04-23-2020, 07:29 AM
April 22nd
Tlālacuetztla
Coalition of Reformist Associations of Xiomera Headquarters
"We have to leave, now," Natcuahuacu said urgently. Cuetzhual, the chairman of A New Xiomera, nodded in response. "If we don't leave now, we will be detained, and who knows what will happen to us."
Quihima, the chairwoman of One Huenya, shook her head in vigorous dissent. "Now is not the time for us to run and hide. We need to fight these criminals!"
"To what end?" the third person seated at the table asked, sighing. Cozamalotl, the former Cabinet Secretary and failed Great Selection candidate, shook his own head. The Coalition of Reformist Associations of Xiomera, of which he was the titular chairman, had been formed after Empress Yauhmi's enthronement by the union of Xiomera's two largest reformist groups - the moderate A New Xiomera, and the more radical One Huenya. After Cozamalotl had failed in his longshot bid for the throne, the Coalition had been created as a way to pressure the new Empress to follow a reformist path. To their delight, they had found that Yauhmi had required no pressuring at all to do most of what they had wanted. While the Empress moved slower than the Coalition preferred towards reforming Xiomera, they were glad that there was movement at all towards change.
The coup had thwarted their hopes for change. Now, they were trying to decide what path to take next. As was their usual preference, Cuetzhual and A New Xiomera wanted to continue to provide moderated opposition to the junta. Quihima and One Huenya, by contrast, wanted to take a path of violent opposition to the junta, taking over the streets and fighting the government, if necessary.
As the most prominent and respected opposition figure in Xiomera, it fell to Cozamalotl to try to figure out a middle path between the two groups, and to do so in a way that could present meaningful resistance to the junta. Like Natcuahuacu, his closest advisor, and Cuetzhual, Cozamalotl abhorred violence and wanted to try to convince everyone in the Coalition that peaceful resistance was the only path forward. As the discussion dragged on, and no agreement was reached, Cozamalotl sighed once more and prepared to suggest a break. As he began to speak, another Coalition member rushed into the room. "We're being raided! There are police outside!" he shouted in dismay. Cozamalotl stood up slowly, as the others rushed to the windows. The streets outside the Coalition headquarters were surrounded by Imperial Police vehicles. As they watched, Imperial Police officers began exiting the vehicles and lining up in formation.
Quihima walked to a corner of the room, grabbing a bag. "It seems like we've run out of time to talk," she said. Gesturing to the other members of One Huenya in the room, she began to walk outside.
"Resistance won't do any good, Quihima," Cozamalotl pleaded. "It will only get people hurt."
"And being passive won't? Those police are here to take us off to jail. Do you think they will be gentle with us there?" Quihima shouted. "We would rather go out fighting than be dragged off like cows to slaughter. Get your people out of here. We will hold the cops off as long as we can." Quihima began walking out, before taking one last look over her shoulder. "Good luck, Cozamalotl. Don't let our sacrifice be in vain." Without any further words, Quihima and her followers walked out of the room.
Cozamalotl shook his head. "All for nothing. This is all for nothing. Why do they not see?" he said softly, looking out the window as the Imperial Police prepared to storm the building. Natcahuacu and Cuetzhual each took one of his arms gently. "Cozamalotl, we have to go. Someone has to lead the resistance to this tyranny. If they capture us all, there is no hope left," Natcahuacu said.
Cozamalotl finally nodded, quickly gathering his belongings and letting the two younger activists lead him to an exit. "Where exactly are we going?"
"To the Necatli lands. If we can make it. I have family there. They will shelter us, and anyone else who escapes. But we have to get everyone out now," Natcahuacu replied, as the three rushed to warn the others in the building and tell them how to escape.
As the Imperial Police finally took their formation, on the ground floor, multiple doors burst open. Rushing out of the doors, One Huenya activists charged the police line, shouting and wielding an array of makeshift weapons. As they advanced, the Imperial Police officers fired off tear gas canisters, and began a counter-charge with batons and shields. The Imperial Police had strict orders: don't shoot anyone unless absolutely necessary.
ASI needed people to question.
