07-13-2020, 03:54 AM
July 12th
5:45 am
ASI Detention Facility Alpha-73B - 125 miles outside Ixtenco
The countryside outside the ASI black site was still and quiet in the early morning hours of July 12th. Quequilha, one of the guards walking the outer perimeter wall, liked it that way. Unlike many of her fellow agents, Quequilha preferred the graveyard shift pulling security. It was much quieter, and more uneventful. Also, there weren't as many nosy people to watch you while you did your job.
Quequilha idly strolled along the perimeter wall, occasionally taking a peek through her night-vision binoculars and not seeing anything. As usual. No one knew this site existed, after all.
A sudden sharp noise, followed by a flash, blinded Quequilha briefly through the binoculars. She threw them down, swearing. She looked up, and her vision cleared just in time to see a glowing streak approaching her position extremely rapidly. Is that - oh shit -
The explosion as the round reached its target, and the rapid disintegration of the perimeter wall next to her, turned Quequilha's thoughts to survival instead of cursing. She ran back towards the main buildings of the site, shouting into her headset as she ran.
The sound of the explosion caused by the Imacac multi-purpose round was soon drowned out by rumbling. Lots of rumbling.
The Tepaxca main battle tank that had fired the round, along with its companions, advanced on the base in a full-speed lunge. They were accompanied by the Xacanautl APCs that were carrying their fellow soldiers. The 21st Battalion had just announced its arrival at Alpha-73B, in their own unique way of knocking on the front door.
In her command APC, Major Huatli issued quick orders. "Disregard the ASI people on the walls and in the secondary buildings. We have to get in the main building ASAP to have a chance to rescue anyone. If anyone tries to stop us....shoot them, blow them up, run them over, I don't care. The site HQ is the only target that matters."
And the people inside, she thought, not letting her voice or facial expressions betray her worry. If they couldn't get inside quickly enough, the person she was here to rescue would be doomed.
Her units quickly poured in through the thoroughly blasted front gate, picking off the ASI agents on the wall as they roared by. The inner perimeter wall was a few hundred feet away, but the armored vehicles covered the space quickly. Another round from a Tepaxca dispatched the second gate. Soon, the 21st Battalion was in control of both courtyards. As alarms began sounding, ASI agents and site security began trying to counterattack. But while the ASI agents at the site were perfectly capable of deterring many threats, a full-fledged assault by an armored battalion of the Xiomeran Army was decidedly not one of the challenges they had ever expected to face.
The advance units of the battalion soon reached the front of the site HQ. Pouring out of their armored vehicles, the soldiers advanced rapidly, taking out ASI agents as they moved forward. Some of the soldiers began to fall as well, but even an ASI black site didn't have the kind of firepower that could hold them back for long. While two platoons flanked the entrance to the HQ and held off ASI's counterattack, two more platoons with the Major at their head ran inside the HQ. "We have to get to the bottom floor ASAP. That's where the prisoners are held," she shouted into her headset. "The elevator and stairways down are marked on your maps. Move!"
Her platoons fought their way to the center of the HQ where the elevator and stairs were, while more 21st units poured in and formed a perimeter to hold off ASI agents trying to advance on them. "We need a keycard to get past the doors to the elevator and stairs," a soldier shouted into his headset. The Major swore, then barked another command. Soon, another soldier came trotting to her location, a keycard he had retrieved from a now-dispatched ASI agent in his hand. He handed it to his commander wordlessly, then ran back to his previous position. With keycard in hand, Huatli unlocked the elevator and stairwell doors. "Down we go," she murmured. Deciding that the shortest route was the quickest, she used the keycard to lock out the elevator doors on the second and third sublevels. Descending to the bottom floor, the doors to the elevator opened. They were immediately met with gunfire.
As two of her soldiers fell, Huatli shouted in anger and ordered the rest to advance with her. They returned fire, taking down ASI agents as they did so. But Huatli wasn't content to just shoot back. She had been trained both as an Aurora and as a Xiomeran soldier. She was about to show the people shooting at her just how beneficial such dual training could be. With a quick leap, she kicked one ASI agent to the floor. Kicking his gun away from him, she turned and slapped the gun out of the hand of another ASI agent before using her leg to sweep the agent to the ground. A quick elbow-drop to the agent's stomach, followed by a head strike, knocked the other agent out.
