You ask. "You sound like you're… familiar with the Enforcers and what they're up to. We haven't had much time to investigate them, because of the Garrison…situation. Can you tell us what you know the Enforcers have been up to, especially in the last few days?"
Mary taps her chin. "Mostly holding onto the Council's core territories - They know if they get between the Laborers and Garrison, they'll be the real losers, and that if they get caught outside of that…well, not a lotta folks in the District who like them right now, eh?" She smiles, then frowns. "Some of them have been rowdier then the rest, though - More daring. Those guys hang out at a local bar, just south of the marketplace, whenever they're off-duty, and they like to roam around off-hours. Too big of a group to get hit for their shit without sparking everything off."
You note that, following it up with your next question. "The Council is a nest of political infighting, as you probably know. Still is there anyone you'd say is trustworthy on the Council? It's kind of hard to say who is always a snake and who is just trying to use me specifically."
"Power springs forth from the barrel of a gun, Conductor." Karl speaks up. "Not a single one of those bastards is trustworthy. They're all just corrupt politician fuckers - Hardly even their fault, to be frank. Stadium practically shoved it on them with hardly any oversight, can you expect anything better from the collaborators with the Stadium occupation?" He glares at Bill while Joy scoffs. "Oh, shut it, Karl, you're going to offend our guests for no reason. I do agree, though - They definitely all got corrupt, it's just that it's in different ways. Lederberg's on a constant power trip, Byrd's a bootlicker to the bone, and Dollfus probably wouldn't spit on any of us if we were on fire." Bill frowns, but doesn't comment.
"Do you know why the Enforcers just started fighting with everyone? We've gathered that they don't like the scabs and want them gone, but isn't beating them up as a reaction to a fire a little extreme? We know why you did it, that was your plan from the start, but are the Enforcers the kind of people who just do that? Without planning that beforehand I mean."
Mary glances at Joy, who glances back. "Conductor - They're
cops. Wouldn't be surprised if the whole lot of them are ex-MCPD. I'm sure that they had some plan or another, but if it didn't boil down to 'beat the shit out of the uppity refugees the second we have an excuse', I would be
shocked." Janice's frown becomes even more pronounced at that, and she glances at you, signaling her rapidly eroding patience with this conversation. Luckily for her, that is your last question, and so you nod, and thank all of them for their time, before turning around to go on your way. As you do, Mary shouts out one last thing. "Hey, Conductor - Remember, solidarity forever!"
"Solidarity forever." You reply over your shoulder, and there's a few other choruses of it around the remains of the camp, including from your crew.
Once you're a bit away from the Red Warriors, and are heading towards the Marketplace, Janice calls a stop to your walk. "Right - We need to talk about that." You glance towards her, weary already of the direction you're sure this conversation is going to go. "I mean, we solved it, didn't we? The Red Warriors did it - They returned to the scene of the crime, they confessed to it, and they practically dared us to do something about it, those smug punk bastards." Bill grudgingly nods. "She's not wrong, Rosie - We did…well, I mean, it seems like a pretty obvious conclusion to me." River pipes up. "No reason to not check it with everyone else involved, then. We've seen enough chicanery in this District that I think it's warranted." Galle joins in, agreeing with her. "Yeah! I mean…like…" She sighs. "Is it wrong to think they didn't really do anything wrong, if they did do it! I mean, like, obviously, we should prefer if they didn't, it makes things much less complicated for us, but…well, we had this conversation! The FLA made themselves targets!"
Janice shakes her head, mouth twisting. "And did the children amongst them do the same? Did the old, the infirm, those who didn't participate? This isn't war, not anymore - This was just cruelty, executed by people who can't fit into civilian socialist society, that they excused by dressing it up as some righteous retribution as they squat in the ruins. Bill, they called Stadium's garrison an 'occupation', for Mars's sake - You've got to agree with me here." He scratches the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable. "I mean…we can't really do anything about it. They've got a decent amount of people with guns, and if we go in with the intent to hold them accountable, the Laborers are going to take it as an attack on them. Maybe we can try and talk it out with them, if we want to do that, when we get around to checking with them? That sounds more feasible…I guess."
River shakes her head. "Nah - Galle, you're right. They didn't do anything wrong. This is war - War's never stopped, for a lot of people, just 'cause the big groups of soldiers moving around did. It's a cultural war, one fought for the places and people, not just for the land and labor. How can we win a final peace if we tolerate things that compromise our ideals?" She shrugs, and Janice shakes her head again, starting to go into a tirade. "That sort of thinking will just see us locked into an eternal state of war against the invisible enemy! The reactionary, the traitor, the wrecker, ever-present, yet never-seen - It's the sort of thing I'd expect from-" And at this point, you step in, before people start to say things that they'll regret, or will permanently negatively impact team cohesion. "Right. Thank you for your input, everyone - And we'll do our best to ensure justice will be done…but that isn't our call to make, here. The civilian government of Watson District will have jurisdiction over crimes committed within its borders, that's MPA law on the matter. All we can do is report it to them, and trust that they'll handle it. We must hold respect for the rule of law, and for the will of the people within the District." Though you have to admit internally, it's unlikely that any civilian government will have power sufficient to enforce their will across the District until you're done here, and even then, quite a few of the contenders wouldn't bother punishing the Red Warriors, if not outright congratulating them.
