[Xiomera]

Capantzina stared at the television, lips fixed into a snarl. The DTNS anchor on the screen continued speaking, undisturbed by the glare from half a world away.

"Once again, Xiomeran officials have announced that the ruler of the country, Empress Calhualyana, is expected to give birth to a set of twins within the next few weeks. The announcement was met with celebrations in Xiomera..."

A soft thunk cut off the announcer, as the remote control bounced off the TV screen and shut off the broadcast.

"Mother, I know why the news about that woman upsets you, but breaking the TV won't help," a voice chided gently. Tlacatli bent down to pick up the remote, placing it back on the end table and sitting in a chair next to his mother.

"It's not fair. She gets to sit on the throne she stole from your father, in the country we are exiled from, and now she is having children," Capantzina rasped. She continued to glower at the television, her thoughts as dark as the screen. "And she is having twins, no less! Sometimes I wonder if the gods are fair...." Her voice trailed off.

"I know that expression, mother. What are you thinking?" Tlacatli asked.

"We still have resources and contacts. Calhualyana thinks she is untouchable. And perhaps she is. But her devil spawn...they may not be." Capantzina tapped the end table next to her. "She took a husband and a son from me. I will have two of her loved ones in exchange. If the gods will not be just, I will make my own justice." Her gaze shifted to the wall, where pictures of Xochiuhue and Teoctli stared back.

[Xiomera]

If there was ever a place that could serve as the definition of "hole in the wall", Tezotla was that place.

The dusty establishment on the outskirts of Serriel City easily escaped the notice of those who were not already familiar with it. It was well-known, however, to Serriel's small Xiomeran community. It was a place where the food wasn't the attraction. The real reason for Tezotla's existence was as a place to do business without attracting undesirable notice.

Tlacatli sipped from a bottle of Zoyuco, a popular Xiomeran soda, and eyed the man across from him. "This business must be done with the utmost discretion."

"Discretion is what we specialize in. And we can do our work with utmost secrecy. But what you are asking is among the highest of challenges. You may not be asking us to take the head of the great snake, but taking the heads of the smaller snakes will be almost as difficult. We will require appropriate compensation." The other man sipped from his own bottle before taking a bite of food.

"And exactly how much are we talking about here?" Tlacatli asked warily.

"One million quetzals. Half up front, and the rest delivered to us once the task is complete." The other man calmly scooped a bit of Chicken Oxtotlan into his mouth. "That is not counting expenses, which will also be charged to you."

"Even for my family, that is quite the fee. What guarantee do we have that you're worth the cost?"

The other man smiled coolly. "If we weren't the best, you wouldn't have bothered to contact us. This is not a negotiation, my friend. Either you agree to the fee, or you risk your mission with lesser agents. Is your revenge not worth the cost?"

Tlacatli sighed, before sliding a payment card over to the other man. "When will you begin?"

"We began the moment you gave me this card. As soon as the little snakes appear, we shall ensure they are defanged. Permanently." The other man finished his chicken before standing up and walking away, without so much as a goodbye.

Tlacatli sighed again, sitting back in his chair.

---

Leaving the restaurant, Tenaloya smiled to himself. The agent of the Itan would report to his superiors in Huitzitaca as soon as the payment was processed. And then the real work would begin.

[Xiomera]

December 1st, 2022
Palace of Flowers

The Palace servant calmly walked through the hallways of the Imperial Family's chambers, carrying a wooden box on a serving tray. In appearance, she was no different from any other servant of the Imperial Household. Her long-sleeved, belted robe whispered slightly as she entered the nursery. The guards in attendance outside the nursery doors gave her a cursory nod as they opened the double doors. The doors closed silently behind the servant as she walked towards the area where the two newborn heirs to the throne of Xiomera were being attended to.

Two other servants were already there, tending to the babies. The new arrival grimaced mentally, though her face remained impassive. The presence of the others would prove to be a hindrance, but a minor one. She placed the box on a nearby table, opening it as if to take out baby care items. Before the other two servants could react, a pair of obsidian daggers flew through the air like silent arrows. The two servants fell, any outcry they may have made effectively silenced by the knives in their throats.

The third servant retrieved a third dagger from the box, swiftly dipping its tip into a glass bottle with a green liquid inside. She walked softly towards the two cribs, raising her dagger to strike.

