[Xiomera]

August 30
Tlālacuetztla

Emperor Xochiuhue didn't even bother to execute anyone. There seemed to be little point, really.

The debacle at Chuaztlapoc had dashed his hopes of ending the resistance to his coup, and finally securing his reign over Xiomera, with one swift failure. The new director of Xiomeran Military Intelligence, Anquilmatl, was now his closest advisor. Xochiuhue had ordered Calhualyana to return to the Cauhloc, after giving her and General Zinahue an hour-long, insult and threat-filled diatribe that had been truly scathing even by Xochiuhue's standards. The two of them had just counted themselves lucky to escape the Throne Room with their lives and body parts intact.

Anquilmatl had just given the Emperor a chilling report. The defection of the 12th Air Wing had just given Yauhmi an air force. The defection of Army Corps V had doubled the size of the army at her personal disposal in a single day. And there were now unmistakable signs that the efforts by his enemies to get the Xiomeran military to switch sides, combined with the defection at Chuaztlapoc, was causing a ripple of dissent within the military. XMI was receiving increasing numbers of reports of Imperial soldiers refusing to deploy against Yauhmi or against protesters in Xiomeran cities, and even entire units deposing their commanders and switching sides.

Before the Emperor had banished Calhualyana back to the Cauhloc, she had delivered her own report. It was no more promising. The sanctions against Xiomera and the loss of international trade had begun to cripple the economy. Xiomerans were increasingly jobless, struggling, and angry. And they blamed the Emperor. Xiomerans were not a people used to suffering or economic deprivation, and this was not a state they would tolerate for long. Even his government's takeover of the industrial sector, to move the country to a war footing, would only stem the bleeding temporarily. For the government to keep footing that bill, it needed money. While the Xiomeran Empire did have vast wealth at its disposal, that wasn't an endless well to draw from - especially if people and businesses could no longer pay taxes to keep the well topped off. Sooner or later, one way or another, Xiomera would run out of money, and everything would collapse. If Xochiuhue didn't find a solution soon, he knew that angry mobs of Xiomerans dragging him out of the Palace of Flowers would be in his future.

Xochiuhue found himself increasingly desperate for options to turn the momentum back in his favor. Olivia Pierre was one of those desperate options.

During the time she was being kept in Xiomera, Olivia had been allowed to talk to anyone in the Palace she wished. Various Xiomerans had engaged the Kerlian in conversations, ostensibly to keep her entertained and her spirits up. Calhualyana and the Emperor had deliberately avoided being among those people - they knew fully well that Olivia wouldn't be comfortable talking to either of them.

But her conversations had still served a useful purpose. They had, after all, been recorded.

The Huaxtepan Center for Technological and Social Harmony, the digital operations center jointly run by ASI and ISTC, wasn't just for surveillance of existing media. It could put together its own media quite nicely as well.

Using the videos they had of Olivia, the Synthetic Media Unit of ASI began putting together a video of their own. For the techies at Huaxtepan, putting together a deepfake video to make it seem like Olivia was being held prisoner in another country entirely would be child's play. It was, to Xochiuhue, a logical expansion of his attempts to cause disruption by staging political attacks in Eiria.

The rest of the world was bringing chaos to his country by supporting Yauhmi and keeping her rebellion alive. If the rest of the world wanted to cause chaos in Xiomera, the Emperor was determined that the rest of the world would also have chaos in turn. If there would be no peace in Xiomera, there would be no peace anywhere else, either.

Like the Eirian operation, the operation against Kerlile was meant to distract the world and make them forget about Xiomera. If successful, this would give Xochiuhue time to regroup, find a way to defeat Yauhmi, and finally secure control over the Empire. Ideally, it would spark a conflict that would distract the Kerlians and prevent them from helping Yauhmi try to regain the throne. If nothing else, it would confuse them and delay them while they tried to figure it all out.

The Emperor was a desperate man. He would now try anything, and everything, to keep his throne.

---

September 6th
Kerlile

In the early hours of a Sunday morning, a plain envelope containing a disc with a video and instructions to watch it would make its way to the office of Councillor Pauline Pierre. The ASI agent who ensured the envelope's arrival was one of the Empire's best, but even then, getting the video there had been a challenge. She was lucky to manage to insert it into the inbound mail for the office without detection and then make her escape.

Once the video was viewed, it would reveal what for all the world appeared to be Olivia Pierre, handcuffed to a chair and blindfolded. "I don't know why I'm here or why you're holding me, please..." she said, before the video shifted.

A man appeared next on the screen. "We have your daughter, Pierre," he said in a menacing voice. "We can't get to you, or to your precious Council. But we can still punish you."

As "Olivia" cried softly, the man continued. "You and your entire Council - your entire country - got off way too easy for what you did in Lauchenoiria. We Maximusians weren't allowed to do what we should have really done to end Kerlian aggression. But thanks to your daughter falling into our hands, we can now send you a message. One you will never forget."

"I fought in Lauchenoria, as did my followers, but our hands were tied. But now, it's your daughter whose hands are tied. And you will never see her again. Do you ever feel as much fear as you and your Council struck into the hearts of so many around the world, Pierre? I doubt it....but now you will."

The video would cut off at that point, leaving anyone who viewed it with no idea what would happen next.

[Lauchenoiria]

Council of Kerlile Chamber
7th September, 5:59am

Councillor Pauline Pierre sat in the Chamber, her hands clasped, her posture straight and still. The various members of staff who stood at the edges were exchanging very worried glances as they waited for the other Councillors to arrive. Pierre had arrived at 5:30 for the emergency 6am meeting she’d called, much to the fear of the staff whose job it was to be present at non-secretive Council meetings. They had never seen a Councillor arrive that early in peacetime.

At 6am on the dot, the other Councillors filed in, grumbling amongst themselves about the fact that they’d all been woken early by staff loyal to the Pierres and practically dragged to the Chamber. They filed into their seats watching Pierre warily, falling silent at the sight of her frozen, serious body language. This was not some kind of plot; she was genuinely angry at something. When they’d taken their seats, Pierre stood.

“I am going to show you a video. I found this in my mail yesterday. And once you have watched the video, we are going to debate my motion, on a response to this aggression by Libertas Omnium Maximus,” said the Councillor coolly. She gestured for one of the members of staff to press play.

The footage of Olivia Pierre tied up played in the Council chamber, and all present understood immediately why they had been gathered here at such an early hour. There was still a debate about Pauline’s relationship with her daughter, but to hurt a member of a Council family was a grave insult, as anyone who had lived through or studied the Kerlian Civil War would know. If this was indeed the Maximusians, they had made a grave error.

“Thoughts?” Councillor Pierre asked calmly, after the video had finished.

“There are still former Auroras who are willing to work for us, correct?” asked Jennifer Hale. “They would be our best bet to track down where they’re holding us and perform an extraction, like with the Chaherites in Lauchenoiria.”

“And if they’ve already killed her?” responded Pierre, seemingly calm but with a dangerous undertone. “Perhaps then they can destroy LOM as we should have done in 2018.”

“That’s a bit of an escalation,” Georgiou interrupted quickly. “We don’t know if they’ve hurt her, this could just be made to scare us. We cannot go to war; this isn’t like the situation in Xiomera, the world would turn against us quickly.”

“I agree, it’s not a proportionate response. Listen, we all agreed to use the TRC as a forum to resolve all disputes, right? What was the exact phrasing? Let me check…” Councillor Robinson began to tap on a tablet in front of her, seeking a copy of the Haven Accords.

“Sanctions. Expel their ambassador. Those are the normal responses to such things, yes?” Letitia Greenwood asked. “That’s all we can do visibly without increasing the threat to our country beyond acceptable levels. Though I don’t think anyone would begrudge us sending a couple of Auroras on a rescue mission in these circumstances.”

“Here it is!” Robinson said. “§3.3 It is agreed that no acts of retribution shall be taken by one party against another, regardless of faction affiliation, and that all quarrels or issues of concern, such as reparations, shall be mediated by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.”

“That does indicate that they’re in breach of the Haven Accords,” nodded Nirmala Patel. “We did not comply with those Accords – my mother did not give her life – for them to be cast aside the moment they are inconvenient.”

“Decisions of the TRC were also agreed to be binding,” pointed out Robinson.

“Lauchenoiria won’t like it,” cautioned Hale, “if we go about saying the Accords have been contravened. They’re looking into Olivia’s disappearance as well; we agreed to share information with them.”

“They’ll have to deal with it,” Pierre growled. “Because if that is the case, we need to make this public. If LOM have contravened the Haven Accords they can be subject to penalties. I doubt they’ll want that.”

“So, to form this into a proposal: plan A is to make this public and see if the fallout makes them release her, and plan B is to send in a team of Auroras for extraction?” asked Chiu.

“I second that proposal,” nodded Pierre.

“Objections?” asked Chiu.

“I think we should talk to Lauchenoiria first,” said Hale. “Do I have someone to second that objection?”

There was a silence in the Council Chamber, as the other Reformists avoided Hale’s eyes. The Council may have been known for infighting; but when it came to the protection of their families, they were generally united. Having spent most of her life out of the Matriarchy, it was moments like this that marked Hale as still being an outsider.

“One objection, not seconded,” Chiu said, “raise your hands to support the proposal.”

Nine hands were raised almost immediately, and Hale sighed and leaned back in her seat, gesturing that she didn’t have any strong opinions on the matter.

“Then it’s settled,” Chiu said firmly. “Now… who is brave enough to speak to the Sanctarians?”

[Xiomera]

September 7th
Château de Clamur, Neidong, Laeral

Texōccoatl turned off the television with a mixture of relief and frustration. He gently placed the remote control on the conference table, as his cabinet watched.

They won. Somehow, they saved Chuaztlapoc. For now, at least. And then, a second thought following: But this can never go easily, can it? For every win, we have another issue come up. The Crown Prince sighed wearily. "So....have we had a chance to communicate with the Kerlians yet?"

"We have," Brigadier General Tlanexchel said. "They have still committed to providing us with troop support on the ground, and their forces are being outfitted and prepared for transport even as we speak. Those factories we kept open in Kerlile are proving as efficient at churning out war materiel as they were at making cookies and televisions."

The Crown Prince exhaled a long breath of relief at that news. "Given this situation with the Maximusians, I was half afraid they would back out. Speaking of that situation.....can anyone tell me what the hell is happening concerning Olivia Pierre?"

"I can, somewhat, your Majesty," Otequel replied. A young-looking Xiomeran, Otequel had replaced Nōlinyauh as Secretary of State after his assassination. "A video was apparently delivered to Councillor Pierre by unknown agents. It shows that someone kidnapped Olivia Pierre, claiming it as an act of retribution over Kerlian actions in the Second Lauchenoirian Civil War. They claim to be Maximusian."

"There is a lot of they claim and apparently in this situation," Texōccoatl grumbled after a moment. "No one seems to really know who has Olivia Pierre, or what they intend. Have we been able to speak with anyone in Libertas Omnium Maximus at all about this mess?"

"We have submitted an urgent request for information to them, your Majesty. We may have to wait for a response. The Maximusians will, frankly, be more concerned with the Kerlians and the rest of the world rather than answering to one of three different Xiomeran governments currently operating." Otequel sighed. "I say three, because there is the government here in Laeral, the one at Chuaztlapoc, and the one in Tlālacuetztla. It's an open question for a lot of foreign leaders which Xiomerans they're supposed to be talking to."

"I plan to eliminate that confusion very soon. Have we made any progress on flipping the rest of the Navy?" the Crown Prince asked.

"I wish I could say yes, but....no. If we're hoping for a mass switchover of sides like what happened at Chuaztlapoc with Army Corps V, something will have to trigger rank-and-file sailors to take control. The majority of the officer corps of the Navy, like the Army, seems to be loyal to Xochiuhue." Tlanexchel slapped his hand on the desk. "When we get back to Xiomera and back in control, I am personally going to hang these officers off the bow of their own ships by their...."

"I agree, a review and purging of the officer corps of all services will be required," Texōccoatl said, cutting off the Jaguar Warrior before he could go into further detail on what punishments he had planned for the officers who had remained loyal to Xochiuhue. "But we do have to win first."

"That we do, sir," Tlanexchel replied. "Our preparations stand as follows: my units, the Milintican volunteers, and the other volunteers from Xiomera are fully prepared and equipped. They are already holding station with our fleet, and the Eirian fleet under Admiral Circè, in the Tenebric Ocean northeast of Xiomera. As soon as the Kerlians arrive on scene, we will be ready to move on Zapotlán. As ready as I can make us, anyway. I still frankly have no idea if the rest of the Navy will try to stop us or not. The only positive thing I can say is that, according to the best intelligence we have, Xochiuhue and Admiral Tlālpantlizal have deployed the great majority of their remaining naval assets to the Nereus Sea and the South Xiomeran Sea. I think they took the bait that the Eirians and Legionites laid out for them and think that any attack is coming from the west or south. I don't know what Xochiuhue's advisors are thinking, though. They can surely see our ships gathering in the Tenebric, and when the Kerlians arrive, it will be even more obvious. I have two theories. One, Xochiuhue and his advisors really do expect that the attack will come from Legionas and Eiria, and that our presence in the Tenebric is a bluff. If that's true, we'll have a relatively easy time getting to Zapotlán and getting ashore." The word relatively was emphasized by Tlanexchel. "My other theory: Xochiuhue didn't take the bait, has some kind of surprise waiting for us at Zapotlán, and things will be ugly."

Texōccoatl nodded after a moment. "Either way, I will need to confer with the Eirians and the Kerlians. Because in five days, we're going into Zapotlán."

---

Public Safety Rehousing Center 14
45 miles outside Acalan
under joint Shuellian-Xiomeran administration

"We must be ready to move soon," Collque hissed. The Necatli woman had her arms folded, and glared at an older Necatli man sitting at the table in front of her.

Sicha, the defacto leader of the Necatli who had been detained in the camp that the Xiomeran government had euphemistically labeled "temporary re-housing for public safety purposes", shook his head. "The people in the watchtowers and on the fencelines still have all the guns, Collque. What do we have? If we do something now, we'll just get a lot of people killed. More people." He shook his head again. "We need to wait and find a better time."

"What better time is there? Clearly something is happening. We've all seen that the damned Shuellian bastards are leaving. There are clearly not as many of them as there were just a few days ago, and the ones who have left are not being replaced. It's mostly Imperial guards now, and even they seem demoralized. I don't know what's happening outside this damn camp, but something is happening. Xochiuhue may be losing. If so, this is the time to fight to regain our freedom!"

"And if you're wrong? What if this is just a ploy, to see who will resist, and then weed us out of the herd? Then they will cut us out, and there will be no chance for those that are left," Sicha replied.

"We are dying in here! What's the point of waiting any longer? If we try to break out, we may die. But if we stay longer, we may die anyway. If our fate is going to be the same either way, let's go out fighting at least!" Collque shouted.

"I agree with her," another voice said. Quizo, Sicha's son, stood up. "We are Necatli, father. We do not submit. We fight. That is our way."

"Quizo, I do not need you to tell me what our ways are. I was living those ways before you were even a twinkle in my eye as I looked at your mother one night," Sicha snorted. Quizo raised an eyebrow at that. "If that's so, father, then why are we sitting here, rotting away while our captors keep us caged like animals?"

Sicha's expression at that point made it clear that he didn't know whether to hit his son or praise him. Finally, the Necatli leader stood up. "I see my son agrees with you, Collque. Does anyone else?" The other people in the room began to nod, one by one. "Well then. I suppose I cannot ignore that. We will fight."

Quizo smiled with pride, as Collque nodded. "It will be like the battles of old."

"In those battles, we usually lost, Quizo," Sicha said with a grimace. "Let's try to win this time. Begin preparing. Any weapons you can find or improvise. Since you two are so eager for a fight, come back to me within an hour with an actual plan for it," Sicha added to Collque and Quizo.

---

Chuaztlapoc

"We just barely took control of the city and fended off the Army. We took a tremendous hit doing so. And you're seriously talking about going on the offensive?" Challcayo, the former Civil Guardsman who was now in charge of the civilian contingents of the Chuaztlapoc Army, stared at Major Huatli and Etlahuatzitl in shock.

"It is a common practice of war to seize on momentum when you have it, and as rude as it sounds, to kick your enemy while they're down," Huatli replied calmly. "We just won a huge victory no one expected us to win. We stared down the best threat Xochiuhue could toss at us, defeated it, and got an entire Imperial Army corps and an entire Imperial Air Force wing to switch sides while we did it. We won a victory that will be talked about for the ages, and increased our troop strength from 25,000 to 70,000 in one battle. If that's not momentum, I don't know what is."

"The Major is right. We took the best punch the usurper could throw at us. Now is the time for us to get off the ropes and punch back," Etlahuatzitl said. The Shorn One brushed her braid aside. "If we just keep hiding here in Chuaztlapoc, Xochiuhue will recover and raise another army. And we might not win that battle."

"If that's the case, then how in the world do you expect us to win an all-out war?" Challcayo shook his head. "I'm not a coward. But I am also not an idiot, and this seems pretty damned risky as a strategy."

Yauhmi smiled at the Guardsman in response. "This whole fight has been nothing but risky strategies. There's no such thing as safe in Xiomera, anymore." The expression on the face of the Empress grew fierce. "But we have 70,000 warriors and an air force at our disposal. Xiomerans have conquered far more with far less." Yauhmi nodded to Etlahuatzitl and Huatli. "I agree, this is the time to act. But not in the way you proposed."

As the Major and the Shorn One looked surprised, the Empress continued. "We will not go east. That is where Xochiuhue is strongest. Even with the chaos he has brought to bear, he still has a surprising amount of support in the east. If we try to fight him there now, we will lose. We will turn west instead - we will liberate the Itotemoc lands we are in now, and then the Necatli lands."

"But if we took the capital and deposed Xochiuhue, the fight would be over," Etlahuatzitl said, puzzled.

"That is true. But even I am not optimistic enough to believe that I can march all the way to Tlālacuetztla and seize the capital with the forces we have now. We need to build our strength. The West is where we can do that. They have been the ones fighting this coup since it began. The Necatli and the Itotemoc have suffered greatly under Xochiuhue. If there is any place where we can launch the liberation of the Empire, it is here." Yauhmi smiled. "And if we can convince the Army and Air Force units currently deployed in the West to switch sides too, all the better. We can then link up with the forces that will seize Zapotlán. When we're done, we'll have an army so large that Xochiuhue will crap his pants when we finally get to Tlālacuetztla."

Huatli snickered, greatly enjoying the thought of a scared Xochiuhue. Challcayo also looked rather pleased at that image. Only Etlahuatzitl managed to retain her usual sober, restrained expression - and not easily, at that.

The Empress stood up. "We will begin by moving to secure the cities and towns around Chuaztlapoc. If there are any remaining Civil Guards forces around in any of these towns, or regular military units we can get to switch sides, bringing them into our force takes priority. It will be far easier if we can build an army rather than having to fight our way through one," Yauhmi said. "But either way, we will move to secure the provinces around Chuaztlapoc. And from there, we will move to Ixtenco. Once we have liberated the Itotemoc lands, we can then focus on the Necatli lands. If we succeed, we will have half of the Empire backing us. That's a good start," Yauhmi said mildly in a remarkable bit of understatement.

