12-25-2021, 04:32 AM
HNTV exit polling - early voting
Vice-Speaker
Tiacihitli (Unification Party) - 42%
Yucuyche (Green Party) - 36%
Acxopotl (Party of Huītzilōpōchtli) - 14%
Quauhxochuepo (Huenyan Centrist Coalition) - 5%
Fourteen other candidates - 3%
HNTV analysis: With early voting almost completed, some unexpected trends are occurring. Interim Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli, of the Unification Party, is locked in a surprisingly close fight with Yucuyche, the candidate of the Green Party. Both candidates were originally targeting the same core of center to left voters, but the Unification Party's lurch towards the right recently may have hurt its support among that core. After the emergence of terrorist groups like the Golden Blade, and the execution of Unification Party founder Cozamalotl in Xiomera, unrest within the Unificationists pushed Tiacihitli towards a harder stance. It remains unclear if this will hurt, or help, him on Election Day. Early voters tend to be those most eagerly committed to their policy stances, and the Unification Party has to be hoping that a more moderate bloc of voters will help them see a surge after early voting closes.
Another surprising result has been the strong showing of Acxopotl and his Party of Huītzilōpōchtli. The right wing, religious party appears to be benefiting both from a surge of religious revivalism among those following the Huenyan indigenous religion, as well as the poor security situation in the country. The unexpectedly strong showing of the Party of Huītzilōpōchtli appears to be coming at the expense of the Huenyan Centrist Coalition and their candidate, the moderate Quauhxochuepo. The HCC had been expected to strongly challenge the Unification Party going into the elections, but if the trends seen in early voting continue on through Election Day, the HCC will likely finish a disappointing fourth overall.
Xochuaxte Palace, Chuaztlapoc
December 24th
Great Speaker Texōccoatl waited in his office, his nervousness well-hidden behind his usual jovial expression. His military discipline and training served him well in that regard, but this meeting gave him good reason to be nervous. Depending on how he handled it, this meeting could make or break the Huenyan Federation. The stakes were the highest he had ever played for.
A sharp knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. The door was opened by a Shorn One, who stood at attention. "Majesty, Macochu, tlatoani of the Necatli, is here to see you." Texōccoatl nodded, standing up to invite Macochu in. As Macochu took a seat, Texōccoatl couldn't help but notice how young he was. He can't be older than 21, and yet, he now has to lead his people. This could be a very good thing, or a very bad one.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Texōccoatl said politely. "It is nothing, I had to come to Chuaztlapoc anyway. To see my father," Macochu said with a firmly direct gaze at Texōccoatl.
Right to the point, Texōccoatl thought with slight bemusement. He's definitely a Necatli - no small talk or subtleties. Texōccoatl decided to return the favor in kind. "The reason I asked you to speak with me is precisely because of Huacue's arrest. I know there are many Necatli who are angry about his being arrested - you are surely among them. But I am urging you to not let that anger drive you, or your people, to abandon Huenya."
"I see. That is what you wanted to ask of me. I have my own request, in turn, Great Speaker. If your CNR tribunal judges my father too harshly for what he did, I cannot promise the continued loyalty of my people. Or my own." Macochu folded his arms. "The execution or imprisonment of my father would not be acceptable to us."
"Your father committed a war crime, Macochu. You know this, and so do we," Texōccoatl sighed.
"Wars are nothing but crimes, Texōccoatl. One crime after another, until an entire people are guilty. As a soldier, you know that." Macochu's gaze was unwavering. "My father's crime, though terrible, was far milder than that of many of those who fought in the war. Including the crimes of that Imperial Army camp commander he killed. Why should my father die when so many escaped justice, just by fleeing back to Xiomera, or by having a favorable hearing before the CNR?" Macochu shook his head. "Or, for that matter, because he helped remove your mother from her throne? Both you, and your mother, committed crimes of your own before the war, yet no one is calling for your head."
"The Golden Blade would disagree with you on that suggestion. Our heads would suit them well," Texōccoatl replied. "My mother does, indeed, have her share of both sins and blessings to carry on her shoulders. More, perhaps, than most people do - of both. But today she bears the scars of torture so heinous that it turns my stomach to think of it, and bears the pain of those scars in private, where no one can see. She lost her home and her throne, forever. I believe that she has paid her recompense for her sins. As for me....I know many people do not believe it, but I was never part of the Xiomeran set that believed that power flowed from the barrel of a gun, or from the scalpel of a torturer. I have not committed the crimes you place on my shoulders. My only sin was tolerating the darkness that rested at the heart of Xiomera for so long, until it was too late to stop it. Be that as it may....one could well argue that my family, at least somewhat, has paid the consequences for our sins. Your father has not paid for his."
"I am not saying there should not be consequences for what he did. Even my father agrees on that," Macochu said. "But I do have the right to insist, for my father, that the consequences be fair."
