Taeress shakes her head. "Of course not! She may have allowed herself to be deluded by conjecture lacking verifiable empirical evidence, but she's no racist or xenophobe. Her apartment's near Bulwark Plaza--just a twenty minute or so walk. Let's hurry."
As you move through the wide streets of Asanatown, the tension in the air is almost palpable! Many residents have doubtlessly locked themselves in their residences, but you also come across sporadic protests and shouting matches between supporters and opponents of the coup.
About ten minutes into your walk, you turn a corner and witness a disturbing sight. Across the street, a crowd of lashuntas has gathered. In its center, two armored lashunta soldiers drag a weeping kasatha family--two parents and a child--out of an apartment.
The crowd of onlookers seems of mixed opinions--most are shouting in protest, while others are eagerly picking through household items that a third soldier, an ifrit in dark armor, is throwing out the apartment’s open door.
One of the adult kasathas being dragged out resists, only to be punched in the face! The other adult frantically covers his face as the soldier restraining him tears away his mouth-scarf and laughs.
In the center of the madness, the child wails for someone to help.
Nothing but obstacles. Xylian thinks when he sees the crowd of looters. This part of space IS lawless. He turns to Zharis. ”Let me borrow one of your grenades and that hard-ammo pistol. I can clear this crowd up so we can move on.”
"Hold up, that's not what we signed up for. We are a scientific expedition, not mercenaries or freedom fighters. Specifically, you are not a mercenary or a freedom fighter, you're a scholar. And what about that kid?" Vilo gestures in the general direction of the screaming child. "Are you just going to lob a grenade over there where an innocent child could get caught in the blast?"
"They're in the way and I don't want them following us." Xylian says, almost sounding bored. "And it won't be a live grenade."
Taeress looks stricken. "Those poor people! Should we say something? Oh, but those men look dangerous and we need to get to Nib. I don't know!"
"Vilo, I know this is your place to steer us away but, I just know this isn't right. we have to do at least something to help!" Shujae calls out as staim moves to her side and holds her.
"Stay calm Shujae, do not make any rash choices that you will come to regret. follow the institute's motto "Protection through progress" and think of all the lives we can save through our work. don't throw that away for emotion." Staim will council before turning to the group. "So, what is the plan? are we leaving them or intervening?"
"Well, it's certainly not very nice of them." Cabizo frowns as he studies the lashunta militia members. He tugs on Vilo's sleeve and motions for her to bend over so he can reach her auditory intakes. "Maybe you should ask Zharis if she can get the crowd to calm down and let these people continue to live peacefully," he whispers. "I'd ask her myself, but I think she's upset with me and might not interpret what I have to say kindly."
Vilo bites her lip as she looks at the crowd, the stricken family, and hears the wailing child.
"Alright, fine, we'll do something about it, but we'll do it smart," she says, grumbling a little bit. "Everyone who can shoot, take up positions behind cover. Wait until I get over closer to them, then open fire on the soldiers. The crowd scatters and in the confusion, while they're being shot at, I'll rush in and pummel any of'em that still feel like fighting." Vilo sketches a little bit in the ground as she talks. Looking at the rest of the group, she asks "Unless anyone else wants to share any ideas they have?"
Xylian shrugs. "I was going to scare them away with a fake bomb."
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Zharis does not loan Xylian a grenade or any of her guns, but she does walk into the middle of the mess, picking up the child (and not drawing any weapons).
I'm not sure what is going on here, but I am sure none of you mean to harm this child. Can we talk about what is going on, and maybe come up with a peaceful way to resolve the problem? Surely there is a way to talk through this that we all won't regret tomorrow.
While the others discuss alternative plans, Zharis takes matters into her own hands! After listening to her plea for peace, the soldiers look at each other and shrug. "Whatever," one of them says. "C'mon boys, we oughtta head back to the station anyway." The soldiers brusquely push their way through the crowd and depart. Some onlookers, disappointed in the lack of violence, begin to disperse, while others rush over to help the kasatha family.
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Cabizo gives Zharis six thumbs up.
