03-30-2024, 07:57 AM
General Xiuhhuani Defense Center, Tlālacuetztla
It began with a meeting of some of Xiomera's most militaristic minds.
The subject was one that had been keeping them awake at night: the future of the Empire.
"It is clear that we have reached an inflection point," Xiyāōtl told his audience. The Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Navy (and leader of the General Staff, not to mention the husband of the Empress), waved his hand. "Our soldiers, sailors and airmen are among the best and bravest in the world. Our technology is the equal of anyone we may face on the battlefield. Our resources and our industry give us a commanding position among the nations of the world. But we must realize something - none of that matters. None of that is enough. As things stand now, Xiomera will never build the new Empire that our people deserve and that we have promised them. The odds against us are simply too steep."
Xiyāōtl's audience murmured in discomfort and disbelief, and even a little anger. It was practically a matter of faith for these men and women that Xiomera was a superior nation and people, and that the Empire could bat aside any foe that would deny it its destiny. Hearing one of Xiomera's top military men puncture that belief was a painful blow.
"I can see that this is not what you want to hear," Xiyāōtl said. "But we must face painful realities, or we will never overcome them. Yes, we are powerful. But so are other nations. Our opponents in the world also have brave and capable soldiers. They also have technology, and resources. And when they band together, as they are with increasing frequency, they also have numbers. Numbers sufficient to overwhelm us. For the new Empire we desire to rise, we must begin thinking in a much bigger way. We must move beyond our existing conceptions and self-imposed limitations. We must explore whatever avenue we must, and do whatever it takes, to overcome the advantages that the numerous rabble we face present against us."
"And how, exactly, do you propose to do that?" Tenoch, the Marshal of the Imperial Army, raised his eyebrow. "What more can we do than what we are already doing?"
Xiyāōtl smiled. "We can embrace our longstanding tradition as a leader of innovation and advancement, and turn that to its proper and rightful place as the force that advances our Empire forward. We can also learn from our history, though. Marshal Aztacael, how are Shorn Ones created?"
Aztacael, the Marshal of the Special Forces, shrugged. "They train their warriors from childhood, and they adopt particularly promising orphan children as well. But why do you bring up those traitors who fled to Huenya?"
Xiyāōtl's smile grew sharper and wider. "Because we never should have stopped doing that once the Shorn Ones turned tail and ran from us. Why aren't we doing that with our own Special Forces?" As those in the room murmured once more, Xiyāōtl continued. "Let me bring up another example, this time from Kerlile. Their Aurora program created warriors that put fear in the hearts of just about every leader in this world. And that was from a small, poor country. Imagine what Xiomera could do, with our wealth and our technology, if we put it to such a use."
Chuanacoyo, the Minister of Defense, sighed. "The Auroras proved to be, shall we say, unreliable at best. And the Shorn Ones all abandoned us. These do not seem promising foundations for whatever you are proposing."
Xiyāōtl shook his head. "That is a narrow vision, built on fear and the failures of others. Think bigger! We can begin raising promising children from the families of our Warriors of Tezcatlipōca and Warriors of Huītzilōpōchtli, shaping and molding them as future warriors just as the Shorn Ones do. But we can do even more. We can ensure the proper pairing of parents to ensure that desirable genetic, physical and mental traits are passed on to these future warriors. We can ensure from their cradle their unswerving and unwavering loyalty to our Empire. At the same time, we can make improvements to the special forces we already have."
"Improvements? What do you mean?" Aztacael asked.
"Biological improvements. Chemical and pharmaceutical improvements. Cybernetics. AI! There are so many avenues that we can pursue to create truly superior warriors." Xiyāōtl's eyes shone with the fervor of a true believer. "We just have to be willing to seize those opportunities. We can begin by taking volunteers who are willing to undergo enhancements from the ranks of our special forces, and expand from there."
"And who will lead such an effort?" Aztacael asked.
"The person who presented this idea to me," Xiyāōtl replied. "Dr. Ezmina with the Advanced Research Division of the Ministry of Science. She is convinced that a comprehensive program of enhancing our warriors is the only way to give us the edge we need to surpass our enemies once and for all. I agree with her."
"We're not the only ones you need to convince," Huelixiuh spoke up. The Marshal of the Air Force shook his head. "The Empress, as we all know, was never a fan of the Auroras. What makes you think she will embrace a much bigger and broader program? Beyond the fact that you're her husband, that is."
Xiyāōtl laughed. "Because what other choice do we have? Our enemies outnumber us and are determined to halt the rise of our new Empire. They are prepared to do much to stop us. We must be prepared to do more than they will ever dare or dream to - literally anything, if it comes to that. My wife the Empress knows that we must be prepared to sacrifice anything and everything to achieve that dream - she was the architect of that dream! She knows what it will require, what it will cost us. In the end, she will see the wisdom of this plan. But this is where all of you come in. I need you in my corner, to support this plan and encourage her to accept it. I firmly believe that the future of this Empire, and the future of our people, depend on it."
Aztacael sighed after a moment. "For the Empire to continue and to grow, all of us must be prepared to do whatever we must. I will back your plan."
One by one, the rest of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense echoed Aztacael. They were committed to a risky course of action. They would seek to convince Calhualyana to adopt a plan that would go against everything the Empress believed in about the basic form and existence of humanity. But as Xiyāōtl had said, they didn't see any other choice for the Xiomeran Empire. Either it would seek to break the bounds of what defined a warrior, or it would stagnate and die at the hands of a multitude of enemies and rivals.
