06-28-2021, 08:37 PM
(Made with contributions from Xiomera)
Outside Central Lumiere, Auria
June 28th, 2021, 12:06 AM
The mass of dark-clothed Aurians walked as quietly as they could down the streets of Lumiere, passing darkened businesses and apartment buildings. Barely anyone was out this early in the morning, and anyone who was out turned around and ran at the sight of the large army of people marching down the sidewalks.
Under their dark clothes, much of the group was armed to the teeth, rifles strapped to their backs and sidearms fixed at their hips. Only a few of these weapons were Aurian in design, most of the others having been imported from Xiomera. A few wore buttons with political slogans of the infamous "NewNation" movement, a prevalent conspiracy theory association, one known for causing massive unrest.
Even though they weren't exactly inconspicuous, they marched as quietly as they could, the rhythm of their boots making soft thuds as they approached the hub of Lumiere’s central government buildings. The three men in front waved to the rest of the squad to set up, the mob wasting no time getting weapons out and ready.
The commander peeked around the corner, trying to get a good line of sight. Through a host of townhouses and small apartments sat a large white brick building, surrounded by guards armed with large rifles strapped over their shoulders. The Treasury Building was armed with more security than usual, due to recent disturbances and unrest in the nation. Hah, they think a few more mindless drones in uniforms will stop us?
He motioned over his shoulder, and the group started advancing, taking cover behind any solid object they could find. The leader sheltered behind a set of stairs leading into a townhouse, adjusting his rifle. He put his elbows on the stairs, aiming down his sights at one particular target. One of the guards was getting curious about the faint noises coming down the street, and had left their post to investigate. The leader took one last deep breath, fiddling with the trigger and preparing for the battle to come.
CRACK
Chancellor’s Manor, Geminus, Eiria
12:49 AM
Crack
Chancellor William Lancaster shot up in his bed, heart beating wildly out of his chest. His breathing was quick, yet quiet, a skill he’d picked up in the Civil War. Calm down. It was just a dream. Just a dream. He looked to his right, praying to see his husband in one piece. Thankfully, Jake was sleeping soundly, one arm hanging off the bed in a seemingly uncomfortable position. Will smiled, almost laughing at the normalcy of it all. I still don’t know how you sleep like that. He resisted the urge to lift his arm back onto the bed and instead laid back down, closing his eyes.
The phone positioned on the nightstand rang, and he snatched it on the first ring, not wanting to wake the Proviri. “If this is about a comment on the asylum ‘kidnappng’, or my sister’s reaction to it, can’t it just wait until morning?” He said groggily, looking at Jake to make sure he didn’t disturb him. “I’m sorry sir, but it’s an emergency. A series of governmental buildings were attacked about half an hour ago in Lumiere. We believe that Prime Minister Lapointe and his wife were captured.” His chief of staff, Ava, said with a voice barely masking concern.
Will shot out of bed as quietly as he could. “I’ll be right down.”
---
12:55 AM
A slightly disheveled Lancaster quickly walked down the steps into the staff wing of the manor, occasionally seeing a disgruntled worker walk in, having been paged. Ava Christiansen, Lancaster’s chief of staff, was standing at her desk, accompanied by Sarah Weiss, the recently-promoted National Security Advisor. Lancaster gestured both of them into the study, adjusting his coat as he walked. "Talk to me. What's the situation?"
Weiss wasted no time, taking out a sheet of notes. "Over an hour ago, we received reports of increasing unrest in the Lumiere suburbs of Albany and Langwich. Those reports detailed rumored gunshots and invasions of the local government offices. About forty minutes ago, we received information on a series of ongoing attacks by armed citizens on several major government offices, including the Treasury, Parliament Building, and Prime Minister's home. And twenty minutes ago, we received word that those three attacks in particular were successful."
Lancaster sat, reading the EICA report Sarah had given him. "Holy shit. You said Jacques and Eve Lapointe were captured in the attack?" He asked, scanning the report for any mentions of the Prime Minister and First Lady, looking up at both women after he didn't find any.