With that thought, you push onwards, trekking in mostly uncomfortable silence until you reach the Marketplace Plaza, which remains as bustling as it was yesterday. This time, instead of heading for the Courthouse, which remains just as guarded as it did yesterday, if with a slightly larger flow of civilian and Enforcer traffic, you choose to remain in the Marketplace area, though not before Janice splits off from the group. "I'll be right back - I'm just going to go check on that bar Mary mentioned. If my gut's right, those are the defectors I'm looking for." You nod, and give her consent to go off, as you and your remaining team begin to interview patrolling Enforcers, who appear highly nervous to be essentially ambush-interviewed by you. Unfortunately, they all only give one real response - They had nothing to do with it, and that you should go talk to the command center in the Courthouse.
With no progress made after several interviews, you sigh, and tell Galle and Bill to keep interviewing Enforcers out in the Marketplace, while you and River head for the Courthouse. Once you get inside, you're directed to an office on the ground level, a ways aways from the Council chambers you visited last time. You pass by several doors clearly leading deeper into the building, likely to cells and storage. When you get inside the indicated offices, frankly, it seems more like a military command post than a law enforcement headquarters. Maps are positioned all over the place, with circled buildings and scrawled notes, while men and women lean over tables, talking seriously while moving small figurines on a table. You note that there are significant portions of figurines around where the Garrison is, and where the Laborers are positioned, as well as the FLA.
Your entrance provokes something of a flurry of activity, though, as you're hastily escorted through the room into an office with a sign hung on it saying 'Commander'. And inside…is Rosa Lederberg. You're not sure who else you would've expected, frankly.
"So, Conductor! You make your return to the Courthouse. How can the Enforcers help you?" She smiles, her voice firm and free of shakes. She seems more in her element, here, then she did in the Council room earlier. You shake yourself free of your thoughts - "Councilwoman Lederberg, me and my compatriot here are looking for the Enforcers records of the incident at the refugee camp, as well as to interview some of the personnel involved with it." She frowns, drumming her fingers on the desk. "Well, of course, Conductor - if you'll merely allow me a moment to gather those things." She stands, and abruptly exits the room.
River turns to you and quite bluntly states the obvious. "We're not getting anything out of this, boss. I don't trust that woman more than I can throw her, and any testimony she feeds us is going to be obvious bullshit. Now, luckily-" You pre-emptively frown, because you can just tell that this is going to be a bad idea. "-She left us alone in her office, with those nice big filing cabinets in it, because she doesn't think we're smart enough to dig through her files while she's off preparing whatever she's about to feed us. So, if you'll keep lookout…" She steps around the desk, even as you hastily stand up and walk over to the thankfully tinted door, watching for approaching silhouettes. After fifteen or so minutes of River digging through and reading files, you spot a group of approaching silhouettes and frantically scramble back to your chair, with River hastily closing the drawer she was in the middle of digging through and slides back into her chair, just as the door opens.
"Conductor! I hope I didn't make you wait too long - Here, I've got copies of the reports right here and I brought Enforcer Williamson with me, to make a statement directly to you. I hope you understand if I remain present in the room." Lederberg returns to her desk, her demeanor still firm - Though she seems to have not spotted that River has rifled through her files.
Enforcer Williamson salutes, moving to stand beside Lederberg, and begins to give his story, staring straight ahead while reciting it.
"Ma'am, myself and my patrol were stationed to monitor the area around the refugee camp, due to what was deemed as a high likelihood of crime in the area, due to foreign and heterodox interests colliding. With our orders to serve as a quick reaction force, we came running as soon as we saw smoke - With what appeared to be a brewing riot in the refugee camp, we sent out a call for backup, and started making arrests." He clears his throat, then continues. "While the riot was quickly quelled, the camp had clearly proven itself to not only be an ongoing threat to the livelihood of the resident citizens of the district, with the criminality displayed by its inhabitants, but also an existential one, given its clear risk of going up in flames. Thus, we began emergency dispersal operations, to ensure that none of the refugees were at risk from the fire hazard, while continuing to make arrests for riot-related offenses, such as attempted battery on Enforcers. At this time, backup arrived, who began aiding us in this. However, at the same time, Garrison forces arrived and demanded the immediate release of all detained peoples and the withdrawal of Enforcers from the area. Given our lack of firepower, and our subordinate mandate, we complied and fell back. That's all there is to say, ma'am."