Her war council nodded, already running through ways in their head to make Yauhmi's vision a reality on the ground.

---

Tlālacuetztla
The Cauhloc

Security Secretary Calhualyana did not like being banished to the Cauhloc.

Being sent packing to the ASI headquarters, as if she was a disappointing child being sent to her room, was exceptionally irritating to Calhualyana. It was all the more galling when, in her estimation, the reasons it happened were not even her fault.

When she and General Xōchhuitl had originally seized on the idea of elevating Xochiuhue to the Imperium, they had truly believed that he had the same ability to lead as his father Xolōtl. It was growing increasingly apparent to Calhualyana that the two of them had been wrong. Xolōtl had been ruthless and brutal, but he had also been too intelligent to blindly lash out at anyone who displeased him. Xochiuhue had all of the brutality of his father, but none of his intelligence or his patience. And that fact was wearing the patience of the Security Secretary quite thin.

After a moment, she picked up her secure phone. "I need to speak with General Zinahue, please," she told the answering receptionist. When Calhualyana called, those answering the call knew better than to question or delay. In seconds, the General was on the line. "What is it, Calhualyana?" he asked.

"We need to talk, Zinahue. I think we need a backup plan in case things continue to swirl down the drain," she said calmly. If Zinahue was as blindly loyal to the Emperor as he seemed, Calhualyana knew she was taking a risk. But it needed to be done.

After a pause that was entirely too long for Calhualyana's liking, Zinahue finally took a sharp breath. "Very well. I will meet with you at the Opoxtec Fortress," he said, naming an ancient shore fort on Lake Ehehuani outside the capital. "One hour." The phone line dropped.

Calhualyana smiled to herself. One hour, then.

Palace of Flowers

Emperor Xochiuhue, having a last coffee before bed, sat at the table of the sitting room in his personal chambers. He was reading the news story from Milintica. He skimmed over the part about Chuaztlapoc; he was already annoyed about that and was not in the mood for the Milinticans' triumphant bleating.

When he got to the story about Olivia Pierre, he read it all the way through. He then followed the link to the Kerlian News Service story about the same incident. After a moment, a satisfied smile crossed the Emperor's face. He enjoyed another sip of his coffee.

[Xiomera]

September 8 - Chuaztlapoc

The following is another broadcast snuck out from behind enemy lines in the growing territory around the city of Chuaztlapoc which has declared itself "liberated territory". The video shows five people standing in front of the ancient temple in the old section of Chuaztlapoc, all dressed in the colorful robes and feathered garb of priests and priestesses of the Huenyan indigenous religion. As the camera shot grows closer, four of them turn and assume flanking positions around the man in the center, who stands in front of a small stone altar. The man, an older Xiomeran with stern facial features, assumes a solemn appearance as he begins to speak.

"I am Tlocuauhtoa, High Priest of the temple of Huītzilōpōchtli in Chuzatlapoc. I stand before you today, to declare the obvious: that the so-called Emperor, Xochiuhue, deserves no obedience and no worship. He lies when he says he has the mandate of the gods.

I also declare that by supporting the false Emperor, the High Priest Atlhuitzcoatl of Tlālacuetztla, who claims to be the leader of our faith, also stands in shame before the gods for his obedience to, and enabling of, the false Emperor.

As the religious leader of the ancient and glorious city of Chuaztlapoc, I declare that the false priest Atlhuitzcoatl is stripped of his mandate. He is heretical, ungodly, and outcast from this moment on.

I further declare that both the false priest Atlhuitzcoatl, and the false Emperor Xochiuhue, for their brazen attack on this holy city, stand in judgement before our gods, are found wanting, and their lives are forfeit.

All Huenyans of faith are bound, by holy demand, to forsake these false men and anyone who follows them. May they be stoned, driven down the streets in disgrace, and dragged up the steps of the Huēyi Teōcalli. May they be thrown over the ancient altars of our gods, and may their blood serve as their penance for their crimes!

Xochiuhue and Atlhuitzcoatl have lost the mandate of the gods. May they now lose everything else, at the hands of the faithful.

Let this holy mandate be obeyed!"

Tlocuauhtoa takes a black obsidian dagger from within his robes, raising it to show the camera before slamming it down into a piece of wood on the stone altar in front of him. The video cuts off at that point.

[Xiomera]

September 12
7:00 am XST
Zapotlán

Crown Prince Texōccoatl stood on the deck of the Tenautla, the destroyer he had chosen as his personal command ship for what he had named Operation Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl was the Huenyan god of justice. It seemed like a fitting title for what was unfolding.

Around his ship, the Xiomeran loyalist fleet, the Legionite Third Fleet and the Eirian fleet under Admiral Circè were arrayed in a series of defensive perimeters. In between those ships and the Tenautla, there were landing craft. Many, many landing craft. The Xiomeran factories in Kerlile, and a few shipyards in Milintica, had been quite busy in the lead-up to the invasion. The landing craft were of Xiomeran design, but not as good quality as a Xiomeran factory would have produced, Brigadier General Tlanexchel had noted privately to the Crown Prince with a slight bit of good, old-fashioned Xiomeran arrogance.

Texōccoatl had reminded Tlanexchel that the landing craft didn’t need to be great quality, or last forever, as a Xiomeran product might. They just had to work and last long enough to complete the landing. Besides, in the short timeframe the loyalist forces had prior to Zapotlán, making so many ships was pretty impressive in and of itself.

Over the flotilla, there were also many aircraft. Many, many aircraft. Xiomeran, Eirian and Legionite, they were the air cover and striking power of the operation. The Crown Prince greatly appreciated them being there. But, being an Army man, he still firmly believed that the matter of who would lead Xiomera would be decided on the ground. In the clash of steel, lead, flesh and blood. The Crown Prince was ready to lead that fight. He had been waiting in Laeral long enough.

The Crown Prince and Tlanexchel were both clad in full Xiomeran battle rattle. They had no intention of sitting on the sidelines. Once the operation truly began, they would be in the thick of it.

—-

On the Zapotlán shoreline, alarms began to ring out within the series of defenses on the shoreline. General Quihualqui, the commander of the Zapotlán defenses, did two things. First, he made a calm but urgent call to Tlālacuetztla, to alert General Zinahue and Army Command Headquarters.

Then, he ordered his men and women to prepare for battle. He was a Xochiuhue loyalist, and had no intention of surrendering the Neck of Huenya without a fight.

Throughout the series of bunkers, fortifications and defensive positions, Imperial soldiers leapt into position, and waited.

They would not have to wait long.

As the ships of loyalist Xiomera and its allies reached the shore, the small Imperial naval detachment at Zapotlán made a valiant effort to stop them. It was valiant, but that did not mean it was wise. It also did not mean that it had any chance to succeed, as they were vastly outnumbered. Xochiuhue had positioned most of the Imperial Navy’s remaining strength far away from Zapotlán, in the places where he had thought the invasion would happen.

As the tiny Imperial Navy detachment exchanged fire with the loyalist and allied ships, the landing craft began reaching the shore. They began delivering their deadly cargo. 15,000 Kerlian soldiers. 5,000 Eirians. 5,000 Legionites. 1,000 Milintican volunteers. And with them, 18,000 Huenyans determined to liberate their homeland. They weren’t all Xiomeran: some of them were Necatli, others Itotemoc and Tepiltzin, or from Manauia Island. They were different in their origins, but united in one cause: to see to it that Xochiuhue and his plans for Empire were crushed.

As the allied soldiers hit the beach, they soon found that whatever the feelings about their “Emperor” other Xiomeran soldiers may have had, the ones at Zapotlán weren’t sympathetic to the loyalist cause. They were also outnumbered: only 15,000 Imperial soldiers were at Zapotlán. But like their Imperial Navy counterparts, the Imperial soldiers just didn’t believe in running away. Artillery, missiles and gunfire began raining down onto the advancing allied soldiers, plowing into them like the drops of a heavy rain. This rain, however, was deadly.

It wasn’t just the soldiers on the ground facing the onslaught. In the air, the allied planes soon found themselves facing fighters from the air bases around Zapotlán. Anti-air missiles also began streaking into the air, their trails filling the sky. And on the water, the allied ships found themselves facing Xiomera’s newest weapon. The XM-350-M missile, dubbed the “shipkiller” by the Xiomeran media, was capable of sinking even a capital ship from a long distance. Their mobile batteries were arranged well away from Zapotlán, under screening air cover. As Texōccoatl and Tlanexchel watched, one of the missiles slammed into the cruiser Tahuema, turning its bridge into a fireball.

The fight for Zapotlán - and for Xiomera - had truly begun.

[Lauchenoiria]

September 12
7:00 am XST
Zapotlán

Suyin Chiu was somewhere in the line to the Chiu seat on the Council of Kerlile, something like 74th, but there had probably been several new baby girls born since the last time she’d bothered to do the calculation. She had a cousin (second cousin? There were so many of them it was hard to tell) who shared her full name who was much further up the line than herself. Not that she particularly cared (she told herself), being on the Council would be extremely stressful, even more stressful than the military career she’d chosen and this was the third war she’d seen in her lifetime.

She turned 18 in the last year of the Kerlian Civil War, and was too far down the Chiu line to be exempt from conscription, and in those days there was no time for much training before being thrown in the thick of it. Despite this, Suyin had discovered that she genuinely liked being in the Kerlian military, and she felt useful there. She was a patriot, and a true believer in the Kerlian ideal of equality for women. Fighting for Kerlile was all she wanted to do with her life, so she’d stayed in the military and made a career of it.

Then came the Lauchenoirian war, where things were more complicated and more dangerous: while she was loyal to Kerlile and would never question orders, she didn’t think much of Suleman Chaher and was relieved when he died. She hadn’t been high-ranking enough to know the whole Clarke-Aurora-invasion plan until it was revealed to the world in Haven, Sanctaria. She’d lost a lot of people under her command in Lauchenoiria. She’d been merciful, however: her squads never took prisoners, knowing what her countrywomen did with them.

Now she was about to set foot on Xiomeran soil, under the overall command of President Arnott’s sister, having been told she needed to prove herself to their allies because they would think she’d been given her rank only because of her surname. What the Xiomerans failed to understand though, she thought bitterly as their ships were sailing towards the island nation, was that she was so far down the line that she was afforded no special treatment whatsoever and had worked for everything she had.

Suyin was so caught up in her own thoughts that she’d tuned out the sounds of the naval battle beginning until something caused the landing craft she was on to abruptly shake, leading her to let out a string of swear words in a mix of English and Mandarin. She hated ships, hated water, couldn’t wait until they were on dry land being shot at. That, at least, was familiar to her. She’d never been on the sea before; had never even seen the sea before. Even now, she had to fight to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged.

“Be ready to go the moment we hit land,” Suyin warned the group of Kerlians she was in command of just before they reached land. “They won’t go easy on us, these sons-of-misogynists. These aren’t the untrained Lauchenoirian rebels from two years ago.”

And with that warning, the landing craft landed, and the Kerlians advanced.

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Aboard The EIS Triton, In the South Xiomeran Sea, near Zapotlán
September 12th

Chief Admiral Maria Circè stood on the main deck of the Triton, ignoring the salty most spraying up from the sea. Her Third in command, Commodore Swenson, stood by her side, watching the Eirian landing crafts mingle with other nations' crafts approaching Zapotlán. The few people on deck were nervous, a pair of sailors waiting by the front gun looked to her in anticipation. She was not nervous, or fearful of her life. I lost the ability to feel fear in a battle long ago. Instead, she felt for her crew, and the brave soldiers in those landing crafts about to land on the Xiomeran shoreline.

Her Second in Command, Vice Admiral Keška, was aboard the Athena-class Destroyer Determination, as was Eirian naval protocol. If the command ship gets taken out, the second in command can take over from a safe place. Commodore Swenson didn't seem as nervous as the sailors, though he did seem a bit hesitant, like he wanted to speak, but didn't want to disturb. Her mouth turned up into a smile. I intimidate him. Poor guy's not used to having to take orders directly, since he's been put on patrol duty for years. With his superb battle record, I wonder why.

"If you want to speak, Commodore, go ahead. You have nothing to worry about. A good leader consults their advisors. Please, go ahead."

He hesitated for one moment longer, before speaking up. "I was wondering why the Senate was so insistent on sending a battalion to fight along with the Naval support. I support fighting in this war, and I get sending Air and Naval Support, but why land forces? Eiria isn't exactly known for our army's prowess. It just seems a bit unnecessary to me."

Before Circè could give an answer, a Lieutenant hurried on to the bridge, jumping to a salute when he reached the Commanders. "Admiral, Commodore. We are approaching Zapotlán."

Circè held back a chuckle, glancing over her shoulder. No Shit. "Has the Arion prepared the fighters to launch as soon as we get within range to destroy their defenses?".

"Yes Admiral."

"Good." She took one last look at the approaching coastline and sighed. "All hands to battle stations. Send up the 'Prepare for Battle' signal to all nearby Eirian ships. Let's show those Xiomerans the true strength of the Eirian Navy."

[Xiomera]

Citlamina, Netlcoātl Islands

Ahuac stared bitterly at the ocean between the Netlcoātl Islands and the Xiomeran mainland.

Between him and the ocean stood the grave of his father, Itzamatul. After the Islanders under his command had seized control of the Imperial garrison in Citlamina, they had found Itzamatul's body in the detention cells in the basement of the main garrison building. Ahuac had stared at the body, not speaking, or even moving, for a very long time. When he finally did move, it was to grab a rifle from a nearby Islander and walk to where the few Imperial soldiers who hadn't escaped from Citlamina were being held.

The fate of Itzamatul was just as good a fate for those Imperial soldiers, Ahuac had felt in that moment of shock. When the clicking sounds of a rifle with an empty magazine finally penetrated his thoughts, he dropped the rifle and walked away, his stunned followers watching him.

At this moment days later, instead of shock, or even triumph, Ahuac wasn't sure what he felt. Shame? He knew his father wouldn't have done what he did, in a moment of revenge. But somehow, he couldn't feel anything about what he had done. Not even shame.

I know what you would have done then, father, and what you would do now. You would try to urge peace, compassion, cooperation with the Xiomerans. But I'm sorry, father. I'm not you. I can only do what I think is right.

After a moment, Ahuac stood up and began walking back to Citlamina.

---

An hour later, he stood in front of the government palace in Citlamina, facing a bank of reporters, microphones and cameras. Reporters from multiple different countries, along with the DTNS, had been summoned to hear what the new leader of the Netlcoātl Islands had to say.

"Good morning. I am Ahuac, son of Itzamatul, who was the leader of these islands before Xiomeran soldiers under the command of Xochiuhue murdered him. Following longstanding tradition and precedent, I have assumed the role of leader for the Islands, and their people, in my father's stead." Ahuac looked down at his prepared speech, tapped it for a moment, then shook his head. He knew what he wanted to say, and it wasn't the carefully prepared words of a speechwriter.

"I am sure you are all wondering what will happen, now that we have expelled Imperial forces from these islands. This is what will happen. The Netlcoātl Islands, as of the moment we expelled the Xiomeran soldiers, were - and are - no longer part of the Xiomeran Empire. We have no intention of returning to being under the control of any Xiomeran - Xochiuhue, Yauhmi, or anyone else. We have seen what Xiomerans do, firsthand, as our ancestors did. We are tired of it. We will tolerate it no longer."

As the reporters watched in shock, Ahuac continued implacably. "As of this moment, the Netlcoātl Islanders declare their independence from the Xiomeran Empire. We stake our claim to being the newest nation of the IDU. And we declare further that we will resist, to the very last drop of our sweat and blood, any attempt by Xiomerans or their allies to force us back under the control of Tlālacuetztla. My vow, which I will give my life to uphold if need be, is that the people of these islands shall be free from this day forward. Free of control, free of fear, free of domination - a free people living in a free land."

With those words, Ahuac walked inside the government palace, as the assembled reporters shouted questions.

[Xiomera]

October 2
Zapotlán

When the attack on Zapotlán had begun, General Quihualqui had been reasonably confident that he could hold out until reinforcements from the rest of Xiomera arrived. Now, twenty days later, he was no longer so confident.

The allied attack had focused on eliminating the ability of Zapotlán's defenders to counter-attack through the air and by sea. It had done its work quite well. The main invasion force, and the bulk of its naval escorts, had focused on establishing a beachhead along the shoreline of western Zapotlán. But as the General's armies tried to counter that threat, a smaller force of loyalists, Kerlians and Milinticans had attacked to the east of Zapotlán, just east of the city's Shoreside Park. Their target had been Huaxtihe Air Base, the main airfield defending the city. While enemy planes had attacked Huaxtihe from the air, the allied ground force had managed to push past the thinly manned defenses in the area and seize the air base. General Quihualqui had been forced to re-deploy his remaining aircraft to Zapotlán International Airport. While all Xiomeran airports were designed to be able to serve as backup airbases for the Air Force in moments of extreme emergency, a civilian airport was just not suited well for that purpose, no matter what the designers had thought. This was causing General Quihualqui a major headache as he tried to defend Zapotlán from the air with his dwindling number of aircraft.

After seizing the airbase, the allied forces had swept west and south, reaching the iconic Tlapochca Bridge that linked western and eastern Zapotlán via Imperial Highway 74. General Quihualqui hadn't hesitated; he had ordered the bridge to be blown up, to prevent the allied force from crossing over it into western Zapotlán. The two sides of the city were now separated by the Intra-Xiomera Canal, the artificial canal that connected the Tenebric Ocean to the South Xiomeran Sea. The only land connection remaining was another bridge that was ten miles south, and flanked by two parks which were filled with hundreds of General Quihualqui's troops, entrenched and waiting. General Quihualqui had desperately hoped that Texōccoatl and his allied generals would take the bait and try to push south into Zapotlán East Regional Park, and the buzzsaw he had left for them there.

Texōccoatl, sadly, had not been that dense. Instead, he had ordered Xiomeran loyalist combat engineers to set up portable bridges under fire, and the allied forces in eastern Zapotlán had managed to cross. The allied forces had cut off the causeway connecting Zapotlán Naval Station from the rest of the city; that was little loss to General Quihualqui at this point, as the naval detachment there had been obliterated in the opening day of the invasion. What was more concerning to him was that the allied forces crossing from eastern Zapotlán were now getting very close to Shoreline Defense Command, the linchpin to the Zapotlán coastal defense network. General Quihualqui had arrayed his forces along Imperial Highway 74 and its surrounding neighborhoods, as well as within Mecoate Park, the city park on the other side of the highway. His forces were holding back the allied troops for now, but their advance had also brought them dangerously close to Fort Coatepetl. Fort Coatepetl, and the neighboring airport, were the center of the remaining Zapotlán defenses. If they fell, so did the city.

The rest of the invading forces, meanwhile, had landed to the west of Fort Ucahuac, and in heavy building-to-building fighting had managed to push their way to just outside Fort Ucahuac and the city center of Zapotlán. Two other city parks to the west of the fort and the city center had also been the scenes of tremendously bloody fighting, before General Quihualqui's forces had to fall back. The enemy was taking heavy casualties, but the problem for General Quihualqui was that his own forces were also. And he didn't have as many troops to fling back into the meat grinder as the invaders did. For days now, Army Command had been promising him that reinforcements were arriving. Some had, but nowhere near as many as General Quihualqui needed to stem the tide of the invasion. The insurrection that had begun in western Xiomera was siphoning off troops, he had been told. More troops are being raised and will reach you soon, but you have to hold out, Army Command said.