Weiss looked down and put a phone on the desk, speaking slowly and calmly. "This is a video that was published on Cicero, an Aurian social media network, about ten minutes after the rumored attack. It's the last video of Lapointe and his wife, and it's disturbing, sir."
Lancaster watched in muted horror as Lapointe and his wife were dragged onto a marble floor, likely in the entryway to their home. Both were dressed in torn nightclothes, and both looked beaten and bloody.
"Jacques and Evelyn Lapointe, you are accused of committing Treason to the Aurian people, committing espionage, and oppressing the Aurian nation for a foreign master. Your regime of lies ends here, and we shall cleanse the nation of your filthy handprints." A man spoke in the accented Aurian dialect Eirian, gesturing to the black-clad soldiers surrounding the couple. "The only acceptable punishment for these crimes is death. You will pay in blood, for the oath you have forsaken." He gestured his hands, and the soldiers formed a line, raising their weapons. "Fire."
Lancaster nearly dropped the phone and lost it right there, having to close his eyes and place the phone back on his desk. "Oh my God." He whispered, his voice hoarse. "Were the Ministers of Defence and Diplomacy contacted as well? They need to be briefed just as much as I do."
"They both were paged a few minutes ago. They will still be a few minutes." Ava spoke up, looking at the phone with disgust and fear. "They may need some time to work up a briefing."
Lancaster nodded, almost frozen by the video he just watched. He blinked, once, twice, trying to get the image of blood splattered on marble out of his head. "Have the Generals ready to brief once the Ministers arrive. Rally the Lunar Guard for an ongoing Omega-5 Situation. Also, if Lacewick's here yet, get him writing a press release of the situation." He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "And we have time until the Ministers arrive. Great Speaker Texoccoatl is staying in New Riga currently. Get his hotel room on the line, please."
In his hotel room, Texōccoatl was sleeping when there was a knock on his bedroom door, followed by the door opening. Both Texōccoatl and Tlalmaxxi snapped awake quickly, their years of army and security training making them light sleepers. “Sir, we have an urgent call from Chancellor Lancaster for you,” one of his guards told him.
“Understood,” Texōccoatl replied, quickly getting up and throwing on some clothes as his wife did the same. “Is it about something back home, do you think?” Tlalmaxxi asked.
“Unlikely, our own people would have contacted us if that were the case. But whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Texōccoatl replied as the two of them walked to the study and sat down at the desk. “Chancellor, this is Texōccoatl. How can I help you?”
"I'm sorry for waking you at this hour, but it's quite urgent." Lancaster talked fast and steady, seemingly not stopping for breath. "Almost two hours ago, huge groups of armed mobs stormed into Lumiere, in Auria, and started attacking government buildings. The guards were caught off guard, losing the Parliament building, the Treasury, and the Prime Minister's home." He finally paused, sighing. "A video of Lapointe and his wife getting executed by firing squad was published ten minutes later."
Texōccoatl sighed to himself, wincing and closing his eyes. Not another coup. Damn. He quickly shook himself out of his dismay. “This is extremely disturbing. Does this appear to be an organized coup or just violent mobs? Is there any idea of who is behind it?”
As he was speaking, he wrote on a hotel notepad before passing it to Tlalmaxxi. Possible coup in Auria. Lapointe and spouse executed. Contact Cuetlancaona and Tlanexchel. Tlalmaxxi nodded, her expression grave, and began making phone calls.
"It initially appeared as violent mobs, but they overwhelmed some of the most secure places in the country incredibly quickly. I believe they're more organized than they appear." Sarah slid him a piece of paper, a number of scribbled sentences on it. "My Security Advisor has just let me know that Fort Charles, the biggest fort in Auria and the primary military base near Lumiere, has been taken over by an unknown number of assailants." He stopped, thinking at a mile per minute. "There has to be someone behind this. No violent mob could pull off this large of coup this quickly. Trust me, we tried." Lancaster made a light humor quip, trying to lighten the situation to avoid breaking down in stress and anger. It didn't work very well. "Unfortunately, I have no clue who could be behind this at this time."