Texōccoatl thought for a moment. "I do have some influence with the CNR," he said finally. "Influence? The entire apparatus of the CNR reports to you. Everyone knows that. It's the worst kept secret in Huenya," Macochu replied with a laugh. Texōccoatl shrugged eloquently, neither confirming or denying that statement. "Here is what I propose. Your father pleads guilty, sparing both his people and Huenya as a whole the spectacle of a trial. In return, he agrees that he will return to the Necatli lands, to remain in the custody of the Necatli people. He is to never leave Necatli lands, until the day he dies. And he is to have no political or leadership role whatsoever. But he will live."
"Your own mother was allowed to retain a ceremonial role as nantzintli," Macochu retorted. Texōccoatl sighed again. "If you want, Huacue can have some kind of ceremonial role of his own, and be some kind of figurehead for the Necatli people. But real power and influence must remain out of his hands, for the rest of his life. That is my price for his life. If he pleads guilty, and agrees to these terms, he can live and return to Necuatexi."
Macochu nodded after a moment. "This is acceptable." He got up to leave. "For the record, Texōccoatl, I had no intention of withdrawing from the Federation. Unlike my father, I remember history. The Necatli, and all the other tribes, fell to the Xiomeran Empire centuries ago because we tried to stand alone. In our arrogance, each tribe thought they could defeat Xiomera all on their own. That was our downfall, and Huenya's downfall. We cannot let that happen again. The only way Huenya is strong enough to stand against the Xiomeran Empire is if all the tribes stand together."
Macochu paused in the doorway. "But just remember.....loyal or not, I do not intend to be a pushover." With another nod, he closed the door behind him. Texōccoatl whistled softly to himself, once Macochu had left. No pushover, indeed. But unlike his father, he believes in Huenya. Thank the gods for that.
Oxtlacoal, southern Itotemoc region, Huenya
Oxtlacoal West Polling Station
Oxtlacoal is a small town in far southwestern Itotemoc lands. Early voting for the 24th had just begun, and Matzinena smiled as she sat down at her station and set her coffee down on the table. A line had just begun to form outside the polling station, and she warmly greeted the first voters entering the lobby. She was about to begin directing people to which lines they needed to go to when she heard the screams.
Loud shouting, accompanied by the sound of vehicles coming to a halt in front of the small polling station, broke the morning silence. Then came the gunfire.
The two Huenyan Army soldiers inside the station shouted to Matzinena and the other workers to get the civilians out the back; a third soldier went to accompany them as they rushed to the back door. The two other soldiers ran out the front, and the sound of gunfire intensified. "Quickly, come on!" Matzinena shouted, guiding the frightened people to the back. The third soldier opened the back door slowly, crouching to see if anyone was there. A burst of gunfire echoed out, and the soldier fell to the ground. Matzinena and the others paused, caught in the middle. The sounds of gunfire from the outside soon died down. The sound of boots echoed out in the stillness; men and women carrying rifles began to enter the polling station. All of them wore golden bandanas with a Xiomeran sun and dagger. A man with sharp features, and black hair graying slightly at the temples, was leading them. "Take them outside," he barked. The rifle-toting terrorists began forcing people outside to the front of the polling station.
As Matzinena emerged outside, she was stunned to see the two Huenyan Army soldiers who had rushed to defend them. They were sprawled out on the ground, riddled with bullets. Their Army vehicles, and an Oxtlacoal municipal police car, were on fire. Two police officers were also down, on the ground next to their burning patrol car.
The terrorists quickly herded the people who had come to vote into the middle of the street, separating them from the poll workers. The man leading the terrorists stepped in front of his horde. "I am Commander Mictlāntēcutli. I am the Golden Blade. We," he said, gesturing to his followers, "are the Golden Blade. We are the instrument of vengeance against those who split apart the Xiomeran Empire. We are the light of resistance against the false Huenyan regime and its foreign puppetmasters. And we," he said, his voice turning darker, "are the instrument of punishment for their collaborators."
The poll workers were lined up, in front of the burning vehicles. Commander Mictlāntēcutli eyed them, as they looked at him with a mixture of defiance and trepidation. "That one," he said finally, pointing to Matzinena. She was pulled out of the line, despite her struggling. Commander Mictlāntēcutli turned back to his followers, and nodded.
The last burst of gunfire was mercifully brief. When it was over, Commander Mictlāntēcutli turned back to the people of Oxtlacoal who had dared vote for a better future. "Remember what you saw here today. Tell everyone what you saw here today. This is the price for collaboration. And this is just the beginning."
As the Golden Blade strike force pulled out of Oxtlacoal, Matzinena was roughly shoved into the back of a truck, blindfolded and tied up. She had no idea where she was being taken. She only knew that the terrorists were keeping her alive for some reason. That scared her almost as much as what she had just witnessed.