As the dagger plunged towards the male child, a sudden force pushed it aside. It plunged into the crib wall, sticking into the wood. The assassin instinctively leaped away, barely avoiding a second offhand strike which would have caught her in the neck. The black-uniformed Imperial Guardsman, dagger in one hand and macuahuitl in the other, was already moving towards her. The assassin dodged left, away, and then right, towards her attacker. Ducking underneath his swing, she caught him under the chin with her own dagger. The Guardsman slumped silently to the ground, the poison on the blade taking immediate effect.

The assassin knew her time and luck were running out, however. The surveillance cameras in the nursery had already delivered the warning that the servants and guard could not. The assassin heard running steps, and then the alarm bells of the Palace ringing out. Just as the doors were bursting open, the assassin turned back to the cribs to complete her mission.

Just steps away from the infants, a sharp pain ripping into her calf caused the assassin to spin around. Several more Imperial Guardsmen were rushing into the nursery.

And in front of them, Empress Calhualyana stood, pulling a second dagger from her belt. The Empress waved the guards off, advancing coldly towards the assassin. The assassin shifted to a defensive posture, forcing her brain to ignore the pain from her leg. As Calhualyana advanced on her, she buckled to the left as if from pain, then slashed swiftly right in a sudden attack. The Empress dodged back, the poisoned blade catching part of her regalia and tearing it. "You'll have to do better than that," Calhualyana said, coolly circling the wounded assassin. The assassin didn't waste energy on speaking, shifting back on her good leg and trying to stay in front of the circling Empress. She made another attempt to strike, only to have Calhualyana parry the attack and slam the second dagger into her thigh. The assassin fell to the ground, both legs effectively disabled.

Calhualyana gestured to one of the guards, who handed her another dagger. The Empress began walking back towards the assassin. "I know you're probably trained to resist torture, but I will spend my life finding new and exciting ways to make you feel pain if you do not tell me who sent you."

The assassin laughed in response, the only sound she had made the whole time. With a sudden movement, she pulled something out of her sleeve and swallowed it. The Empress cursed and ran to her, in a futile attempt to make the assassin spit out what she had swallowed. A small vial, containing a single remaining pill, rolled from the assassin's hand as she began to spasm violently. Within seconds, the spasms stopped. The Empress checked her pulse, then cursed again in a particularly vile way.

Calhualyana stood up, rushing over to check on her babies. Both of them, thankfully, were fine. The Empress then picked up the assassin's poisoned dagger, careful not to touch the blade. "The two guards who let this attacker into my babies' nursery should know what I require them to do with this dagger," she told the Imperial Guards captain. The captain swallowed nervously, also taking care not to touch the blade as he walked out. A few seconds later, the sound of two loud thumps hitting the floor echoed in the silence.

"Get Minister Quihichua and the heads of all of our intelligence and security agencies on a conference call with me in the next five minutes," the Empress snapped to her steward. "And find another place within the Palace to outfit as a new nursery. One that is more secure. And triple the security contingent present once my children are moved. Also, summon Imperial Security immediately to secure this," she added, kicking the assassin's body. The Imperial Steward nodded grimly, running off to fulfill the demands of his Empress.

Calhualyana looked back down at her children, her face chiseled from stone. Some coward is targeting my children, instead of daring to face me. They are going to regret that.

[Xiomera]

Palace of Flowers
December 1st, 2022
8 PM Xiomeran time

In the morning, Calhualyana had faced an assassin. In the evening, the Empress faced another challenge: the cameras of the media.

A hastily called press conference found Calhualyana on the front steps of the Palace, which was bathed in golden light. The rest of the Palace grounds had their lights turned off, causing the Palace itself to glow like a beacon in the pitch-black night. The Empress was clad in her full Imperial regalia, its black and gold splendor matching her surroundings. Her facial expression was as dark as the evening surrounding her Palace as she began.

"Good evening. I come before the Xiomeran people with shameful and disgusting news. I shall not sugarcoat it. Earlier today, an assassin of unknown origin entered the Palace of Flowers, disguised as a servant, and attempted to murder my two children."

The normally jaded assemblage of reporters broke out into gasps; this was beyond the pale even for them. "The assassin was, thankfully, thwarted by our security personnel. One Imperial Guardsman, sadly, gave his life in the ultimate sacrifice to protect the children. That Guardsman, Xilochel, will be honored and remembered for all time as a brave and loyal servant of the Empire."

Xiyāōtl, the husband of the Empress, stood grimly next to her as she continued.