Texōccoatl had come to the same conclusion as Lancaster, as soon as he described the speed and size of the actions taking place. This can’t be spontaneous. “Has anyone emerged as a spokesperson for this group at all? Have they made any demands or issued any statements? And does it appear that they obtained their weapons locally? Someone had to arm all these people.”
"No spokesperson yet, however I'd imagine that some sort of hierarchy will reveal itself soon. Some members of the mob have released videos denouncing Lapointe and some videos of street fighting, but since no hierarchy or leadership has made themselves known, no official demands or statements can be interpreted." The Chancellor sighed again, closing his eyes. "And I hate to say it, but they hold Lumiere. They don't need to make demands, and I don't think they will." The clock on the wall of the study clicked, marking every second like it was an eternity. "I think they want the whole damn country."
”So the question then becomes: how do we respond?” Texōccoatl’s voice took on a more determined tone. “I’ll have to consult with the Vice-Speaker, but I imagine we’ll be on the same page given our own experience with coups recently. Huenya will denounce these actions and stand with your government in whatever action you may decide to take.”
"I'm, regrettably, not entirely sure. If our Intelligence is up to date, a large number of politicians and powerful figures, including the members of the Laurent royal family, have evacuated from Lumiere. I have a feeling they'll be either heading for Huenya or Eiria soon, if things get any worse. I have a feeling it's our turn to host the exile government for a change. I've temporarily ordered our embassy staff out of Lumiere, for their own safety." Lancaster said, a slight tone of unease creeping into his voice. I just hope they make it out in time.
”If there is anything we can do to assist in those efforts, let me know. We just set up our own embassy there, and now we’ll have to evacuate it as well. We’ll also have to consider how to evacuate our nationals if necessary. We do have ships and planes available, but if someone tries to prevent us from evacuating our people….that might be an issue.” Texōccoatl hoped that would not be the case; Huenya was hardly in a position to pick a fight with anyone. But he firmly believes that you didn’t leave your people behind, and would try to get them out.
"We've got out own ships in position as well, so if you need assistance with your evacuation, we'd be more than happy to provide." A thought crossed the Chancellor's mind, and he sat up. "Damn it. We're likely going to have some Aurian athletes defecting if things get too bad. That'll be interesting." His tone faded into a mix of stress and fear. "Hopefully this doesn't become a full coup though. One can only hope…"
”I agree, but I wish I could be optimistic. These people, whoever they are, went straight for the main source of power and legitimacy in Auria and eliminated him. Cutting the head off the snake, as it were. This is likely only the beginning.” Texōccoatl shook his head. “It would probably be wise for us to try to present a united front in our response to these events, and encourage other nations to do the same. If we seem unable or unwilling to respond, whoever is behind this will be emboldened to do more.” Texōccoatl scribbled more notes to Tlalmaxxi, who was on the phone. Need to investigate source of weapons, funding, etc. Also need to speak to Tiacihitli. Tlalmaxxi nodded to her husband with the expression of someone who already knew all that.
"Yes, that's a good idea. We can't exactly afford to be divided right now, even without the coup." Lancaster watched his National Security Advisor enter the study again and place a note on his desk. He picked it up, cursing once he read it. "Metdi." He readjusted his phone. "It would seem that the weapons in the Execution video, as well as at least two other videos of the storming of the Treasury, have one thing in common: They were all Xiomeran made." He paused again before repeating himself, in an angered disbelief. "The weapons were Xiomeran made...."
Texōccoatl found himself sharing that sense of angered disbelief. But in his mind, a big piece of the puzzle was falling into place.