Running behind her, and inspired by her example, the rest of her platoon charged on the ASI agents trying to hold the corridor to the detention cells. The agents in question, seeing what they were up against, promptly turned and ran. "Let them go! We have to get to the cells," Huatli shouted into her headset. Running down the corridor, she began checking cells. Most of them were empty. "Shit. Which one?" she thought out loud. Atezhuatl came up to her, calmly handing her a tablet he had snagged from a downed ASI agent's pocket. "Database of the detainees....thank you," she said wryly, as Atezhuatl smirked. Huatli scanned the list. There were only two detainees. Sasaki? I don't know who she is, but if ASI is holding her, I'm not going to leave her in their hands. "Retrieve the prisoner in cell 14. I will go to cell 20." Atezhuatl simply nodded at his commander; he knew she wanted to be the one to retrieve this specific prisoner.
Approaching the door to cell 20, Huatli took a deep breath and opened it. And stopped, stunned.
The woman inside was bound to a chair, blindfolded. The bruises and gaunt appearance made it clear what had happened to her. "What the hell did they do to you?" Huatli whispered.
At the sound of the voice, the woman raised her head. "Do to me?" she grated in a raspy voice. "You're the ones doing it to me, don't you know what it is?"
Huatli quickly came forward. "I'm not with ASI. I'm here to help you," she said.
"That is....certainly a relief. Unless this is another wonderful ASI trick," the woman said, before breaking into a spate of coughing.
"It's no trick," Huatli replied, removing the blindfold as gently as she could. The woman looked up at her, not recognizing her at first. "Huatli?" she finally said.
"That's right, Empress. You gave my life back to me once. It's only fair that I return the favor," Huatli replied, untying Yauhmi. "Can you stand up and walk?"
"To get out of here? I'll stand, walk, I'll dance if I have to." Yauhmi stood up gingerly, with Huatli's help.
"Good, because we have to go, now," the Major replied. Atezhuatl came back into the room, and the two of them led Yauhmi out of the cell. "We've secured the site for the most part, but reinforcements will arrive. We have to go now," Atezhuatl said urgently.
"And where are we going?" Yauhmi asked. "Chuaztlapoc, your Majesty. It's the safest place we can get to right now," Huatli replied.
"Yes....the home of the Shorn Ones. It seems appropriate for me to make my last stand - or my comeback - there, either way. Let's get moving," the Empress said, a touch of her old determination returning.
In another part of the ASI site, another person was making her own escape while she had time. Mariya knew that the ASI site was doomed, and also knew that if Yauhmi got ahold of her, life would become quite unpleasant for her. She had fled from the site housing as soon as the attack started, and had made it to the motor pool. Jumping on a motorcycle, she sped off into the vast western Xiomeran hinterlands.
---
7:45 am
Palace of Flowers
"So.....you allowed the four helicopters that I sent there for your deforestation mission to get destroyed." Xochiuhue eyed the video screen, with Governor Mapilzin on other end, with disdain. "You assured me you had this situation with the Teyatia under control. I do not like being lied to. Are you lying to me, Governor?"
Governor Mapilzin quickly plastered a fake smile on his face. "No, your Majesty, of course not! This was a mere lapse in security, which I have already punished those responsible quite severely for."
"Have you punished yourself, Mapilzin?" Xochiuhue asked calmly. The Governor looked at Xochiuhue with confusion. "You are in charge of Manauia Island. You are responsible for it. Therefore, you are responsible for what happened to my helicopters, in the end. So, have you punished yourself, Mapilzin?" As the Governor nervously tried to stammer out a reply, Xochiuhue cut him off. "Don't worry, Mapilzin." The Emperor smiled like a hunter seeing easy prey. "I will be sure to punish you myself if there is another lapse like this again. I don't want to overburden you with tasks, as you seem incapable of carrying out the ones I give you."
As Mapilzin tried to speak, Xochiuhue cut him off again. "Don't ask for any more helicopters. Don't ask for anything else, period. If you need to remove the jungle, use torches and gasoline. I assume you can protect your valuable supply of matches and lighters from a bunch of radicals, hmm?" Mapilzin nodded. "I am not sending you any more equipment or men until you prove you can use the ones you have properly. In case you haven't noticed, I do have other areas in the Empire to deal with as well. Supplies are not endless, Governor. However, I will do you one favor. I am sending Shuellian mercenaries to Manauia Island to deal with this problem of the Teyatia once and for all, since you can't deal with it. Don't make me use the mercenaries to deal with you too."
As Governor Mapilzin nodded in fear and bowed his head, Xochiuhue cut off the video call without giving him a chance to say anything else.
Calhualyana and General Xōchhuitl burst into the room. "Your Majesty, we have a problem."