In his more cynical moments, General Quihualqui wondered if Army Command was using him and the troops at Zapotlán as a sacrifice to buy time for the rest of the Empire, and if Army Command was going to try to save the city at all. In the end, though, it didn't matter. He had his orders, and his duty.

If Zapotlán fell, he would at least give the invading bastards a fight they wouldn't forget.

---

"Get the hell out of the way!" Sergeant Tzinaca shouted, angrily waving at a group of people trying to get a car moving.

His unit was redeploying north to try to get to the city center and reinforce the defenses there. At least, they were trying to.

The streets of Zapotlán were crammed full of vehicles, as civilians frantically were trying to escape the fighting and soldiers were trying to get to it. Normally, in the event of an attack or invasion, Zapotlán would have been evacuated prior to fighting beginning as part of the Empire's emergency management plans. But since the Emperor had not expected an invasion at Zapotlán, no pre-invasion evacuation order had been given. So, as the fighting had begun, thousands of Zapotlános began trying to get somewhere where no bullets were flying, precisely at the worst possible time for the city's defenders.

As the fighting had stretched on, most of the civilians had fled. But there were still some of them, who had waited too long, trying to flee. Zapotlán's defenders also had to contend with abandoned vehicles, rubble, and the increasingly battered state of Zapotlán's transportation structure itself. Movement within the city was proving harder every day.

As the civilians finally managed to shove their car off the road, one of them gave Sergeant Tzinaca a very rude hand gesture as his caravan passed them by. Seriously? Aren't we on the same side? the sergeant thought bitterly. This is what we're getting shot at for.

[Xiomera]

October 8th
Fort Coatepetl, Zapotlán

General Quihualqui slammed the telephone back onto its receiver. His face was red. The other officers in the command center looked away in embarrassment.

"They are not sending additional reinforcements," the General said. "The General Staff has already deemed Zapotlán as lost, and have ordered the majority of our forces to pull back to a new defensive line east of the city, across the Neck." General Quihualqui shook his head. "The forces still under my command, in the city center, are expected to hold the line long enough for the new defensive perimeter to be formed, so that the new defense line can prevent an advance towards Tlālacuetztla or the rest of Xiomera proper."

General Quihualqui looked at his command staff with a look of resignation. The defenders of Zapotlán had held out for 26 days. They had watched their once-proud force whittled away by attrition and casualties, while their defensive lines continued to collapse towards the city center and the last shred of Zapotlán that the Imperial Army controlled. They had watched as Zapotlán, the northern jewel of the Intra-Xiomera Canal, had slowly been reduced to a wasteland of rubble and destruction. There were no people left in Zapotlán, except those still serving under the Four Star Flag.

The bubble of Imperial control now consisted of the immediate few miles around Fort Coatepetl, the Shoreline Defense Command, and the Zapotlán airport. Fort Ucahuac, the last hope of holding the city center, had finally fallen a day earlier, after a ferocious assault from a combined force of loyalist, Legionite and Eirian units. Another force of loyalist soldiers, backed by the Kerlians, Milinticans and other volunteers, had then swept into the city center and western Zapotlán, pushing the last of General Quihualqui's forces back building by building.

There was no longer any possibility of denying what was coming. The sounds of gunfire and explosions were now clearly audible even inside the command center under Fort Coatepetl. Enemy forces were just a few miles away, and getting closer every hour.

"Zapotlán is about to fall. If I were to strictly follow tradition, I suppose I would be required to climb to the highest point of the fort, stick a dagger in my chest, and make a suitably dramatic fall from the parapets," the General grimaced. "To hell with that. I am a soldier, not some dramatic royal or politician. If I go out, I intend to go out fighting."

General Quihualqui turned to his aide. "Prepare my battle armor. I am about to lead the futile last charge of whatever we have left." He turned back to his command staff. "I don't expect any of you to follow my example. If you want to remain behind here, and surrender when the perimeter finally falls, I won't think any less of you - especially those of you with families." The General waited for his officers to respond.

After a moment of silence, one of his officers stood up. "I will not back down in the face of our enemies," he said. One by one, the remaining officers stood up, echoing similar sentiments. Not one of them had decided to remain behind.

"Even serving a fool like Xochiuhue cannot stain your pride," the General finally said. "You're the finest soldiers anywhere - no one will ever convince me otherwise." General Quihualqui snapped off a precision Xiomeran-style salute. "It has been my honor to be your commander, and it will be my honor to lead you one last time. Let's show these foreigners how Xiomerans fight. Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!" the other officers in the command center shouted, giving their own salutes. They then left to prepare their units for their last attack, knowing very well that, at least in Zapotlán, the Empire had already come to an end.

---

Allied Command Center
(Huaxtihe Air Base, eastern Zapotlán)

Crown Prince Texōccoatl eyed the tactical maps, both liking and hating what he saw.

Operation Quetzalcoatl had gone off exactly as he had planned. Within another day - two at the most - Zapotlán would be fully in the hands of allied forces. It would only cost Texōccoatl multiple Xiomeran and allied warships either sunk or damaged, multiple aircraft shot down, and thousands of soldiers - both allied and Imperial - delivered to their graves. Victory, the Crown Prince was finding, was far more bittersweet than he had anticipated.

"It looks like we've entered the endgame," Brigadier General Tlanexchel said, eyeing the real-time maps as well. "The defensive perimeter has been whittled down to just the core of the remaining defenses, and it's clearly apparent that Xochiuhue is not making any further attempts to reinforce them. He has abandoned Zapotlán, to set up a new defensive line and try to keep us from launching any kind of attack into the rest of eastern Xiomera." The Brigadier General pointed to other screens which were displaying surveillance feeds. "There has been a marked buildup to the immediate east of the Neck, and I am certain that Xochiuhue intends to throw the rest of Xiomera to the wolves to save his own neck in Tlālacuetztla." Tlanexchel nodded confidently. "We can expect no further attacks in Zapotlán once we secure the city - I believe that Xochiuhue intends to fortify the defensive line he's created, reinforce it heavily, and try to wait us out."

Texōccoatl nodded. "Very well. Once this final push by the remaining forces in the city center has been blocked, move in and mop up what remains. We should have the entire city secured in short order."

"What should we do with any prisoners?" Major Atzilon, one of the senior officers in the loyalist forces, asked. "I doubt many of the remaining soldiers in Zapotlán will let themselves be taken prisoner, at least easily," the Crown Prince replied heavily. "But if you do take any prisoners, you are to treat them with every courtesy that would be afforded prisoners of war under international law."

"But these are traitors," Atzilon said in disbelief. "Surely Xiomeran laws on treason should apply to them." Texōccoatl turned to look at Atzilon, his face strangely still. "Are you suggesting that we execute any prisoners?"

"That is what the Empire does to traitors, your Majesty," Atzilon replied, realizing belatedly that he had stumbled onto dangerous ground and not sure how he had, or how to recover. "These soldiers backing Xochiuhue have betrayed their oaths - "

"They are still Xiomeran soldiers!" Texōccoatl shouted, leaping up from his chair. Brigadier General Tlanexchel's face took on an expression that clearly said Now you're in for it, you poor dumb idiot, as he looked at Atzilon. The Crown Prince glared at Atzilon with a pure fury that the Brigadier General had only seen a few times before, on the face of the Empress. It took a lot more to make Texōccoatl angry than it did his mother. Atzilon had, somehow, managed to awake that same fury.

"They may be on the wrong side. But they believe they are genuinely fighting to save our country. They have been lied to, misled, and misinformed by Xochiuhue and his cabal. I will not punish them for the crimes of those who have led these soldiers to this fate, and if you think we should, Atzilon, you are clearly either too stupid or too heartless to serve in your position. You are reduced two ranks and will now report to Major Cuetzpotoa. And I trust my position on how we treat both civilians and prisoners of war is now quite clear - which should not have had to even be said." The contempt in Texōccoatl's voice was thick enough to wear like a blanket. Atzilon hastily saluted and scuttled away, glad he had managed to escape Texōccoatl's fury with just a reduction in rank.

In the ensuing silence, Tlanexchel finally spoke up. "You were a bit hard on him." Texōccoatl glared back. "Should I be nice to people who are idiotic enough to suggest that we commit war crimes?"

"Of course not, but Atzilon is a good officer and a good leader, reducing him in rank is a waste of his talents," Tlanexchel said. "If he is daft enough to suggest we execute our fellow soldiers because some idiot told them to march for the wrong side, I think you overestimate his talents and his judgement," Texōccoatl replied bluntly. "More to the point, we're just beginning this little adventure of ours to retake our country. We have to set the standard, here and now, that we are the force for right. If we act just as badly as Xochiuhue and his minions do, we don't deserve to lead this country any more than he does. We must make it clear, right now, from the very beginning, that there will be absolutely no tolerance in our forces for someone who commits war crimes, mistreats prisoners, or mistreats civilians. Xochiuhue is doing more than enough crimes against humanity for all sides in this war, let that stain remain on him and him alone."

Texōccoatl turned to face everyone in the room. "We have to remember....after this war, we still have to rebuild this country. And rebuild this society. There will be a lot of wrongs to make up for, and someone has to have the credibility to make up for those wrongs and bring the people of Huenya back together. We only achieve that credibility, or deserve it, if we do the right thing now."

After a moment, Tlanexchel sighed. "Okay....maybe you weren't too hard on Atzilon." The Crown Prince nodded firmly in response, before turning back to his staff. "So.....now that Zapotlán is about to be secured, let's begin planning what we will do with this beachhead of ours."

[Xiomera]

October 10
Zapotlán

The silence came as a shock.

In the early morning hours of October 10th, allied forces had finally stormed Fort Coatepetl, the last holdout of Imperial forces in Zapotlán. The last offensive attempted by General Quihualqui, two days earlier, had surprised the allied forces, and even pushed them back a bit. But by October 9th, their resources finally spent, the Imperial forces gave up all the ground they gained, and more, in the face of an allied counter-offensive. City block by city block, the allied forces had marched towards Fort Coatepetl, finally reaching its perimeter.

Some Imperial forces had surrendered, but not many. Every inch of Zapotlán that had been taken by the allied forces had been earned - their own medical wards in the rear were proof of that.

But for now, the fighting was over. Fort Coatepetl had fallen, in one last final spasm of bloody violence. Zapotlán now belonged to Texōccoatl.

The Crown Prince was already thinking about his plan forward. Finally making contact with the forces gathering under his mother at Chuaztlapoc, and unifying their efforts, was the crucial next step. If western Xiomera could be secured, his ambitious plan that had been dreamed up months earlier in Laeralsford could be realized.

As the Crown Prince entered the main courtyard of Fort Coatepetl, Brigadier General Tlanexchel stopped him. Without a word, he pointed to one of the bodies of the Imperial soldiers. General Quihualqui lay on the ground, his hands still clutching his rifle. The Crown Prince sighed. "A damned waste," he finally said.

Tlanexchel nodded grimly. "All of our soldiers deserve a better fate than this - to die for a usurper. Hopefully more of them will switch sides, like they are further west. I really don't want to have to see a sight like this in a dozen more of our cities."

Texōccoatl nodded in bitter agreement, before the two of them walked inside the main building of Fort Coatepetl.

---

Chaos had come to western Xiomera.

After the stunning victory her forces had achieved at Chuaztlapoc, Empress Yauhmi was no longer struggling to find supporters. Far from it, in fact. The victory at Chuaztlapoc, combined with the efforts by both foreign and Xiomeran hackers and propagandists, had accomplished its aim. It had broken the fear of Xochiuhue, and the fear of ASI and XMI, that had kept the Xiomeran armed forces in line. Entire divisions had switched sides to Yauhmi, and those that remained loyal to Xochiuhue had no morale to speak of.

With her army growing by the day, the Empress had gone on the offensive. Xochiuhue had accused her of hiding. The Empress was more than happy to make Xochiuhue wish her army had stayed in Chuaztlapoc.

Etlahuatzitl and Major Huatli, leading Yauhmi's counterattack, were taking defecting Xiomeran units and throwing them into service as soon as they could be turned around. The entire Itotemoc region, the largest part of the Empire outside Xiomera itself, was on the verge of collapse. Yauhmi's forces were methodically seizing control of city after city, and were in position to besiege the regional capital Ixtenco itself. In a particularly pleasant moment, her forces had taken control of the area around the ASI site where the Empress had been held. Yauhmi had watched from a safe distance, a grim smile on her face, as the site was bombed into oblivion by a squadron of defected Air Force bombers.

With the Itotemoc region about to fall under her control, Yauhmi had her sights on her next target. Etlahuatzitl and Major Huatli were planning an offensive that would march eastward, carving a corridor through the neighboring Tepiltzin region - straight to Zapotlán.

Unlike their neighbors to the west, in the Tepiltzin region Imperial control was still being maintained, but barely. Increasing unrest in the regional capital Oacalco, and the region's largest city Tacuitapa, were pulling forces away that Xochiuhue badly needed both to launch any counter-attack on Zapotlán and to try to stop Yauhmi in the west. Out of desperation, General Zinahue had ordered the "civilian groups" such as the XSPA and the GCL to take up arms and help maintain order in the streets to free up soldiers to be redeployed to the border between the Itotemoc and Tepiltzin regions.

The chaos coming to the Itotemoc and Tepiltzin lands, however, was nothing compared to what was unfolding in the Necatli region, on the western edge of the Empire.

---

Public Safety Rehousing Center 14
45 miles outside Acalan

The smoke was visible for miles.

Public Safety Rehousing Center 14, one of the camps that had been set up to "detain" and "re-educate" troublesome Necatli and their Xiomeran sympathizers, was in flames. Even though it was a warm day, the heat from the fires pleased Huacue immensely.

The Necatli tlatoani, after a moment, turned away from the burning prison camp. He was facing a row of Imperial guards who had been captured when the prisoners had taken over the camp. Sicha, Collque and Quizo stood next to the captured guards proudly. "You've done well," Huacue said.

"Thank you, sir," Sicha said. "What should we do with these men?"

Huacue thought for a moment, chin in hand. Finally, he gestured to one of the guards, an Imperial Army lieutenant. "You are the commander of these men, yes?"

"I am," the Xiomeran replied grimly, refusing to show Huacue any deference.

"Very good," Huacue said. "You are their leader, so you are responsible for their crimes. Execute this man," Huacue said to Sicha. "The others were bound to follow the orders of their leader, so they shall not be executed. But they will now be prisoners themselves."

Sicha and Quizo each took an arm of the Xiomeran lieutenant and dragged him off, struggling, behind a nearby building. After a few moments, a single shot was heard. The two Necatli returned, Quizo returning a pistol to his pocket. Huacue simply nodded.

"There must always be consequences for crimes, and judgement must be swift..." the Necatli tlatoani said, his voice trailing off as he took a closer look at one of the men in the line. His uniform was different from the Imperial soldiers. "You are not Xiomeran. Who are you?" Huacue demanded.

The Watchtower mercenary glared back at Huacue, refusing to answer him.

"If you wish to remain silent, my foreigner friend, that's quite allright. I'll find out who you are, sooner or later," Huacue said in a pleasant tone. "You're not going anywhere, after all."

"Should we just kill the foreign dog?" Collque asked.

"No. He may be useful to gain some kind of concessions from whoever he works for. If nothing else, he will be proof that Yauhmi isn't the only Xiomeran bringing foreigners into Huenya to fight their battles for them. And that evidence....may be useful to us in and of itself," Huacue mused. "Take him away. Detain him separately from the others."

---

In the rest of the Necatli region, Imperial soldiers were in the fight of their lives.

The creation of the prison camps, which had been a very effective short-term strategy, was now backfiring in a huge way. Herding their people into camps had angered the Necatli like never before. They were now showing their displeasure by launching the largest uprising in the Necatli region since 1511. To the rapidly shell-shocked Imperial forces, it seemed like every Necatli between 17 and 70 that could find some kind of weapon was trying to kill them all at once.

Large sections of Acalan and Necuatexi were now no-go zones for Imperial troops and police. The countryside of the Necatli region was even worse; Imperial units now found themselves under constant attack anywhere they went. Outlying and remote Imperial outposts, one by one, were falling under the onslaught of a very angry people. In less than a year, Xochiuhue was losing an area that Xiomerans had controlled for six centuries.

Xiomera had always declared that as the sun rose, so did its Empire. But for every sunrise, there was also a sunset. In its western lands, the Xiomeran Empire was waning - and no one in Tlālacuetztla had a clue how to stop it.

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Office of the Minister, Ambassador's League Headquarters, Geminus
September 22nd, 3:42 PM

Alice Lancaster typed on her work laptop, inwardly sighing to herself. Her attention had been split all week from wedding planning, to the Xiomeran War, to the new Olivia Pierre crisis. Never a dull moment in the office of a diplomat. But still, she had managed to stay on top of things. So when the intelligence report that her brother had sent over had contained a job for her, her initial reaction was frustration. But the more she read, the more she was intrigued.

She scrolled a bit through a few older webpages, letting her translation software slowly translate the page, until she found the number she needed. "Yes!". She said, dialing her work phone.

Shuellian Embassy to Iustos, San Bartillo

The man on the other end of the phone picks up after a short wait. Middle-aged and nondescript, the only thing distinguishing him from the rest of the staff in the embassy is a small crow lapel pinned to his chest. He takes a steady drag from the cigarette in his hands, before putting it out in a nearby ashtray and speaking into the rugged-looking smartphone.

"This is Veit Schurer, the Shuellian Ambassador to Iustos. May I know who this is, and why you wished to talk to me directly?"

He speaks plainly, if politely, with a light accent.

"Hello, Ambassador Schurer. This is Alice Lancaster, the Eirian Minister of Diplomacy. I apologise for calling you directly, but this call shall be more than worth your time. I believe Eiria and Shuell could enter a.... Mutually beneficial relationship. If you are willing to hear me out." She spoke carefully, choosing her words to peak the Shuellian's interest.

He pauses, his thumb briefly hovering over the 'end call' button before reconsidering. Finally, grabbing a piece of paper and pencil, he takes a seat at his desk and begins to write.

"I see. I will hear your offer, Ms. Lancaster. I cannot promise anything more without talking to my superiors, however. I trust you understand."

The Minister smiled. "That's very kind of you, Ambassador. Of course I understand." She opened the intelligence file on her desk. "It has come to the attention of our intelligence agencies that the leaders of a rogue Eirian terrorist organization have requested asylum in Shuell. A group that we've been hunting for a long time. I believe a deal can be made for their surrender into our custody."

"We'd need to know more information about this group as a whole, and the reward you'd be willing to give us. Political beliefs, historical acts, known members."

The ambassador says curtly, pausing a moment to start taking notes.

