05-18-2025, 07:25 AM
General Mācālo sighed slightly as he looked over his latest reports. The Imperial general in charge of the Taragai operation had already been facing a significant challenge in keeping the Imperial forces there going. Resupply had slowed significantly since the Mizu entry into the situation. And without a significant new number of troops or supplies, the effort to secure the country for Ebegei Qoriqacha had entered into a stalemate. The new government in Bor-Öndör didn't have the muscle to force the Xiomerans out. But with a finite number of troops and supplies, Mācālo didn't have a great position to force their hand, given the Mizu presence in the east.
And now, he had just received word from Central Command that the already slow resupply of Imperial forces in Taragai was going to slow even more. Imperial forces and supplies were being delayed due to an "emerging situation", he had been told. Mācālo wasn't an idiot. He knew the "emerging situation" was Milintica, and the possibility that the Empire would need to teach that tiny nation a lesson. Mācālo was all in favor of putting upstarts like Neina Arana and her band of nasty Communists in their place. But not at the expense of his own mission!
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door. "General, Osbeg Zayaat is here to see you. He says that it is urgent." Mācālo nodded brusquely at his subordinate, who showed Zayaat in.
Mācālo did not like Zayaat. The head of Ebegei Qoriqacha's guard was the defacto commander of all her troops, so the Xiomerans had to deal with him. Mācālo had found Zayaat to be a sneaky, troublesome obstacle to deal with when he would have much preferred to deal with the Khatun directly. But the situation was what it was, so Mācālo dealt with it as best he could.
Zayaat walked in, a slight smile on his face as he greeted the General. Mācālo nodded as politely as he could. "Good morning, Cherbi. What can I do for you?"
Zayaat sat down in the chair in front of Mācālo's desk. While his smile was friendly enough, his eyes were cool. "I am here to address a....concern that my Khatun has. Well, actually, two concerns. One is that we seem to be in a state of stagnation in regards to this mission. My Khatun would like to know when you believe we will be ready to take the offensive and move against the illegitimate government's forces now that they have rejected her overtures of peace."
Mācālo did his best to keep the polite expression on his face. "As you know, we are trying to ensure that we have sufficient manpower and supplies for such an offensive in place. We are still dealing with issues of resupply, given the lack of locations here in which we can maintain an ongoing airlift of large-scale shipments. But we are working on it. We are hopeful to have that issue resolved within the next few months."
Zayaat nodded. "Your forces, and those of your CSSC before you, have been expanding our airfields and building new ones. Yet the problem persists. This is interesting. We are also hopeful this will be resolved soon."
Mācālo gently bit the inside of his lip to keep his polite expression from cracking. "We will do whatever we can to redouble our efforts."
"I am glad to hear that. This is reassuring. That was my other concern, so it is fortuitous that you mention redoubling your efforts. The situation emerging in Milintica has caught our attention, as it has the world. We know that Xiomera has to address this Milintican problem. Yet we are hopeful that the Empire will be able to do so while not forgetting its friends here in Taragai. Or our mutual commitments."
Mācālo bit the inside of his lip slightly harder. "I can assure you that the Empire has the resources to deal with the Milintican situation and our commitments in Taragai. There is no need for concern on the part of the Khatun."
"This is gratifying to hear. I feel much better. I will make sure to provide the Khatun with your reassurances." Zayaat stood up and gave Mācālo a polite nod before turning to walk out. At the door to the office, he looked over his shoulder. "You know, General, there were some here in Taragai who were concerned about allying with Xiomera. They saw what happened in Auria, and in Huenya, and did not believe Xiomera to be a state that lived up to its commitments to its allies and partners. But your Empress came here and assured us with her charming and graceful words and presence that this was not so, making your Empire's promises directly to our Khatun. I knew then that Xiomerans in fact did have honor. This is fortunate...Taragaians are not as accepting of betrayal as, say, Aurians or Xiomerans in Huenya might be. I am so pleased that we need never worry about our bonds of kinship being broken. Have a good day, General." Zayaat nodded once more, before seeing himself out.
