01-18-2022, 09:11 AM
Huenyan National Television (HNTV)
Chuaztlapoc
Around 6:00 am Huenyan time on January 18th, the main mailroom at the National Broadcast Center was slowly coming to life. Techuaqui, a mail sorter, was looking through various deliveries when one caught his eye. It was addressed to Popana, one of the investigative journalists with the news division. It had no return address.
Techuaqui was instantly cautious. He looked up at a flyer that had been pinned to the bulletin board over his work area. On the flyer, a warning from the Federal Police about possible dangerous mail from terrorists, along with warning signs to identify such mail, was displayed. This package, he couldn't help noticing, closely resembled the ones on the poster. Techuaqui gulped silently.
---
An hour later, after the package had been checked out by the Federal Police and determined not to be a bomb or otherwise dangerous, the contents were delivered to Popana. The only thing inside the package was a flash drive. Another delay occurred while the Federal Police made sure there was no malicious software on it. After what seemed like an eternity, the drive was cleared and Popana inserted it into her computer. A single video clip was on it. When she clicked on the video, it revealed itself to be a recording inside a barren room. Two people were seated in front of a wooden table, gagged and bound. Anyone who had been paying attention to Huenyan news for the past few weeks would quickly recognize them as the two kidnapped poll workers, Paul Ramirez and Matzinena. Both of them looked haggard, but otherwise unharmed.
Behind the two prisoners, three men were standing. They were wearing desert camo fatigues, with the emblem of the Golden Blade on their shoulders. Masks covered their faces. The one in the middle spoke. "This is the Golden Blade. We have these tools of the illegitimate and fake Huenyan state, and its foreign masters, as our prisoners. They are unhurt, for now," he said deliberately. "Whether they remain unhurt is up to the Huenyan 'government'. For the return of these people unharmed, the Golden Blade demands that the Huenyan 'government' agree to cede the following lands to our control."
A map of Huenya appeared, showing multiple districts spanning from the eastern Tepiltzin region through the southern Itotemoc and Necatli regions, in a wide swath. "These lands will be designated as the State of Apozanolotl. They shall be independent and distinct from the so-called Huenyan state, and will be a homeland strictly for the Xiomerans dispossessed by the separatist Huenyan regime and separated from their ancestral nation. This is not a request, or a call for negotiation. This is a demand for what our people are due. And if it is not met, these two will die. Slowly. And painfully."
The terrorist speaking looked directly at the camera. "And if our demands are ignored, they will not be the last. Do not doubt us on this. Any attempt to 'rescue' these prisoners will also result in their immediate execution. Do not even try. The Huenyan 'government' has seven days to agree to our demands. If they do not, the lives of these two, and the thousands who will follow them, will be on their heads."
The video clip ended. Popana leaned back in her chair and sighed.
---
The morning news broadcast from HNTV led with the story, and the video. "The terrorist group Golden Blade delivered this video to us," Popana said. "They are calling for a separate ethnic Xiomeran state in Huenya, to be named after Apozanolotl, the goddess of purity. And they appear both willing and able to carry out their threats if their demands are not met," she continued in a sober tone. "The government has not yet made a formal response to this threat from the terrorists."
---
At the Tecpancalli Tonaltzintli, Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli was in an urgent meeting with his advisors. "We have no idea where the Golden Blade is holding the two hostages, or even where most of their bases of operations are." Xochica, the Secretary of Justice, shook her head in frustration. "The Federal Police have been trying to track them down, along with the FIS. But we're chasing shadows here. We need a more comprehensive approach."
"I agree," Ahuatzi, the Secretary for Internal Affairs, said. "We need to loop more people into this hunt. The stakes just got a lot higher. If that Lauchenoirian poll worker is killed...."
"Oh yes, I know," Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli replied. "That would be disastrous. We need to do whatever we can to prevent that. The two of you mentioned forming a task force. What would that involve?"
"We would combine the resources of the FIS, the SIPS, and the military to look for and eliminate these terrorists once and for all. Along with other possible resources that we are working on," Ahuatzi said. "Our first priority would be finding the site the hostages are being held at, and freeing them unharmed. After that, we would work to eliminate the rest of the organization. I am assuming, of course, that their demand for a 'homeland' is a non-starter."
Tiacihitli snorted in response, making it clear exactly what he thought about that demand. "Begin forming your task force. We need to move quickly."