"Midgard is a former internal intelligence agency that went rogue around the period of our coup regime and subsequent civil war. They served as both an Intelligence agency and a secret police for Darrin's regime. They are fierce supporters of a reborn Nationalist government in Eiria. They were behind the recent assassination attempts on my brother, the Minister of Defence, and the Senate minority leader. They are being lead by a man named Christopher, who should be going by the codename Steel. We can provide old photos, if you need."

"Yes, the Department of International Affairs would appreciate any concrete data you could give us. A foreign terrorist group operating on our soil does, of course, give us reason for concern - the various terrorist groups IntSec has had to stomp out over the last decade can attest to our dedication to the safety of our nation. Any other known aliases of their leader? I'm certain that he would have at least a few fake identities."

She looked through the file again and sighed. "Regrettably, no, however he will likely present himself as Midgard's leader. And according to the records and pictures we found, he should have a tattoo running up his left arm. Doesn't seem particularly smart of a terrorist who needs to stay hidden, but I digress. And now, I assume Shuell would want compensation for their safe capture and return into Eirian custody. We are prepared to rush a trade deal or two with Shuell through the Senate, which I'm sure your government will appreciate. I hope this deal opens up a new age of cooperation between Shuell and Eiria. We've let animosity brew for too long."

Schurer mulls over the proposal, rolling the pen in his fingers. He clicks his tongue, glancing at the flag hanging from the wall.

"A tattoo on his left arm. I see. I'll pass that on to Internal Security. Director of Trade Klein will be happy to discuss the exact terms of this deal with you, I'm sure. He'll contact you if the Directorate agrees to cooperate with your nation."

"Thank you for your time, Ambassador. I'll have my own Minister of Finance draw up some ideas. I hope this is a profitable arrangement."

"Of course, Minister Lancaster. I'm sure the Incorporated States will be glad to usher in a new, profitable relationship."

The line is practiced - that much is obvious. It's likely been said dozens of times before, if not more. Still, there was some genuine emotion buried underneath the diplomatic platitudes, difficult to detect but still present. The Ambassador cracks open a laptop and begins to type on it, drafting a message to his superiors.

"Thank you, Ambassador. Have a good day." She hung up the phone, feeling way more interested in her work than she was before. She made a note on her agenda to call Derek Haley, who would likely jump with joy over this opportunity. An interesting end to a stressfull day.

[Xiomera]

October 14th
10 miles east of Zapotlán

After the fall of Zapotlán, Imperial forces had fallen back to a defensive line east of the city. Imperial forces were rapidly being deployed (and in some cases, re-deployed) to this defensive line. Their orders were to hold that line at all costs. With allied forces now in control of Zapotlán, and the growing army of Empress Yauhmi slowly but surely clawing its way eastward, the defensive line was all that was preventing a headlong surge towards Tlālacuetztla itself.

Along with the Imperial Army, an increasing number of civilian "volunteers" were being sent to that line as well. Many of them were former Xiomeran police and military, members of the Servicepersons and Protectors Association who had hastily been re-armed and sent to the eastern defensive line. While he would not admit it to anyone, Emperor Xochiuhue was in a panic. Every available man and woman under the Emperor's command had a single order now: protect the Xiomeran motherland. Imperial and allied forces eyed each other uneasily across this defensive line, waiting for one or the other to make the first move.

Despite the outwardly confident and defiant pronouncements of the Emperor and other Xiomeran officials, the rest of the Xiomeran heartland was also beginning to slide into panic. In 600 years, no one had ever successfully invaded the Xiomeran Empire. The force that had gained a foothold at Zapotlán, though small, had just broken that remarkable streak, and badly damaged the Xiomeran public's already shaky confidence in their Emperor.

The panic beginning to envelop Xiomeran cities wasn't just because of the invasion, however. Despite the government's taking control of the juggernaut of Xiomeran industry and turning it to war production, the Xiomeran economy was collapsing. Sanctions and the lack of international trade, leading to surging unemployment and the value of the Xiomeran quetzal plummeting, had left many Xiomerans facing economic hardship for the first time in their lives. It was a very unusual feeling for Xiomerans, and one they were finding they did not like.

Xochiuhue had very few cards left to play. As he looked over his remaining options, he found himself drawn to the one card he had left that could dramatically turn the tide of the war.

Chuaztlapoc

With the Necatli and Itotemoc regions increasingly slipping out of Xochiuhue's control, Yauhmi decided that it was time to begin gathering those on her side of the front lines who were opposed to the faux Emperor. At the Hall of Chuaztlapoc, a very strange meeting was taking place.

The Empress sipped her customary coffee with chocolate, savoring the flavor of the drink as never before. There were times I thought I would never taste this again, back in that torture cell, Yauhmi thought. She had to suppress a smile at the memory of the ASI site she had been tortured at being blown to rubble as she watched. Now was not the time for smiles.

Around the table were representatives of all of the others currently fighting Xochiuhue in western Huenya. Huacue, the Necatli tlahtoāni, leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his lean stomach. He had stubbornly refused both refreshments and conversation, and appeared to be annoyed. Next to him sat the new Itotemoc cihuātlahtoāni, Sirua. She was in a much more pleasant mood than Huacue, and sipped her own coffee with pleasure while making conversation with Major Huatli. To their right, the representatives of the Xiomeran opposition sat in a line. Cozamalotl, Cuetzhual and Natcuhuacu mostly chattered among themselves. Etlahuatzitl, the Shorn One, represented the Xiomeran military (or at least the part of it defecting to the Empress). The representative of the religious community, High Priest Tlocuauhtoa of the Temple of Huītzilōpōchtli, rounded out the little group.

Looking over the group, Yauhmi had a vision of herding cats. Jaguars. Big ones, with lots of teeth and claws. She sighed inwardly and began. "I thank all of you for coming here today to have this discussion with me," the Empress began. "Our working together is the first step to rebuilding our country after Xochiuhue is defeated," she said, when a voice cut her off.

"Let us not be too hasty about that," Huacue said coldly. He leaned forward in his chair. "The Necatli have not committed to anything more than freeing our territory from the yoke of the Imperial military. We have certainly not yet agreed to swear allegiance to you, Yauhmi, nor to Xiomera."

At his words, and his marked lack of deference to Yauhmi, refusing to even call her Empress, the tension in the room rose. Major Huatli calmly placed her hands under the conference table so that Huacue couldn't see them tensed into a choking position. Etlahuatzitl, meanwhile, had to sharply bite her tongue to avoid challenging the Necatli leader right then and there. Even Cozamalotl seemed slightly shocked by Huacue's aggressive tone. Only Yauhmi remained calm. "I don't blame you for feeling that way, Huacue. Truly. But surely you can see that we are stronger together than apart. Separation does us no good, especially while we are still fighting Xochiuhue," the Empress said.

"That's funny. It seems to me that the Necatli have done well at fighting Xochiuhue off all on our own - while fighting Xiomerans trying to stick us in prison camps, I might add," Huacue said in an even colder tone. "We've regained control of our lands - the Imperial Army has been chased all the way back to Xiomera. You, on the other hand, are here in Itotemoc lands by the mercy of Sirua - and why you've chosen to allow that, Sirua, I have no idea," Huacue said with a sidelong glance at the Itotemoc leader. "We've regained our freedom, Yauhmi. Why should the Necatli - or the Itotemoc or any other tribe - fight to help Xiomerans? Why should we help you regain your throne? You're the ones who had your boot on your necks for 600 tear and blood-stained years. Many of my people say that we should stop now, and let Xiomera squabble over itself until Xiomerans are no longer a plague on the planet. You're going to have to do a lot better than platitudes to convince me they're wrong," Huacue said flatly.

The Xiomerans in the room were stunned into silence by Huacue's emotions, which were openly bordering on the edge of outright hatred for Xiomerans. Even Yauhmi, normally very eloquent, was clearly struggling for a rebuttal. A firm voice broke the silence. "I can answer that, Huacue." High Priest Tlocuauhtoa looked at everyone in the room. "You are very angry at the Xiomerans. And you have every right to be," the priest said. "The Xiomeran Empire has been a source of great evil and disharmony throughout its history, and I believe that this war is the punishment of the gods for the arrogance and shamefulness of Xiomera and its leaders," Tlocuauhtoa added with a pointed glance at Yauhmi, who turned red.

"However," the High Priest continued as the room turned completely silent, "I also believe that the gods have brought us to this point for a reason. And that reason is simple: the disharmony of the Huenyan people displeases them. This is their lesson to us, their demand, their command. The people of Huenya must unite, or the gods will ensure that we fall over the precipice of our own destruction."

"Oh, come on," Huacue scoffed. "You're trying to convince me that gods no one has seen for centuries are demanding my allegiance - and with Xiomerans, no less? Our oppressors? Where were your so-called gods when Xiomerans were subjecting us to tyranny and discrimination?" the Necatli leader demanded, only to stop as the High Priest stood up, his expression thunderous. "Do not mock the gods," the High Priest said in a firm and ominous tone. "You bring up the Xiomerans - if anyone was acting in an unholy way, wasn't it those very Xiomerans who oppressed you? And what is their fate now? They shed each others' blood, their wealth is disappearing, their Empire is collapsing around them. Everything they believe in is being turned to dust before our very eyes, like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Are you so proud that you think you can avoid the same fate, Huacue of the Necatli? I am quite sure Xochiuhue, in his fine palace, thought the same thing," Tlocuauhtoa finished grimly. "This one, in that same palace, undoubtedly did as well," Tlocuauhtoa added with another glare at Yauhmi, whose face was beginning to resemble the color of a tomato by this point. "What was her fate? Do not court the same punishment as the Xiomerans have received, prideful son of Necuatexi."

Huacue was shaken by the High Priest's confidence, but shook his head. "What are you suggesting, then?"

"It is not a suggestion. Not for you, or for anyone else at this table. It is a mandate from the gods - a true mandate, not the farcical mantle the Emperors of Xiomera threw on themselves to justify their tyranny. Huenya must be united. The people of the sun must come together, in this land they were blessed with, and reverse the crimes of the Xiomeran Empire. We are not fighting to save Xiomera," the High Priest added, "but to destroy it. For the united Huenya that is our destiny."

With Huacue staggered, Sirua took the lead. "I am prepared to agree to that," the Itotemoc leader said, "on the condition that there be a true sharing of power. Xiomerans have long held the reins of power alone. That must change. Each tribal domain must have its own autonomy from now on. Furthermore, we must have the right to choose our own leaders, and make our own laws, without interference from Xiomera."

"You're really ready to stay united with Xiomerans, Sirua?" Huacue said angrily.

"Not with Xiomerans. With Huenyans," Sirua replied. "I can accept Xiomerans as my fellow people born of the sun, and live with them in a united country, provided that they start treating us with the respect and humanity we deserve. We suffered as much under Xiomeran rule as you did, Huacue. If I can accept this for a greater vision, so can you."

Huacue sighed. "Is there an actual proposal for this, then?"

Yauhmi took that as her cue. "There is. I have been in discussions with Cozamalotl for some time, on the future of this country after Xochiuhue is deposed," the Empress replied. Cozamalotl nodded as the Empress gestured to him. "We have agreed in principle that the Xiomeran Empire must come to an end. A new state of Huenya shall emerge. Yauhmi will remain Empress," Cozamalotl said, raising his hand as Huacue was about to object. "However, the Huenyan Assembly that Yauhmi started will resume, and will be able to propose its own laws in consultation with the throne. Each tribal domain would have substantial autonomy over its own affairs; the central government under the Empress would mainly handle international diplomacy and trade, as well as defense and other matters of international import. A standing national military would be retained, but each tribal domain would be able to have its own defense force - no more Imperial Police or Imperial Army. There are many more details to work out, of course, but Xiomera would no longer be in charge of everything. Each tribal domain will be free to run itself in the manner it sees fit - culturally, educationally, socially, in every way that matters. This is a path to true change," Cozamalotl finished.

Huacue was still skeptical. "I can see why you're a fan of all this, Cozamalotl. But am I supposed to believe that you, and your son, will be true to these promises?" he said to Yauhmi.

The Empress looked down at the table, then back up. "I had a lot of time to think, recently, in seclusion," Yauhmi finally replied with a hint of her usual dry tone. Everyone knew what she meant; the scars on her hands were the reminder. "Let's just say.....I am much more convinced now that this country must change. Dramatically."

Huacue let out a low breath. "I am willing to discuss this. I will make no promises now," he said finally. "Not until I am truly convinced that you all mean what you say."

"I am already on board," Sirua said calmly. "Of course you are," Huacue snorted. "Leaving Yauhmi and her son as rulers paves the way for Tonauac - the son of an Itotemoc mother - to take the throne someday."

"Perhaps it does," Sirua replied with a grin. "But isn't that the path to what we want - a future where someday someone who isn't Xiomeran gets to sit on the Obsidian Throne?" Huacue grimaced. "We'll see," was his blunt reply.

"Then I suppose we have lots more to discuss," Yauhmi said calmly. "Shall we begin?"

South Xiomeran Sea

The Xiomeran Imperial Navy was treading water - literally.

Three fleets - the great bulk of the remaining Imperial naval force - were holding position in the waters between Eiria and Xiomera. They had been ordered to proceed eastward to closer positions to the Xiomeran mainland to prepare to defend the Xiomeran homeland and await further orders. They were, indeed, doing so.....but at a glacially slow pace. "Engine problems" had mysteriously developed aboard many of the ships, coupled with recurring "communications system issues" that kept the Xiomeran Admiralty from reaching them. It was clear that the Imperial Navy was in no hurry to get anywhere - the question that both the Xiomeran General Staff and foreign intelligence couldn't help but ask was why?

The Cauhloc, Tlālacuetztla

A somewhat haggard figure had arrived at ASI's front door.

Her motorcycle had broken down long ago, and she had abandoned it. Then, while trying to reach Tlālacuetztla, she had been caught in the disaster at Zapotlán, and had to lie low while trying to find a way out of the embattled city without being shot by either side. Finally, though, she had managed to reach the Xiomeran capital. As she approached the Cauhloc, a set of Imperial Army guards with an ASI agent stopped her well short of the building. Security in the Xiomeran capital, which had been paranoid even in good times, was now approaching dystopian levels of caution. As the soldiers pointed rifles at her, the woman calmly handed the ASI agent her ID badge.

"My name is Mariya Adema," she said in a cool tone. "Before you do anything dumb, you might want to let Secretary Calhualyana know I am here. I believe she will be pleased to see me."

[Xiomera]

(Jointly written with [nation]Shuell[/nation])

October 17th
Palace of Flowers

"We have lost even more ground in the western military districts," General Zinahue said without even trying to sugarcoat things. The situation had grown too dire for that. "The Necatli region is completely out of Imperial control, save for a few isolated pockets of the major cities and some remaining outposts in the hinterlands. Most of our forces tried to retreat to the Itotemoc region, but ran into the army Yauhmi is building there. Some of our forces are still resisting, but we have been seeing major defections to the other side," the General added. "XMI has not been able to regain control of our forces. Much of the Itotemoc region is now under Yauhmi's control, and Ixtenco itself is now under siege. The Shuellian mercenaries have also fled, leaving us with no additional support."

Emperor Xochiuhue stared at the General as if he was deliberately giving him bad news to make him angry. "Do you have anything positive to report, General?" he demanded.

Zinahue sighed. "We do still retain control of the Tepiltzin region, but Yauhmi's forces are clearly trying to link up with the invaders at Zapotlán. That means they will target the Tepiltzin region next. Our forces in the western Empire, to put it bluntly, are in a complete rout."

"We have to abandon the western regions for now, and focus all of our resources on defending Xiomera proper," Calhualyana said. "It is the only chance to recover that we have."

The Emperor glared at them both with disdain. "I am not ceding one inch of the Empire, either to seditionists or invaders. You both forget....we still have one card left to play." Xochiuhue walked to the windows of the Throne Room, looking out at the Imperial capital. "And what card is that, Majesty?" Calhualyana asked, perplexed and a bit exasperated, as Zinahue looked at her.

"We have the Strategic Defense Corps," the Emperor said.

Calhualyana and Zinahue both stared at Xochiuhue. "Are you suggesting.....that we deploy nuclear weapons?" Calhualyana finally asked, as the General looked at the Emperor with wide eyes.

"Yes," the Emperor said. "We shall order our failing units in the western military districts to deploy the tactical nuclear weapons we have at our disposal against Yauhmi's army. That will reverse the tide of battle there and allow us to regain control of the situation. At the same time, we will strike Aunistria, Geminus, Huānoch and Grapevale with strategic nuclear launches. We will decapitate their chains of command, throw the invaders into chaos, and bring them to their knees. We will also obliterate the invaders at Zapotlán. This will enable our victory."

The Iskirami of the Grand Xiomeran Expeditionary Brigade guarding the room's expressions turned stony. Roughly 4,000 strong and having arrived months ago, the men of the Grand Brigade had become more and more displeased with the actions of Xochiuhue and his allies, with their traditional honor codes and bullheadedness clashing with the pragmatism (or brutality, depending on who you asked) of their compatriots.

The man in charge of the Iskiram forces, Brigadier General Sadak - the second son of his family and descended from a proud warrior line - would have been present in the room, his forces having been tasked with garrisoning the Palace of Flowers and the capital city of Tlālacuetztla as a whole. Dressed in dark blue and wearing a peaked cap, the saber hanging from his belt would have made him stand out from the other Iskirami patrolling the palace.

Sadak stared at Xochiuhue, a mixture of bewilderment and barely concealed anger visible on his face. "Emperor, I must strongly protest this decision, should you choose to go ahead with it. The suffering and pain that would come from this far outweigh any advantages. It would be highly difficult to avoid the death of innocents, and the -"

He paused, searching for the proper word in their language.

"The almia that would linger long past the detonation would prevent the regrowth of life for many decades."

"I don't know what you refer to, Brigadier General," the Emperor said, trying to remain civil to his only remaining allies. "But if we lose this war - and we are losing it now - there will no longer be a Xiomeran Empire. I am sworn to prevent that from happening. I must keep the Empire from falling - no matter the cost."

General Zinahue stood next to Brigadier General Sadak. His face was stony as well. "I also protest this order. You are talking as if a nuclear war can be won. I am a soldier, and I tell you it cannot be."

Calhualyana laughed with a tinge of anger to her tone. "Not to mention, you're talking about nuking our own country. Our own lands, our own people. The damage you would do to the Empire with such a course of action would be irreversible - especially if we add nuking Eiria, Legionas, Kerlile and Milintica to that order. Do you really think they won't respond in kind? There won't be an Empire left if we do this - there won't even be any Xiomerans left!"

"The foreigners will not retaliate in kind. They are soft and weak. When they see how far we will go to win this war, they will crumble and retreat. And I am not talking about nuking the part of the Empire that matters - just the western regions. Once we blast the Necatli, Itotemoc and Tepiltzin off the face of the planet, and put the foreigners in their place, the Empire will be able to rebuild and Xiomera shall rule supreme." Xochiuhue folded his arms over his chest.

"We would be ruling supreme over a giant fucking pile of ashes," Calhualyana shouted, finally losing her patience completely. "I will not allow you to do this." She looked over at General Zinahue, who nodded.

"You will not allow it? You forget your own place, Calhualyana." The Emperor waved to his guards. "Take the Security Secretary into custody."