"Do you not even knock?" Xochiuhue said coldly. "What is so urgent that you must burst into my office in this manner?"
Calhualyana and the General looked at each other, as if silently asking the other for help. Calhualyana finally turned back to Xochiuhue. "Your Majesty....a rogue battalion of the Army has destroyed ASI site Alpha-73B. Yauhmi.....has escaped."
The Emperor sighed slightly, standing up from behind his desk. With a sudden move, he ran up to Calhualyana, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her against the wall. "You....incompetent.....failure," he grated, as the Security Secretary gasped for air. "You told me she was dead, or would soon be. You told me she was no longer a threat. And now you let her escape? She poses a threat to my reign as long as she is alive! I should kill you for this."
General Xōchhuitl stepped forward as if to plead on Calhualyana's behalf, only to be stopped by a glare from the Emperor. "Not a word, Xōchhuitl, or you will follow this fool to the gods," Xochiuhue shouted. The General stepped back, his face dropping.
"We....know where she is going," Calhualyana gasped as Xochiuhue stared at her. "We....can still stop her. She's....going....to Chuaztlapoc. We can stop her.....there...." Calhualyana coughed. Xochiuhue eyed her a bit longer, before finally letting her go. Calhualyana fell to the ground, breathing heavily, as Xochiuhue walked back to his desk. "I want this rebellion ended. I want Yauhmi dead. I want the rebels dead. If you have to level Chuaztlapoc, raze it to the ground, so be it. Set the Army and the Air Force loose upon that city until no one there is capable of raising a hand against me - including Yauhmi."
"Chuaztlapoc is extremely important as a historic, cultural and social symbol - not just to Xiomerans, but to the world. If we destroy the city, that could cause a major backlash," General Xōchhuitl said carefully. "Xōchhuitl.....what part of anything I said makes you think I care? Do it. Or I will replace you both with people who can get the job done," the Emperor replied. He sat down at his desk, retrieving a pair of anti-headache tablets from his desk and angrily downing them with a glass of water. "Get out," he added for emphasis.
As General Xōchhuitl and Calhualyana left, the Security Secretary massaged her neck. You'll regret that, Xochiuhue, Calhualyana thought. Maybe Xiomera needed an Empress after all - just not Yauhmi.
5:45 am
ASI Detention Facility Alpha-73B - 125 miles outside Ixtenco
The countryside outside the ASI black site was still and quiet in the early morning hours of July 12th. Quequilha, one of the guards walking the outer perimeter wall, liked it that way. Unlike many of her fellow agents, Quequilha preferred the graveyard shift pulling security. It was much quieter, and more uneventful. Also, there weren't as many nosy people to watch you while you did your job.
Quequilha idly strolled along the perimeter wall, occasionally taking a peek through her night-vision binoculars and not seeing anything. As usual. No one knew this site existed, after all.
A sudden sharp noise, followed by a flash, blinded Quequilha briefly through the binoculars. She threw them down, swearing. She looked up, and her vision cleared just in time to see a glowing streak approaching her position extremely rapidly. Is that - oh shit -
The explosion as the round reached its target, and the rapid disintegration of the perimeter wall next to her, turned Quequilha's thoughts to survival instead of cursing. She ran back towards the main buildings of the site, shouting into her headset as she ran.
The sound of the explosion caused by the Imacac multi-purpose round was soon drowned out by rumbling. Lots of rumbling.
The Tepaxca main battle tank that had fired the round, along with its companions, advanced on the base in a full-speed lunge. They were accompanied by the Xacanautl APCs that were carrying their fellow soldiers. The 21st Battalion had just announced its arrival at Alpha-73B, in their own unique way of knocking on the front door.
In her command APC, Major Huatli issued quick orders. "Disregard the ASI people on the walls and in the secondary buildings. We have to get in the main building ASAP to have a chance to rescue anyone. If anyone tries to stop us....shoot them, blow them up, run them over, I don't care. The site HQ is the only target that matters."
And the people inside, she thought, not letting her voice or facial expressions betray her worry. If they couldn't get inside quickly enough, the person she was here to rescue would be doomed.
Her units quickly poured in through the thoroughly blasted front gate, picking off the ASI agents on the wall as they roared by. The inner perimeter wall was a few hundred feet away, but the armored vehicles covered the space quickly. Another round from a Tepaxca dispatched the second gate. Soon, the 21st Battalion was in control of both courtyards. As alarms began sounding, ASI agents and site security began trying to counterattack. But while the ASI agents at the site were perfectly capable of deterring many threats, a full-fledged assault by an armored battalion of the Xiomeran Army was decidedly not one of the challenges they had ever expected to face.