“If that is the case…..either the people behind this uprising are being aided by Xiomeran mercenaries supplying them weapons….or Calhualyana’s government itself is behind it. Those are the only ways they could have gotten Xiomeran weapons. Xiomera does have an active arms trade, but any international arms trade is handled either by mercenaries working with weapons manufacturers, or by the government itself doing the same thing. This has always been the case, to make sure Xiomeran weapons designs don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
"And I highly doubt arranging a coup would hire mercenaries when they can just ask the Xiomeran government for assistance." Lancaster said, working out the same puzzle Texōccoatl was putting into place. "So, whoever this person or people are, they have to be powerful and/or credible. I doubt Xiomera would give out weapons unless they thought that the coup would have a chance of succeeding, it would be too risky."
”Either that, or they think that it’s someone who can successfully pull off a revolt and become powerful and credible - and then be beholden to Calhualyana’s government for that achievement.” Texōccoatl sighed. “This smells like ASI - or its new successor, anyway,” he said with an apologetic look to Tlalmaxxi, who was giving him quite a side-eye look at the mention of her former workplace.
"Unfortunately, I don't exactly have as much Intel as I would like, so It's hard to say if Calhualyana sent agents directly." Lancaster checked his watch, feeling simultaneously fast and sluggish. "We'll keep you and your government in the loop as we get more information. I'm sorry to disturb your New Riga vacation."
”You’re not the one disturbing it - these mobs in Auria are. I should like to return the favor to them at some point. But thank you for keeping us in the loop. Please let me know if we can help in any way.”
"Ditto. We're always here to help. Hopefully you and your wife can enjoy the Olympics without much interference. Have a good time in New Riga."
Texōccoatl thanked the Chancellor and ended the call. He then looked over at Tlalmaxxi. “Tiacihitli has called an emergency meeting of the Chamber of Executives. He intends to push for an official statement condemning the violence in Auria and demanding the immediate end of violence and the restoration of the legitimate government,” she said.
“As he should,” the Great Speaker replied. “That is exactly the outcome I intend for us to seek - especially if Calhualyana may be involved. This poses a threat to us as much as it does to Auria.”
Lancaster placed the phone down, standing as Weiss and Christiansen reentered the room. "The Ministers and Generals are assembled in the Hearth."
Lancaster nodded, mentally preparing himself for the hours to come. "Well, let's not waste anymore time. I don't think we have any to waste anymore."
Outside Central Lumiere, Auria
June 28th, 2021, 12:06 AM
The mass of dark-clothed Aurians walked as quietly as they could down the streets of Lumiere, passing darkened businesses and apartment buildings. Barely anyone was out this early in the morning, and anyone who was out turned around and ran at the sight of the large army of people marching down the sidewalks.
Under their dark clothes, much of the group was armed to the teeth, rifles strapped to their backs and sidearms fixed at their hips. Only a few of these weapons were Aurian in design, most of the others having been imported from Xiomera. A few wore buttons with political slogans of the infamous "NewNation" movement, a prevalent conspiracy theory association, one known for causing massive unrest.
Even though they weren't exactly inconspicuous, they marched as quietly as they could, the rhythm of their boots making soft thuds as they approached the hub of Lumiere’s central government buildings. The three men in front waved to the rest of the squad to set up, the mob wasting no time getting weapons out and ready.
The commander peeked around the corner, trying to get a good line of sight. Through a host of townhouses and small apartments sat a large white brick building, surrounded by guards armed with large rifles strapped over their shoulders. The Treasury Building was armed with more security than usual, due to recent disturbances and unrest in the nation. Hah, they think a few more mindless drones in uniforms will stop us?
He motioned over his shoulder, and the group started advancing, taking cover behind any solid object they could find. The leader sheltered behind a set of stairs leading into a townhouse, adjusting his rifle. He put his elbows on the stairs, aiming down his sights at one particular target. One of the guards was getting curious about the faint noises coming down the street, and had left their post to investigate. The leader took one last deep breath, fiddling with the trigger and preparing for the battle to come.
CRACK
Chancellor’s Manor, Geminus, Eiria
12:49 AM
Crack
Chancellor William Lancaster shot up in his bed, heart beating wildly out of his chest. His breathing was quick, yet quiet, a skill he’d picked up in the Civil War. Calm down. It was just a dream. Just a dream. He looked to his right, praying to see his husband in one piece. Thankfully, Jake was sleeping soundly, one arm hanging off the bed in a seemingly uncomfortable position. Will smiled, almost laughing at the normalcy of it all. I still don’t know how you sleep like that. He resisted the urge to lift his arm back onto the bed and instead laid back down, closing his eyes.