"We do not yet know who is behind this assault upon innocent babies, which is utterly depraved and beyond the bounds of humanity. But I can assure you, we will find out. These cowards, who would rather attack children in their cribs than face adults who can fight back, will face the full power and fury of Imperial justice, no matter who they are. We cannot rule out foreign involvement, either. Nations such as Eiria, Lauchenoiria and Milintica have openly and frequently expressed their hatred for Xiomera. Their Huenyan puppets have threatened to force Xiomera into their so-called Federation, whether Xiomerans want it or not. Who knows how far they might go to attack us? All of the nations I just mentioned either have in the past, or are now, committing acts of grave violence against us and our society. One of those nations, in the belief of our intelligence agencies, has even attempted to poison me in the past. We are working to produce undeniable proof of these acts, and will present them at the appropriate time."

The crowd grew even more vocal, murmuring, when Calhualyana announced that someone had tried to poison her. 

"We will find out who is behind these cowardly and craven attacks against us. And when we do, they had best pray that whatever gods they worship show them mercy, for we will not," Calhualyana said as a sharp wind whipped up the Xiomeran flags behind her.

"To the Xiomeran people, I assure you that we are secure. We have defeated these shameful attacks in the past, and will continue to do so. Even if half the world is against us, Xiomera will stand tall and proud, and we will not be defeated either by enemies who dare to confront us, or who hide in the shadows like the rats they are."

With that, the Empress and her husband turned to walk back into the Palace, ignoring the wave of questions from the crowd.

[Xiomera]

After the quick response by the Eirian chancellor, the rest of the UCS was immediate in their response as well.

In Chuaztlapoc, Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli issued a statement on behalf of the government. "The attempted assassination of the children of the Xiomeran ruler is horrific and barbaric and the Huenyan Federation utterly condemns such actions. Children should never be the pawns in anyone's games of power or revenge. We hope for the continued safety of the two children. With that, however, we must also completely reject the accusation by the Empress that Huenya is somehow connected to this malevolent action. The Huenyan Federation has a code of honor and ethics which would make such an action by any Huenyan totally illegal. We urge whoever is actually behind this heinous act to cease their attempts to harm innocent children who should not face unearned consequences due to the accident of their parentage."

In order to avoid undermining the Vice-Speaker, Texōccoatl issued no formal statement of his own on the matter. However, reporters made their way to Xomaxtli Hill, and in her characteristic fashion, Yauhmi didn't mince her words. "Of course, no one should target children, and if someone did actually try to harm two innocent babies, they should be punished in the harshest fashion for it. However, I cannot help but consider Calhualyana a hypocrite on this matter, which is her usual attitude. After all, during the civil war, she and her fellow coup plotters tried to imprison my own grandson, who was just 11 at the time. They also tossed thousands of people, including babies and small children, into internment camps where they were brutalized and imprisoned by her goons and by foreign mercenaries. Her children shouldn't suffer from the sins of their mother. However, Calhualyana, to be frank, did target children first. She shouldn't be surprised that someone she targeted in the past is now angry enough, or insane enough, to do the same. But Huenya is not run by madmen or belligerent morons. We did not do this, and I hope for the best for her children and that her goons rediscover their competence enough to protect them moving forward."

In Milintica, Minister Neina Arana decided to one-up Yauhmi with her own statement, on behalf of the far-left wing of the MPP. "Calhualyana targets children for her crimes all the time. Where is the outrage for the children in Huenya who suffered during their civil war? Where is the outrage for the children of Auria who are still suffering because of the war Calhualyana forced to happen there? I care far more for those children than I do for the gilded offspring of an evil monarchy who will simply grow up to be as bad as their hellspawn of a mother, or even worse. We might be better off, frankly, if the assassins succeed and prevent the continuation of a Xiomeran monarchy that only promises to do us all harm in the future with its evil plots and schemes. If it saves thousands of Milintican children in the future, I would happily sacrifice these two future demons for their sake."

The statement from Arana, which was made before President Matōchmizalo even had a chance to issue his own official statement, left the government scrambling to do damage control. "We disavow any statements by any Milintican that encourage or accept violence against children. No one should ever target innocent babies in their cribs, whatever the reason. The Milintican government regrets that anyone would seek to harm two infants, in any way or fashion, for whatever cause. We condemn such actions and state unequivocally that this government had absolutely no hand in it. We sincerely hope that the Xiomeran government is able to protect the children and catch whoever is responsible for this incident. If it is found that any Milintican citizen, acting rogue, is behind this, the full weight of the laws of the DPRM will fall on them."