Calhualyana calmly spoke into her headset. "The Emperor is unfit for office due to mental disorder. I hereby order all ASI agents in the Palace to seize him. Anyone resisting this order is to be eliminated." As Calhualyana spoke, General Zinahue turned to his own guards. "Take the Emperor into custody," he shouted. The throne room erupted in gunfire, as the General's personal guards opened fire on the Emperor's guards.

Outside the Throne Room, Calhualyana's order had caused another set of actions. A group of ASI special forces agents, which she had at the Palace for security, began attacking anyone loyal to the Emperor.

Sadak recited a prayer under his breath, swiftly unholstering a decorated revolver and promptly shooting the nearest guard before ducking for cover. He promptly reached for a radio, barking orders in his native language to the soldiers of the Grand Brigade.

“The Emperor is a madman. Kill those who protect him and take him into custody. The spirits shall protect you.” At his words, the Iskirami in the halls outside join the fray, with the staccato of gunfire echoing throughout the palace. With the immediate situation mostly dealt with, his attention shifts to the General. “General Zinahue! My men will support your forces. We will not stand by and watch a second Atomic Decimation take place. ”

"That support is much appreciated, General," Zinahue replied as he ducked behind cover with Sadak. The General took out his own sidearm, which was much less elaborate than Sadak's but gleamed with simple and deadly intent.

Xochiuhue had retreated towards the Obsidian Throne, as his personal guards tried to open fire on their foes. The Emperor took a pistol out of his own pocket, firing randomly at his enemies. He took a few shots at Calhualyana, who dodged behind the pillars of the Throne Room with deft practice, returning fire and slowly but surely advancing closer to the Emperor.

Outside the Throne Room, general chaos had overtaken the Palace, as the Iskirami and the ASI special forces units under Calhualyana's command clashed with the Emperor's guards. General Zinahue gestured to one of Calhualyana's guards to give him his headset. "All Imperial soldiers in the Palace who can hear this command - this is General Zinahue. Under the authority of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, you are hereby ordered to drop your weapons and cease combat on behalf of the Emperor."

The gunfire outside the Throne Room began to slacken off - but it didn't end. "It was worth a try," General Zinahue said grimly before firing at the Emperor's guards.

Sadak fired a shot at the fleeing Emperor, missing only by a fraction of an inch. The large, dark-skinned man grimaced, adjusting his hat as he ducks back behind a pillar. He called out from his position to Xochiuhue. "Emperor, know that my men will not hesitate to cut your guards down like blades of grass if you do not order them to surrender. My soldiers are not the common thugs that you protect yourself with - we treat prisoners honorably. There does not need to more blood shed in your name."

Outside of the Throne Room, the soldiers of the Grand Brigade - made up of men of varying social classes who sought to prove themselves fighting abroad for cause they thought just - cleared the Palace, working in tandem with ASI agents as they fought room-to-room, armed with carbines and automatic rifles. Sadak shook his head sadly, knowing that the odds of Xochiuhue giving up without more of a fight were low. He continued to slowly advance towards the Obsidian Throne, slightly behind Calhualyana.

Xochiuhue responded to Sadak's plea by firing off a shot at the Iskirami general, the bullet slamming into a pillar and missing Sadak by just inches. Calhualyana took the opportunity presented by his distraction to rush forward to a closer firing position. Crouching down behind another pillar, she fired a single shot, striking the Emperor in the lower left leg. Cursing, Xochiuhue fell to the ground.

Outside the Throne Room, most of the Palace guards, having heard the order from General Zinahue, stopped attacking in confusion, their commanders trying to get confirmation that the Emperor was no longer the one giving the orders and that Zinahue's order to stand down wasn't a trick of some sort. A number of the Palace guards, however, didn't care if the order was true or not. Those soldiers, the true believers who supported Xochiuhue no matter what, were trying to get to the Throne Room. A massed group of Calhualyana's ASI agents and Iskirami soldiers were waiting for them.

Zinahue saw the Emperor go down, and jumped out from behind his pillar, shooting one of the Emperor's guards. Three of the guards remained, forming a circle around the front of the Emperor's position to shield him. There was no route to attack from behind them; any capture of the Emperor would have to go through them.

Sadak, undeterred by the shot, makes a gesture over his heart. He sees the Emperor collapse, shaking his head grimly before firing a round at one of the guards defending him - confident that the high caliber of the large-framed revolver would be more than enough to drop a man, incapacitating if not outright killing them.

The expeditionary forces not waiting outside of the Throne Room swept through the palace like a tidal wave, clearing out pockets of loyalists and disarming those who had surrendered following Zinahue's announcement. The Iskirami had since mounted bayonets on their rifles, despite the relative impracticality - as swordfighting was considered an art in the lands of the Sultanate, and many were drilled in bayonet usage prior to their deployment to Xiomera.

"Be careful that the mad dog does not bleed to death." Sadak exclaimed, mentally counting the shots he had left in his handgun. "He must stand trial for his misdeeds, if there is any justice in this world."

Calhualyana nodded grimly at Sadak's words, taking a firmer grip on her pistol and aiming carefully. A single shot from the Security Security caught the second Imperial guard in the shoulder, spinning him towards her. A second shot quickly dropped him.

The last remaining Imperial guard stood in front of Xochiuhue, wielding a pistol in one hand and a mācuahuitl in the other. Calhualyana moved from her position behind the pillar, walking towards him as he pointed his gun at her. "Do you really want to die, here, for him?" she asked the guard, pointing at the Emperor. Xochiuhue was sprawled on the ground, grasping his bleeding calf futilely, cursing.

The guard looked at the Emperor, back at Calhualyana, then towards Zinahue who was also advancing, and then at Sadak. Slowly, he lowered his hands, letting his weapons clatter to the floor.

"Smart decision," Calhualyana said, gesturing for the guard to move aside. "Would you two gentlemen be so kind as to detain the Emperor?" she asked Sadak and Zinahue. General Zinahue grimly stepped forward.

The last of the Emperor's defenders, in the grand hallway outside the Throne Room, had come to a halt. Facing them were a bevy of Iskirami soldiers with bayonets fixed, in ready position. Alongside them, ASI special forces agents, heavily armed and in combat armor, held their rifles in position as well. The Imperial guards remained in position for a moment; Please be smart and surrender, the ASI commander on the other side thought.

"For the Empire!" one of the Palace guards shouted, and they charged. Gods. You're actually charging bayonets and heavy weapons. Brave, in the truest Xiomeran fashion....but also incredibly stupid, the ASI commander thought, raising his rifle in resignation and shouting to open fire.

Sadak approached the downed emperor with General Zinahue, holstering his revolver and drawing his army saber in two swift motions - before holding it to the Emperor's throat, with a clear instruction to stay where he was. "If you have any ideas, Emperor Xochiuhue, I would advise that you reconsider. I have been trained in the use of this since I was a child."

He turned his head towards Zinahue, nodding curtly. "He is your monarch. It is only proper that you arrest him. Do you have apothecaries in this palace? It would be best to treat his wounds."

Outside of the throne room, the Iskirami forces opened fire in a mass volley - their bayonets fixed in the rare event that one of the Emperor's loyalists managed to reach them through the storm of lead and steel. "For the Sultan!" one of the Iskirami officers shouted, barely audible over the staccato bursts of rifle fire.

General Zinahue nodded, before speaking into the headset again. "As soon as that racket out there is over, get some medics in here," he instructed.

They wouldn't have long to wait; very few of the charging Palace guards would make it past the mass volley from the Iskirami soldiers, or the equally deafening volley from the ASI special forces. Those few that did make it to the line were soon made short work of by the Iskirami bayonets, or the ASI agents who switched from rifle to mācuahuitl with chilling ease.

Soon, the Palace was silent once more.

As medics came in to make sure the Emperor didn't bleed to death on his own Throne Room floor, Xochiuhue started laughing. "What do you find funny, you lunatic?" Calhualyana demanded.

"All of this. What are you going to do? Throw me in prison? You couldn't keep Yauhmi locked up. So after losing an Empress, you're going to try an encore with an Emperor? I will do everything I can to make sure you fail to imprison yet another ruler of Xiomera, you traitorous bitch." Xochiuhue laughed even harder, looking at Calhualyana. "And when I escape, I will come for you first. And then you, Zinahue. Even you," he said, glaring at Sadak.

Calhualyana leaned down to Xochiuhue, her face cold as ice. "Unlike you, Xochiuhue, I learn from my mistakes. I failed with Yauhmi. I will not fail with you. You're never going to see the sun again. Trust me on that," she said quietly.

As Xochiuhue continued to curse and rant, the Security Secretary stood up. Four of the ASI special agents had walked in. "The Palace is finally secure, ma'am," one of them said. "We owe you and your men a great deal of thanks for their help," he added, nodding respectfully to Sadak.

Calhualyana smiled for the first time that night. "Very good. Take the former Emperor to the Cauhloc and keep him there until I am ready for him." The ASI agents quickly restrained Xochiuhue, placing a bag over his head and removing him from the Throne Room.

General Zinahue looked around at the battered Throne Room. "So, now what.....who is in charge now?" he asked.

Calhualyana looked around the Throne Room for a moment, then pursed her lips. After a moment of deliberation, she walked over to the Obsidian Throne. Without hesitation, she lowered herself onto the Throne, looking at Zinahue.

"Well...I guess that answers that," Zinahue said quietly. "Is this an issue for you, General?" Calhualyana said. "If you don't do something as daft as ordering me to nuke half the world....no, I think this is acceptable," the General replied calmly. Calhualyana nodded with another smile, before turning to Sadak. "I am grateful for your help in removing Xochiuhue. He posed a huge danger to us all," she said to the Iskirami general. "I know this was not part of your original plans here. But if you would consider continuing to remain here, I would be honored to have the Grand Brigade on my side."

Sadak finally sheathed his saber, looking around the Throne Room as men lay dead and dying. He bowed his head, reciting a prayer in his native tongue before finally returning his attention to Calhualyana, nodding respectfully towards the new Empress and offering them a small, somber smile.

"The Grand Xiomeran Expeditionary Brigade will not depart until the fighting has ended. To do otherwise would be cowardly - we do not fight for money, we fight to prove ourselves in battle. I do not know what the outcome to this war will be, but I will offer the services of the Iskiram Sultanate to you regardless. It is my hope that you are much less foolish than Emperor Xochiuhue. I would have run him through with a sword myself if you had not also taken action."

"Luckily, we shared the same opinion of the former Emperor and his foolishness....although, admittedly, watching you run him through would have been a form of justice in and of itself," Calhualyana said. "I am very pleased to hear that you will be staying with us in this fight. We share a similar commitment to honor - one that Xochiuhue stained. I most definitely do not intend to repeat the mistakes of Xochiuhue. He has placed us in a desperate position....but adversity is the greatest test of all. We will overcome this together, and we will ensure the survival of the Xiomeran Empire and its continued friendship with the Iskiram Sultanate."

The new Empress allowed herself to get comfortable on the Obsidian Throne. The enemies of the Empire thought that they had Xiomera on the ropes. Calhualyana was ready to prove that there was still plenty of fight left in the Empire.

[Xiomera]

October 17th
Palace of Flowers
Two hours after the deposing of Emperor Xochiuhue

Calhualyana had found an even more comfortable chair than the Obsidian Throne.

The Golden Chamber, the longstanding seat of Imperial power and the office of Xiomeran Emperors, was the usual setting for Imperial addresses to the nation. Xochiuhue had taken to using the Throne Room for his televised speeches because he liked the grandeur of the room, and the ominous nature of the Obsidian Throne. Calhualyana had always thought it was stupid to give speeches there. The Throne Room was too imposing; the office of the Golden Chamber presented a much more personable and human setting.

Besides, given that the Throne Room still had bullet holes all over it, it would have been a less than reassuring venue for people watching the broadcast.

The XIN camerman gestured to the producer, who silently began counting down. When he reached zero, Calhualyana began.

"To the people of Xiomera, and the world, I bid you good afternoon. I am Calhualyana, formerly the Secretary of Security of the Xiomeran Empire. As we all know, events in the Empire have been proceeding from bad to worse over the past few months. The leadership of Emperor Xochiuhue has been a disaster for the Empire and its people. We are at war, both with ourselves and the world. Our economy is in shambles, and our people are suffering. We stand on a crucial precipice, but still have a chance to avoid the brink. Accordingly, after consultation with the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Emperor has been removed from power due to mental incapacity under Article 14 of the Xiomeran laws of succession and enthronement, as proscribed in the Xiuhtonal and its amending documents."

Calhualyana's face took on a serious expression. "This is not a decision that we undertook lightly. The severe situation facing Xiomera at this time required immediate and decisive action to save our Empire and its people from certain disaster. It is therefore necessary for a new Provisional Government, as allowed for under our laws, to appoint a new ruler until such time as a more formal selection process can be undertaken. I have therefore been chosen to lead Xiomera out of this disaster as your new Empress."

Calhualyana smiled at the camera. "I know that this change in leadership, coming so soon after the last one, will be an unsettling and frightening development for all of you. I promise that I will do everything I can to restore peace and harmony to Xiomera, and to end the current problems and struggles that we face. To that end, I am lifting many of the restrictions placed by the former Emperor. In addition, in the best interests of our people, I am proposing to open discussions with the followers of the former Empress Yauhmi, and those nations backing her, to find a mutually acceptable and suitable path forward for peace. It is my sincere hope that they will accept this offer, and that soon all of these problems will be behind us."

"Take heart, my fellow Xiomerans. A better day is dawning, and I will do everything I can to bring it about for you. May the gods and goddesses continue to bless the Xiomeran Empire and its people."

As the camera switched off, the new Empress smiled.

---

Xiomerans in the midst of their Saturday, watching the speech of the new Empress, didn't know what to think. Many of them were glad to be rid of Xochiuhue, but had no idea what to expect from the new Empress - or how the old one would react to the change of power in Tlālacuetztla. It would take a lot more than a pleasant speech for Calhualyana to reassure them.

---

Chuaztlapoc

Yauhmi turned off the XIN broadcast. Everyone in the room watched nervously. The news of Gabriel Fleming's escape had already infuriated the Empress. Following that with the sight of the person responsible for her torture, in the Golden Chamber, declaring herself Empress and calling Yauhmi the former ruler, had Yauhmi's doctor highly concerned about her blood pressure.

For the first time since the coup, the leadership in Chuaztlapoc had finally been able to establish communications with Texōccoatl and his own advisors. Yauhmi and Texōccoatl had exchanged lengthy and only slightly tearful expressions of joy at being able to speak with each other finally, before getting back to the business of trying to run a government in exile. And then the special news bulletin had broken on XIN. Texōccoatl watched the screen nervously as well; his mother's face had assumed a quite alarming shade of red. The silence lengthened, until Texōccoatl finally said, "Mother? Are you....allright?"

The Empress waited until she had calmed down enough to where her face was no longer glowing red. When she finally spoke, her voice had a finality to it. "This changes nothing. There will be no negotiations with that woman. We continue as planned."

Cozamalotl made a tsk sound. "But if there is a path to resolving this crisis that doesn't involve bloodshed, don't we have a responsibility to pursue that?"

Yauhmi didn't even look at Cozamalotl. "Calhualyana doesn't want peace. She wants breathing room. She wants time to rebuild, to try to salvage her position. She wants our allies to grow weary of this situation and press for peace at any cost. If she is allowed to remain in power for any significant period of time, she will just rebuild her forces and attack us. She is hardly someone to trust or negotiate with."

Cozamalotl moved to where Yauhmi was forced to look at him, fixing her with a keen eye. "Are you saying that as an impartial ruler, or as someone who was tortured on Calhualyana's orders? Do you make that assessment out of the facts, or out of anger at the person alone? Your judgement here, frankly, may be clouded."

Texōccoatl's face, on the other end of the video call, turned frosty. He was about to verbally rip the opposition leader to shreds, when Yauhmi raised her hand. "Why can it not be both? Of course, I hate Calhualyana for what she did to me. But I also hate her for what she did to our country, and to all of our people - Xiomerans and others alike." Yauhmi tapped the desk pensively. "My judgement may be clouded here, true. But do any of you truly trust Calhualyana?"

No one said yes. Even Cozamalotl sighed. "Of course I don't trust her. But up until this coup, I didn't trust you either, Yauhmi. Things can change. And again, if there is any chance that we can find a peaceful way out of this, I think we all it to all of our people - Xiomerans and others alike - to try."

"We will see what our allies have to say about this. And by that, I don't just mean the Eirians, the Legionites, the Kerlians or the Milinticans. I mean the Necatli, the Tepiltzin, the Itotemoc, the Teyatia - everyone. Only then, will I decide," Yauhmi said firmly.

[Lauchenoiria]

Meeting Room 2D, Council Building, Kerlile
17th October 2020

The Committee on Xiomera sat around the table, watching the subtitled broadcast by Calhualyana for the third time before anyone was allowed to comment. Once to absorb content, twice to ensure legitimacy, thrice to form opinions. The Committee, composed of Councillors Pierre, Hale, Georgiou and Greenwood alongside Foreign Secretary Katrine Porter and the Aurora known as Zichitla or Nelly depending on who you were, had been operating since May and so far had managed to work well together in spite of its composition.

“Okay, so the present situation is,” Georgiou began, her role being to summarise and peacekeep within the committee itself, “we have troops in the Zapotlán area, under the command of Texoccoatl, and three of Greenwood’s… interrogators at Chuatztlapoc alongside one former Aurora who remained in Xiomera and is now loyal to them primarily. Western Xiomera is in the process of coming under control of the allied forces but the east remains a stronghold of the usurpers. Two former Auroras are missing, one detained, and seven former Restricted Region employees have committed treason, including one Mariya Adema. Calhualyana has deposed Xochiuhue and assumed his position. Thoughts?”

“This Calhualyana appears to want peace, and can’t be as hostile towards us as Xochiuhue was, surely? I think perhaps we need to take her up on her offer of discussing peace, after all…” Councillor Pierre mused, only to be interrupted.

“No,” said Zichitla, and everyone turned to stare incredulously at her. While Auroras were granted freedoms other Kerlian citizens were deprived, Councillors still greatly outranked one, and interrupting Councillor Pierre was an affront that would have, in the old Kerlile, earned Zichitla a thorough beating.

“Excuse me?” Pierre said sharply.

“Do not trust Calhualyana. She is worse than Xochiuhue, worse than all of them. She may share our gender, but she will not forget that we backed Yauhmi. That woman would murder her own child to get ahead.”

“Huh, so just like a Women’s Party Councillor then,” joked Hale, earning her glares from Pierre and Greenwood.

“Calhualyana tried to have you detained when you were leaving Xiomera,” Pierre nodded to Zichitla. “I recall that from your debriefing. It stands to reason that you would dislike the woman, and think ill of her. But ending this war with minimal bloodshed and minimal threat to our own country is the priority, now that Yauhmi is safe.”

“I’m sorry, Pauline, you’re not seriously suggesting we attend peace talks?” laughed Hale incredulously. “Did you not swear on your second-eldest-daughter’s life that never again would you allow foreigners to trick us into peace treaties?”

“Maybe we should watch the clip again, cause I didn’t see the word ‘treaty’ in there. Attending discussions does not commit us to the signing of a treaty. Every second we are at war, we are risking the lives of brave women, and I suppose some men too given we actually have allies in this conflict,” shrugged Pierre.