Vice-Speaker
Tiacihitli (Unification Party) - 42%
Yucuyche (Green Party) - 36%
Acxopotl (Party of Huītzilōpōchtli) - 14%
Quauhxochuepo (Huenyan Centrist Coalition) - 5%
Fourteen other candidates - 3%
HNTV analysis: With early voting almost completed, some unexpected trends are occurring. Interim Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli, of the Unification Party, is locked in a surprisingly close fight with Yucuyche, the candidate of the Green Party. Both candidates were originally targeting the same core of center to left voters, but the Unification Party's lurch towards the right recently may have hurt its support among that core. After the emergence of terrorist groups like the Golden Blade, and the execution of Unification Party founder Cozamalotl in Xiomera, unrest within the Unificationists pushed Tiacihitli towards a harder stance. It remains unclear if this will hurt, or help, him on Election Day. Early voters tend to be those most eagerly committed to their policy stances, and the Unification Party has to be hoping that a more moderate bloc of voters will help them see a surge after early voting closes.
Another surprising result has been the strong showing of Acxopotl and his Party of Huītzilōpōchtli. The right wing, religious party appears to be benefiting both from a surge of religious revivalism among those following the Huenyan indigenous religion, as well as the poor security situation in the country. The unexpectedly strong showing of the Party of Huītzilōpōchtli appears to be coming at the expense of the Huenyan Centrist Coalition and their candidate, the moderate Quauhxochuepo. The HCC had been expected to strongly challenge the Unification Party going into the elections, but if the trends seen in early voting continue on through Election Day, the HCC will likely finish a disappointing fourth overall.
Xochuaxte Palace, Chuaztlapoc
December 24th
Great Speaker Texōccoatl waited in his office, his nervousness well-hidden behind his usual jovial expression. His military discipline and training served him well in that regard, but this meeting gave him good reason to be nervous. Depending on how he handled it, this meeting could make or break the Huenyan Federation. The stakes were the highest he had ever played for.
A sharp knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. The door was opened by a Shorn One, who stood at attention. "Majesty, Macochu, tlatoani of the Necatli, is here to see you." Texōccoatl nodded, standing up to invite Macochu in. As Macochu took a seat, Texōccoatl couldn't help but notice how young he was. He can't be older than 21, and yet, he now has to lead his people. This could be a very good thing, or a very bad one.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Texōccoatl said politely. "It is nothing, I had to come to Chuaztlapoc anyway. To see my father," Macochu said with a firmly direct gaze at Texōccoatl.
Right to the point, Texōccoatl thought with slight bemusement. He's definitely a Necatli - no small talk or subtleties. Texōccoatl decided to return the favor in kind. "The reason I asked you to speak with me is precisely because of Huacue's arrest. I know there are many Necatli who are angry about his being arrested - you are surely among them. But I am urging you to not let that anger drive you, or your people, to abandon Huenya."
"I see. That is what you wanted to ask of me. I have my own request, in turn, Great Speaker. If your CNR tribunal judges my father too harshly for what he did, I cannot promise the continued loyalty of my people. Or my own." Macochu folded his arms. "The execution or imprisonment of my father would not be acceptable to us."
"Your father committed a war crime, Macochu. You know this, and so do we," Texōccoatl sighed.
"Wars are nothing but crimes, Texōccoatl. One crime after another, until an entire people are guilty. As a soldier, you know that." Macochu's gaze was unwavering. "My father's crime, though terrible, was far milder than that of many of those who fought in the war. Including the crimes of that Imperial Army camp commander he killed. Why should my father die when so many escaped justice, just by fleeing back to Xiomera, or by having a favorable hearing before the CNR?" Macochu shook his head. "Or, for that matter, because he helped remove your mother from her throne? Both you, and your mother, committed crimes of your own before the war, yet no one is calling for your head."
"The Golden Blade would disagree with you on that suggestion. Our heads would suit them well," Texōccoatl replied. "My mother does, indeed, have her share of both sins and blessings to carry on her shoulders. More, perhaps, than most people do - of both. But today she bears the scars of torture so heinous that it turns my stomach to think of it, and bears the pain of those scars in private, where no one can see. She lost her home and her throne, forever. I believe that she has paid her recompense for her sins. As for me....I know many people do not believe it, but I was never part of the Xiomeran set that believed that power flowed from the barrel of a gun, or from the scalpel of a torturer. I have not committed the crimes you place on my shoulders. My only sin was tolerating the darkness that rested at the heart of Xiomera for so long, until it was too late to stop it. Be that as it may....one could well argue that my family, at least somewhat, has paid the consequences for our sins. Your father has not paid for his."
"I am not saying there should not be consequences for what he did. Even my father agrees on that," Macochu said. "But I do have the right to insist, for my father, that the consequences be fair."