As the two lines of charging people met in a furious clash, the others in the building quickly began running away, doing their best to merge into the streets of Tlālacuetztla and escape. As Natcuahuacu and Cuetzhual led Cozamalotl away from the building, an Imperial Police officer recognized Cozamalotl. With a shout, the policeman began running towards the group. Seeing a nearby trash can, Cuetzhual grabbed its lid desperately as a shield, warding off a violent baton blow from the policeman. The impact knocked Cuetzhual to the ground, jarring the lid from his hand. As he sprawled, defenseless, on the ground, the policeman turned towards Cozamalotl. Natcuahuacu tried to stand in front of Cozamalotl to protect him, but was also knocked to the ground. As the policeman raised his baton over Natcuahuacu, he turned his back towards Cozamalotl. Cozamalotl spotted a loose cobblestone in the street. He picked it up, desperately throwing it at the policeman's head. The cobblestone made a solid impact, but not enough to knock the policeman out. The Imperial Police officer turned, menace visible on his face even through the visor of his helmet, looking at Cozamalotl.
The one time I resort to violence in my life, and all I did was make him mad, Cozamalotl thought.
The Imperial Police officer began marching towards Cozamalotl, only to be tackled by both Cuetzhual and Natcuahuacu. Pulling his helmet off, the two of them punched the officer repeatedly until he stopped fighting them. "Come on, quickly now," Natcuahuacu said, as they got up and led Cozamalotl away.
As the three of them ran away, Cozamalotl looked over his shoulder one last time. Watching the activists of the Coalition, young and old alike, being beaten into submission by the Imperial Police, filled him with an unfamiliar emotion: anger.
---
1st Fleet, Xiomeran Imperial Navy
Waters off Western Catica
"We have a decision to make." Admiral Techilō, commander of the 1st Fleet, looked at the grim-faced man in front of her calmly as she sipped her coffee.
"I don't see that there's much of a decision to make," he replied. Brigadier General Tlanexchel, of the Jaguar Warriors, slurped his own coffee with a scowl. "After what they did to the Shorn Ones at the Palace of Flowers, no Jaguar or Eagle Warrior under my command will take orders from the junta. They murdered fellow members of the brotherhood of the Special Forces for doing their duty. They have no honor and are not fit to lick the bottom of a Jaguar Warrior's boot. We will not follow such shameless dogs."
"The Jaguar and Eagle Warriors are not the only soldiers under your command. What about the International Legion and the 17th Army?" the Admiral said, eyeing Tlanexchel.
"The International Legion agrees with us, and will follow me. The 17th Army....their loyalties are uncertain." The General sighed. "I do not trust leading them into a potential battle until we know where their loyalties lie."
"And....if, as commander of this expeditionary force, I order you to do this?" Admiral Techilō replied, handing him a naval dispatch.
Tlanexchel crumpled up the dispatch slowly, his eyes never leaving Techilō's. "Then we would have a problem, Admiral."
"We would indeed. It would be interesting to see who would prevail in a battle between us. Fortunately, however, I agree with you that the orders of this 'Provisional Imperial Government' aren't worth a bucket of llama piss," the Admiral replied calmly, with another sip of her coffee. Tlanexchel stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. "That is indeed fortunate, Admiral," the General replied finally. "So....what now?"
"If the 17th Army can't be relied upon, I say we leave them here. We promised the Vulkarians that we would continue to support their anti-terrorism mission....so let the 17th Army do that. The 17th can't do much about being left here....my ships are their ride home, after all," the Admiral said with a throaty laugh of her own. "So the 17th can just stay here and chase after M.L.F. types while we save the Empire. But between the International Legion and your special forces, that's only about 8500 troops. That's not much to take on the entire Imperial Army back home."
"They are Jaguar and Eagle Warriors, along with the International Legion that we trained. With that, I can take an empire. Or retake one, if need be," Tlanexchel replied with unshakeable confidence in himself and his soldiers.
"Well now....your warriors and my sailors and airmen.....the good Crown Prince is going to need an army, a navy, and an air force for his government in exile. Shall we sail off and give him one?" Admiral Techilō smiled over her coffee cup.
Brigadier General Tlanexchel's answering eager grin, savoring upcoming battle, said it all, the Admiral mused. Someone is going to really regret riling up the Jaguar and Eagle Warriors when this is all said and done, she thought.
Tlālacuetztla
Coalition of Reformist Associations of Xiomera Headquarters
"We have to leave, now," Natcuahuacu said urgently. Cuetzhual, the chairman of A New Xiomera, nodded in response. "If we don't leave now, we will be detained, and who knows what will happen to us."