The advance units of the battalion soon reached the front of the site HQ. Pouring out of their armored vehicles, the soldiers advanced rapidly, taking out ASI agents as they moved forward. Some of the soldiers began to fall as well, but even an ASI black site didn't have the kind of firepower that could hold them back for long. While two platoons flanked the entrance to the HQ and held off ASI's counterattack, two more platoons with the Major at their head ran inside the HQ. "We have to get to the bottom floor ASAP. That's where the prisoners are held," she shouted into her headset. "The elevator and stairways down are marked on your maps. Move!"
Her platoons fought their way to the center of the HQ where the elevator and stairs were, while more 21st units poured in and formed a perimeter to hold off ASI agents trying to advance on them. "We need a keycard to get past the doors to the elevator and stairs," a soldier shouted into his headset. The Major swore, then barked another command. Soon, another soldier came trotting to her location, a keycard he had retrieved from a now-dispatched ASI agent in his hand. He handed it to his commander wordlessly, then ran back to his previous position. With keycard in hand, Huatli unlocked the elevator and stairwell doors. "Down we go," she murmured. Deciding that the shortest route was the quickest, she used the keycard to lock out the elevator doors on the second and third sublevels. Descending to the bottom floor, the doors to the elevator opened. They were immediately met with gunfire.
As two of her soldiers fell, Huatli shouted in anger and ordered the rest to advance with her. They returned fire, taking down ASI agents as they did so. But Huatli wasn't content to just shoot back. She had been trained both as an Aurora and as a Xiomeran soldier. She was about to show the people shooting at her just how beneficial such dual training could be. With a quick leap, she kicked one ASI agent to the floor. Kicking his gun away from him, she turned and slapped the gun out of the hand of another ASI agent before using her leg to sweep the agent to the ground. A quick elbow-drop to the agent's stomach, followed by a head strike, knocked the other agent out.
Running behind her, and inspired by her example, the rest of her platoon charged on the ASI agents trying to hold the corridor to the detention cells. The agents in question, seeing what they were up against, promptly turned and ran. "Let them go! We have to get to the cells," Huatli shouted into her headset. Running down the corridor, she began checking cells. Most of them were empty. "Shit. Which one?" she thought out loud. Atezhuatl came up to her, calmly handing her a tablet he had snagged from a downed ASI agent's pocket. "Database of the detainees....thank you," she said wryly, as Atezhuatl smirked. Huatli scanned the list. There were only two detainees. Sasaki? I don't know who she is, but if ASI is holding her, I'm not going to leave her in their hands. "Retrieve the prisoner in cell 14. I will go to cell 20." Atezhuatl simply nodded at his commander; he knew she wanted to be the one to retrieve this specific prisoner.
Approaching the door to cell 20, Huatli took a deep breath and opened it. And stopped, stunned.
The woman inside was bound to a chair, blindfolded. The bruises and gaunt appearance made it clear what had happened to her. "What the hell did they do to you?" Huatli whispered.
At the sound of the voice, the woman raised her head. "Do to me?" she grated in a raspy voice. "You're the ones doing it to me, don't you know what it is?"
Huatli quickly came forward. "I'm not with ASI. I'm here to help you," she said.
"That is....certainly a relief. Unless this is another wonderful ASI trick," the woman said, before breaking into a spate of coughing.
"It's no trick," Huatli replied, removing the blindfold as gently as she could. The woman looked up at her, not recognizing her at first. "Huatli?" she finally said.
"That's right, Empress. You gave my life back to me once. It's only fair that I return the favor," Huatli replied, untying Yauhmi. "Can you stand up and walk?"
"To get out of here? I'll stand, walk, I'll dance if I have to." Yauhmi stood up gingerly, with Huatli's help.
"Good, because we have to go, now," the Major replied. Atezhuatl came back into the room, and the two of them led Yauhmi out of the cell. "We've secured the site for the most part, but reinforcements will arrive. We have to go now," Atezhuatl said urgently.
"And where are we going?" Yauhmi asked. "Chuaztlapoc, your Majesty. It's the safest place we can get to right now," Huatli replied.
"Yes....the home of the Shorn Ones. It seems appropriate for me to make my last stand - or my comeback - there, either way. Let's get moving," the Empress said, a touch of her old determination returning.