Texōccoatl thought for a moment. "I do have some influence with the CNR," he said finally. "Influence? The entire apparatus of the CNR reports to you. Everyone knows that. It's the worst kept secret in Huenya," Macochu replied with a laugh. Texōccoatl shrugged eloquently, neither confirming or denying that statement. "Here is what I propose. Your father pleads guilty, sparing both his people and Huenya as a whole the spectacle of a trial. In return, he agrees that he will return to the Necatli lands, to remain in the custody of the Necatli people. He is to never leave Necatli lands, until the day he dies. And he is to have no political or leadership role whatsoever. But he will live."
"Your own mother was allowed to retain a ceremonial role as nantzintli," Macochu retorted. Texōccoatl sighed again. "If you want, Huacue can have some kind of ceremonial role of his own, and be some kind of figurehead for the Necatli people. But real power and influence must remain out of his hands, for the rest of his life. That is my price for his life. If he pleads guilty, and agrees to these terms, he can live and return to Necuatexi."
Macochu nodded after a moment. "This is acceptable." He got up to leave. "For the record, Texōccoatl, I had no intention of withdrawing from the Federation. Unlike my father, I remember history. The Necatli, and all the other tribes, fell to the Xiomeran Empire centuries ago because we tried to stand alone. In our arrogance, each tribe thought they could defeat Xiomera all on their own. That was our downfall, and Huenya's downfall. We cannot let that happen again. The only way Huenya is strong enough to stand against the Xiomeran Empire is if all the tribes stand together."
Macochu paused in the doorway. "But just remember.....loyal or not, I do not intend to be a pushover." With another nod, he closed the door behind him. Texōccoatl whistled softly to himself, once Macochu had left. No pushover, indeed. But unlike his father, he believes in Huenya. Thank the gods for that.
Oxtlacoal, southern Itotemoc region, Huenya
Oxtlacoal West Polling Station
Oxtlacoal is a small town in far southwestern Itotemoc lands. Early voting for the 24th had just begun, and Matzinena smiled as she sat down at her station and set her coffee down on the table. A line had just begun to form outside the polling station, and she warmly greeted the first voters entering the lobby. She was about to begin directing people to which lines they needed to go to when she heard the screams.
Loud shouting, accompanied by the sound of vehicles coming to a halt in front of the small polling station, broke the morning silence. Then came the gunfire.
The two Huenyan Army soldiers inside the station shouted to Matzinena and the other workers to get the civilians out the back; a third soldier went to accompany them as they rushed to the back door. The two other soldiers ran out the front, and the sound of gunfire intensified. "Quickly, come on!" Matzinena shouted, guiding the frightened people to the back. The third soldier opened the back door slowly, crouching to see if anyone was there. A burst of gunfire echoed out, and the soldier fell to the ground. Matzinena and the others paused, caught in the middle. The sounds of gunfire from the outside soon died down. The sound of boots echoed out in the stillness; men and women carrying rifles began to enter the polling station. All of them wore golden bandanas with a Xiomeran sun and dagger. A man with sharp features, and black hair graying slightly at the temples, was leading them. "Take them outside," he barked. The rifle-toting terrorists began forcing people outside to the front of the polling station.
As Matzinena emerged outside, she was stunned to see the two Huenyan Army soldiers who had rushed to defend them. They were sprawled out on the ground, riddled with bullets. Their Army vehicles, and an Oxtlacoal municipal police car, were on fire. Two police officers were also down, on the ground next to their burning patrol car.
The terrorists quickly herded the people who had come to vote into the middle of the street, separating them from the poll workers. The man leading the terrorists stepped in front of his horde. "I am Commander Mictlāntēcutli. I am the Golden Blade. We," he said, gesturing to his followers, "are the Golden Blade. We are the instrument of vengeance against those who split apart the Xiomeran Empire. We are the light of resistance against the false Huenyan regime and its foreign puppetmasters. And we," he said, his voice turning darker, "are the instrument of punishment for their collaborators."
The poll workers were lined up, in front of the burning vehicles. Commander Mictlāntēcutli eyed them, as they looked at him with a mixture of defiance and trepidation. "That one," he said finally, pointing to Matzinena. She was pulled out of the line, despite her struggling. Commander Mictlāntēcutli turned back to his followers, and nodded.
The last burst of gunfire was mercifully brief. When it was over, Commander Mictlāntēcutli turned back to the people of Oxtlacoal who had dared vote for a better future. "Remember what you saw here today. Tell everyone what you saw here today. This is the price for collaboration. And this is just the beginning."
As the Golden Blade strike force pulled out of Oxtlacoal, Matzinena was roughly shoved into the back of a truck, blindfolded and tied up. She had no idea where she was being taken. She only knew that the terrorists were keeping her alive for some reason. That scared her almost as much as what she had just witnessed.
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