Quihima, the chairwoman of One Huenya, shook her head in vigorous dissent. "Now is not the time for us to run and hide. We need to fight these criminals!"
"To what end?" the third person seated at the table asked, sighing. Cozamalotl, the former Cabinet Secretary and failed Great Selection candidate, shook his own head. The Coalition of Reformist Associations of Xiomera, of which he was the titular chairman, had been formed after Empress Yauhmi's enthronement by the union of Xiomera's two largest reformist groups - the moderate A New Xiomera, and the more radical One Huenya. After Cozamalotl had failed in his longshot bid for the throne, the Coalition had been created as a way to pressure the new Empress to follow a reformist path. To their delight, they had found that Yauhmi had required no pressuring at all to do most of what they had wanted. While the Empress moved slower than the Coalition preferred towards reforming Xiomera, they were glad that there was movement at all towards change.
The coup had thwarted their hopes for change. Now, they were trying to decide what path to take next. As was their usual preference, Cuetzhual and A New Xiomera wanted to continue to provide moderated opposition to the junta. Quihima and One Huenya, by contrast, wanted to take a path of violent opposition to the junta, taking over the streets and fighting the government, if necessary.
As the most prominent and respected opposition figure in Xiomera, it fell to Cozamalotl to try to figure out a middle path between the two groups, and to do so in a way that could present meaningful resistance to the junta. Like Natcuahuacu, his closest advisor, and Cuetzhual, Cozamalotl abhorred violence and wanted to try to convince everyone in the Coalition that peaceful resistance was the only path forward. As the discussion dragged on, and no agreement was reached, Cozamalotl sighed once more and prepared to suggest a break. As he began to speak, another Coalition member rushed into the room. "We're being raided! There are police outside!" he shouted in dismay. Cozamalotl stood up slowly, as the others rushed to the windows. The streets outside the Coalition headquarters were surrounded by Imperial Police vehicles. As they watched, Imperial Police officers began exiting the vehicles and lining up in formation.
Quihima walked to a corner of the room, grabbing a bag. "It seems like we've run out of time to talk," she said. Gesturing to the other members of One Huenya in the room, she began to walk outside.
"Resistance won't do any good, Quihima," Cozamalotl pleaded. "It will only get people hurt."
"And being passive won't? Those police are here to take us off to jail. Do you think they will be gentle with us there?" Quihima shouted. "We would rather go out fighting than be dragged off like cows to slaughter. Get your people out of here. We will hold the cops off as long as we can." Quihima began walking out, before taking one last look over her shoulder. "Good luck, Cozamalotl. Don't let our sacrifice be in vain." Without any further words, Quihima and her followers walked out of the room.
Cozamalotl shook his head. "All for nothing. This is all for nothing. Why do they not see?" he said softly, looking out the window as the Imperial Police prepared to storm the building. Natcahuacu and Cuetzhual each took one of his arms gently. "Cozamalotl, we have to go. Someone has to lead the resistance to this tyranny. If they capture us all, there is no hope left," Natcahuacu said.
Cozamalotl finally nodded, quickly gathering his belongings and letting the two younger activists lead him to an exit. "Where exactly are we going?"
"To the Necatli lands. If we can make it. I have family there. They will shelter us, and anyone else who escapes. But we have to get everyone out now," Natcahuacu replied, as the three rushed to warn the others in the building and tell them how to escape.
As the Imperial Police finally took their formation, on the ground floor, multiple doors burst open. Rushing out of the doors, One Huenya activists charged the police line, shouting and wielding an array of makeshift weapons. As they advanced, the Imperial Police officers fired off tear gas canisters, and began a counter-charge with batons and shields. The Imperial Police had strict orders: don't shoot anyone unless absolutely necessary.
ASI needed people to question.