Shujae lets out a breath she had been holding for what felt like an eternity. "Thank you Zharis. Clearly, these people weren't set on their rash course of action."
She then moves over to the family. "I'd get out of here for the moment until things calm down. I wish we could escort you but it seems fate has taken us deeper into the belly of the beast. I'm sorry for everything that has happened."
The kasatha adults cuddle their wailing child and express their gratitude for the group's intervention.
You're almost at Nib's apartment building when you realise there's yet another dangerous event underway. Bulwark Plaza has been taken over by protestors! Most are lashuntas, with a few other species mixed in, armed only with holographic signs reading, “Not Our Collective” and “Asanatown for Everyone!” But a trio of soldiers, outnumbered and irritated, stand with rifles trained on the crowd, giving them a final warning to disperse. From the back of the mob, a bottle sails into the air, smashing at the soldiers’ feet. If those soldiers respond by firing into the crowd, there'll be blood on the streets of Asanatown!
Taeress looks worried. "I really hope Nib stayed home and isn't caught up in that mess. She can be a real do-gooder sometimes!"
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Xylian's arms go slack at his sides and his head lolls back as he lets out a long sigh. "This is going to be a very long day."
"You're telling me," Vilo agrees. "Given our performance in other combats, I think that any fight we can avoid, we should."
Shujae begins to act as she did last time but not with as much force and Staim steadies her much more easily this time.
"Though I'd like to interfere in their aid I understand the society of our goal."
Xylian's interest is somewhat piqued by the situation regardless of his irritation. He approaches one the people at the edge of the unarmed mob, datapad in hand. "Excuse me. If I may interview you for a moment, do you folks truly intend to attack the armed soldiers?"
Picking up on Xylian's lead, Zharis smiles, uses her token spell to manifest a microphone, and approaches the Soldiers, holding it out towards them and taking video with her datapad.
Hi, I'd love to get a scoop on this story. Things seem to be getting tense. How do you feel individually about the situation? What are your rules for engaging civilians? Did you guys come prepared with non-violent ways of dispersing the crowd? Do you have anything you want to say to the audience, or your friends at home?
In the midst of the tense situation, Xylian approaches the mob and Zharis approaches the soldiers.
The mob ignores Xylian, but Zharis', posing as a reporter, gets the soldiers to rethink their actions! Afraid of violence against civilians getting out on the infosphere, the Sunrise Collective members reluctantly lower their weapons. With angry glares and promises they'll be back, they stalk away.
Taeress hurriedly leads the way to Nib's apartment. When there's no response from the buzzer, she looks worried and punches in a code on the keypad. "Our anniversary--unless she's changed it," she explains. The door clicks open and soon you're in the apartment.
There's no sign of violence or a disturbance, but nor is there any sign of Nib. Taeress notices Nib's computer is still on, and the infosphere browser is pointed at a local chat site where she's posted a message: "Whoever sees this--those Sunrise Collective thugs are in the lobby downstairs. No doubt they've come to arrest me because I mouthed off about their uprising on social media. They'll probably take me to Labau Station where I've heard they're holding other 'undesirables.' Come get me, and bring a lawyer!"
Taeress groans. "Her big mouth is going to get her killed!"
"Will a lawyer actually help in this situation? Vilo asks. "With everything that's going on, it doesn't seem like following the usual process is going to help much."
Taeress, I know you are worried, because obviously you still love her. Personally I think that standing up for what she thinks is right is a good thing, although that can definitely be nerve-wracking for someone who cares about her. I'm guessing we all wish we could be that brave at times. Let's go save her. I think you two need time to talk.
When Vilo mentions the lawyer, Zharis asks
What do you think, Taeress? The Collective so far doesn't seem to be too worried about laws, but you know this area better than we do.
Taeress nods in agreement with Vilo's and Zharis's statement that a lawyer isn't likely to be of much help. "If the Sunrise Collective has overthrown Asanatown's ruling council, I don't see why they'd suddenly start respecting the law now! But maybe we can talk some sense into them like you did at the eviction and the protest. Give me a moment, and I'll use the infosphere to find where this Labau Station is located."