Matōchmizalo's statement did not name Arana directly because he was still trying to keep the peace between Arana's wing of the MPP and the larger party. But the Minister had defied his orders and the will of the party leadership, and racked up censures for it, for too long. There would have to be a reckoning behind the scenes.

[Xiomera]

Palace of Flowers
December 18th, 2022

The Empress stared expectantly at Tochuitli, the Minister of Security. "You called this meeting stating that you had a lead on who is trying to kill my children." Calhualyana raised an eyebrow coolly as she looked at the Minister. "Imperial Intelligence handles foreign intelligence. Was this not a matter that you could have left to Imperial Security?"

Tochuitli smiled slightly in response. "Well, your Majesty, as Imperial Security had not yet found the assassins, or their backers, I felt that the more eyes on the matter, the better." Sitting next to him, Loyalty Minister Quihichua bristled. "We have been working as hard as we can to find the threat. I assure you that Imperial Security is pursuing all possible leads."

"And yet, the attempts on my childrens' lives continue. They almost got my son, last time. The scratch on his face is proof of that. We are just lucky an antidote was on stock at the Palace infirmary." Calhualyana's voice darkened. "Or, I should say, you were lucky."

As Quihichua squirmed, the Empress turned to Tochuitli. "I do value officers who show initiative. Very well. Present your information."

Tochuitli nodded, his voice taking on a few more measures of oil as he swept into his presentation. "As you know, your Majesty, a major stumbling block of the investigation has been that every single assassin we have discovered has had no identifying information we can use at all. No fingerprints. No information from DNA in our databases. No record by photo in any of our databases - it's as if these men and women have never been identified as living in the Empire despite clearly being Xiomeran. We have been chasing shadows with no names, which should have been impossible given our identity records of our citizens."

"It is impossible," Quihichua snapped. "And yet, it has happened," Tochuitli replied with a slight sneer. "I believe we - IIA, that is - now know why."

Calhualyana's narrowed gaze was all the signal she gave to go on. It was enough. "We have traced the individuals in question through an analysis of the food content in their bodies at the time of autopsy, as well as trace elements one would gain from water and air in a particular area. When you live in a certain place for a long time, its environment shapes you for better or worse. Those things can be tracked, and traced. We believe from our analysis that all of these assassins spent considerable time, probably most of their lives, in the Oatcolzan region."

At the mention of Oatcolzan, Quihichua's quiet scoffing turned into open and mocking laughter. "The Itan. You're seriously resurrecting an old fairy tale to try to explain what is happening here?"

"Everything fits," Tochuitli said stubbornly. "The way these assassins seemingly appear and disappear like ghosts. The way none of them show up in our identity banks. The skill the assassins show, which rivals that of the very best Imperial men and women at arms. The linkages to Oatcolzan. I believe the Itan exist, and that someone has hired them to kill our royal babies."

The Empress paused in thought for a very long time, waving the other two to silence. After several minutes, in which the nervous Ministers almost imagined that they could hear the gears coldly whirring in the head of the Empress, she finally spoke. "If you believe this theory, Tochuitli, where are they?"

Ouihichua barked in shocked laughter again. "Surely you don't believe this old wives' tale about mystical assassins, your Majesty!"

"What I believe in is sound theories, evidence, chains of correlation. Tochuitli has them, however outlandish they may sound. I would love to hear yours....oh, dear. You don't have any, do you?" the Empress purred in what both Ministers recognized as her shut-up-or-die voice. Quihichua quickly stopped speaking as if someone had slapped a muzzle on her. "Go on, Tochuitli."

"Oatcolzan is where we will find them. After centuries of hiding behind legend and shadows, we will unmask them. Technology will be their undoing. They may have managed to elude the world, except for their clients, for all this time. But that's over now. Let me task Imperial Intelligence to the task of finding their exact location, your Majesty. And then we will end these attacks on your family, I promise you."

"Very well....find them for me, and then I will order Imperial Security and the Army to rout them out of wherever they have been hiding for all this time. If the Itan do exist after all, they will discover that ancient legends won't save them from cold and current reality." Calhualyana waved at the two Ministers to leave.

---

From a Xiomeran dictionary: "ITAN, THE. - The Itan were a legendary clan of assassins and cutthroats, which historically were linked to the city of Oatcolzan. The first mention of the Itan occurs in historical stories from the 1100 AD period, in which merchants from Tlālacuetztla hired them to eliminate rivals in the city of Huitzitaca. In 1373 AD, according to legend, the Itan opposed the rise to power of Emperor Quiauhticue and were routed in a pitched battle in Tlālacuetztla. The group fled back to Oatcolzan, and from there faded from history except for stories and legends of their alleged continued existence and use by elite Xiomerans who know how to contact them.

