[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

The stone building at the end of the alleyway appeared just like any other building in Chuaztlapoc. The brick was faded and slightly weathered, but not in a run-down way. As a whole, it was an average storage depot. And that's what made it so dangerous.

Chimalli hid at the end of the alleyway, positioned just around the corner in order not to cause suspicion. One wrong move, and he’d very likely end up dead, along with who knows how many Huenyans whose lives Chimalli was tasked to save. Despite this risk, he remained calm and resolute, focusing on the task at hand.

He took out a bandana of the Xiomeran flag and quickly put it on, scanning the street one last time before ducking down the alleyway. The early morning light caused shadows to envelop the storage depot's facade, giving the whole alley an ominous vibe. Still, Chimalli was composed, his ice cold glare masking his rapidly growing nerves

After all, it's not easy for an Eirian spy to walk into a Xiomeran terrorist base. Especially not when he has a bomb strapped to his back, concealed below his sweatshirt.

Pushing open the door, he gave a gruff nod to the guard on the other side. The guard gave him a slow once-over before begrudgingly turning back to the door. Chimalli said a silent thank you to the Intelligence Ministry's artists who had picked out his outfit and to the technician who had modified his sidearm to look like it was of Xiomeran issue.

He passed a pair of masked terrorists who side-eyed him without a word, before turning back to their discussion. The air in the warehouse was energetic, and hushed conversations echoed in the wide-open space. Various Golden Blade members were working on organizing and distributing boxes of guns, ammunition, explosives, and other arms that had formed a kind of maze on the depot's floor. Chimalli navigated through the labyrinth of weapons, giving a nod to a passing terrorist before stopping at a junction of open ammunition crates.

Carefully turning around to hide his actions, he squeezed the clasp that was hidden below his shirt, causing the bomb to fall out of the back of his sweatshirt into his hand. He gingerly moved around boxes of ammo within one of the crates, placing the device at the bottom. He then flipped a switch on the side and stacked the bullet boxes on top of it, suitably hiding the bomb within the crate.

He then began walking back through the labyrinth, occasionally stopping to examine a weapon in order to not seem suspicious. As he inched his way towards the building's other exit, he stepped with his heels instead of his toes, not wanting to accidentally trigger the detonator in his boot. When he was sure that no one else was watching him, he gave a nod and a "Long live the Empire!" to the other door guard before stepping out, briskly walking down towards the bright street.

Each step down the alleyway felt like it took an eternity, and he clenched his teeth, trying to resist the urge to look over his shoulder. As soon as he got to the corner, he scanned the street before making a quick right turn. Once he had gotten a block down the road, Chimalli paused, looking back towards the depot. With a sigh, he took off his bandana, leaned against the wall, and slammed the toe of his boot into the ground.

Boom

—-

Boom

Nekahual Stavē ducked down a side street, pausing a second to catch her breath. Smoke filled the street she had just turned off of as the remains of her assigned supply depot went up in flames, causing passersby to yell and take cover. She took one last second to breathe before getting back on the street, constantly glancing back at the fire in order to seem like an ordinary bystander. When she got two blocks away, she looked over her shoulder, turned down an alleyway, and climbed a nearby fire escape.

Waiting for Nekahual on the roof was a hooded woman, watching the depot fire through binoculars. "Nice job. They didn't suspect anything." She said in Eirian.

Nekahual gave a slight smile to her partner. "Nope. How did I look, hurrying down the street?"

The woman pulled her hood down, revealing her blond hair and gray eyes. "Not terrible acting, all things considered. You certainly got out of there quickly." She glanced down and picked up her rifle, pulling the strap over her shoulder. "There's no rest for us, though. We've got a job to do."

"You're never content on overwatch, are you, Aleksis?" Nekahual joked. "You better put that hood back on though, or you'll be shot immediately. If there's one thing that the Golden Blade hates more than Huenyans, it's Eirians."

Aleksis relented, pulling her hood back up. "Let's move. Before they destroy all of the Green Zone."

—

As soon as the first mortars fell on Chuaztlapoc, the guards at Eiria's embassy knew immediately that it was time.

All remaining staff, including the ambassador, were ushered down into the embassy's basement by a large contingent of both Solar Guards and General Security guards. As the stairs were flooded with panicked embassy workers and translators, well over a dozen "Foreign Service Workers" covertly exited at the ground level, greeting a Solar Guard officer at the end of the hall. The officer began handing them rifles, pistols, and ammunition, which the workers took without question.

As soon as the Eirian Ministry of Intelligence had caught wind of the incoming attack on Chuaztlapoc, they had assigned a large contingent of disguised agents to the Eirian embassy, knowing that it would likely be the target of some sort of terrorist action. These agents were highly trained fighters, accurate shooters, and cunning strategists, hell-bent on protecting the Embassy by any means necessary.

Between the Solar Guard contingent and these agents, any terrorist who approached the Eirian embassy would be in for a very rude awakening.