In another part of the ASI site, another person was making her own escape while she had time. Mariya knew that the ASI site was doomed, and also knew that if Yauhmi got ahold of her, life would become quite unpleasant for her. She had fled from the site housing as soon as the attack started, and had made it to the motor pool. Jumping on a motorcycle, she sped off into the vast western Xiomeran hinterlands.
---
7:45 am
Palace of Flowers
"So.....you allowed the four helicopters that I sent there for your deforestation mission to get destroyed." Xochiuhue eyed the video screen, with Governor Mapilzin on other end, with disdain. "You assured me you had this situation with the Teyatia under control. I do not like being lied to. Are you lying to me, Governor?"
Governor Mapilzin quickly plastered a fake smile on his face. "No, your Majesty, of course not! This was a mere lapse in security, which I have already punished those responsible quite severely for."
"Have you punished yourself, Mapilzin?" Xochiuhue asked calmly. The Governor looked at Xochiuhue with confusion. "You are in charge of Manauia Island. You are responsible for it. Therefore, you are responsible for what happened to my helicopters, in the end. So, have you punished yourself, Mapilzin?" As the Governor nervously tried to stammer out a reply, Xochiuhue cut him off. "Don't worry, Mapilzin." The Emperor smiled like a hunter seeing easy prey. "I will be sure to punish you myself if there is another lapse like this again. I don't want to overburden you with tasks, as you seem incapable of carrying out the ones I give you."
As Mapilzin tried to speak, Xochiuhue cut him off again. "Don't ask for any more helicopters. Don't ask for anything else, period. If you need to remove the jungle, use torches and gasoline. I assume you can protect your valuable supply of matches and lighters from a bunch of radicals, hmm?" Mapilzin nodded. "I am not sending you any more equipment or men until you prove you can use the ones you have properly. In case you haven't noticed, I do have other areas in the Empire to deal with as well. Supplies are not endless, Governor. However, I will do you one favor. I am sending Shuellian mercenaries to Manauia Island to deal with this problem of the Teyatia once and for all, since you can't deal with it. Don't make me use the mercenaries to deal with you too."
As Governor Mapilzin nodded in fear and bowed his head, Xochiuhue cut off the video call without giving him a chance to say anything else.
Calhualyana and General Xōchhuitl burst into the room. "Your Majesty, we have a problem."
"Do you not even knock?" Xochiuhue said coldly. "What is so urgent that you must burst into my office in this manner?"
Calhualyana and the General looked at each other, as if silently asking the other for help. Calhualyana finally turned back to Xochiuhue. "Your Majesty....a rogue battalion of the Army has destroyed ASI site Alpha-73B. Yauhmi.....has escaped."
The Emperor sighed slightly, standing up from behind his desk. With a sudden move, he ran up to Calhualyana, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her against the wall. "You....incompetent.....failure," he grated, as the Security Secretary gasped for air. "You told me she was dead, or would soon be. You told me she was no longer a threat. And now you let her escape? She poses a threat to my reign as long as she is alive! I should kill you for this."
General Xōchhuitl stepped forward as if to plead on Calhualyana's behalf, only to be stopped by a glare from the Emperor. "Not a word, Xōchhuitl, or you will follow this fool to the gods," Xochiuhue shouted. The General stepped back, his face dropping.
"We....know where she is going," Calhualyana gasped as Xochiuhue stared at her. "We....can still stop her. She's....going....to Chuaztlapoc. We can stop her.....there...." Calhualyana coughed. Xochiuhue eyed her a bit longer, before finally letting her go. Calhualyana fell to the ground, breathing heavily, as Xochiuhue walked back to his desk. "I want this rebellion ended. I want Yauhmi dead. I want the rebels dead. If you have to level Chuaztlapoc, raze it to the ground, so be it. Set the Army and the Air Force loose upon that city until no one there is capable of raising a hand against me - including Yauhmi."
"Chuaztlapoc is extremely important as a historic, cultural and social symbol - not just to Xiomerans, but to the world. If we destroy the city, that could cause a major backlash," General Xōchhuitl said carefully. "Xōchhuitl.....what part of anything I said makes you think I care? Do it. Or I will replace you both with people who can get the job done," the Emperor replied. He sat down at his desk, retrieving a pair of anti-headache tablets from his desk and angrily downing them with a glass of water. "Get out," he added for emphasis.
As General Xōchhuitl and Calhualyana left, the Security Secretary massaged her neck. You'll regret that, Xochiuhue, Calhualyana thought. Maybe Xiomera needed an Empress after all - just not Yauhmi.
<t></t>