“Remarkable,” Hale said, deliberately widening her eyes in an expression of fake awe. “A Pierre Councillor, arguing that we should seek peace and not war. Truly, will wonders never cease? Perhaps we should get her checked out, make sure she’s really Pauline and not a Sanctarian in a Pauline Pierre suit.”

“Goddess, this is serious, Jennifer! Can you stop acting like a clown for five minutes!?” Georgiou cried out, getting sick of the constant joking. “I like the idea of peace, if there is an avenue for that, we should at the very least consider it.”

“NO!” yelled Zichitla, standing up and slamming her hands down on the table, making Katrine Porter, who was doing her best to remain silent, jump. “If you attend peace talks with that woman, we won’t end up with another Haven Accords… we will end up with a dead Councillor. I don’t think a single word out of her mouth is true! She is a fake, a liar, and she will kill us all before she cedes a single cubic millimetre of territory to Yauhmi’s faction. She will not settle until all her enemies are in the ground and…”

“That’s quite enough, Aurora Nelly,” Georgiou raised her voice slightly, placing a hand on Zichitla’s shoulder and encouraging her to sit back down.

“The Aurora is right,” said Greenwood, speaking for the first time since the meeting had been convened. “This woman who calls herself Empress convinced seven former Restricted Region employees to defect, including a woman who once won an award for services to the Matriarchy. She is dangerous. And she is protecting Mariya Adema, who needs to be executed for treason as soon as possible. We cannot trust this woman.”

“Thank you, Councillor Greenwood,” Pierre said distastefully. “Hale, aside from jokes, what are your thoughts on the matter?”

“A tricky one,” Jennifer said, shifting posture to signify she was ready to discuss things seriously. “I am of course in favour of peace, and a settlement which prevents further bloodshed is naturally desirable. Yet Calhualyana is very much against reform of Xiomera’s system from what I know, and would be a tyrant to any people in territory ruled over by her. Thus my principles dictate that we must fight her, and cannot allow her to remain in her position.”

“So we have two Councillors for accepting discussions of peace, and two against. Secretary Porter, what are your thoughts? Naturally the President will need to approve any measures but it would be good to know what someone who has dedicated time to this thinks,” Georgiou asked of the non-Councillor.

“Councillors, Aurora, I do not presume to have the authority to make decisions on this matter, and solely advise… however, the state of our economy, the deaths we have seen in the past years of members of our armed forces… if there is an option for peace, I think we should take it, and I feel that most of the other Councillors will agree.”

“That’s true,” nodded Hale. “I don’t really have any objections to attending discussions, we can at least talk and then if Calhualyana appears unwilling to make the necessary concessions then they’ll fall through. We should go to…”

“I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS!” Zichitla jumped up suddenly, a gun in her hand. Immediately, the Councillors went for their own weapons, Georgiou noticing that hers was not present - Zichitla, not possessing the right to carry a weapon in this building, had somehow managed to swipe Georgiou’s.

“Stand down, Aurora,” said Pierre threateningly.

“We both know that I could kill all of you before you’d even blinked. If I wanted you dead, you would be, Councillor Pierre,” Zichitla said calmly. “I respect you, and I am loyal to the Matriarchy, I swear to you. I am telling you, as the expert on this matter, what you are about to do will risk the security of yourselves and this country. Councillor Greenwood, I would advise you take this matter to the full Council, and call your security to place the other three Councillors under arrest temporarily.”

“You overestimate my commitment to continuing this war, Aurora,” Letitia shook her head. “I’m not going to assist you in staging some kind of coup here. Put the gun down, please.”

“Fools! All of you are fools!” Zichitla yelled, slamming down the gun on the table, making everyone else jump. It did not go off, Zichitla had the careful dexterity of all Auroras.

Pauline quickly pulled open the door and gestured for several security personnel to enter the room. “Detain the Aurora,” she ordered them. The two women glanced nervously at each other and then turned to Zichitla as if she was about to rip their heads off. They stepped towards Zichitla, who dodged out of their grasp.

“You will destroy yourselves. You will destroy the Matriarchy. You can torture me, or execute me, but I came back here because I was loyal to Kerlile. I joined your committee even though Councillor Hale told me I was free to leave because I am loyal to Kerlile. But perhaps the Kerlile I knew is gone. You have become weak. Even Pierre has become weak. Detain me, see if I care. I have suffered worse, in your training centres,” she looked Pierre in the eye, “as an eleven year old child. Your weakness will lead to your fall and the true Kerlile will rise again. Until then, I will be in my cell.”

With that, Zichitla stopped dodging, allowing the two security guards to take hold of her and lead her out of the room. She didn’t struggle, or attempt to escape, allowing herself to be led out of the room with her head held high.

“You’re really an Aurora?” one of the guards asked her eventually as they walked, blurting the question out like it couldn’t be held back.

“I am,” she confirmed, smiling at the guard. “I am of Kerlile, as it should be, not as it has become. Don’t worry, I won’t be any trouble for you, a cell is as good a place as any to hide from the coming destruction.”

“Uh… yes, Madam Aurora,” the guard stuttered, uncertain what to say.

“I hope your families will be safe when it happens,” Zichitla told the guard, tilting her head sympathetically. “If they go down this path, it’s likely Kerlian civilians will die. You should hold them extra-tight tonight. That’s something I was taught, always behave as if tomorrow will never come. Ah, well, good talk.”

They’d arrived at the holding cells in the basement of the Council Building, where any threats to the Council would be held before being transferred to a more permanent facility - or executed on the spot, as needed. Zichitla stepped into the cell without prompting from the guards once it was opened, and smiled warmly at them as they locked her in. Then, she sat on the hard stone slab that served as a bed, crossing her legs and humming to herself.

Outside the cell, the two guards whispered to each other.

“What was she talking about?”

“I don’t know… you don’t think the Council is going to let war come here do you?”

“Auroras can’t betray Kerlile, right? I heard they put some kind of microchip in their brains that makes treason impossible. Which would mean that one really believes some kind of destruction is coming!”

“Surely that’s a rumour?”

“I dunno, have you seen some of that Trivian technology on the banned list? It’s not impossible.”

The two guards walked back upstairs, continuing their conversation in hushed tones as they returned to their duties, doubt seeping into their minds - exactly as Zichitla had planned.

[Lauchenoiria]

Alvarez’s Residence, Buttercity, Lauchenoiria
24th October 2020, 2:53am

Prime Minister Josephine Alvarez let out a groan and switched her bedside lamp on. She’d been trying to sleep for three hours now and she was no closer to success than when she’d first turned the lights out. She reached over for her phone, avoiding reading any notifications as she unlocked it with her fingerprint and sent a message to Sandra Pavía.

Alvarez: Awake?

She didn’t have to wait long before she received a response.

Pavía: Always. Worrying about Xiomera again?
Alvarez: I don’t trust Yauhmi. What do you know about Calhualyana?
Pavía: Let’s just say she would fit in with the Kerlian Council.
Alvarez: Pre- or post-reform? ;)
Pavía: Definitely pre. Wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a Kerlian civil war now.
Alvarez: God I hope not. That’d be all we need.
Pavía: If Xiomera stays divided for long, chances are Kerlile will follow.
Alvarez: Should we be increasing patrols on the northern border?
Pavía: Probably a good precaution.

Alvarez groaned and put her phone down, sliding out of bed and padding through to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. The movement was practiced, she could have found her way blindfolded and so left the kitchen light off. Through the uncovered window, she could see the lights of Buttercity twinkling before her. She walked over to the balcony doors and unlocked them, stepping out and listening to the noise of the wind and occasional traffic.

“Everything’s changed, Sonja,” she whispered to nobody. “It wasn’t Chaher’s coup, or the war, not really. It was finding out you weren’t real.”

She slipped her hand into her dressing gown pocket, pulling out a ring and turning it around in her fingers. The Prime Minister of Lauchenoiria no longer wore her wedding ring, but she carried it with her everywhere. A habit she couldn’t seem to break. Her aides urged her to file for divorce, but every time she looked at the papers she felt queasy. She slipped on the ring and closed her eyes, taking a couple deep breaths.

*
Same location
Halloween, 2017

“Okay, now close your eyes,” Sonja said, and Josephine giggled, covering her eyes with her hands and allowing her wife to lead her back through the kitchen into the living room. “Okay now hold on a couple minutes…”

Sonja’s arms left Josephine and she could hear her wife digging around in a drawer, pulling something out and fastening something. “Okay, you can open your eyes now!”

Josephine opened her eyes to see Sonja wearing an outfit that could only be described as sexy devil. “I see you’re all ready for the halloween party,” she teased her wife, taking Sonja in her arms and pressing play on a CD player sitting on some bookshelves. She swung Sonja around, dancing in the living room.

“Let’s hope you don’t have to work this year,” Sonja said pointedly glancing over at the muted TV which still displayed the news. Josephine rarely switched it off. It was displaying an item about the state of the world economy and which nations were doing the best.

“There’s nothing happening,” Josephine soothed Sonja, stroking a stray hair behind her ear. “Now the referendum is out of the way, things have calmed down. Unless the Kvaskm decide to invade us or something, we’re fine.”

“This feels like the calm before the storm, Josie,” Sonja whispered, biting her lip and glancing at the TV. “I wouldn’t want to be her, though.”

Josephine followed Sonja’s eyes to the TV, which showed a news anchor in front of a large image of the Xiomeran Emperor Topilpopoca and his wife, Yauhmi. According to the subtitles, it was a report about the surprising success of isolationist economies, comparing Xiomera and Shuell.

“Why not?” Josephine asked mildly.

“The family of rulers in totalitarian regimes are in an awful position. Everyone thinks they’re powerful and have everything they can wish for, but they’re subject to the whims of those who are actually in charge.”

“Hah!” laughed Josephine. “I bet she’s perfectly happy, alongside all those Kerlian Councillor’s daughters who go swanning off around the globe despite the Kerlian travel ban.”

“You know nothing!” Sonja snapped, surprising Josephine, who turned to look at her. Sonja did not often raise her voice. “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up the ban. I know you don’t like to talk about Kerlile,” she soothed, pulling Sonja onto the couch beside her and stroking Sonja’s hair. “So what did you mean by the calm before the storm?”

“I don’t know… it’s just a feeling,” Sonja shivered, though happy for the change in subject. “It can’t be that easy, the referendum, the communists, undoing years of oppression. These things are never that easy. It’s almost like they let us win, no real fight. No, they’re planning something.”

“You’ve always been a little paranoid,” Josephine teased. “People in Lauchenoiria have taken to democracy, that’s why people have accepted the result so easily. This isn’t like Kerlile, or Xiomera. The will of the people, my darling, it’s the will of the people.”

“Rowan Martin resigned,” Sonja pointed out.

“Eh, that one was always a little soft for politics,” shrugged Josephine. “The reshuffle was sorely needed, in my opinion. We’ve got a good team, though I’m not really sure about the new Home Secretary.”

“Chaher?”

“Yeah, there’s something off about him. Plus he changes parties every couple of years, more so than even Martin. I don’t really trust him, but Laura thinks he’s good for the job.”

“Mmm…” Sonja yawned, snuggling into Josephine’s shoulder more. Josephine turned back to the TV, watching the end of the report on economics, thinking little more of the words exchanged that night.

*

Present Day

“You were born of war,” whispered Alvarez, opening her eyes suddenly. She turned around sharply and went inside, closing the balcony doors and hurrying over to where she left her laptop and opened it, bringing up the files on her still-legally-wife’s story.

Sonja Viratnen, a teenage girl executed alongside her DKS-supporting parents in the middle of the deadly, viscous conflict. A missing second daughter of Councillor Camila Hale, Jennifer, vanished at the age of 13, thought kidnapped or killed by DKS. A birth certificate and Kerlian identity card, stolen from the corpse of a murdered girl. Rumours, speculation that the young Jennifer Hale had been taken by foreign agents.

“You were born of war, you shed your identity as Jennifer and became Sonja,” Alvarez muttered to herself, working it out in her head. “You died in war too, taken by the Kerlians and your birth name given once more. But war… maybe…”

She closed the laptop lid, shaking her head violently. No, those kinds of thoughts were unbecoming of someone in her position. Lauchenoiria was neutral in the Xiomeran conflict, and would remain neutral. Empress Yauhmi had attacked Lauchenoiria, and Empress Calhualyana was a terrible person. But if Kerlile was to commit fully…

No! It was a foolish thought. Jennifer Hale, Sonja Alvarez, whatever name she chose to use she was still forbidden to leave Kerlile and would be for years to come. Even if a conflict reawakened the person Josephine had loved, nothing could come of it. Chances were that Sonja, Jennifer, would die if a civil war came to Kerlile. The reformists may have had the majority on their side, but the traditionalists were much better-armed. And Lauchenoiria would be unable to intervene.

“Why is the world like this!?” Josephine hissed aloud.

She turned on the TV to the 24-hour news channel, and sat for the rest of the night staring at reports of the Xiomeran conflict, wondering just who would come out on top - and if it was ever possible to truly win in this world.

[Xiomera]

October 26th

The Xiomeran Empire had ruled over the lands of western Huenya for 600 years. Cusuyo, the new leader of the Tepiltzin people, found himself absolutely thrilled to witness history in the making - specifically, the end of Xiomeran rule over his land, and that of anyone else in western Huenya, for that matter.

Calhualyana, the new Empress of Xiomera, had ordered her armies to retreat across the Gulf of Epeloc back to the Xiomeran mainland. The armies following Empress Yauhmi, advancing rapidly behind the retreating Imperial armies, had quickly linked up with the allied force in Zapotlán. For the first time in centuries, western Huenya no longer belonged to Tlālacuetztla. Cusuyo, along with the new leaders of the Itotemoc and Necatli had traveled to Chuaztlapoc for lengthy talks about the future of western Huenya. They had also engaged in equally lengthy discussions on how to address the challenge posed by Calhualyana, who still held firm control over the ancient Xiomeran homeland.

In the end, Cusuyo was reasonably pleased. The future of Huenya had not been decided for good - but it was a beginning. Calhualyana had taken plenty of time in the media spotlight, offering peace talks, ending sanctions and ending the restrictions imposed by Xochiuhue. She had even promised to put the former Emperor on public trial. In the mind of Cusuyo and the other leaders gathered at Chuaztlapoc, Calhualyana was putting on an act - trying to appear as reasonable as possible in order to fool the world into cooperating with her. That was an ironic thing, considering that the person standing next to Cusuyo on the podium had once done the very same thing as an Empress of Xiomera.

Standing next to him, Yauhmi generated mixed emotions in Cusuyo, as well as the Necatli and Itotemoc leaders Huacue and Sirua. She had, before the coup, represented everything that was evil about the Xiomeran Empire as much as anyone. But even the three other leaders couldn't deny that, after spending time in her own torture cells and seeing just how cruel the Xiomeran Empire could be, that Yauhmi was not the same person. The physical scars she bore would eventually fade - mostly.

The emotional and mental changes that had been brought to bear in Yauhmi would not. That was why they had finally agreed to let her take the lead once again, as she had so often in her long life, as they began walking down a new road. Calhualyana had her chance to be in the spotlight - it was now time for her opponents to take their shot. And they were about to make an announcement that was absolutely guaranteed to not only anger the new Empress in Tlālacuetztla, but steal her thunder as well.

In front of both local and international media, the leaders of that opposition were all lined up on the stage. High Priest Tlocuauhtoa stood next to Sirua. Crown Prince Texōccoatl stood to their right, holding the hands of his wife Tlalmaxxi and son Tonauac tightly. The three of them had only recently been reunited, and the Crown Prince was clearly reluctant to let their hands go, lest he lose them again. Even the three leaders from the old Xiomeran opposition, Cozamalotl, Cuetzhual and Natcuhuacu, were up on the stage. But, as was her usual way, Yauhmi, standing at the podium itself, had all the attention.

"Good morning, everyone," Yauhmi began calmly, as she faced down a bevy of cameras and microphones. This speech was being streamed live on multiple networks, as well as recorded for later dissection and analysis on regional news shows of the day. Yauhmi was glad of that. She wanted everyone in the world to see this particular history made - especially a certain person to her east. "As you all know, we have been in lengthy discussions on the future of our country and how to address the person now styling herself as the Empress of Xiomera." Yauhmi was not about to mention Calhualyana by name. "She states that she is now the Empress of Xiomera, ruler of the Xiomeran Empire. I am here to declare, in front of the world, that I have no intention of challenging her for that title."

As the reporters watched, shocked, Yauhmi continued. "I do not lay claim anymore to the title of Empress of Xiomera. Nor do I wish to rule the Xiomeran Empire. I have discovered - the hard way - just how meaningless that title is, and how cruel that the Empire led by the person wielding that title like a weapon can be. I renounce any claim I ever had to the Obsidian Throne. And for any wrongs I may have committed while sitting on that throne, I deeply apologize and express my regret, without reservation or condition."

The press corps, and everyone on the stage, stood in utter silence as Yauhmi pressed on. "You are all probably wondering, then, what claim I do make now, or what nation I propose to lead. The answer to that is simple, and it is one that all of us on this stage today agree on completely. That nation is not, and never again will be, the Xiomeran Empire. We instead will lead our country in a new direction, one that makes up for the evil and the sins wrought by the Xiomeran Empire upon its people, its neighbors, and the world. Today, we have signed an accord which will henceforth be known as the Accord of Chuaztlapoc. And in this historic agreement, we renounce the Xiomeran Empire. Today, we declare that we shall be henceforth known as the United Empire of Huenya. While I will lead this new nation, the autocracy and the unilateralism of the old Empire shall be a thing of the past. We shall re-activate the Huenyan Assembly, which the coup shut down. The leaders of the Itotemoc, the Tepiltzin and the Necatli shall sit in this assembly with me, and together, we shall make decisions that fairly represent all of the people of Huenya, and prevent the tyranny of the past."

"Furthermore, we shall begin moving towards a more representative form of government, beginning with limited local elections. We shall disband the security forces and police apparatus that have been used to repress people, and we shall end the ban on the teaching of the language, culture and history of the other peoples of Huenya. We will invite the international community to send advisors to us, here in Chuaztlapoc, to help us reform our institutions and create a system that is no longer the shame of the world. As for my role, I shall serve as the head of state of this new Empire. I will work, every single day that I am still alive, to make up to all of our people for the wrongs I have done, and to make sure that equality, justice and freedom prevail in Huenya - all parts of Huenya," Yauhmi added pointedly. There was no way Calhualyana would miss that message.

"Together, in the weeks and months to come, we shall build a new nation together, rooted in centuries of ancient tradition and knowledge, but looking to the future and embracing the best values of our peoples, as well as the wider world. We hope that the international community will continue to support us as we make this transition, and we will have more details to come as we continue to codify these historic changes and make them official. Thank you all for coming," Yauhmi said, nodding and leaving the stage as the press corps erupted with questions.

[Lauchenoiria]

Veronica Penners yawned as she opened the fridge, grabbing two cans of a Kerlian knock-off fizzy drink designed to approximate the taste of coke. She passed one to Nelichē, her old friend from Aurora training and her new flatmate, and pulled her own open, taking a gulp, then going to sit down at the table with the Xiomeran-looking woman.