Zharis takes the opportunity to rest.
"Was this place always on the edge of anarchy?" Xylian asks Taeress. "Didn't take five minutes for complete chaos to take over."
Taeress groans. "Asanatown has always been . . . well . . . a tense place. Especially for telepathic species, and the vast majority of the bubble's residents are lashuntas. You might think the other bubble-cities would come and intervene to stop an outright coup, but no, the Archipelago Senate only intervenes if there's 'external aggression requiring collective defense' not 'internal political strife'!"
”We are in hour one of this uprising. Shouldn’t be too difficult to extract one person so we can get on with our study.” While Xylian did not want to get wrapped up in any rebellions, he had little desire to allow an unlawful body to interfere with his first real field assignment. ”I know something of law, it could help. Just in case, did Nib have any medical supplies or weapons stored here? I suspect it will be relevant at some point today.”
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At Xylian's question, Taeress doesn't seem shy about poking around the closets and drawers of Nib's apartment. Although there aren't any weapons to speak of, the medicine cabinet contains enough supplies to scrape together a basic medkit.
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"Agreed Xylian, anything important to either of you we should probably bring with, there may not be an apartment to come back to."
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Taeress nods at Xylian's words as she scrolls through recent social media posts. "Look at this! Those Sunrise thugs have taken over Labau Police Station and turned it into 'Checkpoint Labau' and are examining the IDs of everyone who passes near the thoroughfare. They must have been planning this for a while, since before the recent psychic wave."
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”Maybe they are responsible for the psychic wave and the gate sinking into the sun. It doesn’t matter to us right now. After you, then, doctor. Ideally to a place we can observe the station before approaching it.”
Cabizo hums and follows along, all this talk going over his head. "Why do so many lashuntas live here if there's always been that telepathic... um, axe, I think the announcement said? But something that makes them uncomfortable. Why not move to other parts of the archipelago to get away from it, or away from the star entirely?"
Taeress replies to Cabizo, "That's a good question. Honestly, I have no idea. I guess it's a little like those cultures that live near seismically active areas on some planets, or near coasts regularly devastated by cataclysmic tidal events. People just get used to feeling disaster around the corner."
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"My home planet is covered with indestructible titans that can sense cities, yet people still live there. People are stupid."
Taeress leads you back into Bulwark Plaza, and then down various streets toward Checkpoint Labau. The closer you get, the more traffic intensifies--it's obvious the Sunrise Collective's inspection points are slowing down trade and transit across Asanatown.
"How are we going to do this?" Taeress asks, a slight quiver in her voice. "Should I lead you to the front so Zharis can try to persuade them to let Nib go? Or should we come from around the back and try to sneak her out?"
"I think that this could very quickly become volatile and nearly impossible to escape from if we snuck in and became trapped so I would advocate for the direct approach.
I agree. Let's start by talking. We won't give up if that doesn't work, and let's stick together in case it gets violent, but always good to see if we can talk it through first.
Taress leads you to Checkpoint Labau. To one side of a squat, beige building, a rolling gate and two ramshackle guardhouses block the road north. Flanking the gate, a ten-foot-high fence of steel wire runs east and west down the middle of the intersecting street, dividing the neighbourhood in half and forcing all traffic to pass through the gate.
A small crowd of people waits to be let through, as guards, one ifrit and one lashunta, check IDs with slow ease, the lashunta laughing while poking fun at a young lashunta man in the line; another lashunta guard leans against the corner of the eastern guardhouse, watching the show.
Zharis waits in line, externally patient, showing her ID, and then says
Hi. We'd like to speak to whoever is in charge here about a researcher that was recently detained. We don't want to cause any trouble of course. We just need some information from her, and to see if we can arrange bail or a release so that we can continue our work. Is there someone we can talk to about that?
Xylian stands by to assist Zharis if any legal matters appear, though he doubts the word of law mean anything to anyone he has met in the last forty-eight hours.