The phone positioned on the nightstand rang, and he snatched it on the first ring, not wanting to wake the Proviri. “If this is about a comment on the asylum ‘kidnappng’, or my sister’s reaction to it, can’t it just wait until morning?” He said groggily, looking at Jake to make sure he didn’t disturb him. “I’m sorry sir, but it’s an emergency. A series of governmental buildings were attacked about half an hour ago in Lumiere. We believe that Prime Minister Lapointe and his wife were captured.” His chief of staff, Ava, said with a voice barely masking concern.
Will shot out of bed as quietly as he could. “I’ll be right down.”
---
12:55 AM
A slightly disheveled Lancaster quickly walked down the steps into the staff wing of the manor, occasionally seeing a disgruntled worker walk in, having been paged. Ava Christiansen, Lancaster’s chief of staff, was standing at her desk, accompanied by Sarah Weiss, the recently-promoted National Security Advisor. Lancaster gestured both of them into the study, adjusting his coat as he walked. "Talk to me. What's the situation?"
Weiss wasted no time, taking out a sheet of notes. "Over an hour ago, we received reports of increasing unrest in the Lumiere suburbs of Albany and Langwich. Those reports detailed rumored gunshots and invasions of the local government offices. About forty minutes ago, we received information on a series of ongoing attacks by armed citizens on several major government offices, including the Treasury, Parliament Building, and Prime Minister's home. And twenty minutes ago, we received word that those three attacks in particular were successful."
Lancaster sat, reading the EICA report Sarah had given him. "Holy shit. You said Jacques and Eve Lapointe were captured in the attack?" He asked, scanning the report for any mentions of the Prime Minister and First Lady, looking up at both women after he didn't find any.
Weiss looked down and put a phone on the desk, speaking slowly and calmly. "This is a video that was published on Cicero, an Aurian social media network, about ten minutes after the rumored attack. It's the last video of Lapointe and his wife, and it's disturbing, sir."
Lancaster watched in muted horror as Lapointe and his wife were dragged onto a marble floor, likely in the entryway to their home. Both were dressed in torn nightclothes, and both looked beaten and bloody.
"Jacques and Evelyn Lapointe, you are accused of committing Treason to the Aurian people, committing espionage, and oppressing the Aurian nation for a foreign master. Your regime of lies ends here, and we shall cleanse the nation of your filthy handprints." A man spoke in the accented Aurian dialect Eirian, gesturing to the black-clad soldiers surrounding the couple. "The only acceptable punishment for these crimes is death. You will pay in blood, for the oath you have forsaken." He gestured his hands, and the soldiers formed a line, raising their weapons. "Fire."
Lancaster nearly dropped the phone and lost it right there, having to close his eyes and place the phone back on his desk. "Oh my God." He whispered, his voice hoarse. "Were the Ministers of Defence and Diplomacy contacted as well? They need to be briefed just as much as I do."
"They both were paged a few minutes ago. They will still be a few minutes." Ava spoke up, looking at the phone with disgust and fear. "They may need some time to work up a briefing."
Lancaster nodded, almost frozen by the video he just watched. He blinked, once, twice, trying to get the image of blood splattered on marble out of his head. "Have the Generals ready to brief once the Ministers arrive. Rally the Lunar Guard for an ongoing Omega-5 Situation. Also, if Lacewick's here yet, get him writing a press release of the situation." He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "And we have time until the Ministers arrive. Great Speaker Texoccoatl is staying in New Riga currently. Get his hotel room on the line, please."
In his hotel room, Texōccoatl was sleeping when there was a knock on his bedroom door, followed by the door opening. Both Texōccoatl and Tlalmaxxi snapped awake quickly, their years of army and security training making them light sleepers. “Sir, we have an urgent call from Chancellor Lancaster for you,” one of his guards told him.