It began with a meeting of some of Xiomera's most militaristic minds.
The subject was one that had been keeping them awake at night: the future of the Empire.
"It is clear that we have reached an inflection point," Xiyāōtl told his audience. The Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Navy (and leader of the General Staff, not to mention the husband of the Empress), waved his hand. "Our soldiers, sailors and airmen are among the best and bravest in the world. Our technology is the equal of anyone we may face on the battlefield. Our resources and our industry give us a commanding position among the nations of the world. But we must realize something - none of that matters. None of that is enough. As things stand now, Xiomera will never build the new Empire that our people deserve and that we have promised them. The odds against us are simply too steep."
Xiyāōtl's audience murmured in discomfort and disbelief, and even a little anger. It was practically a matter of faith for these men and women that Xiomera was a superior nation and people, and that the Empire could bat aside any foe that would deny it its destiny. Hearing one of Xiomera's top military men puncture that belief was a painful blow.
"I can see that this is not what you want to hear," Xiyāōtl said. "But we must face painful realities, or we will never overcome them. Yes, we are powerful. But so are other nations. Our opponents in the world also have brave and capable soldiers. They also have technology, and resources. And when they band together, as they are with increasing frequency, they also have numbers. Numbers sufficient to overwhelm us. For the new Empire we desire to rise, we must begin thinking in a much bigger way. We must move beyond our existing conceptions and self-imposed limitations. We must explore whatever avenue we must, and do whatever it takes, to overcome the advantages that the numerous rabble we face present against us."
"And how, exactly, do you propose to do that?" Tenoch, the Marshal of the Imperial Army, raised his eyebrow. "What more can we do than what we are already doing?"
Xiyāōtl smiled. "We can embrace our longstanding tradition as a leader of innovation and advancement, and turn that to its proper and rightful place as the force that advances our Empire forward. We can also learn from our history, though. Marshal Aztacael, how are Shorn Ones created?"
Aztacael, the Marshal of the Special Forces, shrugged. "They train their warriors from childhood, and they adopt particularly promising orphan children as well. But why do you bring up those traitors who fled to Huenya?"
Xiyāōtl's smile grew sharper and wider. "Because we never should have stopped doing that once the Shorn Ones turned tail and ran from us. Why aren't we doing that with our own Special Forces?" As those in the room murmured once more, Xiyāōtl continued. "Let me bring up another example, this time from Kerlile. Their Aurora program created warriors that put fear in the hearts of just about every leader in this world. And that was from a small, poor country. Imagine what Xiomera could do, with our wealth and our technology, if we put it to such a use."
Chuanacoyo, the Minister of Defense, sighed. "The Auroras proved to be, shall we say, unreliable at best. And the Shorn Ones all abandoned us. These do not seem promising foundations for whatever you are proposing."
Xiyāōtl shook his head. "That is a narrow vision, built on fear and the failures of others. Think bigger! We can begin raising promising children from the families of our Warriors of Tezcatlipōca and Warriors of Huītzilōpōchtli, shaping and molding them as future warriors just as the Shorn Ones do. But we can do even more. We can ensure the proper pairing of parents to ensure that desirable genetic, physical and mental traits are passed on to these future warriors. We can ensure from their cradle their unswerving and unwavering loyalty to our Empire. At the same time, we can make improvements to the special forces we already have."
"Improvements? What do you mean?" Aztacael asked.
"Biological improvements. Chemical and pharmaceutical improvements. Cybernetics. AI! There are so many avenues that we can pursue to create truly superior warriors." Xiyāōtl's eyes shone with the fervor of a true believer. "We just have to be willing to seize those opportunities. We can begin by taking volunteers who are willing to undergo enhancements from the ranks of our special forces, and expand from there."
"And who will lead such an effort?" Aztacael asked.
"The person who presented this idea to me," Xiyāōtl replied. "Dr. Ezmina with the Advanced Research Division of the Ministry of Science. She is convinced that a comprehensive program of enhancing our warriors is the only way to give us the edge we need to surpass our enemies once and for all. I agree with her."
"We're not the only ones you need to convince," Huelixiuh spoke up. The Marshal of the Air Force shook his head. "The Empress, as we all know, was never a fan of the Auroras. What makes you think she will embrace a much bigger and broader program? Beyond the fact that you're her husband, that is."
Xiyāōtl laughed. "Because what other choice do we have? Our enemies outnumber us and are determined to halt the rise of our new Empire. They are prepared to do much to stop us. We must be prepared to do more than they will ever dare or dream to - literally anything, if it comes to that. My wife the Empress knows that we must be prepared to sacrifice anything and everything to achieve that dream - she was the architect of that dream! She knows what it will require, what it will cost us. In the end, she will see the wisdom of this plan. But this is where all of you come in. I need you in my corner, to support this plan and encourage her to accept it. I firmly believe that the future of this Empire, and the future of our people, depend on it."
Aztacael sighed after a moment. "For the Empire to continue and to grow, all of us must be prepared to do whatever we must. I will back your plan."
One by one, the rest of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense echoed Aztacael. They were committed to a risky course of action. They would seek to convince Calhualyana to adopt a plan that would go against everything the Empress believed in about the basic form and existence of humanity. But as Xiyāōtl had said, they didn't see any other choice for the Xiomeran Empire. Either it would seek to break the bounds of what defined a warrior, or it would stagnate and die at the hands of a multitude of enemies and rivals.
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