As the two lines of charging people met in a furious clash, the others in the building quickly began running away, doing their best to merge into the streets of Tlālacuetztla and escape. As Natcuahuacu and Cuetzhual led Cozamalotl away from the building, an Imperial Police officer recognized Cozamalotl. With a shout, the policeman began running towards the group. Seeing a nearby trash can, Cuetzhual grabbed its lid desperately as a shield, warding off a violent baton blow from the policeman. The impact knocked Cuetzhual to the ground, jarring the lid from his hand. As he sprawled, defenseless, on the ground, the policeman turned towards Cozamalotl. Natcuahuacu tried to stand in front of Cozamalotl to protect him, but was also knocked to the ground. As the policeman raised his baton over Natcuahuacu, he turned his back towards Cozamalotl. Cozamalotl spotted a loose cobblestone in the street. He picked it up, desperately throwing it at the policeman's head. The cobblestone made a solid impact, but not enough to knock the policeman out. The Imperial Police officer turned, menace visible on his face even through the visor of his helmet, looking at Cozamalotl.
The one time I resort to violence in my life, and all I did was make him mad, Cozamalotl thought.
The Imperial Police officer began marching towards Cozamalotl, only to be tackled by both Cuetzhual and Natcuahuacu. Pulling his helmet off, the two of them punched the officer repeatedly until he stopped fighting them. "Come on, quickly now," Natcuahuacu said, as they got up and led Cozamalotl away.
As the three of them ran away, Cozamalotl looked over his shoulder one last time. Watching the activists of the Coalition, young and old alike, being beaten into submission by the Imperial Police, filled him with an unfamiliar emotion: anger.
---
1st Fleet, Xiomeran Imperial Navy
Waters off Western Catica
"We have a decision to make." Admiral Techilō, commander of the 1st Fleet, looked at the grim-faced man in front of her calmly as she sipped her coffee.
"I don't see that there's much of a decision to make," he replied. Brigadier General Tlanexchel, of the Jaguar Warriors, slurped his own coffee with a scowl. "After what they did to the Shorn Ones at the Palace of Flowers, no Jaguar or Eagle Warrior under my command will take orders from the junta. They murdered fellow members of the brotherhood of the Special Forces for doing their duty. They have no honor and are not fit to lick the bottom of a Jaguar Warrior's boot. We will not follow such shameless dogs."
"The Jaguar and Eagle Warriors are not the only soldiers under your command. What about the International Legion and the 17th Army?" the Admiral said, eyeing Tlanexchel.
"The International Legion agrees with us, and will follow me. The 17th Army....their loyalties are uncertain." The General sighed. "I do not trust leading them into a potential battle until we know where their loyalties lie."
"And....if, as commander of this expeditionary force, I order you to do this?" Admiral Techilō replied, handing him a naval dispatch.
Quote:FROM: SecDef, XiFor, CapMilDist
TO: Techilō, commanding, 1st Fleet, Imperial Navy
Tlanexchel, commanding, Western Catica Anti-Terrorist Mission
Due to the national emergency, you are hereby ordered to immediately return to Xiomera to be re-deployed for national security operations. Return to Naval Headquarters at Huitzitaca for reassignment.
Signed, Xōchhuitl, commanding, Imperial Armed Forces
Tlanexchel crumpled up the dispatch slowly, his eyes never leaving Techilō's. "Then we would have a problem, Admiral."
"We would indeed. It would be interesting to see who would prevail in a battle between us. Fortunately, however, I agree with you that the orders of this 'Provisional Imperial Government' aren't worth a bucket of llama piss," the Admiral replied calmly, with another sip of her coffee. Tlanexchel stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. "That is indeed fortunate, Admiral," the General replied finally. "So....what now?"
"If the 17th Army can't be relied upon, I say we leave them here. We promised the Vulkarians that we would continue to support their anti-terrorism mission....so let the 17th Army do that. The 17th can't do much about being left here....my ships are their ride home, after all," the Admiral said with a throaty laugh of her own. "So the 17th can just stay here and chase after M.L.F. types while we save the Empire. But between the International Legion and your special forces, that's only about 8500 troops. That's not much to take on the entire Imperial Army back home."
"They are Jaguar and Eagle Warriors, along with the International Legion that we trained. With that, I can take an empire. Or retake one, if need be," Tlanexchel replied with unshakeable confidence in himself and his soldiers.
"Well now....your warriors and my sailors and airmen.....the good Crown Prince is going to need an army, a navy, and an air force for his government in exile. Shall we sail off and give him one?" Admiral Techilō smiled over her coffee cup.
Brigadier General Tlanexchel's answering eager grin, savoring upcoming battle, said it all, the Admiral mused. Someone is going to really regret riling up the Jaguar and Eagle Warriors when this is all said and done, she thought.
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