Once he was alone, Mācālo stopped biting the inside of his lip. He reached inside his desk for the bottle of metoctli that he kept there, poured himself a small glass, and downed it. A deep sigh escaped him as he put the glass down.
And now, he had just received word from Central Command that the already slow resupply of Imperial forces in Taragai was going to slow even more. Imperial forces and supplies were being delayed due to an "emerging situation", he had been told. Mācālo wasn't an idiot. He knew the "emerging situation" was Milintica, and the possibility that the Empire would need to teach that tiny nation a lesson. Mācālo was all in favor of putting upstarts like Neina Arana and her band of nasty Communists in their place. But not at the expense of his own mission!
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door. "General, Osbeg Zayaat is here to see you. He says that it is urgent." Mācālo nodded brusquely at his subordinate, who showed Zayaat in.
Mācālo did not like Zayaat. The head of Ebegei Qoriqacha's guard was the defacto commander of all her troops, so the Xiomerans had to deal with him. Mācālo had found Zayaat to be a sneaky, troublesome obstacle to deal with when he would have much preferred to deal with the Khatun directly. But the situation was what it was, so Mācālo dealt with it as best he could.
Zayaat walked in, a slight smile on his face as he greeted the General. Mācālo nodded as politely as he could. "Good morning, Cherbi. What can I do for you?"
Zayaat sat down in the chair in front of Mācālo's desk. While his smile was friendly enough, his eyes were cool. "I am here to address a....concern that my Khatun has. Well, actually, two concerns. One is that we seem to be in a state of stagnation in regards to this mission. My Khatun would like to know when you believe we will be ready to take the offensive and move against the illegitimate government's forces now that they have rejected her overtures of peace."
Mācālo did his best to keep the polite expression on his face. "As you know, we are trying to ensure that we have sufficient manpower and supplies for such an offensive in place. We are still dealing with issues of resupply, given the lack of locations here in which we can maintain an ongoing airlift of large-scale shipments. But we are working on it. We are hopeful to have that issue resolved within the next few months."
Zayaat nodded. "Your forces, and those of your CSSC before you, have been expanding our airfields and building new ones. Yet the problem persists. This is interesting. We are also hopeful this will be resolved soon."
Mācālo gently bit the inside of his lip to keep his polite expression from cracking. "We will do whatever we can to redouble our efforts."
"I am glad to hear that. This is reassuring. That was my other concern, so it is fortuitous that you mention redoubling your efforts. The situation emerging in Milintica has caught our attention, as it has the world. We know that Xiomera has to address this Milintican problem. Yet we are hopeful that the Empire will be able to do so while not forgetting its friends here in Taragai. Or our mutual commitments."
Mācālo bit the inside of his lip slightly harder. "I can assure you that the Empire has the resources to deal with the Milintican situation and our commitments in Taragai. There is no need for concern on the part of the Khatun."
"This is gratifying to hear. I feel much better. I will make sure to provide the Khatun with your reassurances." Zayaat stood up and gave Mācālo a polite nod before turning to walk out. At the door to the office, he looked over his shoulder. "You know, General, there were some here in Taragai who were concerned about allying with Xiomera. They saw what happened in Auria, and in Huenya, and did not believe Xiomera to be a state that lived up to its commitments to its allies and partners. But your Empress came here and assured us with her charming and graceful words and presence that this was not so, making your Empire's promises directly to our Khatun. I knew then that Xiomerans in fact did have honor. This is fortunate...Taragaians are not as accepting of betrayal as, say, Aurians or Xiomerans in Huenya might be. I am so pleased that we need never worry about our bonds of kinship being broken. Have a good day, General." Zayaat nodded once more, before seeing himself out.
Once he was alone, Mācālo stopped biting the inside of his lip. He reached inside his desk for the bottle of metoctli that he kept there, poured himself a small glass, and downed it. A deep sigh escaped him as he put the glass down.
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