Agents of the Itan, according to histories, were known as "Brothers" or "Sisters". Higher-ranking members took on other family titles such as "Uncle", "Father" or "Mother". The leader of the Itan was known as the "Grandfather". Legend states that these family titles were used to reinforce the fact that once someone joined the Itan, it became their new family and they were never to contact their old one ever again.

Agents of the Itan were said to possess master-level skills with bladed and thrown weapons, as well as extensive knowledge of poisons and toxins."

[Lauchenoiria]

Transcript of Press Conference, Fleura House, December 1st 2022

Press Secretary Juliana Ortega: Thank you all for coming. I will now be reading a pre-prepared statement from President Emilia Obando. "Lauchenoiria fully and wholeheartedly condemns the attack on Empress Calhualyana of Xiomera's children. While we may have our differences with the Xiomeran administration, it is never acceptable to target innocent children. We have a long history in Lauchenoiria of standing against the idea that the sins of the father are the sins of the son, and we are dismayed that it was ever suggested we could have had a hand in such an attack. For the avoidance of any doubt, I will state categorically that Lauchenoiria had nothing to do with this attempt on the lives of the babies. Despite our political differences, our thoughts are with the family following this attack and any emotional turmoil that followed." End of statement.

Clamouring of reporters attempting to shout questions over each other. Ortega points to front row, second from left.

Daniel Serrano, Lauchenoirian Guardian: Given the widespread human rights abuses said to be being committed by Calhualyana's regime, is it really appropriate to express sympathy with such a woman?

Ortega: The President's sympathies lie with the mother who almost lost her children, not with the political leader.

Serrano: They're the same thing, aren't they?

Ortega: I will remind the room that despite the differences between our country and Yauhmi, her torture at the hands of Xochiuhue's regime was widely condemned by our government and every single media outlet represented in this room. This is no different: we can express concern towards an individual for their sufferings without agreeing with their politics. Molina?

Luana Molina, Lauchenoirian Broadcasting Company: What is your response to the statement from Neina Arana of Milintica that she would 'happily sacrifice' the children? Is this indicative of Milintican involvement?

Ortega: We have no intelligence suggesting the involvement of Milintica or any other nation or group at this time. Ruiz? Provided you stay on topic this time.

Josep Ruiz, Seahaven Star: Is it true President Obando is attending a secret meeting of world leaders on a cruise ship to discuss the forced vaccination of hundreds of-

Ortega: Sir, do you have an on-topic question?

Ruiz: -stateless orphans in order to make them more docile?

Ortega: I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Does anyone else-

Ruiz: This is on topic! You said Obando thinks children are sweet and innocent and yet she is part of this plot to forcibly ALTER THE BRAINS OF-

Ortega: Mr Ruiz, you have been warned on numerous occasions that if you continue to disrupt press conferences I will have security escort you out.

Ruiz: Oh, will you? That's just because you're trying to SILENCE THE TRUTH. Listen to Paul Doberman everybody! He knows what he's talking about! It's the Kerlians you see, it's always the Kerlians!

Ruiz is removed from the room by security. Several reporters from internet-based news outlets attempt to photograph this while laughing and are told to put their phones away.

[Xiomera]

Fortress of Xochima
Oatcolzan, Xiomera

Grandfather Tzinezin woke up on the morning of January 1st, 2023 as he always did. He got up from the spare mattress that was his bed, the pallet underneath creaking slightly. He then proceeded to bathe and dress in the simple black robes that were his typical garb. He had a cup of black coffee and a piece of toast, and then did a set of morning calisthenics that should have been challenging for a man his age, but weren't. He then walked downstairs to the chamber where he met with his council, the Fathers and Mothers of the Itan.

To the outside world, the occupants of this fortress were known as the Tlumilca, a humble priestly order of the Teotzin. And indeed, they did the usual religious and charitable work one would expect from such a group of holy men and women. Their other occupation - being the premier assassins of Xiomera - was the profitable sideline that kept the order running. It was also their true purpose since ancient times.