“Understood,” Texōccoatl replied, quickly getting up and throwing on some clothes as his wife did the same. “Is it about something back home, do you think?” Tlalmaxxi asked.
“Unlikely, our own people would have contacted us if that were the case. But whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Texōccoatl replied as the two of them walked to the study and sat down at the desk. “Chancellor, this is Texōccoatl. How can I help you?”
"I'm sorry for waking you at this hour, but it's quite urgent." Lancaster talked fast and steady, seemingly not stopping for breath. "Almost two hours ago, huge groups of armed mobs stormed into Lumiere, in Auria, and started attacking government buildings. The guards were caught off guard, losing the Parliament building, the Treasury, and the Prime Minister's home." He finally paused, sighing. "A video of Lapointe and his wife getting executed by firing squad was published ten minutes later."
Texōccoatl sighed to himself, wincing and closing his eyes. Not another coup. Damn. He quickly shook himself out of his dismay. “This is extremely disturbing. Does this appear to be an organized coup or just violent mobs? Is there any idea of who is behind it?”
As he was speaking, he wrote on a hotel notepad before passing it to Tlalmaxxi. Possible coup in Auria. Lapointe and spouse executed. Contact Cuetlancaona and Tlanexchel. Tlalmaxxi nodded, her expression grave, and began making phone calls.
"It initially appeared as violent mobs, but they overwhelmed some of the most secure places in the country incredibly quickly. I believe they're more organized than they appear." Sarah slid him a piece of paper, a number of scribbled sentences on it. "My Security Advisor has just let me know that Fort Charles, the biggest fort in Auria and the primary military base near Lumiere, has been taken over by an unknown number of assailants." He stopped, thinking at a mile per minute. "There has to be someone behind this. No violent mob could pull off this large of coup this quickly. Trust me, we tried." Lancaster made a light humor quip, trying to lighten the situation to avoid breaking down in stress and anger. It didn't work very well. "Unfortunately, I have no clue who could be behind this at this time."
Texōccoatl had come to the same conclusion as Lancaster, as soon as he described the speed and size of the actions taking place. This can’t be spontaneous. “Has anyone emerged as a spokesperson for this group at all? Have they made any demands or issued any statements? And does it appear that they obtained their weapons locally? Someone had to arm all these people.”
"No spokesperson yet, however I'd imagine that some sort of hierarchy will reveal itself soon. Some members of the mob have released videos denouncing Lapointe and some videos of street fighting, but since no hierarchy or leadership has made themselves known, no official demands or statements can be interpreted." The Chancellor sighed again, closing his eyes. "And I hate to say it, but they hold Lumiere. They don't need to make demands, and I don't think they will." The clock on the wall of the study clicked, marking every second like it was an eternity. "I think they want the whole damn country."
”So the question then becomes: how do we respond?” Texōccoatl’s voice took on a more determined tone. “I’ll have to consult with the Vice-Speaker, but I imagine we’ll be on the same page given our own experience with coups recently. Huenya will denounce these actions and stand with your government in whatever action you may decide to take.”
"I'm, regrettably, not entirely sure. If our Intelligence is up to date, a large number of politicians and powerful figures, including the members of the Laurent royal family, have evacuated from Lumiere. I have a feeling they'll be either heading for Huenya or Eiria soon, if things get any worse. I have a feeling it's our turn to host the exile government for a change. I've temporarily ordered our embassy staff out of Lumiere, for their own safety." Lancaster said, a slight tone of unease creeping into his voice. I just hope they make it out in time.
”If there is anything we can do to assist in those efforts, let me know. We just set up our own embassy there, and now we’ll have to evacuate it as well. We’ll also have to consider how to evacuate our nationals if necessary. We do have ships and planes available, but if someone tries to prevent us from evacuating our people….that might be an issue.” Texōccoatl hoped that would not be the case; Huenya was hardly in a position to pick a fight with anyone. But he firmly believes that you didn’t leave your people behind, and would try to get them out.