“Okay, so they definitely have Zichitla in prison,” Nelichē said, sipping her drink and scrolling through some files on a laptop that she definitely wasn’t meant to have access to. “She’s being moved to Facility 343 near Caralina on Wednesday, according to these records.”

“What level is that? New system and old?” asked Veronica, taking a bite out of a slightly stale pastry that had been sitting out on their table for several days.

“High security, used to be a level 7,” Nelichē shuddered.

“Jesus,” Veronica whispered, causing Nelichē to let out a snort of laughter. “What?”

“Sorry, it’s just you swear like a Lauchenoirian. And in your own Kerlian accent it just sounds, well, a bit funny.”

“Focus, this is serious,” frowned Veronica. “We have to work out if this is an isolated incident or if they had indeed lied to us when they promised us freedom. Robinson won’t tell me anything; in fact she’s asked me to stop contacting her. If the Council decides to come for us Auroras, we’re going to need to be united to prevent it.”

“Yeah, course,” nodded Nelichē. “So what should we do about Zichitla?”

“If they won’t tell us why she’s been detained, then we have to assume it’s because they think we will not approve of the reason. That makes me fear that they’re coming for us. We need to gather the others, somewhere they won’t find us.”

Both former Auroras fell silent, Nelichē closing the laptop and gathering dirty dishes beside the sink, next to the ever-growing pile already there. She stood looking out of the window at the towering apartment buildings that made up this part of Grapevale. Neither of them had worked as Auroras for long enough to afford to live in the upmarket districts, but this suited the pair of them just fine - they even had a spare bedroom they planned to offer to their former classmate Rita, aka Riley Nelson, after she was released from Eirian prison.

“We have to leave,” Nelichē said reluctantly. “If we think there’s a chance that the Council plans to go back on their word, we ought to get out of Kerlile. Xio… Huenya, the part ruled by Empress Yauhmi. We would be safe there. If the war ends.”

“If the war ends,” agreed Veronica. “But Lauchenoirians make continual jokes about how this is 2018 over again, and I lived through the war in Lauchenoiria. We don’t want to be in a situation like that, it was not pleasant.”

“What about Lauchenoiria itself? Alvarez seemed to be surprisingly willing to negotiate with the Matriarchy regarding Auroras,” Nelichē pondered. “Laeral, too, for that matter. Or Kvask.”

“No,” Veronica shook her head fiercely. “Alvarez may have been okay, but she just wanted to use me and the others; plus she won’t be in charge forever and frankly a majority of Lauchenoirians would probably like our heads on sticks displayed in a town square like it was 1482.”

“... oddly specific,” noted Nelichē. “Laeral, Kvask?”

“I don’t know, Nel,” sighed Veronica, resting her head on her hands. “I wanted so hard for it to be over, that we could just move on… but I guess that was never going to happen. I don’t want to leave Kerlile! But I don’t want to end up rotting in a prison cell either.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Both women jumped up, looking at each other in alarm. Neither seemed willing to move towards the door. It was impossible that someone had been listening to them; they swept for bugs each morning as a matter of routine, and their training meant they were very thorough. Given the circumstances, however, neither of them seemed to trust their own abilities. Eventually, after the bell rang one more time, they both headed to the door, guns in their hands. Veronica opened it.

“Renee and Rhona, of the class of 2014? We need to talk,” said a very pale woman, looking around 40. With her was a woman who looked Lauchenoirian, of the same age. They were holding a tablet playing a video of a Laeralian film star… no, they were on a video call with a Laeralian film star.

“Um… can we help you?” asked Veronica, her fingers tightening on the weapon she held behind the door.

“I know you have a gun, girl,” laughed the second woman. “My name is Nicole, these are my colleagues Nora and Naomi although you likely know Naomi as Anaïs. We’re like you.”

“Come in,” Veronica said quickly, not wanting to have this conversation on the landing, particularly surrounding the identity of the remote member of the group. Once the two women and their tablet were inside, Veronica quickly shut and locked the door. “Talk quickly and you better give us a reason not to kill you.”

“Interesting,” mused the first woman, Nora. “I expected the younger generation to be less paranoid, not more so. Anyway, we will indulge you. We three are from the Aurora class of 1993, and we need your help, Rhona.”

“Nelichē,” corrected Nelichē.

“Nelichē,” Nora repeated distastefully. “You’re like Anaïs, then. Preferring of a false identity. It doesn't matter. You were assigned to Xiomera. Ideally we would contact Zichitla as she is better fitted to this mission but she was detained. We need you to rescue a fellow Aurora from ASI’s custody.”

“I’m sorry, what?” sputtered Nelichē. “There’s no way I’m doing that, even if I could. As I told the Council, I’m out. I’m certainly not going on a suicide mission for people who do not outrank me in any manner but age.”

“Please,” asked Anaïs from the tablet. “Her name was Nadia, or Tlālzixiuhxa as she was known in Xiomera. You may have known her as Empress Yauhmi’s spokesperson in the weeks leading up to the coup. She’s in ASI custody on Calhualyana’s side of the border and we fear for her life.”

“Two of our classmates are in prison in other countries,” replied Nelichē. “Should we decide to risk our lives they would be our priority. Forgive me, but if you want to stage a high-risk rescue mission, you have the same training we do. I was in no position to gain knowledge which would help you. Zichitla, though… Well, perhaps you can practice your prison break skills right here in Kerlile. We were just talking about her.”

“You know something of where she’s being held?” Nicole pricked her ears up.

“We’ve been discussing what we do - if there’s a risk of the Council deciding to round up Auroras,” Veronica explained.

“Shit, I didn’t think of that,” swore Nora, who stood up and began pacing back and forth. “It would make sense, after all, when we all returned here it seemed too good to be true, we really ought to pay attention to our instincts on these matters… I have a daughter! What will happen to her if I’m imprisoned!?”

“Calm down everyone,” announced Anaïs on the tablet. “There are still a number of us outside of the country, should they do that, they would open themselves to retaliation from us, particularly those of us who have permission to remain in our assigned countries from both governments.”

“Oh, are you immune to assassins?” inquired Nora sarcastically. “We can’t risk it!”

“We’re here about Nadia,” soothed Nicole. “The girl makes a good point, though. Zichitla is much better placed to help us… and to tell us if we need to fear the Council. The way I see it, there are two problems here. And the solution…”

“Is to free Zichitla,” finished Veronica, nodding. The five Auroras exchanged glances, each nodding in turn. In silence, a first step was agreed. They would free Zichitla from Kerlian prison, and what happened after that was not for them to decide.

[Xiomera]

October 26th
Tlālacuetztla

Calhualyana watched the broadcast from Chuaztlapoc in silence. Her new advisory council, attending the mandatory meeting in the Chamber of Whispers, sat nervously in silence as the broadcast ended, unsure how the new Empress would react to the announcement that half of the Empire had just decided to secede.

The silence dragged on, until finally, Calhualyana started to laugh. Mild giggles at first, rapidly spiraling into full-blown laughter. Strangely enough, the Empress seemed pleased. Finally, General Zinahue worked up the nerve to ask. "Madam, I am sorry, but what is amusing about this? We've just lost half of the Empire."

A huge smile of triumph slowly crossed Calhualyana's face, confusing the General and the others in the room even more. "What have we lost, General?" the Empress asked calmly, finally relaxing from her amusement. "We've 'lost' a bunch of rabble, malcontents, separatists, seditionists and idiots. And the Empress of the idiots, Yauhmi, doesn't even realize what she's just given me." Calhualyana's clear pleasure was only confusing everyone in the Chamber even more, so she finally decided to explain it to them. "Yauhmi just handed me the most important part of Huenya - the productive, wealthy, valuable part - Xiomera. So we lost the western regions - so what? The constantly complaining and problem-causing rabble there have been nothing but problems for us, far more than they or their land are worth. The Empire is well rid of them, quite frankly. But by saying she no longer is claiming to be the Empress of Xiomera, Yauhmi just abdicated the Obsidian Throne. She now has no more claim to be the rightful ruler of Xiomera - and no legal standing to contest my claim to the Throne, either by Xiomeran law or international law."

As the meaning of what Calhualyana was saying finally sank in, the General began to laugh himself. Slowly, everyone else in the Chamber did too. "It is amusing, isn't it?" Calhualyana said, enjoying their laughter as much as her own. "Poor Yauhmi really must be going senile. She was so intent on virtue-signaling and proving a point with this 'Huenya' creation of hers that she didn't even realize that she was giving me the Xiomeran Empire, uncontested any further, and completely voiding her claim to rule here. Now, I can make a very convincing argument that I am the rightful ruler of Xiomera. And that is exactly what I intend to do."

As the laughter continued within the Chamber of Whispers, Calhualyana smiled. "If Yauhmi really wants to abandon Xiomera, and separate western Huenya from it, let's make it official." She turned to her scribe. "Take down this Order in Council. Effective immediately, the Four Star Flag is to be discontinued. It shall no longer be used as the flag of the Xiomeran Empire. The Eagle Sun Banner shall rise once more. If the western half of Huenya thinks they don't need Xiomera, let's show them we don't need them either."

"Besides," the Empress added with bemusement as her order was taken, "we can always conquer them again later if we decide it's worth it."

---

The Four Star Flag, the red banner with a golden sun and four stars to honor each of the four original Huenyan tribes, had not always been the official flag of the Empire. The flag that had become synonymous with modern Xiomera had only been in use since 1956, when the then-Emperor Chuetoco had ordered its commission as a way to appease and integrate the Necatli, Tepiltzin and Itotemoc by creating a national flag that included them.

Before 1956, however, a much more exclusive and ominous banner had been the hallmark of the Xiomeran Empire.

The Eagle Sun Banner was the first modern flag of the Xiomeran Empire, commissioned in 1863 by Empress Camaxtica to celebrate her victory in the first Xiomeran Civil War, and to celebrate Xiomera's ascent onto the world stage as a developed, technologically advanced nation. The golden banner, with its Xiomeran eagle and sun of fire caught between its wings, was a potent symbol of Xiomeran pride. It was also one that, by design, deliberately excluded the other Huenyan tribes in favor of Xiomeran ascendancy.

By resurrecting the Eagle Sun Banner, Calhualyana was sending a very direct message to the new state of Huenya: We don't care about what you've done. Xiomera will stand alone, and succeed without you.

[Xiomera]

(Jointly written with [nation]Lauchenoiria[/nation])

October 27th

Calhualyana was in her office in the Golden Chamber, working on some new orders she planned to implement, when the intercom built into her desk let out a softly elegant chime. The Empress leaned over to tap the “answer” button on the screen. “Yes, Ixochtzin?”

“Your Majesty, your appointment for 10:00 has arrived,” the Attendant said. Calhualyana smiled slightly - hearing the phrase your Majesty directed at her was definitely beginning to grow on her. “Show her in, please.”

The Attendant gestured to the visitor, leading her to the golden double doors into the office and escorting her inside. Calhualyana stood up from behind her desk. “Mariya, please have a seat,” the Empress said, gesturing to one of the leather chairs in front of her desk.

Mariya Adema, former professional torturer for the Matriarchy of Kerlile, stepped inside the office of the Empress of Xiomera, and had to work hard not to let out a gasp at the sheer wealth of the decorations. The art was beautiful and she was certain that the walls and doors were decorated with real gold. She had visited Councillor Pierre's home in the past; this was proof that Xiomera was vastly wealthier than Kerlile.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Mariya said smoothly, sliding into the chair.

Calhualyana smiled as Mariya sat down, returning to her own chair behind the desk. “I am glad - and impressed - that you managed to escape from the treasonous attack on the ASI site and make your way back here. What happened there was unfortunate. But not all is lost,” the Empress said. “There is much to do - especially with my new role as Empress. I know you’ve only recently returned to Tlālacuetztla, and that it was an ordeal for you to get back here. But if you feel up to it, I have a new job for you if you’re interested.”

"Of course, your Majesty," Mariya replied. She was very relieved that the new Empress was willing to keep her employed; after all, she'd burned her bridges with Kerlile and Adelina Sasaki had unfortunately lived to tell the tale. "What would you like me to do?"

Calhualyana smiled at Mariya’s readiness to take on a new task. “I will need someone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty - which I know fits your mindset. You see, I am convinced more than ever that what has befallen Xiomera since Yauhmi took power, and then the coup and its aftermath, can all be explained by one fact - Xiomera has grown soft. And Xiomerans have grown weak.” Calhualyana looked at the new golden Xiomeran flag that decorated the wall of her office. “Once, Xiomerans were strong enough to do as they pleased, and didn’t answer to anyone. With this new ‘state’ she has created, Yauhmi has brought the weakness that infected us to its pinnacle. Xiomera must answer this by returning to its ancient values, and regaining its old strength.”

Calhualyana looked back at Mariya. “This is where you come in. I need someone, more than ever, who I can trust to do whatever it takes to root out any dissent or sedition within Xiomera. I must solidify my reign here, and make sure all Xiomerans are acting with a single purpose to support the Empire, before I can undo what Yauhmi has done. I need someone who will work with ASI to hunt down anyone within Xiomera who would oppose my mission to rebuild this Empire, or weaken us from within. Is that something you think you can do?”

"It is," Mariya nodded determinedly, a smile creeping onto her face. "I abhor weakness and those who would seek to spread it. I have witnessed in Kerlile the dangerous path that softness can lead to; I will do what it takes to prevent the same fate from happening to Xiomera."

Calhualyana smiled, genuinely pleased. “Good. In that case, we shall get started right away. ASI has leads on multiple individuals here in Tlālacuetztla who are harboring or spreading anti-Imperial sentiments. I am giving you the rank of Special Investigative Agent within ASI, reporting directly to me. You will be able to use and deploy ASI agents and resources to bring in these people who represent a threat to the Empire. And then....you will question them,” Calhualyana said. “I may occasionally drop in to observe your sessions.”

"I would be honoured, your Majesty," Mariya smiled wider at the thought of getting to interrogate dissidents again. "I assure you, I will work hard to rid Tlālacuetztla of any individual spreading treasonous lies. The city will be secure, and all those who think to oppose you will regret their foolish decision."

”Excellent,” the Empress replied. “If you do well here in Tlālacuetztla, I will send you to other cities as well to make sure we prevent the spread of seditious rot there also. Your housing and financial needs will be taken care of, naturally. We take care of our own. Also, you will be issued a standard kit of weapons and equipment for ASI agents. If there are any.....special tools.....that you may need to perform your tasks, we can supply anything required as well.”

"I'll make a list," Mariya said, half-joking but half-serious. She did not need special tools to perform interrogations... but they came in handy. "I assume I'll be handed a list of names of those already uncovered as spreading sedition? Having a baseline to work for will be handy in establishing contacts with any other anti-Imperial scumbags not already on our radar."

”That’s right. We have a list already from our current investigations; our hope is that you will be able to find out from those suspects who they’re plotting with, what their plans are, and who else hasn’t come to our attention yet. I am confident you’ll be able to obtain the information that lets us connect the dots,” Calhualyana replied.

"Everyone talks eventually. And civilians usually much more quickly than most," Mariya said. "I don't anticipate any problems, unless any of those Auroras Yauhmi allowed to remain are involved. They would be much more difficult to extract information from."

Calhualyana grinned. “It’s funny you mention that. We do actually have one in custody. She used to be Yauhmi’s spokeswoman. If you’re really up for a challenge, you’re welcome to see what information you can obtain from her.”

Mariya blinked, surprised. Suddenly, she was a lot less confident. Auroras would have been trained in resisting every method of torture she was trained in inflicting. "Well, um, due to her training it would be much more efficient to gather information from easier subjects, but I can... I can give it a go. Her training, though..." Mariya faltered, not used to a lack of confidence.

Calhualyana noted Mariya’s concern and simply nodded. “I don’t expect miracles, don’t worry. None of the other ASI interrogators have been able to get anything out of her either. Consider the Aurora....an ongoing project. An experiment to see if such extreme conditioning can be broken by utilizing an array of Xiomeran and Kerlian techniques. I may even take a shot at it myself, just to stay in practice,” Calhualyana added with a slight smile. While she was now an Empress, she would always have the heart of a security agent.

"I will do my best," Mariya replied. "On the subject of Kerlile, it is likely that they have accused me of treason. I trust Councillor Pierre to talk them out of sending assassins, but... well, I imagine there is some anger there."

”They will have to deal with it,” Calhualyana said calmly. “I am not the type of person to take orders from another country as far as who I allow in my service. You will remain protected here.”

"Thank you, your Majesty," Mariya relaxed a little now she'd been reassured. Kerlile had become weak, she did not regret betraying it. Yet a part of her did fear any consequences of that decision.

Calhualyana nodded. “Like I said, we take care of our own, and you’re one of us now. Do you have any further questions or needs to begin your work?”

"No, your Majesty," smiled Mariya. "I'm ready to start immediately."

”Excellent. I do like someone who is a hard worker,” Calhualyana said pleasantly. “The driver will take you back to the Cauhloc to set you up with your new role. I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish for us.”

"Thank you, your Majesty," Mariya replied, already thinking about how she would conduct her first interrogation.

[Xiomera]

October 28th
Huānoch, Milintica
Official residence of the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Tupai Tapihana sat at the desk of his home office, reading through the day's edition of the Voice of the People. He had stopped at the editorial section, idly looking at an editorial cartoon by the renowned and highly satirical cartoonist Texcoatloya. The cartoon showed a giant hamster wheel labeled "The Xiomeran Empire", with Calhualyana in the middle of it, running furiously. Xochiuhue was depicted in mid-air, having just been flung off the wheel. Yauhmi was at the bottom of the wheel, trying to climb back onto it, with General Zinahue pulling at the hem of her dress with both hands struggling to hold her back. The cartoon was captioned "The Wheels of Progress Keep Turning in Xiomera."

The Prime Minister chuckled softly, turning the page. He always enjoyed Texcoatloya's work. As he bent down to retrieve something from a desk drawer, the sound of a gunshot and breaking glass startled him. Reflexively, he dove to the floor, falling out of his chair in a heap. "Hiautlate!" he shouted, calling for his personal guard.

Several more gunshots rang out. The Prime Minister crawled towards the door of his office, only for the door to burst open. Hiautlate came running in, followed by two more members of the Milintican National Police Corps. "Prime Minister! Are you hurt, sir?" Hiautlate shouted. "I'm fine, except for someone just shooting at me. What the hell is going on?" Tapihana demanded.

"We caught the assailant, sir, but he's dead. He fired on us, we had to return fire," one of the police officers said sheepishly.

"I don't blame you for defending yourself, but that makes it a lot harder to figure out why someone would want to shoot me," the Prime Minister replied, shaking his head. Just then, Hiautlate put a hand to his earpiece, listening intently. "Sir......someone just attacked the Presidential residence also," he said.

---

Official residence of the President, simultaneous to the attack on the Prime Minister

President Matōchmizalo was sitting in his study, enjoying a glass of whiskey and looking at the latest reports from Xiomera. Unlike the Prime Minister, who preferred to leave work at the office when he went home for the day, the President typically worked well into the night. As he read through the lengthy reports, he heard a noise behind him. "Is that you, Huia?" he called out to his wife, without turning around.