As Tzinezin sat down with the leaders of the Itan, the alarm bells of the ancient fortress began to ring. This had never happened before, except as a test. The other leaders of the Itan began looking around in questioning; Tzinezin remained seated and calm. He knew the answer would come to him, rather than him having to seek it. Soon enough, an acolyte came running into the chamber, giving a short bow. "There are men outside the fortress. Hundreds of them. From the Army," he said. Tzinezin raised a single eyebrow. "Send Nacamali to find out why they are here. Assuming, of course, they are here to talk."

The acolyte nodded, rushing out of the room as the bells continued to toll. After several minutes, Nacamali, the personal guard to Tzinezin, walked in. "Grandfather, it is a group of soldiers and Imperial Guards. They are being led by the Empress herself. She demands to speak with you."

"She actually came here herself," Tzinezin murmured to himself. "Let her in. Bring her to the chamber."

Nacamali left the room, to return several more minutes later with Calhualyana beside her. A troop of fully armed Imperial Guards, rifles at ready position, entered behind her. "Your Majesty, welcome to Xochima. I am Tzinezin, as you no doubt know. How can the order of the Tlumilca help you?"

"You can start by dropping the pretense....Grandfather," the Empress replied calmly. The room had already been quiet, but it now became silent as the grave upon the use of that title.

"I am no grandfather, Majesty," Tzinezin said. "We of the Tlumilca take no spouses and bear no children."

"Perhaps, but those of the Itan do, and again, it is best that we drop the pretense now." Calhualyana looked squarely at the older man. Tzinezin's eyes narrowed. After a moment, he raised his hand. "Everyone, leave us. I believe the Empress and I have much to discuss." The other assassins filed out, followed by the Imperial Guards at a gesture from Calhualyana. Soon, the two of them were alone.

"So, you figured us out. After so many centuries, I am impressed that you discovered us. But that may not be a good thing, for you at least. You're brave to come here, but possibly also foolish. I could have your throat slit before you even leave this chamber, Empress."

Calhualyana laughed in response. "You possibly could. But I could also blow your head off as soon as you gave that order, and then have this fortress bombed to rubble from the skies. I can assure you that those orders are already given, should I meet an unexpected demise here. Technology is a wonderful thing - helicopters, fighter jets and bombers can do much to level the playing field when dealing with a nest of assassins. Technology is also what enabled us to finally find you, after so long." Calhualyana tossed a folder onto the table in front of Tzinezin. He opened it, to find pictures of the assassins he had sent after the royal heirs. Tzinezin sighed, closing the folder. "Technology is indeed wonderful - we have adapted it to our own needs over the years. Will it be necessary for us to demonstrate how well we have done so today against your Imperial Guards?"

"I certainly hope not. You may think I have come here to punish you for trying to kill my children. And, indeed, I want and need those attacks to stop. I will do whatever it takes, in fact, to make them stop." The Empress smiled. "But I don't have to achieve that goal in an ugly fashion. I didn't come here to kill you, Tzinezin. I want you to join me. Enter Imperial service. Eliminate the enemies of the Empire."

Tzinezin laughed. "We were banished by the Empire centuries ago.  Quiauhticue forced us out, and tried to destroy us. We have been enemies of the Crown since then. Why would we serve you now?"

"If the alternative is utter destruction, it seems only logical. Think about it. You'll kill a good many of my soldiers, and possibly even me, if you fight today. But you will die, and so will your order. The Itan will cease to exist today if you fight me. That, I can guarantee." Calhualyana paused. "Or, you can live on. I hate to waste talent, and there is no denying the talents of the Itan. You came within seconds of killing my son. As angry as that made me, I admire the skill involved. The Itan has delivered death for centuries, but for once, I suggest you choose life. And, I might add, profit. In far greater measure than anyone else can offer you."

Tzinezin thought for a long moment. "You must guarantee we will be given amnesty for any previous work we have done, including that concerning your children. We must also retain the autonomy to take on our own independent missions outside of Imperial service. And I will not accept any Imperial Security or Imperial Intelligence minders. I deal only with you, or I will take my chances fighting."

"This is acceptable to me. As long as any other missions you undertake do not conflict with Imperial goals or operations, you will be free to undertake them. Do we have an agreement?" Calhualyana paused. Now was the deciding moment.

Tzinezin finally nodded. "How do we finalize our....agreement?"

"With what else? A sacrifice," Calhualyana replied.

---

Serriel City
January 5th, 2023

Tlacatli entered the room in a rush, having forced the door. There had been no answer to his calls, and now he knew why. He stopped in shock.

Capantzina, wife of Xochiuhue, lay quite dead on the floor. The bargain had been sealed.