05-11-2025, 03:01 AM
Tecpancalli Tonaltzintli, Presidential Residence of the Huenyan Federation
May 10th
President Xiadani tapped her fingers on the conference table in thought. "This situation is not acceptable," she said finally.
Her Cabinet and intelligence officials, seated around the table, were pretty much universally in agreement on that. Director Cuetlancaona of the FIS had just finished presenting his rather grim intelligence assessment of the Milintican situation. His conclusions were stark: overstretched or not, Calhualyana would invade Milintica and occupy it if Arana's government gave her even a little excuse. And the situation around Aoatea, or the Chenalco Islands, or the "stupid ass specks of dirt that will cause a war", as Xiadani termed them, was more than a little excuse no matter what you called the place.
If Xiomera did invade Milintica, Cuetlancaona's assessment said, the Empire would likely topple the Milintican government and its military forces within a week at the maximum. There would undoubtedly be resistance long after that; Milinticans had a tradition of guerrilla warfare and insurgency under their belt. The Xiomerans may well find themselves with a nasty case of buyer's remorse for years afterward, Cuetlancaona had said. But that would be small comfort to Huenya and its neighbors, who would once again find themselves flanked on either side by Xiomeran-controlled territory. The Empire would regain a dominant strategic position in eastern Caxcana. Milintica's resources and territory would be bent to the will of a resurgent Empire, powering its industrial and war-making machine. "Not acceptable" was a barely adequate phrase to describe the situation, in Xiadani's mind.
"Director Cuetlancaona. Secretary Tlanexchel," the President said, looking at the FIS Director and the Defense Secretary. "This was personal for me, I admit. I just don't like Neina Arana," she shrugged. "But now, her blundering stupidity is putting Huenya, and our allies, at risk. I will not tolerate that. This isn't personal anymore - now it's business," Xiadani said with a slight touch of irony coloring her voice at the twist of the old phrase. "Have we downloaded and investigated all of the information Tahana brought with her?"
"We have, madam President," Cuetlancaona said. "The entire plot is laid bare. How Arana and her Communists found people in the highest echelons of the Milintican military and security forces who were unhappy with Matochmizalo's reforms, and how she found people within the electoral commission who felt the same way. How they all worked together to falsify the election results, with evidence of altered ballot counts all the way down to precinct levels at some places." Cuetlancaona shook his head in wry admiration. "It's actually pretty remarkable how the MCP was able to get their hooks into so many people to make this happen. You almost have to admire it. But they screwed up by keeping records of their little scheme where Tahana could get to them."
"Perhaps they were that proud of their little scheme, to think that the records were irrelevant," Xiadani shrugged. "And of course, when we present the evidence of this scheme, Arana will just accuse us of making it up to discredit her and double down on her seizure of power."
"Oh, undoubtedly she will," Cuetlancaona agreed. "But when we drop the bomb, so to speak, Milinticans will know it's all true. The former members of the MPP, and the other parties...the military and security forces who aren't compromised...even everyday Milinticans who have tried to keep their heads down...when we break this, all absolute hell is going to break loose in Milintica."
"I know. I am counting on that," Xiadani said. "When things do go up in Milintica, we have to be ready to help those who will fight Arana's regime. We need to get them arms, supplies, and boots on the ground if need be."
"We'll be starting a civil war there," Secretary of State Huitzilhuani said warningly. "We went through one of our own not long ago. Do we really want to visit that hell upon another people?"
Xiadani sighed. "It's not what I want to do. I remember our own all too well. And its aftershocks. I had to run for my life from this very residence, not long ago, in my own capital. Trust me, I get it. But Arana is pushing the Empire and sooner or later, they will respond. Will the Milinticans be better off under Imperial domination? We Huenyans know how that version of the story ends, too." The others sitting around the table nodded soberly as Xiadani continued. "With our plan, the Milinticans will at least get a chance to play out their own destiny. If they fail to overthrow Arana, and she ends up getting Milintica conquered by Xiomera after all...at least we won't have sat on our hands and just watched another country and people fall under the same yoke that Huenyans labored under for centuries."
Xiadani stood up and walked to the windows overlooking Chuaztlapoc. "Neina Arana is an illegitimate leader who is leading her country to disaster. We won't let her. Commence preparations for Operation Manahuia."
"We should speak with our UCS partners before we actually do anything. Including releasing the election evidence," Huitzilhuani said. The President nodded. "I will request a meeting of the UCS leadership to discuss this with them. For now, though, we get ready to go."
