" declared war on the "Laredo Turncoats" on March 6, 2068 (the anniversary of the day the Alamo fell). The Provos stated that they sought to usurp the government of San Antonio and establish a united Republic of Texas.

The formal phase of the "Texas Civil War" was over within 2 months of the declaration. The "real" Ranger/CAS/Tejano troops crushed the Provos heavy armor and assets at the Battle of Midlothian on May 21st, 2068. However, the remanants of the Provos started a guerilla bombing and terrorist campaign in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. This, and their obviously bigotry based motivation (strong Humanis Policlub ties), turned neutral public opinion against them. By November, they had lost most of their public support, recruitment had fallen to nearly nothing, their safehouses went away (people either reported them or no longer offered them), and their leaders were arrested or assassinated one-by-one by shadow operatives hired from diverse places. After the winter and spring of 2069 passed without another bomb, the people and the press generally considered the Provos "defeated except for a few die-hard criminal elements."

Today
By 2070, Texas has now fully become one Republic comprised of two member states; North Texas and South Tejas. One of the telling indications of the mentality of the reunited Texans lies in the fact that the two member states of the Republic fly variants of the "Lone Star" flag. In North Texas, it's red, white, and blue with the five pointed star. In South Tejas, it's red, white, and green, with an eight pointed star. There's talk in the Dallas legislature of officially leaving the CAS again, just to be fully its own independent Republic, but this may just be talk. The Republic is much stronger "halfway" in the CAS and with Tejas "tentatively friendly" with Aztlan than it would be fully separated from it, and the people know it.

However, all is not perfect. The provos still occasionally make themselves known, Aztechnology and Aztlan aren't exactly happy with the "state" of things, the power sharing Executive and Assembly are always just a hair away from dissolving due to political disputes, and all the diverse problems native to the Sixth World are still present in the Lone Star Republic.

South Tejas Slang

Note I've changed some of these words slightly for what I needed by 2070. So they differ somewhat from today's slang.

Anglos
Usually just used for ethnically "white" folks or anybody not ethnically from a Spanish speaking people.

Charro
"real cowboy" - term for Tejano rural folk that live by working the land and/or animals. Once only referred to people that rode horses, worked cattle, and lived on haciendas, now just refers to "real country" folk. Similar to "redneck" but with much less focus of the negative connotations. Horses are less common these days, a good powered bike or off-road vehicle being more likely.

Cholo/Chongo
In South Tejas, this term roughly equates to "gangster" or "gang banger" and typically is used by Tejanos to refer to youth who prefer to retain their Aztlan images and manners of dress and speech

Codo
(slang) cheapskate, penny pincher

Criollo
Generally used in 2070 derogatively to refer to "pure blood" European (usually Spanish) descent Spanish speakers. The term has connotations of snobbish-ness and elitism against other Spanish speakers (aka "their own kind").

Cuate
(slang) My buddy (Literally 'fraternal twin')

Ese chango
(slang) "that guy over there" (literally "chango" is a monkey)

Fresa
(slang) used to mean "preppy" or "young, rich, and superficial." Almost always refers to middle or upper class folks, or lower class folks that are posers.

Gabacho/Gabo
Much less polite way to say "foreigner." "Anglo" is more neutral. "Gabacho" has taken the place of Gringo to mean "anyone not us" by Spanish speakers, with "Gringo" these days reserved for the Elves.

Gringos
Can both mean ethnically white or specifically Elves and other Awakened. These days the term has morphed again and usually just means Elves. According to legend, the term comes from the Anglo-Irish folk song "Green Grow the Rushes."

Gueras
(slang) blondie, fair (hair or skin), used insultingly it means Tejanos (usually girls) that want to be Gabachas

Híjole!
(exclamation) "Holy cow" or equivalent more vulgar version if used with more emphasis

Lana
(slang) Money

Naco
(slang) a crass, ill-mannered, vulgar person; someone with no class. Usually nacos are lower income/class or middle class that enjoy slumming. In English it approximates "redneck." It can also refer to someone with money, but no class.

Nuevo Tejano
New generation of Tejanos, usually that fought in the 2nd War of Texas Independence in some way

Órale
(slang) means "sounds good" or "wiz" or (depending on usage and context) "what the heck?!"

Pancho
(slang) A 2070 Tejano ganger, also the short form of the male name Francisco

Pendejo
(slang) a jerk, idiot, somebody you don't like (literally pubic hair)

Taco de ojo
(slang) somebody that's good to look at/beautiful/easy on the eyes but is off limits (literally the "taco of my eye")

Tejano
Primarily Spanish speaking citizen of the Republic of Texas (usually ethnically Aztlan/Spanish)

Tejano Hidalgo
The original Tejano families of South Texas that today have lots of money and form an unofficial "aristocratic" class. Often these families date back to Spanish rule or early Mexican rule in the early 1800s or have lots of money and connects (Harvard or Yale educated etc. Children who are almost all Doctors, Lawyers, and Business folks). Due to the propaganda program this term isn't used much in polite society, all Tejanos (hidalgos and nuevos) are collectively calling themselves Tejano these days.

Texian
Primarily English speaking citizen of the Republic of Texas (usually ethnically Anglo)

Texican
Primarily English speaking citizen of the Republic of Texas (usually ethnically Aztlan/Spanish)

Vaquero
(slang) "Buckaroo/Cowboy" - A term used to refer to especially "militantly patriotic" Nuevo Tejanos or Texians, usually young men. Typically identified by an abundance of "western" decorations on clothing in the south Texas style (Lone Star conchos, brown leather, boots, spurs, wide brimmed hats, ponchos, X-Cross ammo-belts, etc.). Rough english equivalent would be "rhinestone cowboy" or a form of charro poser.