03-24-2021, 07:23 AM
Xochuaxte Palace, Chuaztlapoc
Yauhmi and Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli looked at the screen in front of them with expressions of concern. On the other end of the call, in Ixtenco, FIS Director Cuetlancaona sighed. "We don't know what she will do, at least, not without the kind of surveillance that you've both already told me you don't want us doing on her."
Yauhmi nodded. Ever since the video from their shared quarters showing Nelichē's choke-hold method of expressing her disapproval to Riley Nelson had been shown to them by Cuetlancaona, Nelichē had become a matter of discussion between the three of them. Other than the two Auroras, Yauhmi, Tiacihitli and Cuetlancaona were the only ones in Huenya who knew about the secret of the Robinson Auroras. Tiacihitli was highly concerned that Nelichē might tell the Council about the secret, an outcome that would be extremely problematic from the Huenyan perspective. Yauhmi was not concerned about that; she did not believe Nelichē would do anything that would cause issues for Huenya. The worry the cihuātlahtoāni had was more on a personal level: she was now worried that Nelichē might kill Riley in response to the situation. That was, for the Huenyans, also not an outcome they wanted.
Cuetlancaona had been pressing for tighter surveillance on the two Auroras, but Yauhmi and Tiacihitli had been discussing it, and had an answer the Director would not like. "The Auroras are not prisoners here, nor are they criminal suspects. While the concern about this information leaking is real, we will not resort to the methods of the Xiomeran Empire out of fear. Do nothing to increase the surveillance on them - our motive is to remain ensuring their safety, and ideally keeping them from killing each other, rather than treating them as security threats," Tiacihitli said firmly. Cuetlancaona looked at the two leaders as if he wanted to object, but finally nodded.
The relatively hands-off approach was being chosen for several reasons. All the old ones Yauhmi had emphasized still applied - we don't view the Auroras as our enemies, and we don't want to make them our enemies by treating them as if we do. But there were new reasons as well, which actually had nothing specifically to do with the Auroras.
If one were to make comparisons using law enforcement as an example, Xiomera's massive and coldly efficient ASI would be a SWAT team; the FIS were a group of mall cops in comparison. Cuetlancaona was all too aware of this; his HQ was a former bank and his agents were spending as much time trying to get their hobbled and re-purposed former ASI systems and equipment working and trying to find enough weapons and body armor to do their jobs as they did investigating cases. Half of his agents didn't even have their FIS badges yet. The FIS just wasn't capable of the kind of omnipresent surveillance and monitoring that ASI was.
But even once the FIS was fully up and running, and capable of fulfilling its mission, that very mission was also completely different from ASI. Huenya's leaders had already decided that the Federation would never become the kind of over-policed, over-surveilled, over-monitored police state that the Xiomeran Empire was. The idea of that kind of security presence was completely anathema to the Huenyans who had suffered under ASI's heavy hand. After having seen what ASI really did to those it detained firsthand, Yauhmi was not a fan of the idea of a police state either.
In the new nation of Huenya, the idea of sacrificing freedom for security would never be allowed to take root. Not after the Xiomeran Empire. Huenya would emphasize a government that valued freedom more than control - even if it meant security could not be airtight.
With that idea in mind, Yauhmi, Tiacihitli and Cuetlancaona would turn to discussing what possible actions Nelichē might take, and what contingency plans Huenya could have in place for them - completely unaware that Nelichē had already decided.
---
Palace of Flowers, Tlālacuetztla
Empress Calhualyana calmly sipped her coffee and scrolled through the list on her tablet. Sitting on the other side of her massive desk were Justice Minister Cuicanan and Security Minister Quihichua. The two of them waited while Calhualyana read thoroughly; she insisted on knowing the status of every single political prisoner from the IGP and the Unification Party, and no one rushed the Empress.
When she was finally done reading, she laid the tablet down, making some notations with her jeweled stylus. "Begin setting the dates for trial. We have all we're going to get out of most of these people. Start with the IGP leaders, Xayactochtli last," the Empress said. "After we're done with all the IGP leaders, begin setting trial dates for the Unification Party leaders."
"Shall the trials be closed?" Cuicanan asked.
"No. All of them will be open and broadcast. I want the world to see what happens to traitors in Xiomera. It will also be highly instructive to those within our Empire who are thinking of indulging in anti-Imperial activities to see what happens to those with similar ideas," Calhualyana replied, while making more notes on the tablet.
"And Cozamalotl?" Quihichua replied.
"His trial will be last of all. I want to give Mariya a bit more time to work on him. And also, any performance should end with the star of the show on the stage. Cozamalotl is the head of this particular snake. He wanted to be a martyr for his foolish cause. I fully intend to indulge him. When he is sentenced, it will show everyone that the farce of the 'opposition' is at an end and that we are fully in control in Xiomera. His last bow on the stage will be the ultimate finale."
Both Quihichua and Cuicanan smiled with satisfaction at the words of their Empress, making notes of their own.