May 10th
President Xiadani tapped her fingers on the conference table in thought. "This situation is not acceptable," she said finally.
Her Cabinet and intelligence officials, seated around the table, were pretty much universally in agreement on that. Director Cuetlancaona of the FIS had just finished presenting his rather grim intelligence assessment of the Milintican situation. His conclusions were stark: overstretched or not, Calhualyana would invade Milintica and occupy it if Arana's government gave her even a little excuse. And the situation around Aoatea, or the Chenalco Islands, or the "stupid ass specks of dirt that will cause a war", as Xiadani termed them, was more than a little excuse no matter what you called the place.
If Xiomera did invade Milintica, Cuetlancaona's assessment said, the Empire would likely topple the Milintican government and its military forces within a week at the maximum. There would undoubtedly be resistance long after that; Milinticans had a tradition of guerrilla warfare and insurgency under their belt. The Xiomerans may well find themselves with a nasty case of buyer's remorse for years afterward, Cuetlancaona had said. But that would be small comfort to Huenya and its neighbors, who would once again find themselves flanked on either side by Xiomeran-controlled territory. The Empire would regain a dominant strategic position in eastern Caxcana. Milintica's resources and territory would be bent to the will of a resurgent Empire, powering its industrial and war-making machine. "Not acceptable" was a barely adequate phrase to describe the situation, in Xiadani's mind.
"Director Cuetlancaona. Secretary Tlanexchel," the President said, looking at the FIS Director and the Defense Secretary. "This was personal for me, I admit. I just don't like Neina Arana," she shrugged. "But now, her blundering stupidity is putting Huenya, and our allies, at risk. I will not tolerate that. This isn't personal anymore - now it's business," Xiadani said with a slight touch of irony coloring her voice at the twist of the old phrase. "Have we downloaded and investigated all of the information Tahana brought with her?"
"We have, madam President," Cuetlancaona said. "The entire plot is laid bare. How Arana and her Communists found people in the highest echelons of the Milintican military and security forces who were unhappy with Matochmizalo's reforms, and how she found people within the electoral commission who felt the same way. How they all worked together to falsify the election results, with evidence of altered ballot counts all the way down to precinct levels at some places." Cuetlancaona shook his head in wry admiration. "It's actually pretty remarkable how the MCP was able to get their hooks into so many people to make this happen. You almost have to admire it. But they screwed up by keeping records of their little scheme where Tahana could get to them."
"Perhaps they were that proud of their little scheme, to think that the records were irrelevant," Xiadani shrugged. "And of course, when we present the evidence of this scheme, Arana will just accuse us of making it up to discredit her and double down on her seizure of power."
"Oh, undoubtedly she will," Cuetlancaona agreed. "But when we drop the bomb, so to speak, Milinticans will know it's all true. The former members of the MPP, and the other parties...the military and security forces who aren't compromised...even everyday Milinticans who have tried to keep their heads down...when we break this, all absolute hell is going to break loose in Milintica."
"I know. I am counting on that," Xiadani said. "When things do go up in Milintica, we have to be ready to help those who will fight Arana's regime. We need to get them arms, supplies, and boots on the ground if need be."
"We'll be starting a civil war there," Secretary of State Huitzilhuani said warningly. "We went through one of our own not long ago. Do we really want to visit that hell upon another people?"
Xiadani sighed. "It's not what I want to do. I remember our own all too well. And its aftershocks. I had to run for my life from this very residence, not long ago, in my own capital. Trust me, I get it. But Arana is pushing the Empire and sooner or later, they will respond. Will the Milinticans be better off under Imperial domination? We Huenyans know how that version of the story ends, too." The others sitting around the table nodded soberly as Xiadani continued. "With our plan, the Milinticans will at least get a chance to play out their own destiny. If they fail to overthrow Arana, and she ends up getting Milintica conquered by Xiomera after all...at least we won't have sat on our hands and just watched another country and people fall under the same yoke that Huenyans labored under for centuries."
Xiadani stood up and walked to the windows overlooking Chuaztlapoc. "Neina Arana is an illegitimate leader who is leading her country to disaster. We won't let her. Commence preparations for Operation Manahuia."
"We should speak with our UCS partners before we actually do anything. Including releasing the election evidence," Huitzilhuani said. The President nodded. "I will request a meeting of the UCS leadership to discuss this with them. For now, though, we get ready to go."
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