Chuaztlapoc
Around 6:00 am Huenyan time on January 18th, the main mailroom at the National Broadcast Center was slowly coming to life. Techuaqui, a mail sorter, was looking through various deliveries when one caught his eye. It was addressed to Popana, one of the investigative journalists with the news division. It had no return address.
Techuaqui was instantly cautious. He looked up at a flyer that had been pinned to the bulletin board over his work area. On the flyer, a warning from the Federal Police about possible dangerous mail from terrorists, along with warning signs to identify such mail, was displayed. This package, he couldn't help noticing, closely resembled the ones on the poster. Techuaqui gulped silently.
---
An hour later, after the package had been checked out by the Federal Police and determined not to be a bomb or otherwise dangerous, the contents were delivered to Popana. The only thing inside the package was a flash drive. Another delay occurred while the Federal Police made sure there was no malicious software on it. After what seemed like an eternity, the drive was cleared and Popana inserted it into her computer. A single video clip was on it. When she clicked on the video, it revealed itself to be a recording inside a barren room. Two people were seated in front of a wooden table, gagged and bound. Anyone who had been paying attention to Huenyan news for the past few weeks would quickly recognize them as the two kidnapped poll workers, Paul Ramirez and Matzinena. Both of them looked haggard, but otherwise unharmed.
Behind the two prisoners, three men were standing. They were wearing desert camo fatigues, with the emblem of the Golden Blade on their shoulders. Masks covered their faces. The one in the middle spoke. "This is the Golden Blade. We have these tools of the illegitimate and fake Huenyan state, and its foreign masters, as our prisoners. They are unhurt, for now," he said deliberately. "Whether they remain unhurt is up to the Huenyan 'government'. For the return of these people unharmed, the Golden Blade demands that the Huenyan 'government' agree to cede the following lands to our control."
A map of Huenya appeared, showing multiple districts spanning from the eastern Tepiltzin region through the southern Itotemoc and Necatli regions, in a wide swath. "These lands will be designated as the State of Apozanolotl. They shall be independent and distinct from the so-called Huenyan state, and will be a homeland strictly for the Xiomerans dispossessed by the separatist Huenyan regime and separated from their ancestral nation. This is not a request, or a call for negotiation. This is a demand for what our people are due. And if it is not met, these two will die. Slowly. And painfully."
The terrorist speaking looked directly at the camera. "And if our demands are ignored, they will not be the last. Do not doubt us on this. Any attempt to 'rescue' these prisoners will also result in their immediate execution. Do not even try. The Huenyan 'government' has seven days to agree to our demands. If they do not, the lives of these two, and the thousands who will follow them, will be on their heads."
The video clip ended. Popana leaned back in her chair and sighed.
---
The morning news broadcast from HNTV led with the story, and the video. "The terrorist group Golden Blade delivered this video to us," Popana said. "They are calling for a separate ethnic Xiomeran state in Huenya, to be named after Apozanolotl, the goddess of purity. And they appear both willing and able to carry out their threats if their demands are not met," she continued in a sober tone. "The government has not yet made a formal response to this threat from the terrorists."
---
At the Tecpancalli Tonaltzintli, Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli was in an urgent meeting with his advisors. "We have no idea where the Golden Blade is holding the two hostages, or even where most of their bases of operations are." Xochica, the Secretary of Justice, shook her head in frustration. "The Federal Police have been trying to track them down, along with the FIS. But we're chasing shadows here. We need a more comprehensive approach."
"I agree," Ahuatzi, the Secretary for Internal Affairs, said. "We need to loop more people into this hunt. The stakes just got a lot higher. If that Lauchenoirian poll worker is killed...."
"Oh yes, I know," Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli replied. "That would be disastrous. We need to do whatever we can to prevent that. The two of you mentioned forming a task force. What would that involve?"
"We would combine the resources of the FIS, the SIPS, and the military to look for and eliminate these terrorists once and for all. Along with other possible resources that we are working on," Ahuatzi said. "Our first priority would be finding the site the hostages are being held at, and freeing them unharmed. After that, we would work to eliminate the rest of the organization. I am assuming, of course, that their demand for a 'homeland' is a non-starter."
Tiacihitli snorted in response, making it clear exactly what he thought about that demand. "Begin forming your task force. We need to move quickly."
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