"We've got out own ships in position as well, so if you need assistance with your evacuation, we'd be more than happy to provide." A thought crossed the Chancellor's mind, and he sat up. "Damn it. We're likely going to have some Aurian athletes defecting if things get too bad. That'll be interesting." His tone faded into a mix of stress and fear. "Hopefully this doesn't become a full coup though. One can only hope…"
”I agree, but I wish I could be optimistic. These people, whoever they are, went straight for the main source of power and legitimacy in Auria and eliminated him. Cutting the head off the snake, as it were. This is likely only the beginning.” Texōccoatl shook his head. “It would probably be wise for us to try to present a united front in our response to these events, and encourage other nations to do the same. If we seem unable or unwilling to respond, whoever is behind this will be emboldened to do more.” Texōccoatl scribbled more notes to Tlalmaxxi, who was on the phone. Need to investigate source of weapons, funding, etc. Also need to speak to Tiacihitli. Tlalmaxxi nodded to her husband with the expression of someone who already knew all that.
"Yes, that's a good idea. We can't exactly afford to be divided right now, even without the coup." Lancaster watched his National Security Advisor enter the study again and place a note on his desk. He picked it up, cursing once he read it. "Metdi." He readjusted his phone. "It would seem that the weapons in the Execution video, as well as at least two other videos of the storming of the Treasury, have one thing in common: They were all Xiomeran made." He paused again before repeating himself, in an angered disbelief. "The weapons were Xiomeran made...."
Texōccoatl found himself sharing that sense of angered disbelief. But in his mind, a big piece of the puzzle was falling into place.
“If that is the case…..either the people behind this uprising are being aided by Xiomeran mercenaries supplying them weapons….or Calhualyana’s government itself is behind it. Those are the only ways they could have gotten Xiomeran weapons. Xiomera does have an active arms trade, but any international arms trade is handled either by mercenaries working with weapons manufacturers, or by the government itself doing the same thing. This has always been the case, to make sure Xiomeran weapons designs don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
"And I highly doubt arranging a coup would hire mercenaries when they can just ask the Xiomeran government for assistance." Lancaster said, working out the same puzzle Texōccoatl was putting into place. "So, whoever this person or people are, they have to be powerful and/or credible. I doubt Xiomera would give out weapons unless they thought that the coup would have a chance of succeeding, it would be too risky."
”Either that, or they think that it’s someone who can successfully pull off a revolt and become powerful and credible - and then be beholden to Calhualyana’s government for that achievement.” Texōccoatl sighed. “This smells like ASI - or its new successor, anyway,” he said with an apologetic look to Tlalmaxxi, who was giving him quite a side-eye look at the mention of her former workplace.
"Unfortunately, I don't exactly have as much Intel as I would like, so It's hard to say if Calhualyana sent agents directly." Lancaster checked his watch, feeling simultaneously fast and sluggish. "We'll keep you and your government in the loop as we get more information. I'm sorry to disturb your New Riga vacation."
”You’re not the one disturbing it - these mobs in Auria are. I should like to return the favor to them at some point. But thank you for keeping us in the loop. Please let me know if we can help in any way.”
"Ditto. We're always here to help. Hopefully you and your wife can enjoy the Olympics without much interference. Have a good time in New Riga."
Texōccoatl thanked the Chancellor and ended the call. He then looked over at Tlalmaxxi. “Tiacihitli has called an emergency meeting of the Chamber of Executives. He intends to push for an official statement condemning the violence in Auria and demanding the immediate end of violence and the restoration of the legitimate government,” she said.
“As he should,” the Great Speaker replied. “That is exactly the outcome I intend for us to seek - especially if Calhualyana may be involved. This poses a threat to us as much as it does to Auria.”
Lancaster placed the phone down, standing as Weiss and Christiansen reentered the room. "The Ministers and Generals are assembled in the Hearth."
Lancaster nodded, mentally preparing himself for the hours to come. "Well, let's not waste anymore time. I don't think we have any to waste anymore."
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