"Mhm." You noncommittally mutter, while perusing the file that Lederberg passed you…it does seem to back up what was said, though it's obviously only working off of Enforcer testimony, and could easily have been doctored…if they knew you were coming, or knew someone would investigate. So…maybe. "Well, thank you for your time and compliance, Councilwoman, Enforcer." You stand. "I believe we'll take our leave, then." Lederberg smiles, while Williamson maintains his straight posture, staring at something in the ceiling behind you.
As you exit, River whispers to you. "I didn't find anything about the fire - But I did find a lot of notes about local workplaces, marking some as higher priority for response then others, and talking about pressure on some of the others. Maybe something to look into later, once we get down to actually dealing with the Council, huh?" You nod, looking across the marketplace for Bill and Galle…it takes you a moment, but you spot them, Galle holding a…photo of some kind as she and Bill seem to be arguing about something. You catch up at the same time as the argument seems to be winding down, Galle pouting slightly and Bill just sighing in exasperation. "What happened?" He glances over his shoulder, surprised, while Galle practically jumps out of her skin. "Oh, Rosie - Nothing much. Galle just got distracted and wound up getting conned out of some of her tools when I was interviewing an Enforcer." She pouts again. "I did not! I
bartered for an
antique postcard, showing one of the original inhabitants of Mars, which will make a perfect prayer charm for warding off bad fortune!" She flashes the photo towards you, which has a faded picture of some kind of…mechanical device on it? You peer at it. "Is that…a mobile hab station of some kind?" You make your best guess, and she sighs. "It's a rover, Rosalind! They were the first things we ever managed to land on Mars, mechanical emissaries that became loved by the Mother, who showed her favor by shielding them from storms and damage and extending their natural lifespans! Honestly, do you guys not know anything about Martian history?" River, Bill, and you all shrug or shake your heads, and her face flushes. She turns away, sticking the postcard into her pouches. "Anyways, Bill, why don't you tell them about what you found…" She kicks the ground slightly, clearly a bit embarrassed.
"Right. Anyways, we clearly weren't getting anywhere with just asking directly - So we started asking about the FLA indirectly. And, yeah, the Enforcers really bear a grudge against them - Talked up a storm 'bout them being 'parasites' coming to 'hurt Watson independence' and 'bring crime to the district'. Lots of that sort of rhetoric, which is real worrying to me - It's the sort of thing that's gonna cause problems down the line, if we don't sort it out and figure out where it's coming from. Could be homegrown, but I doubt it - The folks around here don't seem to care about the foreign element so much as the scabbing, but the Enforcers were really focused on that bit." Just as Bill finishes, Janice sprints up, breathing a bit heavily. You glance behind her, but nobody's chasing her, even as Galle worriedly asks her - "What happened, Janice?"
She shakes her head. "Nothing - But I needed to come back and report this as soon as possible, ma'am, once I got away from those…ugh. The MCPD defectors I mentioned." She stands up straight, taking a deep breath. "I located the bar that was mentioned by Mary Mariner - It did indeed host a population of off-duty Enforcers, who, while initially suspicious due to my uniform, eased up significantly upon my self-identification as ex-MCPD. From there, it was a short matter of ingratiating myself and some social lubrication via alcohol to overhear some conversations which discussed recent events - While all the normal opinions one would expect of regular ex-MCPD defectors were expressed, one man expressed worry that the 'refugees would snitch about the fire', before being hastily shushed by his compatriots, who warned him not to talk about that." She takes a deep breath, and just as you're about to reply, she continues.
"After that, I lured that man outside into an alleyway, and then pinned him to a wall and showed him my old Internal Affairs Badge, demanding to know everything he knew about the incident. He spilled everything he knew, with only light intimidation necessary." She salutes. "He confessed that a small group of the ex-MCPD members of the Enforcers had gotten together to attack the camp through arson, to make it look like a riot was breaking out. They knew it would draw in the rest of the Enforcers and give them a reason to break up the camp, which apparently they'd been waiting for before Lederberg would give the go-ahead. He strenuously denied any higher-up involvement, claiming it was just them deciding to do it after a night of drinking, which he persisted in saying even after the application of further intimidation techniques. After that, I quickly made my exit from the scene - I did not identify myself by name, and it's unlikely that they could have made it here faster then I did, but it's best that we leave the area before they catch up, ma'am!" At that, your need to make a fast decision takes precedence over your desire to ask questions or shake Janice until she went cross-eyed.
With your hasty exit being necessary to prevent a diplomatic incident from breaking out, you make a snap decision on where to go next.
[] To the FLA, to see if their story still holds up.
[] To talk with the Laborers about the Red Warriors.
QM's Note: Been a while, huh? Sorry for the prolonged absence - College, finals, and other projects have been a real drain on my time and energy! Luckily, however, most of it has passed, bar the obvious, and I should be able to write more consistently now...I hope. As always, thanks to
@grimely!