A sharp pain in his shoulder made him jerk upright, rising from his chair. He felt someone pushed back behind him as he stood up; he turned around to see a figure dressed in black, wielding a knife. The President shouted for his own guard, but no one came. As the attacker advanced towards him again, Matōchmizalo desperately shoved his rolling chair at the man to force him back. He then dove for his desk drawer, retrieving the pistol he kept there. Just as the attacker reached him again, Matōchmizalo fired repeatedly. The attacker dropped to the ground.

The sound of the gunshots finally roused the police guards at the Presidential residence; several of them came running in. One of them began tending to the President's injury, while the two others made sure the would-be assassin was down. "I called for Xochuaca! Where is he?" the President asked, naming his personal guard.

A quick search of the grounds revealed that Xochuaca was in a closet, his neck broken.

---

Headquarters of the National Police Corps, one hour later

"Who the hell is behind this? Is it the Xiomerans?" President Matōchmizalo demanded. Hotu Poutapu, Commander of the National Police, shook her head in clear confusion. "We are just starting our investigation, sir, but it could be someone from Xiomera - sending ASI agents after their enemies is their style, just ask their Crown Prince," Poutapu said. "But we cannot discount the possibility that it may be not be a foreign terrorist attack, but a domestic one."

"Domestic? What do you mean?" Prime Minister Tapihana demanded.

"We know that some of the minor political parties, such as the Paora Alliance and the Isolationist Party, are not happy that we've chosen to help Yauhmi and her side in Xiomera's civil war," Poutapu said. "I cannot ignore the possibility that radicals from either of those groups may be responsible for this."

"Well, we need to find out, and quickly," the Prime Minister said somberly. "The last thing we need to do is follow Xiomera down the path to civil war. If someone within Milintican society is angry enough that we've chosen to back Yauhmi to begin trying to assassinate political leaders....."

"I am not worried about it going that far," the President interrupted. "The MIP and the PAP, and their followers, are tiny segments of our population. They would never get enough people to support them to cause a real conflict here. But even this kind of terrorism cannot be tolerated. I agree, we must find out quickly who was behind it. If it was a domestic group, we'll toss the lot of them in prison. But if it was the Xiomerans.....Calhualyana likes to make a lot of public speeches. She's not as invulnerable as she thinks."

"Attempting to retaliate against Calhualyana in a similar fashion, if she is even the one behind this, would be rather risky," Tapihana said in a cautionary tone.

"The greater risk is letting anyone think they can come at us in this way without repercussions," Matōchmizalo replied flatly.

[Xiomera]

(joint post with [nation]Democratic Republic of Eiria[/nation])

October 30th
Xiomeran Business Association headquarters

The ballroom of the XBA headquarters was filled with the country's top-ranking CEOs and corporate executives. Two of them were just glad to be out of prison. Atzical, the CEO of Lohuā Licā Companies, and Pa'zi, the CEO of Imperial Petroleum, had been arrested on Xochiuhue's orders after they had dared to question his leadership. The experience had given them a new appreciation for being able to relax and sip champagne at the top of the XBA Tower.

The other titans of Xiomeran industry who were present had their own reasons to celebrate. Xochiuhue had nationalized their industries for his "war production” scheme, and had let the Empire get embroiled in a trade war that had proven disastrous for the Xiomeran economy. The nationalization of their companies had been rescinded, and the trade war was possibly going to end as well. When the person responsible for all of that finally walked into the ballroom, they couldn't help but cheer their savior.

The applause as Empress Calhualyana entered the ballroom was sustained, loud, and quite genuine. And it was very pleasing to her ears. "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen," Calhualyana finally said, raising her hands to bring an end to the applause. "I know your loyalty to the Empire has been severely tested in the past few months. I am very grateful for your support. Your leadership is one of the things that makes this Empire work," the Empress said, to another round of applause. "Together, we will restore Xiomera to prosperity, and preserve your hard work for generations to come. I promise you that I will never use you as the scapegoats for governmental failure. I also promise you that, unlike Xochiuhue, I will not allow that kind of governmental failure in the first place," she added, to loud laughter from the crowd. "But this is a party, isn't it? Let us celebrate the future of Xiomera," she said as a servant handed her a drink.

The servant who had handed the Empress her champagne quickly but regularly handed the gathered guests champagne glasses, occasionally going around with refills. Tucked in a secret fold of her uniform was an empty vial, containing sticky residue that she was careful not to touch. Even if the effects would be much less severe for her, she didn't want to risk it. Once all of the patrons had been served, she retreated back behind the crowd with the other servants, watching Calhualyana speak to the executives. She had a hard time not grinning, knowing what was coming next. Focus on your mission.

As Calhualyana circulated among the executives, chatting and drinking, she began to notice her limbs growing slightly stiff. She was also feeling tired. I must be working harder than I thought, I'm suddenly exhausted, she thought. As she continued to chat with people, her throat began to feel itchy. Please tell me I am not coming down with a cold, that's the last thing I need right now.

The Empress continued gamely to try to entertain the crowd, but she continued to feel worse. Within fifteen minutes of having her drink, she had finally had enough. Making her apologies to the gathered executives, she made an excuse about having to return to the Palace for urgent business.

When she made it back to her limousine, the lead ASI agent for her security detail noticed that Calhualyana was moving decidedly more stiffly, and asked if she was allright. "I'm fine. Just drive me back to the Palace, please," she said as she got into the vehicle.

As her caravan rolled down the highway towards Montelin, Calhualyana began to feel even more odd. She tried to tell her security lead something, only to find that she couldn't speak. Or move. Her eyes grimly stared at the agent, who noticed that the Empress was unable to do anything. "Your Majesty?" the agent asked, gingerly reaching forward to touch her shoulder, and realizing Calhualyana could not respond. "Something's wrong! Divert to IMH!" he shouted into his headset, directing the caravan to change course to the Imperial Military Hospital.

The "servant" walked down the city streets away from the XBA headquarters, fake uniform and heavy makeup identity disposed of. She fiddled with the burner phone she was given, sending a brief text to a long international number. After all, she needed her extraction team to arrive as quickly as possible. No one else could know what truly happened to Calhualyana, besides her superiors. In her black clothes, she vanished as quickly as she had appeared, taking the weight of truth with her, as well as a secret she would carry to her grave.

Imperial Military Hospital
Three hours later

Calhualyana sat up in her bed, sighing slightly. The paralysis and muscle weakness that had hit her had finally worn off, much to the puzzlement of the Imperial military doctors who had tended to her. "Someone administered you a drug of some sort, your Majesty, possibly liquid-borne," the lead physician said.

"The champagne," Calhualyana said grimly, touching her lips.

"Quite possibly. It seems to be a quick-acting drug, completely unknown to us. We have begun to try to figure out its origins, but we've never seen its like before."

"What do you think the intent of this drug was?" the Empress demanded. The lead physician shrugged. "If it was meant to cause you serious or lasting harm, it completely failed. It's very odd, it doesn't seem strong enough to do more than cause temporary symptoms. You should be completely fine now."

"Either someone was intending to kill me....or send me a message," Calhualyana murmured. "In any event, this requires me to send a message of my own." She climbed out of the hospital bed, now completely unaffected by the paralysis. "We're returning to the Palace. I have plans to undertake."

[Xiomera]

(joint post with [nation]Democratic Republic of Eiria[/nation])

October 30th
Xiomeran Business Association headquarters

The ballroom of the XBA headquarters was filled with the country's top-ranking CEOs and corporate executives. Two of them were just glad to be out of prison. Atzical, the CEO of Lohuā Licā Companies, and Pa'zi, the CEO of Imperial Petroleum, had been arrested on Xochiuhue's orders after they had dared to question his leadership. The experience had given them a new appreciation for being able to relax and sip champagne at the top of the XBA Tower.

The other titans of Xiomeran industry who were present had their own reasons to celebrate. Xochiuhue had nationalized their industries for his "war production' scheme, and had let the Empire get embroiled in a trade war that had proven disastrous for the Xiomeran economy. The nationalization of their companies had been rescinded, and the trade war was possibly going to end as well. When the person responsible for all of that finally walked into the ballroom, they couldn't help but cheer their savior.

The applause as Empress Calhualyana entered the ballroom was sustained, loud, and quite genuine. And it was very pleasing to her ears. "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen," Calhualyana finally said, raising her hands to bring an end to the applause. "I know your loyalty to the Empire has been severely tested in the past few months. I am very grateful for your support. Your leadership is one of the things that makes this Empire work," the Empress said, to another round of applause. "Together, we will restore Xiomera to prosperity, and preserve your hard work for generations to come. I promise you that I will never use you as the scapegoats for governmental failure. I also promise you that, unlike Xochiuhue, I will not allow that kind of governmental failure in the first place," she added, to loud laughter from the crowd. "But this is a party, isn't it? Let us celebrate the future of Xiomera," she said as a servant handed her a drink.

The servant who had handed the Empress her champagne quickly but regularly handed the gathered guests champagne glasses, occasionally going around with refills. Tucked in a secret fold of her uniform was an empty vial, containing sticky residue that she was careful not to touch. Even if the effects would be much less severe for her, she didn't want to risk it. Once all of the patrons had been served, she retreated back behind the crowd with the other servants, watching Calhualyana speak to the executives. She had a hard time not grinning, knowing what was coming next. Focus on your mission.

As Calhualyana circulated among the executives, chatting and drinking, she began to notice her limbs growing slightly stiff. She was also feeling tired. I must be working harder than I thought, I'm suddenly exhausted, she thought. As she continued to chat with people, her throat began to feel itchy. Please tell me I am not coming down with a cold, that's the last thing I need right now.

The Empress continued gamely to try to entertain the crowd, but she continued to feel worse. Within fifteen minutes of having her drink, she had finally had enough. Making her apologies to the gathered executives, she made an excuse about having to return to the Palace for urgent business.

When she made it back to her limousine, the lead ASI agent for her security detail noticed that Calhualyana was moving decidedly more stiffly, and asked if she was allright. "I'm fine. Just drive me back to the Palace, please," she said as she got into the vehicle.

As her caravan rolled down the highway towards Montelin, Calhualyana began to feel even more odd. She tried to tell her security lead something, only to find that she couldn't speak. Or move. Her eyes grimly stared at the agent, who noticed that the Empress was unable to do anything. "Your Majesty?" the agent asked, gingerly reaching forward to touch her shoulder, and realizing Calhualyana could not respond. "Something's wrong! Divert to IMH!" he shouted into his headset, directing the caravan to change course to the Imperial Military Hospital.

The "servant" walked down the city streets away from the XBA headquarters, fake uniform and heavy makeup identity disposed of. She fiddled with the burner phone she was given, sending a brief text to a long international number. After all, she needed her extraction team to arrive as quickly as possible. No one else could know what truly happened to Calhualyana, besides her superiors. In her black clothes, she vanished as quickly as she had appeared, taking the weight of truth with her, as well as a secret she would carry to her grave.

Imperial Military Hospital
Three hours later

Calhualyana sat up in her bed, sighing slightly. The paralysis and muscle weakness that had hit her had finally worn off, much to the puzzlement of the Imperial military doctors who had tended to her. "Someone administered you a drug of some sort, your Majesty, possibly liquid-borne," the lead physician said.

"The champagne," Calhualyana said grimly, touching her lips.

"Quite possibly. It seems to be a quick-acting drug, completely unknown to us. We have begun to try to figure out its origins, but we've never seen its like before."

"What do you think the intent of this drug was?" the Empress demanded. The lead physician shrugged. "If it was meant to cause you serious or lasting harm, it completely failed. It's very odd, it doesn't seem strong enough to do more than cause temporary symptoms. You should be completely fine now."

"Either someone was intending to kill me....or send me a message," Calhualyana murmured. "In any event, this requires me to send a message of my own." She climbed out of the hospital bed, now completely unaffected by the paralysis. "We're returning to the Palace. I have plans to undertake."

[Xiomera]

November 1st
Palace of Flowers

Calhualyana stood in the grand plaza in front of the Palace, about to give another speech. She had planned this approach to address the poisoning incident against her anyway, but events had made it rather more of a necessity.

Her rather abrupt departure from the XBA party, coupled with her obvious signs of physical distress as she was leaving, and the fact that dozens of people on the streets of Tlālacuetztla had seen her limousine divert to the Imperial Military Hospital, had started the Xiomeran rumor mill churning. Calhualyana found it necessary to reassure the Xiomeran population that she was, in fact, fine. A speech was scheduled anyway, the traditional speech that Xiomeran rulers gave the nation on November 1st. That date was the beginning of celebrations honoring Mictecacihuatl, the Queen of Mictlan, the final resting place of the dead in the Huenyan religion. It was a holiday of festivals and traditional dances, to honor Mictecacihuatl and seek protection for those who had died. Calhualyana was required, as Empress, to speak to the Xiomeran people to honor the dead. Her public presence would also help the Empress reassure the Xiomeran people that she hadn't joined those being honored after the odd events of the day before.

Standing in a white and gold-trimmed dress on the windswept plaza, with Xiomeran flags in a row behind her fluttering, Calhualyana presented an image of health and strength as she began her speech. "To the people of Xiomera, I address you on this day of Mictecacihuatl, the day in which we honor those who have gone before us. This is a very important day in the traditions of our people, in which we pay respect to our ancestors. I am honored to share this day with you, as we reflect on the lives and the wisdom of those ancestors, and the legacy they have left us. I am also speaking today as a way of reassuring you despite recent rumors."

This was where Calhualyana would plunge into the real purpose of her speech. Normally, Xiomeran rulers would never admit to a moment of weakness. The standard approach to any situation where a Xiomeran ruler had been caught off guard was to completely deny everything behind a smokescreen of nothing to see here, everything's just fine, move along obfuscation. Calhualyana was by no means typical - she knew how to bend any moment, even one of weakness, to her advantage. Instead of hiding what had happened to her, Calhualyana laid it all out in the open.

"As you know, there have been rumors that, during a recent event at the Xiomeran Business Association headquarters, I took ill and had to be rushed to the Imperial Military Hospital. I am here today to confirm that those rumors are in fact true."

As the crowd watching grew silent, Calhualyana continued. "I was the subject of an attempted poisoning. Luckily, either through design or through failure, the poisoning was not fatal, nor did it have any permanent impact on my health. ASI and the Imperial Police are currently investigating, along with XBA Security." An investigation was indeed proceeding - the head of XBA's security detail responsible for providing protection to the XBA party, along with all of his security officers, were already in ASI cells being investigated for their failure to protect the Empress. But the public didn't need to know the messy details behind all that. What was important was to project the Empress in a sympathetic light. And so, Calhualyana continued.

"We do not yet know who was behind this, or if it was domestic terrorism or an attack by a foreign party. It is possible that supporters of the former Emperor Xochiuhue, someone backing the separatist government in western Huenya, or even another party together committed this act. What we do know is that it is a matter of concern for us all - if even the Empress of Xiomera can be attacked in such a way, then we are all at risk."

The crowd remained silent, thinking, as Calhualyana continued. "I can assure you all that our government will redouble its efforts to ensure that we are all safe, and prevent any further such incidents. However, instead of responding to this attack in a retaliatory or belligerent fashion, I will continue to take a path of reconciliation. I choose to honor this day, in which we pay tribute to our dead, by acting in the hopes that no more people need to die. Accordingly, as part of the celebration of Mictecacihuatl, I am offering a formal armistice in our civil conflict, and an offer to begin peace talks with our opponents in the foreign city of their choice. Even though I have been the subject of an act of violence, I shall not return such in kind. After months of war, the Xiomeran people seek peace. We offer our hopes on this sacred day that the rest of the world wants the same thing."

The Empress allowed a warm expression to cross her face. "People of Xiomera, celebrate this day with your friends and families in honor of your ancestors. And know this - no matter what happens next, the Xiomeran Empire will continue to seek a path of peace that protects the accomplishments that those ancestors built. Thank you all."

As the Empress walked inside the great gates of the Palace walls, the crowd was already murmuring about her speech. Even when someone tried to kill her, she still seeks peace. She shows such strength, but such restraint. She is nothing like Xochiuhue was. As the crowd began walking back onto the streets of Tlālacuetztla, and the broadcast of her words took flight on the airwaves and the internet, the seed that Calhualyana had presented of herself as a benign, tolerant leader was planted.

---

Chuaztlapoc

"I want to vomit," Yauhmi said flatly.

Her Council, and the members of the Huenyan Assembly, had just watched Calhualyana's speech. Yauhmi was not impressed. "I haven't seen so much crap being shoveled at such a mighty rate since I watched the stable hands cleaning out the Palace stables," she said.

"The problem is, people believe that kind of camera-ready, media-friendly manure," Texōccoatl replied grimly. "This is no longer a war of bullets, but a war of words and PR. And what she couldn't win on the battlefield, Calhualyana is beginning to win on the field of public opinion."

"I know. That's why I am not going to give our speech for the day of Mictecacihuatl." Yauhmi turned to look at Huacue, the Necatli leader. "You should give the speech instead."

Huache was stunned. "But it is traditional for the huey tlatoani to give that speech," he said.

Yauhmi shook her head. "This new state we are creating is all about breaking away from the traditions of the Xiomeran Empire, isn't it? Why should we bother to keep that one? The world has already heard from me. You can communicate to the world the truth."

"I have no speech planned. And I am not eloquent like you," Huacue demurred. "Just speak from the heart to represent us all. I know you can do that," Yauhmi insisted. After a moment, Huacue nodded.

---

Huacue stood in front of the Hall of Chuaztlapoc, cameras fixed on him, as he began. "Good afternoon, everyone. I am Huacue, tlatoani of the Necatli. I have been asked by the Huenyan Assembly to give the traditional speech to the nation on the day of Mictecacihuatl. Today, we honor our dead, and our ancestors who have passed from this world. We seek comfort in their wisdom and the legacy they left us. We honor the Queen of Mictlan, and ask that she protect our loved ones who have left us for her sphere. We also honor our families and friends, and those who are still here with us, and rejoice in their company."

The Necatli leader's hands gripped the podium tightly. "We also honor those who lost their lives unnecessarily in the civil war that gripped our land, due to the machinations of people in Tlālacuetztla. We saw the speech of the woman now calling herself the Empress of Xiomera, talking about honoring the dead. What about all the dead that she, along with the other plotters like Xochiuhue and General Xōchhuitl, caused with their coup? What about all the people they ordered slaughtered in Acalan and Necuatexi? What about those they killed, hurt or threw in prison who dared to protest their tyranny?"

Huacue's hands gripped the podium even more tightly; the wood started to creak under the pressure, audible even to the crowd.

"Calhualyana talks about honoring the dead, but she only knows how to kill. She talks about peace, when she started a war. I say this to Calhualyana, and to anyone who supports her - don't worry, we will honor our dead. We will honor them by never forgetting what you have done. Or forgiving it."

Huacue raised his head, staring at the crowd. "Huenya will honor our dead, on this day of Mictecacihuatl, as we always do. We will honor them by making sure that their descendants always live in a free land."

The Necatli leader turned quickly and walked away, the podium wobbling slightly from the force of his turn.