04-20-2020, 05:56 AM
Pearson Country Club, Litudinem, Libertas Omnium Maximus
April 10th, 2020 - Morning
Lucas Brown, President of Libertas Omnium Maximus, took a deep breath, checking one last time to make sure that his angle was correct, before swinging his club towards the tee. His 7-Iron connected perfectly with the golf ball, sending the small white orb high into the air. Brown wiped a glob of sweat from his brow as the golf ball descended towards the green.
"An excellent shot, Mr. President!" announced Hugh Burton, the Maximuisan Secretary of Defense, before stepping up to the tee to make his own shot. "I have my work cut out for me."
Brown smiled and returned to the golf cart, desperately seeking shelter from the blazing sun above. He took a seat next to Tom, his personal golf caddy, and sipped from a can of his favorite sweetened ice tea. Days on the golf course were always a treat for the president. They gave him a much-needed respite from his highly stressful work environment and allowed him to be, for the most part, alone with his thoughts. Today, however, things were different. Brown was having a very difficult time relaxing with the knowledge that one of the most important events in Xiomeran history was taking place.
"Harvey," the President asked one of his bodyguards quietly, not wishing to disturb the Secretary of Defense while he took his shot, "could you check to see how the Xiomeran Huenyan Assembly went? It has surely started by now. Just let me know what has been discussed so far."
Wordlessly, the bodyguard retrieved a tablet from his coat and tapped away at it for a few seconds. Looking confused, Harvey tapped away at the device for a few seconds more before turning to face Brown.
"Mr. President, all outgoing communications from Xiomeran media have ceased. We don't have any idea what is going on."
Without batting an eye, the president was back in business mode. A thousand different scenarios flashed through Brown's head, all ones that he would have liked to avoid. Regardless of what he would have liked or wanted, however, the realities of the situation could not have been clearer. He was going to have to call his golf game a draw. Something was going down in Xiomera and, whatever it was, it wasn't good.
One hour later
"Just when I thought things were really starting to turn around in Xiomera!" exclaimed Brown as he stared in awe at the television screen. The enlarged face of General Xōchhuitl seemed to stare directly at the president, daring him to try to think of a way to fix things.
The broadcast abruptly cut off upon the conclusion of Xōchhuitl's statements, plunging the president's office into an oppressive silence. Dumbfounded, Brown's personal secretary opened her mouth as if to speak, only to close it a second later. Running one hand along the side of his 217-year-old mahogany desk, the President of Libertas Omnium Maximus allowed himself to fall into a contemplative state. His response to this coup would have to be calculated. If he had learned anything in his three-decade political career, it was that acting before understanding all of the facts only could lead to disaster.
Brown's reaction to this coup, which would be long overdue in just a few hours, would need to reflect this bit of wisdom he had picked up. His initial reaction, of course, was to condemn the nationalist coterie attempting to pass itself off as a provisional government. Yauhmi, while imperfect, to say the least, had at least been making some semblance of an attempt to democratize the nation. This junta will likely undo any and all work she has done and see to it that the nation never makes another attempt at democracy. With this in mind, the logical decision would be to unequivocally condemn the actions of and cut ties with Xōchhuitl's government. On the other hand, doing much more than condemning the provisional government could have economic ramifications. The duty of a president is, in its most fundamental form, to look after the interests of his people. The people of Libertas Omnium Maximus came first. The people of Xiomera came second. Whatever his response was, he was going to need to keep that simple fact in mind.
April 10th, 2020 - Morning
Lucas Brown, President of Libertas Omnium Maximus, took a deep breath, checking one last time to make sure that his angle was correct, before swinging his club towards the tee. His 7-Iron connected perfectly with the golf ball, sending the small white orb high into the air. Brown wiped a glob of sweat from his brow as the golf ball descended towards the green.
"An excellent shot, Mr. President!" announced Hugh Burton, the Maximuisan Secretary of Defense, before stepping up to the tee to make his own shot. "I have my work cut out for me."
Brown smiled and returned to the golf cart, desperately seeking shelter from the blazing sun above. He took a seat next to Tom, his personal golf caddy, and sipped from a can of his favorite sweetened ice tea. Days on the golf course were always a treat for the president. They gave him a much-needed respite from his highly stressful work environment and allowed him to be, for the most part, alone with his thoughts. Today, however, things were different. Brown was having a very difficult time relaxing with the knowledge that one of the most important events in Xiomeran history was taking place.
"Harvey," the President asked one of his bodyguards quietly, not wishing to disturb the Secretary of Defense while he took his shot, "could you check to see how the Xiomeran Huenyan Assembly went? It has surely started by now. Just let me know what has been discussed so far."
Wordlessly, the bodyguard retrieved a tablet from his coat and tapped away at it for a few seconds. Looking confused, Harvey tapped away at the device for a few seconds more before turning to face Brown.
"Mr. President, all outgoing communications from Xiomeran media have ceased. We don't have any idea what is going on."
Without batting an eye, the president was back in business mode. A thousand different scenarios flashed through Brown's head, all ones that he would have liked to avoid. Regardless of what he would have liked or wanted, however, the realities of the situation could not have been clearer. He was going to have to call his golf game a draw. Something was going down in Xiomera and, whatever it was, it wasn't good.
One hour later
"Just when I thought things were really starting to turn around in Xiomera!" exclaimed Brown as he stared in awe at the television screen. The enlarged face of General Xōchhuitl seemed to stare directly at the president, daring him to try to think of a way to fix things.
The broadcast abruptly cut off upon the conclusion of Xōchhuitl's statements, plunging the president's office into an oppressive silence. Dumbfounded, Brown's personal secretary opened her mouth as if to speak, only to close it a second later. Running one hand along the side of his 217-year-old mahogany desk, the President of Libertas Omnium Maximus allowed himself to fall into a contemplative state. His response to this coup would have to be calculated. If he had learned anything in his three-decade political career, it was that acting before understanding all of the facts only could lead to disaster.
Brown's reaction to this coup, which would be long overdue in just a few hours, would need to reflect this bit of wisdom he had picked up. His initial reaction, of course, was to condemn the nationalist coterie attempting to pass itself off as a provisional government. Yauhmi, while imperfect, to say the least, had at least been making some semblance of an attempt to democratize the nation. This junta will likely undo any and all work she has done and see to it that the nation never makes another attempt at democracy. With this in mind, the logical decision would be to unequivocally condemn the actions of and cut ties with Xōchhuitl's government. On the other hand, doing much more than condemning the provisional government could have economic ramifications. The duty of a president is, in its most fundamental form, to look after the interests of his people. The people of Libertas Omnium Maximus came first. The people of Xiomera came second. Whatever his response was, he was going to need to keep that simple fact in mind.