Yauhmi and Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli looked at the screen in front of them with expressions of concern. On the other end of the call, in Ixtenco, FIS Director Cuetlancaona sighed. "We don't know what she will do, at least, not without the kind of surveillance that you've both already told me you don't want us doing on her."
Yauhmi nodded. Ever since the video from their shared quarters showing Nelichē's choke-hold method of expressing her disapproval to Riley Nelson had been shown to them by Cuetlancaona, Nelichē had become a matter of discussion between the three of them. Other than the two Auroras, Yauhmi, Tiacihitli and Cuetlancaona were the only ones in Huenya who knew about the secret of the Robinson Auroras. Tiacihitli was highly concerned that Nelichē might tell the Council about the secret, an outcome that would be extremely problematic from the Huenyan perspective. Yauhmi was not concerned about that; she did not believe Nelichē would do anything that would cause issues for Huenya. The worry the cihuātlahtoāni had was more on a personal level: she was now worried that Nelichē might kill Riley in response to the situation. That was, for the Huenyans, also not an outcome they wanted.
Cuetlancaona had been pressing for tighter surveillance on the two Auroras, but Yauhmi and Tiacihitli had been discussing it, and had an answer the Director would not like. "The Auroras are not prisoners here, nor are they criminal suspects. While the concern about this information leaking is real, we will not resort to the methods of the Xiomeran Empire out of fear. Do nothing to increase the surveillance on them - our motive is to remain ensuring their safety, and ideally keeping them from killing each other, rather than treating them as security threats," Tiacihitli said firmly. Cuetlancaona looked at the two leaders as if he wanted to object, but finally nodded.
The relatively hands-off approach was being chosen for several reasons. All the old ones Yauhmi had emphasized still applied - we don't view the Auroras as our enemies, and we don't want to make them our enemies by treating them as if we do. But there were new reasons as well, which actually had nothing specifically to do with the Auroras.
If one were to make comparisons using law enforcement as an example, Xiomera's massive and coldly efficient ASI would be a SWAT team; the FIS were a group of mall cops in comparison. Cuetlancaona was all too aware of this; his HQ was a former bank and his agents were spending as much time trying to get their hobbled and re-purposed former ASI systems and equipment working and trying to find enough weapons and body armor to do their jobs as they did investigating cases. Half of his agents didn't even have their FIS badges yet. The FIS just wasn't capable of the kind of omnipresent surveillance and monitoring that ASI was.
But even once the FIS was fully up and running, and capable of fulfilling its mission, that very mission was also completely different from ASI. Huenya's leaders had already decided that the Federation would never become the kind of over-policed, over-surveilled, over-monitored police state that the Xiomeran Empire was. The idea of that kind of security presence was completely anathema to the Huenyans who had suffered under ASI's heavy hand. After having seen what ASI really did to those it detained firsthand, Yauhmi was not a fan of the idea of a police state either.
In the new nation of Huenya, the idea of sacrificing freedom for security would never be allowed to take root. Not after the Xiomeran Empire. Huenya would emphasize a government that valued freedom more than control - even if it meant security could not be airtight.
With that idea in mind, Yauhmi, Tiacihitli and Cuetlancaona would turn to discussing what possible actions Nelichē might take, and what contingency plans Huenya could have in place for them - completely unaware that Nelichē had already decided.
---
Palace of Flowers, Tlālacuetztla
Empress Calhualyana calmly sipped her coffee and scrolled through the list on her tablet. Sitting on the other side of her massive desk were Justice Minister Cuicanan and Security Minister Quihichua. The two of them waited while Calhualyana read thoroughly; she insisted on knowing the status of every single political prisoner from the IGP and the Unification Party, and no one rushed the Empress.
When she was finally done reading, she laid the tablet down, making some notations with her jeweled stylus. "Begin setting the dates for trial. We have all we're going to get out of most of these people. Start with the IGP leaders, Xayactochtli last," the Empress said. "After we're done with all the IGP leaders, begin setting trial dates for the Unification Party leaders."
"Shall the trials be closed?" Cuicanan asked.
"No. All of them will be open and broadcast. I want the world to see what happens to traitors in Xiomera. It will also be highly instructive to those within our Empire who are thinking of indulging in anti-Imperial activities to see what happens to those with similar ideas," Calhualyana replied, while making more notes on the tablet.
"And Cozamalotl?" Quihichua replied.
"His trial will be last of all. I want to give Mariya a bit more time to work on him. And also, any performance should end with the star of the show on the stage. Cozamalotl is the head of this particular snake. He wanted to be a martyr for his foolish cause. I fully intend to indulge him. When he is sentenced, it will show everyone that the farce of the 'opposition' is at an end and that we are fully in control in Xiomera. His last bow on the stage will be the ultimate finale."
Both Quihichua and Cuicanan smiled with satisfaction at the words of their Empress, making notes of their own.
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