Chapter 2: Seeds in the Dust
Alta California, Spring 1820
Miguel awoke in a new world—sore from battle, dressed in the formal uniform of a Spanish officer, and surrounded by soldiers who called him Coronel Echeandía. At first, he could barely speak without confusion. Spanish rolled off his tongue easily, but memories of two lifetimes collided in his head. Slowly, he adjusted.
As he moved through the outposts of Baja California and northern Sonora, he realized this body wasn't some random soldier. He had inherited the life of a respected officer, a man with a reputation for fairness among the mixed-race troops, for restraint among the brutal officers, and for a vision that seemed ahead of its time.
Miguel knew now: this wasn't an accident.
Whoever—or whatever—sent him here wanted him to change history. And now he had the opportunity.
But power in this world wasn't taken overnight.
It had to be earned.
The First Steps: Winning the People
His first move wasn't military—it was listening.
Miguel spent months traveling through the northern provinces: the deserts of Sonora, the pueblos of Baja, the missions near San Gabriel. He didn't issue commands. He listened to soldiers complain about late pay and rotting rations. He listened to village elders whisper about Spanish tax collectors who punished them for growing their own maize.
He heard about corrupt governors in Mexico City ignoring droughts in the north, stealing tithes, and sending priests to seize land from native tribes.
Miguel took notes.
Not just in his mind—but in a leather-bound journal he kept hidden: a tactical log of weaknesses in the colonial system.
The First Allies: Men of Dust and Fire
1. Captain Antonio Vela – a grizzled mestizo cavalryman from Chihuahua who had grown tired of fighting rebels in the south. Miguel earned his trust by restoring his brother's land, taken illegally by a Spanish noble.
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2. Ignacio Cruz – a former Franciscan monk who had left the missions after witnessing abuses against the indigenous converts. Miguel hired him to serve as a liaison to native leaders, promising that under his command, the Empire would allow native councils to retain autonomy.
3. Doña Rosa de la Vega – a wealthy widow in Sonora who controlled trade routes between Arizona and the Rio Grande. Miguel persuaded her to fund schools and food stores in exchange for tax protections in his future government.
4. Mateo, a Tarahumara scout – Miguel rescued him from a military prison after the man was falsely accused of theft. Mateo knew the desert better than any map. He became Miguel's shadow, guide, and secret keeper.
Together, they became known as La Mano de Cuatro — The Four-Handed Fist.
Strategic Use of Future Knowledge
Miguel didn't use modern knowledge recklessly—he knew it would be dangerous to appear as a prophet or heretic.
Instead, he introduced small things:
He advised farmers to rotate crops and add crushed charcoal to soil—an early version of terra preta—to prevent famine.
He taught soldiers how to build sand-filled walls to stop musket fire more effectively—years ahead of common doctrine.
He quietly encouraged the use of lightning rods in churches, saving one mission from a fire during a storm. Locals called it a miracle.
He began drafting a "People's Code," a simplified set of legal protections inspired by later American and European civil rights laws.
These things made him seem wise, not strange. Blessed, not cursed.
Outsmarting the Crown
The Spanish Crown still technically ruled, but its control was fragile. Miguel saw an opening.
He ordered repairs on old telegraph roads and horse relays, creating a rapid communication network across the northern provinces.
He sent gifts and respectful letters to local governors—but included subtle criticism of Mexico City's neglect, planting the idea that the north had to look after itself.
He avoided open rebellion. Instead, he focused on building loyalty.
By the end of 1820, he had:
3,000 soldiers under his informal command.
5 provincial governors who answered to him more than Mexico City.
Dozens of indigenous villages and leaders who called him Hermano del Futuro – Brother of the Future.
A Moment of Choice
One night, camped on a cliff above the Sonoran desert, Miguel stood with Mateo watching the stars.
Mateo asked him quietly, "Why do you help us? Most men like you would have gone south to Mexico City by now."
Miguel didn't answer at first.
Then he said, "Because I've seen what happens when people like me forget what it's like to be people like you. I don't want a palace. I want a future."
That was the moment Mateo swore loyalty to him for life.
And it was the moment Miguel realized: he no longer was Miguel Herrera.
He was Echeandía now.
But better.
And one day, Emperor or not, he would not let Mexico fall.